Whatever happened to Orpheus?
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Re: Whatever happened to Orpheus?
Posted by Dred_furst on Tue Aug 30th at 10:28am 2005


I gotta say bashing peeps is bad, especially online, but i have been sorta inactive here, i gotta say i remember some of the oldschool stuff, but not much, and yes, i miss orph, but i'm sure he will come back, and for that fact, gwil in is in aus still, you can see his progress still, http://www.gwil.org/

apart from that, help people out, dont look down and say "what has this place turned into?"



I need a new sig



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Re: Whatever happened to Orpheus?
Posted by fraggard on Tue Aug 30th at 11:06am 2005


From what little I know about Orph (~3 years?), I'm guessing he's got sick of some of the crap in this place and left. I'm not really the nostalgic type, but the quality of content (maps, map reviews, people, posts, whatever) has gone bad since HL2 came out. Maybe he'll be back when this is a better place. There was some really good stuff here at the peak of the HL modding community (2003-04). And maybe it'll take a while to pick up, but the HL2 modding scene is desperately lacking quality.


? quote:
I want to see Gwil, Gollum, AS, CJ, Glass, Brass, Yak, Tracer, KFS, CCS, Monqui, Des, WC, Forceflow, Reno, Orph, Myrk, Skeletor, Forceflow, Kornflakes, Jinx -


Thanks a bunch, ass.




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Re: Whatever happened to Orpheus?
Posted by Captain P on Tue Aug 30th at 11:17am 2005


Yeah, it's happening to more sites, isn't it?

For me, Half-Life 2 isn't by far that inspiring as Half-Life once was. The whole new texture set, models and stuff just doesn't invite for some creativity. I am busy with some sort of map now but no way am I going to use HL2 materials. I'd rather create my own, lower quality or not. It just doesn't work right. I don't know, it's beatiful art, but only in HL2 maps.

As for HL2 disappointing... well, somewhat. I enjoyed the game and liked it but also feel it could've been better. The weapon arsenal, for example, is thin. Just thin. HL's arsenal felt much wider, more robust somehow. Same goes for enemies. In HL, you had those houndeyes and bullsquids and all and I really think they should've added some more variation to HL2's enemies. 3 sorts of headcrabs? Man, it's all just the same bunch of creepers. Give me 3 distinct sorts that interact with each other in an interesting way and it would've been much better. Bullsquids hated headcrabs and I liked that.

/rant

Is it that? Or is this something that happens when people get older somewhat, find new things in their life and all? We've all certainly become a few years older since we started mapping... <img src=" SRC="images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif">






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Re: Whatever happened to Orpheus?
Posted by Dark Tree on Tue Aug 30th at 11:33am 2005


There's some truth in that, Captain P. And let me say, even though some consider ME a n00bz0r, I still remember back in "the day" and how inspiring HL1 was....

You (Capt. P), Orpheus, and TB were 3 HUGE helpers for the finishing of my first SP mission (Dungeon Death).....and you were REALLY helpful (all three of you)....and you guys were all very active in the map editing forums and the General Banter board was filled with Half-Life stuff...and how it affected the outside life....

This site was all about mapping and reviewing....I have seen it lately where the HL2 editing forum will go DAYS without a single post in it.....the HL1 editing forum has gone over a week without peeps posting at one point....all the meanwhile, our general banter board is getting filled up with complete nonsense and pointless spam. I know I don't have much say around here, but it was nice when some of the veterans of this site who aren't around much anymore WERE around....

Again....thanx Orph, TB, P, and the other numerous folks who devoted a lot of ACTUAL real-life time in helping me develop some skills in the mapping world. Also...I disagree to some extent with you Captain about HL2 being uninspiring....if you can make your own textures, the sky is the limit.....it is the EXACT same as HL1 except with many more options ...unless you are solely referring to the texture pack, which can be dull.....




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Re: Whatever happened to Orpheus?
Posted by French Toast on Tue Aug 30th at 2:49pm 2005


? quote:
We've all certainly become a few years older since we started mapping


Not entirely... I started and dropped mapping in a couple weeks <img src=" SRC="images/smiles/icon_smile.gif">

Indeed, I've made no maps. I'm glad I'm a contributing member.

/rolls eyes




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Re: Whatever happened to Orpheus?
Posted by satchmo on Tue Aug 30th at 3:51pm 2005


For some reason, mapping has lost its charm after a year. I remember getting such an adrenaline rush when I hit F9 to compile my maps, but now it feels like a chore sometimes. I get frustrated easily when things didn't turn out the way I envisioned.

It was about this time last year when I first started mapping... I can't believe it's been a year already. So much has changed. I am married now, and I quit my last job, currently working per diem at a large hospital. In a year, I imagine there will be a baby screaming in the house.

We can't stop the tide of time, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. Even though mapping activities have slowed down significantly at the SnarkPit, the general forum is quite alive. And I come here for the entertainment and socialization.

It's like meeting a bunch of friends around the world in the morning and catching up what's been going on in their lives. It's kinda cool.




"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return." -- Toulouse-Lautre, Moulin Rouge



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Re: Whatever happened to Orpheus?
Posted by Tracer Bullet on Tue Aug 30th at 4:10pm 2005


I agree with you Satchmo, the general forum is the only reason I'm still around. It isn't because I've lost interest though. It's because I have neither the time nor the computer power for HL2 mapping!

That said however, I come to talk with the tasteful newer members like you, and the long time members who were here when I joined like Cass, and CCS, and, yes, you to Fraggard! For the past year though, I've mostly logged on and found nothing and almost no one to hold my interest.




Some people are like slinkys...

They aren?t really good for anything, but you can't help but laugh when one tumbles down the stairs.



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Re: Whatever happened to Orpheus?
Posted by French Toast on Tue Aug 30th at 4:46pm 2005


Indeed. Even the short time I've been around, I've noticed not just these, but other forums getting less interesting. The Fortress-Forever forums in particular. I've only been therea few months, but they are just the same old boring topics after eachother.

These forums sort of go in bursts. Every once in awhile, there will be a depression when very little activity happens, then all of a sudden people will go nuts wth their posting.




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Re: Whatever happened to Orpheus?
Posted by KoRnFlakes on Tue Aug 30th at 5:21pm 2005


Meh, I check the site now and again. When hl2 came out, I couldnt run it all that well & tbh I found editing it far too confusing in comparison. Always seemed there were about a million people who were better and understood it better, I gave up mapping pretty much immediately.

I tend to just check general banter for the most part.






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Re: Whatever happened to Orpheus?
Posted by MisterBister on Tue Aug 30th at 5:56pm 2005


I have noticed quite a few nostalgy threads here in a very short period of time.
Seemes like you guys need to cheer up. You have forgotten one very important thing, you still have each other, this site is by far dead yet.
You seem to miss the activity in the maps forum and I think there is a very simple solution to that problem.

Make a map yourself!
Force yourself to sit down and make a map.
If you all did, there would be no worries, would it?


Satchmo:
Meeting people from a community IRL is more rewarding and great than you can imagine, I promise.
Ive been arranging LAN's for the swedish leveldesign community leveldesign.nu four times with about 24 visitors each time from all over Sweden.
It is so great to meet all the great people that you have been chatting with for a year and then chop their heads of in the various games, or sit down and gametest someones map.
But the most rewarding thing is just to sit down and have a chat.
We have become like one big family.
Thanks to the LAN's i have gotten friends for life from all over Sweden.




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Re: Whatever happened to Orpheus?
Posted by Leperous on Tue Aug 30th at 6:00pm 2005


I'm sorry to say that Orph has gone, probably forever, though in a way he's still around... <img src=" SRC="images/smiles/icon_wink.gif">



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Re: Whatever happened to Orpheus?
Posted by satchmo on Tue Aug 30th at 7:41pm 2005


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Meeting people from a community IRL is more rewarding and great than you can imagine, I promise.

I guess it could be fun, but I just can't find the same captive audience that shares the same passion about gaming in the real world.

I haven't met a single person who maps in real life. None of my friends play Half-Life 2 (it doesn't help that I am thirty-something). No one except you guys understand the giddiness when you acquire a new weapon in a game, and you're trying to figure out the capability and the firing rate for the weapon on some monster around the corner.

Don't get me wrong, real-life relationships are paramount, but they can't replace you guys because they don't share the same passion as I do with you.

Besides, where else are you going to have an international group of friends who chat about their lives and their personal triumphs in a forum? I know some of you better I know most of my co-workers.

Getting new friends in the real world becomes much more difficult after you get out of school. When you're working, people dont' really socialize as much anymore. I wish it weren't so, but it's the sad and lonely truth.




"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return." -- Toulouse-Lautre, Moulin Rouge



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Re: Whatever happened to Orpheus?
Posted by Spartan on Tue Aug 30th at 8:53pm 2005


The fact is that the whole mapping community has declined... a lot. Most of the veterans are gone, a lot of really good mapping sites have declined into nothing or dissapeared. People are trying to create the best maps they can but are forgetting all about creativity and fun. HL2DM sucked and a bunch of people don't map for it. I think that maybe if some of the older sites such as Vlatitude and Valve ERC came back to life with the addition of good mods being released then maybe the community will spring back to life.

Also a lot of people don't like Steam. I remember the good ol' days of playing TFC over WON with friends. Then going to Valve ERC to download more kickass maps to play on. Those were the days *opens pringles bottle and begins to cry*




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Re: Whatever happened to Orpheus?
Posted by French Toast on Tue Aug 30th at 8:56pm 2005


I have no problems with Steam. To me it's an intelligent system to make sure everyone is together...




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Re: Whatever happened to Orpheus?
Posted by satchmo on Tue Aug 30th at 9:13pm 2005


Another reason for the declining mapping community is that the Source engine has pretty high hardware requirement. Not everyone can run HL2, so not everyone can map for Source.

Perhaps in a year or two, the HL2 mapping community will catch up to the HL mapping glory days.




"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return." -- Toulouse-Lautre, Moulin Rouge



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Re: Whatever happened to Orpheus?
Posted by WarloK on Tue Aug 30th at 9:21pm 2005


I like mapping but i can't seem to get to total grips with hammer. I mean i like making big obstacle courses in the form of giant warehouse buildings.

I like modeling but i find milkshape confusing to use. So far i made i little ball with a flat face thats meant to be a little computer that floats areound beeping and following combine. Its's like a floating P.C. that follows you





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Re: Whatever happened to Orpheus?
Posted by French Toast on Tue Aug 30th at 9:23pm 2005


I started with a table and am now struggling valiantly to make a car.

Oh right, I should get to work on that again...




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Re: Whatever happened to Orpheus?
Posted by Dark_Kilauea on Tue Aug 30th at 9:45pm 2005


I also miss orph, from the few posts I saw him write... wish he'd come back and impose his wisdom upon us.





Dark_Kilauea
DVS Administration
http://www.dvstudio-production.com/



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Re: Whatever happened to Orpheus?
Posted by Captain P on Tue Aug 30th at 9:54pm 2005


I agree that HL2DM is less than it could've been. Ok, we've got SLAMs now and that's a nice addition but it still lacks compared to HLDM. Physics are nice but, as some people already said before, the novelty wears off after a while.

Well, Valve tried to raise interest for HL2DM with that competition, but I think that one was way too fast for a lot of people to pick up the required skills.

All in all, I can't really say where it went wrong but fact is, it's less interesting and all to map for HL2/HL2DM.

Heh, and still there's some good mods in production. Maybe those will rekindle interest somewhat. Would be good I think.






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Re: Whatever happened to Orpheus?
Posted by Spartan on Tue Aug 30th at 10:47pm 2005


I just finished writing this today. Take a read please.

http://forum.interlopers.net/viewtopic.php?t=5253





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