Hackzilla.org

December 30, 2007

Liver drug could benefit heavy drinkers

Filed under: Message — Dan @ 1:40 am

A drug that reverses severe liver damage could be used to treat disease in heavy drinkers who find it impossible to give up alcohol. Scientists developed the drug after discovering a way to prevent the formation of excessive scar tissue caused by cirrhosis, hepatitis and other medical conditions.

To their surprise the drug not only slowed progression of the disease but also reversed damage to the organ.

Source: Guardian

If this makes it to market, it will be a fantastic break though.

Hopefully this research could be adapted to repair the kidneys and the heart.

October 27, 2007

Command and Conquer Compared Update

Filed under: Games, Message, Software — Dan @ 10:13 pm

UPDATE: Command and Conquer: Kane’s Wraith

Recently Apoc (EA Community Manager) commented on the previous article Command and Conquer Compared.

This is an AMAZING research report, huge hats off to you, we are listening my friend. Please drop me a line at my e-mail!

Great work, I am passing this around.

-APOC

Comment by EA Apoc — October 19, 2007 @ 10:57 pm

The previous article was written to highlight the inconsistency between CNC3 and previous CNC games. The hope is that EA might fix Command and Conquer 3 or at the very least improve CNC3: Kane's Wrath.

I followed up Apoc's comment with an email.

First off I'd like to say a big thank you!

My friends and I are huge Command and Conquer fans, and this inspired me to write my CNC3 comparison because I felt so strongly.

I wasn't sure anyone at EA would see this article. I'm over the moon that that you have and that you liked it.

Dan
Hackzilla.org

I didn't have to wait long for Apoc's reply

Our team took a look at it, Mike Verdu himself read it over and had this to say, don’t take personal offense:

“Cool table, but is more a way to make an opinion look like the end result of an objective analysis.”

We know you are quite the Tiberian Sun fan and entirely respect your opinion. Your analysis is fairly objective and heavy sided to Tiberian Sun, not a huge deal, that is your opinion.

I’m impressed you took the time on this, remarkable, great stuff my friend. Stay in touch.

-APOC

To be honest, this wasn't the reply that I was hoping for.  However it sounds like Mike Verdu (Executive Producer) did read the article.  Maybe some of the ideas with become reincorporated into Command and Conquer.

Mike's comment about me being a fan of Tiberian Sun is not quite right.  Yes I am a fan of Tiberian Sun, however there were pictures from Red Alert 1 and 2.   I think what Mike noticed was a complete lack of Command and Conquer: Generals.

The reason Generals and its expansion pack Zero Hour didn't feature predominantly in the comparision was because they didn't bring anything to the Command and Conquer genre.  There was no Tiberium, no sidebar and players have to use "workers" or "dozers" to construct buildings.

Command and Conquer: Generals was a playable game, however I personally feel that, along with Zero Hour, they did not deserve to be part of the Command and Conquer genre.

Come on EA, make Command and Conquer the best it can be!

Update: Apoc from EA has responded, for information see Command and Conquer Compared Update

October 10, 2007

Command and Conquer 3 (cnc3) Compared

Filed under: Games, Message, Software — Dan @ 9:59 pm

UPDATE: Command and Conquer: Kane’s Wraith

This game is impressive, and the new interface is growing on me. I was mortified to find out they had swapped over the mouse keys and very relieved to find that there was an option for "classic mouse buttons" from a patch. The latest patch available at the time of writing is v1.08.

Patches are available from the Command and Conquer website.

Command and Conquer 3 is a great game to play. The introduction video cut scenes are nice, the special effects are excellent, people are in better proportion to everything else.

Online gaming is a mad frantic rush to build up your base. With the addition of cranes, you can add extra production queue to speed up building of your base. The downside to the crane is it adds a useless queue for building defences.

New and Improved Features

  • War factory and Airport repair nearby vehicles, planes
  • Solider unit is now comprised of 5 men, rocket solider unit contains 2 men
  • Change attack stance
  • New camera controls (can rotate the map, zoom in and out)
  • Scrin
  • Reverse move
  • Multiple build queues
  • Tabbed Interface (as seen in Command and Conquer Red Alert and Red Alert 2)
  • Battlecast
  • Easy internet multi-player setup

With all the good things about this game, it is still not quite the Command and Conquer that everyone knows and loves. It misses a few key items that have been available in some or most of the previous games.

Missing Features (in order of preference)

  • Method for indicating whether a target is within range of attacking unit. (highest)
  • Walls, Tarmac and Gates
  • Indication of item being built is currently on hold
  • Collateral damage to near by buildings by a destroyed building
  • Water based units
  • Command Outpost controls the radar (no radar without any, and when last one is destroyed the radar is not available)
  • Engineers repair Garrisonable buildings
  • Multi-player options (Shroud regrows, tech level, super weapons, start with base, Tiberium regrows)
  • Control over game replays
  • Random map
  • Tiberium veins
  • Par times for campaign game
  • Better AI. (2x Brutal enemies crippled with 4 planes. Enemies built no anti-aircraft, when playing online.)
  • Change music (lowest)

Compiled below is comparison of all the Command and Conquer games (excluding CNC Renegade) and all the features that are missing or in need of improvement.

If any features have been missed, please post a comment about it.

(more…)

September 1, 2007

Command and Conquer 3

Filed under: Games, Message, Software — Dan @ 2:29 pm

Command and Conquer 3 is a game I have been meaning to buy for a while, but I just couldn’t justify its price tag of £34.99 ($70).

Like some of you, I was waiting for the game to drop in price.

Then I received an email from Game, telling me that Command and Conquer 3 Kane Edition was now selling for £17.99 ($36) including free delivery.

Being a huge Command and Conquer fan, I immediately bought the game online that lunchtime. Game said delivery would take 2 business days.

To my shock and excitement, the package arrived the very next day.

Feverishly I installed Command and Conquer.

The game was a little sluggish to load, but once it had, it worked flawlessly. Quickly I checked the Graphics options. The graphics settings had been detected on pretty much the very lowest settings. Never had I expected it to be able to have the settings on maximum, but very low was slightly worrying. I turned a few options on to low (especially texture quality) and the game looked reasonable. I was happy with the results.

Coming soon Command and Conquer 3: Compared. Does it live up?

March 13, 2007

Digg-Style Site For Pictures

Filed under: Message, Projects — Dan @ 11:36 pm

This is a little project that a friend and I put together.

Please don’t shoot me down in flames! But instead of waiting a while for Digg’s new pictures feature, a friend and I created a site dedicated to just photographs. It’s a basic interface, but designed to be quick and functional. No registration required.

read more | digg story | visit site

December 31, 2006

XBox 360 off for a while

Filed under: Humour, Message — Dan @ 8:09 pm

You see the oddest of things in the real world.

This message was seen on a XBox 360 during the Christmas Sales in Game store.

We are unsure as to the intent of the message.

Is it?

  1. Humour?
  2. Stupidity?
  3. or the Xbox is broken and they have no idea when it will be fixed?

Personally we feel it’s either option 1 or 3.

XBox 360 will not be switched on until 47th Jan

November 25, 2006

Polymorph

Filed under: Hardware, Message, Projects — Dan @ 12:36 am

Polymorph Tub

Polymorph is a great substance that is malleable when heated to 62°C using hot water or a hair dryer.

(more…)

November 22, 2006

Hackzilla now listed on Technorati

Filed under: Message — Dan @ 10:12 pm

Hackzilla has now been listed on Technorati.com

View the Technorati Profile.

October 1, 2006

Warning: Safety

Filed under: Hacking, Hardware, Message — Dan @ 1:30 pm

When using cutting tools is essential to use eye protection.

During the cutting of the base weight for Sir Bones, one of the cutting disc broke and a large piece flew into my glasses.

Broken cutting disc

Best to be safe not sorry. 

July 2, 2006

Hi and Welcome

Filed under: Message — Dan @ 8:30 pm

I have launched this site with some of my own projects in various states of completion.
If you have a project or idea that you would like added then make a suggestion.

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