Next-Generation Online's Half-Life Opposing Force Preview is up with a look ahead at Gearbox Software's upcoming Half-Life add-on. The short piece offers a brief outline of the game and seven screenshots.

Wolfmann's JavaScript custom TFC config makers over at GX Team Fortress: Classic have been updated, with changes to the Custom Config Maker and the Custom Communications Maker and the addition of a new Advanced Communications Maker, and a Server Config Maker.

Just when you thought it was never coming, Team Evolve has posted the demo for their Quake II add-on Zaero. If that wasn't enough for you, they've also got a DM map pack that contains a series of deathmatch maps and DM only weapons. The DM map pack is compatible with both the retail and demo versions of Zaero, so even if you've got it you should check this out.

Raven's Kenn Hoekstra updated his .plan with word that they are looking for a few code monkeys to round out their programming department, so if that description fits you, grab a banana and your compiler and head over for the the details.

Billy at VE sends word of a new version of Q3Tweak, a Q3Test front-end designed to make it easy to get the best performance and visual quality from Q3Test by accessing console commands not available from the menu using an easy-to-use interface.

According to a thread on the Infogrames Message Board, "Independence War Deluxe Edition has been approved for release and sent to replication! It should be on sale in the next two weeks or so..." Thanks riot.com.au.

Version 1.05 of GameStalker, a server browser for both Windows and Linux has been released. This version fixes a bug with the "copy to clipboard" feature in Windows, and adds the feature entirely for Linux.

NetGames, whose ngTCS system is running the tournaments at QuakeCon '99, have already kicked off their coverage page. While there's only a teaser image up so far, the plan is to have scores, ngStats, schedules, brackets, news updates and pictures every hour once the event gets underway (and it's all automated, so it'll actually be there). The real fun begins tomorrow at 6:00 CDT, when onsite pre-registration begins.

GamePen has posted a preview of Lionhead's upcoming god-game Black & White, after a recent visit to see the game demoed by its famed developer, Peter Molyneux.

You've got to love that title. The Apogee/3D Realms Site has word on Duke Nukem-Music to Score By, the upcoming (sort-of) soundtrack for the Duke series mentioned in Duke Nukem: Time to Kill. The update includes a songlist with the corresponding artists, and gives word on the inclusion that has generated the most inquiries: The Duke Nukem Theme as recorded by Megadeth (this was originally slated to be on Megadeth's upcoming album, Risk, but that has apparently changed).

Quite the load of Mac news today, the 3dfx Interactive Voodoo3 Macintosh OS 8.x Beta Drivers page has been updated with new Version: 1.0b1 (Beta 1) drivers for Macintosh OS 8.x. Thanks Alex Colomb. Word is these beta drivers "are primarily intended for use by programmers wishing to develop applications utilizing the Glide API on the Macintosh platform. 3dfx will not offer end-user support nor warrant any hardware used in association with these drivers."

Brian Davis sends word that Cowboy Carnage Radio will be broadcasting a live SHOUTcast show from QuakeCon this weekend, so look for it on the SHOUTcast site, or with MP3Spy. Users will have to have Winamp or another SHOUTcast compatible MP3 player in order to listen to the show. Also on the QuakeCon front, Raven Software's Jake Simpson updated his .plan with word that both Soldier of Fortune and Star Trek: Voyager - Elite Force will be on display at the show (and also at GenCon for those planning on attending that convention).

Though there's no corresponding full moon tonight, ASC Games sends word that they're set to host their second online chat session to discuss Werewolf: The Apocalypse - The Heart Of Gaia, their upcoming action/RPG where you play a lunatic of the truest sort. The chat session is tonight from 8:00-9:00 PM EDT in the ASC Games Chat room. Tonight's guest speakers include the game's Executive Producer Travis Williams, Associate Producer Rich Rosado, and other members of the development team.

The GameRanger page has a new beta 3 of this Macintosh Internet server browsing utility described on the site as "a completely customized Macintosh-friendly environment for players to meet worthy opponents, organize and play games, discuss strategies, and exchange tricks and ideas." Thanks Zav. GameRanger currently supports 11 multiplayer games, including all three generations of MacQuake.

The Omni Group, responsible for the Mac OS X port of Quake III: Arena, have posted the port of the Q3Test 1.08 server and client. This download requires OS X and a Voodoo 2 based accelerator, and all bug reports should be sent to The Omni Group directly, not id Software, as they aren't responsible for this port.

This ASUS FTP directory has new version 1.91 beta AGP-V3800 drivers (direct link) for Windows 2000. Thanks AGN3D. Also, though I can't find it on ASUS' main Taiwanese site, 3DNow.net is reporting new 1007__05.ZIP (another direct link) BIOS for ASUS P5A motherboards on ASUS' German FTP site, so do with that as you will (just don't come crying to us).

ZDTV's Heavy Metal F.A.K.K. 2 Preview is up with descriptions as well as pictures and accounts of Ritual's upcoming Quake III-engine game loosely based on the upcoming Heavy Metal movie, as it is both a text preview, and a streaming video feature in RealPlayer format. Here's a bit from the text portion that has our pal Levelord describing his long-time connection with the material in this adult-oriented game:

Richard "Levelord" Grey, level designer on SiN and Duke Nukem 3D, reminisces: "We jut sat in our bedrooms and drew pictures. So that's where we're heading back to-- soft porn, just like the Heavy Metal magazine."

This Messiah Update on PC Arena offers three new VR scenes of gameplay from Shiny's upcoming third-person action game where you play Bob, the possessive (and damn near naked) cherub. The QuickTime VR format scenes all show off weapon effects, and each weighs in at under a megabyte.

For you RTS fans (and you know who you are), The Adrenaline Vault Downloads Patch page has a version 1.06b patch to update Warzone 2100. "This update also installs all previous updates, new weapons, new cyborgs, new maps and NEXUS techs for you to play with."

Here are some space sim images for you on this Wednesday afternoon...PCArena has posted 24 new screenshots from Homeworld, showing off the Taiidan ships doing what they do best (flying around and shooting at stuff is my guess). And if that's not enough for you, GameSpot UK has posted a slew of new shots from Independence War: Defiance, a special edition of I-War that's coming soon.

The official QuakeCon homepage has posted full details on the tournament at the event, including rules, game settings, maps, hardware, and more (thanks WhipBoy). The mandatory waiver (which all tournament participants must sign) has also been posted, and can be printed out now, or you can sign it at the show.

GASource has posted a small QuickTime VR scene showing off gameplay from Shiny's diaper-clad third-person action title Messiah, along with a brief update on the game's status. There's this other bit of info about the game's aspect ratio:

I think the other news that you might be interested in - is that we've changed Messiah due to consumer feedback. Now, the game can be played in full screen mode, and not just letterbox format as it had been prior. While I prefer the letterbox format for it's cinematic aspect ratio, we know that many gamers out there wanted a full screen mode. So, we gave them what they asked for. MDK was available only in letterbox format, and I think we only got a half-dozen complaints from people. But, for some reason, people have been a bit more vocal about Messiah being letterboxed... not really sure why, either...

GamePen interviews Rod Fung talking to the producer of Sierra's upcoming tactical police simulation, SWAT 3 Close Quarters Battle. The Q&A asks about how the game will differentiate itself from other tactical games of the moment (great line from the interviewer: "Please don't say, "We've got cops!'"), and gives a good feel for the style of the game, which is set in Los Angeles, 2005, a time "when LAPD SWAT has become a more proactive anti-terrorist unit."

Interplay Productions' Tales of the Sword Coast page has a patch for BioWare's Tales of the Sword Coast add-on for Baldur's Gate. The patch addresses a number of issues including a fix for a problem that caused the game to run short of global variables, a sound volume issue, and several gameplay fixes. Thanks Gone Gold.

S3 has announced their Savage4 Xtreme graphics cards today, which will run at 166 MHz, and cost a reasonable $99 - $129. Here's some more tech specs, ripped from the press release:

Combining advanced 166MHz memory and engine clock speeds with a faster OpenGL ICD, S3TC technology, 32MB memory support, digital flat panel support and unmatched DVD quality, S3's Savage4 Xtreme 166 delivers ultimate price/performance for the $99-129 retail graphics market. For OEM and system integrators, S3 also offers the Savage4 Xtreme 143. Featuring a 166MHz memory clock and a 143MHz engine clock, the Savage4 Xtreme 143 is an optimal solution for lower cost designs.

I.am/Kingpin has posted a complete list of the Kingpin console commands, including all console variables, and a special "tweaks" category to help you get the most out of the audio, video, and multiplayer experience.

Ryan "Ridah" Feltrin updated his .plan with word that he's running a test server for Kingpin to help get the next patch out. Here are the details:

I'm running a Kingpin server now on a DSL line in Los Angeles, which I am able to use to get more useful information than previously. This means the more it gets used, the more chances of it crashing or debugging a client that gets overflowed, etc. This also means the patch gets done much faster.

So please feel free to drop in and give it a good spanking.
209.55.77.181:31510

Saw on PlanetUnreal that there's a Mac Unreal Tournament update on Westlake Interactive's site saying that the Mac version of UT has entered (closed) beta testing. Any applicable fixes found during testing will also be rolled into the Mac Unreal client. Also on the Unreal Tourney front, Voodoo Extreme has word of an update to the GT Unreal Tournament Level of the Week (according to Billy it's newer than the date indicates).

The psychedelic-as-ever Quake III Arena Server Snooper page has a new updated version 0.1 of this program that can find Q3Test servers as they're launched on your LAN. The new release is an update to work with the new Q3Test 1.08, but they've slipped in a couple of new features along the way.

So soon?

• Thresh's FiringSquad's Visit to S3 gives their look at the Stealth III Xtreme as well as a hint of what's next.
• Thresh's FiringSquad's Battle of 600 MHz pits a Pentium III-600 against a 600 MHz Athlon.
• Beyond 3D interviews Bitboys Oy(!) about their newly-announced Glaze3D.
• 3D Alpha Hardware Station reviews WinSystem98 taking a look at this tweak utility.

sCary has posted a reply on The Shugashack from id's John Carmack confirming there is still an ability to mess with the Q3Test timescale and get a speed-up, though it sounds like it's only on a minor scale:

I looked into it some more, and there is still a problem, but it is a different one... The server clamps the speed, so timescale 4 isn't any different than timescale 2, but it looks like there is still about a 30% slack that can be pushed. I don't understand yet how this is happeneing, but I will look into it.

The game play is so messed up with timescale running now that I don't think it is an effective cheat, but I will still try and fix it.
John Carmack

There are a bunch of screenshots from Half-Life: Opposing Force on PC Gamer Online posted in yesterday's news. OpFor, as it's called, is Gearbox Software's upcoming official Half-Life add-on.

The Adrenaline Vault's preview of SWAT 3 Close Quarters Battle is up looking ahead at Sierra's upcoming game of tactical police operations. This bit describes the weapons in the game, and their emphasis on realism:

So, what kind of goodies will you get as a member of a Special Weapons and Tactics team? As usual, Sierra has utilized their close ties with the LAPD to access authentic SWAT information. Each officer can carry a primary weapon, such as a rifle, shotgun or submachine gun, and a backup sidearm. Some of the primary weapons, such as the M4A1 rifle, can be equipped with non-lethal rounds while others, like the Benalli Super 90 combat shotgun, can fire breaching rounds composed of powdered steel that destroys locks on impact. In addition to these weapons, each officer usually brings along an assortment of utilities including handcuffs, CS tactical gas grenades, C2 breaching charges, flashbangs, chemlights (glow sticks used to illuminate rooms and mark areas that have been cleared of threat) and a multipurpose tool called a "crunch." All of these resources expand the element leader's tactical options and will allow players to experiment with multiple strategies.

Part two of Computer Games Online's Nocturne preview is up with another short look ahead at Terminal Reality's upcoming "noir adventure" focusing on the way the game's designers have animated cloth.

Sujoy Roy's eponymous Sujoy.com is home to Sujoy's "Complete guide to Q3," which currently consists of parts one and two of three, making the "complete" thing a little incongruous, but we think we understand. The guide gives a look at downloading, installing, and tweaking the test for best performance, with the upcoming third part to be a one-stop guide for beginners.

Redwood has posted an MPG movie on Stomped from the German magazine Gamestar showing off gameplay from Nihilistic's upcoming Vampire: The Masquerade, the game where it doesn't suck to suck.

Raven Programmer John "Pagan" Scott (AKA don't call me Slaine or Scott Rice) updated his ,plan with his updated Soldier of Fortune work log, talking about digital sampling rate limits for NT compatibility and listing the latest round of bugs to which he's he's taken the swatter.

The A3D Download Drivers has new Vortex 2 Drivers for Windows 95/98 as three different archives, to suit individual needs. According to Vortex of Sound, who sent this news along, these fix pretty much all the outstanding issues with Vortex 2 cards.

ELSA has posted new version 4.11.01.0200-0022 ELSA ERAZOR III Windows 95 & 98 drivers for all different versions of ELSA ERAZOR III. The Win98 drivers include a beta version of ELSA VideoControl. Thanks Ernie.

More Bits including a very first look at S3's latest:

• AMD expanding Athlon chip family reports ZDNN. Thanks AbsolutePC.
• Sharky Extreme's S3 Savage 4 Pro Xtreme 'Hands-on' Preview.
• Computer Games Online looks at that Glaze3D announcement.
• 3D Alpha Hardware Station's RIVA TNT Overclock Guide is up.
• PC Paradox' Vortex2 vs. Soundblaster Live! In this corner...
• The Adrenaline Vault News reports VIA Technologies to Purchase Cyrix Assets.

Red Orb's Prince of Persia 3D page has been updated with word that: "The Demo will be released on August 23. The Full product will ship September 19. Please check out all the new screenshots and movies." Saw that on Voodoo Extreme.

Exxtreme3D.Com interviews Kevin Lambert from Monolith talking about the game he's co-designing, Sanity, a Diablo-style isometric-view action/RPG.

Word from DiabloII.Net is that the Diablo II Image Gallery has been updated with six new screenshots, three each of the Necromancer and the Barbarian, along with a new animated gif of each showing off an attack.

MacGamer's rebuttal to GameSpot responds to yesterday's Mac-bashing on GameSpot (story) talking with Bob LeVitus (a.k.a. "Dr. Mac") author of 29 computer books, about the viability of Mac gaming.

• AnadTech's Voodoo3 3500 Review.
• Gamers Depot reviews the Voodoo3 3500.
• 3D Spotlight reviews the Guillemot MaxiGamer Xentor 32.

• Pandemoic Studios has posted a coolio new Dark Reign II shot. Thanks Voodoo Extreme...
• Does Microsoft's next OS point to strategy shift? asks CNET News.com...
• Birdman's Lair has a working SpaceOrb config for Quake 1.07/1.08, pointing out it's a bit rough, as joystick support in Q3Test is so far not up to its predecessors...
• PrefabLand sends along word that the now are home to over 600 prefabs for Half-Life, TFC, Hexen 2, Quake, Quake II, Sin, and Unreal, sure to provide help to the map designer looking to save some time...
• Hey! Texas is having Sales Tax Holiday this weekend, so clothes-conscious attendees can LAN all they can then shop 'til they drop. Thanks Jeff at AMD Zone...

Puny server make Hulk mad! Hulk smash!! Just wanted to share some of the intelligent behind-the-scenes conversation that surrounded the server problems that plagued us yesterday. Many thanks to Chris at Pair, who hung in there through all the crashes, ultimately replacing the server's motherboard (switching to a 100-base T connection in the process). Hopefully this is all under control now. Again, apologies for the downtime.

I removed an extra bullet point I accidentally added to the what's new in Q3Test version 1.08 post yesterday (story), in case you were wondering why id chose to add a timescale cheat, the note now reads "prevents timescale cheating " as it should... one bullet can make such a difference, as many who have been shot can confirm (more tellingly, so many who have been shot cannot confirm anything).

I just re-read the sentence I typed above, and I think it's safe to say that my fears that composing Out of the Blue earlier in the day would cause it to be more coherent were unfounded.

Link of the Day: Uncle Booger's BumperDumper. Thanks Chris Sweitzer.
Bonus Link: The Half-Life: Scientist Torture Tutorial. A guide to killing NPCs in Half-Life. Sure it's sadistic, but if we don't link it, the 50-some scientists killed in the making of the guide will have died for nothing.