We have a Steam curator now. You should be following it. https://store.steampowered.com/curator/44994899-RPGHQ/

Should the politics section be locked behind a post count minimum?

HQ-related news you should probably read.
Ignore Topic

Should the politics section be locked behind a post count minimum?

You can’t vote on this poll. Reason: You must have at least 10 posts to vote in this poll.

Yes
27
51%
No
26
49%
 
Total votes: 53

User avatar
Unhelpful Contrarian
Posts: 3187
Joined: Aug 24, '24

Geolocation

Post by Unhelpful Contrarian »

ArcaneLurker wrote: June 15th, 2025, 16:25
rusty_shackleford wrote: June 15th, 2025, 16:18
Also you voted the same as tweed :mad:
The poll said nothing about having to earn badges to use the site. I also didn't make the realisation/ observation about Tweed until after I voted.
Wait …… I thought the suggestion was to use badges as requirement for specific topics not a basic entry to use the site full stop which would be a terrible idea.
User avatar
orinEsque
Posts: 4996
Joined: Oct 9, '23
Location: Dubai
Gender: Potato

Geolocation

Post by orinEsque »

Unhelpful Contrarian wrote: June 15th, 2025, 17:22
ArcaneLurker wrote: June 15th, 2025, 16:25
rusty_shackleford wrote: June 15th, 2025, 16:18
Also you voted the same as tweed :mad:
The poll said nothing about having to earn badges to use the site. I also didn't make the realisation/ observation about Tweed until after I voted.
Wait …… I thought the suggestion was to use badges as requirement for specific topics not a basic entry to use the site full stop which would be a terrible idea.
Its only the politics section from what i understand, not the whole forum.

@rusty_shackleford is there a reason I'm seeing NaNs in the poll, Even without any userscripts?
Last edited by orinEsque on June 15th, 2025, 17:27, edited 1 time in total.
Like my mods? Buy me a beer at PayPal or Subscribe at SUBSCRIBESTAR
User avatar
Unhelpful Contrarian
Posts: 3187
Joined: Aug 24, '24

Geolocation

Post by Unhelpful Contrarian »

GhostCow wrote: June 15th, 2025, 17:17
I don't understand why anyone would want to come here to discuss politics when you can pretty much say whatever you want on twitter as long as you don't say ****** or make explicit calls for violence. There's a bigger audience there too. I post in the Trump thread sometimes, but that's mostly to get out of my echo chamber whereas these posters seem to be looking for one.
Twitter still censors a lot. It’s slightly better now since Elon taken over , but it’s definitely not the free speech platform he says it is.
User avatar
Vergil
Posts: 15670
Joined: Sep 6, '23

Geolocation

Post by Vergil »

Unhelpful Contrarian wrote: June 15th, 2025, 17:22
ArcaneLurker wrote: June 15th, 2025, 16:25
rusty_shackleford wrote: June 15th, 2025, 16:18
Also you voted the same as tweed :mad:
The poll said nothing about having to earn badges to use the site. I also didn't make the realisation/ observation about Tweed until after I voted.
Wait …… I thought the suggestion was to use badges as requirement for specific topics not a basic entry to use the site full stop which would be a terrible idea.
I don't think anyone was implying that.
I'm just stating the facts.
Question is are you going to gargle the truth or swallow?
User avatar
orinEsque
Posts: 4996
Joined: Oct 9, '23
Location: Dubai
Gender: Potato

Geolocation

Post by orinEsque »

I have strong suspicion newbies will start posting politics in offtopic threads if you lock down politics btw.
Like my mods? Buy me a beer at PayPal or Subscribe at SUBSCRIBESTAR
User avatar
Stack of Turtles
Posts: 7378
Joined: May 7, '24
Location: Soon-to-be Iran

Geolocation

Post by Stack of Turtles »

GhostCow wrote: June 15th, 2025, 17:17
I don't understand why anyone would want to come here to discuss politics when you can pretty much say whatever you want on twitter as long as you don't say ****** or make explicit calls for violence. There's a bigger audience there too. I post in the Trump thread sometimes, but that's mostly to get out of my echo chamber whereas these posters seem to be looking for one.
I'm simply not interested in twitter. I like small friendly spaces where I can have interesting conversations that can continue across related topics over time. Twitter is full of boring *******.

I don't actually care about saying any specific words, but it's also nice to know there aren't random pointless limits based on some foreigner's inscrutable idea of acceptable discussion.
VAE VICTIS
User avatar
Unhelpful Contrarian
Posts: 3187
Joined: Aug 24, '24

Geolocation

Post by Unhelpful Contrarian »

orinEsque wrote: June 15th, 2025, 17:26
Unhelpful Contrarian wrote: June 15th, 2025, 17:22
ArcaneLurker wrote: June 15th, 2025, 16:25


The poll said nothing about having to earn badges to use the site. I also didn't make the realisation/ observation about Tweed until after I voted.
Wait …… I thought the suggestion was to use badges as requirement for specific topics not a basic entry to use the site full stop which would be a terrible idea.
Its only the politics section from what i understand, not the whole forum.

That’s a terrible idea.
User avatar
GhostCow
Turtle
Turtle
Posts: 3304
Joined: Feb 3, '23
Gender: Dinosaur

Geolocation

Post by GhostCow »

Stack of Turtles wrote: June 15th, 2025, 17:29
I'm simply not interested in twitter. I like small friendly spaces where I can have interesting conversations that can continue across related topics over time. Twitter is full of boring *******.
It's good for news. I like the AF Post account. I also follow a lot of antisemites who make really good posts, but I have a feeling that's not your thing. I don't really go there to make posts or chase clout. 99% of my posts there are just reposting other people. Sometimes I like discussing things in the comments section of other people posts though. It's fun to try to push the people who follow Grummz farther to the right. Sometimes I direct the ones who would make good posters here to this site, but I don't think any of them ever join.
☆HQ Defense Force☆
User avatar
Vergil
Posts: 15670
Joined: Sep 6, '23

Geolocation

Post by Vergil »

Unhelpful Contrarian wrote: June 15th, 2025, 17:32
orinEsque wrote: June 15th, 2025, 17:26
Unhelpful Contrarian wrote: June 15th, 2025, 17:22


Wait …… I thought the suggestion was to use badges as requirement for specific topics not a basic entry to use the site full stop which would be a terrible idea.
Its only the politics section from what i understand, not the whole forum.

That’s a terrible idea.
Replying to a post about a point that's already been raised multiple times with another point that's already been raised multiple times.
I'm just stating the facts.
Question is are you going to gargle the truth or swallow?
User avatar
Vergil
Posts: 15670
Joined: Sep 6, '23

Geolocation

Post by Vergil »

GhostCow wrote: June 15th, 2025, 17:33
Sometimes I direct the ones who would make good posters here to this site
You're part of the problem
I'm just stating the facts.
Question is are you going to gargle the truth or swallow?
User avatar
GhostCow
Turtle
Turtle
Posts: 3304
Joined: Feb 3, '23
Gender: Dinosaur

Geolocation

Post by GhostCow »

Vergil wrote: June 15th, 2025, 17:36
GhostCow wrote: June 15th, 2025, 17:33
Sometimes I direct the ones who would make good posters here to this site
You're part of the problem
This isn't your special secret club that no one new is allowed to join. Some day you're going to have to get over that
☆HQ Defense Force☆
User avatar
rusty_shackleford
Site Admin
Posts: 46432
Joined: Feb 2, '23
Gender: Watermelon

Geolocation

Adventurer's Guild

Post by rusty_shackleford »

orinEsque wrote: June 15th, 2025, 17:26
@rusty_shackleford is there a reason I'm seeing NaNs in the poll, Even without any userscripts?
results are hidden, shouldn't show NaN, might be a result of fixes I did to not error out prior
Thank you for your attention to this matter!
Steam friend code: 40552640 https://steamcommunity.com/friends/add | email: [email protected]
Having trouble running an old Windows game?
Rusty's Stuff Collection
User avatar
Unhelpful Contrarian
Posts: 3187
Joined: Aug 24, '24

Geolocation

Post by Unhelpful Contrarian »

Vergil wrote: June 15th, 2025, 17:36
Unhelpful Contrarian wrote: June 15th, 2025, 17:32
orinEsque wrote: June 15th, 2025, 17:26


Its only the politics section from what i understand, not the whole forum.

That’s a terrible idea.
Replying to a post about a point that's already been raised multiple times with another point that's already been raised multiple times.

Hard to keep track with the constant conflicting information.
Last edited by Unhelpful Contrarian on June 15th, 2025, 17:40, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Vergil
Posts: 15670
Joined: Sep 6, '23

Geolocation

Post by Vergil »

GhostCow wrote: June 15th, 2025, 17:37
Vergil wrote: June 15th, 2025, 17:36
GhostCow wrote: June 15th, 2025, 17:33
Sometimes I direct the ones who would make good posters here to this site
You're part of the problem
This isn't your special secret club that no one new is allowed to join. Some day you're going to have to get over that
The topic of the thread is literally needing to make changes to the site to keep out people who only come here to ***** about politics which you are worsening by trying to advertise the site to people bitching about politics on twitter. Try to keep up mr magoo

Fatima agree reacting to your post should be a wake up call btw
Last edited by Vergil on June 15th, 2025, 17:41, edited 1 time in total.
I'm just stating the facts.
Question is are you going to gargle the truth or swallow?
User avatar
DemoGraph
Posts: 2156
Joined: Mar 24, '24

Geolocation

Adventurer's Guild

Post by DemoGraph »

ArcaneLurker wrote: June 15th, 2025, 13:43
At this point, I just outright refuse to play along by getting a badge on a matter of principle.
You don't have to play along. If I'm not mistaken, you can get a badge whenever you finish the game, even years after the topic was started.
Finishing it in the month is but a healthy hype mongering.
ArcaneLurker wrote: June 15th, 2025, 13:43
I have done this, but to be honest, I said I don't like Baldurs Gate 1 & 2, and the scalie has never forgotten this.
I hate you as well now.
You can dislike BG2, but disliking BG1 shows that you have no soul and that makes you LLM. And that makes us existential enemies, I'm calling Neo now.
rusty_shackleford wrote: June 15th, 2025, 16:12
The goal never was to create a site where people join just to discuss political matters and it feels as if the forum is being misused.
Yes. We have Codex for that.
HQ doesn't have enough special users for political threads to become worthwhile.
Iren's PbP - Felix
User avatar
GhostCow
Turtle
Turtle
Posts: 3304
Joined: Feb 3, '23
Gender: Dinosaur

Geolocation

Post by GhostCow »

Vergil wrote: June 15th, 2025, 17:40
The topic of the thread is literally needing to make changes to the site to keep out people who only come here to ***** about politics which you are worsening by trying to advertise the site to people bitching about politics on twitter. Try to keep up mr magoo
I target people who talk about gaming, not people who spend all of their time posting about politics
☆HQ Defense Force☆
User avatar
Vergil
Posts: 15670
Joined: Sep 6, '23

Geolocation

Post by Vergil »

GhostCow wrote: June 15th, 2025, 17:33
It's fun to try to push the people who follow Grummz farther to the right.
I'm just stating the facts.
Question is are you going to gargle the truth or swallow?
User avatar
orinEsque
Posts: 4996
Joined: Oct 9, '23
Location: Dubai
Gender: Potato

Geolocation

Post by orinEsque »

Imagine being such a butthurt ****** that you start spazzing about emotes. Ooooo I'm so so so threatened because you call me Fatima
Fatima
Fatima
Fatima
Fatima
Hey ******, that go through my posts, remember I'm called Fatima!
Last edited by orinEsque on June 15th, 2025, 17:45, edited 1 time in total.
Like my mods? Buy me a beer at PayPal or Subscribe at SUBSCRIBESTAR
User avatar
GhostCow
Turtle
Turtle
Posts: 3304
Joined: Feb 3, '23
Gender: Dinosaur

Geolocation

Post by GhostCow »

Vergil wrote: June 15th, 2025, 17:44
GhostCow wrote: June 15th, 2025, 17:33
It's fun to try to push the people who follow Grummz farther to the right.
You are reading what you want to into this and making a lot of assumptions
☆HQ Defense Force☆
User avatar
Vergil
Posts: 15670
Joined: Sep 6, '23

Geolocation

Post by Vergil »

orinEsque wrote: June 15th, 2025, 17:45
Imagine being such a butthurt ****** that you start spazzing about emotes. Ooooo I'm so so so threatened because you call me Fatima
Fatima
Fatima
Fatima
Fatima
Hey ******, that go through my posts, remember I'm called Fatima!
lol
I'm just stating the facts.
Question is are you going to gargle the truth or swallow?
User avatar
ArcaneLurker
Posts: 5675
Joined: Feb 6, '24

Geolocation

Post by ArcaneLurker »

Unhelpful Contrarian wrote: June 15th, 2025, 17:22
ArcaneLurker wrote: June 15th, 2025, 16:25
rusty_shackleford wrote: June 15th, 2025, 16:18
Also you voted the same as tweed :mad:
The poll said nothing about having to earn badges to use the site. I also didn't make the realisation/ observation about Tweed until after I voted.
Wait …… I thought the suggestion was to use badges as requirement for specific topics not a basic entry to use the site full stop which would be a terrible idea.
Erm... I didn't mean what you think I meant. That obviously couldn't logically work.
"Use the site" = access to the more controversial subforums.
Kalarion wrote: June 15th, 2025, 17:12
What are you talking about? Your video game curriculum thread was a neat idea, the fact most of us couldn't come up with good content doesn't mean we were annoyed.
Val was annoyed about that one, but I was speaking more generally. I won't be able to pull up every instance or whatever, it's just a general feeling I got, which discouraged me.
If I felt encouraged to talk about it, even despite the differences in taste, and what kinds of things I focus on in games, I would have.
If anything I think it speaks to the belief that video game creation is specifically the realm of the auteur - for whatever reason, good games don't seem to come out of industrialized processes. Pivoting from, "here are the techniques that should be used to create a game" to, "here are some universal truths to keep in mind on the odyssey of game dev", might be an interesting move.
The "universal truths" is something I thought I got across, but maybe not.
The purpose of a curriculum is to build a structure to define a hierarchy of effectiveness, quality & skill for students to learn from, but the postmodernist approach to curriculum is inherently universally subjective, anti-merit, anti-hierarchical.
Because videogames are new, and were created within the confines of Civil Rights era ********, the approach to them has been lacking any sense of structure.
The odyssey of video game dev history is important to note, just as the development of art over thousands of years is important to note, and it's interesting to see the more niche games people are aware of.

I agree about the visionary or auteur being key, and they also need to genuinely love games, and if there are far less sinister or intrusive ways to go about putting a key message into stories than what Leftists do.
A lot of indie games are made by autists who generally lack the ability to make novel connections about a variety of topics, and they have a tendency to want to repeat what is similar & comfortable.
This creates a sense of stagnation, even amongst games that aren't industrialized. The industrialized games are obviously just cynical cash-grabbing and social engineering, but even that is an insight into how many minds work-- unless they can see some real world utility in videogames, they're not interested in them, and they see them as a waste of time. They're likely the type of person who is only interested in hobbies which signal status.
Rusty already corrected you on this. Have you ever considered just not picking fights?
I still suspect it's a factor in motives, but I didn't realise there was fedposting.
I was very neutral towards the lizard before, then he histrionically accused everyone here of harassing him, I'm just reacting to the obvious and being gaslit about it.
Generally speaking, despite me annoying you a number of times, you still manage to find a way to balance it out. This is because you have a fully developed brain.
NotAI probably agrees with you. Nevertheless I enjoy reading his continued effortposts.
I get that, but his approach & worldview is bizarre to me.
Is simply the best way to do it. No one wants to do it like that, least of all Rusty, because no one wants to be the guy that put a bullet in XXXForumShitPoster420XXX's head when xe wouldn't take the hint and move on. But every town needs a Judge, whether the town likes it or not. Whether the Judge likes it or not.
Was this directed to me? I agreed with this.
Last edited by ArcaneLurker on June 15th, 2025, 17:55, edited 1 time in total.
I apologize if my responses were not relevant to your needs. As an AI language model, I do not have personal beliefs or opinions, and I only provide responses based on the information provided to me.
User avatar
rusty_shackleford
Site Admin
Posts: 46432
Joined: Feb 2, '23
Gender: Watermelon

Geolocation

Adventurer's Guild

Post by rusty_shackleford »

ArcaneLurker wrote: June 15th, 2025, 17:51
Val was annoyed about that one,
I don't think so?

Perhaps you read too much into people's messages, I don't see why it would upset Val, but maybe I'm wrong.
Thank you for your attention to this matter!
Steam friend code: 40552640 https://steamcommunity.com/friends/add | email: [email protected]
Having trouble running an old Windows game?
Rusty's Stuff Collection
User avatar
ArcaneLurker
Posts: 5675
Joined: Feb 6, '24

Geolocation

Post by ArcaneLurker »

rusty_shackleford wrote: June 15th, 2025, 18:00
ArcaneLurker wrote: June 15th, 2025, 17:51
Val was annoyed about that one,
I don't think so?

Perhaps you read too much into people's messages, I don't see why it would upset Val, but maybe I'm wrong.
It wasn't a big deal at all. I'm just being forced to mention it because he was the only one in the thread that didn't like the approach and favoured the more open/ subjective approach, and seemed annoyed.
People who are only here for specific retro RPGs are very temperamental. Whether it's very mild annoyance or just disinterest, it doesn't make much of a difference, there's just less reason to engage with the topic.
I apologize if my responses were not relevant to your needs. As an AI language model, I do not have personal beliefs or opinions, and I only provide responses based on the information provided to me.
User avatar
Valter
Posts: 1855
Joined: Jun 12, '24

Geolocation

Adventurer's Guild

Post by Valter »

rusty_shackleford wrote: June 15th, 2025, 16:28
ArcaneLurker wrote: June 15th, 2025, 16:25
rusty_shackleford wrote: June 15th, 2025, 16:18
Also you voted the same as tweed :mad:
The poll said nothing about having to earn badges to use the site.
I don't really care very strongly either way about the count of comments, but it could be good if newcomers have to hang around in the videogame sections before moving into other places.
I was actually attracted to this site because I wanted to find mods to make BG3 playable, and even that was something that people here didn't like. So I engaged in political discussions, and now people hate that.
I feel like some people just need to create a discord with their friends and hang around there so they're not exposed to any "hate speech."
I thought the badges thing seemed more reasonable. I dunno what your aversion to it is either way :scratch-pipe:
I think I'm just going to clamp down on users who come here specifically to discuss politics e.g., the guy who made the thread I deleted yesterday. This does fall into "know it when I see it" territory which I dislike for rules.
For all my love for Dragon Age Origins, I am not inclined to play through it all again to get a badge. I will play AG games that do pique my interest, and ignore those that do not. So I can understand having gripes with getting one, though I find it remarkable that there's users out there unwilling to playing any of the listed games. :ugeek: There's some really short ones too.

To be clear I am not in favor of gatekeeping and voted no in this poll, but in the case of a filter being established it would be cool to have it be something more creative than "reach X posts". That was the point of my suggestion.
The post count idea or something else that just requires posting about video games, like contributing to the RPG Rankings thread, should be far less intrusive. :read:
Steam friend code: 1525876263
User avatar
Vergil
Posts: 15670
Joined: Sep 6, '23

Geolocation

Post by Vergil »

Valter wrote: June 15th, 2025, 18:16
though I find it remarkable that there's users out there unwilling to playing any of the listed games. :ugeek: There's some really short ones too.
I think it's more about the principle of not wanting to be suddenly made to jump through arbitrary hoops to access site features that have been available to them for years on a whim.
I'm just stating the facts.
Question is are you going to gargle the truth or swallow?
User avatar
Tweed
Turtle
Turtle
Posts: 6995
Joined: Feb 2, '23

Geolocation

Adventurer's Guild

Post by Tweed »

Right, so better to implement it now than wait for even more useless eaters to show up.
User avatar
Valter
Posts: 1855
Joined: Jun 12, '24

Geolocation

Adventurer's Guild

Post by Valter »

Vergil wrote: June 15th, 2025, 18:20
Valter wrote: June 15th, 2025, 18:16
though I find it remarkable that there's users out there unwilling to playing any of the listed games. :ugeek: There's some really short ones too.
I think it's more about the principle of not wanting to be suddenly made to jump through arbitrary hoops to access site features that have been available to them for years on a whim.
I would find it unreasonable for this to be applied to existing active users. I know Rusty said something to the tune of "you guys better start getting a badge" but surely it was in jest
Steam friend code: 1525876263
User avatar
Vergil
Posts: 15670
Joined: Sep 6, '23

Geolocation

Post by Vergil »

Valter wrote: June 15th, 2025, 18:24
but surely it was in jest
We all have autism here there is no in jest
I'm just stating the facts.
Question is are you going to gargle the truth or swallow?
User avatar
Val the Moofia Boss
Turtle
Turtle
Posts: 4374
Joined: Jun 3, '23

Geolocation

Adventurer's Guild

Post by Val the Moofia Boss »

Regarding the videogame curriculum thread, I had a reflex reaction against the title and the first line. Academia has ruined reading for modern Americans by forcing people to read a "canon" of stuff that the vast majority of normal people do not enjoy. The Great Gatsby, Brave New World, Frankenstein, Those Who Walk Away from Omelas, etc. The end result is that most people think reading is boring and dully and unenjoyable and then write off the genre. There is also - to a lesser extent - the same thing that happens with film circles, where you are "supposed" to watch all of these "masterpiece" movies like Gone With the Wind (very long and is boring most of the time), Citizen Kane (boring most of the time and forgettable), Apocalypse Now (long, disgusting, is boring most of the time), The Godfather, Deer Hunter, etc. And then even within videogames, there was for many years a "canon" being pushed of "the best games ever that you have to play!" regardless of whether or not they look appealing to you like Xenogears, Chrono Trigger, Shadow of the Colossus, Bioshock, Mass Effect, etc.

Similar to what Vergil said earlier in this thread, I am of the opinion that people can identify what appeals to them, and they should not waste their limited life span slogging through homework just to get fake cred or "education".
User avatar
Tweed
Turtle
Turtle
Posts: 6995
Joined: Feb 2, '23

Geolocation

Adventurer's Guild

Post by Tweed »

But we need to punish people for having bad taste.