Free Software, Water Economics, Site Rental and Gaming

[tcpip]

Linux Users of Victoria elections went as expected with myself, imajica_lj, laptop006, casopaya, and claudine_c all on the committee. I wonder if there's any others who have el-jays that I don't know of yet... Tomorrow, the President (Leader Without Fear) is speaking (well, he'd better damn well be) at the Melbourne Unitarian Church on public science versus proprietory science.

Next Saturday is Software Freedom Day. This is a global, grassroots effort to educate the public about the virtues and availability of Free and Open Source Software. Linux Users Victoria and the Melbourne Unitarian Church are holding an "Install Fest" at the church premises from 10am to 5pm. Linux professionals will provide and install free software on computers brought in by members of the public and provide expert advice on the advantages and capabilities of free and open source software.

Henry George Commerative Dinner went well. Thanks due to imajica_lj, caseopaya, anthanum and missmilky who came along. Professor Mike Young clearly "knows his stuff" when it comes to water policy. Had the opportunity to use the Rime of the Ancient Mariner in an appropriate context in given the presidential address. On topic is a detailed report I've had forwarded to me from the Productivity Commission.

Further on-topic have contacted Timor Leste's Prime Minister, Jose Ramos-Horta concerning site rental versus taxation as an avenue for public revenue. This follows recent correspondence I've had with Noam Chomsky on the same issue. Currently finishing off three websites for associated organisations and will be lobbying Victorian politicians hard on the run up to the state election.

Gaming wise, last Friday was zen_cat's In Nomine game. My character (a reform Jewish angel who actually thinks demons can be redeemed) is developing a plan to defeat the evil MMORPG which is sucking people's souls out of existence. In other gaming events, I have had a few comments to make on the Mongoose RuneQuest SRD release and have been working through the new playtest Powers chapter for the impending deluxe edition of Basic Role Playing. RuneQuest pbem goes well. AD&D Norman Britian on Sunday.

Nice. The rise and fall of the Roman Empire as an animated GIF. Stupid. Wiccan support of creationism. Serious. Half a class (amphibians) to be exitinct within six months.

Comments

[taavi.livejournal.com]

Since RQ is OGL, is there anything stopping you and fellow playtesters from putting together a PDF of the rules "as they should be"and releasing it?
You could call it the "P&P" (Playtesters and Purists) edition...

On your comments on RQ - as a physicist, the idea that falling damage would scale linearly with distance fallen, or that armour would protect against it (unless it was soft, thick armour, like thick leather) is ridiculous.

A more accurate formula would be something like: damage (in dice rolled) = (distance fallen SQUARED) divided by 5, round to the nearest integer, max dice = SIZ-1: because falling damage is proportional to your kinetic energy on impact, which is equal to your potential energy at the top of the fall, which is proportional to your height above the bottom squared (I put the factor of 5 in since it appears in the rules you mentioned).

The SIZ limit is because your terminal velocity due to air resistance is proportional to your size and weight: so an ant takes no damage whatsoever falling down a cliff, a cat might break a leg, a human will break most bones, a horse is jelly and an innocent whale above Magrathea will splash, becoming whale soup.

Wearing hard metal armour would INCREASE the damage done, because it increases your weight and lowers your air resistance (low friction), thereby increasing your terminal velocity.

end rant.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Good rant. Very good rant. And your suggestion isn't that difficult to implement either.

A table could be used for those who are mathematically challenged.

As for an OGL pdf that may certainly be a path to take.

[taavi.livejournal.com]

Ack. I'm an idiot, I mixed up time spent falling and distance. Kinetic energy does indeed scale linearly with distance fallen. Still stand by the maximum limit of size due to air resistance.