Happy Weekend! If you were curious, here's what's up with me :)...
1. IT'S A TWISTED METAL WEEKEND: Settling in for a long weekend of Twisted Metal work. On Deck:
a-Sending my notes and ideas to the team so we can lock what the RANKED non-tweakable HOST settings will be. For ranked games, we're- understandably, I assume- not giving the host much freedom at all.
b- Figuring out the UNRANKED host settings for multiplayer. For example, when you fall off cliff roads and rooftops in an unranked game, we'll let the host decide if a fall= instant death (the earlier TM games) or just damage and a respawn back in the action (the latter TM games). Oh, and from what I hear from the TMA crew, UNLIMITED WEAPONS is a big no-no! :)
QUICK QUESTION: And we may have discussed this before but it's time to pull a damn trigger on the issue: My gut says everything should be unlocked in UNRANKED games (online and split) because if you just want to play casually with buddies and see the stuff you paid for, why the hell not? BUT I also know there is a vocal crew of CALL OF DUTY:BLACK OPS that were PISSED that everything was unlocked in unranked from the get go. What do ya'll think? AGAIN: PLEASE- not looking for fresh ideas...just looking to see which way you'd go out of those two options- thoughts? Thanks in advance!
c-Writing the TIPS that appear on the load screen in in game.
d- Sending the team my latest notes and thoughts on our CAMPAIGN mode (tweaks, tuning suggestions, any last remaining pacing suggestions/ concerns/questions,etc.)
e-Prepping for a TWISTED METAL media event next month.
f-Reviewing the shot list for our live action Twisted Metal shoot coming up next week (going back in to the studio to capture shots we missed, redo some performances that need touch of love, capturing a few new shots to make certain story points stronger). Storytelling- like game creating (and ANY creative project I would assume)- is ALL about the iteration.
g-Prepping tune/tweak numbers to send to Scott out in Utah for vehicle driving differentiation and weapon/special weapon damage amounts.
h-Recording a video for Victor Lucas' I LOVE JAPAN charity event.
FUCKING WHEW! Wish me luck!
Here's what else I'm gonna try to squeeze in:
2. WEST WING SEASON 3 MARATHON CONTINUES- Been devouring them on Apple TV for the last month! Never watched before and it's become my second favorite tv show of all time already (right behind SIX FEET UNDER). At the end of the series, it may take the top spot (but I doubt it).
3. SPIN/MEDITATE- hope to get 2 spins in and about 20 minutes on the cushion this weekend. We'll see!
4. BILLS and BUDGET- ugh, never ends. How dare those bastards ask me to pay for the shit I use! :)
5. CONGRATULATIONS TO MY BUDDY- Some of you know I'm friends with Jeff Goldsmith, he of the amazing Creative Screenwriting podcast (also my co-writer on the TWISTED METAL:BLACK and TM2 end movies). Well these days he does an amazing Q/A with the world's best and most successful screenwriters and this stuff ain't PR fluff folks. He's really, really good at offering up insightful, probing, and smart as hell interviews about the craft and the life of today's working screenwriter.
OH WAIT!...he ain't doin that no more! :)
Nope- Jeff bolted from Creative Screenwriting and started his very own screenwriting podcast (same great format, same great guests, same amazing quality...if not better!) called THE Q & A WITH JEFF GOLDSMITH The first few episodes just hit this week (including one with the screenwriter of the new film FLAWLESS, a movie I REALLY want to see!) so please, do yourself a favor and check it out!
6. PRAYING FOR A MIRACLE- Check it:
My kids and their baby sitter are washing our new dog- Austin- at home for the first time. We just got him in January and so far I've had the vet bathe him twice and then used an animal grooming/bathing service up the road just once. We let him dig in the dirt, play in the backyard, go a little nuts (as all dogs should! :) )...
Well today the kids really wanted to bathe the guy in their own tub and their baby sitter was game (she's braver than I am, I tell you that!) Well so far, it's going GREAT! He's such a damn trooper this guy- so sweet and gentle with my girls. He just puts up with everything. Look at that face: you can tell he's just like, 'Ah screw it-these are my people and if these loud little kids wanna bathe me, screw it- what else I got goin' on today?' I'm not sure why he's a union truck driver from New Jersey, but there it is. :)
Ok- it's a full weekend so I'm gonna get banging on it. Hope ya'll are having a great one as well!
Talk soon!
David
PS. WHICH FONT? Is this post the way to go?
Or should I go with the SMALLER FONT I've been using?
THANKS!