A Shot of Orange Juice

9/5

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 23:09:24 -0700

Alright, let's make an August resolution. Every week I want to spend at least a few hours working on Global Skirmish. I've decided I've been playing wasting away hours without being productive for board/card gaming. I haven't played one in months, and however that worked out, 'm not sure but if I actually work on GSkirm again, it'll at least fill that hole a bit. Alright, so the first thing I'm going to do on the Global Skirmish side is the some website maintenance. I've promised blogging software in the past, so I'm gonna break down and use some cheasy one that's out there. Sooo... I'll start with Wordpress, and if it irritates me I'll find some other one until I decide I find one I like. So I'm thinking I'll have to do something with the front page, so if you have any ideas drop em my way. I don't know if I like the idea of the blog being in the front, because it's not really what this site is about. I'll think of something I think is neat and drop it in. Hopefully I can update all my links properly.

As promised check out the new wordpress. Hopefully, with actual blogging software, writing up a lazy post will be better, more efficient, and may actually gain some readers. Whooo for timely updates. Since the last one was 4 months and this one is three months, it seems like I'm taking 3/4s of the previous time difference. I'll have some real update in a few days to put in this slot, but I have a feeling I'll be getting back to some Global Skirmish. I'll have to do some research to see how much GMaps have changed since I was last fiddling around with them. I think I'm going to scratch the windows (which always bugged me) for sometype of floating div. Hopefully I'll work out a few ways to improve the user experience. Like a click-click system for attacking, maybe some user preferences. Look at all these lofty goals. I'll probably be switching over to some blogging software for the index page in the future.
Alright I'll leave a little break for some more news Now I haven't gotten on here for 4 months. My new job (which is now 6 months old) programming in the city is going well. Working 10-6 and having a 45 minute commute takes a decent chunk out of your day. Before when I was spending lots of time on ASoOJ, I was only working 8-1, answering phones, and had an 8 minute commute. And I'm sure noone really comes here anymore, but if you do I'd like to apologize for the hole this has become.

I've removed the link to the entirely incomplete mix of games on the header, and replaced it with the still needs to be twearked and finished Global Skirmish. The written rules need to be posted, and I also need to writeup a tutorial page. This would show probably 2 complete rounds of a game of Global Skirmish, explaining what happened. I could probably use the tutorial as a unit tester of sorts, to simulate games for bug testing.

Now I know New Years Resolutions are hokey, and are never followed so instead I've made a New Months Resolution (two of them actually). The first was signing up for an Adult Soccer League here in Hoboken. This hasn't quite been finished yet, but I need to find "proof that I live here" to send in with my check to play.
The other is to get one of the three things up and usable. The three primary things are gameplay balancing, rules writeup, and tutorial. I would think the tutorial is most important, as it can explain some of the more common rules without confusing "words", and total balancing isn't mandatory, but it can't be totally broken. And a written writeup is important, but may not be read or only used for clarifications.

Now the real reason i decided to update today, was to comment on the Slamedance Festival fallout over Super Columbine Massacre the RPG and I'd like to urge any of the finalist that are left in the Festival to withdraw as most of the others who already have. As gamers, and programmers, it's important for us to stick together when things like this happen. This isn't the case of the Festival deciding not to choose a game for it's finalists list. That's a non-issue. So be it. But to let a developer feel the excitement, and possibility that his effort and sweat, and hours of debugging might get some recognition on a scale in the form of a festival nomination or even further, only to turn around to hear that someone threatened to pull funding so we're axing your game.
Personally, I've never heard of Slamedance, before this week. Now I've heard of it, and I'm not real comfortable with how the stand. There are plenty of games that touch on subjects that need to be explored. Sometimes things don't work out nice, sometimes things are brutal. People here in America were upset about the whole JFK Reloaded game. Thats like 40 years? So Columbine, JFK are all unable to be touched. Im sure there are plenty of other things out there that would get a "frown face" from the elder generation, and we'll just have to live with it until it's our turn to take control. Maybe I'll make a game about being a general for the Confederacy in the Civil War, and help lead a few battles to help swing the war in the favor of the South. But this game won't be about stopping William Tecumseh Sherman burning a 5 mile wide march from Atlanta to Savannah. No. It won't be a Civil War FPS, or Turn based strategy. It'll be a President Sim, and I'll touch all those things in the time period that shouldn't be touched. Slavery, interracial relationships, maybe some carpetbagging. Who knows. I doubt I'll be motivated enough to follow up on this specific idea, but maybe the next thing I play around with does push the boundaries a bit.
It's hard to be a gamer in today's age with places like Slamdance not giving people their fair shot, and Jack Thompson claiming I've been corrupted by all my time, on the PC or with a console. Personally, I don't really like shooters. I'm a big fan of Fantasy RPGs though. You don't see me running around with a sword and stabbing people with it though?

Hmm.. that turned into a much larger rant than I thought it would be.. Alas, well for tonight I'm going to get some needed rest, but tomorrow I'll try to stop playing so much Xbox (my 3k gamerscore since the beginning of November needed a little slow down) try to finish NWN2 quickly so it's done with. And then maybe after that I can return to something I started in 2005, and push 1.0 out the door. After that I'll actually need to learn PHP to code the server side. ::Sigh:: I'd like to tip my hat to Steve Irwin. The dude didn't deserve to die by a stingray he was only watching. I owned his dvd and have watched his TV shoes plenty of times. He was always humorous and entertaining. It's sad to see wildlife experts such as he face the perils of their industry. I worry all the time that my crappy 5 year old laptop with it's screen that randomnly decides to fall (because the screws have loosened over time) will flail wildly and lacerate my hands as a type. It would be quite deathtoll for a programmer. Without hands I would need to use some "you talk it types" program and I can just imagine doing that with C++ or javascript. "I said semicolon you fool. Just end the damn statement."

Anyways, progress has been a bit slow for August after the first week and a bit. Sorry bout that. The main problem is I'm trying to plot how to deal with the Technology phase, it occurs after movement and you reap the benefits in the beginning of your next turn. Building Technology takes some time and you have to plot to see where you think its safe, but there isn't the same money collection and spending round. The biggest problem is my internet connection at home is quite weak no thanks to Optimum. That doesn't prevent me from typing up and formatting rules for the website. I'll get on that soon. I also just thought of a way to log the turns. It would feed a different log to each player for stuff that is dependant on location to learn. (Such as someone building technology adjacent to you).

9/5

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 16:43:26 -0700

Whooo for timely updates. Since the last one was 4 months and this one is three months, it seems like I'm taking 3/4s of the previous time difference. I'll have some real update in a few days to put in this slot, but I have a feeling I'll be getting back to some Global Skirmish. I'll have to do some research to see how much GMaps have changed since I was last fiddling around with them. I think I'm going to scratch the windows (which always bugged me) for sometype of floating div. Hopefully I'll work out a few ways to improve the user experience. Like a click-click system for attacking, maybe some user preferences. Look at all these lofty goals. I'll probably be switching over to some blogging software for the index page in the future.
Alright I'll leave a little break for some more news Now I haven't gotten on here for 4 months. My new job (which is now 6 months old) programming in the city is going well. Working 10-6 and having a 45 minute commute takes a decent chunk out of your day. Before when I was spending lots of time on ASoOJ, I was only working 8-1, answering phones, and had an 8 minute commute. And I'm sure noone really comes here anymore, but if you do I'd like to apologize for the hole this has become.

I've removed the link to the entirely incomplete mix of games on the header, and replaced it with the still needs to be twearked and finished Global Skirmish. The written rules need to be posted, and I also need to writeup a tutorial page. This would show probably 2 complete rounds of a game of Global Skirmish, explaining what happened. I could probably use the tutorial as a unit tester of sorts, to simulate games for bug testing.

Now I know New Years Resolutions are hokey, and are never followed so instead I've made a New Months Resolution (two of them actually). The first was signing up for an Adult Soccer League here in Hoboken. This hasn't quite been finished yet, but I need to find "proof that I live here" to send in with my check to play.
The other is to get one of the three things up and usable. The three primary things are gameplay balancing, rules writeup, and tutorial. I would think the tutorial is most important, as it can explain some of the more common rules without confusing "words", and total balancing isn't mandatory, but it can't be totally broken. And a written writeup is important, but may not be read or only used for clarifications.

Now the real reason i decided to update today, was to comment on the Slamedance Festival fallout over Super Columbine Massacre the RPG and I'd like to urge any of the finalist that are left in the Festival to withdraw as most of the others who already have. As gamers, and programmers, it's important for us to stick together when things like this happen. This isn't the case of the Festival deciding not to choose a game for it's finalists list. That's a non-issue. So be it. But to let a developer feel the excitement, and possibility that his effort and sweat, and hours of debugging might get some recognition on a scale in the form of a festival nomination or even further, only to turn around to hear that someone threatened to pull funding so we're axing your game.
Personally, I've never heard of Slamedance, before this week. Now I've heard of it, and I'm not real comfortable with how the stand. There are plenty of games that touch on subjects that need to be explored. Sometimes things don't work out nice, sometimes things are brutal. People here in America were upset about the whole JFK Reloaded game. Thats like 40 years? So Columbine, JFK are all unable to be touched. Im sure there are plenty of other things out there that would get a "frown face" from the elder generation, and we'll just have to live with it until it's our turn to take control. Maybe I'll make a game about being a general for the Confederacy in the Civil War, and help lead a few battles to help swing the war in the favor of the South. But this game won't be about stopping William Tecumseh Sherman burning a 5 mile wide march from Atlanta to Savannah. No. It won't be a Civil War FPS, or Turn based strategy. It'll be a President Sim, and I'll touch all those things in the time period that shouldn't be touched. Slavery, interracial relationships, maybe some carpetbagging. Who knows. I doubt I'll be motivated enough to follow up on this specific idea, but maybe the next thing I play around with does push the boundaries a bit.
It's hard to be a gamer in today's age with places like Slamdance not giving people their fair shot, and Jack Thompson claiming I've been corrupted by all my time, on the PC or with a console. Personally, I don't really like shooters. I'm a big fan of Fantasy RPGs though. You don't see me running around with a sword and stabbing people with it though?

Hmm.. that turned into a much larger rant than I thought it would be.. Alas, well for tonight I'm going to get some needed rest, but tomorrow I'll try to stop playing so much Xbox (my 3k gamerscore since the beginning of November needed a little slow down) try to finish NWN2 quickly so it's done with. And then maybe after that I can return to something I started in 2005, and push 1.0 out the door. After that I'll actually need to learn PHP to code the server side. ::Sigh:: I'd like to tip my hat to Steve Irwin. The dude didn't deserve to die by a stingray he was only watching. I owned his dvd and have watched his TV shoes plenty of times. He was always humorous and entertaining. It's sad to see wildlife experts such as he face the perils of their industry. I worry all the time that my crappy 5 year old laptop with it's screen that randomnly decides to fall (because the screws have loosened over time) will flail wildly and lacerate my hands as a type. It would be quite deathtoll for a programmer. Without hands I would need to use some "you talk it types" program and I can just imagine doing that with C++ or javascript. "I said semicolon you fool. Just end the damn statement."

Anyways, progress has been a bit slow for August after the first week and a bit. Sorry bout that. The main problem is I'm trying to plot how to deal with the Technology phase, it occurs after movement and you reap the benefits in the beginning of your next turn. Building Technology takes some time and you have to plot to see where you think its safe, but there isn't the same money collection and spending round. The biggest problem is my internet connection at home is quite weak no thanks to Optimum. That doesn't prevent me from typing up and formatting rules for the website. I'll get on that soon. I also just thought of a way to log the turns. It would feed a different log to each player for stuff that is dependant on location to learn. (Such as someone building technology adjacent to you).

9/5

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 12:41:16 -0700

Now I haven't gotten on here for 4 months. My new job (which is now 6 months old) programming in the city is going well. Working 10-6 and having a 45 minute commute takes a decent chunk out of your day. Before when I was spending lots of time on ASoOJ, I was only working 8-1, answering phones, and had an 8 minute commute. And I'm sure noone really comes here anymore, but if you do I'd like to apologize for the hole this has become.

I've removed the link to the entirely incomplete mix of games on the header, and replaced it with the still needs to be twearked and finished Global Skirmish. The written rules need to be posted, and I also need to writeup a tutorial page. This would show probably 2 complete rounds of a game of Global Skirmish, explaining what happened. I could probably use the tutorial as a unit tester of sorts, to simulate games for bug testing.

Now I know New Years Resolutions are hokey, and are never followed so instead I've made a New Months Resolution (two of them actually). The first was signing up for an Adult Soccer League here in Hoboken. This hasn't quite been finished yet, but I need to find "proof that I live here" to send in with my check to play.
The other is to get one of the three things up and usable. The three primary things are gameplay balancing, rules writeup, and tutorial. I would think the tutorial is most important, as it can explain some of the more common rules without confusing "words", and total balancing isn't mandatory, but it can't be totally broken. And a written writeup is important, but may not be read or only used for clarifications.

Now the real reason i decided to update today, was to comment on the Slamedance Festival fallout over Super Columbine Massacre the RPG and I'd like to urge any of the finalist that are left in the Festival to withdraw as most of the others who already have. As gamers, and programmers, it's important for us to stick together when things like this happen. This isn't the case of the Festival deciding not to choose a game for it's finalists list. That's a non-issue. So be it. But to let a developer feel the excitement, and possibility that his effort and sweat, and hours of debugging might get some recognition on a scale in the form of a festival nomination or even further, only to turn around to hear that someone threatened to pull funding so we're axing your game.
Personally, I've never heard of Slamedance, before this week. Now I've heard of it, and I'm not real comfortable with how the stand. There are plenty of games that touch on subjects that need to be explored. Sometimes things don't work out nice, sometimes things are brutal. People here in America were upset about the whole JFK Reloaded game. Thats like 40 years? So Columbine, JFK are all unable to be touched. Im sure there are plenty of other things out there that would get a "frown face" from the elder generation, and we'll just have to live with it until it's our turn to take control. Maybe I'll make a game about being a general for the Confederacy in the Civil War, and help lead a few battles to help swing the war in the favor of the South. But this game won't be about stopping William Tecumseh Sherman burning a 5 mile wide march from Atlanta to Savannah. No. It won't be a Civil War FPS, or Turn based strategy. It'll be a President Sim, and I'll touch all those things in the time period that shouldn't be touched. Slavery, interracial relationships, maybe some carpetbagging. Who knows. I doubt I'll be motivated enough to follow up on this specific idea, but maybe the next thing I play around with does push the boundaries a bit.
It's hard to be a gamer in today's age with places like Slamdance not giving people their fair shot, and Jack Thompson claiming I've been corrupted by all my time, on the PC or with a console. Personally, I don't really like shooters. I'm a big fan of Fantasy RPGs though. You don't see me running around with a sword and stabbing people with it though?

Hmm.. that turned into a much larger rant than I thought it would be.. Alas, well for tonight I'm going to get some needed rest, but tomorrow I'll try to stop playing so much Xbox (my 3k gamerscore since the beginning of November needed a little slow down) try to finish NWN2 quickly so it's done with. And then maybe after that I can return to something I started in 2005, and push 1.0 out the door. After that I'll actually need to learn PHP to code the server side. ::Sigh:: I'd like to tip my hat to Steve Irwin. The dude didn't deserve to die by a stingray he was only watching. I owned his dvd and have watched his TV shoes plenty of times. He was always humorous and entertaining. It's sad to see wildlife experts such as he face the perils of their industry. I worry all the time that my crappy 5 year old laptop with it's screen that randomnly decides to fall (because the screws have loosened over time) will flail wildly and lacerate my hands as a type. It would be quite deathtoll for a programmer. Without hands I would need to use some "you talk it types" program and I can just imagine doing that with C++ or javascript. "I said semicolon you fool. Just end the damn statement."

Anyways, progress has been a bit slow for August after the first week and a bit. Sorry bout that. The main problem is I'm trying to plot how to deal with the Technology phase, it occurs after movement and you reap the benefits in the beginning of your next turn. Building Technology takes some time and you have to plot to see where you think its safe, but there isn't the same money collection and spending round. The biggest problem is my internet connection at home is quite weak no thanks to Optimum. That doesn't prevent me from typing up and formatting rules for the website. I'll get on that soon. I also just thought of a way to log the turns. It would feed a different log to each player for stuff that is dependant on location to learn. (Such as someone building technology adjacent to you).

9/5

Tue, 12 Sep 2006 19:50:28 -0700

I'd like to tip my hat to Steve Irwin. The dude didn't deserve to die by a stingray he was only watching. I owned his dvd and have watched his TV shoes plenty of times. He was always humorous and entertaining. It's sad to see wildlife experts such as he face the perils of their industry. I worry all the time that my crappy 5 year old laptop with it's screen that randomnly decides to fall (because the screws have loosened over time) will flail wildly and lacerate my hands as a type. It would be quite deathtoll for a programmer. Without hands I would need to use some "you talk it types" program and I can just imagine doing that with C++ or javascript. "I said semicolon you fool. Just end the damn statement."

Anyways, progress has been a bit slow for August after the first week and a bit. Sorry bout that. The main problem is I'm trying to plot how to deal with the Technology phase, it occurs after movement and you reap the benefits in the beginning of your next turn. Building Technology takes some time and you have to plot to see where you think its safe, but there isn't the same money collection and spending round. The biggest problem is my internet connection at home is quite weak no thanks to Optimum. That doesn't prevent me from typing up and formatting rules for the website. I'll get on that soon. I also just thought of a way to log the turns. It would feed a different log to each player for stuff that is dependant on location to learn. (Such as someone building technology adjacent to you).