|
|
 |
Archived News:
The Burpfish Network (the Burpfish
lives?) has posted a new screenshot from Daikatana
that was obtained during tonight's chat. The shot's from a level by
Stevie "KillCreek" Case, and here's the quickie description I got
from ION Storm's Bobby Pavlock:
That's a scene from the loading bay of E1M4 - the crematorium, I believe.
The monsters you see hovering are the DeathSpheres, the robot is the RageMaster,
and the fat guy and skinny guy are 2 worker NPCs.
AllGames gal Bobbi sends along word of a new
LAN party/online competition being put together by the CPL,
HEAT.NET, and AllGames.
It's an all Female Quake 2 tournament called the Female Frag Fest, and the whole thing starts as an online tournament, but the finals are being held at a LAN party here in NYC. Go get the scoop from the press
release.
The PGL finals have been announced (see press
release) along with the finalists in both the Quake 2 and Starcraft categories. The
finals will be held on May 21 - 22 at XS
New York, right here in sunny Manhattan. Profiles
of all the winners can be found on the PGL's site as well.
chUmbaLum sOft (jeez, and I thought
my caps were weird) has released v1.0 of their Open GL Half-Life Model Viewer,
along with its corresponding source code, which according to the developer is
ready to port to X11.
Computer Gaming Review (newly spun off from Warzone) has posted a short Q&A with id's Graeme
Devine about Q3A. So short in fact, that Apache fired the whole thing off in his mail, so
with thanks to CGR, here's the poop:
CGR: How will Quake3 Arena's bots raise the bar in terms of AI and
performance over exisiting bots?
Graeme Devine: Our bots don't follow set paths or "waypoints", they have
the luxury of being able to work with the level designer's map data directly to preprocess
their data, something existing bots cannot, and that gives us a database which has
superior information.
CGR: How are the physics going to be different in Quake3 Arena compared to Quake
and Quake 2?
Graeme Devine: Obviously being the same brand name as Quake and Quake 2 we've not
messed with the physics too much. We've added jump pads and acceleration pads to speed up
navigation around the levels and that makes the biggest difference to gameplay physics. A
jump pad replaces all ladders in the game by blasting you off the ground and into the air,
while an acceleration pad accelerates you in the direction it faces.
An update to the Starsiege
TRIBES Status Page by Mitch "Skeet" Shaw gives the skinny on what to expect
from the tools that will be released with the upcoming TRIBES 1.4 patch (now in Q/A).
Thanks Datumplane::Starsiege.
Welcome back to Skeet's Update Corner (the acronym says it all). By now, you
probably all know that the 1.3.12 patch is finished and distributed, and now we're getting
busy working on 1.4. The tools package is in QA right now, and we should be edging ever
closer to giving that bundle over to you folks. I've heard some concern over what might or
might not be in this tools release, so here's a quick rundown: MakeSkin -- the utility we
released a couple of months ago to process your custom skins (just in case you didn't grab
it the first time)
Matilda -- this creates DMLs, which ZED and other utilities use.
MaxShapes -- contains the 3DStudio Max plugins to export DTS shapes, along with a heaping
helping of the MAX files and bitmaps we used in TRIBES.
Missionlighting -- the executable and script file needed to relight missions. These were
also in the 1.3.12 patch, but in case you didn't get that patch, here they are again.
PicaNew -- an advanced utility that allows you to process 24-bit textures into 8-bit
textures, create palettes or remap textures according to an existing palette.
VolumeTools -- utilities for manipulating .VOL files. Includes VT (create volume or add
file to volume), VMerge (add the contents of one volume to another), VTList (list contents
of a volume), and Extract (I think you can guess what this one does).
ZEDTools -- the set of programs that allow you to create interiors (buildings, rocks, etc)
and process them for use. Includes ZED (actual interior editor), ZEDbuild (interior
processor), ZEDlight and ZEDshape (two programs called internally by ZEDbuild), some
example shapes, and a nifty HTML manual cooked up by Diamondback himself. Consider
yourself warned.
MiscTools -- all the stuff that didn't get lumped in somewhere else. Includes Mipmake
(create mipped versions of bitmaps), TexTable (generates a DML and lookup table for
terrains), and a HTML manual for the mission editor.
For the 3D strategy fans out there, WON.net is looking for a few beta testers
for Homeworld. Here's the details:
We're looking for a few good space soldiers to shake out the Homeworld
Vessels and the new WON.net multiplayer system in a live environment. Beta testers
are expected to play a lot of Homeworld on-line over the next two weeks and
report bugs, discuss issues on the WON.net message board dedicated to Homeworld
and tell us what you think.
If that's up your alley, head over to their sign-up
page and apply.
Mod Central's Guide to Team
Fortress Classic to help get you going in the right direction in Valve/Team Fortress
Software's just-released add-on for Half-Life.
There's a Drakan
Order of the Flame Preview on GameSpot UK and
an Oni Preview on PC Paradox,
looking ahead at these two third-person action games. Thanks Billy.
According to The Adrenaline Vault News, recent rumors of a delay in system Shock 2 are not true (thanks
again Billy). Here's the poop from AVault:
First Electronic Arts announced that the 3D action-adventure System Shock 2
had been delayed until the fall. When we contacted them to obtain a comment regarding the
reasons, we were directed to TSI, the game's public relations agency, which today told us
"The game will be shipping this summer." Now that is a release date confirmation
we can smile about.
The loonster has definitely come up with a handy way to compartmentalize some of the day's doings in the world of hardware by combining a few bits into an afternoon byte (don't spoil your dinner): First, there's a Voodoo3 Overclocking Guide & 3500 Info article on Sharky Extreme
discussing planned availability of 3dfx's top-of-the-line V3 accelerator, as well as the first info on how to overclock a V3 for the true performance freak. Similarly, the front page of Hot Hardware has some info on their experiments in overclocking a pre-production TNT2 they've gotten their hot hands on, showing results after pushing the memory clock up to 180 MHz. Finally, Matrox G400
Screenshots with Environment Mapped Bump Mapping is a piece on GA-Source showing off the Matrox G400's environmental bump-mapping feature with screenshots of Descent 3, Slave Zero and Speed Busters.
There are eight brand-new Hired Guns
screenshots on GA-Source showing off this upcoming Unreal-engine game from Psygnosis and Devil’s
Thumb Entertainment that follows up on the old Amiga game of the same name. This action/strategy/RPG hybrid that divides your screen into four first-person views (to allow you to act as any of the four members of your team), is expected to be released sometime this Spring.
According to FGN Online, Unreal version
224 is on its way Real Soon Now, and Unreal Tournament will not ship before
E3. Here's the skinny:
The release of the 224 version of Unreal in nearing. In addition, despite
a tentative March or April release expected for the obviously excellent Unreal
Tournament, Epic has confirmed that the game will not ship before E3. Mark Rein,
vice president of the developer, has given details as to a demo release, as
well as the emergence of the latest version of Unreal. "There will be a demo
of Unreal Tournament sometime prior to it's retail release," he confirmed. "I
don't know if we'll do a public beta or not. We'll be releasing the 224 update
for Unreal sometime soon and it's got a lot of the same underlying code as the
current build of Unreal Tournament, so it should serve as a pretty good test
for shaking any engine-related bugs out of Unreal Tournament. We'll certainly
be watching for bugs with much enthusiasm.
According to an interview with the Daily
Dementia with Oddworld head Lorne
Lanning, the next title from the company will no longer be using the Unreal
engine (thanks FGNOnline). Here's a quote:
The problem with licensing game engines in general, is they're very
highly and specifically designed to specific performances, and the reason Unreal
shined well in its day, was because it was very hard-wired into a specific way
of utilizing its own world and the hardware specifics of that time...but when
you want to extrapolate and make more complex worlds, and really break a lot
of the rules that have existed, then those tools don't seem to have as great
of an impact as you hoped they would, because they're kind of embedded in a
history...in the final analysis, it looks today as though we will not be using
Unreal.
If you're one of those people who's planning on upgrading from a Voodoo 1 to
one of those newfangled Voodoo 3 cards, take note of this bit sent along by
Mark Muller of Volition:
I added a few Voodoo 3s to our stable here today and when upgrading
from voodoo 1 to the 3, I encountered problems if *all* voodoo 1 driver files
were not removed before installing the new card. This includes, but is not limited
to the following: glide.dll, glide2x.dll, glide2x.ovl, sstinit.dll, dd3dfx.drv,
dd3dfx16.dll, dd3dfx32.dll, and fxmemmap.vxd. If these files aren't removed,
chances are the machine will lock on running any 3d accelerated game. Upgrades
from Voodoo2 went smoothly with no extra steps needed.
I'd suggest doing a HD search for these files before you install that new card, as Voodoo 1 uninstall programs have been known to leave these lingering around.
Presto sends along word that version 0.93 of the Presto Pack for Starsiege:
TRIBES is available, adding a new feature (a client-side muting menu) and fixing
enough bugs that anyone who's got an earlier version will want to upgrade as
soon as humanly possible. Snag that over at the Presto
Pack Page (try saying that six times fast).
There's a big Quake III
Arena feature on PC Zone offering a look at
id's upcoming shooter ( note: since this story was posted, they've
added a registration form, so you have to submit info enter the site now). The piece
has a Q&A sidebar with John Carmack that includes some subjects like John's favorite
games, and his one fight in high-school (a victory no less), as well as a load of answers
from members of the id crew to various questions about the game. Also included are several
screenshots of action from Q3A. Here is a quote from John Carmack about the state of
progress in Quake III Arena in the war against 'net lag:
Carmack: "Jerkiness is the characteristic of Net play that has been most
improved. Almost all visual effects are either cued for local running, or presented in a
parametric or other extrapolatable form, so that when packets fail to arrive on time, most
of the world continues as expected without a visible hitch. Of course, if your Net
connection really craps out and you don't receive any new packets for several hundred
milliseconds, the action will reach the reasonable limits of its predictability. Perceived
lag has been decreased by allowing more actions to be handled completely on the client
side, without having to make a round trip to the server. Weapon cycling, falling/stepping/
walking view feedback, and weapon muzzle flash/sound feedback are all done locally now.
The actual effects of your actions on the world and other players still requires a round
trip to the server, so lag isn't gone, but it is improved over all previous
efforts
You read that right. A public grudge match has broken out, thanks to LamingInsider,
id Software's Paul Steed, and Ritual's
Murphy Michaels. The challenge? To create the best sub-1000 polygon female model in an, "interesting pose." The first round is to create the model, the second, to create an original skin and 90 second animation. The stakes as set by Paul Steed are:
If I don't win then I'll convert, animate and deliver the winner's model as a Q3:A md3 before the game ships. Note, this model will be game-ready but not ship with the game.
Entries for the first round must be received by May 1, so get cracking. The winners will be determined by the public, but the artist's names will be withheld until the contest is over (so no stuffing the ballot for Steed, ladies). If you're wondering how this whole thing started, read up on the history, it's definitely entertaining.
Very hot on the heels of the release of the Half-Life SDK come a pair of Half-Life editing
stories: First, Wavelength,
the Half-Life editing site, has posted a pair of new tutorials on creating Half-Life mods,
one on getting started, and the other on creating a three bolt crossbow. Second, the Rust editing site, has begun the Gamedesign.net
Half-Life Forum where mod makers can exchange ideas and such on Half-Life programming.
Dr. Uwe Girlich updated his Demo Specs
page with new versions of a couple of his comprehensive demo utilities:
Dr. G also passed along the following about duplicating his prodigious efforts at doping out the innards of demo recording in the future for Quake III Arena (this is a reference to how the data provided by his work can possibly be used by those looking to
exploit the game code):
I would like to use the opportunity to make clear that I wont publish any
information on the upcoming Quake 3: Arena demo format without an (at least half-)
official approval of id software. This may harm the movie community but whoever heard the
(leaked) interview with John Carmack (2nd file, last 15 minutes) knows about the problem.
I wont risk any legal consequences.
Tonight at 8:00 PM CDT (9:00 PM EDT), Planet
Daikatana will be hosting the April edition of the monthly Cabana Chat with the
Daikatana team members to discuss Daikatana's status and more. The chat is in IRC at
'www.ionstorm.com' #ion, or you can connect through the online button on the Ion Storm website.
There's a gl editor screenshot on the 4D Rulers page showing off the 24-bit color OpenGL editor they are using to create their upcoming first-person shooter, Gore.
Frans from 3D Action Gamers sends word
they've posted the German/French/Italian/Spanish Half-Life v1.0.0.9 patches with Team
Fortress Classic to the 3D
Action Gamers' Archive Half-Life page. Frans says these files are also on ftp.won.net/pub/half-life/.
The Song Of Death Homepage has version 1.2 of the Song
of Death teamplay mod for Quake/QuakeWorld. SoD offers Capture the flag with six different
player classes, 19 new weapons, and new Song of Death maps.
Sloshy Software Inc. has the new version
2.38 of their Quick Start - Eraser Bot Wizard, their front-end for the Eraser bot for Quake II.
- In print: Several readers have written in to point out John Carmack and his fabulous Ferraris are featured in the May issue of Car & Driver magazine.
Also, Jeff sends word that the "Readings" section in April Harper's Monthly
(pp 30-31) includes several bios from the PGL page in an article titled "She Got Game." Included are Kornelia, Pookie, Mystique, and Jasp...
- GameCenter's 3D Graphics
Chip Scorecard has been updated...
- Blizzard Chat Session 7
April 1999 transcript is online with all the Diablo II discussion...
- Just Coolin
Around is an article on HardOCP's recent success
overclocking a 300 MHz Celeron to 600 MHz, now offering benchmarks...
- The Glide Underground has news of their
tangles with 3dfx that has resulted in the removal of all their Glide wrapper emulators...
BlueTracker is only partially fixed -- the .plan files no longer generate an error when
there's a database problem, but rather display the last .plan posted by that author. But
it is still messing up the new .plan entries, so I'm hoping we can fix that today. The new
LAN Parties page is shaping up quickly, I think that will be up soon too. Phoebus passes
along word that once you make one of those IE5 icons for a site, it doesn't change even if
you switch the file, so I don't know how to update it to the transparent version for those
who already have it (oh well). Someone wrote in saying it was 'ironic" that I used an
IE5-only icon with my "any browser" stance. That's that cheesy form of Alanis
Morrisette kind of irony: The site has images, but supports text-only browsers too
(yeesh). By the way, I changed the link on this page, but I want folks to be aware that if
they send in news and they want both loony and myself to receive it, please use the news@bluesnews.com email, rather than the blue@...
one. Thanks!
Link of the Day: Anvil
Firing. It's been a while since we've had dangerous experimentation on the LoD.
Today's edition is a bit more low tech than the usual fare here, but still fun. Thanks
Rich LaPorte.
|
Twitter 
