Here is a post
Well a post I will write:
Ive been working like crazy on this new billing tracking system for my work. We are finally moving to web development through .net 05 with sql 05 as the database. WOOT to that! VS is now amazing and I can actually sit down and write some reusable code without straining to make it work properly. Yes, ME, writing code in that manner. Thats pretty amazing when it gives you the tools you need to make complete data layers and classes with out lifting a finger to write anything (save logic occassionally for those special situations). I still suck at oop but whatever Im better then most considering I have no training in it.
More interesting info: Im upgrading my computer. Yay! I got all the pieces I ordered and put them all together but I found that they change the mother fucking standard for the mother fuckin power supply plug. So now I have all these nice new pieces of hardware and I cant give the bitch power. SUNOABITCH! Oh well. So I was bored enough to take all my old parts and put them back together...but with a twist: instead of risking my new hard ware by pulling it out and puttin it back again I simply took all my old hard ware mounted it to my old mobo box and am now currently running the desktop computer. Literally the thing is sittin on my desk while Im writing this hard ware all exposed and shit. I just spent two hours playing a game and its as stable as it ever was. So I will be using my innards machine until I get the new power supply sometime next week or the week after. Pictures will follow when I get motivated enough to make some pic gallery account (anyone know of a good one?) and post the link.
Company of heroes beta is the shit. Two multiplayer maps and a tutorial section. You can only get in if you have a fileplanet account. I might actually buy this cus its that fun to play online (even with only two maps). Lots of variety in how you can play. I just got done a 2v2 where I was the germans (the weaker of the two armies I would say) and I crushed the enemy even after all his mockery in the lobby about being a rockstar coh player. It was fantastic but took two hours. Damn my eyes hurt a bit from it. If it interests you: http://www.fileplanet.com/betas/coh_signup.aspx
Other game news: Sword of the stars is dropping a demo on tuesday!!!!! Ive been waiting for this game since I heard about it like 6 months ago. Its a 4x (explore exploit expand and um..explode or somethign like that) that also includes homeworld like tactical fights. So think homeworld meets galactic civ. Oh and its a startup company by the developers of Homeworld who basically said FU to their publisher and went rogue. Gotta show some love to the artists and buy this game.
It has a few awesome features Im excited to see:
1) it has random tech trees. While the whole thing is not random (bridging techs stay the same such as the upgrade from matter tech to plasma tech etc) a good portion of it is. This provides 2 bonuses to game play. The first and most obvious is the game wont get boring and turn into a tech rush like some RTSs. The other great thing is that you will not know what you are your enemy will be using until you get there. This excites me. It throws that randomness of real life battle (and supposed real life space encounter) into the mix. So you can never get fully comfortable with every race and meeting them for the first time WILL actually be like meeting them for the first time.
2) Each race has an individual type of long distance travel. The humans use a sub space (think faster then light but totally undetectable.. I think) the bug like guys use standard travel so they take forever to get to a new system (and to expand over all) BUT they have jump gate tech so once they get there its instant access. This will be tactically interesting to play with. Another race has a stutter drive.. it teleports short distances again and again. They can be detected but I think they are faster. And the last race I cant remember what they have but its also different. These differences will mean each race plays very differently and expands equally differently. Total strategic variety.
3)The galaxy is 3d. This is awesome because the tactical importance of a system wont just be determined by premapped out jump directions. Think front line.. how can you defend a front line when its in every direction on every system (esp. when considering the various movement types). This combined with the full 3d style ship to ship fights means that this game will rock when it comes to testing peoples spacial strategery!
Ive been dreaming of this sort of game since I first thought about 3d checkers/tic tac toe when I was like 8 and that dream grew when I played the warhammer space game and wanted so badly for it to be in 3d. Its just always been something I wanted to do.. its the ability to define the newest levels of core strategy and tactics that has made me want this so bad.. even if it is a computer sim. This is new ground for strategy. the old rules of flanking, divide and conquer, hammer and anvil just dont apply fully in a 3d environment esp a large scale as this one (you can bet Ill be borrowing from the combat pilots tactical handbook some tho with the limitations on the aircraft and the fairly standard orientation of sky above ground below its not exactly the same). I just hope they have worked in some level of simulation for gravity of space objects cus that will be an insanely important factor for both armies when planetary conquest comes into play. How do you defend a sphere in 3d space? The gravity well of the object and its moons will be as important a factor as say attacking with the sun to your back or at dusk/dawn. What about fights at the edge of a system where objects the size of pluto are common? How do their minor gravities play into it? Certainly a sling shot between a ploto and its satellite could aford enough extra velocity to out run a pursuit or hit a target before they see you coming. Very key environmental factors very exciting. Even if this doesnt have gravity itll still be fun to play in the 3d environ. Woot Im so psyched about this game. OH and I believe its just a free demo to everyone not a fileplanet only beta type thing.
http://www.kerberos-productions.com/sots.shtml
Ive been working like crazy on this new billing tracking system for my work. We are finally moving to web development through .net 05 with sql 05 as the database. WOOT to that! VS is now amazing and I can actually sit down and write some reusable code without straining to make it work properly. Yes, ME, writing code in that manner. Thats pretty amazing when it gives you the tools you need to make complete data layers and classes with out lifting a finger to write anything (save logic occassionally for those special situations). I still suck at oop but whatever Im better then most considering I have no training in it.
More interesting info: Im upgrading my computer. Yay! I got all the pieces I ordered and put them all together but I found that they change the mother fucking standard for the mother fuckin power supply plug. So now I have all these nice new pieces of hardware and I cant give the bitch power. SUNOABITCH! Oh well. So I was bored enough to take all my old parts and put them back together...but with a twist: instead of risking my new hard ware by pulling it out and puttin it back again I simply took all my old hard ware mounted it to my old mobo box and am now currently running the desktop computer. Literally the thing is sittin on my desk while Im writing this hard ware all exposed and shit. I just spent two hours playing a game and its as stable as it ever was. So I will be using my innards machine until I get the new power supply sometime next week or the week after. Pictures will follow when I get motivated enough to make some pic gallery account (anyone know of a good one?) and post the link.
Company of heroes beta is the shit. Two multiplayer maps and a tutorial section. You can only get in if you have a fileplanet account. I might actually buy this cus its that fun to play online (even with only two maps). Lots of variety in how you can play. I just got done a 2v2 where I was the germans (the weaker of the two armies I would say) and I crushed the enemy even after all his mockery in the lobby about being a rockstar coh player. It was fantastic but took two hours. Damn my eyes hurt a bit from it. If it interests you: http://www.fileplanet.com/betas/coh_signup.aspx
Other game news: Sword of the stars is dropping a demo on tuesday!!!!! Ive been waiting for this game since I heard about it like 6 months ago. Its a 4x (explore exploit expand and um..explode or somethign like that) that also includes homeworld like tactical fights. So think homeworld meets galactic civ. Oh and its a startup company by the developers of Homeworld who basically said FU to their publisher and went rogue. Gotta show some love to the artists and buy this game.
It has a few awesome features Im excited to see:
1) it has random tech trees. While the whole thing is not random (bridging techs stay the same such as the upgrade from matter tech to plasma tech etc) a good portion of it is. This provides 2 bonuses to game play. The first and most obvious is the game wont get boring and turn into a tech rush like some RTSs. The other great thing is that you will not know what you are your enemy will be using until you get there. This excites me. It throws that randomness of real life battle (and supposed real life space encounter) into the mix. So you can never get fully comfortable with every race and meeting them for the first time WILL actually be like meeting them for the first time.
2) Each race has an individual type of long distance travel. The humans use a sub space (think faster then light but totally undetectable.. I think) the bug like guys use standard travel so they take forever to get to a new system (and to expand over all) BUT they have jump gate tech so once they get there its instant access. This will be tactically interesting to play with. Another race has a stutter drive.. it teleports short distances again and again. They can be detected but I think they are faster. And the last race I cant remember what they have but its also different. These differences will mean each race plays very differently and expands equally differently. Total strategic variety.
3)The galaxy is 3d. This is awesome because the tactical importance of a system wont just be determined by premapped out jump directions. Think front line.. how can you defend a front line when its in every direction on every system (esp. when considering the various movement types). This combined with the full 3d style ship to ship fights means that this game will rock when it comes to testing peoples spacial strategery!
Ive been dreaming of this sort of game since I first thought about 3d checkers/tic tac toe when I was like 8 and that dream grew when I played the warhammer space game and wanted so badly for it to be in 3d. Its just always been something I wanted to do.. its the ability to define the newest levels of core strategy and tactics that has made me want this so bad.. even if it is a computer sim. This is new ground for strategy. the old rules of flanking, divide and conquer, hammer and anvil just dont apply fully in a 3d environment esp a large scale as this one (you can bet Ill be borrowing from the combat pilots tactical handbook some tho with the limitations on the aircraft and the fairly standard orientation of sky above ground below its not exactly the same). I just hope they have worked in some level of simulation for gravity of space objects cus that will be an insanely important factor for both armies when planetary conquest comes into play. How do you defend a sphere in 3d space? The gravity well of the object and its moons will be as important a factor as say attacking with the sun to your back or at dusk/dawn. What about fights at the edge of a system where objects the size of pluto are common? How do their minor gravities play into it? Certainly a sling shot between a ploto and its satellite could aford enough extra velocity to out run a pursuit or hit a target before they see you coming. Very key environmental factors very exciting. Even if this doesnt have gravity itll still be fun to play in the 3d environ. Woot Im so psyched about this game. OH and I believe its just a free demo to everyone not a fileplanet only beta type thing.
http://www.kerberos-productions.com/sots.shtml