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chaos0xomega wrote:I wouldn't say that humans use base 10 because we have 10 fingers or whatever. There are numerous human cultures that DONT use base 10, assuming that all humans do so because most of the Western world does is rather inconsiderate. In fact, it just so happens that certain Native American cultures use base 8 instead of base 10 because they count the spaces in between their fingers instead of the actual fingers themselves.

Name three large cultures that did so. because outside the roman empire there isn't many.

Because your actual statement was:

We have base 10 because humans developed math on 10 fingers.

Humans as a collective whole DID NOT develop math on ten fingers though. That is the point that I am making. Its not nitpicking, its pointing out a fallacy in your argument. If you dont want to hear it, then you can continue sticking your fingers in your ears and shouting "lalala I'm not listening", but the truth is the truth.

gendoikari87 - Mayans and Aztecs used base 20, as well as a large part of Western American and South American native peoples, as did Celtic cultures and a large chunk of European cultures (this is still apparent in some languages, such as French), and numerous cultures throughout Asia and Africa
Babylonians used base 60 (whats that? the cradle of civilization used base 60? OH SNAP!)
A large number of Mid-African cultures developed a base 12 counting system (particularly those in the area of Nigeria)

chaos0xomega wrote:Because your actual statement was:

We have base 10 because humans developed math on 10 fingers.

Humans as a collective whole DID NOT develop math on ten fingers though. That is the point that I am making. Its not nitpicking

No dude, it is textbook nitpicking

Rented Tritium wrote:

chaos0xomega wrote:Nowadays, but thats largely because cultures using the base 10 counting system have imposed it on others. That ignores the fact that for a large chunk of human existence, a VERY LARGE portion of the human population used something other than base 10.

Who cares? You're nitpicking to the extreme. The cultures that imposed the base 10 system used it because they had 10 fingers, so by extension, we use it because we have 10 fingers. There is nothing whatsoever wrong with the statement "we use it because we have 10 fingers". Who cares that there are 100 other things that happened in the middle. I'm not required to put the entire history of a point into a statement.

I'd like to see proof of the "very large portion" for a "large chunk of human existence" of the human population using something other than base 10 as I think that statement is completely wrong. Being illiterate and having NO organized written language and mathematical system doesn't count. Chinese (and most asian), Greco-Roman (and therefore most Western), Egyptian, Indian, and Arabic civilizations have all used base 10. Very few notable cultures (whether weighted by population or actual contribution to mathematics or history in general) have used anything other than base 10 (the Aztecs and Mayans being the exception but NOT the Inca). I've frankly covered most of the world's main population centers for the majority of written history so I'm looking forward to you posting your large portion of a large chunk proof.

mega_bassist wrote:Ok, I kind of understand the eight base math, but I have one question: What's used for?

I mean, I went to trig and pre-calc in highschool and college, and I've never heard of it

Base 8 is known as 'Octal' (to go along with Decimal). There's some neat stuff on Wikipedia... A couple native American tribes used it, Sweden considered it. More interesting is the why, which mentions that the native Americans counted the spaces between fingers, not the fingers themselves.

The primary use is in computers. Base 8 and Base 16 work well with math based around operating on yes/no switches as it's a power of 2. The same reason you'll see other powers-of-2 (or powers-of-2 minus 1) in a lot of computer stuff... These values are the maximum for various sizes fo bits.

(Example for the older gamers: The original Legend of Zelda used 255 limits to rupees and even the number of times a save file had been played... You could save more often, but the counter froze at 255. 255 is a 8 bit integer, so took 8 bits of the NES' limited memory to store. )

warboss, check my previous post, I already gave "proof"

Is the Topic math or cute Japanese models? I can't tell anymore.

I think it had something to do with Tau a long time ago...

Balance wrote:

mega_bassist wrote:Ok, I kind of understand the eight base math, but I have one question: What's used for?

I mean, I went to trig and pre-calc in highschool and college, and I've never heard of it

Base 8 is known as 'Octal' (to go along with Decimal). There's some neat stuff on Wikipedia... A couple native American tribes used it, Sweden considered it. More interesting is the why, which mentions that the native Americans counted the spaces between fingers, not the fingers themselves.

The primary use is in computers. Base 8 and Base 16 work well with math based around operating on yes/no switches as it's a power of 2. The same reason you'll see other powers-of-2 (or powers-of-2 minus 1) in a lot of computer stuff... These values are the maximum for various sizes fo bits.

(Example for the older gamers: The original Legend of Zelda used 255 limits to rupees and even the number of times a save file had been played... You could save more often, but the counter froze at 255. 255 is a 8 bit integer, so took 8 bits of the NES' limited memory to store. )

Huzzah! It makes more sense now - I'm not well informed on computer programing...why why I've never heard of it...And now I finally know why your max rupee was 255! I love learning new stuff

On Topic: Was there any new info on Stealth Suits worked on in the new 'dex?

wyomingfox wrote:Is the Topic math or cute Japanese models? I can't tell anymore.

Both. They're Japanese so therefore likely well educated and good at math. Either way, I won't comment on math anymore here as I got ninja'd by the warning while researching/writing my last post.

Cat Samurai Chick Robots with giant swords?

You know what would be cool Xv 02 suits for pathfinders. JSJ markerlights. Yeah.

wyomingfox wrote:Is the Topic math or cute Japanese models? I can't tell anymore.

I don't know can we make it about cute japanese models, speaking of which, I have a question about the new tau.

MORE or LESS anime inspired?

I say more. Why, EVA demands it.

With what little we know, or think we know, what are your guys opinions on current Tau collections? Is it worth holding on to on-the-sprue FW and Kroot? (when I already have 40 of each assembled) I have 14 XV8s... I am wondering if I should sell some of my stuff....

SickSix wrote:With what little we know, or think we know, what are your guys opinions on current Tau collections? Is it worth holding on to on-the-sprue FW and Kroot? (when I already have 40 of each assembled) I have 14 XV8s... I am wondering if I should sell some of my stuff....

I'm personally keeping all of it. I think it's perfectly fluffy for a unit to have some older equipment and some newer equipment. I just say that the new equipment is being field tested or the old equipment is surplus because the supply line is having problems.

Also, older kits tend to be useful for modding. Suppose there's some new character that doesn't get a model right away. You can take some of the old one and some of the new one and whip one up.

Ree Stealth Field Generators: Well the implication seems to be that the roll 2D6 for spotting distance mechanic will go away, which is a shame, because that was kind of cool.

A cool alternative would be for a characteristic test (Initiative or Leadership) to be able to shoot at the unit.

I suspect it will be replaced with something akin to the Disruption pod (ie cover save from set distance away) hich will ultimately make them easier to target and destoy than the old mechanic, unless they set the saving throw very low, say a 2+ or 3+. I'd be willing to drop the armour save to a 4+ for this (or the old invisible approach).

My fear is they will just give them the Stealth USR and call it a day.

One thing I would like to see is stealth teams and pathfinders be amalgamated into a single unit that can carry out close range commando missions or stand back with rail rifles and markerlights.

Kilkrazy wrote:

So who is this? I've seen this person elsewhere, but don't remember on what or where.

megatrons2nd wrote:

Kilkrazy wrote:

So who is this? I've seen this person elsewhere, but don't remember on what or where.

If I had to guess I would some horrible K-Pop artist, or a random Japenese model. Killkrazy uses it as an image macro as often as possible.

Whoever she is, she is a goddess.

Excited like a guardsmen on leave?

SO.. is it likely that tau might find a way to put an ethereal in a suit? Wouldent that be nice to have a single decent cc suit that could put a dent in the enemy assault?
At least some degree of non-kroot counter chargers would be nice.

tarnish wrote:SO.. is it likely that tau might find a way to put an ethereal in a suit? Wouldent that be nice to have a single decent cc suit that could put a dent in the enemy assault?
At least some degree of non-kroot counter chargers would be nice.

Only if matt ward writes the codex.

tarnish wrote:SO.. is it likely that tau might find a way to put an ethereal in a suit? Wouldent that be nice to have a single decent cc suit that could put a dent in the enemy assault?
At least some degree of non-kroot counter chargers would be nice.

That's like putting your state senator in a tank and dropping him off in a warzone. It wouldn't make sense, since the Ethereals aren't really meant to see much combat. I think the only close combat suits that Tau will really roll with are O'Shova and maybe some kind of honor guard for him.

Wouldn't it be nice to field the Dalai Lama as a mad brutal close combat monster? No.

Im not buying this army but looking forward to fighting it. Necrons are enough for me until the Tyranids are redone.

Kroothawk wrote:Wouldn't it be nice to field the Dalai Lama as a mad brutal close combat monster? No.

Oh allright, i was just desperate to get out of that math based on 10 or 8 bowl-of-anus-puss that was going around the table.
But considering what dalai lama has been exposed to during 40k games in the past (poor ethereals being chopped apart in all manner of different ways) maybe the tau would eventually learn to stick them in some kind of protective suit, or better yet, leave them at home.

Well, my Ethereal has never seen a battlefield..
Even though I really like him.^^

Guess my tau kinda learned from previous mistakes.

(he allways stays in the base, protected by his personal Vespid body guards)

If Etheral's were bad ass they would be more like this



Kroot suits would be nasty too.

I would love for Ethereals to end up as something akin to Guard Commissars. A model you can purchase multiple times to upgrade multiple units with higher leadership, ability to reroll leadership checks and maybe something else that's kind of funky.

Obviously the Ethereal dying and whole army checkign to leave the table is a bit much under those circumstances, but perhaps the unit with the Ethereal in it would have to flee or become much nastier fighters.

One idea I had would be for the Ethereal, in addition to acting like a commissar of sorts, to also be able to deliver something akin to Orders like Guard Platoon and Company Commanders do, but limited only to the squad they are in.

I think Etherels like that (and costed reasonably) would be something all Tau players would love to field.

The best idea for etherials? Take their rules away. Leave them on the shelf.