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Name: Mike Gummelt
Email: mgummelt@mail.ravensoft.com
Description: Programmer
Project: Star Trek
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8:15 PM Tuesday August 10, 1999
Just got back from GenCon this past weekend after
masquerading as Brian Pelletier. Had a good time
showing off the game and was really psyched about
how great a response both Voyager and SoF got from
passersby. Both booths were always busy and I got
a constant stream of positive feedback. Sometimes
I think we forget just how much cool stuff we have
in our game after seeing it for so long. I have
a feeling both games are going to be popular with
gamers. I hear that QuakeCon attendees were also
pleased/impressed with the projects so far.
I am now currently working on re-implementing our
NPC's and enemies into the latest build we got from
id- the new lighting and shadows are just incredible.
It's amazing to see the super high quality models
and skins our artists come up with in this new
lighting- to see one of our NPC's nose cast a
shadow on his face is just, well, cool as hell.
The shadowing and lighting really helps round out
our models a lot. Seven of Nine looked great before
(because we have excellent modellers and animators
and our skin artists are magicians when it comes
to making skin textures that round off the model),
but now she has even more depth and her curves
and shadows look almost eerily lifelike to me
(there are issues with some shadow lines being too
sharp, but we have a couple ideas about that).
The new externalization of data ideas we're starting
to implement seem like they'll work well and save
us a lot of hassle.
Also implemting a nav system based on a hybrid
between the Buoyah! Navigation System Josh and I
did for Heretic II and the system Nathan did for
SoF and extending it for Star Trek to include extra
data as well as the ability to have waypoints run
scripts and for connections and routes to have
conditions and be dynamic (ie: change when a
breakable object or brush is no longer in the way,
etc.)
Next step after that is really hunkering down and
getting the Team AI completely in and working the
way we have it designed. If all goes as planned,
these guys are going to look very intelligent,
interact and respond to the player a lot and add
tons to immersive, interactive gameplay. We're
getting close to fully realizing our ideal of
a "seamless" interaction between ICARUS scripting
and AI that's going to make our game really shine.
The people who were impressed at GenCon and QuakeCon
with what our enemies and NPCs were doing are going
to be pretty happy with the end product, I'm sure.
Can you tell I'm psyched?
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8<================================================
12:42 PM Tuesday July 13, 1999
Alright, I'm going to go off-topic here and
make a request:
Does anyone know where I might get an
interface box for a SD series Wacom tablet?
I have the pen and tablet, but I am missing
the little box the Wacom plugs into (the
box has a DB9 9 pin serial cable coming
out of it that plugs into the computer)...
This tablet has been out of production for
six years and they don't make or sell it or
the parts anymore. So does anyone have one
of these boxes for trade/sell that they're not
using or know where I can get one?
Thanks!
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8<================================================
11:31 AM Friday June 18, 1999
In a temporary respite from Voyager News,
this from Phoebus here at Raven:
"We're releasing the public beta of the
long-awaited HexenWorld CTF mod today!
Here's a sneak peek at the online readme:
http://www.hexenworld.com/hwctf/hwctfdoc.shtml
The mod is a top-notch accomplishment, and
I'm especially glad to have lead this project! :-)"
On a related note, Chris' finger mentioned
the possibility of doing a "Siege"-type
multiplayer mode for Star Trek, meaning that
we would do something like the Siege mod
we released for HexenWorld over a year ago
(that I have yet to see anyone else try to
make). The basic idea is that you have
different player classes with different
weapons, strengths, speeds, abilities and
spells. There and two teams with two vastly
different objectives, attackers who must breach
the defenses of the fortress and get through
progressive objectives- like crossing a moat
that's full of pirahna, using catapults,
digging tunnels, etc; and defenders- who's
job it is to watch all possible entrances and
weaknesses of the fortress and keep the attackers
out of the throne room, including using ballistas,
imprisoning attackers, sealing off areas,
releasing were-jaguars, hiding or protecting
the key to the throne room, using a secret
weapon, defending the spiral staircase in the
center tower, etc, etc, etc.
Obviously, these concepts would be translated
into Star-Trekky terms. We could do some cool
stuff since the HoloMatch allows us to create
any setting and maintain believability within
the setting of the show.
Any comments?
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8<================================================
11:19 AM Thursday June 16, 1999
I've seen a few interviews and previews of our
game Star Trek: Voyager on the net and some of
them have a few things wrong, so maybe we should
be talking about this game more than we have been.
Here's the general concept of the game:
Since Voyager is pretty much alone, with no chance
of getting any re-enforcements (aside from the stray
interstellar hitchhiker or two they've picked up),
Tuvok has decided to personally train some specialists
to hand the assignments that have the potential to be
the most dangerous encounters and hazardous of conditions.
You play a member of the Hazard Team, an "elite force"
of security personnel each cross-trained with specific
skills. There's:
Lt(jg) Les Foster - the team leader.
Ensign Alexander Munro - the scout and second in command of the Hazard Team(you).
Ensign Telsia - the Orion female sniper/scout (your love interest).
Crewman Rick Beissman - the heavy weapons specialist.
Crewman Austin Chang - the demolitionist.
Crewman Sitar - the female Vulcan medic.
Crewman Chell - the Bolian technician.
Plus plenty of "redshirts". As the game progresses,
your character becomes more and more important in both
duties and in the plot.
While you don't actually play any of the main characters,
you will interact constantly with the main characters of
the TV show in a series of in-game cinematics and even
on a couple of the missions. The plan is to have the
actors from the show do provide the voices for their
characters.
The idea for the gameplay now is to have the missions
have a variety of gameplay styles, some pure action,
some more focused on teamwork, some stealth, and a couple
you're pretty much on your own. Each mission will be
a few levels and between each mission there are the main
cinematic events on Voyager where you see the progression of
the story and your character's development in respect to
his importance and his relationship with the other team
members and crew. There are also in-game cinematic moments
in the game at key points of gameplay.
The game has a strong plot and well-developed, well-defined
characters, both from the show and newly introduced in our
game. At the same time, the gameplay is exciting, fun, and
innovative. I honestly think people are going to have fun watching
the story unfold as well as going through the missions and
blowing stuff up!
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8<================================================
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