10-08-2005 23:17									#151
	Got spare money?

That's true but not quite.

There is no copy protection, but the game (from what I've heard ) is nigh impossible to update without the codes. Personally I like their system, as it's effective without pissing customers off. However, it's at its best for games where content gets added regularly.

	11-08-2005 06:38									#152
	Got spare money?

That seems to be the way Wardell wanted it to be, so it is working out well.

	24-08-2005 00:46									#153
	Support Apolyton

a slight tangent on the theme:

http://www.gamasutra.com/features/2.../adams_01.shtml

or direct link:

http://www.interactivestory.net/

Still the gamasutra article is interesting and worth a read.

Why post this here? well i figure that its games(experiments-you decide) like these that point to the future of games as a mass medium. I'll still always want to play my tbs games, but i dont mind a dabble into the world of 'Sim' type games. And as the popularity of the Sims has proven, its fertile games territory where money can be made if done well.

I'm not sure if its a good thing from my point of view - a world of 'virtual' reality tv type games would drive me mad but maybe it wont go in that direction?

	24-08-2005 08:18									#154
	Remove this text

I am not sure I agree with Mr Adams. While Façade might be a showcase of technological prowess, with techniques and algorithms that could be incorporated into games, it has very little value of being a game or toy.

	24-08-2005 21:47									#155
	Help yourself to an AD-FREE life

Its a 'budget' version of whatever you would call it then.
Still my super low end computing means i cant download the free 'game' to give it a try It does sound interesting though, and worth a free download to try it out - i guess it would be more like a curious toy you play a few times and forget about.
Still the techniques in the toy could be developed for a full game in time - thats the interesting bit i was thinking about as i read the article. Games like KOTOR blended with a toy like this?

Still judging from the pic in his article, i get enough of those looks in RL

	25-08-2005 07:16									#156
	Help yourself to an AD-FREE life

I haven't downloaded it yet, maybe some time. It has got some interesting components, such as natural language parsing. There was a rudimentary form of it in Zork decades ago, so I am curious as to how far the techniques have progressed. Other things such as body language I am not so interested in - people have enough problems with it in real life

	26-08-2005 22:26									#157
	Support Apolyton or Terrorists Win

quote: Originally posted by Urban Ranger I haven't downloaded it yet, maybe some time. It has got some interesting components, such as natural language parsing. There was a rudimentary form of it in Zork decades ago, so I am curious as to how far the techniques have progressed. Other things such as body language I am not so interested in - people have enough problems with it in real life

but think of the potential - if it got good enough at it you could practise reading body language in your game before having to do it in real life(and the mistakes that can cause ). I'm not advocating sexualy explicit stuff, just the simple signs that most people miss, myself included. I hate to think on all the 'scoring' opportunities i've failed to act on because i missed the 'signs'. A Sim's type game with that human element could be a fun training simulation and a huge title for someone? maybe.

Anyway i supose i'll have to upgrade my computers(boo hiss) and then i can give this free toy a spin. like you i'm interested to see how far its come since the Zork days

	27-08-2005 11:35									#158
	Support Apolyton, buy Call to Power 2

quote: Originally posted by child of Thor but think of the potential - if it got good enough at it you could practise reading body language in your game before having to do it in real life(and the mistakes that can cause )

Nobody is sure what exactly body language means.

There are good guesses for sure, then you start running into conflicting signals

	27-08-2005 14:17									#159
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations: Deluxe Edition

* DrSpike suspects that UR got slapped recently for misreading some 'signals'.

	28-08-2005 10:10									#160
	Support Apolyton, buy GURPS/ Alpha Centauri

No. I have a lot of respect for somebody who can beat up men twice her size eaily.

	28-08-2005 15:16									#161
	Suffering from ads?

So you admit she beat you up? That's very open of you.

	28-08-2005 23:25									#162
	Got spare money?

[edit] Doh! Posting in the wrong thread. That's what you get when Spike has the last post in so many.

	29-08-2005 07:27									#163
	Tired of ads?

quote: Originally posted by DrSpike So you admit she beat you up? That's very open of you.

No, she doesn't beat me up, because I am a nice boy

	29-08-2005 14:46									#164
	Tired of ads?

quote: Originally posted by duke o' york [edit] Doh! Posting in the wrong thread. That's what you get when Spike has the last post in so many.

Yes, but at least I can keep track of the threads.

	01-09-2005 02:05									#165
	Support Apolyton, buy Alpha Centauri

maybe we should stop making games if it leads to this:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4198918.stm

	01-09-2005 02:47									#166
	Support Apolyton or Terrorists Win

Nevar!

	01-09-2005 03:08									#167
	Support Apolyton, buy Alpha Centauri

True - it makes too much business sense to not provide the masses with their opium some of those cases sounded pretty bad though.
I consider myself pretty hard-core, in that i find atleast around 3hrs each day to play. But i've never found my game playing getting in the way of real life or doing all the other stuff an adult needs to do.

	01-09-2005 08:19									#168
	Browse Apolyton AD-FREE

quote: Originally posted by child of Thor I consider myself pretty hard-core, in that i find atleast around 3hrs each day to play.

What, 3 hours?

* Urban Ranger beats up child of Thor

	01-09-2005 23:03									#169
	Lose 30 kilos (of popups)

well that was a rough underestimate taking into account the odd day i dont play or holidays etc

today i played 3hrs of Daggerfall and then 2hrs of Morrowind a fairly typical gaming day for me on a work-day. weekends, well they can just get silly

is this a low amount of hours for gaming? maybe i'm a lightweight gamer through the week then? but hard-core on weekends/days off work?

Anyway the point of this is that i often see people from the games industry talking about how games need to be less involved, or take up less time(mainly because they have to work - so dont have a lot of free gaming time), and use this as an excuse to churn out what are to me very disapointingly short and un-involved games.

What i dont get about this approach is that haven't they heard of the 'save game' function before - your not forced to sit down and finish a game in a sitting you know

Heck some of my fondest memmories of Civ were extended campaigns taking weeks or months to finish - a few hours a day, no problem.

Still i think its just an excuse used cause the accountants/suits know their onto a good thing - accountants/suits can suck with stuff like this

Interesting article from Edge magazine:

http://www.edge-online.co.uk/archiv..._of_katamar.php

i seem to share his sentiments in the last but one paragraph:

"The question is not what [new hardware] can do, but what people can do with it. In the end, the important thing is not the hardware, but the software and the thoughts and feeling of the person that put that software there in the first place." He added: "I also worry how I will interact with games that have an almost unnecessary level of detail in them."

amen to those thoughts - technical prowess is most often not the defining aspect of what makes a great game great imho, at least not in my experience.

Last edited by child of Thor on 02-09-2005 at 02:40

	02-09-2005 08:08									#170
	Support Apolyton, pre-order Civilization IV

quote: Originally posted by child of Thor today i played 3hrs of Daggerfall and then 2hrs of Morrowind a fairly typical gaming day for me on a work-day. weekends, well they can just get silly

Do you play games on the job? Otherwise how would you find so much time playing games?

	02-09-2005 10:44									#171
	Full PM-box? Change here!

I'm lucky if I get at least 2 hours a day on a workday.

	05-09-2005 22:35									#172
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization: The Boardgame

I'm lucky in that i can choose what hours to put in at work(one advantage of being the manager). So either before or after work i can squeeze in a good half dozen hours if i really try
Still i'm working at one day being able to play games for a living, that would be my heaven

I think i'm a game geek

Last edited by child of Thor on 05-09-2005 at 22:42