Joel Schultz

(Think RP when reading this) /A fairly unknown commander wanders to the front of the room. Looking nervous, he shuffles his feet as he takes to the empty podium./ Well, I know SC knows of me, though not well at all, not like he knows many of the vets. I really don't consider myself a vet, though I've been here for a while - it'd seem pretentious to give myself that promotion. So bear with me if I seem awkward up here. But - I just want to say thanks to SC for providing this lounge for the likes of me and the other commanders. Back in the day, before I was a commander, I didn't even know what "Battlecruiser" was. I lucked out and picked up a copy of the BC3K 2.0 recruitment box at CompUSA's bargain bin and...well the rest is history: I joined up with Galcom. Yeah, yeah, I probably stay off towards the sidelines more than I ought. But I like my place, humble though it may be. But you know, in the couple of years of waiting for our next command in this new millennium, I probably would have just drifted out and gone on to other things. But /gestures to the lounge/ its you guys here, and this place for us to gather which was one of the hooks that kept me in. Sure, we had the somewhat regular - irregular? - command updates via GNN, and the nigh-daily VCF progress reports on development of the new Battlecruiser was...hm...adictive to say the least, heh. But this community, the support you can find in it - that all became part of my Battlecruiser experience, in some ways inseparable from it. Personally, I don't think I'd have enjoyed my Battlecruiser half as much if it weren't for this place. That thing was so hard to learn in places that I don't think I could've mastered it without the sage advice from heads wiser than my own from around here. /chuckles/ What am I talking about anyway, I still haven't mastered that beast... That being said, much as we like this place I understand that SC has an organization to run, a bigger picture to be concerned about. I think - and I can't read his mind, so maybe I'm off base - that he simply expects us commanders...well, uh, to behave like ones without his babysitting. We owe him a lot - our ships, this forum. And SC owes us diddly-squat. Lest we forget and abuse his hospitality. Yes, his hospitality - voluntary on his part, done out of his good will. Well, I'm running out of things to say. If this site closes - so be it. SC will do as he will, and deserves our support, even if we may not be entirely happy about it. Where will I be? I'll just wait in the wings to see what Blades and DeSylva are cooking up. If it lives up to the standards that you set here - I think I just might mosey on in and continue to participate about the same as I do now. If SC elects to continue - so be it as well. And he deserves our support equally, if not more so, if he does that. Again, where will I personally be? I'll just keep doing what I've been doing, holding the line, keeping out of the way, make a positive contribution to the community when I can, and of course keep that spacesuit handy for the occassional inane question that gets me ordered out the airlock. Either way, I will support SC's final decision when he makes it. We all will, I hope. It's been a pleasure being here regardless. As I've said, this place was part and parcel of my BCM experience. And is a valuable place for us to recruit new blood. Heh, look at some of the people who it helped pull in. I remember our Newbie Welcome Wagon's first posts here, and now he's been recently promoted. /glances Nova's way/ Oh, yeah, belated congrats on that promotion, Nova. /grins and taps chest/ Heh, this place even dragged in me, for better or worse - /chuckles again/ for you people, that is. /Stares hesitantly in SC's direction, then with confidence/ This forum is part of the Battlecruiser legecy, no matter what happens now or in the future. Whether this place goes or stays, whether it is succeeded by another place or stays just the same, it will be part of each of our experience, part of the Battlecruiser legend. And legends never die. /Wiping the sweat from his brow, a faint blush of embarassment on his face, the commander steps down and makes his way back to the lonely corner in which he had been quietly sitting and listening./ OK, I've been itching to write that piece since the first announcement. I've been itching to write it even after SC's apparent change of mind, so sue me. I've couched it in RP (makes it more interesting to write), but I meant what I said - I honestly believe that we need a place here or similar to here (but elsewhere) to keep BC alive and open to new and old fans alike. I just wish I could contribute in some other way than being a voice of support, but I can't... quote: I leave with the memories that there was once one zone of sanity and order amidst the chaos. Perchance it will spread... Me too; I hope it spreads here. Oh wait, you were talking about here... [ 12-17-2001: Message edited by: Joel Schultz ]

You know what I say to them? PBBBTHHHTHTH!!! I usually prefer AVault. When do they review?

$ilk - I've e-mailed you my data. I'm not comfortable leaving my permanent e-mail address lying around on the pages here for all the world and their brother to see after shutdown.

Need to add the following (sorry, no page refs): [*]02 (oxygen, on-screen FP stat for your AE) [*]DIE (darklight image enhancer, an FP item) [*]FMT (friendly marine team, new DIE tactical radar mode in VCF) [*]HMT (hostile marine team, new DIE tactical radar mode in VCF) [*]STO (surface-to-orbit, a kind of missile) [*]HSD (hyperion subspace device, see artifacts appendix) [*]JAC (just another cyborg, see artifacts appendix) [*]HF (I don't know, but it's another one of your AEs on-screen FP stats) [*]ILD (your defn: "ILD computer"? I didn't see a definition either. Huh.) [*]RANDOM (random access nuclear disruption for obsolete matter, see artifacts appendix) [*]All weapons guidance logic acronyms as found in missiles appendix (e.g. CTL) [*]Technology codes at tradecom (e.g. RO, HT, AG, AD, MN) HTH [ 12-12-2001: Message edited by: Joel Schultz ]

Hey, I was working on this too! Mine's still on paper and without page references. Sometime if I get it off and complete I'll send you it in a PM, U_E.

Here's a fun thing to try with leeches: after you deploy the first and it gets "stuck" to your ship try deploying a second. What happened for me: well - let's just say that second leech blew the first one clear. Along with most of my hull and lower decks...

Thanks, SC! This problem is exactly what inspired my thread on what to do if attacked and unarmed. This'll make my (current AE's) life much easier too. All the same, I'm starting to get the hang of avoiding trouble...

Um, ok, this is 100% reproducible but it has to do with the appendix not the binaries. The "missiles" page is lacking the helpful explanation of the guidance logic that were found on the first pages of Appendix D of BC3K (which luckily I still have in my 3-ring binder). I realize that this is probably a dirt-low priority , but one can always hope, right? Though I won't be overly surprised if this post gets modified with a "siddown 'n shaddup" comment for bringing up this in here (I couldn't post it as a new topic in here or I would have).

Heh, I was wondering about that shuttle-tow thing. That was one of my fuel-savers & escape tricks. Ditto on what Tyrn said. SC, please remember that we like to sometimes send a shuttle to two helpless fools (including ourselves) into port sometimes. Or tow a disabled raider in for a reward while the CC's dealing with his compatriots. So don't make it TOO slow. BTW, you didn't say whether that applied to the realspace or hyperspace speeds of the shuttle.

quote: Originally posted by Supreme Cmdr: Ahhh...but of course. As for those who suggested not going unarmed - sure I could do that. But figuring out how to survive unarmed is good experience in (extreme) defense management. Plus they get to go places some armed classes can't, so I get to see more of the universe more easily. Even as an armed trader each missile fired costs you money and you don't have a regular salary - each missile launched comes out of next trade's profits. In this case I see missiles as a last resort to buy time to escape. A trader/explorer/commercial is not military and doesn't necessarily have the the same degree of combat survivability. For one it has weaker shields and armor. You don't even have as many engineers to do repairs for another. And you don't have fighter craft for another. So even armed I'm not going to hang around for any length of time if someone comes gunning for me. And I'm not launching unless it buys me time from a hostile launch before I can jump (missiles can't follow in hyperspace) or otherwise escape. Unarmed means that it is you versus the AI with no weapons, no EMD, no cloak, nothing but your wits to keep you alive when that Raider pops in and decides to do business with you his way. quote: Mayhaps in MP you can hire an escort or 2? Good point, good point. If you can afford it. If you can't... [ 12-07-2001: Message edited by: Joel Schultz ]

I am 45% British, just like Catherine Zeta Jones A true English rose, but you know where the money is. Take the Brit Quiz at www.darrenlondon.tripod.com/britquiz1.htm Quiz written by Daz Um...this is embarassing, me being a guy. I am NOT like Catherine Zeta Jones. Sure, we like to wear the same brand of clothes but... (j/k)

If one of the the 1.0.02 RC patches erased the saved games some time back, will the final 1.0.02 erase the saved games from the final 1.0.01 patch? No, I haven't installed any of the RC patches yet. Unless I'm beta-testing or doing development, I have an aversion to beta/non-final software (unless it is absolutely critical to systems operation, like a driver). I prefer waiting for the final release.

I was down on Frellis in Omicron Eridani under the mistaken impression there was a dockable base where I could buy fuel. As I piloted a shuttle around, what did I see in my CVD? A billboard. And not just any billboard... So, after some careful piloting, I parked, got out and walked up to it. There was a Battlecruiser Millennium billboard in the middle of a base, and on the reverse was the sign for EB Games! LOL, SC, did I just find an easter egg of some kind?

Heh, I thought I was missing something obvious. For some odd reason (most likely a mis-read somewhere) I thought in BCM you could dock at any planetary base at all, not just starbases...

quote: Originally posted by Joel Schultz: OK, my turn to be a clueless n00b. The "command & control" building on the starbases in planetary mission zones is supposed to be dockable, right? quote: Originally posted by Supreme Cmdr: No. Ok, so what's the dockable building planetside called that you can dock at for trade? (My guess is that it's still "starbase"). Wait a sec...just had a thought (heh, I may actually have a clue after all ): are only those planetary bases that are also "launch bases" dockable? Just a humble explorer trying to find places to buy fuel... [ 12-06-2001: Message edited by: Joel Schultz ]

OK, my turn to be a clueless n00b. The "command & control" building on the starbases in planetary mission zones is supposed to be dockable, right? I've tried having my AE fly at one in a shuttle while my CC was parked nearby, then hit Alt-D and it keeps coming back "invalid docking target". How do I dock at a starbase for trade?

You are in an unarmed trader/explorer/commercial transport (e.g. LRT-10) and a raider shows up with your number. What do you do? I'm not so sure, so this topic is open for anyone to add their own answers. [ rant ] Whose bright idea was it not to equip them things with EMDs? I still couldn't dodge incoming fire worth crap (turns too slow), but that's not as bad as a missile hit... Boy was this easier in BC3K when you were never without weapons (barring damage). [ /rant ] Here's my contribution to the discussion of the answer to the dilemma. Some of this I haven't been tried (yet), but here we go... RULE NUMBER 1: AVOID HOSTILES AT ALL COST. If one enters the region, begin planning escape immediately. The cost of the fuel you'll use and the lost trading profits are cheaper than repairing the ship. If a hostile is in hyperjump transit to meet you, jump anywhere. He has to wait for emergence and recharge, and you can be well on your way out by then. Struck out due to invalidation by a likely-upcoming patch - Dec 7 2001 If a hostile is near you with charged engines and there's no nearby safety, launch a shuttle, jump anywhere and have the shuttle follow. It should arrive first. Hopefully the hostile will ignore it if he trys to intercept you and arrives with the shuttle - and hope the pilot can dodge any incoming fire (I've had deployed shuttles survive without apparent harm for 15 minutes in a region with a hostile while I was in dock). Be ready to have the shuttle tow you out of there on your arrival. Its higher speed may get you to a safe zone or exit point quickly. Some damage will probably be taken. If the shuttle's engines have recharged by this time you could even try jumping again - but the hostile's engines are probably charged too by then. Risky. If hostile is nearby with charged engine and there is safety you think you can reach before his fire reaches you, go for it! Possible safe zones: region exit points, stations, and planets. If you escaped to an in-region area (planet or station), on exiting the planet or station be ready to hyperjump in case the hostile is camped nearby (probably less likely when leaving a planet and you exit on the other side). Shuttle tow as described above could help. Escaping in-region works best when if in-system defenses are attacking the hostile and can overpower it before it gets to you. Hiding within the arms of some of the "hollow" stations could be an option - if the missiles aren't smart enough to go around the parts of the station in the way to reach you. The idea is that it has more way more shields and armor than you do. Risky. Good places to camp to keep options open if a hostile enters the region: 1) Docking distance to station. Can jump, dock, or establish planetfall. Station defenses may also provide some limited protection. This gives you the most options. 2) Almost on top of exit point (jump point, fluxfield or wormhole). Can flee or jump. This could be bad if it's the hostile's entry point. 3) Planetfall distance to planet/moon. Can establish planetfall or jump. [ 12-07-2001: Message edited by: Joel Schultz ] [ 12-07-2001: Message edited by: Joel Schultz ]

HELP! Am having the exact same trouble myself. [bIG EDIT: never mind(?)] Before a fire-breathing dragon comes and consumes treeder and I, there's an excellent discussion in this thread (Clueless Newbie Questions) that seems helpful. Search for the posts by "schoch1". [ 11-30-2001: Message edited by: Joel Schultz ]

quote: Blame MS. Nothing I can do about it. Unlike some games which pop-up autorun each time the CDROM is in the drive (VERY ANNOYING), I use a batch file to check for C:WINDOWSBC3K.INI or C:WINNTBC3K.INI and if found, I know the game is installed, so the install just quits. Would you rather the install pop-up each time you put the CDROM in or have to disable AutoRun (which you might need at other times)? [Minor edit to the below] I agree that the purpose of your batch file is perfect. I just felt the form it took could be a little more polished than a batch file. A dozen lines or so of C code could do the same thing as an invisibly executing Win32 app (you know, just a short "WinMain" and that's it). But again, that's my aesthetic sense, not yours... FWIW (it's probably too late to change) if you want I could probably whip that code up in 5 minutes or so and sent it your way. No strings, no charge, just a fan contrib. Back on topic... I really like the training mode. Last night I goofed around in FP mode. No, you can't watch yourself getting surgery done . But I did figure out how that TDU unit ("P" key) and DIE work. Plus figured out how to turn the TDU off (zero key - like I'm holstering it?). So what does this have to do with training mode? Well - it means I can spend time doing this without worrying about other events or getting shot. Yet another cool impression - accidentally crashing my fighter over an Insurgent base and being able to hop out and run to a supply station for healing and ammo! Too bad I couldn't find an empty figher to commandeer... [ 11-23-2001: Message edited by: Joel Schultz ]

Some quickie first impressions - I will undoubtedly have a lot more to say when I've spent more time tootling around. If I can get myself away from the game, and my Master's thesis, maybe in that order... The good : Graphics seem better than the demos were - then again, I ditched my Radeon so that may be part of it. The ground textures seem to behave better - they actually seem to move when I walk (they didn't in the demo for some reason). Anyway, what more can I say at this point about graphics; I've barely scratched the surface. But I really like the overall appearance. Everything looks ok so far. And yes, the medical supply station SFX is hilarious. I'm going to have to go back and see if I can get a third-person view; me hoping there's an animation even funnier than the sound. And actually, that supply station is a case in point as to good graphics. I spent about a minute walking around one to look at its detail, and after some bumbling around figured out how to use it so I could hear the SFX. The manual is existant (yay!) in hardcopy (YAY!) and complete (W00T!) - for which I'm very thankful. I got stuck in several places in FP and had to quit because I hadn't a clue what I was doing (e.g. I couldn't figure out how to turn off the TDU). I look forward to sitting down and actually reading the manual to figure out all the new (and the old) stuff before I continue playing (yes, I committed the cardinal sin of not reading it first. PBTHTHTH! I couldn't help it, I just HAD to take the game for a spin first!). I suppose reading the manual will also instruct me on the Darklight Image Enhancer too, I cycled its modes and was impressed by what was (I think) the night-vision, but it'd be nice to know how it worked. Heh. Also it's nice to have a keyboard reference being all on (sort of) one page; I don't have to flip sheets of paper to remember what does what. Drat it, I just realized talking about FP that I forgot to try out the sniper rifle the other evening... And as for the music, heh, SC must've been holding out on us when he released the music way back when 'cos I heard some tracks in there I sure didn't remember! I took the CD to work today and yanked the MP3's out of the .CAB file just to listen to them. My favorite track of the new ones I haven't heard before: "Search for Control". I wish I could say more, but at the moment I was just piddling around some of the areas I felt were weak (or that I wasn't able to explore due to non-implementation) in the demos. However, what I see so far rocks! What I have planned next for the game (somehow fitting it into my schedule between work and my thesis): probably take the Battlecruiser on a brief Terran/Mil cruise in Earth- and Moonspace and take a look at the economic model (hey, the demos didn't show it and there were few comments from beta-ers). And perhaps an outing as an non-combatant too, I'm thinking of being "tourist guy" for a bit and just soaking in the graphics until I have enough and am ready for some serious action. The bad : I don't think I'll ever truly like the joystick roll/yaw functionality. The ugly : A DOS batch file for the main CD "autorun" entry point?! OK, maybe my aesthetic sense is going overboard and being excessively picky. But it annoys me that a DOS console pops into existence briefly every time I put in the CD. [ 11-21-2001: Message edited by: Joel Schultz ]

Music... (OK, any mod-trackers or mod-lovers out there?) LizardKing's "Age of Legends." Already converted the XM file to MP3 and have it ready to go. As for color: I thought the rule was anyone who knew the requisite HTML and didn't go berserk with needless, useless, confusing and/or inappropriate color usage could use it. I agree that in general, there's no need and admin/mods are the usual color users. I can think of instances though where a smidge of color is appropriate. In the past I've used it sparingly to provide simple clarity to those few posts that otherwise would have been difficult (if not impossible) to readably format otherwise. Just my 2 cents.

IMHO, "critical mass" can be staved off nearly indefinitely through refactoring. Generally, code that is approaching "critical mass" also is code that has been enhanced and added to for quite some time without refactoring or rearchitecting it. Once structure has been re-imposed on the mess, enhancements can safely be added without worrying (as much) about unwanted side-effects like that.

Received: 1 GeForce 3 Ti200 by Gainward from Monarch Computer. Cost, including "Express Saver" 2-3 day FedEx: roughly USD$200. Hardware extras: TV-out. Software extras: 3Deep and some DVD stuff which I can't use (no DVD-ROM). Guess what? All the games that ran glitchy under the Radeon worked instantly, no problems. W00T! So, you see you can get decent parts at a good price if you don't mind sacrificing hardware extras and software bundles. (OK, enough of this, I'm so pleased I just had to toot my horn )

Hey, its the usual suspects! Anyone bring marshmallows?

I'm shooting for a GeForce 3 Ti 200 right now myself. If you get a basic one with almost no hardware extras or software bundle it can run you approximately USD$200. I started this thread in the interests of trying to figure out the difference between various (low-cost) nVidia vendors; just thought I'd point it out in case you get around to wondering about that...