Let's hope Adam fares better than Asimov. I can just see it now:
Will Smith as Arthur Dent Jackie Chan as Ford Prefect Vin Diesel as Marvin
On set interview with Will Smith: "Well, we just finished filming the big scene for the beginning of the movie, where my character uses all his skills to destroy an incoming Vogon fleet. Then Jackie, Vin and I all get together to hunt down and kill the mastermind of the attack. This is going to be a great action movie that really sticks to what the author's themes were."
What they really mean is "pioneers of the graphical MMORPG." They barely touched upon MUD/MUSHes and the like in the first article.
And, actually, none of the games are really RPGs at all, since no one ever RPs in the G. Yes, there are exceptions, but for the most part, all the people playing EQ, Galaxies, Camelot, etc, are just looking for the loot and experience. They are trying to "beat" the game, not actively participating in it.
The real problem with these graphical MMORPGs is that they are all based upon the concept of leveling a character in some way, or reaching some goal that can be measure by a little progress bar.. That goal ends up really creating a bad dynamic for the RPG portion of the game. Luckily for the game creators, there isn't a lot of RP in them.
When playing various MUSHes, the goal was to be a good role-player: there weren't necessarily any benefits beyond the happiness of being a good roleplayer, and having people respect that.
MUSHes also allow you the ability to create any type of character, since there's no graphical limitations.
Roleplaying in the Everquest and Camelot suffers from being level based, with some RP tools thrown in. They aren't flexible enough for users to create actual characters.
Always good to see Blizzard close the old barn door after the cows have gotten out, killed the local population, ran back to the barn to party, and left the barn again to poop.
Really, though, Blizzard really needs to tighten security on Battle.Net: I know I won't be buying their online game, knowing their record on security.
I think I'd like to know exactly what they would be releasing for the $10/month subscription fee. For $120 dollars a year, I could buy 3 other games at full price (give or take), so if Valve releases 4 new games that year, it would be worth it (I already own Half-Life and some of the expansions).
However, if Valve doesn't release anything beyond the game and a couple of expansions, then it doesn't make any sense to go the subscription route.
Am I missing something fundamental here? Unless Valve increases the number of games it releases in a year, the subscription method seems pretty worthless.
Gleek Will Save Us
on
P2P Spam?
·
· Score: -1, Redundant
He'll knock a trash can into the big evil Virus to destroy it, then Batman will make some "barrel of monkeys" joke. Then all will laugh.
"I was half way through chapter 6. Now the site is almost unresponsive. "
You got that far? I was still trying to get into Position 2 in Chapter 3. But my partner Scout Walker has a "sensor-ache" so she turned around and powered off.
Hmmm, is there a chapter on Scout Walker Self Love...
Sorry, Blizzard, I just don't trust that you can deliver a secure experience online. That's why it is unlikely I'll be picking up Worlds untile such time as I'm convinced they actually care about exploits and security.
"There are hacks to setup backups to a CF card or whatever, and hacks for wireless connectivity,"
Huh? If by "hacks" you mean "an easy way to back up to CF" and "wireless connectivity when you plug in a wirless lan card" than I agree. I can back up my system to CF or SD in two steps, and getting wireless to work was about a 3 minute process the first time, and a 5 second process now.
"hacks for getting X apps to run"
This is true. Try loading Windows apps on a PocketPC and see if you can do it. You are slamming a device for NOT doing something it isn't designed to do (but that CAN, with work).
Looks like their web server is running off their PDA. *ba-da dum*
Re:Skyshadow's Summer Reading Recommendations:
on
The Cassini Division
·
· Score: 1
"Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman A lot of people are crazy about American Gods, and I agree it's a good read. However, Neil Gaiman's real strongpoint is his short stories, of which this is a collection. "Murder Mysteries", "Only the End of the World Again" and "Don't Ask Jack" are my personal favorites, although there's really good stuff throughout."
Better yet, pick up some of his Sandman trade paperbacks. Now that's geeky!
"Apparently nothing. It will really suck when your new $60,000 Sun Server gets hosed because someone put a copy of the latest backstreet boys music on it."
Seems like this would be a mercy killing. Justifiable machina-cide?
"I'd personally like a Sony Ericsson p800 style PDA phone that had the screen from a Clie NZ90, GPS, iPod sized hard drive, megapixel camera, the VERY cool remote control center from Sony, 802.11g and Bluetooth + an Mp3 player and DIVX/MPEG4 decoder."
Slashdot Mirror
"Always wondered why MMPOG's just scrap the game and go on, when the client can just be updated with new GFX"
Both Everquest and Dark Age of Camelot have updated their game engines and graphics over time, so it does happen with other gamges.
"It seems it's far too easy to confuse MSN Messenger with Windows Messenger do in part they are both called Messenger"
I'm surprised they aren't called MSN Messenger Explorer and Windows Messenger Explorer.
Wow, I wish I could get paid 6 figures to get training on basic computer and Internet use.
I seem to have hit a bug when playing that basically is forcing me into the final showdown with the big bad before my character is really even ready.
As a result, I kinda got annoyed and stopped playing. I suspect I'll just buy the PC version when the need to play again hits.
I did enjoy the game (though the choices that make you "good" or "evil" are way too straightforward).
My eyesight is bad enough staring at 17" CRTs and 15" LCDs all day, now Wired wants me to watch movies on a 3.5" display?
Sheesh, at that size, no one will be able to tell IF Han shoots first.
Let's hope Adam fares better than Asimov. I can just see it now:
Will Smith as Arthur Dent
Jackie Chan as Ford Prefect
Vin Diesel as Marvin
On set interview with Will Smith: "Well, we just finished filming the big scene for the beginning of the movie, where my character uses all his skills to destroy an incoming Vogon fleet. Then Jackie, Vin and I all get together to hunt down and kill the mastermind of the attack. This is going to be a great action movie that really sticks to what the author's themes were."
What they really mean is "pioneers of the graphical MMORPG." They barely touched upon MUD/MUSHes and the like in the first article.
And, actually, none of the games are really RPGs at all, since no one ever RPs in the G. Yes, there are exceptions, but for the most part, all the people playing EQ, Galaxies, Camelot, etc, are just looking for the loot and experience. They are trying to "beat" the game, not actively participating in it.
The real problem with these graphical MMORPGs is that they are all based upon the concept of leveling a character in some way, or reaching some goal that can be measure by a little progress bar.. That goal ends up really creating a bad dynamic for the RPG portion of the game. Luckily for the game creators, there isn't a lot of RP in them.
When playing various MUSHes, the goal was to be a good role-player: there weren't necessarily any benefits beyond the happiness of being a good roleplayer, and having people respect that.
MUSHes also allow you the ability to create any type of character, since there's no graphical limitations.
Roleplaying in the Everquest and Camelot suffers from being level based, with some RP tools thrown in. They aren't flexible enough for users to create actual characters.
"A bad UPN science fiction series."
I think that's redundant. Has there ever been a GOOD UPN science fiction series?
Always good to see Blizzard close the old barn door after the cows have gotten out, killed the local population, ran back to the barn to party, and left the barn again to poop.
Really, though, Blizzard really needs to tighten security on Battle.Net: I know I won't be buying their online game, knowing their record on security.
I think I'd like to know exactly what they would be releasing for the $10/month subscription fee. For $120 dollars a year, I could buy 3 other games at full price (give or take), so if Valve releases 4 new games that year, it would be worth it (I already own Half-Life and some of the expansions).
However, if Valve doesn't release anything beyond the game and a couple of expansions, then it doesn't make any sense to go the subscription route.
Am I missing something fundamental here? Unless Valve increases the number of games it releases in a year, the subscription method seems pretty worthless.
He'll knock a trash can into the big evil Virus to destroy it, then Batman will make some "barrel of monkeys" joke. Then all will laugh.
"I was half way through chapter 6. Now the site is almost unresponsive. "
You got that far? I was still trying to get into Position 2 in Chapter 3. But my partner Scout Walker has a "sensor-ache" so she turned around and powered off.
Hmmm, is there a chapter on Scout Walker Self Love...
So, did this Classic Gaming Expo take place in the real world or in the Matrix? Looking at those green tinted photos is making me woozy...
"Actually, Blizzard has already had their lemon"
Does Battle.Net count?
Sorry, Blizzard, I just don't trust that you can deliver a secure experience online. That's why it is unlikely I'll be picking up Worlds untile such time as I'm convinced they actually care about exploits and security.
7.1 channel Audio on a handheld? Why? Seems like this thing is just over engineered and will be a monster.
After the craptastic Star Trek: Nemesis and the lame Enterprise, Activision is actually the only entity that wants Viacom to make more Star Trek.
"There are hacks to setup backups to a CF card or whatever, and hacks for wireless connectivity,"
Huh? If by "hacks" you mean "an easy way to back up to CF" and "wireless connectivity when you plug in a wirless lan card" than I agree. I can back up my system to CF or SD in two steps, and getting wireless to work was about a 3 minute process the first time, and a 5 second process now.
"hacks for getting X apps to run"
This is true. Try loading Windows apps on a PocketPC and see if you can do it. You are slamming a device for NOT doing something it isn't designed to do (but that CAN, with work).
You forgot one!
"1. Imagine a Beowolf cluster of...
2. In Soviet Russia...
3. Web server running off of reviewed hardware"
4. ???
5. Profit!
"Actually to get full functionality of a PDA you have to spend a lot more than $600.
PDA$500
128M Memory Card$55
Wireless Card$140
Extra Battery$50
Battery Charger$45
Carrying Case$75
TOTAL: $865"
Running a porn server off your PDA: Priceless.
Looks like their web server is running off their PDA. *ba-da dum*
"Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman
A lot of people are crazy about American Gods, and I agree it's a good read. However, Neil Gaiman's real strongpoint is his short stories, of which this is a collection. "Murder Mysteries", "Only the End of the World Again" and "Don't Ask Jack" are my personal favorites, although there's really good stuff throughout."
Better yet, pick up some of his Sandman trade paperbacks. Now that's geeky!
"Apparently nothing. It will really suck when your new $60,000 Sun Server gets hosed because someone put a copy of the latest backstreet boys music on it."
Seems like this would be a mercy killing. Justifiable machina-cide?
They'd just grab the data from the car's last moments, as in this story.
Then the robot judge can sentence you to life in a sleep chamber. When you wake up, the world will be filled with robots and Haley Joel Osment.
"I'd personally like a Sony Ericsson p800 style PDA phone that had the screen from a Clie NZ90, GPS, iPod sized hard drive, megapixel camera, the VERY cool remote control center from Sony, 802.11g and Bluetooth + an Mp3 player and DIVX/MPEG4 decoder."
And a pony.
"field-force management application"
;)
Is this something that will let them fire/layoff people remotely? That's what "force management" tends to mean to me.