While I agree with your point that the jet is far superior to the ICE engine in everything but low power low cost flight, there's also truth in the OP's original statement about the inexpensive fuel being a valuable benefit of jet turbines. Some time ago, the rail industry started producing Jet Turbine locomotives due to the huge price differential between jet fuel, and diesel fuel. These engines enjoyed the power and weight benefits you describe, with the ability to burn oil that was unsuitable for use in ICE. They were eventually phased out as oil processing techniques improved, and the fuel became more valuable and expensive.
Again, your summary seems to imply that the purchase of an in game commodity with in game currency costs CCP the potential sale of the same commodity for real world money.
Some players buy PLEXes with IRL currency and sell it for isk or trade it for other stuff in-game. Some players play enough and make enough in-game profit that they buy PLEXes in-game and don't pay real money for their subscriptions, at least not every month. Those are the players CCP wants to keep around anyway, as they make the high-level PvP game interesting for the other players.
The most important word in the above quote is "anyway," which would imply that CCP would prefer to charge these players money, but finds more value in having them for PvP battles.
Again, it's an interesting bit of trivia and I appreciated that you shared it. But my reading of your wording carried implications that you obviously didn't intend to make.
Now, there's three possibilities here:
- I'm trying to ruin your reputation by misquoting you and twisting your words. - I'm a retard, and misread your post in a way no one else would have. - Your wording doesn't effectively communicate your intent.
Because your conclusion seems to imply that the players who buy PLEX with in game currency cost CCP money.
I blockquoted part of your post because I felt it was the most pertinent point that I would like to address. I presume that the average slashdotter is competent enough to read your +4 'Interesting' post if they would like to read the quote in context.
While I'm on this rant, can we please, please, stop using the word "Literally" as an intensity modifier for metaphorical descriptions? I swear, the next person who tells me they're "Literally on fire" gets sprayed with a fire-extinguisher as an object lesson. Power or CO2, I haven't decided yet. We'll just see what feels right at the time.
I usually respond with 'And by literally, you mean metaphorically.' But I guess your idea is cool too.:)
I am reminded of that quote about having abundant solar energy as soon as the utility companies solve one technical problem: how to run a sunbeam through a meter. I don't know how feasible abundant solar energy actually is, but this is a great caricacture of a mentality that needs to be understood. You're dealing with something just like it when you get down to the root of prohibition.
I've seen far too many huge companies taken down by new technology and poor business decisions to believe that a shadow conspiracy exists to stifle progressive change in drug laws and energy innovation. As always, public opinion is the strongest political force in the united states, and as it changes, so too will our laws.
[blockquote]Some players play enough and make enough in-game profit that they buy PLEXes in-game and don't pay real money for their subscriptions, at least not every month. Those are the players CCP wants to keep around anyway, as they make the high-level PvP game interesting for the other players.[/blockquote]
Keep in mind also that for every player who trades ISK for a PLEX, another player is buying PLEXes with cold hard cash. No matter who buys the PLEX, CCP makes money. It's kind of a win/win/win situation.
Hint: If a woman really likes her bra, destroying is is not going to go over well. Good bras are extremely expensive (upwards of $60) and well endowed girls have a hell of a time finding bras that they find both attractive and comfortable. If you ruin the bra, don't expect a 2nd date.
There was never a good reason to be in our current iraq war. First it was because 'Saddam has weapons of mass destruction' then it was 'Saddam supported terrorists' which was also blatantly false. Then we went in to liberate the population, inviting terrorism into their land. Now we're there because we can't remove ourselves from the tangled mess we created.
The whole war has been bullshit, and many Iraqi's were better off under Saddam.
Spend some cyber modules on the psionic 'Enhanced Motion Sensitivity' ability.
I bought it a while back while trying to track down the last of the damned red eggs in the Von Braun nacelle. It's amazing how quickly a radar screen turns one of the most atmospheric games of the late 90s into a rather pedestrian shooter.
The load of one plug-in recharging (about 2 kilowatts) is roughly the same as that of four or five plasma television sets. Plasma TVs hardly brought worries about grid crashes.
Yes, but there are two issues with this. Firstly, most of the plasma televisions purchased replaced older CRTs. In cases where there wasn't a significant difference in screen size between the plasma TV and the CRT it replaced, overall draw would fall.
Secondly, I really don't see the average family owning 4 or 5 50" plasma televisions (especially since plasma has fallen behind the more efficient LCD.) Every family owns a car, and if the technology improves sufficiently in terms of cost and practicality, I could imagine them becoming somewhat common in the foreseeable future, especially since owning two vehicles are very common where I live.
With today's technology, a family could easily own an electric for commuting and errands, plus a gasoline car for long distance travel. Quick change batteries and fast charging systems may make electric cars suitable for long distance travel, as well.
The N64 used RDRAM, which was more expensive than SDRRAM. Additionally, it was originally released in 1996. Back then, 4 megs of memory wasn't hugely expensive, but it wasn't trivial either.
I worry that someday I'll pop a disk in PS3 and it will say, "Sorry you must upgrade your videocard to 1 gigabyte to play this game.
It's already happened. The Nintendo 64 had a memory upgrade that was required to play some games. Fortunately, the upgrade was relatively straightforward.
Haven't we learned anything from PS/2 connectors? Installing ports that are physically, but not electronically compatible on consumer devices is a stupid solution.
Given that a lot of receivers and devices currently have built in Ethernet ports for network connectivity, I can't see this as being a particularly good idea... It's not as if hard wired Ethernet ports are common in residential walls...
Can we please kill HDCP? Please? There is no technical reason why my monitor should not be able to be connected to an HDMI-capable entertainment device by means of an HDMI-DVI adapter.
Yes, there is a technical reason your monitor can't be connected to your entertainment device... Your monitor doesn't support HDCP decoding. Mine does. A HDMI > DVI adaptor works fine, and I've been using my computer monitor as a television for more than a year now.
With that said, the solution works best when your monitor supports native HD resolutions.
If somehow this technique were to be come a common defense tool, then someone planning a crime could shrewdly stockpile tap water from a city with a distinct signature that isn't where the crime will take place.
I'd be impressed if you could stockpile significant amounts of water without leaving evidence in the form of empty containers, palates of water, shipping receipts, purchase receipts, and loyalty card information.
It's not that hard to destroy evidence. The hard part is destroying evidence without creating even more evidence.
I've done this myself. I live in northern California and race motorcycles at the amateur level as a member of the American Federation of Motorcycles (AFM.)
This is my novice season and prior to racing this year, my only track experience was up at Thunder Hill, in Willows CA. The AFM also races at Buttonwillow, and has three events at Sears Point (Infineon) raceway near Napa, California. Sears Point Raceway is featured in a number of games, including Tourist Trophy for the PS2.
My experience is that practicing with video games prior to riding a new track is valuable but is far from being a replacement for real world experience and youtube videos. The video game provided me a good broad overview of the track, and taught me the basic layout, which was incredibly helpful. But the video game fails in a number of important areas:
First... The maps aren't detailed enough to provide reference points. When racing, it's incredibly important to note features and marks on or around the track that can be used to identify actions, such as where to start braking, where to turn in, where to apex, and where I want to end up. These reference points can be things such as billboards, patches on the track, curbing... In one case, a porta-poty on the side of the track turned out to be a good reference point. The level of detail in video games just won't help there.
For what it's worth, the game is quite good. The curbing all seems to be in the right place. Camber is correct on all turns, and I notice a lot of subtle track features I see in real life.
Second... The overall performance of the motorcycles in many video games don't line up with reality. I noticed in Tourest Trophy that some of the bikes would hit speeds completely unreasonable for the amount of power they produced. Conversely, the handling feels fairly sluggish - real machines could often take tighter lines than their simulated counterparts, permitting me to carry more speed through the corners. The extra simulated power often meant that shift points and brake points that work in the video game would be all wrong in real life.
As an example, in real life I ride a mostly stock Suzuki GS500, which makes about 40 horsepower at the wheel. Through turn 3, I can generally hold the throttle wide open. Making the same turn in TT on a "Race Prepped CB400SS" without closing the throttle will put me in the simulated weeds.
Finally, the physics in the video game are all wrong. For instance, rolling off the gas mid turn at the lean angles we run usually causes the front tire to slide, and often leads to a crash. In the game, not only can you roll aggressively on and off the gas, but you can even apply the brakes at full lean. Obviously, there are games with better simulated physics, but I doubt you're going to find one that dials it all the way up to true realism - such a game would be nearly impossible to play with the limited feedback provided by a video game.
But again, the experience on the video game is valuable. Prior to playing Tourist Trophy, it was very hard for me to understand and follow the track when I watch youtube videos. Having an idea of where the video was recorded makes it easier to follow along and pay attention to details.
The huge benefit to learning the track on a video game is that I don't have to spend valuable track time learning the track layout during practice. The first time out on an unfamiliar track, it's very difficult to run anywhere near the limits of the tracks potential, due to the doubt about upcoming corners. When I don't have a good feeling for how long a turn is, or how a turn is cambered, I'm naturally going to run a very conservative pace.
As a side note... My best lap around Sears point was a 2:02, on my second race weekend with 5 days of experience on the track. For comparison sake, in Tourist Trophy, I can consistently pull 1:56s on the Honda CB400SS, which the game claims makes 31HP (25% less than my bike.) The game also claims that the bike hits 100 miles per hour between turn
For what it's worth, when I think of British Rail, I think 'the combination of London Underground and National Rail that permits me to go pretty much anywhere without hiring a taxi.'
Slashdot Mirror
Because wide-screen monitors permit you to to view 2 vertical windows simultaneously?
Because with vertical content, it's preferable to scroll vertically rather than horizontally?
While I agree with your point that the jet is far superior to the ICE engine in everything but low power low cost flight, there's also truth in the OP's original statement about the inexpensive fuel being a valuable benefit of jet turbines. Some time ago, the rail industry started producing Jet Turbine locomotives due to the huge price differential between jet fuel, and diesel fuel. These engines enjoyed the power and weight benefits you describe, with the ability to burn oil that was unsuitable for use in ICE. They were eventually phased out as oil processing techniques improved, and the fuel became more valuable and expensive.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Pacific_GTELs
The OP also makes a valuable point that Jet Fuel is not expensive or particularly exotic.
Again, your summary seems to imply that the purchase of an in game commodity with in game currency costs CCP the potential sale of the same commodity for real world money.
The most important word in the above quote is "anyway," which would imply that CCP would prefer to charge these players money, but finds more value in having them for PvP battles.
Again, it's an interesting bit of trivia and I appreciated that you shared it. But my reading of your wording carried implications that you obviously didn't intend to make.
Now, there's three possibilities here:
- I'm trying to ruin your reputation by misquoting you and twisting your words.
- I'm a retard, and misread your post in a way no one else would have.
- Your wording doesn't effectively communicate your intent.
Apply Occam's Razor to this situation.
Because your conclusion seems to imply that the players who buy PLEX with in game currency cost CCP money.
I blockquoted part of your post because I felt it was the most pertinent point that I would like to address. I presume that the average slashdotter is competent enough to read your +4 'Interesting' post if they would like to read the quote in context.
I usually respond with 'And by literally, you mean metaphorically.' But I guess your idea is cool too. :)
I've seen far too many huge companies taken down by new technology and poor business decisions to believe that a shadow conspiracy exists to stifle progressive change in drug laws and energy innovation. As always, public opinion is the strongest political force in the united states, and as it changes, so too will our laws.
[blockquote]Some players play enough and make enough in-game profit that they buy PLEXes in-game and don't pay real money for their subscriptions, at least not every month. Those are the players CCP wants to keep around anyway, as they make the high-level PvP game interesting for the other players.[/blockquote]
Keep in mind also that for every player who trades ISK for a PLEX, another player is buying PLEXes with cold hard cash. No matter who buys the PLEX, CCP makes money. It's kind of a win/win/win situation.
Hint: If a woman really likes her bra, destroying is is not going to go over well. Good bras are extremely expensive (upwards of $60) and well endowed girls have a hell of a time finding bras that they find both attractive and comfortable. If you ruin the bra, don't expect a 2nd date.
That's a fine bit of revisionary history there.
There was never a good reason to be in our current iraq war. First it was because 'Saddam has weapons of mass destruction' then it was 'Saddam supported terrorists' which was also blatantly false. Then we went in to liberate the population, inviting terrorism into their land. Now we're there because we can't remove ourselves from the tangled mess we created.
The whole war has been bullshit, and many Iraqi's were better off under Saddam.
Spend some cyber modules on the psionic 'Enhanced Motion Sensitivity' ability.
I bought it a while back while trying to track down the last of the damned red eggs in the Von Braun nacelle. It's amazing how quickly a radar screen turns one of the most atmospheric games of the late 90s into a rather pedestrian shooter.
And by the same token, the 1st amendment is exactly the government deciding what kind of speech is allowed, by definition.
Yes, but there are two issues with this. Firstly, most of the plasma televisions purchased replaced older CRTs. In cases where there wasn't a significant difference in screen size between the plasma TV and the CRT it replaced, overall draw would fall.
Secondly, I really don't see the average family owning 4 or 5 50" plasma televisions (especially since plasma has fallen behind the more efficient LCD.) Every family owns a car, and if the technology improves sufficiently in terms of cost and practicality, I could imagine them becoming somewhat common in the foreseeable future, especially since owning two vehicles are very common where I live.
With today's technology, a family could easily own an electric for commuting and errands, plus a gasoline car for long distance travel. Quick change batteries and fast charging systems may make electric cars suitable for long distance travel, as well.
The N64 used RDRAM, which was more expensive than SDRRAM. Additionally, it was originally released in 1996. Back then, 4 megs of memory wasn't hugely expensive, but it wasn't trivial either.
I worry that someday I'll pop a disk in PS3 and it will say, "Sorry you must upgrade your videocard to 1 gigabyte to play this game.
It's already happened. The Nintendo 64 had a memory upgrade that was required to play some games. Fortunately, the upgrade was relatively straightforward.
HDCP is a copy protection system. I'm all for getting rid of it, but I strongly doubt that doing so would earn any support from content creators.
If you want to know the reason for HDCP's existence, you need look no further than Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDCP
Haven't we learned anything from PS/2 connectors? Installing ports that are physically, but not electronically compatible on consumer devices is a stupid solution.
Given that a lot of receivers and devices currently have built in Ethernet ports for network connectivity, I can't see this as being a particularly good idea... It's not as if hard wired Ethernet ports are common in residential walls...
Can we please kill HDCP? Please? There is no technical reason why my monitor should not be able to be connected to an HDMI-capable entertainment device by means of an HDMI-DVI adapter.
Yes, there is a technical reason your monitor can't be connected to your entertainment device... Your monitor doesn't support HDCP decoding. Mine does. A HDMI > DVI adaptor works fine, and I've been using my computer monitor as a television for more than a year now.
With that said, the solution works best when your monitor supports native HD resolutions.
If somehow this technique were to be come a common defense tool, then someone planning a crime could shrewdly stockpile tap water from a city with a distinct signature that isn't where the crime will take place.
I'd be impressed if you could stockpile significant amounts of water without leaving evidence in the form of empty containers, palates of water, shipping receipts, purchase receipts, and loyalty card information.
It's not that hard to destroy evidence. The hard part is destroying evidence without creating even more evidence.
I've done this myself. I live in northern California and race motorcycles at the amateur level as a member of the American Federation of Motorcycles (AFM.)
This is my novice season and prior to racing this year, my only track experience was up at Thunder Hill, in Willows CA. The AFM also races at Buttonwillow, and has three events at Sears Point (Infineon) raceway near Napa, California. Sears Point Raceway is featured in a number of games, including Tourist Trophy for the PS2.
My experience is that practicing with video games prior to riding a new track is valuable but is far from being a replacement for real world experience and youtube videos. The video game provided me a good broad overview of the track, and taught me the basic layout, which was incredibly helpful. But the video game fails in a number of important areas:
First... The maps aren't detailed enough to provide reference points. When racing, it's incredibly important to note features and marks on or around the track that can be used to identify actions, such as where to start braking, where to turn in, where to apex, and where I want to end up. These reference points can be things such as billboards, patches on the track, curbing... In one case, a porta-poty on the side of the track turned out to be a good reference point. The level of detail in video games just won't help there.
For what it's worth, the game is quite good. The curbing all seems to be in the right place. Camber is correct on all turns, and I notice a lot of subtle track features I see in real life.
Second... The overall performance of the motorcycles in many video games don't line up with reality. I noticed in Tourest Trophy that some of the bikes would hit speeds completely unreasonable for the amount of power they produced. Conversely, the handling feels fairly sluggish - real machines could often take tighter lines than their simulated counterparts, permitting me to carry more speed through the corners. The extra simulated power often meant that shift points and brake points that work in the video game would be all wrong in real life.
As an example, in real life I ride a mostly stock Suzuki GS500, which makes about 40 horsepower at the wheel. Through turn 3, I can generally hold the throttle wide open. Making the same turn in TT on a "Race Prepped CB400SS" without closing the throttle will put me in the simulated weeds.
Finally, the physics in the video game are all wrong. For instance, rolling off the gas mid turn at the lean angles we run usually causes the front tire to slide, and often leads to a crash. In the game, not only can you roll aggressively on and off the gas, but you can even apply the brakes at full lean. Obviously, there are games with better simulated physics, but I doubt you're going to find one that dials it all the way up to true realism - such a game would be nearly impossible to play with the limited feedback provided by a video game.
But again, the experience on the video game is valuable. Prior to playing Tourist Trophy, it was very hard for me to understand and follow the track when I watch youtube videos. Having an idea of where the video was recorded makes it easier to follow along and pay attention to details.
The huge benefit to learning the track on a video game is that I don't have to spend valuable track time learning the track layout during practice. The first time out on an unfamiliar track, it's very difficult to run anywhere near the limits of the tracks potential, due to the doubt about upcoming corners. When I don't have a good feeling for how long a turn is, or how a turn is cambered, I'm naturally going to run a very conservative pace.
As a side note... My best lap around Sears point was a 2:02, on my second race weekend with 5 days of experience on the track. For comparison sake, in Tourist Trophy, I can consistently pull 1:56s on the Honda CB400SS, which the game claims makes 31HP (25% less than my bike.) The game also claims that the bike hits 100 miles per hour between turn
And here's the video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdJGlYOL0r4
Similar experiments have been performed...
:)
:(
:)
:(
...
:D
(Stupid lameness filter.)
"There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games." ~ Earnest Hemingway
(Full disclosure: I race motorcycles.)
For what it's worth, when I think of British Rail, I think 'the combination of London Underground and National Rail that permits me to go pretty much anywhere without hiring a taxi.'
Probably more than 3 if you grind them up first.