Chatting in #terrafusion:
shambles = Me
Mindcrime = Chief Nehahra UberP1mpLord

...
<shambles> mindy, i think you should make q3a into a proper sp game
<shambles> under my guidance =)
<Mindcrime> hi
<shambles> hello
<Mindcrime> You think I should, eh?
<Mindcrime> heheh
<shambles> yeah some d00d has been emailing me after reading those chat logs
<shambles> and it's got me thinking about the whole thing again
<Mindcrime> Thinking can be a dangerous thing
<shambles> indeed
<shambles> i try to avoid it if at all possible
<Mindcrime> Well, I'm still willing and will look at the SDK, should it ever appear
<Mindcrime> I think it would be helpful if I could actually run Q3 reliably :>
<shambles> i was thinking about enemy characteristics today
<Mindcrime> and?
<shambles> about how to use the ai to give characterful monsters rather than ones 
  that are just very good
<Mindcrime> hehe, personality is my specialty :>
<Mindcrime> I prefer fun & quirkiness over realism
<shambles> yeah
<shambles> well
<shambles> i think that would be important in a q3a conversion
<Mindcrime> other people measure monsters by how much they can kill :/
<Mindcrime> Quite important
<shambles> you couldn't really retain the q3a styles and have lots of interactive enemy 
  and clever stuff like hl, you couldn't really have hordes of dumb monsters as the game 
  would slow to a crawl, and you couldn't have all enemy that were too intelligent as 
  that would be like bots
<Mindcrime> not that I think the people who are going ahead with conversions for it are 
  thinking the same thing
<shambles> so i was thinking that to give the sp a strong flavour, having characterful, 
  interesting enemy behaviour would be the key
<Mindcrime> well, if I can wrap my mind around coding in ANSI C, I'm probably the ideal 
  candidate then 
<Mindcrime> :>
<Mindcrime> I do still maintain
<Mindcrime> that I like the idea
<Mindcrime> of a world that does not hinge on the client, but rather, the client can 
  become a participant in
<shambles> ummm
<shambles> not sure if that would be it in q3asp
<shambles> i would be thinking a rather arbitrary and artificial world like quake would fit 
  the style more
<Mindcrime> it could..
<Mindcrime> you're not implying to make q3 versions of q1 monsters, are you? :>
<shambles> no no no
<shambles> not at all
<shambles> more in the arbitraryness of the monsters and the enviroment, compared 
  to say half life where everything has a purpose
<Mindcrime> I agree
<Mindcrime> but not to the extent where all the monsters would be standing around 
  waiting for you in particular
<Mindcrime> heh
<shambles> not because i have a preference either way, just i think the former would 
  be much easier to do with q3a's style
<shambles> mmmm yeah i see what you mean
<Mindcrime> I just wish they'd release that confounded SDK
<shambles> that would be an interesting quandry
<Mindcrime> so at least I had a clearer picture of what it all entails, you know
<shambles> how to avoid having the monsters all waiting for you
<shambles> interesting
<shambles> aaaah
* shambles knows it =)
<shambles> oh yes baby
* shambles is a genius
<Mindcrime> share some wisdom
<Mindcrime> heh
<shambles> mmmm
<shambles> k
<shambles> very rough sketch
<shambles> war
<shambles> in the future
<shambles> in some fucked up dimension
<shambles> and you are caught in the middle of it
<shambles> the reason enemy are there is they are fighting each other - not you
<shambles> but when you get caught in the middle....blam
<shambles> mmm
<shambles> way
<shambles> war
<shambles> religious war
<shambles> enhanced human cyborgs on a jihad
<shambles> against mutants....
<shambles> or perhaps the other way around =)
<shambles> w0w
<shambles> i knew coming up with a story would be fun
<shambles> but sometimes i even impress myself
<Mindcrime> well, as far as keeping the monsters from waiting around for you dully
<shambles> (the "religion" bit is how to incorporate the gothic style)
<Mindcrime> I have addressed this in Nehahra, so I'd obviously do it in another project
<Mindcrime> I mean, I have one monster that fishes :>
<shambles> fish
<shambles> yes
<Mindcrime> another one that chatters amongst themselves, arguing
<shambles> mmm
<Mindcrime> heh
<shambles> cool
<Mindcrime> there are also situations that can be set up
<Mindcrime> where humans (other "marines") are in a constant skirmish with grunts 
  and enforcers
<Mindcrime> one of my monsters even reads books heheh
<shambles> hehe
<Mindcrime> just cuz I feel like they should be doing something
<Mindcrime> at least, usually
<shambles> <Mindcrime> where humans (other "marines") are in a constant skirmish 
  with grunts and enforcers - that is kinda what i was thinking of
<shambles> religion...where did it come from?? fanatical worship of the q3 arenas....
<Mindcrime> yeah, that comment about it reminded me of that
<shambles> that can tie in with q3a's """"story""""
<Mindcrime> I was hoping for a level in Nehahra
<Mindcrime> that is less of "kill all monsters"
<Mindcrime> but "survive the level"
<shambles> this story, wouldn't be revealed...well it would, in the game, in parts
<shambles> heh
<shambles> aren't all levels that way at their hearts???
<Mindcrime> as there will be a steady flow of monsters who hate each other
<Mindcrime> hehe
<Mindcrime> well, with levels that "spawn" monsters
<Mindcrime> you couldn't possibly kill them all :>
<shambles> d00m
<Mindcrime> so it's just a matter of surviving the level, hehe
<shambles> there are levels in wheel of time that are like that
<Mindcrime> Dunno, about a plot with cyborgs n stuff :>
<Mindcrime> but the concepts you're bringing up are very appealing, yes
<Mindcrime> where gameplay goes
<shambles> a plot
<shambles> well
<shambles> i view that as an inconvenience
<shambles> but people seem to like them
<shambles> AND
<shambles> having a strong though very simple plot allows you to fit in things and 
  theme them with that plot
<Mindcrime> well, people want depth
<shambles> it makes it easier to decide the nitty critty
<shambles> -c +g
<Mindcrime> but the only good plot
<Mindcrime> is one that's not necessary to know
<Mindcrime> heh
<shambles> hmmm
<shambles> dunno about that
<Mindcrime> like I went through the trouble of writing up quite the plot for Nehahra
<Mindcrime> but if you never read the story
<Mindcrime> and you shut off the cutscenes
<shambles> but this plot i am thinking off, it's so simple actually...
<Mindcrime> the game is still playable
<Mindcrime>  simple can be good, yes
<shambles> well
<shambles> oh yeah
<shambles>  obviously
<shambles> any game where you have to follow the plot otherwise the levels will be 
  incompletable, that suxx dixx
<Mindcrime> but going back to the original subject
<Mindcrime> I agree
<Mindcrime> monster behavior, unusual traits, quirkiness
<Mindcrime> that's what's needed to make a worthwhile SP conversion for Q3
<shambles> yes
<shambles> in a way
<shambles> it's lucky, there is bot ai there
<shambles> so you can "work down" from that
<Mindcrime> very true
<Mindcrime> easier to tone down
<shambles> maybe that is lucky...i think it's easier to work down from clever monsters 
  than work up from dumb ones
<Mindcrime> than to tone up
<shambles> okay
<shambles> i have to go now....i will bbl
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