FredEffinChopin

@Ethan No harm. It felt a bit pointed when I wrote it, I could see it being mistaken for being aimed at someone haha. @GOH I'm honestly not nearly experienced enough to say for certain. I do know that almost all of the spam I've seen in XIV so far has not been from throwaways (as indicated by the progress, inventory, etc of the character that is presumably aware of the impending banning), which means they've had to resort to jacking accounts to get it done, which in turn leads me to believe that they're not easily able to circumvent the paywall to create new characters. What I don't know is whether that may have been going on in XI in addition to the new trials, or whether that never happened because it just wasn't necessary since they already had a method. So I guess the answer to your question is: I don't know. I'm a bit concerned about their security though, and amazed at the lengths people will go to to be able to advertise.

I understand what you were saying, but the fees in general are being discussed, and I figured I'd explain my support for them.

I'll be honest, after having to report people for spamming me in /tell (from RMT sites) in XI several times every day, I'm all for not letting anybody try shit for free. If I had to guess, I'd say that the most frequent use of those free trials was by RMT who created throwaways to spam with. I know it might sound harsh, but if I'm paying a monthly fee to play a game, I don't feel like I should have to be pulling weeds with my knees in the dirt. I don't care if it's the cost of the game, or some payment up-front... Anything but "Download our game and try it for free!", as it's just a wide open door for people to advertise their shitty site to you. The other side of that argument is that that barrier of entry does exist for XIV, but people are spamming anyway. From what I understand, it seems that they've managed to actually break into legit accounts to accomplish this lately... So yeah. That's an argument. Security aside though, if you're asking people to pay a fee for a game, you should make sure that they have a comfortable experience with it.

PS3 Was that Rockstar club invite from someone here? If so, good thinking/planning. If not, I need to figure out wth. Either way, I'm definitely looking forward to some online play.

I believe this is primarily for people in the same household who would like to play games on their own unique accounts, but don't want to buy every game twice. Husband & wife, brother & sister, two roomies.... Sure, I can play Bit Trip on your account on our shared PC (or on your acccount on our separate PCs), but if I need to do it on your account, I don't get my own achievements, and my gameplay time tracked is added to yours. As Thursday said, this makes it a little more like a disc. While it will be used all kinds of ways, I believe the problem this is looking to solve is a problem that is unique to a platform whose games are only distributed digitally. I think it's great.

Would you like an opinion on the decision Ethan, or just kinda thinking out loud? I've got some strong opinions on it, and I won't offer them unless I'm sure you want to hear them haha.

10 hours of server shutdown coming tonight. They're adding more servers, and expanding the capacity of the existing ones. I hope this clears up all the nonsense. It's been taking me 10 mins on average to spam my way in each time, which means I've been avoiding logging when reasonable. Is anyone on here even playing? I'm also in communication with people across two other servers, and we're trying to make sure that we all get in the same place once world transfers begin. I'm absolutely loving it in here btw, despite SE being professional fuckups and preventing me from playing with my friends. I'll get into some details that I admire when I have some time to sit and write. Perhaps when I get home from work tonight and there is no game to play. For now, my screens are here until I figure out where I'd like to post them album-style. 32 CNJ/WHM (Conjurer, White Mage) 15 ACN (Arcanist)

So I'm in. Got my levels and gear back too.

Fucking hell.... So when you select a server that's full in character creation, the game doesn't *say* anything to you, it just closes the window as if it accepted your selection, and then chooses another server for you. I just discovered this the hard way when I tried to send my friend an inv. So I don't know wth to do now. It seems like there is only a single open server, and I have two characters across two servers that aren't with anyone I'm trying to play with. I'm going to try to spam Cactuar for a bit, but I'm not too hopeful. Also, the servers I have chars on are closed atm... What a fucking mess. How many decades does SE need to do this before they stop behaving like fucking noobs? I know it wouldn't be the easiest thing to set something up that aims to keep friends together when they join a (paid!) MMO, but at least an effort would show that someone over there has a working brain and isn't afraid to use it. Then again, I'm the guy who took a char to lvl 9 for what will likely amount to no reason...

Cactuar Frederic Chopin Seekers of the Sun (Girdania) Miqo'te, Conjurer See you in-game! Yes, two of those are of me posing my ass off in new gear, but only because the other two were taken before I turned the settings up >.>

What a bleeding mess. I can't seem to get into Cactuar, but it seems like things are just going to be hectic for the next couple of days... I'm going to be trying to get a character in there and Hyperion during that time. In the meantime, I have one on Coeurl. Hopefully we can all end up in the same place here. If not initially, then when the world pass drops.

I'm stuck at work, but Cactuar was full for me when I tried to sign in earlier. When I get home, if Cactuar is still full we plan on trying to find a server with vacancies, at the same time. Cowboy, your character is already on Cactuar? Not sure if I missed something, are you gonna be on tonight, or are you upgrading the pc? If you are anyone else want someone to coordinate servers with, I can post in here when my friend and I are choosing. World passes are being given out next month, and I'm hoping to unite with my Hyperion buddies at that point.

Looks like I'm going to end up trying to get on Cactuar server, as one of my friends already got in there, and Hyperion is full. I'm already losing people here ><

Yeah, definitely try to meet me there if you have no server preferences. If anything changes, I'll be sure to post in here. I'll probably be downloading @ midnight on release, because I'm like that.

I'm gonna be in. I think Hyperion is the server that I have a couple of friends on, so it's what I'll be trying to get into.

Timeless @TheFlyingGerbil I'm pretty sure I posted this in here when it came out, and it was discussed... But just in-case, or in-case you want a reason to hear it again, merry Christmas.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/15/sony-viacom-online-tv_n_3764107.html

You consider a 2K long friends list short? Or am I misunderstanding you? 2K is enough to populate a small town of people. Most people can't even psychologically know that many people. Keep in mind the current limit for both is 100 (and that's after original XBL got shut down with implied promise of an expansion) I'm saying that currently the list caps at 100, and since there is one PSN, it stands to reason that PS3 users will have 2k-long friends lists as well. I was under the assumption that PSN friend list size was limited to 100 to keep from taking all day to load up and manage on the PS3, so I'm curious as to how everything will handle the new system when the change does take place. *edit* On the topic of filling the list, I filled mine fairly quickly. A lot of it is people I know, despite the fact that more than half never get on (I don't have the heart to kick them off my list), I keep them there. The rest are people I hooked up with for the purpose of trophy chasing and stuff. I kept on some active accounts, as I like having some other gamers on the list to compare current games and trophies with and such. But yeah, I don't think I'll ever approach the 1k mark before I started dropping the ax all over the place, no matter how much I like to have a list of conscious gamers around.

I know it's 2 days old, but I'm curious about this 2k-long friends list on the PS4. Since it's one PSN, I'd assume that the list would apply to all Playstation consoles, but I also assumed that they kept the list short so as not to keep the current consoles busy beyond reason. I know, lots of assuming going on here.

*sigh* Way to make use of that 1-year head start. I have to say, this is weird. I predicted it, but I didn't expect to actually end up correct... I guess that perhaps I too came to believe that they were going to land on their feet somehow, despite numerous missteps. It was just a matter of time though, before the magic of the Nintendo name lost its luster, and they had to actually produce to impress people, rather than just exist. I don't think any one or three titles can bring them back from this... They need a full strong year. A "year of Nintendo", so to speak, where they just drop hits steadily. I don't anticipate that happening. It seems this system will exist on the outskirts for however long it enjoys support. It seems that way. It seems they've been in a bubble convincing themselves of what gamers want, need, and are waiting for, rather than just looking out the window. Pikmin is a fine franchise from what I understand, but I'm not sure that it's going to sell systems after Bioshock: Infinite and The Last of Us, and as PS4 and XBone release.

It is a small sample size, but they can only work with the data that's available. And yes, as the article acknowledges, it's not quite an indisputable indicator of anything, especially if one is only noting the racial angle. After the verdict we just witnessed (which went as predicted in the study) though, it just reinforces the (my) belief that giving people the benefit of the doubt for shooting others dead isn't the wisest thing we can do to curb violence. Yes, there are many other factors that might contribute to it, but it looks like maybe the people who are are advocating to be able to use their guns most wasted no time in testing the boundaries of that freedom. Zimmerman (contrary to what he had claimed in an interview) was well aware of how stand your ground laws worked when he behaved the way he did the night he killed Martin, and I'd be far from surprised to discover that many other shootings in states with similar laws are also committed by people who might have behaved differently if those protections weren't in place. If you've read my posts in here in the past, you know that I generally feel like encouraging gun use is a bad idea. I didn't and don't think you're being a dick at all. We don't agree on everything here is all. I appreciate conversations like this, and I have them with the best of friends often enough. It's why I'm participating in this one. I will say that I don't think the Urban Institute is acting out of a desire to stir up controversy, but to serve their purpose. While there might not be a single caption we can create that will speak conclusively for the data, I do think it's good that it's being considered, collected, and reported, especially at the time it was. While the fact of the the highest likelihood of someone being let off for killing someone does seem to be white men killing younger black men, I understand that the data doesn't mean that white men are sniping from the windows at every hooded sweater. I do think it's important to keep that information in mind though, especially as debates regarding profiling and gun ownership/usage grow increasingly hot. Even if the statistics and/or the trial only say something marginally meaningful or slightly telling, the responses they provoke are equally so, if not more, and that's part of what gets me so concerned when I see this topic discussed.

I meant an idiot in the situation. Outside of the one provided by Zimmerman that I have little reason to trust, it seems like he was minding his business. For the record though, I don't think him getting caught with marijuana in school makes him an idiot, it just makes him like most of the students I went to one of the best high schools in NY with, none of whom are incarcerated, on their way there, or dead. I agree that the other stuff looked worse, but as you said, it's not really relevant. That Beck comment you mentioned is part of exactly what gets me so nuts about this. People like him have been deceptively interpreting the news for a long time to rile up their listeners, and ultimately, get them to vote against their own interests because they're so blinded be the fear and hate that has been instilled in them. They'll link all of their talking points together, for every tirade they do, and convince their impressionable listeners that it's them vs. us, AND WE'RE LOSING!! Most of the people who are endzone dancing over Zimmerman not-facing any legal repercussions likely wouldn't have the same point of view they have if not for all the propaganda shoved down their throats. I feel like if you live in a place where everyone listens to that, and you weren't hateful towards "takers" (you can insert any number of words there) before, you will be soon. It drives me nuts, because a lot of these guys are just making careers being their greedy little selves, and have no concern for the fact that they're causing real-world hatred and paranoia. By the way, I had this linked to me the other day, and figured I'd share it. It's pretty relevant, even if it is a year old. I can't help but feel like someone looks at stats like these and smiles.

I agree with that first part. If we're going to characterize someone based on their history, why not choose the history relevant to the case (since Martin wasn't likely committing burglary while carrying his Arizona and Skittles around, and Zim didn't even accuse him of doing anything beyond looking suspicious)? Why are we characterizing the person who was killed, and not the killer? Zimmerman has a record himself, one which implies a violent history (which I see as relevant), as well as a record of nearly 50 calls to police about characters in the area in the last 8 years. Unless over 40 crimes were stopped because of him, it stands to reason that he's fairly paranoid and in-people's-business, which is relevant considering his misguided assessment that he acted on. Also, he and his defense's wild exaggeration of the injuries he sustained in the altercation, as refuted by the medical examiner, doesn't help. There is more too, but not that is as relevant... Martin's history comes somewhat into play if we believe every word of Zimmerman's account regarding the part nobody saw, which coincidentally is the only part of the story where Martin is actually being accused of doing something inadvisable (as opposed to Zimmerman, who proudly oafed through the rest of it); standing his own ground against a perceived threat. That's a huge if, and I personally don't think that it alone is enough to negate everything Zimmerman *first* contributed to the situation, even if it is wholly true and accurate. We're then focusing on nothing but the fact that the dead kid was too easy to provoke, and we're ignoring the provocation. Proving that fact about Martin wouldn't exactly make it a wash, and that's all that Martin's records could possibly help make a case for, is his being a hothead. Anything beyond that and we're meaninglessly comparing their records like stats on a baseball card, with no context. It just seems to me that there is a lot of ignoring of Zimmerman's actions and history that one has to do before to get to where we can reprimand the teen because he could have been smarter. Despite that, many are talking about how he should have been compliant with the stranger that was tailing him. Choosing to resolve the conflict head-on is not the same thing as looking for a fight in my mind, though it is definitely not the safest way of treating a situation like that. It's not an easy thing to react to though, and while many people like to think and talk of the tough situation Zim might have been in when he chose to shoot, I wish they would do the same for Martin, who was far younger and more inexperienced. I've been followed around several times throughout my life (mostly in my youth), and almost every time resulted in a robbery attempt, or something only slightly less aggressive... I had no clever response in any of the cases when the other shoe dropped. In two of those times, a gun was immediately presented and I promptly complied. In another the kid was my age, unarmed, and hoping to get by on intimidation, and it just didn't work out for him. If I was a tougher or braver type of teenager than I was though, I might have attacked the person I thought was pushing on me. Hardly wise, but understandable, and certainly not punishable by death. Not that Zimmerman is a judge or even a cop that is supposed to bring him to one. I too don't believe that Zimmerman set out to kill. I think he is not trained to patrol a neighborhood with a gun, and he hit the wall of his expertise that night. Yes, it's totally possible that Martin made things worse, but the bottom line for me is that he would have gotten to his father's house without a problem if not for Zimmerman getting making several confrontational gestures to and pursuing a perfect stranger. I'm not saying it wouldn't be the most difficult decision of my life to have to put a person in jail for any reason, regardless of whether or not they are guilty of the given charges, but it would also kill me to look at the face of the father, who waited longer than he expected for his son to get there, having to walk out of the courtroom beside the handsomely (in terms of legal resources) funded man who shot his son. I can't say I'm not sympathetic to the jurors... Still though, it doesn't stop me from being pretty outraged. Plus I absolutely can't stand seeing these people who seem to get so excited over the verdict. I know they probably look far greater in numbers than they are, due to how vocal they are, but it still leaves an awful taste in my mouth, and gets me pretty angry. I guess I'm easily baited as well. As far as the prosecution, I get the impression that they botched it big-time, though I can't say that from any concrete knowledge or experience. The little I saw of the closing statements sent chills (of the douche variety) along my spine. I'm not sure why they would have pursued murder first either... I guess I can't discount social pressure, but I wonder if the acquittal makes them feel more like they came through...I need to go bug my buddy with more trade questions. I guess the jury choice could have went either way... It must of seemed favorable in some light or other, to both sides. I can't imagine what light that was, but then again I don't know what an ideal jury would look like for either side of this anyway... While race and gender are potentially relevant, the case has a lot to do with gun ownership and usage in a state where it's been pretty controversial, and sympathies don't seem easily detectable to me by such broad categorizations. It just seems like a bizarre group to me no matter what though, but I understand it's a high profile case, and prone to anomalies. *deflates* Anyway. I know it's not this simple at all, but this writer/professor tweeted something that does tap into a portion of how I feel. "Only in America can a dead black boy go on trial for his own murder." I think it's important to note that this is just how this comes off to many people, whether or not anyone believes there is real accuracy to it, or agrees with the wording. We've got an ugly history we're not done coping with. Even before any verdicts, this situation didn't help at all.

Yeah, it was a little distracting at times. In particular in the school, where I was stuck for way too long, and the first minute involved me sneaking to the same spot over and over, and Bill rushing after me and running face-first into the same clicker every time before moseying around him. Without getting into any detailed opinions of things unfolding, I'll just say that I think TLoU is one of the finest achievements ever to come out of the medium, in my humble opinion. I was totally unprepared for the ride I was taken on. II expected a quality game, but this handily exceeded any expectations I was entertaining. Standing O for Naughty Dog.