12857 réponses à ce sujet

[KnightofPhoenix]

And Alpha Protocol!

Damn, thank you Loghain.

[Costin_Razvan]

Heh yeah.

Btw Knight, you might wanna read this page: http://en.wikipedia....ki/Howard_Storm ( especially the part about America ).

[KnightofPhoenix]

I see. Interesting, though I take it with a grain of salt.

BTW, I just bought Alpha Protocol for $2 on Steam. Seriously people, if you don't have it, now is the perfect time to check it out. It's flawed, but it has its merits.

[Costin_Razvan]

I see. Interesting, though I take it with a grain of salt.

As should all matters pertaining to politics. It could all be a massive scam but it does give big food for thought.

My mother once had cancer surgery and she thought of God and said "I give my yourself to you lord" well in Romanian but that's basically it translated, and when she went in anesthesia she had this dream of a great white light engulfing her.

You can check an interview of him here where he talks about all that happened: 

Modifié par Costin_Razvan, 23 septembre 2011 - 12:24 .

[phaonica]

KnightofPhoenix wrote...

BTW, I just bought Alpha Protocol for $2 on Steam. Seriously people, if you don't have it, now is the perfect time to check it out. It's flawed, but it has its merits.

Downloading it now. It's not the type of game I would have pictured myself being interested in, but you all have convinced me

[Addai]

Except that screenshot means he's gonna die...

[Costin_Razvan]

 Which is why whenever I look at my tribute it feels bittersweet...sigh.

[Pro_Consul]

Addai67 wrote...

Except that screenshot means he's gonna die...

He was a true hero, but his heroism warped and blossomed into madness. A heroic death is the best possible ending after that, so IMO that screenie is perfect.

[Mike3207]

So why not let Loghain know Anora was safe and sound after she was rescued from Howe? It always seemed OOC for the Warden to not let Loghain know, even if they were enemies.Loghain even mentions the possibility of her death at the Landsmeet.

Modifié par Mike Smith, 23 septembre 2011 - 02:44 .

[Addai]

That's on Anora. She tells the Warden that she fears her father might try to kill her, then she admits later on that wasn't true. If you ask Loghain about it, he waves it off as Anora being dramatic and manipulative.

[KnightofPhoenix]

I don't see why my Warden planning to be King Consort, would reveal his most important card before the Landsmeet.


Anywho, I was tagged in a very old school photo when I was like 3 or 4 on Facebook, and I can't believe how I looked.

[GSSAGE7]

Mike Smith wrote...

So why not let Loghain know Anora was safe and sound after she was rescued from Howe? It always seemed OOC for the Warden to not let Loghain know, even if they were enemies.Loghain even mentions the possibility of her death at the Landsmeet.

KnightofPhoenix wrote...
I don't see why my Warden planning to be King Consort, would reveal his most important card before the Landsmeet.

Hell, my Wardens aren't as devious as yours, and even they wouldn't do that. Until Riordan gives the option, they're all of the opinion that Loghain lays just below the Archdemon in their "deserves a sword in the neck" list.

What could the Wardens possibly gain by telling Loghain that Anora is with them? At least there's a possibility that Anora will side with the Wardens, which is more than I can say for Pre-Grey Warden Loghain.

Modifié par GSSAGE7, 23 septembre 2011 - 04:06 .

[Joy Divison]

KnightofPhoenix wrote...

I don't see why my Warden planning to be King Consort, would reveal his most important card before the Landsmeet.


Anywho, I was tagged in a very old school photo when I was like 3 or 4 on Facebook, and I can't believe how I looked.

There's an understandable excuse when your 4.

It's being tagged at an age you dress yourself and fix your own hair that are the most embarassing...

[KnightofPhoenix]

Those photos are burned...I made sure of it.

And here's my Michael Thorton



One of my favorite protagonists, and certainly the most magnificent.

[Skadi_the_Evil_Elf]

KnightofPhoenix wrote...

One of the last bastions of intelligence sadly.

Without this thread specifically, I would have been long gone.

Agreed. I do miss the overall level of discussion we once had on the Origins forums, even beyond this thread. I missed the intelligent discussion as well as the off the wall humor and fun we had. It seems this thread (and a few others here in the Origins section) are the only bastions left of the good ol days.

[Skadi_the_Evil_Elf]

KnightofPhoenix wrote...

I don't see why my Warden planning to be King Consort, would reveal his most important card before the Landsmeet.


Anywho, I was tagged in a very old school photo when I was like 3 or 4 on Facebook, and I can't believe how I looked.

Awwww! Did you look like Beard Jr?

[Costin_Razvan]

Skadi: Alpha Protocol for 2 Euro on Steam right now. It's quite an epic game. ( only 1 gb space on PC as well ).

Modifié par Costin_Razvan, 23 septembre 2011 - 02:19 .

[Skadi_the_Evil_Elf]

Costin_Razvan wrote...

Skadi: Alpha Protocol for 2 Euro on Steam right now. It's quite an epic game. ( only 1 gb space on PC as well ).

I'll check it out. I've seen some clips on you tube. My favrotie one involves SIE getting her freak on while Thorton is strapped down to the medical table.

I've always wanted to do that to someone.

[KnightofPhoenix]

Skadi_the_Evil_Elf wrote...

KnightofPhoenix wrote...

Anywho, I was tagged in a very old school photo when I was like 3 or 4 on Facebook, and I can't believe how I looked.

Awwww! Did you look like Beard Jr?

I looked sweet and innocent. With a pink shirt.

[Costin_Razvan]

Now this is Alpha Protocol.

http://cloud.steampo...0A101BE59E10F9/

and this is the Witcher 2. LolTroll

http://cloud.steampo...78BD3DCB09D860/

Modifié par Costin_Razvan, 23 septembre 2011 - 08:23 .

[Skadi_the_Evil_Elf]

KnightofPhoenix wrote...


I looked sweet and innocent. With a pink shirt.

Sweet and innocent? You? Ha! let them think that....

[Addai]

KnightofPhoenix wrote...

I looked sweet and innocent. With a pink shirt.

Aww.  ******* coo*

On a more serious note, you might be interested in this article I read on science and philosophy in medieval Islam.

[KnightofPhoenix]

Addai67 wrote...
On a more serious note, you might be interested in this article I read on science and philosophy in medieval Islam.

Interesting article, though with some inaccuracies, over-simplifications and omission of important facts.

For instance, Ibn-al-Haytham (alhacen) was also known to be the "first scientist" , as in the first recorded one to use the scientific method of experimentation, something that Greek scholars did not do.

Or "The rise of the first centralized Islamic state under the Abbasids"

This is innacurate, the initial rise of the first centralized Islamic state was under the Umayyads, specifically under the reign of Abd al-Malik Ibn Marwan. The Abbasids perfected it later on.

"the Abbasids incorporated Zoroastrianism"

No, they did not. They catered to their manichean thinking with propaganda, when they revlted against the Umayyads. But once in power, they turned on them and are known to be more strictly Sunni than the Umayyads.

"Islam, on the other hand, denies any private-public distinction and
includes laws regulating the most minute details of private life"

I have no idea where they got that one from. There have never been any laws that determine all aspects of life. There are suggestions, advice, an obligations...etc on how to lead a life, but they were never codified in the Shari'a, which is civic law concerned with governance. It's not part of Islamic Law to impose prayer. It being mandatory is a (unenforced) religious obligation, not a legal imposition. Nor was it ever made into law, except recently, for say the veil to be mandatory. It's a social phenomenon.

"In other words, Islamic civilization did not have a culture hospitable to the advancement of science, while medieval Europe did."

That ends up contradicting everything that came before that sentence. The correct formulation would have been "institutions to formalize and promote "pure" scientific learning and research."

"That, in turn, is attributable to its failure to reconcile faith and reason"

It was reconciled to a large degree. The synthesis falling apart is due to other factors (political and economic especially), not to an inherent incapability to reconcile faith and reason in Islam or the civilization itself.

What the author says of al-Ghazali has little to do with the decline of science. Al-Ghazali made it clear to seperate metaphysical philosophy" with "material philosophy" (what we today call science) and he encouraged the latter, hwile said the former is useless. Even the most radical of scholars, used Greek logic in their arguments.

The way the Abbasid Caliphate is presented seems to stem from a rudementary understanding of Islamic political history. Also, the idea of the golden age ending at 1258 is an outdated and very Arab-centric idea. It's not like Persia and Anatolia did not have any scientific or cultural output. Even the Mongols, as they converted, contributed or help contribute in that regard. Sure, I think the peak of Islamic Civilization is during the 9-11th century (with Abbasids, Fatimids and Umayyads). That doesn't mean that it became nothign after 1258, or that it wasn't declining before.

Also I do not understand why the author presents the West as unique in terms of longevity. It really only started surpassing the Ottomans in the 17th century. Western predominance lasted for 400 years. How is that unique, when the supposed Islamic Golden Age lasted for 500 (if we are to count Persia and the Ottomans, it's more)? Institutionalized science and the quickness of advancements (due to the industrial revolution) is what makes it unique, not the length. The West is in decline and will collapse. Perhaps sooner than many would think.

Anyways, all in all, an interesting, but over-simplified article, that goes through in little detail or even doesn't mention at all key factors in the decline of the civilization. Not to mention that he / she refers to outdated views that recent scholars refuted or refined (for instance, the misconception towards al-Ghazali). And the author's bias (secularism) is in large part due to that. So, I do not attribute much scholarly worth to it.

Modifié par KnightofPhoenix, 24 septembre 2011 - 07:19 .