The last little bit summarized... "I'll make meaningful conservation efforts, but I won't accept accept major taxation"
Is that what you're saying? Its hard to get a recycling program off the ground without some cash, and the bottle depot won't be paid for by corporations.
And they can't even take their bottles back to help fund the bottle depot, because theres no bottle depot to take their bottles to!
I think we can agree that the average Desktop user does not need 32GB of RAM.
However, could we agree that a good chunk could use 10GB? Specifically anyone who either A) Plays games B) Uses image or audio editting software or C) Likes to have more than 5 applications running at once.
I'd say thats a reasonable piece of the market that is being neglected. Its not that the 4GB RAM limit was unreasonable when it was set, but times are a changing and so should the limit.
You'd be surprised. You see alot of people go into BestFutureBigBlockStoreUSAToday and say "My computer's running slow!" and they go "You need more Rams!" and the customer goes "How much will that cost me?" and they go "300 Bones, and we'll do it for you!" and next thing you know, Blogger Buddy Bill has 8 Gigs of RAM on his 32b XP. And because he paid so much, he insists theres a difference!
Well Not alot of people are even capable of two cases of what you call "Action Planning" - but it can be done. Alot of people were able to have concurrent lines of thought running at once, like how Napoleon would dictate letters to three people at once writing different letters to different people.
But even something you would consider "A Task" is still capable to be multi-tasked, and you hit it right on the button, its handled by the lizard brain.
Thats exactly how people become GOOD at multi-tasking something though, is making the task becoming part of a "zombie" routine you do. You set it up so that you do something without thinking about it.
In my job, if checking the backup logs is so routine, then I can focus my mind on solving the network permissions issue that someone has WHILE checking the logs.
It's essentially doing 2 tasks at the same time, just one requires no real NEW thoughts to permeate.
The idea of tracking is to increase those odds of getting it back. If my craziPhone whatever tracks its location after its stolen and sends me GPS co-ordinates of its location constantly, whats to stop me from going to the police and saying: Here is the perpetrator. Go get them.
May take a while for the police to jump on it, but if you're still getting those GPS coordinates, they can still go catch the guy.
Actually, you are constantly multi-tasking. You bet you had your full force of your brain on writing that comment, but you forget that you are also breathing, your heart is pumping, etc etc.
If you're trying to tell me that you've never held a conversation while walking/typing/playing a video game, that you absolutely had to drop what you are doing, then I'm going to nail you as the worst Multi-tasker in the face of human history. And just because you can't doesn't mean we can't.
Depending on the program and how many lines you can fit on your screen at once, you're looking at over 1000 image files. And even thats being on the smaller side of programs
There's supplying it and then there is embracing it. The Scenario editor in Starcraft is hardly a tool for content generation, aside from the 5 different types of "Use Map Settings" that become popular, (Defense, Impossible AI, Run away, Race, and RPG) there really wasn't anything AMAZING to come out for StarCraft. I wasn't aware Warcraft 3 had anything spectacular in terms of editting software. Warcraft 3 had DotA, which wasn't really anything terribly new but a fun addictive game-type. And World of Warcraft has let people create their own UI's and Macros, and thats about it.
Content Generation is more then just map making - you might as well as call the "Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2 SkatePark creator" Content generation.
While you may be content with that (pun intended) alot of us like to see user content go above and beyond that kind of thing. See How many Half Life 2 mods there are? These aren't just maps. These aren't just weapon mods. These aren't just skin mods. This is externalized content generated by people wanting to break into the industry.
For those people wanting to work at a Company like Blizzard, its alot easier to get into their good graces if you can produce something impressive using THEIR tools and THEIR engine. You'll notice one of the fellows up there mentioned that in terms of level designers they have looked at people who create good Half Life 2 or Quake maps. Thats how constrained Blizzard has been with their content generation.
I have not been able to import my own settings into any Blizzard game (at least not legally) to truly show off the universe I have designed.
If you think Blizzard has been supplying GOOD tools for content generation, you've had your bar set SERIOUSLY low for PC gaming standards.
But the problem is that there are so many workarounds to use a single key for essentially limitless Lan plays, which means that Blizzard gives out 20 free Singleplayer & LAN versions of their game when they sell 1 copy. With an MMORPG, you can ensure that everyone who plays has purchased a version. Thats all they really want to achieve - and Battle.net appears to be their only way at the moment.
But like they said, they're feeling their way through it.
My bet is that if SC2 doesn't sell well, they'll add LAN to boost sales.
It dawned on me just now that there isn't a new RTS Warcraft game - and given how much customization will be in SC2, do you guys think DOTA will get transformed into something workable in SC2?
I'm curious what kind of user generated content will be created, and I'm glad to see that Blizzard is finally embracing it for how much it really does contribute to their games.
I remember WoW having a large number of gold sellers, but up until WotLK (at which point I unsubscribed) I don't ever remember inflation, cheating, botting, etc. ruining my experience.
I quit just before WotLK, and I remember everything De-Flating, instead of inflating. Where once the resources I harvested would go for 50 Gold a stack, after the farmers rolled through, it was not only A) Harder to find said resources, and B) They're price dropped like a rock.
All because they would play all the time, farm it all, sell it for gold, sell the gold for real life money.
And I played Eve a little while back, and I can say - ISK farmers were just as if not more annoying than WoW. The problem was that Eve is set up so that if you get "duped" into doing something stupid its your own dang fault, and the GM's will tell you to just be careful next time. Thus if you Accidentally spent 300 mill instead of 300 thousand it was because you misread the zero's. With the ISK sellers running rampant, these kinds of schemes were -ALL OVER THE PLACE- I'm going to try Eve again here in a bit, and see if this has improved at all with the recent actions.
The problem is that GAMES have stat Tracking. I can't open STEAM and look at my TF2 Stats. I have to open TF2 to look at my TF2 Stats. The Way they describe Battle.net is sort of like everything will be accessible through any Blizzard Game (or perhaps its own Battle.net Client program, like Steam, since they mention an App-like store for mods and maps).
The only Stats I can see specifically through Steam right now are Achievements and Time played on each one.
Or at least, thats what I can recall, haven't actually tried to look at my stats in like a month, so they could have added it and I didn't notice.
If you've used the Friends system with Steam its supposed to be no different from that, really. Essentially, if I hit a breakpoint in my game, like respawn time or whatever, you can hit Shift Tab and it brings up the community screen and friends stuff so I can IM my friends while playing my game, because I don't have to alt tab out to talk.
What I don't get is why we can't have Automatic Matchmaking AND the search4host system both operating in one game.
Which I'm hoping the new battle.net does.
But also, L4D's matchmaking doesn't pair you up with people of equal skill level. Simply because L4D doesn't have a system in place to track your skill level.
Battle.net will have lots of Stat Tracking, something Steam doesn't have. I forgot to mention it, but Stat Tracking is also not something new (See Unreal Tournament) but its still nice and handy to have, and if its being done right, It'll be a huge improvement.
I do feel old, at 21. Because the best time spent gaming was when I was 17 and 18 playing World of Warcraft with my buds.
However, we've all had our falling out with WoW because of various reasons. Money, wow-addiction, girlfriends, etc etc. Now that we've all matured enough to decide what we want to do, we can't seem to get back Into WoW because of what its become.
I may sound conservative, but I know alot of people who liked Burning crusade but think WotLK kinda bombed. I think I'd also fall into that crowd.
Its Steam and then some. Steam doesn't support a matchmaking system for players of similar skill levels. Steam also is a little finicky when it comes to joining games. I mean, you've all heard the joke, whats the different between Steam and a Bee-hive? Steam has more bugs.
I'm hoping that its polished to a shine like all Blizzard products - that its an UPGRADE from steam and not just a steam rip off.
Sounds amazing. Its like they've taken the good parts about X-box live matchmaking (specifically trying to line up people with similar skill levels) - with the Overlay UI that Steam uses in its PC platform games (which is also awesome) while also having the grouping mechanisms of any regular online chat system (MSN messenger).
My question is - will it be a seperate component similar to the Steam overlay. The great thing about the Steam overlay is that it'll essentially run in any game, because its a seperate component and is exactly what it says it is, "An overlay".
Basically what I'm getting down to is - will the new Battle.net work with original Starcraft and Diablo 2? Will those games be patched to work seamlessly with the people who have the newer games?
That would be even more awesome.
Also - as a side note, pretty stoked for SC2 editor.
See I quit WoW before WotLK because I knew it would mean that Burning Crusade Endgame would be pointless, much like Onyxia and MC and BWL and AQ and Naxx became pointless with the release of Burning Crusade. See I didn't have a problem with Vanilla Wow for that manner, you had to get attuned for Onyxia to get the gear good enough to go into Molten Core. You needed the Gear from Molten Core to progress to Black Wing Lair. So on and so forth (AQ could be argued though).
Anyways. So I was upset that all this really well generated Content was completely ditched with each new expansion, being that if you told someone about a 45 baron run and how pulling it off was the shiz, nowadays they'd either laugh at its easy sauce or just go "Whats a stratholme?"
And like mentioned in some other comments in other articles, their new leveling system makes it easier to level up, and actually bypass alot of the content along the way. If I can get my lvl 30 - lvl 40 sprint in 1 or 2 zones easily accessible to the alliance, why would I go to Desolace, why would I explore Mauradon or whatever?
So I quit Wow. It was TOO easy to progress to endgame, and everyone and their mother could epic themselves with little to no effort. Dropping the regular raid size from 40 to 25 made Raiding seem more casual, which it shouldn't have turned into. Make the raids 25 man accessible? Sure, but why drop 40 mans? Apparently they made a comeback in WotLK so I'll quit my bitching.
Anyways, so NOW they're re-introducing Azeroth, bringing it back. This is what I would want to see. Especially with Deathwing being prominent again, he's probably my favourite Warcraft Villain. For whatever Reason Arthas didn't seem all that badass to me because its really Ner'zhul controlling him.
So what do I do? Do I return to WoW, try to pick up all the complex and convoluted new additions, like new talent trees? Do I go back to WoW to see if they'll turn Gnomer into an actual city? (Prays). Do I Spend a good chunk just to get back into a subscription video game?
But what about the old stuff? If zones are changing, wouldn't that mean some of the old content is gone and lost forever? To live only in my memory? Will Black rock Depths be wiped out with a volcanic eruption?
I like the questions, but just so you know, Blizzard (to my knowledge) doesn't hire game developers right from college - they require QUITE a portfolio, recommending 4 years experience and your name shipped on 2 or more titles.
Starcraft And Diablo 2 were instant hits and it wasn't long before they each had their respective expansion packs enabling much more content and extended gameplay. Given all the hype that's been built up over Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3, its almost definite that they too will be top sellers. Assuming each new release retains that same captivating gameplay as its predecessors, are there any plans for expansion packs onto these?
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Between Obesity and the loss of food in my kitchen.
But seriously - this seems like its leading to a "Overweight people aren't smart enough to care about their health" kind of thing.
The last little bit summarized... "I'll make meaningful conservation efforts, but I won't accept accept major taxation"
Is that what you're saying? Its hard to get a recycling program off the ground without some cash, and the bottle depot won't be paid for by corporations.
And they can't even take their bottles back to help fund the bottle depot, because theres no bottle depot to take their bottles to!
I think we can agree that the average Desktop user does not need 32GB of RAM.
However, could we agree that a good chunk could use 10GB? Specifically anyone who either A) Plays games B) Uses image or audio editting software or C) Likes to have more than 5 applications running at once.
I'd say thats a reasonable piece of the market that is being neglected. Its not that the 4GB RAM limit was unreasonable when it was set, but times are a changing and so should the limit.
You'd be surprised. You see alot of people go into BestFutureBigBlockStoreUSAToday and say "My computer's running slow!" and they go "You need more Rams!" and the customer goes "How much will that cost me?" and they go "300 Bones, and we'll do it for you!" and next thing you know, Blogger Buddy Bill has 8 Gigs of RAM on his 32b XP. And because he paid so much, he insists theres a difference!
Well Not alot of people are even capable of two cases of what you call "Action Planning" - but it can be done. Alot of people were able to have concurrent lines of thought running at once, like how Napoleon would dictate letters to three people at once writing different letters to different people.
But even something you would consider "A Task" is still capable to be multi-tasked, and you hit it right on the button, its handled by the lizard brain.
Thats exactly how people become GOOD at multi-tasking something though, is making the task becoming part of a "zombie" routine you do. You set it up so that you do something without thinking about it.
In my job, if checking the backup logs is so routine, then I can focus my mind on solving the network permissions issue that someone has WHILE checking the logs.
It's essentially doing 2 tasks at the same time, just one requires no real NEW thoughts to permeate.
The idea of tracking is to increase those odds of getting it back. If my craziPhone whatever tracks its location after its stolen and sends me GPS co-ordinates of its location constantly, whats to stop me from going to the police and saying: Here is the perpetrator. Go get them.
May take a while for the police to jump on it, but if you're still getting those GPS coordinates, they can still go catch the guy.
Actually, you are constantly multi-tasking. You bet you had your full force of your brain on writing that comment, but you forget that you are also breathing, your heart is pumping, etc etc.
If you're trying to tell me that you've never held a conversation while walking/typing/playing a video game, that you absolutely had to drop what you are doing, then I'm going to nail you as the worst Multi-tasker in the face of human history. And just because you can't doesn't mean we can't.
Depending on the program and how many lines you can fit on your screen at once, you're looking at over 1000 image files. And even thats being on the smaller side of programs
Right, but being able to retire on a couple years worth of your soul? I'd take it.
There's supplying it and then there is embracing it. The Scenario editor in Starcraft is hardly a tool for content generation, aside from the 5 different types of "Use Map Settings" that become popular, (Defense, Impossible AI, Run away, Race, and RPG) there really wasn't anything AMAZING to come out for StarCraft. I wasn't aware Warcraft 3 had anything spectacular in terms of editting software. Warcraft 3 had DotA, which wasn't really anything terribly new but a fun addictive game-type. And World of Warcraft has let people create their own UI's and Macros, and thats about it.
Content Generation is more then just map making - you might as well as call the "Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2 SkatePark creator" Content generation.
While you may be content with that (pun intended) alot of us like to see user content go above and beyond that kind of thing. See How many Half Life 2 mods there are? These aren't just maps. These aren't just weapon mods. These aren't just skin mods. This is externalized content generated by people wanting to break into the industry.
For those people wanting to work at a Company like Blizzard, its alot easier to get into their good graces if you can produce something impressive using THEIR tools and THEIR engine. You'll notice one of the fellows up there mentioned that in terms of level designers they have looked at people who create good Half Life 2 or Quake maps. Thats how constrained Blizzard has been with their content generation.
I have not been able to import my own settings into any Blizzard game (at least not legally) to truly show off the universe I have designed.
If you think Blizzard has been supplying GOOD tools for content generation, you've had your bar set SERIOUSLY low for PC gaming standards.
But the problem is that there are so many workarounds to use a single key for essentially limitless Lan plays, which means that Blizzard gives out 20 free Singleplayer & LAN versions of their game when they sell 1 copy. With an MMORPG, you can ensure that everyone who plays has purchased a version. Thats all they really want to achieve - and Battle.net appears to be their only way at the moment.
But like they said, they're feeling their way through it.
My bet is that if SC2 doesn't sell well, they'll add LAN to boost sales.
"I sued The Pirate Bay and all I got was this lousy T-Shirt"
It dawned on me just now that there isn't a new RTS Warcraft game - and given how much customization will be in SC2, do you guys think DOTA will get transformed into something workable in SC2?
I'm curious what kind of user generated content will be created, and I'm glad to see that Blizzard is finally embracing it for how much it really does contribute to their games.
I remember WoW having a large number of gold sellers, but up until WotLK (at which point I unsubscribed) I don't ever remember inflation, cheating, botting, etc. ruining my experience.
I quit just before WotLK, and I remember everything De-Flating, instead of inflating. Where once the resources I harvested would go for 50 Gold a stack, after the farmers rolled through, it was not only A) Harder to find said resources, and B) They're price dropped like a rock.
All because they would play all the time, farm it all, sell it for gold, sell the gold for real life money.
And I played Eve a little while back, and I can say - ISK farmers were just as if not more annoying than WoW. The problem was that Eve is set up so that if you get "duped" into doing something stupid its your own dang fault, and the GM's will tell you to just be careful next time. Thus if you Accidentally spent 300 mill instead of 300 thousand it was because you misread the zero's. With the ISK sellers running rampant, these kinds of schemes were -ALL OVER THE PLACE- I'm going to try Eve again here in a bit, and see if this has improved at all with the recent actions.
The problem is that GAMES have stat Tracking. I can't open STEAM and look at my TF2 Stats. I have to open TF2 to look at my TF2 Stats. The Way they describe Battle.net is sort of like everything will be accessible through any Blizzard Game (or perhaps its own Battle.net Client program, like Steam, since they mention an App-like store for mods and maps).
The only Stats I can see specifically through Steam right now are Achievements and Time played on each one.
Or at least, thats what I can recall, haven't actually tried to look at my stats in like a month, so they could have added it and I didn't notice.
If you've used the Friends system with Steam its supposed to be no different from that, really. Essentially, if I hit a breakpoint in my game, like respawn time or whatever, you can hit Shift Tab and it brings up the community screen and friends stuff so I can IM my friends while playing my game, because I don't have to alt tab out to talk.
Yeah but some people want BOTH.
It doesn't seem like that should be impossible.
What I don't get is why we can't have Automatic Matchmaking AND the search4host system both operating in one game.
Which I'm hoping the new battle.net does.
But also, L4D's matchmaking doesn't pair you up with people of equal skill level. Simply because L4D doesn't have a system in place to track your skill level.
Battle.net will have lots of Stat Tracking, something Steam doesn't have. I forgot to mention it, but Stat Tracking is also not something new (See Unreal Tournament) but its still nice and handy to have, and if its being done right, It'll be a huge improvement.
I do feel old, at 21. Because the best time spent gaming was when I was 17 and 18 playing World of Warcraft with my buds.
However, we've all had our falling out with WoW because of various reasons. Money, wow-addiction, girlfriends, etc etc. Now that we've all matured enough to decide what we want to do, we can't seem to get back Into WoW because of what its become.
I may sound conservative, but I know alot of people who liked Burning crusade but think WotLK kinda bombed. I think I'd also fall into that crowd.
Its Steam and then some. Steam doesn't support a matchmaking system for players of similar skill levels. Steam also is a little finicky when it comes to joining games. I mean, you've all heard the joke, whats the different between Steam and a Bee-hive? Steam has more bugs.
I'm hoping that its polished to a shine like all Blizzard products - that its an UPGRADE from steam and not just a steam rip off.
Sounds amazing. Its like they've taken the good parts about X-box live matchmaking (specifically trying to line up people with similar skill levels) - with the Overlay UI that Steam uses in its PC platform games (which is also awesome) while also having the grouping mechanisms of any regular online chat system (MSN messenger).
My question is - will it be a seperate component similar to the Steam overlay. The great thing about the Steam overlay is that it'll essentially run in any game, because its a seperate component and is exactly what it says it is, "An overlay".
Basically what I'm getting down to is - will the new Battle.net work with original Starcraft and Diablo 2? Will those games be patched to work seamlessly with the people who have the newer games?
That would be even more awesome.
Also - as a side note, pretty stoked for SC2 editor.
But the system is down! Its not letting me check my mail on the world wide internet!
See I quit WoW before WotLK because I knew it would mean that Burning Crusade Endgame would be pointless, much like Onyxia and MC and BWL and AQ and Naxx became pointless with the release of Burning Crusade. See I didn't have a problem with Vanilla Wow for that manner, you had to get attuned for Onyxia to get the gear good enough to go into Molten Core. You needed the Gear from Molten Core to progress to Black Wing Lair. So on and so forth (AQ could be argued though).
Anyways. So I was upset that all this really well generated Content was completely ditched with each new expansion, being that if you told someone about a 45 baron run and how pulling it off was the shiz, nowadays they'd either laugh at its easy sauce or just go "Whats a stratholme?"
And like mentioned in some other comments in other articles, their new leveling system makes it easier to level up, and actually bypass alot of the content along the way. If I can get my lvl 30 - lvl 40 sprint in 1 or 2 zones easily accessible to the alliance, why would I go to Desolace, why would I explore Mauradon or whatever?
So I quit Wow. It was TOO easy to progress to endgame, and everyone and their mother could epic themselves with little to no effort. Dropping the regular raid size from 40 to 25 made Raiding seem more casual, which it shouldn't have turned into. Make the raids 25 man accessible? Sure, but why drop 40 mans? Apparently they made a comeback in WotLK so I'll quit my bitching.
Anyways, so NOW they're re-introducing Azeroth, bringing it back. This is what I would want to see. Especially with Deathwing being prominent again, he's probably my favourite Warcraft Villain. For whatever Reason Arthas didn't seem all that badass to me because its really Ner'zhul controlling him.
So what do I do? Do I return to WoW, try to pick up all the complex and convoluted new additions, like new talent trees? Do I go back to WoW to see if they'll turn Gnomer into an actual city? (Prays). Do I Spend a good chunk just to get back into a subscription video game?
But what about the old stuff? If zones are changing, wouldn't that mean some of the old content is gone and lost forever? To live only in my memory? Will Black rock Depths be wiped out with a volcanic eruption?
I... I feel so torn...
I like the questions, but just so you know, Blizzard (to my knowledge) doesn't hire game developers right from college - they require QUITE a portfolio, recommending 4 years experience and your name shipped on 2 or more titles.
Starcraft And Diablo 2 were instant hits and it wasn't long before they each had their respective expansion packs enabling much more content and extended gameplay. Given all the hype that's been built up over Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3, its almost definite that they too will be top sellers. Assuming each new release retains that same captivating gameplay as its predecessors, are there any plans for expansion packs onto these?