Month: December 2016

Music

Christmas music

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Okay, admit not biggest fan of this time of year.  Comes down couple factors some which don’t understand. However, do enjoy some of the music.  Decided to collect together some winter-themed music.

Video game composer Grant Kirkhope is credited with many songs. British composer worked for Rare over one decade.  Remember playing Banjo-Kazooie as a child.  Music stands the taste of time with catchy simple tunes.  Two tracks both from Banjo-Kazooie click clock wood winter theme and freezeezy peak.

Click clock wood winter

Freezeezy peak

Here the Christmas tree theme from the game.

 

The title was released in 1998, copying some best platformers. Remember my parents buying the Nintendo 64 for Christmas.  Time holding a special place in my heart. The Gobi’s valley my favourite level from the game.

Next up from Peter Crowley Fantasy Dream, symphonic metal titled Eternal Ice Of Winter.  Always enjoyed symphonic metal.  Found this song months ago on Youtube.

Trans Siberian Orchestra- A Mad Russian’s Christmas

Do love trans Siberian Orchestra, collection of songs which are epic.

The killers Christmas song is rather dark.

And final song

Journal, Thoughts

Fake news and freedom of speech

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Fake news and freedom of speech

Recently mainstream media has focused on news accuracy. Various terms coined newest one is called fake news.  A definition is unclear becoming a catch-all term.

Fake news sources deliberately publish hoaxes, propaganda, and disinformation.

Definition is taken from wiki on fake news sites.

Methods are nothing new, decades have the government using them. Newspapers under state control have released government created propaganda. Disinformation or misinformation has a long history.  Journalists have pushed stories which are inaccurate.  Legal cases against journalists forced to write corrections.  Newest wave is nothing new just technology made it even easier. Everybody becomes an editor with no real filter.  Important challenge incorrect non-mainstream views.  Now of the opinion many mainstreams media outlets fail in that duty.

Homegrown journalists like real journalist lack knowledge on everything.  An obvious example of journalist ignorance over fiscal deficit.  The claim deficit was a source of most economic problems. Dozens of economic journalists failed to explain or challenge the view. United Kingdom fiscal deficit has increased by billions. Same journalists have now fallen silent.

Freedom of speech is a human right. Society can’t allow everything to be treated equally.  Non-mainstream views should not be given equal air time.  Media informing, explaining concepts to the general public. Politicians at the same time should do the same.  The relationship between both has failed.  Freedom of speech should be subject to some censorship.  Used to believe in absolute freedom. Views should not be given equal air time.   Non mainstream views should be challenged.  Informing the public explaining why it does not fit the mainstream view.  Should not disregard opinions finding solutions to any concerns.

Fake news is nothing new.  Plus some brief thoughts on freedom of speech.  Knowledge is power after all.

Playstation, Smite

Season four wishlist smite

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Season four wishlist smite

Season 4 of smite is coming January after the world championship.   Created list of balance changes I would like to see.  Included the reason behind the changes.   Won’t cover just balance, quality of life changes.   Only started to play during season 3.

Matchmaking changes

Hi-Rez released a FAQ page on matchmaking.   Highly recommend reading that page answers couple questions.  System rates players based on performance.  Balancing teams based the rating given to players.  Explained in detail on the FAQ page.  Certain factors weighted,  factoring inconsistency.

Matchmaking rating score is hidden.  The formula is unknown, forced to make assumptions. Possible player perception about the system is incorrect.  The margin of error is tiny, a vocal minority are wrong.  Smite guru offers some insight yet is inaccurate.  Biases could be at play, players overconfidence in abilities.

Making series of assumptions based on my own player experience.  Matchmaking could be rating certain players to high others to low.  The system could be working as intended just overconfident in my skills.  A bunch of questions about the system still.

Problem:  Team balancing

Current system scores teams trying to pair teams of equal value.   Using matchmaking rating system, total sum together trying to find a game. Avoiding massive player differences across the team in general. Problem here system always tries to find a game.  Lacking an upper limit or soft limit.

Ranked soft limit can be bypassed after some time.  Restrictions reduced after hitting certain time limit.

Solution

  • Upper limit on differences between players.
  • Resetting matchmaking system searching for an extended period of time.
  • Setting soft limit for team balancing
  • Reviewing the restrictions
Problem:  Average team balance

Teams total matchmaking rating is taken into account.  Balancing teams based on that average. Average could be way off players scores.  With massive differences in variables allowed.  The highly rated player could be put at a serious disadvantage.  Paired with lower rated teammates against higher average opponents.

Solution

  • Balance based on player average and team average.
Problem:  Rating system favours win/loss ratio.

Does not factor in player performance, changing ratings based on that.  Weighted more towards wins and losses.  Players can be carried even with poor performance.  Players who carry should be rewarded. Just factoring in team performance does not give you clear picture.

Solution:

  • Wins/losses should not be only thing weighted
  • Player performance should be rewarded even with poor team performance
  • Factor other variables, not just wins or losses.
  • Variables like player movement against enemy movement.
General items

Hud customization

Would like some HUD customization options for a console.

Items

Would like to see more items with certain choices locked. Example change some Guardians playstyles.  Allowing for interesting choices changing how gods are played.  Restrictions could be placed on certain items. Could create Guardian only items designed give you more defence.  The game already does with magical and physical items.

Ranked

Reason to play ranked over casuals.  Longer queue times games just as unbalanced.  No real reason to play ranked at all.  Rewards should be displayed at the start.

Clan system

Some changes which make clan system more relevant.  Constant updates to the clan chest.  Make worth being inactive clan getting players together.

Removing or revamping game modes. 

Joust/clash suffer from snowball problem.  Early clear teams just snowball hard due to the distance. Conquest jungle should be tighter.

God balancing

General problem smite has certain abilities super powerful.  Turning gods into ultimate bots.  Rest of the abilities are weaker.  Would like to see ultimates reworked with abilities tuned upwards. Small minor balance changes were done over big changes to abilities.

Conquest changes

Problem:  Jungle farm

Jungle feels like second mid lane.  Spend most time in the middle over the jungle.  Jungler should be making farming choices in the jungle.  Fighting over farm instead just teaching farm.

Solution

Add more jungle camps which worth more compared general waves.  Avoid other classes taking the farm make them tougher.

Problem: Much higher lost of farm during ganks

Solution:

Longer distance between lanes

God balancing suggestions

Every god should have some sort of niche.  Don’t want to see loads of changes.  More minor changes one at a time.  Tried to explain the problem with each god and why.  Disagree with me please explain in detail why.

Ao kuang

High burst potential against a single target.   Stealth which can be used as an escape.  Ultimate features an execution mechanic plus heals him.  Acts as only hard crowd control.  Design wise safer super high burst with low-risk high reward.

Problem: Ultimate

Allows Ao Kuang to safely engage or disengage without any real risk.

Solution

Remove any of the following things off the Ultimate.

  • Heal
  • Damage
  • Execution mechanic

Jing Wei

Combined together super safe late game hunter with two escapes.

Problem:  Passive

Allows the god to gain extra farm without risk.  No risk when comes to trading against hunters.

Solution

Adjust the passive various solutions

  • Decrease the distance or add a timer.

Problem:  Persistent Gust bonus attack speed

Solution remove the bonus attack speed

Problem:  Agility immunity to basic attack movement penalties

 

Solution remove the immunity

Erlang Shen

Tiermonster owner Lordwhizzkid explained here.  Shen has major identity crisis warrior or assassin. A decision must be taken before any balance is done. Something has to be done.

Netflix, TV

Designated survivor – TV Series

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Designated survivor

Watching Designated survivor, terrorist attack against the American government.  Lone senator designed survivor takes command. The concept is real here the wiki page. The plot is rather simple you follow this senator putting back America.  Same time trying to find out what happened.  Inside the white house, we see advisors trying to piece things together. The terrorist investigation which FBI agents lead.  Plot points different per episode with story arc holding it together. Production values with great acting.  Homeland is similar yet uses different plot devices.  Would say Homeland is stronger.

Series biggest problem is story can be unfocused.  Switching between story lines.  Many series fail to develop characters.  Failure can be seen here with couple characters.   Motivation can be lacking or unclear.  Decent viewing even with these flaws.

May enjoy Homeland, The shooter if you liked Designated survivor.

Marvel, Movies

Marvel infinity war

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Marvel infinity war,  great conflict.   Knowledge of the story is rather limited.  Reading comic books was never possible.  Not until much later that became interested in comic books.  World wide web makes much easier to read them.

The story around infinity war is simple powerful ancient stones.  Stones fall into hands of death.  Stones process the power of infinity able to control whatever.  Universe attacked half of life destroyed.  Heroes from every galaxy join together fighting.  Hand of death reason for this destruction.  Turns out wants to impress a love interest.   Conflict is massive in scale and price.

Movies are not strictly accurate to comic books.   Stones are found in different places.  The concept behind each stone remains the same. Created by the Cosmic Entities,coming from different aspects of the universe,  Stones are space, mind, reality, power and time. Infinity Gauntlet combining stones together.  Only the most powerful can survive using the stones.   The power contained allows you to shape everything.

Thanos is called the hand of death.  Based on mythology, version of that concept.   Fallen in love with death herself. The concept of death in marvel universe is a character.  The same thing is done for cosmic entities.  Various characters based cosmic entities.  Marvel yet to unleash cosmic entities.

So far happy with marvel universe.   Each movie covers different character.   Looking forward to infinity war.  Years of work in one giant climax.  Much ground is missing like cosmic entities.   Before that spiderman home coming.

Journal, Labour, Politics, Thoughts

Brexit same deficit trap again

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Keir Starmer holding government to account over Brexit. Showing how the real opposition would do it.

The whole opposition should be focused solely on Brexit. Not against it, tearing apart the choices made. Turn Brexit into a single issue like the deficit. Can’t discuss anything else until you know about Brexit. Start doing that can rebuild voters trust in the party.

Don’t believe Corbyn is capable or interested. Instead of party making deficit same mistake twice. Leadership including Mcdonnell and Watson should share the blame.

Weakness won’t be rewarded.

Journal, Politics

Thoughts on inheritance

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IThoughts on inheritance

Earned income subject to taxes, unearned income not taxed.  Not strictly true yet latter is historical less taxed.  Work is a rather modern invention,  income linked to work.  Taxes have been around for hundreds of years.  Bringing us to inheritance tax. A high amount of resistance to the idea.  The moral point of view no entitlement on wealth.  Inheritance is unearned wealth.  Political inconvenience to talk about taxes.   Political language turned taxes into the negative thing.  Taxes fund items society wants or demands.   An application can have major positive/negative impacts.

Personal wealth is fine, therefore inheritance.  Inheritance like any wealth should be subject to taxes. Social care costs should be taken from any inheritance.  Wealth is fine but funds any extra costs.  Some people want to keep inheritance does not pay any tax.  Letting the state subsidized the inheritance. Increasing children’s future tax bill, paying for tax-free inheritance gift. Living beyond their own means passing the cost to somebody else.  Do have a big problem with refusing to pay taxes.  Yet claiming all the benefits.

The moral duty to pay taxes when gained wealth from the system.  Inheritance is not a human right. Not everybody is capable of gathering wealth together.  Creating some form of inheritance.  The only small group can gather enough to form any sort of inheritance.  Did nothing to earn that wealth. Reject this not just on moral grounds but deeply irresponsible.  Reinforcing structural imbalances hurting social mobility. 

The biggest source of unearned income is housing.  High yield investment many don’t want to pay any tax. Did nothing to earn that wealth. A debate is required on nature of work at some point.  increase in value should be taxed.  Political impossible to talk about this hidden truth.  Must be addressed at some point. No evidence unearned income is productive.   Some evidence heavy focus on housing has negative impacts.

Politicians unwilling to challenge newspapers.  Claiming inheritance tax is deeply unfair. The mainstream center won’t reject this populist nonsense.  Right wing pundits claimed left wanted to tax/spend.  Left has been the unable challenge this in face of right spending without taxing correctly. Some on the left been willing to challenge this thinking. Turns out it was rather responsible thinking. Given the fiscal arguments presented by some.  An argument against inheritance tax breaks down when talking about fiscal responsibility.

Brief note on fiscal responsibility. Makes sense during a time of fiscal constraints.  Seek out sources of wealth/income. Money can be found to pay for public services.  Society has a moral duty to offer certain services.  Society faces a choice what wants to spend money on.  Down to the Government to provide for these voices. Questions should be asked about everything. Including how these programs are funded who paying for it.

Fiscal responsibility is code for irresponsibility. So-called fiscal constraints have driven certain spending choices. Unable to question certain choices. Avoiding the debate hoping it would pass. Willing to give away billions without questions.  Increasing tax bills for the future. Transferring wealth reinforcing structural imbalances.  Claiming debt is a problem yet willing to increase future tax bills.  Passing the cost towards somebody else. 

Inheritance tax is a necessary thing.  Social care costs deducted from any inheritance.  The right thing to do during a time of fiscal constraints. Seek out sources of wealth/income. Redistribution between haves and have-nots. The argument against inheritance tax breaks down when talking about fiscal responsibility.  Comes down to political choice over fiscal responsible.  

Should challenge the choices made over-demonize the system.