House for Sale...Cheap!
by Alan James · 10/28/2007 (12:21 am) · 16 comments
Hi Everyone!
I'll get to the house sale in a moment, but I'd like to note that since my last post I've jumped back and forth between TGE and TGEA about a dozen times regarding CNMI. There are things about TGEA that I really like, but then I started to compile a list of resources/features that I've managed to stuff/wrench/hack into TGE and I'm not sure with my copy and paste coding skills I can do the same with TGEA.
It would require me to actually know why a reasonable portion of the code does what it does, and I'm not sure if I'm up to the task.
There are certain aspects that I have been able to come to a decision on. First I'm focusing on a three level demo similar to the old doom/quake shareware type demos. Three fully functional levels that will pre-date the events of Code Name: Monster Island by a year, entitled CNMI:Harbinger. I can't show much, since there might be a paradigm shift in main character designs, but here is a teaser screen:
About 75% of those textures are original or "highly" modified photo textures. I'm pretty please on how a lot of them are turning out.
I've also started to brush up on my textures from scratch skills for a possible set of generic game assets (health pick ups, ammo, etc.). Here is a test in TGEA:
Now onto this house thing. I've been working on a Haunted House Pack, and I had hoped to have had it done sooner, but I'm going to have it available on our site for a three day special starting Monday. It includes four types of trees, (2 LOD'd, 2 not), a couple types of grass, 13 gravestones, ambient audio, arched stone entrance, several paintings, some transparent stained glass and glass pieces and a few other odds and ends.
I don't like to pimp the price of things here on GG, but if I were someone looking at an idea of what this "special price" might be, just think of the seventh president of the United States and you'll get pretty close (and not his president number, but the bill he's on...I know how some of you think!).
Here are a few screens of the Haunted House Pack. It will be nearly all .DIF models, although if I have a relatively productive day off Sunday afternoon, some of it might turn up in the pack as DTS objects also (with the matching .OBJ and .3DS files). It will be on our site www.monsterpacks.com.
I also did a brief video, it's nothing to write home about, and I still haven't broken down and learned how to set up a cam path, but it gives you an idea of what's included.
www.reallyreallygoodthings.com/screens4/HHPHR.mpg
Anyway, it looks as if I'm breaking out Silo, Lightray, Fragmotion and Milkshape and breaking down and learning keyframing and model rigging. Once I make the final decision on which engine it will be, I'll have some more info to share. We also thought a change in diet might help our modeling skills:
Until the next post, thanks! And to those who are awaiting emails from me, I'll be firing off a bunch of correspondence tomorrow (that would be you, Ian, Kory, Josh, etc.)
- Alan
www.monsterpacks.com
www.reallyreallygoodthings.com
Edit: Oh, I forgot to mention that I did snag a couple textures from Fruit Bat in Shades Texture pack he put up a few days ago:
www.fruitbatinshades.com
www.garagegames.com/mg/snapshot/view.php?qid=1517
I'll get to the house sale in a moment, but I'd like to note that since my last post I've jumped back and forth between TGE and TGEA about a dozen times regarding CNMI. There are things about TGEA that I really like, but then I started to compile a list of resources/features that I've managed to stuff/wrench/hack into TGE and I'm not sure with my copy and paste coding skills I can do the same with TGEA.
It would require me to actually know why a reasonable portion of the code does what it does, and I'm not sure if I'm up to the task.
There are certain aspects that I have been able to come to a decision on. First I'm focusing on a three level demo similar to the old doom/quake shareware type demos. Three fully functional levels that will pre-date the events of Code Name: Monster Island by a year, entitled CNMI:Harbinger. I can't show much, since there might be a paradigm shift in main character designs, but here is a teaser screen:
About 75% of those textures are original or "highly" modified photo textures. I'm pretty please on how a lot of them are turning out.
I've also started to brush up on my textures from scratch skills for a possible set of generic game assets (health pick ups, ammo, etc.). Here is a test in TGEA:
Now onto this house thing. I've been working on a Haunted House Pack, and I had hoped to have had it done sooner, but I'm going to have it available on our site for a three day special starting Monday. It includes four types of trees, (2 LOD'd, 2 not), a couple types of grass, 13 gravestones, ambient audio, arched stone entrance, several paintings, some transparent stained glass and glass pieces and a few other odds and ends.
I don't like to pimp the price of things here on GG, but if I were someone looking at an idea of what this "special price" might be, just think of the seventh president of the United States and you'll get pretty close (and not his president number, but the bill he's on...I know how some of you think!).
Here are a few screens of the Haunted House Pack. It will be nearly all .DIF models, although if I have a relatively productive day off Sunday afternoon, some of it might turn up in the pack as DTS objects also (with the matching .OBJ and .3DS files). It will be on our site www.monsterpacks.com.
I also did a brief video, it's nothing to write home about, and I still haven't broken down and learned how to set up a cam path, but it gives you an idea of what's included.
www.reallyreallygoodthings.com/screens4/HHPHR.mpg
Anyway, it looks as if I'm breaking out Silo, Lightray, Fragmotion and Milkshape and breaking down and learning keyframing and model rigging. Once I make the final decision on which engine it will be, I'll have some more info to share. We also thought a change in diet might help our modeling skills:
Until the next post, thanks! And to those who are awaiting emails from me, I'll be firing off a bunch of correspondence tomorrow (that would be you, Ian, Kory, Josh, etc.)
- Alan
www.monsterpacks.com
www.reallyreallygoodthings.com
Edit: Oh, I forgot to mention that I did snag a couple textures from Fruit Bat in Shades Texture pack he put up a few days ago:
www.fruitbatinshades.com
www.garagegames.com/mg/snapshot/view.php?qid=1517
About the author
#2
10/28/2007 (2:39 am)
I like horror packs.
#3
10/28/2007 (6:01 am)
Great work Alan, the house is lacking mirrors IMHO. ;-) 
#4
10/28/2007 (9:42 am)
The house looks great.
#5
@Stephan, awww...mirrors...man, I don't even know if I remember how to make them! =P
10/28/2007 (12:28 pm)
@Everyone; Thanks!@Stephan, awww...mirrors...man, I don't even know if I remember how to make them! =P
#6
10/28/2007 (3:38 pm)
@Alan: I understand your point, but how do you want us to notice there are real vampires among guests joining the Halloween party? ;-)
#7
10/28/2007 (3:43 pm)
@Stephan: I guess you could drive a stake in everyone...and the ones that don't turn into screaming dust weren't vampires...oh, wait...that's not such a good idea... 
#8
10/28/2007 (5:01 pm)
That would be a great house for a 3d adventure game. I'll have to keep that in mind... 
#9
10/28/2007 (8:28 pm)
This looks good, you have my purchase on the Haunted House Pack, and thanks for acknowledging you got my email. can't wait to get my hands on this pack.
#10
10/28/2007 (11:18 pm)
Quality stuff as always alan, those tgea shots especially look great .
#11
thank you
10/29/2007 (9:13 am)
I tryed to go on to your site to order monster pack 4 but for some reason the site is not loading. Is their another link i can go to.thank you
#12
Not sure what you were running into, seems to be ok on my end. I'll check with Kyle but I don't think he was doing any updates at the time (although we will be later this afternoon, but it shouldn't affect access).
If you don't get through here soon, let me know, and I'll try to figure out an alternate method, but hopefully it will not come to that since that would indicate a more sever problem with the site.
One thing to note, the new setup has you set up a user account, this is so that you can access any of your downloads at any time.
Thanks, Alan
10/29/2007 (10:51 am)
@Kory,Not sure what you were running into, seems to be ok on my end. I'll check with Kyle but I don't think he was doing any updates at the time (although we will be later this afternoon, but it shouldn't affect access).
If you don't get through here soon, let me know, and I'll try to figure out an alternate method, but hopefully it will not come to that since that would indicate a more sever problem with the site.
One thing to note, the new setup has you set up a user account, this is so that you can access any of your downloads at any time.
Thanks, Alan
#13
thank you for your responds
10/29/2007 (11:10 am)
I don't know if it just me but it been like this for about two weeks, i can go on your forum but the website will start loading but when it get halfway it just stays their, I let it go over night and it came up but with out picture so i refresh it and it never loaded back up.thank you for your responds
#14
Just checked it with both Firefox and IE and didn't have any problems. I'm going to talk to Kyle right now, and if he has any ideas I'll let you know...but you've stumped me.
It may be some security setting on your side or something (?) (I'm just guessing now) because we've seen a reasonable amount of traffic and sales in that timeframe and haven't had any other reported problems.
Like I mentioned, I'll see if Kyle has any ideas.
Edit: Kory, are you by chance using IE 7? Let me know, since neither Kyle or I use it so we haven't tested it with that browser (really really don't want to load that thing onto our systems, but might have to put it on one of our computers if that turns out to be the problem).
10/29/2007 (11:30 am)
Hmmm,Just checked it with both Firefox and IE and didn't have any problems. I'm going to talk to Kyle right now, and if he has any ideas I'll let you know...but you've stumped me.
It may be some security setting on your side or something (?) (I'm just guessing now) because we've seen a reasonable amount of traffic and sales in that timeframe and haven't had any other reported problems.
Like I mentioned, I'll see if Kyle has any ideas.
Edit: Kory, are you by chance using IE 7? Let me know, since neither Kyle or I use it so we haven't tested it with that browser (really really don't want to load that thing onto our systems, but might have to put it on one of our computers if that turns out to be the problem).
#15
10/29/2007 (11:45 am)
#16
PS please don't forget to send me a email.
thank you
10/30/2007 (10:13 am)
Thanks you for the pack i download netscape navigator and went to your site that way, looks like a great product.PS please don't forget to send me a email.
thank you
Torque Owner asmaloney (Andy)
Default Studio Name