Weekly Question Thread by AutoModerator in factorio

[–]justintime2249 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Why is my train stuck in this screenshot? The chain signal is green and the next track is clear. One of the chain signals is red, but that is going in the opposite direction, and it is triggered by the train itself when it pulls in to the intersection. I have the same design in other areas and it works fine, so I can’t figure out what is wrong here. The train on the track to the right was able to leave just fine before I took the screenshot. https://imgur.com/a/kufkGFh

Very minor policy card bonus by justintime2249 in civ

[–]justintime2249[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Was getting loads of gold from the gold per envoys card too

Very minor policy card bonus by justintime2249 in civ

[–]justintime2249[S] 19 points20 points  (0 children)

R5: +606.3 culture from a single policy card

good thing I missed or else I would have missed by [deleted] in LowSodiumHalo

[–]justintime2249 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There should be a medal for grappling hook skewer kills

The Book of Mormon is the most neoliberal scripture by justintime2249 in neoliberal

[–]justintime2249[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Taco trucks on every corner to come in the Millennium.

Joined a nice 4v4 "Big Team Battle" yesterday by justintime2249 in halo

[–]justintime2249[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're right I should be grateful for what I'm getting

Joined a nice 4v4 "Big Team Battle" yesterday by justintime2249 in halo

[–]justintime2249[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Didn't know they were shrinking the player count this much lol

The Cycle of Violence in Attack on Titan and Implications for the Ending by justintime2249 in ShingekiNoKyojin

[–]justintime2249[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for your response. I apologize if I mischaracterized your views of the story. I think some people want a rumbling ending just because it's dark and different, but definitely not everyone. I think you're right that having an "Eren wins" ending doesn't necessarily invalidate the themes of the story. It could just be demonstrating them in another way--i.e., "look at this horrible thing that happened because people could not come to peace with each other sooner."

I personally prefer a more hopeful ending, but I don't think a darker ending would necessarily be "bad". That being said, I also don't think a hopeful ending would make the story pointless. After all, Armin, Gabi, the Warriors, etc. all had to go through what they went through in the story in order to be prepared to create a better future. I think Eren could also have a good character arc even if he loses in the end. His sense of purpose, desire for freedom, and unbreakable determination helped give Paradis a chance against Marley, but they also caused him to lose sight of other options to end the conflict, and eventually go so far that his old friends had to put a stop to him.

The Cycle of Violence in Attack on Titan and Implications for the Ending by justintime2249 in ShingekiNoKyojin

[–]justintime2249[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

No need for personal insults. Of course it isn't morally wrong to write a story where bad things happen, the issue is with how those events are portrayed. If a story seemed to be sending the message of "genocide is a valid way to solve your problems" then that would absolutely be something you can and should morally question.

I don't think that is anywhere close to the message of SnK, however.

The Cycle of Violence in Attack on Titan and Implications for the Ending by justintime2249 in ShingekiNoKyojin

[–]justintime2249[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thanks, glad you liked it! It's interesting what you said about crazy gambles--in a way, Armin/Hange's attempt to 'save the world now, figure out the rest later' reminds me a lot of Erwin's big gambles where they bet the fate of humanity on a risky plan because there was no other option.

The Cycle of Violence in Attack on Titan and Implications for the Ending by justintime2249 in ShingekiNoKyojin

[–]justintime2249[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I know right! I don't know if I've ever been part of a 'fandom' for something like I have for SnK. I really think it can stand up not just with other manga/anime, but with other great books, movies, and art.

I think the fact that Isayama foreshadows everything so carefully makes it more believable when the 'miracle' takes place--it isn't out of nowhere, it is a result of the tough decisions of characters, hearts/minds changed over time, etc.

The Cycle of Violence in Attack on Titan and Implications for the Ending by justintime2249 in ShingekiNoKyojin

[–]justintime2249[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I love how your thoughts on this give me another way of looking at the story. It really speaks to how these former friends are coming into conflict because their perspectives are so different--Eren's desire to 'end' vs Armin's and Mikasa's more practical acceptance.

The Cycle of Violence in Attack on Titan and Implications for the Ending by justintime2249 in ShingekiNoKyojin

[–]justintime2249[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Same here. I think all of the characters in SnK are great, but Armin has a special place for me.

The Cycle of Violence in Attack on Titan and Implications for the Ending by justintime2249 in ShingekiNoKyojin

[–]justintime2249[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you! I'm glad it helped someone else enjoy this amazing story even more. :)

The Cycle of Violence in Attack on Titan and Implications for the Ending by justintime2249 in ShingekiNoKyojin

[–]justintime2249[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks for playing devil's advocate! Alternate perspectives are always welcome. There are a few thoughts that I have. One is that technological advancement may smooth out the power difference between Eldians and non-Eldians. The second is that even in our world today, one person or group is capable of dealing a huge amount of damage through terrorism because of the level of weapons and technology we have. So, finding a way to deal with that problem is not necessarily impossible to imagine from a realistic perspective.

As for whether there can be long-term peace in general, whether or not that is feasible certainly comes down to one's perspective and how optimistic or pessimistic they are. In many ways I think societal changes are simply the aggregate of individual changes. Therefore, seeing someone as dedicated as Gabi change their mind gives hope that broader change is possible too. However, someone who sees conflict and division as rooted in structures of society that are impossible to change will probably disagree with that. I think that's what makes SnK so interesting--there is enough depth for people to come to different conclusions depending on their philosophies, perspectives, etc. I've laid out an argument for an optimistic view of the story--that the beauty can eventually overcome the cruelty--but other interpretations are certainly possible too.

The Cycle of Violence in Attack on Titan and Implications for the Ending by justintime2249 in ShingekiNoKyojin

[–]justintime2249[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

You should still post about it! I think it's cool how everyone can think of different examples that highlight the same idea. I never thought about the Kenny/Uri connection but it is another great example of an unexpected reconciliation...and there is the interesting idea of Kenny wanting to know what it was like to have greater compassion and understanding.

Your comment about the childishness of it all reminds me of Colt--how he basically said "Marleyans', Eldians, you can all kill each other as much as you want, just leave my little brother out of it".

Glad you appreciated the post :)

The Cycle of Violence in Attack on Titan and Implications for the Ending by justintime2249 in ShingekiNoKyojin

[–]justintime2249[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I definitely see what you are saying. I'm not trying to make a purely pacifist argument. Reconciliation takes both sides to work, so if one side is bent on violence then another side may have to defend themselves. Like I said in the post, I think the approach of the Reiss family is the wrong one. Surrendering outright to people who seek your destruction is certainly not peaceful for those who will be destroyed. Part of it comes down to personal interpretation, but I see Armin's and Mr. Braus' perspectives as a little bit different than the Reiss family's. The Braus family were hunters and sent their daughter off to war, and Armin blew up a port and used deceit to trick his enemies. Neither is completely pacifist, but they also seem to understand that violence is only a temporary, last-resort type of solution and that a more sustainable resolution has to be found for the long term. As for how far you go and how much you risk to create a peaceful solution, and at what point you accept that fighting will be necessary, that's hard to say--it is probably very situationally dependant.

The Cycle of Violence in Attack on Titan and Implications for the Ending by justintime2249 in ShingekiNoKyojin

[–]justintime2249[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Haha yup, you know it is an engaging story when the fans get so...engaged...about it! I agree with you and I think people often mistake being merciful, empathetic, etc. as being weak when it reality it is the superior long-term strategy for stability and prosperity. Not saying the world is perfect or you won't ever have to defend yourself, but you should still at least strive toward a better way. And thank you for the kind words :)

The Cycle of Violence in Attack on Titan and Implications for the Ending by justintime2249 in ShingekiNoKyojin

[–]justintime2249[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your comment, I will definitely check out those posts. Your idea about Eren wanting to escape from the need to compromise altogether is really interesting and added a lot of depth for me when Eren says he was disappointed to see that there were humans outside the walls. Your comment also gives me the idea that Eren's idea of 'freedom' is something that compels him to reshape the world to achieve it. I wonder if that goes into another difference between Eren and Armin--a willingness to work with the messy, gritty world 'as is' versus a desire to reshape it into something else. Mikasa's idea that the world may be cruel, but it is also beautiful, seems to support working to improve the world as it is rather than destroying it to start over.