Forum posts

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-29 15:15:35 UTC
in "Lost Coast" released Post #144372

playing "I'm an airplane."

I don't know why it's so funny, but I laughed out loud when I read that. I didn't happen to me though.

I am glad that Lost Coast didn't crash my computer once. I've played it four times already, with and without commentary, and it all ran smoothly. And my computer isn't even that high-end.

Keep in mind, those critics out there, that it's not really meant to be a game addendum. It's purely a techy showcase. I think it achieved its goal when you look at it from that perspective.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-28 18:12:49 UTC
in "Lost Coast" released Post #144216

Interestingly enough, there's a real-life "Lost Coast". It's quite beautiful.

But read the photogallery comment, especially the one about the shotgun shell. It's too funny to think that the Combines have been there already.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-28 13:26:41 UTC
in "Lost Coast" released Post #144172

As long as the card supports Direct X 9.x, LC should run on it.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-28 12:54:24 UTC
in "Lost Coast" released Post #144166

This thread from the IGN board has some pretty good screenshots with thumbs.

Check it out for a quick glance.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-28 12:07:18 UTC
in "Lost Coast" released Post #144163

Playtesting probably took some time too.

The most impressive thing about HDR is the effect of the sun on water and other reflective surfaces. However, the wet rocks near the spawn point looked strange when it's all glowing. I am not talking about the pebbles on the ground, but the vertical boulders.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-28 00:58:53 UTC
in "Lost Coast" released Post #144096

I just played it, and it's quite impressive.

The point of "Lost Coast" isn't the gameplay. It's a technological demo that happens to have some combat. In fact, I wasn't expecting any fighting at all. I was just interested in the scenary and checking out the new engine. To be honest, I was a bit annoyed by the combine.

I very much enjoy the commentary. I found them very informative, and they really enhance my appreciation for the technical aspect of the rendering process.

I took some screenshots. As far as the aesthetics, I was actually expecting a bit more from Valve. The water looks even more gorgeous, but I think some textures do not work well with HDR. And the distant fog effect is not perfected yet.

Overall, I was quite thrilled. I am just glad that my machine could handle the engine. I was given a warning that my specs weren't up to par, but luckily the game ran without a hitch.

w00t!

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-27 19:38:33 UTC
in Daft numbers Post #144085

Not all hypospadias will need to be surgically corrected.

The determining factor is whether the boy would be able to pee standing up. Apparently, being able to do so has great impact on the male psyche.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-27 19:04:52 UTC
in Take this survey plz Post #144082

Performance: 10
Graphics: 9
Size: 7
Shape: 4
Cover: 9
Open Area: 3
Halls: 6
Rooms: 6
Flow: 10
Verticle: 10
Obstacles: 3
Traps: 5
Variety: 9
Style: 8
Easy Item Placement: 6
Weapon Range: 8
Ambience: 10
Player Count: 8-10

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-27 18:46:47 UTC
in Your first Games console? Post #144077

I've got your soul, and there's no turning back.

I still got the original copy of the contract. Don't deny it at this forum.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-27 16:33:50 UTC
in Daft numbers Post #144048

Bullshit is funny only when you can't tell whether it's bullshit or not.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-27 15:15:00 UTC
in Now Playing Post #144032

Superman - Eminem

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-27 15:11:48 UTC
in Daft numbers Post #144031

Chocolate icecream, anyone?

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-27 15:09:24 UTC
in Your first Games console? Post #144030

I remember the days when SariBous still looked like a human.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-27 15:04:42 UTC
in Best Sellers Post #144029

1. Future Moulin Report
2. Eternal Book Come
3. Heavy Jazz Move

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-27 14:59:13 UTC
in Daft numbers Post #144026

Live and dead bacteria make up more than fifty percent of the dry weight of your feces.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-27 12:48:41 UTC
in Your first Games console? Post #143996

I'll try harder to search for the thread. I tried twice already, but I can't remember the exact words I used for the forum title.

[EDIT]: I've found it. Check this one out.

Sari, you participated in the discussion too.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-27 11:58:28 UTC
in Your first Games console? Post #143980

And lastly, the topics don't really encourage in-depth discussions. Most of them just require one-liners, and they're not all that interesting.

I remember the thread that I helped grow into a huge lengthy discussion. Now, that was fun. It was a discussion on whether we should limit posting and map vault contribution to newcomers.

If I can find the thread again, that would be nice. . .

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-27 11:50:26 UTC
in The time hl scared you Post #143979

I tried that. I guess I could've tried harder. I did it in the sandtrap section. It was painstakingly laborious though.

And when I hop on top of those wooden wheel thing, it's difficult to balance on a floating one sometimes, especially when zombies are coming at me.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-27 01:18:25 UTC
in Your first Games console? Post #143907

I still don't have a console, and probably never will.

I stick to the PC, because I like the mouse-keyboard combo for the FPS games I play.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-26 19:16:17 UTC
in The time hl scared you Post #143889

And considering that it's a game that was made almost a decade ago, it's even more incredible.

I can't believe that I missed out on it when it was first released. The gameplay is simply awesome. No other FPS comes close to the variation in game design.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-26 16:37:46 UTC
in The time hl scared you Post #143871

Yeah, I don't know whether there is any way to get through that part of HL2 without getting burned by the toxic pond. I tried many times, hopping from one car to the next, but at some point I had to step into the radioactive waste.

and all the zombies popping up everywhere doesn't help the situation one bit.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-25 22:52:31 UTC
in [HL2DM] Mudanchee - new screenshots Post #143754

I think a few point_spotlight would look nice in the cave. Of course, don't go overboard with them, like so many other maps.

In the last screenshot, I think a faint, warm glow (a regular light entity with yellowish-orange color) from the fire sprite should look nice.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-25 12:26:14 UTC
in Your Favourite Blogs? Post #143650

www.livejournal.com

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-25 12:25:29 UTC
in Your current Keyboard and Mouse? Post #143648

Compaq keyboard (which is the best, I believe). I am very much into tactile feedback and response, and this keyboard is my favorite. I went through more than ten keyboards in the past, and I am stuck on this one.

I have a Logitech wireless optical mouse. Can't remember the model number (I am at work right now), but it's quite sensitive. It's perfect for those head shots.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-23 14:23:30 UTC
in Picture Scramble! Post #143225

This one is HL2.

http://www.snarkpit.net/pits/satchmo/Screenshots/HL2guess.jpg

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-23 13:57:33 UTC
in Picture Scramble! Post #143212

Yeah, that's the one. The combine patrol car shooting rockets at you. You had to get off the airboat eventually and blow up a container with the explosive barrels to get through.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-23 12:21:56 UTC
in Favorite Game Post #143184

Nah, it's all scripted. Combines are born dumb.

How smart do you think they'd be after they went through the "combinization" process in the Citadel?

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-23 12:20:16 UTC
in Picture Scramble! Post #143183

I agree. You're looking out of the window from the control room, watching the rocket take off.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-23 09:15:43 UTC
in Bilinguists Post #143143

Chinese is the only Asian language that doesn't use any alphabets. In fact, it's the only language that's still being used which relies solely on characters. The other ancient language that used characters was Egyptian, but hieroglyphics are not used by modern Egyptians any more.

Chinese characters all evolved from pictures. Here is an example of the evolution of the word "horse". Notice that the original character really looked like some sort of animal.

I learned a lot of English from cartoons--G.I. Joe, The Transformers, Thundercats, He-Man, etc. When I first arrived in the States, I watched lots of cartoons after school.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-23 09:05:10 UTC
in Favorite Game Post #143142

HL2 could have had better AI. That's the biggest gripe I have about HL2.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-23 09:01:34 UTC
in Winter, Snow and Christmas Post #143139

Nah, most Americans are retarded dunce.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-22 23:32:04 UTC
in Favorite Game Post #143065

In case you haven't bought the game, here are some pumped up video of F.E.A.R. to get you hyped.

http://media.pc.ign.com/media/681/681912/vids_1.html

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-22 22:10:59 UTC
in Favorite Game Post #143062

While we're on this discussion of best games, what's the best AI in FPS games?

Half-Life or Half-Life 2 definitely don't have the best AI. FarCry has pretty decent ones. I heard F.E.A.R. has relatively smart AI. Quake 4 AI sucks doodoo.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-22 22:04:43 UTC
in Bilinguists Post #143061

It's not that strange. Reading is a passive act. Speaking and writing are active. It takes full comprehension of grammar and vocabulary to do that.

Reading is still feasible even if the reader has not mastered grammar.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-22 22:00:25 UTC
in Winter, Snow and Christmas Post #143060

isn't that OBVIOUS?

LOL, I thought everyone knew that. But then, Garg could just be joking.

The main reason for the difference in seasons is the tilt of Earth's axis. If the rotational axis of the planet is exactly perpendicular to the plane of Earth's orbit around the Sun, then there wouldn't be any seasons.

If you're curious, read through this whole article.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-22 20:45:32 UTC
in Picture Scramble! Post #143043

That's impossible. I can't even tell whether it's indoor or outdoor.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-22 20:22:40 UTC
in Bilinguists Post #143039

To really learn a second language and become fluent, one must live in that country for a period of time. The only exception I can think of is United States, where more than half of the people I work with only speaks Spanish.

So I learned Spanish on the fly. It's limited to medical topics, but I get by.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-22 19:25:18 UTC
in Bilinguists Post #143029

Were you born in China, satch?

I was born in Taiwan, the renegade democratic province of China with a complicated and controversial political history.

Ironically, even though I am Chinese, I have never been to China. Both of my parents were born in China though.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-22 17:54:14 UTC
in Favorite Game Post #143008

There are people that finish Hl1 in 1 hour.

Yeah, but only after playing it hundreds of times.

Took me 8 hrs to beat HL2

Not too many people can say that. You're just good. I never counted hours, but it took me weeks to finish HL2. Granted, I only played an hour a day.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-22 17:34:33 UTC
in Bilinguists Post #142992

Also,I write less misspelled words then correctly spelled words.

It's kinda like saying "I am not a criminal. I left more kids unmolested than the ones that I actually molest."

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-22 17:25:04 UTC
in Favorite Game Post #142986

Definitely worth buying

From what I've read, it's short (only about ten to twelve hours of playing). That's just too short to spend $50 on. HL1 and HL2 are much longer. It took me weeks to beat each one.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-22 17:21:59 UTC
in Bilinguists Post #142985

How ironic

I suspect that was an intentional mistake.

how the hell do you asian people remember those characters?!

I used to remember them because I had to write them and practice everyday. I haven't for the last twenty years, that's why I can't write any of them anymore (well, except for some really simple ones).

And that's why reading and writing are two completely different skills when it comes to Chinese. Japanese and Korean are character-based, so they are a lot easier to learn (at least the writing aspect).

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-22 17:01:46 UTC
in Bilinguists Post #142975

Did TWHL improve your English skills?

I started learning English when I was 12 years old. Now, I consider myself fluent in English, after attending high school, college, medical school in the United States.

I can still speak and read Chinese, but unfortunately I cannot write any Chinese characters anymore. However, with the help of a computer, I can still type Chinese.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-21 18:08:56 UTC
in The time hl scared you Post #142732

I was actually afraid of the ledge hopping on the way to the Citadel. I have fear of height in real life, so it's very scary to stand on the side of these cliffs and jump.

That bridge section in HL2 was definitely scary too. I was trying to evade the gunship while jumping from one beam of the bridge to the next. Man, I thought I would never make it.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-21 14:29:50 UTC
in The time hl scared you Post #142705

Well, did anyone of you guys go in to the barricated house at Highway 13? There was a zombine in there (poison zombie)

I heard the poison zombie first, even though it was faint. That wheezing sound from them is pretty darn scary. But I was alerted to their presence.

The only time I was totally surprised was in that laundry room place in Nova Prospekt. After clearing the room of Combines, I explored the bathroom area on the right side. There were some goodies, but there's also a poisonous zombie waiting in the dark. That one didn't breath for some reason, and it just popped out of no where.

I fired some precious secondary grenade from my SMG at it becaues I was so scared.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-21 01:12:56 UTC
in The time hl scared you Post #142604

I was extremely nervous inside the Citadel. Initially, there wasn't too many combines, but the sheer anticipation of them made me very jittery.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-20 17:27:33 UTC
in The time hl scared you Post #142594

There was a slow zombie hidden in a dark corner in Ravenholm. It's the large town center area where you had to climb to the rooftops and jump from building to building. That was scary.

But in the Sand Trap level, right before Nova Prospekt, where you had to jump into the pit and duel that antlion guard...that was pretty scary. I hate to be chased around by this huge monster and have no where to hide.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-19 16:17:38 UTC
in Favorite Game Post #142421

I can't decide between HL1 and HL2 as which one is the best game. Each has its own good and bad.

I also enjoyed Deus Ex (the original) and MOHAA. Unreal II wasn't bad either. FarCry was only okay. The graphics look nice but the gameplay is mediocre.

The worst game that I have ever played was Riven. It's pretty, but that's about it. I fell asleep playing it once.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-19 00:10:08 UTC
in Half Life Speed Run Post #142259

It's interesting that I never noticed these errors in overlapping brushes until I started mapping. All the FPS games looked good before. But now all I notice are the errors and architectural incongruities.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2005-10-19 00:05:05 UTC
in MySpace Post #142258

I don't do MySpace. I blog at www.livejournal.com/users/youngmd instead.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”