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• Input handling between game loops

  - by user48023

  This may be obvious and trivial for you but as I am a newbie in programming I come with a specific question. I have three loops in my game engine which are input-loop, update-loop and render-loop. Update-loop is set to 10 ticks per second with a fixed timestep, render-loop is capped at around 60 fps and the input-loop runs as fast as possible. I am using one of the Javascript frameworks which provide such things but it doesn't really matter. Let's say I am rendering a tile map and the view of which elements are rendered depends on camera-like movement variables which are modified during key pressing. This is only about camera/viewport and rendering, no game physics involved here. And now, how can I handle input events among these loops to keep consistent engine reaction? Am I supposed to read the current variable modified with input and do some needed calculations in a update-loop and share the result so it could be interpolated in a render-loop? Or read the input effect directly inside the render-loop and put needed calculations inside? I thought interpreting user input inside an update-loop with a low tick rate would be inaccurate and kind of unresponsive while rendering with interpolation in the final view. How it is done properly in games overall?

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• Debugging/Logging Techniques for End Users

  - by James Burgess

  I searched a bit, but didn't find anything particularly pertinent to my problem - so please do excuse me if I missed something! A few months back I inherited the source to a fairly-popular indie game project and have been working, along with another developer, on the code-base. We recently made our first release since taking over the development but we're a little stuck. A few users are experiencing slowdowns/lagging in the current version, as compared to the previous version, and we are not able to reproduce these issues in any of our various development environments (debug, release, different OSes, different machines, etc.). What I'd like to know is how can we go about implementing some form of logging/debugging mechanism into the game, that users can enable and send the reports to us for examination? We're not able to distribute debug binaries using the MSVS 2010 runtimes, due to the licensing - and wouldn't want to, for a variety of reasons. We'd really like to get to the bottom of this issue, even if just to find out it's nothing to do with our code base but everything to do with their system configuration. At the moment, we just have no leads - and the community isn't a very technically-savvy one, so we're unable to rely on 'expert' bug reports or investigations. I've seen the debug logging mechanism used in other applications and games for everything from logging simple errors to crash dumps. We're really at a loss at this stage as to how to address these issues, having been over every commit to the repository from the previous to the current version and not finding any real issues.

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• CodePlex Daily Summary for Friday, November 16, 2012

  CodePlex Daily Summary for Friday, November 16, 2012Popular ReleasesCSLA .NET Contrib: CslaContrib 4.3.13: This is the first release of CslaContrib extension library to CSLA .NET. This release is version synchronized to CSLA .NET 4.3.13 and is also available on NuGet CslaContribObjectCaching data portal implementation with in-memory cache provider for simple cache (courtesy of Magenic) Additional generic rules: LessThan, LessThanOrEqual, GreaterThan, GreaterThanOrEqual, Range, StopIfNotCanWrite, StopIfNotIsNew, StopIfNotIsExisting, StopIfAnyAdditionalHasValue, CalcSum, ToUpperCase ToLowerCase...Paint.NET PSD Plugin: 2.2.0: Changes: Layer group visibility is now applied to all layers within the group. This greatly improves the visual fidelity of complex PSD files that have hidden layer groups. Layer group names are prefixed so that users can get an indication of the layer group hierarchy. (Paint.NET has a flat list of layers, so the hierarchy is flattened out on load.) The progress bar now reports status when saving PSD files, instead of showing an indeterminate rolling bar. Performance improvement of 1...CRM 2011 Visual Ribbon Editor: Visual Ribbon Editor (1.3.1116.7): [IMPROVED] Detailed error message descriptions for FaultException [FIX] Fixed bug in rule CrmOfflineAccessStateRule which had incorrect State attribute name [FIX] Fixed bug in rule EntityPropertyRule which was missing PropertyValue attribute [FIX] Current connection information was not displayed in status bar while refreshing list of entitiesSuper Metroid Randomizer: Super Metroid Randomizer v5: v5 -Added command line functionality for automation purposes. -Implented Krankdud's change to randomize the Etecoon's item. NOTE: this version will not accept seeds from a previous version. The seed format has changed by necessity. v4 -Started putting version numbers at the top of the form. -Added a warning when suitless Maridia is required in a parsed seed. v3 -Changed seed to only generate filename-legal characters. Using old seeds will still work exactly the same. -Files can now be saved...Caliburn Micro: WPF, Silverlight, WP7 and WinRT/Metro made easy.: Caliburn.Micro v1.4: Changes This version includes many bug fixes across all platforms, improvements to nuget support and...the biggest news of all...full support for both WinRT and WP8. Download Contents Debug and Release Assemblies Samples Readme.txt License.txt Packages Available on Nuget Caliburn.Micro – The full framework compiled into an assembly. Caliburn.Micro.Start - Includes Caliburn.Micro plus a starting bootstrapper, view model and view. Caliburn.Micro.Container – The Caliburn.Micro invers...DotNetNuke® Community Edition CMS: 06.02.05: Major Highlights Updated the system so that it supports nested folders in the App_Code folder Updated the Global Error Handling so that when errors within the global.asax handler happen, they are caught and shown in a page displaying the original HTTP error code Fixed issue that stopped users from specifying Link URLs that open on a new window Security FixesFixed issue in the Member Directory module that could show members to non authenticated users Fixed issue in the Lists modul...MVC Bootstrap: MVC Boostrap 0.5.6: A small demo site, based on the default ASP.NET MVC 3 project template, showing off some of the features of MVC Bootstrap. Added features to the Membership provider, a "lock out" feature to help fight brute force hacking of accounts. After a set number of log in attempts, the account is locked for a set time. If you download and use this project, please give some feedback, good or bad!OnTopReplica: Release 3.4: Update to the 3 version with major fixes and improvements. Compatible with Windows 8. Now runs (and requires) .NET Framework v.4.0. Added relative mode for region selection (allows the user to select regions as margins from the borders of the thumbnail, useful for windows which have a variable size but fixed size controls, like video players). Improved window seeking when restoring cloned thumbnail or cloning a window by title or by class. Improved settings persistence. Improved co...DotSpatial: DotSpatial 1.4: This is a Minor Release. See the changes in the issue tracker. Minimal -- includes DotSpatial core and essential extensions Extended -- includes debugging symbols and additional extensions Tutorials are available. Just want to run the software? End user (non-programmer) version available branded as MapWindow Want to add your own feature? Develop a plugin, using the template and contribute to the extension feed (you can also write extensions that you distribute in other ways). Components ...AcDown?????: AcDown????? v4.3: ??●AcDown??????????、??、??、???????。????，????，?????????????????????????。???????????Acfun、????(Bilibili)、??、??、YouTube、??、???、??????、SF????、????????????。 ●??????AcPlay?????，??????、????????????????。 ● AcDown??????????????????，????????????????????????????。 ● AcDown???????C#??，????.NET Framework 2.0??。?????"Acfun?????"。 ????32??64? Windows XP/Vista/7/8 ???? 32??64? ???Linux ????(1)????????Windows XP???，????????.NET Framework 2.0???(x86)，?????"?????????"??? (2)???????????Linux???，????????Mono?? ??2...????: ???? 1.0: ????Unicode IVS Add-in for Microsoft Office: Unicode IVS Add-in for Microsoft Office: Unicode IVS Add-in for Microsoft Office ??? ?????、Unicode IVS?????????????????Unicode IVS???????????????。??、??????????????、?????????????????????????????。Microsoft Ajax Minifier: Microsoft Ajax Minifier 4.74: fix for issue #18836 - sometimes throws null-reference errors in ActivationObject.AnalyzeScope method. add back the Context object's 8-parameter constructor, since someone has code that's using it. throw a low-pri warning if an expression statement is == or ===; warn that the developer may have meant an assignment (=). if window.XXXX or window"XXXX" is encountered, add XXXX (as long as it's a valid JavaScript identifier) to the known globals so subsequent references to XXXX won't throw ...???????: Monitor 2012-11-11: This is the first releasehttpclient?????????: httpclient??????? 1.0: httpclient??????? （1）?????????? （2）????????? （3）??2012-11-06??，???????。VidCoder: 1.4.5 Beta: Removed the old Advanced user interface and moved x264 preset/profile/tune there instead. The functionality is still available through editing the options string. Added ability to specify the H.264 level. Added ability to choose VidCoder's interface language. If you are interested in translating, we can get VidCoder in your language! Updated WPF text rendering to use the better Display mode. Updated HandBrake core to SVN 5045. Removed logic that forced the .m4v extension in certain ...ImageGlass: Version 1.5: http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc483/phapsuxeko/ImageGlass/1.png v1.5.4401.3015 Thumbnail bar: Increase loading speed Thumbnail image with ratio Support personal customization: mouse up, mouse down, mouse hover, selected item... Scroll to show all items Image viewer Zoom by scroll, or selected rectangle Speed up loading Zoom to cursor point New background design and customization and others... v1.5.4430.483 Thumbnail bar: Auto move scroll bar to selected image Show / Hi...Building Windows 8 Apps with C# and XAML: Full Source Chapters 1 - 10 for Windows 8 Fix 002: This is the full source from all chapters of the book, compiled and tested on Windows 8 RTM. Includes: A fix for the Netflix example from Chapter 6 that was missing a service reference A fix for the ImageHelper issue (images were not being saved) - this was due to the buffer being inadequate and required streaming the writeable bitmap to a buffer first before encoding and savingmyCollections: Version 2.3.2.0: New in this version : Added TheGamesDB.net API for Games and NDS Added Support for Windows Media Center Added Support for myMovies Added Support for XBMC Added Support for Dune HD Added Support for Mede8er Added Support for WD HDTV Added Fast search options Added order by Artist/Album for music You can now create covers and background for games You can now update your ID3 tag with the info of myCollections Fixed several provider Performance improvement New Splash ...Draw: Draw 1.0: Drawing PadNew ProjectsAelda: a try to implement a multiplayer game. Just for fun and discover principles.Alphalabs - Node Garden: "Source" code for the 2012 Alphalabs "Node Garden" project.Ants silly C experiments.: A series of experiments I have done while learning C.BANANA Platform: BANANA Platform is a set of utilities for ASP.NET and C#. It provides with 4 languages(English, Korean, Chinese and Japanese).Command Line Parser for C++ projects: Register command-line constructs such as parameters and arguments, describe each of them, give command-line examples and bind functors to trigger your logic!CraftLib: CraftLib is a simple, easy to use Minecraft library written in C# (C-Sharp). It is used to perform functions for Minecraft Launchers.Dialector: Using this program, you can convert pure Turkish texts into different dialects; such as: Emmi, Kufurbaz, Kusdili, Laz, Peltek, Tiki, and many more. Just paste any text, select your dialect, and hit "Convert"!Friend's Contact Web System: This is a simple web - based system for sharing and organizing news about incoming events. Not only for friends, but also for companies' members. Hospital Provider: that is a new project for hospital providerMicrosoft DNS Data Collector: A while back I found myself needing a way to analyze and report on the DNS queries that are coming into our company's DNS. Unfortunately short of verbose logging, there is no out of the box method of doing this with Microsoft DNS... Enter the DNS Catcher service.MTG Match Counter: MTG Match Counter is a simple life\match counter, designed for Magic: The Gathering players.NetMemory: let us remember ancestor better!PvrSharp: PvrSharp is a powerfull texture loading and conversion library, focusing on Pvr container textures, written in pure C#.SimpleGallery Orchard Module: SimpleGallery is an Orchard Module that exposes a gallery of images easy to configure and use. Paging and opening effects are available.Smart Device Updater: Provides mechanism for updating assemblies on smart device under WinMobile 5.0 and higher.stylecopmaker: stylecopmakertesttom11152012git01: dsatesttom11152012git02: fdstesttom11152012hg01: hfgtesttom11152012hg02: fdstesttom11152012tfs01: fdstesttom11152012tfs02: fdsThe Hunter - CAU Project: The Hunter is a student project made for the Game Design course for CAU. In this Codeplex Project, your can find the source code, the documentation.TKOctopus: ok laUHDPBS: Computer Science/Software Engineering Class at UH Downtown. Project is a patient billing system.VersionStar - A tool for applying database patches to a database: Apply database patches in an organized way by structuring the way your patches are stored and rigidly determine the order in which they must be applied.Virtual Pro Card: VirtualProCard is a solution to easily and efficiently manage your traditional business cards WordNet C#: The purpose of this project is demonstrate how to query the WordNet database using Microsoft Entity Framework 5 & C#.

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• Preliminary List of Keyboard Shortcuts for Unity Now Available

  - by Asian Angel

  Have you been searching for a list of keyboard shortcuts for Ubuntu’s new Unity UI? Then sit back, relax, and get your favorite printer ready to go. We have just what you have been looking for fresh from the Ask Ubuntu forums. Photo by okubax. Note: Keep in mind that some of these keyboard shortcuts may not be implemented yet due to the early development status of Unity. And now for the keyboard shortcuts… We also grabbed a copy of these Mouse Tricks that had been added to the comments sections. Keyboard Shortcuts for Unity Documentation Page [via DownloadSquad] Latest Features How-To Geek ETC Should You Delete Windows 7 Service Pack Backup Files to Save Space? What Can Super Mario Teach Us About Graphics Technology? Windows 7 Service Pack 1 is Released: But Should You Install It? How To Make Hundreds of Complex Photo Edits in Seconds With Photoshop Actions How to Enable User-Specific Wireless Networks in Windows 7 How to Use Google Chrome as Your Default PDF Reader (the Easy Way) Preliminary List of Keyboard Shortcuts for Unity Now Available Bring a Touch of the Wild West to Your Desktop with the Rango Theme for Windows 7 Manage Your Favorite Social Accounts in Chrome and Iron with Seesmic E.T. II – Extinction [Fake Movie Sequel Video] Remastered King’s Quest Games Offer Classic Gaming on Modern Machines Compare Your Internet Cost and Speed to Global Averages [Infographic]

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• Is C and Python enough?

  - by gruszczy

  I am very proficient in Python (including Django), which I use for most tasks. I am also quite confident with C; I am maintaining small file system in userspace written in C. Yet when I am browsing job offers I see everywhere Java/C# and sometimes C++. I have coded profesionally in C++ for half a year in a gaming company, but I don't consider myself a pro. Also I simply despise Java and C#, which I would prefer not to touch ever. But it seems to me, that I am at very unfavorable position, when it comes to career. I am browsing careers.stackoverflow.com and I don't see and pure python or C offers. I would like to find a new job abroad in about 6 months. If I find some python offer, it means doing web development (not my favorite job). Does it mean, that I have to quickly start improving my C++ skills, if I wish to find a satisfying job? What would you suggest me? EDIT Learning new technologies is not an issue. Company I am working in is an integrator. Basically every new project requires learning new technologies, sometimes custom made. During last two years I was writing SQLs by hand, using LDAP, writing GUI in Qt, working on large scale DBMS prototype, making our internal help desk system use gsm modem or writing own report system. In previous job I had to learn from basics everything what I could about games development, because I knew nothing and chose this job only because of the challene it posed. I am all about embracing new technologies. I have used Java in the past and simply didn't like it. It's dull and boring. Doesn't let me do anything cool. I have recently seen some C# in action and seems similar. I don't like it. It's like German. I don't like speaking German.

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• How to optimise Andengine's PathModifer (with singleton or pool)?

  - by Casla

  I am trying to build a game where the character find and follows a new path when a new destination is issued by the player, kinda like how units in RTS games work. This is done on a TMX map and I am using the A Star path finder utilities in Andengine to do this.David helped me on that: How can I change the path a sprite is following in real time? At the moment, every-time a new path is issued, I have to abandon the existing PathModifer and Path instances, and create new ones, and from what I read so far, creating new objects when you could re-use existing ones are a big waste for mobile applications. This is how I coded it at the moment: private void loadPathFound() { if (mAStarPath != null) { modifierPath = new org.andengine.entity.modifier.PathModifier.Path(mAStarPath.getLength()); /* replace the first node in the path as the player's current position */ modifierPath.to(player.convertLocalToSceneCoordinates(12, 31)[Constants.VERTEX_INDEX_X]-12, player.convertLocalToSceneCoordinates(12, 31)[Constants.VERTEX_INDEX_Y]-31); for (int i=1; i<mAStarPath.getLength(); i++) { modifierPath.to(mAStarPath.getX(i)*TILE_WIDTH, mAStarPath.getY(i)*TILE_HEIGHT); /* passing in the duration depended on the length of the path, so that the animation has a constant duration for every step */ player.registerEntityModifier(new PathModifier(modifierPath.getLength()/100, modifierPath, null, mIPathModifierListener)); } } The ideal implementation will be to always have just one object of PathModifer and just reset the destination of the path. But I don't know how you can apply the singleton patther on Andengine's PathModifer, there is no method to reset attribute of the path nor the pathModifer. So without re-write the PathModifer and the Path class, or use reflection, is there any other way to implement singleton PathModifer? Thanks for your help.

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• Blending animations for more character movements

  - by Noob Saibot

  I am making a hack n slash 3rd person game. And I want the character movements to be more dynamic not like fighting games where you have a moves list. I want to animate tons of different animations and have them "Tween" between each other? Because I want the controls to not be keyboard mouse. I want it to be all keyboard. that way you have up to 10 inputs (All your fingers) to blend and morph animations to create more fluid movements. In the end this will almost be similar to characters typing a phrase or string of keys rather than move forward mouse look click to melee. My question is. Has anyone done this before and would someone go about trying to tween lets say one for key on the keyboard excluding Tab, Caps, R+Shift, L+Shift, Enter, R+Ctrl, L+Ctrl, L+Alt, R+Alt, Windows Key, and Menu. So thats all the numbers, letters and punctuation keys. Thats 46 keys gives me a combination of 46P1 = 5502622159812088949850305428800254892961651752960000000000L (used Python) and with a minimum entry value of 2 keypresses shortening to half. This is not humanly possible to create so many inique animations in one lifetime. But I'm guessing there is a reason this hasn't been done already. Or if I just used 10 basic keys. Maybe ASDF SPACE (RIGHT HAND) 456+0 (LEFT HAND KEYPAD) it would give me 3,628,800 posible unique animations.

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• Friday Fun: Building Blasters 2

  - by Mysticgeek

  After dealing with unnecessary spreadsheets and TPS reports all week, it’s time to waste time playing a flash game. Today we take a look at Building Blasters 2 where you strategically place explosives to bring down structures. Building Blasters 2 You need to place explosives carefully to clear areas in the red level, keep bystanders safe, and manage your budget. After placing the explosives on the structure, you can set the amount of time that passes before they blow. This comes in handy when you reach advanced levels. When you’re ready to start the demolition click on the Detonate button and watch the buildings fall. If you don’t achieve the objectives, you will get the Demolition Error screen and can replay the level. After you’ve received enough money, you’ll get a message between missions telling you there is enough money to buy items in the shop. You can get enhanced destructive devices such as nitroglycerin, a wrecking ball, call in an air strike and more… If you’re sick of the pointy haired boss dragging you down all week, pretend the structures are the office building and destroy away. Building Blasters 2 is a great way to have fun and let off steam so you can enjoy your weekend. Play Building Blasters 2 For additional fun games to play, make sure and check out the How-To Geek Arcade. Similar Articles Productive Geek Tips Friday Fun: Demolition CityFriday Fun: Cargo BridgeFriday Fun: Portal, the Flash VersionFriday Fun: VehiclesFriday Fun: Play Bubble Quod TouchFreeze Alternative in AutoHotkey The Icy Undertow Desktop Windows Home Server – Backup to LAN The Clear & Clean Desktop Use This Bookmarklet to Easily Get Albums Use AutoHotkey to Assign a Hotkey to a Specific Window Latest Software Reviews Tinyhacker Random Tips Xobni Plus for Outlook All My Movies 5.9 CloudBerry Online Backup 1.5 for Windows Home Server Snagit 10 10 Superb Firefox Wallpapers OpenDNS Guide Google TV The iPod Revolution Ultimate Boot CD can help when disaster strikes Windows Firewall with Advanced Security – How To Guides

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• How to create a "retro" pixel shader for transformed 2D sprites that maintains pixel fidelity?

  - by David Gouveia

  The image below shows two sprites rendered with point sampling on top of a background: The left skull has no rotation/scaling applied to it, so every pixel matches perfectly with the background. The right skull is rotated/scaled, and this results in larger pixels that are no longer axis aligned. How could I develop a pixel shader that would render the transformed sprite on the right with axis aligned pixels of the same size as the rest of the scene? This might be related to how sprite scaling was implemented in old games such as Monkey Island, because that's the effect I'm trying to achieve, but with rotation added. Edit As per kaoD's suggestions, I tried to address the problem as a post-process. The easiest approach was to render to a separate render target first (downsampled to match the desired pixel size) and then upscale it when rendering a second time. It did address my requirements above. First I tried doing it Linear -> Point and the result was this: There's no distortion but the result looks blurred and it loses most of the highlights colors. In my opinion it breaks the retro look I needed. The second time I tried Point -> Point and the result was this: Despite the distortion, I think that might be good enough for my needs, although it does look better as a still image than in motion. To demonstrate, here's a video of the effect, although YouTube filtered the pixels out of it: http://youtu.be/hqokk58KFmI However, I'll leave the question open for a few more days in case someone comes up with a better sampling solution that maintains the crisp look while decreasing the amount of distortion when moving.

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• Problems with mounting .ISO files

  - by user89599

  I'm using Precise, with GNOME. I've attempted to install some retro, multi-cd games (KOTOR1) via .ISO images and WINE, but I can't get the ISO's to mount correctly. First I tried GMountISO, which showed a read-only warning but worked - until I went to unmount. When the installation program asked for CD 2 I couldn't unmount from the /cdrom folder because neither GMountISO or umount from terminal could detect the mount. After a reboot, I changed to GISOMount (different somehow, I guess?), but when I attempt to mount the ISO I get an error window explaining the syntax of the mount command and, which is also what I get when I attempt to use mount from terminal. After checking /media from terminal on a lark I see the disc mounted there twice over, but umount won't recognize it, even when I specify the full path sudo umount /media/KOTOR_1.iso. It cleared up upon reboot. Can someone please assist? UPDATE :: Thanks for the quick response. What's weird, is the images are like stuck in limbo... I'll show you: sc@sc-HP-110-3700:/media$ ls cdrom KOTOR_1(0)(vcd) KOTOR_1(vcd) sc@sc-HP-110-3700:/media$ cd cdrom sc@sc-HP-110-3700:/media/cdrom$ ls sc@sc-HP-110-3700:/media/cdrom$ cd .. sc@sc-HP-110-3700:/media$ umount KOTOR_1(vcd) bash: syntax error near unexpected token `(' sc@sc-HP-110-3700:/media$ umount KOTOR_1.ISO umount: KOTOR_1.ISO is not mounted (according to mtab) sc@sc-HP-110-3700:/media$ sudo umount -a umount: /run/shm: device is busy. (In some cases useful info about processes that use the device is found by lsof(8) or fuser(1)) umount: /run: device is busy. (In some cases useful info about processes that use the device is found by lsof(8) or fuser(1)) umount: /dev: device is busy. (In some cases useful info about processes that use the device is found by lsof(8) or fuser(1)) umount: /: device is busy. (In some cases useful info about processes that use the device is found by lsof(8) or fuser(1)) sc@sc-HP-110-3700:/media$

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• 'Binary XML' for game data?

  - by bluescrn

  I'm working on a level editing tool that saves its data as XML. This is ideal during development, as it's painless to make small changes to the data format, and it works nicely with tree-like data. The downside, though, is that the XML files are rather bloated, mostly due to duplication of tag and attribute names. Also due to numeric data taking significantly more space than using native datatypes. A small level could easily end up as 1Mb+. I want to get these sizes down significantly, especially if the system is to be used for a game on the iPhone or other devices with relatively limited memory. The optimal solution, for memory and performance, would be to convert the XML to a binary level format. But I don't want to do this. I want to keep the format fairly flexible. XML makes it very easy to add new attributes to objects, and give them a default value if an old version of the data is loaded. So I want to keep with the hierarchy of nodes, with attributes as name-value pairs. But I need to store this in a more compact format - to remove the massive duplication of tag/attribute names. Maybe also to give attributes native types, so, for example floating-point data is stored as 4 bytes per float, not as a text string. Google/Wikipedia reveal that 'binary XML' is hardly a new problem - it's been solved a number of times already. Has anyone here got experience with any of the existing systems/standards? - are any ideal for games use - with a free, lightweight and cross-platform parser/loader library (C/C++) available? Or should I reinvent this wheel myself? Or am I better off forgetting the ideal, and just compressing my raw .xml data (it should pack well with zip-like compression), and just taking the memory/performance hit on-load?

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• Developing a feature which sole purpose to be taken out?

  - by adib

  What is the name of the pattern in which individual contributors (programmers/designers) developed an artifact for the sole purpose is to serve as a diversion so that management can remove that feature in the final product? This is a folklore I heard from an ex-colleague who used to work at a large game development company. At that company, it is well known that middle management is pressurized to "give inputs" and "make changes" to the product otherwise they risk being seen as not contributing to the project. This situation have delayed many projects because of these superfluous "management inputs". In one project at the above company, the artists and developers created a supernumerary animated character that appears in every cutscene and sticks out like a sore thumb. They designed it in such a way that it can be easily removed before the game is shipped (this was when games were still sold in physical media and not a downloadable product). Obviously the management then voted to remove the animation. On the positive side, management didn't introduced any unnecessary changes that would have delayed the project because they have shown that they provided constructive inputs to the product. This process pattern has a name among game programmers that work in corporates, but I forgot what was the actual name. I believe it's duck-something. Anybody can help pointing out the name and perhaps some rather credible reference to how the pattern develops?.

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• Alternative to Game State System?

  - by Ricket

  As far as I can tell, most games have some sort of "game state system" which switches between the different game states; these might be things like "Intro", "MainMenu", "CharacterSelect", "Loading", and "Game". On the one hand, it totally makes sense to separate these into a state system. After all, they are disparate and would otherwise need to be in a large switch statement, which is obviously messy; and they certainly are well represented by a state system. But at the same time, I look at the "Game" state and wonder if there's something wrong about this state system approach. Because it's like the elephant in the room; it's HUGE and obvious but nobody questions the game state system approach. It seems silly to me that "Game" is put on the same level as "Main Menu". Yet there isn't a way to break up the "Game" state. Is a game state system the best way to go? Is there some different, better technique to managing, well, the "game state"? Is it okay to have an intro state which draws a movie and listens for enter, and then a loading state which loops on the resource manager, and then the game state which does practically everything? Doesn't this seem sort of unbalanced to you, too? Am I missing something?

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• I want to build a Virtual Machine, are there any good references?

  - by Michael Stum

  I'm looking to build a Virtual Machine as a platform independent way to run some game code (essentially scripting). The Virtual Machines that I'm aware of in games are rather old: Infocom's Z-Machine, LucasArts' SCUMM, id Software's Quake 3. As a .net Developer, I'm familiar with the CLR and looked into the CIL Instructions to get an overview of what you actually implement on a VM Level (vs. the language level). I've also dabbled a bit in 6502 Assembler during the last year. The thing is, now that I want¹ to implement one, I need to dig a bit deeper. I know that there are stack based and register based VMs, but I don't really know which one is better at what and if there are more or hybrid approaches. I need to deal with memory management, decide which low level types are part of the VM and need to understand why stuff like ldstr works the way it does. My only reference book (apart from the Z-Machine stuff) is the CLI Annotated Standard, but I wonder if there is a better, more general/fundamental lecture for VMs? Basically something like the Dragon Book, but for VMs? I'm aware of Donald Knuth's Art of Computer Programming which uses a register-based VM, but I'm not sure how applicable that series still is, especially since it's still unfinished? Clarification: The goal is to build a specialized VM. For example, Infocom's Z-Machine contains OpCodes for setting the Background Color or playing a sound. So I need to figure out how much goes into the VM as OpCodes vs. the compiler that takes a script (language TBD) and generates the bytecode from it, but for that I need to understand what I'm really doing. ¹ I know, modern technology would allow me to just interpret a high level scripting language on the fly. But where is the fun in that? :) It's also a bit hard to google because Virtual Machines is nowadays often associated with VMWare-type OS Virtualization...

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• C#/XNA get hardware mouse position

  - by Sunder

  I'm using C# and trying to get hardware mouse position. First thing I tryed was simple XNA functionality that is simple to use Vector2 position = new Vector2(Mouse.GetState().X, Mouse.GetState().Y); After that i do the drawing of mouse as well, and comparing to windows hardware mouse, this new mouse with xna provided coordinates is "slacking off". By that i mean, that it is behind by few frames. For example if game is runing at 600 fps, of curse it will be responsive, but at 60 fps software mouse delay is no longer acceptable. Therefore I tried using what I thought was a hardware mouse, [DllImport("user32.dll")] [return: MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.Bool)] public static extern bool GetCursorPos(out POINT lpPoint); but the result was exactly the same. I also tried geting Windows form cursor, and that was a dead end as well - worked, but with the same delay. Messing around with xna functionality: GraphicsDeviceManager.SynchronizeWithVerticalRetrace = true/false Game.IsFixedTimeStep = true/fale did change the delay time for somewhat obvious reasons, but the bottom line is that regardless it still was behind default Windows mouse. I'v seen in some games, that they provide option for hardware acelerated mouse, and in others(I think) it is already by default. Can anyone give some lead on how to achieve that.

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• How does a segment based rendering engine work?

  - by Calmarius

  As far as I know Descent was one of the first games that featured a fully 3D environment, and it used a segment based rendering engine. Its levels are built from cubic segments (these cubes may be deformed as long as it remains convex and sides remain roughly flat). These cubes are connected by their sides. The connected sides are traversable (maybe doors or grids can be placed on these sides), while the unconnected sides are not traversable walls. So the game is played inside of this complex. Descent was software rendered and it had to be very fast, to be playable on those 10-100MHz processors of that age. Some latter levels of the game are huge and contain thousands of segments, but these levels are still rendered reasonably fast. So I think they tried to minimize the amount of cubes rendered somehow. How to choose which cubes to render for a given location? As far as I know they used a kind of portal rendering, but I couldn't find what was the technique used in this particular kind of engine. I think the fact that the levels are built from convex quadrilateral hexahedrons can be exploited.

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• CodePlex Daily Summary for Friday, May 23, 2014

  CodePlex Daily Summary for Friday, May 23, 2014Popular Releasesbabelua: 1.5.5: V1.5.5 - 2014.5.23New feature: support lua5.1 keywords auto completion; debug message would write to output window now; editor outline combobox’s members now will sorting by the first letter; Stability improvement: fix a bug that when search in a file which not exists in current setting folder , result of switch relative path function would not correct; Some other bug fix;DotNet.Highcharts: DotNet.Highcharts 4.0 with Examples: DotNet.Highcharts 4.0 Tested and adapted to the latest version of Highcharts 4.0.1 Added new chart type: Heatmap Added new type PointPlacement which represents enumeration or number for the padding of the X axis. Changed target framework from .NET Framework 4 to .NET Framework 4.5. Closed issues: 974: Add 'overflow' property to PlotOptionsColumnDataLabels class 997: Split container from JS 1006: Series/Categories with numeric names don't render DotNet.Highcharts.Samples Updated s...String.Format Diagnostic (Roslyn): Diagnostic Format String (v1,3): In this release the tool is now capable of reporting multiple issues contained within the text of a formatstring. v1.3 Extends these capability to include if the formatstring argument is a String Constant. Validation Rules Supported Are the Argument Index supplied within range, of those supplied? Is the Argument Index less than the limit of 1000000 (This is defined inside of the .net framework's implementation) Is the Alignment with less than the limit of 1000 000 (This is define insid...Aspose for Apache POI: Missing Features of Apache POI SL - v 1.1: Release contain the Missing Features in Apache POI SL SDK in Comparison with Aspose.Slides for dealing with Microsoft Power Point. What's New ?Following Examples: Managing Slide Transitions Manage Smart Art Adding Media Player Adding Audio Frame to Slide Feedback and Suggestions Many more examples are yet to come here. Keep visiting us. Raise your queries and suggest more examples via Aspose Forums or via this social coding site.OSGi.NET: Asp.net MVC 4.0 integration v2.2: + Support AreaRegistrationPowerShell App Deployment Toolkit: PowerShell App Deployment Toolkit v3.1.3: Added CompressLogs option to the config file. Each Install / Uninstall creates a timestamped zip file with all MSI and PSAppDeployToolkit logs contained within Added variable expansion to all paths in the configuration file Added documentation for each of the Toolkit internal variables that can be used Changed Install-MSUpdates to continue if any errors are encountered when installing updates Implement /Force parameter on Update-GroupPolicy (ensure that any logoff message is ignored) ...WordMat: WordMat v. 1.07: A quick fix because scientific notation was broken in v. 1.06 read more at http://wordmat.blogspot.comConEmu - Windows console with tabs: ConEmu 140522 [Alpha]: ConEmu - developer build x86 and x64 versions. Written in C++, no additional packages required. Run "ConEmu.exe" or "ConEmu64.exe". Some useful information you may found: http://superuser.com/questions/tagged/conemu http://code.google.com/p/conemu-maximus5/wiki/ConEmuFAQ http://code.google.com/p/conemu-maximus5/wiki/TableOfContents If you want to use ConEmu in portable mode, just create empty "ConEmu.xml" file near to "ConEmu.exe" WebExtras: v1.4.0-Beta-1: Enh: Adding support for jQuery UI framework Enh: Adding support for jqPlot charting library Dropping dependency on MoreLinq library Note: Html.LabelForV2(...) extension method has now been deprecated. You should use Html.RequiredFieldLabelFor(...) extension method instead. This extension method will be removed in future versions.????: 《????》: 《????》（c???）??“????”???????，???????????????C?????????。???????,???????????????????????. ??????????????????????????????????；????????????????????????????。Mini SQL Query: Mini SQL Query (1.0.72.457): Apologies for the previous update! FK issue fixed and also a template data cache issue.Wsus Package Publisher: Release v1.3.1405.17: Add Russian translation (thanks to VSharmanov) Fix a bug that make WPP to crash if the user click on "Connect/Reload" while the Report Tab is loading. Enhance the way WPP store the password for remote computers command.MoreTerra (Terraria World Viewer): More Terra 1.12.9: =========== = Compatibility = =========== Updated to account for new format 1.2.4.1 =========== = Issues = =========== all items have not been added. Some colors for new tiles may be off. I wanted to get this out so people have a usable program.LINQ to Twitter: LINQ to Twitter v3.0.3: Supports .NET 4.5x, Windows Phone 8.x, Windows 8.x, Windows Azure, Xamarin.Android, and Xamarin.iOS. New features include Status/Lookup, Mute APIs, and bug fixes. 100% Twitter API v1.1 coverage, Async, Portable Class Library (PCL).CS-Script for Notepad++ (C# intellisense and code execution): Release v1.0.26.0: Added access to the Release Notes during 'Check for Updates...'' Debug panels Added support for generic types members Members are grouped into 'Raw View' and 'Non-Public members' categories Implemented dedicated (array-like) view for Lists and Dictionaries http://download-codeplex.sec.s-msft.com/Download?ProjectName=csscriptnpp&DownloadId=846498ClosedXML - The easy way to OpenXML: ClosedXML 0.70.0: A lot of fixes. See history.TBox - tool to make developer's life easier.: TBox 1.29: Bug fixing. Add LocalizationTool pluginYAXLib: Yet Another XML Serialization Library for the .NET Framework: YAXLib 2.13: Fixed a bug and added unit tests related to serializing path like aliases with one letter (e.g., './B'). Thanks go to CodeProject user B.O.B. for reporting this bug. Added `Bin/*.dll.mdb` to `.gitignore`. Fixed the issue with Indexer properties. Indexers must not be serialized/deserialized. YAXLib will ignore delegate (callback/function pointer) properties, so that the exception upon serializing them is prevented. Significant improve in cycling object reference detection Self Referr...SFDL.NET: SFDL.NET (2.2.9.2): Changelog: Neues Icon Xup.in CnL Plugin BugfixSEToolbox: SEToolbox 01.030.008 Release 1: Fixed cube editor failing to apply color to cubes. Added to cube editor, replace cube dialog, and Build Percent dialog. Corrected for hidden asteroid ore, allowing rare ore to show when importing an asteroid, or converting a 3d model to an asteroid (still appears to be limitations on rare ore in small asteroids). Allowed ore selection to Asteroid file import. (Can copy/import and convert existing asteroid to another ore). Added progress bars to common long running operations. Fixed ...New ProjectsBlueCurve Search: BlueCurve is a small experimental search engine, implemented on top of Lucene. The goal is to test ways to create a powerfull search engine system framework.C64 Studio: C64 Studio is a .NET based IDE. The program supports project based C64 assembly and/or Basic V2 and is geared towards game development.ExpressToAbroad: ExpressToAbroadFarragoJS: A set of simple JavaScript functions: FarragoJS is a set of simple JavaScript functions offering features ranging from useful to totally pointless! But hey, there's a use for everything, right?fischetest: nothingIsDrone: Simple windows client for Parrot ar Drone. ??????? ?????? ??? Parrot ar Drone ??? Windows. Jewelry: this is project about auto generate codeMRBrowserLibrary: webbrowser control libraryQuan Ly Phong Tro DevExpress and LinQ: Quan Ly Phong Tro DevExpress + LinQUseless Games: JavaScript games written for practicing this wonderful language.?????-?????【??】?????????: ?????1992?,????????????????。??????????????????????。????????????,????，????????！ ?????-?????【??】?????????: ??????、??????????????????,???????.??????????,????????。 ?????-?????【??】?????????: ??????????????,????????????,????????,???,???????????,????,????。?????,??????. ?????-?????【??】?????????: ????????,???????????,??????????,????:??,????,???????? ??????????,????????。??????！ ?????-?????【??】?????????: ?????1992?,????????????????。??????????????????????。????????????,????，????????！ ?????-?????【??】?????????: ????????,???????????,??????????,????:??,????,???????? ??????????,????????。??????！ ?????-?????【??】?????????: ???????????????,??????,??????,??????、??????,??????、??，????，??????！ ?????-?????【??】?????????: ???????2005?,????????????????????,??????????,??????。?????,???????????????????，??????！ ?????-?????【??】?????????: ????????,???????????,??????????,????:??,????,???????? ??????????,????????。??????！ ?????-?????【??】?????????: ????????,???????????,??????????,????:??,????,???????? ??????????,????????。??????！ ?????-?????【??】?????????: ???????2005?,????????????????????,??????????,??????。?????,???????????????????，??????！ ?????-?????【??】?????????: ???????????????:??????!?????!???:????、????、????、????。??,??????????!??????. ??????-??????【??】??????????: ?????????????????????,??????,???????????,????????????????,????????.??????. ?????-?????【??】?????????: ???????????????:??????!?????!???:????、????、????、????。??,??????????!??????. ?????-?????【??】?????????: ???????????????????????,????,????“???、???、???”?????,?????,?????????????????。??????！ ?????-?????【??】?????????: ???????????????,??????,??????,??????、??????,??????、??，????，??????！ ?????-?????【??】?????????: ???????????????,??????,??????,??????、??????,??????、??，????，??????！ ?????-?????【??】?????????: ?????????????????????,??????,???????????,????????????????,????????.??????. ?????-?????【??】?????????: ??????????????,????????????,????????,???,???????????,????,????。?????,??????. ?????-?????【??】?????????: ???????????????:??????!?????!???:????、????、????、????。??,??????????!??????. ?????-?????【??】?????????: ???????????????,??????,??????,??????、??????,??????、??，????，??????！ ?????-?????【??】?????????: ????????????,????,?????、???、?????,???????,?????,???????????100%。??????！ ?????-?????【??】?????????: ???????2005?,????????????????????,??????????,??????。?????,???????????????????，??????！ ?????-?????【??】?????????: ???????????????????????,???????????,??????,??????????????...????????。??????！ ?????-?????【??】?????????: ???????????????????????,???????????,??????,??????????????...????????。??????！ ?????-?????【??】?????????: ??????????????????,???,??????????、???????????????????。??????,????、????，??????！ ?????-?????【??】?????????: ???????????????,??????,??????,??????、??????,??????、??，????，??????！ ?????-?????【??】?????????: ?????????????????????,??????,???????????,????????????????,????????.??????. ?????-?????【??】?????????: ???????????????????????,????,????“???、???、???”?????,?????,?????????????????。??????！ ?????-?????【??】?????????: ?????????????????????,??????,???????????,????????????????,????????.??????. ?????-?????【??】?????????: ?????1992?,????????????????。??????????????????????。????????????,????，????????！ ?????-?????【??】?????????: ??????、??????????????????,???????.??????????,????????。 ?????-?????【??】?????????: ????????????,????,?????、???、?????,???????,?????,???????????100%。??????！ ?????-?????【??】?????????: ????????,???????????,??????????,????:??,????,???????? ??????????,????????。??????！ ?????-?????【??】?????????: ??????????????,????????????,????????,???,???????????,????,????。?????,??????. ?????-?????【??】?????????: ???????2005?,????????????????????,??????????,??????。?????,???????????????????，??????！ ?????-?????【??】?????????: ???????????????????????,???????????,??????,??????????????...????????。??????！ ?????-?????【??】?????????: ???????????????????????,???????????,??????,??????????????...????????。??????！ ?????-?????【??】?????????: ???????????????,??????,??????,??????、??????,??????、??，????，??????！ ??????-??????【??】??????????: ?????????????????????,??????,???????????,????????????????,????????.??????. ?????-?????【??】?????????: ???????????????:??????!?????!???:????、????、????、????。??,??????????!??????. ??????-??????【??】??????????: ????????,???????????,??????????,????:??,????,???????? ??????????,????????。??????！ ?????-?????【??】?????????: ????????????,????,?????、???、?????,???????,?????,???????????100%。??????！ ?????-?????【???????????: ??????????????,????????????,????????,???,???????????,????,????。?????,??????. ?????-?????【??】?????????: ??????????????,????????????,????????,???,???????????,????,????。?????,??????. ?????-?????【??】?????????: ??????????????????,???,??????????、???????????????????。??????,????、????，??????！ ?????-?????【??】?????????: ???????????????????????,???????????,??????,??????????????...????????。??????！ ?????-?????【??】?????????: ????????????,????,?????、???、?????,???????,?????,???????????100%。??????！ ?????-?????【??】?????????: ?????1992?,????????????????。??????????????????????。????????????,????，????????！ ?????-?????【??】?????????: ??????、??????????????????,???????.??????????,????????。 ?????-?????【??】?????????: ???????2005?,????????????????????,??????????,??????。?????,???????????????????，??????！ ?????-?????【??】?????????: ?????????????????????,??????,???????????,????????????????,????????.??????. ?????-?????【??】?????????: ??????????????????,???,??????????、???????????????????。??????,????、????，??????！

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• Changing Career to Game Development

  - by Don Carleone

  I m enthusiastic about and ready to shifting my career to Game Development sector, but before that I wonder some situations, I m now working as Senior .net programmer, i can only write code in c# right now, but i started to learn c++, I m computer engineer so before I know how to write in C but I didnt work with big projects, I wrote "Game of Life" before with C and used only Linked List DataStructure becouse of pushed my limits. But now I m thinking to shift Game Development, I love to play Console Games, I respect people who works about that business. But I just wonder, I see a lot of great developers who write codes with C++ and I ask myself that guys dont think to join Game Industry so why I think I can join! is that True? I dont live in USA or big country like. I live in a poor country, and here is no any Game Development Company, so I have to move to USA for working that job. So can you tell me if I start to learn something (c++,game enginees,physic enginees,3d math etc.) right now and working my usual job, after 7-8 month is it good time to move and finding a job about Game development in USA as junior game developer? is that possible? or is this just a dream? I realy need your advices. You can give down vote about that no problem, at least one advice can help me in my life.

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• Modern techniques for spriting

  - by DevilWithin

  Hello, I would like to know the flow for making modern 2D game artwork. How are the assets made nowadays? Bitmap? Vector-based? Hand-drawn and painted? Drawn digitally? Modeled in 3D and exported to bitmaps? I would like some information on programs as well, for fine looking art. Why does Flash's vector art style look good in most games? How do I make equivalent graphics with external tools? Or equaly good and not vector-based, anyway. Any special hints for animating? An answer oriented towards a one-man-army indie developer with little experience but some artistic sense would be appreciated! Not a complete dummy with paint programs, but also not a master at all, just need efficient ways to achieve results. Thanks. NOTE: Pixel art is not the goal of this question, nothing related to direct pixel manipulation should be brought up here, but you're free to do exactly that :)

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• How to implement lockstep model for RTS game?

  - by user11177

  In my effort to learn programming I'm trying to make a small RTS style game. I've googled and read a lot of articles and gamedev q&a's on the topic of lockstep synchronization in multiplayer RTS games, but am still having trouble wrapping my head around how to implement it in my own game. I currently have a simple server/client system. For example if player1 selects a unit and gives the command to move it, the client sends the command [move, unit, coordinates] to the server, the server runs the pathfinding function and sends [move, unit, path] to all clients which then moves the unit and run animations. So far so good, but not synchronized for clients with latency or lower/higher FPS. How can I turn this into a true lockstep system? Is the right methodology supposed to be something like the following, using the example from above: Turn 1 start gather command inputs from player1 send to the server turn number and commands end turn, increment turn number The server receives the commands, runs pathfinding and sends the paths to all clients. Next turn receive paths from server, as well as confirmation that all clients completed previous turn, otherwise pause and wait for that confirmation move units gather new inputs end turn Is that the gist of it? Should perhaps pathfinding and other game logic be done client side instead of on the server, if so why? Is there anything else I'm missing? I hope someone can break down the concept, so I understand it better.

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• Game actions that take multiple frames to complete

  - by CantTetris

  I've never really done much game programming before, pretty straightforward question. Imagine I'm building a Tetris game, with the main loop looking something like this. for every frame handle input if it's time to make the current block move down a row if we can move the block move the block else remove all complete rows move rows down so there are no gaps if we can spawn a new block spawn a new current block else game over Everything in the game so far happens instantly - things are spawned instantly, rows are removed instantly etc. But what if I don't want things to happen instantly (i.e animate things)? for every frame handle input if it's time to make the current block move down a row if we can move the block move the block else ?? animate complete rows disappearing (somehow, wait over multiple frames until the animation is done) ?? animate rows moving downwards (and again, wait over multiple frames) if we can spawn a new block spawn a new current block else game over In my Pong clone this wasn't an issue, as every frame I was just moving the ball and checking for collisions. How can I wrap my head around this issue? Surely most games involves some action that takes more than a frame, and other things halt until the action is done.

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• How do I nstall MS Office 2010 via WINE?

  - by Emeris

  I am trying to install MS Office 2010 on Ubuntu 12.04 on my new MacBook Pro (15"). I already read and followed every existing threads on forums and followed every existing tutorial, but my problem seem unique so far, since whichever solution I try, the problem remains. When I launch PlayOnLinux, two boxes appear one after the other (before the latest upgrade of Ubuntu of last week, the second box did not appear, only the first one did); the first one tells me: Error: PlayOnLinux is unable to find 32-bits OpenGL libraries. You might encounter problem with your games." When I close this window, a second one pops up, stating: Error: PlayOnLinux cannot find 7z. You should install it to use PlayOnLinux. Of course, I tried purging PlayOnLinux (uninstalling it and re-installing it). I also tried other versions of PlayOnLinux. Nothing matters: the problem remains. I did not succeed so far to install 32-bits OpenGL libraries, since I have a Radeon graphics card (which seems to be unusual) and I just cannot find these libraries. Once the two "error" boxes are closed, PlayOnLinux is open, but does not seem to work properly; when I try to install Microsoft Office 2010, nothing happens. When I try to close PlayOnLinux, it is even worse: Unity seems unable to close it (I even had a frozen screen when trying to xkill it through the terminal). I am looking forward to any tips that could help. P.S.: 01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI Whistler [AMD Radeon HD 6600M Series]

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• game multiplayer service development

  - by nomad

  I'm currently working on a multiplayer game. I've looked at a number of multiplayer services(player.io, playphone, gamespy, and others) but nothing really hits the mark. They are missing features, lack platform support or cost too much. What I'm looking for is a simple poor man's version of steam or xbox live. Not the game marketplace side of those two but the multiplayer services. User accounts, profiles, presence info, friends, game stats, invites, on/offline messaging. Basically I'm looking for a unified multiplayer platform for all my games across devices. Since I can't find what I'm planning to roll my own piece by piece. I plan to save on server resources by making most of the communication p2p. Things like game data and voice chat can be handled between peers and the server keeps track of user presence and only send updates when needed or requested. I know this runs the risk of cheating but that isn't a concern right now. I plan to run this on a Amazon ec2 micro server for development then move to a small to large instance when finished. I figure user accounts would be the simplest to start with. Users can create accounts online or using in game dialog, login/out, change profile info. The user can access this info online or in game. I will need user authentication and secure communication between server and client. I figure all info will be stored in a database but I dont know how it can be stored securely and accessed from webserver and game services. I would appreciate and links to tutorials, info or advice anyone could provide to get me started. Any programming language is fine but I plan to use c# on the server and c/c++ on devices. I would like to get started right away but I'm in no hurry to get it finished just yet. If you know of a service that already fits my requirements please let me know.

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• Have You Ever Wondered How Your Operating System Got Its Name?

  - by Justin Garrison

  Have you ever wondered what “XP” stands for or where “Ubuntu” comes from? Some operating systems get their names from obvious places, but others need some explaining. Read on to find out where your favorite OS got its name. We’ve rounded up the most popular and well-known operating systems, as well as a few lesser-known ones—if you know of another operating system with an interesting story behind its name, make sure to teach your fellow readers in the comments. Latest Features How-To Geek ETC Have You Ever Wondered How Your Operating System Got Its Name? Should You Delete Windows 7 Service Pack Backup Files to Save Space? What Can Super Mario Teach Us About Graphics Technology? Windows 7 Service Pack 1 is Released: But Should You Install It? How To Make Hundreds of Complex Photo Edits in Seconds With Photoshop Actions How to Enable User-Specific Wireless Networks in Windows 7 Dim an Overly Bright Alarm Clock with a Binder Divider Preliminary List of Keyboard Shortcuts for Unity Now Available Bring a Touch of the Wild West to Your Desktop with the Rango Theme for Windows 7 Manage Your Favorite Social Accounts in Chrome and Iron with Seesmic E.T. II – Extinction [Fake Movie Sequel Video] Remastered King’s Quest Games Offer Classic Gaming on Modern Machines

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• KERPOOOOW!

  - by Matt Christian

  Recently I discovered the colorful world of comic books.  In the past I've read comics a few times but never really got into them.  When I wanted to start a collection I decided either video games or comics yet stayed away from comics because I am less familiar with them. In any case, I stopped by my local comic shop and picked up a few comics and a few trade paperbacks.  After reading them and understanding their basic flow I began to enjoy not only the stories but the art styles hiding behind those little white bubbles of text (well, they're USUALLY white).  My first stop at the comic store I ended up with: - Nemesis #1 (cover A) - Shuddertown #1 (cover A I think) - Daredevil: King of Hell's Kitchen Trade Paperback - Peter Parker: Spiderman - One Small Break Trade Paperback It took me about 3-4 days to read all of that including re-reading the single issues and glancing over the beginning of Daredevil again.  After a week of looking around online I knew a little more about the comics I wanted to pick up and the kind of art style I enjoyed.  While Peter Parker: Spiderman was ok, I really enjoyed the detailed, realistic look of Daredevil and Shuddertown. Now, a few years back I picked up the game The Darkness for PS3.  I knew it was based off a comic but never read the comic.  I decided I'd pick up a few issues of it and ended up with: - The Darkness #80 (cover A) - The Darkness #81 (cover A) - The Darkness #82 (cover A) - The Darkness #83 (cover A) - The Darkness Shadows and Flame #1  (one-shot; cover A) - The Darkness Origins: Volume 1 Trade Paperback (contains The Darkness #1-6) - New Age boards and bags for storing my comics The Darkness is relatively good though jumping from issue #6 to issue #80 I lost a bit on who the enemy in the current series is.  I think out of all of them, issue #83 was my favorite of them. I'm signed up at the local shop to continue getting Nemesis, The Darkness, and Shuddertown, and I'll probably pick up a few different ones this weekend...

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