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April 2002
Morrowind Preview
Nine11
@ 13:03
Comments
Since we'll be hearing so much about this game for the next month or two, I thought I'd dig up a preview of Morrowind. It's an easy read from a gamer's perspective, and it sheds some light on how Morrowind compares to earlier Elder Scrolls games.
Swiftech Watercooling Review
Nine11
@ 12:46
Comments
I'm still a little leery of watercooling since my adventures in overclocking have never achieved those golden results you see posted everywhere on the net. Bit-Tech's review of the Swiftech Watercooling kit sure doesn't give me any more confidence, but it's still a good read for anyone of a geekly disposition.
Soldier of Fortune II Test
Cage
@ 7:15
Comments
Voodoo Extreme has a list of links for the new Soldier of Fortune II Test. The demo is about 51.2 MB in size. There are already a number of decent servers out there for SoF2, and net play seems to be pretty good most of the time. I've enjoyed playing around with it, but it only comes with 1 map.
Kohan Patch Mirrors
Nine11
@ 8:15
Comments
In case you've had problems with FilePlanet, the Kohan patch/upgrade can be found at Strategy First's web site.
| Wednesday, April 24, 2002 |
Kohan Patch
Nine11
@ 8:31
Comments
There's a new patch available for Kohan: Immortal Sovereigns which adds a number of goodies. In fact, they're passing on the whole "patch" thingie and calling it an "upgrade". Whatever. Here's the short list:
- 13 new heroes for custom play and multiplayer
- adds "tell commands" so that players can control AI allies
- increases strength of the AI with "build templates" and enhanced AI system
- tweaks aspects of gameplay, such as changing companies in pressed/column movement to lower priority targets and reduces the guard zone of settlement buildings
- reduces the upgrade cost of Citadels and the Nationalist City
- improves the Grenadier, Elite Guard, Wraith, Lich and Melee Kohan heroes
- tweaks the Elite Bowman, Ranger and Pathfinder
I played with the game a little but never gave it a solid run. Since I've burned through all my new stuff, I'll dust off Kohan and see what all the fuss is about.
Golden Showers
Nine11
@ 8:15
Comments
On my daily news cruise, I swung by the G-Spot and found some golden showers... well... games which have gone gold and should show up in stores soon. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind should satisfy hardcore RPG fans and Tactical Ops: Assault on Terror is an interesting looking shooter based on the Unreal engine.
One Click Shutdown
Nine11
@ 8:04
Comments
My pal, hitnrun, sent this little trick to me the other day. It's pretty cool, which makes an icon on the Windows desktop for shutting down. I dragged the icon to my task bar for a one click kill.
- Navigate to your desktop.
- On the desktop, right-click and go to New, then to Shortcut (in other words, create a new shortcut).
- You should now see a pop-up window instructing you to enter a command line path.
- Enter one of these as the path:
- Use this path if your operating system is Windows 95, 98, or Me: C:\windows\rundll.exe user.exe,exitwindows
- Use this path if your operating system is Windows NT, 2000, or XP: SHUTDOWN -s -t 01
- If the C: drive is not your local hard drive, then replace "C" with the correct letter of the hard drive.
- Click the "Next" button.
- Name the shortcut and click the "Finish" button.
Chris Taylor Should Be Spanked... Naughty & Nice
Nine11
@ 2:29
Comments
I finished the single player campaign in Dungeon Siege and have a very serious love/hate feeling toward the game and it's maker, Chris Taylor. DS is well worth the time and money, but Chris Taylor has been beating his chest about how revolutionary the game would be and held it's release for an extra three months while they applied another coat of polish. Well, they should've hooked up the Karate Kid for some tips on gettin' their wax on because DS was released with serious A/V problems and token multiplayer. Here's a short list:
- Audible crackles and pops.
- Random sound effects which don't match the action on screen (or lack of).
- Rear speakers which fade and/or turn off with EAX.
- Gamma which comes and goes at will.
- Weapons which disappear from character's hands.
- Crappy frame rates with high geometric detail during the second half of the game.
- Sloppy texute and geometry seams in the last two episodes, especially around mountains and caves. Looks "rushed".
But it didn't crash, not once... guess it's not all bad. Honestly, I was really surprised to have these problems because my box is pretty standard. I was wondering if that was just my luck, but a quick run through the PlanetDungeonSiege.com forums revealed a mess of others who are sharing my pain. There really shouldn't be any problems with Live! and Nvidia cards, especially since the game was held back. Thank goodness Sierra didn't produce the game because they would've kicked it out the door in whatever state it was in (probably unplayable) three months ago.
I also played a little DS online. Let's just say I probably won't bother with that again. Basically the game plays peer-to-peer and is handled with an in-game browser, which gets a server list from Microsoft's Zone. It's not the best setup, and it's made worse without listing the ping for each game. Choosing one is hit 'n miss... well... just miss. Passworded games aren't identified, lag is horrible, and navigating the game world is tedious. I also packed my character with goodies I had been wanting to use once I had "leveled up" and had the strength, and took him online to find him stripped of nearly everything in his spare inventory. Great.
Despite my distaste for bugs (I'd never make it on Survivor), I still had a blast with the game. The experience would've been even better with a little digital K-Y (that's a "patch" joke, work with me), but I still smacked a lot of demon ass and nabbed plenty of booty (I'm on a run!). Dungeon Siege is still everything Diablo was, and more!
If you're still interested in Dungeon siege, they've made a demo available at File Planet and Download.com. It weighs in at *cough* 183MB and includes the first 10% of both the single and multiplayer game.
CycleFX Exerciser/Video Game Controller
Cage
@ 3:53
Comments
My income tax return was pretty good this year, so I decided to pick up a CycleFX GameRider (Picture below). 
Today I picked up a the last part that I needed - an S-Video cable for the TV. I had already put the bike together over a few hours a couple of days ago, but my work schedule had kept me from getting down to the local Circuit City to pick up the PS/2 etc.
Finally, after a late night LAN session at my place, I hooked up the CycleFX GameRider, and gave it a whirl.
I have to say that I am quite impressed. It is quite the kick to hop on it and ride a BMX course or a Gran Turismo track. Being able to steer with the handle bars, and not with the PS/2 controller is a major plus. Couple that with getting a real feel for "kicking it" into gear when you want to accelerate and you have quite an immersive experience. There are a couple of adjustable buttons for the handle bars that control braking, which is quite slick. It's a blast to go into a corner, brake, and then spin the wheels to power slide and accelerate out of the turn and towards a jump ramp. As you hit the ramp you can stop peddling as you sail throught the air, and then start spinning the pedals like crazy as you accelerate once again for the next jump.
Can you tell I liked it?
Yep, it definitely gave me a work out, and I probably should have quit sooner then I did. I bet I'll feel it in my legs tomorrow. The only down side, is that the handle bars can get out of whack if you are too enthusiastic. It's easy to get them back in place, and is more a design decision then a design flaw.
So after 1 session, I'd have to say that the GameRider kicks a major amount of A$$!
The graphics are pretty sharp as well, and look pretty good even on my TV, which is far from state of the art. Consoles sure have come a long way.
I need to either get a splitter or a new TV with more audio inputs for hooking up the sound. I'll have to look around, and see if there is something at Radio Shack or what ever. I have the Cable TV stuff going into the VCR, and then into the Co-axial antennae input on the TV. That leaves the S-Video connection open on the TV to plug the PS/2 into, which is the best way to do it. Unfortunately there only appears to be one set of audio RCA input jacks on the back of the TV, so I have to unplug the Audio from the VCR in order to plug the PS/2 audio inputs in to the TV.
After I spend a bit more time with the GameRider, I'll post up a full review with some pictures.
| Wednesday, April 10, 2002 |
HOMM IV
Cage
@ 3:48
Comments
I just started playing Heroes of Might and Magic IV, and had some quick impressions.
Graphics are of course a step up from the previous versions, but the game interface seems to have taken a few steps backward. There no longer appears to be an option to turn on a movement grid, in order to see the best route for manuevering on the battle map. Computer controlled units needlessly jockey around the map almost every turn, even if they are standing right next to their intended target. When a unit is hit, a floating number displays the amount of damage that has been done, and then vanishes after a few seconds. No longer is there a text buffer to look at to review how much damage has been done.
I'm sure I'll spend some more time with HOMM IV, but I'm beginning to wonder if one of my favorite game series has been ruined by "improvements."
More MS CFS3 Screenies and News
Cage
@ 0:42
Comments
There's another Microsoft Combat Flight Sim 3 preview up at NetWings. Nice Screenshots.
CombatSim also has a free public preview article with more details and screenies. Warning: only the first page of the article is free. You have to be a subscriber to get to part 2.
According to CombatSim, the target release date for MS CFS3 is Fall of 2002.
CFS3 at SimHQ
Cage
@ 0:11
Comments
SimHQ has an interview with Rob Brown, the Game Design Lead for Microsoft's Combat Flight Sim 3. Here's the part that grabbed my fancy: "Yes, the graphics engine is completely new for CFS3. It is truly a huge leap in technology and performance over previous offerings. You will see large medium bomber formations in the game; however, the emphasis this time is going to be on ground attack. It’s all about flying down low to the ground in high-performance aircraft and feeling the rush of speed as the trees whiz by. It’s about flying through intense enemy defenses and blowing stuff up in a spectacular way." Oh yeah, that's the good stuff. Getting low and feeling the speed is what has been missing from most recent flight sims.
As is typical from recent Microsoft sims there will be support for user modifications and plane art. Hopefully this time we will see a quality WW I mod or expansion based on this all new engine. Keep an eye on Microsoft's Combat Flight Sim 3 page for more info.
GeForce4 Ti 4200 @ Tom's Hardware
Nine11
@ 8:32
Comments
I've been talking about the GF4 Ti4200 as being the next bang-for-the-buck card, and Tom's Hardware is too. Check this:
With the GeForce4 Ti4200, NVIDIA has thrown the gauntlet at the feet of the competition. For $199, consumers will get a card that is second only to the other members of the GeForce4 Ti line. It leaves both, the more expensive GeForce3 Ti500 and the ATi 8500, in the dust. When using FSAA, the card can even extend this lead. Finally, the card seems to offer great overclocking capabilities - at least our review sample did.
Dungeon Siege Impressions
Nine11
@ 8:09
Comments
I've had a few days to get my hands dirty with Dungeon Siege and have walked away with a few impressions. At first, the game plays like a very spiffy Diablo and is slow to offer anything different; however, it gains a significant amount of speed after several hours of clickin 'round. The game interface is very easy to get used to and only a few hotkeys for weapon groups, healing, mana, and inventory are necessary. As the game gains speed, you'll take control of more party members and hands-for-hire. Shuffling armor, weapons, and other items between characters gets sorta involved but never overwhelming, and additional goodies can be stored in pack mules. The graphics and level design are top-notch, but the game is very linear and doesn't offer much in the way of side-quests or booty runs. Overall, I'd say it has the addictive gameplay of Diablo and the superior graphics and story-line of more involved RPGs like Icewind Dale... which is right up my alley.
The Dicebox Case Mod
Nine11
@ 5:59
Comments
I must say, this blows the hell outta other case mods. The work was done by CDI, who can paint monitors as well.
Dungeon Siege Trickles Onto Shelves
Nine11
@ 13:23
Comments
Dungeon Siege proved to be pretty elusive this morning, but I managed to snag a copy at the local Software Etc. They aren't raping people like they did with Return To Castle Wolfenstein, and DS ended up setting me back $50. They have a few extra copies which aren't reserved, but I'd call to make sure before driving over there.
Dungeon Siege Tomorrow!
Nine11
@ 8:12
Comments
Just a little reminder, Dungeon Siege is scheduled to hit store shelves tomorrow!
Hacking Hitboxes
Nine11
@ 8:06
Comments
Ever play online and empty a clip on someone, barely scratch 'em, then have 'em turn around and professionally double-tap your ass? Well, that may not always be skill. Check out this little ditty about a HL hitbox hack.
GeForce4 Ti 4200 Preview
Nine11
@ 7:58
Comments
[H] slapped up a few benchies for the soon-to-be-released GeForce4 Ti4200, which runs at stock speeds of 250MHz/500MHz for the core/memory. We all know I'm the bang-for-the-buck kind of guy, so I was pleased to see the Ti4200 OC to 285MHz/565MHz and offer performance levels somewhere between the Ti4400 and Ti4600. Not bad for less than $200, and [H] is expecting prices to fall around $150; however, I'd wait for a Golden Sample which comes OC'd and is guaranteed to run at non-stock speeds even if ya gotta shed a few more bills.
Duke Nukem Forever Shipped!
Nine11
@ 9:32
Comments
This one slipped right under our radar. It appears Duke Nukem Forever has shipped and is expected to hit store shelves today! In another odd twist of fate, 3D Realms also licensed that funky voice/mouth/communication technology from Valve but didn't have time to incorporate it into the shipped product and make their little April Fool's Day target. I'd expect the patch in a month or so, and it'll be compatible with the MS Voice Commander and/or Roger Wilco.
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