Saturday, June 28, 2008
Monday, June 02, 2008
KDE 4.1!
I just came across a very interesting screencast hi-lighting the differences between KDE 4.0 and 4.1.
From what I have seen in the screencast it has really struck a cord with me, making me excited (at last) as to the direction the KDE team is taking with KDE 4.
Some features to note:
From what I have seen in the screencast it has really struck a cord with me, making me excited (at last) as to the direction the KDE team is taking with KDE 4.
Some features to note:
- There is now much better support for plasma and plasmoids.
It seems, from the cast, that there has been some mayor improvements in this department. I especially like the new plasmoid that lets you choose a few files to be placed on the Desktop, sort of a bookmark type view of short cuts to your data. Themeing plasma has also now been made easier with an own theme manager and on the whole it just looks like it might just work! - Seconds, they have given more attention to the taskbar/panel. Some of the biggest criticism was that you cannot configure it all, or the options is very limited. They have now addressed this and it seems like there are some more new features added to this. It's still not on par with KDE 3 and the massive amount of configuration you can throw at it, but it is moving ahead nicely. I predict that FULL customization is now only a matter of time, and as soon as they have the time I'm sure they will improve this even further.
- It seems that kwin has also been revamped under the bonnet. One big flaw to the whole Compiz fad for me is that it renders your desktop useless for other GFX intensive tasks, like gaming. Try and game on a desktop that has Compiz enabled, it is impossible, so far. I hope they have at least tried and made the whole engine in kwin a bit more streamlined, it is stable, I have no doubt about that, but for gamers it is impractical. I have no idea how Vista handles it's eye candy, so maybe it is just possible to get around this?
A thing that really bothered me was that transparency is only possible when you have Compiz enabled, and being a gamer I never had this enabled, short for a few test runs here and there. The whole "eye candy" argument and design of KDE 4 is heavily based on this, have they even given a thought to people who cannot use it because of said short comings??
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Screen shot!
It has been a while since I last posted a screen shot, so here we go!
Nothing much has changed the last couple of months, except updating KDE and all the nice add-ons (yakuake, kbfx, etc.)
Oh well, there you have it. It's been hard getting new and decent KDE 3.x themes since KDE 4 launched, but I'm still far more comfortable with KDE 3 and think I'll wait a couple of months till I try KDE 4 again...
:-)
Nothing much has changed the last couple of months, except updating KDE and all the nice add-ons (yakuake, kbfx, etc.)
Clean:
Bussy:
Oh well, there you have it. It's been hard getting new and decent KDE 3.x themes since KDE 4 launched, but I'm still far more comfortable with KDE 3 and think I'll wait a couple of months till I try KDE 4 again...
:-)
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Hot Spot Nymph
Now with the ever popular Mustard Caddis out of the way, how about the next best fly since chocolate cake?
The fly almost all anglers in South Africa would have begun fishing the Vaalriver for the small mouth yellowfish for, will probably be the Hot Spot Nymph, or some variation of it, since it just works. This being a very simple fly you will be surprised just how often you use similar patterns for other flies.
This is a fly well worth mastering, and like said, the techniques used in this fly is reproduced on countless similar flies.
Category: SM Yellowfish
Imitates: Have no idea (Attractor fly)
The one I'm showing is the very basic, "down to earth" simple version that you would find on the shelf tied by all the major companies who sell flies. It is largely based on the PTN with only slight modification.
Michael (a friend) has a more advanced version on his site over here that I've also used with great success!
Hook - #12-16 Nymph hook
Thread - Brown 6/0
Weight - Optional brass, tungsten bead
Thorax - Orange dubbing (could also be yellow, green and even red)
Tail - Pheasant tail (center quill)
Extra - Copper wire
The fly almost all anglers in South Africa would have begun fishing the Vaalriver for the small mouth yellowfish for, will probably be the Hot Spot Nymph, or some variation of it, since it just works. This being a very simple fly you will be surprised just how often you use similar patterns for other flies.
This is a fly well worth mastering, and like said, the techniques used in this fly is reproduced on countless similar flies.
Category: SM Yellowfish
Imitates: Have no idea (Attractor fly)
The one I'm showing is the very basic, "down to earth" simple version that you would find on the shelf tied by all the major companies who sell flies. It is largely based on the PTN with only slight modification.
Michael (a friend) has a more advanced version on his site over here that I've also used with great success!
Hook - #12-16 Nymph hook
Thread - Brown 6/0
Weight - Optional brass, tungsten bead
Thorax - Orange dubbing (could also be yellow, green and even red)
Tail - Pheasant tail (center quill)
Extra - Copper wire
Step 1
Prepare your hook (#16) and tie in the copper wire.
Step 2
Tie in a few barbs (usually between 5-10, depending on the size of the hook) of pheasant tail to form the tail.
Step3
Move the thread all the way to the where the thorax should start, about 1/3 from the eye of the hook.
Step 4
Wind the rest of the barbs round the hook, making sure you take note of the direction you wind it. Tie it down and trim the extra.
Step 5
Now wind the copper wire in the opposite direction that you used for the barbs, reason being this will secure the structure of the fly and tie down the barbs more thoroughly. Tie it down and trim the extra bits.
Step 6
Tie in some more barbs, about 10 stands will do nicely to form the wing case.
Step 7
Spin a thin noodle of orange dubbing for the thorax.
Step 8
All done! Take care to leave some space just behind the eye of the hook to tie in the final materials.
Step 9
Bend over the barbs to form wing case and tie it off.
Step 10
Trim off all the excess and whip finish. Done!
Prepare your hook (#16) and tie in the copper wire.
Step 2
Tie in a few barbs (usually between 5-10, depending on the size of the hook) of pheasant tail to form the tail.
Step3
Move the thread all the way to the where the thorax should start, about 1/3 from the eye of the hook.
Step 4
Wind the rest of the barbs round the hook, making sure you take note of the direction you wind it. Tie it down and trim the extra.
Step 5
Now wind the copper wire in the opposite direction that you used for the barbs, reason being this will secure the structure of the fly and tie down the barbs more thoroughly. Tie it down and trim the extra bits.
Now wind the copper wire in the opposite direction that you used for the barbs, reason being this will secure the structure of the fly and tie down the barbs more thoroughly. Tie it down and trim the extra bits.Step 6
Tie in some more barbs, about 10 stands will do nicely to form the wing case.
Step 7
Spin a thin noodle of orange dubbing for the thorax.
Step 8
All done! Take care to leave some space just behind the eye of the hook to tie in the final materials.
Step 9
Bend over the barbs to form wing case and tie it off.
Step 10
Trim off all the excess and whip finish. Done!
Mustard Caddis
Okay, time for some fishing! Been a while since I last did a piece on fishing...
Here you will find some original patterns that work very well on our South African rivers, and I mostly target small mouth yellowfish (Labeobarbus Aeneus) and its close related cousins in the "yellowfish" group, the large mouth yellowfish (Labeobarbus Kimberleyensis)
As you will see when trying to do a bit of research on these fish, there is not much in the line of academic studies that has been done on them, however, there are some legends in the fishing community here that have dissected their lifestyle in order to understand what flies they will take...
Now on with the show:
This is probably one of the most useful flies and best taker on the Vaalriver, but at the same time it is almost impossible to give a tying sequence of this fly since there are so many variations out there, each angler with his own secret recipe to entice the fish!
What I'm trying to do with the flies I post is to make them as simple as possible, getting the novice to go "That doesn't seem hard at all!" and go buy a vice and start tying. Every single fly out there can be made very complicated with added bling, but I aim to keep it as simple as possible for the novice.
Once you mastered a fly you will find yourself changing it to your needs, so with that taken care of, lets begin?
Category: Smallmouth Yellowfish
Imitates: Allow me to quote someone:
"The Mustard Caddis is, I believe, a Horst Filter pattern. While imitations of caddis larvae are "ten a penny", what sets this one apart from the rest, and is undoubtedly one of its fish-catching secrets, is the colour." - Ian Couryer
Hook - #12-16 Scud hook
Thread - Brown 6/0
Weight - Optional brass, tungsten bead, lead wraps
Body - Mustard Chenille (small or medium)
Head/Thorax - Any dark coloured dubbing, in this case dark brown
Extra - Mono filament (0.20 mm at the thickest), Ginger Scud Back
Prepare your hook and tie in the mono filament. Do this properly all along the length of the hook shank since the nature of the line makes it very easy to slip out, and since this holds your material in place, your whole fly will come undone. Give it a tug to see if it is tied in securely.
Most other people will use copper wire instead of the line, it's up to you. I have tied them both ways and had equal success on both, I just fancy the mono filament more. Use a line of suitable diameter to fit the hook size.
Step 2
Tie in the Scud Back and center it properly.
Step 3
Tie in the chenille. Strip the fibers from the tip of the chenille and tie down the bare, stripped piece. This will help in preventing a lump forming from overlapping chenille.
Step 4
In neat touching turns, wind the chenille tightly on the shank. We do not want a bulky, fat fly, so wind it nice and tight on the hook.
Step 5
Bring the Scud Back over and tie it down. Be careful, the Scud Back is made from elastic plastic, so make sure you tie it in properly or it will pull out. You will get it after a few practice turns! If you struggle to keep it in place then whip finish it into place once, that should hold it down.
Step 6
Wind the mono filament (copper wire) in the opposite direction to which you wound the chenille. This will tie it down nicely. Make sure to create neat little segments to imitate the segments on a caddis larvae. Tie the line down and trim excess.
Step 7
Spin a thin noodle of the dubbing for the collar and whip finish.
Step 8
All done!
Like I said in the beginning, this is as simple as it gets! Here is a secret weapon of mine, the body tied with dubbing!
Happy fishing!
Here you will find some original patterns that work very well on our South African rivers, and I mostly target small mouth yellowfish (Labeobarbus Aeneus) and its close related cousins in the "yellowfish" group, the large mouth yellowfish (Labeobarbus Kimberleyensis)
As you will see when trying to do a bit of research on these fish, there is not much in the line of academic studies that has been done on them, however, there are some legends in the fishing community here that have dissected their lifestyle in order to understand what flies they will take...
Now on with the show:
This is probably one of the most useful flies and best taker on the Vaalriver, but at the same time it is almost impossible to give a tying sequence of this fly since there are so many variations out there, each angler with his own secret recipe to entice the fish!
What I'm trying to do with the flies I post is to make them as simple as possible, getting the novice to go "That doesn't seem hard at all!" and go buy a vice and start tying. Every single fly out there can be made very complicated with added bling, but I aim to keep it as simple as possible for the novice.
Once you mastered a fly you will find yourself changing it to your needs, so with that taken care of, lets begin?
Category: Smallmouth Yellowfish
Imitates: Allow me to quote someone:
"The Mustard Caddis is, I believe, a Horst Filter pattern. While imitations of caddis larvae are "ten a penny", what sets this one apart from the rest, and is undoubtedly one of its fish-catching secrets, is the colour." - Ian Couryer
Hook - #12-16 Scud hook
Thread - Brown 6/0
Weight - Optional brass, tungsten bead, lead wraps
Body - Mustard Chenille (small or medium)
Head/Thorax - Any dark coloured dubbing, in this case dark brown
Extra - Mono filament (0.20 mm at the thickest), Ginger Scud Back
Step 1
Prepare your hook and tie in the mono filament. Do this properly all along the length of the hook shank since the nature of the line makes it very easy to slip out, and since this holds your material in place, your whole fly will come undone. Give it a tug to see if it is tied in securely.
Most other people will use copper wire instead of the line, it's up to you. I have tied them both ways and had equal success on both, I just fancy the mono filament more. Use a line of suitable diameter to fit the hook size.
Step 2
Tie in the Scud Back and center it properly.
Step 3
Tie in the chenille. Strip the fibers from the tip of the chenille and tie down the bare, stripped piece. This will help in preventing a lump forming from overlapping chenille.
Step 4
In neat touching turns, wind the chenille tightly on the shank. We do not want a bulky, fat fly, so wind it nice and tight on the hook.
Step 5
Bring the Scud Back over and tie it down. Be careful, the Scud Back is made from elastic plastic, so make sure you tie it in properly or it will pull out. You will get it after a few practice turns! If you struggle to keep it in place then whip finish it into place once, that should hold it down.
Step 6
Wind the mono filament (copper wire) in the opposite direction to which you wound the chenille. This will tie it down nicely. Make sure to create neat little segments to imitate the segments on a caddis larvae. Tie the line down and trim excess.
Step 7
Spin a thin noodle of the dubbing for the collar and whip finish.
Step 8
All done!
Like I said in the beginning, this is as simple as it gets! Here is a secret weapon of mine, the body tied with dubbing!
Happy fishing!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
KDE4 plasmoids
If you have been using KDE4 for some time (okay a month) then you would have noticed that the plasmoids that make up the core of KDE4 are still few and far between.
KDE Look have a section devoted to them, but there are only a handful. We expect that to change as KDE4 becomes more widely used.
A search on Google reveals nothing really useful either.
Now there is an answer that I really hope will catch on and work out. Some kind soul over at the Gentoo forums have compiled a plasmoid overlay for us Gentoo folk.
To quote the master:
In principal you find a site with some good plasmoids, you add it to the overlay (how to do that is explained in the post and asking there will get you an answer real quick.) This way we stay up to date with all plasmoids we can find on the web until they become more popular.
Simple, yea if you are using Gentoo! Anyway, head on over there, get the overlay and help spread the plasmoid goodness!
KDE Look have a section devoted to them, but there are only a handful. We expect that to change as KDE4 becomes more widely used.
A search on Google reveals nothing really useful either.
Now there is an answer that I really hope will catch on and work out. Some kind soul over at the Gentoo forums have compiled a plasmoid overlay for us Gentoo folk.
To quote the master:
There have been several questions, what the best way to install extra plasmoids for KDE4 is on IRC and in the KDE4 threads and therefore I decided to create an overlay that holds a collection of plasmoids to let portage install them.
In principal you find a site with some good plasmoids, you add it to the overlay (how to do that is explained in the post and asking there will get you an answer real quick.) This way we stay up to date with all plasmoids we can find on the web until they become more popular.
Simple, yea if you are using Gentoo! Anyway, head on over there, get the overlay and help spread the plasmoid goodness!
Friday, February 15, 2008
Free Gaming Blog!
For all you gaming freaks out there, it has also been a long while comming since I last did a proper game review, let me make up for this by giving you the following:
http://freegamer.blogspot.com/
They cover the latest releases, news and updates far better than I could ever have hoped to!
Have a read, download some of the more worthy titles and enjoy!
http://freegamer.blogspot.com/
They cover the latest releases, news and updates far better than I could ever have hoped to!
Have a read, download some of the more worthy titles and enjoy!
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
KDE 4
As we all know by now, KDE 4 has been released into the wild and we got our long awaited chance to pull it apart and break it.
Yes, I waited out KDE 4.0.0 (released 11 January 2008), installed it but has just a peak and went on waiting for the next release, and lo and behold! KDE 4.0.1 was released only weeks later (5 February 2008)!
Okay, let me blurt it out right here in the beginning, I do not like it....yet!
The plasmoids just don't do it for me, I have never been a fan of superkaramba and I don't see myself becoming one very quickly, but if they only made a few changes and gave us more configuration power, then it might not be so bad after all! But I'm getting ahead of myself, let's start at the beginning!
First thought after loading it?
Everything is so BIG! Almost like it was designed in Texas!
The very first thing most of us will do is try and configure the taskbar, only to find out you cannot! Odd...
Next you will notice you desktop icons having some weard border... So this must be the plasmoids everyone is talking about!
If you click on the default kicker you will notice that the menus are very weard and "funny to the feel", but luckily you can remove that default one and add another kicker right there on the desktop that behaves like the old one we used to use in KDE3, and this brings me to the next part.
You can add more widgets/plasmoids by clicking on the icon in the upper right hand corner. At present there are still very few of them on the net, but just keep your eyes on KDE Look, they will be coming in fast and furiously. Just popping in there now I saw one or two I would like to give a try...
Over here is just a very brief tutorial on how you can use the plasmoids to work for you, and this brings me to the next big gripe I have atm, the lack of customization!
If they allowed one to customize the plasmoids a bit, like removing that ugly border then it would not have been half as bad! The configuration options are very few and very far between for about everything and I just hope and pray that they really give heed to this and do something about it in the future releases!
I still believe the reason one chooses x over y is because you can configure it to your needs, and lets face it, stuff like Yakuake, Moodin, kbfx, Dekorator and the likes have made the configuration options of KDE 3.5 endless!
I understand that KDE4 is still in infancy, and therefore I have high, very high hopes that it will become the trend setter in the Desktop wars!
On to the positive, just look at this:
Yep, composite integrated into KDE. It works flawlessly, just a bit of a lag when playing serious 3D games like Quake Wars. Other than that, NICE! Hope they keep up with the main composite development and new effects and features gets added quickly!
Now for something bizarre, and if anyone know what to make of this, drop me a comment...
You can shrink your desktop by clicking on the upper right hand corner (there is a + and -), but you do not loose any work space? What is this all about? It reminds me somewhat of Windows 3.11 way back when.
I will keep on giving it a try and hopefully it will grow on me, but I must admit, E17 is staring to look kick butt good as well!
Stay tuned!
Yes, I waited out KDE 4.0.0 (released 11 January 2008), installed it but has just a peak and went on waiting for the next release, and lo and behold! KDE 4.0.1 was released only weeks later (5 February 2008)!
Okay, let me blurt it out right here in the beginning, I do not like it....yet!
The plasmoids just don't do it for me, I have never been a fan of superkaramba and I don't see myself becoming one very quickly, but if they only made a few changes and gave us more configuration power, then it might not be so bad after all! But I'm getting ahead of myself, let's start at the beginning!
First thought after loading it?
Everything is so BIG! Almost like it was designed in Texas!
The very first thing most of us will do is try and configure the taskbar, only to find out you cannot! Odd...
Next you will notice you desktop icons having some weard border... So this must be the plasmoids everyone is talking about!
If you click on the default kicker you will notice that the menus are very weard and "funny to the feel", but luckily you can remove that default one and add another kicker right there on the desktop that behaves like the old one we used to use in KDE3, and this brings me to the next part.
You can add more widgets/plasmoids by clicking on the icon in the upper right hand corner. At present there are still very few of them on the net, but just keep your eyes on KDE Look, they will be coming in fast and furiously. Just popping in there now I saw one or two I would like to give a try...
Over here is just a very brief tutorial on how you can use the plasmoids to work for you, and this brings me to the next big gripe I have atm, the lack of customization!
If they allowed one to customize the plasmoids a bit, like removing that ugly border then it would not have been half as bad! The configuration options are very few and very far between for about everything and I just hope and pray that they really give heed to this and do something about it in the future releases!
I still believe the reason one chooses x over y is because you can configure it to your needs, and lets face it, stuff like Yakuake, Moodin, kbfx, Dekorator and the likes have made the configuration options of KDE 3.5 endless!
I understand that KDE4 is still in infancy, and therefore I have high, very high hopes that it will become the trend setter in the Desktop wars!
On to the positive, just look at this:
Yep, composite integrated into KDE. It works flawlessly, just a bit of a lag when playing serious 3D games like Quake Wars. Other than that, NICE! Hope they keep up with the main composite development and new effects and features gets added quickly!
Now for something bizarre, and if anyone know what to make of this, drop me a comment...
You can shrink your desktop by clicking on the upper right hand corner (there is a + and -), but you do not loose any work space? What is this all about? It reminds me somewhat of Windows 3.11 way back when.
I will keep on giving it a try and hopefully it will grow on me, but I must admit, E17 is staring to look kick butt good as well!
Stay tuned!
Meet the GIMP!
It has been a long time since I last posted anything, but to be honest, it has been a long time since I had real time to do so. Now after the holiday rush and "back-to-school" rush I can again shift behind the keyboard and explore a bit...
Lets kick this year off with a podcast I recently started frequenting... Meet the GIMP.
If you wondered how you would go about using the GIMP, then this is it!
It takes you through the easy steps of why you would need to use and manipulate images, to setting it up and getting down and dirty with editing (and in my case, destroying) images.
A must have link in your browser!
Lets kick this year off with a podcast I recently started frequenting... Meet the GIMP.
If you wondered how you would go about using the GIMP, then this is it!
It takes you through the easy steps of why you would need to use and manipulate images, to setting it up and getting down and dirty with editing (and in my case, destroying) images.
A must have link in your browser!
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Rubiks Cube, the answer!
If you are anything close to a geek you will have some time or other have pondered on the greatest question known to the geekdom.
How on earth do one solve the Rubik's Cube?
Here is an easy to follow tutorial and now you can bask in the knowledge that you are one up on all your other non-informed geeks!
Easiest 3x3 Rubik's Cube Tutorial You Will Find - The best bloopers are here
How on earth do one solve the Rubik's Cube?
Here is an easy to follow tutorial and now you can bask in the knowledge that you are one up on all your other non-informed geeks!
Easiest 3x3 Rubik's Cube Tutorial You Will Find - The best bloopers are here
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Clean up Windows
I'm no longer a Windows user, but my wife's PC is still the only PC ion the house running a legit copy of WinXP Home, so while browsing a bit I came across this site:
http://lifehacker.com/software/lifehacker-top-10/top-10-ways-to-clean-up-your-pc-294189.php
Basically, ten way to clean up your Windows PC. I just scanned through the article and I'm gonna try some of it on the wife's PC just now, but interesting none the less. Have a look, maybe you could help out a Windows buddy and look ubber geeky while smugly commenting that this would never be needed in Linux....
:P
http://lifehacker.com/software/lifehacker-top-10/top-10-ways-to-clean-up-your-pc-294189.php
Basically, ten way to clean up your Windows PC. I just scanned through the article and I'm gonna try some of it on the wife's PC just now, but interesting none the less. Have a look, maybe you could help out a Windows buddy and look ubber geeky while smugly commenting that this would never be needed in Linux....
:P
Saturday, August 11, 2007
GL-117
This is one addictive game I'll tell you! I first played it a few years back and installed and started playing it on Thursday and I just love it!
What makes this a winner is that you can make the game as realistic or easy a possible. If you really want to have a bit more realism in targeting, then select the simulation option, if you just want to kill, choose arcade! But I'm getting ahead of myself here.
First things first. Once installed you find that the menu and intro is very basic. A huge "Protest against software patents" message is displayed and then you get to the main menu where on one "page" you get to select the pilot and all the other in game settings. This does not impress much since the menus are very basic and reminds one of a HTML knock up.
Training is extensive and you are greased in all the aspects of piloting skills, ranging from dogfighting to air-to-ground attacks.
Once you have finished training you can head out for some missions, each one more difficult and requiring more skill than the previous. You must first fly a couple of tests to see if you have what it takes or if you need to go back and get some training wheels, and then you fight!
You have three aircraft to choose from with different ammunition. Read the mission briefing to know what to choose. As the game progresses the planes get upgraded to some kick but weapons of mass destruction (better damage points, more maneuverable, better cannons, etc.)
The graphics are nothing to get excited about, very basic, but not bad. I enjoy the game play without some fancy graphical details getting in the way. It reminds one of an arcade game really...
Game play is not bad at all and the bots are smart enough to know when to attack and how to get around to killing you. If you rely solely on your missiles you will fail miserably, so try and become a master gunner from the word go, saving the missiles only for when really needed and you will be a force to be reckoned with!
You have your basic chaff, flares, missiles, throttle and radar. What more could you need to kill some bogeys?
I could not really find a difference between arcade and simulation mode, except that the targets seemed harder to hit. Overall a fun game to play and kill some time with! I finished it on arcade mode in less than two days in on and off playing, so give it a go, you will be back to see if you can get a higher rank!
Scenery is not bad, nice weather effects but still basic compared to other titles.
Some air-to-ground base attack. Again, nothing flashy on the graphics.
Website:
http://www.heptargon.de/gl-117/gl-117.html
Happy hunting!
What makes this a winner is that you can make the game as realistic or easy a possible. If you really want to have a bit more realism in targeting, then select the simulation option, if you just want to kill, choose arcade! But I'm getting ahead of myself here.
First things first. Once installed you find that the menu and intro is very basic. A huge "Protest against software patents" message is displayed and then you get to the main menu where on one "page" you get to select the pilot and all the other in game settings. This does not impress much since the menus are very basic and reminds one of a HTML knock up.
Training is extensive and you are greased in all the aspects of piloting skills, ranging from dogfighting to air-to-ground attacks.
Once you have finished training you can head out for some missions, each one more difficult and requiring more skill than the previous. You must first fly a couple of tests to see if you have what it takes or if you need to go back and get some training wheels, and then you fight!
You have three aircraft to choose from with different ammunition. Read the mission briefing to know what to choose. As the game progresses the planes get upgraded to some kick but weapons of mass destruction (better damage points, more maneuverable, better cannons, etc.)
The graphics are nothing to get excited about, very basic, but not bad. I enjoy the game play without some fancy graphical details getting in the way. It reminds one of an arcade game really...
Game play is not bad at all and the bots are smart enough to know when to attack and how to get around to killing you. If you rely solely on your missiles you will fail miserably, so try and become a master gunner from the word go, saving the missiles only for when really needed and you will be a force to be reckoned with!
You have your basic chaff, flares, missiles, throttle and radar. What more could you need to kill some bogeys?
I could not really find a difference between arcade and simulation mode, except that the targets seemed harder to hit. Overall a fun game to play and kill some time with! I finished it on arcade mode in less than two days in on and off playing, so give it a go, you will be back to see if you can get a higher rank!
Scenery is not bad, nice weather effects but still basic compared to other titles.
Some air-to-ground base attack. Again, nothing flashy on the graphics.Website:
http://www.heptargon.de/gl-117/gl-117.html
Happy hunting!
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Warzone 2100
So the time has come to give you a review of a strategy game, so brace yourself, get the strategy guides and let blow this joint!
Upon starting the game it looks a bit on the lean side and with only a 20Mb download it doesn't sound too promising.
You setup your display, sound and whatnot and then click the single player campaign. It starts of and the tempo is very slow, so slow that I would think most players would discard the game right there and then, but keep at it, unlock new tech, fight more enemies, it will slowly pick up pace and sooner or later you will be hard pressed to keep everything under control!
This game reminded me allot of the earlier Red Alert games, the GFX is not mind blowing, but it is not that bad either. As strategy games go your only objective is to build a stronger and better army by unlocking different tech upgrades through artifacts that you discover or take over from the enemy. There is very little resource gathering to be done, in fact you only need to build a power plant and oil dereks and that is that. As far as I could figure out after 2 weeks of playing it there is no way to really boost your energy so that it doesn't run out in later missions, a constant nuisance when faced with annihilation and no more tanks can be produced since there is no more or very little power. Secret? Don't just throw your army at the enemy, fight smartly and sparingly and constantly upgrade your forces and repair them for that day of reckoning!
You start out with only your worker trucks and a basic machine gun tank, however as you progress you can unlock the most awesome hovercraft tanks and even cyborgs!
So in short, build your base, research a lot of tech, build your army, strengthen your base and kill the enemy, that about sums it up...
The longer you play the more fun it becomes since you very quickly realize that the enemy is always a tech step ahead of you, showing you what you could expect on the next artifact upgrade, what exactly is the ultimate weapon of this game? Ask me in a few months time since it gets almost impossible in the latter stages to complete the missions!
Quite a punch for a 20Mb download!
Great fun!
Build up that base!
And finally you will have your research center, command center, factory and power plant, now lets fight!
See that plume of smoke above one of the tanks? Evidence of a skirmish! Truck also on it's way to build an oil derek.
ATTACK!
Whoa! Transport missions, cool! Just keep and eye on that mission timer, the transport can only carry 10 units at a time and it takes some time for the reinforcements to arrive!
Badda BOOM! Another one bites the dust! Yup, you saw it, your tanks can gather experience and rank making them, well, leet?
Do not neglect those base defenses! Some surprise party might land nearby and give you a whoopin!
Homepage:
http://wz2100.net/
Upon starting the game it looks a bit on the lean side and with only a 20Mb download it doesn't sound too promising.
You setup your display, sound and whatnot and then click the single player campaign. It starts of and the tempo is very slow, so slow that I would think most players would discard the game right there and then, but keep at it, unlock new tech, fight more enemies, it will slowly pick up pace and sooner or later you will be hard pressed to keep everything under control!
This game reminded me allot of the earlier Red Alert games, the GFX is not mind blowing, but it is not that bad either. As strategy games go your only objective is to build a stronger and better army by unlocking different tech upgrades through artifacts that you discover or take over from the enemy. There is very little resource gathering to be done, in fact you only need to build a power plant and oil dereks and that is that. As far as I could figure out after 2 weeks of playing it there is no way to really boost your energy so that it doesn't run out in later missions, a constant nuisance when faced with annihilation and no more tanks can be produced since there is no more or very little power. Secret? Don't just throw your army at the enemy, fight smartly and sparingly and constantly upgrade your forces and repair them for that day of reckoning!
You start out with only your worker trucks and a basic machine gun tank, however as you progress you can unlock the most awesome hovercraft tanks and even cyborgs!
So in short, build your base, research a lot of tech, build your army, strengthen your base and kill the enemy, that about sums it up...
The longer you play the more fun it becomes since you very quickly realize that the enemy is always a tech step ahead of you, showing you what you could expect on the next artifact upgrade, what exactly is the ultimate weapon of this game? Ask me in a few months time since it gets almost impossible in the latter stages to complete the missions!
Quite a punch for a 20Mb download!
Great fun!
Build up that base!
And finally you will have your research center, command center, factory and power plant, now lets fight!
See that plume of smoke above one of the tanks? Evidence of a skirmish! Truck also on it's way to build an oil derek.
ATTACK!
Whoa! Transport missions, cool! Just keep and eye on that mission timer, the transport can only carry 10 units at a time and it takes some time for the reinforcements to arrive!
Badda BOOM! Another one bites the dust! Yup, you saw it, your tanks can gather experience and rank making them, well, leet?
Do not neglect those base defenses! Some surprise party might land nearby and give you a whoopin!Homepage:
http://wz2100.net/
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Google Earth & Darfur Crisis
I just got this little snippet from a forum I visit and it is quite the example of what Google Earth can be used for!
If you have Google Earth, search for Darfur and zoom in on it. See al those flames? Those are villages destroyed and burned down. Click on of the flames and download additional information.
You will be greeted with testimonials, photos and more info on the conflict that ravished the country. Pretty grim, but what a way to bring news to our doorstep!
I applaud Google for this and I sincerely hope that this kind of "news telling" will really catch on and awaken the general public to what is really going on in the world outside their office or home!
If you have Google Earth, search for Darfur and zoom in on it. See al those flames? Those are villages destroyed and burned down. Click on of the flames and download additional information.
You will be greeted with testimonials, photos and more info on the conflict that ravished the country. Pretty grim, but what a way to bring news to our doorstep!
I applaud Google for this and I sincerely hope that this kind of "news telling" will really catch on and awaken the general public to what is really going on in the world outside their office or home!
Monday, July 16, 2007
World of Padman
The next game I'm playing is WOP (World Of Padman) and it is a shining example of what Open Source games can be!
This is one of those FPS games you find yourself asking: "Why in the world did they not make this commercial??"
The game oozes style and being a Quake 3 mod the GFX side of things are very well covered. It's even got an intro video! All the bells and whistles!
There are plenty of game types to keep you occupied and happy, from the free-for-all to all sorts of team based assignments.
The game play is again fast (not as fast as Nexuiz though) but the maps are HUGE so it is easy to run around not getting a kill cause you are in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The weapons are, I think, what makes this game fun!
From a psycho duck melee weapon to the sweetest sniper water blaster! There are only 2 weapons that I can quickly think of that uses conventional ammo, the rest are either water balloons, paint ball guns or some giant water pistol.
Have a look here for some screenshots of the weapons.
Have a browse through the site and take a look at some other screenshots on offer there, I took a couple but the homepage has far better looking screenshots!
I would rate this game very highly and I would venture to say that it will be a hit with all FPS players at any lan party, or to just get a quick frag against a couple of bots...
The game is available for Windows, Linux and Mac, so what are you waiting for??? Get it, try it and fall in love with it!
Stunning environment! If all Open Source games looked like this...
Ooooh, get that armour, you gonna need it!
One of the weapons, the paint ball gun, the equivalent of the machine gun!
What?! Me loosing?! NOOoooo
Close one... dodge those bullets sonny!
Stock up on the ammo, it runs out quite fast when you are at war!
BADDA BOOM!! Betty making herself heard!
Yup, you get special weapons, like these killer ducks send out to hunt me down...
Zey hallo to mine zpecial zniper scope!
Some links:
Website:
http://padworld.myexp.de
Download page:
http://padworld.myexp.de/index.php?files
Online Forum:
http://forum.worldofpadman.com/
I leave you with one last comment:
http://padworld.myexp.de/index.php?files=movies
The manual and intro video, enjoy!
This is one of those FPS games you find yourself asking: "Why in the world did they not make this commercial??"
The game oozes style and being a Quake 3 mod the GFX side of things are very well covered. It's even got an intro video! All the bells and whistles!
There are plenty of game types to keep you occupied and happy, from the free-for-all to all sorts of team based assignments.
The game play is again fast (not as fast as Nexuiz though) but the maps are HUGE so it is easy to run around not getting a kill cause you are in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The weapons are, I think, what makes this game fun!
From a psycho duck melee weapon to the sweetest sniper water blaster! There are only 2 weapons that I can quickly think of that uses conventional ammo, the rest are either water balloons, paint ball guns or some giant water pistol.
Have a look here for some screenshots of the weapons.
Have a browse through the site and take a look at some other screenshots on offer there, I took a couple but the homepage has far better looking screenshots!
I would rate this game very highly and I would venture to say that it will be a hit with all FPS players at any lan party, or to just get a quick frag against a couple of bots...
The game is available for Windows, Linux and Mac, so what are you waiting for??? Get it, try it and fall in love with it!
Stunning environment! If all Open Source games looked like this...
Ooooh, get that armour, you gonna need it!
One of the weapons, the paint ball gun, the equivalent of the machine gun!
What?! Me loosing?! NOOoooo
Close one... dodge those bullets sonny!
Stock up on the ammo, it runs out quite fast when you are at war!
BADDA BOOM!! Betty making herself heard!
Yup, you get special weapons, like these killer ducks send out to hunt me down...
Zey hallo to mine zpecial zniper scope!Some links:
Website:
http://padworld.myexp.de
Download page:
http://padworld.myexp.de/index.php?files
Online Forum:
http://forum.worldofpadman.com/
I leave you with one last comment:
http://padworld.myexp.de/index.php?files=movies
The manual and intro video, enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)