#also - homo ludens

[bwv572]

I was reading Murray's History of Chess and there was an observation about how the same board games arise independently across multiple countries and cultures and time periods because the mechanics of board games replicate fundamental aspects of the universe.

[kenomacreature]

THE MAGIC CIRCLE, or "WTF is Darkness, anyway?"

Part One

A comprehensive, themes-first take on what Deltarune is "really about"

…play is not "ordinary" or "real" life. It is rather a stepping out of "real" life into a temporary sphere of activity with a disposition all of its own. Every child knows perfectly well that he is "only pretending", or that it was "only for fun"…   Nevertheless, […]  the consciousness of play being "only a pretend" does not by any means prevent it from proceeding with the utmost seriousness, with an absorption, a devotion that passes into rapture and, temporarily at least, completely abolishes that troublesome "only" feeling. Any game can at any time wholly run away with the players. The contrast between play and seriousness is always fluid. The inferiority of play is continually being offset by the corresponding superiority of its seriousness. Play turns to seriousness and seriousness to play. Play may rise to heights of beauty and sublimity that leave seriousness far beneath… All play moves and has its being within a playground marked off beforehand either materially or ideally, deliberately or as a matter of course. Just as there is no formal difference between play and ritual, so the "consecrated spot" cannot be formally distinguished from the play-ground. The arena, the card-table, the magic circle, the temple, the stage, the screen, the tennis court, the court of justice, etc., are all in form and function play-grounds, i.e. forbidden spots, isolated, hedged round, hallowed, within which special rules obtain. All are temporary worlds within the ordinary world, dedicated to the performance of an act apart.

J. Huizinga, Homo Ludens, pp. 8-10.  

Introduction: No, really, what is Darkness?

The connective tissue of this rather wide ranging essay lies in its being premised on a two-fold understanding of this omnipresent concept within the narrative of Deltarune – “Darkness” – as not only a crucial plot device governing the supernatural mechanics within the diegesis but also, on a subtextual level, a metaphor for humanity‘s imaginative capacity, specifically the ability to suspend disbelief and temporarily immerse oneself in the internal logic of fictional narratives. Darkness is in essence a literalization of the concept of the “the magic circle”, described in the excerpt above from Dutch theorist Johan Huizinga’s seminal work of cultural theory, Homo Ludens.

There is extremely strong support for this thematic interpretation of Darkness. Not only does the actual content of the two currently released chapters of Deltarune make repeated and explicit comparisons between Dark Worlds and roleplaying games, along with Dark Worlds being deeply steeped in the tropes of fantasy fiction in general, but this metaphor is also embedded into the very form of the game. Whenever a Dark World is entered, Deltarune transforms from an experience of minimal gameplay into a fairly traditional roleplaying video game, complete with battle, party and save systems.

Within the story, Dark Worlds function almost identically to some of the most primitive (narrativized) forms of play among children, literally animating toys and other objects to life. The Lightners then exhibit similarly contradictory behavior vis-a-vis Dark Worlds as humans do when entering the “magic circle” – prepared to take whatever transpires within it very earnestly, and quick to rationalize and adjust to almost anything regardless of how "unnatural" it might seem. If the going ever gets too rough within the Dark World, however, the Lightners are prone to reminding themselves of the subordinate position of what they’re experiencing to “reality”, and indeed, once the Fountains are sealed and the Dark Worlds exited, objects which had come to life turn inanimate again, and the Lightners quickly find themselves reverting to the logic of everyday life.

Most frequently the separation between these worlds is expressed through a comparison between the Dark Worlds and dreams, a constantly recurring motif throughout the first two chapters. Dreams themselves – as phenomena where human beings tend to stop detecting unreality, operating earnestly within the bounds of a “constructed” world – have a long history of being compared to fiction, especially with the advent of more vividly visual-temporal mediums like films and video games.

The opening stanza of Cecil Day Lewis's poem "Newsreel" is illustrative:

Enter the dream-house, brothers and sisters, leaving Your debts asleep, your history at the door: This is the home for heroes, and this loving Darkness a fur you can afford.

I believe this understanding of Darkness to lie at the thematic core of Deltarune, informing almost every other narrative thread contained within it. With that in mind, the goal of this essay is to investigate and make sense of the first two chapters of the game, answering some of the biggest questions posed by the narrative thus far, and speculating about what direction it might be heading in, all while orbiting around this central metaphor of Darkness as the power of creative expression.

First on the agenda is perhaps the most hotly debated topic in the community: the question of the Knight.

Finding the Knight

If our goal is to discover who the Knight might be, it behooves us to establish a rudimentary profile of the kind of person we’re looking for. This is a relatively simple task, as the information we have about the Knight is rather limited and can be reduced to a couple of key points.

1. The Knight creates Dark Fountains.

The most important knowledge we have about the Knight, by far – their primary distinguishing feature – is that they are in the business of creating Dark Fountains. It is among the first concrete pieces of info we learn about the character during their formal introduction by King in Chapter 1, and what primarily foregrounds our understanding of them. If we want to find the Knight, we need to look for someone we have cause to believe is going around creating Dark Fountains in the Light World.

2. The Knight is already familiar with the mechanics of Dark Worlds.

The second most important thing we know about the Knight is related to the first: they specifically created the Dark Fountains of Chapter 1 and 2. This can be intuited from King’s words in Chapter 1, and Queen confirms it outright. This fact has important consequences: if the Knight created the Dark Worlds of Chapter 1 and 2, they must have known how to do so before anyone from those Dark Worlds told them. To find the Knight, we should be on the lookout for someone we have reason to believe already knows about the mechanics of Dark Worlds before the events of the game.

3. The Knight wields a bladed instrument, specifically a knife.

Queen says in no uncertain terms that the Knight used a blade to create the Library Fountain. She then generates an illustrative diagram showing a knife. We are looking for someone who wields knives and uses them to create Dark Fountains.

4. Darkners tend to believe the Knight wants to cause the Roaring.

Though King and Queen don’t actually seem to know the specifics of what the Roaring entails, they both believe that the Knight wants to blanket the Light World in Darkness. Queen, however, explicitly says that she was only assuming this based on the Knight’s actions, strongly implying she hasn’t even met or talked with the Knight. King, for his part, appeals to the Knight’s “will”, which he similarly believes himself to know. It’s not immediately clear why King and Queen believe so strongly that this is the Knight’s plan, beyond potentially assuming it from the mere fact that they are creating Fountains in the Light World. It’s relevant information, no doubt, but not quite as concrete as the other points. Still, at the very least we seem to be looking for someone rash enough to risk the potential end of the world for their goals, if that isn’t their goal to begin with.

We know some other small things about the Knight; Jevil and Spamton are familiar with them in some way (as are many other Darkners), and we have some ominous remarks about communion and hell’s roar and shadows in their hand, but ultimately these are too ambiguous to make much of.

Having erected these four key points, we can now ask ourselves: do they apply to any character in Deltarune?

Well, yeah, as it turns out, there is a character who fits every single criterion listed above. This makes them, to put it bluntly, an incredibly compelling suspect. No prizes for guessing this one: it’s Kris.

What, were you expecting a mystery?

Before going any further, I need to say that when it comes to arguing for Kris being the Knight in this essay, I will be concerning myself almost exclusively with making a positive case for it. Which is to say that this is not a “defense” of Kris Knight, but rather my formulation of it. I won’t be bringing up any common counterarguments (though some of them will be organically refuted over the course of this essay), in part because I want readers to engage with the writing on its own terms, instead of it getting bogged down in the tedious Knight discourse that has consumed the community for the past few years. However, I’m aware of what a controversial point this is, and that there are those in the community who consider Kris to be a total non-starter as a candidate - all I can do is hope that those readers extend me enough grace to entertain the ideas I present here with an open mind.

To get the obvious out of the way, the main piece of evidence for Kris being the Knight is the fact that we see them create a Dark Fountain on screen outright. This immediately fulfills our first criterion: Kris is someone who is willing and able to create Dark Fountains.

Next we must ask ourselves whether it’s possible that Kris created the fountains of Chapter 1 and 2 and was thus already familiar with the mechanics of Dark World creation before the events of the game; as it turns out, this is not only possible but exceedingly likely.

This is because between Chapter 1 and 2, during a time in which Kris’s actions are ominously unaccounted for, we know that the TV is plugged back in after ages of not seeing any use, and that Toriel’s butterscotch pie is eaten by Kris: two things which directly lead to the Fountain creation at the end of Chapter 2 – the need to bake a new pie provides a distraction for Kris to slash Toriel’s tires, forcing Susie to stay over and pushing Toriel to call the police, and the TV is chosen by Kris as the focal point of the Chapter 3 Dark World. Moreover, ominous narration such as (It is not yet time to wash your hands.) if you try to do so at the beginning of the chapter, the general narrative continuity between the ending scenes of Chapter 1 and Chapter 2, and the fact that Kris makes specific arrangements to the rooms like turning on the TV (similar to how the laptop was turned on before the Library Fountain was created) and opening the door, all seem to point to the Fountain being premeditated, which would necessarily mean that their knowledge of Dark Worlds precedes the game’s opening. It should also be uncontroversial to acknowledge that not only does Kris wield a knife to create the Dark World of Chapter 3 (the same knife they brandish at the end of Chapter 1), but they're heavily associated with knives in general, with even their name – "kris" – being the name of a distinctive dagger. It's hard to imagine any other character fitting the third criterion so perfectly.

Finally, though we are no closer (for the moment) to understanding why King and Queen were so confident about the Knight’s intentions, it can absolutely be shown that Kris is rash enough to, at the very least, risk the end of the world: they already know about the danger of the Roaring from Ralsei, but it doesn’t stop them from creating a Dark World. If they aren’t the Knight, they are arguably behaving even more rashly; it would mean that they are knowingly contributing to more Dark Worlds being created while there’s someone already going around creating them, massively increasing the risk of the Roaring. Kris even creates a Fountain on the Weird Route, despite experiencing firsthand the very real threat that Dark Worlds can pose to Lightners who venture into them. All in all, the Fountain creation at the end of Chapter 2 serves as more than enough evidence of Kris behaving in an extremely reckless and potentially morally questionable fashion. It’s perhaps not impossible to understand why King and Queen assumed that they are trying to cause the Roaring on purpose.

Of equal importance to the above evidence is the fact that Kris being the Knight is a perfect fit for Deltarune’s themes, which encompass topics like escapism, agency, freedom and the power of fiction. As one might expect from a well-constructed narrative, these are all relevant to Kris, the protagonist of the story, and these connections are only strengthened if Kris does turn out to be the Knight.

As stated earlier, the Dark Worlds are a relatively unsubtle metaphor for fictional creation and roleplaying. They are dream-like fantasy worlds where good guys band together and go on adventures to stop the bad guys. If Kris is the Knight, that means they are essentially authoring these metaphorical fictional worlds, serving something of a dungeon master role where they literally create the settings, obstacles and conflicts to overcome, and then guide the stories of those conflicts to their resolutions; not only by accompanying the player and Susie on their hero's journeys, but also through Ralsei, the party's guide, tasked with keeping the adventure "on rails" so to speak (evidence strongly points to Ralsei, who is likely Kris's horned headband that goes missing some time before the events of the story, being in cahoots with Kris – watch Black Chestnut's wonderful "Ultimate Ralsei Theory" for more on this). From this perspective, “the Knight” is rather more like a persona that Kris adopts when necessary, no more reflective of their real personality than the prophetic hero role they assume when we take control of them.

Think back to them slashing the tires and opening the door at the end of Chapter 2; the mythology of the Knight is practically being built in real time – "this dastardly Knight is now targetting our Lightners, going so far as to break into their homes!" – it's almost a comic analogue to Deltarune theories which take the character at face value, such as the one positing that the Knight hid in the closet of the Library before ambushing Noelle and Berdly. And one gets the feeling Kris treats this all as separate from themselves. Just think of how into the performance they get; big flashy gestures, red eyes, knives – the Roaring Knight is essentially an anime villain! But Kris isn't any less invested in their role as the hero of prophecy, either. And this seems to reflect what we know of Kris’s Light World personality; we’re told that they’re mischievous, and sometimes take their pranks too far, but we also get indications that they have a kind-hearted disposition and like to help people out. Symbolically, these dual aspects of Kris’s personality are intensified in their Delta Warrior and Roaring Knight personas.

This ties into the theme of escapism; we see that the Dark Worlds serve an important role for the Lightners who venture into them. They provide the troubled teenagers with hope, entertainment, reprieve from their troubles, self-confidence, a medium of connection with others, and a way to reflect on their lives and provide it with meaning. At the same time, they risk being consumed by the allure of that unreality, embodied in the Weird Route’s erratic, obsessive actions that put the Lighters in danger (itself indicative of the player getting "too invested" in the game), and of course with the Roaring itself, which happens when Dark – the domain of fiction – overpowers Light, the domain of reality. If Kris is the Knight, it at the very least highlights the danger of their commitment to the Darkness, especially in light of the fact that Kris creates the next Fountain regardless of whether Berdly dies or not, even if we don't yet have a clear picture of their intentions or whether they have a good reason for their troubling actions.

Kris is at the epicenter of the themes of agency and freedom in Deltarune, mainly explored in the memorable chapter endings where Kris rips out their player-controlled heart to do things without our prompting, and in the quests of the secret bosses where the ongoing motif is a confrontation with the characters’ own static existence, their lack of agency as lines of code in a video game, forced to play a particular role – especially apparent in the quest of Spamton, whose similarities to Kris lead to them becoming quite visibly distraught by the end. This is true irrespective of Kris being the Knight, but one can't help but notice how well that development plays into the established divide between the player and the protagonist; if Kris is the Knight, that would sharpen the contradictions even more and mean that where we control Kris as the protagonist, they also act as our antagonist when they disconnect from us, creating the Dark Worlds we later have to seal. This separates Kris’s character even more from our control of them and their function as our player avatar, blurring the lines between who's "really in control" of the story.

Earlier we went over the strong textual evidence for Kris being the Knight, but sometimes we might have reasons to be skeptical about a seemingly obvious conclusion if it conflicts with the mode of storytelling or thematic framework of a narrative. That is not the case here; at the very least Kris being the Knight does not conflict with any of the core themes of the story. I'd go much further, though, and say that it massively deepens and adds layers to those themes. It’s a decision the story would only benefit from.

There are many questions that remain. The Darkners seem to be quite familiar with the Knight, but we know that Kris couldn’t have entered the Fountains and made themselves known, because that would mean the Darkners would've immediately recognized Kris as the Knight when we later inhabit them. We actually don’t even know if it’s possible to enter the Dark Fountains without sealing them in the first place; Ralsei and Lancer make it sound like you can’t in Chapter 1.

Though we have a satisfying enough answer to who’s responsible for the Dark Worlds, we don’t yet have a great understanding of the internal dynamics of those worlds. How could it be that the Darkners know about the Knight without ever having met them? This is something we must inquire into.

To be continued in Part Two.

[historicboii]

Okay finally using my degree and giving you some deep analysis, i give you all

THE PACIFIC AS CHAIRS

Part 1

Okay starting with Leckie, i have the Mies chair, basically in Italy in the 70s/80s many design firms were breaking the stablished design norms. in this design they take the principles of geometry of mies van de rohen of to the extreme. Fits Leckies vibe of studious and a bit of a prick.

Next up we have Runner, he gets the chair for the café museum by Adolf loos, very practical but also beautiful. Simple in its lines but very reliable, i think It fits his persona

Now Chuckler gets the Panton chair, its confortable, its light, its playful. It was one of the first plastic chairs made by inyection and is a staple of design in general. I think It fits his bright personality

Now Hoosier, you guys know how much i love hoosier, he gets the Pantower. Panton believed in the homo ludens, basically the freedom of movement of man. The Pantower allowed for a wide range of poses allowing him to sit or sleep or even play with his dog.

Finally Sid Phillips, im choosing the Grande confort chair by Le corbusier and Charlotte perriand, its supposed to be ergonomic and luxurious. Le corbusier started the modular House, and sid is the first marine we see retourn to that ideal home, so i think it fits .

[roxannepolice]

Getting stuff out of my system so maybe I can sleep. So obviously I loved The Giggle and loved the Toymaker, but as a Thoschei shipper I can't express how important it is to me how impersonal the Toymaker was about the whole thing and while my dreams of old men making out have not been realied, the ghost of the Master hanging over the episode really emphasised that. Like, welcome home cheater jokes are great and I was getting lowkey irritated by how both the fans and the writers were making ALL of the Master's actions about the Doctor.

But I was also worried that with a campy game loving villain that would also have a love hate obsession with and resentment for the Doctor, RTD would basically say behold the Master only +++ this obviously had nothing to do with CC giving the Doctor a literal speech about being better than the Master introducing a Dia de los Muertos villain that has soooo much history with the Doctor but is also soooo very powerful and then reiterating that the Master hates themself and only wants to be the Doctor but can't because of essentialism posing as existentialism. nothing whatsoever.

But no. Again, I am a bit tired of the Master being presented mainly as not-Doctor and I do think that if Ten didn't timelock the Tardis, they wouldn't have chosen their pet planet specifically, but compare Saxon's No. This is my turn. Revenge. Best. Served. Hot. to the Toymaker's cold Best of three. Compare the Master drawing pleasure from playing Satan the accuser about humans-turned-toclafane to the Doctor specifically because it's their pet species to the Toymaker being himself attracted to humans because of their nature sth sth Johan Huizinga sth sth homo ludens and play as the foundation of culture sth sth 2001: SO with bone and ball sth sth murder as kickstarter of culture and play as kickstarter of culture. Look at Ten's addendum of If that's what you want to the offer he makes the Master in s3, emphasising that he wants to understand what is it that the latter is after, and at Fourteen's certainty that the Toymaker really is only after games.

Don't get me wrong, I'm far from throwing monogamy at either the Doctor or the Master and they probably both made out with the Toymaker, both individually and menage a trois. But if after literal weeks of holding my breath for an actual cameo I leave the episode fully sated after a gold tooth and laughing sounds and people from outside my Davy Jones' Locker stuck ghost ship notice it too, then I'd say RTD did some really good job hanging the Master's ghost over the story. And that was not just to fan serve. It also made a point about the differences between those relationships.

[alas9]

✨ 📖 ✏️ studyblr masterpost jam ✏️ 📖 ✨ Day #2 as an independent game designer maybe?

So today is about books. I love to read books and I love what I'm doing now, so I'm going to share some books I'm planning to read and do some reviews here in the future.

1 - Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play Element in Culture

It is a book written by historian and cultural theorist Johan Huizinga, first published in 1938. In this work, Huizinga explores the importance of play in human culture, arguing that play is not just a recreational activity, but a fundamental component of civilization. Huizinga presents the idea that play predates culture itself, suggesting that many of the social institutions and practices we consider serious, such as law, war, philosophy, and art, have their roots in play. The book examines how the spirit of play manifests itself in various spheres of life, from religious rituals to sports competitions, and how this spirit influences creativity and human expression. Throughout the book, Huizinga also examines how the game has evolved throughout history and how it has been interpreted and valued by different cultures. Although the text is an academic study, its accessible style and provocative ideas have made "Homo Ludens" an influential and widely read work, both in cultural studies and other disciplines. The title, "Homo Ludens," translates as "the man who plays," and reflects Huizinga's central thesis that play is an essential and defining part of what it means to be human.

2 - The Well-Played Game: A Player's Philosophy

It is a book written by game designer and cultural theorist Bernard De Koven, first published in 1978. In this work, De Koven explores the concept of play beyond rules and objectives, focusing on shared experience and interaction between players.

The book is about the idea that a "well-played game" is not necessarily defined by winning or losing, but by the quality of the experience the players create together. De Koven argues that the real value of a game lies in how players collaborate and enjoy the process, promoting fun, connection and creativity over competition.

Throughout the book, De Koven offers reflections on the nature of play, proposing that the spirit of play is something that players carry with them and that can be applied to other aspects of life. He also provides ideas on how games can adapt and evolve to ensure the experience is enjoyed by all participants, highlighting the importance of flexibility and inclusivity.

"The Well-Played Game" is an influential work in the field of game design and game theory, and has inspired designers and players to reconsider what it really means to play well, focusing on the importance of community and enjoyment. mutual.

3 - Theory of Fun for Game Design

It is a seminal book in the field of game design, first published in 2004. Through an accessible and visually appealing approach, Koster explores what makes games fun and how designers can apply these principles to create experiences. more involving and satisfying.

The book is distinguished by its mix of text and drawings, which illustrate the concepts in a clear and entertaining way. Koster argues that the fun in games comes from the learning process; Games are essentially systems of patterns that players break down and master. As players solve the challenges the games present, they experience a sense of satisfaction that is the core of the fun.

In addition to analyzing the structure of games and what makes them attractive, Koster also reflects on the cultural impact of games and their potential as an art form. The book is both a practical guide for designers and a philosophical reflection on why we play.

"Theory of Fun for Game Design" is widely considered essential reading for anyone interested in game design, both for its conceptual depth and its accessible and entertaining approach.

4 - Thinking in Systems: A Primer

It is an accessible and insightful introduction to the concept of systems thinking, originally published in 2008. The book presents a way of understanding the world through the lens of systems, which are sets of interrelated elements that function together as a whole.

Meadows, a leading environmental scientist and pioneer in the field of systems dynamics, uses clear, practical examples to explain how systems operate in nature, society, and in our everyday lives. The book addresses topics such as feedback loops, system boundaries, and the dynamics of change, offering tools to identify and understand the behaviors of complex systems.

One of the book's strengths is its ability to break down complex concepts into understandable ideas, making it a valuable read for both beginners and those with experience in the field. Meadows also offers insight into how to apply systems thinking to solve problems in diverse areas, from environmental sustainability to business management.

"Thinking in Systems" is more than a technical manual; It is an invitation to see the world differently, with a deeper awareness of the connections and relationships that underlie the problems and challenges we face. It is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand and address complexity more effectively.

5 - Persuasive Games: The Expressive Power of Videogames

It is a pioneering work published in 2007 that explores the potential of video games as a means of communication and expression. Bogost, an academic and game designer, introduces the concept of "procedural rhetoric," which refers to the way video games can persuade and communicate ideas through their game systems and mechanics, rather than just through images or narratives.

The book argues that video games have a unique ability to influence players, as they not only present information, but also allow players to interact with complex systems and experience firsthand the consequences of their decisions. Through this interaction, video games can express political, social, and cultural ideas in powerful and subtle ways.

Bogost examines a wide range of games, from commercial titles to independent and educational projects, showing how these games can educate, persuade, and even change players' perspectives on various topics. The book also reflects on the future of game design and how developers can use procedural rhetoric to create more meaningful and thoughtful experiences.

"Persuasive Games" is essential reading for those interested in the expressive power of video games, whether from an academic, design perspective, or simply as curious gamers. The book challenges the traditional view of video games as superficial entertainment and positions them as a medium with deep communicative potential.

6 - Procedural Storytelling in Game Design

It is a compilation edited by Tanya X. Short and Tarn Adams, published in 2019, that explores how stories can be generated procedurally in video games. Through a series of essays written by experienced developers and designers, the book addresses the techniques and challenges of creating dynamic narratives that emerge from the player's interactions with the game system, rather than following a predefined script.

The book highlights the importance of designing systems that allow players to experience unique and personalized stories in each game. Examples of games that use procedures to generate narrative content are explored, from major titles to indie games, and the different philosophies behind this design approach are discussed.

One of the strengths of "Procedural Storytelling in Game Design" is its practical and varied approach, offering both technical advice and theoretical reflections on how to make procedural narratives coherent and exciting. The authors also address the limitations and challenges of this approach, such as the difficulty of maintaining narrative coherence and emotional depth in procedurally generated stories.

This book is a valuable read for game designers, writers, and anyone interested in the intersection between narrative and technology. "Procedural Storytelling in Game Design" provides an in-depth look at an innovative aspect of game design, inspiring readers to consider new ways of telling stories through interactive systems.

[yusuke-of-valla]

Eh whatever I’ll ramble

So a month? Ago was the Pokémon World Championships and amongst several other controversies was that a record number of participants were disqualified for having hacked Pokemon.

As far as I know (and for the sake of argument) these hacked ‘mons are the exact same stat and moveset wise as other Pokemon. No one’s hacking in a Regigas with Wonder Guard. At least one person eliminated said it was because they didn’t have time to play through Legends Arceus

Now a lot of digital ink has been spilled about fairness, wether that rule is arbitrary, wether having the time/money to play multiple Pokémon games and have home and be literate in competitive battling is ALSO an unfair advantage etc, but while I’d love to bust out my copy of Homo Ludens and talk about the structure of rules and games, I’m not going to, because I don’t really think the Pokémon company cares about fairness in that sense.

I think what matters to them is that people who are hacking in mons might not be giving them more money to buy their games, DLC, Home, etc.

Because frankly, if they wanted to cut down on hacking, the best thing they could do would be to just. Make a game where all the mons available in competitive are available in the game on it’s own.

But if they did that then people would only have to buy one game, as opposed to now where Urshifu and Enamorous are pretty popular, and if you want them you need at least 3 games and Home. And if you want to buy Sword and Shield that shit’s still full price.

For all that Scarlet and Violet works to make competitive more accessible (focusing on new battle items in trailers, terastalization being a gimmick that feels really meant to change up the competitive scene specifically as opposed to being flashy, the classes explaining math and what not that were never explained directly before), it doesn’t actually go out of it’s way to make it, like, actually accessible to anyone who doesn’t have the time and money to buy and beat two versions of a game. So it kinda feels like they’re trying to hook more people into being interested in the competitive format so that they will be incentivized to buy games and dlc and come to see worlds and buy merch and all of that.

Idk maybe I’m being too conspiratorial but honestly yhe hacked mons thing is more a symptom of the greater flaw that is competitive Pokemon only exists to make the Pokémon company more money and every decision should be viewed through that lens

[horsesource]

Why do you say that subjectivity is becoming increasingly autistic? Also, have you ever read Homo Ludens?

Because people are increasingly socially exhausted. Since capitalism began to ravage communication, creative energy, etc, psychosis is no longer a limit to economic production and instead is itself a force of production (we are no longer compelled to repression, as we were during industrialization, but to hyperexpression)

If psychosis has been appropriated by economic processes, autism presents a new limit to capitalism (also, historically speaking, autism emerged out of psychosis)

This is because autism is neither repression nor hyperexpressivity, autistic subjectivity involves a turning away from the symbolic, or else a use of the symbolic for non-economic/non-communicative means. I have not read the book you mentioned but thanks for mentioning it.

[brookston]

Holidays 12.7

Holidays

Armed Forces Flag Day (India)

Blue Marble Day

Christmas Jumper Day (UK)

Cypress Tree Day (French Republic)

Dia de las Velitas (Day of the Little Candles; Colombia)

Enlightenment Day

Ferry Floss Day (UK)

Fetes de l’Escalade (Scaling or Climbing Day; Switzerland)

Hang a Wreath Day

Heavy Snow Day (Chinese Farmer’s Calendar)

Human Rights Day (Kiribati)

International Civil Aviation Day (UN)

Letter Writing Day

Memorial Day (East Timor)

National Day (Myanmar)

National FAFO Day

National Fire Safety Day

National Heroes’ Day (East Timor)

National Illinois Day

National Joy Day

National Judith Day

National Letter Writing Day

National Rina Day

National Slime Day

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

Spider-Woman Day

Spitak Remembrance Day (Armenia)

Students’ Day (Iran)

World Kamishibai Day

World TTTS Awareness Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Marshmallow Peeps Day

National Cotton Candy Day [original date, moved to 6.11; also 7.31]

National Prosciutto Day

1st Thursday in December

Kid Lit Art Postcard Day [1st Thursday]

Lover's Fair (Arlon, Belgium) [1st Thursday]

Independence Days

Delaware Statehood Day (#1; 1787)

Farrar Republic (Declared; 2016) [unrecognized]

Fraughtia (Declared; 2012) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Aemilianus (Greek Church)

Ambrose of Milan (Christian; Saint) [Italy]

Bhairava Ashtami (Indian Goddess of Soma) [8th Lunar Day of Kartik]

Bradley (Positivist; Saint)

Bruma II (Pagan)

Eve of the Immaculate Conception

Fara (Christian; Saint)

Feast of All Monsters (Church of the SubGenius)

Festival of Primordial Beings

Flag Day (India)

Flag Land Base Day (Scientology)

Gian Lorenzo Bernini (Artology)

Haloia of Demeter (Pagan)

Hanukkah (Judaism) [begins at sundown]

Holiday from Death Day (Pastafarian)

Maria Giuseppa Rossello (Christian; Saint)

Quema del Diablo (Burning of the Devil; Guatemala)

Rosita (Muppetism)

Sabinus of Spoleto (Christian; Saint)

Still Not Dead Day (Pastafarian)

Stuart Davis (Artology)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Butsumetsu (仏滅 Japan) [Unlucky all day.]

Dismal Day (Unlucky or Evil Day; Medieval Europe; 23 of 24)

Egyptian Day (Unlucky Day; Middle Ages Europe) [23 of 24]

Fatal Day (Pagan) [23 of 24]

Historically Unlucky Day [11 of 11]

Historically Bad Day (Cicero assassinated, Pearl Harbor attack & 4 other tragedies) [11 of 11]

Umu Limnu (Evil Day; Babylonian Calendar; 56 of 60)

Very Unlucky Day (Grafton’s Manual of 1565) [56 of 60]

Premieres

Abbott Elementary (TV Series; 2012)

Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna (TV Mini-Series; 1986)

Bad Day at Flat Rocky or A Record in Bullwinkle’s Blot (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 326; 1964)

The Bells of St. Mary’s (Film; 1945)

Brokeback Mountain (Film; 2005)

Canine Patrol (Disney Cartoon; 1945)

Dominique, by The Singing Nun (Song; 1963)

Edward Scissorhands (Film; 1990)

Frosty the Snowman (Animated TV Special; 1969)

The Golden Compass (Film; 2007)

The Gondoliers, by Gilbert & Sullivan (Comic Opera; 1889)

The Grifters (Film; 1990)

Hallelujah, by Leonard Cohen (Song; 1984)

Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play Element in Culture, by Johan Huizinga (Science Book; 1938)

I’m Not There (Film; 2007)

Jamboree (Rock & Roll Film; 1957)

Kung Fu Fighting, by Carl Douglas (Song; 1974)

The Librarians (TV Series; 2014)

The Long Tomorrow, by Leigh Brackett (Novel; 1955)

Mary Queen of Scots (Film; 2018)

New Kin in Town, by The Eagles (Song; 1976)

Ocean’s Eleven (Film; 2001)

Resign Your Fate to a 52nd State or Moosylvania (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 325; 1964)

Rock! Rock! Rock! (Rock & Roll Film; 1956)

Rosemary, played live by the Gratefull Dead (Song; 1968) [Only Time It’s Played Live]

(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay, recorded by Otis Redding (Song; 1967)

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (Film; 1979)

2010: The Year We Make Contact (Film; 1984)

Wild Life, by Paul McCartney & Wings (Album; 1971)

The World’s Fastest Indian (Film; 2005)

Today’s Name Days

Ambrosius, Benedikte (Austria)

Ambrozije, Sabina, Urban (Croatia)

Ambrož (Czech Republic)

Agathon (Denmark)

Piine, Sabiine (Estonia)

Sampsa (Finland)

Ambroise (France)

Ambros, Benedikte, Farah (Germany)

Amvrosios (Greece)

Ambrus (Hungary)

Ambrogio (Italy)

Anta, Antonija, Dzirkstīte, Tonija (Latvia)

Ambraziejus, Daugardas, Tautė (Lithuania)

Hallfrid, Hallstein (Norway)

Agaton, Ambroży, Marcin, Ninomysł (Poland)

Filofteia (Romania)

Ekaterina (Russia)

Ambróz (Slovakia)

Ambrosio (Spain)

Angela, Angelika (Sweden)

Ambrose (Ukraine)

Ambrose, Ambrosine, Jasmin, Jasmine, Jazlyn, Jazmin, Jazmine, Yasmeen, Yasmin, Yasmine, Yazmin (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 341 of 2024; 24 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 4 of week 49 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Ruis (Elder) [Day 10 of 28]

Chinese: Month 10 (Gui-Hai), Day 25 (Ji-Hai)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 24 Kislev 5784

Islamic: 24 Jumada I 1445

J Cal: 11 Zima; Foursday [11 of 30]

Julian: 24 November 2023

Moon: 27%: Waning Crescent

Positivist: 5 Bichat (12th Month) [Bradley]

Runic Half Month: Is (Stasis) [Day 12 of 15]

Season: Autumn (Day 75 of 89)

Zodiac: Sagittarius (Day 16 of 30)

[tacfarinas]

tagged by @kvothes <3

last song: 'motorbike' by poppy

fave color: a nice vibrant mossy green

currently watching: i've been slowly picking my way through the walking dead lmao. currently on season 10

last movie: alien! like a month ago. movie of all time

currently reading: infinite jest, david foster wallace (although i haven't had much time to touch it at all in the last month); homo ludens, johan huizinga; the divine comedy, dante alighieri (i'm soooooo close to the end!); yumi & the nightmare painter, brandon sanderson (something fun & easy i don't have to think about too much when my brain needs a break); & also the bible lol.

sweet/spicy/savory: craving the sweet & spicy combo

last thing i googled: battle of adrianople 378

current obsession: early christian history; that point in time when western europe decided rome was no longer roman enough to be rome; lucan >:)

currently working on: researching/writing up my script for the mini-lecture i'm giving on the arian heresy tomorrow evening

[talenlee]

The Magic Circle (The Magic Is Racism)

New Post has been published on PRESS.exe: The Magic Circle (The Magic Is Racism)

One of the few concepts from Games Studies that has escaped into the general atmosphere of people talking about it normally is the idea of the magic circle. The magic circle is an idea mentioned once in the book Homo Ludens by Johan Huizinga, which, much like other off-handed comments made by people focusing elsewhere, wound up becoming something that the games studies world spun off into a great big mess of noise, hi there Wittgenstein thanks for making ‘defining game’ into an academic sporting event.

But the magic circle ostensibly, as developed later by Roger Caillois (somewhat, even if he thought Huizinga was a bit stinky) and kind of elaborated on further by Ian Bogost (kinda?) is the notion that a game exists in a space created apart from the general real world; that the beginning of and experience of playing a game involves engaging in a shared separation of reality that everyone involved recognises and accepts has nothing to do with reality and can be therefore, a place for anything to happen.

I’ve talked in the past about how Caillois is kind of a big weirdo, which is a way to divert the conversation away from the fact the dude was a racist and a misogynist and also kind of an asshole even to white dudes as well. In any given conversation about academics from the 1950s it’s not exactly interesting to point out that they were racists and misogynists, you can usually instead direct attention to the few who were exceptions to this trend and that is interesting in and of itself.

In this case, though, Caillois’ vision of games is not atypical for a particular vision of games studies: He sees the games as being disconnected from reality. He also believed them to be unproductive and uncreative; a game by definition could not have a byproduct that was useful or had value. In Caillois’ mind, a game could not ‘create anything of value.’

I’ve been thinking about Caillois as I read CLR James Beyond A Boundary, a dense book full of historical accounting of the experience of playing cricket and playing being a fan of cricket, during a time in which Colonial England offered very few routes for advancement for black people in the West Indies. One of those routes for a limited number of people was cricket. You could use cricket to advance, to position yourself, but, James writes, there’s always material conditions that hold you back. The best black player couldn’t replace an acceptable white player, and the best black player was the lightest-skinned one.

The book has this phrase, early on: Before I knew of politics, I had learned it all from cricket. It’s a history full of reflections on the way that the empire treated its games as this neutral space where everyone adhered to the same rules so everyone got treated the same even as James accounts incident after incident after incident where that was simply not true – there’s even an instance where Australia, another subservient component of the empire, but also, crucially, one presented as whiter, is shown as being positioned as yes, lesser to England, but still very much the white one in a contest against Trinidad.

Australia set a truly eyewatering target of 600. The response came roaring back as the first two batsmen scored over 200 runs. To say that this was a simple value-neutral exchange between parties and that there was no interface of the system of the empire asserting over people is to pretend that people’s feelings don’t matter when they’re engaged with a game; that drive and agency and alertness and all the elements of human exchange are present in the human to be observed, to play the game, but which also, crucially, do not actually exist, because they would make the interplay of the game objects meaningful outside of the game as well.

I have only read excerpts from Games Black Girls Play, which describes a whole range of ways that there are things that I, a white guy, have been taught are inherent to black people but as it turns out are things that the black community being observed practice, through games, and valorise, through good execution in those games. There is no magic circle for these people, in this situation; the real oppressions of the real world melt in to the edges. When a man was shot for trespassing on a country club without realising it because he was playing Pokemon Go, you’re not going to be shocked to hear that it wasn’t a white guy.

Since I started on Games Studies, one thing I’ve often argued with in Man, Play And Games is the position that ‘games are uncreative,’ that they cannot create any value. To me, the idea of mandela patterns and playful meditation experiences which can leave you with an artistic product struck me as fundamentally against this idea; either they’re not games or they’re not creative, or Caillois’ idea doesn’t work.

The thing I didn’t really consider there though is that my immediate, easy and convenient example of a playful experience that has a creative output was something from a non-white cultural space. And that’s not to say ‘western games are like this, eastern games are like that.’ It’s more that if you approach games from the perspective of the magic circle, and assume that idea works, you have to start shaping things you see in order to make them collaborate with that idea; they are part of the conversation.

And look, the magic circle is not an idea with zero explanatory power. It’s absolutely an idea you can use to describe the way that when you’re in a game, you can tell you care about something and then after the game is over, that thing has no value to you. It’s not like once the game is over you have a reason to care about having a five of clubs. I think that this can be handled by Suits’ idea of a lusury attitude, but the magic circle is a term that can be connected to ideas of theatrics and narrative design.

But it’s kinda hard, when you sit the distinct difference in who gets to be aloof and who has to be involved alongside one another to not see that the Magic Circle is just another way to describe privilege.

Oh and Caillois hated clowns, obligatory mention.

Check it out on PRESS.exe to see it with images and links!

[5brightplanets]

༅༅༅༅༅༅༅༅

It is boasted that its illusive manifestations are the richest and best regulated of all. It is on this path of fancy that New World etiquette proves its civilizing value. By cloaking itself in the standard brilliance of ranked virtue and probity, it elevates itself towards amplified magnificence.

༅༅༅༅༅༅༅༅

A Middle Of The Mode Series. According to a back cover, inside scoop on the Middle Ages: From an analysis of the dominating ideas of the times … emerges the style of a whole culture at the extreme limit of its development. 100% made from Chapter II - Pessimism And The Ideal Of The Sublime Life from The Waning Of The Middle Ages by Johan Huizinga, circa 1919. Found in a 1954 Doubleday Anchor Book paperback edition with a 1924 English translation from the original Dutch by F. Hopman performed in active collaboration with the author. J. Huizinga also authored: In The Shadow Of Tomorrow; Erasmus Of Rotterdam; and Homo Ludens, A Study Of The Play Element In Culture. The viewable and listenable link is posted by Gabriel Méndez Lozano; https://youtu.be/0eWUhXPhIaE?si=OCawyGUrq2ecj-0h is a seemingly one-time-use, hypochangeable link to A Whole New World - Aladdin (1992) 1080p. Grateful awareness of the many artists, musicians, and technicians who present these sights and sounds. Visual/Dialogue Direction by John Musker and Ron Clements with Words and Music by Tim Rice and Alan Menken. -Jivananda (Jim)

[bwv572]

We found that one of the most important characteristics of play was its spatial separation from ordinary life. A closed space is marked out for it, either materially or ideally, hedged of from the everyday surroundings. Inside this space the play proceeds, inside it the rules obtain.

Now, the marking out of some sacred spot is also the primary characteristic of every sacred act. This require­ment of isolation for ritual, including magic and law, is much more than merely spatial and temporal. Nearly all rites of consecration and initiation entail a certain artificial seclusion for the performers and those to be initiated. Whenever it is a question of taking a vow or being received into an Order or confraternity, or of oaths and secret societies, in one way or another there is always such a delimitation of room for play. The magician, the augur, the sacrificer begins his work by circumscribing his sacred space. Sacrament and mystery presuppose a hallowed spot.

Formally speaking, there is no distinction whatever between marking out a space for a sacred purpose and marking it out for purposes of sheer play. The turf, the tennis-court, the chess­ board and pavement-hopscotch cannot formally be distinguished from the temple or the magic circle.

What, then, is the attitude and mood prevailing at holy festivals? The sacred act is "celebrated" on a "holiday" -i.e. it forms part of a general feast on the occasion of a holy day. When the people foregather at the sanctuary they gather together for collective rejoicing. Consecrations, sacrifices, sacred dances and contests, performances, mysteries-all are comprehended within the act of celebrating a festival.

-Johan Huizinga, Homo Ludens

[roxannepolice]

To conclude the "is DW fantasy now?" discussion, I think it is, and has always been, magical realism. The focus has never been on depicting the worlds and peoples or thought experiments, but rather on confrontation between ordinary and extraordinary. Most of the time, the extraordinary is the species of Faiborlots from the planet Fairblon. Sometimes it is straight up the fairfolk of celctic folklore. Sometimes it's the powerful but not all powerful specimen of Osirians getting dragged around the time vortex so long he has become a practical god.

And that's fine! This is where you can introduce the educational aspect! Ask the technological questions. Find out about other cultures. Discuss durkheimian tradition of sociology of religion and the homo ludens theory. That's amazing!

But the element which distinguishes DW from either fantasy or sci-fi lies in asking the real questions: if you have two hearts, do you have a really high blood pressure? Hang on, I've read about this in the news, was it your doing? How would a powerful alien hypnotist fare in early 21st century UK politics? How would a teenager that got to time travel react to 60s' UK educational system? What happens if an angry nineteen year old absorbs all of time and space into her mind? Can you save one of the greatest artists of all time from himself? How to interpret a piece of modern art suddenly disappearing in front of your eyes after three strange people ran inside?

And yes, this is also where most of the humour comes from.

[posterseni]

Humans are not only creatures that should think and work but also creatures that play (homo ludens). Play is a form of seriousness in unseriousness. After graduating from college, Agapitus Ronaldo (Aldo) embarked on explorations that may seem like mere fun but in fact, very serious. 

"Time to Play" is a solo exhibition by Agapitus Ronaldo, presented by summoning his inner child to play while crafting a serious, reflective, and recreational artistic process. 

Opening :

Monday, 8 Januari 2024

at 4pm

Writer :

Lily Elserisa 

Officiated by :

Mr. Nicolaus Kuswanto 

Supported :

Galeri Zen1

Selastuds

Indieart House

Media Partner :

Artopologi

Alligator

Grace Art Event

Jogja Punya Acara

Pt. Semanggi

Poster Seni

Sasenitala

Ruang Atas

Asking Media

Sudut Kantin

Exhibition Periods :

8 - 20 Januari 2024

10am - 5pm

Venue :

Indieart House @indiearthouse

Jl. AS Samawaat No.99

Bekelan, Tirtonirmolo, Kasihan, Bantul, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by POSTERSENI (@poster.seni)

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 12.7

Holidays

Armed Forces Flag Day (India)

Blue Marble Day

Christmas Jumper Day (UK)

Cypress Tree Day (French Republic)

Dia de las Velitas (Day of the Little Candles; Colombia)

Enlightenment Day

Ferry Floss Day (UK)

Fetes de l’Escalade (Scaling or Climbing Day; Switzerland)

Hang a Wreath Day

Heavy Snow Day (Chinese Farmer’s Calendar)

Human Rights Day (Kiribati)

International Civil Aviation Day (UN)

Letter Writing Day

Memorial Day (East Timor)

National Day (Myanmar)

National FAFO Day

National Fire Safety Day

National Heroes’ Day (East Timor)

National Illinois Day

National Joy Day

National Judith Day

National Letter Writing Day

National Rina Day

National Slime Day

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

Spider-Woman Day

Spitak Remembrance Day (Armenia)

Students’ Day (Iran)

World Kamishibai Day

World TTTS Awareness Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Marshmallow Peeps Day

National Cotton Candy Day [original date, moved to 6.11; also 7.31]

National Prosciutto Day

1st Thursday in December

Kid Lit Art Postcard Day [1st Thursday]

Lover's Fair (Arlon, Belgium) [1st Thursday]

Independence Days

Delaware Statehood Day (#1; 1787)

Farrar Republic (Declared; 2016) [unrecognized]

Fraughtia (Declared; 2012) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Aemilianus (Greek Church)

Ambrose of Milan (Christian; Saint) [Italy]

Bhairava Ashtami (Indian Goddess of Soma) [8th Lunar Day of Kartik]

Bradley (Positivist; Saint)

Bruma II (Pagan)

Eve of the Immaculate Conception

Fara (Christian; Saint)

Feast of All Monsters (Church of the SubGenius)

Festival of Primordial Beings

Flag Day (India)

Flag Land Base Day (Scientology)

Gian Lorenzo Bernini (Artology)

Haloia of Demeter (Pagan)

Hanukkah (Judaism) [begins at sundown]

Holiday from Death Day (Pastafarian)

Maria Giuseppa Rossello (Christian; Saint)

Quema del Diablo (Burning of the Devil; Guatemala)

Rosita (Muppetism)

Sabinus of Spoleto (Christian; Saint)

Still Not Dead Day (Pastafarian)

Stuart Davis (Artology)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Butsumetsu (仏滅 Japan) [Unlucky all day.]

Dismal Day (Unlucky or Evil Day; Medieval Europe; 23 of 24)

Egyptian Day (Unlucky Day; Middle Ages Europe) [23 of 24]

Fatal Day (Pagan) [23 of 24]

Historically Unlucky Day [11 of 11]

Historically Bad Day (Cicero assassinated, Pearl Harbor attack & 4 other tragedies) [11 of 11]

Umu Limnu (Evil Day; Babylonian Calendar; 56 of 60)

Very Unlucky Day (Grafton’s Manual of 1565) [56 of 60]

Premieres

Abbott Elementary (TV Series; 2012)

Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna (TV Mini-Series; 1986)

Bad Day at Flat Rocky or A Record in Bullwinkle’s Blot (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 326; 1964)

The Bells of St. Mary’s (Film; 1945)

Brokeback Mountain (Film; 2005)

Canine Patrol (Disney Cartoon; 1945)

Dominique, by The Singing Nun (Song; 1963)

Edward Scissorhands (Film; 1990)

Frosty the Snowman (Animated TV Special; 1969)

The Golden Compass (Film; 2007)

The Gondoliers, by Gilbert & Sullivan (Comic Opera; 1889)

The Grifters (Film; 1990)

Hallelujah, by Leonard Cohen (Song; 1984)

Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play Element in Culture, by Johan Huizinga (Science Book; 1938)

I’m Not There (Film; 2007)

Jamboree (Rock & Roll Film; 1957)

Kung Fu Fighting, by Carl Douglas (Song; 1974)

The Librarians (TV Series; 2014)

The Long Tomorrow, by Leigh Brackett (Novel; 1955)

Mary Queen of Scots (Film; 2018)

New Kin in Town, by The Eagles (Song; 1976)

Ocean’s Eleven (Film; 2001)

Resign Your Fate to a 52nd State or Moosylvania (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 325; 1964)

Rock! Rock! Rock! (Rock & Roll Film; 1956)

Rosemary, played live by the Gratefull Dead (Song; 1968) [Only Time It’s Played Live]

(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay, recorded by Otis Redding (Song; 1967)

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (Film; 1979)

2010: The Year We Make Contact (Film; 1984)

Wild Life, by Paul McCartney & Wings (Album; 1971)

The World’s Fastest Indian (Film; 2005)

Today’s Name Days

Ambrosius, Benedikte (Austria)

Ambrozije, Sabina, Urban (Croatia)

Ambrož (Czech Republic)

Agathon (Denmark)

Piine, Sabiine (Estonia)

Sampsa (Finland)

Ambroise (France)

Ambros, Benedikte, Farah (Germany)

Amvrosios (Greece)

Ambrus (Hungary)

Ambrogio (Italy)

Anta, Antonija, Dzirkstīte, Tonija (Latvia)

Ambraziejus, Daugardas, Tautė (Lithuania)

Hallfrid, Hallstein (Norway)

Agaton, Ambroży, Marcin, Ninomysł (Poland)

Filofteia (Romania)

Ekaterina (Russia)

Ambróz (Slovakia)

Ambrosio (Spain)

Angela, Angelika (Sweden)

Ambrose (Ukraine)

Ambrose, Ambrosine, Jasmin, Jasmine, Jazlyn, Jazmin, Jazmine, Yasmeen, Yasmin, Yasmine, Yazmin (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 341 of 2024; 24 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 4 of week 49 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Ruis (Elder) [Day 10 of 28]

Chinese: Month 10 (Gui-Hai), Day 25 (Ji-Hai)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 24 Kislev 5784

Islamic: 24 Jumada I 1445

J Cal: 11 Zima; Foursday [11 of 30]

Julian: 24 November 2023

Moon: 27%: Waning Crescent

Positivist: 5 Bichat (12th Month) [Bradley]

Runic Half Month: Is (Stasis) [Day 12 of 15]

Season: Autumn (Day 75 of 89)

Zodiac: Sagittarius (Day 16 of 30)

[topnochplay]

History Of Games

The history of games dates back to the ancient human past.Games are an integral part of all cultures and one of the oldest forms of human social interaction. They are formalized expressions of play that allow people to go beyond immediate imagination and engage in direct physical activity. Common features of games include uncertainty of outcome, agreed-upon rules, competition, separate place and time, elements of fiction, elements of chance, prescribed goals, and personal enjoyment.

Games capture the ideas and worldviews of their cultures and pass them on to future generations. They have been important as cultural and social bonding events, teaching tools, and markers of social status. As pastimes of royalty and the elite, some games became common features of court culture and were also given as gifts. Games like Se-net and the Me so American ball game were often imbued with mythic and ritual religious significance. Games such as Gyan chauper and The Mansion of Happiness were used to teach spiritual and ethical lessons, while Shatranj and Wéiqí were seen as a way to develop strategic thinking and mental skills by the political and military elite.

In his 1938 book, Homo Ludens, Dutch cultural historian Johan Huizinga argued that games were a primary condition for the generation of human cultures. Huizinga saw the playing of games as something that “is older than culture, for culture, however inadequately defined, always presupposes human society, and animals have not waited for man to teach them their playing”.Huizinga viewed games as a starting point for complex human activities such as language, law, war, philosophy, and art.

Some of the most common per-historic and ancient gaming tools were made of bone, especially from the Talus bone, these have been found worldwide and are the ancestors of knuckle bones as well as dice games.Dice were invented at least 5 000 years ago and early dice probably did not have six sides.These bones were also sometimes used for oracular and divinatory functions. Other implements could have included shells, stones and sticks.