stigzler

Irony is, Namco made pacman?

My god. I've finally become officially old. I have no idea what all that means. I mean, I get the broad business or crypto-currencies, but that's on another level. Wasn't the 2600 originally designed to play pong? Think they may have lost touch a little.....

btw - have any of you played Divinity Original Sin 2? tbh - I've just gotten so bored of games over the past few years - even the triple A titles feel banal and unoriginal (RDR2, GOW etc etc). I very rarely finish them. However, been playing this game and it's absolutely phenomenal! Very excited to find such an original and well executed game. As a consequence, looking forward to Baldurs Gate 3 (although haven't played the others). Maybe it's cos I'm getting old and I prefer turn based cos of my old man hands.

..and that, Tom, is where true change starts! Daring to have those unspeakable conversations. Good on you + you're right - it's only as good as the context in which it is delivered. It's better than the alternative (read: American model), but it is deeply flawed and politicised. Just look at the state of Chirs Whitty (chief govt medical adviser for non-uk folk); to quote Burcow a real "craven lickspittle" of a man. Your family's health in his hands. I've worked across many public sector organisations, including the NHS. All have their faults. The NHS is particularly full of terrible managers who ultimately don't give a shit about their patients. Most of the clinicians do, though; but most services are horrendously underfunded due to sweetheart deals with private companies like Carillion. It genuinely really, really shocking. ...and the clapping. A good move by a Prime minister who is sending doctors and nurses into hospitals to die due to lack of PPE and testing. Really, it beggars belief that people don't see what's going on. Bad, psychopathic generals have been doing this for time immemorial. Sorry to put a downer on things, I've just had a day battling the empire Keep yer chin up fellas and don't let the bastards grind you down.

Another analogy: it's not about the size of the dog in the fight, it's all about the size of the fight in the dog. Of course, I am not calling your wife a dog.... oh bloody hell, I always get myself in trouble when I try to be supportive..... I think we all know deep down that there is an alternative way to live and that modern living is particularity corrupt. I took your earlier point, Tom, and I don't think either of the old models (socialism or neo liberalism/free markets) are the answer. A new progressive and modern model is needed. There's a huge number of good economists and academics out there who know the answers. Unfortunately, the shareholders and boards don't like them. I feel for your situation, Draco and it's reminding me of the global economic crash around 2007. Private industries and families were hit hard first (my mate and his wife had a crap time) followed by public sector 3 years later (I lost my career of 15 years due to Cameron and Osborne - I'm back now as a lead in my job, but it took 10 years and a significant failed relationship). Stick with it. They're bastards.

Bastards. I feel for you guys in the states. Our neo liberal free-market psychopaths are nasty, but the states is on a different level. "Let's make America great again" Sadly more like turkeys voting for Christmas. Google Milton Freidman. The 20th century's second biggest psychopath (second only to Kim Kardasian). Tell yer men to fight. Also an IT professional with network skills in the present time? This could be an opportunity to find a decent employer.

Get in. Shadow of the Colossus! Thanks for the heads up

aha. And now the mass paranoia starts...

If we ever wanted a watermark for our fellow human beings in terms of who has reached the next step of human evolution and who are the laggards, it is this, boys.

I know I'm always banging on about capitalism, but gotta say - awesome motor! What I really want to know is whether there's a Jarvis inside?

We reap what we sow and the world's going to feel incredibly ugly for a while. We've allowed capitalism, consumerism and a sense of entitlement flourish as the guiding moral principles in this world and I'm afraid it's good people like yourself, Hans that are going to get it. You don't deserve it, just stick to your own morals which presumably are treating people with respect. Pause, breath and repeat the position. That's all you can do. Do not let others escalate you. They have no entitlement or power over how you react or when you respond. I'm really grateful to people like you, Hans and to be honest, I really need people like you at the moment else I would starve. Please look after yourself and keep yourself well for us all. As a funny aside, a Deli assistant was my very first job! White waxed hat, meat slicer, cheese wire and all! I could hit half a pound of cheese every time! Hated changing that cheese wire though! Loved meat slicing - (mmmm offcuts!)

Looks good fella. Good point about the webcam!

I miss the Ben Heck show.... Dunno if it's cool or sad what he's doing now (basement vids). I'm wondering if he got screwed over by Element 14 (read: content slave drivers).

@hansolo77 - you, buddy, are one of the front-line. All the focus is on the NHS (and i know it well - it doesn't surprise me - it is its own best promoter ), but there's an army of other's that will be needed over the next 6 months to a year. Food manufacturers, deliver drivers, logistics firms, IT people, pharmaceutical manufacturers etc etc. These are all heroes. Thanks for the risks you're taking, Hans. @RIP-Felix - I do take your points about how this throws 'market forces' into relief and it's maybe a real opportunity to stop and ask "wait, what do we really need?" Things like a 4 day working week and basic universal income may become more "considerable" if we manage to exist through 6 months of difference. However, my understanding is that this is a true pandemic, and not linked with the usual suspects - 3 times more potent than flu and also on a similar contagion scale to thresholds for such a classification. Apparently, we tend to get 3 a century and one was due. Good point about global warming! In some ways this is simpler than that - limit contact and transmission + we're done in a set period of time. Now, asking people to invest in the short term to save in the long term - that's a different issue (especially when 'value' is commonly linked to money, not quality of life). As I sit here in my warm house with food in my fridge, I feel privileged. There are refugees and people in significant poverty out there who have no access to medical services, can't avoid residential overcrowding. These are the people we need to be thinking about. Oh yeah - and you IT guys - you're also the front line. What a fantastic opportunity for innovations. Raspberry Pi zeros, a $10 LCD screen and a $3 webcam, anyone? < steps off soap box

On a serious note (honestly) I would all urge you all to look after yourselves. I've been battling with this as over the past week or so- how seriously to take this. I was hospitalised last year and received two diagnoses of chronic conditions: Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Wegeners (a respiratory condition). I'm presently on immuno-supressants. It made me realise how fragile health is. However, I'm also still going out to pick up groceries (I live alone) and thinking about how I'm goign to do my job when I go back to work next week (I work for the NHS). Someone I respect has just told me to take this all very seriously (and he's no drama queen), so I'm think I'm going to "Shield" myself away. Funny really, if you'd have told me 4 weeks ago that I was going to have to lock myself indoors, order in all the time and have no contact with people, I'd have advised you that you'd just described heaven. Now it tastes a little sour.... Look after yourselves, guys - I suspect there may be a few chronic, auto-immune or respiratory conditions amongst us - let those who it wont effect do the leg work for once. Well enough seriousness nor now. I'm off to give myself a peanut.

Don't tell anyone, but I've had access to some top secret information. Covid 19 was created and distributed by Andrex and their f**king puppy.

No need to brag, old boy. Sheesh - these toilet roll rich Bourgeois...

I'm just going to mine to nick the bog-roll. Keep safe guys.

I've been training for this day all my life...

"Don't go out... stay at home indoors... get everything delivered... avoid contact with people entirely....." ...and?

Hello fellas - just thought I'd pop in and say hi. I've got a new leadership job and working 60 hour weeks, so sadly aint got much time these days to get busy creating like I used to. Bloody responsibilities.. Still miss the banter + peanuts and hope you're all doing good. Steve

Errrr. Maybe? I think I read somewhere that there was a bug in the SID chip that gave an audible click when you changed the volume. They then manipulated this to essentially play a sample. It's the bottom line on the scope - sounds like an 80s sample @ that! geeetar... Whodathunk tetris' music was such a ground breaker?

100 points if you know how he got 4 voices working on a 3 voice chip...

Evenin. I don't know if any of you have seen this guy's channel. Some awesome game code breakdowns. This one deep dives into the AI of pacman! I thought you guys may appreciate it.

Heyup Tom. Likewise really, but mine was born of bank holiday trips to Skegvegas. Arcade machines were a rarity in my hometown, so seeing them a few times a years added to the magic! Always remember seeing games like SpaceHarrier (pneumatic version) and Gauntlet and being blown away. Whilst we didn't holiday in exotic climes, I do remember finding a small 5-machine arcade in a small Welsh fishing village one night + playing Spy Hunter all night, whilst my parents partook of the sauce.... "can I have some more 10p's please, mum?" how's things?