Before the holidays

For the 6 of you who read this and AREN'T part of the dev team (or their families(why they would be interested I have no fucking idea)), here's another one of our "development chats".

Never tell your password to anyone.
Your chat with AgeNt_ is now a multi-user chat.
AgeNt_ has been invited to chat.
leveldesignchick has been invited to chat.
ZeekyHBomb has been invited to chat.
leveldesignchick entered chat.
ZeekyHBomb entered chat.
ZeekyHBomb: sup
leveldesignchick: yo yo
Fitty Yen: BACON
leveldesignchick: holy smac!
AgeNt_: WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU FUCKIN WANT
AgeNt_: GRAA
ZeekyHBomb: lol
Fitty Yen: I WANT PIE
Fitty Yen: OR ICECREAM CAKE
Fitty Yen THROWS ICECREAM CAKE AT AGENT
leveldesignchick: I want some too
Fitty Yen THOWS ICECREAM CAKE AT LEDECK
ZeekyHBomb: CAPSLOCK IS CRUISE CONTROL FOR COOL (Rules of the Internet)
Fitty Yen: and im out of cake now....
ZeekyHBomb: EVEN WITH CRUISE CONTROL YOU STILL HAVE TO STEER (Rules of the Internet)
leveldesignchick: where to now
Fitty Yen: BULLSHIT
Fitty Yen: idunno
ZeekyHBomb: Yea, so fitty, what did ya think when inviting us all?
Fitty Yen: I didnt
Fitty Yen: i just acted
ZeekyHBomb: Great. Let's talk about suicide. Everyone's fine with that? :p
Fitty Yen laughs like a maniac
ZeekyHBomb: leveldesignchick, did you read our dev-blog?
Fitty Yen: when was the last update to that?
ZeekyHBomb: Probably about two moth ago?
Fitty Yen: ...wait... wasnt that MY update?
ZeekyHBomb: there: MONDAY, OCTOBER 13, 200
ZeekyHBomb: 8
leveldesignchick: shoot dude I haven't been on steam since we last talked
leveldesignchick: I need to get updated
ZeekyHBomb: http://snowball-devblog.blogspot.com/
The link is in the forums ;)
leveldesignchick: I have a new job that I can work on the mod here at the studio
Fitty Yen: great, what can you do?
ZeekyHBomb: I bet she can do level design! 10$!
ZeekyHBomb: :P
leveldesignchick: now that I have a machine that can run source and all that, I need to learn the basics of the engine
leveldesignchick: I can make art assets right away
Fitty Yen: elaborate
leveldesignchick: and then when I get familiar with the engine and play the mod make level changes and designs
ZeekyHBomb: art assets: Drawing. Not MS Paint ;D
leveldesignchick: eh
Fitty Yen: uhoh
Fitty Yen: AGENT SAY SOMETHING
AgeNt_: what sall i do
leveldesignchick: photoshop stuff and max fluent in 2d and 3d stuff
ZeekyHBomb: Did you ever use a pencil, fitty?
leveldesignchick: takes time
leveldesignchick: I've been lame so far
leveldesignchick: but stil interested
ZeekyHBomb: You can draw stuff :p
btw, will we post this log again?
Fitty Yen: use pencil for what?
Fitty Yen: sure why not
Fitty Yen: so far theres less porn links
ZeekyHBomb: AgeNt_, you know what to do. Post some stuff we have to censor because fitty is lame
ZeekyHBomb: We only had 3 or something, didn'T we?
AgeNt_: yep
ZeekyHBomb: Reading that log makes me lol again.
Fitty Yen weggies self
Fitty Yen: ...what?
ZeekyHBomb: weggie?
Fitty Yen: agent, go get utube link of weggie
ZeekyHBomb: You mean weegee?
AgeNt_: weggie sucks balls
AgeNt_: weegee*
AgeNt_: fag in comp tech 2 over used it
AgeNt_: off to play some 360
ZeekyHBomb: Fitty. You now shall be named Phail Yen. It's weegee not weggie.
Fitty Yen: no, the underwear prank
AgeNt_: hit up my live account
AgeNt_: AgeNtNicK
AgeNt_: lol
AgeNt_: bbl
Fitty Yen: DONT CARE WE DONT HAVE SEXBOXS
ZeekyHBomb: Why are you always off to play xbox when one wantsa chat with you?
AgeNt_ disconnected.
Fitty Yen: CUZ HES A FAG LIKE THAT, JUST LIKE IM A FAG THAT DOESN'T LIKE PRON LINKS
ZeekyHBomb: Ok. Now we can have a threesome.
Seriously, lead the way, mod-leader.
Fitty Yen: yesh?
ZeekyHBomb: You betcha.
Fitty Yen: I don't know whats going on!
ZeekyHBomb: Did you forget to take ur medicine?
ZeekyHBomb: Well, let's talk about progress.
I've written about 80 lines of code in the last two month. About 55 are useless (removed). Changes: not much. Did some stuff about ID-kicking and fixed a crash related to the two new snowball-sizes.
Fitty Yen: dont need it, it makes me think less good
Fitty Yen: coo
ZeekyHBomb: And Grash thinks he did a backgroundmap-fix. I didn't even know we want one, but it's not complete anyways.
At least vanilla HL2-backgroundmaps do not work.
ZeekyHBomb: properly
Fitty Yen: i've made the team bases for my newest map
Fitty Yen: one cave and one busted up house
ZeekyHBomb: For an internal beta I'd simply need to get my ass up on debugging the freshly baked models by AgeNt_.
Fitty Yen: you can bake models?
ZeekyHBomb: AgeNt_ does.
Fitty Yen heats the oven to 400000k C
ZeekyHBomb: I didn't check, but he said now big and large are different sizes.
Fitty Yen: tell me this is a bad idea
leveldesignchick: hehe
ZeekyHBomb: This is a bad idea, although I kinda like it because it's not my oven.
Fitty Yen: meh if the feds didnt get on me for what i did with the microwave they'll never convict me for anything
ZeekyHBomb: If I ever get motivated after the internal beta again I'll probably start coding a CTF-gamemode.
Fitty Yen: flag should be a torch
ZeekyHBomb: I don't think the feds care if you bonk the microwave.
Fitty Yen: no, i started spliting atoms
Fitty Yen: started a mini nuclear winter down here
ZeekyHBomb: Must have been your first orgasm....
ZeekyHBomb: We need something intresting to talk about.
Fitty Yen: do blue M&Ms taste better than red ones?
ZeekyHBomb: Will we see the internal beta this year? Codewise yes: YAY! Holidays soon.
Fitty Yen: .... guh
ZeekyHBomb: Dunno. I usually stuff them in my mouth without looking at the color.
ZeekyHBomb: How 'bout playermodels.
Fitty Yen: good topic
ZeekyHBomb: Kids? Or maybe something humourous?
Fitty Yen: if you can think of something funny that the players can... play as
ZeekyHBomb: If we are unoriginal we can modify the rebels and the combines.
Fitty Yen: recolor the rebels for red and blue teams?
leveldesignchick: something wintery?
ZeekyHBomb: Yea, exactly. But let's try be original.
leveldesignchick: thats a start :D
leveldesignchick: who is the modeler?
Fitty Yen: agent
ZeekyHBomb: Maybe something matrix-like. The one team has fancy buissness-suits and the other has fancy coats and leather-suits.
leveldesignchick: what does he like to model best?
leveldesignchick: maybe animals or something
ZeekyHBomb: Till now he only did snowballs and some props.
leveldesignchick: like rabbits vs. polar bears
leveldesignchick: hehe
leveldesignchick: that's prolly a little complex
leveldesignchick: then
Fitty Yen: no idea, but id put $ on porn models
ZeekyHBomb: Not bad. I thought of aliens and robots, but not animals.
leveldesignchick: animals w/ snowballs
leveldesignchick: can be like tf2 maybe bugs bunny?
leveldesignchick: vs. micky or something
leveldesignchick: or can be real
Fitty Yen: NO
Fitty Yen: we'll get our asses sued off
ZeekyHBomb: Fitty, you really can buy this shit: www.3dslut.com
leveldesignchick: oops
leveldesignchick: forgot about the licencing
Fitty Yen: and now we HAVE to post this on the blog
ZeekyHBomb: We could call them bugs rabbit and micky rat, so we don't get sued :p
Fitty Yen: cuz no one will wise up to that
Fitty Yen: rich people VS hobos
ZeekyHBomb: chaaange? got some spare change?
leveldesignchick: what's that to do w/ snow? maybe something that enhances the environment / a play off of it
ZeekyHBomb: Snowmans vs humans?
leveldesignchick: snow man might be cool
leveldesignchick: it's interesting he can pull snow off himself
leveldesignchick: but deplete his resource
leveldesignchick: and have kids as allies that build him up again
ZeekyHBomb: That could be a special gamemode.
Fitty Yen: perhaps
ZeekyHBomb: Let's mark that for later
ZeekyHBomb: We could do kids vs grown-ups.
Fitty Yen: note to self put new gamemodes on hold
Fitty Yen: im fine w/ just Red Vs Blue
leveldesignchick: that sounds sweet
leveldesignchick: like grownups go after snowman with a shovel
ZeekyHBomb: The problem would be the different sized models.
leveldesignchick: hehe
Fitty Yen: kids would be too short
leveldesignchick: maybe too complex
Fitty Yen: we still need an animator...
ZeekyHBomb: We'll use the combine- and rebel-models for our first beta. It will attract the eyes of ppl and we have a chance of getting one then.
Fitty Yen: hopefullly
ZeekyHBomb: I'm a genius, ain't I? I bet you didn't think of that!
ZeekyHBomb: Anyways, we still should have plans for the playermodels.
Fitty Yen: i just wanted to trim down the rebel models
ZeekyHBomb: Wouldn't you have to decompile the models then?
Fitty Yen: i have no idea
ZeekyHBomb: I don't think VALVe simply gives them away ..
Fitty Yen shrugs
ZeekyHBomb: How 'bout heavy armoured soldiers?
ZeekyHBomb: Looking all bad-ass.
Fitty Yen: again i have no idea
Fitty Yen: i have to go pack so il be back in a little bit.
ZeekyHBomb: I guess we simply need a flash of genius.
ZeekyHBomb: If someone has some important topic to talk about, I'll be going to bed not later than 1h.
Fitty Yen: i cant have all the brilliant ideas now can i?
ZeekyHBomb: Just because you planned on doing a mod without any experience.
It's a wonder that this mod has survived for this long...
Fitty Yen: yep
Fitty Yen: gotta get ur feet wet some hwo
leveldesignchick: woo hoo!
Fitty Yen: *how
Fitty Yen: elaborate
ZeekyHBomb: When I started, I joined existing modding-teams because they already have a structure 'n shit.
Fitty Yen: haha sucker
ZeekyHBomb: It's still not set in stone that this mod will actually release and be good, is it?
ZeekyHBomb: Anyways, leveldesignchick is quite passive.
Fitty Yen: actually i wanted ledeck to elaborate
leveldesignchick: on wat
Fitty Yen: woo hoo
ZeekyHBomb: Next time when you want a nice group-chat plan some topics btw. I bet it'll be much more fluent and productive.
leveldesignchick: I'm excited this mod exists
leveldesignchick: and want to catch up and help it get finished
leveldesignchick: k
ZeekyHBomb: After you got it touch with Hammer and can do some basic maps, you have to read this
http://www.student.ru.nl/rvanhoorn/optimization.php
so, put it in your bookmarks.
leveldesignchick: thanks dude I just did!
leveldesignchick: I'll be working here at work
ZeekyHBomb: If you have questions about mapping you can ask all three of us (if AgeNt_ still was here). We all can do maps :)
leveldesignchick: just finishing up some last stuff then have down time to come in and use the computer for personal stuff
leveldesignchick: sweeeet!
leveldesignchick: like u guys already :P
ZeekyHBomb: There's no hassle ;)
You need me to release my new code first because it contains some useful things.
leveldesignchick: first things first is playing the mod and reading the forums
leveldesignchick: then doing some basic mapping and finding out where help is needed most
ZeekyHBomb: I'd say make some HL2 or HL2MP-maps. Then you don't have to set up Hammer for SB:S.
Fitty Yen: BE SURE TO READ THE DEV DOCUMENTS
leveldesignchick: I WILL
leveldesignchick: hehe
leveldesignchick: I am all about docs yo!
ZeekyHBomb: To say something interesting, I plan on writing an automated update-tool which then can work together with the FTP.
Fitty Yen: awesome
Fitty Yen: scratch that complement
ZeekyHBomb: lol
Fitty Yen: "plan" means it might not happen
ZeekyHBomb: Indeed.
leveldesignchick: plan is better then no plan eh?
Fitty Yen: sometimes
ZeekyHBomb: I never worked with FTP-servers code-wise. They are widely used, so it shouldn't be a problem - but one can never know.
Fitty Yen: hey zeeky have u actually been on one of my maps?
ZeekyHBomb: But I also learned how to create, delete and copy folders and files and how to access the registry in C++ within one day (plus wrote a program to make use of it ;)), so you can expect it to happen.
It would also make the upload-process easier and thus I would also benefit from it.
ZeekyHBomb: Yes.
ZeekyHBomb: I also had this stuck-on-snow thing.
ZeekyHBomb: I just had a wicked idea on how to crash the clients and they can't do shit about it.
Guess I'll write that down and test it somewhen.
Fitty Yen: what did zeeky think?
ZeekyHBomb: It's about the CommunityID-filtering for internal betas.
ZeekyHBomb: Right now you can easily work around it if you know how it's done.
ZeekyHBomb: I even have to use this because I was to lazy to add my CommunityID damnit!
Fitty Yen: WHAT DID ZEEKY THINK OF MAH MAPS
ZeekyHBomb remembers the days where he wrote code for the snowballs every day.
ZeekyHBomb: Where have they gone.
ZeekyHBomb: Oh, your maps.
Well, they're crap.
ZeekyHBomb: jk
Fitty Yen: IN THE FURNACE
Fitty Yen: WITH A CAT SUFFERING FROM POLIO
ZeekyHBomb: Steer, fitty. Steer!
And he crashed..
Fitty Yen: AND TOAST
Fitty Yen: LOLOLOLOLOL
ZeekyHBomb: Well, I have to see them in action. You maybe need a little work on some edges, but overall the one map I remember was nice
ZeekyHBomb: It's the map I use for testing because it's the first in my list.
mk3_something I think was it's name..
ZeekyHBomb: There: barn_mk3
ZeekyHBomb: olebase was mapped by AgeNt_, righ?
ZeekyHBomb explodes randomly.
Fitty Yen: yes olebase was agent, barn mk3 was me
ZeekyHBomb: olebase was kinda small.
Fitty Yen: its quake ish
ZeekyHBomb: and snowrena has nice aspects but looks meh otherwise.
ZeekyHBomb: And these are all the maps I've played that looked somewhat mapish.
I also have sdk_vehicles and city_street and firetest.
Fitty Yen: was one of my maps city street or was it called plaza?
ZeekyHBomb: The one I have here is city_street
Fitty Yen: whats in it
ZeekyHBomb: leveldesignchick, you don't have a mic where you work, do you?
ZeekyHBomb: dev-textures, a horse-statue and beginnings of some buildings.
ZeekyHBomb: Very small.
Fitty Yen: yeah thats plaza...
Fitty Yen: god i hate its guts
ZeekyHBomb: ? ?
ZeekyHBomb: Oh, of the statue
ZeekyHBomb: lol
ZeekyHBomb: That was quite a WTF-moment.
ZeekyHBomb: It didn't have a big penis though, which kinda conflicts with the guts. Weird stuff.
ZeekyHBomb: I have nothing else to talk about, so I say something about every detail that comes in my mind.
ZeekyHBomb: Maybe I'll post some code to show you how awesome I am and how small you are. Maybe not.
ZeekyHBomb: I'm tired (kinda) and have school tomorrow. good night.
And post this log, fitty :)
Fitty Yen: do i have to
Fitty Yen: ?
ZeekyHBomb: Yes. Else I'll slap you.
Fitty Yen: finefine ill do it
ZeekyHBomb: Good thing you are not machochistic
Fitty Yen: or are we
Fitty Yen: ?
ZeekyHBomb: I might be. I don't let you slap me anyhow.
ZeekyHBomb: Well then, bye. See you next time.
This chat was brought to you by [>insert company here<].
ZeekyHBomb left chat.
Fitty Yen: byebye
leveldesignchick: later!
leveldesignchick left chat.
Fitty Yen: ...
Fitty Yen: im all alone now...
Fitty Yen: finaly!

The warmth system

As my first post here I should describe something OTHER then some funny business, instead I will describe how our warmth system is set up. Now before you think this is actually what is in game, it is not. Things are meant to be changed and will be changed. Well enough of the bull, lets get started.

When we first joined/started this mod we thought of snowballs (duh) but not only that but getting it to be a TEAM game. I see many games/mods out there that requires team support to win but when I play them I see people going lone rangers and yet I think that's what they were aiming for. In Snowball Source (SBS) we wanted it to be an team game where people actually had to stick together to survive. In this case we designed the warmth system.

Now tell me this when your cold what do you want? To be warm. Well in SBS we turn reality into fantasy. In our maps any area you lose health. So no matter what you can die without being attacked. But this can be bypassed by well what else, warmth. we designed these areas so that you don't have to guess, you know that you can be warm. Warmth heals you so if your down some health you must sit there for a while to heal up totally. Now if you got attacked and no warmth around? Your friend are there to help. Group together with your friends to be the ultimate squad. This is what promotes the teams. Who knew this could heat you up? The more people the more faster you will heal. Now we have our team/warmth system.

Now here are a few screenshots of what these map warmth areas are like.

One year ago...

So its been more or less a year since I designed and started searching for people to help me with Snowball: Source, and since then I've seen people come and go, some peep their eyes to see whats going on, and bleah I hate writing so damn much, stop watching this zeeky. Yeah I'm leaving this in the post. For real it's in the post.

I originally got the idea for the mod when.......... well it just came to me one day in a burst of originality. And if you'll excuse me I have to go to work right now. Ok I'm back now... where was I??? Right, the origin of the mod. I was just bored one night and started to write down ideas for a game, mod, etc.

Jallen was the first person to agree to help me w/ the mod, then Hectate, and Grash was the last of the "old" team to join up. Months passed and we didn't really get that much done... Eventually Jallen left coz of school, followed by Hectate for family/ job reasons, and Grash also had a family related issue so he had to leave as well. Around January Agent showed up and he started modeling and teaching me how to map. I'm gonna take a break right now I'll be back in a minute, but first SPELL CHECK!!!

OK back again. Around mid-summer this year as Agent & I were wrapping up the 2nd media update, ZeekyHBomb (as he's known on steam) joined Team Flakes (Grash's idea, not mine). He's been working out really well so far, we're actually getting close to internal alpha testing. That said, we could still use texture artists and animators.

And at this point I'm REALLY tried of typing so I'm gonna publish this.

Don't leak mah dlls!

I wrote some lines into the code to prevent clients from playing the beta when their SteamID is not hardcoded into the dlls. After I've successfully tested the code I'll post the few lines.

So yeah, the first internal beta is almost ready!

We still are searching for Texture Artists and Sound Engineers (I know I'm repeating myself... but who cares - better too often than too less) and you can also sign up as a beta-tester.

Some media will hopefully follow soon...

Progress: Marbles, Vacuum

Just here to report my work.
I added the marbles, which will be shot from the slingshot. They can destroy snowballs - of course it is easier to hit bigger ones and you can charge the slingshot up so that the marbles get shot in a shotgun-pattern.

I also started working on the vacuum. You are able to suck up snow to create bigger snowballs to throw at people and snowblocks to build stuff.
I only have the physics-part working, so the snowballs fly to you if you "shoot" at them.

AgeNt_ is already working on some models. When they are in-game I guess I'll get some screenshots.

Till then we are still searching for Texture Artists, a Sound Engeneer and some Testers. Apply at our forums.

My disaster with Delusion:Source

So, our tester barneyslayer, became aware that I'm the coder of the team. Him being a modeler of Delusion:Source asked me if I could help them a little out with coding, I would also only have to make minor stuff, such as coding weapons. Being helpful I agreed and joined the team.

---cut due request of the Delusion:Source Team---
To make it short what was there:
The coder, who already was there, hadn't been able to compile the code so I had to start from zero. I added multiple dynamic lights (easy, it's on VALVe's developer-wiki). Then I started the code for a flashlight which would have a viewmodel - so that the light has to follow the end of the model.

Anyways, I finished the code for the flashlight, added ironsights (I'm soon gonna update the code you can find on VALVe's wiki as it's a bit crappy) and a syringe. But AgeNt_ reminded me that Team Snowflakes would appreachiate it when I would still code for them. He was totally right, so I fixed up a huge bug of the snowballs.

I reaslised that I couldn't fully maintain two complete mods as I would be leadcoder of both. So the only good solution was to quit Delusion:Source. Nothing personal or something, but it's just too much or me. Best wishes on the team :)

Barneyslayer got a warning from us - as trying to get working resources (team members) to work for your own team is a bit mean. Sure, they can say no, but that wouldn't be nice as you want to be helpful 'n all.

Chatlog

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