Comments

Commented 8 years ago2015-06-28 20:10:55 UTC in journal: #8564 Comment #52873
It's fantastic news - only last year we were celebrating the same result in Scotland! :)

"you actually can't honestly blame 'em with all of the Confederate Flag bullshit happening." Considering what that flag represents, I'm pretty sure we're still allowed to blame 'em. I'm blown away that it's taken this long for a real outcry at the Confederate flag still being flown to happen.

@rufee: I completely agree with you, unless of course you're implying that homosexual marriage is contributing to it.
Commented 8 years ago2015-06-26 13:06:41 UTC in journal: #8563 Comment #54622
That's mindblowing to me. I've been to more gigs than I can count - there's nothing quite like live music.
That's pretty damn cool that you've seen The Who, though I can't imagine they rock quite as hard as they used to :P

Standing gigs always tend to be more fun, and while the big stadium concerts are amazing, I always tend to prefer more intimate performances in venues that'll just about fit a thousand.

I used to go fishing in County Mayo a lot and we'd travel through NI, but aside from roadside services I've never actually explored much of it. The West coast of The Republic of Ireland is utterly beautiful, though.
Commented 8 years ago2015-06-04 11:59:02 UTC in journal: #8555 Comment #62687
I really, really try to be open to new and alternative things, but I simply can't fathom how anyone could consider 8.1 to be remotely superior. The single advantage was faster boot times; literally everything else was quantifiably worse, particularly for work.

I'll check out 10 when it's released, but I'm making damn sure I have my W7 installer on a pen drive ready to reinstall at a moment's notice. I'm cautiously optimistic, though. Windows versions seem to alternate between good and woeful, and it's the turn of good!
Commented 8 years ago2015-05-22 13:14:36 UTC in journal: #8551 Comment #61219
My G500 was the best mouse I'd ever used by a long way. Mine suffered the same problem that Stojke described, and it's a real shame that such a brilliantly designed bit of kit was let down by cheap materials.

I replaced it with the Corsair Raptor M45, which is a great mouse. It doesn't look even remotely as good as the G500 did, and for extended use it's not quite as comfortable, but in all other respects I'm really happy with it.

Dr. Orange, 5 button mice are just the better option, no contest. For gaming, for browsing and especially for working before I had my Intuos Pro - having context-sensitive binds in After Effects and Premiere was invaluable.

But yeah, even just forward and back in a browser is such a delightful way to navigate.
This comment was made on an article that has been deleted.
Commented 8 years ago2015-05-17 19:55:27 UTC in journal: #8546 Comment #40246
Dude, can we finish Hostage Situation now?
Commented 8 years ago2015-05-17 16:19:32 UTC in vault item: Colony 42 Comment #20881
So happy to see this get released!

It was a very ambitious project to undertake alone and you should be proud that you got it this far! That said, it's certainly not without its flaws.

The pre-disaster chapter actually had me really pleasantly surprised. The mapping is blocky and the lighting is criminally bland, but you've actually done a really good job at creating a 'living' world to explore. Almost every NPC encountered during this chapter is just resolutely getting on with their day and it never feels like they're just standing around waiting for their turn to be seen by the player.
User posted image

The references throughout are excessive and heavy-handed, with some falling into the category of ridiculous, but actually I found them really endearing for the most part; though I have to ask: is there anybody on the Colony 42 station who is not a member of TWHL? :D
User posted image


Were it not for the intro text, however, there is little to indicate that the story unfolding takes place on a space station. It's not until the very final hallway of the mod that we start seeing some space-age looking architecture and viewing ports. Everything else about the station feels fundamentally and disappointingly terrestrial, with standard box rooms and endless hallways with 90-degree corners.

I enjoyed seeing Urbles and myself have a little conversation in the control room. I'd genuinely forgotten that I'd recorded a few lines for this, though given that the original files on my PC are dated as January 2009(!!!) it's no surprise that I'd forgotten!

Unfortunately once the combat begins, the mod takes a bit of a nose-dive in terms of enjoyment. Whilst exploring the largely open maps during the pre-disaster chapter was fun, once it becomes a matter of figuring out where to go to progress, it gets insanely irritating. I was constantly left wondering if I'd gone the right way or if I'd missed something and this was not helped by the lack of an overarching objective.
User posted image


The combat, too, is all rather samey. Highlights were few and far between as most encounters happened in the bland hallways that make up the majority of the level design. A couple of good door-scares with zombies and wide open vort fights were entertaining, but on the whole gameplay really suffered from repetition.
User posted image

The model reskins were cool, though I'm still not sure if there is any notable behaviour difference between the different colours of vortigaunt, and it seems a shame that you didn't extend the colour change to their zappy discharge, which stayed stubbornly green throughout, despite my best efforts to coax them into changing colour.
User posted image


One of the best philosophies I stand by with modding is giving everything in the world a story, and there are times when you've really, really nailed this. Be it simply the right props for the right rooms or more extravagent carnage (highlights include a room torn to pieces by an employee who has just received a letter from his girlfriend letting him know she's leaving him & an unfortunate scientist who's triggered a shotgun attached to a tripwire), this attention to detail stood out to me as being the best aspect of your design.
User posted image

You should also be pleased about some of the props you were able to make with just basic brushwork and good texturing. Everything from toilets to coffee machines are elegantly represented by some really neat brushwork!
User posted image


I'm not sure if there was going to be a more overarching story that got cut for this release, but I never really got a sense of what Colony 42 was, what it was doing or indeed what the disaster was that had caused the influx of aliens and 'splosions. There are a couple of hints towards experimentation along the lines of the Lambda Complex, such as tamed houndeyes and chumtoads, but otherwise I was left in the dark. It's obviously a massive facility, given its inclusion of everything from eateries to an entire shopping mall, but there's nothing to explain why such a station exists.
User posted image


Overall, you know exactly what the problems with this are, and I can see why you fell out of love with it. It's not representative of your current skill level, and I was really pleased to read your addendum in the credits - you've got exactly the right attitude. Be proud that you released it, and seeing something of this scale leave development hell is truly inspiring. Bravo, sir!

User posted image

User posted image

User posted image
Commented 8 years ago2015-04-30 21:43:42 UTC in vault item: Fy_Spoils Comment #20867
My comment is still accurate. I never said you didn't have lights, I said it looks like you forgot to add them, which it does.
I suggest taking a bit more time to finesse it, because it genuinely looks fullbright at first glance, even in-game.

No need to take offense - CapT in particular was completely constructive. I was merely blunt.
Commented 8 years ago2015-04-28 11:26:45 UTC in vault item: Fy_Spoils Comment #20862
Looks like you forgot to add lights
Commented 8 years ago2015-04-24 20:37:18 UTC in journal: #8539 Comment #46098
I got my (now ex, oops!) girlfriend a PipBoy 3000 for xmas and the guy did such a good job on it that I decided to ask him if he takes commissions. Turns out he does, so I got a Stargate for an insanely cheap price!

Could not recommend this guy more - he kept me up to date on progress the entire time and the quality is outstanding.

Check him out!
Commented 8 years ago2015-04-17 13:07:26 UTC in journal: #8537 Comment #54613
Damn, dude, that's awesome!
Commented 8 years ago2015-04-09 13:47:37 UTC in journal: #8533 Comment #58489
I already left a lengthy review of this on RTSL and I stand by everything I said. It's stunning.

He even faked brushwork Ambient Occlusion with blocklight brushes at corner points. Awesome way to take advantage of an aging engine.
Commented 8 years ago2015-04-08 16:17:01 UTC in news: Urby had a baby! Comment #100251
urblet swarm!
Commented 8 years ago2015-04-05 22:07:51 UTC in journal: #8531 Comment #44060
Architecture is believable, but lacking function. Develop it further over the coming years.

Texturing is acceptable, although I would have preferred a darker palette.

Ambience is on-the-whole overly loud, and the smell is palpable. These aspects could be reduced over time to a more acceptable level.

Gameplay is top notch. I imagine lots of fun could be had playing with this.

Overall, not your best work, but a welcome addition none-the-less.
Commented 9 years ago2015-03-24 15:00:53 UTC in vault item: Then and Now Comment #14334
That is an AMAZING idea
Commented 9 years ago2015-03-21 10:11:56 UTC in vault item: Then and Now Comment #14330
Good blast of classic Half-Lifing!
If you can map this well how come all your maps in The Core are so shit?
Commented 9 years ago2015-03-15 21:27:34 UTC in journal: #8521 Comment #50463
Happy anniversary! According to tradition, 10 years is your 'tin' anniversary. Only 40 more years 'til gold.

I'm at over 10.5 years myself. It's weird how I'm constantly surprised by the passage of time when it's literally the most predictable thing in the universe.

On May 13th, The Phantom Menace will have come out closer to Return of the Jedi than to the present.
Commented 9 years ago2015-03-04 10:49:35 UTC in journal: #8515 Comment #60125
"I think we can all agree on the fact that valve is now putting money ahead of game quality at this point [...] they prolly arent as concerned about quality now than before"
Nonsense, look at HL3. They could have easily shat out a sequel and raked in billions from the brainless fans (us). The very fact that they're taking so much time and care over it shows where their priorities lie. They very, very rarely make a decision without first asking how it can benefit players.
Don't get me wrong, they're incredibly shrewd when it comes to making money, but their infinite funds allow them to experiment and shape the way we play games.

They take their time and refine their first-party titles whilst providing an incredible ecosystem for the third-party games on Steam. Nostalgia is not an excuse to halt progress.
Commented 9 years ago2015-03-02 23:43:53 UTC in journal: #8515 Comment #60124
I disagree with almost every point you've brought up, and in particular I must defend the Steam Workshop. As a modder you should be jumping for joy that your creations now have versioning, automatic updates, unified comments, promotion and hosting all rolled into one easy to use system. And they can even make some money! The Workshop system is brilliant and is introducing whole new generations to the modding world.

I highly recommend you watch this video when it comes to the way Valve are monetizing their games nowadays. If you compare their systems to almost any other in-game transactions, it's black and white that Valve's system is clearly on the right path - particularly in Dota.

I will admit that in TF2, after revisiting it for the first time since the first Pyro update, I was quite quickly overwhelmed with trying to learn what different weapons were doing, which is arguably a negative, though I will point out that all the classes still played clearly defined roles and it was still fun. Since TF2 is a silly, casual game - not a competetive one - it makes sense that Valve were more willing to experiment with it.

If a games company is willing to support and update their entire back catalogue more than 15 years later I wholeheartedly support them, but then I've never experienced any of the crashes or bugs you seem to have encountered. I know a couple of GldSrc mods were buggered by the Steampipe update, but The Core showed zero ill-effects, so I can't really complain. The ones that broke were those with so many engine modifications they weren't recognisably Goldsource anymore.
Commented 9 years ago2015-02-26 01:26:34 UTC in journal: #8512 Comment #62660
Happy Bday, you stallion!
User posted image
Commented 9 years ago2015-02-20 14:08:30 UTC in journal: #8509 Comment #58485
Is that not the simplified dota ripoff? All I've heard from everyone I know who has tried it is that it's really shallow in comparison to Dota 2.
Commented 9 years ago2015-02-15 22:45:10 UTC in journal: #8503 Comment #46077
Are they shit? I've never gotten anything from them before, I was just going on reviews.
I haven't purchased yet, though, and you seem to know your stuff!
No to the AOCs?
PC Pro had this to say about them:

"Not content with serving up a 27in, 2,560 x 1,440 panel for less than £400, AOC has defied expectations by throwing in a fully adjustable stand and a three-year warranty as well. The combination of features and image quality is positively brilliant for the money, and only Acer’s K272HUL comes close at this price, with ever-so-slightly superior colour accuracy" (Source)
Commented 9 years ago2015-02-09 12:59:44 UTC in journal: #8503 Comment #46076
Think I might go for two of these. It seems to be a good all-rounder at a very commendable price.

And yeah, it's primarily for screen real-estate for After Effects and Premiere.
Commented 9 years ago2015-02-03 14:15:38 UTC in journal: #8503 Comment #46075
Hmm, the U2713H is quite a bit pricier and from using it at work I've encountered all sorts of niggling issues with it, although not in a while. It definitely is a beautiful image, though, and is definitely one I've considered in the past.

Choices... Choices...
Commented 9 years ago2015-02-03 13:29:13 UTC in journal: #8503 Comment #46074
So the high-end gaming panels are still sacrificing overall image quality for refresh rates?
Cool, that's what I wasn't sure about.
Rufee, this has been really helpful, thanks! Just overall then, based on my preference of image quality and viewing angle, do you think I'd be happy with the PB278Q? I know very little about the actual tech, so reading the description and numbers on ebuyer doesn't help me much, but I'm quite a visualphile (audiophile but for visuals? That makes sense, right? :P) so I absolutely do notice the difference between bad displays and good ones.

What about this Samsung or this Viewsonic?
Commented 9 years ago2015-02-03 12:23:39 UTC in journal: #8503 Comment #46073
Very interesting, thanks!
Striker, you're the first person I've seen speaking negatively about G-Sync. PC Gamer, who I usually trust on these matters described it thusly: "If your attached gaming rig is capable of delivering over sixty frames per second at this 1440p native resolution, then Nvidia’s synchronization tech can make your real-time PC gaming experience look like a pre-rendered animation.
Therein lies the beauty of G-Sync."


That does sound very appealing to me.

However, I will be getting two of these monitors, as mismatched colour between monitors pisses me off no-end and I've never managed to perfectly match colours between two differing monitors despite spending hours calibrating.

I'm never going to get into serious competitive gaming - I'm much more interesting in great contrast, colours and viewing angle, so the only thing really swaying me is G-sync. 5ms 60Hz would suit me just fine otherwise.

Do you think I should go for the PB278Q, or does anyone know of a better alternative? I'd like to keep the cost of the two panels under £1000
Commented 9 years ago2015-02-02 11:36:21 UTC in journal: #8502 Comment #40496
Happiest of birthdations, you scary fucking mapper! :)

Have a blast, mate.
Commented 9 years ago2015-01-07 09:52:18 UTC in journal: #8490 Comment #46058
I totally agree with all the criticism, in particular Ant's.
This was my flatmate's final uni project and as such a lot of the crew (in particular the Director of Photography, Sound Recordist, B cam op and Assembly Editor) had zero previous experience of making this kind of programme. It's really disappointing because I think the script is actually great - it's just a lot of the jokes fall flat due to poor technique. I was given zero creative control over my camera by the DoP who had a rigid storyboard, and as you guessed it was line per line rather than scene run-throughs.

I'm fairly pleased with the VFX side of things, though the B-cam the uni provided (was originally the A-cam until I showed the DoP my camera's footage side by side with theirs) was so noisy and compressed it made even basic rotoscoping a fucking nightmare.

As for the acting, the dad in particular does indeed come from a stage background and it definitely shows. I think Rebecca who plays Lucy is great, as is Dave who plays Archeus. They both took their characters to just the right level of over-the-top, and while Phil (Mike) has moments of greatness, he also falls flat a few times ("Awww, damnit!")

From the perspective of it being a student film, I think it's actually pretty high quality, but I'm definitely gutted it's not as good as it could have been.
Commented 9 years ago2014-12-24 00:43:39 UTC in journal: #8487 Comment #66600
Of course, it's music.
Commented 9 years ago2014-12-24 00:43:24 UTC in journal: #8485 Comment #36106
You son of a monkey's uncle!
Commented 9 years ago2014-12-24 00:42:39 UTC in journal: #8488 Comment #67426
Looks sexual! New system brofist!
Commented 9 years ago2014-12-22 13:09:25 UTC in journal: #8487 Comment #66599
Yeah, great choice. This sort of simple beat with great rhythmic flow has been a staple of working songs for decades; perhaps even centuries. The textile industry was built on a thumping beat and even sea shanties were used to get crews working in unison, not to mention the old railroad & cotton field working songs that would just about get slaves through the day. They all share similar characteristics.

A good beat is just a wonderful way to get a rhythm into your work, and mapping does seem to be especially susceptible to it.

ITT:
Your favourite mapping song.

Mine is a fairly recent addition to my library, but it's a track that really gets me into a flow with my mapping. Note the similarities to Stojke's. It's a very simple beat at its core with a thumping drum leading everything else, and at a similar tempo.
Commented 9 years ago2014-12-22 08:49:28 UTC in journal: #8485 Comment #36105
You guys write really well. You'll now be my alternative to XKCD's What If to read on my other monitor whilst rendering :)

Also, it has taken me since TWHL3 first appeared until now to finally notice that 'Affiliates' is mis-spelled on the sidebar.
Commented 9 years ago2014-12-17 00:23:44 UTC in journal: #8484 Comment #49597
Massive congrats, mate! Nothing will stand in your way! :D :D :D
Commented 9 years ago2014-12-15 21:50:52 UTC in journal: #8483 Comment #46032
Haha my girlfriend loves my PC and my car is a piece of shit, so you just gotta find the right girl ^-^
Commented 9 years ago2014-12-15 18:45:30 UTC in journal: #8483 Comment #46031
AJ: From what I heard, they don't call you 'Ant' for no reason! Giggidy!

Bruce: Megadrive*

TJB: Know them feels. Earning enough to spend money on PC components is something new to me this year.

Pebs: I agree!

Rufee: I thought that initially, but the fact that it's a full metal design and actually helps with cooling & signal shielding - not to mention it looking like a goddamn fighter jet - has won me over.

Stu: It's a very good question. I now have an (okay) i7, a great (albeit outdated) mobo and a very expensive water cooling unit that won't fit the new CPU. That's actually not a bad bundle of kit. A prize for a mapping compo maybe? Would anyone be interested in still perfectly-working kit, despite it being a few years old?

Stojke: Spot on, sir!

Muzzeh: I just about meet the minimum requirements for The Core now.
Commented 9 years ago2014-12-05 19:15:49 UTC in journal: #8479 Comment #48405
Amazing! It's #3 on my cities to visit list, preceded by Toronto and Sydney.
If your flight stops off in the UK, let me know! :)
Commented 9 years ago2014-12-02 20:47:14 UTC in journal: #8473 Comment #54580
Missed this! Can't wait for the next one - thanks for reviving it. Let me know if you need any admin assistance.
Commented 9 years ago2014-12-01 20:23:17 UTC in journal: #8475 Comment #61642
I would rather walk than have no legs.
This comment was made on an article that has been deleted.
Commented 9 years ago2014-11-17 11:59:15 UTC in journal: #8468 Comment #58460
I recommend Fantasy Fiction so freaking much.

Made Urby and Digi listen to one episode, now they're both utterly hooked. Too hilarious.
Commented 9 years ago2014-10-31 22:06:37 UTC in journal: #8458 Comment #38760
The week just got much darker for space flight as a pilot tragically lost his life in a solid rocket booster failure and explosion on a SpaceShipTwo test flight.
Commented 9 years ago2014-10-27 18:18:56 UTC in journal: #8457 Comment #54569
So sorry to hear that, man. Massive internet hugs :(
Commented 9 years ago2014-10-24 11:14:19 UTC in journal: #8453 Comment #58452
That's awesome, dude, you're going to notice SUCH a difference.
Moving from my Galaxy Ace to S3 was like moving from dial-up to broadband. So many possibilities became available!

Incidentally, just the other day someone recommended a lightweight Android music player called Shuttle to me. It's fantastic and I'd highly recommend it. The free version is mostly unrestricted, and the full version is less than a pound.
Commented 9 years ago2014-10-17 13:55:08 UTC in journal: #8448 Comment #62629
I got the joke, I just mean... Are you actually selling yourself like this? I'm not sure the joke is worth potentially disguising your talents.
Commented 9 years ago2014-10-17 13:53:57 UTC in journal: #8442 Comment #42366
Extremely late happy bday!!! I never noticed this journal D:
Commented 9 years ago2014-10-15 07:38:33 UTC in journal: #8448 Comment #62628
When you sent me this on Whatsapp I was very confoos.
Now that I've seen it on a big screen... I'm still really confoos
Commented 9 years ago2014-09-27 15:11:16 UTC in journal: #8435 Comment #48365
So it's 8 days since the referendum here's some stuff that's happened since then...
1- Cameron backtracks on extra powers for Scotland about 5 hours after the no vote
2- the oil that was going to run out in 20 years is now gonna last 120 years, the Clair field alone will produce 120k barrels a day
3- the NHS that was perfectly fine (according to labour) 7 days ago is now being privatised with labour urging for help to save it
4- plans for the Barnett formula to be scrapped
5- spending to be cut in Scotland
6- Fracking given the green light in Scotland....yippee!
7- Child benefits frozen
8- Pension age rising to 70
9- Benefits ban for under 25's
And number 10 best of all we get to follow America into another war!! Happy days!

Better Together Better Together Better Together
User posted image
Commented 9 years ago2014-09-27 15:06:23 UTC in journal: #8439 Comment #49581
Crafty devil!
Commented 9 years ago2014-09-21 17:12:09 UTC in journal: #8435 Comment #48364
There really isn't an argument to cause, mate. The no camp messed up and we're gonna pay heavily for it. Consider that the majority no vote was people aged 65+ who are only aware of what the shocking biased media campaign was telling them and some 40,000 neo-nazi thugs and you'll perhaps understand who you sided with.
The Orange Order riots in Glasgow are only further proof of how flawed the Better Together mindset is. These people won and they're celebrating by inciting violence, intimidation and property damage to anyone they suspect doesn't support Rangers.

Ah well... A missed opportunity for the nation - and I mean for the UK. That was a first 'moon landing' moment in history for many and, despite their despondency at the moment, they won't forget the feeling of excitement and passion they've been carrying.

That vote was about starting a revolution in political thinking for ordinary people in Britain. Empowerment! A meaningful vote that really brings change. The 'NO' voters have just emulated turkeys voting for christmas. Same old bollocks, same old vested interests, same old cynicism.

We very badly need a vision of the future that goes beyond the value of our houses and, in London and the Southeast, I don't know how that will ever happen. It shackles everyone to the status quo, whatever party you support.

If you haven't already, read Irvine Welsh's article in today's Guardian. He's articulated it far more eloquently than I could.

It's going to be interesting to see how Westminster tries to untangle the shambles they've got themselves into. The big question to be answered is the size of Cameron's laundry bill to clean his past couple of week's soiled underwear!
User posted image
User posted image
User posted image
Don't buy into the Stockholm Syndrome, Oli. Majority of Westminster MPs are blocking further powers being awarded to Scotland, Jack Straw is calling for Independence to be made illegal and we're having our national budget slashed by billions, the Orange Order are more violent and racist than ever and the BBC is reporting none of it. Look outwards and forwards. This is no future for a proud nation.