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Nov 13, 2002, 9:40pm

Oh, thanks for letting me know. I thought I removed that a long time ago. You're not blocked anymore. As for as I know nobosy is, but you were actually the second person I know of on my contact list to get blocked... the first one was seemed to have mysteriously happened on it's own.

TechnoZeus

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Nov 13, 2002, 9:53pm

Looks like I had my hand on the wrong row of keys or something... but it's actually just bad typing.

TZ

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Nov 16, 2002, 3:07am

I haven't tried it, but I'm guessing that how "great" of a feature it is to any given person would depend largely on how that person is used to web browsing, and how well they adapt to certain types of change.

TechnoZeus

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Nov 17, 2002, 9:07pm

You mean back when everybody wished they had the stuff we're glad we don't have to put up with? :)

TechnoZeus

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Nov 15, 2002, 3:22am

I'm not so sure about the key mapping, but I would think there would be little room for bugs in something as simple as new 3rd person camera angles, so that shouldn't delay the release much at all. Anyway, I'm not complaining about it. Looks like this will be a new releaase worth looking forward to, and if anyone thinks I'm only saying that because I'm on the beta program, that's not what it's about. I'm on the beta program to take an active part in helping to make the next version of ActiveWorlds a better product. When I first got on the beta, I was crashing all the time with no warnings or error messages. There's no way I would put up with so much trouble just for an early look at the next version, but the worst part is over and I'm happy to say that from my vantage point this beta [build 443] is looking pretty stable now, and these new features sound pretty good. Besides, since people bugged the heck out of ENZO to squeze certain changes they wanted into version 3.4 a new alpha version was necessary, so as long as the beta stage has to go back to the beginning they may as well give us a few extra things to test at the same time.

TechnoZeus

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Nov 15, 2002, 3:47pm

I don't have any hardware that supports Hardware Transform & Lighting.
---
System Information for the computer I have the beta on:
OS: Microsoft Windows 98 (4.10, Build 2222) A
Processor: Intel Pentium III, ~450MHz
Memory: 128MB RAM
DirectX Version: DirectX 8.1 (4.08.01.0901)
Video card name: ATI Rage 128 GL SD AGP (English) - Manufacturer: ATI Tech. - Enhanced
Display Memory: 16.0 MB
Current Display Mode: 1024 x 768 (16 bit)(default refresh rate)
Display Driver Name: ATI2DRAA.DRV Version: 4.12.01.6269 (English)
DDI Version: 7
---
TechnoZeus

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Nov 15, 2002, 5:45pm

It's the masked directional light source texture c_sun set to be drawn in front. In other words, the sun with it's own built in corona.

TechnoZeus

[View Quote] :)
[View Quote] Oh and mappable keys too... http://objects.activeworlds.com/newbuild/pic2.jpg

Enzo

Nov 16, 2002, 2:48am

Either way is fine with me, because either way I think we've got some great things to look forward to with this new design team working on ActiveWorlds. There are different advantages to each different method, but what makes the biggest advantage in my opinion comes from having the vision to see what's possible, and what makes certain possibilities great. :)

Anyway, what's done is done. I figure suggestions for the future are always better than complaints about the past. That's why I make so many of them that the developers get tired of them... but I do try to make them well thought out, and carefully worded. Look at the last one I posted in the wishlist forum if you're curious what I'm talking about.

TechnoZeus

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Nov 16, 2002, 2:50am

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

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Yep. We're in beta. They're in alpha. :)

TZ

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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; =
charset=3Diso-8859-1">
<META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2800.1106" name=3DGENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff background=3D"">
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Yep.&nbsp; We're in beta.&nbsp; They're =
in=20
alpha.&nbsp; :)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>TZ</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV>"swe" &lt;<A href=3D"mailto:swe at swe-e.com">swe at swe-e.com</A>&gt; =
wrote in=20
message <A=20
=
href=3D"news:3dd57869 at server1.Activeworlds.com">news:3dd57869 at server1.Act=
iveworlds.com</A>...</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>3.4 alpha? emm, arent we in =
beta?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>

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Nov 16, 2002, 3:21am

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

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Good idea... any experienced gamma testers out there? :)

TZ

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<HTML><HEAD>
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charset=3Diso-8859-1">
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Good idea... any experienced&nbsp;gamma =
testers out=20
there?&nbsp; :)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>TZ</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
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style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV>"ncc 71854" &lt;<A=20
=
href=3D"mailto:NCC-71854 at USS-Venture.Starfleet.UFP">NCC-71854 at USS-Venture=
..Starfleet.UFP</A>&gt;=20
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Nov 16, 2002, 7:00am

Sorry. I generally try to remember to send in plain text except where HTML actually adds something useful to the post, but it's easy to forget that step when sending a reply to an HTML post.

TechnoZeus

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Nov 16, 2002, 7:34am

Thanks for the tip. :)

TechnoZeus

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Nov 16, 2002, 10:17am

Actually, on my system (Win98) that setting isn't specific to News Sending, but effects both newsgoup posts and e-mails. I used to keep it set to automatic because I did more e-mail on this computer than newsgroup stuff. As a matter of fact, I almost never used it for newsgroups. Now that I no longer use my Outlook Express for e-mail, I'm not sure why I never got around to changing that setting... but it's a good idea, now that you mention it. :) I'll change it now. Thanks.

TechnoZeus

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Nov 16, 2002, 8:53pm

Yeah, not exactly a full mirror effect but it's about time we had some way to see our avatar while it combs it's hair huh? Maybe Hotep will finally take his turbin off in public once in a while. :)

TechnoZeus

[View Quote] [View Quote] Oh and mappable keys too... http://objects.activeworlds.com/newbuild/pic2.jpg

Enzo

Nov 16, 2002, 8:54pm

With a telephoto lense facing behind you. :)

TZ

[View Quote] [View Quote] Oh and mappable keys too... http://objects.activeworlds.com/newbuild/pic2.jpg

Enzo

Nov 16, 2002, 9:29pm

Oh, it's a new camera angle. Like when you predd the End key to see your avatar, except that they've added camera angles we didn't have before. I'm not sure what other angles they've added, but I'm guessing we'll find out soon.

TZ

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Nov 16, 2002, 10:15pm

Anybody know of a way to edit a newsgroup post "after" it's already sent? I know I should probalby proof read them, but I never think of that before clicking the "Send" button. That word "predd" was supposed to be "press" but it looks like I missed the "s" key.

TZ

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Nov 17, 2002, 9:09pm

Me too, but I think you would have to be working "at" ActiveWorlds. Maybe I'll apply when my health improves.

TechnoZeus

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Nov 18, 2002, 12:39pm

I don't mean this to be degrading in any way, but I'm afraid you may have missed the point of beta testing. If the company halted all further developent on this version and released it directly to there user base, they would have more people upset then you could probably even imagine. The beta phase was almost completed, but unfortunately there were a few people complaining very loudly and publicly about something that they should probably have addressed in a little more civilized manor and the result was that many people got very upset about the rumors they heard so new features had to be added in order to satisfy the people who were upset by all the rumors. Now those new features will have to be tested for bugs also. The plus side to this is that a few features which are not likely to introduce any new bugs but would otherwise have had to wait for a later version anyway have been added as well, since the beta stage will pretty much have to start over. None of these changes are in beta yet. They are in the alpha stage so far and the beta team is still working on trying to help track down and remove a few stubborn bugs in the current beta build (#443) at this time. For example, I just posted a note in the beta newsgroup about a certain world that crashes my AW browser every time I enter it. It's just one world, but I'm sure the people who own that one world wouldn't be very happy if the browser was released with a bug in it that caused people to consistantly crash intheir world. I'm trying to test at least a little bit in each world I can enter, but unfortunately since I don't have access to every world I can only check those that I do have access to. Hopefully, other beta testers will manage to check most of the ones I can't. There are also bugs that show up on some computers but not on others. For example, I have recently learned that some beta testers are having trouble with shift-select, which works fine for me. In the long run most people will be a lot happier if the beta version is properly tested and debuged before it is released to the rest of the user base.

This is true of beta software in general, not just Active Worlds. If you don't believe this, ask someone who got on the beta because they just wanted an early peek at the software, any software, and you will almost always get the same type of response... they can't understand why those #*^#%& %#$&#%$ think their &*#%$%# program is worth $%!^ when the #^&%!&#\* piece of $#!^ doesn't work right! If you know what I mean. :)

TechnoZeus

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Nov 19, 2002, 1:49am

Actually, I did read your entire post, and I know you do have a point, but you are missing something. Weather I was on the beta or not I wold feel the same way about it. I know this because I have been on the beta team and off the beta team many times over the years and my position on this has always been that the beta testers are not "getting" something extra but rather "giving" something extra. We all get something better because the beta testers were willing to work hard to help the developers do a better job in a shorter time. Sure they could go with short development cycles, and the two main advantages would be ease in locating the cause of most bugs and having something to show for it more frequently. There are also advantages to a longer development cycle. For example, elaborate additions simply can't be added quickly, so a short cycle would mean almost nothing really "great" could ever be added. Also, a longer development cycle generally means more multitasking so more can get done in the same period of time. Instead of one small new feature every month, you end up with a whole lot of small new features and a few big new features after several months. Believe me, I do understand your feelings about wanting to see something new. Even being on the beta team, I pretty much feel like begging for the alpha version to get pushed into beta... but more so that we can begin helping to get it ready for release than just to see it. Also, although I have expressed my opinion on the matter, I do feel that "pushing it ahead" too early would be a bad decision... so I'm trying to do my best to test the current beta version as thoroughly as I can in the hopes that my efforts will help pave the way for the next beta build, and I'm sure most of the other beta testers are doing the same thing. No one person can try everything possible with a piece of software this complex... it just can't be done... so the more testing we do, the less chance there is of bugs slipping through that only show themselves when someone tries something unusual.

Anyway, as I said... they were "very" close to release. It was not the developers who decided that certain features just couldn't wait. It was a few people complaining loudly and trying to make AW look bad, and the fact that so many people chose to stand behind them and and help turn the complaints of a few into an all out riot. A few people played terrorist and tried to start a public relations nightmare, and misinformed crowds gathered to back them up and help make them do their dammage. Now we live with the results, and those who were working hard to help get the beta finished up and released get to start over with a new beta and work even harder.

TechnoZeus

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Nov 19, 2002, 2:39pm

You worded that so much better than I did. Thanks E N Z O. :)
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Nov 15, 2002, 3:31am

I wish you well also Linn.

TechnoZeus

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Nov 15, 2002, 3:55am

It was pretty close to finished, but thanks to people "telling ENZO what to do" there has been a bit of a setback. The good side to it is that some of the features we would have had to wait for 3.5 to see will be in 3.4 instead. Of couse, you know the bad side.

As for skyboxes being obsolete, I wouldn't say that... you could still do some great effects with custom skyboxes, but the won't be needed anymore for a lot of the effects that used to be impossible without them.

You will also find that many effects will be possible which previously were not... and since the bugs were pretty much all worked out already, these new features are quite stable so I'm pretty sure they will be keeping all of them.

TechnoZeus

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Nov 15, 2002, 4:00pm

I was thinking the same thing... and also, correct me if I'm wrong but it seems to me that a simple old style ground object is actually pretty efficient since it's really only a single object rendered in a position that jumps to stay with you as you cross certain zone boundaries, and the backdrop feature is both very efficient, and the only way presently available to place an image in the background that takes full advantage of the actual screen resolution of the computer that ActiveWorlds is running on. I wonder if a mask feature could be added to it so you could let the new 6 color sky and a sun, moon, or glowing planet show through. Hey, ENZO, any plans to allow jpg images already on the texture path to be used as masks by specifying a .jpg ending on a mask file name?

TechnoZeus

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Nov 15, 2002, 5:54pm

Maybe checkbox for a "self-mask" feature like coronas have then? I was mainly thinking of how flexible it would be if any texture could be used as a mask, but at least it would be nice to be able to use textures that were designed to be used as coronas without having to create masks for each one.

TechnoZeus

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Nov 16, 2002, 2:54am

Yes, I know skyboxes can use masked textures. Originally that didn't work right, but eventually they fixed it. What I was talking about is using a mask with a backdrop... which presently can't be done, as far as I know.

TechnoZeus

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Nov 16, 2002, 10:23am

I don't know for certain, but I would guess it's probably something to do with the fact that the standard horizontal number line has the negative numbers to the left of zero, while in ActiveWorlds, West is positive, and East is negative, placing the negative numbers to the right of zero on a standard map.

TechnoZeus

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Nov 16, 2002, 9:01pm

NewAW is a game, yes. Not necessarily "role play" although it can be. You could also consider it a sort of strategy game like chess, or a simulation for us to play with. From what I was told, NewAW isn't the directions ActiveWorlds is going in, but rather a new addition to the ActiveWorlds universe for people to enjoy. Don't let the name fool you. It's not taking Alpha World's place. On the other hand though, it may turn out in the long run to be just as historically significant due to the fact that it will push the envelope of what ActiveWorlds "can" do.

TechnoZeus

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Nov 17, 2002, 5:33pm

Yeah, it's not for everyone, and it's definately not for all the time even for those who will enjoy it. Right now, those of us who are beta testing are tollerating the way it is currently set up because we figure there must be some reason for it, although we're not tollerating it entirely without complaining. Hehe. I figure it's probably considered a necessary step to see if any of us can manage to pay off our loand before it should be mathematically possible... because if that happens it means someone found a way to cheat, and you wouldn't want a bug like that left in a game. NewAW is by no means "fun" at this stage, but it has the potential to be. We have had some fun in it, like when 9 9 9 hid some gnomes for us to give us something to do, but at the moment I think most of us have gotten thoroughly tired of this phase of NewAW testing and are just doing our best to hang in there and not give up while waiting for something new to test. The next stage should be alongs soon, as I'm sure there must be testers who are closer to paying off their mortgage than I am, and I've only got 9 days left to go if I can manage to tollerate 24 hours a day in there to collect credits. Then hopefully we'll get other things to do in there, like jobs, trade, or whatever. I know what kinds of things I'm hoping for... but I don't know what we'll actually get. Either way, NewAW is just a game. Don't expect it to have much effect on the AW Universe as a whole, except in the sense of helping to push the envelope of what is possible in AW.

TechnoZeus

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Nov 24, 2002, 6:19am

I don't "know" which way he actually meant it, but although I can see where you could have gotten the interpretation you did, I can also see how what he said could have easily been saying how much "above average" AWTeen is. After all, a statement of what can be found in AW is not a statement of what can be found in AWTeen, and a statement (weather completely accurate or not) that everyone there either builds or is a caretaker implies a rather productive group. :)

TechnoZeus

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