Daily Archives: June 6, 2020

Remember GamerGate? If we had just listened to this activist, we might've been able to prevent it, and a whole lot more too.

Remember GamerGate? If we had just listened to this activist, we might've been able to prevent it, and a whole lot more too.

Before #GamerGate, before Russian trolls stole the 2016 US election, there was #EndFathersDay. It was a Twitter campaign that was supposedly instigated by black feminists on Twitter, but as it turned out, it was actually the same trolls that would later go on to do so much worse.

Shafiqah Hudson was the first person to notice. In an interview with Slate, this actual black feminist started digging into the Twitter profiles of posts with the hashtag #EndFathersDay. It didn't take long for her to discover that they were all fake.

Each account had several red flags. First, they weren't associated with any other social media or online accounts--they had no presence. Second, they all used a form of black vernacular that just seemed so obviously sarcastic that it was hard to miss. It was like someone else was trying to sound African American but they couldn't keep themselves from throwing in at least a hint of contempt.

Unfortunately, the #EndFathersDay campaign worked. It managed to fool mainstream media and news organizations long enough to start making headlines, pinning the blame on such a ridiculous campaign on "black feminists" in order to generate a wave of hate towards them.

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Another activist, INasah Crockett, noticed the same thing. She dug even further and found the source of the #EndFathersDay campaign: a 4Chan post that outlined the whole thing. Crockett and Hudson then joined forces with other black feminists to begin the #YourSlipIsShowing campaign that outed many of those accounts, but the damage had already been done.

Worse still, #EndFathersDay was a proof of concept. It proved that a public misinformation campaign could be started with relatively few resources (just a few hundred fake accounts) in order to create real-world mayhem.

That was back in June of 2014. A few months later, GamerGate would hit using the exact same tactics: fake accounts created an online whirlwind of outrage centered around games journalism, while the real 4Chan trolls went after female game developers like Zelda Williams and Zo Quinn.

Fast-forward to 2016, and Russia would use the same tactics in order to sway an entire election. And its been going on ever since.

Source: Slate

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Actually a collective of 6 hamsters piloting a human-shaped robot, Sean hails from Toronto, Canada. Passionate about gaming from a young age, those hamsters would probably have taken over the world by now if they didn't vastly prefer playing and writing about video games instead.The hamsters are so far into their long-con that they've managed to acquire a bachelor's degree from the University of Waterloo and used that to convince the fine editors at TheGamer that they can write "gud werds," when in reality they just have a very sophisticated spellchecker program installed in the robot's central processing unit.

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This Activist Warned Us About GamerGate Before It Happened - TheGamer

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On Friday, Alexis Ohanian, one of Reddits co-founders, said that hes stepping down from the sites board because it is the right thing. He wants the company to appoint a Black board member in his place.

It is long overdue Ohanian said. Im doing this for me, for my family, and for my country. Im writing this as a father who needs to be able to answer his black daughter when she asks: What did you do?

He also committed to giving $1 million to Colin Kaepernicks Know Your Rights Camp as well as donating future gains in his Reddit stock to serve the black community, chiefly to curb racial hate.

Ohanians quest for absolution is vague. He doesnt specify the source of whatever guilt he is expiating here, nor any specific injustice that he contributed to that might explain what his departure is fixing. Were left to guess.

There at least a few things that have gone wrong in Ohanians time that he might be feeling bad about:

One of his biggest missteps was his failure to do anything as his platform became an incubator for some of the most toxic, extreme communities online. During Gamergate, Ohanian, et al.,more or less stood by as their platform became an organizing tool for vicious right-wing trolls who were aggressively harassing women in the gaming industry under the ridiculous guise of caring about ethics in gaming journalism.

Gamergate is often cited as a turning point in the internet culture wars, a moment when it became clear that the warped trolls werent just posting for the lulzthey were actually sexist and racist bigots who were eager to terrorize people. To this day, the almost-official GamerGate subreddit sits unbanned on Reddit, despite having been a hub for the movement.

Ohanian and Reddit were also slow to address other virulent communities of hate on the platform. The site and platform eventually did take action on some of the worst communities, banning subreddits like r/CringeAnarchy, which spread depressingly gross, incendiary content in the aftermath of the New Zealand Christchurch shooting.

He and the company also stood idly by as r/The_Donald, a subreddit featuring Trumps most toxic supporters online, grew into a massive community. Reddit eventually quarantined it, the platforms term for isolating problematic communities and making it harder to access them.

Ohanians move is especially bizarre in that he doesnt seem to have secured anything tangible from the Reddit board. There doesnt seem to be any guarantee that the company will do as he urges and hire a black candidate, nor is there any demand on his part that the Black hire be committed to any particular vision of racial justice. Black representation alone is not a guarantee of making meaningful strides to racial equity. At least he went out in the most Reddit way possiblewith a weird post that leaves you feeling faintly embarrassed for having read it.

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Reddit Executive Chairman Resigns From the Site's Board, Posts Cringe - Mother Jones

The heart of any good online-focused title is the comfort in knowing that the developers behind it, are dedicated, providing consistent updates and content patches that keep the game feeling fresh, exciting and fun to play. Dauntless in many ways, exemplifies this notion with its numerous updates that have helped push it forward.

Call of the Void is the latest content update for Dauntless, which promises to bring with it a host of both minor and substantial changes, including a new Umbral Escalation, which adds a dark elemental themed gauntlet for players to conquer. A trailer for the new update can be viewed down below.

Call of the Void takes place on a never-before-scene cluster of islands which seemingly have exposed the Behemoths to this strange umbral energy elemental, transforming and mutating them further into berserk, killing-machines that will test even the hardened of monster hunters. To make matters worse, Slayers will have to vanquish the Behemoth Thrax, a new worm-like alien serpent that awaits those skilled enough to make it to the end.

Thankfully, both veterans and new Dauntless players can look forward to the addition of a training grounds area, which gives Slayers access to dummy training dolls and their full arsenal of weapons and gear. In other words, the training grounds will be the perfect place to hone and try out different play styles, eliminating the worry of jumping in blind or trying a new weapon or play style, in live combat.

Call of the Void also, for the first time, introduces narrative and story elements into the experience which will set the stage for further content that will be released in July. Those who acquire the Relics & Ruins hunter pass can look forward to 50 levels of rewards; all centred around the void elemental update, including the coveted Umbral Knight armour set. The Call of the Void content update will hit Dauntless on all major platforms and PC on June 11, 2020.

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Commentary: As Creators, The Game Industry Shares A Part in Ending Racism - CGMagazine

Although the tide has shifted as technology has become more advanced, isometric RPGs haveleft their stamp on gaming. Popularized in the '90s on PC, this role-playing subgenre tendsto feature big casts of characters and is usually very story-driven; however, isometric RPGs can vary widely when it comes to their combat, ranging from turn-based systems to more action-oriented ones.

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While modernexamples are few and far in between, with many being marketed as throwbacks to classics from yesteryear, the subgenre has produced some of the greatest role-playing games of all time. Here are the 10 best isometric RPGs.

Honorable mentions go to theShadowrungames andArcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura.Diablo IIwill not be included as hack and slash gamesare their own thing.

A highly-rated send-up to classic isometric RPGs likeBaldur's GateandPlanescape: Torment,Pillars of Eternityserves as a prime example that these types of games still have a place in gaming when handled by a capable developer. Obsidian crafted an engaging and complex combat system that rewards adapting one's playstyle depending on an enemy's weaknesses and strengths.

Like many of the subgenre's best creations,Pillars of Eternity's limits experience points to quest completion and exploration,freeing users to approach obstacles in whatever way they see fit.With eleven classes and a solid story,Pillars of Eternityis a great recent entry to the genre. The sequel is also very good.

Debuting in 2000 and spawning two trilogies followed by a reboot series that welcomed its most recent entry in 2018,Avernumis a passion project by Spiderweb Software's Jeff Vogel that has developed a cult following over the years.

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While the third and fifth entries are the best intheir respective trilogies,Avernumweaves a continuous narrative that requires thefranchise to be taken as a whole.Avernum 1is very rough around the edges but does a decent job of setting up the main conflict between the Empire and those exiled to Avernum's subterranean locations.

JRPGs are not usually associated with isometric camera angles, but tactical RPGs are the exception. Released in the same year as Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy Tactics is arguably even better than the mainline entry.

Combining 3D with an isometric camera angle, Tactics' turn-based battle system takes place on a grid-style battleground where a unit's movement is dictated by their stats and class. The combat system requires constant planning from the player, as the enemy AI offers a reasonable challenge through the lengthy and fantastic campaign.

Ever since it was originally released in 1999, arguably no other title has come close to mimicking that sense of being part of a small rebellion waging an ever-expandingwar against an overwhelming enemy.Jagged Alliance 2places users in charge of a mercenary group tasked with liberating the nation of Arulco and restoring the royal family to their throne.

Along with taking over towns and mines to fund the resistance, the player is constantly seeking to expand their forces' numbers and arsenal.Jagged Alliance 2's ambition is impressive even in 2020, while the tactical turn-based combat is challenging but incredibly rewarding.

Leave it toObsidian Entertainment to follow upPillars of Eternitywith arguably an even better isometric RPG.Tyrannytakes place in a world where evil has won in the form of the overlord Kyros, andusers play as one of his subordinates tasked with bringing order to the world.

While the gameplay sticks very close toPillars of Eternity,Tyrannyplaces more importance on interactivity and choice, even going as far as to allow players to shape the campaign's backstory by determining how Kyros claimed the world of Terratus as his own.

Although a case can be made for the biggerFallout 2, 1997's original benefits from having a more focused storyline that, ultimately, leaves a longer-lasting impression. At its heart, Fallouttells a simple tale about one person's journey to protect their home; however, finding a replacement chip for Vault 13's water system in the Wasteland is anything but simple.

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Falloutis all about making decisions andlearning to livewith the consequences. Actions change the world and the story's progression, perhaps even locking players out of certain endings. With great all-around writing and one of the best character creator systems in gaming history,Falloutis rightfully regarded as a classic.

The most recent entry in theDivinityfranchise is not only the best in the series but also one of the greatest RPGs of any generation. When the veil separating Rivellon from the Void begins to fade, the Seven Gods elect a Godwoken to keep the latter's evil forces from breaking into the former.

Divinity: Original Sin II's tactical combat comes with a steep learning curve as taking full advantage of the party members' individual strengths is key to overcoming even the most basic of battles. Outside of encounters,Divinity: Original Sin II boasts consistently impeccable writing and areas that just demand to be explored.

Dungeons & Dragons' influence can be seen in nearly all isometric RPGs, so it is only natural that one of the subgenre's best releases happens to beset in the tabletop game's universe. While the classic hero's journey storyline might not hold all that many surprises, BioWare'sminute-to-minute writingis strong throughout the base game's four chapters and its three expansion packs.

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As good as the campaign was,Neverwinter Nights' multiplayer and Aurora toolset wereits greatest components. The latteressentiallyallowed players to craft their own adventures, a tool that greatly expanded the content associated with the game.

Another classic RPG set in theDungeons & Dragonsuniverse,Planescape: Tormenttells a refreshingly strange tale about an immortalbeing who sets out to find his memories as the slate is wiped clean whenever he is killed. The Nameless One isamong the best protagonists in the RPG genre, one who is never reduced to a surrogate for players to live out their hero fantasies.

Planescape: Tormentmostly pushes combat to the side to focus on its narrative and world-building, a decision that makes itmore accessiblefor a revisit in this day and age.

Two decades later andBaldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amnhas yet to lose its shine. Once again set in Dungeons & Dragons' Forgotten Realms,BioWare's RPG presents a detailed world rich with personality and tales to tell.

The main quest, which should roughly take around 75 hours to complete, builds on its predecessor by telling a more personal but still epic storyline. However, the side quests might be even better than the central story. The gameplay is strategic and versatile, allowing for different approaches to be used in combat and when trying to complete quests.Baldur's Gate IIis everything an isometric RPG should be and more.

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10 Best Isometric RPGs, Ranked | TheGamer - TheGamer