I have a Radeon 9600 XT. Not today's super-stud graphics card, but I can play UT2004 in Windows at 1280x1024 (my LCD's native res) with all graphical settings on "Normal" or "On" (for the on-off selectable ones). The game runs very smoothly throughout.
Fire up my Gentoo install, and the game is terrible at the same res, with all graphical settings at "Lowest" or "Off". I could probably play at like 800x600, but I like running things on my LCD's native resolution.
Of course, that's why I still have a Windows partition in the first place.
The lovely irish girl only asked one question, "Were there any dead pixels on the screen before the warranty expired", and i (truthfully) answered yes. End of discussion.
I wish you "underground" and "alternative" folks would realize that you are slopping up movies like "Clerks" because that is what the mass *mainstream* media is feeding you. You are being played worse than the "pop" culture you wish you really did despise.
That's why I randomly choose my DVDs out of the dustiest, most pathetic looking porn racks. Nobody's media-whoring ME!
Make a deal with the local slut - she gives BJs in the bathroom, and you bring all the lonely guys and be the pimp-for-the-night. Split the cash 50/50.
Besides that, I would say that, yes, a few console systems would be a great idea. Fighting games like Soul Calibur II get old at home, when your best buddy won't take any more asskickings. But at a gathering, it can become the life of the party.
Console systems provide something other than the FPS/RTS fest PC LANs inevitably become. A Soul Calibur here and a Madden/ESPN there can spark some great side-action. People appreciate the change of pace, and enjoy going back to their PCs and playing the FPS stuff again more after a little time on something else.
Best basic rule of LAN parties: leave as little "stuff" out as possible. With the consoles, have THE game for that console in the system, and don't leave the case around. If you are going to play more than 1 game on any given console, keep the spare games in a back room/area, and switch them at intervals. Don't leave spare controllers sitting by the system - if you want to accomodate 4 players, have all 4 controllers plugged in from the get-go. Rolled-up controllers that are next to the system won't be noticed when they go missing. Same for loose game cases and stuff. They won't necessarily get *stolen*, but very easily kicked around accidentally and possibly thrown in with someone's stuff inadvertantly.
Lock down everything that can be locked down, and minimize the amount of stuff out there that can't. It's not just about security of property, but also people appreciate things being in "order" and not requiring plugging in, fiddling, etc. Make it as close to a game store system kiosk as possible.
Doesn't Pokemon Fire Red/Leaf Green already do this? Apparently (I haven't tried it yet, though it came with the adapter) there's a wireless adapter you attach to the back of the GBA that allows up to 40 players into a "common room" in which they can chat, walk around, trade pokemon and have battles. Maybe it's small by comparison, but evidently they're headed in that direction already, and it's well... it sounds pretty cool, I haven't found anyone out there that is playing it yet... besides me... the hopeless addict...
>> We watch people play reality games on TV. We watch people play sports. Why can't society just freaking participate?
You draw the assumption that "we" don't.
"We" go out and play sports all the time. But we don't need new technology to do it, so there's not much to say about it on Slashdot.
Playing a video game sport is a completely different experience than physically playing the sport. One does not replace the other. NFL players play video game football all the time - why? They play the "real thing" at the highest level. Well, the "why" is because one has nothing to do with the other, except subject matter.
In ESPN NFL 2K5, a bunch of us at EvilAvatar.com have a league going. ESPN provides KILLER online leagues with amazing generated websites (eat crap, Madden).
Being able to watch the other games of the week would be awesome. Partly for fun, partly for scouting.:)
Games like Counterstrike would be awfully boring to watch, but not all games would.
No, what I really would like to see, is Windows coming with a selection of browsers (perhaps a "Welcome to your brand new Microsoft (R) Windows (R) [TM] installation - which browser(s) do you want to install?" and it automatically grabs the latest version of that browser) , and be able to choose which of them to embed in explorer. Now *THAT* would be cool...
Too bad Windows isn't an open-source project:)
Well first, I would like to see open source projects actually do that, instead of, "here's your new Linux install, enjoy your new 21 text editors!".
Running a distro like Gentoo helps, but there's lots of crap packaged in with KDE and GNOME that I didn't ask for. I have gvim, I don't need KEdit, Kate, gEdit, etc. etc...
>> and stands to benefit from tax cuts for the wealthiest 1%?
No, he understands that he used to pay an income tax rate that was about 9% higher than he is now, and all the chest-pounding idiocy of "top 1% tax cuts" doesn't change the fact that he's paying less than before.
Unless he's poor. Then he's paying 16% less.
But how dare Bush extend the cuts to the rich too. Because of that, he should obviously vote for the guy that wants to take that 9% away. THAT'LL LEARN 'EM!!
So why don't you work on putting ideas into the distros you want?
Because I have my own projects to work on, perhaps?
This mindset has to die - "stfu luser, do it yourself!". Some of us don't have time to fix our OS, email client, web browser, database backend, web servers, file servers, print servers, image editors, IM clients, office suites, etc. all ourselves in our free time.
If Linux is only meant to be used by the people "scratching their own itch", then so be it. But don't then turn around and complain when nobody else wants to use it.
Your post alone pretty much explains the existence of this story...
Very simple answer for you. You like Debian, I like Slackware, my work uses RedHat, but we are switching to SuSe soon. Some people like Mandrake, other's swear by Gentoo. Every Distro fills a niche, every person has a niche. The more distro's the better. If you have an issue with an array of choices, you can use Windows or Solaris. Some of us really like to have a distro that provides EXACTLY what we want.
I've used many distros I like. But every time, they're missing something I liked from another distro.
Instead of having 15 distros I like, I'd kill to have 3 that I love.
The more we fracture, the more great ideas get spread out miles away from other great ideas.
Slashdot Mirror
Instead of "blaming", I'd like to hear progress. I've heard of people trying to write a driver for it. I want to hear more.
Fire up my Gentoo install, and the game is terrible at the same res, with all graphical settings at "Lowest" or "Off". I could probably play at like 800x600, but I like running things on my LCD's native resolution.
Of course, that's why I still have a Windows partition in the first place.
Forget the damn laptop, get her number!
Irish chicks are hot.
GS: When do you expect to announce a publishing partner?
DC: We may not. The proliferation of broadband has opened a direct channel to fans of these types of games...
Sounds like they may anticipate doing online distribution not unlike Valve with Steam, albeit hopefully less painful.
I've been to Exeter - nothing intelligent could possibly have come from there, believe me.
On Slashdot, that's assumed.
If I was stuck in Bakersfield, I'd move to Bombay too.
Nor the one of the illiterate Slashdotter.
Ahh, Valhalla. I never found ye on Match.com.
You can WRITE hardware?
You are teh l33t!
That's why I randomly choose my DVDs out of the dustiest, most pathetic looking porn racks. Nobody's media-whoring ME!
Besides that, I would say that, yes, a few console systems would be a great idea. Fighting games like Soul Calibur II get old at home, when your best buddy won't take any more asskickings. But at a gathering, it can become the life of the party.
Console systems provide something other than the FPS/RTS fest PC LANs inevitably become. A Soul Calibur here and a Madden/ESPN there can spark some great side-action. People appreciate the change of pace, and enjoy going back to their PCs and playing the FPS stuff again more after a little time on something else.
Best basic rule of LAN parties: leave as little "stuff" out as possible. With the consoles, have THE game for that console in the system, and don't leave the case around. If you are going to play more than 1 game on any given console, keep the spare games in a back room/area, and switch them at intervals. Don't leave spare controllers sitting by the system - if you want to accomodate 4 players, have all 4 controllers plugged in from the get-go. Rolled-up controllers that are next to the system won't be noticed when they go missing. Same for loose game cases and stuff. They won't necessarily get *stolen*, but very easily kicked around accidentally and possibly thrown in with someone's stuff inadvertantly.
Lock down everything that can be locked down, and minimize the amount of stuff out there that can't. It's not just about security of property, but also people appreciate things being in "order" and not requiring plugging in, fiddling, etc. Make it as close to a game store system kiosk as possible.
If I admitted to all that, I would post AC too.
You draw the assumption that "we" don't.
"We" go out and play sports all the time. But we don't need new technology to do it, so there's not much to say about it on Slashdot.
Playing a video game sport is a completely different experience than physically playing the sport. One does not replace the other. NFL players play video game football all the time - why? They play the "real thing" at the highest level. Well, the "why" is because one has nothing to do with the other, except subject matter.
Being able to watch the other games of the week would be awesome. Partly for fun, partly for scouting. :)
Games like Counterstrike would be awfully boring to watch, but not all games would.
Well first, I would like to see open source projects actually do that, instead of, "here's your new Linux install, enjoy your new 21 text editors!".
Running a distro like Gentoo helps, but there's lots of crap packaged in with KDE and GNOME that I didn't ask for. I have gvim, I don't need KEdit, Kate, gEdit, etc. etc...
Yes. Burn, commie!
Actually, that's a good question. I don't see how the flat would mean that anything else is off-limits, though. It's just the most common focus.
Same here. "Hax0r the Planet!!" doesn't work! :(
Fire Wire!
No, he understands that he used to pay an income tax rate that was about 9% higher than he is now, and all the chest-pounding idiocy of "top 1% tax cuts" doesn't change the fact that he's paying less than before.
Unless he's poor. Then he's paying 16% less.
But how dare Bush extend the cuts to the rich too. Because of that, he should obviously vote for the guy that wants to take that 9% away. THAT'LL LEARN 'EM!!
Because I have my own projects to work on, perhaps?
This mindset has to die - "stfu luser, do it yourself!". Some of us don't have time to fix our OS, email client, web browser, database backend, web servers, file servers, print servers, image editors, IM clients, office suites, etc. all ourselves in our free time.
If Linux is only meant to be used by the people "scratching their own itch", then so be it. But don't then turn around and complain when nobody else wants to use it.
Your post alone pretty much explains the existence of this story...
I've used many distros I like. But every time, they're missing something I liked from another distro.
Instead of having 15 distros I like, I'd kill to have 3 that I love.
The more we fracture, the more great ideas get spread out miles away from other great ideas.