I think if I have to look at one more dependency chain, I’m going to start hex editing stuff…. At least I’ve managed to get my notes compiled, now I just need to work on the dang charts for this weekends meeting. I’m much less prepared then I would like to be but hopefully I’ll have enough done :

Man, I think I need a few clones lol.

Ok, this is like a new low in dumb fucko-stupidly…

I’m sitting here reading a link with a friend, when I see something funny about a certain Microsoft character that we were laughing at earlier, and I’m a fast reader. So I figure, right click on it, view image, and send him the URL to it directly.

When I went to right click, I got a popup saying “Sorry folks”, this image is copyright of thissite.com /or it’s respective owners, blah. This is what I can dumb as using nails to bake a cake. A quick look at the HTML sent to my browser revealed the location of the image on the server. A little light path (de)mangling later and volia!

clippy on the trac

I should note that the image is copyrighted 8=) and that whoever designed that popup is a dumb fuck of the first class idiocy brigade, if they think it actually would work. And if they actually did it by choice, rather then being forced too, oy vey, they are just to stupid to deserve any future traffic from me ^_^.

Like, Duh, the browser needs public access to the image to display it! So why put up a noob-screen when any Tom, Dick, and Harry knows where to track it down. Although, as my friend also commented, I could have just disabled Javascript in my browsers settings, but why should I have to do that?

Honestly, some of the things I see on the web…. Makes me just want to shout

“WHAT THE HELL WERE THEY SMOKING!?”

Because I can’t think of any other non-arm twisting excuse to warrant it lol.

Opinions on tactical FPS

Rants, Rambles, and Raves… On Tactical FPS games

From a person who has been gaming since he was in diapers, using a Nintendo, and all the way into the future.

More realistic ballistics:

In old times, weapons were little more then you hit target, you do damage. And each hit from a given weapon doing so much damage, like 10% of life bar per bullet from SMG, 20% from rifle, Which is a piece of crap to start with, even by modern standards. More modern implementations might take into account mass, velocity, and hit modifiers.

Objects are generally boiled down to objects that can be penetrated and objects that can’t. In Raven Shield they take it a step even worse, an object that can be penetrated is usually limited to a destructible one. I.e. a bullet may penetrate a pawn (rainbow, tango, hostage), a window, or a door. But it won’t go through a carboard box, a cereal box, or wood fence, because these are all “solid bullet proof objects”.

When a bullet hits something, the mass of the bullet and the velocity it hit at should be taken into account along with the type of material hit and the density of it and the bullet. For example compare trying to penetrate a strong tungsten alloy and a tin can, which takes more punch?

SWAT4 essentially operates on the concept that if an object may be penetrated, the bullet has M mass moving at V velocity used to calculate it’s momentum. While the object being hit requires a certain amount of momentum to penetrate; if I looked deep enough into the games SDK, I wouldn’t be surprised if “momentum” was just a synonym for velocity to the developers… When the momentum is exceeded, the the damage caused by the bullet on it’s way through is modified by a modifier range or factor of how much damage it can still do.

What should really happen, in my opinion?

There should be several types of impact material, e.g. liquid, wood, concrete, metal, plastic. The idea is pretty simple, let’s say you take a gun and fire into a pool of water. For an object to occupy a space within that water, it has to displace the same volume of water out of it’s way, to move through it, it has to keep displacing water out of the way. Shooting through block of wood that is as thick as the water (e.g. same volume of) works about the same way, but the density is different, taking more force to displace the wood out of the bullets way in order to ‘penetrate’ the wood.

For the sake of performance it would make sense to have several known (common) densities with known properties and tune accordingly. It would still fall short of accuracy with the real world but make it easier to apply ballistics to all objects within the game.

The biggest problem with ballistics in modern FPS games, they continue to use the “can penetrate” and “can’t penetrate” stupidly…

Proper damage models:

Shooting a the representation of a human in a tactical FPS should have similar effects to the real world. Most often, you get a set of hit boxes based on superficial anatomy. A head, a torso, arms, legs, etc. And if your lucky a modifier that adjusts damage done based on the hit box, e.g. head shots fatal, leg shots minor damage or something like that.

I think they should take it a step further and apply more things based on the hit boxes. For example, why not take a leg? Break it into 4 hit boxes, the foot, the crus, the knee, and the thigh. If the target gets hit in any of the leg hit boxes, they should die! Bleed to death or fall into shock awhile later maybe… but not die out right as in games. Getting hit in the crus or the thigh should effect ones ability to walk, getting hit in the knee or the foot should probably force the target to crawl instead of walk.

The torso should be split into h8it boxes based on internals, the “general torso”, the heart, lungs, maybe the kidneys, e.t.c. A human might be able to survive several shots to the chest but I would think a double tap to the heart would have more (quickly) lethal effects, even if not as much as going for a T-Shot, I would think it more likely to disable the enemy in the sense of more games, and kill the target more readily.

Compared to games like Raven Shield (last patch) where it doesn’t really matter where you shoot a tango, just hit them 2ce and they are as good as dead, pardoning latency and the FN Five-Seven. And SWAT4 where the only side effect is it pays to follow the Mozambique drill — just to do enough damage quickly to put the target down. While in real life, the idea is if the double tap to centre mass doesn’t stop the target, taking down their nervous system will put’em down for good.

Weapons Attachments and kit restrictions:

I think AAO:SF has the best in terms of realism but makes for a too oft abused configuration, M4 with aimpoint + suppressor + M203. Raven Shield limits you to one attachment but that sucks, especially since it makes weapons like the AUG, SA80, and G36K more powerful (built in scopes) — further pissing off people who know about the Tavor Assault Rifles!

I think the proper solution would be to allow 2 attachments for all primaries, such as an barrel and an receiver attachment. So using the M4A1 carbine as an example. One could have an M4 with a scope and a suppressor or with a M203 and scope but not a bipod and a suppressor or an M203 and a suppressor, e.t.c. That would at least keep it fair.

Load outs, I really think a merger of the “package” and “individual” item ideas would work. For example, so many slots, like something like this:

Player Kit:
— Primary Weapon = None | SMG | AR | SG | SR | LMG | LAW
——— Front Attachment: None | Suppressor | Grenade Launcher | Bipod
——— Rear Attachment: Default sights | CQB scope | Magnifying scope | Night scope | Laser aiming module
——— Ammunition: FMJ/Slug | JHP/Buckshot
— Secondary Weapon = None | Pistol | TASER | Special
——— Pistol Attachment: None | Suppressor | Laser aiming module | Tactical light
——— Ammunition: FMJ | JHP | Cartridge

— Specialist item = None | Binoculars | Radio | Laser designator | Night vision goggles | Spy gizmo | Gas mask

— Demolitions item 1 = None | Breaching shotgun | Door breaching charges | Plastic explosive | Satchel charge | LAW ammunition | Breaching hammer | Breaching bar

— Protective Gear = None | Light | Medium | Heavy

Where light = Level IIIA, medium = level III, heavy = level IV on the NIJ standards.

And allot like 3 or 4 slots for grenade “packages”, say 3 slots holding a “two pack” of grenades.

— Grenade slot 1 = None | 2 x Fragmentation | 2 x Flashbang | 2 x Smoke | 2 x CS Gas
— Grenade slot 2 = None | 2 x Fragmentation | 2 x Flashbang | 2 x Smoke | 2 x CS Gas
— Grenade slot 3 = None | 2 x Fragmentation | 2 x Flashbang | 2 x Smoke | 2 x CS Gas

Which in my opinion would be the most flexible and much faster then having to equip each slot individually.

Breaching methods:

Ballistic breaching with shotguns, any shutgun capable of destroying the door and frangible breaching shot as well — in effect making hinge and knob side breaching possible. Explosive breaching with any suitable explosive, as well as dedicated door breaching charges, using shaped charges to blast through doors and windows, etc. Mechanical breaching with bars, sledge hammers, and even fire axes that just happen to be sitting handy.

The ability to break down doors, blow up walls, come crashing through windows, is just a requirement. You can’t have a tactical game unless you can conduct a full breach. Not having to use the “door” is also more realistic, why send everyone through one door… When we can sneak a team into the next room, frame charge through the damn wall. And employ snipers to pick off X-Rays through the windows — after coordinating kill zones ahead of time that is.

Vehicles:

One of the big problems with games is the “vehicle” selling point. In games like BF2 or Halo, they often become the gods of the battlefield, you have to use the vehicles to win.

By nature of things, vehicles make good transport and are very useful. But have to be controlled to avoid them becoming all powerful monsters of destruction in adversarial games. Having stuff like personal motorcycles and dune buggies or HMMWVs for transporting troops would be nice.

What I would like to see is AI controlled support vehicles that can be called in by team leaders using a “radio” item. So for example, a squad leader could call in an attack helicopter or a gun ship and have it circle in a radius overhead, attacking every enemy in sight.

To make that even sweeter, in some maps the enemy could have AAA and shoot the thing down !!!

That would open up so many possibilities, such as vaulting a few DPVs into the target area, send a group/groups to secure the objective, while the other members of the patrol set up a parameter, guards the cars for egress, and calls in a few helo’s for backup. The possibilities for hit and fade runs are infinite when that is combined with a map editor…

Game Types:

Round based Cooperative, following “mission” and various special coop types, e.g. search and destroy, recon, hostage rescue. Round based and respawn based team death matches in “objectiveless” team with the most points wins, capture the flag, and search and destroy games. Heck, you could probably convert coop levels over for use as player Vs. player missions by using some form of squad based spawn points for the defending team.

Mission Planning:

It’s imperative to be able to play the mission ahead of time and adjust in combat. Raven Shields F4 map sucks horribly but at least you can draw on it. A real planning map that can accommodative multiple floors would be perfect.

Team leaders need to be set, teams organized, mission objectives reviewed, and assault teams synchronized on their objectives.

Human Capabilities:

People can walk, run, crawl, roll, jump, e.t.c so why why not do like wise in game? One of the most annoying thing in Tactical FPS games is when you get killed in one of those, “I could have just … like in real life” moments. Walking should be quick but not to quick, watching a SWAT team on the moves a perfect example. Running should be quick and really jumble your aim around. The ability to crouch and crawl is a requirement IMHO, and on top of that. When going prone while running or dashing, one should go into a dive.

If your walking and drop to the ground, odds are you want to get on the deck eh? But if your running like a bat out of hell, odds are you might not want to stop where ya are and lay down!!! I think to avoid the bunny hopper problem, jumping should be limited to a very short height and while running, just enough to be useful, yet realistic for someone in ~15 plus kilograms of combat gear.

That would allow one to still move quick, jump quite short heights, and avoid the usual crap of not being able to jump at all, because nubs and pansies abuse it so often online.

One thing I would really like, is a special “physical” action button. One that changes what it does based on the situation, whne close to people, go for a rifle butt/pistol whip/CQC attack, when close to objects, try to push, throw, kick, or otherwise employ them. Such as kicking a chair across the room or flipping a table over — be versatile.

Team Organization:

It should be kept simple, AAO is a perfect example. Platoon leader, Squad/Section Leaders, Squad members. I think it’s useful to occasional have specialists but when it goes to the extent of say, BF2 or other class based configurations. I think you really loose all of the flexibility gained by having a tactical FPS modeled on anything beyond the general infantry…

Kit selection should define specialization options, not soldier “class”.

A perfect example, in RvS if we need more grenades, we bring more grenades, if we need a demolitions man, we bring demolitions! We don’t limit the demolitions man to a special class, we equip for the job. I think SWAT4’s split of grenades, breaching, and protective gear is the right style but the devs chose to divide it wrongly in terms of a Tactical FPS. But for simulation of Police SWAT environment, quite well since there are less, uhh… Fun toys to play with in most police departments >_>.

Graphics and Performance:

An Intel or AMD chip with performance comparable to a Pentium 4 in the 2.0-2.2 Ghz range, 768MB, and a 256MB Graphics card supporting OpenGL or DX9 decently would be an ideal minimal spec IMHO.

If you have a super gaming rig, you should get what you paid for within reason. If you only have a common gaming rig, you should at least be able to play the game smoothly with lower graphics. Games should look as *nice* as you can make them on your hardware but you shouldn’t need a $300 graphics card and double your RAM just to play.

Hell, a good make of GeForce 6800 is dirt cheap now and one of the best graphics cards of it’s generation.

Communication Functions:

Text chat, V-Commands, and Text Macros.

Text chat is the lowest common denominator of the internet, and most games require a keyboard and mouse to use properly ^_^. Pre recorded Voice Commands like that used in MOHAA, RvS, SWAT3, SWAT4, BF2, and such are great. The only problem is game developers almost never choose decent stuff and many gamers never bother to use them.

V-Commands should be a quick pop up menu and issued through keystroke OR mouse gesture and drop a HUD or on screen indicator that says WHO, WHAT, and WHERE. Like in SWAT4, you can see a marker of WHO issued the V-Command, you can hear the WHAT part, and when orders are given you can see the WHERE part marked on screen.

In game VoIP has always been a pile of shit, no matter what game that has implemented it, it has ALWAYS been shit. Striking a deal with the TeamSpeak or Ventrillo people for a dream-team setup that allows the game to auto-join certain servers/channels from in game or when just joining the a given team on the server.

I’ve always liked TeamSpeak because its channel commander feature offers a lot for serious team gaming.

The ability to record text macros in game, without having to use keybinds like in Unreal 2 games, I think is something every FPS should do. SWAT3 is one game that really got it right, text + sound bites. Although, being able to open your configuration data in a text editor and adjust things to taste is, like the hugest perk ever created.

User account and Points / Rewards system:

Having any kind of spend your life playing this game and racking up kill points, and we will reward you with unlocks. Is just a crock full of shit, it’s a marketing gimmick to make you play the game longer and an excuse to sell you expansion packs that add features that, often in my experience — should have been there in the first place. Or freely able to be made by a modding community.

Game Mods:

SWAT3 was perfect, download ZIP file, copy ZIP file to folder, flick the on/off switches for what mods you wanted to play. Launch game, and play. The mods you had on got used when hosting the game but when joining OTHER peoples games, WITHOUT RESTARTING. The game would load the required mods for joining other peoples games, as long as you had them installed.

That is the way it should be, having to restart the game to swap mods or worse, having to use a conversion utility (e.g. MW4:Mercs) are just piles of crap, unless of course. You want to appear to be a company that would rather lock people into buying expansion packs or sequles that your not obligated to make, rather then letting people extend what hopefully is a decent game, and make it better!

User Accounts and Anti-Cheat:

The games got to have some way of ID’ing users uniquely, PB generally does a decent enough job of it. While I don’t care much for PB, and in fact have never had much use for it as anti-cheat (aside from the spying part). It does do one good thing.

It helps enforce server policy.

Level Design:

Missions need multiple ways of completing it, unless the game is a “quickie” that you’ll play once and then chuck on a CD-Rack, which means there is no point in paying more then ~20 bucks for it.

Problems should be approachable from many different angles, there should be multiple paths available on most missions. Objective and enemy placement should be able to be randomized, one of the greatest things of early SWAT3 was that the missions placed some “mission” specifics in a normal set of spawn points, then placed other stuff in more random locations. No playing from memory, you know X, Y, and Z are choke points, you know hostages may be on Level 2, but only the machine knows what you will find in between ^_^.

HUD:

A customizable hud, the ability o change colors and whats on it works best.

The ability to have a small tactical map or SAI like element is ideal. Having helmet cameras and UAV feeds available and the ability to reorganize the HUD and toggle cams on/off based on position in the team — is even more fun 😉

Cross hairs should be used but be able to be disabled (I for one prefer no cross hairs on my HUD, unless I’ve got grenades). Iron sights and scopes should work on every weapon available but allow for proper shooting. In CQB, you don’t aim with the sights for every shot, learn how to use the weapon.

When it comes to ammo counts, I think the traditional rounds in the magazine counter is nice, although not really necessary once you get used to how the game tunes the rates of fire. What is important is knowing how much ammo you have left. I love how SWAT4 implements it, you know how many rounds are in your current magazine. You can see how many magazines you have on the HUD and how “relatively” full they are. Magazine based ammo tracking is much more accurate the the old NNN total rounds remaining ammo counter anyway.

I think moving some features that would really improve the value of a HUD, into a separate “PDA” screen would be useful. B ecause then one could really stretch things to realistic limits, targeting people like Robocop or a T-800 are a bit futher off for most troops in the 21st Century.

Cought an excellent movie on tonight, one I haven’t seen in quite awhile as point of fact: Auntie Mame with Rosalind Russell as Mame.

The film starts out in the 1920s with a man writing his will, that when he passes on. His sons future would be well taken care by his banker. But his son would end up in the care of his sister, something that he wouldn’t even wish on a dog! But of course keeping himself in good shape, he figures that there will be no need to worry for while. He dies at an ironic time during PT, making the papers with the shocker ^_^. Which send his young son Patrick and servant Norah Muldoon off to live with his living realitive.

Patrick’s “Auntie Mame” mistakes him and Norah for the new dishwasher when they walk in on a party. Setting the entire film in motion as they adjust to life together. The character of Auntie Mame is without a doubt, one of the best. She is arguably a first class screw up, party animal, and a lune but a very good person. Nuts as a mad hair but a good person lol. They have a near non stop stream of parties or as Norah puts it when groaning with the decorator. They’ve had 13 parties in two weeks, would have been 14 but the bootlegger couldn’t come that day, hahaha.

When the stock market crashes as the great depression looms, Mame and all of her friends are totally wiped out. Her best girl friend Vera (who is usually passed out drunk at Mames place) hooks her up with a two bit part in one of her plays. Mame is almost literally there with bells on and ruins the show when she gets her bracelet stuck on Vera’s dress. Although it is probably a great way to get fired on the first night, she actually cracked up the audience and livened up a really dull drama. In search of a new job, she ends up as a switchboard operator on a PBX and bungles it horribly.

While working as a sales girl at Macy’s, Mame walking around with the worlds most horrendous sales book in history (practically trailing behind her). She meets a fine southren gentlemen, whose out buying 24 pairs of roller skates for an orphanage. After Mame gets fired, he chases after the manager to explain things; she shouts a reminder to get the skates, and “get them at Gimbles!”. Fast forward a bit and “Beau” has brought her home to the plantation to meet his family. Where an jealous ol’filly suckers Mame into riding in a fox hunt, side saddle atop of a killer horse. The plantation sequence is bloody hilarious, even more so perhaps if your an American. Every one but Beau is expecting Mame to die in the process, even young Patrick who offers to trip her, “You’ll only break a leg Auntie Mame”. Not only those that zany woman manage to survive the fox hunt, while riding side saddle!!! She passes the hounds, she passes the fox! And ends up flying off the monstrous horse and into the bushes, holding a steering wheel as the only thing keeping her from flying back to blue belly hell >_>.

Beau purposes and she excepts but little Patrick just has one question, who the flib did she stay on that horse!? It seems that just like in the play, she got “stuck but at the other end” looool. Mame and Beau take a honey moon around the world, where Beau is always trying to get to the highest places to snap a picture of his bride, until he ends up falling off the Matterhorn in the alps. Mame eventually returns home to friends and family, only to find out that the growing Patrick is getting married. And even worse, to the most stuck up snob on two legs. Patrick manages to convince her to write her memoirs and play it “sane” long enough to pass in front of his snobbish fiancée. Before the wedding, Mame invites everyone to her place for an intimate family dinner…. Masterfully planned as only “Auntie Mame” could “accidentally” arrange ^_^.

She redecorates the place to beat the bands and what a perfect idea it is. She drives Patrick’s in-laws to be and fiancée crazy, invites every “riff raft” friend who helped raise him over. And totally sets off utter chaos — if anyone can get through this part of the movie without laughing at it, they must be a part Vulcan. Mame succeeds in destroying the evil engagement, driving the matchmaking banker insane, and making Patrick realize hat a doomed course he was set to, rather then actually living his life. Several years later, Mame is entertaining the son of Patrick and her (now former) secretary, and scheming a way to show the youngster India!

At first glance it might be a boring idea for a movie but in actual watching. Auntie Mame is a great movie, funny, entertaining, and the best rendition that I’ve seen. It’s been made into a movie at least 3 times, who knows how many times on stage as well. But the first film outing is the best IMHO, and most funny 🙂

Yes! Live! Life’s a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death!

Coming on at 0100Q is a movie that my family has enjoyed for ages, The Trouble with Angels. A really long time actually, my parents first saw it on a date in the ’60s. It was a drive in double feature of Cinderella and The Trouble with Angels, and the entire family has enjoyed the movie since lol.

It follows two girls at a Catholic boarding school run by a group of nuns. The two of them get in enough hilarious trouble, that the poor Mother Superior is lucky enough to survive the movie! From bubble bath in the nuns tea, the smoking affair, making a plaster mask of another students face, and oh… what pranks those two brats play! It’s like watching a little demon and her stooge at work lol. It’s also the film that introduced my family to the expression,

“I’ve got the most scathingly brilliant idea”

Which usually occurs before they get into more trouble ^_^. You’ve got to admire the nuns, for not beating the ever loving crap out of them for all of the torment they are subjected too…

Finally a decent nights sleep, even if I’ve gotten absolutely nothing done. My dreams falling into a more positive realm and ending on a much nicer note then other dream streams of late.

Not that this morning has been especially nice though. And to make it worse, I have to start getting ready for work in about 5 minutes :-(. At least though it is a fairly light week, I didn’t have to work yesterday — so that’s a light week! Hum bug, already being off’ed to do something else before work. And quite conveniently, if I don’t get dressed for work before doing, I’ll be late lol.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be in a business where it wasn’t such a repressive pain in the ass, to actually have to do it? Wait a minute, Guy Fieri is the only guy on earth with a job like that…

What is it good for? Absolutely nothing!

War, huh, yeah
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Uh-huh
War, huh, yeah
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Say it again, y’all

War, huh, good God
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Listen to me

Ohhh, war, I despise
Because it means destruction
Of innocent lives

War means tears
To thousands of mothers eyes
When their sons go to fight
And lose their lives

I said, war, huh
Good God, y’all
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Say it again

War, whoa, Lord
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Listen to me

War, it ain’t nothing
But a heartbreaker
War, friend only to the undertaker
Ooooh, war
It’s an enemy to all mankind
The point of war blows my mind
War has caused unrest
Within the younger generation
Induction then destruction
Who wants to die
Aaaaah, war-huh
Good God y’all
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Say it, say it, say it
War, huh
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Listen to me

War, huh, yeah
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Uh-huh
War, huh, yeah
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Say it again y’all
War, huh, good God
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Listen to me

War, it ain’t nothing but a heartbreaker
War, it’s got one friend
That’s the undertaker
Ooooh, war, has shattered
Many a young mans dreams
Made him disabled, bitter and mean
Life is much to short and precious
To spend fighting wars these days
War can’t give life
It can only take it away

Ooooh, war, huh
Good God y’all
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Say it again

War, whoa, Lord
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Listen to me

War, it ain’t nothing but a heartbreaker
War, friend only to the undertaker
Peace, love and understanding
Tell me, is there no place for them today
They say we must fight to keep our freedom
But Lord knows there’s got to be a better way

Ooooooh, war, huh
Good God y’all
What is it good for
You tell me
Say it, say it, say it, say it

War, huh
Good God y’all
What is it good for
Stand up and shout it
Nothing

last couple days

I think over the last few days, I’ve probably have had the most sleep I’ve had in months but still miserable rest if any. I keep having strange dreams that are, should I say a bit distorted? And each usually less pleasurable then the last… I’m always waking up, going back to sleep, or not able to keep sleeping w/o being bothered into getting up :

My most productive day in awhile actually. Got some work done on the website for Wiz, managed to drop into the Proving Grounds on the RvS side. Scope out some of the current regulars and check in on the NCOs. I also managed to duck in for a few rounds with Duke before dinner. It’s been a good while since I’ve played SWAT4, since I took the Drill Instructor position for a Raven Shield recruit. I have been focusing my own activities on RvS as well, after all — what good would I be as a DI if I wasn’t up to par myself?

It’s also quite nice to be able to play RvS at night again without lag. The only sad thing, I thin I miss my old “lag step”. I get an occasional spike of warpage in both game snow but that is probably because the aerial on my [new] wifi card is bent… As opposed to before, when I used to play RvS and lag-step to an extent that taking two steps forward felt like warping half of one backwards too. Now once the first-round lag is over, I wouldn’t even realize the server is in another country lol. Hooah for cable.

Tonight I was also on Element Leader duty in SWAT4 for the first time in a long time. I generally have a standing policy of “If no one else will, I will” when it comes to EL. I try to avoid it though, in favor of letting young Cpl/LCpls take command of the mission. That’s how my generation learned, practice !!! With how long it has been, I was actually presently surprised that I didn’t fumble any keys. Probably because I was concentrating more intently on a safe mission plan for my element, instead of what key to push. Planning about three quarters of it before hand also helped >_>. I still prefer taking EL of elements that are mostly compromised of [SAS] though, rather then a superposition of pubs and members. For one thing, it is much faster to plan things without having to go over details covered in our training regime.

I think I did fairly well for a rust bucket, I don’t consider a headache the size of Russia and much time spent coding instead to be a decent excuse for shotty work though. Not with how many hours of server time I’ve got lol. As long as I can keep my eyes on what I’m doing, I can generally handle room clearing in my sleep. But one thing that really threw me off though was our rear guard, a pub. Who had a great knack for taking up good spots for covering the rear. But almost no talent for actually securing the rear, often I’d end up crossing his/her Line of Fire (LoF) and that’s not good, but I suppose it was faster then having to teach the pub how to do a better job…

*sigh*

Tomorrow is my last day off and I’ve still got so much shit to get done :

Writer’s Block: Last Call

You are on a plane that’s about to crash. You have time to make ONE phone call. Who do you call and what do you say?
Submitted By lovelylette_x3

Live Journals Writer’s Block

I’m not married, so fuck’em all 😛

Just kidding lol, I’d probably call home, leave my will and say good bye. Assuming lifes little different from now, probably something like: distribute the computer stuff between Justin and Stevo, [SAS] gets any cash left, E-Mail Wiz and send him a copy of all my [SAS] related files, E-Mail miles, then post on the forums I frequent most. The rest being taken care of by the usual flow of communication to people on/off the net who should know.

Considering my families general technical literacy and the strength of my system logins, I best stay healthy for a good long while lol.