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Latest Comments by Hamish
Descent 3 has been made open source
17 April 2024 at 12:16 am UTC Likes: 2

Quoting: NathanaelKStottlemyerI'm not intentionally trying to be argumentative, just when I saw the headline "Descent 3 has been made open source" I was like OK a game like wesnoth or 0 A.D. That's not the case unfortunately.
No worries, although in terms of a commercial proprietary game later releasing both its source code and assets to the community, I would say Warzone 2100 is the most cogent example I can think of.

Descent 3 has been made open source
16 April 2024 at 10:48 pm UTC Likes: 2

Quoting: NathanaelKStottlemyerNot really Decent, rebirth doesn't come with the game data. You have to buy it yourself, so does Descent2.de. It looks that this one is too.
So the exact same situation as with Doom or Heretic. The bespoke license used here is tricky, but the same was true for Doom and Heretic initally too, before id and Raven smartened up and adopted the GPL instead. Just a vistege of the code coming out so early on.

Quoting: NathanaelKStottlemyerIt's not really open source, in my opinion, because while the engine is now open sourced, the game data is not. I think it's kind of disingenuous to call it an open source game when the game in entirely isn't open source. Just the game engine.
Well, it is certainly not free media; I could muddy the waters and say any software not created through the open source development model is not "open source" too, but at a certain point that is just arguing semantics.

Descent 3 has been made open source
16 April 2024 at 12:10 pm UTC Likes: 8

I have been meaning to get to the Descent games for my Retro Linux Gaming Computer articles one of these years.

I guess this will make covering the Loki port even less special, but in the best way possible.

Building a Retro Linux Gaming Computer Part 41: The Worm Turns
9 April 2024 at 2:09 pm UTC Likes: 3

Further links and resources can be found on the official website:
https://icculus.org/~hamish/retro/part41.html

Building a Retro Linux Gaming Computer Part 32: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
4 April 2024 at 2:46 am UTC Likes: 1

Quoting: PenglingNice to see a mention of Perixx here - they make nice stuff for very good prices.
So as a tangent to this, my old Macally iKey 105 Keys Extended USB keyboard that I picked up from a local thrift store in 2007 and which first came out in 2000 developed a fault with its bottom arrow keys after 16 years solid service, probably from my now departed 18 year old cat constantly pushing it off my desk. I think the plastic must have cracked allowing some water to get into the circuitry while cleaning it. I originally just bought the Macally as it did not have a Windows key.

Anyway, I was debating if I should take this as an opportunity to go mechanical and shell out for something like a Das Keyboard, or if I should lean more retro and try the beige Perixx PERIBOARD-106M. The Perixx seemed very well reviewed for a membrane keyboard, even by the keyboard snobs of the world. What settled the issue was when Perixx dropped the Windows logo for the beige variant and now instead has literal "Start" buttons, probably because people kept complaining that the modern Windows logo clashed with their retro systems. So back to having no Windows keys again.

XZ tools and libraries compromised with a critical issue
31 March 2024 at 5:49 pm UTC Likes: 3

Quoting: sudoerAlso, it wasn't me using Windows 95 as an invalid argument.
No, your argument was that home users do not and will never need SSH, something which is clearly unsupportable.

The only alternative for my home network would have to be SAMBA I guess, which brings us right back to Network Neighborhood.

XZ tools and libraries compromised with a critical issue
30 March 2024 at 2:55 pm UTC Likes: 5

Quoting: sudoerAn OS like haiku for example, multi-user sure, multi-threaded sure, memory-protected sure, "network-aware" sure, but not including ssh and other server/corporate functionality.
A FLOSS OS just for the PC.

You are seriously telling us you have never used SSH in a home environment?

I guess Windows 95 was a server/corporate OS for including Network Neighborhood too.

Building a Retro Linux Gaming Computer Part 40: The Cyborg Project
14 March 2024 at 2:51 am UTC Likes: 1

Quoting: Pengling
Quotewith some mandatory platforming only possible through keysmashing.
Ooh, the worst kind! No wonder Mr. Gutter looks so angry!
This part of the last level in particular:

Building a Retro Linux Gaming Computer Part 40: The Cyborg Project
12 March 2024 at 2:17 pm UTC Likes: 2

Further links and resources can be found on the official website:
https://icculus.org/~hamish/retro/part40.html

Building a Retro Linux Gaming Computer Part 39: Beyond Heretic
10 March 2024 at 7:51 pm UTC

Quoting: uglyIn the expansion, I find that they throw a lot of enemies with ranged attacks at you early on. And, unless I missed it, I haven't found the Hammer of Retribution yet, even though I just picked up Quietus. I'm currently in the Sump area, and I'm going to have nightmares about swinging my axe with all these Slaughtars firing at me.
They do make you work for it, I recall having to use the Porkelator as a ranged attack at a few points to disable enemies until I reached them, yeah.

The first Hub of the expansion is the meanest part of the series not counting "E4M1: Catafalque" from Heretic.