What do you think, is this enough light probes?

Do you know the "Meet The ...." videos from Team Fortress 2?

Turns out, in the Deadlock files of 2024 there were some audio files for a visual novel, which folks found, but were unused.

Someone took it upon themselves to make a "Meet The Gargoyle" video out of it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSLZ17jCjLU

Thank you to everyone who did their amazing work at BioWare. Especially KotOR, as one of the best RPGs I have ever played. I hope everyone there, past and present, lands on their feet. You deserve that for all the great and hard work you have done, and the millions of lives you have entertained.

I am very glad for the reception so far. I had a fear that programmers would heavily dislike my sketching of the situation, but everyone who has seen it so far understands the scope of the message!

Big thanks as well to Arvy for posting something that inspired me to dig into this further, a few months ago: https://bsky.app/profile/rystorm.com/post/3mqozbjznjk27

Making these short 5 minute videos still takes hours of work, but it's a nice change of pace between the 30 minute videos that take weeks or months of work.

There are also some topics, like this one, that are hard to fit into any other topic. So as an aside, I hope folks like it!

Every project needs chickens and eggs, and the best way to get them is by playing some table tennis.

A new video about why video games take so long to build, conversations about concepts, and what you can do to have good iterations: https://youtu.be/6E9VyoHj8z0

Or read it here:
https://rystorm.com/blog/chickens-and-eggs-table-tennis

If "You Can See Everything" doesn't do well financially, please understand this is because they decided it doesn't release anywhere but the US until November or even January next year.

Genuinely asking: How does this happen? I have the same issue with Coyote vs ACME, I still can't watch it!

I really do not like having to do accounting, but it comes with the territory of having a company. I do love the feeling of when all the numbers match up correctly though.

It's a similar feeling as when you are doing CSG level design with power of two textures. When it matches up, it feels so good!

I love laws that actually just do something.

I so often hear people say that situations are 'complex', but 99% of the time it's actually super simple: Make a law forbidding it, and you can stop it. Just like these spam calls! It's that easy! It genuinely really is that simple.

You can tell there is a new law in The Netherlands that companies are not allowed to call you out of nowhere, because suddenly every Dutch service I have ever had an account on is asking me via email if I could pretty please turn on the 'Yes, you may call me' button in my account settings.

Nope!

I haven’t posted anything controversial in a while, I think, so here goes:

C is for crouch. It’s not Control. It should be C.

You can easily hit C with your thumb, as well as jump, so you can crouch jump. Ctrl is way too far down for a pinky to hit in the heat of battle.

Sometimes I write so much I get lost about what point I am trying to make. Then my brain reminds me: Thesis Please. And I get right back to the point

(You have to say it slightly camp though, otherwise it doesn’t work)

I also very often get asked why folks would use USD instead of GLTF or FBX, and this video contains the most simple and fast explanation!

I have also added an addendum to the text version, explaining my thought process for building it on a last minute notice, giving it, and the intention of it.

I am super glad the response to it has been so positive! Thank you all very much!

My Blendercon Lightning talk "OpenUSD: Don't Worry About It!" is now also available in text if you prefer reading: https://rystorm.com/blog/openusd-dont-worry-about-it

And with a fixed video, without Google Slide glitches:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8Kp55cUyqQ

Huge thanks to the Blender folks for allowing me to fix the video!

First talk: How the Backrooms VFX was built and rendered entirely in Blender.

The conference is sold out and completely packed for the opening session.

First person I bumped into worked in architecture visualization, and so I asked about these pipes: https://bsky.app/profile/rystorm.com/post/3mw65pjohhv2t

The answer: Yeah that happens all the time. Usually we just cover them with a box. Pipes go where pipes gotta go.

Time for the Blender Conference 2026! #bcon26 It’s a conference that isn’t just games focused, but does all kinds of talks about film, architecture, automotive, medical, and everything to do with 3D.

Also, it’s in Amsterdam, so I can roll out of bed to be here!