Slashdot Mirror
Uplink
miracle69 writes: "Well, it looks like the perfect convergence for the average Slashdot reader. What we've got here is a game that is approaching the Slashdot Enthusiast's Valhalla. It's released under Windows and Linux, costs a mere 25 USDs, and has no middleman to jack prices up. Of course, that means it's not available in stores, nor will it be seen on TV, but according to Newsforge, it's got great gameplay. So, will 25 bucks, a fresh game idea, and a Linux release make others in the gaming world stand up and take notice?"
If the large game-companies don't care about Quake and UT for linux, why would they even look up for a low-budget small game (which is quite fun in my opinion)?
Um.....you'd be wrong then. This game may be short on graphics but long on gameplay. Try the demo before you pronounce judgement.
Avery
Speaking of screen shots, what kind of IP addresses are those? Obviously invalid IPv4, but not IPv6 either.
Itmakes you wonder if the game designers knows anything about net technology or hacking at all. So how do you hack in the game, click a "HACK" button?
Unfortunately the site is slashdotted and I could download teh beta/demo.
Why's that? Just because it doesn't have cutting-edge 3D graphics? Graphics have nothing to do with quality of gameplay. Zork was one of the all time greatest games ever, and it had *NO* graphics.
-Vercingetorix
"Necessitas non habet legem." -St. Augustine
Assuming that one would take screenshots of the best scenes in the game, then from the screenshots given on the website, I'd be inclined to think that this game is absolutely horrible.
This game runs on Linux -- and on Slashdot you aren't allowed to criticize any game that runs on Linux. No matter how lame, ill-conceived, or bug-ridden, it must be heralded as the wave of the future and a business model for game companies everywhere. Get with the program!
Next thing you know, you'll be telling me that Wolfenstien 3d is a better game than that Linux game with the penguin sliding on his belly in snow...
Half the comments I see are about the graphics, Well I have played the game and yes the graphics are not great but the gameplay keeps you playing..
There are 100's of games on the shelf that have great graphics but there play sucks.. Im tired of it.. Anyone can hire a couple teenage graphic artists and throw together a smoldering pile of shit these days but few companys seem to be able to get some decent programmers together to make a Playable decent game.
Personal Website
The traditional way of learning to hack involved hacking into actual computers on the internet.
Actually, the traditional way of learning to hack involves lots of time reading manuals, poring over source code and experimenting with machines under your control. Real computer security experts (both white hat and black hat) have *knowledge*, not "5ki11z". No computer game is going to teach you the volumes of excruciating detail about systems that is required to break into them (or, if it does, it won't be a game that many people find entertaining).
Note that I'm not addressing script kiddies here, who have neither knowledge nor skill, just a set of hack tools they've downloaded and don't understand. I suppose knowing which tool to apply to a particular system might be considered a "skill".
The common view of system hacking as some sort of art or magic is bogus. Social engineering has some art to it, though...
Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.
So, when is the last time you were beamed up to your starship? Or how 'bout the last time you drove 100MPH through the LA city streets and never caught a single cops eye? How about that robot that keeps nagging you to remove an inhibitor bolt and find his little three wheeled friend so he can deliver a message to some princess?
It's called 'entertainment' people. I've played the game, I own it, and I wanted to know what others thought of it. Almost all the posts I read are ripping on how 'not real' it is. The IPs are so wrong, you don't hack like that, it's so wrong I can't play it... Well, let's think about that for just a sec...if a game were created where you could pretend to hack and it was based upon 'actual' methods and 'real' ip addresses...somebody in big brother's crew might just not like that, ya think?
As it is, it is a very basic representation of hacking. You run a proxy bypass program to get around proxy security. Sure, that's nothing like the real world hacking, but you quickly find yourself tapping your foot watching your time run out and your program not run fast enough. Darn! I didn't bounce off enough public domain servers or a large enough bank. You try again, you get in and steal a file, delete your logs, your home free. IT'S A GAME! And a fun one at that.
Buy it, Play it, Enjoy it...
[ http://www.dvigroup.net/self ]
That's right, let's find a reason to say that it isn't worth the money. Then we can all justify not buying the game so the company will stop offering it and we can all go back to playing $CLONE and $SEQUEL on $WINDOWS_VERSION_OF_THE_WEEK
I mean, we certainly wouldn't want to encourage anything *original* or *different* would we?
It is also not going to teach "Billy" how to hack.
Neither did movies like "Hackers" or "Matrix", nor books as "Neuromancer" or the like; but it boosted their curiosity on the theme. I'm guessing that some kids, after the completion of the game, are going to get curious and join some "hacking" (or at least denominate themselves as "hacking") channels on IRC or search for the keyword "hack" on some search engine. Some of these kids will get bored real easy and just quit, other's will persist and start learning some more advanced techniques. Of those that endure, some will use the little knowledge (as compared to the whole) that they possess to do something that might be called "bad" (defacing, deleting files, releasing worms, etc) and other's will probably use it for something more productive (call it "good" if you like), like coding some usefull aplication to help little poor old granny to cross the street without a big huge truck getting in her way (or on her either) or the likes. Some of these kids will probably get jobs in the area that they dedicated their youth, others won't.
But, those that get in the final stage, will always remember the movie/book/game/whatever that started the whole thing, for good or for bad.
Dear Webmaster@introvision.co.uk,
By all appearances there are a large number of Linux users interested in your game products. Is 'pulling the plug' or changing permissions so noone can access your web site the most creative and effective way to attract customers and sell products from your web site?
Web sites get 'slash dotted' everyday. Traffic always goes up, and slowly sinks over a week or two.
Slashdot readers do not expect every server to keep up with the traffic, but by denying everyone, your firm has possibly lost several thousand orders by changing permissions and effectively shutting your business down 10 days before
Christmas.
Are you planning to correct this matter, or are you too busy updating your resume?
If you are (wo)man enough, go to slashdot.org and post your rationale for pulling the plug and what you intend to do to fix matters. I would prefer a $5.00 discount for all those inconvenienced by dealing with your company's inaccessible web site all day.
I own a small consulting business, and was considering purchase of your game for each of the 22 members of our team. ($550 of lost sales from one customer).