The Bug - Part 1

I thought I saw something move along the floor while I was eating dinner...

From My Comics

The Bug
Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4

Speaking of Giant Rabbits...

Happy Easter.

He Lives.

Only shock describes the feeling when I say that it looks like my old friend Travis stirs from his slumber.

Passage

Not so long ago I stumbled across the work of one Jason Rohrer. It seems Jason is the one programmer on the planet who manages to remain a functional 'free spirit' - a rather interesting story in itself.

That isn't what I'm here to talk about.

What I'd like to bring to attention is, instead, his 2007 project, Passage. An experiment in minimalistic game design, Passage attempts to explore the subject of life and mortality, and does so with startling accuracy. In five minutes.

For anyone with a few minutes to spare, I recommend downloading Passage here (for Windows), then reading Jason's words on the game.

Foiled Again! Pun Not Originally Intended

Studies show, the greater the commitment to providing blog content, the less likely I am to follow through. Rather than giving an excuse, here is a rundown of the past months: Eternal Silence, Lord of the Rings Online, Supreme Commander, Age of Empires 3, Company of Heroes, and Red Alert 3. Also: friend had baby, love interest found other love interest, general instances of being a good samaritan.

And now for the pun: Started fencing lessons, having fun, living out childish Zorro fantasies. L4D is not yet forgotten, more after the break.

Soundscapes - Magnet

Some time ago I made the decision that, in an effort to give this blog SOME form of regularity, I would make at least one post on the second Thursday of the month. This was to be a continuation of my "Soundscapes" segment, where I could feebly attempt to impose my musical taste on others. I promptly ignored that decision.

Here I am, however, several months later (and an hour too late to make the Thursday deadline), apologetic for yet another period of inactivity, and ready to give this segment a go.

This month I'd like to share the soulful melodies of Magnet. Hailing from Bergen, Norway, Even Johansen (according to his website) "...follows in the footsteps of traditional folkdom and modern surrealism, treading a neat path between the two." The comparison, as the site continues to say, has not been made in vain.

I originally discovered Magnet, believe it or not, through a videogame. A rather incredible videogame, actually, named Dreamfall: The Longest Journey; an oldschool adventure game trapped in a modern development cycle. The game still has decent graphics by today's standards, and an incredibly well-developed story with extremely likeable characters and, of course, a great soundtrack. But I'm getting off track.

With lyrics that delve into the soul and a sound that sweeps the mind away in its current, Magnet is a refreshing reminder that someone is out there who still 'gets it.'

Something Eerie in the Magic Kingdom

I've been wrong before, but I can't help but imagine this is more than coincidence.

Okay I was bored.

The Office Park - Known Bugs

With the release of the map, the true experiment begins: Public playtesting. While I hope for a considerable amount of positive feedback, it's really the criticism that makes the map better, and I expect a good amount of it. Provided below is a current list of known bugs in Concrete Bayou 01 - The Office Park. If anyone sees anything that's not on this list, please comment here or otherwise let me know so that I can add it and get to work.

Known Bugs/Issues - Updated 2/13/09
-Displacement edges render incorrectly (seen in several locations, let me know if you see others: ledge outside of first office, room with broken wall dividing offices)
-Purple haze on higher graphics settings (Caused by advanced shaders, cannot be fixed until the launch of the official SDK. To work around, turn your shaders down to medium or low. Note that this disables normal mapping)
-Warehouse crescendo can be skipped *FIXED*
-Vents in administration building DONT spawn zombies *FIXED*
-Some textures for flourescent lights that are OFF are wrong.
-Lighting in general is off. Light sources are missing in places where lighting exists (mainly the admin building).
-Fire doesn't generate light. *FIXED*
-Zombies don't spawn in one of the side rooms on the lower floor. *FIXED*
-Weapon spawns need balancing. *FIXED*
-Ammo piles don't spawn correctly.
-Washing machine boxes blocking the path past the warehouse entrance are clipping into the wall. *FIXED*
-Fire at crescendo event takes up larger area than intended.