Journals

Oh man...new computer. I can finally run Episode 2 completely maxed out without it looking like retarded. Crysis should be a breeze too...

Still waiting on the mouse but what I didn't say was that I also ordered a new monitor. I have been using my old 4:3 ever since it came with my second PC years ago. I recently graduated as you know so my parents thought it fitting to reward thus degree with a sexy monitor of my choosing.

So I went with this one and before you criticise me I have to tell you that Dell have been good to me over the years and it's rare for me to switch brands. Besides any new monitor would be better than that old 4:3.

http://accessories.euro.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=uk&l=en&s=dhs&cs=ukdhs1&sku=324819

Anyway I got it this morning, had oh so much fun setting it up among my cluttered table of wires and dust. So much dust...And am writing this journal using a keyboard (durr) and viewing it on my new monitor.

So yeah. Widescreen in the last 3 minutes has been awesome.

While I could, in light of recent events, recommend the map "Experimental Problems" as the next in line for you to try out, I'm not going to. Instead, to celebrate the comeback or whatever you call it, I'll just list ten really, really good HL1 mods here for you all to try out.

Azure Sheep
Cthulhu
Heart of Evil
Night at the Office
Operation Black Thunder
Point of View
Poke646 and Poke646 Vendetta
Sweet Half-Life
They Hunger
Todesangst 2

And here's ten really long mods of varying caliber.

Black Death
Chemical Existence
Dark Territory
Hour-glass (yes the one with the inappropriate content)
Intolerable Threat (need OPFOR)
Invasion (the French one)
Residual Point
Survive in Catacombs series
Xen Assault
Zombie-X

Most of them are available on moddb, I think.
Tell me what you think of these.

This was in my email. 'Nuff said.

I have added my first map to the map vault, and its the first alien swarm campaign, i am quite proud at this moment.

Now back at the shoutbox! ->[edit] meh, nevermind.

I was stumbling out of boredom and found an interesting site.
I don't know if you guys know about Wolfram Alpha but it's one of the most cool sites I've ever seen.
I already made a post on my blog so I'm not going to write about it again.

[EDIT] Also, I have to express my opinion about the search system on twhl:
IT SUCKS.

I was randomly looking after one old thread of mine, this one.. It's the Cool Sounds one.
My input in the search box: Cool Sounds.
Current status: On page #12 and still didn't found my thread. Wtf?

I've been thinking a bit about game AI recently. What makes an AI good opposed to bad. The answer
isn't how smart an AI is. It's how human it seems.

Look at HL2's Combine AI. They're smart (ish), they use tactics, throw grenades, flank, assess dangers, etc. But they don't seem human. Now, in HL2, that's okay; they're not human anymore, after all. But
that shouldn't be an excuse, not for any game. AI shouldn't be designed just for combat.
Now, look at Goldeneye's (the original, of course) AI. They patrol, they scratch themselves, they sneeze. If you shoot them, they don't just flinch from the impact of the bullet (like the combine do in
HL2) they flinch from pain. Shoot a soldier in the hand, he'll bend over in pain, maybe shake his hand. Shoot them in the neck, they might slowly fall to the ground, slowly dying from asphyxiation. For all
their blockiness and comparatively stupid AI, they seem more human than the combine in HL2 do.

Games need more AI that doesn't just stand around waiting for the player and then shoot. Look at the recent STALKER games; NPCs sleep, eat, wander around. The world doesn't revolve around the player, and that illusion of humanity and life is caused by the AI's idle behaviors. In video games,
Guards and Soldiers should guard things and patrol, chatting with any friendlies nearby, whether it's a passing guy on patrol, or the person the NPC is guarding a door with. Scientists should do science. Terrorists should patrol with varying degrees of unease, with a couple guys guarding the hostages, who huddle on the ground, or sleep, or eat their bread and water. Maybe talking quietly amongst themselves until a terrorist breaks it up. Dynamic or scripted, games need more NPC interaction, more idle behaviors.

And I'm tired of trying to sneak up on soldiers, while crouching and moving slowly, I might add, only to have them swivel around as soon as I get within a few feet of them. Unless you're making noise, or they can see you directly, NPCs should not detect you. If you're in a vent, directly above them, they shouldn't be able to always snap their heads up and start shooting. AI has always been too smart, perception-wise. If I want to use stealth for a change, instead of blasting everything, I should be able to
do so successfully, as long as I'm using the basic techniques from HL's hazard course! And hearing needs to be redone for 90% of AIs as well. Running/Walking around in a large military base, for example, shouldn't attract all the NPCs in the level, but a bit of unsilenced gunfire should attract some, with the amount of different shooters and the length of the combat being a key factor on how many come, and whether they run, walk, or tiptoe. The combat tree of
Idle > Alert > Combat > Search > Alert > Idle
Is no longer good enough, the way it's implemented, there need to be different levels of alertness, different levels of search, Search and Alert should go hand in hand if the player has triggered one of
them, and NPCs should start with varying levels of alertness. Maybe the map is set at night, and most of the guards in the building are tired and not expecting anything to happen. Maybe the map is set in a warzone, and there was just an attack on the outpost, so the guards on the outside are alert and waiting for more.

If we're capable of making NPCs with simulated emotions and dynamic AI, why the hell has no one implemented this stuff in full into a game? Even the AI that's heralded for being realistic doesn't have
all of these features implemented. You know what I think? Laziness. If the big companies can keep making mainstream games using no new tech that doesn't involve graphics, why would they spend the
effort on improving anything? The very notion of doing something that doesn't have an immediate personal payoff is lost on them.
Meanwhile, the few companies that might actually be both capable and willing to improve technology,
such as Valve, are too busy to do it. I think that as soon as Valve are finished Ep3, and are working on the 2011/2012 branch of the engine, they should pull a Valve, and implement AI like I've mentioned in the above 5-6 paragraphs, before anyone else is even near considering doing it. (Skeletal animation, facial animation and full, accurate physical gameplay anyone?)

tl/dr: JeffMOD rants about AI.

EDIT: And don't even get me started on flashlights and corpses in relation to NPC alertness.

[Edit] - I got this one. http://www.logitech.com/en-gb/mice-pointers/mice/devices/5845

Hey, I need your help again tech people.

I need to replace this shitty mouse that's old, dirty and not good for my wrist.

But choosing a mouse is difficult and I don't know the good ones so can you tell me which ones you recommend. Price isn't an issue yet but I am gonna spend ?200 on a new monitor so I don't expect to go above that.

I want a USB wired with mouse 1, 2 and middle button. Never really use the other buttons on the side.

I want to download the song these guys use;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLv6cKyzumQ

I thought it was Vanessa Maes but I was wrong.

Any Help?

I actually worked on my compo entry almost every single say since the start of the compo and i STILL don't have enough time.

A deadline is a deadline, so i guess i'm gonna have to cut back on the extra goodies, and just get everything working properly.

4 maps with multiple level changes and loads of global variables.

Why do i always take on ENORMOUSLY ambitious projects for competitions? - I never finish them to the quality i feel is needed.

There's still 6 days and 21 hours left.
But the most time consuming parts are left. boo.

Good news is, is that 2 of the maps are 100% done, the other one is right around 70% and the last map is 0% but it's all done out on paper, and the entity work should be quite simple - so long as the VDC wiki doesn't let me down lol.

I want this car.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJfSS0ZXYdo

Shame it's got no reverse gear.

Mad corporation, you say?

Hmmmm...

Was driving around with Mum yesterday (I have my L's, FYI). Was going to turn right off of a road (indicators on for plenty of warning), and as I was turning the people in the car behind me decided to try and overtake.No one got hurt, which I suppose is the main thing. Not a great confidence booster for such a new driver, though.

I'm 18 today.

I've been visiting TWHL for five years now.

Which, if you think about it,

Actually makes me five years old.

Ever had a Gamate? I do have one. It turns out to be a rarity. I wonder if it'll sell well. I don't think I'd sell it, though.

I have three games for it, two of them came with manuals with plenty of engrish.