We're Doing It Wrong

I know how to defeat ISL.
You gotta be the Borg and assimilate them. There is no winning of hearts and minds. There is the currency of Rome, the habits of Rome, gee...we are Romans.
Let them have a generation as a conquered people; and install all the institutions of the conquering nations.
Set up the currency, the dollar, naturally.
Make the most radical, violent fundamentalists the heads of the armed forces.
Make them recite the Pledge of Allegiance everyday.
Make consumer goods available to everyone. Make free and easy credit a feature, not a bug.
If you make them one of us, what reason would they have to revolt? If you give them things, they will have something to lose.

I wonder to whom I am speaking?

What do You Hear?

Put your hand on your heart and what do you hear?
Touch your soul to another and what sound do you hear?

When the wind howls and the nips are biting. When the cold is tolerable.
When the stars shine a bit brighter.

But what do you hear?

Do you hear the grasshopper at your feet?
The typing as you write?
The desk lamp singing to you?

A symphony in the noise.
Music

Spy Party

We all love a good party, right?
How about a good party in which the hosts pull out games for the party goers to play?
Chenga or Pictionary...

How about a Spy Party?

"SpyParty is a tense competitive spy game set at a high society party. It's about subtle behavior, perception, and deception, instead of guns, car chases, and explosions. One player is the Spy, trying to accomplish missions while blending into the crowd. The other player is the Sniper, who has one bullet with which to find and terminate the Spy!"

That is the game in a nutshell. It is asymmetrical in that the two players are doing very different things with differing loads to bear. The Sniper has to process a lot of information - there are a lot of party goers...and the tells to which is the AI and which is the other human player can be extremely subtle.

The Spy is trying to carry out a series of tasks without being spotted as the human player.

Beyond the gameplay itself there is a wonderful, nurturing community the developer, Chris Hecker (Checker) has grown along with his code baby.

When playing, one is almost expected to share insights and thoughts. The veterans of the community will mentor and teach those with fewer games. The regulars stream their games, chatting with online people who question moves and strategies.

An easy game to pick up but insanely sophisticated to master. The level of games within a games can be infinite.

So as a noob I was asked to be on the community podcast sharing what concerns or needs the newer players encounter. I had a blast.

Natch.

the AfterParty episode 9, featuring AngryHatter