The quest portion of SWG really kept my interest for a while, especially when compared to Lin2, which does not have quests integrated with normal griding like SWG (SWG: go kill imperial base, get good xp and cash, while L2 = go kill monster, get some cash, bad xp).
I think the bottom line for me is that other than this genre ennui I'm experiencing, I'd just like a game in which I didn't feel like "HEY! It's 10pm on a Friday night! I could be wasting my time drinking beer or ACHIEVING lvl 41" where you get sucked into this false sense of urgency for griding, as if it's some sort of academic achievement... I want a game that griding might be a partof it, but if I lose a couple of days or weeks out of gameplay I'm not light-years behind the other players.
That's kinda what happened with Lin2. I was lvl32, on par with everyone else, then had a 2 month long vacation away from home and computer, came back and voila! -- the people I'd been with for months were lvl50, and in a group, even if you are fighting monsters much more harder than you're used to, the higher level group members get all your xp. Sigh. In a game where quests are rare, and traveling is mind-bogglingly slow, that ain't going to work.
Of course, my arguement all along about L2 is that what works in Korea will not always work here. That's why L1 is so popular but doesn't really work here in the States. In its defense, L1 is an awesome game. But if people can't see past the graphics, they won't buy it.
My apologies to the WoW fanbois as I'm sure this is a good game... but is it a GREAT game in the LONG term?
I played Lineage 2 for a while and it ran out of steam for me. Same with Star Wars Galaxies. So what are the delineating factors for a game that I'd be interested in NOW?
My personal opinion is that snazzy graphics, while interesting, can only go so far. If you've played a game of the a particular genre for so long (oh lets say fantasy - Lineage, EQ, WoW), and there comes along a new game which has --- ooo -- better graphics, does this REALLY keep you in the game very long? Sure, buy the $50 game, snag a few months of subscriptions, then... oh the grind... and the same type of fantasy genre again... uh, why'd I buy this...
My opinion is that playability outlasts graphics. Graphics are an immediately gratifying factor, but in the long term, I think peoeple are sick of the fantasy and or sci-fi genre. So what's next? I dunno... something completely out of the box.
From what I understand iTunes has DRM, and I won't use DRM, no matter how flexible.
I completely agree with you. I only reluctantly purchase iTunes songs, partly because I'm lazy and dun wanna go to the store.
But that's the music store. At home I stuck 300 CDs on iTunes and there is no DRM in music that you own on CD. Nada. A 300 disc changer is well worth the 'adjusting to the times' and going with putting your CDs on your computer, especially when you want to make a playlist of your 20 disc collection of polynesian dance music to put on shuffle at 3am to drive your neighbours nuts.
Fortunately, there's a converter built in. Convert from AAC to Mp3, Mp3 to Wav, Wav to aif, whatever your compression 'interests' you have. Do some clicking around in there, you might just find something you didn't think was there previously. Unfortunately it does not support your Vorbis. Maybe one day? I kinda wish it did.
>
You can't be serious? I watched the poor soul mentioned in the grandparent post waste away 10 minutes with Nero unsucessfully until he just said screw it and used Roxio's program instead. What part of the iTunes "click the friggen burn button" did he not understand? Dunno.
I don't know if this article is believable, but one thing that I've experienced that adds to its credibility at least to me is that I've noticed how many people out there will not download or try itunes. It's a free program. It runs on PCs. It has killer cataloging capabilities, localized network streaming capabilities (I run an iTunes streamer for all my mp3s at home to my stereo). The music store has TONS of 'indie' level bands, so phat chance of not finding something. And the burning and sound effects as well. Sheesh.
Yet I know people who are so simple minded they will not even try the thing. One guy I know, who won't d/l it told me to run out and buy this album by killswitch engage. I told him I'd catch it on iTunes. He of course dismissed this idea, saying they'd never have that kind of album. Well we did an indie band run down of his entire collection, chose 10 bands, and 8 out of ten was on iTunes.
I guess my point is, that, from a computer scientist's viewpoint like my own, I don't care what you run, as I XP, Linux, and Macs, and love them all equally, but if you're going to badmouth a product, at least have the nuts to TRY the thing... especially if it's frigging free. How about just try it, Scott?
But back to my original point... it's that move that makes the person switch, not the actual performance of availability of software or other crazy usual analyses. They don't care if it's better or worse. People stick to computing platforms as if they are political ones oddly (ok THAT doesn't make sense either, bad example), regardless of whtether or not the platform actually suits them 100%. I know musicians using PCs who won't use macs. I know business majors who use Macs who won't use PCs.
Am I odd for trying to see the good in every platform? Sheesh, you should see my political beliefs...
Great post... no, classic post... I now have it on my wall at work. Oh yeah, your student loans are forgiven if you die. But other than that, I'm quite impressed.
7 pages full of people saying "wow I've had that for years and never knew what that was." I'm curious as to whether this is related to Patrick's problem...
I am curious about his "sulfur granuals"... reason being that I have had something similar for about 10 years (but I've never had his other symptoms). What I thought they were called were "tonsil stones." That's a random link, but you can just google it and find much more. My tonsil stones look similar to what he has described - white yellowish, less than 1mm, sperical, foul smelling. But I don't have any other symptoms.
Interesting how this this scheme is similar to BMW's naming scheme for their luxury cars. Imaging buying a car, on the other hand, where the horsepower is as visible as the car's logo (like the Pentium emblems). Perhaps people will now understand the value of a computer's architecture is not best described when only in terms of clock speed?
AP: Why not release both the originals and special editions on DVD?
Lucas: The special edition, that's the one I wanted out there. The other movie, it's on VHS, if anybody wants it.... I'm not going to spend the, we're talking millions of dollars here, the money and the time to refurbish that, because to me, it doesn't really exist anymore. It's like this is the movie I wanted it to be, and I'm sorry you saw half a completed film and fell in love with it. But I want it to be the way I want it to be. I'm the one who has to take responsibility for it. I'm the one who has to have everybody throw rocks at me all the time, so at least if they're going to throw rocks at me, they're going to throw rocks at me for something I love rather than something I think is not very good, or at least something I think is not finished.
As an amateur recording artist I can vouch for works of art never being done, but man, where do you draw the line on that one? Is he going to change his mind 20 years from now and suddenly declare the old DVDS the 'wrong version' and redo the redone versions to fit his ideas at the moment?
Ok I know he had grand designs of what the film should have been like 20 years ago, but really how can you say you know exactly what you want when the technology does not exist yet (or at least did not in 1977)? When does it end?
Should we be sorry we fell in love with a half completed film as well?
Anyone notice the slashdot user name of the article submittor was named Jon Sandys, and due to slashdotting this is what we got on the page: Warning: mysql_connect(): Too many connections in/usr/www/users/jsandys/includes/phpconfig.php on line 4
I bring this up because in the article he refers to the webpage authors (um, aka Jon Sandys) as "hard-nosed bastards". Dude, don't be so, um, hard on yourself there... you're just, um, doing your job...
Now, are you telling me that the above wouldn't shave $1000 off the price of the Dual 1.8ghz model? And it wouldn't do so without sacrificing quality?
Ok yes this does make me salivate and what a nice affordable machine that would be. But I think the thing here is that the products are marketed to the middle to upper middle class folks, like a BMW. Apple needs revenue to make up for the intense amount of R/D that goes on to make those pretty shiny computers. Having a higher-end machine justifies the higher price regardless of profit margin. To make a lower end machine just doesn't make sense if you have a specific market share, unless you are attempting to foster market share growth over the long term within a specific group with which you've a known affiliation (in other words, the eMac for educational buyers - hoping they'll "grow up" with macs).
That being said, yup, I'd still buy one of your mentioned machines. But I don't think Apple will sell something like that. They know too well the dangers of product matrix overextension in the past low-cost machines have taken away from profit from higher end machines.
Ship with a combo-drive standard instead of a superdrive.
You can custom build to order on this, and by doing so you end up knocking $100 off the price.
Honestly, I'd like to see a $1000 machine based on a 1.6ghz G5. Then Apple would really turn some heads.
The g5 iMacs are on schedule to be released in 2 weeks at the WWDC. Is this what you're asking for?
You know that being said, I'm not sure if I ever care if Apple's prices are cheapened or not. I mean, think of it in this analogy - I love BMWs, always have. I am making a crazy attempt to save for one which will or will not ever come to fruition. But do I want BMW to come out with a $16,000 car (mini coopers do not count) that skimps on some of the quality? No, that, my friend, is not a BMW.
Part of the price included in Apple's products is research and development for its sleek designs. I would not have it any other way.
Yeah, you're paying for the software and the "experience", but frankly, most people don't care enough to plunk down the extra cash,
I do, and have since 1993. There are many that feel the same. It's just a matter of preference, there is no "correct" computer purchase.
Slashdot Mirror
The quest portion of SWG really kept my interest for a while, especially when compared to Lin2, which does not have quests integrated with normal griding like SWG (SWG: go kill imperial base, get good xp and cash, while L2 = go kill monster, get some cash, bad xp).
... I want a game that griding might be a partof it, but if I lose a couple of days or weeks out of gameplay I'm not light-years behind the other players.
I think the bottom line for me is that other than this genre ennui I'm experiencing, I'd just like a game in which I didn't feel like "HEY! It's 10pm on a Friday night! I could be wasting my time drinking beer or ACHIEVING lvl 41" where you get sucked into this false sense of urgency for griding, as if it's some sort of academic achievement
That's kinda what happened with Lin2. I was lvl32, on par with everyone else, then had a 2 month long vacation away from home and computer, came back and voila! -- the people I'd been with for months were lvl50, and in a group, even if you are fighting monsters much more harder than you're used to, the higher level group members get all your xp. Sigh. In a game where quests are rare, and traveling is mind-bogglingly slow, that ain't going to work.
Of course, my arguement all along about L2 is that what works in Korea will not always work here. That's why L1 is so popular but doesn't really work here in the States. In its defense, L1 is an awesome game. But if people can't see past the graphics, they won't buy it.
My apologies to the WoW fanbois as I'm sure this is a good game ... but is it a GREAT game in the LONG term?
... oh the grind ... and the same type of fantasy genre again ... uh, why'd I buy this ...
... something completely out of the box.
I played Lineage 2 for a while and it ran out of steam for me. Same with Star Wars Galaxies. So what are the delineating factors for a game that I'd be interested in NOW?
My personal opinion is that snazzy graphics, while interesting, can only go so far. If you've played a game of the a particular genre for so long (oh lets say fantasy - Lineage, EQ, WoW), and there comes along a new game which has --- ooo -- better graphics, does this REALLY keep you in the game very long? Sure, buy the $50 game, snag a few months of subscriptions, then
My opinion is that playability outlasts graphics. Graphics are an immediately gratifying factor, but in the long term, I think peoeple are sick of the fantasy and or sci-fi genre. So what's next? I dunno
Not on Nokia (aren't they related to Sony anyhow?), but Motorola phones will be available for such
From what I understand iTunes has DRM, and I won't use DRM, no matter how flexible.
I completely agree with you. I only reluctantly purchase iTunes songs, partly because I'm lazy and dun wanna go to the store.
But that's the music store. At home I stuck 300 CDs on iTunes and there is no DRM in music that you own on CD. Nada. A 300 disc changer is well worth the 'adjusting to the times' and going with putting your CDs on your computer, especially when you want to make a playlist of your 20 disc collection of polynesian dance music to put on shuffle at 3am to drive your neighbours nuts.
>
Fortunately, there's a converter built in. Convert from AAC to Mp3, Mp3 to Wav, Wav to aif, whatever your compression 'interests' you have. Do some clicking around in there, you might just find something you didn't think was there previously. Unfortunately it does not support your Vorbis. Maybe one day? I kinda wish it did.
>
You can't be serious? I watched the poor soul mentioned in the grandparent post waste away 10 minutes with Nero unsucessfully until he just said screw it and used Roxio's program instead. What part of the iTunes "click the friggen burn button" did he not understand? Dunno.
I don't know if this article is believable, but one thing that I've experienced that adds to its credibility at least to me is that I've noticed how many people out there will not download or try itunes. It's a free program. It runs on PCs. It has killer cataloging capabilities, localized network streaming capabilities (I run an iTunes streamer for all my mp3s at home to my stereo). The music store has TONS of 'indie' level bands, so phat chance of not finding something. And the burning and sound effects as well. Sheesh.
... especially if it's frigging free. How about just try it, Scott?
... it's that move that makes the person switch, not the actual performance of availability of software or other crazy usual analyses. They don't care if it's better or worse. People stick to computing platforms as if they are political ones oddly (ok THAT doesn't make sense either, bad example), regardless of whtether or not the platform actually suits them 100%. I know musicians using PCs who won't use macs. I know business majors who use Macs who won't use PCs.
...
Yet I know people who are so simple minded they will not even try the thing. One guy I know, who won't d/l it told me to run out and buy this album by killswitch engage. I told him I'd catch it on iTunes. He of course dismissed this idea, saying they'd never have that kind of album. Well we did an indie band run down of his entire collection, chose 10 bands, and 8 out of ten was on iTunes.
I guess my point is, that, from a computer scientist's viewpoint like my own, I don't care what you run, as I XP, Linux, and Macs, and love them all equally, but if you're going to badmouth a product, at least have the nuts to TRY the thing
But back to my original point
Am I odd for trying to see the good in every platform? Sheesh, you should see my political beliefs
Great post ... no, classic post ... I now have it on my wall at work. Oh yeah, your student loans are forgiven if you die. But other than that, I'm quite impressed.
7 pages full of people saying "wow I've had that for years and never knew what that was." I'm curious as to whether this is related to Patrick's problem ...
I am curious about his "sulfur granuals" ... reason being that I have had something similar for about 10 years (but I've never had his other symptoms). What I thought they were called were "tonsil stones." That's a random link, but you can just google it and find much more. My tonsil stones look similar to what he has described - white yellowish, less than 1mm, sperical, foul smelling. But I don't have any other symptoms.
Interesting how this this scheme is similar to BMW's naming scheme for their luxury cars. Imaging buying a car, on the other hand, where the horsepower is as visible as the car's logo (like the Pentium emblems). Perhaps people will now understand the value of a computer's architecture is not best described when only in terms of clock speed?
Ugh. More seminars for the seminar weary.
Lucas: The special edition, that's the one I wanted out there. The other movie, it's on VHS, if anybody wants it.
As an amateur recording artist I can vouch for works of art never being done, but man, where do you draw the line on that one? Is he going to change his mind 20 years from now and suddenly declare the old DVDS the 'wrong version' and redo the redone versions to fit his ideas at the moment?
Ok I know he had grand designs of what the film should have been like 20 years ago, but really how can you say you know exactly what you want when the technology does not exist yet (or at least did not in 1977)? When does it end?
Should we be sorry we fell in love with a half completed film as well?
NO -- it's platform portability.
I bring this up because in the article he refers to the webpage authors (um, aka Jon Sandys) as "hard-nosed bastards". Dude, don't be so, um, hard on yourself there ... you're just, um, doing your job ...
Ok yes this does make me salivate and what a nice affordable machine that would be. But I think the thing here is that the products are marketed to the middle to upper middle class folks, like a BMW. Apple needs revenue to make up for the intense amount of R/D that goes on to make those pretty shiny computers. Having a higher-end machine justifies the higher price regardless of profit margin. To make a lower end machine just doesn't make sense if you have a specific market share, unless you are attempting to foster market share growth over the long term within a specific group with which you've a known affiliation (in other words, the eMac for educational buyers - hoping they'll "grow up" with macs).
That being said, yup, I'd still buy one of your mentioned machines. But I don't think Apple will sell something like that. They know too well the dangers of product matrix overextension in the past low-cost machines have taken away from profit from higher end machines.
Ship with a combo-drive standard instead of a superdrive.
You can custom build to order on this, and by doing so you end up knocking $100 off the price.
The g5 iMacs are on schedule to be released in 2 weeks at the WWDC. Is this what you're asking for?
You know that being said, I'm not sure if I ever care if Apple's prices are cheapened or not. I mean, think of it in this analogy - I love BMWs, always have. I am making a crazy attempt to save for one which will or will not ever come to fruition. But do I want BMW to come out with a $16,000 car (mini coopers do not count) that skimps on some of the quality? No, that, my friend, is not a BMW.
Part of the price included in Apple's products is research and development for its sleek designs. I would not have it any other way.
Yeah, you're paying for the software and the "experience", but frankly, most people don't care enough to plunk down the extra cash,
I do, and have since 1993. There are many that feel the same. It's just a matter of preference, there is no "correct" computer purchase.
And you are thinking of dissociative identity disorder ;)
Who the heck is Hans and why should he get to hoot first?