Blogs - RavenITA

Hello there. Well, I decided to write about Goldsource and my experience with it right after disocvering the existence of the ever growing community behind it. Why it is still being used, modifyed, loved and so damn fun to mess with after 13 years? I think I've got the answers.
Goldsource is one of the greatest engines out there IMHO. And I'm saying this after trying Source, which I personally consider a pile of vomit compared to its predecessor, and few others.
But why? Why would you say such things, you might ask? Well let me explain.

- Models are saved into one simple file, without 100 foldiers with textures, gloss maps, bump maps and so on. Just one file, conveniently placed into the "models" foldier;
- Coding for it is easy even for noobs. I'm not all that expert at C ++ but I understand most of its code and I can find shortcuts to solve my problems even if I dont know how to code more complex features. All that it takes is some logic and a basic knowledge of int, bool, float and C's basic rules;
- BSP compiling times are faster than ever if you have the right hardware. Nowadays most people will compile a very complex map in a matter of minutes;
- Easy, fast, enjoyable content creation. Texture packages, models, sounds, animations. All of them require time, but are very easy to implement and manage. And most importantly, even if you're a "one-man team" you can make it and still have fun!
- Lots of great open-sourced projects. Most of the graphical advance in Goldsource derives from paranoia, but thre are lots of other mods such as Spirit of Half Life that can bring new features into your project and make it up to date. Also, with our modern hardwares and the use of shaders, if you know how to implement stuff you can easily achieve high level results. Look at HLFX for example, or the latest attempt in HD graphics, Lost in Black Mesa, that uses parallax mapping and physics.
- BSP levels can be easily ported to other 3D applications, such as 3D studio max or XSI, or even Cinema4D, to add extra levels of detail to the architecture and then export it to .mdl format. At first I couldnt believe it, but it is so easy that I'm almost embarrassed XD

So, this is why I prefer GoldSource to most of the engines out there. Its easy and can deliver a fun and rewardng experience to the developer. And it doesnt have all the bugs and issues that Source has.