bzflag rocks! the rules couldn't be simplier ... point, shoot, kill. there a couple of game styles which are fun, like capture the flag. oh and the tanks can jump and power flags are available. the social aspects of this game rock, like most of it's kind i suspect. the releases are getting better and better with regards to keeping malcontents in line. for example, it is quite often you find team killers, or tk'ers. these are the anonymously brave types that strive to swim against the tide and kill thier own team members, lie when their caught, etc. pathetic. they are everywhere. the latest releases look to have not only polling features where these slugs can be voted out ... by their peers none the less but also an autoboot for those that tk a fixed number of times within a time period. inadvertent tk'ing can easily occur in a fast paced popular game but all in all the implementation looks to be nicely done. this features alone have brought the level of play completley back inline and more often then not i genuinely like the folks i team up with. good times.

this type of "social self-ruling" behaviours are just as appropriate and enabling for applications in general. it is really the only way to scale as deployment models go beyond what is manageable ... the old school way.

my son has been playing bzflag since he was 2 1/2. pretty amazing to see a little toddler all over my keyboard one finger on tab and the other driving the mouse wildly. they learn so fast. he's 4 now. i think i'll see about getting my mits on a cheap box and so that we can play against each other. he's also got a computer thomas the tank engine game that he very much enjoys as well ... least concerns of parental judgement linger.

bzflag supports a "solo" mode where one can play against a variable number of drones ... pretty smart drones. when letting trey out on the net to play against real folks ... truth be known he pretty much takes over my game from time to time ... he eventually pleads for help most often of which he's been booted for tk'ing. poor guy. poor me as my handle looks to be blocked from some games. he's just having fun but having societal rules enforced relatively consitently is good for all ... people and systems alike. again, it's the only way to scale, adapt, grow, learn, consume and contribute.

Java == platform independence
XML == application independence
JXTA == network independence

Secure End-to-End Computing

in my ears: RadioHead/Hail To The Theif/ScatterBrain