games: Theif 3
 

Though this game isn't maya related I thought I'd post it anyway.

I'm personaly a big fan of the theif series and if you don't know what I'm talking about read on. Theif is a game where you take the role of Garret, a master theif that gets caught up in a rather dangerous prophecy. The lure of this game isn't in the fact that you can klock people unconcious with a club or steal things, but in tha atmosphere, the theif 1 game wasthe first to use polyphonic sounds. That is, as light bounces off surfaces, so does sound and though the graphics are somewhat odd nowdays the game can really raise some hair on your neck...especialy if you have surround sound.
The soon to be new release of theif 3 is going to be a hit. It contains not only the same great sound system, dark engine (the game engine that lets you loose visibility when in shadows, simulating a 'hiding' effect) but also will contain lip sync, ragdoll technology, expressions, full & proper lighting effects, varied voices and a great plot. Anyone else hard of this game?
BTW: how does ragdoll technology work?

sounds good mate! I once played a game called "Thief" but will have to look out for "Theif" :p

Ragdoll is where you have a complex weight system that controls bounce and things, then the model is "let loose" so to say, so he flops around everywhere and bounces if he hits the floor. Quite a simple concept, quite demanding on CPUs. :)

Yes. It's a dynamic effect that is finally making its way to most modern games. In older games, when an enemy fell to the floor, his body would always end up in the same position which resulted in one of his many ligaments going through a wall or object slightly. With a rag doll effect, when an arm hits a door or wall, it doesn't go through it, but will instead be effected by the door or wall and will bend realistically. Matroid Prime is one of the games I know that has this feature.