Hlife Hotdog's Blog - The Ravings of a Stickman

Quake 4 - Review

2011-05-27T17:28:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I did a review. I had a great thing going where I would review games for a website, dunno what happened there.

But anyway, Quake 4 was completed by yours truly yesterday and I must admit, it was pretty decent. The singlew player mode was quite lengthy but only occasionaly did I feel like it was more of the same. It was, in fact, quite varied and I was impressed. I played on hard and it posed a decent challenge, where some areas were more difficult than others while the boss fights/encounters were awesome. However, I found the final boss rather easy after only dying twice and I had no idea how to complete the ending and it took me a while to figure it out.

The voice acting in Quake 4 was superb and the cutscenes and scripted encounters were so awesome. Not long into the game you get 'Stroggified' and get to witness your body being torn apart. It even made me squirmish...

The graphics were pretty decent, especially indoors but the outside areas were ok, but the Doom 3 engine wasn't designed for outdoor areas, so it does suffer a little in blandness there.

I had a go at multiplayer, but with no bots and only 5 empty servers online, it sucked. I might also point out I was disappointed at the lack of the BFG. The Dark Matter gun was an adequate replacement, but just doesn't have the 'BOOM' of the BFG.

Overall, a 8/10

It's all dusty!!

2011-05-21T20:39:00.000-07:00

So I decided to come back to my blog, don't know why, but oh well.

I've been playing a few games, Quake 4 and Terrania.

Quake 4 was so hard to get hold of. It's not sold on Steam for some reason, and you can't even order it anymore, but I found a copy at EB in Perth which i was stoked about. it's the only Quake game I haven't played so far. And it hasn't disappointed so far.

I mean, how would you feel going up against this guy?

Hey look! It's me again!

2010-06-05T18:29:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I kinda disappeared for a while there. It was totally unintentional but I just got caught up in so many cool games recently that I simply lost my way. Curse you awesome games! When I wasn't at work (which I have been heavily attacking lately) I was either thrashing oversized baddies with equally oversized weapons on the lastest Ratchet & Clank game, "A Crack in Time," or getting lost in some pure epic Indie games on the laptop, though mostly Ratchet & Clank. Ever since we got our first Playstation 2 console which came with the original Ratchet & Clank, I have been a dedicated fan every since. I have played every game except the PSP exclusive "Secret Agent Clank" and the downloadable game, "Quest for Booty". When the new game got released on the PS3, I was estatic! It was glorious! It was so much more awesome!I honestly don't know how they manage to impress me more and more each time, but I know I'll never lose my fanboyism for Ratchet & Clank or the PS3.

Soooooo...

Also picking up a crapload of games on Steam, I have bathed myself in Indie goodness for well over two weeks now. I love pulling out the cheap Indie games, it makes my day. Now I just have to bring myself to review them all, which I have started, there area few in the Review section of the site. I really must get off my ass though, cause Red Dead Redemption is out and I am hunting it down as we speak. Goodness life is awesome sometimes...

Apologies for the lack up updates to the blog, simply put, IT'S KICKASS TIME!!!
The ever-kicking, Hotdog

Golden

2010-05-17T23:14:00.001-07:00

I finally got back into mapping. I've started on a short 3 or 4 map Left 4 Dead 2 campaign. I'm really excited about this because it features a golf course. You start at a small yacht club at the back of the green and you make your way across the course, through thick vegetation and around the deadly sandtraps and lakes. Should be awesome.

I saw a recent news article about the levels of abuse people receive when playing games like WoW or Heroes of Newerth. I have played HoN and I have personally witnessed this atrocity. The level of abuse I received was astounding, despite the fact I was, in fact, a Noob on a Noob-Only server. And I thought Counter-Strike children were bad with their swearing and childish behaviour. These guys are pros who take their gaming a little too seriously. It's a shame that we can no longer find an enjoyable experience unless we delve deep into the dark reaches of the internet and find the long lost social servers. Yes, they do exist. I have read stories of such servers, with all their friendly faces, forced into the shadows to prevent all the annoying people from stumbling upon their golden glory.

The Boomer

2010-05-14T19:00:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy! I spotted it on the Valve Store website and just had to have one. It took less than a week which I was extremely happy about. Standing 13" tall here is my new favorite thing in the world.

Boomer Bile

2010-05-07T23:09:00.000-07:00

I bought myself a cute little Boomer plushie from the Valve store the other day. I stumbled apon a Facebook Steam news post about a new range of limited edition Left 4 Dead plushies. When I saw the boomer, I just fell in love. Haha. It has to be shipped from america, so I'll post a picture when it gets here in less than two weeks. I am so happy!!

Again, I can't be bothered mapping at the moment. I start work on Monday so I expect that will put me in the mood. I seem to enjoy mapping while I'm working, but when I'm on days off, then I' not interested.

Everything is ok

2010-05-03T00:19:00.001-07:00

Much of my process remains unchanged. I am still trying to get back into a groove with my mapping, but time has not presented itself for me yet. I intend to start staying up late in order to try to get back into mapping, much to my fiancée's distress, considering I have to climb over her to actually get into bed. I'm continuing my efforts on GAMEployment, with new reviews and blog updates. I am actually quite proud of myself, doing all this work.

My last job also paid out my entitlements, bought myself a brand new PS3 and payed off all my debts. So now, I wait to start my job and must wrap my presents for my little sister's birthday. She turns 9 tomorrow.

Everything is ok…

New Location

2010-04-30T03:58:00.000-07:00

The move is complete, and I'm completely exausted. At least I've moved out of home, so I won't have to move again for some time. It also means I'm with my very time consuming fiancee. So we'll have to see how much time she takes up. Haha.

Otherwise, there isn't much to report. Remember to check out the GAMEployment website.

A lost message

2010-04-26T00:59:00.000-07:00

In the year 2076, a fisherman off the coast of Africa found this hand-written letter inside an old bottle of aspirin. It read the following:

"Help! I am stranded in a desolate room! All my belongings are packed into large boxes and I am being forced to randomly move them from one room to another. This is a nightmare! I've been told by my captors that I shall soon be free, they say Thursday night, I have little reason to believe them. Tomorrow, a great big truck of horrors comes to claim my soul! Ok, well, just all my belongings and will devour them and spit them out in another universe! Well, nearby town anyway, but still! Then during the next few days, I will be forced to do terrible slave duties that involve cleaning the entire house from top to bottom! Gah! After that, I will be pushed to the limits to ride a bike over 300km in the late evening. Yes it has an engine, bit still call it a bike instead of a motorbike! If anybody finds this, then I have most probably perished in the horrible plains of "Moving House", otherwise, I'll see you all Friday"

The, other-wise exausted, Hotdog

Hit the Restart Button

2010-04-23T02:10:00.000-07:00

So my plan didn't work out so well. The horror map I was making has completely died because I pushed the engine too far, so I had to ditch the idea and come up with something new. And that new something is Flatworld Wars!! Basically, the player will be dropped off in the middle of a city after a short chopper ride and face a war zone. It's the Green Guerrillas against the Red Republicans in deadly war, involving armored vehicles, fighter planes and helicopters. All in a bright and colourful flatshaded world! So grab your machine gun and rocket launcher and push through the cloliurful streets!

Pictures maybe next week as it's going to be harder to get anything done on the computer while I'm moving and cleaning. I'm officially moved on Thursday night, and back at work Monday at my new/old job.

A reminder to keep an eye on the GAMEployment website for my blog updates (on the same days, Mondays and Fridays) as well as the review section, were I can review any new games I get my hands on.

www.gameployment.com

Beginnings

2010-04-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

I started on my PQL/Issues/Reissues map yesterday. Finally figured out what I'm gonna do, and boy is it gonna be good. A twisted tale of torture and horror, with a twist ending. Set in a large apartment building, I plan to create my first horror map, should be good. The shape of fear:

I would also like to remind averyone reading this to keep watch on the GAMEployment website. It's undergoing some major changes in the near future and I am really striving to keep top of the game with my Mod and Indie reporting. I have an interview with Race-Away: Game Studios, so check it out!

I'd also like to show off this lovely picture I took while flying high above the San Esperito islands in the lovely, massive world of 'Just Cause' (Not 'Just Cause 2'). I call it "Sunset over Eagle Perch"

New job

2010-04-16T06:38:00.000-07:00

It's been quite a week. We finally got some people applying with concept for our Character Concept Artist position. In a few weeks, we'll hopefully get the ball rolling with some models and concept art.

'Endline' has been quite successful. I released an update including some bug fixes, better nevigation and Scavenger mode support. You can download it here: http://www.l4dmaps.com/details.php?file=5242

I also have a new job as a Indie and Mod reporter on the new site, GAMEployment. The creator is developing it amazingly well and he was kind enough to allow me to do this position to help inprove the site. You can find my reviews and previews in the blog section of: http://www.gameployment.com/

Again, I'm in the process of moving so don't expect to see alot of me over the next few weeks. I'll be online, just not as active, when things settle down I'll get back into a groove. So if a blog update seems late, then it simply means I haven't been able get online.

Endline Released

2010-04-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

After many weeks of work, my Left 4 Dead 2 Survival map 'Endline' has been released. I'm planning to release an update to it once it get a few comments, also adding Scavenger mode to it. You can find it on L4DMaps.com

http://www.l4dmaps.com/details.php?file=5242

I've also started on new project, but it's very important to me, so I'm keeping it under wraps for now, but completion shouldn't take more than a few months. There is also my TWHL cubicles room being rebuilt. I saw the other entries and was disappointed with mine because it had no play in it. Then there is also the PQL4/Issues2 project that I havn't even started on yet. Gee, might be biting off a little more than I can chew,

"Endline" Preview

2010-04-09T01:12:00.000-07:00

I'm a bit late with an update today, but for good reason! I've been working on getting a working nav file for my Left 4 Dead map. It's working great, but there is still a bit of tweaking for both the map and nav file before it's ready for official release, but here are some teaser shots from testing:

My next project will be for the newly announced sequel to the ever popular PQL/Issues/Reissues series. If you are unfamiliar with the series of Half-Life mods, I suggest you check them out. Basically, an array of maps and stories from various authors compiled into a single, incoherent mod. It's great fun, and inspiring. At the moment, it's not expected for release until late this year but it's more than likely going to be postponed to a later date, it's not my call anyway.

I would also like to just let anyone who cares know that I'm in the process of moving again. Hopefully this will be the last time for a while as I'm actually leaving home and getting my own place with my fiancee, who will also hog my time on the computer. In short, my mapping will be slowing down a bit in the near future, hopefully only temporary.

"God does not play dice with the universe" - Albert Einstein

A little about my wiring

2010-04-04T21:00:00.000-07:00

Progress on my Left 4 Dead 2 survival map is continuing. I am experimenting with lighting and fog effects to get it just right, before I continue on the construction. I want the map to feel dark and gritty. I thought, as I don't have alot to say today and I can't show any pictures, I would explain some of my thought processes when I create a new map.

Unlike most people, I generally start my map with different shades of generic concrete instead of dev textures or one single texture. This allows me to better see trims and edges as I map, and I usually texture as I go to save my time later. This increases the time it takes to finish geometry, but I do not have the attention span to focus on a single object or task at any given time. If I give myself many things to work on in the same map, then I can jump between them, keeping my inspiration fresh. This method wouldn't work for many people, but if I didn't work this way, then my attention would falter and I would grow bored.

I will admit, I am a prefab lover, especially when it comes to generic or repeating items. For example, I have a map full of duct prefabs when when I map for Goldsource. I use the official Valve maps to copy pre-built buildings to fill my street. I do create my own, of course, but it saves a great deal of time, and because most of them are outside the playable area, it doesn't affect quality.

I also enjoy my secret areas. I have already added one to my L4D2 map, it's not strategically defensive, but it's a bit of fun and some extra supplies can't hurt anyone can it? That's why I am loving Quake again. Searching for secret areas is just the most fun I could ever have, so you'll always see them regulary in most of my maps.

I should have some in-game lighting screenshots for everyone next time, so I'll stop rambling now, but before I go, I would just like to say:

"ALL MUST CELEBRATE THE LLAMA HOLIDAY!!!"

A destructive update...

2010-04-01T20:00:00.000-07:00

First of all, I am pleased to announce the foundation of Van Walker Productions, which Zane and I shall operate under for the foreseeable future. I would also like to announce the upcoming mod we are working on:

Antiheroes is a multiplayer mod for the Source engine. It features players taking control of one of several characters who range from a bulked up military commando and mutant croc man to a mad scientist and hulking rock giant. Players take control of one character each and then fight in large, futuristic levels with highly destructible environents. We are aiming for a futuristic yet cartoon feel and interface, much like Team Fortress 2. Players must decide whether they will be the hero, or the villain. Their actions and how they play will greatly determine their ranking in the world.

It is our wish that Antiheroes feature highly destructible environments. Here is a short tech demo of what we hope to achieve. Note that this a rough example and requires refining.

In other news, you might remember that I was playing the new "Army of Two: The 40th Day." My verdict? Do not bother unless it's really cheap, otherwise rent it. It was a major disappointment. Annoying controls, unskippable cutscenes that you were forced to watch over and over each time you die, paper thin storyline, and bad checkpointing. In my opinion, it was worse than the first game. Two stars out of 5 considering it looked alright and there were a few interesting areas.

And I recently fell into addiction with a TV series that I found in the deep, dusty corners of my hard disk. The man you love to hate:

A random update

2010-03-28T21:21:00.000-07:00

Highlighting some recent updates in the World Wide Web:

Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter, now has a deathmatch mode for classic fragging. I've played it a bit and it's nothing spectacular but it's a bit of fun with a few other players. This is fast-paced deathmatch, much like Quake, so it's "kill or be killed". It's a shame there are few servers, and most of them international, so ping is bad, but it's not too much of an issue. I won a game with a ping over 300. It's great fun, especially with just two or three players, so great for small LANs.

We have also started with some minor preparations for a new Source mod. We are currently hiring a character concept artist, a modeller, a texture artist, and a Source programmer. If you want to help, or know someone who can, please email me at: hlifehotdog@gmail.com

If you want an easier way to keep track of upcoming mods, or want to know other people's opinions, then check out UserCreated. This simple, blog-like site reviews mods, mod news and some pretty interesting articles for mod makers. Check it out at http://usercreated.org/

A show-off week

2010-03-25T21:10:00.000-07:00

Well its been a rollercoaster of a week, to say the least. I witnessed one of the most spectacular lightning storms since '98, wish I'd taken pictures. It was awesome to see the lightning strike the tower on the nearby hill, even more awesome to see a lightning bolt strike no more than 300 meters away and the thunder then shake the house like a small earthquake. The price of this spectacular light show was a blown transformer in the main power grid. These pieces of equipment are expensive, and they rarely blow up, so a new one had to be shipped from Perth, the capital, over 400km away. We were without power for almost 20 hours, that equals one boring-ass day.

In other news, started playing 'Army of Two - The 40th Day.' I'm finding it fun so far, but almighty fiddely controls but an amazing opening sequence.

My Left 4 Dead 2 survival map is coming along. The setting is of a metropolitan area with an above ground rail system. I'm tossing up between dead black night or heavy thunderstorm for the final lighting effects. Leave a comment of what you think is best. Pictures follow:

A Battlefield Review and Updates

2010-03-21T20:57:00.000-07:00

Today, I will share my thoughts on the recently released 'Battlefield: Bad Company 2'.

I played the Xbox 360 version, which I do not have connected to the internet so I only played the Single Player campaign. It does play significantly different than the original. The game is much more linear, although, with that mentioned, you still usually have flexibility of wether you attack from the left or right flank or just charge them head on. I found the difficulty rather easy, and I played it on hard. This is probably because I'm a veteran FPS player, because my Dad had alot more trouble on medium. The enemies are quite smart, snipers are a bitch, although few and far between and you can expect a great deal of RPG wielding soldiers.

The visusals are great most of the time, especially the jungle and alpine parts of the game. The amount of destruction in the game is not over-the-top, but not as strategic as the game made out ot be. Usually the only way to blow up a house was to actually plant charges (which were otherwise useless) or shoot the obvious red explosive barrels.

The combat was mediocre most of the time, some parts were just a cakewalk, but there were the frequent firefights that just made you want to swear at the barrage of bullets and dust flying around. The effects in the game were top-notch. Any explosions, collapsing buildings, or just the sheer force of an .50cal MG's fire ripping your cover to shreds, would create a plume of dust and debris. The best part was that you could use this to cover your movements and snipe enemies while the dust clears.

There were plenty of original sequences (I won't spoil) despite the unoriginal and predicable storyline. The characters were a little over dramatized and hence felt unrealistic not to mention your squad's behavior was unpredicable and slightly annoying. You can probably expect no more than 10 hours of play on the hard difficulty, but then there is the multiplayer. I have no idea how it plays, although I heard it uses matchmaking, so there's a turn-off right there. But, rating the single player side and the overal quality we expect from EA and the Battlefield franchise, I give it 4 out of 5. For providing a typical war game, with spectacular visuals.

In other news, my Capture Point map has completely collapsed. It causes a heap corruption every time I try to compile it, so instead, I will release a patch for Rimrook's CP system for my modified sequence lock.

I have also started on a Left 4 Dead 2 Survival map, pictures will follow at the end of the week. In other Left 4 Dead news. Chet, one of the developers at Valve have hinted towards the new Left 4 Dead DLC: The Passing and possibly a new DLC for the original L4D:

"Essentially the players in the new L4D 2 DLC will run into three of the survivors from the first game, meaning that one of them didn't make it. At some point after Valve will release a campaign for L4D that will explain how this happened, and one of you will have to make the sacrifice for everyone else to survive." Blink - www.interlopers.net

Welcome to the new and improved...

2010-03-19T03:17:00.000-07:00

...Ravings of a Stickman Blog.

There were some complaints about the tackyness and the annoying Fortunecity ads all over the page. I should really have used Google Blogger in the first place, I was already signed up anyway.

I will be making this alot more professional. Focusing on updates of my projects, covering game or mod releases, trying not to rant, or just making excuses in general about me not actually doing anything. For example, I just wasted most of today playing Battlefield: Bad Company 2 instead of mapping. Still, it's an amazing game and I'm enjoying it greatly.

In other news, my new Capture Point map for Half-Life, is nearing completion. 'Rising Pressure' will hopefully be released within the week while I make the final touches and run a few playtests.

So thanks for putting up with my previous blog, and enjoy the brand-spanking new blog. Updated Mondays and Fridays.