General Discussion Thread

[noako]

General discussion thread and all: I'm saaad that I'm completely unable to play certain types of computer games. I just tried skyrim, and ten minutes in I had a bad case of motion sickness and needed to quit. Same, only even worse, with Portal. Curse my labyrinths, I really wanted to play that game!

Oh, I've heard about that. That sucks. Would playing in a smaller resolution help anything?

[ThisCat]

Meanwhile, does anyone know how to keep mosquitoes out of my room?

I live in what you could call a mosquito hole, and we've found that the best way is to cover all windows in netting and to keep around a few of those electric bugswatters that look like tennis rackets. Also, it's possible to by mosquito traps for your garden. Big machine-things that attract the tiny vampires with gas and suck them in with a fan. You just have to change the bag every now and then and put the old one in the freezer. Works really well.

In other news, I've reached 100 posts and I'm the first Jr. Member of the forum!!! So you better get to those definition-thingies quickly, because another couple of users will son reach the number.

I would totally have reached 100 posts if I had put each poem in it's own post. 

[Unlos]

Oh, I've heard about that. That sucks. Would playing in a smaller resolution help anything?

Maybe if you play a little bit every now and then you'll gradually get used to it?

I think it's a problem of brain confusion when my eyes tell me I'm moving and my inner ears tell me I'm motionless. I had the same problem during a microscopy course, but that got better as the course progressed. Hm, maybe both at the same time? I definitely want to give it another shot...

[noako]

I think it's a problem of brain confusion when my eyes tell me I'm moving and my inner ears tell me I'm motionless. I had the same problem during a microscopy course, but that got better as the course progressed. Hm, maybe both at the same time? I definitely want to give it another shot...

If it's anything like traveling sickness, there might be actual medication for that.

[Unlos]

If it's anything like traveling sickness, there might be actual medication for that.

It's kinda the exact opposite of traveling sickness (ears tell you you're moving while eyes more-or-less tell you you're not), but since it's the same systems at war, the same medicines should help. BUT to use medication in order to play computer games might be a bit over the top... I'll try the low-resolution for short intervals instead, those were good tips. Desensitization works for a lot of people, so if I'm lucky it'll work for me too.

[Fimbulvarg]

It's kinda the exact opposite of traveling sickness (ears tell you you're moving while eyes more-or-less tell you you're not), but since it's the same systems at war, the same medicines should help. BUT to use medication in order to play computer games might be a bit over the top... I'll try the low-resolution for short intervals instead, those were good tips. Desensitization works for a lot of people, so if I'm lucky it'll work for me too.

Have you tried playing a game without much detail? Like an old nintendo or SEGA game for instance? Would be interesting to know if that actually works fine.

[Eich]

I had a dream on Sunday night that I was raising two fox kits I found in the woods.  One was a silver fox, and the other was a normal red one that turned into an espeon at some point...  Anyway, I had to teach them how to survive, so I got them outside and played with them, because that's how a lot of animals develop their instincts.  The silver warmed up to me quickly, and ended up following me around wherever I went, but the espeon was more skittish and wouldn't play, but stayed nearby because its brother was following me so much.  I was afraid she wouldn't learn how to survive, but nothing really happened after that.  I think at some point we were at a grocery store? 
Anyway, it was adorable.

General discussion thread and all: I'm saaad that I'm completely unable to play certain types of computer games. I just tried skyrim, and ten minutes in I had a bad case of motion sickness and needed to quit. Same, only even worse, with Portal. Curse my labyrinths, I really wanted to play that game!

Playing on a tv screen from farther away might do the trick, or changing the field of view in-game.  I know if I play with a too-narrow field of view it gives me a splitting headache.  The trick for me is to make it feel like I'm looking through a window, so I can see the correct amount of the game world based on the distance from my eyes to the screen.

[StellersJayC]

I had a dream on Sunday night

Oh no. now I'm going to have to tell you all about all these crazy dreams I've had recently. Last night for instance I had this one that was kind of like Legend of Korra meets Warrior Cats, except the cats were horses.

About a month ago there was this one were I had to board a log ride to get up to a viewing platform. The log ride was on a set of tracks and rolled up and down a steep slope. To get on passengers had to sit on the ground, hook their legs over the edge of a car when it came up to them, and throw themselves into the car - which was incredibly dangerous because the cars kept randomly flying off the tracks. Once in the viewing platform visitors had to wait for a ride from a giant flying tortoise with a propeller hat for a cinematic flight over Lord Rikash Moonsword's chromed sky castle/amusement park.

Another time I had a dream where a dozen of my friends - I don't know these people from anywhere except the dream - fell into a book that was also kind of like a terrarium. Once in the book, all of these random 'friends' reverted to their 'true animal forms' - which included a palm tree and some sea weed. I had to go through each page of the book - each of which represented a biome - and rescue the friends there. In the ocean page everything was poisoned and the friends there were the seaweed and an octopus. The last friend was a giraffe in a jungle safari type location. Suddenly a group of hunters ambushed my twelve friends an I so we jumped out of the book and returned to the space station where we lived. While I was away the leader of the space station, Bluestar - yes, the cat - mysteriously disappeared and I somehow became the leader instantly. For the rest of the dream I moped around the station, desperately missing my older sister - who doesn't exist in real life.

I guess the moral to the stories are that my dreams are very confusing. Also they pull from books a lot.

[Nimphy]

I had a dream on Sunday night that I was raising two fox kits I found in the woods.  One was a silver fox, and the other was a normal red one that turned into an espeon at some point...  Anyway, I had to teach them how to survive, so I got them outside and played with them, because that's how a lot of animals develop their instincts.  The silver warmed up to me quickly, and ended up following me around wherever I went, but the espeon was more skittish and wouldn't play, but stayed nearby because its brother was following me so much.  I was afraid she wouldn't learn how to survive, but nothing really happened after that.  I think at some point we were at a grocery store? 

*sigh* Why do I never have dreams like that? Just tonight I dreamed I was in some kind of evil complot and I kept being sent bombs and had to get rid of them before they exploded, but they tricked me and one almost took me by surprise and I had to throw it out of the window. Problem is, out of the window there was an old classmate of mine, and I almost killed him. So I tried to ask sorry but I ended in some sort of evil institution where I risked getting killed for trespassing or something and jumped in the sea because they were shooting at me XD

No more movies for me before bed time... not. Seriously, if I were to list all the weird dreams I had like the user above...

[StellersJayC]

No more movies for me before bed time... not. Seriously, if I were to list all the weird dreams I had like the user above...

Um... You thought that was all the weird dreams I've had? I have plenty more.

Last night for instance I had a dream where my grandpa came over to cook a recipe. The outcome looked kind of like giant pieces of dog food mixed with giant pieces of dark chocolate. For some reason I had to walk down the side of the freeway to go to the city with a bunch of other people. I the city I think there were lots of pigeons and I tried to do something in a store. Then I was my sister and I was hiding upstairs in the house. Then I was me again. I was back home and trying to clean up the mess by eating it. It tasted gross, like dark chocolate. For some reason we were all really mad at grandpa. When he showed up at the front door I glared at him and walked out. The end.

[Nimphy]

Um... You thought that was all the weird dreams I've had? I have plenty more.

Last night for instance I had a dream where my grandpa came over to cook a recipe. The outcome looked kind of like giant pieces of dog food mixed with giant pieces of dark chocolate. For some reason I had to walk down the side of the freeway to go to the city with a bunch of other people. I the city I think there were lots of pigeons and I tried to do something in a store. Then I was my sister and I was hiding upstairs in the house. Then I was me again. I was back home and trying to clean up the mess by eating it. It tasted gross, like dark chocolate. For some reason we were all really mad at grandpa. When he showed up at the front door I glared at him and walked out. The end.

A few weeks ago I dreamed I was touring a dungeon where there was a deeeep hole (the guide said '300 layers', but how is it possible I don't know) and  I was now in the past and saw the hole being dug with acid by a medieval man who wanted to kill his lord, and I believe I also saw a ghost.

The day before that I dreamt I was having a trip with my scout group, and we were eating oranges. Then we see a worm that we know takes control of your mind in the oranges, and we want to warn my school, BUT we somehow end up in a stage and we're making a show and the public is booing at us before, for some reason, we remember the worms and try to warn the people. No one believes us but my aunt, who is eating a tomato. I notice the same worm-signs (pale blue lines) on the tomato, and just when I tell my aunt, she starts talking in an alien voice. Oops.

Beat that, girl XD

[ThisCat]

A few weeks ago I dreamed I was touring a dungeon where there was a deeeep hole (the guide said '300 layers', but how is it possible I don't know) and  I was now in the past and saw the hole being dug with acid by a medieval man who wanted to kill his lord, and I believe I also saw a ghost.

The day before that I dreamt I was having a trip with my scout group, and we were eating oranges. Then we see a worm that we know takes control of your mind in the oranges, and we want to warn my school, BUT we somehow end up in a stage and we're making a show and the public is booing at us before, for some reason, we remember the worms and try to warn the people. No one believes us but my aunt, who is eating a tomato. I notice the same worm-signs (pale blue lines) on the tomato, and just when I tell my aunt, she starts talking in an alien voice. Oops.

Beat that, girl XD

Once, I dreamt I got tired of earth, so I built a huge rocket and ran off (also I was an old man and a mad scientist for some reason). We landed on a planet much like our own, but with all the colours switched around, and we met a girl with a large circle on her stomach. We tried to communicate by music, since that's appearantly an universal language, but it turns out she was allergic to music, so she nded up writhing on the floor in pain, and the circle turned blue, so we just walked away.

Then we met a big, yellow crocodile who looked like he was drawn by a six-year-old. He was sitting under a huge, rocky overhand and playing chess. Exept the pieces were black and red, the board didn't look right and none of the moves he made made sense. We asked him what the meaning of the game was an he just looked at us with a puzzled expression and said "meaning?" as if the word itself didn't mean anything to him. And then some other stuff happened.

My dreams tend to take the shape of really nonsensical but epic adventures.

[Eich]

Once, I dreamt I got tired of earth, so I built a huge rocket and ran off (also I was an old man and a mad scientist for some reason). We landed on a planet much like our own, but with all the colours switched around, and we met a girl with a large circle on her stomach. We tried to communicate by music, since that's appearantly an universal language, but it turns out she was allergic to music, so she nded up writhing on the floor in pain, and the circle turned blue, so we just walked away.

Then we met a big, yellow crocodile who looked like he was drawn by a six-year-old. He was sitting under a huge, rocky overhand and playing chess. Exept the pieces were black and red, the board didn't look right and none of the moves he made made sense. We asked him what the meaning of the game was an he just looked at us with a puzzled expression and said "meaning?" as if the word itself didn't mean anything to him. And then some other stuff happened.

My dreams tend to take the shape of really nonsensical but epic adventures.

The caucus race of chess games.  Deep.

I have this recurring dream where I always end up going lucid.  My family is at the house of some of our friends, except their house is a mansion in the dream, and it's in the middle of the woods.  The dream starts as we're about to leave their house and go back home.  One of the parents in the family offers one of my parents some wine, whichever one of my parents it is respectfully declines, and we head to the car.  For some reason, I have a jeep, even though I started having this dream when I was probably 10, and I tell my sister to take my jeep, because I'm just going to fly home tonight.  I leap up about 50 feet, fall down and almost hit the ground before feeling a tug in my gut and getting pulled back up again; I fall three times, and on the third tug, I realize I'm dreaming and fly off over the mountains.  After that... I dunno.  I like terraforming and shooting lasers from my hands a lot though.

Do y'all dream in first person or third person?  I only dream in third.

[Nimphy]

The caucus race of chess games.  Deep.

I have this recurring dream where I always end up going lucid.  My family is at the house of some of our friends, except their house is a mansion in the dream, and it's in the middle of the woods.  The dream starts as we're about to leave their house and go back home.  One of the parents in the family offers one of my parents some wine, whichever one of my parents it is respectfully declines, and we head to the car.  For some reason, I have a jeep, even though I started having this dream when I was probably 10, and I tell my sister to take my jeep, because I'm just going to fly home tonight.  I leap up about 50 feet, fall down and almost hit the ground before feeling a tug in my gut and getting pulled back up again; I fall three times, and on the third tug, I realize I'm dreaming and fly off over the mountains.  After that... I dunno.  I like terraforming and shooting lasers from my hands a lot though.

Do y'all dream in first person or third person?  I only dream in third.

I wish I could have lucid dreams... hey, I know my next wish in the game!

It depends. Perhaps the best example is when I dreamt I was Robin Hood with two weird sidekicks (who got kidnapped and possibly tortured and/or killed) and I had to steal a giant golden toilet (maybe I really needed to go to the bathroom?). All the sneaking in and seeing my friends get taken away was in first person, then when I reach the golden toilet and escape through it (without even taking it...) it was in 3rd person.

[ThisCat]

Do y'all dream in first person or third person?  I only dream in third.

I dream almost exclusively in first person, but almost never as myself.

Also, aaaargh, I'm so jealous of you! I've always wanted to have a lucid dream. The closest I've gotten is dreaming that I realized it was a dream, only I didn't really realize it, because if I had I would have realized I'm not actually supposed to be an indian in the middle of the american civil war. And male. I'm surprisingly often male in my dreams. I'm practically only female when I'm myself. Or maybe I only realize I wasn't myself in  dream when I was male. Or something. Dreams are weird.