loonygames' MailBag: Issue #13

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The "Proof of loonacy" Dept.:
MailBag for Issue #13

Comments by Stephanie"Bobbi" Bergman

Every week our associate editor takes on the big ol' pile of mail for your reading enjoyment...got something to say? Send it in. You just might win a swanky loonygames t-shirt. Letters are presented exactly as they are recieved.

Blue’s interview with Levelord got some...interesting responses....

Subject: Levelord and Blue...get psycho.

looneygames,

Great interview with "Levelord"...right up until the bit when the Yankee schmuck said this...

"Especially programmers. Those are the truly elite. You can get any schmuck to do levels, you can get any schmoe to do art"

Awww...now as a former 3d artist/animator in the game industry, I take serious offense to the word...schmoe. I don't mind schmuck so much for a level designer as they seem to take far too much credit for games.

After you have designed a level...Levelord, whose textures are you putting on the walls? the ceilings? just some shmoe. Those "baddies" you're placing were modeled by some shmoe...probably some dumbass 20 year old kid who was stupid enough to want to work in the "fucking-dumb-artists-wanted-who-will-work-for-shit-money game industry".

That schmoe actually may have trained in traditional techniques and skills such as drawing or painting or sculpture. Maybe even photography or film. A person with 3d skills that you wish you could have so you could make little monsters and cars and guns...all in a nice little 3d editor. Wouldn't it be easy? Hell yeah....that's what everyone thinks. Right? Art is so easy to make! Yeah...that's why so much game art sucks. Depleted talent pool. Because there are so few people, such as programmers, game designers or level designers who know jack enough about art to say anything other than a shitless comment like..."Yeah, that texture is like...way too...um...brown!".

I wish we could see code. So I could sit back and go..."Man that code was written but a total putz!". Programmers are the elite. What about the TEAM being elite. I'm sure the programming team at Valve is just as talented as the programming team at Ritual. Just as "elite". So I guess what makes the difference in the game is the schmucks or the schmoes? You got it LL! Or maybe it's the Team that's elite.

Bottomline...if the Engine is sweet, you won't know it...unless the "schmoes" make some kick ass art.

Not all of us have the visibility to show off our personal talents. Paul Steed is an exception because he happens to work at Id. Sorry Paul...your stuff is very good but if Adrian and Kevin weren't so damn quiet and you weren't so vocal? Nobody would know what your name is. Does the game industry, media, or gamer know the names of the "schmoe" artists who created the models, skins, textures, etc for SIN? Nah...but they should. But they know your cool name.

I hope artists out there get pissed. Get pissed, sick and tired of other Team members calling them replaceable or schmoes or under valuing their natural born gifts to create art...and rise the fuck up and stab your ass with a paintbrush or a pencil. Quit the game industry!!! WAGE SLAVES! Artists need to band together to say..."if it looks so damn easy, and I'm such a schmoe...you fuckin do it!". What do you say out there...you schmoes!!! You schmoe artists!!! RISE UP AND UNITE! UNION!! UNION!! UNION!! ATTICA, ATTICA, ATTICA!!!

Levelord, retire. Or move back East and open up your own company, fill it with schmoes and schmucks, oh...and "the elite". And then get yourself a smack rig, act like a rock start in the microcosm that is the game industry, and get yourself some "meatloaf" therapy.

My only questions to the LL would be...why move to desolate place like Texas? How can you stand the dirt when you have lived next to the ocean?

Your idea that you haven't seen it yet in level design until you do it first or your philosophy behind viewing other work is so warped. You see architecture every friggin day of your life. There is nothing that you have created that someone hasn't done before. Period. All you can hope for is that it is unique. That your life has taught you a unique way of visualizing space and how to play in it.

Whatever. You know what it feels like to get shafted (no credit on Duke). So...I guess you know what it feels like to be a schmoe.

Later. Dick.

(if I win a t-shirt...send it to the Levelord and have him give it to his favorite "schmoe" at Ritual.)

Don’t worry, I’m not giving you a t-shirt. I can’t believe you wrote this whole rant on the basis of “shmoe.” Especially after he called himself a shmuck. Sheesh. Lighten up. Learn what sarcasm is.

Subject: Levelord/Blue Interview

I liked the content, it was fun to read. But, most of the viewers know Blue as more of a household name then Levelord. And though it was cool to pick LL's brain, I'd personally like to know more about Blue. I think alot of us would. Maybe a straight inteview with him? I know we get his daily "Out of the Blue" shit, but lets get into his mind. I don't know anything really about him and he does so much for the gaming community day in and day out. In my opinion, he's a celebrity. Dunno, maybe I just need a life.

Jutsman

www.halflife.net/isotopia

Hrm....Blue?

Subject: Blue and LL

That interview by Blue with Levelord has to be the best interview I have ever heard with LL. Hmm... maybe there is something to this doing your interview in a bar. =]

B.T.W. I have a couple quotes by LL from this interview on my site. I linked his name to the interview for ya and mentioned the interview on the news page.

Thanky, and...thanky.

Some people just amaze me...

Subject: duke 3d

can you send me the password for adult mode on duke3d email on [e-mail deleted to protect the stupid]

All I can say is...hahahahahahahahahaha

And the winner of our loonygames t-shirt is...

Subject: The Pimp Cometh

editorial \Ed`i*to"ri*al\, n.
A leading article in a newspaper or magazine; an editorial article; an article published as an expression of the views of the editor.

Did not enjoy the "Guest Editorial" by Angel Munoz. Every sentence that flew from his fingers was another excuse and cop out for any of his failures. I am a weekly (tri-weekly?) reader of loonygames because it maintains a nice balance between ranting and actual opinion from gamers and developers. I enjoy reading this type of content while I wait for games to come out.

I *do* enjoy loonygames' content very much. Thank you for what you do. But...

Reading about how tough Mr. Munoz has it and how the failure of the CPL is due in part to the CPL's critics is laughable. I don't enjoy seeing loonygames as a forum for whining about one's bad business decisions and promoting himself as some sort of savior. Tell us about what the CPL is going to *do*, tell us about what it *offers*, or even interest us in going to one of these things.

Mr. Munoz had my eyeballs for a good 10 minutes. You think he would have spent his first moments in front of me promoting the CPL or even just giving me some insight into what he does. But no, we get whining and silly stories.

"...few weeks ago he died in a car accident."
Oh bullshit.

"...drunk driving.."
I bet he was a child molester too!

"..and it keeps them out of trouble."
YES! THAT'S IT! I AM GODLIKE! That's why I have all these bible references strewn about my "Guest Editorial"! I am saving lives!

I'm sure Mr. Munoz didn't have a tape recorder running for that mini- interview with that man who /supposedly/ lost his son. I'll have to assume he regurgitated that man's story in his own biased words.

I won't even get into poor news ethics.
(Adrenaline Vault/Romero)

I don't have Angel's address, nor do I want it, but I give you permission to forward any part of this to him, actually I challenge you to; in case he doesn't believe you when you tell him there was such a negative email to his 'Guest Editorial'.

Andre Torrez

First off, let me say you left one thing out of your home made definition of ‘editorial’...”views of editorialists may not necessarily reflect those of the editor.” Guest editorials are written by the guests, and the content is at their discretion. Angel chose to address this topic, we gave him a forum for it.

That said, I don’t know if the story of this kid at the CPL is true or not. Sure, it sounds hokey, but who knows....if you only knew some of the sappy shit I get in my mailbox....people are weird.

As for the ‘failure’ of the CPL, I don’t think it’s failed. I have now been to both a CPL and PGL event, and I can tell ya, a CPL event is a hell of a lot more fun than the PGL. My clan dropped out of the PGL, even. But if I had a computer at the CPL, you can bet I would have played. Both leagues have their merits, both have their flaws. As the man behind the CPL, it is only to be expected that Angel will try to explain the CPL, and he does exactly that.

And not only are we giving you a t-shirt, but we’re publishing this on our site for Angel and the whole world to see! So there!

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Credits: MailBag logo illustrated and is © 1998 Dan Zalkus. The MailBag is © 1998 Stephanie Bergman. All other content is © 1998 loonyboi productions. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited and not nice.