Metahuman Registration Begins in Seattle

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ShadowDragon8685
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Re: Metahuman Registration Begins in Seattle

Post by ShadowDragon8685 »

Solauren wrote:You know what the real problem with this is?

They've just given someone some convenient costumes to copy while committing a crime. Now, the cops are looking for the would-be super heroes.
You mean just like every comic book ever eventually almost certainly has the bad guy try to frame the hero? That would make for an interesting news headline. :)
Really, unless you've got a real superpower, don't be a super hero.

Plus, you know, one of them is going to be shot.
I think they all went for the "ballistic vests and adrenaline-rich lifestyle" power. Not that it's a safe idea, but you've got to give them credit for having stones.
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Re: Metahuman Registration Begins in Seattle

Post by Lagmonster »

What makes this incredibly stupid is the addition of costumes. You want to walk the streets at night, that's fine. Some citizen watch associations organize group night walks where they just walk around the block a few times so that their streets aren't desereted and potential troublemakers don't get any privacy.

But a single guy with a cape and a mask are just trying to live out a fantasy no matter how strongly they insist on their good intentions. A costume is a silly addition which only really serves their own egos.
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Re: Metahuman Registration Begins in Seattle

Post by Lagmonster »

I'm surprised anyone let you off the hook for so long, Rabid.
Rabid wrote:- Wait a bit longer, and we'll see « supervillain » rise from this. That's seems logical.
No, it does not. A guy in a costume is serving his ego by making himself recognizable. It's like creating a brand, at best. A successful career criminal, however, does NOT profit by being readily identifiable. A real supervillian - such as, say, any successful mob boss or investment trader, succeeds because they can make themselves appear to be just like everyone else, and perform their crimes anonymously.
- I'm not a big fan of people going in the streets and doing the work of the police, while being just non controlled civils. Things can turn bad pretty fast in these conditions. There are plenty of example of what can happen in these conditions pretty everywhere where a local militia try to do the job of the police. Generally, they involve extra-judicial execution and things like that...
People going into the streets - in and of itself - is perfectly legitimate and valuable way to deter crime. Suburban organized watches gather in groups of five or more, and take late-night social walks around their blocks while carrying flashlights. They never engage criminals and never investigate; they serve merely as a presence to keep the streets busy and illuminated - since a burglar probably doesn't want to operate in a busy public area, because such an environment lacks the kind of quiet and desertion that you'd prefer if you were trying to do something sneaky.
You know what will be funny ? When advanced nano-technology will become more or less available for the common people... Now there is a chance we'll see people with real super-human abilities roaming the streets, spreading mayhem around them ! :lol:
Nano-technology will not create superhumans; The idea is lunatic - you'd get much farther with cyborgs and even then there are stress limits on biological structures of our particular mass and shape. If you want to be small-arms-proof and travel at high speeds through the air while wiping out bad guys, buy a A-10 Warthog.
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Re: Metahuman Registration Begins in Seattle

Post by Rabid »

Lagmonster wrote:
Rabid wrote:- Wait a bit longer, and we'll see « supervillain » rise from this. That's seems logical.
No, it does not. A guy in a costume is serving his ego by making himself recognizable. It's like creating a brand, at best. A successful career criminal, however, does NOT profit by being readily identifiable. A real supervillian - such as, say, any successful mob boss or investment trader, succeeds because they can make themselves appear to be just like everyone else, and perform their crimes anonymously.
Yes, I know, that was stupid. It seemed funny, writing it.
Although that raise the point of :
Are these guy going to "run" only after the little dealers, or human scum of that category ; or will they try to bring down bigger prey, like mafioso, corporate assholes or corrupt politicians ?
No moral judgment here whatsoever : I'm just curious to see where things will come...
Lagmonster wrote:People going into the streets - in and of itself - is perfectly legitimate and valuable way to deter crime. Suburban organized watches gather in groups of five or more, and take late-night social walks around their blocks while carrying flashlights. They never engage criminals and never investigate; they serve merely as a presence to keep the streets busy and illuminated - since a burglar probably doesn't want to operate in a busy public area, because such an environment lacks the kind of quiet and desertion that you'd prefer if you were trying to do something sneaky.
I agree with you. When I was talking about the "police's job", I was more thinking about the whole "arrest suspect" thing, and what come after that. Yes, it is legitimate for people to watch out for burglar, human scum, or just drunk teenagers ; however, it is of the Police's responsibility, and no one else (in my opinion at least), to interpellate suspect people, and arrest them if necessary.
Lagmonster wrote:Nano-technology will not create superhumans; The idea is lunatic - you'd get much farther with cyborgs and even then there are stress limits on biological structures of our particular mass and shape. If you want to be small-arms-proof and travel at high speeds through the air while wiping out bad guys, buy a A-10 Warthog.
Man ! You're no fun ! Just imagine peeing a swarm of molecular de-assembler on people : Meaner than acid, people turning into grey-goo ! What's not to like ?
But, yeah, more seriously, for the foreseeable future, when you want to spread a bloody mayhem, there's nothing more effective than [REDACTED]* [Note : we don't want to give strange peoples strange ideas, aren't we ?]


*note to myself : do not explain on a public board how to make napalm by yourself...
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Re: Metahuman Registration Begins in Seattle

Post by Rye »

Lagmonster wrote:What makes this incredibly stupid is the addition of costumes. You want to walk the streets at night, that's fine. Some citizen watch associations organize group night walks where they just walk around the block a few times so that their streets aren't desereted and potential troublemakers don't get any privacy.

But a single guy with a cape and a mask are just trying to live out a fantasy no matter how strongly they insist on their good intentions. A costume is a silly addition which only really serves their own egos.
Actually, I suspect it probably has a bunch of associated psychological impacts, both on the people wearing the costumes (they'll feel more appropriate acting like they represent something?), plus the public may feel less threatened by them, since they're goofy and honourable.
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Re: Metahuman Registration Begins in Seattle

Post by Lagmonster »

Rye wrote:
Lagmonster wrote:What makes this incredibly stupid is the addition of costumes. You want to walk the streets at night, that's fine. Some citizen watch associations organize group night walks where they just walk around the block a few times so that their streets aren't desereted and potential troublemakers don't get any privacy.

But a single guy with a cape and a mask are just trying to live out a fantasy no matter how strongly they insist on their good intentions. A costume is a silly addition which only really serves their own egos.
Actually, I suspect it probably has a bunch of associated psychological impacts, both on the people wearing the costumes (they'll feel more appropriate acting like they represent something?), plus the public may feel less threatened by them, since they're goofy and honourable.
Frankly, these guys should get together and form a charity security company. Security companies exist for patrolling buildings; unless there's a reason they couldn't exist for neighbourhoods, you'd think that would be the most sensible idea. They would walk a patrol, educate themselves, work according to clear and legal standards of operation, wear a nice shiny uniform, and have a sensible relation with police beyond 'they tolerate the loon because he's not hurting anyone'.
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Re: Metahuman Registration Begins in Seattle

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Lagmonster wrote:What makes this incredibly stupid is the addition of costumes. You want to walk the streets at night, that's fine. Some citizen watch associations organize group night walks where they just walk around the block a few times so that their streets aren't desereted and potential troublemakers don't get any privacy.

But a single guy with a cape and a mask are just trying to live out a fantasy no matter how strongly they insist on their good intentions. A costume is a silly addition which only really serves their own egos.
I have to agree. If it was really a selfless act and they really had ex military members, various models of patrol and surveillance, along with interventions, would be superior than wearing tights and capes. It smacks of ego and escapism that will eventually go bad.
Frankly, these guys should get together and form a charity security company. Security companies exist for patrolling buildings; unless there's a reason they couldn't exist for neighbourhoods, you'd think that would be the most sensible idea. They would walk a patrol, educate themselves, work according to clear and legal standards of operation, wear a nice shiny uniform, and have a sensible relation with police beyond 'they tolerate the loon because he's not hurting anyone'.
Doubt there's money in that, at a small level, but if anything it makes for a more realistic tv show than traditional tights and capes. :)
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Re: Metahuman Registration Begins in Seattle

Post by Shroom Man 777 »

Lagmonster wrote: Frankly, these guys should get together and form a charity security company. Security companies exist for patrolling buildings; unless there's a reason they couldn't exist for neighbourhoods, you'd think that would be the most sensible idea. They would walk a patrol, educate themselves, work according to clear and legal standards of operation, wear a nice shiny uniform, and have a sensible relation with police beyond 'they tolerate the loon because he's not hurting anyone'.
This is a beautiful idea. Like, they can even have a company formed by their Adrian Veidt, but the identities of the employees won't be public, but will only be known to their Bruce Wayne. So there are still secret identities and masks and capes! Sure, the identities can be known if the government asks for the records, but still.

A lot of the freelancers will call this 'justice league' a bunch of sell-outs, and they'll split and become ex-men or something. Haha. But yes, this is a brilliant idea. A security company, doing it pro boner, with the added awesomeness of costumes and stuff. Why did nobody think of this before? :lol:

I think supervillains won't actually be drug dealers or thieves who don costumes out of pure stupidity. What if some dicks just don costumes just to fuck with the superheroes and harass them for the lulz? Real-life masked trolls. Hah! :lol:
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Re: Metahuman Registration Begins in Seattle

Post by Broomstick »

Here's "costumed" do-gooder from Chicago: Brother Bill. Crazy motherfucker, but he did do some good. Then again, he wasn't trying to apprehend bad guys, just talk the bad guys into behaving a little better.
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Re: Metahuman Registration Begins in Seattle

Post by Elessar »

Broomstick wrote:If I recall, "8" is a number of significance in Chinese culture, sort of like "Lucky 7" in European cultures, and thus some of Chinese descent might use "88" with a completely different meaning than skinheads would.

Given that there are alternatives, I wouldn't be too hasty with the kneejerk "SKINHEAD!" reaction without more information.
Expanding on this... when spoken in Cantonese, '8' sounds like 'lucky' (specifically related to money, and not just any fortunate coincidence). This leads to 8's being very common in anything money related for the Chinese. For example, fixed price meals are commonly at *8 dollars.

This thread is the first time I've heard of 88 associated to Neo-Nazis. Interesting bit of culture clash there...
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Re: Metahuman Registration Begins in Seattle

Post by Broomstick »

I've heard about 8 and Chinese culture for decades, since I moved to Chicago. The 8 connection with the Nazis I've only been hearing about for about 5-10 years, so I don't know if it's recent or just recently publicized. For me, I'm more likely to think of the Chinese connotations than the Nazi/skinhead one, unless someone really hits me over the head with it.
A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. Leonard Nimoy.

Now I did a job. I got nothing but trouble since I did it, not to mention more than a few unkind words as regard to my character so let me make this abundantly clear. I do the job. And then I get paid.- Malcolm Reynolds, Captain of Serenity, which sums up my feelings regarding the lawsuit discussed here.

If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich. - John F. Kennedy

Sam Vimes Theory of Economic Injustice
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