It's Quiet Around Here..

It's been a while since I last posted, I've been neck deep in uni and other work.
However, I've started a development blog for a current uni project:

While writing and formatting that I learnt a lot about how to make a blog look pretty and wider.

I'll make pretty later.  For now wider.

So by now I've all but given up on my artpass contest entry.
"But why?!" I hear nobody shout.
Why indeed.  Well I never entered intending to win (Hey!  It's not all about the winning!), it was more of an excuse to have a level design project to work on, and more specifically something to structure modelling around.


Since then a far better opportunity has come around, but unfortunately it's super-secret so nobody but a select few individuals have any knowledge of the sheer scale of awesomeness approaching.
Well, there was that forum post that most certainly didn't announce any form of project not being worked on and exactly what you should in no way ever expect to see any time in the near future.
That post didn't happen.  Why would we announce a super-secret project.


In fact, there is no project.  So stop asking about it.


What it most certainly isn't is Team Fortress 2 related.  It definately doesn't involve collaborative work from a bunch of modellers and texture artists who are in no way whatsoever talented.  Nor does it contain anything featured in this image:

Given that there's nothing whatsoever there, you most certainly shouldn't follow the advice not given right there.


I deny any involvement in anything, including the writing of this blog post.

Recapulation

Alright, it's been a while...

For the majority of the time over the last couple of months I've been attempting to learn C#, which has admittedly not gone too badly.
The astoundingly mediocre coding skills learnt by myself allowed me to survive the Brains Eden 24 Jam and come out the other end with....  This:
Cheese Chase
I would embed the player, but this blog refuses to tell me how to make it wider.  Stupid blog.

For the week or so after the Eden Jam I continued to work on Cheese Chase...  It now has a (slightly) better ending, greatly improved jumping, ragdolls and... Wait for it...  Minor Graphical Glitches Fixed!!!
...and possibly a few other things.  Probably should have written them down somewhere.
Anyway... Here it is:

Updated Cheese Chase

Pro Tip: (hahahaa!  I'm not pro!  I'm full of jest)
Do not ask your colleagues what they would like to see in a game based on their place of work, then proceed to make it.  Or this happens:

Untitled Restaurant Game
Wish I'd have documented the production of this one, it's been a lot of fun to work on and I've learnt a great deal.  And solved a lot of problems.  A Lot.
Still, it's not finished so any further progress I'll write up.  If only for my own benefit later on down the line.

Lastly (minus a bit of modelling here... a bit of sleeping there) there's this:

TF2 Contest Entry
Officially affiliated with TF2 and whatnot, I thought I would enter this contest and showcase my mad art skills.
There are a lot of people better at mapping than me, but that's not going to stop me having fun.

So, until next time...

Bye.
G

Collisioned.

Here's the truck and collision mesh in action.  I hate the width restrictions on this blog.

Truckin' Away

From TF2 Modding

So far, so not-looking-too-bad.  All she really needs now is a bit more texture detailing and dirtying up.  More to the point it works in game.  Wasted two hours this morning trying to import the truck, StudioMDL kept throwing out dynamic linking errors without any decent feedback telling me exactly what was wrong.  So after trawling Google results to find out what was going wrong and if it was either my fault or some kind of compatibility error, turns out that sometimes you need the Source SDK model viewer open for the StudioMDL to compile it.  Great.  Why can't this be as fluid as working with Unity or the UDK?  Make better tools dammit, Valve!

Anyway, it's there and it works.  The collision mesh needs a bit of fine tuning, there are a couple of areas blocked off that you would expect to be able to shoot through, and others where it doesn't follow the mesh closely enough.  Not much of a problem, but any objects attaching to or resting on those areas make the collider obvious.

Aside from that, the granite texture is finish, two versions exists, one with a coarse normal map that doesn't sit well with the TF2 visual style.  The other one with a smoother version that works quite nicely.

From TF2 Modding

Under Construction

So, I've started part of my grand plan and begun hanging around the request forums of TF2Maps. 

I picked up on a request for construction vehicles, and began to make this logging truck, with the intention of it fitting in with TF2's alpine theme.

Vaguely interesting fact No.1:  The truck is based on the International Harvester "L" and "R" Series.  I won't pretend to know anything about trucks.

This has been an interesting practice in mechanical modelling, so far I've only really tackled buildings and (mostly) organic models.  

It's been quite a smooth and quick process and I've learnt a few new techniques along the way.  The model's almost finished now, it perhaps needs a couple more details on the underside and a seat on the crane (not to mention the requested banjo) and around 1000 polys shaved off, then the models done.

After that I can get down to texturing, as well as creating the collision mesh and LOD models.  I'll probably only make one LOD model, basing this choice over Valve's example of only including one for similar models.

Then comes the joy of Mod Tooling it into Source.  Can't wait.

Another thing I've been working on is a request for a granite texture to be used in a quarry.  It's not coming along too badly, however I keep running into issues with Source being fussy about the specular mask.  I want to make this glitter, dammit!

It's Been How Long?

Seriously.. It's been months, and I don't think I can get away with another "Why Do I Even Bother With A Blog" post...

So I'll just start from here.

Year one is out of the way and I've been set loose into the world with a whole new set of skills and nothing immediate to apply them to. Hence an outlining of projects in my Personal Development Plan, which I won't bore you with, but the general gist is I plan on learning a few basic coding and scripting skills, if that happens to an adequate level create something simple and playable (but awesome looking) using Unity.

Then I plan on working on a full mapping project, either in Team Fortress 2 or an entire Left 4 Dead campaign. As yet undecided, it really depends on if anyone else is interested.

Another mapping project I would like to tackle would either be a fully scripted but short (probably 2-3 map long) campaign using either Source or the UDK. UDK is starting to feel like a more viable option, it's just so much easier to work with.

For major projects to tackle over the summer, those are pretty much it and I'll post up an update within the next week or so about which and when I plan on starting them

Besides those, I'll slowly build a website, something that's been in the works for years now, but have either lacked the technical know-how or been able to decide on the content. Now, however I have a focus and will have something up and running at some point in the next couple months.

In the meantime, while I gather my thoughts on those projects I'll be hanging around mod and mapping forums looking for odd jobs to keep me busy.

In my defence, this wasn't proofread.

...and now for the first part of the next step.

Today it all changes; this is my first day of university.
Aside from the usual feelings of anxiety, excitement and utter bewilderness I'm feeling relatively calm about the whole affair. Relative to previous experiences of starting something new that often resulted in panicking and bolting for the closest door.
It'll take some used to the change I'll admit; I'm confused that I'm not going to be heading off to work five days a week. I woke up ready to iron a Daz-white shirt and almost packed my apron and tie.
You know you've been a barman far too long when those things become so ingrained into your daily routine. That and the thought of not having to be on my feet all day with perpetually damp hands and coffee stained arms is far more blissful than it has any right to be.

So here I go once more into the colourful breach of education. Armed with hindsight on how not to fail and run and the foresight of knowing where I want to end up.
It's going to work this time.

Imaginative Interference

Damn! It always takes me far too long to work out exactly where I'm going wrong with an ailing project.

Why have I had so much trouble trying to squeeze inspiration from this place? The reason being my memories are interfering with my creativity; Almost everywhere I look I see what something or somewhere has been, rather than what it could be. Being in new territory, my imagination runs riot, visualising the area in five different styles before overlaying events and action that could potentially fit around the surroundings.

Working from Letchworth, however, when walking down a street I see a street walked a thousand times, in a shop-front a place entered more times than I can count, my parents house the place nineteen years of my life were spent.

As it stands all I can come up with is to produce a piece mostly auto-biographical, although given my time and resources that's a reasonably illogical course of action. Not to mention the trouble I would have to make an interesting gameplay concept out of it.

Currently, the most inspiring area for me is the road where I now live, and that's only because it was never really travelled on during my years growing up here. Either that or it could be down to me bizzarly finding industrial buildings visually interesting.

If I can work out where this project is to end up utilising the few meagre ideas my head, I'll be able to make a decent start on this.

At the very least it will all be good practice...

The Friendliest Fire

What an asset to the team I must be, after a Modern Warfare session of just under an hour I racked up five team kills. Two shootings, one poorly aimed grenade, a quick but brutal knifing in the knees and a friendly flashbang thrown by me that pretty much resulted in a TK.
I might be getting a name for myself...

They're all watching me!

Why on Earth is this the best I can do taking a photograph in public? I am supposed to be a photographer!
Well, for starters I fear that I look like a complete charlatan, a total wannabe and bit of a n00b walking around using my mobile phone... I seriously need to get a camera, so I can at the very least look like an amateur. That's no excuse though, I shouldn't care about being judged my total strangers.
Ho hum, looks like I'll have to dust off my rebellious spirit. If only I could remember where I left it...

Studiosity and Apathy

Finally after over year of living in this flat have I managed to summon the courage to tackle the dread Spare Room and set up a miniscule studio for myself.

It's astounding how much merely having dedicated space (providing you ignore the unlabelled boxes of anti-treasures stacked high up against the walls) to work with gives you initiative and motivation. Hell I even feel so pumped to start working that I'm even writing about it!

All that remains for the initial phase of this project is for me to figure out an interesting approach for the subject of Letchworth. Great, it's my home town but after the years of misery it's caused me, then growing to be almost fond of the particular brand of quirks the place offers; then swiftly changing opinion when you realise the "quirks" are largely bought about by the freaks, wierdos and twats that roam the streets day and night. The town itself exudes an infectious ennui that engulfs your mind and destroys your soul.

After eighteen months of living outside Letchworth for the first time in my life, a feeling of nostalgia set in, and against my better judgement and reasoning I moved back! Needless to say I've learnt my lesson and the next time I get out of here it's for good. At best? A year.

So those are my thoughts on Letchworth, you're either not hate it or you lo... Oh, I mean you either hate it or you're wholly apathetic towards it. I waver between both myself.

...and on the gaming front: I'm taking a break from TF2 to jump back on the Fallout 3 crackwagon. Very excited about taking the steamer to Point Lookout, I sure hope it's nice there!

It's around here somewhere...

Gosh darn it! My 360 was returned to me today after a months exchange for a PS3. This troubles me as I really need to start doing some work for university and I have absolutely no self control when it comes to gaming; I hear the Call of Duty, feel the Gears of Wars starting to turn, Paradise City is getting quiet without me. All of this on top of my borderline obsessive daily Team Fortress 2 dosage (damn that game exudes charm!).
Oh, how do I resist you, sweet, sweet games?
It's happening again... Sandvich is calling... I'm coming Sandvich!!!

It's the err... What is it today?

It's Monday the... Something of June. Don't know the date, don't care.
This blog seems like a load of old bollocks and I'm not quite sure why I'm writing it...
It has no theme or purpose, only to give me an outlet for the thoughts that pass through my head when I'm on my own. Even then they're heavily censored; I wouldn't want to unleash that on a world that will never read it. Goodness no!
Maybe, given the title of the blog I should use it to document the adventures, mishaps and opinions of my career as a little-more-than-casual-but-not-quite-hardcore gamer. Yeah! Why not?! I've certainly got more than enough to saw on the matter!
So; that's decided. As soon is I think of something interesting I'll write about it. Maybe I'll even let people know I'm writing. Maybe...

Tertiary Project.

Now begins Tertiary Project. Why call it that? I don't really know, it sounds a little bit cool and somewhat Sci Fi, which is a good thing, isn't it? Some meaning can still be contrived from that, providing a Primary Project and a Secondary Project can be found. Maybe Primary Project can be my life plan in general, getting an education, qualifications and a career. Secondary Project might be best suited as my methods of supplying the funds for the other two Projects (capitalising them makes then seem far more grandiose).
So, after shoving those misshapen pegs into ill-fitting holes, let me continue with my primary objective, otherwise known as Tertiary Project. This will consist of a series of assignments, set by myself, to either develop my skills and knowledge in certain areas, or simply out of my own curiousity.
So there we go, a vague and rambling Mission Statement. First up; a series of five maps created with Hammer recreating photographs of five different environments.
However, before that, I require a new mouse because this one is completely borked.

Underailed

Another day, another Gav stuck on another train. Again letting the more important mainline trains go past. Piffle to that I say, let me go through so that I can get to work a little faster, just what I want..
Well, it would seem that there's a power failure, and the onboard computer's being rebooted. Well, I don't know if you've ever been on a completely silent train, but it is mightily disconcerting to say the least. Those of us self-conscious types should never have to endure such a traumatic event!

This..

...is a test. So just ignore it, ok?