HaloMD

[nil]

Alpha 9 has been released. If you have HaloMD, go to HaloMD menu -> Check for Update, otherwise see download link in first post of this thread.

Changes:

*Removed "Public" and "Private" in favor for more noticeable Lock and key icons
*Added Map information to table
*Fixed bug where game variant showed blank in table (it's really a Halo bug)
*Improved Game Inspector (cmd+I), IP address and port got moved to there.
*Improved ping calculation. Before it was off by an order of magnitude of 100 ping; now it is off by around 10.
*Improved performance by using less CPU resources when idling
*Improved selection preservation when refreshing all servers

[Sparky]

From where does HaloMD obtain the map name string? It's probably the same as the Gamespy lobby worked, right? Is that the hex data value in the executable based upon the map file name, the name in the map header, or the string in mp_map_list ustr tag in the map? I would think the last option is ideal because then you could even get an even better description of the map straight from its (possibly modded) metadata.

[nil]

From where does HaloMD obtain the map name string? It's probably the same as the Gamespy lobby worked, right?...

Yes, just like it gets the server name, the number of players & max players, game type, etc. Servers report strings like "bloodgulch", "putput", etc. It's either from the map filename or somewhere in the map file like the map header or whatever - I don't know.

[nil]

Had several fun super-unorganized scrims going on. It's nice to play Halo with people again:



@Sparky: I was right for not trusting you .
@Amy: You're no fun \=.

[Amy]

I joined, and I saw you talk and then "the server operator has kicked you from the server."

BTW: That other server that's always there runs other full maps. I have the full maps from the PC, and i decided to put them into your Halo Data folder. So really, you have created a way to 'Upgrade' your halo demo to be able to run the retail maps... Because getting halo full multiplayer to work right was near impossible on the mac with all the pirates and stuff....so now we have a working halo full multiplayer! siick.

[TaxiService]

>checks deadline
>it's 18/3

oh lol, i thought it was 13! ha ha

anyway uh, yesterday i tried using the same method i used to make the HDemoEditor icon with a grenade (original snapshot for comparsion), and here's how it turn'd out:





But meh. I feel like I made it too round :-\ The lines are intended to be left like that. (It's because, uhh… in this way the grenade doesn't completely lose the old low LOD look while still appearing a little more appealing to the eye..! (COUGHand it was hard to fix that lineCOUGH)) Also I don't like how it looks in the dock.

While taking the snapshots i wished i had some CG tool instead of having to use Halo as a 3D engine, but hey! In war every hole is a 3D engine, right?


If you consider this icon to be worthy of consideration, please give me advice with what I have to change to make it better. If you want I can also redesign the grenade into a vectorial program so that it can be more precise (no more shitty lines) and be stretched to any size. Anyhow I'll make and propose more icons in these days.

For the launcher I was thinking to put the app icon into the powerups box model. (I tried, and it didn't look very good with this grenade. …Probably it'd look better with a plasma grenade, but meh)
Other options for the launcher are: using a c_uplink near the icon or by itself; putting a halo around the icon (with an arrow, maybe?); including the standard apple ’network’ logo; and i'll think about some other thing.


PS: by the way i have a decent warthog icon that i made without a purpose around 2 years ago. If you guys think that's iconic enough we could use that one?

PPS: i should probably keep messaging through PMs, nil? tell me if so.

[Zoidberg]

Hi,
I have a idea, add a tab "More info" in Game Inspector. When we starting a server, we can write a little text for the rules / description of the game or mod, or write a url for downloading a modded map, or other info.

Bye !

[Vegerot]

Don't we already have a "description" tab? I don't know, I haven't played Halo Mac multiplayer in forever.

[TaxiService]

Yo hey, whaddaya think about this?

• 

I think it's way better than the shitty grenade i made yesterday. I am unsure if cutting the curve on the top-right corner of the helmet like i did with the neck. I am also unsure about what to do in the 16x16 icon. I mean, i wanted to make a nice pixelated helmet but i just didn't try hard enough.

For the launcher (and .map file) i propose respectively a monocolor vectorial white helmet engraved in the apple network logo. (the blue one with all the white connecting lines etc), and a plain document with the same logo painted in a dark color (not completely black) with .map written on bottom.

Sooo… yeah! I'll go produce some more icons and shit. :3


PS: i used a cyborg_mp when i took the picture; the green armor is just a overlay layer on a white background. If needed i can simply make more variations of this icon to be used for, say, different states of the application. For example, if this was the server-finder's icon, it could turn red if there is no connection, yellow while in the server lobby, and green while playing! Just like adium's icon.

I mean, i am just throwing an idea here..!

whoop, here it is. I'm throwing it at ya. hoop hoop. whole lot of ideas coming at ya.



PPS: yeah i know an helmet is something <granted> and maybe unoriginal, but it's also probably (IMHO) the most meaningful icon you could give to this app.
Nonetheless, i'm going to propose some more icons, eh! Stay tuned! Or not; whatever!

[Modzy]

I was thinking of something like the legendary icon in the difficulty selection:


I did a bit and remade the shield best I could (I have the 1024x1024 on my desktop):


Looks like this:

[nil]

The grenade doesn't look too bad, though I suppose it isn't as iconic. Incorporating a power up box like you mentioned may help with that though. (Just to randomly note, this is one of the examples where text is actually appropriate).

You'll want your end result icons to be vectorized.

I'd like to see how the warthog looks in the dock. May want to consider tilting it giving perspective, but I'm not sure.

The helmet is kind of odd with all the strange tints & colors everywhere (like the blue tints on top and middle). Perhaps it's too pixel-ized?

Keep in mind your icon composer isn't up to date (it doesn't have 1024x1024 option), but it's fine for testing like you are now.

@Vegerot: He's talking about HaloMD.

@Zoidberg: All the information the inspector shows you is what any Halo server reports. Implementing something like that would not be easy because we don't have access to changing what Halo reports. Concisely writing what is required in the server name will grab more attention anyway. The game inspector is completely supplementary and not necessary, so you can't expect players to look at it. Keep in mind even if there was an unavoidable way for people to see a "description", there's still no guarantee they'll look at or comprehend it.

[EDIT]: Modzy's idea is interestingly unique. What you think Taxi? Maybe I'd like to see the skull on it or something.

[EDIT2]: I was also thinking about using FTW2 beta maps. But, I'm not sure how stable they are, and not sure how likable they'll be (could be harder to see things).

[EDIT3]: Keep the discussion here Taxi, not PMs.

[Amy]

I love Modzy's Icon idea actually...(I love you taxi I swear) You could actually do a lot with it, such as putting a skull like Nil said, or putting an energy sword to make it look like HDlauncher...or even put MD across it or something.

[Vegerot]

Yeah, put in MD in Halo-like text. Like the normal Halo icon has Halo O under it. So we'd do the same thing but it would be MD.

[TaxiService]

how the shit couldn't i think about the shield?!! >.< it's so perfect!!! it's also much more versatile than (th)a(t) shitty unbalanced helmet!!

>your icon composer isn't up to date
Wh-wh-WHAAT!!! D: I'll have to find the new one. (i hope it runs on snow leopard..?)

>(I love you taxi I swear)
haha yeah, don't worry! it is stupid to get offended if anyone prefers somebody's else jobs over mine! why would i do that?
(i mean, it's okay, i don't mind!)


If you guys want i can still, uhh… elaborate on the shield? I mean, i don't know… do shit? yeah, tell me if there is shit that needs to be done, i'll gladly do it.

PS: by the way the blue reflections are there because i used levels/b30/cubemap beach as the reflection map. i thought it look'd cool(er than the normal cubemap).

[Modzy]

Taxi, if you'd like to have a go at the shield/skull, that'd be great. I'm definitely no graphics designer.