Well I finally got my first look through some of the in-development maps and models of Arnold Road to World President. At the same time we began collecting footage for the documentary, and while we're not anywhere near where I wanted to be having something recorded is better than nothing.
As far as the game goes I'm a bit undecided. Of course, no one really expects this to be a good game; it's a first time attempt made by a bunch of untrained amateurs trying to figure out the very basics of starter tools, but I did expect to see things move along a bit faster than this. Not in terms of quality, but perhaps at least quantity. Admittedly I know almost nothing about game design at this point, but it appears that things are already slowing down a bit, which is making me worry about our habitual lethargy whenever we attempt projects.
Trevor, who I'll dub lead designer by virtue of bringing the idea of the game to the other two involved, assured me everything was trundling along on schedule for their released date, but I'm not certain I have his faith the matter. No models have been made passed the initial one day creation of the basic enemy, and it's unskinned. While the maps seems to be slowly progressing what little I can recall of my own map making it seems like something that could've been done in a couple afternoons, not two weeks, and looked similar to what was described a week ago by Trevor. I will admit complete ignorance when it comes to coding things, so maybe the bulk of the progression has been in that regard, but i don't know why the others would stop to wait for it instead of, say, making more models.
Perhaps if I convert what Josh has recorded in voice acting and sent them off to Trevor it would jump start things again. I may be calling this too soon, either way I'll post updates as time goes on.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
Duke Nukem Forever, First Impression
Hold on – we’re getting this out of the way right at the beginning; Duke Nukem is an extremely divisive game, huge parts of which will either be enjoyable or cringe inducing based on your outlook going into the game. The most important thing I can say about the game is that reviews will be almost meaningless to you. If you find the idea of the game hilarious you’ll probably enjoy it, if you think it’s childish do not spend your money on it, it’ll be a waste. There is nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing in the game-play or story that will change your inevitably already pre-made opinion of this game. It’s all about the jokes and the style, everything else is as bland as bland can be so as to not get in the way of either.
I find myself comparing it more and more to Shadows of the Damned, a comparison in which it’s fairing rather poorly. It’s not that Shadows annihilates Duke in any real element, just that it does absolutely everything Duke does slightly better. I mean that qualifier literally there – slightly – Duke isn’t losing out big time in any major categories, it could just stand to improve in virtually all of them. It has funny moments and good one liners, just there’s too few of both and that means the one liners end up repeating a great deal. It’s gun play is solid in that it isn’t glitchy or floaty, but it’s very bland except for a few cool guns that the game seems to jealously guard. The scripted moments can be funny, but I found myself waiting for them during the somewhat boring gameplay segments. I think that’s a repercussion of the boring guns issue; the gameplay itself isn’t really engaging enough on it’s own. There needs to be a gimmick for each fight, or a scene setting it up, otherwise it just drags.
It’s worth pointing out here that it never drags for too long. All of these issues are what I’d class as minor ones. I get bored for a couple minutes, maybe a one liner is repeated two or three times too many, I find myself hoping there’ll be a shrink ray or anything other than a ripper and shotgun around the next corner. None of this would really lower the game in my opinion too much should they be alone, and even combined they make no suitable explanation for the 2/10 ratings it received from some people. No, it just lands it firmly in the sixes at best.
What it does give me hope for is the next one in the series, which I believe they’re going to make enough money to create. Without all of the baggage of the last dev team to carry maybe they can take a new direction with the weapons or jokes. Something fresh, which is definitely lacking in Forever.
I find myself comparing it more and more to Shadows of the Damned, a comparison in which it’s fairing rather poorly. It’s not that Shadows annihilates Duke in any real element, just that it does absolutely everything Duke does slightly better. I mean that qualifier literally there – slightly – Duke isn’t losing out big time in any major categories, it could just stand to improve in virtually all of them. It has funny moments and good one liners, just there’s too few of both and that means the one liners end up repeating a great deal. It’s gun play is solid in that it isn’t glitchy or floaty, but it’s very bland except for a few cool guns that the game seems to jealously guard. The scripted moments can be funny, but I found myself waiting for them during the somewhat boring gameplay segments. I think that’s a repercussion of the boring guns issue; the gameplay itself isn’t really engaging enough on it’s own. There needs to be a gimmick for each fight, or a scene setting it up, otherwise it just drags.
It’s worth pointing out here that it never drags for too long. All of these issues are what I’d class as minor ones. I get bored for a couple minutes, maybe a one liner is repeated two or three times too many, I find myself hoping there’ll be a shrink ray or anything other than a ripper and shotgun around the next corner. None of this would really lower the game in my opinion too much should they be alone, and even combined they make no suitable explanation for the 2/10 ratings it received from some people. No, it just lands it firmly in the sixes at best.
What it does give me hope for is the next one in the series, which I believe they’re going to make enough money to create. Without all of the baggage of the last dev team to carry maybe they can take a new direction with the weapons or jokes. Something fresh, which is definitely lacking in Forever.
Summer Siege
(and other SCA events)
Murphy stands defied as lady luck takes the cup. Things may not have gone perfectly, but we did managed to get everyone out to the siege and even stayed mostly dry. Give the number of things that could've gone wrong I'm actually quite amazed. The event itself wasn't as populated as I had hoped, but I suspect that might be because of the looming threat of dire weather and tiny hurricane that struck Ottawa the very night before. Thunderstorms are capable of giving even the most crazy SCA fan pause when their festival takes place in the middle of a field and they're wearing metal.
Regrettably I completely forgot to bring the video camera, so we have absolutely nothing to show for our day. However, bringing a video camera to an event with virtually no shelter when it's due to rain might've been a bit stupid in the first place, so I'm not that upset. It helps to add that there's another SCA festival taking place a paltry two weeks from now, and we're all gearing up to go. This one is the Osgood Medieval Festival, and from what I can gather it looks to be quite a bit larger than the last one. If nothing else there's due to be jousting there, which was a bit beyond the group we saw in chesterville.
What's more there's going to be several armouring guilds present - and this time I'm certain; they're advertising on the events main page. Even if they don't have helmets for sale it might still get us in contact with some one who can be commissioned to make one. If we get lucky we could be on our way to making a working armor set. I'm already back in the mentality to budget it courtesy of the shields we managed to buy at the chesterville fair. I'd post a picture, but I bought mine blank. I want to put my family crest on there and it needs a good couple layers of varnish first. Once it's all prettied up I'll toss it in a post.
Also, should the weather not hate us next time I'll hopefully remember to bring the video camera along. What can I say, I'm not at my best early in the morning. If there's more of these events throughout the summer I might even make a quasi-series out of it. Well have to see how that goes.
Murphy stands defied as lady luck takes the cup. Things may not have gone perfectly, but we did managed to get everyone out to the siege and even stayed mostly dry. Give the number of things that could've gone wrong I'm actually quite amazed. The event itself wasn't as populated as I had hoped, but I suspect that might be because of the looming threat of dire weather and tiny hurricane that struck Ottawa the very night before. Thunderstorms are capable of giving even the most crazy SCA fan pause when their festival takes place in the middle of a field and they're wearing metal.
Regrettably I completely forgot to bring the video camera, so we have absolutely nothing to show for our day. However, bringing a video camera to an event with virtually no shelter when it's due to rain might've been a bit stupid in the first place, so I'm not that upset. It helps to add that there's another SCA festival taking place a paltry two weeks from now, and we're all gearing up to go. This one is the Osgood Medieval Festival, and from what I can gather it looks to be quite a bit larger than the last one. If nothing else there's due to be jousting there, which was a bit beyond the group we saw in chesterville.
What's more there's going to be several armouring guilds present - and this time I'm certain; they're advertising on the events main page. Even if they don't have helmets for sale it might still get us in contact with some one who can be commissioned to make one. If we get lucky we could be on our way to making a working armor set. I'm already back in the mentality to budget it courtesy of the shields we managed to buy at the chesterville fair. I'd post a picture, but I bought mine blank. I want to put my family crest on there and it needs a good couple layers of varnish first. Once it's all prettied up I'll toss it in a post.
Also, should the weather not hate us next time I'll hopefully remember to bring the video camera along. What can I say, I'm not at my best early in the morning. If there's more of these events throughout the summer I might even make a quasi-series out of it. Well have to see how that goes.
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