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asryn

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Everything posted by asryn

  1. Just a minor thing, but perhaps the time of the awards ceremony could be posted clearly a bit further in advance? I had hoped to attend, but didn't see the announcement until later that evening after the festivities had ended.
  2. Happy Birthday! Hope it was a great one.
  3. Happy Birthday, Pample. Hope you have a fabulous day.
  4. Option 1 penalizes far more random people than it does people abusing the system. Let's assume that in the normal course of gameplay, 10 mp3 would reach the cap in any given week as a result of regular battles and progress in the game. Whoever happens to be fighting them when this happens would be penalized. If there happens to be someone running around capping newbies, maybe 5 extra people will be capped. So in this scenario, 10 players get penalized just for level-appropriate fighting and 1 troublemaker gets 5x the penalty. If no one happens to be causing trouble in any given week, 10 random players will still get penalized. I'm picking numbers out of thin air, but you get the idea. Unless this kind of abuse is way more common than I think it is, the vast majority of people penalized by this system would be people playing appropriately. I know MD isn't supposed to be fair, but that seems like a pretty significant negative side effect to me.
  5. Happy Birthday, Ailith! Hope you have a fabulous day.
  6. asryn

    Little Or Lot?

    [quote name='awiiya' date='17 December 2009 - 08:47 PM' timestamp='1261111648' post='50508'] No, today is the generation of the specialist. Everything is at such an advanced state, if you spent your entire life learning a little about a lot you would hardly get far. It is often only possible to reach the cutting edge of success by being a specialist. Awi [/quote] Hmm, yes and no. I agree that most progress is made by those who know more than a little about their topic of interest. I would argue that the real cutting edge of success is often on the borders of disciplines, though, and that is more true today than it has ever been. Think of all the recent advances in biotechnology that required knowledge of biology, chemistry, physics, and business to make happen. If your knowledge is too narrowly focused, you lack the ability to see those broader connections and to synthesize the resources and insights of multiple fields. How many opportunities have been lost because those who knew a lot about a little didn't even know enough about other things to ask the right questions of those who held other pieces to the puzzle they are trying to solve?
  7. I have more than 100 active days now, so it would appear that I am no longer eligible for the Rookie award. I do appreciate the regard of those who nominated me.
  8. Who needs an excuse to have a party? *throws glitter at Yoshi*

  9. Happy Birthday, Tara! Saturday is usually a quiet day around here; perhaps we can celebrate more next week.
  10. [quote name='dst' date='28 November 2009 - 12:11 AM' timestamp='1259395916' post='48599'] Thank you asryn. But can we see the solution also? Just for pure information. [/quote] So I considered that, but given the nature of the quest it seems a bit spoilery. Since part of my goal was to encourage exploration, I would prefer to let people discover these things for themselves. However if those who participated have any specific questions feel free to contact me, and I will do my best to provide either answers or hints as seems appropriate.
  11. Thanks to everyone who participated in the scavenger hunt. I have finally finished tallying the results, and they are as follows: 1st place, with a score of 193/200 - dst, received a wishpoint 2nd place, with a score of 184/200 - Handy Pockets, received 2 silver coins 3rd place, with a score of 182/200 - Freezeblink, received 1 silver coin The highest scoring mp3 was Yoshi with a score of 178/200, and the highest scoring mp4 was Freezeblink. Please contact me by PM if you would like a shiny new angien egg, and I will respond with the CTC. Congratulations to all the winners! I hope you all enjoyed the hunt, and perhaps even learned something about the lands in the process. Travel safely, and keep your eyes open. You never know what you might come across on your journey.
  12. *scatters glittery balloons and confetti*

  13. [quote name='CrazyMike' date='24 November 2009 - 08:02 PM' timestamp='1259121720' post='48418'] The point that I have always been trying to make is that different people have different levels of sensitivities. [/quote] I actually don't disagree with that, Mike. There are a lot of things which affect how we interpret language - judgment, culture, experience, preference. That's why I think warnings are appropriate before punishment. All I am saying is, can we as a community please err on the side of avoiding offense, and set the bar for public discussions at a level where everyone can feel comfortable?
  14. I voted to choose a specific PL moderator, but I think using the forum mods could work fine as well.
  15. Ok Fenrir, apparently that is what you intended to say. So I will stop wasting my breath on that particular line of reasoning. I see two problems with Mike's proposal. One is that PLs are used for other game functions - notes from quest creators, sparring ground warnings, etc. We don't want players to be able to edit or remove those on a whim. Nor do we want people to be able to otherwise meddle with what is written, otherwise there is no point to the logs at all. The other is the point that I made earlier. When Pample calls Fenrir an idiot, she is insulting only him. Comments like the one in Phantom Orchid's log insult an entire group of people, as well as anyone who cares about them. Had I come across that comment in someone else's log I would have been offended by it, even if the log owner wasn't. Honestly it is the fact that these types of comments get scattered around so lightly that I find most upsetting, much more so than if they were just being directed at me personally. So I really think there needs to be some way to address offensive comments even if they are not in your own log. As far as I am concerned people can use whatever language they like in private conversations, PMs, etc. But player logs and papers are public, and I think the language used should reflect that. If people want to call each names, or make negative comments, that's fine. I'm not saying it has to be all sweetness and light, just that we are intelligent and eloquent enough to find ways of insulting individuals without offending whole communities of innocent bystanders at the same time. Anyway, I like the idea of giving someone editing power, but I would prefer to see some type of moderator. It works in the forum, why not in game? It would be a much smaller job - just someone whose name could be posted as the person to contact if you see something inappropriate, who could step in and make changes if needed. Can't imagine it would be needed often, but I do think it would be worthwhile.
  16. is throwing handfuls of glitter at Pamplemousse.

  17. [quote name='Fenrir Greycloth' date='23 November 2009 - 11:34 AM' timestamp='1259004873' post='48255'] Zleiph I never said that saying it was right. I was merely pointing out that it is up to the person being called a name to be offended. If they are black and called a N!!!!!', it only affects them if they are sensitive about being black. If I am called a cracker, I laugh it off. It's a word. They make themselves look stupid when The person doesn't react negatively. Names are just that, names. We are not in the 1960s anymore. These words do not have the same effect anymore.Their meanings have changed dramatically, if you don't agree with me on anything. You have to agree with me about this. [/quote] *takes a deep breath* Fenrir, I agree that words do change with time, but that is not the same thing as saying that their history is irrelevant. The ability of a word to harm isn't something that disappears overnight, or even over decades. What you appear to be saying here is that if someone is offended by a word or phrase, it is essentially their own fault for being too sensitive, since in your mind the words themselves are now harmless. I am willing to give people the benefit of the doubt, and assume that their intentions in choosing those words are benign unless they give me a reason to think otherwise. But it is not up to you to dictate how people should react to hearing them, and what they should and shouldn't find hurtful. Words can be hurtful for any number of reasons, even unintentionally. They can create mental links to unpleasant memories, they can demonstrate subconscious biases, they can hide in joke form sentiments that truly are harmful. Just because you aren't trying to offend doesn't mean your words can't be offensive. The effects of words are defined by the one listening, not the one speaking. The language people use in private conversations doesn't particularly concern me. But MD chat and player logs are public spaces, viewable by anyone. The types of words we are discussing are upsetting to many people, myself included, and the fact that someone knows someone who isn't bothered by them doesn't make that any less true. Surely we can agree to err on the side of civility and avoid speaking in ways that are likely to hurt people? There are enough other words in the English language, even insulting ones when needed, that I really don't think that is an unreasonable request. Your statement above essentially said one of two things: either you are telling people how they should feel, or you are telling them that their feelings are irrelevant. I hope that isn't what you intended to say, but that is how it sounded to me.
  18. [quote name='CrazyMike' date='23 November 2009 - 12:29 AM' timestamp='1258964967' post='48167'] LOL..... Can we safely say the issue is dead or should we discuss options available? [/quote] I realize this post was originally about that one comment, but I dealt with a very similar issue not long ago and I continue to occasionally stumble across offensive comments when reading other people's PLs. Right now the only recourse is to speak out publicly, track down the offender in game, and convince them to make the change. If you can't find that person, or they aren't willing to cooperate, you are out of luck. I think it would be a good idea to have some admin type person who is able to edit PLs who can be contacted in these situations, if the above method doesn't work or if someone is uncomfortable having that sort of confrontation.
  19. I have yet to sacrifice anything, but if I understand the announcement correctly I will have the same problem. My original 4 principles are no longer the highest, so I will lose one of those I chose in favor of a random one? That seems at odds with the storyline in which we were encouraged to think carefully about our choices as they would help define our characters.
  20. I agree. A swearword is primarily upsetting to the person whose log they are posted in, and possibly not even that depending on one's sensibilities. Comments such as those are offensive to an entire group of people, and by extension to anyone who cares about people in that group. I have no problem with negative comments in PLs, but I am getting tired of looking at personal logs and stumbling across these sorts of entries. I have already spoken to a different player about a similar matter and forced them to change my own PL, but I am still seeing these comments in other logs. I would like to see MD remain a place where everyone feels welcome, and to me that means not tolerating such language. To be fair, I do think using these words as insults is quite common in some communities. I used to hear them all the time when I worked with middle school and high school students. Most of them were not trying to be offensive; they had simply never thought about what those words actually mean and how it might sound to others. So I would favor starting with a warning, complete with an explanation. Should they continue to speak in that fashion after being told how offensive it is, then move on to stronger punishments. Edited to Add: I posted this before seeing DR's response. So I will just say thank you for stepping forward and remedying your part of the situation. I still think it would serve MD well to have a policy about this sort of thing, and perhaps someone with the ability to step in and edit logs should it prove necessary.
  21. The hunt is on! A full question list can now be found on my hate page. The rewards section has also been updated in the information above. Happy Hunting!
  22. Since you have asked, I would be happy to explain. My reasoning was as follows: [u]Part 1[/u] I began by taking the 25 pieces of paper and fitting them together to recreate your drawing. When I had finished I had a lovely image of the tree on a grid of pieces 5 tall and 5 wide. In the upper right corner of each piece was either a 0 or a 1. The grid of digits formed was: 10100 01001 01110 01100 11001 The other piece of paper you received said "You wish to know my name? Decode left to right, read down." So, I read across and considered each line separately. The only digits present were 0 and 1, which immediately made me think of binary, or base 2 numbers. Most of us are familiar with a base 10 system. In that system each place represents 10 to a power that increases with each place, which is then multiplied by the digit occupying that place. So when you see the number 2538, you read from right to left 8*1 + 3*10 + 5*100 + 2*1000, or 8*10^0 + 3*10^1 + 5*10^2 + 2*10^3. Base 2 works similarly with 2 replacing the 10, so the places are 1,2,4,8,16 rather than 1,10,100,1000,10000. The digits in base 2 are either 0 or 2-1=1, as compared to base 10 where they range from 0 to 10-1=9. With this in mind I converted each line of the grid above from base 2 into base 10 for easier analysis. 10100 = 0*1 + 0*2 + 1*4 + 0*8 + 1*16 = 4 + 16 = 20 01001 = 1*1 + 0*2 + 0*4 + 1*8 + 0*16 = 1 + 8 = 9 01110 = 0*1 + 1*2 + 1*4 + 1*8 + 0*16 = 2 + 4 + 8 = 14 01100 = 0*1 + 0*2 + 1*4 + 1*8 + 0*16 = 4 + 8 = 12 11001 = 1*1 + 0*2 + 0*4 + 1*8 + 1*16 = 1 + 8 + 16 = 25 Having decoded left to right I then read down, so the sequence was 20 9 14 12 25. The English alphabet has 26 letters, so I assumed that each letter was represented by the corresponding numbers from A=1 to Z=26. Translating the sequence into the corresponding letters gave me T I N L Y, or TINLY. [u]Part 2[/u] When Awiiya returned to the tree and suggested that Tinly might be its name, he received the piece of paper shown above with the name Tinly written in tree language. The challenge then was to use only that one writing sample to determine the structure of the tree language, so that I could use it to write my own name. Tinly’s language involves 4 symbols, which correspond to our numbers 1-4 as follows: [img]http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/2332/tinly1.jpg[/img] Each letter is represented by the corresponding number, with A=1, B=2, etc. To write each number in symbols, the trees use base 4. So the number on the right is the ones place, the number just to the left (if needed) is the fours place, and the number to the left of that is the sixteens place. To determine the total value, you simply multiply the value of the symbol in each position by the number representing that place, just as we humans do in base 10. Numbers in higher places are not included unless needed. Since not all letters contain the same number of symbols, an open circle is used to mark the division between each set of symbols. A translation key is provided below, using the numbers 1 through 4 for the corresponding symbols for symplicity: [img]http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/6797/tinly2.jpg[/img] My name is ASRYN, or 1 19 18 25 14. Using the key above we see that in Tinly’s language that is 1 43 42 121 32, or: [img]http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/4239/tinly3m.jpg[/img] I hope others may find this helpful should they wish to communicate further with the trees. Awiiya, if you would like me to edit anything please let me know.
  23. The lands of Magic Duel are filled with many wonders. Some are obvious to even the casual traveler; others require a closer look and perhaps even a bit of pondering. During my time in this realm I have become fascinated with the mysteries of the lands, and filled many a notebook with my observations. It is easy to focus one’s attention on the people and creatures who inhabit it, and fail to notice the magic that is present in the world itself. From the blades of grass in the central plains, to the intricate wood paneling of the archives, to the waves beating on the coast of Golemus, every part of the world has its own story to tell. I therefore present to you a challenge: to wander the lands of Magic Duel with fresh eyes, recalling things you have forgotten and noticing those you may have missed. My challenge will take the form of a scavenger hunt, however rather than hunting for items you will be hunting for locations. The hunt will run as follows: [b]Logistics[/b] • At the beginning of day 318, I will place in my hate document a copy of this information followed by a list of questions. For the remainder of the hunt you will be able to find me at either the Gazebo of Equilibrium or Berserker’s Way whenever possible; however I recommend that you copy down the questions so that you can refer back to them during your travels. • As a courtesy, please send me a PM when you pick up your question list so I know that you are participating in the hunt. You do not need to wait for a response to begin searching. • The hunt will end at the beginning of day 325. No later than that time, you must submit to me a PM (either in game or on the forum) containing your findings. Your submission should include the number of each question followed by your response(s) to that question. I will accept only one submission from each player; it is up to you whether to send your responses quickly, or whether to take more time in hopes of improving your score. [b]Scoring[/b] • The correct answer to each question is one or more locations in the realm of Magic Duel. To avoid confusion please provide the complete location name in each answer; for example Wind’s Sanctuary is not the same place as Wind’s Sanctuary, Capitol of Marind Bell. Alternatively, locations may be identified by coordinate. • Each question is worth a number of points equal to the number of answers requested. Should your response to any given question include fewer than the number of answers requested, or a mixture of correct and incorrect answers, you will get credit for those that are correct. Only the number of answers requested will be considered; any additional responses will be ignored. There is no penalty for incorrect answers. • The winner of the hunt will be the person with the highest number of points. Ties, if any, will be broken by the order in which the responses were received. • The hunt will contain 95 questions divided into 4 sections; a perfect score will be 200 points. [b]Rules[/b] • This is a solo hunt. Please do not discuss the questions or your answers with anyone. Anyone found violating this rule will not be eligible for rewards, and could be barred from future quests. • The nature of observation is that some degree of personal judgment is involved. Although I have tried to make the questions as unambiguous as possible, and to avoid any errors, I will make the final decisions as to what answers are considered correct. • I will not be giving any hints, however feel free to contact me if you need me to clarify anything related to the structure or content of the hunt. [b]Rewards[/b] • The winner of the hunt will receive one wishpoint, two silver coins for second place, and one silver coin for third. In addition, I will offer one shiny new angien to the most successful hunter at both mp3 and mp4. Should anyone be able to assist me in offering additional prizes for second and third place, please contact me. Safe travels, and happy hunting!
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