Random Word: Down

Today, I happen to be associating with other departments during a few work-related tasks and I asked one of them to give me a random word.  Today's word is DOWN.  As always, I will briefly define the word, then discuss how that word applies to tabletop gaming, fishing, and 3D printing.

There are many definitions related to the word down.  I will use the first one from the Merrian-Webster Dictionary.  Down is defined as:

Definition of down (Entry 1 of 8)

1a(1): toward or in a lower physical position, Don't look down.  Pull down the blind.

(2): to a lying or sitting position.  Please sit down.

(3): toward or to the ground, floor, or bottom.  burned the house down.  fell down

Down Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

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When it comes to tabletop gaming, getting in a "down" position can mean multiple things, both positive and negative.  It would all depend on your perception of the game.

In a positive sense, down in tabletop games refers to your character, unit, or pieces getting down from a higher altitude, namely to avoid being targeted by enemy forces - whether it be spells, machine gun fire, or archers.  

In a game like 40K, this could reference getting down into a trench or bunker, where the wall acts as an obstacle that provides a cover save.  Also, being lower on the battlefield also incurs a line of sight disadvantage to your enemies.

In a more traditional roleplaying tabletop game, getting down could involve descending from a higher altitude, again to avoid being targeted, whether it be flying, from a tree, or going down the mountain to avoid a storm or avalanche.  Another instance is taking up a prone position, where one would get down on the ground to again, avoid ranged attacks (at the cost of being vulnerable to melee attacks).

In a negative sense, getting down in a tabletop game could refer to a disadvantage of some kind.  IN 40k, this could mean going down in score, command points, or vehicles going down the wound bracket, thus going down in stats.  In D&D, it could mean being grievously wounded and now your character needs to take Death Saves - three successes to self-stabilize and/or three failures to be counted at slain - on a 50/50 chance each roll.

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Fishing and the word down could draw one to the concept of the "ship going down" - a sinking boat somewhere on the water.  To me, the first thing that comes to mind is the fishing diving in the water column.  Also, I think about the water column itself and how deep I want my lure to go down before retrieving it.

What is the water column you ask?  The water column is an imaginary cylinder where the water is "different" in each layer.   One way to think about it is like the layers in sedimentary rocks or the layers in an Ice Core Sample or an onion chopped in half.   Another way to think about the water column is to imagine the water layered like an office building and you're fishing from the roof.

To break it down further, the water column has a surface layer, where you are at, and a bottom layer, where the actual ground is.  Between those two points are "layers" of variation in temperature, salinity, sedimentary/plant life, current, light / visibility, etc.  You can take all those variations and slice them into imaginary "layers."  The number of layers depends on your water body and the time of year.

Why does this matter to fishing though?  Just like humans, our pets, cows, and birds, certain species of fish like certain conditions to be happy and healthy.  Some animals are ambush predators and prefer cooler temperatures, heavy grass, etc., whereas some fish prefer brighter lighting conditions and possibly a current.  This "layer" that they reside in could also change depending on the time of year - winter, summer, spawning season, non-spawning season, etc.

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When it comes to 3D printers, I can think of three things off the cuff, so I'll write about them.  

The first is when the printer goes down.  For some reason there is a mechanical failure on the printer and you cannot use the printer for any reason.  This would be a "downed state" that is morally destabilizing to the printing operator (me), putting me in a "downed state" - a temporary state of depression - because my printer isn't working.

Another instance is when the filament is fed.  The filament is pulled down (or out) of the roll by the Extruder, then it is forced downward into the hot end.  The pressure built by this downward force is what makes the filament come down out of the hot end.

The final instance of the word down with 3D printing is when I'm either slicing or modeling the shape and I need it to go down for whatever reason.  This might be to adjust the scale or adjust the positioning so it better fits on the printer while printing.

In conclusion, I've taken the word "down," defined it, and loosely applied its meaning to tabletop gaming, fishing, and 3D printing.  I hope you learned something by reading this.  I look forward to you coming back for yet another Random Word.