Thufir's Third Random Banter #224

[LaZodiac]

I'd love to post more on the forum, but there isn't really time in my life for that anymore. So many things keep me busy, and basically I have no energy to follow conversations or take part in them. So nowadays I just pop in to say hullo and give some updates about my life.

And that's okay. We love it when you grace us with your presence.

[Anonymouswizard]

Trust me there is nothing of value past the canon stuff the original FMA anime covers. There's a scene where

Spoiler

Show

a bad guy throws a child into the air and shoots it to create a portal to real world ass WW2 Germany.

Wait, what? I knew the second half was supposed to be a thing, but what?

I mean, I'm fairly certain that was the level of 'edgy' I used in my teens.

"Um, I appear to have lost my house" is the best line. Anyway yeah you can absolutely make someone like Hohenheim! He's actually a pretty simple character, but to write someone like him you have to take the risk. And I say take it! Which reminds me, do you want to read my manuscript? It might be fun.

That sounds like a win to me.

Hohenheim is one of my inspirations for mentor characters. They used to be all grim and serious, and now they tend to be a tad airheaded and potentially going senile (not that Hohenheim does, but most of my mentors don't have his enhancements). A lot of what makes Hohenheim great though is that he's this great big good figure, who is directly involved in the plan to defeat the bad guy (instrumental in fact), isn't quite there, and is a legitimately good person with a bundle of flaws.

And I would, read your manuscript, but I'm a) not certain I'd remember to get back to you about it and b) would likely have to convert it into a kindle-friendly format before I'd get round to reading it. I'll stick to waiting until it comes out and I can help it grace the bestseller's list (heck, the only reason I'm not telling everybody here to subscribe to my friend's Soundcloud is that I'm respecting her privacy).

[flat_footed]

Wait, what? I knew the second half was supposed to be a thing, but what?

I mean, I'm fairly certain that was the level of 'edgy' I used in my teens.



Hohenheim is one of my inspirations for mentor characters. They used to be all grim and serious, and now they tend to be a tad airheaded and potentially going senile (not that Hohenheim does, but most of my mentors don't have his enhancements). A lot of what makes Hohenheim great though is that he's this great big good figure, who is directly involved in the plan to defeat the bad guy (instrumental in fact), isn't quite there, and is a legitimately good person with a bundle of flaws.

And I would, read your manuscript, but I'm a) not certain I'd remember to get back to you about it and b) would likely have to convert it into a kindle-friendly format before I'd get round to reading it. I'll stick to waiting until it comes out and I can help it grace the bestseller's list (heck, the only reason I'm not telling everybody here to subscribe to my friend's Soundcloud is that I'm respecting her privacy).

Yeah... FMA goes into some pretty crazy places. FMA Brotherhood is head and shoulders above it in almost every respect. The original's ending left me very happy I had seen Brotherhood first.

[Bartmanhomer]

I'm so bored right now. There's nothing to do anymore.

[Tvtyrant]

I'm so bored right now. There's nothing to do anymore.

Have you read the Animorphs? If not you could give that a try.

[Thufir]

The solution to this is to be active and become known to new people. Given the internet's way of accelerating time it's like practice for becoming an immortal. Friends come and go, but you'll always have new people to meet and greet.

What Zodi said.

Though I'll note most of the friends I have from the boards, I found doing other stuff. Roleplaying, mostly. Get friends from mutual hobbies.

I realise this was unclear from what I initially said, but I just meant it's lonely on the forums. I still have friends IRL and in other parts of the internet.

I'd love to post more on the forum, but there isn't really time in my life for that anymore. So many things keep me busy, and basically I have no energy to follow conversations or take part in them. So nowadays I just pop in to say hullo and give some updates about my life.

This is also somewhat me, only I don't tend to do the "updates about my life" part.


Re: FMA, I like *most* of the original anime, but a lot of it definitely went off the rails towards the end. I really need to watch Brotherhood at some point.

[Bartmanhomer]

Have you read the Animorphs? If not you could give that a try.

I never read the Animorphs books. But I've watch the Animorphs TV show.

[Qwertystop]

I'd love to post more on the forum, but there isn't really time in my life for that anymore. So many things keep me busy, and basically I have no energy to follow conversations or take part in them. So nowadays I just pop in to say hullo and give some updates about my life.

Also me, except I don't often have things to say.

[Peelee]

Also me, except I don't often have things to say.

I can't remember the last time I had anything to say, but that hasn't stopped me!

[Anonymouswizard]

Yeah... FMA goes into some pretty crazy places. FMA Brotherhood is head and shoulders above it in almost every respect. The original's ending left me very happy I had seen Brotherhood first.

I'll take the warning.

I suppose the filler beginning in Episode 4 should have been a bad sign.

I'm so bored right now. There's nothing to do anymore.

Watch Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood! Or something else fun.

Or read a book! I can recommend a few.


I just went to the gym. It feels great to be exercising again, although I have realised I'm nowhere near as in shape as I used to be.

Spoiler: Kids keep out

Show

I'd forgotten how the locker room is actually the least embarrassing part of the gym. Everywhere else I'm worried if I'm using the machines/weights correctly, if people are judging the clothes I've decided to exercise in, if the weights I'm using ate heavy enough, and so on.

But it's just a fact that if you want to shower in the locker room then you have to be naked, and when drying yourself off afterwards it's practically impossible to ensure you're always covered, so it's easier to just accept everybody has something between their legs, get showered and dressed, and Jay not give a **** if anybody sees or disapproves.

Also, I hate sports.

[Bartmanhomer]

I'll take the warning.

I suppose the filler beginning in Episode 4 should have been a bad sign.



Watch Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood! Or something else fun.

Or read a book! I can recommend a few.


I just went to the gym. It feels great to be exercising again, although I have realised I'm nowhere near as in shape as I used to be.

Spoiler: Kids keep out

Show

I'd forgotten how the locker room is actually the least embarrassing part of the gym. Everywhere else I'm worried if I'm using the machines/weights correctly if people are judging the clothes I've decided to exercise in, if the weights I'm using ate heavy enough, and so on.

But it's just a fact that if you want to shower in the locker room then you have to be naked, and when drying yourself off afterwards it's practically impossible to ensure you're always covered, so it's easier to just accept everybody has something between their legs, get showered and dressed, and Jay not give a **** if anybody sees or disapproves.

Also, I hate sports.

I'm homebrewing D&D 3.5 Deities so that something to keep me busy.

[LaZodiac]

Wait, what? I knew the second half was supposed to be a thing, but what?

I mean, I'm fairly certain that was the level of 'edgy' I used in my teens.

Hohenheim is one of my inspirations for mentor characters. They used to be all grim and serious, and now they tend to be a tad airheaded and potentially going senile (not that Hohenheim does, but most of my mentors don't have his enhancements). A lot of what makes Hohenheim great though is that he's this great big good figure, who is directly involved in the plan to defeat the bad guy (instrumental in fact), isn't quite there, and is a legitimately good person with a bundle of flaws.

And I would, read your manuscript, but I'm a) not certain I'd remember to get back to you about it and b) would likely have to convert it into a kindle-friendly format before I'd get round to reading it. I'll stick to waiting until it comes out and I can help it grace the bestseller's list (heck, the only reason I'm not telling everybody here to subscribe to my friend's Soundcloud is that I'm respecting her privacy).

Yeah the original FMA anime is Real Bad. I didn't even give you the details of who the baby in question is, which makes it like ten times worse. I'll put it in another set of spoiler tags to be sure;

Spoiler

Show

It's Rose's baby, from the start of the series. You know that cute and wonderful girl who Ed and Al help out in a sort of tragic way? Turns out in this universe, during the riots caused by their religion being faked she was raped and had a baby! The main bad guy throws that baby into the sky and shoots it, causing a big flash of light that teleports everyone into WW2 Germany, where we get to see all of our favorite characters as nazi's because "Amestria is obviously German parallel so we should make Hughes, everyone's favorite character and the nicest man on earth, into a cold blooded nazi."

All of this is because in the original FMA anime, alchemy actually used souls of humans from the other world and the increase in alchemists coincide with WW2.

Legitimately good person who is also deeply flawed is a wonderful way to put Hohenheim, who despite being gone for years from his children is still able to recognize them even though they've changed so much. Eat **** Sasuke.

That's understandable, and thanks for the confidence

[Kyrell1978]

So a friend of mine made an RPG about a comic book he's been independently publishing for several years now.
https://books.google.com/books?id=NR...rschen&f=false

[Bartmanhomer]

So a friend of mine made an RPG about a comic book he's been independently publishing for several years now.
https://books.google.com/books?id=NR...rschen&f=false

Cool.

[LaZodiac]

Yesterday I bought Strawberry Milk 2 Go, one of my favorite drinks to have because it's just really nice and convenient to have strawberry milk in a personal bottle. However, after noticing the taste was slightly different I inspected the bottle to find that, while still strawberry flavored, the milk was white!!! This is of course not that big a deal, but a funny story none the less. I decided, as a laugh, to email Saputo, the parent company that makes Milk 2 Go, about this error, and ask for a pink one please.

Their response is that they're removing the pink from Strawberry Milk 2 Go, since they changed the formula to remove artificial flavorings and colourings and it's easier to leave it white instead of find a way to make it pink. THIS is an utter travesty of the highest order and I will not stand for it. So, in the standard Canadian way, I have sent them a letter. I have provided it below because I think you'll all get a kick out of it.

Spoiler: Email to Saputo Information with regard to Strawberry Milk 2 Go

Show

Good morning,

I humbly request you put the pink back. I believe that your product is inferior due to the lack of pink colouration.

While I do understand the desire to remove artificial flavoring and colouring to your product, and applaud such an action, I feel it is an important aspect of this product for the milk to be coloured pink. It is vital to the experience to kids, who can make pretend of pink cows or make bad Pepto Bismal jokes, and a refreshing reminder of days long past for adults.

The pink colour to the milk is more than just a visual aid that it is strawberry flavored, it is a symbol of youth and imagination that brings even the slightest bit of fun back to this dark, dreary world we’re currently in. I would recommend that you find a way to reintroduce the pink colouration to the product, as that image of fun, happy times should be preserved.

As well, to put it bluntly; I don’t imagine you’d do this with chocolate milk, so why strawberry?

[Peelee]

Yesterday I bought Strawberry Milk 2 Go, one of my favorite drinks to have because it's just really nice and convenient to have strawberry milk in a personal bottle.

I thought y'all liked your milk in bags.

[LaZodiac]

I thought y'all liked your milk in bags.

I've never actually seen milk in a bag, that's usually reserved for the communities that don't have refrigeration as an option in their stores. And it's not like, WET milk, it's dried milk.

Regardless that part was a personal comment and not to be taken as a primary Canadian thing (though personal bottle sized milk containers are great, buy them).

[Peelee]

I've never actually seen milk in a bag, that's usually reserved for the communities that don't have refrigeration as an option in their stores. And it's not like, WET milk, it's dried milk.

Imean, you're the one actually living there, so I don't want to cast aspersions, but Google tells me otherwise.

Regardless that part was a personal comment and not to be taken as a primary Canadian thing (though personal bottle sized milk containers are great, buy them).

I know, but I think I'm funny.

[LaZodiac]

Imean, you're the one actually living there, so I don't want to cast aspersions, but Google tells me otherwise.

I know, but I think I'm funny.

Okay fair I was thinking of canned milk. Anyway I've never seen bagged milk before because, as one of the links to explain it said, it's mostly a maritimes and Ontario/Quebec thing. So the weird parts of Canada. I really have to specificy that I have never so much as interacted with a bag of milk.

You are funny but I think my thing is funnier.

[Anonymouswizard]

I'm homebrewing D&D 3.5 Deities so that something to keep me busy.

That's cool, I'm using Fuzion to try to homebrew a better system for a couple of my settings (one a relatively low magic fantasy one*, one quite high tech SF).

* Done via magic being inconvinient rather than anything else. Most spells need various material components and rituals, with healing and divination being the simplest magic to perform.

Yeah the original FMA anime is Real Bad. I didn't even give you the details of who the baby in question is, which makes it like ten times worse. I'll put it in another set of spoiler tags to be sure;

Spoiler

Show

It's Rose's baby, from the start of the series. You know that cute and wonderful girl who Ed and Al help out in a sort of tragic way? Turns out in this universe, during the riots caused by their religion being faked she was raped and had a baby! The main bad guy throws that baby into the sky and shoots it, causing a big flash of light that teleports everyone into WW2 Germany, where we get to see all of our favorite characters as nazi's because "Amestria is obviously German parallel so we should make Hughes, everyone's favorite character and the nicest man on earth, into a cold blooded nazi."

All of this is because in the original FMA anime, alchemy actually used souls of humans from the other world and the increase in alchemists coincide with WW2.

Wait, what? It sounds more like a poorly-written attempt at comedy than a dramatic scene.

Also, technology-wise they're a little too early for that IIRC, and assuming synchronised calanders (a big stretch) they're about a decade too early. The late imperial or early republican era would have made a lot more sense. I should have remembered this last night, but that era really isn't suitable beyond the Bradley=you know who correlations (and even then they're not overly great ones).

On the last line, that idea actually sounds like a good one. Maybe I'll add it to my fantasy setting, souls who don't get into an afterlife form a halo of power around the world, to be slowly drained of their energy to power magic.

Legitimately good person who is also deeply flawed is a wonderful way to put Hohenheim, who despite being gone for years from his children is still able to recognize them even though they've changed so much. Eat **** Sasuke.

Hohenhiem really wants to be a good father, but is struggling both with his own emotional damage and the fact he realises he has to leave his family to stop a massive tragedy. And when he meets them again his interactions are awkward, but he's clearly trying to be the best father he can be and just wants to spend time raising his kids (which was always a dream of his).

That's understandable, and thanks for the confidence

You're welcome.

WRT strawberry milk, I think we're missing a trick. All flavoured milk should be pink!

So a friend of mine made an RPG about a comic book he's been independently publishing for several years now.
https://books.google.com/books?id=NR...rschen&f=false

Cool, I'll make sure to give it and/or the comic a proper read sometime

[Bartmanhomer]

That's cool, I'm using Fuzion to try to homebrew a better system for a couple of my settings (one a relatively low magic fantasy one*, one quite high tech SF).

* Done via magic being inconvenient rather than anything else. Most spells need various material components and rituals, with healing and divination being the simplest magic to perform.

Cool. What's Fuzion anyway?

[LaZodiac]

WRT strawberry milk, I think we're missing a trick. All flavoured milk should be pink!

Absolutely not pink milk is pink and nothing else! Chocolate milk should be chocolate colour! I will die on this hill!!!

I can't even begin to explain how utterly distraught and genuinely upset I'd be if someone offered me pink milk and it tasted like regular ass milk. I'd feel betrayed.

[Peelee]

Absolutely not pink milk is pink and nothing else! Chocolate milk should be chocolate colour! I will die on this hill!!!

I can't even begin to explain how utterly distraught and genuinely upset I'd be if someone offered me pink milk and it tasted like regular ass milk. I'd feel betrayed.

Frankly, I'd feel betrayed if I was offered milk and it turned out to be ass milk. I don't even know what that is, but it doesn't sound appetizing.

[Anonymouswizard]

Cool. What's Fuzion anyway?

It's a generic system descended from the system used in Cyberpunk 2020 and Mekton. I got it a few months back because the book was on sale for £1, and while not amazing it's an easier base to start from than GURPS is.

Absolutely not pink milk is pink and nothing else! Chocolate milk should be chocolate colour! I will die on this hill!!!

I've had pink chocolate! It was strawberry flavour

In all seriousness, yeah I think at least for us people who grew up with coloured flavoured milk, the colour is a key part of the experience. I distrust banana-flavoured milk that looks too white, even if I flavoured it myself! (Liquidising bananas is not fun.)

But yeah, artificial colours aren't even that bad (in fact I believe some varieties can be safer than some natural colours), and in all honesty if you're flavouring with crushed/juiced strawberries you should get a mild pink colour anyway (source: accidentally dropped crushed strawberry on white stuff, I think including milk once, it was a while ago). It won't be as pink as doing it with artificial colours, but I'm sure we can find more of the strawberry pink chemical somewhere.

I can't even begin to explain how utterly distraught and genuinely upset I'd be if someone offered me pink milk and it tasted like regular ass milk. I'd feel betrayed.

Are we now categorising milk-flavoured milk as flavoured milk?

[halfeye]

Frankly, I'd feel betrayed if I was offered milk and it turned out to be ass milk. I don't even know what that is, but it doesn't sound appetizing.

Donkeys are mammals, it'd be fine.

[LaZodiac]

Frankly, I'd feel betrayed if I was offered milk and it turned out to be ass milk. I don't even know what that is, but it doesn't sound appetizing.

Hey I've heard donkey milk isn't bad.

It's a generic system descended from the system used in Cyberpunk 2020 and Mekton. I got it a few months back because the book was on sale for £1, and while not amazing it's an easier base to start from than GURPS is.

In all seriousness, yeah I think at least for us people who grew up with coloured flavoured milk, the colour is a key part of the experience. I distrust banana-flavoured milk that looks too white, even if I flavoured it myself! (Liquidising bananas is not fun.)

But yeah, artificial colours aren't even that bad (in fact I believe some varieties can be safer than some natural colours), and in all honesty if you're flavouring with crushed/juiced strawberries you should get a mild pink colour anyway (source: accidentally dropped crushed strawberry on white stuff, I think including milk once, it was a while ago). It won't be as pink as doing it with artificial colours, but I'm sure we can find more of the strawberry pink chemical somewhere.

Are we now categorising milk-flavoured milk as flavoured milk?

I want a Mecha game that isn't drown-in-the-weeds level detailed with boring ass mechs like Battletech, but also not made by Palladium because they suck. I will never get this.

The colour is, as I mentioned in my email, absolutely vital to the experience. It's just wrong otherwise!!

Yeah exactly! They could make it pink they're just cowards! Give me the pink!!!

Milk-Flavored Milk, aka the default state of milk. Unless you want to get technical than it's "not-germ-infested" flavor, because Raw Milk is a thing. Don't drink it you'll regret being alive!

I care a lot about my cow juice if you can't tell.

[Anonymouswizard]

I want a Mecha game that isn't drown-in-the-weeds level detailed with boring ass mechs like Battletech, but also not made by Palladium because they suck. I will never get this.

Eh, I've come to see the problem with games like Mechwarrior is making the pilot too detailed, it makes me instantly run for any character archetype other than mech pilots and then attempt to find some game-changing exploit in the character creation like going through the Free Trader lifepath until a) I am three times the age of all the other characters put together, b) I now own a spaceship, and c) the GM has slapped my upside the head and taken away three of my character's limbs (at which point the spaceship gets 'wheelchair' painted on the side and I get slapped again).

ALthough I'll agree that Battletech can go too far in detailing mechs. I should get back to trying to write my mecha system, as I remember is used an open-ended scale system where smaller mechs are cheaper and more agile but bigger mechs had far more structure points and increased damage. It worked with you setting a standard size for your game which used the standard values and then scaling to that, although I might just rewrite it to an assumed 10m height (maybe 5m, but I understand not everybody likes small mechs).

The colour is, as I mentioned in my email, absolutely vital to the experience. It's just wrong otherwise!!

I'm heavily tempered by the fact that I still get subjected to 'new media is evil' in my home life ('oh why are you playing computer games/watching anime/reading a science fiction novel when you could watch the kind of TV/read the kind of books I watched at your age!'), so I'm having trouble writing that as an absolute statement, but I agree wholeheartedly. Although you'll have to excuse me because a friend suggested I try FE:F:BR and I'm getting surprisingly engaged in it.

Yeah exactly! They could make it pink they're just cowards! Give me the pink!!!

Now now, we have to be inclusive in this day and age. They should also give us the green, the purple, and the yellow coloured milk.

Milk-Flavored Milk, aka the default state of milk. Unless you want to get technical than it's "not-germ-infested" flavor, because Raw Milk is a thing. Don't drink it you'll regret being alive!

And after I want to all this trouble to get that carton of 'ultimate death unpasturised milk'

[Mith]

Frankly, I'd feel betrayed if I was offered milk and it turned out to be ass milk. I don't even know what that is, but it doesn't sound appetizing.

Vitalising bathwater if you're Pharoah.

[DataNinja]

Absolutely not pink milk is pink and nothing else! Chocolate milk should be chocolate colour! I will die on this hill!!!

I can't even begin to explain how utterly distraught and genuinely upset I'd be if someone offered me pink milk and it tasted like regular ass milk. I'd feel betrayed.

But, hey, more things should be pink! How dare you!

(I'll be honest, I don't really drink non-standard milk, because it just tastes too 'soft' and leves me still thirsty at the end)

I want a Mecha game that isn't drown-in-the-weeds level detailed with boring ass mechs like Battletech, but also not made by Palladium because they suck. I will never get this.

Have you looked into LANCER? I've admittedly not played much of it (since the group that I was in that tried playing it, uh, critically imploded due to circumstances), but it seems fairly fun. I want to play more of it, at least.

[LaZodiac]

Eh, I've come to see the problem with games like Mechwarrior is making the pilot too detailed, it makes me instantly run for any character archetype other than mech pilots and then attempt to find some game-changing exploit in the character creation like going through the Free Trader lifepath until a) I am three times the age of all the other characters put together, b) I now own a spaceship, and c) the GM has slapped my upside the head and taken away three of my character's limbs (at which point the spaceship gets 'wheelchair' painted on the side and I get slapped again).

ALthough I'll agree that Battletech can go too far in detailing mechs. I should get back to trying to write my mecha system, as I remember is used an open-ended scale system where smaller mechs are cheaper and more agile but bigger mechs had far more structure points and increased damage. It worked with you setting a standard size for your game which used the standard values and then scaling to that, although I might just rewrite it to an assumed 10m height (maybe 5m, but I understand not everybody likes small mechs).

I'm heavily tempered by the fact that I still get subjected to 'new media is evil' in my home life ('oh why are you playing computer games/watching anime/reading a science fiction novel when you could watch the kind of TV/read the kind of books I watched at your age!'), so I'm having trouble writing that as an absolute statement, but I agree wholeheartedly. Although you'll have to excuse me because a friend suggested I try FE:F:BR and I'm getting surprisingly engaged in it.

Now now, we have to be inclusive in this day and age. They should also give us the green, the purple, and the yellow coloured milk.

And after I want to all this trouble to get that carton of 'ultimate death unpasturised milk'

I want a Gundam table top game. I don't mind customization but Battletech is way more focused on Shoot The Bullet and big stompy war tank aesthetic than I want. Let me have my god damn funnels.

What's FEFBR?

Lime and grape milk would be disgusting and shockingly good, in that order. Banananana milk already exists.

But, hey, more things should be pink! How dare you!

(I'll be honest, I don't really drink non-standard milk, because it just tastes too 'soft' and leves me still thirsty at the end)

Have you looked into LANCER? I've admittedly not played much of it (since the group that I was in that tried playing it, uh, critically imploded due to circumstances), but it seems fairly fun. I want to play more of it, at least.

Agreed on more things needing to be pink.

Milk is a food considering all the **** in it so it's not a surprise it leaves you thirsty. Though non-standard milk doing it is partly why they're likely switching to non-artificial stuff.

That looks perfect AND I think it's drawn by Six Billion Demons, so that's rad as hell.