Up and coming

2002.09.30

Even though many of my friends ridicule me, I get a huge kick out of listening to soundtracks from games. It seems like the only thing holding back this particular niche of musical composition is the medium by which it's delivered. All of that is changing however, as more and more games are investing in fully orchestrated musical scores, delivered to the player through the relatively small but high quality mp3 file format.

At the moment two of my favourite game composers are Square's Nobuo Uematsu and Nintendo's Koji Kondo. Both of these guys have written most of the Final Fantasy and Zelda music respectively. Final Fantasy VI is of particular note, especially if you can get a hold of either the orchestrated arrangements or the piano collection. I was also extremely impressed by Michael Giacchino's score for EA's Medal of Honor, which we were lucky enough to hear fully orchestrated throughout the game.

I was surprised and ecstatic when I found out you can buy most of this music on CD. A lot of it will be found in anime/comic shops that import the discs from Japan. Luckily CDs don't have any of that shitty region coding that DVDs have, so you don't have to worry about the disc not playing in your North American CD player. For any of you in the Vancouver area, check out Sakura Media, as they've got loads of great stuff.

In the next few years you're going to see gaming music gain a lot of respect with the music industry. Intellectual snobs will always scoff at it of course, since they can't even accept film soundtracks as being worth their time. Game publishers keep increasing their budgets as the gaming industry becomes more popular, and the music score is going to be one of the big benefits. Fairly soon we'll start playing all games in full THX glory, with their orchestral scores blaring in the midst of heavy action, or providing the ambiance during a lull. It's only a matter of time, so keep listening.

Black Hawk Down

2002.09.29

I just finished watching Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down. Wow, what a film. The best part of the show is the two hour firefight. It's almost like watching the first 30 minutes of Saving Private Ryan over and over, albeit without the mystique of the second war.

During the film I couldn't stop thinking about Iraq, and what it would really take to bring down Hussein. The soldiers at the battle of Mogadishu, depicted in Black Hawk Down, faced off against an African warlord and his militia. In Iraq, the allied troops will be facing a hardened leader of a vast, highly trained army, fighting on their own soil. There simply cannot be a worse situation.

We cannot of course forget about the nuclear/biological/chemical weapons that Saddam will use. Why shouldn't he? There's no moral high-ground when it comes to such things, since many countries have used chemical weapons in the past, not to mention the US use of nuclear weapons in WWII. Americans will say "but that was different". How so? The US felt perfectly comfortable dropping two nuclear bombs on Japanese civilians back then, but now anyone who would use them in war against US troops is "evil". Hmmm, seems a little strange. At the time is was nessesary for the US to use the bomb, just as it will be for Saddam in the future.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the removal/arrest/assassination of Saddam Hussein, but that goal is going to come at a huge cost. Lives. American lives, and lots of them. It's going to take a lot more than the Air Force and the Navy can provide. It won't stop until allied soldiers are pushing their way through the very streets of Baghdad, and even then, Saddam won't be take easily, if at all.

I hope we're all set for some rough times ahead.

Under the Weather

2002.09.27

Getting sick really isn't something I like to do, but I'm doing it right now. The fact that we still can't find a cure for the common cold really puts our medical knowledge into perspective. We have so far to go.

Chris Wren has a new editorial up, and guess what, it's not politically motivated!

Finally, I wish I could read books upside down:

Sorry to all the Americans, but I really couldn't resist this time. Thanks to my girlfriend Haley for the image!

Ugh!

2002.09.25

I'm sure any of you who happen to live in the Vancouver area know that the public transportation sucks. Just when you start to think it may not be as bad as everyone says, Translink pulls a monkey out of their ass and proves it to you. I had one such experience last night, so today's post will be somewhat limited.

All of this just makes me wonder how much longer we have to wait until those scientist people finally build a practical transporter. I can only imagine how much easier it would be if we could all simply "beam" to work. Is that really so much to ask?

New episode of Enterprise tonight, to be sure to catch it if you care.

A deadline

2002.09.24

I can't remember the last time I did some really productive work at home, so I've finally given myself a deadline, sort of.

I've got a very ambitious idea for a new project. I'm not going to say what it is, but it's quite unlike anything I've ever worked on. I have absolutely no idea when this project will be finished, but right now I'm aiming to have one of the models finished by January 1st, 2003. Will this include texturing? I haven't decided yet. Things are busy right now and I haven't had too much time for my own stuff, so I'll be able to better gauge my free time in a month or so. How much of that free time will be devoted to this project? I have no idea.

Keep checking back, at the very least there's a new post to read everyday. Remember, there's more to life than work.

A Dangerous Thought

2002.09.23

Bush adopts first-strike doctrine

It seems as though US President Bush gets more and more belligerent with every passing second. The US government has adopted a new doctrine: strike at potential enemies before they can strike at it. No nation will be permitted to approach America's military strength, be they ally or enemy. Any country attempting to do so will face the full force of the US military. Allies are occasionally useful, but are by no means necessary. The US will attack whomever it pleases, whenever it pleases, regardless of the level of international support. Free trade is a good thing, so long as it's the Americans who benefit, otherwise tariffs and subsidies are the way to go.

What does this sound like to you? Sounds an awful lot like Bush and the US government have every intention of controlling the planet. Sounds an awful lot like countless evil empires that have crumbled throughout history. Sounds an awful lot like that bully everyone knew in gradeschool, the one who always had to get their way, no matter the cost.

Oh but wait, I almost forgot: the United States is on the side of "good". They are the richeous soldiers who will rid the world of "evil". Many have said these things; almost all of them are considered to have been insane warmongers. The level of hypocrisy in the US government is higher than Richard Simmons on Ecstasy. They fully intend to do whatever they want, everyone else be dammed. Of course, America has been this way for the past 50 years. The only difference now is that they've dropped the pretense. Perhaps those of you who are American will realizewhy so many people all over the world resent America, or hate it outright. The thing that really scares me is that most Americans see absolutely nothing wrong with any of this.

"A dangerous thought is one that fails to realize that it is dangerous."
- Jay D. Martens

"The man who strikes first admits that his ideas have given out."
- Chinese Proverb

Thank you Thrustmaster

2002.09.21

Image by Cougar World

Last week I received my Thrustmaster HOTAS Cougar, which I had ordered online from Flight Sim Central the day before it arrived (gotta love that next day shipping). I have always wanted one of these HOTAS (Hands on Throttle and Stick) setups, but never really found a huge reason to buy one. After getting into the flying in Battlefield 1942, and picking up Flight Simulator 2002, I figured it was time.

Words alone cannot describe the beauty of this joystick. It's one of those things you have to see for yourself, and feel in your hands, before you truly understand. The entire thing is made of metal, even the buttons, so it's always cold when you grip it. The system is an almost exact replica of the throttle/stick combo found in the F-16 Fighting Falcon. About the only thing missing is the plane. Of course, buying this system meant I had to go all the way, so I picked up some rudder pedals as well. I have read of people encountering some hardware issues with the Cougar, but I haven't had any problems so far. The community support is fantastic for this product, so any problem you might have can probably be fixed by a suggestion from someone. I'll keep you posted on how well my Cougar holds up over time.

Playing any kind of game involving flying, spaceships or giant robots is a new experience. I don't even have to look at the keyboard anymore, as every single command I could ever want is never more than two or three button clicks away. It truly is the superior way to play sim games. If any of you are in the market for a new joystick, and the price doesn't give you a heart attack, definitely take a look at the Cougar.

Baffled by Blizzard

2002.09.20

I don't know if you've heard the news yet, but Blizzard has announced their new game. Except for the first Warcraft, to some extent, I have yet to play an original Blizzard game on the PC. What do I mean by "original"? I mean something new. A new type of game, or a new twist on an old idea. Instead all I've played are other people's games brought into one of Blizzard's franchises.

The first thing I will admit is that Blizzard makes other people's games really well. Their quality, presentation and attention to detail are unmatched. The pool of artistic talent at that place is bottomless. It's really to bad that their game designers and "higher-ups" are so completely braindead, otherwise Blizzard could easily become the best game development house on the planet.

Last year rival studio Westwood (now owned by EA) released a game called "Renegade". The premise of this game was fantastic. Take the popular commando unit from Westwood's "Command & Conquer" series and turn it into a first person shooter. You play as the commando, while the battle unfolds around you, your actions determine the outcome. The game featured all of the classic Command & Conquer vehicles in full 3D, and many of them could be driven/piloted by the player. The game ended up being fairly decent, but because of the idea of a Command & Conquer shooter, it was a great success.

Fast forward to today, and Blizzard's new game "Starcraft: Ghost". They've taken one of Starcraft's most popular units, the stealthy, sniper-like Ghost, and turned it into a first person shooter. The player plays as a female Ghost, shooting enemies and calling for nuclear strikes as the battle unfolds around them. Sound familiar? Blizzard has blatantly ripped off the entire premise of "Renegade" and called it their own. On top of this, the game will only be appearing on console systems, in a move that completely alienates the PC gamers who've taken Blizzard to the position it's in today. Blizzard has surely cemented their position in the industry as followers, not leaders.

Maybe someday Blizzard will create a completely original game that they can call their own, something that can truly be called "revolutionary". Yeah, and maybe I'll grow horns out of my fucking head!

Not bad

2002.09.19

Well the season premier of Enterprise wasn't too shabby after all. Decent story, enough suspense, good effects (although standard). I'll probably still try and catch the show, but I'm not going to kill myself if I miss it. That being said, there are a couple of things that were a little lacking.

I suppose most of you will consider this nit-picking, but whenever people describe a crawlspace as "just big enough for a child", I expect to see a crawlspace that's just big enough for a child. Did anyone notice the huge amounts of extra space Hoshi seemed to have as she was crawling, kneeling and rolling her way through the ship? It's obvious that any of the other crew members could have fit, the only problem being the entry and exit points. I'm sure there's a way to convey the tightness of the space without breaking any on set union laws that may exist, most of which would probably mean building a less complicated, and therefore cheaper, set in the first place.

Second, the Vulcans. I have a huge issue with the way the Vulcans are portrayed in this series. The dialogue keeps repeating the whole "no emotions" thing, but the acting and story completely turn that idea on its ear. Almost all of the Vulcans in Enterprise display obvious emotional reactions to things. Vulcans have never been the type to raise their voices, or storm out of rooms when their logic is compromised, or hold grudges. All of this appears in Enterprise with such amazing frequency that I can only wonder if the writers even know what a Vulcan is.

Overall, it was still a good episode. Now if they could just muster enough creativity to make more than three temporal cold war installments per season, we'd be all set!

Back from the future

2002.09.18

The new season of Enterprise starts tonight. I guess I'll try and watch it. I will admit that the season finale wasn't too shabby, and certainly did get me interested to see what happens tonight. On the other hand, it wasn't the "oh my God!" that the really good shows manage to provide. Babylon 5's "Z'ha'dum" and TNG's "Best of Both Worlds" are prime examples of amazing season finales. Enterprise isn't a bad show, but it's not great either. It doesn't get me excited, but it also doesn't push me away. I guess part of me watches it just because it's Star Trek. We'll see how it goes tonight.

Chris Wren has a new editorial up, so go check it out.

Warp drive, here we come!

2002.09.17

Speed of light broken with basic lab kit

This is too cool. Once you read the article the impact of the discovery is lessened, but it definitely offers hope. Only a few years ago most scientists believed that nothing could travel faster than light, although it was theorized for few subatomic particles I believe. Now all of a sudden we're sending signals at 4 times the speed of light, using only $500 worth of equipment!

You'll notice in this article that at almost the same instant it tells you about the achievement, it says that there's not really any practical application. The signal is too garbled, or something, to be of any use. Forgive me, but I don't think the first radios were very useful, and neither was Sputnik. It's amazing how most scientists can be on the cutting edge of Human discovery, yet have almost no imagination. They're never willing to acknowledge that something might be possible.

I mean, only 150 years ago people believed that heavier-than-air flying machines were impossible. They saw birds flying around every day, but they couldn't imagine that a machine could ever do that. These days we look back on those people as fools; what will history say about the scientists of today?

The all powerful Jeep

2002.09.16

Well I almost forgot today's post, again!

Picked up Battlefield 1942 today. My friend Chris and I walked down to our local software store during lunch, and picked up 5 copies of the game. We were obviously picking up the other copies for other friends, and someday we plan to get together for an all day fight fest. Maybe when work dies down.

So far almost everything about the game has impressed me, except for a few annoying details. For one thing, the view distance fog is way to close. Some of the maps look really bad because of this, and some do not. Take a look at "bocage" to see what I mean. It's really too bad that the developer of this game, Digital Illusions, decided to lean towards the low-end system requirements. Then again, perhaps it was EA's decision. Either way, it really hurts the quality of the visuals in BF1942 when compared to games like Soldier of Fortune 2 and Medal of Honor. Good thing the gameplay is kickass enough to more than make up for some shortcomings.

Speaking of the game's gameplay and shortcomings, there are a few more. By far my biggest gripe is with the jeeps. I'm sorry, but a jeep should not take two light tank shells to destroy. Also, drivers of jeeps should not be able to ram tanks and have the tanks explode. Tank armour is designed to absorb explosive shells, most of which are bigger than a man's forearm. Jeeps aren't even in the same league as tanks. In fact, they're about 3 leagues down! I suppose I can always hope for a patch...

Anti-aliasing = Sweet!

2002.09.13

Last week I picked up Ati's new flagship video card, the Radeon 9700 Pro. The total price for the card, after tax, was about $660.00 CDN. That's quite a chunk of change. After I installed the card I noticed some driver problems, particularly with EA's Battlefield 1942 multiplayer demo. I had fears that this would be the 8500 all over again, but Ati came through with a patch and a driver upgrade within 1 week. Great job guys!

Playing all of my favourite games, like the previously mentioned BF1942, at high resolution, with all the graphics settings cranked and anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering enabled is amazing. I've already completely forgotten about the massive crater the card left in my finances. If any of you are in the market for a new video card, or you simply want the fastest thing out there right now, take a look at the 9700.

Speaking of anti-aliasing, there is one thing I've found most PC games have in common. Almost all of them lack anti-aliasing or filtering options in their video settings menus. This kind of thing is perfectly acceptable in older games, but new games have no excuse for this. Today's video cards are perfectly capable of using these features while keeping the framerates playable, and it's incredibly annoying having to go into the Windows display properties to turn AA on every time I want to start up a game. Hopefully this kind of thing won't continue on for long.

Hey, it's Friday the 13th today!

Shine Get!

2002.09.12

I've started into the latest Mario game, Super Mario Sunshine, and hopefully I'll get all the way through it. So far the game feels like Mario all over, even with the addition of his fancy water pump device. As much as I love PC games, consoles most definitely have something to offer. There's a wonderful sense of satisfaction when you pull off a backflip, kick off a wall, switch to your "hover" nozzle in mid air and maneuver over to a floating platform containing that elusive Shine.

I've never had this kind of gameplay in a PC title. There's something comforting about Mario style games in that they don't require a huge commitment of your personal time. You can be perfectly satisfied after 30 minutes of play, knowing that you can always come back some other time, even months afterwards. Perhaps this is because Mario has never had an involved story line, or a complicated control scheme, both of which can be forgotten. Whatever the case, Mario games always seem to be great fun, and they deserve a lot of credit for that.

One Year Today

2002.09.11

I wasn't originally planning to do a September 11th post, but I suppose it's my small way of remembering. Sometimes I think that September 11th has become to this age what the moon landing was to the 60's, everyone asks each other where they were when it happened. Curious that these two events are at opposing ends of the emotional spectrum.

I remember the morning last year as if it were yesterday. I don't turn on the tv in the mornings, and I almost never listen to the radio, so I got my first news of the attacks on the bus. A young woman sitting across from me was talking on her cell phone, and I managed to overhear some of the conversation. The only bits of information I got were "World Trade Center", "hit by airplanes" and "gone". At the time I thought that the young woman must have misunderstood, and it was only 30 minutes later that I found out for myself, when I got into work and went straight for the tv.

I hope all of you find some time to think about September 11th, 2001. It does seem easy to forget a lot of the time, especially for those of us who don't happen to be American, but that shouldn't make it any less important. Hopefully tomorrow's post won't be so serious.

The Grand Opening

2002.09.10

So I finally decided to get off my lazy, game playing ass and create a new website. Well here it is! My goal with this site was to create something that could be easily updated and maintained, while still looking somewhat professional. Do you think I've managed that?

In case you haven't figured it out by now, or in case you've never been to my previous website, this site is going to be much more casual. For now I'm not in the market for a job....well, I shouldn't say that. One is always in the market for a better job, but for now I'm not looking. What does that mean? It means that I'd like this site to try and convey my personality as well as my work. You probably won't find too much of that "kiss the potential employer's ass" stuff here, which is how I'd like it.

Every once and a while I'll make a post, or change the current "cool image". Hey, maybe someday I'll even add some new 3D work to this site. I mean, every once and a while I do work a little bit. I do want to stress one thing however: updates to this website will probably not happen on a regular basis. Feel free to check back every couple of weeks, or even once a month, to see if there's any new shit that interests you. In the mean time, check out the site. Feel free to let me know what you think.