...new job, new city + pics!

So here's the big news. I'm leaving San Francisco to move to Boston to work at Harmonix! Harmonix are the creators of Guitar Hero and Rock Band (among others) and I am really excited to start work there. Now I just have to pack, sell my car, find a place to live, find a moving company...

Here's some pics of my last lunch at F5 and playing rock band last night at Seppo's house.

...some quick things we're learning making the TF2 map

1. Make sure your spawn rooms are perpendicular to - not part of - the main path.
- It seems obvious, but we missed this for awhile. It's not a great experience when the flag holder can run through the safety of the spawn room to easily get to the capture point without people being able to chase him.

2. Keep engineer sentry range in mind for all major meeting points and defensive points.
- The should be a generous amount of good sentry spots in the map. For players, taking the time to setup a sentry and then have it destroyed by people simply shooting out of it's range gets frustrating. We made a prefab of this distance to move around the map as needed.

3. Large wide-open areas tend to be lacking for team-based play
- Areas like this may be fun for snipers, soldiers and scouts, but we saw that the resultant gameplay to be too unorganized for fun team play especially with the other classes. We have ended up constraining more as we go and the level is getting more fun.

4. If you are going to place the flags multiple floors up, don't let the capturer simply drop off to get away
- Constraining this with fences has given the defenders a better chance to regroup.

5. Make sure the spawn room exits are simple and obvious.
- At first we had 3 ways to go, one of which went up the stairs. This was really confusing (even to us!). It seems like 2 directions from the room is ideal...one to battlements and one to flag area.

6. We made Snipers pits within view of each other.
- Allows snipers to have to kill and avoid being killed by each other.

7. Most importantly - testing the map with people is worth 1000 hours of theory.
- So much becomes obvious when we watch and play with people. We play on opposite teams and constantly switch classes to see how it feels with each. Also we have all talk on (sv_alltalk 1). Pay attention to what people are saying and suggesting, but also notice events such as why people drop (sorry about the unfair squishing!).


Extra Bonus - Here are some stats I found on the forums that have proved usefull:

All Classes

Walk ---- 83h x 49w
Crouch -- 56h x 49w

step ------------ 18
Jump ----------- 43
Jump + Crouch -- 70

min height before fall damage -- 269 (this is lower if you crouch)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Class specific (listing highest values I was able to attain, recommend lowering these unless you want the jumps to be as difficult as possible):

Sentry Range ---------------- 1132.15
Engineer Sentry Jump -- 136 (jumping from top of your sentry gun to reach higher locations)

Scout double jump ----------- 90
Scout double jump + crouch -- 117

Soldier Rocket Jump -------- 324
Soldier *Super Rocket Jump -- 528

Demoman Sticky Jump --------- 608
Demoman *Super Sticky Jump -- 960

*Super Rocket Jump - crouch just before you do standard rocket jump.
*Super Sticky Jump - crouch just before you do standard sticky jump.
These are kind of difficult to pull off, you have to time it just right. I find the demoman more difficult to super jump.

...went to GDC 2008 this week.

It was was a good time. Saw lots of good talks and met even more good people. More details to come...

...latest TF2 map link and Pics [UPDATED - again]

On request :) Here is a link to the latest map Mars and myself have been working on. Place it in your tf2 maps folder then run it in-game.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=A4VXM86Q

Newer Pics:

Newer, simpler spawn room.


New middle section has much better flow now. Intense battles take place along 3 levels of crossfire.


Buttons on boths building levels move the "elevator". Players can shoot from the windows on the second floor which face the sniper pits. Soldier can rockets jump into and out of the second floor.


View from new Flag area 3 floors up.


Back route shortcut for soldiers/scouts.

...flocking birds

So it seems like birds keep track of 7 neighbors when flocking...Click title for the link. 7 seems to be an important number...there was a recent article that said humans can track 7 objects on screen (as long as they move slow enough). I'd be curious to see how this relates to games - shooters in particular...

...this made me smile today

...3 rings of nooooooooooooooo

Well, the gaming gods have conspired against me. My Rock Band Guitar only registers upstrokes, EA sent an empty box to replace it and finally my 360 just got the dreaded 3 rings of death (again). Looks like Rock Band, Mass Effect, COD 4, and Halo 3 are on hold :(

...wow

beatles + led zeppelin = ?

...yay...the Dolphins won!

May not be the worst team ever...Next week Dolphins beat the Patriots :)

...pics of the TF2 mod I'm working on

Me and a few other guys are working on a mod for TF2. Basically we want to add a character and a level. Here's some pics of the level that me and Mars have deen doing for a couple weeks:

...last night (we played our tf2 level)

Myself and Mars have been working on a Team Fortress 2 level as part of a mod we are making with others. We had an impromptu run through last night and people seemed to really enjoy it. I'll post pictures soon...

...the relationship between making a TV pilot and making a level

Saw the movie The TV Set on dvd last night. Interesting, well-done movie. There are definite analogues in making a TV pilot and making a level. The amount and usefulness of feedback and the repercussions to quality are the main similarities. I cringed a couple times watching it...

...frustrations with the Simpsons game demo

Well just played the Simpsons demo at work. It has potential, but I don't think I'd buy it...too many frustrating issues - such as:

- walking in a straight line is hard! The camera starts turning with any rotation off directly forward.
- demo level is too hectic...too many krustys running around saying the same thing over and over.
- "lard lad" boss's pattern could be much better. One of the 2 spots he goes between is almost impossible to get onto his back from.
- ...and Homer is practically useless against him. I would like it better if Bart had to do one thing, then Homer had to do the next etc...
- too unforgiving in general...I'm talking about glide decent rate, double jump success rate, amount of time Lard Lad stays stunned, frequency of Krustys...
- camera is odd...R-stick can be used to look around, but pressing L1 to actually aim at things often has you pointing away from your intended target

A good focus test could really help...unfortunately I know sometimes even with well-run focus tests, it is all in how management reacts and fixes the problems that come up that make the difference...

...article I wrote about game design

Check it out here: Tips for the Working Designer I hope it is of use to some out there. Some of the information is common sense, but I am sometimes surprised by the lack of effort I've seen from other designers. It's important to have a method to problem solving, even if it's not the same one I use.

...DC

Best of luck to Tamsen right now. She is in DC right now, fighting for highly-skilled immigrant rights.

...i have this week off

...and I'm playing games! Bioshock and Metroid 3 primarily. I can heartily recommend Bioshock to pretty much anyone...

...well I'm back

And ready for a vacation again....

Went to the gym yesterday and I'm down to 147 from 152. I'm hoping it's fat, but my last yoga class tells me otherwise...

...one thing before I leave

Gonna see Sonic Youth in Berkeley tonight. They're playing Daydream Nation...

...Best of 2006

EDIT: Whoa, I forgot Dead Rising

Here's my favorites for 2006 that I experienced. Anything I missed?

Music (includes releases from late 2005)
Top 5
The Mall - Emergency at the Everyday
Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped
Reuben - Very Fast Very Dangerous
Genghis Tron - Dead Mountain Mouth
Mastodon - Blood Mountain

Honorable Mentions
The Bronx - The Bronx
Converge - No Heroes

Movies
Top 5
The Prestige
Children of Men
Pan's Labyrinth
An Inconvinient Truth
Little Miss Sunshine

Honorable Mentions
The Descent
The Departed
Borat
Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story
Brick

Games
Top 5
Half-Life 2: Episode One (PC)
Dead Rising (360)
Wii Sports (Wii)
Brain Age (DS)
Guitar Hero 2 (PS2)

Honorable Mentions
Bully (PS2)
Gears of War (360)
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii)
Elite Beat Agents (DS)

...Amsterdam here I come

I'll be in Amsterdam from July 20 to August 10. Stop by and say hi if you're around. I'll also be in Paris for a few days...any suggestions of what to do there?

...going to a show tonight

Unsane / 400 Blows - Bottom of the Hill

...Gears of War Multiplayer Design

Me and a bunch of people have been playing a bunch of GOW multiplayer lately and it's been a blast - props to everyone at Epic. For the most part the maps and gameplay are very well done. There are definitely favorites and some with issues...we exclusively play annex so keep in mind a bunch of the maps weren't built with this mode in mind.

1. Recognizable level landmarks
For me this is one of the big things that makes it easier for me to learn (and therefore enjoy a map). I think too many of the gears maps fail to do this well enough. Take Garden. At least 2 or 3 times in a match I find myself running 2 or staying at the wrong greenhouse. Even a map that's generally good at this could use a little more clarification (the upper left and right mirrored spots - it would be better to be able to say "the balcony with the statue", or "red building" balcony. Some other levels that could use a little more clarity are Canals, and Mausoleum. In general while looking around, I should be able to tell my teammates where I am in a small sentence - sometimes I can use weapon spawns, but ideally this should be conveyed by the level architecture and texturing.

2. Level lighting
Perhaps this problem is exacerbated by my 27" standard TV (there are a lot of us out there still!), but on a few levels I have a very hard time telling the teams apart. In general this is an issue due to generally similar body sizes and next-gen-style lighting, but it really sticks out in a level like process which I like in every other way...on the grenade capture point (by the 2 long bridges) the 2 teams look pretty much dark black. I have similar issues in Bullet Marsh.

3. Running paths
Good paths to run (holding A) make playing in a GOW level much more fun. Ideally I should be able to traverse large distances in the map without unintentionally getting stuck too often and without having to come out of run too often. One thing I learned from Counter-strike design that applies to GOW is that having 2 ways -no more, no less- to go from start (and all spawn points if possible) is ideal...it allows your team to break up into a couple groups. Finally, there should be enough running room for 4 team members to run around. A good example of all these is Gridlock. Coming from start there is a large curved section which splits off on two sides of the railing. Running from here to any section of the map is a treat. Rooftops is a bad example of this and one of the reasons we don't play it much. The start has you running towards a linear section of thin L-shaped corridors. These sections would be better served if the were not 90 degrees (curved or sectional) and/or larger in size. As they are, you often bump into your comrades or get sucked into the walls. Additionally it takes 7 or 8 seconds before it branches off to a sectional area of hard turns and stairs that is very hard to run through...

4. Arg!- Dropoffs
Sometimes ledges and stairs don't let you walk off of them from certain angles. I also have issues rolling off them and running down them. This is not a level-only issue but it sure seems worse in some spots than others. In general, too many short stairs and ledges in close proximity and mixed in with short 90 degree turns make traversal less fun (see Rooftops). Certain geometry placed too nearby can make the problem even worse - like the pillars placed near the stairs in Canals.

5. Respawn spots
In general, most respawn points are well thought out and well-done. There are a couple instances where they aren't as good. In Raven Down, enemies can spawn directly behind you . When you have the jeep control point under control with a short dead end behind you..this feel extremely cheap. Also related is some of the points above. I want to know where I am (landmarks) and have a nice path(s) to run to where I need to go to. Finally, there is at least one occasion where a capture spot is near enough to a spawn point...in Fuel Depot, there is a capture right near the spawn point in the hangars which encourages spawn camping...

6. Long linear routes = bad
For multiplayer games, oftentimes it's often best to have a short to medium path to every other spot in the map. GOW does this particularly well. Most of the better levels are built like a series of interconnected Os that allow good meeting spots, and flanking enemies who don't watch there backs. There are a couple that don't feel as good. Bullet Marsh deserves some criticism for how long it takes to get from place to place. It takes extremely long to get from the top middle to the bottom. A couple extra routes or shortened lead up routes would've made this map more playable. Escalation has similar issues due to its extremely linear climb. Perhaps this level could have worked better half the height stacked next to each other with a couple paths between.

7. Variety in capture points
It's nice to have variety within a level's capture points. Most of Garden capture points give you different feeling, from the close combat of the middle spot, to the stairways leading to the boom, to the uneasy surroundings of the greenhouse. Process is really good in this regard as well. You have a wide open spot with massive death counts, a small round spot that's easy to flank and chainsaw, a long sniper friendly corridor that also has stairs to the side, a raised platform that is exposed on the sides and back, and the area behind it which is lower and exposed on the sides...each spot feels hard to defend in unique ways.

That's it for now....More thoughts as they come. I would love to try my hand at making a GOW multiplayer map, but currently there is no way...let's hope more maps are coming in the future :)

...new cd reviews

Got a bunch of new cds to review...I think I may wait to do new reviews until I switch over to the new blogger....and I can't switch to the new blogger until the have 3 column teplates...

decisions, decisions...

...one thing

One thing that is annoying me right now. That baseball game commercial with "Breed" playing. I really think the songwriter would be pissed if he was alive.

... went to GDC this week

GDC is the Game Developers Conference. I find it both inspiring and informative at its best...Some highlights are hanging with people I haven't seen a while, meeting new peoplem a couple of the talks I went to (Gears of War, Agile game design, Kenji Inafune...though I think I missed the best one, from talking to my friend Nat by this man) and seeing one of my idols Mr. Miyamoto talk. Shigeru Miyamoto is basically to games what John Lennon was to rock....it existed before him, but noone before or since has perfected it as much.

Didn't buy any new game design books but that's ok...I just finished reading a couple (here and here) so I need a little break....

Besides that, still very busy finishing Lair at work and currently learning XSI so I can convert my CS brushes into props....fun fun...

...killing in the name of...all that which does suck

Man these are some of the worst live vocals I've ever heard:





I can't find the solo black hole sun, but you get the point...

...Mike Judge's new movie...denied

Clikc title...

...one of a kind

...some more cs_campus pics

Edit: more pics posted here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28404638@N00/tags/cscampus/












...the end.

...this is my halloween costume next year

I know it's early but this is a strong candidate