# Why is everyone playing with distorted screen?

**URL:** <https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/why-is-everyone-playing-with-distorted-screen/675>\
**Category:** The Bunker\
**Created:** [April 3, 2013, 1:50am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/why-is-everyone-playing-with-distorted-screen/675 "2013-04-03T01:50:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![LazyCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@LazyCat](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/LazyCat)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 4:14am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/why-is-everyone-playing-with-distorted-screen/675/41 "2013-04-05T04:14:35Z")

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> [@Tase](#):
>
> Cataclysm doesn’t have sprites; it uses a font, it’s not drawing images from a [graphical resource](http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/File:Phoebus_16x16.png). It’s exactly like other rogue-likes.

Other rogues mainly have just abstract symbols that fit in only one tile. Cataclysm beside symbols also have what I call “sprites”, which are objects with actual size, shape and orientation. Yellow road lines are “sprites”, pool tables are “sprites”, vehicles are “sprites”, or “annoyingly distracting wild sausages” if you will, and everything else that takes more than one tile, that has shape, size or orientation is “sprite”, as opposed to abstract and dimensionally undefined one-tile symbol.

> And like I said, square vs rectangular is up to preference, you can't argue this, because I like the rectangular font, hence any point against "its up to preference" is void.

It’s inherited craziness from the past that came about not due to choice but inability or laziness to make it better. I wouldn’t call it “preference”.

> Either way, whatever you want to say about what is "right" or "wrong", it's a question of graphics vs readability. One can get used to either of them, like you said. I appreciate the time you took to read my post and understand what I was saying [/sarcasm], but my point still stands, most games use a rectangular font, hence people are used to the rectangular font. There is no reason to replace the rectangular font with a square one and force it on everyone because of your preferences.

It’s not a book, it’s a game with graphics screen you look at 90% of the time. It’s geometrically and logically wrong to have different proportions in x and y axis. It’s ugly, unnatural, distracting and annoying. It’s a wild sausage. Don’t you see what other people are saying? It’s rectangular fonts which are forced, people ended up using them just because they didn’t know it’s even an option.

> But be my guest and implement an option to toggle between square and rectangular fonts in-game, this would be the most productive approach to this problem, much better than trying to impose a way on how people should play.

Two-three lines script could handle that choice at start-up on both Linux and Windows. That would be a good place to move viewport size options as well since they require restart anyway. By the way, I would remove option to have bigger graphic viewport than “12x12” because you still have many things hard-coded for 25x25 grid, with SEEX and SEEY defines, so for example lighting is not applied outside that viewport.

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**Author:** ![LazyCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@LazyCat](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/LazyCat)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 4:50am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/why-is-everyone-playing-with-distorted-screen/675/42 "2013-04-05T04:50:50Z")

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> [@Soron](#):
>
> You mean the bug that was [only fixed for linux](https://github.com/TheDarklingWolf/Cataclysm-DDA/issues/273), due to implementation details? You may want to check your facts.

Fixed 9 days ago, which means latest official release still have that bug. Anyway, that’s good, but how could you tolerate it for the last few years? I guess that says something about the game. When people are willing to overlook such abnormalities the game be must freakin’ good, in some way. And amazingly enough it apparently is not the game-play itself, but the content, or something, something else. It’s fascinating… unless, of course, it’s just the most hard-core people who actually play the game and perhaps everyone else just gave up after few minutes of trying it out. Who knows? If you want to appeal to more people I think square fonts should definitively be set by default. That’s the bottom line, it’s what \_majority thinks.

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**Author:** ![LazyCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@LazyCat](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/LazyCat)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 7:32am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/why-is-everyone-playing-with-distorted-screen/675/43 "2013-04-05T07:32:18Z")

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> [@Soron](#):
>
> You mean the bug that was [only fixed for linux](https://github.com/TheDarklingWolf/Cataclysm-DDA/issues/273), due to implementation details? You may want to check your facts.

Someone commented over there “Windows will require a peek-based solution”. Windows does not have keyboard buffer overflow problem, no fixing should be attempted. There is completely unrelated and even bigger problem with input on Windows build, which is preventing proper animation and causing all sorts of other glitches. I explained all that and fixed it a month ago, but is still not merged to official build, for some reason.

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**Author:** ![kenoxite](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/kenoxite/32/858_2.png) [@kenoxite](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/kenoxite)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 8:21am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/why-is-everyone-playing-with-distorted-screen/675/44 "2013-04-05T08:21:45Z")

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> [@LazyCat](#):
>
> Annoyingly distracting wild sausage. That’s just more poetic way to say it’s wrong. I don’t see why are you trying to justify it when the only arguments are: “it’s too hard”, “everyone is doing it” and “I’m used to it”. Those are not reasons, those are excuses.

Because using non-square fonts isn’t actually wrong, it’s just not optimal. You can still play the game while using the provided font format without problems. The only thing you’ll lack is a proper proportional display. But that doesn’t make the game unplayable.

And because all this has some reminiscence of the github discussion by you guys in the MGS mod thread. This time with the right/wrong sides switched. Tell me, did all that rhetoric convince you?

Take for granted that your points were considered by many. Probably some of them were convinced and have made the switch already (as shown in some posts). But the more you antagonize those that don’t like the look of square fonts, or don’t care about all this, the more you’ll reinforce their positions.

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**Author:** ![GlyphGryph](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/glyphgryph/32/847_2.png) [@GlyphGryph](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/GlyphGryph)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 10:46am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/why-is-everyone-playing-with-distorted-screen/675/45 "2013-04-05T10:46:28Z")

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> [@LazyCat](#):
>
> All videos on YouTube seem to be made in Windows. Why do you think more than few people play on Linux? I would think no one plays on Linux due keyboard bug where you must not hold down any key or the game will continue to play by itself long after you let go. And shouldn’t it be expected of Linux users to know how to set up their own console and fonts? How hard could it possibly be? – I just don’t get how could you not mind playing distorted game. Give it 10 minutes with square fonts and I bet you will never go back.

Even if only a few people played on Linux, a number of the most important people in regards to the development of Cataclysm have played on Linux. This is not something that is trivial.

And yes, it is ironic that someone dedicated to coding “wrong” would be so vociferously opposed to doing things wrong, while simultaneously wondering why they aren’t getting the results they desire. Ultimately, what is right and wrong is about what is effective at achieving your ends.

You claim not to understand how other people approach the issue. If you don’t understand any viewpoint but your own, how can you possibly effectively argue that every other viewpoint is wrong? It’s admitting out loud that the only possible way you could end up right is purely by chance, since you don’t understand the alternatives.

Until you propose your code for merging ‘correctly’, any and all fixes you make to the game to correct things you see as wrong are going to have a pretty limited distribution. This is pretty straightforward. And until you adopt a more effective rhetorical style, you’re as likely to drive as many people away as you convince.

This is not effective at achieving your goals. This is wrong. And I know you can do better.

Maybe you should try setting up a poll? An actual sign of popular support might do you well, if you’re going to continue with the argumentation route.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![LazyCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@LazyCat](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/LazyCat)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 7:19pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/why-is-everyone-playing-with-distorted-screen/675/46 "2013-04-05T19:19:33Z")

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> [@GlyphGryph](#):
>
> lololololol. Even if only a few people played on Linux, the most important people played on Linux.

I pity them for having to endure that keyboard buffering bug, just like I feel sorry for Windows users who don’t know how the game should actually play with proper animations instead of glitching.

> You certainly do think a lot of things very strongly, don't you? It's funny to see arguments about the importance of avoiding doing things "wrong" from someone who is so incredibly committed to doing things wrong in regards to code. Then you wonder why your "fixes" haven't been merged in - it's because you haven't bloody well submitted them, have you? No, you insist on doing things wrong, but apparently things are only "wrong" if you think they are, regardless of... evidence, or opinions, or practicality, or outcome, or function.

I gave you the source code, just “submit” it yourself. I don’t insist on anything, simply trying to help you to help yourself, so in order to make the game better I only insist you must do exactly as I say.

> Until you decide to start coding correctly, any and all "fixes" you make to the game to correct things you see as wrong are going to have a pretty limited distribution.

I am of course coding correctly, for I am me. It is your code that has some of the most heinous bugs, that has glitches and crashes, missing text messages, invisible windows, random freezing, non-working dynamic spawning, monsters not reacting to noise, inferior driving and targeting, ugly and incomplete lighting, missing night vision and weather effects, incorrect rendering, and stuff… which I fixed for you, made better, faster, more stable, more complete, smoother, prettier, and everything. I also gave you freaking code for music and sound effects. How amazing is that? And yet you are upset with me, for some strange reason. Go figure!

> You are not the majority. You aren't even a real developer, since you refuse to work with anyone else in a real way.

[font=courier]I’m master developer, don’t you see?  
If I were you I’d listen to me  
I work alone because I’m super  
And I sing songs like Garry Cooper

You really should hear to what I speak  
If you like Cata and growing a beak  
It’s naked truth, everything is wrong  
What I don’t tell you or sing in a song

I know the best, it’s what I do  
I see the future, I know kung-fu  
Make no mistake, I’m right, you’re not  
I’m super, I’m cool, and I know a lot

It’s so amazing, it beats the odds  
More fantastic than the Wizard of Oz  
My human friend, I’m so very super  
It’s impossible I could make a blooper

My words are gold for young and old  
Whoever is bright can see that I’m right  
It’s quite sensational, I’m so inspirational  
Like some angel of truth, oh that’s so cute  
For knowing majority is my top priority  
When my decision has such fine precision

I know the best, it’s what I do  
I see the future, I know kung-fu  
Make no mistake, I’m right, you’re not  
I’m super, I’m cool, and I know a lot

It’s never false, what I say is true  
Like grass is green and the sky is blue  
Always remember, doom - pa - dee - dee  
If you are wise you’ll listen to me![/font]

* * *

There, you see? Songs are always right. Are you convinced now?

> Your opinion only matters insofar as you can convince people it does, and to be honest, you're doing that pretty wrong as well. (I can tell, by the fact that the more you post, the less convinced I become that you are right about any given topic. If your argument is failing to further your goals, you are doing it wrong. It's a pretty basic metric.) Worse, you admit that you're wrong - you state quite publicly, in the quote above, that you don't understand how people think and play, and are thus absolutely terribly positioned to make any sort of judgement call about this topic. If you don't understand any viewpoint but your own, how can you possibly effectively argue that every other viewpoint is wrong? It's absurd. It's admitting out loud that the only possible way you could end up right is purely by chance.

I disagree.

> Suffice to say, if you're trying to convince people you are right, "chance" is not an effective argument.

I don’t care to convince anyone of anything. It’s enough people know and can see for themselves, for it is obvious that square is better and who thinks otherwise is wrong and should be put in jail. Admit it!

> So I'm going to say this and make it clear: The developers do not have to do your work for you. If you ever want to make an actual, real contribution, in the form of an actual, real pull request, your changes will be reviewed and commented on, and suggestions may be made as to what would need to be done to merge them if anything, and once it's in a shape where it doesn't break anything for anyone else or make development in general more difficult, it will be merged in, assuming it has any value.

What is preventing you to submit it yourself wherever you want and make whatever pull request you please?

Value? Break anything? Seriously? Just try it out:

> **[DDA-mar23v0.3\_MGSr11](http://www.mediafire.com/?gcdwivh42p2s28p)**
>
> MediaFire is a simple to use free service that lets you put all your photos, documents, music, and video in a single place so you can access them anywhere and share them everywhere.

Wonderfully smooth driving experience helped by enormously useful auto-shifting view, beautiful rounded lighting effects with gorgeous gradual fade-out ring, animated bullets, explosions and shrapnel, improved colors, enhanced night vision and weather effects… no nasty bugs, no annoying crashes, no ugly glitches, and I even enabled random NPCs to spawn all around. It’s like night and day compared to official release. Not to mention music and sound effects, it’s ten years ahead. Bla-blaah!

> As long as you insist on doing things wrong, both in argument and code, your opinion (and despite your protestations, it is exactly that, an opinion.) isn't even wrong - it's just worthless.
> 
> Maybe you should try setting up a poll? An actual sign of popular support might do you well, if you’re going to continue with the argumentation route.

A poll, eh? Would that convince you?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Vollinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c57346/32.png) [@Vollinger](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Vollinger)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 8:49pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/why-is-everyone-playing-with-distorted-screen/675/47 "2013-04-05T20:49:18Z")

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ahahah  
never change, lazycat

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![qurvax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ecc23a/32.png) [@qurvax](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/qurvax)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 8:22am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/why-is-everyone-playing-with-distorted-screen/675/48 "2013-04-06T08:22:17Z")

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EPIC thread!  
Trolling lvl \>9000

Also, what linux bug you folks talking about? I’m playing on linux for a couple of months, and didn’t see it ever.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Soron](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/soron/32/885_2.png) [@Soron](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Soron)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 8:30am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/why-is-everyone-playing-with-distorted-screen/675/49 "2013-04-06T08:30:05Z")

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Load up 0.3 (or earlier, I presume). Hold down a direction key for a while. Let go, and observe that your character keeps running for a second or so.

Annoying, but not really gamebreaking.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![qurvax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ecc23a/32.png) [@qurvax](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/qurvax)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 8:39am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/why-is-everyone-playing-with-distorted-screen/675/50 "2013-04-06T08:39:05Z")

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Ah, that! I thought it’s a feature… :]

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![geldonyetich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@geldonyetich](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/geldonyetich)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 5:34pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/why-is-everyone-playing-with-distorted-screen/675/51 "2013-04-07T17:34:21Z")

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In my opinion, it’s a bit of a trade-off. If you have even horizontal and vertical pixels, you’ll have a more accurate reflection of the map as it’s being displayed, true. However, the text will look rather scrunched. Fonts in just about every other app are taller than they are wide to facilitate more letters per line, and it takes a bit of mental adjustment to feel comfortable reading them when they’re equal in length and height. I can understand how some people will be willing to endure that adjustment more than others, and some people may find it harder to mentally adjust to the map size being skewed instead.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![wad67](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/wad67/32/7_2.png) [@wad67](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/wad67)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 5:58pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/why-is-everyone-playing-with-distorted-screen/675/52 "2013-04-07T17:58:41Z")

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I have not encountered the “keyboard buffering bug” In linux or windows…  
Also people should stop complaining at LazyCat because he/she has contributed massively to this game and in such a short time, Never leave us LazyCat (Poem was god tier).

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Vollinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c57346/32.png) [@Vollinger](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Vollinger)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 7:37pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/why-is-everyone-playing-with-distorted-screen/675/53 "2013-04-07T19:37:33Z")

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[quote=“wad67, post:52, topic:675”]I have not encountered the “keyboard buffering bug” In linux or windows…  
Also people should stop complaining at LazyCat because he/she has contributed massively to this game and in such a short time, Never leave us LazyCat (Poem was god tier).[/quote]

not really  
also it was tasetase who did the actual merges

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![LazyCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@LazyCat](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/LazyCat)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 3:04am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/why-is-everyone-playing-with-distorted-screen/675/54 "2013-04-09T03:04:10Z")

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> [@Vollinger](#):
>
> not really

What do you mean?

> also it was tasetase who did the actual merges

What merge are you talking about?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kenoxite](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/kenoxite/32/858_2.png) [@kenoxite](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/kenoxite)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 8:45pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/why-is-everyone-playing-with-distorted-screen/675/55 "2013-04-09T20:45:25Z")

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Just for those who worried that using a square font would distort the text. This is how topaz-8 looks (IMO the best of the lot):

[spoiler] ![](https://imageshack.us/a/img32/170/cataddasshot1.jpg)

![](http://imageshack.us/a/img694/8558/cataddasshot2.jpg)[/spoiler]

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KA101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/278dde/32.png) [@KA101](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/KA101)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 10:05pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/why-is-everyone-playing-with-distorted-screen/675/56 "2013-04-09T22:05:10Z")

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Better IMO than whatever it is that LazyCat uses in the MGS screencaps. Still not sold on it, though. Sorry.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kenoxite](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/kenoxite/32/858_2.png) [@kenoxite](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/kenoxite)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 10:28pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/why-is-everyone-playing-with-distorted-screen/675/57 "2013-04-09T22:28:33Z")

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No problem. I just wanted to offer more insight on this alternative, as I noticed there’s no other screenshots around here using this particular font (nor here nor anywhere in the forum AFAIK). Now you know how it looks in-game.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![LazyCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@LazyCat](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/LazyCat)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 7:15am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/why-is-everyone-playing-with-distorted-screen/675/58 "2013-04-10T07:15:40Z")

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> [@KA101](#):
>
> Better IMO than whatever it is that LazyCat uses in the MGS screencaps. Still not sold on it, though. Sorry.

Better/worse in what way?

For the graphic view squashed screen is million times worse than square in every possible way. It borders with unplayable.

![](http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/1803/squarescreenvs.jpg)

As for readability, are you sure you mean to call it “unreadable”?

![](http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/628/readkb.jpg)

Just spend 5 minutes playing with it and you will never go back.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kilozombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e274bd/32.png) [@kilozombie](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/kilozombie)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 2:57pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/why-is-everyone-playing-with-distorted-screen/675/59 "2013-04-10T14:57:23Z")

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LazyCat: My opinion is 1000000% better than yours! If you have a different opinion, go fuck yourself!

Is basically a summary of this thread.

Move along folks.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![LazyCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@LazyCat](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/LazyCat)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 3:39pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/why-is-everyone-playing-with-distorted-screen/675/60 "2013-04-10T15:39:59Z")

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> [@kilozombie](#):
>
> LazyCat: My opinion is 1000000% better than yours! If you have a different opinion, go fuck yourself!

[font=courier]  
Oompa Loompa, do - ba - dee - doo  
I’ve got another puzzle for you  
You’re just mad 'coz you wrong  
It’s less wide than it is long  
Belive your eyes, what they see  
Then you’ll know as good as me  
[/font]

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