Archive for the 'World Of Warcraft' Category

As hinted in the last post, Scummbox.org is running some new services.

To facilitate remote access to my network, OpenVPN has been installed. It was a cinch to install, and through some trial and error I have gotten additional routes passed through to access my home network range from any remote location.

Also installed was TinyProxy. This allows users connected to the VPN to (transparently!) access sites that may be blocked at their location.

A final new service running is GnuMP3d… A remote playlist/streaming client that is tucked behind the VPN to prevent rampant and unauthorized

Poor oft-neglected blog. A fairly quick update on the state of the nerd:

My various and sundry linux machines are running well: No major changes to Scummbox recently, and the desktop machine is running well (with an AMD X2 processor upgrade.)

I’ve all but

So I have hit a snag with Windows Vista. Not a huge one, but a snag nonetheless.

Windows Vista does not properly support OpenGL. I had been using the -opengl switch with World Of Warcraft to get better frame rates out of Windows XP, and assumed the same would happen under Windows Vista. This is not the case.

A little back story about Microsoft and OpenGL.

All previous versions of Windows that “support” OpenGL have basically an old, crippled version by default running independently of DirectX. OpenGL 1.4 without extensions is what MS packages with Windows. The good part is that ATI and Nvidia add an OpenGL driver with their installs, so games and programs can use the current OpenGL 2.0 with extensions.

With Windows Vista, MS is having OpenGL run on top of DirectX 10. This is reducing the performance of OpenGL by as much as 50% (by some estimates.) Microsoft hasn’t shared any information to ATI and Nvidia on how to override this default OpenGL so they can have a separate OpenGL 2.0 driver for programs to use.

By removing the -opengl option from World Of Warcraft, I increased the frame rate by quite a bit.

It’s a bit of an underhanded move, forcing any 3D program under Vista to use DirectX for the best performance. Hopefully MS will allow a 3rd party OpenGL 2.0 driver to be installed.

Edit!

I found the following in the abstract for the current Nvidia ForceWare Drivers for Windows Vista x86:

Release Highlights:

* These drivers are tested for use only with Microsoft Windows Vista Beta2 only. Click here to download Windows Vista Beta 2.
* Includes OpenGL driver for compatibility testing.

So hopefully they get the OpenGL drivers in better shape for better performance!

So when I wasn’t running around being social this weekend (that post is for another blog), I was playing with my new install of Windows Vista Beta 2. Here are some of my findings: Read the rest of this entry »

The domain name guildsite.ca has been registered and is now where the two(!!) World Of Warcraft guilds I belong to are hosted. (Alliance: Explorer’s League | Horde: OMG IRL)

This is on top of the sites I currently host (for example, olmsted.ca, and of course scummbox.org) This is a pretty busy little server all of a sudden!

I am firmly addicted to World of Warcraft. I am addicted to such an extent, I’ve set up a website for the guild I’m in.

Forums and Mambo Content Management Systems and Guild Rosters; Oh my!

…Poor neglected blog

For my birthday, I was given World Of Warcraft and four pre-paid time cards by my awesome friends. I immediatly logged on and created a new character and joined a friends guild. I was level 10 after playing for one day.

Now, after two weeks, I am a level 21 Human Warlock. I feel the urge to play the game all day. I browse forums, I plan talent paths, I obsess.

I’ve created a catagory just for WoW.

I am lost.