Saying Goodbye To Zhlt Development

CageyCagey Ex-Unknown Worlds Programmer Join Date: 2002-11-15 Member: 8829Members, Retired Developer, NS1 Playtester, Constellation
in Mapping Forum
<div class="IPBDescription">Took a job in the game industry today</div> I took a job with Eletronic Arts today, and will joining the programming team for Medal of Honor: Pacific Assult. While I'm really excited about being paid to work on games--something I've been trying to do for quite a while now--it unfortunately will require some changes to my involvement with both ZHLT and NS.

I'm going to be wrapping up my work on ZHLT this week, attempting to work out the currently reported bugs with entity shadowing and improving HLRAD performance. I'm also going to publish the full source of ZHLT p16 (once it's finished) for download since I'm no longer going to be maintaining it myself. I'd like to leave the tools without any known issues, but unfortunately I think that the intermittant HLBSP clipping problems are going to be a task for the next coder who decides to work on ZHLT.

I'm going to be having lunch with Flayra tomorrow and talking with him about the level of my future involvement with NS. If EA asks me to sign a no compete clause including work on community game projects, I'll no longer be a member of the NS dev team; either way I'll still check in on the forums every once in a while to see what's going on. Flay is going to be interviewing programmers to take over my work on the mod; if everything works out I'll be sitting in on the interviews as well.

I've enjoyed working on both NS and ZHLT, and enjoyed playing the maps that this community has turned out. I'm sad that I won't be able to continue slaying the dragons of Half-Life mapping, but this job is something I've been dreaming about for a decade--I'm very, very excited to have the opportunity.

I'll be watching (and playing) NS, and look forward to seeing more quality maps from you guys.

Karl
XP-Cagey
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Comments

  • esunaesuna Rock Bottom Join Date: 2003-04-03 Member: 15175Members, Constellation
    Wow. Another one is leaving. So long, and thanks for all the fish, Cagey. Hope things work out fantastically at EA when you start there. <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
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  • TequilaTequila Join Date: 2003-08-13 Member: 19660Members
    NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

    While this is a severe blow to us mappers, it sounds like a great thing for your fine self. Good luck amigo, and thank you for all you've done for the community.
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  • BlackMageBlackMage [citation needed] Join Date: 2003-06-18 Member: 17474Members, Constellation
    i would put something heart warming / inspiring here ... but i don't know you beyond your reputation

    good luck with the future, ye shall be missed (if it comes to that)
    enjoy MoH and don't screw it up <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->
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  • ReebdoogReebdoog Join Date: 2003-09-20 Member: 21035Members
    You have done wonders for us Cagey, its a sad day to see you go, but its great to see you following your dream. Best of luck with it, and i'm looking forward to all your work with EA.

    Thanks for all the great fixes with the compile tools and i hope someone will be able to fill your mighty shoes. Best of luck mate.
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  • HypergripHypergrip Suspect Germany Join Date: 2002-11-23 Member: 9689Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor
    Thank you for all the superb work on both NS and ZHLT, you will be missed - badly. Good luck with your job, I hope things work out as you wish.

    /Hyper
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  • DubbilexDubbilex Chump Join Date: 2002-11-24 Member: 9799Members
    D:

    Well, I wish you the best in chasing down the dream you've always wanted. Good luck with everything you do in the future (in the case that you're actually <i>leaving</i>, leaving) and thank you so much for all that you've done.


    gg <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->
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  • Dorian_GrayDorian_Gray Join Date: 2004-02-15 Member: 26581Members, Constellation
    Damn. Now I need to go out and get MoH as well as Quake 4.

    Anyways, nice work and I hope EA lets you stay involved with NS <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
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  • DarkSeraphDarkSeraph Join Date: 2004-06-07 Member: 29174Members
    hope everything works out well @ EA (and they don't make you sign the no compete)

    thanks for all your work, the only reason why there is a NS mapping community is because of you. Best of luck!
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  • voogruvoogru Naturally Modified (ex. NS programmer) Join Date: 2002-10-31 Member: 1827Members, Retired Developer, NS1 Playtester, Contributor, Constellation
    Good luck in the future <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->, I dont know you much honestly, but I'm sure your a good guy <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->.
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  • JabaswtJabaswt Join Date: 2004-04-18 Member: 27997Members, Constellation
    edited June 2004
    <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' /><!--endemo--> gg I hope you hf were your going.. i hope your making the right desion.. (LOL) hope to see you again..



    g/l,

    SIN-Jaba and all of us here in the mapping comunity
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  • ScytheScythe Join Date: 2002-01-25 Member: 46NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, Constellation, Reinforced - Silver
    Good luck cagey. It makes me warm inside to know that the game who's community I'm a part of is making big changes to people's lives.

    Enjoy yourself.

    --Scythe--
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  • RecoupRecoup Join Date: 2004-04-25 Member: 28195Members
    Im gonna miss you man! Even though I barely knew you, you still made the tools I use for makin badass maps! OMG DONT GO! *cries*
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  • Some_tall_guy1Some_tall_guy1 Join Date: 2003-05-22 Member: 16601Members
    EA? Does this mean you'll be living in vancouver? If you happen to run into Brian Wideen at EA tell him Stu sais hi whether or not he remembers me <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->.
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  • GuspazGuspaz Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 2862Members, Constellation
    Or maybe he's moving to Montreal, to the new giant EA mega-studio here, which is apparently next to (Under a block away from) Ubisoft, where Splinter Cell, Prince of Persia, and other fine games are made? (Must plug Montreal more...)

    If so, I must visit Cagey... And bring a bunch of the Montreal folk from Lunixonster with me...
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  • BlackPlagueBlackPlague Join Date: 2004-02-02 Member: 25990Banned
    yaaaa xp-cagey!!! u da man! keep in touch!
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  • amckernamckern Join Date: 2003-03-03 Member: 14249Members, Constellation
    good luck mate, i hope some one here can take up the tools

    i would, but i dont think people would like em them, dam ns mappers dont like me <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo--> mostly zazi

    amckern
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  • SentrySteveSentrySteve .txt Join Date: 2002-03-09 Member: 290Members, Constellation
    Congrats on getting a job in the gaming industry, all of this work paid off for you. It's a shame it's a job for EA - they really don't support their games worth half a damn. Generals could be exetrmely popular if they knew how to code decent online interfaces and release (shock) patches in order to balance the game.

    Good luck!
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  • Invader_ScootInvader_Scoot Join Date: 2003-10-13 Member: 21669Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow
    I see EA as a big industry that buys out other company's and just kills their games. Look at what they did do the James Bond franchise? Completely ruined it. All they do is mass produce.
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  • KungFuDiscoMonkeyKungFuDiscoMonkey Creator of ns_altair 日本福岡県 Join Date: 2003-03-15 Member: 14555Members, NS1 Playtester, Reinforced - Onos
    Well I'm sorry to see you go since you've done such a tremendous job with the mapping tools. I'm surprised Valve didn't **** you up with all you've done to the tools. Without your modifications I doubt that Altair would be able to exist in it's current state. I wish you the best in your career at EA and congratulations on reaching your dream job.
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  • CabooseCaboose title = name(self, handle) Join Date: 2003-02-15 Member: 13597Members, Constellation
    Have fun! That's about all I can say. I respect you so much for what you have done to NS and HL mapping in general. I know you will be a valuable asset to EA. We'll miss ya!
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  • moultanomoultano Creator of ns_shiva. Join Date: 2002-12-14 Member: 10806Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Gold, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
    Man, the NS community is a happening place! They could market the job placement rate from contributing to this game! <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->

    I'm glad to hear you'll be posting the source code. I'll be interested to take a look it and maybe (maybe) work on it a bit.

    Be sure to stop by the forums every now and then. Its going to be difficult without our resident guru. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->

    Good luck.
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  • FreezerFreezer Join Date: 2004-05-11 Member: 28601Members
    It hurts to read that.

    Only thing to say: <b>have fun, never give up</b> and <b>don't forget us !</b>

    Fare well good cagey
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  • ThaldarinThaldarin Alonzi&#33; Join Date: 2003-07-15 Member: 18173Members, Constellation
    Good luck Cagey. Is a shame you had to leave the ZHLT code behind, although I am sure some one will do something creative with it. You never know, they might just surpass your expectations <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->

    Although I'm not a fan of the MoH games I hope you do a good job on this one, as the others were just terrible in my opinion. Try and get it up to the sort of thing that could compete alot better with CoD and DoD, which seem to lead the way.

    Good luck and remember, you are always welcome in this community.
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  • ChronoChrono Local flyboy Join Date: 2003-08-05 Member: 18989Members
    i feel sad that hes leaving <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' /><!--endemo-->
    i feel happy that he got his dream <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->
    im getting mixed feelings <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/confused.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused.gif' /><!--endemo-->
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  • kolokolkolokol Join Date: 2002-11-18 Member: 9166Members
    Cheers! Hope the new job is great <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
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  • GrizzlyGrizzly Join Date: 2003-10-27 Member: 22025Members
    EA games... thats just low
    EA games killd westwood stdios, worst crime ever against humanity

    hey ! good luck !
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  • Kouji_SanKouji_San Sr. Hινε Uρкεερεг - EUPT Deputy The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-05-13 Member: 16271Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
    Congrats Cagey <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->
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  • AlienCowAlienCow Join Date: 2003-09-20 Member: 21040Members
    Aye congrats.

    When you're rich and powerful and have taken over EA, dont forget the little people down here! Send us money! <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
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  • GrizzlyGrizzly Join Date: 2003-10-27 Member: 22025Members
    send me Westwood... its mine...
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  • MendaspMendasp I touch maps in inappropriate places Valencia, Spain Join Date: 2002-07-05 Member: 884Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Gold, NS2 Map Tester, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow, Retired Community Developer
    I'll say it again!

    Congrats <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->

    heh
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