libzdl

Since a lot of ZDL code is redundant, and probably could be used in other ZDL projects, I think it makes sense to provide my backbone ZDL code as a library for others to use. I plan on both releasing the native C++ and a C interface.

Perhaps I’ll incorporate it into Bio’s ZDL as well, because that readINI stuff is wayyy to funky.

Also, I hope to get something to show in terms of ZDL this weekend, even if it is a halfbrained jumble of that that hardly works - it’s more than what I got now.

It’s Official

After toying more with Qt, I’m pretty sure that the Sharp bits in ZDLSharp will be replaced. For the most part, it’s going to be re-engineered using the ZDLSideKick code I have lying around. Since my Qt code is lots more class-y than it’s ZDLSharp cousin, things will roll together way better.

In addition, I’m going to be forced into using GPL. I also plan on using the SourceForge CVS from now on, and I’ll even accept patches and fixes from others! The advantage of Qt is that I’ll be able to move across platforms fairly transparently. I started compiling Qt on windows today, so it’ll be ready to go for a release. I’m also changing my development release system. Before now, I was more release-happy. Now that I plan on using Linux full time, I’ll have two streams for releases: a more stable release that doesn’t happen often, and more beta releases. The source will be released for the more beta releases, and this will allow Linux and Windows devs to compile it and test it out, while leaving the Windows end users to be on a more lagged release stream. While this sounds not as good, it will actually result in more and better releases (so I can code any time, instead of booting to Windows).

The original ZDL was developed to reduce complexity, and I must keep that in mind. One of the new cool features of ZDLSharp 3.0.5.3q (signifying a qt release), is that it’s resizable, and will accommodate DPIs other than 96.

Manga is my old friend… and now maybe BioHazard’s new one.

I thought I’d mention that Phoenix Wright is having its once Japanese-only Manga released over here. That can only mean one thing: BioHazard is going to have even less of a life than is already the case.

NOTE- If anyone else here DOES has a life, let me know; I want to know how so I can get one myself. Currently I’m only good at internet research…

Then again… (re-written)

After many days of back and forth, I thought that it seemed like the previous topic wouldn’t get very far. Well, it didn’t, lol, BUT it seems Microsoft thought up another pointless idea, and to look like it’s for for the gamer’s benefit, allowing gamers to create their own games and even be given the opportunity to be a download on their servers.  That is, if it gets past the “OMGN00B! ur gam suxz LOLOLOLOLZ!” phase.

WARNING: bashing ahead.

While I would actually would have sooner expected this idea from Nintendo (WiiWare comes to mind…), even more funny yet, while investigating the situation more, they use a cross-platform framework to be making them… well, so they claim. XNA says key phrases like cross-platform and multi-platform, but explicitly prohibits making games for anything other than Windows and the 360.  Come to think of it, the 360 is based off of the Xbox’s operating system, which is based off of good ol’ 2000. Translation: windows only, regardless of hardware names. Microsoft is  about making money and crushing competition (no surprise.), after all.

ANOTHER WARNING: Danger- It could be a trap.

Of course, their new marketing ploy is quite probably a code mining operation: If they were to put in a clause to the extent of “Any and all code, in part or in whole, is to become corporate Intellectual property. By agreeing to this license and/or by using any and all of our software, you waive any rights over such code.”, they get even richer, FAST.  Too farfetched?  Nope. Likely? Yep. Look at the stuff they would be able to claim for free if they did: games made by others and personal profits. Especially if it was a hit.

(End of bashing and traps.)

Nintendo, meanwhile, is very busy getting ready to give the competition a run for their money by doing all sorts of nifty stuff. Admittedly, I just hope they actually do it this time. Anybody remember the promises of the large number of VC games they once made for the Wii’s release? In any case, it sounds like they may have a good thing going.

Anyone have an idea of what Sony is up to?  I can’t find much on them right now.

There is Only One

Gaming hardware is probably the most expensive piece of tech to keep up to date. It seems that every day, there’s a new game that not only demands top-of-the-line hardware, but better than top of the line. At the risk of sounding like an advertisement, I’m going to say that nVidia is the best for graphics hardware. Nothing else can compare. Keep in mind I’ve never owned an ATI card, but know a few that have.

A friend of mine owns a nVidia card, and he’s constantly plagued by random rendering glitches. While it runs cooler and takes less power, he’s making a big sacrifice just to play a game. It doesn’t stop there, nVidia has great support on all platforms, including Linux. In fact, the support for linux is the reason I bought nVidia, and at this point, even if ATI was better, the drivers are still crap. But don’t mistaken me for someone that’s so hardcore for GPL/FOSS that I’m blinded by this, nVidia delivers binary drivers. I really don’t care, they work, really well.

Sometimes I think that I should give ATI another shot, being a Canadian company, and the supposed “benchmarks” are better, but real world stats are all that matters. Seriously. Go nVidia.

MSVC Is Free…ish?

A recent slashdot post has revealed that Microsoft wants to give away their pro versions of MSVC to students. Personally, I’m not sure how to take this. On one hand, it might actually improve the software down the road, as people may or may not have more experience with it, and on the other hand, it may push people into little Microsoft droids.

MSVC is a really powerful product, and does what it’s designed to, which is abstract the compiler bits and keep things manageable. I’ve had extensive use with it both in and out of school, and can personally vouch that it’s pretty decent. One could see this as a big marketing scheme to get people to like it so much they need it and will buy it.

I think there is too much hype around languages that don’t teach you how things work. Java is an instance of this, it teaches you how to solve the problem, but not how to write code that’s quick and efficient, something better suited to C. However, C has tradeoffs. It’s harder to learn, and takes more skill to master (if such a thing can happen).

What ever happened to “The customer is always right.”?

There was a time, once and long ago, where the customer’s feedback was actually important to the sales of a company’s product. Now, you buy them or you don’t, because they’re not hurting financially. But yet we still continue to buy their sub-par products because of one reason or another. But should you suggest something that makes it better; you’re not part of the solution, you’re the problem.

Computer Operating System companies are prime examples of this.  If the product doesn’t have what you want, too bad. Buy the more expensive product or go somewhere else. Or better yet… wait until the next release and buy the same product again with that feature for twice the price. But don’t suggest anything, it’s against company policy to take suggestions.

Video Game companies are not exempt from this philosophy, either. You buy their product, and then ideas for improvements roll around. If they think of it, it’s gold and rolled out.  If YOU think of it, it’s against company policy to hear it out. After all, customers bought the product as-is, so it must not need changes by the consumer.

This is not limited to just those two examples, either.

If companies are not going to listen, they need to see bankruptcy and boycotts, not profits and sales. Nobody speaks up in number, so they continue to get their greed money. The few that do speak up get the run around. There are (although very few) exceptions, but they don’t make much of a difference, which is very saddening.

If anyone has any ideas of what could be done to make changes, let me know. People need a voice, and deserve that much if not even more than that.

Some program is forgetting it’s purpose…

I was checking around my computer for large files I could delete and I ran across /var/log/messages. Guess how big it was…

-rw------- 1 root root 2.8G Feb 18 14:27 messages

Guess what’s in it…

Feb 18 10:12:13 ferret acpid: received event "processor CPU0 00000080 00000000"
Feb 18 10:12:13 ferret acpid: notifying client 2745[0:0]
Feb 18 10:12:13 ferret acpid: notifying client 2939[104:1004]
Feb 18 10:12:13 ferret acpid: notifying client 4035[0:0]
Feb 18 10:12:13 ferret acpid: completed event “processor CPU0 00000080 00000000″

Repeat that for 2.8 gigabytes. over 18 days.

Isin’t ACPI supposed to help keep power consumption down? Why is it writing to the disk 95 times a second? Does it have to notify me every time the CPU speed changes due to frequency scaling?

Is C# Viable?

It recently has come to my attention that C# may not be the best platform for ZDL. It started out as a test to see how quickly I could get a product rolled out. In reality, really fast. The have been hurdles, however. Since I do all my C# dev from Microsoft Visual Studio, and I run Linux, I have to boot into Windows XP just to do some development work. This leads to significant delays in product updates. Then there’s the deal with cross platformness. ZDLSharp works under Mono, sort of. You have to build a recent CVS version to get it to work, that is, the normal version of Mono will not run ZDLSharp. When running under mono, the look and feel is that of Windows 9x, so not particularly pretty.

Others have griped that the requirement for the .NET runtime on the host computer has been a nuisance. People have complained that they’ve tried to take their installation elsewhere on a USB key, only to find out that the host doesn’t have .NET and is locked down to prevent installations. I think the only solution, is to move away from C# altogether, and move to a cross platform library.

On second thought, why re-invent the wheel? I just want to play!

In a previous post I mentioned I was thinking about DIY laser tag because (amongst other things) Lazer Tag Team Ops had been discontinued along with the older WoW taggers. But since that time, a new fact has come to light (more like a Hasbro press release) that makes me think twice about outright building some DIY taggers for a while.

LTTO is being re-released with a new name this fall.

It even has a video game attachment, a rumble pack, a shield button, a manual reload feature and the ability to be customized (although to what extent I do not know.). Having always wanted to use that system, I’m thrilled. I do hope that my happiness isn’t misfounded, however. Time will tell, it’s coming out in the fall. Now to find something to do until then.

(For any interested, the press release is located at Hasbro’s Website so feel free to go have a look. )