Archived News:
Epic's Brandon "*.Marine" Reinhart updated his
plan this evening with word that the Linux Unreal Tournament (demo) server
has been released, as well as posting the release notes for the download. Here's
what he had to say: Okay, the UT full demo linux server will start showing
up on various sites for you to download now. I'm spreading it to some various
sites for distribution and I'm sure it'll find its way around the net.
In the morning we'll release the UT full demo.
Note: The full demo is not network compatible with previous versions. You _must_
upgrade. ngWorldStats will go online and only accept stats from updated servers.
There will be a 7 meg patch available for people with the 3dfx demo.Here are
the notes for the linux dedicated server. This doesn't include any UT 338 release
notes. I'll see if we can get those on unreal.epicgames.com soon.
This doesn't include the linux client which will be released later.
It's been posted at Unreal Universe, and we'll try to get a local copy up here ASAP.
Voodoo3.net has posted
a Q&A with 3dfx' Brian Burke, talking about their hardware (including what
video card he's got in his own system - a Voodoo 3 3000), their FXT1 technology,
and more.
Mark Rein updated the official Unreal
Tournament page with this update on the demo (thanks Frans):
Our plans right now are to release the Linux Server-only version of the
Unreal Tournament Demo tonight, do some exhaustive overnight testing (and potentially
a bug fix if it's needed) and then give the demo to GT to release tomorrow morning
if everything goes OK. There are still a few known issues (Tim Sweeney will
post a list tonight on the Unreal Technology Site) that won't get addressed
in time for the demo release but otherwise we think it will be pretty solid
and D3D users should be pleased.
Version 2.0, build 1035 of Webdog, the news
and .plan tracking software has been released, and is available for download at
its homepage. This version adds all kinds
of new features, including the ability to make links to any file or web page in
the program, and syncing with IE favorites. If you're already using Webdog version
2.0, it will automatically download and install it.
Daiktana.com has posted an
interview with John Romero in Real Audio format. Amongst the topics covered
in the interview, which is posted in an odd Q&A format, are the press demo
(which again, is not a downloadable thing, but rather a demonstration), the
game's AI, the sidekicks, and more.
The official site for American McGee's Alice
has been updated, and contains a new riddle, as well as the answer to the previous
one (which says that the first bosses you fight are Tweedledee and Tweedledum).
Thanks beachbum. Although I'm sure it
can't hurt to try, a looking glass is not required for viewing the web site
(the Macromedia Flash plugin, however,
is).
The French
and German
version 1.2 patches for Mechwarrior 3 have been released (the English version
has been out for some time now). The official Mechwarrior site hasn't been updated
yet, but they are available from the
FTP site nonetheless. Thanks Frans, who has the files mirrored at 3DGamers.
The Croft
Times has posted an interview with Richard Morton, the lead level designer
on Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation at Core Design (thanks Octane).
The interview deals with his background in the industry, his level design philosophy
and inspiration, and lots more.
A post on FGN Online
echoes the post on The Adrenaline Vault
last week ( story)
quoting Babylon 5 programmer Dan Foy saying the game still could live, if
someone is willing to buy the rights from Sierra. Moving right along, this Adrenaline Vault Editorial is on the subject of the currently-cancelled space sim ( story), titled "What Do We Learn From This?"
Stomped has word that Amen: The
Awakening, originally scheduled to be released this year, has a new tentative
completion date of "mid-2000." The post here Saturday describing the availability
of the level designers formerly working on Cavedog's upcoming first-person
shooter ( story)
did not go into detail on the current state of the project other than to say
"they are still working on their engine technology, and simply didn't have
work for us." The Stomped story adds
some information gleaned from a follow-up correspondence with Brandon Smith, the
communications director at Cavedog, who describes the cuts as "unfortunate," but makes it reasonably clear that part of the game's original
concept and engine are being re-worked, saying of the original project,
"...we might have underestimated how ambitious it was."
The French Frag Factory Unreal Tournament Aliases
is an English translation of the French Frag Factory Unreal Tournament votre config au poil,
which in either language is a guide to creating a quality config file for the
Unreal Tournament Demo.
A report on The Adrenaline Vault
announces that Lionhead Studios, Peter Molyneux's software company, has
announced a publishing deal with Activision to publish games by Big Blue Box and
Intrepid, two of Lionhead's development teams.
GameProWorld
has posted a preview of Hired Guns, Psygnosis' 3D update of the classic action/strategy
title which utilizes the Unreal engine in a unique split screen format (thanks
Frans). The preview is illustrated with
screenshots, which appear to be new.
PlanetUnreal has posted a half-dozen
screenshots showing of the new level to be included in the next release of the
Unreal Tournament Demo (which could take place as early as today). The level is
called DM-Tempest, and the shots are in 1600x1200 resolution in both .jpg and
.bmp formats.
Now that it's clear that Epic isn't upset about modifications for the Unreal
Tournament Demo, Unreal4Ever has
posted a mod that adds a pair of new weapons to the Unreal Tournament demo. The
weapons are from their mod for the original Unreal, and work is underway right
now to modify the remainder of the mod's weapons to work with the demo. There
are also a pair of new mutators for the UT demo on Mod Central Unreal,
one called Control Arena (just bullet weapons), and the other TeamCTF, which is
class-based. Finally, Unreal Universe
has a new UT Demo mutator called "boing boing" that gives all the
players permanent anti-gravity boots.
Valve's Gabe Newell sends along word that Valve is looking to hire a programmer to
do some console development. Since the subject of the email was "No, we're
not announcing anything," I won't speculate what this is about, and just
pass along the message: We're thinking about doing some console
development, but that will depend upon finding a senior programmer who wants to
do console work here at Valve. We're scratching our heads a bit about how to
find such a person, and I figured we could put the word out to you and see if
anyone were interested. Anyone who'd like to talk to us should send email to billvb@valvesoftware.com.
The Qtracker Homepage has a new
version 2.3 beta 10 of the Qtracker server-browser program. The new release adds
the Unreal Tournament Demo to the many multiplayer games supported by the
program, as well as a PlayerWatch feature to help find when your buddies are
online.
SpYze TecHsiTe has
version 0.48 of TweeQ3, a new program to help build configuration files for
Q3Test. The program is in its early stages, and the author is eager for
feedback.
There's a BattleTech 3025
chat log on Wewp! Entertainment with info from the developers on this
upcoming Mech combat game. Wewp! Entertainment
has also posted what's described as "a pretty raw chat log from the Babylon
5 developers chat on IRC". Finally, Nice One
has a log of a chat with the developers of the upcoming Grant Theft Auto II.
The Future Technologies site has a
new version 0.81 of this mod that looks to make Quake II more "realistic
and futuristic," offering 11 new or modified weapons, and new usable items
(currently there are three).
Okay, so maybe I wasn't feeling as chipper as I thought yesterday, I made a
whack duplicate post about the Myscha interview that loony had already posted
that said he still worked for Epic. Not my finest moment, thanks to all who
spotted the obvious errors and wrote in, and apologies for the sloppiness.
A couple of other portions of
the record to set straight before they're forgotten: I commented on the movie on
Showtime the other night that featured a twitchy woman playing Unreal. It turns
out this was actually The Happy Face Murders. Also, the mention of the
Unreal Tournament preview ( story)
turned out to be a preview of the full version of the demo, not of the game.
Finally, yesterday had a visitation of the traditional format pop culture
game (seemed silly to offset it below Out of the Blue since it was already in
this section), and was from A Clockwork Orange, a P.C.G. standby. Matt
Godlaski's reply quote from the movie is "Nobody's got anything on me,
Brother Sir. I've been out of the rookers of the milicents for a long time
now." That has to be honorable mention though, as Rogue13's is perfect for
the occasion... a clear winner: "Sorry about the pain. Using the gulliver to much like maybe? Giving
orders and disciplining and such perhaps. You sure the pain is gone? You sure
you might be happier back in bed?"
| Link of the Day: |
Beard research.
Thanks Steve Beiting. If you think the photo of Mr. Hickey with half his beard
shaved off is wild, check out the link to the photo of him six weeks later.
There's no comment on the effect his research had on his dating prospects. |
| Story of the Day: |
eBay sells for $1.25 in bogus auction.
"We're worth every cent," said eBay spokesman Kevin Pursglove. Thanks
Dan Glockenrock. |
| Image of the Day: |
Microsoft runs out of cash? A photo on the Glide Underground suggests just that.
Thanks James Boswell. |
QWare Software News has
a new version of 0.83 QBind, the freeware tool to aid in getting you properly
bound up when ropes and Aunt Martha's biscuits just wont cut it, helping to
created configuration files for all the Quake family games, all the way from
Quake/QuakeWorld through Q3Test. The new release is mainly bug-fixes, but there
is word there of an upcoming "Pro" version of the program that will
add new features.
Unreality has posted a Q&A with
T. Elliot Cannon (or Myscha the Sled Dog, as he's known to some), talking about
his current gig as lead level designer at The Collective (developers of the
Unreal engine title Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Fallen) as well as some
background questions.
Ritualistic has posted the first
beta version of Wages
of Sin CTF, a CTF add-on for the Wages of Sin mission pack for Sin. The
9 meg download includes three new maps, and new runes as well.
PlanetUnreal has word up of another
new mutator for the UT demo on The Mutation Device
called The Weapon Arena, that adds Rocket Arena functionality to the demo by
replacing all the weapons with weapons of a single type (and all ammo with the
ammo which corresponds to the weapon type), allowing the server operator to
choose the weapon which will be used in the Arena match, which can include any
of the Unreal Tournament weapons, or third-party weapons. There's also word
there that an update to the Unreal Map Designer's Diary
has been updated with a new lighting
tutorial covering the basics of static lighting, with a lesson on how to
create "the corona effect." The update also includes some comments on
Unreal Tournament editing.
There's an Unreal Tournament Preview on Unreal Universe
looking ahead at the upcoming full version of the demo of Epic's first-person shooter. In
addition to the preview, the piece offers a load of screenshots
running under DirectX and a bunch more using OpenGL to give a feel for how the
demo looks on non-Glide accelerators.
Unreal Universe UT Demo Weapons
Guide is also now online, offering tips and tricks on which end to point at
the bad guys when using the various weapons in the Unreal Tournament Demo. In
addition to detailing each weapon's primary and secondary fire modes, the
article also gives details on how much damage each one inflicts.
Rob "Innerloop" Huebner posted a development
update on the Nihilistic Bulletin Boards giving word on progress on Vampire The Masquerade-Redemption,
their upcoming horror action/RPG. Thanks Masquerade.org.
The update mentions the updates to the official Vampire-The Masquerade
site, and here's a good chunk of the update discussing the game's unique
multiplayer experience, non-weapon hand item holding, and more detail on cool
stuff to be watch out for when the game is complete (or in screenshots): The
biggest area of programming work lately has been multiplayer. Now that our deal
with WON.net has been finalized and announced, we've gone full-bore into
implementing the core features of the multiplayer storyteller mode. Even at a
fairly early stage, its obvious this is going to be a LOT of fun. Being able to
create new items at will and place them in the world as the players are playing,
or to jump into the "skin" (so to speak) of an enemy and taunt the
players in real time is just a great experience. We've got some preliminary
interfaces running for the storyteller now, but already we're learning more
about how a game like this actually functions and what features are important
for storytelling to flow smoothly, so I expect some interface revisions. Its
very exciting to play with this stuff, because you really realize that you are
playing a type of game over the 'net that really has never existed before. The
pain of re-working a few interfaces is worth the pleasure of forging a whole new
genre of game, right? Still a lot of work and debugging to be done here, but now
that we have played out first few experimental rounds of multiplayer VtM,
everyone is pretty excited by just how much fun this is going to be. And at the
moment, we can honestly say that we are the best VtM On-line storytellers in the
entire world.. so there!
On the art side, we added a cool feature that allows players to hold any item in
their non-weapon hand, like a torch or a lantern. With all the possible
weapon/shield/held item combinations we're probably well past 50 unique
animations per character. That's because every different type of weapon has its
own walk, run, stand, and attack animations, and each of those has variations
depending on whether or not you are holding an item or a shield.. Its pretty
insane but the artists keep cranking them out.
Other stuff to watch for (gotta summarize because this post is rambling): cool
new skies, awesome new "Boss" characters with killer animations, tons
of new weapons (esp. in the modern day), our first cinematic cutscene, and tons
of new art and textures all over the place. Keep on eye on the screenshot
releases to spot this stuff..
I.am-Kingpin has redesigned their map
area to accommodate the over 50 new multiplayer maps for they've posted for
download for use with Xatrix' Quake II engine gangsta-shooter, Kingpin: Life of
Crime. They've also posted some new sections: Kingpin Addons (including new
animated Kingpin crosshairs), Kingpin Movies, and even Kingpin Music! The old
sections of the site have also been revised and updated ("including the
complete Walkthroughs for both the demo and retail versions of Kingpin, ALL
cheats, a huge FAQ, weapons guides, multiplayer tips, and performance tweaks --
plus a complete, categorized list of all console commands and variables!").
Meant to mention Friday that Sidney
has an exclusive interview
with Adam Bormann, the design assistant of Gabriel Knight III talking about
the upcoming third installment in this adventure game series with the design
assistant on the project. Also, are also a few
new Gabriel Knight 3 screenshots on New Reality Gaming (which reminded me of
the forgotten interview).
Allied Command
has posted a screenshot from Microsoft's upcoming space sim Allegiance. Word is
this is the first of five consecutive Sundays when they will be posting a
screenshot or piece of concept art from the game.
Teamplay.Net
has word of their inaugural Q3Test deathmatch tournament. The competition is
four-on-four, open ping, played on Q3Test1. More details are on the site.
- This
page has some photos from a visit to id Software by Alex Caceres,
including some nice stalker's-eye view shots of the cool rides in the parking
lot...
- There are five more new Grand Theft Auto 2 screenshots on Nice One...
- Games Inferno has set up 27 new
UK-based QW servers "for those people who just REFUSE to let QW wither
and die." Word is that all games can be accessed via the Internet, or
via their "10,000 line FREE 0845 dialup number."...
- Hey, a Daily review of Microsoft Antitrust Trial transcripts.
It's like court TV for geeks. Thanks murmer.
Sorry to the night owls for the late start this morning, I was feeling some
aches and pains last night
and decided to crap out (or rather my body decided to crap out on me) before
updating as a preventive measure here in what the commercials will remind us is cold and flu
season, and loony was off doing whatever it is he does on Saturdays ( "Well,
like he says. It's mostly odd jobs he does... helping like, here and there as it
might be."), so I couldn't foist off the update on him. I'm feeling quite chipper now, though... maybe sleep isn't so over-rated?
Link of the Day: Quake
4 Quaker. Thanks Mopar (Acrobat reader required). "...artificial
intelligence so smart they construct free verse about the nature of love while
fragging you. And standing on one foot. And reading the Starr report."
News Story of the Day: Italian Gov't 'Arrests' Cloned Bull.
Dolly, get my lawyer on the phone! Thanks Cannelbrae.
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