Journals
Hmm..
I've told myself countless times that i will start mapping for source as soon as competition 'so and so' is over.
Well that never happens.
Ever.
I can't wait until i get the rest of my computer built (it's gonna run vista) so i can actually have an excuse to map for source only.
Apparently Vista hates Hammer 3.4 + 3.5
I'm overjoyed.
I've told myself countless times that i will start mapping for source as soon as competition 'so and so' is over.
Well that never happens.
Ever.
I can't wait until i get the rest of my computer built (it's gonna run vista) so i can actually have an excuse to map for source only.
Apparently Vista hates Hammer 3.4 + 3.5
I'm overjoyed.
Now that Lab11: LavaLab is finished, released, done and dusted, my thoughts are turning to what I should tackle next. The rest of this month, of course, is taken up by NaNoWriMo: I'm writing a novel about how a gaming geek with no social skills handles a zombie uprising -- it's called Half Life Zero: No Life... It occurs to me that my next NaNo attempt should possibly be the story of my Lab17 complex - or rather, the story of a lowly security guard who works there... :)
My very next level, of course, will be Lab11: Erupt, the post-disaster variant of Lab11: LavaLab. My original LavaLab: Erupt basically threw away everything outside of the lab itself -- and one of the criticisms aimed at it was that much of the freedom inherent in the original level was lost in the spinoff. This time, the Erupt variant will retain much of the freedom of the original while opening up new options. I hope. Of course, this means it won't be a 10-minute conversion! There's a lot of work that will go into the make-over, so don't hold your breath...
I am also tempted to release Lab11: HeatHaze, which will be the very first level of mine to require my petesdm mod. Since I put all the effort into getting working fog, I feel like I should make use of it. In theory all it requires (apart from distributing my mod) is to add an [ent]env_fog[/ent] entity and recompile. In practice, however, what I really want to do is have the fog (sorry, "heat haze") fade in as the level floods, then fade out as the lava recedes. Which means modifying the fog code to allow timed fading rather than instant on/off...
And after that? Who knows. So much to do, so little time. I have numerous ideas to tackle. Also, I build HLDM levels for GoldSource because we cannot use Steam at work (behind way too many firewalls) so I am somewhat locked in to that engine -- but I really do want to have a play with Source too. sigh
My very next level, of course, will be Lab11: Erupt, the post-disaster variant of Lab11: LavaLab. My original LavaLab: Erupt basically threw away everything outside of the lab itself -- and one of the criticisms aimed at it was that much of the freedom inherent in the original level was lost in the spinoff. This time, the Erupt variant will retain much of the freedom of the original while opening up new options. I hope. Of course, this means it won't be a 10-minute conversion! There's a lot of work that will go into the make-over, so don't hold your breath...
I am also tempted to release Lab11: HeatHaze, which will be the very first level of mine to require my petesdm mod. Since I put all the effort into getting working fog, I feel like I should make use of it. In theory all it requires (apart from distributing my mod) is to add an [ent]env_fog[/ent] entity and recompile. In practice, however, what I really want to do is have the fog (sorry, "heat haze") fade in as the level floods, then fade out as the lava recedes. Which means modifying the fog code to allow timed fading rather than instant on/off...
And after that? Who knows. So much to do, so little time. I have numerous ideas to tackle. Also, I build HLDM levels for GoldSource because we cannot use Steam at work (behind way too many firewalls) so I am somewhat locked in to that engine -- but I really do want to have a play with Source too. sigh
10th birthday of Half-life, and the following franchise that made Valve what it is. Hurrah for good games!
Today is a historic day in the world of gaming, because exactly 10 years ago on the 19th of November (1998) Half-Life 1 was released. I was a young kid back then, but I still have so many great memories about my first gaming experiences that were HL1 and its respected mods; vague but sweet memories. When my brother first gave me the chance to let me play HL1 and CS/TFC I was instantly hooked. Especially TFC got me hooked, but also notable mods like Firearms and Vampire Slayer.
Anyways, I would just like to thank Valve for making such a great game.
I'll quit now before my nostalgic feelings truelly take over!
Anyways, I would just like to thank Valve for making such a great game.
I'll quit now before my nostalgic feelings truelly take over!
For those of you who have been waiting so very, very patiently for the new level that I've been hinting at for so long: it's ready to go!
Check out Lab11: LavaLab from my maps page...
I hope it was worth the wait! (It has been a long time coming!)
Edit: And what are the odds? I released this level to the world on Half-Life's 10th birthday! Great timing on my part -- I wish I'd known, I'd have put something in my level to acknowledge the date!
Check out Lab11: LavaLab from my maps page...
I hope it was worth the wait! (It has been a long time coming!)
Edit: And what are the odds? I released this level to the world on Half-Life's 10th birthday! Great timing on my part -- I wish I'd known, I'd have put something in my level to acknowledge the date!
I love that Mirror's Edge is in my reach, but I'm unable to play it. Not until tomorrow. As soon as I can though, I'll make sure to brag to everyone about it.
I finished my first Little Big Planet level last night. I was amazed that 40 people played it as soon as it was published.
It's quite short and really was my way of learning stuff.
It's called Treeble's Request for those interested.
It's quite short and really was my way of learning stuff.
It's called Treeble's Request for those interested.
I want to start off on my journal with ranting about how annoying cat really is as a pet.
[rant]
It started with a stray cat wandered on to our property- I assumed, by accident. It was at night, about an hour after 9PST. Gray and white 'camo' cat, female. My family didn't think much of it and thought the little cat would be gone in several days. Apparently we were wrong. So little by little we provide food and shelter and my dad decided to keep it. The result from taming this cat went from cute little gentle feline to annoying-getting-on-everybody-nerve pet.. Honestly, I can't stand it god damn 'meow' every two minutes. It's too repetitive and noisy and get on my freaking nerve. This cat is an attention whore or should I dare say, majority of the felines are. It would jump and take up half of my chair and refuse to sleep on my lap thus making me sit on edge of my chair which feel uncomfortable. She enjoys rubbing against my arm and bother the crap out of me. Really, when can cat ever get enough attention? Doesn't seem enough from what I've already experienced. It spilled my cup of instant noodle, ice cold water, and nearly knock over my playstation 3, my dad's cup full of pens... Well, you get the point. Oh and I forgot to mention it like to claw my computer chair. I'm worried my seven years old computer chair will become torn and unusable. My chihuahua, Sandy, a year old female, isn't like that. She would sleep on my lap and doesn't jump on furniture and knock shit over the place. Doesn't bark unless she hear sounds she doesn't recognizes. Oh and her claws aren't sharp as hell.
God I wish I can drench the cat in gasoline and set her on fire. Can't. Stand. It.
Go dog.
[/rant]
End of rant, hope you're happy. I have a shit load more to say but I figured it would be meaningless to post my full rant about cat.
I happened to release a website template scripted from HTML and CSS. Called Resentiment after a HL1 project I was going to work on.
I'm planning to release two packs of textures for Goldsource Engine.
And a new map project I'm working on for Sven Coop. Layout is all done, just need to throw in map details, custom textures, and finish the script. It's more of a rescue the VIP.
I also reads Trapt's journal that had quote of the Steam troll. God I can't believe a person so pathetic hang around Valve community forum. If he think L4D is a sexist and racist game, then he should consider boycotting every Valve games. Half Life doesn't have female character. Counter strike have neither black, woman, or asian. Team Fortress doesn't have black or woman character. His reasons are bullshit. His mind is bullshit. He sound like... oh, Jack Thompson!
Clearly, Valve is implying that females lack the survival skills to withstand a zombie apocalypse with the same tenacity as males such that males have a chance three times better than females in terms of survival.
Bullshit, go play Half Life 2 Episode 2 and Episode 3.
Is Valve implying that women lack the upper body strength to hold anything but a pistol?
Go play Half Life, Half Life 2 Episode 3 and Episode 2. Alyx was kicking ass with sniper rifle, shotgun, and her custom pistol.
Furthermore, none of the characters depicted are of Hispanic, Indian, or East-Asian decent, indicating that Valve believes that members of these races are "unfit" to survive a zombie apocalypse.
Get real, you're trying to say Valve should include 10 more characters to cover the races so it doesn't look discriminating and to make them 'fit'? How about you do it yourself buddy?
Secondly, the characters portrayed in the "teaser" video are not even close to being ideal role models for a young child.
Hey pal, this game is made for mature audience that can tolerate contents. How many games are there that have characters that are not an ideal role models for young child? A ton of them. Also it is the parent responsibility to teach their child the right and wrong, as well as common sense. Not the game.
Even worse is that he delivers this message immediately after firing a shotgun held with only one arm, which is an incredibly unsafe practice.
Welcome to the virtual world. This is a game jackass, and don't you realize that it's part of Francis's character?
When Louis, the African American man, sees the hoard of infected coming, he can only use an expletive known as "the S word" to express his anxiety. Is Valve further playing on racial stereotypes and depicting African Americans as unsophisticated members of society who lack the linguistic ability to express their feelings without using swearwords? Even disregarding the racial implications of his utterance, the word in and of itself is incredibly offensive. And let me tell you, I was even more shocked to find that the word was not uttered one time, not even twice, but three times in rapid succession. I certainly do not want my son exposed to this language, nor be taught to use it in such a brazen manner
Are you trying to imply what Louis does is uncommon and because he is black? I've seen many people swear when they're spooked, being chased, in a state of danger, in pain, or whatever terrible condition. Swearing in game is uncommon. Deal with it. Your son will be exposed to such language anyway in the real world. Oh and let me tell you a story; Once upon a time I was playing hockey at school with my friends. My fellow mate accidentally slammed my middle finger with his stick and I end up screaming 'AH MY FUCKING FINGER!" because it very painful and it felt like someone hammered my finger joint.
And learn how to spell the word "for" without using a numeral.
Before correcting a large famous company, try and learn the internet first. Oh and they can spell 'for.'
Edit: I've had a bad day hence all the negative entry. =\
[rant]
It started with a stray cat wandered on to our property- I assumed, by accident. It was at night, about an hour after 9PST. Gray and white 'camo' cat, female. My family didn't think much of it and thought the little cat would be gone in several days. Apparently we were wrong. So little by little we provide food and shelter and my dad decided to keep it. The result from taming this cat went from cute little gentle feline to annoying-getting-on-everybody-nerve pet.. Honestly, I can't stand it god damn 'meow' every two minutes. It's too repetitive and noisy and get on my freaking nerve. This cat is an attention whore or should I dare say, majority of the felines are. It would jump and take up half of my chair and refuse to sleep on my lap thus making me sit on edge of my chair which feel uncomfortable. She enjoys rubbing against my arm and bother the crap out of me. Really, when can cat ever get enough attention? Doesn't seem enough from what I've already experienced. It spilled my cup of instant noodle, ice cold water, and nearly knock over my playstation 3, my dad's cup full of pens... Well, you get the point. Oh and I forgot to mention it like to claw my computer chair. I'm worried my seven years old computer chair will become torn and unusable. My chihuahua, Sandy, a year old female, isn't like that. She would sleep on my lap and doesn't jump on furniture and knock shit over the place. Doesn't bark unless she hear sounds she doesn't recognizes. Oh and her claws aren't sharp as hell.
God I wish I can drench the cat in gasoline and set her on fire. Can't. Stand. It.
Go dog.
[/rant]
End of rant, hope you're happy. I have a shit load more to say but I figured it would be meaningless to post my full rant about cat.
I happened to release a website template scripted from HTML and CSS. Called Resentiment after a HL1 project I was going to work on.
I'm planning to release two packs of textures for Goldsource Engine.
And a new map project I'm working on for Sven Coop. Layout is all done, just need to throw in map details, custom textures, and finish the script. It's more of a rescue the VIP.
I also reads Trapt's journal that had quote of the Steam troll. God I can't believe a person so pathetic hang around Valve community forum. If he think L4D is a sexist and racist game, then he should consider boycotting every Valve games. Half Life doesn't have female character. Counter strike have neither black, woman, or asian. Team Fortress doesn't have black or woman character. His reasons are bullshit. His mind is bullshit. He sound like... oh, Jack Thompson!
Clearly, Valve is implying that females lack the survival skills to withstand a zombie apocalypse with the same tenacity as males such that males have a chance three times better than females in terms of survival.
Bullshit, go play Half Life 2 Episode 2 and Episode 3.
Is Valve implying that women lack the upper body strength to hold anything but a pistol?
Go play Half Life, Half Life 2 Episode 3 and Episode 2. Alyx was kicking ass with sniper rifle, shotgun, and her custom pistol.
Furthermore, none of the characters depicted are of Hispanic, Indian, or East-Asian decent, indicating that Valve believes that members of these races are "unfit" to survive a zombie apocalypse.
Get real, you're trying to say Valve should include 10 more characters to cover the races so it doesn't look discriminating and to make them 'fit'? How about you do it yourself buddy?
Secondly, the characters portrayed in the "teaser" video are not even close to being ideal role models for a young child.
Hey pal, this game is made for mature audience that can tolerate contents. How many games are there that have characters that are not an ideal role models for young child? A ton of them. Also it is the parent responsibility to teach their child the right and wrong, as well as common sense. Not the game.
Even worse is that he delivers this message immediately after firing a shotgun held with only one arm, which is an incredibly unsafe practice.
Welcome to the virtual world. This is a game jackass, and don't you realize that it's part of Francis's character?
When Louis, the African American man, sees the hoard of infected coming, he can only use an expletive known as "the S word" to express his anxiety. Is Valve further playing on racial stereotypes and depicting African Americans as unsophisticated members of society who lack the linguistic ability to express their feelings without using swearwords? Even disregarding the racial implications of his utterance, the word in and of itself is incredibly offensive. And let me tell you, I was even more shocked to find that the word was not uttered one time, not even twice, but three times in rapid succession. I certainly do not want my son exposed to this language, nor be taught to use it in such a brazen manner
Are you trying to imply what Louis does is uncommon and because he is black? I've seen many people swear when they're spooked, being chased, in a state of danger, in pain, or whatever terrible condition. Swearing in game is uncommon. Deal with it. Your son will be exposed to such language anyway in the real world. Oh and let me tell you a story; Once upon a time I was playing hockey at school with my friends. My fellow mate accidentally slammed my middle finger with his stick and I end up screaming 'AH MY FUCKING FINGER!" because it very painful and it felt like someone hammered my finger joint.
And learn how to spell the word "for" without using a numeral.
Before correcting a large famous company, try and learn the internet first. Oh and they can spell 'for.'
Edit: I've had a bad day hence all the negative entry. =\
Hey , I've been doing some experiments with my computer because it sometimes crashed. I scanned it with memtest but they are error-free.
I defragmented, downloaded the latest video drivers, virus-scans, used some maintenance programs etc...
And it still crashed(not often).
Well, today I made a a simple test.
1.Turn on the computer, open BIOS, let it warm a at about 30 degrees C.
2.Turn on the computer, don't open BIOS for warming.
I repeated this several times. I did this when it was cold in my room, because it's usually cold in my room when I begin my PC activity.
So what are the results of these tests ?
When I applied 1, it never crashed.
When I applied 2, it always crashed.
So this is kinda weird...
Hey, I got GMOD at last !!! Here's a pic of what I made using wiremod( I modified an airboat)
When you enter the airboat, the lights go on, and if you right-click a police siren can be heared and a wire-made police lights can be seen.
I defragmented, downloaded the latest video drivers, virus-scans, used some maintenance programs etc...
And it still crashed(not often).
Well, today I made a a simple test.
1.Turn on the computer, open BIOS, let it warm a at about 30 degrees C.
2.Turn on the computer, don't open BIOS for warming.
I repeated this several times. I did this when it was cold in my room, because it's usually cold in my room when I begin my PC activity.
So what are the results of these tests ?
When I applied 1, it never crashed.
When I applied 2, it always crashed.
So this is kinda weird...
Hey, I got GMOD at last !!! Here's a pic of what I made using wiremod( I modified an airboat)
I just ordered lots of computer parts 
Euros / US dollars
169 / 216 Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3,0GHz Box (CPU)
175 / 223 Biostar TPower I45 (Motherboard)
246 / 314 Asus Radeon Extreme AH4870/HTDI 512MB (Graphics card)
37 / 47 Kingston HyperX 2 * 1GB DDR2 1066MHz (RAM)
117 / 149 Cooler Master Real Power 700W Modular (PSU)
Euros / US dollars
169 / 216 Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3,0GHz Box (CPU)
175 / 223 Biostar TPower I45 (Motherboard)
246 / 314 Asus Radeon Extreme AH4870/HTDI 512MB (Graphics card)
37 / 47 Kingston HyperX 2 * 1GB DDR2 1066MHz (RAM)
117 / 149 Cooler Master Real Power 700W Modular (PSU)
A great friend of mine was recently diagnosed with HPV, Claumidia, and Tuberculosis all at the same time... I didn't know what to say to the poor guy. I have to admit I admire his spirit and determination. He knows his time is rather limited. So him and I are continuing to train in Super Smash Brothers: Brawl. We're entering a tournament at the end of this quarter. Also, over Christmas break (since he has no family to spend time with) he's going to spend a crap-ton of money on video games and play as much as possible while drinking and partying with his buddies in his studio room.
The whole thing has been a huge wake up call to everyone. I feel like I don't live in this fantasy any more. I feel human, and incredibly vulnerable. But at the same time, I had some epiphanies about life. Being vulnerable, I somehow sense that the omen of love is just around the corner for some reason. I wonder how long, my friend will last, let alone myself...
The whole thing has been a huge wake up call to everyone. I feel like I don't live in this fantasy any more. I feel human, and incredibly vulnerable. But at the same time, I had some epiphanies about life. Being vulnerable, I somehow sense that the omen of love is just around the corner for some reason. I wonder how long, my friend will last, let alone myself...
Possibly you may have heard rumours (such as the one I posted in my journal three weeks ago) that my newest level, Lab11: LavaLab, was almost ready to be released to the world.
Well, that was true at the time. All I had to do was put together the README file to go with it, and it was ready to go. Of course, I found myself suddenly busy with other things, so the documentation (and hence the release) got delayed.
Which is, all things considered, a good thing!
We've been playing the level, on and off, for the last couple of weeks, and I had noticed a couple of extremely minor issues. None of them, by themselves, was enough to warrant a recompile - I'm talking visual effects and a couple of misaligned textures here - but they added up. They made me itch.
The one thing that did need fixing - that I couldn't fix because I had no spare LEAVES or CLIPNODES to play with - was the numerous sticky points on the walls of my volcanic crater. If you jumped out into space and slid down the rock face, you could almost count on finding a spot where you'd stick. Given the dim lighting, you could sit there and snipe people until you ran out of ammo, and nobody would ever find you. (One time when my buddy did that, I came looking for him after he ran out of ammo. Only when he turned his flashlight on could I see him, and then barely. Once he turned it off again he was completely invisible...) And given that this level already has plenty of sniper-friendly spots, it was particularly irritating.
So there I was, looking through the compile tools reference, trying to find a way to fix my misaligned textures without doing a full recompile (I couldn't find one) when I saw -cliptype precise.
To be clear on this, I was already well aware of the -cliptype setting -- I'd used precise when compiling Lab17: Storage -- and I thought I'd been using it at some point during this compile process. I actually remember changing the -cliptype mode and suddenly having a load more clipnodes to play with -- but when I checked, I discovered I wasn't currently compiling with this option.
So I turned it on.
Suddenly, instead of using 99.8% of the available clipnodes, my usage was down to 68%. I let it finish, and I tested it - and yeah, now you slide down those rock walls like a greased pig! And then it occurred to me: I had a large section of my level clipped off as unusable - eye candy only - because I just needed the clipnodes. It was the first fully detailed section I built. And now, whaddaya know? I had a load of spare clipnodes to play with. So I removed the clipping block from that section, and the level is currently compiling nicely! I'm rather excited - and at the same time, I'm opening up more playing area for a level which is already a little on the large side... Oh well...
The only thing I haven't tested is my air ducts. I know precise has a tendency to make some spaces narrower, so I hope the air ducts are still accessible. If not I'll have to scrap this whole rejuvenated compile...
Well, that was true at the time. All I had to do was put together the README file to go with it, and it was ready to go. Of course, I found myself suddenly busy with other things, so the documentation (and hence the release) got delayed.
Which is, all things considered, a good thing!
We've been playing the level, on and off, for the last couple of weeks, and I had noticed a couple of extremely minor issues. None of them, by themselves, was enough to warrant a recompile - I'm talking visual effects and a couple of misaligned textures here - but they added up. They made me itch.
The one thing that did need fixing - that I couldn't fix because I had no spare LEAVES or CLIPNODES to play with - was the numerous sticky points on the walls of my volcanic crater. If you jumped out into space and slid down the rock face, you could almost count on finding a spot where you'd stick. Given the dim lighting, you could sit there and snipe people until you ran out of ammo, and nobody would ever find you. (One time when my buddy did that, I came looking for him after he ran out of ammo. Only when he turned his flashlight on could I see him, and then barely. Once he turned it off again he was completely invisible...) And given that this level already has plenty of sniper-friendly spots, it was particularly irritating.
So there I was, looking through the compile tools reference, trying to find a way to fix my misaligned textures without doing a full recompile (I couldn't find one) when I saw -cliptype precise.
To be clear on this, I was already well aware of the -cliptype setting -- I'd used precise when compiling Lab17: Storage -- and I thought I'd been using it at some point during this compile process. I actually remember changing the -cliptype mode and suddenly having a load more clipnodes to play with -- but when I checked, I discovered I wasn't currently compiling with this option.
So I turned it on.
Suddenly, instead of using 99.8% of the available clipnodes, my usage was down to 68%. I let it finish, and I tested it - and yeah, now you slide down those rock walls like a greased pig! And then it occurred to me: I had a large section of my level clipped off as unusable - eye candy only - because I just needed the clipnodes. It was the first fully detailed section I built. And now, whaddaya know? I had a load of spare clipnodes to play with. So I removed the clipping block from that section, and the level is currently compiling nicely! I'm rather excited - and at the same time, I'm opening up more playing area for a level which is already a little on the large side... Oh well...
The only thing I haven't tested is my air ducts. I know precise has a tendency to make some spaces narrower, so I hope the air ducts are still accessible. If not I'll have to scrap this whole rejuvenated compile...
Doodle.
Hammer 3.5 as we know it. Old, tortured by errors, yet loved and reliable.
Made for a customize-your-VHE-splash-screen-compo back in mapping.lt
~2hrs of tablet-work. Never went into detail, yet still pretty happy with the way it came out. :>
Made for a customize-your-VHE-splash-screen-compo back in mapping.lt
~2hrs of tablet-work. Never went into detail, yet still pretty happy with the way it came out. :>
I'm now hosted on Svencoop 4 fansite.
http://prototstar.svencoop4.com/
I'll begin using it to place my works there whether it's released, wips, or abandoned. Free web templates, scripts, maps, models, arts, photos, and possibly blogging.
Anyhow, I released a small textures pack for Goldsource Engine this time.
http://www.fpsbanana.com/textures/1474
And I also made a website template which can be use for setting up a mod website. It'll be available on Tuesday at my new hosted forums.
Working on new textures for Source Engine as well.
In short, I'm drowning myself in my own works.
http://prototstar.svencoop4.com/
I'll begin using it to place my works there whether it's released, wips, or abandoned. Free web templates, scripts, maps, models, arts, photos, and possibly blogging.
Anyhow, I released a small textures pack for Goldsource Engine this time.
http://www.fpsbanana.com/textures/1474
And I also made a website template which can be use for setting up a mod website. It'll be available on Tuesday at my new hosted forums.
Working on new textures for Source Engine as well.
