Sailor Scout's Gaming Center has posted a brief Q&A with John Romero, with a few questions related to the movie released on Incite Games yesterday (story). While brief, the questions are better than most, dealing with such issues as how the sidekicks are controlled, and how to enable the console.

GameFan recently made a trip down to Blizzard's offices, and they've posted a hands-on preview of Diablo II based on what they saw and played there. The author is a big fan of the original Diablo, so it's full of stuff that fans will appreciate.

Aureal has released new drivers for A3D based cards (thanks Groltz). These drivers feature support for A3D 3.0, and there are also A2D drivers available for enabling A3D 3.0 audio support on non-3D cards as well.

A collection of images for your evening viewing pleasure:

• Gamecenter has posted a dozen new screenshots of Tachyon: The Fringe, Novalogic's entry in the space sim arena that features the voice of Bruce Campbell.
• There are five new screenshots of 3D action/strategy game Iron Strategy on AVault and some rendered shots and a development update on GA-Source.
• 4D Rulers has released a new high-res screenshot from the upcoming deathmatch demo of their first-person shooter Gore.
• There are four new Dark Reign 2 screenshots on GameProWorld, along with five already posted elsewhere (story).

The latest version 0.5a build 7 of wHeretic is now available for download. This release adds looping sounds, removes vissprite and visplane limits, and fixes display code and a couple other problems in the Win32 port of Raven's classic fantasy shooter.

According to this story on ZDNet, Windows 2000, which ships next Thursday the 17th, contains 63,000 bugs in this initial release. Their source on the story is an internal Microsoft memo, which says that 28,000 of these are likely to be "real" problems. Microsoft was quick to defend the OS, saying that 750,000 testers agreed that it was ready for prime time, but knowing previous releases from the company, you may want to wait before upgrading.

Voodoo Extreme has posted Digital Extreme's announcement that they are working on Dark Sector - a new massively multiplayer persistent world action game, based on the Unreal Tournament engine. They've also posted some preliminary concept artwork. Here's an excerpt from the full release (available on their news page):

London, Canada, Feb. 11, 2000 – Leading computer game developer Digital Extremes announces its follow-up to the critically acclaimed Unreal: Tournament. Dark Sector is the next step in the first person action gaming experience by blending the intense action elements of Unreal: Tournament with the scope and character evolution of a persistent online universe.

Dark Sector is set in the wake of world devastation, where survivors are scattered throughout the solar system in a vast crumbling network of outposts and space stations. Anarchy reigns as violent factions wage war over limited resources. The remnants of world government have sanctioned bounty hunting in a desperate attempt to control the growing chaos.

Players carve out their destiny in a violent struggle for fortune and fame. Begin your career as a bounty hunter tracking your target from Mars to the moons of Jupiter and then face off in an ice mine on Europa. Or choose the darker path by hunting the law-abiding citizens around you; build an infamous reputation as an assassin, while the growing price on your head turns your own friends against you.

Additional key features of Dark Sector:

Players can band together in formal syndicates, seeking to invade and occupy the multitude of resource fortresses in the game world.

Challenge Arenas where players can hold grudge matches, wager on matching your skills against others, compete in team battles and ladder matches.

An advanced Unreal: Tournament engine featuring a new hardware-only renderer exploiting the latest advances in graphics technology such as T&L, skeletal deformation, multi-texturing, inverse-kinematics, advanced surface lighting and a myriad of other improvements.

Space flight gameplay will allow players to travel between space stations and engage in gut wrenching dog fights.

Dark Sector is an evolving game where new elements are regularly introduced after the game’s debut, enriching and expanding the game experience.

Version 1.12 of the Unofficial GLQuake Project's GLQuake has been released. This new version adds a new "Weapon Flash Lighting" and "r_shadows" controls to the options menu, underwater fog, and linear interpolation in addition to other changes. Both the executable and source are available for download on the Unofficial GLQuake Project's web site.

AGN3D has posted a brief interview with NovaLogic's Dan Bennett, talking to him about their recent announcement that the US Marines will be using their game Delta Force 2 for training purposes. The interview is actually a transcript of one of their shows, which of course is accessible from their archives.

Also new on AGN3D is another transcript, this one of an interview with WizardWorks' Michael Gjere, talking about their dino-hunting first person shooter Carnivores 2. Like the interview above, the original show is available in their archives.

Word on Stomped's E3 Page is that Unreal II will possibly be making an appearance in one of those 'by appointment' backroom showings at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles. Though most readers who attend the show who will be unlikely to be able to demonstrate the requisite 'leetness to get in to view a backroom showing, it is the first indication we've had that the game is this far along in development.

GameSpot UK has posted an interview on Tiberian Sun: Firestorm, the upcoming expansion pack to Westwood's real-time strategy affair, talking to lead producer Rade Stojsavljevic about the storyline, new features, and more. This will be the only expansion pack, as they "will be concentrating on the next C&C game after Firestorm is released."

PlanetQuake will be hosting an IRC chat with Dave "Zoid" Kirsch of id Software, author of Threewave CTF for Quake, Quake II, and Quake III Arena. The festivities kick off at 7:00 PM PST tonight in channel #PlanetQuake of irc.gamesnet.net 6667. Also, the log of last night's chat with Robert Duffy is now available for your perusal at PlanetQuake as well.

There is a new build 023 of Quake 3 Log Analyzer (Q3LA) available, offering a new output design, improved performance, new output options, funname support, and fixing some crash bugs.

GameSpot UK has thrown up on of their famed galleries, posting 20 new screenshots of Starlancer to show off more deep space action from the upcoming space combat sim by Warthog and Digital Anvil.

As expected for some time (thanks Matthias), Delphine has released a new patch for DarkStone on the official site. The version 1.0.5 patch comes in US and European editions, and adds a new "Legend" difficulty mode, makes some changes to character and monster behaviour, and has some multiplayer fixes. Also available is a download of some new quests, called "Journey in Uma," and word is, the "quest editor will be available soon with the next patch 1.0.6."

AVault is reporting that in GT Interactive's quarterly results is word that Cavedog, an internal development house at GT (and the people behind the Total Annihilation titles and the recently cancelled shooter Amen: The Awakening) has been closed down as part of their reorganization. There's no word as of yet how (if at all) this will affect Cavedog's unpublished titles or their Boneyards online network.

A new version of D3Edit, the Descent 3 level editor, has been released (thanks Descent3D). Also released, is the source code, although they're using CVS version control software to track changes, so it's anonymous, read-only access. Details are available on the D3Edit source code page.

Dark Reign 2 Impressions at GameSpot is a brief preview of the 3D action RTS currently being prepared at Pandemic Studios for a Summer release. Besides a written update of the game's development status, there is also a visual update in the form of nine new screenshots.

GA-Strategy has posted a preview of Aquarius, a new 3D action/strategy game by developer Jack in the Box that should be released towards the end of the year. As the title implies, water plays an important role in this game, if only in the way it is graphically realized on your screen, and the engine also sports features like real-life physics, environmental sound, and full multiplayer support.

The official Thief II: the Metal Age site has put five new screenshots into rotation from Looking Glass stealthy action game sequel (thanks VoodooExtreme), although I recognize at least one image from earlier previews.

Unreal Universe Interviews Bob White talking with the ION Storm designer about progress on Deus Ex, the upcoming Unreal-engine non-shooter formerly known by the working title "Shooter," which according to the intro "should be going gold within the next month." One question addresses the likelihood of hitting their planned release date, bluntly saying "Ion Storm has a bad reputation with keeping to release dates," which inspired the following response: "The Austin group has a sense of drive and purpose unprecedented in the company. We will make our dates."

Further word from Valve about the upcoming version 1.0.1.6 Half-Life patch mentioned last week (story) is that it's expected to be made available this Tuesday (February 15) at about 1:00 PM EST. The patch to update version 1.0.1.3 will be about 7 MB.

• Ace's Hardware's Ultimate 3D Video Deathmatch, Part 2 is online.
• 3D Wars Crusoe Processors at a Glance and SystemLogic-A Look At Transmeta Crusoe.
• Tom's Hardware Guide-Is AMD Covering Up Bugs In Their Products and a rebuttal on RIVA 3D.
• Likewise, Tom's Hardware Guide-A Titan Falls-AMD Plays David to Intel's Goliath and a rebuttal on Sparkling Catastrophe.
• The Tech Report's Athlon Decathlon looks at ComputerNerd USA's overclocked Athlon.
• PIII 500E/550E Overclocking Problems, Solutions, & Results on Hardware News Net.
• Creative 3D Blaster Annihilator is reviewed on Tech-Review.Com.
• Absolute Multimedia Outrageous 3D GeForce DDR is reviewed on Planet GeForce.
• Guillemot Xentor 32 is reviewed on 3D Accelerated Gaming.
• Quadro DDR is reviewed on The Pulpit.
• Voodoo3 3500 TV iz reviewed on GAMEZReviewz.
• AMD Athlon 850 is reviewed on Gamers Depot and Sharky Extreme.

A post called Some Information about Werewolf on the ASC Games Bulletin Board gives the status on the game from Travis Williams, a former member of the Werewolf: The Apocalypse-Heart of Gaia development team (now with Interplay). Thanks RPGvault.ign.com. The update gives the state of the game following the announcement that ASC was continuing its involvement (story), which apparently is not the case. To make it easy, PaxTravis finishes his own lengthy post with a summary of what we've learned:

So in case you don’t like to read long posts….

Werewolf is still in development.
Werewolf was looking GOOD when I left it.
Dreamforge is still working on the title.
ASC is gonna be around but in what “form” I dunno.
Yes Take Two looked at the title but I am not sure if it’s a fit for them.
I have no idea what these developments mean as they pertain to release dates.
Travis Williams is now at Interplay in Sunny Cali (YES!)
Richard Rosado is now at Rockstar Games in New York City

There are 15 new Devil Inside Screenshots on GA-Source showing off loads of gameplay from this upcoming 3D action/adventure from the author of the Alone in the Dark series. Here's the description of the game from the blurb accompanying the shots: "Take one part Nocturne, one part Running Man, and throw in a little twist of the weirdness French developers are known for... and you get a really strange game by the name of - Devil Inside."

Summoner Thursday! on PC.IGN.Com offers chapter five of the designer diaries for Summoner, Volition's upcoming 3D RPG. The new update gets "the dirt" from Lead Level Designer Mitri Vanichtheeranont on "The Duties of a Level Designer." Also, Computer Games Online previews Summoner looking at the game with a bunch of screenshots and quotes from the developers.

Raise your rank on UT GlobalStats gives a ten point list of tips specifically geared towards legitimately raising your ngWorldStats for Unreal Tournament rank. Ingava's Quake III Arena Strategy Guide #3 offers tips for success on Q3DM3. Ultimazone.ch's Game Guide to Quake III Arena offers Q3A tips in German (here's AltaVista Translations if German's not your thing).

You may not be able to buy happiness, but you can license Ecstasy, as Infogrames North America's Ecstasy Engine, which is the technology that underlies their recently released Slave Zero, is now available for third-party licensing. Those interested in more details can email Matt Powers.

There are some new Ruins of Kunark screenshots on incitegames showing images from Verant Interactive's upcoming EverQuest expansion pack. Also, the Star Trek Armada site has been updated with still more new screenshots from Interplay's upcoming Trekkie RTS, these showing off Cardassian cruisers in battle. Thanks Tymetodie. Speaking of space, there are three more new Starlancer screenshots on Wewp! Entertainment showing off this upcoming space combat game from Microsoft, Digital Anvil, and Warthog.

The version of the day of Q3Log is version 0.95b beta, another rapid-fire release to this Quake III Arena log parser that now supports spaces in names in the HTML and fixes a problem displaying the logo in HTML game displays. They're not through yet, as word is a version 0.95c will be along pretty rapidly as well, to add improved HTML pages, including colored (or "coloured" as they would say) names. The release is expected to follow an accompanying new version of Q3LA.

A new version 1.5 of OverDrive Quake for Quake III Arena is now available, adding the Big Freakin' Nuke weapon to replace the BFG and some other new tweaks on fixes to this mod that adds a flamethrower, changes many weapon damage values, and adds an off-hand grappling hook.

• B-Hunter on Adrenaline Vault.
• EverGlide Giganta mouse pad on BoomGames Interactive.
• Jane's F/A 18 on Sim Arena.
• Pharaoh on PlayNOW.
• Quake III Arena on the LA Times. Thanks ZamZara.
• Razer Boomslang mouse on Eurogamer.net.
• Rising Sun (quick take) on Gone Gold.
• South Park: Chef's Luv Shack on Electric Games.
• South Park Rally on Gaming Age.
• SWAT 3: Close Quarters Battle on Bloodshot.Org.
• Tread Marks on Thresh's FiringSquad.
• Ultima IX: Ascension on Gamezilla.
• Unreal Tournament on Glide Underground.
• X: Beyond The Frontier on GamePower.

• The Sims website has a set of free downloadable objects that can be imported into your game, including a set of five character skins, a set of new lights for their homes, a (reportedly VERY loose) slot machine, as well as some Maxis designed mansions...
• Court Rules for Software Maker announces that Connectix' Sony emulation software did not violate Sony's copyright, according to a federal appeals court...
• Those in Europe interested in Razer's Boomslang mouse may want to check out the XSReality-Razer Store where they are available with lower shipping costs and shorter ship times for those on the continent and in the UK....
• Video Game Tracker has been launched as the gaming equivalent of the DVD Collection Tracker, created by the same folks....

Well, since "it's always something," Nana Rosannadanna would have been disappointed if there didn't turn out to be at least a little "something" about the JavaScript solution to the frames focus dealie mentioned in this space yesterday. Apparently the script is working as it theoretically should, and not causing indigestion for decaffeinated browsers (the big fear), but a side-effect of the script's intended purpose, which is to bring the news page into focus, that is at issue. Apparently on some browsers for some users the new script will cause your browser to pop into focus on your desktop after the page loads if you navigate to this page and then switch to another application (this does not happen to me). If it turns out to be a huge problem it can be addressed, but it seems the way the new code makes the news more easily scrollable generated a lot of positive feedback, and only a few mentions of this problem. One mail that mentioned this pointed out this is an annoying quality we now share with the HotMail site, and another called it "rude," though another note said they still preferred the change in spite of this problem. Please feel free to send in your thoughts on this, or post a message.

I forgot to mention that someone indeed came up with the perfect phrase for those orphaned network wires behind so many computers on so many LANs I mentioned the other day... Wayne posted a message to the messageboards calling them "netsam" (as in flotsam and jetsam). I knew I could've continued wracking my brain and still not come up with something as good as one already being used, and I was certainly right. Netsam it is. Thanks again Wayne.

Link of the Day: Crash Test Dumbass, a Crash Test Dummies simulator. The web-based version uses Flash, but there are desktop versions for the Mac and PC for download. Thanks Ant.
Story of the Day: Cops Bust Man Armed With Sex Toy "apparently thinking the clerk was not taking him seriously, Vetters allegedly grabbed a sex toy, known as a 'vibrating tongue,' off a display rack and waved it at the clerk." Thanks Buclerpp.

Warcraft III.net has posted two new screenshots from Blizzard's Warcraft III, as well as a transcript of the webmaster's chat held on Blizzard.net, which featured Mike O'Brien, Rob Pardo and Bill Roper from Blizzard talking about the game.

Version 1.0 of Q3 Clan Arena, a remake of the Clan Arena mod for Quake 1, has been released, and is available for download on its official site. This new version adds a modifiable server .CFG file for server customization in addition to other tweaks and fixes.

The TRIBES Vault has posted their unofficial FAQ for Starsiege: TRIBES 2. The FAQ contains pretty much all the known information about the game, from the various technologies it supports (A3D, SSE, etc.) to all the different mission types and other gameplay issues.

GameSpot has posted a detailed preview of Soulbringer, the 3D adventure-RPG under construction at Gremlin. The article covers storyline, gameplay, the combat system, and more, and sports quotes from producer Doug Avery and a host of new screenshots.

Also online at GameSpot tonight is a shorter but equally hands-on preview of Evolva, examining the upcoming tactical action game by Computer Artworks, and posting a couple new screenshots from a recent build of the game.

GameSpot has a pair of stories on recent Zombie happenings. First Details: Spec Ops M.O.U.T. reveals that the next Zombie game will be called Spec Ops: Military Operation Urban Terrain, or M.O.U.T. for short, also built on the LithTech 2.0 engine like their earlier announced Spec Ops 3 title. This game will trade the tactical aspects of the first two Spec Ops games in for fast-paced action, like "Team Fortress Classic with licensed weapons and realistic environments." Also, First Details: Zombie's Shrapnel has a few more details on their recently announced game based on the Wildstorm Comics.

Raven's Jake Simpson updated his .plan with an update on all things Soldier of Fortune (as well as his usual brand of nuttiness). Jake confirms that Soldier of Fortune now supports A3D 3.0 (previously it was only 2.0), force feedback, and even ACT Labs' Gun System, in addition to some general thoughts about the game as it wraps up.

Incite Games has posted a new movie (which originally appeared on the Incite Magazine CD-ROM) featuring an interview with John Romero, and lots of in-game footage from Daikatana. The movie isn't puny at 43 megs, but it's in MPEG format and very high quality.

Also new on Incite Games are eight new screenshots from Soldier of Fortune, featuring that trademark violence that Incite loves so much.

Matrox has released new beta drivers for their Millennium G400, Millennium G200, Mystique G200, and MGA G200 cards. Separate drivers are available for Windows 9x, Windows 2000, and Windows NT4.

GA-RPG has posted some new screenshots from Icewind Dale, an upcoming RPG from Black Isle, as well as preliminary details on several different locales in the game.

3dfx has released new drivers for cards featuring the Voodoo Banshee chipset (thanks Voodoo Extreme). These new drivers fix a ton of problems, including game specific issues with Unreal, System Shock 2, Quake III Arena, and others.

Dynamix' Tim Gift updated his .plan with an update on what he's been working on, and he gives a great deal of detail on the status of vehicles in Starsiege: TRIBES 2. Here's an excerpt, which sounds remarkably like something a used car salesman might say:

At this point you can drive around in the scout vehicle. It has four wheel drive and independent suspension. It handles pretty well, though at high speeds it tends to under-steer. Have to be a little careful going fast on the uneven ground or you can end up upside down. Vehicles are going to be pretty fun :)

All the engine, suspension and tire parameters are specified in the datablock. The number of wheels, which ones steer, and suspension travel is all extracted from the shape file. It should be fairly easy for mod authors to build and customize new vehicles.

A new interview with Human Head's Tim Gerritsen is up on 3D Action Planet, talking to the biz guy about the origins of the company, his background in the industry, and their upcoming action title Rune (thanks to The Shugashack for the tip).

GameSpot UK has posted a whole bunch of new stuff related to Allegiance, Microsoft's massively multiplayer space sim that's currently in beta testing. There are three new in-game AVIs available, as well as new screenshots, new concept artwork, and a report from the beta test. Also, Games Weekly has posted a new interview with members of the development team.

A new version (1.43) of Weapon Mod, a mod for Quake III Arena that lets you tweak all kinds of gameplay options, has been released and is available for download on its official site. This new version adds variables for starting, minimum, and maximum health and armor in addition to other changes.

The official Phoenix site has a version 1.1 patch for the English edition of Phoenix, the space exploration and combat game by Team 17. There are no details about the changes and fixes though.

PlanetQuake is hosting an IRC session with id Software's Robert Duffy, the author of QERadiant and the Q3Tools package. The fun starts at 7:00 PM PT on irc.gamesnet.net 6667, in channel #PlanetQuake.

The Unofficial Soldier of Fortune Demo FAQ has been updated, and now contains new sections on system requirements, video settings and supported hardware in addition to other changes.

German games site Ultimazone has posted a new strategy guide to Quake III Arena. The text is all in German, but of course, if you want it translated, just stick a babel fish in your ear.

Rising from the Ranks: Rating for Multiplayer Games is an article on Gamasutra by old-school Quaker (and Loki Entertainment developer) Bernd Kreimeier, examining scoring and ranking systems such as those employed in ngWorldStats, which currently ranks multiplayer Quake II and Unreal Tournament games. The article makes a comparison to the ELO ratings of the chess-playing world, and while it is heavy on statistics and mathematics, it makes an interesting read if you're into this sort of thing.

Interplay's official MDK2 site has received a new look, and posted seven new screenshots from BioWare's upcoming third-person action sequel. MDK, as everyone knows, stands for My Dangerous Kangaroo.

Another new screenshot has been posted on the official Messiah site, depicting a scene (reminiscent of the opening area in the demo) from their third-person possess-em-up that should now be released in March.

There is now a Multiplayer Nox Demo on PC Zone, with a playable version of Westwood's isometric-view action game that is due in stores next week. The demo is a 44 MB download, and here is the description from the page:

You are the 20th century savior of Nox - summoned to the land in a cosmic accident. Being from Earth, you are the only living being on Nox that may touch a magic Orb in the possession of the wicked-evil queen of the undead - Hecubah. You must find this Orb and harness its power in order to construct the staff of oblivion and defeat Hecubah.

There's a new In Game Warcraft III Shot on Warcraftiii.net that was recently posted on Blizzard's site, along with an analysis of what's shown in the image, which is of an Orc assault on a mining encampment. The shot gives a clear view of the new interface, "including all the new action commands." Also, GameFan's WarCraft III preview gives the scoop on a visit to the Blizzard offices to get some hands-on impressions of the upcoming installment in the WC series that will add role-playing elements to the familiar RTS elements from its predecessors.

There is a log of last night's moderated Allegiance chat on Allegiance Vault giving a progress report on development of Microsoft's space combat game, currently in open beta.

• Michael Tirtasana 3D programs has a new version 1.9 of the Tirtanium benchmark. Thanks 3DFiles.com, where the file is mirrored.
• The UK CPU price list on games xtreme has had its weekly update.
• Toshiba reduces RDRAM die size is a news report calling the move "a step in the right direction to make RDRAMs a mainstream product." Thanks skrewup13.
• Creative Annihilator GeFORCE 256 DDR on Fast-MHz Overclocking.
• Viper II vs. GeForce 256 SDR on Thresh's FiringSquad.
• Aureal SQ2500 PCI sound card is reviewed on GameFan.
• Intel Coppermine PIII 800 is reviewed on Gamers Depot.
• Soyo K7AIA motherboard is reviewed on GamePC.
• IWill Slocket II is reviewed on AGN Hardware (RealPlayer).
• 3DCOOL Twin Turbo cooler is reviewed on 3dgn.com.
• 3dfxCool Alpha 7H0 cooler is reviewed on CTNews.

The Wyrm2 World of Destruction page has a new beta 2 version of Wyrm 3 for Quake III Arena. In an apparent fit of Duke Nukem-inspiration, the new release replaces the BFG with the Shrink Ray. Shrink your opponents to 1/10 their normal size, then crush them with your boot (be sure to laugh maniacally).

CheckOut Games' LucasArts Profile looks at the past, present, and future of LucasArts from the SCUMM engine adventure games, through the recent key departures, and hopes that Star Wars: Force Commander and Jedi Power Battles "returns them to the days of original gameplay." Speaking of Force Commander, DailyRadar.com previews Star Wars: Force Commander, saying "Did Star Wars: Rebellion turn you off from Star Wars strategy gaming? LucasArts finds your lack of faith disturbing."

The Quake Wedding website has word on one of the most unusual Quake-related human interest stories I can recall, as BadBoyBubba, and db_High intend to tie the knot on a public Quake II server. The ceremony will take place in a custom map & mod at 7:00 PM South African Time (GMT+2) on February 14, the always romantic Saint Valentine's Day.

GameSpot's Tomb Raider Interview celebrates the imminent four-year anniversary of Eidos' Tomb Raider franchise by sitting down with Eidos' Phil Campbell and Mike Schmitt to talk about Tomb Raider: The Lost Artifact, "set to ship to stores nationwide the first week of March."

There's a Desert of Death strategy guide on the newly-opened Tribes Vault as part of their Tribes Vault Academy. The guide is filled with screenshots and a marked out map pinpointing the locations of every item. Also, K-Cheats Unreal Tournament guide and K-Cheats Quake III Arena guide each offer playing tips in German. As usual AltaVista Translations can play semi-functional BabelFish for you. Thanks Neo.

CnCRenegade.com talks with Westwood about progress on C&C: Renegade, the action sequel to the C&C RTS franchise. There are a whole load of new Invictus Screenshots and Artwork on GA-Source showing off Interplay's just-gold (story) RTS/adventure title. Finally, in addition to the new screenshot of the week mentioned yesterday, there are three more new Star Trek: Armada screenshots showing off Ferengi Marauders on the Star Trek Armada site. Thanks Tymetodie.

The first release of Q3 Toolbox, a Quake III Arena compiling front-end is now available. Also, Code3Arena is now underway featuring Quake III Arena editing and coding resources, offering no less than 15 tutorials from the get-go, with more to be added soon. The Unreal Department of Engineering is likewise just underway, offering Unreal/UT mapping resources, as well as beta testing, just like the Half-Life DoE does for Half-Life. This Q3 Tutorial Adding Customizable Weapon Switching can help add QW style weapon switching to Q3A, as well as Unreal-style custom preferred weapon order.

Registration is underway Free Range Action Gaming, scheduled for March 31-April 2, in Burlington, NC, offering Q3A, UT, Half-Life, and AoE competitions. Likewise, the UVA East Coast LAN Conference will offer TRIBES, Q3A, UT, Rogue Spear, and AvP gameplay February 18-20.

3D Palette's Quake III Arena Skinning Contest is now offering the chance for everyone to vote for the winner among the best entries they've received. Unreal Kingdom interviews Sean "devilbunny" Bonney, who had the winning entry in the Best Deathmatch Map segment of the Make Something Unreal Contest (he's also submitted dozens of stories and Links of the Day here over the years).

• 1602 AD on PC.IGN.com.
• Earthworm Jim 3D on PCGamers.net.
• Final Fantasy VIII on GamePower, GameLinks, and (quick take) on Gone Gold.
• Freespace 2 on NWGN.
• Hype: The Time Quest on GamesMania.
• LeMans 24 Hours on Games Domain Review.
• RatPadz mouse pad on Glide Underground.
• Razor Boomslang Mouse on PC Gameworld.
• Silver on Adrenaline Vault.
• The Sims on Computer Games Online, Game Post, and Gaming Age.
• Urban Chaos on Game Revolution.
• X: Beyond the Frontier on GameSpot.

• Digital Tome Introducing Novel Idea The Adrenaline Vault is an article and interview about the Siege of Avalon serial game mentioned yesterday (story)...
• From the Wires: Acclaim's Great Turok Legacy Makes Its Triumphant Return (Entertainment Wire) is the official PR for Turok3 with still no mention of a PC version (thanks Jeff Magill). Also, Activision Posts Record Profits (Reuters). Thanks ZamZara...
• IGNDC Monkeys Around with Planet of the Apes producer Cos Lazouras about this upcoming PoA game for both the Dreamcast and PC...
• A Side Scene developer's diary on TeleFragged gives progress on development of this upcoming World War II action title...

A couple of letters in recent editions of our wacky-as-ever Mail Bag made a minor point about the usability of this website. Historically to be able to scroll down the news page using your mouse wheel doohickey or arrow keys you would need bring the focus here by clicking somewhere on the page first. Paul "trauma" Ghilarducci sent along a simple solution for this minor "problem," a single line of the dreaded JavaScript that brings the focus to the news frame by default. It certainly seems to be a harmless bit of code that shouldn't cause problems in any browser (famous last words), and works in several versions of Netscape and Explorer, so hopefully most of you are covered.

Link of the Day: It's A Dysfunctional Life picture #512 (related to the Nori nasal cleaner). Thanks Schwab. It's an add your own caption dealie...my entry would be "Earl Grey's secret tea recipe."
Story of the Day: Salon Technology-You, too, can be a drug kingpin. Thanks ozh. And I quote: "...police officers in Perth, Australia, reportedly made a fortune selling virtual drugs before their superiors erased the program."
Bonus Story: Supersonic Aircraft Engine Planned describes an upcoming "new generation of supersonic aircraft capable of linking New York and Tokyo in just three hours." Thanks Jeff Magill.
Image of the Day: A custom cow spotted case on Chick's Hardware UK. The gateway folks will be so jealous.