Ancient Of Days on :
Loading a new environment with different shading would be prohibitively expensive. Applying layered textures to the prefab environment is probably our best bet.
Wednesday, August 3. 2005Macon Craig
I had no idea how much time had passed. Her fire had burned itself out, but there was no other sign that any time had passed. Yet another thing that we have to fix in these environments. Why did Night_Watcher have to be so stubborn about things? I rolled over, and felt something buzz underneath me. I jumped to my feet, thinking that I had rolled over onto a bug or something, but the buzzing continued. I had to laugh when I realized what it was. My cell phone hung on my belt, right next to my short sword. It was buzzing madly.
I picked it up. "Hello" "Where have you been? I've been trying to get a hold of you for the last four hours and twenty-four minutes." "Sorry. I ran into . . ." He cut me off. "Look. We've got a problem. Night_Watcher found a flaw in the newest environment that you uploaded." "So, that's hardly an emergency. I'll post a new rendering after school today." "No, he was inside when he found it. Besides, you're already late for school" "I am? What time is it? How did he find it? What did it look like?" "It's 9:55 your time. And I don't know. He's stuck inside. He can't get out." "He can't get out? Hold on. I've got to get out of this environment. I'll call you as soon as I do."
I hung up the phone, and stood there, trembling. I liked these environments. They were an escape, someplace where I was in control. But I didn't want to be stuck in one. I hated my life, but it was still my life, and well, I don't know, I just didn't want to lose it because of some computer bug. I closed my eyes and, breathing deeply, began the process of disconnecting myself from the environment. My body felt slow and weak when I reached up to unplug myself. I glanced over at the clock. 9:56. Brain_Stem was right. I should have known. I've never met anyone more obsessed with time. I rubbed my eyes as I dialed his number. His voice was clearer out here in the real world. I could hear the undercurrent of panic in his clipped tones when he picked up the phone. "Do you have another copy of the rendering from last night?" "Yes." "Check it for flaws." "I already did." "Check it again." "Fine." They treated me like a little kid. Yeah, they're older than I am, but that doesn't mean that I'm less trustworthy than they are. I started the scanning program. I heard him on the other end, breathing. He was probably pacing back and forth impatiently. He did that a lot. "It's clean. I told you it would be." "Upload it, then. As soon as you get it up on the server, check it again." Did he think I was stupid? I began the upload process, and hung up the phone. The phone buzzed in my hand before I even pushed myself back from the desk. "What happened?" "Sorry, must have had a bad connection. What's up?" "If it passes the check on the server . . ." I tuned him out. Another lecture. If he knew so much, why didn't he just do it himself? " . . . overwrite the file, then maybe the flaw will go away so that he can get out without any problems." "What? We can't just overwrite the environment file. Not while it's in use." "Actually, I think we might be able to. That was how we were going to try to simulate the passage of time--by loading a new environment file with slightly different shading." "Yeah, but I think this is different." "Just try it. We have to do something!" Trackbacks
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Ancient Of Days on :
Loading a new environment with different shading would be prohibitively expensive. Applying layered textures to the prefab environment is probably our best bet.
Ancient Of Days on :
Erm...did I just say "our"? I meant "their". Their best bet. <whistle style="innocent" />
Johnny Elbows on :
Yes, but that would require some serious changes to your, I mean, his engine.
Wren on :
Mostly, I'm just wincing at the idea of Macon having to create each environment to upload a thousand times, each with a five minute difference in light source and shading.
Uuuuuughghgh. |
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