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Lord British on Personal Spaceflight
FleaPlus writes "The Space Review has an interview with Richard Garriott (aka "Lord British"), best known as the creator of the genre-defining Ultima series of role playing games. In the interview he talks about his current work as the vice chairman of Space Adventures, and his thoughts on private-sector spaceflight in general. It includes an anecdote about how he funded the initial Russian studies which opened the door for Dennis Tito, Mark Shuttleworth, and Gregory Olsen's flights to the International Space Station, but was unable to go himself after the late-90s stock market bubble burst."
Clearly this isn't some off topic first post troll. It is more likely an alien race trying to communicate to us via well known alphabet letters about the perils of space travel. Clearly on topic.
but that space ship out in the field in Ultima VII doesn't do anything, oh wait, what is this article about?
I think that 200k is a fair price. They do bring up some interesting points. If 10% of American's want to go there should definitely be a market...
But the Russian answer was more interesting. They said something like, "Well no! To even see what would be involved with that kind of mission would cost us hundreds of thousands of dollars just to see how we would do it, then to actually do it would be millions more!" So, the door was opened.
Of course the US says no way no how if its not our way its the highway. The Russkies say rather slyly, oh no we could never it would cost this much... We couldnt afford that, and come on who could our fine American friend? There is nothing that the right amount wont get you in Russia. Whether legally or illegally or that lovely gray area in-between. Some might call it corruption (i tend to call it that when its illegal or hazardous) but i like to call it the TRUE land of opportunity!
...and it should be known by now
Well, maybe. I always thought it had more to do with the United State's wanting to stay on the High Road of space exploration and scientific research... into military technology (for the benefit of mankind, of course).
"Who are in control, they are not in control of anything - they don't even control themselves!" - Glen Beck
His honor Lord British may not have been able to front the cash when the bubble burst, but the $200k pricetag is a cost that break the bank of most everyone. Relative to current launch costs (upwards of $500 million for STS), $200k is a hell of a bargain. Rutan and his Scaled Composites is merely one of many private space initiatives with an eye defiantly set on the future. Space offers extreme opportunities in manufacturing, research, power generation, medical studies, propulsion research, materials science, and a multitude of other investment possibilities. I fully expect R&D of today will within a decade become reality.
We're at the very very beginning of an explosion of space-based enterprise; private spaceflight will be fueled first by corporate interests, and then, with costs more manageable for all, and only then, will the dream of visiting space be realized.
I, for one, eagerly await that day.
Richard Garriot has always been a hero of mine for his ability to make a cool game, feed his family, and pay for his computer education with his series of Ultima titles. Probably most others don't share this perspective. But even though I do regret the consumption of Ultima into nothing more than yet another corporate brand of Electronic Arts, I do have a small bit of nostalgia for the guy who created it even if the modern game does nothing for me today.
It is cool to see someone spending their dot com bubble money on things other than fancy cars.
Now let's get out there and get killl us some Rathi.
(It's never too late to join the Renaissance)
I don't think so. 200k is well within the reach of many many Americans (and other nationalities as well). People here spend near that on collections of toys all the time, and at least in Western Washington State, 200k is well below the average price of a 3 bedroom house. People think nothing of financing a $70,000 car, add to that a nice boat, a vacation to some beach or Europe... 200k is peanuts.
"Who are in control, they are not in control of anything - they don't even control themselves!" - Glen Beck
But first he has to get that eighth part avatar and find out what the true axiom is.
Liberals call everyone Nazis yet they are the closest thing to it.
YOu bring back such fond memories of long hours in front of the screen shouting out loud "Ok, just one more mission!" I miss Origin. They started the entire big-budget gaming industry.
Anonymous Coward: "This is slashdot. Accuracy is second class citizen here, unlike King Bias."
Indeed. It's sad to hear LB got out just a bit too late, at that. But at least he's still getting stuff behind the scenes!
(It's never too late to join the Renaissance)
He could have coded a backdoor into Ultima Online, and milked out hundreds of thousands of dollars of online gold. Just like Bill Gates has Skynet programmed on all windows boxes in case his plan for world domination ever gets out.
God spoke to me.
Space tourism seems to me like it might end up being more of a fad than anything else unless we can make space an actual destination... in other words, space stations or bases on $celestial_body that can be used as resorts...
(or at least really expensive restaurants... heh).
well that's easy
on the felucca shard there's a portal northwest of yew
just watch out for the orc camp near there
walk around the portal twice, then enter from the southwest
voila: outer space
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
That wasn't Lord British. That was Chuckles, in what I recall was his first solo venture (Wing Commander didn't come until a few years later).
Anyways, Autoduel wasn't that great. A good Car Wars game would be awesome, though. Imagine the potential for destruction and mayhem on a modern PC, rather than the Apple IIe. I'd kill for a good, modern vehicle combat game.
Modern governments are too interested in power and control over the population...
Power IS control of the population...
If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face - forever. - George Orwell
Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
Crashes on Ultima??? When? I have never seen an Apple II crash when a good diskette is inserted.
Video Production Support
Update: I dug through my piles of Apple II diskettes and found Ultima III. I will be playing it on a IIgs and/or a //c (depending on which room I decide to sit down in, I have one of each hooked up, see my username if you are still confused), and trying to get it to crash for the next week.
Video Production Support
Two for the price of one, and it answered THE burning question with regards to Lord British.
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=23377
Strangely, after that fateful day by the pool last May, neither Garriot or Spector will get within 100 yards of me, restraining order or no.
-Charlie
$200k is within so many people's reach for a house because banks will lend people money to buy one. It's a tangible asset they can take ownership of if the buyer stops making mortgage payments. Space flight isn't something that can be taken back and resold to pay off bad debt, it will be very hard to convince a bank to give you a loan for it.
There are many *many* more people who can qualify for a $200,000 mortgage than can afford to blow $200k in cash on a space vacation.
0 1 - just my two bits
That wasn't Lord British. That was Chuckles, in what I recall was his first solo venture (Wing Commander didn't come until a few years later).
All right, we'll call it a draw.
Anyways, Autoduel wasn't that great. A good Car Wars game would be awesome, though. Imagine the potential for destruction and mayhem on a modern PC, rather than the Apple IIe. I'd kill for a good, modern vehicle combat game.
Yes indeed, it's a gaming concept that's long-overdue.
'/snubs his nose at the topic nazis
The government has a defect: it's potentially democratic. Corporations have no defect: they're pure tyrannies. -Chomsky
if he makes it into space eventually, will he be the first 2nd generation astronaut?
Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony.
I was hoping that someone would mention Chuckles. Thank you very much. :)
fast as fast can be. you'll never catch me.
fast as fast can be. you'll never catch me.
WTF? I thought 'e was dead.. did'nt I?!
n ation_of_Lord_British
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_British#Assassi
cheers
front
In space, no one can hear you scream when you get assassinated -- again. :P
Son of an astronaut. Counts for something. Somewhere.
As any Ultima I player will tell you, it's easy: just steal a space shuttle and then outrun the guards.
As long as this is so easy, nobody will pay for space flight.
That's entirely the case. Russia nowadays completely trumps the half-hearted attempts of the States to be truly capitalist. Now, whether this is a good thing, or whether the relative moderation and of the American system is better . . . well, that's actually a rather long and extensive debate.
:P
This being Slashdot, then, flame on!
I remember sigs. Oh, a simpler time!
Ugh, Lord British speaks out again.
I guess where it Rainz, it poors.
George Bush + Linux = "I will not let information get in the way of the fight against Windows"
We even have trouble defining the beginning of the universe, so please - don't plan for the end of it yet.
please leave your geek card at the table, and don't let the door hit you in the ass :)
What are you talking about?
Ultima IV was considered one of the most revolutionary computer games of its day. Before "Quest of the Avatar", most of the genre was made up of "kill the monster, gain a level, and go out and kill some more." Garriott attempted to add role-playing to the mix, and he largely succeeded, given memory limitations.
And not made it so easy for people to duplicate gold and sell it online then he could've made it himself and funded the trip through an ebay account.
For some reason I refuse to use either spell check or the spacebar properly.
So to get a space trip, you'll have to spend 10 hours mining enough ore first right. Then get killed by some stupid monster anyway.
You find it inferior to iv?
Yup. He was one of the first men to orbit the earth.
click me
III was the best. They started getting moralistic with IV. Maybe it's time to check out a good DOS emulator.
Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
the "genre-defying series" of "role-playing games." Huh?
"of which he put down the foundation for" Please tell me you're not a native speaker of English...
"Is this Winkhorst a nova criminal?" "No just a technical sergeant wanted for interrogation."
Incidentally, many millionaires *do* have 80k yearly incomes. Check out the magic of compound interest: lets say you're 30 years old when you finally hit 80k worth of income (maybe you have a moderately successful small business you've been building for a couple of years, maybe you've got your own law practice, maybe you're just working long hours for Microsoft). Assuming for the next 30 years you take $15,000 of that salary and just put it in a CD at 5%, you'll be a millionaire when you retire.
This ignores two even easier ways to hit millionairedom: a) have a house which appreciates substantially in value or b) dual-income family (the key is, again, living below your means -- if you're obsessed with keeping up with the Joneses and buying a new plasma screen every year you've got a tough row to hoe).
Help poke pirates in the eyepatch, arr.
I liked the game, the graphics were really nice and all, but I wouldn't call it beautiful.
Did you know you can fertilize your lawn with used motor oil?