Development Blog Update - Third Friday podcast

FlayraFlayra Game Director, Unknown Worlds EntertainmentSan Francisco Join Date: 2002-01-22 Member: 3Super Administrators, NS2 Developer, Subnautica Developer
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  • NeoGregorianNeoGregorian Join Date: 2003-02-04 Member: 13093Members, Constellation
    Still great with weekly podcast updates, I find it very exciting with glimpses of your advances.
    I hope you will be able to ship Decoda pretty soon, but I am sorry to hear you didn't appreciate Bioshock as much as I think it deserves.
  • PogoPPogoP Environment Artist Join Date: 2004-01-31 Member: 25827Members, NS2 Developer, Constellation
    Sun is shining? Over here it's night time! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
  • WatchMakerWatchMaker Join Date: 2003-09-26 Member: 21233Members, Constellation
  • aeroripperaeroripper Join Date: 2005-02-25 Member: 42471NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, Constellation
    Nice updates. I'd agree with the sentiment on Bioshock, great art\graphics but the combat wasn't really anything new and became repetitive. Luckily you guys will probably be able to afford powerhouses after NS2 starts selling <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />.
  • ScytheScythe Join Date: 2002-01-25 Member: 46NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, Constellation, Reinforced - Silver
    Getting a lot better. I love hearing about behind-the-scenes stuff like your feedback to the mappers putting together prototype maps using NS2 assets.

    It might be worth considering adding a permalink to the blog entry you're referring to when you start one of these threads. It's a tad laborious to open up the main page in a tab to hunt it down.

    --Scythe--
  • MuzzzyMuzzzy Join Date: 2005-07-20 Member: 56360Members
    Did I hear Max or Charlie drop an F-Bomb when talking about the Voice Chat thing?
  • INKEDOUTINKEDOUT Join Date: 2007-06-23 Member: 61343Members
    edited September 2007
    Really cool to hear about the NS2TR, can't wait to get my hands on it <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" /> Also can't wait to see what people have been doing with it so far. But I imagine both those ‘can't wait’ will happen at around the same time <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad-fix.gif" />

    Also, love the NS wiki, will there be any mapping tips and tricks put on there? You know, like the SDK wiki? Or is that all up to the community?

    <!--coloro:#FFFF00--><span style="color:#FFFF00"><!--/coloro-->Also, since you mentioned props had been put into the NS2TR Alpha, does that mean sizes/unit changes are known, in which case can we please, please, please have them?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? I really want to start mapping <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad-fix.gif" /> <!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->

    Keep up the good work guys!
  • FlayraFlayra Game Director, Unknown Worlds Entertainment San Francisco Join Date: 2002-01-22 Member: 3Super Administrators, NS2 Developer, Subnautica Developer
    Hey Inked,

    We don't know unit sizes yet, which is a bit confusing for folks, but alas. We're doing more style and visual tests right now. We'll let you know when we know though.
  • DooGieDooGie Join Date: 2005-01-10 Member: 34531Members, Constellation
    edited September 2007
    The spantard NS community is proud to have Max in here! =D (When are you coming Charlie :q)


    ps. Which location exactly? If it's Madrid I could go there to see him!
  • StixNStonzStixNStonz Join Date: 2006-11-06 Member: 58439Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    Agreed. Unit sizes is all we really need to start creating rooms. Later on we can learn the hive sizes, or the hive room game mechanics, number of rts, or even the new economy model or anything, but to be able to start mapping whatsoever, all we need to know is the size of the playable units.

    Smallest, regular, and largest would be best. So skulk size, and onos size (if onos is still around <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />). I'm pretty sure that the player sizes and proportions are pretty close between HL and HL2. So, unless there are drastic changes to units or you want to go off of the 8-unit grid (since everything right now is 32, 72, 128 etc), i'd guess that they'll likely remain the same?
  • INKEDOUTINKEDOUT Join Date: 2007-06-23 Member: 61343Members
    Thanks Charlie! I love it when you (or any of the development team) reply to comments, makes me feel happy inside. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />

    I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

    Yeah StixNStonz, that’s what I wanted to know, the player sizes (at least largest, smallest, maybe vent sizes/crouched), as I can't imagine they will change the grid sizes <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/confused-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="???" border="0" alt="confused-fix.gif" /> But as the man said, it's still being worked out.

    I wonder if the NS2TR will come with orange measuring textures or maybe a sexy NS2 blue instead <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
  • echsechs Join Date: 2002-12-27 Member: 11568Members, Constellation
    Really liking these Friday blogs. About Bioshock, I think the combat is nothing extraordinary, I run around zapping or freezing stuff then whipping out the shotgun, but what impresses me about Bioshock is everything else. The way the story develops through characters you meet, the voice acting is superb, and it really draws you into their situations, aswell as the voice recordings you pickup which adds more of an interest to Rapture itself. Exploration is also some of the best in a game, added with brilliant sound and ambient effects, especially if you have an EAX card with reverb support, and a great soundtrack. I wish they would release Bioshock as a full novel, it would make a very interesting read.

    Seems like you're making good progress with NS2, and you both seem really excited and confident talking about NS2, which is a positive thing to see. Listening to these blogs, makes the arrival of NS2 seem so close, haha.

    Good work !
  • InsanehlInsanehl Join Date: 2007-05-06 Member: 60810Members
    You guys have any clue when the NS2TR is going to come out? I've got a map here and want to start texturizing it.
  • INKEDOUTINKEDOUT Join Date: 2007-06-23 Member: 61343Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1649858:date=Sep 16 2007, 03:55 PM:name=Insanehl)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Insanehl @ Sep 16 2007, 03:55 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1649858"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->You guys have any clue when the NS2TR is going to come out? I've got a map here and want to start texturizing it.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    How can you have a map, if you don't know what the player sizes are going to be, how many RTs you need on a map, how many hive rooms you need etc. etc. ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? It’s a bad idea to start mapping until you get the details from the developers about at least what the player sizes will be, because you will probably just end up having to redo whole areas of your map.

    We don’t know when it will come out yet, probably in the next few months, as it is on its Alpha release now.
  • InsanehlInsanehl Join Date: 2007-05-06 Member: 60810Members
    well i have a map down most of its finished. If i need to do major changes ill just have to start it again(which is gonna suck), but if its the right proportions and all i need to do is add some more rooms and hallways then i think it will be good.
  • aegixaegix Join Date: 2002-08-31 Member: 1256Members, NS1 Playtester
    Any chance we could get an rss feed for the podcasts so we can subscribe in itunes/winamp/similar? Or is there one already that I have totally missed?
  • MaxMax Technical Director, Unknown Worlds Entertainment Join Date: 2002-03-15 Member: 318Super Administrators, Retired Developer, NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, NS2 Developer, Constellation, Subnautica Developer, Pistachionauts, Future Perfect Developer
    <!--quoteo(post=1650122:date=Sep 17 2007, 05:14 PM:name=aegix)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(aegix @ Sep 17 2007, 05:14 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1650122"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Any chance we could get an rss feed for the podcasts so we can subscribe in itunes/winamp/similar? Or is there one already that I have totally missed?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    There isn't one yet, but we'll be adding one.
  • CanadianWolverineCanadianWolverine Join Date: 2003-02-07 Member: 13249Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1650267:date=Sep 18 2007, 09:51 AM:name=Max)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Max @ Sep 18 2007, 09:51 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1650267"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->There isn't one yet, but we'll be adding one.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    I think it would be really interesting if you guys could do a joint pod cast with say, PC Gamer. If at all possible, just so you guys get more recognition.
  • schkorpioschkorpio I can mspaint Join Date: 2003-05-23 Member: 16635Members
    Hey guys - this is a request for people like me who want to hear the news, but only have a minute here and there when their boss isnt looking! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />
    Would it possible to include an contents / index so I can fast forward to bits that interest me <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
    Something like

    0:00 - Unknown Worlds Space music & Intro
    1:20 - Charlie Talks about such and such
    3:49 - Dynamic Infestation Update

    etc
  • JimladJimlad Join Date: 2003-07-02 Member: 17867Members
    Hey guys,

    Really glad you're trying to engage the community, there aren't nearly enough games developers really actively doing this right now. I'd like to add some constructive criticism though, since if it was me I know I'd want to hear it.

    In my opinion, I don't think podcasts are the way to go - I actually much preferred your old, standard text-based blogs. I don't know about other people, but I just don't have the time to sit and listen for 15 minutes or so. Fair enough I could be doing something else while listening, but I'd like to think that I was listening to something worthwhile enough that I could pay my full attention to it. The way I see it, in order to do a really good podcast you have to be pretty articulate or have a really interesting voice, and the conversation needs to flow a lot more to keep me engaged as a listener.

    If you stuck to a simple text blog, or even summarised the podcasts in text, you'd have much more time to think about the content and condense it for quick consumption by the masses. I think people would be getting more "value for money" from you guys, and you wouldn't have the pressure and added complexity associated with producing a recording.
  • MindmeldmeMindmeldme The Evil One Join Date: 2002-10-27 Member: 1637Members
    I have to agree. I don't listen to many podcasts because I would rather read over the text of it or skim it. I feel like most of them are not excatly directed or anything and could probably be summerized or done quicker for people with less time. Much as I would like to sit for 20-30 minutes and listen I would wonder if my attention would not wander. It is nice thought just be getting updates as is so I can't complain to much.
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