Archived News:
Epic's Brandon Reinhart updated his
.plan with a status update on the Unreal Tournament master server, as well
as some other UT demo related issues. Here's the scoop: I've fixed problems
with the Epic master server and we're redirecting all UT clients to it now. (This remote updating stuff rocks!) The UT master
server should allow for much faster server list and
pinging than the GameSpy master server.
I believe there is a problem with UT creating a new WorldStats account for players
each time it starts. I'll look into that and either prepare a solution or integration
a solution into the next demo.
Jack has fixed some nasty issues with remote administration. Thanks to Smokey
for giving us the heads up on that one. A new remote admin tool will probably
be available soon.
Gamasutra
has posted an interview with the first guy at id ever to hold the title of "game
designer", Graeme Devine (thanks SawzAll). The interview covers his long
history in the industry, with specific questions about his days at Trilobyte
(and its subsequent demise), as well as how he found himself at id.
GameSpot has
posted the intro movie from Interstate '82 (thanks Frans).
This movie is different from the one released earlier this year, as it is the
actual five minute intro to the first mission in the game. The download is available
in your choice of a small, medium or large download.
Epic's Brandon Reinhart updated his
.plan this evening with a tip for the Unreal Tournament demo (and an Army
of Darkness reference): I live...again!
Just woke up. Getting caught up on demo release.
One thing to note: If you don't like using the orders menu with the 'v' key,
you can bind individual orders to keys using the
"Speech Binder" under Preferences.
Looking Glass Studios' Home Page has posted
the eagerly anticipated patch
(direct link) for their hit RPG System Shock 2. Thanks ActiveWindows.
Among the changes in the updated version of the game is support for cooperative
multiplayer play.
If you're having difficulty connecting to games with the just-released Unreal
Tournament demo, there's a post to the Unreal
Technology Page explaining why (thanks caudwell). Here's the scoop: It's
been reported to me that the ftp2.heat.net server, the PCGamer (futuregamer.com)
and Next-Generation download sites do NOT have the correct version.
The correct version of the .exe file is called UTDemo3dfx.exe and is 51,305,472
bytes. I have updated the in-game news page to inform users of the incorrect
version (Version 321) that they are not running the right version, and to let
me know. The 321 version was the version we sent to 3dfx before Hurricane Floyd
hit Raleigh, as a potential release candidate should the hurricane have knocked
us out for a few days.
hal[9k] has posted the Linux
server distribution for Action Half-Life. This download will allow dedicated
Linux servers to run AHL, and adds "spraypaint.wad" to your Valve
directory, as it was mistakenly left out of the Linux server package from Valve
and is required by some AHL maps (this is done with their blessing).
3dfx Gamers has released the much
anticipated Unreal Tournament demo. The demo's a big one at 50 MB, but it can
be downloaded from the mirror sites below. I'll keep updating these as more come in, and we'll try to get a local copy up soon. A reminder: this demo is for Glide enabled cards only, and will not run under OpenGL or Direct3D. A version that supports those is expected within the next few days.
The Unreal Technology Page has been
updated, and now features a
section devoted to running servers with the soon to be released Unreal Tournament
demo (thanks Unreal Universe). Topics
covered include starting and running a server from within the game, launching
a dedicated server, and the ever important remote administration.
PCZone's
preview of the third person title Command & Conquer: Renegade has been
updated with three new MPEGs from the game. They're available in both small
and large file formats, and show off the NOD Base, the NOD Buggy, and the interior
of a church.
Pandemic's Official Battlezone
II Site has been updated with a new screenshot, as well as details on two
new units: the ISDF and Scion Walkers (thanks croatboy).
Dave "Yellow 5" Lepore from PlanetUnreal
passes along an exchange they had with Tim Sweeney about system requirements for
the Unreal Tournament demo, obviously not just applicable to the imminent Glide
version, since other accelarators are mentioned. Here's the deal: The
demo should be kickass on a Pentium III / K7 400 MHz or above with 128 megs of
memory. It should be solid and acceptable on a Pentium III/K6 300 MHz with 64
megs of memory. It should be playable on any 200 MHz machine with at least 32
megs of memory, but the texture and skin detail settings need to be set to
"medium" or "low" for acceptable performance (which is done
by default now, so you shouldn't need to tweak).
UT now does a pretty thorough job of detecting your CPU speed, 3D card, and RAM,
and setting the default detail settings when you first run it. On a wide range
of systems we tested on, we tweaked this to achieve the best (in our opinion)
speed/detail settings. So, users shouldn't have to do a lot of tweaking to get
acceptable performance. Still, the demo is the first time a widespread audience
will get to try the code, so we welcome any feedback on performance, to help us
improve the default settings for different hardware.
3D cards:
The best performance by far now is on Voodoo3's with Glide.
Next up are Voodoo2's, TNT2's, Savage4, and the Matrox G400. The Direct3D cards
will improve in performance nicely once we update the demo for DirectX7, which
has improved performance.
The next tier is the Voodoo1, TNT1, Rage 128, and software renderer. They're all
about equal in overall performance.
Fortunately, those crazy "advanced options" settings that Unreal 1 was
so dependent on shouldn't be necessary for anyone except the ultra hard-core
users. Now we expose nearly all the interesting options through the in-game
menus, which are a more self-explanatory than Unreal 1's.
Thresh's Firing Squad
has posted an interview with BioWare's Trent Oster, talking about their online
3D RPG Neverwinter Nights, and discussing what makes the game different from
other titles such as Ultima Online and EverQuest. They've also posted a handful
of screenshots, although they appear to be the ones already released.
PlanetUnreal
has posted an interview with the level design team from The Collective, the
developers of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Fallen, a third person Unreal
engine title. There are some familiar names here, including Elliot "Myscha"
Cannon, one of the level designers on the original Unreal. There's also a bunch
of new screenshots from the game so you can see what all these guys have been
slaving over.
Epic's Brandon Reinhart updated his
.plan yet again with more on the Unreal Tournament demo, including word
that he's integrated the ngStats fix (so there's no need to download it manually),
and an explanation of the new ping method. Here's an excerpt: Sorry
the demo wasn't out yesterday. 3dfx worked all night on getting their infrastructure
ready to handle the demand. They are targeting demo release for Friday morning.
While they were working that out, Tim and I updated the demo archive. I put
the ngStats fix in there so it is not necessary to download it. That's one good
thing.
Based on feedback from testers, I've reevaluated my method of calculating ping
in UT. After ECTS I decided to convince Tim we should subtract frametime from
the ping calculation. This would result in the ping being a direct reflection
of network performance (or close enough).
In retrospect this was a flawed decision for various reasons. I have changed
the ping calculation to better reflect gameplay. This means that you might see
a ping higher than you would expect when you join a server. I feel that this
is better than seeing a lower ping than you would expect. I would rather you
say "I'm getting a good game here, although my ping seems high" than
"If my ping is this low, I should be getting better gameplay."
If you want to be set to frag like a champion in the Unreal Tournament demo when
it's released, you're in luck, as Epic's Cliff
Bleszinski updated his .plan conveying some of his expertise with the
various weapons and game types you will encounter, rundowns on general UT DM
strategies, as well as tips for each map. It's a lengthy update, but looks like
it will be very helpful (when that darned demo is released). In a virtually
unrelated note, except for the Epic connection, Brandon
"FusiaMarine" Reinhart's .plan has also been updated, Brandon
taking the time to clarify that if you think we're joking about the animosity
between us, you're wrong. Or is it the opposite, I get so confused (the one
thing I do know is that Tim writes all of OrangeMarine's really confusing
technical .plan updates).
To whet your appetite for the Glide Unreal Tournament demo expected to be
released today, Unreal Universe's
Unreal Tournament 3dfx Demo preview is up with screenshots of the demo and a
brief rundown on what to expect from it.
True Gamers'
Can UT take on Q3 talks to players who checked out the UT showing at the
Playing Fields at ECTS asking how it stacks up to what they've seen of Q3Test.
Also taking task with Q3Test is speKtrum views,
which offers speKtrum's views on why the Mplayer Daikatana demo is superior to
the Q3Test.
Computer Games Online's
Prince of Persia 3D Quick Take "Return(s) to a land of baggy pants and
silly hats," with a short look at Mindscape's imminent 3D sequel to the
side-scrolling Prince of Persia series.
The Wargamer's Rainbow Six Rogue Spear Contest
offers a free copy of Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear "and other cool stuff
to the most deserving budding terrorism-squashers among you."
Thanks Frans at 3D Action Gamers
for his help with these:
Jeremy from AGN3D
is ill, and is currently still in the hospital, and his condition sounds serious. Josh
from over there tells me he will pass along any well wishes that are sent along,
so I'd like to urge any who are so inclined to please take a moment to send
along "a get well soon" to lift his spirits. I like to believe these
things can help.
Things are (thankfully) settled down on the build an NT machine project
that's disrupted my days lately. Well, not exactly, since Tropical Storm Floyd
prevented the delivery of my CPUs, but at least today's chapter in that saga
didn't once again involve me abandoning loony to wander plaintively from store
to store asking for unstocked merchandise (though it certainly is another blow
to immediate gratification). BTW, speaking of Floyd, I misidentified the
then-Hurricane as Hugo at one point yesterday, thanks to all who wrote in with
the correction.
Link of the Day: THE REGISTER Lav me tender, lav me true.
Thanks Dennis Anderson and Ant. The
applications for geeks are countless.
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