Posts by Hourences

  • Showreels

    I think that very few employers actually did look at every little thing I ever made, then again I am an exception

    I totally agree with you that if they are serious about it, they should look really deep into it. I would. A lot of people don't however. And yes if they have many applicants, it is about catching their attention faster than the other guy, not necessarily being better than the other guy. Dependent on how far you live away from their office, they may also just invite you over for an interview before looking seriously deep into your application. For some that is an easier/faster way.

  • Showreels

    I don't agree that it is only for animators. I think levels are actually prime candidates for reels, as a level can be difficult to capture in just some screenshots. There is sound, events, stuff moves, and so on...

    I do agree that no one ever watches them though

    Also it just is too much work...which is probably why not many do it. It really can't hurt having it though, so if you feel like making one...

  • UT3 editor

    It takes more effort to allow the user greater control over more complex things. It may look like it is a lot of work to make a simple terrain, and it is, but it allows you to keep control over complex stuff.

    UT3 uses UE3 and comes with UED4.

    UT uses UE1 btw, but UED1 and 2, UT2004 uses UE2 but UED3. The Editor is one number ahead caused by a Unreal and UT both having their own editor while running on the same engine.

    What you name it does make a difference. It is like saying ShopPhoto 6 CS which makes you look stupid. Also you won't get helped correctly if you ask for UE2 tutorials where as you meant UE3..

    You don't need to model. You only need to model if you want to create high quality stuff. For regular mapping you do not need to model at all.

    Tutorials here:

    http://www.hourences.com/book/tutorialsindex.htm

    http://www.hourences.com/book/tutorialslinks.htm

    http://www.icecreamyou.com/ut3

  • Call of Juarez: Bound of Blood

    I played the first one and have mixed feelings. You can really spot a number of mistakes, and the game is not so consistent in everything it does. Some levels feel like a 4 year old put them together in a weekend, others are great. You can spot first timer mistakes, and it is as if some parts were rushed.

    Still it is fairly original and has a nice feeling. It is certainly not a bad game.

  • making money with custom maps !?

    I think everyone wants to have creative freedom really, but it really isn't so easy to get. If it were, everyone would be doing so.

    Your best bet is to go into indie games, because that stuff you can sell. You do need a dedicated programmer for that, and that usually makes me give up on that idea

    If instead of making maps, you would invest the same amount of time into stand alone games, you would be able to sell those. And if you were to build up an entire library of those games, then it should become quite profitable after a few years.

    It is perfectly doable to make money out of custom maps, but only indirect money and will it be enough to live off? Prolly not, but it is not impossible either. I make money of whatever mod stuff I do because every time I release something for free, I am advertising myself basically, and that gets me other stuff. Opportunities, workshops, couple of people buying my books, and so on. That is where the money is, the indirect money. So instead of looking on how to cash in on levels, look at how to make your levels advertise whatever other thing that does make money. Levels are only the means...

    Just charging people money directly will never cut it.

  • Quake Live Beta

    I just got one, but invites is greyed out for me. If that changes I will post here.

    I think it is suprinsing how solid and good the game really is, how almost 10 years later it still stands and provides a better online experience than most of these next gen games.

    And I am not saying that because I am nostalgic or anything, I actually never played Q3 back in the days, only the demo.

  • Animator and Programmer - UT3 Mod The Ball - Double 1st plac

    What

    _________________________________________________

    We are looking for two people to reinforce our mod team - the UT3 mod The Ball - Double 1st place Winner MakeSomethingUnreal Phase 1

    [Blocked Image: http://nijnka.com/hourences/theball/theballcompi.jpg]

    Animator

    # Will need to rig and animate about three to four characters (two or three more may be added in half a year)

    # The characters we have, have a fairly small number of animations - we are not looking for a million animations but just the basics (walking/jumping/an attack/etc.) - no facial animation or anything special.

    # It would be nice if you had experience with the Unreal Engine, but this is not super essential.

    Programmer

    # Most preferably skilled in UnrealScript and you obviously need to own a copy of UT3.

    # Our current programmer has real life interfering so we are looking for a second programmer to help out.

    # The most critical features we need coded are implementing our new weapon and coding the large gorilla, plus possibly coding a vehicle in the future. And some smaller other things.

    We are not necessarily looking for the best of the best! I would personally much rather have a very motivated person with intermediate knowledge of his thing than an expert who is never around! Please don't hold back your "application", we don't bite and you have nothing to lose, so just try.

    You can email me at [email='%7Boption%7D'][email protected][/email] - please provide some worksamples.

    Who

    _________________________________________________

    We are a small team - we like to keep the team focused so we only take those people in we really need.

    1 Programmer

    3 Character modelers

    2 level designers

    1 level gameplay scripter

    1 Composer

    And I am the project lead/level designer/environment artist/gameplay designer/particle artist

    We have started this project in May 2008. Our first release took us 1.5 month and just 2.5 people. Our second release took us 3 months and 5 people. We are growing steadily for each release, to ensure a stable and healthy growth.

    Why

    _________________________________________________

    We are working on The Ball for UT3.

    Quote

    The Ball is a first person singleplayer puzzle mod with an Aztec theme to it. The mod takes place in a mysterious Aztec temple, at the top of a volcano. The player has to use the Impact Gun to move a large steel ball around and utilize that ball to solve puzzles and get around obstacles. The mod uses all new custom art to establish a unique, stylish, and atmospheric experience. The Ball is the winner of the MakeSomethingUnreal contest Phase 1, having won both Best Gametype and Best Use of Physics.

    We have already released two releases: Pehua and Oztoc. We release one episode every 3-6 months. We are in it to create an awesome and stylish mod, and to try and get as far into the 1 million dollar MSU contest as we can, and having already won two first prizes, we are not doing bad!

    We are small team. We have hit every (contest) deadline so far with ease. We don't bullshit around. We don't have NDA's, or other paperstuff. Hell we don't even have a website. What we do have is an original and proven mod that we try to expand, with the next release planned for May. We need help two more people to do that.

    We have realistic goals and realistic deadlines. We finish what we start, if you want guarantee for that, have a look at my personal work: http://%7boption%7d - I have worked on four large mods all of them were released. I have created and released about 20 stand alone levels, I have written two entire books, dozens of tutorials, I have worked on 6 games (including UT2004 and Huxley to name two), 3 texture packs, and so on. Modding is a hobby for me, I have been doing this for 10 years now. Over the last 5 years, I haven't given up on a single mod project I started!

    We split the prize money we win.

    Here are interviews about the mod:

    ModDB: http://%7boption%7d

    IGN/ModCenter: http://%7boption%7d

    BeyondUnreal: http://%7boption%7d

    And here are the winners of MSU Phase 1:

    http://%7boption%7d

    Our forum:

    http://%7boption%7d

    Our ModDB Page:

    http://%7boption%7d

    Our last release:

    http://%7boption%7d

    http://%7boption%7d

    Screenshots:

    http://%7Boption%7D[Blocked Image: http://nijnka.com/hourences/theball/theballteotl1.jpg]

    http://%7Boption%7D[Blocked Image: http://nijnka.com/hourences/theball/theballteotl2.jpg]

    http://%7Boption%7D[Blocked Image: http://nijnka.com/hourences/theball/theballteotl3.jpg]

    http://%7Boption%7D[Blocked Image: http://nijnka.com/hourences/theball/theballteotl4.jpg]

    http://%7Boption%7D[Blocked Image: http://nijnka.com/hourences/theball/theballteotl5.jpg]

    http://%7Boption%7D[Blocked Image: http://nijnka.com/hourences/theball/theballteotl6.jpg]

    http://%7Boption%7D[Blocked Image: http://nijnka.com/hourences/theball/theballteotl7.jpg]

    http://%7Boption%7D[Blocked Image: http://nijnka.com/hourences/theball/theballteotl8.jpg]

    Video:

    http://%7boption%7d

    Other people may apply too by the way, while we don't really need anyone else right now, you never know...

  • Steam, 1€ = 1$

    Here are some even nicer examples:

    I just got Fallout 3 (finally), I bought it in Sweden for 299 sek and that got me a real disc I can touch and love (among other things).

    In the stores - 299 SEK - 27 Euro - 38 USD

    On steam - 50 Euro - 70 USD.

    Now I don't know about you, but that is almost twice as much while you don't even get a CD and a nice little box and manual.... Fucked beyond imagination?

  • Steam, 1€ = 1$

    I dont care if these new prices do include taxes, and the old ones didnt? It is not the correct way of doing things and whatever the calculation, I am sure they do really make money this way, on our expense. This is americanism as far as Im concerned.

    And the fact that steam never has been cheap in the first place should have been all the more reason for Valve to do something about it, rather than actually making it worse? What kind of argument is "it already was expensive so it is perfectly acceptable if it becomes even more expensive"?

    Boycotting for the time being.