Games

Thinking about a new training plan

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Since my primary task list is webwork, sop technicals, and swat. I think it’s about time I devise a proper training plan for myself, like I’ve used in SWAT 3 and Raven Shield.

“The Warrants Hazard Course” haha.

I’ve yet to decide on the details yet, SWAT 4 is a bit of a tougher game to harden up, since the only hard part is latency lol. Back in SWAT 3, I used to do STFC drills with an entry-length gun (e.g. MP5A2, HK53, AKS-74U, G36C) with one 30rnd mag of FMJ, my side arm (M1911/MK23/P226) with one mag. Plus 1bang, 1gas, 1charge, and set the hostile AI to the maximum. With RvS, I usually set map-specific goals, but often speed assaults, escape and evasion, or tact-aidless clearing at full throttle.

I might try to simulate my SWAT 3 kit, it would be easy enough to package 1 bang, 1 gas, 1 sting, 1 wedge. There is no way to control the mag-counts in SWAT 4 without modifying the games class files, but it would be insane to go with 30/8 (mp5/m1911a1) rounds… In SWAT 3, if you knew how to shoot and it was your own host, you could actually use ammo quite effectively. SWAT 4 usually takes 2-12 rounds of 9x19mm per kill (average 5~7), yesterday a tango survived 6 to the brain… lol.

Map wise, I think a good mixture is order. But the standard maps are so easy, I’ve got to find a good way to make it more challenging, or I could just find a couple of really challenging customs, hmm… think I will do both once the new [SAS] Mappack is ready op hehe.

Pride

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After a thread that came up about uniforms / arm patches, I interjected a comment on the way we used to handle it. I still have the arm patches issued to me as a recruit and trooper, plus the one I made for myself as a trooper. Pictured above is a GIF copy of the one [SAS] Shield issued me shortly after my tryout.

S’all the all rank I ever needed: [SAS] Trooper

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I have to go to work tomorrow 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁

Oh well, at least [SAS] Killhouse Redux is making headway.

Reflecting on recent virtual events

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Hmm, I am sorry to say it but in a lot of ways, I think the new Team Mercury / Hg4 is probably a good thing for [SAS].

With Rasa gone, it seems as if the last resistance to change is also gone. The [SAS] SOPs (from scratch) are now in the hands of a seasoned professional, and I am tasked with the technical aspects of getting them on the website. In Rasa’s new home, he doesn’t have to get things past 2 soldiers, an ex swat instructor, an 8 year veteran of [SAS] gaming, a former Sabre Squad 2IC, or the strict and realism first Spidey01. I miss my friend very much, but I think I’d rather see [SAS] move forward into the future.

It’s amazing how much work is actually getting done now! I wonder, just what mischief he might’ve been up to since I left the RSMs post…. Recent events have left our SWAT 4 wing with less man power in the lower ranks, but progress these past few days has been like watching a bull charge

They (Hg4) have already grown through a few of the people on our “list” of prospective candidates, all of which know the Hg4 founders from there time as [SAS] Members, and each Hg4 founder knows much about our server regulars and what we think of them. Filterhappy, new Trial Member of Hg4’s comment today; actually made me quite happy. Those who actually care about [SAS], are those who belong in the the selection course. I expect all of the people who are of interest to us, will be in Hg4 tags before long, as long as Hg4 does so with honor and those people find what they seek, I’m fine with this. I’d much rather see Hg4 grow, then see dead weight return to [SAS]. I want to see [SAS]’s kind of people make it into the selection course, first and foremost

Me, maybe I am a jerk, but I don’t like people who waste my time. Time is life, life is time, and you don’t get a refund if you fail to spend it wisely!

It is not our job to train the public in our ways of doing things, parts of Hg4 may have felt differently before leaving [SAS], but I don’t. One of the reasons why I take part of my time, to teach recruits things when I can. Is because I hope they will benefit from it, and learn to be a stronger member out of it, and to help the NCOs with their tasks. If Joe Blow wants to learn our ways of doing things, they need to survive the selection course just like the rest of us did. A lot of people think we’re too strict, me? I think it’s about as close to the real life 22nd Special Air Service as you are going to find, without joining an army. And I call that a _good_ thing. I guess there is a difference between those that just look for the best they can reach, and those who want to be the best that they can be themselves, and then there are those who also want to help others to grow.

I know the things that I look for in a prospective member, and I’ve come to believe that [SAS]_CO_Random is right, after so many years… He ought to be lol. Jonsi, Nick, Caern, I know that I see the potential in them, the right attitude to move on. That’s one of the reasons why I put extra effort into seeing that their training in the SC is/was successful. It’s also why Timbo was a great loss in my opinion, both in man power and time invested in, should we say, “Let him shine through” hehe. But I guess it wasn’t the path he was destined for. One needs great skill to pass one of our trooper tryouts, but there’s more to it then that,

I made it into the [SAS] Selection Course, and I didn’t even know how to use the Voice Commands system in RvS until about a week or two before becoming a Recruit! Back then, I guess it was a lot stricter. The tryout is hard by most peoples standards, but it really is easy in my opinion… If you’re serious.

One of the reasons I joined [SAS], was because I like to play tactically and realistically. I found the things I was looking for there, Skill, Teamwork, Dedication, Friendship, and FUN, FUN, FUN!!! Most people who are in the team, are there because they enjoy it this way. We like the structure, the teamwork, and we live to improve our abilities while having fun with a few good m8s.

Getting through the SC was quite an exercise, I had to grow quite a lot in my skill set just to make the cut. All of the way, I had teachers helping me to grow, helping me learn the little things that makes this elite team as skillful as it is at what we do. I never really noticed most of it, just how much attention to detail there was here, until I started paying attention during training. My time with [SAS]_Trp_Rand, [SAS]_Cpl_WIZ, and [SAS]_Cpl_Relish most important of my teachers.

I don’t totally agree with some of our SOPs, but they work and work well for the most part. If I wanted to play my way, I wouldn’t have joined the [SAS], I would have made it a goal to prepare myself for BUD/S and pursue the real thing. Because it doesn’t get much better then that outside of the [SAS],and groups like it. Hg4, is not a group like [SAS], and I say that because I know the founders of Hg4 ;-). I play the way I was trained, here are a few differences in how I would personally do things, but this is [SAS], not my back yard

Hmm, I still remember the time I got dumped into a team leaders boots else wheres, and I had to direct us against the other teams defenses. When issuing the insructions for our assault, someone in my attack group asked me if I was in the army :, my reply? No, I’m in the next best thing — the 22nd SAS Elite Virtual Regiment !

I don’t think they got the joke, but they still enjoyed the win lol.


[SAS]_Spidey01
Warrant Officer Class One
22nd Special Air Service,
The Elite Virtual Regiment

Plan of Attack — tongiht through the weekend+monday

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In no specific order:

0/ Train Ez, Spawn, possibly Ghost/Medic as well — operation marshal

1/ Write new interface for the ‘custom’ library on sas <---- implemented, remaining code is 'features', need to test it and place under revision control, along with other changes to the lib. 2/ Build mock-ups for GCHQ of the new docs

3/ Implement the install code for ‘that project’ I’m doing with a few guys from forums.pcbsd.org

4/ Test pythonic bindings to libxml2 (I may need this __soon__) <---- lxml interface to libxml2 accepted 5/ Evaluate gtkmm and py-gtk (I don’t think I like the wxWidgets api after spending so much time with Qt3/Qt4) — run tests under Winsucks, because linking against gtkmm and friends will be the big pain.

6/ look up the api docs for interfacing C/C++ code with Python 🙂

7/ eventually get around to placing my .vimrc, .exrc, .Terry_shrc, and various .site_shrc files under CVS (or other scm) on Vectra. <---- vimrc and Terry_shrc imported, other files being less portable, some name convention needs to be worked out. 9/ try to complete social studies homework before [SAS] SOP Prototype Due Date.

10/ eventually catch up with posting more on my LJ then todo snippets

11/ download Wiz’s latest mix and let’er blast <--- it rocks 12/ Implement my admin scripts 13/ Update cougars settings

14/ Implement my ‘lister’ PHP script <--- done, just need to write the password locker. You know, life would really be sweet…. If I could get paid to use my brain, instead of saving it all for my off-work hours lol. No if I new any companies in this burg that hire and train self-educating-geeks :

Omni-tasker bound by honesty

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Oh why, did I have to promise one of my friends I’d put myself on equal priority?

I could just go straight thought and finish (most of) this tonight, skip sleeping for then a half hour, and go to work without trouble. Haha, just kidding, I’m not that crazy ^_^. I’ll need sleep to get up on time, but thankfully tomorrows just more time consuming then stressful. So my plan is to:

Make like a Spider now, get done what I can, then hack like a son of a bitch at it tomorrow… Until the project falls, and with luck! A project over 3 and a half years in the making, will be complete soon !!!!!!

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*SIGH* watching my wireless connection flubber-band between 6mb/s and 24mb/s at a distance of ~2.5m, I think it’s time to go to bed, and download a few api references in the morning….

Grrr…

EDIT:

Even worse stroke of luck, took a break and loaded up XGalaga (a nice Galaga based game), got a powerup of tripple-missle launcher in the first wave, only to lose it seconds later when I took my eyes half off the display lol –> just long enough to zig when I should’ve zagged ^_^

That’s it, I’m going to bed.

Training Afterdark

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A tad annoyed, been doing some of my private training in RvS. My times are almost a minute longer then my best, while that’s still quite quick (I set the time marker for 5min; and completed it in less then 3:45) it’s still very slow… I’ve always chose that map because of the extreme CQB. Did a couple good runs and even got time to bring out a variety of weapons: MP5/10A2, MP5A4, TMP, P90, Mac 9/11, and the MTAR-21. But I’m still very far from satisfied with my performance. I fear, that I am starting to get old :

Two things that really pissed me off, the P90 and my faithful P228 pistol. It’s like, you fire off a burst into an area the size of a mouth, the target is chest sized, so close that if it was real life, you could almost extend your arms and bayonet the S.O.B. But in RvS, it’s still possible to fire in bursts, watching the count of rounds fired increase: 2..4..7.. and guess what? Magically all of the bullets strike the wall behind the X-Ray, but none actually hit them… Leaving you with 44 rounds in a P90 and a dead body, that is not the enemy!!!

It’s total bullshit. Although, I must admit in RvS, the game has always given me a feeling that the rear sights are on target, while the front sights are aimed at your toes instead… Tonight was an unbelievably bad display on RvS’s part, I’ve never considered the games P90 to be deead on balls accurate but this was just a joke. I’ve picked off head-shots at range with the games Mac 9/11, and the P90 is dozens of times more accurate in that game.

The second thing to piss me off, is I shot an X-Ray square in the chest with a P228, 9x19mm Jacket Hollow Point round… Round penetrated and exploded the barrel behind him. While the JHP are still capable of penetrating tangos. I can’t help but wonder, why a 9x19mm JHP round from a P228 will do the trick, when a FMJ 9x19mm round from my MP5A4 wouldn’t.

What irks me even more so, for “training games” we used to round people up, go find explosive barrels, and take turns shooting them. Walk up to the barrel, fire a round (or two), and run off before the next Rct tries it. Often we use the 5.7mm AP Army (FN Five-Seven) because RvS gives it less stopping power then some SPITBALL from Romania! We’ve also tested with 5.56x45mm weapons and various 9x19mm pistols using full metal jacket rounds.

The concept that a P228 firing 9x19mm JHP can be more dentimental to a (thick skinned!) explosive barrels contents then the G36K’s 5.56x45mm round, just begs for a physicist to explain these ballistics >_>

Geeze, why can’t they ever make a *decent* tactical game that is realistic?

Before another round of Wesnoth…

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It’s been abit since I’ve updated my LJ, haven’t really had much time for it :

The past two weeks I’ve largely been workin’ my ass off either on various projects, at work (grrr!), or training the days away in the servers. At least the training ops are both fun and effective uses of time, the rest… Well let’s just say I hate my job lol. The number of projects I’ve been butter-flying across is getting a bit out of hand, mainly because of the amount of time I can afford to spend on them during the day.

I may end up changing “schools” so to speak, in the near future. I’m not really looking forward to it, because although it should speed this shit up quite a lot. I’ve still got the same problems as always — a family to butt in and working most of the week. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a vacation lol, I would probably end up catching up on homework +S.

In the mean time I’ve been playing a lot of Wesnoth. A few years ago, on one of my ‘few’ vacations… I was lucky enough to spend my time split between working, learning another programming language, and a new (to me) game called the Battle for Wesnoth. It’s a great game, a bit J. R. R. Tolkien inspired in my humble opinion, but a very fun Turn-Based Strategy game. I recently picked it up again, for lack of a better time passing… The games quite omni-platform but I’ve only got it installed on my FreeBSD powered laptop. I’ve been looking through the info and working on a custom campaign for it. Although a bit out of place for Wesnoth, it’s an original plot, well at least original in the sense that I’ve never followed that kind of High Fantasy in the first place >_>

I’m quite a bit more of a “Sci Fi Guy”, I prefer fiction and have the book-inhaling habits to prove it hehe. Most of the times I read, I usually go through 50~120 pages a day easily. Dune took a few days but I read enormous amount of it per sitting. That’s one thing I really miss, getting to sit down and READ a book. Most of the time I read these days, it’s either on the web or if lucky enough to have a real book in hand. It’s usually a book on something technical, e.g. TCP/IP. I love books, reading beats TV watching for me, because there can be much greater depth to it. Not to mention that 300~500 pages of novel, spanning 3 or more books (a trilogy) gives one a bit more leeway for time. As much as I love TV and Movies, I really dislike some of the hack-jobs that people have done… Just look at the movie ALIENS, the “classic” version that we’ve watched for years. And the *proper* version with so many deleted scenes and cut-out footage restored. The rat bastards practically destroyed the entire story!!! Although, I admit the classic cut they’ve released so often is still a good movie. But the special edition is a great movie!

Hmm, some days I wish I could win the lotto or something. It would be certainly nice, instant shopping spree for what books I’ve missed over the past decade lol. Dang dogs been chewing on my copy of Vision of the Future, luckily not to much damage… Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn trilogy is one of my favorite set of Star Wars novels, the Hand of Thrawn duology (that it is apart of) also being quite nice. If I recall correctly, Vision of the Future is the one where Luke Skywalker finally purposed to Mara Jade.

After who knows how long people were waiting to see if that would ever happen, it finally did lol.

Incredibly tired

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I’ve had a lot on my mind lately… At least for me it’s somewhat hard not to realize how far I am from my objectives. Working into the ground, on all flanks, with no sign of relief in view. No matter what I do, there never seems to be any headway made :

I think I’ll play a bit of Wesnoth for tonight. It’s not like I’m going to get to doing anything meaningful tonight, I’ll be lucky to get to sleep in peace……