Humorous Philosophical Question...
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I'm doing some planning for my entry (already great progress made by the way!) and i am sorta toying with the idea of crossing the 4 elements together in interesting ways.
So i made a table of Ninja, Robot, Pirate, Zombie on both the X and Y axes and started thinking about the combinations. Then i had a problem with this philosophical question that actually has a bearing on my game design:
Is a Robot Ninja the same as a Ninja Robot?
You could say the same for any element pairing. If the answer is NO then i have more work to do. If the anser is YES, then it makes things easier. But i'm still interested in your explanation :-)
I'm not sure how large of a difference there really is, but the main difference to me is emphasis. Generally when classifying an object the names are ordered from fine to general, ie minor classification to major classification. For example, my last name is a much more general classification, while my first is a much finer one.
So a Robot Ninja to me is primarily a ninja that also happens to be a robot, while a Ninja Robot is mainly a robot that also happens to be a ninja. As you can see, this is a very fine distinction, and could very well just have to do with my way of thinking.
So a Robot Ninja to me is primarily a ninja that also happens to be a robot, while a Ninja Robot is mainly a robot that also happens to be a ninja. As you can see, this is a very fine distinction, and could very well just have to do with my way of thinking.
According to me, if one of the parts describing the entity is "Robot", then it must be primarily a robot. I think that Robot is special case here because it's a machine.
For e.g., according to your example of the Robot Ninja / Ninja Robot.
It could mean a robot which does ninja moves, but it would be silly if it meant a ninja who does robot moves. :)
For e.g., according to your example of the Robot Ninja / Ninja Robot.
It could mean a robot which does ninja moves, but it would be silly if it meant a ninja who does robot moves. :)
A Ninja-Robot could quite easily refer to a robot owned by a ninja (but not neccesarily having any ninja-like properties).
Wouldn't that be a Ninja's Robot? Much like a tank owned by American isn't an America tank, it's an American tank.
In this case, I would say that Robot-Ninja and a Ninja-Robot are the same thing. Although for some reasons I picture the robot differently depending on which one I say. Hmmm....
In this case, I would say that Robot-Ninja and a Ninja-Robot are the same thing. Although for some reasons I picture the robot differently depending on which one I say. Hmmm....
Quote:Original post by MENTAL
Wouldn't that be a Ninja's Robot? Much like a tank owned by American isn't an America tank, it's an American tank.
It would if it was owned by a single ninja, but what if it were owned by a group of ninja?
LMAO...You gotta love the fact that people are actually debating and bringing up valid points about this. You guys are ridiculous :P
In the case of a robot, the distinction is pretty clear - either you're a robot, or your're not. Using the description "pirate", on the other hand, can mean several different things. A ninja pirate would (to me, at least) a pirate that uses ninja techniques in his pirating. A pirate ninja could be a rogue ninja (well, they're all rouges, but I guess you're not interested in history) that, in addition to being a ninja, steals and rapes and whatnot. Or it could be a ninja who's turned pirate, but doesn't necessarily sail the seven seas.
All in all, the definitions are what you make of them. Play around with your settings, and you may very well stumble upon the meaning of life itself!
All in all, the definitions are what you make of them. Play around with your settings, and you may very well stumble upon the meaning of life itself!
Quote:Original post by MENTALAh, but as a counter-example, a human arm is an arm owned by a human. Or a butcher knife is a knife used by a butcher. Or a table lamp is a lamp placed on a table. Or a desk chair is a chair used at a desk. Or...
Wouldn't that be a Ninja's Robot? Much like a tank owned by American isn't an America tank, it's an American tank.
Though frankly I'd just leave it all simple and treat a robot-ninja and a ninja-robot as the same thing.
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