Messages

I think by the time Earth is seriously threatened (and I mean the planet itself, not the ecosystem) by the Sun going supernova or some such, the "human race" will be a really outdated concept for the creatures with the blue tentacles and 12 eyes that will be dominant species by then.

Right and wrong I think.
But instead of tentacles, it is most likely that prevailing species would be either bugs (which make already 95% of earth's species overall, and about 20% of earths whole biomass, plus - are tough as hell)...

OR some kind of viruses.

It's not nukes and ozone layer that threats extinction of mankind, but rather diseases. What if AIDS or cancer spreaded airborne? Would be pretty quick demise for us. And new diseases happen quite often, much quicker than cure for them.

Space elevator would not help us here.

Space elevator, even more than common ones, needs maintenance and constant repairs.

How would it look like?
A hovercraft of some sort? Fighter pilot trying to tape up carbon cable whilst flying by? A really high ladder?

Also, how much impact is need to make upper, floating platform to stray from orbit? And what happens then?

Well, there could be some global (or atleast western) consensus about marijuana already.
This "legalize"-shit goes on dragging for decades now.

Even if it was globally banned, fields burned and usage harshly punished, I dont' think people had less or worse ways to get high, whoever wanted to get high. Our planet's flora is varied enough...

OR

I'm a chain smoker (tobacco ofc) and when abroad, I'm quite amazed how little people smoke elsewhere. For example, I felt really weird in Stockholm because during 3 days of tripping through capital, I saw only 2 people smoking, out of massive crowd you'd see in such period while touring city. Here, every second or third person does smoke.

Legalized cannabis being smoked would be ever more rare sight. And who does, would smoke anyway, law or not. So what's the big loss?

I had my experiments when I was younger, didn't like it much and don't care more or less about either legalization or opposite. Whichever way reduces crime is probably best way. And crime as in big money moving through cartels and corrupting powers, not "omg you smoked something"-crime.

But what I don't get is argumenting with casualties.

There are over 2 million alcohol related deaths each year [source] *

There are over 400,000 tobacco related deaths each year. [source] *

...and? Infamous Zyklon B gas killed 1.2 million people in nazi death camps, "only". That's during 3 years and still less than alcohol does in a year! Should we legalize it now?

Really nice-looking and well-optimised engine, but also a real chore to actually do something more complex than "virtua tourist 3D". SDK-kind of interface is nice to look at, but painful to actually use.

I think I'll stick to NeoAxis. Even though I'm unable to make a 3d game with even that.

Windows key and numpad plus/minus!!!

DOES work in Windows 7
SHOULD in Windows Vista also. Dunno for sure, never installed the sucker

Win7-s one zooms up to 1600%. Not bad, I'd say! Also, you can switch mode to "docked", which separates a bit of screen for constant zoom window which zooms everything you hover mouse cursor over to.

XP also has magnifier, but in accessories/accessibility-something submenu from start button. I guess you could assign a hotkey by yourself if needed. But it's somewhat alot clumsier and uncomfortable than one in Win7.


P.S.
Windows-key + m is for minimize current window, and for quick desktop (minimize everything) windows-key + d should be used.
In windows 7, (and vista maybe), windows key + tab makes task switching 3d or something (aero stuff). Quite cool, though somewhat useless.
Also, in Win7, windows key + number starts corresponding program that's pinned onto your taskbar.

Discover windows key!

Hell, I've been hating firefox since image scaling got blurry. But not enough to choose other browsers, and they suck too.

...Today, I simply, out of random idea, pressed windows key and plus sign.

I've been aware of windows magnifier for ages and use it at work daily (for making precise CAD technical drawings), but somehow never came to an idea to use it for pixel sprites.

Result is awesome!

(Press plus and minus several times to change zoom factor)

Nobel Committee members' tongues taste like Obama's ass now.

P.S. Objects actually happen to freeze water even as we speak: never noticed how the ice is usually found over car's windows, even when puddles aren't frozen?

I don't think it's car glass that froze water here: any water of same little size as vapor drops on glass would be frozen also. Freezing comes from the fact that water drops are small enough to quickly lose enough heat and freeze. At basic level, it's air that's cold, not glass or water. And air that cools things off.

Puddles simply are larger (deeper) and therefore warmer. If same temperature stays long enough, puddles freeze anyway. There's simply more water to cool so it takes more time.

It's like russian tradition - to pour tea from cup to a the little dish and drink it from dish -- it loses temperature alot faster thus isn't too hot to drink. Two reasons here -- liquid over larger area = more exposed to air which steals temperature, and less liquid at once - cools faster.

But sure, things cool water. A big cold spoon into a teacup makes it cool much quicker.

Solstice (fka Gravity) and I have been planning a website that lets people add their own webcomics without any knowledge of web design needed. I'm guessing this idea needs to go on the fast track to being created.

What I don't want to do is use some automatic mass comic site, because I have my own domain and server.

I'd say too much contrast on last menu images.
Background graphics is meant to blend in, be like a wallpaper.
Would you put something so heavily contrasted onto your room wall?

I'd definitely cut back on contrast on those metallic surfaces. It doesn't have to vary from pure white to solid black. Find a nice balance between those two.
Also, button text is really difficult to read.

With contrast, do something like this (sloppy edit, messed up thin holes):

Thanks Eric, that script, with tiny changes here and there worked perfectly. Exactly what I was looking for!

I have too much funny ideas daily so I decided to give a try to a webcomic.

But!

I have near-zero knowledge of webmaking, or atleast dynamic enough to simply upload strips and make them almost automatically appear on page.

Any free and simple engines/sources/something for this? Or otherwise tips to easily set up solid page? Maybe I should pre-make some basic templates or something?

What I don't want to do is use some automatic mass comic site, because I have my own domain and server.

You're first one I know saying that then.
I'd feed costume/scenery/fx designer to a sandworm if I were David Lynch.

I hope some brave director makes a decent remake someday in my life.

I find it wrong or atleast hysterical to go solid pro/anti-CGI.

A movie is a movie. If well-done 3D animation let's screenwriter make movie as good as he wants, without becoming too apparent, crossing some physics law or whatever hard to reproduce otherwise, why not?

Imagine Matrix done with classic cinematography... while it would be a fun experiment to see movie itself would probably suck (more... :/ face the fact, the movie is nothing but one good dystopian idea and some neat fx, sucks in every other department... and IMO, for that unattractive, old broad somehow being oh-so-important)

Or take a look at Dune (1984). I watched this movie and cried. They SERIOUSLY lacked 3D-technology back then, everything's abysmal, from shields to worms to weapons, save for steampunk scenery, which wasn't that bad or simply stood out from everything much, much worse.

Then again, true, if CGI is in, it can and usually will be overdone.

There are moments you "wish they'd rather use CGI". Such as when someone moves a photo cutout towards the camera...



But in general, pity Harrison Ford got old before more movies were made. After seeing Kingdom of Crystal Skulls I lost belief in screen future of Indiana Jones.

Nothing special -- but last week, I got a piece of peanut from Snickers bar stuck between my teeth at work and it drove me crazy, so all kind of adventure-gameish solutions were tried to remove it:

improvised toothpicks of

* straightened paperclip (my 1st choice usually, but didn't work)
* straightened staple (almost worked)
* straightened spring from broken lighter (do not suggest)

Since it didn't work much, also, improvised floss was used, made of

* edge of standard copier paper (too soft: it got wet & damaged too quickly)
* edge of 290g Metalprint carton (too hard: my gum started to bleed)
* a piece of string which I got by sabotaging my jacket collar (finally worked)

...I really should buy some toothpicks and put into my work desk drawer  

Penumbra rocked. I want to play it again... but there were spiders.
Why o why did they have to put spiders in there? Wasn't game scary enough? I completed both games once, though.

(I'm not really afraid of spiders - in run-away! sense, but whenever I see evil tiny-eyed, hairy bugs, I go into berserk-insane-panicked-killing spree, even in games)

Desperados would be great challenge to Commandos if it wasn't so unfairly difficult and had so hard controls.
I personally loved Commandos II and no similar game has surpassed it yet. Both in experience and possibilities to actually win a damn level. There's a line between challenge and masochism.

Ryan:
Return Fire reminds me Urban Strike, Desert Strike and Jungle Strike somehow. I like it!

Oliwerko:
Jagged Alliance 2 might be less-known cult classic in western world, but in Russia, it's something like a national game along with Starcraft & HOMM series. Every year, some russian developer tries to release a game based on JA2 or with similar genre/gameplay. They made Silent Storm, Hired Guns: Jagged Edge, 7,62mm... list goes on. Sadly, most of those attempts won't get even near the original.
They even attempted JA3! I personally love turn-based strategies too... Pity there's no worthy contender to JA2.

Crimson Wizard:
Haha, Estonian game. It's quite old.

Offtopic (sort of)
Even though near-future addition, I'd name Tropico 3 (which I am playing right now).
Basically, for developers, it took 3rd installment to get everything right. It's marvellous.
Only problem is that while it felt really challenging at first, actually - once you know what to build, it becomes quite simple.

Spoiler

1) Make character with least negative influence on US and USSR
2) Starting money 15000 - build 2 tobacco farms, high school, church and garage near farms (quick education and education is the key here)
3) Wait for the tobacco export generate some money
4) Build cigar factory or two and a diplomatic agency. (Takes few freighter waits)
5) Both economy and relations solved! Raise payment for everyone a bit, especially palace guards.
6) Rest is easy. Start with college, then clinic and apartments. Then entertainment and then tourism

[close]

Progz:
I meant favorites that remained somewhat hidden and 8 out of 10 gamers wouldn't know about  
But great titles indeed.