I’m guessing that like unemployment, you just aren’t counted in the numbers if you are too far beyond struggle. Not so much as a check-up in 10+ years? Must be perfectly healthy! No? Uh…

Just never clicked with me, I guess. The workflow/layout, how certain things like modifiers often create mesh errors.

I mean Blender is perfectly fine for my uses, but I started with Maya (many years ago) and I think I preferred how that did things (and most things being nodes, though TBF I haven’t looked into Blender’s geometry nodes). Admittedly I also can’t deal with Maya’s bloat (or cost), and even the pre-Autodesk Linux version seem to be more data than modern Blender.

I also like some of the older tech like vertex colors and NURBS. Those aren’t impossible with Blender either, though certainly don’t seem top-drawer. For VC it takes a bit of setup (create it, materials, get it rendering properly in viewport shading modes) but the startup file helps with that… though I’m also relying on that for an ordered/set-width color palette, so I’m not sure if there’s an easy way to change that in already saved files (and actually changing the vertex colors of the object is another, since it isn’t just a color index that can be updated).

Yeah, I use Blender now but it’s a bit painful for me to use. So it’s a common thought that some old software might be usable for a simple workflow… if it could be done with proper hardware utilization and not too much overhead.

SGI made
there was no windows or Mac hardware capable of this sort of thing

Yeah. This was my thinking, that SGI-workstation-specific software would be more capable (hardware-support-wise) than Windows-specific software.

Though I’m guessing the architecture difference is just as much of a problem even if someone could work at that low-level.

That is assuming you are wanting to do architectural visualization?

I’m interested more for animation/gamedev, that’s why I phrased it (3) as ‘model packs’ because I could see many of the large empty scenes shown being useful as a starting point for custom environments (even if it doesn’t completely make sense, I’d love to put some bespoke digital creation inside a long-forgotten mall).

Nvidia supports 13 year old hardware and newest kernels with 580

At some point when running your 14 year old GPU

Pascal (GTX 10 series) and Volta (expensive workstation stuff) cards from 8-10 years ago are forced to 580 too. EDIT: and to be clear this is an issue with all of the 580xx versions of packages, specifically because Arch put them into the AUR (though this directly isn’t OP’s issue).

Having a 1050Ti… I like the idea of an AMD (Polaris+) card, but I don’t really want to buy a side-grade from the internet. I got really good deals on my other hardware (combo deals from 2019) so $100 more would actually be a decent chunk. Really just seems to me that the GPU market is behind due to crypto->NFTs->AI.

You might be right on FOSS drivers, but they seem to be still rough-around-the-edges whenever I look into it. In multiple aspects (performance, feature/technology support, segfaults). It might be true that I may not notice in some cases (lighter applications), though a 1050 Ti doesn’t have the headroom where the performance could be cut in half and not result in noticeable instability.

This isn’t really a ‘fork it’ type of problem. Closest to that I can viably do is just have my project elsewhere (gitlab or codeberg, or even just uploaded to itch) and allow the bindings project to link to it. Even then, it could still be scraped one way or another.

I don’t really understand enough to improve the bindings code itself and the project only currently has 4 other contributors (and those likely aren’t anywhere close to half-as-much as the creator), so the idea that moving would harm said project definitely is valid.

Godot itself is large enough that it could survive a move, though it’s likely too complicated with all existing things (unless they split out for ultra-future 5.X?). I do know that worse people (maybe-or-maybe-not better coders) have tried to fork Godot with the long-term outcome likely not being noteworthy.

Got to outlast it, in spite.

Problem is not wanting your creations scraped.

Even worse when you want to contribute to some key project that likely won’t leave Github (issue being Copilot training). In my case it’s Godot bindings in my preferred (somewhat niche) language. I already contributed an example and have another better example I haven’t uploaded because of this (other issues though too, so I haven’t even been able to share an export).

You’re right, I wouldn’t. None of what I said is specific to 3.1, and I do use Blender for ancient techniques (visible vertex color) rather than old software (even though I would like something simpler).

As to why anyone would do it? Familiarity and a “workstation” feel I’d guess, especially the more in-era stuff is added (software workflow, CRTs, scanners/printers). Maybe it’s just another way to avoid the modern mess of ads, AI, frequent updates/changes etc.

For someone producing a retro project, I could also see using an older OS as something akin to method acting (similar-to but-not-quite ‘dogfooding’). Stew in the exact design language and technical sensibilities you’re trying to replicate, rather than reading about it or looking at screenshots.

Bryce 3D was also just an example (and LGR’s video being the exact sort of energy I’m talking about), though I’m not sure how the newest version would compare on workflow and aesthetic. Seems like it’s more focused on realistic landscapes.

Sure, but when you’re doing a 5-hour render and it’s using something like 1/64th of your CPU (for LGR’s Threadripper example) that is a lot of room for improvement even if you don’t care about ‘maximum’. Especially for rendering multiple frames.

I mean a slight upside is that it is a lighter workload and it shouldn’t impact system usability.

I’m guessing the big issue here will be software lacking support for multi-threading. At least that’s the impression I got watching the LGR video on Bryce 3D.

Even some light threading or ability to user newer instruction sets/math etc might help but probably no easy way to do that unless some really smart people make patches or something. And even then, I might see someone so inclined to do so via WINE or even just that they’d use Blender instead.

I did have this music bookmarked (6 1/2 hours of Commodore 64 SID Music) despite no direct connection/nostalgia to the C64. It just has something better than other retro music.

So how do I make my own SID tunes?

In most cases, you will need access to either a real C64 or a C64 emulator such as CCS64 or VICE. Ideally it is preferred that you actually compose on the real thing

I’d prefer pure midi (for use in a game engine like Godot, midi players are a fun idea too), anything where the soundfonts are free and not too big. Far down on the list for me though, and I’d probably need to lean on public domain midi files at first anyway.

I’m most interested in a polygon editor first (webGL animation/Wick Editor export) and a non-destructive workflow with Godot (SDF textures, Blender as an intermediate, maybe even exporting .scn files for polygons) second.

Though for this (and also the similar, separate effort of PixiEditor) I fear that it will just try to do everything else instead.

For this specific, I see people complain that it’s web/electron-based.

Me, haunting those responsible for the wording:

not a cyborg.

I think so, but that’s also has massive tradeoffs on its own. If I did that, it was probably mostly Robot w/Ser Junkan runs.

I probably would prefer a mod that makes active items only show up in shops (or perhaps chosen selection/loot-table at the start or per-character). Also: have the RR leave junk when taking some items (not ammo).

I do see one mod (Justice) to alter spawning which would probably help a bit (depending on the character, still not perfect early on). Plus I have other games to be bad at, some of them free (and slightly less frustrating).

It’s not guaranteed to get anything of value before you hit the boss. There aren’t many chests, active items are often highly situational and you may be forced to abandon it. This may be expected/intended and I may even be able to beat the boss anyway, but it’s more tedious.

Very likely that keys and blanks (both multi-functional), more chests, or money don’t drop enough. This already means waiting on making some choices until after the floor is mostly cleared (despite this not being the best/easiest option for survival) especially when it comes to the alternate path.

Also @smeg@feddit.uk

I stopped playing it particularly because of the 1st-floor experience with items/loot (and active items in general).

Then again, these sort of problems for me seem to run through games (especially roguelikes) often.

Spyro’s skyboxes, too. (+vertex colors for LoD models)

I think vertex color can be used even more extensively for modern indie dev, though I haven’t done much more than tinker with the workflow itself.

I tried adding non-mapped textures (including a watercolor speckle image) but am not sure I like the effort/tradeoff-to-result ratio*. I’m leaning more towards textureless now especially with Godot 4.4 having per-vertex shading (though I already ran into an issue where it seems metallic per-vertex isn’t ready yet).

* aside from maybe generated noise for a metal material’s normal map

I lost interest enough to delete the models I had before and this headline made me look into deepseek.

EDIT: Not quite the Streisand Effect considering I already knew about it, but still an unintended source of pressure. Like someone stockpiling before a ban of something, even if they weren’t too avid about it before. I’ve had a similar thought when it comes to taking down free streaming sites.

Though this seems to have traded compute for data, so I don’t have the VRAM for it… even running through RAM, I don’t feel like downloading a lesser version with my slow-ish internet.

Yeah, I feel like the remakes lost some charm specifically when it comes to rendering tech (vertex colors, losing Spyro’s skyboxes feels like a crime). Particularly with the new data bloat.

That, and it seems re-makes don’t really fix core issues (Medievil’s remake).

I think the original tech/limits can be taken further aesthetically for a different workflow (very general/sparse use of textures), especially in the modern era. Still undecided on some artistic/technical choices, but I have much more here than I do in the ways of (low-scope) starting project ideas that I like.

It is a free and easy way to experience 75% of the experience without even downloading it (data bloat has massively ballooned too, perhaps needlessly in some cases). Also linear stories, or procedural things not being as deep as they seem.

Even when it comes to indie-appearing stuff I often don’t like the direction of the game design/difficulty, so it will likely be a more enjoyable experience in those cases too. The narrator also cuts boring bits or issues, also may do things I would not especially when it comes to skill or knowledge of said game. They may do silly things or tell a story. This may be 300% experience (of a new mix).

EDIT: Also never really been into the idea of multiplayer games, competitive or cooperative for different reasons. So watching is a new avenue for that.

Seems a bit odd to have so much standard, correct-era tech. Having anachronism seems like the point, the futurism bit. Like Quadrilateral Cowboy, or often Cowboy Bebop.

The one exception may be the stuff like that Nissan 300ZX (1985) digital dashboard, that feels anachronistic in an entirely different way. I could imagine a 3hr video essay on how expensive the design was, or perhaps a Technology Connections breakdown of the functionality/workings/issues etc.