Posts by Thrik

I'm busy at work so I'm only going to address two of those points.

Firstly, many games just assume an internet connection is present these days because there's hardly anyone out there not hooked up. BioShock connects to the internet to activate, all of Steam's games do (which now includes hundreds of non-Valve games if you hadn't notice), and in general a lot of games use it for automatic patching and such.

Nobody sees a single-player game requiring a connection as unreasonable anymore because pretty much nobody doesn't have a connection there for it to use. I really recommend you get your main computer hooked up rather than this crazy splitting thing.

As for HL1, it really isn't the most popular game at all. Counter-Strike accounts for almost all the players, and I can tell you without any hesitation whatsoever that the vast majority of those people have no interest in trying out different HL1 mods. Day of Defeat and TFC still have players, but a lot of them are bots and just like with CS most of them are just addicted to those mods and won't try anything else.

And that Paranoia shot you showed doesn't look particularly good, D3. It looks better than most HL1 graphics, but it's still noticeably inferior to the first-generation version of Source (2004). The latest generation as seen in the Orange Box has much nicer lighting, use of HDR, and generally looks better.

As I said, HL1 remains popular only with very small enthusiast communities. No mod for HL1 is really going to hit any headlines, just like Paranoia didn't. And more importantly, all these people playing newer games aren't going to go back in time and play a HL1 mod. It just isn't going happen, and I'm dumbfounded that after all we've said you still can't see this.

I'm glad you're looking into the suggestions, but please don't make excuses for your outdated mindset. Without making you paranoid or anything, we have discussed you on IRC before and the way that you're clearly throwing away your potential; indeed, some people in #mapcore have said they wish they could edit like you can and are amazed you're just doing nothing of note.

It's time to stop moaning about Steam requiring an internet connection (we all did that and forgot about it over three years ago), get everything on one gorgeously powerful PC, and start making visual magic.

I don't really want to drag this out though, and will let you have your own thoughts from this point on. All I can do is desperately urge you to accept that HL1 isn't on the radar for most gamers, it looks extremely outdated without any exceptions, and your time would be infinitely better spent working on newer engines.

http://jeroenwijering.com/?thread=7128

Looking at that, it seems embedded Flash with certain code is one thing that can give a false positive for this thing. It could just be that something harmless in the forum code is similar to that in a virus, hence the detection.

Looking at the forum source code though, I have no idea whatsoever what could possibly be causing it. Hopefully just upgrading to phpBB 3 (and thus wiping out our templates) will fix it.

I read an article that looked at that image st0lve posted (and consequently the assertion that those companies are heavy polluters), and it was revealed that the majority of Greenpeace's research was heavily flawed.

In Nintendo's case, apparently they just looked at what was available on Nintendo's site as Nintendo wouldn't speak to them about it and only counted these few examples they gave of how they protect the environment:

http://www.nintendo.com/corp/faq.jsp#environment

So while Nintendo probably does a lot more, Greenpeace just counted the things on that page. Kind of low, and I'm guessing they pulled similarly weak shit on the other companies too.

Their message may be good, but the way they go about it is lame.

The thing is Gorion you can quite literally wait forever in the hardware game, as you yourself are aware I'm sure. There's always something just around the corner, and I don't think D3adlode is looking for top-end equipment anyway seeing as he's looking into GeForce 6 cards on eBay (wtf).

In my opinion, if new hardware is more than a quarter of a year away you should just buy. Otherwise you'll end up frustrated because you can't play any new games, and get yourself into an endless waiting game where your only gaming-related entertainment is reading about what the next upcoming hardware is.

It's like the 8800 GTX. People told me to wait for the Ultra, then people buying the Ultra were told to wait for the Autumn cards that just came out, now those guys are being told to wait for the GeForce 9s, and it will go on and on.

Tere's always something less than half a year ago ready to render what you just bought obsolete.

Quote from Thrik

I'm guessing we won't be updating to phpBB 3 until the final build is released, which happens to be tomorrow.

I mean bloody hell, do the lovely Source maps in the WIP forum not even inspire you a bit? Many of them absolutely piss off anything you could imagine creating with HL1, yet almost all of your HL1 techniques would translate over because the editor is almost exactly the same. You could pretty much immediately begin making stuff like that, albeit not at the same skill level (need to develop the skill first).

Even if you became the best HL1 mapper ever, it'd mean shit to anyone but the minority of enthusiasts still following the engine. They'd just think "Well, it still looks like ass in comparison to so why do I care?".

I don't know, I kind of found it cool that the future was was this mysterious event that we never get a full view of, and only snippets. Not knowing the extent of the brutality kind of added to the tone in my opinion.

D3, you really need to understand that not that many people care about HL1 anymore. Even 'big' mods like that Paranoia have barely managed to scratch most gamers' consciousness, because HL1 is so far in history for them they literally couldn't care less.

You need to move on from HL1. Even if you manage to make something wondrous for the engine that's never been seen before, most people will still think it looks like shit. The engine is so old that isn't simply incapable of impressing anyone, even where it's been heavily modified as Paranoia was.

You have to acknowledge this fact. Unless you want to continue applying for piece of shit jobs at supermarkets for the next five years, you need to move on and apply your clear passion for game design to something more appropriate to the modern audience.

There is absolutely nothing even remotely perplexing about Source mapping, so drop the excuses and get on with it. All your little tricks for HL1 are still relevant, but because there's a higher detail ceiling you can do so much more with them.

Honestly D3, the way you think is so outdated and generally weird for a guy in his twenties that it dumbfounds me. What's all this shit about separating your internet PC? What are you, 50? How can you possibly use a PC in this day and age that isn't hooked up to a permanent line?

Steam is something people just run in the background all the time these days. It hardly eats into your performance at all thanks to the wonders of modern hardware, it's useful to have all your stuff available at once, and for those of us living in the 2000s with broadband the whole offline thing really isn't even considered.

I've not even encountered the 'Run in Offline Mode' thing in about four years. Why? Because I have a connection plugged in all the time. It's just how computers are these days.

Honestly D3, what's up with you? How have you transformed from a passionate budding level designer into someone critically behind on technology, who hasn't really played any truly modern games (Games from two years ago like F.E.A.R. don't count -- and weren't you talking about F.E.A.R. months and months ago?), and who is completely unwilling to even try modern game development?

The only reason those Unreal Engine maps look so crazy to you is because you wouldn't have the first idea about where to even begin making one because you've fell so morbidly behind on technology. It's not like you just press a 'make map' button and all the mapper did is put the special effects into it. It takes just as much knowledge of engine limitations and skill as your HL1 mapping does.

I mean what, do you think engine limitations are something only HL1 has? Do you think it's not possible to push the detail ceiling on modern games and do something people never thought possible with the engine? Well, I guess your view of modern graphics is so blurred (due to having hardly experienced them) that it's hard for you to know what's pushing the limits and what isn't. I think it's that lack of comfort zone and familiarity that frightens you.

It's not too late to catch up and get yourself a real job, but it will be unless you take the advice everyone's giving you.

So far pretty much everyone has agreed with me in saying that you're a bit of a mess D3, and this is a sentiment that's been running for some time. Nobody wants you to stay like this, but nobody's going to hold your hand either.

Just think about being in our shoes D3, where buying a £350 graphics card really isn't that much of a deal because it's only a portion of our monthly wages, and we go to work every day and do something we love with guys who're into the same thing.

I'm guessing we won't be updating to phpBB 3 until the final build is released, which happens to be tomorrow.

And D3 certainly needs it.

I was entertained by Terminator 3, but I think that's more because the action/story was passable and Arnie was in it; it was more like a big nostalgia trip (hence the parody feel) than a serious film.

Without the legendary master action actor Arnie, I can't see how the 4th could possibly entice me to watch it.

Out of date by like a day? I guess.

I ignored your links because you didn't mention the new version; I just assumed they were reviews of the older ones.

Good stuff, though. It looks like the old GTX and GTS cards have been rendered completely obsolete now. Performance-wise any owners of them have nothing to worry about as the new batch don't offer anything new there, but obviously nobody is going to shell out when the new GTS basically equals it at a much lesser price. GT too if you have a smaller resolution.

I just hope they get some GeForce 9 cards out in Spring/Summer as rumoured so I can crank up my Crysis.

There's definitely performance gains with a GTX once you're running resolutions like 1920x1200 (hence why I got one), but the new GT offers performance closer to the GTX than the GTS 640mb, which is a statement that should by itself indicate how powerful it is considering its price.

At resolutions like 1280x1024 the difference between the three card levels is negligible; it only starts to divide at high resolutions where that extra memory and brute force comes in useful.

There's also a new GTS coming out soon based on the new architecture that the GT has, which may provide even more excellent price/performance value.

The existing GTS range is basically obsolete (think of the GT as a new series in that respect) and I couldn't even think of recommending it to anyone.

Erm, alt+tab is very useful and something like my quad core CPU makes it a completely insignificant decision.

I always leave mIRC open for example, so if someone says my name I'll hear it and I can check out what they wanted. Same for MSN, or anything else.

Did you go to Uni D3adlode?

If not, what exactly have you been doing for these past few years? Have you not had any jobs in the past few years? Why is your financial situation still where you have to rely on Christmas and birthdays to get moderately expensive stuff like PC parts? What do you do with all your time if you don't work or go in education? How has an entire year passed by with no improvements in either?

I'm not trying to insult you or anything, but it really seems like you just haven't moved forward with your life at all. You used to want to work in games, and now you're just giving up? And you haven't even gotten a basic job so you can get yourself newer hardware to make stuff for anything newer than HL1?

I think it's probably a confidence issue. To have not been able to get any job in the entirety of 2007 despite being at the age where you really, really should be working cannot possible be anything else. It's not like getting a job is even difficult in the UK, where even a shit Burger King job can give you a reasonable amount of cash. I'm not sure how you can even live at your age and not have a disposable income.

Get yourself some newer engine technology D3, so you can enjoy making stuff for newer technology. Even Source would be a huge step forward -- make some TF2 maps or something. It's not much different to HL1 mapping at all. While you're doing this get a piece of shit job at ASDA or something (since you've left it too long to do it while you're in college/etc) so you can get a taste of current gaming and its development tools.

I don't know why you even like to map for HL1 still, but have no interest in newer technology. The only possible explanation I can think of is that newer games don't run smoothly for you, which is why you like the guaranteed smoothness of HL1. Are you seriously saying you wouldn't like creating something beautiful like in the WIP forum if you could run those new games as well as you can run HL1? And again, Source mapping is so similar I can't see why you wouldn't. More people would play a good TF2 map, employers would take a good TF2 map more seriously, and of course you'd be able to realise your artistic vision better.

The only thing holding you back is your own will, and until you recognise that your life is going to continue flying past with no real progression. I know people who're exactly the same as you (and the same age), and it hurts me to see it happening. However, unlike those I don't actually know you in real life so I can be a little more honest.

I'd like to say the same to those guys too, but how do you tell a real-life friend they're fucking their life and prospects up the ass and have essentially achieved nothing?

Sort your life out, D3.

It's obviously all about the art direction.

TF2 looks nothing like Episode Two, and Portal is again markedly different in looks. All three are on the same build of the same engine -- it's the art that differentiates them.

As Peris said, exactly the same is true of Unreal Engine 3. Yes, Gears of War and Unreal Tournament 3 do look quite alike, but they are both from Epic. If you look at BioShock and Mass Effect, they quite clearly have their own unique look that's grounded in good art direction.

Same goes for most of the other UE3 titles floating around.

I'd say UE3 has greater capacity for allowing artists to realise their visions as there's simply more technology there to use, which allows more elaborate lighting (of course if it isn't used creatively it's a waste of time) and very complex environmental detail.

Again though, not much good if not many people like playing the available UE3 games online. I certainly don't.

The fog looks awesome. It really contrasts well with the sky above, although I still think it'd be awesome to have beams of light cutting through the fog from there.

One thing worth being aware of Jselen1 is that a lot of the guys here actually work in the games industry (view list), where having a level that's both functional and beautiful is their job. Therefore the looks are going to attract a lot of comments. However there is no better place for it.

Quote from D3ads

2007 was complete fucking shit, here's hoping 2008 will be better...

Your new years resolution is to make a serious effort to get into the games industry instead of pissing around with decade-old technology. Apply yourself properly and maybe you'll catch up with all these people five years younger than you now enjoying a career in the industry.

Problem with that is you need to actually like any of the games using the UT3 engine, Koko.

This is why mapping for Valve games remains so popular.