Sean

This is a good point -- I wouldn't say anyone I play with regularly is unsportsmanlike at all, despite any energy they bring to the game. I also think Valve cares about this, having talked to members of the team quite a bit. They regularly move thousands of players to the low-priority queue where they will wait extra-long to connect to a server and once there can only play with other low-priority players. They've also instituted a decent commendation/report system that I know is used extensively on their end. In terms of DOTA it's also important to remember that this game is still in very active development so I don't think the ship has sailed on more formalized, design-driven solutions to the "community issues." Gabe is on the record having said that he believes someone who is mentoring, helping their team enjoy the game, and raising the "fun" level of a match (which you can now rate your matches from "horrible" to "awesome" at the end, btw) should somehow be rewarded within the game while trolls and douchebags should have to pay out the ear to get in. Like most problems, I think Valve is trying to solve this purely through well-designed engineering, so I'm skeptical about where they'll end up, but I think their hearts are in the right place. I'd also like to try to assuage the end of your comment here on the forums -- I believe there are currently PLENTY of opportunities to play with good people (you're on these boards for instance!) and the game can be super rewarding when you're playing with a regular group of online friends.

Anybody in our tiny board own a 70's BMW Toaster?

Also, I should say I would never communicate with a new player or a stranger the way I do with my friends. There is a lot of "oh, you're dead again, well it's ok." So I guess the real issue is Jake hearing me play with Pierre, Nick Herman, Finol and whoever and then going "wow I would never play that game with you guys," as if we're some sort of despicable heathens. DOTA, like any game, video or otherwise, that is about communication and you do the best when you're communicating effectively, whatever the tone is. It also means being sensitive to the personal listening styles of your friends and teammates; so if your buddy yelling FUCKFUCKFUCKWHATAREYOUDOOOOOING at you doesn't work for you, then you have a talk with your pal that starts with "Hey man, that doesn't work for me," and he or she needs to take that heart or you don't play with those people. I guess I also take issue with the labeling of a game or genre based on people's fears about the play experience.

Which is a lie.

I was more responding to Jake jumping all over competitive game players as assholes and wasn't clear in delineating that there is an intensity/communication style that can come out in a really competitive match that doesn't mean anybody is picking on anybody. Like, if I see Pudge on the map, hiding in the trees in our jungle for let's say .1 seconds. Like he blips on the mini map and then goes away, into the fog of war, I know I have about two seconds before he hooks my buddy Pierre and kills him. So if my intensity spikes and I say "FUCK GET BACK," I'm not saying "Pierre, you dumb piece of shit, why are you standing there." My brain is just firing off a frightened warning within a game that produces a lot of high-anxiety moments. I took umbrage (and this really seeded in MANY conversations I've had with Jake about this) with the broad statement that is essentially "You guys are bullies; why can't you be nice," which just feels uninformed. The guys I play DOTA with are some of my closest friends. If I ever felt like I was belittling anyone or someone logged off and felt guilty/bad/whatever because of anything that came out of my or one of our friends' mouths, I'd probably quit the game forever.

Yeah, I did think it was heavy. I was on a 2011 Scrambler and when it was moving it was really nimble and way smoother of a ride than I expected. But at slow speed/stop/parking, I felt like a weakling as I was used to my 500cc Honda. I also had my wife with me, which didn't really impact handling while riding but definitely upped the slow speed weight by 125lbs. We actually damn near tipped the thing over parking and turning it around in some gravel. All in all though it didn't feel "big," I would say "sturdy." Sometimes I'll hop on my buddy's V-Strom or something akin to that and think it's way too big; didn't have that feeling on the Scrambler. Poking around for a used Bonnie though. Anyone have any opinions on going a little older to get the carb'd version vs the fuel injection?

Rode the Scrambler today -- it was great. Going to go Bonnie instead, though. I've come to the conclusion that not only do the sidepipes look cheesy as hell but they're also hotter than you think. Other than that it was a really great ride; smoother than I thought, and Amelia was comfy on the back.

Cool Town is two words, like video games.

Congratulations in being in a small minority of folks who understand Dishonored joke logic, as I'm sure I will get a few "Happy Dishonored St. Patrick's Day!" tweets on Sunday. *sigh*

In SF we are lousy with Triumph dealerships. There are 3 within 35 miles of my house, plus tons of foreign, non-Japanese v-twin mechanics.

Renting a Scrambler this weekend! In the market for a Bonnie but want to spend a day on it/something similar.

FUCK SERIOUSLY?!

FYI I hadn't read this forums before the podcast recording this weekend and this is exactly what I said. Greg Brown hive-mind syndrome continues.

This KILLS me because I knew it was D'Brickashaw -- my fantasy football team was called D'Brickashaw's Rickshaws this year and I simply got confused and befuddled by the majesty that ist he name "Ndamukong." (Which, if I'm not mistaken, means "House of Spears." Holy shit.)

Started playing Year Walk last night... didn't realize there was a companion app. What's the deal with that? I noticed I had to write a bunch of stuff down to solve puzzles (not the worst) but I assume the "companion app" is a themed tool for doing that?

How do you mean?

Oh certainly. I don't think Lot 49 comes close to what Rosemary's Baby seeds in the "obstacles and loneliness a woman can experience" department BUT the think about the novel was that even though it didn't portray that otherness so obtusely I still felt it as intensely as I did In Rosemary's Baby, which I thought was a pretty mind-blowing achievement. Nevertheless, and this bears repeating -- I HATED reading this novel. I really did not like a lot a lot of Pynchon's looser work throughout the book; but I still OVERALL really loved the book, which is a rarity for me in fiction. It's like doing a five-mile run or something equally physically horrifying but ultimately gratifying.

This is brilliant.

You should organize a playing of The Ship.

OH YEAH!

This describes 90% of our interactions in the Thumbs office; a percentage which greatly mitigates any desire to laugh. I'm still shaking my head at that binary joke.

I figured I was now obligated to move my two domains to Hover and it was really goddamn easy (three minutes of time?) and I saved ten dollars a year.

I think there's a ton of personalty in the writing of the game and Anthony Burch has done a really good job in that; for certain. And overall, I'm really impressed with the VO quality and reading of his writing throughout. I'm always just really confused about what to be feeling at any particular moment while playing (and that might just be me being sensitive to the macabre aspects of the experience).

What's your steam name?

Dr. Wife.