fosterk

Looking damn good Tonks, nice to see a legacy being upheld

Thanks guys: Here come batch two: Hope you like em

First off, I apologise for these pics being 40px over the limit - but I've already processed them as such and by resizing them, I'm going to lose quality. (look on the bright side, I could be posting the 7.2MP shots ) Secondly, sorry I've not been around. My social life, other priorities et cetera have been taking up much more of my time. Anyway, enough of that, time for the pics: (He's not actually called Steve, just looks like a Steve to me) And to top it off; 5MB of panoramic imagery taken from Greenwich Observatory: http://www.twobeds.com/upload/userfiles/FosterK/Panorama.jpg Again, I apologise for the 40px extra, but I really cannot be bothered resizing and reprocessing 14 images. Let me know what you think of the shots. I'm relatively new to photography, but I'm exceedingly pleased with the outcome of the shots. (camera is an Exilim EX-Z750 7.2MP btw)

I'll probably get myself another ViewSonic VX2025, or a second 7800GTX (go for SLI), or possibly some Mushkin Redline 2x1GB RAM.

Jut got my new ViewSonic VX2025 monitor, 20 inches of TFT loveliness. New desktop:

Well, that's a shame. I can see uproar over this one.

Right. Thought it'd be a good idea for people to post their online PC game names somewhere together, so, I'll start off by adding my own (plus a few from an old thread): BF2: - FosterK ~ FosterKevin - Ninja12 - ~ Showtime12 - Decola ~ FsN|Acqui0 - halo_lover ~ -{TF}-iamrobk - ZeramZeram ~ ZeramZeram - Ephorex_77 ~ Ephorex - simonuts ~ geral_josh94 I'll keep this thread updated as people post theirs.

While I prefer nVidia, I'm going to offer some advice. Did you completely remove the drivers from the PC before installing the X1900? Or was it a new build? Before installing a new GPU, you should always run Driver Cleaner, just to make sure it's all wiped free of graphics drivers. Try running Driver Cleaner Professional, and then reinstall the latest Catalyst drivers (6.2? 7800GTX user here, so I'm more familiar with Forceware, btw, if there's any nVidia users here, download the latest Forceware, 84.20, they rock performance and image quality), and then see how it runs.

I can't stand iPods, either. The look cheap and tacky (white everything? what were they thinking?), the sound quality is dire, the headphones supplied explode should you (heaven forbid!) raise the volume. I could go on, but I don't want to bore you. I'm not just saying this, either. I've used one for a while, and it was horrible. iTunes chewed up my PC, and the battery life is shameful compared to my Creative Zen Touch 20GB. Sure, the Zen is a bit fatter than the iPod, but the battery life more than makes up for it. What I can't stand most of all is the sheepish culture surrounding iPods, the sort of "I want one because everyone else has one, and I'm going to completely diregard the fact that it's overpriced for what it does" idea people seem to have. I just don't understand why people so stupidly follow the masses. Last time I checked, portable music was about sound quality, battery life and capacity, as well as it being tough for day-to-day use for the lowest price possible. The iPod I had was inferior in each and every field for me. Crap software, terrible crackly sound quality, overpriced, and only lasted for 7 months before it promptly died. Took it back to the apple shop, got my money back, and got a Zen Touch with it. Same capacity, same job, no buggy software, great sound quality, great battery life, and I had 60 quid left over. Haven't had a single problem with it, and I use it every day. /me awaits onslaught of Apple-defending keyboard warriors.

Hello, and welcome to the second in a series of interviews with the founders of the NDEX team. Today, we'll be talking with DuskTrooper, the original purpose for creating NDEX. What made you want to BAT? Well...It all started back when my brother bought SC2K, with the SCURK. I would spend hours on that thing, building my stuff pixel by pixel, lol. Then, I bought SC3K with the BA+/BAT, and, I mostly focused on smaller houses, and suburban stuff. These homes, though, were full of architectural detailing, and were done in many "mock" architectural styles, such as mock tudor, mock tuscan, etc. After that, I also made a bunch of nice shopping centers, and mixed use developments, which I used to recreate many of the master planned communities and suburban areas in Houston. Then, SC4 came out. I originally wanted to do my entire suburban thing with SC, too, but with the way the game was set up, it was nearly impossible, since the BAT had not come out yet, and all of the commute bugs, etc involved would crush my visions of sprawl, so, I then put my focus on skyscrapers, and such. Of course, I had always been a fan of architecture, especially since we began looking at houses back in 2001. That is where most of my SC3K inspiration came from, since many of the homes in the Houston area feature unique mock architecture (I say "mock" architecture many times, since they attempt to emulate various architectural styles, without actually completely copying it, which reduces cost, and allows for "mass production" of such abodes.). My enrolment in Architectural Graphics, CADI and CAD II (which I just finished) did not hurt, either. Of course, to sum it all up, I BAT because I love having control over customizable stuff. I always loved seeing my own creations inside a game, especially since the days when I would customize war vehicles for the game Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun. And, I always did it my way! What is your favorite time of day for BATting? Any, as long as I am not sleeping, eating, taking care of business, doing other forms of recreation, etc. I do not, contrary to popular belief, BAT all day. My best work usually takes place at night, though, when it is cool (since the Texas summer, coupled with my heat-producing computer can make my workplace quite uncomfortable), and when it is quiet. Rendering, which takes several hours, is done overnight. Smaller BATs are rendered whenever I take care of other things. Multitasking is great! What do you like doing in your free time? Besides BATting, I like to read up on architecture, which my bookshelf can attest to (especially with my ever growing collection of architecture related books and articles). I also like to surf online, on Simtropolis (of course), architectural websites, etc. In the evenings, I sometimes like to take nice bike rides around the neighborhood (which gives me about 30 minutes to an hour to render stuff) because, after all, one should not be sedentary, and on the computer all day long. On these biking sorties, I like to check things out... such as the nearby golf course, certain wooded areas, etc., since I like to explore. Occasionally, if I can get a ride in town(I usually do this with a friend), I like to do some urban exploring. Either by car, rail, or foot, I like to explore the great city of Houston. This is another source of ideas for me. TV is not really much of a thing for me anymore, since most of the modern day television offerings, frankly, are garbage. I do watch the occasional episode of CSI and Law & Order, as well as a few old shows, such as MacGuyver where the main character makes weapons and devices out of everyday objects, etc. You don't really see good stuff like that anymore. Oh, and I like to chat! What is it that keeps you BATting? The ideas never stop coming. Plus, I like to "develop" my city, rather than simply play it, and in many of the cities today, exciting new mixed use projects/skyscraper projects are being proposed and built in many cities across the US (such as Victory in Dallas, Atlantic Station in Atlanta, The Pavilions in Houston, etc.), and I like emulating these developments in my game. My lofts (on the STEX) are similar to those in such developments that can be found in Houston, Dallas, and Atlanta. Also, my love of architecture keeps me BATting, of course. Where do you get all your inspiration for BATting from? Everywhere. Of course, most of my inspiration comes from my home town of Houston, Texas (as you can tell from many of my older towers, which have an obvious Houston influence). Plus, with the emergence of new mixed use projects(as stated above) in Houston, as well as other cities, the ideas never stop coming. Oh, and yes, I DO in fact get a lot of inspiration from Atlanta. Atlanta has a lot of beautiful post-modern buildings, particularly, those designed by late architect Phillip Johnson, who is one of my favorites, due to his consistent post-modern flair. Other architectural firms of inspiration include: Kohn Pedersen Fox, SOM, Sir Norman Foster, Murphy/Jahn, Renzio Piano, etc. Who is your favorite BATter? That nod would have to go to Oneil_1, simply because his BATs are absolutely beautiful and well made. From day one, his buildings have always shown consistent quality, and elegant design (along the lines of postmodernism, which is my favorite style). Plus, he is so quick to adapt his style, while still staying along the lines of postmodernism (ie, his BATs for the NDEX marina project). What is your favorite BAT on the STEX? I don't really know, lol. Many of them are good, but, my favorites include the stuff by Oneil_1, and NDEX, of course... What's your favorite Maxis building in SC4, and why? The one that looks like the Messeturm in Frakfurt, Germany. I forgot what it is called, lol, since I rarely use MAXIS towers anymore. I love it, due to its post-modern design. Who do you enjoy working with, and why? Besides myself(j/k), I'd say every working person on NDEX. Every member has their own unique style, and character. Of course, sometimes, things can get a bit tense, but, alas, all teams go through such times. Who have you enjoyed working with the most? I would have to say N747. At first, we were both fierce enemies, particularly, back when the BAT first came out, and I was a stumbling ***** when it came to detailing, architecture in general, etc. Thankfully, these have been permanently deleted from my hard drive(but, they are on a disc, just in case..) However, after a fair amount of resistance, I began to actually talk to N747 (via ST chat),on how I could improve my creations. It was a long and arduous process, with many of the consultations lasting into the early morning hours, but, after multitudes of decimated splines, exploded meshes, and blood, sweat, and tears (along with the occasional late night dose of caffeine, and snacks) we finally got my style established! I can never thank N747 enough for all of his help, and hours we spent tinkering and tweaking. What project have you enjoyed working on the most? I'm not too sure, really, since I have not really done any big "projects" in the past. All I do is model the thing, and then, it's off to be modded. Any helpful tips for budding BATters? Search! ST has plenty of information on BATting. I, personally, have developed quite a strange modeling method that no one seems to understand(at least that's what everyone I've tried to teach has told me, lol). I am a horrible instructor, because some things just cannot be put into words. I tend to think empirically, so, no set theory, or frameset can be used to explain certain things. Oh, and yes, you should also try downloading a few of my GMAX scenes on the exchange. If one cannot teach through words, then one must teach through example. Besides, it is easier for some people to learn through a hands-on experience. What made you choose SimCity 4 over the more popular [sims] games that are out there? I did not really like the concept of controlling the more boring aspects of things, since we all live life already, and playing life like that seems agonizingly boring. Sure, one can design the house, but the spectrum is sort of narrow. I like SC4 because one has control over more things. SC4 for me is not really a "mayor" type of thing- it is more of a city planner/developer type of thing. Many BATters, myself included, don't play SC4 any more, how about you? Oh, I still do play SC4. I am actually working on a region right now, Montaukshire, which is supposed to be a full scale American style metro, without certain negative aspects, such as crime, poverty, lack of education, congestion(hence, my ultra freeways) etc. Essentially, it is "the great urban experiment". I don't just test my BATs - I actually use them. I only play for about an hour or two a day, though, since I have been diversifying my activities lately. What do you want next from Maxis? A well designed SC5, with BAT, of course. OH, and the new BAT preferably should be integrated into GMAX once again, so we can use our SC4 creations in SC5! What other games do you play? There are other games? What kind of music do you listen to? I do not really listen to much music. I sometimes listen to the occasional video game soundtrack, or remix, but, other than that, I usually prefer...Silence...of course. What is your favorite website? Simtropolis, of course, for many reasons, and that would be too many to list here. I also like skyscrapercity.com, which is a great place for ideas, as well as information. I have a bunch of other sites, too, but, they might be considered boring by you people(blogs, cartoons, etc.). Do you have any bad habits, and if so, what are they? I tend to sleep late (since I like doing things at night, when it is quiet, and cool) and thus wake late, which tends to ruin the flow of a certain thing called life. That habit must be broken, of course, since I am going to college soon, but, for now, a full summer waits ahead of me so, bring out the tankers of midnight oil! What's your favorite building in real life? I don't really know... I tend to have a strong preference for anything post-modern, though, since post-modern architecture is timeless. Post-modern architecture is a movement that avoids all of the negative aspects of the past, while retaining neoclassical and timeless design elements, and combining them with new design features and technologies. Thus, my favorites are such buildings like the Williams Tower in Houston, 191 Peachtree in Atlanta, and 900 N Michigan in Chicago. Do you have a specific dream or achievement you'd like to accomplish in your lifetime? Also, What can you see yourself doing in the future, job-wise? I want to become an architect of course. Besides that, I'd also like to become a developer, creating new urban environments in places that really do not have any (such as Houston). Of course, it would be unique. That's one of my main goals... to be unique; to develop my own style. As for other goals/dreams, there is no limit to those, and hopefully, I will dream up something particularly grand, as the future has no limits. The sky is not even a limit. Finally... please release the BATs! A. Silence, Knave! And that concludes the interview with DuskTrooper, special thanks to him for taking his time to answer my questions. Thanks to the readers, too, and remember to look out for interviews with other founding members of NDEX, in the near future!

Hello, and welcome to the first in a series of interview with the founding members of NDEX, one of SimTropolis' BATting teams. Today, we will be talking with Equinox, the modder, and as some say, heart of NDEX (not to mention the founder). What made you choose SimCity 4 over the more popular [sims] games that are out there? I've always loved seeing something come together, from start to finish (hence, the SimCity affixation). The answer, in short, is that SimCity 4 is the most dynamic and open-ended game I've found. It's not the same type of open-endedness as what The Sims 2 offers, but SimCity allows more individuality and creativity to show through, especially with custom content added to the picture. What is your favorite time of day to "work"? Between 12 AM and 4 AM I am the most productive; I despise sleeping, and consequently the late night time is great for getting things done. I do my modding all throughout the weekend, but in the end, most of it is done during this time period. (I also do even more tedious things here, like extracting game soundtracks by hex editing, or whatever the case may be.) What do you like doing in your spare time? I enjoy playing my Xbox and PSP a lot. I also like to read books (my favorites would probably be the Descent series by Peter Telep, and the Halo books), listen to music, draw, and learn new things - as long as it's not biology. Do you have any bad habits, and if so, what are they? Yeah - not sleeping. I have a tendancy to put off sleep as a minimal priority and at times I go three or four days without it. I don't ever really feel tired, just obligated to sleep. I also tend to talk too much - or sometimes my thoughts go on too long for my friends' patiences. What is it that keeps you motivated to mod? The results: getting those well-balanced, tweaked lots to grow in the game. In addition, the fans and their feedback (via comments, ratings, and downloads) are very important to me. (Thanks for the continual support, everyone!) Where do you get all your inspiration from? Inspiration for what? Perfecting and tweaking things? Probably my mom, who's really big into organizing things: I've always been the same way. This isn't just in real life: I can't stand it if my game menus are full of unorganized junk that's not up to the standards of what's already in the game - hence, my job as the tweaker. Is there anyone you would like to thank for getting you into modding, and teaching you the ways of the trade? DarkMatter: his continual patience and answering of questions (not to mention his programs) were really helpful in my learning how SimCity 4 functions and how to manipulate it. GrampaAl: always provided help when I asked, and even sometimes when I didn't. Very kind and thorough, and a good lot maker/tweaker, too. Vlakhaas/Daeley: they have been immensely helpful and informative in my querymaking and my minimalistic LUA scripting for SimCity 4. SimGoober: for pointing out that the Plugin Manager's statistics were skewed so heavily and causing me to look into the issue and discover just how inaccurate and unbalanced they really are. ... and last but certainly not least, Dirk, for providing an awesome site and an awesome community: a place where knowledge can be shared freely and people are kind and respectful. What is your favorite website? I've had problems with links to this site in the past and since this is intended to be a website appropriate for all ages, I'll just say it's written by a man nicknamed "Maddox". Beyond that, my favorite site is Simtropolis, of course. What can you see yourself doing in the future, job-wise? I can see myself being a programmer, an architect, or a writer (books - no media articles from this guy). I'm not sure which of the three ways to go as of right now, but I'm thinking of double-majoring in Japanese and computer science. What is your favorite BAT on the STEX? Without a doubt, Somy's Microwave Rectenna Plant. In just the Simtropolis community, it's a harder choice ... I like the PDA Headquarters Building, Club Riddle Me This (by N74704 - the derelict nuclear plant-slash-nightclub), the Bosworth Tower (by Oneil_1), and the Nitron Center (by Superstar). What have you enjoyed working on the most? I don't know that I enjoy working on anything, really; I do it for the end results (to be perfectly honest). So the technical answer to your question is "N/A", but in relative terms, I liked working on Somy's Fishing Harbor 2, or Oneil_1's Bosworth Tower. Who is your favorite BAT designer? All-inclusive: without a doubt, As for in the Simtropolis community ... there's a group of people, each with his own strengths. Best Utility Buildings: RalphaelNinja Best Residentials: Oneil_1 Best Commercials: Superstar, PDA Best BATs Overall: N74704 What's your favorite Maxis-made building in the game - either Rush Hour or SimCity 4 vanilla, and why? Lucky Lizard Lofts. I like its general Euro style and my favorite colors are black and white. I like how detailed the building is, as well. (Then again, all of the Maxis buildings are high-detail). I also like the Hurt Enterprise Headquarters, because - as mentioned below - it is based off of one of my favorite buildings in real life, the Commerzbank Tower. Do you actually play SC4 any more? No, not really. Given that my time on the PC is restricted (my parents think my 3.6 GPA is not nearly as well as what I could get if I weren't so distracted by my PC - a good point) until school's out, the only time I ever spend in the game is testing lots to make sure they show up in the game and work. Once summer arrives, I probably will be playing a lot more, especially since I'm building a screaming new PC. Is there any advice you'd like to give people learning to mod? Be patient, read tutorials (although admittedly, sometimes they aren't so helpful and end up leaving you more confused than you were initially), and don't be afraid to ask questions. Also, don't shoot yourself if you post one of the Modding forums and get bashed for "not searching first": the forum search system here is questionable, and even when it works, it's hard to find answers to specifically what you're looking for. Even if it is a duplicate thread of some other long-buried one, people usually will give you links to places that explain your question. Use your head; the modding programs (and the way SimCity 4 itself works) are really logical. It really helps to be a person who thinks almost enitrely with the "logic" side of their brain - for the basics, I hardly ever used any tutorials; I just fiddled with lot files and saw what changing different things did. What other, non-Maxis games do you play? I play just about any racing game out there (I'm cutting class tomorrow to go buy Forza Motorsport on its day of release - hahaha). I also play Unreal Tournament 2004, Lumines, and my all-time favorite game: Ninja Gaiden. Oh, and DOA3 ... but that goes without saying. What kind of music do you like? I have a few kinds, really ... original game music (take that, EA!); trance - and J-Pop, too - Ayumi Hamasaki; techno; and finally, classic rock ... I like a lot of different bands in this category, but I'd have to say my overall favorite would be Pink Floyd. What do you want next from the Maxis guys? hmm ... I'm not really sure, but it looks like between The Sims 2 + expansions, SimCity, and the new Spore, it'll be hard to wish for anything more. What's with your Hitomi obsession? Originally, I was playing Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball - since all the characters are girls, it came down to who looked the best (of course), and I choose Hitomi. Later on, while having an Xbox party and playing Dead or Alive 3, I picked Hitomi as my character and ever since then, that's who I've used in any multiplayer fights. I guess that's really all there is to it. (I now have a Hitomi "skin" for the exterior of my Xbox, even...) Who do you enjoy working with most? First, I'm assuming you mean within the NDEX team. With that said, all of the NDEX members have their own qualities that make working with them a pleasure. They're all excessively nice and quite funny, so I don't really favor one person (although I tend to talk to Decius and Fosterk about personal matters more than anyone else; don't know if that counts as working or not). What's your favorite building or landmark in real life? The Petronas Twin Towers, without a doubt. (The Burj Al Arab looks pretty awesome so far, as well.) Second-place is the Commerzbank Tower in Frankfurt (that's spoofed in SimCity 4 - look at the Hurt Enterprise Headquarters). Do you have a specific dream or achievement you'd like to accomplish in your lifetime? Yes. I aspire to learn Japanese in Seattle (University of Washington) and then eventually move to Japan. That would be a dream come true for me: everything about Japan I find to be very interesting, and the vast majority of its culture I find much more respectable than that of Western societies (although sadly enough, the two are getting closer together all the time). Have you played any sports? Do you enjoy watching any sports? LOL. No, I have never played any sports and find P.E. class to be bad enough, to be honest. As for watching, I think golf is pretty cool, probably because of the strategy and true skill it takes, rather than the ability to run around in circles beating other people up, or kicking a ball through two posts, or whatever. I love to watch racing, and am a big rally race fan, although I don't know if racing is really considered a sport. Any thoughts you want to throw out to the community? Please watch the NDEX lots for updates, particularly the older ones. They all need to be updated to give realistic statistics and to have balanced properties, plus there are bug fixes and lot/model improvements to be done on some of them. ... Oh: two thumbs up correlates to "perfect", so if I have a lot with all two-thumbs-up icons next to the comments [on the STEX], why do I have a non-10 rating? (you have to post before you can rate.) I don't understand that, although it's not a very big deal. What do you enjoy the most about the Simtropolis community? I like the interfacing between adults and teenagers. I think it's great how well the two "parties" (the BSC and NDEX) get along and are able to cooperate so well - the BSC's demographic is mostly adult professionals, while NDEX's demographic is mainly high-school to college-age students. On most forums, let alone in the real world, I doubt such thing would ever be able to exist and work nearly as well as it does here. Hopefully NDEX can show people that there are still a few respectful, polite, talented, and determined teenage members of society who aren't rap-listening drug-dealing rebellious high school dropouts. Finally, what's your secret to being so gosh-darn awesome? If you mean being helpful, nothing, I guess - I enjoy being able to help others learn and improve upon the quality of their stuff, and I try to do what I can to assist, whether it's writing tutorials for modding, answering questions, or just doing the modding for others' creations, because they're too lazy to do it (j/k). And that concludes the interview with Equinox, and I extend a special thanks to him for taking his time to answer my questions. Thanks to the readers, too, and remember to look out for interviews with other founding members of NDEX, in the near future.

Lovely sig as always, nice one! 10/10