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AvaPack to join AdamPack! Soon, very soon...
AvaPack to join AdamPack! Soon, very soon...
| Name: | Spencer Boomhower |  |
|---|---|---|
| Date Posted: | May 18, 2006 | |
| Rating: |  Not Rated | |
| Public: | YES | |
| Comments: | YES | |
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| Profile Page: | View profile page for Spencer Boomhower |
Blog post
Hey all,
Just a quick update to let you know that there's a new character pack on the way: AvaPack!
She's a follow up to AdamPack , and is based on the same skeleton and animation set, making her completely compatible with AdamPack. Also, as Eve was to the biblical Adam, AvaPack is a bit of an improvement on the original. She's got more clothing layers, more polygons, and she looks better in a close-up.
The only drawback with AvaPack is that, whereas AdamPack was built in 3ds Max 4 (and thus was compatible with all subsequent versions of Max) AvaPack was built in Max 5. It's over a year since I released AdamPack, so an upgrade was in order :).
I just have to get a few more promo materials together and get AvaPack through GarageGames' testing, and I should be ready to go!
And I have to say, it's about damn time :). AvaPack, like AdamPack, took a surprisingly long time to wrap up. A big part of that is the fact that these packs are tools, meant to be used to create new characters. This means they have to be as perfect as I can make them, whereas a typical character only has to be good enough to work in a given game. Or at least, even after it's in the game, the typical character can still be fixed. If there's a problem with one of these packs, getting a fix to all the people who started building with them is tricky at best. Still, I had actually entertained hopes of having this done before last Christmas! But all those easy little polishing tasks add up, especially when you have other work to deal with.
This just further underscores a lesson I've learned, that - with any project - finishing is the hardest part, and no project should be started without the finish line in mind. An unfinished project is a burden, it's demoralizing. But wrapping up a project, tying a bow around it, and kicking it out the door is liberating. It's like throwing a ballast out of a hot air balloon, lightening you up to go new places.
Look for AvaPack on GarageGames soon!
-Spencer
Just a quick update to let you know that there's a new character pack on the way: AvaPack!
She's a follow up to AdamPack , and is based on the same skeleton and animation set, making her completely compatible with AdamPack. Also, as Eve was to the biblical Adam, AvaPack is a bit of an improvement on the original. She's got more clothing layers, more polygons, and she looks better in a close-up.
The only drawback with AvaPack is that, whereas AdamPack was built in 3ds Max 4 (and thus was compatible with all subsequent versions of Max) AvaPack was built in Max 5. It's over a year since I released AdamPack, so an upgrade was in order :).
I just have to get a few more promo materials together and get AvaPack through GarageGames' testing, and I should be ready to go!
And I have to say, it's about damn time :). AvaPack, like AdamPack, took a surprisingly long time to wrap up. A big part of that is the fact that these packs are tools, meant to be used to create new characters. This means they have to be as perfect as I can make them, whereas a typical character only has to be good enough to work in a given game. Or at least, even after it's in the game, the typical character can still be fixed. If there's a problem with one of these packs, getting a fix to all the people who started building with them is tricky at best. Still, I had actually entertained hopes of having this done before last Christmas! But all those easy little polishing tasks add up, especially when you have other work to deal with.
This just further underscores a lesson I've learned, that - with any project - finishing is the hardest part, and no project should be started without the finish line in mind. An unfinished project is a burden, it's demoralizing. But wrapping up a project, tying a bow around it, and kicking it out the door is liberating. It's like throwing a ballast out of a hot air balloon, lightening you up to go new places.
Look for AvaPack on GarageGames soon!
-Spencer
Recent Blog Posts
| List: | 03/28/07 - Bringing the synergy paradigm to fruition 05/18/06 - AvaPack to join AdamPack! Soon, very soon... 07/20/05 - Plan for Spencer Boomhower 06/29/05 - Plan for Spencer Boomhower 04/10/05 - Plan for Spencer Boomhower 04/01/05 - Plan for Spencer Boomhower |
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Submit your own resources!| Alexander "taualex" Gaevoy (May 18, 2006 at 18:09 GMT) |
| Jesse (Midhir) Liles (May 18, 2006 at 19:03 GMT) |
| DavidRM (May 18, 2006 at 19:43 GMT) |
Ava looks good. :)
My question, though, is: Who took your avatar headshot? They were good...sidelighting from a window...dramatic depth cues and character from the room behind you...tricky exposure problem with the window behind you. How much post processing was done? My only change would be to crop out the door frame.
-David
| Aaron Ellis (May 18, 2006 at 19:52 GMT) |
As always, I am continually impressed with your work (ever since your days at Surreal). Ava is looking great.
Aaron E.
| Alan Hembra (May 18, 2006 at 19:59 GMT) |
I agree that the face looks amazing!
| Matt Huston (May 18, 2006 at 21:08 GMT) |
Quote:
Is she engaged? ;)
To AdamPack
| Adam deGrandis (May 18, 2006 at 23:17 GMT) |
| Phil Carlisle (May 18, 2006 at 23:38 GMT) |
She looks kind of like a prissy schoolteacher who is secretly a CIA agent :)
| Spencer Boomhower (May 18, 2006 at 23:58 GMT) |
Thanks very much for the positive feedback! I never can quite tell how things will look to others. I once worked on this character for a game, and a woman in the office complained her hips were unrealistically narrow. So I made them wider. The game ships, I'm showing it to a friend, and she says, "looks good, but wow she's got a big butt!" Aw well.
Quote:
Is she engaged? ;)
Heck yeah, she's engaged! Engaged IN BATTLE!
See, she's got a gun, so, you know... battle. I crack myself up.
@David:
I took the avatar pic myself with the self timer, so thanks! I think the exposure was pretty much what you see, not a lot of touch up. Good suggestion on the door frame, not sure why I left it.
I'm starting to think you care more about photography than game development ;)
@Aaron, you weren't one of the Aarons back at Surreal were you? There were two, and I don't remember last names :).
Anyway, again, many thanks.
-Spencer
Edit: Heh, I didn't see Phil's comment until I posted. Along the lines of never knowing how things will look to others: "prissy schoolteacher who is secretly a CIA agent" - exactly what I'm talking about :). And a totally spot-on description! Phil, she doesn't have facial animation. The intent with her and Adam was to make characters that simply match the specs of the Torque Orc, and replace the Orc with a human.
Edited on May 19, 2006 00:03 GMT
| Evi - Cubix Studio (May 19, 2006 at 01:56 GMT) |
i have my own character pack which actually is inspired by Adam & Soldier pack
maybe mine is called Abraham & Sarah Pack since they are descendant of Adam & Eve
| Aaron Ellis (May 19, 2006 at 02:13 GMT) |
Unfortunately, no. I'm just an avid fan of Surreal games and inspiring art. I was pretty addicted for a while. So much so, I made VHS videos while exploring the game world in Drakan:TAG (and others). I still refer to those vids from time to time. Wierd, huh?
You may be thinking of Aaron Coberly, though.
| Spencer Boomhower (May 19, 2006 at 02:53 GMT) |
@Aaron - Right, Aaron Coberly was one of the Aarons at Surreal. Great concept artist, and painter: http://aaroncoberly.com/
And RE: VHS Drakan... Hey, whatever floats your boat :). Since you're a fan of TAG, let me just apologize for that end level :). They yanked me off one game to work on that level, and I had no idea what the game was about - I just had to finish the final level at a breakneck pace. It was crazy. I didn't realize until I played the shipped game that players would: A) get to the level expecting to find a place they could repair/buy/sell their weapons, and B) expect to go through the big gate back to the city. No one told me! And I didn't have time to figure it out myself. Crazy crazy. I think the level turned out fun and nice looking, but a little broken with regards to those two expectations. I'm probably breaking some unwritten rule about not ever admitting one's mistakes in public, but, eh, whatever :)
| Tek0 (May 19, 2006 at 03:46 GMT) |
Great Work! I can't wait to get my hands on her! =)
| Joshua Dallman (May 19, 2006 at 03:58 GMT) |
| Edward Smith (May 19, 2006 at 13:00 GMT) |
| Aaron Ellis (May 19, 2006 at 15:48 GMT) |
These kinds of developer stories are like mini-postmortems :) They give the rest of us an opportunity to learn something about project management, manpower, communication and pacing that we might not get on our own. Aspiring Indie developers can use all the insight we can get. :)
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