Posts by Sigma

Saw this and felt it deserved to be shared. If you have put your contact information on this sheet and would not like it re-posted, you can either remove it from the contact sheet and/or contact me and I will edit it. As the information was given voluntarily however, I do not think anyone who has given their information will feel sleighted by a re-post. Please utilize to your heart's content.

Contact Sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/lv…rowsperpage=300

Original Story: http://gamasutra.com/view/news/2072…rookie_devs.php

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Zoe Quinn makes games, and she wants to help other people make games too.

So on Monday night she put out a call on Twitter for established game developers willing to answer questions from folks who are just starting out, then created a shared Google spreadsheet where they could leave their contact info as well as what they felt qualified to give advice about -- everything from ActionScript programming to tips on building a business plan.

She called it the Game Developer Help List.

The outpouring of support from the developer community was so large, Google interpreted it as a potential DDoS attack and temporarily blocked access to the list.

“It blew up, and we broke Google,” says Quinn, in an interview with Gamasutra. “That was pretty cool.”

Eventually the traffic died down and the spreadsheet became widely accessible again, but by that point over a hundred developers had already added themselves to the list. It's a diverse roster, incorporating folks from all sectors of the industry who have helped ship a wide variety of games -- from Skyrim to Ridiculous Fishing.

“It’s really cool how supportive the indie community can be at times like this,” said Quinn. “There’s probably 220-250 developers in there right now, and that’s just the people who could get through without getting sick of it breaking constantly.”

Right now there are over 260 developers on the list, along with a separate tab for members of the press who want to share information that rookie developers and upstart studios might find useful -- contact info, who they write for and what types of games they prefer to cover, that sort of thing. Given that many developers seek help in figuring out how to best approach the press, inviting journalists into the project seems like a canny addition.

The original spreadsheet is still being updated via Google Docs, but Quinn hopes to eventually migrate all that information into a searchable database that can be hosted in a more permanent fashion.

“I’m working on a site called gamesareforeveryone.com, and I think we’re going to host [the help list] somewhere and we’ll redirect to it with that,” says Quinn.

“Gamesareforeveryone.com is a thing I’ve sort of been working towards, to provide stuff like this for new people. Pixel Prospector does a great job of it too, so I also want to point people towards that,” says Quinn.

“Sort of a thing that says ‘Hey, you’re probably one of the people who asked me a question about getting started in game development; here’s everything I could think of to give you in one really cool place that, hopefully, makes it easy to find useful stuff.”

The whole project is still coming together, so we'll keep you updated if/when the Help List finds a more permanent home. In the meantime, there are plenty of additional resources for budding game developers looking to get into the industry that are worth bookmarking -- from the aforementioned PixelProspector to HobbyGameDev and Gamasutra's own sibling site, GameCareerGuide.

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Well this ended up being interesting for me today considering I live here. I find the most interesting aspect of this is that many people in the state (not including myself) I would consider to be radicalized conservatives, that is to say the most extreme forms of conservatism--actively supporting Tea Party efforts. However, I do not think this is respectful of the greater metropolitan area of Wichita because we have a rather large minorities population. It will be interesting to watch how this affects upcoming elections in the next year considering my Governor (Brownback) and the church ladies (state legislature) have actively refused assistance from the federal government. Their policies continue to prove distasteful in polling--so much so that non-named and/or unrecognized liberal candidates are appearing to challenge Brownback and the state legislature. The news story has nothing to do with this other than I find it will be referenced as an attack point to justify increased co-operation with federal agencies (especially after all the muck ups we have had recently--long stories). Just thought I would share with you all, and let you know its all good.

http://investigations.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/12/…ta-airport?lite

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Feds say they disrupted suicide bomb plot by worker at Wichita airportFBI and US Attorney officials said at a news conference that Terry Lee Loewen a 58-year-old avionics technician, was charged with plotting a suicide bombing at the Wichita airport.

By Pete Williams, Chief Justice Correspondent, NBC NewsA 58-year-old airport worker was charged Friday with allegedly planning a suicide bombing at a passenger terminal at the Wichita Mid-Continent Airport in Kansas.

The suspect, Terry Lee Loewen, an avionics technician who lives in Wichita, was arrested earlier in the day as he attempted to use his security pass to drive a vehicle that he thought contained explosives onto the tarmac at the airport, law enforcement officials said at a news conference in Wichita. In fact, the car contained only dummy explosives.

U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said Loewen spent months developing a plan to drive a carload of explosives to the airport terminal and that he was determined to trigger the bomb himself and die in the blast.

Loewen, who is white, became radicalized after reading extremist Islamic material on the Internet, Grissom said.

A criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Wichita charges Loewen with one count of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, one count of attempting to damage property by means of an explosive and one count of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. He was scheduled to be arraigned at 3 p.m. local time.

If convicted on all counts, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.

Investigators tell NBC News that Loewen has been under scrutiny since August, when he began having an online exchange with someone he thought was a like-minded individual but who turned out to be an FBI employee.

"Let me preface the bottom line by saying I have become 'radicalized' in the strongest sense of the word, and I don't feel Allah wants me any other way," he said in one message, according to the complaint.

At the news conference, Grissom and Michael Kaste, special agent in charge of the FBI office in Kansas City, stressed that the suspect was under constant surveillance and at no time was the public in danger.

Officials say no one else was involved in the plot.

Wichita Mid-Continent Airport, about 7 miles west of downtown Wichita, is the largest and busiest airport in Kansas.

NBC News' Mike Brunker and Mike Kosnar contributed to this report.

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Additional Information:

http://kotaku.com/cliff-bleszins…oter-1481792323

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Cliff Bleszinski, of Unreal and Gears of War fame, recently appeared on a podcast to talk about, well, the Oculus Rift, mostly. But he also dropped a few facts about his upcoming project which, as it turns out, will be a bit of a blast from the past.

Cliff, along with his wife, Lauren, were both guests on Kevin Pereira's latest "Pointless" podcast, where the game designer was asked about his current plans. He said:

I have a pitch, I have concept art, I know pretty much what I wanna do. (...) It will be a PC experience that will harken back to a certain type of game that we cut our teeth on, if you know what I'm saying.

On the topic of genre, Bleszinski said he wanted to do a "proper" arena shooter:

A first-person shooter. It's in my DNA. It's one of those things - a lot of these kids playing Call of Duty, I don't think they'd know what a proper arena shooter is if it'd hit them across the fucking head.

Later, he spoke about funding and the Oculus Rift in connection with his new game:

I want to get funding, I don't want to do a Kickstarter. (...) With the speed and style of the title, it would not be a good fit for the Rift. I can confirm that.

Finally, Bleszinksi mentioned where his project is right now and how he plans to move forward:

I've shown [the project] to various parties, and there are nibbles (...) I wanna do something. It's just I'm not gonna do it if the time is not right and if the funding's not right.

So there you have it: a "proper" old-school arena shooter for the PC, a game which will see Bleszinksi return to his roots. If you want to listen for yourself, look for the bits at 21:10, 21:53, 28:59, and 76:15, respectively—but if you do, take care: there's copious amounts of NSFW language. Oh, and check below for the four pieces of concept art Bleszinski's recently revealed.

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[Blocked Image: http://i.imgur.com/GHwLY9hh.jpg]

For the full album: http://imgur.com/a/AnJAu

Posted per Thrik's advice

Ran out of time to do a proper unwrap of the base of the seat frames so that texture is stretched. Materials definition could use some work I think as well. But in the format it went into it looks good so I'm not exactly ticked about it either. I plan on fixing it up and adding onto the scene to make it a full commercial aircraft interior sometime soon.

[Blocked Image: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bax2wGcCcAA4gVo.jpg:large]

Did this tonight. Felt like sharing. I think I will unwrap and texture it. Maybe give it some nice maps for wear and tear. Been on a pokemon kick for the past 2 weeks. Go figure.

Quote from Fuzyhead

Ehm, don't know if this question was for me, but: I don't really know, I rendered it in 3ds max - Sorry I can't help you

Mind sharing what your render set-up was like? V-Ray, Mental Ray, Scanline? 3-Point Lighting? Light decay? etc. . . I can't really think what to critique as it looks fantastic? Is that purely high-poly modeling or did you also use normals say for the hood? I think the one thing I might ask for a break-down photo of is the wheel as that looks FANTASTIC!

I am speaking with an educational institution currently regarding this very matter Puddy, trying to find out where I fit in and my best course of action. My theory is if you can find a cheaper source of educational information to utilize, do so. Just be aware that it does not mean your end product will be better (nor does having the more costly university type education guarantee that). I live in the USA, and because of the economy and cost of education here I am doubling down and also pursuing a master's degree in a business related field while trying to find any entry level/junior level internships/jobs here as well. I work full time so creating a beautiful portfolio in a short time frame is difficult. My theory to get into the industry is to come at it from the business side of things but than I enjoy that side just as much as the art side. So... take it with a grain of salt as I'm not there yet. But I feel the pain buddy.

Absolutely fantastic! I have enjoyed following this and you guys did not dissapoint one bit. Great job!

A little more of the scene I am working on. Would like to fix all the smoothing errors and do the back cushion some more but I am pretty much out of allotted time for modeling. :*( Anyway, here it is thus far...

[Blocked Image: http://i.imgur.com/A0sxR6W.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i.imgur.com/NU6WUtZ.jpg?1]

[Blocked Image: http://i.imgur.com/Qij4LAf.jpg?1]

Tried to point out some other possible errors. I can't tell if they are smoothing errors but a couple look like an erroneous vert and/or needing support loops to straighten/conform the line more in those spots as well.

This is part of a piece I am working on. Did not need the full tablet so I have left off detail portions like side buttons and ports. All of the texturing is currently on a diffuse map, has ambient occlusion baked in. I would like to figure out how to make it appear reflective through 3DS Max rather than as part of the diffuse texture itself so that will be a learning experience for some new maps. Anyway.

[Blocked Image: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BYM2rdzCAAAKn7T.jpg:large]

I'll just drop this here in case it helps you in anyway.

http://blog.joelburgess.com/2013/04/skyrim…n-gdc-2013.html

Particularly interesting and useful to spruce up things is the section on formation of kits and mixing them.

Known about handplane's existence for a while, good link!... one question though... has anyone ever made a handplane to replace the knife in CS?... (Brain cogs begin turning...)

Finally had Christmas in September yesterday and got it all hooked up and updated. Started playing WW. That is a GREAT looking game.

Doors in 3DS Max,

Command Panel --> Create --> Geometry --> Doors (dropdown).... make door

Windows in 3DS Max,

Command Panel --> Create --> Box --> Convert to Editable Poly --> Edge Mode --> Cut --> Polygon (faces) Mode --> Delete necessary polygon(s)

Honestly though, nothing wrong with using boolean/proboolean so long as you are willing to clean it up.

press F1 (<--- your best friend, even has a built in search function).

Not sure how I feel about this but I'll post it over here anyway. Seems like a useful tool for quick results and mockups but lacks the necessary attention to detail issues that CG requires.

Original: http://gamasutra.com/view/news/1998…e_in_action.php

Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=…d&v=Oie1ZXWceqM

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A group of computer science professors is working on a new interactive 3D modelling technique, which can easily read information from various photos, and turn the objects into 3D models in just seconds.

The '3-Sweep' technique, as demonstrated in the above video, takes three mouse strokes which define the three different dimensions of an object. The first two sweeps define the object's profile, while the third sweep finds distinct outlines, and reads the object's shape along its main axis.

This defines a 3D body which will snap to the object in the photo, and can then be rotated, adjusted and generally played around with.

Notably, the video describes numerous instances in which the algorithm would not work, including when there is a non-ideal perspective, or when an object has a fuzzy, non-readable edge. No information is as-of-yet available on when this technique might be made available for public use.

Quote from kab

[Blocked Image: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/47037191/SM_Pillar_Corner_render05.jpg]

Any feedback is good feedback!

Also those trains look fantastic penE!!

I like these, they are a little more interesting visually. By the access panel, I meant something "similar" to this (although seeing the updated version I am not so certain it is necessary anymore to provide more interesting visuals):

[Blocked Image: http://i.imgur.com/wQOwfFV.jpg]

Quote from kab

Last time I posted on these forums I was touching 3D software for the first time. It's been years and I learned a lot. Had an idea for some sci-fi stuff the other day and tried to draw a little concept. Here's some of what it resulted in(yes it's a pillar). Going for a VERY clean style.

Model is 342 tris, and I made two different texture sets to break things up when it goes into a level some time in the future.(All 3 are the same model, just to show different angles)

[Blocked Image: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/47037191/SM_Pillar_Corner_render02.jpg]

[Blocked Image: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/47037191/SM_Pillar_Corner_render04.jpg]

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These are very nicely done. My only suggestion would be to add an access panel to the side of it via texturing. Right now, it makes me think of a small futuristic HVAC system.

Quote from penE

Played around with the textures some more and added a bit more visual noise to them. I think they look more ground into the environment now , but I'm not sure:

[Blocked Image: http://i.imgur.com/AhJXSA5.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i.imgur.com/vgPHb0f.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://i.imgur.com/jZugXPP.jpg]

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Much better! Before I thought I was looking at 1940's prisoner trains whereas now I don't get that same depressing feeling. Good change!

Quote from cybarian

thank you man........you saved my life......and thankx to others too for support...

No sweat!

So I finally got the animation done on my little core. There are parts I am happy with and other parts I am not (mostly due to poor planning of the rotations)-- but due to my schedule I do not think it is worth it to go through it any further and result in a delay for the mod. There are 2 cores still to do (and I hope I can get them ready in time). Anyway, here is the animation in full, sound was provided by another person and that is what I based my animation on.

And the second core that I did today. Getting a little faster, and a little more foresight. Simple steps. Keeping it simple.