Let's ruin an Alter Ego's life!

[Fusionman]

Well I'm going to play an online version of the 1983 Apple 2 game Alter Ego.

In it you play and control one person's life.

So let's ask the most important question of anyone's life. Boy or Girl?

[phil_]

Boy. The trials one faces as a man aren't documented nearly enough.

[Krylo]

Ohhh this thing.

Go boy, and don't get the dick bump checked out when you're a teenager. Also, when your friend falls out the window, help him back in yourself. And make sure you have that affair with the teenager when you're like 50.

[BloodyMage]

This game is awesome, though I've never played the female version, so that'd be interesting to see if there's much in the way of change.

[Fusionman]

So BloodyMage wants female and phil and Krylo wants male. So anyone want to tip the balance?

Yeah I know of the affair with a teen in late middle age. If I get enough votes it'll happen.

[Pip Boy]

Sorry man, gotta say male.

http://media.ebaumsworld.com/mediaFiles/picture/11208/993714.gif

[phil_]

So BloodyMage wants female and phil and Krylo wants male. So anyone want to tip the balance?Well, one of those people is me, and one of those people is someone who agrees with me, so, the way I see it, it's really like four to zero. Who cares what some guy who isn't me and doesn't agree with me wants?

[Fusionman]

Well it's now 3 to one. Male is the superior gender yet again.

Now first real question. We are being born. Come out PEACEFUL or FIGHTING?

[Melfice]

Kicking and screaming all the way.
What fun is life if there's no blood involved. ;)

[BloodyMage]

Fighting. Repeatedly.

[Krylo]

Rip that vagina a new one. What does it think it's doing trying to force you into this cold hard world?

[Fusionman]

Anyone else want to say anything or should I see the results?

[PCD]

KICK THE DOCTOR IN THE FACE, +10 POINTS

[Solid Snake]

The problem with an open-ended majority takes all approach is that there's really no incentive for those of us lurking to vote once a clear majority has been claimed. Any vote that I'd have cast over the past several hours for any option but "kicking and screaming" is inherently useless and not worth my time. On the other hand, merely coming in to confirm the majority opinion is...equally wasteful.

...I'd recommend something like a "first to three votes wins" strategy. Clear-cut rule, easy to follow, enables progression to occur smoothly. Three votes is a nice margin as, even when it's 2-0, there's still value in someone throwing a vote for the opposing choice, it's not a total blowout.

OR, a "first three votes count, all subsequent votes do not" strategy. It encourages quick responses, the odd number of votes required enables a potential tiebreaker, etc. Obviously, if it's 2-0, voting can close then as the third vote is effectively useless. You can increase it to "first five votes count" or even "first seven votes count" if interest spikes.

[Fusionman]

The problem with an open-ended majority takes all approach is that there's really no incentive for those of us lurking to vote once a clear majority has been claimed. Any vote that I'd have cast over the past several hours for any option but "kicking and screaming" is inherently useless and not worth my time. On the other hand, merely coming in to confirm the majority opinion is...equally wasteful.

...I'd recommend something like a "first to three votes wins" strategy. Clear-cut rule, easy to follow, enables progression to occur smoothly. Three votes is a nice margin as, even when it's 2-0, there's still value in someone throwing a vote for the opposing choice, it's not a total blowout.

OR, a "first three votes count, all subsequent votes do not" strategy. It encourages quick responses, the odd number of votes required enables a potential tiebreaker, etc. Obviously, if it's 2-0, voting can close then as the third vote is effectively useless. You can increase it to "first five votes count" or even "first seven votes count" if interest spikes.

Great idea. So currently only the first three votes count.

[BloodyMage]

All of which demand abuse!

[Fusionman]

Yes. Yes it does. You may be a fighter, but your mom wants you out with more energy than you have to stay in. You will find that anything of value in life is worth fighting for. This fight ends in a draw -- you are evicted, but your mom is pooped.

Soon you meet her and snuggle up nice and close. All is forgiven -- for now. Get ready to be born in a flurry of waving arms, screams, and a slap on the bottom.

Happy Birthday, and welcome to the world. From now on, life will begin to change rapidly. You will have to learn to accept responsibility, build up your resources, and manage yourself physically and emotionally.

The events that transpire over the course of the next few days include:

You develop an allergy to milk and have to be given special formula.
Your mother is proud when someone points at you and tells her you look just like a "little porcelain angel."
Your rich Aunt Martha places a $500 bond in trust for you.

[phil_]

Blow the money on diapers and smack!

Oh, are we not voting yet?

[Professor Smarmiarty]

Take $500 to Vegas

[Pip Boy]

The 500 dollars are in a trust fund. Babies cannot spend trust fund moneys.

[Professor Smarmiarty]

They can in Vegas

[Fusionman]

And this is why this forum got the LP. I knew these conversations would occur.

[Solid Snake]

Where's our next choice?

[Melfice]

Somehow, the "Fighting" bit is anti-climatic.
I expected the kid to actually want to come out, instead of staying in, possibly tearing the mom's perineum or causing some other complication...

Ah well.

[Fusionman]

NEXT CHOICE EVERYBODY!

Well a woman has walked in our room/crib with a blanket and a bottle of warm white liquid.

So do we coo happily or cry angrily?

[Professor Smarmiarty]

Coo happily, our machinations are devious yet subtle. The time is not yet right, we must dance the dance before we can take control of the music.

[Melfice]

We coo happily.

[Solid Snake]

Shit, what about all the personality choices we have to make yo?
We're supposed to be able to decide like, everything about ourselves to ensure we have kickass starting stats.

[Fusionman]

Shit, what about all the personality choices we have to make yo?
We're supposed to be able to decide like, everything about ourselves to ensure we have kickass starting stats.

Well if you do contradictory options it doesn't let you. I'll let you try though. The last two votes don't count.

So is our mood angry or happy? Our actions are either coo or cry.

Now let's start this choice again!

[Solid Snake]

...No, no, that isn't what I'm talking about.

After you create your baby character but before you actually select the whole cooing / crying experiment, you get a series of personality questions (akin to a personality test) that you are supposed to answer about your "real self," prior to starting the game.

[Fusionman]

...No, no, that isn't what I'm talking about.

After you create your baby character but before you actually select the whole cooing / crying experiment, you get a series of personality questions (akin to a personality test) that you are supposed to answer about your "real self," prior to starting the game.

Oh yeah forgot that one! Well pretend the last choice hasn't happened yet and I'll start the quiz when I get home. The game is currently blocked by a web filter.

[Fusionman]

I know I'm double posting but I can now start the quiz.

1. I will probably try to answer these questions honestly. True or False.

2. The people who know me best like me as a person. True or False.

3. When I am ill I become short-tempered and snap at people. True or False

4. I am likely to speak whatever comes to mind. True or False

5. An important part of every job is knowing whom to impress. True or False

6. I think that questions like this are stupid and meaningless. True or False

Remember first 3 votes win.

[BloodyMage]

Aren't there more questions than this? I remember more questions than that.

False
True
True
False
False
False

[phil_]

True
False
False
True
True
True!

[Kim]

All false. ALL OF THEM.

[Fusionman]

Aren't there more questions than this? I remember more questions than that.


This is only the first page.

Now page 2!

7) I am a light sleeper who stirs at even the slightest sound.
True False

8) Revenge is sweet.
True False

9) I often feel slow, tired, and down in the dumps.
True False

10) I am fascinated by car accidents and other disaster scenes.
True False

11) I am extremely sensitive to criticism.
True False

12) I get nervous performing in front of people, even when the task is something I know by heart.
True False

13) The people around me seem happier than I do.
True False

[Krylo]

True.

All of them.

[Professor Smarmiarty]

False all fo them. You can't tell me who to be, stupid game.

[Solid Snake]

Oh man I'm breakin' ties

7) False

8) True

9) False

10) True

11) False

12) True

13) False

[Fusionman]

Page 3!

14) I often get the urge to touch walls on which "WET PAINT" signs are hung.
True False

15) On important matters, I usually follow my parents' advice, even when I disagree with it.
True False

16) It is possible that we live in a world where people can watch our every move.
True False

17) I would have casual sex.
True False

18) When I am in a quiet place I get the urge to scream.
True False

19) It's okay to tell a white lie if it is guaranteed to bring great personal gain.
True False

20) It is often pointless to try to discuss problems with other people.
True False

[Krylo]

14 True

15 True

16 False

17 False

18 True

19 True

20 False

[Pip Boy]

14 True

15 True

16 True

17 False

18 False

19 True

20 False

You can disregard those if you want, since I never read the questions.

[Krylo]

Neither did I.

[Fusionman]

Well Firefox decided to submit some kind of answers for me.

So last page. And try to read this one please?

21) I am easily embarrassed.
True False

22) Children should be seen and not heard.
True False

23) I find it difficult to break the ice in conversations with people I barely know.
True False

24) My parents were strict disciplinarians.
True False

25) You can usually judge a person by first impressions.
True False

26) One way of getting people to treat you fairly is to take an aggressive stance and make them win you over.
True False

[Fusionman]

So should I just answer this randomly and go to the first real question?

[Professor Smarmiarty]

Answer it randomly but all the random answers are true

[Steel Shadow]

All True. I support this.

[Fusionman]

All true it is!

[Fusionman]

OK time for first question.

So a woman walks in with a bottle of white fluid and a blanket.

We can have a happy or sad mood and either coo or cry.

[Melfice]

As far I'm aware, it's either happy+coo or sad+cry.

If you do it otherwise, it'll just go "Fuck you. That's not the right choice. As in, we make the choices, you just connect the dots like a good monkey."

Though maybe not just right now? Later on, certainly a few of the questions.

EDIT: In any case, we'll happily coo.

[Krylo]

Leap out of the crib, ninja kick the bottle out of her hands, and then force her to drink it.

It is obviously poison.

[phil_]

Happy crying! Show this world we're a rebel.

[BloodyMage]

no, you're right. A happy cry is a conflict.

Happily coo!

[Fusionman]

As far I'm aware, it's either happy+coo or sad+cry.

If you do it otherwise, it'll just go "Fuck you. That's not the right choice. As in, we make the choices, you just connect the dots like a good monkey."

Though maybe not just right now? Later on, certainly a few of the questions.

EDIT: In any case, we'll happily coo.

No it does it from the start. We can't do what the game calls "contradictory actions." We are a monkey.

OOH OOGH!

EDIT: Oh bloody hell guys! Multiple ninjas!

[Fusionman]

Leap out of the crib, ninja kick the bottle out of her hands, and then force her to drink it.

It is obviously poison.

We're not baby Commander Shepard.

[Fusionman]

Nothing like a nice warm bottle and a quick hug from Mom to get a kid ready to face the world. As she walks toward you with the bottle she sees you smiling and interprets this as a sign that you want to play with her.

She picks you up and holds you for ten minutes. This presents you with quite a dilemma.

So do we cry or keep making noises?

[Fusionman]

OK guys sorry.

Real life happened and no one was voting and I lost my "save"

So yeah redoing the choices.

Try to vote please?