/cue the themesong "Chu chu rocket! Kaneko wakka-wa!"
Loved the DC for the games. Soul Calibur II, Phantasy Star Online, and Samba de Amigo (+4 sets o' maracas) to name the three that occupied way too much of my time in college.
Of course had I bought one at launch, I would've been sorely disappointed in my purchase.
Quote: The day Linux can run all PC games with zero hassle will be a sad day for Microsoft.
Hell, the day Windows can run all games without hassle will be a scary day for the consoles.
One of the largest barriers to becoming a pc gamer, IMO, is the incompatability issues and learning curve that are often assosciated with running performance critical applications (e.g. games) on a pc.
I agreed with the OP and just thought I would point out pc/console linux/windows similarity.
I'm an avid CoH player and I hafta say that defining AT's (archetypes) as classes is a little bit of a misnomer.
You can play like a blaster (heavy damage) even if you start out as a defender (healer/buffing AT). Just look at bubble/energy offenders.
As a tanker you can be an extremely effective melee combatant often outpacing scrappers (melee heavy damage dealers) in terms of damage dealt.
Controllers can fulfill the role of a defender quite easily as well.
And all of the power pool options allow anyone to become a decent melee fighter/healer/buffer.
AT's are extremely flexible and give characters a strong base to build on unlike the disheveled all-class advancement of SWG.
I think they probably decided that narrowing people to AT's would lessen the learning curve of the already innovative character creation and advancement in CoH.
Not trying to flame, just saying I don't think you're giving AT's the props they deserve.
I got the cube at $150 USD and trolled used game stores to find Smash Bros., Monkey Ball, Rogue Leader, and Resident Evil for less than $25 a piece.
Now that Metroid Prime, Zelda: Wind Waker, and Soul Calibur II have graced this little platform that could; There's almost no excuse for the hardcore gamer not to own one.
I find that it complements my PC nicely allowing me to play most of the console games that won't grace the PC. I'll even admit to being a fan of 80% of the Nintendo liscences. It's even handy to pick up and take to a friend's house (since most of them opted for the PS2/XBOX combo) and I get to keep the extra money I saved on a system for gas money to kick their sorry asses with Link in SCII
Blizzard wins hands down for me for soundbites. "*sniff sniff* oh Bad dog!" "Zug Zug!" "I'm on it." "Thus I serve!" "My life for Eire."
But there's some great roleplaying ones courtesy of black isle. "Go for the eyes, boo!" "Look out faerun, here comes the craziest man around!" "War... War Never Changes..."
Nothing makes me want to tackle the irradiated wastland of distant tommarow like the Inkspots "Maybe"
If it's not, you can exchange it for the exact same game.
The problem with this is that you can return the opened copy for a copy that is closed. Then just have your buddy turn around without the reciept and return it for a refund.
I've only done this once and it was because the game destroyed my c:\ drive (ahem... myth II).
Only once have I had a retailer actually open the copy that was given to me in exchange. I immediately understood the reason why.
But don't leave out fallout 2. With a wonderfully educational VaulTek newsreel and some Louis Armstrong (Kiss to Build a Dream On) crooning out from the P.A. speaker deserves note.
Too bad it defies description. Just go buy a copy of the fallout 1&2 combo even if it's just for the opening FMV's. It's like 15$ USD max.
I was just refering to the hardware method in my post. The software method, while easier, is also a risk.
The software method attempts to push the card beyond its factor tested limits. Most of the chips on the 9500's probably can remain stable at 9700 speeds but you're in danger of frying your memory, as stated above.
Note that this only applies to the 9500 and not the 9500 PRO.
This hack has been crawling around the boards for a while and it seems fairly legit. The basic layout and architecture of the 9500 and 9700 are the same and this hack attempts to: 1) Re-enable the extra pixel pipelines that are present on the 9500 just not enable. A simple resister swap near the gpu is required. 2) Flash the bios of the 9500 with a 9700 bios image. 3) Overclock the 9500's core clock to compete with 9700. 4) (Optional) Add more memory.
The biggest problem I see is that the stock memory on the 9500 is of a cheaper variety and isn't rated for the frequency that a 9700 operates at.
So, even if you indeed have the skills/luck involved to pull off this cute hack, then you'll not necessarily be able to compete with a 9700.
My advice, go with the 9500 Pro. Out of the box it's only a step slower than the 9700 Pro and costs half the coin of a 9700/9700 Pro.
But if you've got a 9500 in your machine and some time/money to spare. Why not see if you can achieve great things with a minimum cost?
First lets clear up the specs of the Nomad IIc mp3 player (sorry, sign says "No oggs allowed"). The II designates this as the Creative's second effort to sucker users into paying good money for a player with some problems. The c means that you're not get the fm radio tuner present on the normal model II (don't worry, commercial radio is ass anyway). The IIc comes with an internal memory capacity of either 32, 64, or 128mb. Every model is also blessed/cursed to have a smartmedia expansion slot on the rear of the unit, tucked up under the battery cover. The unit has one Line Out/Headphone jack a built in microphone and a USB connector. Various buttons are also present for tinkering with things like volume, voice recording, and accessing the internal memory. The LCD is mercifully backlit with a delay that can be adjusted in the internal settings menu.
One of the biggest shortcomings of the unit is the lack of file organisation. Files are present in one long list with no "search" or "jump" function. To go from song 5 to song 15 takes 10 clicks of the "skip right" button. Only while your nomad is connected to your computer are you able to sort this list of unhappiness. So connecting a 10Gig hard drive would give you an amazing amount of storage and an RSI of your index finger.
The IIc does have updatable firmware (available from Creative)which dictates the maximum size of the smartmedia card that the unit can take. Unfortunately there are no firmware updates for the 128mb version but the 64mb updates seem to work ok.
Also, not to be forgotten, is the pox on the house of every Nomad user; Playcenter! This packaged in garbage software from Creative is the only way out of the box to store files on the your IIc to internal memory or smartmedia cards. The Nomad doesn't even show up as an external device in explorer. I've experienced repeated hangs/crashes when reading from 128mb smartmedia cards and long waits while it updates the database containing songs on my computer. Any respectable program should be able to handle a 6Gb+ mp3 collection without choking. The quick solution to this is Notmad Explorer (the free version only allows the transfer of 1 file at a time $15 US for the single player version $35 for all nomad support).
That's about it, so I present to you two major hurdles to overcome in hacking this little wonder:
1) Powering the unit and an external HD on the go. The battery cover must be off to access the smartmedia slot so you run the risk of that AA battery popping out at inopportune times. Perhaps you could power both through a 12v cigarette lighter outlet of a car.
2) Firmware. You'll have to become a master of rewriting the firmware or know someone who is to overcome the 128mb barrier, find some way to skip to a certain song, and allow folder organization for easy browsing.
Perhaps some potential for expansion lies in the USB connection on the side of the player.
Maybe instead of hacking away looking for a big storage fix, save your pennies and order a Zen from another country.
Re:Williams not fitting the role?
on
Review: Insomnia
·
· Score: 1
I'd say that the fault lies in your preconceptions of the actor, not in his acting in this film.
It's amazing to see that Graeme actually stuck with the game industry after such a catastrophe with the fall of the company that tamed the CD-ROM for gaming. See Haunted Glory [gamespot.com] for the misadventures (and silly pictures) of Mr. Devine at Trilobyte.
What I wish to know is what ever happened to Rob Landeros? Last thing I can find on him is quite depressing. [justadventure.com]
I think one of the major facets of internet relationships that differs from a face-to-face (ftf) relationship is the fact that feelings are often more shared openly and bonds form more quickly. Perhaps this stems from the lack of insecurity due to the absence of physical bodies or that our imaginations can take text and give it any number of connotations based on what we feel about the person behind the message's origination. For example, some people se a story posted by Katz and immediately tune out. Others see posts by slashdot legends and automatically allow their opinions to be molded by the topic. Anyway, happy heart day to all. Give your favorite programmer a hug and some Mt. Dew.
As image recognition is likely to stay for *at least* the next decade. The human eye is a tricky thing to emulate and human emotions may prove near impossible.
Do I have kids of my own? No, but I'm a camp counselor who works with grades 3-12 and always looking for deep children's literature. Sure there's value in the classics like The Giviving Tree, and anything by Seuss. But what about something with a more modern tone? A lot of the campers that that I've taught seem to have a routine complex that causes a boatload of angst; many childeren feel the need to conform to their peers which seem to have constantly changing standards. A few things I like to tell them: "Being Popular is lame." "Many people sink their worth in being different just to be like their own kind"
Back to the topic, I'm definately picking up the book. Anyone out there have suggestions for helping kids deal with the status quo?
Slashdot Mirror
Under current d20 rules, that's only a threat. Roll again to see if you crit.
/cue the themesong
"Chu chu rocket! Kaneko wakka-wa!"
Loved the DC for the games. Soul Calibur II, Phantasy Star Online, and Samba de Amigo (+4 sets o' maracas) to name the three that occupied way too much of my time in college.
Of course had I bought one at launch, I would've been sorely disappointed in my purchase.
Quote: The day Linux can run all PC games with zero hassle will be a sad day for Microsoft.
Hell, the day Windows can run all games without hassle will be a scary day for the consoles.
One of the largest barriers to becoming a pc gamer, IMO, is the incompatability issues and learning curve that are often assosciated with running performance critical applications (e.g. games) on a pc.
I agreed with the OP and just thought I would point out pc/console linux/windows similarity.
I'm an avid CoH player and I hafta say that defining AT's (archetypes) as classes is a little bit of a misnomer.
You can play like a blaster (heavy damage) even if you start out as a defender (healer/buffing AT). Just look at bubble/energy offenders.
As a tanker you can be an extremely effective melee combatant often outpacing scrappers (melee heavy damage dealers) in terms of damage dealt.
Controllers can fulfill the role of a defender quite easily as well.
And all of the power pool options allow anyone to become a decent melee fighter/healer/buffer.
AT's are extremely flexible and give characters a strong base to build on unlike the disheveled all-class advancement of SWG.
I think they probably decided that narrowing people to AT's would lessen the learning curve of the already innovative character creation and advancement in CoH.
Not trying to flame, just saying I don't think you're giving AT's the props they deserve.
To download x-com running with a fix already in it for modern hardware, go to: Home of the Underdogs
and drop a buck in their donation bucket for each game you leech.
There was a Super SF2 and a SF2 Turbo on SNES.
Super SF2 included a "Turbo" mode and 4 new fighters like Cammy, the bruce lee rip off, T. Hawk, and that one jamaican kickboxer guy.
Check it out.
I got the cube at $150 USD and trolled used game stores to find Smash Bros., Monkey Ball, Rogue Leader, and Resident Evil for less than $25 a piece.
Now that Metroid Prime, Zelda: Wind Waker, and Soul Calibur II have graced this little platform that could; There's almost no excuse for the hardcore gamer not to own one.
I find that it complements my PC nicely allowing me to play most of the console games that won't grace the PC. I'll even admit to being a fan of 80% of the Nintendo liscences. It's even handy to pick up and take to a friend's house (since most of them opted for the PS2/XBOX combo) and I get to keep the extra money I saved on a system for gas money to kick their sorry asses with Link in SCII
-Rob
May Honor Guide Me...
My sincerest appologies for missing that quote and for the misspelling of Aiur.
Appologies! I'd never mean to compromise the good name of the homeworld.
Blizzard wins hands down for me for soundbites.
"*sniff sniff* oh Bad dog!"
"Zug Zug!"
"I'm on it."
"Thus I serve!"
"My life for Eire."
But there's some great roleplaying ones courtesy of black isle.
"Go for the eyes, boo!"
"Look out faerun, here comes the craziest man around!"
"War... War Never Changes..."
Nothing makes me want to tackle the irradiated wastland of distant tommarow like the Inkspots "Maybe"
Maybe, you'll think of me...
If the box is not open, you can return it.
If it's not, you can exchange it for the exact same game.
The problem with this is that you can return the opened copy for a copy that is closed. Then just have your buddy turn around without the reciept and return it for a refund.
I've only done this once and it was because the game destroyed my c:\ drive (ahem... myth II).
Only once have I had a retailer actually open the copy that was given to me in exchange. I immediately understood the reason why.
Agreed, Best FMV ... Ever.
But don't leave out fallout 2. With a wonderfully educational VaulTek newsreel and some Louis Armstrong (Kiss to Build a Dream On) crooning out from the P.A. speaker deserves note.
Too bad it defies description. Just go buy a copy of the fallout 1&2 combo even if it's just for the opening FMV's. It's like 15$ USD max.
You won't regret it.
I was just refering to the hardware method in my post. The software method, while easier, is also a risk.
The software method attempts to push the card beyond its factor tested limits. Most of the chips on the 9500's probably can remain stable at 9700 speeds but you're in danger of frying your memory, as stated above.
Note that this only applies to the 9500 and not the 9500 PRO.
This hack has been crawling around the boards for a while and it seems fairly legit. The basic layout and architecture of the 9500 and 9700 are the same and this hack attempts to:
1) Re-enable the extra pixel pipelines that are present on the 9500 just not enable. A simple resister swap near the gpu is required.
2) Flash the bios of the 9500 with a 9700 bios image.
3) Overclock the 9500's core clock to compete with 9700.
4) (Optional) Add more memory.
The biggest problem I see is that the stock memory on the 9500 is of a cheaper variety and isn't rated for the frequency that a 9700 operates at.
So, even if you indeed have the skills/luck involved to pull off this cute hack, then you'll not necessarily be able to compete with a 9700.
My advice, go with the 9500 Pro. Out of the box it's only a step slower than the 9700 Pro and costs half the coin of a 9700/9700 Pro.
But if you've got a 9500 in your machine and some time/money to spare. Why not see if you can achieve great things with a minimum cost?
First lets clear up the specs of the Nomad IIc mp3 player (sorry, sign says "No oggs allowed"). The II designates this as the Creative's second effort to sucker users into paying good money for a player with some problems. The c means that you're not get the fm radio tuner present on the normal model II (don't worry, commercial radio is ass anyway). The IIc comes with an internal memory capacity of either 32, 64, or 128mb. Every model is also blessed/cursed to have a smartmedia expansion slot on the rear of the unit, tucked up under the battery cover. The unit has one Line Out/Headphone jack a built in microphone and a USB connector. Various buttons are also present for tinkering with things like volume, voice recording, and accessing the internal memory. The LCD is mercifully backlit with a delay that can be adjusted in the internal settings menu.
One of the biggest shortcomings of the unit is the lack of file organisation. Files are present in one long list with no "search" or "jump" function. To go from song 5 to song 15 takes 10 clicks of the "skip right" button. Only while your nomad is connected to your computer are you able to sort this list of unhappiness. So connecting a 10Gig hard drive would give you an amazing amount of storage and an RSI of your index finger.
The IIc does have updatable firmware (available from Creative)which dictates the maximum size of the smartmedia card that the unit can take. Unfortunately there are no firmware updates for the 128mb version but the 64mb updates seem to work ok.
Also, not to be forgotten, is the pox on the house of every Nomad user; Playcenter! This packaged in garbage software from Creative is the only way out of the box to store files on the your IIc to internal memory or smartmedia cards. The Nomad doesn't even show up as an external device in explorer. I've experienced repeated hangs/crashes when reading from 128mb smartmedia cards and long waits while it updates the database containing songs on my computer. Any respectable program should be able to handle a 6Gb+ mp3 collection without choking. The quick solution to this is Notmad Explorer (the free version only allows the transfer of 1 file at a time $15 US for the single player version $35 for all nomad support).
That's about it, so I present to you two major hurdles to overcome in hacking this little wonder:
1) Powering the unit and an external HD on the go. The battery cover must be off to access the smartmedia slot so you run the risk of that AA battery popping out at inopportune times. Perhaps you could power both through a 12v cigarette lighter outlet of a car.
2) Firmware. You'll have to become a master of rewriting the firmware or know someone who is to overcome the 128mb barrier, find some way to skip to a certain song, and allow folder organization for easy browsing.
Perhaps some potential for expansion lies in the USB connection on the side of the player.
Maybe instead of hacking away looking for a big storage fix, save your pennies and order a Zen from another country.
I'd say that the fault lies in your preconceptions of the actor, not in his acting in this film.
It's amazing to see that Graeme actually stuck with the game industry after such a catastrophe with the fall of the company that tamed the CD-ROM for gaming. See Haunted Glory [gamespot.com] for the misadventures (and silly pictures) of Mr. Devine at Trilobyte.
What I wish to know is what ever happened to Rob Landeros? Last thing I can find on him is quite depressing. [justadventure.com]
Here's to expecting more good things from Graeme,
-Rob
You might want to consider a used Sony Mavica. All you need to do is be able to read the image off of the floppy. Simple enough, no?
I think one of the major facets of internet relationships that differs from a face-to-face (ftf) relationship is the fact that feelings are often more shared openly and bonds form more quickly. Perhaps this stems from the lack of insecurity due to the absence of physical bodies or that our imaginations can take text and give it any number of connotations based on what we feel about the person behind the message's origination.
For example, some people se a story posted by Katz and immediately tune out. Others see posts by slashdot legends and automatically allow their opinions to be molded by the topic.
Anyway, happy heart day to all. Give your favorite programmer a hug and some Mt. Dew.
What does it take to get a hug from the cowboy? It's personally my lifelong dream.
As image recognition is likely to stay for *at least* the next decade. The human eye is a tricky thing to emulate and human emotions may prove near impossible.
Oh well, here's to hoping!
Do I have kids of my own? No, but I'm a camp counselor who works with grades 3-12 and always looking for deep children's literature. Sure there's value in the classics like The Giviving Tree, and anything by Seuss. But what about something with a more modern tone? A lot of the campers that that I've taught seem to have a routine complex that causes a boatload of angst; many childeren feel the need to conform to their peers which seem to have constantly changing standards. A few things I like to tell them:
"Being Popular is lame."
"Many people sink their worth in being different just to be like their own kind"
Back to the topic, I'm definately picking up the book. Anyone out there have suggestions for helping kids deal with the status quo?
Appolgies to Five Iron Frenzy for the quotes.
I wouldn't consider it squatting if they're just to damn lazy to give it up. Is anyone really that interested in kam.com?
I mean; lazer squad, wolf 3d, doom, and doom2 run like a dream on an SX/25. Are there really any other real world applications I need to worry about?
Are there any plans to port it to Windows or Mac OS? Or perhaps a more exotic port: Palm OS?