Starting in 1996, Alexa Internet has been donating their crawl data to the Internet Archive. Flowing in every day, these data are added to the Wayback Machine after an embargo period.
IGNPC: WoW offers much faster character progression than other MMOs out there, with many players reaching the level cap in just a couple weeks. Since this design seems to favor PvP end-game, do you have plans to add content specific to the PvE servers to keep things interesting for those high-level players?
Jeffrey Kaplan: The introduction of PvP Battlegrounds along with continual live content update patches should please maximum-level players. And we have some really cool stuff planned, too. Currently, we have two outdoor raid monsters in the queue, along with a maximum-level group dungeon and a raid dungeon. Plus, the PvP honor system will really open things up on both PvP and normal (PvE) servers.
This single-player demo gives you a month of in-game gameplay with
Gloucester at the start of the Zurich season, featuring two stadiums for
Gloucester and London Wasps.
This map is a single-player bonus mission in which a Spanish
General from the Blue Division prepares a plan to conquer the Rock of
Gibraltar with German resources.
There are several instances in the game I immensely liked. One was in a certain temple where I found myself in a completely empty room - empty, that is, apart from two impressive 'Athens guards' statues positioned against two walls. I exited the room and followed the corridor to the right, only to discover the door has closed in front of my very nose. The same happened in the left corridor, so I turned around in order to go back where I came from. And there they were, two intimidating stone guards on the stairs, with their eyes glowing blue in the dark. I wasn't expecting that, so they managed to scare the hell out of me. I started a fight with them, only to realize I didn't stand a chance. I managed, however, to notice a switch situated where the stone guard previously slumbered. I flipped the switch, dodged the elemental abominations and went back into the corridor - the doors were open once again and I followed the right corridor only to walk through the shadow portal and more importantly, away from the enchanted statues.
Dark Age of Camelot Clustering Underway04:08 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- games: mmog(0 comments)
Mythic has begun phase one of its server clustering, which includes Palomides, Iseult, Bors and Gawaine. Plus, launched the highly anticipated v1.74 patch which adds quite a few tasty bits including Darkness Falls ownership rule changes, "herding", crafting improvements, better artifact drop rates, easier to farm Volcanus scrolls and oh-so much more. Other servers will be "clustered" later this week.
GS: Tell us about the hacker combat system. How will this set of skills function in combat? Will it be tied to specific crafted items, player skills, or timed player responses? How will it stack up against hand-to-hand and weapon-based enemies?
MP: There are many paths for hackers to specialize in. They can focus on attacking single targets or groups of targets; damage over time or direct damage; or just hindering their opponents enough to give their teammates an edge. Hackers have two major types of abilities: quick launch programs that they can use in or out of interlock and more-powerful programs that require more time and concentration, which can only be used outside of interlock.
Hackers have abilities, such as paralyzing or slowing attacks, that give them the potential to keep their distances from soldiers. Hackers specializing in the coder branch can also create simulacra, which are programs that will appear in the Matrix to fight at the hacker's side.
GameShark: First the million dollar question - When Irrational took over this project what were their main goals to breathe new life into the franchise?
Paul: One of the things that we wanted to do, and was a no-brainer, was to bring it into modern times in terms or graphics.
We wanted to streamline the command interface so that new users and casual players could really get into the game quickly. At the same time we knew we did not want to sacrifice any of the depth of command from SWAT3. We have succeeded in this goal with the new graphic command interface which is mouse driven and completely context sensitive.
Finally, we wanted to make the head to head multiplayer experience as full featured and fun to play as the single player and co-op were in SWAT3.
Other than that, we wanted to keep everything that was great about SWAT3 intact: unprecedented replayability, unpredictable AI, and realistic SWAT tactics.
Republic: The Revolution Trial03:35 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- games: simulation(2 comments)
3D Gamers is hosting a free trial for Elixer's Republic: The Revolution which includes all the content in the full game should you enjoy the demo portion of the download (available after you purchase a CD Key, of course). It comes in at 778 megs.
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords for the PC has officially shipped and will slash its way into stores on February 10, 2005. The highly anticipated next chapter successfully launched December 6, 2004 on Xbox.
The Sith Lords picks up five years after the events of the original KOTOR and features an all-new perilous storyline, as well as new characters, classes, locations and force powers.
The PC version features high-resolution textures, optimized screen resolutions and a variety of other graphic card enhancements.
Brothers in Arms Feature03:58 am
- Jeff Tom
- games: action(0 comments)
GameSpy have posted a feature comparing screenshots of the game with real-life photos of Gearbox's upcoming first-person shooter, Brothers in Arms, due to hit in March. Here's a cut but obviously you'll want to follow the link to see what they're describing:
This scene from Brothers in Arms, Road to Hill 30 depicts an American M5 Stuart light tank firing on some German troops. The M5A1 "Stuart VI" was a light tank with thin armor and was designed to be used for infantry support and reconnaissance. The M5 was never intended to battle head to head with German armor and its tiny 37mm gun was not effective against most German tanks. The M5 weighed 15.3 tons, carried a 37 mm gun, a .30 caliber machine gun in the bow, a .30 caliber machine gun mounted coaxially with the main gun and a .30 caliber machine gun on the top rear of the turret for infantry to use when standing on the back deck of the tank. The M5 had a crew of 4. On D-Day, 6 June, 1944, the 70th Tank Battalion of the 4th Infantry Division rolled off of their landing crafts and onto Utah beach. D Company, equipped with M5 light tanks, linked up with the 101st Airborne Division which had parachuted behind the German defenses during the night.
They also have a counter on their front page counting down the number of things left to do before the game ships. Currently, we're at 85.
Galactic Civilizations 2 Q&A;03:56 am
- Jeff Tom
- games: turned based strategy(0 comments)
GameSpy have slapped up an interview with Stardock's CEO on their turn-basted strategy game, Galactic Civilizations 2: The Dread Lords. Here's a bit on the gameplay:
GameSpy: That sort of segues into combat. Can you tell us how combat has changed?
Wardell: Sure. In your standard 4X strategy game you have attack and defense ratings. From a statistical point of view, that's great, but from a strategic-fun point of view it gets old. What happens is you think you're doing very well but the Drengin Empire or whatever manages to get Avatar class battleships before you and they just come in and wipe you out. It also happens in reverse. The human player manages to get to a super mega ship and he can go through everyone else and there's not a lot of strategy when you're doing that kind of brute force thing.
New Call of Duty Games03:51 am
- Jeff Tom
- games: action(2 comments)
In Activision's conference call yesterday they announced that Infinity Ward is working on new games in the Call of Duty franchise, one due for the PC and one due for consoles in their fiscal year of 2006. Check it:
Doornink did not specify which consoles the new Call of Duty would be released for, whether or not it would be a sequel to Finest Hour, or whether or not Finest Hour developer Spark Unlimited would be developing the game. However, last May, Infinity Ward posted a job listing for "seasoned next-generation console engineers to join its ranks to meet the challenge and expectations for these high-end development platforms," meaning it will likely develop the game itself.
Longhorn Beta By June03:48 am
- Jeff Tom
- hardware: general news(5 comments)
C|Net has news that Microsoft will have the first beta of the next version of Windows, codenamed Longhorn, by June:
Microsoft has not talked a great deal about what features will be part of the beta release. Montgomery said many of the updates have to do with improving the "operational characteristics" of the operating system--basically making Windows easier to manage and more reliable. Among the changes will be a new model for drivers--the bits of code that allow Windows to work effectively with hardware add-ons such as graphic cards and peripherals.
Cops 2710 Interview03:44 am
- Jeff Tom
- games: real-time strategy(0 comments)
More from FileFront today as they also have an interview with MiSTLand on their game Cops: 2710 as they get the inside scoop on this RTS:
Q: Can you tell our readers a little bit about the storyline behind Cops 2170?
A: As I mentioned earlier, you play as a young police officer Katy just out of the Academy and eager for action. Right from the start you can choose your way as either a "Good" or "Bad" cop and can change this decision throughout the game as there are points in the plot that allow you to change sides. Either way you choose, you have problems to solve, such as: rising criminal activity, Martian colonists returning from Mars (mutated and angry), consequences of secret biocybernetic projects and also finding the notorious Corporation behind it all.
Cossacks II Preview03:42 am
- Jeff Tom
- games: real-time strategy(0 comments)
More real-time strategy previews as FileFront have slapped up a preview of Cossacks II: Napolenoic Wars, comparing it to Axies & Allies:
Roadways also become important now that troop fatigue is a key factor in the game. Troops marching into battle have many paths to get to the fight that include roads or across the open terrain. If you decide to take the roadways your troops will become much less fatigued while traveling. The downside is that your enemies might be able to ambush your troops if they are in plain sight and unprotected by the surrounding environment, as 19th century marching troops are simply not well-equipped to quickly deploy for complete combat effectiveness. If you decide to walk across open terrain, you may be able to retain an ideal combat formation but your troops' fatigue will rapidly increase; at some point this will negatively affect their morale and make them much more likely to flee when the first shots are fired. The choice is ultimately yours, but there are many ways to tackle the of picking how, when, and where to fight the enemy.
Missions are separated over multiple objectives, each of which will add to your honor if successfully completed. We were shown one mission where you must rescue a group of warrior monks who are surrounded by a pack of wolves. If you come to their aid, they will join your ranks and raise your honor. Next, you assist a town under siege that subsequently pledge their allegiance to your cause … then help you raid a camp full of bandits. We finally got to the main course, attacking a rival lord's castle and sending him to Kingdom Come, or holding it just long enough for the flag to change into your colors, which means the lord has left the building.
Empire Earth II Nudies03:15 am
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- games: real-time strategy(12 comments)
To take advantage of my newly purchased Paint Shop Pro 9, here are a few screen captures of Empire Earth II we snapped off, which show off a few of the flying units, their impact (no pun intended) on enemy bases; a tank vs cavalry charge, plus a scene from the World War 1 epoch (which you can view by clicking the next button after checking out the first shot). Empire Earth II is being developed by Mad Doc Software and will be released this Spring.
Sven Co-Op Update - "The Sven Co-op site has been updated regarding the results of the Golden Spanner Mod Awards, some news from Valve, etc. New screenshots from Sven Co-op 2 have also been posted, showing off a HL2 co-op map and the mod's Gordon Freeman player model."
In Other News...12:15 am
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- in-house: in other news...(33 comments)
Well hot damn, that Cell processer technology sounds pretty damned cool. It remains to be seen what impact it will have on the PC world, but the idea of having a 4.6Ghz Playstion 3 makes my shorts tight in front. Just imagine the games they can make where the lowest common denomiator is a 4.6Ghz CPU. Time to jump on the bandwagon? :)
Today's question is: Will this new Cell CPU kill off x86 (AMD, Intel) architecture as we know it?
DAoC Server Clustering Begins Tomorrow06:25 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- games: mmog(6 comments)
Starting tomorrow, Mythic will begin clustering servers together to combat its shrinking active player base. First up are four servers, Palomides, Iseult, Bors, and Gawaine, which really doesn't make a lot of sense since it's a three realm game, although they could've added that fourth in there to throw people off trying to create spy characters. Aside from the clustering (not to be confused with merging) is news that the 1.74 patch will go live which adds quite a bit of cool stuff like easier to farm Volcanus scrolls and oh-so much more. Here's some poop:
At 8:00 AM EST on Tuesday, February 8, all the servers will be taken down for 1.74. At 10:30 AM, all servers will return except for Palomides, Iseult, Bors, and Gawaine. Those servers will be clustered and brought back online at about 3:00 PM EST.
Regarding characters from different realms within the cluster that already exist: We will obviously not be erasing any characters. However, players on clustered servers will not be able to log into different realms within the cluster for eight hours after logging out of any particular realm. For example, if you log in to your Midgard character on Bors, and log out, you will not be able to log into your Hibernian from Gawaine or your Albion friend from Iseult for eight hours. You can log into any character from Midgard, of course, but that will reset the "realm timer."
After tomorrow, players with no characters on any of the servers in the cluster will be able to choose one realm, and will not be able to make characters of a different realm anywhere in the cluster.
All keeps and relics will be reset on the clustered servers also.
This update brings your UK retail game to v1.2 and resolves some
pathing & stuck figure issues, allows for easier dock placement, and makes
a couple of graphical additions and fixes.
Activision Posts Record Profit03:28 pm
- Jeff Tom
- games: general news(8 comments)
PC.IGN have a news story with word that Activision posted record profits today but some bad news as well as the Doom 3 expansion has been delayed:
Despite the cheerful news, Activision has a slight downer for fans of demon-slaying: DOOM 3 for the Xbox and the DOOM 3 PC expansion have both been pushed back to the company's fiscal 2006, which would mean April at the earliest. While neither title had received a solid date, Xbox gamers in particular have been eager for id Software's hot FPS sequel.
Soaked Q&A;03:27 pm
- Jeff Tom
- games: simulation(0 comments)
Another interview on the Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 expansion Soaked has popped up today, this time over at GameSpot:
GS: Will the expansion make any specific improvements or additions to the sandbox mode and editing tools?
JW: As with RollerCoaster Tycoon 3, all the new Soaked! features will be accessible in sandbox mode. The ability for players to construct pool complexes, build submerged covered walkways, and create beautiful waterfalls gives budding roller coaster tycoons the ability to create even more amazing theme parks. We've implemented a major improvement in the track designer to allow you to save rides and scenery along with your coaster designs. Interconnected pool complexes, their associated rides, and scenery can also be saved in one file, making it easier for players to share park resources.
According to papers to be presented at the ISSCC, the initial Cell chip has a single processing unit that can pass computing tasks out to as many as 8 other processors. Thus, working in tandem, it can process up to 10 sequences of instructions simultaneously. This compares well with rival Intel x86 architectures, which can process just two, according the conference paper.
Inside the chip, eight processing units will churn through data at speeds above 4 gigahertz, or billions of cycles per second, ahead of even the fastest chips from Intel. "It sets a new performance standard," said Jim Kahle, the director of technology for Cell development and an IBM fellow.
Updated Darwinia Demo11:41 am
- Andrew Burnes
- games: real-time strategy(0 comments)
As promised, Introversion Software has released an updated version of their Darwinia demo that incorporates a tutorial for those confused by the original proceedings. Grab it from one of the following locations:
Electronic Arts today announced that the award winning computer game franchise, The Sims, will celebrate its fifth anniversary this month. The very first The Sims videogame for the PC began shipping to stores this week in February 2000 and took the nation by storm by becoming the #1 selling PC game in four out of the last five years. Since 2000, the franchise has spawned 7 expansion packs, been translated into over 17 languages and has sold more than 54 million units worldwide. In September 2004, the next-generation sequel The Sims 2 quickly became the fastest-selling PC game.
In just five months, sales have already reached over 4.5 million units worldwide. The first expansion pack for this award-winning game, The Sims 2 University, will be in stores March 1, 2005 and will allow players to send their Sims to college and experience the ultimate on-campus fantasy.
Additionally, the original The Sims has sold 16 million copies, with the sequel selling 4.5.
No mention of the Steam software is made in the EULA for Half-Life 2. This means that the terms of the Steam EULA that you agree to when installing that software are almost certainly not incorporated into the contract you agree to when installing Half-Life 2. Consequently, the $10 transfer fee would not be enforceable because it isn't in the HL2 contract, and Valve would be acting illegally in blocking any sale of the game from one person to another.
Computer Games - Bugbear must have gotten comments to the effect that FlatOut looks and feels like the game that any of the Dukes of Hazzard games should have been like. How did the game's dev team decide on the overall art direction for the game?
Jussi Laakkonen - The comparisons to Dukes of Hazzard have been quite frequent and it is quite natural with both games prominently featuring muscle cars. The gritty feeling of FlatOut was a natural choice for us as we wanted to make the game different from the leagues of games with ultra shiny cars blasting away in yet-another-urban-metropolis during a neverending rainy night ;-). Seriously speaking, FlatOut is all about combining destruction derbies and track racing, so dirty, gritty feeling is just what the doctor ordered. It makes the game much more believable and sets the tone for no-holds-barred racing!
For comic geeks such as myself, Constantine represents a sort of crash-course in bizarre filmmaking. The film is ostensibly based on a comic called Hellblazer, from DC Comics's mature-readers Vertigo imprint, but the two are distinctly and drastically different. Hellblazer is a book from the Chainsmoking British Bastard school of UK fiction, about a subtle magician who has a tendency to leave bitter enemies and dead friends in his wake; Constantine is about a Californian magus with a "holy shotgun" who sometimes hangs out in Hell.
WoW In Europe Friday11:04 am
- Jeff Tom
- games: mmog(1 comment)
WorldofWar.net sends word that World of Warcraft will launch this Friday in Europe after beta testing concludes tonight with a massive attack by the Infernals on Ironforge and Stormwind already under way.
IGNPC: Obviously, this game is going to have to do with water parks instead of your typical roller coaster park. What sorts of rides can we expect? Water rides like the log flumes, or water slides that give visitors water enemas as they're sliding down at breakneck speeds?
Absolutely - plus a lot more! RCT3: Soaked! is like no other RCT expansion pack because players can build a different kind of amusement park than they ever could before. This is definitely not just "roller coasters with water." Soaked will include 50 new ride and coaster types - including flume rides, water slides, pool, wave pools, beaches, and more - as well as new coaster tracks and cars, etc.
You can also read the official announcement of Soaked! here.
Half-Life vs Half-Life 203:15 am
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- games: action(22 comments)
The topic of this week's VE3D poll is Best Half-Life ever? Yes, that's right - Half-Life vs Half-Life 2. Thus far, HL2 is undefeated in all the polls it's been in, so it's time to put it to the real test. Is Half-Life 2 better than the game that started it all? You make the call by voting in the poll on the right hand side of the page!
Results of the last poll are in, and no one should be surprised in the outcome.
BFME Crashing? Bring your PC to EA!12:48 am
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- games: real-time strategy(33 comments)
Do you live in the LA area and are getting wierd game crashes after installing the latest Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth patch? If so, EA invites you to bring your PC down to their EALA studio so they can check it out. Just make sure to delete the porn and other dubious downloads first.
Game Reviews12:28 am
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- games: general news(2 comments)
"Cute fact about Pharaohs; some, apparently, ceremonially ejaculated into the Nile to secure the requisite inundation of the Nile to replenish the farm-lands. Ruler of an empire, cheerfully knocking one off the wrist while an anxious crowd waits and an uncaring Nile sits there. Don't see any developer building that into a game." - Eurogamer on Immortal Cities: Children of the Nile.
In Other News...12:15 am
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- in-house: in other news...(23 comments)
Yay! It's Monday... (cough) On the bright side we should have some hands-on previews this week, plus maybe a review as well. I just need to find my registered version of Paint Shop (double cough) first. I actually did buy it before. :)
Today's question is: Who is your favorite console game developer?
