The forums will follow as I create a variation of the current space theme.

As of this time, I expect the file uploads to be finished in the next two hours or so.  This will grant me a short period of testing and minor last minute check up works.

After that, ideally around 8:00 pm tonight CST, we will have the “official” BWL Synergy Stories server launch game.

The new server will be mostly public, but will have periods of password locked use for video recordings or forum member fun time.  So be sure to sign up on the forums and ask for a “Server Pass”.

Tonight, I will likely record the launch game for a short video, but will keep the server public.  Being public, and that both Syrus and I will be probably be present as administration, there will be 8 slots available on a first come first serve basis.

Join us tonight for a little Synergy goodness.

Be sure to sign-up and request “GMod Access” on the forums to gain access to the hidden forum AND the Ventrilo Server Forum.  This includes getting the password and address of our Vent server and notices of when we are recording in the GMod server.  Plus, I’ll post the server password when we lock it to record so that you can join in on the filming if you like.

Ask any questions in the Game Server forum.

I have been working on reorganizing the site a little over the last couple of nights and this was the night for the Cat-Life series reorganization.

Officially, Cat-Life is now Cat-Life O, Cat-Life GS, and Cat-Life for Source.  Cat-Life O is basically a history page describing the mess that WAS the Original Cat-Life.  Cat-Life GS is the modern version of the mod, which I am initiating an Overhaul for various reasons outlined on that page.  And Cat-Life for Source is only being developed in the background for now until we finish Cat-Life GS.

In total, the news is that I am basically taking a hands-on leadership role in all of the projects now.  I will be spearheading the Cat-Life GS Overhaul and Planning and Directing the Cat-Life for Source development.

Certainly, however, you can get more details off of the individual pages.

The first episode of BWL’s Video update is finished.  It did, however, end up longer then I had anticipated originally and was thus divided into two parts.

In this episode we take a look at some project news including Cat-Life and our comics.  We also visit the steam chat room briefly with our “From the Chat Room” segments.  And our main topic of the day is machinima… what we see in other people’s works and what we hope to do with our three planned shows.

I suggest using the “Full Screen” option for watching this video.  You’ll get more out of it I think.

Part 1

Part 2

In the end, this episode was delayed for a few extra weeks due to schedule issues mainly.  And, given the subject matter’s resolutions, there is a fluctuation in the size of the letter boxing on most of the machinima topic.  Also, there are a few errors that I left in simply because it would have been more trouble then necessary to repair.

This episode ran longer then my intended 15 minute time limit with the “From the Chat Room” features cut down to a few short minutes each.  We had already realized that From the Chat Room could be a full audio program of its own and planned to release the full discussion separately.  So be sure to check out our full “From the Chat Room” mp3 as hosted by ModDB.

The mp3 has been edited to cut out our long dead air pauses and many “uhms” and “ughs” plus a few other less important or classified bits of the discussion.  The full session is around 35 minutes in length.

From The Chat Room: Episode 1 audio – BWL Development – Mod DB

In future episodes, I plan to focus more on the “From the Chat Room” segment and use that more for our main topic and news sections as it really turned into more interesting discussion.

Thanks again to Syrus Rayne, Radu Iceman, and BiGToM for helping with that.  As for why we chose to use steam instead of our Ventrilo server… well… the idea behind “From The Chat Room” is that members of our steam group can join in on the discussion at any time.  It’s not meant to be a “podcast” as much as it is a chat room segment for the show.

Of course, that does mean there are some buggy moments with the audio in the full mp3 and a somewhat lower quality to the sound as compared to something like skype or a shout-cast service of some sort.

UPDATE:

Yes indeed, I don’t usually make an April Fools gag, but this year I thought I’d give it a try… with the main punchline being the Team Play Episode 1 I uploaded.

I tried my best to make my actions fairly transparent.  I didn’t want anyone thinking I really had decided to drop our standard of quality, but simply to have some fun with the day itself.

Included in this bit was the change of skins on the homepage, on the forums [seriously... Naruto?], and the giving up on my map in favor of a largely incomplete map Radu had once been working on.

I also posted on my DA account a bunch of “new” pictures in keeping with the idea that I was adding content more quickly.  Of course, in reality, most of those pictures were 10 to 15 years old… back when I was in High School and college.

I’ll leave those up, but will probably move most of them to scraps… I saved the last three because they are some of my better works and I decided to actually offer prints of them.

I’m also going to keep Radu’s Beta3 map on the server if we want to play on it some time, but we’ll go back to flatgrass and other normal maps for our defaults until I finish the real gm_bwl map set I’m working on.

Yes, I decided to split the one gigantic map into a couple of large maps.  It should play a little better when finished.

Happy April Fools day everyone!

Oh and yes, if you somehow didn’t figure it out.. and I can’t imagine how you wouldn’t… Ncevy Sbbyf! is April Fools! in rot13.

In keeping with our new change of pace, I have indeed finished up Team Play Episode 1.

Here is the premier episode of this new series.

UPDATE:

Ncevy Sbbyf!

We have had this site online since 2001 and seen marginal activity at best.  I’m tired of this lack of interest.  If we can’t be recognized as a classy, quality content site… then fine.  I’d rather churn out the “popular” content then continue to put so much effort into projects.

My plan is basically to start putting just a little less effort into projects and get then out sooner.  Expect a considerable increase in activity over the next few weeks.

Hopefully, this will attract a little more interest.

And yes, This includes our mod projects.  As far as I am concerned the original CL is now finished.  We’re going to focus on CLS now and get that done quickly so we can start work on CL2 and the other mods I have planed.

Videos will also be ramped up a bit more quickly.  Expect one within the next few days… by the end of the day tomorrow if I can edit it that quickly.

UPDATE:

Ncevy Sbbyf!

But he played a much more interesting role for gamers, particularly for fans of the Half-Life series.

Robert Culp, the voice of Doctor Breen, passed away yesterday at the age of 79.  He apparently fell and struck his head outside his home.

Our best wishes are with his family.  He will be missed in the computer game and 3D entertainment world as well as the television and film industry.

Here’s the idmb page with a list of his extensive roles.