With no remorse

I had Wed/Thurs off this week and with it came the best laid plans to get some things done around the house. Hardly. Mass quantities of free time were given to Bioshock instead of chores. Having made this statement in a space where my wife can readily access it and throttle me in my sleep if the fancy strikes her...I still oddly harbor no regrets. The only guilt I have is that I had not experienced this masterpiece of game design sooner rather than later.

As you can likely guess, I progressed beyond my elderly antagonist mentioned in Wednesday's blog entry. Knee deep into the belly of the beast, I am thoroughly enjoying every step of the journey. Such care has obviously been given to the level design and execution of said design. The atmosphere is nigh-breathable. A man could make a meal of it. Often, I simply explore and take in the scenery. Then it happens. The faint sounds of voices in the distance. The closer I approach, it becomes apparent it's a one-sided conversation: the ravings of a madman. It is for this reason I enjoy Bioshock's combat so much. You are given the opportunity to plan your attacks out. The game cannot make it as a run-n-gun shooter. The designer have found a way to freak you out with the demented chatter of the insane, while at the same time warning you of danger and urging you to take stock and prepare. The same applies to Big Daddy and Little Sisters. The screen will shake with the titan's footsteps, you will hear his booming growl accompanied by her deranged prattle. Better yet: he doesn't attack unless you give him a reason to. So confident in his ability, he very nearly dares you to approach his charge. He doesn't need to prepare for you...and that may be the scariest thing of all.

My wife has discovered Facebook. With it comes the very real possibilty of setting up my old PC and a wireless network. I was subsequently dragged along to join the ranks of Facebookers in a gesture of support for my wife's new hobby. I say that as if it were an inconvenience. That is hardly the case. Facebook is much like a Twitter with too many options for my taste. In any event, my significant other has now started spending more and more time on the PC than in time's past. This has encouraged me to start playing console games a wee bit more. I cracked open a copy of Shenmue for Dreamcast I obtained from Goozex on a whim and booted up my DC for the first time in many moons. The controls took a bit of getting used to, but my first impressions were very good. Oddly enough, my son was absolutely enthralled by the game. It looks like I will continue playing if only for his viewing pleasure.

The new Star Wars series began this week: Fate of the Jedi. The first book, Outcast, came in the mail Tuesday. Very excited to dive into a new story arc after I wrap up my second read through of Millenium Falcon (last novel in the timeline prior to this series).

With only my wits

I got pissed off at Bioshock last week and haven't touched it since. I hit a point in the game where a crazy old coot wouldn't admit me into the next section until after performing his dirty work, and then only after handing over all of my weapons too. Left with just my wits and four plasmid abilities, two of which were suitable for combat, I waltzed right into his trap. And promptly died.

I must have Area 51 thoughtless game design still on my brain. I need to occasionally think if I'm going to make it through Bioshock. Handing over all of my weapons and NOT taking in my best combat plasmids? Not my most shining moment.

My brother gave me Dawn of War II for my birthday earlier this month. I installed it and took it on a test drive recently. The gameplay is extremely tactical, making use of terrain to take cover and enabling you to exploit each unit type's strenghts or weaknesses. It really makes you think about troop positioning, protecting your flanks, etc... The unit count is low, but that just makes it easier to keep track of everyone. This will be the next RTS campaign I dive into after finishing Age of Empires 3.

A new contest has popped up over at TF2Maps.net: detailing the middle capture point for a 5 cp map. I have a little under a month to get it together. Hopefully there will be time to do it on the side while I get cracking on ctf_egypt's level construction.

That can wait. I have a score to settle with a crazy old man...

V out

Contest Entry #2

With little to no fanfare at all, my entry is complete for the TF2Maps.net Intel Room Contest. I put the finishing touches on it late last night. A lot more work was put into the project than I thought would be. While at the same time, not putting in nearly as much as I ended up wanting. I'm pleased with the overall product though, and the project served it's purpose well: to reconnect me to mapping for Team Fortress 2. I'm not expecting to win, but I feel like I should be in the thick of things. Win or lose, I had a blast doing it and am looking forward to mapping on a larger scale. This effort suitably blows away my first contest entry. Here are some screenshots and a download link:

With the focus last week on this project, the design process on our CTF map has obviously slowed. I was able to find the time to contrive a layout for our central area and alternate flag route. With this final piece of the design puzzle being finalized in the next day or so we'll be ready to put the level together and really tweak the flow before diving into actually building the map in Hammer. I'm aiming to start construction this time next week.

With the contest entry behind me I understand what game developers say when a game is never really finished. There are so many more ideas and little touches I would have liked to have implemented. With the deadline today I simply didn't have the time to do anything more. I'm used to having my back against the wall when it comes to time limits. It usually comes from getting a late start or just tardiness in general on my part. I've spent a week on this project so I'm not exactly late to the party. Being up against a deadline because I've done my appointed task and now just want to do more...is a whole new pair of pants for me. They fit well enough so far, but I've got some room to grow into them. One of the major lessons I took from this contest project was the importance of proper design before building in 3D. You read that right. I took everything I learned from our CTF project about proper design theory and threw it out the damn window. In my youthful ignorance I thought proper level design was the province of larger projects. I was completely wrong. A proper design would have lessened the time spent bumbling about in the level editor and allowed more time to add the things I wanted, but couldn't.

To speak on actually playing games now. I have a confession to make: I killed a Big Daddy (translation: mini-boss) this week...and I felt terrible about it after. I came across a new plasmid (translation: magic) to trick BD's into thinking they should protect me as if I were a Little Sister (translation: walking treasure chest). A BD named Rosie was used to literally clear out an entire level for me. Foe after foe fell to her grenade launcher. She would take out the enemies, and I would reap the rewards in dropped items. As we progressed, an unexpected bond began to develop though. As Rosie defended my life with every fiber of her being, I could not help but think of her as the Chewbacca to my Han Solo. Soon, I wasn't letting her take the brunt of the damage while I mopped up the rest. Instead, we charged into danger together. We had each other's backs and it was glorious. Then the moment came: I was running low on EVE (translation: mana) and enemies that needed killing. It wasn't even sporting. A few proximity mines placed in her path and Rosie was gone. When it was over I realized the Little Sister I would have harvested for more Adam (translation: buy more magic) was long gone. No reward for me. No reward except the empty hole in my heart.

Tanks on every level

My Intel Room Contest entry is going pretty well so far. I'm nearly finished building it and expect to hit the 3/20 deadline with no issues. It ended up being an egyptian tomb-like space. Someone has already submitted an egyptian themed intel room, but I'm confident mine will be different enough to merit a closer look. While still working on the contest entry, I finalized the layouts you see above for the upper level of our base in our ctf map project. I was able to produce a couple of variations on the core layout, and make a final decision on which one worked better. We've already chosen one, but I would be curious to see which one my reader's preferred and why.

Bioshock has been a joy to play so far. I find myself forgetting it's not a run and gun shooter. It's much more tactical. The game punishes anyone who just runs in guns blazing. You have to use the environment and your unique abilities to get through the levels with efficiency. I really enjoy planning my attacks, even if they don't always come off without a hitch. Tricking a splicer into shooting a Big Daddy instead of me, then picking up the pieces after the ensuing melee is pretty fun.

I mentioned Friday that our L4D team had hit our stride again. Turns out I was correct in my assessment: we won our first ladder match on TWL last night. 1893 to 1094. There were tanks on every level, so it was a hard-fought victory. We led most of the game, but didn't clinch it until the finale. Good to get a win.

Ashes everywhere

My apologies for having no update on wednesday. My new graphics tablet came in the mail and to be fair I didn't have the desire to entertain anyone but myself. Now that I've begun to plumb the depths of what my new creative utensil is capable of, tis time to get back on task. I halted progress on the map layout while waiting on the tablet to arrive. My layout design tools to this point had been an antiquated pencil, an equally archaic eraser and a sheaf of antediluvian graph paper. I can shelve those dusty appliances, or better yet burn them in the fireplace, and continue my work in the digital brilliance it deserves. My scanner weeps softly in the background as I write this...the only thing saving it from a similar fiery fate is it's continued ability to satisfy my print and copy needs.

I installed Bioshock this week anxious to get the sour taste of Blacksite out of my mouth. I played the demo months ago and enjoyed it immensely. What could have compelled me to install the full .exe this late? I have no answer but to proclaim a lack of taste in general towards PC games, i.e. I will play anything put in front of me. I have little time to enjoy single player jaunts, these precious minutes should focus on what people with real taste have deemed to be good games. Steeling my resolve, I throw my copy of Soldier of Fortune: Payback at my still-wailing scanner.

I don't want to say that everything broken is made whole just yet, but our L4D competitive team feels like it is back on track. Communication has improved and I have focused on supplying direction and pushing the squad through the levels at a better pace. We won a close match against a good team last night. A quick word of thanks to Valve for making the smoker class more useful with the last update.

That's all I got,
Van

p.s. About the image: It was on the first page under "crying" on Google Images. Couldn't pass it up.

A simpler approach

Work continues at a steady pace on the TF2 mapping project. I completed a rough layout of the 3rd level of the map and with that we now have a working idea of how the base composition will look. Over the weekend I worked on a little Hammer mockup of some ideas I had for the ground in between bases. We're leaning towards an archaeological/excavation dig site a la Indiana Jones. The dig sites will link up to comprise the alternate intel route between Red and Blu. With the completion of the layouts for this middle ground, hopefully by the end of the week, I'll be able to open up Hammer and properly begin to transfer our ideas into the 3rd dimension. During that time, I also plan to work on a contest entry at TF2Maps.net. It's nothing big or time consuming, just designing an intel room, but it will be good practice for the larger task of mapping out our level.

I probably shouldn't, but I'm going to speak about Blacksite: Area 51 again. If only for the fact that this game should have been so much more. The story is only rubbish because of the lame way in which it was told. Take out the overt anti Iraqi war references, establish better pacing, and fill in the blanks concerning the aliens a bit better and you have a much more cohesive story. Your part of a tightnit Army squad. On a botched mission to help secure a government coverup your buddy gets left behind presumed dead. Now he is back, having been experimented as part of a super soldier program and you along with the rest of your squad have to take him down. There was every reason this storyline should have been epic, but it failed because of poor presentation. The gameplay was solid, it used the Unreal Tournament 3 engine, but it was stopped short by a busted squad system: your squad can't die. Ever. The game devolves into sending the squad around every corner and then mop up whats left. You can only carry 2 weapons, and that's ok, because none of the other weapons are worth carrying for very long. Between levels you don't keep the same weapons you had...even when the level picks right up where the last level left off. I won't bore you much longer, but the whole game screamed 'rush job'. The lack of polish is appalling, especially given that the game could have been so much better if it were developed properly. A wasted 6 hours...not by the game I played mind you, but the game I COULD have played. Now, what to play next?

Just a quick note, our Left 4 Dead team seems to be getting worse. We've been losing some pub matches that we should normally win. Maybe I've been putting too much thought into our techniques. I'm going to try a simpler approach and see how that works. Wish us luck.

Van out.

My Design Goal: To Be Refrigerator Worthy

Turns out, I found a fair degree of success as a result of walking away. I doodled up a layout while at work yesterday and banged out a legible copy on graph paper this evening. I'm very pleased with how it flows with the intel room I designed earlier this week. Just a few more ingredients to be added to the pie, sniper roost and underground intel route, and we should be able to pre-heat the oven and really get this map cooking. I've never fully respected how much time should truly be given to proper level design. To be more precise: I've been a fucking MORON where it applies to proper level design. Thank the Maker I was able to find someone to slap some sense into me before I attempted to teach my ghastly level design process to some innocent misbegotten soul no more intelligent than I.

Speaking of unintelligent game design: I installed Blacksite: Area 51 today. Having an idea of what I was getting myself into, my expectations were suitably low. I was in the mood for a mindless shooter and I wasn't disappointed. This game makes me feel like a parent. A parent whose son has just manufactured a hideous creation of art he wants to display on the refrigerator. I say, "nice work son" and tack it to the fridge. Why bother doing anything else, right? Down that road lies only a headache. I'll enjoy it for what it is and leave it at that.

Valve recently announced some of the content coming for Left 4 Dead. Among this content is a new Survival game mode. The basic premise is that a team of 4 survivors has to see how long they can make it against wave after wave of infected. I waved it off as lame at first glance, but after some thought I find I have a lot to look forward to. This mode will serve as a good survivor training exercise for our TWL team, giving us multiple crisis situations to deal with at any given time. Hopefully over time we will be able to better adapt on the fly to changing situations in our versus matches as a result. I'm also excited about the idea of designing levels for this mode. The maps are very small and will be good training in getting some of the basics of L4D design down before tackling a larger campaign.

V out.

Ok to walk away.

I spent a fair amount of time on Monday designing the layout for the intel level on the TF2 map myself and Ridetsu have been designing. I had made some brief doodles on it before, but Monday was the first time sitting down and thinking of how the level fit together both thematically and with regards to each individual class. I feel as if I'm starting to look at the level design process in more broad terms finally, seeing flaws and picking up on what makes a level work more readily than before. For example: It's not enough to put in different entrances to the intel room. We have to give good reasons for the players to use both approaches depending on the game situation. Make exit A drastically better and nobody will bother to use exit B or vice versa. While Monday was a good design day, Tuesday was a flop. I tried to put together the layout in the main level up from the intel, but it never translated to the page in a manner I found favorable. In the past, this is where I would have dropped the design work and put together the intel room in the level editor. Instead, I now realize it's ok to put down the layout and walk away, coming back to it later with fresh eyes and mind before engaging in destructive behavior that has resulted in the dismissal of many of my past projects. I now understand the importance of having a solid design in place before a level editor program is ever opened.

With regards to opening programs, Left 4 Dead has seen greatly increased playtime since my decision last week to cut the fat from my fun. Our team is gelling together bit by bit and our strategies are getting honed to a finer point the more we play. There has been some lively debate on what stratagems work and which don't, but the arguments have been very constructive and I find myself being challenged to become a better leader because of it. The entire team has seen fit to invest a great deal of time in playing this game so we can be winners on match days and I want to be the best possible leader I can for them. I'm a naturally assertive person, but this game threatens to make me more demanding of my team everytime I play it...and I love it. Anyway, if Valve doesn't update with a search that can filter out increased damage servers I'm going to have to seriously question their design. Not knowing you are in one of these abominations is the worst part: the only way to know is when one of your teammates lies broken at your feet waaaaaay too soon in the level. And don't get me started on low-grav locales.

To drastically switch gears, the new Star Wars book series starts this month with Fate of the Jedi: Outcast. I am super excited to get my hands on this volume and continue the main storyline. I'm a huge nerd for anything Star Wars of course, but the expansion of my collection is limited to print media. Fortunately, I am a devourer of the written word especially when that word has the letters L-I-G-H-T-S-A-B-E-R in it. I love me some Star Wars novels, especially at the launch of a new story arc. Bring it on!

Van out!

A Broadway Production

I mentioned in Friday's blog that I had a TF2 mapping project in the works with a friend of mine. Fortunately, this has turned out to be anything but bluster so far! We worked this weekend on our goals and release schedule. The design process is now going forward full steam ahead. It has been an eye-opening experience for me so far: I had not mentioned it before, but my associate has actual development experience working on retail games. Being able to approach the project in a professional manner has been like a dream come true for my meager store of design knowledge. I feel like an overstuffed balloon that refuses to burst. There is so much more to be gained by actual doing, this is exactly what I needed. I can't wait to share with you the things we will create in future installments of this very blog. The very thought of sinking my teeth into creating a Left 4 Dead campaign has me salivating with design suspense. Think of this TF2 map as a high school play compared to the L4D campaign's Broadway production: so much more work, but infinitely more rewarding and enjoyable.

Speaking of L4D, I have finally gotten around to selecting the starting 4 players for our TWL ladder team: Myself, Amish Ambush, Ridetsu, and Awol Zealot. What's really cool about this is the level of interest in the game is such that we can sustain a second team: Doober, Naven, Afghan, and Mechpilot_Z. To review: OZ has 2 competitive L4D teams as well as a team in Counter-Strike Source. It's really a great time to be a member of our gaming clan. The best thing a multiplayer gamer can ask for is to have an active group of cool people to game with. The glory days are NOW in the OZ Clan...and I'm loving it.

The glory days are also very much alive in Middle Earth. LotRO pulls me in a little further everytime I play. The fed-ex and collection quests which comprise my main complaint when it comes to any MMORPG are ever-present, but fade quickly into the background of my mind as the game weaves my storyline into Tolkien's. The game accomplishes this through the main questline and with brief cutscenes. Everyone of these efforts to enmesh my character into the Middle Earth story pushes me further towards renewing my subscription and very likely becoming a lifetime member the next time they have a discount on it.