"...think that the TV license is a bad way to do it, and it ought to be included in general taxation..."
A redeeming aspect of the funding being liecense & not taxation-based is that it frees the BBC from government control in it's day-to-day affais. This means Politician A can't threaten to slash funding to exert pressure upon the organisation but we still get publically funded, quality & easily accessable broadcasting.
Now VALVe are in bed with EA I think they might not release a direct competitor, as TF2 is alleged to be, to BF2 in the near future. It'd be awesome if they did, though, TFC is still an enjoyable romp.
An entry for the many superb incarnations of Team Fortress, the MMORPG genre, Metal Slug and many great Sega releases such as NiGHTS, Sega Rally etc...
The futility of the exercise has been outlined by many preceding comments, though it was an enjoyable read & many of my favourites are present. Extra kudos to IGN for the inclusion of Advance Wars.
Sorry to nitpick & go off on a tangent:-p It's more akin to Aristotle's view of how one acquires ethical understanding than Plato's. When Plato is dealing with the form of the Good, we see how the sun is used as a smile to represent the acquisition of knowledge of the forms, and consequently ethical understanding. The sun provides us with growth, heat and light, ultimately giving us the means to see. The Good affords us reality, truth & intelligibility which grant one knowledge - "As goodness stands in the intelligible realm to intelligence and the things we know, so in the visible realm, the sun stands to sight and the things we see." Just as we are dependant on the sun for our sight and growth, we are dependant on the Good for acquiring knowledge itself. It is the sun that gives the world growth, heat, and light and these things are like the sun, but do not constitute the sun itself. In a similar fashion the concepts of truth, intelligibility and reality are essential components of the Good but are not Goodness themselves. As the sun is responsible for the existence & sustenance of the sensible world, the Good is responsible for the same in the realm of the intelligible world.
Through the use of simile we see how one attains ethical knowledge in an abstract sense, but not in a very practical way. For Plato, the acquisition of knowledge (and consequently the ethical understanding inherent to this) was the occupation and responsibility of the guardian class to ensure that the good souls of the select few capable of perceiving the forms presided over the good republic itself. The acquisition of such understanding is a very formidable and demanding task for which a life times worth of dedication is prerequisite. Those who lack the capability, conditioning or innate desire to attain the knowledge will be incapable of attaining such understanding, as outlined in his Seventh Letter:
"One should show such men what philosophy is in all its extent; what their range of studies is by which it is approached, and how much labour it involves. For the man who has heard this, if he has the true philosophic spirit and that godlike temperament which makes him a kin to philosophy and worthy of it, thinks that he has been told of marvelousus road lying before him, that he must forthwith press on with all his strength, and that life is not worth living if he does anything else. After this he uses to the full his own powers and those of his guide in the path, and relaxes not his efforts, till he has either reached the end of the whole course of study or gained such power that he is not incapable of directing his steps without the aid of a guide... Those who have not the true philosophic temper, but a mere surface colouring of opinions penetrating, like sunburn, only skin deep, when they see how great the range of studies is, how much labour is involved in it, and how necessary to the pursuit it is to have an orderly regulation of the daily life, come to the conclusion that the thing is difficult and impossible for them, and are actually incapable of carrying out the course of study; while some of them persuade themselves that they have sufficiently studied the whole matter and have no need of any further effort."
So we see that cultivating ethical understanding is quite the arduous task for those lucky (!) enough to possess the capability and opportunity to realise it. The example cited here is that of Dionysus, who Plato observes was indeed not "kindled with the fire of philosophy" as a result of the lifestyle of his city, where excess and vices was the norm rather than the exception: "For with these habits formed early in life, no man under heaven could possibly attain to wisdom - human nature is not capable of such an extraordinary combination."
For Aristotle, the objective of ethics is to guide one towards the ideal course of life, resulting in the realisation of eudaimonia ('a contented state of being happy
cue inevitable 'subjectivity' response.:-)
i find older music more satisfying, for instance the rock music that was made & performed in the 70's over the homogenous sludge that's pumped out & exalted today. yet, if i was a rap afficionado, perhaps the music of the moment would be more appealing.
it works the same way with games, i find. i have little patience or motivation to play the games of old since opening the pandora's box that is online gaming. consequently i find complicated, balanced and highly playable games like guild wars far superior to anything i enjoyed in my youth, when my multiplayer gaming was restricted to consoles.
when i revisited (rose tinted glasses firmly in place) mario kart, street fighter et al i was frankly underwhelmed... it's was analgous to comparing scribbles on an ancient cave wall to a work of picasso. sure, it's the same end (be it artistic expression or gaming entertainment), but the means utilised make alot of difference.
once you wade through the dross, certain games of today are undoubtedly superior, at least from the perspective of a multiplayer junky.
Guild Wars really is a superb game, the depth & quality of the PvP is the best I've ever seen. Though this is hardly suprising considering ArenaNet is headed up by brilliant ex-Blizzard staff - "Wyatt was Blizzard's Vice President of Research and Development and most recently acted as the Team Lead and Lead Programmer of Battle.net. O'Brien was the Team Lead and Lead Programmer of Warcraft III, having personally developed the game's 3D rendering engine. Jeff Strain was also a Team Lead and Lead Programmer there and is the author of the Starcraft Campaign Editor." I didn't mind WoW in the Betas, though I was a little underwhelmed... the grind+gank=win style of game doesn't really appeal to me. In GW PvP success is really dependant on skill as you only have 8 skill slots & the equipment doesn't make that much of a difference. There are no seperate servers for Guild Wars, you get to play everyone from around the world. So that means when you win the 24/7 pickup tournament by holding the Hall of Heroes you really are the top PvP team in the world at that moment, or when your Guild itself is ranked on the ladder that is your position in relation to every other guild in the game.
It's actually really hard for me to describe just how cool this game is, thinking about it. This weekend my guild played an 8v8 PvP battle versus the #1 ranked guild in the world (Koreans) with no lag whatsoever. Despite the language/cultural/latency that would usually hinder such a meetup, we had a stunning game, got our arses handed to us & parted with a few "gg's". I was a little sceptical when I heard that Guild Wars was billed as a "Competitive Online RPG", but it's a pretty damn accurate depiction. Any self-respecting gamer should endevour to check this game out - top notch PvP, beautiful graphics, free online play, vibrant global community. Where has this game been all my life?!
This start up development house has managed to see a risky concept through to fruition on their own engine & in the process create an incredibly enjoyable (and addictive!) game. Superbly balanced & fun PvP, beautiful graphics, addictive gameplay and no monthly fee... even though I've been playing in these events since October I still sometimes wonder if it's just a wonderful dream!
Well, we got there in the end!
I wonder if the Sugar Plum Fair is in Tetris somewhere even if it wasn't the main theme tune, I remember it being in the game at least... *shrug*
ArenaNet's superb CORPG Guild Wars will hopefully get a good showing at E3 with it's forthcoming 28th April release. No monthly fees, top-notch competitive PvP, stunning graphics... all just in time to ruin my summer!:-) I'd highly recommend any self-respecting gamer checks this gem out ASAP.
Slashdot Mirror
"...think that the TV license is a bad way to do it, and it ought to be included in general taxation..." A redeeming aspect of the funding being liecense & not taxation-based is that it frees the BBC from government control in it's day-to-day affais. This means Politician A can't threaten to slash funding to exert pressure upon the organisation but we still get publically funded, quality & easily accessable broadcasting.
What Universities (that do/n't push students) are you referring to?
What institution did you attend? Please respond to marc.tomas.howard@gmail.com if you don't wish to do so publically.
Out of interest, what University did you attend? Respond to marc.tomas.howard@gmail.com if you don't wish to do so publically.
VICTORINOX SWISS MEMORY USB http://www.swissknifeshop.co.uk/swissmemory_standa rd.html
64mb - 1gb
It's even penguin friendly!
Now VALVe are in bed with EA I think they might not release a direct competitor, as TF2 is alleged to be, to BF2 in the near future. It'd be awesome if they did, though, TFC is still an enjoyable romp.
An entry for the many superb incarnations of Team Fortress, the MMORPG genre, Metal Slug and many great Sega releases such as NiGHTS, Sega Rally etc... The futility of the exercise has been outlined by many preceding comments, though it was an enjoyable read & many of my favourites are present. Extra kudos to IGN for the inclusion of Advance Wars.
"How will Rockstar handle the additional pressure being put upon it?" Probably by gut laughing all the way to the bank...
Sorry to nitpick & go off on a tangent :-p It's more akin to Aristotle's view of how one acquires ethical understanding than Plato's. When Plato is dealing with the form of the Good, we see how the sun is used as a smile to represent the acquisition of knowledge of the forms, and consequently ethical understanding. The sun provides us with growth, heat and light, ultimately giving us the means to see. The Good affords us reality, truth & intelligibility which grant one knowledge - "As goodness stands in the intelligible realm to intelligence and the things we know, so in the visible realm, the sun stands to sight and the things we see." Just as we are dependant on the sun for our sight and growth, we are dependant on the Good for acquiring knowledge itself. It is the sun that gives the world growth, heat, and light and these things are like the sun, but do not constitute the sun itself. In a similar fashion the concepts of truth, intelligibility and reality are essential components of the Good but are not Goodness themselves. As the sun is responsible for the existence & sustenance of the sensible world, the Good is responsible for the same in the realm of the intelligible world.
... Those who have not the true philosophic temper, but a mere surface colouring of opinions penetrating, like sunburn, only skin deep, when they see how great the range of studies is, how much labour is involved in it, and how necessary to the pursuit it is to have an orderly regulation of the daily life, come to the conclusion that the thing is difficult and impossible for them, and are actually incapable of carrying out the course of study; while some of them persuade themselves that they have sufficiently studied the whole matter and have no need of any further effort."
Through the use of simile we see how one attains ethical knowledge in an abstract sense, but not in a very practical way. For Plato, the acquisition of knowledge (and consequently the ethical understanding inherent to this) was the occupation and responsibility of the guardian class to ensure that the good souls of the select few capable of perceiving the forms presided over the good republic itself. The acquisition of such understanding is a very formidable and demanding task for which a life times worth of dedication is prerequisite. Those who lack the capability, conditioning or innate desire to attain the knowledge will be incapable of attaining such understanding, as outlined in his Seventh Letter:
"One should show such men what philosophy is in all its extent; what their range of studies is by which it is approached, and how much labour it involves. For the man who has heard this, if he has the true philosophic spirit and that godlike temperament which makes him a kin to philosophy and worthy of it, thinks that he has been told of marvelousus road lying before him, that he must forthwith press on with all his strength, and that life is not worth living if he does anything else. After this he uses to the full his own powers and those of his guide in the path, and relaxes not his efforts, till he has either reached the end of the whole course of study or gained such power that he is not incapable of directing his steps without the aid of a guide
So we see that cultivating ethical understanding is quite the arduous task for those lucky (!) enough to possess the capability and opportunity to realise it. The example cited here is that of Dionysus, who Plato observes was indeed not "kindled with the fire of philosophy" as a result of the lifestyle of his city, where excess and vices was the norm rather than the exception: "For with these habits formed early in life, no man under heaven could possibly attain to wisdom - human nature is not capable of such an extraordinary combination."
For Aristotle, the objective of ethics is to guide one towards the ideal course of life, resulting in the realisation of eudaimonia ('a contented state of being happy
It has also been updated in the last few hours - http://guildwars.com/news/gameupdates.html
cue inevitable 'subjectivity' response. :-)
i find older music more satisfying, for instance the rock music that was made & performed in the 70's over the homogenous sludge that's pumped out & exalted today. yet, if i was a rap afficionado, perhaps the music of the moment would be more appealing.
it works the same way with games, i find. i have little patience or motivation to play the games of old since opening the pandora's box that is online gaming. consequently i find complicated, balanced and highly playable games like guild wars far superior to anything i enjoyed in my youth, when my multiplayer gaming was restricted to consoles.
when i revisited (rose tinted glasses firmly in place) mario kart, street fighter et al i was frankly underwhelmed... it's was analgous to comparing scribbles on an ancient cave wall to a work of picasso. sure, it's the same end (be it artistic expression or gaming entertainment), but the means utilised make alot of difference.
once you wade through the dross, certain games of today are undoubtedly superior, at least from the perspective of a multiplayer junky.
I've heard some bad analogies in my time but you've surpassed them all.
Guild Wars really is a superb game, the depth & quality of the PvP is the best I've ever seen. Though this is hardly suprising considering ArenaNet is headed up by brilliant ex-Blizzard staff - "Wyatt was Blizzard's Vice President of Research and Development and most recently acted as the Team Lead and Lead Programmer of Battle.net. O'Brien was the Team Lead and Lead Programmer of Warcraft III, having personally developed the game's 3D rendering engine. Jeff Strain was also a Team Lead and Lead Programmer there and is the author of the Starcraft Campaign Editor." I didn't mind WoW in the Betas, though I was a little underwhelmed... the grind+gank=win style of game doesn't really appeal to me. In GW PvP success is really dependant on skill as you only have 8 skill slots & the equipment doesn't make that much of a difference. There are no seperate servers for Guild Wars, you get to play everyone from around the world. So that means when you win the 24/7 pickup tournament by holding the Hall of Heroes you really are the top PvP team in the world at that moment, or when your Guild itself is ranked on the ladder that is your position in relation to every other guild in the game. It's actually really hard for me to describe just how cool this game is, thinking about it. This weekend my guild played an 8v8 PvP battle versus the #1 ranked guild in the world (Koreans) with no lag whatsoever. Despite the language/cultural/latency that would usually hinder such a meetup, we had a stunning game, got our arses handed to us & parted with a few "gg's". I was a little sceptical when I heard that Guild Wars was billed as a "Competitive Online RPG", but it's a pretty damn accurate depiction. Any self-respecting gamer should endevour to check this game out - top notch PvP, beautiful graphics, free online play, vibrant global community. Where has this game been all my life?!
This start up development house has managed to see a risky concept through to fruition on their own engine & in the process create an incredibly enjoyable (and addictive!) game. Superbly balanced & fun PvP, beautiful graphics, addictive gameplay and no monthly fee... even though I've been playing in these events since October I still sometimes wonder if it's just a wonderful dream!
Well, we got there in the end! I wonder if the Sugar Plum Fair is in Tetris somewhere even if it wasn't the main theme tune, I remember it being in the game at least... *shrug*
No, it was :-)
Tchaikovsky, "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy". "You know you've played too much Tetris when..." :-P
ArenaNet's superb CORPG Guild Wars will hopefully get a good showing at E3 with it's forthcoming 28th April release. No monthly fees, top-notch competitive PvP, stunning graphics... all just in time to ruin my summer! :-) I'd highly recommend any self-respecting gamer checks this gem out ASAP.