Morten's Blog

This is a simple Python module that stores highscores in an SQLite database in the same folder as the module. It’s far from watertight so tweak it according to your needs. Read source for examples.

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I’ve been playing Guild Wars quite a lot this summer. And although great as it is, the Guild Wars soundtrack can get a bit old at times, so I went looking for some good role-playing background music on Google. I found some lists of recommendations here and there, but they contained mostly death metal, which is utter garbarge. So I started compiling a Spotify list of what is, in my opinion, good background music for RPG.

Get the list here. It includes among others; Vangelis, Jesper Kyd, Danny Elfman, Jerry Goldsmith and Philip Glass.

The list will be evolving as i come across good albums or tunes. If you know an album or song that would fit amongst the others i would appreciate feedback. I apologize beforehand if any tunes are unsuited for RPG, as i’ve grabbed whole albums and have not listened to the entire collection.

Ever wanted to record your Super Mario skills on the Super Nintendo console, without the console? Don’t worry, most of todays computers are powerful enough to pretend being, or emulate, a console machine. Most likely so is your’s.  And you’re in luck, Super Nintendo is one of, if not the best, emulated console system there is. All you basically need is an emulator, the piece of software that magically turns your PC into a good ol’ console; and the ROM file of your favorite game. The game ROM’s are in most cases copyrighted, so i can’t nor won’t supply you with those. Make sure you own the game cartridge, or else you might find yourself in violation of copyright laws.

The things you will need:

• A Super Nintendo emulator for Windows called ZSnes, coded by zsKnight and _Demo_ *
  
• The ROM image from your favorite SNES game. Look around, they are not that hard to find.
• MEncoder by Gianluigi Tiesi

* At the time of writing, ZSnes has reached version 1.51

Copy your ROM image(s) to any folder. Preferably one that doesn’t require you to click trough too many folders to get to it.

Installing the software is pretty straightforward, just extract the two archives, each into their own folders. It might work having ZSnes and MEncoder in the same folder, but i haven’t tried it. Also, i think that’s a little messy. You are going to add the MEncoder location to window’s PATH environment variable instead, so remember the location where you extracted it. Follow the instructions below as the procedure differs a little depending on what version of Windows you are using.

Edit your Path environment variable

For Windows Vista you can go to the Control panel and click on the System icon, select Advanced System Settings in the left menu and then the “Environment variables” button. Then, in the list under “System Variables”, look for Path (might be lower- or uppercase). When you have found it, edit it and add the location of the folder where the MEncoder executable file is located. Remember to add the semicolon that is needed to separate the various folders listed in the Path string. Click OK, and your done.

(How to set the path in Windows 2000 / Windows XP)

When that’s all done, let’s start up ZSnes and configure it a little. The main things to check out is the Screen Resolution, Filters and Input

Choose your optimal screen preferences under “Video” in the Config menu. I have a widescreen and wanted ZSnes to fill the screen completely, so i made a custom screen setting it to 1360×768 with the DS F option (check the legend for description). Choose the Filter that you feel gives the best result. Configure your Input, and let’s load up a game already! Click GAME in the top menu, and select LOAD. Then browse to the folder where you copied or extracted the ROM file(s), select the game you want to play and click the LOAD button. If the game runs, great! if it doesn’t, seek help! (Read More..)

Nintendo Wii Console

I recently bought the classic game, Bubble Bobble, from Nintendo Wii’s Virtual Console shop. But when the game was downloaded, and i attempted to run it, i was greeted with a green crash-looking screen. I could hear the game’s sounds in the background, and response from the controller, but the screen was fubar. I was using a component cable, and with a composite cable the problem went away. But after spending 50 bucks on the component cable, and seeing the trashy colors from composite signal, i didn’t want to give up right away. I googled long before i found a solution that worked for me:

1. Click Wii Options in the Wii Menu
2. Click Wii Settings
3. Click Screen
4. Click Widescreen Settings
5. Select 4:3 format and Confirm
6. Click Tv Type
7. Select 50Hz and Confirm
8. Exit to Wii Menu
9. The Virtual Console game should now start
10. If not done already, connect your Nunchuck to your Wiimote
11. In the HOME Menu, select Operations Guide
12. Move the pointer away from any buttons on the screen, and press Z+A+1 (or 2) simultaneously
13. If you hear a ping sound, you should be set to go.
14. Exit to Wii Menu
15. Reverse changes made in step 1-7, choosing the correct settings
16. The game should now run fine

This fix might not work with all Virtual Console games. I don’t even know what it does, but it worked for my Bubble Bobble.

Screenshot of the map

This is a map for the Half-Life mod called Ricochet. Download the zip file, and follow the instructions in the readme.txt file.

The map was intended to be a team based death-match map, but it also works as a free-for-all death-match map.

Download it here

I have recently picked up mapping for the Half-Life mod called Ricochet again, but i didn’t have the Prefabs any longer. After a lot of searching around in the HL mapping community, i finally found them; on an Italian site. And since i don’t speak Italian it took a great deal of clicking randomly on stuff, before i finally hit the correct button. :)

Now, since these are so hard to come by I have made them available here for other Ricochet mappers to download.

Ricochet Prefabs (rc_prefabs.zip)

Enjoy :)

Ble tipset om en liten genistrek av ett program her om dagen. Nemlig Hamachi.

Dette programmet gjør det lekende lett for deg å ha ett nettverk mellom deg og vennene dine, over internett. Som dere kan spille på, dele skrivere, filer, og ellers gjøre så godt som alt som går an å gjøre på ett vanlig LAN. Forbindelsen er kryptert og du kan ha flere nettverk i gang samtidig. Sjekk det ut!!

Du kan beskytte nettverket med passord, slik at bare dem du ønsker kan delta. Du får din egen IP adresse, som bevares over de forskjellige nettverkene. Og programmet er som sagt meget lett å bruke.

“Basic” utgaven som tillater nettverk med opptil 16 brukere, er helt gratis. Og kan lastes ned her.