Hardware News
Pariah Interview
October 31, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
PC.IGN has sat down with Digital Extremes' James Schmalz for a quick chat regarding their upcoming first person shooter, Pariah. They look at everything from weapons to the games multiplayer. Here's a clipping:
IGN: What kinds of weapons can players wield in the game?
James: The thing we are most excited about with the weapons is that we kept many of the old favorites like the rocket launcher, assault rifle and grenade launcher, but added our own twist on these weapons: We made them upgradeable. So as you play through the single player game you pick up Weapon Energy Cores or WECs which you can apply to any weapon. These enable you to upgrade your weapon. Each upgrade becomes progressively more difficult to get. Aside from the old favorites, we have several new, quite unique weapons. What are they? That is best left as a surprise.
Vampire: Bloodlines Preview
October 30, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy has whipped up a preview on Troika's upcoming RPG, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, after getting a chance to check it out hands-on. Here's some juice:
The first mission actually wasn't much of a problem. Once I walked out my apartment into the Santa Monica, the first thing I noticed was a bleeding man who resembled Mercurio crawling into the very fancy apartments down the street. The second thing I noticed is that Mercurio apparently rated much nicer digs than I did. I checked through my inventory - a few blood packs, a cheap watch, and about $20. If I was going to make it as a vampire, I was going to need more than blood, I was going to need cash, too. As I headed down the street, I took a look around at the many characters wandering the streets. "Kine" or humans who were only useful for the blood they carried in their veins could be recognized by the red ankhs floating over their heads. The homeless and lunatics could be taken in dark alleys without much of a problem; the hookers could be paid, charmed or bullied into giving up the sweet red. Others in the street, however, had more interesting things to offer.
Click here for the goods!MoH: Pacific Assault Multiplayer Demo Released
October 30, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The guys over at EA Games have released a 323mb multiplayer demo from their first person shooter, Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault. Included is one map that's playable in three gameplay modes. Hit the following mirrors to get downloading:
Battlefield 2 Interview
October 30, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has slapped up an interview with Digital Illusions' Sean Decker regarding their upcoming multiplayer shooter, Battlefield 2${l3}. Here's a bit on the new classes:
GS: What can you tell us about the two new character classes--the heavy weapons support class and the Special Forces class--and how will they differ from existing classes?
SD: The special operations kit is somewhat like your typical commando. He is armed with a short-range weapon, has light armor, and is able to move quickly. At the same time, he comes with a bag of tricks that lets him blow up enemy equipment and [lets him] paint enemy targets with a laser to guide in friendly missiles.
The heavy weapons kit is almost the complete opposite of the commando. He is armed with a machine gun with a lot of firepower and range. He moves slower but has heavier body armor. He also has the ability to hand out ammunition to his fellow players and [can] score points for doing so.
Joint Operations: Escalation Interview
October 30, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
HomeLAN has caught up with Novalogic's Joel Taubel for a quick chat regarding their upcoming Joint Operations expansion pack, Escalation. They cover everything from new vehicles to the development status. Here's a chunk:
HomeLAN - What other new gameplay content and features will be added to the expansion?
Joel Taubel - We have added numerous little tweaks to the gameplay to build on what we achieved with JO. We realized that the sniper class was a little too powerful, so we have increased scope drift on the rifles, as well as designing the levels with more cover to lower spawn raping. Another feature we have added is overheating on the emplaced weapons. They very quickly became uberweapons on certain maps in JO, so to counter that they now heat up with prolonged use. Once they overheat, the weapons lock and have to cool down.
We have also added body armor and parachutes as selectable loadout options. If selected, these are placed in your equipment slot instead of a Stinger, Claymore or AT4 etc. The body armor obviously gives the player more protection at the expense of an additional weapon, while the parachutes are a one use only deal. Once you have used them you have to return to the armory to restock.
New Ground Control II Patch
October 30, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Massive Entertainment has released a new patch (v1.0.0.8) for their strategy title, Ground Control II. Including a bunch of tweaks and bug fixes, you can grab this sucker from the games updater. You can also find a list of what's new right here. Now get downloadin'!
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Q&A
October 29, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has sat down with Bethesda Softworks' Todd Howard for a quick Q&A regarding their upcoming RPG, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Topics range from the storyline to the construction set. uNF:
GS: What can you reveal about the story of The Elder Scrolls IV? Will it pick up where Morrowind left off, or will it begin an all-new story in an all-new land? How will the events that transpired in Morrowind shape those in The Elder Scrolls IV, if at all?
TH: It takes place after Morrowind, but really has nothing to do with the Morrowind story at all. We like each game to stand on its own, so it's in another part of the world with an all-new story. The story itself deals with the death of the emperor and a demonic invasion into this world from "Oblivion." Oblivion, in the Elder Scrolls world, is essentially hell. It's another plane of existence where the evil gods live. So the game takes place in both Tamriel, the land of men and elves, and Oblivion, the land of demons.
Brothers In Arms Q&A
October 29, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Eurogamer has slapped up an interview with Gearbox Software's Stephen Palmer regarding their upcoming first person shooter, Brothers In Arms. Here's a bit on the multiplayer portion of the game:
Eurogamer: Tell us about the multiplayer facet of BIA.
Stephen Palmer: Multiplayer is pretty unique - we're doing something a little different. We didn't want to just throw in a standard multiplayer game of Deathmatch, so we've taken the best parts of single-player, which we think are the squad combat and the squad tactics and we've amended the multiplayer so you can play with up to four players, and each player is commanding one or two squads of AI characters, depending on how many of you there are; if there's four of you you'll get one squad, if there's two of you you'll get two squads. The idea is it's also mission-based so there's a number of multiplayer missions and they all have unique objectives and you'll use your squad to solve those.
Men of Valor Patch
October 29, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
2015 has released a patch (v1.2) for their recently released first person shooter, Men of Valor. Weighing in at 9megs, this puppy fixes a load of singleplayer and multiplayer bugs. Hit the following mirrors to get downloading:
Tabula Rasa Interview
October 29, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
HomeLAN has NCSoft's Richard Garriott in the hot seat this evening, answering questions regarding their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Tabula Rasa. They cover everything from design goals to the MMORPG genre in general. Here's a clipping:
HomeLAN - What have been some of the more challenging aspects of developing the game so far?
Richard Garriott - Abandoning our comfortable world of well-known and understood medieval role playing has presented the biggest challenge. Inventing a compelling new reality has taken us some time.
Guild Wars World Preview Event Begins!
October 29, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The guys over at ArenaNet have launched the World Preview Event for their upcoming Online RPG, Guild Wars. So head over to the offical website, grab the client and get your game on!
Update: Also, hit PC.IGN for their latest hand-on preview of the game.
Battlefield 2 Interview
October 28, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Electronic Arts has posted the October Battlefield Newsletter, which includes an interview with Executive Producer Scott Evans regarding their upcoming multiplayer shooter, Battlefield 2. Here's something to chew on:
Question sent in by: Mike Martin
Could you explain how the new missile targeting system works on jets and helicopters and does it have something to do with laser targeting?
Scott Evans: Battlefield 2 has both heat seeking missiles and laser designation devices. The Special Forces kit gets the laser designator in Battlefield 2, which allows this soldier to "paint" an enemy target with a laser beam. Once this is done, a pilot can fire laser guided missiles into the target. It's very much a teamwork activity. Many vehicles in Battlefield 2 fire heat seeking missiles which are basically fire and forget they home in on a heat source. Pilots can defeat these missiles by dropping flares, which create a heat signature that can spoof missiles into missing... until they run out of flares. :)
Brothers in Arms Interview
October 28, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Computer And Video Games.com has slapped up a short interview with Stephen Palmer and Colonel John Antal regarding Gearbox Software's upcoming first person shooter, Brothers in Arms. Topics range from multiplayer to how squad members deaths are handled. Here's some lovin':
How is the death of squad members handled?
Colonel Antal: That's a very good question. We're telling a compelling story, and as you go through this you're going to want to have your squad members with you. We're going to have some of your members killed, but obviously we can't have a story that follows if we never know who is going to be there. At the end of each sequence, if you win, you move on with all your people. Now, you'll lose some people - you might win with just one guy - but they'll come back and be incapacitated.
BioWare Online Store Q&A
October 28, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
HomeLAN has thrown up an interview with some of the guys over at BioWare regarding their recently announced online store. They cover everything from working with third party developers to their future plans. Here's a clipping:
HomeLAN - What future Neverwinter Nights paid modules from BioWare and third parties can we expect in the future?
Rob Bartel - We have a number of exciting things planned for the BioWare store, both within the context of premium modules for Neverwinter Nights and beyond. The long-awaited continuation of the Witchs Wake series is an obvious one and were just finalizing the details of how to continue in the spirit of the original and use the series to showcase some amazing upcoming content from the community. We have other premium modules in development and planning, as well, both internally and with some exceptionally talented members of the community. Were exploring a number of options for our future content, and in a way, the feedback we receive from this first batch will help guide that content. Weve got some great new content coming down the pipe.
Guild Wars World Preview Friday
October 28, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
ArenaNet has sent out a press release reminding us all that they will be holding a three-day world preview event starting this Friday (October 29th), giving us a chance to check out their upcoming Online RPG, Guild Wars. Here's a blurb:
Bellevue,WASH., October 26, 2004 This weekend game players around the globe will have free access to Guild Wars®, one of the worlds most anticipated online role-playing games, as ArenaNet® and NCsoft® kick off the Guild Wars World Preview Event.
The free World Preview Event, which begins Friday evening, Oct. 29 and ends Sunday evening, Oct. 31, will allow players to explore two new game regions, play in an expanded international tournament and engage in combat on new competitive battlefields. For the first time game players will be able to create new guilds and experience guild warfare in the vibrant online environments of Guild Wars. To participate in the World Preview Event players can simply visit www.guildwars.com and download the free game client, which is approximately 90KB.
World of WarCraft Preview
October 27, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Another World of WarCraft preview has popped up over at PC.IGN this evening, taking a look at Blizzard Entertainment's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG. Here's something to nibble on:
Although this is Blizzard's first MMO, you can tell within the first five minutes of play that they've taken a lot of notes, and likely played a lot of MMOs themselves. The amount of "timesink" is fantastically low. Unlike other MMOs I could name, it doesn't take you half an hour to group up and get to your quest location, where you will chop at sewer rat at point blank range with a sword for five solid minutes until it actually dies.
Read on!
MoH: Pacific Assault Ships Early!
October 27, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
EA Games has announced that the PC-DVD Directors Edition of their upcoming first person shooter, Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault, will be shipping earlier than first thought. With a new shipping date of November 2nd, people looking for the standard version will have to wait until Nov 9th. Anyways, here's a clipping from the press release:
EA GAMES is pleased to announce that the Medal of Honor Pacific Assault Directors Edition will ship in North America on November 2nd, arriving in stores across the country on November 4th. The Medal of Honor Pacific Assault Directors Edition is bursting at the seams with additional bonus content including six video features, two interactive applications, an exclusive weapon, and a Sweepstakes*.
Gearbox COGS Interview
October 27, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
HomeLAN has caught up with Gearbox Software's Randy Pitchford for a quick chat regarding their "Contractors Of Gearbox Software" program. Here's some lovin':
HomeLAN - If a person is picked for the COGS program, what games will they be working on?
Randy Pitchford - Initially, COGS will have an opportunity to do some things that are tertiary to the core game development and if they are successful, some of their work will benefit the games at Gearbox. We have lots of work in mind, from tools writing to art and design experimentation. We also think that some of these candidates would be in a great position to add value to existing Gearbox games via updates, etc. The point is that initially COGS will be doing the kinds of things that are interesting, but not critical to Gearbox games' success or quality.
As we learn about these new folks and what they are capable of, some will be invited to take on development roles in Gearbox games - some will be made offers to join the Gearbox team permanently. The idea is that that there is a path for COGS to become a full-time Gearbox developer and people who make it through that path will become integral to the games we make here.
FlatOut Goes Gold!
October 27, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Thanks to Bugbear Entertainment for sending word that their upcoming racing title, FlatOut, has gone gold and should be hitting stores on November 5th. The game will be avalible on the PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC, all at the same time. So it should be hard to miss! Anyways, click here for the press release.
BioWare To Launch Online Store
October 27, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The guys over at BioWare have announced plans to open an online store where they will sell "premium content" for their RPG, NeverWinter Nights. Here's a clipping from the press release:
EDMONTON, Oct. 26 /PRNewswire/ - BioWare Corp. today announced the launch of the BioWare Online Store, an internet-based marketplace located at http://store.bioware.com. The store will offer premium Neverwinter Nights(TM) game content. Neverwinter Nights has sold more than 2 million units worldwide and received numerous RPG of the Year and Game of the Year awards. The modules will be developed by BioWare staff, as well as by prominent members of the Neverwinter Nights fan community, and will be produced by BioWare and Atari, utilizing the Dungeons & Dragons® property under license from Hasbro and its subsidiary, Wizards of the Coast.
The premium modules will host a wide variety of features, including engrossing storylines, professional voice-over and musical scores, brand new in-game content, and much more. Many features have been chosen according to fan feedback, further signifying BioWare and Atari's commitment to the Neverwinter Nights franchise and its loyal and dedicated fanbase.
Three Neverwinter Nights modules will initially be available through the BioWare Online Store when it opens for business on November 10, 2004, with a plan in place to regularly produce and release additional content in the future.
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Preview
October 26, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The ActionTrip is the latest website to throw together a preview on Bethesda Softworks' upcoming RPG, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Here's a bit on the games NPC's:
Oblivion is populated with 1,000 NPC's. Unlike in some other single-player games, the life of the NPC's doesn't stop once the player has left the area. They continue to live their lives even with you out of the picture, with the help of Radiant AI. Each of them is given a basic schedule of events to follow throughout each virtual day. They will shop, go to church, engage in conversation, hunt and even steal. This will all depend on their character traits which are initially decided on by the developers as well as the course of events that takes place in the game. The whole thing is mind-boggling to even think about let alone make. Let's just say that NPCs will be governed by advanced AI routines that will allow them to have free-flowing, non-scripted discussions (all of the dialogue in the game will be voice acted), and at the same time do things that will be dictated by either the present circumstances or their character traits. Or, to put it another way, their actions will be the result of what you do in the game and how their traits tell them to feel. Following that same logic, it's clear to see how some characters might fear you and others to see you as a benevolent hero, it all depends on how you behave in the world. They will remember and process your actions, and adjust their mood along with their facial animation accordingly. Seriously, as far as video games go, this sounds like the closest thing to simulating life as you can get. It's absolutely freaky, and if we consider the next-gen system specs not completely out of reach.
I'm a huge Morrowind fan, so you can imagine how giddy I get reading these previews. hehe
New Far Cry Patch
October 26, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Ubi Soft has released a new patch (v1.3) for their first person shooter, Far Cry. Weighing in at 74megs, it includes new graphics features and a bunch of bug fixes. You can grab this puppy from the following mirrors: Now get downloading!
Doom III Expansion Announced
October 26, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Keeping the press releases rollin', id Software has announced an expansion pack for their hit first person shooter, Doom III. Entitled Resurrection of Evil, the expansion will be co-developed with Nerve Software and will include new locations, characters and weapons! Snip:
SANTA MONICA, Calif., Oct. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- id Software(TM) and Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI - News) will unleash an all-new assault on humanity with DOOM 3: Resurrection of Evil(TM), the official expansion pack to the fastest selling PC first- person action game ever in the U.S., according to NPD Techworld. Co-developed by Nerve Software and id Software, DOOM 3: Resurrection of Evil continues the terrifying and intense action of the already classic DOOM 3, which Maxim and Computer Gaming World awarded "five out of five stars" and the Associated Press called "one of the scariest games ever made." Through the discovery of a timeless and evil artifact you now hold the powers of Hell in your hands, and the demons have come to hunt you down and take it back. Following the events of DOOM 3 and featuring new locations, characters and weapons, including the return of the double-barreled shotgun, DOOM 3: Resurrection of Evil expands the terrifying action that fans and critics have been raving about. The title will require the full retail version of DOOM 3, and has not yet been rated by the ESRB.
EverQuest 2 Shipping Nov 8th
October 26, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at Sony Online have announced that their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, EverQuest II, will be hitting stores in North American and Europe on November 8th. Here's a clipping from the press release:
SAN DIEGO, Oct. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Online Entertainment Inc. (SOE), a worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online (MMO) gaming, today announced that EverQuest II is scheduled to simultaneously ship to North American and European retail stores on November 8, 2004. EverQuest II is the highly-anticipated follow-up to Sony Online Entertainment's original EverQuest, the most successful and longest-running 3D MMO role-playing game in North America.
w00t!World of WarCraft Preview
October 26, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
HomeLAN has thrown up a short preview on Blizzard Entertainment's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, World of WarCraft, based on some hands-on time with the beta. Here's a nugget:
Overall, our impressions of the game experience havent really changed very much since our last look at the game in April. The game is still great to look at, its extremely easy to just start playing the game (even if you are a newcomer to the genre) and Blizzard really has done an excellent job in transposing their slightly cartoony RTS world into a MMORPG experience. You can also tell that the game has been in beta for quite a long time. Its extremely stable and lag free and Blizzard clearly has made strides in improving the game before launch. There are a couple of odd bugs (a couple of times some monsters would not attack back if we were attacking from behind) but these are minor quibbles about the status of the game. We also like the fact that player vs player combat is in the game now.
SWG: Jump to Light Speed Preview
October 25, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Keeping this slow news day rollin', VIA Gamers has thrown together a preview on Sony Online's upcoming Star Wars Galaxies expansion pack, Jump to Light Speed. Here's something to nibble on:
They added a neat feature which places big green arrows, leading you straight to your first pilot trainer after you choose a faction you want to be involved with. Choices you have are The Alliance (rebels), the Imperials and the Freelancers. The Freelancers covers groups like Jabba the Huts henchmen, smugglers and other underworld groups. Each group offers you exclusive ship piloting certifications. So if you want to fly an X-Wing you have to be in the Alliance. If you want to fly a Millenium Falcon style TY1300 you have to be a freelance pilot, and so on.
CoD: United Offensive Review
October 24, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Thanks to GameConnect Magazine for sending word that they have slapped up a review on Grey Matter Studios' rockin' Call of Duty expansion pack, United Offensive. Here's a bit on the new ranking system:
Another welcome multiplayer addition is a ranking system that rewards players for helping their teams win the match. Above each player is a rank symbol, which resets at the beginning of each match. The more you help your team win by seizing objective locations, the higher you rise in rank. A high rank means that you get special bonuses, like extra grenades, and at higher ranks, you have access to binoculars which can be used to call in powerful artillery strikes. The rank system is a good incentive to actually work as a member of the team rather than running around as a lone wolf, as you get more points for seizing objectives than you do for simply killing the enemy.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Dev Diary
October 23, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The official Elder Scrolls website has been updated with a new developer diary written by Bethesda Softworks' Todd Howard regarding their upcoming RPG, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Here's an interesting bit:
There is not a single system that has not gone through a change. Combat, dialogue, exploration, magic
you name it. That change could be a small tweak, major addition, or major deletion. Tweaks include things like rebalancing the skills to get better class progression. Major additions include all new AI, forests, combat, mounts, and more. One major deletion is thrown items and crossbows.
What!!?? No thrown items and crossbows? Hear me out here, because it will let you into our thought process. When we look at characters that like to do ranged combat, they mostly want to use bows and arrows. So instead of doing many types of ranged combat, we decided to stick with bows and arrows -- but -- it's a grand implementation of bows and arrows. You feel the string draw, arrows arc properly, bounce realistically, and stick deep into the right materials. You can see the quiver on your back and type of arrows you have and there are tons of different bows and arrow types. So we trade having several types of ranged combat done in an average way, and get bows done in a grand way.
Guild Wars Interview
October 23, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
This weeks "Fansite Friday" has The Italian Lair firing off questions at ArenaNet's Gaile Gray regarding their upcoming Online RPG, Guild Wars. Here's a bit on their patching/update plans:
Will patches be used only to fix the game, or will you add some content with a new patch?
The world of Guild Wars will be altered over time in several ways: First of all, players will be able to change the world with their tournament victories, with the completion of quests, or with the acquisition of quest rewards or the solving of in-game mysteries. Over time, what people do in the world will greatly affect the world itself. And that world will change in both major and subtle ways with the addition of new content. For its not simply with the new chapter of Guild Wars that we will see new content. The Guild Wars story will grow in substantial ways between the releases of each chapter. These changes may involve the addition of new maps, new regions, new quests and sub-quests, new monsters, new items, even possibly a new PvP area.
Well never have a Patch Day where we need to take down our entire network in order for everyone to draw new game assets. Instead, you acquire the new assets via our seamless technology as you prepare to play the next mission or hunting ground.
SWG: Jump To Lightspeed Preview
October 23, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
HomeLAN has fired-up some impressions on Sony Online's upcoming Star Wars Galaxies expansion pack, Jump To Lightspeed. Here's a bit on the space combat:
The space based missions allow you to fly up against ships in real time combat as opposed to the turn based combat found in the rest of Star Wars Galaxies. The controls are basically the same as any other space based action game and you control the ship itself via the mouse and keyboard a la Freelancer. During my first few hours in space above Tatooine I encountered a ton of pirate space ships from the Black Sun crime organization that needed some blowing up and my small ship was equipped to do just that.
Read on!MoH: Pacific Assault Preview
October 23, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Also over at GameSpy this evening is a new preview on Electronic Arts' upcoming first person shooter, Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault, after getting a chance to check it out hands-on. Here's a clipping:
MOH:AA was perhaps best remembered for over-the-top set pieces like the classic "Omaha Beach" level, and the early missions of Pacific Assault look like they're ready to deliver in that regard. After boot camp, you're shipped off to Hawaii, where you're given a tour by jeep of your base at Pearl Harbor. There's a lot of time to enjoy the ride and soak in the surroundings, assuming that the level will end at some point before you're called into battle. Not so fast. As your tour nears the end, the base is attacked by the Japanese and it's all-out mayhem as you follow your fellow officer out to the docks, ducking gunfire from Japanese fighters all the way.
Valve Software Interview
October 23, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The guys over at GameSpy have slapped up a quick interview with Valve Software's Doug Lombardi regarding everything from Half-Life 2 to Team Fortress 2. Here's some juice:
Q. Will we be seeing any new content/maps With CS: Source the only multiplayer component to HL2, are we going to be seeing any new content/maps in the retail version that people have not seen before?
Doug Lombardi: New content for CS: Source is forthcoming, as is Day of Defeat: Source and more. Please stay tuned.
TeamFM Folding@Home: 10 Million Points!
October 22, 2004 - Nicklas Renqvist
I just read that Team Futuremark has reached over 10 million points in Folding@Home and are at #24 in the team rankings top 100! Congratulations to the team! For those not really sure what Folding@Home is all about, here's a small introduction: $qs What does Folding@Home do? Folding@Home is a distributed computing project which studies protein folding, misfolding, aggregation, and related diseases. We use novel computational methods and large scale distributed computing, to simulate timescales thousands to millions of times longer than previously achieved. This has allowed us to simulate folding for the first time, and to now direct our approach to examine folding related disease. So instead of keeping your computer idle while you are not benchmarking or playing with it, why not join TeamFM and start folding! For more info on how TeamFM is doing & discussions, head over to our dedicated distributed computing board.
MoH: Pacific Assault Preview
October 22, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
PC.IGN has thrown together a hand-on preview taking a look at Electronic Arts' upcoming first person shooter, Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault. Here's a bit on the games AI:
EA tells us that while the previous MoH game was 80% scripted, Pacific Assault is only 10% scripted--just enough to make a framework for the story, while the enemy and team AI will act and react dynamically. There's AID (AI Dialogue), where a character will be aware of their situation and surroundings and pull from a pool of lines to describe what's going on with solid accuracy. They'll also modulate their voices--shouting over the din or whispering during a lull. The system seems to do a good job of keeping you situationally aware.
Rock on!
Men of Valor Interview
October 22, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Thanks to XGR.com for sending word that they have kicked up an audio interview with composer Inon Zur, regarding his work on Men of Valor, Prince of Persia: Warrior Within and more. So head over and check it out!
Empires: Dawn of the Modern World Patch
October 22, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Stainless Steel Studios has released a new patch (v1.3) for their strategy title, Empires: Dawn of the Modern World. Weighing in at only 2.5megs, this sucker fixes a crashing bug. Hit the following mirrors to get downloadin':
World of Warcraft Preview
October 22, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The FileFront has slapped up a preview on Blizzard Entertainment's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, World of Warcraft. Here's a bit on the quest system:
WoW brings to the table 4 main elements of game play. First is a quest system that completely immerses you into the game. Being generations more advanced than that of EverQuests, it provides many different types of game play rather than just items or experience. Quests lead you through the vast world and allow new gamers to discover a small piece at a time. Doing so allows even inexperienced players to learn their way around quickly and prevents becoming lost or overloaded. EverQuest was famous for disjointed quests and not even being able to find your way around a city, much less a zone! Quests are also full of variety, from building a staff to transform yourself into another race, to leading a goblin through a dungeon while a robotic bomb skips happily behind ready to obliterate him. Quests also support the various trade skills, allowing you to obtain rare formulas and build skill quickly.
Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory Q&A
October 22, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
1Up.com has sat down with Ubi Soft's Mathieu Ferland for a quick Q&A regarding their upcoming stealth title, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory. Topics range from co-op to other online features. Here's a clipping:
EGM: What's an example of an experience that a player can have playing your game online that he/she can't have offline?
Ferland: A lot of interesting experiences can be enjoyed by playing Sam, but there are twice as many with the co-op mode. Since it's a matter of playing with a partner, you have to go through all the maps [as a] duo. New moves, gadgets and strategies are integrated as well, and replayability is great. And those maps are totally different from what we have in the offline experience; they are made to be played with two operatives. Big walls impossible to climb alone and pipes too high in the air to be reached by a single player are just some examples of a new type of gameplay where you think and play in terms of cooperation. One of the challenges we had with the co-op mode in SCCT was the [artificial intelligence]. The combat ability of our AI will be very impressive since it will have to deal with two players and sometime be only aware of the existence of one of them, allowing the other one to take them from behind.
Warhammer Online Q&A
October 21, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The RPG Vault has slapped up an interview with Climax Online's David Nicholson regarding their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Warhammer Online. They mostly chat about the cancellation and the resurrection of the game. Here's a clipping:
Jonric: What circumstances led to the announcement in June that Warhammer Online had been canceled, and what has happened since? David Nicholson: After a very detailed and extensive review of the costs to complete the game and bring the full massively multiplayer online service to market, Games Workshop decided that it could no longer justify the costs involved. No one ever wanted to stop development; it was simply that looking at the cost to deploy the game. Games Workshop made the right decision at the time to cease direct funding. Since that day in June, Climax has continued funding the development of Warhammer Online, and it's going very well. Obviously, we're still in regular contact with the guys at Games Workshop and they are very pleased with what we're doing.
Counter-Strike: Source Impressions
October 21, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The peeps over at PC.IGN have posted some impressons on Valve Software's recently released first person shooter, Counter-Strike: Source. Here's a nugget:
The gameplay is still essentially the same, with no major tweaks made to the maps, although there are numerous tactical adjustments, such as re-organized stacks of crates and slightly altered spawn locations. The new particle effect system adds a lot of tactical possibilities to the smoke grenade, as does 5.1 surround sound--assuming you can get it to work. There have been many reports of 5.1 not working. I can't get it operating on my work rig, but it's flawless at home, even though the only major difference in the setup is the motherboard. Being able to knock things over is so far just for kicks, except perhaps for the Office map, where there are some filing cabinets that offer handy cover for the terrorists.
Click here for the goods!EverQuest II Preview
October 21, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
WorthPlaying.com is the latest website to throw together a preview on Sony Online's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, EverQuest II. Here's something to nibble on:
EverQuest 2 is the first MMOG to feature spoken dialogue, and wow, does it add something to the game. Gone are the days of reading through lengthy dialogue that rambled on about some nonsense much like this preview is rambling on trying to figure out what the hell youre really supposed to be doing. The spoken-word routine makes the game feel much more like a single-player-rpg. Most of these instructions end up in your quest journal, so you have a running diary of your quests. That sure beats the notebook I kept during EQ1, especially since my handwriting makes the Rosetta Stone look legible.
MoH: Pacific Assault Preview
October 21, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has kicked up a preview on Electronic Arts' upcoming first person shooter, Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault. Here's a bit on the games new engine:
EA decided to start fresh with Pacific Assault, so instead of using the Quake III engine that powered Allied Assault and many other first-person shooters, the company wrote a brand-new graphics engine built to take advantage of the latest hardware advances. As a result, Pacific Assault ups the visual ante considerably. For example, the Japanese air attack on Pearl Harbor is a visually dazzling sequence, with the air full of Japanese planes, flak bursts and bomb explosions everywhere, battleships burning in the distance, and sailors and Marines on the ground trying to fight back. But it's the subtle little details that will catch your eye, like the way your vision blurs when you're firing the heavy 50-caliber machine gun, or the way a concussion or blast will turn the world a blurry black and white.
Men of Valor Preview
October 20, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Another Men of Valor hands-on preview has popped up over at GameSpy this evening, taking a look at 2015's upcoming first person shooter. Here's some lovin':
Most of the combat we've seen so far has been fighting through the jungle alongside our squad. The enemies in the early going have been pretty weak -- most drop pretty fast -- but that's kept the game moving at a good pace. The controls feel pretty tight, and you can aim down the sight for a more accurate shot, although the sounds are a little papery. On the other hand, the best thing we've seen in Men of Valor so far is that the battlefield feels alive with other characters. You're not just one super-soldier quietly mowing down the enemy; your squadmates are constantly talking to you and each other, which sells the idea that you're in the thick of it.
Vampire: Bloodlines Preview
October 20, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Keeping things rolling, GameSpot has slapped up a preview on Troika Games's upcoming RPG, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines. Here's a bit on the games combat system:
Troika originally designed the combat to be based on dice rolls, much like in a traditional role-playing game. However, that seemed contrary to the nature of an action role-playing game--Boyarsky pointed out that it doesn't make sense for your character to stand in front of an opponent and miss at point-blank range due to a dice roll. So out went the dice rolls and in came real-time combat mechanics. Now, you can shoot at your opponents like you would in a conventional first-person shooter, though your character's firearm skill will affect how well he or she aims and controls the recoil. You'll also have access to other powerful attacks, such as melee weapons and your vampire's own teeth and claws. One handy tactic, especially against groups of opponents, is to take down all but one enemy, and then seize and feed on the last opponent to replenish your health.
Half-Life 2 Interview
October 20, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Also over at HomeLAN this evening is an interview with Valve Software's Doug Lombardi regarding their upcoming first person shooter, Half-Life 2. Topics range from multiplayer to the Source engine. Here's a clipping:
HomeLAN - What graphical features will Half-Life Source have compared to Half-Life 2 and Counter-Strike: Source?
Doug Lombardi - In terms of graphics, Half-Life: Source is the most straightforward of the Source porting work done thus far. These ports began as tests to see what MOD authors would experience if they attempted to bring their HL1 MODs forward to Source. HL: Source was the first test, and proved quite informative. But unlike CS: Source, which included new art and audio throughout, folks here had pretty firm opinions about not changing the content in HL1.
Tribes: Vengeance Review
October 20, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The guys over at HomeLAN have tossed up a review on Irrational Games's first person shooter, Tribes: Vengeance. Here's a bit on the singleplayer portion of the game:
Now, as someone who has played the previous 2 Tribes titles, its hard in the beginning to wrap my mind around the idea of a single player Tribes game, since the concept is so foreign, and the gameplay so fundamentally different from more traditional FPS games, but its something that Irrational quickly warms the player up to. Without giving away too much, the story is set before the original Starsiege Tribes, and built upon the actions of a handful of characters spread across 3 of the major Tribes the ruling Imperials, the evil Blood Eagles, and the good-hearted, but struggling to survive Children of the Phoenix. For this game, rather than limit the player to the perspective of a single character in the story, Irrational has opted to have the player play as several of the different characters spread across two major time periods, switching back and forth between the characters and time periods in an intentional, but erratic order in order to flesh out the story, with the player sometimes taking part in the same event twice, each time as a different character. This immediate separates Tribes: Vengeance from most other single player games, as youll often know what happens in the timeline, but need to play another mission or two to understand why it happened.
Read on!America's Army v2.2 Released
October 20, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The US Army has released a new version (v2.2) of their first person shooter, America's Army. Including a bunch of bug fixes and two new Special Forces missions, you can grab the 40mb update or the full 750mb client at the official website. So what are you waiting for? Get downloadin'!
EverQuest 2 Preview
October 19, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The Jaded-Gamer has kicked up a preview on Sony Online's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, EverQuest 2, after getting a chance to check it out hands-on. Here's some juice:
The archetype system seems to be working very well when group forming. Each type of player is required to create a balanced group. Fighters are your damage absorbers, priests are your healers, whilst mages provide the direct damage. Scouts provide the utility role, such as disarming traps on dropped chests, as well as dealing some serious damage. The tactics of group forming are still up in the air right now with every player and his dog proclaiming their method to be best. However, every one of them is probably right in their own personal circumstance. The diversity amongst the subclasses is such that some classes pair better with others. But at the archetype level, you can hot-swap one type for another (who knows how to play his class) and still have a versatile group.
Joint Operations: Escalation Preview
October 19, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at GameSpot have tossed up a preview on NovaLogic's upcoming Joint Operations expansion pack, Escalation. Here's something to chew on:
Several of the expansion's 30-plus new maps will have multiple control points clustered in an area. This is to let players who prefer close-quarters combat to be able to spend their matches fighting tooth and nail over these hotspots, while other players that prefer to use the game's vehicles will still have that option. Meanwhile, there are more than a dozen new maps for the advance-and-secure mode (which requires teams to capture and hold control points on the map). In addition, you can expect to see plenty of spectacular explosions, along with other particle-based special effects like smoke clouds, heat haze, and even a huge waterfall. These were special effects that were worked in without being extremely taxing to the game's performance. In fact, NovaLogic estimates that the final expansion, with the possible exception of a higher 512MB RAM requirement, will probably have about the same system requirements as the original game.
Half-life 2 Goes Gold!
October 19, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
VU Games has announced that their much anticipated first person shooter, Half-Life 2, has finally gone gold and should be hitting stores November 16th! Here's a clipping from the press release:
LOS ANGELES (October 18, 2004) Vivendi Universal Games (VU Games) today announced that Half-Life® ,2, the sequel to one of the most critically acclaimed PC titles in gaming history, will ship to retail outlets around the world in November. The Company confirmed that Half-Life 2, developed by Valve Software, has gone gold with a planned retail street date of November 16, 2004. The countdown to the highly anticipated retail street date has begun around the world, as VU Games completes plans to ship localized versions of Half-Life 2 simultaneously in English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Korean, Thai and Japanese.
So mark your calendars, get the sleeping bags ready and get plently of rest for those all nighters of HL2 lovin'!
Dawn of War Review
October 19, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The Gaming Groove is the latest website to slap up a review on Relic Entertainment's strategy title, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War. With a final score of 9.5/10, this might be one to check out. Here's nugget:
One of the cool things about DoW is the ability to upgrade units from within the unit options themselves. Gone are the days when you would have to build separate soldiers with separate weapons and bind them together. Now, your standard marine unit will come basic with bolters and a close combat weapon. Now however, you will be able to select a variety of upgrades that will be given to a member of the unit automatically once it has been purchased. These include flamers, heavy bolters, plasma guns, and missile launchers. The heavy bolters and missile launchers require the squad to stand still in order to fire them and is shown by a bar that quickly builds up, indicating readiness. The flamers and plasma guns can be fired on the move and are better suited to squads that are primarily hand to hand based. Added into this is the Reinforcement option. In order to be brought up to full strength, the gamer can either click the Reinforce button once per soldier or simply right-click on the button to automatically set the squad to Reinforce itself to full strength without supervision. This takes away from a bit more of the micromanagement and keeps the player focused on the battle itself.
Men of Valor Preview
October 19, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The RPGVault has thrown up a preview on 2015's upcoming Vietnam War-based first person shooter, Men of Valor. Here's a bit on the games weapons:
You have the ability to carry several weapons including your own and those you scavenge from the bodies of dead foes. The latter can come in pretty handy at times, or even quite often depending on your play style. For example, if you favor firing off a lot of lead, you may be forced to use captured arms because you run out of ammo. On the other hand, you might simply prefer some of them. By way of example, an AK47 has a larger magazine than an M16 and is better at longer ranges, although it's not precise in automatic mode. Similarly, the PPSH41 gives you the option of many more rounds than either the M16 or the Thompson submachine gun before having to reload, while once again sacrificing some accuracy. In both cases, it's also much easier to find bullets since many enemy bodies have them, albeit you have to search rather quickly before they disappear.
Vampire: Bloodlines Interview
October 18, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Planet Bloodlines has fired-up an interview with Troika's Leonard Boyarski regarding their upcoming RPG, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines. They look at everything from mod support to the size of the game world. Here's a nugget:
PB.de: What feature in Bloodlines are you most proud of?
LB: There's a lot of features I love in this game, from the detailed facial expressions to the discipline implementation, so it's hard to pick one and say that it's my favourite. I think the thing I'm most proud of about Bloodlines is that we accomplished what we set out to do - make a real action RPG. That is, a Troika style RPG that has action oriented combat, not a hack and slash fest with a few stats/skills thrown into the mix so it can be called an 'RPG'.
Guild Wars Interview
October 17, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The Knights Templar has sat down with ArenaNet's Gaile Gray for a brief Q&A regarding their upcoming Online RPG, Guild Wars. They cover the games audio, Observer Mode and more! Here's a clipping:
Q: The prospect of joining a game using Observer Mode to watch and learn from other teams in combat is very appealing. Will this be a static mode of observation or will your camera follow a character (i.e. death cam)? With voice communication being used by many guilds, are there any developer concerns of this being exploited?
A: We agree that there is a lot of fun and learning to be gained from having Observer Mode in the game. And in Guild Wars, you wont be constrained by a stationary camera giving a single perspective of the game. When you are in Observer Mode, you will be able to choose any combatant and click on him or her in order to get that persons personal view of the battle. Even when there are multiple teams in a particular battle, the interface design will give you full freedom to select any player through whom you can observe the combat.
As for voice communication, there could definitely be a potential for cheating via Observer Mode. When you match Observer Mode with voice chat or with in-game whispers, a non-combatant can communicate significant information to those in the battle. Such info could definitely swing the tides of battle; it would be like having the Good Year Blimp over the battleground, with a radio announcer calling the play-by-play. Were going to take all necessary steps to prevent any sort of Observer Mode exploit. One such step is putting the observer on a time delay, so that any relayed information is out of date. Other measures may be put in place as well, to be sure to keep the Guild Wars and its tournament play cheat free and fair for everyone.
Doom III SDK Released!
October 16, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The guys over at id Software have released the SDK for their hit first person shooter, Doom III. Weighing in at 9.6megs, this bad boy will let you get to work on your own mods. So hit id.sdk to get downloading!
SWG: Jump to Lightspeed Preview
October 16, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Another Star Wars Galaxies: Jump to Lightspeed preview has popped up over at GameSpy this evening, taking a look at Sony Online's upcoming expansion pack. Here's some lovin':
Getting your wings is usually a two-step process. First, you have to talk to the recruiter. After hearing his or her spiel about the righteousness of their cause and the wickedness of the opposing faction's (or, in the case of the neutrals, the potential profit and self-growth they can provide), you're off to talk to a squad leader. This is the person that gives you your rudimentary pilot training (thus opening up the profession), approves your initial certifications, and bestows upon you a ship. In my case, this was a basic TIE fighter. No big whoop, really, but it's enough to fly around and get blown up with. I soon found that I had an uncanny knack for the latter.
Guild Wars Preview
October 16, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Keeping things rollin', the FileFront has thrown together a preview on ArenaNet's much anticipated Online RPG, Guild Wars. Here's a bit on the games network system:
Another really cool aspect of Guild Wars is the network code employed by the game. Throughout our playtest, there was never a single bit of lag, and the extra network speed that wasn't being utilized by the actual game was being used to stream in more content for the game to use in upcoming areas. The Guild Wars client is a mere 91 KB and, once you have that, you have everything you need to get in the game, because the content and other assets are streamed to you in-game, without causing any in-game lag. What's even cooler is that Guild Wars has been online and playable for more than two years in a private alpha test that includes a few hundred external testers. Throughout that entire time, the longest time the primary playing servers were offline maxed out at fifteen minutes, and the servers only went out a mere handful of times. Pretty amazing.
UO: Samurai Empire Interview
October 16, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
HomeLAN has caught up with Electronic Arts' Jessica Lewis for a quick chat regarding their upcoming Ultima Online expansion pack, Samurai Empire. Topics range from new professions to future plans. Snip:
HomeLAN - What new monsters will be encountered in the expansion?
Jessica Lewis - There are 20 new monsters, most based on Japanese mythology. For instance: The Hiryu: A winged Dragon thats extremely tough, but can be tamed and ridden; The Fan Dancer: Beautiful but deadly, her fans are as sharp as Samurai swords. She is said to guard her masters treasures and secrets; The Lady of the Snow: An undead spirit, she haunts the frozen tundras of Tokuno. She can turn you into ice with but a touch.
Counter-Strike: Source Review
October 16, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Eurogamer has whipped up a review on Valve Software's first person shooter, Counter-Strike: Source. Here's a bit on the updated maps:
Each of the nine maps has been given a lot of love and attention, although some plainly benefit more than others. Aztec, for example, takes best advantage of the new 3D skyboxes, which create the illusion of much more depth (temples rise into the sky, and banks of hills are lined with military supplies and vehicles), all harness bump-mapping techniques to make the most of their re-chiselled textures, and many make use of the engine's various showpieces - specular lighting effects on shiny floors, particles of sand dancing in the air, realistic splash effects and water behaviour, and increased detail in death animations. Then there's the blinding effect of the flashbang - the whole screen goes white, and the image gradually distorts back into focus as you twist and turn. It's a delightful agony, now, not being able to see.
UO: Samurai Empire Dev Diary
October 15, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy has posted a developer diary written by Electronic Arts' Walter Ianneo regarding the artwork in their upcoming Ultima Online: Samurai Empire. Here's some juice:
Another challenging detail we needed to pay attention to was the architecture. Take the Japanese Pagoda-style roofs. There are minor differences in spacing, size, and color that make a roof definitively Japanese. Traditional Chinese roofs are green and thinly spaced. Japanese roofs are neutral in color and are dispersed in a wider fashion. The differences seem subtle to us, but to our Eastern UO players, the difference is blaring.
Read onSWG: Jump to Lightspeed Preview
October 15, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
PC.IGN has thrown together a preview on Sony Online's upcoming Star Wars Galaxies expansion pack, Jump to Lightspeed, after getting a chance to check it out hands-on. Here's a nugget:
Three choices are available for starting pilots: serve the Rebellion, the Empire, or simply take up with a neutral faction. The planetary maps offer up waypoints to the recruiters for each of the factions; some do still require a bit of searching but you can find them relatively easily. Being the naturally evil person that I am, I chose the Empire. Since this game takes place during the time period of the original Star Wars trilogy, the Empire is on the run and are desperate for new recruits to pilot their TIE Fighters. There are similar rationales for the other factions to give ships to brand new players.
Commandos Strike Force Announced
October 15, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at Eidos have announced a new first person shooter set in the Commandos universe, entitled Commandos Strike Force. Here's a clipping from the press release (Thanks ShackNews!):
Eidos, one of the world's leading publishers and developers of entertainment software, announces the return of the legendary Commandos in the World War II first person shooter Commandos Strike ForceTM. Developed by Pyro Studios, Commandos Strike Force will be released worldwide in spring 2005 on PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC.
In a new direction for the multi-million selling series, Commandos Strike Force takes you right into the heart of the action from a first person perspective. Take control of the three members of the 'Strike Force' unit, each with their own play style. Switch between the Green Beret, always at the heart of the action with his expertise in combat and the use of heavy weaponry, the Sniper with his nerves of steel and expert marksmanship, and the Spy, stealthily striking at the heart of the enemy. However, it is up to you how you execute plans of attack by combining the Commandos' unique skills.
Wish Developer Diary
October 15, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The RPG Vault has posted a developer diary written by Mutable Realms' Michael K. Donovan regarding the writing in their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Wish. Here's a clipping:
We wanted to design Ganedan from many different perspectives to ensure that a wide range of play styles would be represented and fit comfortably together in the world. The development of culture, style of government and dominant spiritual beliefs became important early factors in the creation of national identities for the playable races. We matched up what we considered to be appropriate and interesting combinations for each race and region then went to work fleshing out how they got that way.
Ground Control II Review
October 15, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Thanks to OcPrices for sending word that they have slapped up a review on Massive Entertainment's strategy title, Ground Control II: Operation Exodus. Here's some lovin':
Perhaps the biggest overall change to the game is how battles are fought. In GC2 you start the mission with a landing/drop zone. This zone is of vital importance, as its the only way you can call down units to fight in the battle. Using acquisition points you purchase the units you want and call them down using a drop ship. Over time you gain more acquisition points to get more troops. This is time consuming but you can get more acquisition points faster by taking over strategic locations across the map that are known as victory locations.
Click here for the goods!Empire Earth 2 Q&A
October 14, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Also over at the FileFront this evening is an interview with Mad Doc Software's Ian Davis regarding their upcoming strategy title, Empire Earth 2. Here's something to chew on:
Q: Can you list some of the new Empire Earth 2 features that weren't in the original game?
A: Weve put a lot of thought into how a game of this scope can be best played, and the improvements and innovations weve made the Diplomacy System, the Crown System, Territories, Citizen Manager, Picture-in-Picture, and especially the War Planner have had a HUGE impact on gameplay.
In addition, through the Crown System, Tech Tree, Leaders, and Wonders you can customize the types of bonuses you receive throughout the course of the game. This allows the player to adapt - and react - better to the changing circumstances of any particular game, rather than pre-determine everything. Weve also implemented advanced, non-cheating AI which levels the in-game playing field and moves the RTS genre forward.
MoH: Pacific Assault Interview
October 14, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The FileFront has caught up with Electronic Arts' Rick Giolito for a quick chat regarding their upcoming first person shooter, Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault. They look at everything from multiplayer to drivable vehicles. Snip
Q: Will the player be getting behind the wheels of any vehicles in Pacific Assault, or is the game-play primarily going to be taking place on foot?
A: For the first time in the history of the MoH franchise, MoH PA will give players control of a plane. The level in which flight is introduced involves Tommy Conlin hitching a ride in a Dauntless as a tail gunner. It starts off as a railride, but in the middle of the fight, something goes horribly wrong, and Tommy is fiven the stick.
The inclusion of flying was an important element in conveying the true WWII in the Pacific experience. The Pacific theater was enormous and naval and air power were huge factors in many battles.
EverQuest 2 Preview
October 14, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Another EverQuest 2 preview has popped up over at HomeLAN this evening, taking a look at Sony Online's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG. Here's a bit on the games visuals:
The graphical features of Everquest 2 are truly impressive for a MMORPG. We were particularly impressed with the character designs which include bump mapping textures that give the skin and clothing of character and creatures a more realistic look. The environments we have seen so far have also been visually impressive, particularly the look of the water. One of the cooler things about Everquest 2 is the fact that Sony Online has levels of graphics that would slow down even the fastest PC or quickest graphics card but even one or two levels down from the Ultra-High graphics the game still looks great and runs at a solid frame rate. Its clear that Sony Online is making this game not just for current PCs but for future ones as well.
Ultima Online: Samurai Empire Goes Gold
October 14, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Electronic Arts has updated the official Ultima Online: Samurai Empire website with word that their upcoming expansion pack has gone gold and will be shipping to stores November 2nd. So keep an eye out for it!
Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory Interview
October 13, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
PC.IGN has fired-up an interview with Mathieu Ferland, the producer behind Ubisoft's upcoming stealth title, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory. They look at the new co-op mode, the games engine and more! uNF:
IGN: Probably the most interesting addition (outside of co-op) is the change in the stealth meter. There are now two meters, one for visual and one for sound. How will the new meters work compared to what was seen in the first two Splinter Cell games?
MF: We wanted to add a new layer of control for playing stealth using the ambient sounds. It also adds more realism to the game. The system is quite simple. The gauge has two meters on it, one for the ambient sound, and one for the players' sounds. If the environment is quiet, the player has to be very careful. If there is a loud sound in the environment, the player has more flexibility. He can make more noise, as long as he doesn't exceed the ambient sound. This creates cool gameplay situations where players have the option to synchronize their moves with a cycling loud sound, like thunder for example.
Star Wars: KOTOR II Q&A
October 13, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The RPG Vault has posted an interview with several of the guys behind LucasArts and Obsidian Entertainment's upcoming RPG, Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. They chat about everything from the storyline to party members. Here's a nugget:
Jonric: Speaking of the party members, how did you choose which ones return? And with the new ones, what kinds of things can we look for that will make them special in their own ways?
Chris Avellone: T3-M4 has already been mentioned, but there will be others, both as party members and cameos. With the new characters, we're trying to have a lot of their past, history and personality come through the influence mechanics in the game - the more you travel, interact, talk and do battle with them, the more you have a chance to develop them.
In addition, we tried to give each companion their own special ability or abilities that will set them apart from the other characters. Atton (Han Solo type-scoundrel), for example, has a survival instinct that keeps him from permanently getting knocked out as long as he's not the last man standing. This makes his saving throws better the more damage he takes, and also causes him to pipe in with "I've got a bad feeling about this," whenever you should save the game. It was our effort to try and give the game a more cinematic experience.
The Sims 2 Review
October 13, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The AVault has whipped up a review on Maxis' hit people-sim title, The Sims 2. The writer claims to have not played the origional game, but really seemed to like this one. Anyways, here's a bit on the new aspirations feature:
There is a new feature to The Sims 2 called aspirations. These represent different desires, according to what your Sim has prioritized in life. Again using my little Jenn as an example, her aspiration is knowledge, and so her wants involve gaining more information. From day-to-day her aspiration needs will change, and with every fulfilled desire she will develop reward points. There are fears to mirror these aspirations, and if any of these come true she will lose reward points. For instance, starting a fire is a great fear of our little heroine, and if she accidentally torches a pop-tart (and the kitchen with it), she loses 1000 reward points. However, gazing at the stars and developing another knowledge point will net her 1500 points. So not only do you need to balance out the daily physical needs, but you also have to continue working towards a brighter future for your Sims. The reward points can be spent on certain objects not listed in the usual buy catalogue. These are non-refundable, and are esoteric in the extreme. My favorite is the money tree that needs plenty of water and can be harvested daily for 40 simoleans. Havent we all dreamed of this?
New Painkiller Demo
October 13, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
People Can Fly have released a new singleplayer demo from their action-packed first person shooter, Painkiller. Weighing in at 180megs, you will get to kick some butt in a Military Base level. Hit the following mirrors to get downloading!
Counter-Strike: Source Impressions
October 13, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot is the latest website to throw together some impressions on Valve Software's first person shooter, Counter-Strike: Source. Here's a bit on the games maps:
CS: Source comes with nine different maps, but again, none of these will be new to longtime players. It's still extremely fun to see old favorites such as Dust, Office, Aztec, Italy, and Cobble in a brand-new light, thanks to the improved graphics and detail afforded by the Source engine. The most obvious change is the inclusion of more detailed skyboxes that actually render the tops of buildings. On Aztec, for example, you'll actually see the tops of the pyramids that you're fighting in, and if you can find a moment to stop and look around, it feels more like you're actually in the center of a large archaeological site. Other outdoor maps, such as Dust2, also benefit greatly from the improved detail.
Read onBioShock Interview
October 12, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The guys over at PC.IGN have kicked up a short interview with Irrational Games' Ken Levine regarding their recently-announced first person shooter/RPG, BioShock. No new info really, but they do clarify the connection to System Shock 2 and the design direction their taking. Click here for the goods!
Guild Wars Interview
October 12, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has ArenaNet's Jeff Strain in the hot seat this evening, answering questions regarding their upcoming Online RPG, Guild Wars. Topics range from skills to cheating. Here's a blurb:
GS: Tell us about the way skills are planned to work in practice in a competitive online environment? How dependent is successful play on players' reflexes and on the ability for players to coordinate joint strategies with good timing? How is this being compensated for against online lag, differing connection speeds, and the usual problems that can sometimes break up online action games?
JS: We want to find a balance between strategy and action. Planning ahead is important, but it's not more important than what happens on the battlefield. Coordinating movements, adjusting strategy on the fly, and timing attacks are all crucial at high levels of play. For instance, with interruption, where you specifically target an opponent who's performing a skill, anticipation is key. Anticipating your opponent's timing will make the difference, and connection speed doesn't play much of a role. We also allow dodging. You can attempt to dodge incoming missiles or launch a counterattack to foil your enemy. Timing is an important factor, but Guild Wars isn't a twitch game. Ultimately, strategy and teamwork will win the day.
Men of Valor Golden!
October 12, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Vivendi Universal Games has announced that the PC version of their upcoming first person shooter, Men of Valor, has gone gold and should hit stores October 26th! Here's a clipping from the press release:
LOS ANGELES, CA (October 11, 2004) Vivendi Universal Games and 2015 Inc. announced today that the PC version of their upcoming first-person action game Men of Valor has gone gold and will ship to retail stores in the United States on October 26th. The game will be released on the Xbox video game system from Microsoft on October 19th. A Macintosh operating system version will be published by Aspyr Media, Inc.
w00t!
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Interview
October 12, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The RPG Vault has slapped up an interview with a bunch of the guys behind GSC Game World's upcoming first person shooter, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl. They chat about enemies and the locations in the game. Here's a nugget:
Jonric: What are a couple of enemies in STALKER that you find especially memorable, noteworthy or personally interesting?
Andrew Prokhorov, Project Lead / Lead Designer: I'm particularly fond of the Military Stalker - a guy hidden behind an armoured gas mask, so you can't see his face. He has a terrible, really black sense of humour. He reminds me Darth Vader a little bit. He's just the guy to make you realize that bullets fly much faster than the top speed you can run at.
Flesh is my other choice. This is the smartest one on the mutant side. Its policy is if it can avoid combat, it will. But if it has some buddies with it, it then attacks! However, even then, they're kinda cowardly - they sneak up from behind, but if you happen to turn around, they'll scatter and pretend that nothing happened! I almost imagine them idly whistling and looking at their shoes if they're caught doing no good!
EverQuest II Preview
October 12, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
PC.IGN has thrown up a preview on Sony Online's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, EverQuest II, after getting a chance to check it out hands-on. Here's a clipping:
The other aspect of your working life in Qeynos is hunting down the vermin that have infested the wooded areas around Qeynos and the catacombs beneath its streets. Between running deliveries and stamping out the wildlife wherever it rears its beaked, whiskered, or pincer-mouted head, you'll definitely have your hands full. Though there's no set limit on it, you'll find that the challenges that lay beyond the walls of this starting island aren't suitable for players who haven't built up at least a little experience helping out the people in this sprawling city.
Counter-Strike: Source Review
October 11, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Thanks to GameConnect Magazine for sending word that they have whipped up a review on Valve Software's first person shooter, Counter-Strike: Source. Here's a bit on the games visuals:
The first thing one will notice upon launching the game is the huge graphical upgrade from previous iterations of the series. Valve has been graphically improving its games for some time now; but after the higher-poly models released for Half-Life Deathmatch and Team Fortress Classic, the High-Definition pack released with Blue Shift and the upgraded map geometry and texturing in Condition Zero, the aging Half-Life engine has become a bottleneck. Valve has taken the freedom the Source engine brings and created new maps and models to breathe new life into an old game. The new grenade explosions are fantastic - particularly the flashbangs blinding and dizzying effects. The changed weapon models may take some time to get used to but are uniformly excellent. Everytime, you can apreciate the fantastic Shaders effects, it is absolutely impressive to see how good is the lighting, brightness, water effects, real-time shadows....the engine is running perfectly. If Half-life 2 is that good, It will be hard to find a better game in the future.
Guild Wars Interview
October 10, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
TheGuildWars.Net has caught up with ArenaNet's Gaile Gray for a quick Q&A regarding their upcoming Online RPG, Guild Wars. They look at everything from development bloopers to PvE content. Here's a clipping:
Obviously Guild Wars is focused heavily in the PvP area. Will you be adding any large scale Guild vs. Environment content to provide additional challenges for guilds? If so, what kind of PvE content can we expect on the guild level?
The PvE content is extensive, as we've mentioned before, and has a very deep and involving storyline. PvP will also involve a story, but it's in PvE that you learn the back-story of Tyria, and discover the factions, the shifting loyalties, and the surprising revelations of who is friend and who is foe.
One of the aspects that I have always felt would be interesting for guilds was trying not just different skills sets, of which there are probably tens of thousands of possible combinations, but also different profession combinations on the various maps. For instance, an all-caster build on one map, a no-ranger or all-summoner build on another. These would be yet another factor in involving and varied gameplay.
I haven't asked specifically about largescale guild challenges in PvE, but I think we may have an answer when you look at the E3 for Everyone Event, and consider the quest added on the final day of the demo. If you recall, Prince Rurik appeared in Khylo and entreated us to form a party and help slay the evil bone dragon, Rotscale. The quest involved the largest party size possible in a mission, and it ended up being quite a challenge to complete. A guild could certainly make a study of such a quest, to devise the best manner of attaining success. And with quests of even greater difficulty, and with the potential for many subquests and hidden objectives within each major quest, there would be many exciting new challenges to overcome.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Preview
October 9, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
PC.IGN has posted a hands-on preview taking a look at the multiplayer portion of GSC Game World's upcoming first person shooter, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl. Here's a bit on the maps:
It's obvious that GSC has taken an approach similar to Irrational about objects in a world. While not quite as heavily populated as SWAT 4, there are a lot of objects lying around each level offering cover and visual interest. This very thing is what will keep STALKER's multiplayer quite a bit slower paced than a Unreal Tournament 2004 type of game. With textures that are much more detailed and naturally toned, players will blend in with environments quite well. Patient players willing to move around the map using cover and intelligence should be very successful. Players moving fast will be seen quite a bit easier than those laying low. I'm just hoping this doesn't create a camper's paradise and create really slow games.
Read onBioShock Revealed
October 9, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has posted an exclusive first look at Irrational Games' upcoming first person shooter/RPG, BioShock. Being called the "spiritual successor" to System Shock 2, this is sure to raise some eyebrows! Anyways, here's a clipping:
You'll explore the complex from a first-person perspective, similar to System Shock 2 or Deus Ex, and you'll find it inhabited by three primary "castes" of creatures, which Irrational is currently referring to as "drones," "predators," and "soldiers"--creatures that might once have been human. We were shown a few concept images of creatures that were part human, part monster. Exactly how these creatures came to be this way isn't clear, but Irrational has suggested that some of them are actually fused with human anatomy: human lungs are grafted onto their bodies to breathe, and the human arm dangling off to the side can still hold and fire a gun.
Be sure to check out the three pieces of concept art while you're at it!Freedom Force Vs. The Third Reich Preview
October 9, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Also over at GameSpy this evening is another preview on Irrational Games' upcoming RPG, Freedom Force Vs. The Third Reich. Here's a bit on the games urban environment:
Fans of urban demolishment, rejoice: Freedom Force Vs. The Third Reich will feature substantial improvements in this area over the original. Pretty much everything you see in the environments is open game to be uprooted and swung, or lifted and heaved in the direction of enemies. The "physics" behind all this has been tweaked, so that the chain reactions that occur as a result will be more convincing. This is especially evident in the way that buildings react to all this. Toss a mailbox at a group of enemies backed up against a the wall of a structure, for instance, and not only will you inflict much harm upon their persons, but the surface of the building will crackle and shatter. Beat the crap out of it enough, and it'll crumble, with bits of debris raining down on all unfortunate enough to be standing under its wake.
*muhahaha*
Empire Earth 2 Preview
October 9, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy has thrown together a quick preview on Mad Doc Software's upcoming strategy title, Empire Earth 2, after getting a chance to check it out hands-on. Here's a nugget:
A bit of background: Empire Earth II, like its predecessor, allows players to take guide a civilization from the stone age, all the way to the distant future. All in the context of an RTS, of course; the early scenarios will put slingers, primitive infantrymen, and the like at your disposal, while the later ones will have you commanding squads of giant robots, and all sorts of futurisitic artillery. There are 15 civilizations in all, which include the Romans, Turks, Koreans, Greeks, Egyptians, Germans, Aztecs, and Mayan, among others. Each of these groups will have certain areas in which they excel, as well as units unique to them.
WoW Open Beta Soon?
October 9, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The official World of WarCraft website has been updated with word that they will soon be accepting applications for the open beta test. No date was given, so be sure to keep checking back. Thanks Evil Avatar!
Star Wars: Battlefront Patch
October 8, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Pandemic Studios has released a new patch (v1.01) for their multiplayer shooter, Star Wars: Battlefront. Weighing in at 3megs, here's the short list of what's new:
- Corrects an issue with connecting via GameSpy Arcade.
- Corrects an issue with losing connection to the host after Task-Switching.
- Added planet names at Planet Loading Screen.
Freedom Force vs. the Third Reich Preview
October 8, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Another Freedom Force vs. the Third Reich preview has popped up over at GameSpot this evening, taking a look at Irrational Games' upcoming RPG. Here's a bit on some of the new heroes:
Sky King is a movie actor whose claim to fame is a rickety jetpack that was originally a movie prop. However, the patriotic urge to help the Allied troops in World War II inspires him to seek a means to make his jetpack work. Despite his lack of innate superpowers, Sky King's ability to fly is a remarkable power (or at least, it would have been, back in the 1940s). Quetzalcoatl is a different story. This young boy whiles away his afternoons listening to boring stories of Aztec lore from his grandfather, only to acquire the powers of an ancient deity through a series of accidents. Quetzalcoatl's mystical powers let him wield a feathered serpent (his namesake) in battle, and his powers also grant him divine healing abilities.
Read onDungeon Siege 2 Interview
October 8, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The RPGDot has sat down with Gas Powered Games' Kevin Lambert for a quick Q&A regarding their upcoming Action-RPG, Dungeon Siege 2. Topics range from the storyline to the games engine. Here's a blurb:
RPGDot: We have heard from our true role-playing fans that they were a little disappointed with the depth of the story in the original Dungeon Siege. Will the player be more involved in Dungeon Siege II? Do you have some good news for the RPGers out there?
Kevin Lambert: It was great to hear that fans of the original Dungeon Siege were excited about a deeper narrative because this was an area we also wanted to improve. The quests in DS2 are deeply intertwined with the story, the party members all have distinct stories and personalities, and occasionally they speak to each other. We've also added roughly four times the amount of dialogue that DS1 had and there are many more interactive and non-interactive cut-scenes to tell the story. We have definitely taken a step towards the more classic definition of RPG, but have also struck a balance to keep the action element as well.
New Battlefield: Vietnam Patch
October 8, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at Electronic Arts have released a new 295mb patch (v1.2) for their multiplayer shooter, Battlefield: Vietnam. Included are new maps, vehicles and a whole lot more! Hit the mirrors below for the goods: Rock on!
EverQuest II Preview
October 8, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The ActionTrip has thrown up some impressions on Sony Online's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, EverQuest II, after getting some hands-on time with this bad boy. Here's a nugget:
When I hit the button to fire off the spell, nothing happened. I was confused that maybe I had done something wrong but then I noticed that near his name that was over his head, there was a small icon of a lock. Another icon was over the heads of the two goblins he was fighting. The game had locked these three in combat and until it was resolved one way or the other, I could not interfere in any way. I assumed (and learned later that I was correct) that if I were in a group with him, I would be able to interact with any of the three combatants. This was EQ2's solution for one of the biggest gripes in an online game: Kill Stealing. Locking groups of combatants like this means that players do not have to worry about people coming along and taking a swat or two on the monster they are fighting and sharing in the experience.
Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich Preview
October 7, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Keeping things rollin', PC.IGN has fired-up a preview on Irrational Games' upcoming superhero RPG, Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich, after getting a chance to check it out hands-on. Here's a bit on the spiffy lighting:
All of the lighting effects for structures are amazing, but when the special effects for each of the powers start flying around, the glory of their improvements become apparent. All of them are so crisp and colorful that the comic book style is only improved upon. Now those scenes in comics where the entire panel is red and yellow because of the flame power will come to life. The lighting adds a vibrant quality that wasn't there before. Special effects on each of the characters can also be included for effects such as these. For example, it was immediately evident that the improved El Diablo model now has fire dancing around his fists, ready to be used to char up some evildoers.
Brothers in Arms Interview
October 7, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The FileFront has caught up with Gearbox Software's Randy Pitchford for a quick chat regarding their upcoming tactical shooter, Brothers in Arms. They look at everything from multiplayer to the games engine. Here's a blurb:
Q: What makes Brothers in Arms different from other critically acclaimed WWII shooters (namely Call of Duty)?
A: Call of Duty is a fun shooter, but it failed to live up to its promise. On the box it said, In war, no one fights alone. When I bought Call of Duty, I wanted that promise. I ended up not being alone with a bunch of scripted allies except for half the game where I was alone...
If youve ever read a war story or seen a war movie and youve thought about actually being there being one of the guys in that squad then youll appreciate what Brothers in Arms is doing. Brothers in Arms is all about actually being there in the real place and with real soldiers. The squad combat system just brings things to a whole new level.
In terms of visuals, Brothers in Arms is nicer. In terms of squad combat, Brothers in Arms offers it better and offers more. In terms of authenticity, its not even close Brothers in Arms is the real thing.
New Guild Wars Trailer
October 7, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The peeps over at ArenaNet have released a new 20mb trailer showing off thier upcoming Online RPG, Guild Wars. Included is a look at the environments, monsters more! Click here for the goods.
Men of Valor Preview
October 7, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The ActionTrip has tossed up a short hands-on preview taking a look at 2015's upcoming first person shooter, Men of Valor. Here's a bit on the visuals:
While the Unreal engine doesn't provide spectacular looking character animation or the kind of special effects that could rival the ones in say Call of Duty: United Offensive, I was impressed with how the lush jungle vegetation was presented in Men of Valor. The thing I really liked about it is that you can shoot Charlie through the grove; thankfully, a bush is not an impenetrable wall, and nearly the entire flora is done in 3D. Needless to say, this helps a lot in providing the right type of immersive environment for the action. Other neat visual effects include the now customary heat haze effect that never seizes to impress me no matter how many times I see it in games.
Read onEvil Genius Review
October 7, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Thanks to GameConnect for sending word that they have whipped up a review on Elixir Studios' strategy title, Evil Genius. Here's a bit on the games audio:
The game's sound department is equally inspired, featuring a slew of politically incorrect world-map voice-overs that offend just about every accent out there, sparing none, guaranteed to make you laugh. Every command issued in the evil lair is echoed by a female voice distorted to recreate the impression she's speaking through a public announcement system, which is very effective for atmosphere, definitely different, and slightly hard to hear in more crowded situations. Zooming in on your minions at work will let you listen in on their mimed conversations: imagine an evil lair staffed entirely by Mr. Bean clones, and you have a recipe for true, unadulterated evil that would make the Lord of Darkness himself give up.
New UT 2004 Dedicated Server
October 6, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Epic Games has released a new dedicated server (v3323) for their hit first person shooter, Unreal Tournament 2004. Included is all the content from the Editor's Choice version of the game. Anyways, you can grab this bad boy from the following mirrors: uNF!
World of WarCraft Interview
October 6, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The Kingdoms Of Azeroth has sat down with Blizzard Entertainment's Tyren for a quick chat regarding their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, World of WarCraft. Topics range from racial abilities to Hero classes. Snip:
What kind of an endgame is Blizzard working towards? Are you focusing mainly on PvP, or will there be features available to the Carebear as well? How will the end content add to the currently lacking replayability of World of Warcraft?
While player-versus-player encounters will be available to players regardless of server, there will be some major aspects of endgame gameplay available to players who do not wish to engage in PvP. In addition to Hero classes (mentioned above), World of Warcraft will also have a wide variety of raids ranging in difficulty and depth. There will be multiple tiers of raids from low to high. While some raid encounters will be independent of others, many raid areas will be interconnected so that if you wish to participate in a certain high tier raid, you must first complete a lower tier raid and get the necessary component to activate the high tier one. The system being completed will guarantee a wide variety of encounters that will keep players busy for a long time to come.
Tribes: Vengeance Patch
October 6, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Irrational Games has released the first patch for their just-shipped first person shooter, Tribes: Vengeance. It's a small 2.5mb patch that "includes general updates and is required for online play". Hit the following mirrors to get downloading:
EverQuest II Preview
October 6, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The RPGVault has thrown together some impressions on Sony Online's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, EverQuest II, after getting some hands-on time with the sucker. Here's a bit on the visuals:
With respect to the visual aspects, art direction is always an area in which each gamer's personal preferences play a vital role. That said, it's clear that the art team's work is of a very high caliber both technically and artistically. It's not completely clear yet how this will impact in terms of hardware requirements. One would have to guess they'll be on the high side, although there are numerous settings that can be tweaked to help improve performance. Of these, quite possible the most interesting is the letterbox, which allows you to adjust how much on-screen real estate the game action occupies, from none up to a ratio in which the picture portion takes on a widescreen movie-like aspect ratio. Assuming you have the hardware to run full-screen, whether you prefer the more cinematic view seems primarily a matter of taste. So is the decision to use the first-or third-person perspective.
The Sims 2 Review
October 6, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at the FiringSquad have finally fired-up a review on Maxis' people-sim, The Sims 2. Here's an interesting bit on the growth of your sims:
In the original Sims, all you really do is control a family of virtual characters as they go throughout their natural lives. However, in The Sims 2 your character can die of old age and can also have children who grow up and have their own children. Each sim, for instance, has their own DNA that can be combined with other sims to form a child and so on. Its quite an interesting process. These children can grow up and have children of their own making the family tree grow and flourish. Well, that and fertilizer.
City of Heroes Review
October 5, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Thanks to GameClubCentral for sending word that they have slapped up a review on Cryptic Studios' superhero-based massively multiplayer online RPG, City of Heroes. Here's a bit on the games missions:
Like in other games you begin fighting the smaller fare, thugs with guns and purse snatchers, but unlike other games, you start powerful, and easily take down the criminal element. As you progress through your first few levels, you will be introduced to NPC's that become your "Contact" points for new missions, enhancements, and more. Missions in CoH are cleverly organized, and designed in the first levels to help you find your way through the various zones in the city. Way points light up your destination for indoor missions, making it easy to find the entrance to that evil-doers lair. There are also outdoor missions which usually take place within a city zone, and entrust you to take down a certain number of a particular criminal element. Of the two types, most people seem to prefer the indoor missions, as they are "tuned" to you or your group, and no one else can enter them to fight. This makes for some great social aspects to the game, as you can easily form a team and take out bigger and badder meanies, in less time.
Dungeon Siege II Q&A
October 5, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has Gas Powered Games' Kevin Lambert in the hot seat this evening, answering questions regarding their upcoming Action-RPG, Dungeon Siege II. They cover the storyline, AI and more! Here's some lovin':
GS: We understand that the team solicited the opinions of its fans about the previous games, and that one of the most popular requests was for a more-compelling story to tie the sequel together. How are you going about creating this story and keeping it compelling? Are there any specific influences you'd care to cite--specific authors, television shows, or movies? Are there any specific plot devices you feel are central to the game's story?
KL: We were serious about creating a more compelling narrative for Dungeon Siege II, so we contracted a talented writer who worked closely with us to develop the story and characters. We've added characters who make multiple appearances over the course of the game, party members who have personalities and banter with each other, robust towns and non-player characters that change as the story progresses, and dialogue trees with choices for the player. Influences came from many books, movies, and games, but Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings definitely made a big impression on us, with the rich detail in its universe.
Dawn of War Review
October 5, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
HomeLAN is the latest website to throw together a review on Relic Entertainment's recently released strategy title, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War. The game walks away with a final score of 89%. Here's something to nibble on:
The opening CGI cut scene is an excellent way to set up the main single player campaign. Fans of the original game should enjoy seeing the various elements of Warhammer 40,000 put into a 3D game. Unit and structure building is pretty straightforward, from simple infantry to big honking mech vehicles. Relic gives the game hero units to improve the rest of the armies in various ways and the units also can be upgraded with better weapons and items. There is no resource gathering but players do have to claim pre-marked points on the maps to gain more units and energy pods are also needed as well.
Black & White 2 Dev Diary
October 5, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy has posted a developer diary written by Mark Hill, one of the animators behind Lionhead Studios' upcoming god-game, Black & White 2. Here's a short clipping:
But while they're by far the most spectacular, the Creatures aren't the only animated beings in Black & White 2. Every villager going about his daily business and every warrior locked in mortal battle has been carefully simulated. And the team will go to any lengths necessary to make each one as realistic and believable as possible.
SPMark04 Review
October 5, 2004 - Nicklas Renqvist
The good fellows over at DNA-Drivers have posted a review on our Smart Phone benchmark, SPMark04. Here's a blurb: $qs SPMark is nothing less worth than a gold award. Futuremark has done awesome work and even for the idea, to create a benchmark for mobile phones should be given a gold award. $qe To check out the review, click here!
New Vampire: Bloodlines Trailer
October 4, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Keeping things rollin', the guys over at Troika Games have released a new trailer showing off thier upcoming RPG, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines. Weighing in at 9megs, you can find this sucker at the following mirrors: Now get downloadin'! *Muhahaha* :evil:
The Matrix Online Q&A
October 3, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Voodoo Extreme has caught up with Monolith's William Westwater for a quick Q&A regarding their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, The Matrix Online. They look at everything from character advancement to Wire-Fu. Here's a clipping:
VE3D - What exactly is 'Wire-Fu'?
William Westwater - The fighting system tries to create the visceral pleasure of physical domination with the realities of the Internet. After all, with hundreds of characters and support for modem play, we couldn't possible create an online-fighting game. Instead, the Interlock system allows you to select tactics and special moves, which your character will try to perform. Sometimes he hits first and fastest; sometimes his moves may be blocked or even reversed. You pick the best tactic based on what you know of your opponent's abilities and self-boosts as well as your own ability set. Instead of countering a specific move as you would in a fighting game, you are countering your enemy's general strategy. A good player will not land every punch, but the right choices will mean that you hit for much more damage and for more effective combinations.
Guild Wars Interview
October 2, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Guild Wars OnlineWelten has thrown up a short interview with ArenaNet regarding their upcoming Online RPG, Guild Wars. They look at tournaments, interacting with the world and more. Here's some juice:
Will there be any benefits for guilds winning large (official) tournaments, besides the "fame" they gain and their Ladder-rank? For example a bigger Guildhall, which you cant gain in any usual way or maybe some "real-life" prices like some free expansion-packs? Or maybe even a visit at the Arena.Net Studios (as it happened at the Community Day)? Will Solo-Players also have a chance to obtain such prizes?
Weve been talking about some of the options for tournament play. Both in-game recognition and reward as well as possible real-world recognition are all factors that were considering. Your ideas are very good here, and I am sure that the Guild Wars community at a whole will contribute a lot of additional thoughts to help make our tournaments challenging and rewarding. As you know, Guild Wars will offer a rare opportunity for a team to be the best in the world, not simply the best in a shard or server or realm. After all, whats the fun of saying My guild is the best on Server #94 of the Something-Something Realm? J Not all details are finalized, but we do have some very exciting plans in store, with meaningful outcomes for those who are ranked as the best amongst the best.
In thinking about the last part of your question, I honestly dont know how solo players could be rewarded, since most rewards are obtained via competition and solo gameplay pretty much precludes competition. However, were certainly listening to the community about their hopes for Guild Wars and the features that it offers. So if good ideas about single player rewards are offered by fans via our many fansite forums, well be sure to consider them all.
Men of Valor MP Demo Released
October 2, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at 2015 have released a 328mb multiplayer demo from their upcoming first person shooter, Men of Valor. Included are two maps and three gameplay modes. Hit the following mirrors to get downloading: Rock on!
The Matrix Online Preview
October 2, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The GameBanshee has fired-up a preview on Monolith's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, The Matrix Online. Here's a bit on the combat system:
The control and action base of the game is the same idea behind most successful MMORPGs, consisting largely of your character walking around, taking missions, and hitting things. But instead of the same old orcs and battle axes, the Matrix offers plenty of unique possibilities new to the online roleplaying world. Need a better weapon for a tough battle? Forget that town portal, just have your operator upload you a weapon with a little more kick. As your character grows more proficient in abusing the laws of the Matrix, you begin learning rather impressive wire-fu moves to dispatch your attackers. Another refreshing factor for the hack and slashers out there is may be that there are no silly first level animals (snakes, beetles and the like) that you must defeat in order to improve. Even the weakest foes you face, such as street thugs, can still be fairly dangerous if not handled correctly.
EverQuest 2 Interview
October 2, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
EQ2.WarCry has caught up with Sony Online's John Blakely for a quick chat regarding their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, EverQuest 2. They look at everything from Betrayal quests to the beta. Here's a blurb:
2. Will there be any special rewards in the Betrayal quests besides the chance to switch cities? Is there any way to cancel the quest once you have started like perhaps saying your sorry! (Side note, off the record : I just finished the quest in beta at level 15 and became an Evil dwarf. That quest was so hard and it would be very cool if you guys could add like an evil/good item for a final reward.)
JB Betrayal is a long, tough, and lonely journey in EverQuest II. Your reward for success IS the journey and the benefits of being a rare race/class combination in game. Betrayal should not be taken lightly, however; it represents one of the more challenging paths in the game.
Men of Valor Impressions
October 2, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
HomeLAN has thrown up some impressions on 2015's upcoming first person shooter, Men of Valor. Here's a bit on the multiplayer portion of the game:
The PC version of the game contains a solid multiplayer suite with a whopping 16 multiplayer levels for players to run around in and shoot each other. 2015 have put in a class based player system for multiplayer (even for simple deathmatch mode) A Marine machine gunner gets the big machine gun, while the Green Beret gets to use Claymores while the ARVN Ranger can call in mortar strikes. In total there are six different classes for both the US and Communist side and it looks like 2015 has done a good job in putting some balance for each class (the machine gunner seems to move slower than other classes, for example).
3DMark05 Hotfix!
October 1, 2004 - Nicklas Renqvist
Thanks to the enthusiasts of our community, we found a way to produce artificially inflated results in 3DMark05. In order to prevent this, we released a hotfix for 3DMark05, bringing it up to version 1.1.0.
Please download the hotfix here!
Here's the fixlist of this hotfix:
- A possible exploit to inflate results in 3DMark05 version 1.0.0 has been fixed
- Updated Entech DLL
- One incorrect unit in the MS Excel importer has been fixed
Battle For Middle-Earth Dev Diary
October 1, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has posted a developer diary written by Electronic Arts' Mical Pedriana regarding the audio in their upcoming RTS, The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth. Here's a nugget:
A new feature this time around was having the music follow the emotional contour of the game experience. When a game begins, the music is a mellow accompaniment to the player who's busily setting up camp and moving small groups around. After this initial phase, when large armies are on the move, the music becomes more energetic. Fast-paced action music will then break in during moments when armies are clashing. Eventually, the music elevates to an epic scale to accommodate apocalyptic moments, such as when encounters with the Balrog and the Army of the Dead occur. As we've done in the past, there is particular attention paid toward army-specific music. So when commanding the armies of Rohan and Gondor, the themes are heroic and filled with great anthems. Likewise, when playing as Mordor and Isengard, the music rings of destruction and domination.
EverQuest II Preview
October 1, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The GameZone has slapped up a preview on Sony Online's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, EverQuest II. Here's a bit on the opening tutorial area:
During the tutorial there are not profession classes. It is not until you arrive at Refuge Island that you actually choose from four groups mage, priest, fighter or scout. Each class refines further as you move through the levels. But during the time on Refuge Island, there are a series of quests that explain the basics of the game, such as combat, grouping and crafting (more about the latter in a moment). Though there is a little variation in the combat missions, all culminate with a raid that will call for a group. During the group, you will learn the dynamics of the heroic opportunities and how you must work as a group to pull off some of the more showcased elements of combat. By the time you reach level 6, it is time to seek out ambassadors, leave the island and begin the real trek through the new world of Norrath.
Twilight War: After the Fall Q&A
October 1, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The RPGVault has posted the second part of their interview with a couple of the guys behind Smiling Gator Productions' upcoming MMORPG, Twilight War: After the Fall. They cover everything from the tech being used to community support. Here's a clipping:
Jonric: How do you intend to implement quests or missions? What are your plans with respect GM-driven events as well as other non-static elements, puzzles et al?
Kingsley Montgomery: Quests and missions will both be in the game. In our case, a "quest" is doing a favor for an NPC, like delivering a letter, finding a lost relative or tracking down a dangerous animal. A quest can be short or very long and complex. "Missions" take you to different mission zones and involve everything from inter-faction raids to stealing technology to mining for resources in dangerous areas.
Matthew Simmons: As Kingsley said before, there will be a staff of GMs who do nothing but play characters or creatures, so players may not initially know if they are fighting AI or not. GMs will also get together to do large scale, storyline-driven events, possibly involving the larger player clans.
Men of Valor Preview
October 1, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
PC.IGN has tossed 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 bit on your AI teammates:
Obviously, the extreme thrill of fighting alongside AI teammates has passed its peak, but it still ads an element of cooperation and intensity being a part of a bigger battle than is often possible with a shooter that pits players against the entire world. It's also obvious that it makes much more sense in "real world" situations. Men of Valor goes a step farther than 2015 went in previous titles by adding personality to each of the faces and names as well, like Hoss, the big farm boy that seems a little slow, but has a good heart. The other added twist to the personal nature of the story are some of the racial tensions that are apparent and were a major problem during the time of the war (not to say they're non-existent nowadays) giving many examples in the intro letters and during gameplay both in cutscenes and during the fighting.
Dawn of War Review
October 1, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Thanks to GameConnect Magazine for sending word that they have fired-up a review on Relic Entertainment's strategy title, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War. Here's some juice:
In fact, the game is good enough that the player will never once long for the tabletop or miniatures. Gameplay does an excellent job of crunching all the numbers - and they're all there - and leaving the actual playing and strategy to the player. The frantic feeling of largely overmatched marine forces that have to win by tactics and savagery is captured perfectly, as is the balancing act of Eldar battlecraft, or the rolling war machine of the Ork armies. The feeling is all there, and though the most famous hero miniatures are missing, as are some of the rarer playing pieces (such as assassins - where are they, Relic?), Warhammer has finally been done justice on the computer.
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