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Brad Wardell
Bradley R. Wardell (born June 24, 1971) is an American businessman, programmer, author and AI Engineer. He is the founder, president, and chief executive officer of Stardock, a software development and computer games company. Wardell's specialty is the design and programming of artificial intelligence and game mechanics for turn-based strategy games. Career Early career Wardell built PCs and worked as a check proofer while studying at Western Michigan University. He graduated in 1994 with a degree in Electronic Engineering, specializing in Computer Engineering. Wardell was involved in the design and implementation of ''Galactic Civilizations'' for OS/2, one of the platform's few games. He led development of ''OS/2 Essentials'', followed by ''Object Desktop'', a package of utilities and desktop enhancements. When the OS/2 market collapsed, he shifted Stardock to Windows, heading development of PC game ''Entrepreneur'' (now '' The Corporate Machine'') while coordinating the crea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by both List of U.S. states and territories by area, area (after Alaska) and List of U.S. states and territories by population, population (after California). Texas shares borders with the states of Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the west, and the Mexico, Mexican States of Mexico, states of Chihuahua (state), Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas to the south and southwest; and has a coastline with the Gulf of Mexico to the southeast. Houston is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in Texas and the List of United States cities by population, fourth-largest in the U.S., while San Antonio is the second most pop ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
OS/2
OS/2 (Operating System/2) is a series of computer operating systems, initially created by Microsoft and IBM under the leadership of IBM software designer Ed Iacobucci. As a result of a feud between the two companies over how to position OS/2 relative to Microsoft's new Windows 3.1 operating environment, the two companies severed the relationship in 1992 and OS/2 development fell to IBM exclusively. The name stands for "Operating System/2", because it was introduced as part of the same generation change release as IBM's " Personal System/2 (PS/2)" line of second-generation personal computers. The first version of OS/2 was released in December 1987 and newer versions were released until December 2001. OS/2 was intended as a protected-mode successor of PC DOS. Notably, basic system calls were modeled after MS-DOS calls; their names even started with "Dos" and it was possible to create "Family Mode" applications – text mode applications that could work on both systems. Be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Twilight Of The Arnor
''Galactic Civilizations II: Twilight of the Arnor'', released April 30, 2008, is the second expansion pack to the turn-based strategy video game '' Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords'', following the first expansion pack '' Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar'', released February 2007. It has been affirmed by the developer, Stardock, that this is to be the last expansion. Storyline According to the backstory of the game's main campaign, the Drengin and the Korath races are at war, with the latter wishing to annihilate and the former merely to enslave the Galaxy. Purportedly, the two sides are manipulated by the Dread Lords, who are biding their time in preparation for their next assault. At the same time the Earth is isolated and safe behind an impenetrable barrier, and pockets of its once mighty Navy are searching for ways to end the Dread Lord menace once and for all. As the game's main campaign progresses, it is revealed that one lone Terran Alliance ship runs across ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dark Avatar
''Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar'' is the first expansion pack to the turn-based strategy game '' Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords''. It was released by Stardock in February 2007, both as a separately downloadable expansion and the combination retail box ''Galactic Civilizations II: Gold Edition''. Plot The Drengin Empire has conquered most of the galaxy, driving the Terrans back to Earth, where humans have created an impenetrable defence around the homeworld. The Drengin have focused their attention on the other conquered races. Krindar I'Agohl, leader of the Korath clan, a specialist military faction feared in combat even against the Terrans, urges the annihilation of all non-Drengin species. Formerly few could survive against the Korath in battle. Now none survive at all. However, there is something mysterious about the Korath. They do not resemble normal Drengin species, and without slavelings the Drengin Empire is weaker, for genocide is not their way. You, as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
War Of Magic
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular or irregular military forces. Warfare refers to the common activities and characteristics of types of war, or of wars in general. Total war is warfare that is not restricted to purely legitimate military targets, and can result in massive civilian or other non-combatant suffering and casualties. While some war studies scholars consider war a universal and ancestral aspect of human nature, others argue it is a result of specific socio-cultural, economic or ecological circumstances. Etymology The English word ''war'' derives from the 11th-century Old English words ''wyrre'' and ''werre'', from Old French ''werre'' (also ''guerre'' as in modern French), in turn from the Frankish *''werra'', ultimately deriving from the Proto-Germanic *''we ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Political Machine
''The Political Machine'' is a government simulation game from Stardock and the first game in the '' Political Machine'' series, in which the player leads a campaign to elect the President of the United States. The player accomplishes this goal by traveling from state to state and engaging in a variety of activities to either raise money or raise poll numbers. Each game starts with the selection of a pre-created candidate or creation of a fictional candidate from one of the two major American political parties, the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. Headquarters and fundraisers are possible, the effectiveness of which depends on various factors. When enough money is accumulated the player can "invest" it in advertisements (either through newspapers, radio, or TV media). The effectiveness of these ads are determined by several factors. For instance, an ad supporting tax cuts will work better with Republican Texas than with Democratic Massachusetts. A key factor in the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
GameSpy
GameSpy was an American provider of online multiplayer and matchmaking middleware for video games founded in 1996 by Mark Surfas. After the release of a multiplayer server browser for the game, QSpy, Surfas licensed the software under the GameSpy brand to other video game publishers through a newly established company, GameSpy Industries, which also incorporated his Planet Network of video game news and information websites, and GameSpy.com. GameSpy merged with IGN in 2004; by 2014, its services had been used by over 800 video game publishers and developers since its launch. In August 2012, the GameSpy Industries division (which remained responsible for the GameSpy service) was acquired by mobile video game developer Glu Mobile. IGN (then owned by News Corporation) retained ownership of the GameSpy.com website. In February 2013, IGN's new owner, Ziff Davis, shut down IGN's "secondary" sites, including GameSpy's network. This was followed by the announcement in April 2014 that G ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dread Lords
Dread may refer to: Feelings * Angst (in existentialist thought), a deep-seated spiritual condition of insecurity and despair in the free human being * Anxiety People Reggae musicians * Doctor Dread (born 1954), American music producer * Judge Dread (1945–1998), British musician * Massive Dread (c. 1960–1994), Jamaican deejay * Mikey Dread (1954–2008), Jamaican singer * Ranking Dread (c. 1955–1996), Jamaican deejay Other * Adam Dread (born 1963), American lawyer and politician * Zebulon Dread, South African writer * Emmanuel Wilmer aka "Dread Wilmer" (died 2005) Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * Dread & Alive, the award-winning black comic book series created by Nicholas Da Silva aka ZOOLOOK * Brig of Dread (Bridge of Dread), the mythological bridge to Purgatory * Judge Dread, the alternate universe Judge Dredd from ''Dread Dominion'' * Lord Dread, a character in the TV series ''Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future'' Games * ''Dre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
WindowBlinds
WindowBlinds is a computer program that allows users to skin the Windows graphical user interface. It has been developed by Stardock since 1998, and is the most popular component of their flagship software suite, Object Desktop. It is also available separately, and as an ActiveX/COM component called DirectSkin. Introduced in its sixth version, it supports alpha blending effects similar to the compositing of Windows Vista, but on Windows XP. WindowBlinds has been downloaded over 10 million times WindowBlinds 7.0 at PCWorld.pl and was voted "Best Vertical Market Program or Utility" in the 2006 Shareware Industry Awards Foundation People's Choice Awards. As of November 2009 there were 4448 WindowBlinds skins available at WinCustomize, with an average of nine being added per week; another popular repository is deviantART. Skin formats WindowBlinds skins come in two formats: "Basic" (or "UIS1+") and "Advanced" (or "UIS2"). Basic (UIS1+) Despite its name, the "Basic" skin format ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Corporate Machine
''The Corporate Machine'' (known in Europe as ''Business Tycoon'') is a business simulation computer game from Stardock in which the goal is to create a corporation A corporation is an organization—usually a group of people or a company—authorized by the state to act as a single entity (a legal entity recognized by private and public law "born out of statute"; a legal person in legal context) and r ... in one of four industry (economics), industries (automobiles, aircraft, computers, or soft drinks) and eventually dominate rival companies. To win the player must dominate the chosen market (getting 55% to 65% of the market share depending on the number of opponents). The Corporate Machine is a follow up to the game Business Tycoon, which was itself a sequel to the game Entrepreneur, all developed by Stardock. Gameplay Starting Out When starting a game, the player picks a company specialty. Three specialties are available: marketing, Labour (economics), labor and r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Microsoft Windows
Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for servers, and Windows IoT for embedded systems. Defunct Windows families include Windows 9x, Windows Mobile, and Windows Phone. The first version of Windows was released on November 20, 1985, as a graphical operating system shell for MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces (GUIs). Windows is the most popular desktop operating system in the world, with 75% market share , according to StatCounter. However, Windows is not the most used operating system when including both mobile and desktop OSes, due to Android's massive growth. , the most recent version of Windows is Windows 11 for consumer PCs and tablets, Windows 11 Enterprise for corporations, and Windows Server 2022 for servers. Genealogy By marketing ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Desktop Environment
In computing, a desktop environment (DE) is an implementation of the desktop metaphor made of a bundle of programs running on top of a computer operating system that share a common graphical user interface (GUI), sometimes described as a graphical shell. The desktop environment was seen mostly on personal computers until the rise of mobile computing. Desktop GUIs help the user to easily access and edit files, while they usually do not provide access to all of the features found in the underlying operating system. Instead, the traditional command-line interface (CLI) is still used when full control over the operating system is required. A desktop environment typically consists of icons, windows, toolbars, folders, wallpapers and desktop widgets (see Elements of graphical user interfaces and WIMP). A GUI might also provide drag and drop functionality and other features that make the desktop metaphor more complete. A desktop environment aims to be an intuitive way for the user to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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