Whaddya mean "whats the point"? The point is, exciting new tools for machinima developers will be available within just a few years here, enabling them to take their art to entirely new levels. Oh boo-hoo, it won't be available for two years. Why the hell would Slashdot even exist if everyone went "Whats the point?" every time some exciting new future technology was announced? We thrive off this shit man!
And anyways, if you're looking for some definitive 'reviews' for existing machinima tools, I highly suspect you (and any other serious machinima devs) are in the wrong freakin place.
Now, if you're just looking to cheaply plug your own project...
Ever hear of a game called Tresspasser? It was released back in 98 (same year as HL), and had a far more detailed "physics engine" than anything at the time. Only problem is, the game was a horrible, buggy, steaming pile of dog feces (i've seen it on more than one "worst games ever" list). But physics were semi-possible back then.
The crappy thing is, Tresspasser kind of scared developers away from doing physics engines, lest they pull another tresspasser and completely fuck up their game. It wasn't until recently (starting with UT2003, AFAIK) that the big boys of the industry said "no, we can do this right". Suddenly, physics is a buzzword and a 'new thang' instead of being 5 years old and still evolving.
I suppose the only good news is that detailed physics are probably here to stay now, and should get better as the industry keeps fueling their evolution.
A signature is just an individualized sequence of muscle movements that technically could be you writing an offensive remark.
Yeah, true that. My mother has worked at a bank for damn near 23 years now, and her signature looks more like the Nike swoosh or a tribal tattoo than a 12 character name.
As for myself, I share the sentiments of the original poster. My writing is so messy and signature so random, I don't think a system like that would work so hot for me. I guess I do have a few consistencies, like the elongated loops on my capital A and lower D's, the goofy squiggle that's supposed to be a capital W, and how I put a double stroke through my name when I dot the i and cross the capital A all in one fluid motion (thought it looked cool when I was little... now its just a part of my signature. Its funny when people asking me "why'd you cross your signature out? You just signed it!":P). But the rest of it? Its a total mess. I don't even TRY to spell the last eight or so characters of my sirname. They just kind of come out as a series of loops and bumps that look different pretty much every time.
Oh well, at least with my mother working at my bank (branch manager no less), no one questions me on stuff like that.
Teller: "What the hell? Is that supposed to be your signature"
Me: "FIRED!!"
BBQ sometimes stands for "be back quick" in games. But in instances like this where the BBQ is included in a string of words, its purpose is purely satirical. Its kind of like the "kitchen sink" of online acronyms.
I IS LIEK SO SMERT!! LOLOLOLOLOL!!!1`1oneoneleventyone
Character advancement is accomplished through the activation of skill training kits. Once a training kit is utilized, a certain period of time must elapse before training is complete and the skill is functional. The activation time required is measured in real time and training continues regardless of whether or not a player is connected to the game. The training time needed for skills may range from less than an hour to several days, depending on the type and complexity of the skill. You may only train one skill at a time, one character at a time per account. Time elapsed during training may be monitored through the character sheet.
Ah, no worries. Its just a part time job pushing boxes around and playing on computers while I get one of those "education" things so I can go find an actual career.:)
I wonder... The company I work for here in Canada had me sign an agreement when I was hired that basically said that if I came up with any brilliant, million-dollar ideas related to the industry for two years (IIRC) after I left the company, they'd basically "own" those ideas. I thought it was kind of strange to try and claim someone elses "IP" like that, and wondered to myself if they had ever tried to enforce it. Anyone know? I sincerely doubt its ever happened, since the company is primarilly shipping and logistics... not a whole hell of a lot of room to drastically innovate, unless you happen to invent a teleporter or something... but now i'm curious if these kinds of agreements are legal in Canada too, seeing as how the competition-employment ones are (apparently) not.
Quick! Where's a 'IAAL' on Slashdot when you need one!? (Oh, wait...)
1: Control Panel -> Folder settings
2: File Types tab
3: Find (NONE) URL:HyperText Transfer Protocol
4: Click Advanced
5: Select the open action, and hit Edit
6: In the application used field, it should say something like "C:\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" %1, or whatever your FF directory is.
7: Make sure Use DDE is checked, but clear the DDE Message field (it might have a %1 or something in it).
8: Hit OK twice.
9: Repeat steps for (NONE) URL:HyperText Transfer Protocol with Security
10: Give it a whirl, Thunderbird should now launch Firefox instead of IE.
Linux Laywer: "We beleive the fact that the prosecution is attempting to break his desk in half with his forehead is representative of our case, your honour."
SCO Lawyer: "OOH!! This hurt head!! Must try, ancient technique! KKIIIAAAAAAAA--DDAAAARLLLL--!" *WHACK!* *Passes out*
Judge: "....um, case dismissed."
Hmmm. Damnit, now I wish I could actually see a ninja-attack lawyer in action... stupid overactive imagination...
Huh. Looking on the non-paranoid side of things here, these little things could come in awfully handy. I mean, how nice would it be to have a self-unscrewwing drain plug on your oil pan? Just slide under your car, put the bucket under the plug, grab a wrench, crack the plug (probably wouldn't want to burn out the tiny motor on an overtightened thread). Then stand back, hit a button, and presto! Plug unscrews itself, falls into the bucket with the oil right behind: And you don't have to scald yourself or let dirty oil drip all over your hand. Kick ass!
I don't know how many slashdotters are mechanically inclined enough to change their own oil, though, so maybe this doesn't mean much to you. But it'd make me pretty happy come oil change time. And I bet some smart engineer could find a million other good, honest, uses for these things too. Personally, i'm daydreaming about a remote nut on a switchable Galant tranny for my DSM... mmm... instant FWD or AWD... *drools*
Where I work, we have these little (ok they're about the size of a hardcover book) scanner/barcode reader things. One day, someone was upstairs with theirs, "talking to the boss". Couple minutes later, he came out of the office PISSED, and threw the scanner down a full flight of stairs (which we all heard from the floor). Next thing I see, the guy flings open the door from the stairwell, picks up his scanner, and walks over to a steel post/roof support. Two hands on the scanner, he SLAMS the thing into the post, busting the case right open. So now he's got half a scanner in his hand, with the other half dangling by some of its guts. The guy walks out into the parking lot and hurls the thing into the street (which, lucky for it, isn't very busy). It skids for about 30 feet before it hits the curb and comes to rest in a shallow puddle. The dude then got in his truck and peeled out of the lot.
And you know what? The damn thing still worked after it dried off. The LED display was cracked but functional (was replaced later), and it needed a new plastic handle (that, oddly enough, holds the top of the case together). But the fucking thing could still read a bar code. We were all so freaking amazed that everyone burst out laughing.
But the funniest part? The guy who smashed the shit out of the scanner? He still works for us.:)
Man, who is this tool and what the hell is he talking about? Slashdot always seems to attract such weirdos.
Oh, shit! Boss looked at me. I hope he doesn't know i'm on slashdot right now... eye contact... polite smile... nod at the projector image... and.... quickly write something on your paper:
"Joe. Is. A. Wanker."
Hah, that ought to fool him. Stupid bastard. "Oh i'm sorry, but we just don't have the budget to increase staff salaries right now." Dick. Here he drives around in a fucking Lexus, and i've got a 20 year old car thats about to rust itself out of existance. What a load of crap.
I should reala... ahh.... ahhh... oh no! I think i'm gonna sneeze! Hold it in, hold it in! Ahhh...!
Shit! Now *everyone* is looking at me, even that cute girl from region...
Ok, they all looked away. Good.
Man she has a nice rack. I'd like to get my hands on -- CRAP! She saw me! Oh fuck, I hope she doesn't know I was looking at her chest...
Waitasec, did she just smile at me? Hot damn, I think she did!
I hope that was a "Hi there" kind of smile and not a "You have snot all over your face" kind of smile though. I don't feel anything, but maybe i'd better check... got to be discreet here... rub my chin... aaannnd... clean! Whew, close one.
SHIT! She looked at me again! Look away, look away! Act uninterested you fool! You... OH YOU IDIOT YOU LOOKED AGAIN!! Goddamnit, now she probably thinks i'm a weirdo stalker or something...
*Sigh* Back to browsing on slashdot.
Waitasec, whats all this text? Is this thing on?!?
The problem is that returning a game is usually a last resort for people.
1: Buy game
2: Install and get boned by CD protection
3: Look for patch or 'official' workaround (optional)
4: Bitch to developer or publisher about lack of workaround (extremely optional)
5: Surf the world wide web for no-CD crack
6: Return game cuz it just doesn't work
If people almost always stop at number 5, the publisher won't ever see how CD protection affects their sales - but they WILL go on claiming that x-thousand players are pirating the game, all the while ignoring the few hundred players that bothered with step 4.
So whats the solution? Pirate ALL the games you want that have CD protection? The publisher will certainly notice that... but then so will the unfortunate developer, and possibly the government (DMCA-style). Meanwhile, more industry players just shuffle on over to the consoles where this 'problem' doesn't exist because the CD is an actual requirement to playing the game.
Damned if you do, damned if you don't, and damned if you do nothing.
I love how this is modded "informative" instead of insightful.
I can just picture some 15 year old kid at home with mod points going "Really!? WOW!!", tossing his 7-Up out the window so he can go buy some V-8, dig an AOL CD out of the trash, and find a pawn shop with an Amiga 4000.
A few versions of it are already on Suprnova. One of the torrents is nice and hot right now too (400 seeds, 3600+ peers), so be sure to hop onboard if you want it.
Myself, I just watched it. Overall, i'd say its pretty good. I liked it, even if it didn't wow me very much. Its a refreshing change of scenery from SG-1, but still has that quirky Stargate feel to it -- random jabs of humour, primarilly supplied by the hillarious Scottish doctor (Beckett) and goofy Canadian scientist (McKay), included.
As a Canuck, I also appreciated the humour in the "Zed vs Zee" joke early in the show. I also later realized the irony of it: The "Canadian" character (McKay) who initiates the joke is actually British (David Hewlett), but two of the "American" characters (Dr. Weir played by Torri Higgson, and Aiden Ford played by Rainbow Sun Francks) are Canadians.
Oh, yeah, and theres a token hot/exotic chick for everyone to drool over too: One "Teyla Emmagan" (Rachel Luttrell).
Man, I just might have to start watching TV again:)
Actually, a 25kb text file on a free google account (3gb/mo), should be good for over 120,000 hits, unless I fucked up my math (quite possible, I was never a math geek). Yes, this is Slashdot, but this is Slashdot gaming. I don't know if 120,000 people will even see the headline, much less bother to follow the links to a text file.:P
And hell, if the thing goes down, shitty webhosts for this sort of thing are free and plentiful.:)
Actually if you check that link, theres a bit in there that states: "Why was this design not used earlier in autos, see as it has been around since at least 1904?" So a hemi wasn't a new invention, it was just Chrysler that recognized something good and ran with it. AFAIK, Hemi's were popular in airplane engines long before they ever got their start with Chrysler in automobiles.
As for your first question, well, they do! Most every engine I can think of has a hemi shaped (commonly called "pentroof" to get around the trademark) design. From what I know, virtually all automakers use a hemispherical inspired cylinder roof in their engines. They just aren't called "Hemi's" because thats Chryslers thing. And since hemispherical chambers are now commonplace because of their efficiency, no one bothers marketing the feature. Chryslers "rebirth of the Hemi" kick is just a marketing gimmick. "Hemi" has been synonymous with "power" since Chrysler popularized it. The word 'dissapeared' when the gas crisis hit, because "hemi power" used lots of gas in the minds of the public. Instead, we got smaller I4 and V6 engines with "efficient" designs that were still basically a hemi/pentroof cylinder head. Understand that Hemi's just get more power out of the same amount of displacement as other designs do. So a small hemi is "efficient" because you can make the same amount of power with less displacement (which burns less gas), and a big hemi is "powerful" because you can get more power out of it than a similarly sized engine.
Now that we're back into a modern day horsepower race, its cool to have a powerful engine again. Mix with nostalgia, and voila: the Hemi is "back" when really, it never left.:)
EGR valves are there to recirculate exhaust gasses after you lift off the throttle. When your engine is going like mad during hard accelleration, you're dumping a lot of fuel into each cylinder to maintain a good air-fuel ratio (and make lots of power). However, when you suddenly lift off the throttle (to slow or shift), your engine will still be dumping tons of fuel into cylinders that suddenly aren't sucking in nearly as much air. Your car goes extremely "rich", and for a few revolutions you literally start spewing fuel into your tailpipe. This is where the EGR comes in: Rather than just coughing a nasty mix of fumes and unburnt fuel out the exhaust, some of it is recirculated back into the intake path of your car so that the unburnt fuel gets a chance to be used. This reduces emissions on throttle lift, which is pretty much your engine at its dirtiest.
The EGR is most certainly NOT there to reduce combustion temperatures though. Yes, some of the exhaust gas going back into the engine is relatively inert during combustion, but the temperature of that gas can be several hundred degrees. This will most certainly raise the combustion temperatures of your car, which reduces fuel efficiency. The emissions you save by recirculating exhaust gas heavilly outweigh those of the momentary temperature increase though, which is why they're now standard on all cars.
As a side note, a lot of guys I know who are into drag racing tend to buy or machine a simple EGR blockoff plate for use at the track (and sometimes, illegally, on the street). It really doesn't make much of a difference, because you're not under power when the EGR is open (during shifting), and the temperature increase is miniscule at best. But since a chunk of metal shaped like an EGR gasket only costs a couple of bucks, and every degree celcius cooler is a potential ~0.2% more horsepower, its a tempting mod.
Slashdot Mirror
Whaddya mean "whats the point"? The point is, exciting new tools for machinima developers will be available within just a few years here, enabling them to take their art to entirely new levels. Oh boo-hoo, it won't be available for two years. Why the hell would Slashdot even exist if everyone went "Whats the point?" every time some exciting new future technology was announced? We thrive off this shit man!
And anyways, if you're looking for some definitive 'reviews' for existing machinima tools, I highly suspect you (and any other serious machinima devs) are in the wrong freakin place.
Now, if you're just looking to cheaply plug your own project...
Ever hear of a game called Tresspasser? It was released back in 98 (same year as HL), and had a far more detailed "physics engine" than anything at the time. Only problem is, the game was a horrible, buggy, steaming pile of dog feces (i've seen it on more than one "worst games ever" list). But physics were semi-possible back then.
The crappy thing is, Tresspasser kind of scared developers away from doing physics engines, lest they pull another tresspasser and completely fuck up their game. It wasn't until recently (starting with UT2003, AFAIK) that the big boys of the industry said "no, we can do this right". Suddenly, physics is a buzzword and a 'new thang' instead of being 5 years old and still evolving.
I suppose the only good news is that detailed physics are probably here to stay now, and should get better as the industry keeps fueling their evolution.
I, for one, welcome our new alien overlords...
As long as I get to telefrag my boss, they can do anything they damn well want with Earth!
Because a rover on mars has about the same chance of reproducing as an average /.'er?
As for myself, I share the sentiments of the original poster. My writing is so messy and signature so random, I don't think a system like that would work so hot for me. I guess I do have a few consistencies, like the elongated loops on my capital A and lower D's, the goofy squiggle that's supposed to be a capital W, and how I put a double stroke through my name when I dot the i and cross the capital A all in one fluid motion (thought it looked cool when I was little... now its just a part of my signature. Its funny when people asking me "why'd you cross your signature out? You just signed it!"
Oh well, at least with my mother working at my bank (branch manager no less), no one questions me on stuff like that.
Teller: "What the hell? Is that supposed to be your signature"
Me: "FIRED!!"
BBQ sometimes stands for "be back quick" in games.
But in instances like this where the BBQ is included in a string of words, its purpose is purely satirical. Its kind of like the "kitchen sink" of online acronyms.
I IS LIEK SO SMERT!! LOLOLOLOLOL!!!1`1oneoneleventyone
?
Ah, no worries. Its just a part time job pushing boxes around and playing on computers while I get one of those "education" things so I can go find an actual career. :)
Really? Thats interesting.
I wonder... The company I work for here in Canada had me sign an agreement when I was hired that basically said that if I came up with any brilliant, million-dollar ideas related to the industry for two years (IIRC) after I left the company, they'd basically "own" those ideas. I thought it was kind of strange to try and claim someone elses "IP" like that, and wondered to myself if they had ever tried to enforce it. Anyone know? I sincerely doubt its ever happened, since the company is primarilly shipping and logistics... not a whole hell of a lot of room to drastically innovate, unless you happen to invent a teleporter or something... but now i'm curious if these kinds of agreements are legal in Canada too, seeing as how the competition-employment ones are (apparently) not.
Quick! Where's a 'IAAL' on Slashdot when you need one!? (Oh, wait...)
1: Control Panel -> Folder settings
:)
2: File Types tab
3: Find (NONE) URL:HyperText Transfer Protocol
4: Click Advanced
5: Select the open action, and hit Edit
6: In the application used field, it should say something like "C:\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" %1, or whatever your FF directory is.
7: Make sure Use DDE is checked, but clear the DDE Message field (it might have a %1 or something in it).
8: Hit OK twice.
9: Repeat steps for (NONE) URL:HyperText Transfer Protocol with Security
10: Give it a whirl, Thunderbird should now launch Firefox instead of IE.
It WFM anyways.
Judge: "Prosecution? You may present your case."
SCO Lawyer: "I know... KUNG-FU!! HHYYYAAAAHH!!"
Judge: "Uhh.. Defense? Yours?"
Linux Laywer: "We beleive the fact that the prosecution is attempting to break his desk in half with his forehead is representative of our case, your honour."
SCO Lawyer: "OOH!! This hurt head!! Must try, ancient technique! KKIIIAAAAAAAA--DDAAAARLLLL--!" *WHACK!* *Passes out*
Judge: "....um, case dismissed."
Hmmm. Damnit, now I wish I could actually see a ninja-attack lawyer in action... stupid overactive imagination...
Simple. Drain the pan. ;)
One of the passwords used where I work was "correct", because when you enter a bad password, it says "Password is not correct".
;)
That was changed a while though. Now our new password is "eatass". Shh... don't tell anyone!
Huh. Looking on the non-paranoid side of things here, these little things could come in awfully handy. I mean, how nice would it be to have a self-unscrewwing drain plug on your oil pan? Just slide under your car, put the bucket under the plug, grab a wrench, crack the plug (probably wouldn't want to burn out the tiny motor on an overtightened thread). Then stand back, hit a button, and presto! Plug unscrews itself, falls into the bucket with the oil right behind: And you don't have to scald yourself or let dirty oil drip all over your hand. Kick ass!
I don't know how many slashdotters are mechanically inclined enough to change their own oil, though, so maybe this doesn't mean much to you. But it'd make me pretty happy come oil change time. And I bet some smart engineer could find a million other good, honest, uses for these things too. Personally, i'm daydreaming about a remote nut on a switchable Galant tranny for my DSM... mmm... instant FWD or AWD... *drools*
Where I work, we have these little (ok they're about the size of a hardcover book) scanner/barcode reader things. One day, someone was upstairs with theirs, "talking to the boss". Couple minutes later, he came out of the office PISSED, and threw the scanner down a full flight of stairs (which we all heard from the floor). Next thing I see, the guy flings open the door from the stairwell, picks up his scanner, and walks over to a steel post/roof support. Two hands on the scanner, he SLAMS the thing into the post, busting the case right open. So now he's got half a scanner in his hand, with the other half dangling by some of its guts. The guy walks out into the parking lot and hurls the thing into the street (which, lucky for it, isn't very busy). It skids for about 30 feet before it hits the curb and comes to rest in a shallow puddle. The dude then got in his truck and peeled out of the lot.
:)
And you know what? The damn thing still worked after it dried off. The LED display was cracked but functional (was replaced later), and it needed a new plastic handle (that, oddly enough, holds the top of the case together). But the fucking thing could still read a bar code. We were all so freaking amazed that everyone burst out laughing.
But the funniest part? The guy who smashed the shit out of the scanner? He still works for us.
Man, who is this tool and what the hell is he talking about? Slashdot always seems to attract such weirdos.
Oh, shit! Boss looked at me. I hope he doesn't know i'm on slashdot right now... eye contact... polite smile... nod at the projector image... and.... quickly write something on your paper:
"Joe. Is. A. Wanker."
Hah, that ought to fool him. Stupid bastard. "Oh i'm sorry, but we just don't have the budget to increase staff salaries right now." Dick. Here he drives around in a fucking Lexus, and i've got a 20 year old car thats about to rust itself out of existance. What a load of crap.
I should reala... ahh.... ahhh... oh no! I think i'm gonna sneeze! Hold it in, hold it in! Ahhh...!
{CONNECTION INTERRUPTED}
...
{CONNECTION REESTABLISHED}
Shit! Now *everyone* is looking at me, even that cute girl from region...
Ok, they all looked away. Good.
Man she has a nice rack. I'd like to get my hands on -- CRAP! She saw me! Oh fuck, I hope she doesn't know I was looking at her chest...
Waitasec, did she just smile at me? Hot damn, I think she did!
I hope that was a "Hi there" kind of smile and not a "You have snot all over your face" kind of smile though. I don't feel anything, but maybe i'd better check... got to be discreet here... rub my chin... aaannnd... clean! Whew, close one.
SHIT! She looked at me again! Look away, look away! Act uninterested you fool! You... OH YOU IDIOT YOU LOOKED AGAIN!! Goddamnit, now she probably thinks i'm a weirdo stalker or something...
*Sigh* Back to browsing on slashdot.
Waitasec, whats all this text? Is this thing on?!?
{CONNECTION CLOSED}
The problem is that returning a game is usually a last resort for people.
1: Buy game
2: Install and get boned by CD protection
3: Look for patch or 'official' workaround (optional)
4: Bitch to developer or publisher about lack of workaround (extremely optional)
5: Surf the world wide web for no-CD crack
6: Return game cuz it just doesn't work
If people almost always stop at number 5, the publisher won't ever see how CD protection affects their sales - but they WILL go on claiming that x-thousand players are pirating the game, all the while ignoring the few hundred players that bothered with step 4.
So whats the solution? Pirate ALL the games you want that have CD protection? The publisher will certainly notice that... but then so will the unfortunate developer, and possibly the government (DMCA-style). Meanwhile, more industry players just shuffle on over to the consoles where this 'problem' doesn't exist because the CD is an actual requirement to playing the game.
Damned if you do, damned if you don't, and damned if you do nothing.
I love how this is modded "informative" instead of insightful.
I can just picture some 15 year old kid at home with mod points going "Really!? WOW!!", tossing his 7-Up out the window so he can go buy some V-8, dig an AOL CD out of the trash, and find a pawn shop with an Amiga 4000.
Ironically enough, you need a mod chip.
A few versions of it are already on Suprnova. One of the torrents is nice and hot right now too (400 seeds, 3600+ peers), so be sure to hop onboard if you want it.
:)
Myself, I just watched it. Overall, i'd say its pretty good. I liked it, even if it didn't wow me very much. Its a refreshing change of scenery from SG-1, but still has that quirky Stargate feel to it -- random jabs of humour, primarilly supplied by the hillarious Scottish doctor (Beckett) and goofy Canadian scientist (McKay), included.
As a Canuck, I also appreciated the humour in the "Zed vs Zee" joke early in the show. I also later realized the irony of it: The "Canadian" character (McKay) who initiates the joke is actually British (David Hewlett), but two of the "American" characters (Dr. Weir played by Torri Higgson, and Aiden Ford played by Rainbow Sun Francks) are Canadians.
Oh, yeah, and theres a token hot/exotic chick for everyone to drool over too: One "Teyla Emmagan" (Rachel Luttrell).
Man, I just might have to start watching TV again
Actually, a 25kb text file on a free google account (3gb/mo), should be good for over 120,000 hits, unless I fucked up my math (quite possible, I was never a math geek). Yes, this is Slashdot, but this is Slashdot gaming. I don't know if 120,000 people will even see the headline, much less bother to follow the links to a text file. :P
:)
And hell, if the thing goes down, shitty webhosts for this sort of thing are free and plentiful.
Actually if you check that link, theres a bit in there that states: "Why was this design not used earlier in autos, see as it has been around since at least 1904?" So a hemi wasn't a new invention, it was just Chrysler that recognized something good and ran with it. AFAIK, Hemi's were popular in airplane engines long before they ever got their start with Chrysler in automobiles.
:)
As for your first question, well, they do! Most every engine I can think of has a hemi shaped (commonly called "pentroof" to get around the trademark) design. From what I know, virtually all automakers use a hemispherical inspired cylinder roof in their engines. They just aren't called "Hemi's" because thats Chryslers thing. And since hemispherical chambers are now commonplace because of their efficiency, no one bothers marketing the feature. Chryslers "rebirth of the Hemi" kick is just a marketing gimmick. "Hemi" has been synonymous with "power" since Chrysler popularized it. The word 'dissapeared' when the gas crisis hit, because "hemi power" used lots of gas in the minds of the public. Instead, we got smaller I4 and V6 engines with "efficient" designs that were still basically a hemi/pentroof cylinder head. Understand that Hemi's just get more power out of the same amount of displacement as other designs do. So a small hemi is "efficient" because you can make the same amount of power with less displacement (which burns less gas), and a big hemi is "powerful" because you can get more power out of it than a similarly sized engine.
Now that we're back into a modern day horsepower race, its cool to have a powerful engine again. Mix with nostalgia, and voila: the Hemi is "back" when really, it never left.
Errr, sorry, but your bit on the EGR is wrong.
EGR valves are there to recirculate exhaust gasses after you lift off the throttle. When your engine is going like mad during hard accelleration, you're dumping a lot of fuel into each cylinder to maintain a good air-fuel ratio (and make lots of power). However, when you suddenly lift off the throttle (to slow or shift), your engine will still be dumping tons of fuel into cylinders that suddenly aren't sucking in nearly as much air. Your car goes extremely "rich", and for a few revolutions you literally start spewing fuel into your tailpipe. This is where the EGR comes in: Rather than just coughing a nasty mix of fumes and unburnt fuel out the exhaust, some of it is recirculated back into the intake path of your car so that the unburnt fuel gets a chance to be used. This reduces emissions on throttle lift, which is pretty much your engine at its dirtiest.
The EGR is most certainly NOT there to reduce combustion temperatures though. Yes, some of the exhaust gas going back into the engine is relatively inert during combustion, but the temperature of that gas can be several hundred degrees. This will most certainly raise the combustion temperatures of your car, which reduces fuel efficiency. The emissions you save by recirculating exhaust gas heavilly outweigh those of the momentary temperature increase though, which is why they're now standard on all cars.
As a side note, a lot of guys I know who are into drag racing tend to buy or machine a simple EGR blockoff plate for use at the track (and sometimes, illegally, on the street). It really doesn't make much of a difference, because you're not under power when the EGR is open (during shifting), and the temperature increase is miniscule at best. But since a chunk of metal shaped like an EGR gasket only costs a couple of bucks, and every degree celcius cooler is a potential ~0.2% more horsepower, its a tempting mod.
-A guy also named Adam