Yearning for more blog posts

Gosh that tumbleweed is clogging up the blog!

I logged into github today and saw this highly active project in my feed called The Yearning. 

A hybrid singleplayer / multiplayer game about spider drones and the meaning of life.

If that doesn't mean too much to you (it didn't to me!) then fortunately you can check out this gif of some gameplay. 

Lots of other projects continue on strongly. Then there's others that need a bit of TLC. Somebody is having a bit of a go with reviving Open City, which could hopefully lead to making it a bigger project with more contributors later down the line. Then there's somebody reviving Lips of Suna. That's the great thing about open source - there's always a chance somebody is interested enough to take on the mantle should the original developer move on to other things.

SuperTuxKart 0.9.2 released & new website

Great news from our friends of the SuperTuxKart project! Read all the details on their latest blog-post here.

They also made a nice new trailer showing off a more unusual game-mode:



Clearly this project has come a long way and looks better with every release! So grab your copy over at their fancy new website.

QuakeExpo2016 16-30th of July, register your virtual booth now!

Seem like some people want to revive the old QuakeExpo tradition this year, which is after all the 20th anniversary of Quake1:

https://qexpo2016.com/

Booth pre-registration started on the 18th of June, and the for those that wonder what it is all about:

If you are a qexpo old-timer:  The format is virtual �booths� set up for a limited number of days just like the past.  But unlike the past, this site has a built-in comment and messaging system.  The site-wide stream of discussion is available on the �Activity� tab.  However, any booth owner may disable comments on their particular booth page by checking the �Comments Disabled� category.

We also have a fancy event calendar to be populated.  Events occurring prior to the Expo days may be posted, but it is requested that there be an event coverage booth, news, or other tie-in available during the Expo itself.

If you�re a new-timer wondering what the heck this is:  The Quake Expo concept is based on virtual �booths� where people show off projects, provide tutorials, or share nostalgia.  See the links at the bottom of the site for previous years.  The idea is a bit retro given all the possible online outlets for creativity now.  But that�s one of the reasons to have it-  with so many islands of forums, social media groups, and code repositories, it might be nice to come together for a few days and see what everyone else is doing.  The time limitation is key.  Booths will only be open for two weeks and afterwards the entire site is closed and archived.

Focus is mainly on Quake1 engine derived projects (Darkplaces Engine for example), but in the past there were usually also a few Quake2/3 engine projects in it. Fully FOSS is not a strict requirement, but quite common, and the engine is of course GPL licensed.

Personally I hope we will see some projects picking up the quite awesome mobileVR port of Darkplaces: http://quakevr.com/ 

P.S.: Slightly OT, but the Inside3D forums (all about Quake1 engine programming) have a new home at http://www.insideqc.com/

Blackvoxel, an ambitious Minecraft/Factorio mix?

Check out this interesting (somewhat recently GPLv3 re-licensed) game Blackvoxel:



As you can see it has some interesting mechanic which they call "Molecular Voxel Interaction Engine". As seen in the trailer above, it basically allows you to automate crafting, resulting in interesting "programmable" factory setups.
Of course this might sound a bit too much like actual work and not fun... but given the big fan scene for the closed source game Factorio, I would say it can be more fun that it looks at first ;)

Blackvoxel itself probably needs to be a bit more of a game instead of "just" a sandbox, but there is big promise in the overall concept, so give it a try :)

Effect of zinc coatings, Materials for Automobile Bodies

In the author�s experience IZ shows a similar performance to mild steel sheet, the lubricity being enhanced slightly by absorption and retention of the lubricant in the fissures typical of the coating. IZ is notorious for appearing to be deficient in mill applied lubricant but coating weight tests suggest it is present, an effect attributed to the absorbent nature of the network of cracks. The natural tendency of the fissured structure is to powder and even flake � although recent modifications to the substrate (Nb/Ti now being preferred to Ti) and optimization of thickness (45 g/m2 recommended) have improved the tendency for �pimpling�. This effect, when zinc-rich particles deposit on the punch and are impressed through the sheet to give a shallow mound, only shows on painting or stoning which means a high number of panels requiring rework are produced before the defect is recognized. This is now less of a problem with EZ coatings as process disciplines, which reduce particle generation, e.g. use of side-trimmed strip, regular die cleaning and blank washing, have been progressively introduced. FLDs have also been constructed in an attempt to predict coating behaviour under various strain regimes. Reverting to coating lubricity, electrozinc coatings have been slightly beneficial but the press performance of drawn parts such as sparewheel wells and door inners has definitely been improved by the use of hot-dip coatings, although tools should be inspected regularly for signs of pick-up.

Materials for Automobile Bodies
Geoff Davies F.I.M., M.Sc. (Oxon)
Butterworth-Heinemann
An imprint of Elsevier
Linacre House, Jordan Hill, Oxford OX2 8DP
200 Wheeler Road, Burlington MA 01803
First published 2003