Blogs - Kekkon3n

Hey,
I wrote a 3 comment review of my feelings on the Phantom Menace movie in youtube. I think it summed up my feelings on the subject. The text isn't perfect, since I had to write it in 3 improvised parts due to the youtube comment character count. Enjoy & please share your opinion if you like.

It's not that Phantom Menace is the worst movie of all time it's actually fairly entertaining kids movie, but the fact that the old Star Wars movies I think are good movies on their own even from a cinematic perspective. I think Star Wars (nowadays called the new hope) has one of the best pacing & original storyline of an action scifi movie, not to mention the visuals that makes it look awesome and totally out of this world even nowadays. Where as ep1 (& avatar) look like an CGI animated movie.

And oh some say Star Wars isn't original since it takes ques from old movies and fantasy books. Yes, but at least it doesn't take ques from Disney Channel shows & nascar like the Phantom Menace, making it really feel something stupid instead of a serious narrative movie, the excessive jar jar gags well all gags & race commentary only make it feel like a kids movie/show .

Oh I saw the Phantom Menace at theatres at 1999, and boy was I dissapointed. Even though I was a 10 year old kid, I knew there was something seriously wrong with that movie. Not that it looked bad because by 1999 standards the CGI was great, but the movie just wasn't star wars. I think my father was wierded out by the fact I didn't like that movie, but I always used to watch the original versions of the original as a kid, Like once a week. :P

Hey! I saw many people struggling with the install of RAW. I have a remedy that works for Steam at least. Most confusion I believe is due to some spelling or logic errors in the installation quide. It say's 2 different places to install the exe file, but Z also told the right way in the comments also (install in Foc folder which has swfoc.exe in it)
Here we GO!

These instructions are for steam version but the order of the folders should be quite right. Since you only need the FOC folder.!
(At least for steam; Some one clarify if I'm wrong that it works the same with disc version) How I installed RAW (steam):

So basically just put everything to the Foc base folder..

Unrar Mods folder from Republic_at_war.rar to
"C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\star wars empire at war\corruption"
so that THE "Mods" folder merges with the existing "Mods" folder.. (<-edit to clarify)

Then initiate the .exe file. And when it asks for the installation folder choose the folder which has swfoc.exe in it. And that is the same folder as before.
"C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\star wars empire at war\corruption"
The installer will add "\data" automatically in the rear!!

(So if you select the data folder it will accidentially put it in the "\corruption\data\data" which is wrong!!)

If done right..
It will state the path as:
"C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\star wars empire at war\corruption\Data"
Install!
DONE.
It works!!
Profit!

For steam version:
All you have to do is add to the eaw properties -> set launch options -> MODPATH=Mods\Republic_At_War
Run Foc as usual, It'll start RAW..

Mass Effect is hands down one of my favorite games. One of the all time best for sure. This Bioware game doesn't need any introduction, it as epic ass all hell and surprisingly on par or even better than the much acclaimed other Bioware epic Knights of the old republic. In anticipation of the next iteration for Mass Effect series and for the search of better graphics and all n' all better performance. I bought the Mass Effect on PC, even though I already had it for the Xbox360. I usually don't do this, but recently I bought Kotor on steam because the original wouldn't install on Vista (and it was only a few euros).

*I failed a bit click images to see them in full detail..*

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I remembered from my previous play throughs of the original Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 that Mass Effect was superior although the overall presentation (mostly texture quality) was inferior. But In every other field Mass Effect is better. The progression system is deeper, The more traditional armor/other stuff inventory and equipment is better & deeper, the characters are better although some didn't get as much of a spotlight as they might have deserved. Many of these things I've just stated have been a target of some criticism for this game among with repetition in part of dungeons and the roaming stages. Maybe it's a personal preference but I'd take the more complicated inventory system over just a few guns and 1 friggin armor any day, It's a fucking RPG for christ sake!! Although you might say ME2 is dumbed down (which it is) but very masterfully, I think it's a tree streamlined to an arrow, but an enjoyable arrow (one of my top 10 games and goty for last year).

Then about the "Driving Stages"

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Some dislike these, some loath these, I simply love these. Of course I must confess, while playing the 3rd day these missions I got a little bored due to the fact that I'm a completetionist and I did every single side mission and wanted to find all the resources and that other crap. But honestly these beat the crap off the tedious (& streamlined) Planet scanning in Mass Effect 2. Not only making one of the biggest aspects of space operas like this EXPLORATION totally non-existant it was also one of the most boring things in the game, or should I say in the series.

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Some of these exploration missions from the first game are just beautiful like the Moon and other barren and alien planets. The biggest amazement is the Earth like planets, somehow they didn't put any settlements or roads or something that would have looked awesome to these. Well some have settlements but their very cheaply made, just few barracks or other buildings. Just doubling the number of buildings would have made these stand out more even if the buildings were no more than props. Well maybe the x360 power wouldn't have managed that...

The Moon mission, was awesome. Just a few props like crap left from Apollo missions would have been more awesomer... Still one of the best side mission planets in the game..

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(note the helmets, because its space, why on earth did they fuck that up in Me2?)

The Story and the The Atmosphere.

This game is a master piece in this territory. In one word it's just epic. Even though it has a lot of side missions it manages to be one, awesome, and super coherent piece of Sci-Fi epicness. Not only the story the Score is amazing adding astronomical amounts of depth in to the atmosphere of the game. It's not just when you have a gun and your shooting geth, usually the best stuff is heard when it's calm or the guns go silent for a while. Some times it gets very ominous still retaining it's original sound giving identity to the whole game series. One of the most memorable tunes is the slightly ominous tune (spoiler!! Well like you haven't played the game already) in Ilos the old research planet of the Protheans, while cruising through what look to be like stasis pods everywhere, in a race against time to find the Conduit before Saren. That tune is simplistic yet very effective in creating the mood for that "scene"...

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The Script:

Including this mission in Ilos which includes one of the best "scenes" and plotpoints in this game & gaming history. The other one, probably the most remembered is the Encounter with Sovereing. It is truely awesome. I can't put in words how great these twists are in this game, although some can be predicted the impact on the story of the game is great. This game must have the best script ever among games. And if some one will make a Mass Effect movie, base it on this please!

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Even though I haven't saved praising adjectives. One of the best parts of this game must be the ending. It's super awesome and epic. I might keep the details on this one as a secret just to avoid huge spoilers. And also these pics tell you probably more than my words..

The Battle of The Citadel is beginning..

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Citadel is closing...

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Sovereign and the geth fleet approaching..

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Sovereign closes the citadel and starts to execute his plan..

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When the elevators are shut down...

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Shepard decides to take a detour along the out side of the tower. And we get some sweet ass space combat!

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This is as far as I go (and I have played at this time). But mark my words this game has the single best ending that I can remember. Half-Life and Metal Gear Solid 4 (&3) are also great, but the additional weigth you get from the story leading up to this point with your Shepard makes this even more momentous. If you haven't played this, please do. It isn't as forced as the ending to Mass Effect 2. It's awesome.

If you are an RPG virgin don't be frightened the RPG elements are quite watered down even in this game, but not as much as in ME2 where they are almost just cosmetics. I hope Mass Effect 3 won't turn the game in to a shooter, it would be just stupid. Try it!

PS. It's a shame that the Citadel was so under used in the sequel. In Mass Effect it truely felt like a hub of the Galaxy, it housed the best vendors with the best gear in sale. Also it was a hub to getting some side missions as well. The way it was presented in Mass Effect 2 broke a bit of the immersion forcing to use the quick travel things.

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So i decided to write some useless crap here for some one curious to see. I thought of posting pics of my old projects if come by some.

Random sheit: I'm missing a bio, moddb keeps reminding of it, so here's some.
My best maps are all gone and no pics have survived either. I started making maps for hl, cs and dod when I was really young. I always liked Hl and even till this day I truly think it's the best game ever made, it just doesn't age like many other old games, the mechanics, athmosphere, everything about it is just great. Back to the story.. The Finnish PcGamer (yeah there used to be gaming magazines, lots of them) had a five part How To manual for basics for Valve Hammer Editor. I picked it up quite quickly and started to learn by trial and error quite fast.

One of my first maps was a matrix themed cs map which turned out quite nice. Then I made a dust like map which, at least to me, looked visually excactly like the dust maps in Counter-Strike. (The maps are quite minimalistic in detail and have a pretty simple texturing all around.) Then I made an awesome dod map which me and my friend(s) played on lan (because of 56k modem age) with extremely well cheating dod bots made by some masochist, i presume. It looked inferrior but the mechanics of the map even when it was just 50% done were extremely funny. It was inspired by the bridge scene in Saving Private Ryan, of course. I made some sp maps tried doing a space station etc but I always got bored and filled them with enemies and just played them for fun. Oh and almost forgot to say my HD decided to kill it self and I was left with nothing. Otherwise I would have used these maps probably as the basis for later CSS projects.

Working on SGC the map in the Source Windows XP age:

Never got further than the basic layout. The map was/is quite big though and quite true to the tv series. Based on a pic of the layout of the "level 28" visible in some episodes on their screens. Although quite accurate it seemed like some of the rooms were in strange impossible places, the magic of tv. Needed custom props for my vision. Skills insufficient.

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Then Hl2 came. I was in 8th or 9th grade, not sure how that translates to other countries but lets say junior highschool. Continued my hobby with the source sdk. Made some maps, as school got more difficult, year by year, my time with the hobby was diminishing. And since I started drinking/partying (which is very important in Finnish culture) as I was 17 or so i had virtually no time at all between studies and freetime. And sadly my hobby has almost died since I'm studying now at a Technical University. Shit happens. I've tried to utilize my hollidays for some projects that never go that far since the vacations aren't long enough. Usually I forget my project or find something more intresting before the next vacation. Maybe in the future I'll have the money (= time) to continue my fun yet time consuming hobby.

Latest project. From the last christmas vacation. Tried If I could make a Star Wars style map. a Test_Bespin. Very early but havn't had time this year to continue.

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Thx, bye.