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August 31, 2005

Hello LangaListers!

A big Hello to everyone clicking on through from The Langalist . It seems that I've been listed in the Loaded The Code section, (although Fred did get the name of the website wrong). Its nice to know that an IT Pro like Fred Langa is not infallible. Makes me feel better about the billions of mistakes I make every day.

For those first time visitors I'd like to say that most of the entries on this site are following the game Laser Squad Nemesis. The categories over on the right contain game write ups and commentary. It's a Play By Email tactical squad game. It looks pretty dated I'll grant you, but it plays like a dream! Plus, you don't need a cutting edge PC to play it, and you don't need to dedicate much time. Since I'm expecting my first child in a couple of months , time is something I wont have much of!

If anyone is interested in giving me a game then let me know . There is a free trial that's more than enough to get you hooked.

The entries that get listed on this front page tend to be stuff that catches my eye and things I find noteworthy.

Pop back and visit me every so often!

Finally, I run a Cartoon list on Yahoogroups. I dont often link it from these pages, but if you feel like checking it out then send a mail to Toontastic-Subscribe@yahoogroups.com

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Posted to General

The Hunter


The Hunter

Originally uploaded by Simon Pais.

Another cracking picture from the same chap. Very cleverly done.......

I'd recommend you all check out this set of pictures if you have a spare minute or two!

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Posted to Flickr

The lonely guy (over the umbrella)

I've just discovered this chap on Flickr. He has done some remarkable pictures...

I'm sure they have had more than a little Photoshop editing, but I'm not bothered by that at all (it would appear that a lot of Flickrites are....)

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Posted to Flickr | General

Contact

Ok, heres what I know...

My exploring Hunter turned up a wall of XT's waiting round the corner, and ran away sharpish. I might be able to do a little corner dodging to hurn them a bit, but I think I'll give it a turn to see if they persue me. I have no idea if I'm being scanned from there.

On the other side I can see an AI approaching , with around 5 XT's nearby. I'm going to see if I can get my MT into position this turn and rain missiles down on that area. I can get quite a good firing line into their midst, one which will go off this turn, and may even hit the AI, depending on where it lumbers to.

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Posted to M1: 181611 Vs prismatic

Scraping ahead

My exploring XT spotted a hunter at the far end of the long room, and also saw another moving through the room the Scanner recently vacated. He valiantly swatted that hunter from the sky, taking about 60% damage from the joint attacks.

It was quiet everywhere else. My only worry is that the two AI's are advancing. I'm hoping they will split up, but if not then I might have to give them the runaround for a few turns.

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Posted to M1: 181042 Vs Rad

I'm in the lead!

That was a pretty good turn for me.

My XT squads swatted the exploring hunter, and I think I got it before it saw too much of my layout, nothing that the Scanner hadn't already seen..... Another XT finished off the badly wounded enemy XT. However, the Scanner did get away unharmed.

On the downside there are more XT's firing at my HQ, and I want to steer clear of it as I think its going to blow. Now that my MT has gone the pressure to keep the HQ going is off a little.

I'm going to concentrate on healing up my wounded XT's although thats going to take a few turn. I think I'll pull back another health unit or two to guard the repair procuedure in case he decides now is the time to strike.

I'm also trying to get a view down the right hand side to see whats approaching that way.

The current score is 6 - 4

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Posted to M1: 181042 Vs Rad

Running behind

As per usual I'm a bit behind in my Month 3 games... One deployment timed out, but PegasusF was graceful enough to rechallenge. Thanks!

I'm sure I remember challenging Flash Panach, but thats no longer on my list so I've repayed the karma by rechallenging him too. Lets get playing!

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Posted to Season 3

August 29, 2005

Greasemonkey update breaks my script

I just noticed that my Game Status Hider wasnt working any more.... I rolled back the Greasemonkey version back to 0.3.5 as it had been auto-upgraded. Its working again but I'll need to figure out whats wrong and fix the script to be compatable with 0.51.

I'll get to it soon!

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Posted to LSN

Nothing yet

No enemies sighted or scanned just yet. No explosions either. Its too quiet....

My flock of hunters are lining up to op fire towards the corner while a lone hunter is set on Retreat on Sighting to get a glimpse round the corner of the building. The XTs are making their way into the central area with a few set to Halt On Sighting in case something comes that way.

Up in the top the Mt continues its trek across the map and the Scanner and XT's get into better positions.

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Posted to M1: 181611 Vs prismatic

Here we go

Ok, first things first I'm moving the MT grouping to the right, trying not to tread on each others toes too much. There is not much room for manouvering. I want to get a scanner in the next building along with an XT guard, and I want to get the MT a few buildings along with some nice firing lines. It wont get there for a few turns yet though.

Down the other flank I'm sending the hunters out for a spotting trip and moving the XT sinto a forward position.

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Posted to M1: 181611 Vs prismatic

Regroup time

Rad has snuck a lone Hunter up the left hand side, but I did have an XT posted at the top. It managed to get a hit, but not much damage was done. I'm moving the injured XT's into a position to fire at it. Meanwhile I'm moving the AI into the room with my bashed up robots to get some healing going on.

My troops at the bottom are all falling back.

I managed to pick off one of the damaged XT's bringing the score to 4 a piece. This is certainly an interesting game.

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Posted to M1: 181042 Vs Rad

Lights, Camera, Action!

There has been a lot going on this turn, with some nice 'splodes too.

As I worried Rad's XT's pressed on at the top and joined by another from behind they surrounded the MT. A great volloy of shots was firied, inflicting a lot of damage. However, the MT did get a missile off right into their midst causing a lot of damage. (I was a bit worried that it wouldnt fire off since I had used Terrain Fire, and anything blocking the firing line would have cancelled the shot) That shot took out one XT and wounded 2 others. The cavalry arrived in the form of the XT's I had pulled back from the centre and they finished off another of the XT's.

However, my Missile Tank got taken out by this barrage, couple with a few long distance AI shots. That did cause some collateral damage which almost took out my Scanner and the two enemy XT's.

So, in the top I have two wounded XT's to take care of, and there is still the scanner tucked away in the corner. I'm bringing the AI back through the room, targetting the Scanner and XT with each step. My main priority is to get back near the XT's that are in urgent need of repair. If I can take out a few enemies at the same time, then thats good too. I do have a lot of troops to attack the two nearby XT's so hopefully they wont be a problem.

Down at the bottom of the map my troops advanced in an attempt to catch anything soming up the side corridor. However, since all his efforts were concentrated on my MT nothing much happened down there. An enemy Hunter made its way through my lines and tried to nip up the long side passage, but it looks like it was set on Halt On Sighting as it turned round and reentered the main room. I'm going to move my XT's back into that room for a turn to see what damage they can cause and then I'm thinking of pulling back a little to regroup.

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Posted to M1: 181042 Vs Rad

August 28, 2005

I'm back!

I got back from my hols on Saturday. We spent a week down in St Ives, Cornwall on a well earned holiday. We were only there for a week but mananged to get loads done including a couple of beach days, viewing the Tate Modern, and trips to Lands End, Penvance and St Michaels Mount. I did my usual trick ofgetting burnt in amusing patterns which is my own fault as I didnt put the suntan lotion on properly. (Yuck.. i HATE that stuff!)

It sure is nice to be home though.

I have lots of games to write up (expect a few to be revealed shortly) and lots of emails to get through. My ISP had written to me complaining that one of my accounts had 340Mb of email waiting in it, and my quota is 20Mb. Whoops...

Anyway, there are some pictures of my hols online if you want a look. I had to upload them in a smaller size than I would have liked as I do not have a Pro Flickr account and so my uploads are limited. Anyway, have a flick though then. I think this one is my favourite.

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Posted to General

Moving on

My advancing AI has uncovered a couple of Hunters approaching. The XT's in the top room fired upon my MT which took a little damage, but it then moved out of their firing line. However, the HQ is totally exposed up there.

In what I'm hoping is going to be an unexpected move I am going to trundle the AI into the room with the XT's and scanner from the lower entrance, while sending a terrain fire onto the floor where the AI currently stands. I'm hoping to swat the hunters out of the air and be able to fry some of the XT's in that room with the AI.

Over on the left my XT's managed to escape without further harm and I'm trying to retreat the badly injured troops in order to heal at a later date.

I'm also pulling back a couple of XT's from the centre to move up to the HQ in case he decided to push forwards with his XT's as I dont have any cover up there. The other central troops are op firing towards the doorway and corridsor, so anything coming round that way will get a pasting!

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Posted to M1: 181042 Vs Rad

August 19, 2005

Bluffed

Damn! The scanner and Xt's turned right back round into the room, and set upon the crates making a firing line to my MT and HQ. So, I'm advancing the AI up the bottom corridor making the Big Red Line point at his scanner and XT's.

the missile tank is also advancing. I plan on trying to injure some of the troops in the centre. but I also want to make him wonder where else I might be going.#

In the bottom left I now have quite a few injured troops, with not much damage dealt out to the enemy. I'm going to retreat them out of harms way, maybe I'll be able to get them to the AI for healing later. I dont fancy my chances near those two AI so I'm going to fall back once more into a scattered firing line hoping to deal some damage as he comes for me.

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Posted to M1: 181042 Vs Rad

First Blood

My MT managed to zzzzap a hunter that was trying to fly into the center room that contains my AI.

He also moved his scanner and two of the XT;s out the bottom doorway of his room, so I'm sending a missile that way before rearmin and trundling the AI out to get some shots off.

I didnt do too bad in the lower left. 1 XT took a AI shot and is badly wounded, but I landed a number of shots on his troops. However, I've spotted another AI going into that small room so things are about to get crowded.

I'm pulling the wounded troop back and am advancing the Scanner into a more central position. Its going to have to run the gauntlet through that room though so lets hope it makes it out in one piece. I'm trying to organise the XTs outside the building so that I can get cover the corridor up the roght hand side of the room and keep out the way of the two AI's inside.

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Posted to M1: 181042 Vs Rad

August 18, 2005

New Server Glitches

I've moved the website to a new server in order to upgrade the software that runs the site behind the scenes. There are a few glitches, so some entries might look a little odd for a while. Links will probably not work properly in entries. Let me know if you spot anything else that looks odd.

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Posted to General

August 16, 2005

We have contact

...and plenty of it!

My scouting Scanner in the top right has uncovered an enemy scanner, 3 XT's and a hunter. I think I'm going to retreat that scanner ans use it as a doorstop to hold open the doiuble doorway. Then I'm going to fill the room with missile fire.

In the bottom left I've encountered an AI and 3 XT;s while the middle has turned up another scanner and two more XT's. I've not got very good visual coverage of that area so there could well be more lurking.

That still leaves 8 points unaccounted for.

I just noticed I forgot to move my AI last turn, so I'm going to move it over to give the MT and scanner a bit of support. I dont want the Scanner to get picked off leaving me blind on that side of the map....

I'm advancing down the middle, although a suprise overwhelment is out of the question since his scanner has seen all my troops. I'm also going to shoot out the doorway in the building containing his AI so that he may walk into a bit of a crossfire. The XT's already in the lower lkeft room are taking shelter behind a few low crates and opfiring towards the enemy.

This could get messy.

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Posted to M1: 181042 Vs Rad

August 14, 2005

First turn

Ok, here we go in the first game of the new specialist league season. (Never mind that I've delayed so long the next months games are about to kick off....

Well, nothings been spotted by my scanners just yet, so its time to advance a little. My first scanner is moving towards the top right room to see if anything is approaching up the right hand corridor while the MT is moving into the doubledoorway and sending a missile down towards his spawn area. I'm trying to miss the crates in the middle or else I'll just waste a shot. Who knows, maybe he's doing exactly the same and his missile will take the crates out! Depending on what that scanner sees I might keep barraging his spawn or shoot towards the side corridor.

On the other end of the map the scanner is trying to get to a central posisiotn while the XT guard uit it spreading out to get fireing lines into the room. The crates block quite a lot of the room , so it might get a bit sticky in there.

In the middle the AI and XTs are advancing straight down on Red/Red. If any hunters whizz up there I'm hoping to swat them out of the air

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Posted to M1: 181042 Vs Rad

August 12, 2005

Final Score

I think my plan was fairly sound, but ultimately I didnt have enough attacking units to fend off spawn. Its a difficul choice when deploying Greys, take lots of smaller hitting units, or a few big hitters.

With a little more luck on my side I think I might have swung the game....

Score 16 - 20

Rank: 45 (down 17 places)
Rating: 1000 (-13)
Division: Veteran

Get the wholegame here

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Posted to 177344 Vs MilARKy

Game over

Ok, its not quite game over, but my sentry got eaten by the drone, and the last remaining unin, a Guardian has 0 energy with a drone sat right next t it.

I'd say thats game over....

When will I get round to blogging a winning game?

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Posted to 177344 Vs MilARKy

August 8, 2005

I'm ill!

Human Virus Scanner

How infected are you....?

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Posted to General

A Word To The Wise

Never drink an entire 750ml bottle of Pro-biotic yoghurt drink in one sitting.

Trust me on that.

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Posted to General

Update imminent....

The new version of Movable Type (the software that runs this website) is due to be released shortly. I'll be upgrading the website with it, so if you spot anything that looks odd, or is just plain broken then please let me know

Hopefully you won't even notice the difference, but it'll make maintaining the website (and stopping all the spammers who keep trying to post comments) a great deal easier.

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Posted to General

August 7, 2005

Not long now

The goo spitter got off a final shot before dropping dead of its own accord. that shot went wide of the mark so I'm goo free at the moment.

That is good.

The sentry I advanced spooted another full health Spiker and a Drone approaching.

That is bad.

The warper managed to catch something with its shot, but the Spiker it was aiming at this turn exhausted its ammo and alo dropped dead.

That is good.

The spikers final shot managed to hit my energy depleted Warper, finishing it off.

That is bad.

Now I only have 1 sentry and a guardian left to face a replenishing spawn horde.

That is very bad indeed.

There is no way the 4 second shottime of the Guardian will be of any use agsint the incoming Drone, and I dont think that lone sentry is up to the job. This could be the last turn....

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Posted to 177344 Vs MilARKy

Running out of time

I'm running out of Game time, and running out of luck in game.

The goo spitter doubled back in an attempt to stick me down, but since I had moved from the area I'm safe, for the moment. My Waqrper has got a shot off towards where I thought the spitter was going, but I'm not sure what thats going to hit.

I'm running the Sentry over towards where I last saw the spitter in the hope that it can get close enough to finish it off. I'm also moving the guardian and Warper that way. The warper is going to pause to get an end-of-turn warp off towards the attacking Spikers.

I want to try to get away from him if at all possible, maybe I can stretch the single point lead out for long enough, but I really dont see that happening. At this moment its as good a choice as any...

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Posted to 177344 Vs MilARKy

August 6, 2005

Mech Vs Mech 2

My second Specialist League game is another Mech Vs Mech game against Prismatic.

I've never played him before, nor do I have any idea of how good they are. Still, its not difficult to be better than me...

The map we have is Battle Royale, a rather huge map. I'm in the blue area at the top.

I think this map is going to be too big to put an AI to much use. Its also very windy, so the slow AI will spend forever changing direction and running to and fro.

I've opted for a MT towards the right, and an HQ next to it. I plan to rumble it over to the right hand side of the map, hoping to get some unexpected firing lines down that side of the map. I've put a Scanner and a nice XT squad for backup. Hopefully the scanner will spot some troops that I can introduce to my missiles.

The other side has another battalion of XT's, and a fleet of Hunters to perform its recon. Lets see how this one turns out....

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Posted to M1: 181611 Vs prismatic

August 5, 2005

Version 0.5 already!

For soemthing I only started yesterday I sure have had to make a lot of changes to it....

Anyway, Version 0.5 of the LSN Finished Game Status Hider(snappy title, eh..? Suggestions for a better one anyone?) will now allow you to view games that are waiting for your opponents moves.

You cant resubmit your orders as the server already has them. There is nothing stopping you from wasting your time replotting the orders, but the server will just throw them away, so don't bother.

Also, I've fixed a bug when viewing the game details pages for games that were not finished. The Message From Opponent box was getting hidden, which isnt conducive to witty banter. Also the bit that shows you the points on offer for a ongoing League game was getting corrupted.

Sorted now anyway. Get it from the usual place.

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Posted to General | LSN

Rockstar being Bullied for Bully

Press The Buttons has a nice article about the recent demonstration agsint Rockstar Games.

Apparently a bunch of people calling themselves 'Peaceoholics' have decided that they know best for all of humanity and are trying to prevent the release of Rockstars forthcoming, unfinished game "Bully".

Well, thank Christ that there is someone out there to stand up for me. It sure makes me feel nice that a bunch of people have decided that I cannot possibly make my own mind up and choose whether or not the game is suitable for me. Hopefully they will prevent me from ever buying an unsuitable game again. I only ask, Where were you when I bought Double Dragon on the C64? . Where were you when I was pondering buiying "Super Monkey Ball 2"?

Those two games have done far more to enrage me than any Rockstar game (with the possible exception of State Of Emergency, whic was just plain rubbish.

I hope these 'Peaceoholics' get met with the total derision that they deserve. I dont need you standing up for me, I'll make my own choices thank-you-very-much.

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Posted to General

Version 0.4 of LSN Game Status Hider

Couple of bug fixes, and general tidy up.

Download it from the same place:- Here

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Posted to General | LSN

August 4, 2005

Fiddling with Greasemonkey 2

Ok, it turns out there were a few more bugs in the first release.

Here is another release

You will need to install an additional extention for this to work. Its the Platypus extention and you can grab it here . It seems to enable a new toolbar by default, but you can turn that off by going to View --> Toolbars. It all works fine with the toolbar turned off.

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Posted to General | LSN

Fiddling with Greasemonkey

I've had Greasemonkey installed into my Firefox browser for some time now, and its been busy rewriting webpages for me in the background to improve my browsing.

I've decived to write my own script to fix up the LSN Web Interface.

Here it is.

Edit Changed link to point to new file Edit

First you need to install Greasemonkey , then click my link above, go to Tools and then click Install User Script. Job done! (I've no idea if there is a Greasemonkey derivative for Internet Explorer. As far as I know this only works for Mozilla based browsers.

I need to figure out a way to hide the Rating Change for League games as thats also a bit of a giveaway, but not as much as having to click on the words Won/Lost/Drawn when you want to find out how a close game ended up....

Any problems then either leave a comment or email me

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Posted to General | LSN