This was actually my only complaint about Sands of Time...no variety in the combat system, just the same 3-hit combo used over and over and over and over.
Apparently the complaint was common, because Warrior Within introduced a free-form combat system with dozens of attack combinations: wielding two weapons, stealing enemy weapons, throwing those weapons, grabbing your enemies and then throwing them or breaking their necks or cutting them apart or decapitating them. I replayed Warrior Within several times just for the sheer joy of the combat system.
Here's what I'm using to clean up my Internet experience on a daily basis:
1. A sizable, but not ridiculous HOSTS file (~23K) that redirects known ad domains to the loopback address.
2. Mozilla's image preferences set to allow images only from the same server as the site. Yes, it's something of a pain to have to set up exceptions, but it's a pain I'm willing to endure.
3. The Flashblock plugin for Mozilla/Firefox from Mozdev. Instead of Flash and Shockwave content, I only see placeholders with a small "Flash" logo in the middle...the browser doesn't load them. Nice speed boost. If I actually want to see the content, I just click the logo and it loads.
4*. And when I'm feeling particularly anti-establishment, I'll just turn on Protowall.
- the problem with IBM's directory is that it sits on top of DB2. This abrogates one of the coolest parts about directories - that you don't need a DBA. And a mistuned IBM directory is an ugly, ugly thing.
But I take issue with this mythology...I work with IBM's Tivoli security solutions, most of which use the LDAP Directory Server under the hood (and, illustrating the beauty of *standards*, also tend to support the use of Novell, Sun, & MSAD).
The underlying DB2 engine doesn't require independent tuning, maintenance, or administration in the vast majority of deployments. It isn't until you get into user populations of several hundred thousand that you start tweaking the DB2 parms...and the solution actually includes a detailed LDAP tuning guide that explains how and when you should tweak the DB2 and OS-level parms.
The notion of needing a DBA just to deploy the IBM LDAP is just silly...any tech capable of RTFM can handle a moderate implementation on his own.
Here's the kicker: Which would you prefer for performance and scalability? A directory that uses flat or proprietary file structures for data storage, or one that uses a scalable and reliable relational database engine? Seems like a big "duh!" to me.
And, as you mentioned...it's free. Go download it from IBM and try it out. If it doesn't work for you, or if you decide you can't do it without a DBA, well...you aren't out any expense. Export it all to an LDIF and bring in the next vendor.
Seriously, most people who played Prince of Persia: Sands of Time really enjoyed the game, despite the fact that the characters were "stylized" in a quasi-cartoonish manner. That didn't distract them from the fact that there was great character development and engaging gameplay, which made it a favorite.
Then along came Prince of Persia: Warrior Within, and this very debate exploded. Yes, the game had an engaging storyline and phenomenal graphics, but the artistic direction had taken a darker, grittier, more realistic tone. Some people loved it (myself included), and some people absolutely hated it, but the response from Ubi was great: The prince himself was older, jaded, and in a much darker place in his life than when he was in the previous game.
Those things being said...the graphical styling is really secondary. So long as they are well done, it's the game play that makes people give a shit about the character enough to spend a dozen hours with them and consider buying the next chapter.
IBM Tivoli Risk Manager provides intrusion detection and automated remediation based on correlated input gathered from numerous sensors in your network.
These include network intrusion detection systems (NIDS), host IDS, webserver logs, Windows Event Logs, *nix syslogs, firewall events, SNMP traps, and just about any other device, appliance, or application that writes a log event or generates an SNMP message.
The correlation engine at the center is smart enough to take hundreds of thousands of individual input events and display or respond to a handful of meaningful alarms.
Read on...
http://www-306.ibm.com/software/tivoli/products/ri sk-mgr/
That part# is for a maintenance & support agreement (LIC+SW MAINT). You only pay $10k if you want support for the LDAP server AND you don't already have a support contract for an IBM software product that includes it.
You have to register (free) in order to download the code. Though it's under the "trial & beta" heading, the directory server is licensed free. You can use it for any purpose for any length of time.
The caveat is that it's unsupported. If you want a support contract for your use of the LDAP server, that's where the $10k comes in. Or, if you have a current support license for any software that includes the LDAP server (AIX, Websphere, Tivoli security stuff), you're supported without any additional license fees.
It's currently under the Tivoli brand, going as the IBM Tivoli Directory Server v6.0.
Not only does it pack all the bells and whistles of other enterprise LDAP directories, such as multimaster and cascaded replication models, but instead of flat files it *includes* IBM DB2 UDB enterprise edition database (also licensed free of charge) for its data storage. I've seen the comparative test results, and nothing touches this solution for performance and scalability.
It runs on just about anything, too...including Linux on non-x86 hardware.
And they've always GIVEN it away. Free download.
So, someone explain again WHY any company of any size would PAY for an LDAP solution, or why RedHat giving away Netscape Directory is big news?
Seriously.
Their Tivoli brand of software is aimed toward enterprise-class systems management...and the apps all run on Linux.
Tivoli Security Compliance Manager lets you build profiles of what each system should have installed and how it should be configured (even the BIOS) and periodically scan them to make sure they match.
And when any systems don't match your profile for how they should look, use Tivoli Configuration Manager to push out the changes that will bring it back into compliance. Also useful for pushing out patches, updates, etc, etc.
Did I mention that it runs on Linux?
http://www-306.ibm.com/software/tivoli/products/co nfig-mgr/
The timing is hilarious...I just completed his book The First Immortal, which is long on vision and light on substance but an interesting viewpoint nonetheless.
If today's story is true, then there may not be any need for an interim storage solution like cryonics after all.
Slashdot Mirror
This was actually my only complaint about Sands of Time...no variety in the combat system, just the same 3-hit combo used over and over and over and over. Apparently the complaint was common, because Warrior Within introduced a free-form combat system with dozens of attack combinations: wielding two weapons, stealing enemy weapons, throwing those weapons, grabbing your enemies and then throwing them or breaking their necks or cutting them apart or decapitating them. I replayed Warrior Within several times just for the sheer joy of the combat system.
Here's what I'm using to clean up my Internet experience on a daily basis:
1. A sizable, but not ridiculous HOSTS file (~23K) that redirects known ad domains to the loopback address.
2. Mozilla's image preferences set to allow images only from the same server as the site. Yes, it's something of a pain to have to set up exceptions, but it's a pain I'm willing to endure.
3. The Flashblock plugin for Mozilla/Firefox from Mozdev. Instead of Flash and Shockwave content, I only see placeholders with a small "Flash" logo in the middle...the browser doesn't load them. Nice speed boost. If I actually want to see the content, I just click the logo and it loads.
4*. And when I'm feeling particularly anti-establishment, I'll just turn on Protowall.
- the problem with IBM's directory is that it sits on top of DB2. This abrogates one of the coolest parts about directories - that you don't need a DBA. And a mistuned IBM directory is an ugly, ugly thing.
But I take issue with this mythology...I work with IBM's Tivoli security solutions, most of which use the LDAP Directory Server under the hood (and, illustrating the beauty of *standards*, also tend to support the use of Novell, Sun, & MSAD). The underlying DB2 engine doesn't require independent tuning, maintenance, or administration in the vast majority of deployments. It isn't until you get into user populations of several hundred thousand that you start tweaking the DB2 parms...and the solution actually includes a detailed LDAP tuning guide that explains how and when you should tweak the DB2 and OS-level parms.
The notion of needing a DBA just to deploy the IBM LDAP is just silly...any tech capable of RTFM can handle a moderate implementation on his own.
Here's the kicker: Which would you prefer for performance and scalability? A directory that uses flat or proprietary file structures for data storage, or one that uses a scalable and reliable relational database engine? Seems like a big "duh!" to me.
And, as you mentioned...it's free. Go download it from IBM and try it out. If it doesn't work for you, or if you decide you can't do it without a DBA, well...you aren't out any expense. Export it all to an LDIF and bring in the next vendor.
Seriously, most people who played Prince of Persia: Sands of Time really enjoyed the game, despite the fact that the characters were "stylized" in a quasi-cartoonish manner. That didn't distract them from the fact that there was great character development and engaging gameplay, which made it a favorite.
Then along came Prince of Persia: Warrior Within, and this very debate exploded. Yes, the game had an engaging storyline and phenomenal graphics, but the artistic direction had taken a darker, grittier, more realistic tone. Some people loved it (myself included), and some people absolutely hated it, but the response from Ubi was great: The prince himself was older, jaded, and in a much darker place in his life than when he was in the previous game.
Those things being said...the graphical styling is really secondary. So long as they are well done, it's the game play that makes people give a shit about the character enough to spend a dozen hours with them and consider buying the next chapter.
IBM Tivoli Risk Manager provides intrusion detection and automated remediation based on correlated input gathered from numerous sensors in your network. These include network intrusion detection systems (NIDS), host IDS, webserver logs, Windows Event Logs, *nix syslogs, firewall events, SNMP traps, and just about any other device, appliance, or application that writes a log event or generates an SNMP message. The correlation engine at the center is smart enough to take hundreds of thousands of individual input events and display or respond to a handful of meaningful alarms. Read on... http://www-306.ibm.com/software/tivoli/products/ri sk-mgr/
That part# is for a maintenance & support agreement (LIC+SW MAINT). You only pay $10k if you want support for the LDAP server AND you don't already have a support contract for an IBM software product that includes it.
http://www-306.ibm.com/software/tivoli/resource-ce nter/security/code-directory-server.jsp
You have to register (free) in order to download the code. Though it's under the "trial & beta" heading, the directory server is licensed free. You can use it for any purpose for any length of time.
The caveat is that it's unsupported. If you want a support contract for your use of the LDAP server, that's where the $10k comes in. Or, if you have a current support license for any software that includes the LDAP server (AIX, Websphere, Tivoli security stuff), you're supported without any additional license fees.
Why is this even newsworthy?
i rectory-server/
IBM has licensed its enterprise-class LDAP directory server software free of charge for over 5 years now.
Yep, free. Go to ibm.com and download it for yourself. Anyone. For any purpose.
http://www-306.ibm.com/software/tivoli/products/d
It's currently under the Tivoli brand, going as the IBM Tivoli Directory Server v6.0.
Not only does it pack all the bells and whistles of other enterprise LDAP directories, such as multimaster and cascaded replication models, but instead of flat files it *includes* IBM DB2 UDB enterprise edition database (also licensed free of charge) for its data storage. I've seen the comparative test results, and nothing touches this solution for performance and scalability.
It runs on just about anything, too...including Linux on non-x86 hardware.
And they've always GIVEN it away. Free download.
So, someone explain again WHY any company of any size would PAY for an LDAP solution, or why RedHat giving away Netscape Directory is big news?
Seriously. Their Tivoli brand of software is aimed toward enterprise-class systems management...and the apps all run on Linux. Tivoli Security Compliance Manager lets you build profiles of what each system should have installed and how it should be configured (even the BIOS) and periodically scan them to make sure they match. And when any systems don't match your profile for how they should look, use Tivoli Configuration Manager to push out the changes that will bring it back into compliance. Also useful for pushing out patches, updates, etc, etc. Did I mention that it runs on Linux? http://www-306.ibm.com/software/tivoli/products/co nfig-mgr/
The timing is hilarious...I just completed his book The First Immortal, which is long on vision and light on substance but an interesting viewpoint nonetheless. If today's story is true, then there may not be any need for an interim storage solution like cryonics after all.