I was interested in finding more defend style games. I love the concept and thought about coming up with my own variation so I started looking around. The only one I had ever played was on byond.com. Which is Defend the Castle and there is another variation which is defend the space station. These were ok but I wanted better. I did a search for defend game and the first hit was a myspace game called "Desktop Tower Defense". Once you get past the really lame long ads... and then more ads.. you get to play a round before getting more ads. The gameplay is great and the options are pretty awesome to. I played for quite a few hours before giving up. My highest score was 10494 which is respectable but others had it beat. I spent a good couple of hours designing and redesiging mazes to try and improve my score by just hundreds of points. Oh... I was playing the game option: Fun - 10k which is how folks are getting the highscores.

I attached the design for my highscore.

I found another variation of the same game on a different site and it only has one ad before you play. You can find it here. The game is different though. The one on myspace seems a lot more polished but all the game types seem the same. Desktop Tower Defense

After playing this game... my interest in developing a better one has significantly lessoned but not all the way... a bunch of ideas come flooding in just because I typed that...

Anyway... this one is a good time waster for sure.

A grim reminder of the past can often times serve as a bright monument to the future.
tsfreaks

The XBOX 360 game "Battlefield - Bad Company" was great in the demo and is now just ok in the real game. The experience went from wonderfully balanced to chaotic frag fest.

I'm constantly dieing in a blink of an eye from guns that require half a clip to kill you. The new high tech sound system is low tech garbage if you ask me. My ears are constantly filled with sounds I don't care about. A car can crash right behind you through a wall and you can't hear it. That is stupid. This game suffers from the same laggy behavior that Shadowrun did. People can kill you even though you have ducked behind a wall. It's not that some pepper spray is making it through the wall, it's the lag in the game that allows all their bullets to hit a target which really isn't there.

The red dots over peoples heads are also extremely annoying and a horrible design choice. If a person spots you or hits you with a bullet, you light up on the enemy's screen like a christmas tree for 10-15 seconds even though nobody should know where you are. You could go run and hide in a new spot but nope... the MAGIC red dot follows you where ever you go. This needs to be removed or modified. We have the squad system and live voice so there is no need to apply this dumb visual effect. Perhaps a visual tracer of the last known location which follows the target provided you are looking at the person moving around. If they duck behind a corner, the indicator stays at the corner and begins to fade so you have an indication of timing.

If they fix the sound, get rid of the stupid red dots, and gave us better multi-player maps it would be a great game. As it stands now, I bought the game 2 days ago and I'm already frustrated. I played the demo for weeks and loved it. I only bought the game because the numbers in the demo were getting really low.
 I beat the single player campaign in about 6 hours. The game campaign was really dull and shallow while the dialog and characters were interesting. The main character "you" is actually really boring and does nothing for the story. The main bad guy never crosses your physical path. You shoot down a "boss" helicopter (which was really stupid) only to find out later he was in it.

Quick Lists
What they got right!
1. Camo
2. Leading bullets
3. Explosions & Smoke
4. Large Maps
5. Landscape (Awesome!)

Wrong!
1. Sound
2. Red dots
3. Rocket Launcher can hit the wall next to a guys head (within inches) and not kill him. LAME TWINK!
4. Too much artillery on too many maps
5. Game balance (your team can get slaughtered and then have to do it all over again)
6. Frag fest maps are not welcome (Defensive team should not spawn on top of or within 50 yards of crates). This will be tougher than it seems without increasing the length of the fuse which should be simple enough. In fact, I think it would have improved game play significantly if these two things were changed.
7. The shotgun. Some people can single shot kill you while moving from 30ft away. WTF? This NEVER happens for me. Head shot or no. OH! I've gotten started. The damn thing cannot shoot through bushes. I shot at a guy 3x at near point blank while he was crouched in a bush. He stood up, looked at me, and single shotted me with a pistol.
8. OH THE PISTOL! Another WTF. I can unload 20 bullets into a guy just to have him shoot 1 pistol bullet at me and kill me. This is really lame and another dumb twink.
9. That brings up another rant. If I'm spraying a bunch of bullets into a guys face, he should not be able to so easily and accurately fire his shotgun back at me to get an insta kill. This happens all too often. You get the jump on the guy just so he can turn and perfectly nail you with a single shot. Lame.

I'm sick of being told I have unlocks when I don't. Which brings me to my last rant. Why in the world do I have to leave the current game JUST to get the unlock (if its even available). LAME!

To Summarize.

Lots of lame in this game. The game is ok. It could have been a great game with just a few simple tweaks. Shame.

tsfreaks

This solution took me about three very painful hours to figure out. Thank me if you found it here in less. 

[code]
        private void GetInputDialog_RichTextBox_KeyDown(object sender, KeyEventArgs e)
        {
            if (e.Control && e.KeyCode == Keys.V)
            {
                string sContent = Clipboard.GetText().Trim();
                this.GetInputDialog_RichTextBox.Text = sContent;
                e.Handled = true;
            }
        }
[/code]

I came across a useful function which disables the close (X) button on a windows form. If you know how to make it go away entirely (without removing the title bar) please let me know.

[code]
        // Disables the forms close button.
        protected override CreateParams CreateParams
        {
            get
            {
                CreateParams oCP = base.CreateParams;
                oCP.ClassStyle = oCP.ClassStyle | 0x200;
                return oCP;
            }
        }
[/code]

The following is useful if your application opens another application or even if it opens a new instances of itself and you want to debug the startup process of that new instance.

WARNING! Editing the registry can be dangerous so only proceed if you know what your doing. In fact, I won't include how to get into the registry. If you don't know how, you shouldn't be editing the registry. These steps are based on XP but should be the same on Vista.

1. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\currentversion\Image File Execution Options.

2. In the Image File Execution Options folder, locate the name of the application you want to debug, such as <yourappname>.exe. If you cannot find the application you want to debug:

   1. Right-click the Image File Execution Options folder, and on the shortcut menu, click New Key.

   2. Edit the key name to the name of your application; <yourappname>.exe, in this example.

3. Right-click the <yourappname>.exe folder, and on the shortcut menu, click New String Value.

4. Rename the New String Value to debugger.

5. Right-click the new string value, and on the shortcut menu, click Modify.

6. In the Value data box, type vsjitdebugger.exe.

7. Click OK and Exit regedit

Now, use any method to start your application. Visual Studio will start and load the application. The above steps should work for you. If not, check out the full article on MSDN.

After you get this working, you may find it a hassle to ALWAYS have the debugger attaching to your process because you don't need to debug it all the time. I have two .reg files on my desktop which allow me to toggle the registry on/off. Create a 'On_Debug<AppName>.reg' file and copy this into and edit the appname as it was in your registry.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\<yourappname>.EXE]
"debugger"="vsjitdebugger.exe"

Now create a second .reg file named 'Off_Debug<AppName.reg' and copy the following into but edit the appname again.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\<yourappname>.EXE]
"debugger"=-


When you want auto debugging on, double click the on .reg file and when you want it off, double click the off .reg file.

C# Tidbit

Q. How do I stop my form controls from flickering?
A. Try adding this code in your form class and see if it fixes the problem.

[code]
protected override CreateParams CreateParams
{
    get
    {
        CreateParams cp = base.CreateParams;
        cp.ExStyle |= 0x02000000;
        return cp;
    }
}
[/code]

Q. How do I know what control the ToolStripMenuItem was opened from?

A. Add this code to your ToolStripMenuItem event handler.

[code]

ToolStripMenuItem tsmi = (ToolStripMenuItem)sender;

ContextMenuStrip cms = (ContextMenuStrip)tsmi.Owner; PictureBox clickedItem = (PictureBox)(cms.SourceControl);

MessageBox.Show(clickedItem.Name);

[/code]

We own a Bissell and it's one of the worst products I've ever purchased. It's a ProHeat multi-surface stand up machine. After about 3 cleanings in a regular house with a couple pets, the f'ing thing doesn't work anymore. It's minuscule micro sprayers get clogged by micro debri. Even after cleaning them, the thing still doesn't work. We've had to troubleshoot problems every single time we pulled it out. Oh, and ALL of the cheap plastic parts which are designed to hold the hoses have snapped right off. Bissell sucks!. Just goes to show that you can't buy anything without doing some research first.

Netflix is still good. I'm getting concerned about the instant access movies though. Selection is getting thin. I recently watched "The Boondock Saints". It was alright. I've been looking for this movie for a really long time. Years actually. I knew of the movie but never knew the title so everyone I asked had no idea. It could have easily been a much better story if they kept it real.

I also watched something called Fast, Cheap & Out of Control which I could have done without. While I watched it through it's entirety, I shouldn't have. The single most pointless movie I have ever watched. If your an analyzer/thinker... like I think I am... you spend the whole time trying to figure out the connection. It never comes which is painful for me. Perhaps.... if they chose people in fields which weren't so modernly acceptable. The gardener was the only one which triggered thoughts about lifetime achievement of sadness. The rest are just normal people doing normal things which is as boring as it gets. They didn't even chime in on the insanity of obsession. Perhaps I am just overly obsessive about something so I didn't pick up on wowness of it all. Bah.. the movie just sucked. I give it a 3 out of 10. 2 is, I watched it but stopped 2 minutes in. 1 is; I won't or don't want to watch it.3 is, I watched it part way and stopped or I shouldn't have watched it at all.

I just finished Alien vs Predator and it was better than you might think it would be. I don't have a lot of interest in sequels. I like original and new stuff even if its so so.. I give this a Saturday night 6 out of 10. 5 is "yeah, I watched it but I don't really remember much about it". It gets a 5+ really because it was better than expected.

I finished the BBC's Robin Hood season 1 and while there is a fair amount of cheesiness but there is also a fair amount of entertainment and quality. The characters are great. Couldn't ask for better. I look forward to any future shows if they do them.

I watched something called the Orphanage and it ended up being a really good scary movie. Not gory and not too scary. I hate getting that shit in my head because it stays they forever so I tend to avoid it.

What else...
I've taken a wee break from poker. No reason really, Just working my ass off at work work for what... I'm not sure.

My TaskWorker project is slowly coming along. I got stuck on some damn pie chart features. These features were supposed to be the entire basis for the whole project but as it turns out, they are not as useful. Anyway, I just need to keep plugging away at it.

Work work is goin alright. They have me doing a bunch of manual bs that I don't enjoy. I'm getting some good press so that's good.

Overall... things are going pretty slow for me at the very moment but thing have a chance to erupt so that's good. I mopped the kitchen for the first time in 20 years or something. That has to be a sign. Although, I bought a new brand of beer today. Prolly all there is too it. :|

tsfreaks

It's like a 2d mini version of EVE and free except it's entire existence revolves around trying to get you to spend money so you can fast track your progress. Everything becomes painfully harder and longer. Lots of resource collecting and spawn camping (in space!!!) if you can believe that. It is pvp so you do get attacked by other players for no reason at all. The game mechanics are a little rough around the edges. A lot of little fit and finish things need been done.

The designers did remain consistent though. Like all their games, they provide no in game information about what something does. You buy something which says, "rocket"... you go to use your "rocket" and the damn thing doesn't work. You get an error saying something like "You can't do this.... yet.", but then they don't tell you how or when you can. They just let you sit their useless rockets and you have to go read through the damn forums and ask people how they work.

 The graphics and sound are really great though... amazing actually when you remember your playing online. The multi-tab UI takes getting used to though. I don't really like this at all.

I'd recommend this to people who love to be part of clans and chatting it up about how awesome they are because of their position on the leader boards.

I came across this through a link in the old space4k.com forums.

tsfreaks

I only made it to level 11 or something before calling it a night.

A little mind numbing fun if you have nothing better to do. Fun little maze/timing game.
http://www.onemorelevel.com/game/the_worlds_hardest_game

Enjoy.

Where to start.

I've been going through some internal changes over the last few weeks. I'm not sure what spawned it. I think I've been inspired by a lot of the movies I've been watching lately.

I finished season 2 of Jeremiah and I was fine with it ending. I finished season 1 of Dexter (probably the one which impacted my way of thinking) and look forward to season 2. I started season 1 of Robin Hood from the BBC. While the direction of the show sucks, something is still drawing me back for more. I finished all the Firefly episodes and wish there were more. I started watching a little Six Feet Under and just didn't catch the vibe.Same thing goes for the TV show "Weeds". This was just a corporate attempt to bring guys into the whole sitcom thing. It was lacking depth in the first few episodes I watched. I also watched the King of California and wasn't too upset with losing the time I spent. Cute little story. I've started watching a little "Tripping The Rift" from Season 1 and it's a fun distraction. The shows are short (which I like) and it's great adult anime.

Oh.... I came across a movie recommendation called "The Man From Earth" and I took a chance. I ended up liking it a lot. A great story about a man who claims to have been alive since the cave man days. The whole story is about how he breaks the news to a group of close friends. They all sit around a fire and listen as this guy reveals his lengthy history on Earth. The story takes you through a lot of emotions and personality quirks while they try to deal with this unbelievable tale.

What else... so I guess it's screw books for a while since I pretty much have instant access to any movie I want. I can't see myself running out of movies anytime soon either.

Poker still sucks but I haven't busted yet.

Ah... as part of my life changes... I'm starting to find my focus. I've had a short attention span and have proven myself as absolutely incapable of completing anything longterm. I think I've started a couple dozen projects over that last 10 years and I've finished about... none. That sucks. Crazy thing is, I still love my ideas but I can't get the motivation to finish them.

Well, I've always known it and I still don't know how to "fix" it but I'm going to make a pretty strong push on one of my previous projects. I started this one about two years ago and I didn't make it very far. It's a task management project that I've been dreaming about for years. I personally need to organize my life and work so I really need my own tool. I've got a ton of experience (nearly 9 years) managing tasks and taking notes. I see all the flaws in current task management systems and processes so I think I've got what it takes to design one that is absolutely usable. I started hashing out all the features and UI. I've got about 15 drawings of various UI components and I've started breaking down the features for each view of the system. I'm going to put the whole thing together in a sales pitch document and then see who is interested. I'll need help. There are a couple of custom UI components that I would struggle to write and the DB/Server/Data work would be another headache for me personally. I think I have at least three patentable ideas in the UI. I've also got a really neat (takes a moment to write it down because I just realized I never have) way to get customers to get more customers. I look forward to completing this one. I made a pretty good push today so I'm excited.

What else. Baseball season is upon us. Lot's of time being spent out on the field. This is good for ye old soul and helps me practice my social skills.

Work is going really well. My projects are starting to get popular. People are coming up to me asking how I'm filing so many bugs. In our last milestone, we had a bunch of blocking bugs which had to be fixed and 80% of them were filed by me. That was a major feel good and all thanks to the tools I wrote.

I went to Vegas. Lost a bunch of money but I held my own at the 1/2 no-limit tables for a couple hours. :) That was big for me. First time playing at a live no limit table. I only lost cause a young dumb ass went all in on a 3 out draw and caught. :| I would have been up a 100$ by my 3rd hand. Instead, I had to fight my way back up to a 25% loss. That's the second and most certainly the last time I walk all over Vegas looking at the hotels. Next time, it's all about drinking and gambling and maybe a show. I did drink a Jack and Coke the size of a Big Gulp though. Another uneventful fun trip with good friends. Oh, I went on the NewYork NewYork roller coaster. That was my first loopty-loop and it was cake. I always thought my innards would compress in some very uncomfortable way but nope. Cake.

I monitor the traffic that comes to my site and can see where most people come from. Almost all are from google and my top 2 are;
1. Funny Project Management Cartoons ( I'm number #2 on google but it depends on how your keywords and I was #1 until I changed my post because of the crappy way spaces shrinks my images). I edited the well know project management tree cartoon for software and people seem to like it.
2. My tent review for our new condo sized tent which is in the top 10 on google.

The rest are tied for 3rd. I see a lot for "How to beat general RAAM on gears of war" which was one of my first posts and my messenger add-on post, and my book reviews which are really lame. I need to take notes while I read and I don't have the commitment skill to do it. Same thing goes for games. My How to beat general RAAM is actuall 1st on the list but gets beaten out by some dang utube videos showing how to do it which is way cooler.

Speaking of games. I've quit for the most part. I'm not playing WOW, I uninstalled TF2 and had a little relapse the other week but uninstalled it again. Funny thing. I reinstalled TF2, played for a couple of days, joined a tournament, and came in second place. I really should have won it but I gave the guy 2 extra chances to make a come back.and he did. Whatever, that same night I went to bed and 30 minutes later I got up and uninstalled it again. Heh. The only time I can uninstall a game is late at night. It's because I've had more than my fill for the night so I have the power to get rid of it. No way in hell I could do it during the day or after work. Funny. Anyway, I'm fighting my need for distraction and trying to plug that inner hole with seriousness, more mature thought, and the need for accomplishment.

I have what I call "busy brain". I can't ever stop and relax. When people talk to me, all I can think about is personality quirks, various angles, gains, purpose, nose hair, eyes, hair, and when they finish talking... I say "what?" and then oddly enough, I seem to listen. When I wake up and brush my teeth, I always seem to be repeating the most annoying songs over and over in my head and I can't stop. No matter what it is, I over analyze and take all the fun out of it. So... I'm trying to stop. I'm trying to ignore people who pass me in the hall. This is a big one for me because I'm such an anti-social dork that I can be heard laughing to myself about the most insignificant social transactions between two people who pass in the bathroom or when one guy (me) that takes the elevator vs a guy who takes the stares and they meet at the top. The other day I actually laughed out loud as my bosses boss and I passed and he forced out a "have a good weekend" and I forced out a mocking smile and said "same to you" in a deeper voice. That was not a healthy move for my career. I didn't look back so it's safe to assume he wasn't poisoned by my issues (world doesn't exist if your head is in a hole theory). Anyway, I'm trying not to judge people. The goal here is to stop wasting cycles on trash and focus it on my good ideas. I would like to enjoy something in my life without thinking about it. When I get drunk (or a buzz), I reach this state. I relax and have fun. I need to drink more. It's really the governments non-prescription cure to keep us simpletons from doing anything organized. Alcohol really does break your momentum. Painfully groggy mornings, slow afternoons, and late evenings which start early.

Which reminds me.
I came up with two fun ad spoofs. I should do them. Maybe I will. I'll try to do one after I post this. It's early.

Anything else? My space game is going to take a little back seat to my task management project but it's next on the list. It's too solid not to be. I just need a good task management system to do the damn space game. lol.

Alright, that's about it.

Hope to be reporting about more kick as movements for my projects next time. Stay tuned.