Anyone else feel like innovation in the FPS genre has stagnated since the introduction of Counter-Strike?
CS is hardly innovative. It's a good take on the q2 mod called "Action Quake." CS is certainly fun, but just because every two-bit mod-author-wannabe ripped it off doesn't mean it was innovative.
And what type of editorializing would we have if some no-name database project stole the name of an established browser? Just because you like the phoenix/firebird project doesn't automatically make them right.
If they want to maintain clarity, all of the established firebird developers now have the wonderful repsonsibility of qualifying their projects as firebird-db or somesuch nonsense because the phoenix team picked a name for their software that was already taken.
I can't understand if this naming issue is just some publicity stunt or if the moz developers are really this oblivious to the inconvenience they're causing. I would expect this sort of insane behavior from a pair of firms with an over-imaginative PR departments trying to brand themselves. But watching this shit come from open-source developers? Depressing.
And in other news from everyone's favorite up-to-date news service, Boston.com is reporting that the United States has in fact put a man on the moon. Breaking news reports also suggest a distrubance in some isolated asian country. Stay tuned for details.
I think we have a misunderstanding of what constitutes "professional". Professional recording is not what happens at your local county fairgrounds by dropping a few cheap mikes in front of a P.A. system and plugging everything into a fancy iPaq. This is a professional recording environment.
Professional-grade recording requires at least six-figures worth of high-end equipment, in addition to numerous skilled sound engineers. A single quality microphone runs thousands of dollars alone. Does this PDA offer good recording quality? Maybe. But don't start throwing around PR bullshit just because it runs Linux.
I know of a number people who've had problems, but I will say that I've had no problems with PayPal - on both my personal account and on the Subscription side of things.
Careful now, Hemos, the advertisements go on the TOP of the page, and the stories go on the BOTTOM. Please be more careful in the future.
Why don't they sell chips without these stupid measures? I rather enjoy overclocking machines (despite the risk) and I would happily buy a retail CPU that lacked this technology, including the FSB multiplier lock. Years ago when they began implementing the multiplier lock I honestly felt that, given time and the ever growing market for cooling gear, they would market an overclockable chip.
Look at the motherboard industry as an example; there was a period a few years ago where Abit was considered the number one board for serious CPU enthusiasts, since their boards contained many features that allowed easy overclocking--thermal probes, small bus speed increments, and so on. While overclockers certainly aren't anywhere near the majority of computer users, I think that they're a significant enough part of the market to warrant "unlocked" CPUs. It certainly helped motherboard manufacturers.
Am I completely wrong here? This news item certainly points me in that direction. Yes, we hate remarking chips. Yes, the patent is probably questionable. But how about moving in the other direction? Either Intel or AMD, damnit, I just want an old-fashioned unlocked CPU/keychain.
With the dignified and respecful manner they treat their students with, I'm sure they'll be quite popular with the/. crowd. You should have added a link to their admissions page.
Speaking as an Independant (generally for lack of better options), I have observed that ALL reps sell out due to the obscene amounts of money needed to win a federal election. Though I have to admit, the intra-party bickering we just witnessed above you (bush = evil; dems = good) sure makes a nice distraction as to the how and why of the U.S. political system.
Idealogical extremes do serve as a nice introduction to get the kids interested in politics, though I worry about those that don't outgrow it.
I wouldn't get too excited people. I was a beta tester for Warcraft III. Yes, you'll get to play the game before most other people. You'll also get to see the bugs, be subjected to the glaring imbalances, and have a less fun time overall than with a polished commercial product. I'm not trying to dissuade anyone from signing up; I just want you to understand that the signups are for beta testers and not impatient people that don't want to wait until the final retail release. In short, if you don't plan on actually submitting bug reports, please don't waste a beta slot on yourself.
That said, the last beta test was something of a joke. Ideas and opinions from the community were largely ignored. About halfway through it became apparent that the only reason they even had a public beta was to save money on real QA testing. If blizzard wants to do that, they absolutely have that right. But I hope they're more honest this time around. If they actually want ideas/input/suggestions, then give us feedback and let us know you're listening. If you just want our BSOD'ing boxes and the bandwidth we throw at the server, say so. Vague thank-you's and promises of "careful considerations" of the community's ideas are no way to further your fanbase. Be open with the fans. This doesn't have to turn out as bad as the last beta and subsequent official launch.
I would like to stop worrying about dependencies. I own a 60 gig drive. You can statically link your program with a 30k lib. Really, I don't mind. I don't like hunting down source tarballs for some obscure program I'll only need once. At least give the option to download a statically compiled program. The dependency hell is one major aspect that makes Linux difficult for many new users. And I won't even mention circular dependencies.
Some of the dedicated b.net players are dissapointed by this. The usual Blizzard fanboys are, as expected, frothing at their mouths. But this "expansion" is both ill-timed and a slap in the face to those of us that have been patiently waiting for Blizzard to fix Warcraft III multiplayer. Some of the new multiplayer features (like clan support) were hoped to be in the game originally. Many of the things they're adding are features that have been asked for since the public beta, and Bliz kept giving generic responses -- "We value the fans opinions..." -- leading us to believe they were planning on implementing them. They kept telling us they were working hard to improve b.net and planned many changes, but now we find out the changes are exclusively for the expansion!
And furthermore, the imbalances in Warcraft III are so blatantly obvious that it's sickening. The only redeeming factor is that each race has so many different imbalances it's usually possible to compete between races. But come tournament time, one or two main strategies (sometimes bordering on being bug exploits) appear.
What I'm getting at here is that I'm not excited; I'm dissapointed. Warcraft III to many still isn't finished. Map hackers (and other cheaters) run rampant on b.net, the ladder and scoring systems are in serious need of an overhaul, there has been no mention of Warcraft seasons or Blizzard-sanctioned tournament, and their attempt at "balancing" the game have become so bad that Warcraft III is nothing like what it was originally supposed to be, at least judging from the beta. (Need to kill high-ranking undead abominations? Mass frail spellcasters and rush them in headlong! No melee support needed!)
Blizzard led us all to believe that they were intent on fixing the broken multiplayer system. Now I find out that for $30 I can have the game I was originally promised. Way to go Blizzard.
It may be inevitable that products purchased on the net will be taxed someday.
Products purchased on the Internet are taxed right now. Businesses must pay varying amounts to various governments in order to operate. You, in turn, pay for this when you purchase a product. In essence, the taxes levied on businesses end up being paid by you. Should you ever begin to appreciate the complexity and magnitude of these taxes, including the various means to increase/decrease or even get out of them, a paltry 5% (or whatever) sales tax isn't all that big of a deal. The governments' largest monetary gain (and your loss) is not sales tax -- it is the traditional means of taxing a business. This law won't change it. It may, however, help to keep you from figuring out just how much of your money is really being taxed.
That's exactly what I'm talking about. With Pingtool dead (AFAIK) this is the only real alternative to Gamespy. But with exclusive Gamespy "partnerships", the game devs won't make an Eye-friendly master server configuration. It is entire possible to make a server that properly lists all hosts but makes it available to Gamespy only. America's Army (as only one example) initially did this. This behaviour is unfortunately going to continue.
I like the All-Seeing Eye too, and use it quite frequently. But it doesn't support all the games Gamespy does. And it takes time to support newer games, where Gamespy and their "parteners" get a jump on it. Electronic Arts is now going to use Gamespy for their games. Press release here: http://www.gamespyindustries.com/press/releases/20 02-november-eamla.shtml.
I wouldn't be surprised to see Gamespy end up being the only way to play EA games in the near future. The All-Seeing Eye developers have managed to keep up this far with most of the big-name titles, but with their program growing in popularity I think this is a recognition of a threat.
If you're looking for general interest sites, a few to check out would be: Shacknews -- www.shacknews.com and Blue's News -- www.bluesnews.com and maybe even the Adrenaline Vault -- www.avault.com and Thresh's FiringSquad -- www.firingsquad.com. While these sites aren't perfect, they aren't nearly as bad as Gamespy and Gamespot.
Better yet are actual fan sites for games you're interested in. A good way to find some is to check the game's official page for a list of fan sites or simply talk to other players. To show you what happens when real gamers put together web sites...
Does anyone really care what Gamespy thinks? I can't help but laugh when I see these articles. Their website has become nothing more than a playground for hive-minded children looking to find this weeks new "cool" words and get fed advertisement driven "content" on the game industry. Their webmasters have a collective gaming experience on par with what you could find at and local Wal-Mart's nintendo kiosks. Check the insightful gameplay guides/tips of any planet site. PlanetQuake and PlanetWarcraft are prime examples; they're both full of laughable advice.
Furthermore, their bullying and underhanded tactics towards the entire industry is damaging everyone (try to use a game finding tool other than Gamespy -- the alternatives don't support as many games, thanks to "exclusive content"). Their entire site, as defined by virtually every hardcore gamer I know, is a complete joke. There are many interesting websites out there dealing with games. Please quit linking to the worst one.
I know this corporations are evil/hackers are good thing is popular on slashdot, but you don't make any sense. See, in the real world, we are governed by laws. There is no law that states: "You must treat customer data with appropriate care." Punishment is the result of a specific law being broken, not some romantic H4X0R ideal. Having third-rate security, while deplorable, isn't illegal anywhere as far as I know.
But the clueless (and as you seemed to have implied, "harmless") hackers have broken a law or two. They absolutely deserve whatever criminal proceedings are forthcoming. The business deserves, simply, to lose its government contract. Why you want to complicate this matter and rewrite corporate law is beyond me.
Your sensationalism would imply things like this are routine, when in fact, the rarity of these events is due to the two after-effects I've mentioned above.
Skinner claimed that the frequency of a given behavior is directly linked to whether it is rewarded or punished. If a behavior is rewarded, it is more likely to be repeated. If it is punished, it becomes suppressed.
Fascinating! And to believe these Verant scoundrels would use such advanced psychology in their game making!
Exactly. And this in itself is part of the problem. In order for a game (MUD or MMORPG) to get popular/profitable, it has to attract as many players as possible. In order to do this, the developers cater to the "lowest common denominator" (i.e. the idiots). A small list of common features: 1) unlimited lifespan, 2) minimal punishment for death, and 3) using time as a measure of advancement (not being good, just being patient).
In the end this creates an atmosphere where "everybody is a winner!". These games generally take little skill and will reward repetitive tasks over thoughtful gaming. Not that this is generally bad, but it does make an atmosphere where you feel a sense of accomplishment with comparatively little work done on your part. And that's what these games are about: accomplishment.
And what happens when you get a new mouse? Reinstall mandrake? Or what if the PnP probe doesn't find your new hardware? Give the user some damn knowledge, not an invisible install mechanism. Carefully document the install process, make available the basic tools needed, and let the user have a go at it. Auto-detecting devices is fine, but it presupposes your hardware will be found and recognized. In the long term, the type of person running Linux will appreciate an understanding of the device installation process. This is what's wrong with your argument; you people want to turn Linux into Windows.
And for what it's worth, there's a significant difference between "user friendly" and "so dumbed down it's all done for me". The former makes available a logical and consistent process for system administration. The latter type, as you seem to be advocating, already exists. Don't try and ruin it for the rest of us.
Slashdot Mirror
Anyone else feel like innovation in the FPS genre has stagnated since the introduction of Counter-Strike?
CS is hardly innovative. It's a good take on the q2 mod called "Action Quake." CS is certainly fun, but just because every two-bit mod-author-wannabe ripped it off doesn't mean it was innovative.
And in related news, NASA officials recently announced an exploratory campaign will be taking place in Syria next week.
And what type of editorializing would we have if some no-name database project stole the name of an established browser? Just because you like the phoenix/firebird project doesn't automatically make them right.
If they want to maintain clarity, all of the established firebird developers now have the wonderful repsonsibility of qualifying their projects as firebird-db or somesuch nonsense because the phoenix team picked a name for their software that was already taken.
I can't understand if this naming issue is just some publicity stunt or if the moz developers are really this oblivious to the inconvenience they're causing. I would expect this sort of insane behavior from a pair of firms with an over-imaginative PR departments trying to brand themselves. But watching this shit come from open-source developers? Depressing.
And in other news from everyone's favorite up-to-date news service, Boston.com is reporting that the United States has in fact put a man on the moon. Breaking news reports also suggest a distrubance in some isolated asian country. Stay tuned for details.
I think we have a misunderstanding of what constitutes "professional". Professional recording is not what happens at your local county fairgrounds by dropping a few cheap mikes in front of a P.A. system and plugging everything into a fancy iPaq. This is a professional recording environment.
Professional-grade recording requires at least six-figures worth of high-end equipment, in addition to numerous skilled sound engineers. A single quality microphone runs thousands of dollars alone. Does this PDA offer good recording quality? Maybe. But don't start throwing around PR bullshit just because it runs Linux.
I know of a number people who've had problems, but I will say that I've had no problems with PayPal - on both my personal account and on the Subscription side of things.
Careful now, Hemos, the advertisements go on the TOP of the page, and the stories go on the BOTTOM. Please be more careful in the future.
Why don't they sell chips without these stupid measures? I rather enjoy overclocking machines (despite the risk) and I would happily buy a retail CPU that lacked this technology, including the FSB multiplier lock. Years ago when they began implementing the multiplier lock I honestly felt that, given time and the ever growing market for cooling gear, they would market an overclockable chip.
Look at the motherboard industry as an example; there was a period a few years ago where Abit was considered the number one board for serious CPU enthusiasts, since their boards contained many features that allowed easy overclocking--thermal probes, small bus speed increments, and so on. While overclockers certainly aren't anywhere near the majority of computer users, I think that they're a significant enough part of the market to warrant "unlocked" CPUs. It certainly helped motherboard manufacturers.
Am I completely wrong here? This news item certainly points me in that direction. Yes, we hate remarking chips. Yes, the patent is probably questionable. But how about moving in the other direction? Either Intel or AMD, damnit, I just want an old-fashioned unlocked CPU/keychain.
Suggested course offerings follow:
CSI1001: Introduction to the necessity of 3rd-party security modules in a Microsoft environment
CSI1002: Trusted++ computing--how to manage your defenseless box on a multi-million node internet
CSI2001: Rapid HotFix/Service Pack deployment
CSI2002: (Continuation of 2001) Rapid HotFix/Service pack undeployment
CSI3001: Microsoft and you--Introspectives on long-term site licensing and vendor lock-in
No, it would compromise security if the vagrant open-source developers saw the Win32 source code. China, on the other hand, certainly isn't a threat.
Just replace "national security" with "microsoft security", and things make sense.
--
With the dignified and respecful manner they treat their students with, I'm sure they'll be quite popular with the /. crowd. You should have added a link to their admissions page.
--
Speaking as an Independant (generally for lack of better options), I have observed that ALL reps sell out due to the obscene amounts of money needed to win a federal election. Though I have to admit, the intra-party bickering we just witnessed above you (bush = evil; dems = good) sure makes a nice distraction as to the how and why of the U.S. political system.
Idealogical extremes do serve as a nice introduction to get the kids interested in politics, though I worry about those that don't outgrow it.
--
Then fuck the FCC! I hereby call upon all slashdotters to boycott those worthless...wait a minute...oh shit...
--
I wouldn't get too excited people. I was a beta tester for Warcraft III. Yes, you'll get to play the game before most other people. You'll also get to see the bugs, be subjected to the glaring imbalances, and have a less fun time overall than with a polished commercial product. I'm not trying to dissuade anyone from signing up; I just want you to understand that the signups are for beta testers and not impatient people that don't want to wait until the final retail release. In short, if you don't plan on actually submitting bug reports, please don't waste a beta slot on yourself.
That said, the last beta test was something of a joke. Ideas and opinions from the community were largely ignored. About halfway through it became apparent that the only reason they even had a public beta was to save money on real QA testing. If blizzard wants to do that, they absolutely have that right. But I hope they're more honest this time around. If they actually want ideas/input/suggestions, then give us feedback and let us know you're listening. If you just want our BSOD'ing boxes and the bandwidth we throw at the server, say so. Vague thank-you's and promises of "careful considerations" of the community's ideas are no way to further your fanbase. Be open with the fans. This doesn't have to turn out as bad as the last beta and subsequent official launch.
I would like to stop worrying about dependencies. I own a 60 gig drive. You can statically link your program with a 30k lib. Really, I don't mind. I don't like hunting down source tarballs for some obscure program I'll only need once. At least give the option to download a statically compiled program. The dependency hell is one major aspect that makes Linux difficult for many new users. And I won't even mention circular dependencies.
Some of the dedicated b.net players are dissapointed by this. The usual Blizzard fanboys are, as expected, frothing at their mouths. But this "expansion" is both ill-timed and a slap in the face to those of us that have been patiently waiting for Blizzard to fix Warcraft III multiplayer. Some of the new multiplayer features (like clan support) were hoped to be in the game originally. Many of the things they're adding are features that have been asked for since the public beta, and Bliz kept giving generic responses -- "We value the fans opinions..." -- leading us to believe they were planning on implementing them. They kept telling us they were working hard to improve b.net and planned many changes, but now we find out the changes are exclusively for the expansion!
And furthermore, the imbalances in Warcraft III are so blatantly obvious that it's sickening. The only redeeming factor is that each race has so many different imbalances it's usually possible to compete between races. But come tournament time, one or two main strategies (sometimes bordering on being bug exploits) appear.
What I'm getting at here is that I'm not excited; I'm dissapointed. Warcraft III to many still isn't finished. Map hackers (and other cheaters) run rampant on b.net, the ladder and scoring systems are in serious need of an overhaul, there has been no mention of Warcraft seasons or Blizzard-sanctioned tournament, and their attempt at "balancing" the game have become so bad that Warcraft III is nothing like what it was originally supposed to be, at least judging from the beta. (Need to kill high-ranking undead abominations? Mass frail spellcasters and rush them in headlong! No melee support needed!)
Blizzard led us all to believe that they were intent on fixing the broken multiplayer system. Now I find out that for $30 I can have the game I was originally promised. Way to go Blizzard.
--
It may be inevitable that products purchased on the net will be taxed someday.
Products purchased on the Internet are taxed right now. Businesses must pay varying amounts to various governments in order to operate. You, in turn, pay for this when you purchase a product. In essence, the taxes levied on businesses end up being paid by you. Should you ever begin to appreciate the complexity and magnitude of these taxes, including the various means to increase/decrease or even get out of them, a paltry 5% (or whatever) sales tax isn't all that big of a deal. The governments' largest monetary gain (and your loss) is not sales tax -- it is the traditional means of taxing a business. This law won't change it. It may, however, help to keep you from figuring out just how much of your money is really being taxed.
That's exactly what I'm talking about. With Pingtool dead (AFAIK) this is the only real alternative to Gamespy. But with exclusive Gamespy "partnerships", the game devs won't make an Eye-friendly master server configuration. It is entire possible to make a server that properly lists all hosts but makes it available to Gamespy only. America's Army (as only one example) initially did this. This behaviour is unfortunately going to continue.
I like the All-Seeing Eye too, and use it quite frequently. But it doesn't support all the games Gamespy does. And it takes time to support newer games, where Gamespy and their "parteners" get a jump on it. Electronic Arts is now going to use Gamespy for their games. Press release here: http://www.gamespyindustries.com/press/releases/20 02-november-eamla.shtml.
I wouldn't be surprised to see Gamespy end up being the only way to play EA games in the near future. The All-Seeing Eye developers have managed to keep up this far with most of the big-name titles, but with their program growing in popularity I think this is a recognition of a threat.
If you're looking for general interest sites, a few to check out would be: Shacknews -- www.shacknews.com and Blue's News -- www.bluesnews.com and maybe even the Adrenaline Vault -- www.avault.com and Thresh's FiringSquad -- www.firingsquad.com. While these sites aren't perfect, they aren't nearly as bad as Gamespy and Gamespot.
Better yet are actual fan sites for games you're interested in. A good way to find some is to check the game's official page for a list of fan sites or simply talk to other players. To show you what happens when real gamers put together web sites...
Warcraft III: (Excellent replays)
www.theinclan.com
Counter-Strike: (Replays and configs)
www.sogamed.com
Quake: (News)
www.quake3stuff.com
Does anyone really care what Gamespy thinks? I can't help but laugh when I see these articles. Their website has become nothing more than a playground for hive-minded children looking to find this weeks new "cool" words and get fed advertisement driven "content" on the game industry. Their webmasters have a collective gaming experience on par with what you could find at and local Wal-Mart's nintendo kiosks. Check the insightful gameplay guides/tips of any planet site. PlanetQuake and PlanetWarcraft are prime examples; they're both full of laughable advice.
Furthermore, their bullying and underhanded tactics towards the entire industry is damaging everyone (try to use a game finding tool other than Gamespy -- the alternatives don't support as many games, thanks to "exclusive content"). Their entire site, as defined by virtually every hardcore gamer I know, is a complete joke. There are many interesting websites out there dealing with games. Please quit linking to the worst one.
I know this corporations are evil/hackers are good thing is popular on slashdot, but you don't make any sense. See, in the real world, we are governed by laws. There is no law that states: "You must treat customer data with appropriate care." Punishment is the result of a specific law being broken, not some romantic H4X0R ideal. Having third-rate security, while deplorable, isn't illegal anywhere as far as I know.
But the clueless (and as you seemed to have implied, "harmless") hackers have broken a law or two. They absolutely deserve whatever criminal proceedings are forthcoming. The business deserves, simply, to lose its government contract. Why you want to complicate this matter and rewrite corporate law is beyond me.
Your sensationalism would imply things like this are routine, when in fact, the rarity of these events is due to the two after-effects I've mentioned above.
Skinner claimed that the frequency of a given behavior is directly linked to whether it is rewarded or punished. If a behavior is rewarded, it is more likely to be repeated. If it is punished, it becomes suppressed.
Fascinating! And to believe these Verant scoundrels would use such advanced psychology in their game making!
Exactly. And this in itself is part of the problem. In order for a game (MUD or MMORPG) to get popular/profitable, it has to attract as many players as possible. In order to do this, the developers cater to the "lowest common denominator" (i.e. the idiots). A small list of common features: 1) unlimited lifespan, 2) minimal punishment for death, and 3) using time as a measure of advancement (not being good, just being patient).
In the end this creates an atmosphere where "everybody is a winner!". These games generally take little skill and will reward repetitive tasks over thoughtful gaming. Not that this is generally bad, but it does make an atmosphere where you feel a sense of accomplishment with comparatively little work done on your part. And that's what these games are about: accomplishment.
And what happens when you get a new mouse? Reinstall mandrake? Or what if the PnP probe doesn't find your new hardware? Give the user some damn knowledge, not an invisible install mechanism. Carefully document the install process, make available the basic tools needed, and let the user have a go at it. Auto-detecting devices is fine, but it presupposes your hardware will be found and recognized. In the long term, the type of person running Linux will appreciate an understanding of the device installation process. This is what's wrong with your argument; you people want to turn Linux into Windows.
And for what it's worth, there's a significant difference between "user friendly" and "so dumbed down it's all done for me". The former makes available a logical and consistent process for system administration. The latter type, as you seem to be advocating, already exists. Don't try and ruin it for the rest of us.