thank you for all the doubt and for all the questioning

I'm fairly sure that everyone reading this knows about the Bechdel Test, but in case you don't, here's a brief description of what the test actually does, and accomplishes:

To pass the Bechdel test, a work of fiction must:

• have two women in it
• who talk to each other
• about something other than a man

Simple, right? There's even a few extended variants:

• the two women must be named characters, in addition to the other provisions
• the two women must talk for sixty seconds about something other than a man
• The Vito Russo variant:
  • must contain a character that is identifiably lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender
  • that character must not be solely or predominantly defined by their sexual orientation or gender identity alone
  • that character must be tied into the plot in such a way that their removal would have a significant detrimental effect

• The Finkbeiner variant relates to articles written about women in science:
  • the fact that she's a woman cannot be mentioned to pass this variant
  • or her husband's job
  • or her child care arrangements
  • how she's such a maternal, nurturing presence to her interns
  • how she was taken aback by the level of competetiveness in her field of study
  • how she's now a role model for other women (especially young women)
  • or how she's the first woman to do [thing] (extra points subtracted if the article's author names her as the first woman to do [thing], when even a Google search will establish other female scientists have previously done said thing.

So, still with me? Now there's a new variant, and it goes like this:

The Mako Mori Test requires:

• at least one female character who gets her own narrative arc
• that is not about supporting a man's story

Which is just about as bare-bones as the original Bechdel test. I like it.

And now, Neverwinter chatter!

[Zone] Darkspeed@dlayer2: oh look im at the gate...no im not...yes now i am...no now im not..

Wait, what's going on?

[Zone] Gotr Durentil@durentil123 pats butthurppl
[Zone] Willoh MacCool@maccool2: make your own team if you dont like the random one given you by the game.

Oh...the skirmish thing? Skirmishes (and dungeons) are limited to groups of five. You can take a team of five in--you and four of your friends or acquaintances--or you can just join the skirmish, wait until five folks are in the queue, then say yes when the announcement comes that the skirmish is ready to join.

[Zone] Timothy@timtheguardian: I feel bad for Eluna though. With such rage having a family of his/her own will be nearly impossible

Huh?

[Zone] Felkirth Brimstone@jenkwise: HAHA
[Zone] Mika Goldweaver@oitsubob: ask eluna, she knows
[Zone] Mika Goldweaver@oitsubob: in fact, u should pm her about it

Why?

[Zone] Timothy@timtheguardian: I usually find it is the people complaining that end up being the ones holding people back though

Sad, but true.

[Zone] Mahanon@seylythia: it is
[Zone] Felkirth Brimstone@jenkwise: blast it....well..im still sayin "nuff said" ITS MINE! ITS ALL MINE! MY PRECIOUS! *goes into a corner*
[Zone] ShadowB'rs@educandido69: ushasuhahusa
[Zone] Mahanon@seylythia: looks good on Winterfell:D

I suppose that's a good thing. Or...at least a thing.

[Zone] Eluna@eviled777: seriously......does this Timothy (%#!^$/ ever #@~!?

Apparently not, but I didn't catch any of Timothy's dialogue so far, so...

[Zone] Timothy@timtheguardian: I could ask the same thing about you

Oh, hi, there you are.

[Zone] Timothy@timtheguardian: never fails, everytime I log in it is you with all caps complaining about people

Eluna? Or someone else?

[Zone] Felkirth Brimstone@jenkwise: WOAH~ THE ANGER ..CALM DOWN...:)
[Zone] Timothy@timtheguardian: if you dont like people that MIGHT be messing up then make your own group prior to entering. Stop filling zone chat with your useless drivel

Ouch. That's really harsh.

[Zone] GerbilHurdler@gerbilhurdler: Eluna, this is officer Goat. I'm here because you wanted to file a hurt feelings report.

She did?

[Zone] Gotr Durentil@durentil123: with that attitute? HOW he can manage to get even MMO "friends" to run whit

"Attitude", and sometimes, I do wonder how some people continue to find running mates. The way some folks treat other players in Neverwinter--in any MMO, really--is nothing short of abysmal.

[Zone] Felkirth Brimstone@jenkwise: it pays to be cool yo. Only cool peeps say yo..and peeps...so..BE COOL!

Timeless advice from Felkirth.

[Zone] Mika Goldweaver@oitsubob: stop teasing her
[Zone] Timothy@timtheguardian: who is teasing who mika? :P
[Zone] Mika Goldweaver@oitsubob: the ppl teasing eluna
[Zone] Timothy@timtheguardian: Noone is teasing Eluna really. We are making her aware that her behavior is not acceptable especially in society

Hmm. Surprisingly rational point.

[Zone] Timothy@timtheguardian: If she is not made aware of her issues then she can not fix them
[Zone] Felkirth Brimstone@jenkwise: what Behavior does Eluna have?
[Zone] Das it Mane@zilla0922: who cares what society thinks
[Zone] Gotr Durentil@durentil123: bitchy
[Zone] Timothy@timtheguardian: Continual rage problems, complaining about others, using profanity when upset over worthless issues
[Zone] Timothy@timtheguardian: the list truly does go on

So far, the needle's cautiously swinging towards Timothy's side...

[Zone] Mika Goldweaver@oitsubob: she keeps lifting up her dress, around the grown-ups

What??

[Zone] Gotr Durentil@durentil123: lolita att ?

...Lolita attitude? Do you mean, acting generally bratty and underage, or Lolita in the fashion sense, or Nabokov's character? Specify, please.

[Zone] Timothy@timtheguardian: but seriously, to get so worked up over a game is not healthy

Well, that's certainly true.

[Zone] Agorn@drartwhodent: a lot of little girls do that, most grow out of it
[Zone] Mika Goldweaver@oitsubob: i know but shes 39

...Oh.

[Zone] Timothy@timtheguardian: then she SHOULD already know this stuff and apparently does not
[Zone] Felkirth Brimstone@jenkwise: hey Timothy, did you just get worked up over a person in the game? lol, that isnt healthy :P

Ha. Ha ha. Ha.

[Zone] Das it Mane@zilla0922: so we bullying someone or what
[Zone] Timothy@timtheguardian: Nah I just made some very clear comments :)
[Zone] Astroid@lademonicc: yes
[Zone] Mika Goldweaver@oitsubob: yes char
[Zone] Timothy@timtheguardian: I was originally gonna troll her but decided to hold off on that :P
[Zone] Nashirah@metonymie: what's all this about somebody learning what she should know already? did I just walk into general chat having to give someone the period talk

Ew. But okay, seemed fairly level. Yay for no major insanity!

Later:

[Zone] SesameStMafia@truemafia: how do u get a companion passed lvl15?
[Zone] Agorn@drartwhodent: pay
[Zone] Mika Goldweaver@oitsubob: money, sesame
[Zone] Mika Goldweaver@oitsubob: astral diamonds actually
[Zone] Mika Goldweaver@oitsubob: so, time or money

Yep.

And later still:

[Zone] Emberglo@emberlori: maybe the problem is I am playing a money grubbing game and should go back to playing wow or eq2 which don't cost a small fortune to maintain or get adequate armor and such
[Zone] Shaarika@sheer13: maybe the problem is you dont know how to play dont need money
[Zone] Shadana@artillis22: you can get practicaly everything in this game without spending a single cent

Yeah, seriously. I still don't get people who complain that Neverwinter is Pay-to-Play, or Pay-to-Win. Sure, if you're a lousy player, and you're only interested in PVP--in which case, yeah, you're gonna buy the best armor and weapons you can get, and then not invest another thin dime. Because at the end of the day hardcore PVPers don't spend money on fripperies--they're just there to measure their virtual penis size against other testosterone-poisoned seat jockeys.

Where the real money in any game comes from is from the PVE contingent. Because we're the ones interested in the mythology of the game. We're the ones who want the custom titles, the custom clothing sets, the companions, the pets. We spend money on things that we think suit our characters. We buy the dyes, the crafting essentials, the keys for the lockboxes that will get us special mounts or ancient artifacts. And we're willing to do it again and again, because that's how we play.

So yes, you can get practically everything from quests alone, up until levels 58-60, say--and even there, you don't necessarily have to spend Zen (the purchasable currency for Neverwinter), if you're willing to run quests in the Epic zones for Astral diamonds (the in-game currency). Everything you need is there in the game.

[Zone] Ingwe@starkbannerman: EA touched me here *points to doll* and here *points to wallet*

Isn't that what EA does?

In other news, the Lab isn't giving up on Second Life. Uh...good to know? Though it does strike me as exactly the same kind of statement they made about Teen Grid...before the Lab did exactly what they said they wouldn't do, ever, and merged Teen Grid with Main.

So...yay, they're not giving up on Second Life, just developing a new platform? Save at tsome point, it's fully within their ability to ditch SL when it stops performing the way they want.