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On February 04 2021 07:48 Uldridge wrote:
What would happen if a country would tax based on a fundraising/crowdsourcing/voluntary basis, instead of an obligated, yearly taxation?
Then a lot of shit wouldn't get done because of the difficulty of getting the word out, a lot of shit would get unecessarily large budgets because they have mass appeal ("save the pandas"), and a lot of shit wouldn't get funded because people would prefer to freeride on those who are more personally motivated to pay.
Not to say these things don't happen with obligatory taxation to some degree, but the need for individual action would exacerbate this.
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The Witcher 3 is on sale at its historical lowest price on Steam.
Never played any of the games. I did watch and enjoy the Netflix series though. Still unsure after reading players' reviews say they wish they could experience it for the first time again.
Are there types of people for whom the game would not be fun?
Also, how good are the expansions?
('add to the lore and experience' -> 'it's incomplete without the expansions' -> 'better than the base game' level good)
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On February 15 2021 12:26 domane wrote:
The Witcher 3 is on sale at its historical lowest price on Steam.
Never played any of the games. I did watch and enjoy the Netflix series though. Still unsure after reading players' reviews say they wish they could experience it for the first time again.
Are there types of people for whom the game would not be fun?
Also, how good are the expansions?
('add to the lore and experience' -> 'it's incomplete without the expansions' -> 'better than the base game' level good)
TW3 is pretty much a great game. If you like heavily narrative driven single player open world games there aren't many better. The actual gameplay can get a bit stale so if you're a 'gameplay is everything' type of person then you might be disappointed. Its not terrible though, it just gets a bit wearing imo after a while. The story is incredible though. its really well written and you feel like you have a huge effect on the world.
The expansions are like old school expansions, they have hours of content and again its really well written. They definitely add to the experience, but the game is complete without them.
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On February 15 2021 12:26 domane wrote:
The Witcher 3 is on sale at its historical lowest price on Steam.
Never played any of the games. I did watch and enjoy the Netflix series though. Still unsure after reading players' reviews say they wish they could experience it for the first time again.
Are there types of people for whom the game would not be fun?
Also, how good are the expansions?
('add to the lore and experience' -> 'it's incomplete without the expansions' -> 'better than the base game' level good)
One of the best games ever made for the cheapest possible price? That questions basically answers itself 
Even if you are among the very few people that don't like it. Can't go really wrong here
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W3 game is interesting when it comes to the expansions. The game world is more alive with Hearts of Stone in it since it takes place on the same map. Blood and Wine is its own fully new map with extra tiers of items and ways to power up, a true full expansion.
Both are fun expansions worth their money, personally I think they are better than the main game since they had learnt a lot when making them. They are not as locked into a main story line, allowing more freedom for storytelling.
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@TW3: Worth noting that it is the type of "adult" where most people you meet at least early on are either asshats or extremely ungrateful.
At least in the first 14 hours, which was when I stopped. It felt like no matter my intentions most people I had to deal with were such amoral self-centered assholes that the endings of quests weren't really predictable or in my control in any way. There are a lot of people who are drawn to these worlds where everyone is extremely unlikable, but I like even my adult fantasy more if I don't constantly ask myself why the fuck I'm even trying to help people.
Like the way the first quests ended made me feel like an idiot over and over again. Next time I see a deserter shackled and left near a swamp as monster food I'll draw my blade and behead him, because that would have been the right solution in hindsight.
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Czech Republic12129 Posts
On February 17 2021 04:15 Archeon wrote:
@TW3: Worth noting that it is the type of "adult" where most people you meet at least early on are either asshats or extremely ungrateful.
At least in the first 14 hours, which was when I stopped. It felt like no matter my intentions most people I had to deal with were such amoral self-centered assholes that the endings of quests weren't really predictable or in my control in any way. There are a lot of people who are drawn to these worlds where everyone is extremely unlikable, but I like even my adult fantasy more if I don't constantly ask myself why the fuck I'm even trying to help people.
Like the way the first quests ended made me feel like an idiot over and over again. Next time I see a deserter shackled and left near a swamp as monster food I'll draw my blade and behead him, because that would have been the right solution in hindsight.
Haven't played the game, but bookwise the witchers were tolerated. Which would be probably the most positive thing to say about them. They were demigods(kinda-ish), who stand the neutral ground and ordinary people didn't exactly like them. So, yeah, if you're a witcher then you won't be liked no matter how much good you will do. Generally speaking, there will be people who will respect you or even like you(and I'm not talking about Geralt's friends).
Edit> they are something like the old (medieval) executioners. People needed them, didn't like them. They had to live outside of the city, they had their own entrance(so they didn't use the one ordinary people or, good Lord, the nobles used), nobody wanted to have anything with them. They married either orphans or daughters of other executioners, because the family would renounce such woman and society would turn away from her as well(kids of executioners have this granted).
Just read notes of our most famous executioner and his son, so still vivid in my memory.
So don't expect people will like you. They don't.
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On February 17 2021 09:09 deacon.frost wrote:Show nested quote +On February 17 2021 04:15 Archeon wrote:
@TW3: Worth noting that it is the type of "adult" where most people you meet at least early on are either asshats or extremely ungrateful.
At least in the first 14 hours, which was when I stopped. It felt like no matter my intentions most people I had to deal with were such amoral self-centered assholes that the endings of quests weren't really predictable or in my control in any way. There are a lot of people who are drawn to these worlds where everyone is extremely unlikable, but I like even my adult fantasy more if I don't constantly ask myself why the fuck I'm even trying to help people.
Like the way the first quests ended made me feel like an idiot over and over again. Next time I see a deserter shackled and left near a swamp as monster food I'll draw my blade and behead him, because that would have been the right solution in hindsight. Haven't played the game, but bookwise the witchers were tolerated. Which would be probably the most positive thing to say about them. They were demigods(kinda-ish), who stand the neutral ground and ordinary people didn't exactly like them. So, yeah, if you're a witcher then you won't be liked no matter how much good you will do. Generally speaking, there will be people who will respect you or even like you(and I'm not talking about Geralt's friends). Edit> they are something like the old (medieval) executioners. People needed them, didn't like them. They had to live outside of the city, they had their own entrance(so they didn't use the one ordinary people or, good Lord, the nobles used), nobody wanted to have anything with them. They married either orphans or daughters of other executioners, because the family would renounce such woman and society would turn away from her as well(kids of executioners have this granted). Just read notes of our most famous executioner and his son, so still vivid in my memory. So don't expect people will like you. They don't.
Yeah that was part of it. I get that Witchers are outcasts, I didn't expect that amount of hostility from people I saved or did a huge favor to. I also don't remember it being that bad in the books, Geralt occasionally gets hostile reactions but also has a bunch of friends and people who at least treat him like a normal person. In the first 13 hours people tried to use me and there was basically no momerable non-Witcher that wasn't an asshole to me. Including Yennefer who in the books is blunt and impatient, yet still somewhat knows what's right and what isn't, but happens to treat you like a dumb dog in the game. Alright Yen, I'm sorry I was worried, won't happen again.
The other thing was that the game just tells you pretty early on that you'll often get the opposite result of what you wanted and there's no way to control or guess that, which f.e. a friend of mine really liked because it added a layer of unpredictability to the stories and I really hated because it made me really question why I'm doing anything in the first place. Like I don't mind a foreshadowed evil twist, or people with death flags dying, but if shit just explodes out of nowhere in your face it feels a lot like Star Wars 8' twist for twist's sake.
If the NPCs vary between disdainful/hostile and outright evil and the outcome of my deeds is random and completely outside of my control then for whom and why do anything in the first place?
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United States42880 Posts
That sounds like exactly the frustration they were attempting to convey. “If helping people gets you nowhere then why even bother” is probably relatable for Witchers.
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Fair I guess. That's not why I play games though, if I want to experience loneliness, helplessness, self-doubt and frustration I can do so easily in my RL.
If it's not fun to be the person I play, the people I meet aren't fun to interact with and the gameplay is passable at best what exactly is the part that's enough fun that so many people call it one of the best games ever?
Genuine question, I would like to like the game since I like the books and it's highly decorated, so I feel that I'm missing something.
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United States42880 Posts
Your point is fair and well made.
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On February 18 2021 02:15 Archeon wrote:
Fair I guess. That's not why I play games though, if I want to experience loneliness, helplessness, self-doubt and frustration I can do so easily in my RL.
If it's not fun to be the person I play, the people I meet aren't fun to interact with and the gameplay is passable at best what exactly is the part that's enough fun that so many people call it one of the best games ever?
Genuine question, I would like to like the game since I like the books and it's highly decorated, so I feel that I'm missing something.
You could say this about alot of artforms. I wouldn't class Requiem for a Dream as a fun film to watch, but its one of my favourites. TW3 is a pretty artistically sophisticated game (in terms of writing and how the story works), and the quality of the game is probably being judged by those standards, which aren't always about fun.
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Czech Republic12129 Posts
On February 18 2021 01:57 Archeon wrote:Show nested quote +On February 17 2021 09:09 deacon.frost wrote:On February 17 2021 04:15 Archeon wrote:
@TW3: Worth noting that it is the type of "adult" where most people you meet at least early on are either asshats or extremely ungrateful.
At least in the first 14 hours, which was when I stopped. It felt like no matter my intentions most people I had to deal with were such amoral self-centered assholes that the endings of quests weren't really predictable or in my control in any way. There are a lot of people who are drawn to these worlds where everyone is extremely unlikable, but I like even my adult fantasy more if I don't constantly ask myself why the fuck I'm even trying to help people.
Like the way the first quests ended made me feel like an idiot over and over again. Next time I see a deserter shackled and left near a swamp as monster food I'll draw my blade and behead him, because that would have been the right solution in hindsight. Haven't played the game, but bookwise the witchers were tolerated. Which would be probably the most positive thing to say about them. They were demigods(kinda-ish), who stand the neutral ground and ordinary people didn't exactly like them. So, yeah, if you're a witcher then you won't be liked no matter how much good you will do. Generally speaking, there will be people who will respect you or even like you(and I'm not talking about Geralt's friends). Edit> they are something like the old (medieval) executioners. People needed them, didn't like them. They had to live outside of the city, they had their own entrance(so they didn't use the one ordinary people or, good Lord, the nobles used), nobody wanted to have anything with them. They married either orphans or daughters of other executioners, because the family would renounce such woman and society would turn away from her as well(kids of executioners have this granted). Just read notes of our most famous executioner and his son, so still vivid in my memory. So don't expect people will like you. They don't. Yeah that was part of it. I get that Witchers are outcasts, I didn't expect that amount of hostility from people I saved or did a huge favor to. I also don't remember it being that bad in the books, Geralt occasionally gets hostile reactions but also has a bunch of friends and people who at least treat him like a normal person. In the first 13 hours people tried to use me and there was basically no momerable non-Witcher that wasn't an asshole to me. Including Yennefer who in the books is blunt and impatient, yet still somewhat knows what's right and what isn't, but happens to treat you like a dumb dog in the game. Alright Yen, I'm sorry I was worried, won't happen again. The other thing was that the game just tells you pretty early on that you'll often get the opposite result of what you wanted and there's no way to control or guess that, which f.e. a friend of mine really liked because it added a layer of unpredictability to the stories and I really hated because it made me really question why I'm doing anything in the first place. Like I don't mind a foreshadowed evil twist, or people with death flags dying, but if shit just explodes out of nowhere in your face it feels a lot like Star Wars 8' twist for twist's sake. If the NPCs vary between disdainful/hostile and outright evil and the outcome of my deeds is random and completely outside of my control then for whom and why do anything in the first place?
From what I remember and I haven't read it for a while, people who were helped were ungrateful bastards. Except for one or two. I haven't played the game yet, but don't get yourself fooled with the books were Geralt isn't as active as in the games.
I get why it's annoying to play, but that's like saying you don't like nudity and trying to play a porn game(well, or Witcher  )
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If you want a game where you are the hero and save the world a bunch of times and everyone is celebrating you, there are a loooot of those out there. Witcher is not one of them. It is highly emotional, the good the bad and the ugly.
In Witcher you play Gerald's story and not your own. There are no options (besides modding) to change your appearance or sth. for example
If that is not what your are looking for, then this is not the game for you. If you like the scenario (magic, monsters, middleage) I would redirect you to play Skyrim maybe? Another masterpiece, especially with some mods
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On February 18 2021 21:32 Harris1st wrote:
If you want a game where you are the hero and save the world a bunch of times and everyone is celebrating you, there are a loooot of those out there. Witcher is not one of them. It is highly emotional, the good the bad and the ugly.
In Witcher you play Gerald's story and not your own. There are no options (besides modding) to change your appearance or sth. for example
If that is not what your are looking for, then this is not the game for you. If you like the scenario (magic, monsters, middleage) I would redirect you to play Skyrim maybe? Another masterpiece, especially with some mods
Thanks I played a lot of Skyrim, I agree that it's a great game with mods. I expected TW more to be like Dragon Age perhaps with a bit less heroics, but that was a false assumption.
I didn't expect everyone to be thankful all the time, that isn't the case in Dragon age either f.e.. I just expected some notable characters that weren't completely unlikable, because it's really hard for me to get emotional for people who are dicks to me.
I also felt that it wasn't really Geralt's story since I do have a lot of influence on what he decides. In FFX f.e. you play a predefined character, but Tidus is a being that makes his own decisions and has his own character growth. That goes for a lot of JRPGs and quite often the party's deeds have catastrophic consequences.
Yet in Witcher I make most of the decisions, which made it harder for me to see Geralt as a being with own drives and emotions and not as my avatar in the world. But it's an avatar I don't get to choose and who doesn't really have power in the world despite being a superhuman mostly benevolent monster and one of the rare beings with common sense.
The excellent writing is also notably absent in the first 13 hours, there's no foreshadowing or satisfying endings and most of the twists till then have zero buildup. To boot the characters were almost entirely forgettable or unlikable with the only exception of Vesemir who is basically a living tutorial voice. Yen is as pleasant as a blizzard (even for her terms) and Emhir is a psycho even for an emperor. But I assume these points get better and the start just sucks.
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What are good affordable country that someone who wants to leave the US could move to while only speaking English?
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Affordable for whom? The USA has a very high wage level and as such most countries are cheaper to live in as long as your desired place isn't the capital of a western European nation.
The closest thing would be Ireland I think. Naturally not that much cheaper, but definitely a bit and the Irish are very welcoming people according to my experience. Also a first world nation by any measure.
If you want to go much cheaper than that I'd look at SEA/Oceania countries which often have the combination of relative stability, low wages and pleasant climate that makes them desirable as places to live in while you work for first world companies. Malaysia would probably be where I'd look first, afaik they are fairly stable and English is widely spoken. There's also a lot of tourism so I'd expect foreigners to be somewhat accepted.
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On March 06 2021 11:52 Zambrah wrote:
What are good affordable country that someone who wants to leave the US could move to while only speaking English?
The cities in the north of England are cheap. Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle etc.
You'd be welcome in Manchester
The government ain't any better than what you have there though.
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yeah, a lot of what I see of the UK looks nice, Jagex looks like a nice company to work for, but man I slightly look at UK politics some times and... Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer? It reads so distinctly familiar as to be distressing lol.
Would it help immigrating there if my grandparents were Irish and British? Like I think if your parent was a citizen you get citizenship? So if my parent was a citizen because her parents were citizens then potentially I could get citizenship?
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EPT
