Journals
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.
Just ordered this baby for a mere 10$.. plus a not-so-mere shipping fee.
Always wanted that oldskool edition. Hopefully, its condition will be good enough for the book to be at least somewhat readable.
Sam & Max FTW
Always wanted that oldskool edition. Hopefully, its condition will be good enough for the book to be at least somewhat readable.
Sam & Max FTW
So, Obama won Presidency last night. There was much rejoicing.
I'm not exactly surprised, either. People are just tired of Republicans, let alone Bush-like Republicans.
Thoughts?
I've been making too many journals lately. Oh well.
I'm not exactly surprised, either. People are just tired of Republicans, let alone Bush-like Republicans.
Thoughts?
I've been making too many journals lately. Oh well.
Old news, but Left 4 Dead cinematic was released a couple days ago and it was fucking awesome.
HD version on steam
Youtube version
Also, check out this epic troll on steam forums, good for some lulz:
First off, I'd like to say that I am a huge fan of the Counter-Strike franchise. I especially like the fact that it's a game that I can play with my son (the older computer that he uses can run Counter-Strike 1.6) and I like the fact that it's a powerful learning tool for him; learning to use grenades and compensate for gun recoil has taught him a lot about physics that I've been able to incorporate into lessons when teaching him (he is homeschooled and although physics isn't part of the elementary-level curriculum, I like for him to get a head start in academics).
My son is also a huge fan of zombie literature as well. I enjoyed reading through Max Brooks' books with him, and we've played several Counter-Strike zombie mods together. Left 4 Dead struck me as a great game for my son because it runs on a physics engine which more accurately reflects reality. (The Half-Life engine, for example, ignores forward momentum when jumping from a moving vehicle). I was considering getting my son an upgraded computer and a copy of this game as an early Christmas present, knowing how much he likes zombie-related media.
However, after viewing the video that went up on Steam yesterday, I am certain that I will not be buying this game for my son.
Why?
One of the first things I noted about the trailer was that it featured four survivors. Of these, only one of them was female, meaning that the male survivors outnumber the female survivors three to one. 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. Furthermore, the female character Zoey is depicted wielding hand pistols, rather than a shotgun or an automatic weapon as the male characters are. Is Valve implying that women lack the upper body strength to hold anything but a pistol? This is not only sexist, it is an incredibly backwards way of thinking that I do not want my son to be exposed to.
On this subject, one quarter of the party is composed of African Americans. However, African Americans constitute less than 15% of the population of the United States. The implication is obviously that African Americans have a higher chance of surviving a zombie apocalypse than Caucasians, presumably because Valve believes that African Americans pursue athletic endeavors (and other exploits more conducive to surviving a zombie apocalypse) rather than engaging in activities which are deemed "productive to society." 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. The racism here is subtle, and it's in this form that I fear racism is most dangerous: We all know to remove our children from environments where they may be exposed to outrageously racist behavior such as the use of racial slurs. However, many parents may be deceived into believing that the subtle racism present in media like Left 4 Dead may be "harmless," and allow it to enter their homes. Parents, as a parent, I can tell you that the number one way to ensure that bigotry succeeds is to allow it to enter your home.
Secondly, the characters portrayed in the "teaser" video are not even close to being ideal role models for a young child. Francis, the bike-covered tattoo, is a particularly poor example. Besides his choice to get tattoos (something I definitely don't want my son doing at this point), he has an incredibly disrespectful attitude. Although Bill, the war veteran, is his elder, Francis speaks to him in an almost derisive manner. If my son spoke to me or an authority figure the same way that Francis speaks to Bill, I would be both outraged and disappointed in my son.
Another incredibly offensive portion of Francis' behavior is his use of the phrase "merry Christmas" when killing an infected. Is Valve suggesting that all families ought to appreciate the values of Christmas? I imagine that there are many Jewish families who are going to be very offended when they find that their winter holiday is not recognized but the Christian one is. Furthermore, how does Louis, the African American man, feel about Francis' failure to mention Kwanzaa? Francis could have just as easily said "Happy holidays!" but instead chose to refer to a Christian holiday for no reason other than to offend those who do not share the same religious custom. Even worse is that he delivers this message immediately after firing a shotgun held with only one arm, which is an incredibly unsafe practice.
There is one part of the trailer so outrageously offensive that it almost startled me to hear it. 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. Even if a man is faced with his death and the death of his comrades, is it really so much to ask that he refrain from using swear words, especially when his behavior will be displayed on the computer monitors and television screens of millions of people?
Just when I thought that this montage could not get any worse, I reached the video's conclusion, which depicts Bill lighting a cigarette and smoking it. I can't think of any worse influence for my child. It's no small secret at all that one of the biggest influences on children is the figures that they see in the media: children by nature emulate the behavior they see. Valve, by showing one of your characters smoking a cigarette, you have in effect told every child who plays your game, "go ahead, light up!" I am absolutely disgusted that a game developer would try to poison young minds with this kind of thinking. With hundreds of thousands of people dying to lung cancer each year, I'm certain that if the infected don't kill Bill, his smoking habit will!
I am taking a stand against Valve and boycotting this game. I am encouraging my friends (especially those with young children) to also ban this game from their households this holiday season. If Valve wants me to buy a zombie shooting game for my son, they can make one that omits the sexism, racism, disrespectful attitudes, bad language, and cultural insensitivity present in Left 4 Dead. And learn how to spell the word "for" without using a numeral.
Source.
:>
HD version on steam
Youtube version
Also, check out this epic troll on steam forums, good for some lulz:
First off, I'd like to say that I am a huge fan of the Counter-Strike franchise. I especially like the fact that it's a game that I can play with my son (the older computer that he uses can run Counter-Strike 1.6) and I like the fact that it's a powerful learning tool for him; learning to use grenades and compensate for gun recoil has taught him a lot about physics that I've been able to incorporate into lessons when teaching him (he is homeschooled and although physics isn't part of the elementary-level curriculum, I like for him to get a head start in academics).
My son is also a huge fan of zombie literature as well. I enjoyed reading through Max Brooks' books with him, and we've played several Counter-Strike zombie mods together. Left 4 Dead struck me as a great game for my son because it runs on a physics engine which more accurately reflects reality. (The Half-Life engine, for example, ignores forward momentum when jumping from a moving vehicle). I was considering getting my son an upgraded computer and a copy of this game as an early Christmas present, knowing how much he likes zombie-related media.
However, after viewing the video that went up on Steam yesterday, I am certain that I will not be buying this game for my son.
Why?
One of the first things I noted about the trailer was that it featured four survivors. Of these, only one of them was female, meaning that the male survivors outnumber the female survivors three to one. 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. Furthermore, the female character Zoey is depicted wielding hand pistols, rather than a shotgun or an automatic weapon as the male characters are. Is Valve implying that women lack the upper body strength to hold anything but a pistol? This is not only sexist, it is an incredibly backwards way of thinking that I do not want my son to be exposed to.
On this subject, one quarter of the party is composed of African Americans. However, African Americans constitute less than 15% of the population of the United States. The implication is obviously that African Americans have a higher chance of surviving a zombie apocalypse than Caucasians, presumably because Valve believes that African Americans pursue athletic endeavors (and other exploits more conducive to surviving a zombie apocalypse) rather than engaging in activities which are deemed "productive to society." 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. The racism here is subtle, and it's in this form that I fear racism is most dangerous: We all know to remove our children from environments where they may be exposed to outrageously racist behavior such as the use of racial slurs. However, many parents may be deceived into believing that the subtle racism present in media like Left 4 Dead may be "harmless," and allow it to enter their homes. Parents, as a parent, I can tell you that the number one way to ensure that bigotry succeeds is to allow it to enter your home.
Secondly, the characters portrayed in the "teaser" video are not even close to being ideal role models for a young child. Francis, the bike-covered tattoo, is a particularly poor example. Besides his choice to get tattoos (something I definitely don't want my son doing at this point), he has an incredibly disrespectful attitude. Although Bill, the war veteran, is his elder, Francis speaks to him in an almost derisive manner. If my son spoke to me or an authority figure the same way that Francis speaks to Bill, I would be both outraged and disappointed in my son.
Another incredibly offensive portion of Francis' behavior is his use of the phrase "merry Christmas" when killing an infected. Is Valve suggesting that all families ought to appreciate the values of Christmas? I imagine that there are many Jewish families who are going to be very offended when they find that their winter holiday is not recognized but the Christian one is. Furthermore, how does Louis, the African American man, feel about Francis' failure to mention Kwanzaa? Francis could have just as easily said "Happy holidays!" but instead chose to refer to a Christian holiday for no reason other than to offend those who do not share the same religious custom. Even worse is that he delivers this message immediately after firing a shotgun held with only one arm, which is an incredibly unsafe practice.
There is one part of the trailer so outrageously offensive that it almost startled me to hear it. 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. Even if a man is faced with his death and the death of his comrades, is it really so much to ask that he refrain from using swear words, especially when his behavior will be displayed on the computer monitors and television screens of millions of people?
Just when I thought that this montage could not get any worse, I reached the video's conclusion, which depicts Bill lighting a cigarette and smoking it. I can't think of any worse influence for my child. It's no small secret at all that one of the biggest influences on children is the figures that they see in the media: children by nature emulate the behavior they see. Valve, by showing one of your characters smoking a cigarette, you have in effect told every child who plays your game, "go ahead, light up!" I am absolutely disgusted that a game developer would try to poison young minds with this kind of thinking. With hundreds of thousands of people dying to lung cancer each year, I'm certain that if the infected don't kill Bill, his smoking habit will!
I am taking a stand against Valve and boycotting this game. I am encouraging my friends (especially those with young children) to also ban this game from their households this holiday season. If Valve wants me to buy a zombie shooting game for my son, they can make one that omits the sexism, racism, disrespectful attitudes, bad language, and cultural insensitivity present in Left 4 Dead. And learn how to spell the word "for" without using a numeral.
Source.
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UPDATED
More mapping tests! I wanted to see what I could do with stationary weapons in Hammer and I came up with this.
Still has some work to do (I'm working on a proper scope at the moment), but it's coming along nicely.
Update! The scope is done! Here it is in action. This is almost finished now, a few little tweaks left and that's about it!
More mapping tests! I wanted to see what I could do with stationary weapons in Hammer and I came up with this.
Still has some work to do (I'm working on a proper scope at the moment), but it's coming along nicely.
Update! The scope is done! Here it is in action. This is almost finished now, a few little tweaks left and that's about it!
Ya know. It's nice to know your work is actually getting road tested out there in the big wide world
http://69.31.15.60/ltk/map.php?id=182
http://69.31.15.60/ltk/map.php?id=191
http://69.31.15.60/ltk/map.php?id=182
http://69.31.15.60/ltk/map.php?id=191