Friday, December 16, 2011

[OOC] Brief Explanation & Rules

Brief Explanation & Rules:

As you?ve just read, your character will be both that of a God, mortals (leaders, generals, etc.), and if your imagination goes further, then it will get even wilder!
There are a few things we will expect from those who?ll submit characters:

.1) We expect literacy.
?a) We like quality more than we like quantity. We expect that you can make, at least, a few characters who?ll be your protagonists and will be responsible for everything that goes on within your border.
??i) We will NOT expect you to write responses with every single one. That?ll be tedious and too time consuming. Write a response with the appropriate character(s).

.2) We expect some originality.
?a) Not everyone can make characters at the spot, but don?t come with fan-fic characters and canon-characters because you love manga or want sparkling vampires. Mate?I?ll be encouraged to never give you another chance to enter the RP.

?b) Each nation/God will be unique in his/hers own way. Some will have endless soldiers who?re expendable, others have small elites, and a third God might have the most advanced technology ever.
It?s all fine, but remember?You are not undefeatable. Even with the best weapon, you can?t stop elite soldiers from outflanking you.
Even with elite soldiers, you can?t hope to stand a chance 1?500 VS 100?000

.3) Limited Realism.
?a) Mate, you can have an army of Pegasus riding knights, that?s cool, but don?t start thinking that you will have an endless supply of such. It?s okay to remain vague about how big your army is (number-wise), but if you loose, be prepared to write of how a devastating blow it was for your people, monarch, etc.
??i) So, in short, you?re allowed to break the borders of reality, but don?t think look at it as a loop-hole for God-moding

.4) While it is possible that romance will occur, if you want to take it further than eye-contact, you can start PMing each other.

.5) Maturity
?a) Most of us here are Young Adults (I hope so, at least), so I don?t think I need to teach you about respect and language off IC.
I will be honest and say, ?I cope badly with defeat, even in an RP?. It?s true, I admit, it but I always go down in style (one way or the other). So, when you write your large gory battles, be mature and Read & Evaluate what happens before you strike back. There will be a section below for those who aren?t clear for how to do that.

.6) Minor God-Mode Allowed.
?a) we all know what it is like to God-Mode, and we all agree that such actions are frowned upon, however Minor God-Mode is where God-Moding is limited and won?t be dealing killing blows or destroy whole armies in a single blow.

.7) Respect the setting.
?a) While it will be interesting to see how you might want to combine magic and technology together, we want to avoid too much steampunk-ish weaponry.

?b) The word ?Fuck? might have been invented in the middle ages, but don?t starting using excessively modern cursing. An example for how not to curse would be, ?Hey! Fuckhead! Imma kick your ass so badly, your God won?t recognize you!?
An example for good cursing would be, ?You little pig-brained twat! I?ll see you hanged!?
??i) If in doubt, speak out.

?b) It is allowed to the extend that, one player can kill a few dozen NPCs (ONLY!) providing that it is two larger armies that are clashing.
Additionally, if two players agree, one player?s character may deal minor wounds, such as broken noses, bruises, cuts, etc.
??i) This is meant for the sole purpose of making the post more interesting, and getting to the chase quicker than waiting 6 hours for finding out whether or not your punch managed to his the enemy?s stomach.

.8) We will require a sample of how you write in order to judge whether you can start off right away or if you?d need a bit of coaching before we let you in.
?a) You can write about ANYTHING (please obey the RPG Laws, though). We (the Co-GMs and GM) will read it over and evaluate your style.
??i) If you appear to lack in what we want, we will give you constructive feedback and tips as for how you can improve it; read these tips over and give it another try.
??ii) We will NOT give you unlimited tries. Start off with your personal style, if it doesn?t work, try to adapt and try again, if not, then again, but a third time might be the last time that we (the Co-GMs and GM) will be bothering to look over your submissions.

.9) For more questions/information, contact either the GM or one of the Co-GMs at the front page. If their information comes into conflict with another Co-GM (or the GM), kindle tell them who told you so, so it can be argued through between the Co-GMs (and/or GM)




Read & Evaluate:

It?s easy to fight small-scale battles, such as duels and 3 vs 3. However, what will you start doing the moment it is 50 vs 50? 4?680 vs 10?000? A siege with hundreds of thousands of soldiers?
This is meant to be a guide as for how you could start a post in response to a grander battle, however in the end, you should stick to what you feel most comfortable with.

To effectively handle such situations, I?ll explain something that I use when playing strategy RP games with my friends. It?s called, ?Attack(ed), React, Respond.?
Basically, you read the response of your opponent and your first paragraph/topic of your post is about when you were attacking/attacked. Describe the carnage, the screams, the destruction, anything that is relevant to the situation; you may even go as far as describing how soldiers are rushed off to the nearest healer or how a man is killed to ease his pains.

Next topic is the response. How?s the soldiers? morale? Are they angry? Will they fight back? Do they flee or make a last stand? I know that everyone wants strong, brave soldiers in their army, but what would YOU do in the same situation?
I?d leg it if I saw armored horses charging my way, that?s for sure, but don?t apply yourself for the majority of your army.
Also, this is where your leaders start to bark orders. ?Turn the canons!? ?Archers, fire!? etc. This is when you get to hit back, and force your soldiers to react as you want them to. In many cases React and Respond can be merges together in this part.

Respond is when you describe how you think the effectiveness of your counter-attack is going to be. This is completely subjective, the enemy may completely tward your attempt, or it may be REALLY effective and turn the tide. This is where the Maturity Rule kicks in, if a group of peasants charges knights, the knights will first be baffled by the peasants? bravery, but in the end, they?ll be massacred by the knights.

Below is an example as for how a large scale battle can be fought:


Round One


Player A
[quote=?Battle Example?]The lines of soldiers lined up. The canons were in place, the knights were getting their lances by their squire and it was a matter of time before the battle would start. Canons, knights, even wizards had had been set aside for the general to use against the orcs, a rare thing for the Sultan to decree.
Alas, the men of the Bazylonian Kingdom had tolerated the Orcish plague long enough, it was time to make a stand against the beasts and show them that the Sons of Bazylonian were not to be underestimated.

?Here they come!? a Spotter called and pointed towards the hill. The orcs came as a swarm, their numbers seemed endless as they covered the hill and came running down the hill.
Silently, the general gave a small prayer that the orcs had been lured this way so easily, for now the orcs would have to run down the hill and then up the hill the Bazylonian Army occupied.
?Fire the canons!? the general ordered as the orcs came to the foot of the hill. They would be too far to turn and run now, hopefully the orcs wouldn?t know that until it was too late.[/quote]

Player B
[quote=?Battle Example?]?Forward I said!? the chieftain barked as an orc turned, trying to run away from the ungodly sound of the canons. The orcs took the hits by the canons, blood, dirt and limps shot into the air as the canon balls wreaked mayhem throughout the masses of the orcs.

The chieftain hadn?t come this far to run with their tails behind their legs; their numbers gave them both strength and courage, and they wouldn?t be slowed down because of some fancy weapon that the humans had.
The orcs closed the distance between the two, loosing momentum as they made their way up the hill, though their sheer eagerness to fight the humans was beyond being reckless. No matter how many times the canons fired at them, the orcs didn?t turn and run, their fear for their chieftain and their savage instincts told them to run forward, and that they did

A wordless scream roared from the front orcs as they used their final reserves to charge the lines of orcs.[/quote]


Round Two


Player A
[quote=?Battle Example?]?Brace your-? the soldier didn?t manage to finish his warning before the orcs were pressing them. This close, the orcs proved to be more dangerous than ever, the fight intensified as orcs and humans exchanged blows.
Each human had been specifically ordered to drag at least five orcs with him to his grave, an oath that many seemed to hold true to.
Cries of pain and agony rang in the air as the two foes fought, neither willing to give up or yield as much as an inch of land, and neither able to break the immediate deadlock.

?Hold the line!? the general barked as he had ordered the signal for the knights to ride around the fight and charge the orcs at the left flank, using the hill?s slope to gain momentum.
The wizards had been ordered to prepare their magic and now they stepped forward, muttering the arcane words needed and summoned the energies needed.

Out from the skies shot red lightening, as it struck the earth, it exploded. Flames burned corpses, shockwaves sending orcs flying through the air. The morale of the orcs could be seen to wave as they watched their own being destroyed so easily.
The general stepped forward, sword in his hand as he bellowed a challenge for the orcs, ?Come, you beasts! Come and taste my wrath!? he dared.[/quote]

Player B
[quote=?Battle Example?]The chieftain had to roared loud to regain control of the orcs. Their animalistic fear getting the better of them, and it wasn?t becoming any better. The human knights smashed into their left side, their horses killing dozens of orcs and the riders killed even more.

The chieftain made a desperate gamble. He ordered his personal bodyguards to carve his way towards the human leader; the two would duel for the victory of this battle, the winner would hold victory of the battle while the loser would surely be routed.

His bodyguards made their through the human lines, using their heavy weight to force the humans back. The chieftain now stood in front of each other, both grinning, ready to make the final decision for whom would win this battle?[/quote]


Key Points

Right, so although the above example is far from the best example of how long such a battle can be or how chaotic when you have such battles. However there are a few things I do want to point out:

Round 1
.1) There was a fairness between the two players, Player A never said that the canon balls hit the orcs, so player B was kind enough to take the hits and move on.

.2) Player B went ahead and closed the distance between the two armies, going ahead and stating that the orcs were hit more than once as they advanced.
?i) in such a case, it would allow Player A to add more attacks as Player B advanced

Round 2
.3) Player A used Minor God-Mode with his wizards. Although he did hit the orcs and killed loads, he stuck to NPCs. Remember, this is allowed under the circumstances that there are many NPCs to take the place of the killed, it won?t be acceptable for battles were NPCs are scarce.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/qM18HgbDNq0/viewtopic.php

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Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Scientists discover likely cause of most common involuntary movement disorder

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Researchers from the CHUQ research center and Universit? Laval have discovered the likely cause of essential tremor (ET), a neurological disorder that affects more than 10 million North Americans. The team's promising findings were published in a recent edition of the scientific journal Brain.

Frequently confused with Parkinson's disease, ET is the most common involuntary movement disorder. An estimated 4% of the population over 40 is affected by this neurological condition which manifests as muscle tremors, normally in the face, neck, and vocal chords.

The research team noticed a decrease in the concentration of GABA receptors in the cerebellum of patients suffering from ET. GABA receptors relay "chemical messages" which transmit inhibitory information to the different parts of the brain and play an essential role in the human body. A loss of GABA receptors in the cerebellum could affect the function of the cerebellum, an organ beneath the brain that manages communication between the brain and muscles and coordinating movements.

"This is one of the first demonstrations of biochemical changes in the cerebellum in patients with ET. It's a real step forward that opens the doors to new avenues of research, and perhaps to new treatments down the road. It's possible that stimulating GABA receptors could help patients control, or even reduce, essential tremor," said Dr. Fr?d?ric Calon, researcher at the CHUQ research center and professor at Universit? Laval's Faculty of Pharmacy. "This is one of the first times such large sample groups have been used to study ET," he continued.

###

Universit? Laval: http://www.ulaval.ca

Thanks to University Laval for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 10 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/115765/Scientists_discover_likely_cause_of_most_common_involuntary_movement_disorder

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Monday, December 5, 2011

George Clooney's Satellites Build a Case Against an Alleged War Criminal (Time.com)

The International Criminal Court is compiling evidence of possible recent war crimes in southern Sudan, allegedly directed by the same man, Sudanese Defense Minister Abdelrahim Mohamed Hussein, who a prosecutor at the court wants to apprehend for alleged crimes eight years ago in Darfur. An internal ICC memo outlines the Darfur crimes, and says Hussein is "currently central to the commission of similar crimes" now along the border between the north and south, including the killings of thousands of civilians.

The ICC documents obtained by TIME show a significant portion of this new investigation is based on data from the Satellite Sentinel Project, a network of private spy satellites and analysts organized by George Clooney in partnership with John Prendergast's Enough Project. The satellites have been snapping pictures of northern Sudan since December of last year. "We are the antigenocide paparazzi," Clooney told TIME then. (Photos: George Clooney in Sudan.)

The new investigation comes just as ICC prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, requested an arrest warrant for Hussein with respect to war crimes allegedly committed in Darfur from August 2003 to March 2004. Hussein allegedly engaged in war crimes by dispatching troops and militias to that far-western region that indiscriminately killed tens of thousands of civilians in an effort to suppress rebellion in the region against the regime in Khartoum.

The documents obtained by TIME show the ICC is separately building a case that Hussein may be behind the killing of civilians over the past year in Kordofan, Nuba Mountains, Blue Nile State and South Sudan. The North is seeking to secure control over those oil-rich regions in the central area of the country along the border between the north and south.

The internal ICC investigation division memo says evidence suggests that military forces from North Sudan and their affiliated militias have committed "grave crimes." It adds that military forces under Hussein's command are conducting military operations in these areas and, just like in Darfur, utilizing proxy militias to carry out atrocities. The memo cites the deaths of at least 2,000 civilians since early this year. Tens of thousands have been displaced, the memo adds. (Read "George Clooney's Eyes in the Sky Monitor the Sudan Situation.")

The ICC memo cites Clooney's satellites capturing images of the results of bombing of villages in the Abyei region in late May that resulted in the displacement of 30,000 people, as well as pictures of the movement of northern artillery and thousands of troops in Karmuk in Blue Nile State. The memo also discusses reports from the Enough Project about the deaths of 211 civilians in South Sudan and documenting the North dispatching proxy militias to the South.

The fact that the ICC is investigating Hussein's role in possible atrocities in the South does not necessarily mean he will face arrest for any actions there. The satellites have been snapping photos of the border region since late last year. On the news about a possible warrant for Hussein for his actions in Darfur, Prendergast said in a statement that Hussein is "part of a small cabal making most of the decisions on war strategy, not just in Darfur but also in the current hot spots of South Kordofan and Blue Nile. They are responsible for the forcible displacement of literally millions of Sudanese over the course of the last eight years."

South Sudan: Can a New Country Handle Its Returning Exiles?

Video: 10 Questions for George Clooney.

View this article on Time.com

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/space/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/time/20111204/wl_time/08599210142500

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The Self-Righteousness of Sports Fans

Why does everyone get so mad about unsportsmanlike conduct?

roundtable_sportsmanship_post.jpg

AP Images

Every week, our panel of sports fans discusses a topic of the moment. For today's conversation, Patrick Hruby (writer, ESPN and The Atlantic), Emma Carmichael (writer, Deadspin),Jake Simpson (writer, The Atlantic), and Hampton Stevens (writer, ESPN and The Atlantic) try to understand fan reaction to athletes' antics.


Hey guys,

It happens every fall: Some professional football player (in this case,? Buffalo Bills receiver Stevie Johnson ) struts, preens, dances, or taunts his way into America's collective living room. In response, some paid sports bloviator (in this case,?Bob Costas) immediately castigates said player for:

(a) A classless lack of sportsmanship;

(b) An unsportsmanlike lack of class;

(c) Acting like a naughty five-year-old;

(d) Inching our fair republic one step closer to Visigothian anarchy;

(e) All of the above.

Debate erupts, always the same, always numbing, forever rousing a pair of eternally warring camps: the Armies of Doing the Right Thing in Sports versus the Forces of It's Just a Game Out There. Yet rather than take a side?for what it's worth, I'm with the latter group?I'd like to ask the rest of you a related question.

Namely, why do sports fans get off on this stuff?

Fact: we?definitely?get off on this stuff. If there's one thing the hoi polloi love nearly as much as wins and losses?well, besides gambling, beer and cheerleaders?it's tinpot crime-and-punishment scenarios. Breakin' the rules and payin' the price. Discipline and drawing the line. Good and bad in the sense of right and wrong, and not in the sense of points on the scoreboard. Sports as morality play.

I have a theory: deep down, sports fans basically view athletes as children. We love children. They do the darndest things. But we also loathe them.? Because they do the darndest things.?If we can't see them pull off something spectacular, then we'll settle for seeing them put in their places by some sort of authority figures, even if those figures often the same people who charge nine bucks for a warm cup of beer, then screw us on parking.

Actually, we might like seeing that even more. And that's why end-zone celebrations are never just end zone celebrations.

Emma, you've weighed in on the Costas-Johnson matter before. Am I way off-base? Or am I on to something?

?Patrick

Source: http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/12/the-self-righteousness-of-sports-fans/249363/

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Sunday, December 4, 2011

New Egypt election results show Islamists leading

A wounded Egyptian protester attends Friday prayers during a rally in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Dec. 2, 2011. Islamists appear to have taken a strong majority of seats in the first round of Egypt's first parliamentary vote since Hosni Mubarak's ouster, a trend that if confirmed would give religious parties a popular mandate in the struggle to win control from the ruling military and ultimately reshape a key U.S. ally. (AP Photo/Bela Szandelszky)

A wounded Egyptian protester attends Friday prayers during a rally in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Dec. 2, 2011. Islamists appear to have taken a strong majority of seats in the first round of Egypt's first parliamentary vote since Hosni Mubarak's ouster, a trend that if confirmed would give religious parties a popular mandate in the struggle to win control from the ruling military and ultimately reshape a key U.S. ally. (AP Photo/Bela Szandelszky)

(AP) ? Islamist parties captured more than 60 percent of the vote in the first round of Egypt's parliamentary elections, according to partial results released Sunday.

The Islamic fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood's political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party, garnered 36.6 percent of the 9,734,413 valid ballots cast for party lists. The Nour Party, a more hardline Islamist group, captured 24.4 percent of the vote, according to figures provided by the High Election Commission.

The partial results only give an indication of how the new parliament will look like, as two more rounds of voting in 18 of Egypt's 27 provinces are yet be held in the multi-stage voting that will run through January.

The elections, which began Nov. 28, are the first since protests that forced authoritarian leader Hosni Mubarak to step down on Feb. 11 after three decades in power and hand over control to a military council. Turnout of around 60 percent was the highest in the country's modern history as few participated in the heavily rigged votes under Mubarak.

The early results indicate Islamist parties are set to control the majority of the parliament.

The new parliament, in theory, is tasked with selecting a 100-member panel to draft a new constitution. The ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces has suggested that it will choose 80 of those members. The ruling generals have also indicated that the parliament will have no say in naming a new government.

The ballots are also a confusing mix of individual races and party lists, and the Sunday results only reflect the party list performance for less than a third of the 498-seat parliament.

The liberal Egyptian Bloc came in behind the two Islamist lists with 13.4 percent of the votes. Another liberal list, the Wafd Party, received 7.1 percent, while the moderate Islamist Wasat or Centrist Party took 4.3 percent.

It is not yet clear whether the Islamist parties will form one coalition inside the parliament, or the Brotherhood will seek to ally with the liberal forces against the more radical Nour Party.

The final shape of the parliament will not be announced before January.

The next step in the complex process, a round of runoffs between individual candidates competing in the first round, is set to begin Monday.

Mubarak alternately suppressed and tolerated the Muslim Brotherhood throughout his 30-year rule. It was technically banned and suffered periodic crackdowns, but managed to field some candidates in parliamentary elections as independents and establish a vast network of activists and charities offering free food and medical services in impoverished neighborhoods and villages.

The ultraconservative Salafi movement, which dominates the Nour Party, are newcomers to the political scene. They had previously frowned upon involvement in politics and shunned elections.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-12-04-ML-Egypt/id-4ec2bff858cf4e1998a194b46894d0bd

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