I've finished blogging on this site. It's been a very valuable experience and one I've really enjoyed. I'm getting involved with another project that will eat up all my spare time. I wont take the site down as there are some popular articles which many still read, and I want to keep my e-mail address so the domain name will remain registered.

Who knows, in 6 months time when my personality swings I may use this site for something else. But for now, thanks for visiting and drop me an e-mail if you need to get in touch. You can find my address by hitting the 'contact' button at the top.

Cheers
Ryan Partington

We've got topics on stocks and shares, online web based games and technology. So where exactly is this site going, and how come we've not had many updates recently?

Over the coming twelve months I'll primarily be concentrating on the stock market. I'm currently reading a number of books on investing and trading and have written a few articles based around my new found understanding. And yet when I come to do the actual research I find the advice is pretty useless and therefore the articles go in the bin. Much of what I'm reading is either lacking in evidence or not strong enough to post on this site.

Another one close to my heart at the moment is Kingdoms Galactica which is a web based space game written by Michael Pagan who I've known since I was 'YAY' big. We enjoyed many rounds of another famous space game a few years back and always threatened to write our own version once we had the skills. Although I can put together a basic PHP application, Michael truly is gifted in this area. And more importantly, he's happy to dedicate a substantial amount of time to ensuring the success of the project. As a result I've concentrated on ensuring the Linux box running the game is capable, locked down and offered general direction to keep the game true to our initial ideas.

The reason for a lack of updates recently is simple, I'll only write when I feel it adds value to the site. As I stated above, even if I do write something but conclude it lacks substance it goes in the bin.

So stay tuned and as always I welcome your e-mails and thank you all for the support you've shown the site so far.

Cheers
Ryan Partington

Watto was getting too big in Kingdoms Galactica, we had to take him down.

;)

After a long time in the making Kingdoms Galactica BETA is ready and open for sign ups!

The plan is to keep BETA running for between 6-8 weeks, enough time to gather a substantial player pool and leave enough time for some serious battles! Also by then most if not all of the major bugs will have been identified and corrected.

Now as this game in brand spanking new we literally have no forum or game administrators, so there are a wealth of positions available, if you'd like to become a part the this growing gaming community please email me @ michael@michaelpagan.co.uk, of course being a registered/active player is a prerequisite to any of these positions.

This is the Kingdoms Galactica team wishing a lot of fun in the coming round and happy hunting!

You can find the official Kingdoms Galactica website right here. Signups are not open yet but I can tell you we're really close. I've just got off the phone to Michael who can confirm we're 2-3 weeks away, max. So get over to the site and say hello on the forum, we're happy to give out beta accounts to a select few who are keen to see an early edition of the game.

Cheers
Ryan Partington

Well let me start by announcing the official game name, Kingdoms Galactica! The game, as promised will be delivered early next month and Michael is doing everything he can to complete the final elements. For those of you who have been keeping an eye on the forum you will be aware how close we are to launching the beta. The vast majority is in the bag, leaving only a couple of elements which need completing. I have been making full use of my astropods, taking the top spot in the universe! Granted that was against a small beta team and plenty of bots, time will tell if I can maintain the top spot when the game's reset and the beta opens.

Anyway, we promised you an exclusive interview with Michael Pagan, lead developer on the project, and here it is. Enjoy

Q: Do you use any frameworks whilst coding in PHP. If so, which one, if not, why not?
I don't use any frameworks as I believe I'm a more efficient developer writing my framework as I build the application or in this case, the game.

Q: How long have you been coding, and how did you first get into it?
I started coding in college back in 2001, then continued when I went to University in Liverpool. In February 2008 I got a job developing professionally and since then it's become second nature.

Q: If someone was interested in writing a PHP based game, but had limited experience, are there any books, or methods that could help get them started?
I use the PHP manual which basically summarise all the php functions in great depth. Initially it can be overwhelming but once you get used to how the manual is structured it can become a very powerful tool in rapid development. Another excellent site for those new to PHP is the w3schools website, clear examples with easy to understand english. If I come up against an error in the code I've not seen before, it's a case of copy+paste into google, you're always going to get a better understanding and even a resolution within the first few links.

Q: Do you need to be good at Maths, to be good at coding?
No necessarily, if you're coding something mathematical you have to get the maths right, but you always have access to a calculator on your machine ;)

Q: Where did the idea come from for GK?
Initially I was looking at how to get a user base on any web application, first I looked at setting up a forum, but it was hard to build up a community from scratch. I've always enjoyed playing web based games so it just felt right to do something based around my own experience.

Q: How long will rounds last and what how is the winner decided?
The winner is the player with the highest coefficient between score and size. I'm not sure how long the rounds will last at the moment, hopefully the beta which opens early next month will help us decide.

Q: Will there be adverts on the page, and if not, do you have to pay for the game?
No adverts and totally free to play. No added credits or anything needed, just login and steal some roids

Big thanks to Michael Pagan for giving up his time this evening. Next time I hope it's an in game chat we're having ;)

Cheers
Ryan Partington

Tonight I was reading a book about beating the recession. Various sales techniques and methods to help overall business efficiency, but one paragraph really caught my attention. You're only as strong as your communication. You may be the smartest person in the world, but if you can't get your message across, you're doomed. Like everything, the more you practice, the better you get. Just acknowledge the importance of effective communication and you're naturally grow in time.

I remember reading once "Business success is judged on the number of awkward conversations you have." Just because you don't know how to address a certain situation doesn't mean you shouldn't try, actually by the very fact you're unsure means you lack experience. So open your mouth and make a tit of yourself, you'll thank me in the long run.

Cheers
Ryan Partington

Here's another sneak preview at Galactic Kingdoms. We buy some asteroid scans, scan for roids and initiate them. Once resources are taken care of, it's time to launch an attack, against Bigtime.

Enjoy
Ryan Partington

Yesterday alone I received 50+ emails asking questions about the imminent release of Galactic Kingdoms. Remember you can find all the latest developments here.

Here's a little look at the game so far, still a bit that needs to be complete, like the scoring system. But take a look and let us know what you think..

Cheers
Ryan Partington

The Galactic Kingdoms beta sign ups will open March 1st. All that is left to do now is create the battle simulator and decided on the specifics of the scoring system. I've been testing out the code so far and I can tell you this, we are all in for a real nice surprise. It's easy to get the grips with and the action is immediately accessible.

I'm hoping to get an interview setup with Bigtime this Friday so keep your questions coming. You can find my contact details at the top of the page, just hit the 'contact' button. I'll try to get as many questions as possible asked Friday and post the results Saturday.

Cheers
Ryan Partington

Liverpool beat Chealsea 2-0 and everyone is talking about Robbie Kean going back to Spurs. From what I've heard, Kean's staying.

edit: ermmm, I meant going...

Well, well, well... Michael Pagan has been crunching some serious numbers. As early as this weekend, Galactic Kingdoms could be ready for beta testing. For those of you who've not heard, it's a space game based on Planetarion but in the early rounds. That means newbie bashing is in, excessive growth is in and most importantly, it's all free. No need to buy credits to help your growth, the key is start early and assimilate the weak.

Michael aka Bigtime crunching the big ones

Check out the development forum for progress updates.

Cheers
Ryan Partington

Here are some snaps from Liverpool One.

This is the latest addition to Liverpool One. Grab yourself a flamed grilled burger or hotdog, can be found on top by the park.

Ummmmm Yummeh!

This is the entrance to Liverpool One, just off Lord Street.

Looking down from the park towards the Albert Dock

This is the main shopping area. Shot taken from the top floor, to the right is the park, to the left the snazzy indoor area which contains a massive cinema and some nice restaurants.

The view to the right of the last picture. This is the little park on top. If you were to look left of this snap, you'd see the flamed grill burger bar, first picture.

L - I - V, - E - R - P, - Double O - L, LIVERPOOL FC!!!!12

Another snap from the top, if you look to the top left of this picture, you can see a nice outdoor area where you can grab a coffee.

That's only a taster, there's plenty more to see and do, but you'll have to visit the big city (Liverpool!) ;)

Cheers
Ryan Partington

I'm not the biggest Christina Aguilera fan, but I when this came on TMF, I was blown away. See what you think.