Archived News:
The Savage UK - Quake TV website
has the debut release of this set of programs that promises to allow the viewing
of Quake II and Quake III Arena matches nearly live as they are played on the
Internet. Quake TV consists of a RocCam program that sends a demo as it is
recorded and sends it to a high-bandwidth server running the RocRelay program
which will distribute it real-time to viewers who connect using the RocStream
client to view a live game. The program is described as very useful for competitions
or tournaments, and a demonstration is promised next week.
Version 1.0 of Q3Post is now available,
offering a combination of an mIRC script and Quake III Arena key bind that can
transmit the IP address and description of the Quake III Arena server you have
joined to an IRC channel. Q3Post can also automatically respond to IRC chatter
that uses your nickname or other keywords with the info about the game to which
you are connected.
There's an Evolva preview
on TeleFragged with a look ahead at this unusual-looking action game from
Computer Artworks. In addition to the hands-on preview, the article also
includes a
half-dozen new screenshots taken at 1024x768 resolution in 32-bit color using a
GeForce 256 card.
A
.plan update by Raven's Rick Johnson gives word of a vote called Ban the Sale of Violent Video Games to Minors
on VOTE.COM, a political polling
site run by former Clinton politico Dick Morris and his wife. The site promises:
"We'll send your vote to your congressional representative, your Senators
and the President," and offers a chance to express whether you feel "These
brutal games are turning our kids into killers," or "Kids need better
parenting, not fewer games."
There's a small Win9x batch file on the odeesoft software productions
page that allows for more than one single player account on a single machine
running a single Quake III Arena installation where every player can have their
own fragcount, impressives, while opening up the tiers at their own pace. Also,
the new Quake3 q3config.cfg repair
page is now online, dedicated to helping you out if you've experienced
problems installing the beta point release patch, which they describe as possibly leaving
you in a situation where "your settings are gone, your previous level
progress banished, and the menu interface horribly broken." Disclaiming
that he "cannot not be held responsible if you destroy your q3config.cfg or
other files," the site's maintainer looks to help do the opposite, and
restore your gamestate to its pre-patched condition if you've experienced such
glitches.
A new version of the FightClub
Quake III Arena game configuration utility is now available as a full 3+ MB
download and a smaller upgrade for users of the previous version. This useful
utility can allow you to launch a dedicated or listen server (with map
rotations, user-defined or random bot lists, auto-kick of bots when humans join,
configurable client and rcon passwords, and more), connect to a server using a
built-in highly-configurable server browser, plus the ability to automate the
running of timedemos in any combination of video/sound configs and demo files
for easy benchmarking.
An updated version 1.1.2 of the Servarena
dedicated server launcher for Quake III Arena is now available, fixing a bug
that caused the program to crash when Nightmare skill was selected for one bot.
They also have a GameSpy tab if you are interested in isolating a list of
servers configured by Servarena.
The required plug-ins to accompany the Hand of Quad
game server access program were not included in the download when the story
about this new utility went up earlier ( story),
but have been added, so if you went by earlier and picked up a copy without the
plug-ins, you can head back and complete your download. Hand of Quad will allow
you to join a Quake II, Quake III Arena, or Half-Life server simply by clicking
a link on a webpage.
The Soldier of Fortune Official Australian Fan Site
has posted eight new screenshots showing off gameplay from Soldier of Fortune,
Raven Software's upcoming Quake II-engine game inspired by the mercenary
magazine of the same name. Like most SoF screenshots, these probably rate a
parental warning for graphic violence.
A post called John Carmack on Coding a Linux IP Stack & Winmodem
on Slashdot is posted anonymously, but professes to be from John Carmack
while honeymooning in Hawaii (hence his missing /. prefs) with a clarification
of his thoughts on the PowerPlay announcement ( story),
specifically refuting the subsequent report that he plans on rewriting the Linux
TCP/IP stack ( story).
Thanks Lawrence Ryan. Again, the post is anonymous, and I have not been able to
confirm that it is by him, but it so smacks of authenticity that I'm willing to
risk assuming it is. Here's a portion of the post:
No way do I intend to rewrite the linux TCP/IP stack.
I had mentioned to Yahn that it would be an interesting experiment to yank all
the networking code (TCP/IP + PPP + serial driver) into user space so some
cross-boundary optimization experiments can be made. I doubt there is any
apreciable latency in the TCP/IP stack, but there might be some scheduling
losses somewhere through PPP and the serial driver. Even if a send packet call
goes syncronously all the way to the serial ring buffer, giving no real
potential for latency reduction, there are still lots of possible experiments
with making decisions based on normally hidden data.
Just like the GLX driver work is Good For Me as a graphics programmer, going
through all the guts of the networking stack would be Good For Me as a
netowrking programmer. I may pursue this, and I may collect some interesting
data, but I seriously doubt it would be any contribution to the standard network
stacks.
I had a long talk with a couple people from Valve about the PowerPlay
initiative, but they couldn't give me enough specific technical details for me
to endorse it. I'm all for improvements in networking infrastructure, but at
this point, there isn't anything actually there, just an intention to improve
gaming. They need to tell me SPECIFICALLY what I am supposed to be endorsing. At
some point, bits have to go into packets and routers need to make decisions on
them. Changes at that level is what I want to hear about, not strategic company
relationships.
The entire
post goes further into "networking things that could be real
improvements."
The new DroneZ Screenshots
on GA-Source show off this third-person action shooter from Zetha gameZ.
Also, there are new Dreamland
screenshots on 3DGaming.Net showing off this tactical combat game in the
works from the folks who created X-Com. There are three
Metal Fatigue screenshots on Gamer's Alliance Strategy showing off this RTS
mecha game, with word on how to see more via their newsletter. Finally, there
are a few
new Art of Magic screenshots on 3DGaming.Net showing off Bethesda's tactical
RPG that will feature spell casting and summonable creatures.
Some assorted space stuff to boldly go: Some new Star Trek Klingon Academy
screenshots are online showing off a few ships and such (thanks Federation.Net)
and there is a new Klingon
Academy movie (direct link) with approximately 18 seconds of in-game footage
in .mpg format. Also seen on Federation.Net
(by way of ATFW) there's an interview with Relic's art director Rob Cunningham
on Relic News, as well as a new Homeworld strategy guide.
Finally, Allegiance Vault's
Stealth Fighter Basics is like piloting for dummies in Allegiance, or
something like that.
Otser's Site has a new version
2.02 of the QRec tool that helps automate the recording of Quake II and Quake III
Arena demos. The new version fixes several bugs, most notably a problem that was
causing lag when recording a Q3A demo.
The first version of the Hand of Quad,
described as the click 'n' go Quake launcher, is now available. Using "clever
monkey-brained™ technology," this freeware system-tray utility
lets you join a server playing Quake II, Quake III Arena, or Half-Life, just by
clicking a link on a website.
The Fragstats Homepage has
a new version 1.09 of the Fragstats log parser that supports QuakeWorld, Quake
II, and Quake III Arena with custom HTML output. Fragstats looks to restore the
original functionality of the QuakeWorld system, which provides player ranking.
Another log parser update, the Q3Logger Homepage
has a new beta 3 version 1.0.2.0 of this log parser that offers Quake III Arena
support. Q3Logger also offers HTML output, and in another back to the future
feature provides Doom-esque killer/killee tables.
KReGGeRs'
Q3A CTF Binder is a new utility designed to help the Quake III Arena CTF
player create a config file that can include a couple of handy aliases, and five
switchable offensive and defensive communication keys. The program is said to be
especially helpful to newbies, though they may balk at the programs need to be
run under a DOS box. Similarly, KReGGeRS'
CStrike Weapon Binder can help make a config file for Counterstrike for
Half-Life.
This
page on TeleFragged has the latest GlQuakeFX Win32 binary update from the Quake Standards Group,
which now adds colored lighting and interpolation, as well as several bug fixes
addressing problems with lighting on many popular video cards.
The XS Reality Razer Invitational
website has gone live, with more on this event that looks to assemble 12
world-class Quake III Arena players in Stockholm, Sweden for some deathmatch and
sauna. Here is the player list, directly from the site: "From the US we
have CPL 1999 Champion Wombat, his brother and top 10 CPL seed Vise, Frag 3 3rd
Place finisher Fatality, and the Quake 2 masters Makaveli and Immortal. From the
European side, Truegamers Invitational winner and runner up Lakerman and Kane,
Quake 2 EDL Champion Shub, recent LAN Arena 3 duel winner DOOMer, Logitech ECTS
Challenge champion Timber, CPL Danish Qualifying runner up Insane, and last but
certainly not least, Zibbo from Finnish superclan Z."
- The Rogue Warrior website is
for teams looking for players, and vice versa, for various games, including
Delta Force 1 & 2, Rainbow Six, Unreal, Quake II, and Quake III Arena...
- Descent Network Team has
posted Pyro GX model (V 1.2) of the Descent series, (a new one, not the
original Parallax version)...
- FvF World's FvF2 FAQ has been
posted with the questions and corresponding answers about the upcoming
sequel to the popular Quake RPG mod...
- Painful Detail has
posted five new custom voices for Unreal Tournament, as well as a tutorial
on how to create your own...
As loony mentioned yesterday it was Frans' birthday, although he failed to note
that yesterday is also the 65th birthday of Elvis Presley, which inspires me to
offer the king some well-wishes on the occasion, wherever he might be. This is
an interesting coincidence, since Frans' Dutch homeland seems to be the type of
place that might appeal to Elvis, with Amsterdam's coffee shops, window shopping
for companionship, and, of course, all those French fry stands all seeming to
fit in. My suspicions aroused, I got out the pen and paper, and sure enough,
Frans P. de Vries is actually an anagram for Ervis Pransdf, which of course, is
how Elvis Presley sounds when you say it with a mouthful of peanut-butter and
banana sandwich, which is Elvis' favorite food. Coincidence? I can't see how it
could be.
Oh, by the way, when I said a while back that I was sure I would make up for
a string of Out of the Blues about servers and stuff here that I would make an
extra rambling update to make up for it one day, so don't say I don't give fair
warning.
RIP
Don Martin. Thanks Randy Sims.
Link of the Day: The Empty Bowl.
Thanks Uncle Duke.
Story of the Day: Police say Florida man swallowed 55 crack pipes.
Thanks GreenMarine and Shawn Wallis. No word if this actually qualifies as a Guinness
world record or anything.
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