HomeLan Fed Exclusives Ultima X Odyssey Preview offer their hands-on impressions of the upcoming MMORPG based on checking it out at the recent press unveiling. Here's a bit:

So what about the combat? The dev team of Ultima X wanted to avoid what they called “ sandwich combat”, i.e. you encounter an enemy in another MMORPG, begin your combat then leave the computer to get a sandwich and return to see your character finally defeat your enemy. Based on our playtest of the game, Ultima X’s gameplay will not feel like that at all. Our combat felt more like a real time conflict with the ability to use special attacks at will rather than wait for your turn to begin. The combat system really makes you feel like a participant in the game.

• Ultima X Odyssey
  UXO Stratics' Ultima X Odyssey Interviews are a pair of video interviews about the recently announced MMORPG talking with lead designer Jon "Calandryll" Hanna about "the UXO fiction, pets/summoning, player killing & PvP, travel options, and much much more!" Both clips require Windows Media Player.
• Shadow Vault
  The Shadow Vault Q&A on Gameguru Mania talks with Tomas Bencik of Mayhem Studios about Shadow Vault, their upcoming "strategy game that allows the player to use RPG elements like character development, buying resources or a catching story that moves the action forward without forcing the player to read long texts." Included is some new concept art.

IGN has a some coverage of GC 2003, having posted a THQ Booth Report, a Codemasters Booth Report, Football Draws the Masses, and Pro Evolution Soccer 3 Announced.

World of Warcraft Forum has a post from GFrazier of Blizzard teasing info on the new CGW magazine that reveals new races from World of Warcraft, their upcoming MMORPG, which are: "Undead (Horde), Gnomes (Alliance), Trolls (Horde)" as well as new classes "to you anyway" of: Rogue, Paladin, and Priest. The Unofficial World of Warcraft Site has posted an article summarizing the new information.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• CD-Recordable discs unreadable in less than two years.
• Fearing PC Havoc, Gumshoes Hunt Down a Virus (registration required).

• Chaser (in German) on GamersUnitedNetwork.
• Disciples II: Guardians of the Light on Boomtown.net.
• No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy In H.A.R.M.'s Way on Solinari Gaming.
• TRON 2.0 on Gamer's Hell.

• Arctic Silver Ceramique on Intel Forums.
• Chyang Fun Minicube on Spode's Abode.
• Logitech Cordless Comfort Duo on Discgamer.com.
• Scythe Kamakaze Heatsink and Fan on bit-tech.
• Thermaltake X-Blower on Gamer's Hell.
• Zalman CNPS7000A-Cu on OCModShop.

Huzzah and kudos to Chatbear's Bagpuss for taking a bunch of time yesterday to iron out a few things on the forums here that have helped smooth out their operation a bit. He's quite a busy guy with enough on his plate to keep him altogether too occupied to start with, and I can't thank him enough for his efforts.

Links of the Day:	Visible Human Server
Stories of the Day:	Pop-ups annoy, but do they work?
Image of the Day:	FoxTrot. Thanks Warpig.
Wild Science:	Robot spy can survive battlefield damage. Passports and Visas to Add High-Tech Identity Features (registration required). New planetoid named after rain god.
Weird Science:	Mars Is Getting Close, and Maybe So Are Those Little Green Men (registration required)? Incoming!
	Thanks Mike Martinez.