I've been using Skype for a development project for a while now and despite some misgivings about security, I like it a lot. It works well as a basic text chat client, but it can also be used for voice chat and of course video. I find that the novelty of video chat wears off pretty quick, and nobody needs to see me looking weird at my desk, but voice chat can sometimes be handy. The basic version is free, but if you pay for a subscription you can initiate multi-way conversations, which can be very useful.

I leave Skype running all the time on my main computer, so as long as I'm at my desk (Skype status: online) you can reach me at jeff.rivett. Those of us who have been playing on the BF2 server are using Skype to alert one another when we're available to play. Feel free to join in!

I just noticed that repair points were being too heavily weighted in the points formula, so I changed the formula to reduce the impact of repair activity. I also reduced the impact of healing activities. As a result, the player stats (when sorted by points) are a lot closer together than before. It's still a good idea to repair and heal, but doing so won't give you an excessive advantage.

The stats points formula is posted in the forum in the Server/stats FAQ.

This morning I enabled VOIP on the BF2 server. To use it, you'll need to enable VOIP in your BF2 client settings.

Here's how to use it:

1. Join a squad (press CapsLock).
2. Hold down the 'B' key to talk. Your voice will be heard by all your squadmates.
3. If you're a squad leader, hold down the 'V' key to talk to the Commander.
4. If you're the Commander, hold down the 'V' key to talk to all squad leaders.

Give it a try and let me know how it works for you.

Mojang released Minecraft 1.6.4 today. This version is kind of a weird one. According to the release notes, its only purpose is to prepare for the upcoming 1.7 release. See the JDRGaming Minecraft page for details.

The JDRGaming Minecraft server has been updated from 1.6.2 to 1.6.4.

Note: My initial attempts to join the server failed with a mysterious error. I started a single player game using an existing world without any difficulty, so I again tried to join the JDRGaming server and this time it worked. Unfortunately, the error was not logged anywhere on the client or server end, so I don't know exactly what it was. However, if you have trouble connecting to the JDRGaming MC server, it might help to try what worked for me.

The good news is that WAN speeds are back to normal here. Shaw found something that was misconfigured somewhere in their system and all is well again.

The bad news is that TPU may not be showing up in some users' Battlefield 1942 in-game server browsers. I've checked with a few players, and it shows up on some, but not all of their server lists.

If you can spare a few minutes, please check your in-game server browser and let me know if you see "Tanks 'n Planes Unlimited CO-OP". Don't forget to click the UPDATE button first. Thanks!

TPU's connection to the outside world was down for about 15 minutes around 3:30pm today. Speeds have been slow in this area recently and Shaw is performing diagnostics. Sorry for any inconvenience!

According to The Verge, Microsoft has reversed another XBox One decision. Earlier, the Kinect sensor was described as being essential to proper operation of the new console. In other words, it would not be possible to turn off the Kinect. This raised all kinds of privacy concerns, and Microsoft previously assured potential buyers that they could control what the Kinect was allowed to detect. But in the midst of the current and growing concerns about NSA spying, Microsoft has gone further, saying that the XBox One's Kinect can be disabled completely while still allowing the console to function normally.

I've just updated the BF2 server to Forgotten Hope 2.45 Coop Patch C. This new version is not compatible with any previous version of FH 2.45, including Coop Patch B. You will not be able to join the JDRGaming BF2 server unless you are also running Coop Patch C: your BF2 client will crash when you try to join.

You can find a download link for Coop Patch C in the Files and Links section of this site, but here's a direct link. Install Patch C on top of your existing FH2 mod folder (but see the warning below first!)

WARNING: If you want to be able to join non-coop FH2 servers, you should make a copy of your original FH 2.45 mod folder, so that you can switch back to it when the need arises. For instance, I have the following folders in my main Battlefield 2 folder: mods\fh2, mods\fh2a, mods\fh2b, mods\fh2c. Normally, mods\fh2 is the same as mods\fh2c, but if I want to join a PvP server, I copy mods\fh2a to mods\fh2.

Coop Patch C fixes numerous general and map-specific co-op problems in FH 2.45, so coop gameplay should be noticeably improved. There are two changes of particular importance: improved AI aiming and navmeshes with blank areas.

AI/bot aiming was improved in an attempt to reduce friendly fire. You may have noticed that friendly bots previously had a tendency to kill you if you were in their line of fire. Apparently the bot aim improvements have made battlefield survival even more difficult. I will be monitoring this, and I will lower the overall AI difficulty setting if that is warranted.

Navmeshes are map overlays that determine where bots are allowed to travel. Before Patch C, bots tended to drive vehicles into rough, narrow, and steeply-sloping terrain, and then get stuck. The navmeshes on several maps have been modified to prevent bots from entering these areas. However, this also means that if a human drives a vehicle into one of these difficult areas, then abandons it, and then a bot enters the vehicle, the server will crash. If this turns out to be a big problem, I will consider reverting to Patch B.

The site will be down for about an hour this morning while I perform a software upgrade.

Update: the software upgrade is finished. Let me know if you see any weird or unexpected behaviour on the site.

In the long, sad history of DRM (aka copy protection), there have been a lot of bad ideas. Eidos may have come up with the worst one yet. Anyone with a 'jail broken' (i.e. arbitrary Apple-imposed restrictions removed) iPhone who legitimately purchases the new Eidos Deus Ex game will find that firearms mysteriously fail to work. There is no warning about this in the game, or during the purchase process. Eidos' motivation for this senseless DRM remains unclear. Possibly Apple is offering monetary rewards to developers who are willing to be Apple police. Regardless, any possible benefit to be gained by Apple and/or Eidos is going to pale in comparison to the backlash. When will they ever learn?