MGS3 & FIxed PipeLine Vs Programmable Vertex I

Metal Gear Solid 3 - Snake Eater

This is today topic, letz talk something about my life today before I start the real thing, hehe. I over night at Lo Shyang house yesterday. What I like to share is I had a sweet but weird dream, but sorry to say that i cannot share it here, its a bit personal anyway :P That dream gave me a very nice start of the day i guess, just made me even miss one people again.

I start to play my Metal Gear Solid 3, Snake Eater at Lo Shyang PS2 today. Today progress is, Okay i think. Won the match with Ocelot and made the way out of the very dark cave. Comment to this game? Very good, challenging and funny. Ya, funny, in many sense, Hideo Kojima add some humor in the game. For example, You can die beaten by a Crocodile...wait...its funny? ya...to me.

MGS3 have a very nice game play, player need to be very careful and use the enviroment and equitment nicely to perform a nice action. You can complete the mission in anyway you like it, its one time i saved my game and shoot all the moving thing with my sniper, i still pass that stage with nothing wrong. Another time I use the CQC technique to take down all 5 guy shooting at me, then kill one by one...no problem, still past that stage. I personally like the sneaky and hiding action, so i always want to complete the mission in silence. Skill and Patient needed, but sometime, just screw up and start killing people everywhere.

Fixed Pipeline VS Programmable Vertex

Hey, I am not just playing for the day! I did learn some 3D thingy today, and so far i read the site which i given at last post, the Beyond3D website, it is really a very cool website i think. I learn a lot of 3D overview there. For beginner who want to step the leg into this field or people who used Fixed Pipeline a lot and wish to catch up the new tech, please do visit the site, it just at the previous post, go and get it (not giving here, so that you will read my previous Post :p)

I try to summarize what i read so far, about Fixed Pipeline Function in 3D programming. As far i knew, this also can known at TnL Pipeline. It is some API function built in into Direct X which is interface for transformation and lighting of each vertex. User use the the function built in to put in the vertex information and call up the function to process them.

Fixed Pipeline fixed some problem and optimized a lot of the actual work, it divide the complex process into serveral smaller process and past them to specifid Chip at the hardware which design to specialize process certain task to do seperate task at the same time. This speed up the process of the overall 3D process. But the trade off of fixed pipeline are, fixed. Some chips are really specific for some task only, if the program doesnt need that, it just leave blank there and doing nothing good to the overall. Another leak is, the function provided is fixe and limited. If the user wish to have another kind of lighting model but not provided by the pipeline, then...thas it, nothing can be done.

The low efficiency and low utilisation of the silicon area added to the lack of functional flexibility required for per vertex operations has resulted in the introduction of a different approach: The programmable Vertex Unit.

This is what the site said. So, i going to read that post later, hopefully complete before my eye lips drop down and will share that tommorow :)

Today Feeling :- i love the dream.

Future Games Creator Seminar 2

Ok, letz continue from the previous one, now is typing at Kok Yang's computer, hehe, say is help Lo Shyang do his 3D stuff, but end up doing my own blog :p

Ok...after the meeting personally with Walter, the next thing, yea, the most important thing for me, Hafiz, lead programmer of Phoenix, lead programmer for Feng Weng Online. I learnt a lot of thing from him, not at the speech...well this have to pull back to before the seminar start. Thank to John introduce me to Hafiz, and there he teach and share to me some of his programming expenrience. Here i going to share it out.

Hafiz told me that, Fixed Pipeline is going to leave out from direct X, while even in Direct X 9, people actually start using programable Pipeline, in other words, Vertex shader. According to what Hafiz and John told me, vertex shader is mean that as a 3D programmer, we going to program every vertex and pixel on screen...i hope I dont get them wrong, I did some research and found a good site to refer for this method, actually is a lot, incase you are too lazy to search yourself, here is it http://www.beyond3d.com/articles/vs/ . I told Hafiz that i actually reading a book to learn Direct X, well, he told me that, he never read a book for Direct X. How he learn then, www.gamedev.net , the answer. Well, i got really excited to talk with Hafiz and he did told me many important thing at the time which I want to start learning directX.

One thing very surpise me is that, Hafiz told me that, and to everyone else there, Feng Weng Online, actually just did by 4 programmers. doubt? a MMORPG by 4 programmers. I think I really have to get serious else i really some peanut in game dev.

Ok...I may bored some artist already. The next is for you guys! dont't leave ( i am really SS). Kevin is the last specific speaker. Talked about game's art, also another Q&A but even me myself, i did learn somthing from his speech (as you all know, i am quite art idiot). I try my best to summarize Kevin answers and talks here. The thing which keep floating in my mind is the part Kevin kept emphasize one, Theory of Art. Kevin said that, tools everyone can do it and use it to create something, but, to create something that have feeling you need art sense. How to have a strong art sense then? Theory. Kevin recommend student to research on Art Theory, history, color theory and motion theory. How to make a motion got the motion feeling? Theory. So art not all about drawing now? read some book then.

The next speaker after Kevin is the Microsoft talk by Walter. Basically is the same talk which he talked to me while i meet him (that why i said i am his Training Dummy, lol). After all the talks, we enjoy our lunch sponsor by MDeC, nasi goreng kampung dan ayam goreng, ada beberapa tambikai and honey dew. hehe.

Everyone are full now( not me). Ok, we left the action part, which is the exictement and nervous part...for those who are going to present their 3 month work of a game. The Showcase! This showcase we have 8 showing project, 5 by SEGD Gamma and 3 by FCM's Digital media FYP. Overally, everyone works is awesome. What dissapointed is, none of the SEGD student completed their game while all the FCM student did provide a well polish and complete flash game.

My own opinion here. FCM's student project all are flash game, game play is easy game design is creative but not that complete i think. Just for casually play. FCM's student's work all are very well polish, art is awesome (that FCM man...) story line provided are awesome (Maximum Shot story is very meaningful and complete)(plus Mei Kuan is such a leng lui, add some more point :P) Insane marathon game play is fast and contants, it fun, for 1st time, but seem no point to conitnue playing it. I really like the way to show how the character get hurt then 1st one leg gone, hurt again sit on the....what you call, orang cacat punya kerusi. the last life you left, you sleep on a patient bed. thats fun. Another is the Cubic house, honestly, i wont play that game, very tiring :p but the artm, yea, cool and unique.

For my fellow senior, sorry, i am not acting critical, but, a complete game really the key of the showcase i think. I not going to ensure that i going to provide a w3ell polish game or complete game, but i did learn this lesson at today seminar and try my best to avoid myself to fall into the same trap. None game by SEGD is actually complete. I think the main reason is game design student always have a great vision for their game, so the game become complex and the thing need to be done is more, more programming, more gameplay design and level design. One sems time while some other subjects are interfering is not a easy task to complete such a complex game i think. I actually knew the effort they put in, i knew them and got the news of them as well. Well, cheer for the hardwork then. All games are expandable and got a future for that game, hope they never give up and complete the game :)

Huh? quite long ? well, i guess that is all for my report of the seminar then. Kind of tired and sleepy again, so...thats all :)

Today Feeling? I have to be more serious and passionate...Direct X!

Future Games Developer Seminar 1st Half

Ya...FGCS, a very great event, well at least I felt proud to be one of the event maker or commitee people called it. I think I just brief abit about it now.

I missed the breakfast. :| du.... ok. The very first thing, is the welcome speech by John Tan, CEO of Hatchings Games. This guy is always excited, and have something to talk and share. He gave a very good welcome note, let people to get relax and feeling of thing going to start soon. After that is Kevin, art director of Game Brains (top game developer company in Malaysia). He appear to be a bit nervous, i think, in the key note speech. But still, he delivered a very good kick start key note. Kevin talked alot about the game industry, the world market, and relative to Malaysia local industry. I was expected a "sad" talk (cos malaysia situation is, agreeable that, is sad). Erm, I was wrong, Kevin gave a very excitement and hopeful talk, he keep pushing that now is the very right time to get into the inductry. well, I do hope he is true.

After that was Micheal Ooi, lead game designer of Phoenix games studio. The one who lead Fung Weng Online, the very first MMOG developer by Malaysia company and people. (clap your hand plzz....). He session is, mainly about Q&A, actually today's talks mainly is Q&A lah, but it still cool, since all the question got the good answer and satisfy answer i guess. I missed up the game design discussion, since at the middle of the session, Key(Hatchlings COO) called me out to meet this guy from Microsoft Malaysia, named Walter.

Erm, I have to describe abit the meeting with Walter since I just like, happened to be his "traning dummy before the speech" because the thing he talked to me personally is the thing he going to present later. At least i am the 1st hand holder than, hehe. Well, what he talk to me personally. Actually is what I'd i asked about windows thing to him. Windows Vista, is going to launch officially this Nov or Dec, but the actual date that we can buy that product is next year 2007 February, he so confident about it, so, i guess that is the date, windows user heard that? :p

(i like to type more, but... my arm is getting pain and tired, sorry, will continue once i get my hand back)

To be continue...

The Very First Day of Holiday

Today is a the first day I in my Beta year holiday. Well, this holiday I planed a lot of things (at least I think is quite a lot for me). They are

1. I must do something with my direct X. My highest aim is animate the model, actually is... what i think, if i can import some model with code and display it, it consider as a good achivement, for me, Kuan... lol
2. This is a bit...hehe... I planed to finish my Metal Gear Solid 3 in this holiday, finish it! How? go to Lo Shyang house, use the time he is not at home, and crack that game :P (pity loshyang)
3. This plan is abit...part time syle. Solve the Algorithm programming question on that site....forgot what site, will mention later lah. To prepare for next sems' code match. My team is name "i dunno" yes, i dont know :P with Josh and Solid, a strong team huh? letz rox!

Well...this is the plan.

What I did today? errrr.....abit shame to say, but i worth the enjoyment de! letz share then

Morning well....ordinarlly day man, but... i did a exciting thing anyway...i watch lost. LOST seasion 2 last episod. Damn another big mysteries lies for season 3!!!! cannot wait to see it liaw. For those who say (if here really happen that someone carelessly get in here...) LOST is the best series i ever see..... really... give yourself a chance, don't miss this series! damn nice !

Well....today, my wife, my dear MyVI.....hurt again...pity her got such a bad host. The hand Break Jam liaw! haaa.....dont know what happen, very first time i call my father to check it out looo.......he say dunno what wire jam or got off the break or what, no idea, Hope Kent will help me fix that out lah.

Ok....next thing. ya. 1st time i swim, at CyberJaya. hehe, pity me and William and Leongi traped in the Cyber Desert. So i end up bring my Laptop to their house, play game, then swim and dinner at Dengkil with them lo. Well, thanks to them i wont have a bore and bad start for this holiday.

Ermmm, i think this thing really worth to mention then. John, keep asking me and Iris who want to be next academic year GDC president. Ahh...thats kind of heavy thing for me, i felt proud of it but i really don't want that post. No idea why, but i will try my best for the GDC. Ya, seriusly, just like what i did for PB!

OOOOOk....Last liaw Last liaw....i guess, my first post always is long post de lahh, see how long i can sustain this thing lah, damn it. Kuan style, 21 years no change. Forgive me. Yea, going to sleep liaw lahh, Min Bee kept reminding me to sleep already, tommorow have a Future Game Creator Seminar to organize eiii, ya! tommorow topic sure is around that seminar. Keep track (i still felt that i am just a freak talking to myself.)

TodayFeeling : i miss someone...