Originally Posted By DL (21 AUG 2010 6:25am)
It's not so much UK humour as it is the Discworld books. If you've read them then the puzzles are easier, although still not easy.

Which game do you think is harder, Discworld 1 or Tony Tough and the Night of the Roasted Moths?

Both had very frustrating sections, but I found Discworld to be quite a bit harder. Some of that was due to how heavily pixelated it was (making objects harder to see), and how small some of those hot spots were. But mostly it was due to the amount of puzzles that just weren't clued very well.

The Discworld series of  books were written by the whimsical humorous  English author Terry Pratchett .
IIIRC from years & years ago,  he contributed (a lot ?) to the development of the Discworld games. !

Originally Posted By Len Green (5 OCT 2012 6:21pm)

The Discworld series of  books were written by the whimsical humorous  English author Terry Pratchett .
IIIRC from years & years ago,  he contributed (a lot ?) to the development of the Discworld games. !

He is now 64 but unfortunately 5 years ago he started to develop the symptoms of premature Alzheimer's'  disease

Since then he has been seriously investigating the possibilities of assisted 'suicide' which is available in Switzerland but is illegal in UK (and probably many other countries).
We saw a harrowing TV program only a week ago in which he interviews sufferers who were about to carry out their assisted deaths  and he went to the clinic in Switzerland researching all the safeguards and processes etc.

Ack, that is sad indeed. Terry Pratchett games, books, and TV movies are some of my all time favs. My kids love his books as well. The Discworld games are fantastic. Some of the strongest gaming memories I have.

As far as I know, he still 'writes' books, at least until recently, despite the relatively slow deterioration due to his Alzheimer's starting 5 years ago !!!

But I don't think he can actually write - but dictates them to his assistant/companion.

If his disease becomes insufferable, I understand that he wishes to die with dignity !!!

I actually like the harder games. Even if they're insanely hard, I think with enoug patience (it sometimes may even take years) you can eventually stumble on the solution. Far better to be too hard than the trend I see in a lot of modern games where they're too easy.

Originally Posted By Len Green (5 OCT 2012 6:21pm)

The Discworld series of  books were written by the whimsical humorous  English author Terry Pratchett .
IIIRC from years & years ago,  he contributed (a lot ?) to the development of the Discworld games. !

He is now 64 but unfortunately 5 years ago he started to develop the symptoms of premature Alzheimer's'  disease

Since then he has been seriously investigating the possibilities of assisted 'suicide' which is available in Switzerland but is illegal in UK (and probably many other countries).
We saw a harrowing TV program only a week ago in which he interviews sufferers who were about to carry out their assisted deaths  and he went to the clinic in Switzerland researching all the safeguards and processes etc.

That is sad, and terrible.

In the past, I've looked into taking my own life as well. I even got that book "Final Exit" that gives detailed information on how to take your own life. I can say this, even with the most humane way of doing it, a human suicide is a VERY disturbing and unpleasant business. But then too, so is dying of disease.

What an horrible world we live in. Sometimes I actually think this is hell, and part of the hell is not knowing we're in it.

Originally Posted By Pygmy_Marmoset (7 OCT 2012 12:32am)

I actually like the harder games. Even if they're insanely hard, I think with enoug patience (it sometimes may even take years) you can eventually stumble on the solution. Far better to be too hard than the trend I see in a lot of modern games where they're too easy.

 

Originally Posted By Len Green (5 OCT 2012 6:21pm)

The Discworld series of  books were written by the whimsical humorous  English author Terry Pratchett .
IIIRC from years & years ago,  he contributed (a lot ?) to the development of the Discworld games. !

He is now 64 but unfortunately 5 years ago he started to develop the symptoms of premature Alzheimer's'  disease

Since then he has been seriously investigating the possibilities of assisted 'suicide' which is available in Switzerland but is illegal in UK (and probably many other countries).
We saw a harrowing TV program only a week ago in which he interviews sufferers who were about to carry out their assisted deaths  and he went to the clinic in Switzerland researching all the safeguards and processes etc.

 

That is sad, and terrible.

 

In the past, I've looked into taking my own life as well. I even got that book "Final Exit" that gives detailed information on how to take your own life. I can say this, even with the most humane way of doing it, a human suicide is a VERY disturbing and unpleasant business. But then too, so is dying of disease.

 

What an horrible world we live in. Sometimes I actually think this is hell, and part of the hell is not knowing we're in it.

On the one hand I agree with you !

than just that!

~~~ I believe that the GENERAL ban against all forms of suicide has been created by various religions (not necessarily all I think ??). But this leaves me completely cold (I don't want to get caught up with the subject of religion – .illegal' here!!!).

~~~ I DO however feel that if one is a parent or is attached to other loved ones, it may engender guilt feelings &/or unnecessary fears which should be avoided if one is not being selfish and egotistical.
But this is a very tricky subject and I am no psychiatrist !

~~~ However, I believe that if one is in constant and insufferable PHYSICAL pain, needing constant demeaning medical (& financial) assistance and one is a terrible burden on others close to one, then suicide is certainly justifiable.- IMHO, ANY form of suicide, whether assisted by a loved one or an institution makes little difference to me personally although preferably an 'aesthetic' exit using pills or poison or gas, etc. (More than one friend or acquaintance of ours has shot themselves spattering the walls with blood &/or gats)

But cheer up everybody

Originally Posted By Len Green (7 OCT 2012 6:01am)

Despite the fact that there are very many wonderful people inhabiting this planet of ours, there is so much graft, deliberate deceit, lying, venal behaviour, and particularly CORRUPTION & HYPOCRISY (at ALL levels and places) that is really sickening or often VERY much worse

The corruption and hypocrisy is nothing compared to the ravages of disease and death. Let's take Cholera as just one example.

It's a  bacteria that alters the cells in the lining of the intenstines, thus turning the intenstines into an organ that sucks out water and electrolytes from the body. People with Cholera lose up to 40 pounds of water weight per day through diahrea, they become so dyhydrated that their blood becomes black tarry goo, and then the bacteria transfer from their feces into rivers and infects more people. Left untreated 50% of people who contract Cholera die, often within 24 hours,  and hundreds of millions of people have died this way throughout human history. During a Cholera outbreak in Toyko alone, 200,000 died during the course of a year, and this was back when there weren't many people living in Toyko, so it was like 1 in 4 people in the city died.

And let's not even get into the Bubonic plague..

This is why I say we live in hell. Yes there are good things, but are the good things worth the horrific things like this happening? I don't think so. Far better if this world had never existed.

Originally Posted By Pygmy_Marmoset (7 OCT 2012 2:50pm)

Originally Posted By Len Green (7 OCT 2012 6:01am)

Despite the fact that there are very many wonderful people inhabiting this planet of ours, there is so much graft, deliberate deceit, lying, venal behaviour, and particularly CORRUPTION & HYPOCRISY (at ALL levels and places) that is really sickening or often VERY much worse

 

The corruption and hypocrisy is nothing compared to the ravages of disease and death. Let's take Cholera as just one example.

It's a  bacteria that alters the cells in the lining of the intenstines, thus turning the intenstines into an organ that sucks out water and electrolytes from the body. People with Cholera lose up to 40 pounds of water weight per day through diahrea, they become so dyhydrated that their blood becomes black tarry goo, and then the bacteria transfer from their feces into rivers and infects more people. Left untreated 50% of people who contract Cholera die, often within 24 hours,  and hundreds of millions of people have died this way throughout human history. During a Cholera outbreak in Toyko alone, 200,000 died during the course of a year, and this was back when there weren't many people living in Toyko, so it was like 1 in 4 people in the city died.

 

And let's not even get into the Bubonic plague..

 

This is why I say we live in hell. Yes there are good things, but are the good things worth the horrific things like this happening? I don't think so. Far better if this world had never existed.

 

Wow!!!

Originally Posted By Len Green (7 OCT 2012 5:39pm)

Wow!!!

 

 

  OMG - Your graphic description of cholera made my blood run cold – as you said reminds one of the bubonic plague (Black death of the middle ages)

Sounds as though you may be a doctor or a nurse or something ?!?

I was thinking more of  HUMAN  failings (wars, revolutions, massacres, hypocritical politics & religions etc!):9
Some of the horrible diseases and epidemics are caused by or magnified by human failings &/or the lack of human beings to put all their energies to wiping out these things rather than  killing and maiming each other !!

Did you know that the bacteria that caused the Bubonic Plague kills not just humans, but also kills the fleas it uses to transmit itself?

This bacteria (Yersina Pestis) infects the flea, and then it produces a biofilm on the flea's proventriculus. This is the feeding tube of the flea, and the biofilm secreted by the bacteria creates a blockage there that causes a few things to happen. First the flea is no longer able to eat properly and every time it tries to take a blood meal it regurgitates the blood along with some of this bacteria-laden biofilm. Second, because the flea becomes so hungry (it is literally starving to death) it starts to ravenously bite any warm blooded mammals it can find. This is how Yersinia Pestis transforms fleas into machinary to spread itself.

And this is what killed off 1/3 the population of Europe during the 14th century.

I ask you, what kind of world is it that has organisms like Yersinia Pestis? Having fleas alone is bad enough, but then to have another parasite which turns the fleas into death machines that kill off a third of the world's population? Surely, a creature like this can only exist in hell.

Hi pygmy,

               You haven't answered if you belong in some way to the medi9calprofession or its other scientific offshoots.

   But you don't have to define hell by thes parasites who tranmit ghastly diseases.

Illnesses like cancer  Alzheimers, strokes, etc. are also terrible and they are mainly (but not inevitably) hereditory and generally not caused by external sources.

   But my point is :-

   If mankiind (also womankind) didn't waste most of their efforts and finances on hatreds & wars & the like, we could probably eliminate all or at least most of these deadly worldwide scourges.

Much HAS been done since the 14th century - but much much more could be done if we only knew how to "Live & let live"

Hi pygmy,

               You haven't answered if you belong in some way to the medi9calprofession or its other scientific offshoots.

But you don't have to define hell by thes parasites who tranmit ghastly diseases.

Illnesses like cancer  Alzheimers, strokes, etc. are also terrible and they are mainly (but not inevitably) hereditory and generally not caused by external sources.

But my point is :-

   If mankiind (also womankind) didn't waste most of their efforts and finances on hatreds & wars & the like, we could probably eliminate all or at least most of these deadly worldwide scourges.

Much HAS been done since the 14th century - but much much more could be done if we only knew how to "Live & let live" 

I submit to you that it would be easier to "Live and Let Live" if the natural world wasn't such a hellish place. If people didn't have to get diseases, and watch their parents and pets die, perhaps then they would be happier and not feel so much hatred.

Hi Pygmy,
    I'm not sure whether I understood you correctly i.e. that in your opinion the elimination (or enormous reduction) of parasitical diseases and the hatreds generated by them and the hypocrisies, twisted thinking & discriminations rampant in the world would be of greater benefit to mankind than the elimination of wars ??

~~~ I am not a historian so I cannot factually refute your contention – although it seems very feasible that in times of pandemics as during other crises people blame & hence persecute minorities such as religious minorities and frequently the Jews.

~~~ I agree that any form of national extreme crisis brings out the very worst in mankind's behaviour and general hatreds – but these are frequently intra-national an not necessary external wars – take the rise of Hitler in post WW-I Germany.

I didn't really complete my above example.

Although I don't think it was the CAUSE, I guess (no proof) that the devastation caused by WW-I and 4 years of food shortages &, rationing or worse, greatly weakened people  creating widespread  severe malnutrition leading to  an astronomical number of deaths.

I don't think things would  have been so devastaing had that ghastly war been avoided - and all the money, and effort, and scientific weapons research & development been used instead for medical research & hospitalization etc.

i.e a case  of an unnecesary war leading to severe illness - and not the other way around !!