Having experience of at least some of the raiding in Wrath of the Lich King (I play a tank-specced warrior, I've lead a group of randomly picked-up players that killed 3/4 of the entry level raid dungeon, Naxxramas) - they're actually requiring more attention and less fail-ness than ever before if you get past the heroic level 5-man dungeons. They have a couple of retard-check bosses that will totally screw over a party who can't move fast when required, and a few bosses that are pretty easy if everyone can follow instructions.
The people saying that "omg naxx is 2 EZ" are mostly people who remember the original Naxxramas, when it was the hardest raid in the game. I admit that it makes it feel less "epic" when I'm tanking an entire pull that used to require four tanks each with dedicated healers to keep them alive, and the trash mobs could one-shot DPS players with their AoE damage if given half a chance. But overall, having done both, I think they've kept the feel of the original Naxx very well. It just doesn't require the top end gear that was needed for the original raid.
Things that are too simple, or things that cannot sufficiently interact, cannot form complex things. Emergent behaviour does require a certain level of interaction. Imagine that boids weren't aware of their closest neighbours or the centerpoint of the swarm - how well would they flock then?
Might be worthwhile (while we're on the topic) to point out that her blog is at http://eatingbees.brokentoys.org. Quite a good read and an insight into the industry.
That's already happening, really. 'Casual' web based games are a huge, huge industry now - and they're nowhere near the cutting edge of what's possible. Sometime in the recent past (I'd say it's around 10 years ago, try playing Starcraft if you don't believe me) we got to the point where the important thing about a game wasn't what was technically possible but what was fun and engaging. Pretty graphics can only go so far before you lose the point, and I think we're swinging back in the direction of gameplay now.
We get to choose the face every 3 years. The policies, not so much, but it keeps the sheepulous happy and the government generally doesn't shoot at you or lock you up unless you're misbehaving.
This is the one I would use the most. Apparently Ohioans don't understand the term "passing lane".
You should try driving in Perth, Australia. Here we went the opposite way and just never made it illegal to pass in the left lane (right lane for you chaps). Add that to the fact that a generation of "if you drive 5km/h slower you're SAFE" brainwashing and you get a checkerboard of cars going down a 100km/h stretch of freeway at 80km/h. If they're spaced just right you can set up a continuous weave through traffic that lasts kilometers.;)
I seem to recall a forum thread over at gamedev.net which was basically a competition to generate the simplest recognizable goatse ascii. The aftermath was that for months it was a bannable offense to post the following three characters in sequence: =0=
But there could easily be circumstances where showing up the boss could carry grave repercussions, just like beating him at golf.
Golf, like WoW or Counterstrike, is a game, and as such is a friendly contest. If the boss thinks you're "showing him up" and gets antsy when you beat him at anything (golf, counterstrike, wow) then he's insecure about his position in your company. Now's the time to strike.:P
Black Shark is not a... wait, I don't even know Black Shark. But a REAL flight sim was Tornado. Man that game rocked, in all its VGA glory and 75 separate key commands. And the music was awesome.:)
Quasi-whoosh here... I think the argument in TFA is more along the lines of "your standard $500 desktop is now good enough to game on so people won't fork out for dedicated gaming rigs". What you say is true though.
That'd certainly be a nice start. They've come some way to that with standardizing the AC side of two-strand power cables (the kind everyone uses for localized power packs, one power brick that can take from 110-250 volts input and a different wall-side cable for each region). The hard bit would be convincing all the different device manufacturers (mobile phone makers I'm looking at you, stop inventing new and terribad ways to plug a handful of wires into your phones!) that they can make do with one of a small number of universal connectors.
Also, the microchip thingy isn't necessary - DC devices regulate how much current they draw when given their desired input voltage, the amperage on a power pack is just the maximum that can provide. If the voltage is the same and the polarity of the plug is the same (and the plug fits, obviously) then you can use any power pack which can provide equal to or greater than the device's peak current.
So tell me - how far are your mouse, keyboard, and monitors from your desk?
The perfect use for this, in my mind, would be to have it built into your PC case. PC case sits under your desk, and monitors, mouse, keyboard, speakers are all just free standing. Awesome for LAN parties (assuming separate power transmitters don't interfere with each other), the worst thing about moving a computer (or even having one set up somewhere) is the spaghetti nest of wires tying it together. Of course, I'd probably duct-tape some tinfoil lining into my lucky rocketship underpants...
As for efficiency, I'd presume that the efficiency they're talking about is just that of the wireless transmission. There'd be a transformer at each side to get the voltages correct so it's still going to be less efficient overall than your power brick. A more apt comparison would be the 90% @ 3 feet compared to the power loss over the wires from the power brick to the device.
All D&D-based RPGs are treadmills. You kill a little dragon, and get a sword, which you use to kill a bigger dragon, and get a bigger sword, which you use to kill a bigger dragon, and get a bigger sword, which you use to kill a BIGGER dragon, and get an even BIGGER sword.
Sometimes you only have a small chance of getting a sword for killing a dragon. And always, there is no biggest dragon or biggest sword.
Actually I seem to recall research showing that us married guys get it more often all-up. I know my personal experience strongly supports this... it's fun listening to guys who fancy themselves 'playas' talking about bagging a chick on the weekend and thinking "dude I got some before breakfast this morning".
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Having experience of at least some of the raiding in Wrath of the Lich King (I play a tank-specced warrior, I've lead a group of randomly picked-up players that killed 3/4 of the entry level raid dungeon, Naxxramas) - they're actually requiring more attention and less fail-ness than ever before if you get past the heroic level 5-man dungeons. They have a couple of retard-check bosses that will totally screw over a party who can't move fast when required, and a few bosses that are pretty easy if everyone can follow instructions.
The people saying that "omg naxx is 2 EZ" are mostly people who remember the original Naxxramas, when it was the hardest raid in the game. I admit that it makes it feel less "epic" when I'm tanking an entire pull that used to require four tanks each with dedicated healers to keep them alive, and the trash mobs could one-shot DPS players with their AoE damage if given half a chance. But overall, having done both, I think they've kept the feel of the original Naxx very well. It just doesn't require the top end gear that was needed for the original raid.
Things that are too simple, or things that cannot sufficiently interact, cannot form complex things. Emergent behaviour does require a certain level of interaction. Imagine that boids weren't aware of their closest neighbours or the centerpoint of the swarm - how well would they flock then?
Might be worthwhile (while we're on the topic) to point out that her blog is at http://eatingbees.brokentoys.org. Quite a good read and an insight into the industry.
It wasn't stolened, honest, it was founded!
That's already happening, really. 'Casual' web based games are a huge, huge industry now - and they're nowhere near the cutting edge of what's possible. Sometime in the recent past (I'd say it's around 10 years ago, try playing Starcraft if you don't believe me) we got to the point where the important thing about a game wasn't what was technically possible but what was fun and engaging. Pretty graphics can only go so far before you lose the point, and I think we're swinging back in the direction of gameplay now.
We get to choose the face every 3 years. The policies, not so much, but it keeps the sheepulous happy and the government generally doesn't shoot at you or lock you up unless you're misbehaving.
Both Australia and the USA were founded by criminals. Literally.
Which is why I clearly cannot take the drink in front of ME.
This is the one I would use the most. Apparently Ohioans don't understand the term "passing lane".
You should try driving in Perth, Australia. Here we went the opposite way and just never made it illegal to pass in the left lane (right lane for you chaps). Add that to the fact that a generation of "if you drive 5km/h slower you're SAFE" brainwashing and you get a checkerboard of cars going down a 100km/h stretch of freeway at 80km/h. If they're spaced just right you can set up a continuous weave through traffic that lasts kilometers. ;)
I seem to recall a forum thread over at gamedev.net which was basically a competition to generate the simplest recognizable goatse ascii. The aftermath was that for months it was a bannable offense to post the following three characters in sequence:
=0=
Killer Instinct is not a flight sim. Try Tekken 4.
Maybe you should.
But there could easily be circumstances where showing up the boss could carry grave repercussions, just like beating him at golf.
Golf, like WoW or Counterstrike, is a game, and as such is a friendly contest. If the boss thinks you're "showing him up" and gets antsy when you beat him at anything (golf, counterstrike, wow) then he's insecure about his position in your company. Now's the time to strike. :P
Well, the first time I ever played Starcraft I schooled my boss at it. It was about an hour long game... he was gracious about it though. :)
:P
Then again now I work at a game dev company so it's a lot harder to do that.
Woah. I think there's something in that. Something big.
Black Shark is not a... wait, I don't even know Black Shark. But a REAL flight sim was Tornado. Man that game rocked, in all its VGA glory and 75 separate key commands. And the music was awesome. :)
Quasi-whoosh here... I think the argument in TFA is more along the lines of "your standard $500 desktop is now good enough to game on so people won't fork out for dedicated gaming rigs". What you say is true though.
General Dynamics? Any sign of them changing their name to Massive Dynamics? ;)
That'd certainly be a nice start. They've come some way to that with standardizing the AC side of two-strand power cables (the kind everyone uses for localized power packs, one power brick that can take from 110-250 volts input and a different wall-side cable for each region). The hard bit would be convincing all the different device manufacturers (mobile phone makers I'm looking at you, stop inventing new and terribad ways to plug a handful of wires into your phones!) that they can make do with one of a small number of universal connectors.
Also, the microchip thingy isn't necessary - DC devices regulate how much current they draw when given their desired input voltage, the amperage on a power pack is just the maximum that can provide. If the voltage is the same and the polarity of the plug is the same (and the plug fits, obviously) then you can use any power pack which can provide equal to or greater than the device's peak current.
So tell me - how far are your mouse, keyboard, and monitors from your desk?
The perfect use for this, in my mind, would be to have it built into your PC case. PC case sits under your desk, and monitors, mouse, keyboard, speakers are all just free standing. Awesome for LAN parties (assuming separate power transmitters don't interfere with each other), the worst thing about moving a computer (or even having one set up somewhere) is the spaghetti nest of wires tying it together. Of course, I'd probably duct-tape some tinfoil lining into my lucky rocketship underpants...
As for efficiency, I'd presume that the efficiency they're talking about is just that of the wireless transmission. There'd be a transformer at each side to get the voltages correct so it's still going to be less efficient overall than your power brick. A more apt comparison would be the 90% @ 3 feet compared to the power loss over the wires from the power brick to the device.
So if I have a Library of Congress and I fold it in half 7 times...
All D&D-based RPGs are treadmills. You kill a little dragon, and get a sword, which you use to kill a bigger dragon, and get a bigger sword, which you use to kill a bigger dragon, and get a bigger sword, which you use to kill a BIGGER dragon, and get an even BIGGER sword.
Sometimes you only have a small chance of getting a sword for killing a dragon. And always, there is no biggest dragon or biggest sword.
Only if you want Microsoft software.
It's what Lindows was until MS sued them into the ground, they changed their name to Linspire and went very very quiet about running windows apps.
It's good to be the king!
Actually I seem to recall research showing that us married guys get it more often all-up. I know my personal experience strongly supports this... it's fun listening to guys who fancy themselves 'playas' talking about bagging a chick on the weekend and thinking "dude I got some before breakfast this morning".
Women will get so desperate they can't resist any male guy! My plan is all falling to place. Muahahahahaa.
Or better yet, they'll start falling for female guys. HOT!