Comments

Commented 4 years ago2020-03-20 12:57:18 UTC in journal: Coronavirus Comment #102593
Working from home for the foreseeable future, with the office closed and everyone else doing the same. Jude had his last day at nursery yesterday and Ivory-Rose is at school until 3pm (2 hours from time of writing), then she's out.

The figure floating around is 12 weeks, which didn't seem so bad at first until I checked the calendar and realised that takes us to the middle of June!

Scoffed at all the people panic buying/stockpiling early on, but now of course there is nothing left for sensible people. Wife has had to run out to the supermarket first thing while I setup my desk for work each morning. The only way we can get what we need is to be the first in and head straight for the item in question.
Commented 4 years ago2020-02-29 14:16:53 UTC in vault item: Yet Another Half-Life Adventure 2 Comment #102561
Pretty solid map and quite lengthy for a single map. I played on hard and wasn't particularly struggling for health or ammo, so the challenge was fair. There were some really cool ideas and for the most part I'd say that the maps looked fine. Maybe lacking finer details to help create a sense of a lived in place/work environment, but nothing that looked terrible either! :D

I've made some notes below on things I spotted throughout, to either watch for in future or to patch in this release if you feel like it. :P
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This glass is FAR too opaque. You want to use texture for the rendermode and a really low renderFX value like 50 or 75.
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Missing faces on this armchair. I'm not sure which editor/compile tools you used, but I'm guessing they're not up to date. This can also be avoided by making the item into a func_rot_button and have them rotate as soon as the level loads, rather than rotating them in the editor.
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User posted image
This bin is made of glass... :P
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This just looks a little off. There are better ways of doing this kind of sloped hallway by skewing the textures, rather than trying to rotate the texture to fit. Also, the scientist could do with being tilted ever so slightly, his left leg is floating off the ground here.
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Not sure why this appears the way it does. Again, I have to assume you're using outdated compile tools as this should not have any issues compiling these days. :P
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More complex brushwork that has been rotated. Update your tools or use a func_rot_button entity to rotate this. There is also a very obvious invisible wall here. Try to avoid that.
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This would be a great oppurtunity for the player to see the valve that would shut off the steam blocking their path, but again, the glass is WAY too opaque to see into the dark room beyond.
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Grrr. I know this is only a headcrab, but its waiting right at the bottom of a vent drop, causing unavoidable damage to the player. If a player on hard only had 5 hitpoints here, the map would be unwinnable from this point. Give the player a chance to react, move the crab further away. :)
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Why exactly does this open the door? I could understand blowing the door open, but it's a sliding door... Just a little odd.
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Now this I actually REALLY like. The room itself doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but that's common in Valve's own maps. I don't think I've seen this kind of challenge in a map before and it was a really nice addition.
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At last but not least, these controllers don't move... at all. They need info_node_air entities in order to move around this space. Without them moving around, there is very little challenge here.
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Commented 4 years ago2020-02-13 15:34:31 UTC in vault item: Boombox Comment #102537
Hard "Yoink" on this one. Thanks.
Commented 4 years ago2020-02-08 20:58:46 UTC in vault item: TWHL Cubicles Comment #102533
@SourceSkyBoxer, the mod has custom coding so that you can switching between maps with a key press. This no longer appears to work. Best thing to do is to remove the DLLs and just launch the maps from the console.
Commented 4 years ago2020-01-24 23:35:05 UTC in vault item: Carbaseus Comment #102524
Uploaded the copy I had directly to TWHL so that this gem doesn't disappear again.
This comment was made on an article that has been deleted.
This comment was made on an article that has been deleted.
Commented 4 years ago2019-11-28 20:58:38 UTC in journal: Stream Announcements! Comment #102457
I will likely miss the start of The Whole Map Vault since it starts at 10pm and that's when my missus now gets home from work on Friday. I will likely catch all of the sorting out of the arseholes or whatever.
Commented 4 years ago2019-11-28 14:45:01 UTC in journal: Much more important than a birthday journal Comment #102454
Why are people still saying "Happy Birthday" though? :\
Commented 4 years ago2019-11-07 20:24:15 UTC in poll: Video Games November 2019 Comment #102428
I originally thought "Hmmm, Red Dead on PC." until I realised:
A) It's not coming to Steam until December and
B) I'm not likely to even get it until the price comes down

So yeah, nothing I guess. Bit of a bummer really.
This comment was made on an article that has been deleted.
Commented 4 years ago2019-10-21 09:30:49 UTC in journal: What a time to be alive... Comment #102362
Thanks... motherfucker?
Commented 4 years ago2019-10-20 00:03:27 UTC in journal: What a time to be alive... Comment #102356
:lol:
Commented 4 years ago2019-10-19 20:09:25 UTC in journal: What a time to be alive... Comment #102354
It was neither. I was sat at my desk, trying to think of a birthday journal. I guess my brain just operates in shower/shit mode at all times.
Commented 4 years ago2019-10-17 23:27:59 UTC in poll: Best Vowel Comment #102334
When in doubt, remember the song: "Anything U can do I can do better. I can do anything better than U."
Commented 4 years ago2019-10-08 13:48:35 UTC in journal: Need to leave Comment #102316
So please stay out of my way you apes.
Commented 4 years ago2019-10-07 13:50:58 UTC in journal: Need to leave Comment #102308
I'm trying to get my head around how you perceive things as that's obviously a huge contributing factor.

What you need to understand is that depending on what you're working on, a lot of the time it's going to be very niche. Something that interests you might not interest a lot of other people.

Goldsource or Source mods on PC are fairly common and much easier for the average player to install and play for example, and as such tend to be popular.

Some of the things I've seen you pitching, such as ports to Nintendo DS or modding for Xbox and such is going to be extremely limiting in terms of audience. Both systems are very outdated, meaning fewer and fewer people are even going to be using them, not to mention people looking to play ported games from 10 or 20 years ago. Hell, this website is dedicated to custom projects of varying scope for a range of Goldsource and Source titles, and in all the many many MANY years that I've been here, I've never seen anybody even consider making mods for consoles besides yourself.
Commented 4 years ago2019-10-04 18:57:15 UTC in journal: I now have... Comment #102288
Congrats! She's gorgeous. Brave little one too. My two cats spent the first night behind our washing machine.

May you have many happy years together and may she appear in all your maps from now on. :3
Commented 4 years ago2019-09-24 13:10:11 UTC in vault item: dm_Apprehension Comment #102281
Honestly I wouldn't have removed the upper metal walkway. Height variation adds a lot to gameplay. With it stands, this is a pretty simple crate map.

Working on a HLDM map based on the singleplayer campaign is a great way to do things, but expand on the area, don't remove stuff. ;)
Commented 4 years ago2019-09-09 13:31:55 UTC in vault item: Open The Door... Comment #102265
Spent about 45 minutes in the map yesterday evening. Got down to 29. I shall attempt to complete this tonight. I get a feeling I will start to lose my temper with it when I start getting down to single digits.

Fun idea though. Really quite a simple concept that I've not seen before.
Commented 4 years ago2019-09-08 00:11:54 UTC in journal: Was cleaning my room Comment #102258
I enjoy how this alien grunt gets both a retail and a concept model for the hivehand. Dual wielding like a bee-ast.
Commented 4 years ago2019-09-07 22:48:45 UTC in vault item: Blue Paradise Comment #102257
Recovered the map from FPS Banana and added the file here.
Commented 4 years ago2019-08-31 18:23:54 UTC in vault item: dm_eightball Comment #102236
This is a really nice looking map. Tricky to say how it would play having only run around it alone, but damn does it look good. Seems to be nicely clipped as well, so as not to have players getting blocked by the small details during the frantic gameplay of HLDM. This could easily work as a small single player experience as well, with a few access restrictions thrown in here and there.

The lighting is nice and varied throughout and the only area where I struggled to see much was the cave area. but given that the lights in this area can be turned off completely I assume this was the point.

Finally, there are some nice little secrets which give the player access to the more powerful weapons. Every time I thought I had been clever and broken the map I was proven wrong and instead rewarded with a new toy. Very well done.
Commented 4 years ago2019-08-29 08:35:50 UTC in journal: Just one of those days I guess Comment #102224
Happy... 24th?

I'm basing this purely on "the most powerful handgun in the world" according to Dirty Harry, the .44 Magnum. Or at least a six shooter of some description.
Commented 4 years ago2019-08-17 16:47:55 UTC in journal: Brain Surgery 2 Comment #102221
All the best to you both. I hope this last month wont drag for either of you. It's the waiting that's often the worst part.
Commented 4 years ago2019-07-28 02:15:42 UTC in journal: It's the thing Comment #102175
It's a TWHL journal and it's obscure... Happy Birthday?
Commented 4 years ago2019-07-18 12:58:33 UTC in vault item: de_splinter2 Comment #102169
I remember this map. It's OK.
Commented 4 years ago2019-07-11 12:32:50 UTC in journal: What to do in London this summer? Comment #102158
From the three phone calls I received that night along with video messages I can confirm that:
A) Drinks were drunk.
B) Merriment was had.
C) Dicks were kicked.
Commented 4 years ago2019-07-11 12:30:44 UTC in journal: My princess, Ivory-Rose - UPDATED July 11th Comment #102157
Many thanks for the kind response. :D
Commented 4 years ago2019-07-08 13:54:40 UTC in journal: Strictly speaking, this is two minutes too late. Comment #102149
Happy leaving via mum's vagina anniversary.
Commented 4 years ago2019-06-29 00:20:13 UTC in journal: What to do in London this summer? Comment #102128
Meh, just kick him in the dick.
Commented 4 years ago2019-06-26 14:11:13 UTC in journal: What to do in London this summer? Comment #102123
I spent a day at the British Museum, and when I left I seriously considered going back the day after. So much to look at!
Yeah, we've stolen a lot of shit over the centuries.
Commented 4 years ago2019-06-24 14:45:25 UTC in journal: My princess, Ivory-Rose - UPDATED July 11th Comment #102120
Pinging a link to my wife now, see if she can grab it on her Kindle.
Commented 4 years ago2019-06-22 17:32:56 UTC in journal: My princess, Ivory-Rose - UPDATED July 11th Comment #102116
Hahaha!
Commented 4 years ago2019-06-22 07:37:07 UTC in journal: My princess, Ivory-Rose - UPDATED July 11th Comment #102112
Thanks Satch. She gets that from me. I am also a beautiful princess.

As for people thrown by her age, trust me, I'm as shocked as you and I was there.

Hell, my son is nearly 18 months already...
Commented 4 years ago2019-06-21 14:09:28 UTC in journal: My princess, Ivory-Rose - UPDATED July 11th Comment #102106
Penguinboy! Get in here! I need a way to add a 'like' to Satchmo's response, stat!
Commented 4 years ago2019-06-20 21:23:12 UTC in journal: My princess, Ivory-Rose - UPDATED July 11th Comment #102103
Thanks for the responses guys. We're not concerned about Ivory being on the Autistic Spectrum. It's not something that can be "fixed" as such. She's not broken, she's just Autistic. It's already clear that when she wants something, she will fight for it. While at the moment that means tantrums and screaming, when she's older I'm certain it will become passion and drive.

The primary school that she's got a placement with is actually my old school, and we know they have a fantastic reputation for learning support. In fact, Ivory's key person at nursery has said today that she thinks Ivory would actually benefit going to school as normal. Early days yet, and there are a lot of meetings and assessments still to come, but overall we're staying positive. :)

@Bruce: No hate here, but Ivory is actually long done with her vaccinations. Next one isn't until she's between 12 and 13. Personally, that's not something I would be willing to do. Again, I'm not concerned that Ivory is on the spectrum and I much prefer that over her being vulnerable against measles, polio or rubella. :|
Commented 4 years ago2019-06-20 16:28:46 UTC in journal: My princess, Ivory-Rose - UPDATED July 11th Comment #102098
It wasn't sudden by any means, no. She was always slow to start speaking. She didn't even babble very much when she was younger. Not like her younger brother now who doesn't stop babbling.

We just figured she was quiet, until we saw her together with her cousin (2 week age difference)

He was attempting to talk in sentences while she resorted to pointing, grunting and saying only one or two words.
Commented 4 years ago2019-06-02 16:15:20 UTC in vault item: Cycler Sample Maps (Unused Content) Comment #102042
zombiegibs.mdl actually does appear in the game, in the Office Complex freezer.
Commented 4 years ago2019-05-27 14:27:44 UTC in journal: Giant Dump Comment #102012
Always good to have a vent. Sorry to hear about everything that's going on, but every cloud has a silver lining as they say. Best of luck to Lyssa! Strange that you should mention being diagnosed with autism. We're pretty sure that's what is coming with our daughter...

Happy to hear you're still working on SMJ, and I'd be more than willing to help out with the story anyway I can. I have no professional writing experience, but I certainly enjoy it.
Commented 4 years ago2019-05-19 17:58:10 UTC in vault item: The_Tube2019 Comment #101997
I just checked this out. Having not played the original before and only experiencing this version running around on my own, the improvements seem minimal at first. However, I cannot deny that some of the more major changes are a definite improvement. The 2019 map is more open, which would allow for some interesting firefights. There are also far fewer item and weapon pick ups in dead ends which were a big no-no in the original. The texture changes mean that you can differentiate the various sections more easily and the clip and illusionary brushes for doorways and signs respectively mean that you aren't getting snagged while long jumping around the corridors.

Would love to try this out on the server some time.
Commented 4 years ago2019-05-10 22:24:26 UTC in vault item: Infodecal Sample Map Comment #101976
Uhm... why exactly?
Commented 4 years ago2019-04-24 13:04:14 UTC in journal: Mapping out the future Comment #101965
Well shit. You've been here longer than me. Haha! Welcome back. I'll be perfectly honest, as much as I like Sledge, I've taken to JACK more recently, so I might not be of much assistance with your questions. :P
This comment was made on an article that has been deleted.
Commented 5 years ago2019-03-20 14:07:55 UTC in journal: Another Brain Surgery? Comment #101923
Yeesh, sorry to hear that, man. Hoping for nothing but the best outcome for you both. x
Commented 5 years ago2019-03-14 00:38:05 UTC in poll: French Bread Showdown Comment #101903
"Of course I regularly devour a baguette with some tuna and sweetcorn or a bowl of hot soup." Urby raises a fist to the sky, "However, croissants are the ultimate breakfast nom and as we all well know, that's the most important nom of the day! Hyaah!"

With a kick of his spurs, Urby glides away on his giant sentient croissant and explodes.

...Time for bed I reckon.
Commented 5 years ago2019-03-11 14:31:43 UTC in vault item: Colony 42 Comment #101886
Delicious labour fruits...
Commented 5 years ago2019-03-11 10:03:43 UTC in poll: French Bread Showdown Comment #101885
Croissant Crew 4 lyf
Commented 5 years ago2019-03-10 16:32:53 UTC in vault item: E-Lab-orate Comment #101884
Thanks for the playthrough 2much. I see you skipped most of the ammo pickups. I made the map pretty sadistic for people who didn't explore the areas fully. :P