Radiator: Polaris

What is Radiator: Polaris? It's a new, short (VERY SHORT) SP experiment meant to test your experience about what a game can be, and what it can do without expectations. I don't want to spoil ANYTHING for potential players at all so I'll keep my comments for later possible discussions. But I wanted to point this wonderful super-short mod to anyone who might be interested in theoretical game design.

Some Links:

• Campaignjunkie's Website
• Radiator Official Website (Download can be found here)
• Rock, Paper, Shotgun Article
• Podcast17 Interview Episode

Be sure to read the Manifesto on the Radiator website to understand the reasoning behind this mod. You need [EDIT]: Half-Life 2 Episode 2 to install and play this mod. But I would play it first before reading anything! Let me know what you guys think. And also assume that any comments following this post might give away spoilers.

Have fun!

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Blog: www.playingarchitecture.net
LinkedIn: Eric Lancon
Twitter:@Riven202

I can do the same thing by walking outside. Interesting though.. and glad to see someone thinking outside the box.

Looks interesting already. I'm gonna check it out (trying not to read anything before ).

Can't get it to work... it installs just fine, to the correct folder and everything - but doesn't show up in the steam games list?

Sounds interesting, I'm curios to see what this mod is all about. Downloading now.

By the way, it says here that you need Half-Life 2 Episode 2.

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Aaron's Stuff

Hey - very charming and inventive little experiment! I thought it was really great - I loved the atmosphere, and I actually learned something. At the end, I was hoping I would need to navigate the dark woods by following the north star - coulda been cool.

Congrats Camp - this is a very special little experience. This is how we should be teaching this kind of stuff in schools - makes it very easy to learn.

I thought it was pretty atmospheric and original, I was really feeling like I was there. But I must say I lost patience with this pretty quickly and by this I mean the stargazing. I found myself very early on just pressing the [H] key and starting to get a bit frustrated that the stargazing was going on alot longer than I preferred.

This could be partly due to the fact that I've never understood constellations, I could make a pan or a belt or a bow from any old array of stars in the sky. I could also make an object/person from an array of starts that isn't recognized as being a constellation. Also, some of the existing constellations seemed pretty far fetched barely resembling the entity they are supposed to or can quite easily resemble other entities.

Anyway, alot of people also mentioned that this was a "sad" moment, however that emotion didn't really come to me while experiencing this mod.

Call me slow, but I feel the text went too fast, I didn't get enough time to read the text and think about what was being said. At times when there was two sentences at a time, I would often not be able to read the second sentence because I was thinking about the first sentence. And frankly, I have a minor issue with written dialogue. I would much prefer to here an actual voice.

I think this sort of thing has potential. Although I generally liked the way the stargazing was done, it was way too uninteresting followed by frustrating for me. I think the stargazing could have been more user friendly for me. This defiantly isn't for anyone but I can see the sort of potential in this and where the direction this is heading/pointing at.

"Finger" said:
This is how we should be teaching this kind of stuff in schools - makes it very easy to learn.

I'm curios, what do you mean by "this kind of stuff"?

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Aaron's Stuff

You have played it aaron? I assume Finger means constellations

Gwil said:
You have played it aaron? I assume Finger means constellations

Oh lol, ofcourse! Yeah I played it. For some reason I automatically assumed that Finger was talking about 'story telling in games' or 'rich player experiences' or something nice and cheesy like that.

Did you click the show spoiler Gwil?

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Aaron's Stuff

Very good game. This needs to be entered into the IGF at the GDC - I don't know if the IGF still accepts mods (It did with Dystopia and Eternal Silence 2 years ago), but if you entered it under your own graphics engine you could really win an award or two (Creative Design, story telling, etc.).

This should be expanded upon.

Edit:

Here is the entry form, I think Campaignjunkie should really do this. If your reading Campaignjunkie DO IT!

http://www.igf.com/03submit.html

Oh - I just meant sciences, math, history, etc... anything that has a tendancy to come off dry in a textbook. This is a wonderfull example of how games can educate and engage way beyond the ability of books and pictures.

And that is why our kids today are far more stupid than the last generation. We kater to them, teach an altered history, and worry about a test rather than an education. We also need to beat kids in schools again, like they did when I was a kid.. whip that butt when outta line. Were too soft these days.. raising a bunch of wussies. School should not be fun, it should be work.. it should teach you that life is not all easy and a joke.. like they do now. How are we preparing kids for life with video games.. come on man get your first point of contact out of your fith. Since you most likely have no clue what that means I will dumb it down for you.. pull your head out of your ass.

This is not really a game, it is a nice diversion. You can walk outside, somthing I suggest more of you do, and look at the stars.. we dont need a video game to do that.. holy shit people. Were becoming just like this link: http://chooseyoursurrogate.com/

First watch the vid, then have some fun and make an alternate you.

I don't know about you - maybe I'm an oddball, but traditional schooling worked best when the teachers inspired and impassioned me to understand the subject.

I can only speak for myself here; I certainly don't have any real clue about 'what it takes to teach kids today', but I imagine the best way is to use all tools at hand. If you can inspire a kid to be interested in what they are learning (using whatever means possible, including video games), more power to you.

I also think kids DO need to step outside more, get some fresh air, climb trees and build treehouses like I did as a kid. I had 100 acres of land to explore, horses, three-wheelers, mud pits, bows and arrows.... I wish all kids could have the adventures I had available.

I also think there is a fascinting playground in our imaginations - this is the 'gameboy' I took out into the woods when i played. This is the same machine I exercise when I design levels, draw, write stories..etc. If you can fire up the machine of imagination in a kid, it becomes a self propelling engine, pulling them further into understanding this world from whatever angle they start.

Or, you know, you could just beat it into them.

Muhnay said:
And that is why our kids today are far more stupid than the last generation. We kater to them, teach an altered history, and worry about a test rather than an education. We also need to beat kids in schools again, like they did when I was a kid.. whip that butt when outta line. Were too soft these days.. raising a bunch of wussies. School should not be fun, it should be work.. it should teach you that life is not all easy and a joke.. like they do now. How are we preparing kids for life with video games.. come on man get your first point of contact out of your fith. Since you most likely have no clue what that means I will dumb it down for you.. pull your head out of your ass.

This is not really a game, it is a nice diversion. You can walk outside, somthing I suggest more of you do, and look at the stars.. we dont need a video game to do that.. holy shit people. Were becoming just like this link: http://chooseyoursurrogate.com/

First watch the vid, then have some fun and make an alternate you.

Muhnay, like you're a handsome sexy guy and such but that's a really old fashioned way of thinking. I mean, why make bread if you can just go to the shop and buy it? So why not take advantage of some of these interactive methods of teaching if it's going to make it easier for students? And by easier, I mean easier to understand and remember.

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Aaron's Stuff

You know what feeds the imagination? Play. Not on a computer, or a gameboy, or console.. but being outside playing, with people.. real people not these fake behind a computer screen people. When was the last time you wrote a letter, not an email, a letter with a pen and paper? When was the last time you were in the woods to be in the woods.. not with your gameboy or cell phone.. but there to soak up the stars the sounds the whole thing? When was the last time you sat in a park and watched people go by and just soaked up life?

Kids these days are so caught up in themselves and the machines, they no longer know what any of what I just said means. I used to play marbles and hot-wheels outside in the dirt.. played on swings and slides and monkey bars and these funky other park things that were in the school playground... I got hurt, I got dirty, I had to use my imagination to play coyboys and indians, or cops and robbers. Cant do any of that now.. its not PC, or oh little johnny may get a booboo, or worse he may get dirty! AHHH the horror!

Kids are brats and they need boundaries, they need to know there is a limit and a punishment for going over it... like a good swatting. Maybe you have not been to a school recently, but here in TEXAS these little brats treat teachers like dirt, and the teachers no longer inspire or teach, they are too worried about the damn test.. so they can get the funding they need, and dont get closed down by the state or feds if they dont pass the stupid test with a marginal percentage.

I agree that this little sideline thing, I guess a game is neat and all, and very thought provoking, but instead of looking at the stars on a fucking game.. step out side at night, dont take the gameboy this time, and glance up.. woa what are those... yes they are REAL STARS! Or clouds depending on the weather. =) There used to be a time they taught you about the stars in school, no longer. There was a time they taught real history, not this BS they teach now.. I feel for our kids these days.. it is a real let down.

I guess I am just old fashioned then. Color me guilty.

Muhnay said:
And that is why our kids today are far more stupid than the last generation. [...] We also need to beat kids in schools again, like they did when I was a kid.. whip that butt when outta line. [...] School should not be fun, it should be work..

Muhnay said:
Kids these days are so caught up in themselves and the machines, they no longer know what any of what I just said means. I used to play marbles and hot-wheels outside in the dirt.. played on swings and slides and monkey bars and these funky other park things that were in the school playground... I got hurt, I got dirty, I had to use my imagination to play coyboys and indians, or cops and robbers. Cant do any of that now.. its not PC, or oh little johnny may get a booboo, or worse he may get dirty! AHHH the horror!

I don't know about your/your neighbor's kids, but we're not exactly living in the Matrix yet. TV exists for over 50 years. It didn't destroy anyone. Neither will the evils of computational technology. Kids are as able to play cowboy and indans today as they were 20, 30, 100 years ago.

I spent a big junk of my childhood in the woods, catching insects, getting bruises, getting dirty. I watched the stars. And I can appreciate an artistic interpretation of all this in a modern medium.

Why do you find so much joy in rejecting that? Just because it is fictional, it doesn't destroy the real world. If it were doing anything, this mod would be advertising it.

Muhnay said:
You know what feeds the imagination? Play.

I agree whole-heartedly. And what are kids doing when they play? -They're learning! Play is our instinctual way of learning as a sentient species; heck most all mammalian species play to learn. I agree that outdoor play in the real world is very important, because kids are learning to exercise their muscles and minds at the same time. But what do you call it when someone is interacting with a video game? Are they working? No, we call it playing a video game. and if playing=learning, then playing a video game that caters to a meaningful lesson can come across as a better teaching tool than most other methods, because what sets video games apart from other forms of play is that games are models. And unlike movies or books, models are designed to teach us something, and not simply deliver the facts to us as we take it all in. Most people think they're different simply because they're interactive, and that's not the case. All media is interactive. You have to understand the language in order to read the book; we aren't born knowing Bach, you have to learn to appreciate that. So, one reason why I encourage games in schools (not your run-of-the mill video game) is to take another route and to practice all means possible in order to get children these days to understand what they're learning.

I highly recommend you listen to what Raph Koster has to say about video games and the world today in his PARC forum talk on "The Medium that Ate the World" (click the streaming video link on that page to view it). It's about an hour, so It's only for those who may have the patience, but it is very intriguing.

Games can teach us a lot about the world. It's up to us to investigate the natural sources those games take from. -Inspire the child through a game (the classroom) to discover the world around them.

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Blog: www.playingarchitecture.net
LinkedIn: Eric Lancon
Twitter:@Riven202

Oh no, your getting me all wrong.. I am saying I dont see the point in this mod. I can achieve the same thing by walking outside and looking up. Schools at one time taught your about the stars and how to find the constellations, and how they came to be. They dont anymore.

I own a game store.. My problem with this media format is we have lost the ability to communicate in person. I was at a track meet with a friend of mine who happens to be the coach, and sitting there were like 10-12 teen-aged girls all on their cell phones chatting.. and get this with each other.. all they had to do was look over and say what they had too.. but no they decided that texting it on the cell phone was how to communicate. Kids these days are so outta touch.

I am not saying your wrong.. I am not saying your right either. I just happen to have this opinion on the matter thats all.. and it comes from first hand experience.

Wait - are you saying they were text messaging each other while sitting next to each other?

I recently got a text message plan and it's kind of awesome - it's like a way of communicating when you don't necessarily want to talk to someone. Addresses, directions, book titles, movie titles, band names... a lot of information is better digested in text form. Plus, what if you're 12 years old and you don't want your parents to overhear? Plus, what if you want to show your friend what that cute boy said to you?

Texting is a form of play like anything else, and it confers certain gameplay advantages (privacy, archiving, prestige of having a cellphone, etc.) that make it a better choice than talking out loud sometimes... Kids are just being good players in that sense.

reaper47 said:
Wait - are you saying they were text messaging each other while sitting next to each other?

Yes exactly..

Muhnay said:
I was at a track meet with a friend of mine who happens to be the coach, and sitting there were like 10-12 teen-aged girls all on their cell phones chatting.. and get this with each other..

Wow, that's pretty ridiculous. I assure you not every teenager is like that.

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Aaron's Stuff

Yeah I know.. but as a store owner everyday I get at least one parent who comes in and says they are looking for an interactive game that gets the kid away from the computer or console. Did I mention the store is doing way better than I expected.. I think partly due to the fact of these parents looking for a new form of entertainment that stimulates social interaction face to face and teaches competition in a friendly format. Plus many other great core abilities many kids these days lack. But yeah, I want to say sorry for derailing this topic... even though it was kinda on topic but not.

I doubt if you remember me, CJ, but I saw the mod on PHL, was interested enough to follow the link to its site, and was tickled to see it was your work. I'm downloading it now. It's great to see that Pit members are still mapping.

Just finished both Polaris and Handle With Care with what I think are the good endings. Great work CJ, very interesting and creative stuff! I liked 'em both and would encourage everyone who hasn't to try them.

I remember all and see all. Big up to Cass and Yak.

Very interesting project you got going here. Very nontraditional in the sense of what a games are. In fact it took me a what I should do. Should I look at the stars, or say fuck it and leave? Should I destroy the boxes on purpose, or should I attempt to put them where they belong? I felt like it paralleled real life decision making, and that the you, the player, really needed to decide which ending is best. Especially on the second chapter where you need to decide whether or not its even worth trying to get the boxes into place (as you mentioned on the projects forums, both endings can be considered good endings depending on how you look at it.)

I also like the trippy-ness of the second chapter when the crates where destroyed.

Already posted a praise on ModDB, but Snarkpit is where it's at.
Congratulations on creating this wonderfully immersing experience, twisting the laws of FPS gaming.
I never thought I'd be so interested in stacking crates...

Just played through the second release for Radiator, "Handle With Care". I defiantly liked this one better (not sure why you disliked this so much Campaignjunkie). It was really abstract and weird and I really was curios about this.

Because I had so much trouble doing the L3 crate, the room got too destroyed and my boyfriend broke up with me which to be honest, I was kinda upset about, I wanted to put all the boxes back properly. The fact that the characters are gay didn't bother me unlike alot of other people.

And the X9 crate, was there actually a spot for that somewhere or was that another abstract thing?

Honestly, the gameplay is painful for me in both Polaris (stargazing wasn't my thing) and Handle With Care (physics when picking up the crates is just so clumsy - not your fault) but I found Handle With Care really interesting and I replayed through Polaris because of that.

Voice acting was a nice change!

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Aaron's Stuff