Back in the 80's when 5-1/4 inch disks were the standard, Gunship came out and had a unique copy protection. It had a security key that was required to run the game. There were 5 keys (allowed 5 installs). Each time you did an install, it moved a key from the disk to the HDD of the machine you ran it on (ST225, my chirpy little friend). You could also uninstall it and it would put the key back onto the floppy disk (some special sector thingy).
Maybe we need to call up the folks at SecureRom and remind them how easily programs like COPYIIPC worked around this stuff back then. I always made two backup copies of games so I could play from one set, have a backup, and have the original. If you made your copy of this game before you installed it the new copy hd all 5 installs available. They should ust stick with the serial numbers. But since they refuse to learn from the past I guess they will just repeat it.
I am amazed this kind of copy protection got the go ahead because I think it opens everyone involved to IMO some liability. I did not sign a lease contract or any kind of agreement that informed me to expect anything but a normal installable game.
On the bright side it isn't starforce. Real shame about trackmania, I almost bought it until I found out.
Thats not what I meant. I mean in futurama, there are head that interact withthe other characters, often shown sitting on a shelf or other platform. His description of the Tin Woodsman talking to his old flesh head brought to mind the heads in Futurama.
Maybe I should copywright the idea and sell it to Mr. Groening or write an episode called "The Cloneheads", work in some classic SNL for no good reason and sell him that.
He was on BET? I didn't know that. I wonder if his show being cut coinsides with him doing a radio version that my local NPR station has. He used to be nightly, then he left and came back as a friday only event, the M-T show is now called news and notes and on Friday we get "The Tavis Smiley Show".
IMO if I want OZ pr0n I will go rent some (it exists sadly).
I dont want MGM style, but I dont remember the dark stuff in the books being S&M erotica.
The land populated by fragile porcilin people, creepy. The glass cat, creepy. The wheelers, creepy. There is so much that can be done that will scare people and be dark that you dont need Dorthy to be a 48 DDDD in bondage gear.
I dont remember him talking to his head, ala Futurama. What I remember was the book with him and the tin soldier. They set off to find the woman they both loved (and the reason they had so mant accidents with sharp objects) and found that the person who they took the parts to, had after fitting them with the tin replacements, used some kind of magic flesh glue to create a composite person who was living with the woman.
Oneo the heads just sitting around might have been in there I guess since the composite person did not have two heads.
I agree that the games that made you hunt for the exact right word were annoying. I think the most fun game I remember was "Nord and Bert Couldn't Make Head or Tail of it", such fun wordplay, I wish there were more games like that.
I expect soon we will have Big Track(TM) the TV Series. It will follow the crew of this high tech military vehicle as it protects our freedoms here and abroad.
"So was Gatchaman/Battle of the Planets, for that matter."
Supposedly live action superhero shows like Kamen Rider and Ultraman (Henshin shows) are what led to Gatchaman. Gatchaman series 1 was 1972, while AFAIK Sentai (5 person teams credited to popularity of Gatchaman) shows started around 1975.
Looks to me like the "Sentai formula" was birthed in animation and because it was popular, was incorporated into the already popular costumed super hero show formula.
I think the station was KETH or something (I live out east, so I only saw people talking about it). Animeigo is putting it out on DVD and I'm sure that means you can rent it from netflix.
I know it's not a good idea to rely on Wikipedia about things, but according to the Dr. Strangelove entry there the screenplay was based on a novel called Red Alert (also has a wikipedia entry). As far as I can tell, Red Alert and Dr. Strangelove only differ (in major plot elements) in that Dr. Strangelove was done as a comedy.
I know this is a bit late, but I know I heard the name Melkor somewhere before. I wonder if the whole middle earth thing was another plot by The Master.
I think our views are mostly down to personal taste, what we view as potential and what we each consider "AWESOME!".
I have fun playing counterstrike, but I do not consider the office (or other settings) good representations, this does not take away from my enjoyment of the game (except for really bad physics violations). Clearly this is where we have differing opinions.
I have not picked up Far Cry for the Wii mostly because of bad reviews. But IMO it was rushed out and I wont judge it as unable to have a good FPS until developers have at least a year experience (same as I gave PS2, Xbox and Gamecube).
Back to Doom3. To me it was an improvement in graphical effects (they got heat haze pretty well, but fires still burnt too clean and you should start taking heat damage further from the flames, also work in difficulty breathing via already existing air timer), engine capabilities, and darkness rendering speed. What killed the Awesome for me was the annoyance that in a high tech future, there was no gun or arm or head mounted flashlight thingy (you are a Marine as I remember) of any kind. It took users modding it to add something that to me should have been there (lack of it actually broke immersion for me). At a minimum you should have been allowed to have the pistol and flashlight out at once. Darkness aside, I think they relied a little too much on the whole lights go out and monster jumps out of a closet behind you gag.
Just out of curiosity, how old are you? I get the impression you are younger and much more impressed with some of these things, then I am in my frumpy almost middle age. I wonder only because it reminds me of the way I was when computer games were moving from MDA, to 16 color CGA, to 64 Color EGA, and on to the VGA we know and love today. All that happened in the span of 1981 to 1987. To people working and playing computer games at the time it was like four major generations of consoles in six years. We also went from the 8088 to the 80386(production will finally end next month along with 80486 chips) in that span as well.
"You can say "unrealistic" but you apparently can't differentiate between "fiction" and "realism.""
I think this is your problem as well. To me it seems you are way overselling the "realism" of games today as well as saying movie FX are accurate depictions of reality.
"With each new generation of systems, FPS gaming has become more and more realistic due to advances in graphics technology. Think about Wolf3D; not very real. Fun at the time, sure. Look at Doom 3. You actually feel like you're part of the environment - the lighting and graphics are so good."
What lighting? (That was a joke son) It was still unrealistically dark for all those shiny corridors, which were not coated with the normal 5 gallons of blood a single corpse will spray, and everything is wet shiny plastic.
We are nowhere near making an FPS that can compare to images of real world objects. We can make some close stabs with games like F.E.A.R., S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and Half Life 2. The white painted cinderblocks on walls look close to what I see in schools, but they are still too shiny and now are getting over textured (best way I can describe them in games now). Light still is not quite behaving in a real manner; it does not defuse/bounce enough/properly and still has problems with light and shadow being an all or nothing thing in many cases. Flames still are primitive in video games, some do a good job of bringing across the feeling of actual fires, if you compare a video of the game flames with real flames (from the same kind of objects/magnitude) they are not even in the ballpark of reality, real fires are smoky dirty things that can consume available oxygen. Realistic games are often dull, because people die easily in reality.
Explosive barrels, flammable gas tanks, and many of mainstays of FPS games are never going to be immersive and real at the same time. Because in reality if I shoot a 55 Gallon drum full of petroleum based fuel with any standard bullet it will just leak out and maybe (if I used a tracer or something) catch fire. There isn't enough oxygen in the tank for it to explode and it will take some time for the fire to bring the fuel up to it's flashpoint.
"The Wii game system is still fun sometimes, sure. Just stop trying to convince people that graphics DON'T MATTER. Because they still do."
I never said graphics don't matter. I am saying you don't have to have realism in graphics to make a good FPS.
"The whole idea behind first person shooters is immersion. Better graphics provide better immersion."
I think we may be arguing crossways about somewhat different views on things that are not 100% overlapping, or maybe one of us is looking at the head of the elephant while the other is examining the tail. I think the difference of view is, to you, better graphics=immersion and I don't see it as that alone. Does better graphics to you mean more like the room you are sitting in, or more like Hollywood FX?
I don't think realism make for better immersion then unrealism. Games are fantasy and like ID4 there is no way to judge if a giant alien ship fired it's main weapon at the Whitehouse, it would explode like that in reality. That's why it's hard to use Sci-Fi/movie effects as a measure for realism.
I think it comes down to, for me, better graphics, immersion and reality are not so dependant on each other then for you. The important thing at the end, still, is to have fun playing a game (no matter the system), right?
This make me think of Red Army and it's attempts to strike a blow at the Agatean Empire "Extra Luck to the People's Endeavor!" "Mildly Unpleasant Conditions to the Forces of Oppression." "Make Considerable Sacrifice for the Common Good" "Unpleasantness To Oppressors When Convenient"
Slashdot Mirror
Back in the 80's when 5-1/4 inch disks were the standard, Gunship came out and had a unique copy protection. It had a security key that was required to run the game. There were 5 keys (allowed 5 installs). Each time you did an install, it moved a key from the disk to the HDD of the machine you ran it on (ST225, my chirpy little friend). You could also uninstall it and it would put the key back onto the floppy disk (some special sector thingy).
Maybe we need to call up the folks at SecureRom and remind them how easily programs like COPYIIPC worked around this stuff back then. I always made two backup copies of games so I could play from one set, have a backup, and have the original. If you made your copy of this game before you installed it the new copy hd all 5 installs available. They should ust stick with the serial numbers. But since they refuse to learn from the past I guess they will just repeat it.
I am amazed this kind of copy protection got the go ahead because I think it opens everyone involved to IMO some liability. I did not sign a lease contract or any kind of agreement that informed me to expect anything but a normal installable game.
On the bright side it isn't starforce. Real shame about trackmania, I almost bought it until I found out.
I was thinking "The show must go on" or "I'm going slightly mad". IMO pretty most of the Innuendo album works.
Thats not what I meant.
I mean in futurama, there are head that interact withthe other characters, often shown sitting on a shelf or other platform.
His description of the Tin Woodsman talking to his old flesh head brought to mind the heads in Futurama.
Maybe I should copywright the idea and sell it to Mr. Groening or write an episode called "The Cloneheads", work in some classic SNL for no good reason and sell him that.
Jefe, would you say I have a plethora of pinatas?
"Also, I think that it is possible to get it (HIV) if you get blood in your eye."
I thought that was just how you get Rage.
"Tavis Smiley show"
He was on BET? I didn't know that. I wonder if his show being cut coinsides with him doing a radio version that my local NPR station has. He used to be nightly, then he left and came back as a friday only event, the M-T show is now called news and notes and on Friday we get "The Tavis Smiley Show".
IMO if I want OZ pr0n I will go rent some (it exists sadly).
I dont want MGM style, but I dont remember the dark stuff in the books being S&M erotica.
The land populated by fragile porcilin people, creepy.
The glass cat, creepy.
The wheelers, creepy.
There is so much that can be done that will scare people and be dark that you dont need Dorthy to be a 48 DDDD in bondage gear.
YMMV
I dont remember him talking to his head, ala Futurama. What I remember was the book with him and the tin soldier. They set off to find the woman they both loved (and the reason they had so mant accidents with sharp objects) and found that the person who they took the parts to, had after fitting them with the tin replacements, used some kind of magic flesh glue to create a composite person who was living with the woman.
Oneo the heads just sitting around might have been in there I guess since the composite person did not have two heads.
I agree that the games that made you hunt for the exact right word were annoying. I think the most fun game I remember was "Nord and Bert Couldn't Make Head or Tail of it", such fun wordplay, I wish there were more games like that.
I expect soon we will have Big Track(TM) the TV Series. It will follow the crew of this high tech military vehicle as it protects our freedoms here and abroad.
"that one with the sea creature whose name escapes me."
Sigmund and the Sea Monsters?
"So was Gatchaman/Battle of the Planets, for that matter."
Supposedly live action superhero shows like Kamen Rider and Ultraman (Henshin shows) are what led to Gatchaman. Gatchaman series 1 was 1972, while AFAIK Sentai (5 person teams credited to popularity of Gatchaman) shows started around 1975.
Looks to me like the "Sentai formula" was birthed in animation and because it was popular, was incorporated into the already popular costumed super hero show formula.
I think the station was KETH or something (I live out east, so I only saw people talking about it).
Animeigo is putting it out on DVD and I'm sure that means you can rent it from netflix.
I know it's not a good idea to rely on Wikipedia about things, but according to the Dr. Strangelove entry there the screenplay was based on a novel called Red Alert (also has a wikipedia entry). As far as I can tell, Red Alert and Dr. Strangelove only differ (in major plot elements) in that Dr. Strangelove was done as a comedy.
You are evil. Your posing for some reason made me remember this show.
I dont know about back then, but I do know that a California PBS station was showing it in the late 90's early 2k's
Sounds like Science Ninja Team Gatchaman/Battle of the PLanets/G-Force/Eagle Riders (names chaged in may places) to me.
I know this is a bit late, but I know I heard the name Melkor somewhere before.
I wonder if the whole middle earth thing was another plot by The Master.
I think our views are mostly down to personal taste, what we view as potential and what we each consider "AWESOME!".
I have fun playing counterstrike, but I do not consider the office (or other settings) good representations, this does not take away from my enjoyment of the game (except for really bad physics violations). Clearly this is where we have differing opinions.
I have not picked up Far Cry for the Wii mostly because of bad reviews. But IMO it was rushed out and I wont judge it as unable to have a good FPS until developers have at least a year experience (same as I gave PS2, Xbox and Gamecube).
Back to Doom3. To me it was an improvement in graphical effects (they got heat haze pretty well, but fires still burnt too clean and you should start taking heat damage further from the flames, also work in difficulty breathing via already existing air timer), engine capabilities, and darkness rendering speed. What killed the Awesome for me was the annoyance that in a high tech future, there was no gun or arm or head mounted flashlight thingy (you are a Marine as I remember) of any kind. It took users modding it to add something that to me should have been there (lack of it actually broke immersion for me). At a minimum you should have been allowed to have the pistol and flashlight out at once. Darkness aside, I think they relied a little too much on the whole lights go out and monster jumps out of a closet behind you gag.
Just out of curiosity, how old are you? I get the impression you are younger and much more impressed with some of these things, then I am in my frumpy almost middle age. I wonder only because it reminds me of the way I was when computer games were moving from MDA, to 16 color CGA, to 64 Color EGA, and on to the VGA we know and love today. All that happened in the span of 1981 to 1987. To people working and playing computer games at the time it was like four major generations of consoles in six years. We also went from the 8088 to the 80386(production will finally end next month along with 80486 chips) in that span as well.
Ah, Rincewind. How goes the reasearch into breakaway oxidation phenomena in certain reactor types?
So thats what kids are calling it now a days (It's a joke I swear).
I didnt realize I had responded to you more then once in here until now, sorry if I got a little confused in the other one.
"You can say "unrealistic" but you apparently can't differentiate between "fiction" and "realism.""
I think this is your problem as well. To me it seems you are way overselling the "realism" of games today as well as saying movie FX are accurate depictions of reality.
"With each new generation of systems, FPS gaming has become more and more realistic due to advances in graphics technology. Think about Wolf3D; not very real. Fun at the time, sure. Look at Doom 3. You actually feel like you're part of the environment - the lighting and graphics are so good."
What lighting? (That was a joke son) It was still unrealistically dark for all those shiny corridors, which were not coated with the normal 5 gallons of blood a single corpse will spray, and everything is wet shiny plastic.
We are nowhere near making an FPS that can compare to images of real world objects. We can make some close stabs with games like F.E.A.R., S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and Half Life 2. The white painted cinderblocks on walls look close to what I see in schools, but they are still too shiny and now are getting over textured (best way I can describe them in games now). Light still is not quite behaving in a real manner; it does not defuse/bounce enough/properly and still has problems with light and shadow being an all or nothing thing in many cases. Flames still are primitive in video games, some do a good job of bringing across the feeling of actual fires, if you compare a video of the game flames with real flames (from the same kind of objects/magnitude) they are not even in the ballpark of reality, real fires are smoky dirty things that can consume available oxygen. Realistic games are often dull, because people die easily in reality.
Explosive barrels, flammable gas tanks, and many of mainstays of FPS games are never going to be immersive and real at the same time. Because in reality if I shoot a 55 Gallon drum full of petroleum based fuel with any standard bullet it will just leak out and maybe (if I used a tracer or something) catch fire. There isn't enough oxygen in the tank for it to explode and it will take some time for the fire to bring the fuel up to it's flashpoint.
"The Wii game system is still fun sometimes, sure. Just stop trying to convince people that graphics DON'T MATTER. Because they still do."
I never said graphics don't matter. I am saying you don't have to have realism in graphics to make a good FPS.
"The whole idea behind first person shooters is immersion. Better graphics provide better immersion."
I think we may be arguing crossways about somewhat different views on things that are not 100% overlapping, or maybe one of us is looking at the head of the elephant while the other is examining the tail.
I think the difference of view is, to you, better graphics=immersion and I don't see it as that alone. Does better graphics to you mean more like the room you are sitting in, or more like Hollywood FX?
I don't think realism make for better immersion then unrealism. Games are fantasy and like ID4 there is no way to judge if a giant alien ship fired it's main weapon at the Whitehouse, it would explode like that in reality. That's why it's hard to use Sci-Fi/movie effects as a measure for realism.
I think it comes down to, for me, better graphics, immersion and reality are not so dependant on each other then for you. The important thing at the end, still, is to have fun playing a game (no matter the system), right?
This make me think of Red Army and it's attempts to strike a blow at the Agatean Empire
"Extra Luck to the People's Endeavor!"
"Mildly Unpleasant Conditions to the Forces of Oppression."
"Make Considerable Sacrifice for the Common Good"
"Unpleasantness To Oppressors When Convenient"
I'm amazed that no one gave FOX his little rant about raping and killing the classmate.
It would help if you posted torrent links. I mean for research into your deep issues with um.. stuff.