Giniu

Hi... I tried a lot of distros/projects... first there was Debian - but it has strongly modified kernel and I just doesn't liked it, to large, too many things in one place... then time came for Gentoo - great performance, but also great build time and when you are using premade packages, you spare time, but then it is just usual distro without it's most strong point... then time came for Slackware - It gives performance similar to Gentoo, but without any effort in compilacion, it has clean package system, nice upgrade system and was running on vanilla kernel... I'm running it right now, and it's ideal, but I'm searching now for something realy, realy made for my needs... so I decided... time to make my own Linux , well not exactly, but... I want to build system based on Beyond Hardened Linux From Scratch and SE Linux (Security-Enhanced Linux from NSA), and I want to use XFS... I am gathering knowledge... has anyone there was building something like this and can post there some knowledge about it? Also I want to know what compatibility diferences there are betwen Glibc and uClibc? PS.: I know that XFS need to be created with -isize=512, but this is only one thing that I know about that combination...

I just realized about what we are talking there, while title would suggest CygWin - real Linux for Windows, we are talking about Live CD, but why to run Live CD in emulation or VM, while this is why Live CD's were made for - to run system directly from CD... not from other system... so - Live CD's are very good thing when you want to test some Linux, but when you run it without Windows running

Roleplaying games can take action in any time, but some are more popular than others - what you prefer... please add examples... If you would want to see something that isn't created yet, write few words about it...edit-----------------PS.: If it is fantasy world, it must have some similarieties to some of our time, so add it there...

I enjoyed FF7 and this is probably my favorite... but I played all from I to IX, without Tactics, and every part has something...

Best thing you can do is look at the screen shots - if you like them, you would love this game... if not, you would hate it... that's what I observet till now... when you are hard enough to play it for a while, and see those little things like ability to cange colors of clothes and hair style... like those little spells that can.... pyff, you cannot stop

I was never interested in simulations, but there for sure are some of them for linux... just look there: [The Linux Game Tome] - this Linux game database have (as today) 1559 games in different genres, with description, screenshot, link to homepage and disusion, if you are looking for linux games, there is everything you may ever need

Yup - Blender is program with nice features... There are many tutorials, It's best to start at [Official Blender Tutorials] and yup amkint: - both at [blender.org] there is project page, where you can read news and annoucments, and at [blender3D.org] there is page, where you can find in using blender and download, there is also a GREAT gallery... [Official Blender Gallery] - just try it

Hi... I see you liked it and I'm happy with it... but you said, you won't be able to get a team of 50 people and even with them finish in short time, so I would write there some facts that may make you change your mind... When you have engine and design it's noted you can be done with large RPG with 20 people within 26 months (taken from Deus Ex - it got Game of the Year, i don't remember year... - you may think it's bad example, since it's old, but remember development techniques also went up...) Also wirting GOOD design document should take something about 6 months for team of 6 people incuding 2 writers (one technic and second scenario writer) and 4 artists (mainly for concept arts...) But right - when you have engine... in Neverwinter Night creation of engine took few years! But there is solution that is on top of technology - Open Source engine components, from witch you can build your engine like from LEGO with one programer within 6 months. you need have the design done, before you would start making engine, so you have one year of preparing and two years of production (QA, beta and testing included!), it gives you 3 yers with 25 people, so, this is only 75 years of one-man work and if you would find 75 peoples (this is number of NWN developers) you would be able to finish in ONE YEAR... first question: how to find those engines? answer: just look around in the net for "free game engine" - or visit site http://devmaster.net/devdb/engines that provides an engine listing, also look athttp://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/ - they also got their listings and also tutorials... take a close look at those engines: OGRE3D (Object-oriented Graphics Rendering Engine) http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/ ODE (Open Dynamics Engine) http://ode.org/ FEAR (Flexible Embodied Animat aRchitecture) http://fear.sourceforge.net/ OpenAL (Open Audio Library) http://www.openal.org/ CAL3D (Character Animation Library) http://gna.org/projects/cal3d/ HawkNL (Hawk Network Library) http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/ When you combine them you can get engine on top of todays technology (like normal maps and pixel shader) and engine that works on (Win/Lin/Mac) so this is unusual even for large comercial engines! second question: from where I can get people to join my team? answer: just look around in the net for "game development forum" - or visit site [forums at http://www.gamedev.net/page/index.html] and ask for help - many Open Source/Free/Commercial projects do that and they are able to find help, so just try! Someday I would probably write another part of this How-To... There would be hints for development process... Regards Giniu

I'm happy user of gFTP (Lin)

Interesting information, but I think that .en is domain name extension just like any other, and as long as I live in EU, I cannot say anything else than... (If someone is "pro" should stop reading) http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/ if equal to http://www.anything.i.support.software.pattents.com/ and you can have domain name like that for a long time... (sorry to those that don't agree with me, but I said you should stop reading... and I'm also sorry to them...). PS.: I shoudnt post my personal travels, you can delete this post and even half-cut or zero my points, put me some - reputation, or throw out from this forum, but I will always be saying laud what I beviele!

I'm using A4 Tech RFSOP-48 Wireless Optical Mouse... it's comfortable, looks nice and bateries works 10 days and with box you get two sets of 1400 bateries... and RF reciever has builded USB bateries loader, so you have only one thing on desktop...

Hi... many people likes playing Magic The Gathering or Middle-earth: The Wizards (sometimes called short MTG and METW) but sometimes we don't have anyone that wants to play with us... that's moment where internet cames for help... I was wondering what games applications are you using to play CCG? I'm user of gccg (Generic Collectible Card Game) in which you can download cards and templates for MTG and METW (there is also Pokemon and LotR currently off support and poker in beta stage...). If you want to take a look, there is their site: gccg.sourceforge.net... And what clients are you using? (if it would be something for Linux I would be happy to try other than gccg...)

of course Zangband

almost all distributions have their LiveCD - also my favorite Slackware - it's Live dist is called Slax... some poeple don't like Slackware, but I love it for it's clean look and easy - logic - based on BSD-like scripts configuration... So I would add SlaX...and remember there is also one great improvment for old Linux users... you can go out with your distro wherever you want... to school, to work, to friends... with dog... wherever you want

thanks for info, I'll take a look... but most important for me is linux version (but not only), since many people don't like tarball way of package distribution (personaly I think this is greatest distribution method - when you have to compile yourself, you get better understanding of software you are gonna to use, but unfortuneatly I'm not doing anything only for me - or people like me...)

Creating a Game – milestone 0 – Design Phase or: “Writing a Design Document”. Preface or: “Why should I write Design Document?” Almost everyone that play games, usually also wants to make one, they say “I'll make a game – better than anything else! But... what now?” and usually there it ends... To create game alone, you must have large knowledge about programing and graphics, so doing something “better than anything else” would be very hard if you are mortal. So what can you do? You have few options: first – resign – I don't recommend it – it's your dream! second – keep going alone – You have to cut your dreams – also I don't recommend it... third – make a team, where every person knows something that would be needed – It is in my opinion best thing you can do... Times when one person was able to create whole game has gone, and you must agree with that, games are now created by teams of about 50 people... So you know what you have to obtain – gather a team... but imagine, that you are one of persons that would be in that team and someone came to you and said: “I want to make a game. Would you work with me?”. Your first question would be: “What game?”... If that person starts to mumble, you know that this wont work and simply saying: “another time”. So – to gather team you must have strict knowledge about what you want to do... OK... let's say you know what you want to be done by that person, went to another person, said the same thing, and one more time, and one more time... ohhhh my, it's so boring, you remember your words letter after letter, word after word, line after line – you was saying it hundred times. But lets say you now have team and you started work. No one knows that you want this horse you was talking about young and brown... they know they have to make a horse – modeler made horse – an old one and comics style – and man responsible for textures made real-looking silver horse... well that isn't what you wanted, right? But let's say that you made a game – besides it looks funny and strange, because many artistic souls were doing what they consider right (read.: what they want, not what you want), and you decided to publish it... You came to publisher and said: “I want to sell you that game”, giving them ready CD... oh no... they don't have time to play whole game... - first question? - “What game?”... so you know what you have to do – write some kind of documentation, and that is what I would discuss there, first part of “Creating a Game” tutorial, would be about... Writing Design Document or: “Let the game begin!” Design Document is a documentation of your game, you would give it to publisher, that he would decide if game will see daylight (would be published other way than downloading from your own site... probably on CD), this would also be bible for whole development team, first of all it has to tell someone all small and large things about your game, like planed genre, platform, features and why this game is other than others. Lets begin: One of most important is part 1: Part 1 – Concept papers This part would help readers have some idea about game without reading whole scenario. It should contain: Introduction In introduction you have to write description of game, keep it as short as possible, just few lines would be enough. Example: Game “Strange reality” is an role playing game designed to work on PC (Linux/Windows) and Macintosh (MAC OS X), it would take player to world of scary streets in near future, action is placed in the moon colony, what makes it even more interesting. Genre Make description of genre in way that would describe it to person that haven't earlier contact with that type of games, if it improves existing genres, write what makes it different. Make this section what it needs to be, but not more than 1/3 of site. Example: “Strange reality” is action role playing game (action RPG), we joined classic action role playing game with first person shooter, this unique connection gives you large amount of freedom and makes both – RPG and FPS – fans happy. We decided to... (and so on) Target platform Write on what platforms you want to get this title, and maybe there would be some additional platforms when you will finish? Don't write more than few lines. Example: “Strange reality” would be released on PC with operating systems Linux and Windows, also on Macintosh with operating system MAC OS X, in future we plan also X-BOX and Play Station 2 version. Legal background If you are using a hero or something that is registered trademark or just is owned by someone else, you must get permission from its author and make sure that all person that would read your document would know you got a permission. Also write how your game would be distributed (or how you want to be distributed) and all other legal things... use as much space as you need (from few lines to one site). Example: Whole project is based upon our own ideas, engine would be created using Open Source tools and would stay Open Source, although there would be also commercial campaigns. Author of some piece of game (for example some models) is only one owner of it, and can do with it whatever he wants (implies only for commercial campaigns). Game description This is place for description what player would do in game, what would meet him, try talk (write) straight to player – as if you were playing game and describing it to him by phone. But he can't see it, avoid using things like “click” or “press button” but use rather “pick up” or “jump”. This is longest part, so I would leave it without example, that should be few sites long, i believe that you know what are you doing, so this wont be hard for you. Key features This is one of most important thing in first part – write in points: what makes your game better than others... divide them to one about game play, graphics, music and sound, networking, maybe also artificial intelligence? Try add very short description, don't write just: “great music” but write why you consider that music in your game would be great: “music composed by professional composer recorded with orchestra gives unmeasured pleasure of listening, sometimes you can almost forgot to play!”. This list should be “just as it should be” - too long means you aim to the moon, to short means this isn't worth spending time and money. And now short about other parts: Part 2 – Scenario This is usually needed if you want to create game that contains some play, if you are creating puzzle game, you don't need scenario, but good, non-linear RPG scenario can take even few hundreds of pages in A4 or Letter paper! Just consider that it have to be readable and have all world and location descriptions, you probably would want to use colors – write dialogs in blue, in red things like “there are two apples you can pick up” - this will help scripting in world editor, when you would be making campaign, for description use black, and for conditions in dialogs and game play use pink... this will allow people to read only that what they want... while making locations, one person would read black text and don't care about other – this is large save of time. Also include description of character – write down their character (what they think, how they behave) and characteristic (how they looks like and how they act), later include concept arts for them (sketches – would be best if you would use pencil...). Try also write some separate world description that would be used as main guideline for artists. Part 3 – System Again, if you are creating something more complex than puzzle game, you should include system mechanics, write down whole rules that are obligatory in game – this is what makes RPG game unique – very good system... example can be AD&D. Just write everything you can come in mind. Part 4 – Game Play elements This is play to describe what player can do and how... use terminology like buttons, another window pops-up, but also shot, run, jump... you can write controls once and then use key bindings to describe action – this makes updates easier... at the beginning write – “you can run while pressing shift, but you very fast you are getting tired”, then you can use just “if you run into someone, he would fall and he would consider you mannerless”. Also describe user interface, and everything that player would see. Part 5 – Financial If you are making game and have some money to spend on it, write down at what you want spend your money, it will help you organize your project, and this is place for this, since if you request money from publisher, he likes to know if you already spend some, how you did that and what you bought. And remember – don't cheat – it would come out shortly – publishers are analyzing this part very carefully! Part 6 – Concept arts Well that are sketches that would help artists imagine what they are supposed to do, include as many as you can with locations, characters, enemies, situations from cut-scenes and movies. Better if you would sit with drawing artist and tell him what you see and discuss with him your vision while he will sketch in his notebook... ------------------- That VERY SHORT description of writing design document is just scratch of earth, but if you want to earthquake, you should check those sites: http://www.gamasutra.com/http://www.gamasutra.com/ http://www.gamedev.net/page/index.htmlhttp://www.gamedev.net/page/index.html Thst'a all for milestone 0, if someone is interested I would write also about other milestones of creating a game... Hope this will help someone... Giniu.

I prefer Gothic 2... especially now, when we have addon - Night of the Raven... (don't know exact English title because I own olny Polish version, but this would be something like this...) the world is even bigger and we can join Pirates and Water Mages, while in basic Gothic 2, there was only one Water Mage if I remember - Coristo if I'm not wrong... but I won't recomend playing G2 without finishing G1... it's strange to great "old friends that you never met"... especialy you can get new G1 for less than 7$ - it's worth - realy... :)PS.: also can't wait for G3 - and as I know (read this somewhere, but don't remember where) when they will finish "nameless one" story (after G3) they would start MMORPG with Phonix engine (Gothic runs on it) and whole world of Gothic

This is nice game... as I remember something in style of Heores of Might and Magic, but the heroes are taking part in combat (who played knows that it is large part, sometimes half of screen ) , right? I agree with recomendation...

yup, that one is nice Rkage, simplle and fast... I have only one question... how far can we count with it? Szupie got 30 places without 3, this is something...If I would be writing usual program, this would be enough, I would even use some standard Pi, but what I'm writing is something different... I'm trying to collect as many methods as I can, compare them and chose two: one - fastest (to get some given result, for example 40 places), and second most accurate (when time and memory almost doesn't matter)... then take few best methods and make something like: "when we are calculating x places, we can use this method and get fastest result, but x+1 place and we cannot use this method, there comes..."thanks for posting there, you are realy helping me

Hi...Rogue - right... sorry for that... my english is just "one year old" and I'm trying to my best... anyway... I was going to try MUD's some time ago, but with text-based games - when you try something bad, you can never come back - so what MUD you can recomend for the beginning (best if it would work on Linux or at least DosBox...)?I think that text based games are still good since when other games are getting grpahics and sound better and better they also forgots about fun that should come from gameplay... and this is the most important and best part of text-based games

well - that was strange that it wont install I downloaded my copy from their home site [Conquer Online]and everything was working... I just downloaded Client from site 3 or 5 from USA (If I remeber good... and realy - use FlashGet, DAP or other Download Accelerator that has ability to resume...), then un-Rar'ed it, burned into CD-RW, installed and runed for the first time... first time after install was preaty long, because you have to dowlnoad all patches... I downloaded it some time ago so maybe you are unlucky and this version is corrupted but it worked some time ago, and probably if it don't work, it wouyld be in very short time

I'm playing Kult... this old RPG from Metropolis... you know: "Kult - Death is Only the Beginning" - it is strong, you can clasify it as Horror rpg... when you play with some nice soundtrack, like recomended by Metropolis sound-track from Twin Peaks, results are awersome I'm always playing as "City Samuraj" - lone soul for hire, cool and easy... I'm little scared now - some people says that playing pen and paper rpg's rise our alter ego so high, we lost control over reality but surely I can tell you that I'm not walking over the streets killing people... now...

Don't tell me I'm last man playing NetHack and others... now it has "also" a graphical frontend, but I personally prefers to run it fron console... there are also many others, I think that I'll start something... I'll cast on rogue-like rpg's, so...: At the beginning there was Rogue... it was 1984... randomly generated dungeons was great thing at that time, so Rogue get a lot of fans... all text-based RPG's have their root is Rogue - from Rogue they have their name - Roguelike... Till now we have a lot of its clones and variants, and there are still showing up new ones and existing ones are under heavily development... To most known belongs: NetHack - supports also nice graphical GUI and internet play... ADOM (Ancient Domains of Mystery) - great Roguelike placed in mysterious world called Darkalor, you can chose good or bad way, very playable... Angband - also great Roguelike, based on Tolkien's Middle Earth, for example you have to beat Sauron... this game have plenty of variants, such as best of them: Zangband - based upon stories of Zelazny - with strongly improved system and many new races including races like skeleton/zombie/vampire... - realy - this one is my favorite... Edit -> Rogue, that's how it's spelled Just to avoid misunderstandings in the replies here

Conquer Online is free large (large world and also large size - 1 full CD to download from official site) MMORPG... It has nice graphics that is colorfull and philosphy taken from far east... I was wondering if someone played it ever? Or steped by (stumbed) and resigned? You consider it good or bad? Personaly I think this title may find it's fans, so I'm pointing it out...

taking ready-made large number isn't fun and it doesn't gives such satisfaction than calculating as far as you can by yourself, don't you think? maybe I'm little strange, but this is who I'm - begining mathematician Thanks for help, and pointing out this book, I'll take a look when I would have a chance...