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Jabberwonky
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Re: Way to go Minnesota!

Post by Jabberwonky »

scantrontb wrote:
Jabberwonky wrote:Pearls Before Swine has a Minnesota reference today.

True story...
um yeah... that sucks... if it were true?... otherwise why is Amazon trying so hard to get it's prototype delivery system in place if the FAA says they can't? i think this is either a preliminary story that was aired back in feb and has since been overturned, or misinterpreted. or the people at Amazon know something they aren't telling us about how they intend to circumvent the FAA...
The cynical side of me sees it as a sales gimmick gone awry and turned into PR. But the article states:
TechCrunch wrote:The company even began a petition on Whitehouse.gov to get their beer drones (BUAVs) back in the air and has definitely caused a social media ruckus on Twitter and Facebook. Their website still features a 2011 retail list but has been revamped to focus primarily on their flying robokegerator.
So maybe they are trying to get it legalized.
"The price of perfection is prohibitive." - Anonymous
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Jabberwonky
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Re: More Stuff

Post by Jabberwonky »

shadowinthelight wrote:Back in 2010 I did a ROM hack of the old Nintendo game Baseball Stars. The changes were only cosmetic so this weekend I decided to revisit it and actually change things that affected the gameplay. I became inspired by the fact a player's name on the World Powers is Zeus, and Medusa and Cerberus play for the Ghastly Monsters. I wrote a story explaining what the hell was going on like you would see in the old game manuals:
EDIT: Game Lore
Being a Wapsi fan I made sure Bia and Charon made it on the new team. I wanted to add Euryale to join her sisters but there is a six character limit for names. I'll add a link if/when RHDN approves the submission.
I think you've got the basis for a whole new spin on the game. Add other pantheons for a whole new level of America's favorite game. Get Neil Gaiman to sign off on it and you have "American Baseball Gods"...
"The price of perfection is prohibitive." - Anonymous
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shadowinthelight
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Re: More Stuff

Post by shadowinthelight »

Jabberwonky wrote:I think you've got the basis for a whole new spin on the game. Add other pantheons for a whole new level of America's favorite game. Get Neil Gaiman to sign off on it and you have "American Baseball Gods"...
That sounds like fun but the game is too limited. Each stat tops out at 15 and the Pantheon Pounders are close to being maxed out as is. There would be no difference between them and another divine team.

The funny thing I learned is the players' displayed ERAs, batting averages, and home run counts mean absolutely nothing and are not in any way tied to their actual stats. The programmers just made up numbers that fit some of the time but often make no sense. Since I put every single little damn thing into spreadsheets I pulled some mathematatical formulas completely out of my butt that actually use the stats to give results which fall in the range the original numbers to be able to assign consistent values to the new team.

batting average=((hitting*3)+(batting*3)+(running*1.5))*3.5
homeruns=(batting average*((hitting*4)+(batting*5)))/1000 divide by 5 for pitchers, 2 for relievers since they don't get to play all the time
ERA=1000-(((speed*4)+(stamina*4)+(left curve*3)+(right curve*3)+(drop))*4.25)

Real pretty, huh? :shock:
Julie, about Wapsi Square wrote:Oh goodness yes. So much paranormal!

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I'm done thinking for today! It's caused me enough trouble!
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Dave
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Re: More Stuff

Post by Dave »

shadowinthelight wrote:Since I put every single little damn thing into spreadsheets I pulled some mathematatical formulas completely out of my butt that actually use the stats to give results which fall in the range the original numbers to be able to assign consistent values to the new team.

batting average=((hitting*3)+(batting*3)+(running*1.5))*3.5
homeruns=(batting average*((hitting*4)+(batting*5)))/1000 divide by 5 for pitchers, 2 for relievers since they don't get to play all the time
ERA=1000-(((speed*4)+(stamina*4)+(left curve*3)+(right curve*3)+(drop))*4.25)

Real pretty, huh? :shock:
Nice! I do enjoy a good bout of creative curve-fitting!

Although... I wonder about the coefficients. Since you're ranking teams of divinities and titans, I would have expected at least some of the weighting factors to be imaginary numbers rather than reals ;)
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AnotherFairportfan
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Re: Way to go Minnesota!

Post by AnotherFairportfan »

scantrontb wrote:
Jabberwonky wrote:Pearls Before Swine has a Minnesota reference today.

True story...
um yeah... that sucks... if it were true?... otherwise why is Amazon trying so hard to get it's prototype delivery system in place if the FAA says they can't? i think this is either a preliminary story that was aired back in feb and has since been overturned, or misinterpreted. or the people at Amazon know something they aren't telling us about how they intend to circumvent the FAA...
The story is true. And why is Amazon working on drones?

Well, two possibilities:

1) just for the publicity.

2) because they figure that the rules don't apply (or can be made to not apply) to them.

Remember the phone company before the breakup?
You're dealing with the phone company, Mr. Veedle. We are not bound by city, state, or federal regulations. We are omnipotent.
(Actually, Ernestine says it "om-NEE-poe-tent".)

Or, when talking about corporations feeling they are above the law - consider TPC.

Amazon is currently jawboning publishers, exhibiting its belief that, as the six hundred pound gorilla of e-commerce, it can do anything it wants.
Proof Positive the world is not flat: If it were, cats would have pushed everything off the edge by now.
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AnotherFairportfan
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Re: More Stuff

Post by AnotherFairportfan »

"German soldiers parade down the Champs-Elysées in Paris, June 1940."

Image

Images of World War Two set into Google Street View images of the same setting.
Proof Positive the world is not flat: If it were, cats would have pushed everything off the edge by now.
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shadowinthelight
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Re: More Stuff

Post by shadowinthelight »

Image
This one made me LOL. If that blue car crashes into the oncoming Jeep the butterfly effect could alter the course of history. :lol:

******************************

It's ridiculous what can give you a sense of accomplishment. I've been tinkering with this stuff for over a decade but the aforementioned game hack has just been approved and is my first available on Romhacking.net. It may not be a big deal in the grand scheme but RHDN is a major website for this sort of thing so it feels pretty cool to see something I did there. Next I'll have to resurrect my alteration of Dr. Mario into Dr. Pac-Man...
Julie, about Wapsi Square wrote:Oh goodness yes. So much paranormal!

Image My deviantART and YouTube.
I'm done thinking for today! It's caused me enough trouble!
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AnotherFairportfan
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Re: More Stuff

Post by AnotherFairportfan »

When you look at this tortilla-chip bag, what's the first thing that comes into your head?

Image

I was standing there in Kroger, suddenly going "ooh-ee-ooh-ooo wah wah wah" inside my head...
Proof Positive the world is not flat: If it were, cats would have pushed everything off the edge by now.
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jwhouk
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Re: More Stuff

Post by jwhouk »

...We need some comics.
"Character is what you are in the dark." - D.L. Moody
"You should never run from the voices in your head. That's how you give them power." - Jin
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Dave
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Re: More Stuff

Post by Dave »

AnotherFairportfan wrote:When you look at this tortilla-chip bag, what's the first thing that comes into your head?
Throw in some beer or champagne to sip with your chips, and it'd be "The Goods, The Bag, and the Bubbly".
jwhouk wrote:...We need some comics.
What jwhouk said! (whimpering quietly)
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MerchManDan
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Re: More Stuff

Post by MerchManDan »

shadowinthelight wrote:It's ridiculous what can give you a sense of accomplishment. I've been tinkering with this stuff for over a decade but the aforementioned game hack has just been approved and is my first available on Romhacking.net. It may not be a big deal in the grand scheme but RHDN is a major website for this sort of thing so it feels pretty cool to see something I did there. Next I'll have to resurrect my alteration of Dr. Mario into Dr. Pac-Man...
That's pretty cool indeed; way to go, shadow! :mrgreen: After browsing the hacks available, I think I might like to try playing some; do you know if I need special software, or can I just download, install & start playing? The product pages don't specify.
"Give orange me give eat orange me eat orange give me eat orange give me you." - Nim the chimp
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Animation courtesy of shadowinthelight (thanks again!)
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shadowinthelight
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Re: More Stuff

Post by shadowinthelight »

MerchManDan wrote:do you know if I need special software, or can I just download, install & start playing? The product pages don't specify.
I've been in the emulation scene since '98 but I understand some of these things can be confusing for those not so experienced. For legal purposes RHDN only hosts the alteration patches. You still need to provide your own ROM file (copy of the game from the original cartridge), a utility to apply the patch, and an emulator (program that simulates the game console). I'll PM you more detailed info later from home to keep from further hijacking this thread.
Julie, about Wapsi Square wrote:Oh goodness yes. So much paranormal!

Image My deviantART and YouTube.
I'm done thinking for today! It's caused me enough trouble!
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Hansontoons
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Re: More Stuff

Post by Hansontoons »

Dave wrote:
AnotherFairportfan wrote:When you look at this tortilla-chip bag, what's the first thing that comes into your head?
Throw in some beer or champagne to sip with your chips, and it'd be "The Goods, The Bag, and the Bubbly".

Ouch. Ouch, ouch, owiee, ouch. Gaping maw of Pun Jar awaits. And I think I'll stop by Krogers tomorrow to look for a bag... says Hansontoons editing the post because this line wound up where it did.
jwhouk wrote:...We need some comics.
What jwhouk said! (whimpering quietly)
Patience.

June is just around the corner. And if your world is like mine, the 23rd will be here in a blink of an eye.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...
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AnotherFairportfan
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Re: More Stuff

Post by AnotherFairportfan »

Proof Positive the world is not flat: If it were, cats would have pushed everything off the edge by now.
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shadowinthelight
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Re: More Stuff

Post by shadowinthelight »

jwhouk wrote:...We need some comics.
There's always the Fan Art thread... :twisted:
Julie, about Wapsi Square wrote:Oh goodness yes. So much paranormal!

Image My deviantART and YouTube.
I'm done thinking for today! It's caused me enough trouble!
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DinkyInky
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Re: More Stuff

Post by DinkyInky »

AnotherFairportfan wrote:When you look at this tortilla-chip bag, what's the first thing that comes into your head?

Image

I was standing there in Kroger, suddenly going "ooh-ee-ooh-ooo wah wah wah" inside my head...
Indiana Jones sold out and now has a corporate sponsor?
Yanno how some people have Angels/Devils for a conscience? I have a Dark Elf ShadowKnight and a Half Elf Ranger for mine. The really bad part is when they agree on something.

Aphyon chu kissa whol l'jaed.
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jwhouk
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Re: More Stuff

Post by jwhouk »

Well, at least it's the same corporate sponsor as Indy 500 champion Ryan Hunter-Reay.
"Character is what you are in the dark." - D.L. Moody
"You should never run from the voices in your head. That's how you give them power." - Jin
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Catawampus
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Re: More Stuff

Post by Catawampus »

shadowinthelight wrote:But why does a fish need mammary glands?
To control humankind?
Dave wrote:Mammals are all descended from the pelycosaurs, while reptiles and birds are descended from sauropsids (and both of these ancestral groups are synapsid amniotes, which diverged even earlier from the amphibians). I suppose mermaids might be the descendants of a third group of synapsids, and thus on a branch of their own... in which case their mammary glands would be an example of convergent evolution. Either that, or they aren't mammary glands at all - possibly over-sized cnidocytes? :shock:

I doubt that mermaid ancestry diverged from ours all the way back with the fish. That would require even more convergent evolution to produce an even vaguely humanlike form, and (odds are) they'd still have fish-structured vertical tails.
Or merfolk could be the extreme result of Hardy's aquatic ape hypothesis.
shadowinthelight wrote:Being paranormal and having magic most likely involved, instead of developing human-like characteristics through convergent evolution I would bet on converged evolution. ;)
Given how many non-human critters we're seeing with human characteristics (mermaids, sphinxes, gorgons, sirens, titans, various unspecified background characters), I think that there's more going on in the Wapsi World's biological morphology than just ordinary evolution. Maybe there was a lot of planning involved somewhere to breed different species that looked similar, or else paranormals have a habit of getting frisky with other species and not having problems with mismatched chromosomes. Quite possibly a bit of both, really.
scantrontb wrote:
Jabberwonky wrote:Pearls Before Swine has a Minnesota reference today.

True story...
um yeah... that sucks... if it were true?... otherwise why is Amazon trying so hard to get it's prototype delivery system in place if the FAA says they can't? i think this is either a preliminary story that was aired back in feb and has since been overturned, or misinterpreted. or the people at Amazon know something they aren't telling us about how they intend to circumvent the FAA...
I've seen a number of companies that involve delivering goods (pizza delivery places, for example) also considering the idea. It's supposed to be faster and easier and save fuel and money, plus of course having the whole "nifty high-tech fun!" factor to perhaps boost sales. It's all banned right now due to the laws and regulations still being debated, but it's likely to be legal to at least a limited degree after that all gets sorted out. There's no reason not to at least plan for the eventuality, so that they can be ready to take advantage of the situation at the first possible moment: it doesn't cost them that much to plan, it gives them extra publicity while the concept is being considered, and if it all falls through they can blame it all on the government for spoiling the fun.
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shadowinthelight
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Re: More Stuff

Post by shadowinthelight »

Catawampus wrote:
scantrontb wrote:
Jabberwonky wrote:Pearls Before Swine has a Minnesota reference today.

True story...
um yeah... that sucks... if it were true?... otherwise why is Amazon trying so hard to get it's prototype delivery system in place if the FAA says they can't? i think this is either a preliminary story that was aired back in feb and has since been overturned, or misinterpreted. or the people at Amazon know something they aren't telling us about how they intend to circumvent the FAA...
I've seen a number of companies that involve delivering goods (pizza delivery places, for example) also considering the idea. It's supposed to be faster and easier and save fuel and money, plus of course having the whole "nifty high-tech fun!" factor to perhaps boost sales. It's all banned right now due to the laws and regulations still being debated, but it's likely to be legal to at least a limited degree after that all gets sorted out. There's no reason not to at least plan for the eventuality, so that they can be ready to take advantage of the situation at the first possible moment: it doesn't cost them that much to plan, it gives them extra publicity while the concept is being considered, and if it all falls through they can blame it all on the government for spoiling the fun.
The problem with the idea of commercial delivery drones is the thought I had five seconds into reading about the Amazon's plans and many, many other people have had. Someone in that beer article said it too:
Ben Novick wrote:Sure would make a nice target, and then you wouldn't have to pay for the beer.
If drones start coming into use like this, people WILL start trying to shoot them down both for fun and to see what they can win in the free stuff lottery.
Julie, about Wapsi Square wrote:Oh goodness yes. So much paranormal!

Image My deviantART and YouTube.
I'm done thinking for today! It's caused me enough trouble!
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Catawampus
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Re: More Stuff

Post by Catawampus »

Dave wrote:
jwhouk wrote:...We need some comics.
What jwhouk said! (whimpering quietly)
Hmmm. I remember a forum game that I've seen on other websites where things had gotten quiet and there wasn't much in the way of ongoing plot to add new discussion. The idea is that a scenario is given (for example, "Which Star Trek captain would best be able to defeat an army of intelligent blancmanges, using nothing but chopsticks and a trained mongoose?"), and a list of options. Each item on the list is given a numerical score (starting at 100), and you consider how each item in the list would match up relative to the other items given the scenario. The item that you think is the best you add five points to, the worst you take ten points from. So you might start off with the following list:

[100] Pike
[100] Kirk
[100] Picard
[100] Janeway
[100] Archer

Then you decide that Pike would be best able to defeat the evil blancmanges, while Kirk would be least capable. So you'd change the list to reflect your choice:

[105] Pike
[90] Kirk
[100] Picard
[100] Janeway
[100] Archer

Every player gets to do that once each day. When an item reaches zero, it is out of play for the rest of the game. The last item with a non-zero score, or the first to reach 200, wins.

So if you're feeling bored and deprived, and if it's given a more Wapsi-ish and less Star Trekish spin, let's see. . .

* * *

The people of your home country have decided on a change of government, and are going to install a dictatorship. Who would be most successful at the job?

[100] Amanda
[100] Atsali
[100] Brandi
[100] Bud
[100] Castela
[100] Darin
[100] Dietzel
[100] Euryale
[100] Jin
[100] Katherine
[100] Kevin
[100] Lily
[100] Monica
[100] Nudge
[100] Phix
[100] Shelly
[100] Suzie
[100] Tepoz
[100] Thup
[100] Tina
[100] Tsillah
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