Bay 12 Games Forum

Could it be the motion blur effect? I only play FPSs that are old as beards, so most of them have none of the modern fancies.

Ok, everybody calm down. There's a Linux user in the room.

Xubuntu (XFCE desktop, easy setup) or Crunchbang (Openbox desktop, a bit more hardcore) are good distros for an old machine. But don't worry much about distros, at the end of the day it's about tailoring them to your needs/tastes. Ubuntu has a nice community support and you'll get plenty of help just searching the web, so feel free to stick with it.

If you stick with Ubuntu, you can do:

sudo apt-get install xfce-desktop
The XFCE desktop is more classic and lighter than Unity or Classic GNOME. Then when you reboot you have to select XFCE in the session drop down.

I would recommend you the openbox desktop + tint2 app bar, as it will get all juice out of the laptop (I use it in a i5 2500K 'cos I'm a fan of *box window managers, but whatever), but you'll need instructions and editing config files with a text editor to set it up. It's a trade, more performance for meaner learning curve. Anyway, there are a few nice posts about tweaking Openbox here: http://www.reddit.com/r/openbox.

Is Times New Roman copyrighted by microsoft or something?

sudo apt-get install ttf-mscorefonts-installer
You'll get a screen asking you to accept the Microsoft license. It's a fairly free license, but the wording required to download them within the original .exe, so Ubuntu has an special installer for them.

Also (from http://www.webupd8.org/2011/01/automatically-install-all-google-web.html):

cd && wget http://webupd8.googlecode.com/files/install-google-fonts

chmod +x install-google-fonts

./install-google-fonts

That will install all the free Google Fonts. They are nice for little projects and web designers are using them aplenty.

OpenOficce/LibreOffice is a bit clunky. You may want to have it around to deal with .doc files and writing stuff for printing, but if all you want is to save digital files with a bit of formatting you can use Abiword, or even Sigil (http://code.google.com/p/sigil/) and save them as EPUB. Because, print is dead.

The latest versions of Firefox and Thunderbird are decent enough for web and mail, they used to be a lot slower and heavier.

To crop/retouch images install gthumb. GIMP has a lot more features but it will feel heavy if you are going to do something quick.

You can use nautilus (Ubuntu's default) as file manager, with a few caveats:

* Disable thumbnails in Preferences. They are too slow and eat disk space.
* By all means, do get confortable with doing dirty things to files in a terminal window. In many cases it's the fastest way (this is true for all OSs), specially when resources are scarce. Or at the very least install thunar, which you can use if nautilus chokes on a folder with many files.
* If you install the XFCE or the Openbox desktops, you'll need to make a launcher with the command "nautilus --no-desktop". Otherwise it takes control of the desktop in order to display desktop icons and whatnot, like the old Windows explorer.

For offline videos, install smplayer, though you'll be better leaving them in the cloud.

If you have web hosting contracted, check if they allow SSH connections. If they do, you can mount the remote server as a local folder with sshfs. Then you can pretend you have !!jigowatts!! of disk space with Soviet era tape trasfer speed.

Yeah, there's a modded soap reaction called make_soap, besides make_soap_from_tallow and make_soap_from_oil. I loaded an alternate copy of the save to try it with vanilla raws, but it would complain about a missing reaction or show wrong tiles.

I found make_soap reaction wasn't allowed to dwarves, so I added it.

About McDuck, I tried releasing him in an alternate reality. Urist the Palace Guard tries to jail him, but then both run away scared of each other.

I don't know about the story of the magma cascade in the third level of caverns. I opened it to keep flyers away, then left it open to see how much it could flood.

In 1078, Ongong settled in Ardentdikes

1st Hematite, 1078, Early Summer

"Udib..."

"Yes, master McDuck?"

"Udib, have you been doubting my power? Are you planning to serve another Urist?"

"Lord McDuck, I don't... I wasn't..."

"That farce of a mayor, Melkorp... he has had enough fun already. I'm taking back what is mine."

"Of course, my master."



I'm convinced Urist McDuck's dark mind is controlling Dariush's Crusher. As a lesson about what could happen to the rest of us, he has reduced our cat population to zero. Four migrants arrived, despite the danger, and Dariush's Crusher killed Lor Runbooks' puppy even before entering the walls, giving him instantaneus unhappy thoughts.

I pity the next overseer, if they plan to elect another mayor to meet with the diplomat.

3rd Malachite, 1078, Mid-Summer

Garetho the Twilight of Subtleties has arrived.



There's also a giant lobster in the lower caverns I didn't notice before. Half the fortress stinks now of rotting lobster feet.

 19rd Malachite, 1078, Mid-Summer

A feeding chamber has been built over Urist McDuck's prison. Although he still has food and drinks for many years, we can drop offerings and sacrifices through it.



In so far, it has been an unconfortablely peaceful summer.

19rd Malachite, 1078, Mid-Summer

The vultures chained on top of the towers started to shriek. There was a flurry of dwarves running around, grabbing armor and weapons. I had spent most of the summer working in the underground temple, so I was oblivious to what was happening above. I had to grab a passing recruit by the shoulder to ask him what was all the panic about.

"Dragon! Dragon! A dragon has arrived!"

"What? Where?"

"She appeared flying over the mountain that rises South of Ardentdikes!"



The acolytes checked the ancient tomes. They identified her as Ongong Diamondgold the Silvery Flames. A gigantic beast, with green scales and black eyes. Her legends went back to the beginning of time.

Ongong was associated with wealth and fire. In 1, Ongong settled in The Long Pits. Meng Quakeshield was her first dwarven victim, a young farmer girl that worshipped the dragon Zangu Flamegilds the Luxury of Taxing. She was burnt to death in the year 44. Meng's valor was enough to drive her away for a century. Elves, humans, kobolds, goblins and trolls weren't so fortunate, as they were slaughtered year after year.

Ongong received the worship of many humans, including the famed Citu Houndrubbed the Assaults of Clobbering and Luc Bowtall the Notched White Mechanism. In gratitude, she burned many of them.

Dwarves started to worship her in the year 543, after her attack to The Dipped Cloister in Controlledlens. In gratitude, she burned many dwarves too. The only dwarf that faced her and escaped alive during Ardentdikes' era is Zasit Wippedboulder, the current diplomat of The Whirling Girders, worshipper of dragons, colossus and hydras.

To this date, Ongong's kill count is one hundred seventy nine. About three times Urist Tomesglad's kill count.

The military started to assemble in the courtyard and the marksdwarves were sent to the top of the fortress. But then, we noticed Ongong wasn't flying straight towards us.

"Where is she going?"



"Urist!", yelled an acolyte. "Urist McDuck! She's flying towards the entrance of the volcano that leads to Urist McDuck's prison!"

That old demon! Did he bring the dragon?

The dwarves started to yell again.

"We lost her! Where is she?"

"She plunged in the volcano!"



Now what, Urist McDuck!?

2nd Galena, 1078, Late Summer

Ongong is chilling in the volcano, releasing steam and... doing nothing. The volcano has been bubbling and waving since the fortress was cleansed. Maybe the curse is holding her there, unable to swim towards the magma channels. I asked the acolytes if dragons were magma proof, but they couldn't give me an answer.

I had to send the military back to work. I don't know what to do now. This may be a signal the time to hand the fortress to another overseer is nearing.

18th Galena, 1078, Late Summer

I never thought I would have to say that, with a legendary dragon swimming in our volcano, our greatest concern would be kobold thieves. The acolytes were tasked with chasing them away, as the military was busy meeting the human caravan...

...and then:





The ambushers were hunting Ongong! Have goblins heard of McDuck, and sent champions to stop Ongong from releasing him? Were humans aware of her arrival, and is that why they sent their guards at the same time? Whatever the reason, Ongong's reign of terror came to an end, as goblins hacked her near the edge of the volcano. She must have become old and weak after more than a thousand years roaming the world.



Finished their work, the goblin squad committed suicide under Dariush's Crusher. They probably weren't expected to come back.

***

Autumn has come. It's time to wrap things up and hand the fortress to the next overseer.

The flooring of Armok's Temple isn't complete, but it has been fully designated:



Humans are waiting to trade. The water pump stack is still leaking, but it will freeze soon. Soap making is tasked, although nobody has worked on it yet due to lack of fresh tallow. Half the prisoners are still waiting to be stripped and punished. Booze stockpiles are dry. Burial receptacles need to be moved to the great mausoleum. Urist Tomesglad is the only dwarf with a full admantine set, and so the candy corps squad remains vacant.

For my part, I'm retiring to the Temple. Urist McDuck's command was satisfied, and I hope he forgets about me from now on.

Savefile: http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=5475

I have a i5 2500K, it's fairly fast on it. If only I could keep myself from stopping it all the time to check what's going on.

I wonder what happened to my feet?  I guess I forgot to put on socks.  Most likely I'll be joining my wife and daughters soon.

I think you'll be ok. There's lots of dwarves walking with muscle wounds in their feet, after the doctoids removed the rotten tissue. They don't seem to get infected.

I dug up one pending request.

Here's RabidAnubis Bellmortals the Miner, slayer of Dethe Beachpebbles the Minion of Soil:



8th Timber, 1077, Late Autumn

The Armorer Lielac has been unchained. She's gobbling barrels of booze now. Where are our helmets? By the way, anyone else smells roasted elk? It must be my imagination.



Deler Shotcombat went for a walk through Dariush's Crusher. To my horror, I watched her cut corners below the moving bridges. I hurried to have some words with Dariush about those traffic orders before Deler came back. We managed to agree on new ones ―then she came back... and proceeded to zig-zag out of the safe path every dozen urists. Orders were enforced as much as we could. For her unintended contribution to the safety of the fort, Deler was granted an honorary title:



Our manager Melkorp was allowed to take a temporary role as mayor, in order to receive the dwarven diplomat. Autumn is almost over, they should arrive anytime.

17th Timber, 1077, Late Autumn

Behold, the dwarven climate control:



Urist Tomesglad's war eagle is finally trained. During the ceremony, she said something about preferring rose gold demons. Why is everybody named Urist so scary?

I asked her what would happen if, now that she has fought the most horrible beasts, we released Urist McDuck to send him to prison. She turned pale and answered that, with all due respect, she would just run away.

18th Timber, 1077, Late Autumn

There is our caravan!



I asked our broker Lorbam Twistedglazes what we had for trade. But, wait, what is this?



It seems we have a dozen bags encrusted in jewels. We better place these at the still unoccupied royal chambers, before these idiots wear them out hauling sand.

Peeking over Lorbam's shoulder, I saw a long list of adamantine strands still waiting to be woven into wafers. I'm starting to entertain the idea of sending our metalsmiths to feed the magma crabs.

While the merchants approached the fortress, I ordered an underground garbage dump full of contaminated skeletons to be washed and removed. It has been spreading miasma.

20th Timber, 1077, Late Autumn

Curse them!



The caravan guards and our soldiers made the ambushers run away, but not before they took a pot shot on an unfortunate merchant. The other merchants decided to leave. There goes our chance to send gifts to the mountainhomes. Luckily for us, the dead merchant was the one carrying the metal bars, lye and gypsum plaster.

I saw the war eagle flying to join the skirmish. I followed her direction until I spotted a glitter of adamantine, far in the horizon.



It turns out Urist Tomesglad, wearing the recently salvaged armor, managed to overtake the caravan guards, reach the border ahead of them, and decapitate a goblin in one blow before he could escape to safety.

Pray Armok she never goes berserk on us.

Urist Tomesglad the Palace Guard, fully clad in steel, wielding a steel axe and Scornedword the legendary steel shield, slayer of Strabo Juicepuke the forgotten beast, ran ahead of everybody else to meet the beast and save Asob Ringedtest the farmer as she ran for cover.

There was no chance for the rest of the military to catch up. Whatever the outcome, it would be decided on a single battle between beast and dwarf.



Urist got a good start, but Ushav pounced her viciously again and again, trying to sting her through the armor.



And again and again...



As Urist rolled away, she got cornered between a tree and the water.



That was enough! With a yell of wrath, she unleashed a hurricane of steel and pain:





Ushav died before Urist could strike a finishing blow, so horrendous were the wounds the Palace Guard inflicted to it.

5th Sandstone, 1077, Mid-Autumn

I realized Dariush's Crusher is connected to a repeating trigger. I asked Dariush about this devilish contraption. Apparently it's meant to work that way. I hope the Queen doesn't mind being given traffic orders if she ever pays us a visit.

The only adamantine armor set lays in the hospital, covered in forgoten beast extract. While I try to figure how to get it cleaned, I notice the children Datan Cavering and Uzon Wounddrummed are in bed with infected wounds. The hospital has no soap, nor gypsum plaster. Nor clean water. I guess it keeps everybody from bothering to ask for treatment. I saw Onul Paddlepanthes complaining of muscle pains everywhere, yet working anyway on the colossus' lever. That's what you get for walking around naked in Ardentdikes.

The animal trainers found several cages lost in our stockpiles, containing a giant eagle, three elks and two groundhogs. Time to award Urist Tomesglad with an awesome war companion.

Meanwhile, a wild horse decided to trigger all the stone traps outside Lesser Ardentdikes. Stupid horse.



11th Sandstone, 1077, Mid-August

Following the instructions left by the previous overseer, I paid a visit to the jail. There was only one immate, 'Lielac' Urgetraded the armorer. Our crazy Doctoids had sewn one of her infected wounds with forgotten beast hair. I asked the poor wretch what was her crime and how long was her sentence.



"Praise Armok! I'm not forgotten!", said she, with a deranged look.

"What do you mean, forgotten?"

"Urist McDuck had me imprisoned for ignoring a mandate! My sentence expired already, but I'm still chained!"

I tried to talk to Doren Geargrips, the officer responsible of chaining her. I was told he was busy stripping the prisoners and dumping their equipment. When I asked where I could find him I was pointed outside... way beyond the fortress, near the volcano.

"I be buried in microcline, what is he doing there?"

Turns out one of our garbage dumps is all the way up the volcano tower, in the opposite side of the entrances. After consulting Dariush Gloveshower, he spotted a way to connect the tower with the underground just building a three urists long bridge from the old pump stack.

17th sandstone, 1077, Mid-Autumn

Urist McDuck wants steel items. Our manager Melkorp Lancedbalanced has been busy cooking and tasks are building up. I kicked him out of the kitchen, and he went to sleep instead.

Our metalsmiths kept finding excuses to stay away from the furnaces. I sent them back to work. We only have eight steel bars and some of our grunts aren't wearing helmets.

At the expense of one of our wax workers' room, I devised a cunning plan to recover the adamantine armor. First, one of our miners was ordered to dig a hole below it.



Then, from above, we dropped a bucket of water on it.



The armor can now be used again. Urist Tomesglad was therefore promoted back to the lead position in The Channels of Chasing, and assigned a Candy Corps uniform.