ShrimpWorks

Things have been very quiet on the code front lately, with bursts of activity here and there.

Primarily, I’ve been hacking on Out of Eve. The structure API classes and implementation of the API requests has been bugging me, especially when I’ve had to add a lot of stuff in recent versions, it just grows and grows and becomes unmanageable. Unfortunately fixing it has obviously resulted in breaking every single piece of the application, which I’ve been slowly refactoring and putting back together slightly more sensibly.

On the other hand it’s also a good opportunity to make allowance for the new customisable API key features CCP are implementing.

Besides that, my totally rad completely unique super secret Java-powered website project is stalled. Java’s turned out to be a bit of a pain in the backside. Sure all the background code is nice and stuff, but actually making the website portion of stuff quite sucks. I suspect this project will also need a near complete refactor at some point… Sigh. Coming soon in 2019!

I really have to use this thing more often than once or twice a year :D. I’m just going to do a few posts on a couple of subjects just for personal lols.

Lots of Team Fortress 2 has been played. I thought since it went free, there’d be plenty of noobs to beat up. Sadly all the kids playing games these days are not noobs ;). I’m also really enjoying playing an online FPS on PC once more, still something I haven’t done to any degree since UT3 fizzled (did it ever really get going at all, though?).

The more I play however, the more I long for something like Unreal to return.

TF2 is great fun, but it all feels extremely luck and spam based. Pretty much every class with the exception of the Spy and Sniper can be played by running headlong into the fight with your finger glued to the trigger and hoping for the best.

As much as I noobed my way through UT for years, I find myself missing the “precision” elements of that sort of game. Carefully timing armour and pickup spawns, shock-comboing someone halfway across the map, the intensity of a close CTF match. Sure there are still plenty of Flak monkeys and rocket spam, but TF2 just feels pretty flat compared to all that.

They just don’t make them the way they used to :). Quake Live doesn’t count because it’s Quake and I suck at it. Looking forward to trying Rage though, and I hope the multiplayer (on PC) is not too full of novelties like vehicles and crazy weapons. I could really do with some old-fashioned DM!

Happy days. Now fully “Incursion” compatible.

Coming soon is updated API support (mail, taxes), and hopefully some more handy plugins :).

This is just a small update on the status of OOE. As the SVN server previously hosting the OOE source died, and many people have been looking for the source, a Google Code project has been started to facilitate future development.

The source is available as both a regular download and via Subversion.

It’s unlikely I will be doing any development on the project myself, however contributors are welcome.

Attended a dyno day at WRC Tuning on the 5th. Was the first opportunity I’ve had to compare my car to other FN2s at the same time under the same conditions, and I’m rather impressed :)

Stock cars made between 116 and 117 kw on the wheels, and my car pulled off a very respectable 131 kw. Not bad for a naturally aspirated 2l motor in oxygen-starved Jo’burg :D.

Yup, I installed more bits :). See the link for full details.

I also bought myself a small camera for recording laps. Here’s my fairly boring first recording:

Got some more goodies fitted to my ricemobile, this time, a rad brake upgrade!

Previously, I had Powerbrake disks with street pads, and unfortunately pretty much killed them on the track. I’ve fitted a brand new set of Powerbrake front disks, as well as Endless CC-Rg pads and replaced the brake fluid with Endless RF-650 brake fluid.

As the pads are primarily meant for track use, they squeal like hell under light braking on the street, but that’s something I’m happy to live with, though I’m not sure the neighbours would agree when I come and go at night. Even though they’re not completely bedded in yet, they stop like nothing on earth.

Cannot wait to try the ‘zorst and brakes out at a proper track day next month (and also see how my ECU tune does)!

I got my Sun Java Certification yesterday :-).

Apparently after writing multiple fairly large business-critical Java applications and services for the past few years, this certification means I now know how to write Java code so I should be able to make some fairly large business-critical applications and services. Yay!

The Honda Owner’s Club of South Africa hosted a Bridgestone-sponsored track day at Zwartkops this last Sunday. Was seriously awesome to be able to zoot around with similar performance cars, unlike a regular track day where you have to constantly worry about being run off the road by BMW M3s :D.

A highlight was a pair of Integras out on the track, although I’m proud to say my ’lil Type R was quite capable of outperforming them all day :P.

Grabbed a bunch of shots of the action.

[View Gallery]({{ relref “2010-06-27-hocsa-track-day” }})

Hopefully I will be getting my car back this afternoon. It’s been at Dutch Auto this week where they have been building and installing one of these:

It’s a Toda Racing 4-2-1 Exhaust Manifold :-). I mention they’re building one, because to actually import one of these can cost in excess of R15 000, so they have created their own version, based on this Toda. They’ve also developed their own exhaust system for the Type R which they’re installing to replace my apparently awful sounding RGMotorsport system :D.

Average gains on other Type Rs have been around 15% kW a the wheels, although apparently I can’t expect much torque as I’m already making about 210Nm on their dyno. Will have to wait for the final results later today.

Also, after about 6 months of dragging my heels on the issue, I’ve finally got my Hondata FlashPro unit. This will help tune the ECU to make maximum use of the exhaust, and with sufficient tuning, should result in a significant improvement to mid-range power.

Also, WordPress is upgraded to version 3 :-P