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Messages - Mr. K

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1
Lemmings Main / Re: GDC Post-Mortem on Lemmings
« on: May 14, 2019, 11:15:22 PM »
Heh... came back over here to see if it was posted.  Not a lot of new information, but it was great finally seeing the internal editors in the flesh.  If Mike Dailly happens to find in the future that he still has the disks, I have a few Amigas now I could use to read them out to IPF and we could try to reverse engineer the disk routines.

It was interesting to see how the editor was integrated into the original game-- it basically just runs the game like normal until you call it up.  To me, that implies that there's a chance the final game could still have the code in there, or at least remnants of the editor hooks (perhaps a dummied out input handler for the editor key?).  There hasn't really been a lot of Amiga specific reverse engineering done since the DOS version is a lot more accessible-- but it would make sense that the DOS version wouldn't have it because it is just a port.  (That reminds me though, do we know much about the timing of the three original versions, Amiga/ST/DOS?  Did they finish the Amiga version and then do the ports, or work on them simultaneously?  I'm not even sure if all three versions released on the same day, or if the ST and DOS versions followed the Amiga version later in 1991)

2
General Discussion / Re: General Comings and Goings
« on: May 07, 2017, 03:42:26 AM »
Just an old face passing through... while adding to my vintage computer collection, I played some Lemmings ports and I got the crazy idea to branch off into an actual Lemmings ports collection.  It brought this forum to mind, so thought I'd see how it's all going.  Looks like the community is still doing well. :)

3
Lemmings Main / Re: The Original Original Soundtrack
« on: December 20, 2014, 05:50:25 PM »
I suspect that they might have known which of these were going to get cut way ahead of time.  It seems like the ones that made it the final game are a lot more solid compositions.  The other songs sound really "thin", like they're missing something, or even have really inaccurate transcriptions of some notes.  Copyright issues aside, they just don't sound as high quality as the songs that made it into the final despite using the same sample set.  I wonder if they were just made as quick placeholders.
 
Regardless, this is one of the most interesting prototype finds I've seen all year.  Thanks Mindless!

4
Site Discussion / Re: Server Move - Discussion and Status
« on: December 20, 2014, 05:24:03 PM »
I'm actually surprised that the most recent database backup we had access to is from within this year, I would've thought it was a bit older.  Remind me how were we able to get the Jan 2014 database without involving Adam or otherwise actually getting direct access to the database?

Admin panel allows a database export.  I have been taking a backup whenever I log in, but it seems this broke around the Jan 9th backup.  Every export I have after that is broken-- it just cuts off halfway through an early admin panel table and everything of use to us is completely missing.  I'm thinking there may have been a host-side change that is restricting how big a file it can generate so it gets truncated before we receive it.

Also, I did a search on my backups and it doesn't look like I have a backup of any of the old attachments.  I'm trying a few different queries to see if I might have named it weirdly.  It's hard to find anything at all by hand when you have about 10TB of files. :/

5
Site Discussion / Re: NOTE: Spam from 50+ New Forum Members.
« on: December 15, 2014, 05:02:20 PM »
The spam problem is the result of my being unable to get the forum software updated (no FTP permissions to alter files appropriately) -- so we're horribly out of date which means there are lots of exploits the bots can use.

From here on out I'm going to work with you guys to transition.  Obviously, I'm not around enough to do this any more -- I started adminning this board to keep it from going under, and that was back in high school.  Now I'm older, working on a degree and working a job at the same time and I barely have any time on my hands, so this gets a backseat priority from me.  That's unlikely to change, and Adam tends not to be around either, so I think it's best if I pass the place on to new owners.  I've been damn negligent, and as the server starts breaking here and there it's just going to get worse unless someone else takes over.

EDIT: I've contacted you, Geoo.  Also I have disabled registrations for now and am deleting ALL members with zero posts.  Should stave off the problem until we can move forward.

6
Lemmings Main / Re: Lemmings 2 for Master System
« on: April 15, 2014, 01:26:05 PM »
Wow!  Five years after I posted this originally and the ROM surfaces!  AWESOME!!  Going to try this on my flash cart tonight.

UPDATE: First impressions: I think this is a really impressive port given the hardware.  While it runs a bit slow and there's only 8 lemmings maximum per level, the graphics really didn't take much of a hit compared to what I would have expected.  Everything's still really colorful.  The gameplay doesn't even feel compromised... pretty much everything works identically to the original, which also surprises me.  There is definitely some technical wizardry going on under the hood... I would not have thought such a close port was possible on the SMS without cutting a huge amount of content.  I know the NES couldn't handle a port half as good as this... shame it never got a proper release!

7
Lemmings Main / Re: Lemmings Collection Time! *Now With PICS!
« on: April 14, 2014, 12:31:10 PM »
I've got a giant inflatable (psp) lemming. 8) :D



Heh, I have this guy too.  Mine's got a puncture in it somewhere though... haven't found it and patched it up yet.  Someday I'll be able to have it displayed in my game room.

8
Site Discussion / Re: Who actually runs the forum these days?
« on: April 04, 2014, 01:06:43 PM »
That's true. My SQL skills are a little basic (and rusty) but this might be viable.

9
Site Discussion / Re: Who actually runs the forum these days?
« on: April 03, 2014, 02:07:02 PM »
Unfortunately not, as that would require me being able to access the FTP. :/

10
Site Discussion / Re: Who actually runs the forum these days?
« on: April 02, 2014, 12:20:55 PM »
Yes, it's still letting me export the database so I've been taking backups often.

11
Site Discussion / Re: Who actually runs the forum these days?
« on: March 31, 2014, 01:07:38 PM »
Good question. I don't want to throw all this away if we don't have to, but it's hard to be sure what's going on.

I have a domain I can set us up with as a subdomain, so there's that. Not sure if my home-based server could take it though or if my ISP would eventually crack down due to what would likely be a huge bandwidth spike.

12
Site Discussion / Re: Who actually runs the forum these days?
« on: March 30, 2014, 11:02:27 PM »
If it's any consolation (as in that at least somebody is TRYING to do something), I haven't heard anything from him either despite having tried to reach out.  Database error, no idea what caused it, no idea whether he fixed it or whether it fixed itself.  I also just tried to fix how the Challenges board is stuck at the top and as far as the administration interface is concerned it isn't there.  If I move it around in the hierarchy nothing happens to how it actually appears, so... I think things are kind of breaking down, which is worrying me.

13
Site Discussion / Re: Who actually runs the forum these days?
« on: January 09, 2014, 08:00:13 PM »
I've also been trying to get a hold of him but have not succeeded.  I wanted to make some changes to the forum but some of the forum scripts are messed up from some half-finished modification attempt and need manual editing.  But my FTP access is completely cut off--  it appears that the server decided to expire my login credentials.  This is really troublesome.

If needed, I can host this on my personal server temporarily, although it is running off a box in my basement on residential internet (transfer rates are pretty good actually).  Not exactly the best choice, but it's something.  I'm regularly grabbing database backups in case things go south.  Should the worst happen, contact me via email or whatever else and I'll do what I can to help us transition.

14
Lemmings Main / Re: Lemmings Touch - New Lemmings game on the way!
« on: December 13, 2013, 07:55:10 PM »
Huh, that's an interesting twist!  I actually ended up ordering a Vita a few days ago, so I'll be able to check this out when it gets released.

15
Site Discussion / Re: Who actually runs the forum these days?
« on: November 15, 2013, 04:07:24 PM »
Well guys, it bugs me too that I feel like I'm only sorta in control.  I know Adam has had health problems on and off, so when I don't hear from him for a long time I start to get worried (both for him, and also that this place may blank out at some point when the bills end up not being paid).

I DO have the capability to make database backups, although I admit I don't know the actual database login information.  So if the forum were to fail and need reinstalled on the same server, we'd be hosed.  The good news though is since I can get the backup SQL file through the forum, I could theoretically export it to another server and set it right back up.  Not that I have a reliable server to work with (except for a home-run server that would probably melt/get me banned from my ISP due to the traffic), although I can probably afford it now because I am FINALLY not just a student and am employed on the side.

Also, I did actually re-obtain FTP login information :)  I just haven't done anything with it... because of the biggest problem:  I am horribly distracted and admittedly don't have a lot of community connection any more.  I float in and out and forget things easily about this place.  I am simply not a very good admin when it comes to getting things done in a timely manner (or hell, even participating).  And bad communication is not good for a forum admin.  When I was younger, I was more invested and possibly even took over the place because of teenage ego reasons.  Nowadays I don't even know if I'm the right guy for the job because of how neglectful I tend to be, but I did what had to be done to keep the place at least existing.

Point is, I know I'm an awful admin and I feel pretty guilty about it.  I can try my best to improve, or if I talk to Adam again maybe we should consider passing it on to new management.  For now, I need you guys' help: Keep in touch with me outside of the forum and give me a laundry list of stuff that needs maintained.  I am having a brutal semester, but after the first week of December I should be reasonably free enough to start looking at issues.

My deepest apologies.

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