Crytek Tests

We recently had a moment in time where we were able to expand our tool set, so i learnt me some Crytek3!

FXVille Reel

I dont know exactly why i hadnt posted this after we made it this year, but this is a highlight reel from our company FXVille for the past couple of years. Enjoy!

Viva Las Vegas #1

So i had the experience of working on my first multi year game job and then the whole project was canceled. WB hasn't said it's official, but yeah... tis dust in the wind. Which is sad, because allot of great people worked on this game, and for quite a long time. I know i wouldn't be where i am now if i were not for "This is Vegas", but that being said, it was also rated as #3 for "10 Games we're happy were canceled" by Destructoid.

So for a couple of future posts I'm going to try and dig up some old FX work done by myself and maybe some of the more elaborate things that were made for this crazy game.

Part 1.
Water Fountains for a swimming pool. The particle effects had a material that was setup to act as if the light was being cast upwards onto the water diffuse. The particle system had to be made to turn on and then stay on in order to keep a flow of water, as well as if the particle emitter was moved (see below). This would insure that a show could be scripted easier because all that was needed was to turn a particle emitter on, delay it, move it, and then just turn it off and it would resolve itself. This "show" was scripted by co-worker Noa Barlow and i wish i had a polish pass after seeing it perform in a show like this. Ohh and it also had to be cheap, i could use no more then 2/3 particle systems each, since i knew there was going to be a crap ton of them on at once.

So much water in this game.

~Jeff

FXVille's Halo Reach Reel

Finally got around to cutting together a number of the Halo Reach moments that we had the chance to work on alongside Bungie. It was a hell of a project and one hell of a team.

Simulation_Nation01

So i have been sorta busy with work.. and well work. But i have managed to do some fun simulation stuff on the side and now am doing some for work. Here are some examples of what i have done lately.

Games i dont know why i havent played.

I have purchased but not yet played the following games...

Batman Arkham Asylum

KillZone 2

Heavy Rain

Metro 2033

Multiwinia

Obscure

Obscure2

The Path (And a ton of other indie games)

Penumbra series.

Psychonauts

BioShock

BioShock2

Far Cry2

Ghost Busters the Video Game

Indigo Prophecy

Just Cause 2

A Little King Story

And about 5 more that i cannot think of at this moment

I know a lot of these games are fantastic, and i dont know exactly why i bought them if i haven't had so much as a desire to play them. I have almost put in, 3 play through's of Borderlands on the PC and Console combined and now im playing the Halo Beta. Im not exactly sure why i haven't stepped outside my bubble and played these games. I did recently move and the yard has been a priority, but now that both are out of the way, i can get down to business right? What else is my excuse? To be honest i have none i should enjoy more things and less of the same stuff that i feel comfortable with. So let the games begin!

PS. Ohh and Alan Wake is coming out soon! ;)

Researching

So this gentlemen (Dean Wesley Smith) over at a Science fiction blog lays it out and tells you to stop putting off that story because it "needs to be heavily researched". Stop putting it off because if its "Fiction" then its make believe anyhow, what matters is that the details need to FEEL like they are real, they just don't have to be 100% accurate. If its a time peace... well thats a bit different because introducing matches into a story at an earlier time.... not so good.

I'm so glad that i read this, because the story for my game is a story that i believe needed to be researched quite heavily. It involves the Human Evolution, Deep sea technology and a various degrees of scientists and what they would act like on a job site. I feel like i should sit down and get some writing done tonight.

Here is the read if you are interested.
http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/?p=1053