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The Director

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Posts posted by The Director

  1. Infinite will bring a slight boom back to the forum, but there likely won't be any long term traffic. There's a few reasons why the forum has slowly but surely trickled out to the point it is today.

     

    First, normal entropy. The story of Halo has been significantly discussed already, and though the amount of games have nearly doubled since the site's glory days the amount of lore has not. This isn't because 343i has failed in any way, it's simply because that's how stories are. 

     

    Second, the community part of the forum has become fragmented. This is partly natural, but has worsened because of things that have drawn people away. Namely, Skype and Discord. During my time as Site Mod, the subject of off site chat was brought up and I carefully constructed a couple of chats in Skype that could allow quick conversation between staff members and moderators. I declined to create an official non-staff chat in Skype because I knew it would draw people away from the shoutbox, which is more important to the site than I think anyone else realized. It's pretty simple, when people are in the shoutbox talking to each other, they are on the site. If they are on the site, they can see when someone replies to a topic they have an interest in and post a response. Posts are the lifeblood of any forum, community forums especially. Just before I retired a freshly promoted community moderate approached me with an idea that he had to create a Discord for the forum. I told him it was a bad idea but didn't clarify exactly why, so that's my bad.

     

    The worst period of inactivity that had occurred before Discord was between Halo Reach and Halo 4. Even then, there was at least two or three posts per week and half a dozen members on at all hours of the day. The longest inactivity in the shoutbox was less than three hours. As I type this, I am literally the only person logged onto the site and one of only 14 that have been on today. The most recent topic posted on this forum was yesterday, but the one before that was over a month ago. The shoutbox contains shouts from January 16th, which are from 343iBot welcoming new members. The Discord currently has 30 people online, none of which are on the site.

     

    New members gravitate toward the topics they are interested in first, then the shoutbox once they've posted. There they make new friends and decide to stick around. However, with a discord they have to go through extra steps to talk to anyone and then they have to keep it open. If it's their first time using discord, the whole ordeal becomes a confusing mess and they quickly give up.

     

    So, will Halo: Infinite reignite 343iCF? No. Not as long as the 343iCF discord exists. Not as long as the more active members are drawn away from the site where they will have difficulty meeting new members and welcoming them to the community. Get rid of the "official" Discord and maybe.

     

    tl;dr this is my biggest "I told you so" ever and the Discord created discord with our amount of people online.

    • Like 2
  2. Side note: I think a large part of why this site is inactive is because the barrier to actually do something here is too great to get over. For example, let's say you want to play VR or something. First you have to move all the furniture, set up the headset, turn the game on, etc. There's too many steps, and people want to talk NOW. That's why Discord is so convenient, because the barrier to talk is thinner. Like, the chat in Discord is 110% better than the Shoutbox :/ 

    Gee, who was it that called that happening? lol

    • Like 1
  3. Halo can recover if 343 goes back to the game's roots. Call of Duty just did it and I have friends who haven't touched an Xbox since MW2 was still popular telling me they might get back into it because of this game. 

     

    The community is so divided though it's a mess. A lot of people love the new evolved style of play with Sprint and Spartan Abilities and more like the classic gameplay but not by enough otherwise 343 would've done it already. They've been put in a horrible position by the community and the only way to get out is to cater to one side (which is going to hurt a lot for whichever side loses in the future).

     

    I love Halo 5 honestly but I think people would return and numbers would grow if they just took a step backward gameplay-wise and give it a great run and gun campaign.

    I have to disagree with you on them having to pick a side. What they can do is split the multiplayer into two modes, one that is new and whatnot and the other that goes from the games core and stays true to the old school. It will take an intensive effort, but they'll also be able to determine which one is loved more once and for all. Then they can go from there. They also need to account for longevity and stop trying to replace main characters. That should be a natural flow, not forced like Halo 4.

     

    If they don't learn from their mistakes then Halo 6 will be the last.

    • Like 2
  4. I have a friend who has trouble being around others, she's shy.. surprisingly more shy than I am when it comes to meeting new people.

     

    My question is, how can I help her step out of her comfort zone to meet new people? Obviously I can't force her to do it, but how can I give her that push she needs to do it on her own?

    That is the million dollar question lol shyness usually has a reason behind it, be it self consciousness, a history of abuse, or social anxiety. Social anxiety is actually a blanket statement. Self consciousness and anthropophobia are examples of social anxieties.

     

    Social anxieties are pretty complex and they differ from person to person. Unfortunately there isn't a one size fits all technique for dealing with social anxiety. Unless you have the power to convince your friend to see a therapist or psychologist there's not much you can do.

     

    That being said, showing your friend that not all people are scary to talk to and increasing her circle of friends might help. Or it might make her go all turtley. Turtley enough for the turtle club.

    • Like 1
  5. If roses are red and violets are blue then what do I mean to you? :heart:
      

    You're a decent friend, and that's cute lol

     

    Who is your favourite Space Marine Primarch during the events of the Horus Heresy/Great Crusade?

    I don't have a favorite, as I'm not a big fan of warhammer 40k or its derivatives.

    • Like 1
  6. in steins gate what one item has the chance to start or prevent world war 3?

     

    if you had to live the rest of your life with  a yandere who would it be

     

    1. Future Gadget 204

    2. My wife.

     

     

    Why is it in anime that most guys seem very feminine? I hate it and love it at the same time.

    Several reasons. Some artists prefer drawing women and so draw feminine men. Some people deem feminine men untrustworthy to the point that it has become a cliche similar to the "Russian Villain" cliche. Some artists want the bad guy to be a bad girl and draw them feminine as a form of protest.

  7.  

    Why did you decide to become a mod, and why do you continue to be a mod on here?

    I decided to be a mod because new mods were needed and I had previous experience. I like this forum and the people on it, so I like to help when I can. Helping is easier when I have the tools to do so.

    • Like 1
  8. How do you train ur abs
      

    Crunches and body hardening.

     

    How do I confess my love to the man of my dreams..? :angel: How do I lure him into my domain? :3

     

    If I poke his face like this do you think he would get angry? or Blush? tumblr_n42smx2oCH1t85s2ro1_500.gif

    Buy him a drink and tell him as he's taking a sip.

  9.  

    ^ This.. I like this. Lmao.

     

     

    The "paradox" is flawed because if there exists an irresistible force, it follows logically that there cannot be any such thing as an immovable object and vice versa.

     

    The original paradox is an unstoppable force versus an immovable object lol. I've answered it before, and took this as a chance to point out that irresistible isn't necessarily the same as unstoppable.

  10. What happens to an irresistible force when it hits an immovable object?

    The immovable object falls in love with the force (because it's irresistible) and they remain where the object is because it's immovable. Then they have little irresistible immovable babies.

     

    If you choke a Smurf what color does it turn?

    Purple, same as a human.

    • Like 1
  11. Sounds like a good game, might have to give it a try.

     

    Currently rn I've been playing 7 Days To Die.... I recommend it, it's pretty fun and consumes you time like crazy. Before you even realize it, it's 6am and you gotta be at work in 3 hours! Lol.

    My wife and I 7d2d play split screen lol I made a bunker for the lulz.

  12. Judging from the amount of time I have seen you put into this game lately, I knew that this was coming! 

     

    Great review for a great game, TD. One question, it doesn't have mod support on the Xbox One, does it? If The Last Days of the Third Age, Star Wars Conquest, and Prophesy of Pendor are able to run on the Xbox it would make my year.

     

    Thanks for the review TD!    

    There's no official word from Taleworlds on that yet, but I really doubt it. Mod support is a pretty big budget item for an indie developer to accomplish. Not to mention that the restrictions from M$ and Sony for the mods would require them to have additional staff to monitor, approve or disprove, and upload the mods for the console version. Adult oriented mods are a definite no-go on consoles, and Fallout 4 already had a nude mod slip through for a couple hours. That's with a decently paid dedicated team reviewing the mods as well.

     

    Taleworlds also hasn't confirmed DLC for the consoles (they don't want to make promises they might not be able to keep I guess). The mods they currently have out for PC are With Fire and Sword, Napoleonic Wars, and Viking Conquest Reforged. Bannerlord is a tba dlc release for the PC that a lot of people are looking forward to.

     

    Oh, and before it's asked, yes there's multiplayer. I have not played it, which is why I didn't include it in the review. I've heard that it plays like a better version of Chivalry, but that's about it.

  13. The Director's Lesser Known Games Volume 9

     

    Mount & Blade: Warband Console Edition

     

    Rating: 9/10

    Type of Game: Role Play Game with Multiplayer

    Platform: Xbox One, Playstation 4

     

     

    Synopsis:

     

    Mount & Blade Warband takes you into the war torn land of Calderia. What you do once you get there is up to you. Will you be a bandit, robbing caravans and villagers while running from the law? Will you be a merchant, hiring mercenaries to defend you from bandits as you sell goods from town to town? How about a lord, loyally serving your chosen king and helping him (or her) become Emperor? Or would you rather become the emperor by taking over the entire realm? You can do all this and more if you feel like it.

     

    Pros:

     

    There are a ton of great things about this game. The graphics have improved upon the original release, the controls are a bit more fluid than mouse/keyboard, and there are fewer bugs. For those of you who aren't familiar with the original release, here's the great stuff about that!

     

    Combat - The combat in this game is set in third person (but you can go to first person if you'd like) and features melee, ranged, and cavalry attacks. That's right, you can fight on a horse. Or you can fight a horse on a horse. Or you can fight a horse while on the ground with just your hands.

     

    Weapons/armor - The weapons in this game are varied. There are multiple types of melee weapons with different effects (like bonuses against armor or shields), multiple types of shields, multiple armors, etc. This game has the most varied arsenal I've personally ever seen. The weapons range from swords to lances, from arrows to javelins, the list goes on. You can equip up to 4 different types of weapons (3 if you equip a shield). Oh? You're wondering about the lances? That's right, you can act like a knight and joust people. Awesome, right?

     

    Horses - They have several different types of horses in this game that are suited for different play-styles. You plan on being that guy who charges head on into the enemy on your horse? Get yourself an armored one. Are you more interested in speed? Grab yourself a fast one. You want a fast horse that can take some hits? They've got that too! They also have slow, weak horses for those of you who are a bit cheap.

     

    Map Movement - The map movement is similar to how you move troops in strategy games. It's eagle view, and you click to travel. When you get to your destination, the game pauses automatically so time doesn't pass while you are deciding where to go next. Worried about not finding anyone to fight with? Don't be. There are raiders and such wandering around the map looking for fools to take their gold. Worried about fighting too much? Get a large enough amount of troops with you and they will flee in terror before your might.

     

    Skills - Nearly everything in the game is based on what skills you have (and don't have). From combat to movement speed on the world map, I'm not exaggerating when I say that if you can do it (except cheat) then there is a skill for it.

     

    Locations and Characters - They appear one dimensional at first glance but if you pay any sort of attention things get pretty deep pretty fast. The locations are similar yet unique and vary by type. Each separate kingdom has its own design for its villages and towns. 

     

    Last but not least, the price. This game (as of this review) is only 19.99 USD + tax and has more content than your average AAA 60 buck game. Like, a lot more content. Just one playthrough can take you weeks, months, even years depending on your play style. That doesn't even take into account replayability. 

     

     

    Cons:

     

    Not many of these, but gotta be fair here. The graphics, while improved, aren't great. The learning curve for this game is pretty steep, and a few stops to the wiki are pretty much guaranteed. The controls are fluid but not very intuitive. For instance, the directional indicator is not an aiming reticle but it makes you feel as if it is one. Aim with the blade, young padawan. There also isn't much voice acting, but that's probably due to it being a budget game. Indie for the windie. 

     

    Summation:

     

    Right now this game is pretty cheap, and it has a ton of content to offer. If you've got a lot of free time and are looking for a way to pass that time try it out.

    • Like 2
  14. I don't quite understand though, if it's not a medically induced coma.. would it have to be a significant blow to the head to cause ones body to resort to being in a coma in order to heal vital body parts? I've heard two things (from experience being an RN [Registered Nurse]) That medically induced and trauma-related comas work different ways, forgive me for not bringing that up before. But what is the real core difference between the two? Either way your body is forcefully shut down right?

    With a medically induced coma there isn't any brain trauma that the brain needs to shut down to repair, allowing the brain to usually 'reboot' at any time. Note the "usually" there lol. Induced comas are generally used to spare people who would otherwise be in terrible pain (like a burn victim) some of that pain while they heal.

     

    A traumatic coma, however, is usually caused by sudden trauma to the brain that causes the brain to shut down. This can be temporary or permanent. It is unknown if the brain does this on it's own as a sort of 'safe mode' so that it can make repairs or if it is simply unable to function with the trauma the way it is. On a side note, relatively little is known about traumatic comas due to the ethics involved in studying them. An MRI can only go so far while studying brain damage, and it's unethical to pop someone's skull off that might be able to wake up again while they cannot consent.

     

    Remember, for it to technically be a coma your body isn't shut down at all. Your brain retains the ability to work your heart, lungs, and other unaffected organs but it simply cannot become aware of its surroundings. If your heart and lungs are not functioning and neither is your brain, you are dead in every way possible. 

    • Like 1
  15. What happens to your brain if your body undergoes a coma?

    Usually your brain goes into basic survival mode. In most cases it keeps your heart and lungs functioning, but cannot 'boot up' all the way until whatever caused the coma has been repaired. This can take days, weeks, or even years. It is known as a vegetative state (or persistent vegetative state) and the world record for waking up from one is 19 years. So far only two people have survived that long in a vegetative state. Terry Wallis and Jan Grzebski.

     

    In some cases the damage cannot be repaired. Normally a vegetative state only requires a feeding tube and hydration IV. Someone who needs active life support is not in a coma, they are brain dead. Brain death may also be declared on someone who still has vital signs due to an uninjured brain stem, but the rest of their brain is damaged beyond recovery. No one has ever woken up from brain death. Those who claim otherwise are victims of Hollywood's misconceptions on comas and brain death, or trying to sell a story of their own. Or they're even trying to get people to further mistrust doctors to push their agenda. Usually something like antiabortion or antieuthanasia.

  16. Oh shee waddap!?

     

    But seriously.

     

    What is your opinion on The X-Files? I have only binge watched up to season 3, and have 6 more to watch.

    I watched it as it aired, and at the time it was pretty decent. A good chunk of the special effects haven't aged well, but the story can be pretty gripping if you're into that sort of thing.

  17. What are your views on the ANZUS treaty? 

    It was pretty critical during the cold-war, but needs to be modernized. There isn't much of a threat of global nuclear war anymore, and the vast majority of nuclear powers have vowed (at least publicly) not to use these weapons. 

     

    The tensions between the US and NZ have thawed quite a bit, and the US and AU have generally been pretty friendly. Except that one time that the (at the time) new PM backed out of an ICBM testing deal. So it shouldn't be to difficult to further cement the treaty and modernize it to everyone's liking.

     

    You have created a paradox with that explanation of how your directions work, have you not?

    Nope.

    • Like 1
  18. Have I? :troll:

    Failed to do what I wanted you to do? Nope.

     

    How much does it cost to photoshop a house?

    Depends on the version of photoshop.

     

    Have you really been far even as decided to use even go want to do look more like?

    Yes. Twice.

     

    How can you sleep at night knowing that the Irish may invade your lovely state at any moment for the sweet sweet reward which is a potato?

    They'd have to get through a lot of land and water to be able to do that.

  19. How are women so good at appearing disinterested - ignoring the situations where they ACTUALLY ARE disinterested - when they're actually not?

    I couldn't do it if I tried.

     

    Secondly, do you think my writing style isn't suited for a forum like this?

    Some are and some aren't. If a woman is appearing disinterested but is actually interested, usually she gives you clues as to her interest. Then you both play the game of romance, wherein you attempt to woo her and she sees how much you'll do to do so. If you aren't willing to play that game, though, there are women who also do not want to play that game that you should seek out. You should, however, avoid being 'creepy' in any way. You should avoid being overly affectionate, overly attentive (i.e. stalking), and attempting to be in constant contact (i.e. spamming). Remember, interest is not the same as consent in any way. Sometimes it's effective to counter this game by playing hard to get yourself.

     

    There are also women who have been through some type of trauma and feel the need to be distant or appear disinterested even though they are interested. If you find yourself 'falling' for a woman who feels this way, patience is paramount.

     

    Depends on the women, not all of us do that. lol. I would assume it has something to do with ignoring guys in general. :P

     

     

    Question: How good are you at Halo?

    Depends on the game, day, and who I'm playing with or against. lol

     

    I'm fairly competent at Swat and Snipers, but find myself impatient with normal gametypes that require entire clips to drop enemies.

     

    Q1: I'd like to know what you can figure out about a...strange occurence. I'm 20, but I still look and sound like I'm maybe 13 or so. It isn't a particularly rare occurrence in the general population nor will it be a bad thing later in life, but it gets in the way right now so I'm curious about it. I imagine there are innumerable causes, but I am interested in what you put forward.

     

    Q2: This is the most important question. Purely hypothetical. Lets say you directed, but I failed to act. What would be the consequences?

     

    Side Note: I would never disobey a direct order. Sir. :3

    1. Primarily genetics. You have genes that make you look younger than most, that's all. I actually had the same thing going on for quite some time. Height is also a bit of a factor, but again that boils down to genetics in most cases.

     

    2. That's not how my directions work. If I tell you to do something and you do not do it, it's because I don't want you to do it. I intentionally make a weak case as to why you should do something, while making the case just strong enough that you do not suspect that that is what I'm doing. Nobody has ever failed to do what I wanted them to do.

    • Like 1
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