Traveller's Café 2: Discussion, tea, brainstorming & advice

[Gvozdevsk]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yBnl_krN_U

I always keep forgetting about how awesome this is until someone posts it.

And India is the best because of this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x81iip6psks

[Constaniana]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yBnl_krN_U

'Murcia.

Mercia.

[The Empire of Pretantia]

'Murcia.

Mercia.

Merde.

[Ayreonia]

Hey OCOW, I'm in the mood for tanks but I am currently incapable of tanking. Get on it.

You're never incapable of tanking. That being said, I sure could do with some good ole tankin'.

[Rupudska]

We think Japan is a giant mass of tentacle porn and general weirdness - which is the exact opposite of the truth.

We've never known anything about them, really.

And they know nothing about you. Japan is very bad at the whole "other countries and other people" thing.

So it's kinda like the USA of Asia?

[The Empire of Pretantia]

And they know nothing about you. Japan is very bad at the whole "other countries and other people" thing.

So it's kinda like the USA of Asia?

The USA is a diverse melting pot. Japan only has Japanese. So many, in fact, that they spill out into America.

[Alleniana]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yBnl_krN_U

'Murcia.

I invaded Murcia

So he's an Anti-Christian Furriner?

Who actually pronounces "foreigner" like that?

I was confused; I thought furrier.

You know what's an interesting historical setting? Japan. Both feudal, and during the Meji Restoration. I'm kinda surprised that it's not quite common here on P2TM.

Nobody knows shit about Japanese culture.

^
Knowledge effectively consists of sushi, anime, various video games, samurai, ninjas and weird east-Asian generic shit.

[The Empire of Pretantia]

'Murcia.

I invaded Murcia

Who actually pronounces "foreigner" like that?

I was confused; I thought furrier.

Nobody knows shit about Japanese culture.

^
Knowledge effectively consists of sushi, anime, various video games, samurai, ninjas and weird east-Asian generic shit.

My knowledge is similar, except I'm aware of Japan's naive bigotry. And their swords actually suck.

[Alleniana]

I invaded Murcia

I was confused; I thought furrier.

^
Knowledge effectively consists of sushi, anime, various video games, samurai, ninjas and weird east-Asian generic shit.

My knowledge is similar, except I'm aware of Japan's naive bigotry. And their swords actually suck.

I knew of that from Lianhua, back when I was still in TET. As for them swords, I dunno. If you compare 750 AD in Europe to 750 AD in Japan... eh...

[The Empire of Pretantia]

My knowledge is similar, except I'm aware of Japan's naive bigotry. And their swords actually suck.

I knew of that from Lianhua, back when I was still in TET. As for them swords, I dunno. If you compare 750 AD in Europe to 750 AD in Japan... eh...

What's your point about the swords from 750 AD?

[Cerillium]

We think Japan is a giant mass of tentacle porn and general weirdness - which is the exact opposite of the truth.

We've never known anything about them, really.

And they know nothing about you. Japan is very bad at the whole "other countries and other people" thing.

That's true. I've been in the States (off and on) over a period of ten years and I still don't understand Western thought.

We know a bit about the Chinese and our cultures are similar (hence we fight over dinky islands and our officials call each other Voldemort) and India is somewhat understandable although, in my opinion, much more socially vibrant than either Japanese or Chinese culture. America? We don't understand a lot of what you do and we're absolutely perplexed by the need to strip all of our culture out of imported anime and then market it as "this is really Japan!"

We aren't naive bigots however. Speaking for myself (and not all of Japan): I'm not fond of Western culture. I am more trusting of other Asians than I am Westerners because we share some common social bonds. Westerners can be extremely rude when compared to Japanese but many things in Japanese culture are perhaps equally rude to Westerners.

[The Empire of Pretantia]

We aren't naive bigots however.

Exaggerated for your non-Japanese people's convenience.

[Nationstatelandsville]

America? We don't understand a lot of what you do and we're absolutely perplexed by the need to strip all of our culture out of imported anime and then market it as "this is really Japan!"

That's because we know next-to-nothing and have to rely on what we've got.

Also because the Internet is, and I can't stress this enough, fucking stupid.

[The Empire of Pretantia]

America? We don't understand a lot of what you do and we're absolutely perplexed by the need to strip all of our culture out of imported anime and then market it as "this is really Japan!"

That's because we know next-to-nothing and have to rely on what we've got.

Everything I learned about Japanese history is from Total War: Shogun, Hero, and the fake samurai swords/nihonto I'm looking at right now. Oh, and by reading about Nintendo.

[Cerillium]

We aren't naive bigots however.

Exaggerated for your non-Japanese people's convenience.

I think we come across that way because of the difference in schools of thought. Westerners think of the individual whereas we think of the whole of society.

In truth, many Japanese (or anyone, really) don't give a flying fig about other cultures because it doesn't ever impact their lives.

Nat's right. The internet is fucking stupid.

[The Empire of Pretantia]

Exaggerated for your non-Japanese people's convenience.

I think we come across that way because of the difference in schools of thought. Westerners think of the individual whereas we think of the whole of society.

I say it's the American Dream.

In truth, many Japanese (or anyone, really) don't give a flying fig about other cultures because it doesn't ever impact their lives.

Insert atomic bomb joke. I won't, because it might actually offend you.

Nat's right. The internet is fucking stupid.

Here we have a massive information and communications network capable of transporting data to anywhere in the word within minutes, and has several massive databases containing everything we know about the universe; yet it is somehow still the stupidest thing ever. Must be human error.

[Cerillium]

Insert atomic bomb joke. I won't, because it might actually offend you.

Nat's right. The internet is fucking stupid.

Here we have a massive information and communications network capable of transporting data to anywhere in the word within minutes, and has several massive databases containing everything we know about the universe; yet it is somehow still the stupidest thing ever. Must be human error.

It's only as intelligent as the people generating the web page.

[Nationstatelandsville]

Insert atomic bomb joke. I won't, because it might actually offend you.

Here we have a massive information and communications network capable of transporting data to anywhere in the word within minutes, and has several massive databases containing everything we know about the universe; yet it is somehow still the stupidest thing ever. Must be human error.

It's only as intelligent as the people generating the web page.

What interests me about the Internet is that it has developed its own culture; not even a sub-culture, but a culture all to its own.

And I have no idea how it did that.

[The Empire of Pretantia]

Insert atomic bomb joke. I won't, because it might actually offend you.

Here we have a massive information and communications network capable of transporting data to anywhere in the word within minutes, and has several massive databases containing everything we know about the universe; yet it is somehow still the stupidest thing ever. Must be human error.

It's only as intelligent as the people generating the web page.

Both a good sign and a bad one for humanity, since it's not sentient.

It's only as intelligent as the people generating the web page.

What interests me about the Internet is that it has developed its own culture; not even a sub-culture, but a culture all to its own.

And I have no idea how it did that.

It's a nation of nations. It's like what happened to the colonies: Britain let a bunch of filthy Puritans kick around in their new back yard, then they threw a fit when the Redcoats tried to impose some good old-fashioned taxes.

[Nationstatelandsville]

It's only as intelligent as the people generating the web page.

Both a good sign and a bad one for humanity, since it's not sentient.

What interests me about the Internet is that it has developed its own culture; not even a sub-culture, but a culture all to its own.

And I have no idea how it did that.

It's a nation of nations. It's like what happened to the colonies: Britain let a bunch of filthy Puritans kick around in their new back yard, then they threw a fit when the Redcoats tried to impose some good old-fashioned taxes.

No, it's very much American.

[Nightkill the Emperor]

Both a good sign and a bad one for humanity, since it's not sentient.

It's a nation of nations. It's like what happened to the colonies: Britain let a bunch of filthy Puritans kick around in their new back yard, then they threw a fit when the Redcoats tried to impose some good old-fashioned taxes.

No, it's very much American.

The parts of the Internet you navigate are.

[Democratic Peoples Republic of Tyrrania]

It's only as intelligent as the people generating the web page.

Both a good sign and a bad one for humanity, since it's not sentient.

What interests me about the Internet is that it has developed its own culture; not even a sub-culture, but a culture all to its own.

And I have no idea how it did that.

It's a nation of nations. It's like what happened to the colonies: Britain let a bunch of filthy Puritans kick around in their new back yard, then they threw a fit when the Redcoats tried to impose some good old-fashioned taxes.

It is humanity, the middle to upper classes mainly, but pure human culture none the less. It is what we truly are, in full anonymity (even if this is a lie), we have developed this bi-polar internet culture obsessed with cynicism and cute cat videos with hundreds of different sub-cultures where race, gender and orientation mean nothing.

[Nationstatelandsville]

No, it's very much American.

The parts of the Internet you navigate are.

Well, of course the Internet is extremely diverse - but the culture that comes to mind when one refers to Internet culture, however, is not.

I don't know what to call it. It's lacking in a proper name.

[Ularn]

It's only as intelligent as the people generating the web page.

What interests me about the Internet is that it has developed its own culture; not even a sub-culture, but a culture all to its own.

And I have no idea how it did that.

No-one does. If we did, we'd be able to fix it.

[Cerillium]

Offer to read an introductory book about the Meji Restoration with roleplayers, book-club style, then brainstorm with said roleplayers concerning ways to turn their new knowledge into an enjoyable roleplay.

A lot of people wouldn't go through the effort.

Hold on, I know a man who is actually Japanese and active on P2TM. I'll get him to look at these ideas.

Back to the original question.

"Both feudal, and during the Meji Restoration." I won't be of much use. I'm heavy on science and light on history. My interest in the the Meiji Restoration would be akin to the average American's interest in the events involving the Spanish-American War or perhaps the Great Depression. It other words, "Yeah, it happened. Cool. What's for dinner?"