Also Known As: banshee_revora (Steam) Joined: 15 Aug 2002 Location: Brazil
Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2013 12:47 am Post subject:
Happy new year!
Subject description: PPM plans for 2013 are all here. But these are just plans... the reality will be different.
Happy new year everyone! As usual, we wish you all the best. I know it's january 3rd here, so I'm sorta late with it. I had a trip at the end of the last year and I've also lost some time with the procedures to make TiberiumWeb work in this server.
Our plans for 2012 are expanding the site to cover other games (not necessarily Command & Conquer) and using VXLSE III to help people to create 3D models optimized for the latest game engines. We may not necessarily finish this mission in 2012, but we'll certainly progress with that, like what we did in 2011. The new C&C games like Generals 2, Tiberium Alliances and even Tiberian Twilight are not moddable, but they'll still be covered, since they'll certainly be an important source of inspiration for many modders that lurks in this community. We'll keep motivating modders and play with the old and moddable games (including RA3) and we persistently show people that playing modded old games is still a very fun experience.
So, let's analyze each point of these plans:
- Expand the site to cover non-C&C games: We've actually started working in a project called 'Project Perfect Indie', however, it has failed due to lack graphics resources and it was later renamed. I am still working at an automatic way to generate these graphics resources to eventually reorganize this site into portals. And we'll have portals dedicated to other games.
- Progress with VXLSE III's 3D model export feature: This has been done although, as I said, it's not finished. We are able to generated models that maths consider 'manifolds', which allows other programs to manipulate them in a proper way. It has been documented in a master dissertation (in portuguese). We still have a long path ahead to use these models in games like Generals.
- News coverage on Tiberian Twilight, Generals 2 and Tiberium Alliances: I think we only covered Generals 2 and that was done in a very restricted manner, since we don't have much info on this game. We all know it will have 3 factions: GLA, European Union and an asian faction. We've dropped Tiberium Alliances coverage, specially after a NDA violation from one of the hosted mods and there was no news about Tiberian Twilight. But TT's case was quite unfair, since WrathEd is actually able to mod this game, according to Ju-Jin (Lauren)
- Motivate modders to play C&C games older than Tiberian Twilight: Mission accomplished. Any words on that one?
The last year was also special for several interesting mods that joined our ranks, some mod releases and the News Tracker that has made our frontpage active regardless of the months that my university has reduced my activity in this site into ashes. We've also got our financial situation transparent to our users, which helped us to get very nice donations. We've even got a serious advertiser here at the end of the year.
And... what are our plans for 2013? The same plans for 2012. We need to advance with these plans in order to focus on new objectives. And also we'll always try to expand this place ensuring that the existing parts are still updated and maintained with low effort. That's quite a challenge when you run a site, but it's fun and it still keeps me motivated to improve this place.
Great news, It's good to hear that you're thinking on expanding rather than suffering the oposite, can you expand the "PPI" idea a little further? I want to know what's that about. _________________
Also Known As: banshee_revora (Steam) Joined: 15 Aug 2002 Location: Brazil
Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2013 2:26 am Post subject:
Project Perfect Indie should be a portal that will aid people to develop games from scratch or using well known engines. It should also provide a simple news coverage on indie games and game engines. I'm in doubt if I call it Project Perfect Indie or Project Perfect Game. QUICK_EDIT
There is a BIG difference betwen a big company game and an Indie game, Indie games are normally quality games made by fans or small companies, that reach their goals with little resources, they represent the oposite that company games are, big, clumsy groups leaded by people who only care about making money from the masses, there are cases and cases, but I'm sure that indies represent what we are actually doing.
if you're going to make the portal, go ahead with PPI, please. QUICK_EDIT
Also Known As: banshee_revora (Steam) Joined: 15 Aug 2002 Location: Brazil
Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2013 2:42 am Post subject:
The term indie is too much generic. It can refer to anything and not just games. When you wanna develop a game, you develop a game. Not an indie. Your game is an indie game (since you are not a big company), but it is not just an indie. QUICK_EDIT
Well I like the word indie, because of the pride it carries, but you got a good point there, I don't think that "Project Perfect Indie Game" would sound good. QUICK_EDIT
Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2013 4:33 am Post subject:
Re: Happy new year!
Banshee wrote:
- Expand the site to cover non-C&C games: We've actually started working in a project called 'Project Perfect Indie', however, it has failed due to lack graphics resources and it was later renamed. I am still working at an automatic way to generate these graphics resources to eventually reorganize this site into portals. And we'll have portals dedicated to other games.
Just like with new TiberiumWeb I cannot see how that should be succesful. Have you looked at IndieDB? Its a dead place but with thousands of people. modders for games gather at the games forum or at sites dedicated to mod that certain game.
Age of empires got the Age of heavens sites.
Sacred got its wiki and german community and others.
Star wars empire at war hang out at some heavens site.
cryengine dudes hang out at some place too.
A modding site lives when people can be reached by it who mod and know how to mod. Or when there are tutorials and downloads but then its a silent leecher site. Unless you can't get the key people from the established sites to join you this can AFAIK only lead to nowhere. And in all honesty leaving an established site dedicated to mod a game for some new site is idiotic. You got to unite knowledge not split it.
Graphic ressources should be your least problem. I don't come here because I like the banner.
I foresee that if you try to become some MODDB thingy you're gonna fail hard but hey good luck but speak to the key people of moddable games and if they want to migrate over. QUICK_EDIT
Also Known As: banshee_revora (Steam) Joined: 15 Aug 2002 Location: Brazil
Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2013 11:09 am Post subject:
Errr... first of all, I'm not leaving any site.
And... I won't build these things entirelly from scratch. We have content here that may serve as a start and the forums that is already visited by many people. We are just trying to reach new niches. QUICK_EDIT
Offer new possibilities, then let the community accept and use it.
Sounds to me like the perfect plan for any Admin to make his site more popular and accepted by more people.
So go for it Banshee.
Just make sure that the known and well accepted PPM isn't changed too much (e.g. removing, renaming, reordering the known PPM forums would be bad when trying to get the new stuff organized and well integrated into PPM)
Happy new year PPM and Banshee.
My name suggestion: Perfect Indie Development Project or Project Perfect Indie Development (to keep the PP prefix) _________________ SHP Artist of Twisted Insurrection: Nod buildings
How about making a new year resolution to kick start what PPM was created for in the first place. The time is now Banshee! _________________
The enemy shall be injected with toxic poison - Venom QUICK_EDIT
Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2013 5:58 pm Post subject:
Re: Happy new year!
Banshee wrote:
- News coverage on Tiberian Twilight, Generals 2 and Tiberium Alliances: [~]and there was no news about Tiberian Twilight. But TT's case was quite unfair, since WrathEd is actually able to mod this game, according to Ju-Jin (Lauren)
Wait, TT is moddable? When did this happen! I'd jump on that one right now. _________________ I am Zengar Zombolt, The Sword That Cleaves Evil! There is Nothing I can not Cut! QUICK_EDIT
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