Posts by Erratic

  • Tactical Intervention

    Quote from st0lve

    I wonder what the aim with the game is, I mean, where are they trying to fit in? Right now, it looks like some pure copy of CS...

    Well, in its defense, I don't think it's been put forth as anything else.

  • The best approach to building a Level Designer portfolio

    Shit, there's a lot there to cover that I'm sure others would explain better and more broadly, but I'll see what I can do with the part that I can relate a bit more to:

    Quote

    I guess what I'd like to know is from people who've been hired based on their modding work and the levels they designed, the ones who ended up in a level designer position or were actually looking for one from the start, is there a specific part of your work that actually got you hired? Something like thinking out-of-the-box, creating experimental designs; or showing that you can work on long-terms projects, being part of modding projects that take years to complete, that you can take an idea and flesh it out and take it to the end; or rather that you can take existing assets of a game and create something completely new and different with them? If any, what aspect of your levels made you stick out of the crowd?

    I think what helped being on a mod was mostly just getting shit done any way I could. Being resourceful, being forced to do things you may not be totally comfortable with and extending out into different disciplines. Even if you're not very good, you still end up with a more well rounded, practical sense of how things are done, which informs back to whatever your focus is, in this case, design. A lot of those disciplines end up funneling back to you in some way, small or not, so it's useful to be able to jump on it and recognize a problem and solve it without having to run to someone in every instance.

    As for what kinds of levels you should focus on, I'd say whatever it is you enjoy the most. This is probably going to come off as some of the most loose ass advice you'll read, but I say take the time to do the shit you're absoloutely passionate about and driven by now, It'll show better in your work and you'll definitely learn more from it. Grinding out some shit you don't care about isn't good for anyone, imo. Multiplayer, singleplayer, whatever, a good level is a good level. From what I've seen, there isn't too much bias towards anyone that has lacked one or the other in their portfolio, I'm sure others have experienced different, but if you produce some good quality stuff, it's hard to argue against it.

    Also, play games, play a lot of fucking games. Can't stress that anymore. I'm gonna steal a line from Ken Levine, if you don't play games you're not a game developer.

  • Street Fighter IV

    I want to hear more about the current characters tweaks. Mostly what they're doing with some of the lower tier characters.

    Seth getting dropped seems about right though but not sure why Gouken would get the same treatment, he seems fine?

  • DiRT 2

    Dirt 2 is the best driving game with the worst presentation style ever. The menu system is really neat, but goddam if I have to hear Dave Mirra tell me how awesome a dude I am and how whicked my last lap was I'm gonna kill some body.

  • Battlefield Bad Company 2

    Quote from Jetsetlemming

    What? People turtle with health regen all the time, to give their health a chance to kick back in safety from behind cover. .

    For maybe a few seconds.

    Quote

    Health packs are hardly a better option, the perfect health system future is the Max Payne system of hotkey'd health items you carry with you. Or, alternatively, MGS3's or Far Cry 2's, I'm so over dudes not pulling out bullets when they've been shot

    Now, I agree with this.

  • Battlefield Bad Company 2

    It's not so much that regen health is the one ultimate solution to player recovery as it is that in BC1 the health system was all over the place with support handing out med packs (which IMO is a pretty weak feature in most MP shooters, for the simple fact its rarely used in public games) and the assault class being able to heal himself. A nice unified system with defribs being brought back into play is pretty much the best solution for the game.

    Can't really absolutely say it's better or worse, depends on the game.

  • Battlefield Bad Company 2

    Shoulda left the SP campaign out, no one would have noticed. All DICE needs to do is add an M14 or any other single shot rifle and the games a 10/10, easy. Too many of the assault rifles feel the same, with maybe the exception of the M16.

    All the balance changes I've heard so far are pretty much exactly what I had hoped. Regen health for all classes, defribs, consolidating the classes to just 4, weapons being more lethal...it will be glorious.