Development Blog Update - Sixth podcast

MaxMax Technical Director, Unknown Worlds Entertainment Join Date: 2002-03-15 Member: 318Super Administrators, Retired Developer, NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, NS2 Developer, Constellation, Subnautica Developer, Pistachionauts, Future Perfect Developer
edited October 2007 in NS2 General Discussion
Please post comments on the topic Development Blog Update - <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/news/2007/10/sixth_podcast" target="_blank">Sixth podcast here</a>

<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=102995" target="_blank">Full Transcript and Summary</a> (Thanks John Top)
«1

Comments

  • neonzneonz Join Date: 2004-02-07 Member: 26192Members, Constellation
    Another great cast!!!

    Keep it up please! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />
  • DominingDomining Join Date: 2007-09-27 Member: 62452Members
    I've been hearing a lot of "these guys are going to find a way to mess NS2 up, they'll be too concerned with SOURCE graphics/physics etc.. and NS2 won't appeal to the NS crowd at all". Can you please address that in your next podcast?
  • schkorpioschkorpio I can mspaint Join Date: 2003-05-23 Member: 16635Members
    edited October 2007
    <!--quoteo(post=1655648:date=Oct 13 2007, 11:18 AM:name=Domining)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Domining @ Oct 13 2007, 11:18 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1655648"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I've been hearing a lot of "these guys are going to find a way to mess NS2 up, they'll be too concerned with SOURCE graphics/physics etc.. and NS2 won't appeal to the NS crowd at all". Can you please address that in your next podcast?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    i haven't and ive been on forums for ages. <!--coloro:#FF8C00--><span style="color:#FF8C00"><!--/coloro-->play nice.<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->

    <!--coloro:#FF8C00--><span style="color:#FF8C00"><!--/coloro-->Digz Edit<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->
  • ScytheScythe Join Date: 2002-01-25 Member: 46NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, Constellation, Reinforced - Silver
    Warning! Possible slight Portal spoilers contained within!

    If you're wondering where the depth to the Portal story is, play Episode 2. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />

    --Scythe--
  • cerberus414cerberus414 Join Date: 2005-05-07 Member: 51098Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow
    You guys listen to Major Nelson podcasts. So do I. Rofl, didn't know he was that popular.
  • WarmongerWarmonger Join Date: 2003-02-04 Member: 13126Members, Constellation
    Max: I agree with you on the Portal Developer Commentary. While I didn't mind playing through the game a second time, some people may not want to invest a couple of hours playing through the game to hear the developers comments, which I find very interesting / insightful. Have you looked at the Developer Commentary on TF2? I think the way Valve implemented DC in TF2 is much better.

    Also, it was somewhat annoying trying to listen to the Dev Commentary while GlaDOS was constantly talking.
  • demmdemm Join Date: 2003-09-10 Member: 20714Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Diamond
    In the podcast the question was asked whether commentary mode would make sense in a multiplayer game. You obviusly didn't try TF2, because there's a commentary mode that works exactly as you proposed: you can simply click the right mouse button to get to the next commentary node.
    I really liked it that way and listened to all of it, but when I tried the portal commentary and found out that I had to play the whole game again, I quit.
    Also not all the nodes in TF2 are about the developement process, some of them tell you something about certain spots on the map or certain tactics for the classes.
    I would love to see a similar feature in NS2!
  • jobo789jobo789 Join Date: 2006-11-03 Member: 58302Members
    Ok, Great Stuff.
    The System Requirements for Episode 2 are greater than those of Half-Life 2.
    Half-Life 2:
    Minimum: 1.2 GHz Processor, 256MB RAM, DirectX 7 level graphics card, Windows 2000/XP, Mouse, Keyboard, Internet Connection


    Recommended: 2.4 GHz Processor, 512MB RAM, DirectX 9 level graphics card, Windows 2000/XP, Mouse, Keyboard, Internet Connection

    Episode 2:
    Minimum: 1.7 GHz Processor, 512MB RAM, DirectX� 8 level Graphics Card, Windows� Vista/XP/2000, Mouse, Keyboard, Internet Connection

    Recommended: Pentium 4 processor (3.0GHz, or better), 1GB RAM, DirectX® 9 level Graphics Card, Windows® Vista/XP/2000, Mouse, Keyboard, Internet Connection

    as you can see, greater RAM and a better Processor is needed.
    good stuff guys, keep us posted!
  • schkorpioschkorpio I can mspaint Join Date: 2003-05-23 Member: 16635Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1655707:date=Oct 13 2007, 05:32 PM:name=jobo789)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jobo789 @ Oct 13 2007, 05:32 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1655707"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Ok, Great Stuff.
    Episode 2:
    Recommended: Pentium 4 processor (3.0GHz, or better), 1GB RAM, DirectX® 9 level Graphics Card, Windows® Vista/XP/2000, Mouse, Keyboard, Internet Connection<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    thats not particually accurate, these days a 2.0ghz core duo / am2 amd is heaps faster than a pentium 4 3.0 ghz - but i guess unless they want the specs list to be 3 pages long :s lol
  • AlignAlign Remain Calm Join Date: 2002-11-02 Member: 5216Forum Moderators, Constellation
    Recommended as in "this much or stronger is good enough to run the game decently", not "this is better than everything else".
    I still don't listen to podcasts. I prefer reading at my own leisure.
  • DominingDomining Join Date: 2007-09-27 Member: 62452Members
    edited October 2007
    <!--quoteo(post=1655653:date=Oct 12 2007, 09:33 PM:name=schkorpio)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(schkorpio @ Oct 12 2007, 09:33 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1655653"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->i haven't and ive been on forums for ages.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Yes because I'm obviously talking about forums. About people that know what NS is amirite?


    <!--coloro:#FF8C00--><span style="color:#FF8C00"><!--/coloro-->Play nice.<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->
  • digzdigz be still, maggot Join Date: 2002-05-07 Member: 588Members, NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, Constellation
    Threw in a link to the news cast.
  • DepotDepot The ModFather Join Date: 2002-11-09 Member: 7956Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1655755:date=Oct 13 2007, 11:25 AM:name=digz)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(digz @ Oct 13 2007, 11:25 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1655755"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Threw in a link to the news cast.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Thank you. From everyone. <img src="http://www.nsmod.org/forums/style_emoticons/default/notworthy.gif" border="0" class="linked-image" />
  • TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu Anememone Join Date: 2002-03-23 Member: 345Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1655717:date=Oct 13 2007, 04:52 AM:name=Align)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Align @ Oct 13 2007, 04:52 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1655717"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I still don't listen to podcasts. I prefer reading at my own leisure.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Same. If I had the time to sit and listen to one of these things that would be nice, but it's not like I can do anything else while I listen, and it's just too long compared to a transcript or something.
  • kyliegirlkyliegirl Gorge Master Australia Join Date: 2002-12-11 Member: 10586Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    agreed i prefer to read more than listen..

    I get bored listening to talk and all i want to hear about is ns2 not other stuff (no offence <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" /> ).
  • 2aimless2aimless Join Date: 2007-06-19 Member: 61299Members
    would be nice if anyone of you could write down or summarize what they are talking...

    my english isnt that well that i can seperate the noises in backround that good from the things they talk... especially if i want to do something else while listening.. and you want to do something else because the cast is long

    if anyone would be so nice? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
  • KungFuDiscoMonkeyKungFuDiscoMonkey Creator of ns_altair 日本福岡県 Join Date: 2003-03-15 Member: 14555Members, NS1 Playtester, Reinforced - Onos
    I started a thread for people to discuss transcribing them but I guess everyone just wants to read them and noone wants to actually transcribe them.
    <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=102803" target="_blank">Transcribing Podcasts</a>
    People need to stop complaining that they find the podcasts boring or them being too long to listen to and they need to realize that Flayra and Max could just not do them and then we wouldn't be getting any new information at all. I'm sure these podcasts are easier for them to do than writing up blog entries each week.
  • TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu Anememone Join Date: 2002-03-23 Member: 345Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1655895:date=Oct 14 2007, 08:26 AM:name=KungFuDiscoMonkey)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(KungFuDiscoMonkey @ Oct 14 2007, 08:26 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1655895"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I started a thread for people to discuss transcribing them but I guess everyone just wants to read them and noone wants to actually transcribe them.
    <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=102803" target="_blank">Transcribing Podcasts</a>
    People need to stop complaining that they find the podcasts boring or them being too long to listen to and they need to realize that Flayra and Max could just not do them and then we wouldn't be getting any new information at all. I'm sure these podcasts are easier for them to do than writing up blog entries each week.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    People need to stop complaining about people complaining about podcasts and realize that people could just ignore them altogether and not give Flayra and Max any feedback. It's not like they do these podcasts just because they're bored or something. They do them to give information to the community. Obviously it's helpful for them to know who likes the podcasts and why, and who doesn't like the podcasts and why. If there was a bug in NS, they'd want it reported. You wouldn't say "I'm sure that bug is easier than them going into the mod's code and fixing it every time something's wrong."
  • StexeStexe Join Date: 2006-12-25 Member: 59227Members, Constellation
    <!--quoteo(post=1655703:date=Oct 13 2007, 07:16 AM:name=Warmonger)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Warmonger @ Oct 13 2007, 07:16 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1655703"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Max: I agree with you on the Portal Developer Commentary. While I didn't mind playing through the game a second time, some people may not want to invest a couple of hours playing through the game to hear the developers comments, which I find very interesting / insightful. Have you looked at the Developer Commentary on TF2? I think the way Valve implemented DC in TF2 is much better.

    Also, it was somewhat annoying trying to listen to the Dev Commentary while GlaDOS was constantly talking.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    You can always extract the commentary files and listen to them that way, although you don't get the in-game visual to go with it. I would have liked a way to skip to the next commentary, but the easiest way to do it is to use sv_cheats 1 and noclip and just zoom around to them. TF2 is a multiplayer game that uses dev commentary, so I would highly suggest you use it for NS2.

    Also, I wish you guys listed what songs you played from the other podcasts. (I know all the songs were from Portal, even before you mentioned it because the sound tracks are awesome)

    *semi spoiler for Portal*
    I assume they will expand the Portal story through Portal 2 (mentioned in Dev Commentary, hopefully included with episode 3). I loved how Portal was vague about the story, it really reminded me of the first Cube movie. People thrown into this giant unknown enviroment that kills all in the name of tests.

    Anyway, keep up the good work!
  • MaxMax Technical Director, Unknown Worlds Entertainment Join Date: 2002-03-15 Member: 318Super Administrators, Retired Developer, NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, NS2 Developer, Constellation, Subnautica Developer, Pistachionauts, Future Perfect Developer
    These are the tracks we've listened to on the last few podcasts. Before podcast 4 I believe we were listening mostly to the <a href="http://somafm.com/" target="_blank">Drone Zone</a>.

    <b>Podcast 4:</b>
    Over Your Shoulder - Calexico
    Mango Di Bango - Tosca
    Namaste - Beastie Boys
    Flight of the Cosmic Hippo - Béla Fleck & The Flecktones
    We Love Dub - Arling & Cameron
    Sofa Rockers (Richard Dorfmeister Remix) - Sofa Surfers
    Boss On the Boat - Tosca

    <b>Podcast 5:</b>
    1940's Diner - Bear McCreary
    Talisman - Air
    Groovy - Arling & Cameron (Charlie skips over this one after it starts)
    Guitar Song - Optiganally Yours
    Busenfreund - Tosca
    Beautiful Love - Sad Rockets
    The Key - Tosca

    <b>Podcast 6:</b>
    Out on the Streets - Bang Camaro
    Music from Portal

    We understand that not everyone likes listening to the podcasts and would prefer that we wrote up new posts/blogs every week. The podcasts are not intended to replace any of the types of written posts that we're done in the past though. It's intended to be supplemental, so that even when we don't have enough time for an interesting blog post, we still can update the website with some new stuff and everyone can see that we're still alive and working away. There will be more written posts in the future when we have topics we want to write about and time to write about them!

    Also, rest assured that if we have something "important" to announce -- like say the Natural Selection 2 beta being released -- we're not going to stick it in the middle of a podcast, bookended by a discussion of what we had for breakfast, and with Bang Camaro blaring in the background. For things that we want everyone in the community to know about, we'll make a news post (and maybe a mailing list post). So if you don't like listening to the podcast, don't worry you're not going to miss out on anything big.
  • AzkarAzkar Join Date: 2003-07-16 Member: 18204Members, Constellation
    I love the part about the server modding, I love how you actually addressed the fact that every server is modded like no other and all the custom wavs that are all the same. Love the idea about the server browser.

    Keep up the good work!
  • 2aimless2aimless Join Date: 2007-06-19 Member: 61299Members
    Well thats the point Max. I dont want you to waste your time for this stay with the podcasts, many ppl like them and they are the best way to give us quick information.

    The thing i wanted is that some nice community members who want some thing to do while waiting for ns2 <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink-fix.gif" /> and also fully understand this podcast could summarize in some sentences what you said. i learned my english mostly in written language and from other gamers. its hard for me "hear" the words you said and dont think i heared another :/

    Well Kungfudiscomonkey made a thread hope somebody could be thath nice xD
  • KungFuDiscoMonkeyKungFuDiscoMonkey Creator of ns_altair 日本福岡県 Join Date: 2003-03-15 Member: 14555Members, NS1 Playtester, Reinforced - Onos
    edited October 2007
    <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?showuser=62560" target="_blank">John Top</a> has started some work transcribing this podcast if people want to help him and give him feedback on what format they would like him to use. <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=102803&view=findpost&p=1656048" target="_blank">Transcribing Podcasts</a>
  • TheTitanTheTitan IL, USA Join Date: 2003-08-28 Member: 20307Members, Constellation
    What you guys, Charlie and Max, are talking about, in regards to cheating, where the game/server will check for consistency in the files is what <a href="http://www.unitedadmins.com/index.php?p=content&content=cd" target="_blank">Cheating-Death</a> used to do, when it was still alive back in the days of HL.

    Cheating-Death was client side, unlike HLGuard, so there was less strain on the server, which can result in lag for everyone else, and the client could jump unto the game faster, instead of having to wait for HLGuard to finish scanning the entire hard drive. Which, by itself also present a privacy issue. Also, the process HLGuard uses to check for cheats will be horrible to use today, because people have much, much larger capacity hard drives and data stored on them.
  • AlignAlign Remain Calm Join Date: 2002-11-02 Member: 5216Forum Moderators, Constellation
    Not that either work. You could just tell HLGuard that your HD was empty or something, and you could fake a clientside process.
  • NeoGregorianNeoGregorian Join Date: 2003-02-04 Member: 13093Members, Constellation
    Nice poddie (as usual, =)

    It seems the internet has gone complete bonkers since Portal, I agree its very good and I think it shows a small glimpse of what can be done with physics. Commentary was very nice too since I love hearing about game development.

    When listening through the commentary on TF2 (which was really nice done) something really relevant to NS2 popped up.
    (Second Commentary Map, Node 13)
    It talks about design ideas for Team Fortress 2, and that one of their original ideas was that one player per team would have more responsibility and overlook the team, build structures etc... a commander. That's nice.

    They then mentioned that they ran into trouble since they ultimately was concerned about the level of fun, which was severely impaired by a team having a bad commander or a commander having a few bad teammates.
    I think this is critical to NS2, and wonder if you could tell us your plans, regarding commanding and how you plan to evolve it, in a future podcast
  • doughboy60doughboy60 Join Date: 2007-10-15 Member: 62648Members
    can you guys maybe make a cheating program like Punk Buster from BF2. im not saying take it from them but im saying make a program that runs through the server that admins can access and view EXACTLY what the people are seeing on their screen. so if there is a person wall hacking, or aimbotting then they see what they see. this would be probably the next step towards a better future of non-hackers on games.
  • locallyunscenelocallyunscene Feeder of Trolls Join Date: 2002-12-25 Member: 11528Members, Constellation
    <!--quoteo(post=1656475:date=Oct 17 2007, 05:25 PM:name=NeoGregorian)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(NeoGregorian @ Oct 17 2007, 05:25 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1656475"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->They then mentioned that they ran into trouble since they ultimately was concerned about the level of fun, which was severely impaired by a team having a bad commander or a commander having a few bad teammates.
    I think this is critical to NS2, and wonder if you could tell us your plans, regarding commanding and how you plan to evolve it, in a future podcast<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    I would also like to hear this addressed in a pod cast. NS2 sounds like it will be complex, maybe even more so than NS1 with dynamic infestation. What are some ideas to make it more accessible to commanders?
  • John TopJohn Top Join Date: 2007-10-06 Member: 62560Members
    For those who are waiting, <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=102995" target="_blank">Transcript is up.</a>
  • BigDBigD [OldF] Join Date: 2002-10-25 Member: 1596Members
    You guys need to talk like <a href="http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/zeropunctuation/2541-Zero-Punctuation-The-Orange-Box" target="_blank">this guy.</a> (Warning: strong language.)

    Seriously, your 20 minute podcast could be done in 2 minutes flat! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />
Sign In or Register to comment.