Salvor_Hardin posted:

So I just decided to go pokemon catch-em-all mode on buffalo slot machines over a weekend in Vegas and wanted to do something with them.

Does anyone know why this is the number-one-with-a-bullet most common theme of slot machine? The only other one that came close is vague orientalism as far as I could tell.

Salvor_Hardin posted:

In the beginning, there was no name. Only the hoofbeats across the land. Thundering to no cause, no greater purpose.



A power this great requires a name. And thus it was spoken into existence.



This power had no master, no container. It could not be corralled or coopted.



As it grew it became more unwieldy. More untenable. The primordial energy swelled into a maelstrom as they galloped. A primeval dance without rhythm or meter.



But a power this wild, this unruly, cannot be maintained. One bull, the largest in the herd, the most cacophonous in the storm, was elevated from the throng.



Through strength and force of will, he would set a new path. And that required hierarchy. As a first act he claimed the sacred mantle.



And lo, the times were fruitful. The sheer energetic capacity of the herd, thus channeled into productive means, lead to prosperity.



All shared and shared alike. A new renaissance.



But good times breed weak stock. An aristocratic nobility formed and demanded ever more lucre and ever less labor. The masses found themselves working harder for less in return. The mood become one of personal enrichment with no shared sense of community or care for fellow man. Workers turned to quick schemes for a quicker dollar rather than productive labor with a shared purpose.



The elite grew bored with the spoils of exploitation alone and demanded more debasement and debauchery. Joy could only be found by bringing their perceived lessers yet lower. This became a grand spectacle of ritualized humiliation, in which the desperate dross, the discarded, were made to compete for a right to a meager existence, all under a gaudy tent.



Above the hooting rabble, the chief looked on. Joy was no longer felt and no longer guided him. His only focus was self preservation and maintenance of this social order.



ACT 2

Throughout this saga, many remembered the Storm. It was whispered about secretly. To be found was to join the Carnival. Systems of mutual trust were erected. Friendships were formed.



There is power in numbers. In solidarity. Even in small groups. Many buffalo found joy and strength in bringing in as few as 3 new friends.



Four is a strong number; a sacred number. Four legs form the base of a buffalo and sturdy bases to support further growth were required. Across the land more small networks of trust were formed.



And the power of the people began to grow.



But there are limits to the power of small numbers. Transformative power requires the masses. And thus, these small networks began to join forces. Slowly, piece by piece, representatives of the smaller networks met and joined forces.



The power was being felt. In clandestine meetings, firebrands extolled the virtue of action. But looming over all was the fluttering pennants atop the great tent of the Carnival, reminding everyone what was at stake, and what the penalty would be for failure. But one Buffalo was not afraid and refused to back down. He barnstormed between local meetings sharing messages of solidarity and calls to action.



The crowds grew and agreed on the cause. The message. And most importantly, the Plan.



It goes against the nature of a buffalo to stop. To cease. Motion is the natural state; cheek to jowl, charging in lock step. But the ultimate power is the power to destroy and that is what had to be demonstrated. However, the aristocracy, grown stunted and sclerotic, was not willing to bargain. This left one final recourse.



The signal was given and spread like a wildfire across a drought-stricken plain. All work was abandoned and all minds focused on a singular end. The power forming was felt by all. It was the power of the Storm, that still lived in the collective memory of the herd. But solidarity and struggle gave purpose where none was felt before. The storm had direction and, more important still, had enemies. The uprising came together into a single charge, directed squarely toward the Carnival.



There a mighty melee ensued. Chaos. The poles of the great tent snapped and it fell to the earth. As the scene settled and the victors emerged, it became clear that the people had won. The Carnival, and the ghouls who ran it, were no more.



The mood was confused as the joy of victory was melded with sorrow for the lost. But the victors were together and through that bond the joy was exalted and the sorrow was diminished. Throughout this process of grief and renewal, a question rose: What would be next? Lots were cast and counted and the leader of the revolution was elevated to the role of leadership. A new chief for a new time and a better future.

quote:

Buffalo slot machines are among the most popular titles ever created at both online and in land-based casinos. When Aristocrat released the original Buffalo slot in 2008, it was a true game-changer. The combination of its 1,024 ways to win, distinctive sound effects, and huge win potential madeit an instant hit.

AcidCat posted:

There are a lot of tribal casinos. Maybe the manufacturers create a lot of these with that market in mind? A topic for further study.

huh posted:

Weird thread.

Smugworth posted:

Yea op all those are bison not buffalo

Salvor_Hardin posted:

In the beginning, there was no name. Only the hoofbeats across the land. Thundering to no cause, no greater purpose.



...

The mood was confused as the joy of victory was melded with sorrow for the lost. But the victors were together and through that bond the joy was exalted and the sorrow was diminished. Throughout this process of grief and renewal, a question rose: What would be next? Lots were cast and counted and the leader of the revolution was elevated to the role of leadership. A new chief for a new time and a better future.

Mary Dean posted:

those are not buffalo!

flubber nuts posted:

flubber nuts posted:

AcidCat posted:

The thread for saying poop, pee, poo poo might be more your speed, perhaps you can rescue it from page 2.