Silent Warrior

*Cough*Luxury-problem*cough* perhaps, but I foresee a bit of annoyance and then some, so to speak, in the future. The thing is that I have a SB X-Fi ExtremeMusic (not Audio), and I also dual-boot XP/Linux, (say what you want, I like the feel of data-security Linux gives - no more apocalypses at OS upgrades) where I also like to listen to music, or for other reasons appreciate having sound. Since Creative seems to hate Linux with a rare passion, I have to connect my speakers to the onboard sound (which works fairly well - nothing breaks, no crashes). Needless to say, I'd prefer not to have to do this. So, I just started glancing at other soundcards. So far, RME's stock looks mighty interesting - I like the idea of hooking up my PS2's sound to my PC-speakers by means of an optical cable [TOSLINK?] (20+-years-old TV with mono-sound will do that to a man) - but that would go against the nature of the free market. This is where YOU come in. What I want is recommendations on soundcards that can be expected to work in Linux in the reasonably near future. Creative is supposed to have Linux-drivers on the way this summer, I mean to wait and see what comes out of that before I do anything particularly rash. I'm especially interested in if you've had experience with those "interesting" cards. Regular usage, or gaming/LOMAC, whichever. Worship to be awarded if you have made a first-hand comparison. To keep in mind: Optical I/O - PS2->5.1-speakers r teh win!!1 :smartass: I also have an MD I might want to transfer stuff from along the way. Not a requirement, but it would be jolly nice to have. Windows and Linux-support - Windows is pretty much given, but Linux isn't. Most of the cards I've inspected seem to have Linux-support through ALSA, some don't. I DON'T do audio-editing or advanced somesuch. I just listen to music, play games, and prefer it to sound really rather nice. A soundcard that puts my speakers to shame would be nice. Cost isn't a concern RIGHT NOW - any purchase would be far off, prices may have dropped, or there might be fancier gear available, like that thing Auzentech is building around an X-Fi-chip. (7.1 Prelude?) The 'contestants': (I would list a fair few of Auzentech's stock, but judging by ALSA's listing, very few of them can be expected to work in Linux. They look waaay interesting otherwise.) RME Hammerfall DSP - There are a fair few cards in this family, all looking quite gorgeous. That the finer points of them involves filling up TWO panels to have room for everything makes me a bit jumpy... I THINK I have room for that, though. Maybe. Turtle Beach Montego DDL - Supposedly doesn't have Linux-drivers right now, but at least they're quite open to the idea. ASOUND/ASONIC - Seems to be a Chinese bunch, but they're using the C-media-chips Auzentech uses. Who knows... (CMI8768+ seems to be as high as I have reason to go today. And maybe beyond...) AudioTrak - They have some funky gear, but they make no mention of Linux-support. ALSA's listing claims it exists, though. Prodigy 7.1 doesn't have optical I/O, Pr. 192 does, and is marketed as a board for the pros. Over to you.

Well, at least you get to fly the YF-23. :P R teh h0t stuffz!

Realism be damned, I like to know what the plane tries to say at me! :D Rep+=1, yo.

In case any of you missed it, there seems to be new drivers out for the X45 at Saitek. (I added a question-mark because the driver itself seems to be time-stamped from 2005...) There is a new layout for the driver-download section now, no dates anywhere, so I couldn't instantly see for myself how new it actually is. I haven't tested it yet, so I can't tell you anything about that. The installation, however, is a bit interesting. See, the driver-installer first uninstalls your drivers, and then automatically reboots to continue the installation. Do prepare for that one... Still, the installation itself was smooth enough.

Dude... I'm actually scared by that... I have stared down city-traffic, braved crazed bus-drivers, exposed myself to what can only be described as eccentric teachers, dimwitted school-kitchen staff, chinese markets and the odd drunkard or psycho without flinching, and now I'm really scared... (Oh, right, that pretty much only applies to high-definition multimedia content. Not much for me to worry about. Yet...)

Some days I'm glad I don't have a flight certificate... But only SOME days.

Well, some config-file makes reference to 3D-sound, but I don't know if it has accuracy enough to go nuts on speakers for that alone. Upgrade the sound card anyway! :D

Z-axis, is that a HOTAS-throttle, or a twisting stick (I assume that would be used for jaw)? It would probably help if you told us what stick you're using. I (using an X45) had to expressly tell the input editor to use the throttle as a throttle and the rudder as a rudder - assign axis, wag the stick, hooray. The available axes aren't shown in the editor, just those who're already assigned to something. Give it a go and see what happens.

*Scratches head* ... Because you had a beta that may not have been properly finished? :p Hm... On second sweep, I notice you claim the beta you're using is the newest (suggesting that it's newer than the not-beta mod)? Are you sure? (Either way, if the "retail" gear works better than betas, it's better to stay with those.) That's the best I can do.

... Huh? It's only one mission, what happened to our most diligent campaign-maker? (U da m4n!)

Now, none of us here are Starforce-employees, you'd be better off asking them these questions. I'll give it a try, regardless. I doubt chaning video-cards/whatever ALONE will result in a reactivation. If it's anything like XP's product-activation-technology, my experience shows that you can get away with quite a lot of hardware-changes before it kicks in. Overclocking, however, can't possibly be a problem. Like I said, I don't know the first thing about Starforce (except that it's russian), but I feel confident in stating that overclocking has to be ok. Well, depending on the hardware and cooling, of course. Bleh. Good luck.

Well, there was one excercise where, I think, 2 F-22s took on 8 F-15s - F-15-vets - and thoroughly humiliated them (do correct me if I'm wrong). Controlled environment or not, save serious mistakes, the F-22 will get that first shot, at least. And so far, the discussion has been solely about the F-22 owning the airspace (or not). Let's leave the ground-entanglement for the tank-buffs. *Disowns report*

Uh, I thought you just got a serial number? A serial number for entering into the Star Force-dialog that pops up at first run. At least, that's what I got (DD). You ARE trying to access it from lockon.ru, right? Either way, I expect that's the only site to find it at.

1. Sounds like you need a new .cmp-file. I absolutely can't help you with that right now, though. 2. Nothing short of declassifying and alter the settings to what you want them to be. You can find instructions in the Bugs-subforum, I believe. 3. I doubt the campaign overrides that, otherwise I have no idea.

This doesn't make any sense... You ARE flying the same plane in the mission-editor, right? If you're using a profile for the Evo, can you try disabling it once?

It sounds to me like you've downloaded the wrong patch. Double-check and re-download as necessary. The digitally-distributed versions won't accept a CD-version patch and vice-versa.

Oh no, I'm doomed! To return to the main topic... I'll probably come to terms with the FM, and I might even learn to regularly put weapons on target in a reasonable timeframe. But doing it and doing it well under fire? Not this decade...

First order of business would be to make sure your axes are mapped properly. But I assume you've already done that. If they work in another mission, it's a good time to be confused. Are all the wires connected as they should be? What stick do you have, and what mission are you trying to fly? Hm... You don't happen to have any autopilot activated or something?

Is that Frogfoot loaded? See, the AFM makes the Su-25 a real slug with a sizable load-out. Once you're winchester it flies quite nicely. Just keep in mind it was never intended for aerobatics. If there's a delay in the input-response, though, it's not for amateurs like me to make suggestions.

'Tis 'eagle'. No apostrophes or anything, just eagle plain as grass. There's a topic named something like 'New to LOMAC? Can't change settings in a campaign?' with more in-depth intel, I seem to recall.

Ok, that motherboard ALSO had only one IDE-connector. I'll be getting an IDE-controller-card, then. Time to put it all together, AGAIN... [First boot-up] Oh, for crying out loud... Everything connected, most likely the right way up (now that I reconnected the PWR LED-thingy properly, that is), and Windows won't start. Every time when that log-in screen should pop up, boom, reboot. :furious: Try failsafe, same thing. I get picture, so the X1900 and monitor must be okay. Stuff happens, so the motherboard and CPU must be ok. RAM is detected properly, so it should be in good shape too, right? Soundcard hasn't had a chance to shine yet, and all I can tell from the network-card is that it's connected and powered. I didn't prepare, like, at all for the transition (uninstall some drivers, install yet others, poke around in Device Manager until the machine thinks it's dual-core), but that shouldn't matter THIS much, should it? Am I the next victim of Starforce, or something?:helpsmilie: I've contacted ASUS, I'm just stopping by on the way to Starforce. [Edit] Well, Starforce says it ain't them, and recommended an XP-reinstall. Damn it and then some, haven't I done that enough this year? *Whine* I HATE UPRADING!

I noticed and appreciated that reduction, indeed! But... there was only one IDE-connector (and half a billion SATA) in the M2N, and I needed two IDE... and I already attached the CPU before I found out... I HATE UPGRADING! Well, so I called the store, and we agreed that I was going to get another motherboard with two IDE-connectors (Microstar (MSI?) something-something-Ultra). Now, how the flying **** am I going to get the CPU out of the socket without explosives? That heatsink sits too tightly! NB: Supposedly, IDE is being phased out to favour SATA, it being newer and fancier. However, guess what I found on that M2N? A floppy-connector. [Edit] Never mind, I got it out. Somehow... Also, you should see the number of screws I had to unscrew to get the P2-motherboard out of my other machine (moving the spare-parts to that one)! Screws everywhere! I even had to deal with screws INSIDE the CPU's heatsink! I'll have them counted for the next edit/post. Screws counted... 37. Including 4-6 thingies that provide a secure foothold for various connectors on the rear panel. I'm not gonna guess what they're called. 37 screws to dismount ONE motherboard!

Uh... Damn... I'm... supposed to... have a PSU with a specifically PCI-Express-compliant connector, aren't I? One that says PCI-E all over it and stuff? *Engage Saavedro-mode* NO, NO, NO, NO NO NO NO! [Proceeding to rip open the packaging for clues.] Whoa! That's one big heatsink you've got there! (Will this thing even fit?) *Gasp* Only DVI-connectors??? *Finds the adapters allowing use of me olde CRT* Phew! Huh... Dude, I'm not trusting Connect3D's manuals ever again if I don't have to... Mine makes continuous references to X800, and not one beep about X1900. Time to open up the chassis and see if I have that connector already by pure luck... And again. Oooookay... One new PSU, and all will be nirvana. Looks like it'll be a FSP Blue Storm. Good thing they cut the price on that CPU by about a third... :pilotfly:

I don't know much about LOMAC's damage-modelling, but try making a simple mission only containing a MiG-25 and a waypoint-path and you should find out really quick if it's a model-problem or not.

OK, today I'll be shelling out the cash. There's been an ever so slight change to the end results, though: ASUS M2N-E Athlon64 X2 4200+ 2x 512 Mb DDR2 667 MHz X1900XT 512 Mb Yay! Now I probably can't afford Black Shark! :D Anyway, <fast forward>, so if anyone would for some bizarre reason want to buy a tried and true ATI Rage Fury, do contact me.