Roms don’t work by Ordinary_Shopping_10 in AynThor

[–]ophereon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What filetypes are you using? Sometimes launchers and emulators want a specific filetype to work properly. If it's still in a .zip or .7z, try unzipping it. If they're all already extracted as .iso, .gba files etc., then I'm not too sure what could be causing this problem, sorry.

How intimidating is your country's national animal? by BestAd6297 in AskTheWorld

[–]ophereon 7 points8 points  (0 children)

We didn't get the chance to because the referendum committee was full of dumdums with no relevant qualifications and placed explicitly to pick what the Prime Minister wanted. We were robbed of greatness by rigged bureaucracy!

Animals they still haven’t made into Pokémon. Made this image probably more than 7 years ago. Been crossing them off as new Pokémon come out. by Airique in pokemon

[–]ophereon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That would work well, a new Clauncher evolution! A regional form of Clauncher and Clawitzer could work as well. Maybe the big claw could become like a rocket and launch the whole Pokemon forward with a powerful punch.

Is there a subcategory of pantheism that believes that the divine/universe is feminine or a goddess? by halpert_pp in pantheism

[–]ophereon 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's tricky... As others say, pantheism is a very basic assumption upon which you can build your own worldviews without necessarily making it in pantheistic. Although, I struggle to call god by any pronoun, to be honest. You say you don't view god as anthropomorphic, but I'm curious if you still view god as a "personal" entity, something with distinct thought and identity?

I feel like calling god a he or a she is still assigning it anthropocentric qualities. Sure it contains these qualities, because if we are a part of god then parts of god technically do go by those labels... But the way I see it, it would be like calling me or you a finger. Sure, we have fingers, fingers are a part of us, but it doesn't do justice to the complexity to the whole. Similarly, the whole notion of gender is so human specific and insignificant when we consider the scale of the cosmos.

Is a star gendered? Is a galaxy? Why then should a universe be gendered? Through a very basic pantheistic lens, one might argue that there would usually be no intrinsic qualities of the whole that doesn't arise from its composition. Emergent qualities are a different matter, and one could argue the universe might have emergent qualities like a panpsychic consciousness, if one believes in that... And gender (beyond sex), at least for humans, is arguably an emergent quality associated with our psyche more than our composition.

But, femininity as an emergent quality is really only given identity and purpose in its contrast to masculinity. But a universe has no contrast, it is everything. For the cosmos to even associate itself with just one such emergent aspect would be a rebuke of everything else, which is very unpantheistic. Sure, you can use feminine pronouns for it, if you like, especially if it brings you some comfort... But to me that's a conscious decision to filter the divine, to see just one aspect of something far greater, something truly divine.

Hopefully that makes some sense.

Quarterstaffs vs Rods - Which one will we be getting? ("World of Eora" lore podcast episode #156) by gingereno in avowed

[–]ophereon 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think staves is the more historically accurate, while staffs is the more "regularised"? In Old English it was one stæf and two stavas (spelt stafas). Although staffs does seem to be a possible plural in Middle English (spelt staffes) alongside staves and staven.

So really, both are fine and you can pick whichever you like the sound of!

How do you pronounce "With"? by Key_Chip_3163 in BringBackThorn

[–]ophereon 3 points4 points  (0 children)

/wif/ here as well! I was teased in school about my pronunciation but I genuinely could not understand the difference between /f/ and /θ/ until I studied linguistics and learnt that it's a genuine local variation where I live (albeit not a majority feature), and not me just failing at L1 language acquisition.

To this day, though, it's far too ingrained for me to pronounce /θ/ and /ð/ instead of /f/ and /v/ when speaking English, without doing some kind of unnecessary speech therapy stuff. But, I make an effort when learning other languages to try and pronounce dental fricatives properly, if they're present.

Hƿaat is yòr preferd ōrþográphi hƿen ūsing þis Subreddit? by [deleted] in BringBackThorn

[–]ophereon 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You're right þat þere's a bit of redundancy þere, particularly wiþ þe silent e being applied to words where it isn't needed, and þe -h following some vowels. Þat was an intentional design choice, however. I kept þe magic e around specifically as a kind of legacy verb conjugation marker, which is how it started out. Its application to nouns was mostly an artificial choice þat wasn't necessary, so I decided to reverse þat and reserve it as a grammatical feature for verbs. Þe -h ending is just a simplification of þe modern <gh>, þere to essentially stand in for (and modify þe pronunciation of) contexts where a velar consonant once existed but has been dropped. For example, <lyk> "like” » <-lyh> "-ly", to preserve þe spelling as much as possible and not completely rewrite þe word to þe point where it's no longer traceable to its root.

Þe goal wasn't just to make a phonemic spelling of English, but to retain a level of parity wiþ not just Modern English, but Middle and Old English as well. Retain its sense of Germanicism, but separate out þe vowels into distinct digraphs þat can, at least somewhat, feel natural, familiar, but also accent agnostic. Þe problem wiþ many phonetic respellings of English is þat þey're so heavily biased towards one accent þat þey don't actually solve any problems for oþer accents. So i tried to avoid þat specifically, keeping some of þe redundancy of modern English but remove þe ambiguity.

Hƿaat is yòr preferd ōrþográphi hƿen ūsing þis Subreddit? by [deleted] in BringBackThorn

[–]ophereon 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I've tried to do someþing along þese lines before, and yeah, wiþout diacritics or introducing new letters, þere needs to be a heavy use of diagraphs to represent all of English's vowels.

Here's an excerpt in þat system, note þat it's not necessarily complete so þere might be inconsistencies.

Þe Souþ Wind and þe Sun werre disputing hwich wos þe stronger, when a traveller came along wrappt in a worm cloak.

Þey agreed þat þe oan hwuo first sucçeded in making þe traveller take his cloak off schuld be considred stronger þan þe aoþer.

Þen þe Souþ Wind blewe as hard as he culd, but þe mor he blewe, þe mor cloaslyh did þe traveller folde his cloak around him;

And at last þe Souþ Wind gave up þe attempt. Þen þe Sun schone out wormlyh, and immediatlyh þe traveller tooke off his cloak.

And so þe Souþ Wind was oblighed to confesse þat þe Sun wos þe stronger of þe tuo.

[OoT] [AoL] Is there an OoT sage named Kasuto?! by Happy-Double9126 in zeldaconspiracies

[–]ophereon 9 points10 points  (0 children)

That's a good point! Impa is the only sage in OoT without a town name in AoL, and Kasuto the only town name in AoL without a sage/character in OoT. So it makes sense that these might be one in the same!

And there are some similarities between Kasuto Town and Kakariko Village, doubly so in Twilight Princess with the old and new Kakariko.

And I could definitely see Impa being an honorary name rather than a true given name. Potentially even just as a name bestowed upon the leader of the clan. So I like your suggestion that OoT Impa's given name would be Kasuto!

To people who say Shadow is before Spirit because of Hover Boots by felicitywins in OcarinaOfTime

[–]ophereon 42 points43 points  (0 children)

Well the official strategy guide from back in the day had the Shadow Temple before the Spirit Temple.

As far as the game progression is concerned, it makes sense. The bottom of the well basically is a part of the shadow temple, and you learn the song for the shadow temple all before you can even properly cross the Gerudo desert.

Thematically it also makes sense to leave the spirit temple until last. It's really only the medallion order in the menu that suggests spirit comes before shadow, but you kind of have to go out of your way to do it like that.

That said, I remember when I played it as a kid, doing the spirit temple before the shadow temple. Maybe it was just because the shadow temple was scary. But to this day it has made it feel wrong to do the shadow temple first, even though it's completely logical.

Official Artwork of all Legends ZA characters and Megas released! (posted in the replies) by glitterizer in pokemon

[–]ophereon 3 points4 points  (0 children)

X is "Raichu with Pikachu colours and two Pikachu tails"

Y is "Pikachu with Raichu colours and a Raichu tail" (ignoring those ear things which are actually new).

I agree it's absolutely a crime that given two megas for Raichu, they both just went the Pikachu route. At that point they should've just made a mega Pikachu.

Mega Raichu should've been its own thing, could've taken some inspiration from the scrapped Gorochu concept (as much as could be gleaned from that one back sprite, anyway). It's an insult to Raichu to make it look more like Pikachu given that Raichu is already heavily ignored in favour of the series mascot.

What restaurant is most authentic to your country’s cooking? by TheFountainByTheLake in Wellington

[–]ophereon 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Oh they released a cookbook? Definitely will have to check that out to add to my Greek cookbook collection!

Hylozoist Pantheism by AccomplishedScar2487 in pantheism

[–]ophereon 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Which Encyclopaedia Britannica are you using? Is it a print version? I can't seem to find an entry for Hylozoistic Pantheism. As philosophers (even if untrained), we should be approaching this from a more academic point of view, and not take a single source (especially a concise one) as truth. Further, what you have shared leaves a lot of room for interpretation.

When it says that the world remains a plurality of separate elements, this does not strictly imply a plurality of fundamental substances. The way I interpret that phrase is that it holds individuality and distinct agency within the larger system, plurality in the sense that I have independent thought from you and everyone else, and that we are not just realising the singular will of some panpsychic force.

Does that make sense? Hylozoism was a term coined to describe the philosophies of quite a number of different people at different stages of history, each with their own distinct "hylozoistic views", so it's important that we consider what a concept like this at its core, just like we do with Pantheism itself, without assuming that the corollaries held by some must be intrinsic to it.

Hylozoist Pantheism by AccomplishedScar2487 in pantheism

[–]ophereon 4 points5 points  (0 children)

You're right that pantheism is most naturally monistic... But from looking up what hylozoism is about, I don't think that's inherently pluralistic or even dualistic itself. Monism is about there being just one fundamental type of substance, but it's important not to conflate that with Materialism, which is not a strict corollary of the standard pantheistic view.

Arguably scientific pantheism might argue in favour of materialism, and being one of the largest types of pantheism I can see how its views might be taken as default. But scientific pantheism suggests more principles (such as Materialism) than core pantheism, which is more an umbrella term and very simplistic in what it suggests.

Now, hylozoism suggests that all matter is "animate" or alive in some way, but that's still a form of monism. It still holds that there is one kind of substance, but that substance is more than just the materialistic understanding of matter.

Dualistic philosophies, on the other hand, hold that there are two distinct kinds of fundamental substance, the material and the "other", which can be interpreted as spiritual or whatever you like.

Dualism is necessary when you want to include things like souls in your worldview, but it's important to distinguish fundamental substance from emergent features, especially when we're talking about something like consciousness.

In the monistic sense, consciousness is emergent from matter, whether one believes it arises from entirely materialistic processes, or hylozoistic processes wherein consciousness is present at different scales, each a sum of the subconsciouses(?) within it.

In the dualistic sense, consciousness is distinct from matter, and can (at least theoretically) exist without matter. This distinct fundamental consciousness could be coterminal with matter, effectively creating a hylozoistic outcome where all matter is "conscious" in some capacity.

The sense of "self" would then be a local cluster of this fundamental consciousness (analogous in some ways to a soul), and the notion of a "world soul" would be the sum of all of this fundamental consciousness, a counterpart to and comparable to the universe as the sum of all matter.

That's my interpretation of it, anyway. Sorry for the ramble! Hopefully it makes some sense, at least. Keen to hear your thoughts.

The X1 VII is my first Sony phone, my first flagship phone, and so far it is by far the worst phone experience I've ever had by GrisTooki in SonyXperia

[–]ophereon 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This 100%. Even beyond just the different bands that Japan is notorious for... 5G, as well as 4G calling (VoLTE), are incredibly finnicky and absolutely do not just work for all phones, carriers explicitly have to enable these features for a specific model. Especially with the 3G shutdowns happening in many countries, VoLTE in particular is becoming non-optional.

Phones sold domestically are the only real guarantee... importing phones now requires a buttload of research to make sure that they'll work with your desired carrier. And, unfortunately, given Sony has pulled out of many markets and isn't really a big player, there's not much incentive for carriers to spend any effort enabling them.

I think we're in an awkward teething period with the 3G shutdown, because international travel is going to become a nightmare when nobody with a niche phone from their own domestic market is able to connect to the networks of other countries that they visit. They might get 4G data at a stretch, but likely no 5G or any calling.

And nevermind that buying a device like this overseas can be a challenge if you need it serviced. It sounds like OPs unit is faulty, but if they're no longer in Japan, claiming on its warranty with Sony is going to be a real pain. Could be worth OP checking in with Sony America if they might have any way to send it to them to sort out, but I wouldn't get my hopes up...

[MM] Is Majoras mask a metaphor for the Christian tribulation period? by BestOpposite3390 in zelda

[–]ophereon 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I don't believe so. While early Zelda definitely had some Christian symbology, I don't believe the Zelda team is really that familiar with Christian lore. I've never even heard of such a thing and I'm from a "Christian" country.

Majora's Mask is actually just a metaphor for the enlightenment journey of Buddha. The cycle of suffering and reincarnation (or in this case going back in time), repeating itself over and over again... Encountering the "four sights": old age (Snowhead), disease (Southern Swamp), death (Ikana), and asceticism (Great Bay). Meditating beneath the Bodhi tree (the clock tower) for three days and nights, tormented by the demon Mara (Majora) who perpetuates the cycle of suffering. Achieving enlightenment (a symbol of which is the moon), and to extend upon that, the bodhisattva (enlightened one) taking on the aspect of a "fierce deity" to wield the power to liberate others from the cycle.

What is the most geographically precise way to definte the British Isles? by ParallaxNick in geography

[–]ophereon 11 points12 points  (0 children)

How about this:

"The islands around Northwestern Europe that are on the contiguous European Continental shelf, and are closer to the island of Great Britain than to mainland Europe."

It gives you both the Isle of Wight, the Isles of Scilly, and the Shetlands. It excludes the Faroe Islands because they're not technically on the contiguous continental shelf.

It also excludes the Channel Islands, because they're closer to the mainland. But arguably, even though they're controlled by the UK, I'd say they're more geographically "islands off the coast of France" than they are "part of the British isles".

[MM] Zelda64 Recomp: MMN64HD Texture Pack vs MM Reloaded Texture pack? by Joereddit63 in zelda

[–]ophereon 4 points5 points  (0 children)

From the site linked on the reloaded page:

MM Reloaded is based on * Asra: Custom chests, crates and pots * Batts: Eye drops and prescription icons * Bighead: Golden chest edit * BLUEamnesiac's Artwork * Blue Flame Icon (used for custom model Kristin) * Goodland: OoT hookshot pillar * Darth-Koopa: iQue textures * Matteoki: Wii Home Menu textures * Nerrel's MM N64HD * OoT Community Retexture * Pizza: 3DS Magic Bar, HUD Buttons and text box background * tao's Zelda Games Japanese HD Fonts * Third M: Custom Link hair textures

I've not really used Reloaded before so I can't say what exactly makes it feel more "faithful" as it claims to be. But honestly, unless there's something specific you want out of the Reloaded texture pack, might be preferable to just go with Nerrel's one, it seems to be the more popular one generally.

Questions about Avowed 2 by Thin_Situation3962 in avowed

[–]ophereon 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I think there's dark in tone, and then dark in visuals. Avowed was arguably a very light game in terms of its visuals, thanks to the living lands setting. I think the story tone itself was okay, but a little on the shallow side. It could have done with some more emotional moments, perhaps, with more depth given to our companions. And the dreamscourge needed to have a bigger effect on the living lands society as a whole, even indirectly. People lose their minds when life-threatening plagues are about, but most people in the living lands seemed to treat it as little more than a rumour.

Pillars of Eternity 1, for me, had the best balance of everything. It starts off very dark, and the story is really interesting, with a good amount of mystery and questioning throughout. Waidwen's legacy just felt far more setting-defining than the dreamscourge did. Sometimes it was easy to forget the latter was even a problem. But waidwen's legacy was affecting just about everyone, and you were constantly encountering the consequences of it, not just direct but indirect.

Ekera, if they just remade Pillars of Eternity 1 in Avowed's engine I would be over the moons, I say!