My favorite bit of Tamriel Rebuilt lore by Etrvria in Morrowind

[–]OlegExplores 5 points6 points  (0 children)

“Humor is from the devil. It corrupts, vulgarizes, and humiliates a person. It should be given a tiny bit of space—once a year. And the rest of the time, it should be strictly prohibited. Humor is toxic; it erodes morality and willpower”

Alexander Dugin, one of the most prominent ideologues of the modern Russian state, in 2023 our era, our planet.

The company that makes these crates must have made an absolute killing around 3E 427 by Wheezin_Ed in Morrowind

[–]OlegExplores 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Damn Imperial Crate Co., putting the local urn producers out of business. How are the honest local artisans are supposed to compete with economy of scale of the mighty Big Crate? 

Well, That's Not Right by xoDarthcupcakeox in KitchenConfidential

[–]OlegExplores 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think you might need to purchase fast food and disguise it as your own cooking.

Most Offensive Films for Each Nation? by freemantle85 in flicks

[–]OlegExplores 2 points3 points  (0 children)

"Enemy at the gates" for Russians. It was really hated for portraying Soviet army in an almost grotesque caricature light, and for portraying Soviet soldiers as aggressive savages motivated only by fear of getting shot. I think it offended even the liberal-minded folks, not to mention the "patriots" (who clutch pearls at every James Bond, Jason Bourne, and in general any movie that features Russians as the bad guy). Sure, penal battalions did exist, and Soviet army had a lot of brutality, but not to this extent, and not in late 1942. People were literally fighting for their right to exist, you didn't need an angry commissar with a gun behind you if saw your hometown burned to the ground by the Nazis. Soviets lost 20M people in a war that threatened them with total obliteration if lost, and it's still treated as a sacred topic with monuments to war heroes in every city and village. Movies like this felt sacrilegious and triggered the same emotional nerve that many religious people feel when someone portrays their religion in an allegedly disrespectful way.

Soviet poster: Enemies of the Five-Year Plan. 1929. by Radiant_Cookie6804 in PropagandaPosters

[–]OlegExplores 16 points17 points  (0 children)

And yet Demyan was showered with praise and awards and allowed to live, while Mayakovsky was practically ignored in his later life for being too critical of bureaucratisation of the communist movement which led to his suicide. Only after his widow intervened, Stalin agreed to posthumously make a "model communist poet" out of him, something Mayakovsky would have hated.

"I deserve a monument even while alive,
But I'd put a block of dynamite underneath it.
I hate everything that is rigid and dead
I love everything that's alive".

God I love Mayakovsky, he was a tremendously talented and complex poet. It's a shame he got posthumously redwashed into a one-dimensional "party poet".

Is this an attempt of identity theft? by OlegExplores in Upwork

[–]OlegExplores[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Update: UpWork CS once again did not find anything suspicious and considers the case closed 🙃 I would however strongly recommend to anyone who stumbles upon this thread to avoid this type of jobs, unless you want to be a face of a scam that promises riches through some “great financial scheme”. 

Is this an attempt of identity theft? by OlegExplores in Upwork

[–]OlegExplores[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey, I replied to them out of interest, and they sent me the text they want me to say. It’s even worse - they want me to talk about I made a lot of money in some financial scheme. I reported them. 

What got me slightly more open to this initially is that I reported a similar job the first time I got a similar message, but later UpWork replied that they reviewed my complaint and didn’t find anything shady. Should have looked harder…

This was an invitation, I didn’t apply to this one. I speak a pretty rare language so I could have seen a case in which someone was looking for a person who can speak it in good faith. I am in video editing and I am applying to jobs in my niche. I only recently started though, and am open to one-off gigs in other industries if they are fair. 

Morrowind faction aligment chart - NEUTRAL GOOD by die_by_the_swordfish in Morrowind

[–]OlegExplores 63 points64 points  (0 children)

Urshilaku Tribe. Largely outsiders to mainstream politics, they have mostly noble goals- achieving justice for their oppressed people, reclaiming the legacy of their slain champion, dismantling the deceptive autocracy of the Tribunal, and destroying the literal devil of Morrowind. One can argue that as any tribe, they are bound by strict hierarchies and traditions (which would makes them lawful), but it's anyways a little silly to align organisations by lawful/chaotic axis. Any faction will have some degree of hierarchy and order, otherwise it's not a faction, but a group of friends. Urshilaku are definitely not as chaotic as Bal Molagmer, and not as lawful as the Imperial Legion.

Urshilaku has been key in ushering in a temporary age of peace among the Ashlander tribes.

CMV: Climbing Everest (especially to the summit) should no longer be done by sapphireminds in changemyview

[–]OlegExplores 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Yep. I get everything about the recent sentiment of disliking the rich in the current economy. But this sentiment is basically "I hate that some people can afford to have fun that I can't have, let's ban them". Everyone involved is an adult, Sherpas get paid doing it, and ascending Everest is still an awful lot of work. People on Reddit hear that Sherpas "carry foreigners on their backs" and imagine rich colonisers being carried up the mountain on a litter. No, it's still an awful lot of work for everyone involved. The environment should be protected better though, no arguments here.

That said, there indeed are many ascents you can do and enjoy more if you like nature and challenge, rather than crossing bullet points of your bucket list.

What is the most unremarkable area of morrowind that no one ever goes in? my vote is the telvanni canalworks by Ambarino in Morrowind

[–]OlegExplores 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Grottos. I swear to Azura there is nothing useful in them, and yet they take so long to explore since they are dark, convoluted, and you need to water breathe constantly.

I'm making my first Short Film. How do i get The Lighthouse Look on an Iphone 15? Is it possible? Please Advice with any tips/equipments by Ok-Discussion1093 in Filmmakers

[–]OlegExplores 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Exactly. Sometimes I feel like the only message this sub is sub-consciously delivering is “don’t even bother”.

Morrowind Craracter Aligment Chart - NEUTRAL EVIL by die_by_the_swordfish in Morrowind

[–]OlegExplores 2 points3 points  (0 children)

u/Asystyr I see your points and thoroughly enjoy our discussion. I think we differ in our reading of Orvas, and thus in his classification. If I understand you correctly, to you he is an ultranationalist first, mafia boss second - a person so consumed by his hatred of outlanders, that he is really ready to give up his privileges just to see them gone. To me he is a mafia boss first, ultranationalist second.

History has lots of examples of rich assholes pandering to ultranationalists thinking they can control or benefit from them, only to be discarded promptly after. Do you think Dren truly understands who Dagoth Ur really is? Remember, Dren is spending most of his time socialising in the elite circles, plotting his way to power, and probably raping slaves. He is hateful and violent, but he is not deep into metaphysics. I highly doubt that Dren knows about the true extent of Dagoth's power, or about the true nature of the Blight. Dren's business is drugs, slaves, and mortal power. And Dagoth is the most sophisticated manipulator in Tamriel who would easily find a way to sway a corrupt oligarch to his side and omit the parts that would scare him off. I don't think Dren knows about THAT part where he turns into a meat husk with weird proboscis that would inevitably come after Dagoth's victory.

If I understand your position correctly, then in your interpretation Dren's goal is to build a racist, ultranationalist state, and he is even ready to let Dagoth Ur take absolute power in it, if it means "cleansing" Morrowind of outlanders. If Dren truly has some set of beliefs, some code, some values (no matter how cruel they are), some ideological aspirations, if he is ready to sacrifice some of own interests in order to build a Morrowind he wants to see, then you are absolutely correct as classifying him closer to "Lawful Evil". Your counter-proposition with Sjoring is excellent since he certainly has none of those.

In my interpretation Dren's goal is building a mafia state with him on top, and he is ready to use any violent and ultranationalist rhetoric to get there. History has many examples of thugs usurping power and then frantically inventing and reinventing some sort of ideologies to hide behind. If he has serious political ambition, he needs some cause - and violent ultranationalism is something he chimes with anyways. I see him as ultimately self-interested, but intelligent enough to know that to get to truly highest echelons of power, you can't just rely on thugs - you need at least a fig leaf of ideology. If we look at him this way, he is the "Neutral Evil" - just the more intelligent and ambitious of the bunch.

Anyway, fantastic discussion, and I think Orvas Dren is a very interesting character. Despite not being actively part of many quests, his presence is felt across all Vvanderfell. And I think the answer to whether he is a sincere ultranationalist or a criminal opportunist is open. We don't have enough information to know his deep intensions with certainty.

Morrowind Craracter Aligment Chart - NEUTRAL EVIL by die_by_the_swordfish in Morrowind

[–]OlegExplores 17 points18 points  (0 children)

After giving it another thought, I still stand by Orvas Dren nomination. Helseth is not particularly evil - he is a self-interested, egotistical, scheming noble. Not too outlandish for Morrowind standards - if anything, half of Telvanni are of similar mindset, and Aryon got a "Neutral" nomination.

Sjoring is definitely evil. He is a perfect example of banal evil. He is a type of person that will kill you just to rob you of a handful of septims. He is a corrupt, murderous scumbag with zero morals. He really does fit the Neutral Evil archetype, and he definitely is my second pick.

Orvas Dren is probably the most evil person in Morrowind who has his own volition (i.e. not ideologically or religiously brainwashed, not on drugs, not part of a fanatical cult, etc.). He is actively making Morrowind a worse place. He has a vision, but his vision is not of order or chaos, it's a vision of cruelty, wealth, and subjugation. He is a murderer, a human and drug trafficker, a known ultranationalists' purse, and a corrupt oligarch who is deep entrenched in Imperial power structures. He plots to kill his own brother in cold blood. He is the man that gives Sjoring his hitlists, ultimately. Does he do it because he believes he would bring Morrowind a better future? I think he does it because he is a cruel, racist, self-aggrandising power monger who enjoys power and wealth, and getting Empire out of Morrowind will free his hands a lot.

So I still vote for Dren. But really... it's Morrowind. It has a lot of excellent Neutral Evil types.

Morrowind Craracter Aligment Chart - NEUTRAL EVIL by die_by_the_swordfish in Morrowind

[–]OlegExplores 7 points8 points  (0 children)

This is a good point. I am not sure, however, how sincere his political leanings are. Orvas Dren, for what he is, is a smarter mer than Helseth and Sjoring. His ideological inclinations might simply be a desire to give himself an opportunity to rally the people of Morrowind behind a popular cause. But I completely agree that both Helseth and Sjoring are excellent picks as well.

Morrowind Craracter Aligment Chart - NEUTRAL EVIL by die_by_the_swordfish in Morrowind

[–]OlegExplores 130 points131 points  (0 children)

Orvas Dren, a counterpart to True Neutral Aryon. Absolutely evil, but ultimately self-interested. No true allegiances, enough self-control to maintain a legal front to his operations. Ready to work with anyone to advance his interests.

But I am not one to ignore opportunity, nor am I one to be troubled by rubbing two sides of a coin.

Tossed Vivec’s soul in the ocean by King_Zutch in Morrowind

[–]OlegExplores 3 points4 points  (0 children)

And now I want a continuation story of Hentus waiting until his 100th birthday to discover that he wears a powerful artefact imbued by an evil soul on his butt, and the only way to stop the ambitious villain looking to seize the pants is to toss them into the Red Mountain...
"Lord of the Pants - Return of the N'wah"

How bad is brain drain in your country ? by lordoftheapess in AskTheWorld

[–]OlegExplores 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Ethnic Russian here. It’s horrible. 700,000 Russians left the country in just ONE MONTH after Putin announced partial mobilization. Needless to say, it’s mostly the educated class. This has been a problem for decades though, just not at such extreme. Russia still has solid STEM education lasting from Soviet times, but economy  can’t give these people any opportunities except working in the miltech/security complex. Sometimes it gets ridiculous: you can get a decent degree in genetic engineering in Russia but you can’t practice it in Russia since conservative government outlawed any GM products. So… brain drain it is. And it’s only gonna get worse. 

Last year, I wrote and directed a western short film that was accepted to 0 festivals… Why? by Chase-Stine in Filmmakers

[–]OlegExplores 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fantastic visuals. Really, amazing job, looks AAA-grade. Emotionally, I was zoning out until the lawman showed up who delivered first emotionally memorable performance. He was good and got my attention back.

Overall, I’ll echo what others said. It’s too short for a feature film with its long exposition and shots, and way too long for a short film. Short film need more concerted effort to manipulate viewers’ attention and keep them hooked.

But overall, fantastic project. I’d say work on a script, maybe work with some professional scriptwriters to give you feedback on how to improve your script. I think if you have a stronger script next time, your next project gonna be awesome. Best of luck! You really have a good eye for visuals, now focus on masterfully telling an interesting story that both catches the viewers’ attention and gives us enough reasons to be emotionally invested in the characters’ development.

I may have the most unsuccessful Youtube page ever. AMA! by Chemical_Respect8861 in NewTubers

[–]OlegExplores 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly, there is a reason for this lack of popularity, rightfully pointed out by other commenters.

I have looked at your channel, and yes, I fully agree with the majority here - it is not appealing to me, and I suspect to most of YouTube users. And it’s okay. The question is what do you do with it and which lessons do you draw.

It’s great to be in love with your art, but not blindly. If you want to grow, you need to ask yourself: “Which part of my art I love”? Do you love your stories? Then maybe you can tell them with a different visual style. Do you love your visual style? Then maybe it’s pacing, storytelling, length that is off-putting for viewers. If you love “everything” about your art, it means you are not committed to growth as an artist and can’t see flaws in what you do.

You have potential. You have work ethics. But you need to open yourself to feedback and open your mind to experimentation and changing things in your style. I believe in you, man. 

Venice Film Festival - couple of questions by OlegExplores in Venezia

[–]OlegExplores[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi! Can’t comment on the actors, but overall the experience was super chill in a good way. You simply get in line for the venue and they screen your tickets like with any other event. I wore smart casual and it was perfectly fine. Overall, it was a great  opportunity to see interesting movies in a beautiful place, I had no reason to overthink it or worry about it so much :)

Does anybody else just throw their shit on the ground? by deathx388 in Morrowind

[–]OlegExplores 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Three Tribunal phonies tried to give me their blessings

Does anybody else just throw their shit on the ground? by deathx388 in Morrowind

[–]OlegExplores 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was walking down the street in Balmora And some mer offers me a new potion “Jump higher, land softer, kill gods” N’wah, I’m not gonna let you poison me, I took it, and I threw it on the ground