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Weechat’ing it up

So I’ve been meaning to do it for some time, find an CLI IRC client for my linux box, so I can OS hop on the main box.

The main drawback of the ‘usual suspects’ were I never found them all that intuitive, or configurable. I finally stumbled across Weechat, the dev version (now 0.3.0-RC2) is both easy-to-pickup and customise. The only thing it was missing for me was something like HydraIRC’s “Channel Monitor”, but with the wide array of scripting languages, I figured why not? and wrote it from scratch, with a little guidance and ideas from #weechat.

So now, my IRC looks like this:
(Before)

Weechat

Freeman’s Mind

So I got bored the other day and went looking for something to randomly watch, and stumbled across this absolute gem of a machinima, “Freeman’s Mind”, in it’s own words;

Follow the thoughts of Dr. Gordon Freeman, a 27 year old physicist and neurotic individual.

I’ve not laughed so much at an online video for a long, long time.
You can find the first video below, and the rest at http://www.machinima.com/series/view&id=187
http://civil-protection.blogspot.com (The author’s original work (worth a look) and current base for FM) || http://accursedfarms.com (Soon to be home for FM)

In order to fill the gap between the updates the Spin-Off “Barney’s Mind” (Blueshift) appeared, and it’s just as good;
First episode: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGgO8O6JuM8
Updates: http://barneysmind.blogspot.com

Not content with two series, the third (and inevitable) series appear, “Shephard’s Mind” (Opposing Force), find the first episode here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNaJX6gOYMA
Update here if/when an update site/blog appears.
Updates: http://www.shephardsmind.half-lifecreations.com/

Now without further ado, if you’re still wondering whether or not to watch these series’, just give it a go:

UT3 and me

Okay, since the UT3 Titan pack expansion came out a couple weeks ago, interest has risen in UT3 once more, and so has my desire to carry on mapping in it. Hopefully, sometime soon, my interest will peak, and CTF-Orbital will see a flurry of activity and maybe even a release.
Below are a few shots of how the map look currently. As it stands the layout is done, but the lighting is very basic ‘working’ lights.

Red Base 01Blue Base 01center

As it stands the map is bot playable, so I’m looking for feedback. Some feedback has already been made here and you can find the downloads there as well.
(This is most definitely still Alpha quality work, so don’t expect too much)

Phase Two

After many hours of planning, the new Junction at Duningworth is constructed, plans for an extra platform at Fentfingford were rejected and the buffers were removed instead. The entire line is now double tracked, and a new 4-6-2 ‘Streamliner’ brought in for the new run. Seen here loading up at Duningworth, while the local pulls in alongside.
sleningway-transport-15th-sep-1954
A new plantation appears new the branch line at Binnford, so a new 2-8-0 is commissioned for the run, seen here giving priority to the diesel passenger train at the modified Prenville Junction.
sleningway-transport-11th-nov-1954
After many, many days of long planning meetings between Management, Construction and 4 different Town Planners, the plans for the second half of the Mainline were finalised. Initially a loop-line was planned to service Hadtown, Harnhall, Cunwood, Tudingworth Falls and Buntfingway, but all the proposals were too complex and expensive. So Tudingworth Falls and Buntfingway became a branchline from Hadtown.

sleningway-transport-15th-apr-1955

Shortly after construction had completed on the Tudingworth Falls station, the neighbouring Steel Mill announced it would be shutting it’s doors.

Keen to keep it’s residents and it’s new station, Tudingworth Falls announced two special subsidised non-stop links between itself and Cunwood and Handingtown. Two 4-6-0 ‘Standard Five’s were raked up for these services and are show here leaving the local service depot, heading to Tudingworth Falls for the stations opening.
sleningway-transport-15th-may-1955-cropsleningway-transport-3rd-jun-1955-opening

Less than a month after services begin, Tudingworth Falls oil refinery also shuts down.  Tudingworth Falls local authority don’t seem to be too concerned though. They gave the go ahead for the track to be doubled, and thanks to the subsidised links the town continues to grow.

Meanwhile a 0-6-0 ‘Pannier Tank’ is brought on for the local service from Hadtown to Buntfingway via Tudingworth Falls, and two 4-6-2 ‘Pacific’ is set on the Hadingtown, Cunwood stopping service. New development in freight engines has resulted in the 2-10-0 and one is put into service on the Binnford timber train.

Work Continues

After and increase in Coal production, and extra 2-8-0 is bought to help cope with the extra cargo, and the line is double tracked.
sleningway-transport-4th-may-1951

Demand for furnishings has been on the rise, and the local sawmill requested a new branch line be put in. Two more 2-8-0’s are bought, one for the new timber line, and a second to supplement the second coal mine due to an increase in production.
sleningway-transport-20th-aug-1952

Meanwhile work continues on the main line and Duningworth is connected up, with a 4-6-2 ‘Pacific’ hauled service to Fentfingford. A new service centre is also opened at Fentfingford.
sleningway-transport-14th-jul-1953

Hadington marks completion of the first half of the South Mainline project, and is set to become the next hub station on the network.
sleningway-transport-14th-jun-1954

The new 4-6-2 ‘Pacific’ links it to Duningworth, while the experimental diesel ‘AEC Railcar’ in a 4 car consist, makes the slow link to Sleningway, via the small towns of Binnford and Prenville.
sleningway-transport-1st-jul-1954

Next on the planning agenda is a platform extention at Fentfingford, and an express service linking Sleningway and Hadington, via Fentfingford and Duningworth. Both Slen <-> Had links are expected to be subject to a timetable service.

A New Start

So I decided to start up a new OpenTTD game, on a 128×512 map. Using the OpenTTD nightly, starting with r15260.  Main modifiers are;

  • UK Renewal Set
  • Reduced Breakdowns
  • x4 weight multiplier for freight
  • A full GRF list can be viewed behind the Read More link

The Industry Map;
unnamed-1st-jan-1950-1
The height map;
unnamed-1st-jan-1950-2

In 1950 a small start-up makes it’s humble beginnings on the far southern edge of the region. A temporary maintenance depot is set up and a 2-8-0 Freight Engine raked up for the short jump to the local power station.

sleningway-transport-11th-feb-1950sleningway-transport-19th-apr-1950

Which is quickly joined by a second identical consist for the second coal mine on the hill.

sleningway-transport-13th-apr-1950

Shortly after, the two worker towns near the mines express an interest in a passenger line. A 4-6-0 ‘Standard-Five’ is commissioned for the link, and Sleningway Transport is born, running out of the station offices for now.

sleningway-transport-12th-jun-1950

With the foundations laid, Sleningway Transport turns it’s attention to an abitious project of linking up the southern towns to create the South Mainline, and first on the list for connection is Fentfingford. A 4-6-2 ‘Pacific’ can be see pulling into the terminus on the inaugural run.
sleningway-transport-25th-nov-1950
Continue reading “A New Start”

Windows 7

So like every other techie pleb out there, I downloaded the Windows 7 Beta the other day. While I reserve final judgement over whether this is a decent release or not, there are a few nice things in 7 that are going elevate it to possible ‘XP killer’

  • Much smaller footprint, when up and running, and with ‘Aero’ turned off, Win7 only takes up ~488Mb of memory
  • Mouse gestures, we’ve had them for years on *nix / Mac, now Windows has caught on
  • The redesigned taskbar MS has been bragging about; it takes a little while to get accustamed to. They seem to have tried to make it as unobtrusive as possible, which it pulls off. The previews even have progress bars built into some of them, which is nice.
  • More accessible / customisable backup manager. About time too.

There is probably more merits, but I haven’t messed about it Win7 to say much else. Since the footprint of 7 has been reduced, it should be better for running games on, all that remains is that 7 gets some better drivers than Vista did.

Hello world!

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

Happy New Year!

Well, a new year and another new site system 😕

Since Joomla 1.0 was out of date and changing to J1.5 would mean faffing about with the data anyway, I figured something less over-the-top would probably be nice. So this time it’s WordPress, with all the stuff that comes with that.