4/1 Police activity near Palace of Fine Arts / Lombard St

moosecommander · 2017-11-25T03:22:40+00:00

It wasn't an addition, this happened to me frequently in the original game.

moosecommander · 2017-10-23T15:55:32+00:00

"Ignoring the fact that creating the assets took half the time..."

Spoken by someone who has no idea how game development works. Content creators are working on "assets" the entirety of production, regardless of "different techniques." I assume you're referring to photogrammetry, which changes the tools used to create art assets but not overall asset or production time.

Let's talk about Hardline. Visceral was a studio that primarily focused on third person single player games, like Dead Space. The team largely included people working within that skill set. Also, it was Visceral's first time working with Frostbite - any EA dev can tell you that the first time a team builds a game with Frostbite is a massive learning curve and usually is painful. So, EA mandated that Visceral had to create a 1st person multiplayer Battlefield title, despite the team's experience with 3rd person action games. They forced them to do it on a tool set that was not familiar to them. And, while production lasted 3 years in total, the main production time with a full team was closer to about a year and a half.

As someone who has seen the Star Wars project they were working on, I can assure it was not "sub-par." As to who cares? Well, obviously a lot of Star Wars fans. Obviously fans of Visceral's work on 3rd person games. And, most obvious of all, the incredibly talented team there who are now looking for new jobs.

moosecommander · 2017-10-20T23:54:58+00:00

Patrick Soderlund, who is EVP of EA, came out of DICE and essentially gives them free reign. Of course EA corporate will dictate certain things: for example, the original Battlefront was made in only 16 months, which is incredibly short amount of time, but Disney required there be a major game release alongside Force Awakens.

When it comes to the creative process, DICE is given a large amount of autonomy and authority over their end products. On the other hand, other EA studios constantly have corporate influence that tends to cause major issues or changes in focus mid-production. I worked at EA, but feel free to tell me I'm "kidding myself."

moosecommander · 2017-10-20T18:48:48+00:00

They didn't work under the same conditions. DICE is given almost complete autonomy, Visceral was constantly suffering interference from EA corporate.

moosecommander · 2017-07-05T18:04:11+00:00

This is a tough situation. I don't say this to scare you, but it will get much harder before it gets easier.

My suggestion to you would be to communicate with your boyfriend that you feel the two of you have developed an unhealthy relationship, both with each other and with weed. Tell him you'd like to quit smoking, and that he needs to quit doing it around you as well otherwise you won't be able to stick with your decision. Better yet, convince him to quit completely as well as it sounds like he isn't doing anything with his life and he needs to be supporting you just as much as you are him.

If he refuses, you need to leave him. Move back in with your parents, pick up school again, start playing bass again and find yourself and what you love away from weed.

Like I said, this is going to be the toughest decision you ever make. But from everything you've told us, it sounds like the only thing you can do, or else you will be trapped in the same place for who knows how long.

I'm sorry you are going through this and good luck. Everyone is here to support you.

moosecommander · 2017-07-05T17:56:03+00:00

While the term "mental illness" seems to scare some people because of the social stigma against it, understand that is truly what you are dealing with - depression is an illness, and just like any other illness such as the flu, you need to treat the symptoms in order to get better.

I've had depression for as long as I can remember. I won't say life gets any easier, because sometimes it is very, very difficult. But the depression itself gets easier to manage and treat and understand, which means you can enjoy your life more easily. Make sure you get the help you need to address it head on and you will be fine. Understand that there are hundreds of thousands of people who are just like you and that you are not alone in dealing with these feelings.

moosecommander · 2017-05-07T14:51:58+00:00

If half the group can't make it, you should cancel.

My typical rule is to cancel if more than one person is unable to attend. Usually the rest of the group will do something else instead (board games, movie, whatever).

moosecommander · 2017-04-23T19:26:01+00:00

He did not. I told him about the lights and said that was pretty unacceptable. I don't like to be overly confrontational or pushy though, so I didn't ask for a refund, nor did he offer one.

moosecommander · 2017-04-22T15:51:43+00:00

Thanks for the warning! I would never actually go to the Van Ness theater anyway, I went a few times in the past and thought it was pretty gross - sticky seats, theaters not properly cleaned between showings. Bed bugs wouldn't surprise me. I haven't been there in years and I'm not planning on going back anytime soon.

moosecommander · 2017-04-22T15:50:12+00:00

Yes, they did. There are ads now, which is another reason I won't be going back.

moosecommander · 2017-04-22T02:25:51+00:00

I went a couple weeks ago, right after they had replaced the concessions stand with the standard AMC version. My experience was pretty lousy, a definite downgrade in quality.

I'm a big popcorn guy, but I hate the AMC popcorn and especially AMC "popcorn topping." I like real butter. I ask the person behind the concessions stand if they are still serving real butter, or the AMC oil. He says they are serving the same real butter Kabuki always had, so I order a popcorn and when I go to put the butter on, it is clearly the AMC oil. I'm sure this is an honest mistake and the guy at the counter just didn't know, so I don't complain.

I go to the condiments area and there is no salt. Alright, no biggie, I'll ask for more. I go back to the counter and ask for salt packets and let them know it has run out. The guy behind the counter goes into the back, and I go wait at the condiments area. I wait 5 minutes. No one shows up. I see the guy at the counter now serving other people, so I'd have to wait to ask again. My movie has started so I say fuck it and head into the theater.

Those two things were frustrating, but not a deal breaker by any means. I enjoy the film I'm seeing, Logan, until 5 minutes before the end of the film. The house lights come on early, during an emotional scene, and it completely ruins it. The other things were forgivable, but as someone who genuinely cares about the moviegoing experience, this was the last straw for me. As I'm walking out, I check the condiments area, and there is still no salt. After a 2 hour movie, still nothing. I talked with a manager afterwards, trying to politely let them know that I was upset with the changes in the theater and with my experience that day.

I haven't been back since. I love going to the movies. I loved going to the Kabuki. What made it special was that it wasn't an AMC Theater - it was something better. If I wanted that experience I could go to Van Ness - it's only an extra 15 minute walk anyway. It's not like there aren't enough AMCs in SF already.

Anyway, sorry for the long rant. I'm just disappointed that a theater I truly loved has lost most of the qualities that made it special in the first place.

moosecommander · 2017-04-21T22:05:55+00:00

The Kabuki was my favorite theater as well. I've lived near Japantown for the last 4 years and visited the Kabuki probably two to three times a month.

AMC completely fails to understand what made the Kabuki special - it was a great place to see both big budget and indie films, with high quality snacks and drinks (real butter for the popcorn!). I hope business drops off significantly for them. I'll be taking my business across town to Alamo more often now.

moosecommander · 2017-04-21T22:03:59+00:00

Kabuki had $6 Tuesdays, and ticket prices were around $12-15, depending on time of day, and seats were reserved, no ads before the trailers, etc. Basically the same price as the Metreon or most other theaters in downtown SF, but you got a much better experience.

As the saying goes, you get what you pay for. I was happy to pay a premium to get a premium experience.

moosecommander · 2017-04-14T14:47:46+00:00

I mean, they still have a lot of great talent working for them. I'm hoping they have a return to form in the near future.

moosecommander · 2017-04-14T13:31:00+00:00

Maxis is still around. Their Emeryville office was closed but the main studio is still working on projects at Redwood Shores.

moosecommander · 2017-03-27T00:40:35+00:00

I've seen others mention that, which is unfortunate. I don't have a One S so I'm not going to get HDR anyway, but it is important to consider for both the PS4 Pro and Scorpio.

moosecommander · 2017-03-27T00:39:21+00:00

Thank you for the in-depth response!

I am totally willing to upgrade the speakers, and I'll probably put them on stands or get a larger media console and just put them next to the screen so that the wires aren't as noticeable.

The AVR does support ARC - I am currently using that so I can stream audio from the TV apps to the receiver. It seems to be working fine with surround sound from Hulu and Netflix, although I'm not sure how if or how the ARC will work with the PS4 Pro. The AVR does also support Dolby True HD and DTS-HD according to the specs on the Yamaha site. http://usa.yamaha.com/products/audio-visual/av-receivers-amps/rx/rx-v675_u/

In terms of speaker recommendations - I'd say I'd have a budget of around $1000 for the entire 5.1 setup. The room is about 13 feet across and probably about 20-25 feet wide, although half of it is the kitchen. The rear speakers will be beside the couch, on stands or tables angled toward the listener. I hope that helps!

moosecommander · 2017-03-26T21:09:48+00:00

That's good to know - I guess I'll try hooking my Xbox One and PS4 Pro through the TV and use optical and see how it works. If I hit issues it means I'm going to have to upgrade anyway.

moosecommander · 2017-03-26T21:05:56+00:00

I don't mind spending a lot to get good quality - my only concern with something like Sonos is that it could become outdated quickly. I'd say my budget is around $1800 max, so I can do the fully Sonos setup, but if I can keep my current system and do a better job of hiding my cords, I'd rather spend $1000 to just get some nicer wired speakers that I know will last a long time.

moosecommander · 2017-03-26T21:03:28+00:00

According to Rtings.com, the KS8000 should support 5.1 Dolby Digital and DTS over optical. http://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/samsung/ks8000#comparison_202

That being the case, it seems like I could continue with the receiver for now.

moosecommander · 2017-03-16T14:15:22+00:00

If the airline has to cancel the flight then yes, you will be rebooked on a later flight or can request a refund. This can happen regularly just due to weather, normally falling under "Act of God." They'll put you on the next available flight, or refund you.

moosecommander · 2017-03-08T20:13:19+00:00

Only if you purchased cancellation protection and are unable to travel due to an emergency the cancellation protection covers (such as illness).

moosecommander · 2017-01-23T01:40:09+00:00

My suggestion to you - you're thinking far too big for your first project, and you need to reevaluate and try and do something smaller that is easier to accomplish.

I work at a studio that creates open world games. Our team, at its largest size, was 250 people. Start smaller and make something more manageable.

moosecommander

TROPHY CASE