LJ> It wasn't flu - it seems to have been some bacterial infection that is
 LJ> running rampant through the area.  My wife was hit rather hard, and my 
son
 LJ> put up with 2 days of mid-level fever (both still cough).  Lucky me 
eems
 LJ> to have been hit the hardest.  Multiple bouts of 103+ fever, IV fluids 
and
 LJ> antibiotics, injected/pill/inhaled steroids to help me 
 LJ> breathe - suffice it
 LJ> to say that I wasn't in good shape.  After having a brief setback a 
couple
 LJ> of days ago, I'm now finally recovering.
  Yaah!  Thank goodness things seem to be getting better for you.  Just don't 
run around the 3D Realms offices, coughing all the way... :-)  Unless, of 
course, you have a grudge against a particular person.
 LJ> Looks, shmooks.  You should see the Event 20/20bas set in the studio -
 LJ> you've never seen a boxier-looking pair of monitors.  
 LJ> However, you've never
 LJ> *heard* a pair of monitors like these, either - they tend to stun.  I've
 LJ> repeatedly told people at the office that I could give a flying leap 
ess
 LJ> about how things look - it's how they work that impresses me.
  I know that looks don't really make a difference; it's just a nice touch on 
my particular speakers.  They certainly fulfill their actual duties (putting 
out sound) admirably!
 LJ> Thanks.  Low frequencies 'R' us.
  You're welcome.  By the way, for Duke Forever and/or Prey... I know this 
might seem like heresy for you, but do you think you could shoot for 
Quake-level sound effects?  While your work is certainly good (some of the 
better work in the industry), you have to admit that Trent Reznor & Co. did 
some astounding work with Quake.  The "swamp" sounds are very peaceful if you 
turn the music off, and the clatter of nails to the ground is a satisfying 
end to a shooting spree.
  Actually, one thing I think has been missing from EVERY game I've played 
has been a true gun sound.  I think most pistols fire off with a "pa-chink" 
(or maybe, "pa-chak") as they fire.  While I can't verify the accuracy of 
that, I know that most pistols in games don't sound like they would.
  Also (I know, I'm getting finnicky), I understand most chainguns often 
sound like loud drills; the 30 mm "Avenger" cannon on the A-10 is supposed to 
be so forceful that you NEVER get used to it.  While the sounds of Duke's 
chaingun served their purpose, the weapon sounded more like a rapid-fire 
silencer.
  And this isn't a criticism, but a potentially-useful experience.  Have you 
ever heard the music to Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain?  That is simply some of 
the most sorrowful work I've ever heard in a game.  I would imagine that 
listening to it for too long might get you depressed.  Perhaps, if you're 
asked to do music for a particularly sad and/or lonely level in a game, you 
could fire that game up (even if it's just the demo) for inspiration.
 LJ> It hasn't won anything, and probably won't.  C'est la guerre.
  You DID have some awfully stiff competition this past year, didn't you?  
Interstate '76 won PC Gamer's award, and who could blame them for liking that 
retro funk?
--- Maximus 3.01
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