JClark

I was directly involved in making a game AI much improved. And I'll tell you the reason why some games have lame AIs, and others are tough. It's massive amounts of coding, and testing. And the coding is only as good as the testing. If testers don't follow procedure, then the coders spend a lot of time running down wrong streets. The other side, is that fixing one code problem to make the AI more intuitive, sometimes causes parts of code to break. It takes lots of time to get it done. If you have a game with lot's of fan base, people who are reasonably adult and educated, you can get a lot of support for testing, that will help the coders make sure they go down the right path. If you have to deal with a bunch of diaper-wearing sub-adults who only want to rack up high kill counts, you can expect crap, because the fan base isn't going to be much help. Or, if the code itself is crap, as Harpoon4 was, the company won't want a lot of fans digging into the game engine to find out this game is SIAB (thats a phrase programmers use: Sh!t In A Box). The object of big game company is to have a real sweat interface, with very cool graphics, that make for badass screenies, that sell a ton of games on release day, before all the fans find out they spent $50 on SIAB, and will fork out another $30 for the "upgrade" aka, patch. Tell me, Jim, if I'm wrong on this one... Byron Audler, aka Boats, ex-project manager, Harpoon2002, Harpoon2002 Gold, moderator, Harpoon Users League List.

Nah, it's that stuff on top of your head... INCOMING! Boats

$1.39 here... Boats

Over on loose threads...don't want Paddles to "paddle me" Take a look folks, it's worth a couple of minutes of your time. Boats

Gunny's probably staggering drunk, sitting on his front porch, thinking of which zoo he can get away with killing a tiger at Boats, who does know that Notre Dame spanked Navy today...but then, the USNA is supposed to be producing Naval Officers, not NFL players Oh, I forgot, once in a while, the USNA lets an occasional knuckle dragging Marine officer out

Remember, Maricopia County is where the sherrif is reknowned for being a tough, no BS bastige. You remember, tents, no AC, cots, no TV, and all the rest? If the punk had been caught dead to rights, where his obviously well-paid lawyer wouldn't have a chance at getting him off, Busch would have spent the night, and kissed what little hopes he had left, in the hoosegow, er, tent Boats

Ronin, don't you forget it...when I get the rest of my gear together, you and I are going to meet somewhere over the slot, and you'll see just how hardball a bastige I am. Boats

Your problem is going to be what your ex-employer says about you, when your prospective new employer calls for a reference. Also, if your new job calls for a classification, the background check might be a problem. I would be pre-emptive about this situation, though, and go to the HR at your former employer, and make it known to them that if they give your prospective employers any answer other than "he resigned under good terms", that you'll sue them for wrongful termination, and drag their name through the mud. Also, if these folks are working on government contracts, you can also offer to bring in the Feds to go over their billing, since there seems to be some discrepancies. Play hardball, dude, don't let the assholes get you down. Boats

Donny, one thing I never had a problem with, is getting babes...unlike some people I know Boats, who knows that only Sailors and Marines can attract the babes, without any trouble at all, unlike doggies and zoomies....

For those of you who are Google challenged, go here: http://froggyruminations.blogspot.com/ And Blackfives blog: http://www.blackfive.net/ You guys really are shortchanging yourselves, not knowing and reading the milblogs. These guys have very sharp minds, and a lot of stuff that makes the main stream media, I see here at least a day or two before hand. Another one, one of my favorite: http://cdrsalamander.blogspot.com/ Boats

From Froggy Ruminations blog: Down to the Wire OK folks, allow me to direct your attention to the left column paypal button supporting VALOUR-IT Team NAVY. Our goal is $21,000 by Veteran's Day (which is November 11) and we are about $4000 short. The entire fundraising drive is attempting to raise $84,000 for a very worthy cause (Voice activated laptops at military hospitals so that wounded warriors can communicate with their families). If the milblogosphere cannot come up with $84k in two weeks then that is a pretty sad state of affairs. I WOULD BE VERY SURPRISED IF READERS OF THIS BLOG COULD NOT FIND $20 TO SEND IN TO HELP OUR BROTHERS WHO IN MANY CASES GAVE A LIMB IN OUR COUNTRY'S SERVICE AND DEFENSE. I AM NOT GOING TO BEG YOU TO DONATE BECAUSE I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO. LET YOUR CONSCIENCE BE YOUR GUIDE. UPDATE: The Frogosphere has made me very proud. I want to thank each and every one of you for your contributions, but if you haven't given yet I would encourage to do so. While the NAVY Team may have reached its goal of $21,000, the slackers in the Air Force haven't even broken $10k. The idea is to raise $84,ooo so let's take up some zoomie slack! HOOYAH FROGOSPHERE! FROGGY OUT Folks, this project is for a damn fine cause. These terrific people who answered a nations call gave their limbs for their country, and Valour IT is trying to give them the means to reach out through the Net and communicate with the families, their friends, and their brothers and sisters still serving. Boats, who is kinda proud the Navy portion of the mil-blogosphere met it's goal...

DIVING OFFICER! TAKE HER DEEP! CRASH DIVE! OOOGAH! OOOGAH! That silly bastige Stans thinking he can sink a sub with Kraut 88s! Boats, heading out on patrol

That's cause he ain't seen it yet, Herr Rommel Boats...dog that hatch again!

Way I hear it, that's an easy promise to keep Running like hell to the bos'n locker, dog the hatch shipmate, prepare to repel boarders! Boats

Shep, go to Fox's NASCAR section, Larry Mac has an article on car numbers and NASCAR that might be infomative. Boats

Like NASCAR would let them settle it like real men...phhhttt Hell, Tony had to start taking Prozac! Boats

I was hoping the 12 would make a better showing...I think Roger Penske needs to take a hard look at Matt Borland...sigh... Boats, who would cry in his beer, but he's at work

Then go to: http://www.blackfive.net/ And check out the Valour IT Project: "Project Valour-IT, in memory of SFC William V. Ziegenfuss, provides voice-controlled software and laptop computers to wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand and arm injuries or amputations at major military medical centers. Operating laptops by speaking into a microphone, our wounded heroes are able to send and receive messages from friends and loved ones, surf the 'Net, and communicate with buddies still in the field without having to press a key or move a mouse. The experience of CPT Charles "Chuck" Ziegenfuss, a partner in the project who suffered hand wounds while serving in Iraq, illustrates how important this voice-controlled software can be to a wounded servicemember's recovery." They're not asking for huge sums of money, and the Milblogs split up into service teams in a friendly competition. I think it's a hell of a nice thing to do, for a Vet who no longer has the hands to write with, or communicate with, especially in this computerized world of ours. Boats

Had to get up and pee again, you old fart? Boats

Yah gotta love that line... "I thank God every day for the Corps....oorah" Boats

Working 7 to 7 on the night shift, Gunny, and I've had 8 days off since 7/11/05. Say, those water wings I sent you work? Boats

There's a real good reason why God created Sailors: He spent ages trying to teach Marines how to swim, and then finally gave up. Even almighty God had found something that He could not do. Marines could wade through water...they could, after a fashion, walk UNDER water, to get to the beach...but they could not swim. Nay, Marines could not learn how to swim. So, in His infinite wisdom, God created Sailors, to carry the Marines across the sea, and to the beach, so the Marines could do those Marine things. And, God also discovered that Marines could not even learn how to do battlefield first aid. Heaven was fast filling up with Marines that died needlessly. So God, wise that He is, created the Corpsman, a special breed of Sailors, to tend to the wounds of the Marines, and to also treat that peculiar Marine affliction, the clap. Yes, the Marines are fine creations of God indeed. They fight like dervishes, and while they can be beaten, they can never be conquered. But the Marines could not be all that God created them to be, without Sailors and Corpsmen. All was well now within the Naval Service, and God did indeed smile again. Now take that and stick in your fourth point of contact, you slow-witted, pogey-bait chasing jarheads! Boats, who is sneaking a bit of R and R at work...

Skip, those zoomies wouldn't know squared away from their fourth point of contact Boats, who thinks maybe, just mayb, they could tie a square knot

Hmmm....Donnie gone....Dark Helmet gone....hmmm....one can only wonder... Boats

Son, no problem...you go ahead and enlist in the Air Farce...then we'll tell everyone that you took a job in a whorehouse playing piano YGTBSM, Cfran! A tanker?! In the Air Farce? Get serious, you won't be able to look yourself in the mirror again, shipmate! Boats