Looble... Looble! » battle city

Dear Minions, I’d like to Bribe You…

Deceth — Fri, 28 May 2010 13:02:09 +0000

Dear minions of Battle City,

Since December I have been asking for help to save Battle City. I even tried recruiting development help and giving ownership of the game to the community by making Battle City open source.

All of these attempts failed.

That’s when I decided to build a giant space laser and annihilate the Battle City Server once and for all. People responded well to this. In fact, in early May the server had the third busiest day in recent history…

But all good things come to an end. The threat of annihilation is no longer effective, nobody plays again.

So, I’ve decided to try a new tactic. Bribery.

If there is an average of 10 players online in June, I will release version 4.0.0 of Battle City.

Also, if you contact me by June 15th, I will give you the tank of your choice in-game.

Your evil overlord,

- Deceth

P.S. If no donations are received in June, I’m still going to blow up the server June 26th because I didn’t build a giant space laser for nothing… muahah

—
Battle City is an open source online tank wars game. Orb the enemy to win!
http://battlecity.looble.com

Looble... Looble!

R.I.P Good Friend, You will be Missed

Deceth — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 02:35:56 +0000

I decided to shut down Battle City.

It’s simple. I listed my demands, they were not met. Sure you managed to get 10 players online twice during the month, but the average was still 4-5 players. Sure some people donated, but I still lost money.

That’s not all. When you invest in building a giant space laser, you have to use it. Imagine the view from my moon base? I have front row seats to the destruction…

That’s why yesterday morning I strapped the giant space laser activation codes to Larry my remote controlled pigeon and launched him into orbit from my moon base pigeon catapult. The engineers operating the giant space laser are situated in a private lab rented out of Area51 in Nevada. I can’t just call them up, so we always communicate using Larry our courier pigeon.

Unfortunately Larry did not survive the trip from the moon to Nevada – he burned up during atmospheric reentry. R.I.P good friend, you will be missed.

Luckily for all you Battle City players, the activation codes perished with Larry and so the Battle City Server could not be annihilated in time. For two consecutive months I have failed to destroy the server, but you know what they say, third times a charm.

Yes, that means Battle City will live one more month. Enjoy your final days, next time you won’t be so lucky…

Once again here are my demands:

You have until May 26th to play Battle City. If at that time there is not an average of 10 players online or donations totaling at least 30$, the server will be destroyed.

Your evil overlord,

- Deceth

—
Battle City is an open source online tank wars game. Orb the enemy to win!
http://battlecity.looble.com

Looble... Looble!

Battle City Server to Close April 26th. Or not. You decide.

Deceth — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 06:26:54 +0000

Good day minions.

Back in December 2009 I asked for help to keep the Battle City Server alive. It’s time again. Time to decide if the server lives or dies…

As of right now, death of the server has been scheduled for April 26th, 2010. My suggestion is, take action to save the server, or enjoy your final days.

Saving Battle City is simple.

Option 1: If people start playing the game, I’ll keep the server up. If my minions are using the service, I would be a fool to shut it down. As an evil overlord, keeping my minions happy is the best way to avoid a mutiny.

Option 2: Someone donates. Paying for Battle City out of my pocket is taking a toll on my ability to finance other evil operations. If someone else helps cover the costs, I’ll keep the server up.

If something is going to happen, it’s up to you. The only contribution I plan to make is pushing the big red button on April 26th. Or not. You have 1 week left to decide…

The time for suggestions is over. It’s time for action. Ever wanted to run your own online multiplayer game? The head administrator spot is open, someone just needs to take it.

—
Battle City is a free online tank wars game. Orb the enemy to win!
http://battlecity.looble.com

Looble... Looble!

Battle City is now Open Source – Join the Community!

Deceth — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 14:53:09 +0000

Have you ever wanted to get your hands on the source code of the worlds most awesome online game? Now you can! Battle City has officially been released under GPLv3.

For those concerned, fear not! Looble will remain supreme commander of the master source version of Battle City. What does this mean? It means we will maintain an official release of the game and continue to operate the Classic Battle City Server (for another month unless you save it!). It also means that anyone can now contribute to the project, run their own server or even start their own unique game based on Battle City. Have a question? Ask the Battle City Google Group or post a message on the Battle City Forums!

What is Battle City?

Battle City is a very fun online game. Players build cities or join cities built by other players. Once in-game, player characters are represented by tanks. The city buildings produce items which equip the tanks with improved weaponry like bombs, cloaks, medkits, etc… The goal is to destroy enemy cities before being destroyed! To find out more, check out the video or visit http://battlecity.looble.com.

Battle City source code on GitHub

GitHub is a social coding website; it’s like Facebook for programmers! By hosting the Battle City source code on GitHub it’s easy for anybody to join or follow progress on the project. If you want to contribute to the development of Battle City, create an account on GitHub and get the Battle City source code.

Why is Battle City Open Source? Because Open Source Matters!

Over the years I’ve learned a lot working with open source. Open source matters to me. It has helped me get ahead in my career by allowing me to gain valuable work experience. I hope that by releasing Battle City as open source, it will now be able to help and teach someone else. Many people have contributed to making this possible, I’m only a small part of the puzzle. Thank you everyone for your contributions over the years!

But Seriously, as an Evil Overlord, how does this help you achieve world domination?

It’s actually quite brilliant. By officially releasing Battle City as open source, I hope to attract developers to join the Battle City community. Every evil empire needs intelligent programmers. With these new minions working on Battle City, I free up my own time to work on the next piece of my plan for world conquest.

Why would programmers want to be a minion of the Looble Empire?

I may be evil, but I’m not a bad guy from a minions perspective. Yes, I do want to take over the world, and yes, I will always act in my own self-interest in order to achieve that goal. However, I am very interested in keeping my minions happy. I don’t have time to deal with mutiny or other sorts of revolts against my leadership.

So why serve Looble? Because you will be rewarded. Because your overlord knows he cannot conquer the world without your help and will therefore do whatever it takes to retain your services.

If you’ve ever contributed to Battle City, add Looble to your resume on LinkedIn. I’ll be happy to give you a recommendation. Open source matters to my plans for world domination and you deserve recognition for your contributions.

Open source projects count as work experience. Employers love hiring individuals who show interest in software development outside of school or paid employment. And I need moles in these companies.

Follow me on Twitter or join the mailing list

For daily updates related to Battle City and open source, follow me on Twitter. For weekly/monthly updates from Looble, join the mailing list or subscribe to the Looble RSS feed.

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Top 5 Things to Put on Your USB Stick

Deceth — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 16:13:00 +0000

Congratulations, you’ve just bought a new 32 GB USB stick! It’s awesome. Back in ‘99 you would have sprained your back lifting this many gigabytes, and now, you hold it in the palm of your hand in all its glory. But wait… now what?

What do you actually do with your USB stick?

There are many different things to do with a USB stick. Be creative! Below is a list of the top 5 things your USB stick must have:

#1 – RETURN IF FOUND.txt

If your USB stick has important documents, pictures or playlists then a RETURN IF FOUND.txt file is a must have. Use BIG CAPITAL LETTERS so the file name stands out.

What should you write in the text document? That’s up to you. Some people write their mailing address, others leave a phone number, some offer a reward. Mine says:

“If found please contact me via http://twitter.com/deceth to arrange return. I’ll gladly buy you a brand new USB stick as a thank you! Thanks. I really appreciate it!”

#2 – Install Portable OpenOffice (or any other portable application!)

Portable applications are great because they allow you to take the software you need anywhere you go. If you’re working on different computers such as at home, at work, at university, at a library, at a café, or at a friends house, then a portable application will save you the hassle of downloading software the computer you are using is missing.

Other times, you won’t even be permitted to install software on the computer you are using! Having a portable application on your USB stick is a good way around that problem. I have OpenOffice installed as a portable application on my USB stick and love it. I’ve never been unable to open a document I wanted to work on.

Visit PortableApps.com for a whole list of applications you can install on your USB stick. With Portable Firefox your bookmarks and settings will follow you anywhere you go. With Portable Linux, you can take your whole desktop with you! Visit http://portableapps.com/

#3 – Install True Crypt for encryption

Not everyone will return your lost USB stick, especially not if they stole it. If you have important private information on your USB stick, True Crypt will allow you to encrypt it. True Crypt is open source and can be used as a portable application, meaning you can decrypt and access your files all from your USB stick, no need to install any software on the computer. Get True Crypt at http://www.truecrypt.org/

#4 – Get TiddlyWiki, a portable wiki all in a single file

TiddlyWiki is a single html file which acts and behaves like a wiki. You can add content, edit, save, tag and search very easily. It is the perfect portable tool for taking notes and organizing information. If you’re taking notes during class or during a meeting, TiddlyWiki is the perfect tool for scribbling down that first draft. Get it at http://www.tiddlywiki.com/

#5 – Install a game… like Battle City!

It’s great to work hard, but even better to procrastinate! Keeping a game saved on your USB stick ensures entertainment is always right at your fingertips. Battle City is the perfect game to save on your USB stick because its open source! If caught playing a game in class, just let the professor know you are actually performing quality assurance testing. Get Battle City at http://battlecity.looble.com

Looble... Looble!

Save the Battle City Server – Make a Donation!

Deceth — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 02:34:15 +0000

The Battle City Server is in trouble – it’s broke. Broke as in out of gas, out of supplies, out of money. We’ve gone under – into the red, into the world of debt where server death is imminent.

But there is hope.

You have the power to save the Battle City Server. You can make a difference. If you want the Battle City Server to stay up and running 24/7, please make a donation.

Without donations the server will R.I.P.

Battle City will live on even if we can no longer afford to keep the server running – I’ve made sure of that. The game is now open source. Anybody can contribute to development or host their own server.

If we can’t afford the current 24/7 server, we’ll have to rely on members of the community hosting servers from home. It’s a cheaper solution, but it’s not the best solution. I think having a dedicated server available 24/7 is the best option, and if you agree, please make a donation so we can keep it up and running!

The current Battle City Server has been running since November 2007 – it’s already been two years! How has it survived this long? Thanks to generous members of the the community.

Thank you Nightwish, Ender, wdgoulas, Vindkast, Surge, Jizohn, Alex, Corey, Gunman, darkluigi07, OldSchool, Incyte, Spyderman, Rushing, Xeva, Bartsie, Rage_Against, Mad_Orber & Alton. Together we have raised $719.76. Including ads on the Battle City website, we’ve raised a total of $769.19.

$769.19 is a lot of money. But it’s all gone. Total costs of operating Battle City as of today are $1001.98. We’re short $232.79. Since I also want to keep the server up and running, I’ve paid that amount myself as a donation. Normally I donate in the form of time and updates. I haven’t contributed any updates to Battle City in the last year so the least I could do is make a donation to cover several months of costs.

I need your help. I’ve donated as much as I can.

These days the server is empty a lot – but it’s there. If you want to log-on to Battle City, you can. If you want to organize a battle, you can. If you just want to take your tank for a drive and build a city for nostalgia sake, you can. I like knowing Battle City is up an running, even if I’m not able to log-on very often. I know there are others who feel the same – who want the server available 24/7 even if they no longer play.

If you want to keep the Battle City Server up and running, please make a donation today. Every 30$ donation adds an extra month of life to the server. All donations received will go directly to covering costs for the next year.

Thanks.

—
Battle City is a free online tank wars game. Orb the enemy to win!
http://battlecity.looble.com

Looble... Looble!

Git vs SVN – Which is Better?

Deceth — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 15:25:21 +0000

Git and SVN are version control systems. Both are better than no version control system so you win no matter which you choose. There are some important differences between Git and SVN which might make one more suitable for your type of project than the other. It’s not a question of which is better, but which is best suited for your situation and development process.

SVN is easier to use than Git

SVN has been around longer. There are tons of tools available which make using it easier for non-technical users. SVN error messages make more sense. If the version control system will be used by managers, graphic designers or other non-developers, SVN is a better choice. With TortoiseSVN anybody tech-savvy enough to browse for files can easily use SVN. Git has a much higher learning curve than SVN.

Why is Git so popular if it’s harder to use?

Git is the new kid on the block, SVN is old-school. Don’t get me wrong, Git deserves it’s popularity. Git is fast and excellent for managing large open source projects with many collaborators. While branching is possible with SVN, branching and merging is what Git was built to do. Git may be harder to learn, but once you do learn how to use Git, you’ll find it to be very feature rich and functional. Another huge advantage to Git is the GitHub website which makes programming a social activity. GitHub lets you connect with and follow other developers, sort of like Facebook for software developers. It makes coding more fun, and even makes it possible for less technical people to take part in the development process.

What is the main difference between Git and SVN?

Subversion offers a centralized model whereas Git offers a decentralized model. What does this mean? With git, everyone has their own copy of the entire repository. Basically, everyone is always working on their own branch and functional code can later be merged into the master. With SVN, everyone has a working copy and changes are committed to a central repository. To work on a branch a user must copy the trunk into another directory and then merge it back when complete.

Why are you using Git for Battle City?

Battle City is an open source multiplayer game. It’s a big project which I hope will grow to have many developers from all around the world. So why not create an SVN repository for Battle City? In my experience, Git better manages the chaos involved with an open source project that has many collaborators contributing random bits of code. SVN is better suited for a more structured development process, where tasks are defined and the team knows who is working on what.

Git allows any developer to sit down, get a copy of the Battle City repository, and then just start messing around with whatever they feel like. Eventually, once the developer is ready to share their changes, they can push their code their own branch of Battle City. GitHub makes it possible to easily track and follow other branches, and eventually, good changes in a branch can be merged into the master. In my experience, Git with GitHub will make managing user contributions and maintaining a master version much easier than SVN.

Confused? The GitHub website is full of helpful documentation and resources to help you get started!

So… Should I use Git or Subversion?

It’s really a matter of preference. Anything you can do with one you can do with the other. If your project involves lots of branching and merging, I’d recommend Git. Keep in mind, not all projects involve branching or merging.

Take Battle City for example. Before Battle City was released as open source, back when only one or two people worked on the code at any given time, all commits were done to a central SVN repository. This made sense because there was a project plan and list of features to develop. It was easy to watch the central repository and track progress.

Once Battle City was released as open source, development became a free-for-all. Contributors could work on anything, experiment with new ideas, even create conflicting items. If all commits were still done to a central repository, the project would never again compile and so branches became important.

Branching can still be done with SVN and within a company or organization this might make sense because a manager could check progress of new features by looking at the commits on branches and merges to the trunk. With open source however, you don’t care what others are doing or about tracking their progress, you are simply thankful for any contribution.

Git allows users to download their own copy of the repository, do their own thing, and check back in if ever they have anything useful they want to share.

Git vs SVN Conclusion

So should you use Git or should you use Subversion? Take a look at your situation and your project and make a decision because neither is best, but one is often better for what you are doing.

Related posts from around the web:

http://robwilkerson.org/2008/04/05/subversion-or-git/
http://git.or.cz/gitwiki/GitSvnComparsion

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Take Over the World with wRisk, Open Source Battle City?

Deceth — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:35:14 +0000

Wait one minute… what the heck is wRisk? How can taking over the world lead to an open source Battle City?

wRisk is a Java version of the classic game of world domination, Risk. Sounds cool! It is. But, don’t pat us loobles on the back, thank Yura.net, developers of the Open Source Domination project. Pay them a visit and shake their virtual hands. Yes, we stole their code and renamed it wRisk. This may make us evil blood sucking leeches, but that is the beauty of open source. Today we are villains, but tomorrow we are heroes when we give back to the project!

What does this have to do with Battle City? At this point, absolutely nothing! However, take note that we are far more than evil leeches; we are loobles. We think above, we go beyond, we scheme and we code. Enter Ggz.

Ggz is an online gaming center based on free open source software. It has an integrated player ranking system, spectator mode and a surrounding chat system. In a nutshell, it’s a portal, a metaserver. Our goal? If someone starts a multiplayer game of wRisk/Domination, that game is then listed in the central portal. That would be awesome wouldn’t it? Of course it would. Lonely nights playing by yourself would be a thing of the past.

How does this help Battle City? Think about it. If ggz works with wRisk, we can try it with Battle City. Anybody could host their own Battle City server with their own maps and customizations. All servers would talk back to the metaserver, stats would be kept in the central database. There could be a newbie server, classic server, duel server, league server. There could be maps with only two CC’s or maps where the Mayor drops the Command Center anywhere…

Why don’t we let people host their own Battle City servers now? Because it would fragment the already small community. With the portal, all players would remain connected. All servers would be listed in the portal. It would be like the meeting room, except instead of a city list, you would have a server list. Joining a server would be like joining a game, you would immediately enter as a spectator and have the option to join a team or start your own.

It’s a dream, it’s a big dream, but it starts right here, right now, taking over the world with wRisk.

Looble... Looble!

Looble Network Experiences Huge Growth in 2007

Deceth — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 15:39:44 +0000

After a period of rapid expansion in 2007, the Looble Network closed applications for new websites wishing to join so that the focus could be shifted instead to building quality content on each of the sites. This definitely payed off as the final end of year numbers are quite impressive:

Over the course of 2007 the Looble Network generated 357,246 page views from 64,189 visits!

The surprisingly high pages per visit of ~5.6 is in large due to the BattleCity Classic community and their very active forums!

With the monthly page views average approaching 30,000 it may soon be time for the Looble Network to start accepting new advertising partners. Network-wide advertising has been closed since the start of 2007 when the focus was shifted to building quality content such that advertisers would gain real value through partnerships with Looble.

“We want to offer high-quality advertising opportunities to our partners so that they continue to come back to our Network each time they run a new marketing campaign.”

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Looble Top 5 of 2007

Deceth — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 16:21:06 +0000

The Looble Network experienced significant growth in 2007 thanks to the great content available on all of the websites. The following are the 5 websites which generated the most page views in 2007!

BattleCity Classic – The BattleCity Classic website managed to generate over 300,000 page views in 2007! If you factor in that the entire Looble Network generated about 360,000 page views last year, you can see why BattleCity is ranked #1!
Tamra Maew – Tamra Maew has quickly climbed the mountain to earn the #2 rank. Despite generating less traffic than BattleCity, Tamra managed to be ranked as the highest page on the Looble Network in November according to Google Webmaster Tools, being the first site ever to surpass BattleCity! This is because so many people love linking to Tamra’s site!
Free Games Center – Free Games Center has been growing slowly but surely since it first joined the Network. It’s a great resource for those interested in finding game related news.
Software Engineer Training – This website has been generating a significant amount of traffic, not thanks to incoming links, but thanks to search engines sending lots of visitors looking for very specific keywords. As content continues to be added to Software Engineer Training, it has the potential to grow significantly!
Flogger – Despite lacking updates towards the end of the year, Flogger managed to hold on to the #5 spot thanks to significant amounts of people searching for Stephen Colbert, roadside urination and of course cows.

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