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I still can't quite put my finger on why GF in 3D worked so well and MI4 didn't.  I have to admit that part of it is due to nostalgia (there wasn't exactly a GF franchise for them to eff up).  The overall feel of the game, the way it unfolded and the visuals all make the 3D choice seem the natural one whereas MI4 seemed to lower standards and wonder to itself - "Dammit, how can we make this 3D thing work for this game?" [Note: I liked MI4.. just not nearly as much as 1st 3]

You posted this and I went and started a new thread.  I much prefer yours.  Now, I just need to find a practical document for destruction of the moon (bound to be less complicated than the anti-terrestrial problem). 

A law was introduced some time ago in Greece banning electronic gambling machines.  Unfortunately, the lawmakers agreed that they were unable to differentiate absolutely between arcade coin-op machines and electronic gambling.  The law, unfortunately, was written so broadly that various fines have been charged to consumers using a variety of gaming equipment .  Public-access to games was discouraged as well.  This Article has some mention of the law, though in a hyper-reactive way.  The law itself wasn't intended to accomplish what the article purports but is broad enough to essentially place even PC games in private homes under suspicion, merely because of the technological ignorance of the legislators.   Thankfully, here it was ruled unconstitutional and there remains only to repeal the law or re-write and institute it in a more precise form.   These legislators were of approximately the same level of ignorance & supposition as the US's own beloved Senator O. Hatch.

[Edit:People should look at the dates on things before they start new threads..  damn. I'd like to play it off as bringing it back up for discussion, but I have to admit blatant oversight. ]

Still must get RealMyst.  I was terribly surprised how close they came to the pre-rendered backgrounds of the original (played the demo).  Some 3D games are quite gorgeous with the technology used for immersion instead of just being used because it's popular.  While I loved GF, MI4 definitely suffered because of the 3D move..  MI3 was a nice blend of more modern tech (svga, better sound) and the classic cartoony look.  I'm sure MI4 would've been a lot more graphically impressive if it didn't have to peg out at such low system requirements. 

I still haven't played the 8th King's Quest.. I tried a demo for about 5 minutes before being bored to tears and the look/feel and non-adventure-esque changes.  Unfortunately VII bit the proverbial monkey testes as well, despite not having the 3D handicap.

I'd like to second Kinoko.  Let's lock Kinoko in the popular threads forum and never mention her again. 

On 3D, aside from allowing some smoother animation, I don't see much advantage provided you're still using a static background.  If you can put forth the effort to make a 3D character with a full animation set, why not just pre-render and use frames.  Certainly less system demand that way, regardless.

So the .MP3 samples were made with what sort of program? Sorry, rather ignorant about soundfonts, just curious if this is a MIDI or MOD-type arrangement. 

My roommate's the musician and after checking out the samples, I'm thinking he'll be all over this.

Redwood city.. that'd be roughly an hour, 20 minutes here.  From what I've heard, it's a nice place.. cost of living is lower than San Francisco or Daly City, but still a bit high.  Near the coast on either side and close enough to major cities to see the sights.  Best o' luck with the move.. ought to be interesting in either case.  Californians are odd.

Actually, it appears that
He thinks hydrogen fuel will work though, which is dumb because we don't have any clean source of hydrogen yet.

It seems to be the new Republican buzzword (buzz-term?): Hydrogen Fuel Cell.  During California's recall election, Arnie Schwarezenegger (Did I spell that thing right this time) was promising Californians prominant Hydrogen use within the next 5 years as well as evenly-spaced Hydrogen refuelling stations along every major highway.  Based upon people's reasons for voting for him, I think the HFC promotion garnered little reaction from either party in either direction.

I heard the news this morning.  My deepest sympathy to the victims and their families. I do, however, admire the way Londoners have responded to the attack.  The response plan was executed, people remained calm (as possible, considering the circumstances), and the situation is being dealt with in a very collected manner.  TV coverage aside, this reaction is their greatest asset.  The only reason for attack against civilians to to instill fear in the populous, not giving them that reaction doesn't repair damage from the attack but does make their attack essentially worthless (as regarding their cause).

From an American viewpoint, I've always viewed Britain as a sibling and today, my brother has made me proud.  Since we've little control over our government's or military's response to events like these, we should take a long look at the people actually affected.  In this case, I think it's far more encouraging than any governmental response we've seen in the days since 9/11/01.

Ken Livingstone (the mayor), regardless of what the population's thought of him concerning other policies, gave an excellent oration - one that is more apt to give courage and pride in one's country than a speech that feeds the terror in the people's heart and provokes anger and hatred.

Cali has a population about 3/4 that of South Africa, and about the same as Canada, so I'd expect a great deal of diversity in incomes and other economic aspects.

Is it true that SF still has rent controls on much of it's accomodation? It's just that rent control is a bemusing idea.

Sure, in that the majority of rent doesn't go above $10,000. Ã, I'm sure there are programs for different districts but when searching for a place, I found a low of $1500 (place wasn't pretty either) to a high (searching non-luxury, run-of-the-mill apartments) of $5200. Ã, There are rent controls for the Federal areas (like the Presidio) but the ceiling's so high, I've no hope for it. This general area is very fuedal in economic divisiveness. Ã, 

It very much depends upon where you're going.  My experience is primarily with the San Francisco Bay Area (Roughly, SF with a 60 mile radius).  Average apartment rent for decent accomodations is somewhere in the $800-900 range.  I'm currently renting a house with a roommate, have ~1300 square feet, three bedrooms/two bathrooms and it sets me back $825.  Utilities are a good-sized cost, particularly in the water & power areas.  Cost of living is higher, but not as much as some would lead you to believe.  Generally, we get low-to-average tech prices but middle-to-high food prices. 

Near any major city, the name of the game is commuting.  The larger cities' rent is often exorbitant.  Rent in San Francisco or some of the wealthier communities in the north bay can often be $1500 for a somewhat acceptable apartment and $3-4000 for 2-bedroom home rentals.  My basic expenses in this area come to around $2400 (rent, food, utilities, phone, internet, gas, etc).  Median gas price for NorCal's around $250 at the moment. 

Location is everything..  my experience only counts for central/north-central California and I'm sure the Southern Cal/ LA & San Diego areas are a bit different.  Far northern California's pretty damned cheap by comparison.  Do you have a specific city or area in mind?

That's one way.  Another is to use a decoder that'll output separate streams.  TMPGenc is a free one that'll open up any video file you've got proper codecs for and will output (if desired) separate .mpg/.wav streams (albeit only mpeg-II out for a limited time, but mpeg-I always).  Virtualdub and virtualdubmod will also do this, but I haven't messed with either much.

Excellent points on the outdated world trade view.  As the economy becomes more globalized, it's more a matter of how 'in touch' you are with it, rather than how many sheep skins or VCRs you manage to send out of your country. 

I didn't want to poke people here in the ribs, but since you unsheathed that particular point, I did find it interesting how this forum, other forums, news broadcasts and the musicians themselves seem to vaguely mention the cause this event was organized in the name of.  Also interesting how we keep hearing what our actions need to be in regard to Africa (TM).  As we all know, Africa is broken into dozens of states that are fairly identical, despite large variations in climate and a massive land mass.  The reason Egypt needs the same stuff as South Africa and Nigeria is because of the all-encompassing and merciless rule of the Evil Emperor Ming King of Africa!

If this works out well, then we'll have to have a Southern Hemisphere benefit where we can address the entire third world's problems at once!

Sort of a cross between playing with dolls, stop-motion animation and choose-your own adventure.  There's a few things to try, some more.. umm..  special than others.  *shudder*

I just figured out what slightly annoys me about this (I can't say I'm really annoyed, I mean, every little bit helps so I don't dislike what they're doing outright). It's preaching to the converted. The whole thing stinks of tokenism and manufacturing emotions, and just isn't targetting the people that do need to change their thinking/behaviour.

Nail on the head.  I've got an asshole's point-of-view on this one but the entire event seems so very superficial and incredibly shallow that I'd suspect the Hilton sisters of arranging it.  I don't want to be a downer to those enjoying the shows or music, but I don't think it's worthy of more praise (justification-wise) than a golf-clap.

If they haven't got Win 2000/XP drivers available, maybe they're best to avoid.  You should be able to use drivers for Win2000 or XP (same basic core).  The problem is that you're attempting to load 16-bit drivers on a 32-bit (native) system.  You might be able to use the compatibility wizard (if, like XP, 2000 has such a thing) or tweak the properties for 16-bit compatibility.  It's not surprising that they wouldn't work with WinME type since it was sort of a bastard-child hybrid of '98 and 2000 in that it dropped a lot of backwards-compatibility but without the support and stability of a true NT core.  (Win2000/XP - often interchangable, sometimes even with NT4 drivers..  WinME only shares driver compatibility with '95/'98(SE))

Again, check sites for 2000 or WinXP drivers.  Make sure you've eliminated the old ones from your '98 setup.  If there isn't a driver in existence, try googling for them as somebody might've made a workaround or custom driver set.

There are some pretty good arguments on both sides of the issue.  I don't think it should be illegal unless it can be determined to be a case of disturbing the peace and - even so - warrant a minor fine (on an upward scale for repeated infractions e.g. $10, $25, $50).

I'm not sure about laws in other states or countries, but there's basically no limit to your stereo volume if you're driving on a highway (which can be streched to include all roads 45MPH and over, as well as any road with three or more lanes) in California.  The extreme bass annoys the hell out of me, but I suck it up and deal with it while I'm driving.  If I wanted to, I could be doing the same thing, I just choose not to exercise that right.  I have my music at very loud volumes, but it's seldom very audible beyond 5-10 feet from my vehicle (windows down).  The way low frequencies travel, however, it has a way of going through solid objects and causing not only audio annoyance but physical disturbance. 

"It's my right," or "you need to lighten up" are piss-poor arguments when justifying why your music needs so much bass versus somebody complaining that the audio is annoying, having your chest pulse with the beat is annoying (and, for some, nauseating), having walls shake and rattle and (as I've witnessed, but only twice) pictures falling off the wall that've been there for years. 

I work the graveyard shift.  I am constantly irritated by the daytime  noise, but it's something I have to deal with.  The schedule is my choice and they do pay me a differential.  However, there's a pretty significant difference between lawnmowing, dogs barking, kids screaming and construction taking place blocks away.  For one, these are either beyond one person's ability to control or basic upkeep necessities.  The bigger difference is that I can insert earplugs and block out most sound.  The one exception I've found is the bass coming from stereos of passing idiots blasting their music in a residential area or - worse - the same sort of fool with his SUV's trunk open blasting loud music.  I'm sure it's enjoyment for many, but there are certainly some that are showing off their stereos more so.  I'd like you to be able to enjoy your music... just respect my right not to have to listen to it while in the privacy of my own home.  If that request doesn't sound reasonable, then it's not a symptom of youth as much as one of a lack of character.

(All "You" references meant in the collectively vague sense)

The smoking in cars argument hits both the offense and defense (which is admirable).  It's irritating but blockable, whereas the bass is not (again, I don't see much problem with the bass in high-traffic areas).  The argument that somebody is endangering your health is amusing.  Exactly what quantity of toxins do you think you're inhaling just by driving with your window open (or vent blowing non-recirculated, probably non-filtered air)?  It's more than you get from an inhalation of cigarette smoke.  In fact, the amount of toxins you ingest while in the average 1/2 hour traffic jam is as hazardous as if you'd smoked (not second-hand) 1/4 pack of cigarettes in a 24-hour period.  The toll-collectors for the Golden Gate Bridge get paid quite a lot of money for a very simple job ($19.00/hr to start. Minimum wage is ~$7.00) - primarily because they've got horrible healthcare coverage in what's considered a "Constantly hazardous work environment."

I will agree that it's irritating, and not being as used to the smell as you are car exhaust, smells bad.  I would also go a bit further and say that the smokers who smoke in their vehicle with stopped cars all around them (like in a traffic-jam) on a day where people are likely to have their windows rolled down are being pretty damned inconsiderate.  The same for those who smoke right next to businesses' entrances, allowing smoke to waft in with every arriving or departing customer.  Those who smoke at a playground are being pretty inconsiderate as well, even if there's enough breeze and space that no children are inhaling it, it seems pretty irresponsible to demonstrate the bad habit in front of them.

It might be a great line-up but . . . great cause my ass. No financial, labor, food, or any other sort of aid going to the needy ones. Lots of perks for celebrities (accomodations, gifts, etc.), and not one dollar going to the needy. It's a concert to raise awareness and suggest to the largest 8 governments that they be more charitable. There may be some token financial aid given, but - for the most part - the "Big 8" will be unaffected. Every school child knows at least a little bit about the starvation, corrupt government and constant wars and rebellions in that continent. If our governments gave a crap, they would've done something by now. Live 8 doesn't have good television coverage (particularly in the US), and in any case, it doesn't seem likely that people who haven't done anything by now are likely to pick up their telephones and call their representatives.

If they had had negligible entrance fees (say, $5.00 per person, 0.50 to watch via net feed or subscription TV) they'd make more of a contribution. For that matter, if they took the money for promoting the concert, showing it and outfitting the celebrities with what they 'need' and donated that, it'd make more difference than what we'll likely see. After all, the "leader of the free, peace-loving, democratic world" didn't bat an eye when tens of millions protested against the initiation of the Iraq war, why will they care about something their perceive as utterly irrelevant to them.

I just don't get it.  Live Aid was crap (from what I've heard even from the nostalgic types) but at least they were contributing something tangible.  There may as well just be a sticker on every U2 CD that says, "Buy the CD, but take a moment afterwards to think about starving people."  Sorry for the load of cynicism, but this concert strikes me as 'for-a-good-cause', star worship horsesh__. Seems similar to celebrities visiting the tsunami-stricken Southeast in order to help, as though their mere presence would improve the people's lot in life. The deification of familiar names needs to stop (though, to be hypocritically frank, I'd have loved to have seen Floyd). 

If it's for a virtual singer project, I can't help but thing she'd have a little more style and glitz.  The face fits perfectly, but the dress being a 1-color summer-type thing doesn't seem to fit the bill.  With it's snugness around the torso, and her pose, it almost seems more ballerina-esque.  With a more, hmm..  projective stance it might give for the impression of a performer.  I also can't help but imagine that the lined around around her waist is a placeholder for a really friggin' big leather belt.

It could turn into a drawing tutorial if we just had the basic shapes illustration of each item.  It goes from basic outline to more detailed sketch in the blink of an eye. 

I don't know if this is something that can be taught with a tutorial, it would more likely take a crapload of practice.  I analyze the objects and find it's more the way everything fits together and then the particular feeling and lighting you add to it later.  You could leave it this sketchy or clean it up with sharp lines & colors and the overall feel would be the same - professional.  I'm envious.  It just means I'll have to work on it more.