Well l00kie here!!   Seems there's a new up-and-coming server browser in town, and it's going by the funky name of SkunkFlip.  Not to judge the merits of this program, as while I'm sitting in school, I can't download it, but I'm sure to try it out tonight and see if it's any good or not.  Anyh00, the BackBurner recently sat down with one of the creators of this licttle utility and talked a little bit about it and it's features.  Here's a cut'n'paste from the interview ta get ya up ta speed:

Nebula: What features do you think will put SkunkFlip ahead of the competition?
MiKEY: Well, things that people don't appreciate in Gamespy 3D, such as the fact it has to download say 10,000 servers, then ping each one, to tell you the fastest. Not with Skunkflip! In the Skunkflip program you select the region you live in, and Skunkflip's main server gives you a much shorter list of servers for your region, and automatically filters out servers that either timeout or receive a ping over 600, and all of this is fully customisable. But best of all, Skunkflip is advertisement free, and feeds from networks such as TheBackburner for news and more!

So there ya go.  Read more about SkunkFlip right here.

F4nt0m45, from Q3Center gives a shout that they have posted a whoppin' 20 new screenshots for the new Alliance map pack, which should be shortly heading out way.  Go 'head and take a look!

Z-Axis has a new Q3A Tournament map review for your reading enjoyment. This time they take a look at Lasse "Dubbilan" Kolding's map named Lucid Enigma. Head on over to theZ-Axis site to check out the review and a whole lot more!!!

The Navy Seals Q3TC site has been updated with a little news for our viewing pleasure.  They talk about their finished Colt M4 Carbine model (sweet!) and even show off 2 screenshots so you'll get a lil' w00D.  They also have posted 12 new screenshots of new and reworked maps.  Check it all out right here.

Team Evolve, those bad@$$ guys behind the PainKeep Arena Q3Mod have send a shout that a number of maps have been coverted to the PKA type of map and are ready for download.  What rya waitin' for??  Go get it!

Jacoby sends word from the Alliance Team that there are 2 new faces in the Alliance Dev team: Fishman who joins the programming team and....Jacoby (heh) himself who is the new PR Guy for the Alliance Team.  He also says that they are working on a 10-map mappack, which should be released real soon, and they are making the bot code deadly as H3LL.  Read more about Alliance and their news right here.

Q3Chris has released a beta version of his new Quake III program called Q3Launch. This program allows users to either connect to a server or to create one.  Here are some of the functions:

• Third person view
• Draw 2D
• Draw gun
• Show gibs/blood

Chris plans on making many enhancements in future versions. If you want to run a server and don't want to mess around with all the configuration options that most admins have to know, then this may be the code for you.  It's a very small download (50KB), so go ahead and check it out right here.

Saw this on 3DActionPlanet.  Wirehead Studios, the guys behind the Q3Mod Generations Arena, recently were the victims of a leak of the version of their game which was supposed to debut at QuakeCon2001.  Producer/manager Lee'Mon has something to say about the whole situation in his editorial, Lose the Leaks.  Here's a little snip:

That easter egg you were hiding? Some one will post it. That hidden feature you were keeping as a surprise? They'll find it. That imbalanced weapon you plan on fixing tonight? They're already complaining about it. That fantastic special effect that just blows your mind the first time you see it? It'll be boring to them by the time the game actually comes out. Your wonderful Christmas present just turned into obviously-shaped packages wrapped in transparent plastic. And you didn't have time to do a good wrapping job.

Pretty interesting rant and worth a read.  My opinion?  I never even tried the IHV version of Q3; I wasn't even interested in seeing it, because I knew that it would probably suck next to the finished product.  However, if you're a software developer and you don't like leaks, you should keep your alpha code away from peeps who are not on your team.  Read the rest of the editorial right here.

Lee David Ash sends word that Violation Entertainment has just released the newest addition to their Weapons Replacement project.  The weapon which is being replaced is the rocket launcher, and it's being replaced with the :-/ rocket launcher.  Actually, if you look at the screeny of it, it's actually lookin' pretty d@mn kewl.  Seems like this guy is a pretty busy fellow.  Not only is he running a Weapon Replacement project, he is also a map maker, model maker (here is something we posted a while ago) etc etc.  Go ahead and give Violation Entertainment a visit.

If you read our newspost of the other day, and you use Christoph 'AEon'  Loewe's nifty little stat parser--but are a little cheap@$$, like me:)--then you have been waiting for this announcement.  AEon's has released AEstats v4.88 free public version.  Just in case I didn't post this before, here is a list of supported game mods supported by version 4.88:

• Many Quake1, 2, and 3 mods
• Many Halflife mods
• May UT and Unreal mods
• Kingpin
• Heretic II
• Hexen II
• Daikatana
• SIN log.
• Tribes.
• Tribes 2.
• Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force

A pretty impressive list if I say so myself--about 35 mods in all (I didn't list them all for clogging up your bandwidth and screen with the list--heh).  On another note he sends a warning that his linux release of 4.88 has been infected with a virus, so be careful you penguin lovers out there!  Read all about it or grab AEStats 4.88 right here.

F4nt0m45 from Q3Center has sent word that they have posted an interview with LeeMon, the creator of the Generations Arena Mod for Q3A.  Here's a little snip from the interview:

If you were to say your mod was the best mod ever created, how would you defend that statement?

First off, I wouldn't say that. I have a big mouth around here, but I'm not quite that conceited. ;^) Generations is, however, one of the most fun and engaging projects I've ever seen for any of the Quake games. There's just something about it... perhaps the thrill of all of id's FPS deathmatches combined... that keeps me coming back. Honestly, I don't play regular Q3 if I can help it... it's always Gen instead. I'm sure there's plenty to be said about Urban Terror, Q3F, Q3Rally, etc., not to mention Rocket Arena in all its incarnations, CS, TF, CTF, and so on. But my favorite FPS game is the one I'm working on. ;^)

Read the rest of it right here.

Saw this over at VoodooExtreme a while ago.  InsideMacGames has just posted an article about iDSoftware's Graeme Devine as part of their series, Ten Mac Gaming Gods.   Within the article is a short history of his career (WOW, betcha didn't know that he programmed Pole Position for the Atari, didya?) ending with a short question and answer session.  Whether you're into Macs or not, it's a pretty good read.  Check it out right here.

Just got word from the mod authors that the Quake 3 Paintball Mod is "bug free :-/," and ready to be released at any time.  Here it is straight from the horse's mouth:

No bugs remaining. Beta will be out to testers when package is ready and servers are up and fully functional. And who though this day would never come?

Just in case you don't know WTF the Paintball Mod is here's something from their FAQ:

As it stands now, you will only be able to carry one grenade, being a paint grenade or smoke, but not both at the same time. You also can carry only one gun at a time, and one hopper and barrel on your gun. Currently, the plan for the beta is you must pick up paint to supply your gun, then load it when you run out. Eventually, you will have to buy a pod, and carry only one pod with you on the field, which will supply you your extra ammo for the whole round, so shoot selectively! No more spray and pray to those of you who support it. This is also going to be implemented to slow down rounds and make the game more enjoyable. Not like HLPB... no offense...

You can read the rest at their site as their FAQ is huge.  Give 'em a little visit.

Our friends from across the Atlantic, Planet-Wolfenstein.de, have posted a small question and answer session with Greg Goodrich, from Gray Matter Studios, about that little obscure game they are producing, about which you may have heard (:-/ heh) Return to Castle Wolfenstein.  Here's a little cut'n'paste from the Q&A:

Planet-Wolfenstein: For Germany there is a cut-version in development, because the German law does not allow to have NS-symbols to be shown in the game. Can you tell us something about the conditions Activision Germany has given you? Will there also be the splatter effects, death animations etc be cut away? Or will there even be some scenes in the game that are not even allowed to be shown?
Greg Goodrich: As mentioned above, we are considering a localized version for Germany and are in the process of getting the exact information that we need about what can and can not be part of the game. First and foremost we want to create a game that is true to the Wolfenstein name, but we would definitely like to have a version available for all of the German fans.  

You can read the rest of it right here.  Thanks goes out to Stomped for providing the heads-up.

TeamEvolve, the creators of that bad@$$ Q3Mod PainKeep Arena, have sent out a cordial invitation to all of us who know, play and love their mod.  Here is the invitation in all its (and my lazy) glory:

This Sunday on the www.teamanarchy.com server will be a 16 player PKA team DM match.  If you've not tried the Team DM mode in PKA, you're missing out on the fun!  Stop in and play with us this weekend.  Also stay tuned to www.planetquake.com next week where PainKeep ARena will be MOD of the week! For more details, or questions visit the TE forums here.  To see the status of the PKA servers that are up, visit the TE PKA SERVERS PAGE.

So there ya go.  Give them a visit.

A Release Candidate of Alternate Fire has been released. This build should fix the few remaining bugs that peeps have been reporting, and doesn't add any new features. They will beta test the build on Thursday to try to find some bugs that may have slipped thru the cracks. Go ahead and visit them here for all the details.

Hmmmm.  Just to let ya know--the guys who made Weapons Factory Arena updated their site yesterday with the posting of a new patch.  Yes, I know they just released WFA 3.0b, but they let a little bug through as well.  Here's a little snip from their site:

Damn cant ever seem to get a error free release out.  Some of the maps are using textures from Q3Radiants mapmedia.pk3, Which I happen to have. SO while I was redoing the texture media I didn't have any errors.
 
 Texture Fix -- This problem will not keep you from playing. You will only be missing a couple textures until you and 'pure' server admins get this fix installed.
 
 Future note to map makers, if you are going to include any textures or scripts from Q3Radiant, put them with your map

Go grab it.

For those of you who like downloading wallpapers, Gamewallpapers.com has posted a pretty cool wallpaper for download.  I'm sure you remember that game in development, Quake 4?  Their Quake 4 wallpaper comes  in 4 flavors: 800x600, 1024x768, 1152x864 1280x1024, and can be grabbed from right here.

Recently, the guys at PC Shooter sat down with RavenSoft's Kenn Hoekstra and talked about one of their three Q3A-engined games in development as of now, Soldier of Fortune II:  Double Helix.  Here's a little of what they talked about:

PCShooter: What kind of enemies can we expect in this game? Can you explain a little about the AI and their relationship to what you call the LICH?

KH: The enemies in the game will be, for the most part, human. There might be attack dogs or something of that nature, but I'd say it's about 95% human and 5% "other." (Dogs/Vehicles etc.)

The LICH AI system in Soldier of Fortune 2 is going to be far more advanced than the AI of the original game. We've re-written the AI entirely from scratch without using any code from Quake III: Arena or from the original SoF.

The LICH Artificial Intelligence Toolbox is designed provide an expandable, functional, and modular collection of common tools to assist the AI programmer. These tools range from low level API modules which access entity, animation, file, and scripting systems, to Finite State Machines, Neural Networks, Path Finders, and much more....

Read the rest of it--or check out the screenshots--right here.  Kudos to VoodooExtreme for the heads up!

I know this isn't iDSoftware related, but it's related to RavenSoft, which is in the process of making three very kick@$$ games based on iD game engines:  Soldier of Fortune2, Jedi Forces2, and Quake4.  I saw on Stomped.com tonight that Jake Simpson, who has worked for RavenSoft for many years has left the company.  He was one of the guys who made the animation system for SOF and the upcoming SOF2.  I wonder how that's going to affect the games they have in the pipe.  Hopefully not much.  Read about it right here.

Woohoo!!  This is pretty cool for you WFA fans..  It seems that version 3.0b of the Weapons Factory Arena mod for Quake 3 has been released. The upgrade, which makes WFA compatible with the 1.29h version of Q3A can either be taken as a 15 meg upgrade (for 3.0a users) or 28 meg full install. This patch brings WFA up to 1.29h compatibility and supports map lists up to 26 maps long. Also a few game tweaks include the sentry no longer having a push effect, the specteam command works in matchmode again, and it supports map list up to 26 maps long, so you admins don't have to run the same boring four maps :-).  Of course there are other changes to the mod, but if I posted them all here, then you wouldn't have a reason to visit them right here.

Lookie here :-)  Christoph 'AEon' Loewe from Aeons site sends a shout that the newest version of his Æstats - Æon's Stats is available as version v4.88.  If you are registered, then you can download this nifty log file analyser for your server.  If not, then you're gonna have to wait about one week for the free public download.  Go get it right here.

PitchBlende from the FMJ mod page sends word that they have updated their site, and boy what an update it is!  They have posted the 12 (yes, 12) maps which will appear in beta1, they are revamping the HUD, and they have posted 6 sweet@$$ new screenies from two maps in the map pack.  Go check it out.

What better way to kick off the week than with Karnatos, Z-Axis, and their newest map review.  Today's review by Arklight is of a map called Slabotage, by Dave Bulow.  Here's a little of what Arklight had to say about it:

Slabotage is one of the many, many, many remakes of the map Slab. This one, though, really is a remake and also changes quite a few things which is all credit to Dave Bulow.

Check out how he rated this map right here.

The guys at the Cthulhu Q3TC page have sent a shout out to let us all know (since they haven't updated their page in a while) that their mod is, in fact, still in development.  Just in case you don't know WTF CQ3 is, it's a Quake3 Total Conversion that's based in Call of Cthulhu by the legendary, early-twentieth century horror author H.P. Lovecraft (no, it's not based on the Metallica song :P)  Here's a cut'n'paste from their info page to get you up to speed:

For those who do not know Lovecraft, he was a 1900's fiction writer and even now influences modern-day horror. His tales tell of ancient monstrosities, dimensions and sanity being put to the test. We will keep as true as possible to the stories and the universe of Lovecraft. Thanks to the Quake engine it's possible to give this TC the visuals and effects and create a realistic game looking.
How does it work?
Gameplay is based on teams, humans vs. creatures. Each game is round based, meaning a objective has to be completed within a set time. Matches are played with 10 vs. 10 players at max for now. Each player belongs to a class with specified abilities. The gameplay speed will be slower but more tense and tactical, team play is of high priority. At the beginning of each match you buy the weapon (s) of your choice. Instead of money you pay with Courage or Sanity points....

There is a lot more to this TC than what I pasted here (it's really long,) and it seems to be a very ambitious one with spells, and location-based damage similar to the one featured in Soldier of Fortune.  You have to visit this page just to see their sweet@$$ looking models and maps.  If these guy achieve what they want this is going to be a bad@$$ TC indeed.  Check it out right here.

Here's an update for you Coliseum2 fans out there.  Just to prevent misunderstanding (heh-and prevent too much work :P) I'm gonna cut'n'paste GreenhouseEFX's announcement:

Coliseum2 version 2.4 is available! This version has been merged with the newest source code base for Quake3 1.29h from Id Software. Therefore, you will need to be running at least version 1.29h of Quake3. Also, because this version is based on new source code, it will not be compatible with earlier versions (Coliseum2 versions 2.3 or older).

Fixes/Updates for Coliseum2 v2.4

• Merged with 1.29h code base.
• Allow users to toggle click ready on and off during intermission. Sometimes users would click inadvertently just before intermission and be "ready" at the intermission, forcing a map change too soon.
• Changed enhanced color MOTD for more efficiency and ease of use.
• Added new keyboard control to display MOTD on demand (menu Controls|Misc).
• Removed optional "metal" hook sound. Hook sound is now only traditional "laser".
• Added new option in menu "Coliseum2 Settings" to turn plasma trail on/off.
• New Deathmatch Flags for Quake2 style Weapon Stay and No self Splash Damage.
• Added new Vote Menu items for new deathmatch flags.
• Bug fix to allow correct auto level change in single player mode

You can read about it and download that sucker right here.

Speaking of Gamespot, they also sat down with John Carmack (do I need to say who he is?) in a four-part video interview, within which he talks about iDSoftware's upcoming DOOM3, and the future of game graphics.  You can check it out-and also check out the DOOM3 Macworld Demo--right here.

I haven't put that much coverage of QuakeCon up, but here is something pretty interesting for all of you Wolfenstein--or rather, Return to Castle Wolfenstein fans.  Gamespot has a video interview up with Gray Matter's  Greg Goodrich in which, of course they talk about the game and even show off a new level from it.  Of course if you want you can also checkout multiplayer footage taken from a monitor at QuakeCon on the same page.  Here's the link.

..::LvL Q3A Edition has posted two new map reviews.  They are batcula by nunuk, and Ko (Arc) by ricemice.  You may not have seen these maps, but they don't look too bad.  Go ahead and give ..::LvL's a visit, and check out the other ones he has posted.

Fred Nilsson, the new animator with iDSoftware has updated his .plan with his ideas about QuakeCon 2001.  Of course he liked it, so I'm not gonna cut'n'paste a thing from it.  I will however, post the link to their (iD's) TeamArena clanmatch against clan Abuse.  Here's the demo if ya wanna check it out.

Gleeb from Q3Center has given us the heads up that he has posted a little review of the 2.3 version of that kick@$$ Q3TC we all know and love (except those who are constantly under mah sniper scope >:)  ) UrbanTerror.  Here's a little clip from the interview just to get you interested:

The Stamina system, the ARIES hit system and some nifty CounterStrike style AntiLag code with the stuttering make this portion of the mod review the most technically astounding. The ARIES system locates where on the body your shot hits, and applies varying amounnts of damage. You can hit people in the head, the arms, the legs, or even the spleen to name just a few that I've seen. That's pretty accurate. The Stamina system is very original, deducting from your maxium amount of stamina when you get hit, so that you can only do so much when you've been injured. Of course, it's not good to have 3/4 lame soldiers, so you can heal your teammates to 40% stamina without a medpack, and up to 80% with one. Your stamina isn't displayed as a series of numbers, like the armour and health was in Quake3, but as a kind of chart, which allows at-a-glance assesment of your situation, and also allows you to see where you're damaged. Last but not least, is the AntiLag code, something I love from Counter-Strike, but is most definatly properly implemented in Urban Terror, something I am glad of.

Read the rest of it at their site.

Z28 from BSCTF :-/, err that's Battle of the Sexes: CTF is proud to announce the release of the 2.0 version of their Q3Mod of the same name.  Just in case you don't know WTF this is (like me), I think it's always good to get the poop straight from the horse's mouth:

Battle of the Sexes is a normal CTF (Capture The Flag) modification with a twist. When joining a new game, you would first join a team. The red team consists of the males, the blue team consists of the females. After you choose a team, you next must choose a class. There are 9 classes to Quake3 BSCTF (Battle of the Sexes CTF). Each class has their own weapon and their own role on the team. Some classes were made to defend the base/flag, some were made to command the team, some were made to attack the flag, etc. The main objective behind BSCTF is to defeat the other team by reaching the designated score limit or by having the most points when the time limit runs out. This can done in a few different ways depending on the map:
 

• Capture the other team's flag - Grab the opposite team's flag and take it back to your flag. Your flag must be present to score.
• Capture the flag on a goal - Grab the opposite team's flag and take it to the designated goal "pad" for your team.
• Capture the flag with a trigger - Grab the opposite team's flag and then push the designated button or switch.
• Destroy the other team's designated "goal" - There are no flags or capture pads. Find the "goal" of the other team. This could be a statue, a wall, a "power crystal", anything. The objection is to destroy the "goal" for points. There could be 1 goal, or many that must be destroyed in a sequence.
• Kill the Captain - There are no flags or capture pads. The only objective is to find the other team's captain and kill him/her for points.

A pretty big cut'n'paste if I don't say so myself.  Go ahead and grab it or read about it right here.

Straight from my mailbox to your eyes..IGNPC has just updated their preview of EA's sweet@$$ looking game Medal of Honor: Allied Assault--with a hands-on exclusive...As they say they even got the screenshots to prove it.  Here's a little cut'n'paste from this very saliva inducing preview:

So, you may not need to upgrade your system if you blaze on Quake 3, but you'll almost assuredly want to upgrade your speakers or invest into some kicking headphones. The sound in this game is utterly astonishing -- obviously influenced from the paralyzing, spine shattering effects that rumbled speakers the world over in Saving Private Ryan. MoH features bullets that sound as if they're literally ripping through the air as they zing by your head, ricochets that will send you shivering and flailing around looking to spot a sniper, and rattling machineguns that considerably up the ante for survival. The tanks rumble by shaking the windows, people yelp, and millions of particles of dirt fall, after impacted shells blast them into the sky, with an unmistakably authentic and altogether cool sound.

Read the rest of it--and look at those nice, nice screenies--right here.

Hmmmm.  Just saw this on VoodooExtreme.  Seems that Gamespot scored a video interview with Ravensoft's Kenn Hoekstra (yeah!  we're shure alayin' out da Ravensoft News eh??!!) talking about their upcoming game Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix.  They even show some gameplay footage from the pre-alpha version of the game.  You can see it if you have Windows Media or Real Media installed....errr, which means you can see it right here :-/

The Quake3 version of the SuperHeroes mod--or just Superheroes III has been released as a public beta.  If you want a chance to play a superhero against your most bitter DM enemies (of course they have to play it too ;), and have thousands of possible passive, active and special powers in doing it, then this mod is for you.  Check it out and download it right here.

The Navy Seal: Covert Operations site has been updated with some new model screenshots. There are shots of the new seal model as well as new shots of the hideout and industrial maps. Of course there is other news, and you can read it right here.

Ravensoft seems to be a pretty d@mn busy development, much in demand.  Of course, when you look at the games they have created in the last few years you can see why.  Of course they have been in the news lately more than iDSoftware itself.  Recently, The HomeLan Federation sat down with Brain Raffel from Ravensoft in an interview and spoke about their new-found "busyness."  Here's a little cut'n'paste from the interview:

Quake IV, however, is still a long ways off and at the moment most of the energies at the company are focused on completing Soldier of Fortune II for release early in 2002 and Jedi Knight II slated for mid-2002. Having a LucasArts game being created by Raven may seem odd at first since Raven is owned by Activision, yet Raffel said it’s not as strange as it seems at first. "LucasArts and Activision have business relationships elsewhere (Activision distributes LucasArts’s games in portions of Europe) and LucasArts liked what we did with the Star Trek franchise. LucasArts is trying to get more specialized teams per genre to do their license and really expand upon it. We entered talks with them and figured out a way to have it work."

Read the rest of it right here.

Just thought y'all should know that Quake the Movie is available for download if you want to watch it.  Apparently, according to Jeff Goss from Tritin Films.  You can grab it right here.

I haven't seen much from this team for a long time.  The Full Metal Jacket Crew has updated their site with some new news.  Within they pimp the movie "Apocalypse Now" (yeah, that one with Martin Sheen) and BlackHawK Down (good d@mn book if I say so myself: Here's the online version of it)  Speaking about the FMJ Q3Mod--they have made extensive updates to maps and the mod.  Rather than put it all down here (heh-I'm lazy) I'll just go ahead and tell you to check them out right here.

Speaking of RavenSoft (Man!! Those guys have-got-to-be-very-busy!!), they also showed off Jedi Outcast: Jedi Knight II (which they are developing for Lucasarts) to the QuakeCon crowd.  I saw a little update from Gamespot which talks about this much anticipated (at least by me :)) sequel to Dark Forces II.  Read it right here.

Thanks to VoodooExtreme, we now know that there will be, in fact, a Quake4--and Ravensoft will be developing it.  There isn't too much info other than who the team members will be.  Jim Huges, who is currently the lead designer for SOF2 (Soldier of Fortune2 :-/ ) will be the lead designer, and Rick Johnson will be the lead programmer.

Update--Rick Johnson actually held a seminar at Quakecon, wherein he speaks about Quake4 development.  A pretty interesting read.  Read it here.

Silicon Ice Development has released a new Urban Terror Beta 2.3 Map Pack, featuring 8 New maps and 3 improved pre-released levels. Also included in this release are a few bug fixes and a version change. All servers and players should get this new map pack to keep up with the mod. Check out the Urban Terror site for information on the new release and there is a list of servers there as well.

Neil Toronto sends word that there is a new QMmod in town, and it's call Alternate Fire 1.0 beta2.  If you're hard pressed as to just WTF Alternate Fire is, it's a Q3Mod, that gives a nod to Unreal Tournament, and that game's feature of weapons with alternate modes of fire.  Here's a short list of alternate fire modes offered in this mod:

• Personal Protection (gauntlet)
• Chaff (machinegun)
• One-shell Shotgun (shotgun)
• Sticky Proximity Grenades (grenade launcher)
• Homing Missiles (rocket launcher)
• Lightning Web (lightning gun)
• Radius Rail (rail gun)
• Orbiting Plasma (plasma gun)
• BFG Overload (BFG)

Of course there are more features added to the mod than alternate fire modes.  Go ahead and give them a visit.

Here's another QuakeCon story....  In this tho we get to hear a little smack-talkin from iDSoftware's Robert Duffy in the form of a .plan update.  Here's the whole thing cut'n'pasted just for you:

QCon 2 on 2 SMACK DOWN.
Last year Tim and I had an open challenge in the nVIDIA booth in 2 on 2 CTF. The
prizes were T-shirts for the winners. We only lost one out of about 25 matches.
This year, we have some great prizes as we figure it is time for us to whip
everyone's butt again in 2 on 2 CTF courtesy of nVIDIA and all the QuakeCon
sponsers and volunteers.
Here are the details:
This year we will have two id teams, Tim and myself and Todd and Marty. We will
take on any and all 2 person teams in 2 on 2 CTF. Matches will probably be to
either 6 or 8 with a 5 minute time limit. This will happen Saturday afternoon
and will take place in the nVIDIA booth. If you feel like getting your butt
whipped in 2 on 2 CTF, grab a friend and get in line.
We have some cool prizes this year for everyone.
The first team that beats one of the id teams gets their choice of either Two
GameBoy Advances ( and a game ) or Two GE-Force 3 cards. The 2nd team that wins
gets whatever the first team did not choose. The next two winning teams will get
framed and signed prints of Team Arena and we will also have T-Shirts and other
gizmos and stuff on hand to reward great play and other winning teams.

Good luck!
 

So there ya go!  If you're heading out that way give 'em hell!! Hmmmmm.  I wonder if they play Instagib? :-/

Looks like you guys who are heading out to QuakeCon in Texas, or are there now, are in for a treat.  Joe Goss, from Tritin Films from  has sent word that they will be premiering their movie, Quake The Movie: Escape from the Bastille, this weekend at QuakeCon.  Just in case you're wondering WTF Quake The Movie is, head out to their site and see what it's all about.  If you're not going to QuakeCon, don't feel bad as they will release it on the internet on Sunday, around 1PM in DIVX and ASF Format.  I can't wait to see how it turned out! :-)

Now, for a little bit more w00D, EA has just released a new movie of Metal of Honor: Allied Assault showing off some more eye-candy and graphical excellence.  You need quicktime to view the movie.  Here they are:

Low ReZ    Hi ReZ

Check out the site right here.

Looks like this Fall will be a great one for gaming indeed according to a press release from IdSoftware's Caryn "Hellchick" Law (yeah that one.)  It seems that the game Return to Castle Wolfenstein is getting pretty damn close to release.  Here's a cut'n'paste:

The developers have now reached the testing and polish stage as the game's features are complete. While Gray Matter focuses on polishing the game balance, working on the cinematics and storytelling, and finalizing technical issues like video card compatibility, Nerve Software continues to wrap up the multiplayer portion of the game. The teams have also begun extensive testing.
Return to Castle Wolfenstein will be shown at QuakeCon this week. Attendees will be able to see for themselves just how far along the game is, and they'll even get a glimpse of the multiplayer game at the convention as well.

Thanks goes out to VoodooExtreme for the bit.

After several months on hiatus, with nary a word or drop of news about their Q3Mod, Nils "Thes33k" Bartels has sent word that they have updated that oh so funky ArenaWorld Quake3 page of theirs :-)  Seems like they haven't been on vacation the whole time, as they are ready to release public build 1026, they post screenshots of *six-count'em folks* new maps and some new commands for "better gameplay."  Why don't you head on out to their funky lil' page and see what I'm talking about?

Meanwhile, TeamEvolve has just released version 2.7 of their popular, kick@$$ q3Mod, PainKeep Arena.  They fixed a few small bugs and made some changes to the maps.  You can grab it right here.

Mark "The_JudgE" Argyle sends out his weekly p1mpage and News Update for WesternQuake3, that root'n toot'n, bad@$$ Q3TC that pits your player as a gunslinger in the Old West.  Within, he talks about a new map called Durango, and even shows 6 sweet@$$ new screenies ta get ya all wet and gooey and ready to hear about their progress on their new Bankrobber gametype.  Of course there are some more lil' bitties they talk about, but I wouldn't want to spoil your surprise.  Go ahead and give them a visit.

I'm feeling a little retro right now.  With that in mind I'm gonna post sum Q1-related news.  TEAMShambler, a Q1 map repository and review site has just posted a review of a map called Ceremonial Circles.  Since the review is one page long, I'll forgo the cut'n'paste action and just tell ya to give 'em a visit.

..::LvL, that bad boy from ..::LvL Q3A Edition has just updated his website with 6 new map reviews.  Here's a list:

• Shinning Forces by Crewmaac
• Intestinal Distress by EASE
• simplicity by Geit
• Painkiller by q3freak
• dodge and plan by headrot
• Exhaust Station 1404 by FeniX
• The Longest CTF  by Gear

All in all it's a pretty good collection of maps for many gametypes.  Go ahead and grab 'em right here.

This isn't Quake related news if you're talking about the game, but it is Quake-Engine related news.  Gamespydaily has an article previewing the sweet-lookin' Q3A-engined Jedi Outcast: Jedi Knight 2 by LucasArts and IdEngine-expert bad boys Raven.  Here's a cut'n'paste from the preview to get ur juices flowin':

Just last week, LucasArts held an exclusive press event at their San Rafael Offices to show off their latest games for the coming holiday season and Jedi Outcast: Jedi Knight II was one of them. GameSpy was there and got a first hand demo of the game with Producer Brett Tosti. "We're really excited about Jedi Outcast," explains Tosti, "the folks at Raven have done an incredible job with the game and it's just what we've been looking for the sequel for Jedi Knight. We've added some really cool stuff into the game including a few new weapons, a few new force powers and enhanced lightsaber fighting."

All in all, it's a pretty interesting preview.  There are also some really sweet@$$ looking screenshots.  A visit there would not be wasted bandwidth, considering Raven's excellent track record with Quake-engined games.  Give 'em a visit.

A new version of the Q3A Shader Editor is now ready for download. While this new version 1.1 has only one new feature, being an ability to export and import lightmaps in a BSP, it is well worth making a new build for. Get the lowdown on this Q3A texture editor on the Q3ASE site.

A new version of Q3Offline for Quake III and STV: Elite Force is available bringing the front end utility to build 01.08.04.00. New in this version is:

• Major new feature: Added Advanced page. This allows you to set any of the hundreds of Quake III Arena variables, and not just those that have been hard coded into Q3Offline. The new release is supplied with definitions of all of the variables I could find, but if I have missed any it is easy to add your own.
• Using the new Advanced feature you can also select the new game modifications in the Star Trek Voyager Expansion Pack (e.g., Elimination, Assimilation, Action Hero etc).
• The Extra options fields have been removed from the Game page and the Edit map dialog, as they have been replaced by the Advanced options feature.

The folks at QuakeCon Radio have sent in a news update stating they will be broadcasting LIVE throughout the duration of the upcoming QuakeCon event. It looks like they will be quite busy!
Here is a cut and snip of the announcement:

After our announcement last week that QuakeCon Radio would be broadcasting LIVE throughout the duration of the event, we have been able to narrow down some of the awesome features that will be available. Using many volunteers with high speed connections as relays, QuakeCon Radio will be able to host well over 1000 listeners. Why would anyone care about QuakeCon Radio? I’ll tell you why.

Remember that press release from id Software announcing that new games would be released at QuakeCon? Well, QuakeCon Radio is doing one better than anyone else and is providing LIVE online broadcasting of both the id Press Conference and John Carmack’s speech. Listeners will enjoy crystal clear quality sound while hearing about the newest hit game(s) from id. Along with this major event, there’s a long list of others that have been confirmed, these include:

Live shoutcasts of select early NVIDIA QUAKE III ARENA CHAMPIONSHIP matches.
Live shoutcast and recordings of all final NVIDIA QUAKE III ARENA CHAMPIONSHIPS tournament rounds.
Roundtable discussion with mappers and coders from various well known and popular game modifications.
Interview with Shortbus mod team.
Interview with Discreet team.
Interviews with players and spectators of the NVIDIA QUAKE III ARENA CHAMPIONSHIPS tourney.
Interviews with your favorite professional players.
Interactive IRC chats that let you ask the questions.
Interviews with QuakeCon staff and volunteers.

Now, this is only the list that has been confirmed as of 8/4/01; while this is usually where you’d enter the disclaimer saying that anything could be cut without notice, I’m adding something even better: there’s MORE to come! Interviews with some VERY Important People who will be at QuakeCon, coverage of some very secretive announcements, and much more are yet to come. You’ll all receive another email when the time comes for these, so be ready! The website for information (dates, times, etc) is www.quakeconradio.com; the site will be up and functional soon, so toss the link and story up as soon as possible! Thanks for your time, and talk to YOU later :-)

Cinergi has just sent word that his Super Configurable Team Arena (SCTA) add-on to Q3A and Q3TA has just been updated to version 1.6d5, making it compatible with the Q3A 1.29h codebase.  If you notice the little "d5," just remember that this is beta so it may be buggy; use it at your own risk :-)  Just in case you don't know what SCTA is, here's a little clip from their FAQ to get ya up to speed:

SCTA/SCQ3A is an enhancement for Q3 Team Arena and Q3 Arena servers. It enables the server admin to have MUCH more control over the server than would normally be possible. While it does add features and options, it can be configured to behave EXACTLY like a nomral Q3TA server. So if you want to use it to address bugs in ID's 1.27g code, no problem. If you want to just change how fast rockets fly on your server, no problem. If you want to seriously alter the game play, no problem.
SCTA/SCQ3A is a server side-only mod. Clients do not need anything to play on your server!

Grab or read more about it right here.

Team Evolve p1mped it out to me--and I'm p1mping it out to you :-)  Recently the Homelan Federation and Alliance sat down with Team Evolve, the makers of PainkeepArena, and discussed their next plans now that the final of their popular Q3Mod has been released.  Here's a little cut'n'paste from the interview to get ya wet:

HomeLAN - PainKeep Arena was promoted as the ultimate DM mod for Quake III Arena. Do you and Team Evolve feel that you have accomplished what you originally set out to do with the mod?

Robert Waring - PainKeep Arena is for the "Old School" fan of Deathmatch, also known as Hardcore Deathmatchers. It's not a game a Counter-Strike team based player is going to like much, although there is Team Deathmatch and CTF PKA (New maps coming soon!) We think it's turned out to be a great mod of Quake III Arena and offers many new, and hilarious ways to frag your friends. PainKeep Arena introduces weapons that can be used by both Low Ping and High Ping networked users. We believe that by adding network tolerant weapons everyone can enjoy the fun. The weapon balance has been tweaked quite a bit over development to allow a wide range of use.

Read the rest of the interview right here.

Karnatos from Z-Axis sends word that they have posted a WFA map review at their site.  The map for today is called LanFear by Mattew "Tanis" Ferland reviewed by Arklight.  They give it a pretty good rating, which is a good thing, since this map is so popular with WFA junkies :)  Check it out right here.

Paul "Locki" Wedgwood from the Q3F Team sends word that they have updated their site with brand spankin' new screenies of two new player models.  The new models are the sniper and minigunner model.  You can check those bad boys out right here.  You can also check out the full news monty of their Q3Mod right here.

Eric Web updated his .plan today saying--errr well, here's the whole shebang cut'n'paste just for you and my lazy @$$ ;-)

Wow! We got some really positive feedback. Most of those that emailed me sent along clear, concise, and to the point bug reports. MANY THANKS!
 Based on your feedback, we feel that a large part of this problem was/is related to people running several different versions of Q3. We had some internal problems with the master and authentication servers during the weekend and the first part of this week that could have been causing some problems as well. These are now resolved.
 If you are one of those that is still having problems, be aware that we're still looking into it. VERY little changed in the net code from version 1.29f to 1.29h, so we're pretty confident this should be resolved for you guys.
 There's one last thing that I'm curious about. Can those of you that are not upgrading to the beta (waiting for the FULL release) try connecting to a server that you POSITIVELY KNOW is running the same version as you and let me know the results?
 Thanks again!

So, there ya go again!! :-0

Good News™ for all of you linux peeps out there.  Roberty Duffy updated his .plan today with a simple, one-line announcement:

Linux 1.29h is up on our FTP

So there ya go! :-)

1.29h source code released early this evening here is the finger quote.

The 1.29h source is up on our ftp under quake3\source\. I don't anticipate many if any changes before the 1.30 final.

Robert Duffy Updated his plan today. We are getting closer and closer to the 1.30 non beta point release. He stated he will be releasing the source code for 1.29h later today and that it pretty much will be very, very simliar to 1.30 so mod makers can proceed with developing for it. We will post a link for it when it hits the ftps.

I am going to get the latest source up for mod teams later today ( it might be late tonight ) but it should appear soon. There should be minimal changes if at all before this turns into a non-beta 1.30.

Copyright © 1999-2013 Q3Arena.com
Q3Arena.com is hosted courtesy of the high speed services of Net Megs Webhosting