Hardware News
Guild Wars Interview
July 31, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Guild Wars MP has fired-up a short interview with ArenaNet regarding their upcoming Online RPG, Guild Wars. Posted in both French and English, they look at crafting, in-game communications and more! You can check the whole thing out by tapping your mouse right here.
Counter-Strike: Source Preview
July 31, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at GameSpot have thrown together a preview on Valve Software's upcoming first person shotoer, Counter-Strike: Source, after getting a chance to check it out hands-on. Here's something to chew on:
All of Counter-Strike: Source's maps will be powered by Havok physics, which provide for rag-doll death animations and full-physical weapon modeling. As we witnessed, it's not uncommon for player characters who get torn up by rapid fire from the heavy-duty M249 PARA machine gun to tumble in one direction while their weapons go flying in another. The game will also feature enhanced particle effects for its explosions and heavy gunfire, which should make intense gun battles all the more exciting--though, like with the current version of Counter-Strike, these settings can all be dialed down or turned off. Counter-Strike is currently enjoyed by many hardcore fans who play the game at 800x600 resolution with all detail settings turned down just to make sure that they have the best performances and frame rates available. The new game will let you do this, if you so choose, and it will feature scalable graphics options that should even allow it to be played on lower-end systems.
DAoC: Catacoms Interview
July 31, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
HomeLAN has slapped up an interview with Mythic Entertainment's Matt Firor regarding their upcoming Dark Age of Camelot expansion pack, Catacoms. Here's a bit on the graphics upgrade:
HomeLAN - The expansion will give the entire game a graphical upgrade. Can you be more specific on how the graphics engine will be improved?
Matt Firor - Catacombs will bring a major art upgrade to all of Dark Age of Camelot including player and monster models. In previous expansions we concentrated on terrain, tree, sky, and water enhancements; now we are upgrading character and monster art. The models and textures have been completely redone, and have twice the amount of detail as the current graphics. You'll see more detailed facial features, hairstyles, and skin tones, in addition to enhanced armor and clothing options. Character animations have also been upgraded, and overall, the game looks amazing.
Dungeon Siege 2 Q&A
July 31, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The ActionTrip has caught up with Gas Powered Games' Kevin Lambert for a quick Q&A regarding their upcoming RPG, Dungeon Siege 2. They cover everything from the games engine to the pet system. Snip:
AT: Can you tell us a bit more about the new Flick system? Also, what are some of the other methods you plan to use to deepen the narrative?
KL: Flick is a simple system that allows level designers to easily create interactive and non-interactive sequences in the game. Similar to a director giving stage directions on a movie set, Flick provides a set of commands that can be used to set up anything from two characters speaking to each other in a movie to an interactive ambush on the party to an army of good guys and bad guys clashing together in a castle.
In addition to creating more interactive sequences in the game, we've also given party characters specific personas and they will occasionally talk to each other and to the main hero. This not only helps deepen the story, but it adds a dimension to the game that goes above and beyond a silent relationship between a hero and a group of "hired guns."
Brothers in Arms Delayed
July 31, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
According to a post over at Computer & Video Games, Gearbox Software has delayed it's upcoming WW2-based shooter, Brothers in Arms. Originally set for an October release, we will now have to wait until the first quarter of 2005. Click here for the goods.
Guild Wars Interview
July 30, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Heading back to PC.IGN, they have fired-up an interview with ArenaNet's Jeff Strain regarding the technology behind their upcoming Online RPG, Guild Wars. Here's something to chew on:
IGNPC: Guild Wars is supposed to offer a "shardless world"--how is this going to change the MMO experience for gamers?
Jeff Strain: Having an online game divided into shards or servers has created problems for gamers who desire to play with their friends. A challenge that arises is that, after creating your characters on a specific server and investing a significant amount of time progressing in the game, you discover you are unable to play with other friends because they are playing on a different server. Historically, this has been a difficult problem to address without starting over and recreating characters, buying additional accounts or paying a character transfer fee.
In Guild Wars, we wanted to eliminate this situation. An online game fundamentally offers the enjoyment of a social experience with both your friends and people you have never met before. We want to bring people together, to give players the opportunity to play with their friends at any time without hassles.
An additional benefit of a shardless world is that we can offer true worldwide competitions via our arenas and tournaments. With an undivided game world, you can be not just the winner of a certain region or a specific area of the globe; you can be the true world champion.
DOOM 3 Hardware Guide
July 30, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at HardOCP have posted a Doom III Hardware Guide for those of you interested in finding out how the game will run on different hardware before it's release. Here's a clipping:
id Software and HardOCP have teamed up to help answer your hardware questions. We're publishing this guide before DOOM 3 goes for sale, so you will know beforehand what to expect in terms of gameplay immersion by your current hardware. We also want to help maximize the overall DOOM 3 experience for those of you that have been waiting for the opportunuity to upgrade.
This guide is not an attempt to crown a king in the realm of hardware, and no direct comparisons are going to be drawn on any of our graphs. Our goal here is to help you understand where your system is positioned in terms of playing DOOM 3 and to help you choose an upgrade that will make a real difference and offer you the greatest improvement in gameplay for the money spent.
Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich Dev Diary
July 30, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Also over at PC.IGN this evening is a developer diary written by Irrational Games' Alexx Kay regarding the multiplayer portion of their upcoming RPG, Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich. Here's some lovin':
So, how do you balance a game as complex as Freedom Force, with dozens of power types, and millions of possible combinations? You start with a process I like to call "iterative abuse." In brief, this consists of figuring out ultra-powerful character types, fixing the loopholes that allow them, and repeating until you can't find any more abuse cases. It's likely that the gaming community at large will find one or two that we missed, but our hope is that we can catch most of them before letting the game "into the wild." I should point out, also, that the balancing process is ongoing at the time of this writing. The examples I give may well be superceded by the time the game is finished.
Tribes: Vengeance Dev Diary
July 30, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
PC.IGN has tossed up a developer diary written by Irrational Games' Michael Johnston regarding their upcoming first person shooter, Tribes: Vengeance. This one focuses on the "delicate balance of walking the tightrope to Gold". Here's a blurb:
Our current testers are cautiously optimistic for the most part. Their biggest concern seems to be the design and balance of maps. Some testers are also concerned about the core player physics. And they're all contributing to the tuning and balance of the game. We're doing our best to take their feedback into account. In general there's a lot of discussion about how the game flows offensively and defensively and what can be done to ensure that Tribes: Vengeance has the depth and longevity of its predecessors. Open beta quickly approaches, so pretty soon everyone will have a chance to play and offer feedback.
EverQuest 2 Interview; Part 4
July 30, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Computer and Video Games.com have slapped up the 4th and final part of their interview with Sony Online's Andy Sites regarding their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, EverQuest II. Here's a bit on the state of the MMOG industry:
Just lately we've seen a number of big-name projects being cancelled. When news of another one going under breaks, how does that affect you guys?
Sites: Initially it's very frustrating because we still believe at this point that the more quality MMOs that come out, the better. Every time a new game comes out, we maintain our subscriber base, but they gain a new one and that just helps to grow the market, it gets more people interested in MMOs. So the more quality games that come out the better, although there is something to be said about there being something like over a hundred MMOs currently being in development.
At this point we're going to start seeing the weak ones weeded out. The players will benefit from having the really high quality high-end games sticking around. Games like City Of Heroes and World Of Warcraft have helped to draw a lot of people into the genre, people that wouldn't necessarily have wanted to play these games if it wasn't specifically for that game being there.
Men of Valor Interview
July 29, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Finally tonight, Shack News has fired-up an interview with 2015's John Whitmore regarding their upcoming first person shooter, Men of Valor. Topics range from missions to the games AI. Here's a taste:
Shack: What about A.I., what kind of things can we expect to see from the Vietcong and team members?
John Whitmore: The enemy AI can be quite challenging. Enemies will use cover in the same way as the player, leaning out from behind a tree to fire and ducking back in to reload or when suppressed. They employ solid tactics, fixing the player with fire while others maneuver on his position, lying in ambush in the dense vegetation, or feigning retreat to lure the player into a kill zone. In most situations, the employ a combination of static positions and fluid maneuvers to keep the player on his toes.
New Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow Patch
July 29, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The guys over at Ubisoft have released a new patch (v1.31) for their rockin' stealth title, Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow. Here's whats new:
- In 1.3, Punkbuster disappears if the pb directory was not accessible in read/write.
- The spy teleportation problem has been corrected.
Painkiller: Battle Out Of Hell Q&A
July 29, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
HomeLAN has People Can Fly's Adrian Chmielarz in the hot seat this evening, answering questions regarding their upcoming Painkiller expansion pack, Battle Out Of Hell. Here's a bit on the new weapons:
HomeLAN - What new weapons will be used in the expansion?
Adrian Chmielarz - There will be two new weapons. One is submachine gun mixed with the flame thrower, but of course you can expect that Painkillers patented twist on reality meaning both weapons will not be just working like you expect, but they will also have their own additions and special features.
EverQuest 2 Interview; Part III
July 29, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Yep, another one! Computer and Video Games.com have slapped up the third part of their interview with Sony Online's Andy Sites regarding their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, EverQuest II. This one takes a look at the audio, the games launch and more! Snip:
How is the voice acting working out so far?
Sites: Really well. We just started a two month-long recording session last week, two sessions going on simultaneously for two months straight. We have 117 actors and that's filling the majority of our v/o needs right now.
New Battlefield: Vietnam Patch
July 29, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Electronic Arts has released a new patch (v1.1) for their hit multiplayer shooter, Battlefield: Vietnam. Weighing in at a hefty 129megs, this puppy includes new maps, vehicles and more! Hit the mirrors below to get downloading! So what are you waitin' for?!
Futuremark Next 3DMark Q&A
July 28, 2004 - Nicklas Renqvist
The users at Beyond3D's forums had a chance to ask questions regarding the Next 3DMark, and now the questions and answers have been posted. Oh, and we also sent out a "work in progress" screen shot from the Next 3DMark..
Here's a small teaser:
It been mentioned that in order to support multiple shader models (PS_2_0, PS_2_a, PS_2_b, PS_3_0) you will be utilizing longer shaders in some of the game tests, but then compiling these to the optimal HLSL shader profile available for the particular board that its operating on. Is this the case and if so how is this achieved? If this is the case, presumably all the shaders will be written via HLSL rather than hand written as in the 3DMark03?
Nick: The next 3DMark will use a completely new 3D engine, which dynamically builds HLSL shaders. The shaders are dynamically built and runtime compiled using the most optimal target for the hardware in use. We strongly believe that this is a structure future game-engines will be using because of its flexibility. It goes without saying that the compilations produce the exact same rendering, no matter which target. This is an absolute must for enabling objective performance comparisons.
Dungeon Siege II Interview
July 28, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at GameBanshee have tossed up an interview with Gas Powered Games' Kevin Lambert regarding their upcoming RPG, Dungeon Siege II. Here's some juice:
GB: We've read that quests will be more involved and complex in Dungeon Siege II. Can you elaborate on how you've expanded the quest system in Dungeon Siege II and provide an example or two of some of the quests we'll see?
Kevin: DS2 will have primary quests that propel the story and optional secondary quests that deepen the narrative experience and add flavor to the characters and world. Each type of quest can have one or more tasks to complete and can range anywhere from finding a few secret rooms in a dungeon to helping an army hold off a siege on a castle.
MoH: Pacific Assault Dev Diary
July 28, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The official Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault has been updated with new developer diary written by Electronic Arts' Peter Choe regarding the character art in the upcoming first person shooter. Here's a clipping:
All the characters in MOHPA are hand crafted. We do not use any scanned or digitized characters. We use real life photos for referencing base shape. After getting a satisfied base shape, each character artist must tweak it into its final shape. This first base shape model has high polygon counts. From this base version, we create NormalMap texture and other LOD models as well as cinematic models.
Read onSWG: Jump To Lightspeed Q&A
July 28, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
HomeLAN has caught up with Sony Online's Cinco Barnes for a quick chat regarding their upcoming Star Wars Galaxies expansion pack, Jump To Lightspeed. They look at everything from starter ships to space missions. Snip:
HomeLAN - Why was the decision made to give everyone who buys Jump to Lightspeed a free ship rather than have players earn the ship through money or some other means?
Cinco Barnes - Everyone will have the ability to obtain a very basic ship from a mission-giving NPC from the start. The idea is to get people into space and adventuring as soon as Jump to Lightspeed launches. But an entry-level ship will not get you very far. Players will want to upgrade and begin customizing as soon as possible and crafters pursuing the shipwright profession will have ample business, providing an infusion to that segment of the economy almost immediately.
EverQuest 2 Interview; Part II
July 28, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Computer and Video Games.com has thrown up the second part of their interview with Sony Online's Andy Sites regarding their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, EverQuest 2. Here's a bit on the content:
One of the problems a lot of MMOGs have is having these great big worlds with nothing happening in them...
Sites: Right. Actually, when we first started making the game we had planned on this grand world, this great expanse of space. We started planning this giant dungeon but discovered that you know what, it's not fun running for fifteen minutes and not finding anything. So we ended up pulling the size and scope in and focussing on the content in the different areas.
That's where we're at right now, players are walking through the city and having characters calling out to them, based on what they've done and what quests they can do, instead of having to run for ten or fifteen minutes at a time just to try and find something to do.
Call of Duty: United Offensive Preview
July 28, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy has whipped up a new preview on Gray Matter Studios' upcoming Call of Duty expansion pack, United Offensive, after getting a chance to check it out hands-on. Here's a taste:
For the game's multiplayer, three new modes have been added: Capture the Flag, Base Assault and Domination. As we've seen in several other multiplayer games, Domination lays out a series of 5 or more flags across a level; if your team can capture and hold all the flags at once, you win. A ranking system has been added so that your player gains extra abilities as you perform well, and while it's a little simpler than the system in Enemy Territory, if you make it to the top ranking you'll gain access to binoculars that can be used to call in airstrikes.
EverQuest 2 Interview
July 27, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Computer & Video Games.com has posted part one of their interview with Sony Online's Andy Sites regarding their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, EverQuest 2. Here's a bit on the games development:
How much are you expecting the overall game to change from your initial designs once the beta test runs its course?
Sites: Based on what we as a company have seen in the past, we're expecting it to change significantly. There are a lot of the systems and areas, such as the tutorial and the introductory part of the game on the Isle Of Refuge, that we feel we've now refined to a point where it's not likely to change a whole lot. But the big areas that probably will change are things like the encounter systems, the population sizes of the dungeons.
All the things that require lots of sets of eyes to go through and look at and experience before we can say definitively say something needs to change. The worst thing a development team can do is get used to something and then just change it for the sake of it. One of the problems any team has is when they create something phenomenal, see it every day and become jaded towards it and then feel it needs changing as a result when that's not necessarily the right thing.
So by letting people into the beta it's been really nice just to see their reactions to things. You get completely unbiased opinions at that point.
The Matrix Online Preview
July 27, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Also over at PC.IGN this evening is a preview on Monolith's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, The Matrix Online. Here's something to chew on:
The style is definitely there. I remember seeing some early screens of The Matrix Online and being perfectly unimpressed. My opinion has changed. The game looks good. The city is built with detail both in architecture and texture. The color palette will be instantly familiar to any Matrix fan. And most importantly, there are enough clothing and personal styling options to give J-Lo a heart attack. You'll be flabbergasted by the amount of latex and leather hugging the bodies of so many players once the game is finally released. It looks cool and just as importantly, looks very good technically.
Tribes: Vengeance Preview
July 27, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
PC.IGN has posted an updated preview on Irrational Games' upcoming first person shooter, Tribes: Vengeance, after getting a chance to check out the latest beta. Here's a taste:
As armed combat is a big part of the game, some of the weapons have received a slight change. Most notable is the spinfusor, which now has a larger blast radius and tosses players back with much more force than before. Even if you don't get a good direct hit on someone, you can still change their path dramatically with a closely placed disc hit. Rockets, on the other hand, now have a smaller blast radius, but they do a bit more damage. Nearly all of the weapons have been given a slight tweak here an there, whether it be to their damage, speed or accuracy, and I'm sure we'll see even more tweaks as the beta continues.
MoH: Pacific Assault Interview
July 27, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Eurogamer.net has slapped up an interview with Electronic Arts' Matt Powers that mostly focuses on the mutliplayer portion of their upcoming first person shooter, Medal Of Honor: Pacific Assault. You can check it all out by tapping your mouse right here.
The Latest Doom III Goodies
July 27, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Thanks to Blue's News for this tidbit! id Software's Robert Duffy has updated his .plan with some info on the Ultra quality setting, the 60fps cap and more. Here's a small blurb:
Another question I have had multiple emails about, yes the game is capped at 60fps for normal game play. For render demos, like what was used for the HARD OCP stuff, we run those at full tilt which is why you will see > 60fps.
Read on!DirectX 9.0c & SDK Released
July 26, 2004 - Nicklas Renqvist
Finally it is here - DirectX 9.0c. I couldn't find any complete list of what's new and updated, so if anyone out there finds one, let me know about it! Here's the overview on this release:
This download provides the DirectX 9.0c end-user multi-languaged redistributable that developers can include with their product. The redistributable license agreement covers the terms under which developers may use the Redistributable. For full details please review the DirectX SDK EULA.txt and DirectX Redist.txt files located in the license directory.
System Requirements
Supported Operating Systems: Windows 2000, Windows 2000 Advanced Server, Windows 2000 Professional Edition , Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Service Pack 2, Windows 2000 Service Pack 3, Windows 2000 Service Pack 4, Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows ME, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, Windows XP Home Edition , Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows XP Professional Edition , Windows XP Service Pack 1
Be sure to report your findings over at our discussion board.
Microsoft has also released the DX9.0c SDK. You can grab that here (233MB).
D&D RTS Gets Re-Named
July 26, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
According to a post over at PC.IGN, Liquid Entertainment has re-named it's upcoming Dungeons & Dragons RTS to Dragonshard Wars. Click here for the goods. Hope everyone had a great weekend!
SWG: Jump to Lightspeed Preview
July 25, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The Games Domain has whipped up a preview on Sony Online's upcoming Star Wars Galaxies expansion pack, Jump to Lightspeed. Here's some juice:
Jump to Lightspeed will offer more than 15 different starfighters, from the X-Wing and Y-Wing to TIE Fighters, as well as a Millennium Falcon-type of craft based on the YT-1300 transport. As you'd expect, some ships will have the benefit of faster flight, while others will be heavy on firepower. LucasArts is allowing plenty of customization, from purely cosmetic, to function of the weaponry. Also, Lightspeed adds 10 new space-based zones in which to travel, as well as over 100 missions of various types, from "kill" objectives to escort jobs.
Read on!Guild Wars Interview
July 24, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GWOnline.net has kicked up a short interview with ArenaNet regarding their upcoming Online RPG, Guild Wars. They look at everything from PvP to the streaming tech. Here's some lovin':
GWOnline: I've heard word that ArenaNet will use the streaming technology they developed to add in-game events to the Guild Wars world. How often can we expect to see events, will they be only a yearly occurrence or will we possibly see them as often as each week? Will these be large events that span say a weekend which the whole community will be able to participate in, i.e. a massive Charr invasion on Kyhlo, or events lasting say one Friday night geared more towards small groups of 1-8 players?
ArenaNet: Oh, you can count on seeing additions on a pretty frequent basis! The beauty of streaming technology is that it supports every level of game development, from the core design to bug fixes to gameplay improvements to the addition of new content. It doesnt just support corrective issues, such as bug fixes or the closing of an exploit. It also plays a role in rolling out new content for the players, where we will add a whole new mission, a different kind of arena, a special item, or a new hunting ground. And it applies to short-term matters, as well. ...
EA & Crytek Sign Publishing Deal
July 24, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
ShackNews is reporting that Electronic Arts has signed a publishing deal with Crytek Studios that would see the FarCry developers create an new original title. Here's a blurb from the press release:
Chertsey, UK. July 23rd, 2004 - Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS), the world's leading interactive entertainment software company, today announced a worldwide strategic partnership to develop and publish a new game franchise with developer Crytek GmbH. The agreement builds on Crytek's success with its first title, the chart-leading first-person shooter, Far Cry, and brings together the creative talent of Crytek with the publishing expertise and unrivalled reach of Electronic Arts. The highly regarded German developer will create an exciting new game franchise for the PC based on original intellectual property. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Tribes: Vengeance Preview
July 24, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The Gamer's Pulse has slapped up a preview on the singleplayer portion of Irrational Games' upcoming first person shooter, Tribes: Vengeance. Here's something to chew on:
Missions include everything from seek and destroy to basic survival all while throwing automatic turrets and NPC bots at you. One of two of the most interesting and fun missions we got to test out in our beta build was a large arena players will enter, complete with screaming crowds of spectators and scoreboards. In the arena players will begin to test their skills they have learned by taking part and learning the various gameplay modes one might find in the online aspect including; Capture the Flag, Capture and Hold and the newly released mode Fuel. The action is fast and the pace is furious but this is what Tribes is all about. While enemy A.I. still needs some tweaking to insure they know how to do more than throw highly accurate grenades, the game begins to come to life and starts building the urge in players to take it to the next level and test out their l33t skills against real player enemies.
The Matrix Online Q&A
July 24, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
PC.IGN has Monolith's William Westwater in the hot seat this evening, answering questions regarding their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, The Matrix Online. Here's a bit on the combat system:
IGNPC: Tell us briefly how the combat system works. Is it the traditional round-based, rules-governed format as most MMOs?
William Westwater: Fists. Blocks. Throws. Insane aerial martial arts. That's the heart of the Matrix movies -- and The Matrix Online as well. The combat system melds the best of MMO team strategies and ranged combat with a unique mano-a-mano fighting system that we call Interlock. We wanted the visceral oomph of a twitchy punch-em-up without losing the feeling of a good role-playing game. That meant even if the Internet had no lag, we didn't want to make a game all about fast thumbs -- your character's skill is the biggest determining factor in what moves you can use and how much punishment you can take. However, against even opponents, strategic knowledge decides the victor.
The Witcher Interview
July 24, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Welp, I'm back from my little vacation, so let's get back to the news!
HomeLAN has caught up with CDProjekt's Michal Kiciñski for a quick chat regarding their upcoming RPG, The Witcher. Topics range from locations to the combat system. Snip:
HomeLAN - What can you tell us about the storyline and the lead character for the game?
Michal Kiciñski - The story of the game takes place in the world created by a best-selling Polish fantasy author Andrzej Sapkowski. According to an ancient prophecy the world will be destroyed by white cold a glacier that will cover the lands from the north. But the prophecy is not the only problem. A war with southern empire of Nilfgaard has just ended and the lands are ravished and destroyed. Unpaid mercenaries form bands and pillage villages and towns. At nights monsters start to attack human settlements and amongst them are species thought extinct long ago. Some people say that someone breeds the beasts for unknown purpose.
Witchers are highly skilled warriors, who have been subjected to trials and mutations that endowed them with superhuman abilities. They belong to a brotherhood founded long ago in order to protect people from monsters and foul beasts. In our game we tell the story of one of them.
Interview with Creative Labs Europe
July 23, 2004 - Nicklas Renqvist
Hilbert from Guru3D has interviewed Eoin Leyden, Branch Manager for the Graphics Card Division of Creative Labs Europe, and they talk about the fact that CL Europe will no longer be manufacturing any graphics cards. Here's a small snip from the interview on why CL had to make this decision: $qs As a follow-up to that question, can you explain a bit more precisely why you are stepping out of the graphics card industry? Does it have to do with the chipset manufacturers and in-between relations ? or simply economics? Is it that hard to earn a buck in the bizz? I'm asking this so precisely as a lot of people simply do not understand what is going on. We've seen Terratec leave the graphics card market, Hercules and now Creative labs. Which are three VERY strong names here in Europe.
This is partly to do with my point above but to explain it more clearly I need to go back a few years. When Creative launched the Voodoo2 we had a large team of hardware and software engineers working on our graphics business. The reason for this was to make our product better than the competition. Along with our own hardware designs we used to do our own control panel and wrote additional software features exclusively for our cards (e.g. Voodoo2 could only address textures of 256x256 we wrote our own code so it could address up to 1024x1024). We continued this with the original Riva TNT where we customized hardware and software to differentiate our products. (I dont know if many people remember but it was around this time we wrote the shadow patch for Unreal which was the first time I remember seeing volumetric shadowing in real time). So at this time there was real differentiation between different graphics providers... a Voodoo2 from Creative was a very different beast than a Voodoo2 from Diamond. To catch the rest of this interesting interview, click here.
DOOM III Gone Gold
July 23, 2004 - Nicklas Renqvist
I know this is almost old news, but thought to post it anyway!
As the title says, DOOM III has gone gold. One of the biggest games this year will soon hit the stores. There are a load of people out there who have been waiting years for this game to go gold, and now it has finally happened. You can read more over at Voodoo Extreme.
On a related note, HardOCP has posted some benchmark numbers from the final version of DOOM III. If you are interested to see how the latest graphics cards make it in DOOM III, click here.
FarCry Patch 1.2 Released *updated*
July 23, 2004 - Nicklas Renqvist
Ubisoft has released the anticipated patch 1.2 for their excellent game FarCry. Here's a small portion of smack on what's new and updated:
· If punkbuster is not installed the "punkbuster enable" togglebox will not be disabled
· Fixed a number of serious issues with headshot detection
· Ported a number of sensitive routines into non SDK sources
· Fixed some issues with ladder animations appearing odd to other players
· Added quicksave support for single player (still in process)
· Fixed bug where players name tag didnt show up
· Fixed bug where console would accept letters as variable states
· Fixed a number of ladder related issues
· Fixed error with warning message in connection dialogue
Thanks to all of you who sent in this news!
Update: It seems that Ubisoft has recalled the patch 1.2 for FarCry. Here's some nifty info on this: $qs Ubisoft has taken the decision to withdraw this patch due to issues experienced by a number of users. An official statement follows:
"Far Cry patch 1.2 has shown unexpected behaviour on specific hardware configurations. These matters are mainly due to incompatibilities with several optimisations brought lately to the code, with the intent to please a large number of users.
Were currently asking CRYTEK to work on delivering a new patch as soon as possible. Until then we have decided to remove the patch 1.2 from the official UbiSoft websites." Maybe patch 1.3 will arrive sooner than anyone thought? We'll keep you updated on how things proceed.
Ultima Online: Samurai Empire Preview
July 19, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The guys over at HomeLAN have thrown together a preview on EA's upcoming Ultima Online expansion pack, Samurai Empire. Here's something to chew on:
Samurai Empire, as the name gives away, is an expansion focusing on adding aspects of Japanese culture to the game in several ways. First and foremost, a new location has been introduced in the game, the Takuno Islands, home of the Samurai Empire. Of particularly interesting note, the Islands are as old as the Ultima series itself, having been mentioned in Ultima I as the Land of the Feudal Lords. The new islands will come with 1 major city, which will be the jumping off point for new characters using the new professions, along with 2 dungeons and 3 Virtue Shrines. The new islands will also come with usual addition of a multitude of new terrain, including several types of mountains, swamps, forests, and more.
Guild Wars Interview
July 18, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Wartower.de has slapped up a short interview with ArenaNet regarding their upcoming Online RPG, Guild Wars. They take look at everything from missions to expansion packs. Here's a clipping:
Which restrictions will there actually be if you don't buy the add-ons? We know that acquiring those will not be necessary and many features like new items won't depend on whether you've got a specific add-on or not. But we also know that Guild Wars does not cost any monthly fee and therefore there must be a certain "urge" for buying the add-ons.
Your incentive to purchase the expansion packs will be driven simply by the quality of the content that we offer you. We will make each chapter so compelling and of such high quality that you will want to experience it for yourself. Having played the first chapter of Guild Wars, youll know what to expect -- great gameplay, fulfilling cooperative missions, excellent guild support, worldwide tournaments all backed by streaming technology that allows us to add even more content over time. Having enjoyed Guild Wars, you will be confident that you will get real value in purchasing each subsequent chapter.
The next chapter of Guild Wars will give you access to new regions, professions, abilities, spells, items, and much more. As weve said before, friends will be able to play together in shared areas of the game world, even if some of them do not have all the chapters. And we are committed to designing the game so that the characters of those who purchase the new chapters will not become strictly more powerful than those who dont have the new chapter. But the chance to explore and conquer whole new areas, to master new tournaments and arenas, to play as a new profession, to experiment with a huge number of new spells and skills, and to acquire and customize the great new items in the game will certainly provide that urge to jump into the next chapter of Guild Wars.
Counter-Strike: Source Q&A
July 17, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
CS-Nation has Valve Software's Jess Cliffe in the hot seat this evening, answering questions regarding the upcoming Source engine version of Counter-Strike. Here's a bit on the map changes:
CS-Nation: What changes have been made to the maps ported to CS: Source?
Jess Cliffe of Valve Software: The texture resolution for maps has quadrupled. We can now also add a 3D skybox so maps can look as though they span miles. This serves to make levels less like an arena and more like a realistic location. In addition, designers have the flexibility to specify whether a prop is static, physics, or client side debris. We can also take advantage of features such as normal mapping and specularity in order to give textures extra depth and reflectivity.
More Doom III Goodies
July 17, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy has caught up with id Software's Robert Duffy for a quick Q&A regarding the multiplayer networking in their upcoming first person shooter, Doom III. Here's some lovin':
GameSpy: What prompted the decision to move from peer-to-peer to the client-server model?
RD: The primary reason is that, due to a variety of things, it was next to impossible to keep all the clients in perfect synchronization. That's a short answer to a difficult problem, but that's the bottom line of why we went with a new client-server architecture.
Tribes: Vengeance Interview
July 17, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Eurogamer has posted a two part (one and two) interview with Chris Mahnken, the producer behind Irrational Games' upcoming first person shooter, Tribes: Vengeance. They look at everything from physics to gametypes. Here's a taste:
Eurogamer: We talked about mixing and matching classes. We've also read somewhere that you'll be able to mix and match gametypes in multiplayer. How does that work?
Chris Mahnken: Yeah. The way that that works is... We came up with this idea called UGM - the Universal Gaming Model, or Universal Gaming Mode - and basically what it is is a sort of geeky programmer's way of saying that all the gametypes are just objects that you can place onto a map. So if I place two flag stands and two flags, and then in the property screen in the map designer I assign those to two different teams, I've got a Capture The Flag game. If I then put up two goals, and put a ball in the middle, then I've got a CTF game going with Ball [another gametype] going at the same time, and you can play both at the same time, and I can score a point by capturing your flag or I can score a point by throwing the ball into your goal. So all of these things just sort of work automatically and you can add stuff in to the map...
Battlefield 2 Preview
July 17, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at GameSpy have thrown up a preview on Digital Illusions' upcoming first person shooter, Battlefield 2. Here's a but on the vehicles:
We then had a chance to see some of the game's vehicles, starting with the destruction of a tank, a dump truck driving around in the tunnels under the construction site, and a battle between a Huey chopper and a soldier armed with a missile launcher. With the first shot, the RPG missed its target, and the chopper swung around to return some machinegun fire. The soldier managed to stay clear to the gunfire, but in the process, the chopper shot down a chain that was holding up a container high above the construction site. After the container came crashing to the ground, the game's producers explained that many of Battlefield 2's maps should have many subtle elements like this, allowing players to come up with creative (and likely humorous) ways of dispatching enemies.
Doom III Demo News
July 16, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Following the announcement that Doom III has gone gold, id Software's Todd Hollenshead has updated his .plan with word that they are now working on a demo for the much anticipated first person shooter, but it's unlikely it will be released before the retail game hits stores. We'll keep you posted!
Star Wars: KOTOR 2 Preview
July 16, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy has thrown together a preview on Obsidian Entertainment's upcoming RPG, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords. Here's a bit on the new force powers:
Speaking of battling, we also got a look at some of the sweet new force powers in the game. Both of the powers that we were shown were from the Dark Side, and they were definitely not for nice guys. Force Scream is a ranged sonic attack of sorts, as your character will let out an ear piercing scream that will either kill or stun any enemies in the blast radius. Unfortunately, the balancing hadn't been fully finished, so everytime we saw the power in action, it killed everyone nearby. The sound wasn't finished yet, either, so we only saw sonic waves radiate out from the character. Still, it looks like this will be a very powerful addition to any Dark Jedi's bag of tricks.
Read on!Ultima Online Expansion Announced
July 16, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
According to a post over at GameSpot, Electronic Arts has announced a new expansion pack for their massively multiplayer online RPG, Ultima Online. Entitled Samurai Empire, you will see new professions, areas and more! Click here for the goods.
Guild Wars Screenie
July 16, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The guys over at ArenaNet have released a new screenshot showing off some combat in their upcoming Online RPG, Guild Wars. Hit the eyecandy below for a peak!
New Painkiller Patch
July 15, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The peeps over at People Can Fly have released a new patch (v1.3.1) for their action-packed first person shooter, Painkiller. Fixing some load game issues, you can grab this sucker from the following mirrors: Now get downloadin'!
Doom III Goes Gold!
July 15, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Here it is folks! Activision and id Software have announced that their upcoming first person shooter, Doom 3, has gone gold and should hit stores next month! Here's a clipping from the press release:
Mesquite, TX - July 14, 2004 - See you in Hell! id SoftwareTM and Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) confirmed today that id Software's highly anticipated DOOM 3TM for the PC has entered manufacturing and will begin shipping to retail stores worldwide the week of August 2. A sci-fi horror masterpiece, DOOM 3's dramatic storyline, pulse-pounding action, incredible graphics, and ground-breaking technology combine to draw you into the most frightening and gripping first-person gaming experience ever created.
All I can say is "w00t!".
Star Wars: KOTOR 2 Interview
July 15, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
HomeLAN has slapped up an interview with some of the guys behind Obsidian Entertainment and LucasArts' upcoming RPG, Star Wars - Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. They cover everything from the storyline to character creation. Here's a blurb:
HomeLAN - What can you tell us about the storyline for the game and how it relates to the first game?
Chris Avellone - The game takes place five years after the end of the first game; much of the backstory of what happened will depend on choices the player makes in the first portion of The Sith Lords that describes the events that followed after the end of the original KOTOR. I dont want to give any spoilers right now, but theres no one answer for what happened it all depends on what happened in KOTOR I.
The story is a classic tale of good vs. evil, humanity vs. the Force, punctuated by a lot of blaster fire. Not much of the backstory was in place before Obsidian started the project there were some early drafts that were tossed out, and the current version was all created from scratch by Obsidian. LucasArts did have a number of story elements that they wanted to see (and didnt want to see in the game) that we have adhered to: the player must start as a Jedi, the Sith must be a prominent force in the game, dont play head games with the character with memories or future sight, and a few others here and there that would be spoiling things if we mentioned them.
Painkiller MP Demo Released
July 15, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
People Can Fly has released a new multiplayer demo from their action-packed first person shooter, Painkiller. Weighing in at 137megs, it includes two maps and two gameplay modes. You can grab it from the following mirrors:
Tribes: Vengeance Preview
July 15, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Eurogamer has whipped up a preview on Irrational Games' upcoming first person shooter, Tribes: Vengeance, after getting a chance to check it out hands-on. Here's a clipping:
This is a much tougher battle. The AI of the basic grunts isn't all that special yet - they fire quite constantly, and run around occasionally, but wouldn't bother Turing or anything - but these chaps in the air are much more trouble. We're forced to target them as they come down to land, taking maximum advantage of the spinfusor's splash damage. It suddenly occurs to us that we're learning how to play real Tribes. Online, the levels are generally a lot more open (although we're seen some indoors ones too), and mastering jetpacks and how to tackle enemies using them are key skills. Without feeling contrived, we're already being shown how to do this, and it bodes well for Irrational's claim that Vengeance has been designed to be more accessible than previous Tribes titles.
ATI Catalyst Drivers v4.7 WHQL
July 14, 2004 - Nicklas Renqvist
Sorry for the small delay in posting about these, but better late than never right?
ATI has yet again released a new sparkling set of Catalyst drivers for their Radeon series of cards. The version of these new ones are set as 4.7 (WinXP & Win2000) and the drivers are both WHQL and FM Approved. Here's a small list of what's new & improved:
New Features
This section provides information on new features found in this release of the CATALYST Display Drivers. This release introduces a new feature called Temporal Anti-Aliasing. OpenGL and Direct 3D applications will benefit from this feature when custom settings for Anti-Aliasing are used, and Temporal Anti-Aliasing is enabled. The feature provides higher Anti-Aliasing quality when an application frame rate is 60 frames per second or higher. This feature will be located within the ATI 3D tab and will be supported under the English edtion of Windows XP and Windows 2000. Localized support for this feature is expected in the next release of CATALYST.
Performance Improvements
As with most CATALYST releases performance has increased in various situations. The following performance gains are noticed:
- Further improvements in our Vertex Shader handling bring performance improvements to applications that use stencil shadow volumes. For example, the Battle of Proxycon and Troll's Lair tests gain 10-30% on RADEON X800 PRO.
- Call of Duty framerates improve 5-10% when anti-aliasing is enabled on RADEON X800-series products.
- Aquamark performance is up slightly (2-3%) on RADEON X800-series products.
To grab the drivers, here are the download links: Be sure to report your findings over at our discussion board.
Update July 26th, 2004: Upon ATI's request, we have removed our approval for the Catalyst 4.7 drivers (Win2000 & WinXP) due to the issues in 3DMark03 GameTest3. ATI has posted information about the issue here.
Freedom Force vs. the Third Reich Q&A
July 14, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Experience Gaming has slapped up an interview with Irrational Games' Ken Levine regarding their upcoming super hero- RPG, Freedom Force vs. the Third Reich. Here's a bit on the environments:
XG: How do the developers intend to expand on the environmental features that were so prominent in the first game in the series?
KL: The level of interaction with the environments in Freedom Force was such a huge part of what made the game a blast. With all our graphical enhancements that FFvTTR has made over the original, we were able to take this feature and run with it. Not only have we added exponentially more items to interact with and destroy, weve added more powers that take advantage of this feature. Just wait til you throw down with Fortissimo and youll see what I mean.
Fallout 3 Interview
July 14, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has Bethesda Softworks' Todd Howard in the hot seat this evening, answering questions regarding their upcoming RPG, Fallout 3. Here's a short bit on the engine:
GS: Your release said that Fallout 3 will be developed alongside the next Morrowind. Will they be based on the same engine?
TH: We've been developing some new technology for a long time now that could be used in many games, so we plan on using that. It is not the Morrowind engine.
Splinter Cell 3 Q&A Part 2
July 14, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
1up.com has posted the second part of their interview with Ubi Soft's Mathieu Ferland regarding their upcoming stealth title, Splinter Cell 3. Here's a chunk:
Possibly the most crowd-pleasing new element revealed at E3 is that Sam Fisher has a large number of new attack animations. Specifically, when Fisher gets close to enemies, he can grab them and pull them off ledges or pick them up by the head if he hangs from above. According to Ferland, the development team decided to focus on these animations to reward the player for making risky maneuvers. "One of the main [goals] of Splinter Cell [Chaos Theory] is focusing more and more on proximity and tension," he says. "We want to create situations where Sam needs to trap [enemies] and needs to hide, but also we want to provide him with brand new actions to reward the player when he is very, very close to the NPC. You can see Sam's attitude changing when he gets very close -- he's putting his hand on his side and he's more cautious. You can hold the position very, very close, and then decide to move back for any reason if there's something wrong going on. So you're in full control of the situation. It's a great feeling of power."
Also, Ubisoft has announced that the game will officially be called Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory. Rock on!The Matrix Online Q&A
July 14, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
HomeLAN has sat down with Monolith's William Westwater for a quick Q&A regarding their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, The Matrix Online. Topics range from character customization to the quests. Here's a clipping:
HomeLAN - What types of characters will be playable in The Matrix Online and what will the professions and skills be like?
William Westwater - Character customization extends through the life of your character. Your initial choices are just that, a beginning. Your appearance in terms of cool clothes, glasses and other gear comes throughout the game. In fact, you will even get the chance to get new tattoos and hairs styles if you like. The tattoos are awesome very detailed and realistic and no bleeding afterwards.
Kohan II Preview
July 14, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has thrown together a preview on Timegate Studios' upcoming RTS, Kohan II: Kings of War, after getting a chance to check it out hands-on. Here's a nugget:
We played a six-player skirmish game, with the artificial intelligence providing both our teammates and opponents. The vaunted non-cheating AI of the original game appears to be as formidable as ever; the computer is particularly good at massing troops and exploiting holes in your defenses. You've got to be on your toes because you can experience some wild reversals of fortune throughout a single match. (In fact, we had our rears handed to us by the AI on several occasions, and this was on the default difficulty setting.) More often than not, a faction will commit several companies in an attack on a city, only to run out of steam with victory in sight. Then with the attacking companies exhausted and depleted, the defender's allies would arrive to repulse the invaders and push them back.
World of WarCraft Preview
July 13, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has posted a new preview on Blizzard Entertainment's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, World of WarCraft. They take a look at some of the new features in the recent beta update. Here's a nugget:
Blizzard has also had the foresight to include a COD (cash on delivery) feature for the in-game mail. Thus, once your item arrives in the mail, you are required to pay the money in order to add the item to your inventory. Not only does this COD feature make sense in the context of an auction house, but it also allows players to easily barter items amongst themselves without too much coordination.
Read on!Splinter Cell 3 Q&A
July 13, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The guys over at 1up.com have slapped up an interview with Ubi Soft's Mathieu Ferland regarding their upcoming stealth title, Splinter Cell 3. Here's something to chew on:
Should a door be locked electronically, a new electrostatic secondary fire function on the pistol will allow players to disable it to get through. This will also cause cameras, computers, radios, and televisions to malfunction, which may be a way to alert guards in addition to allowing you to get to areas otherwise closed off. While different from the weapons in previous games, it is sort of a cross between the camera jammer and the mercenary tazer from Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow's multiplayer mode, though it will not be effective against enemies -- it's strictly for machines.
YummyHalf-Life 2 Interview
July 13, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Computer Games Online has sat down with Valve Software's Doug Lombardi for a quick chat regarding their upcoming first person shooter, Half-Life 2. Topics range from mods to Counter-Strike: Source. Snip:
9. Computer Games Romania: Do you expect Half-Life 2 to start a new era of modding?
Doug Lombardi: We hope so. With Half-Life 2/Source, we are planning to continue our support for the MOD community (MOD Expo, releasing the SDK, etc.) and extend that support by working with partners such as Softimage, ATI and others. A great example of this is the release of Softimage XSI EXP for Half-Life 2, the free version of our modeling tool that was created and released explicitly for the Half-Life 2 MODding community.
Serious Sam 2 Update
July 13, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The Croteam has updated their website with a new bi-monthly report taking a look at the Serious Destruction Editor in their upcoming first person shooter, Serious Sam 2. Thanks for the heads-up Seriously!.
Bethesda To Develop Fallout 3
July 13, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Interplay and Bethesda Softworks have both thrown out press releases announcing a licensing agreement that would see Bethesda develop and publish a third installment in the Fallout franchise. Here's a blurb:
IRVINE, Calif., July 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Interplay Entertainment Corp. (OTC Bulletin Board: IPLY - News) today reported it has entered into a licensing agreement that will allow Bethesda Softworks to develop and publish Fallout 3, a sequel to the highly popular Fallout role-playing game franchise. The deal awards Bethesda exclusive worldwide rights to publish the title for PC, console, and handhelds with the rights to develop and publish future sequels. Interplay retains all online gaming rights for the Fallout franchise, as well as ownership of the Fallout intellectual property. The company announced last month its intent to enter into Massively Multiplayer Online Gaming with titles including Fallout.
Also, you can find interviews with Bethesda's Pete Hines regarding the game at HomeLAN, GameSpy and PC.IGN! So grab a drink and get readin'!
Joint Operations Review
July 12, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
WorthPlaying has whipped up a review on Novalogic's first person shooter, Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising. With a final score of 8.6/10, this one might be worth checking out! Here's a bit on the gameplay modes:
There are four game modes: Co-op, where your team plays against the AI to accomplish an objective; Advance and Secure, where you must advance on enemy bases and fight to control them while defending your own bases; Team Deathmatch, where you are just killing players on the enemy team; and Team King of the Hill, where both teams struggle to control a central zone for the longest time. I preferred the Advance and Secure and the King of the Hill ones the best, as they emphasized good team-play. One thing I really enjoyed is that if you use a vehicle to ferry passengers to the combat zone, youll earn points for your team, which does a great job at encouraging people to actually wait for their teammates before driving off.
Read on!MoH: Pacific Assault Dev Diary
July 11, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The official Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault website has been updated with a new developer diary written by Electronic Arts' Luis Sempe regarding the water in their upcoming first person shooter. Here's a clipping:
Interactive water is great since it really adds a lot to the environment, but we didn't want to stop there. We wanted to have the ability to throw all kinds of things into the water and have them float (or sink) depending on the object. The Havok physics engine enabled us to throw all kinds of things into the water and watch them float, and not just that, you can shoot at them, or see them sink because of the force being imparted by the bullets, and then watch them float back up to the surface. This was truly a great thing, but it was got even better when we placed it into the hands of the designers. They did a great job at finding ways of using this ability for gameplay aspects.
EverQuest 2 Q&A
July 10, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
ActionTrip has Sony Online's Steve Danuser in the hot seat this evening, answering questions regarding their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, EverQuest 2. They cover the games AI, animations and much more! Here's a clipping:
AT: I'm guessing monster intelligence will play a big role in the sequel. Can you tell us what steps you have taken to make the monsters smarter and nastier than in the original?
SD: Monsters have combat brains of varying complexity that allow them to react differently to the strategies that players come up with. Go after their healer and they might go after yours, or they might gang up and try to drop your tank in order to weaken your party's defensive capabilities. The same enemies can react differently when you fight them, making encounters feel fresh even when facing familiar opponents.
Guild Wars Interview
July 10, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The Guild Wars Vault has slapped up a short interview with ArenaNet regarding everything from housing to fame in their upcoming Online RPG, Guild Wars. Here's a taste:
Will there be any player/guild housing in the initial release, or will we need to wait for an expansion? How do you plan on handling this?
As the name implies, Guild Wars is very guild oriented, so you can count on guild halls being an integral part of the game. There will be no need to wait for an expansion pack in order to have a hearth and home for your gaming group guild halls are being designed right now and they will have a place in the initial release of Guild Wars. How they will function, what they will cost, and how they will be earned and maintained are all still being discussed.
Now, if you are asking about individual player housing, separate residences for each character are not in the plans at this time. Each chapter will have new features, and I suppose its possible that in a subsequent chapter of Guild Wars we may offer the opportunity for players to acquire individual housing. Our focus in the area of housing, however, remains the guild hall.
Men of Valor Preview
July 10, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The guys over at GameSpy have thrown up a preview on 2015's upcoming first person shooter, Men of Valor, after getting a chance to check it out hands-on. Here's a nugget:
One of the key elements of Men of Valor is that you'll rarely be fighting alone -- you'll usually have other soldiers fighting alongside you, helping you work your way up the Ho Chi Minh Trail and other settings. As a result, the game progresses with an extremely cinematic feel: your squadmates are always chatting with you, there's lots of yelling during battles, and there are lots of brief scripted events that push the game along. You don't have any control over your teammates, but the developers at 2015 are working hard to maintain balance for your computer-controlled buddies: some of them can't be killed because of their overall role within the story, but at the same time, you won't be able to lay back and let them do all the dirty work. There are reportedly over 8000 lines of dialogue being recorded for the game, so expect to get rather chummy with your squadmates.
Read on!Star Wars: KOTOR II Q&A
July 10, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The RPG Vault has posted the second part of their interview with some of the guys behind Obsidian Entertainment and LucasArts' upcoming RPG, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II. Here's a bit on the weapons and armor:
Jonric: What kinds of additions and changes can we expect in the areas of weapons, armor and clothing? What modifications are you making to the upgrade system?
Chris Avellone: All weapons, armor will be important in this game, and there's been an effort to increase the efficiency and damage of ranged weapons so they're still viable compared to lightsaber combat.
We also instituted a "deconstruction" and "upgrade" system so that you can break down items into components and build new ones based on your skill (Repair, Computer Use, Treat Injury) - and it has a bonus effect of allowing you to weed your inventory of items you don't need or don't want, and replace them with items that complement your style of play - medpacs for Dark Side characters whose cure powers are weaker, more mines for Demolitions characters, extra shields, etc. Can't discuss the specific new items yet, but suffice to say that you'll have more color options for your lightsabers and a nice selection of Jedi... and Sith... robes to outfit your character in the latest good and evil fashions.
The Matrix Online Interview
July 10, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has sat down with Monolith's William Westwater and Jeff Everett for a quick chat regarding their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, The Matrix Online. They look at everything from the world to the skill system. Snip:
GS: We've caught glimpses of characters wearing extravagant clothing while fighting battles with fancy martial arts and submachine guns, in addition to using "programs" (the game's equivalent of magic spells). What are some of the technical features being used to make The Matrix Online look as good as it possibly can?
Jeff Everett: Well, for the world, we use a reflection map for the sun, with pixel shaders for lighting up variants at night. We also mimic cloud cover with a texture overlay projected onto the surface of the city. And when it gets wet at night, we add a real-time reflection map from lights in the area, such as the street lights, and reflect it off the streets. Then, to capture some of the movie mood, we have a green-shift overlay with an overbright pixel shader that works a bit like a high-dynamic range filter (only a bit simpler). Interiors also use factor-map light-mapping with a dynamic scale option for turning lights on and off, plus support for a range of bump-, detail-, and environment-mapping, although they're more standard for first-person shooters. For the characters, we use a special-scaled bump-environment map to simulate leather, and to save on memory, we use a color-mod pixel shader for many of the clothing tones. We also build the characters with many levels of detail.
Star Wars: KOTOR II Dev Diary
July 9, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has posted a developer diary written by LucasArts' Mike Gallo and Obsidian Entertainment's Chris Parker regarding the E3 demo for their upcoming RPG, Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. Here's some lovin':
We started talking about E3 when The Sith Lords was still in its infancy. The story overview for the sequel was drafted before the first game hit the shelves. Sure, it saw a lot of revisions, and even some major rewrites between then and now, but we had already been working on the game for over nine months by the time the show rolled around. E3 was going to be important from day one because it's the only E3 the game is going to see. Originally, we came up with a huge list of the stuff we wanted to show. To be honest, it would probably have taken a solid half an hour to do a demo that included all of the things we wanted to do. Unfortunately, that doesn't make sense for most of the E3 crowd. For every editor and gamer, there's at least one buyer or mass media guy. And even the editors are pretty much booked solid these days. In the end, you maybe have about 5 to 10 minutes to show your game at E3 if you are going to try to show it to everybody, so we had to cut down our list.
Click here for the goods!World of WarCraft Preview
July 9, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
PC.IGN has posted a new preview on Blizzard Entertainment's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, World of WarCraft. This one takes a look at what's new in the recent patch for the beta. Here's a nugget:
The coolest addition has got to be the talents. It's only currently implemented for the mage and the warrior, so this will cause some Player versus Player (PvP) imbalance, but hey, it's just beta, it's free, so I'm not gonna push Dan's head through my monitor, as entertaining as that usually is. Although actual documentation on the talents system is virtually non-existent, we've managed to plumb the depths to a reasonable degree. The talents system works like a branching tree similar to the skill tree in Diablo II, where you can put several points into a certain skill and open up the skill after that one. You may have to invest points in two or three different abilities to access a fourth, and other abilities require you to also have a certain number of points invested in that type of talent. Still with me so far? Awesome.
New Guild Wars Screenie
July 9, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
ArenaNet has released a new screenshot showing off a Ghoul in their upcoming Online RPG, Guild Wars. Hit the eyecandy below for a look!
Warhammer 40K Q&A
July 9, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The Games Domain has caught up with Relic Entertainment's Jonathan Dowdeswell for a quick Q&A regarding their upcoming Strategy title, Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War. They cover everything from the campaign to environments. Snip:
GD: What was the most important thing to bring across to Dawn of War from the Warhammer franchise?
JD: Warhammer 40,000 is all about brutal, large-scale sci-fi warfare on an epic scale. Our primary focus with Dawn of War has always been to bring this concept to life in a way that has, until now, only existed in people's imaginations. Our efforts have never been towards trying to re-create the tabletop experience in a digital form. We've always been single-mindedly focused on creating the most entertaining, visually stunning portrayal of futuristic combat ever seen in an RTS. We hope players will be satisfied and impressed by what they experience!
The Sims 2 Interview
July 9, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at WarCry have fired-up an interview with Maxis' Lucy Bradshaw regarding their upcoming sim title, The Sims 2. Here's something to chew on:
Catering to everyone is always a hard game. We recognize that some of our players, play in different styles and want different things out of the game, so while playing with aging on is really the way to play to experience all of the new features and new gameplay, we are leaving in a cheat that allows players to turn aging off. But, really who would not want to raise a baby Sim? The answer is much closer to real life than you would imagine. They can be demanding little Sims! They want to learn how to walk, to talk, to use the potty. They crave the attention of adults and want to be read to as well. My mouth dropped as I thought about my l little girl. Maybe this will replace the rubber doll in Home Economics class in high-schools the world around! It seems that level of realism is what theyre going for. You also have the ability to shape their personalities during those impressionable years thru parenting, having the older Sims interact with the toddlers and children to help teach them things. For the most part, the toddlers like bottles, but kids have lots of food options as do the teens, adults, and elders. If your Sim had the right cooking skill, they can make a Baked Alaska for desert.
Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich Q&A
July 8, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameBanshee has slapped up an interview with Irrational Games' Ken Levine regarding their upcoming RPG, Freedom Force vs. the Third Reich. Topics range from vehicles to the games AI. Here's some juice:
GB: What enhancements have you made to the AI in FFVSTR? Can you provide some examples of how a player's teammates will react on their own?
Ken: One thing that we constantly heard in feedback from the original, was that there was a little too much micro-management. The moment you left a teammate, they were vulnerable. We wanted to fix this by having them react. This gave us a whole new avenue for us to explore the characters. For example, El Diablo is more likely to chase after a foe and may cause collateral damage.
SWG: Jump to Lightspeed Q&A
July 8, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has Sony Online's Cinco Barnes in the hot seat this evening, answering questions regarding their upcoming Star Wars Galaxies expansion pack, Jump to Lightspeed. They look at everything from piloting a ship to PvP. Here's a blurb:
GS: How does the team expect actual battles will play out, especially those fought by teams of players? Can we expect to see players with different ships and different equipment loadouts playing different roles in battle, such as slower, heavier gunships providing cover fire for smaller strafing ships? Will players be left to their own devices and skills to accomplish their objectives, or will there be support for online voice chat, or other systems in place to help teams coordinate space battles?
CB: Combining the powers of different starship chassis will be a key part of large-scale starship battles. A heavy ship's capacity for heavy ordnance balances very nicely with a light ship's agility, especially when taking down a large-capital ship.
There are no current plans to build a real-time voice chat system that would be unique to Galaxies. With Jump to Lightspeed's action combat, it's important to us that we don't allocate bandwidth outside of the core spaceflight experience.
New Painkiller Patch
July 8, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
People Can Fly have released a new patch (v1.3) and dedicated server for their action-packed first person shooter, Painkiller. Including a bunch of bug fixes, All-Seeing Eye support and more, you can grab this bad boy from the following mirrors:
- FileShack Patch & Dedicated Server
- 3DGamers
- WorthPlaying
Counter-Strike: Source Beta News
July 8, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Valve Software has updated the Steam website with some news regarding the beta for their upcoming first person shooter, Counter-Strike: Source. Here's what they had to say:
Starting later this summer, Valve will be conducting a limited-time beta of Counter-Strike: Source via Steam. The beta will first be open to subscribers of the Valve Cyber Café Program, and then extended to owners of Counter-Strike: Condition Zero. The next installment of the worlds number 1 online action game, Counter-Strike: Source blends CSs intense teamplay with the advanced technology of Valves Source engine.
Ultima X: Odyssey Interview
July 8, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
HomeLAN has caught up with Electronic Arts' Aaron Cohen for a quick chat regarding the cancellation of their MMORPG, Ultima X: Odyssey. Here's something to chew on:
HomeLAN - Ultimately, what was the main reason for the decision to cancel the game?
Aaron Cohen - We decided to focus our resources in Ultima Online. The enthusiastic response to the Ultima Online 7th Anniversary Edition and the upcoming expansion pack convinced us to devote all our energy and resources to that game and that community.
HomeLAN - This is the second time that a stand alone follow up to Ultima Online has been cancelled. Is there still a big fear of stealing the audience away from Ultima Online?
Aaron Cohen - No. The idea has always been to expand the audience. We decided that the best way to do that was to focus on our existing game world and the enthusiastic community that supports it.
SPMark04 - Released!
July 7, 2004 - Nicklas Renqvist
SPMark04 provides a comprehensive application for measuring and comparing the performance and power consumption of the increasingly complex mobile platforms. It is a great benefit to the industry by allowing consumers, media, retailers, and operators to objectively compare handsets between each other. SPMark04 also enables handset manufacturers reliably evaluate and compare various semiconductor implementations.
The benchmark has been developed in collaboration with key industry partners, including ATI Technologies, Bitboys, Imagination Technologies (PowerVR), Intel, Khronos Group, Neomagic, and NVIDIA under Futuremarks Benchmark Development Program for Smartphones.
For more information, please use the following links: If you spot any reviews of SPMark04, be sure to let us know!
SPMarklead2
July 7, 2004 - The Admin
SPMarklead1
July 7, 2004 - The Admin
Thief: Deadly Shadows Review
July 7, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Thanks to PCGamesSource for sending word that they have kicked up a review on Ion Storm's stealth title, Thief: Deadly Shadows. Here's a bit on the gameplay in the main city:
One new feature introduced in this installment of the Thief series is the idea of going around wherever you want and robbing whomever you want. In between missions you can traverse the city and enter buildings to steal loot, pick pocket peasants that walk by, or you can check out the local pawn shops were you can sell your loot and buy some new weapons and equipment. The local guards unfortunately know who you are and will attack you on site. If you're defeated by them one time then they'll throw you into jail from which you must escape. If they defeat you anymore times they'll just kill you instead of throwing you behind bars. The peasants don't mind you walking around the streets as long as you don't attack them. However later in the game it does become harder to walk the streets without being attacked as more people are looking for you. You do also have the option of being friendly or hostile to the Pagans and Hammers which does affect your faction status with them.
Click here for the goods!Guild Wars Preview
July 7, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The guys over at GameSpot have slapped up a new preview on ArenaNet's upcoming Online RPG, Guild Wars, after getting a chance to check out the latest build hands-on. Here's some juice:
We took on a group mission with several patient ArenaNet staffers while playing a warrior whose skill set was almost completely focused on defensive abilities that either increased his armor strength, allowed him to dodge incoming hits, or boosted his own health. Our mission was to patrol a beachside rock formation and destroy any incoming undead monsters, and while the character was almost completely ineffectual at making kills, he practically never died. The purpose of the character for this mission was to charge into battle first to draw the monsters' attention, then take a beating while other party members dealt with the monsters--though, we could just as easily have focused on offensive skills, like our fire elementalist, who went into PvP battles with nothing but damaging fire spells. Tailoring specific characters to specific situations will be a big part of Guild Wars' gameplay, and fortunately, the game's single-player missions should serve as good practice on how to design characters and skill sets.
Be sure to check out the new screenshots while you're at it!Dungeon Siege II Delayed
July 7, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Thanks to Blue's News for this tidbit! Microsoft has updated it's Dungeon Siege II website with a new release date that pushes the upcoming Action-RPG back from Holiday 2004 to Spring 2005. Let's hope they put those extra months to good use then.
Ground Control 2 Review
July 7, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Eurogamer has whipped up a review on Massive Entertainment's strategy title, Ground Control 2: Operation Exodus. Here's a bit on the visuals in the games:
Slick presentation and storyline aside, however, the first thing that you'll notice when you start playing Ground Control 2 is something that will smack you right in the retinas; this game is absolutely stunningly gorgeous to look at, with certainly the best graphics we've ever seen in a strategy title (the as-yet unreleased Rome aside). The technology underlying the game's visuals is unquestionably excellent; reflections ripple off bodies of water, individual troopers' faces can be seen glancing around behind the glass of their helmets, city tower blocks actually have furniture visible through their blown-out windows. It's also a surprisingly good performer even on medium specification systems, which was a pleasant surprise; we played the game perfectly happily on an Athlon XP 1700+ system with a GeForce 4 Ti4600.
Read on!Nival Interactive Interview
July 7, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The RPG Vault has thrown up an interview with Nival Interactive's Serge Orlovsky regarding the company and their future plans. Here's a clipping:
Jonric: What are your primary goals for Nival moving forward? Do you want to become even larger, with more simultaneous projects?
Serge Orlovsky: We don't believe that there will be a place for small developers if the current trends in the gaming industry continue. Growth isn't important in and of itself, and we don't want to expand radically, but having more and bigger teams does provide additional possibilities for people to work on something they really like, and opportunities to develop specializations within teams and the company itself that can help you radically improve the quality of your games.
The Sims 2 Preview
July 6, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The peeps over at the Games Domain have kicked up a preview on Maxis' upcoming sim title, The Sims 2. Here's something to chew on:
Players will choose from one of five aspirations at the moment of their sim's creation. Lifelong dedication to romance, family, fame, knowledge, or wealth will define the sim. No matter the choice, each aspiration has a built-in set of goals, both small and large. A sim geared towards romance might need to keep in touch with the ladies over the course of a day, and make successful hookups over time to feel like a true Casanova. Ah, such realism.
New Joint Operations Patch
July 6, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Novalogic has released two new patches (v1.2.0.6 & v1.2.0.7) for their multiplayer shooter, Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising. Including new filters, optimizations to player models and more, you can find these bad boys at the following mirrors:
- FileShack v1.2.0.6 & v1.2.0.7
- 3DGamers
- WorthPlaying
Euro World of WarCraft Beta Sign-ups!
July 6, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Blizzard Entertainment is now accepting European applications to beta test their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, World of WarCraft. You can find all the details and the sign-up page right here! So what are you waiting for?!
Far Cry Interview
July 6, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The Firing Squad has slapped up an interview with Crytek's Cevat Yerli regarding upcoming patches for their rockin' first person shooter, Far Cry. They look at shader model 3.0 support, AMDs 64-bit support and more! Here's a clipping:
FiringSquad: In addition to SM 3.0, Far Cry will also be patched to take advantage of AMDs 64-bit architecture in the future what changes are you implementing in the 64-bit version of Far Cry?
Cevat Yerli: Weve done it mainly for content development creators and mod creators, there will be huge benefits from it. For the gameplay it will be more beneficial to the environment, you will have some specific content for 64-bit. There will be a 64-bit version of Far Cry, a separate one eventually. That will be essentially content-wise slightly improved over the 32-bit version but its not something which, I mean people with the 32-bit version can still compare to the 64-bit version, but its optimized for the 64-bit experience. And the user of course will benefit from the 64-bit CPU architecture, which is more registers, better memory controller, but also more addressable memory.
Counter-Strike Source Impressions
July 5, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
CS-Nation has tossed up some impressions on Valve Software's upcoming first person shooter, Counter-Strike Source. You can find out all the details and even some new media right here!
City of Heroes Review
July 4, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The guys over at WorthPlaying have thrown together a review on Cryptic Studios' massively multiplayer online RPG, City of Heroes. Here's a bit on the visuals:
Something youll notice when you first enter the city is how visually rich everything is. The design team at Cryptic definitely took the time to make the game pretty building models are detailed down to the lips on window sills, each section of the city has its own design aesthetic, and even on low-end systems the images feel lush. The overall style is very much like a Golden-Age comic books vision of the future, and harmonizes well with the design options for heroes costumes.
Read on!Star Wars: KOTOR II Q&A
July 3, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The RPG Vault has kicked up an interview with some of the guys behind Obsidian Entertainment and LucasArts' upcoming RPG, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II. Here's a bit on some of the new force powers:
Jonric: Have you modified how the character development system will work this time? How many new Force powers will there be, and what are a couple of interesting ones?
Mike Gallo: The character advancement system is similar to KOTOR, but we've made some tweaks to it. You can start the game as a Jedi, and customize your character from one of three different classes. We aren't going to remove the level cap, but the characters will be able to advance beyond level 20.
We've added over 60 new feats and Force powers. Force Sight is a power that will allow the player to see the alignments of characters around them. The "glow" effect is tied to the characters "light / dark" meter (similar to what you see on your own character record sheet in the game) - so an evil character will glow red, neutrals will be gray and good will be blue. This is especially useful when in a cantina or a crowded area, and may give you some hints on who to talk to or who to avoid. Another new power is Force Rage, which is a dark side power, and will give your character combat bonuses.
Guild Wars Interview
July 3, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Guild Wars WarCry has slapped up a short Q&A with ArenaNet regarding their upcoming Online RPG, Guild Wars. They cover everything from weapons to expansions. Here's a clipping:
You mentioned that you would be developing the game in 'chapters' which are expansions upon your previous chapters. How often will these chapters be published, how much will it cost, and will you have to travel to an electronics store to buy a box or can you just download them from a secure login location?
Chapters of Guild Wars will come out about every six to nine months. The price hasn't been set, but they will be priced comparably to other games. As you have read before, unlike the usual expansion packs that have a nominal amount of content, the Guild Wars chapters will be very deep in content. I fully expect to see new professions, new spells, new missions, new monsters, new regions, and more. And here's a tidbit I think is really interesting about acquiring the next chapter: During the process of playing a chapter of Guild Wars, you will be receiving seamless downloads of the content that forms the upcoming chapter. On the day that the next chapter goes live, it will simply be a matter of "flipping a switch" for you to head into the new chapter. No driving to the store, no shipping fees or haunting the mailbox waiting for the package to arrive, and best of all, no huge download to access the new chapter.
New WarCraft III Patch
July 3, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Blizzard Entertainment has released a new patch (v1.16) for WarCraft III: Reign of Chaos and The Frozen Throne expansion pack. You can find a list of what's new and the download mirrors right here. Now get downloadin'!
Unreal Engine 3 Q&A
July 3, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Eurogamer has posted the second part of their interview with Epic Games regarding their upcoming Unreal Engine 3. Here's a bit on licensing their tech out:
Eurogamer: It must be a good sideline for you though?
Mark Rein: It is good, but more importantly we pour back a lot of the money that we make from licensing into making better tools. I mean you saw earlier in our demo, our tools are fantastic, they are best of breed tools. Our physics tool is as good a tool as you could buy from a physics vendor. Our Matinee [Unreal Engine camera system] is as good as maybe what Adobe uses - though not for real time movie creation of course. So we put a lot of that in and that investment pays off by having licences using that technology and us being more productive - we make our own games faster. Everything you see that we're developing for the engine is primarily so we can make our game.
Joint Operations Review
July 3, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at 1up.com have whipped up a review on Novalogic's recently released first person shooter, Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising. Here's something to chew on:
You can jump into the game in any of five classes, which, no matter whether you're playing on the side of the Tactical Ops or the Indonesian rebels, include riflemen, medics, snipers, engineers, and gunners. You can tweak your loadout at in-game armories, and your character class affects your loadout options. In combat, the roles played by the classes aren't nearly as strongly defined in those of, say, Team Fortress Classic. Any class can fight, any class can mount machineguns and other fixed armaments, and any class can pilot any vehicle.
MoH: Pacific Assault Preview
July 2, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
PC.IGN has kicked up a preview that focuses on vehicles in Electronic Arts' upcoming first person shooter, Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault. Included are a bunch of pictures, so head over for a look!
World of WarCraft Preview
July 2, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has posted a new preview on Blizzard Entertainment's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, World of WarCraft. They take a look at new features in the closed beta like PvP and tweaks to the rest system. Snip:
More importantly for many players, Blizzard has tweaked the "rest" system, which previously awarded your character bonus experience points for being "well-rested" (that is, having rested for some time at an inn or not having played for a while) and actually penalized characters who fought battles continuously with a fatigue penalty that caused them to gain less experience points as a result. In the current version of the game, characters now have only three rest states: rested, normal, and tired. When tired, players will gain the base level of experience while normal characters gain a 150-percent bonus and rested players gain a 200-percent bonus; in addition, Blizzard has now added the ability to let players rest anywhere (as opposed to only using an inn) with only a slight penalty. It should again be noted that the rest system, like many of World of Warcraft's features, is still being tested and balanced, and it may change radically (or not at all) between now and when the game launches.
Unreal Engine 3 Interview
July 2, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Eurogamer has slapped up an interview with a couple of the guys over at Epic Games regarding their upcoming Unreal Engine 3. Here's a bit of a status report:
Eurogamer: First of all, at what stage of completion is the Unreal 3 (engine) at the moment?
Tim Sweeney: Unreal 3 engine has been in development for [over] 18 months now. It's come a very long way - we've been developing next generation content with it very seriously for our next game for about six months. It's the tools that have come together. A handful of development teams are actually using Unreal Engine 3 for early development work and pre-production for their next games. But the first Unreal 3 engine game is planned for early 2006. There's a combination of next generation PC games and next generation console games in the works. The engine is in a state now where a team can start putting an early development team of 10 to 15 people on a project with the engine, ramping up to a full size team of 30 to 50 people over the next few months.
Ultima X: Odyssey Cancelled
July 1, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has word that Electronic Arts has cancelled their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Ultima X: Odyssey. None of the employes were laidoff, with the team moving onto existing Ultima Online projects. Click here for the goods!
Close Combat Interview
July 1, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
HomeLAN has sat down with Destineer's Peter Tamte for a quick chat regarding their upcoming tactical shooter, Close Combat: First to Fight. They look at everything from the engine to the gameplay. Snip:
HomeLAN - We will hopefully learn more about each game later but for now what can you tell us about how the first person shooter Close Combat: First to Flight will stand out from the growing crowd of military shooters?
Peter Tamte - We hope people will play First to Fight differently than other military shooters. First to Fight is not an anti-terrorist game or a stealth game. It is about being part of the loudest, most powerful military force in history. Each player's fire team follows Marine Corps procedures (Ready-Team-Fire-Assist) for urban environments, which means players can keep their eyes and weapon forward rather than baby-sitting their team. These are the exact methods Marine fire teams are using -- right now -- in Iraq and Afghanistan to make these fire teams very lethal fighting units. Additionally, players are part of the Marine Air Ground Task Force, which means, just as Marines really do in urban combat, they can call in tanks, armored assault vehicles, Cobra gunships, mortar attacks, and more against enemy targets. But, I think one of the most interesting aspects of how we're trying to make First to Fight real is that, just like in the earlier Close Combat games, the actions of every friendly and enemy character are based on a psychology model. This is critical to realism. The Marine Corps believes the human will is the driving force of all action in war. First to Fight is the first shooter to actually factor this -- the most central element of warfare -- into gameplay.
MoH: Pacific Assault Dev Diary
July 1, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The official Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault website has been updated with a developer diary written by Electronic Arts' Paul William Jury regarding the Visual Effects in their upcoming first person shooter. Here's a nugget:
In MOHPA, as with other titles I have worked on, there is one rule; Take what the game world has given, be inspired by it, and then give it a soul using visual effects. A dark, back alleyway is no where near as realistic as one with lingering fog and a bit of rain falling from a darkening sky. It is the visual effect which will sell the atmosphere of the game. You must allow the scene to dictate its purpose and from that make an effect which flows with it. While some effects like explosions are far from subtle, they do have their place, as do the sun rays coming down from a jungle canopy. Let the effect roll out into the world and belong to it, not just exist with it.
New Joint Operations Patch
July 1, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Novalogic has released a new patch (v1.1.1.5) for their multiplayer shooter, Joint Operations. Fixing a bunch of bugs, you can grab this 25meg bad boy from the following mirrors:
Ground Control 2 Interview
July 1, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
FileFront has Massive Development's Henrik Sebring in the hot seat this evening, answering questions regarding their strategy title, Ground Control 2. Here's a taste:
Q: Ground Control was based strictly off of strategic unit management. Will gamers get a taste of other RTS aspects with a form of resource management as well?
A: Yes weve introduced a light resource system however it is very different from classical ones. In GCII you fight to control strategic locations on the battlefield called Victory Locations. By controlling a Victory Location you receive Acquisition Points that can be used to obtain reinforcements, support weapons or upgrade your dropship.
Acquisition points can also be accumulated by killing the enemy and completing mission objectives.
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- March (107)
- May (101)
- April (92)
- June (100)
- July (105)
- August (116)
- September (105)
- October (90)
- November (106)
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2010
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- May (112)
- April (104)
- June (93)
- July (118)
- August (130)
- September (108)
- October (104)
- November (107)
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2011
- January (107)
- Februady (102)
- March (121)
- May (103)
- April (103)
- June (113)
- July (100)
- August (108)
- September (124)
- October (104)
- November (111)
- December (96)
2012
- January (98)
- Februady (106)
- March (90)
- May (105)
- April (115)
- June (105)
- July (110)
- August (105)
- September (97)
- October (114)
- November (105)
- December (96)