C&C;: Renegade News In Westwood Newsletter
Earlier today, we received a newsletter from Westwood Studios that dealt mostly with Command & Conquer: Renegade. It talks about skins and the weekday updates on the official site:
Skin-Tight Renegade!
Fear not, skin-tight camouflage pants aren't making a come-back. Instead, Westwood has started a great pre-sell program for Command & Conquer Renegade. Those who pre-purchase our first 3D C&C; action game from participating retailers will receive three exclusive multiplayer skins. The three skins are for Havoc, the main character in the game, and are a desert commando skin, a snowsuit skin, and a stealth suit skin. Visit the EA.com store to get more info on this offer.
Speaking of skins...
If you're one of the four gazillion people who have purchased The Sims since its release, we've got a special download for you -- a Havoc Sim Skin! That's right folks, for those of you looking to spice up your next Sim disco or hoe-down, you'll be able to invite your favorite Renegade commando. Visit the Renegade homepage to download the Renegade Sim Skins and see a few screenshots of (the now domesticated) Havoc.
More Renegade than you ever thought possible.
If the Havoc skin isn't enough to quench your appetite for all things Renegade, we've got more. Head over to the Renegade homepage for a new feature almost every day of the week:
Monday -- Havoc smack. More than 500 of our loyal fans have emailed questions to our main Renegade man. Read his responses in his characteristic sarcastic style.
Tuesday -- Renegade Rewind. Even though the game hasn't hit stores yet, us lucky Westwoodians have been playing the latest builds on a daily basis. Read our recounts of the sticky situations we've been in during our battles against Nod.
Thursday -- Tools of the Trade. Get the skinny on Havoc's entire arsenal, from the facts on the Flamethrower to the particulars on the Personal Ion Cannon. Every week we'll post new info.
Friday -- 3D screenshot. Getting tired of 2D pictures of a 3D game? Be tired no longer. Every Friday we'll post a new 3D Renegade screenshot.
Although scheduled for Thursday, a new Tools of the Trade segment is on tap today at the official website. The GDI Grenadier soldier is spotlighted through a one-paragraph description and image. To check it out, just click on over to the site using the link at the top of this story.
- posted by Truthsword @ 11:16 PM PDT
Jumpgate Available Tomorrow
The NetDevil site was updated with news that the North American version of Jumpgate: The Reconstruction Initiative will start arriving in stores tomorrow. Here's the text in full:
Raise a glass!
We at NetDevil are counting the hours before 3DO goes "live" with the US version of Jumpgate. Tomorrow is the first official day a person living in the United States can go and pick up a copy of the game. Tomorrow afternoon we at NetDevil will be able to go to our local software store, point to the Jumpgate box and say "we did that". It's an exciting time here in the office, and we wanted to share it with all of you. NetDevil wants to thanks all the players out there who made today possible.
We are therefore declaring tomorrow a day of celebration. If you are so inclined, break out a bottle and raise a toast to the game that you, the testers, help create. When we first started with Jumpgate, we just wanted to make a little game where two or more people could fight each other over the internet. From the moment we opened our doors to the beta community years and years ago, you people have pushed us into making a better game. When you see the game on the store shelves, take a moment to pat yourself on the back. That's YOUR game there. That's the game YOU helped to create.
We would also like to give special thanks to BlkAngel and Succubus for sending us a bottle of champagne to help us in our own celebration tomorrow.
Our hearty congratulations to the folks at NetDevil for reaching this stage. A massively multiplayer space simulation, Jumpgate is the first project of the Colorado-based studio, which has teamed with publisher 3DO to release the North American version.
- posted by Truthsword @ 11:16 PM PDT
Tomb Raider Interview With Adrian Smith At MGON
Media and Games Online Network has served up an interview with Adrian Smith, Director and co-founder of Core Design. Based on visit to the UK studio, he cautiously discusses the next Tomb Raider game, explaining what kind of structure it will have in this segment:
We have written what we call the Tomb Raider ‘book’ and the next game is only going to represent episode one, with several new episodes planned after that, but these won’t be predictable and the narrative will weave its way logically through all of the upcoming episodes so that they feel like they are a part of Lara’s life, and not just a few ‘tacked on’ levels which you get to explore in a sequel or add on pack.
One of the first games to utilize 3D acceleration, the original Tomb Raider was a groundbreaking title that won critical acclaim and enjoyed immense commercial success. It went on to spawn several games that offered cursory technical enhancements. The next one is said to significantly differ in this and other respects, although few details are known.
- posted by Truthsword @ 11:14 PM PDT
Prisoner Of War Preview At CGO
A brief Prisoner of War preview has been spotted at Computer Games Online. The action/adventure game has players attempting escape from prison camps during World War II, and this section explains the game's two phases:
There are two parts to playing the game, or "phases of escape." You start with exploration and discover. You can creep around, explore the camp, and talk to others, but if you aren't there for roll call or meals, guards immediately look for you. If spotted, you are sent to isolation, but if shot, you are only sent to the infirmary. The second phase, information gathering, allows you to prepare and escape. This is the time to observe how things work and figure out who to trust and how to get out. There will be an interactive journal that you can update with important information, objects, and maps you discover. Communication is key—the prisoners have special attributes needed for escape, which you discover by interacting with them.
In Prisoner of War, four Allied officers in German camps must outwit guards and ranked military personnel as they engineer their escape. The single player game is being developed by Wide Games for publication by Codemasters.
- posted by Truthsword @ 11:13 PM PDT
Monday Media
Ghost Recon - The official for Red Storm's tactical action game has tossed up a new screenshot, entitled Night Ops.
Comanche 4 - Four shots from NovaLogic's action- and sim-oriented helicopter simulation are available for viewing at IGN PC.
Fighting Legends - Xtreme Gaming Radio has posted soundtrack MP3 files from Maximum Charisma's online world hybrid. It's also running a contest where 25 t-shirts will be given away.
Aliens Vs. Predator 2 - As usual for Monday, fansite AvPNews carries another five screens from Monolith's sci-fi, first person shooter sequel.
Medal of Honor: Allied Assault - A movie of 2015's World War II action title showing in-game footage from mission five is online at GameSpot.
- posted by Truthsword @ 11:12 PM PDT
C&C;: Renegade Preview At GameSpot UK
GameSpot UK has punched up a preview of Command & Conquer: Renegade today. Westwood's upcoming shooter shows the C&C; universe up close, and the following snippet focuses on this aspect:
The experience of being at ground level in a C&C; scenario is startling: Nod boast airstrips, turrets, a Temple of Nod, obelisks, SAM sites and the Hand of Nod, while the GDI use advanced communications centres, advanced guard towers, barracks, guard towers, and weapons factories. And both sides possess communications centres, helicopter pads, construction yards, power plants, repair facilities, Tiberium refineries, and Tiberium silos. Destroy the power plant and the entire base is affected: weapon production is slowed and radars don't work. Or you can hit the production chain head on by destroying harvesters or the Tiberium-processing refinery. Buildings are also equipped with terminals, some eliciting significant mission info or an important blueprint for a later level.
Expected for release by Electronic Arts in time for the holidays, Command & Conquer: Renegade follows GDI commando Nick "Havoc" Parker who takes on the Brotherhood of Nod, with weapons and vehicles at his disposal.
- posted by Truthsword @ 11:11 PM PDT
Ghost Recon Preview At PC Zone
A preview of Ghost Recon has surfaced at PC Zone after one its writers visited developer Red Storm Entertainment in North Carolina. Here's an excerpt in which Lead Designer Brian Upton is briefly quoted:
The visual improvements don't stop with the 3D action though. The whole interface has been given a major overhaul to make it simpler, easier to navigate and a joy to look at. You can forget all about those complex pre-mission screens that characterised Rainbow Six. And gone too is the pre-planning. 'Most people tended to ignore the planning - it was too separated from the action,' says Brian Upton. This time he's come up with an on-the-fly command system. It works by bringing up a small map of the whole level where you can set waypoints for the teams under your command in a matter of seconds.
At the conclusion of the preview proper is a three-question Q&A; with Producer Darren Chukitus. Slated for release later this year, Ghost Recon is a tactical military action game set in the near future when Russian extremists intend to rebuild the Iron Curtain.
- posted by Truthsword @ 11:11 PM PDT
Castle Wolfenstein Multiplayer Test Review At Gamer's Pulse
Gamer's Pulse has decided to review the Return to Castle Wolfenstein multiplayer test, which was released a little over a week ago. It doesn't say anything fans and regular readers don't already know, but here's a passage nonetheless:
The weapons in the game are very good, ranging from the standard pistols, grenades and machine guns, to the more devastating flamethrower. Unlike other games that featured a flame-thrower, Wolfenstein has taken their use of the weapon to a new level. The flames crawl over surfaces and spread out when they hit an object. This makes taking a stairwell or a ladder tricky, as many a time a single soldier was able to send a squad running with a well placed bursts.
Gray Matter Interactive and Nerve Software are the developers behind Return to Castle Wolfenstein, tackling single player and multiplayer respectively while id Software is the project overseer and Activision the publisher.
- posted by Truthsword @ 11:10 PM PDT
Spider-Man Review At GameOver
A lukewarm review of Spider-Man has come to our attention at GameOver. The action/adventure title featuring one of Marvel's most popular superheroes receives a rating of 60% along with these end comments:
My spidey senses are tingling for all the wrong reasons. While Spider-Man provides a number of exciting moments, aided by an assortment of web-slinging moves and some solid audio, the game suffers considerably from awkward camera angles, clumsy controls and uninspiring visuals. I had high hopes for the PC version of Spider-Man, but the game failed to deliver on several levels. Unless you’re a big fan of the Marvel Comics superhero, you might want to avoid getting stuck in this web.
Spider-Man was developed for the PC by LTI Gray Matter, and is based on the original console game from Neversoft. It sees the Webslinger battling a number of villains in New York City, occasionally aided by fellow superheroes.
- posted by Truthsword @ 11:08 PM PDT
Soldier Of Fortune Platinum Review At The Armchair
A review of Soldier of Fortune Platinum Edition has recently shown up at the Armchair Empire. The 6.0 score indicates a lukewarm opinion as does this bottom line:
So, at the end of the day, Soldier of Fortune: Platinum Edition probably isn’t worth your time unless you absolutely need the new multiplayer maps on disc and the extras including an interview with John Mullins and a clip of SOF II in action. It’s just too easy, uninspired – a one trick pony it is.
In addition to multiplayer maps, the Platinum Edition adds more multiplayer support, a strategy guide plus various other enhancements. It was developed by Raven Software and published by Activision.
- posted by Truthsword @ 11:07 PM PDT
Serious Sam: The Second Encounter Update
Considering the slow nature of news on Sundays, Croteam's Serious Sam weekly updates are certainly welcome. Today's is once again written by 3D Artist Admir Elezovic, who discusses various topics regarding the recently announced Serious Sam: The Second Encounter:
It's Sunday and it's time for our regular Sunday update.
Since Take2 officially announced "Serious Sam: The Second Encounter", we are getting huge positive response. Regarding that we need to clarify some issues and answer some questions that we got so far.
Those who finished "Serious Sam: The First Encounter" know about "To be continued..." ending. Many fans already assumed that the next episode is our next logical step. So, the second episode called, unexpectedly, "Serious Sam: The Second Encounter" is at your door. (fanfare sound)
SS: SE is priced at 19.95$, same as the first episode, which was welcomed by ALL Serious Sam fans. The release is planed for Christmas, making it very popular and cheap gift ;)
SS:SE will install as standalone game, either in different folder or as part of the first episode. This is important to keep compatibility with all mods and maps that were made by our community.
We have great news for multiplayer junkies out there. "Serious Sam: The Second Encounter" will feature excellent multiplayer support. We are proud to announce that SS community's famous "A Few Screws Loose" guys will take care of the multiplayer part of the project. Their acclaimed "Seriously Warped Deathmatch" MOD (version 3) will be included on "Serious Sam: The Second Encounter" CD. They will surely provide many exciting maps to play, different mods of playing and other cool stuff.
For more information go visit their site at www.3dactionplanet.com/serioussam/warped. Of course, beside it, there will be our unbeaten cooperative play through all single-play levels. Croteam is very proud on this feature, sadly so rarely seen in FPS games.
For more information, next Sunday, same place, stay tuned.
Admir Elezovic
P.S. - We were getting many requests from top developers, which licensed our engine. Most of them apparently have Egyptian theme in their upcoming games, so they are a bit worried. So, decision has been left to the shareholders. In their meeting last week, vote was: 6898 for Egypt levels and 6898 against. Since there weren't enough votes for each side, Miss Take Mee, our cleaning lady was asked to make final decision. She decided the following: "There WON'T be any Egyptian levels in SS:SE". Those against Egypt immediately filled the official complaint, which should be discussed at the next meeting.
P.S. The Second Encounter - Well, we saw many questions about what this "The Second Encounter" is? Serious Sam 2, Mission Pack, Second Coming or 3rd person action adventure based in small, dark urban environment? Now this mystery will be revealed. It's neither of that, it's simply the second episode! Seriously ;)
Serious Sam: The Second Encounter will contain 12 missions, with the three environmental or thematic backdrops being South America, Babylon and The Medieval Age. The follow-up to the successful original will be published under Take-Two Interactive's GodGames label.
- posted by Truthsword @ 11:00 PM PDT
Red Faction Infobits
Over the past few days, a handful of developer messages were left behind at Red Faction board. They came from Art Director Adam Pletcher and Programmer Dave Baranec:
Adam on the number of hours for the single player campaign: The game is much longer than 10 hours. I worked on the thing, and it took me over 20 my first playthrough.
answer to a ping question: There's no "max ping" filtering for players.
You can, however, use the "info" command from the dedicated console to see the list of IP addresses for connected players. Then use the "ban_ip" command to ban the one you're after.
dedicated server support for Linux: We have no plans for a linux port or dedicated server.
Dave following up: I don't particularly care for Linux as a development platform _or_ as a target platform. Zero tools, zero sales, blah blah.
Linux itself is "nifty" in a "those new gas/electric cars are nifty" kind of way. Best enjoyed from a distance :)
whether certain files types such as .v3d and .v3m are custom formats: They are indeed custom formats. They have a long, bizarre, and interesting history :)
amount of damage inflicted by the rail driver: I'm 99.9% sure its been that way since Multi Test 1.0
following up: But the railgun damage _hasn't_ been adjusted. If you get killed in one shot with high armor/health its because you were hit in the head. Leg shots do half damage, head shots do double damage.
Released in the early part of last week, Red Faction is a sci-fi shooter whose most notable technological feature is the ability to destroy portions of the environment. It was developed by Volition and published by its parent, THQ.
- posted by Truthsword @ 10:58 PM PDT
Soldier Of Fortune 2 Interview With Kenn Hoekstra At Player.at
A Soldier of Fortune 2 interview has turned up at Player.at, where Project Adminstrator Kenn Hoekstra talks about Raven's upcoming shooter powered by the Quake III: Team Arena engine. One of the game's known features is the random mission generator, which he explains here:
The Random Scenario Generator is a lot like the random single-player map feature you see in many real-time strategy games today. The system will take a number of factors into consideration like terrain type, enemy type and mission goals and use it to create a random, single-player terrain level for players to run through. The system will draw from a number of models and enemies to populate the map and there are a goodly number of customizable variables to create the mission to your liking. We thought it would be a new and interesting gameplay element to bring to the FPS genre that would also act as a supplement for multiplayer. As a side benefit, it will also add many hours of gameplay to the title.
Slated for release in the winter through publisher Activision, Soldier of Fortune 2: Double Helix is a single player, realism-oriented title in which mercenary John Mullins embarks on missions for an anti-terrorist organization. Spotted at Telefragged.
- posted by Truthsword @ 10:57 PM PDT
Codename: Outbreak Demo Review At 3DAP
3D Action Planet has put up another one its demo reviews, this time taking a look at Codename: Outbreak, GSC Game World's tactical first person shooter. This excerpt is about weapons:
The weapons in itself that you use are in fact, not weapons as such, but simply one weapon with many functions, ranging from Sub-Machine Guns, to Shotgun, to Rocket Launcher, and right through to Sniper Rifle. Each selection mode causes the weapon to shape-shift in an appealing fashion, and I found myself switching weapons sometimes just for the fun of watching the weapon change into my new choice. Forget Swiss Army Knives, you want one of these!
Already finished for the UK, Codename: Outbreak sees a conflict arising after aliens run rampant on Earth, originating from asteroids that hit the planet. Virgin Interactive is the game's publisher.
- posted by Truthsword @ 10:57 PM PDT
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