Airfield? or Crossbow Frag? Oh?

Four years ago I purchased Torque game engine. At the time i think it was version 1.2 or something; I remember it presented me with a pass and CVS repository address w I had no idea how to use. Eventually I managed to pop in and compile the code; Wow.

Right and long time before that I was in the halflife mods business; I enjoyed working with Valve's Hammer editor (at the time still called something-else-can't remember: Worldcraft? I think).

Anyway.. I recall going every night at a local iCafe with a floppy disk (sometimes more) and grabbing tutorials. At the end of that long winter I had successfully collected over 4 GB (!) of tutorials and stuff via floppy disk transport.


When the first leaked screenshots of HL2 showed up on internet, in particular those of Hammer editor, I said, heh, ok; lets see. It was another year (Gabe Newel leaked a stripped version so nobody get's pissed while waiting) and finally HL2 arrived. With a completely new engine, Source, and everything else: bells and whistles.

It was way too complicated though. With Steam and the new tools all hooked on a new approach, everything seemed so commercial and shiny - so much different than the old Half-Life modding feel. I looked up alternatives because I needed a toolset to play with and create something, a game, anything. I am an artist, not a coder, level design skills are there, bits of game design via self-education and all as well, tons of enthusiasm and a youth to spare.

I ran into Torque someday and I loved it the first minute. Here's something I made in Hammer and imported into Torque in January 2005:


Not much but I loved doing it at the time. I ran into GUI editor as well, changed everything around and I must say after this time I am good friends with pretty much every (graphic) file inside TGE. Hehe.

I got busy meanwhile with life and periods of time I had to let go my 'toys' and do something for a living. But I kept coming back, over and over again with promise to stay, each time.

Now I am here again and I think this time is it. I like what I am doing with Torque and wherever leads me, I am going.

Here's something I did in the past few days, things I never considered possible (or thought of for that matter). Most if you already seen it i presume:


I discover new things every day, I keep pushing the envelope on things to see what;s coming out of it. I am so pissed with nowadays business approach on the game industry.. I understand people need to make money out of it but this is also a life style, and educational route and everything else you think of: it's not only profit. C'mon people. Hardware and software is shifting natural development routes towards profit. Profit and profit again. Look at the bloated Vista. It's still there, nobody challenges Microso*t for this crappy product. On the other hand, Garage Games and their line of products kept getting better - and guess what: it's still affordable! It's still here, nearby, listening, letting developers involve and improve. Nah, forget it. This can go forever.

So what's my point? My point is, TGE should not let go. TGEA is great but it shouldn't replace TGE; never; there are still so many people unable (or unwilling) to upgrade their hardware for the sake of graphics alone. Where the fu*k is the game in all this? Crysis (top line right) is the perfect example. Hit Enter about 6 times in the entire game and that's the gameplay? Really? How about... no?

How about use the current hardware and the good ol' software/tools to make games a bit more fun? a bit more rewarding? I get astonishing framerates in TGE with loads and loads of objects and particles and stuff - and my screen looks nice. There's no normal map or fancy water - do I care? No. Interaction is a bit more important. Shaders at this point are really eye-only. How about something for the brain?

I am not saying next gen is not good. O ho, I like next gen stuff. But please don't overuse it. Don't bloat your engine or map or mission with eye candy that is not needed. Again, this can go forever. The image above with the creek is really dragging people in but what we have there 2 a texture scrolling across a plane and 1 particle effect, splashing around. No shaders. Nothing fancy. Add in your mind the movement of the water (you'll get a video soon, for now check this test), add sounds and we conveyed something almost real. We suspended the disbelief.

Cause that's it ladies and gents. After all, people buy games to play not to watch.

So what's the catch with the title? Oh, that? I am very much interested in the pre and post Victorian era, early airplanes and industrial machines. I also like medieval style stuff a lot. So my question (for me) is, what game to start actually working on? The Airfield or the Starter.FPS-gone-wild? Because, you know, they are both possible.

note I mirrored this blog on Occlusion Fields, my other blog, moved from wordpress under my new domain.

edited links