Free Employees?

[Zexoin]

One thing would be interesting to know, what kind of 3D formats can VI make use of? Say if a participant allready had tools of his own and wanted to make meshes for the game?

I know for sure they use Maya, not sure about 3dsmax

[gopher65]

Only because I hate the overuse...

Written would be libel. Not slander.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-...-and-libel.htm

So does Slander only apply to things like gossip at a party? Libel seems to cover almost everything else I can think of off the top of my head.

[Kumu Honua]

Yep, TV interviews, radio shows, yelling at a protest...

[Fridlekh]

Psst.

World building tools are part of the client. Everyone has them. The only thing that prevents their use is the lack of keybinding definitions, and that the client has a pesky internal lock that validates the user as a particular biote type (world master, or other developer) before letting them keep windows open like the boite editor or effects editor. try a /window toolswindow sometime. :P

World editing need not involve simdoc at all, but certain features will be missing in that case: weather regions, skydomes, sound regions, spawn regions, communities and plots all require simdoc access to define once created in the client. That does not, however, prevent you from raising a mountain, retexturing a patch of landscape, or adding a tree or gravesite. Much character can be added to the world with the simple placement of objects and editing or terrain.

If players were to be given the ability to world edit, it would require several changes to the current process, and it is this work that probably prevents it from happening. Currently, world editing is only done on Genesis (though nothing prevents it from live servers as well) as you edit the world, changes are submitted made to the server. When a sectors changes are applied, the version of the sector goes up and that forces a refresh of the sector for anyone that goes there.

Obviously if there is to be an auditing process this system cannot be used as-is. Players would have to be prevented from making elevation changes on any point in the terrain that could affect a plot. Players would need to be able to make changes, then package up the modified sectors and send them for evaluation. Those sectors would have to have a way of being loaded without worry of being applied until aproved. None of the problems are daunting individually, but it *would* take time away from more urgent things needing programmer skill.

[CallakDW]

Now this is some very interesting information I did not know.

[Solitaire]

One thing would be interesting to know, what kind of 3D formats can VI make use of? Say if a participant allready had tools of his own and wanted to make meshes for the game?

It would appear from the research into the stuff that I've done and things I've heard that they used both Maya and Max in the creation of the game. Most character/monster models seem to have been done in Maya while buildings and world objects were done in Max. But that does not seem to be a rule because I think the lair chambers were built in Maya. Why they used two modeling programs, I can only guess. Maybe Maya had a better animation system and Max was stronger in building the world objects. But either way, there were plugins developed that would export the models out of their creation program and into a game usable form as either Intrisic Alchemy or Granny3D files.

You can look at, but not alter, the player/monster models and animations if you get the Granny viewer from the RAD Game Tools website. Though the viewer is not very intuitive to use. It will identify the source software and just about every model I've looked at listed Maya 4.5 as the creation software. I don't think there is currently any program out there to look at the Alchemy game assets other than Fridlekh's AGH texture viewer. Intrinsic became dust in the wind as it's assets were sold to other parties. Hard to find info on them or their software, most years out of date. The company that purchased Alchemy makes no mention of it on their website now. It was probably folded into their other products I would guess.

[Piira Laxdaela]

Players would need to be able to make changes, then package up the modified sectors and send them for evaluation. Those sectors would have to have a way of being loaded without worry of being applied until aproved. None of the problems are daunting individually, but it *would* take time away from more urgent things needing programmer skill.

Which is why I made the suggestion in the first place.

There already are such teams, Piira.

Good to know. I was not aware of such and it seems that this is not common knowledge.

[RuneDragoon]

I offered to help out in the intern thing a long time back, the only problem is I'm a first quarter student learning basic maya functions and usage in school for the game industry. Needless to say, I have not heard anything back. Although it will improve in time, I am still hopeful I can help out in texture tweaks. Mabey I should do that in my own time, to fix some things that seem "off" for textures...

Why two modeling programs? No clue, but I notice some differences in what each can do. Personally, I like maya more than 3ds max.

[Solitaire]

I am still hopeful I can help out in texture tweaks. Mabey I should do that in my own time, to fix some things that seem "off" for textures...

The only thing you would really be able to do would be to export the textures out of the game assets using the AGH viewer program and edit them that way. Can't change the UV mapping of the models, unfortunately. But, it is simple enough to get them back into the game. Delete the existing version, save your edited version as a PNG file in it's place then launch the game. The client will automatically convert it into AGH and use it. At least until it patches again, then your version will get wiped out unless it is in the override folder. But it is a great way to test. Couple of years ago, I used that a lot to look at the masks I submitted for the Halloween contest and how they would appear in the game environment.

Personally, I like maya more than 3ds max.

Same here. I don't like the interface in Max much so never went very far in learning it. Good luck with learning Maya. That program continues to surprise and impress me with the depth of tools and power it has. I keep running across new tools or new ways of doing things that I never knew existed.

[CallakDW]

Personally, I like maya more than 3ds max.

I agree with this. I've not gone to school for it, but I've hobby dabbled in both. If I come into money some time though, I'd quit my job and go back to school, because I've decided I'd love to go in for CGI animation.

[RuneDragoon]

Same here. I don't like the interface in Max much so never went very far in learning it. Good luck with learning Maya. That program continues to surprise and impress me with the depth of tools and power it has. I keep running across new tools or new ways of doing things that I never knew existed.

Oh, I know!

I remember the day our instructor showed us the paintbrush tool, it left me in awe and wonder. And thats just me being a noob. Theres way more stuff even that I cant even fathom, which are powerful and fantastic.

Anyways for texture tweaks, although it understandably is impossible to change the UV maps, I was thinking more along the lines of improving the textures for appearance... IE: Saris drive me nuts because their eyes look huge and empty, and their skin is flat, dull, and appears non furry. Needs a little texturizing.

[Tryagain]

to much reliance on free labor is a double edged sword.

Not only can it help cut through that army of zombies coming your way but it can cut you as well if you aren't careful.

This has already happened plenty with HZ. I hope Vitrium learned from the lessons garnered when they were Tulga. Otherwise they better have plenty of antiseptic.