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8 votes
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NYC: Safety net hospitals a 'disaster' as coronavirus patients begin to flood in
5 votes -
Americans' opinions on the coronavirus are changing fast
19 votes -
Childcare workers at SpaceX are afraid of the coronavirus spreading as Elon Musk forces them to stay open
9 votes -
Plenty of American workers aren't being told to work remotely—even though they could
8 votes -
Does the frequent addition of content to esport games delegitimize them?
This questions ultimately rests on the supposition of what a game intends to be or what esport should be. This is partially why it probably won't spark too much discussion, but I'm interested in...
This questions ultimately rests on the supposition of what a game intends to be or what esport should be. This is partially why it probably won't spark too much discussion, but I'm interested in your opinions nonetheless, especially when it comes to the current state of esports. It seems to me that when we are talking about rules in any kind of sport we want to change as little as we can over time. If the rules changes enough, you could argue that people have over time played what essentially is a different game. It becomes harder to compare achievements between players within the a timeline. Meta's and achievements will only really be comparable after games has stopped adding content such as new heroes or mechanics. With a lot of games there seems to be a major content patch, then long period of balancing and this cycle basically repeats itself. Another point is that by adding content and changing the meta you are preventing the current players from reaching their full potential, the older players from retaining their hard earned experience and discouraging new players by promising them a game they can never "beat". That is until the content stops coming in and in today's world that might mean that you are not able to play at all due to a lack of dedicated servers. Further the players that might once have stuck to it might already have left, leaving no opponents left to play against.
This superficial take ultimately comes from someone who hasn't really played esports except a little bit of 1.6 counter strike and counter strike global offensive. It always struck me as odd that with MOBA's and especially with shooters such as overwatch and siege, that there seem to be no pushback on this. When I ask people that prefer this sort of drip-feed-service, what I usually hear is that it's something that is necessary to keep them engaged. Isn't there ultimately a trade-off here, between a sort of accessible fun and lack of constancy which prevents players from reaching their full potential?
I immediately see the talking point of financial aspect of games. It seems to me however that Quake and counter strike largely went without major changes when compared to modern esports games. Are there any good broad rules we can use when designing esport games in order to avoid the issues mentioned here?
In an ideal world, do you agree that we generally don't want kind of content and/or rule change that we see today?
If there is a need to add content (such as heroes) to keep a game feeling "fresh". Is there an acknowledgement here that the core-gameplay isn't engaging enough? I think there is a case to be made here when it comes to MOBA's since knowledge (about enemy heroes abilities) plays a more central part when compared to more archaic shooters. Is this indicative of a an audience that is more interested in an entertaining service, rather than a (e)sport that seldom changes?
When we look at games such as world of warcraft, which isn't an esport, yet there are achievements and historic events so to speak which became cheapened or not attainable until what was basically a restart of the timeline (story of the game). Is this not what we are risking with current service models in modern esports?
15 votes -
Millions of older Americans live in counties with no ICU beds as pandemic intensifies
4 votes -
Bay Area health care workers dealing with coronavirus short of crucial face masks
3 votes -
Disinfecting wipes being flushed down toilets causing major pipe problems
13 votes -
Sharp increase in Moscow pneumonia cases fuels fears over coronavirus statistics
10 votes -
Chloroquine, past and present
3 votes -
Some free games are being released on Steam today
17 votes -
John Gruber reviews the new 2020 MacBook Air
5 votes -
What we know so far about SARS-CoV-2
5 votes -
France limits sale of paracetamol (acetaminophen)
4 votes -
Jogging, park walks banned as alarmed Italian regions impose more coronavirus restrictions
8 votes -
United We Stream: Livestreams from Berlin clubs this week
4 votes -
Fitness Weekly Discussion
What have you been doing lately for your own fitness? Try out any new programs or exercises? Have any questions for others about your training? Want to vent about poor behavior in the gym? Started...
What have you been doing lately for your own fitness? Try out any new programs or exercises? Have any questions for others about your training? Want to vent about poor behavior in the gym? Started a new diet or have a new recipe you want to share? Anything else health and wellness related?
6 votes -
Finland has been named the world's happiest country for the third year in a row, maintaining the Nordic grip on the World Happiness Report's top spots
7 votes -
EU state aid regulators clear Danish financial support for a rail-road link between Denmark and Germany
4 votes -
What creative projects have you been working on?
This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on. Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just...
This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on.
Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just ideas.
If you have any creative projects that you have been working on or want to eventually work on, this is a place for discussing those.
A list of all previous topics in this series can be found here.
8 votes -
When your barber assumes you’re a racist too
4 votes -
How to make parmesan cheese at home
4 votes -
How to keep the family happy: Put up your Christmas lights, and drive around town looking at others' displays
5 votes -
How Mrs. Meyer’s took over the hand soap aisle
7 votes -
Operation cancel Spring Break: Floridians fret over coronavirus as young revelers try to keep the party going
8 votes -
Senator Richard Burr dumped up to $1.6 million of stock after reassuring public about coronavirus preparedness
27 votes -
Why Donald Trump's presidency is first and foremost about being white
8 votes -
Capitalism’s favorite drug: The dark history of how coffee took over the world
13 votes -
You can socially distance for free at national parks, but should you?
7 votes -
ASCII art and permadeath: The history of roguelike games
12 votes -
"What should Bernie do when he drops out? Are there any potential drawbacks to doing so now?"
From the NY times Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont was reassessing the future of his presidential bid on Wednesday after a crushing round of primary losses left him with no realistic path to the...
Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont was reassessing the future of his presidential bid on Wednesday after a crushing round of primary losses left him with no realistic path to the Democratic nomination and the 2020 race itself looked increasingly dormant because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Mr. Sanders’s campaign has stopped actively advertising on Facebook and its campaign manager sent an email to supporters without asking for donations — the kind of steps that other candidates have taken before ending their campaigns. Mr. Sanders’s aides said he is not suspending his campaign at this point, even as some Democrats have become increasingly vocal that he should consider leaving the race.
Even among Democrats who view Mr. Biden’s eventual triumph as inevitable, there is a belief that contested primaries are good for the party, making some of them reluctant to call for Mr. Sanders to withdraw. In Wisconsin, Democratic officials worry that if Mr. Sanders drops out before the state’s planned April 7 primary, it could dampen his supporters’ enthusiasm, depress turnout and hurt progressive candidates for state and local offices.
Mr. Sanders also views the coronavirus crisis as a moment when the progressive agenda he has championed for years is especially vital, and he is eager to leverage his influence for good at a time when issues like health care and economic inequity are so resonant, some allies say.
And top advisers see potential for him to continue to shape the narrative around how the country should be responding to the crisis and are holding out hope that they can harness existing virtual infrastructure to allow him to get his message out and keep his supporters engaged — a tacit admission that the campaign is no longer trying to win.
The above paragraphs show that yes, Sanders knows his electoral situation is done for, despite never clearly indicating if he is dropping out.
Some suggested Mr. Sanders should declare a moral victory — Democrats have moved broadly toward his progressive policy platform since he began his first presidential campaign — and throw his support to Mr. Biden.
“It’s time to throw in the towel knowing that he has won the battle of issues,” said Wilbur Colom, a D.N.C. member from Mississippi. “The Democratic Party has moved within inches of his revolution on all major issues. We all are feeling the Bern.”
From the Star
Charles Chamberlain, chairman of the progressive group Democracy for America, said Sanders can play a potentially “critical” role in unifying the party by continuing his campaign.
“Bernie has already made it clear that he will 100% support the Democratic nominee and that he’s going to campaign for Joe Biden if that’s who it is,” Chamberlain said. “The reality is, that’s not 100% true for all Bernie Sanders supporters. So there is a real value to Bernie staying in the race as long as possible to bring those people into the party deeper.“
That underscores the sensitivity of how Sanders proceeds. Justin Bamberg, a South Carolina state representative and Sanders supporter, said it’s wrong to assume that, if the senator quickly drops out, his backers would unite behind Biden.
“It’s a mistake for the party, regardless of whether the nominee is Biden or Bernie, to think that beating Donald Trump in and of itself will be enough motivation for the average person living their day-to-day life to come out and be excited about voting in November,” Bamberg said.
I agree. Biden needs to emphasize that he can be trusted to keep his promises of endorsing and then carrying out Warren's plan despite their controversies and that the bernie or bust folks won't gain nothing from a Biden presidency.
13 votes -
Netflix will reduce the video quality on its service in Europe for the next thirty days to reduce the strain on internet service providers
10 votes -
A woman dies. How does her community pay tribute when they are social-distancing?
@buailtin: Yesterday we buried a lovely woman. Due to #Covid19 there was no wake & our community couldn't enter the church. But the entire parish came out & lined the 2km road to graveyard to say goodbye to Betty Ryan. Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine #WestKerry https://t.co/Sns99qUSad
7 votes -
Coronavirus: The hammer and the dance
11 votes -
As climate change makes winemaking a torrid business in southern Europe, viniculture is taking off in Scandinavia
3 votes -
Two emergency flights are set to arrive in South America early next week to rescue hundreds of Australians trapped in Argentina and Peru
3 votes -
Daily coronavirus-related chat, questions, and minor updates - March 19
This thread is posted daily, and is intended as a place for more-casual discussion of the coronavirus and questions/updates that may not warrant their own dedicated topics. Tell us about what the...
This thread is posted daily, and is intended as a place for more-casual discussion of the coronavirus and questions/updates that may not warrant their own dedicated topics. Tell us about what the situation is like where you live!
16 votes -
COVID ( @UCSF ) Chronicles, Day 2
@bob_wachter: COVID (@UCSF) Chronicles, Day 2 The response to post #1 was gratifying, so I'll make this a daily digest...of life inside @ucsf/@ucsfhospitals as we begin managing growing # of #COVID19 pts. Pic below: a few principles I'll follow for these posts. Today's issues follow...(1/10)
4 votes -
'Buy as much as possible' - Taiwan sees boon to panic buying
4 votes -
Trump’s call with governors shows confusion in US virus fight
8 votes -
For the first time ever, New Zealand shuts borders to all non-citizens and non-permanent residents as of 11:59PM, 19 March 2020
16 votes -
“Overstressed” NASA Mars exploration budget threatens missions
5 votes -
Air Force moves 500K coronavirus test swabs from Italy to US
7 votes -
Prominent scientist dares to ask: Has the COVID-19 response gone too far?
8 votes -
Magical Realism in times of Covid-19? Nicaragua fights virus fears with massive public rallies
3 votes -
California governor issues statewide order to ‘stay at home’ effective Thursday evening
13 votes -
Chef Thomas Keller on how coronavirus pandemic hits the restaurant industry
5 votes -
Which workers are most vulnerable to the economic costs of COVID-19?
5 votes -
New blood tests for antibodies could show true scale of coronavirus pandemic
8 votes