Messages

1

Offtopic / Re: Need to know about UFO’s!!

« on: November 27, 2008, 04:16:57 pm »

This one may be a case of sock-puppeting.  I apologize if I'm wrong; I'm just saying it might be worth it for the mods to check the two accounts involved.

This is sock-puppeting:
1) One account posts a question.
2) Another account held by same spam-bot/person posts a link to "answer" the question.

2

Feature Requests / Re: Radar and Satellites

« on: July 29, 2008, 07:42:31 pm »

This has given me an idea for a related suggestion of my own.

If we're going to get the ability to launch specially-designed satellites of our own, we should have the option of geosynchronous or something that moves in a set path once around the globe each day.

Personally, I'd love that second option for a radar satellite.

3

Feature Requests / Re: Request: Headshot mode for sniper rifles

« on: July 07, 2008, 04:07:01 pm »

I also think it's strange that it's called a virus (by name) and then later contradicted.  The writer of the segments on XVI should never have referred to it as a virus, because they made it quite clear that it isn't.  All it does is create confusion that doesn't need to be there.

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Feature Requests / Re: Request: Headshot mode for sniper rifles

« on: July 06, 2008, 09:33:41 pm »

Daft. Daft. Daft.

Viruses are small, simple structures who have very limited purpose. Brain cells are huge compared to them and they exchange data directly.
Transmitting any data to other viruses would require quite e energy expenditure, especially at ranges mentioned. Not to mention that virusus wouldn't even have a fraction of the processing power a brain cell has, given their small size and specialized nature.

First off, don't call me daft.  That's rude.

From the bits I've read, XVI isn't a virus.  It's referred to as a small organism that behaves like a virus, but is somewhat more like a bacteria.  Course that's a little off the top of my head, but I remember that it isn't a virus.

Also, we don't know how much energy telepathy takes.  Period.  It's not been seen and studied in real life, so we just don't know.  It could take very little, but is a complex trait to develop.

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Feature Requests / Re: Request: Headshot mode for sniper rifles

« on: July 06, 2008, 05:29:04 am »

XVI isn't so silly to me.  It seems to me that it forms a complete brain, so to speak, by using telepathy as synapses between the individual cells.
(Sorry to get a little off-topic)

Anyway, I see merit in both sides of this debate.  However, people seem to be arguing about the sniper rifle like it's an anti-material rifle.  It certainly isn't.  If it was, it would be larger and take more time to fire.

Anti-material rifles are intended for destroying vehicles, not people, but they can do so in a pinch.  They're just far too over-powered and heavy for shooting people to be used for this all the time.  In other words, they'd never be issued for this purpose and thus, the in-game sniper rifle can't possibly be one.

6

Feature Requests / Re: Aliens with human weapons?

« on: June 18, 2008, 10:12:02 pm »

I'm a bit of a biologist.  Anatomy and physiology as they relate to fiction is kind of my specialty.

Unusual tool using body parts (off the top of my head):

Eyestalks.  Hehe.  That's how my snail aliens grab stuff.

Suckers on a not-so nimble tentacle.  (Think Octopus-like).  This would require very strange designs for any equipment used.

I've seen a tongue/mouth used by armless creatures in fiction.  Beaks could be an interesting variation.

Feet.  I'm thinking of birds here.  I've seen birds grab stuff with one foot, stand on the other and then put it in their mouth.  Granted, this isn't common behavior.

Seen a cat stick his claws into a piece of meat, pick it up off the floor and then hold it to his mouth to eat.  Tools designed for this would have a soft part that the claws could hook into easily.

7

Offtopic / Re: Recommendations for a Linux VPS

« on: June 14, 2008, 03:25:56 pm »

Bandwidth.  Eventually, I'm going to turn this into a business.  Also, I don't want a big chunk of my bandwidth at home being constantly used by my friends chatting.  Depending on settings and how many people are chatting, Mumble can be very heavy weight in this respect.

I also want a VPS so I can get used to using them.  I will need to use them quite a bit should my business take off.

8

Design / Re: 2 questions on human aircraft designs

« on: April 25, 2008, 08:46:51 pm »

There is a third, hybrid approach.

When your pilots die, take their brains out of their heads and implant them in the UAVs.

This is mostly a joke, but in the future, lots of things become possible if you don't have any morals to get in the way.

If this were implemented (doubtful), then this should have a negative impact on morale of soldiers/pilots in the same base as well as probably getting on the nerves of the nations that support PHALANX.

9

Offtopic / Recommendations for a Linux VPS

« on: April 19, 2008, 10:00:05 pm »

Hello,

I've been looking at various options for a Linux-based virtual private server, but I'm having trouble deciding what I want, mostly since I'm having trouble getting google to find them for me.

Besides that, looking at their websites doesn't tell me how reliable they are (businesses usually exaggerate this and/or are very misleading). For that, I need people who use the service(s) to tell about the good and the bad.

I figure a handful of you might have some experience.

So far, I've been looking at Redwood Virtual (http://www.redwoodvirtual.com) and Linode (http://www.linode.com). Both seem very nice, but the Redwood Virtual folks did not respond to my E-Mail asking questions, so I'm wary of using their service.

Ideally, I want something for about $10-$15 a month, with at least 100 gigabytes of bandwidth a month. Processor time and hard drive space are not all that important, but 5 gigs would be nice (I can live with 2 if needs be).

All I'm going to be running at first are a web server with static content (dynamic later on) and a Mumble (http://mumble.sourceforge.net/) server so my friends and I can voice chat while playing games. Neither should require much horsepower.

Thank you.

10

Tactics / Re: As capturing aliens living (with that weapon)

« on: April 17, 2008, 04:58:21 pm »

I was elaborating on the idea a bit.  Fleshing it out.  That kind of thing.

11

Tactics / Re: As capturing aliens living (with that weapon)

« on: April 16, 2008, 04:09:23 pm »

I'd suggest allowing the captured aliens to be flown home, but they die within a few hours and have a mail message appear from the DivBio guy saying that they were unable to keep them alive, suggesting an autopsy might reveal what's required to keep them longer...

12

Mapping / Re: suggestions for new maps

« on: April 03, 2008, 05:19:24 am »

I've been wanting to see a junkyard map for a couple of weeks.  I don't know why, but I think it would be fun.  Lots and lots of places you and the aliens could hide.

Couple of floors of a sky-scraper would be fun, too.  Perhaps the top few floors, with the drop ship parked on a helipad on the roof.  Would be interesting if there were a working elevator.  I'm not sure if that's possible, though.

13

Mac / Re: some bugs...

« on: March 30, 2008, 08:55:09 pm »

I recently encountered the same bug with an alien disappearing on that map, too.

He'd go around the corner to hide from me (right around where you had the cursor pointed) and then I'd chase him there to kill him, but lo and behold, no alien.  Did a thorough search of the whole map, but no alien.

14

Design / Re: Alien Ideas

« on: March 27, 2008, 03:43:04 pm »

Yeah, I've been meaning to find an artist to do the concept art for me.  If anyone is interested, PM me.

After that I hope to get models made, either by me with my own 3D modeler (lots of work, as I've never tried modeling anything organic) or somebody else (my personal preference).

Even if this project's dev team isn't interested, I can still use the concept art and models for my own stuff.  Couple of good renders would be a nice addition to my wiki.

15

Discussion / Re: Ideas of Psionic concept and other things

« on: March 26, 2008, 04:17:51 pm »

Why not a compromise on the air support idea?

The current drop ship has a weapon mount in it's nose.  Why couldn't that be used on the map if loaded with an appropriate weapon?  In fact, I can't see why this wouldn't be done, unless the weapon is in a fixed mount where it only points ahead.

I could see the Shiva cannon being used this way, where as the missiles would be unsafe at such short ranges (they'd damage the drop ship itself).

I'd love to see a couple of aliens shot by anti-aircraft weapons.