Just now coming to my attention: Experiments in packing have determined that tetrahedra (4 sided dice) pack together most efficiently (subscription req’d) when randomly shaken in boxes.
This news, from last year, is quite cool because how else do you apply the “Role Every Die You Own For Damage” rule unless you can pack your dice into as small a volume as possible?
Here’s an article from Science Daily talking about the study. They used an MRI to image the boxes!
Science!
If you’re a fan of the Pirates trading card game, I recommend some thinking. WizKids has gone under. What this will mean for their various lines of products? Who knows. But I wouldn’t be willing to bet that any particular game system (like Pirates) will survive. So, you might want to go pick up some game packs.
Due to my wiinjury, I’ve played a lot of Super Mario Galaxy in the past week. But before I get into that, some background.
I haven’t owned a console game since the Atari 2600. I played various console games such as the Nintendo 64 when I was in high school, but since HS graduation it’s been PC games almost exclusively. That means I missed almost every incarnation of Zelda, Mario and Halo which were primarily intended for the console market.
Which means that I was entirely shocked by the psychedelic craziness or drug-trippiness of Super Mario Galaxy.
Some of the crazy shit that goes on during that game makes me think that either A) the developer was high or B) the developer thought I woudld be high or C) it was designed by the Japanese.
I think it’s a cool game, though, and the way that the second controller can be used by another person to assist the primary player is way awesome. Courtney has been a good star-catcher and I had fun freezing the big death-rocks for Jenn while she was playing.
However, I’ve been playing too much because, tetris-like, I’m seeing it everywhere. I may have to swear it off for the weekend. Besides, the back is getting better which means I have stuff to do.
This is a kick-ass chess set. The pieces are opaque until placed on the board. Righteous!
My Dad was visiting a few weeks ago and we played several games of chess while he was here. I think we were both rusty, but a few were intricate and exciting. At least half weren’t the type of game where it’s whoever makes the least mistakes who wins, but rather whoever outmaneuvers the other side. I always forget how much I like playing chess against a person, rather than a computer. For some reason, I just cannot get into computer chess. I end up playing too fast and missing stupid things which makes it no fun. People are different, though. Probably because it brings out my competitive nature, which few games do nowadays.
Using the method set up by John Kovalic in order to generate new and exciting D&D monster names, I present the:
Chickenbreath Troll
Beware the dangerous Chickenbreath Troll! Not only will it eat you, and pound you to jelly, but it will breathe chickens on you!
where would I be without SF Signal!
Do you want to own a classic 1980’s vector-graphic Star Wars Arcade game? Hell yeah! That would totally rock.
I received my personal copy of the Saganami Island Tactical Simulator yesterday. This is a game, based on the Attack Vector game engine by Ad Astra Games. It is a true physics-based three-dimensional space naval combat simulator. It uses Newtonian1 physics in the sense that if you’re moving at a certain speed in a certain direction, you will continue at that speed in that direction until you apply thrust to change your vector. f=ma. Action, reaction. Inertia. I love it. No zooming banks like an X-Wing or the Starship Enterprise.
This game appeals to me for several reasons. One, I’m a big fan of the Honor Harrington series of books by David Weber, in who’s uninverse this game is set. Two, it purports to be a reasonably easy system to handle, once you get used to it. Three, it’s true physics! Things take time to move from place to place and you have to vector your thrust correctly to end up on the correct heading. That’s cool.
I started going through the manual last night, playing some of their practice exercises to get used to the way it works. Ack! It would be much easier if there were someone who already understood the mechanics. As it is, I got to page 5 and my brain started to hurt. I’ll work on it more tonight.
This is definitely a niche game, not for everyone.
1 I haven’t gotten through the rulebook yet, but I don’t think the game takes into account relatavistic effects (Einstenian physics). No need to account for the weirdness of relativity when your battle fleet is assaulting another fleet at a closing velocity of 0.8 c. Perhaps that is at the end of the manual.
There will be a game con in Iraq. It will be attended by military personnel and civilian contractors. They need stuff.
I haven’t yet figured the easiest way to contribute, but don’t let that stop you! Go to the link above and help out.
I read a review of the physics-based game Armadillo Run. It sounded cool, so I downloaded the trial and gave it a whirl.
Awesome.
This game revolves around building structures to get the ball from its start point to the endzone. This may involve bridging gaps, rolling down ramps, climbing hills, jumping walls, etc. You are supplied with a budget and various structural elements such as cloth, rope, metal plates, metal girders, elastic bands, and compressible rubber; you must arrange them in a fashion to accomplish the task. Gravity and potential energy in stretched and compressed members are your only sources of motive energy. There are innumerable ways to solve each problem, but some may break the budget, and others may break the structure! Each structural element exhibits flex and a breaking point. Correct construction of frame members is necessary to support things. This is a great learning tool for would-be engineers, too!
Go here for some screenshots of structures completed. But really, these screen shots do not demonstrate the serious coolness of watching real physics at work on the creations. If you were ever bothered by the bouncing balls not describing parabolic motion when you won the windows solitare game, you will love this game. Download the demo, go through the various levels, then watch the structures that they have created as a “see what you can do with this?” add-on at the end.
If you were a fan of Lemmings, get this. If you were a fan of an of the artillery games, get this. If you like puzzles, get this. If you aren’t sure, and don’t think you have the time for another computer game, do not download the demo, because you will be hooked.
A ping to Jamescronen.com: This should be required playing for your AP physics students.
I love artillery games. Who could forget Worms World Party and of course, the first one that introduced me to the fun of artillery games, Scorched Earth!