Hardware News
F.E.A.R. E3 Movie Released
December 31, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Monolith has released the F.E.A.R. trailer that was shown at this years E3, giving us a look at their upcoming action title. Weighing in at 103megs, you can grab this bad boy from the following mirrors: Now get downloadin'!
World of WarCraft Review
December 31, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The Gaming Nexus has posted their take on Blizzard Entertainment's hit massively multiplayer online RPG, World of WarCraft. Walking away with a final score of 9.4/10, this is one to check out. Anyways, here's a bit on the games world:
By spanning across the entire geographical gamut, you will easily find a landscape that suits you, a place to call home. If thats amidst the lavender and rose-colored forests of the night elves, or the throat-parching barrens of the orcs, every landscape, structure, and creature is painted with a brush that is uniquely Warcraft. You can argue that its graphically far-fetched, even cartoony, but you cant argue with the total sensory immersion it provides. Even in a place that sounds as graphically starved as The Barrens you will find numerous landmarks and fascinating bends of Blizzards imaginative canvas. Enough cant be said for the artistic conception behind WoW. Such blatant and unrestrained usage of the color pallet, coupled with such a convincing push away from stale fantasy norms, will surely convert the masses. Believe that!
Empire Earth II Video Q&A
December 30, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Spreading the holiday cheer, Mad Doc Software has updated the official Empire Earth II website with a couple video interviews and new screenshots from their upcoming RTS. Some pretty spiffy stuff, so head over for a look!
Battlefield 2 Interview
December 30, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at TotalBF2.com have posted a translated interview with Digital Illusions' Lars Gustavsson regarding their upcoming multiplayer shooter, Battlefield 2. Here's a bit on the environments:
Bf2.se: Is there going to be any big ocean-battles, we have been seeing that there will be a couple of boats in the game, or have you focused on land and air units? As a add-on to this question, is there going to be any big ships as cruisers, destroyers, hangar ships etc? Or is it pretty much only smaller boats?
Lars: Modern warfare is basically focused on land units and that�s why most of the fighting will placed on land. But there will be home bases in form of hangar ships and you will be able to perform full frontal beach assaults with hovercrafts and small boats with the support of attack and transport helicopters.
Best and Worst of 2004 Article
December 29, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Rolling right along, GameSpot has posted an "Best and Worst of 2004" article. They look back at the events of this year and give us their opinions on who struck gold and who...*ahem*, didn't. Anyways, head over for a look!
Far Cry Map Pack Released
December 29, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at CryMod.com have posted a multiplayer map pack for CryTek's hit first person shooter, Far Cry. Weighing in at 183megs, you will have 12 new levels to kick some butt in. Some of the maps were created by CryTek members, while others were contributed by the community. Anyways, click here for the goods!
Gothic III Q&A
December 28, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The World of Gothic has sat down with a couple of the guys behind Piranha Bytes' upcoming RPG, Gothic III. They look at everything from the games world size to the storyline. Here's a nugget:
World of Gothic: There is an interesting criticism about Gothic II that says that the player knows too soon the goal of the whole game. Many fans are hoping that the third part will be more like the first one. It wasn't clear in the beginning what to do. You had to explore the world and find out the goal. We hope that Gothic III will keep us in the dark for a very long period of time. Can you tell us more about that? You shouldn't find out the story through dialogues.
Mike: We agree in this point. The interesting development of the story was one of the strong points of Gothic I. But we will not tell you anything about the story of Gothic III.
Half-Life 2 Review
December 28, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Better late then never! The GamingGroove has whipped up a review on Valve Software's hit first person shooter, Half-Life 2. The game walks away with a final score of 9/10. Anyways, here's a bit on the level design:
Level design is where Half-Life 2 shines. The levels are designed to mimic real-world environments, rather than something that's overly fantasy-based. It's a healthy mix of indoor and outdoor scenes, of cityscapes, canals, and country roads. Unlike the original Half-Life, which I thought spent an inordinate amount of time indoors (partly because the Quake engine it was based on wasn't great for vast outdoor rendering); the new game allows you to spend entire "levels" in fairly large outdoor places. There's certain verisimilitude that you can achieve when building levels that look like real-world places. One thing they did really well was to always make the worlds look bigger than the actual boundary that the player could move around in. For example, if you were in a canal or canyon, you could see trees and building at the top of the canal or canyon walls, and there might even be enemies up there, but it's not a place you can actually reach. It helps to really make a claustrophobic level appear large and expansive. Valve didn't cheat by painting fake buildings and trees right on the skybox (a really common technique for drawing distant background objects in older games). I really thought that level designers made the most of the engine technology to give the levels the appearance of realism.
Read onGuild Wars Preview
December 28, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Computer and Video Games.com has thrown together a preview on ArenaNet's upcoming Online RPG, Guild Wars. Here's something to nibble on:
"One of the main reasons for the visual and gameplay style is that if you're not into the level-grinding mindset, then what you're looking for is the minute-by-minute experience to be fun," explains Jeff Strain, the game's producer and ArenaNet's founder. "We have a mantra: 'What am I doing right now?' It's not about 'what am I working for?' or 'what will I be doing when I finally get to level X?' Whatever the answer is, it should be fun."
Another WoW vs. EQ2 Article
December 27, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at WarCry have tossed up an article comparing Blizzard's World of WarCraft and Sony Online's EverQuest 2, in a "clash of the MMORPG titans". Here's some lovin':
Section IV-b: End Game
Special note for this section: Currently, the end game goals for each game are based on statements from the respective developers.
Everquest II is promoting an end game similar to that of the original game. You won't be gearing up to fight other players. Your reason to get nice armor and weapons is to better equip yourself for fighting even bigger and nastier monsters. Some of the end game encounters will require many groups working together towards a common goal
World of Warcraft encourages players to kill big monsters also. The end game goal here, however, is one of PvP combat. You'll be getting better gear so that you can do battle with other players in battlegrounds. Details are still not fully revealed, but the end game will be a PvP-oriented one, much like Dark Age of Camelot's Realm vs. Realm was.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Q&A
December 25, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The peeps over at Computer and Video Games.com have tossed up an interview with Bethesda Softworks' Todd Howard regarding their upcoming RPG, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Topics range from factions to Radiant AI. Here's a clipping:
You've spoken briefly about Radiant AI. Could you tell us more about that and its effect on the game world? For example, how does it affect interactivity between the player and NPCs?
Todd Howard: Ultimately it makes them feel more real, something we thought we could do much better than we've done before. How they feel about the player does affect what they do and how they treat you, but it doesn't alter their goals, just how they may complete them. If an NPC wants to obtain something, like food, and they hate you - they very well may attack you to steal your food, depending on how aggressive their character type is (i.e., how prone are they to violence).
Vampire: Bloodlines Review
December 24, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Computer and Video Games.com has whipped up a review on Troika Games' hit Action-RPG, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines. Walking away with a final score of 86/100, this one might be worth checking out! Snip:
Once you've made your choices, you're thrown straight into the world of vampires, and before you know it you're embroiled in the machinations of the undead, slowly unravelling a plot with more twists than a 1980s perm. Gradually you sink deeper into the game's clutches as you interact with its believable, finely crafted characters that brim with charisma and individuality, and embark on a seemingly never-ending stream of quests and sub-quests that are offered to you at every turn.
The Matrix Online Interview
December 24, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
PC.IGN has posted the third part of their interview with Monolith's Toby Ragaini regarding their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, The Matrix Online. Topics range from the games world to the impact players have on the story. Here's a clipping:
IGNPC: What role do players have in the unfolding story? How much can a player impact the world itself and the story that the designers have in mind?
Toby Ragaini: Players will determine how fast certain events occur, and which individuals are written into Matrix history. Each world instance will have events where specific players could, for example, land the killing blow on a villain or save the Matrix from destruction. This is part of the power of episodic content. Events will occur once, and then never again. If you were one of the players who participated in these events, you will have guaranteed bragging rights and you character's name will forever be associated with your deeds.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Q&A
December 24, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The File Front has caught up with Bethesda Softworks' Gavin Carter for a quick Q&A regarding their upcoming RPG, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. They cover everything from the magic system to the games storyline. Here's some lovin':
Q: Is there anything completely major and shocking that has changed from the last game in the series that will surprise gamers?
A: I honestly cant think of a single game system from Morrowind that we didnt take a long, critical look at and try to bang on until we came up with ways to improve it. The combat system has been reworked from the ground up (several times, in fact) to provide a deeper and more engaging experience. Weve added in features to make traveling back and forth across the world less tedious. Weve created a world-spanning AI system to breathe new life into our NPCs. Dialog, magic, skills, interfaces, landscape, graphics they all have changes ranging from major to minor that should hopefully surprise gamers everywhere (in a good way)!
Brothers In Arms Dev Diary
December 24, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Gearbox Software has updated their website with a new developer diary written by Angie Dietrich, Quality Analyst behind the upcoming tactical shooter, Brothers In Arms. It's basically a "day in the life of" type deal, but has some interesting stuff. Here's a funny bit:
It is not enough to simply play the game, however much we may wish that was the case. We also have to report what we are experiencing to the People in Charge. Often this is as simple as a screenshot and a written explanation but these measures are not always sufficient. We once held demonstrations of AI bugs in the parking lot, using unsuspecting bank customers as Germans while we assaulted them from their flank. Jim got over-excited and lobbed his Whopper instead of a dummy grenade, leaving one businessman covered in delicious ketchup. We retreated to a hidden location but it was too late -- the bank sent up a strongly worded request that we keep further demonstrations to ourselves. Now we resort to turning tester against tester in our well-documented office battles.
The Matrix Online Q&A
December 23, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
PC.IGN has slapped up an interview with Monolith's Toby Ragaini regarding the PvP system in their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, The Matrix Online. Here's a nugget:
IGNPC: The constructs offer another form of PVP play. What exactly are the constructs? How do players gain access to them and how do they fit into the game's overall story?
Toby Ragaini: Construct is a generic term for any gamespace that is separate from but connected to the Matrix Mega City. In Beta, the first construct that we've made available is a PvP construct where Organizations fight each other for control of the area.
Players access this particular construct through special NPCs called Archivists. These exile programs are selling out their Machine bosses for a quick profit. The Archivists are responsible for maintaining historical simulations that the Machines create based on their own history. The construct that is available in Beta is an early version of zero-one, the first Machine city. For a fee, the Archivists will happily transport you.
World of WarCraft: Battlegrounds Preview
December 23, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Blizzard Entertainment has posted a preview on the upcoming Battlegrounds PvP system for their hit massively multiplayer online RPG, World of WarCraft. Here's some lovin':
Last week, we engaged in a massive internal test of the new Battleground system, as dozens of internal testers amassed for war in the snows of Alterac Valley. Arrayed in the southern valley was the Frostwolf tribe, a proud group of orcs fiercely loyal to Warchief Thrall's standard, while at the north valley stood the doughty dwarves of the Stormpike clan, hearty soldiers dedicated to the preservation of the Alliance. In a session that lasted hours, we were able to test the latest iteration of our PvP system: High-level groups marshaled at their respective bases and then sallied forth to clash in the center of the map, trying to break into the other side's forward camp, fighting alongside elite NPC defenders. Lower-level players who wanted to contribute in other ways to the battle could also do so by undertaking PvP-related quests, such as capturing wolves or rams to provide mounts for cavalry charges, claiming a nearby mine and ferrying resources back to the main base to upgrade allied troops, or capturing enemy graveyards to lengthen the run back to the frontlines for revived adversaries.
That sounds like fun. Can't wait!
Half-Life 2 & CS: Source Update
December 23, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
According to this post on the official Steam website, a small update has been released for Valve Software's hit first person shooter, Half-Life 2 and Counter-Strike: Source. Here's whats new:
- Half-Life 2
- Fixed sound stuttering problems caused by thread contention in sound system
- Counter-Strike: Source
- Fixed missing models when running the Video Stress Test
Battlefield 2 Interview
December 22, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Computer and Video Games.com has sat down with Digital Illusions' Jamil Dawsari for a quick Q&A regarding their upcoming multiplayer shooter, Battlefield 2. Topics range from rewards and rankings to the level editor. Here's a blurb:
The idea of rewards and rankings for B2 players is obviously going to be a big draw, how will that work in practice?
Jamil Dawsari: This is the whole persistence system, this is something that we've been toying with since Battlefield began, but we really haven't had the opportunity or the ability to focus on it entirely. With Battlefield 2 we started from the ground up, that we'd have a persistent system where people would be able to increase in their rank based on their gameplay. So we had to re-work the scoring system so that it rewarded not just people who were good at killing opponents and capturing CPs, but everybody, the team players.
In fact, what's happened is scoring now really emphasises team play over the individual. So you can do well individually but if you do well individually and support your team, you'll do even better. As you progress, we have unlocks which reward you: so you have different weapons that you can unlock in the game. Then we have the awards, which at-a-glance you can see your character and see "wow this guy or gal's got a lot in this game, they really know what they're doing." You'll be able to see they've got all the badges for the tanks, all these medals based on tanks, this person is a tanker. Therefore, when they say, "We're forming a clan and we need a tank player" they want that tank player in their clan.
New Vampire: Bloodlines Patch
December 22, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at Troika Games have released a 15mb patch (v1.2) for their Action-RPG, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines. Here's the low-down on what's new:
This patch will update Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines to version 1.2. The patch addresses a number of known issues, including fixes for the Society of Leopold quest, keys and keycards disappearing, the use of Protean (Level 5) and Fortitude at the same time, and various other gameplay updates.
You can find a list of mirrors right here!CoD: United Offensive Map Pack
December 22, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Activision has released a map pack for their Call of Duty expansion, United Offensive. Included are two new maps and six updated maps from the origional game, to support the Capture The Flag and Domination gameplay modes. You can hit the following mirrors the get downloading:
World of WarCraft Patch
December 22, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Blizzard Entertainment has released a new patch for their hit massively multiplayer online RPG, World of WarCraft. Aside from the usual bug fixes and gameplay tweaks, this puppy includes a new dungeon and some special holiday content. You can find a list of what's new right here or just load up the game to get downloading!
Vampire: Bloodlines Review
December 22, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The RPG Vault has thrown together a review on Troika Games' Action-RPG, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines. Here's a bit on the spiffy visuals:
Graphically, Bloodlines is very attractive. It uses Valve's Source Engine, and the kinship is evident. Troika has used shadows and light skillfully to create a frightening world where, even as one of the baddest guys on the block, you never feel completely at ease. The public areas like streets and clubs feel realistic, and there's also some truly inspired architecture. Of note is a downtown club called Confession. Once a striking church, it has been converted into an even more impressive goth / industrial locale, complete with cages hanging from the ceiling for go-go dancers.
Splinter Cell Chaos Theory Preview
December 21, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The guys over at 1Up.com have slapped up a preview on Ubi Soft's upcoming stealth title, Splinter Cell Chaos Theory. Here's a bit on the games animations:
Despite the wealth of animations, Dussault is proud to say that the game does not use any motion capture technology. "Everything is done by animators; there's no motion capture used," he says. "This gives us more freedom on what we want to do exactly. Especially the complex moves with two characters -- you can't really achieve that correctly with motion capture. If you want to have full control and be able to put the hands and everything exactly like you want, then you better start from scratch. We have a huge team of very experienced animators at Ubisoft, so for us it's a better solution to do it like that."
Half-Life 2 Demo Released!
December 21, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Valve Software has finally released a demo for their hit first person shooter, Half-Life 2. Weighing in at 750megs, You can grab this bad boy from the following mirrors: So what are you waiting for? Get downloadin'!
World of WarCraft Review
December 21, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Game Club Central has fired-up a review on Blizzard Entertainment's hit massively multiplayer online RPG, World of WarCraft. Here's a bit on the games world:
The world is huge and easy to immerse one self into. Huge hills may appear blurry and without definition, at least until you get closer and the details come into focus as you approach viewing range at a believable distance. The topography and fauna of the land is done in quite a realistic fashion that makes realistic sense in how it's all laid out. There are occasions when climbing steep inclines such as working your way through the mountains that don't always appear absolutely sensible, but you learn to jump and turn to overcome these slight irregularities and soon move about the ranges with the dexterity of a mountain goat. Water bodies are quite believable as you dive in and see the full topography of the land and envision what is beneath the water that is not so visible from above. Most transportation is running about, however there is no "run" function so your speed never really changes, it just remains constant, so you'll use your Num Lock key quite often! There are some other modes of getting about available later in the game such and flight(single trip purchase) and domesticated animal mounts that can speed up getting about.
EA Invests in UbiSoft
December 21, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
How about some pretty big news to start off the night? According to this press release, Electronic Arts has thrown their hat into the ring, investing in publisher UbiSoft. Here's a nugget:
REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 20, 2004--Electronic Arts (Nasdaq:ERTS - News) today announced an investment in international game developer and publisher UbiSoft Entertainment, headquartered in Rennes, France. The investment represents approximately 19.9 percent interest in the company -- shares purchased as a block from Talpa Beheer B.V. to be completed upon obtaining antitrust clearance from the U.S. government. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Also, HomeLAN caught up with EA's vice president of corporate communications Jeff Brown, for some comments on the purchase.Postal Interview
December 20, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Experience Gaming has posted an interview with Running With Scissors' Vince Desi regarding their Postal series. They look at everything from working on the controversial titles to their future plans. Here's some juice:
XG: An Xbox version of Postal 3 was once announced. Is development still going on and has there been any concerns raised by Microsoft?
VD: What I said is that we are designing POSTAL 3 for PC and that we would love to see it on Xbox. We get a ton of email begging us to put POSTAL on console. Its not that we dont want to but its an extremely expensive endeavor, and we would need a publishers support. Hopefully we can make it happen.
World of WarCraft Patch News
December 19, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Blizzard Entertainment has updated the official World of WarCraft website with an "Under Development" section, giving us an idea of what to expect in the upcoming patch. Some features that are noted include a new dungeon, class improvements and more! Click here for the goods.
Brothers in Arms Q&A
December 18, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
TotalVideoGames.com has posted an interview with Gearbox Software's Randy Pitchford regarding their upcoming tactical shooter, Brothers in Arms. Here's a bit on the games AI:
TVG: How important and focused is the team on creating perfect AI and what are the areas you can broaden to make the AI in this game impressive? To gamers this is an almost invisible area of the game, which is running behind the code, and it is hard to get a fix on the full complexities. Can you expand on AI building and perfecting?
AI has been a huge part of Brothers in Arms and involves lots of inventions systems that have never been done before. It was created because we wanted these guys to act like real soldiers. Weve played games before where the player has command of a squad and the guys act more like chess pieces than people where they wont do anything (even if theyre in grave danger) unless the player asks them to do it. Brothers in Arms is different. The guys will engage the enemy as they were trained, dive behind the nearest cover and alternate fire while guys reload or reposition themselves.
The AI in Brothers in Arms is very complex and comprises a bunch of different systems that not only make sure the guys react like trained soldiers but help them see the environment for what it is. There is also a new system we call Situational AI that allows the enemy to use smart strategies to fire and manoeuvre against the players squad.
Gothic III Announced
December 18, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at JoWooD Productions have announced plans to publish a third installment in the Gothic franchise. Here's a nugget from the press release:
Rottenmann, Austria, 14th of December 2004: JoWooD Productions continues its successful cooperation with the German developer Piranha Bytes by publishing one of the most spectacular titles of the coming year: Gothic III, the third part of the legendary RPG saga. "Being listed in all major 'most wanted' charts across Europe, Gothic III is the top title of the coming year. To publish a game with such popularity, potential and quality, is a great chance for us to push a world-wide known brand even further" ,comments Andreas Tobler, CEO of JoWooD Productions Software AG. JoWooD Productions takes this chance and will try to break RPG selling records of the past!
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Interview
December 18, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
HomeLAN has Bethesda Softworks' Ashley Cheng in the hot seat this evening, answering questions regarding their upcoming RPG, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Topics range from NPC's to the games engine. Here's some lovin':
HomeLAN - What can you tell us about the graphics features in Oblivion?
Ashley Cheng - We spent over a year working on the technology with a big focus on pixel shaders. In particular were using normal maps (for lighting), diffuse maps (for color), specular maps (for shininess), and parallax maps (for geometry detail). There are also specific shaders for skin, hair, water, and many other things.
New Dawn of War Patch
December 18, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Relic Entertainment has released a new patch (v1.20) for their strategy title, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War. Weighing in at 5megs, this puppy includes two new maps and a bunch of bug fixes. Hit the following mirrors to get downloading:
Battlefield 2 Preview
December 18, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The GamesDomain has thrown together a preview on Digital Illusions' upcoming multiplayer shooter, Battlefield 2. Here's a bit on the classes and ranks:
Each faction supports an impressive seven character classes, and the designers have paid attention to the oft-unsung classes, particularly medics. The lack of per-se "health pickups" means that medics have an important job that needs doing. Further, any player who excels at whatever he does -- providing field care, being an engineer, or just plain killing the enemy -- is offered event-specific awards and promotions, which shape the player's persistent profile/rank. As players increase their rank, they gain access to newer items, weapons, vehicles, decals, and more.
New Call of Duty Patch
December 17, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Activision has released a new patch for both Call of Duty (36mb) and it's expansion pack United Offensive (115mb). Bringing the original CoD to v1.5 and UO to v1.51, you can hit the links above to get downloading. Thanks Blue's News!
EverQuest II Review
December 17, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Rolling right along, the RPG Vault has posted their take on Sony Online's massively multiplayer online RPG, EverQuest II. Here's a bit on classes and grouping:
Just like crafters are inter-dependent, so are adventurers. As mentioned earlier, there are four basic archetypes in EverQuest II. These are the mage, priest, fighter and scout. Maximum group size is six, and once players advance much past level 15 or so, joining one with the appropriate classes is essentially a necessity. The general feeling is that a group must consist of a fighter (the advanced classes include guardians, paladins, monks, shadowknights, bruisers, etc.), a mage (wizards, warlocks, necromancers, etc.), a healer (furies, defilers, inquisitors, etc.), and a scout (brigand, assassin, troubadour, etc.). The other two slots are usually reserved for a second DPS (damage per second) class like a wizard plus a second healer, or if the latter is unavailable, a crowd control specialist such as an enchanter or coercer. While this inter-dependency has definite benefits, it also has drawbacks - more on them a bit later.
Read on!
Counter-Strike: Source Update
December 17, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at Valve Software have released an update for the Source Engine and their first person shooter, Counter-Strike: Source. Included is a bunch of bug fixes and a new map called de_prodigy. You can find a list of what's new right here or just log in to get downloading!
Dragonshard Dev Diary
December 17, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has slapped up a developer diary written by Liquid Entertainment's Ed Del Castillo regarding the combination of RPG and RTS elements in their upcoming D&D-based title, Dragonshard. Here's a clipping:
We wanted to include the concept of gaining experience into the game. It's a core part of the D&D experience so it needed to be there. The problem was that in previous real-time strategy games that have tried to incorporate the concept, experience gets lost or just isn't fun. This is mainly because the life span of a real-time strategy character is much shorter than a D&D character. As a result, players feel that worrying about leveling their characters is pointless because they die too quickly, and if by some twist of fate they are to get to high levels, the enemy will just concentrate fire on those high-level characters to kill them first. Not a very satisfying experience.
Still, we wanted experience in the game, so after much debate and hours of brainstorming and later refinement, we came up with our current system. Rather than allotting experience individually, we created global experience. Every character/soldier that players fight with or do anything with accumulates experience that goes to the global pool. Players can then allocate that experience however they wish.
Guild Wars Interview
December 17, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
TeleFragged has sat down with ArenaNet's Jeff Strain for a quick chat regarding their upcoming Online RPG, Guild Wars. They look at everything from the public events to the PvP system. Here's a chunk:
Finger: Obviously, the Guild Wars preview events have generated plenty of interest in the game, and it's a relatively unheard-of way to get word out about a game. How hard has it been for ArenaNet to set up these events, and what do you hope to accomplish with them?
Jeff Strain: Our goal with our public events is simply to give everyone in the world the chance to login and play the game. Guild Wars breaks away from the traditional MMO approach in several areas, including the pace of combat, the leveling system, the skill system, the way you travel through the world, and the way the game is updated and supported over time. We think it is always better to let people experience the game directly rather than listening to us talk about it, so we decided early in the development phase to work toward these unprecedented global events during the alpha and beta stages of the game. Since we planned to do this so early, the task was not as hard as it would have been if we had not focused so consistently on server scalability and stability from day one, so the real challenge was not the technical infrastructure, but instead making sure that the game itself was fun and balanced. While we will continue to balance mission difficulty and skill and profession combinations until the day we ship, we always have to work toward the next public event as a checkpoint on that process, and the feedback we receive afterward is invaluable to us. We are looking forward to seeing everyone this weekend in the second Beta Weekend Event!
Freedom Force vs. the Third Reich Preview
December 16, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Sticking with hands-on previews, PC.IGN has posted some impressions on an early build of Irrational Games' upcoming superhero RPG, Freedom Force vs. the Third Reich. Here's a nugget:
Two of the heroes are classics from the first Freedom Force. Both Mentor and El Diablo are easily recognizable (though El Diablo is sporting some nice new flame effects) showing off skills that many players will instantly recognize. But since I've played with these happy heroes before, I concentrated most of my crime fighting efforts on Quetzalcoatl and Sky King, two of the new heroes Irrational has created for the sequel. Each hero has much different backgrounds. Quetzalcoatl came into his powers after touching a magical Mayan artifact, turning the boy into a man with mystical powers. On the other had we have Sky King, an actor who manages to be a hero despite his complete lack of mystical powers or mutations. His ingenuity and invention supplied all the power he needed in the form of a jetpack and conventional firepower and armor.
Dragonshard Preview
December 16, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The peeps over at TeleFragged have tossed up a preview on Liquid Entertainment's upcoming D&D strategy title, Dragonshard, after getting a chance to check it out hands-on. Here's some lovin':
While the build of Dragonshard that we saw didn't have a fully fleshed out set of campaigns yet, all three factions will be playable parts of the single player game; and here, there's a wide range of units for each side in the war. For example, the lizard folk consist of runts like kobolds all the way through drakes and pterodactyls. And while this is a strategy game, Liquid is making sure that D&D fans aren't left in the dark. There are a ton of monsters and creatures pulled right from your D&D Monster Manual - to name a few, we have undead, giants, dragons, kobolds, beholders, efreeti, gnolls, and Sahuagin. And that's only about half of what was rattled off quickly by lead guy Ed Del Castillo!
Alexander Interview
December 16, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
HomeLAN has sat down with Ubi Soft's Fabrice Cambounet for a quick Q&A regarding their movie-based strategy title, Alexander. They look at everything from the single player campaign to the games engine. Here's a clipping:
HomeLAN - How much input do the movie makers have in the making of the game?
Fabrice Cambounet - We consulted with Oliver Stone and his team at several stages. Of course their major impact was on which part of the movie they wanted to see highlighted in the game :) This helped us create our sequences, that you will find while playing the campaigns : the key turning points will be featured with the movie.
On the game itself, Oliver Stone was very keen to see that we respect the historical accuracy. He did a lot of research and is very knowledgeable on every detail of the period: he pointed to us the way soldiers should look, move and react together. He also wanted to ensure the main events where presented realistically. We tried to emulate these elements into the game itself.
Vanguard Interview
December 16, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
WarCry has slapped up an interview with Sigil Games' Dave Gilbertson regarding their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. Written in an article format, this is mostly a "get to know you" type deal. You can check it all out by tapping your mouse right here!
Lineage II Q&A
December 15, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Computer and Video Games.com has posted an interview with a bunch of the guys behind NCsoft's massively multiplayer online RPG, Lineage II. They take a look at the karma system, clans and more! Here's some juice:
CVG.com: One of the interesting things about allowing PvP combat is that is gives rise to a number of new, unplanned player professions such as mercenaries and bounty hunters. What other things in this vein have you seen and how do you think they add to the LII universe?
Lineage II team: Features such as the Karma system provide guidelines for acceptable behaviour within Lineage II, but the players really have the final say over how the game society operates. The open structure of Lineage II certainly provides the opportunity for players to place bounties on others who have "wronged" them in the past and would like to exact revenge. More often, players will spontaneously group up in a city to take out any red players who happen by.
Painkiller: Battle Out of Hell Wrap Report
December 15, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The RPG Vault has posted a "Wrap Report" with DreamCatcher's Robert Stevenson talking about the development of their Painkiller expansion pack, Battle Out of Hell. Here's something to nibble on:
Changes and Enhancements
Because we were working with a short schedule and from a known game, the overall concept of the Battle Out of Hell expansion and the final product stayed pretty close to form. There was no real time for a lot of feature changes or new upgrades. While it may not sound that exciting, in many ways, keeping close to the concept and planning is not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you are working off a strong base to begin with and your gameplay doesn't need to evolve and find it's 'fun factor'. In fact, a few of the elements in Battle Out of Hell were previously discussed and dreamt up during the development of Painkiller.
Even though we did not make too many changes, there was some evolution in the multiplayer code that went beyond the original scope. Because of the continued interest in the game from a multiplayer standpoint, we had mapped out a plan of refining the code base and offering new content for players well into late summer. Along the way, particularly after looking at feedback from the various content drops, the interest level in seeing more from the multiplayer continued. With the ramp-up to the CPL winter event, the recently announced CPL World Tour, the push from the online community and the team's desires, Battle Out of Hell shipped with a host of multiplayer improvements and deeper code reworking. The end result from version 1.0 (Painkiller) to 1.5 (Battle Out of Hell) is quite solid in terms of not only content, but also in the smoothness of play.
City of Villains Interview
December 15, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The Gamersinfo has Cryptic Studios' Shane Hensley in the hot seat this evening, answering questions regarding their upcoming City of Heroes expansion pack, City of Villains. Topics range from PvP to griefing prevention. Here's a blurb:
SeanMike: What's the "short take" on how PvP will be working (as far as you can tell us, at least)?
Shane Lacy Hensley: There are lots of different kinds. There are arena duels, PVP missions, and free PVP zones. The most exciting to me are the PVP missions and base raids. (Remember that all of this is consensual -- you'll *never* be forced into PVP if it's not for you.) PVP missions are just like regular missions, but give the other "side" the possibility of entering and intervening. We're still nailing down the way it works *exactly* but that's the gist of it.
Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay Review
December 15, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Thanks to PC Games Source for sending word that they have whipped up a review on Starbreeze's Action title, The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay. Here's a bit on the stealth portion of the game:
Escape from Butcher Bay also delivers to fans of stealth games. Almost anytime that you come across an enemy, you can try and sneak by or stealthily take them down. This is accomplished by simply sticking to the shadows and knocking out any nearby lights. In order to enter 'stealth' mode, all you have to do is simply crouch in a darkened area. Once in stealth mode, instead of providing you with a meter that tells you how visible you are, such as games like Splinter Cell and Thief, your view changes to a somewhat darker and more blue color. From here you can sneak up on your enemies and perform a number of moves on them that involve you snapping their necks, stabbing them in the back, knocking their legs out with a club, or slicing their necks. It all leads up to a very satisfying stealth approach throughout the game.
Tim Sweeney Interview
December 15, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The Gaming Groove has caught up with Epic Games' Tim Sweeney for a little tech-chat interview. They cover everything from the increasing artists demand to what the next 'big thing' could be. Here's a nugget:
Question 5: Pixel Shaders seem to be the all the rage at the moment. What do you see as the next "big leap" in the 3D hardware world? Do you see CPUs becoming so powerful in the next 10 - 15 years that specialized 3D hardware will no longer become necessary?
Tim: Unreal Engine 1's software renderer is the programming project I'm the most proud of, so I have a special appreciation for this question. In an interview in 1999 (http://archive.gamespy.com/legacy/interviews/sweeney.shtm), I predicted that CPU's and 3D accelerators were on a collision course that would be apparent by 2007.
But that was before programmable shaders, high-level shading languages, and floating-point pixel processing existed! So, I don't think many people would take that prediction seriously today. But from time to time, developers do need to evaluate the question of whether to implement a given algorithm on either a CPU or GPU. Because as GPU's increase in generality, they are more capable of doing things beyond ordinary texture mapping, while CPU's have unparalleled performance for random-access, branch-intensive operations.
NeverWinter Nights Patch
December 14, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Finally this evening, BioWare has released a new patch (v1.65) for their hit RPG, NeverWinter Nights. Fixing a bunch of bugs and making some gameplay tweaks, you can find a list of what's new right here or just start downloading this bad boy. Rock on!
Vampire: Bloodlines Review
December 14, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The Gamers-Depot is the latest website to fire-up a review on Trioka Games' hit Action-RPG, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines. Here's some lovin':
In Bloodlines the player leads a character on a linear time adventure, guiding the character from a fledgling vampire through a series of missions to survive and create a successful life in the underworld. In the beginning the fledgling is forced to succeed to remain alive, as the vampire was created without permission of the vampire prince ruling over Los Angeles. Soon the missions offered become opportunities for power building, making money or creating allies. The character could be asked to broker peace, bounty hunt, assassinate, retrieve, destroy and help others. It all depends on the type of vampire you start with and the decisions you make while interacting with others.
EA & NFL Strike an Exclusive Deal
December 14, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
In a supprising move, Electronic Arts has announced an exclusive licensing deal with the NFL and Players Inc, which would give them the sole rights to develop video games using NFL teams, stadiums and players. Here's a clipping from the press release:
REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 13, 2004--Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:ERTS) today announced exclusive licensing relationships with the National Football League and PLAYERS INC to develop, publish and distribute interactive football games. These five-year agreements -- which EA negotiated separately -- give EA the exclusive rights to the NFL teams, stadiums and players for use in its football videogames. Both agreements also include exclusive rights for console online features. Financial terms of the agreements were not disclosed.{hb} For the first time, all aspects of the interactive experience -- including console-based fantasy football features and handheld game devices -- will be fully integrated with one EA game. This also provides the opportunity for new games and for EA to access both NFL Films and the NFL Network for use in the games.
Thanks Evil Avatar!City of Heroes Interview
December 14, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The GameZone has caught up with Cryptic Studios' Jack Emmert for a quick chat regarding the upcoming content for their massively multiplayer online RPG, City of Heroes. Here's a nugget on the new Kheldians archetype:
So how do the Kheldians fit into the world of Paragon City, the City of Heroes?
These are archetypes which relate to the story of City of Heroes, Emmert said. Thats a big issue about moving the storyline forward. People who read comic books love the background. And thats what we are trying to do.
While players will certainly learn more about the council, when they join up with the Kheldians gamers will also get glimpses into the world of the coming Cryptic title, City of Villains, as well.
The Kheldian storyline is about creating a robust environment one with a rich story that continually evolves and lures gamers in for a tantalizing gaming experience. Emmert said that it has been his goal to create a full experience. I have an idea in my mind and we are not there yet. We want to hit that magic mark and we will keep going. I just want to make the experience of playing City of Heroes just like my childhood comic-book experience. I want to give gamers that feeling.
Rome: Total War Review
December 14, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Thanks to Guru3D for sending word that they have thrown together a review on Creative Assembly's strategy title, Rome: Total War. Here's a bit on the battlefield:
This is where the game really takes off on the battlefield. The first sight of a truly huge army is breathtaking. Lined up and poised for action, your Cavalry stamp their feet impatiently, as infantry rattle their swords. Before each battle your General makes an empowering speech to rally the troops take care of him, as he is the most important unit on the battlefield. The arena for each battle directly relates to the geography and terrain on the campaign map, so if the area is hilly, you will have to use this to your strategic advantage, as with standoffs over bridges for example. Strategy is key. Each unit has its strengths and weaknesses. Cavalry is fantastic for ploughing through infantry, crashing through men and sending them flying through the air. However, send Calvary head-on into a formation of spearmen, and the enemy will be feasting on Roman horse shish kebab for dinner! Similarly, Archers are fantastic for thinning out numbers at range, but near useless for close quarters combat, while heavy infantry are useful in defeating spearmen. A lot of thought has been taken over some of the units brought to the battlefield.
EverQuest II vs. World of WarCraft Article
December 13, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy has posted an article pitting Sony Online's EverQuest II and Blizzard Entertainment's World of WarCraft against each other. They cover everything from character customization to the spiffy eye candy. Who is the winner in their opinion? Head over to find out!
Tribes: Vengeance Review
December 12, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Keeping the weekend rolling right along, 1up.com has posted their impressions on Irrational Games' first person shooter, Tribes: Vengeance. Here's a some juice:
So the good news is the bad news: This is as demanding as the previous games, with just as much variety and depth. Newbies jumping on to servers will have to power through the frustration of a player base that looks like a few sharks in a pool full of minnows. Without bot support or any sort of skirmish mode, and with a single-player mode that has almost nothing to do with the multiplayer game, the learning curve is a short, sharp slide into the deep end with the sharks. Which means the sharks will be having a grand ol' time.
World of Warcraft Review
December 11, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The peeps over at PC.IGN have posted their thoughts on Blizzard Entertainment's hit massively multiplayer online RPG, World of Warcraft. Here's a bit on the games world:
Let's talk about the geography for a moment. The world of Azeroth is split into two continents: the actual continent of Azeroth (confusing, I know) and Kalimdor, where the Orcs, Trolls and Tauren live. The Night Elves, members of the Alliance, are stuck over there, just as the Undead, member of the Horde, are stuck in Azeroth with the goody-goody humans, dwarves and gnomes. Travel in between the continents is done by Zeppelin for the Horde, and by boat for the Alliance. The bus will come along every few minutes, and it only takes a few minutes to get across. You can also fly in between cities, and there's a free and very quick underground train between Stormwind, the human capital, and Ironforge, the dwarf capital. Both continents are broken into many zones of increasing difficulty as you go farther and farther from your faction's seat of power. At around level 30, halfway to the current cap, you'll start entering zones where each faction has quests. Some of these quests are "instanced," meaning your group gets loaded into an "instance" of the zone that won't contain any other players. This is quite handy in those contested zones, and in areas where you'll be competing for mobs and key quest requirements.
Half-Life 2 Update
December 11, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Valve Software has released an update for their rockin' first person shooter, Half-Life 2. Including bug fixes to the base game, deathmatch and the dedicated server, you can find a list of what's new right here or just load up steam and get downloading. So what are you waiting for?!
Vampire: Bloodlines Review
December 11, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The GamingGroove is the latest website to fire-up a review on Trokia Games' hit Action-RPG, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines. Here's a bit on how the game starts off:
Bloodlines is an Action RPG which can be played in both first and third person and puts the player in the shoes of one of the bloodsucking undead hidden within our own society. Being an RPG more than a shooter, the game is dialog heavy, with the plot and story taking precedence over action quite often. Stats also play an important role in the game, as they should considering the source of the game, with players controlling every aspect of their characters growth. Players begin the game as a newly Embraced vampire (that being the act of creating a vampire) with little-to-no knowledge of vampire laws and history. In the opening moments of the game, you are Embraced, captured, brought before the Prince of the city and made to watch your Sire meet a grisly end. In the pen & paper version of the game, Embracing without the permission of the Prince brings a death sentence for both Sire and Childe but in the interests of not ending the game within the opening cutscene, the Prince spares your life and sets you on a quest, thus beginning your adventure. I will try not to give out too many spoilers for those of you who have not played Bloodlines yet so don't fret.
Guild Wars Interview
December 11, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Czech Legends has sat down with ArenaNet's Gaile Gray for a quick chat regarding their upcoming Online RPG, Guild Wars. They cover the release plans, rare items and more! Here's a nugget:
Do you plan to have any extra-rare items in the game? Something every player would desire, but there would be only a very few pieces of this item in the world of GuildWars. Also, some players speak about "Cradle of Secrets", a secret location hidden somewhere in the mountains, does this location really exist? (We were searching for it three hours, but we haven't found anything.)
I understand this question and the interest behind it, because Im one of those collector sorts myself, and I love rare and unusual items. Im currently using a shield that is lower than many Ive found simply because its a unique item and has the fancy gold lettering on the description.
There will definitely be exceptional items in Guild Wars, those sorts of things that are the talk of a guild and the envy of townsfolk throughout Tyria. The reason that you may not have seen too many of those items yet is that weve not opened up the high-end missions that will offer the greater level of remarkable drops. If you recall our recent revelations about the concept that were calling Worlds at War, youll remember that this system provides an opportunity for a guild holding the Hall of Heroes to open up new maps for everyone in their world. These maps will feature new quests and objectives, and upon participating in these challenging tasks you may earn the reward of a special item drop or two.
Its important to the core design philosophy of Guild Wars that items not unbalance the professions. We certainly do not want to offer one item that everyone needs to have in order to be successful. We want to assure a fairness factor, and we want to avoid items that displace strategy as the greater factor in victory. And of course we would like to avoid cookie cutter characters who, despite the wide variety of choices in Guild Wars, might all look alike due to those certain few uber items. The bottom line is that we are developing exceptional items and well incorporate them in a way that makes them fun and challenging to obtain and very exciting to own.
Battle for Middle-Earth Review
December 11, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Thanks to PCGamesSource for sending word that they have slapped up a review on Electronic Arts' recently released strategy title, The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth. Here's something to chew on:
Another thing to aid you in your battles are special powers. These powers can be bought throughout the game by spending special points that you earn from combat and completing missions. Both sides have their own special powers. Some are passive powers that are applied automatically such as stronger troops, and other powers are used by activating them at any given time. After activating them, they'll need some time to recharge. The people's of Middle-earth can have such powers as calling for Rohan reinforcements, calling for Elf reinforcements, calling upon the help of eagles, healing troops on the ground, calling upon the help of the Ents and the army of the dead, and a few more. The forces of Mordor can use such powers as a war chant, calling upon the help of the Balrog, creating freezing rain and darkness, and the ability to control Sauron's eye and move it throughout the land giving your troops strength and making your enemies cower in fear. These powers can be a great help in times of need.
Futuremark, Christmas and DNA-drivers Contest
December 10, 2004 - Nicklas Renqvist
The good chaps over at DNA-drivers have launched a competition! What's the competition about? Well here are the rules and instructions:
It's simple: Just send a mail to contest@dna-drivers.nl or post your work in this TOPIC until Saturday, December 25th with a self-made work of ART that has something to do with:
1 - Futuremark
2 - Christmas
3 - DNA-drivers
(all 3 points have to be included, or visible in your work of art)
It can be anything varying from a 3D-demo, Wall paper, Hand drawn, Photoshop art, a nice photo just anything that is related to art and applies to the rules that have been set. Just use your imagination and maybe you will be the proud owner of one of the great prices.
Act of War Preview
December 10, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Rolling right along, PC.IGN has thrown up a preview on Eugen Systems' upcoming strategy title, Act of War. Here's a bit on the games engine:
One of the most impressive aspects of the game is easily the engine running it. It's capable of some truly impressive environments and detailed units at the same time. Urban areas such as the very familiar territory of a San Francisco-like environment make for tactically interesting fighting ground full of objects and structures. Nearly every object that you see in these city zones are destructable as well. Lamp posts can be knocked over as can street signs. Parked cars are used as baracades and can all be destroyed. Even buildings can suffer severe damage from the tender ministrations of a rocket or two. None of the structures will actually be fully destroyed, but will suffer enough damage that they can no longer be used for cover by infantry hoping to stage some sort of ambush.
Click here to read more!Dungeon Siege II Q&A
December 10, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has sat down with Gas Powered Games' Kevin Lambert for a quick Q&A regarding their ucpoming Action-RPG, Dungeon Siege II. They cover everything from the storyline to the quest system. Snip:
GameSpot: We've been told on previous occasions that the most common feedback that Dungeon Siege fans sent to the team was about the first game's story and setting, and that the team is really trying to create a story-driven single-player component for Dungeon Siege II. Without spoiling too much, can you tell us about the game's story and how it came about?
Kevin Lambert: Not only did we want to create a more compelling narrative experience for Dungeon Siege II, but we also wanted to make sure that the party characters were interesting and had flavorful personalities that came across during the adventure. To that end, the party characters will often speak and banter between each other depending on who is in your party. Dungeon Siege II takes place about 100 years after the original Dungeon Siege. [It still takes place] on the continent of Aranna, and we wanted to make the story much more epic in scope by having the player travel to many more locations across the continent this time around.
Battlefield 2 Preview
December 10, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Another Battlefield 2 preview has popped up over at GameSpy this evening, taking a look at Digital Illusions CE's upcoming first person shooter. Here's a nugget on the support vehicles:
Support vehicles have an increased role as well ("target," "bait," or "cannon fodder" no longer being their only functions.) If an APC has a medic inside, it acts like a mobile infirmary, healing any infantry within or standing nearby. If an engineer is aboard, the APC will repair all nearby vehicles -- the engineer doesn't even have to jump out where he could be shot. Combined with the fact that players inside of APCs can now aim their weapons out of the windows and fire, these support vehicles are now a real force on the battlefield. Sure, you still wouldn't want to lead an assault with an APC, but you definitely feel better when one follows just behind your main force.
Painkiller: Battle out of Hell Review
December 10, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The ActionTrip has posted their take on People Can Fly's recently released Painkiller expansion pack, Battle out of Hell. Here's a bit on the new weapons:
Besides new levels (there are 10 of them in Battle out of Hell) and enemy models, every twitch-shooter expansion has to feature brand-spanking-new instruments of destruction. (I'm talking about weapons, you dumbass.) The 'new' weapons in the expansion felt more like an upgrade of the old ones than actual new weapons: the stake gun got an overhaul; it can fire more stakes at once and you can use it as a multiple-grenade launcher in secondary mode. There's also the SMG/flame thrower weapon, which proved very useful against swarms of critters.
Vampire: Bloodlines Review
December 10, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at the FileFront have whipped up a review on Troika Games' hit Action-RPG, Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines. Here's a bit on the humanity system:
Your humanity level makes the game interesting, and players who are not careful could find themselves at the whim of frenzy, making progress a very hard feat. During frenzy, a state that players reach when they lose too many humanity points, you do not have control over your character. And much like a dog humping any legs nearby when in heat, the frenzy hunger drives your character to dig in on the first available neck in sight.
Motherboard.org & Gamepyre News
December 9, 2004 - Nicklas Renqvist
Doc Overclock from motherboards.org (and Gamepyre) sent in that they have a couple of new articles posted.
- Asus P5GD2-V Review
Performance wise, this board surprised me a little bit, taking the performance crown in Quake 3 and being extremely near the top of the line including against the Intel 925 boards. I attribute this to the cool temperatures and slightly overclocked CPU by default using AI Proactive enabled (normal CPU speed during the testing was 3412MHz a 12 MHz overclock by default). - FIC SFF Condor review
Many things are nice about this Condor, but a few things hold it back from being the ideal portable gaming unit or an Editor's Choice Product. The good things are its very neat design and visual aspects along with how the Condor opens up like an expensive Porsche in order to access the interior of the system. The unit offers very good cooling for an SFF system and there is ample room inside the enclosure for using discreet PCI or VGA cards, which is a nice thing in a Mini-PC. - Need For Speed Underground 2 Review
Its been a year since Need For Speed Underground was released, forever catapulting the Need for Speed name fully into the gaming marketplace. Giving you the keys and a full tank of Nitrous Oxide it promised a fast and furious look into the tuner world, and although it gave us an amazing run for our money, it was still missing a few little elements that would elevate it from a hit to a classic. - Tul ATI RADEON 128/256MB 9250 Review
ATI first announced their 9250 chip earlier this year. Set as a low-end price-conscious chip, the 9250 is meant for the under-$100 market meant to compete with NVIDIA's 5200 chip. Derived from their 8500 chip, this is a low-cost alternative chip to the $500 high-end cards on the market place. As such, it really isn't a fair comparison to compare it against a X800 or 6800 class card and I won't do so here. There is a market for the sub-$100 video card and the 9250 should be an interesting comparison versus a 5200 in both the 128 MB and 256 MB versions that I'm reviewing here. All three cards (the 9250 128 MB, 9250 256 MB and 5200) are retailing for under $100.
Battlefield 2 Preview
December 9, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Finishing off the evening, PC.IGN has tossed up a preview on Digital Illusions CE's upcoming first person shooter, Battlefield 2. Here's a bit on the class balance:
But as I said earlier, the biggest addition to gameplay are the new features that create a much better team based environment with chain of command. At the bottom level are the average soldiers picking from the seven kits available. Special Forces, sniper, assault, support, engineer, medic, and anti-tank all are important parts of a team now and seem to have been balanced in a better fashion. For one thing, the thankless jobs of tireless medics and greasy engineers will no longer be thankless. These players will now receive points just like the grunts for healing people and repairing vehicles. Jobs like these are going to be especially important because ammo boxes and medicine cabinets have been removed. Medics carry health packs while support carries ammo and can hand them out anywhere on the field to those that need it.
Battle for Middle-Earth Review
December 9, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The peeps over at GameSpot have slapped up a review on Electronic Arts' recently released strategy title, The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth. Here's a bit on the games world:
At the heart of the campaign game is the living world map, which is exactly what it sounds like. This is a 3D view of a living, breathing Middle-earth, divided into more than 30 provinces, each of which has special properties that you earn when you control it. One province may give you bonus resources, another will give you power points that you can use to invest in powerful abilities, and yet another will give you extra command points, allowing you to lead more troops in battle. And as you gaze upon the living world, with its little details like the Nazgûl flying through overcast skies, the sonorous tones of Ian McKellen or Christopher Lee (both reprising their roles from the movies) will guide you.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Q&A
December 9, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The Game Banshee has caught up with Bethesda Softworks' Gavin Carter for a quick chat regarding their upcoming RPG, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Topics range from environments to the AI. Here's a clipping:
GB: Tell us about some of the new environments around Tamriel we will be adventuring through during the game. Any favorite areas you're working on that you can detail for us?
Gavin: I fully believe that even though were one of the smallest development shops out there, weve got some of the most talented artists in the business working for us. The stuff theyre churning out on a daily basis is nothing short of jaw dropping. As far as environments go, a major emphasis for us was to pull off real, fully realized forests. We dont feel like this environment has been tackled in a realistic way in games yet, so we decided that for Oblivion, we were up for the challenge. You can see in some of the screenshots weve released that were not just blowing smoke. Weve gone all out, with hyper-realistic trees, special shaders for shadow and lighting effects, wind playing through the branches, and more. And trust me, the shots dont compare at all to the experience of walking through these environments in the game.
SWAT 4 Preview
December 9, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy is the latest website to fire-up a preview Irrational Games' upcoming tactical shooter, SWAT 4, after getting some quality hands-on time with the multiplayer beta. Here's some lovin':
To subdue the VIP, the terrorists can use items like pepper spray or flashbang grenades, which cause disorienting graphical effects. Or, they could use my personal favorite: the tazer gun. Once you've got the VIP in range, you can zap him with electricity to drop him to his knees, and then use a pair of zipcuffs to keep him tied up. In the beta, the VIP could still chat with his team while captured, and even wriggle around a bit, but at times the terrorists would purposefully let him squirm into the middle of a room in an attempt to draw SWAT members into a trap. Teams also have access to door wedges, which came in handy for terrorists after capturing the VIP; in one instance, we were able to keep the VIP locked down in a stairwell for nearly the entire two minutes, which turned out to be pretty easy to guard.
Dragonshard Preview
December 9, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
HomeLAN has posted some impressions on Liquid Entertainment's upcoming Dungeons & Dragons-based strategy title, Dragonshard. Here's something to nibble on:
While this game may at first seem like a quick attempt to get a D&D themed RTS title on the shelves, our time viewing the live demo and talking with Castillo convinced us that this will be more than just the normal fantasy strategy game. The single player campaign is actually being crafted as more of an action-RPG (a la Diablo) but with some tactical strategy that an RTS game can provide. For another thing, the tradition tech tree for units isnt in Dragonshard for the most part. In most of the single player game and in all of the multiplayer game you get access to all of the games units from all the three major playable sides at once. The tech tree in this game has been replaced somewhat with the ability to upgrade some of your units with better stats, abilities and more.
World of WarCraft Review
December 8, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy whipped up a review on Blizzard Entertainment's rockin' massively multiplayer online RPG, World of WarCraft. Walking away with a perfect 5/5 stars, they really seem to think highly of it. Here's some juice:
The difference, though, is the way Blizzard has managed to re-think things that were taken as gospel in MMO game design, ask "Why?", and remove them when they got in the way of having fun. Take, for example, the issue of time. For some reason, a game pace that would be considered glacial in any single-player game has always been standard issue in most MMOs. Why should it take 10 minutes after fighting to heal your character? Why should it take me an hour of running to reach a dungeon and start fighting monsters? In World of Warcraft, it doesn't. Everything in the game happens fast. Healing yourself takes less than half a minute. Quests rarely force you to travel farther than 10 or 15 minutes to reach a particular location. Crafting an item only takes you a few seconds, and a few hours of diligent work will garner enough money to at least net yourself one nice new piece of equipment.
The Witcher interview
December 8, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The RPGCodex has slapped up an interview with a couple of the guys behind CD Projekt's upcoming RPG, The Witcher. They look at everything from NPC's to the combat system. Here's a nugget:
5. How much NPC interaction will we find in The Witcher? Are you using dialogue trees or a different dialogue system (like Morrowind)? Do NPCs have any daily routines or do they stay in one place all the time?
We're trying to make the surrounding world as lively as possible. We have a spectacular, dynamic day/night cycle system as well as a weather system. The guards will walk around the streets and react to the fights of drunken people who wander the city during the night. We will also encounter women washing their clothes in front of their houses or fishermen fishing by the river. In the evening, most of them will rest in their homes. The night is also a dangerous time. While in the cities the guards maintain order, outside of them various beasts and monsters roam the land. That's of course also awhy the witcher will have to take care of some of his business by night ;).
Inns will also be interesting places, where a lot of people will gather in the evening. You'll also be able to have fun and drink some stronger stuff.
Dragonshard Preview
December 8, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Rolling right along, PC.IGN has thrown together a preview on Liquid Entertainment's upcoming strategy title, Dragonshard. Here's a bit on the games units:
Many of the units and races of the game will be very familiar to most players of the pen and paper game. The Order of the Silver Flame is an alliance of sorts. Men, dwarves, halflings, and more fill out this organization of races. According to Creative Director Ed Del Castillo, The Order of the Silver Flame will be the most familiar thanks to their units and classes and should be the most typically balanced RTS faction of the bunch. The dark elves are the second race, using more magic than the other races along with other special abilities such as being able to shift into different types of units serving different functions. The reptilian race will begin with fodder units. Tons and tons of units that can be thrown at the enemy mercilessly and will be accompanied by many large behemoth type units giving a nice one-two punch.
SWG: Jump to Lightspeed Interview
December 8, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at WarCry have posted an interview with Sony Online's Julio Torres regarding their Star Wars Galaxies expansion pack, Jump to Lightspeed. Here's something to chew on:
For many players, Jump to Lightspeed doesn't even count as an expansion it's just the rest of the game, a notion that is also shared by the game's developers.
"This is Star Wars," said associate producer Julio Torres. "The movies are all about the stars and going into space. This completes the fantasy.
"We originally planned to have both [parts] done at launch, but it was too big, so we did it in two parts."
SWAT 4 Preview
December 8, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has thrown up some impressions on the multiplayer portion of Irrational Games' upcoming tactical shooter, SWAT 4, after getting some hands-on time with this puppy. Here's a clipping:
However, despite the streamlined interface, the game also seems to refrain from putting in too many obvious visual cues for the sake of realism. Pointing your gun at a teammate in multiplayer, at this point in time, causes you to lower your weapon slightly; you'll do likewise while opening doors. In addition, SWAT 4 has several very realistic, very alarming special effects, such as the way your in-game vision blurs if you're caught within the radius of a flashbang grenade or how you'll start coughing loudly and uncontrollably if you get caught in a cloud of tear gas.
Stronghold 2 Preview
December 7, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The guys over at WarGamer have fired-up a short preview on Firefly Studios' upcoming strategy title, Stronghold 2. Here's some lovin':
The true visual star of Stronghold 2, of course, beyond the character models, weather effects, weapons, and the natural environments, are the castles and fortresses that the player will construct. Again, the new engine delivers, as does the in-game camera. The player can view constructions with almost total freedom of movement, a far cry from the traditional top down, ¾-view of the first two Stronghold installments. Spindly towers and menacing keeps look truly spindly and menacing, with detailed stonework and crenelations. And while the facades of the two castles I was privy to see looked great, the new cut-away feature was the most interesting.
Guild Wars Impressions
December 7, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The RPG Vault has posted some new impressions on ArenaNet's upcoming Online RPG, Guild Wars, after getting a chance to check it out during this past weekends beta event. Here's a bit on the strategy in the game:
Planning is also important in the story missions and exploration areas. There are situations where simply charging in swinging and blasting away with your entire spell arsenal will succeed. However, the brute force approach isn't a great idea all the time. If the opposing force you're facing is large or strong enough, wandering away from your group will get you killed. You can be resurrected by a healer, or by a character of any class using a signet that works only once per sortie - if it was equipped in one of the eight skill slots. If this happens, your attributes are reduced by 15 percent. This amount is reduced by defeating enemies, but this takes time. You can also bail out and return to the start point, although doing so wouldn't speak very highly for your level of team orientation.
Ashen Empires Interview
December 7, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Starting off this slow news day, HomeLAN has sat down with Iron Will Games' Bill Money for a quick chat regarding their massively multiplayer online RPG, Ashen Empires. Here's a bit on their future plans for the title:
HomeLAN - Looking further into the future,what plans does Iron Will Games have for Ashen Empires?
Bill Money - Over the next 6 months we intend Ashen Empires to be the premier value-brand MMO. We will continue to add content and features to bring the game to the level that surpasses our competition (right now I would say Ultima Online is still the king of lower-end machine specd MMOs). We also want to take some risks and experiment with some new types of gameplay. For example we have been working out plans for a new type of game server that is a month-long, winner take all, perma-death and accelerated experience competition.
SWG: Jump To Lightspeed Review
December 6, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
WorthPlaying.com has fired-up a review on LucasArts' Star Wars Galaxies expansion pack, Jump To Lightspeed. Here's a bit on the new starship fighter professions:
The good news about the classes is none of the starship fighter professions count against your skill point total, so you're free to become a Master Starfighter without sacrificing any of your hard-earned points. The bad news is, advancement through these levels requires you to grind through both the XP needed to level as well as a pre-set number of missions to unlock the next tier. Also, most of the high-end missions require you to be grouped. The other thing about the classes is they don't take into account your previous declared faction. My character was a Sergeant in the Imperial Forces, but that doesn't stop him from becoming a Rebel pilot if he so chooses, and the reverse is also true.
Read on!Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory Preview
December 5, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The peeps over at 1UP.com have thrown together a preview on Ubi Soft's upcoming stealth title, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory. Here's a bit on the games physics:
Another way the developers are using technology to make the game world believable is by adding a more advanced physics system. "Everybody has ragdolls today, but the difference with the ragdolls in Splinter Cell is you have to interact with the dead or unconscious guys," says Lepage. "You need to be able to pick up a body and carry it over your shoulder. That was very challenging for us because we had to mix animation and physics together."
Half-Life 2 Review
December 4, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Yes, another! The RPG Vault is the latest to post their impressions on Valve Software's hit first person shooter, Half-Life 2. Here's a bit on driving around and the physics in the game:
Another sizeable element of play is driving, of which there's a fair amount, albeit broken up by situations where you dismount. Early on, there's quite a long stretch where you have control of an airboat, and later, you take the wheel of a scout car. These parts of the game make far better or at least more entertaining use - in my opinion anyway - of the physics engine. It's fun to race through twisting corridors and jump barriers, especially while under enemy fire. You can also knock objects flying all over the place. Of course, you can also crash into enemies as well as taking them out indirectly by, for example, knocking down the wooden dock they're standing on. Curiously though, your vehicle never seems to take any damage from such actions.
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within Review
December 4, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The guys over at GameSpy have slapped up a review on Ubisoft's Action-Adventure title, Prince of Persia: Warrior Within. Walking away with a final score of 3 1/2 stars out of 5, this one might be worth checking out. Here's a nugget:
Let's start with the best news. The one area that most people had a problem with in the previous game, the combat system, has undergone a serious overhaul. Now, instead of a tedious combat system that holds up the action, the prince has a brand-spankin' new series of combos and special moves that can be learned and pulled up with a fairly minimal learning curve. The moves include a very cool flip over an enemy resulting in a gory decapitation and a hostage grab that results in the Prince cutting an enemy in half at the waist. There are also a number of moves that play off the environment, such a whirling dervish thing in which he spins around standing columns and a horizontal leap off of walls.
Guild Wars Interview
December 4, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The FileFront has sat down with ArenaNet's Jeff Strain for a quick Q&A regarding their upcoming Online RPG, Guild Wars. They look at everything from skill design to PvP. Here's some lovin':
Q: So in a game like Dark Ages of Camelot they have actual battlegrounds where people compete against each other. Is that the case in Guild Wars, where its mainly PvP?
A: Yeah. First of all, there is no non-consensual PK in Guild Wars. In fact, there is no PK. Theres PvP, but no PK. You choose to go into areas that are specifically for player combat, or specifically for players to group together and beat monsters. You never have to worry about being somewhere and some punk kid coming along behind you with his uber-God character and then killing you, taking all your armor and then going off and laughing about it. Given that, there are several different kind of PvP. There are guild battles. Once you join a guild, you can issue explicit challenges to other guilds. Or you can just, say, find another guild for us to compete with. Then your guild will be placed in a combat arena in your guild hall against another guild in their guild hall, and you try to siege each others guild halls. So that is one type of PvP combat.
Vampire: Bloodlines Review
December 4, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Thanks to GameConnect Magazine for sending word that they have thrown up a review on Troika 's Action-RPG, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines. Here's a a bit on the eyecandy:
This game looks good, incredibly so for a role playing game, and the variety of special effects and atmospheric touches in the world around the player will recreate some truly memorable and scary moments. Well crafted facial animation and highly detailed character models go a long way towards drawing the player into the game, and the variety of locations is nothing short of breathtaking - there is a lot to see and do here, and the Source helps make it all pretty - along with some very intelligent design and graphical work, of course.
LOTOR: Battle for Middle-Earth Review
December 4, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Kicking off the evening, PC.IGN has thrown together a review on Electronic Arts' strategy title, The Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle-Earth. Here's a bit on building structures in the game:
While Battle for Middle-earth is certainly much like many RTSs already on the market, EA LA made some changes to the interface that an impact on gameplay. The biggest of the changes is to the way structures are built. In order to combat the sprawling cities and hidden buildings of many RTSs, each building in BFME must be constructed on a plot. Plots are pieces of land that have either a flag and marking or a faction stamp. For instance, in order to build a camp, a player will have to find a space that is reserved for such a thing. Clicking on the spot with the flag will give the option to build a new camp at a certain price. Each of these castles, camps, or outposts will then be constructed along with a number of plots on the ground. New buildings can then be erected on these plots by left clicking on them and selecting the correct building from the graphical radial menu on screen or hotkey. Same thing for creating units. Left-click on building, left click on icon, troop is on the way. It's a simple way to do things that should have beginners figuring out the idea of base building a little quicker than normal since the strategy of town construction is taken out of their hands.
Half-Life 2 DM & SDK Updates
December 3, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Valve Software has released an update for the new Half-Life 2: Deathmatch gameplay mode, Source SDK, and Source Engine. This puppy includes improved player animations, a bunch of bug fixes and more! You can find a list of what's new by tapping your mouse right here.
World of WarCraft Impressions
December 3, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
PC.IGN has posted some updated impressions on Blizzard Entertainment's hit massively multiplayer online RPG, World of WarCraft. Here's a bit on the mailing system:
Speaking of which, the mail system is awesome. You can send anything to anybody in your faction (Horde or Alliance) at any time, at the cost of 30 coppers (100 coppers equals one silver). It takes about an hour to get to them, and you can send money as well -- as much as you want. There are mailboxes all over the land, and an icon will pop up in your HUD when you have mail. It won't tell you what mail you have, but it's a nice feature. Anything you win at the auction house gets mailed to you. You'll also get notified if you lost an auction, so you don't have to wonder in the back of your head while you're knee-deep in a quest.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Dev Diary
December 3, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has posted a developer diary written by GSC Game World's Andrew Prokhorov regarding their upcoming first person shooter, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl. Here's a nugget:
Our protagonist is discovered amid a rummage of bodies. He had been left for dead on one of the many death trucks that patrol the Zone. These trucks pick up the less successful inhabitants of the Zone and dispose of them in a futile effort to restore normality and control. Under the care of a character referred to as "the Dealer," our stalker's health improves. All signs of his previous life have vanished, like the data on his PDA. Only the guidance of the Dealer prepares him for what will follow his recovery.
Half-Life 2 Review
December 3, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Keeping the reviews rolling in, Ferrago has slapped up their take on Valve Software's recently released first person shooter, Half-Life 2. Here's some lovin':
The very first thing that people notice about Half-Life 2 is how pretty everything is. This is almost exclusively down to the vivid diversity of textures that the very impressive Valve art department has used to create a richly believable world. And while the environmental models are, on close inspection, really rather basic, the range of different visual styles and near-photorealistic quality of the textures combine to make Half-Life 2 an exceptionally gorgeous game to behold. Although the textures lose some definition when you are standing right in front of them Valve have not shied away from using all sorts of fancy shader technology to make things look even more life-like then you would have thought possible in 2004. The water is spectacular; I spent plenty of time just admiring the distorted reflections and shadows on the surface of the canal systems.
Stronghold 2 Preview
December 3, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy has thrown up a preview on FireFly Studios' upcoming strategy title, Stronghold 2. Here's something to chew on:
One of the sequel's main points is expanding the economic side by adding "chains," meaning that if a building or unit is constructed to address a social need, it will, in turn, lead to the need for yet another building or unit. For example, life in the Middle Ages was not really known for being clean, as waste was usually dumped out the window or front door, resulting in diseases, and sometimes, death. This is where some of the new units come in. Daily life will create waste, which not only makes your peasants sick but also attracts rats, which then spread disease even further by just rummaging around. Leaving this unattended will literally result in a swarm of waste, with rats systematically causing the death of all of your peasants, bringing your economy to a screeching halt.
Joint Ops: Escalation Review
December 2, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy has slapped up a review on NovaLogic's recently released Joint Operations expansion pack, Escalation. Here's a bit on the new vehicles:
Firstly, effective use of a tank or assault helicopter requires that most precious commodity in an online shooter: teamwork. In the helicopters, one player flies while the other shoots and pops off flares for defense. What's more, the helicopter's powerful rockets are aligned with the fuselage, so the pilot has to aim them while the gunner actually shoots them. Similarly, tanks need a separate driver and gunner (although it's fairly common to see players trying to solo in a tank by jumping between the two positions). There's also a little-used third position in the tank for a commander, but since he's perched atop the cupola without any protection, he might as well have a neon 'Shoot Me!' sign floating over his head. Since the other team is usually happy to oblige, you don't generally see a three-man tank crew.
Read onWorld of WarCraft Review
December 2, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Another World of WarCraft review has popped up over at the ActionTrip this evening, taking a look at Blizzard Entertainment's rockin' MMORPG. Here's a bit on the eyecandy lovin':
Visually speaking, the game is gorgeous, with the entire continent seamlessly displayed as you explore new locations. You can move from a bustling city directly into the field, entering new zones with no loading times whatsoever. The only time the game reloads for any purpose is when you teleport, enter an instance dungeon or switch continents. Other than that, you can run from one end of the world to the next with no downtime. The player models are beautiful, detailed and dressed to the nines, and are very smoothly animated. There are some clipping issues between the models and the terrain, but when you have that many models running around, some of that is to be expected. The spell effects are modest, and aren't as brilliant as in WCIII, and I believe this was done to trim bandwidth more than anything else, but in all honesty they look pretty dang good. They get the job done nicely without overly taxing your system.
Vampire: Bloodlines Interview
December 2, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The GameAxis has Trokia Games' Leonard Boyarsky in the hot seat this evening, answering questions regarding their hit Action-RPG, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines. Topics range from the clans to the plot. Snip:
GaX: What is the plot of VTMB? Is it tied to the plot of the first game in any way?
Boyarsky: Bloodlines is based around your character trying to build their power in Vampire society. You are a newly sired vampire who is sent by the Prince of Los Angeles on a series of missions that unravel a mystery affecting the entire World of Darkness.
The plot of Bloodlines has absolutely nothing to do with Redemption (the first Vampire: the Masquerade computer game).
Painkiller: Battle Out Of Hell Review
December 2, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The guys over at HomeLAN have whipped up a short review on People Can Fly's Painkiller expansion pack, Battle Out Of Hell. Here's a bit on the games visuals:
Graphically, the games levels are huge for the most part and theres lots of Havok physics based fun to deal with (two words; throwing cars). While the character models and level textures are of the same quality in Battle Out Of Hell as in the original game (that is to say excellent) People Can Fly have added a few new graphical effects such as Half-Life 2 quality water textures and some new lighting and heat shimmer effects that are quite effective.
Freedom Force vs. the Third Reich Dev Diary
December 2, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
PC.IGN has posted a developer diary written by Irrational Games' Lorne Brooks regarding the engine being used in their upcoming RPG, Freedom Force vs. the Third Reich. Here's a nugget:
You'll be pleased to know that all the characters now have projected shadows. What this means is that each shadow is accurately represented by a complete silhouette profile. This is cast directly on the character and is based on the sun angle set by the global lighting system. The shadow is dynamically updated as the character moves around. The projected shadow system is a separate ray casting method from the existing stencil shadows that get cast on all the objects and buildings by the global lighting system. The projected shadows are cast using a common reference point that exists in all characters on which to cast. This is done automatically, so that our artists are not really concerned with setting anything up.
Half-Life 2: Deathmatch & SDK Released
December 1, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Valve Software has released an updated SDK for all you mod makers out there, but the really exciting news is the release of a multiplayer deathmatch mode! They have also announced a deathmatch map making contest, with the winner taking home a cash prize of $5,000. Click here for all the details!
Another Vampire: Bloodlines Review
December 1, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Another day, another review! The FiringSquad has posted their take on Troika Games' latest Action-RPG title, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines. Here's a bit on the games storyline:
Fittingly enough for a game based on the Storyteller RPG system, Vampire's greatest strength is its plot. The various kinds of foreshadowing and all the intrigues, plots and mysteries work themselves out nicely. There are, to be sure, questions that are unanswered and some minor contradictions, but there is no doubt that Bloodlines has writing on par with Fallout and Fallout 2.
In fact, it even shows glimpses of the same kind of sense of humor. These are generally few and far between, but their discreet use adds a warm flavor to the game. At one point, the player's character finds himself in a conversation where a demand conflicting with his quest is being placed upon him. One of the dialogue options that opens up is along the lines of "Nobody tells me what to do. No... wait, a lot of people do, but here's my chance for payback." It's the kind of meta-humor that pokes fun at the game mechanics which, oddly enough, makes them more tolerable. In fact, the developers went to a fair bit of effort to make the linearity make sense. All factions involved want the player to, well, play along. Should the player seek to shirk his duty, his Ventrue prince will use the Dominate discipline to get him back in line.
The Sims 2 Patch
December 1, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at Maxis have released a new patch (v1.0.0.971) for their hit people-sim, The Sims 2. Fixing a bunch of bugs, you can grab the 14mb file from either the official website or the FileShack. So what are you waiting for? Get downloadin'!
World of WarCraft Review
December 1, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has fired-up a review on Blizzard Entertainment's recently released massively multiplayer online RPG, World of WarCraft. With a final score of 9.5/10, they really seemed to like it. Here's some lovin':
As mentioned, player-versus-player combat is available in World of Warcraft. In the vast majority of realms, it's purely consensual. For example, at any point, two characters may choose to engage in a nonlethal duel. But there's also some full-on gang-style warfare to partake in if you so choose. There are certain higher-level fringe territories in Azeroth that are considered neutral or contested, and it's here where the alliance and the horde may attack each other. In PvP realms, these attacks may happen indiscriminately, much to your chagrin if you're just minding your own business and questing alone. Your choice of realm is obviously important, but fundamentally, the PvP combat is fun and exciting like the rest of the combat. Each character class' versatility can really come into play when you're faced with a squad of player-controlled foes.
Rainbow Six 4 Announced!
December 1, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Ubisoft has announced a fourth installment in their Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six franchise. Currently just called Rainbow Six 4, we can expect this bad byo to hit ship in the Spring of 2005. Anyways, here's a clipping from the press release:
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - November 30, 2004 - Ubisoft, one of the world's largest video game publishers, today announced its plans to launch a new Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six opus on PlayStation®2, Xbox® and PC during Spring 2005. The game is being developed by two of Ubisoft's award-winning studios: Red Storm Entertainment, the maker of the original Rainbow Six, & Ubisoft's Montreal Studios.
In this new episode, you lead Team Rainbow, the world's most elite counter-terrorist unit, as they are called into action and unfamiliar territory to battle a bioterrorist threat. Stakes escalate as they are personally targeted by an evil terrorist organization. Used to protecting the lives of others, Team Rainbow must now embark on a mission to fight and save some of their own.
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