Since the forum moved, it seems to be not possible anymore to stay logged in for a very long time. Each day I have to log in again, despite checking the box on the forum login page to stay infinitely (or at least much longer than the default 60 minutes). Increasing the number in this form did not help either. Is it possible that the cookie still has a reference to an outdated URL, therefore isn't persistent?

Nvidia releases the Vulkan Graphics API and first drivers

It allows a more direct access to features of graphic chips than higher level APIs like DirectX or OpenGL with abstraction layers. Programmers using Vulkan are now responsible for implementing a logic to optimally use different features of different GPUs in their applications, instead of relying on graphic drivers having their own strategies to support a wide range of GPUs with the same abstract functions.

Vulkan driver downloads — before you hurry: Do you have any applications designed for it already? ... Patience. For now only for Kepler and Maxwell chipsets (GT 600-900 and related Quadro)

AMD developed the Mantle API earlier, but discontinued it already and recommended to switch to either DirectX 12 or Vulkan (as a kind of successor).

There is an incomplete game which you as player/tester have to fix by changing the assets while the godly developers do anything but cooperate and even take almost all powers from the player. With hardly any degree of freedom, will it still be possible to create a game which is release-worthy?

No, I don't talk about PlaneShift, not even in earlier years ... I mean The Magic Circle. Hopefully without spoiling too much, you may notice that the programmers of "System Shock" are responsible for this big pile of "WTF?!?" moments. It may help if you have a little affinity to programming, but don't be afraid: There may be games where you actually rewrite code, this game doesn't go so far, you only edit entity properties with values borrowed from your enemies; but this is all you need to create amazing and mind boggling tools to act on your behalf. Similar to the Overlord, just with a Minion Construction Kit. But watch out for the developers, their eyes are in game too, and they may not care whether their intrigues may cause even more collateral damage in a game just before releasing its demo ... more or less ...

I wondered about a better place than "General discussion" for a rather developer related topic, but it wouldn't have fit better anywhere else... Either I can't make a post at all, or it is too specifically intended for a different purpose.

Reading Tua's blog about the Shikdrok's Crater project, I remembered that factions were planned to alter some attributes of NPCs, like whether they would offer a quest or not. I am curious now how far such dependencies would go. Would you ... trying to imagine an extreme ... have to expect NPCs being hostile, attacking you on approach, unless you have a specific minimum reputation in their faction? Like rogues guarding their home if you don't have, maybe, +20 in Evil or Chaos, whatever faction may exist which shall be related to a gang of rogues?

How much of that is planned at all, and maybe even already implemented in code, just lacking a sample dataset?

This feature might lead to different experiences when passing NPCs in a company, like one char being ignored, another greeted, a third attacked. If chars are organized in a game technical "Group", would NPCs have to make a decision based on something like the average of the group?

Sounds funny, but isn't: "Legacy" secure connections in web browsers via SSL are no more secure. The last version before the new TLS protocol, SSL v3.0, is now officially broken by all means.

You should try to set up your browser not to fall back to SSL3 anymore, but insist in at least TLS 1.0 for https connections. Details here.

Google Online Security Blog

Hello, you great creative authors of wonderful stories.

You might remember that there was once an event where the "Octarchial Society for Progress" rewarded e.g. the Explorers with the outpost, and the Red Crystal Organization with the Den ... and well, the Yliakum University of the Knowledge Seekers was not that successful, but at least got a cooperation contract to review new books for Jayose's library.

Without any contrary notice, this contract must still be active. but we are not receiving new books for reviews anymore. So I wonder if one or another of the recently published or planned works might be suitable to fill the shelves in the expansion room behind Jayose's desk ... there is still enough space.

I can't promise any story becoming part of the game, that's not my job. But I can recommend you to select some which are not too closely related to actually existing characters, which are not too long, which are not too ... mature in content, to have some chance to wake interest.

To get a story reviewed, the optimum would be to get it posted in the forum of the Knowledge Seekers guild. If it was already published here, a permission to copy it there is enough. Books already published in-game are fine too, if you can save it locally and quote the text file in your local "books" directory in the game's application data.

Might become a more or less regular thread for roleplayers, who knows...
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At the moment, I need a bit support with Enkien. I remember that several players are interested in using phrases of this language as often as possible, so I hope one or another would offer a hand for stitching together a single phrase. I am not yet able to disclose in public which phrase, but would report later if requested.