Messages

I wouldn't mind a mid-west Mittens ...

However, I think Austrailia has been decided?  If I remember correctly.

Welcome back Minimi!

Sounds like you had a productive year.

Good to see another Zooty background in the CL!!

I did a quick paint-over:



- fixed the rug (it looked off shaped)
- added shadows
- fixed some lines on the desk and added a wood texture
- added some depth to the window sill (it looked pretty flat before)

The perspective is off in a few areas (or appears to be) but nothing major ... the main area I feel the variance is between the dresser and the filing cabinet.

Oh ... and don't lose that painting ... I dig it

Some additions I would suggest:
- baseboard around where the floor meets the walls
- a door handle
- some more details to the walls (not necessarily textures)
- more objects/clutter (fill the room up)
- a chair

Keep up the good work man!

[File and Folder Permissions @ Microsoft.com]

I had this problem in the past ...

The problem is that Windows associates that folder(s) with another user account.  You must change the permission on the folder.

Here, this should give you what you need:

File and Folder Permissions @ Microsoft.com

Hope it helps!  Good luck!!

I can see that there are different colored outlines, but they are very similar colors.

I would suggest making a little more contrast between the fills and the outlines.  He looks rather muddled together as is.

I like the character and the game idea sounds pretty interesting.

Well it's off to a decent start!

The thing is ... human faces are, for the most part, pretty symetrical.  And this one is not.  Unless he's supposed to have some deformity it just doesn't look natural.

And unless you're going for the 'black outlined' style, I would advice against using them.  But that's just my opinion.

Here's a paint-over I did to help.



Did you look at some reference pix?  Because I get more of a cave-man impression from the image than an Egypitian.

It's so easy not to like him when you compare him to Richard Burton.
I uploaded a sample of the intro, and left a bit of the fabled "DUN DUN DUNNN" in.
http://al.xylot.com/burton.mp3
You can't POSSIBLY tell me Morgan Freeman is better than this.

Indeed!  I remember that now ... I had all but forgotten.  Thanks for that!

I would definitely have to admit that in Richard Burton vs. Morgan Freeman the victory goes to Mr. Burton.

If your cinema has a decent sound system, the Tripod noise will most likely induce pants-crapping.

Yes indeed!  I am still creeped out by that sound.

I was not too keen on the narrator.

Eek!  How can you not like Morgan Freeman??

I know you just mean the difference between old and new;)

I was into War of the Worlds BIG time when I was a kid.  We had a teacher in elementary school who played the radio drama for us one time.  It's been years and years since I've had anything to do with it and when I heard this one was coming out I intentionally stayed away from re-familiarizing myself just so it'd be something new.

On the electrics - the explanation I've heard is that apparently EMPs only have an effect on devices that are switched on, so as long as the camcorders and cameras were switched off they would still work later.

Sara and I were talking this over as well ...

We came up with (as quoted above) that things that were 'off' during the EMP storm wouldn't be damaged.  But then we thought, well it seems unlikely that the mini-van was the only car not 'on' during that storm.

So then we determined that cars, having alternators and starters (which always carry a high-charge) were effected even though the cars weren't on.  Automobiles are a much more complicated system than a camcorder, obviously, so they were effected by the EMP.

I'm going to DL this Jeff Wayne musical ... see what you all are taking about

Happy Birthday America!!!

(and to Mr Flibble's mum)

[SPOILER ALERT - READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!]

I'm not hiding all of this so ...

SPOILER ALERT - READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!

- If every electrical device was supposed to be fried/non-working after the lightning storm, why the hell could people use cameras and camcorders? You see several people taking snaps with FLASH and one fellow using a video camera. Major plothole!

I wondered at that too ... though I guess I didn't think it was such a plot hole.  I mean, if that guy could get the van working again, perhaps cameras and other battery powered things (that weren't on during the storm) can still be used?  That's just what I thought ...

- How could the lasers destroy people and vehicles and huge bridges but leave clothes intact?

I just assumed they had different types of weapons ... like a fighter jet has guns and missles.

- How come there were people floating down the river? Did they kill themselves? Because I'm sure they would've been vaporized if not.

Well ... I'm sure there are thousands of reasons why those people were floating down the river.  There was a lot unexplained in the movie.

- What was the deal with spraying the blood? This isn't a plothole more than it is a poorly explained plot detail.

Yes, there was a lot of that.  I'll explain more in a bit ...

- The plane crashed all around the house they were in, yet their van was completely fine. WHA?!

Have to agree with you on this one!  It was the one thing I complained to Sara about.  The house they parked at was 1/2 blown away and the rest of the neighborhood was demolished but NEVER underestimate the power of the mini-van!!!

Also, since I am already in spoiler mode, I found it quite too sentimental to see that the area of Boston where Tom's ex happened to be staying was completely untouched and that Robbie survived that hugeass firestorm over the hills.

No, this made sense to me.  The attack on that part of the world started in New York ... I got the impression they (the baddies) hadn't made it that far north/east yet (to Boston) so that city probably avoided the major devestation.

And just a general sort of question, but how do they get over the fact that we can't kill them in these modern times with all out technology? In the original versions, the technology was FAR poorer and they still managed to bring them down occasionally. You'd think it'd be a cinch these days. Do they manage to convincingly portrey why this doesn't happen?

OH! Noone has answered me this one yet, do they still "UUULLLLLAAAAAA!" or some other cry?

They are shielded ... the old fall back.  But it works.

The sounds they make are like ultra-loud fog horns.  It's still creepin' me out.  It's quite excellent!

About all the missing details
Spielberg isn't lazy ... and he's not sloppy.  I'm thinking all the ambiguity about certain plot points was intentional.  Because you feel what they (the characters) are feeling.  Total unknowing confusion.   Maybe this doesn't work for some, but it worked for me.

- Why were they spraying blood?  Why were they draining the people in the first place?
- Why were the people floating down the river and not vaporized?
- Why couldn't the probe (in the basement) just switch to infra-red mode and detect their heat signatures?
- How did Robbie find his way to Boston?

But also, there were many questions like this that were left unexplained in this version of the story, but because the story is so well known, those that are familiar with it can fill in the blanks.

I also didn't think anything bad about the ending ... I don't know.  Maybe I'm just a closet Spielberg fan-boy

The more I think about the special effects the more I'm marveling at them ...

I think I've figured out why they were so good.

A lot of times, if the movie is spending so much money on the effects, they center them on the screen and force them down your throat.  You have to see them.  But this movie really put the special effects shot-gun.  The characters drove the story and the effects came second.

As far as I'm concerned, that's the way to make movies proper!  That's why movies before CGI had a little more impact (to me) ... I'm hoping this starts a trend to put movies back in the hands of the actors, rather than the computers!!

Example:

Spoiler

- The scene near the end where they were hitting the Striders (Half Life 2 reference) with the javeline missles.  The impact of the missles was shown, but wasn't center stage.

- The scene where Ray "Let's Robbie go" on the hill top.  You could see the tanks and helicopters firing, but it never showed the battle.

[close]

This is the most fun I've had at a movie in a LONG time.  It's movies like this which is the reason I go to the movies!  Spielberg is a genius!

Some of you have mentioned some plot-holes.  I'd be curious to know what you mean (not in a smart-ass I'm defending Spielberg way)  I'm curious to know ...

What you think people?

I think you posted in the wrong thread, in the wrong forum.

If I'm mistaken, please let me know and I'll re-insert the images.

[This old thread]

Been a long time since I've had two threads started at the same time in the Gen Gen ... anyway:

I just saw this movie ...

I must say I was completely blown away.

It was such a departure from Spielberg's usual movies, yet still soooooo Spielberg.  The color-wash was very similar to Minority Report and Saving Private Ryan which gives it that edgy realism.  The special effects were some of the best I've seen (only a few stood out to me at all, the rest were seamless)

The movie was INTENSE.

In fact, I think it was so intense it might deserve an R rating (in the states, don't know the rating systems 'round the world).  There was this little kid in front of us, couldn't have been more than 7-8 years old who was just terrified.  He/She (couldn't tell) was in tears!

Has anybody else seen it?  I want to avoid spoilers ... but WOW!

Just FYI, I found This old thread from last December but didn't want to dig it up.  (it's actually a funny read if you read it and Kinoko's recent thread about Minority Report ... Farlander and I have almost an identical conversation!)

Since you are re-vamping the graphics (starting over) I'm locking this.  Let me know when you have 2 screenshots (in-game, NO menues, titles, or just car shots ... 2 actually screens from in-game playable shots)

[feel]

but there are few feelings that match driving in a tightly assembled sporty car with the 'drums' pounding so hard you can feel them.

So you don't care that it's annoying to most of the people around you?  I mean, if you're traveling down the expressway booming bass I could care less 'cause chances are people can't hear that.  But traveling [slowly] down a side street there's simply no cause for it.  It should be turned down.  (heavy traffic on the freeway should cause it to be turned down as well ... bad enough I'm stuck in traffic but I have to be annoyed by bass as well)

The only way they can prove the dB output is to set up special sensory devices that can measure each car that passes.

Actually it's being left up entirely to a cop's descetion (which I say bravo too!) and requires no measuring equipment.  If he can hear your stereo from more than 25 feet away, you lose.

The old "your word against the cop" argument is just a scare tactic too. If someone acctually gets a ticket for this all you have to do is go to the courthouse and dispute it. A majority of the time it will be dropped simply cause the cop won't want to spend time to fight it.

I'm trying to find what the "victim's" rights are after the ticket is issued ... I believe, from what I've heard on the news, that it's not something you can contest.  You simply have to pay it.  But I doubt that's the case (I sure hope it is though)

It may be a bit annoying, but unless it happend at every single stoplight every single day (which has never happend to me and I drive halfway across the city every day).. I, personally, don't think it is as big of a deal and as much of an annoying ordeal as most are making it out to be.

Well ... if I were to leave right now to take a drive, I would be choking on bass at every stop light I get stopped at.  Gas stations, parking lots, it's everywhere and it's rediculous.  These dolts down here have contests to see who can out-do [IE louder bass] the other.

In short.. accept it. You are only making things harder on yourself being all frownies because honestly.. it isn't going anywhere.

We'll see about that ... my father and I are working on a "little device".  I won't say more about it ... but it'll be a hoot if/when we finish it!!

I found this article from the Tampa Tribune and I'd like to talk about it.  In this article they interview a genious of a man named Mike Mills who spouts such mind-blowing wisdom as;

"You can hear a person talking from 25 feet away ... Twenty-five feet is absolutely ridiculous. If I sneeze or talk 25 feet away, I should get a ticket, too.'"

And this little gem about luxury cars with ultra-quiet interiors.

"They purposely make it so quiet [drivers] can't hear ... an ambulance until it's on top of them... That's simply no different from having a stereo on.

Okay first of all, a person talking from 25 ft. away sounds like a whisper and isn't causing the items around you to bounce and rattle you fuckin' dolt.

And secondly, it is VASTLY different than a car stereo.  The luxury cars are designed to "balance" the noise levels while specifically allowing high pitched sounds, such as emergency sirens, in.  AND the quiet interior of a luxury car doesn't annoy people around you.  What a moron.

One more little chunk of intelligence from good ol' Mr. Mills:

"[Your car is one of] the very few places where you can hear music ... how loud you want it. You're going down the road not hurting anybody."

Maybe not physical pain you jack-ass but it's annoying and dumb.

I can see why Mr. Mills is up in arms.  After all, he makes money off installing these pointless stereo systems that cause annoyance to FAR more people than they give pleasure.

So a vast minority of people derive pleasure from something that causes discomfort to the majority ...  So I guess the majority should just accept it huh?

Gosh ... we wouldn't want to offend these idiots by forcing them to obey the LAW!!

I have a surge-protector AND an UPS (uninteruptable power supply) with a 20 minute battery.  I don't even worry when it storms out.  If we lose power, I wait (and keep using the computer) for about 10 minutes.  If the power isn't back on, I save everything and shut down until the power comes back on.

I figure if there's a power surge strong enough to damage my computer through all of that I'll have bigger things to worry about than a fried computer.  Like ... melting flesh and burning hair.

Maybe when people sign up they should have to read the posting rules for each forum, and then answer a rigorous test, with extra points for grammar.

Or maybe people could just learn to pay attention and read the rules in the first place?

Right I'm off to get some guy to pimp out my ride with square wheels.

Don't forget to get spinners man!Ã,  They're the best!

I believe that people should be able to enjoy listening to whatever kind of music they want.Ã,  As long as it isn't uncomfortable/annoying to those around them.

They are really enforcing the seat-belt law in Florida now as well (they're calling it "click it or ticket") so I hope they enforce this new law and hand out a CRAP load of tickets to these twerps.

I suppose the rule that says "title and menu screens don't count as in-game screenshots" doesn't matter ...

* sigh *