Adventures in Raytracing

By Shamus Posted Tuesday Apr 21, 2020

Filed under: Programming 34 comments

In the previous entry I ended with an abrupt half-joke where I said I got raytracing working. The idea was that I spent days struggling to get simple old technology working properly, but then casually mastered cutting-edge tech in a single sentence. Sadly, it’s not totally true. I got access to raytracing, but I think it’s a stretch to say it’s “working”.

When I left off, I presented you with an image that looked more or less like this:

I've fiddled with the lighting / textures / render settings since the last entry, which is why this looks different than it did a few days ago. This is still the same room / viewing angle we've been looking at all along.
I've fiddled with the lighting / textures / render settings since the last entry, which is why this looks different than it did a few days ago. This is still the same room / viewing angle we've been looking at all along.

That’s what the program looks like when you leave it alone, but if you move the camera even slightly then it looks something like this: Continue reading ⟩⟩ “Adventures in Raytracing”

 


 

Diecast #298: More of the Same

By Shamus Posted Monday Apr 20, 2020

Filed under: Diecast 84 comments

Even if you don’t listen to our podcast, if you listen to any podcast then I’ve got a question for you in the show notes below. I’m just curious how people consume these things.



Hosts: Paul, Shamus. Episode edited by Issac.
Diecast298


Link (YouTube)

Show notes: Continue reading ⟩⟩ “Diecast #298: More of the Same”

 


 

Hypothetical ME4: Setting

By Bob Case Posted Saturday Apr 18, 2020

Filed under: Mass Effect 71 comments

After the player has spent 13 hours creating their character and 7 more settling on a name, it’s time for the actual game to start – which means that it’s time to (re)introduce them to the universe of Mass Effect.

The Citadel, one of the best tutorial/kiddie pool areas ever made.
The Citadel, one of the best tutorial/kiddie pool areas ever made.

For those new to the series (a significant group – the last numbered sequel came out eight years ago), this means easing them into the setting and helping them find their feet without overwhelming them with side quests and codex entries. For those who have played the previous entries, it means showing them what’s changed, and what the effects of those changes are.

Continue reading ⟩⟩ “Hypothetical ME4: Setting”

 


 

Revisiting a Dead Engine

By Shamus Posted Thursday Apr 16, 2020

Filed under: Programming 56 comments

This is a second entry, following the first one, which makes this a series now.  If you remember, my son Issac made a level for Garry’s mod that I thought was cool, and I foolishly assumed it would be easy to get it translated to a modern engine. Here’s the original level:

This is what it looks like in Garry's Mod.
This is what it looks like in Garry's Mod.

It was unreasonably difficult to extract all of those polygons and render them in another game engine. Let’s talk about why. Continue reading ⟩⟩ “Revisiting a Dead Engine”

 


 

No content today. Except for this.

By Shamus Posted Tuesday Apr 14, 2020

Filed under: Programming 43 comments

This no-content post is brought to you by sloth, incompetence, and malfeasance. I have lots of content in the pipeline, but I recently got sidetracked by a project that I figured ought to take “a few hours”, and has now devoured much, much more than a few hours.

It all started when my son Issac showed me a Garry’s Mod level he was working on…

Continue reading ⟩⟩ “No content today. Except for this.”

 


 

Diecast #297: Pandemic Mailbag!

By Shamus Posted Monday Apr 13, 2020

Filed under: Diecast 139 comments

It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel like doing a podcast.



Hosts: Paul, Shamus. Episode edited by Issac.
Diecast297


Link (YouTube)

Show notes: Continue reading ⟩⟩ “Diecast #297: Pandemic Mailbag!”

 


 

Achilles and The Grognard: Time Limits and Temptation

By Bob Case Posted Saturday Apr 11, 2020

Filed under: Video Games 98 comments

The Grognard: This game is going to have time limits. I can feel it in my bones.

Achilles: All your bones? Or just that one elbow that hurts when it’s about to rain?

The Grognard: All of them. The evidence is too strong. One: in the beginning of the game we get a mind flayer parasite stuck inside our brain. Two: Baldur’s Gate 3 is based on Fifth Edition rules, which distinguish between a short and a long rest and are specifically designed to avoid the fifteen-minute workday. Three: There’s going to be a “camping” map, where you get to talk to party members during a long rest. Four: Pathfinder: Kingmaker exists.

Pathfinder: Kingmaker's resting screen looks like a strategy game.
Pathfinder: Kingmaker's resting screen looks like a strategy game.

Achilles: This is the game where everything is oriented around the passage of time?

Continue reading ⟩⟩ “Achilles and The Grognard: Time Limits and Temptation”