Yeah, SOE likes to give you little puzzles to solve before you can play. Next week you'll be asked to name which planet Andvari is on.
I'll be playing in about an hour. If you post on www.PlanetsideSyndicate.com what server and username you'll be using I'll be happy to give you a hand learning.
I've been playing this game on and off since it was in beta three years ago. Few games provide me with as much rage or entertainment. SOE has made mistake after mistake compounded with bad ideas. But, the core idea of the game is so interesting and the variety such that I keep playing. Really, once you get into it and find a good group to play with, there just isn't any game like it.
For new players, the game will SUCK for about two weeks. The game is a lot more complex than you think.
For example:
If you're wearing an activated infiltration suit, armed with a spiker, have the weapon drawn and walk by a spitfire turret in an enemy owned interlink facility shpere of influence and in range of a motion sensor does the turret fire at you? What if you crouch walk? What if you fire the weapon? What if you take damage?
Hell, I can't even remember. But, there are players who do and they will kill you.
Now, how many shots will it take an NC in heavy armor with heavy assault to kill you? One. Cause the NC have magical guns. (not really, they just kill me a lot)
In all, this is the stuff you learn by playing with a good group and asking questions over voice comms.
If you want help go to:
www.PlanetsideSyndicate.com
and ask for help. I'll find you a group to play with or the other people there will. The wiki there also has a lot of game info.
See, I would say that not having to constantly level is one reason I LOVE planetside. It took me a couple months to get every rank the game offered and now I just play for the community and fun. And you CAN choose your teammates.
The secret to enjoying planetside is finding a good Outfit. Outfits are like Guilds. If you get a good group, get on Teamspeak with them and have a couple beers...its a great way to pass an evening after work.
I suspect you never got into the community in the game and learned from the real players. Planetside has a stream of noobs that pass through. You'll see them zerging on foot from towers or accross country while the veterans use powerful aircraft or tanks to pick them off and giggle at the easy kills. If you're playing with the noobs, the game is frustrating and painful. If you play with the people running vehicle teams or playing defense inside...now you're talking fun.
The Rambo stuff you mention doesn't work unless you're one of about 5 players in the game who happen to be amazing...or great cheaters.
The real way to have fun is to find a group you enjoy playing the game with and stick with them. Play a support role for a few days and figure out how to play by watching them. When they teach you how to kick ass, have fun slaughtering the goggle wearing freaks in the Terran Repiblic.
no mouse no keyboard no high res monitor slow upgrade cycle
No way you can play a FPS on console. I laugh at you Halo weenies. The mouse is NEEDED.
And there is no way the dozen buttons on a console controller are going to be enough for all my weapons, macros, dodge moves, hud toggles, navigation and TEXT CHAT needs.
Even HD looks like crap compared to the monitors real gamers buy. I can buy an amazing monitor for $600, but I can't buy a TV with similar performance without spending several thousand dollars.
So, the PS3 is coming out in a few months. It will have a GPU thats already been designed and probably is in production now. In two years, that GPU will still be the one the PS3 offers. In 4 years, it will still be the one people are usuing.
I buy a new video card every year. Depending on release cycles, I'll be 4-6 generations ahead of the PS3 in 4 years.
I play PC games because I love games. I love the bleeding edge. I want to see the new technology and play the most expansive, immersive and incredible games I can find.
When I want a button masher bring fighting game I'll go buy a console.
The only thing I've found that my PS2 is good for is serving as a DVD player.
and reduce the chance you'll wind up with a typo that totally changes the meaning of the statement.
Say you happen to forget a '=' character in there. Easy to do if you're typing quickly and a bit tired. Sometimes the little statements get overlooked and you move onto the meaty logic.
if (NULL = var)
Would generate an error your compiler should tell you about...
if (var = NULL)
Will generate an error your users will tell you about... Or, maybe it will just result in silent data loss or a happy little memory leak. Who knows, but it won't be one of the good features.
The same holds true for any use of a comparison operator. Its better to have the variable component in a place where it can't be assigned to by accident.
Video games don't make people kill. People kill becuase they don't know right from wrong or because they cannot exercise self control. Think about that...they're broken people. They're sick.
A normal and healthy person will not be swayed by a game, tv show, book or movie to kill. One who has had traumatic experiences or who has delusions might be inspired to kill by a game. But, whats really at fault, the game or the disease?
I've found that having the proper video drivers under linux makes a huge difference in X performance. Under Windows, you're probably using graphics drivers with DirectX support. You should be using drivers under linux that support DRI.
Re:Why didn't you edit down CRYPTONOMICON?
on
Ask Neal Stephenson
·
· Score: 1
Wow, thats crazy talk man! I would rather he take another pass over Cryptonomicon and add another 5,000 pages. I coulda kept reading about those people for years.
Any negative results those people experience are because of social and mental problems they have...not because they play games. If someone took away their computer, they'd spend all of their time reading, watching TV, working out or staring at a wall. They are depressed, suffer from OCD, anxiety issues, self-esteem issues...lots of things.
For example, if you know a man who washes his hands every 30 minutes, gets up in the middle of the night to wash his hands and mostly stays at home so he is able to wash his hands at regular times do you say that he is addicted to washing his hands? No, you recognize that he has a mental disorder and get him treatment. Does that make hand washing bad? No, its not the activity, its the illness that should be corrected.
I've been playing games for years and have managed to get an education, maintain a successful career and enjoy a healthy social life. Why? Because I'm a healthy person. I like myself and those around me, I enjoy my days at work, my evenings with friends and family and my evenings gaming. My gaming groups are just friends I hang out with.
In my time gaming, I've come accross people with social problems, anxiety problems, depression and severe self-esteem issues. I think the reason they turn to gaming is because it allows them to interact with others in a social enviornment where there is a barrier that keeps others at a safe distance and keeps their problems secret. They get a chance to be judged just on their gaming skills and their chat humor. They usually find people who like them and maybe who share their problems.
I spend a significant amount of time gaming and will continue to do so until I no longer enjoy it. I do not consider it an addiction and never will. For years, I've played games or read books instead of watching TV. While roommates and family have come home and watched mindless sitcoms and gameshows, I was in the other room reading or slaughtering my enemies. I think my time was better spent.
In virtually every profession where the work isn't measured in hours, but instead by results, this is a huge issue. They often do not go home at shift change everyday. Some days they have to finish the job because its important that they complete a task.
Working by results has the advantage in that some days, you finish early or can work at a nice slow pace. Other days, you must work like dog. If you're having too many days where you work like a dog, a mistake has been made. Maybe you mis-estimated, maybe your boss did. Maybe another team delayed you. Maybe the workload is just too high. In any of these cases, there is a problem that the company's managment needs to address. If you're willing to participate in regular Death Marches...I feel your pain, but I know its a death spiral. Such a lack of planning and proper resource allocation over an extended period indicates seriously flawed leadership. A Death March is only acceptable in times of extreme growth and should be rewarded significantly. Supply and Demand. If they need that much work done...they need to pay for it.
It basicly boils down to time management. If you can manage resources in a machine...as we coders always do...you can figure out how to plan a day that gives you time for work, time for family, time for play and time for sleep.
# gpg --keyserver pgp.mit.edu --recv-keys 4f2a6fd2 gpg: keyring `/root/.gnupg/secring.gpg' created gpg: keyring `/root/.gnupg/pubring.gpg' created gpg:/root/.gnupg/trustdb.gpg: trustdb created gpg: key 4F2A6FD2: public key "Fedora Project " imported gpg: Total number processed: 1 gpg: imported: 1
# gpg --verify MD5SUM gpg: Signature made Thu 13 May 2004 02:25:04 PM CDT using DSA key ID 4F2A6FD2 gpg: Good signature from "Fedora Project " gpg: checking the trustdb gpg: no ultimately trusted keys found gpg: WARNING: This key is not certified with a trusted signature! gpg: There is no indication that the signature belongs to the owner. Primary key fingerprint: CAB4 4B99 6F27 744E 8612 7CDF B442 69D0 4F2A 6FD2
Thanks for the great directions man. So, Oloryn, want access to the server before it gets crowded?
Forgive a n00b question. I do not understand all the subtleties of md5sums and how they relate to determining authenticity of source.
My ISO files match the md5sum file included, but does that mean that they are really from fedora? Or does it just mean that the ISOs I have are the ones that were inteneded to be sent over the torrert...ie. no corrupted files?
Shouldn't we be using a resource FROM ferdora against the ISOs to determine they really do come from Fedora?
I'd really hate to install and discover I have a modified version of FCtest3 with a bad habit of spamming every mail server it can contact.
Would someone be kind enough to show me how I can determine that these files do indeed come from fedora? I'll let you download the files from a new and unburdened server with a 100mbit internet connection if you do...
All they're going to do is reduce the quality I can get by buying best of breed parts and inflate the price.
Last time I built a gaming machine I speced out a system on Alienware's site, then ordered the parts from newegg.com for a bit under half the price.
Since I paid the $6 more for retail box parts for components I care about (CPU, Video Card, Motherboard) I have a 3 year manufacturer warranty. When my video card colling fan started making a funy noise, I called the folks who made it and got a new one fedexed to me the next day. Dell, Compaq, Alienware and the others would never have done that. I would have had to mail the whole damn box to them or sit on my ass at home until a tech showed up to swap it out for me.
A small amount of self education can save a ton of money when it comes to building home PCs.
I am well aware of the issues. I understand whats happening.
I think EV1 is a victim here and I'm not going to blame them for forking over the cash to avoid prosecution.
Think about a possible positive here guys...we now have a large, high profile victim of SCOs extortion who may later be able to help sue SCO into oblivion. When this suit comes to an end and SCO is a shown to be nothing more than members of the IP mafia, EV1 will be a perfect legal example of an honest company tricked by false claims and threats of expensive suits.
I'll wait to see how this plays out before I judge EV1. So far, I can't say that EV1 is a badguy.
Regardless of what you think, I know my server will not make me a target for SCO. I can't afford to defend myself, so I'm pretty glad EV1 stepped up and made a deal to prtect me.
Yeah, it sucks that SCO got cash out of it, but life is like that some days.
Thats harsh man, its not like EV1 went to SCO and said "hey, want some money so you can sue those evil linux guys?"
EV1 is the frikkin victim here. They're just trying to cover their ass so they can continue to offer service to their thousands of customers.
Lets wait till they release a statement to call EV1 the bad guys. The Head-Surfer, the guy who runs EV1 servers, is going to make a statement later tonight.
I am not feeding SCO. I am feeding EV1, a company I respect.
Yes, I disagree in some ways with EV1's decision to cave...but I also understnad that they are trying to maintain a certain level of service they promise to their customers. I suspect they fear they won't be able to maintain that service if SCO pursues them. EV1 has over 10,000 Linux machines. Can you imagine what kind of fine they would have to pay if they were convicted of software piracy of 10,000 copies of Linux after they willfully denied to pay the license fees demanded? What impact would that have on their customers?
I think EV1 has made a responsible and safe move for their customers.
I also hope that when the dust settles and the money grubbing slime that is SCO has been denied that EV1 will sue the crap out of SCO for extorting money. It may be that EV1 will be able to help put SCO out of business for good.
In either case, I know my servers will be ok. Will yours?
I'm pissed that some of my money is going to SCO, but I can understand that EV1 is the victim of extortion here. SCO has threatened to sue the bejesus out of them if they don't cough up the cash. If they say the cost of defending themselves and the possibility of having to even temporarily stop using Linux is too great a risk for them, I'll stand by that and keep my anger an SCO rather than on the victim.
EV1 is a pretty damn cool company. They offer a good product at a fair price. They are clear about what services they provide and which they don't. I'm going to keep doing business with EV1 and hope that as this clears out they can be used as a test case for a suit against SCO for damages from the extortion happening today.
Some of the most amazing gamers I know are in their 30s. Sometimes how fast you can hit the fire button doesn't matter...but where you're standing does.
Totally agree. In UT and UT2K3 I've spotted many a cheater and beat the crap out of them. Most cheaters aren't very smart or skilled...thats why they cheat. Most of the time, anticipating a cheater's moves is easy. Then its just a matter of using a splash damage weapon to whack them from around a corner.
Also, informing others on the server of the cheaters presence often results in the cheater leaving. Don't threaten...just say "I think xx is cheating, watch out". Other players will observe and draw their own conclusions. I've seen everyone on a UT server turn against one player and smash him to bits for cheating. A cheater can't win if he's spawncamped.
About general skill, just find a server with people you like....and get used to losing. The best way to get better is to get your ass kicked by great players while learning their moves. Watch and learn. Ask them questions...not too many, remember they're in the game to have fun, not to train people. But, most good players will give you a little advice...like weapon suggestions for beginners or good maps to practice.
When you're reading a Heinlein book and there is a scene where one of the characters drops a name and you GET the reference to a different Heinlein story...you're no longer starting to read Heinlein. At that point you're prepared for his best, worst and strangest works.
Heinlein is not for everyone. He was an intelligent, strong and opinionated writer. His characters reflect this with an "I'm doing it my way and unless you plan to TRY kill me thats the way its going to be." kind of attitude. Often people are intimidated or offended by that attitude. I'm a huge fan of it. While I don't agree with all of Heinlein's views, I have imense respect for the fact that he took the time to develop an opinion and effort to express it as he did.
Slashdot Mirror
I'm not writing your "How to be a Programmer in 20 Minutes!" ebook for you. You'll have to spend 20 years learning like the rest of us.
Yeah, SOE likes to give you little puzzles to solve before you can play. Next week you'll be asked to name which planet Andvari is on.
I'll be playing in about an hour. If you post on www.PlanetsideSyndicate.com what server and username you'll be using I'll be happy to give you a hand learning.
I've been playing this game on and off since it was in beta three years ago. Few games provide me with as much rage or entertainment. SOE has made mistake after mistake compounded with bad ideas. But, the core idea of the game is so interesting and the variety such that I keep playing. Really, once you get into it and find a good group to play with, there just isn't any game like it.
For new players, the game will SUCK for about two weeks. The game is a lot more complex than you think.
For example:
If you're wearing an activated infiltration suit, armed with a spiker, have the weapon drawn and walk by a spitfire turret in an enemy owned interlink facility shpere of influence and in range of a motion sensor does the turret fire at you? What if you crouch walk? What if you fire the weapon? What if you take damage?
Hell, I can't even remember. But, there are players who do and they will kill you.
Now, how many shots will it take an NC in heavy armor with heavy assault to kill you? One. Cause the NC have magical guns. (not really, they just kill me a lot)
In all, this is the stuff you learn by playing with a good group and asking questions over voice comms.
If you want help go to:
www.PlanetsideSyndicate.com
and ask for help. I'll find you a group to play with or the other people there will. The wiki there also has a lot of game info.
Dude, you made me spill my coffee.
See, I would say that not having to constantly level is one reason I LOVE planetside. It took me a couple months to get every rank the game offered and now I just play for the community and fun. And you CAN choose your teammates.
The secret to enjoying planetside is finding a good Outfit. Outfits are like Guilds. If you get a good group, get on Teamspeak with them and have a couple beers...its a great way to pass an evening after work.
I suspect you never got into the community in the game and learned from the real players. Planetside has a stream of noobs that pass through. You'll see them zerging on foot from towers or accross country while the veterans use powerful aircraft or tanks to pick them off and giggle at the easy kills. If you're playing with the noobs, the game is frustrating and painful. If you play with the people running vehicle teams or playing defense inside...now you're talking fun.
The Rambo stuff you mention doesn't work unless you're one of about 5 players in the game who happen to be amazing...or great cheaters.
The real way to have fun is to find a group you enjoy playing the game with and stick with them. Play a support role for a few days and figure out how to play by watching them. When they teach you how to kick ass, have fun slaughtering the goggle wearing freaks in the Terran Repiblic.
Also, visit a pretty damn good community run wiki here:
wiki.PlanetSideSyndicate.com
no mouse
no keyboard
no high res monitor
slow upgrade cycle
No way you can play a FPS on console. I laugh at you Halo weenies. The mouse is NEEDED.
And there is no way the dozen buttons on a console controller are going to be enough for all my weapons, macros, dodge moves, hud toggles, navigation and TEXT CHAT needs.
Even HD looks like crap compared to the monitors real gamers buy. I can buy an amazing monitor for $600, but I can't buy a TV with similar performance without spending several thousand dollars.
So, the PS3 is coming out in a few months. It will have a GPU thats already been designed and probably is in production now. In two years, that GPU will still be the one the PS3 offers. In 4 years, it will still be the one people are usuing.
I buy a new video card every year. Depending on release cycles, I'll be 4-6 generations ahead of the PS3 in 4 years.
I play PC games because I love games. I love the bleeding edge. I want to see the new technology and play the most expansive, immersive and incredible games I can find.
When I want a button masher bring fighting game I'll go buy a console.
The only thing I've found that my PS2 is good for is serving as a DVD player.
I prefer to use:
if (NULL == var)
and reduce the chance you'll wind up with a typo that totally changes the meaning of the statement.
Say you happen to forget a '=' character in there. Easy to do if you're typing quickly and a bit tired. Sometimes the little statements get overlooked and you move onto the meaty logic.
if (NULL = var)
Would generate an error your compiler should tell you about...
if (var = NULL)
Will generate an error your users will tell you about... Or, maybe it will just result in silent data loss or a happy little memory leak. Who knows, but it won't be one of the good features.
The same holds true for any use of a comparison operator. Its better to have the variable component in a place where it can't be assigned to by accident.
Video games don't make people kill. People kill becuase they don't know right from wrong or because they cannot exercise self control. Think about that...they're broken people. They're sick.
A normal and healthy person will not be swayed by a game, tv show, book or movie to kill. One who has had traumatic experiences or who has delusions might be inspired to kill by a game. But, whats really at fault, the game or the disease?
I've found that having the proper video drivers under linux makes a huge difference in X performance. Under Windows, you're probably using graphics drivers with DirectX support. You should be using drivers under linux that support DRI.
Wow, thats crazy talk man! I would rather he take another pass over Cryptonomicon and add another 5,000 pages. I coulda kept reading about those people for years.
Any negative results those people experience are because of social and mental problems they have...not because they play games. If someone took away their computer, they'd spend all of their time reading, watching TV, working out or staring at a wall. They are depressed, suffer from OCD, anxiety issues, self-esteem issues...lots of things.
For example, if you know a man who washes his hands every 30 minutes, gets up in the middle of the night to wash his hands and mostly stays at home so he is able to wash his hands at regular times do you say that he is addicted to washing his hands? No, you recognize that he has a mental disorder and get him treatment. Does that make hand washing bad? No, its not the activity, its the illness that should be corrected.
I've been playing games for years and have managed to get an education, maintain a successful career and enjoy a healthy social life. Why? Because I'm a healthy person. I like myself and those around me, I enjoy my days at work, my evenings with friends and family and my evenings gaming. My gaming groups are just friends I hang out with.
In my time gaming, I've come accross people with social problems, anxiety problems, depression and severe self-esteem issues. I think the reason they turn to gaming is because it allows them to interact with others in a social enviornment where there is a barrier that keeps others at a safe distance and keeps their problems secret. They get a chance to be judged just on their gaming skills and their chat humor. They usually find people who like them and maybe who share their problems.
I spend a significant amount of time gaming and will continue to do so until I no longer enjoy it. I do not consider it an addiction and never will. For years, I've played games or read books instead of watching TV. While roommates and family have come home and watched mindless sitcoms and gameshows, I was in the other room reading or slaughtering my enemies. I think my time was better spent.
Congrats on the kid.
In virtually every profession where the work isn't measured in hours, but instead by results, this is a huge issue. They often do not go home at shift change everyday. Some days they have to finish the job because its important that they complete a task.
Working by results has the advantage in that some days, you finish early or can work at a nice slow pace. Other days, you must work like dog. If you're having too many days where you work like a dog, a mistake has been made. Maybe you mis-estimated, maybe your boss did. Maybe another team delayed you. Maybe the workload is just too high. In any of these cases, there is a problem that the company's managment needs to address. If you're willing to participate in regular Death Marches...I feel your pain, but I know its a death spiral. Such a lack of planning and proper resource allocation over an extended period indicates seriously flawed leadership. A Death March is only acceptable in times of extreme growth and should be rewarded significantly. Supply and Demand. If they need that much work done...they need to pay for it.
It basicly boils down to time management. If you can manage resources in a machine...as we coders always do...you can figure out how to plan a day that gives you time for work, time for family, time for play and time for sleep.
Looks good to me.
# gpg --keyserver pgp.mit.edu --recv-keys 4f2a6fd2
gpg: keyring `/root/.gnupg/secring.gpg' created
gpg: keyring `/root/.gnupg/pubring.gpg' created
gpg:
gpg: key 4F2A6FD2: public key "Fedora Project " imported
gpg: Total number processed: 1
gpg: imported: 1
# gpg --verify MD5SUM
gpg: Signature made Thu 13 May 2004 02:25:04 PM CDT using DSA key ID 4F2A6FD2
gpg: Good signature from "Fedora Project "
gpg: checking the trustdb
gpg: no ultimately trusted keys found
gpg: WARNING: This key is not certified with a trusted signature!
gpg: There is no indication that the signature belongs to the owner.
Primary key fingerprint: CAB4 4B99 6F27 744E 8612 7CDF B442 69D0 4F2A 6FD2
Thanks for the great directions man. So, Oloryn, want access to the server before it gets crowded?
Forgive a n00b question. I do not understand all the subtleties of md5sums and how they relate to determining authenticity of source.
My ISO files match the md5sum file included, but does that mean that they are really from fedora? Or does it just mean that the ISOs I have are the ones that were inteneded to be sent over the torrert...ie. no corrupted files?
Shouldn't we be using a resource FROM ferdora against the ISOs to determine they really do come from Fedora?
I'd really hate to install and discover I have a modified version of FCtest3 with a bad habit of spamming every mail server it can contact.
Would someone be kind enough to show me how I can determine that these files do indeed come from fedora? I'll let you download the files from a new and unburdened server with a 100mbit internet connection if you do...
All they're going to do is reduce the quality I can get by buying best of breed parts and inflate the price.
Last time I built a gaming machine I speced out a system on Alienware's site, then ordered the parts from newegg.com for a bit under half the price.
Since I paid the $6 more for retail box parts for components I care about (CPU, Video Card, Motherboard) I have a 3 year manufacturer warranty. When my video card colling fan started making a funy noise, I called the folks who made it and got a new one fedexed to me the next day. Dell, Compaq, Alienware and the others would never have done that. I would have had to mail the whole damn box to them or sit on my ass at home until a tech showed up to swap it out for me.
A small amount of self education can save a ton of money when it comes to building home PCs.
The Open Source Cookbook
Good discussion in there.
I am well aware of the issues. I understand whats happening.
I think EV1 is a victim here and I'm not going to blame them for forking over the cash to avoid prosecution.
Think about a possible positive here guys...we now have a large, high profile victim of SCOs extortion who may later be able to help sue SCO into oblivion. When this suit comes to an end and SCO is a shown to be nothing more than members of the IP mafia, EV1 will be a perfect legal example of an honest company tricked by false claims and threats of expensive suits.
I'll wait to see how this plays out before I judge EV1. So far, I can't say that EV1 is a badguy.
http://forum.ev1servers.net/showthread.php?s=32
Regardless of what you think, I know my server will not make me a target for SCO. I can't afford to defend myself, so I'm pretty glad EV1 stepped up and made a deal to prtect me.
Yeah, it sucks that SCO got cash out of it, but life is like that some days.
SCO will get whats coming to them.
Thats harsh man, its not like EV1 went to SCO and said "hey, want some money so you can sue those evil linux guys?"
EV1 is the frikkin victim here. They're just trying to cover their ass so they can continue to offer service to their thousands of customers.
Lets wait till they release a statement to call EV1 the bad guys. The Head-Surfer, the guy who runs EV1 servers, is going to make a statement later tonight.
I am not feeding SCO. I am feeding EV1, a company I respect.
Yes, I disagree in some ways with EV1's decision to cave...but I also understnad that they are trying to maintain a certain level of service they promise to their customers. I suspect they fear they won't be able to maintain that service if SCO pursues them. EV1 has over 10,000 Linux machines. Can you imagine what kind of fine they would have to pay if they were convicted of software piracy of 10,000 copies of Linux after they willfully denied to pay the license fees demanded? What impact would that have on their customers?
I think EV1 has made a responsible and safe move for their customers.
I also hope that when the dust settles and the money grubbing slime that is SCO has been denied that EV1 will sue the crap out of SCO for extorting money. It may be that EV1 will be able to help put SCO out of business for good.
In either case, I know my servers will be ok. Will yours?
I'm pissed that some of my money is going to SCO, but I can understand that EV1 is the victim of extortion here. SCO has threatened to sue the bejesus out of them if they don't cough up the cash. If they say the cost of defending themselves and the possibility of having to even temporarily stop using Linux is too great a risk for them, I'll stand by that and keep my anger an SCO rather than on the victim.
EV1 is a pretty damn cool company. They offer a good product at a fair price. They are clear about what services they provide and which they don't. I'm going to keep doing business with EV1 and hope that as this clears out they can be used as a test case for a suit against SCO for damages from the extortion happening today.
Fast != Smart
Some of the most amazing gamers I know are in their 30s. Sometimes how fast you can hit the fire button doesn't matter...but where you're standing does.
I know your server...
Totally agree. In UT and UT2K3 I've spotted many a cheater and beat the crap out of them. Most cheaters aren't very smart or skilled...thats why they cheat. Most of the time, anticipating a cheater's moves is easy. Then its just a matter of using a splash damage weapon to whack them from around a corner.
Also, informing others on the server of the cheaters presence often results in the cheater leaving. Don't threaten...just say "I think xx is cheating, watch out". Other players will observe and draw their own conclusions. I've seen everyone on a UT server turn against one player and smash him to bits for cheating. A cheater can't win if he's spawncamped.
About general skill, just find a server with people you like....and get used to losing. The best way to get better is to get your ass kicked by great players while learning their moves. Watch and learn. Ask them questions...not too many, remember they're in the game to have fun, not to train people. But, most good players will give you a little advice...like weapon suggestions for beginners or good maps to practice.
In all...don't worry about losing, have fun.
When you're reading a Heinlein book and there is a scene where one of the characters drops a name and you GET the reference to a different Heinlein story...you're no longer starting to read Heinlein. At that point you're prepared for his best, worst and strangest works.
Heinlein is not for everyone. He was an intelligent, strong and opinionated writer. His characters reflect this with an "I'm doing it my way and unless you plan to TRY kill me thats the way its going to be." kind of attitude. Often people are intimidated or offended by that attitude. I'm a huge fan of it. While I don't agree with all of Heinlein's views, I have imense respect for the fact that he took the time to develop an opinion and effort to express it as he did.
Eye candy galore. Battles of high enough complexity that give plenty to watch.
Same old philosophy...no new ideas. Many interesting plot threads remain unresolved.
Fun movie, but not what most were hoping for.