Larian Studios Forums General Chat Chat (Anything) Please

Thank you all for all of your wonderful loving replies.

I love you all dearly and you’re all sweet hearts.

About Halloween here in America, long ago in our history’s past, Halloween used to be a day to sneak out into our fellow farmers fields late at night and help them bring in their harvests because they were unable to do it themselves for one reason or another.
It was originally a day to help others in need.
Like the perversion of so many other wonderful customs and holidays in other countries, many holidays have slowly evolved into something other than its original meaning.
So this has also happened to us here in America with the holiday we call Halloween.

Thank you again to all of you for being so sweet and wonderful.

As for getting used to Anti-sentiments, well, I understand the message conveyed, but I cannot allow myself to get used to it.
Love is the law above all else, but I do realize we must be as wise as serpents, yet gentle as doves. I know that's what was really meant. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

I’m still here and I haven’t run away.

Once again, you all are so sweet.
Thank you
Kyra_Ny <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Heh! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> that reminds me of an occasion when I first arrived in this wonderfull country <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />
I was working in a Factory, and they had a sign on the wall that said;
"Between teabreaks lunch breaks coffee breaks and smoke breaks we have a small work break"

Till this day I remember it fondly as it was the first good joke I actually understood <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ROFL.gif" alt="" />

Wasn't Halloween the day of later day saints or something? Not about candy, but about celebrating the life of those who died?

I'm sure that there are lots of versions of just how it came about, but here's one of them:

History of Halloween

It sounds a bit like what you said Lews. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Erm.. I didn't say I liked that either, but I'm not going to say it to them. Why? Well, if you whant to tell a bunch of northen barbarians (decembeled from the fearless Vikings) with hunting rifles that their favorite hobby is forbidden because of moral issues, then be my guest <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" />!

And for the originalHaloween mening, I too would put my money on the remember your ancestors thing, since that what we do in Swededen (between the occations when we have to tell kids that we're not going to give them any money).



Goddamit <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/memad.gif" alt="" />! ( <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/silly.gif" alt="" />)

Übereil

Well, I admit that I'm getting angry sometimes.

I once wrote a kind of article to explain this.

It goes like this :

I often have the feeling as if companies of the U.S. (not Canada, not Mexico) tend to believe that they should prefer the rule "bigger, better, first", regarding their own country. Thus leaving other countries out, or treating so that the citizens in the other countries get the impressions to be treatedas "second class" or even "third class".

It's like selling world-wide, but accepting support requests only from U.S. citizens.


Here in Germany I often get angry when I notice things like

- special edition of "Pool of Radiance 2" contains soundtrack and some other things in english version, european version map, mouse mat and figure

- european version of Baldur's gate lacks the description of the (A)D&D rules almost completely

- Hasbro and LucasArts decide to make "sweepstakes" for U.S. citizens only, as if no-one outside the U.S. would buy or collect Star Wars things.

- Icewind Dale soundtrack is only sold inside the U.S. (recently was issued in package containing all Black Isle RPGs)

- Sierra completes the english Patch for Homeworld 2 failry fast, butr needs months for the european patch - as if they weren't interested to complete it at all

- that european patch even contains a bug resulting in a revision of that patch (which makes gamers believe that they indeed weren't interested in completing it at all ...)

- publisher take 5 releases Age of Wonders : Shadow Magic first in the U.S. , although developer Triumpf studios is a company from the Netherlands ...


I guess the list would endlessy go on and on.

The sad thing is, that the companies decide to do such things, there are the customers or Forumspeople from the U.S. who get all the harted thrown towards them.
I mean that the people cannot do anything against it, it's not their fault that companies decide that way, but still they get all of the harted slammed into their faces.

It's sad.

And it won't end as long as the companies don't stop this policy.

That's my very on opinion.

I hope I made it clear enough to understand. Sometimes I have slight problems being exact with my english vocabulary. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

Alrik.

hmm aside from chinese, Spanish I think English is the next most pouplar language spoken ? Maybe this explains that phenomena <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

AlrikFassbauer <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

You were perfectly clear and like many other people from other countries whom I know, your use of the English language is far better than the majority of people who claim it as their primary language.

I can understand your and others disdain towards the things you have touched upon and the others thoughts you have not.

I remember when Baldur’s Gate first came out and Germany got the Cheesed version not allowing Blood and Body pieces.
Luckily there have been people like myself and Guru’s like The Riddler on Bioware’s site who listed the codes to add in the ini file to open those things up for you all.

Many of the things you listed, I never knew.
Thank you for sharing and most of all, thank you for caring.

Kyra_Ny <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

On thing that always upset me about my own countrymen was their total stupidity of expecting others, In Their Own Country, to speak the English language.

I mean, get real!!!
If you are in France...Learn to speak French.
If you are in Germany...Learn to speak German.
And so on etc...

Why a lot of my fellow countrymen fail to understand this is beyond me.

The typical stereotypes that still go on today between our countries is absurd!!!

I am a mentor to children in my spare time and this one wonderful little girl of 10 years old had it in her head that the French Men run around wearing Beret’s, skin tight horizontal stripped shirts, and thin moustaches.
She got this notion from some Xbox game that’s out for children.
I had to teach her that those thoughts were wrong and she shouldn’t think that way.
Of course I had to explain it in a way a 10 year old child would understand.

But anyway I am rambling.
I just wanted you all to know there are also American’s who do care about our neighbors from other countries. But it is very rare you would ever hear about us. We are the normal everyday people who wake up and go to work and then go back home after work day in and day out.

Take care all
Kyra_Ny <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Yeah, even here in Germany people think that everything ( I mean the use of the nglish language) is exaggerated. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

It seems to me as if the marketing of German companies (too many companies, as it seems to me <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> ) tends to believe that "English sounds cool" , so they use English phrases even Germans sometimes don't understand. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

The worst example was the construction "rewirpower" with the fragment "wir" meaning "we", and it was in red in that word.

Even for me it was hard to see the word "rewire" in it ! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" />

... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />...but...


















it's true!!!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/silly.gif" alt="" />

Yes 60 years ago when the US troups came in France during the war.





Nowadays it remains just one french person wearing beret, skin tight horizontal stripped shirts, and thin moustaches, it is :

















[color:"yellow"]Master Guroth [/color]

Oh, then I'm on the other side, Alrik. I think, English is a pretty easy language to learn - and errors are taken kindly, as I can always state I use the British spelling <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> - I prefer English to German and wish our country would start teaching this far far earlier (in Kindergarten), before the age of 8 in any case. Why? It's an international language.

As for games => if I can grab the Engl. version I do it.

My addiction might come from the fact that the best childhood memories I have, were in yrs where I spoke English (Sri Lanka and South Africa) and the worst 2 yrs were... German in the Iran (Goethe school), where I had close contact to Germans for the first time of my life - granted, nationality "pride" (or arrogance) might be higher in enclaves than in the real country, but that's how my memory is. Well, I was lucky though, I could rest from that XP in SA afterwards, until ... I was condemned to return to Germany. Harsh words? Maybe, but I still have not forgotten how hard my first 6 yrs in Germany were after that.

My personal/totally subjective conclusion? I go for individuals - keep away from national pride and enjoy listening/reading/talking English => still a memory of those happy yrs. I don't mind Anglisation at all.
Kiya

@ MASTER_GUROTH & Barta => You two are too funny!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ROFL.gif" alt="" />

I love your sense of humor! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

@ Kiya => Always wonderful as usual and thank you. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Kyra_Ny <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" />

That's usually the fault of the European publisher. Australian releases are crap quality compared to the USA and the UK, discs coming in paper envelopes and manuals often only being supplied only in PDF.


International shipping is too risky and expensive. It's not worth the while. At Digital Jesters, they recently gave away a number of packs including all of their games. One of the winners was Canadian. He received a call from customs stating a $350 package was waiting for him and he was required to pay $57 in import tax to receive it. He's appealing on the grounds that no money exchanged hands, but I haven't heard the outcome yet.


Again, possibly a publisher thing. International publishers may not see the profit in it.


That one's not fair.


That one even less.


There are exceptions to this, though. A lot of european designers do release it more locally first, often Germany or England. Chaos League has been out for months and still hasn't reached America. They had a publisher lined up, Strategy First, who went broke. Now, I believe, the UK publisher, Digital Jesters, is releasing the game in America via another distributer.


I too get very upset with the poor quality of releases in Australia. I've started buying most of may games as imports because of this. Designers know that the biggest market is in America (or sometimes North-East Asia) and concentrate on them first. I wonder if other countries publishers are ignored until later, or if they don't make the first move and try to grab the game immediately?

honestly i feel that i'm blessed to know only good americans personally. i have american relatives; uncles, cousins etc. but then i know them as they are & not as americans.

kyra, keep your beret, skin tight horizontal stripped shirt & thin moustache on b'cos we're all friendly here. lews is the model american young man. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" /> a good fellow, he is. & how can i forget goldy, another great, funny & friendly american? & there's Nightmares, who is one of the friendliest person on the net?

for every bad fruit, there's always 10 good ones.

& happy halloween. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/party.gif" alt="" />

we have our version of halloween here, celebrated by my race, the Bidayuhs. we call it Gawai Antu. Gawai is festival or celebration & Antu is ghost or spirit. so it's ghost festival! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/party.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

will let u guys know more but not here in this thread. kyra might kick my OUCH!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" />

In response to Kiya's post:

I think you are mixing up two different things. As for the English language, I love it too. I watch movies in the OV, read books, etc. I agree with you that it is useful as an international way of communication and that children should grow up with it.

But: I love German too! It is also a beautiful (even if rather complicated) language and should not be replaced with English. And I agree with Alrik when he says that he hates all these Anglicisms.

I mean, just one typical example: what the heck is "Mode for Kids"? (For non-German-speakers: Mode = Fashion). This is neither English nor German, it is rubbish. It has nothing to do with the beauty of the English language. It is just meant to sound "cool". If you ask me, it is only embarrassing. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/silly.gif" alt="" />

Sveltje... Mode (=fashion) is not a German word... it is a french word (with a latin origin) who has become german...

do you get my point? languages are evolutive... anyway german or french or english or whatever languages you want (even icelandic and though it was until a very recent time more protected than any other european language is not like it was it Xth century) are not the same than 500 or even 80 years ago... as it is a language is always a mix of language...

english was a mix of germanic, nordic, french and latin roots, german of germanic, french and latin roots, french of latin, germanic, and some other dialects roots etc...

what's the problem with anglicisation?... and is it anglicisation or natural evolution of a language?

I know that (actually, I am interested in linguistics) and I agree. I have no problem with the adaption of words from other languages. Phrases change, too. (e.g. today we say "etwas macht Sinn", a translation from the English "it makes sense". This is rather new, we used to say "es hat Sinn" = "has sense"). That's okay.

But I hate it when they mix everything up and think it's cool. In my example "Mode for Kids" it's not the french word "Mode" or the American "Kids" that annoys me. It's really the "for" as it implies that this is an English expression. Which it isn't.

So, to answer your question: I don't think this is a natural evolution but a stupidity.

@kiya : With "exaggerated" I meant the use of English words in Advertisements, commercials etc. . <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

@HandEFood : So wjhy, I ask my self, are the european publishers so stupid, then ? I cannot understand it.

Besides, I love the English language as a whole, and I , too , think that it is very easy to learn, but marketing people tend to use it (here in Germany) even when there exists a proper German word for a thing ! That's what keeps nagging me. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />