New Content:
- Added Benelli XM 1014 fully automatic shotgun
- New Hostage model and two new skins.
- SAS model added as a selectable CT
- Added maps cs_backalley and de_train
- Updated maps cs_station, de_nuke, de_dust, and de_prodigy
- New icons for HUD (money, weapons, armor, timer, C4, defuse Kit, scoreboard)
- Added buy zones, reload zones, hostage, and bomb target zones to HUD.

Gameplay Changes:
- C4 is now an equipment item in slot 5 (to plant, select then hold down fire)
- C4 can only be planted in bomb delivery zone
- To defuse a bomb Counter Terrorists must target C4, press and hold the USE key
- CTs can defuse C4 without a defuse kit in 10 seconds
- CTs can defuse C4 with a defuse kit in 5 seconds
- A progress meter is added showing CTs their progress defusing a bomb
- A progress meter is added showing Ts their progress planting a bomb (this takes 3 seconds)
- Defuse kit now an item which can be purchased - Nobody starts with a defuse kit
- Defusing bomb wins round for Counter Terrorists
- C4 can be dropped for other teammates
- Hostages are automatically rescued at hostage rescue zones
- Counter Terrorist and Terrorist teams are now labeled
- Individual frags can be toggled on or off
- Ghosts can be made visible to other ghosts (client defined)
- Pre-Round grace timer standard setting 6 seconds (server defined)
- Three observer modes: classic ghost, locked chasecam and freelook chasecam ( press jump to toggle)
- Auto-find teammate in observer mode (primary fire)
- New radio messages and organization of radio keys (standard, group and report messages)
- Can hear other players reloading
- Mission briefing added to maps (can also be invoked during round)

The Beta 5.0 Linux Server Port is now available on the downloads page. If you are a server op running Linux, go grab it and upate now. This way you will be ready for the windows release which is forthcoming.

The CS Forums have also been re-opened in light of the release. Give them a visit.

We've gotten a lot of great mail from CS players who were upset by the lamers who got the forums shut down and spamfest 2000 cancelled. Due to the fact that there really are some good / mature CS players out there, we're holding Spamfest 2000 afterall!

Check the Review here

With Hangsim, Ilan covers something he himself has been doing for years…light aviation. This area covers things like hand gliders and paragliders, to name a few. This game can cover a lot of ground, so to speak, and it gives us a chance to do something on our computers that we've never done before.

Here is a sample:

[CYA] Wolf: Who in the industry would you say as a modeler do you admire?

Alpha Wolf: I would have to say Adrain Carmack, i love his ideas from Doom and quake, just a good imagination.. I have to wonder what happened with Q2 and Q3A..:)

-Gooseman has confirmed that a news post on Planet Halflife saying that he is quitting CS is false. He reassured everyone that if anything like that ever happens, you will hear it on CS.net first.

-Beta 5, which is coming out soon, has a plethora of new features. Here's some of them-

Counter-Strike Beta 5, includes 2 new maps and a fully automatic shotgun, as well as significant improvements in the areas of ease of use, active visual feedback and accessibility. The CS team and Barking Dog have been working together to refine the HUD, improve the menus and help system, and implement new observer modes and features. Valve helped finance and produce the project as a way to say thank you to the Half-Life community and further the effort to showcase the great work of all HL mod developers. We've been thrilled with the success of Counter-Strike - the number of players continues to grow steadily as more and more people find out how fun the game is.

New features list:
- 1 new weapon: the fully automatic shotgun
- 2 new maps: Back Alley and TrainYard, plus updates to existing maps
- 3 new observer modes: classic ghost, locked chasecam and freelook chasecam
- Auto-find teammate in observer mode
- Ghosts can be made visible to other ghosts

-There will be no IRC party for the release of Beta 5. Heres why, according to Cliffe-

This is due in part to both disappointment with recent events concerning certain CS players, so-called fan sites such as 'violation,' and simply not wanting to deal with another spamfest.

There ya have it.

Although the game itself will be delayed theres plenty of TF2 info on the web, I found these TF2 screen shots over at Planet Fortress, if your a half life fan and you want to be impressed, I'd say these pics a worth a look

View TF2 Pics here

News on SOF - well, I'm here at work, between Christmas and New Year because a) I'm dedicated, b) there's still stuff to be done on SOF Deathmatch, but mainly cos c) I have no vacation left. CTF is pretty much done. Just doing some tidying up. I'm adding in the logging function that we added to Heretic II in the EP, which enables server operators to have a file of all the games being played. There are Cvars that allow you to add HTML commands into the file so you can create an instant webpage should you desire it. Just something cool we threw in there in case it is useful.

The graphics are mostly hit or miss. The menus are well drawn and easy to navigate (apart from the sheer amount of them) and the cars are very nicely modelled as are the tracks. Photo-realistic textures with high amounts of detail, and wonderful lighting make this game graphically very beautiful. The weather effects range from clear day, to dawn & dusk settings rain, snow and night are all very well implemented in the game. The problem is with the trees. Unfortunately, the trees are modelled only from a few polygons and
are flat to say the least.

1) Quake 3
2) Pharaoh
3) Unreal Tournament
4) Age of Kings

Quake III Highs

-The feel of the game can't be beat
-Choice, unique character models and a lot of them
-Amazing high-quality textures, especially with a TNT2 or GeForce 256 card

Quake III Lows

-Lacking level design with only a few that really stand out as remarkable
-Boring arsenal
-Not much variety in game types -- deathmatch and capture the flag is about it, folks
-Single player game is little more than a warm-up to the multiplay experience

Unreal Tournament Highs

-Unbelievable game options straight out of the box
-Great weapons that reward skilled players with faster kills
-Adrenaline inducing 'Mortal Kombat' kill announcements like Head Shot and Multikill

Unreal Tournament Lows

-While the game's animation is smooth, the textures seem a bit simple when compared with Quake 3
-Getting shot doesn't really feel like getting shot. -The game could use more realistic feedback.

In SWAT 3: Close-Quarters Battle players assume the role of the element leader, and take command of a five-man assault team in an attempt to save the innocent.

"Go, Go, Go! Any day guys" - The familiar sound of a SWAT team breaking and entering a crime scene. A scary thought, to say the least. Take your rifle, knock down the door, and proceed to neutralize anything that stands in your way of completing the mission.

The gameplay in Quake III is fast and furious. No one can accuse Id's latest effort of being sluggish. The controls feel solid and precise, leaving you with the feeling that you are in total control at all times which is important when frags count. The single player game features 26 maps and 32 bots to keep you busy. The AI in Quake III is adequate, although far from human in behavior. I suppose for most of us online Deathmatches are where we prefer to be, but it's worth noting that the bots probably won't keep a hardcore gamer entertained for very long due to a few quirks.

I shot the first enemy I ran into in Soldier of Fortune in the face with a shotgun. The gang member had peeked around a corner, and, at point-blank range, the blast blew his head clean off. His wobbling body remained erect for a moment, the jagged stump of his neck spurting blood, and then that, too, slumped to the floor.

IGNPC: Were there any thoughts on adding a first-person option to Slave Zero similar to Jedi Knight?

MP: Slave Zero is designed for a third person perspective. In first person you'd lose the sense of scale, which is a huge part of gameplay. There was great emphasis on developing a character with incredible animation, again, this would be lost in first person. There is a first person option in the game, but the game has been designed, tuned, and balanced for the 3rd person viewpoint.

IGNPC: A lot of times when Nox has been mentioned in a preview the word Diablo isn’t far behind it. Do you think the comparisons between the two games are valid or do you think it’s an entirely different product?

JH: It is very different but I think the casual gamer will see them as being similar due to the isometric view, medieval world and armour and magic. Anyone that explores a little bit deeper will find a solid game with a much richer storyline behind it.

For the multiplayer game we’ve created 22 different maps and the whole experience feels more like Quake.

• Asherons Call

• Omikron

• Ultima Online

• Delta Force

• Everquest
• Driver
• Nocturne

• Black and White

• Slave Zero

• Ea Sports

• Playstation

• Nintendo

• Warcraft

• Age of Wonders

• Deus Ex

• Homeworld

• Pharaoh
  

When I first heard of Planescape: Torment I figured that gamers would be given a Baldur's Gate ripoff in a new universe. How wrong I was. I am very familar with the Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance universes for AD&D since I've read about 30 of the books, but Torment was a new experience for me. I will have to admit that it was a refreshing change of pace from the same stale old recipe most CRPG producers shovel. Although there really isn't any game like Torment, the best comparison would be Fallout II hands down. I'll admit I didn't like Fallout II that much especially with all the problems it had with save games, but Black Isle has definitely offered a better game this time around.

The weapons available in Splinter include your standard array of lasers, missiles and flame-throwers but also pack handy doses of insecticide for your less traditional foes. Although basic resources can be collected directly from the environment, you'll have to collect weapon upgrades from downed enemy crafts. Each of the different levels will play out in all sorts of bizarre locations inside the base - we managed to catch a quick look at missions that take place inside computers, ant nests and ceiling cavities. A tight storyline will hold all of the levels together and will unfold through some pretty impressive cut-scenes (more about those a bit later).

Welcome to the living, breathing world of Atriana, where everything is organic and alive. Atriarch is a massively-multiplayer online role-playing game and strategy hybrid, where thousands of players will be able to play in a full 3D polygonal world. This isn't just another one of your medieval setting Ultima Online or EverQuest, yet it's concept is much more complex and unique.

Everyone be sure to make this your first stop after you download beta5 which is expected on friday or saturday

Doesn't seem that long ago... Last Friday was the 1
year anniversary of Tribes. We received final Sierra
certification for duplication Thursday 12/17/98 at 7:46
PM. By the following Monday the warezers were online,
and by the middle of the week there were players who
had actually purchased copies!

These days it's all Tribes 2 programming & game design.
My role on the project has changed quite a bit over
the past few years :) (a long story) Now I'm mostly
coding all the "game" part of the Tribes 2 engine.

The big items that I've been working on:

Client & Server object process management
Move processing and inter-frame interpolation
architecture Client->Server move/input
synchronization This is part of an interesting
client/server infrastructure that MarkF and I
will discuss at the next CGDC.

Spatial collision database
Architecture and basic collision methods
Extruded polytopes and other misc. clipping
routines. Tribes 2 employs polytope -> poly
collision (completely different from what I did
on Tribes 1, which was basically polytope to
BSP).

Rigid body physics class
Pretty standard stuff. Though resolving contact
friction in a reasonable amount of time always
causes me problems (Not the first time I've
written one, but I never seem to end up using
it). Will probably use this for the vehicles
this time.

Server->Client datablock architecture
Datablocks are used to transmit static object
attributes to clients.

Game base class
Overall architectural design for game objects
and their interface to the scripting language.
This base class provides a lot of common game
object functionality including datablock,
energy, damage and multi-threaded animation
management as well as Item image mounting, a
number of script interface functions, etc.
Server->client packet code as well.

Item Images
Images are items mounted on objects, such as
weapons and packs. Items now have a table
driven state engine. The states are defined as
part of the image datablock and are used to
control all animation, sound, recoil and
effects on the items in response to trigger,
ammo, loaded and timer input. I hard coded
these states in Tribes 1, but now they can be
defined on the server (by Mods) and are
downloaded to the client.

Camera Class
Observer camera (actually runs on the server
and uses the client/server move architecture).

Static Shape class
The class used for all stations, sensors, etc.
This class doesn't really do a whole lot as all
the behavior for these objects is scripted.

Item class
Basic items, both stationary rotating items, or
items thrown/ dropped by players. Includes
client side prediction for moving items, which
I skimped in Tribes 1.

Player class
Been spending a lot of time on this one
recently. I had the basic player running
around a while ago, but then went off to work
on other things. I just finished cleaning up
and finalizing all the player movement code,
stepping (over things), sliding off corners and
along creases, etc. Tribes 1 had a few
problems in this area which I never got around
to fixing. Tribes 2 is much smoother. The new
approach is cleaner, uses less code, and works
better :) The player is now almost done, bunch
of misc. stuff (including death and celebration
animations), but the only big thing left is
client side movement prediction, which I should
start on this afternoon. He currently moves on
other clients, but doesn't interpolate or
predict (this is handled differently than your
own player).

After player client prediction, some projectile code,
then the code I expect to have some fun with: vehicles.

One of the highlights of id’s titles has always been the well-designed but aggressively abstract maps, and Q3A is no different. While other development teams concern themselves with fashioning real-world environments, id continues to focus largely on how the environment impacts gameplay. Powered at the hand of amazing new architectural tools that include curved surfaces and moving textures, the mappers set their wild design tendencies loose, with mixed results. There are 30 maps, including 26 deathmatch and four Capture the Flag maps, that range from small horizontal arenas consisting of a few connected rooms to larger and more vertically-oriented battlegrounds that can squeeze in 24 players in a tight fit. Overall, the maps are classic id material: circular in nature with the most powerful weapons and powerups in open places or areas that are either tough to reach or a huge gamble.

In terms of gameplay, Evolva is similar in concept to squad-based titles such as Spec Ops and Rogue Spear, but with slightly more emphasis on action than strategy. Where this game differs, though, is in its unique, futuristic setting, and its evolutionary character development. Starting with a squad of Genohunters, you mutate and adapt them to gain access to more abilities. By the end of the game, you'll have a unique team of Genohunters - with over a billion possible variations, no two players will have the same set.

Torment's scenery is more intricately detailed than the scenery in Baldur's Gate because of the close perspective, and much like its characters, the scenery looks good and looks different from what you're used to. The game has no pointless spans of wilderness; each area is carefully designed, and most areas are densely populated. The jutting blade-like architecture of the game's urban settings and the rough-hewn, almost alien tangle of its catacombs give Torment a well-defined, highly distinctive appearance, while the game's atmospheric soundtrack, good sound effects, and sparse but high-quality voice acting all help maintain Torment's style. The game has a consistently cold look that can even be unsettling and uncomfortable at times, but Torment's bleak environments seem to work intentionally to motivate the protagonist's desire to escape from the oppressive, claustrophobic confines of the city of Sigil. In spite of its harsh scenery, at times Torment is colorful and impressive looking, mainly because of its often-spectacular special effects. Powerful magic spells cause the screen to go dim and erupt in ghostly energy, which shakes and rattles the screen. Even the game's most minor incantations feature impressive effects and animations, although some of the more elaborate effects tend to make the game slow down.

The models are well animated, and we especially liked the way different parts and pieces can be combined on the same models to spruce up the look of the baddies (i.e., it's not the exact same generic thug every time). We also liked the ability to use the sniper rifle to shoot off these helmets, hats, gas masks and other extras. The best extraneous bit on a model in this version is the oxygen tanks on the backs of the biohazard troopers. Put a round right into the cylinder, and the entire tank goes up in a fiery flash, wiping out anyone (including the player) standing nearby. Nonlethal shots also produce an effect on the enemies that we haven't seen done well since Goldeneye on the N64. Nail a commando in the leg, for instance, and he'll hop around for a few moments clutching the injured limb. Shoot a gun out of his hand, and he'll shake his wrist, then take off running when he realizes that he's outgunned. A few times, cowardly enemies even managed to lure us into crossfire from other black hats hidden around a bend.

GameFan-What inspires your artwork?

Well, texture creation is not so much about design or inspiration as it is about imitation--what technique will make that moss look like it grew on this brick wall. However, when design is actually an issue, for some decorative elements (such as the runes that recur in some Unreal levels), I tend to start playing around with some shape I find cool.

Right now, we're on our last milestone. We have 2 levels to complete still. These are the opening mission, and will be needing some new textures and monsters. We want the game to rock right from the start. The rest of the game is done level-wise, but we're adding ammo, scripting, and fiddling with monster placement still. We also have to do a few "between episodes" scripted movie sequences to tie it all together. The team is running well and we're hoping to be done in about.... 2 months.

If you're interested, or wanna find out more on this fine jem, surf on over to here.

The demo features two brand new levels of Tiberian Sun. The first mission is a tutorial about how to play T-Sun. The second mission gives you a heavy dose of
C&C action.

The file tsdemo.zip is for North America and the file tsdemoe.zip is for Europe.
The European version is identical except for the ordering phone number.

Phoebus: HumanHead collectively has a lot of experience working with different technologies and highly modifiying them for your needs. How do you like working with Unreal technology? Compared to id / Quake tech? What about it makes your work easier and/or more difficult?

Mike: I imagine there are huge differences in the programming and map-making departments, but as an animator there is very little difference between Quake and Unreal. All I have to contend with is how to export my work.

There is however, a big difference between working with Quake and Unreal's animation systems, and working with Paul's Skeletal animation system for Rune. We have a full hierarchical skeleton which includes rotational interpolation on all the bones. This essentially rids the animated character of all motion artifacts that come with vertex animation or a non-hierarchical skeleton, and allows us to create very smooth transitions between sequences.

We are seeing reports of several different problems that appear to be due to problems reading files of the game CD.
For example:

Critical: appError called:
Critical: Assertion failed: InPos>=0

There are also other examples, such as problems with running a particular map. Some people have reported problems applying the 402 patch because some file (such as botpack.u or umenu.u) is not recognized properly from their CD.

..........
You might try the following reinstall procedure, simple as it
seems it has helped a lot of people with weird errors.

Corrupted files are sometimes installed without any error messages with some
CD-ROM drives; data is copied to your HD with read-errors, but for some
reason the CD drive doesn't warn the installer and everything appears to
have installed OK.

Copy everything from the CD to the hard drive, (running scandisk first to be
absolutely sure there's nothing wrong with the hard drive) then install from
the hard drive to the final destination folder. (you'll still need the CD in
the drive for playing.) Also, please make sure you install into a clean
(new) folder, not on top of any existing UT or UT-demo content.

If your only problem is with patching, you only need to copy the system directory from the CD. When the patch installer asks you for your CD directory, give it the directory in which the temporary system directory resides (if you copied the system directory to c:\UTtemp\system, then tell the patch installer that c:\UTtemp is your CD.

The graphics in Slave Zero are decent, but they're not all that they're cracked up to be. Weapon effects are fairly vanilla, as are the explosions and such. Level architecture is blocky and rather monochromatic. Also, the vaunted sense of scale you're supposed to notice in the game is inconsistent. On the one hand you do feel like a huge robot when you go climbing around freeways, stomping on cars and stepping on people as you battle it out with the Sovkhan's forces. But it is rather strange that none of the cars or people on the ground seem to panic when you come stomping around or when the bullets start flying. It's as if they're completely oblivious to the mayhem you're creating. Then on the other hand, the "sense of scale" is completely ruined when you stand next to some of the buildings and bridges that make up the interactive environment. Factories, and other buildings look like big dollhouses instead of real buildings when you stand next to them. The problem is most apparent at the end of Mission 5 when you're defending the Guardian base from the Sovkhan's forces. The base is hardly detailed at all and just seems like an oversized toy.

Based entirely in Egyptian locations, Last Revelation's plot revolves around ancient mythology and the alignment of the stars at the millennium. Finding herself in a serious predicament, Lara's objective is clear from the outset - she must escape a terrifying destiny and rectify a situation that threatens to destroy humanity.

Graphics, which were definitely Unreal's forte, make an extremely strong showing. UT runs on a modified version of the original engine, which says a lot for Epic's tweaking skills and admirable attention to detail. While not the best looking game of the holiday season (it comes a close second to a certain, currently-unnamed competitor), there are enough pretty lighting effects, detailed character models and realistic maps to satisfy even the most picky videophiles--besides, you wouldn't get far in the standings if all you did was stand around gawking at the scenery! You'll need a powerful system to appreciate all of the little details (high resolutions and 32-bit colour should run you a P3 with a TNT2 or GeForce accelerator), but in its defense, low resolutions and less extravagant graphical options are included for gamers at the other end of the hardware spectrum.

MG: Obviously Unreal Tournament is going to be locking horns with Quake III: Arena. Why go head to head against id software in a genre which they are traditionally considered to be king?

MR: I'll ask you: why did the Wachowski Brothers decide to release a sci-fi movie, The Matrix, in a year when Star Wars: Episode One was coming out? We make games because that's what we do. The key to making successful games is to make games you LOVE to play. UT is a game we LOVE to play. We love playing id's games too! Just about everyone I know who is isn't sci-fi/action movies saw both this summer and I think the real fans will buy both games and enjoy both games.

Baldur's Gate II: Shadows Of Amn picks up where the first game left off. Those who played the first Baldur's Gate will be able to import their main character into the new game. New players, or those who wish to start from scratch, can create new characters, but everyone will start off as a 6th, 7th or 8th Level character (depending on class) with about 89,000 experience points.

The plot, which Bioware wants to keep mostly under wraps, is going to continue the Bhaal storyline begun in the first game. In the opening scene, you have wandered south from Baldur's Gate into the kingdom of Amn, where you are kidnapped by The Shadow Thieves, a secret, evil-aligned guild of thieves and assassins. You awake to find yourself imprisoned at the Shadow Thieves headquarters. Joining you are a few old friends making a welcome return from the first game - Minsc, Imoen, and Jahiera. Why you've been kidnapped, and how it relates to a bigger plotline involving the failed assassination of an elf queen, are the mysteries to be solved (that we know of).

As you know, I am working with CRT on Rocket Arena for UT. I'm the lead programmer on the project along with c0mpile from Unloaded. CRT is in charge of design, management, and getting level designers. I'm leaving for Christmas tomorrow but I'll be taking the Rocket Arena code with me.

I am collaborating with CRT because he felt he really wanted to develop a Rocket Arena for UT, but was very stressed with work and the Quake3 version of the mod. Epic feels it is very important that UT develop a strong mod community, so I am able to contribute my time to the project.

Hopefully, the first release of RA:UT will be in early or mid January. The game will include full bot support, all the classic RA gametypes, and some new stuff to boot. In addition, Epic will be adding some professional quality visual and audio content.

X'Ds~Grrrr defeats Psyduck (Bracket A)
[9]eVERLAST defeats GOOD_GAME_MAN! (Bracket B)
October defeats Atlas\"/ (Bracket C)
Maynard defeats Pillars (Bracket D)

On a smaller strategic map is a view of the entire world as you know it--a randomly generated chain of islands. One of these islands is to be your home, but which one? Players must pick carefully because each one is unique in what crops it can support, what sort of ore reserves it has if any, and whether or not it already has settlements of indigenous tribes, many of which have flourishing crops that can be bartered for at a later time. None of these tribes are warlike, however, so new settlers need not be afraid of raids or pillaging at the hands of enemies--that comes later. Once a site has been chosen--and odds are, you won't get your first choice, as the computer ships will almost always beat you to the best spots--it is up to the player to literally hack their new settlement out of the forest by establishing a warehouse on the coast, and then building their first set of structures. These usually include a logger's hut, some rudimentary housing, a source of food such as a fisher's hut, and a sheep farm and weaver for wool and clothing.

GV:
The plot of Torment centers around the Nameless One and him trying to recover his past. From originally seeing the game and the plot and the intro setting, I immediately thought of the Super Nintendo Shadowrun, which started off much the same. What were some of the major (non-Planescape) influences on Torment, both game- and prose-wise? Where did the idea as a whole come from?

CA:
The biggest influences on the game are probably Zelazny (who is the king of amnesiac characters coming into their own in a strange new world) and this space craft campaign I was planning to run in college and never got around to, though I did a lot of preparation work for it: all the characters started out in a derelict space ship, waking up from their bunks with no idea who they were or what they were doing there – and over the course of the campaign (it was only going to be three to five nights), they would have to research themselves on the ship's computers, their medical records, and basically try to puzzle out who they are, what they're doing there, and why they are the only survivors in the vessel. I thought it'd be cool to run a campaign where the main goal of the characters is to find out who they are, but in the process of finding out who they were, they actually end up finding out what kind of people they've become as a result of losing their memories.

The game features 26 levels and 10 different worlds. You will take control of a mercenary who'll have to deal with terrorist and hostage situations around the globe. Worlds and missions range from a New Yo