Umbongo
Apr 23, 07:41 AM
How does having the PSU on the bottom keep it cool?...
Hot air rises, so the heat generated by the PSU will just rise and fill up the case.
Unless I'm missing something or the laws of physics have changed in recent years?
Second post explains it: http://forums.legitreviews.com/about11789.html
Hot air rises, so the heat generated by the PSU will just rise and fill up the case.
Unless I'm missing something or the laws of physics have changed in recent years?
Second post explains it: http://forums.legitreviews.com/about11789.html
synagence
Mar 28, 10:49 AM
I'm on the iPhone 4S boat .... given Apple is driving its pricing by scale to simply include the A5 chip inside the iPhone4 chassis with little else to bump specs (maybe increased display size but same res so its just a new front-panel rather than entire body) makes most sense
They need to re-up people on contracts, they need to maintain momentum regardless of whether the iPhone4 is still competitive .... Android phones like the Atrix are already dual-core Tegra2 based devices and developers will start exploiting the new iPad2 chipset (gfx+cpu) and to not have a phone for another year incapable of maintaining that, not to mention the knock-on effect of iPod touch in september being based on current hardware just doesn't add up....
Apple has already said it likes its release cycle ... it'll just be a bump in the speeds'n'feeds to maintain relative position in the market
They need to re-up people on contracts, they need to maintain momentum regardless of whether the iPhone4 is still competitive .... Android phones like the Atrix are already dual-core Tegra2 based devices and developers will start exploiting the new iPad2 chipset (gfx+cpu) and to not have a phone for another year incapable of maintaining that, not to mention the knock-on effect of iPod touch in september being based on current hardware just doesn't add up....
Apple has already said it likes its release cycle ... it'll just be a bump in the speeds'n'feeds to maintain relative position in the market
macman312
May 4, 08:41 PM
pro: one less disc to keep track of. my family already lost my iWork disc.
cons: what if i want to format the hard drive and restart from scratch? or even just archive and install? what if i completely replace my hard drive? what if i want to sell my mac and get a new one, would i retain the license or would the buyer get it? how would they reinstall the OS after I wipe the hard drive? how long is this going to take to download? will we be able and authorized to burn our own install DVDs from the downloaded software?
No I doubt apple will let us burn our own CD's. Although it is possible. Also I have 4 computers I am planning to put lion on. If I have to download it on each computer it will use all of peoples internet usage up (say it is a 5GB download thats 5*4=20GB) although I have 1TB of usage that won't be a problem just a pain.
SO apple please make it available at your stores and I will be in line on the day it comes out to update my new macbook pro
@KnightWRX- The internet was barley out in the 90's let alone downloading software
cons: what if i want to format the hard drive and restart from scratch? or even just archive and install? what if i completely replace my hard drive? what if i want to sell my mac and get a new one, would i retain the license or would the buyer get it? how would they reinstall the OS after I wipe the hard drive? how long is this going to take to download? will we be able and authorized to burn our own install DVDs from the downloaded software?
No I doubt apple will let us burn our own CD's. Although it is possible. Also I have 4 computers I am planning to put lion on. If I have to download it on each computer it will use all of peoples internet usage up (say it is a 5GB download thats 5*4=20GB) although I have 1TB of usage that won't be a problem just a pain.
SO apple please make it available at your stores and I will be in line on the day it comes out to update my new macbook pro
@KnightWRX- The internet was barley out in the 90's let alone downloading software
tedson
Mar 29, 02:20 PM
I was looking at Cloud Drive to see if it could be a Dropbox replacement or competition. It comes ups short by most counts. There is no native Mac OS X application to automatically sync data back and forth. Amazon forces you to upload files using Flash. I don't have Flash installed in Safari, my main browser (I rely on Chrome for the few occasions when there is Flash content i want to view) I guess the only iPhone or iPad integration is via Mobile Safari which means no Flash support. Hopefully, Amazon will expose a developer API to use so third parties can write apps to allow better iOS and Mac OS X support. Until then, no thanks.
Has anyone else tried uploading your iTunes library? Unless I'm doing something wrong there is no easy way to do so. The Flash uploader won't let me upload folders of mp3 or aac files. I have my iTunes library organized by Artist then Album. I have to manually recreate the folder hierarchy then upload the files in that directory separately. Truly a pain in the ass.
Has anyone else tried uploading your iTunes library? Unless I'm doing something wrong there is no easy way to do so. The Flash uploader won't let me upload folders of mp3 or aac files. I have my iTunes library organized by Artist then Album. I have to manually recreate the folder hierarchy then upload the files in that directory separately. Truly a pain in the ass.
TimDaddy
Apr 5, 01:45 PM
Apple is just trying to protect the user experience for their product.
Yes, it is ours to use and do with whatever we want once paid for, but.........
Every jailbroken iphone user will complain and tell somebody that their phone always freezes up or isn't working right.
They are not going to say in most cases it freezes, because I jail broke it!
That info makes it look as if it is Apples fault that things don't work.
Like when people wreck their cars and say the gas pedal stuck at the exact same moment the brakes failed?
Yes, it is ours to use and do with whatever we want once paid for, but.........
Every jailbroken iphone user will complain and tell somebody that their phone always freezes up or isn't working right.
They are not going to say in most cases it freezes, because I jail broke it!
That info makes it look as if it is Apples fault that things don't work.
Like when people wreck their cars and say the gas pedal stuck at the exact same moment the brakes failed?
Chef Medeski
Aug 11, 10:28 PM
I'm not interested in purchasing a laptop yet... I was waiting for merom to make its way into a MB.... but also for Leopard so I don't have to pay $100 to upgrade in 4 months.
But, I also think the real update is with the Santa Rosa chipset... faster FSB... more ram.... 802.11N!!!!
Thats a big update compared to this.
I'm watching this though to see how quickly they update their models after a new product is announced, I mean its no longer like PPC days when they would be sitting waiting for the chip to arrive ... late....delayed...and generally just missing.... now they have to keep their computer up to date with the chips.
A quicker roll-out really would ease my mind, since that hopefully shows that Santa Rosa will be equally swiftly doled out.
Merom
802.11n
Blu-ray
Leopard
HD screen
7 hr battery for bare min. use
Thats the sweet spot. The last two would be icing on the cake... that would be wonderfully sweet from the blu-ray...
but hey... I think that will really show that apple is on the forefront of technology ... the EXTREME EDGE...
But, I also think the real update is with the Santa Rosa chipset... faster FSB... more ram.... 802.11N!!!!
Thats a big update compared to this.
I'm watching this though to see how quickly they update their models after a new product is announced, I mean its no longer like PPC days when they would be sitting waiting for the chip to arrive ... late....delayed...and generally just missing.... now they have to keep their computer up to date with the chips.
A quicker roll-out really would ease my mind, since that hopefully shows that Santa Rosa will be equally swiftly doled out.
Merom
802.11n
Blu-ray
Leopard
HD screen
7 hr battery for bare min. use
Thats the sweet spot. The last two would be icing on the cake... that would be wonderfully sweet from the blu-ray...
but hey... I think that will really show that apple is on the forefront of technology ... the EXTREME EDGE...
EricNau
May 3, 01:34 AM
I don't think so, and I'm not being sarcastic.
Temperature is a great example. Celsius and Kelvin are fantastic for science and engineering for obvious reasons, but when it comes to everyday uses, Fahrenheit makes more sense. It's very intuitive to think of numbers on a 100 scale. That's why when you're looking at the weather or taking someone's body temperature, it's easier to get a grasp of what is "high" or "low." Fahrenheit is also more accurate for casual uses because it can express smaller changes more easily than Celsius.
I think I have to disagree. It may be easier for Americans to grasp the "highs" and "lows" of the Fahrenheit scale, but any European would have a different concept of high and low. Also, the difference in Celsius units is rather insignificant. For example, the difference between 37 and 38 degrees Celsius is 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit, hardly a noticeable difference when it comes to weather forecasts.
The metric system also lacks easy naming schemes for everyday sizes. Recipes, for example, would have to be written out in ml rather than cups or spoons. In such a situation, base 10 is not helpful at all because recipes are rarely divided or multiplied by 10. The metric system could in fact be worse for such applications because cutting 473 ml in half is more of a pain than cutting 2 cups in half (and yes, while recipes could theoretically be modified to be in flat metric ratios, the fact is that there are far too many recipes in existence already for that to be realistic in the short-medium term).
I'm not so sure. If a recipe calls for 2 tablespoons, is it not just as easy to measure out 30ml? Might using one graduated measuring "cup" be easier than a series of various-sized spoons and cups? For dry goods, grams are easily measured on a scale. With practice and experience, it's quicker and more precise than measuring exactly three cups of leveled flour: you can just sift the flour into your mixing bowl until the scale reads 375 grams. Indeed this method uses less dishes, too.
Are there really any benefits to the Customary scale, or do we just perceive benefits because it's what we're used to? And if the latter is the case, why make American students learn two systems of units when one fulfills all needs?
Temperature is a great example. Celsius and Kelvin are fantastic for science and engineering for obvious reasons, but when it comes to everyday uses, Fahrenheit makes more sense. It's very intuitive to think of numbers on a 100 scale. That's why when you're looking at the weather or taking someone's body temperature, it's easier to get a grasp of what is "high" or "low." Fahrenheit is also more accurate for casual uses because it can express smaller changes more easily than Celsius.
I think I have to disagree. It may be easier for Americans to grasp the "highs" and "lows" of the Fahrenheit scale, but any European would have a different concept of high and low. Also, the difference in Celsius units is rather insignificant. For example, the difference between 37 and 38 degrees Celsius is 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit, hardly a noticeable difference when it comes to weather forecasts.
The metric system also lacks easy naming schemes for everyday sizes. Recipes, for example, would have to be written out in ml rather than cups or spoons. In such a situation, base 10 is not helpful at all because recipes are rarely divided or multiplied by 10. The metric system could in fact be worse for such applications because cutting 473 ml in half is more of a pain than cutting 2 cups in half (and yes, while recipes could theoretically be modified to be in flat metric ratios, the fact is that there are far too many recipes in existence already for that to be realistic in the short-medium term).
I'm not so sure. If a recipe calls for 2 tablespoons, is it not just as easy to measure out 30ml? Might using one graduated measuring "cup" be easier than a series of various-sized spoons and cups? For dry goods, grams are easily measured on a scale. With practice and experience, it's quicker and more precise than measuring exactly three cups of leveled flour: you can just sift the flour into your mixing bowl until the scale reads 375 grams. Indeed this method uses less dishes, too.
Are there really any benefits to the Customary scale, or do we just perceive benefits because it's what we're used to? And if the latter is the case, why make American students learn two systems of units when one fulfills all needs?
Eolian
Mar 29, 01:01 PM
Access to Your Account and Content
You acknowledge and agree that Apple may access, use, preserve and/or disclose your account information and Content if legally required to do so or if we have a good faith belief that such access, use, disclosure, or preservation is reasonably necessary to: (a) comply with legal process or request; (b) enforce these TOS, including investigation of any potential violation thereof; (c) detect, prevent or otherwise address security, fraud or technical issues; or (d) protect the rights, property or safety of Apple, its users or the public as required or pemitted by law.
That reads quite a bit different from Amazon's "... or as we determine is necessary to provide the Service ..."
You acknowledge and agree that Apple may access, use, preserve and/or disclose your account information and Content if legally required to do so or if we have a good faith belief that such access, use, disclosure, or preservation is reasonably necessary to: (a) comply with legal process or request; (b) enforce these TOS, including investigation of any potential violation thereof; (c) detect, prevent or otherwise address security, fraud or technical issues; or (d) protect the rights, property or safety of Apple, its users or the public as required or pemitted by law.
That reads quite a bit different from Amazon's "... or as we determine is necessary to provide the Service ..."
skeep5
Apr 5, 02:14 PM
The only thing uglier than a Scion is a Scion iPhone theme.
Amen, and amen.
Amen, and amen.
Rodimus Prime
Apr 9, 09:58 PM
So if the parentheses are solved first why not just put them in front? Why go through all the semantics? Do scientists purposely make it this hard when solving equations?
It is easier to read some with them out of order. Big time when you start factoring stuff out. It is easier to just put them in front so you can reference them.
Anyone who says 2 clearly can not do any real math. Also remember division is simple multiplying by some decimal number. For examly 1/2 = .5
Multiplying something by 0.5 is the same as dividing it by 2. Subtraction is just adding a negative number. Now days that is often how I treat subtraction is just adding a negative number. Makes things a lot easier
It is easier to read some with them out of order. Big time when you start factoring stuff out. It is easier to just put them in front so you can reference them.
Anyone who says 2 clearly can not do any real math. Also remember division is simple multiplying by some decimal number. For examly 1/2 = .5
Multiplying something by 0.5 is the same as dividing it by 2. Subtraction is just adding a negative number. Now days that is often how I treat subtraction is just adding a negative number. Makes things a lot easier
bad03xtreme
Apr 20, 08:15 AM
I may get one as my first iPhone in September, I would hate to buy the iPhone 4 when this is coming in Sept. but my contract expired last year so I am just going to waiti it out.
ValSalva
May 7, 12:12 PM
Drop Box
Drop Box sits on top of Amazon's S3 storage. What they've done is built up the front end so that when you drop a file on your Drop Box it caches the file locally and then syncs to the cloud "behind the scene". So when you open a file sitting in your Drop Box it feels like working on a local file because you "are" working on the local file. Any changes made from you or anyone the file has shared with will be sync'd in the background.
Most people don't understand the fundamental differences between iDisk and Drop Box. If Apple was to build a front end to iDisk that stored the file locally and then sync'd over WebDAV in the background they'd be able to offer the same performance.
Thanks. IMHO this should be the future of cloud computing. Working locally is always and will always be faster. When they work, Dropbox type services give one the power of local storage and local computer resources (compared to web apps) with immediate backup and access everywhere.
Drop Box sits on top of Amazon's S3 storage. What they've done is built up the front end so that when you drop a file on your Drop Box it caches the file locally and then syncs to the cloud "behind the scene". So when you open a file sitting in your Drop Box it feels like working on a local file because you "are" working on the local file. Any changes made from you or anyone the file has shared with will be sync'd in the background.
Most people don't understand the fundamental differences between iDisk and Drop Box. If Apple was to build a front end to iDisk that stored the file locally and then sync'd over WebDAV in the background they'd be able to offer the same performance.
Thanks. IMHO this should be the future of cloud computing. Working locally is always and will always be faster. When they work, Dropbox type services give one the power of local storage and local computer resources (compared to web apps) with immediate backup and access everywhere.
ten-oak-druid
Apr 20, 08:28 AM
I think the iphone 5 will be a minor upgrade. If you are fine with the processor in iphone 4 and in the middle of a contact, then its probably better to wait for iphone 6.
roland.g
Aug 2, 11:09 AM
Let me get this straight. The Keynote is on Monday not Tuesday. I thought the keynote was Tuesday just like MWSF.
spicyapple
Nov 22, 01:27 AM
wasn't it exactly the same story with the ipod?
It would be fun to speculate what features Apple brings to the iPhone that could revolutionize the cell phone industry? My guess is 1) ease of use in updating contacts, calendar, emails 2) iPod music integration 3) high quality 640x480 mpeg4 videos and 4) leveraging in flash memory pricing
It would be fun to speculate what features Apple brings to the iPhone that could revolutionize the cell phone industry? My guess is 1) ease of use in updating contacts, calendar, emails 2) iPod music integration 3) high quality 640x480 mpeg4 videos and 4) leveraging in flash memory pricing
bradc
Aug 7, 03:15 PM
Just ordered my Mac Pro!! :D
Quad 3Ghz, 4GB ram, 250GB HD + 500 GB HD, X1900 XT 512MB, Bluetooth+Airport, wireless keyboard and mouse, 1 Superdrive (holding out for BluRay) 30" ACD... $8264.23 :eek:
Estimated Ship Time... 3- 5 Weeks :eek: :eek:
This is gonna be good.
I went Quad 3Ghz, 1GB Ram, 160GB HD, X1900XT, Bluetooth and Fibre-Channel, 2-Superdrives. Then I'll buy more RAM and a bigger hd when it gets here. I am sooooooooo pumped!
Quad 3Ghz, 4GB ram, 250GB HD + 500 GB HD, X1900 XT 512MB, Bluetooth+Airport, wireless keyboard and mouse, 1 Superdrive (holding out for BluRay) 30" ACD... $8264.23 :eek:
Estimated Ship Time... 3- 5 Weeks :eek: :eek:
This is gonna be good.
I went Quad 3Ghz, 1GB Ram, 160GB HD, X1900XT, Bluetooth and Fibre-Channel, 2-Superdrives. Then I'll buy more RAM and a bigger hd when it gets here. I am sooooooooo pumped!
Full of Win
Apr 5, 01:14 PM
Don't give in Toyota!
Its our devices, and if we want to modify them for our own use, so be it.
Its our devices, and if we want to modify them for our own use, so be it.
treblah
Aug 3, 12:27 AM
There is this field report on CNET. This is not info from a SLIDE. It is from a real world field test.
Video: Long-lasting Intel Core 2 Duo notebooks (http://news.com.com/1606-2_3-6100051.html?part=rss&tag=6100051&subj=news)
Over 5 hours of battery life with Merom vs. 3 hours with Yonah.
From New York on Airplane, Yonah PC battery died over Chicago while same size Merom PC battery made it all the way to LA. So I am RIGHT NOT WRONG. :eek:
http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/intel/intel-core-2-duo-laptops-last-5-hours-in-cross-country-flight-191002.php
Flying West to East means leaving SF and arriving in NYC. :rolleyes:
Please tell me I'm wrong again.
Video: Long-lasting Intel Core 2 Duo notebooks (http://news.com.com/1606-2_3-6100051.html?part=rss&tag=6100051&subj=news)
Over 5 hours of battery life with Merom vs. 3 hours with Yonah.
From New York on Airplane, Yonah PC battery died over Chicago while same size Merom PC battery made it all the way to LA. So I am RIGHT NOT WRONG. :eek:
http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/intel/intel-core-2-duo-laptops-last-5-hours-in-cross-country-flight-191002.php
Flying West to East means leaving SF and arriving in NYC. :rolleyes:
Please tell me I'm wrong again.
lgutie20
Mar 29, 02:32 PM
Note that MS is dropping the standalone Zune hardware, and moving the Zune interface into Windows Phone 7.
If your phone can do it all, why make standalone music players?
They exist for the real music addicts. I really believe that if there is an iPod that will be the first to disappear it will be the Touch.
If your phone can do it all, why make standalone music players?
They exist for the real music addicts. I really believe that if there is an iPod that will be the first to disappear it will be the Touch.
mdntcallr
Aug 7, 05:34 PM
Basic graphics card is kinda weak.
need to have a midground option which is a bit better, but not as much as the ATI x1900
also, where is the option of getting Blu-Ray Drive?
We need high def drives. and why have to buy them elsewhere. want a full HDMI compliant system, that can interface with LCD monitors/tv's made by apple also with speakers.
cmon apple!!!
need to have a midground option which is a bit better, but not as much as the ATI x1900
also, where is the option of getting Blu-Ray Drive?
We need high def drives. and why have to buy them elsewhere. want a full HDMI compliant system, that can interface with LCD monitors/tv's made by apple also with speakers.
cmon apple!!!
lkrupp
Apr 7, 10:14 AM
I'd rather have Apple ( or ANY company for that matter ) compete rather than having it throttle its competition.
When a compay has no competition it often gets lazy and uninnovative. Is this what you want with Apple?
So you want Apple to be forced by the government to reduce its manufacturing, tell its customers "sorry, no iPad for you" because the competition needs to catch up? How stupid is that?:rolleyes:
When a compay has no competition it often gets lazy and uninnovative. Is this what you want with Apple?
So you want Apple to be forced by the government to reduce its manufacturing, tell its customers "sorry, no iPad for you" because the competition needs to catch up? How stupid is that?:rolleyes:
Don't panic
May 3, 04:34 PM
i took the liberty to re-write the rules AS I UNDERSTANND THEM, which incorporate all the Q&A
there are a couple of passages that are still unclear to me, which are higlighted in red:
RULES:
The game begins with 1 villain and 7 heroes. The villain and each of the heroes have their own story and motivations that are PMed to them and not unveiled publicly.
The roles will be known to all from the beginning - there will be no secret roles. The only secrets in this game are: the full map (only the Game Masters and the Villain has access) and the secret motivations/powers of the Couple, the Wizard and the Adventurers.
The map will be slowly revealed to the Heroes as they move through the mansion.
The Villain:
The villain made a deal with Satan in which he takes over the mansion and it's many treasures, as well as take control of The Artifact. The Villain is the only player to have knowledge of the full map at the onset. With The Artifact, the villain is able to place monsters and traps anywhere in the mansion. The Artifact also enables the villain to self-heal (1 HP per turn). The Artifact can only be accessed in the Lair. If the villain moves away from the Lair, he will not be able to either set monsters/traps or self-heal.
The villain starts at level 16 and cannot level up whatsoever. His stats were determined by how many heroes there are (2 HP and AP for each playing hero).
His Goal: kill’em all.
The Heroes:
They all start at level 1. Their stats begin at 1 HP and 1 AP. Each time they level up, 1 HP and 1 AP will be added to their stats.
Certain heroes have special powers known only to them, and revealed to the other heroes at their own discretion.
The Couple: Two heroes are the parents of a child who is suffering from a loathsome disease. To save their daughter, they must obtain The Artifact and call forth it's powers.
The Wizard: He was sent in by the King to stop the Villain. He has awesome magical powers.
Adventurers: Here for glory and treasure.
Heroes’ Goal: tthe endgame is slightly different for the different characters, but it requires killing the villain and retrieving The Artifact.
Note: Some scenarios see all surviving heroes as winners, some only some of them.
Game Mechanics:
Each rounds consist of a double turn for the heros followed by a double turn for the villain. Each turn corresponds to one action.
There is no time limite on any turn: the Heroes’ turn ends when the team leader communicates his decision to the GMs. The villain turns is all by PM.
At the beginning, the Band of Heroes choses its Leader (by voting). The Leader can be changed at any time by a simple majority, and it applies from the following turn
Heroes actions (decided by the leader in the thread, which should, but not necessarily has to, reflect the group opinion expressed through voting/discussion exclusively in the thread):
1) Move: the group opens a passage and moves into the next room.
2) Explore: the group explores the room they are in. they can find and disable traps, find and collect treasure.
3) Split and move: part of the group splits into a separate sub-group, who will have a separate turn(s) from next turn on. The new group chooses a new leader, the old group retains the old leader. The first, immediate, action of the new group HAS to be to move into a separate room (or stay in a room if the other group moves. If two groups get back into the same room, the next turn they can choose to merge again. When groups merge, they choose a new common leader. The splitting per se doesn’t count as a move, but the splinter group has to immediately move/explore, so it counts as that group's action.
4) Special actions: determined by the characters’ special powers. No one except a character knows the nature, extension or frequency of use of any of the special powers, including the villain. They are additional moves to the regular ones.
Villain actions: communicated to the GMs by PMs, but he can post in the thread if so he wishes
When he is in his lair, in the presence of the Artifact, the Villain can:
1) summon and place one or more new monster to any empty room, provided he has the required aura points. Big monster cost more aura points. Once a monster is assigned to a room, it can never be moved elsewhere
2) build one or more new trap and place it in any empty room, including already explored ones, provided he has enough aura points. Big traps cost more points.
1 and 2 can be combined in one turn, provided enough points are available
3) heal himself 1 HP
from any position he can
4) move to another room
5) wait and earn 1 aura point. The villain can instead decide (active communication to the GM) to wait and collect points, which can then be used to summon monsters or build traps (to do this he has to go back to the Lair).
he can wait for as many consecutive turns he wants, in which no other actions are performed by the villain
the Villain starts with an undisclosed amount of traps and monsters which are all placed at the beginning of the game
Monsters: Monsters lurk in their assigned room and don’t move. They will automatically attack the group entering the room in a fight to the death of one of the parties. Monsters do not attack the villain.
Traps: any armed trap is triggered any time heroes attempts to leave the room where the trap is concealed in without exploring it.
The amount of damage depends on the trap and is randomly distributed (or otherwise stated). The Villain is immune to all traps.
Treasures: they are placed by the GM at the beginning of the game, both GM and the Villain know their locations.
Level treasure: everyone in the group discovering it, levels up
Healing treasure: : 5 HP are assigned to each of the discoverers, up to their level.
Fights: A fight starts whenever heroes enter a room with monsters or the villain, and it is always a team battle.
The Attack Points (AP) of each side are combined. The total AP represents the total damage inflicted to the other side. This is randomly distributed to each component of the other side (if more than one), and subtracted from their individual HP.
When HP=0, then the monster or character is dead.
In case of equal stats, the winner will be determined by random.org, and the loser's stats will be knocked down one point, and the consequences applied accordingly.
example: say our team has split up, and we have three Heroes (the Couple and an Adventurer), stumble upon a Monster. Let's assume that our Heroes is level 2. That would mean they both have 2 HP and 2 AP. The unfortunate Monster has 3 HP and 3 AP. Oh no! But wait, we combine the three heroes' stats, so the Team's stats are 6 HP and 6 AP. Poor Monster, indeed. It's dead, but its 3 AP means it'll hit the Team with 3 HP - each point will be assigned randomly to the members.
Stats: all heroes start at 1HP, 1AP and gain 1 point each per level.
When attacking, a group is considered like one entity and their AP combine.
When receiving damage, the damage points are randomly distributed (random.org)
When receiving healing from treasure, the heal points are randomly distributed in a group.
The maximum HP of a character cannot exceed its level
Levelling: Discover treasure: gain a level. Kill a monster: gain a level. That's it.
There is no maximum level, and levels are gained by all the participant in the group who did the killing/discovery
there are a couple of passages that are still unclear to me, which are higlighted in red:
RULES:
The game begins with 1 villain and 7 heroes. The villain and each of the heroes have their own story and motivations that are PMed to them and not unveiled publicly.
The roles will be known to all from the beginning - there will be no secret roles. The only secrets in this game are: the full map (only the Game Masters and the Villain has access) and the secret motivations/powers of the Couple, the Wizard and the Adventurers.
The map will be slowly revealed to the Heroes as they move through the mansion.
The Villain:
The villain made a deal with Satan in which he takes over the mansion and it's many treasures, as well as take control of The Artifact. The Villain is the only player to have knowledge of the full map at the onset. With The Artifact, the villain is able to place monsters and traps anywhere in the mansion. The Artifact also enables the villain to self-heal (1 HP per turn). The Artifact can only be accessed in the Lair. If the villain moves away from the Lair, he will not be able to either set monsters/traps or self-heal.
The villain starts at level 16 and cannot level up whatsoever. His stats were determined by how many heroes there are (2 HP and AP for each playing hero).
His Goal: kill’em all.
The Heroes:
They all start at level 1. Their stats begin at 1 HP and 1 AP. Each time they level up, 1 HP and 1 AP will be added to their stats.
Certain heroes have special powers known only to them, and revealed to the other heroes at their own discretion.
The Couple: Two heroes are the parents of a child who is suffering from a loathsome disease. To save their daughter, they must obtain The Artifact and call forth it's powers.
The Wizard: He was sent in by the King to stop the Villain. He has awesome magical powers.
Adventurers: Here for glory and treasure.
Heroes’ Goal: tthe endgame is slightly different for the different characters, but it requires killing the villain and retrieving The Artifact.
Note: Some scenarios see all surviving heroes as winners, some only some of them.
Game Mechanics:
Each rounds consist of a double turn for the heros followed by a double turn for the villain. Each turn corresponds to one action.
There is no time limite on any turn: the Heroes’ turn ends when the team leader communicates his decision to the GMs. The villain turns is all by PM.
At the beginning, the Band of Heroes choses its Leader (by voting). The Leader can be changed at any time by a simple majority, and it applies from the following turn
Heroes actions (decided by the leader in the thread, which should, but not necessarily has to, reflect the group opinion expressed through voting/discussion exclusively in the thread):
1) Move: the group opens a passage and moves into the next room.
2) Explore: the group explores the room they are in. they can find and disable traps, find and collect treasure.
3) Split and move: part of the group splits into a separate sub-group, who will have a separate turn(s) from next turn on. The new group chooses a new leader, the old group retains the old leader. The first, immediate, action of the new group HAS to be to move into a separate room (or stay in a room if the other group moves. If two groups get back into the same room, the next turn they can choose to merge again. When groups merge, they choose a new common leader. The splitting per se doesn’t count as a move, but the splinter group has to immediately move/explore, so it counts as that group's action.
4) Special actions: determined by the characters’ special powers. No one except a character knows the nature, extension or frequency of use of any of the special powers, including the villain. They are additional moves to the regular ones.
Villain actions: communicated to the GMs by PMs, but he can post in the thread if so he wishes
When he is in his lair, in the presence of the Artifact, the Villain can:
1) summon and place one or more new monster to any empty room, provided he has the required aura points. Big monster cost more aura points. Once a monster is assigned to a room, it can never be moved elsewhere
2) build one or more new trap and place it in any empty room, including already explored ones, provided he has enough aura points. Big traps cost more points.
1 and 2 can be combined in one turn, provided enough points are available
3) heal himself 1 HP
from any position he can
4) move to another room
5) wait and earn 1 aura point. The villain can instead decide (active communication to the GM) to wait and collect points, which can then be used to summon monsters or build traps (to do this he has to go back to the Lair).
he can wait for as many consecutive turns he wants, in which no other actions are performed by the villain
the Villain starts with an undisclosed amount of traps and monsters which are all placed at the beginning of the game
Monsters: Monsters lurk in their assigned room and don’t move. They will automatically attack the group entering the room in a fight to the death of one of the parties. Monsters do not attack the villain.
Traps: any armed trap is triggered any time heroes attempts to leave the room where the trap is concealed in without exploring it.
The amount of damage depends on the trap and is randomly distributed (or otherwise stated). The Villain is immune to all traps.
Treasures: they are placed by the GM at the beginning of the game, both GM and the Villain know their locations.
Level treasure: everyone in the group discovering it, levels up
Healing treasure: : 5 HP are assigned to each of the discoverers, up to their level.
Fights: A fight starts whenever heroes enter a room with monsters or the villain, and it is always a team battle.
The Attack Points (AP) of each side are combined. The total AP represents the total damage inflicted to the other side. This is randomly distributed to each component of the other side (if more than one), and subtracted from their individual HP.
When HP=0, then the monster or character is dead.
In case of equal stats, the winner will be determined by random.org, and the loser's stats will be knocked down one point, and the consequences applied accordingly.
example: say our team has split up, and we have three Heroes (the Couple and an Adventurer), stumble upon a Monster. Let's assume that our Heroes is level 2. That would mean they both have 2 HP and 2 AP. The unfortunate Monster has 3 HP and 3 AP. Oh no! But wait, we combine the three heroes' stats, so the Team's stats are 6 HP and 6 AP. Poor Monster, indeed. It's dead, but its 3 AP means it'll hit the Team with 3 HP - each point will be assigned randomly to the members.
Stats: all heroes start at 1HP, 1AP and gain 1 point each per level.
When attacking, a group is considered like one entity and their AP combine.
When receiving damage, the damage points are randomly distributed (random.org)
When receiving healing from treasure, the heal points are randomly distributed in a group.
The maximum HP of a character cannot exceed its level
Levelling: Discover treasure: gain a level. Kill a monster: gain a level. That's it.
There is no maximum level, and levels are gained by all the participant in the group who did the killing/discovery
Full of Win
Apr 21, 05:08 PM
I think the next Mac Pro refresh will be a huge milestone. Not only will it be the first case redesign in nearly a decade and add all the latest tech (USB3, sata III, thunderbolt, etc) but I believe Apple will take this opportunity to finally revise the pricing structure. Over the past few years, Apple has been making a clear shift towards the consumer market. Part of that is arguably negative ("dumbing things down") but the positive is more reasonable prices. The Mac Pro is the only computer left that hasn't been revised. My hope is that Apple will create a few models of the new Mac Pro, at least one of which is an affordable mid-range consumer tower starting under the the $2,000 mark.
Unfortunately, they will probably wait to use the new performance desktop/server sandy bridge CPUs which Intel won't have ready until Q4 2011 (or later). If that's true then we won't see these new beauties until 1H 2012. :(
Basically, what many of us have been asking / begging Apple to do; release an iMac w/o the display and with removable hard drives.
Unfortunately, they will probably wait to use the new performance desktop/server sandy bridge CPUs which Intel won't have ready until Q4 2011 (or later). If that's true then we won't see these new beauties until 1H 2012. :(
Basically, what many of us have been asking / begging Apple to do; release an iMac w/o the display and with removable hard drives.
tstreete
Nov 3, 07:06 PM
I just received notice that the tomtom car kit I ordered from Bottom Line Telecommunications has shipped, and should be here in a couple of days. I paid $90 shipped. (Don't know if they have any more in stock.) I expect it will be available elsewhere online for discounted prices soon.
I agree that it would be nice if it were cheaper, but if you add up a separate quality car mount, power cable, hands free kit, and external gps, you're going to be close or over $90 in any case. So maybe it's a luxury, but not a ridiculous one. Everyone with an iphone is paying at least $840 a year for the privilege of using it, and if all you wanted was cell phone service you could pay half that. So if you think it's too expensive, don't buy it; but I don't know why so many feel they have to act so outraged over the cost.
Oh - BTW - Anyone know if they are planning to stock them in Apple stores?
As for the price - everyone complains that it is too expensive for "a mount". But, it's not just a mount. A simple mount wouldn't be worth more than about $30. It's got a GPS chip in it that is similar in quality to a standalone units GPS chip, plus a speaker (the built-in speaker isn't loud or clear enough) and a mic. I understand the enhanced GPS chip is accessed via Bluetooth, so other GPS programs can use it instead of the on-board GPS chip. It can serve as a handsfree speakerphone, so no need to buy a car kit if your car doesn't support Bluetooth (mine don't).
All together, I honestly do think this price tag is a little high - it would be more reasonable at $99, but I'm still thinking seriously about getting one.
I agree that it would be nice if it were cheaper, but if you add up a separate quality car mount, power cable, hands free kit, and external gps, you're going to be close or over $90 in any case. So maybe it's a luxury, but not a ridiculous one. Everyone with an iphone is paying at least $840 a year for the privilege of using it, and if all you wanted was cell phone service you could pay half that. So if you think it's too expensive, don't buy it; but I don't know why so many feel they have to act so outraged over the cost.
Oh - BTW - Anyone know if they are planning to stock them in Apple stores?
As for the price - everyone complains that it is too expensive for "a mount". But, it's not just a mount. A simple mount wouldn't be worth more than about $30. It's got a GPS chip in it that is similar in quality to a standalone units GPS chip, plus a speaker (the built-in speaker isn't loud or clear enough) and a mic. I understand the enhanced GPS chip is accessed via Bluetooth, so other GPS programs can use it instead of the on-board GPS chip. It can serve as a handsfree speakerphone, so no need to buy a car kit if your car doesn't support Bluetooth (mine don't).
All together, I honestly do think this price tag is a little high - it would be more reasonable at $99, but I'm still thinking seriously about getting one.