Gary Gygax, the father of Dungeons & Dragons, died March 4th at the age of 69.
I haven't thought of it in a while. But back in the day, like many my age, I played "D&D". I spent hours with friends playing as a band of heroes saving villagers from certain doom, and delving into dark caverns in search of adventure. Pen, paper, dice, junk food, and hours of fun with several friends. And that was what it was really all about. Getting together with friends, socializing, and using your imagination.
A far cry from today, where 10 to 16 year-olds sit alone in their homes screaming obscenities through the microphone at an unknown opponent on their television because they couldn't possibly have pulled off that kill shot without "cheating".
The next time I'm out with a few like minded friends, I'll have to raise a glass in honor of Mr. Gygax.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Urban Terror 4.1 released!
The boys of Frozen Sand LLC have released Urban Terror version 4.1 on Saturday December 22nd. This one is a full release (i.e. no updates) and weighs in at 719MB.
For those of you not in the know, this is a COMPLETELY FREE first person shooter with a slight realism bent. A (soft of) close analogy would be Counter Strike without the need to buy equipment etc.
You know the drill..
Download
Install
FRAG!
For those of you not in the know, this is a COMPLETELY FREE first person shooter with a slight realism bent. A (soft of) close analogy would be Counter Strike without the need to buy equipment etc.
You know the drill..
Download
Install
FRAG!
Monday, December 10, 2007
Doom shareware 14 year anniversary
I can't believe I almost missed it.
Today is the 14th year anniversary of the initial Doom shareware release.
I can still remember staying up until midnight and then logging onto a major BBS in Texas so I could download the shareware episode. I don't think I slept for several days after I got it.
That was the first shareware program I tried, then went out and bought the full version afterward. It took me a good few weeks to track down a software store that had it, once the full version was released.
Boy did I get good at configuring modem init strings to tweak every last ounce of performance out of my modem for dial-up matches. And 4 player matches via IPX - pure gaming nirvana.
Oh the memories...
Today is the 14th year anniversary of the initial Doom shareware release.
I can still remember staying up until midnight and then logging onto a major BBS in Texas so I could download the shareware episode. I don't think I slept for several days after I got it.
That was the first shareware program I tried, then went out and bought the full version afterward. It took me a good few weeks to track down a software store that had it, once the full version was released.
Boy did I get good at configuring modem init strings to tweak every last ounce of performance out of my modem for dial-up matches. And 4 player matches via IPX - pure gaming nirvana.
Oh the memories...
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Guild Wars: Eye of the North
Guild Wars: Eye of the North (GWEN for short) went live on August 31st. If you have ever enjoyed playing any of the previous Guild Wars campaigns, you owe it to yourself to get this expansion.
'nuff said.
Now excuse me while I get back to my game. :)
'nuff said.
Now excuse me while I get back to my game. :)
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Dungeon Runners
The other week, I received an email from NCsoft inviting me to try one of their upcoming online role playing games currently in beta testing.
Dungeon Runners is an action oriented RPG. Think of Diablo 2 in a fully 3D rendered environment with a cartoonish look and feel somewhat like World of Warcarft.
When released, the game will be free to download and play. However, if you want access to all the features and all the best items, you will need to be a paid subscriber. At $5.00 (US) a month, it shouldn't break the bank, but whether it is worth another monthly bill... The jury is still out on that.
I've been playing the game off and on for a little bit now and I have to say that I do enjoy it. It's not an in depth game so is easy to pick up and just play for a bit. The people I've met are pretty friendly for the most part, and even the lead developer has been known to drop by and play or answer questions.
From what I hear, the game will be publicly released in the next few months.
Here's a screenshot to whet your whistle.
Dungeon Runners is an action oriented RPG. Think of Diablo 2 in a fully 3D rendered environment with a cartoonish look and feel somewhat like World of Warcarft.
When released, the game will be free to download and play. However, if you want access to all the features and all the best items, you will need to be a paid subscriber. At $5.00 (US) a month, it shouldn't break the bank, but whether it is worth another monthly bill... The jury is still out on that.
I've been playing the game off and on for a little bit now and I have to say that I do enjoy it. It's not an in depth game so is easy to pick up and just play for a bit. The people I've met are pretty friendly for the most part, and even the lead developer has been known to drop by and play or answer questions.
From what I hear, the game will be publicly released in the next few months.
Here's a screenshot to whet your whistle.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Chop Saki Justice!
Wow. Kung Fu Lou: Chop Saki Justice is one of the funniest (and cheesiest) spoofs of 70's kung fu movies I've seen in a while. It's work safe but 22 minutes long.
Watch, laugh, then tell someone else about it.
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 released
This just in... Hell froze over today as the Debian project finally released version 4.0 of their popular GNU/Linux distribution, code named Etch. Check out their press release here.
Some of what's new:
I just wish that they would be able to release stable versions a little more regularly.
This is where Debian derivative distributions such as Ubuntu have been attracting more attention of late. Regularly scheduled updates, more up-to-date packages, consistent user interface, etc.
Of course, having a rich project founder helping to fund, organize, and motivate doesn't hurt either. ;)
Some of what's new:
- standards compliance: FHS 2.3, LSB 3.1
- Linux kernel version 2.6.18
- GNU Compiler Collection 4.1.1
- GNU C library 2.3.6
- X.Org 7.1
- Gnome 2.14
- KDE 3.5
I just wish that they would be able to release stable versions a little more regularly.
This is where Debian derivative distributions such as Ubuntu have been attracting more attention of late. Regularly scheduled updates, more up-to-date packages, consistent user interface, etc.
Of course, having a rich project founder helping to fund, organize, and motivate doesn't hurt either. ;)
Friday, April 06, 2007
GuildWars update
Wow. Last night (Thur. April 5th) saw one of the largest GuildWars game updates I've seen in recent memory. Almost every part of the game has seen some sort of adjustment. From bug fixes, to AI adjustments, to UI changes, to story line changes, and balance changes affecting every profession.
It feels like an early Christmas.
A couple of changes I'm particularly fond of:
It feels like an early Christmas.
A couple of changes I'm particularly fond of:
- More storage space in the vault.
- New pet controls in the party window.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Urban Terror 4.0 is out!
DOH! How could I not mention this? Urban Terror 4.0 was released April 1st. And with this release, they also have a stand alone version so Quake3 is no longer a requirement.
One note for those eye-candy elitists... This mod is the hard work of fellow Quake enthusiasts. While talented to be sure, the visuals will not have the same bling as the current crop of commercial FPS games out there. Due to the somewhat dated game engine and lack of corporate/financial backing.
But don't let that dissuade you. Try it and you will most likely enjoy it. Not to mention it will run "smooth as budda" on any PC (with 3d video hardware) that has come out in the last 6 years.
Download, install, play. 'nuff said.
One note for those eye-candy elitists... This mod is the hard work of fellow Quake enthusiasts. While talented to be sure, the visuals will not have the same bling as the current crop of commercial FPS games out there. Due to the somewhat dated game engine and lack of corporate/financial backing.
But don't let that dissuade you. Try it and you will most likely enjoy it. Not to mention it will run "smooth as budda" on any PC (with 3d video hardware) that has come out in the last 6 years.
Download, install, play. 'nuff said.
