Secondly, GA-Source has 2 new screenshots from Computer Artwork'supcoming third-person action hybrid, Evolva.

And finally they also have 8 new screenshots and descriptions from Rewolf Software's upcoming TC for Valve's Half-Life, these can be viewed here

VE: What makes id Software different from all the other game development teams out there?

PS: Very lean, very hard-working talented people. We have our problems like any other development company. Communication could be better. I could break less key boards or break less things period, but overall there's simply no one who doesn't take their job seriously and give it less than 110%. Especially the owners.

NG: What was the biggest challenge graphically with Anachronox?

LP: The biggest challenge for Anox is using the Quake engine to do something completely new. Using tools meant for deathmatch maps aren't in any way conducive to creating environments that have to function as a real location. It's definitely the goal of the game's graphics as a whole to show what can be done with existing software if you're willing to look at it in a completely different light and try something new. Breaking out of the molds of traditional Quake level design was a tough leap, but it's definitely paid off.

The goal in 10six, like Command & Conquer, is to mine materials that will earn the player credit for their base. Each player is allotted a plot of land, and they must maintain and defend the camp, for the world operates in real-time. Showing up online on a regular basis to maintain your camp is an integral part of the game design, since the game is constantly running 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The address of the server is as follows:
209.118.215.53:27015
if it doesn't work take out the :27015.

You can acccess the server from the console using this command in Half-Life console.

Connect 209.118.215.53:27015
or
Connect 209.118.215.53

-Happy Fragging!

We're going to be running this website in a much different fashion than how our previous sites were run. This is not a personal page, and we're not a community page. We'll not update about other website's new designs, because that's not what we're about. We're here to bring you information on Blizzard Entertainment, it's games, and all that comes with it. That is the bottom line.

When:
This is a five week King of the Hill Tourney. The first four weeks will consist of open play, with the finals taking place on the fifth week.
Where:
Special King of the Hill Tourney Rooms
What's at Stake?:
A cool mplayer.com mousepad goes to the top four winners and a retail game CD, a special icon, and tons of bragging rights goes to the top Week 5 winner.
The Facts:
These days it's all about respect and the best way to get your share is by being at the top of the heap looking down. That's what the Mplayer.com 'King of the Hill' events are all about. This is your chance to show the world how good you really are. Not to mention you can also win some cool prizes. The Mplayer.com King Of The Hill tourneys take place one night per week over the course of four weeks, with the finals happening in the fifth week. The top four contestants from each week (a total of sixteen) will meet during the finals to determine the big winner. The Mplayer.com Wizards are running the show and on game day you can find them in the game lobby in special 'King Of The Hill' rooms. They'll hook up interested players and generally keep the peace.

The interface is neat. It's 3rd person and the camera moves around as necessary. Not at all awkward like Tomb Raider. You move with the keyboard, mouse or both. I suggest the both option. Things are manipulated as always. Click em, if you can do something to them you do, if not you don’t. One frustration was that it is REALLY easy to get disoriented. There was one time I had myself so close into a corner that I couldn’t move. I was lucky enough to hit the back button on the keyboard and got myself out of the jam. This isn’t really a CON in my mind. The awkwardness goes away as you get used to traveling with the Avatar. My suggestion here is to get really comfortable with walking and getting around BEFORE you talk to the Gypsy.

On the note of CGI, we're in the middle of setting up a FFA Links Page, so soon you will be able to add your own link, so stay tuned!

Blitz: Disc Arena is a cooperative team play and aggressive close combat title that is set in a large arena, with two teams each consisting of up to four players. An official metal disc is placed between the fighters. After the starting signal sounds, both teams fight to get hold of the disc and throw it into the
opposing teams goal.

Tex (Editor's Note - "The Bitch" Tex says if I ever do this to 24HG he will kill me. This is waht you get for giving me admin power! :): Where does Billy get his crack that he 'feeds' to his group of chimps?

Firehawk: Billy, with his infinite number of industry contacts, knows this really cool guy from Colombia who cuts us a really good deal on his ho-made crack. Combine that with my contacts in BC (which, as we all know, is a great supplier of weed) and Dave's acid-dropping Georgian college chums, and you've got one happy, loving, productive VE crew ;-)

(Editor's Note - he forgot to mention the fact im the biggest supplier of cocaine the world has ever known :(

The first batch of Unreal Tournament boxes that went to retail stores had a problem that made the UT installer unable to recognize Direct3D as a rendering option. But luckily it's a really easy thing to work-around and once you have UT installed and setup you don't need to worry about it.

One of the things that could be happening is that you are running in software rendering mode and not realizing it. To check what rendering mode you're using go to the Options menu and choose Preferences. Click on the Video tab. Check where it says Video Device.

It does NOT say there is a patch available for UT. It says that Steve is working on a patch. What it said exactly was "The server patch posted a couple of weeks ago approximately halved server CPU utilization compared to unpatched demos. Since we went gold, I`ve been working on further optimizations and have halved server CPU utilization again. We`ll release a patch with these optimizations and other enhancements shortly."

So in plain english that means Steve is working on a SERVER-SIDE patch for UT.

One of the most impressive effects that I had a hard time placing at first was the shadows. I knew that somehow MDK2 felt considerably more real than other games I've played and for about the first 3 minutes I was trying to figure out what, then it hit me as Greg demoed the Doctor and went by the fireplace and I saw the shadow leap onto the couch! Wow! Shadows elongated, got larger when placed on far walls, etc. They moved proportionately faster, etc. I've seen shadows (even very well implemented ones) before, but not to this degree.

Me, a friend, and Mystikal are starting a web design business. And sorry we're not excepting anymore people. We're trying to find a server for the webpage cuz we also wanna host the webpages. Sigh, such hard work and so little time to do it.

-Sanyo CRD-256P
-Sony CDU77E
-Acer CD-624a
-MATSHITA UJDB110
-Various Pioneer DVD models
-All Yamaha CD-R's
-Pioneer DR-A01S
-Pioneer DR-A24X
-Samsung SCR-1231

VE: What was the Unreal engine like when working on it? Is it fairly easy to use?

SD: Many aspects of the Unreal engine are just light years ahead of anything else out there:

The CSG approach to BSP, in editor scripting ability, the real-time lighting, quick compiles, extensive actor level control on a case by case basis, etc. At the same time there are some aspects which could be improved.

Unreal actually seems the hardest to learn if you've already got preconceived editing notions in your brain. I began editing messing around with Doom, but really began in earnest with Quake 1 and 2, so going to a CSG engine after that was initially a difficult shift of mindset, but I can't imagine going back now. I think a lot of people who were into Quake editing initially felt the same, and had difficulty wrapping their heads around the Unreal approach to editing.

In the end, however, CSG functionality offers so much to the designer that I don't feel I could live without it when working on this type of game. At the same time, I still have a list of features that we just didn't have time to implement into UnreaEd due to WoT's schedule, which we're now addressing. I feel that all of our LDs being familiar with both Quake and Unreal editing (among other things) gives us a good perspective and we're taking some of this spin up time in Unreal 2's schedule to work many good features of other engines/editors into Unreal/UnrealEd. All in all its a great engine, and we hope to make it even better. Particularly the new exporting interfaces, combined with the RonCo Polymer Injection Molding System(tm) is where its at, baby. Once we've got life-sized versions in flame-retardant polymer resin, the real fun begins.

The server patch posted a couple of weeks ago approximately halved server CPU utilization compared to unpatched demos. Since we went gold, I`ve been working on further optimizations and have halved server CPU utilization again. We`ll release a patch with these optimizations and other enhancements shortly.

Based on my testing:

Patched demo server with 16 players takes about 60% CPU utilization on a P2-400.

The new code with 16 players is about 30% CPU utilization on a P2-400.

- Steve Polge

Visually, Odium is an outstanding game. In these days of geometry processors and insane fill rates, it doesn't seem to make much sense to use 2D backgrounds when even RTS and console RPGs are evolving to fully polygonal worlds. However, Odium makes the case that not only can 2D be just as immersive and functional as 3D, but the insane levels of detail possible only with pre-rendered rooms heightens the sense of wonder and horror. From the decrepit streets near the entrance to the bowels of a gothic museum (complete with shattered dinosaur fossils and display cases), you always have a definite sense of place and time. At times, the environment can seem a bit too cluttered, and you will probably wonder why you can only search this one box and none of the other dozens of cabinets and shelves in the background. Of course the same is often true in 3D games, where detailed textures are still more common than interactive elements. The 2D environments also allow the game to be played on a wide variety of systems, wit h a basic software renderer if you have no 3D accelerator at all.

The online modes are where WOT comes to life! Arena is deathmatch with ter’angreals instead of shotguns and missile launchers. The interaction between the offensive and defensive artifacts reaches a zenith here, with slow-moving artifacts that pursue opponents through the maps--the “Set it and forget it” of deathmatch--being countered with defensive tools that stamp return to sender on offensive artifacts. I wish Legend could have animated the expressions on people’s faces since Arena is full of hilarious and unpleasant surprises. Some of the more interesting ter’angreal are: Swap Places, which switches your position with a target and confuses any weave they might have launched; Soul Barb, which causes damage to a target whenever he or she activates an artifact; and Minion, which gives birth to AI-controlled creatures. Legend has done a superb job of balancing the ter’angreal, creating defensive shields for each of five offensive elemental weaves--earth, air, fire, water and spirit--and coming up with a winning showcase of special artifacts. Arena is a genuine mental battle between opponents but retains the same intense pace as traditional deathmatch.

Like Half-Life, Opposing Force's greatest strength is its success at consistently delivering surprises. You can sense the designers' enthusiasm as one memorable scene unfolds after another, and it compels you to keep playing. Although Opposing Force is only about one third as long as its predecessor, it's packed with original content. There isn't much filler in the game, so while you may finish it in just over ten hours or so, the experience feels much more complete and satisfying than many longer games, which tend to be padded with hours of drearily similar firefights.

Homeworld V1.04 - October 21, 1999
Changes to version 1.03

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. TUNING CHANGES
II. BUG FIXES
III. ADDED FEATURES
IV. SOUND CARD ISSUES

I. TUNING CHANGES
=================

o Defender gun stats adjusted
o Heavy Corvette build time reduced, build cost reduced
o MultiGun Corvette build time reduced
o Minelayer Corvette build time reduced, build cost reduced
o Cloaked Fighter gun stats adjusted
o Carrier build time decreased
o Carrier hyperspace cost increased
o Attack Bomber armor increased
o Missile armor decreased
o Missile tracking decreased
o Missile Destroyer mass increased

II. BUG FIXES
============

o Bounty rating capped at 250.
o Homeworld now checks all available CD-ROM drives for the Homeworld CD - the Homeworld CD can be placed in any CD-ROM drive on the system
o Cheat detection for multiplayer games.
o Screensavers will no longer activate when Homeworld is running
o Various Save Game Bugs fixed

III. ADDED FEATURES
==================

o Homeworld Dedicated Server Support
- If you create a game and are behind a firewall, you can now choose the server you use when you start the game. People can have lower latency games if they select a server that is geographically close to them. Also, people will be able to create their own Homeworld Servers with a separate program we will release soon.

New Commands added for online chatting and game control and creation. All of the commands are preceded by an ! mark, this designates the start of a command.

o Ignore
- Works only for the chatting in a room. In the chat text box use the following syntax: "!Ignore " You can use this feature to turn add and remove a person from your ignore list.

o Ban
- Works only for the Creator of a game. This is entered into the game chat text entry box, you use the following syntax: "!Ban " You can use this feature to add and remove someone from the list of people banned from your game.

o Kick
- Works only for the Creator of a game. This is entered into the game chat text entry box, you use the following syntax: "!Kick " You can use this feature to Kick someone from your game.

o Limit
- Works only for the Creator of a game. This is entered into the game chat text entry box, you use the following syntax: "!Limit " You can use this feature to limit the maximum number of Human players in your game.

o The statistics files are now being checked for inconsistencies in multiplayer games. If inconsistencies are detected, warning messages are added next to the appropriate line in the statistics files.

o The ability to view the world from any ship's point of view. Simply run Homeworld with /pilotView option (e.g. Homeworld /pilotview), and then focus on a single ship. Hit Q to toggle pilot view on and off.

IV. SOUND CARD ISSUES
=====================

Running Homeworld in Windows 9x:
o Homeworld will use the DirectSound mixer if your sound card driver reports as certified, otherwise Homeworld will use the Waveout mixer. If you have a newer sound card with new drivers, such as the Creative SoundBlaster Live or Diamond MX300, you may receive better performance by using the /dsound command line option because the drivers may not report as certified. If you have a slightly older card, such as the Creative SoundBlaster AWE32, and are having problems with sound try using the /waveout command line option to force use of the Waveout mixer. If you experience crashes that you believe are related to sound try the /waveout and then the /dsound command line options to see if one mixer is more stable than the other with your sound card and drivers.

Running Homeworld in Windows NT4:
o Homeworld will default to using the Waveout mixer, you should not use the /dsound option unless you are having crashes that you think may be related to sound.

Here are some of the changes that we have made since the demo release.

- mip mapping enabled (speed increase ..looks better)
- added high priority class for Messiah (might fix anti-virus problems)
- fixed a restart game sound bug - clear screen at startup, removes garbled graphics while waiting for load
- fixed menu fade problem
- fixed script sample buffer overwrite (crash bug)
- got rid of 32 bit resolution check
- fixed invalid sample error message
- fixed intro to menu crash bug
- Fear Factory sample added to main menu
- fixed glide palette error crash bug
- fixed TnL buffer size (GeForce only)
- scripts compile box now displayed on screen
- fixed A3D bug in their audio card detect code
- added sound menu selector, user can now optimize his sound system to his hearts content
- memory preinitialize to avoid swapping
- new installation graphic added called "the art of possession" to help people figure out possession easier
- voices for cop, domina, scientists added
- added ability to use strafe keys when hanging
- added invert y axis option
- added camera tension control (camera can now be set to catch up faster)
- added always freelook option
- 8 new hand to hand aminations added to Domina
- 8 new hand to hand animations added to Prostitutes
- 2 new hand to hand animations added to Chots
- fixed a bug with the configuration input to use the mouse wheel on some systems
- spelling error in one of the help boxes

New features included such things as 800 x 600 resolution support, 3D card implementation, 20+ new kits, new proficiencies (including dual wield and non-weapon proficiencies), a new character race (half-orc) etc., etc. (and etc.!) Tweaks were such things like a multiplayer store fix (so all people are not paused in a store when one person enters it – they can continue adventuring or enter the store independently of each other), pathfinding (character “bumping”), and reanimating characters and monsters (both new and old). There were literally hundreds of fixes, both obvious and subtle, that have been made to further improve the game experience. A few features that did not make the cut (for a variety of reasons, mostly associated with technical difficulties): horses, thieves climbing walls, and psionics.

Unreal Tournament raises the bar for first person teamplay games. The mutators, bots, teams, and sheer number of maps give the game an awesome depth and replayability. This game is stuffed with content and polished until it gleams. It's hard to find fault with the game -- some of the levels aren't quite up to the highest standard, and maybe new users might be overwhelmed by the depth of gameplay options, but overall this is a very solid product.

November 24, 1999

"What is it with the Koprulu Sector, anyhow? It seems like every week there’s another skirmish, insurgency, sortie, planned offensive, counter strike, police action, border conflict or plain old-fashioned war breaking out. While the chaos and anarchy are great for a spacefaring merchant vessel that’s willing to transport certain cargo of questionable legality, I sometimes have to stop and wonder if this madness will ever end. Of course, this is also right about the time the Captain slaps me upside the head and...

"(external entry) Bailey, stop daydreaming and get back to work!"

-Personal entry of First Mate Norris Bailey

Recovery Vessel Starheaper

Download it now! (271K)

• 256x256 Badlands


• Designed for 2-6 Players

(221k)

Something is really distressing me when I browse the server list in Ubrowser in UT.

Many server admins think that just because a map shipped with the game that it is ok for dozens of players to play at once.

Deathmatch maps like "Fractal," "Oblivion," and "Stalwart" are TINY and are meant for one on one, no more. When you run a server with a 32 player limit and add these maps to your cycle list you're just ruining the play experience for those who are trying to find a good local server.

CTF maps like "Niven" are meant for 2 on 2 or 3 on 3 CTF, nothing more. They're not even in the default map list, this is for a REASON!

So, please, don't cycle these maps unless you're keeping your max players very low.

Your role is to select a computer system and a set of basic programs to start the game. Once on the NET, you will need to explore and find information that you can sell on the black market so that you may increase the power of your computer or acquire more advanced software. You can have more than one goal to achieve to win the game and none will be set for you, except survival. If you choose, you may select a specific mission from our collection. Via NET play, you will be able to form alliances with other hackers or rogues on the NET or attack them if you wish. But beware,there are ghosts in the system. Some say that the military lost control over some artificial intelligence programs years ago and those personalities are roaming the NET freely. Some may be helpful while others will fry your brain. Use your masking and chameleon skills to blend in and defend yourself. When you are ready, you can attack with stealth or with brute force. Only your intelligence and cunning will protect you here.

There is also included a few screenshots of the game. The other demo is for Verge, coming from VTEAM. Now much is know on this game, but the demo weighs in at 12.3 megs. Here's the clip:

You want to shoot? Fly? Shoot again? Use hyper destructive weapons? - And all this with maximum speed and visual effects?
Verge is going to be that - new game from VTEAM - a fast shooter with marvelous 3D graphic and sound - all that you want to detonate your mind!

GameSpot: Why did you decide to use the two-year-old Infinity engine for Baldur's Gate II?

Ray Muzyka: We've been working on the BioWare Infinity engine for the past several years - we started work on it back in 1996. We began work on improvements to the engine eleven months ago, when we began work on Baldur's Gate II. In many ways we're now working with a new engine - there have been a lot of major improvements to the Infinity engine since that time.

In practice, this means the player takes on the role of a rather chubby, nappy-clad cherub in a Blade Runner dystopian future world. Being a cherub, of course, he has a couple of small wings attached to his back - meaning although he can't actually fly, he is able to flutter about to reach difficult-to-access areas. But the key weapon at Bob's disposal is his ability to invade the bodies of those around him. He can then use their skills, abilities and weapons for his own ends - or just use their body as armour to protect him against hazards.

Graphically, Unreal Tournament is amazing... just about everything looks polished. The levels are light years better-looking than Unreal's. The weapons look better, the models are roughly 400% more detailed than Unreal's, and with enhanced Direct3D support, you don't need to have a card that supports Glide in order to play. I won't kid you, if you don't have a 3dfx card, you'll need a beast of a machine with at least 96 megs of RAM and a next-generation video card like the TNT2 in order to enjoy the graphics to their fullest. To speed up performance, you might want to use the medium detail settings and kill the HUD (heads up display) as it really kills the frame rate in D3D mode. As with all games, make sure you don't have any programs running in the background or have a high color desktop background, as that will eat up your system resources. Using a little common sense, and by tweaking the level of detail in your graphics, you can make a world of difference... even on high-end machines.

This feature asks developers the question, "what kind of game would you
create if you had no monetary, technical, or hardware limitations what
so ever?"

With no technology restrictions it would not run on today's machines,
but would work through a neural interface, directly feeding data into
the brain's visual cortex and limbic system.

Check out the latest issue of the Developer's Dream to find out who said
that.
This issue also features dreams from Greg MacMartin, Amen Lead Designer,
Erik Robson, CoMM Lead Designer, and more!

November 23, 1999 - Santa Monica, Calif. - Activision today announced that Quake III Arena has gone gold. Developed by id Software, Quake III Arena is the third installment of one of the most popular computer game franchises of all time and is designed to be the final word in online multiplayer mayhem. The title, which was sent into manufacturing today, is expected to hit retail shelves on Dec. 12, 1999 at a suggested price of $49.99.

I’m working on updating the full demo today. We’ll bash on it a bit and get it out there over the next few days. Once it’s out there I’ll be updating the cdkey authorize server to the final version. Unfortunately this is not compatible with the demo test, so you’ll need to upgrade to either the full version of Q3A (woo hoo!) or download the new demo.

Its a sad fact, but the modern day action game hero seems to have died a silent death. For the last few years, we have been exposed to many futuristic action games, such as Half-Life and the Quake series, or the super-realistic environments of Rainbow 6. But what about the modern cop? Has he got a look in at all recently without being given at least one futuristic weapon? It seems not, but those movie-freaks at Remedy Entertainment are set to change all that with their latest game in development, Max Payne!

Source: GibWorld

Gamesurge: Ok, did you work on any other major games or anything of the sort before you joined Epic for Unreal?

-Ability to run games over multiple subnets fixed.
-Animation fixed for using alt-fire with the pipe wrench in multiplayer.
-Animation fixed for holding the Displacer in multiplayer.
-AutoUpdate support added for Opposing Force to Sierra Utilities.

In the Unreal Universe interview I said that Epic was not going to be pursuing more Unreal patches. I talked to Tim and he said that he was going to release one more Direct3D update with the latest changes/fixes and that would be it.

We were promised mind-blowing 3D graphics (with or without the use of an accelerator card), complex gameplay, and what seemed like outrageously provocative content. You play a little cherub - it looks like a toddler - and you can possess anyone's body, and then make them do anything you like! You can make them leap out of windows! You can shoot them in the legs and then possess them and force them to walk with broken shins! It's got prostitutes in it! Etcetera!