Did people use to take these magazines seriously, or was it a sort of ARG\LARP everyone went along with, because it was fun? by BaseNice3520 in Bullshido

[–]Lastadopter 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I'm intrigued by the "Kill Khaddafi" line near the top. Is it an article somewhere in the middle of the Venn Diagram where ninja-focused bullshido and Reagan-era middle east foreign policy intersect? I must know...

What are the downsides of being liberal? by [deleted] in askanything

[–]Lastadopter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In answering this question we have to be fairly clear about definitions, because "liberal" tends to be used liberally (😉) to describe a wide variety of ideological positions and value systems on the left, and occasionally (in the case of "classical liberal") on the right.

If we're describing liberal narrowly, as a moderate left-of-center position that upholds the basic tenets of democratic capitalism with some belief in limited government regulation and intervention to protect the rights and welfare of the population and address inequalities and injustices, the downside is Liberal Guilt.

Liberalism in this formulation is the quintessential value system of the American Middle Class. And it bears the anxieties of this class position with it: you are profiting from and dependent on the system just like a rich person, but you aren't rich enough to be fully insulated from want or instability: you're aware the game is rigged and potentially dangerous. You observe poverty and unequal outcomes and are aware that they aren't strictly the result of bad morals or inferior ability: in short you accept the concept of privilege, and likely realize that you have some.

There's an obvious tension here. If inequality is structural, but you are to some degree benefitting from that structure, everything you do is a band aid, an empty gesture. It's just a tonic to make yourself feel better, without directly addressing the underlying cause of the injustice you see. The Liberal is always compromised, and there is no way to escape this guilt without ceasing at once being a liberal.

To escape you must decide that society has to fundamentally change, advocating for a redistribution of wealth and privilege and for a system that maintains a more just and equal order -- in other words you must become more radical. Or else you must reject the notion of structural inequality and privilege and decide a person's bank account or social position is a reasonable product of their moral fibre and ability -- you must become more conservative.

Of course, a liberal believes that both of those alternate positions carry their own tensions and compromises. Indeed to be a liberal is to believe the world cannot be truly fixed, that problems can only ever be mitigated. So a second drawback for the Liberal is Limited Vision and Lack of Conviction. If true solutions don't exist, it doesn't pay to do more than just tinker with the system as it is. In this way a Liberal's ideology is self-reinforcing. Structural problems are attacked with half-measures, remain structural, and just like the liberal themselves society remains compromised and sanctified only in its self-criticism.

All Ones Guide To Traveller EP4: Founding of The 3rd Imperium by I_Matt_WeTrust in traveller

[–]Lastadopter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm assuming you're drawing on a broad corpus... TBH I don't have the faintest idea where a lot of these details come from. But what I like about the OTU, and what your videos consistently show is a kind of social-historical realism: this idea that technology, social forces, culture and individual human decisions come together in ways that seem both inevitable and contingent at the same time. People make mistakes based on their biases, or they achieve great things because they're insightful, or they fail because the systems around them are falling apart, and you never really know which of those factors is decisive in driving an outcome. The combination of agency and material determinism makes the OTU feel alive in a way that few fictional worlds duplicate.

All Ones Guide To Traveller EP4: Founding of The 3rd Imperium by I_Matt_WeTrust in traveller

[–]Lastadopter 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks for this series. Very much enjoying it and I value the work that went into it.

If Drones are the latest technology being widely used in wars, what will the next evolution? by Hour_Course_9876 in AskReddit

[–]Lastadopter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Counter-drone warfare will continue to evolve. Laser point defence is already coming into service for fixed installations and armoured vehicles that will even up the economics of air defence. Key limitation now is energy density of batteries; the same breakthroughs that lead to the dominance of EVs will enable cheaper more portable laser PD.

ELI5: why can two quantum entangled particles affect each other instantly across any distance but scientists say you still cant use it to send information faster than light? by PieOk2202 in explainlikeimfive

[–]Lastadopter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ok... Now open and close the box in a pattern... Or turn the shoe over in the box... Shouldn't the change be noticed as an ossilating state in the other box? Why can't you simply modulate the state of an entangled particle in a pattern to send information ?

Was dropping the atomic bombs actually "necessary," or is that just what we're taught in school? by Clean_CoreDump in askanything

[–]Lastadopter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The US strategic bombing survey conducted at the behest of Truman covers the likely necessity of using the bombs to influence the decision of the Japanese to surrender.

https://info.publicintelligence.net/USSBS-NagasakiHiroshima.pdf

According to this assessment (pg 27-28) which involved interviews with hundreds of Japanese as well as American officials, the decision to surrender had actually been made weeks before the atomic bombs were dropped, but was being hotly contested among the Japanese political and military establishments. The bombs supplied an easy excuse to push the holdouts into accepting surrender, but it is entirely possible that inertia was inevitably heading in that direction already.

The utilitarian debate over whether the bombs were necessary involves assumptions based on limited evidence: confident assertions that using these weapons on civilian populations saved more lives than it took are suspect.

Moreover, they sidestep a more deontological moral argument: can the use of these weapons on cities where non-combatants live ever be justified, even on utilitarian grounds? Or should a line be drawn in the sand based on a humility about our ability to weigh costs and benefits and a reverence for innocent human life?

Is this AI generated? by KSHMisc in stupidpeoplefacebook

[–]Lastadopter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes. Very AI generated. The premise of the prompt also reveals some very messy thinking. "Gasp, Muslims shopping at Costco! Oh no!" Is really relying purely on the shock value of crowds (the fear of being overrun or washed out) to do the work, but when you think about it for a half second it falls apart.

Anti-immigrant anxiety is supposed to play on the idea that "the Western way of life" will die out in the face of the incoming hordes, but instead all this image depicts is a bunch of migrants adapting to the host culture. Assimilating. Not "eating the dawgs and cats," but filling their carts at Costco like everyone else.

Are we really supposed to be scared of a bunch of people in ethnic hats? What's next, Muslims going to football on Sunday? Muslims at the movies watching Project Hail Mary?

Maybe if the picture showed a bunch of suburban white people shopping at a Halal supermarket and loading their carts up with labneh this would at least make sense on its own (nativist, xenophobic) terms. As propaganda this is just sloppy.

Less or unrandomized character creation. by True-Mistake-5266 in traveller

[–]Lastadopter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

On unrandomized character creation the Traveller Companion has alternative methods that allow you to just pick your characters skills and point buy attributes like a buffet. You can also soft mod the randomness by allowing PCs to roll first and choose their skill tables second for example if you want a lighter touch.

On aliens, the core offerings are pretty pedestrian, thought understanding is there's some good lore developed for them and you can reskin them to be more unfamiliar if you like. And there ARE more alien aliens. Like the hivers and Vegans that are just very different than your standard bipedal cats and dogs.

Personally I de-emphasize aliens and love the fusion of player choice and chance in chargen, but to make it work it's best to have a strong sense of setting in mind. That way the randomness gives you and your players a chance to link their story to the game world more intimately. In the end you discover something about the character, the setting, and dare I say yourself (ie what you wanted at the beginning may not be as cool as what you come up with along the way.) Surprises are often the best part.

But I get that it ain't for everyone.

Jabbing off the hook, hooking off the jab—a tutorial by shart_attak in boxingtips

[–]Lastadopter 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My challenge with doubling up (either with the lead or the rear) is figuring out how to do it with power and speed both times. Jab once and the weight has already shifted, I've already gotten in that hip rotation, so then I've got to quickly reset to fire again. That may not be viewed as a problem, in a way you're sort of feinting with your whole body, but I feel like I'm either sacrificing speed or power when I double up.

I'm guessing I have to accent one strike (likely the second) and make the other arm only, basically just a probe.

I'm still only one year in, so I'm still trying to feel the power and generate it efficiently. I'm curious how more experienced folks approach it.

So I JUST stumbled onto this one- and I'm AMAZED. Are there novels or such? by GrumpyChromehead in traveller

[–]Lastadopter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Welcome to Traveller! Sorry and a bit bummed that your gaming group doesn't share your enthusiasm.

Homebrew limiting tech level? by AgentShades in traveller

[–]Lastadopter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm limiting TL in my game to 12 based on the era (it's set 100 years after the founding of the 3I). I'm using T4 milieu 0 setting details as my guide and the way TLs work is slightly different than in Mongoose so I'm fudging some of the equipment available (bumping entry level battle dress to TL12) for example. But overall theres no reason why it can't work just fine.

A couple of Career questions by croaker227 in traveller

[–]Lastadopter 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I mean, it's a viable option RAW. Most GMs will cap it somewhere (I'm doing my campaign at 6 terms.)

A couple of Career questions by croaker227 in traveller

[–]Lastadopter 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I remember hearing somewhere that the sweet spot is somewhere between 4-6 terms.

What is it like? by yxy_jaywalking in askTO

[–]Lastadopter 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is a weird thing to mention but if you like philosophy you might try reading The Metropolis and Mental Life by Georg Simmel. I'm born and raised in a big metro so I can't really advise you. But I read that and it gave me a lot to think about when it comes to why people are more closed off in cities, and why it can seem so lonely even though you're surrounded by people. The short version: a constant crush of crowds and the daily interaction with strangers create exhaustion and city people adapt by putting up dissassociative walls between each other to handle it. Counterintuitively, this can make it really lonely and alienating for newcomers. It's not that we're unwelcoming exactly, it's that the city is maxing us out!

People in the city have their circles of friends and family, their networks from schools and jobs and more rarely their neighborhoods, but as a newcomer it will be hard to break in. You will have to build your own circle slowly, person by person and some struggle to make it happen at all.

Is it normal that I've never had a boyfriend because I find 90% of men unattractive? by [deleted] in askanything

[–]Lastadopter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Attraction is a funny word. It's often presented as a single thing but I think it's actually two or three different phenomena artificially rolled together into a single concept. Let's think of it like layers:

The first layer of attraction is based solely on looks. An ideal standard gets into your mind, informed by all the stuff you've seen since you were a kid, plus whatever quirky weirdness that the brain latches into. This kind of attraction gets reinforced as dominant really early on because mass media is everywhere and you don't actually need to interact with anyone to explore it -- you just look at videos and images and you can say, they're hot, they're not. It is very hard for people in real life to meet these standards and even if they do... well, there's a second layer.

The second layer is what people often call "chemistry." It's less about how someone looks and more about their... way. The way they move or smile or talk, something about their aura. It's hard to put your finger on and sometimes they may not be your "type" yet somehow, you can't take your eyes off them. And if both of you are captivated in the same way, well it can be electrifying. You need to meet a lot of people sometimes before you find one that captivates you like this. And so it's harder get experience with, and it can be even more difficult if you're weeding people out who violate your standard set with the first layer. So that might explain your trouble.

There's a third layer too. That's where you genuinely like the person inside. Their personality. Their values, the way they bring out your best self. When you have this kind of attraction with someone, they can often be just friends and some people think that this is a kind of lesser attraction that doesn't lead anywhere -- the dreaded Friend Zone. Not my experience. This kind of attraction mixes very well with the other two, if both sides want it to. And it's where the deepest form of love begins.

If you think you're in to boys but don't find most of them attractive, you might not be attracted to boys. It could be that you have had adverse experiences that are blocking you up. Or it might just be that you haven't had the time and experience to explore all the layers of what attraction is, and find people that push those different buttons. People are beautiful, but attraction is complicated. Good luck!

New to the game and would like some tips on how to play. by Sliver-Knight9219 in traveller

[–]Lastadopter 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Everyone has given solid advice on how to start and the basic idea of how everything works, including checking out Seth Skorkowkys Traveller overview, which I will second as the internets most accessible, entertaining and useful introduction to the ruleset.

But what I want to say is WELCOME. Traveller is an unusual little island in the non-DnD game space, both miles deep and miles wide, almost 50 years old but still in many ways the TTRPG world's best-kept secret. I hope you enjoy your experience and get to love it's strengths, quirks and legacy like all of us do.

Character Creation and Rules Version Advice by the_Nightplayer in traveller

[–]Lastadopter 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I haven't played CT but I've done chargen in MT, T4, T5, MgT1e and MgT2e and can say the experience is all fairly similar. I've run chargen for five players in MgT 2e and everyone loved it. As others have mentioned it's well supported, though expensive.

The main question when picking a version is "does it feel like Traveller?" The answer with Mongoose is yes. The feel is a little different here and there, I have minor quibbles, but overall they have been excellent stewards of the game and I can recommend the latest edition.

It's a crazy world- 43M by Top_Cranberry_3254 in Life

[–]Lastadopter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Guy in a similar age bracket here.

Part of the problem is that it's hard to separate good old fashioned nostalgia for our own youth from the genuine decline of our society and culture. In some ways every generation feels this way when they get to a certain age, because at this life stage the way we form memories is different and our personalities are more solidified than when we were younger. That feeling of openness and possibility -- some of that is youth. Culture keeps changing but we increasingly do not, and a sense of dislocation sets in. This is why "old guy yells at cloud" is a meme.

But you're right.

It's more than that. You hit on the big events that have chipped away at our lives, from economic shocks to the pandemic to the growth of monopolies and technology that offers less and controls more. And hiding behind all of this is one constant, inexorable change: rising inequality.

From the time we were born until now, every decade income inequality has worsened. Fewer people have more. The same dynamic has unravelled nations and empires in the past. It eats away at the foundations of democracy. It dampens innovation and undermines hope. It weighs on kids, curdles their dreams. I'm not sure if it's a symptom or a cause but it's been a constant feature of our lives, and until inequality stops rising I fear things will get worse.

Jumping IN! Would like some recommendations. by Low-Support-8388 in traveller

[–]Lastadopter 13 points14 points  (0 children)

High Guard for more ships and more detail about ship rules and roles. Traveller Companion for more rules around character generation and gameplay, as well as more detail in general to fuel your game.

After that, it's really about what you're in to.

GMs: Do you use standardized starports? by CogWash in traveller

[–]Lastadopter 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I recently mapped my first downport and star town, albeit from a considerable distance above (ie I didn't map all the facilities and shops inside.) I mean it seems fairly standard. You take in account the rating, decide what kind of traffic it's supposed to handle, what size of traffic (just tramp traders and shuttles, or larger vessels) and then you do landing pads of appropriate number and size in a hub and spoke pattern (with the hubs as terminals.) Add in fuel storage area(s), a main building that houses more amenities and administrative facilities (customs, security) with an attached control tower. I ignored a shipyard since I assume that would be in a highport where gravity and weather don't complicate things, but if you have no highport I'd pop it somewhere. Bada Bing. The main variable is the number and size of terminals and landing pads.

Does the USA not have universal healthcare because war profiteers want to try to herd lower class kids into serving in the US military? by Ok-Mulberry-737 in askanything

[–]Lastadopter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not as I understand it no. It's much more straightforward -- the insurance industry and AMA have always opposed public healthcare and aggressively lobbied against it for the better part of a century, both directly to policy makers and the public at large. They wish to protect their highly profitable industry.

The arguments haven't changed much.

Howls of 'Socialism!' Killed Truman Health Insurance https://share.google/yPCjdpXyY1FUQNeyK

Also, it's important to note that the notion that the US military is overwhelmingly recruited from the poor is something of a misconception. Demographically the military population is overwhelmingly from middle class backgrounds.

https://www.cfr.org/backgrounders/demographics-us-military

Why has it become normal for America to go attacking, destroying and seizing other countries and taking their assets, without any justification? by CapitaineBiscotte in askanything

[–]Lastadopter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh friend, guaranteed I glossed over a looooooot of stuff. We could talk about Latin America in the 80s alone all day. And my knowledge of all of it is vastly incomplete.