Chumm

@Veektarius said:

If you agree that these parallels exist, it'd seem that you should conclude that A) Background checks should be required for violent videogames that keep them out of the hands of violent offenders and those diagnosed to have dangerous mental illness and B) There are some games that invite more risk with violence than they can redeem with artistic value.

Don't get me wrong, I hate censorship as much as the next person - Freedom of Expression is a constitutional right in the US, after all. However, so is the right to bear arms.

So, should I favor controlling video games, or should I oppose gun control & background checks?

You may have thought this through, but you've still created an ENORMOUS false equivalence here. Yes there are degrees of violence in games, and there are degrees of deadliness of guns, but games are not tools to hurt others. In fact, violent games help to satisfy one's desire for violence, thereby making the player LESS likely to commit an actually violent act. Given the same mentally ill person, games would help to provide some escapism from those urges while guns would enable the person to commit real violence.

I will absolutely agree that violent games are not an appropriate way to cope with violent urges stemming from mental illness, and such a person should be seeking professional treatment instead, but games are in no way a danger to anyone.

This is really great. Alex is really great. Looking forward to next week!

"Newell is at CES in Las Vegas this week to meet with different companies about its hardware plans"

You've either called Newell an "it" or you meant Valve is at CES in Las Vegas, etc. Also GB still needs a copy editor.

@TomCostello said:

Unsubscribed.

Tired of this new wave "PC" everyone gets offended by everyone bullshit that has infected this site like Kotaku and many others.

You'll be missed, certainly. But more to the point, if these things are out there representing what "gamers" like, then "gamers" look like a bunch of fuckwits. This isn't about being offended that someone said or did something stupid, no website is big enough to cover that spectrum, but that it represents our hobby in the worst possible way. This facebook thing in particular was made by some (Emmy-winning) ad agency, not by people who make, play, or love games. THIS is what this ad agency thinks appeals to our demographic. If they're right, we have a lot to be ashamed of. If they're wrong, then we fucking well better say something.

I was in a similar spot in my first playthrough, which was normal ironman. I lost 58 soldiers that run, and it did indeed feel impossible to catch up. Failing a mission and losing everyone when you needed the resources from that mission is pretty disheartening, even once panic is no longer an issue. I ended up going into the last mission with 2 majors and the rest brand new squaddies, and it was still reasonably easy to finish. With that said, that can be frustrating, and I'm sure you'd love to train up a squad of colonels with maxed gear to go into the last mission, just to feel like you've done it proper and experienced all the skills, etc. Besides following the tips here and in the other threads, I recommend watching this youtube series of an Impossible Ironman playthrough. It's all early game stuff but Beaglerush does a good job of both keeping it fun to watch and explaining the reasons behind his actions, which helps get you thinking the right way. XCOM seems like a game about getting into cover and shooting it out, but it is really a game about flanking, breaking line of sight, and ensuring that your enemies never even get to take a shot.

@CaptStickybeard said:

@Chumm said:

@CaptStickybeard said:

Start another shitstorm.

Stickybeard you silly goose, you were one of the vanguards of the original shitstorm! That's ok though, you didn't do anything bad and you're not bad. I appreciated your efforts at bringing stand-up comedy to the discussion, even if it was a bit subversive. Also I think you have just a wonderful beard, sticky and all.

I'm tired, Chumm.

I'm tired of the fighting.

I just want video games.

Also, not cool calling that guy out in the comments, Patrick.

What the fuck are you doing?

Yes but he called out AmericanNinja! Let us not forget Michael Dudikoff's finest work.

@CaptStickybeard said:

Start another shitstorm.

Stickybeard you silly goose, you were one of the vanguards of the original shitstorm! That's ok though, you didn't do anything bad and you're not bad. I appreciated your efforts at bringing stand-up comedy to the discussion, even if it was a bit subversive. Also I think you have just a wonderful beard, sticky and all.

@soulmanim3 said:

This information would add something new to the argument. An admonishment to live better would have more weight if it was backed with research.

That was a well thought-out, if paragraph-starved, response! I think The Internet's Justin McElroy made a great point early on in the discussion: "Dudes: Let 1reasonwhy wash over you and accept that maybe a lifetime as a dude hasn't made you an expert on what life is like for women." His point can, I think, be taken from both sides. None of us are experts on gender relations/discrimination/privilege just by virtue of having survived some number of years as one or more genders. A well researched, scholarly piece might have been the more appropriate way to report on this, though that is likely outside of the scope of the site, and outside of Patrick's expertise. One thing remains true: Giantbomb commenters are not equipped to handle this issue, and that's okay. They're still great people who visit a great site. <3

@pixieface said:

Nobody wants to get rid of these. But more Lady Revans running about? That can never be a bad thing.

That was a really great story :) I loved your theory on Carth's wife, that was indeed pretty clever! Dunno if you were a PC gamer back then but here's a similar story about being able to play a female protagonist in Fallout 2

I think you're all great people, and I think Giantbomb is a wonderful place. It's great that we can have this discussion, but please go watch the latest mailbag and get an enormous dose of what this site is really about. I love you all. <3