Archived News:
If you're having trouble installing or connecting using the new 1.0.0.9 Half-Life/TeamFortress Classic releases, perhaps one of the following pair of tips sent along buy readers will help. Here the first one from ExsMediocre:
A lot of people are having problems connecting to 1009 FinalTFC. The 1009 TFC
LAN patch installed a client.dll under tfc/cl_dlls dir. this file is not used or
overwritten with the 1009 Final patch. If this file is still in your TFC dir you get an
error about conflicting client.dlls and it will not allow the connection. The simple fix
is just to delete this dll. Everyone including server operators need to remove this dll.
Even uninstalling HL first and then reinstalling does not fix this unless you delete the
HL dir before reinstalling.
And there's this, from JB:
Problem : Error in setup, incorrect language settings when installing the
1.0.0.8->1.0.0.9 patch with Lan Party TFC patch already installed.
Fix : Change the ShortTitle entry in the sierra.inf file from "HALFLIFELAN" to
"HALFLIFE"
GuruTech has posted the answer to a one
question Q&A with 3D Realms' George Broussard talking about the new Sven Technologies'
Multi-Resolution Geometry technology that they just announced would be included in Duke
Nukem Forever ( story). Here's the reply (kinda hard not to gank the whole thing):
George Broussard: We've had the stuff in for something like 5-6
months. It dropped it in initially in a couple of days. We tweaked things over
a couple of weeks and have had no problems. The game will benefit from drawing less
polys than it needs to. DNF is a test bed for the technology for us, but I see no
reason not to consider it for future games. It saves you from re-inventing the
wheel.
[TF] The Cleanser sent along a GameSpy tab so that users of this server browser can easily find servers running the newly released
Team Fortress Classic for Half-Life. Here's a local copy of the teeny tab (300 bytes), along with mirrors.
WinHEC this week means lots of hardware news... NVIDIA issued a couple of press releases today, first announcing their support for TeraLogic's DTVPC system (allowing HDTV to be viewed on your PC) and second announcing their plans to integrate "transform and lighting" processes into their products. What the heck does that mean? Here's an excerpt:
By moving T&L calculations from the CPU to the graphics processor, there are more cycles available for modeling physics, artificial intelligence, character behavior and game play; areas that are severely lacking in modern applications. The benefit is two-fold, a world that both looks and behaves realistically.
In non-NVIDIA news, new reference drivers are available on Rendition's downloads page for Verite V2x00 based cards. These are Windows 98 native, and fully DirectX 6 compliant. Thanks Assassin. Finally, there's an interview with Dan Wood on GA-Source talking with Matrox' Senior product manager about the recently-announced additions to their upcoming G400 line.
Kali-guy Brian Hayes sends word that a new version of the server browsing Kali95
has been released. This version adds support for Delta Force, Red Baron 3D,
Team Fortress Classic, Railroad Tycoon 2, South Park, Demon Star, Starcraft
and Brood War V1.05 and Wages of Sin. Phew! Snag that over at the Kali
homepage.
Ritualistic has posted an interview
with RiEvEr, the author of the ReDeMpTiOn bot for Sin, entitled, "Walk
forward. Stop. Fire." (Thanks Hexagon).
ShadowFactor Software has released a new version 1.2 Beta 4 of their BattleComm (formerly known as "BattleField Communicator") client software, along with version 0.90 Beta 5 of the server. This program allows real-time voice communication in multiplayer games, even for modem users,
and the new release fixes some bugs, extends the beta expiration date, and adds support that allows the activation of BattleComm through ICQ.
PlanetUnreal has posted a few more new screenshots from Epic's upcoming Unreal Tournament, these showing off two more weapons, "the Enforcer," and "the Translocator." They also have posted an extensive preview of RealCTF, an upcoming free CTF mod for Unreal.
Just when you thought it was safe to install NT... News.com
is reporting that
Microsoft has another DOS based operating system in the works, to be released
sometime in the year 2000. This is contrary to previous reports that their next
consumer OS would be based around an NT kernel, and not DOS based. Regarding
whether it'll be a new version of Win98 or something entirely different seems
to be in dispute, as the article has conflicting reports:
Microsoft, in fact, seems to be debating the issue itself. While Ballmer
called the OS a "new version" of Windows 98, a Windows product manager placed
it in a "new generation" category.
"Don't think of it as a new version of Windows 98," said Mike Nichols, a Windows
product manager. The upcoming OS will be based on the same code, but will contain
a number of new features, he said.
'StepUp' Windows
98 release on tap is a ZDNN story that says:
"Users who were distressed at the thought of paying Microsoft Corp. $89 for a minor
upgrade to Windows 98, take heart," as it follows up on the announcement reported
yesterday ( story) that the Win98 StepUp program to fixes bugs, etc. would be
fee-based, with word that "Microsoft has multiple -- not just one -- upgrades to
Win98 up its sleeve." Thanks Maverick. Here's a quote:
But the company also is readying a CD-only, non-retail upgrade for existing
Windows 98 customers at a substantially reduced price. Like the full edition, the upgrade
will include fixes plus new features. Microsoft plans to sell the CD direct only, as its
low cost will prohibit it from being a product of interest to resellers, says Windows
product manager Mike Nichols. Nichols said the company has not decided on pricing.
There's a Kingpin: Life of Crime interview on 3D Spotlight talking with Ryan "Ridah" Feltrin from Xatrix Entertainment about Kingpin, the upcoming Quake II-engine game that puts you smack dab in the heart of the underworld, with the goal of clawing your way to the top of the mob. The piece also offers a handful of screenshots.
Beyond 3D has posted some new screenshots showing
off Activision's upcoming Heavy Gear II running on a TNT at 1024x768 resolution, using
32-bit color.
Version 0.5 of the Unofficial MDK2 FAQ
is online, with a preliminary set of Q&A about the upcoming sequel to MDK.
Eidos Interactive Announces Tomb Raider II Gold. Word is a playable demo of the new reworking or TR2 will be available on GameCenter on April 22. TRII Gold will be free to those who already own TRII.
Sharky Extreme's Weekly CPU Prices update offers some early skinny on AMD's upcoming K7 CPUs, discussing details gleaned from off-the-record discussions with two of the firms that currently possess Alpha K7 systems, discussing indications that the K7 is more on a par with the PIII, rather than its clear superior.
As planned, Team Fortress Classic for Half-Life has been released, which will update your Half-Life executable to a new version 1.0.0.9. You can get the patch via the Half-Life auto-update feature, or here are pages with local copies and mirrors of all four new releases. Here is the 1.0.0.5 to 1.0.0.9 update (20.5 MB), here is the 1.0.0.8 to 1.0.0.9 update (19.0 MB), here is the Standard Half-Life SDK (13.5 MB), and the Standard SDK
source code (713 KB).
3dfx sends along a couple of press releases, this one to announce Voodoo3 accelerators would be on the motherboard of the next line of Packard Bell computers, and this one announcing that the Voodoo3 2000 and 3000 are in stores as of today, the 143 MHz V3-2000 accompanied by an Eidos game sampler, and the TV-out equipped 166 MHz Voodoo3 3000 offering a bundle of Need
for Speed III, Descent 3 Sol Ascent (a five level version of the game), and Unreal, along with a coupon for Unreal tournament, when it is available. The release also outlines US and European availability and pricing for the cards. Here's some info they've included
about some benchmarks they commissioned:
According to ZDTag test results released today, the blistering real-world
performance of the Voodoo3 2000 and 3000 handily outpaces the non-3dfx based competition's
most powerful shipping products the nVidia TNT-based Diamond Viper V550, the S3
Savage3D-based Hercules Terminator Beast, and the ATI Rage 128-based Rage Fury.
In Quake II time demo testing*, ZDTag found the Voodoo3 3000 scored an astounding 95.7
percent faster than its nearest competitor, the ATI Rage Fury. The tests, conducted at a
resolution of 1,024 by 768, also found the Voodoo3 2000 is 68.8 percent faster than the
ATI card. Complete test results are available today at http://www.3dfx.com/.
The Enternet Global Network page has the 621 alpha version of EGN2, their program that combines a server browser with an ICQ-type chat client. From the page: "This build was mainly released to get in the new Tribes
server support. GameScan and other gaming features are being worked on at the current time."
Computer
Games Online previews the TNT2 (thanks Billy).
Also, Hot Hardware has posted a preview of the Leadtek Winfast
S320 II after a hands-on look at a pre-production version of this upcoming TNT2-based
accelerator. The board in the Hot Hardware article has a 150 MHz. core speed and a 170
MHz. Memory Speed, but the clock speeds for the TNT2 are not hard and fast, as this quote
from the CGO article explains:
The actual speed of the cards will vary widely, depending on what the hardware
manufacturers want to make. The least expensive TNT 2 cards will probably have the core
processor at a clock rate of 125MHz and the memory clocked higher. This will deliver a
fill rate of 250 megatexels per second, quite a bit more than the 180 delivered by current
TNT cards. NVIDIA is recommending that high-end TNT 2 cards be clocked at 150MHz with a
183MHz memory speed, but there are already plans by hardware manufacturers to go higher.
At least one brand of TNT 2 card will be sold at with a 175MHz core and 200MHz memory
clock speed. This translates into an impressive 350 megatexles fill rate—nearly twice
the current TNT. Some users may remember that NVIDIA's claims for the speed of the
original TNT couldn't be met. The company is being more conservative this time around, and
already have parts in-house running faster than the 175/200 speed that some high-end cards
may use.
Here is a new TeamFortress Classic
Server List on Evildead.com. Server operators
interested in being added to the list should go
here.
A Netscape compatible version of WarZone's
Robin Walker interview is now online for those who had problems with the MSIE-only
version that was posted yesterday.
PlanetStarSiege has posted an updated cowboy
HUD for TRIBES, which, when used with Presto's
Tribes Presto Pak allows you to keep tabs on the last enemy that killed you. Also, the
technical FAQ at
Planet-Tribes has been updated, and now even includes illustrations. Finally, there is also
a tip on PlanetStarSiege from Tribesplayers.com on how to ping
and refresh TRIBES servers faster if you have a fast Internet connection by editing your
ClientPrefs.cs. Here's the scoop:
Edit your ClientPrefs.cs file and find the lines that say
'$pref::maxConcurrentPings = "10";' and '$pref::maxConcurrentRequests =
"6";'. You can increase these values to get faster refreshes of the server list.
But be warned, this is recommended only for people with cable modems or faster
connections. Mark "GotMilk?" Frohnmayer suggests that 64 is the practical upper
limit on these values.
Quake'N Down Under News has a new release
of the Duel mod for QuakeWorld, offering a newer and more stable version of this
competition mod.
Version 0.6 of the Grissly front-end for Half-Life is now available from CrazyPete´s Toolbox, offering a fix for the "Developer Mod Bug," Half-Life 1.0.0.9 support, TeamFortress Classic support, and dedicated server support.
The Want Ads are the next feature in line after the LAN Parties to get automated (which should go online very soon), but in the meantime, I got a request to post some spots for a programmer at Bethesda Softworks that seemed worth passing along here:
We're looking for programmers with a wide range of skills: Tools programmers,
lead programmers, and programmers with a history of design. But mainly we're looking for
the ability to code in Windows, C++, Open GL and DirectX like nobody's business -- we're
talking kick-ass skills combined with enough self-confidence to help us shape the future
of gaming. Previous game programming experience is desired, but if you've got a killer
demo reel you've cooked up yourself we're willing to talk. Works well within a
well-managed team environment and has the motivation to push the boundaries. Please send
resumes via e-mail, snail-mail or FAX to: Todd Vaughn Director of New Business Development
Bethesda Softworks 1370 Piccard Dr. Suite 120 Rockville, MD 20850 (301) 926-8300 Ext. 362
Fax: (301) 926-8010 ICQ# 28848359
Engbat Tourney is a tournament for
Engineers in TeamFortress for Quake that says it's offering $1,000 in cash and prizes.
Well, it seems like whatever went out of control on the hard drive on the server yesterday is under control, but it has left the BlueTracker in a state of disrepair. I'm looking into the problem, but until it's straightened out, the .plan updates output an error
(along with a note to contact me, but I'm aware already). Hopefully we'll get this straightened out soon enough (darned technology). More on the little Blue smiley icon for IE5 (only, unfortunately) users: I want to thank Morbid for making a version of the blue smiley with a transparent background, which I may use, but I also want to acknowledge 6|Red-Death, who originally sent along word on this trick a while back, along with an icon of his own (I didn't see the included icon at the time--doh!). I've changed the icon for
his, which is perhaps easier to make out, though it may take a while to show up (I don't know what the deal is on caching with these icons is, but it seems awfully persistent).
Finally, I do not know why it does not work on the index1 that offers headlines, but unless a solution offers itself, headline aficionados will have to suffer iconless (I've always been an iconoclast).
An apology: I confused a Brainiac reference with a Bizarro reference yesterday. Don't
know what me was thinking... me am sorry (I pulled the reference in embarrassment once a
couple of readers spotted it with their X-Ray vision).
Link of the Day: Seattle Weekly's
April Fool. You would not believe the number of emails I got from frightened readers
who bit on this one.
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