Maplestory classes 27/31/2023 ![]() ![]() V Skills (Skill Nodes and Boost Nodes specific to that class) will be locked and unable to be used, but they will not be removed.Mastery Books used before switching will be reset.All Skill Points are reset upon switching.a Bishop can switch to a Magician (Fire, Poison) or a Magician (Ice, Lightning), but a Bishop cannot switch to a Corsair). One can only change jobs in their specific class (e.g.Players must be an Explorer, at least level 101 and have made the 4th job advancement.It allows Explorers to switch jobs in their class by paying a certain amount of mesos, which increases based on your character's level as well as the number of times you have previously used the Open Advancement system as an alternative, players can use Job Advancement Coins (obtained via special events), which will take priority over the meso cost. The Open Advancement system was introduced during Part 1 of the RED update. ![]() Turnabout Event: Until June 6, players will be able to earn one-of-a-kind rewards by opening Turnabout Event Boxes.A Magician (Fire, Poison) combines the elements of Fire and Poison to apply DoT (damage over time) to their enemies, while gaining additional damage as they maintain multiple sources of DoT.Ī Magician (Ice, Lightning) combines the elements of Ice to freeze / slow down enemies and Lightning to shock enemies.Ī Bishop uses Holy elemental attacks to heal allies while also specializing in party support, granting various damage and utility boosts to allies.Īll 3 Explorer Magicians can choose to wield a Wand or a Staff. ![]() New Explorers Celebration On-Time Event: Until May 30, players who login to the game will receive a special rewards that include Pet Package, Character Slot Coupon, uto-Battle Charge Tickets, Epic Mysterious Weapon/Armor Whetstones. New Explorers Growth Support Event: Until June 19, newly created Explorers who reach a certain level will obtain a special Growth Support Box New Explorers Burning Event: Until June 19, new Explorers between level 3 to 75 will be given a total of 3 bonus levels each time they level up With secondary weapons, players can equip two weapons for ferocious and diverse attack combinations, a power unlike ever before! Starting today, exciting in-game events will be available, including: The update also brings link skills and secondary weapons! Link skills grant the ability to teach characters in the same server a special skill. ![]() Upon defeat of Corrupted Empress Cygnus, players can obtain the Dream Stone, which can be used to craft the “Empress Equipment Set.” These Explorers join a fray of characters ready to challenge the latest Expedition Boss: Corrupted Empress Cygnus. Meanwhile, the Marksman Explorer is lethal with its crossbow giving higher critical damage from close range, whereas it gives higher final damage with farther range. The all-new Buccaneer Explorer allows players to engage in thrilling close combat with overpowering charged up attacks. LOS ANGELES – Leading mobile MMORPG, MapleStory M, has a major fun-filled update with the introduction of two new Explorers – Buccaneer and Marksman, the arrival of the new Expedition Boss: Corrupted Empress Cygnus, and a variety of additional updates such as Link Skill and Secondary Weapons. Update includes the challenging Expedition Boss: Corrupted Empress Cygnus! ![]()
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Caught a glims of7/30/2023 ![]() Alma had been newly wed once too, and remembered it fondly. But with their comfort in each other’s arms, it was clear there had been a lot of love involved. Things that some people might describe as taboo or unspeakable, simply because of how taboo said subject is to talk about. Things clearly had transpired, with how long they had slept in. ![]() Not when they’re asleep, and she sees their happy smiles as they keep breathing, currently unaware of everything going on around them, the only thing mattering being each other’s embrace. And though she should feel a weird sort of discomfort at finding them like this, she doesn’t. It was clear what had transpired between them, it was clear. It wasn’t how she ever thought she would describe walking in on her daughter lying nude with her new husband. The mere presence of each other, and the way they held each other so tenderly even in sleep, she was sure she had never seen a more trusting and loving show of affection, as strange as this was. It was clear as day that they loved each other, Alma could see the happy joy and comfort on their faces even when they were still in a deep slumber. In their sleeping, nude embrace, they looked so peaceful and happy, lost in the land of dreams. And with the careful position of sleep, Alma had been lucky to not walk in on a more indecent position. The covers that had thankfully not been kicked off entirely, carefully hiding anything below their waists. ![]() A close show of affection that was in fact very sweet to watch, even if Julieta’s exposed back and Agustín’s shirtless torso indicated that they were in fact nude under the covers. They were simply asleep, holding each other close with Julieta’s head resting on Agustín’s chest. Though, she didn’t really know if this counted as walking in on them. Alma had no intention of walking in on them. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Once we have accepted client pursuant to an executed Engagement Letter with a Cannabis Rider, we dig into the expense side of the entity. Once we have completed our review steps above, we can provide the client with an Engagement Letter and accept a client. Our focus is both on tying the total gross receipts in the quarterly filings to the General Ledger and on ascertaining that the taxes are properly calculated on individual delivery receipts, and on the quarterly filings. Compare the General Ledger totals for gross receipts with CDTFA quarterly filings for Sales Tax, and local jurisdiction Gross Receipts Tax.Where the entity lacks bank accounts, we use the cash control ledger to verify cash in a similar fashion, keeping in mind the unique issues that cash poses. Review bank statements for the entire year and one additional month on “both sides” with a view towards confirming that the deposits and other credits to the bank account tie to the General Ledger.Our next steps involved a review of gross receipts where we: We have queried multiple operators regarding the verification and archival of information relating to CET paid in connection with purchases. These deficiencies also create a mechanism whereby underground operators can utilize arrangements with legitimate licenses to purchase cannabis and cannabis products on which CET purportedly has already been collected by the Distributor].Ī California Dispensary has no direct reporting responsibility for CET at this time. These deficiencies in record-keeping make the process of auditing Distributors far more problematic. The record-keeping systems generally utilized in the industry do not provide a Dispensary with a summary of total CET paid to each Distributor. ![]() The point that may not be obvious is that a Dispensary pays Cannabis Excise Tax on the cannabis and cannabis products it purchases from Distributors. We learned first-hand about some of these activities, especially prior to the deployment of METRC on a widespread basis. In an instance in which an operating entity has limited access to banking, extensive investigation is necessary to ascertain that cash is properly accounted for both in gross receipts and in the assets of the business.Ĭalifornia’s underground cannabis market is well known to all involved in the industry.These procedures will vary substantially if the LLC’s access to commercial banking is limited. Review of internal accounting controls over the general ledger, and gross receipts.Review of the Standard Operating Procedures for sales, marketing, merchandise control, delivery practices, and personnel.Once the due diligence was completed, we reviewed the policies and procedures for the operation of the business, including: Review of City of Oakland Business License and Cannabis License.Review of the Bureau of Cannabis Control Cannabis – Delivery Dispensary form.Review of an executed copy of Form 8832 “Check the Box” Entity Classification Election.Review of an executed copy of the Operating Agreement for the LLC.Review of the Information Statements filed with the California Secretary of State.Review of the LLC Articles of Organization filed with the California Secretary of State.Our initial due diligence on the business entity, which we requested the client upload to a single Dropbox folder so we have everything in one place, included: We undertook an extensive due diligence process prior to offering our client an Engagement Letter in order to become familiar with the dirt in which these bushes grow.Ī CPA should NEVER begin work for any client, especially a client operating in the cannabis industry, without conducting due diligence and having an Engagement Letter signed. We recently had the opportunity to assist a new client who is qualified as a “cannabis equity business” with the City of Oakland, California. ![]() Discord music bots7/30/2023 ![]() To play music, you just need to enter the command ‘m!play’ followed by the song name or paste the song URL after the command. It also offers you a few other useful features, such as the ability to create playlists, high-definition streaming, 24-hour playback, and more. Jockie Music can play music from Apple Music, YouTube, Deezer, Tidal, Soundcloud, Spotify, and more. The most notable thing about Jockie Music is its broadest range of compatibility with music streaming services. Jockie Music is the last on the list, but it’s also one of the feature-rich music bots you can use on your server. Uzox is known for its lagless audio and wide range of customization options. Uzox provides you access to various music filters that you can use for free. Like every Discord Music bot, Uzox also supports music streaming from various sources such as SoundCloud, Spotify, Twitch, YouTube, and more. So, if you want a Discord bot music bot with premium features, Uzox could be the perfect pick for you. Uzox is a free Discord bot that offers many premium features. The free version also allows you many useful and much-needed features and supports a variety of commands to use on a server. The premium version of Chip Bot provides you access to all premium perks and includes features like audio autoplay, changing volume, applying filters to music, bypassing vote locks, and more. It’s a free bot but has a premium version. Chip Bot allows you to play music from various audio sources such as Bandcamp, SoundCloud, Spotify, etc. Chip BotĪnother best Discord Music Bot worth trying is the Chip Bot. ![]() Overall, Vexera is a great Discord Music bot that you can use today. The music playback is fine and without any audio buffering or lag.Īlso, like every other music bot for Discord, Vexera lets you create playlists, set joining and farewell messages for users, and more. Regarding streaming music, Vexera allows you to play music in high-quality audio from Bandcamp, Soundcloud, Twitch, Vimeo, and Spotify. The music bot for Discord is now powering over 1.5+ million discord servers. Vexera is one of the best and top-rated discord music bots you can add to your server. You can also use other commands like /randommeme to fetch and share a random meme from imgu, /randomdog to fetch a randing image, video, gif of a dog, etc. Once added to the Discord server, you can activate the bot using the /play (Song Name). If we talk about the features, Zandercraft supports adding playlists, adding songs to the queue, and more. It’s a popular music bot for Discord to play music in XHD and Hi-Fi quality. If you prefer listening to high-quality music on Discord, Zandercraft could be your best pick. Some other features of Aiode include adjustable bot properties, managing roles for accessing the bot commands, the ability to create own player commands, and more. Another best feature of Aiode is that it allows you to create custom cross-platform playlists with songs from YouTube, Spotify, and even Soundcloud. You can use Aiode to search Spotify tracks and YouTube videos or playlist and play it directly on your Discord server. The discord music is very feature-rich and highly customizable. ![]() AiodeĪiode is a fully free and open-source Discord bot for playing music. ![]() If you can adjust to that, ProBot could be perfect as it offers lots of audio playback commands. The only downside of ProBot is that it only searches for songs on YouTube. ![]() If we talk about the music broadcasting feature, ProBot allows you to broadcast high-quality audio for listening to music on your Discord Server. ProBot is a multipurpose discord bot on the list that can show your members a welcome image, in-depth logs, social commands, play music, and more. Some other features of MEE6 include 24/7 playback, song seeking, members voting system for favorite songs, volume boost, etc. The most notable thing about MEE6 is that it allows you to play music from various audio sources such as SoundCloud, Twitch, YouTube, and more. Regarding the features, you don’t need to use any command to use the bot you need to drag and drop to rearrange the song, click to pause, play, or skip the songs. It brings a visual music player to let you control your music playback. MEE6 is one of the most amazing Discord Music bots you’ll ever use. You don’t need to use any link to play the music use the Fredboat command and input the song name to play it directly. Also, the music bot for Discord supports playlists and live streams. If you are searching for a Discord Bot that can play high-quality music on your Discord Server for free, then look no other than Fredboat.įredboat is a free music bot that can play music from Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Twitch, Spotify, YouTube, and more. ![]() Biggest fman oot in the world7/30/2023 ![]() ![]() Upon earning a 100% interest in the Optioned Claims, BHLK will be granted a 2% net smelter return royalty. Lower 48 has the right to earn a 100% interest in the claims subject to the Option Agreement upon making an aggregate of $1,000,000 in payments to BHLK over a seven-year period. Of the 99 unpatented claims, 53 are owned directly by Lower 48 and 46 optioned claims are held subject to an agreement with BHLK-2 LLC. The Lemhi Project is comprised of 99 unpatented claims and 11 patented claims subject to certain existing encumbrances, which have over 10,000 meters of historic drilling. Freeman’s Lemhi Gold Project Present Uncapped Potential The significance of that is Lower 48 just acquired the right to acquire the Lemhi Gold Project located in Lemhi County, Idaho, USA. The company recently completed the acquisition of the parent company of Lower 48 Resources Ltd. 3 in North America on the 2019 Fraser Institute rankings of mining attractiveness index.ĭespite its early stage status, Freeman has already begun its acquisition strategy in Idaho. Believe it or not, Idaho is one of the top-ranked jurisdictions globally with an extensive and rich mining history. Its latest acquisition, however, could put the company right in the middle of one of the most gold-rich areas of the world. ( CSE: FMAN) ( OTC: FMANF) (FSE: 3WU) is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties in Canada and the USA. The fact that not one but multiple stocks (including many not mentioned here) produced thousands in percentage gains means that there is likely a huge focus on what’s next and which junior gold stocks to watch right now.įreeman Gold Corp. What has been the single-most important factor of profiting from gold sector rallies? Being early! Notice that “early investors” in every case managed to reap the most rewards along the way. The Primary Goal for Investing is to Buy Low and Sell High There’s no arguing the explosive potential of the juniors especially during times of bull markets for gold stocks. Investors also saw gold stocks like New Gold run from $0.75USD to highs of $14.15USD and Novagold jump from $0.37USD to highs of $16.90USD. That 1,500+% move wasn’t a stand-alone either. ![]() But we can clearly see that the one that presented the biggest percentage gains for investors was junior gold stock, Wheaton. Obviously, you have the gold mining giants like Barrick Gold (GOLD) and Newmont Goldcorp (NEM) that rallied hundreds of percentage points during the last gold boom. It doesn’t take a certain skill set to see that financial unrest and a global economic meltdown triggered a huge flight to safe haven investment like gold stocks: Companyġ,536% Gold Stocks Could Stand to Present the Biggest Opportunities The 2008 financial crisis left a wake of destruction and scorched earth but out of the ashes rose massive opportunity for those that had the foresight to think ahead and ultimately realize the opportunity in front of them and as a result REAL WEALTH WAS BUILT! The Last Financial Crisis Created Some of The World’s Biggest Opportunities To Capitalize On Commodities With Gold Leading The Chargeĭuring the 2008 financial crisis companies like Barrick Gold Corporation, Wheaton Precious Metals, and Newmont Corp. Is the stock market dead? Absolutely not and these major disruptions could have made a perfect storm for one industry: Gold Mining! The long-term ramifications of these moves have shaken the economy to its very core as investors grapple with slowing economic growth data and abysmal corporate earnings results. It has ultimately resulted in the central bank lowering rates to 0% while the government has flooded the markets with trillions of dollars in stimulus to not repeat another Great Recession. I mention this because this unique mix of historic events has culminated into one giant financial mess. Wildfires, China trade wars, and coronavirus are just a few of the big-ticket items from 2020. ![]() This year has been one for the history books. Global Unrest, Currency Instability, & Massive Slowdowns Across Global Economies Could Create Immediate Opportunity for Junior Gold Stocks Like: ![]() Fastrawviewer delete7/30/2023 ![]() ![]() XMP file that can be easily read in the future. XMP sidecar files by default this feature is turned off in Lightroom's Preferences, but enabling it will write all RAW adjustments to a. When dedicated retouching is needed, as in the case of promotional portraits or images intended for commercial use, I'll turn to Adobe PhotoShop for extra polish.įor Lightroom users, one setting I encourage everyone use is the use of. Most of my processing needs are met by Lightroom's basic RAW adjustment panel, including white balance, exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, and black levels.* Beyond RAW processing, Lightroom also offers sharpening and other image adjustments that are generally more than sufficient for my needs. Processing & RetouchingĪdobe Lightroom handles all imaging adjustments for the majority of my images, and Lightroom offers extremely capable RAW processing. If you work with set image presets for sharpening, noise reduction, and so forth, now is also the time to apply those adjustments either automatically upon import or manually via batch application. Instead of a catalog that includes every image from a shoot, only the best images are indexed, which makes greatly increases efficiency and creates much smaller catalog files. Another benefit of not ingesting the full import with Lightroom is that its catalogs are kept much smaller. CatalogĪfter the editing process reaches the level of three stars, I'll import the images into Adobe Lightroom for cataloging. While editing, I will also do negative culling as well, deleting any images have no possible use - images that are remarkable out of focus, accidental exposures, grossly under/overexposed images beyond saving, etc. This process is repeated again for the three-star rating, with an even more critical eye on the content and uniqueness of the images. All one-star images are then reviewed and the best and most unique images will be promoted two stars. Starting at one star and reviewing all images, I'll select images for compelling subject, timing, and lighting. I will generally go to the level of three stars, which translates to three combined scans of the images for positive selection. Editing is done using a star rating system. Unlike Lightroom, which will by default render its own image preview for every image, Photo Mechanic uses the built-in JPG of RAW files, which dramatically cuts down on processing time needed to display each image. The reason Photo Mechanic is used for editing instead of Lightroom is that it's far faster to load and render RAW files. If the same metadata applies to all images, then I will perform metatagging for all images at the time of import.Īfter ingest, I perform editing in Photo Mechanic. The reason metatagging is not done at the time of import, which Photo Mechanic is capable of doing, is because different images from the same shoot may possess different metadata. This includes, but is not limited to, IPTC data for the title, caption, and keywords, which are the three most important fields for image use and discovery. This file naming allows for easy file sorting during editing and prevents any confusion about the creation of date of the image.įollowing import, I will apply metadata to images based on the content. I have Photo Mechanic set to also automatically append the filename to include the date (YYYYMMDD format) as well as the hour (24 hour format), minute and second. All images from a single shoot are downloaded to a date-marked folder ( Example Photo Shoot). The first thing I do with my photos is to download all images to my to my Synology DS1813+ NAS using the application Photo Mechanic by Camera Bits. Here are the 9 main steps I'll discuss in my photography workflow: Here's what I've found to be an extremely efficient digital photography workflow, from file import to delivery and backup. Whether I'm shooting on assignment, for the band, or for a corporate client, my workflow is largely the same. An efficient workflow for editing, processing, and delivering digital photography is therefore critical. ![]() As a music photographer, I'm often in a position where I shoot a large volume of images and have to turn them around in very short order. ![]() New world winter wanderer7/30/2023 ![]() ![]() We arrived home early in October, and needed to turnaround the video component of the project in less than 10 days (which is insanely quick in this industry!).ĭespite multiple technology issues, some very late nights, ridiculous levels of anxiety, and all round frustration at life, we managed to achieve the deadline and create something we’re extremely proud of. We managed to spend some great quality time together, mostly taking in a thick Aussie accent and eating Vegemite (kidding - our chats were mostly over wine and a good curry!).īen’s just starting his journey in the blogging world, but he’s worth a follow:Īs you may have read in our last monthly update (if you haven’t, read here!), we’ve just completed our biggest project to date - a content production job with Visit South Tyrol. Kindred spirits and all that.įast forward to October, and Ben, following his passions, ended up in Europe over summer and managed to find his way to Budapest where he spent a week under our roof. We proceeded to spend the next week exploring the best of Bali together. We immediately got on like a house on fire and became the best of adventure buddies. Long story short, Ben is one of the most down to earth, fun and intelligent guys we’ve ever met. You could say Ben was our first ‘real’ fan and we both agreed that we needed to meet when we’re back home in Australia.Īs fate would have it, we didn’t get the chance to catch up when we were back home over Summer but realised we’d be in Bali around the same time and organised to meet up then. It was always a pleasure to hear from him, and we could tell he was an all round legend and someone we’d get along well with. ![]() HANGING IN BUDAPEST WITH OUR BUDDY, BENĪbout 2 years ago, an Aussie guy called Ben started to write to us with regularity, letting us know how much he appreciated our content and what we stood for. ![]() Gde where does blockblock come from7/30/2023 ![]() ![]() ![]() The connectors connect the inputs and outputs of nodes. ![]() Note that box and multi detectors will also activate if they are below ground level. ![]() When a screen node is over an obstacle of the matching type, its output will turn on. Screen nodes are the "eyes" of the network: they can tell the network what is currently happening in the game. These have three types: box detectors (blue), triangle detectors (yellow) and multi detectors (green). The inputs of nodes act as boolean OR gates: if any of the connectors connected to that input are on, that input will be on.Īn exception is the output node (the rightmost in the network graph), which needs at least one of its inputs to be on, acting as a boolean OR gate. The nodes act as boolean AND gates: if both of their inputs are on, the output will be on, otherwise the output wil be off (the node accordingly turns either green or red). Each normal node has two inputs: top and bottom. Normal nodes are found in the main network area (with alternating light grey and dark grey columns). Both have different varieties and can be mutated in diffirent ways. The creatures in GDE are composed of nodes (small squares) and connectors (lines). By repeating this process, the creatures (networks) often "evolve", making better progress in the level. The remaining half of the creatures is then cloned - one clone of each surviving creature - and the clones are randomly mutated. Creatures with equal fitness are ordered randomly to increase the variety of different creatures.Īt the end of each generation, half of the creatures are "killed" to make room for new ones. When all creatures in a generation have been simulated, they are sorted by fitness - from best to worst - and then "killed" randomly: the better fitness a creature has, the better is the chance that it survives and vice versa (this relies on a cube function that is taken from carykh's evolutionMATH2 (link at the top)). Based on how far (to the right) the boxes make it, a fitness score is assigned to each creature (equal to the X position of the player when it died). Each creature is simulated independently from the others in the same level. It uses a simple evolution structure: there are generations, which consist of creatures, which consist of nodes and connectors.Įach generation has a certain amount of creatures (currently 300). ( Passing below a (non-flipped) triangle or sliding from a box to the tip of a triangle will also kill the player. Coming into contact with them from any angle, at any velocity will "kill" the cube. However, colliding with the boxes from the side or from below will "kill" the cube. Boxes act like platforms - the cube can slide freely on them and jump off them. Obstructing the player's path there are two types of obstacles: boxes and triangles. Every jump is always of the same height - attempting to jump (or hold the jump button etc.) while in the air has no effect on the trajectory of the player. The cube can jump when it is on the ground or on a box. The player only has one way of control over the cube: jumping. The game consists of a square (the player), which is moving to the right at a constant speed. GDE tries to simulate computer evolution in a simple platformer-like (2D) game. It uses "evolving" simple neural networks to do so.Ī level editor for GDE can be found here. (GDE is not an abbreviation in this project, just a name)) tries to simulate computer evolution in a simple platformer-like game. GDE (or "Project GDE", "Project: GDE" etc. ![]() Civil engineering calculator for android7/30/2023 ![]() ![]() Extreme-Fiber Bending - Adjusted Design Value.Allowable Compressive Stress inclined to grain (Hankinson's Equation).Allowable Stress - Rectangular Section (National Design Specification).Allowable Unit Compressive Stress (Load is at an angle to the grain).Allowable Unit Stress on Timber Columns (Circular Cross Section).Allowable Unit Stress on Timber Columns (Square/Rectangular Cross Section).Allowable Unit Stress on Timber Columns (Single Piece of Lumber/Group of Pieces glued together).Modified Total End Shear (Uniform Loading).Modified Total End Shear (Concentrated Loads).Horizontal Shearing Stress (Rectangular Timber Beam with a notch in the lower face at the end).Horizontal Shearing Stress (Rectangular Timber Beam).Maximum Fiber Stress using Section Modulus (Rectangular Timber Beam).Maximum Fiber Stress (Rectangular Timber Beam).Section Modulus (Rectangular and Square Beam).Radius of Gyration (Rectangular and Square Beam).Distance from Axis to Extremities of Section (Rectangular and Square Beam).Moment of Inertia (Rectangular and Square Beam).Area of Section (Rectangular and Square Beam).Timber Engineering Calculator contains following 55 Calculators: Most Comprehensive Timber Engineering Calculator. Automatic & Accurate Calculations and Conversions with every Unit and Value Changes. ![]() Timber Engineering Calculator contains 87 Calculators and Converters, that can quickly and easily calculate and convert different Timber and Civil Engineering parameters. ![]() Uplink hacker elite access terminal7/30/2023 ![]() Every mission is assigned a certain difficulty level based on the nature of that job, and a reward suitable for the risk involved, and you cannot attempt missions that are far beyond your own experience as you successfully complete missions, your status in this semi-underground community will rise. Once you’ve registered, you’ll be starting off with small-time crimes such as breaking into databases to destroy or retrieve important files. Essentially, you’re connecting through Uplink to read the latest news on the work of your fellow hackers and to search electronic ‘job postings’ for which different companies are seeking Uplink agents, and for which they will pay, sometimes handsomely. The Corporation is a mysterious business through which remote, freelance agents can get work from other multi-national corporations Uplink provides the hacker with the connection and a gateway, through which the hacker cannot be directly traced in his wrongdoings. Your first job is going be to simply registering with the Uplink Corporation, to which your “computer gateway” automatically connects when you start the game. The presentation is one of high quality the level of immersion one feels when first starting out is uncanny. Uplink is, essentially, a computer interface, which I suppose is suitable, given the nature of the work. This is what I was asking for going in I now realize that this is not enough, in and of itself, to sustain long-term interest. It isn’t realistic – real hacking involves manipulating thousands of lines of tedious code. I thought Uplink was going to be an opportunity to feel powerful in a different way, more in tune with current technology I’ve punched and shot all the guards, now let’s break into these computers!Īnd really, that’s exactly what it is – an extremely stylish, incredibly Hollywood-like version of computer hacking. ![]() ![]() I’ve always enjoyed having action games like Final Fight to beat people up hand-to-hand, or Goldeneye to wield weaponry and gadgetry and make progress in a semi-stealthy manner. I have watched these films, and others, countless times, and, just as the action itself has always been exciting, so too are the abilities of the characters to make gains and alter lives by hacking computer systems it’s a new means of power and control that has worked its way into popular culture about as subtly as technology itself has. Tapping into bank accounts and social security files, accessing major mainframes, disabling important security systems, copying a NOC list of disavowed secret agents – these are the types of abilities that have found their way into the action hero archetype with the physical capability to kick the tar out of any potential challenger now comes a technological acumen that proves just as critical. What else do these films have? Technology, and the depiction of the hero or villain overcoming it with computer hacking savvy. Action has its own genre in videogaming, just as it does in film. Recall the film Mission: Impossible, or Goldeneye (or probably a handful of other 007 films), or Enemy of the State, or, perhaps more directly, Hackers. I’m talking about the manipulation of technology in the context of the world we live in, as it is, right now. These are interesting, and have their place, but Uplink doesn’t take it quite this far. I’m not talking about the stuff of the cyberpunk genre, which is often just a subset of science fiction games like Shadowrun and Neuromancer do not fall into the realm of hacking that Uplink attempts to recreate, but of a paranoid dystopian vision of the future. ![]() The type of crime explored in Uplink is not quite so salient, and is more tilted to the focus of digital criminality and white-collar type crimes. There have long been games depicting crime, going all the way back to the Atari 2600, and the monumental Grand Theft Auto series is inarguably the one that has most recently brought the issue of game crime and violence into the limelight, with its mass-slaughter and rise through organized syndicates. There is a brilliant idea that inspires Uplink: Hacker Elite, and it largely rests at the intersection of the state of present day technology, and the timeless intrigue that surrounds crime and criminals, so deeply-rooted that it taps human nature. There have long been games depicting crime, going all the way back to the Atari 2600, and the monumental Grand Theft Auto series is inarguably the one that has most recently brought the issue of game crime and violence into the limelight." "There is a brilliant idea that inspires Uplink: Hacker Elite, and it largely rests at the intersection of the state of present day technology, and the timeless intrigue that surrounds crime and criminals, so deeply-rooted that it taps human nature. ![]() AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |