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Science is even harder when the funding dries up.
October 15, 2013
US Government Shutdown Forces Closure of Antarctica Research Stations
The National Science Foundation has run out of money. It cannot go forward without its proposed $465 million budget. In a statement on its website, the NSF announced, “all field and research activities not essential to human safety and preservation of property will be suspended.”
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wahey!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.monogame.net/news/2013/10/14/monogame-playstation-4-works
C# on PS4! Now we're cooking with gas!
Sony already directly supports C# on Vita.
Was watching a Joel Billings (founder of SSI) video interview copping to ripping off Daisenryaku for Panzer General (they wrote that when SSI was on the ropes and went for the safest idea they had, and of course they did a helluva job on it).
Not a big fan of gamepad-based map UI, but some R&D is in order I believe. Pretty cool that I can develop my MonoGame idea on my Mac and have it run on so many other platforms.
Troy,
ReplyDeleteNot a big fan of gamepad-based map UI...
No joke. I love turn based strategy games on a hex grid. Game controllers don't do hexes well at all though.
We need someone to make a controller that thinks it terms of 6 instead of 4.
Well, "we" don't actually "need" that I guess. I sure do though. And when I say "need", I guess I mean really, really want! :)
The hex grid just seems an affectation at this point. When I look at the new war-games coming out of Japan it all looks like amateur hour or worse. No technical advancement in 20 years now.
ReplyDeleteLooking at the real strategy maps kept by the German OKW during WW2, I see there's a much more fluid and interesting presentation available.
Actual WW2 warfighting at the operational level was pretty dramatic and had compelling play value; seeing the Germans jockey their divisions around day by day in 1941 and 42 was educational.
Supply, thrust, parry, block, reduce. Repeat until you reach Moscow and/or run out of gas.
Troy,
ReplyDeleteThe game Combat Mission was enormously addicting for me.
You would plot each unit's orders for the next 60 seconds (including waypoints if moving).
Once done, you'd watch it play out. There was fog of war and units did not always follow your advice. Picture a light allied tank that stumbles upon a Tiger tank. The orders become ignored nearly instantly as self preservation kicks in.
This game would be difficult to do on a console. The mouse is a much better input device for laying down waypoints on a map.
It seems unlikely that I'll ever be using a mouse to play games again. Mice and couches don't work well together. Hopefully, something else will come along soon. Accurately tracking my fingers (or a device) in 3D space should work.
something else will come along soon
ReplyDeleteValve has a new controller that looks promising . . .
http://store.steampowered.com/livingroom/SteamController/
David O'Connor at Panther Games is/was on the right track . . .
http://www.wargamer.com/hosted/dropzone/index.html
http://www.wargamer.com/hosted/dropzone/articles/compare/compare_aa_with_other_op_wg.html
ReplyDeleteTroy,
ReplyDeleteI thought about doing a similar space RPG game once, where the AI would be there for you at any level you wanted it, sort of a tactical/strategic hybrid.
Micromanage all you want, or not.
It was back in my "thinking inside the Battlestar Galactica box". You've got control of a relatively large fleet that could theoretically grow over time, or not (depending on how well you were doing, lol). Grow it strong enough and the prey could ultimately become the predator.
In the end, my lazy gene rationalized a great deal of procrastination though and it therefore never became more than an extended thought. ;)
http://www.playdome.hu/cikk/26977/panther_games_interview
ReplyDeleteis another article on Panther Games.
I've been procrastinating for 30 years now, time to get some * done!
Carrier-based fleet combat is an interesting design space. I've studied in depth the pacific carrier battles, pretty dramatic source material.
Troy,
ReplyDeleteCarrier-based fleet combat is an interesting design space. I've studied in depth the pacific carrier battles, pretty dramatic source material.
Yes! That's one reason I was "thinking inside the Battlestar Galactica box". Galactica was a carrier.
I have both Flat Top and C.V.. Fun games.
Sadly, looks like the Carrier Command remake was a total pile of crap.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/carrier-command-gaea-mission
Then again, not so sadly. Carrier Command rocked my world 25 years ago, nice knowing that space is still open to the next brave soul(s) who dare.
Troy,
ReplyDeleteSadly, looks like the Carrier Command remake was a total pile of crap.
Then again, not so sadly.
I'm going to stick with sadly, if only because the "geniuses" in upper management at other game companies would point to it as proof that this kind of game doesn't have an audience and therefore can't sell. Sigh.
that this kind of game doesn't have an audience and therefore can't sell. Sigh.
ReplyDeletemore greenfield opportunity for self-publishing Indies!
I may have missed the PS, PS2, and PS3 trains, but PS4 or bust!
Troy,
ReplyDeletemore greenfield opportunity for self-publishing Indies!
You have the power to turn my sadness upside down. I'm sad but I do have hope.
I may have missed the PS, PS2, and PS3 trains, but PS4 or bust!
I'm counting on you and everyone like you.
No pressure though. :)