@\NightandtheShape/@

It had terrible performance issues, even on a high end system, I really do hope it runs alot better with MOTB, but all in all it still runs like a badger. This was a long time ago, but at first it ran choppy and horribly, but one graphics card update, and NWN2 ran smooth as silk (about a month or two after release). And it still runs smooth as heck since. btw, the Spirit eater sound sweet! Nada, I disagree... NWN2 is a crack badger. It's a prooven fact.

Christina Aguilera is a skank too, the world wouldn't miss either...

Castration with a cheese grater sounds more pleasant than Britney... Gawd she makes me feel ill.

I still reckon it'll run like a badger...

I have a tendancy to be fairly insulting, or perhaps too honest, when I'm speaking with guys already in the industry. It's not intentional, I was speaking with one of the guys from Garage Games at gamefest, and I kinda put my foot in it! I mean i've recommended GG's stuff to n00bs intersted in learning how to make games, but the conversation I had about the Torque Game Builder basically started with me saying, it's an awful piece of kit to work with, it's unstable, and the scripting language is offensive to a programmer (except my language wasn't nearly that kind), while the dude did say that that Torque X was a hell of alot better, and he was a nice guy actually, I still felt kinda rude for saying the engine sucked... I did the same with a guy from Pop Cap and their engine, and had a healthy debate with Shawn Hargreaves about the content pipeline in the XNA framework. Who am I really to have an opinion? Those guys are verterns, they know alot more than I do! but as I always stated, I love critisim of the work I do, I just feel I lack tack when I've got a belly full of JD LOL. If I had the oppertunity to sit down with Frank Kowalkowski, and argue out the problems with performance within NWN2 with him, I'd do it tomorrow. In all honestly that time would be better spent with him communicating with his team to keep on improving the performance (assuming he is still in the LP role, not sure how Obsidian structured the team after NWN2 shipped), truth of the matter is they have been steadily improving the perf with every patch, the main reason for this is probably to do with the deadline, and the basic fact that it needed to be done so it was hacked in as fast as possible so as to meet a milestones (It's not a fact it's a guess). In and of itself that is a talent worthy of respect, I have issues with stabbing myself in such a manner to get a job done, but I do realise it is needed at time.

It had terrible performance issues, even on a high end system, I really do hope it runs alot better with MOTB, but all in all it still runs like a badger.

I'll rewrite that in English. Obsidian could really do with hiring some specialist optermization programmers, not to discredit the current tallent, but it almost seems like they don't use perf tools. I'm the sort of person who is very narky about performance of code, when I write code. I'm sure there is alot of perf code in there, but it just seems bizzare to me... I guess its just because I wish I could get in there and try and solve the problem... Not that I will have the chance, but we can dream. Maybe they should hire you. There are many reasons why that won't happen... To name but a few... 1. I'm English, that means just to hire me there is a paper trail a mile long, with legal BS and extra costs. Why do that when there is homegrown talent? It's very difficult to actually get a job in the US if you're not from there, but it does happen, I've spoken with industry folks, nobody makes promises. 2. I'm still doing my degree, I've not even graduated university. I would consider myself to be acedemically challenged, but extremely practical. 3. I've not got anywhere near enough the experience required for that level of job, I've done some work on a title which hasn't been released yet that's it. 4. I'm an ass. That said, I'd happily take the job if it was offered, but it won't be, not for a long time, and number 4 is a major problem. Thanks for the encouragement sand, it's very ooc for you. MORE PERF, LESS PR0N!

I'll rewrite that in English. Obsidian could really do with hiring some specialist optermization programmers, not to discredit the current tallent, but it almost seems like they don't use perf tools. I'm the sort of person who is very narky about performance of code, when I write code. I'm sure there is alot of perf code in there, but it just seems bizzare to me... I guess its just because I wish I could get in there and try and solve the problem... Not that I will have the chance, but we can dream.

It's okay, lots of people seem to do it.

What obsidian need to do is higher some opermization freaks to go over there code, AND PERHAPS RUN SOME PERF TOOLS FOR FRACKS SAKE! Sorry, perfermance is a pet beef of mine, and it seems to be a bit of a problem in general with NWN2.

Why do I always get called Nightshade?

Good games are like guiness.

I realised this after some research but what are the actual facts? Is there some employees from outside the US at Obsidian? For entry jobs? It's actually down to the paper work and extra costs involved for a company to hire someone from outside the US, basically the whole work visa thing is such a ball ache that it hardly seems worth it, but if you're good enough I suppose a company will go the extra mile .

I certainly think that indie outfits are more likely to build games which have artistic merit, this isn't because I'm involved in such a thing, but more of what I actually personally saw at gamefest, some of the entrents were infact very artistic in their style, from a visual perspective, competative while not actually being violent. Dishwasher was violent. Games like Ragu for example were not violent, and they had a certain childish charm to them, and the gameplay itself revolved around rain clouds and competing for rain drops to grow a flower which grew slowly and stuck with the same artistic style as the rest of the scene. Regardless of this, what I do know is that each discipline of what goes togeather to make a game requires some kind of creative and thus artistic merit. Currently most games that are created, are simply aiming for that same kind of hollywood action flick. This is due to what sells, it's hard for any developer to get any sort of deal in regards to having a game released, publishers will play it safe. I couldn't name a single publisher that would sink a couple of million $$$ into a game, and concept based purely upon artistic merit. It is certainly more likely as a result that any artistic games will come from indie developers. The tools are certainly in place to make that so, XSI mod tool, XNA, C# visual studio express, DX SDK, XACT... etc... etc.. As for the quality of products available from indie developers what I usually find is a reason for that is generally down to artwork, Photoshop, 3DS Max/Maya, and Z Brush are all expensive tools. Most indie development companies can't afford such tools so they have to find different solutions. This leads to an increase in creativity as a result. We will see games that can be considered to be fine art someday, we already have games that are certainly works of art, while they may not subjectivily be appealing, they are certain modest attempts. I've mentioned Another World, three time now, maybe more, the reason I keep mentioning it is basically because everything about the game at that time, on the technology should be considered to be artistic. The guy actually coded the game engine, and did all the graphics himself, he pushed the technology of the times to the limit, invented a new graphical style in games that currently hadn't been seen, he also put a story in their. I have heard and also think that the game itself is symbolic of the loneliness a sole developer feels, and he must have felt while spending two years developing this title alone. That may not and probably was not his intention when he originally developed it, but it is certainly an element invoked by the game, there is a certain sad and meloncheoly tone within it.

It's an attempt atleast from my perspective, the result isn't anything more than your average hollywood movie. May I add that both games I mentioned are french...

So, what you're saying is that games are already a superior medium to film? There's a ton of games that don't rely on violence all the time. Just because they're not the hyped up big sellers out of the big US studios doesn't mean they don't exist. Just the same as the same can't be said of movies. Wow, it doesn't seem like you really read my post. I know there are non violent games out there, but I doubt they account for much more than 10% of the market. Movies have developed their non-violent genres to a much greater degree. Yes, popcorn movies are huge and sell well, but they are are rarely considered artful. I'd say maybe 25% of movies rely on violence to push the plot forward. Keep in mind, 85% of statistics are made up. And it's not just about violence, it's the use of violence. Bioshock is an artful game, but I've still spent a lot of time killing very similiar creatures over and over again. That puts it a lot closer to a standard horror flick then it does Apocalypse Now. I'm not saying games aren't art, I'm just saying they have a long way to go before they fit that "fine art" definition. They definitely aren't a superior medium, although they have the potential to be. But games need to break out of their demographic on a more consistent basis. As it is now, the appeal of games is too limited to teenage boys. Farenheit. Another World.

Yeah, better gore so you can get some good use of that 8800 gtx

Awesome I'm an a-hole.

How's it taste? Like cold meat with that irony blood taste mixed with hops.

Beer, and my tongue.

And thus explaining why you have teh olde Jabber teh Hutt as your avatar. Boki, fat slob of the graphics world!

As a medium, yes.

Games are a superior medium.

Which is why Out of this world/Another world can be considered to be art. And also why my last fart could also be considered art. Perhaps, was the smell utterly unique. The whole definitation of what is art in general is BS, there are games that should certainly be thought of as art, so sarcasam aside I was actually trying to be serious.

Meaning no disrespect, but getting an internship in the games industry is near enough impossible, getting a good internship is the thing of legend. Your best shot would really be Remedy & Bugbear. US companies are not even very forthcoming in regards to hiring people from other countries period, it's most due to the costs involved with visa's and such.