Ross Scott

I found out about this today, definitely looking forward to this, since I never played the EGA Space Quest games: http://www.infamous-adventures.com/sq2/index.php#

Well that might be the case for some, but if a game is dished out praise again and again and seems mediocre by itself or inferior against similar games, then it's overrated. Again, Doom is amazing from a historical perspective, but when you remove that and ignore graphics, I think it's not as fun and well done as something like Painkiller, a game which is similar enough to be worthy of comparison. Its story is almost non-existent, a lot of the music rips off well known metal (though I love the episode end music), and there's a lot of wandering with mazelike qualities to the levels even though it's designed as a fast action shooter. I'd argue the only thing it has going for it today besides nostalgia is the cyberpunk hell theme, which is pretty well done and generally hasn't seen a lot of related titles over the past couple decades. I'd say the acid test for determining whether a game is overrated or simply isn't your taste is if it's overrated, you can point to another similar game or games that did similar elements better. If you can't think of any game that comes close and just don't like it, then it's probably your own taste.

I beat this one around Halloween. It's basically a high school horror movie version of Resident Evil with the same classic control scheme. Some of the music in it is pretty nice actually, the rest is more boiler plate. If you're like me and have played some 80-90% of horror games out there and want a new fix, it's alright, otherwise I'd say it's pretty forgettable. Gameplay and storywise, it's hard to get much more average than this. Also, like "Two Worlds," I have no idea why it's named ObsCure.

Well it depends what you're doing, what I had going on there was performance-killing. I wasn't happy with how much snow there was from func_precipitation (you can see it on maximum in scene 3), so I found a way to create more. What I did was take the snow particle effect from Episode 2, realized it only covered a certain area, guessed roughly what the area was, then "stacked" them on top of each other in 3 dimensions in Hammer. Then once I had a decent sized area covered, I copied over all the particle emitters to the map I was working in, then ran it. It absolutely chugged, but I wanted snow in this episode and I think it came out well. I wouldn't recommend this approach for anything real-time however.

I'm looking forward to: Alan Wake Fortnite Project Zomboid (thought it might not get done in 2012) Path of Exile

This is my favorite testimony on growing up with videogames: http://tiredgamer.ytmnd.com/

The downloadable copy is up. The detail on it is a lot better on the end scene with all the snow. That scene was actually a real pain to record. Normal demo recording didn't work properly and caused character animations to be extremely choppy. I had to record it without demos in-game with full SSAA at 180fps in order to add motion blur later. It was really chugging, some shots took about 20 minutes just to record.

As for TF2, I was a big fan of TFC AvD maps like Dustbowl and Warpath, and what little I've played of TF2 really slowed down the pacing for me. I think it's because it was designed with respawn delays in mind. Not only does that slow down pacing, but it discourages risk-taking some more, so you don't get the kind of frenzied chaos I saw in TFC. Also I can't say I'm fond of the cartoon-ish style (which I guess is a little hypocritical since I really am interested in Fortnite from the trailer).

No it was Ipisoft. I've been in touch off and on with the developer for that for a couple years and am lucky enough to have a free license for it. As for the music, the Simcity 4 stuff was kind of last minute, I was browsing through what I had that sounded like Christmas music, but still a little futuristic. I was also considering some stuff from Aquaria, but it was a little too sappy for the mood I wanted. I need to catch up on soundtracks so I have more to pick from in the future. Also if it helps: Scene 1: Olafur Arons, then fades into Simcity 4 music. Scene 2: Marq Maram Scene 3: Simcity 4 again Scene 4: Still Life music (great game, also takes place on Christmas)

Far Cry get psychotically hard towards the end. I had to flat out cheat at the very end at the volcano base. I think it depends on your taste though. For me, I thought Far Cry had great atmosphere, absolutely fantastic level design (I love the open-ended pseudo-nonlinear style), and awful writing.

Yeah, the animation is a bit off, it was all made with just a Kinect. I was told the results from that were better than multiple high quality webcams, though I'm not certain. Again, it's a scale of things. On this end of the spectrum, the movements are a little more awkward, on the other end, they would be much more jittery, like they had Parkinson's. I'm hoping the results can get more refined in the future. And yeah, I try not to look at Youtube comments nowadays.

Well I agree with sentiments here that a good game is a good game, regardless of when it was made. You obviously can't compare graphics across different time periods, but you can still have good art direction and atmosphere in a game with extremely dated graphics. As someone who tries to play "new" abandonware titles I've never played before, I think I'm pretty good about nostalgia not clouding my vision towards things. I get a little annoyed by "top X games" lists that have classics on the list simply because of nostalgia. It's one thing to praise a classic because it's so well done no game since has really surpassed it, it's another just because it's old and well known. By that standard, I think Doom is overrated, especially if put it alongside Painkiller, I don't think it still holds its own so well. On the other hand, Strife, a game made on the Doom engine, I think is a great game and has better writing and more freedom in it than a lot of games today. As for the list, I haven't played Amnesia, Metroid, or Dreamfall, but I mostly agree with it. I will say that GTA 3 for me, really captured the feel of being pursued by the police, which I found incredibly interesting. I haven't played 4 yet, but the other two on that engine didn't suck me in as much (except the beginning of SA). So maybe the game as a whole is overrated, but it had elements in it I found remarkable. As for me, my own list of overrated games not on there would be: Bioshock (I think SS2 is superior in basically every way) Beyond Good & Evil (I thought it was alright, but to hear people rave about it, I feel like they haven't played more graphic adventure games) Half-Life 2 (it's a good game, but reviews treat it like the second coming of christ)

OpenCircle: I was considering getting someone as a concept artist, though it would be more for managing things spatially rather than things looking extra-detailed. So I'd be more interested in someone who could draw a village area from several different perspectives just using simple geometric shapes to represent the buildings, rather than something fantastic looking. Also for an action sequence, I would want someone who could draw the different stages of it with semi-accurate perspective just using something like stick figures. It's still a little far off from me needing someone in this area yet, first I want to establish what software I'll be working in first and where I'm getting all the assets from. rrkessler Hey, your experience with the various engines is pretty helpful, it definitely sounds like focusing on character models and faces is the right step if there's a lot of trouble with lipsync. As for Unreal, I'm not certain what your experience translates to. What sort of functions would I need custom scripts for from a machinima perspective? With Cryengine, I have seen a crysis machinima before with lipsync, but they were using the default character models from the game. It sounds like lipsync would be the first thing to focus on right after character models. And yes, I agree in-game editing would be a big help, not having that definitely slowed me down a bunch on the latest CP episode. I have looked into the Cinematic mod before, but at the time (about 2009) they didn't increase the fidelity of the texture for the metrocops, only made their uniforms look grittier. Since my series revolves around them, I decided not to use it as the introduction of high res textures against standard ones would create more of a contrast effect than I wanted.

While this wasn't the holy grail of topics, in general I would advise moderators to give out warnings when people intentionally derail topics that the OP is interested in. If it keeps it up, they can give bans, I see this as sort of a different way of spamming the forum. Locking threads punishes the original poster more than the offenders. Take in mind, this doesn't apply to naturally formed side topics that get their own discussion. Here's an example off the fly: Person 1: Where does Half-Life take place? Person 2: New Mexico Person 3: Um, what is this? I would advise giving person 3 a warning, then a ban if they keep up similar threads. On the other hand, I think this thread could keep going: Person 1: Where does Half-Life take place? Person 2: New Mexico Person 3: NM is so hot, FM is right, you couldn't just walk out of the desert there, you would die. Person 4: You could maybe find cactus fruit to survive. Person 5: You would need a lot of cactus fruit to make up for dehydration. This topic is technically derailed, but it's from a related side-topic, so moderators don't need to be overly militant about that sort of thing.

He'll be in the Christmas episode. That's been submitted to Machinima.com, I've been told it will be out on Friday.

This isn't looking so good: http://www.infoworld.com/d/the-industry-standard/lawmakers-seem-intent-approving-sopa-pipa-183328

While my main focus will be a fantasy environment for this year, I'd prefer to not have to learn ANOTHER engine after I'm doing with that and go back to CP or something else. So if Oblivion / Skyrim is just as functional as something like UDK or Cryengine, then I can consider it. Otherwise, the setting along doesn't mean much since I'll probably be porting like crazy no matter what I use. This is maybe where I should start then. Again, I think I should focus on having character models with working face flexes FIRST, then see what software / engine supports those models. I know there's a utilitiy to convert VMFs into XSI Softimage scenes, but I have no idea if that's just the geometry or if it includes the textures too. Also I was talking to one person swearing by the Unreal engine who successfully managed to film a WoW video inside it (and not just green screening). So if he can bring that over from WoW, my guess is it's doable in Source. I'm not expecting the maps to have the same functionality, just geometry, static models, and textures.

Hey guys, something to think about: when making a new episode I usually like to figure out the most difficult aspect to do first, so I can be sure I'll be able to create it. The same applies here and I think the most difficult aspect of production on a new engine is having fully functional character models. I'd like to focus on what software will be best for creating new character models with facial flexes, then look at what software is compatible with THAT. For example, I'm going to need a couple dozen peasant / villager models for this movie idea I have, many of which will need facial expressions and lip sync capability. If someone were to do that by scratch for each character in 3ds Max or Maya or something, that would take forever. However look at the character creation screen for Oblivion (I haven't played Skyrim yet), I can create a new functional humanoid model with a working face in minutes. Now that doesn't mean Oblivion / Skyrim is the best choice overall necessarily, but a shortcut of that nature is a big deal for me. So before I look too heavily at what software to use overall, what software can I (or someone else) use to easily create a lot of characters that are capable of facial expressions and lip sync? CB1993: Possibly, but it would need to solve major problems besides just filming. Like for example, there's no easy way for a character to drop an item he picks up in Source. That should be a fundamental thing. I do it by tricky workarounds, Valve does it in-game by using custom code, labelled as unstable and experimental in the wiki. A Satanic Panda: Those graphics look sick, though I might not want to aim for a quality level THAT high because that would require more work making higher fidelity assets. I want to use as much pre-made content as is practical. If other games have pitchforks, haystacks, wagons, horses, pig models, etc. and they look at least as good as HL2's quality, then mission accomplished. What looks good at HL2 quality probably won't look good next to Crysis-level assets.

The Lagarith codec compresses better than HuffyUV, although I've find it will occasionally crash Premiere on me. It all depends on your content, but that might get you to 30-60% of your space you're using uncompressed. Uncompressed, HuffyUV, or Lagarith are really your only options if you're going to be doing video editing. Highly efficient compression codecs like x264 or xvid rely on keyframes, which mean each frame doesn't store all the data you need, which makes seeking in the clip hell and a bad choice for editing. Really you might want to think about getting an additional hard drive, but if you want to play Tower of Hanoi, another trick you can do is make copies of all your videos at a low resolution and use THAT for editing except for your final render. In the meantime, compress your original clips down in 7z or something to get a little bit more space. It still means you'll have problems for your final render, but that buys you time. In the meantime though, use Lagarith with RGB encoding (it should handle fraps' BGR fine I believe), that's your easiest option.

I don't know about customizing it, but I can get you the one from the old HL2 or episode 1 engine if you're interested. I had to actually film part of The Tunnel using Episode 1, just because the exact same map in Episode 2 completely screwed up the grass.

Well except for the demo bug I had that did get fixed, the updates would sometimes fix different bugs as well. Ultimately, I didn't have a lot of choice since the 2010 update, Valve made it so that all the games use the more modern code now. I have an offline version of the SDK I use for working in, but I can't expect volunteers to have an elaborate system like that. Really I would have been SCREWED if I was using the auto-updated code when making The Tunnel, there was an instance where Faceposer was completely broken for 3 months. No, almost all all the problems I had this last episode have always existing in Source, it's just that this time I had real time pressure, so they really got under my skin. I feel confident the video would have been done on time if I hadn't had so many bugs and/or limitations. The next episode was more a catalyst for me to realize my work to production ratio sucks on Source and it might really be worth it for me to try something else, even if that means more of a time investment upfront. No, not at all. That's about the same priority as fixing the links on the website, emails, and getting more subtitles updated. I haven't forgotten at all about it, but it does take a lower priority for me than creating new videos. I've actually done a ton of testing on that in the background since I'll be using x264 RGB encoding for archive backups which will save a bunch of space for me. Also while handbrake demonstrated the best compatibility with players (compared to the x264 commandline), there's an additional setting I was hoping to add that will make sure the correct colorspace is used on players that are more sensitive to getting it wrong. Even then, that's subtle, but I'm still refining the process a bit. I may replace the MKV uploads I've already done later, but you probably won't even notice the difference if I do. I figure I'll pick one day eventually and go on a spree of converting as much as I can to MKV so you'll have higher quality copies. Regardless, future videos will be released as MKV. I can look into it, though I'm thinking Blender might be overkill for what I'm trying to do. While I'm sure it has a lot of functionality, the bottom line (besides having the functionality I need) is how easy is it to use the software after I've already learned it. The Source engine nickel and dimes you to death with the number of steps required for every little aspect of production. Besides figuring out what software is and isn't capable of, I'm also thinking of what is the fastest thing to work in that doesn't sacrifice my functionality / quality level. I'll probably need something like Blender or 3ds max to convert files though, but I don't know if it would be best to make that the primary work software. As for whether the videos count as machinima or not, I don't care, I'm only interested in the end result. I see machinima as a medium rather than anything I need to conform to.

CP is going to take a backseat to this movie idea I have, though I can say if you like CP, you'll almost certainly like the movie I have planned too. It's not dead, but this next episode may be the last one actually done inside HL2. That means future episodes will inevitably look a little different, but not drastically so. One of my best movie ideas is an extended CP episode actually, but I haven't considered it seriously just because I thought it wasn't possible on the Source engine.

Here's an update of what's going on: VIDEO RELEASES FOR JANUARY: Civil Protection: The Christmas episode is practically done, it's primarily just sound editing left. While I could delay until December of this year, I'd rather just release it as soon as possible, even though it's late. Freeman's Mind: You can expect at least 2, maybe 3 episodes this month. NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION: While I'll be continuing Freeman's Mind, my goal for this year is to create a really great movie. I have an idea for one I've been interested in doing for a long time. I'm still writing the script to it, but I have a pretty solid idea of what I want it to be. It's going to be a feature-length movie and take place in a medieval fantasy environment. It will be a comedy / adventure / mystery movie. I was originally going to attempt this in the Source engine, but after my experience on the last CP episode, I'm going to use something else now. It's my hope to finish this movie sometime this year, though I can't promise anything. It depends on how long it will take for me to learn new software, animate everything, and get all the assets I need. The help I'll need will depend a lot on what software I use. Right now the only position I know 100% that I'll need help with is a creature modeler / animator. NEW SOFTWARE / ENGINE: Due to my frustration with the upcoming CP episode, I'm about ready to abandon the Source engine for anything more complicated than Freeman's Mind. Unfortunately, I still don't know what software I'll be using instead. I was originally leaning towards the program iClone, though someone has recently made some compelling arguments for the Unreal 3 engine. If I want to port over the many assets available for Source (one of the areas it really shines in) I'll likely need an array of programs. I'm still open to suggestions, but please don't recommend software if you haven't used it yourself. In my experience, there's a world of difference between what software is theoretically capable of, and what a non-programmer can actually do with it; kind of like Linux. I've made a list of features I'm looking for to help clarify things: Ross's wishlist of features for animation software / engine: -Support for importing motion capture .BVH data* -Support for lip sync and facial expressions (preferably finding a facial expression capture solution)* -Ability to create new humanoid characters with facial flexes and be able to modify things like proportions and clothing without it being an enormous undertaking* -Ability to export footage frame-by-frame (as opposed to real-time) -Ability to export with motion blur OR at very high framerates -Some sort of physics engine -lighting quality at least as good as Source's -ability to keyframe object / character movements -some system that can automate standard movements of characters, like walking and running, including on non-level terrain -some procedure for importing models and textures from the Source engine -some procedure for converting Source engine map architecture + textures to compatible format OR robust mapping community for new engine / software -decent camera controls -Reasonably low bugs *very important category, it's not even worth me considering an engine without some solution for this first So that's what I'll be up to in case you're wondering what's taking so long. Check back later this month for more videos! - - - Edit: There were several other events that came up, pushing back the FM episodes, making my time estimates worthless yet again. They're next in line to come out however.