Category Archives: Geek

Well, I thought Damion Schubert’s “damn you, we do fantasy dikumuds for a reason, and if you’re going to fix them, understand the reasons” talk was pretty good, but clearly there is a second opinion.

Schubert claims that combat is included in games because it gives player “what they want”.

This is a view that subscribes to a dionysian, internal-locus-of-control view – a view that desire is pre-eminent force in human affairs (as opposed to necessity). I’m really surprised to hear this coming from a “combat designer”.

Note: I didn’t say this was a good second opinon.

Breathless reporter with microphone: “We’re with Jack Emmert of Cryptic Studios, makers of City of Heroes. Jack, what are you doing right now?”
Jack Emmert. feet up on the desk: “I’m reading the paper online.”
Reporter: “Really!”

-=-

“So, these guys are offering software that will automatically nerf players of classes that are the most popular.”
“That sounds like all kinds of fun.”
“Yeah. Their slogan is ‘No More Nerfs’”.
“Is their spokesperson Bizarro Superman?”

-=-

How NCsoft recruits programmers:

I love Schadenfreuden Interactive. TO DEATH.

Me: “So, part of this tour is for you to prove to me that Second Life isn’t completely a rancid pit of cyber.”
Her: “It is so totally a rancid pit of cyber.”
Me: “But there’s golf here. Thus it’s not totally a rancid pit of cyber.”
Her: “OK. It’s MOSTLY a rancid pit of cyber.”
(Right about now a half naked prostitute wanders by)
Her: “See?”

—

Her: “You’re wearing a pyramid on your head.“
Him: “It’s a character from Silent Hill.”
Her: “No, it’s a pyramid that you have on your head.”
Me: “I’m pretty sure your sword is from Final Fantasy 7. I’m an expert in oversized Squaresoft weaponry.”
Him: “No, it’s from Silent Hill.”
Different Him: “It’s a tetrahedron, not a pyramid.”
Me: “I’d trust him. It sounds like he knows his polygons.”

—

Me: “Why do you have a problem with my wearing a box on my head?”

From boingboing: I humped your hummer!

I like this one.

From YouTube, if you’re Japanese, in a strange land, and being assaulted by two Americans wearing panties on their head? Aerobics to the rescue!

In other probably related news, this blog’s web hosting went down because it, um, caught on fire. I suppose that’s an acceptable excuse.

Apparently, the lead singer of Iron Maiden is better at evacuating people from war zones than the US Government. Who knew.

In Northern Virginia, I learned quickly to answer “programmer” whenever anyone asked what I did for a living. Any other answer only served to confuse them.

Here in Austin, when I answer “game designer”, I get “Cool, do you know anyone at Company X?” in response.

That is all.

From this Wikipedia entry (don’t ask, IRC is an odd place):

Since the testicles are very sensitive to impact, this can be extremely painful. ^{[citation needed]}

All right then. You first.