Calm Before The RF Storm?

[MakerOfGames]

I have noticed that the forums have gotten really slow of late. Very few posts, and a few new members and a few new projects, but this is one of the slowest times I recall seeing on these forums.

So my question is what's going on? Are people just very busy now, or is RF slowing fading? What is your opinion of what's going on here?

I think that its a combination of things. I know I have been really busy for quite some time and haven't had any time to devote to my project. Or maybe it's the time of year, as people are now able to get outside more with warmer weather as Spring approaches. School overtakes many of us, and life takes over the rest.

I hope this is just the "calm before the storm" where everyone bursts back into the forums with something to show and all sorts of new ideas and projects. This slow in the forums just worries me a little bit as each time it slows, it only seems to get slower.

Any thoughts?

[bernie]

Well I got busy with Equity but still manage to keep an eye on the forum. It is still being downloaded so people are reading the forum if not posting.

[sankha93]

We are busy. After all it is exam time in school.

[ardentcrest]

Its because people are so "awe struck" with surprise and wonderment, when they come across RF that they cant get thier brains to move thier fingers and post.

Apart from that, the forum is always dead at the start of the year.

Come to think of it is also dead in the middle and at the end of the year also.

[Juutis]

Ah, that's our MoG. Always taking the initiative.
I remember the similar threads 2-3 years ago.

The forums have always been more quiet in the winter. I guess people are busy with school and stuff. I know I am. But I still try to lurk around and post a little.

[paradoxnj]

I've been busy trying to get a simple demo together for RF2.

[MakerOfGames]

I suppose it is exam time in schools. I know its PSSA(EDIT: Pennsylvania System of School Assessment) time here. That was never a fun time of year. Anyhow, I suppose it is always very quite this time of year but I just get a little worried that RF may be on its way out. To me it's quite amazing that this community has survived so long. I have seen numerous other places come and go over the internet and thankfully RF has always been here. I guess I should take that as a sign that it will be around for quite some more time.

As for taking initiative, I'm not so sure I can be referenced as that. I haven't been able to show anything for my game project or finish that RF Guide Book I started a long time ago. Seems like I just hang out here. But that's fine with me so long as the rest of you don't mind . But I guess I do my best to help out around here on the forums.

I have been secretly working on my game project some more and hope to liven things up with what I am working on. Still very far away from anything I can show, but at least I found some time to get back to my roots. Hopefully I will have something substantial in the second half of this year .

[Destron]

I'm waiting for RF2. Regular RF is honestly pissing me off too much - too many bugs, bumpmapping doesn't work properly with world brushes and the scripting system annoys me.

[MakerOfGames]

Actually I am on your side Destron. I too am waiting for RF2. For all the assets I am currently working on I would love to throw them into a game engine to see them rendered when I am done. Unfortunately though, to make the assets for RF would require quite a load of work as I will be implementing a heavily scripted character and object interaction system. However I think I may throw things together as static objects just to see them rendered once I have something to show. RF is still very good, but I need something a with a lot of modern day power to make my game idea. I have made my dream for my project very large.

[Trougedoor122]

well, i would be on more except i don't get to go online much.

[scott]

I feel as if I should post here so here I am.

I check these forums about once a month (when a post I wrote in gets a reply and I get a reminder that these forums still exist)

I too see the same as MoG, though its not of late it seems to be a long downfall this time, not good, though the fact that people such as MoG and juutis are still posting means its still going, so its not going away any time soon.

Myself, I have been busy with university, having fun and getting drunk
Been learning how to use max properly


I have also done notion capture and produced a short animation (havnt got an online video)

finaly I have been doing games engines.
First semester I used hammer, the level editor for Half Life 2, the tech behind it is very similar to RF, however it has more features (dx9) however it was alot less stable and so imo RF is better, however in the second semester (currently in) we are using the unreal tournament 3 editor, this editor is like a dream come true, its so easy to use and doesnt need any programming to use, the features within it are vast, no more worries about BSP can be used on PC, 360 and PS3 at a click of a button. importing models into unreal is as simple as clicking file export and file import, it even supports milkshape using ascii file format I belive, if not it supports obj.

most things are as easy as finding (or imporing) objects you want and right click and add, got a terrain builder within and very powerful texture options and particle systems.

the reason i bring up the unreal editor is because its scripting system is mainly a system called kismet (unrealkismet) this is a graphical interface and makes scripting easy (however its not the perfect system as I havnt coverd it all and im not sure how character and enemy AI is handleld) however I did take a read onthe RF2 disuction and i see all this code and discuttion about python or squirrel, what ever the case I think RF2 could greately benefit from a scripting system similar to unreal's kismet.

putting all that aside RF is a great place to start and has helped me a hell of alot through this course so far (dont think I would of got as far as I have without the knowledge I gained from the experience with RF and you guys) as far as it goes this engine cant handle what I am going for, even the simpler stuff kills the frame rate such as depth corection is bad (saying that I doubt hammer and HL2 would do any better so dont take it the wrong way)

I think that the engine is falling too far behind now, DX11 will be out soon and quest will of put all the hard work into getting this up to DX9 and people will be starting to moan that its not DX10 (while theres not much difference people still want more)

I would say continue using RF as its free and you learn alot from the experience however expand your knowledge into difference games engines, unreal editor is free when you buy the unreal 3 game, though it defeats the object of RF of being free to publish it will give you a feel of what it would be like to work in the industry with some of the leading tech at your fingers.

I for one would like to see MoG's, juutis & AA's games made in RF and also all the newer projects out there and hope to see RF with all its shiny new features.

[paradoxnj]

I think that the engine is falling too far behind now, DX11 will be out soon and quest will of put all the hard work into getting this up to DX9 and people will be starting to moan that its not DX10 (while theres not much difference people still want more)

This is exactly why the OpenGL driver should be updated. In addition, DX10 and DX11 is Vista only. Some people on this forum do not want to use Vista and are not that excited about Windows 7. RF will be "old" again 1 year after the DX9 driver comes out. OpenGL's fall back methods are more friendlier to lower end cards too.

[GMer]

I hope it is the calm before the storm, it would be nice.
I think with spring around the corner and such, people just forget about their computers and RF and do other things. Unfortunately I have done that.
I am working on a 2D game currently, my game with RF has slowed to a crawl development wise, but once my 2D game is done (and my obsession with Ironman's Arc reactor is through ) I'll dust off RF, hug it, and get to work.
Did that just sound a little creepy?