Journals
MODDING HALF-LIFE W/ VIDEO FOOTAGE!
So I was inspired to make a little mod where some of the soldiers will be randomly replaced with other enemies. In the video above, I play a typical gruntfest type of mod where the soldiers may randomly be replaced with Heavies. Since it is completely random, I will not know when a heavy might show up, so, kind of like in your typical left 4 dead game.
I'd like to expand this idea to weapons as well as having more possible replaceable enemies. This is where you guys come in: help me think of some 'special' enemies that can replace the average soldiers and maybe have some model work done on any new enemy you might have (post ideas first, I might have models handy) and soon we can all join in on the fun!
So I was inspired to make a little mod where some of the soldiers will be randomly replaced with other enemies. In the video above, I play a typical gruntfest type of mod where the soldiers may randomly be replaced with Heavies. Since it is completely random, I will not know when a heavy might show up, so, kind of like in your typical left 4 dead game.
I'd like to expand this idea to weapons as well as having more possible replaceable enemies. This is where you guys come in: help me think of some 'special' enemies that can replace the average soldiers and maybe have some model work done on any new enemy you might have (post ideas first, I might have models handy) and soon we can all join in on the fun!
This post will be quick, but needed!
Ash_Link being the kindhearted soul he is, allowed me to host off of his newly purchased domain. My site now resides at http://www.xylem.buffdrinklots.com and I plan to stay there quite a long time. My previous domain, xylem.netne.net, will remain up to redirect any visitors and to host Fast DL for my Killing Floor server.
Duel_Dust is a Team Fortress 2 map I have recently released. Originally it was created out of an overnight competition between a friend and myself to make a map before dawn. After winning and some playthroughs, I left the map buggy and overall incomplete. With it just sitting on my HD for well over a year, I had to finish it and finally release it onto the public. So if you're wanting to duel a friend in TF2 and need a new map, then check it out here: http://twhl.info/vault.php?map=5845 or http://www.xylem.buffdrinklots.com/dueldust.php
That's it for this blog post. Be sure to check out the recently renamed Bloodbath Softworks: http://www.moddb.com/company/bloodbath-softworks and Dethklan Games: http://games.dethklan.com/
Also on: Xylem: http://www.xylem.buffdrinklots.com/blog.php?do=more&newsid=7 and ModDB: http://www.moddb.com/members/xylem1/blogs/new-domain-and-release
Ash_Link being the kindhearted soul he is, allowed me to host off of his newly purchased domain. My site now resides at http://www.xylem.buffdrinklots.com and I plan to stay there quite a long time. My previous domain, xylem.netne.net, will remain up to redirect any visitors and to host Fast DL for my Killing Floor server.
Duel_Dust is a Team Fortress 2 map I have recently released. Originally it was created out of an overnight competition between a friend and myself to make a map before dawn. After winning and some playthroughs, I left the map buggy and overall incomplete. With it just sitting on my HD for well over a year, I had to finish it and finally release it onto the public. So if you're wanting to duel a friend in TF2 and need a new map, then check it out here: http://twhl.info/vault.php?map=5845 or http://www.xylem.buffdrinklots.com/dueldust.php
That's it for this blog post. Be sure to check out the recently renamed Bloodbath Softworks: http://www.moddb.com/company/bloodbath-softworks and Dethklan Games: http://games.dethklan.com/
Also on: Xylem: http://www.xylem.buffdrinklots.com/blog.php?do=more&newsid=7 and ModDB: http://www.moddb.com/members/xylem1/blogs/new-domain-and-release
How active are all of you guys? I'm just wondering since last week I started running twice a day, further every two days.
Ok, so I had a bit of a rant in the shoutbox about horror mods and the horror genre in general. My opinion of horror over the years has been pretty much tarnished by the constant flow of poorly executed games or mods.
When F.E.A.R came out is when it really started going downhill for me. The combat sections where pretty awesome up to a point but started to get stale. The horror aspect however just bored me to the point of giving up with the game. Some years later the sequel came out and I decided to try the demo. After all, a demo should entice a player to buy the full product right?
It did not go well.
On the modding front, several mods have come out that look promising in the early days but then just fall into the same grungy, dark mess. Jump scares, dark shadowy rooms, using a flashlight all the fucking time so you only ever see 30% of whats in front of you. It's like playing the game with a fucking box on your head with a hole cut in it.
Just a couple of examples here to make my point:
HL2 EP2 Mod: Crypt
Darkness, grunge, odd colour filter
HL2 EP2 Mod: Bleak
Darkness again, grunge again, fog
HL2 EP2 Mod: Inquietitude
Darkness again, fog again
HL2 EP2 Mod: Hellsound Dreams
Darkness yet again, grunge again, snore
HL2 EP2 Mod: Lurking
Urrrgh...
I've skipped over some of the terrible ones which popped up, but the screenshots above all have massive praise. Frankly, I can't see shit in any of them.
Does ANYONE know of a horror game which takes place in a NORMAL environment in broad daylight? Something the player can related too and actually feel uneasy about? ANYONE!!?
When F.E.A.R came out is when it really started going downhill for me. The combat sections where pretty awesome up to a point but started to get stale. The horror aspect however just bored me to the point of giving up with the game. Some years later the sequel came out and I decided to try the demo. After all, a demo should entice a player to buy the full product right?
It did not go well.
On the modding front, several mods have come out that look promising in the early days but then just fall into the same grungy, dark mess. Jump scares, dark shadowy rooms, using a flashlight all the fucking time so you only ever see 30% of whats in front of you. It's like playing the game with a fucking box on your head with a hole cut in it.
Just a couple of examples here to make my point:
HL2 EP2 Mod: Crypt
HL2 EP2 Mod: Bleak
HL2 EP2 Mod: Inquietitude
HL2 EP2 Mod: Hellsound Dreams
HL2 EP2 Mod: Lurking
I've skipped over some of the terrible ones which popped up, but the screenshots above all have massive praise. Frankly, I can't see shit in any of them.
Does ANYONE know of a horror game which takes place in a NORMAL environment in broad daylight? Something the player can related too and actually feel uneasy about? ANYONE!!?
The Escape is a French mod that just arrived fresh off the Hammer on MODDB. I tried it for a bit and it was a little bit unpolished, but is largely decent. And that is why we are going to create a challenge out of this mod.
THE ESCAPE CHALLENGE
The object of this challenge is to prove your skillz as a Half-Life Player. The instructions are as follows:
First, obtain a feel for what you are up against in this mod. Play the training level first. You will be immediately attacked by soldiers in an office area. Know how to switch weapons without a suit. Make you way past the bomb-rigged jumping section, as well as the acrobatic ladder section. After that the training will boil down to a crossbow target range. Feel free to expend your bolts on the scientists if you survive. Complete the training and be congratulated by some guy from France.
Once you complete the training, the REAL challenge begins. Using ONLY ONE LIFE, see how far you can get on Medium difficulty. I will post my run on youtoob sometime later. The one to get the farthest is the Winner!
Be wary, the mod is very challenging. You will usually confront several soldiers at a time, we are talking ten to twenty at a time. Use whatever means necessary (not cheating) to get as far as you can in a single life. Will you get farther than I did? Probably. I didn't do too well at the truck section and got killed stupidly. Oh crap, now you know how far I got. Well, good luck beating me I suppose.
THE ESCAPE CHALLENGE
The object of this challenge is to prove your skillz as a Half-Life Player. The instructions are as follows:
First, obtain a feel for what you are up against in this mod. Play the training level first. You will be immediately attacked by soldiers in an office area. Know how to switch weapons without a suit. Make you way past the bomb-rigged jumping section, as well as the acrobatic ladder section. After that the training will boil down to a crossbow target range. Feel free to expend your bolts on the scientists if you survive. Complete the training and be congratulated by some guy from France.
Once you complete the training, the REAL challenge begins. Using ONLY ONE LIFE, see how far you can get on Medium difficulty. I will post my run on youtoob sometime later. The one to get the farthest is the Winner!
Be wary, the mod is very challenging. You will usually confront several soldiers at a time, we are talking ten to twenty at a time. Use whatever means necessary (not cheating) to get as far as you can in a single life. Will you get farther than I did? Probably. I didn't do too well at the truck section and got killed stupidly. Oh crap, now you know how far I got. Well, good luck beating me I suppose.
MOTHERFUCKER! Hammer jeopardized everything, i've been working on for 2 hours!
Just 'cause it couldn't cut one damn sphere! I perfectly remember I did it not once before!!! |>_<| |>_<|
Just 'cause it couldn't cut one damn sphere! I perfectly remember I did it not once before!!! |>_<| |>_<|
I posted a journal some time ago now confessing that I enjoy watching medical examination videos and find them very relaxing, wondering if it was weird.
Well, whether it's weird or not it seems that it is actually more common than I realised. The relaxing sensation is know as Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) and there are several videos out there with the soul intention being to bring on this sensation. If you ever feel stressed out at any point I highly recommend looking into it.
ASMR.co.uk
Well, whether it's weird or not it seems that it is actually more common than I realised. The relaxing sensation is know as Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) and there are several videos out there with the soul intention being to bring on this sensation. If you ever feel stressed out at any point I highly recommend looking into it.
ASMR.co.uk
If anyone's curious my mapping partner took a pic of our playtest tonight. Seems so weird seeing it when I first got my hands on it. It's so close to being finished, can't wait.
Open them in tabs and you can compare 
Image'd for convenience - Grim
Image'd for convenience - Grim
Phew.
I've just watched another two episodes of Babylon 5's 3rd season.
Realism in space battles is just AWESOME! Watch "Severed Dreams" and you'll see what I mean(especially the place when the Churchill and the Agripa blow up.
Realism in space battles is just AWESOME! Watch "Severed Dreams" and you'll see what I mean(especially the place when the Churchill and the Agripa blow up.
I've got a cute little kitten here. 
Unfortunately he's partially paralyzed from the waist down, so he has trouble moving about. Apparently it's some kind of infection, so he's on a course of antibiotics. He was almost completely paralyzed, but he's getting better. Now he's able to waddle around by himself. He's also the most playful kitten I've ever seen, and I've seen plenty. I've got him on my lap so he can sleep for a while, it's getting cold and my house isn't heated, so he should be able to take a bit of warmth from me.
I would have made a journal about this earlier, but I spent a large part of yesterday sleeping.
On Friday I went to Setlist, a comedy show where stand up comedians are given five topics, topics that they had never set eyes on before, and they have to improvise and come up with material on the spot. Some of these topics were funny, and some were weird, but most of the comedians managed to pull it off quite well.
The comedians there were:
Phill Jupitus
Karl Spain
Colin Murphy
Tommy Tiernan
and Rich Hall, who appeared in that order.
Among the topics were 'Casual Racism', 'Mandatory Erection', 'Motivational Workshop for Serial Killers', 'Group Burka', 'Grenade Pranks', 'Casual Friday at the Third Reich', and about twenty more that I won't type out for fear of filling up this journal with a big list. They also had a big bucket of pieces of paper full of audience suggestions for reaching into whenever they couldn't think of anything more for their current topic.
Overall, I would say I found Rich Hall and Colin Murphy the funniest, with Phill Jupitus and Karl Spain tied in second place. Tommy Tiernan's act consisted mostly of "Feck, I wish I could think of something funny to say right now", but he managed to get a few jokes in, although it's a pity, as he had some potentially awesome topics.
I would say Phill Jupitus could have been much better, it's just that as he was on first, and the crowd hadn't been warmed up at that stage, his jokes weren't met with as much laughter as the rest of the comedians.
Overall, I would say I would go again. And as the tickets were only about €15, I probably will if I get the chance.
Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures, as I didn't have a camera. Plus, I would rather focus on the show than a camera.
On Friday I went to Setlist, a comedy show where stand up comedians are given five topics, topics that they had never set eyes on before, and they have to improvise and come up with material on the spot. Some of these topics were funny, and some were weird, but most of the comedians managed to pull it off quite well.
The comedians there were:
Phill Jupitus
Karl Spain
Colin Murphy
Tommy Tiernan
and Rich Hall, who appeared in that order.
Among the topics were 'Casual Racism', 'Mandatory Erection', 'Motivational Workshop for Serial Killers', 'Group Burka', 'Grenade Pranks', 'Casual Friday at the Third Reich', and about twenty more that I won't type out for fear of filling up this journal with a big list. They also had a big bucket of pieces of paper full of audience suggestions for reaching into whenever they couldn't think of anything more for their current topic.
Overall, I would say I found Rich Hall and Colin Murphy the funniest, with Phill Jupitus and Karl Spain tied in second place. Tommy Tiernan's act consisted mostly of "Feck, I wish I could think of something funny to say right now", but he managed to get a few jokes in, although it's a pity, as he had some potentially awesome topics.
I would say Phill Jupitus could have been much better, it's just that as he was on first, and the crowd hadn't been warmed up at that stage, his jokes weren't met with as much laughter as the rest of the comedians.
Overall, I would say I would go again. And as the tickets were only about €15, I probably will if I get the chance.
Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures, as I didn't have a camera. Plus, I would rather focus on the show than a camera.
I have done a thing, with actual meaning. That is I've recording myself talking, but I make valid points about how mods and games are doing the same shit as everyone else. Then I counteract all those points by stating that I will be making more videos doing the same shit as everyone else.
It's me in the car, without the crazy spinning steering wheel mount I had before
It's me in the car, without the crazy spinning steering wheel mount I had before
10/25/94