Slashdot Mirror


User: pecosdave

pecosdave's activity in the archive.

Stories
0
Comments
2,546
First seen
Last seen
Profile
(view on slashdot.org)

Comments · 2,546

  1. Re:Linux gaming for modern games is a log way off on The State of Linux Gaming · · Score: -1, Troll

    I see the problem:

    Drop the Radeon from the equation. ATI is horrible about supporting their own stuff just as the article said. I used to be an ATI guy, I knew nothing better. Then someone introduced me to 3DFx/VooDoo, I loved it. Then the Radeon came out. I liked it, until it cooked itself, exchanged it on warranty, gave up on getting it to work in Linux (this was 2000 or so). I had one of the first couple of versions Radeon with 64MB onboard, I traded it to my roommate for a GeForce 2 with 64MB of DDR. The GeForce looked better in both OS's. My newer GeForce got stolen with my whole computer, so in August I pulled my GeForce 2 out of my work computer and brought it back home, I'm playing UT2004 at home with it all the time and it still plays very well.

    My laptop has an ATI, can't change that, can't do 3D, so I can only play Postal, The Battle for Wesnoth, Frozen Bubble and other very good 2D games with that. Hey, it's a Celeron 450.

    Bite the bullet. Drop ATI. On Linux Matrox has advantages over ATI, but Nvidia is still king. This is ATIs fault.

  2. My favorite Linux games just for the record. on The State of Linux Gaming · · Score: 2, Interesting

    UT2004 (and the older UTs also)

    The Battle for Wesnoth very good freebie.

    These are the ones I'm focusing on right now. I've played lots of others. Quake III, Frozen Bubble, I saw someone complain about lack of tacticle shooters, I did have Soldier of fortune. Now that Loki is gone ports don't happen quite as often, but they do still happen. Right now Blizzard is probably the biggest gaping hole in the Linux game library.

  3. Re:Look at the Mac in the background...can't be 19 on Bill Gates in 1983 Teen Beat Magazine · · Score: 1

    Ever heard of the Apple Lucy? Of course being Microsoft it very well may be a proto type. MS and Apple have worked together since the begining.

  4. I can only guess they're using Windows XP, on More Graphics Card Benchmarking · · Score: 1

    because if they were using Linux or BSD nVidia was have spanked ATI even harder.

  5. no wonder she alway complained about a headache... on Lying Makes The Brain Work Harder · · Score: 1

    men, this now gives us justification to further investigate/dump our women when they use the headache excuse for not putting out.

  6. Re:Damn Small Linux? on Steve Ballmer's $100 PC, Sans Windows · · Score: 2, Informative

    It's a real distro, it came with my Linux Format magazine/DVD. Not bad, it's based on Knoppix and meant to be small enough to boot from a business card CD, I would say it would be more usefull on a jump drive. It has XMMS, some simple text programs, a couple of video games, some terminals and the Links web browser. It's good enough for basic work without ever having to write to the host system hard drive.

  7. Maybe on If Mac OS X Came to x86, Would You Switch? · · Score: 1

    I like OSX, but I'm not sure I would give up all my Linux systems for it, though I would consider it. Then I would go to work and BEG them to get rid of Windows in favor of it. I don't use Windows at home. On anything.

  8. I know one game that does this, sorta. on In Search Of The Continuous Gaming Platform · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Animal Crossing. It's a completely pointless game that eats up hours and hours of time on the GameCube. Your goal is to get furniture for your house doing various things about a town. Plug in the Game Boy Advanced and you can ride a boat to an island. The island is then loaded onto your GBA and you can play Animal Island, a near tamagotchi style game, to get even more furniture and pointless crap for your house on the main island. (It's also handy for duping said pointless items). I find it an interesting way to expand the play away from the home unit, I just wished it was a better game. I lost interest in the game itself a long time ago, the only really good thing to come of it is the NES games.

  9. Re:GameGear on Top Ten Handhelds That Didn't Make It? · · Score: 1

    I had the external battery pack with the belt clip. It was a little less than idealy portable that way, but it wasn't exactly cumbersome and made hours of gameplay possible.

    When I left to college I left all my Game Gear stuff at home so nobody would jack it. Who would have thought my mom would loose everything? I've still got the system, the game that was in it, and the AC adapter because those were out and not in the storage bag. All else it lost. Broke my heart because that was such a cool system.

  10. Re:Nintendo needs to focus on RPG development. on On Stemming Nintendo's Exclusive Game Drought · · Score: 1

    Unfortunately now that I have kids most of my fighting game days are behind me. For fighting games I still like the three in a row setup, of course I pretty much stopped playing fighting games with the SNES. I've got a couple on the N64, it's layout wasn't to bad for those kinds of games. The only 3D fighter I ever really played extensively was Mace the Dark Age on the 64, and that was just barely 3D based on the way it played.

    Nope, I'm still stuck on Capcam 2D fighters in my mind for the most part. I've considered picking up Super Smash Brothers Melee for the cube though, and possibly Soul Caliber 2, but if I do I'll probably be buying joysticks, just like I did for the SNES. Still wouldn't mind some decent N64 ones for Killer Instinct Gold. Of course I would rarely get a chance to use them anyways.

    My six year old daughter is like a fly on poop when it comes to any video game being played. I don't consider most older fighting games to violent for her, SFII isn't really bloody or anything, Mortal Kombat anyversion is, the problem with playing ANY game with her around is you have to become a narrator. I've up and stopped playing Zelda, I can't exactly immerse myself in the game when I'm having to read everything aloud, explain what I'm doing or just saying "shut up!" the entire time. Just another year or two then she should be able to pretty much keep up on reading it herself, and maybe comprehending whats going on better. Then her little sister will take her place.

  11. Nintendo needs to focus on RPG development. on On Stemming Nintendo's Exclusive Game Drought · · Score: 1

    I am not the biggest RPG fan, but I do occasionally enjoy them. The reason I say Nintendo needs to lead focus towards RPGs is their controller. The Gamecube controller just seems like it was made with RPGs in mind. The layout of the X and Y buttons are occasionally annoying in action titles, but when it's for bringing up menus it just seems natural.

    The GameCube control is NOT meant for fighting games (at least not far advanced ones). I couldn't imagine playing a Street Fighter 2 port on a GameCube control, it would drive me bat shit. But Skies of Arcadia legends, Lost Kingdoms, Zelda and the other RPGs I played on it seem perfect for this layout. The Zelda games I've played on it HAVE been played on other control layouts. The GameCube one just seems natural.

    Whats more on the marketing end, RPGs sell. Unless you count Secret of Mana (developed by Square) I've never really been a big fan of the Final Fantasy games. Granted I haven't given them much of a chance in recent years but I know the selling power of those games. They really need to go for a GameCube version of every RPG out there. It would also help by disbanding the currently unfounded "kiddie" image Nintendo has aquired.

    Add the fact that the Wavebird Wireless control kicks all kind of butt you would have a hard time convincing me the cube wasn't good enough for RPGs.

    Off to the Gameboy connectivity angle. I want to chastise Nintendo for pushing sales down our throats with this. I want to, but I've messed with it, and I can't chastise them to much, the Gameboy connectivity angle works to well. On the average RPG you really don't need a second device to display maps but I started thinking about games like the old Secret of Mana for the SNES. On that game you could have three simultanious players. Every time a player cast a spell the action stopped for the menu process and resumed when the spell was cast. A game like that could definately justify GBA connectivity. If you don't agree be the guy holding the sword while the other two are casting spells all over the place. It can get old, especially when you're playing with less advanced players.

    So, do you hear me Nintendo? More RPGs! Offer incentives to your developers, whatever. It's for the good of your console.

    Speaking of incentives and Gameboys, it might be a good idea to make some sort of a deal on your Gameboy player. I like playing old school stuff on my cube. I've got the Zelda collectors disk, and I load up old games from Animal Crossing, since you like putting SNES games on the Gameboy make the Gameboy player cheaper or bundled with something.

  12. Re:The worst on The Absolute Worst Working Environment? · · Score: 1

    The pickers couldn't have had it to bad. I used to cantaloups with migrant workers in West Texas. 120F wasn't an unusual high temperature. We would walk along the fields next to a slow moving truck, pick up all the cantaloups we could and sling them into the bags on our backs, then take the bags to the truck where they would dump them and give us our bags back. This was 6-12 hours a day depending. Just drink pleanty of water, rest on your breaks, shake the salt out of your shirt when you get home. I'm a white boy, but I was darker than some of the Mexican migrants I worked with after a week or two. Yes, I picked the famous Pecos cantaloups.

  13. Re:Retro Gaming on Japan Gets NES Conversions For GBA, Limited Xboxes · · Score: 1

    I do happen to have that disk.....

    I bought both N64 Zelda games only about six months before that disk was announced and never got around to playing them (life is busy). Now that it's on the cube it's slightly more convient than when it was on the 64. But, no transfer over the link cable on that one.

  14. Re:Retro Gaming on Japan Gets NES Conversions For GBA, Limited Xboxes · · Score: 3, Interesting

    How to play Zelda on GBA legally with only minor "cheating".

    Animal Crossing on the Game Cube contains many old NES games. These games can be played on the Cube or transfered to the GBA using a link cable. Zelda is on the disk, only a legitimate way to unlock it has not been found, it's been unlocked using Action Replay.

    There is one major flaw to doing it this way:
    The game will be loaded into RAM. You can suspend the Gameboy, if you have a GBA SP (or a third party rechargeable pack for a normal GBA) you can theoreticaly play it forever since you can charge it while suspended, unfortunately if you turn off the GBA the game is lost. No saving, turning it off for three months, then resuming.

    So: Game Cube $100
    Animal Crossing $50
    GBA SP: $100
    GBA Link cable $10
    Action Replay $40
    ----------------------
    For only ~$300 you can have a nearly legitimate version of portable Zelda that can't survive a dead battery. (yes, I can get all that stuff cheaper to, I'm just going on general MSRP/OTC retailer prices)

  15. Counter point. on Solar Powered Jacket Charges Your Gadgets · · Score: 1

    Here's another less jackass looking idea. Use the same material they use in tan-through swim suites to cover the solar panel. A little less sunshine gets through, but it lowers the dork factor.

  16. Re:Somebody translate the sizes, please? on Solar Powered Jacket Charges Your Gadgets · · Score: 1

    Well, I'm 5'10 and 230 lbs. I can get a large on, but it's tight. X-Large is my size. The 50 lbs less part makes me stand by my original statement. Large-tall. (a regular large may cut it though)

  17. Re:Somebody translate the sizes, please? on Solar Powered Jacket Charges Your Gadgets · · Score: 1

    Based on our different advice,

    whats the weight of the person in question?

    and another question normal build? Or a funky build like I had when I rode my bike every where, huge legs that added around 30 lbs to my weight and caused even normal relaxed fit jeans to be to tight on the legs but to loose on the waist?

  18. Re:Somebody translate the sizes, please? on Solar Powered Jacket Charges Your Gadgets · · Score: 1

    Just a guess, but a large tall would probably be about right. A medium would probably be to short a 6 ft, and if you're quite slim an X-large would be way to big. A large may be to big if you're slim, but at least is wouldn't be hanging around above your navel.

  19. Upgrade your jacket idea. on Solar Powered Jacket Charges Your Gadgets · · Score: 2, Insightful

    What about a baseball cap with a solar brim? Plug it into your jacket for added solar surface area (more watts). Whats better, in places like Texas where I live you don't wear a jacket but a few months out of the year, but a cap can be worn year round. Use it as a stand alone device. In the Western part of the state a cap brim would pull in more juice than a jacket cap combo in lot of places. Just sounds like the natural next step to me.

    No. Even though I'm a Texan I don't thing a solar Stetson would sell. Well, maybe a few....

  20. Re:More Female Avatars! on Gender Inclusive Game Design Reviewed · · Score: 1

    My problem with Diablo II is they didn't leave a choice.

    I think gender selection should have been a part of it. Ever character on there could have been male or female, granted the Amazon would probably not be an Amazon anymore, but there could be an equal male Character. BTW, I used the Rouge on the first and the Amazon on the second.

  21. I think Skies of Arcadia Legends handled it well. on Why Random Encounters In RPGs Aren't That Bad · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Granted, the game had WAY to many encounters, but they left good save previsions.

    If you were running around in a dungeon, that was it. You had to accomplish your task or get to the next major milestone to save. Fortunately you could heal between battles. As long as you didn't move you could heal. You could heal via magic, or set items. If you were both out of magic points and healing items, or just wanted to do a small increment heal you could eat the fish you gathered while traveling between locations in your airship. Thats a dungeon and you were expected to make it one your own.

    Outside of dungeons however was a different story. You could do the normal save in any town, or you could save at anypoint while you were in your ship (minus a couple of dungeon like ship encounters) As long as you can save at any point random encounters weren't that big of a deal on the airship.

    Towards the middle part of the game you could make your ship fly higher and lower than you could at the begining. When you were able to do that, random encounters virtually stopped, so your 50th level character didn't have to battle level 1 enemies all the time. On the occasions you did encounter them they could be wiped out in a single move. This was sometimes worthwhile, lower level battles could still earn moonberries, usually you had a better chance getting one from a lower level than a higher level character. If you still needed training points that wasn't such a bad approach.

    They had the getting around safe, dungeons on your own formula down quite well.

  22. Buy the TV. on Videogames, HDTV and Widescreen 16:9? · · Score: 1

    I have Mitsubishi HDTV thats a couple of years old and all the Nintendo systems since the NES hooked up to it.

    I've only got a couple of games that support 16:9, StarFox is one of them. Just like a computer monitor it actually gives you a larger playing field.

    Fine, so whats the fun of playing a 5:4 game on a 16:9 screen? Pleanty. I've found that most cartoons and video games look fine stretched out. Everything is a little wider than it should be, but with video games it looks like the way the artist intended. I just finished Skies of Arcadia legends on my big screen, I'm currently playing Animal Crossing, and I've put in quite a few hours of Mario SunShine. Occasionally you'll see something thats supposed to be a perfect circle that looks wrong, but thats about it. 98% of the time you don't notice the wrong ratio. That, and as time goes on more games are going to be released that support 16:9 anyways.

    Now, on watching normal TV, maybe some more realistic looking games you'll probably want to put it back to 5:4.

    The one mode you DONOT want to use for video games even if you use it for normal TV is the one that stretches the edges of the picture. It's disorientating to have spinning parallel lines bend at the end of the screen when you're controling the action.

    If you're worried about the black lines, on my TV I can shift the 5:4 image to the left and leave it scrolling through channels on the right, three channels at a time, domino style update. Most of them do something like that.

  23. Re:What about? on Must-Have Games For The Dreamcast? · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I hit the jackpot on that port.

    I have Skies of Arcadia Legends for the Cube, it's only by sheer chance I got it. I bought my Cube used off of ebay with 9 games and a WaveBird. I figured 9 games, several of which I was guaranteed to like and the rest I would give a shot. I'm glad I gave Skies of Arcadia Legends a shot.

    You can tell it's a port. Granted they improved everything just a little for the Cube version and added some stuff, but you're right. That games so good I'm considering getting a DreamCast just so I can see what the original was like. The spirit system is awesome, the game is emersing. Even though a lot of the plot is cliche and very little of anything is original, they put it all together in a world that just works.

    Kinda like a Lasagne, each part of it can be used in another dish, but not until it all comes together and is cooked properly can you have the best meal on earth.

  24. Hypothetical: on Belkin Routers Route Users to Censorware Ad · · Score: 1

    I have to download a BIOS update. I right-click a link, download, save to floppy, reboot, then flash my BIOS with a Belkin ad. Oh my oh my oh my, what a dilema they have there.

  25. Re:my 2 cents on GameCube - Doubles U.S Share, UK Status, Zelda Bundle · · Score: 1

    let me fill in that last one for you

    XBOX-> Games that were supposed to come out on the N64 but were delayed, delayed, delayed