This member has provided no bio about themself...

RSS My Blogs  (0 - 10 of 13)

As many of you have heard, Portal: Access All Areas is 100% dead.

Here, I plan to write what I planned, what I did, what I learned and why it failed. not only to let you know why it went down, but to help future mappers.

I will note what I did wrong and right along the way.

So, let me get to what it was.

----

Portal: Access All Areas was a huge portal mod I started shortly after learning the basics to mapping, aiming to recreate the entire Portal facility.
As a noob, I planned to do it all myself in a single bsp map. This changed naturally, as I learned more about mapping
I also planned to recreate the portal code, without any reliable coders on my team. I later found a coder through advertising on facepunch. I immediately accepted her offer to help.
the project was highly ambitious for a first mod, to the point where even experienced mappers would struggle with it.

As I grew, I learned I'd need help. therefore, I went to the community site, ModDB to advertise the mod early. I received mostly flames. I ignored most of these hurtful comments, as well as the criticism hurled on the same threads. However, I kept replying to all comments

In my maps, I made many trivial noob errors that could have been fixed with more learning.

I then went to other sites, such as ThinkingWithPortals and MyApertureLabs. I received flames from the first for asking for help, as well as advertising my mod on there.

I let the flames get to me, and had my topic blocked. I then created a new topic, where I lied about development of the portal code.

MyApertureLabs was a lot better. they gave me advice, which I took. they were very accepting of me.

The mod team grew with mappers despite code being needed prior to mapping. eventually, after only a few maps made, we more or less abandoned it for several years.

in that time, I kept advertising the mod. I had grown attached to it, as it was my first project.

time passed. nothing happened. I did not get any other coders, as I believed in the current coder's ability, despite very little actually getting made at the time.

I grew and matured as a mapper, and became weighed down by the mod. It felt like my past, weighing down on my shoulders. But, I had grown too attached to the project by that time.

I had many ideas, but not enough time or members to make it. It was stuck in literal limbo for quite some time.

when Portal 2 came out, I immediately "ported" it to Portal 2. The code was at the exact same level as it was two years prior.

Nothing happened for a while. I made a few promises to keep the mod up, but they grew increasingly unfeasable. as of three days ago, I cancelled the mod.

Do I regret making the mod in the first place? no. it taught me a lot. what I did wrong, and what I did right.

As of now, I have very few maps to my name, and all not published. some aren't even finished.

With the PTI, I am able to show my skills easier for mapping, though I find the geometry primitive to work with. But it's a good, proper start.

as for the future, I plan to create an indie game with the coder. I've not been persistent for results, and plan to split the group up in the next few days to pursue joining an indie group (unless coders on here want to take the post, if VERY available to code).

----

and, that is the story. I do hope someone can learn from all of this. This is what happened behind the closed doors of this mod.

I apologise if you feel cheated by this, but what can I say. I wanted to make the mod. but it was too big for me. by the time I realised this, it was too late.

decided to post another update. the last one was really old. it even had an old message from bebopvox asking to add content before he went to the forums. it was THAT old! good to hear he's got a much more appropriate audience now.

so, Ascent is going ok. we finally have a coder to join our team, and he's taking over until kat gets back from courses, then they'll work together. so, all is FINALLY on the up!!! =D

Minecraft is getting meh to me. it's becoming bland. I've thought countless times to hand the torch of the page to another, but eh. it's just reposting news, so I've backed off of that idea. I guess the real reason is I still feel bitter at both Mojang and the wiki for my adminship removal. to put politics first, it's just wrong.

still at home, now getting jobseekers. trying to find some jobs I can do telecommuting with, but they all end up falling through.

college course for next year seems in danger, so I'm not all too happy there. I hope I get in. I just need that extra time and experience to launch the game group.

as for any future cons, not happening. that con was a one off. I am now in full hermit mode :v
so, that's about all. hoping the future is bright, but there are many ifs and errs, it's sorta uncomfortable! D:

apparently, I'm going here with my college on a trip. that'll be odd o-o

uh, first con-thing going to. uh, if anyone I knows is there, maybe we could say an awkward (emphasis on AWKWARD) hello?

probably won't be anyone thankfully, but just in case, I'm gonna try to get my user image in a badge or something. idk. anyone who knows me and is going there will probably know what I look like, so yeah.

I'll be in london on the 1st of october. leaving from Swindon College at 9:00, and apparently coming home at 4:00 (I think?). so, yeah. it is likely you'll see me with a weedy kid and our teacher, who resembles gabe newell in some ways.

so, yeah. if you see me, feel free to say hi and watch me fluster, unsure of who the hell you are and what to say!

trailer

Kizzycocoa Blog

we're making a trailer. it's gonna be EPIC if it's executed properly. though, I personally have been needing a lot of breaks lately.

the school term has been stressful. very stressful. 3 projects running at once, all fairly hard to complete. it's idiotic. x.x

anyway, yeah. keep an eye out for that trailer!

Sbrown

Kizzycocoa Blog

apparantly, my "friend" Sbrown is trying to get my accounts hacked and spam sent to me.

if I do ANYTHING irrational, I have been hacked on here. and I want anyonew who knows this to immediately inform the admin.

I hope that this is no big deal, and is another screw up for the trolls, but I can't take any chances. and I need you all to know, just in case.

also, FYI, I hate sbrown now.
edit:I also left MAL and do not wish to return until nick seriously changes.

well, over the last month, I have wanted to try twitter.
but I loath it, so I will not.

instead, I tried something else. something I'd have fun doing.

so, I followed my favorite webcomic artist's lead, and got an account on a website called formspring.

so, if you have probing odd or wierd questions, feel free to ask, and I will try to answer in a way your disturbed mind will comprehend.

if you have sane questions, feel free to ask them also.

anyway, here it is.

Formspring.me

enjoy.

was googling my username, just for fun. it's amazing how much you discover by searching yourself.

so, lets see what we have here.

    nickelodeon site (that was a LONG time ago)
    lego user (that was even longer o-o)
    myminicity (3 cities. all minor actually)
    myaperturelabs
    thinkingwithportals (wish I could remove >.>)
    mspaintadventures (I HIGHLY recommend this set of webcomics)
    misc small webcomics
    bebo (gathering dust as we speak)

and then, I saw stuff I didn't sign up to. it's odd how that happens.

horse riding sites, gamespot map release, cakeisapie reviews etc.

weird o-o

anyway, update time! ^^
no laptop, and my macbook's busted. I hate life! :D

seems ANYTHING to do with computers breaks with me =[
so, no mapping etc. this month

however, a side project is being planned. as C1 failed epically, I have that on hold until AFTER P:AAA. at least, that's the plan.
I am making a MSpaint fan adventure =D

all up and coming in the next month, so bare with me x.x

so, yeah. waiting for my laptop to come back and be repaired, my mac is broken, and I am typing from my dad's forbidden computer. what more could go wrong? x.x

proof

Kizzycocoa Blog

I found this wiki, just a short while ago.

Portalcombatmod.wikia.com

irrefutable proof the portal combat team is copying us. every step of the way.
you know, I -would- have -perhaps- let their moddb design go amiss, but this is it. this is showing their true colours.

which is just all the mod's colours poorly grafted onto theirs.

can't wait for the SA release. that will be the ultimate test of their copying.

I am SO close to getting the fabled blockfield texture. SO close. my friend has the BSP format sorted, and the texture will FINALLY be in my possession soon! =D

it is a minor feature. but god, will it be worth it.

that leaves me with the death cube button texture also. using these two, I can FINALLY make these features as found in portal. and bring that quality of the ONLY update of portal to the PC.

as well as that, we have a wiki! yay! =D

it was inevitable. smaller mods have wikis, so why not ours?
the URL is secret for flaming's sake. though, at least it is there.

portal code is suspended due to the fretta contest. which is annoying.
however, I do hope that it can be finished soon. as far as I know, there was only a floor portal glitch and visual glitch. plus, recent news of other mods, Gmod projects and new news on portal 2 was worrying.

but the first was eliminated due to lack of coder, 2nd due to no progress, and third, well, the only thing I know is that all the features we plan will NOT be added in portal 2. we can win over portal hands down (should everything go to plan and is at my expectations of what portal should be).

and we can always port to portal 2 to compromise.

all in all. it's been a good month. a few moddb hiccups and a LOT of work spent making something for my friend, but that'll change soon ^^

Chamber One

Kizzycocoa Blog

well, started my minimod. has good feedback so far.

I already have all level concepts jotted down on a piece of paper, as well as a printout of the map
I think I know what I'm doing. it is simple rearranging after all.

I just hope this will slot in with the rest of the work I'm doing.
RL is still a pain, but I'm coping. hopefully I will be recognises for my 70% contribution to the team's 15% (they stole the code for the game and that)

so, yeah. going to be an eventful week next week.