IRC Chat Transcript with Human Head's Rune Development Team

On January 25, 2001 at 8:00pm EST, we had the pleasure of chatting with Human Head Studios regarding their release of Rune, a rather unique third person action game. As always, the chat is color coded according to their names, as follows:

<GV-Award> - Red - Yours Truly. GameVisions chat moderator.
<HH_CRhinehart> - Blue - Chris Rhinehart - Co-Founder/Programmer
<HH_JP> - Green - JeanPaul LeBreton - Level Designer
<HHTGERR> - Purple - Tim Gerretsen - Business Director/Producer.

20:05:28 <HHTGERR> Dave Halstead wanted to be here, but is VERY sick (flu or smoking induced dimentia- we're not sure which

20:05:35 <HHTGERR> Unfortunately, he won't be here

20:05:39 * GV-Award NOTICE: OK, this channel is now moderated.

20:05:40 <HHTGERR> I think this is everyone.

20:05:43 <HH_JP> yipe!

20:06:13 * GV-Award NOTICE: That means that only GV staff and HH developers may speak here. Please also join #gamevisions open if you have questions you'd like us to ask the devs!

20:06:40 <HHTGERR> Ready when you are!

20:06:51 <HH_CRhinehart> Dave's sick, huh?

20:07:01 <GV-Award> <Hawk|RuneCenter> Ok, well can you give us any information on the progress of the Rune Patch?

20:07:02 <HHTGERR> More than usual, anyway...

20:07:07 <HH_CRhinehart> true... true

20:07:32 <HHTGERR> We all wait while Chris types...

20:07:45 <GV-Award> ...the suspense is killing me :)

20:07:56 <HH_CRhinehart> Rune Patch: It's still being worked on. We've fixed a number of the bugs on our list, but we still have probably a dozen more things we need to go in and fix, including bugs and some gameplay tweaks.

20:08:20 <HH_CRhinehart> We're going through and tweaking some of the damages on some of the weapons and powerups, as a number of people have reported that a couple of the weapons are unbalanced.

20:08:21 <HH_JP> WILL RUNE PATCH ADD TEH RALEGUN? I LIEK TEH RALEGUN I SHOTS IT.

20:08:21 <HHTGERR> ETA?

20:08:33 <HHTGERR> JP, hush...

20:08:41 <HH_JP> heh

20:08:42 <HH_CRhinehart> Do I have the power to kick jp? :)

20:09:00 <HH_JP> chris is mad with power!

20:09:00 <GV-Award> hehe

20:09:01 <HHTGERR> HEHEH

20:09:05 <GV-Award> why, yes, I do :)

20:09:09 <HH_CRhinehart> ETA on the patch: Very soon. I hope to have something done within the next couple of weeks.

20:09:18 <GV-Award> <Thor|EvilCity> So how many entrys have you had to this comp of yours?

20:09:39 <HHTGERR> Hmmm, I haven't actually counted them, but close to 20 at this point.

20:09:55 <HHTGERR> I just hand them off to the judge committee.

20:10:02 <HHTGERR> Dave H, Mick B, and Ted H

20:10:03 <GV-Award> <Hawk|RuneCenter> So, what's some personal favorite Rune Maps of you guys?

20:10:31 <HHTGERR> JP?

20:10:53 <HH_JP> hmm...

20:10:56 <HH_CRhinehart> Personally, I like DM-Hildir and TheHelYouSay!

20:11:12 <HHTGERR> I think they meant from non-HH designers...

20:11:26 <HHTGERR> Of our maps, I really like TheHelYouSay as well

20:11:34 <GV-Award> <Dark_Coop_Conversion> HH as you guys all know by now Ive been working on the Coop conversion of Rune, I have run into a number of problems with doing this and Dave Halsted has been very helpful in helping me make it happen. Is there any plan to make any changes to alow Coop to work better than it is now, for instance AI it gets fixated on the 1st person it sees, or the problems with Ropes not being coded for more than one person? -Rick

20:11:39 <HH_JP> let me think... i've been on the net a lot recently checking out what the community has done...

20:11:43 <GV-Award> (surprised the flood bots didn't get me for that one :)

20:12:06 <HH_CRhinehart> From other designers, I'm pretty impressed with the stuff by the stuff by Oriain

20:12:12 <HH_CRhinehart> too many stuff there

20:12:14 <HHTGERR> Coop is not at all easy, which is why we didn't do it.

20:12:30 <HH_JP> yeah, oriain's stuff is looking good.

20:12:32 <HHTGERR> People seem to think you throw a switch, and <poof> you get Coop

20:12:43 <HHTGERR> As you are no doubt finding, there are a ton of issues

20:12:48 <HH_JP> the guy who did sturmkeep is pretty good too.

20:12:58 *** Quit: Torlock|RunePlayer (Ping timeout)

20:13:05 <HHTGERR> Puzzle design changes, spawn points, event triggers, what have you.

20:13:10 <HH_JP> the pace at which quality maps are showing up has increased with time, we're starting to get some good ones.

20:13:24 <HH_JP> Dark_Coop: as for the AI thing...

20:13:28 <HH_CRhinehart> Ropes: We probably will not be changing the code to support these. They really were designed purely for single-player. The AI changes: I guess it would be possible for them to lose their target like every 5 seconds or something and force them to reaquire

20:13:36 <HH_CRhinehart> Dave somehow hacked this into one of his deathmatch maps

20:13:54 <HH_JP> i'm currently looking into a way to, via scripting, get creatures to "re-think" their orders at regular intervals, so that they don't get the dreaded "target fixation".

20:14:11 <HH_JP> heh, exactly what chris said.

20:14:13 *** Part: vogel (java@216.27.43.237)

20:14:15 <GV-Award> <RIpsTer|Playerproductions> If it's top secret I understand but what is the main direction of the add-on pack single player or multi player?

20:14:17 <HHTGERR> That is bascially what Dave did.

20:14:21 <HHTGERR> It sort of works...

20:14:39 <HHTGERR> Multi Player. Completely multi-player.

20:14:43 <HH_JP> adding this functionality to the single player maps could go a long way towards making the creatures more coop friendly.

20:15:14 <GV-Award> <trevor768> Have you already supplied Westlake with some of the patch code to begin working on a patch for the Mac or will that wait until you're done?

20:15:19 <HH_CRhinehart> I'll tack that onto my list and see about adding functionality for the creatures to constantly reaquire, then

20:15:23 <HHTGERR> We focused the original game on single player gaming, so the add-on will be all multiplayer

20:15:41 <HHTGERR> They prefer we wait until we are ready with the next patch.

20:15:53 <HHTGERR> The Mac version is already a rev higher than the PC version.

20:15:53 <HH_JP> i think the community will like what we're working up for the add-on.

20:16:23 <GV-Award> A somewhat unusual format (single in the main, multi in the expansion). Any reason why you split it like that, or the multi ideas just came later? :)

20:16:24 *** Part: Fancydive (java@adsl-64-165-17-186.dsl.sndg02.pacbell.net)

20:16:33 <HHTGERR> There are some wickedly cool new maps and modes, but we have decided to show it rather than hype it when it is ready.

20:17:14 <HH_JP> the single-player game was a herculean effort. it took a very long time to develop compared to this add-on.

20:17:14 <HHTGERR> Actually, it isn't all that unusual, it used to be the only way people did things.

20:17:28 *** Join: Fancydive (java@adsl-64-165-17-186.dsl.sndg02.pacbell.net)

20:17:39 <HHTGERR> We really intended Rune to be a single player game. In many ways it was more a console title than a PC title.

20:17:42 <GV-Award> aye, but these day's it's a unique method :)

20:17:50 <HH_CRhinehart> Because Rune lends itself to great multiplay, but we didn't have the time or manpower at during the development of Rune to flesh out multiplayer as much as we wanted to without compromising the single-player experience

20:17:51 <HHTGERR> FAKK 2

20:18:00 *** Join: Fancydive01 (none@adsl-64-165-17-186.dsl.sndg02.pacbell.net)

20:18:05 <GV-Award> <Hawk|RuneCenter> Will we ever gets bots in Rune Multiplayer?

20:18:17 <HH_JP> keep in mind that a larger and larger amount of games are either going all-multiplayer or all-SP. a game that does both is sort of a rare duck nowadays.

20:18:33 *** Part: Fancydive (java@adsl-64-165-17-186.dsl.sndg02.pacbell.net)

20:18:37 <HHTGERR> Doing a good multiplayer game that is also a good single player experience is getting tougher and tougher.

20:18:52 <GV-Award> It's a shame, too, those were some of the best games.

20:18:53 <HHTGERR> Most teams are opting for one or the other, because you can no longer just tack one on to the other and get away with it.

20:19:10 <GV-Award> ...I remember those co-op Quake days fondly....DOOM.... :)

20:19:16 <HH_JP> ah yes...

20:19:38 <HH_JP> on a related note, i think it's such a shame that Oni multiplayer got axed.

20:19:42 <HH_CRhinehart> Bot support: We'd love to have bot support in Rune, and it is indeed on my list of stuff to work on (the list which keeps getting bigger and bigger every day... :)

20:20:13 <HH_CRhinehart> BUT, I cannot promise anything, as even though we have the bot code from UT to start from, we'd have to add such things as making the bots aware of melee combat, edge-grabbing, and so on and so forth.

20:20:28 <GV-Award> <Thor|EvilCity> So wheres your local drinking whole now that the other one has been knocked down??

20:20:30 <HHTGERR> Yep, the oni mp loss was sad, but as we can say from experience, we know why they did it.

20:20:51 <GV-Award> heh, I've just been finding a way to squeeze in an Oni review :)

20:21:24 <HHTGERR> 3rd person multiplayer isn't such a simple thing.

20:21:27 <HH_JP> i see so many people on the runegame forums who say they only play the multiplayer. i'm so glad Rune multiplayer happened, because it is THE reason there is such a cool community out there now.

20:21:51 <HH_CRhinehart> Buck's (local drinking hole and general sleazy bar) was tore down a few months ago, but was quickly resurrected in Buck's 2.0, which is a new bar by the same owner that is about a mile from the old one.

20:21:55 <HHTGERR> Yes. I'm glad we decided to keep MP in, but it sure wasn't a simple thing to do.

20:21:56 <HH_JP> it extends the lifespan of a game immeasurably.

20:21:57 <HH_CRhinehart> It's not the same, but we still go there

20:22:27 <GV-Award> <RIpsTer|Playerproductions> What games besides rune are the HH guys playing as of late?

20:22:38 <HHTGERR> Madden 2001 on PS2

20:22:40 <HHTGERR> A lot

20:22:43 <HHTGERR> Heh

20:22:47 <HH_CRhinehart> Hitman

20:23:02 <HHTGERR> I wanted to play Hitman, but Chris hogged it, and then Dave took it...

20:23:03 <HH_JP> i just beat Alice, i'm playing Hitman, and of course, lots of UT.

20:23:06 <GV-Award> CR: are you asking for one, of you've been playing it? :)

20:23:07 *** Join: Horus (java@ABB127.ram1st.wh.tu-darmstadt.de)

20:23:35 <GV-Award> <Dark_Coop_Conversion> We have put alot of time into the converting and changing of areas in the maps. Will anyone at Human Head try out the Conversion after we have finished it?

20:23:40 <HH_CRhinehart> very cool game, great atmosphere and interesting story and gameplay. Control was a bit odd, and lack of savegames kinda sucked, but it was worth it

20:23:47 <HH_JP> sure, i'd love to check it out.

20:23:57 <HH_CRhinehart> Definitely!

20:24:00 <HHTGERR> You bet!

20:24:11 <HHTGERR> Hell, if it's hot, we'll talk...

20:24:20 <HH_JP> me and seth were playing through some of the singleplayer maps the other night with the "dungeon master" mod...

20:24:44 <HHTGERR> Dark_Coop, hit us up with questions directly after this and we will do what we can to help you out with some tech answers.

20:24:53 <GV-Award> <Thor|EvilCity> As you do or dont know.. I have been working on a ngStats program for Rune. my problem is getting the info from the game when a match ends.. how difficult is it to grab this info,, dont know whether this is on topic or not??

20:25:03 <HHTGERR> Dungeon Master looks very cool, but I haven't had time to play it yet.

20:25:16 <HHTGERR> Chris/

20:25:27 <HH_CRhinehart> Thor: e-mail me and I'll see how I can help ya: crhinehart@humanhead.com

20:25:28 *** Join: Cragor (java@AC8C5025.ipt.aol.com)

20:25:36 <HH_CRhinehart> that might be a bit beyond the scope of this chat :)

20:25:42 <GV-Award> <Hawk|RuneCenter> Have you HH guys had a chance to test any of the new Rune skins, if so what do you think of them?

20:26:00 <GV-Award> CR: heh, nothing is beyond the scope of a chat :)

20:26:03 <HHTGERR> I have to admit, I have not. I just simply have been to busy working on new contracts.

20:26:04 <HH_JP> i saw the chrome skin on a server last night, it looked neat.

20:26:25 <HHTGERR> That's not really a skin, per se, though. It was cool, though.

20:26:27 <HH_JP> i have no idea how they did it though... i'm a level guy.

20:26:28 <HH_CRhinehart> Yeah, Seth was talking about chrome today... I haven't personally checked it out yet

20:26:41 <GV-Award> <Dark_Coop_Conversion> Is anyone at Human Head going to be at E3 this year? I will

20:26:53 <HHTGERR> Of course. We will be there.

20:27:02 <HHTGERR> Showing off our new game....

20:27:04 *** Join: X-Ternal (ptitmerdeu@HSE-QueCity-ppp45044.qc.sympatico.ca)

20:27:10 <HHTGERR> Oops, can't tell you....

20:27:10 <GV-Award> Dark: wouldn't the more important question be, is anyone from GV going to be at E3? Not to mention "Can I pay for it, Award???" :P

20:27:31 <HHTGERR> GV will probably be there drinking all the free beer GOD gives out.

20:28:00 <GV-Award> hehehe

20:28:04 <GV-Award> caught me :P

20:28:05 <HH_CRhinehart> that is, if they can even get into the GOD area through the huge line

20:28:26 <GV-Award> heheh, heck, it took me long enough just to get to PR through email to arrange this chat :)

20:28:40 <HH_JP> i just want to go to E3 for all the swell midget entertainment.

20:28:44 <GV-Award> let alone trying to get some review materials :)

20:28:52 <HHTGERR> Smitty?

20:28:55 <GV-Award> But it's worth it :P

20:29:03 <HHTGERR> You have to offer beer. He answers well to that...

20:29:09 <GV-Award> LOL

20:29:15 <GV-Award> I'll have to remembmer that.... :)

20:29:27 <GV-Award> (Wasn't him, though :))

20:29:44 <HHTGERR> If it was Matt, he responds well to threats...

20:30:02 <GV-Award> Naa, so I get the crowd you guys never heard of, eh? :)

20:30:16 <HHTGERR> I guess so.

20:30:22 <HH_JP> PlayerProductions: i am told that all the rune characters were modeled and animated in Softimage.

20:30:33 <GV-Award> Hehe, it was Andrea at first (she's the review one), but Matt did the chat scheduling.

20:30:39 <HHTGERR> Yes, that is true. Everything.

20:30:48 <HHTGERR> Andrea....<sigh>

20:31:10 <HHTGERR> We are a soft house at the moment (Softimage)

20:31:30 <GV-Award> I think we should change the topic before we get anyone in trouble :)

20:31:35 <HH_JP> with all the skins being done in good old adobe photoshop.

20:31:38 <GV-Award> <RIpsTer|Playerproductions> I read somewhere that you guys softimage for all of your modeling is there any other non-propriety software that you guys used on rune? Or would recommend for game developer wannabe's to learn

20:31:52 <HHTGERR> We do have some licenses of Max as well, but we only really used them for Blair Witch

20:32:24 <HHTGERR> We used Photoshop and UView

20:32:34 <HH_JP> softimage actually sees less use in the industry compared to 3DSMAX and lightwave.

20:33:12 <HHTGERR> A couple of guys are modeling in Max for the add on (old dogs, new tricks), but Max is really a jack of all trades product, and as such, it really just doesn't do the same job

20:33:14 <HH_JP> 3DsMax is kind of a swiss army knife program, we build the environments for Blair Witch in it, as well as character modeling, animation etc.

20:33:20 <GV-Award> (Lightwave is still the best for pure mesh....though 3DS sees a lot of action for skeletal systems)

20:33:27 <HH_JP> Lightwave i don't know very well, but it seems great for low-poly modeling.

20:33:48 <HHTGERR> We have one die hard LW guy, who is now importing brushes from LightWave into UnrealEd and exporting to Rune.

20:33:55 <HH_JP> a lot of folk who work with quake engine stuff use LW for modeling.

20:34:10 <GV-Award> Hehe, for those of us who are graphically impaired....making a cube in any of them is a mess :) I'll stick to coding and reviewing, thanks :)

20:34:20 <HHTGERR> I love LW for modeling, but it is a mess for pretty much anything else.

20:34:38 <GV-Award> Game models with NURBS.....*shudder*

20:35:08 <HH_JP> some day, game characters will be modeled with NURBS, or something equivalent.

20:35:18 <GV-Award> please shoot me :)

20:35:33 <HH_JP> we're already starting to see PCs kick out a huge number of polys.

20:35:48 <GV-Award> <trevor768> Do you expect a Mac version of the add-on pack to be released simultaneously with the PC version?

20:36:30 <HH_CRhinehart> Tim?

20:36:55 *** Quit: salvation (Quit: )

20:37:08 * GV-Award hears the Jeopardy theme....

20:37:25 * HH_JP wants the UnrealEd2 stuff merged in with RuneEd very much :)

20:37:54 <GV-Award> UnrealEd? Yuck...It was sort of interesting, but I never liked it as much as QER for QII/3

20:38:19 <GV-Award> Though that's back to the old dogs, new tricks scenerio :) BSP is still one of my tops :)

20:38:19 <HH_JP> i like UED, QER, worldcraft, whatever... they're all good tools.

20:38:32 <HH_CRhinehart> I guess Tim must be busy with something :) As for the Mac version, I think that's something to be discussed at this moment

20:38:33 <GV-Award> Qoole 2.0 :)

20:38:39 <HH_JP> UnrealEd is a little weird to get into first, because of the whole additive / subtractive thing.

20:39:04 <GV-Award> <Fancydive01> For HH guys: What are the chances of player models so someone can play as a goblin, dwarf, snowbeast, etc.?

20:39:17 <HH_JP> if you can make a good map in one editor, you can make a good map in any of them, given a little time.

20:39:42 <HHTGERR> Sorry, Paul cornered me on a question. Had to answer him.

20:39:48 <HHTGERR> What was the question for me?

20:40:19 <HH_JP> tim: <trevor768> Do you expect a Mac version of the add-on pack to be released simultaneously with the PC version?

20:40:22 <HH_CRhinehart> Fancydive01: That would rule! We've release some preliminary model specs to Chris Burke, who is developing a tool known as pygmilion (sp?) which will aid model builders in developing models and getting them into Rune

20:40:38 <HH_JP> pygmalion!

20:40:43 <GV-Award> JP: oh, so you're moderating now, eh? :)

20:41:12 <HH_CRhinehart> Also, we will be releasing the SCM specs to a whole bunch of other people who have requested them as well (note to self: release those specs... yet another thing for the list)

20:41:35 <GV-Award> <Thor|EvilCity> RuneED v2? Will it make an appearance? As its sooooo much better than V1 of the editor..

20:42:01 <HHTGERR> Mac Add-On- that is something to be negotiated out with GOD.

20:42:09 <HH_JP> i hope the UED2 stuff makes it in, but there is also some awesome stuff that was added for RuneEd...

20:42:13 <HHTGERR> From a map perspective, the maps work either for PC or Mac

20:42:28 <HHTGERR> It is the code support that needs to be supported, and that is what we need to work out with Westlake.

20:42:36 <HHTGERR> We aren't ready to make the call just yet.

20:42:49 <HH_JP> hopefully, the twisted demonic offspring of the two editors will some day be unleashed upon the world.

20:43:11 <HHTGERR> As for UED2, we will need to eventually do the conversion for our own usage, but that is something in the future.

20:43:13 *** Join: vic (java@155.162.43.188)

20:43:24 *** Quit: Thor|EvilCity (Quit: Leaving)

20:43:25 <HHTGERR> I can tell you none of our guys wants to keep using the old editor...

20:43:45 <GV-Award> <RIpsTer|Playerproductions> Have any of the HH guys seen/used the new build of the Unreal engine since you guys are licencees sp? and if you have would you like to implement it's new features into rune?

20:43:59 <HH_JP> kettil: if you want to learn the basics of RuneEd, any entry-level tutorials for UnrealEd will get you up and running.

20:44:17 *** Join: Thor|EvilCity (unk@m71-mp1-cvx3b.nth.ntl.com)

20:44:21 <HHTGERR> We have it, it's cool, but we can't really say much about it.

20:44:24 <HH_CRhinehart> Yup, we've seen the new stuff and it's very cool

20:44:26 <HHTGERR> VERY COOL

20:44:33 <HH_JP> the unreal warfare tech looks AWESOME.

20:44:46 * GV-Award drools for Unreal 2.... :)

20:44:47 <HH_CRhinehart> We will not be implementing those features into Rune, though, as it would be a LOT of work to retrofit that stuff into Rune.

20:44:56 <HH_JP> yeah...

20:45:07 <HHTGERR> However, there's always Rune 2.

20:45:12 *** Join: DG (lore@wks-65-26-172-243.kscable.com)

20:45:13 <HH_CRhinehart> Yeah, I know, JP, you want the new UnrealEd :)

20:45:26 <HHTGERR> One note, though. Unreal 2 and Unreal Warfare are not the same thing. Two differnt games from two different developers.

20:45:26 <GV-Award> Definitely a Rune 2?

20:46:03 <GV-Award> TG: Being stranded in space for years has not been fun :)

20:46:06 <HH_JP> but for anyone you mappers out there who want to use UED2, it is very easy to build, light and texture your maps in UED2, then export into Rune and place down weapons, creatures, whatever. that's what i do.

20:46:09 <HHTGERR> We hope so, though it isn't on our immediate Radar.

20:46:10 *** Join: TooL (risensolid@bay-bgt-125-172.dov.adelphia.net)

20:46:27 <GV-Award> TG: What are you guys going to work on next?

20:46:41 <HHTGERR> Chris and I are probably going to take vacations.

20:46:58 <HH_CRhinehart> Not together, though... :)

20:46:59 *** Join: demongoat (lore@wks-65-26-172-243.kscable.com)

20:47:02 <HHTGERR> I took a couple of days off, as did Chris, but we are the only ones who haven't cashed in our time yet from the release of Rune.

20:47:10 *** Part: demongoat (lore@wks-65-26-172-243.kscable.com)

20:47:10 <GV-Award> Hehe, does vacation mean to a far away land, deep in the computer, or bed? :)

20:47:12 <HHTGERR> Thpt..

20:47:38 <HHTGERR> We really need one, too.

20:47:51 <HH_CRhinehart> I'm headed to the island of cute single women

20:48:00 <HH_CRhinehart> Actually, maybe Tim will want to go with! j/k

20:48:02 <HHTGERR> As for games, we obviously have Rune Add On, and a yet to be announced other game.

20:48:08 <GV-Award> CR: LOL

20:48:16 <HHTGERR> Yeah, though the wife won't be very happy with me...

20:48:19 *** Quit: vic (Quit: vic)

20:48:25 <GV-Award> TG: LOL

20:48:28 <GV-Award> <X-Ternal> hi :) i dont know if this was asked earlier, but is there any plans for new gameplay types in the add-on?

20:48:46 <HHTGERR> Yep. Though we aren't going to say just what yet.

20:48:55 *** Quit: DG (Ping timeout)

20:48:55 <HHTGERR> We will also have more DM and TDM maps

20:49:01 <HH_CRhinehart> Yes, definitely! We will have a few new modes... but as Tim just said, it's under wraps for now

20:49:15 <GV-Award> <Hawk|RuneCenter> O0o0: Rune 2, tell us more Tim

20:49:16 <HH_JP> whee!

20:49:34 <HHTGERR> I will tell you that there won't be a Gauntlet mode, though I was pushing for it...

20:49:47 <HHTGERR> Although I might have JP ready to do the homage to Disks of Tron...

20:49:54 <HH_JP> RED RAGNAR NEEDS FOOD BADLY.

20:50:11 <HH_JP> RED RAGNAR IS ABOUT TO DIE. <bwah bwah... bwah bwah...>

20:50:12 <HHTGERR> Two guys, disks to stand on, and lots of axes...

20:50:15 <GV-Award> hehehe

20:50:40 <GV-Award> <Thor|EvilCity> So you coming to the UK, Human Head when do us brits get to meet you and take you out for a beer?

20:51:11 <HH_JP> cool.

20:51:11 <HHTGERR> We've been there three times in the past year. The Killing Fields ROCK.

20:51:24 <HHTGERR> We'll probably be there a couple of times this year, at least for ECTS!

20:51:30 <HHTGERR> That's in September.

20:51:56 <GV-Award> (Sameless Plug: Look for GameVisions coverage of ECTS courtesy of Mike "Rage" Sagner :))

20:52:05 <GV-Award> Shameless Plug, rather

20:52:21 <GV-Award> <Hawk|RuneCenter> HH, when can we expect more information on the Rune-Addon?

20:52:35 <HHTGERR> The night before its down, I suspect...

20:52:40 <HH_JP> whoa, BEETLE JOUST. that would rule.

20:53:05 <HH_CRhinehart> Jp: BeetleJoust...wasn't that a movie starring Michael Keaton?

20:53:10 <GV-Award> <Fancydive01> HH Guys, hmm..ok here we go dreaming now but on the add on you know what would be cool dueling on those big ass beetle things that you had in the one player version of Rune

20:53:11 <HHTGERR> Actually, we aren't sure. We want to make sure we are ready to reveal what's under our skirt when we have something there to show you...

20:53:14 <HH_JP> it could be just like old arcade joust. and when your beetle dies, you get down on the ground and fight with people.

20:53:20 <HHTGERR> That would rule, JP.

20:53:50 <HH_CRhinehart> Would enemies have to hatch out of eggs, too?

20:54:06 <HH_JP> if the mod community made that, i would play the hell out of that, and probably make a map for it too.

20:54:06 <HHTGERR> Or steins of beer?

20:54:17 <HH_JP> haha, brainstorming session!

20:54:20 <HH_JP> <ahem>

20:54:24 <HHTGERR> There you go modders! Get cracking. I want my Beetle Joust!

20:54:27 * HH_JP regains composure.

20:54:41 <GV-Award> Hehe, now the devs are asking the questions, too....makes you curious why the game is stable, doesn't it? :)

20:55:31 <GV-Award> note to all chat attendees, expect your NDA's in the mail :P

20:55:45 <HHTGERR> Next?

20:55:46 <HH_JP> ah, we're all too creative for our own good.

20:55:52 <HHTGERR> We can take a few more before we have to bail.

20:55:56 <GV-Award> <Kettil[RoH]> Could it be possible in someway,to code a skin that someone makes so none can use it than that person?

20:55:57 <GV-Award> np

20:56:31 <HHTGERR> Personalized skins?

20:56:49 <HHTGERR> Hmm. you'd have to give it to them for them to see it, so therein lies the rub...

20:57:04 <HH_CRhinehart> Kettil: Hmmm... that's a good question and would be an excellent feature. My gut answer would be no, as they have to have it downloaded to see it.

20:57:06 <HHTGERR> Chris?

20:57:10 <HH_JP> hmm, sounds like the security implications would make it pretty rought to pull off.

20:57:24 <HH_JP> rough, rather.

20:57:26 <GV-Award> <X-Ternal> were there any plans for a projectile only type of weapon, something like bow and arrows or like the Glaive in Krull?

20:57:55 <GV-Award> Followup: <Kettil[RoH]> Send this to the other channel.Our clan is making a clan skin,and we dont want 450 non clan members to use it.

20:57:56 <HHTGERR> No. We decided that melee was what we wanted, as there is nothing else like it.

20:58:03 <HH_CRhinehart> and if they have it downloaded...then they would be able to use it... unless there were some type of "password" system implemented in the model/skin selection screen, which seems kinda crazy. Well, that and we all know how quickly that type of stuff gets haX0red

20:58:20 <HH_JP> a projectile-only weapon would totally change the dynamic of the game.

20:58:27 <HHTGERR> We really didn't want there to be projectiles as it totally changes the game.

20:58:31 <HH_JP> so no.

20:58:44 <HH_CRhinehart> I always thought that spears would have been kinda cool, but that was quickly rejected in favor of the melee-only combat

20:58:45 <HHTGERR> There are a number of people who wish we didn't have thrown weapons.

20:59:15 <HHTGERR> Personally, I like thrown weapons, but arrows would make it too much like a shooter.

20:59:30 <HH_CRhinehart> Yeah, exactly

20:59:41 <GV-Award> Hehe, tons of first person shooters, few first person hackers :)

21:00:00 <GV-Award> (ok, wrong choice of words...slashers... :))

21:00:11 <GV-Award> <RIpsTer|Playerproductions> Question: Since you cant tell us what will be added in the Rune Add-on can you tell us some Ideas that have been shot down?

21:00:11 <HH_JP> yeah, if you wanna shoot stuff, play Q3 or UT or CS.

21:00:26 <HHTGERR> Gauntlet mode...

21:00:48 <GV-Award> Giant Beetle mode? :)

21:01:00 <HH_CRhinehart> The thing that Tim keeps saying. He won't shut up about "William Shatner's AssMaster"

21:01:09 <HH_CRhinehart> No joke... he seriously won't shut up about that.

21:01:19 <HH_JP> yes, i think beetle joust was just shot down. seconds after its proposal :)

21:01:21 <HHTGERR> Actually, it was William Shatner's Love Monkey

21:01:22 <GV-Award> ROFL

21:01:28 *** Join: Bhaal (sadgj@d186.as1.appl.wi.voyager.net)

21:01:36 <HHTGERR> You are talking about Jeff DeWitt's Ass Master, a completely different product, thank you...

21:01:49 <HH_JP> hahaha

21:01:54 <HH_CRhinehart> We discussed doing a Capture the Flag type of mod (Capture the Wench), but decided not to do that as there are already a number of CTF type of games out there for Rune.

21:01:58 <HH_CRhinehart> Capture the Torch comes to mind immediately

21:02:09 <HH_CRhinehart> Tim: I stand corrected. :)

21:02:14 <GV-Award> <TooL> another idea.. just came to mind... when you taunt i think the dude should let out a mighty scream now i have made a few skins so that when you fail the power up they scream and it could be just a cool feature

21:02:21 <HHTGERR> WSLM was kind of a game take on Being John Malkovich, only where you play are in the head of William Shatner and you experience the joy of man monkey love...

21:02:31 *** Quit: aceroqs (Read error: Connection reset by peer)

21:02:43 <HHTGERR> We actually wanted to implement a mighty roar, but we didn't have time to implement it.

21:02:47 <HH_JP> THAT'S BRILLIANT!

21:03:05 <HH_JP> that, and aren't tons of sounds kind of a no-no for multiplay?

21:03:33 <GV-Award> hehehe, GV -- Where great developers come for great ideas about the games they already made (TM) :P

21:04:07 <HH_JP> heh, clever.

21:04:16 <GV-Award> I'm not ready to replace the logo just yet... :)

21:04:19 <GV-Award> <Fancydive01> put a skin on a secure web server and give only clan folk the password...then if they give it out..fifty lashings with a wet noodle

21:04:28 * HH_JP tosses a bloody severed head into the room.

21:04:46 <HHTGERR> Right now Chris is running around the office with his Def Rockstar toque yelling, 'Bo-oy' so we probably need to end this soon...

21:04:56 <HH_CRhinehart> To be honest, we have the "yell" sounds, but we didn't get them until -- literally -- the day before we went gold.

21:04:59 <GV-Award> ROFL

21:05:29 <GV-Award> <Dark_Coop_Conversion> I have an Ideal for a multiplayer type, the more kills you get the srtonger and larger you get, eventually everyone will be tring to take out the Giant, could be alot of fun

21:05:30 <HH_CRhinehart> I'll see if they are in the sound files and see about adding them for the patch...that'd be cool as well

21:05:33 <HH_JP> the yell sounds were recorded directly from the primal screams of us developers in the middle of crunch time. they are 100% authentic cries of rage.

21:05:47 <GV-Award> LOL

21:05:52 * GV-Award has been there :)

21:06:00 <HH_JP> RROOOAAAARGGGGHHH!

21:06:07 * GV-Award now knows where to look for a job when stressed... :)

21:06:10 <HHTGERR> We have fatboy, which makes you fatter, but there are inherent problems with getting big as you can get so big that your attacks go over the heads of your victims...

21:06:53 <GV-Award> <Kettil[RoH]> Question:There is one feature i wished for Rune.DHalsted i believe answered it,but would take much space to implent it.When losing right arm,why should the player be able to put weapon in left instead of shield?

21:07:18 <HH_JP> there is a mutator for UT that does a similar thing with player drawscales, but collision gets troublesome when players get *too* big so there is a cap.

21:07:28 <HH_JP> and in rune there would be a whole new set of problems with ti.

21:07:30 <HH_JP> it.

21:07:37 <HHTGERR> That is an animation issue. You would need to swap the animations in real-time from arm to arm, and that isn't doable in the engine.

21:08:05 <HHTGERR> We could make more animations, but that is a TON of work, which is why we came up with the rules for weapon arm/shield arm.

21:08:40 <GV-Award> <RIpsTer|Playerproductions> Questions: What's the funniest stunt anyone at HH has ever done to lighten the stress up?

21:08:54 <HHTGERR> Usually it involves Chris and sharp objects.

21:09:00 <GV-Award> LOL

21:09:11 <HHTGERR> He has a sword collection, and HH has a collection of holes in the walls.

21:09:24 <HH_JP> hearing, in June, that BW2 had to be gold by the beginning of october.

21:09:24 <HH_JP> :)

21:09:32 <GV-Award> Hmmm, now I'm confused as to which G.O.D. developer you are :)

21:09:33 <HH_CRhinehart> Shane took a picture of a local wanted felon and tweaked it to look a LOT like Jeff Dewitt

21:09:36 <GV-Award> That sounds like so many of them :)|

21:09:56 <HH_JP> we are violent types, us game developers.

21:09:56 <HHTGERR> That was pretty funny.

21:10:03 *** Join: aceroqs|sfoundry (tjones@24-216-198-246.hsacorp.net)

21:10:06 <GV-Award> hehe

21:10:09 <GV-Award> <Fancydive01> HH Guys, Grugon like smash! What smash good?

21:10:11 <HH_JP> after all, we create the games that make children go on killing sprees!

21:10:16 <HHTGERR> Jeff got shane back by putting Shane's head on a picture of an old woman.

21:10:20 <HH_CRhinehart> And, we haven't done this, yet, but we're gonna install VirtuaGuy on Shane's machine... I doubt he'll be able to figure out how to uninstall it ... hahaha

21:10:31 <HH_JP> hahaha

21:10:35 <HHTGERR> hahahahah

21:10:45 <HH_CRhinehart> Tim/Jp: don't tell him!

21:10:51 <GV-Award> JP: Well, that's what's to be expected after the HMO's educate the richest 1% of kids.... :)

21:10:52 <HHTGERR> I won't say a word...

21:11:01 <HHTGERR> Ok kids, gotta go. One last question for the road?

21:11:11 <GV-Award> hehe ok.

21:11:26 <GV-Award> Before these loveable (but frightening) folks go, just a few quick plugs :))

21:11:26 <HH_CRhinehart> Yeah, same here... still have a lot of work to finish for the evening

21:11:41 *** Join: BadKarma (utbuilder@m21-mp1-cvx1b.car.ntl.com)

21:12:06 <HHTGERR> Thanks to all of you, seriously, for playing the game. We really do appreciate it.

21:12:23 <HHTGERR> Now buy some you damn pirates! ;P

21:12:29 <HH_CRhinehart> haha :)

21:12:35 <GV-Award> Check GV for reviews of Fur Fighters, Battle of Britain (and if I back from the G.O.D. PR person I was speaking to about it, soon,), Kingdom Under Fire....and preview of Fallout Tactics

21:12:43 *** Quit: TooL (Read error: Connection reset by peer)

21:12:47 *** Quit: trevor768 (Quit: )

21:12:52 <GV-Award> Also, We'll likely be having a chat next Thursday at this same time with the Anarchy Online team

21:13:01 <HHTGERR> By all!

21:13:03 *** Join: TooL (risensolid@bay-bgt-125-172.dov.adelphia.net)

21:13:07 <HHTGERR> Bye all, oops

21:13:09 <GV-Award> bye guys

21:13:15 <HH_JP> cool, nice talking to all you guys! rock on!!

21:13:17 <GV-Award> I'd like to thank the HH guys for taking the time

21:13:24 <GV-Award> out of their busy schedules to visit with us

21:13:25 <HH_CRhinehart> Thanks, GV... great chat!

21:13:29 <GV-Award> You guys have been a lot of fun!

21:13:38 <HH_CRhinehart> see you boyz on the Rune Servers...

21:13:53 <HH_JP> mad props to you folks out there in the community.

21:13:54 <GV-Award> Take care, and get working on that multiplayer :)

21:13:55 <HHTGERR> See ya!

21:14:03 *** Quit: Fancydive01 (Quit: )

21:14:30 *** Mode change "-m" by GV-Award

21:14:37 <Hawk|RuneCenter> Thanks HH!

21:14:40 <RIpsTer|Playerproductions> thanks for all the good time i had playing rune!

21:14:50 *** Quit: Bhaal (Quit: )

21:15:12 <TooL> lol beetle joust

21:15:16 <GV-Award> Now, what would all you guys like to see us chat about after Anarchy?

21:15:17 <Kettil[RoH]> Laters HH

21:15:23 <Hawk|RuneCenter> Thanks for keeping the community so in touch for all that is happening. Thanks also to GV for hosting this chat

21:15:32 <GV-Award> Hawk: np :)

21:15:32 <Thor|EvilCity> good chat boys..

21:15:34 *** Quit: HHTGERR (Quit: )

21:15:37 *** Quit: HH_CRhinehart (Quit: Leaving)

21:15:42 <Thor|EvilCity> Thanks.. I can go sleep now..

21:15:46 <HH_JP> later folks!

21:15:46 *** Quit: BadKarma (Quit: Leaving)

21:15:47 <Kettil[RoH]> hehe

21:15:48 *** Quit: HH_JP (Quit: )