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Combing vcbuild and vcexpress running at the same time, can lead to such interesting linkage errors if you try running vcbuild before saving the changed solution file back out ^_^.

Ok, no wonder I so much prefer just opening project files in vim, it saves me from having to launch the bloody IDE 8=).

Old remarks

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Was searching through the forums for something En4cer or Rouge said a year or two ago, when I found something I once posted about tactical fire & maneuver used in films:

* for context, IRL = In Real Life; IHW = In HollyWood

My list of differences between Real world Elite and Holiwood Elite.

IRL a 9mm probably will bounce off a windshield at 50m

IHW a 9mm will take out the engine block of a truck if its on Full Auto.

IRL a solider might not have a full mag all the time, to prevent jams. (editors note: not all are created equal)

IHW, magazines have bullets 4 a breast so you can reload off camera

IRL a [good] solider can snap off a head shot at 50m /w an MP5 as fast as they can think.

IHW, the hero can pop the running squiral in the left nut at 25m with a sling shot.

IRL, a 12.7mm M2 || M82 will make your day.

IHW, some how a pistol packs more punch then a 30mm Gatling gun.

IRL, you want strong cover like a CBS wall so bullets won’t penitrate.

IHW, you can use a lamp post or a dead guy as cover agasnt 7.62x39mm ammo.

Some how I can’t help but chuckle whenever I think about that running squirrel part xD. For some reason the Last Action Hero also comes to mind…

Random thoughts about recent stuff

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Most pressing tasks at the moment, is setting up the input manager to handle both buffered and unbuffered input more easily. Currently a simple system is used, the input manager interfaces witgh the backup library (currently OIS) and exposes a registerCommandListener() method. For each command we want to bind input to, there is a specific subclass of AbstractCommand passed to the input manager along with the key it should be bound to (which gets mapped our own representation to what OIS uses). A simple group of associative arrays handle mapping buffered input back to the registered command objects, which have the task of making sure whatever is supposed to happen on said input event, actually does. A prime example from the prototype, movement commands are registered for mouse input and the W, A, S, D keys; when the AbstractCommand::handleInput() method is called, they tell PlayerEntity that it should move in the appropriate way. In plain C instead of C++, I would just have used a pointer to a structure holding all the interesting data about the binding + a pointer to a callback function. Same basic concept, only my prototype takes advantage of C++, which is what I’m stuck with for the moment 8=). I have no real love of C++, beyond not having to deal with yet-another implementation of data structure XYZ. (BSD Unix at least has provided macros for the most basic data structures in sys/queue.h for many years, now if only a new C standard would do likewise.)

Soon I’ll need to start modeling “Stick Man” as a place holder, it’ll likely be an extremely simple humanoid model; about as complex as a wooden artists model. Just something that can pass as a human figure during the prototypes tests lol. An arm for example will likely be a sphere for the shoulder and elbow, joined by beams, and terminating in some similiar representation of a hand.

The thing that interests me most in terms of 3d entities, is the possibilities of what can be done. Whatever the performance and code difficulty involved, an idea that I would like test: is to create the humanoid model and a ‘door’ model. The door would define two points of interest (assumably bones), one running along the hinge (to calculate how it should swing/pull open) and one through the knob. Then to establish suitable references to the models hand and the door knob, and then specify that the users hand (and obviously, any other bones that need to come along for the ride) should be moved to a position close to the door knob and back again. So that if for say, our model had to open doors; we could show it happening (kind of) and wouldn’t need separate pre-done animations for whether the model is crouched or standing, let along having to go through the trouble of making doorknobs the same exact position on every door ^_^. Likewise the possibility to take a weapon model (aka “Stick gun”), and define points of interest: such as a muzzle, foregrip-point, stock, and the handgrip. Then defining that the humanoid models hands should be positioned at the foregrip and handgrip points, and apply a griping animation to it of some sort. I am more interested in exploring what is possible without popping a cork then in creating what looks and acts proper in that regard.

Weapons implementation as of yet is undecided; current calculations for the damage portion of the ballistics has been promising. The algorithm and test-weapon specifications have yielded suitable figures when used within proper situations. Basically, everything is tuned on the concept of an ideal and a maximum range that the weapon should be effective at; results showed that for the various example test-weapon specs gave the desired behaviours until a round began moving past maximum effective range. The downside is obviously, if one wants to take a short range weapon and use it like a sniper rifle, expect to have to empty a crap load of ammo or learn how to target the vitals! The main point at which things get sticky, is hit detection and trajectory. The tests for damage/penetration power were based on segmenting the bullets travel path and scaling accordingly. The idea that comes to my mind as the obvious-first attempt, is apply a simple hitscan method – fire a beam from the muzzle to whatever it hits, like a laser gun (I hate games that do hitscan). Slice this path into smaller sectors then mutilate its forward trajectory, in effect causing a way to implement bullet drop if desired. For removing the “perfect aim”, I reckon it would be easy enough to apply a jitter to offset the bullets hit point according to what the weapon should be capable of doing.

Games are not really my area of expertise programming wise, because I’m more accustomed to building tools and combing front/back-ends. It is however, an interesting thing to tinker with; and I am building a prototype to explore random ideas — not a polished product.

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I’ve been in a fairly bad mood most of the day :. Was dreaming that I was applying for a job at the company my brother works (a large supermarket chain) and he was driving me out of my freaking skull – until I walked out, got on a plane, and parachuted into the lake; lol. After waking up and falling back asleep, I was dreaming about testing the game project I’ve been coding on the past 2 weeks or so.

Kind of strange in a way, since I’ve always maintained if I ended up in the same line of business I would seek employment at a competing company (:P), was recently mentioning skydiving with a friend, and apparently…. have been unable to get any work done on my game all day!!!!!

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Haha, believe it or not but I just upgraded my file server from OpenBSD 4.4 Release to OpenBSD 4.5 Release, lol. Usually I’m pretty good about keeping my systems up to date, but lately life has just been to troublesome to care about it :-/.

In a change, I’ve also elected this time to install the various X related dist sets in the upgrade; I have no need to run GUI tools to manage my file server, but I have been thinking of using the machine to supplement my laptop, by way of running an X-Server on the desktop machine, and employing SSH for an extra layer of encryption.

Although I have never had need of (nor desire to try) the OpenBSD ports system, it does require X if memory serves, so probably good to have it available. Since the box isn’t setup for running an X server it is only filling free diskspace, and that box is well partitioned hehe.

Whiskey Lullaby

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She put him out like the burnin’ end of a midnight cigarette
She broke his heart he spent his whole life tryin’ to forget
We watched him drink his pain away a little at a time
But he never could get drunk enough to get her off his mind
Until the night

He put that bottle to his head and pulled the trigger
And finally drank away her memory
Life is short but this time it was bigger
Than the strength he had to get up off his knees
We found him with his face down in the pillow
With a note that said I’ll love her till I die
And when we buried him beneath the willow
The angels sang a whiskey lullaby

(la la la la la la, la la la la la, la la la la, la la la la la la)

The rumors flew but nobody know how much she blamed herself
For years and years she tried to hide the whiskey on her breath
She finally drank her pain away a little at a time
But she never could get drunk enough to get him off her mind
Until the night

She put that bottle to her head and pulled the trigger
And finally drank away his memory
Life is short but this time it was bigger
Than the strength she had to get up off her knees
We found her with her face down in the pillow
Clinging to his picture for dear life
We laid her next to him beneath the willow
While the angels sang a whiskey lullaby

(la la la la la la, la la la la la, la la la la, la la la la la la)

Whiskey Lullaby, Brad Paisley / Alison Krauss

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A couple of years back, I come across a great and wasted friend of mine in the hallway of a recording studio; and while he was reciting some poetry to me that he’d written, I saw that he was about a step away from dyin’ and I couldn’t help but wonder why. And the lines of this song occurred to me. I’m happy to say he’s no longer wasted and he’s got him a good woman. And I’d like to dedicate this to John and June, who helped show me how to beat the devil.

It was winter time in Nashville, down on music city row.
And I was lookin’ for a place to get myself out of the cold.
To warm the frozen feelin’ that was eatin’ at my soul.
Keep the chilly wind off my guitar.

My thirsty wanted whisky; my hungry needed beans,
But it’d been of month of paydays since I’d heard that eagle scream.
So with a stomach full of empty and a pocket full of dreams,
I left my pride and stepped inside a bar.

Actually, I guess you’d could call it a Tavern:
Cigarette smoke to the ceiling and sawdust on the floor;
Friendly shadows.

I saw that there was just one old man sittin’ at the bar.
And in the mirror I could see him checkin’ me and my guitar.
An’ he turned and said: “Come up here boy, and show us what you are.”
I said: “I’m dry.” He bought me a beer.

He nodded at my guitar and said: “It’s a tough life, ain’t it?”
I just looked at him. He said: “You ain’t makin’ any money, are you?”
I said: “You’ve been readin’ my mail.”
He just smiled and said: “Let me see that guitar.
“I’ve got something you oughta hear.”
Then he laid it on me:

“If you waste your time a-talkin’ to the people who don’t listen,
“To the things that you are sayin’, who do you think’s gonna hear.
“And if you should die explainin’ how the things that they complain about,
“Are things they could be changin’, who do you think’s gonna care?”

There were other lonely singers in a world turned deaf and blind,
Who were crucified for what they tried to show.
And their voices have been scattered by the swirling winds of time.
‘Cos the truth remains that no-one wants to know.

Well, the old man was a stranger, but I’d heard his song before,
Back when failure had me locked out on the wrong side of the door.
When no-one stood behind me but my shadow on the floor,
And lonesome was more than a state of mind.

You see, the devil haunts a hungry man,
If you don’t wanna join him, you got to beat him.
I ain’t sayin’ I beat the devil, but I drank his beer for nothing.
Then I stole his song.

And you still can hear me singin’ to the people who don’t listen,
To the things that I am sayin’, prayin’ someone’s gonna hear.
And I guess I’ll die explaining how the things that they complain about,
Are things they could be changin’, hopin’ someone’s gonna care.

I was born a lonely singer, and I’m bound to die the same,
But I’ve got to feed the hunger in my soul.
And if I never have a nickle, I won’t ever die ashamed.
‘Cos I don’t believe that no-one wants to know.

To beat the devil, Johnny Cash

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This time I wonder what it feels like
To find the one in this life
The one we all dream of
But dreams just aren’t enough
So I’ll be waiting for the real thing.
I’ll know it by the feeling.
The moment when we’re meeting
will play out like a scene straight off the silver screen
So I’ll be holdin’ my own breath
Right up to the end
Until that moment when
I find the one that I’ll spend forever with

‘Cause nobody wants to be the last one there.
‘Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares.
Someone to love with my life in their hands.
There’s gotta be somebody for me like that.

‘Cause nobody wants to do it on their own
And everyone wants to know they’re not alone.
There’s somebody else that feels the same somewhere.
There’s gotta be somebody for me out there.

Tonight, out on the street out in the moonlight
And dammit this feels too right
It’s just like Deja Vu
Me standin’ here with you
So I’ll be holdin’ my own breath
Could this be the end?
Is it that moment when
I find the one that I’ll spend forever with?

‘Cause nobody wants to be the last one there
‘Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares.
Someone to love with my life in their hands.
There’s gotta be somebody for me like that.

‘Cause nobody wants to do it on their own
And everyone wants to know they´re not alone.
There’s somebody else that feels the same somewhere
There’s gotta be somebody for me out there.

You can’t give up!
Lookin’ for that diamond in the rough
You never know but when it shows up
Make sure you´re holdin’ on
‘Cause it could be the one, the one you´re waiting on

‘Cause nobody wants to be the last one there.
And everyone wants to feel like someone cares.
Someone to love with my life in their hands.
There has gotta be somebody for me
Ohhhhhh.

Nobody wants to do it on their own
And everyone wants to know they’re not alone.
Is there somebody else that feels the same somewhere?
There’s gotta be somebody for me out there.

Nobody wants to be the last one there
‘Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares.
Is there somebody else that feels the same somewhere?
There has gotta be somebody for me out there.

Gotta be somebody, Nickleback.