BLOG REMOVED
by Ron Kapaun · 11/26/2012 (3:39 pm) · 32 comments
THIS BLOG IS REMOVED BY THE AUTHOR. THANK YOU FOR VIEWING, SHARING AND DEBATING GAMES AND GAME DEVELOPMENT FOR NEARLY A DECADE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND EFFORT OVER THE YEARS. I SEND YOU ALL A MESSAGE OF HOPE THAT EVERYTHING YOU WISH TO ACCOMPLISH WILL COME TO PASS. I TRULY DO. GOOD LUCK, GOD SPEED AND MAY THE BUGS BE EASY TO HUNT, TRACK AND ELIMINATE. I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST OF LUCK. MAY ALL OF YOU ENJOY SUCCESS AND TRULY ENJOY GAME DEVELOPMENT FOR AS LONG AND AS FAR AS YOUR DREAMS, HOPES AND SKILLS CAN CARRY YOU.
RON
RON
About the author
Guy that has been with Torque Game Engines since... well, since here was a Torque Game Engine. (V12 and beyond).
#2
We will consider whatever is submitted. (I am leading this effort but, everything will go past the committee and maybe even the community) I want to show off Torque and have people say things like "That's Torque?" We want people to start thinking of T3D as a real contender, a serious tool. So AFX, Walkabout, DNT, or whatever Torque version is applicable, I am open to all as long as it's pure T3D. I don't care if art is not your thing! Show some cool scripts working perfect, or a set of code that allowed you to do something everyone thought was not possible! I am NOT only interested in art alone! Perhaps, if you are willing, I will help 'refine' the art side and make your presentation 'pretty', as long as there is a solid core, anything is possible. My recommendation, submit your idea to me. Three things will happen;
1. I will not state who submitted at the time of submission (you will be credited in the promo materials.)
2. If you are accepted, We will work together to make this the best we can.
3. If your submission is not accepted, no one but me will know and I will give you a SOLID reason why.
Being open source, there are going to be add-ons and such, let's show em off! This is all about T3D as a tool, be proud and show off the best that this engine can do!
Ron
11/26/2012 (5:09 pm)
Lukas,We will consider whatever is submitted. (I am leading this effort but, everything will go past the committee and maybe even the community) I want to show off Torque and have people say things like "That's Torque?" We want people to start thinking of T3D as a real contender, a serious tool. So AFX, Walkabout, DNT, or whatever Torque version is applicable, I am open to all as long as it's pure T3D. I don't care if art is not your thing! Show some cool scripts working perfect, or a set of code that allowed you to do something everyone thought was not possible! I am NOT only interested in art alone! Perhaps, if you are willing, I will help 'refine' the art side and make your presentation 'pretty', as long as there is a solid core, anything is possible. My recommendation, submit your idea to me. Three things will happen;
1. I will not state who submitted at the time of submission (you will be credited in the promo materials.)
2. If you are accepted, We will work together to make this the best we can.
3. If your submission is not accepted, no one but me will know and I will give you a SOLID reason why.
Being open source, there are going to be add-ons and such, let's show em off! This is all about T3D as a tool, be proud and show off the best that this engine can do!
Ron
#3
11/26/2012 (5:59 pm)
Thanks I would like to know more info, sounds like something we may be interested in. Also please keep us posted on the shader work! 
#4
I know that the work by T3D CE is very important, especially the bug fixes and OpenGL port. I would want to see stuff about the AI that Daniel Buckmaster has been working on. Some of this stuff does not necessarily have visuals, but can be just as important as the stuff that ends up on the screen.
Some other things are I saw Prairie Games has updated their MMO stuff and there is a port of their library to T3D MIT. There seems to be a few people working other types of terrains including paged terrain. The .NET work Winter Leaf has done is very impressive as well.
I am not complaining about the image stuff because it is just as technical, but it is not the whole picture when it comes to an engine. This does create a challenge when it comes to showing it off, but at the same time it could give an edge to show it is not just visual appeal. I mean didn't the Torque networking stuff win awards at one point. That is not a small thing.
11/26/2012 (6:01 pm)
Well, for my work I am not ready to show stuff off, but it would be nice to show off tech behind the images too. I know that the work by T3D CE is very important, especially the bug fixes and OpenGL port. I would want to see stuff about the AI that Daniel Buckmaster has been working on. Some of this stuff does not necessarily have visuals, but can be just as important as the stuff that ends up on the screen.
Some other things are I saw Prairie Games has updated their MMO stuff and there is a port of their library to T3D MIT. There seems to be a few people working other types of terrains including paged terrain. The .NET work Winter Leaf has done is very impressive as well.
I am not complaining about the image stuff because it is just as technical, but it is not the whole picture when it comes to an engine. This does create a challenge when it comes to showing it off, but at the same time it could give an edge to show it is not just visual appeal. I mean didn't the Torque networking stuff win awards at one point. That is not a small thing.
#5
Perhaps a feature list with builtin features, and features that can be added with links to the various resources, blogs, and vendor websites.
11/26/2012 (6:05 pm)
Also, there should be a website area that shows off some of the best resources and projects available for Torque. I don't care if the resource is commercial or if it was a free addon via the resource. This way GG can give credit to up and coming projects, all time awesome projects, etc. Just giving projects some exposure often propels their development and incorporation. Otherwise, unless people keep plugging the resource it not known unless someone goes looking for it. Perhaps a feature list with builtin features, and features that can be added with links to the various resources, blogs, and vendor websites.
#6
Thanks for the initial interest! We don't care if things are in a 'dev' state! The idea behind this project is to develop your ideas into something that shows off an ability that most did not know about T3D.
Frank, I understand that some things are not shown effectively by a video. However, we are pushing for demo levels (to include tutorial levels) as well as a video that shows off some of the scripting and coding advancements as well. Like I stated before, this is not all about eye candy. This is about systems and techniques that keep T3D relevant. I do not have all the answers as to how we 'show' this all off, but I think as a team of developers, we can come up with something amazing. I agree about your website idea and I am working that angle. The overall point is simple, we want to make T3D a force to recon with. We actually have the tools in place (not all of them are well documented, and this WILL change, or I will leave the committee with out a problem) but, they are there. Let's make them known!
Ron
11/26/2012 (6:26 pm)
Kory and Frank,Thanks for the initial interest! We don't care if things are in a 'dev' state! The idea behind this project is to develop your ideas into something that shows off an ability that most did not know about T3D.
Frank, I understand that some things are not shown effectively by a video. However, we are pushing for demo levels (to include tutorial levels) as well as a video that shows off some of the scripting and coding advancements as well. Like I stated before, this is not all about eye candy. This is about systems and techniques that keep T3D relevant. I do not have all the answers as to how we 'show' this all off, but I think as a team of developers, we can come up with something amazing. I agree about your website idea and I am working that angle. The overall point is simple, we want to make T3D a force to recon with. We actually have the tools in place (not all of them are well documented, and this WILL change, or I will leave the committee with out a problem) but, they are there. Let's make them known!
Ron
#7
o_O
You mad fool! In irc://irc.maxgaming.net/garagegames you get kicked if you don't refer to it as the "puppies shader" ...
kapaun01 @ gmail.com may help to avoid having spambots harvest your details in forums.
11/26/2012 (6:30 pm)
Quote:
I am working on a wetness shader
o_O
You mad fool! In irc://irc.maxgaming.net/garagegames you get kicked if you don't refer to it as the "puppies shader" ...
kapaun01 @ gmail.com may help to avoid having spambots harvest your details in forums.
#8
[Offtopic]
About the website I think the guy who owns http://torque3d.org/ bought the domain so someone else didn't get it first and I think he is willing to give the domain to you if you launch a Torque3D dedicated website (I don't remember who it was tho!)
[Ontopic]
I might take a look at it, I just feel so bad about using a Torque show off video to showcase something that I might sell to the community later (I'm that morale kind of guy) but might use the IPS Lite resource to mix something together!
11/26/2012 (6:31 pm)
@Ron[Offtopic]
About the website I think the guy who owns http://torque3d.org/ bought the domain so someone else didn't get it first and I think he is willing to give the domain to you if you launch a Torque3D dedicated website (I don't remember who it was tho!)
[Ontopic]
I might take a look at it, I just feel so bad about using a Torque show off video to showcase something that I might sell to the community later (I'm that morale kind of guy) but might use the IPS Lite resource to mix something together!
#9
I sell stuff to the T3D community. Some things take a great deal of effort to produce. I try to make my art packs useful across the board, this is not always possible, but I still try. I have the utmost respect for the community and if an issue arises, that issue becomes my focus. There is nothing wrong with 'charging' for something, as long as you stand behind it. Is the conifer pack or the tropical pack perfect? Far from it, but in the end it will be as close as I can make it. There is a huge difference between "using" the community and contributing. I like to think I am a contributor. Many may not think so, but I sleep (well kinda, this is another long story and has to with Army service) well at night knowing that I am trying to give back. So don't be afraid to show off your skills. In the end, we all have the same tools.... it's how you use them that separate you from the pack.
Ron
11/26/2012 (7:00 pm)
Lukas,I sell stuff to the T3D community. Some things take a great deal of effort to produce. I try to make my art packs useful across the board, this is not always possible, but I still try. I have the utmost respect for the community and if an issue arises, that issue becomes my focus. There is nothing wrong with 'charging' for something, as long as you stand behind it. Is the conifer pack or the tropical pack perfect? Far from it, but in the end it will be as close as I can make it. There is a huge difference between "using" the community and contributing. I like to think I am a contributor. Many may not think so, but I sleep (well kinda, this is another long story and has to with Army service) well at night knowing that I am trying to give back. So don't be afraid to show off your skills. In the end, we all have the same tools.... it's how you use them that separate you from the pack.
Ron
#10
11/27/2012 (12:52 am)
Looking forward to seeing what comes of this! I may have some things to submit myself... the trick will be finding ways to show it off succinctly!
#11
I will have to think hard if I really have anything to help with this. The stuff I would want to show is really all code or is unfinished and not real pretty, and not even in Torque yet.
@dB,
Show off your AI stuff with the path finding! That is really worth a double take! Especially that segment about the jumping setup. I really enjoyed seeing how all that works!
11/27/2012 (1:57 am)
What is your timeline on this?I will have to think hard if I really have anything to help with this. The stuff I would want to show is really all code or is unfinished and not real pretty, and not even in Torque yet.
@dB,
Show off your AI stuff with the path finding! That is really worth a double take! Especially that segment about the jumping setup. I really enjoyed seeing how all that works!
#12
It will be a lot of work but, I think the community has the skills and knowledge to pull it off. This is really the first time that we as a group, get to determine how Torque is viewed by the general game development community. So, the final product has to be polished and complete.
This challenge is about getting everyone thinking about how we can do this.
Ron
11/27/2012 (3:01 am)
Ideally, for a timeline, I would like this type of thing to be on-going. As new features are added to the engine, new demo levels will be needed to show those features in action. Realistically for this first set, I think we are looking at 4 to 6 months (if all goes smooth) to get a good set of demo levels and a video with the proper professional polish. It will be a lot of work but, I think the community has the skills and knowledge to pull it off. This is really the first time that we as a group, get to determine how Torque is viewed by the general game development community. So, the final product has to be polished and complete.
This challenge is about getting everyone thinking about how we can do this.
Ron
#13
Thanks for the info Ron.
11/27/2012 (3:07 am)
Okay, that is a timeline I can deal with. I will have much more art type work into my project by then. I will also have some of my procedural stuff further along. Thanks for the info Ron.
#14
11/27/2012 (5:32 am)
I'm interested in helping out, email sent. 
#15
Edit: Forgot to say, thanks Ron, but the credit really needs to be going to Andy Wright. I just passed the info on, after all. The point is that it's doable in Torque, and the technique isn't proprietary, as far as I'm aware.
11/27/2012 (6:11 am)
I'm keen to contribute my meagre terrain skills to this effort, as per my email. The thing I hope people are getting, is that this seems to be a "let's all get together and make a game level" deal. Let's show off what can be accomplished with Torque, so that people who until now have not taken Torque seriously can start to think of it as a viable development toolset. Albeit with archaic DX 9. Edit: Forgot to say, thanks Ron, but the credit really needs to be going to Andy Wright. I just passed the info on, after all. The point is that it's doable in Torque, and the technique isn't proprietary, as far as I'm aware.
#16
As an idea as a base to start with, i know its a bit old and dated now but have a look at half life 2 lost coast, that was a nicely built tech demo when the steam engine was upgraded a bit. Could be used for benchmarking aswell as a playable level to explore, with some scripted events etc included.
Thanks for the props on the parallax textures, thats a good tutorial pdf you made there. Just found that method worked best for me with good old trial and error looking for different effects... I had one up in a forum post that goes over the way I make my maps too, although the artwork i used in it was basic, and only 2 terrain textures in there, it served the purpose then... I always intended to remake that properly sometime... Anyway ill ping you a mail Ron, im up for helping out.
11/27/2012 (7:47 am)
Hey guys, Great initiative on building a feature packed demo level. As an idea as a base to start with, i know its a bit old and dated now but have a look at half life 2 lost coast, that was a nicely built tech demo when the steam engine was upgraded a bit. Could be used for benchmarking aswell as a playable level to explore, with some scripted events etc included.
Thanks for the props on the parallax textures, thats a good tutorial pdf you made there. Just found that method worked best for me with good old trial and error looking for different effects... I had one up in a forum post that goes over the way I make my maps too, although the artwork i used in it was basic, and only 2 terrain textures in there, it served the purpose then... I always intended to remake that properly sometime... Anyway ill ping you a mail Ron, im up for helping out.
#17
11/27/2012 (8:25 am)
Look for an email from us shortly Ron!
#20
Ron
11/27/2012 (10:06 am)
Now we are cooking with gas. I have a bunch of emails and I will get back with you all shortly. Keep the ideas rolling....Ron
Torque Owner Lukas Joergensen
WinterLeaf Entertainment
Btw, not that I think I have anything of value (only running around with prototypes, and the artistic side is not really me) but is it stock T3D only or also peoples proprietary code or stuff made with 3rd party packages like AFX you seek videos of? :)