Slashdot Mirror

I know he wants a NASA space shuttle. ;)

Begin is actually a simulation of a simulator that tests your ability to command a fleet starship. For the first time, you will actually have the feeling that you are commanding a real starship, against real enemy captains. Fun games, but not very realistic. Unlike almost all other space games of this type, Begin does not employ the unrealistic "quadrant-sectors" or the "Mass Hoard of aliens" approach. Instead, all ships are created equal with intelligent enemy strategy code being used to defeat the human player. For the novice, even a one-on-one scenario can be quite a challenge. Begin also features four different nations, Federation, Klingon, Romulan and Orion, with the human player becoming the nation of their choice. The program also provides for numerous ship classes of varying design for each of the different nation. There are not any artificial "difficulty levels" in Begin. If a player wishes for an easier scenario, they may command a larger fleet against a smaller enemy force. For a more difficult scenario, include more enemy ships. The object of Begin is (as usual) to destroy the enemy fleet before they destroy you. You will receive an evaluation of your performance at the end of the action. Your enemy is tough and experienced. He will do his utmost to destroy you with whatever fleet you give him. http://hallert.net/misc/begin/mediawiki/index.php/Main_Page http://www.starfleetproject.com/ http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/beginstarshipcombat/

Chairboy already made one (/. story). [grin]

I built one a couple years ago, useful around the house. Great for lifting heavy boxes, but if you try to pet a kitty, you crush it, so be careful.

Here's a pic of me in it

My page has more info. Now, do they just write me a check? Or is there a form I need to fill out? Probably a form. They might want to replace some of the styrofoam, I'm guessing.

I built one a couple years ago, useful around the house. Great for lifting heavy boxes, but if you try to pet a kitty, you crush it, so be careful.

Here's a pic of me in it

My page has more info. Now, do they just write me a check? Or is there a form I need to fill out? Probably a form. They might want to replace some of the styrofoam, I'm guessing.

http://hallert.net/images/crime-victims_games.jpg

This is a graph that's been floating around that tracks violent crime rates and maps them against the release dates of various "watershed" violent video games. While correlation does not equal causation, it's certainly intriguing.

Last year, I did a similar indepth analysis of Wikipedia, generating a map describing the major components of the project with their interlinks:

http://www.hallert.net/images/mapofwikipedia.GIF

The article asks for an example of trek games that succeeded. The best, or at least, most enjoyable and replayable one I've found was written 20 years ago.

It was a PC game called 'Begin:Tactical Starship Combat'. It ran first in 80x20 text and later in EGA, but unlike most trek games of the time (which were variants of the old "You're in a 'sector' with 12 quadrants. Press P for phaser" theme from the PDP-11 days, this one put you in charge of a ship (or a fleet) with detailed systems, a need to excercise tactics (instead of just pounding on a 'Fire all' button), and clever (or at least difficult) AI.

You gave it commands using a quasi-english that you could shorten. "Pursue Krager at warp 6" could become "purs kr 6" for instance, as long as it was distinct enough.

Phasers, torpedos, warp engines that could overheat, especially when they had taken damage (limiting your performance or making you sacrifice repair times for temporary speed), power systems management, shield management, all sorts of details but you weren't FORCED to micromanage 'em.

Ship battles could be 1x1, or massive fleets. You can play hide & seek with a Romulan warbird, or escort a convoy and protect it against Orions.

I made a web page about it a couple years ago, and there's a Yahoo groups with a few hundred people that STILL play it today. Someone has even hacked together a multiplayer version with clever use of assembly and a debugger.

THIS is the kind of game that works with trek. It puts the player in the game as themselves, not as Kirk or Archer or Picard. The original Toy Story didn't have Barbie because Mattel was worried that Barbie on film wouldn't match the Barbie that kids have in their imagination. The same thing applies to Star Trek games. If the game doesn't let someone really feel like they're in control of things, or uses so many graphics that it gets into uncanny valley territory, then it'll disappoint at some level.

Keep it simple while keeping it flexible. Configurable complexity, less graphics, more monkey.

Here's a page I made about the game, with screenshots and downloads.

http://hallert.net/misc/begin/begin.html

Last year, my webpage describing how I did something similar (but spectacularly cheaper with the commensurate drop in ability) using some off the shelf electronics and an R/C toy was featured here on Slashdot, my first slashdotting!

http://hallert.net/misc/tankcam/tankcam.html

There are other crawlspaces out there, get under your houses and make your own robots do your bidding!

That's kinda awkward, because I did actually build the one from the Matrix last year, I'd be fighting myself.

http://hallert.net/apucostume/apucostume.htm

Here's the costume I made to carry my son for Halloween:
http://hallert.net/mech/mechcostume.htm

Here's a video of it in motion:
http://hallert.net/mech/WalkingTheMech.wmv

Here's the costume I made to carry my son for Halloween:
http://hallert.net/mech/mechcostume.htm

Here's a video of it in motion:
http://hallert.net/mech/WalkingTheMech.wmv

What each? Each leg?

Good for her, Only 500lbs more to go.

Here's why there's no wifey pics.

Yes, it certainly would.. if those stats weren't from 9 months ago.

http://www.hallert.net/stats/

He isn't kidding, that is listed as his site in his profile. He also has excellent karma, so he has more credibility.

Oh, and check out his stats: They'll be interesting to check in a day or so.

CRAP... ~ First comment ever and I mess it up... http://hallert.net/mech/mechcostume.htm

http://hallert.net/mech/mechcostume.htm/

A Space Hayabusa

Please? I'd hate to be the only dork out there....

A possible solution for dealing with NASA budget cuts.

Of course, my favorite space commercialization scheme remains the following picture:
http://www.hallert.net/images/S huttleBudgetCuts.jpg