April 2002

Tuesday, April 30, 2002

Unreal Tournament 2003 Videos....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 2:33 PM MDT Tuesday, April 30, 2002 [Comment on news]
Respawnkiller.de, has posted the complete video captured at the German press event for Unreal Tournament 2003, the upcoming multiplayer shooter by Digital Extremes. There are two DivX clips, the first one runs for about 25 minutes (206.8 MB) and features the opening show and an interview with Epic's Jay Wilbur, as well as several German players; and the second one is about 35 minutes (292.5 MB) and shows plenty of ShakyCam gameplay action.


Battlefield 1942 Screenshots....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 11:56 AM MDT Tuesday, April 30, 2002 [Comment on news]
Electronic Arts has released a bunch of Battlefield 1942 screenshots. I picked the ones I liked the best, and have assembled them here for you.

For more information on this title, check out the official Battlefield 1942 page on EA's website.


Mobile Forces at SavLAN....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 10:46 AM MDT Tuesday, April 30, 2002 [Comment on news]
Just saw on Mobileforces.org that Mobile Forces will be one of the games on the agenda at the 4th annual SavLAN that starts this comming Friday and runs for four days over the UK Bank Holiday weekend. There's only a couple of days left to register and there will be a lot happening with a bunch at of cool prizes too. You can grab all the details here


Mafia: City of Lost Heaven Preview ....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 10:40 AM MDT Tuesday, April 30, 2002 [Comment on news]
Invisible Dream has posted a preview of Mafia: City of Lost Heaven, the 1930's era action game from Illusion Softworks. Here's a snip:

    "Mafia’s main drawcard is it’s city. Set over a sprawling 12 square (virtual) miles, the city features busy traffic, pedestrians and is positively full of life. Divided up in to individual sectors like CBD, slum, suburban, industrial and farming properties, the game features everything from million-dollar villas right down to tin shacks. The city of Lost Heaven features it’s own airport, banks, gallery, restaurants, miles of country side, and of course, a harbour. Where Mafia sets itself apart from GTA3 is the ability to enter over 30 of the buildings and locales within the city including Chinatown, Little Italy, cathedrals, hotels, fire stations, theatres and towering sky scrapers. While the game pauses to load in-between the indoor and outdoor settings, the engine handles both areas competently. Illusion Softworks have built the fictional city of Lost Heaven with reference to authentic buildings and photographs from the time. Fashion, technology, music, architecture, transportation, weaponry – All captured with painstaking accuracy."


CS: Condition Zero Screenshots ....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 10:30 AM MDT Tuesday, April 30, 2002 [Comment on news]
The Adrenaline Vault has posted four new Counter-Strike: Condition Zero screenshots along with a brief development update on the single and multiplayer team-based shooter by Gearbox Software.


MOD Mapper ....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 10:27 AM MDT Tuesday, April 30, 2002 [Comment on news]
There's a new release of MOD Mapper now available. MOD Mapper is a program that allows the creation and editing of Half-Life maps. You can pick it up here.


Ghost Recon: Desert Siege Walkthrough....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 10:25 AM MDT Tuesday, April 30, 2002 [Comment on news]
Ghost Recon Platoon has posted a Ghost Recon: Desert Siege walkthrough that now covers the entire game. Check it out!


Mobile Forces Preview ....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 10:23 AM MDT Tuesday, April 30, 2002 [Comment on news]
MPZ.co.uk has posted a preview of Mobile Forces. Here's a taste:

    "At first glance Mobile Forces might seem like another Counter Strike clone but with a few cars thrown in to distract you, but you would be very wrong. Sure it’s got a modern setting and the weapons might have leanings toward some real-life counterparts but that’s about as far as it goes, taking those common features and warping them to its own devices. Mobile Forces features a unique class system, rather than strictly defining a set of classes for you to choose from you get to create your own. Upon spawning you get presented with a selection of weapons and utilities to choose from with each item carrying its own penalty. So if you go for the heavy weapons route and plump for the rocket launcher you’ll find that the rest of your options are now limited, do you want to back up your rocket launcher with a rifle or do you want some armour to protect you from the flak. The other ingenious thing they’ve done with the class system is to give you the opportunity to change your kit in game so you can change your equipment at nearly any point in the game as long as you can find yourself an ammo cache to make the exchange possible. All to many developers of late have designed their games with buckets of realism in mind, slowing down the game and trying to increase the tension by making you more vulnerable. Now that's in no way a bad thing but it works to Mobile Forces advantage, you see Mobile Forces takes an entirely different tack by giving the genre a sever dose of adrenaline. There’s no one life and your out or waiting to respawn, get yourself bumped off and you appear back at your base ready to start it off all over again, which drastically changes the dynamic of the game. You’re still quite vulnerable but the pace is that much higher, that much faster keeping the tension high by keeping the adrenaline coursing through your veins like students to the pub on pound a pint night."


If you haven't already, you should checkout our collection of exclusive Mobile Forces screenshots here, here, and here. This is a great game!


The Sum Of All Fears Preview ....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 10:17 AM MDT Tuesday, April 30, 2002 [Comment on news]
GameSpot has posted a preview of Red Storm Entertainment's upcoming tactical shooter, The Sum of All Fears. Here's a nibblet:

    "As previously noted, SOAF was created with the Ghost Recon engine, but it differs in a variety of ways. Unlike in Ghost Recon, the bulk of each mission here is spent in exquisitely detailed and utterly convincing indoor environments (check out the computer monitors found in many of the missions). While Ghost Recon put you in charge of up to six soldiers divided into three squads, SOAF gives you direct control over only two immediate teammates--the behavior of other squads is scripted, and you have little or no say about their fate. Some players might find this slightly frustrating as they hear casualty reports streaming in from other teams, but on the other hand, the challenge of coordinating your group's actions with the other teams maneuvers can be hugely rewarding."


Rainbow Six: Raven Shield Preview ....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 10:13 AM MDT Tuesday, April 30, 2002 [Comment on news]
GameSpy has posted a preview of squad-based FPS Rainbow Six: Raven Shield. Here's a snip:

    "Raven Shield's new story evolves in the course of playing the game, taking Team Rainbow around the globe to battle terror in various forms. For example, among the 15 levels (on 12 maps) is a slow-paced, tension-filled scouring of a detailed bank interior to clear it of the nasties scattered throughout. Now, I don't want to say that the story isn't important or that it won't be appreciated, because whenever Clancy's name is connected to a piece of software, the development of a plot and motivations will be deeper than most games. But the technical advancements are so strong that it's easy to skim over the story in favor of getting immersed into the action.

    An initial distinction to make is that the game is developed using the latest version of Epic Games' Unreal engine. That alone gives it some juice in the technology department. However, Ubi Soft's programmers have tweaked and reworked the core of the engine to achieve desired effects. Ballistics is something that the designers wanted to guarantee were as close to real life as possible, so one of the engine alterations was to make each gun's physics correct with regard to barrel length, stock weight, recoil, and the effects of different ammo magazines and add-ons."


Tech News....
Posted by [luckee] @ 9:32 AM MDT Tuesday, April 30, 2002 [Comment on news]
Today’s Tech reviews


Monday, April 29, 2002

Team Factor Screenshots....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 12:19 PM MDT Monday, April 29, 2002 [Comment on news]
7fx released a grundle of new Team Factor screenshots today. I grabbed a bunch for you to look at and have put them here. Team Factor is being published by Singularity and is expected to be released by the end of May 2002.


Kreed Screenshots....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 10:49 AM MDT Monday, April 29, 2002 [Comment on news]
3D-Shooter.net has posted a half dozen new Kreed screenshots, showing more scenes from the sci-fi first-person shooter in the works at Russian developer Burut.


Tactical Ops Patches ....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 10:47 AM MDT Monday, April 29, 2002 [Comment on news]
The Tactical Ops Unreal Tournament mod website has posted patches to ensure compatibility between the mod version of Tac Ops and the retail release. Available is a 4.5 MB texture patch for version 315 of the mod which is required for online play with the retail release, as well as a "second edition" of the mod, which provides owners of UT the retail version of the game "with slightly less content" for a full 202 MB download.


Action Half-Life Fix....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 10:45 AM MDT Monday, April 29, 2002 [Comment on news]
The Action Half-Life website has posted fix for this tactical HL mod that address a problem introduced by the cheat prevention in the most recent Half-Life version 1.1.0.9 patch. This patch also tweaks a few features and addresses a couple of bugs. (Spotted on Blue's)


Stalingrad Screenshots....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 10:33 AM MDT Monday, April 29, 2002 [Comment on news]
Computer & Video Games has posted some new shots from the W.W.II shooter based on the excellent movie Enemy at the Gates, Stalingrad. Check 'em out!


Germany School Shooting & Counter Strike....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 10:29 AM MDT Monday, April 29, 2002 [Comment on news]
CNN is reporting the school shooting in Germany is now being linked to Counter Strike play... of course, people can never take responsibility for their actions, they always have to blame something/one else. Here's a snip:

    "...It has also led to calls for tighter rules on violent computer games.

    In a sign that the bloodbath may feature in the campaign for national elections this year, Edmund Stoiber, conservative challenger to Schroeder, said violent games should be banned.

    According to Der Spiegel news magazine, Steinhauser spent much of his time playing violent computer video games. His favourite was called "Counterstrike" in which anti-terror units wearing masks battle each other to death.

    Steinhaeuser also wore a black mask and dark clothes to carry out his attack.

    Photos of Steinhauser on the front pages of newspapers showed a pale-faced, short-haired, ordinary-looking young man with a hard stare."


Luckee's Tech News....
Posted by [luckee] @ 10:19 AM MDT Monday, April 29, 2002 [Comment on news]
Today’s Tech News


Sunday, April 28, 2002

Official Duke Nukem Forever FAQ ....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 1:30 PM MDT Sunday, April 28, 2002 [Comment on news]
PlanetDuke has posted an updated Duke Nukem Forever FAQ. Check it out here.


Nvidia Interview ....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 1:27 PM MDT Sunday, April 28, 2002 [Comment on news]
ZDNet has posted an interview with Dave Kirk, Nvidia's chief scientist, as he talks about the future of PC and console graphics. Here's a snip:

    "Last year we took a scene from 'Final Fantasy,' dumbed it down a bit and were able to render it in real time at 12 to 15 frames per second. That same scene runs at well over 30 frames per second on a GeForce4, so now, if we did it again, we should be able to render the original scene from the movie at 12 to 15 frames per second. We are less than one year away from rendering it with full details and at full speed of 30 frames per second on PC hardware."


SoF2 Screenshots....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 1:24 PM MDT Sunday, April 28, 2002 [Comment on news]
Games Fusion has posted eight new Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix screenshots, showing more from Raven Software's upcoming mercenary FPS.


Dave Perry-Matrix Interview ....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 1:21 PM MDT Sunday, April 28, 2002 [Comment on news]
HomeLAN has posted a Dave Perry-Matrix Interview where they chat with Shiny's President. Here's a snip:

    HomeLAN - Let's talk about the Matrix game. Will the game follow the plot of the Matrix Reloaded movie or will it have its own storyline?

    Dave Perry - Let's just say that it's not a carbon copy of the movie. The Wachowskis have a very special vision for this game and it's our job to make that a reality.

    HomeLAN - What can you tell us at this point about the type of gameplay Shiny is creating for the Matrix game?

    Dave Perry - It's basically a blend of genres that deliver what a gamer would want from a Matrix game. By it's very own nature, the Matrix is based upon rules and those rules work perfectly for intense action gameplay.


Saturday, April 27, 2002

Desert Seige....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 12:25 PM MDT Saturday, April 27, 2002 [Comment on news]
Our man Lefty showed up again for a few to drop off a short write up on the Ghost Recon mission pack, Desert Seige. Here's a snippet:

    "Already having the look and feel of a fantastic tactical shooter, Ubi and Red Storm found time to improve the sounds found in an already great sounding game. If you have a nice pair of headphones or have invested the money in a nice surround sound system, you are in for a real treat. The ability of throwing on a pair of headphones and eliminating the outside world allows for unprecedented immersion into a lifelike war-zone that only Ubi Soft and Red Storm can bring alive."


Medal of Honor German Patch....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 12:19 PM MDT Saturday, April 27, 2002 [Comment on news]
Electronic Arts Germany has released the German version 1.11 patch for Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, bringing that language edition of 2015's acclaimed fps in sync with the English editions. You can grab it here and here. (Spotted on AlliedAssault.com)


XGR's "Saturday Special"....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 12:15 PM MDT Saturday, April 27, 2002 [Comment on news]
XGR has informed us of their "Saturday Special" where they have posted a Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast review, and a bunch of exclusive IGI 2 screenshots.

As if that's not enough for you, after returning from New York to check out Vivendi/Universal's upcoming lineup, Paligap has written his impressions from hands-on experience playing NOLF2 and more. Great stuff!


C&C Renegade Q&A....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 12:06 PM MDT Saturday, April 27, 2002 [Comment on news]
HomeLan has posted a C&C Renegade Q&A where they chat with Executive Producer Dan Cermak about the flying vehicles that were included in a recent patch for the first person shooter. Here's a snip:

    HomeLAN - Which aircraft are added in the patch and what are their capacities?

    Dan Cermak - We've added a transport helicopter on both the GDI and Nod sides, which cost $900 and can carry 4 people. On the GDI side we've also added the Orca fighter, which costs $700 and can carry 1 person. Finally, on the Nod side we added the Apache, which costs $700 and can carry 1 person.

    HomeLAN - How does the addition of aircraft change the gameplay in C&C mode?

    Dan Cermak - They don't really change the basic gameplay structure, other than offering the advantage of speed and possibly a new kind of vehicle rush (a combat aircraft supporting a loaded chinook can be deadly). They simply offer players a wider variety of vehicles to choose from. Plus they're way fun to fly!


Serious Sam: SE Walkthrough....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 11:48 AM MDT Saturday, April 27, 2002 [Comment on news]
Gaminggrove has posted a Serious Sam: The Second Encounter walkthrough. Here's a snip from the intro to get you started:

    "I went through the game twice while preparing this guide. The first time I was in HARD mode, the second time in SERIOUS. The difference between the two hardness levels seems to be the amount of damage a monster does to you, and the amount of ammo you can hold. The number of monsters didn't appear to change. On SERIOUS hardness the monsters do much more damage, but this is compensated for by the fact that you carry twice the ammo. Most of the time I used the same strategies both times through, but sometimes the extra ammo made certain areas easier, even if the monsters were more deadly. Also keep in mind that I was playing a
    semi-final review version of the game Certain areas, like Crollywood, were not finished yet, and I suppose there could be some minor changes in monster placement and map design in the final version."


Friday, April 26, 2002

The Gaming Circle #7....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 4:54 PM MDT Friday, April 26, 2002 [Comment on news]
XGR.com will be broadcasting this week's edition of The Gaming Circle with XGR's Paligap and HomeLAN's JCal at 7:30 p.m. MDT tonight on XGR Radio. This week's edition covers Paligap's trip to NY to play NOLF 2, Shiny and Matrix going to Infogrames, and more. Stop by and check it out!


DoD Beta Delays....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 9:17 AM MDT Friday, April 26, 2002 [Comment on news]
Delays, delays... they must be frustrating. Checked in with the Day of Defeat mod site to see the status of today's supposed release of beta 2.1. and found this post by Mugsy:

    "Many apologies, but the 2.1 release date is going to be delayed by a few days."


Star Trek Elite Force II Screenshot ....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 9:14 AM MDT Friday, April 26, 2002 [Comment on news]
Ritualistic has posted a single new screenshot of Star Trek Elite Force II, the recently announced Trekkie shooter sequel by Ritual Entertainment.


Postal 2 Q&A....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 9:08 AM MDT Friday, April 26, 2002 [Comment on news]
House'O Spank has posted a Postal 2 Q&A where they chat with Art Director Mike Jaret. Here's a snip:

    HoS: It is said that the team will be incorporating Postal's AI into the Unreal Warfare engine and that the AI is able to react to things in much more random and realistic ways then we've seen before. Can you give us anymore details on the AI?

    Mike J: Well the AI will react to what you do and what you don’t do! You may not be the only one in the world that goes POSTAL! Anyone in the world can go postal! Here’s a simple example: when your walking down the street with your pants down different people react in different ways and say different things, this also applies to what weapon you may have exposed or hidden – a cop will not bother you if you have a handgun, hey it’s ARIZONA!


The Sum Of All Fears....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 9:02 AM MDT Friday, April 26, 2002 [Comment on news]
Ubi Soft Entertainment has issued a press release announcing a worldwide licensing deal with Viacom Consumer Products to publish games based on the upcoming motion picture release, The Sum Of All Fears. Paramount Pictures’ The Sum of All Fears, is the latest Tom Clancy novel to grace the big screen, this time starring Ben Affleck as Jack Ryan. Ubi Soft plans to launch the PC version of the game in conjunction with the movie release, in May for U.S. and Canadian audiences and in the autumn for European fans. Ubi Soft will also release the game on the new generation of consoles in the months following the movie’s release.

    “The film adaptations of Tom Clancy’s novels always thrill audiences with their intensity and action-based realism, which is the same formula for making great games,” said Laurent Detoc, president of Ubi Soft Entertainment Inc. “The Sum Of All Fears will give players the chance to fully experience the fast-paced action of this Tom Clancy bestseller at home.”


Thursday, April 25, 2002

Day of Defeat Beta 2.1 Tomorrow?....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 12:16 PM MDT Thursday, April 25, 2002 [Comment on news]

Mugsy, one of the programmers on the Day of Defeat team, has posted in the official DoD forums that beta 2.1 will be released sometime tomorrow night! We'll keep an eye out for it and let you know as soon as it's out.


Mobile Forces Stuff....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 11:32 AM MDT Thursday, April 25, 2002 [Comment on news]

I was chatting with Xeon from Rage this morning and he gave me word on a few things. First he is reporting they have made considerable changes to Mobile Forces since the last build I received... for example, they have updated the damage model, which basically allows you to blow vehicles up with machine guns / pistols now - and they'll start smoking to reflect the damage.

Secondly, Alistair Baxter aka 'Mentalist' (one of the RTW programmers) posted this on the official Mobile Forces forums it should satisfy those people who've been talking about turning Mobile Forces into some kind of racing game with rockets in, imagine that:

    "...Billy here has been investing his spare time during the approval process in creating just such a race map, which we may well see about releasing to the community in due course. Getting away from the kind of thing we've done for the game proper, it's got a visual theme inspired by recent PS2 masterpiece Ico, and is currently based on the Detonation mode. Two teams start beside one another with buggies and the Detonation key starts at the opposite end of a course of jumps, water traps, banked corners and obstacles. The teams must either race to the end, grab the key and detonate the enemy, or head off the team that managed to get the key first..."
And last, but not least, I have some character model renders for you that are semi-exclusive (they were sent to me from Rage, but wil also be appearing on the official Mobile Forces website), notice the additions of stuff like holsters and backpacks etc.


IGI 2: Covert Strike Preview ....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 10:45 AM MDT Thursday, April 25, 2002 [Comment on news]
PC.ign has posted a preview of IGI 2: Covert Strike based upon playing a build of the upcoming fps from Innerloop and Codemasters.


Gore Screenshots....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 10:35 AM MDT Thursday, April 25, 2002 [Comment on news]
The 4D Rulers official website has been updated with 8 new screenshots from Gore, their upcoming multiplayer first-person shooter. Check 'em out!


Infogrames Acquires Shiny....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 10:33 AM MDT Thursday, April 25, 2002 [Comment on news]
Infogrames, Inc. has announced that it has signed a Purchase Agreement to acquire Shiny Entertainment, Inc. from Interplay Entertainment Corp.. Through this acquisition, Infogrames will have exclusive worldwide rights to develop and publish interactive games based on sequels to the highly acclaimed, Academy Award- winning action thriller, "THE MATRIX. The games will be based on the upcoming sequels, "THE MATRIX RELOADED" and "THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS" from Warner Bros. Pictures. The transaction is expected to close within one week, following satisfaction of various closing conditions, which include the execution of other ancillary agreements with various third parties. You can grab all the details here.


Rainbow Six: Raven Shield Preview....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 10:29 AM MDT Thursday, April 25, 2002 [Comment on news]
Computer and Video Games has posted a preview of Red Storm's tactical shooter, Rainbow Six: Raven Shield. Here's a snip:

    "As with all Rainbow Six titles, the setting is slightly futuristic, to allow for credible political changes and, more interestingly from a gameplay point of view, to slot in some nifty gadgets. In this case, the "geopolitical" background involves the collapse of the Eastern bloc, putting the setting for most of the missions in Europe and South America."


Wednesday, April 24, 2002

Half-Life 1.1.0.9 & Counter-Strike 1.4 ....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 2:25 PM MDT Wednesday, April 24, 2002 [Comment on news]
Valve's new patches for Half-Life and Counter-Strike are up. GameSpyDaily has created a special page listing all of the files on FilePlanet as well as some other handy links. Check it out here.


Mobile Forces Screenshots....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 2:09 PM MDT Wednesday, April 24, 2002 [Comment on news]
Our friends at Rage kicked us down some more Mobile Forces screenshots. Here they are:


CSports.net Mods of The Month....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 12:34 PM MDT Wednesday, April 24, 2002 [Comment on news]
CSports.net (a free to use computer games statistics and ranking service for gamers) sent word informing us of their new “Mod of The Month” award to be given to the most heavily populated fps mods by “amateur” developers. For those of you who don't know, Csports.net currently maintains ladders and statistics for over 1,250 mods on 51 game titles. Here are this month's awards:


Soldier of Fortune 2 Screenshots ....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 10:22 AM MDT Wednesday, April 24, 2002 [Comment on news]
GameHelper has posted several new screenshots from Soldier of Fortune 2, showing more from Raven's upcoming first person shooter. Check 'em out!


Half-Life & Counter-Strike Server Files....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 10:16 AM MDT Wednesday, April 24, 2002 [Comment on news]
Valve Software has released the new server files for Half-Life 1.1.0.9 and Counter-Strike 1.4. These are available from FilePlanet right now, with the new Client files for Half-Life 1.1.0.9 and Counter-Strike 1.4 being made available at approximately 12noon (MDT) today. Here's the good word from Valve's Doug Lombardi:

    "Half-Life 1.1.0.9 and Counter-Strike 1.4 Server Files Available Now.

    The updated Windows and Linux server files are available now for download. The client files for Half-Life 1.1.0.9 and Counter-Strike 1.0.0.4 (CS 1.4) will be released tomorrow, Wednesday, at 11 am PST.

    Both the client and server files are being made available via traditional download. However, this release will allow those in the Steam beta to play on public servers, and those who join the beta before tomorrow's client release will be updated seamlessly and able to skip the download process completely (see: www.steampowered.com)".


Condition Zero Q&A....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 10:08 AM MDT Wednesday, April 24, 2002 [Comment on news]
Player Of Games has posted a Condition Zero Q&A where they talk with Gearbox Software's Randy Pitchford about Condition Zero, their upcoming single-player-oriented Counter-Strike game.


Tactical Ops: Assault on Terror Ships....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 10:06 AM MDT Wednesday, April 24, 2002 [Comment on news]
Infogrames sends word that Tactical Ops: Assault on Terror, the retail version of the Tactical Ops UT mod, is shipping in North America.

    "Tactical Ops: Assault on Terror challenges players to battle as a member of Special Forces or as a Terrorist through a wide variety of mission objectives, including rescuing hostages, destroying strategic targets and eliminating the other team. The game features more than 30 hyper-realistic maps, an arsenal of more than 20 devastating real-world weapons, more than 11 reinvented character models and skins and a completely revamped GUI and menu system.

    Using Unreal ® technology, Tactical Ops: Assault on Terror brings the existing "TacOps" community improved textures, redesigned maps, revamped character skins and weapons, improved code and several all new locations. The wildly popular modification for Unreal Tournament has been reconstructed to create an remarkable stand-alone squad-based first person shooter."


Tuesday, April 23, 2002

LithTech Movie ....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 4:59 PM MDT Tuesday, April 23, 2002 [Comment on news]
Blue's News has posted a new movie released by LithTech that shows off some of the water effects of their advanced Jupiter system. The movie is about 33 seconds, and you can grab it here.


Serious Sam: the Second Encounter Patch....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 4:55 PM MDT Tuesday, April 23, 2002 [Comment on news]
Fansite Seriously! has posted a new Serious Sam: the Second Encounter patch, upgrading Croteam's shooter sequel to version 1.07. This 5.6 MB release adds a skeletal animation system along with a bunch of bug fixes and other changes.


Team Factor Screenshots ....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 10:21 AM MDT Tuesday, April 23, 2002 [Comment on news]
I found a bundle of Team Factor screenshots this morning on one of my favorite press sites that I thought you would enjoy. There are 17 shots in all, and you can see them here.


Unreal Tournament 2003 Q&A #2....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 9:31 AM MDT Tuesday, April 23, 2002 [Comment on news]
Action Vault has posted an Unreal Tournament 2003 Q&A #2 where this time they talk about Favorite NPC Targets with seven members of the team. Check it out!


Jedi Knight 2 SDK....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 9:25 AM MDT Tuesday, April 23, 2002 [Comment on news]
Raven has released the SDK for Jedi Knight 2. This official SDK includes the following:

    JK2Radiant - the map editor.
    MD3View - model viewer for .md3 format models
    ModView - model viewer for .glm (Ghoul2) format model
    ShaderEd2 - the shader editor/viewer
    sof2map - the map compiler, you will not be using this directly, JK2Radiant uses this.

Note: These tools are released "as is" and are unsupported by Raven Software, Activision or LucasArts.


S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Oblivion Lost ....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 9:21 AM MDT Tuesday, April 23, 2002 [Comment on news]
3DAction Planet has posted a first look on the post apocalyptic FPS action game, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Oblivion Lost. Here's a snip:

    It's a post-perestroyka Mad Max gone wrong.

    Very wrong.

    For a second time the nuclear reactors at Chernobyl have melted down, and this time, they really messed some stuff up. The area for miles surrounding the plant has been turned into a "Zone", a very bad place where little can live, and that which does is mutated beyond recognition. The military quarantined the area off, letting only a few scientists, but groups of adventurous persons, Stalkers, bounty hunters of sorts, routinely infiltrate the Zone in search of artifacts, items left after the crash, that they can sell to people on the outside. They are armed, dangerous, cunning, and prepared for danger, be it from the hostile environment of the Zone, the inhabitants that reside there, or other groups of Stalkers seeking to take their booty.

    Thus the backstory for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Oblivion Lost (hereby and henceforth referred to as simply "Oblivion Lost") is set, setting us on a one way trip to a massive section of scorched earth.


Monday, April 22, 2002

Name Maker Studio ....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 12:50 PM MDT Monday, April 22, 2002 [Comment on news]
For the fans of colorful names, there is a new Name Maker Studio that adds support for Soldier of Fortune 2, giving you up to 10 different colors in your name. Check it out!


Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness Video ....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 12:47 PM MDT Monday, April 22, 2002 [Comment on news]
Tiscali Games has posted the first video from Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness. The DivX video is about 4.5MB and contains more than three minutes of gameplay scenes, character animations and sketches of locations along with commentary from Core Design development team about changes from previous Lara Croft adventures, enemies, inspiration or background story.


Unreal Tournament 2003 video ....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 12:40 PM MDT Monday, April 22, 2002 [Comment on news]
There is an Unreal Tournament 2003 video

CallSign Charlie Q&A....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 12:28 PM MDT Monday, April 22, 2002 [Comment on news]
SanQualis has posted a CallSign Charlie Q&A with Outsider Entertainment's Lead Designer Tomas Roller, where they talk about their upcoming tactical action game set in the jungles of the Vietnam War. Topics include progress in their hunt for a publisher, what they have been working on most recently, the possibilities of a public demo, music, interactivity, variety in maps, multiplayer modes, the hardware chase, plans to show off the game, and more.


SoF2 MP Test Review ....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 12:13 PM MDT Monday, April 22, 2002 [Comment on news]
3DAction Planet has posted a review of the SoF2 MP Test. Here's a snip:

    "So this gamer unimpressed by SOF, was first to put his name down for the review for the MP test for its sequel.

    And let me just say, after having playing it this weekend just gone, I’m considering buying stock in Raven. What a year they’re having"


Sunday, April 21, 2002

SOF 2 SERVER UP AND RUNNING....
Posted by [luckee] @ 9:19 PM MDT Sunday, April 21, 2002 [Comment on news]
PASSWORD IS LUCKEE :)


Mobile Forces Q&As....
Posted by [luckee] @ 11:28 AM MDT Sunday, April 21, 2002 [Comment on news]
EuroGamer's article-format Mobile Forces Q&As are now both online, their discussion with Rage Software producer Colin Macdonald neatly divided into a part one and a part two. Part one describes the background of the team at work on the upcoming driver/shooter, advantages and disadvantages of working with the Unreal technology, and balancing the use of vehicles, while the follow-up discusses changes that are being implemented since the release of the game's demo here’s a snip:

    A veteran of the Grand Theft Auto 2 development team, as well as ports of Lemmings and Prince of Persia and "about a decade's worth of other stuff that isn't as good to name-drop", Colin is now heading up work on Mobile Forces at Rage's Dundee studio.

    "The bulk of the team behind Mobile Forces came together when DMA Design was closed down in Dundee, so we've got the two level designers from GTA and GTA2, programmers from Silicon Valley and GTA, artists from Tanktics, Wild Metal Country and Lemmings. And then joining us subsequently has been a programmer from the EA Formula 1 games and an artist from Strikeforce. All in all, a pretty well rounded lot! Our physics programmer is the same guy who did the groundbreaking work on Wild Metal Country, and it'd be wrong of me not to say that the GTA history of many didn't influence decisions about running people over."

    You can read the rest here.

    Thanks Blues


Tech News....
Posted by [luckee] @ 11:21 AM MDT Sunday, April 21, 2002 [Comment on news]
Today’s Tech reviews:


Saturday, April 20, 2002

Soldier of Fortune II Preview....
Posted by [luckee] @ 1:20 PM MDT Saturday, April 20, 2002 [Comment on news]
PC.IGN has posted up a hands on preview of Soldier of Fortune II, here’s a snip:

    The biggest difference between this title and the previous one is the increased focus on realism. Not that the first game was unrealistic, but SoF II increases the realism. But more realism doesn't mean more real. Maybe we should coin a new term: funreal -- it doesn't mean it's completely real, just that it's as real as it can be while still being enjoyable. After all, I imagine that the real operatives aren't taking nearly as much enjoyment out of doing what they do as we are out of playing games about them doing what they do. Brian Rafeel, vice president of Raven, put it best when he said that it "plays as a first person action game, but with a level of authenticity usually only found in military simulations or tactical shooters."

    To set it apart from other shooters, the run speed is quite modest in SoF II. Instead of sprinting across the maps trying to take down Michael Johnson or Jesse Owens, you'll be traveling at a much more reasonable speed. The intensity of falling damage has been increased as well. Now if you just jump off of a guard tower, you'll be lucky not to lose half your health.


You can read the rest here.


Urban Justice development diary Q&A....
Posted by [luckee] @ 9:52 AM MDT Saturday, April 20, 2002 [Comment on news]
Action Vault has posted a new SWAT: Urban Justice development diary. In this fourth installment, associate producer Cade Myers tells how how the development team works together.

    A: The SWAT development team is actually three different teams - the programmers, the artists and the management team. The programmers, as you would expect, do all the programming. Similarly the art team does all of the art. And the management team, well they manage.

    During the beginning of the development process, everyone gets together and looks at the design document. We discuss what the responsibilities and expectations are and exactly what it is that each team member is best suited to do. Once the details are defined and assigned, everyone begins to create their individual parts. Over the next several months, both teams work pretty independent of the other, concentrating on their respective pieces of the game.


You can read the rest here.


Tech News....
Posted by [luckee] @ 9:42 AM MDT Saturday, April 20, 2002 [Comment on news]
Today’s Tech reviews:


Nakatomi Plaza' Developer Q&A....
Posted by [luckee] @ 9:38 AM MDT Saturday, April 20, 2002 [Comment on news]
Checkout this Nakatomi Plaza Q&A over @ worthplaying.com here's a snip:

    Die Hard: Nakatomi Plaza seems to follow the movie story line pretty closely. Can you tell us a few of your own "additions" (if any) that were implemented in the game, and weren't based on the movie?

    I'd say about 60% of gameplay, not counting the cinematics is original content. The fight to save Argyle in the parkade is a great example, and dealing with the SWAT throughout several levels. Even when we're on a floor that has elements from the movie, we've executed them differently for gameplay reasons.


You can read the rest here.


Friday, April 19, 2002

Kenn Hoekstra's .plan file / SoF2 MP Test....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 10:13 AM MDT Friday, April 19, 2002 [Comment on news]
ShackNews has posted Kenn Hoekstra's, from Raven, .plan file after he has updated it with a few notes on the Soldier of Fortune 2 test.


Unreal Tournament 2003 Anti-cheating Interview....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 10:09 AM MDT Friday, April 19, 2002 [Comment on news]
Urealtournament2.net has posted an interview with Dr. Sin, of Epic and the man behind Client Side Hack Protection (CSHP), the anti-cheating tool used by many Unreal Tournament servers. Dr. Sin is developing a new anti-cheat tool for the upcoming UT2003, which is bad news for those cheaters playing games online. (Spotted on Gaminggroove)


Mobile Forces Stuff....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 10:03 AM MDT Friday, April 19, 2002 [Comment on news]
There are a couple of Mobile Forces related interviews up today. The first one is at the official Mobile Forces site, and they are chatting with OpsMan from ThrustWorld. OpsMan explains the relationship between Mobile Forces and Thrustworld, and more.

The second interview is over at EuroGamer and they are chatting with Real Time Worlds' Colin Macdonald, in part one of a two part interview.

Mobile Forces is a great game that we have been quite involved with. If you haven't already, you should check out our exclusive screenshots here and here as well as our review on the demo.


GameSpy's Raven Chat....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 9:51 AM MDT Friday, April 19, 2002 [Comment on news]
PlanetSoldier.com has posted yesterday's Raven Chat with the following:

    Shifty___Raven: Jon Zuk - Project Lead for SoF2.
    Apoxol: Bryan Dube - Multiplayer Programmer
    rickmus: Rick Johnson - Multiplayer Project Lead
    Stink[RaVeN]: Zack Quarles - Music Composer & Sound Designer
    Shifty___Raven: Kenn Hoekstra will be along in a moment.
    {Raven}-Kenn: I have arrived...
    [PSOF]Reaper: We have Clem Samuels here also
    Mardegun: Clem Samson_Samuel actually. Got married not to long ago and changed my name -- Hi all.
Check it out!


Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project Interview....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 9:48 AM MDT Friday, April 19, 2002 [Comment on news]
GamersPulse has posted a Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project interview where they chat with Jim Perkins, CEO of ARUSH Entertainment. Here's a nibblet:

    Q: Can you tell us a little about yourself and what involvement you have with the development of this title?

    A: I’m the president and CEO of ARUSH Entertainment, and in a past life I was the original publisher of Duke Nukem I, II and 3D. I oversee the day-to-day operations at ARUSH Entertainment and with Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project, I’ve really concentrated on making sure that the Duke attitude and personality is intact.

    Q: So is the Duke really back for some serious monster stomping and butt kicking action?

    A: This is the real Duke Nukem, and yes, he’s back. There are a lot of jaded gamers out there that were disenchanted with some of the console Duke games that came along, and are looking at DNMP with a preconception that it won’t deliver the goods. This game absolutely delivers. From the opening scene, to the final boss fight, you will have no doubt that you’re playing a Duke Nukem game. The attitude, the weapons, the sarcasm, the blood and bullets, and of course the babes…it’s all there.


AMD Phasing out Duron....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 9:42 AM MDT Friday, April 19, 2002 [Comment on news]
AMD will phase out its budget Duron processors by the end of the year as part of the release of the upcoming Hammer chips. Here's a snip:

    CEO Jerry Sanders and President Hector Ruiz, who will become AMD's CEO next Thursday, laid out the company's manufacturing plans Wednesday for the future, and they don't include Duron. Instead, AMD will position Clawhammer, a chip that is expected to make its debut by the end of the year, as its premier desktop and notebook chip. Meanwhile, Athlon, the company's current top-end chip, will become its processor for cheap desktops and notebooks.
You can read the rest here.


Unreal Tournament 2003 Screenshots ....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 9:38 AM MDT Friday, April 19, 2002 [Comment on news]
I have posted four new screenshots of Unreal Tournament 2003 that I picked up off a press site, word is UT2003 is nearing completion at Digital Extremes. You can check the screenies out here.


Thursday, April 18, 2002

New World Order Q&A....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 6:28 PM MDT Thursday, April 18, 2002 [Comment on news]
Player Of Games has posted a New World Order Q&A where they talk with Termite Games' Jim Malmros about their upcoming shooter. Topics covered include how NWO will differ from other FPS games, the plotline, testing plans, and more.


SoF2 MP Test Mirrors....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 6:25 PM MDT Thursday, April 18, 2002 [Comment on news]
Here are some mirrors to The Soldier of Fortune 2 multiplayer test demo:


SOF2 TEST DEMO IN A HOUR!....
Posted by [luckee] @ 1:53 PM MDT Thursday, April 18, 2002 [Comment on news]
In a hour or so the Soldier of Fortune 2 multiplayer test will be released . Gamespy Daily has an interview with Raven's Kenn Hoekstra and Rick Johnson. Here's a snip:

    GameSpyDaily: How much work has been done on SoF2’s netcode so far? Has it been optimized for broadband? What kind of performance can 56k users expect?

    Rick: The network code has been optimized somewhat (based upon one of the later Team Arena releases). We’ve also fixed a lot of legacy bugs in various components of the code, including the “invisible player bug” and other issues.

    56k players should have a good experience, as we’ve added both anti-lag technology and prediction of client FX. But getting a good impression of network performance is what this test is about!
    You can read the rest .

    Thanks: ShackNews

Tech News....
Posted by [luckee] @ 10:55 AM MDT Thursday, April 18, 2002 [Comment on news]
Today’s Tech reviews:


Command & Conquer Renegade Tools....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 9:32 AM MDT Thursday, April 18, 2002 [Comment on news]
Westwood has released the Command & Conquer Renegade tools. The 21.6 MB download includes the level editing tools, tutorials, and RenX for gmax.


Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project Gallery....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 9:29 AM MDT Thursday, April 18, 2002 [Comment on news]
ActionVault has posted a Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project Gallery with a short writeup on the game and a bunch of screenshots. You can check it out here.


Unreal Tournament 2003 Interview ....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 9:27 AM MDT Thursday, April 18, 2002 [Comment on news]
Voodoo Extreme has posted an interview with Digital Extremes' Founder James Schmalz where they talk about the company's upcoming shooter sequel, Unreal Tournament 2003. Here's a snip:

    We all know how powerful the new Unreal engine is, but from a artistic point of view (polygon count aside), how much better does UT: 2003 look now than Unreal or UT?

    The difference is tremendous. Unreal and UT at that time were at the top of their class in graphics when they came out but with the huge advances in technology since then, not only with the engine but with graphics programs, faster processors, graphics cards, etc., UT2003 is absolutely stunning.


SoF2 Multiplayer Test Today and More....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 9:23 AM MDT Thursday, April 18, 2002 [Comment on news]
Today is the day! The Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix multiplayer test is going to be released this afternoon, during the chat with the development team on GameSpy, sometime around 2:00PM MDT!

To get you ready for it's release, 3DAction Planet has posted their SoF2 MP test hands-on preview. Check it out!


Wednesday, April 17, 2002

SoF2 Movies ....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 1:03 PM MDT Wednesday, April 17, 2002 [Comment on news]
I missed this the other day obviously, but here ya go... GameSpot has posted a grundle of SoF2 movies showing off the game in action. You can check them out here.


The Sum of All Fears Game in the Works?....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 1:03 PM MDT Wednesday, April 17, 2002 [Comment on news]
GameSpot is reporting a game based on Tom Clancy's popular novel may be in development at Red Storm Entertainment. Here's more:

    "Ubi Soft's subsidiary development studio Red Storm Entertainment may be working on a new PC game based on Tom Clancy's popular novel The Sum of All Fears. Online retailers EBGames.com and Amazon.com both have listings for a PC game by the same title scheduled for release by Red Storm at the end of May, which would coincide with the release of the upcoming film based on the novel. The film The Sum of All Fears, starring Ben Affleck and Morgan Freeman, is scheduled to appear in theaters on May 31. Representatives for Ubi Soft and Red Storm declined to comment on the game's existence.

    Red Storm Entertainment is best known for developing several tactical action games based on the work of Tom Clancy such as Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon."


Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast Tweak Guide....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 12:57 PM MDT Wednesday, April 17, 2002 [Comment on news]
3DSpotlight has posted a tweak guide for Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast, offerring tips on how to get optimal system performance. Check it out!


No One Lives Forever 2 Preview....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 12:54 PM MDT Wednesday, April 17, 2002 [Comment on news]
Computer and Video Games has posted a preview of No One Lives Forever 2. Here's a snip from the intro:

    "It's not A name that readily lends itself to a sequel, is it? To paraphrase early Steve Coogan creation, Paul Calf: "It's a paradox, you daft twat." Probably more important is whether the game is worthy of revisiting, as the original wasn't without its critics, not least this magazine. Essentially a '60s spy spoof, No One Lives Forever was a curious blend of camp humour and sickening violence in which you assumed the role of The Operative, otherwise known as leggy brunette, Cate Archer.

    Predictably, having an attractive female lead character offered numerous opportunities for out of work actresses to earn a few quid by dressing up as the character at promotional events. Nothing changes, and on the day we saw NOLF2 our attention was drawn by the sight of a stunning model who appeared to have been poured into a white leather catsuit. Even more distracting was the fact that that she was frolicking with a man-sized bandicoot. It's a good job I'm off the acid."


Should You buy A GeForce 4 Card Yet?....
Posted by [luckee] @ 10:45 AM MDT Wednesday, April 17, 2002 [Comment on news]
Video Chipset Analytical Comparison:

    NVIDIA has recently released their new line of video cards - the GeForce 4 series. There are quite a few ranges of cards to choose from including the MX 440, MX 460, Ti 4200, Ti 4600, etc. Currently the top of the line Ti series sits with the top of the line price. The Ti4600 is a great performer, but also quite pricey. Because of the new cards, prices on the older generation of cards have dropped and should continue to drop in the future. What we are going to do today is look at some various video cards to see which might be the better buy if you are looking to upgrade.

    Well if you can't grab a Ti4600, then what might be the best card for you? The video card market is saturated with many different video cards from many different brands. For a lot of people, it may be hard to make a decision. Should you get a GF3 Ti200, a Ti500, what about the new GF4 MX440 cards? What about something from ATI? By taking a look at nine different cards and putting them through seven benchmarks, we will be able to separate out what the best card for you is. We will also take a look at the cards from a Price/Performance standpoint and find out what really is worth your money.

    You can read the rest here.
Thanks: GameG


Sof 2 Chat Thursday....
Posted by [luckee] @ 10:20 AM MDT Wednesday, April 17, 2002 [Comment on news]
SOF2 Chat planned:

    Thursday is shaping up to be a monstrous day for game fans thanks to the impending release of the Solider of Fortune II: Double Helix(R) multiplayer test on FilePlanet.

    The gang at Activision / Raven Software will be unveiling the test for their upcoming shooter - the sequel to the mega-popular Solider of Fortune(R) - this Thursday, April 18, exclusively through FilePlanet and GameSpy Arcade.

    A chat with Raven is planned to take place at 3:00 p.m. PST, 6:00 p.m. EST, 11:00 p.m. GMT in the Soldier of Fortune II(R) demo lobby in the GameSpy Arcade software. Drop by the chat, pelt the Raven crew with a few questions, and be among the very first to get the test as soon as it's released. For a little extra-added fun, the Raven gang will stick around and frag a few lucky fans through Arcade as soon as they've got the test installed.
    I can’t even wait till this demo is out!! The eye candy in this game will blow you away:)
Thanks: Planet Soldier


Tech News....
Posted by [luckee] @ 9:50 AM MDT Wednesday, April 17, 2002 [Comment on news]
Today’s Tech reviews:


SWAT Urban Justice interview ....
Posted by [luckee] @ 9:43 AM MDT Wednesday, April 17, 2002 [Comment on news]
HomeLAN Fed has a SWAT: Urban Justice interview posted up here’s a snip:

    HomeLAN - First, why did Sierra wish to abandon the license and endorsement of the LAPD SWAT organization for Urban Justice and how will this affect the actual game?

    Rod Fung - We haven’t abandoned LAPD SWAT at all; in fact we are still in very close contact with them. We work regularly with senior members of D-platoon and in fact we just completed a two day tactics training course with them in England. What we decided to do in SWAT UJ is to no longer represent LAPD SWAT, choosing to instead represent a fictional Los Angeles SWAT team. There are a couple reasons behind this decision, but it is mostly due to our introduction of new weapons in the game and new procedures that are not outlined in LAPD SWAT’s SOP (Standard Operating Procedures). Some of the new weapons include various models of HKs, new optics, suppressors, and other types of weaponry. The game will still feature all of the realism of the previous SWAT 3 game and more.
You can read the rest here.


Tuesday, April 16, 2002

CPL Q&A....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 9:51 AM MDT Tuesday, April 16, 2002 [Comment on news]
The Adrenaline Vault has posted a Q&A with CPL head Angel Munoz. The interview talks about the future of the pro gaming league, and restates the CPL's plans to create their own multiplayer game.


SoF2 Multiplayer Test ....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 9:48 AM MDT Tuesday, April 16, 2002 [Comment on news]
Just a reminder to all of you, the SoF2 Multiplayer test expected this Thursday is for the general public... no pre-registration required to enjoy! We'll post the information as soon as it becomes available.


Global Operations Review ....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 9:43 AM MDT Tuesday, April 16, 2002 [Comment on news]
HomeLAN has posted a short Global Operations review. Here's a snip from their conclusion:

    "If you are still wondering if you should try GlobalOps, the answer from me is yes. While the AI for the single player missions limits the enjoyment of that mode, the online multiplayer against human opponents is very additive and fun and the tons of weapons and the six player classes guarantee that you won’t be bored."


UT2003 Interview with Jay Wilbur ....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 9:33 AM MDT Tuesday, April 16, 2002 [Comment on news]
XSReality.com has posted an UT2003 interview with Jay Wilbur. Here's a snip from their intro:

    Infogrammes and the VGA held the UK media demo of UT2003 today at the VGA Partner, @Cyberweb's impressive venue in Slough. AMD provided their top spec PC's and Gainward plugged in their Geforce 4 Ti graphics cards. To round off the systems Plantronics added their .Audio 90 gaming headsets. XSReality, in association with The VGA, took this opportunity to try out the latest version of UT2003 and ask Jay Wilbur a few questions for the competitive gamers out there.

    First of all it must be said that UT2003 already looks incredible. The graphics are, as expected for a next generation FPS game, sumptuous and incredibly detailed down to the blades of grass in the terrain. With the UT futuristic weapons you also have the fantastic lighting and special effects. What I found most suprising, though, is the speed that the game loads at. It literally took a matter of seconds to go from windows into UT and running about in a full-size deathmatch. Apparently this is because UT has a new mapping system that means map files are all incredibly small, just a few megabytes at most. For gamers that go straight from IRC into a game, it's a real pleasure to get fragging in under 5 seconds flat from a standing start.


C&C Renegade Q&A....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 9:24 AM MDT Tuesday, April 16, 2002 [Comment on news]
CnCRenegade has posted a Q&A with Renegade's Lead Designer David Yee, where they discuss the two flying units to be introduced in a patch due within the next month. Here's a snip:

    CncRenegade.com: Why were controlable air units not in the game when it was first released?

    David: When you are building a game, you need to know what is going to be part of the experience. Based on our estimates, flying vehicles would have taken about six months to implement, and there are usually hidden costs associated with every feature. Based on our development cycle, the team did not feel that we could spend that amount of time on an unknown element. The focus of our game is very much on the ground vehicles and the first-person perspective of the player, and so we chose to cut flying vehicles from the initial release.

    CncRenegade.com: Why did you decide to put air units into the game after saying for so long that it was not possible without delaying the game's release for several months?

    David: Everyone on the development team wanted flying vehicles just as much as the community - We're fans too! So, as soon as the gold disc was beginning to wrap up, a lot of us put in extra time and effort into trying to get the air vehicles community ready. And, even then, it has taken us a good amount of time to get them ready for the public. We have already spent four months on the air vehicles, and by the time the air patch is released to the public, we will have spent around five to six months on the feature - very close to our original estimate.


Monday, April 15, 2002

Chrome Physics Go Hollywood ....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 10:00 AM MDT Monday, April 15, 2002 [Comment on news]
The Adrenaline Vault has posted an article called Chrome Physics Go Hollywood where they discuss the real-time physics simulation of human bodies in Chrome, an upcoming science fiction fps by Polish developer Techland . Here's a snip:

    "The approach in Chrome is based on human body physics developed by the creators of Hitman from Eidos Interactive. In Hitman, players could grab and drag a dead enemy. The system has been enhanced for Chrome with additional constraints in joints that work like muscles. These are unsettling effective at simulating the moment of death -- judging from video we have seen of two death animations in Chrome.

    During the simulation various parts of a character’s body accurately collide with the environment, taking into account friction, gravity, explosions, wind and bullet hits. This enables the legs of a corpse lying on a table or barrier to swing in the air."


Raven Shield Screenshots ....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 9:45 AM MDT Monday, April 15, 2002 [Comment on news]
Computer & Video Games has posted a set of new screenshots from and some game details on Raven Shield, the new Rainbow Six game.


UT2003 Preview ....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 9:40 AM MDT Monday, April 15, 2002 [Comment on news]
eXceed-News.com has posted a preview of UT2003 after participating in an Infogrames press event where they got to play the game and chat with Mark Rein and Jay Wilbert. (Spotten on HomeLAN)


IGI 2: Covert Strike Preview....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 9:29 AM MDT Monday, April 15, 2002 [Comment on news]
GamingExcellence.com has posted a preview of IGI 2: Covert Strike, Codemasters' upcoming FPS sequel. Topics covered are the game's emphasis on stealth over all-out action, some of the weapons, and a rundown on the missions included in the "approximately 80% complete" beta version they got to check out. They have also included a slew of new screenshots.


Team Factor Screenshots....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 9:26 AM MDT Monday, April 15, 2002 [Comment on news]
Gamez.cz has posted a bunch of screenshots from Team Factor, 7FX's team-based multiplayer shooter. Check 'em out!


Aliens Vs. Predator 2: Primal Hunt Screenshots ....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 9:24 AM MDT Monday, April 15, 2002 [Comment on news]
Voodoo Extreme has posted three new screenshots of Aliens Vs. Predator 2: Primal Hunt, the recently announced three-way shooter expansion by Third Law Interactive.


Operation Flashpoint: Resistance Interview ....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 9:21 AM MDT Monday, April 15, 2002 [Comment on news]
HomeLAN has posted an Operation Flashpoint: Resistance interview where they chat with Bohemia’s Producer/Designer Marek Spanel. Here's a snip:

    HomeLAN - The graphics in the expansion pack are said to be an improvement over the original game. What graphical enhancements will be a part of the expansion?

    Marek Spanel - Many of the models are more detailed with higher resolution textures, especially on tress and foliage. All artwork on the new island shows improved detailed from the islands in the original game. Also the core graphics engine will have some more capabilities.

    HomeLAN - Will the original game be patched to reflect the graphic improvements in OpFlash: Resistance?

    Marek Spanel - Yes and no. We are not going to rework all existing graphics data of the original game because it would take years of work. But Resistance will introduce some engine improvements to OpFlash in general that will enhance the existing islands. To be more specific and name some of the new engine features, the terrain will be interpolated to a smoother shape.


[Mornin' Mocha]....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 9:14 AM MDT Monday, April 15, 2002 [Comment on news]
Hello everyone! I received the latest build of Mobile Forces on Friday and spent the weekend enjoying it. I really like the vehicle incorporation, really puts a different twist on your typical fps.

In case you missed them, you should checkout the screenshots I posted from this build the other day.


Sunday, April 14, 2002

Jedi Knight II Walkthrough ....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 10:46 AM MDT Sunday, April 14, 2002 [Comment on news]
3DAvenue has posted a JKII walkthrough covering most of the missions/levels. You can check it out here.


Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter Preview/Interview....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 10:38 AM MDT Sunday, April 14, 2002 [Comment on news]
Action Trip has posted a Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter preview/interview where they take a look at this game and chat with Mike Arkin, the Executive Producer at Crave Entertainment.


CPL DoD Tournament Cancelled....
Posted by [Frag-girlie] @ 10:34 AM MDT Sunday, April 14, 2002 [Comment on news]
The Cyberathlete Professional League (CPL) has announced that it has cancelled the Half-Life Day of Defeat Tournament. Starting Monday, April 15 and ending Friday, April 19th the CPL will offer several options to the confirmed registered teams of the DoD tournament. You can get all the details here.


Battlefield: 1942 Preview....
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