Commented 15 years ago2008-12-15 19:33:19 UTC
in journal: #5509Comment #40851
You would'nt steal a car. You would'nt steal a baby. You would'nt steal a solider's MP5 and shoot down many innocent Vortiguants with it. Stealing is stealing. Don't steal avatars. Brought to you by the National Avatar Protection Agency.
Commented 15 years ago2008-12-15 13:48:10 UTC
in vault item: hlife_hotdog_compo26Comment #17184
K finally played the whole thing, and here is the chapter-by-chapter review:
V_spoilers below!!_V V V V V
Wow I've played most of your entry, and I'm stunned at how long and well done this is. I must admit it's a little too long for my tasted and i didn't even finish it--my only real complaint i guess, the rest of the suggestive comments will be merely minor nitpicks]. Here are comments level by level:
1.) The first level is great, and i loved the use of pushables, and the cool entity work to make the sequences, beams, sprites, and contraptions all function together. Bravo. (also not too hard which i don't enjoy hard puzzles, nice having the hints too if you need/want it)
Some minor brushing errors on the crystals could be fixed by using hlfix. You could make the crystal globes look even cooler if you rendered some of the inside faces to give more dimension imo, but they still looked great.
2.) The second level is really cool and is very well-mapped like the first one. Again interesting use of pushables, and the solution is not too easy or hard. Also again very nice looking map for this.
3.) It's really hard to pick a favourite for any of the challenges that comprised your entry--any one of these single chapters could have qualified for an entry itself imo--, but this one was probably it. Not because it looked the prettiest (that would be hard to choose too), but i just loved the entity work and figuring out what you had to do was neat. I think you could have did some things to streamline the challenge a little bit, like make it easier to see what "tombstone" corresponed to what mirror, but what the heck this "chapter was great". I couldn't find the bonus coin for this one... = )
4.) With a similar theme to the second chapter, this one was also one of my favourites. the first few stages i got through ok but the third one i couldn't figure out, and just noclipped up.
I loved your use of momentary doors on this one, particularly the rotating cylinder for the first stage. (so very creative and nicely executed) my only complaint would be to move the levers so you can activate them and see the rotating stuff at the same time. Also, couldn't find the bonus coin on this one.
5.) A little to easy but still a neat puzzle. the first time i made it through i died jumping down the hole and thought i left out a step. the second time i just noclipped over and jumped down and lived, so maybe dying there is a slight bug? Anyway pretty cool.
6.) This level is also very well mapped but i find mazes to be particularly not fun. Doing a maze again, i would try to add another element besides the levers like a time limit or a certain order things had to be done in. I dunno, like i said mazes not my thing, though like the rest of the chapters, everything is flawlessly mapped and executed.
7.)By the time i reached this level i didn't feel like playing any more. this level is also very nicely crafted and looks like an aztec pyrammid trapped inside a magma cave, with almost phosphorescent stuff on the walls. Becoming tired of the puzzles, i just noclipped to the top/exit. = (
8.)this was it i just looked around a bit, and exited half-life. Just didn't feel like playing anymore.
To conclude, everything is superbly done, just a bit too long imo. Bravo for an epic amount of quality work... this must have taken some time to complete and work out any bugs. This is sure to be a place winner if not the winner of the whole thing. Excellent work is excellent. = )
Commented 15 years ago2008-12-15 13:32:31 UTC
in journal: #5508Comment #51696
I've never actually completed a map. :/ I always suffer from a surge of inspiration followed by boredom, and this, coupled with my inability to do a map that's fun to play, means that Ive got a folder with several hundred set pieces, but not one map that's actually playable. D:
Commented 15 years ago2008-12-15 08:23:30 UTC
in journal: #5506Comment #33277
Kasperg did raise hell a bit there, but his mapping skills were phenomenal.
I joined this site after I found it through a google search. I searched for "how to make changelevels in half life" And I went to a tutorial on a site named TWHL.
This tutorial was made by Kol. It'd be cool to talk to the guy that officially caused me to join TWHL.
Commented 15 years ago2008-12-15 06:43:27 UTC
in journal: #5508Comment #51699
I notice too i had so much energy to map when i didn't know what i was doing. Now that there is no geometry too that i can't handle and i have a very good understand of every entity (hl1) i have almost no drive to map.
I think it's hard to complete mapping projects too because they take a lot of work and a lot of time to do right.
Well i'm off to go map my happy place--this awesome idea i had yesterday--, buhbye, and everybody go finish a project.
Commented 15 years ago2008-12-15 06:18:26 UTC
in journal: #5508Comment #51679
This is all too familiar. I've recently scrapped all of my old projects, or at the very least shifted them to a scrap folder (including a big one you knew about - more on that later). I started up a Concept Mod, where I can toy with all my little half-developed ideas with no ambition to actually finish them. I think it helps by letting me get rid of those little wasteful urges in between working on my few surviving big projects.
Commented 15 years ago2008-12-14 22:30:46 UTC
in journal: #5508Comment #51681
Creativity is like sex, too much too fast and yer balls turn blue.
A good idea is to either do smaller projects, or a larger project in smaller sections. Either way, you have to break it down and make things possible. Also, do not be hastey. Do the artist's dance and step away from the project and look at it the next day. You might have something new to bring to the project if you go slow. Another thing is to tease yourself with it by limiting how much you work on it, like give yourself only 2 hours a day or something. Doing so could force you to think about it more and perhaps make wiser choices.
At least that's what my student success class roughly taught me a few years ago. Hope that provides some insight.
edit Ahh crap... I didn't save the non-xmas avatar, so I guess I'm stuck with this one for a while.
Brought to you by the National Avatar Protection Agency.
Come on Tuna, put a hat on that [No Avatar] sign! I'll do it for you.
http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/8663/noavxmasjc0.png
[EDIT] Double lol. Only when I pressed F5 here my hat appeared.
it's a conspiracy!
Raver's avatar needs PNG transparency badly.
V_spoilers below!!_V
V V
V V
Wow I've played most of your entry, and I'm stunned at how long and well done this is. I must admit it's a little too long for my tasted and i didn't even finish it--my only real complaint i guess, the rest of the suggestive comments will be merely minor nitpicks]. Here are comments level by level:
1.)
The first level is great, and i loved the use of pushables, and the cool entity work to make the sequences, beams, sprites, and contraptions all function together. Bravo. (also not too hard which i don't enjoy hard puzzles, nice having the hints too if you need/want it)
Some minor brushing errors on the crystals could be fixed by using hlfix. You could make the crystal globes look even cooler if you rendered some of the inside faces to give more dimension imo, but they still looked great.
2.)
The second level is really cool and is very well-mapped like the first one. Again interesting use of pushables, and the solution is not too easy or hard. Also again very nice looking map for this.
3.)
It's really hard to pick a favourite for any of the challenges that comprised your entry--any one of these single chapters could have qualified for an entry itself imo--, but this one was probably it. Not because it looked the prettiest (that would be hard to choose too), but i just loved the entity work and figuring out what you had to do was neat. I think you could have did some things to streamline the challenge a little bit, like make it easier to see what "tombstone" corresponed to what mirror, but what the heck this "chapter was great". I couldn't find the bonus coin for this one... = )
4.)
With a similar theme to the second chapter, this one was also one of my favourites. the first few stages i got through ok but the third one i couldn't figure out, and just noclipped up.
I loved your use of momentary doors on this one, particularly the rotating cylinder for the first stage. (so very creative and nicely executed) my only complaint would be to move the levers so you can activate them and see the rotating stuff at the same time. Also, couldn't find the bonus coin on this one.
5.)
A little to easy but still a neat puzzle. the first time i made it through i died jumping down the hole and thought i left out a step. the second time i just noclipped over and jumped down and lived, so maybe dying there is a slight bug? Anyway pretty cool.
6.)
This level is also very well mapped but i find mazes to be particularly not fun. Doing a maze again, i would try to add another element besides the levers like a time limit or a certain order things had to be done in. I dunno, like i said mazes not my thing, though like the rest of the chapters, everything is flawlessly mapped and executed.
7.)By the time i reached this level i didn't feel like playing any more. this level is also very nicely crafted and looks like an aztec pyrammid trapped inside a magma cave, with almost phosphorescent stuff on the walls. Becoming tired of the puzzles, i just noclipped to the top/exit. = (
8.)this was it i just looked around a bit, and exited half-life. Just didn't feel like playing anymore.
To conclude, everything is superbly done, just a bit too long imo. Bravo for an epic amount of quality work... this must have taken some time to complete and work out any bugs. This is sure to be a place winner if not the winner of the whole thing. Excellent work is excellent.
= )
I always suffer from a surge of inspiration followed by boredom, and this, coupled with my inability to do a map that's fun to play, means that Ive got a folder with several hundred set pieces, but not one map that's actually playable. D:
The navenger animation is for turnstile mod? (remember seeing that before it's cool) I like the stargate-style lift animation too = )
mephs =]
g_kid =]
I joined this site after I found it through a google search. I searched for "how to make changelevels in half life" And I went to a tutorial on a site named TWHL.
This tutorial was made by Kol. It'd be cool to talk to the guy that officially caused me to join TWHL.
<
I think it's hard to complete mapping projects too because they take a lot of work and a lot of time to do right.
Well i'm off to go map my happy place--this awesome idea i had yesterday--, buhbye, and everybody go finish a project.
)
What about Ministeve, RowleyBob, Jobabob, and you can't forget Kol.
I miss the past.
A good idea is to either do smaller projects, or a larger project in smaller sections. Either way, you have to break it down and make things possible. Also, do not be hastey. Do the artist's dance and step away from the project and look at it the next day. You might have something new to bring to the project if you go slow. Another thing is to tease yourself with it by limiting how much you work on it, like give yourself only 2 hours a day or something. Doing so could force you to think about it more and perhaps make wiser choices.
At least that's what my student success class roughly taught me a few years ago. Hope that provides some insight.