Menchise

I fired the missiles when the HUD said "Lock" and they weren't destroyed by PTA fire because they detonated outside of the station's weapons range. Not only that, but if my ship is moving at a slow speed, so does the missile. In some cases, it detonates less than ten kilometres from my position about twenty seconds after launch.

quote: Menchise, click here for the Spectre logo. That's the Spectre logo? I thought it was the old Insurgent logo, as in the one that was used before the SC introduced the sword and coffin. Anyway, I'm glad that it's not going to disappear like the old Galcom logo. I like it. Still looking forward to seeing the Eversor logo. quote: Still haven't thought of one for Balor. I'll see what I can do. I'll also remove my images from the thread.

I guess you're right. It could be interpreted that way. Oh well, at least we already have one. Could you show us the Spectre and Eversor logos?

Another possible issue: Missiles. When I fire a missile at a vessel that is within acquisition range, and my ship is travelling at a slow speed, the missile detonates itself before it reaches the target's vicinity, even when the target is a stationary object. [ 06-05-2001: Message edited by: Menchise ]

I had the same problem too, but it's easy to fix. Just press the Refresh button (in IE) or the Reload button (in Netscape). The images should appear the second time around.

OK, here is the second draft of my idea. I combined the crosshair element with the cloaked figure from the old Insurgent logo. The Earth background is from Pablo Luna's gallery. I'm trying to send the message that "anything that's thrown at us goes straight through us". What do you think? [ 06-06-2001: Message edited by: Menchise ]

I have a basic idea for a Spectre Fleet logo. It's very rough, due to my lack of skills in drawing anything on a computer, but the idea comes through. It shows a targeting crosshair going straight through a shadow figure (the Spectre). I'll try to add and refine some more to it if I have time. [ 06-06-2001: Message edited by: Menchise ]

quote: Australia, while being a low population density, and late colonization, unfortunately has proven low in natural resources. Or at least, accessible resources. Otherwise, I wouldn't be surprised if they were also a super power. They have all the same technology and economy that we do. Just lack the means. Actually, Australia is high in natural resources. More than half of our export revenue comes from mining commodities, including coal, copper, iron, lead, tin, zinc, bauxite, and one of the most exclusive of them all, uranium. The problem is that despite Australia's geographical size (roughly the same as the USA), we have a small population (approximately 19 million). This is because most of central Australia is uninhabitable, which explains why all of the major cities are on the coasts.

quote: Living on the other side of the Atlantic makes it very difficult for me not to make an assumption or two from time to time. Oops. I meant to say Pacific (It was 04:00 in Brisbane when I wrote that). I need more sleep. Hmm...It appears that almost every argument I have given has received an appropriate counter-argument, except for my reply to Shingen's post, so I have nothing left to say, except for this. America did not 'earn' its status, because it was bound to have it eventually. It's a country that has two vast oceans protecting it from eastward and westward invasion, more than enough natural resources to trade in abundance and develop into more valuable trade items, and a huge geographical area, most of it habitable, which allows for a bigger and more sustainable population. The same thing applied to the USSR, except that it had the infamously harsh winter instead of the Atlantic and Pacific buffer zones. That's why no foreign power has successfully captured Moscow and hold it for more than a few months (Napolean and Hitler (twice) tried and failed). If America was a landlocked country with an area the size of Greece, it wouldn't have become a world power. Therefore, America did not necessarily 'earn' its status, it was just lucky to have all that it needed to do so. Secondly, Castro's leadership provides the people with as much as the Cuban economy can possibly give them, which includes the best education system in the Third World, and one of the best in the entire world. Fact: Cuba has a higher literacy rate than the USA. Fact: Cuban doctors are among the best in the world. Fact: All of the schools are publicly funded and totally free. Fact: University courses don't cost tens of thousands of dollars, or their equivalent in pesos. The health system is also equal to the US, if not better. Here are some statistics (they date back to 1992, but they're still statistics): Cuba Life Expectancy at Birth: 74 Male, 79 Female. Deaths (per 1000): 7. Hospital Beds: 1 per 141 persons. Physicians: 1 per 303 persons. Infant Mortality (per 1000 live births): 12. National Budget: $15 billion. USA Life Expectancy at Birth: 72 Male, 79 Female. Deaths (per 1000): 9. Hospital Beds: 1 per 198 persons. Physicians: 1 per 404 persons. Infant Mortality (per 1000 live births): 10. National Budget: 1 Trillion Dollars. [ 06-05-2001: Message edited by: Menchise ]

quote: Our opinions differ. Casualties are a part of war. One side can ill afford to care about the casualities of the other side. The Americans were doing enough damage with their incendiary bombs. A nuclear attack was unnecessary. In time, Japan would have surrendered. quote: Sure, I could say that there are bright pink dinosaurs on a planet near Alpha Centauri. I have no evidence of this. Do you have evidence that disproves my theory? Since you obviously don't believe that, I don't have to disprove it. If you do believe that, I suggest you see a psychiatrist about your Barney fetish.

quote: I noticed that you FAILED to mention that WITHOUT DIRECT US INTERVENTION, Europe would have FELL to Hitler, and the Axis Powers! It was AMERICAN CAPITALISM and the production power that was CREATED by it, that allowed the Allies to defeat BOTH Hilter AND Japan! Not true. It was American military strength that assisted in the defeat of Hitler. The economic system used to produce the weaponry is irrelevant. quote: Europe, for all their high vaunted socialistic ideals, COULD NOT out-produce Hitler, and Asia was in such a state of utter poverty that Japan WOULD HAVE continued to swallow all of China if not for us American Imperialist! First of all, where did you get the idea that Europe was socialistic? Britain is very capitalist, and France is much more capitalist than socialist. Secondly, Germany's military strength was so vast that it took a combined force of American, British, and Canadian militaries to defeat Hitler on the western front. The Russians took care of the eastern front all by themselves, even after suffering nearly 20 million casualties. Finally, the Japanese advance south of Manchuria was slowed down to a crawl by the Chinese United Front, and they were fighting for four years before America became involved. quote: Did we Americans use our SUPERIOR technology and production to sujugate the lesser countries into submission?? Nope, We gave Japan back to the Japanese, and Europe back to the Europeans! with a few minor consessions First, America was never in possession of Europe because the US was one part of a combined force on the western front. Secondly, Japan was given back to the Japanese because the Allied powers had learned from the mistakes of the Versailles Treaty. quote: It REALLY ticks me off when people start bad-mouthing my country, which happens to be THE BEST DAMN COUNTRY EVER CREATED, and if you don't like it here, then please leave my beautiful country and go live in the squalor of your beloved Socialism. It really ticks me off when people start glorifying their country as if it was superior to every other nation, which happens to be arrogant and untrue, and I don't like it, I don't live in your country and you don't have to be Socialist to live outside the US. quote: America is a WORLD POWER because of our IDEALS, our WORK ETHIC, and our FIRM BELIEF IN GOD! ( at least that's what MADE us a world power ), now we're becoming a bunch of crybaby whiners who are too damn lazy to go out a MAKE something, because it takes WORK! America is a world power because of tons of natural resources and lots of big guns, just like the USSR when it was around. The majority of Australians have the same ideals, work ethic, and belief in God that Americans do, yet we are not a world power. We can't even build a submarine that works properly.

quote: Japan was still fighting, people were still dying. After ALL the death those people WILLINGLY caused (they had MASSIVE national support), they'd better surrender without condition. There were approximately 200,000 Japanese casualties in the two days that those bombs were dropped. This amount is equivalent to two thirds of the total casualties suffered by the USA in the entire war (including the European Theatre). In my opinion, the A-bombs were severe overkill just to obtain an unconditional surrender. quote: Sounds like a conspiracy theory to me. Please show me some evidence of this, because I can't find a SINGLE SHRED. What you call a conspiracy theory, I call a different angle on the event. The Americans and the British were distrustful of Russian power even before the war ended. What better way to frighten them than to demonstrate a single weapon that could destroy an entire city. I have no evidence to support this, it's just my belief. Can you give me any evidence that disproves the theory? quote: No. Laws PROTECT rights as well as people. Why do you think that it is unlawful for an employer to racially discriminate? There are laws that protect EVERYONE'S basic rights, such as the right to be free of harm, the right to be free of discrimination, the right to vote, the right to peace, the right to express, etc. It is ILLEGAL for ANYONE to take away these rights. It depends on your point of view. By making sure that these basic rights are not infringed, the law is protecting people and property from harm. quote: people have NO RIGHT to protest the actions of a CITIZEN that is living within THEIR rights. Is that law too? BTW, I have been stretching my arguments in some places. Living on the other side of the Atlantic makes it very difficult for me not to make an assumption or two from time to time. quote: Resistance of arrest can be anything from refusing police instructions to surrender, to running from the police, to struggling with the police. Seriously, look the laws up. Point conceded. quote: No, I suppose telling someone simply to stand down is not, BUT it IS obstruction of justice - check the laws. So, if someone fails to stand down when ordered, they've committed a crime. This issue is a bit murky in my opinion. If the police tell me to stop doing something, they had better give me a good explanation before they decide that my hesitation amounts to obstructing justice. The police are not our superiors, they are civil servants. If they expect civilians to obey intrusive orders without question, then they are overstepping their authority. quote: One has a right to protest the rights that allows someone to do something that is questionable, even the person - so long as his rights are not infringed. If they are, he can sue for libel and defamation of charactor - and probably a whole host of other things. If one can sue, there is no RIGHT. Be more specific about what rights of that person could be infringed, because I don't see much of a difference between what I said and what you said. [ 06-04-2001: Message edited by: Menchise ]

I think I have found some unusual issues in the demo (unless someone else has already posted about them and I didn't notice). First issue: Cloaking Does the Warmonger have a cloaking device? If not, then I asked a silly question. If so, I can't cloak the ship. I just press SHIFT C, and nothing happens. Second Issue: Docking Is the Warmonger allowed to dock with Multinational Trading stations? If not, then I asked a silly question (again). If so, I can't dock with it. It just says "Invalid Dock Target". Third Issue: Fleet Command and Control Does Scenario 1 allow FC&C? If so, then there might be a problem. If not, then there might be two problems. I click on the FC&C button at the start of the scenario, and it tells me that I don't have the rank. Then, I run the demo in debug mode (to avoid the crashes) When I use the Zoom To button to zoom in on an Alpha fighter and select it, the Orders menu appears, and the FC&C button works as well. Then I zoom in on Alderon Station, and I can give orders to it as well. That's the small issue. The big issue is that I can also give orders to the Gammulan Station! I successfully ordered Salient to launch a transport and recall it, then I ordered it to shut down its weapons and launch systems, which it did. I just strolled in with my Warmonger and captured the station without being fired upon! Is this normal for the debug mode? [ 06-04-2001: Message edited by: Menchise ]

quote: The server is not fast... ONLY 10ks... Try downloading the zip file. http://www.lancersreactor.com/dlfiles/flintro.zip quote: Who knows when this game comes out. I like the original privateer and freelancer seems to capture the same concept but in the end there can be only one and that my friends is BCM. When u grasp your copy of BCM in your hands, think of it as the most precious item you'll ever have that's worth living for, worth dying for. And to those who try to steal your copy or pirate it, lord have mercy upon your souls. Freelancer is a different game altogether. It's a combination of the Privateer style of Space Combat/Trade Simulation and the elements of Action/Adventure, which is why Freelancer will have more depth in character interaction than BCM. BCM is a combination of the Elite style of Space Combat/Trade Simulation and elements of 3D Real Time Strategy, which is why it will have a much bigger scope and feature set than Freelancer. The biggest similarity between the two in terms of gameplay will be the AI controlling the dynamic universe. BCM obviously has a more complex AI than Freelancer because it's a much bigger game and facilitates a wider variety of interactions between objects, while Freelancer's AI has more attention to detail in terms of how different actions affect the workings of the universe. I'm probably making a lot of mistakes in my descriptions, in which case I hope someone will reply and help clear things up.

Are there any plans to introduce fleet logos for Spectre, Eversor, Balor, and Bishumen? Just curious.

quote: One of the elements that you have listed confuses me a bit. For example, under liberalism, you listed 'individuality.' Does the radical left really emphasize individuality? It always seemed to me that socialism and communism are more about the good of the whole, rather than the good of the one. For some unknown reason, Americans and conservative Australians seem to be the only people in general who think that Socialism and Communism are somehow related to Liberalism, probably because of the similarities between Social Democracy and Modern Liberalism, both of which advocate Keynesian economics. The fact is that Socialism is very different and even opposes Liberalism in some respects. Here is another list for you to consider. Remember that these lists do not name concepts that ideologies advocate, they list elements of ideological thought. If there's anything from these lists that you want to learn more about, I'll quote some more from the textbook. Socialism Elements: Community, Fraternity, Social Equality, Need, Social Class, Common Ownership. Branches: Marxism, Social Democracy. Marxism Elements: Historical Materialism, Dialectical Change, Alienation, Class Struggle, Surplus Value, Proletarian Revolution, Communism. Branches: Orthodox Communism, Modern Marxism. [ 06-03-2001: Message edited by: Menchise ]

No offense intended, but this debate over the elements of ideologies is going nowhere. In fact, neither of you have started scratching the surface let alone an in-depth exploration. Ideologies are very complicated things. I have a textbook at home with a chapter that contains just about everything you would need to know about ideologies. The sections that deal with Liberalism and Conservatism add up to seven pages of text, with two pages devoted to defining the elements of the ideologies, two pages defining the various branches of the ideologies, and the rest providing introductions and short bios of the people who contributed to the formations of those ideologies as we know them today. Here is a list of the elements and branches of each ideology. Liberalism Elements: Individualism, Freedom, Reason, Equality, Toleration, Consent, Constitutionalism. Branches: Classical Liberalism, Modern Liberalism, Neoliberalism (The New Right). Conservatism Elements: Tradition, Pragmatism, Human Imperfection, Organicism, Hierarchy, Authority, Property. Branches: Paternalistic Conservatism, Neoconservatism (The New Right). Without the definitions attached, this list could be misinterpreted. If this happens, I'll try to clear things up.

quote: He is EXTREMELY oppressive. Simply by demanding power so vigorously, he oppresses Cuba's economical status. Dictatorships do not invariably lead to poor countries. Germany became an economic superpower under Hitler's rule, and the USSR became a superpower under Stalin's rule. As soon as Russia became democratic, it lost its economic status. I don't necessarily support the idea of dictatorships, but if the leader is benevolent, and so far you have not given me a hint of evidence that Castro is not benevolent, then I'll have no problem with it. quote: Go look up the facts, and you'll find a lot more about Castro's crap than you've ever thought would exist. Give me some links, and I'll read the documents. quote: If that student DISTURBS *MY* peace, he is then committing a crime by depriving MY rights. The purpose of a police department is to enforce laws. What you perceive to be your rights is irrelevant in that context. Laws are supposed to protect people, they are not supposed to discriminate between the civil rights of different people. Any law that does so is overstepping legislative authority, thus corrupting the system. If that student is not violating the law by protesting, then the police have no authority over his or her actions. If you have a problem with those actions interfering with your peace, then you can sue the student for damages, although I doubt that you would win the case, because annoyance does not count as damage. quote: Yep, and, from what I've seen PERSONALLY (and in the media), protestors tend to resist arrest in protest. Protesters also tend to resist excessive use of force when they were not resisting arrest. Both types of actions can look very similar on television. I hope you're not mixing them up.

Has anyone seen the Freelancer Intro? It rocks! I have never seen such high quality CGI in any other game. The influence of Chris Roberts is very apparent in these cinematics (I wouldn't be surprised if he directed them himself). The story is also quite interesting, even though it rips off half of the plot devices from Freespace. Check it out. http://www.lancersreactor.com/dlfiles/flintro.wmv

quote: I just want to run away but I've known Mary since I was born and I couldn't. I can't go back in but I can hear her crying and screaming...Since I've never seen or had this happen to me before I try and stay away from both of them... I know how you feel, at least to some extent. I know someone (I won't name names) who suffers from severe Depression (the psychiatric disorder). Before we found some medication that worked, there were several occasions when the following happened. First, the person becomes very withdrawn, as if they're thinking in fast forward, and ignores your attempts to talk to them. That's the sign. I can always tell when this person is going to snap, but I can't do anything about it because any attempt to calm them down only aggravates them. By this time they're incapable of reason. All I can do is wait for this person to start screaming, throwing fists at walls and doors, throwing objects across the room, and pacing around with a wild look in the eyes. This type of thing lasts from half an hour to two hours, and in some cases the person will injure themselves in a fit of rage. After that, the person starts to slow down, and realizes what they are doing. In some cases, they start crying for as long as an hour afterwards. It's very painful just to watch it happening, especially to someone you've known for a long time. I consider myself very lucky that this person is normally very gentle in nature, because those fists could have been hitting me if that wasn't the case. quote: This is just way to much for me right now. Wish I knew what to do... I suggest you ask Mary first. If she wants to call the police, let her do it. If she doesn't want to, then you do it. In any case, doing nothing is not an option, because Jeff obviously has some issues that need to be addressed. [ 06-02-2001: Message edited by: Menchise ]

quote: No, you're trying to create a world where EVERYTHING is the fault of the US. I do NOT blame everything on the US. I just think they are responsible for more problems than you think they are. quote: The trade block wouldn't exist if it wasn't for Castro. So, the Cubans are letting ONE power-mad man destroy their economy. Not our fault. Just because Castro is a dictator, doesn't mean that he is oppressive. So far, you have given me NO evidence that his dictatorship is not benevolent. You have also given me NO evidence that he is mad with power. In fact, Castro became the leader of Cuba by helping to overthrow a power-mad dictator (Batista) who's oppressive government was supported by the US, which raises doubt on why the US actually imposed the trade block in the first place. quote: I've figured out that you don't think people need to be accountable for their own actions. Not true. I just have different opinions on who is actually responsible for those actions. When a student protests in front of a building, he or she is not committing a crime. When a police officer starts beating that student with a nightstick, or sprays the student with mace, or shoots the student with rubber bullets (or real bullets in some cases), guess who's committing the crime? quote: At any rate, people DO have a RIGHT to protest. However, they do NOT have a right to INTERFERE with the activities of OTHERS. That is the deprevation of the rights of others. In other words, if the police show up and ORDER protestors to disperse, they MUST disperse. PERIOD. There is no law against mass protests (or at least there shouldn't be). If you don't like those protesters interfering with your activities, then you have the right to sue them if any losses result. The police have NO right to order protesters to leave if they're not committing a crime. If there is a law against that type of behaviour, then the students have the right to get themselves arrested in protest of that law. When that happens, the police ONLY have the right to use force if the protester is resisting arrest. quote: I'm NOT telling him what is going on in his hometown. I'm simply saying that I don't believe all the supposed "facts". I have a RIGHT to not believe things that do not have EVIDENCE. OK, then.