Back to later plan update

27 December 2000 - Avenger

• We've got the patched version of de_college done up, thanks to Dixon who got right onto it after returning from Tekong. Starfire was the guy who helped us test the patched version with RealBot, and there seem to be no more CT worldspawn problems, so thanks goes out to him for helping us again when we needed someone who could test the map using bots. You can grab the updated version of de_college from our download page - Included there are the full and patched versions of the map. Those who downloaded the 11 December release can save themselves 1MB of downloading time by grabbing the 4MB patch instead.
• We will try to update the various mirrors from FilePlanet and 3DDownloads shortly.

25 December 2000 - Dixon

• Merry Christmas to all, but no, we don't have a christmas special for you. Guns, terrorists and Christmas don't really mix.
• The patch has finished compiling, actually a long time ago, but sorry for the delay. We had a communications breakdown, since Sephyre didn't send the recompiled map to Avenger. Anyway, expect the map in the next 24 hours... I hope. Changes include more spawn points, better spacing for the CT spawns, and a minor fix in an area where you can get stuck in. Testing should be underway this time, we've learnt our lesson, this time we test with bots as well.
• On a different note, Tekong is an opportunity to handle a real gun, even if its only the M4A1(M16S1). Haven't fired with it though, but that will come soon. Expect our next production to be something of an even more realistic nature =P

25 December 2000 - Avenger

• After booking out of Tekong BMTC Resort just yesterday we've identified the somewhat severe bug in the map having a maximum of 5 CT spawn points and having the rest terminate the others through worldspawn. This was confirmed by Oob (the guy who did the NNBot waypoint file for us). We should be releasing a patch for this later in the day, and update the various full download files. This patch will also incorporate a fix to one other minor bug in the map. We have also secured the Fragnetics.com website, but we're not sure how quickly we can hook this server up to the website considering the speed at which our webhost works :)
• We should also have a CNet Singapore interview slated sometime soon - We're still working out the details as to when we can meet Ernest, who happens to be an old ACS boy as well. The problem with setting up a date is that Dixon and I are stuck doing physical training in Tekong most of the week!

13 December 2000 - Avenger

• You are hereby required under Section 10 of the Enlistment Act (Cap 93), to report for enlistment ... The Enlistment process will be as follows :
  • You will exchange your National Registration Identity Card for your SAF Card and Identity Discs.
  • You will be issued with a gift bag.
  • You will be ushered to the oath taking area whereby your parents will be able to witness the oath taking ceremony.
  I BET we're all looking forward to that gift bag we're gonna get...

12 December 2000 - Avenger

• Starfire has told us that he has had some problems getting more than 5 players to spawn at the CT startpoint. He mentioned that all other players that come after the 5th one will be terminated by Worldspawn. Due to our beta-testing sessions never having more than 10 players (meaning about 5 per side) we were never able to test for problems with regards to spawning. Although we have not been able to confirm that such a problem exists, we think that there is a strong possibility of this as our spawn points were placed somewhat close to one another at the CT start point due to the narrow corridor. Other players who have run into such a problem are encouraged to get in touch with us at halflife@surf28.com immediately since Dixon and I will be 'overseas' in the following weeks and that we might not be able to issue a patched up map with corrected spawn locations.
• Ernest Khoo of Singapore CNet Gamecenter also made mention of us here. This brings the number of websites we've seen that have published news of our final release to 11. We also recorded close to 8000 page views yesterday alone, about 6 times the number that of the highest number of page views we had in a single day - Needless to say we chalked up a record number of visitors as well. Thanks to everybody out there for trying the map, we hope we haven't let any of you guys down :)

12 December 2000 - Dixon

• I've uploaded the model files from PR2 by request since there have been people who did not get a chance to play with the schoolgirl models. Bear in mind though that the models are for Half-Life deathmatch only. They will not work in Counterstrike.
  You can get them here
• There has also been a problem which I noticed in the behaviour of the .res downloading mechanism implemented in Half-Life 1.1.0.4. When I tried it, Half-Life failed to recognise the files in the .res directory, and thus crashed on me wihle in software render mode. If you do have any problems, or do not have Half-Life 1.1.0.4, a quick fix will be to copy all files in the maps\de_college.res directory to the cstrike directory, preserving the directory structure within the de_college.res directory. Apologies go out to those who have experienced problems with the resources. So much for RTFM.

12 December 2000 - Avenger

• It's been an incredibly busy day today, especially with our file being mirrored on several download locations and also because we discovered that the FilePlanet executable was corrupted due to an error on our part. As always the guys handling the mirroring there rapidly uploaded a corrected version and the world was at peace once again - Apologies to the 700 or so guys who downloaded the executable and discovered there were problems : If you rename that particular file as a .zip it would work as well, but we haven't really tested to see if the stuff would work out fine.
• In addition I put back the scanned image of the news article done by Zaobao back on our website again - I always thought the files were there, but strangely the article disappeared over the past 1 month... Anyways unless you understand Chinese it wouldn't be much of a point to read the scanned version found in the Features Page, but even if you don't you can catch the photos and screenshots of the school itself.
• Thanks also goes out to the various websites who caught onto the news bit that Planet Halflife and Halflife.net wrote on. We've managed to compile screenshots of the various websites that put up information regarding our map here. It's a 199KB JPEG.

11 December 2000 (Update 2) - Avenger

• The guys over at Halflife.net are really quick at getting stuff up. They've posted news about the map being up and also helped us mirror our files over at FilePlanet. Thanks to Jon for his lightning flash update - I guess I get to pull back one just minutes after he's done his posting over at Halflife.net :)

11 December 2000 - Avenger

• We have completed our final compile of the ACJC Map. You can grab the final release from our download page under the name of de_college. Interested parties who wish to further develop the map can approach us for the source files of the models, textures and maps that we have developed through the course of the ACJC Half-Life Project. We have decided to completely abandon Half-Life Deathmatch in this final release, but we are willing to hand the source to whoever is interested to port the map to other games or other modes of Half-Life play. Note that we view the modification of our work seriously and would not hesitate to take action against those who intend to turn a profit from modification or merchandising of our map. Those interested to learn mapping through the use of our source code are invited to drop us a mail - We will issue you an Open Source License for these purposes.
• We intend to hand over all source files to Gamersutra's deadfish as he has expressed interest in porting the map to Unreal Tournament and possibly Deus Ex.
• Also we'd like to thank the fantastic people who've beta-tested our map and put up with the serious lag that has been bogging the map down from PR2 till this final release. We understand that lower-end system configurations will find it a slight challenge to run our map in a real gameplay situation but we've done our very best to bring down lag as much as possible. We can only recommend that players run a Pentium III-class or Athlon-class system with at least 128MB of RAM for optimum performance. We're very pleased that we've managed to reduce lag significantly from PR2 till this final release.

10 December 2000 - Avenger

• We'd also like to thank Hak Beng for offering us his Linux server for our 2nd and final beta test held tonight. We were sufficiently pleased with the performance of the map and will finalize some minor details. We'd also like to thank the few guys who were able to beta-test the map with us given the extremely short notice (about 1 hour?). Slightly less than 10 people participated in the final beta test. Screenshots of the test will be posted on the screenshots page as part of the content we will update on the website for the final release.
• FINAL BETA TEST (BETA TEST SESSION II)
  IP Address : 202.157.135.97 (Port 27015)
  Download : ACJC Preview Release 3N
  Time : 8:15pm onwards (SGT)

9 December 2000 - Avenger

• We have released a new compiled version of the map again today. We anticipate that there are going to be very few changes from this release and the final version which we will release tomorrow. As Dixon and I are going out of action this Wednesday, our involvement in the map will end the moment we release our final version tomorrow. We'll still be around, but not very often for the coming months.

8 December 2000 - Avenger

• We're fixing the problems we found in the latest build of the map. In addition we have released a new version of Preview Release 3 for intensive beta-testing. What we need is for feedback on problems with the lift. Two issues need to be sorted out if you intend to help us playtest this lift :
  1. Does it cause Counterstrike to crash?
  2. Are there occassions where people can get stuck in the lift?
  We are currently working on lag problems at certain locations.

3 December 2000 - Avenger

• We're on our way to give a talk at Thomson CC this afternoon at 2pm with regards to Counterstrike - Dixon will be presenting our latest build and telling the audience there more about what our team does and the skills we need to get the job done when it comes to stuff like the upcoming map. Everybody's been working really hard during the past 2 days at Dixon's place before we managed to sneak in a 1-day break, then it's back to mapping again once the talk is over. You guys can get a glimpse of the first 3 screenshots of our latest build over at the screenshots page. We're still improving the look of the map at this stage, and still sorting out some lag problems in certain areas. If you're impressed by the new look it's all thanks to the incredible job our texturer #sucker from Solid Foundation has been doing for us.

30 November 2000 - Avenger

• We're making good progress on the map itself. Although we are still some distance from completing it for our 5 December beta testing, we've managed to accomplish a few things which are worth noting. Here's a run-down of what we have in store in the final release.
  Improvements/Changes for Final Release
  
  • Significantly less lag. This is achieved due to better crate placements, some map optimizations and tradeoffs. Polygon count in poor areas are now reduced to 700 as compared to 1.3K in the 2nd Preview Release.
  • Improved textures, skybox, and lighting. There should be more variety in the map in terms of the texture usage and lighting. We've also got a couple of photos to finish off that skybox which wasn't very complete in the last release.
  • Moved bomb points to new locations : Hall, and East-end Staircase (CT start pt) - CTs and Ts are now equidistant from bomb locations.
  • Introduction of some tables and chairs to enhance playability in several areas.
  • Several doors are now static so that it would be unnecessary to risk your life just opening them.
  • Inclusion of all 3 computer labs on Level 3. This allows for the hall to be entered from many different locations, increasing the difficulty of Ts or CTs securing the area.
  • Inclusion of lift which can travel across all 3 levels in the college.
  We've got other stuff like the models and short film which we hope to complete as well, but as of now we can't say for sure of our schedule for that. Nonetheless we hope more guys can put their names forward for beta testing - Do drop us a mail.
• Even as we're preparing for our Final Release, Oob (aka Hok Man) did up an NNBot waypoint file for PR2. Upon his request we are linking directly to his website here where you can download the waypoint file so you can run around with bots chasing you. Since we're doing the final map close to 24/7 we haven't had any time to run a test on the NNBot file, but Oob says there are some kinks to it that may give players a few problems. We hope that our final release would be free of the problems NNBot or RealBot faces in the current Preview Release 2 map.

26 November 2000 - Avenger

• We've adjusted our beta-testing date to 5 December 2000. This is due to commitments our team has on 28 and 29 November, 3 and 4 December.

24 November 2000 - Avenger

• Well the 'A' Levels are over at last and we can get back to some serious work with the ACJC map again from today. I'm posting this update kinda early in the morning, and Reaperman still has one last paper in the next 6 hours... Looks like he was the first one to start and the last one to end... Anyway we're still sticking to our 1st December beta-testing session and we did get some positive responses dropped in our mailbox. Do continue to keep those messages coming we'll need enough players to make sure that everything goes smoothly.
• OK like I promised earlier this month I've finally got Sephyre's first article up. He's been hard at work on what we can do to reorganize the layout of different areas in the map but he took some time off his apparently heavy schedule of multiplayer gaming, bowling, video recordings and computer upgrading to finally finish up some Counterstrike Tactics and Strategies. Included in his 2-page article is a list of what more inexperienced players can do to improve their game and bring it up to par with the rest of the more experienced players out there and also a second page on fun stuff to do when everybody gets sick and tired of repetitive killing, respawning, and killing again (needless to say whatever he suggests involves more killing anyway, but what else can ya do?)

17 November 2000 - Avenger

• Starfire from Clan T3M sent us an infopoint file for Preview Release 2 of de_acjc. This allows players to use RealBot FTR2 on our map without having to configure the infopoint file on their own. You can download RealBot FTR2 from here. The infopoint file for de_acjc can be found on our download page. Many thanks to Starfire for providing us this file.
• We should be beta-testing our final release on 1 December, as you can see from that bright red box above this update. If you're interested in joining us for this do drop us a mail at halflife@surf28.com - We will try to accomodate as many people as possible, so get in touch with us and tell us if you wanna show up or whether can't but would prefer a different time.

15 November 2000 - Avenger

• Sephyre gets crackin' today as he concludes his 'A' Level Examinations. gOtChYKiD has more or less completed the redesign of the site, which I will personally implement once the rest of the team finishes off our final papers on Thursday next week. You can expect an article from Sephyre sometime later this week too.
• You guys might be interested in another local mapper that has burst into the scene. Glidias from GlidCOM has got a couple of interesting maps that you can grab off his website. Among them are de_lush , which I have personally tried out and about 3 other smaller maps. Definitely a commendable effort - de_lust (err I mean lush) can be downloaded directly from Singapore One at this page.

13 November 2000 - Avenger

• For the benefit of those who didn't happen to grab their copy of Lianhe Zaobao on Saturday Dixon got the article scanned. We're providing a 417KB version and a 1.22MB version up for download. The smaller scan is scaled down from the 1.22MB image, but it should be readable. There was also mention on The Straits Times on Page 22 on Saturday, but it was under a heading that we would prefer not to associate ourselves with.

11 November 2000 - Avenger

• Zaobao ran the article about the map we're making on today's papers. You can catch the story over the net here or you can wait for us to get a full-page scan of the thing perhaps sometime this coming week. Props go out to Reaperman, for waking me up this morning and telling me the news, and of course to Wang Huiwen and Wu Lifen for the article, excellent photography and artwork.

10 November 2000 - Avenger

• You can grab the Counter-Strike V1.0 Upgrade Patch and full releases from our download page.

4 November 2000 - Avenger

• gOtChYKiD is still sprucing up our main site, of which most of his work is currently showcased here at http://www.surf28.net/beta. We hope to be able to give ourselves a better image once the guy's finished with his Chinese A/O Paper on Monday and when he gets us a new domain name which our team agreed on earlier. We'll be renaming our entire team Fragnetics in the coming few weeks as we sit for our examinations and he gets us that domain.
• This being the last update on the run-up to the examinations we have another sample tune that Reaperman composed using his Yamaha MIDI Synthesizer. You can grab the 1 minute mp3 sample at our download page. It's nothing fantastic but we'll continue to feature whatever reasonable sample we've got in the hope that at least some of you will tell us whether we're doing fine or we're not. Remember, you can still reach us at halflife@surf28.com. We're not disconnected from the world ya noe.

30 October 2000 - Avenger

• We've hardly been touching the map, but we're still talking a lot about it and what we intend to do after the 'A's. Dixon's been twiddling about with the model again, and this time I hope that some of the skinning I do might improve the way she looks in our final release as compared to now.
• We got in touch with a friend of ours who will be writing and perhaps directing our short clip using the map and our custom models. We think he's a fantastic guy with some pretty good ideas... After all it takes some skill to be arguably the top Arts student in RJC. After a couple of hours we managed to squeeze about 2 pages of a story from him. I guess with more hounding he'll be able to choke up several more by the time we start our recording, still slated for the end of November.
• Also we're eagerly waiting for gOtChYKiD to give us that site-revamp we've been waiting for. Maybe that'll come sometime in the coming week... Or month...

18 October 2000 - Avenger

• Reaperman's Chemistry Practicals begin tomorrow. If you're feeling bored I guess he wouldn't mind you dropping him a note of encouragement in his mailbox. There shouldn't be much news for a while, but we now have a good idea of the enlistment dates for our team. Sephyre will probably be enlisted in April, Reaperman in January, Dixon's enlistment date is pending while mine is an early 13 December. It looks for certain that the production would be complete in the December time period, considering the date of my enlistment.
• Also I managed to grab a look at the kind of work our video guy #sucker from Solid Foundation has been doing for Pasir Ris Secondary School. Their website certainly doesn't look impressive (then again ours isn't any better) but the interactive CD-ROM that's being worked on for their 15th anniversary certainly looks a lot better.
• Looks like the Gamersutra team is planning a trip to Pulau Ubin for texture shots. You might want to get yourself in the know by joining their discussion and putting your name forward if you're interested in joining them in their little adventure.

14 October 2000 - Dixon

• I'm starting to feel the heat from the exams. Well, since our dear host gOtChYKiD has expressed interest in mapping, I will be handing the duty of the mapper to him for about a month until the exams end. Map updates will depend on him for now, but of course, I'll be back. On a brighter note, it means this team may live longer than we expected.

14 October 2000 - Avenger

• I've posted a couple of mp3 clips from the interview on the download page. Covered in the clips are the history of the development of the project as well as the type of hardware we've used so far. At the same time you can check out a couple more screenshots done of the proposed new bomb points of the map.

12 October 2000 - Avenger

• We finished our interview with Zaobao NOW! today @ ACJC. We recorded most of our interview as well, and we've been converting it to mp3 format for download. The Zaobao article should run on 21 October, Saturday and we're told that we're going to get a full page report! At the same time we'll also be putting some snippets of our interview on the site over the weekend, but we'll leave most of the material for Zaobao to report on before we release more segments of the interview. Due to Sephyre's semi-competence we also missed several minutes of the interview because his MD wasn't recording properly.
• gOtChYKiD will also be revamping our site since his Promotional Examinations have ended. Although we're not sure how long he will take with the revamp we're quite confident that it would turn out neater than the way it is now. We will try to introduce banner ads into our website to defray the costs of the final production. Overall if the banner thing turns out fine we'll make sure that viewers get back the value that they've added by viewing these ads. The ads should not interfere with the layout of the site.

11 October 2000 - Avenger

• We should be doing the interview with Zaobao NOW! this Thursday in school. That will also be the day gOtChKiD finishes his promotional examinations. He'll be trying to organize a group to get our storyboard prepared and other details ironed out while the 'A' Levels loom ever closer for the rest of the team. The practical examinations start next week, while the written papers will start in the first week of November.

5 October 2000 - Avenger

• Did up a review of Gamersutra's AS_Towkay BETA 5 right here cos I missed school today and felt incredibly bored since I was in no mood to study. I also started a Features section that might have a new article sometime in the week if we finally get down to putting up a fun article on our shoe mod project done last Friday for Honour's Night.

4 October 2000 - Avenger

• Our potential video production boss was giving Milkshake a go yesterday morning. Since he's a guy who's very much into Lightwave and this kinda 3D stuff he took to the program very quickly. I don't think he'll be doing too much of Milkshake though but he was kinda exclaiming "Hey I can go into gaming!" when he saw that he could port Lightwave models into Milkshake.
• We secured a very huge bunch of RJ-45 cables from our kind Computing teacher Mr Chong. ACJC is undergoing a lot of upgrading now, and apparently one of our computer labs was getting new cables laid, meaning that there was a whole bunch of old cables left to dump... Guess who he decided to dump them to :) ... Looks like our LAN fest at the end of the year is already starting to take shape. Now all we have to do is to get the cables cut and crimped...
• The Gamersutra boyz (more men than boys actually) passed us a cool reference site last Saturday when we told them of the video thing we had in mind. Machinima.com features some movie clips and even has a tutorial about how to make movies in Half-Life.

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