Classsix T

Did a bit of servicing on the Claud Butler on Sunday.

The brake levers were pulling all the way to the handle bars without much retardation of velocity going on, indeed, I could even pedal against a fully applied front brake.

I bought some replacement blocks some time ago but hadn't got around to fitting until now. Took one of the incumbent blocks off the rear on Saturday just for examination, foul weather meant I wasn't going to do anything else. A comparison with the new blocks suggested it had plenty of meat on it so I surmised perhaps cable stretch was the problem.

Anyway, on Sunday I replaced all four blocks and adjusted the cables. The bike will now stop on a sixpence...or throw me off. Examination of all four replaced blocks suggests some of them weren't sitting in full alignment with the rims. I also lubed-up the chain and gears. And put some air in the tubes.

The bike now feels as tight as when I bought it, but I do want to replace the tyres. The current pimple jobs have worn down and before the real winter weather arrives I want tyres that put down a proper rubber footprint on the road.

C6T.

3 hours ago, The Fatadder said:

The Blade game  from Arkane sounds good,  odd there was no Xbox branding accompanying it.   Hopefully it’s better than the rubbish that was Redfall

 I think Blade is ripe for a video game adaptation, but the trailer seems light on details.

If Exodus, Rise of the Ronin and The First Descendant do actually drop (and meet expectations) next year though I'll be a busy boy. I have found 2023 to be rather undernourished for games I actually wanted to play although there's been some massively successful titles released, admittedly that's more to do with my taste than anything else.

C6T.

The Game Awards don't hold a great deal of interest for me but this reveal trailer made an appearance, and whilst I shall temper my expectations, it does look very cool:

C6T.

On 26/11/2023 at 03:58, monkeysarefun said:

Nice example of the last of the Aussie  V8's. 2017-ish VF Commodore SSV Redline, 6.2L parked outside the local pub lunchtime today.

 

 

 

This plain-Jane battleship grey colour seems to be gaining ground around the place, mainly Korean cars like  Hyundai "hot" hatches and Kia Stingers.

 

I assume that this example is a wrap because it isn't a standard GMH colour of 2017.

I suspect that underpant grey is another unwanted fashion from the States. I'd first noticed it on UK Fords a number of years ago and took an instant dislike to it, looking as it does like gloss undercoat. The Haas F1 cars heavily featured grey as part of their livery on their debut season, but seem to have seen sense and now sport a rather natty black, white and red scheme.

In other news, I spent a large chunk of yesterday researching Mercedes Benz sporting history ostensibly attached to the (Martin Brundle approved) 190 saloon. I shan't bore you with the details of why, suffice to share a link to this brilliant article and suggest if he hasn't already, Aussie Phil Ward might be a worthy recipient, given their subsequent success to the Keys to Stuttgart:

https://www.shannons.com.au/club/news/racing-garage/mercedes-benz-190e-cosworth-stuttgarts-anglo-german-bathurst-champ/

C6T.

I was going to ask what's up with the reg number but am I to understand it's a replica then?

C6T.

6 hours ago, Il Grifone said:

Nothing wrong with Celestion woofers!

Certainly not, however I don't doubt my cack-handed teenage attempt at adding mids and tweeters from butchered JVC speakers would undeniably bring forth a cacophony of teeth sucking from the assembly!

C6T.

From the OP link:

"In a 2001 interview with the BBC he said he appeared in some "awful films" because he was a workaholic."

Joss mate, Michael Caine did Jaws 4 and a bunch of other turkeys to pay for stuff...and still got a knighthood. I dislike the fact obviously talented people feel the need to explain why they've done work deemed 'beneath' them.

Probably the interviewing journo' asking a dumbass question in the first place though.

C6T.

My favoured Ackland vehicles have been Hunt for Red October and Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey.

I suspect neither were a stretch for a man of his talent, but he brought just the right amount of sinister to both roles and I'm happy he made a bit of cash from some harmless Hollywood tosh.

C6T.

6 minutes ago, Ian J. said:

Warner Bros just shelved a new, apparently completed, Road Runner / Coyote movie, for some odd reason relating to tax write offs or something, even though it was getting good pre-release reviews, and they won't sell it to other potential streaming outlets either (Amazon, etc) 🙄

This maybe aligned to something studios are doing in the wider market of dumping shows. Apparently if they can a show they don't have to pay residual fees on the costs?

C6T.

On 08/11/2023 at 21:14, PaulRhB said:

Oof!

C6T.

I think if some of the more knowledgeable folks on this thread had a look at my audio setup they'd be horrified, especially the main speakers I've got. (I'm not even going there, suffice to say there's Celestion woofers in hefty cabinets.)

I don't know why there's not a more akin to railway modelling perspective to it. "It's my setup"?

I've gathered my gear over decades on the basis of availability and affordability. Were I a richer man no doubt I'd have better kit. But I do 00 on the trains and I rely on my 90s JVC/Technics kit for audio. Sue me. If there's better then give me the money for it.

C6T.

On 06/11/2023 at 17:51, big jim said:

Works beautifully, shame the same can’t be said for my driving!

 

 

going to set it up on the projector in the garage later 

 

 

Jim mate, I have thousands of hours clocked on in GTSport & GT7 and I can literally guarantee that I'll go off at Pouhon @Spa or Spoon @Suzuka at some point during a race.

Alsace is a tricky circuit so don't feel bad!

C6T.

I've found myself staying with Outriders for a little longer than I'd have ideally liked...because after a little work it became apparent that the Platinum trophy was within my grasp!

One trophy left to attain, which involves dispatching baddies by specific means, and it'll be mine. All whilst the game reminds me why I both enjoy and dislike it in equal measure.

C6T.

Had to smile on the way home from an appointment in the next town. Spied through a window an elderly gent sat at laptop computer...cat serving as lap warmer/wrist rest/obstruction of intent.

I immediately had to wonder if said gentleman was surfing RMWeb!

C6T.

On 06/11/2023 at 23:20, big jim said:

It’s good on the big screen with the surround sound on

For that realistic GT experience, members of the family might want to hold a Metcalf building in each hand and randomly pop them in and out of the driver's view.

Something I'd have hoped might've been done away with in GT7, but nope. To be fair it isn't as glaring obvious as in earlier iterations, unless you are in-car and have the rear view mirrors on.

C6T.

In what has become something of a RMWeb Gamer's Lounge tradition (sigh)...Happy Day After Mass Effect Day!

BioWare as per usual teased a bit more yesterday on the next title in the franchise. A portion of the Internet has then continued to froth about canon, StarBrat™ endings and suchlike:

https://www.eurogamer.net/bioware-teases-mass-effect-5-title-plus-answers-to-trilogy-ending-questions

C6T.

Speaking of Gran Turismo, up-thread, big update for GT7 drops tomorrow. The game, as GT Sport did, regularly updates with additional content, gratis to the player btw which is most welcome, this one's quite hefty:

https://www.gran-turismo.com/gb/news/00_5768503.html

Given the grief Bungie is getting these days I have to wonder if the $3bn Sony spent on that acquisition might've been better spent on honing live service skills at Polyphony and Naughty Dog.

I'd persuaded my Sisters to gift me some PSN credit slightly earlier than my birthday on the understanding I'd be able to renew my Extra sub before November 6th at the price previous to the recent rise to £99.99.

Tried renewing this morning but each attempt had the new price at checkout. I thought I'd read of the Nov 6th renew thing on Eurogamer, but maybe that was just quoted Reddit BS.

Anyhoo, fag packet mathematics shows that'd be a close to 17% saving...I'm now hoping PlayStation will offer the sub with up to a third off, as they have in previous years, in the lead-up to Xmas.

C6T.

(In)famously, the spare wheel on a Reliant Scimitar lives in the engine bay. Hypothetically, does this rule out Tamworth's finest from LPG conversion?

C6T.

Outriders proving to be something of an ooh-meh-ugh rollercoaster of a game. My initial dislike of it was tempered by some more play time but it has subsequently proven to be a pretty bad example of cut & paste set pieces, but with different scenery. The only variable as I progress being larger bullet sponge bosses and denser swarms of cannon fodder troops. Or a combination of both.

I'm fully aware this is not a new concept in shooters but taking into account the surrounding package of this title, it doesn't work well.

I'm also getting a little hacked off that there's no compass on the hud, which is necessary because the effing mission wayfinder tool doesn't work properly, sometimes sending me of in exactly the opposite direction!

I'm also constantly thinking to myself, is this really a 2020 release? Loading screens, pointless cutscenes to facilitate loading. And glaringly, that thing some games do of fabric and/or hair flailing about on characters each time the cutscene changes perspective. I don't think they pushed the boat out on the development budget for this one.

I'll reiterate that Outriders isn't a bad game, but ffs, it could be so much better. I don't like half points in ratings but it's such a mixture of good and bad that it doesn't deserve a 7/10 or to be denigrated to 6/10 (6.5/10 obvs, if you get me).

C6T.

5 minutes ago, big jim said:

I went off gran tourismo when it seemed to change from a relatively simple driving game to a full blown simulation, iwhen I couldn’t get past a certain licence requirement on GT4 or 5 I lost interest, I’ve got it in my ps5 but never played it, again anything that takes loads of game play to even to be allowed get into the basic car then I’m bored! 

The licences! Yuh, major pita. But I won't deny the sense of achievement when done gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling.

Additionally I've made more PSN friends through Gran Turismo than any other game on the system.

C6T.

28 minutes ago, The Fatadder said:

Speaking of gran turismo, it remains the one game I miss after making the switch from Sony to Microsoft.  I’ve been playing the recently released latest Forza Motorsport the past few evenings and it’s just not as good.   (Of course it probably doesn’t help that my memory of playing GT4? On ps3 had the benefit of using a full steering wheel / clutch and 6 speed box that I sold off just before Covid.)

 

 

I must admit, Gran Turismo is one of the franchises that got me onboard and has kept me brand loyal to team Sony.

There are annoyances with it, but we just roll our eyes in Kaz's general direction and carry on!

C6T.

Topic adjacent to my last post, it's been brought to my attention that the servers for Gran Turismo Sport will be switched off at the end of January next year:

https://www.gtplanet.net/gran-turismo-sport-end-of-life-20230929/

The game isn't entirely dependent on a network connection to play (aside from the Daily Races, Lobbies etc.) but it's been suggested that it'd be wise to save any in-game liveries, replays, Scapes pics etc. to a user side solution.

C6T.

Another always online game goes the way of the dodo. Judging by the article it would seem the studio aimed way above what they were capable of delivering:

https://www.eurogamer.net/servers-for-online-dino-shooter-second-extinction-to-shut-down-next-year

The games-as-a-service big hitters, Fortnight, Overwatch etc. obviously needn't fret. But I do wonder if smaller publishers will now think harder on how they bring a game to market. Obviously I'm thinking about The First Descendant, but from what I could tell the beta was well populated and it is taunted as F2P so the players don't necessarily need to feel cheated if the game is folded (unless they spend irl money on it).

GT7 is always online, for reasons I'm not sure of, but that's a Sony stalwart and won't be going anywhere, similarly Destiny I guess.

Outriders too I believe is quintessentially always online but I'm not sure how much is possible to do offline.

C6T.

Having spent a little longer with Outriders I realise I may have been a little harsh in my initial criticism of it.

I maintain that the controls are somewhat "woolly" (I keep meaning to have a look in options to maybe turn down the stick sensitivity) but it's growing on me. I'm dying less, so there's something!

The story has taken an interesting turn too.

Don't think I'd pay full price for it but maybe worth a look if available via a subscription. If it does come off PS+ Extra before I finish it I'd probably look out for it on sale.

Having said that, trying team matching was a bust so try to persuade two mates to get it as well for reliable co-op!

C6T.