Glibertarians.com 2017 Archive

Author: Riven

  • Are You a Libertarian?

    Hat tip to F. Stupidity, Jr. for the brilliant idea.

    jesse.in.mb
    Leaning, not doctrinaire. I’ll keep a bug-out bag handy for the next round of purity purges.

    Swiss Servator

    Minarchist. I previously wielded government power over other people’s life, liberty and property. The experience was…enlightening. Now I shun any dominion over my fellow man, and would hope to see government power limited, severely, over everyone’s life liberty or property.

    Brett L
    I have an idea of what is Good for me, I have no way of proving it is Good for anyone else. I believe that every human is equally valuable and there is no “fair” way to determine which individuals or groups “deserve” something from our society (whether that be help or to be on the wrong end of the “Trolley Dilemma”). Being a somewhat social animal, people are eventually going to contend in their quest for their Good. I believe that: strong protections of property are vital, people can’t be property, intentional or negligent taking of life is the worst rights violation, and a small, impartial, rigidly process bound entity for settling rights disputes is probably necessary. I have resigned myself to the fact that taking principled stands on this will forever put me on the side of assholes and bigots — so long as they are doing so in a way that doesn’t harm anyone physically or defraud another person. I don’t know what that makes me.

    Heroic Mulatto

    Recognizing that in current usage the term encompass several different but related schools of thought, I do identify as libertarian. Indeed, much like a Gold Star Lesbian, from the age of 13 when I first developed some semblance of a political conscious, I have never been outside of the libertarian umbrella. My journey has taken me from Objectivist, to card-carrying member of the Libertarian Party, to where I sit now: the Voluntaryist school of anarcho-capitalism.

    SugarFree

    Small-l libertarian, for lack of a better term. The LP is like watching clowns slapping each other with their own dicks, but I do support them out in The Normal World because, once again, there is a lack of a better alternative. I don’t think of myself as an anarcho-whatever because I don’t believe anarchy is truly self-sustaining–some form of government is inevitable because of The Irritating Asshole Problem–so you better constrain it as long as you can, keep it weak and beaten-down. Like Nietzsche, I look for reasons not to be an out-right nihilist but often fail and slip into the blackest sort of cynicism about the nature of man.

    Riven

    I consider myself a libertarian. Turn-ons: property rights, contracts, limited government, free market solutions, incentives. Turn-offs: drug and firearm laws, meddling foreign policies, government contracted infrastructure, taxes, preemptive and violent action.

    Old Man With Candy

    Let’s see… Bill of Rights absolutist, check. Delimited government powers, check. Free market economics, check. No special privileges or restrictions on unions, check. Anti-intervention and antiwar other than defense, check. Freedom of association, check. Freedom of contract, check. No desire for “leaders” and an attitude that elected officials are the hired help, check.

    Yeah, I guess I’m a libertarian.

    Gojira

    Far be it for me to disagree with my esteemed colleague Heroic Mulatto, but I personally don’t consider voluntaryist anarchists (which I am) to fall under the umbrella of libertarianism. I consider anarchism to be aspirational, an overarching philosophy to guide moral decision making, even if it quite possibly can never be perfectly/completely realized.

    That having been said, drawing any attention to or harping on the differences between us all is like the leftists and rightists within the CPUSA duking it out in…1901. The distinctions between all anti-government thought are so slight in comparison with the differences we have with the 97% of humanity that believes passionately in CONTROL that infighting is pointless right now. Anyone who wants less government is a potential ally. We can worry about these other details after the Tsar has been overthrown.

    Sloopyinca

    Yeah, I think I am, in principle.  I’m probably leaning a lot more conservative than most of today’s libertarians because I’m probably a little more religious than most libertarians are. And certainly more than most Libertarians are.  I hate pubsec unions. I hate compelled participation in government programs. I hate the “progressive” tax system. I hate the welfare state. I hate any government spending that’s not related to protecting life and property (both militarily and police-wise), or for operating our criminal and civil court systems and jails. I’m not a big fan of drugs but don’t think it’s “society’s” business to regulate what someone puts in their own body. I don’t think we should have a federal government that regulates markets or negotiates trade policies. I believe in the natural rights of self defense, freedom of expression, free association, private property and due process and think they’ve been all but demolished by the state.

    I’d be open borders if the above were implemented but realize it will continue to create massive problems if not curtailed until then.

    So before I ramble on too long, I’ll just say yes, I’m as libertarian as I can be in the current climate. And if certain things our government does with its money were ended, I’d be even more libertarian.

    Chicken

  • What are We Reading? August 2017

    SugarFree

    After the Matt Helm novels, I had to go back and read the first ten Destroyer books again. There’s was no particular reason I stopped at ten, just felt like a nice number. I’m not sure how many times I’ve read these books since I was a kid. I’ve read the series to #112, Brain Storm, and I have read all of the novels that Murphy and Sapir have written at least twice (i.e. the first 55 of them.) They are like corn chips; cheap, not very filling, salty and delicious. But reading them back-to-back shows the cracks in the formula and the wearying nature of that sort of serial fiction where at least 5% of the book is just recapitulation the set-up and background.

    In my quest to read things I wouldn’t normally try, I’ve been working my way through the John Maddox Roberts‘ SPQR detective series, set in late-Republic Rome. This is a two-fold departure for me because I don’t read much detective fiction nor do regularly indulge in historical fiction. I’m up to the 7th book and find them very enjoyable. There is another ancient-Rome-detective series by Steven Saylor, Roma Sub Rosa, that appears to cover the exact same period. I’ll try it out in a year or so and see which is better. I’m not such a history buff that inaccuracies annoy me, so YMMY.

    jesse.in.mb

    Calexit #1. Matteo Pizzolo writes a near-future dystopia set in a besieged Los Angeles. While coming at it from a lefty slant he manages to humanize the people caught up in events regardless of side. I’m looking forward to future issues to see where he takes the series.

    A Canticle for Leibowitz. Walter M. Miller, Jr.’s 1960 novel about the collapse of society after a nuclear Holocaust, and a Catholic order founded by a Jewish weapons tech meant to keep whatever is left of civilization alive as benighted populists try to punish the literate for bringing down the fire. I was listening to this on the drive east and missed most of the saber rattling with North Korea. By the time I got caught up the novel felt frustratingly timely. Fuck.

    Little Boy Lost. I picked up this J. D. Trafford novel as a Kindle First and started reading it shortly after passing through St. Louis where the novel is set. The setting was painted lovingly and I’m massively frustrated that I didn’t get Bosnian food while there. The whodunnit aspect of the story had a great cadence although the solution was telegraphed too early. The novel touches on issues of class and race without feeling hamfisted, which is surprising these days.

    JW

    I’m reading Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan. Very enjoyable read and soon to be a series by Netflix. Recommended by SugarFree. SugarFree is a king among men–handsome, rich, virile—and the best friend I have ever had. I love SugarFree and he certainly didn’t write this for me.

    Gojira is re-reading the entire Lord of the Rings series, starting with the Silmarillion. He’s already on the last book. He hadn’t read them since college and forgot that they aren’t just the origin of so many fantasy tropes, but are actually fantastic books and a real joy to read.

    Old Man With Candy

    I’m doing a read and a re-read of two older books. In the former category, Garry Wills’s Inventing America is a deep dive into the background and creation of the Declaration of Independence, one of the most remarkable documents in human history. It’s not light reading, structured more as something like a PhD dissertation (back in the days before po-mo took over the academy), but it’s endlessly fascinating. Besides a detailed look at the creation and editing of the document, Wills makes a compelling case that the intellectual roots lie less with Locke and more with Hutcheson.

    The Vintage Mencken is a grab bag of essays and excerpts from the Bard of Baltimore, assembled by Alistair Cooke. Harsh, cynical, on point, and delightfully crafted prose, this is something you can pick up and dive into anywhere. It has been said that history never repeats itself, but it often rhymes, and reading Mencken’s political essays, one is struck by the truth of this aphorism.

    Riven

    So, I’ve been reading the Sandman Slim series. Right now I’m on book #5, Kill City Blues, and it’s been a lot of fun so far. I think the author does a decent job of giveth and taketh-away from the eponymous Slim, so he never really gets too overpowered. (And he doesn’t even walk away intact from some fights, which is fun, too.) Granted, you know he’s not going to get curb-stomped into oblivion because, c’mon, there are four more books after this one. But the author has built an interesting universe, and that helps me stay interested since I’ve always been one for the sundry details. All of the Heaven/Hell, God/Lucifer stuff is particularly fascinating to me, what with my very tenuous, Sunday school arts and crafts Bible background. Overall, I’ll finish the series unless something heinous happens in the next two or three books. I thank SugarFree again for the recommendation and for helping me realize that reading really can be fun. (It was for a long time when I was young, and then somewhere along the way it felt like anything I read needed to challenge me. Just like every movie doesn’t need to be Citizen Kane, not every book needs to be Crime and Punishment.)

    Brett L.

    Jesse and SF talked me into hate-reading Urban Enemies which featured a number of throwaway stories written from the perspective of the villain of some of the day’s hottest urban fantasy series. Most of it was mailed in. They can buy me $12 worth of drinks, each. Much more fun urban fantasy is John Conroe’s latest Demon Accords novel, Winterfall. Conroe delights in finding new and destructive ways for his demigod characters to kill people. There’s no pretense to it, just ever cooler ways of killing bad guys. I’ve read the whole series and had fun with all of them. Finally, I re-read The Half-Made World. I don’t know how to summarize this book. Animistic gods that have taken to inhabiting guns and trains respectively have squared off in a world that isn’t quite finished and can change in response to the people who inhabit it. One old man could undo both sides. A chase ensues. It’s set in a weird wold like China Meiville does, but toned down so that it doesn’t take over the whole story.

    I also read The Midnight Assassin, a non-fiction recounting of Austin’s first serial killer by long-time Texas Monthly feature writer Skip Hollandsworth. I think all of the reviews are correct. It is a good recounting, but frustrating because nobody knows who the killer was. But do stay until the end for a fun speculation on a Jack the Ripper connection.

    SP

    Revisiting Agatha Christie, re-reading some books by OMWC’s Favorite Jew, and beginning Italian Short Stories for Beginners (because I’m now 19% fluent according to Duolingo).

    sloopyinca

    I’m currently engrossed in Fun With Dick and Jane. If Puff gets run over at the end, I’ll be mightily pissed.

    Playa Manhattan

    Here’s my lame excuse for not reading: I’ve been gambling away my kids’ college funds in Vegas. But it’s OK, I have a system, and any moment now, the winning will start. I did begin reading this, but after ten minutes, my lips got tired. I figure that after the past few days, I’m due, and that’s really more important than that stupid math shit.

    Heroic Mulatto

    Pimps don’t read; they compose literature reviews. One article accepted with revisions, two other articles being prepared for submission, and one paper submitted for a conference.

  • Tuesday Afternoon Links

    Our beloved Brett and Swiss are busy today, so you get C-squad links instead of their usual champion-stuff. Buckle up, buckaroos.

    • On the importance of good customer service in today’s market.
    • More chaos and destruction. (H/T to SugarFree)
    • I know y’all hate Twitter, but who here hasn’t had a day like this? At least our new overlords will be clumsy…
    • PC Master Race culture wars. Which side are you on?
    • What’s wrong with having a first lady who doesn’t do anything? (Trigger warning: MSN + Autoplay… Clicking will basically give you cancer, is what I’m trying to say.)

    Lastly, here’s some music to lift to; I’ve lifted to it, anyway.

  • Weird Wednesday

    So there’s a boy in India who can “rotate his hands and legs at 360 degrees.”

    “I do all my best thinking like this.”

    The 18-year old young man can also rotate his hands and legs at 360 degrees, but he can only rotate his fingers and neck at 180 degrees. Slacker.

    If that wasn’t enough, he can dislocate his hands and legs, y’know, just for funsies. What, that’s not your idea of a good time?

    “I’m in a glass case of emotion!”

    His mom considers it (obviously) a gift from God, which, hey, maybe it is. Who knows? With great power, comes great responsibility, Yash Shah. I’m sure he will use his powers only for good–or for squeezing into tennis rackets, which is neither here nor there on the morality scale.

    Alright. If you really refuse to click the link, here’s an actual picture of Yash.

     

    And a little bonus, off-topic weirdness: click here to see if the Rick-mobile will be in your area in the not-too-distant future. 3,000 flurbos to anyone who takes a picture of it in their locality. I must live vicariously through you since they’re eschewing basically every northern-border state but a handful.

  • Do You Even Lift? The Deadlift

    To reiterate:

    If you aren’t strength training already, I highly encourage it. The benefits are many: increased physical attractiveness and general physical health, potential rehabilitation of old injuries or addressing impairments, increased performance (possibly as it relates to “sports”), and finally, it’s just a damn good time and feels great.

    I don’t care if you’re a bodybuilder, a weightlifter, a strongman, a crossfitter, or a couch potato; you need strength training in your life.*

    I’m not going to get into a really involved post about which program you should follow, how many sets or reps  you should do, or how often you should do cardio. You can make progress following just about any program, and any program worth the time it takes to read will tell you all of those details. I have made good progress with 5/3/1, and Mr. Riven is excelling under Starting Strength. I’d recommend either, but obviously Starting Strength is the way to go if you’re new to the barbell.

    There are four main barbell lifts: the overhead press, the bench press, the back squat, and the deadlift.

    Bending bars, amiright?

    Last time we covered the overhead press; today, we’re going to discuss the deadlift.

    So, I know I said before that the overhead press is pretty approachable and that’s not wrong; however, the deadlift is right up there, too. What could be simpler than looking at a weighted barbell on the ground, bending down, and lifting it with straight arms? There’s nothing better than the feeling of a solidly good deadlift. (Well, maybe some things.) I guess you could say this about any barbell lift, but mechanically they’re all very simple because they must be. When you execute a lift well, it should feel great.

    You know I’m going to have to link to the Art of Manliness video in which Rippetoe‘s mustache instructs the other guy’s mustache how to make the sack of meat that carries him around deadlift properly.

    I’m also going to link Alan Thrall’s samey video–though I should point out that this time it’s a full beard instructing instead of a mustache. If these two videos sound similar, it’s because they’re both operating on this set of knowledge. There is a wealth of articles and information on the deadlift just on startingstrength.com alone, and both Thrall and (obviously) Rippetoe draw on that for their videos.

    Sigh. But not me.

    I like pulling information from different folks on the same material. In particular, I like to listen for different cues since some will resonate with you and some won’t. For instance: I’d been improperly interpreting the “proud chest” cue in both the deadlift and the low bar squat, leading to poor torso-hip angles on my lifts. It wasn’t until I heard the alternative cue “tight back” that I realized I’d been focusing on the wrong things. “Ooooh, it’s not that I need to keep my chest up, necessarily; it’s that I need to keep my back, lats, etc., tight. This will keep my back straight throughout the lift, and raising the chest is only a mechanical effect of that.” What a spaz, right? So listen for different cues. And use a hook grip or you’re dead to me. I know it’s uncomfortable; deal.

    Having read the comments in the last section (but, of course, being too busy playing Horizon and the NieR demo in my underwear to participate), I noticed a few folks mentioning wanting to get into better shape but having various (valid) excuses: older, injured, don’t have the equipment, don’t want to join a gym, and more. Here is a link to a what I’ve found to be the most comprehensive, grounded, and even-handed approach to dieting–and that includes both dropping and gaining weight. I used to be pretty heavy, and one day I’d just had enough of looking at myself in the mirror and wishing it was different. Wishing doesn’t make it so. I ignorantly crash dieted down to a meager 120 pounds, but I still looked like hell–just a scant, paltry hell instead of a pudgy, chubby hell. I used the advice in the above forum to slowly put on another 30 pounds while lifting (forever bulk!), slowly lose 10-15 of those pounds without any of this nonsense, and I’ve been slowly, slowly, soooo slowly recomping in the 135-140 range ever since. All this to say I’m much happier with how I look now at 135-and-change than I was when I was lighter. It’s crazy what a little muscle-mass can do. The first time I sat on my actual ass in an office chair (y’know, instead of a pad of fat) was revelatory and over-all just awesome. You, too, can sit on your ass.

    Bonus: some burly cheesecake for you (hat-tip to LT_Fish) from the last article’s comment section. That’s a real nice jerk on the beach in #8, just sayin’!

     

    *Disclaimer: always consult a physician before starting a new fitness routine.

  • Do You Even Lift? The Overhead Press

    Close enough?

    If you aren’t strength training already, I highly encourage it. The benefits are many: increased physical attractiveness and general physical health, potential rehabilitation of old injuries or addressing impairments, increased performance (possibly as it relates to “sports”), and finally, it’s just a damn good time and feels great.

    I don’t care if you’re a bodybuilder, a weightlifter, a strongman, a crossfitter, or a couch potato; you need strength training in your life.*

    I’m not going to get into a really involved post about which program you should follow, how many sets or reps  you should do, or how often you should do cardio. You can make progress following just about any program, and any program worth the time it takes to read will tell you all of those details. I have made good progress with 5/3/1, and Mr. Riven is excelling under Starting Strength. I’d recommend either, but obviously Starting Strength is the way to go if you’re new to the barbell.

    There are four main barbell lifts: the overhead press, the bench press, the back squat, and the deadlift.

    Single arm overhead press…basically

    The most approachable of these (to me) is the overhead press. It’s a pretty simple movement. You hold the bar in a modified front rack position…and simply press it over head. When I say modified, I mean that the starting bar position for the overhead press is not the same bar position that you would use for, say, a front squat or a jerk. So there are some technical points you’ll want to review before you try this for the first time. Proper form is absolutely essential–if you lift improperly, there’s a good chance you could damage yourself. And you’ll never get through the Swolly Bible if you’re constantly injured. That said, I’ve included some links below to help you out.

    I invite you to watch this video, if only because it’s taught by an honest-to-goodness, real-life Ron Swanson. Protip: it’s called The Art of Manliness, and they have a video for each of the big four if you’re the kind to study ahead of the class.

    I also like this one, but I don’t use a thumbless grip, personally.

    If you’re more inclined to read like some kind of weak-wristed intellectual, as opposed to the clearly superior videos that speak to meat-heads a la Zardoz, here’s an excerpt from Starting Strength. There are pictures, too, so it might be worth browsing over even if you don’t read it.

    Next time: the deadlift.

    *Disclaimer: always consult a physician before starting a new fitness routine.

  • Fur Fridays

    Here we are at another Friday, Glibs. Our beloved Jesse is out of town, but I’m hoping that this particular Fur Friday makes you long for his return.

    I’m sure there’s a depressing story behind that eye.

    Contrary to popular belief, I am just one big softy. Look at this puppy’s face and tell me you aren’t, also. I have a particular fondness for blue heelers, corgis, wolfhounds…and, well, most furry creatures. Yes, even cats, albeit at a distance.

    In Montana, there are several pet rescue chapters–various regional Humane Societies since the state is so vast, “Res-Dog-Rescue” types (usually around the major reservations), and even some breed specific Rescues if you’re just really into Border Collies or herding types. The focus of my post today is RezQ Dogs. As was mentioned in a previous post of mine, we have some odd racial dynamics at play in the Last Best Place. However, folks seem to be able to put aside any “racist!!!1!” decries they might have when it comes to pet rescues. RezQ Dogs is a volunteer, nonprofit organization in Dodson, Montana, a bustling town of ~124 people, as of the last census. They try to find homes for the unwanted and abandoned dogs from the Fort Belknap and Rocky Boy Indian Reservations. You might have guessed that it’s hard for them to find homes for all of the pups they take in, and you would be right. The owners and the volunteers of this organization foster these dogs in their own homes until they can place them. Of course, at some point, they run out of vacancy and have to turn dogs away, too. They hope that one day they won’t have to do this anymore, that people on reservations will have some kind of respect and sanctity for the life of another creature.

    Clearly spoiled rotten

    Before this starts to read like one of those awful, heart-breaking commercials with Sarah McLachlan music in the background, here’s a picture of a dog who has literally never known hardship, besides trying to figure out which stuffed animal to rip the eyes off first. When I drove down to Wyoming to buy this little bundle of fur, I had no idea that an organization like RezQ Dogs existed, or I really would have considered them first. They mention on their website that the bulk of their rescues are just puppies, less than a year old. You don’t always know the story behind abandoned dogs, but in the case of a puppy, seems to me like someone just wasn’t ready for the responsibility or they lacked the patience and consistency to train the dog properly, and so they abandon it. They literally leave it by the side of the road in a box, assuming that a good Samaritan will happen upon it and give it the life it deserves. Or maybe they don’t assume anything at all. Maybe they just leave it there and figure it’s in someone else’s hands now and no longer their problem. Whatever their motivation is, they deserve to go to a special Hell.

    Anyway, if you’d like to make a difference in a dog’s life, feel free to visit RezQ Dogs Facebook page or their website. It doesn’t look like they update their website as often as they do their Facebook, but they do make an effort to list all of the dogs they’re currently fostering. Better yet–seek out rescue facilities in your own neighborhood and make a difference locally. It might not seem like much, donating your time one afternoon or kicking in $5, but it really does have an impact.

  • Race Relations in … Montana?

    Downtown Billings, Montana. The city of racists, I guess?

    Oh, Billings, don’t ever change. I suspect this might be a little too local, but we made national news, anyway. A local radio host, Paul Mushaben for Cat Country, KCTR 102.9, posted the following on his blog:

    The crowd is so unruly and disrespectful of the facility that it may be time for the MHSA to proceed with an all Indian tourney.

    Word is there was more, but the offending post was removed later that day after many, predictable complaints. Mushaben was suspended for his remarks.

    … at least for a while. Following protests and an apology from Mushaben, he is now back on the air:

    I would like to apologize to those who were offended by my recent blog post. It suggested separation for Native American teams to play in their own tournament at separate facilities. I apologize and regret making those statements.

    My intent was to address the unruly behavior at these events and the disrespect of the facilities and to convey that any team, and I mean any team, not willing to acknowledge and obey the rules should not be allowed to participate.

    I will continue to pressure the MHSA to stop the unconscionable behavior and destruction of property at our schools and local venues during all high school events by any and all parties. Disrespect and lawlessness should be dealt with swiftly and with consequences for everyone.

    Again, I apologize to all who were offended and hurt by this. I also want to thank all of our Cat Country family for your loyal support.

    Just another spring in one of the least diverse cities in the nation. Feel free to find your own city on the list and compare notes in the comments below!

  • Millennial Hipster Clothing Site to join Jet.com and Walmart Family

    All that the light touches came from Modcloth

    You might be wondering why this is relevant–it’s because fully 90% of my wardrobe is from Modcloth, including the dress I  wore to our wedding. So it’s relevant to me and you all get to read about it. I can promise some delicious salty tears, but if that’s not enough, go ahead and skip down to the comments and we can discuss why there are no libertarian women.

    Modcloth announced on Friday via tweet and blog post that they “are joining the Jet.com and Walmart family.” What does this mean? According to the blog:

    This will give us the necessary resources and support that we need as a business to grow. Growth allows us to reach more women, grow our community, and amplify our message. Our mission to help our customers feel like the best version of themselves continues. And our commitment to inclusivity continues. Our amazing team continues. And we can open more stores — in your hometown! I hope you will continue to join us as well on this next phase of our journey together.

    Brought to you by Modcloth

    If you’re wondering how receptive Modcloth’s client base is, you need look no further than the replies to the tweet or the comments in the blog. There’s a lot of complaints about Walmart’s anti-union policies (oh nooooooo), their lack of respect for women (lolwut?), and how Walmart is just bad for ‘Murica (m’kay?). One person even goes so far as to say that this “marks the death of Modcloth.” Regardless of the specific complaint, the overarching message is the same–goodbye/unsubscribe/unfollow. I could not find one positive comment. I’d leave one myself, but I suspect I’d just get shouted down. At least no one found Jet.com offensive.

    I highly doubt I’ll ever see a brick-and-mortar store in my town, but I love shopping at Modcloth.com. While I find a lot of their products unnecessarily trendy–I can’t stand mustaches and manatees on everything–they also tend to offer clothing that I think could be described as timeless and/or classic. I’m looking forward to seeing how this new partnership (hopefully) improves what Modcloth can offer.

  • Review: Horizon Zero Dawn

    Horizon Zero Dawn is a third-person action RPG developed by the same folks who put together the many, many Killzone games–none of which I have played.

    Mr. Riven and I had been following the news about this game since we saw the first trailer for it. As time went on, we both had concerns that it was going to be an Assassin’s Creed clone …but with a pre-historic feel and metal dinosaurs guise!!11! Thankfully, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

    Not that I didn't try, of course
    Too beautiful to kill

    The game doesn’t have much in the way of traditional tutorials other than some very brief scenes when you’re a child. I, personally, love that. A game that encourages you to learn by playing it takes me back to simpler times. That’s not to say that prompts won’t appear on screen to help you out–press triangle to gather herbs or loot downed enemies, etc.–but you also won’t have to go through 10-minutes of forced actions with a new weapon, either. (“OK, use this weapon to kill enemies this way, now that way, now this other way, congratulations on completing the mandatory tutorial!” I’m looking at you, Batman: Arkham Knight, even though I think you’re otherwise a fabulous game.)

    The world map looks small …until you start playing. Fast traveling costs resources, but I found that I preferred to hoof it from one place to another, anyway. The absolutely stunning world is populated with plenty of machines and wildlife, all of which you are free to kill as you please or not. I highly recommend killing everything that moves because I dislike being resource-starved. That said, as meticulously as I do hunt and gather, I haven’t out-paced the economy; there’s quite a few shinies for sale that encourage “saving up.”

    You could say he has a predilection
    “Mecha-raptor butt-hacking has never been so beautiful.” – Mr. Riven

    The skill point system and accompanying skill trees offer some decent customization options regarding gameplay. Consider yourself a brawler? There’s a tree for that. Prefer a stealthier style? There’s a tree for that. The last tree seems to be largely environmental: gather more resources from fewer sources, override machines for longer, that sort of thing. But it should be noted–so, y’know, note it–that you will certainly max out each of these trees by the end of the game, so it really comes down to what you want first. I’d also like to point out that Mr. Riven plays like Deadshot (lots of ranged combat), while I prefer more of a Deathstroke approach (up close melee combat). So, like I said earlier, options.

    Finally, the story is compelling and downright beautiful, and it shows you right away in the first thirty minutes (ish) of gameplay that the dialogue choices you make might come up again later. Not having played through the entire game, I can only hope that this continues to be the case. Mr. Riven is further along than I am, and there seem to be all kinds of tangled webs to unweave and mysteries to solve. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing how it unfolds, especially considering how gorgeous that unfolding has been so far. (Seriously, the main character’s hair [and hips] are mesmerizing.)

    9/10; will continue to bang.

    If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments below, and I will do my best to address them in a spoiler-free manner…after I put this game down for two goddamn seconds.