|
|
Archived old news: November 2000
News: Thursday 30/11/00
Question.
From Wadmaasi, Gwog's chief monkeyspanker @ PlanetDaikatana: Why aren't I writing up and posting my map ideas (mentioned on Monday), when I wrote such a lengthy article on my Quake3Arena single player conversion ideas?? Good question - whenever I mention map ideas, people tell me to post the ideas, learn to map myself, or give them the ideas personally so they can make them (actually a couple of ideas were done for people who wanted ideas to complete unfinished maps - I gave them completed map ideas and diagrams, and they never made the maps, so I'm claiming back the ideas =)). Okay here's why, I think:
1. Never say never. I have no intention of trying mapping for any game, but I can't predict the future, and maybe I'll play around with an editor at some point - and then I'll have plenty of ideas to use.
2. Too much effort. The ideas are mostly reliant on freehand diagrams that would be a pain in the arse to draw in a graphics program, and there'd be a lot of work writing down all the ideas anyway - the material I have is just so I remember the general ideas and floorplan.
3. People wouldn't use them. It would be disappointing to post these ideas, have people offer to make them, and then never release any maps. It happens all the time with mappers promising maps based on their own ideas, so using mine would be even more improbable.
4. Misinterpretation and more work guiding mappers. Even if someone actually did make a map using my ideas, it probably wouldn't be really what I'd planned, and either way I'd expect they'd want further guidance and testing from me - more work.
5. I can be quite possessive of ideas and want to keep them to myself - the Q3ASP ideas were different as they were more general and the article was more a commentary on possibilities - I knew they'd never get used.
B0rk.
Fixed some links in the Zaero and Oblivion reviews, and the Q2 SP maps list. Thanks to devin for pointing out the b0rkage.
And finally...
Whoop an update without any BZ II reviews, I bet some people are relieved. Got Rune via mail order today, came in the most weird-arse CD gizmo I've seen yet, took me 20 minutes just to open it....you wonder why they bother, are jewel cases that passé?? Anyway...
Darkfox: "Finally, I think that merging insects with fish creates one of the best looking races ever"
Well, errrr, yes...
News: Monday 27/11/00
4 new BZ II SP/IA map reviews.
I'm going to get bored writing these headlines pretty quickly =). Anyway the latest reviews are: 1 (great name huh?), Desert Palm, The Rescue and Greenland - the last two being submitted maps that haven't appeared at other BZ II maps sites (and both pretty interesting too). I've been finding several remake maps while playing through recent maps: I won't review any remake maps based on a playable and available Battlezone II map, but I will review remakes of other game maps
(yes, I know, I think 1 is a remake, unfortunately I haven't found the original map - when I do I'll removed the 1 review and review the original).
Map ideas and stuff.
Well I came up with my first BZ II map idea in the shower last night (I mentally write all my reviews and map ideas in the shower =)). Something about inaccessible bases, heavily contested scrap fields, and the need to control enough pools to build a bomber....trying to put a different spin on things, give a map some purpose. Like the 4356345 other map ideas I've come up with for various games, I'll never get round to it :P. What the hell is editing terrain for BZ II like anyway?? Anyone care to tell me?? Anyway this will go into the notebook along with - currently - 8 Q1 SP map designs, 5 Q2 SP map designs, 5 Unreal SP map designs, 4 Daikatana SP map designs, 3 UT Assault map designs, 1 multi-game DM map design, and 1 UT DM map design... HO bloody HUM!!
Guess what I've been replaying??
Eh?? Eh!! Daikatana, a FPS game you might have heard of and one I quite enjoy. I could be playing lots of other stuff, included the Deus Ex demo and Blade demo - or indeed getting off my lazy arse and buying Rune. But no, I fancied DKT and I've been playing quite a lot in between BZ II maps - and yes I'm having fun, playing on Hard skill w/out sidekicks this time, trying to find secrets and use the weapons effectively. Anyone want to argue with what I enjoy enough to play twice?? Eh?? /me glares belligerently...
And finally, a somewhat deluded Bal:
<Bal> lobsters are rather cute...
Uh HUH.
News: Saturday 25/11/00
Okay so what's happening about other games' SP maps??
Answer: Not very much. I'm checking sites regularly, but there is little to report and nothing to review: Wheel of Time has no less than three community mission packs in the works, but none released yet and no other individual SP maps. Daikatana has no SP maps released, there has been a community DM map pack but I don't know if anyone is planning an SP map. KISS is dead, there's no scene at all, unless anyone knows of a site other than www.kisspsychocircus.com?? FAKK2 has enough people playing around with the editor, but still no SP maps despite some promises. Elite Force has had a few SP map releases but they've all been beta maps or tasters for unfinished projects. To be honest I'm finding the EF mapping scene boring - just people recreating Star Trek stuff with no attempt to use the Q3A engine's capability to build spectacular and exciting sci-fi maps....I might give up on EF maps. As for other games, Rune has a couple of coop maps released, I don't know if these are suitable for single player but it shows promise for SP maps - I haven't got the game but I will at very soon... Ummm and the rest I'm considering are all games in the future: Gunman, Red Faction and Serious Sam all have potential and mappers are expressing interest already, we shall see...
That's all. Nothing else to ramble on about. Guess what I'll have more of early next week?? =)
News: Thursday 23/11/00
6 BZ II SP/IA map reviews.
Managing to crank them out at quite a pace at the moment =). 6 more BZII instant action maps reviewed: Fat Boy, Schatten (first submitted new map), Bane Flats, Marshland, Ice Storm and Desert Night. More reviews coming soon, including 2 more submissions - I'm hoping they're new maps too, and I know {SFP} Sonic has a new IA map in beta. I'll try to add some more information on the reviews as well as an alphabetical listing "soon".
That's all...
...all I've been doing is playing BZ II so I don't have anything to ramble on about. A relief for all concerned I'm sure.
News: Saturday 18/11/00
4 new Battlezone II single player / instant action map reviews:
As promised....slowly the pace slightly, I've done 4 more reviews of the following BZ II maps: Night, Gates of Hell, High Noon, and Bombardment - the last two being true single player missions with voiceovers, goals, scripted events, etc. I would have had two more reviews of Bumrush and Swampwampus, but those two single player missions were too hard and frustrating for me to complete on Easy skill (and I generally play on Hard skill these days). A pity as the maps showed a lot of potential, but fell foul of classic FPS map flaws: ineffective skill settings, situations that are too hard to survive first time, and general imbalance. Who knows I might try again in the distant future... I also altered the Plains of War review, because I'd written something about ambient radio chatter, but I played it again and there was none, I think it must have come from a music CD I had in (not that I have any music CDs consisting of radio chatter!!).
Generalisations vs. specifics in the BZ II reviews:
A wee explanation is warranted I think: I'm keeping the Factual sections of these reviews necessarily vague, and avoiding mentioning specifics of units, numbers, etc, instead focusing on general estimates of the severity and nature of enemy attack/defence. This is for an important reason: To avoid spoiling the maps for players - the fun of BZ II IA is finding tactics and reacting to what happens in the map/mission, and giving a blow-by-blow account would reduce that fun as well as being needlessly longwinded. However I do say more on what it was like to actually play the mission in the Personal sections if you're interested.
Make one improvement to the Daikatana!
Daikatana - love it, hate it, or dismiss it without playing just because of bad publicity, everyone has an opinion on it. Usually one they copy'n'pasted from the ShugaShack forums. Anyway, regardless of whether you played the game or not, PlanetDaikatana are ready to post your feedback on the One thing you'd change about Daikatana. It's extraordinarily simple: click on this link feedback@planetdaikatana.com, type in the one change you choose (e.g. "No sidekicks" or whatever), and click the "Send" button. It should take 15 - 30 seconds depending on how quick you type. Do you think you are up to that?? Can you handle the challenge?? Pttff...
And finally...
<Shambler> frib: i want your bulging hairy lovespuds
Who doesn't?? =)
News: Monday 13/11/00
A couple of UT SP reviews:
Only a couple of weeks after I submitted them, Nali City have posted my reviews of the two latest UT single player maps - Shamu3 and SPabcv2. Both decent, though flawed, maps - Shamu3 is a great map design, but is spoilt by a daft section with entirely invisible monsters, while SPabcv2 is rather drably designed and textured, but has a good atmosphere and feel. I've added them to my list of recommended Unreal and UT SP maps, which has links to the reviews and downloads (Note that the review score for SPabcv2 should be 6.5, I forgot to change it from 6 - reasons explained at the bottom of the review).
Demos galore!
Well after resisting the patriotic p1mpage machine of all those "spanish weirds" in #terrafusion, I finally caved in and tried the Blade demo (102 fucking megs - Download time estimated at the site: 5 hours. Actual download time: 10½ hours. Ha-de-fucking-ha. Oh yeah having to sift through all these sites who say "Webmasters, link ONLY to this page and not the demo direct" to get a direct link for a download proggie really hacks me off, so as a big "fuck you", here's some direct download links: http://www.codemasters.com/demos/severancedemo.zip, http://ftp.telepac.pt/pub/3dfiles/games/severancedemo.zip, ftp://ftp.iol.it/3dfiles/games/severancedemo.zip, http://www.task.gda.pl/pub/games/3dfiles/games/severancedemo.zip, ftp://ftp.saix.net/pub/3dfiles/games/severancedemo.zip, ftp://mirror.aarnet.edu.au/pub/3dfiles/games/severancedemo.zip,
http://wcarchive.cdrom.com/pub/3dfiles/games/severancedemo.zip, ftp://ftp.epix.net/pub/3dfiles/games/severancedemo.zip, ftp://216.65.3.194/Demos/severancedemo.zip, ftp://207.55.56.9/Demos/severancedemo.zip). Anyway, the demo, yah... Very nice lighting, you know that already. Cool atmosphere and stuff. The combat system is novel, closer to a fighting game than an average 3PSlice'emup methinks (not that I would touch the former with a 50' lead shielded pole). I must be the only person who isn't bothered by the lack of strafing - not strafing didn't bother me in 2½ years of playing FPS games =). But having a weirdarse movement and "engaging-in-combat" system is just a pointless gimmick really - change for change's sake rather than for any benefit (unlike the actual combat which is more interesting due to it's complexity). Why not have a run key as normal? Why not strafe? I mean I can live with it so far, but if it ain't broke... Saving unfortunately IS broke - how the fuck they can release a demo like this without saving, pah. Where the fuck is my 102 meg going - not into a fully functional demo, that's for sure. No alt-tab either, thus you really have to sit down for hours and play it. Hmmm, not enough hours yet but it's quite nice so far.
Also in the "slow and cumbersome" game vein, hehe, I tried the System Shock 2 demo. Didn't like it, didn't like the physical nor aesthetic feel really, kinda like a very slow, complex Half-Life, too....I dunno....too clinical or something. Not my thing. Deus Ex demo on the other hand I did like - yes it too is slow and cumbersome, but I like the solid familiar feel of the Unreal/UT engine, more comfortable for me, for sure. And the whole sneaky-sneaky business is pretty cool, when it works. I only got partway into the second map (hello it's a fucking demo, one map will suffice thank you - I got this one off a cover CD BTW), and was trying some incredibly longwinded and, yes, "cunning" stunt, when I blew myself up, after which I haven't played it much. I'll get back to it at some point eventually though, and once I'm used to it, get the game. Now back to BZ II *grin*.
IRC nonsense:
Abusing the wonderful medium of online communication once more: the latest, brief, silly IRC chat log involves Spaniards and chickens. Says it all really.
And finally....Q3A gone for good:
Recently I tried to play Q3A again. This was after having got used to a whole lot of different controls and feels in other games, so I thought Q3A's feel wouldn't bother me so much. I approached it with positive yet realistic expectations of "just having a bit of botmatch fun in a different game for a change". I really tried hard to allow it to be enjoyable. I was wrong. Even with the best of intentions, I simply do not enjoy the gameplay. Specifically the damage feedback and indication, the weapons feel, the physics, and the camouflaged players. A pity, I wish I enjoyed it so I could try some cool looking custom maps. But no, it's not going to happen. So in "celebration" of that, here's the indefatiguable ZzJohnzZ:
<zzjohnzz> once i got rid of q3, i had to reformat and take my comp to church to have the priest perform confession on me and my comp for having such a horrid game
News: Saturday 11/11/00
Battlezone II single player / instant action map reviews!
Yes, Wednesday's claim that I was "thinking about doing BZ II single player reviews" was a complete lie and sham as I had already started reviewing and just about made up my mind =). Okay, it's an older game than the others I'll review for, and it's not a pure FPS / action game (if you don't know, BZ II is an excellent futuristic first person vehicular action / real time strategy game - demo, official site, screenshots) but well, I gave my reasons on Wednesday: Cool maps, no-one doing SP reviews. Anyway to kick things off I have 8 full map reviews, not bad for the first week =). There's quite a few maps released and I will be working my way through them whenever I feel like playing them (quite often at the moment), and doing reviews in the same random order I play the maps - but if any BZ II mappers want to email me and request reviews / submit maps, please do so. Of course these reviews use Shambler's Revolutionary New Reviewing Format™ and Shambler's Patented New Rating System™, to give a refined blend of information, opinion, and confusion =).
What I am looking for in BZ II SP / IA maps:
Although I keep part of the reviews clear of opinion, it might be interesting to know what I am personally after. Obviously perfect build quality and bug-free maps goes without saying, aside from that I value these aspects:
• Original and stylish theme - something that stands out from other BZ II maps and is carried off well, preferably with distinctive map features, rather than just a fighting arena. Moon 2000 and Venus Invasion are two good examples I've played so far.
• Proper mission, background, and more gameplay interest than just two bases facing each other. Quite rare so far as, despite a few maps having interesting backgrounds or starts, the mission is invariably building a base and destroying the enemy base.
• Good challenge, with strong offense or tough defense or preferably both from the enemy AI. Cornered is by far the best map I've played for this, also Plains of War has good assaults.
• Well balanced gameplay that keeps the challenge up all the way through the duration of the map. Most maps tend to get easier as you can build up an overwhelming force, I hope to see some with tougher base defenses.
• Good suitability for AI units, i.e. maps that are easy for AI to navigate for both sides. I've had problems with a few maps, particularly with bridges and tunnels, and I've also seen enemy units hanging around doing nothing - neither of which is fun.
Musical shenanigans:
* Shambler forces Vondur to listen to cheesy 80's glam rock for several months
<Vondur> hehehee
* Vondur plugs shambler's ears to constant working walkman with looped hamsterdance
<Shambler> vondur: i LIKE hamsterdance :P
<Vondur> oh shit
<Vondur> :)
And a bit later on when Killes the metal freak is ranting as usual...
* Vondur forces Killes to listen to Ace Of fucking Base for 23 years
He deserves it =).
News: Wednesday 08/11/00
Ummm, yeah.
This week I have mostly been playing Battlezone II custom single player maps, which has been a whole lot of fun. I think I'm finally getting the hang of this awesome game as I'm managing to play on Medium instead of Easy skill =). I'm thinking about doing BZ II single player reviews, because: 1. There are some cool maps that deserve it, and 2. No-one else, not even BZ II map sites, is doing reviews. Two pretty good reasons to me =). We shall see how it goes, I don't want to create too much work for myself but equally I find the game so inspiring.
And...
<Mindcrime> !seen Mindcrime's sanity
<ChanServ> Sorry nobody on the #terrafusion userlist has a handle of Mindcrime's.
<ChanServ> This seen command only works for people in the channels userlist.
<excessus> !seen vondur´s brain
<excessus> -ChanServ- Sorry vondur´s brain is very tiny to be seeing by human eyes
* Vondur deletes excessus' tongue
And a bit later on...
* excessus reshapes spambler´ pennis using a rusty scissor
More of that here =).
News: Sunday 05/11/00
Hello.
Normally I ramble on at indefinite length, just to be perverse I'm going to keep this succint: Welcome to TSFPSDD. I'm now hosted by Telefragged for doing single player level reviews specifically for "less mapped" games, though that's only one small aspect of the site and the other content here will continue. Use the menu to the left to explore the site, almost all content is exclusive to this site and there should be something to interest everyone. As far as reviews goes, the Wheel of Time review will show you the format, and you should read the Information page for more information about reviews and how to submit maps (also copied below).
Information on reviews I'll do:
1. If you want a map reviewed, simply email me with a link to the map - post the map at your own site or upload it to Fileplanet.
2. Ensure your map works fully in the game, and ensure it's zipped, including a text file but no superfluous demos nor images.
3. I'll review all finished SP (not DM) maps for the games listed, and include other games when new games I like are released.
4. Future games could include Rune, Undying, Serious Sam, and others - depending on the editors and mapping scenes.
5. These reviews are for fun - I'll do them when I feel like it, and they won't be as analytical as my TSQLR nor Nali City reviews.
What I am NOT doing:
1. Reviews of DM, CTF or other maps, or mods/total conversions - go find a DM/CTF/mod site.
2. Reporting or updating with map related news for those games - I'm doing reviews only.
3. Beta-testing maps or reviewing unfinished maps - if it's not a final product, I'm not interested.
4. Offering any editing help - I don't make maps, I can't help, so do not email me - go find an editing site.
5. Helping with any problems or errors playing any maps - email the map author, obviously.
On the subject:
Firstly, I should give "mad 'spect" to QMap, the centre of generalised FPS mapping and the place to visit for news, discussions, and questions. Secondly, if you like single player levels for Quake or Unreal, I do high quality reviews of both - see the side menu for links. With that reviewing experience, apparently people respect my views...
<Blitzed> well i dont give a fuck what Shmabler Q. Faggot thinks
Anyway...
Venom demo:
It is a little known fact that anything interesting that comes from Russia begins with a "V". Vodka, Vondur and now Venom, a little known tactical outdoor/indoor near future FPS game that's got me rather interested. Let's check some things off:
Fully rebindable controls - *check*
Thus it is actually a demo and not a "pile of useless toss". Aside from having no "next weapon" key, it is controllable, hurrah.
Pointlessly oversized demo - *check*
Bloody typical - 76 meg - do I really need 2 single player missions and one CTF mission to get a sense of what the game is like?? I think not.
Radar - *check*
Sniper's scope - *check*
Large outdoor maps - *check*
Three things I'm after in FPS games these days and this game has them, though the radar is a actually just a map, a pity as God knows I needed to scan for enemy positions at some points.
Slowness beyond the comprehension of mankind - *check*
Ahhhhh... Bollocks. Well there has to be some problem doesn't there - no game of this sort seems to be able to get it all right. Graphics at max gave me a cheery sub-1 FPS on the empty CTF map, while leaving them at default had the first SP mission running slowly, though just about playable, and the second was amazingly choppy - not even framerate, I think it was HDD accessing or something but it was pretty bloody unplayable.
Unfortunately that's not the only aspect that's unplayable: I found the outdoor mission ludicrously hard - I still haven't got through it on Easy skill after several days effort, gyack =(. The indoor mission is much more reasonable... In the outdoor areas, the enemy often shoot you from behind (or through) cover across ridiculous distances, and it's impossible to find them without sending your sidekick to kill them - and if you survive that there's bloody bunkers that launch rockets from an equivalent distance = instant death. There's no save game feature which is bloody ridiculous given how long and/or challenging the missions are. Also, object models/skins could be improved, and water is so-so, sometimes with no fogging underwater. There are also some bugs as you'd expect, the worst being (rarely) falling out of the level. And for my tastes, head bob sucks as much dick as usual, and I'm not so keen on human enemy - this is too military and not enough sci-fi for me so far.
A pity about those few serious problems, as there is plenty of coolness in this demo: Good, detailed outdoor and indoor maps, with generally good graphics. Amazing detail textures, you know, the funky up-close detailing the Unreal engine is not-famous-enough for - very impressive in this. Tactical gameplay with a choice of how you play - sneaky or more aggressive - and a lot of options to be sneaky (crawling, sniping, shooting lights), which is very cool when it works. Intelligent enemy that hide, run for cover, and sometimes call for support. Very effective, functional, sidekick, who in many cases took down a lot more enemy than I did. Cool weapon and health/armour display on your armoured sleeve. The sounds are notably good, something I don't pay much attention to usually, and there's useful sound cues too. Basically there is a lot of good about this game, some of it just *works*, but at the moment the slowness and lack of saving + difficulty cripple it....I'll be waiting for reviews of the final with interest.
Download the Venom demo (76 meg), visit the Venom site.
And finally:
(This will make sense to regular visitors at least =)).
<than> I have HUMONGOUS GENITAL WARTS
A few days later in a completely seperate IRC chat...
<than> I have genital warts! better see the doctor
Maybe it's true...?
Top
|
