Nightshape

Well I slogged my way to the end so it can't be anywhere as near as bad as it's been touted to be.

I remember him from the BIS boards. He usually started stupid threads and never posted in them again. He was a strange one. He was legend, single handedly starting the Tarrasque rumor. Funny... But he was still a jerk. Looks like somebody's parents beat their sense of humour out of them at an early age. The whole Tarrasque thing was hilarious, especially when people were posting about not being able to find it, and yeah he started it etc... etc... but 10 minutes in YOP, he'd have flame wars raging. He was good at trolling, but otherwise, he was a jerk. Arvax always used to make me chuckle...

I remember him from the BIS boards. He usually started stupid threads and never posted in them again. He was a strange one. He was legend, single handedly starting the Tarrasque rumor. Funny... But he was still a jerk.

LMFAO, that guy was a jerk.

That was: Zot, Fot, Pik EDIT: Beaten to the punch. Zot, fot, pik was awesome, used to love the posts, they broke up the thread with a little humour. I'm old skool as in since the interplay board, before the bis board... I've changed my name a couple of time in order to instanciate a new start. Usually it occurs as a result of real life changes, hence my new shortend name exists because I moved to Guildford, and started a dream job.

Games need performance. C++ has extremely good performance and flexibility. To make cutting edge games you use C++. Anything else, well you can probably find a better tool than C++ in most case, be it C#, Java, or Python.

I played some LBP multiplayer today OMFG is it a fun game... It's one of those games you just can't help but giggle at while you play.

This is true.

Initially I had no opinion at all about LBP, it was a PS3 title I wouldn't touch, but just bumping into folk round 'ere who're working on it, or have worked on it etc... It actually opened up WHAT the game is about etc... For me personally it's actually made me think about buying a PS3... To get me to do that isn't an easy thing at all, or maybe it was the dev kit I've been playing with, anyways, opinion has certainly changed.

And I work with one of the guys who did some graphics code for LBP... Your point? ^Show-off. Tell us about the game instead I don't work for media molecule... I work with someone who did, or something akin to that, I've certainly not spoken to him at length about it. Lots of people are very eager to play the game, far as I am concerned LBP is a reason to buy a PS3... On another note, I wrote my first PS3 game.

And I work with one of the guys who did some graphics code for LBP... Your point? Edit: I think everyone the industry in and around Guildford is very excited about LBP, it's just the whole proof that a small dev can make and ship a potentially massive game. Proof that huge budgets don't make a good game.

My gawd WAR is an ugly game....

I have a low opinion of acedemia... And I'm not a game designer... That said I only apply my opinion to those who want to program games, computer science is a different kettle of fish, there is common ground, and easier languages mean more students stay for the long term. CS is about concepts, and simple languages make those concepts easier to get across. Python has its uses, I'd never make out any different. Infact a friend of mine today was telling me about a problem which I stated was perfect for python and I proceeded to bash him with the word python until he accepted he should maybe consider using Python. The problem was simple, he needed to make alot of calls to the command line in order to compile something wii related. I'm happy to say there are two schools of thought, but regardless of your Python ability it won't mean diddley squat when you're sat down for an interview at a developer and they start grilling you on how, and why C++ does something, and general differences between compilers etc... Far as I am concerned Python takes freedom away from the coder, and instills a sense of safety caused by the language. C++ is free, and unsafe... Kinda like riding a motorbike opposed to sitting at home watching TV. May I just add that Stackless Python is very cool in its own way. At the end of the day, I like to be close to the metal, the bare metal if I can... I'm not sure that Python is really even aware that the metal exists, heck Java certainly don't. Meh, guess I'm old fashioned.

You say alot of this like I'm in some way ignorant... Python is very useful, it's powerful, but it's certainly not a one stop shop for scripting, there are other options, like PERL, and Lua, just for example. Far as I am concerned you can get going with a scripting language in a few hours, and be producing results within the same day... So I'm kinda confused at your angle here, Python isn't the only option. Are we? Perhaps I should have bothered to read old posts but I was merely reacting to what I was reading from my perspective, don't assume I've spent hours thinking about Python, because I haven't. In regards to teaching languages well, its a matter of safely teaching in nice protected steps, or alternatively throw 'em in the deepend, I'm a throw 'em in the deep end kinda person, if they can't swim sod 'em and let 'em sink. The reason to use C++ isn't because of an industry standard, it's the reason to learn it, but not the reason it's used, surely you realise that the performance of games is very important, C/C++/Asm are the best options when it comes to games. Working on a console isn't like working on a PC, there are some shared processes, but the hardware is different and I don't see the use of Python when you're at that kinda level, let me in at the bare metal, or as close to it as you can, otherwise you're sort of trusting. Python is good for working with data before you get to the stage of writing "real" code. Me personally, I'd have everyone learning C++, or C#... Let them learn to swim. Interesting point, but I don't agree in that obviously if someone learnt Python as a first language they would be used to Pythons way of doing things, and that would be the first experience they have of code. Alternatively, I don't think jumping straight into C++ is a bad thing at all, sure you're likely to make alot of mistakes, but the time spent learning isn't going to be as harsh as the time spent relearning how and why C++ does X different to Python. Ya get me? The fact is that people can successfully learn any language when they spend time working at it. You can go from A to B, regardless, all I'm really trying to say is that C++ sits at the top of the mountain in regards to how useful the tool is. I read and understand real code faster than pseduo code, I've never had much of a reason to bother with pseduo code. The only practical application I have found of pseduo code is when one is commenting asm. Python isn't a high performance language, for me that instantly prooves it's not useful for most requirements, the fact it's language symantics may or may not have similarities isn't a reason to use a language. I made a mistake in my statement and I knew what I actually meant, it was a while ago when I made that post, so I don't actually recall what I was thinking, I think I was mixed up and on about PERL. So let me make it clear where I stand at this moment, Python isn't a bad language, it is useful, I don't think it's a useful first language to learn as I believe that an unstrict language eventually leads to highly disciplined programmers over time, if you've never experienced a harsh environment and made mistakes you're less likely to realise I believe. Am I clearer, it's hard to form coherant responses to anything when you've a woman whining in your ear...

When I think of strict code discipline, I think of what the programmer must commit, not what the language forces them to. Language symantics aside, a tool is a tool, and C++ is a better tool than Python for writing games, any other language you spend time learning on that journey is by all means cool, but at the end of the day, you wanna work in games as a programmer, you're going to come across C++ more often than you will Python, heck folks at work use Python mostly for data formatting, and or collection, because at the end of the day, python is very good at working with string data. You obviously like Python Krezack... I can only speak from my own experience, and the tools I tend to use to achieve an end are usually of the C family, I wouldn't not use Python for some task that would benefit from the use of it, but likewise I wouldn't use it because of the language symantics for a job it wouldn't do as well as another language.

So Python's symantics are quicker... But that's the point of Python. The jump from Python to C++ seems larger to me in terms of learning curve than C++ to Python. Languages are tools, Python is a useful tool, but I would say that C++ is a MUCH MORE useful tool for games.

Soul Calibre 4, Geometry Wars 2(Multiplayer), Geometry Wars Galaxies(Wii), Viking: Battle For Asgard, Splinter Cell Double Agent...

Baldurs Gate died a long time ago... Anything else would just be another FR game, and BG only in terms of title... Bit like FO 3 really, same general spirit, different game.

I never expected people not to try, but it's not likely to be an easy process like source and hammer is. Think "Advanced Modders".

Not surprising really, considering the sheer size of megatextures... Carmack is hardly one to think it's worthwhile to invest resources in developing faster code when he can throw a faster computer at it, especially when it's something like this that can be done over night. That said he may turn his hand to it further down the line.

oh please don't sully diablo (which was by no means my favorite game) by making that comparison... it was far, far worse and vastly more meaningless (huh?). More meaningless than Diablo.... That's not possible, surely, even if a game has meaning for 2 seconds it's got more bloody meaning than Diablo.

You sure do like it old school and with teeth... Especially so if it knaw's and bites. Wiz 8 isn't bad, I actually like it, but phwar it's slow.

i realize this, but that does not make UU superior in any way. what carmack did was genius, and set the stage for the future. taks I don't think anyone is saying that Carmack didn't commit an act of genius, in terms of his approch, and the development of his approch he did just that. The problem is that Carmack managed to fake it so it'd run on lower end machines, hence limitations of the engine. UW engine produced a superior result, which came at a superior cost. BOTH deserve kudos, but the reasons for that kudos are different.

The level representations are 2D and place upon a plane. it's through the use of trickery and BSP techniques that the final result is constructed. edit: The link explains it better than I was doing... regardless. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doom_engine Ultima Underworld used 3D textured polygons in the same kind of vain as we're used to now. It was more akin to what we see now than Doom ever was. Doom is a technological marval from many perspectives, it faked 3D that well. In terms of the more advanced and forward thinking technology it's impossible not to realise that UW was more a forerunner to quake technologically than doom was. That's said it's all gravy really.

yeah. according to wiki, it was "... widely recognized for pioneering immersive 3D graphics, networked multiplayer gaming on the PC platform, and support for custom expansions (WADs)." groundbreaking is an understatement, if anything. taks ultima underworld used true 3d, it was far superior to doom in terms of technology. Doom on the other hand is 2d. That may sound stupid to some people as the result looks 3d, the effect is caused through bitmap manipulation.