jqubed

This reminds me of a lost game—two, actually—that I’ve been searching for off-and-on over the years. I can find no trace of them online, but still have hope that I might pull them off an old hard drive at some point. It was a little free multiplayer LAN game written in Java called Tank Killen, and the sequel Tank Killen 2. I think it was written by a couple Swedish guys and the website seemed to be just one of the guy’s web hosting shares from his ISP.

It was a top-down game where you would drive around a map with your tank and shoot at the other players’ tanks. There were various power-ups scattered around the board. Both games were similar but the sequel was visually better and had some improved power-ups like a guided missile you could fly around the map.

I actually got the sequel early because with the first game somewhere there was a note offering to send a level editor to anyone who was interested. I asked but they offered to send me the sequel they were working on instead because the level editor for the first game was very difficult to use. On the sequel it was fairly straightforward and I actually added a level into the copies I had and shared.

My brother and I played a little at home but it wasn’t as fun with just two people. It was much better at school with up to 8 players; that’s where I played the first version. There were computers networked all over the school (unusual around the year 2000), and for a while playing games was allowed after school in a designated classroom. I don’t know who introduced the first version, but I introduced the sequel. I think by that point games weren’t allowed anymore but IT never removed the files or blocked the network traffic. The game and the subsequent detentions might be my legacy at the school, probably even for a few years after graduating.

What kind of camera are you using? I see a lot of venues prohibit cameras with interchangeable lenses

Is this mostly a video? I rejected cookies and it filled the screen with a box at the top complaining that it couldn’t show me a YouTube video now and a box at the bottom complaining about all the things they couldn’t show me because of my choice. On the article if I clicked “Read More” it was just the same text on this post, nothing more.

I don’t understand what I’m seeing here

I’m sorry about your house and the insurance company sucking. Is there any way to appeal?

I’ve had those mutual jump scares with deer a few times in my life

I believe they’re referring to buying up all of the copies of the hot new game or console, then reselling them above MSRP to make a profit in a time of scarcity.

I don’t remember scarcity being as much of a problem back then, nor was demand high enough for scalping to be common. It might have been less legal, too. As far as tickets to sporting events and concerts, back then it was illegal to resell them for more than face value in my state. That changed 10-15 years ago thanks to lobbying from Ticketmaster and affiliates.

Xbox was actively angering large swathes of the gaming community. All Sony had to do was sit back and let them implode. Instead they’re trying to outdo Microsoft.

1998 - Digital Systems first introduces a setup fee and annual fee for .bg domains. Other Bulgarian ISPs file a protest, calling .bg a national symbol, and send it to IANA, RIPE, the Bulgarian competition watchdog, Parliament and the President. The complaints are ultimately rejected by the Bulgarian courts and Digital Systems remained in charge of .bg.

[…]

2006 - Bulgarian media reports that management of .bg is to be transferred to the "First Public Internet Registry", a new non-profit to be run by various stakeholders. The transfer depends on Register.BG voluntarily handing over control or trying to get a new court ruling.

2007 - The initiative to transfer management of .bg appears to have stalled, with Bulgarian media outlets criticising the lack of progress on the matter.

[…]

In both cases [(Australia and Kenya)] IANA acted because the state built a credible successor first, something that Bulgaria attempted but failed to do in 2006/2007. Until then, .bg stays the only EU country TLD in private hands.

There seems to be a path forward, the state just has to follow through. I suspect they could also buy the current company out instead of forcing it through the courts.

I have not but I’ve heard they’re terrible, especially for their MSRP

GOG finally posted a job opening to hire a Linux developer recently

There’s been no progress on building their U.S. factory in years either. They cut a huge number of trees down and then the land’s just been sitting empty ever since.