Supreme Cmdr

whoa!!! Stickman!! Where have you been man!?!?!

quote: Originally posted by Commander Elio Jason: let's create a "BC for dummies" book What? Lost yours already? Here, you can borrow mine if you'd like

quote: Originally posted by StanRex: maybe it s stupid but I fear this trip :-) thx for your help Yeah. You're gonna die. A lot. Get RC7 and save often. And the way that scenario works, if you don't get them all to their destination, you won't know what happens. NPC ships do NOT use flux fields. Good luck. I hope you have your rabbit's feet closeby.

quote: Originally posted by Nicholas Dogris, Ph.D. So here is the request, can a "dumbed down" switch be created to let us, less than perfect wanna-be pilots, be created? It would round out the game for me in many ways and make it more playable to people in the general gaming community. No, there is no such thing. BC games are not for dummies. You have X2, Freelancer et al for that I think.

quote: Originally posted by Romale: however, i do absolute despise new kb layout, that sheet seeems to be missing some of the layout there pdf or html files that show everything? cuz this new layout is killing me:P You'll get used to it. No, there is no PDF. No, the layout isn't missing anything. But please don't use this topic for that.

Regardless of which game he's playing, this issue is documented in the FAQ for both games.

And you can't find it because - according to DC - its selling like mad. At that price, I'm not surprised actually.

Totally agree. But I think its down to the word count though. Tom's a pretty good writer. But Dennis from Gamer's Hell said it best, with a game of this scope, you have to rate it based on all its parts. So if one aspect is really good and another really, well, bad, that can take focus away from whats good, tank the score etc etc. Which is why the content and context of the review is VITAL. Once a reviewer can present a descent review, the score becomes largely irrelevant and its up to the gamer to decide. I mean, we've seen games with scores in 90s, bought them, and wondered wtf?!?!. And of course, they end up tanking at retail, just to prove our point. There are very few game reviewers left in this business who have ANY credibility when it comes to rating games. It just takes a special kind of mindset, talent and a propensity for torture, to do a good and descent review - especially for games like mine.

Just frigging great. My female half was soo looking forward to that one. Now I have to go break the news to her. Now I'm not gonna get laid for a month, since I'm responsible for everything that is good, bad or ugly about this frigging industry. I wonder if she'll accept Syberia II as a consolation.

Nope, never heard of them before today either. I found a few titbits truly funny. What ever happened to varied continental climates?" Well, uhm, if you actually went to Tacops, picked, e.g. a desert climate region, thats what you'd get when you landed there. And if - again - looking at the time zone marker (GMT accurate) in Tacops and you landed somewhere where its night, it would be, well, dark. There are no less than six (desert, temperate, artic, moderate etc) different climate regions (and several combinations in between), including several weather effects (e.g. rain, snow etc) to go with them. And lighting effects are non-existant. Pure rubbish. Lighting is a fundamental part of any graphics engine and without it, no elements would be seen on screen. Shadows don?t exist in this universe, apparently Yeah, that would make one helluva difference, won't it? *sheesh* The game is amazingly complex and is rivaled only by the pathetic lack of any sort of information either online or in manual format. The game sports virtually no in-game instructions and the lack of training mode blows me away. I guess I shouldn't have shipped it with a manual then. Nor a detailed HTML appendix. I'm confused. The game further complicates things by using an interface, keymap scheme, and navigational menus that would take a cryptographer months to decipher. Standard hotkeys like ESC are replaced by ALT and CTRL combinations that you?d never guess unless you just held down ALT and CTRL and randomly hit buttons to try and see what happens. Ah yes, the pre-requisite, "..oh look, he remapped the ESC key!" nonsense. I guess she didn't notice that the ESC was used for something else - that is pretty standard in most games ----> a comms/messaging system. And only a complete idiot would just mash ALT and CTRL buttons, when there is clearly a detailed keyboard sheet to go with the game. I guess she must have fed it to the dog, along with the manual, appendix etc. ....Anyway, go read it because if nothing else, its worth a giggle or two.

You can read this well written and 99% accurate review over here. It skimped on the game's strengths, but I'm sure Tom didn't want to write a thesis. Yeah, ignore the score, I think they were just playing it safe as usual.

quote: Originally posted by Dennis S.: Hi guys (and of course Derek ). I do not usually get into messageboard discussions about why and what the hardcore fans don't like in our reviews as in 99.9% of the cases it's pointless. But in this particular case, I had to answer this. heh, hi Dennis quote: First of all, we like Derek - he's a really nice guy as matter of factNo I'm not!!! I resent that!! Are you trying to ruin my image?!?! quote: Any recent space simulation game *I* (and probably Mike) have seen, had re-assignable control buttons. And considering that UC doesn't even include a quick printed "controls map",uhm, UC does include a keyboard sheet, printed on the reverse of the map. Also, if you take a look at that keyboard sheet - trust me, you won't want to remap the keys. Fact is - and guys who played BCM back in 2001 know this - there was an option to remap all the keys in the game. I simply disabled it because it was more trouble than it was worth. In fact, looking at the BCCONFIG.INI or UCONFIG.INI file, sees some remnants of this (in fact, I think some of those can still be remapped and they would probably work). Fact is, after taking up so many keys on the keyboard, mapping would be a major nightmare. Apart from that, when I revised the UC keys (from the BCM Gold version), I used several industry standard key mappings (e.g. WSAD). I really don't see what the big deal is. I mean, I see reviewers *****ing about ALT+Q. Fer crying out loud, Q = Quit. ALT = system usage key. What is so bad about ALT+Q?!?! DISCLAIMER: This is not directed at you Dennis or anyone in particular. /rant mode on Fact is, most people are just *****ing for hell of it. In fact, its actually a sociological problem. Why? Well because all it takes is for one or two people to say ...hey, the key mappings suck! and then next thing you know, like Lemmings to the slaughter, most start to adopt this frame of thinking. And in the case of reviews - especially those by UNPROFESSIONAL fly-by-night* websites - they tend to start regurgitating the same nonsense for fear of bucking the trend. Its stupid. Its ridiculous. Its ludicrous. The game was built on the premise of a sim. The game is highly complex and I make NO apologies for it. And anyone who has a problem with this, can go screw themselves and go play Pong because they're the #1 reason the industry is littered with mass market rubbish. I designed and develop my games for like minded gamers who are used to this type of game. I don't owe ANYONE a DAMN thing. I don't need their money. I don't need their support. All I want is for them to STFU and play the game. Sure, I have an exceptionally high IQ and I'm an eccentric artiste, but the fact remains, there are quite literally hundreds of thousands of people playing these games and enjoying. For ANYONE to think that I'm going to keel over and cry just because a bunch of people can't grow a brain or muster the patience to play this kind of game, is foolhardy and they NEED to read up on Derek Smart. Frankly, I don't give sh*t. If I did, I won't have shipped five games (and yes, there WILL be another inside of two years) in the series so far and which remain true to the series. My ONLY regret with UC is that when DC came to me with their idea of refocusing the game in order to appeal to the action gamer (which I knew was just STUPID from the word go), I should've told them to piss off. Sure, the name change won't have been a big deal, but I should NEVER have altered my original design. I KNEW that the minute I did that, the game would attract a bunch of people outside of the niche category it has always catered to and cause a backlash. As always, I was right. The time I took to do that, I could have remained focus on fine tuning and polishing what I had and getting the game to ship on time. I will NEVER make that mistake again. Like my neural net technologies, I'm a quick study. Imagine what would happen if Atari took Falcon 4, updated it, called it Fighter Attack, repositioned it and stuck it in a box. Thats what has happened to Universal Combat. And lest we forget, if it wasn't for MY efforts back in November, the game would have shipped UNPLAYABLE out of the box when DC tried to ship it while in RC status - to the extent of manufacturing 30K units which had to be destroyed due to my legal action. That, in itself, would have been a much bigger problem had it shipped. The flight sim market is dead because gamers outside of that niche market, CANNOT play those games. The space sim market is no different, yet, people wonder why games from these two genres are not only dying, they're DEAD. Let me repeat that, DEAD. And there is a damn good reason why - to date - NOBODY has even come close to developing a game that is even 25% of what BC games going back to 1989, have done. Why? because it takes a LOT of effort, time, resources and TALENT to do that. And then it becomes risky as a commercially viable property. Lucasarts shipped Star Wars Galaxies WITHOUT a space flight component - the STAPLE of a Stars Wars game. And people wonder why. And when it does come out, it will - and I can 100% guarantee this - NOT be a seamless integration with their planetary stuff. Last time I checked, Freelancer was a RETAIL FLOP of epic proportions. But it sure looked purdy The same goes for IWAR2, X and from looking at the sales numbers, X2 isn't going ANYWHERE. Again, it sure does look purdy, doesn't it? Release after release of a BC game, the sentiments are the same in that everyone is wondering why its still complex, why the interface is not what THEY want it to be etc. And most of all, they wonder when a game with this feature set would come along with a less than complex premise, better interface etc. Here's a tip. IT CANNOT BE DONE. Period. Until someone actually comes up with one, Derek Smart is IT. End of story. Like most, I consider myself to be a highly talented individual and having written close to 90% of the code for my games, I have had a LOT of practice. So, if it could be done and within the scope of the game, I would have done it by now. WHY would I go out of my way to ship a game that isn't easy to get into or which uses only 10 instead of close to 100 keys? I don't. The game remains complex because of its high end nature, EXTENSIVE feature set and which unfortunately require similar interface structures and key commands to match. Fact #1 - In the US alone, UC has sold more units in its four week stint, than X2 has sold since it was released almost two and half months ago. BCM and BCM Gold, again, sold a LOT more units than the previous X game *and* Freelancer (the last time I checked). Fact #2 - The BC games have CONSISTENTLY sold more units than almost 68% of the games (most of which are triple-A quality) released in their period. Why? Because my games have a DEDICATED and UNCOMPROMING user base. Its called BRAND LOYALTY and I almost lost that when a bunch of capitalists with NO regard for gamers, caused me to - for ONE fleeting moment - almost destroy my game for the people who have been BUYING these games ALL these years. I never set out to cater to every goddamn gamer and their one-eyed dog. When I started creating these games, I had a CLEAR focus of what I wanted. Even back then, technology wasn't even there to match my ideas. This is why, over the years, I have added a little bit at a time as technology played CATCH UP with my ideas. I'm a forward thinking person and that comes from being a focused, highly ambitious b*stard. Looks, screw it - there is reason why games are rated, why there are children's games, adult games, games for impatient losers etc. MY games are for a dedicated and niche group of people who - like me - have an IQ greater than they waist or collar size and their comprehension skills exceed a Beagle's. Impatient, incompetent, intelligently inferior gamers, NEED NOT APPLY. Its really THAT SIMPLE. If I had my way, the game's ESRB rating won't be T, it would be T+100 - the numeral being the minimum IQ requirement, since most people's IQ (on a scale of 40-160) is between 70-130. Goddamnit, this makes me SO mad its not even funny. I sit down and play my game - like most who do - and wonder wtf the furor is about. I simply don't get it, and I'm not stupid. Why does every mother****er without a fully functioning brain, sit around and think that I - Derek Smart - am designing a game for THEM? There is a damn good reason why people shouldn't buy, nor play games they can't comprehend. Its the same reason you can't drive a car at thirteen or do drugs in class (oh wait, they probably do. Nevermind). If its beyond you, accept it - ITS BEYOND YOU - and move the hell on. Insulting me or those who enjoy these kind of games, isn't going to do a damn thing, except make me just want to develop another one; which, in itself, is the ultimate f*ck you b*tch, grow a brain. /rant off quote: @ Wolferz - everyone in GH including Mike actually had a good laugh about your impression of Mike.... heh, yeah, ol'd Wolfie gets carried away once in a while. Pay him no mind, he's patently harmless and just ranting as usual. quote: Now - Mike liked the space sim part, but he was highly disappointed with air, marine, and land combat.That is quite understandable and I 100% agree. Fact is, if I had spent half as much time resolving issues in those aspects of the game, polishing etc, as I spent ****ing around with this stupid shit I found myself doing, it would have been a different story. And just to PROVE it, wait for Christmas and see what I'm coming up with. quote: What happens in a review of a game of this scale, is that every part of the game is reflected in the final rating.Absolutely! And thats the way it SHOULD be. No question about it. quote: Mike felt that including so many sides to the game detracted from its final score. If the game was shipped as Battlcreuiser: Generations with space combat alone, I could see it getting anywhere from 7.0 to 9.0. But as Universal Combat is striving to compete in all genres but captures perfectly none apart of the space aspect, it's definite that the other 3 underdeveloped game features will detract from the game.And this - again - is 100% understandable and quite CORRECT. As I've always said, ignoring the score of a review, a well written review should be able to give the gamer ENOUGH info with which to make up their mind. For example, a space simmer would still pick up the game and NEVER have to screw around with any of the planetary aspects (except to mine). THATS why I designed the way I did. You can do what you want, when you want, how you want. The complexity reveals itself based on how you progressively introduce yourself to it. quote: Nevertheless, our review was aimed at the general public, preventing them from buying the game, getting mad with it and coming here yelling at DS (...and getting banned of course) Gee thanks. Like I don't already get yelled and *****ed at. *EDIT: When I posted that the eToyChest review was nothing but an attack piece, some probably thought I was just saying that. Read the review again, now see this excerpt Michael "Cuthbert" Parks, posted on their forum and draw your own conclusions. quote: I had actually planned on editing the review in regards to this, the morning after it was posted. Of course, when I got in to work, I saw the shitstorm he was brewing up here, and on his website, and decided to leave it how it was. Like 99% of the gaming community, I was barely aware of who Derek Smart was before I started writing the review. I had played his other games, but I never paid attention to his hijinx. If I knew then what I know now, the review would have probably been more caustic than it was. The guy's a sociopathic bully, and that's the main reason why he can't get a good game released. Oh, well. None of this even matters, really. The release of this game is a non-issue. Nobody cares. The only interesting thing that can come from this game's release is seeing how many lawsuits he ends up filing to cover up how bad his game is. That does seem to be his M.O., after all. [ 03-03-2004, 08:32 AM: Message edited by: Supreme Cmdr ]

And this is with the RC7 console server? And using /l3 etc? I don't see why even the console server won't run. It doesn't do any graphics processing whatsoever. The only thing that I can think of, is probably some comms security issue on Windows Server 2003. I don't have Windows Server 2003, but I'm thinking of downloading the free version and installing it on a separate partition in order to see what the heck is wrong. But I don't want to waste my time doing that if I don't have to.

You don't need to download the demo in order to get the tutorial.

In the next patch, I'll just signal their startup earlier and out of range, this way, you don't get to encounter them during their startup phase. The issue is not that they are invincible on purpose, they are not started inactive - they are started active - and on fast systems, you get to encounter them quickly prior to them being fully active. During this period, you can't destroy them. There are scenerios in which certain assets are invincible at certain periods, but its not everlasting and its done in order to curb the flow of the scenario.

Please register the game and add your profile to your sig. Right now.

Read the FAQ. The ONLY reasons why the game won't start after installing, are documented in there.

They already did. But its safely locked away at Area...oh wait, I hear footsteps outside. brb.

quote: Originally posted by Banquet: I guess this whole debacle probably means my invite into the beta team is on hold, eh?! LOL!!!

quote: WORDS WOMEN USE ****************************** FINE This is the word women use to end an argument when they feel they are right and you need to shut up. Never use "fine" to describe how a woman looks - this will cause you to have one of those arguments. FIVE MINUTES This is half an hour. It is equivalent to the five minutes that your football game is going to last before you take out the trash, so it's an even trade. NOTHING This means "something," and you should be on your toes. "Nothing" is usually used to describe the feeling a woman has of wanting to turn you inside out, upside down, and backwards. "Nothing" usually signifies an argument that will last "Five Minutes" and end with "Fine" GO AHEAD ( With Raised Eyebrows! ) This is a dare. One that will result in a woman getting upset over "Nothing" and will end with the word "Fine" GO AHEAD (Normal Eyebrows) This means "I give up" or "do what you want because I don't care" You will get a "Raised Eyebrow Go Ahead" in just a few minutes, followed by "Nothing" and "Fine" and she will talk to you in about "Five Minutes" when she cools off. LOUD SIGH This is not actually a word, but is a nonverbal statement often misunderstood by men. A "Loud Sigh" means she thinks you are an idiot at that moment, and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you over "Nothing" SOFT SIGH Again, not a word, but a nonverbal statement. "Soft Sighs" mean that she is content. Your best bet is to not move or breathe, and she will stay content. THAT'S OKAY This is one of the most dangerous statements that a woman can make to a man. "That's Okay" means that she wants to think long and hard before paying you back for whatever it is that you have done. "That's Okay" is often used with the word "Fine" and in conjunction with a "Raised Eyebrow." GO AHEAD! At some point in the near future, you are going to be in some mighty big trouble. PLEASE DO This is not a statement, it is an offer. A woman is giving you the chance to come up with whatever excuse or reason you have for doing whatever it is! You have a fair chance with the truth, so be careful and you shouldn't get a "That's Okay" THANKS A woman is thanking you. Do not faint. Just say you're welcome. THANKS A LOT This is much different from "Thanks." A woman will say, "Thanks A Lot" when she is really ticked off at you. It signifies that you have offended her in some callous way, and will be followed by the "Loud Sigh." Be careful! not to ask what is wrong after the "Loud Sigh," as she will only tell you "Nothing" Send this to the men you know to warn them about future arguments they can avoid if they remember the terminology! And send it to your women friends to give them a good laugh! Always remember... A good friend will come and bail you out of jail...but, a true friend will be sitting next to you saying, Damn that was fun!

Its already in the announcements section

/me reaches for flashlight

quote: Originally posted by Jaguar: You know that I disagree with Bush on some of his Domestic spending, Prescription drug policy and education, but I do NOT disagree with him on Iraq. Here is what is happening in Iraq that the press isn't telling us about. I'm impressed!! Impressive indeed. Got link?

The Jews did it.

quote: Originally posted by Eclipse: I'm beginning to think my crew is wondering what kind of crackbrained idiot is running the ship with the way they all stare at me when I run around the ranks all out there in the woods. uhm, got shots?