frikazoyd

5 comments by frikazoyd on Oct 28th, 2009 digg this super bookmark

For those of you who don't know me (which is probably everybody), I am frikazoyd.  I have written maybe 70% of the source code for Zombie Panic! Source.  I've been a head idea person and overall team coordinator since late 2005, and have been a key player in making almost every decision that has affected ZPS since before it was even released.

I spent hours and hours of time helping to make ZPS what it is.  For me, ZPS was initially a way to continue to program.  I couldn't find a job writing software like I wanted to, and had stumbled onto modding right after college.  So I decided to find a mod that I liked and try to help its developers write software.  Zombie Panic! for Half-Life was a great game, and so I jumped on it immediately.

What ended up happening though, was that the only programmer left the project and left me to my own devices.  He helped somewhat, but I had very little functional ZPS code.  He wrote much of the inventory and pickup system, and the lobby system, but that was really all that he had functioning.  The round code was barely there, there was no life counter, and we still didn't have unique player models.

So I dove into the Source engine, and got my hands dirty.  I learned a lot through Rhone's code, but also learned a lot as I implemented more code.  Leading a team was very hard, and trying to learn the ropes while doing so was an immense undertaking.  At times, it felt like it was more than I could handle.

Tatsur0 and I did finally decide to push the team for a final rush, a release date.  It was hurried, it was frantic.  It had all kinds of pitfalls, and we barely got there.  But ultimately, if we hadn't done it, we would have never released ZPS.  I'm thankful for that rush, and for the people who helped us get ZPS out the door.  They made ZPS popular, and the timing was perfect for us.

After releasing ZPS, the mod became about entertaining other people.  I gave my time before the mod's release so that I could be part of a big project.  But after realizing how many people enjoyed it, I kept developing for the players.  ZPS became a way to entertain people and have fun doing it.  Whether anybody admits it or not, hundreds of people enjoyed ZPS.  They have played it constantly since its release, and so I am glad to have entertained so many people for so long.

However, all good things must come to an end.  Effective pretty much immediately, I will be departing ZPS as a lead developer and coordinator.  I've dedicated much of my time to it, but would like to take a break and potentially pursue other opportunities.  I feel that we reached a major milestone in ZPS, and reached my personal goal of "finishing" a final major release.  ZPS, in my mind, is done in terms of software development.

I'll be publishing the Christmas release of ZPS (an art finishing point), but won't be in charge of any more decisions on the ZPS team.  I pray blessings on them, and thank them for being part of such a great thing.  And I thank the players and fans of ZPS, you've made the entire venture worth the years I have poured into ZPS.

Thank You.
-frikazoyd