200% slower?! (Marathon)

[hucker]

So, a Marathon is "200% slower". Sorry, does not compute.

Let's say you're driving a car a 100mph, and I tell you to drive 30% slower, you'd drop to 70, right? 30% off the speed?

Now you're driving at 100mph and I say drive 200% slower. Uh what? 100% slower would be a stop. 200% slower? Reverse at 100mph?

 

[Noble Zarkon]

The game lasts 500 turns at normal speed, Marathon is 1500 turns - 1000 more, or twice the original number, therefore 200% slower.

 

[bene_legionary]

Marathon goes at 33% speed of the normal game; it's three times as long. 500 turns to 1500 turns. Online is 200% of the standard speed; 500 turns to 250 turns.

(or what NZ said)

 

[hucker]

The game lasts 500 turns at normal speed, Marathon is 1500 turns - 1000 more, or twice the original number, therefore 200% slower.

200% longer would make sense, but you cannot go 200% slower. Slower is talking about speed. Consider my example, what is 200% less than 100mph? Illogical.

The marathon is actually 67% slower, meaning the game operates at one third speed.

 

[Goodenuf]

'Slower' is the wrong term to use here. 'x% Longer' is more correct, albeit not perfect. Three times as long is better (and clearer).

 

[hucker]

'Slower' is the wrong term to use here. 'x% Longer' is more correct, albeit not perfect. Three times as long is better (and clearer).

Glad someone agrees. 200% longer is clear to me.

I'm not a grammarian by the way, I often say "3 times less", which some people seem to hate because they think "times" must be an increase. In fact my father doesn't even understand it. To me it's obvious. 3 times more. 3 times less does the exact opposite. Three is the factor you multiply or divide by.

 

[Goodenuf]

Glad someone agrees. 200% longer is clear to me.

I'm not a grammarian by the way, I often say "3 times less", which some people seem to hate because they think "times" must be an increase. In fact my father doesn't even understand it. To me it's obvious. 3 times more. 3 times less does the exact opposite. Three is the factor you multiply or divide by.

Exactly. 3 times less == 1/3 of the original. Full stop.

 

[hucker]

On the subject of less.... Why the hell do people say fewer? I always ask, "what's the opposite of fewer, severaler?"

 

[bene_legionary]

Fewer: countable, like saying a "number" of birds, you can make out how many there are. "There are fewer birds than yesterday." Lesser: uncountable, like saying an "amount" of sand, you can't count it or put a number to it. "There's less sand on this beach than last year."

Saying less is not totally wrong, but you can be 'more correct' if you want to be. The opposite of fewer is more; "There's more sand now. And there's three more birds on that tree too!"

I think Firaxis left it as "200%" slower because, in game, all the values are multiplied by 200%/factor of 2. This wording can be very confusing.

 

[iammaxhailme]

On the subject of less.... Why the hell do people say fewer? I always ask, "what's the opposite of fewer, severaler?"

More

 

[Goodenuf]

On the subject of less.... Why the hell do people say fewer? I always ask, "what's the opposite of fewer, severaler?"

I always though less was more, but what do I know? Clearly fewer things than most.

 

[iammaxhailme]

I always though less was more, but what do I know? Clearly fewer things than most.

Fewer refers to a quantity (3 is fewer than 5). Less refers to magnitude (Most people are less pedantic than I am). More can refer to both.

...I'm about 80% sure I'm right here.

 

[hucker]

Fewer: countable, like saying a "number" of birds, you can make out how many there are. "There are fewer birds than yesterday." Lesser: uncountable, like saying an "amount" of sand, you can't count it or put a number to it. "There's less sand on this beach than last year."

But why distinguish? When you say birds or sand, we already know what those things are and if they're countable, you don't have to inform us of it by using a different word.

Saying less is not totally wrong, but you can be 'more correct' if you want to be. The opposite of fewer is more; "There's more sand now. And there's three more birds on that tree too!"

How can more be the opposite of fewer and less? There are two words for a smaller amount and only one for a larger amount. Illogical.

I think Firaxis left it as "200%" slower because, in game, all the values are multiplied by 200%/factor of 2. This wording can be very confusing.

No, factor of 3.

I always though less was more, but what do I know? Clearly fewer things than most.

Fewer clothes are more interesting. MMMMMMMMiley Cyrus.

Fewer refers to a quantity (3 is fewer than 5). Less refers to magnitude (Most people are less pedantic than I am). More can refer to both.

...I'm about 80% sure I'm right here.

Actually, my (strange and OCD) father doesn't like "80% sure", because "sure" to him means 100%.

 

[bene_legionary]

If you think languages were made logical, I have a incredibly minute bridge available for your purchase.

Languages emphasise different things for different reasons because they were borne out of different situations, different locations and different cultures for different peoples' uses. Chinese has no direct word for "yes" or any articles like "the", and needs a lot of implying. Romance languages use gender specific words but have pretty rigid verb rules. English is a bloody mess.

 

[Goodenuf]

Fewer refers to a quantity (3 is fewer than 5). Less refers to magnitude (Most people are less pedantic than I am). More can refer to both.

...I'm about 80% sure I'm right here.

So in other words: at 80% you're more or less correct.

 

[hucker]

If you think languages were made logical, I have a incredibly minute bridge available for your purchase.

It would take hours to assemble.

Languages emphasise different things for different reasons because they were borne out of different situations, different locations and different cultures for different peoples' uses. Chinese has no direct word for "yes"

Uhh..... how do they answer the question "would you like a sandwich?"

or any articles like "the", and needs a lot of implying. Romance languages use gender specific words but have pretty rigid verb rules. English is a bloody mess.

It doesn't have to be. English is what you make of it. I for example never ever say fewer. It just sounds so wrong. I also detest people saying "that" for no reason. Why say "I see that it's raining" instead of "I see it's raining"?

A colleague in Glasgow says "That's been did" instead of "done", which actually makes sense. What is the difference between did and done? I have no idea. I seem to say the "correct" one, but only by copying others. It's a thing which has been completed in the past, yet we have "did" and "done" for precisely the same meaning.

 

[hucker]

So in other words: at 80% you're more or less correct.

I have an IQ of 145, which means 99.865% of people are stupider than me. It's not as fun as you might think.

 

[bene_legionary]

Greater is also the opposite of less, but not fewer.

It doesn't have to be. English is what you make of it. I for example never ever say fewer. It just sounds so wrong. I also detest people saying "that" for no reason. Why say "I see that it's raining" instead of "I see it's raining"?

A colleague in Glasgow says "That's been did" instead of "done", which actually makes sense. What is the difference between did and done? I have no idea. I seem to say the "correct" one, but only by copying others. It's a thing which has been completed in the past, yet we have "did" and "done" for precisely the same meaning.

Does it matter? Yes, English is what you make of it, so if it gets the meaning across, what's the issue? I have no problem with people saying 'less' or fewer as long as it doesn't make them look bad in their situation - they're both close enough.

Done is the past participle of to do. Your colleague isn't doing anything wrong if everyone understands him, though. Which is the point of language.

Uhh..... how do they answer the question "would you like a sandwich?"

We just say something like "I would like (one), thanks".

 

[hucker]

Greater is also the opposite of less, but not fewer.

No, it's opposite of lesser. Fewer has no opposite so is a failed word.

Does it matter? Yes, English is what you make of it, so if it gets the meaning across, what's the issue? I have no problem with people saying 'less' or fewer as long as it doesn't make them look bad in their situation - they're both close enough.

I have a problem with people who insist on saying the "correct" words. I have a problem with every single bloody supermarket in the UK changing to "10 items or fewer" on the express checkout instead of "10 items or less" because some OCD prat complained. Few has always been a quantity to me. It means "about 3". Fewer does not make sense. How can something be "more 3"? We should add "severaler" meaning "more 7".

We just say something like "I would like (one), thanks".

That's a lot longer than "yes".

Google translate changes the English "yes" to the simplified Chinese "是的 (Shì de)". Is that incorrect?

 

[Laurana Kanan]

Moderator Action: This thread has turned into a rambling off-topic discussion. The main point has been expressed and answered so thread closed.