Blog - joure

3 comments by joure on Oct 24th, 2009 digg this super bookmark

I still remember when starting on the mod. I had some ideas about how a citizen would run around recording stuff with a cam corder during the seven hour war. I was quite influenced after watching cloverfield. After that I started to work on a map, and edited with some video editing tool.

It was fun, and I kind of set the bar pretty high when it came to atmosphere. Because I edited in all the sounds afterwards I didn't know if I could do something like that. And I still don't know if I can now. Things changed for a great deal after that. I worked on the map a whole lot and out of that 1187 was born. 

Right now I'm busy fine tuning the maps and I keep thinking to myself, what if people will hate it. How much feedback am I going to get, and what kind will it be. I started off with no real knowledge about the source engine and learned a great deal this one and a half year. Now I look at the maps and am thinking I should've done "this" here and "that" there. Ohh, I could've taken this approach when I started this map.

One of my biggest annoyance is the fact I screw up with some of the audio bits in the scenes. Sometimes john's audio goes pretty low, and it would take a whole lot of work to get them up to par. The fact is that when I play using my headset, it's fine. And I guess it's not that big of a problem as long as the audio is turned to a good level, but still.

The maps themselves aren't always what I wanted them to be, but I am proud of them anyway. But then I look at the team and realize that it's not even half as bad as I sometimes make it out to be. It's hard to talk about a mod that hasn't been released yet, and I really hope people's expectations will be fulfilled.

I guess my biggest concern is that people might expect too much from it, and that makes me want to do even better. Well, I do know that episode two will go much smoother. I'll avoid tons of mistakes I made in the past. I'll probably will have a much better rig at that time, which will make me be able to create maps at a much faster pace, let alone anything else.

To anyone who's reading this, although I am trying to make this as professional as I, and the team, can there are still small things that I just don't have a way around yet. The maps that I have now have been rid of any major bug, at least the ones we found, but I'm sure some will arise after release, which most likely will be fixed if can be.

One thing I have learned is that after episode one, I will take a big break and start on another project. An indy one at that. This time I'll write a whole new story that has nothing to do with half life. The whole project is going to be something very different from other fps'es. As muc has I love a good shooter, I always wanted to do something that is more laid back in terms of action. I grew up in a time where games didn't have to be about shooting. A time where it was more about adventuring.

Well I'm going ahead of things. First I need to finish 1187 ep1, take a break. and then I'll start sometime after that on ep2. I'm not sure how long the production time will be, but it'll probably be longer then ep1. 

Well, the last thing I want to say is thanks to my other team members who have been working with me on this project. When I started to realize I might need the help of others, I didn't see myself ending up with the bunch of talented people that I'm working with now. So thank you guys, thanks like a whole frickin bunch.

1 comment by joure on Apr 9th, 2009 digg this super bookmark

My last blog where I list almost every game I played ( found here: Moddb.com ) Got me thinking about my past. The other day I found about 5 mp3's from a time I was a drummer in a band. I have quite some fond memories of that time, although our break up ( Me forced out of the band ) was pretty emotional, I can't blame them. I was dating the lead singer and well, it was my fault for screwing up in a way, although I view it differently now. That put aside it just made me realise how fast time comes and goes.

I don't have any regrets, althoug hsometimes I wish I could still be in that band it did make me realise how we all must cherrish the good times we have. So because of that I decided to put up a song, a cover in this case. I hope you'll like it eventhough the quality is shit, it was one of the best times I had in my life. And I say this purely as a musician.

The song is a cover from the Police: Message in a bottle. It was a live recording using a sony camcorder. Yes this was recorded during one of our live performances, quality isn't that good, but screw it. Mind you I never had any lessons and this was before I got some decent skills. I miss my old band and I still have a fond memory to it, although our breakup was mehh. Oh well, atleast I been there, and we had a friggin awesome band.

joure Videos & Audio - Mod DB

2 comments by joure on Mar 22nd, 2009 digg this super bookmark

Here are most games ive played..
Haven't updated it in a while though.

Another code (DS) - FINISHED
Brothers in arms (PC) - FINISHED
Brothers in arms 2 (PC) - PLAYING
Beyond good & evil (NGC) - FINISHED
Burnout legend (PSP) - PLAYED
Call of Duty (PC) - FINISHED
Call of Duty 2 (PC) - FINISHED
Chrono Trigger (SNES) - FINISHED
Duke Nukem 3D (PC) - FINISHED
double dragon (GB) - FINISHED
double dragon (NES) - FINISHED
double dragon 2 (NES) - FINISHED
double dragon 3 (NES) - NOT FINISHED
Doom Ultimate (PSX) - FINISHED
Doom3 (PC) - FINISHED
Doom3 R O E (PC) - FINISHED
Eternal Darkness (NGC) - FINISHED
F.E.A.R (PC) - FINISHED
Final Fantasy 7 (PSX) - FINISHED
Final Fantasy 7 - Dirge of cerberus (PS2) - PLAYING
Final Fantasy 8 (PSX) - NOT FINISHED
Final Fantasy 9 (PSX) - FINISHED
Final Fantasy 10 (PS2) - NOT FINISHED
Final Fantasy 12 (PS2) - FINISHED
Flashback (SNES) - NOT FINISHED
Gargoyle's quest (GB) - FINISHED
Gran Turismo 2 (PSX) - PLAYED
Gran Turismo 3 (PS2) - PLAYED
Halflife (PC) - FINISHED
Halflife 2 (PC) - FINISHED
Halflife Episode one (PC) - FINISHED
Halflife Episode two (PC) - NOT FINISHED
James Bond: Golden Eye (N64) - FINISHED
Metal gear solid (NGC) - FINISHED
Metal gear solid 2 (PS2) - FINISHED
Metal gear solid 3 (PS2) - FINISHED
Metal gear solid : Posrtable Ops (PSP) - FINISHED
Mario Land (GB) - FINISHED
Mario Land 2 (GB) - FINISHED
Mario kart (SNES) - PLAYED
Mario kart 64 (N64) - PLAYED
Mario kart DD (NGC) - Played
Mega Man (nes) - Finished
Mega Man 2 (nes) - Finished
Mega Man (gb) - Finished
Mega Man 2 (gb) - Finished
Mega Man X (snes) - Finished
Metal slug X (arcade) -
Metal slug 2 (arcade) -
Metal slug 3 (arcade) -
Metroid Prime (ngc) - Finished
Metroid Prime: Hunters (DS) - Playing
Mortal Kombat 2 (gb) - Finished
Mystic Quest (gb) - Finished
Need for Speed (pc) played
Need for Speed: Underground (ngc) - played
No one lives Forever (pc) - Finished
No one Lives Forever 2 (pc) - Finished
Oblivion (elder scrolls III) (pc) - playing
Probotector (nes) - Finished
Probotector 2 (nes) - Finished
Pac Man (atari 2600) - Played
Perfect Dark (N64) - Finished
Quake (pc) - Finished
Quake 2 - Finished
Quake III Arena (pc) - Played
Quake 4 (pc) - Finished
Resident Evil (DS) - Finished
Resident Evil (ngc) - Finished
Resident Evil 0 (ngc) - Finished
Resident Evil 4 (ngc) - Finished
Robotech Battlecry (ngc) - not finished
Shadow of the Colossus (ps2) - Finished
Super Mario bros (nes) - Finished
Super Mario bros 2 (nes) - Finished
Super Mario bros 3 (nes) - Finished
Super Mario World (snes) - Finished
Super Mario World 2 (snes) - Finished
secret of mana (snes) Finished
Soul Calibur 2 (NGC)
Soul Calibur 3 (PS2)
Star Wars: Dark Forces (pc) - Finished
Star Wars: Jedi Knight (pc) - Finished
Star Wars: Jedi Knight II (pc) - Finished
Star Wars: Jedi Knight II academy (pc) - Finished
Star Wars: Republic commando (pc) - Finished
Star Wars: battlefront 2 (ps2 / psp) - Finished
Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force (pc) - Finished
Solar Jetman (nes) - played
SIN (pc) - Played
SIN episodes: emergence (pc) - Finished
Silent Hill 2 (PC) - PLAYED
Silent Hill 3 (PC) - PLAYING
Soul Edge (psx) - played
Soul Calibur II (NGC) - played
Soul Calibur III (ps2) - played
Sonic (smd) - Finished
Sonic 2 (smd) - Finished
Sonic 3 (smd) - Played
Street Fighter 2 (snes) - played
Street Fighter 2 Turbo (snes) - played
Street Fighter 2 EX plus alpha (psx) - played
Samurai Shodown III (arcade) - Played
Samurai Shodown IV (arcade) - Playing
Tomb Raider (psx) - Finished
Tomb Raider 2 (psx) - Finished
Tomb Raider legend (ps2) - Finished
The Thing (pc) - not finished
Trans formers directors cut (ps2) - Playing
Tetris (gb) - Played
Tekken (Arcade) - Played
Tekken (psx) - Played
Tekken 2 (psx) - Played
Tekken 3 (psx) - Played
Tekken 3 (psx) - Played
Tekken 5 (ps2) - Played
Tekken - dark ressurection (psp) - Played
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (arcade) - Finished
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 (arcade) - Finished
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Tournament fighters (snes) - Played
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (nes) - Finished
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 (nes) - Finished
Legend of Zelda (nes) - Finished
The Legend of Zelda 2 (nes) - Played
The Legend of Zelda (snes) - Finished
The Legend of Zelda (N64) - Finished
The Legend of Zelda: majora's mask (n64) - Finished
The Legend of Zelda: windwaker (ngc) - Finished
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight princess (ngc) - Finished
The Legend of Zelda: Link's awakening (gb) - Finished
The Legend of Zelda: oracle of ages (gbc) - Playing
The Legend of Zelda: oracle of seasons (gbc)- Playing
Whipeout - (psx) - finished
Whipeout2 - (psx) - finished

---------------------------------------------------
MOD's and TC's
---------------------------------------------------
Rocket Arena 2 (q2)
Bid for Power (q3a)
Rocket Arena 3 (q3a)
Urban Terror (q3a)
Red Orchestra (ut2k4)
Star Wars Troopers (ut2k4)
Counter strike (hl)
Day of Defeat (hl)
natural selection (hl)
revolt (CoD)

0 comments by joure on Mar 19th, 2009 digg this super bookmark

Well another rant from me.
I want to talk about the mod scene. Atleast the way i'm viewing it. I've been thinking about what's happening in the mod scene and there's some ideas I came up with. There's been a discusion about what a mod is exactly. Eespecially since the recent mod awards.

I always viewed it very simple. A mod is a modification, you modify the existing game content. I always thought that until some extent whee content has been changed and added where the work was  more then just a new map or series of maps. To me a mod starts to be one when the project starts using it's own textures or models, code or any combination until we reach a state where there's nothing left of the original game. All new maps, textures, models, sound fx codes you name it. Then we talk about a total conversion. But my main problem is the fact alot of mod's which get aproved here in my opinion shouldn't have been in the first place. The problem is that it makes me sound like some elite wannabe or a dictorial type of a  person, which i'm not.

I just feel that some projects should have their own spot. The only thing I could come up with is having an alpha section. Mod's which show absolutely nothing more then one or two very bad screenshots with almost no info or whatnot can be put. Aslong as the mod is not in any real playable state then it's an alpha. If there's only a screenie of a logo, alphs. Fullbright map screenshots? Alpha. Any mod could be put into this state when aproved on moddb, and after a DECENT review from a suitable moddb staff member could the mod be turned into normal mod status and later even unto a total conversion status. So we could have : Alpha, beta, which are normal mods in production and then total conversions for when a mod reahces that state.

I just feel moddb is currently too willing to just apply any mod that has anything nomatter how crappy and limited in info gets put onto the site, which i honestly feel like its wasting my time.
For now that's my rant.

Peace and I do wish all the luck to the hardworking decent dev's out there.
Joure

0 comments by joure on Feb 17th, 2009 digg this super bookmark

While working on my mod, I more then often think about life. One of the reason's I did this mod is to try and capture some of it's implications, but overall I want to expand on what life means to me, and hopefully other people aswell. When I think about life to me it means that I am gratefull for it, and all the things you can experience through it. Alive means animated, it's merely one of it's definitions. But what does it actually mean? I think that it's well known in higher circles that life goes hand in hand with knowledge, knowledge I like to divide into multiple aspects where context is essential in understanding very fundamental truths of certain knowledge about life. Knowledge also to me means wisdom. Wisdom can only be achieved by logic. True logic, very simplistic, but it usually runs very deep. That's where I think the danger lies. Going too deep more often then not results in false conclusions. The world we live in today is not helping anyone trying to figure out life, and what it means. That's where context comes in. There is no one meaning of life. Why are we here to me is not the point. What I can do here is muc hmore important. Asking questions is very important indeed, but asking questions like the meaning of life, is just too personal to give a standardised answer to. The meaning of life is what you find important in life. To me there are alot of meanings I could fill, considering the meaning of "life" Friendship is one, love and caring for others is another. But it's hard these days to actually create a true friendship since everyone's so easily tempted to create discussions where ego rules. Most people aren't capable of just saying, oh I was wrong, or shit I need to rethink my logics, because maybe I could be wrong. Being wrong in a conclusion these days is considered as a fault, but many forget that they themselves keep channging their own logics. I never have had much problems regarding to my personal beliefs. I always felt that mankind has been kept in a prison all through the ages in one way or another. Whereas before in days gone by, people knew the bars where there in the form of a landlord a king, or whatever kind of  ruling entity embodied the so called prison. I believe that today this prison is in the form of what the mind percieves. or in this case, doesn't percieve. It's quite the statement to say that we all are slaves in this modern world, in the societies we live in today. But who of you, who actually reads this blog, can say I am free. being able to walk outside is just one form of freedoms we have, although I know this is to be changed in the future. It's about context. at one point people have drawn lines on maps claiming that land is made up of people x, with a x society, and it's x beliefs. Who of you can think of the idea that the thoughts and minds of milions of people could be steered? I bet that when you read this, you'll say to yourself, this guy's way ou tof there. But am I truly? Just look at schools these days. Let's look at history for instance. Who do you think writes history? Exactly it's the ones who've conquored in the past. The "winners" wrote our history (his story) We always believe that it's a certain person very high up there that reigns absolute, like let's say ex persident Bush has. Well I can tell you one thing I learned is that never one person makes up the idea in a whole on his or her own. Even if the conclusion and the compilation of the thoughts to arive at a certain conclusion comes from one person, the path leading up to it always has been through the past ideas, thoughts, and words from others before them, or their peer group. Creating society has been planned atleast from the time of plato and onwards, although I believe it is to be much older then that. Steering humanity through play's which are now the movies we watch, even the news now. programs us to percieve the world in certain ways. So what is the purpose to life, well, again to me the context in which im trying to put this is that everyone in my eyes deserves a chance to make up what is important to them. But that is a bit blunt to just believe that, I will never say this to ooooh, let's say the ones at the top, the so called elite.  Why wouldn;t I do that? because they are so paranoid that they really am scared to death about all the masses of people in this world, which they try to rob from life itself. I cannot condome that fact. I know for a great deal how this world runs, and I can't just say that I wish them all the best in life, simply because they already made up their mind to not be so kind towards me. I just can't ignore that fact. This life as I see it has a duality of somany things. One is materialism and the other being spiritualism. Both in my eyes can be wonderfull things. I love a good looking game, but I equally love a game with something more to offer, something of the mind. I remember playing metal gear solid on my gamecube. Although it wasn't the first game that had a certain emotional effect on me. Mystic Quest on the gameboy was my first experience where I actually felt sad after going throug hsome parts of the game, it was one that had alot of depth. Half Life 2 had a similair effect on me. That's what I am trying to do in my mod aswell. Why life is so important, atleast to me, is because we only have one chance in life, to live it right here right now, with the people we know.
which brings me to my final thought. How muc hI love games, I hate where technology is heading. I will never get a chip because I simply ain't an  I M PLANT. So i say screw you Con's piracy, I am my own being, I think for myself so therefore I am ALIVE, animated and well,  atleast for the time being. And to any who is still here at the bottom of this blog page, live life in the context of understanding the importance of it, of your life, and others. Eventhough you have arguments know that most people in the end want what you want. A life worth fighting for ... Let that be one of the aspects why Gordon fights the combine, and why John from 1187 fights for his... You should fight for your believes in the real world, because we only get somany chances to say I love you to those who actually deserve it....

0 comments by joure on Feb 11th, 2009 digg this super bookmark

0 comments by joure on Feb 6th, 2009 digg this super bookmark

almost posted on MODDB awards top 100
But I felt it was way out of place, so i'll keep it to myself and others who might stumble across this blog.

lol man, ofcourse the military's sponsoring, they're the ones who came up with the fps genre way before we played any of those games, but then they weren't called games now where they..., call it a combat simulator if you will. Quick history lesson tells us that during the 1st world war, weapons weren't fired at around 80%, ww2 was somewhere around 40 I think, but im not sure. thanks to games today I think most soldiers will not have a problem firing a gun, I wonder how many of them would shoot on regulair civilians, and trust me, they ask that shit when ya apply. well, games have done one thing decensitizing many young kids all over the world. I love games up till a certain level. But the  realism let's say as in cod4 imo is at the boundries of how real I want my games. The moment I really can't tell reality from a game, is when I will stop. Anyway, I don't have much problems with the soldiers who're being manipulated like pawns, I just have a problem with the ones at the top, but hey what can I say. I just want a world where people have a decent life and something to live for.

0 comments by joure on Jan 30th, 2009 digg this super bookmark

0 comments by joure on Jan 19th, 2009 digg this super bookmark

0 comments by joure on Nov 18th, 2008 digg this super bookmark

It's funny when I think about it, but when I look at myself through the years
I have to say i'm old fashioned in alot of views. The reason is that I can see
somany values old ways have to give. And let's define the meaning old shall we?
Old does not mean that it's outdated, the word outdated in itself make things
sound that because of how people view the world today, they are considered old,
and therefore written off. Now I want to look at anyone who is in love, and I
mean realy in love. The kind that sticks, the kind that makes you feel so humble
and realise that the person you're with is precious, and that is why you are cautious
with that person. Eventhough if you know eachother long enough, and the relatonship
is solid, you still have that feeling. Whenever I am with my girl I feel the need to
be old fashioned, and everyone has that, if you really love the one you're with
then you will notice that you will become old fashioned. Because as I see it loving someone
has to do with bonding obviously. Bonding leads to caring and that leads to people
standing up for eachother in times of need. That is a natural instinct, a very old one
if you catch my drift ...