Hmm, I wonder how hard a parser for this would be to write? Bot script follows:

{
{I have|I’ve} been {surfing|browsing} online more than {three|3|2|4} hours today, yet I never found any interesting article like yours. {It’s|It is} pretty worth enough for
me. {In my opinion|Personally|In my view}, if all {webmasters|site owners|website
owners|web owners} and bloggers made good content as you did, the {internet|net|web} will be {much more|a lot more} useful than ever before.
|
I {couldn’t|could not} {resist|refrain from} commenting. {Very well|Perfectly|Well|Exceptionally well} written!|
{I will|I’ll} {right away|immediately} {take hold of|grab|clutch|grasp|seize|snatch} your {rss|rss feed}
as I {can not|can’t} {in finding|find|to find} your {email|e-mail} subscription {link|hyperlink} or {newsletter|e-newsletter} service. Do {you have|you’ve} any?
{Please|Kindly} {allow|permit|let} me {realize|recognize|understand|recognise|know}
{so that|in order that} I {may just|may|could} subscribe.
Thanks.|
{It is|It’s} {appropriate|perfect|the best} time to make some plans for the future and {it is|it’s} time to
be happy. {I have|I’ve} read this post and if I could I {want to|wish to|desire to} suggest you {few|some} interesting things or {advice|suggestions|tips}. {Perhaps|Maybe} you {could|can} write next articles referring to this article. I {want to|wish to|desire to} read {more|even more} things about it!|
{It is|It’s} {appropriate|perfect|the best} time to make {a few|some} plans for {the future|the longer term|the
long run} and {it is|it’s} time to be happy. {I have|I’ve} {read|learn} this {post|submit|publish|put up} and if I {may just|may|could} I {want to|wish to|desire to} {suggest|recommend|counsel} you {few|some} {interesting|fascinating|attention-grabbing} {things|issues}
or {advice|suggestions|tips}. {Perhaps|Maybe} you {could|can} write {next|subsequent} articles {relating to|referring to|regarding} this
article. I {want to|wish to|desire to} {read|learn} {more|even
more} {things|issues} {approximately|about} it!
|
{I have|I’ve} been {surfing|browsing} {online|on-line} {more than|greater than} {three|3} hours {these days|nowadays|today|lately|as of late}, {yet|but} I {never|by no means} {found|discovered} any {interesting|fascinating|attention-grabbing} article like yours. {It’s|It is} {lovely|pretty|beautiful}
{worth|value|price} {enough|sufficient} for me.
{In my opinion|Personally|In my view}, if all {webmasters|site owners|website owners|web owners} and bloggers made
{just right|good|excellent} {content|content material} as {you
did|you probably did}, the {internet|net|web} {will be|shall be|might be|will probably be|can be|will likely be} {much more|a lot more} {useful|helpful} than ever before.
|
Ahaa, its {nice|pleasant|good|fastidious} {discussion|conversation|dialogue} {regarding|concerning|about|on the topic of}
this {article|post|piece of writing|paragraph} {here|at this place}
at this {blog|weblog|webpage|website|web site}, I have read all that, so {now|at this
time} me also commenting {here|at this place}.

|
I am sure this {article|post|piece of writing|paragraph} has
touched all the internet {users|people|viewers|visitors}, its really really {nice|pleasant|good|fastidious} {article|post|piece
of writing|paragraph} on building up new {blog|weblog|webpage|website|web site}.
|
Wow, this {article|post|piece of writing|paragraph} is
{nice|pleasant|good|fastidious}, my {sister|younger sister} is
analyzing {such|these|these kinds of} things, {so|thus|therefore} I am going to {tell|inform|let know|convey} her.
|
{Saved as a favorite|bookmarked!!}, {I really like|I like|I love} {your blog|your site|your web site|your
website}!|
Way cool! Some {very|extremely} valid points! I appreciate you {writing this|penning this} {article|post|write-up} {and the|and also the|plus the} rest of
the {site is|website is} {also very|extremely|very|also really|really} good.
|
Hi, {I do believe|I do think} {this is an excellent|this is a great} {blog|website|web site|site}.
I stumbledupon it ;) {I will|I am going to|I’m going to|I may} {come back|return|revisit} {once again|yet again} {since I|since i have} {bookmarked|book marked|book-marked|saved as a favorite} it. Money and freedom {is the best|is the greatest} way to change, may you be rich and continue to {help|guide} {other people|others}.|
Woah! I’m really {loving|enjoying|digging} the template/theme of this {site|website|blog}.
It’s simple, yet effective. A lot of times it’s {very
hard|very difficult|challenging|tough|difficult|hard} to get that
“perfect balance” between {superb usability|user friendliness|usability} and {visual appearance|visual appeal|appearance}.
I must say {that you’ve|you have|you’ve} done a {awesome|amazing|very
good|superb|fantastic|excellent|great} job with this.

{In addition|Additionally|Also}, the blog loads {very|extremely|super} {fast|quick} for me on {Safari|Internet explorer|Chrome|Opera|Firefox}.
{Superb|Exceptional|Outstanding|Excellent} Blog!|
These are {really|actually|in fact|truly|genuinely}
{great|enormous|impressive|wonderful|fantastic} ideas in
{regarding|concerning|about|on the topic of} blogging. You
have touched some {nice|pleasant|good|fastidious} {points|factors|things} here.
Any way keep up wrinting.|
{I love|I really like|I enjoy|I like|Everyone loves} what you guys {are|are usually|tend to be} up too.

{This sort of|This type of|Such|This kind of} clever work and {exposure|coverage|reporting}!
Keep up the {superb|terrific|very good|great|good|awesome|fantastic|excellent|amazing|wonderful} works guys I’ve {incorporated||added|included} you guys to {|my|our||my personal|my own} blogroll.|
{Howdy|Hi there|Hey there|Hi|Hello|Hey}! Someone in my {Myspace|Facebook} group shared this {site|website} with us so I came to {give it a look|look it over|take a look|check it out}. I’m definitely {enjoying|loving} the information.
I’m {book-marking|bookmarking} and will be tweeting this to my followers! {Terrific|Wonderful|Great|Fantastic|Outstanding|Exceptional|Superb|Excellent} blog and {wonderful|terrific|brilliant|amazing|great|excellent|fantastic|outstanding|superb} {style and design|design and style|design}.|
{I love|I really like|I enjoy|I like|Everyone loves} what you guys {are|are usually|tend to be} up too. {This sort of|This type of|Such|This kind of} clever work and {exposure|coverage|reporting}! Keep up the {superb|terrific|very good|great|good|awesome|fantastic|excellent|amazing|wonderful} works guys I’ve
{incorporated|added|included} you guys to {|my|our|my personal|my own} blogroll.
|
{Howdy|Hi there|Hey there|Hi|Hello|Hey} would you mind
{stating|sharing} which blog platform you’re {working with|using}? I’m {looking|planning|going} to start my own blog {in the near future|soon} but I’m having a {tough|difficult|hard} time {making a decision|selecting|choosing|deciding} between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal. The reason I ask is because your {design and style|design|layout} seems different then most blogs and I’m
looking for something {completely unique|unique}.
P.S {My apologies|Apologies|Sorry} for {getting|being} off-topic
but I had to ask!|
{Howdy|Hi there|Hi|Hey there|Hello|Hey} would you mind letting me know which {webhost|hosting
company|web host} you’re {utilizing|working with|using}? I’ve loaded your blog
in 3 {completely different|different} {internet browsers|web browsers|browsers} and I must say this blog loads a lot {quicker|faster}
then most. Can you {suggest|recommend} a good {internet hosting|web hosting|hosting} provider at a {honest|reasonable|fair}
price? {Thanks a lot|Kudos|Cheers|Thank you|Many
thanks|Thanks}, I appreciate it!|
{I love|I really like|I like|Everyone loves} it {when people|when individuals|when folks|whenever
people} {come together|get together} and share {opinions|thoughts|views|ideas}.
Great {blog|website|site}, {keep it up|continue the good work|stick with
it}!|
Thank you for the {auspicious|good} writeup. It in fact was a amusement account it.
Look advanced to {far|more} added agreeable from you!
{By the way|However}, how {can|could} we communicate?

|
{Howdy|Hi there|Hey there|Hello|Hey} just wanted to give you a quick heads up.
The {text|words} in your {content|post|article} seem to be running off the screen in
{Ie|Internet explorer|Chrome|Firefox|Safari|Opera}.
I’m not sure if this is a {format|formatting} issue or something to do with {web browser|internet browser|browser} compatibility but I {thought|figured} I’d post
to let you know. The {style and design|design and style|layout|design} look great though!
Hope you get the {problem|issue} {solved|resolved|fixed} soon.
{Kudos|Cheers|Many thanks|Thanks}|
This is a topic {that is|that’s|which is} {close to|near to} my heart… {Cheers|Many thanks|Best wishes|Take care|Thank you}! {Where|Exactly where} are your contact details though?|
It’s very {easy|simple|trouble-free|straightforward|effortless} to find out
any {topic|matter} on {net|web} as compared to {books|textbooks},
as I found this {article|post|piece of writing|paragraph} at this {website|web site|site|web page}.
|
Does your {site|website|blog} have a contact page?
I’m having {a tough time|problems|trouble} locating it but, I’d
like to {send|shoot} you an {e-mail|email}. I’ve got some {creative ideas|recommendations|suggestions|ideas} for your blog you might be interested in hearing. Either way, great {site|website|blog} and I look forward to seeing it {develop|improve|expand|grow} over time.|
{Hola|Hey there|Hi|Hello|Greetings}! I’ve been {following|reading} your {site|web site|website|weblog|blog} for {a long time|a while|some time} now and finally
got the {bravery|courage} to go ahead and give you a shout
out from  {New Caney|Kingwood|Huffman|Porter|Houston|Dallas|Austin|Lubbock|Humble|Atascocita} {Tx|Texas}!
Just wanted to {tell you|mention|say} keep up the {fantastic|excellent|great|good} {job|work}!
|
Greetings from {Idaho|Carolina|Ohio|Colorado|Florida|Los angeles|California}!
I’m {bored to tears|bored to death|bored} at work so I decided to {check out|browse} your {site|website|blog} on my iphone during lunch break. I {enjoy|really like|love} the {knowledge|info|information} you {present|provide} here and can’t wait to
take a look when I get home. I’m {shocked|amazed|surprised} at how {quick|fast} your blog loaded on my {mobile|cell phone|phone} .. I’m not even using WIFI, just 3G .
. {Anyhow|Anyways}, {awesome|amazing|very good|superb|good|wonderful|fantastic|excellent|great} {site|blog}!
|
Its {like you|such as you} {read|learn} my {mind|thoughts}!
You {seem|appear} {to understand|to know|to grasp} {so much|a lot} {approximately|about} this, {like you|such as you} wrote the {book|e-book|guide|ebook|e book} in it or something.

{I think|I feel|I believe} {that you|that you simply|that you just} {could|can} do
with {some|a few} {%|p.c.|percent} to {force|pressure|drive|power} the message {house|home} {a bit|a little bit}, {however|but} {other than|instead of} that, {this is|that is} {great|wonderful|fantastic|magnificent|excellent} blog. {A great|An excellent|A fantastic} read. {I’ll|I will} {definitely|certainly} be back.|
I visited {multiple|many|several|various} {websites|sites|web sites|web pages|blogs} {but|except|however} the audio {quality|feature} for audio songs {current|present|existing} at this {website|web site|site|web page} is {really|actually|in fact|truly|genuinely} {marvelous|wonderful|excellent|fabulous|superb}.|
{Howdy|Hi there|Hi|Hello}, i read your blog {occasionally|from time to time} and i own a similar one and i was just {wondering|curious} if you get a lot of spam {comments|responses|feedback|remarks}? If so how do you {prevent|reduce|stop|protect against} it, any plugin or anything you can {advise|suggest|recommend}? I get so much lately it’s driving me {mad|insane|crazy} so any {assistance|help|support} is very much appreciated.|
Greetings! {Very helpful|Very useful} advice {within this|in this particular} {article|post}! {It is the|It’s the} little changes {that make|which will make|that produce|that will make} {the biggest|the largest|the greatest|the most important|the most significant} changes. {Thanks a lot|Thanks|Many thanks} for sharing!|
{I really|I truly|I seriously|I absolutely} love {your blog|your site|your website}.. {Very nice|Excellent|Pleasant|Great} colors & theme. Did you {create|develop|make|build} {this website|this site|this web site|this amazing site} yourself? Please reply back as I’m {looking to|trying to|planning to|wanting to|hoping to|attempting to} create {my own|my very own|my own personal} {blog|website|site} and {would like to|want to|would love to} {know|learn|find out} where you got this from or {what the|exactly what the|just what the} theme {is called|is named}. {Thanks|Many thanks|Thank you|Cheers|Appreciate it|Kudos}!|
{Hi there|Hello there|Howdy}! This {post|article|blog post} {couldn’t|could not} be written {any better|much better}! {Reading through|Looking at|Going through|Looking through} this {post|article} reminds me of my previous roommate! He {always|constantly|continually} kept {talking about|preaching about} this. {I will|I’ll|I am going to|I most certainly will} {forward|send} {this article|this information|this post} to him. {Pretty sure|Fairly certain} {he will|he’ll|he’s going to} {have a good|have a very good|have a great} read. {Thank you for|Thanks for|Many thanks for|I appreciate you for} sharing!|
{Wow|Whoa|Incredible|Amazing}! This blog looks {exactly|just} like my old one! It’s on a {completely|entirely|totally} different {topic|subject} but it has pretty much the same {layout|page layout} and design. {Excellent|Wonderful|Great|Outstanding|Superb} choice of colors!|
{There is|There’s} {definately|certainly} {a lot to|a great deal to} {know about|learn about|find out about} this {subject|topic|issue}. {I like|I love|I really like} {all the|all of the} points {you made|you’ve made|you have made}.|
{You made|You’ve made|You have made} some {decent|good|really good} points there. I {looked|checked} {on the internet|on the web|on the net} {for more info|for more information|to find out more|to learn more|for additional information} about the issue and found {most individuals|most people} will go along with your views on {this website|this site|this web site}.|
{Hi|Hello|Hi there|What’s up}, I {log on to|check|read} your {new stuff|blogs|blog} {regularly|like every week|daily|on a regular basis}. Your {story-telling|writing|humoristic} style is {awesome|witty}, keep {doing what you’re doing|up the good work|it up}!|
I {simply|just} {could not|couldn’t} {leave|depart|go away} your {site|web site|website} {prior to|before} suggesting that I {really|extremely|actually} {enjoyed|loved} {the standard|the usual} {information|info} {a person|an individual} {supply|provide} {for your|on your|in your|to your} {visitors|guests}? Is {going to|gonna} be {back|again} {frequently|regularly|incessantly|steadily|ceaselessly|often|continuously} {in order to|to} {check up on|check out|inspect|investigate cross-check} new posts|
{I wanted|I needed|I want to|I need to} to thank you for this {great|excellent|fantastic|wonderful|good|very good} read!! I {definitely|certainly|absolutely} {enjoyed|loved} every {little bit of|bit of} it. {I have|I’ve got|I have got} you {bookmarked|book marked|book-marked|saved as a favorite} {to check out|to look at} new {stuff you|things you} post…|
{Hi|Hello|Hi there|What’s up}, just wanted to {mention|say|tell you}, I {enjoyed|liked|loved} this {article|post|blog post}. It was {inspiring|funny|practical|helpful}. Keep on posting!|
I {{leave|drop|{write|create}} a {comment|leave a response}|drop a {comment|leave a response}|{comment|leave a response}} {each time|when|whenever} I {appreciate|like|especially enjoy} a {post|article} on a {site|{blog|website}|site|website} or {I have|if I have} something to {add|contribute|valuable to contribute} {to the discussion|to the conversation}. {It is|Usually it is|Usually it’s|It’s} {a result of|triggered by|caused by} the {passion|fire|sincerness} {communicated|displayed} in the {post|article} I {read|looked at|browsed}. And {on|after} this {post|article} ASCIIpOrtal | Cymons Games. I {{was|was actually} moved|{was|was actually} excited} enough to {drop|{leave|drop|{write|create}}|post} a {thought|{comment|{comment|leave a response}a response}} {:-P|:)|;)|;-)|:-)} I {do have|actually do have} {{some|a few} questions|a couple of questions|2 questions} for you {if you {don’t|do not|usually do not|tend not to} mind|if it’s {allright|okay}}. {Is it|Could it be} {just|only|simply} me or {do|does it {seem|appear|give the impression|look|look as if|look like} like} {some|a few} of {the|these} {comments|responses|remarks} {look|appear|come across} {like they are|as if they are|like} {coming from|written by|left by} brain dead {people|visitors|folks|individuals}? :-P And, if you are {posting|writing} {on|at} {other|additional} {sites|social sites|online sites|online social sites|places}, {I’d|I would} like to {follow|keep up with} {you|{anything|everything} {new|fresh} you have to post}. {Could|Would} you {list|make a list} {all|every one|the complete urls} of {your|all your} {social|communal|community|public|shared} {pages|sites} like your {twitter feed, Facebook page or linkedin profile|linkedin profile, Facebook page or twitter feed|Facebook page, twitter feed, or linkedin profile}?|
{Hi there|Hello}, I enjoy reading {all of|through} your {article|post|article post}. I {like|wanted} to write a little comment to support you.|
I {always|constantly|every time} spent my half an hour to read this {blog|weblog|webpage|website|web site}’s {articles|posts|articles or reviews|content} {everyday|daily|every day|all the time} along with a {cup|mug} of coffee.|
I {always|for all time|all the time|constantly|every time} emailed this {blog|weblog|webpage|website|web site} post page to all my {friends|associates|contacts}, {because|since|as|for the reason that} if like to read it {then|after that|next|afterward} my {friends|links|contacts} will too.|
My {coder|programmer|developer} is trying to {persuade|convince} me to move to .net from PHP. I have always disliked the idea because of the {expenses|costs}. But he’s tryiong none the less. I’ve been using {Movable-type|WordPress} on {a number of|a variety of|numerous|several|various} websites for about a year and am {nervous|anxious|worried|concerned} about switching to another platform. I have heard {fantastic|very good|excellent|great|good} things about blogengine.net. Is there a way I can {transfer|import} all my wordpress {content|posts} into it? {Any kind of|Any} help would be {really|greatly} appreciated!|
{Hello|Hi|Hello there|Hi there|Howdy|Good day}! I could have sworn I’ve {been to|visited} {this blog|this web site|this website|this site|your blog} before but after {browsing through|going through|looking at} {some of the|a few of the|many of the} {posts|articles} I realized it’s new to me. {Anyways|Anyhow|Nonetheless|Regardless}, I’m {definitely|certainly} {happy|pleased|delighted} {I found|I discovered|I came across|I stumbled upon} it and I’ll be {bookmarking|book-marking} it and checking back {frequently|regularly|often}!|
{Terrific|Great|Wonderful} {article|work}! {This is|That is} {the type of|the kind of} {information|info} {that are meant to|that are supposed to|that should} be shared {around the|across the} {web|internet|net}. {Disgrace|Shame} on {the {seek|search} engines|Google} for {now not|not|no longer} positioning this {post|submit|publish|put up} {upper|higher}! Come on over and {talk over with|discuss with|seek advice from|visit|consult with} my {site|web site|website} . {Thank you|Thanks} =)|
Heya {i’m|i am} for the first time here. I {came across|found} this board and I find It {truly|really} useful & it helped me out {a lot|much}. I hope to give something back and {help|aid} others like you {helped|aided} me.|
{Hi|Hello|Hi there|Hello there|Howdy|Greetings}, {I think|I believe|I do believe|I do think|There’s no doubt that} {your site|your website|your web site|your blog} {might be|may be|could be|could possibly be} having {browser|internet browser|web browser} compatibility {issues|problems}. {When I|Whenever I} {look at your|take a look at your} {website|web site|site|blog} in Safari, it looks fine {but when|however when|however, if|however, when} opening in {Internet Explorer|IE|I.E.}, {it has|it’s got} some overlapping issues. {I just|I simply|I merely} wanted to {give you a|provide you with a} quick heads up! {Other than that|Apart from that|Besides that|Aside from that}, {fantastic|wonderful|great|excellent} {blog|website|site}!|
{A person|Someone|Somebody} {necessarily|essentially} {lend a hand|help|assist} to make {seriously|critically|significantly|severely} {articles|posts} {I would|I might|I’d} state. {This is|That is} the {first|very first} time I frequented your {web page|website page} and {to this point|so far|thus far|up to now}? I {amazed|surprised} with the {research|analysis} you made to {create|make} {this actual|this particular} {post|submit|publish|put up} {incredible|amazing|extraordinary}. {Great|Wonderful|Fantastic|Magnificent|Excellent} {task|process|activity|job}!|
Heya {i’m|i am} for {the primary|the first} time here. I {came across|found} this board and I {in finding|find|to find} It {truly|really} {useful|helpful} & it helped me out {a lot|much}. {I am hoping|I hope|I’m hoping} {to give|to offer|to provide|to present} {something|one thing} {back|again} and {help|aid} others {like you|such as you} {helped|aided} me.|
{Hello|Hi|Hello there|Hi there|Howdy|Good day|Hey there}! {I just|I simply} {would like to|want to|wish to} {give you a|offer you a} {huge|big} thumbs up {for the|for your} {great|excellent} {info|information} {you have|you’ve got|you have got} {here|right here} on this post. {I will be|I’ll be|I am} {coming back to|returning to} {your blog|your site|your website|your web site} for more soon.|
I {always|all the time|every time} used to {read|study} {article|post|piece of writing|paragraph} in news papers but now as I am a user of {internet|web|net} {so|thus|therefore} from now I am using net for {articles|posts|articles or reviews|content}, thanks to web.|
Your {way|method|means|mode} of {describing|explaining|telling} {everything|all|the whole thing} in this {article|post|piece of writing|paragraph} is {really|actually|in fact|truly|genuinely} {nice|pleasant|good|fastidious}, {all|every one} {can|be able to|be capable of} {easily|without difficulty|effortlessly|simply} {understand|know|be aware of} it, Thanks a lot.|
{Hi|Hello} there, {I found|I discovered} your {blog|website|web site|site} {by means of|via|by the use of|by way of} Google {at the same time as|whilst|even as|while} {searching for|looking for} a {similar|comparable|related} {topic|matter|subject}, your {site|web site|website} {got here|came} up, it {looks|appears|seems|seems to be|appears to be like} {good|great}. {I have|I’ve} bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
{Hello|Hi} there, {simply|just} {turned into|became|was|become|changed into} {aware of|alert to} your {blog|weblog} {thru|through|via} Google, {and found|and located} that {it is|it’s} {really|truly} informative. {I’m|I am} {gonna|going to} {watch out|be careful} for brussels. {I will|I’ll} {appreciate|be grateful} {if you|should you|when you|in the event you|in case you|for those who|if you happen to} {continue|proceed} this {in future}. {A lot of|Lots of|Many|Numerous} {other folks|folks|other people|people} {will be|shall be|might be|will probably be|can be|will likely be} benefited {from your|out of your} writing. Cheers!|
{I am|I’m} curious to find out what blog {system|platform} {you have been|you happen to be|you are|you’re} {working with|utilizing|using}? I’m {experiencing|having} some {minor|small} security {problems|issues} with my latest {site|website|blog} and {I would|I’d} like to find something more {safe|risk-free|safeguarded|secure}. Do you have any {solutions|suggestions|recommendations}?|
{I am|I’m} {extremely|really} impressed with your writing skills {and also|as well as} with the layout on your {blog|weblog}. Is this a paid theme or did you {customize|modify} it yourself? {Either way|Anyway} keep up the {nice|excellent} quality writing, {it’s|it is} rare to see a {nice|great} blog like this one {these days|nowadays|today}.|
{I am|I’m} {extremely|really} {inspired|impressed} {with your|together with your|along with your} writing {talents|skills|abilities} {and also|as {smartly|well|neatly} as} with the {layout|format|structure} {for your|on your|in your|to your} {blog|weblog}. {Is this|Is that this} a paid {subject|topic|subject matter|theme} or did you {customize|modify} it {yourself|your self}? {Either way|Anyway} {stay|keep} up the {nice|excellent} {quality|high quality} writing, {it’s|it is} {rare|uncommon} {to peer|to see|to look} a {nice|great} {blog|weblog} like this one {these days|nowadays|today}..|
{Hi|Hello}, Neat post. {There is|There’s} {a problem|an issue} {with your|together with your|along with your} {site|web site|website} in {internet|web} explorer, {may|might|could|would} {check|test} this? IE {still|nonetheless} is the {marketplace|market} {leader|chief} and {a large|a good|a big|a huge} {part of|section of|component to|portion of|component of|element of} {other folks|folks|other people|people} will {leave out|omit|miss|pass over} your {great|wonderful|fantastic|magnificent|excellent} writing {due to|because of} this problem.|
{I’m|I am} not sure where {you are|you’re} getting your {info|information}, but {good|great} topic. I needs to spend some time learning {more|much more} or understanding more. Thanks for {great|wonderful|fantastic|magnificent|excellent} {information|info} I was looking for this {information|info} for my mission.|
{Hi|Hello}, i think that i saw you visited my {blog|weblog|website|web site|site} {so|thus} i came to “return the favor”.{I am|I’m} {trying to|attempting to} find things to {improve|enhance} my {website|site|web site}!I suppose its ok to use {some of|a few of} your ideas!!\

The thing I don’t get is why did anyone fall for this in the first place? You’re telling me that you have a super server that can receive thousands of simultaneous player’s data from all across the world, process it, send it back all across a potentially slow internet faster than the individual computers could just do the processing? Even for the simplest computation transfer speeds alone are going to be a prohibitive bottleneck dragging down frame rates regardless of computations.

I worked briefly for Sun in the late 90s. Back then they had a system where you didn’t have an individual computer, you had a dumb terminal and all your files and applications were on the server. It was an interesting idea that only really worked when no one was asking much of the system. And that was all on a local network. Earlier systems were even worse with tales coming out that single users hitting compile sent everyone on a break.

But this isn’t then, it’s now, and now we’ve virtual machines and linked multi-core processors sharing the load. Surely we’re past the days of the end user feeling server load, right? Of course not. The moment the number of requested computations exceeds the number of processors available there will have to be some necessary queuing and waiting going on in the system which, by the way, is going to occupy at least part of another processor to do. (The solution becomes part of the problem!)

The one time I’ve seen this sort of offloading of processing work, partially, is voice recognition services like Siri or Android’s RecognitionListener (and it’s many applications). In these cases the computers in people’s hands literally does not have the power to do the processing necessary. In this case the second or two it takes to transfer, process, and send a response back is totally acceptable and completely functional. Other than that the only good application of the cloud in general I’ve seen is data backup, but there has to be a local storage to match or forget it. The last thing I want is my internet connection to go down and lose access to my data.

What this boils down to is DRM, and DRM sucks. Either they want the user’s computer to check in and verify it’s legitimacy or they’re paranoid that if they release their program someone will reverse engineer it and find out how it works. Granted this is a perfect scheme to keep your trade secrets, particularly if they’re not all that impressive computationally and it’s employed by many SAS applications. But it sucks from an end user perspective. But there’s the rub. As companies are trying hard and harder to tighten their grip we’ll see this sort of paranoid options driving the decision makers. Of course this means the solution is the same as in other cases: Don’t buy it. Turn your back on the marketing magnet, make the sacrifice, don’t buy or play games that force and always-on internet connection, seek out alternatives to SAS applications and use them, and let these bad decisions fester and die.

I usually pick my titles to be intentionally provocative, so let me diffuse that “sucks” right now. I have used command-line interfaces since I was a child learning BASIC on my Commodore 64. I used DOS on Dad’s IBMpc jr. I ran network tools on the command line on the university’s Linux mainframe. But since my university days I haven’t had much need to Linux and migrated most of my work to Windows. I peeked in on Linux once in a while, mostly because people I knew spoke highly of it, but without a reason to stick with it I quickly abandoned it. However recently my excitement about the Raspberry Pi has given me a reason to stick with it, particularly in the context of promoting it’s kid-based goals, and it has caused to me realize that I resent having to use the command line.

It seems to me that there is a pervasive attitude among Linux users that the command-line is the only way to go. I think part of this mentality is driven by the fact that the default tool set for most Linux distributions don’t include GUI tools. It’s not that GUI tools don’t exist, they’re just not the default. And this illustrates the major difference, I feel, between Linux and Windows. Windows is set up for the every user first, and the technical users can get the tools they need themselves later. Linux is set up for the technical user first, but could be configured for the every user if they knew what they were doing, which is kind of paradoxical. If the every user knew what they were doing they wouldn’t be the every user.

Cymon’s Games aims for a user kind of in-between; someone who isn’t technical, but wants to be. So I try to make the transition as comfortable as possible, minimizing time spent in the highly technical and in the process end up with something in-between. Not highly technical, but functioning higher than a base user level. Getting users past the technical barrier into a comfortable place usually ends up somewhere in-between as well; IDEs and 3rd party GUI programs that implement all the necessary core functionality.

I sometimes feel like command-line aficionados run with a “I had to learn this, so everyone else should too” mentality a lot of the times. I know a guy who uses the windows version of Vi. That such a thing even exists is borderline illness in my mind. Vi was written for mainframes that didn’t even have arrow keys on their keyboards. While it is impressive to see a talented Vi users do their thing, insisting that Vi is still the best expresses a disturbing unwillingness to learn something new. This is not a good mentality in the computer world, nor is it the way to introduce new blood to this hobby or career that we all love.

We must be the giants that others will stand on the shoulders of and, I advocate, we should make our shoulders very comfortable. This means taking a hard critical look at the tools we’re using and ask “is there a better way”, and define “better” as “appeals to or encourages a wider audence.” If that means the next generation will never see a “man” page then that’s the cost of progress.

System.out.println(randomString(-229985452) + " " + randomString(-147909649));

…

public static String randomString(int i)

{
    Random ran = new Random(i);
    StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
    for (int n = 0; ; n++)
    {
        int k = ran.nextInt(27);
        if (k == 0)
            break;

        sb.append((char)('`' + k));
    }

    return sb.toString();
}

The answer, of course, is that random in computer isn’t really random at all and can be controlled with the seed you put into it, so it’s important to use a seed that isn’t static to avoid predictability. However the bigger question, to me, is how did they find those seed values that created the output they wanted?

The answer to that question, shown further down the stack overflow page and again in C on reddit, is basically you try them all then search for the output you want. This is basically sticking a bunch of monkeys in a room with typewriters and grepping for Hamlet.

What’s the practical application for this stuff? Almost none. But it’s a great way to obfscuate your output so no one can see the secret message embedded in your code, which could be a good way to release spoiler free code in case want players to have incentive to play your game.

First of all, the screen recommended in the last set up guide is far from usable for programming. You are going to need to invest in something you can hook up to the pi through HDMI. I found a cheap monitor at a second hand store and a HDMI to DVI cable and used that. Unfortunatly buying a HDMI monitor can be the most expensive part of getting your Pi ready.

The first thing you’re going to want to do is free yourself somewhat from the command prompt by installing Synaptic Package Manager. From the command prompt type:

sudo apt-get install synaptic

Once you finish that every time you read some instruction telling you to install something with apt-get, instead you can use synaptic from your graphical desktop instead.

Next your going to want to configure your Raspberry Pi to go to the graphical desktop every time so run

sudo raspi-config

to bring up the configuration tool and under “boot_behavior” select “Yes” to start in the desktop every time. From now on your interaction with the command line will be minimal. As it should be. (Take that all you command-line lovers.)

Next, while it’s true that from the command line you already have everything you need to program, I like a good IDE, and there are several to choose from. My favorite is Geany, and fortunately it can be installed from Synaptic Package Manager no program. Just search for the name and run it. Then you’ll have a great UI for C, C++, Python, Java, or just about anything that is set to run. It’s simple yet robust and just works. I’ve tried it with werewolves and wanderer and a couple other games that don’t need external libraries. Eventually I’ll figure out making those work too and hopefully I’ll make tutorials. (Hey, I’m still learning this stuff too.)

With Geany installed you’re ready to program, so go to.

My real gripe about the game is the leveling system. Lots of games have them, lots of games have had them for a long time. The idea is the more a character does a particular task the better they get at it. In and of itself this isn’t a bad idea. It’s true to life, I guess. The only problem with it is what it promotes game play wise.

The first game I remember having a leveling system was X-Com. The result of this leveling system was making characters with high stats so invaluable that you couldn’t bear to lose them. So when I played I employed the game’s save system like some sort of time travel device, rewinding individual moves until I got the outcome I liked. Was this true to the spirit of the game? If it were you’d have a “time rewind” object like Prince of Persia: Sands of Time. But it’s the way we played because our characters had levels we didn’t want to lose.

After that I discovered jRPGs and while I never really got into them very much I quickly learned about “farming”. This is exactly the problem FTL falls to. In FTL if you find a battle against an opponent that can’t penetrate your shields and wont run away you simply power down your weapons and let them pound on you. Rotate who’s on shields, engines and helm and let your characters slowly level up those abilities. Of course this could take hours so be sure you’ve got a good book on hand.

Leveling is a broken mechanic that breaks a games ability to really draw you in. It encourages cheating and breaking the game. To be sure any game where you can collect things does this, but if it weren’t for this one little aspect, FTL managed keep the game moving well. You don’t have enemies that pop up at random, so there’s no point in retreading where you’ve been. In fact that encroaching army insures that you’re going to balance meandering for loot and moving towards the exit. It’s brilliant except for this one little thing. Do we really need to level up our characters? We already level up our ships individual systems in the game.Can’t that be enough?gainst an encroaching army that is gaining territory while you wait. Except when you’re in battle, so you don’t worry about them. The game’s sense of urgency goes up in smoke because you’re farming.

If you haven’t tried it out FTL is definitely worth your time. What’s on the screen may look simple, but you quickly realize that it doesn’t do justice to the sweeping epic star ship combat that you’re engaged in. Soon your mind is filling in the blanks and you’re in a combat as epic as anything you’ve seen in movies and TV. And a game that can spark the imagination like that is a good game.

I’m a fan of Skylanders, not that I’ve bought any of them. I guess it would be more accurate to say I’m a cheerleader for Skylanders. Partially because Toys For Bob consists of the masterminds that created the greatest game of all time, but partially because it’s a fun, light, bright, creative game like we’ve never seen before that flies in the face of the dark gritty “realism” that makes up the rest of the video game scene. And now it’s starting to get copied, and not just by the little guys.

But that doesn’t mean slapping a toy on your game will be the boost it needs to succeed. This Christmas you may have seen Mattel’s “Aptivity” iPad toy/games. A game that comes with a toy that you put on your iPad to play the game. Some of them were based on existing IPs, insuring brand recognition. Some of them even had a collectible aspect with different powers with the different toys. But where were all those Aptivity boxes were the day after Christmas? In the clearance aisle. Maybe the fault is that iPads aren’t as ubitiquous as Apple would have you believe. Maybe the toys were too big and covered too much of the screen. Plus if you lost the toy you couldn’t play the game. Maybe they weren’t advertised well enough. Whatever the reason Mattel’s Aptivities are a great caution to this tale.

Skylanders works because it is, at it’s root, a fun game supported by the toys that play a legitimate part in the game. It didn’t need a big IP behind it which helped buffer any loss. And it was original, on many levels. The game didn’t even really lean on old Spyro games. It would be easy to not realize that Skylanders is a Spyro game, and that’s not bad.

The video game industry is a mess. How they’re managing to employ anyone is a mystery. It should be the PacMan crash of ’84 all over again every year since 2001. Investment wise video games are a dead end which means the only people who invest in video games are doing it half out of love of the medium, which is good, but can only bet on “sure things” or risk losing it all, which is bad. Every higher-res iteration of the hardware only makes things worse as developer lose the ability to hide corners they cut. So games become more and more expensive to make, meaning every flop is a loss of development and distribution money. Now they’re going to think that they need toys to succeed so a flop will cost development, distribution, manufacture and packaging. That coupled with people clamoring for the next high-def hardware that will drive development costs up even higher and the economy of the whole thing just becomes tenuous to the point of foolhardy.

So where should the video game industry look for its salvation? I don’t think there’s any silver bullet that will save AAA video games. As long as they’re listening to the hardware nuts who want bigger, faster, higher resolution the industry will suffer. The successes will continue go to those who can do it cheaper and make games that appeal to a large audience. Legitimately fun to play and fun to watch games will reign. I think the independent game scene with their high transparency and closer fan interaction will take a slice as well.  I honestly hope that this hardware drive reaches critical mass and collapses in on itself taking the plethora of XStations and every single Call of Combat war sim with it. Nothing but family friendly entertainment all served through your PC or one and only one console.

But then again I’m old man with kids so what do I know?

I would have been much more impressed if Google were donating 4000 Pis complete with SD card, case, keyboard and mouse, and enough monitors for a classroom. You have the kids use their own personal pi for a semester, teach them to set it up for programming, tech projects, and maybe a few games, then at the end let them take the pi home. Forget wood shop. Those schools would have Pi shops. Now that’s an idea I could get excited about.

I think the gesture by Google is well meaning. I’ve personally seen the effect that technology can have in the classroom when I rescued well meaning from a back room and fixed it up at my own expense and time. However well meaning but ultimately half cocked gestures like this aren’t helping as much as they think they are.

(Image by Paul Francis)

http://worldofclasscraft.com/

I think it requires just a little bit too much interaction from the teacher, but the idea is strong. Just so long as you flip the classroom, too. Class time is for homework, not lecture. That’s what youtube is for.

I mention this here because (1) it’s awesome and (2) I have got to start on the teaching phase of Cymon’s Games. I won’t be implementing anything like this on the first pass, but who knows about the future.