And that's how Arqade works

Slowpoke

Mar 20, 2014 02:17

I feel like this is a legitimate question, but I'm sure some of you will definitely disagree

-2

Q: What virtual reality kits are available to the average consumer?

What virtual reality kits are available to the average consumer? I'd like to sometime get into Virtual Reality, but from what I've heard, VR kits from Occulus have to be for developers only or something. I know that Sony announced a new Virtual Reality headset, but is this strictly limited to...

virtual-reality

I'm pretty sure that asking about game-specific hardware is fine, am i correct?

I don't see why people are calling my question "Not vidya related" or "way too broad; too many answers"

And I'm sure people that are looking for VR kits may find the question extremely useful

Raven Dreamer

It is too broad. If you have a question about a specific piece of hardware, that'd be much better suited to our site.

"Usefulness" is not a hallmark of a valid question.

2

LessPop_MoreFizz

@slowpoke it's an itemized list/hardware rec.

Slowpoke

Then where do I go from here? Yahoo Answers? Quora?

I find it hard to understand why asking "what options are available to me, a gamer" is so frowned upon on a gaming-related site

LessPop_MoreFizz

It is, I'm structure, no different from "what games work with [insert VR headset here]", which is much more obviously off topic.

@slowpoke same reason we don't do game rec.

Also "well what other site should I go to then" is possibly the worst argument in favor of doing a thing that you could possibly make.

Slowpoke

@LessPop_MoreFizz But a game rec goes along the lines of "I'm looking for x genre of game, anybody have any suggestions?"

Unionhawk

Mar 20, 2014 02:25

13

A: So, what actually is a game-rec?

So, your typical game recommendation is a question that has two qualities. A shopping recommendation - shopping recommendations are considered off-topic because of being too localized, often subjective, and tend to attract discussion. These kinds of questions solicit opinions of what is a good ...

LessPop_MoreFizz

@slowpoke and here you're saying "I'm looking for x category of hardware! anybody have any suggestions?"

What's the difference?

(Don't say objective criteria, because we've thoroughly established that that isn't worth shit.)

Trent Hawkins

@Slowpoke AFAIK; VR headsets are only now becoming a viable thing. The two your question mentions are still under development. interest in VR took a nose-dive after Nintendo's Virtual Boy, and the technolgy and desire to develop the device have only recently hit full steam again.

Slowpoke

I'm not asking for suggestions, I'm just asking for a basic rundown of what's available to me, no opinion or bias needed (nothing along the lines of "well I think x is totally better than y")

@TrentHawkins So can I buy a Oculus or something? Or that new morpheus thing?

Michael Frank

@Slowpoke afaik, not yet.

LessPop_MoreFizz

@slowpoke I'm not asking for suggestions, I'm just asking for a basic rundown of all the RPGs featuring muscle bound wizards available to me. No opinion or bias needed.

We don't allow that sort of list for games, because whether you ask for it or not, you get it, it distorts voting ('one per answer', et al is absolutely toxic, and whether you call for it or not, you'll get it), and they are just not the kind of questions that Arqade, as a site, is built to answer.

Raven Dreamer

Mar 20, 2014 02:33

@LessPop_MoreFizz Musclemages are the best.

Trent Hawkins

@Slowpoke You can technically, I think. You can pre-order Development Kit 2 from their website, but they do caution that the Dev kit is not necessarily the final product.

Slowpoke

@LessPop_MoreFizz But people can have differing opinions on who qualifies to be a SWOLE wizard?

@TrentHawkins So how did developers get the first Rift? I have some TF2 friends that have the Rift virtual item in-game, but as far as I know, they haven't developed games at all

LessPop_MoreFizz

@slowpoke okay, fine, I just want a basic rundown of all the RTS games in which the only units are animals.

The level of 'objectivity' of criteria is irrelevant.

Michael Frank

@Slowpoke Traded for them?

Slowpoke

@MichaelFrank Untradable and Ungiftwrappable

Trent Hawkins

Mar 20, 2014 02:35

@Slowpoke Not entirely sure - Much of the first batch were from the kickstarter.

LessPop_MoreFizz

If you are asking for a list of all the things that meet your criteria, whether it is games or hardware or whatever, it is not a question that is likely to work well.

Slowpoke

@TrentHawkins So if I had supported their kickstarter or whatever I could have gotten the first kit without being a dev?

Trent Hawkins

@Slowpoke I think so. I'm sure it was one of the reward tiers.

FEichinger

I voted too broad for a reason.

Not because currently there are tons and tons available, but because this list would become infintiely long.

Everyone and their mother is slowly jumping on the VR train.

Michael Frank

@TrentHawkins kickstarter.com/projects/1523379957/… - $275+ rewards

LessPop_MoreFizz

Mar 20, 2014 02:38

houseofdrake.tumblr.com

2

FEichinger

The list grows without limitation in two directions: a) Manufacturers and b) Device iterations.

Trent Hawkins

@Slowpoke In either case, I'd wait a year or two for the commercial product - they're still refining the thing, might as well get the full experience.

2

Unionhawk

@FEichinger Either one works tbh. It's a textbook hardware rec afaic (point number 2 in Grace's meta answer up there ^ )

Slowpoke

@TrentHawkins But I secretly pine for Virtual hats to show off my not-so-extravagant wealth (which I currently do not own)

FEichinger

@Unionhawk But it could be scoped differently to work. In my mind, closing as off-topic implies that the question doesn't belong on the site in the first place, so it would need to become an entirely different question to be reopened. too-broad on the other hand just requires limiting the scope.

2

Something as simple as "compatible with Source games" would already be enough in my book, because it limits the ways the list can grow to a very clearly defined restriction - at that point it's just maintenance to update it whenever something is added.

2

But "all the VR devices out there!" is too broad.

2

Duplicates stay, Off-Topic gets deleted, and Bad-Format gets edited and reopened.

2

As a general ideal to shoot for, at least.

2

Trent Hawkins

Mar 20, 2014 02:50

ಠ_ಠ

Origami Robot

@LessPop_MoreFizz For what it's worth, I'm really glad you got elected.

user15026

@LessPop_MoreFizz This is a very true thing.

GnomeSlice

Somebody found the star button again?

@LessPop_MoreFizz tycho.bandcamp.com/album/awake

Trent Hawkins

@FEichinger While I see your point, I'm not entirely sure this would be 'enough', depending on what you'd consider a 'VR kit'. If the VR device isn't much more than a glorified set of monitors strapped to your face, then as long as it accepts external video input, they're all compatible with source games anyway.

LessPop_MoreFizz

@FEichinger except that it doesn't belong on the site in the first place. as a community, we established a long time ago that this sort of itemized list - no matter how narrowly restricted, which yes, means even "compatible with source games" - is a no go. The fact that it's a list of devices instead of a list of software that runs on those devices is immaterial. It's a red herring and a waste of your time to go down that path.

GnomeSlice

Mar 20, 2014 02:58

@LessPop_MoreFizz Link to what you're talking about so I can disagree with you?

LessPop_MoreFizz

One of these days, I will figure out how to stop my iPad from replacing all of my commas with exclamation points.

@slomegnice just scroll up.

Grace Note

@LessPop_MoreFizz Your message is decidedly not as humorous as I was hoping when you made that statement.

FEichinger

@LessPop_MoreFizz Something something letter/spirit of the law

GnomeSlice

@LessPop_MoreFizz Oh.

I think I'm with you on this one.

Ullallulloo

12 hours ago, by Frank

Feel free to owner me, and I'll clear out the stars.

GnomeSlice

Mar 20, 2014 03:00

@LessPop_MoreFizz Wait, if they mentioned the source engine it's on-topic because Valve

user15026

@GnomeSlice ...I don't think I follow that logic.

GnomeSlice

@AshleyNunn It was a joke. :P

Unionhawk

@GnomeSlice It's funny because steam

LessPop_MoreFizz

@feichinger in this case, you're the one on the side of the letter, I'm afraid. The spirit of the law is we don't want questions that result in itemized lists of things. The letter of the law is "no game recommendations."

GnomeSlice

@Unionhawk Right!

user15026

Mar 20, 2014 03:01

@GnomeSlice Ah, okay, I am slow tonight :P (Also watching Star Trek and cross stitching so my brain is divided)

Lazers

0

Q: AOE Multiplayer between versions

Is it possible to play multiplayer between AOE II: HD Edition and an old AOE II: Conquerors ? HD uses steam, and Conquerors is too old for that and seems to only have the LAN options.

steam age-of-empires-2

GnomeSlice

@AshleyNunn Yay for Star Trek!

FEichinger

@LessPop_MoreFizz Nonsense. It has "hardware recommendations" just as well.

Grace Note

@FEichinger I think targetting the spirit of the law is precisely what LessPop is trying to do here.

Origami Robot

user15026

Mar 20, 2014 03:01

@GnomeSlice @WorldEngineer got me watching it, and I am quite enjoying it.

GnomeSlice

@AshleyNunn The original series?

user15026

@GnomeSlice Yep. :)

Ktash

@Yuki did you notice Flynn and Rapunzel in Frozen?

LessPop_MoreFizz

Right. And the letter says 'reccomendations' and you're arguing that if it's specific and objective enough,it's not a recommendation. That's using the letter to defeat the spirit - no lists.

Yuki

@Ktash Yep.

GnomeSlice

Mar 20, 2014 03:02

@AshleyNunn Hah, awesome. The Next Generation is my favourite I think. It's also the one Gene Roddenberry said was closest to his original vision of Star Trek, if I'm not mistaken.

FEichinger

@GraceNote Except the spirit isn't to kill everything that's a list (this would apply to so much more). This is the same "every question must have one, and only one, answer" crap that I've been complaining about all the time.

GnomeSlice

TOS was groundbreaking at its time though

Grace Note

@FEichinger That isn't the direction he's going in though.

Ktash

@Yuki I missed them entirely. I knew there had to be an easter egg somewhere, but I didn't see them either time I watched it lol

LessPop_MoreFizz

@feichinger no. No it isn't. At all.

FEichinger

Mar 20, 2014 03:03

@LessPop_MoreFizz No, I'm arguing that the list would be reasonably bounded not to cause the primary problem of a list.

GnomeSlice

@FEichinger The mods say you're wrong, so you're wrong.

LessPop_MoreFizz

The size of the boundaries isn't the problem here though.

Grace Note

@GnomeSlice Don't.... just don't say that. Please. Ever.

GnomeSlice

@GraceNote It was also a joke. =[

user15026

@GnomeSlice Yeah, I didn't know where to start, so he suggested with the older stuff. I like it, even if its dated. (The creature that was just a dressed up dog, in the episode I am watching now, amused the heck out of me.)

GnomeSlice

Mar 20, 2014 03:04

@AshleyNunn Some of the costumes in the original series are pretty awesome. Wait till you see the Gorn

LessPop_MoreFizz

He problem is the nature of the question promotes a counterproductive style of answer (itemized, one-per etc.) which makes for a poor fit with our established system.

FEichinger

That said, I'm sick of arguing shit on the Bridge. BAI.

LessPop_MoreFizz

Having this sort of debate from bad keyboard mobile chat in bed was not my finest idea.

GnomeSlice

@LessPop_MoreFizz Can you like play letterpress with me

Origami Robot

@LessPop_MoreFizz Are you at least not wearing pants?

2

Yuki

Mar 20, 2014 03:06

@Ktash There are quite a few easter eggs.

Grace Note

And that is my exit cue.

GnomeSlice

Yuki

And a lot of foreshadowing.

user15026

@Yuki So much :D

user15026

@GnomeSlice I am trying to figure out the point here and I just find myself very confused

Yuki

Mar 20, 2014 03:07

Like a ridiculous amount of foreshadowing. Heck, the first song pretty much details the main plot.

GnomeSlice

@AshleyNunn To creep people out I guess? The effect is neat.

Michael Frank

@GnomeSlice Creepy

LessPop_MoreFizz

Like, there are a lot of things that I am wrong about sometimes, or at least things where I disagree with people, but see where they are coming from and understand that we have a legitimate difference of interpretation, but if there is something that I think I understand about SE and Arqade in particular, in a real, and deep, and meaningful way, it is what constitutes a 'recommendation' and what does not and what is 'good subjective' and what is just a bad list.

The Bridge

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