text:
Child sacrifice rumors spark lynchings of 8 people in Bangladesh
DHAKA, Bangladesh Asia Pacific
Jul 24, 2019 2:01 pm GMT+3
Jul 24, 2019 2:01 pm
Eight people have been killed in vigilante lynchings in Bangladesh sparked by rumors on social media of children being kidnapped and sacrificed as offerings for the construction of a mega-bridge, police said Wednesday.
The victims -- which include two women -- were targeted by angry mobs over the rumors, spread mostly on Facebook, that said human heads were required for the massive $3 billion project, police chief Javed Patwary said.
"We have analyzed every single case of these eight killings. Those who were killed by lynching mobs -- no one was a child kidnapper," Patwary told reporters in Dhaka.
More than 30 other people have been attacked in connection with the rumors.
Patwary said police stations across the country had been ordered to crack down on rumors, and at least 25 YouTube channels, 60 Facebook pages and 10 websites have been shut down.
AFP has identified several posts still on Facebook that share the rumor, however.
Mob lynchings are common in Bangladesh, but the latest incidents are particularly brutal.
Local media said they started after reports circulated of a young man allegedly found carrying the severed head of a child in the northern district of Netrokona.
Among the latest victims was a single mother-of-two, Taslima Begum, who was beaten to death in front of a Dhaka school on Saturday by a mob which suspected her of being a child kidnapper, a police official told AFP.
A deaf man was also beaten to death outside the capital that day while trying to visit his daughter.
Police said eight people have been arrested over Begum's murder, and at least five others detained for their role in spreading the rumor on social media.
Police are so concerned about the deadly fallout in rural towns that officers are trying to counter the web rumor using loudspeakers.
"We are building awareness about the rumor and ask people not to get panicked," a police chief in northwestern Chapainawabganj district said.
Some 6.1 million Ansar paramilitary security forces and village guards have also been asked to warn villagers, according to media reports quoting Ansar major general Kazi Sharif Kaikobad.
Meanwhile beggars fearful of being lynched were wearing their identity cards to prove they were not strangers to a particular area, local media reported.
The lynchings could be "a sign of people's distrust in the existing law and order system," Dhaka University sociology professor Monirul Islam told AFP.
But he did not rule out the possibility that some people were deliberately trying to trigger panic or unrest in the community.
The bridge -- which is set to be Bangladesh's biggest -- is being built on the Padma, a major tributary of the Ganges.
Rumors of human sacrifices being required for a bridge in Bangladesh have surfaced before, with several people attacked in 2010 over another structure, according to local media.


In 2001, when I went to Afghanistan for the first time, I did not understand the depth or scale of tragedy that had unfolded and would continue for years to come. Afghanistan has been dealing with war for fifty years, perhaps more, with a history of violence and bloodshed preceding its more recent decade-long coverage in the news.
of women catastrophically perish by self immolation due to pressure and harassment by their families; a country where you wake up to a bomb threat each morning, and where 'human rights' are just meaningless words. People here think only of survival.
The consequences of such wars, within and outside home, are becoming more visible day after day – children lose their parents, and women whose husbands die become responsible for their extended families and the lives of their children. Despite the poverty, drug addiction, lack of education and other state-induced difficulties, life goes on in Afghanistan and people continue to live with the hope of a better tomorrow.
An Afghan woman learns how to make a doll at a workshop sponsored by a US/ NGO called Mercy that seeks to help local females to empower themselves. 80 women participate in every workshop despite rising tensions between an increasing Taliban presence in the city and the extensive NATO presence.
Members of the Afghan National Police been train in their base in center of Kabul.
Afghan students in the bus after finishing school in south of Kabul.
An afghan boy carries Afghani money in Afghanistan money market in Herat, Afghanistan 2001.
Two Afghan girls play with an artificial hand, south of Kabul.
A Taliban showing his weapon to the photographer after surrendering himself to the Government in West Afghanistan.
Burial ceremony of a Martyr killed in a war by Taliban in Kabul.
An Afghan boy is smoking opium with his family in Badakhshan.
A religious teacher punishes his student. The absence of a proper educational system in the country's schools leads few children to enroll, or they quit school after a short period to work instead.
Fariba, she is 11 years old from Herat, she burn herself 1 years ago, she sit between her parents, Afghan women are in a subordinate position in society, where conservative Islamic laws and traditions dictate what a woman is allowed to do in a male dominated world. Forced marriages, domestic violence, poverty and lack of access to education are said to be some of the main reasons for self immolation.
Afghan singer Farhad Darya performs at a concert restricted to females. Under the Taliban, listening even to recorded music was forbidden.
Fans of Farhad Darya an Afghan singer in a concert in Mazar e sharif. This specific concert is only for females, during Taliban time listening to the music even from CD or cassette was forbidden. The tittle of his concert is "Peace".


text:
Community Involvement – Lori Seiler Goes All In
2018 Leading the Way Founders' Award winner
By Julie Johnson
You might just as well find Lori Seiler scrubbing a toilet as sitting through a board meeting at Alamance Chamber of Commerce. She and her husband own Seiler Services, Inc, a HUD-designated woman-owned janitorial company in Alamance County.
Never afraid of hard work and always interested in the best for her employees, Lori steps right in when someone is sick or has to miss work for other emergencies.
"When we started Seiler Services, we said we wouldn't treat employees as if they're replaceable, the way large organizations treat them. We want our employees to know someone cares, and we always do our best to say thank you."
It's an approach that's worked well for Lori, with both the company's supervisors putting in more than 18 years of service and many employees more than 10. "Employees are a part of our family."
And families take care of each other.
Taking the Dive
One thing Lori's learned to appreciate about Alamance County is how folks here do that—treat one another like family. She and her husband moved here to start the business in 1993. With no connections other than her husband's parents and sister, she joined Newcomers and dove into networking and volunteering.
Soon she was invited to attend a Burlington Junior Women's Club event, and when she learned about all the club was doing in the community, she signed up for everything. She could barely contain her excitement about the impact they were making.
That was the start for Lori. Now part of the Burlington Women's Club and the General Federation of Women's Clubs, she's helped start the Mebane and Greater Alamance chapters, served as president, and won numerous local, state, and national awards.
But her community involvement doesn't stop there. She's also active in the Alamance Chamber of Commerce, where in 2016, Lori gained the honor of being its 4th female chairman in a 100-year history. Current chamber president Mac Williams says, "Lori embraced the chamber's mission, brought energic and enthusiastic support to our programming, and was a strategic thinker about how we could improve and expand our reach. As Board Chair, her theme for that year was, 'I'm All In!' That does the best job of describing how Lori approaches all of her commitments."
She's also served on the boards of both Alamance Arts and the United Way of Alamance.
Lori believes so strongly in the power of community: "As individuals, we may not make a big impact, but collectively we can." She emphasizes that community involvement creates change. Visible change.
Recognizing Those Who've Come Before
If she could send a message to her younger self today, that's something Lori would love to say. Community involvement means investing in close relationships, and she'd advise her younger self to start building lasting friendships early in life.
Some of the women who've inspired Lori to inspire others include Barbara Massey, whom she met through the Alamance Chamber of Commerce. She says of Massey, "Her commitment to education is amazing," and she applauds the impact Massey is making through Alamance Achieves.
Also influenced by Lisa Pennington, current Chairman of Alamance Chamber and Past President of Alamance Arts, she says Lisa's passion for the arts is a great asset to our county, and Lori believes Alamance Arts should get more recognition for supporting artists and art programs in our community.
And though this blog is centered on the achievements of the ladies, Lori couldn't resist mentioning Bob Byrd as a personal influence. A former candidate for county commissioner, Bob shares Lori's deep love for the community, and she applauds his continuing commitment to this place she calls home.
Getting Up for Good Reasons
You've probably recognized what wakes Lori up in the morning and keeps her going from dawn to dusk: community involvement. People. Relationships. Planting roots in the community and connecting with others are some of her deepest passions.
Beyond that, she's pushing for health care reform. The limitations in choice and high cost of premiums these days have her contacting legislators to try to get some options on the table for small business owners. Lori—and she believes others like her—would like to offer company employees health care, but the rising costs and limitations in plan options make that very difficult and sometimes impossible.
As she champions this issue, she also looks forward. She hopes to let go of the pressure she puts on herself to meet unrealistic expectations and to accept the things she has no power to change. In the meantime, she'll keep working hard at making a difference here in the community she loves… one day at a time.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Need Vive tracker role changer 1.0, could someone reupload?
So I need to revert my vive tracker from a controller role back to tracker, but HTC took down the tool. Hope someone can help me with that.
The link here is still good.
it's 0.8 which can't revert my tracker back to its tracker role.
Hey man. I reverse engineered this software a few months ago because HTC would not release it back and it had some flaws... also I only had the 1.0 version, but this will work for any type of tracker or controller regardless of tracking type. Here's what you'll do to accomplish the same thing.
First off, unplug all VR stuff.
Plug in tracker via usb to your pc.
If it opened, it detected your tracker successfully. If not, might be a charge only cable or something and you'll want to get a different one so we can talk to the tracker.
Once in there, type "downloadconfig" and hit enter without quotes.
Now go back into that folder and you'll find a .json file titled with the corresponding device ID (LHR-xxxxxx).
assuming you want it back to a tracker.
Save and close the file. Go back to your cmd window you had open (lighthouse_console.exe) and type "uploadconfig", hit enter.
Once its done, close, disconnect, and boom your role has changed back!
Vive VR is a place to share Virtual Reality news and developments with an emphasis on Vive and Vive-like hardware. We welcome developers sharing news and releases. Please be friendly, and check out the guidelines to keep the community great.
Keep things polite and friendly.
Upvote high quality, downvote low quality, but pass by things you just dislike.
This is a community and we all want the same thing - to enjoy our VR experiences. Please keep that in mind when talking with others.
Developers please contact mods with a 24x24 image and the flair title you want.


text:
Q: Error in match.arg(opt_crit) : 'arg' must be NULL or a character vector Error in match.arg(opt_crit) : 'arg' must be NULL or a character vector
occurs when trying to run my script in r.
I have tried to find the solution for it, but it seems to be pretty specific, and little help for me.
My dataset contains 3936 obs of 7 variables.
environment, skill, volume, datetime, year, month, day
Classes 'tbl_df', 'tbl' and 'data.frame':   3696 obs. of  7 variables:
 $ environment: chr  "b2b" "b2b" "b2b" "b2b" ...
 $ skill      : chr  "BO Bedrift" "BO Bedrift" "BO Bedrift" "BO Bedrift" ...
 $ year       : num  2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 ...
 $ month      : num  1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 ...
 $ day        : num  2 9 16 23 30 6 13 20 27 6 ...
 $ volume     : num  360 312 305 222 113 ...
 $ datetime   : Date, format: "2017-01-02" "2017-01-09" "2017-01-16" "2017-01-23" ...

but when trying to run
volume_ets <- volume_tsbl %>% ETS(volume)

this message shows in the console
Error in match.arg(opt_crit) : 'arg' must be NULL or a character vector

I tried somewhat of a shortcut, but nothing helped,
volume_tsbl$volume <- as.numeric(as.character(volume_tsbl$volume))

Tried to run
volume_ets <- volume_tsbl %>% ETS(volume)

this message shows in the console
Error in match.arg(opt_crit) : 'arg' must be NULL or a character vector

I tried somewhat of a shortcut, but nothing helped,
volume_tsbl$volume <- as.numeric(as.character(volume_tsbl$volume))

volume_ets <- volume_tsbl %>% ETS(volume)

my tsibble looks like this;
volume_tsbl <- volume %>¤ as_tsibble(key = c(skill, environment), index = c(datetime), regular = TRUE )

Expected the code to run, but it does not.

A: This is the result of an interface change made in late 2018. The change was to make model functions (such as ETS()) create model definitions, rather than fitted models. Essentially, ETS() no longer accepts data as an input, and the specification for the ETS model would become ETS(volume).
The equivalent code in the current version of fable is:
volume_ets <- volume_tsbl %>% model(ETS(volume))

Where the model() function is used to train one or more model definitions (ETS(volume) in this case) to a given dataset.
You can refer to the pkgdown site for fable to see more details: http://fable.tidyverts.org/
In particular, the ETS() function is documented here: http://fable.tidyverts.org/reference/ETS.html

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


ASY PROBLEMS can often be solved by guessing. And we solve hundreds of these kinds of problems as we go throughout our week. The problem arises when we rely on our experience to guess at what might be wrong to try to solve hard problems—problems where the solution is obscured. The odds are against solving hard problems by guessing. And because we don't apply the right approach to these problems they remain unsolved costing us time, money, and emotional wellbeing.
Naturally we like simple solutions. But a simple guess is not the same thing as a simple solution. A simple solution is easy to implement. But a simple guess that doesn't get to the real issues is difficult, expensive, and wasteful to implement.
It's natural for us to guess. The first thing you must do to start solving problems or keep from making them worse is to stop guessing.
Get out and walk around using your natural senses and tools available to you to develop a strong pattern of failure. Ask relevant, thought-provoking questions about the specific problem to guide you to collect information and look for very specific patterns, rather than shotgunning and looking at everything in the system.
It's what you don't know that lies between you and the solution. Great problem-solvers not only admit their ignorance but also embrace it and ask questions others might find "stupid," to shatter old assumptions about the problem.
Often, people work on the wrong problem entirely by making some implicit assumption about what's causing it. Great problem-solvers invest time upfront to make sure the problem they're working on is well defined, measureable as a variable, and represents precisely what is wrong with the system or process.
This means learning how the process works, both by understanding the process itself and by understanding some of the fundamental science behind it. By focusing on what controls a problem, you'll be able to limit your digging to the parts of the process and the science that are relevant, rather than trying to wrap your arms around the entire thing at once.
Utilizing subject-matter experts is crucial to understanding a complex system and its underlying functionality and science. Unfortunately, most people delegate responsibility for solving the problem to those subject-matter experts, rather than driving the problem-solving process themselves. Great problem-solvers always view experts as collaborators rather than saviors.
When confronting complex problems, it can be comforting to believe that the solution will be complex as well. But by not believing in a simple solution, people often give up long before they've gone through the rigor required to find the simple solution that lies at the root cause, to great cost and detriment. Great problem-solvers will have the belief and tenacity to keep solving until they've found the root cause.
Avoid making opinion-based decisions: anything that relies on a vote, on authority, or on some subjective ranking system of what decision to make is one of these opinion-based decisions, and it leads problem-solvers astray.
When problem-solvers dive deep into a problem, they too frequently seek to expand the number of possible root causes, so they can test them. Great problem-solvers measure the drivers that most immediately control the problem in order to determine whether those subvariables are in control, and in doing so are able to quickly eliminate most possible root causes and avenues of inquiry without having to dive deeper into them.
Greene digs deeper in to each of these in separate chapters. Strong problem-solving methods will discourage guessing, provide lots of structure to develop a pattern of failure, and guide you to understand how the process works. Begin problem solving and not solution-guessing.


Hey, hey, friends. It's been a while! Between the holidays, new year, and preparing to finally go on our honeymoon, life's been moving fast. Two weeks ago, we were in Northern California to celebrate our marriage and sample a lot of wine on our honeymoon, and it was the most incredible trip. If you're traveling to wine country anytime soon, I have tons of recommendations for you that we wanted to share!
Luckily, John's parents are wine lovers and have traveled to the area a few times, so they had a lot of knowledge and know-how to share with us. For example, I figured we would be staying in the towns of Napa and Sonoma, since we were going to…Napa and Sonoma.
Instead, we learned it's better to stay in Healdsburg, a sweet and small town IN Sonoma County, and Yountville, another charming town IN Napa Valley. We went through/by the bigger towns of Napa and Sonoma during our travels and realized that the quainter towns were better suited for a vacation experience. I would've never known this without their expertise!
January is the slow season for these areas, but we absolutely LOVED the experience of going at this time of year. There was some rain during the trip, but overall, temps were in the 50s-60s during the day and a bit chillier at night. I expected all plant life to be dead, thinking Northern California is freezing in January, but just the vines were dormant! Much of the other plant life and farms and gardens were alive and thriving and gorgeous.
At many of our tastings, we were the only people there or two of just a handful. So, we got a lot more in-depth stories and information about the properties and wines because we went during this quieter time of year. It felt so special and personal, and I honestly think I'd really dislike going when it's crowded and busy!
We flew into Oakland and rented a car before driving to Healdsburg for our first three nights. The drive is a couple of hours, so we broke it up by stopping at Scribe Winery an hour into the trip to have our first wine tasting. It was absolutely amazing; we sat outside on the patio facing the vineyards for our tasting that was paired with food, much of which came from the gardens on the property. Scribe was one of my favorite wineries of the whole trip. The old Spanish-style hacienda and the entire setting is just stunning — even in winter!
In Healdsburg, we stayed directly on the square at a small, 12-room hotel called Healdsburg Inn. It was super old school with real keys for the rooms, and everything was grandly decorated. (My in-laws recommended all of the lodging for our trip and absolutely nailed it with each stay.) This hotel was great because we could walk to any restaurant in town and several tasting rooms, too. They also provided a free and incredible breakfast every morning and a wine and cheese pairing each afternoon!
Dinner at Brass Rabbit: good wine and cocktails, American food (we split oysters and a decadent chicken pot pie with truffle on top), and small and trendy environment.
Yoga at Yoga on Center: we did a 90-minute vinyasa class one morning and it was a fun activity to break up all the eating and wine drinking.
Wine tasting at Preston Farm and Winery: such a stinkin' cute place with lots of antique furniture, art, and gardens and old buildings to explore on site. The wine was really creative compared to other places (try the Madame Preston — so good).
Lunch at Russian River Brewing: upscale pub food at the new Windsor location close to Healdsburg, and you can get a sample flight of every one of their beers (which John did…and I drove lol). They're known for one of the best IPAs on the market, called Pliny the Elder.
Tasting at Arista Winery (reservation or call-ahead required): LOVED this one. The property has a huge Japanese garden and the owners are Texan, so…you know we connected right away. They do mostly Pinot Noirs and all were incredible.
Oakville Grocery for lunch or to pick up snacks/wine: right on the Healdsburg square! And there's one in Yountville. It's a cute and small deli, market, and wine shop. We had sandwiches and salads and picked up some wine and snacks for our hotel.
Private tasting at Hafner Vineyard (reservation required): this is a small, family-owned operation that we just loved. We had our tasting in their caves and met with the granddaughter of the first winemaker there. She was so gracious and it felt very personal for her to give us one-on-one information on their winemaking strategies.
After our three nights in Healdsburg, we drove to the coast to spend two nights at the newly renovated Timber Cove Resort, which HOLY moly is the cutest and coolest hotel ever. We were there during a very slow time and hardly saw any other guests during our stay, but it was also storming like crazy. Most rooms face cliffs that overlook the Pacific Ocean. The decor is retro-chic, and each room has a record player that we loved and used every day.
The onsite restaurant, Coast Kitchen, was SO GOOD. We ate there for several meals because there really wasn't much else close to us (and I didn't want to drive anywhere along the cliffs while it was down-pouring). Our favorites were the fried squash (which we had twice), the bloody Mary (best I've ever had), and the filet mignon…obviously amazing. We were essentially rained-in for the two nights, but between games in the lodge, a little bit of hiking when it was dry enough, working out, eating a lot, and just relaxing in this cute place, we were just fine to hang there.
We drove to Yountville in Napa Valley on Thursday and stopped for lunch at Gott's Roadside, a famous burger place. It definitely lived up to the hype, and I'm not even much of a burger person. We stayed at Hotel Villagio in Yountville, another insanely gorgeous place. The decor was everything my heart desires: natural woods, cool light fixtures, rustic-modern furniture, all the beiges and grays and whites… I was in love. Plus, they also had an enormous, free breakfast every morning. Want bagels, charcuterie, eggs, fruits, pastries, housemade granola, and more? THEY GOT YOU.
Dinner at Redd Wood: this pizza/Italian restaurant was super cute and had incredible food. We both agreed it was one of our favorite restaurants from the trip and was a bit more casual than some of the other spots.
Drinks at RH: I've heard of these new Restoration Hardware bars + restaurants in other cities (Austin and Nashville both have them now) but hadn't been to one. I mean, just imagine having a meal or drink IN the beautiful designs of Restoration Hardware. Amazing.
Tasting and tour at Schramsberg Vineyards (reservation required): this was so, so cool because it was an all-bubbles tasting. For sure one of my favorite tastings of the trip, and seeing the caves where they age and store the sparkling wines was so incredible. This place has a ton of history and I loved hearing all about it.
Lunch at Archetype: I LOVED this place. White and super clean interior with a greenhouse patio… And the food was amazing. I got the kale salad and bone broth because I was craving something healthy after stuffing myself all week. John got the lamb sandwich, which was more rich and decadent. Both were delicious.
Dinner at Protéa: this is a Caribbean-Asian fusion, fast-casual place, which surprised us! From the outside it looked really nice, but it was so tasty that we didn't mind ordering at the front. I got a ramen stir fry, John got steak tacos, and we split the empanadas and fries… My healthy craving clearly had gone away, and this meal was unforgettable.
Aloft Hot Air Balloon Ride: BEST EXPERIENCE of the trip, hands down. We were both a little nervous about riding in a hot air balloon, but they were so professional and safe that our fears flew out the basket. (Sorry.) We got to see the valley from a birds' eye view, which was absolutely incredible and just breathtaking. We also got to view some absolutely stunning homes from up there, which was a pleasant surprise for little HGTV-loving me! It's a little expensive, but I completely recommend signing up for this experience.
Tasting at Barnett Vineyards (reservation required): this was both of our favorite vineyard and tasting from the trip. It was foggy when we went, but normally you can see an incredible view of the valley from their property. The wine was unbelievable and the people we had our tasting with were such a fun group that we ended up having lunch with them in the onsite cave.
Tasting at T-Vine Winery: we just walked into this tasting room in northern Napa Valley, in the small town of Calistoga, and had the best experience. The wines were great and the environment was warm and friendly.
Overall, we tended to enjoy the smaller operations for tastings and tours. We went to Sterling and Peju, two larger ones in Napa, and personally I wouldn't go back to either. They were over-crowded and impersonal, even during the off-season. Find the quaint, family-owned places and plan ahead with a few reservations. We normally had one reservation for a tasting a day when we were in Napa and Sonoma, and then we'd wing it with the rest.
Get recommendations from locals, and try places you've never heard of before. You almost can't go wrong with any of the food in either place, but the restaurants I listed here are just amazing. We ate GOOD the whole week. Others that we would like to try and have heard good things about are Mustard's Grill (St. Helena, close to Yountville), Bistro Jeanty (Yountville), Ad Hoc (Yountville), La Calenda (Yountville), Campo Fina (Healdsburg), and Barndiva (Healdsburg).
Let me know your favorite places in Napa and Sonoma! I already can't WAIT to go back and revisit our favorite places and try even more!
I'm literally ready to pack my bags! Again!
Can't wait for our next trip, and to visit the great 'new to us' places you two found!


text:
Difference between revisions of "Unlockable difficulty levels"
[[Image:Super Mario Bros. - NES - Screenshot - Ending.png|thumb|256x256px|Hard mode is unlocked in ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'']]
'''Unlockable difficulty levels''', also referred to as '''hard mode''', is a video game term for when a game has alternate difficulty levels that are not available by default and must be unlocked through specific game play, usually by beating the game at its normal difficulty. Games with this feature almost always unlock a harder difficulty to give superior players more of a challenge, but occasionally a game will feature an easier difficulty to allow players to better appreciate the ambiance of the game world.
'''Unlockable difficulty levels''', also referred to as '''hard mode''', is a [[video game]] term for when a game has alternate difficulty levels that are not available by default and must be unlocked through specific game play, usually by beating the game at its normal difficulty. Games with this feature almost always unlock a harder difficulty to give superior players more of a challenge, but occasionally a game will feature an easier difficulty to allow players to better appreciate the ambiance of the game world.
I think unlockable difficulties can be a good thing as unlocking aspects of a game make the player feel like they've accomplished something, and you don't want players getting frustrated in super hard modes until they've become comfortable with the game. However, the unlocked difficulty must be different enough from the original play-through to justify, not only making the player replay the entire game, but doing so at a more frustrating difficulty. A lot of games fail to justify their hard modes because they merely add more enemies or have them deal more damage to the player, which isn't very satisfying and lazy on behalf of the developers. Some games mix their hard mode with [[unlockable content]] which makes them far more interesting.
==Usage==
Unlockable difficulties should not be confused with games that have built-in difficulty settings, with games that repeat levels but have ever-increasing difficulties, or with features like [[new game plus]] or [[unlockable content]]. The usage of the term can be subjective in some games, and it isn't always easy to know which game should be considered having unlockable difficulties. For example, in the game ''Vanguard'' you progress through several levels in multiple worlds before the game repeats at a more difficult level than the first play-through, and the exact same can be said for ''Super Mario Bros.''. So, why should we identify ''Super Mario Bros.'' as having an unlockable hard mode but not ''Vanguard''? In this case, it helps to look at the game designer's intent with the story and game mechanics. In ''Super Mario Bros.'', the story is officially over when the real King Koopa is defeated in stage 8 and the princess is rescued, and the hard mode was merely an afterthought to add replay value to the game. In ''Vanguard'', however, the game was designed to slowly become more difficult until the player ultimately runs out of lives, the boss stage is meant to be played many times, and it is the story which was tacked on as an afterthought.
Unlockable difficulties should not be confused with games that have built-in difficulty settings, with games that repeat levels but have ever-increasing difficulties, or with features like [[new game plus]] or [[unlockable content]]. The usage of the term can be subjective in some games, and it isn't always easy to know which game should be considered having unlockable difficulty levels. For example, in the game ''Vanguard'' you progress through several levels in multiple worlds before the game repeats at a more difficult level than the first play-through, and the exact same can be said for ''Super Mario Bros.''. So, why should we identify ''Super Mario Bros.'' as having an unlockable hard mode but not ''Vanguard''? In this case, it helps to look at the game designer's intent with the story and game mechanics. In ''Super Mario Bros.'', the story is officially over when the real King Koopa is defeated in stage 8 and the princess is rescued; the hard mode was merely an afterthought to add replay value to the game. In ''Vanguard'', however, the game was designed to gradually become more difficult until the player ultimately runs out of lives, the boss stage is meant to be played many times, and it is the story which was tacked on as an afterthought.
==Games==
This is a list of games that are important to me which have an unlockable difficulties.
This is a list of games that are important to me which have an unlockable difficulties, for the full list, see the [[:Category:Game Mechanic - Unlockable Difficulty Levels|category]].
| [[Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow]] || 2003-05-06 || After beating the game, you unlock "hard mode" where you deal less damage to enemies.
| [[Kirby's Dream Land]] || 1992-04-27 || After beating the game you get a code for "extra mode" where enemies are more difficult and bosses have more health and use more complex attack patterns.
| [[Kirby's Dream Land]] || 1992-04-27 || After beating the game you get a code for "extra mode" where there are more enemies, they move around more, and bosses have more health and use more complex attack patterns.
| [[Mario Kart 64]] || 1996-12-14 || Getting 1st place on all tracks on 150cc unlocks "mirror mode" which lets you play the tracks in reverse making some tracks more difficult.
| [[Metroid: Zero Mission]] || 2004-02-09 || After beating the game, you unlock hard mode where enemies deal twice as much damage, there are more and harder enemies, fewer save points, and energy, missile, and bomb pickups give less.
| [[Portal]] || 2007-10-10 || Beating the game unlocks more difficult versions of previous levels.
| [[Portal]] || 2007-10-10 || Beating the game unlocks more difficult versions of previous testing rooms.
| [[Super Mario Bros.]] || 1985-09-13 || Replaying the game after beating it lets you play in hard mode where goombas become buzzy beetles, most platforms are narrower, there are random bullet bills in the tree levels, and there is more fire in the castle levels.
| [[Super Mario Land]] || 1989-04-21 || Restarting the game after beating it lets you play in hard mode which adds more enemies.
| [[Trojan (video game)|Trojan]] || 1986-04-?? || Once you beat the game, you unlock hard mode with more enemies and harder bosses.
[[Category: Game Terminology]]
[[Category: Game Mechanics]]
Hard mode is unlocked in Super Mario Bros.
Unlockable difficulty levels, also referred to as hard mode, is a video game term for when a game has alternate difficulty levels that are not available by default and must be unlocked through specific game play, usually by beating the game at its normal difficulty. Games with this feature almost always unlock a harder difficulty to give superior players more of a challenge, but occasionally a game will feature an easier difficulty to allow players to better appreciate the ambiance of the game world.
I think unlockable difficulties can be a good thing as unlocking aspects of a game make the player feel like they've accomplished something, and you don't want players getting frustrated in super hard modes until they've become comfortable with the game. However, the unlocked difficulty must be different enough from the original play-through to justify, not only making the player replay the entire game, but doing so at a more frustrating difficulty. A lot of games fail to justify their hard modes because they merely add more enemies or have them deal more damage to the player, which isn't very satisfying and lazy on behalf of the developers. Some games mix their hard mode with unlockable content which makes them far more interesting.
The first time I ever saw an unlockable difficulty level was after beating Super Mario Bros. in the late 1980s. I thought it was pretty clever to see the the in-game objects altered slightly to make the game more complex, and also realized that the 100-lives trick would be possible all over the game now that the goombas were replaced by buzzy beetles.
Unlockable difficulties should not be confused with games that have built-in difficulty settings, with games that repeat levels but have ever-increasing difficulties, or with features like new game plus or unlockable content. The usage of the term can be subjective in some games, and it isn't always easy to know which game should be considered having unlockable difficulty levels. For example, in the game Vanguard you progress through several levels in multiple worlds before the game repeats at a more difficult level than the first play-through, and the exact same can be said for Super Mario Bros.. So, why should we identify Super Mario Bros. as having an unlockable hard mode but not Vanguard? In this case, it helps to look at the game designer's intent with the story and game mechanics. In Super Mario Bros., the story is officially over when the real King Koopa is defeated in stage 8 and the princess is rescued; the hard mode was merely an afterthought to add replay value to the game. In Vanguard, however, the game was designed to gradually become more difficult until the player ultimately runs out of lives, the boss stage is meant to be played many times, and it is the story which was tacked on as an afterthought.
This is a list of games that are important to me which have an unlockable difficulties, for the full list, see the category.
Borderlands 2009-10-20 The second play through starts all enemies at level 30, but you get to keep your stats and equipment.
Borderlands 2 2012-09-18 After beating the game, you can start a new game in "True Vault Hunter Mode" where enemies all start at level 50, but you get to keep your stats and equipment.
Castlevania 1986-09-26 After you defeat Dracula you can restart the game and there will more enemies and some will move faster.
Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse 1989-12-22 Defeating Dracula lets you restart in hard mode where there are more enemies, some weak enemies are replaced with stronger enemies, and all enemies deal more damage.
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow 2003-05-06 After beating the game, you unlock "hard mode" where you deal less damage to enemies.
Kirby's Dream Land 1992-04-27 After beating the game you get a code for "extra mode" where there are more enemies, they move around more, and bosses have more health and use more complex attack patterns.
Metroid: Zero Mission 2004-02-09 After beating the game, you unlock hard mode where enemies deal twice as much damage, there are more and harder enemies, fewer save points, and energy, missile, and bomb pickups give less.
Portal 2007-10-10 Beating the game unlocks more difficult versions of previous testing rooms.
Super Mario Bros. 1985-09-13 Replaying the game after beating it lets you play in hard mode where goombas become buzzy beetles, most platforms are narrower, there are random bullet bills in the tree levels, and there is more fire in the castle levels.
Super Mario Land 1989-04-21 Restarting the game after beating it lets you play in hard mode which adds more enemies.
Trojan 1986-04-?? Once you beat the game, you unlock hard mode with more enemies and harder bosses.
giantbomb.com/unlockable-difficulty-level/3015-7272 - Giant Bomb.
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Game Terminology


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