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To ask a more general question is to skip a step in knowledge. You essentially guide your answers by being more general with the question. Example (for the love of god, please, do not quote this as you would a hamster analogy): Jimmy had to buy an apple for his pie. This pie will be an item of food at his grandma's birthday. To buy this apple he has to make 25 cents. (What he does not know is that his friend has an extra applepie already made). Jimmy figures he must find a job to pay for the apple. But he is too young to work anywhere. He has to contemplate how to make money to get the apple if he can't work. He figures he could beg on the street or steal money from his parents. He tries to beg on the street but to his best luck, he is not able to even get a penny. He then tries to steal his parents money. He is successful in this attempt and makes his way the store. He buys the apple and takes it home to make his pie. But wait, he doesn't know how to make a pie. He must go on the internet or ask his sister. He checks the internet but the internet is down, so he must ask his sister. His sister decides she could help him and they make the pie together. After he finishes his pie, he walks over to his friends house to play video games. As he walks in he sees that his friend also has an apple pie. His friend tells him he could have it if he wan'ted because his friend didn't really like apple all that much.
This shows a quick analogy that asking a more general question can eliminate all of the specific question, providing you know the answer. So if Jimmy would have searched for an apple pie instead of 25 cents, he could have saved his own time.
How does this apply to our big question, simple. If we ask a question that we know the answer to, we can eliminate all of the useless specific questions (If Jimmy would have searched for an apple pie, why whould he need to beg on the street for 25 cents).
If anyone would be interested in continuing Jimmy's adventures in a day by day story, just post " "

Maybe we should be asking a more general question instead of why we live. Maybe, "What is considered living". Once you can answer the more general question, answer the more specific. It may look like gibberish but that all depends on the interpreter. (make sure you're open minded and not biased like many of you are.)

I could talk about psychology all day but I don't have the time. But I do have one question for everyone that disapproves of religious beliefs.
If you don't believe in something, why do you live (what are you living for). Have fun trying to answer that one;). (Trust me, it'll shock you).

Mine ----------------------------->
You'd have to go to www.Homestarrunner.com to find out its meaning.

In about a month:
AMD Athlon 64 3500+ (939 Socket)
Nvidia Geforce 6800 GT (AGP)
160GB Hard Drive
Acer 19" LCD
512MB Corsair XMS 2-3-3-6 (PC3200) x2
ABIT AV8 Mobo

Right now:

No kidding, the 'find' utility is underrated and underused. We need to make that option a bit more obvious or targeted. I didn't find its true usefulness until I read through half of the tutorials. Rather than making a completely new tab of 'N00b Problems', let's enhance the 'find' accessory and make it more obvious (In mainly visual terms). Just my opinion. Not much work and lots of relieved stress.

Im guessing:
1. Dividing everything up (compiling, entities, textures, etc.). Possibly ending up with an outline of some sort.
2. Search through the forums for obvious questions.
3. Fit the Q & A into the outline.

Thats pretty basic, but I'm not sure what else Odin wanted in this section.

I was looking at a Gatewatch from Aerocool. Really nice, roughly $55. The cheaper graphic lcds (http://www.matrixorbital.com/index.php?cName=lcd-graphic-lcds), what sort of knowledge do I need to configure them or is it included in the software.

I haven't mapped in a while but have some free time. I could at least start it and get an overview/outline of what needs to be done. I may need some assisstance with answers. Is this for HL1 mapping only or just about everything from texture importing to using an entity. I'm one of those organized people so If anything, it will be nicely put together.

I'm finaizing my pc and want some more function from my case. I'm looking for something that displays things like performance and fps. All I've been able to find was tempurate displays and fan controls.

If anyone has included any of these sort of functions to their case, let me know.

I found a really nice 2 slot 5.25 drive bay insert for fan speed/temp/time/sound control. But I just thought there might be a performance display of some sort. Usually these plug into a 5.25 or 3.5 drive bay.

In fact, Bush and Kerry are roughly 16th cousins. There common ancestory dates back to the arrival of one of the first pilgrim groups to America. That is scary!

Kasperg is definitely right in the sense that money controls everything. But rather restate in general that any psychological pleasure is a bargaining chip in any sense. You don't do work unless you get some sort of pleasure (perverts leave now). Life revolves around this. That is what life is.

Scary thing Jahzel, you seem to find that the world is coming to a form of amorality, no respect for freedom or life. But what will scare you more is that people you consider bad are only showing you an opposing force. Once you see this force and look back at where you once stood, and find that they are equal in every aspect of feeling and truth. I may sound like an Imperialist of some sort, but I only do my best to interpret what I see.

The 'bad people' aren't really bad, their just speeding up the process in which there is reality. ( Ignorance and Truth are the opposites of knowledge, like Hot and Cold are to temperature. You must decide which you want to be.)

I think I'm going to with the Geforce but I'm still a little skeptic of the price. 1350 without the moniter. Its very similar to the list I have above, but I didn't have the operating system, shipping, and tax. For a computer with a AMD 64 3200+ and a Geforce 6800, do you think that is reasonable?

I only intend to get (512 x 2) MB. I think I just about have everything situated. AGP instead (not enough choices with PCIe). I'm still not sure I want the Geforce 6800 or the Radeon X???.

If you have any preferences or personal experiences with either NVidia or ATI, do tell. Once I get my next check I should be good to go. Thanks lots for the info and suggestions everyone. :)

This is Newegg.com by the way.

There is the PCI Express X1 and X16. Is there a big difference or is it just a step up in performance?

And if I go with a PCIe, would it be best to go with Radeon or NVidia Geforce? Thanks.

Heres a list of my components (no motherboard):

KINGWIN Mutant X Silver/Gray Gaming Case With 420W Power Supply and clear acrylic window, Model "MTX425SW" -RETAIL
Specifications:
Case Type: Mid Tower Case
Color: Silver/Gray
Material: Steel
Drive Bays: 5.25" x 4/0, 3.5" x 2/5 (external/internal)
Expansion Slots: 7
Front Ports: 2 x USB2.0, 2 x Audio, 1 x IEEE1394
Power Supply: 420W
Cooling System: 1 x 80mm rear fan, 1 x 80mm front fan, 1 x 80mm LED side fan
Motherboard Compatibility: Baby AT, Micro ATX, ATX
Dimensions: 16.2" x 7.9" x 20"(HxWxD)
Features: Exclusive Mutant X front panel design, 2 front blue led lights more info-> N82E16811170020 $62.99

MSI nVIDIA GeForce 6800 Video Card, 256MB DDR, 256-Bit, TV-Out/DVI, PCI-Express, Model "NX6800-TD256E" -RETAIL

Specifications:
Chipset/Core Speed: nVIDIA GeForce 6800/325MHz
Memory/Effective Speed: 256MB DDR/700MHz
BUS: PCI-Express x16
Ports: VGA Out(15 Pin D-Sub) + TV-Out (S-Video) + DVI
Support 3D API: DirectX 9, OpenGL 1.5
Max Resolution@32bit Color: 2048X1536@85Hz
Cable/Accessories: S-Video Cable, DVI to VGA Adapter, Manual, Driver CD, Games and Software
Retail Box (See pics for details)
*Note: Due to manufacturer revisions, PCB color may vary. more info-> N82E16814127149 $329.00

AMD Athlon 64 3200+, 512KB L2 Cache, Socket 939 64-bit Processor - Retail

Specifications:
Model: Athlon 64 3200+
Core: Winchester
Operating Frequency: 2.0GHz
FSB: Integrated into Chip
Cache: L1/64K+64K; L2/ 512KB
Voltage: 1.5V
Process: 90nm
Socket: Socket 939
Multimedia Instruction: MMX, SSE, SSE2, 3DNOW!, 3DNOW!+
Warranty: 3-year MFG
Packaging: Retail(with Heatsink and Fan) more info-> N82E16819103502 $191.00

Corsair Value Select (Dual Pack) 184 Pin 512MBx2 DDR PC-3200 - OEM

Specification
Manufacturer: Corsair
Model: VS1GBKIT400
Speed: DDR400(PC3200)
Type: 184 Pin DDR SDRAM
Error Checking: Non-ECC
Registered/Unbuffered: Unbuffered
Cas Latency: 2.5
Support Voltage: 2.5V
Bandwidth: 3.2GB/s
Organization: two 64M x 64 -Bit
Warranty: Lifetime more info-> N82E16820145440 $104.67

Hitachi 160GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive, Model HDS722516VLSA80 Part# 13G0254, OEM Drive Only

Specifications:
Capacity: 160GB
Average Seek Time: 8.5 ms
Buffer: 8MB
Rotational Speed: 7200 RPM
Interface: Serial ATA
Features: Lowest power requirements, Optional low acoustic and power modes
Manufacturer Warranty: 1 year
Packaging: OEM Drive Only more info-> N82E16822145051 $93.00

Logitech Cordless Comfort Duo BLACK USB/ PS/2 105keys -RETAIL

Specifications:
Interface: USB/ PS/2
Number Of Keys: 105 keys + 12 function keys
Wireless Technology: RF
Mouse included: wireless optical
more info-> N82E16823126121 $71.00

ACER AL1912b 19" Black LCD Monitor - Retail

Specifications:
Panel Type: TFT Active Matrix LCD
Native Resolution: SXGA 1280 x 1024
Pixel Pitch: 0.294 mm
Brightness: 250 cd/m2
Contrast Ratio: 500:1
Response Time: 16 ms
View Angle: 140 (Vertical)
Input Connectors: 15 pin D-SUB
Dimensions & Weight: 16.6" x 17.1" x 6.9" (W x H x D), 12.1 lbs
Manufacturer's Warranty: 3 years warranty
Dead Pixels Policy: Replacement or Refund for 8 or more DEAD PIXELS ONLY! more info-> N82E16824009022 $305.99

NEC 16X Double Layer DVD?RW Drive, Black, Model ND-3520A BK, OEM

Specifications:
Write Speed: 16X DVD+R, 8X DVD+RW, 4X DVD+R DL, 16X DVD-R, 6X DVD-RW, 48X CD-R, 24X CD-RW
Read Speed: 48X CD-ROM, 16X DVD-ROM
Interface: ATAPI / E-IDE
Buffer: 2MB
Packaging: OEM (see pictures for details) more info-> $61.49

I've got a AMD system up for design and have a 939 Socket processor (3200+ - 3500+), a (still under discussion) graphics card, and a Nvidia NForce 3 Ultra Motherboard (939).

Now the computer is for equal gaming and editing (video/rendering). I would like to keep this computer to be as future compatible as possible (easy upgrading in the future). Now, there is the AGP and the PCI. Is one better than the other or is one more future compatible?

It would really help because this will be my first custom PC so I don't want to mess up. And if you have any thoughts as to NVidia vs ATI ($260-$320 price range). Thanks!  :)

Please prove me wrong.

I looked at the Dreamweaver Mx and found a hefty price tag.

Would you happen to know of or use any downloadable ones. I don't really want to invest in software I might not use a whole lot. Otherwise I'll stick with my Notepad and HTML.

I know many of you know how use HTML or Javascript. But I would like to know which different variations of software you use for making webpages. I want to test a couple see which to use. I know HTML and Java pretty well, but I just want to see the extent to which the user is able to detail a webpage. Any input?

I originally got half-life 2 and registered it on my slow computer. However, I made the switch to my faster computer once I was able to use it again. If uninstall half-life, how would I go about registering the key if I want to use my same steam account?

I was just wondering if the idea of writing a book of the storyline was a good use of time if I planned on either starting a team or managing one. If I had the time to start a mod, I would. But by writing a book, would it encourage or motivate others to support this idea?

I'm sure all of you mod makers (beginners, amatuers, experts included) have had the experience of the greatest mod ever. (everyone raises hands) You've got this design for a great theme, great models, great implementation. Your story is just fantastic, but you have no time to do all of this. Well, i'm joining the group.

I've got one of my best storylines I've every made (a better movie than game storyline). I know how to do all that modding stuff but how the hell am I supposed to do it. Yeah, get a team, but no one can be credible for their dedication, even including myself (yes, ive went through the denial stage (thinking that I can accomplish this huge task by myself) that everyone goes through).

So if this story is so great, why not write a book. I may not have a passion for writing, but I just think this story is a winner. It is a 3 Chronicle story with a form of prelude. I would like to make this into a mod but the burden would be to great on any teams shoulders'. So you could say I've quit mapping/modelling/coding/etc. for a while.

If I can finish the first chronicle to my liking, I reason with the possibility of starting a team or at least managing one. The great thing about the story though is that the prelude holds so many of the answers to the three chronicles. Thats why i'm going to finish the prelude last (release its contents). Its more of a fantasy/science fiction story. Heres the titles though:

Chronicles of Amorality
Prelude: To Thought, To Being
1st: A Prophecy's Revolution
2nd: A Mind's Reform
3rd: A Truth's Resolve

While I'm writing this first chronicle, Im actually getting a new computer so i dont have to try to run half-life 2 on a 850 MHz processer .
My new computer will be a:
AMD Athlon 64 +3200
XFX NVidia Geforce 6800 Graphics card

Its a custom PC so can't wait.
Let me know what you think of the idea though. Thanks.

ive seen some usb cable that have the slot for xbox controller. there about $10-$15. they even come in duals (1 usb = 2 xbox controllers). They have these ports for everything i can think of.

Thanks a bunch Cap'n. Looks like wavelength has many useful tutorials.

where do I have to put the files in order for them to be reckonized and what files need to target these DLLs. Thanks for the quick response.

I've been messing around with the SDK and making some adjustments for mere testing. I would like to know after you compile and save the .h or .cpp, how do you implement that into your own mod or just regular half-life. Mainly, I just want to change the fire rate of most weapons, as well as most of their ammunition capacities. Thanks to all for help. My website for my mod is coming along great since I just learned some useful HTML. Not much yet, but it is definitely a work in progress. www.freewebs.com/abolished_half-life_mod/

Depending on what kind of Stealth you are incorporating into your maps, I'd say this can be a great map pack or a frustrating one. If Infiltration is the main stream Stealth don't make it hard. I'll probably speak for a lot of people when I say this. If you've every tried playing anygame that included just a little bit of Infiltration and it was hard, restarting over and over gets old very quick. On the other hand if you make the infiltration part medium difficulty and don't base the entire map pack off of it, then I'd say you'd have a pretty dandy map pack. Hope it turns out great and good luck.

Well now that I got some time to map, I've been thinking about what to present as a piece to show eye appeal or interest to the those that might not know a whole lot about the mod. I'm currently in a HTML class so I think I'll try to update the site once my skills can surpass the quality that is already there.

But mainly, my reason for posting was to ask an opinion. I have three mapping projects I could be working on right now. I'm going to decide to do two of the three projects to allow time for other non-mapping projects.
One involves showing off my mapping ability, which in terms of modesty isn't a whole ton. Show off mainly detail and texturing abilities as well as realism into a map for show. Another option would incorporate a movie to display the some plot and more so theme and setting to the story. Another would introduce a map that showed more feeling while playing the game in terms of setting and surroundings. Now I don't entirely like the first option because it might find a full use to presenting what I should be and wouldn't be all that fun to make (though I am about 40% done with it).
The second one also carries a bit of controversial displaying for a fact that I will be making a movie/cinematic when Half-Life 2 comes out. I'm not sure it is worth it to make one but then again, it might be the best way to display something worth watching.
And the third was probably a person preference, being much more fun to make as well as to play, being a downloader.
Now the reason for choosing a project at all was probably the need for more attention to the mod and show that it is making progress. Anyone have any opinions or possibly person experience that could help the less experienced. Thank you very much, it is greatly appreciated. (Sorry, I'm not good at writing in paragraph form, its always been a weekness.)

November 1 everyone. I was hoping earlier but at least it is being released.

I'm just going to set up a multimanager for each camera cause that seems to work. I have about 4 entities for each multimanager that way. I guess the multimanager cant handle more than one camera. I checked and rechecked the holdtimes and the trigger times and they all mstched up like they were suppose to.

Haven't tried that yet, thanks a bunch Seventh.

it is a great game. They had a lot of the features going well for them in Tribes 2, but still had a couple of things to work on. If they can work on those things, I wouldn't hesitate to compare it to Halo's Multiplayer.

Working on some movie editing for a mod and ran into a problem that I couldn't seem to solve. I am trying to get multiple camera set up for my cinematic each with a fade-in effect. I noticed that the first camera automaticly sets up a fade-in effect but when it switches to the second camera that effect isn't activated. I was wondering if I could control this effect or if it was out of my control. I'm using the Hammer Editor version 3.5. Maybe Spirit of Half Life or other editor would have control over this effect. Any help or advice is great and appreciated. Thank you in advance. Also, when I try to put multiple cameras under one multimanager, I experience the following problem. First, I get the normal cinematic working on the first camera, but everyone working after that only flashes for a millisecond and goes through the wait time until it gives a flash of the next one. Any help in either of these problems is greatly appreciated. I haven't done a lot of cinematics in mapping so I would like to get some experience in that skill. Thank you.

Thanks Seventh-Monkey. The site should be under the directory within a matter of weeks.

HL2. I can get a lot of the stuff done with in the next month that can be converted to HL2. (like maps)

I submitted the site to the directory so it will probably be about 2 weeks.

Would you happen to know how to submit your website to search engines or is there some kind of agreement you have to set up. This is my first website after all and I've never done anything with webpages before this my first. Thanks.

I think I used that site to lots of the kits but all I need now is MS Visual C++ 6.0. and I got the Softimage|XSI to work on my other computer so I guess I will transfer the material through my network.

that looks like a half life single player level redid in HL2. the water looks so much better in HL2 than it did in HL1.

they use the same site for hosting and same easy website setup. Once I learn some more HTML, I'll be adding a lot more to it and hopefully make it a lot more usable. If you ever have any suggestions for the site or the mod just send them to GrizBizz@hotmail.com. Thanks again.

I got that Softimage|XSI so I could mess around with the modeling before I get started using it with the mod. When I install, it says "PSAPI.DLL linked to missing NTDLL.DLL:NtAllocateVirtualMemory."
If there is anyone familiar with the modeling kit and knows the solution, thanks. I just thought I might not have enough room for it or for running it but I checked and have roughly 13 GB so that shouldn't be the problem. I also checked the computer for the NTDLL and found 3. 1 in my C:WindowsSystem, and the other two are in a C++ program of mine. So i'm not sure if the NTDLL the error is refering to was supposed to be installed with it or is the one already on the computer.

Thanks for all of those suggestions and quick responsesFloater and RabidMonkey. I'm finally getting the hang of using the SDK and how it functions.

its coming out 2004 don't worry. or are you talking bout the source code?

sorry, i was looking at pre-order shipping. It is sept 30. darn. I guess i'll just map for a month. yeah.

but doesn't HL2 come out Sept 1?

literally

yeah, ive seen that one, that one looked as easy to make a character as typing half-life on a computer.