Dynamix' Mark Frohnmayer updated his .plan this evening with two interesting bits of TRIBES news. First is word that the patch to fix the bugs found in the recently released TRIBES version 1.6 is done, and in final testing. He also included in his plan the new TRIBES debugger protocol, which if you're a programmer type will make perfect sense to you (for everyone else, it'll basically be incomprehensible code).

AVault has posted the European version of the Aliens vs. Predator version 1.1 patch. This is the patch that adds in-game save functionality, along with several other fixes and enhancements.

Kokak has released a new version of GLHexen, his OpenGL accelerated version of Hexen, as well as a new version of DoomGL. Version 0.71 of DoomGL now features compatibility with the Quake III OpenGL drivers for 3dfx cards.

Gamer's Central has posted a preview of Odium, the Metropolis developed/Monolith published RPG currently in production. The preview features eight new screenshots showing off the title, which apparently used to be called Gorky 17 (good call on the name change, guys).

ION Storm's Daily Informant has posted an Anachronox team update, with several members of the team (including wacky Big Cheese Guy Tom Hall, producer Jake Hughes, and several artists) talking about what they're working on at the moment.

2015's president, Tom Kudirka updated his .plan with word that they're in need of a producer and a level designer for their soon-to-be-announced game:

To bring everyone up to date:
Currently we are working on a new game that will be announced to the public very soon. Right now we have two job openings. One position is for a Producer and the other is for a Level Designer. Interested parties should check out our website for how to submit applications.

3dfx has released new NT drivers for Voodoo 3 based cards (thanks Sean Jensen-Grey). These are the same as the just-released Windows 9x drivers (story) but well...work on Windows NT.

Nels Bruckner, TRIBES Project Manager for Dynamix, sent in this explanation of the bug in the recently released Starsiege: TRIBES 1.6 patch that's plaguing 3dfx card owners (story):

Arg! We let an obvious one slip through in the 1.6 patch of Tribes. The specific problem is with user created art (reticles, skins, etc.) and Voodoo configurations with more than one TMU. User created art will show up as either all black or black and white or as other funky looking combos... basically totally wrong. We have the problem fixed, we will get the patch up ASAP. My apologies for this obvious error.

People seem to be liking the OpenGL support though! :)

• ABIT has posted a new version of their BIOS for the BX6-2.0. It's available for download on their FTP site.
• RivaExtreme has posted stats from the latest Computer Gaming World magazine that claims the upcoming NVidia NV10 chipset will feature 15-25 million triangles per second and a 350 MHz RAMDAC amnongst other things.
• SharkyExtreme reviews the Hercules Dynamite TNT2.
• The NT Game Palace has posted new INF files to get Voodoo 3 cards to run correctly under Windows 2000, for those of you participating in the beta test.

GASource has posted a Q&A with Joel Huenink, the lead developer of Gore, a somewhat bloody first person shooter in development by 4DRulers.

Mortyr.net sends word that they've posted a fixed .EXE file for the "Nie powiodlo sie" error that some people are getting with the recently released Mortyr demo. You can download it from their FTP site now.

AVault has posted the third installment in their Slave Zero Development Diary by Matt Powers. This installment focuses largely on the behind the scenes organizing of the project.

GASource has posted two screenshots from Exist, that cool multiplayer only FPS that's being developed entirely by a single person.

Acclaim has posted nine new screenshots from Shadow Man, their adult action game that recently went gold (story) and will be in stores soon.

Gaming Entertainment Monthly has posted 21 new screenshots from Bungie's Oni, their third person action title due this fall. In other Oni news, I spotted this hands on report from MacWorld over in OniCore's forums. Lastly, MacGamer's Ledge has posted an interview with Peter Tamte, Bungie's executive vice president of publishing.

GameLinks.net has posted a Septerra Core interview, with an unidentified Monolith employee answering various questions about their upcoming Japanese-style RPG (although since the game is being developed by Valkyrie, I can only assume that the questions were answered by someone there).

UGN3D has conducted a brief Q&A with Shiny Entertainment's Scott Harrington, with the questions focusing on his background in the industry as well as Shiny's history.

Billy "p1mp" Wilson has posted four new screenshots, as well as a new in-game movie from SEED, HumanSoft's upcoming first person shooter, over on that page of his. There's also a note up that says that they'll have an exclusive demo available for download between July 26 and July 31.

Computer Games Online has posted the first part in Battlezone II development diary by George Collins, the director of the game. As this is the first installment, it pretty much consists of basic information about the game and its genesis. Look for another installment in two weeks or two months, depending on whether you trust CGO's introduction (which says, "check back in a couple of weeks") or the author, who says that it's bimonthly.

PlanetStarsiege is reporting that Voodoo 3 owners might want to hold off on upgrading to the recently released Starsiege: TRIBES version 1.6 (story). Apparently V3 cards have been having some palette "glitching" errors, which according to an undisclosed Dynamix contact is due to "custom reticles."

MDK2.com has posted another installment of their development diary by Greg Z, the executive producer on MDK 2. This installment is a brief one, with a general update on the in-game cut scenes, player dialogue, and other features. MDK, as everyone knows, stands for Matt Damon's Kidney.

A new version of the King of the Server mod for Quake II has been released. This version (2.8) adds a number of gameplay tweaks, including modifications to the ammo packs, number of rockets, and armor bonuses.

3DRage.com has conducted an interview with Jane Jensen, the author and designer of Gabriel Knight III: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned. This installment in the Gabriel Knight series marks the first time they've ventured into the world of 3D acceleration - the previous two games were 2D.

In other RPG news, the official Ultima: Ascension site has undergone a complete rebirth, and now sports new screenshots, information and movies from the game (which like Gabriel Knight is the first 3D installment in the series).

This week's edition of the PlanetQuake Tech Tips column focuses on setting up a Quake II server, with step by step instructions for getting it up and running. In a similar vein, last week's edition is also worth a mention, as it outlines the hardware necessary to successfully run a game server.

The latest edition of Sharky Extreme's Private Eye column has some new info on the in-progress LithTech 2 engine, including some new dirt on the editor. There are also some screenshots showing off the night and day effects that Monolith has been showing off lately. Also of note is Sharky's 3D Card Shootout using an AMD K6 III running at 450 MHZ, which can likewise be found in the very same column.

A new version of Frogbot Clan Arena, a Classic Quake mod that combines the Frogbot with Clan Arena has been released and is available for download on Frogbot's Modifications. In this version the bots can rocket jump...so be warned.

• There's a big ol' TRIBESCon update on the official site, with details on this two day TRIBES fest in Seattle.
• Mynx is holding a big id products giveaway, with the entry fee being a $10 donation to sponsoring her in the World Walk for Breastfeeding.

• CoolInfo reviews the MaxiGamer Xentor.
• ComChip previews Windows 2000.
• 3DRage reviews the Spectra 333, a wacky processor upgrade that will magically beef up any Pentium from 75 Mhz or higher to 333 Mhz.

• Extreme3D reviews Kingpin.
• TacticalPlanet reviews Jagged Alliance 2.
• GameCenter reviews Dungeon Keeper 2.

• Microsoft has released their MSN Messenger Service, their answer to ICQ, which oddly enough can communicate with AOL's Instant Messenger software.
• GamePen has posted screenshots from Carmageddon: Death Race 2000.
• The User Friendly BBS is officially online, allowing a retro way for Ufies to gather.
• UnrealEngine.com is taking user submitted questions for their upcoming Q&A with Zen Tao Interactive, the developers of that martial arts training title, Extreme Wing Chun VR.

Well, it finally happened: I got an ISDN line installed yesterday. Whee! Of course, as I write this, it hasn't been turned on just yet, but the jack's in place, and it'll be turned on at some point tomorrow. Once I invest in a really freaking long RJ45 cable (the jack's on one side of my apartment, the computer's on the other) I'll finally say good-bye to the world of regular modems. Although truth be told, I had gotten pretty used to it...both TRIBES and Q3Test work remarkably well over standard modem connections...but after four years of free T1 access 24/7, it was a bit slow to me. So, assuming nothing goes too wrong, tomorrow night's update will say that I'm a happy ISDN user. Of course, something always goes wrong with these things, so you'll just have to wait and see.

Link of the Day: Too many prepositions, conjunctions may crash Word 97. Is it just me, or does it feel like Microsoft is trying to find new and humorous ways to sneak bugs into their software?

CombatSim.com has posted an in-depth preview of Tom Clancy's Rogue Spear (the sequel to Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six) based on the author's experience playing the current RS Beta (thanks Steve Fukuda).

The Starsiege: TRIBES version 1.6 patch has been released, and is available for download over at TRIBESPlayers.com. Amongst the changes in this version are a slew of OpenGL fixes, including disabling OpenGL on 3dfx based cards.

BW Wire has conducted an interview with Mark Healey, the artist behind "the hand" your interface in Black & White, which serves as your sole method for world interaction, including spell casting (you sort of "wave" your hand in different ways...it's wacky to watch).

Glen Dahlgren has made an update, or lack thereof, to the official Wheel of Time page. Instead of an actual game update this week, he's posted pictures from his wedding this past week. Congrats, Glen!

PCGamer Online has posted a preview of Legend Entertainment's Wheel of Time, an Unreal engine adventure based on the Robert Jordan books of the same name. The preview contains some new images, as well as an interview with the game's producer Glen Dahlgren.

Raven's William "Phoebus" Mull updated his .plan with word that they've released the Linux server port of Heretic II. A list of mirrors is available at HereticII.com, along with the full readme file.

FGN has posted a 2.2 MB Mp3 file of the music from Soldier of Fortune's swanky Train level, showing off their particularly cinematic soundtrack.

Raven's John Scott (not to be confused with Scott Rice, Rice Chex, or checked pants) updated his .plan with a reminder of tonight's IRC session with him and Nathan Albury talking about Soldier of Fortune. Here's the skinny:

A bit of self pimpage....

Nathan and I will be doing an IRC interview this evening at 7pm CST (thats 1am GMT) on irc.3dnet.net
in #gamedesign. Any questions you have about Raven or SoF, bring them along......

The 3dfx Interactive Voodoo3 Windows 9x Retail Drivers page has the official release of the version: 1.02.11 drivers for Voodoo3 accelerators (not to be confused with the Euro drivers that were posted for a minute and immediately pulled last night that have appeared in some places). Thanks Chad Derrenbacker. Word is these drivers for AGP/PCI boards running under Windows 9x include the 2D Display driver, Glide 2.6, Glide 3.1, and DirectX (Direct3D and DirectDraw), and support Intel, Cyrix and AMD 3DNow! based CPUs. These are the hotsy-totsy (technical term) drivers that are referred to in Hot Hardware's New Voodoo3 Drivers article and Voodoo Extreme's V3 driver article (story).

ION Storm's Daily Informant has conducted a Q&A with Daikatana designer John Romero, with some information as to the status of his long-in-production game. Here's a quote from John regarding the latest changes:

Since E3, Daikatana has made impressive progress. We have some new graphics features, better sound fidelity, fixed lots of low-level bugs in the game and are almost final on our major map pass.

Eclipse Software has released the source code to their GDemo 1 program, their technical demonstration for their Genesis 3D engine for would-be developers to download and tinker with (thanks George Wagner).

Hot on the heels of yesterday's announcement that the N64 version was complete (story) comes word from Acclaim that their "not for kids" third person title Shadow Man has gone gold for the PC. Here's the full press release for your reading enjoyment.

GASource has posted two new screenshots from Zombie's SpecOps 2: Green Berets, complete with detailed descriptions from designer John E. Williamson.

The Battlezone 2 Center has posted two concept art pics from Pandemic Studios' upcoming title, Battlezone 2 (thanks croatboy), with one showing off the ISDF teleport and the other a Scion turret. In other screenshot news, Billy "click click" Wilson has posted a bunch of screenshots from Volition's upcoming RPG Summoner.

DXNation interviews Harvey Smith talking to ION Storm's Witchboy about Deus Ex, ION's upcoming RPG that uses the Unreal Engine, also talking about the game's biz, and life at ION Austin.

Lorien at GA-Source sends along the press release from Electronic Arts and Looking Glass Studios announcing the news reported earlier (story) that System Shock 2 is gold. Here's the deal:

Electronic Arts and Looking Glass Studios today announced that the highly anticipated sci-fi/horror RPG System Shock 2 has gone "gold". In addition, the companies have relaunched the System Shock 2 Web site (www.shock2.com), featuring all new screen shots and game info. EA and Looking Glass plan to distribute new screen shots and game info in the coming weeks in anticipation of the August 12 street date of System Shock 2. System Shock 2 is being co-developed by Looking Glass Studios and Irrational Games, and will be co-published by Electronic Arts and Looking Glass Studios. The initial shipping version of System Shock 2 will feature a Limited Edition package with chromium embossing.

The evil artificial intelligence SHODAN returns in this sequel to the award-winning System Shock, one of the most critically acclaimed computer games of all time. The game features a rich science fiction action/role-playing game system, with detailed character generation and growth, inventory and equipping, and several groups of special traits unique to each character. System Shock 2 is based on a next-generation version of Looking Glass' proprietary 3D technology, the Dark Engine, which offers 16-bit graphics, colored lighting, and variable translucency objects. The game's incredible role-playing game depth is enhanced by a huge assortment of enemies, modifiable weapons, and unique psionic powers.

Part two of GameSpot UK's Unreal Tournament First Impressions are online, today talking about Domination, one of the gameplay types to be included in Epic's upcoming sequel to Unreal that emphasizes head-to-head combat. Domination mode is where teams vie for control of three Icons, earn points for the amount of time they control each (by being the last team to touch the icon). They've also added a load of images to their gallery, including intro screens, weapons, capture the flag, and shots of some of the locations. Don't think they're through yet either, they promise a full play-test report sometime next week.

SShock2.com is reporting that System Shock 2 has gone gold. The in store date they mention is still the one posted yesterday (story), August 12. Thanks jd. SS2 is the sequel to the highly regarded original System Shock, a sci-fi RPG played from the first person where your brains mattered at least as much as your brawn.

A couple of places that have managed to post local copies of the Mortyr demo (I think I only ended up with a couple of MB of it, myself). Here are sites with mirrors of the demo of the first-person shooter where you travel back in time to duke it out in WWII (the big one):

• The Adrenaline Vault Downloads.
• 3D Action Gamers' Archive.
• Mortyr.Net.
• 3DFiles.Com.

Thresh's FiringSquad interviews Greg Zeschuk talking to BioWare about MDK2, the sequel to some game whose name escapes me at the moment (oh yeah, MDK). The interview discusses progress on the game, BioWare as an action developer, gameplay, the differences between the PC and the console versions, and the proverbial more. MDK, btw, of course, stands for margarine, donuts, and kerosene (the three-legged stool of any balanced diet).

• The Leinen System Tools page has a new version 1.0 of their Voodoo2 Tweaker.
• Likewise Voodoo.Net has a new version 1.6 of their Voodoo3 Tweaker. Thanks Voodoo Extreme for both of those tweak utils.
• The Abuse site has more on their experiments with Q3Test and Symmetrical Multiprocessing, showing some results using NT performance monitor.
• The BigKid's Q3A G400 page has instructions they say can help give Matrox G400 users the best experience in Q3Test both visually, and performance-wise.

Core News has a report up quoting an unnamed "reader at Bungie" saying the mention we made here yesterday that Halo will be D3D-only in Windows (story) is incorrect. loony says he was specifically told this was the case by Bungie (though I admit it is illogical, since AFAIK the game runs in OpenGL on the Mac). Thanks Jago. Certainly this will be cleared up in time, and we'll doubtless post further follow-ups on this.

I gave a going over to the Quake III Test page to make sure the resources there are up-to-date after the new release, hopefully you can find what you need there. I'm going to hit it once more before I leave for the weekend because I have some more goodies to add.

PC.IGN.com's Soldier of Fortune preview is up, giving the full treatment to raven's upcoming Quake II-engine game of mercenary madness. The article gives a look ahead at the game, and adds a bunch of screenshots, proverbially the equivalent of thousands of words.

• UGN3D previews Freelancer, the upcoming space opera from Digital Anvil.
• Thresh's FiringSquad interviews Lance Seymour of GT Interactive in a brief follow-up to their recent Driver Preview.
• Next-Generation Online's Prince of Persia 3D Preview is a short look ahead at the upcoming (3D) third installment in this prince of thieves game.

• A Talent for War reviews Descent 3.
• The Adrenaline Vault reviews bleem!.
• The Tech Zone reviews the Hercules TNT2 Ultra.
• Thresh's FiringSquad reviews the Celeron 500.
• iXBT reviews the VIA Apollo MVP4 Chipset.

• Microsoft's Age of Empires II Age of Kings site has got the info up about sign-ups to beta-test the upcoming sequel to MS' classic RTS game, including links to the 20-some sites that are holding individual contests to pick beta testers.
• IGN & Interplay's Descent 3 Ultimate Fan Contest offers the winner a trip for two to Las Vegas, NV on August 26-29 for the 1999 Descent 3 Championships.
• Test your wits and your patience. Just a couple of days left in this week's Blue's News game trivia contest.
• Riding the Rocket's Quake II Challenges are now offering actual prizes.

• In Dan Kramer's .plan the Raven programmer briefly mentions that the first Soldier of Fortune deathmatch has been played...
• The Realm of DEMISE has another new test patch for this OpenGL RPG, patch 4 test 4 is said to be almost ready for a full public release. Thanks Voodoo Extreme...
• The Official FLY! Home Page has update #10 of progress on this upcoming flight game...

As I mentioned yesterday, this weekend MrsBlue and I travel to visit her lovely folks (one Twin-Cities resident points out I'm travelling to a place that's currently hotter than the sun). Thanks for the tourism hints folks have written in with, but I'm sure I'll just be tagging along wherever I'm lead ;)

There is historically something perverse about the way my travel plans often work out, it seems like I'm usually hitting the road right when there is a new release or two that I'm eager to get some play-time with, in this case, the new version of Q3Test. No matter, either way I know that my most common point of view during any games I play at QuakeCon will be that cool sideways view from the floor. Anyway, I'll be around through this evening, and then will hit the BlueJet, leaving you in loony's gentle care.

Link of the Day: BSOD Properties. that's right -- customize the Blue Screen of Death so that it no longer adds a negative connotation everyone's favorite color . Thanks Ant.