Wednesday, May 28, 2008

My FPS History and releases

This time is time to make a break from the classic stuff and perhaps tells you that I made (but most of you should know this...) some maps.

The story just started 4 years ago on Alejandro Mapping Center were I got interviewed by other member about doing so much review and never made a map. So I took it personally and started to build a map for the game who made me discovered FPS : Duke Nukem.

I first look for several tutorial to learn the basic stuff and then started building a snow theme map slightly based on the horror movie The thing. The approach of build engine (editor for Duke Nukem) is a mix between 2d and 3d, I found it really easy to handle, even if most of the think you do are not always logic regarding nowedays tools. The really great adventage of all build games is that you can easily open all map and look how people did things. I was so able and proud to make in less than 100 hours (all include learning mapping and beta testing) a map that was well accept from all the community.
Since I'm sometimes a fan of Science-Fi Horror Movie I decide to take some reference from John Carpenter's movie: The Thing. That's why the map was a snowy based map featuring also the original theme from the movie.

For more info about this release check out the review available The Abandoned Workshop and MSDN

Screenshots and direct download from Antartica : outpost 31












I also did a small part in the Community Build Project 7. My part was a connection to a sewer than then goes to an industrial complex part finishing in a garage. I want to make it a little Half-Life theme my part was quite short but i mostly used the fixed limit in wall and sprites. I think that my part was certainly not the best but at least after more than one year without using the build engine I was able to add my cent to a community build project, this map is considered by some people as actually the best community build project.

Check the next review site for more infos: The Abandoned Workshop , MSDN and DN-Repository

Sceenshots from my part










Finally after working for CBP7 and understanding how to make sprites floors i decided to start a new ambitious project slightly based on a blackmesa complex. after arround 10 hours of mapping the project felt down. I have still a copy from the map that also integrates a new skybox.


Some screenshots











I was recently playing a lot of custom maps for Quake 2 and just noticed that this theme was never visited for a Duke Nukem map...This could perhaps be a good opportunity to restart building ;)

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Break from reviewing Stuff

You have certainly seen that the site wasn't a lot updated in the last weeks...Not that I don't want to continue or have a lack of interest, I have simply discover 3 ago A new gaming experience that is actually holding me busy sothat exept a really short gaming time i didn't touch FPS games since this period.

Since more than 25 years I have always be interesting in car competition and especially Rallying between 1994 and 1999 I participated in over 60 Rally, mostly regional, as a codriver since then and the growing up of my family, I decided, to stop the competition mainly because it can be risky and dangerous (2 codrivers dies during the last 4 month in Belgium :( )

Since then even if I follow all competition mostly behind my computer I didn't jump in a car anymore but was impressed but the unique experience that was given to us be playing racing games such as Collin McRae serie, DTM series and a lot more.
In 2004 a new experience came out It wasn't simply an arcade game like the previous it was a really simulation called Richard Burns Rally A really fantastic but quite difficult game to play with realistic crash the possibility to setup you car from gear to suspension and a lot more...
The only problem of this game was the lack to a good multiplayer online experience.

A small amount of people decided to create this experience 3 years ago and since then it simply grows up. They have add new stages (over 20), new cars (over 30) and new weather conditions that make the possibility to run over 100 different stages. Also new physics for cars (traction or proulsion) have been implemented to really add a unique experience.

By a simple miracle I found this at the end of last year and on March decided to jump into this new experience... Since then I play nearly everyday or simple just ajust the car to win here and there some time.

Championships have been organized for such contry has France, Belgium, Porrtugal and Malagasy...the online system is quite simple you play on you computer and datas are send by the net, for this you need to registered on a session, 10 to 20 sessions per rally being organized by week. Regarding you result you will collect points that will be use for a driver ranking and a team ranking...
The game is mostly cover by a online forum where you know every new things and stuff that might be interesting average Age is beween 20 and 40

Finally is 100% free except that you need a (legal) copy of the original game

Actually and it's perhaps the only sad point since this interface was build up by a french team, Over 80% of the player are french speaking but a english forum exist

Here


For more info don't hesitate to contact me personally or feel free to visit the home page

here

If you want to PM me on the forum Just contact Stefke ;)