I recently purchased the aforementioned Rallysport Challenge 2, and have to say I am very pleased with it. _Except_ for the XSN BS. Or the plain Live! content.
Sure, it's great to race ghost rallies realtime, but the killer is the comms. For some reason, the game developers thought that it would be interesting if you could only talk to the person in front of you, and the person behind you. For one thing, this leads to you talking to seemingly random people when you're lined up at the start. Also, during a close race, it's hard to keep up a conversation with one person, as that person would have to be within one position of you. Not to mention the fact that the guy ahead of you is keeping up a conversation with the guy ahead of him, so you only hear half of it. Kind of like someone talking on 2 cell phones at once to someone talking on 2 cell phones at once [... ad infinitum]
I've played lots of Live! games where you can talk to your whole team at once (ala Rainbow Six 3) or everyone in the game at once (ala PGR2). I haven't done any bandwidth measurement, but from the sounds of the audio, they're using a fairly high compression codec, and they're band pass filtering for additional size reduction. There's no reason why I should only have to talk to 2 other players bandwidth-wise.
I suppose I should mention how impressed I am with the use of the communicator in SC:PT. In that game, the communicator becomes a somewhat vital part of gameplay (the spies can intercept mercenery communication, and the mercs can jam the spies). This obvious good sense comes from Ubisoft (who, IIRC, also made PRG2) so it doesn't surprise me that they got things right. What suprises me is how much MSGS got things wrong.
The military still uses such a term for those who do the laundry -- Dhobeywallahs.
I'm not sure of the history of the name, though it probably has something to do with the british navy taking slaves while touring by India.
I tried to get a woman to exclusively do my laundry once. After refusing something that she called "Sex", which, after she described to me, was clearly nothing computer-related, multiple times, she refused to do my laundry. I'm sure the british navy had the same problem.
A lot of new physics does seem to be increasingly theoretical and "out there" on the proverbial limb
All new physics is out on the proverbial limb. Galileo's ideas were so outrageous at the time that the church had him outcast from society (IIRC).
It doesn't take that much of an open mind to consider these new (or old) theories based on new facts. But, I'm glad the majority don't follow such theories, because most people tend not to leave things in the grey ("THIS theory is RIGHT") otherwise, actual scientific progress would be severely hindered, as people would become quite disheartened, and possibly ANGRY at science.
It would be good for the practical lot to catch up with the theoretical lot...
The border between "Practical" and "Theoretical" isn't very black-and-white either. Often theoretical sceince leads to very practical applications (as in the case of forward error correction, originally just mathematics) and practical turns out quite sour (as in the Wankel(?) engine).
given the option, I'd borrow a spectrum analyzer, and have a look see at what else is going on. turn off your router and let the spectrum analyzer sit on peak hold. often you'll find that the channel(s) you were trying to use were either
a) in use, or b) taking a lot of interference from external factors (like microwaves)
if you can't find a free channel, first step is to stop it at the windows. try and position your router without a view to the outside -- pagers are notorious for sideband splash on their 1000 watt transmitters.
... unless of course you don't work for a wireless telecom provider or don't have access to a nice IFR otherwise;)
The net's not exactly bursting this bubble, it's computing that is.
I used to go to the gaming cafes to play games my modest rig couldn't handle... at the time that was Tribes. Now, it seems just about any computer can do the basic things those cafes provide... a lot of people have DSL at home, and a decent chunk of bandwidth at work. And low-end computers and graphic cards keep getting less and less low-end.
Personally, where I live, there are a few left, but they're all basically dedicated computers for CS now.
Say it isn't so... a sequel to the most addictive game of all time... I still remember my eq withdrawl, and sometimes the only thing that keeps me from going back is the fact that I'd have to start from level 1 again, and I'd have no clue about all the new spells/skills/items. Now, EQ2 will be looming over my shoulder until its release, at which point, it would be a better career move for me to take up smoking crack. GOD HELP ME!!! KEEP THIS FOULD DEMON AWAY!!! AHHHHHHHH!!!/me runs and hides under his blanket
Written by businessman, for businessman.
I can undestand why slashdot puts stories like these on but I still laugh when I read them. The contradictions, the overstatements, not to mention the information they sometimes get wrong. I don't mind reading them though, if only for a laugh.
Not to say that this story has ALL of those listed above, but I did notice some lines that gave me a chuckle.
ah yes, another representation of sofware's circle of life.
exploit, patch, exploit, patch, exploit, patch.
insert elton john music here
faster than any other console on the market
on
Phantom Game Console
·
· Score: 5, Funny
Interviewer: Hey, why are there wheels on the console?
Spokesman: It's faster than any other console on the market.
Interviewer: Umm... usually when referring to the spees of the console, you quote the processor speed, or some benchmark.
Spokesman: You want a benchmark? This thing gets 112 Miles per gallon. The tank holds a pint. You do the math.
Interviewer: What's the purpose of a moving console?
Spokesman: It's the ultimate mobile platform.
Why? Why bother with IP addresses and the like when there is a perticular problem at hand: NYC needs more phone "addresses". The "addressing" system in place is not flawed in any way, it just need more space. I'm not sure of the specifics, but I'm sure that they could add another area code. They did it where I live quite a few times. 416 - 905 - 203. But we just moved to 10 digit.
Slashdot Mirror
Explain to me how that Swatch ISN'T ugly...
I recently purchased the aforementioned Rallysport Challenge 2, and have to say I am very pleased with it. _Except_ for the XSN BS. Or the plain Live! content.
Sure, it's great to race ghost rallies realtime, but the killer is the comms. For some reason, the game developers thought that it would be interesting if you could only talk to the person in front of you, and the person behind you. For one thing, this leads to you talking to seemingly random people when you're lined up at the start. Also, during a close race, it's hard to keep up a conversation with one person, as that person would have to be within one position of you. Not to mention the fact that the guy ahead of you is keeping up a conversation with the guy ahead of him, so you only hear half of it. Kind of like someone talking on 2 cell phones at once to someone talking on 2 cell phones at once [... ad infinitum]
I've played lots of Live! games where you can talk to your whole team at once (ala Rainbow Six 3) or everyone in the game at once (ala PGR2). I haven't done any bandwidth measurement, but from the sounds of the audio, they're using a fairly high compression codec, and they're band pass filtering for additional size reduction. There's no reason why I should only have to talk to 2 other players bandwidth-wise.
I suppose I should mention how impressed I am with the use of the communicator in SC:PT. In that game, the communicator becomes a somewhat vital part of gameplay (the spies can intercept mercenery communication, and the mercs can jam the spies). This obvious good sense comes from Ubisoft (who, IIRC, also made PRG2) so it doesn't surprise me that they got things right. What suprises me is how much MSGS got things wrong.
Did nobody play-test this stuff?
The military still uses such a term for those who do the laundry -- Dhobeywallahs.
I'm not sure of the history of the name, though it probably has something to do with the british navy taking slaves while touring by India.
I tried to get a woman to exclusively do my laundry once. After refusing something that she called "Sex", which, after she described to me, was clearly nothing computer-related, multiple times, she refused to do my laundry. I'm sure the british navy had the same problem.
All new physics is out on the proverbial limb. Galileo's ideas were so outrageous at the time that the church had him outcast from society (IIRC).
It doesn't take that much of an open mind to consider these new (or old) theories based on new facts. But, I'm glad the majority don't follow such theories, because most people tend not to leave things in the grey ("THIS theory is RIGHT") otherwise, actual scientific progress would be severely hindered, as people would become quite disheartened, and possibly ANGRY at science.
The border between "Practical" and "Theoretical" isn't very black-and-white either. Often theoretical sceince leads to very practical applications (as in the case of forward error correction, originally just mathematics) and practical turns out quite sour (as in the Wankel(?) engine).
Just my 2c
given the option, I'd borrow a spectrum analyzer, and have a look see at what else is going on. turn off your router and let the spectrum analyzer sit on peak hold. often you'll find that the channel(s) you were trying to use were either
;)
a) in use, or
b) taking a lot of interference from external factors (like microwaves)
if you can't find a free channel, first step is to stop it at the windows. try and position your router without a view to the outside -- pagers are notorious for sideband splash on their 1000 watt transmitters.
... unless of course you don't work for a wireless telecom provider or don't have access to a nice IFR otherwise
The net's not exactly bursting this bubble, it's computing that is.
I used to go to the gaming cafes to play games my modest rig couldn't handle... at the time that was Tribes. Now, it seems just about any computer can do the basic things those cafes provide... a lot of people have DSL at home, and a decent chunk of bandwidth at work. And low-end computers and graphic cards keep getting less and less low-end. Personally, where I live, there are a few left, but they're all basically dedicated computers for CS now.
I can't wait to see people who screw this one up. The people with pictures of Grandma on their night table.
Say it isn't so... a sequel to the most addictive game of all time... I still remember my eq withdrawl, and sometimes the only thing that keeps me from going back is the fact that I'd have to start from level 1 again, and I'd have no clue about all the new spells/skills/items. Now, EQ2 will be looming over my shoulder until its release, at which point, it would be a better career move for me to take up smoking crack. GOD HELP ME!!! KEEP THIS FOULD DEMON AWAY!!! AHHHHHHHH!!! /me runs and hides under his blanket
Written by businessman, for businessman.
I can undestand why slashdot puts stories like these on but I still laugh when I read them. The contradictions, the overstatements, not to mention the information they sometimes get wrong. I don't mind reading them though, if only for a laugh.
Not to say that this story has ALL of those listed above, but I did notice some lines that gave me a chuckle.
ah yes, another representation of sofware's circle of life.
exploit, patch, exploit, patch, exploit, patch.
insert elton john music here
Interviewer: Hey, why are there wheels on the console? Spokesman: It's faster than any other console on the market. Interviewer: Umm... usually when referring to the spees of the console, you quote the processor speed, or some benchmark. Spokesman: You want a benchmark? This thing gets 112 Miles per gallon. The tank holds a pint. You do the math. Interviewer: What's the purpose of a moving console? Spokesman: It's the ultimate mobile platform.
Why? Why bother with IP addresses and the like when there is a perticular problem at hand: NYC needs more phone "addresses". The "addressing" system in place is not flawed in any way, it just need more space. I'm not sure of the specifics, but I'm sure that they could add another area code. They did it where I live quite a few times. 416 - 905 - 203. But we just moved to 10 digit.