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AusGAF 9 - F*** Off, We're Full (Of People With Different Ethnic Backgrounds)
- Thread starter Kritz
- Start date
reptilescorpio
Member
PS+
ADD TO CART THEN "PURCHASE" SO YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THEM NEVER
#BACKLOGYO
ADD TO CART THEN "PURCHASE" SO YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THEM NEVER
#BACKLOGYO
Ruthless_Barbarian
Member
I'll be investing into some security shutters/crimsafe now. Any recommendations?
Rep, do you have any contacts?
Rep, do you have any contacts?
reptilescorpio
Member
lol no sorry.
Actually, my boss from the Geelong office is up tomorrow. I'll ask him who they have used in the past. I doubt they bother picking the cheap/effective contractor though since we aren't held to a schedule for that kind of thing.
Just be careful as shit as some of those firms will scope out your house and ransack it when you aren't home. Get a big name security place to do a quote first, not a small company.
ClivePwned
Member
Fucking thieves.
crimsafe is excellent and worth the cost for the extra peace of mind. Though if he broke a window, crimsafe's not going to do much about that.
For a smallish house, expect about 15k to do all the windows and a sliding door and a screen door for the front. And that's 2007 prices when we did the house we just sold. Also get more than quote since we initially had two quotes for identical work and one was almost double the first quote. My parents put a double screen door on the front door last year and that was 1500 for the door and 600 for one window
I'm house-sitting for my parents who are OS at the mo, and some one rings up today. "Mr Pwned there?"
I said yes.
He hangs up. That freaked me out.
My bro had something similar where some teen knocked on the door. My bro answers and the teen asks for directions to some road. My bro's place is in a cul de sac in a nest of cul de sacs.
Who knows how many door knockers are actually casing places?
to reiterate: fucking thieves.
crimsafe is excellent and worth the cost for the extra peace of mind. Though if he broke a window, crimsafe's not going to do much about that.
For a smallish house, expect about 15k to do all the windows and a sliding door and a screen door for the front. And that's 2007 prices when we did the house we just sold. Also get more than quote since we initially had two quotes for identical work and one was almost double the first quote. My parents put a double screen door on the front door last year and that was 1500 for the door and 600 for one window
I'm house-sitting for my parents who are OS at the mo, and some one rings up today. "Mr Pwned there?"
I said yes.
He hangs up. That freaked me out.
My bro had something similar where some teen knocked on the door. My bro answers and the teen asks for directions to some road. My bro's place is in a cul de sac in a nest of cul de sacs.
Who knows how many door knockers are actually casing places?
to reiterate: fucking thieves.
reptilescorpio
Member
This is why we need guns.
Ruthless_Barbarian
Member
15k? That's quite a lot. My house isn't that big so I hope the cost won't exceed 5k. Plus you're in NSW right? They charge way more.
I had a look at prices online, doors are roughly 600-700 bucks.
He didn't break the window, just the locking mechanism. Have to get that fixed too.
So the robber can shoot us instead of running away?
I had a look at prices online, doors are roughly 600-700 bucks.
He didn't break the window, just the locking mechanism. Have to get that fixed too.
So the robber can shoot us instead of running away?
It's the pre-emptive element that's so unnerving about having your shit knocked off at home. Losing your stuff sucks, but worse still is the feeling of vulnerability.
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I'm starting to wish I didn't take the Fibre Optic connection at my last home for granted. Downloading Steam games in minutes during the Summer Sales and playing them almost immediately. New place is on ADSL2+ and I now have to plan downloads in advance and eave my laptop/iDevice on during the day to pre-load stuff.
We used to stream iTunes media but now pre-downloading to a device is the way to go.
I am really not looking forward to seeing how our home connection works when e NBA season fires up and I want to start watching games live.
Planet_JASE
Member
It's all contextual and about balance, really. The idea that Fallout 3's implementation of drug use, which included both negative and positive results for the player - including the use of morphine to prevent feeling pain in damaged limbs - being found unacceptable because the of the realistic delivery method was asinine. Even though the player received some benefits from using the drugs, the fact that the player could become addicted, suffer withdrawal and receive negative impacts was (to my knowledge) a far better implementation of a drug system than any other game. This really should have been allowed because of the balance that players had to find and use of judgment when utilizing them.
On the other hand, if you had a game that allowed players to smoke PCP and be invulnerable for a period of time with no further negative impacts, then I would find that to be an irresponsible implementation and worthy of scrutiny by the ACB. Despite the fact that games are about fantasy, there is a certain disconnect between the feats that the player can perform and the ability of a person to encounter them in real life. When it comes to drugs, they are readily available to most people, especially if you are inclined to seek them out; the depiction of a consequence free - and predominately positive enriched - drug use helps dilute the already difficult job of conveying the message of the potential dangers of recreational drug use.
Once again, I don't support the idea that video games will necessarily compell someone to commit acts that they did not already have a predilection for. What they can do, as I mentioned in my response to the sexual themes in Saints is to further break the taboo of drug abuse and make it an act that has been associated with a positive reinforcement, as found in a video game. In video games, the player is responsible for the decision to use, the enacting of the delivery and sees the positive effects immediately. This feedback loop, I believe, should not be taken lightly as helping form a less negative regard for the drug being featured in the game.
Most drugs have consequences, whether legal or otherwise. I will admit that I've experienced a fair few of them myself, especially from the latter category; I mention this to not be seen as some anti-drug nut or closet raised shut in. Unless there is some sort of grand design and purpose for doing to the contrary, I don't see why there shouldn't be consequence to the player using drugs. Getting hit by bullets has consequence, as does being caught in an explosion, and similarly with the player's avatar falling great distances. The use of real world drugs without any consequence just smacks of a developers attempt at being edgy and hip and nothing more.
Using Fallout 3 as an example, once again, they set up a balanced and judicious use for the drugs in the game. It seems to me that the ACB had no intention of allowing that game to enter the country as they changed the reason for refusing classification twice. The first being the use of drugs to reward the player to which they changed the name from morphine to comply. Then the reason given was the accurate delivery method and paraphernalia used, to which the animations were removed. What purpose this served is really unknown, as changing the name and not showing a syringe is not really creating a barrier to someone looking to experience drugs for themselves nor helping them form an unrealisticly positive impression of drug use. After all, it's not like children are buying games as an instructional how-to or buyer's guide. The depiction of someone one jamming a syringe into their arm didn't stop Bioshock Infinite from entering the country, either.
The ACB, in my opinion, should be wary of allowing games containing consequence-free depiction of drug into the country. I'd like developers to be more responsible with how they depict drug use and not pander to an audience by trying to take on the role of the cool, hip uncle that let's them do cool stuff.
Sorry for the late response, as today has been quite busy, and sorry for the rushed reply and any crappy gramatical/word errors that I will maintain are the sole responsibility of typing this out on a tablet. To my very last breath.
PS- I just remembered something else. The fact that GTA4 included drink driving, which at one point was included as part a mission, I felt was equally irresponsible, if not more so. There was no consequence for doing so and was made to be a fun exercise. The ubiquitous nature of alcohol plus the trouble a lot of countries already have with drink driving makes this more concerning than the fact that some teens might get curious about morphine after playing Fallout 3. The fact that you were more likely to be chased by the Police was not a fitting negative effect in a game that the player spent most of the time being pursued by cops... and in fact welcomed it.
If they did, and I was allowed to suggest the genre, I would ask that it be a Turn
of phrase
@DeathJr: I'm sorry to hear about the break in but very glad to hear that you're okay and that they didn't get anything.
Same thing can go when there is silence on the other end. Most of the time it'd just be a machine checking if it's a valid number to skip around unlisted numbers and engage telemarketing or whatever later. It's those times when it's not that is the concern. Who's to know which is which.
If you want to be safe, don't relay any irrelevant information over the phone as it can be used against you. Keep doors and windows locked at all times (summer might be tough, but do what you can). Don't open the door for anyone unless you know them. Pretty obvious and sensible stuff, but it can be the times when we let our guard down that bad things can happen.
A while ago in my area there was a spate of break-ins late night/early morning. They weren't looking for valuables in the house, they wanted car keys to quietly steal your car. A neighbour was one of those who were broken into, but they didn't get what they came for. Knowing someone was in your house while you slept would be incredibly unnerving. I believe these were the same people who reversed a ute down my driveway on the rare occasion when my motorcycle was parked there and not in the garage. I was home and went to investigate and they drove away quick-smart. Had I not been there, I'm sure my bike would have disappeared in about 2 minutes flat.
I'm sorry that happened to you Death and I'm glad you're unharmed and nothing was taken.
bodyboarder
Member
The worlds end was pretty good. Though Shaun of the dead/hot fuzz are in a different league.
lets boo boo
Jables Swan
Member
Didn't expect it would be as good as those 2 but I'm still looking forward to it.
Thanks for the response Jase. I can't help but feel you're perhaps on too strong a footing here regarding drug use for me to agree with you; perhaps the normalisation of such culture is dangerous regarding younger consumers, but I can't help but feel anything relegated to R18+ rating - an age where adults, irrespective of any qualifications regarding an understanding of our political system, can vote - should by default be considered capable of dealing with and recognising the differences between inconsequential drug use as depicted in a video game, and drug use in real life. Certainly the ACB should be wary, but an instant banning as we've been seeing for the last few years is beyond the pale.
reptilescorpio
Member
Smoke da weed in Saints Row mon.
Also you are forced to drink drive, with positive results, in the game that will be FREE tomorrow for PS+ users!
Also you are forced to drink drive, with positive results, in the game that will be FREE tomorrow for PS+ users!
Planet_JASE
Member
I agree. It's not an issue that I feel strongly about, especially when compared to non-consensual sexual themes. You're absolutely right that 18+ audiences should be more capable of discerning the difference between video games and real life; even though that may ironically be the age that they're more likely to be exposed to, and experiment with drugs.
I'm not a fan of censorship as a whole, so refusing classication of a game for drug content is not something I'd be a quick supporter of (unless particularly egregious). As I said in my response (I think) it's a matter that I'd rather developers self regulate while the ACB be wary about becoming a prevalent theme in games. If I didn't say that, I meant to, or didn't say it as clearly as that.
Are there any particular issues in video games that you feel should be addressed? Are there themes that you don't feel should be allowed to remain in games when put up for sale in this country, or are you happy for the R18+ to be used for anything that doesn't belong in the lower classification brackets?
reptilescorpio
Member
I'm surprised gambling hasn't come up.
You can play the slots in tons of games!
You can play the slots in tons of games!
The difficultly for me is that short of long term torture, murder is the thing I find most vile in humans, and I can do that in every game. Anything else should therefore be able to be created in a game. It may be vile and not something I would want to play, but once murder is on the table, almost everything else is for me as well.
That's largely been my attitude towards graphic content in games too. Throughout the Call of Duty games, I've shot countless people - armed or otherwise - at point blank range in the face with graphic results.
Also, what is so different about games from other media when it comes to adult content - specifically drugs providing beneficial outcomes to the player. The film 'Human Traffic' paints a mildly positive picture of recreational drug use and the DVD for that film is legally available in Australia. I find the application of in-game drug items that provide benefits to the player's performance less offensive than the depiction of ecstasy use in Human Traffic because the conceipt of 'consume drug > run/aim/jump better' fits with long-held tropes of gameplay design. I'm more likely to pursue drug use from watching films like Human Traffic, Half-Baked Pineapple Express etc... than I am from a video game, even if the perception of 'drugs=positive' is displayed stronger.
ClivePwned
Member
15k? That's quite a lot. My house isn't that big so I hope the cost won't exceed 5k. Plus you're in NSW right? They charge way more.
I had a look at prices online, doors are roughly 600-700 bucks.
He didn't break the window, just the locking mechanism. Have to get that fixed too.
So the robber can shoot us instead of running away?
3 bedroom low set house in queensland. 20 squares. Good fittings such as crimsafe contributed to us selling our house for 50k more than the other houses in the street.
changing the subject
QUESTION TIME
I have a question for people who have import consoles. If i had multiple import consoles, would i need a converter per device or could i get a US (for example) power board and plug that into the converter?
GoddyofAus
Banned
That's probably one of the more boring line ups I've seen on PS Plus.
Ruthless_Barbarian
Member
My knowledge is not extensive in this area, but it might be enough to help you out.
Don't buy a cheap one as the duration they are able to be operated at certain power levels can be limited (minutes or an hour at most). Make sure it has protection circuits in place so if something goes wrong, your devices don't get fried (you'll know in a split second when this happens, it's also pretty funny if it's not yours). Check the wattage output of the step-down converter as well as the device requirements you wish to plug into it. You can plug a powerboard in to use multiple devices but do not exceed the rating on the converter, give yourself some headroom here. A quick google shows that Tortech seems like a decent place too look and they have a decent FAQ here.
If the power supplies on the console support 110-240V or similar, then you'll just need to change the power cable. If one is only rated for the US power range and the power supply is external, you'd probably be better of just replacing the power supply with an Australian one. It'd surely work out much cheaper this way.
You're a prince.
codswallop
Member
Today was a good beer day. Aged lambic beer straight from the barrel earlier today, legit abbey beer this evening.
Hey EatChildren, Recettear is like five bucks on Steam and PALGN gave it a Metacritic equivalent of an 80 about a million years ago. Can I get a short updated review?
Is it worth however many bucks it currently is?
Oh and now there's a Deep Silver Humble Bundle.
Hey EatChildren, Recettear is like five bucks on Steam and PALGN gave it a Metacritic equivalent of an 80 about a million years ago. Can I get a short updated review?
Is it worth however many bucks it currently is?
Oh and now there's a Deep Silver Humble Bundle.
reptilescorpio
Member
Humble Bundle steamkey
$1 for Saints Row 2, Saints Row 3, Sacred 2 & Risen 2
$5 for adding Dead Island GOTY & all SR3 DLC
Also the best post in NeoGAF history
FOR SCIENCE
My plan is unplug power cable from PS3, insert into US PS4.
$1 for Saints Row 2, Saints Row 3, Sacred 2 & Risen 2
$5 for adding Dead Island GOTY & all SR3 DLC
Also the best post in NeoGAF history
FOR SCIENCE
My plan is unplug power cable from PS3, insert into US PS4.
bodyboarder
Member
I canceled my amazon order the other day. Unless the exchange rate bounces back I figure it'll be easier to just buy local.
codswallop
Member
Will I get arrested if I attempt to play it on a plane?
Planet_JASE
Member
It's amazing how accepting we've become towards violence in our media but so prudish when it comes to nudity and language. Even more bizarre is the inconsistencies in what we find acceptable. I watch UFC (cage fighting) and didn't realise until I went back to watch some older events (very early 2000s) at how tame the earlier shows were. At the first sign of blood the doctors would be called in and you knew the fight would probably be stopped. These days, you have to get to the point where the contestants and most of the audience, along with the staff are close to bleeding out before they'll even start to think about ending the fight.
Even with the immense blood letting, they will bleep-out swear words. And not even the really bad ones. You can watch two people wreck each other's bodies, see the deformation of bodies in response to trauma and witness actual spurts of blood come out of people - all the while cheering them on for more - yet as soon as someone says "shit" that crosses the line. It's a weird dichotomy. It's one that's also shared by television but with equally confusing contradictions.
There was a time when early evening television was a period of time of stringent standards. Language, violence and nudity were not welcome. Back when I watched television (a few years back) I was surprise at what language was allowed in such an early time slot. It seems like lower-tier swear words are are acceptable (pissed off, crap, shit, etc) but not nudity.
I'm left with a feeling that we don't have the wherewithal to properly gauge how we feel about societal taboos and where they fall in a ranked order. About the only consistency is that as soon as nudity/sex is introduced, them all bets are off and violence/swearing might as well be chucked in, too.
Your concerns about killing are very valid, it goes to show the further imbalance between our ability to gauge what we find acceptable in our media. Killing someone should always be the highest injustice that can be perpetrated by someone yet it seems to be the least offensive to the many. Video games struggle with this the most, as it has bet one the de facto interaction that we have in a playing world. Games like Journey are an aberration rather than a part of a balanced industry's offering to the public. The PC independents are making great strides into exploring different interaction style with a play world along with thinking outside the norms that the big developers are comfortable mining further.
So what's the answer? Do we demand more from larger companies? Do we allow the status quo to remain but move the games depicting realistic violence and killing to the R18+ classification and trust in the adults that consume them to know the difference between fantasy?
LAST MINUTE SUPER DUPER ETHICAL QUESTION TIME!!!: is it possible that, due to murder being the #1 taboo for society, that the use of it is less harmful in media? For the most part, the taking of another person's life is, at least in our country, not commonplace. In 2010, there were 468 000 recorded homocides worldwide, with 257 of them occuring in Australia. Most people will neither have the inclination, opportunity, or mental/physical means to actually do it; a lot of every day deaths are due to accidental means, not planned homocides.
In 2010, 14.7% of the population (aged 14 and above) had used illicit drugs in the previous 12 months. In fact "Around 8% of people in Australia aged 1685 years have had a drug use disorder (including harmful use/abuse and/or dependence) in their lifetime." The accessibility and less stigma associated with drug use could potentially make it a far more destructive and influential than killing in a game.
When it comes to sexual assault, the Bureau of Statistic found that "During the 12 months prior to interview in 201112, an estimated 51,200 (0.3%) Australians aged 18 years and over were a victim of sexual assault." The unfortunate thing about sexual assault is that, it is believed that only 34% of sexual assault are reported to police.
So, what's potentially more dangerous to have portrayed in a game? Do those stats mean anything? Do the relative ease and less chance of recrimination surrounding drugs and sexual assault make them more influential when portrayed incorrectly in games? Or does it not matter at all? Wrong is wrong and none of them should be featured in games?
Fuck, that was long than I expected. Sorry.
ClivePwned
Member
I was thinking more of the Wii U, which needs one power for the game pad and one for the system. I haven't heard of a USB cable that you plug the gamepad into the Wii U directly.
I should explain, what I am actually wanting to do is the opposite- take a PAL Wii U to the US.
is that a step-up converter?
Sounds like a crappy dance movie franchise.
I should explain, what I am actually wanting to do is the opposite- take a PAL Wii U to the US.
is that a step-up converter?
Sounds like a crappy dance movie franchise.
Again, if the power supply supports multiple regions, change the cable or get a wall socket adapter. If the power supply is external, maybe just grab one for the country you're in.
If neither of these are feasible, what you're looking for is an inverter. Running with the theme of not buying crap and blowing up your stuff, make sure it's a good one and also buy a 'pure sine wave' inverter.
Now I have that line from Star Wars buzzing around in my head: "But I was going into Tosche Station to pick up some power converters!"
I have actually done so before. No problems.
So, if you pre-order EU4, you get a CK2->EU4 save game converter.... uh oh.
http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...Converter-Announced-for-Europa-Universalis-IV
http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...Converter-Announced-for-Europa-Universalis-IV
reptilescorpio
Member
It is Paradox. They are unashamed from monetising everything.
Just play it with the sound off because goddamn does it suffer from irritating Japanese voiceover syndrome.
reptilescorpio
Member
Hoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooòóôõöō!
ClivePwned
Member
You can waste time with your friends after your chores are done.
according to this. PS3 and Wii U were universal
http://au.ign.com/blogs/chuck0latte...re-actually-universal-100-250vac-dual-voltage
no guarantee the PAL ones are like that without opening them. 3rd party power supplies are pretty cheap on amazon but I don't know how far i'd trust them.
more research required...
Hahaha I read that and straight away heard Luke's voice. One of the best lines in the history of cinema.
See, this is where you being a dirty liar about just about everything comes back to haunt you!
Well, me.
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhh???
That's good to hear. When I do import a WiiU, it'll be nice to know there's no rush in getting a replacement adapter from Nintendo.
It makes sense that this would be the case, I'm sure the difference in cost is negligible. I'm sure this is the case for the PAL units too and all that would be required is a plug adapter. If you don't want to risk it, I'm sure the third party ones are perfectly fine. There are also the replacement units available directly from Nintendo USA: here's the console AC adapter and the gamepad AC adapter if that is helpful.
I find it interesting that a sex simulator is a huge deal to people while murder and torture simulators are fine. This post got shared around Twitter with stuff like "I quit videogames!": http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=73799908&postcount=309 . Seems like a bizarre and immature response. Feeling warm and fuzzy about a skull exploding from a headshot is fine, I saw a good headshot described on this forum as "biting into a fresh watermelon", but an orgasm isn't fine?
I think it's something to do with feeling uncomfortable discussing or simulating intimacy. Murder isn't something we long for and feel like we don't have enough of.
reptilescorpio
Member
CAPITALISM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
reptilescorpio
Member
Headshot arrows in Tomb Raider are fucking delicious.
Aussie Government and media access to refugees
Fourth estate denied its purpose
as always, avoid the comments
Fourth estate denied its purpose
as always, avoid the comments