Herbal Influence

Tooo bad the Chinook is tooo loud ... I love it. Misson runs fine, but Mando-Missiles are much too less arcadish for me ... :D It's THE PvP the world is looking for! (Sorry, Benny, but I need this better Unit Cam here!)

But isn't that pure realism? You can hear through buildings - sometime. You can hear units in Strelka from Kameny - depends on the wind and the noises the unit makes. And not reacting to enemies a 20 m afar - to me it's just human - they clearly are in a shock sometimes. I would be and I allow my AI-mates to be too. Same goes with "stuck in danger" - would you ran around when you can be sure to be shot down? I love it like it is. But daily I meet the same frustrations as the original poster - it remains simply difficult to explain in words the fascination of BIS games. But that may be a result of their nature: They are immensely open and complex.

Absolutely great thing! I can run in and I can even kill passengers ... ;-)) Never seen this before ... and the sound is great also ... I immediately remembered having heard the noise in real life. Is it a sampled real life sound? Is there any mission using this already? At best a crcti on Everon ? ;-)

Do I understand it correctly? The most critic of the actual behaviour is due to the fact that they act more real than ever before e.g. wait for wounded soldiers and move slowly when attacked?

What exactly is the reason Google suddenly went from Saulus to Paulus, from "do evil" into "do no evil"-strategy again? Starting with it's CEO Schmidts own voice on privacy of data: "If you don't want people to learn what you have done you should first think about doing it at all." This attitude matches too good with the dictator "Big Brother" of George Orwells novell "1984": I don't think they have ever had any moral problems with censoring. It's all about a PR gag now. And Google is well aware it's inevitably for they are losing ground in Europe every day the last months, so a PR coup is quite important these days. And it's much cheaper than paying for advertisements in the media. Like I would have told Bill Gates doing in Malaria about a six years ago. Normal marketing couldn't help Microsoft any more. Only as a collateral effect of this PR show - it might help some Chinese people to feel their bonds.

A lot of threads can tell you that it's not bad coding but simply the complexity of the game. And the bottleneck are the in/out-rates of your harddisks.

Thanx for your answers. Mmmm .... not possible for non-members to view the licenses ... :-( And this I have never seen before in BIS games:

I tried to read it all ... but only got the first 10 pages or so. So maybe it has already been said or discussed .. :o I looked at the website and saw that the mod for BF requires to sign up and the language is quite professional, sounding commercial to me ... so my questions are: - will I be required to sign up somewhere to host or play it? - are there any other commitments other than Arma2-gamers are used to? (costs, restrictions of use, etc.) Anybody ?

I am happy: Most users ever online was 1,551, Mar 21 2010 at 15:36 !

Yeah - you still see the cars because the EU Commission dropped a fine on Microsoft a few times ... other browsers, other mediaplayers would have died otherwise. Microsoft attacked the freedom of the market, the freedom of the customers - and had to be stopped and fined by the EU Government. If you see other cars than Fords on the street, than you are not a software developer with a good idea: He sees only one sort of cars - Fords. If he would start to develop for other cars, he would be ruined fastly - for "defacto", there are no other cars than just Fords around. That's what you call freedom? Freedom of choice for software developers? What are the problems with Linux other than OpenGL ? (That part I cannot evaluate - it might be a big hindrance. Though I posted OpenGL is making big steps .. .. recently.)

@Snafu: "No amount "freedom" garbage talk will change that." That's something you saying in a world that is ruled to 97 % by one software developer - commercial and proprietary. You seem to be sure that you would not be urging for freedom when down in the streets there are 97 % of Ford-cars driving around though there used to be a lot more kind of different cars ... @ch_123: No revolution will ever take place with the attitude that Big Brother Microsoft is doing everything quite right for you, cosy and warm. According to what you call sober realism and on the other hand use of too much herbs - OFP would never have happened. You would have bashed that idea of OFP from BIS in 1999 down the thread faster than they could have posted ..... with the same arguments: Too complicated, too buggy by principle (for it's openess), other games much more serious and nicer etc. etc. And now that BIS did undertake that step of a revolutionary game, you sit back in your velvets seats again and bash the next revolutionary step that is kinda logic ... Come on guys - stop bashing ideas. Have them!

Oh, guys, you have a million-bucks-marketing behind you. You doing quite easy defending Microsoft, believing Microsoft - nothing easier than that. I surrender. Not because of facts, but because it's not easy to come up with a idealistic idea and being critisized for just that. I am a dreamer - a dreamer running a few PCs with Ubuntu Linux 24h/7days. In professional use, professional circumstances. And Linux has credibility - by openess, not by marketing, not by money. Linux exists free, Linux exists for free, Linux is open. If you don't have a bit of a dream things getting free again, nothing will ever happen. You might be older than me? Lost your dreams? Imagine there's only Open Source. Imagine all the people living life in peace. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. One day you'll awake if there are 99 % of Opels down the streets. And you will remember: Has there never been any other cars than just Opels? Where have they gone? Should I have bought a BMW to help it survive? Weren't they for free? Why did I buy only Opels myself ... the last years. Now BMWs are dead. :-( And don't get me wrong: I don't hate Microsoft as a Software. I hate a demolished, a destroyed free market. That's what makes me sad. A free market needs people who want it to be free.

@snafu: It's too bad you cannot appreciate that kind of freedom I spoke of. But that's your personal preferences. No problem. They can buy Microsoft OSs like they did before. They have to pay for that like before. But - important ! - they - first time in their life - is not dictated to buy Microsoft. First time in their life - they have the choice. Freedom of choice is not too bad a thing. There is indeed a fairy land that you would have laughed upon and called people crazy even imagining it, too: Ubuntu Linux runs fast and smooth incl. OpenOffice with no cost at all on many desktops. Free as free beer and free as in free speech ... And as I already said: The real committed BIS-gamer doesn't have the time to do other games. :eek: But if not: He can do like he always did: Buy and boot Microsoft ... Well - sure you are right to a big part. But I don't think it's only DirectX they gotta deal with. I would like to hear their voices on this ... :rolleyes: Sure they can. With a 30 min install of Ubuntu it's on the PC without realizing it. This should/could be a sign to the customers: Hey - you really don't need to buy anything else - this PC is perfect and perfectly free in two senses: Free as free beer and free as in free speech. You mustn't follow me - it sure needs a certain marketing, a special sensibility. Lez just imagine the news saying: "Microsoft introduces new obligatory antivirus-update for 60 USDollars/year. If you don't accept this security update, OSs performance will decrease over the time of 12 months." Just to feel the dependancy that is there in fact and to get a taste of freedom. By the by: as of today with Linux you don't need an antivirus-software. That's another thing BIS could sell as a surplus. Sure you can use without costs e.g. Avira - but last test in ct (heise.de) showed it under the worst of comparable (and costly!) antivirus-software.

The reasoning is: 1. People could spare the money they used to pay to Microsoft for paying BIS (50 - 250 Dollars - roughly estimated). Remember: Everytime you buy a new PC with Microsoft you are paying Microsoft that amount for the OS. 2. The developers would have an insight in their "whole project". I know some software developers and they love free software for this. With closed software you always depend on the pieces of information the OS-Seller wants to give you - with Open Source software you have full control. It's is also easier to optimize special things for BIS software. 3. You deliver a surplus for the same money: Not only does the customer get BIS software, but also a state of the art OS and an Officesuite.

If you buy a PC you pay between 50 and 250 or so Dollars for only having Microsoft on it. This money could then be BIS money. @raedor: 1. Arma2 is so time consuming and fascinating - you should stop playing Civ additonally. ;-) And if you do: Complete Reboot with Ubuntu is less than 59 secs - lez say 130 secs with Microsoft. That's not much compared to the time you playing? And, if BIS would start with an "own" OS, others will follow. Soon there is no rebooting at all ... ;-) 2. I wouldn't prefer the OS completely merged with the BIS game - that's something the GPL wouldn't allow. My idea is to use LTS-Ubuntu-Version (LTS = long time support) as a basis. And to do some marketing in the way: Guys, it's not only a game you get a complete OS and and Office package also and for free. The version 10.04 (April 2010) will be such a LTS and it boots faster than Microsoft7. I am using an Alpha of it 24h/7days. But most important point should be: With an OpenSource OS the developers really have a clue what's going on. It's not a black box like Microsoft. And they are independent. They are freeeeeeeee and revolutionary !!

It is a completely new, or some call it strange, idea to deliver it with a whole and somehow then "own" operation system. The two systems could be constructed to work flawlessly together - much more than it would ever be possible with the hideous OSs from Microsoft. Read the first post there again - you will understand. (Since you again sound provocative - leave me returning this on you ... :p) But it is now "decided" that it is tooo strange, maybe one other game publisher will come out with this first. Too bad ... I would have wished BIS stays on their revolutionary way of programming "freedom". But I always said that it might be too complex/too expensive a thing. And sure I don't blame BIS or the moderator for this - it was just an idea. And sure it was a new, strange idea. I knew that and I admit I like strange, new ideas in the IT-world. Revolutionary ideas always sound strange (using a mouse to command my computer - are you crazy ?? :eek: ) and a few years later people ask: What should be strange about that? :o I like to discuss new ideas ... and maybe in a year or two people read it again. :cool:

I know BIS might be annoyed to the repeated request to deliver a Linux version of the game. :o And sure they are tired of it and have heard all the arguements why people love it and seen that it is quite a lot of work which doesn't pay out - because who uses Linux?! :eek: Aren't they those who love their Linux and their Free Software because it doesn't cost anything though Stallman repeatedly explained: "It's not free like free beer. It's free like freedom." (or so). Ok, here it is, my great news, my great idea: Deliver the games as Linux versions together with Linux! Linux allows since long parallel installation incl. OpenOffice within less than 30 min - leaves Microsoft untouched! (Dual boot option), boots in less than 20 seconds and is down in 2 seconds. (Ubuntu Linux 10.04)) As a package. You have more control of the whole software. In earnest, will you ever learn how Microsoft Windows really works? No, you can't though you need to. It is a closed shop. Nada. No freedom for developers, black hole. You depend on the bits of info they throw at you. It doesn't cost you anything and correctly communicated you deliver a big surplus to your customers. And - as far as I know - you are nevertheless allowed (refering to the GPL) to let customers pay for your proprietary software, but sure this should be checked by a lawyer. You would be able to advertise: MilSim with OS But, what I think, would be the most important thing: You would gain applause (and potential buyers) by the whole Linux Community. The Linux Community is growing, Linux is desktop ready (writing this on a Ubuntu Linux 10.4 - Alpha). I know children and very old people who use it every day. Sure there is a danger: People will excessively ask you to deliver the game as Open Source Software too, no question. But with the correct marketing, I find it to be plausible enough to communicate the big step forward for OpenSource by this. I hope you know you have a lot Linux fans. I am sure you do since you deliver Linux server software since 2001. The intelligence of freedom! - my personal trademark for linux ;-) Yeah, I am really fascinated by Linux, using it professionally since 2004. BIS is the only reason I have Microsoft still ..... :-(

And you don't mind the proprietary softwaresellers (Microsoft, Apple) "proselytizing" with millions of Dollars each months? :confused: If I sound proselytizing :o Linux it's just because of my personal fascination for two things: freedom and technic. I don't get any money for that. :( And I've personally seen no-tech-freak-kids installing Ubuntu Linux incl. OpenOffice without help as parallel OSs on their PC as I know of very old people using Ubuntu Linux on an every day basis ... that's fascinating because I use Ubuntu in a professional and private environment flawlessly.

Freedom counts. To have the freedom to look behind the veil if you want to, is freedom. If you are allowed to change code, it's even more freedom. FreeBSD and OpenBSD are free. OpenGL is comin, read here and more easy to understand but only in German, here, including a nice Video Demo.

It's you that says talking about freedom is talking about a religion.

@NoRailgunner: I do know that. Yeah, Nicknames are for fun, don't you think so? @Herr_kalashnikov: Ubuntu Linux is - in many regards - much better on the Desktops: Faster installed (incl. OpenOffice), nice workflow, faster, easier to find and install software. About Microsoft take a look here how much freedom is concerned. But everyone should use what he wants to - that's my opinion and credo. Don't ya steal it from me! ;-)

@Macser: Sorry, I tried to be funny. Nice to hear you use OpenSource. I can't help but those who do seems more Open-minded to me. ;-) Mac-Users could say: Hey, our marketing says we use Opensource tooooo! Yeah, and Apple let's you take a look at part of the OS. But only to tell them how they could improve it ... you are a pure helper-application then to double their income ;-)) A propos: For those who want to stop MicrosoftXP/Vista from phoning home, click here. But don't forget - only with Linux you regain full control of your system again. Even the HP printer drivers for Microsoft let's the printers itself phone home! ;-)

Yeah - on literally more than 6000 (sixthousand!) pages of documentation and you are quite right in calling it a MS-standard though it is an ISO-standard resulting from a very disputed way of decisionfinding. OpenOffice accepts docx-files since the release of 3.0, now it's 3.2. I saw some students whining (in about 2000) when their thesis at university couldn't be finished in time because of MS-Word collapsing reaching a hundred pages with footnotes ..... :o And now Microsoft delivers 6000-pages documents! :eek: Critics say that it is quite impossible to really implement this standard completely and that it damages Open Standards, Free Software, competition and consumers. The result again is: within this overwhelming scope of a "standard" the mighty one succeeds. Again: #12 infraction point for Microsoft

A new version of the Linux story can be found here. But stay aware of the completely different consumer approach! ;)