Plan for James W. Hofmann
by abc · 12/04/2005 (2:38 pm) · 4 comments
Last week I had a case of foodborne illness and that, as well as it being the week before finals, slowed me down a lot. But I did come across something cool that hasn't seen much press attention(yet): short films made with The Movies. They are small in filesize(very low-quality WMV format, usually only a few mb), are 2-7 minutes long, and the ones that get rated highly - especially those that include voice acting - actually work as decent cinema. I think the sheer *quantity* of work, with these short films being posted every couple of minutes right now, consititutes a major breakthrough in the accessability of machinima...indeed, there seem to be so many releases that no one viewer can hope to keep up. This is definitely ranking among the most interesting phenomena I've seen online :)
QCS-wise, building in scripting is something I've flipped back to waiting on again, even though I was feeling pretty gung-ho about it last week; not only is it difficult, working on it takes away time that I could spend crafting gameplay-important items that are more readily accessable(like simple built-in AI programs and actions-with-tests-prequisite). I also keep thinking that I should make (or adapt from other people's projects) my own pixeling tool for tiles because I'm never happy using most graphics programs for that purpose; they lack certain features like actually showing the tiling as you're working, or using portable formats, or allowing keyboard cursor control instead of straining one's mouse hand trying to keep it steady; these things can be real showstoppers IMHO. Either way I haven't been getting very much "real" work done on the project, but with the winter break ahead perhaps I can make up for it.
QCS-wise, building in scripting is something I've flipped back to waiting on again, even though I was feeling pretty gung-ho about it last week; not only is it difficult, working on it takes away time that I could spend crafting gameplay-important items that are more readily accessable(like simple built-in AI programs and actions-with-tests-prequisite). I also keep thinking that I should make (or adapt from other people's projects) my own pixeling tool for tiles because I'm never happy using most graphics programs for that purpose; they lack certain features like actually showing the tiling as you're working, or using portable formats, or allowing keyboard cursor control instead of straining one's mouse hand trying to keep it steady; these things can be real showstoppers IMHO. Either way I haven't been getting very much "real" work done on the project, but with the winter break ahead perhaps I can make up for it.
About the author
#2
12/04/2005 (3:25 pm)
There are some weird copyright issues going on there, and the interface is definitely geared more towards easy than powerful, but the game is still darn impressive to play with. I got it when it came out, lots of fun. Though I tend to run out of cash, so I haven't unlocked everything yet (need to leave sandbox mode on overnight...).
#3
The whole licensing deal is what's going to hold The Movies down in the realm of "toy movie-maker," but it points out one way in which future tools can improve. TGE/TSE is the perfect model for this sort of thing; the code is open, and people who buy a content license can use it as they see fit; all someone has to do is start taking the steps toward making it a truly convenient movie-making tool.
12/04/2005 (3:32 pm)
What I've read is, roughly, that the license allows creators ownership of the "edited material" that comprises the movie - that is, the script and direction, and lets them distribute the finished work for free(and to be hosted with their service). Everything else remains the complete property of Lionhead, including for-profit use. And if you upload work that may constitute copyright violation and this fact is discovered, it gets removed - for obvious reasons.The whole licensing deal is what's going to hold The Movies down in the realm of "toy movie-maker," but it points out one way in which future tools can improve. TGE/TSE is the perfect model for this sort of thing; the code is open, and people who buy a content license can use it as they see fit; all someone has to do is start taking the steps toward making it a truly convenient movie-making tool.
#4
12/04/2005 (8:25 pm)
I hadn't even heard of The Movies until reading this post, and now I'm scraping the spare change from my wallet...Wonder if my local Wal-Mart has a copy on the shelf =)
Torque Owner Jeremy Alessi