here's a summary of my e-mail conversation with Scot Amos, presently senior producer at Maxis division of EA Games, one of the gods of gaming
Scot: Your walkthrough is AWESOME. Say, do you have any interest in game design or game testing?
Me: umm, yeah, very much so
Scot: How would you like to be an intern at our Vancouver office?
Me: lemme think - HELL YES
So, now I'm looking for somewhere to stay there. It's a bit tricky when it's on the west coast and I'm more eastern inland. Hopefully, those who know me and also know Vancouver can help set me up with something at least temporary. Of course, I don't plan on moving there until I Get the job, but we're talking about an Opportunity of a Lifetime. My Dream Job. I'm going to do whatever it takes to get to my goals. Opportunity is knocking - ON MY FOREHEAD.
9.11.2003
9.09.2003
9.08.2003
Well, the most recent e-mail has some useful info regarding secret character identities, but it's not so important for me to post a walkthrough update, so here's the e-mail:
"Hey!
"Glad to see someone played the game we worked so hard on… :) I’ve got some info on who some of the secret characters are if you care… MINISCOT is Tim Sanders he was lead programmer on the project for a little while then went to Circus Freak Studios (actually to take over my job and I eventually joined the Dr. Muto team… Amusing, eh? The game industry is small.) We called him Mini-Scot to annoy both him and Scot Amos (the producer on Dr. Muto) because he was a smaller version of Scot… You’ll find that most good teams in this industry really insult each other a lot – it makes it a great place to work (and lends itself to lots of in-jokes in the games).
"Also, STIG is Stig Amussen (I’m sure I’m spelling his last name incorrectly, if you want check the credits). He was an artist on the game, and put himself in as a secret character…"
-Joe Straitiff
former Senior Programmer at Midway on the Dr. Muto team
"Hey!
"Glad to see someone played the game we worked so hard on… :) I’ve got some info on who some of the secret characters are if you care… MINISCOT is Tim Sanders he was lead programmer on the project for a little while then went to Circus Freak Studios (actually to take over my job and I eventually joined the Dr. Muto team… Amusing, eh? The game industry is small.) We called him Mini-Scot to annoy both him and Scot Amos (the producer on Dr. Muto) because he was a smaller version of Scot… You’ll find that most good teams in this industry really insult each other a lot – it makes it a great place to work (and lends itself to lots of in-jokes in the games).
"Also, STIG is Stig Amussen (I’m sure I’m spelling his last name incorrectly, if you want check the credits). He was an artist on the game, and put himself in as a secret character…"
-Joe Straitiff
former Senior Programmer at Midway on the Dr. Muto team
9.07.2003
I like burning money. unfortunately, burning money implies that I have time, and if it's not spent cleaning my room, I get in shit.
I'm starting to feel giddy from the praise I'm receiving from people that were on the Dr. Muto team. well, it's only three people, but when one of them was the PRODUCER, you start feeling important. he's actually going to send me "something", and I'm pretty confident it's neither explosive or infectious.
occasionally I keep track of my game collection using IGN. Xenosaga would be better if there weren't so many pauses between sentences, or if it were a bit quicker overall. you know, make it MORE like an anime. I'm liking .hack//infection too, very mysterious; a game about playing a game with really nasty bugs and lethal consequences. State of Emergency (read: anarchy in the guise of freedom fighting) is fun. Haven is a good game, but then it ends... Enter the Matrix is NOT as good as it should have been graphics-wise, and the story is mildly interesting. save some money and stick to the movies, unless you feel like getting EtM anyway.
I'm starting to feel giddy from the praise I'm receiving from people that were on the Dr. Muto team. well, it's only three people, but when one of them was the PRODUCER, you start feeling important. he's actually going to send me "something", and I'm pretty confident it's neither explosive or infectious.
occasionally I keep track of my game collection using IGN. Xenosaga would be better if there weren't so many pauses between sentences, or if it were a bit quicker overall. you know, make it MORE like an anime. I'm liking .hack//infection too, very mysterious; a game about playing a game with really nasty bugs and lethal consequences. State of Emergency (read: anarchy in the guise of freedom fighting) is fun. Haven is a good game, but then it ends... Enter the Matrix is NOT as good as it should have been graphics-wise, and the story is mildly interesting. save some money and stick to the movies, unless you feel like getting EtM anyway.
8.16.2003
I know a secret~
It regards Dr. Muto. I really should update the walkthrough, but I've been cornered with a daily 12 hour shift and I'm dead tired. I better get my fucking pay soon.
I finished painting my first Warhammer 40k model. It's just an ork slugga boy, but it's pretty damn good for a first. My friend, known as Xeldan online, gave me two razorbacks for my orks! the one he put together was kinda shitty though... I need more ideas on how to make a tank look destroyed and rebuilt, or otherwise commandeered by a race of warmongering berserkers. I should probably get a few mek boyz too.
It regards Dr. Muto. I really should update the walkthrough, but I've been cornered with a daily 12 hour shift and I'm dead tired. I better get my fucking pay soon.
I finished painting my first Warhammer 40k model. It's just an ork slugga boy, but it's pretty damn good for a first. My friend, known as Xeldan online, gave me two razorbacks for my orks! the one he put together was kinda shitty though... I need more ideas on how to make a tank look destroyed and rebuilt, or otherwise commandeered by a race of warmongering berserkers. I should probably get a few mek boyz too.
7.16.2003
Did I mention I'm a security guard now? yeah. I get a lot of reading done now. This past week though I've been away at 2 family functions. First, my mom's mom turns 80. I say she's senile, but she might just be old. Second, a cousin on my dad's side gets married. I don't know her that well, at least no farther than knowing her age... oh wait, I forgot that too. Something like 25. I was an usher, along side her brother. He's okay, especially considering how crazy my dad's side is. He could do with a real job though. and a hair cut.
My room is hot. Not even the brand spankin new air conditioner helps. The only time my room is cool is when either the computer is off, or everything else but the ceiling fan is off. And, it's supposed to be the coldest room in the house. Of course, getting a GeForce4 Ti4600 only made it hotter. I'm going to have to get a new PC just for a better cooling setup. I keep saying i need an air conditioner for my room. mom doesn't bite.
My room is hot. Not even the brand spankin new air conditioner helps. The only time my room is cool is when either the computer is off, or everything else but the ceiling fan is off. And, it's supposed to be the coldest room in the house. Of course, getting a GeForce4 Ti4600 only made it hotter. I'm going to have to get a new PC just for a better cooling setup. I keep saying i need an air conditioner for my room. mom doesn't bite.
5.31.2003
WORD.
specifically on the Hydro Station. Thank you, Fredric Mora!
"Those missing isotopes you are talking about was a problem that even the testers for this game had a hard time finding. Generally the isotopes the testers had missing were in the underwater cave mazes you had to swim in before you had to do the mission where you destroy the submarines, but here's the even funnier part.....you'll hate the designers for this:
"As hard as it is to navigate within the maze, some isotopes were "accidentally placed" too close to the walls or the floor so that you literally had to scrape along the wall (or the floor) to get it. You had to rotate your camera to a certain view to even begin to see it.
"This problem happened because designers generally placed their isotopes in the world in a haphazard manner, but sometimes artists would change the art of a level and the designers (being the geniuses they are) decided not to make a note of where all of them were placed and could not fix it.
"Some people may say they have found them all and it could possibly be true because this is the situation that happened: A couple of versions before the game sent off to be mass produced, no tester could still get every isotope, but I think (and this is a big "I think") that one version was sent out, the isotopes were fixed later, and then another version was sent. It is possible for there to be two versions of muto out because MIDWAY is EXTREMELY NOTORIOUS FOR DOING THIS. They did the same for Gauntlet Dark Legacy and Rush.
"Also, when this design issue of missing isotopes was brought up, the producers told us that "Hey as long as the player gets 80 percent of the total in game isotopes then that's all they really need. There's nothing if you get 100.00% of the isotopes. It's still the same reward as getting 80.00% of the isotopes." I know this sounds lazy, but they were pressed for time and just wanted to ship the product."
so that's the deal.
Fredric Mora was a product analyst on the Dr. Muto team, but has sinced stopped working for Midway. So, don't expect any support from Midway regarding this issue.
specifically on the Hydro Station. Thank you, Fredric Mora!
"Those missing isotopes you are talking about was a problem that even the testers for this game had a hard time finding. Generally the isotopes the testers had missing were in the underwater cave mazes you had to swim in before you had to do the mission where you destroy the submarines, but here's the even funnier part.....you'll hate the designers for this:
"As hard as it is to navigate within the maze, some isotopes were "accidentally placed" too close to the walls or the floor so that you literally had to scrape along the wall (or the floor) to get it. You had to rotate your camera to a certain view to even begin to see it.
"This problem happened because designers generally placed their isotopes in the world in a haphazard manner, but sometimes artists would change the art of a level and the designers (being the geniuses they are) decided not to make a note of where all of them were placed and could not fix it.
"Some people may say they have found them all and it could possibly be true because this is the situation that happened: A couple of versions before the game sent off to be mass produced, no tester could still get every isotope, but I think (and this is a big "I think") that one version was sent out, the isotopes were fixed later, and then another version was sent. It is possible for there to be two versions of muto out because MIDWAY is EXTREMELY NOTORIOUS FOR DOING THIS. They did the same for Gauntlet Dark Legacy and Rush.
"Also, when this design issue of missing isotopes was brought up, the producers told us that "Hey as long as the player gets 80 percent of the total in game isotopes then that's all they really need. There's nothing if you get 100.00% of the isotopes. It's still the same reward as getting 80.00% of the isotopes." I know this sounds lazy, but they were pressed for time and just wanted to ship the product."
so that's the deal.
Fredric Mora was a product analyst on the Dr. Muto team, but has sinced stopped working for Midway. So, don't expect any support from Midway regarding this issue.
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