Bjorn

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Posts posted by Bjorn

  2. Posted

    I just got back into playing this, after giving up on it months ago.  Actually had to restart I had completely forgot where I was or what I was doing.  I'm enjoying it more this time around.  I remember not being terribly impressed during my first playthrough.  Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood the first time.

  3. Posted

    So with all these new consoles coming out with their fancy HDMI and lack of analog sound output, I thought maybe I'd replace my stereo receiver with an A/V-receiver, so I could have just the one HDMI cable to my television. Then I started thinking about input lag, and did some googling, and apparently everyone recommends hooking consoles directly to the TV because HDMI receivers add so much delay to the video. Is this common knowledge, or no longer a problem or what? If I get a new HDMI receiver, how much of an input lag can I expect?

     

    I would say there is a massive amount of variance based on each AV receiver, and how much it does to the video feed.  If it's a receiver that actually tries to improve or uprez a signal, you'll definitely pick up some latency.  But if it's just passing the feed along, it shouldn't.  And it may not be dependent on the cost/quality of receiver.  It seems like some of the less expensive AV stuff actually handle gaming better, as they aren't trying to do as much to the signal. 

     

    I've also noticed that more and more AV reviews are making it a point to talk about input latency, so it shouldn't be too hard to find one that works for you. 

     

    FWIW, I've been using a Marantz SR7005 for years with a 360, PS3 and htpc, and have never noticed any input latency at all. 

     

    And an update on my projector project.  The last of my parts were ordered this weekend.  Got a Chief ceiling mount for cheap off eBay (they are usually on the expensive side) and ended up needing to order a retractable screen because I changed my mind on how the room is going to be organized.  My wife made blackout curtains out of some spare material she had for the only problematic windows, and those are up.  And we're going to repaint the room, as it's just a boring white right now.  We've wanted to repaint for a bit, figured as long as we're going to all this trouble to move all the furniture around, might as well paint now.  Hopefully by late next week the room will be completely finished! 

  5. Posted

    Take this with a massive grain of salt, as it's been awhile since I've read about this stuff.  But if I remember, the is a difference between audio coax and standard coax, but it tends to only manifest over long runs.  Cables designed for audio have better shielding, can carry more load and a wider frequency range.  But that's only noticeable past a certain run length.  A short standard cable will be almost indistinguishable from a short "audio" cable.

     

    So if you're using standard coax through the walls, the quality could vary greatly depending on how far the run inside the wall/ceiling is. 

  6. Posted

    Nice!  Great when you don't have to mess with running new wires through the wall.

     

    I did not intend on originally throwing an image that big.  I just ordered raw material with the intention of building my own fixed screen, and the smallest amount I could get was enough for a 145" screen.  I was going to go with a 106", as I thought anything more would be too big to use.  But, I figured I've got this big chunk of material, I might as well try a huge screen and see what it's like before I cut it up.  Turned out that it's really quite nice and is completely enjoyable, I don't feel like I'm watching a tennis match or anything.  So I think I'm going to stick with that size.  The only reason it's not a few inches bigger is that I have to eat up some of the material for the frame. 

     

    When we got the screen hung, my wife was very, very, very skeptical because of how gigantic it is.  Then we fired it up in a pitch black room and she was instantly sold. 

  7. Posted

    So I got a projector this week and got it temporarily set up tonight (temp screen for testing, will get something better down the road).

     

    This feels decadent.  Have a 137" image going right now, and it's fabulous.  Now it's going to be time to upgrade some curtains and possible repaint the room. 

  10. Posted

    Also, end of 3rd party controllers. PC gamers used to have various gamepads from different manufacturers, but somehow MS convinced everyone that the Xbox controller is the only one that works on PC. I even have to use an emulator to make the PS3 one work.

     

    I actually remember most of the controllers for PCs being awful through the 90s and early 2000s, except for some flight sticks.  Now we have amazing keyboards, mice with a million buttons, groovy half-keyboards with programmable macro buttons and a generally good controller (the 360).  I remember how hardy any games supported gamepads, drivers would be broken and rarely updated and I had to program the controller for most games myself. 

     

    It's been an improvement from my previous experience with controllers and the PC.

  11. Posted

    In all likelihood it wasn't just sponsored by the BBC; it was probably a BBC Radio 4 programme that they also made available in podcast form. Most Radio 4 programmes run in an either one-off or series format, so if they're put up as podcasts they'll either only update for a limited run or only update seasonally.* Might you be thinking of The Philosopher's Arms? That was a fairly informal philosophy programme whose premise that it was a series of pub discussions of philosophy topics. There was a live audience that was invited to give their opinions on various questions, which were then discussed by the host and a guest. At least, that's how I remember it. It was pretty good.

     

    I went looking for it when I posted that, and couldn't find it.  Though a bit of searching now makes me think I may have just been mixing up multiple podcasts in my head.  It may have been the Oxford general philosphy lecutres I was thinking of, though it ran for 24 episodes, not 12.    About 2 years ago I got really obsessed with listening to philosophy podcasts for a month or two.  Would be surprising if I mixed a few of them up.

  12. Posted

    You eventually start hitting long, epic runs in RL the same as Spelunky, at which point the 30 seconds to restart is by a tiny fraction of the whole time you are playing.  And the amount of gold you're raking in spikes way up as well.

     

    And with the ability to lock down the castle, you can make short runs to go get chests that are likely to have diagrams in them, or the gems you use to enchant equipment, which makes the game exponentially easier. 

     

    That said, I think the game does have some very deep flaws that keep it from transcending to the level of something like Spelunky.  The genetic trait is ultimately more gimmick than mechanic.  And it needs a bit more variety.  While each of Spelunky's words feels unique versus the others, the areas in RL mostly just feel like a change in decoration to me.  Though there is supposed to be a patch/expansion coming out that is adding a bunch of stuff to it.  It might already be out, I hadn't bothered checking for awhile.

     

    Edited to add: Yeah, in an interview back in September they said they would be patching in more content, but nothing new since then.

  13. Posted

    On my very first playthrough, I must have gotten lucky, as I got past the archers on the very first try.  That was with a tanky warrior using a great shield.  I never understood what the big deal was.

     

    Then I went back through with a hybrid dex/faith build.  And I understood exactly what the big deal was. 

  14. Posted

    My family is from Hamilton County (as west as you can go), and my brother went to KU. Lawrence is the best. Western Kansas is...well there's family there.

     

    I have a fondness for western Kansas, but couldn't imagine ever living there again.  In a lot of ways, it gets a bad rap.  There's actually some gorgeous country out there, you just have to get off the interstate to find it.  

     

    I agree that Lawrence is pretty much the bomb.  Though from what I've seen, most towns of that size with a good college tend to be pretty cool.  You get the energy and stupidity of all the college kids, and the adults who stick around tend to be pretty awesome people.  Plus lots of interesting events that are free or cheap, even if you're not a student.  Got to see Max Brooks talk about zombies a few days before Halloween.

  15. Posted

    It'd be hard to 'review' this game having such a relation to the story, but I absolutely loved my time with it. Thanks guys, for the recommendation, and thanks to Fullbright for the experience ^.^

     

    One of the brilliant things about GH is how encompassing it is in its ability to draw in the player.  There are enough themes that most people could latch onto one of the hooks, and be drawn along for the ride. 

    For me it was how each member of the family was growing isolated from one another, for different reasons. That actually had a lot of similarities to my family when I was in high school for some similar, and some very different, reasons.

  17. Posted

    That's great! Yeah, I find Netrunner is very rarely dull. I think it's the fact that *so* much of the game relies on hidden information, so it's very difficult to feel like you know exactly what's going on and can just coast.

     

    The one core set gets you enough for both corp and runner too, so you and someone else can play with just one box.

    That's good to know, as I would likely start playing with my wife, so just having to buy one set makes it more likely that we'll pick it up.

  18. Posted

    Where in Kansas are you from? I've got family all over the state.

     

    Grew up in western kansas, middle of cattle country, and now live just outside of Lawrence (home of the Univ. of Kansas). 

  19. Posted

    I can't remember the name, but I found a British philosophy podcast that was a limited run.  It was kind of like a philosophy 101 course in podcast form.  Each episode covered a philospher or theme, and it was designed to just run 12 episodes or so.  Seems like it was sponsored by the BBC. 

     

    Dan Carlin's Hardcore History is not limited per se, as he's still doing them, but he often has series that span 3-5 episodes and are completely self-contained.  These things are epic in lenght, which each episode often spanning several hours, and a full series being a dozen or more hours.  I highly recommend it though, he spends months researching each topic before delving in with a depth that is almost unheard of in consumer grade history.  It's probably my favorite podcast that's not news/gaming related.

     

    A Life Well Wasted is functionally limited, as he only released 9 episodes, but each one is pure audio gold.  He applies the This American Life model of radio to gaming related themes.  It's really wonderful and I wish he would have continued producting them.

  20. Posted

    I guess in that sense Rouge Legacy follows the same loop.

    But RL acknowledges it through the idea of playing on as a descendant.  Whereas DR doesn't acknowledge it at all, but there is a definite Groundhog Day thing going on in the background.  I can't think of anything that does it in a more overt manner.  I suppose you could argue that some rougelikes do, like Binding of Isaac. But it's not really the same thing. 

  21. Posted

    Thanks to a very generous person who will remain anonymous *cough*Teg*cough* I now own Spelunky.  First thing I tried was the daily challenge, where upon I immediately ran into a spider and was killed by an arrow trap.  Good start.

    An epic and appropriate start to spelunking if ever there was one!  Welcome to the fold.

  22. Posted

    I've spent the last week finishing some of the trimwork in my house, which I've been procrastinating on for awhile.  It's a 113 year old farm house that's been remodeled and added onto multiple times. The words "square" and "level" will not oft be used to describe my frankenhome.  It'll look great once it's done, but I've wanted to pull my hair out mutliple times this week, particularly fighting to get the windows looking good. 

  24. Posted

    Okay, so I actually am good enough to use the ghost to farm diamonds in the mines, but it doesn't do me much good, as I'm not really skilled enough to capitalize on it yet.  But I'm not afraid of the ghost anymore!  I ain't afraid of no ghost!

  25. Posted

    got Total Annihilation for $1.49 and Expeditions: Conquistador for $5, two games I know I won't play until I have something to play them on that isn't a macbook air but I'll always be excited about the prospect of learning to play them. like I have been about all of those paradox games I've had sitting in my steam library untouched for months

     

    I got Expeditions as well.  I've wanted it for awhile, but not at $15.  I also got I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream for $1.93, which I am super stoked about.  That's one of my favorite sci-fi short stories of all time, and I've always wanted to try the creepy game version of it.  I got those two within the first 15 minutes, and then promptly quit watching, as I realized I was just going to keep spending money.