ShellShock's Crater has a new version 00.02.05.00 of Q3Offline for Quake III Arena, a front-end specifically designed for setting up offline games against bots. In the new release the number of bots and human players can be automatically adjusted on the fly to maintain the same number of players throughout a game, and improved support for mods has been added, including Domination, InstaGib, and Excessive Overkill.

A new version 1.2.3 of the Java MD3 Model Viewer is available, the caffeinated way to check out the models in Quake III Arena. The new release fixes a couple of bugs, and adds a new command line argument and a couple of new features.

GA-RPG interviews Swen, the project leader on Divinity, The Sword of Lies, an upcoming isometric-view RPG from Larian Studios that will look to vie with games like Diablo II, Baldur's Gate II, Icewind Dale, and Neverwinter Nights for gamer's affections.

A new beta 0.4 of the Counter-Strike Alias Binder is now available, offering the easiest way to create a configuration for this very popular mod for Half-Life. Though admittedly still a buggy beta, the new version adds tons of new features, including a "Ping Optimizer" tab, a "Custom Scripts" tab, three new custom scripts, and more, as well as fixes for all known bugs from beta 0.3.

The Wicked3D Drivers page has new version 3.02 drivers for the WICKED3D Voodoo2, WICKED3D Vengeance and WICKED3D eyeSCREAM v3.0x. The new release adds support for GeForce 256 DDR. Thanks Jason.

Our fine Jedi colleagues over at JediKnight.Net have posted an exclusive screenshot from Obi-Wan, the upcoming first- and third-person shooter from LucasArts. The shot shows off gameplay from the title, which they say "is blazing along and will not disappoint eager Jedi fans" in 800X600 format, and will be followed-up by another exclusive image tomorrow.

A new version 2.0 of EZConsole for Starsiege TRIBES is now available on the EZConsole page along with version 1.0 of the EZServer plug-in for the program. The new release of EZConsole includes new multi-server functionality, a redesigned interface, and enhanced multi-threaded TCP/IP code, as well as real-time bandwidth monitoring if you use the EZServer plug-in, which also offers easy step-by-step server set up, a CTF server config template, and built-in infinite respawn.

A new version 1.42 of the Weapon Mod for Quake III Arena is now available, adding a few new options, including a max carrying weapons setting that limits the number of guns you can have in your arsenal at one time, an all weapons on/off setting, and an all ammo on/off setting.

The folks at GameSpot UK have gone Starlancer crazy this morning, posting a whole load of stuff related to this upcoming space combat game from Microsoft, Digital Anvil, and Warthog. The piece includes an interview with Warthog with five pages of Q&A with the design team, discussing everything from the game's influences through details about the engine, enemy AI, multiplayer play, how the game relates to the related Freelancer project, console plans, and what's next for the team. Accompanying the interview are a host of visual aides, including a Starlancer Play Test report giving hands-on impressions of the game, a 13 image screenshot gallery, another 20 image screenshot gallery, a 20 image spacecraft gallery, as well as an Artwork Gallery.

Computer Games Online has posted part 2 of their Thief II: the Metal Age preview series, addressing the improved engine and AI, as well as the new missions in Looking Glass' action game that should be sneaking up on us this Spring. They even managed to include some new screenshots (I thought they'd all have been nicked by the multitude of previous galleries and previews by now).

A Focus On Levels has posted an interview with Bobby Pavlock, level designer at Rogue Entertainment. Not surprisingly, the topic at hand is level design, and while there is no info on Rogue's current project (American McGee's Alice), he does share his thoughts about his preferences, styles, challenges and inspirations in mapping.

Raven's Eric Biessman keeps scribbling away at his diaries, and the third installment of his designer diary at SoFCenter describes the QA process the game is currently going through.

The official Star Trek Armada site has been updated with the United Federation of Planets' fleet of starships and special weapons, a Map Objects page with screenshots of the celestial bodies in the game, and the second movie trailer.

GT Interactive has released an updated Wheel of Time patch, version 333b. This patch fixes the Movie and Music problems introduced by the original 333 patch, and fixes a crash problem when disguise was used in multiplayer games.

Valve Software sent along details of the Half-Life 1.0.1.6 patch which should be released next week, complete with two screenshots from the new Team Fortress Classic levels. Here's the scoop:

Half-Life update 1.0.1.6 contains two new maps for Team Fortress Classic and a variety of server enhancements.

The New Maps
* Badlands - Primarily an outdoors map with an emphasis on vertical positions, Badlands features traditional capture the flag play through a twisted collection of step canyons-a locale tailored for the sharp shooters.

* Crossover - A mix of exposed outdoor areas and tight indoor spaces littered throughout the corridors of two symmetrical bases, this map provides a venue for varied and fast paced CTF games.

   
Server Items
We have addressed a number of server side items in this release, including the Linux message of the day fix and a number of other items requested by our Half-Life server administrators.

PC.IGN has posted an interview with Dynamix' Lead Programmer Mark Frohnmayer and Technical Director Tim Gift, which was conducted by none other than Blake Hutchins, a writer on TRIBES 2. The interview deals mostly with the ID registration in the game, dealing with such issues as privacy, CD keys, and other related topics. It's good stuff, so check it out.

Version 2.05 of the Quake III Arena server launching utility Servarena has been released. This new version changes the way Q3A handles server passwords and fixes a bug in the map rotation system amongst other changes.

• 2COOLPC Cooler is reviewed on Fast MHz.
• GA-Source has posted the second day of their LinuxWorld Expo coverage.
• 3D Prophet DDR-DVI GeForce 256 is reviewed on Guru3D.
• ASUSTek V6800 GeForce DDR is reviewed on Power Gamerz.
• Cole3D has posted a guide to benchmarking, with step-by-step instructions for running benchmarks in several different games.
• Iomega ZIP 250 USB is reviewed at Gamers Depot.
• HardOCP has posted "real world" transform & lighting benchmarks, using the only game out there that uses hardware T&L - Test Drive 6 (or the demo, anyway).
• Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer is reviewed at Sharky Extreme.

3D Alpha has posted a five question Q&A with Raven's Brian Raffel, grilling him about Soldier of Fortune. Daily Radar has posted a new preview of of the game, although it's really just links to older previews, but there are a few new screenshots, as it's their "3dfx game of the week."

A beta version (v0.8) of Q3 Clan Arena, a Quake III Arena remake of the Quake 1 Clan Arena mod has been released, and is available for download at its homepage.

A new preview of Flying Heroes (working title) is up at PC.IGN, featuring a first look at this game from TalonSoft that they describe as "two parts Descent, one part Magic Carpet and...a touch of Quake." Don't worry - there's a whole lot of screenshots if that makes absolutely no sense to you.

• Final Fantasy VIII on 3D Rage and GameSpy.com.
• Jane's F/A-18 on PC.IGN.com.
• Jane's USAF on GameSpot UK.
• KA-52 Team Alligator on GameSpot UK.
• Odium on GameStats.
• Pharaoh on Electric Playground.
• Quake III Arena on GameStats.
• Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear on Wewp! Entertainment.
• Settlers III on GameSpot AU.
• Seven Kingdoms II: The Fryhtan Wars on Electric Playground.
• The Sims on GameProWorld.
• Ultima IX: Ascension (Special Report) on Vault Network.
• X: Beyond the Frontier (quick take) on Gone Gold.

• Gamecenter has posted an Online RPG Roundup, where they examine the current crop of massively multiplayer RPGs, complete with tips for getting started...
• eyep.net is a new dynamic DNS service available to server ops who want an easy to remember address...
• The source code to the object-oriented Quake editor Qoole is going to be released soon...keep an eye on this page for details...
• PCGamePro has posted a tips guide for The Sims, the oddball people simulator that has just arrived in stores...
• If you're interested in beta testing mods, levels, and other user-made projects, GameEdit.com has started a service to hook you up with designers in need of testers...

While I'm what can only be considered an uber-geek, until recently there was one thing I hadn't done that, it seemed, every other geek I've ever met has done. I had never read Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson. I finally got around to picking it up, and boy am I enjoying it. I'm very picky with my sci-fi (lately it begins and ends with Philip K. Dick as far as I'm concerned) but I'm enjoying Snow Crash quite a bit. Part of the reason, is of course, that all of the stuff in the book (well, the Metaverse stuff, anyway) is actually possible with today's technology. Carmack said recently that he's actively pursuing something along these lines (story), and while I don't look forward to the days where people spend their lives in a completely virtual 3D world, I figure it can't be any worse than IRC.

Link of the Day: cr0bar's bastardization of The Matrix. It's part parody, part purity test (if you get all the jokes, you really are a geek). Blame my fabulous sister for that one.
Bonus Link: Despair.Com (thanks to the good Captain Wussie). My favorite is definitely "Apathy." Update: (from Blue) I changed this to the proper link for the originals, rather than the site that borrowed them. This was actually already an LoD a while ago, but is certainly good enough to warrant a repeat. Thanks Jeff Magill and all the others who wrote in to help clarify this.