The boys of Western Q3 fame have updated their site with more news including a progress report of what the team are working on at the moment, such as the Molotov Cocktail weapon type and Rifles. There's also word that Spoon has finally done coding in the Gatling Gun. So....Whatcha waitin' fer?? Go on and grab some of that eye candy for yourself!

Crossfire has posted an extensive UrbanTerror interview with Oswald of Silicon-Ice Development fame.  Here's a little past of what went on:

1) Urban Terror beta 1 first gave us a glimpse of what the urban terror dream was. A few patches and the mod has shaped into a more polished and dynamic game, arguably worthy of becoming a commercial product. Where is Urban Terror headed with the release of beta 2?

Beta 2.wow, right off the bat we receive a loaded question. Beta 2 is essentially a completely redesigned and all new mod for Quake III. Everything you knew and loved [or hated] In Beta 1 through 1.27 is no longer in Beta 2. Most notably, and I am sure many will agree was the unbalanced UMP45, which, when coupled with the laser site could score a headshot from across any map in Urban Terror. Weapons and damage that is inflicted on a model, has both been completely redesigned. We now feature A.R.I.E.S., our new damage system that include 21 locations on each model, which can be hit. Add to that the new real world physics of our weapons and this is the foundation of Urban Terror. In addition to that, we have all new weapon and player models, new skins, new levels and new features which will dazzle the Beta 2 players

Read the rest of it right here.

The Annihilation team has yet another release of new screenshots of their WW11 mod while it is still in the alpha stage in closed testing. On their site you will find 9 new in-game screenshots showing off the details of various maps within their mod. Hopefully they will be giving the rest of the public a release they can play soon.

Team Evolve, the guys behind PainKeepArena have updated their Q3Arena Mod to version 2.4.  They've changed the codebase and have added, as a bonus, 4 new maps for you to kick your buddy's @$$ all over the place!  The file weighs in at 13megs and you need the 2.2 update to be installed before you install this.  Go and get it right here.

Adaptations, those fine folks behind the WarHammer 40,000 Mod for Quake3, have updated their site with screenshotsof some new weapon models they are adding to the Mod. If you're like me, and this is the first time you've ever even heard the word WarHammer, here's a cut'n'paste to get ya up ta speed:

The Quake III modification that we are making is based on the table-top game Warhammer 40,000 by Games Workshop. The initial release of the mod features the Space Marine and its different chapters, and later revisions to the mod will have the other races featured in Warhammer added to the game play. When you start the mod, you need to pick one of two teams to play on and a character class. There are seven character classes to choose from: Scout, Assault Trooper, Terminator, Tactical Trooper, Biker, Dreadnought, and Landspeeder. Experience points will be awarded to or taken away from your character based on your performance in battle, and as you gain experience you will go up in rank, from the lowly Marine to a Veteran Sargent, Hero, Chaplain, and eventually Librarian. Advancing in rank allows you to access a more diverse array of more powerful wargear. The gameplay will be very unique, as the sheer number of characters, wargear options, and general variability will make the possibilities for strategizing to overcome the enemy nearly endless. Also, as a result, the game will be highly "replayable." However, with all the options available to you, it is essential, if you are to survive, that you know a few basic concepts to the game which are described in the various sections below.

Check it out right here.

The guys behind Quake Rally have just updated their site with some new sweet lookin' screenies of their new models in action. Just in case you don't know WTF this mod is all about, it's a Q3 Mod that replaces all the quake models with bas@$$ lookin' cars. Check out the shots and find out more about this mod right Quake Rally

Seems like today is the "Day of Interviews" S'alright with me. Today the Ice Terminal sits down with Oswald from Silicon Ice Development to talk about their bad-@$$ reality based teamplay game, UrbanTerror. Here's a clip from the interview:

IceStorm: From what looks to be evident, Urban Terror seems to combine Quake 3 and Counter Strike. Would you make this comparison?

Oswald: Hahaha...I don't think any realism mod from here on out will not get compared to Counter-Strike. They have done some great things and are still considered to be at the top of the realism genre. But to compare Urban Terror to Counter-Strike in terms of game play I would think would be incorrect and I will tell you why.
Oswald: While Beta 2 will feature in game items like an integrated stamina/health meter, the mod still plays very fast. In Urban Terror you need to ask yourself, "Do I fight, reload or bandage?" Since Counter-Strike does not feature a bandage option, it takes a bit away form the realism and focus on the continued gameplay. We want gamers thinking about their team and what they are going to do next. This is why we have have implemented things like team bandaging and offered gamers items like the medkit, so they can heal their teammates, so the team can act as a cohesive unit and not individuals. We are all about TEAM play, not individual play, hopefully that comes forth in Beta 2.

Read the rest of the interview right here.

Today John Carmack (if you haven't heard of him, then you need to go back under your rock) sits down with those fine folks at Gamespy and chews the cud about his philosophy of game creation, online gaming, and da X-Box. Here's a lil' cut'n'paste of the interview to juice you up for it:

GameSpy: What's your take on the PC vs. Console wars?

John Carmack: The PC platform has plenty of ugly warts, but there are enough things that it just does better, like bringing in cutting edge hardware and fostering online communities and modifications, that I really doubt it is going to vanish as a viable platform.

A pretty interesting read if I say do myself. Go on and check out the rest of the interview right here.

There's a new quakemod in town and it's just been released for the PC AND DC.  Yes, you heard it right, the Dreamcast.  I know some of you (like me) still have an old copy of Quake1 laying around, so if you want to play beta1 of Raptors! and renew your love affair with the original Quake go on now and get this.  Here's a cut'n'paste to let you know what Raptors! is all about:

• Raptors! is a single-player quake modification. As the name suggests, you face velociraptors, instead of fiends or shamblers.
•  It will be compatible with Dreamcast Quake, although there may be slight differences between each version; numbers of levels, complexity of levels etc.
•  It uses Gopal Nener's raptor model, and new weapon models by Ulrich Galbraith, otherwise it uses original quake items and textures.

Read more about this new mod right here.

Jim Dose (the New Guy at IdSoftware) has posted what seems to be his very first .plan update ever :-)  He talks about Sony's recent announcement that they will release a version of linux for the PS2, and how it should affect the gaming industry.  Go on and check him out here.

Apparently the news that the Columbine families have brought out a lawsuit (5bill smakaroos folks--can anyone say ambulancechasersmessingintheir**?) has generated a lot of bruhaha, all the way over to the Gamespot talkback followups.  Even IdSoftware president, Todd Hollenshead has thrown his two cents into the mix, saying, "their claims are utterly without merit and we will vigorously defend ourselves."  If you want to go ahead and check it all out, visit them right here.  Thanks goes out to Gerjan for giving me the "heads-up."

The Annihilation team may be in closed testing right now but that doesn't stop them from showing off their mod. On their site you will find 14 new screenshots of their Boathouse map. Keep in mind the mod is still in the Alpha stage but I would say things are coming along quite nice. Today's Picture of the Day features one of the new screenshots and another one will be up tomorrow.

TeamEvolve just sent word that there is a PKArena (that's Painkeep Arena for those of you who don't like acronyms) Bonus Map available at GGG2G.   According to them, "it rocks the mic;" so go down there and grab it now from right here.

The Reaction Quake3 Team has just send out a heads-up that they have updated their site, with screenshots, an up-coming release date, and even a short video of in-game action of their mod of the same name.  WTF is Reaction Quake?  If you don't remember our little post of long ago, it's an almost direct port of ActionQuake2 to Q3Arena with all the required eye-candified updates.  Since I already pretty-much summed up what this is all about, I won't post a cut'n'paste, but you can check out the pics--and even the video--right here.

The LvL - Q3A has four new levels posted today for those of you sick of the same ole' dm17.  Here's the list:

• peccary of destiny by unitool (DM/Tourney 2-5 player)
• Runaround by Neotic (CTF 4-10 player)
• A Battle Lost & Won by Vendaface (Space DM/Tourney 2-4 player)
• Modern Warfare by John Seward (DM/Tourney 2-5 player)

Go on and give him a visit.

   The Cthulhu Q3 team has updated their site with a  new finished weapon for you to see. Go ahead and take a looksie at the new pump-action Winchester or just find out about this up-coming mod if you don't know what it is right here.

There's nothing like a good spot of Quake-related news in an otherwise slow-@$$ day :)   Karnatos from Z-Axis helps us out by posting a new Q3 map review.  The map is called Bullet in the Gun by Yogi, a small DM map, which is described by Karnatos as 'expertly crafted' for 'blindingly fast and furious deathmatching.'  Here's a lil' cut'n'paste of the article:

The architecture and texturing, as top notch as it is, would make for a pretty empty feeling base. Yogi's done exactly what is ordered in giving his map the right atmosphere... with the addition of ambient sounds. The map just feel alive with the sounds, even though they are simple and unobtrusive. You never find yourself wondering "Is that a shotgun I hear?" because the sounds are not blaring in your ears while you zip along down the hallways, it just a background noise and it fits wonderfully.

I have to tell you--I looked at the screenies and this map does look pretty sweet.  Go on and check 'em out right here.

Hmmm.  This has been going around the internet lately; so I figured that I should jump on the bandwagon too.  I really hope it doesn't get any further than this.  The Denver Post Online is reporting that the Slain Columbine teacher's family launched a lawsuit aimed at 25 gaming media companies. "The suit asks for $5 billion in damages, plus damages of $5,000 to $10 million for individual parties in the class action.  Here's a cut'n'paste from the article:

The suit closely resembles a federal action filed against dozens of entertainment companies after the Paducah, Ky., school shooting in which 14-year-old Michael Carneal shot eight classmates, killing three, in 1997.
Florida attorney Jack Thompson helped file that lawsuit, which was dismissed but is being appealed.
Thompson said Columbine victims might have an even better case, and called the suicidal rampage "the Pearl Harbor of America's culture war."
On Friday, Thompson made public a letter he has sent to John Carmack,(my emphasis) one of the original "Doom" creators and founder of Texas-based id Software, on behalf of the Todd family.
He called on Carmack to prohibit the sale and distribution of all video games rated for mature audiences to children under 17 - and to do it by April 30. The letter did not specifically threaten a lawsuit, but the statute of limitations for Evan Todd won't expire until he turns 18 in June.

Like I said, Hmmmm.  Well I guess I can put some perspective on this.  It's been awhile since video games made me kill someone (like around 31 years :-/), but if one would want to keep their kids from becoming homicidal maniacs, wouldn't raising them work better than cutting of my TV and VidGame fix?  Just a harmless question.  Read the rest of the article right here.

This is for those of you still playing Quake2 (NP, I still do it from time to time.) Karnatos sends word that Z-Axis has posted not merely another map review; but a review of a new single player episode called Progetto Genoma: Return to Hell. This is a map boasting upwards of 1660+ monsters in a single 13 map episode!  Here's a cut'n'paste to lube ya up for this article:

As far as I'm concerned the key to this episodes success is the fact that Quake 2 is getting on a bit now and so the author can throw groups of Strogg at you that would have been unthinkably large back then. I suppose this means that those with older PCs will struggle, but for comparison I had no problems at all on a 333 with a Geforce 1. Cleverly coupled with the huge groups of enemies are the wide open levels that give you the freedom to strafe and run about all over the place. In fact there were only a couple of levels that I didn't like in this episode and they were the tight, confining ones with too much detail getting in the way. Of course with environments this large some of the detail has been sacrificed but it really doesn't matter because the sheer scale is more than impressive enough. Add the new textures and the authors' trademark mirrored floor trick to the mix and you get a very respectable looking episode indeed.

From the screenshots, this thing actually looks pretty nice.  The author imports some Q3 textures, and provides a whole $h*tLoad of enemies to frag.  With all the "return to Doom" hoopla we've been hearing after the release of Serious Sam, this should be a real cool thing indeed.  Read the rest of the review right here.

Z-Axis has two new Q3A deathmatch reviews for your pleasure. "Cosmik Debris" (version2) and "peccary of destiny" are both rated as being superb and come to you from the very talented unitool. Check them both out at Z-Axis.

The final beta release of Who's The Winner 2 is now available. The new Pre-Final 2 verison should be the last before the release of their final version.
Here's a list of things added this time around:

• Fix: HTML code in Map rankings pages.
• Fix: Team Deathmatch Win scores assignment.
• Fix: A bug in "Games played"->"Player Rank" table.
• Add: More and more checking routines to ensure good parsing.
• Add: Mod support for LakerBot and WFA 2.9 (and later).
• Add: Players Ban List with wildcards support and Alias List.
• Add: Ban & Alias HTML pages.
• Add: Now you can find all generated stats under dir.
• Add: Top Rank Global Score database.
• Add: Hostname and IPs can be spawned on main page.
• Add: A Server/Clan logo can be spawned on main page.
• Add: Multilogs scan in a single mod dir.
• Mod: Gui layout redesigned.
• Mod: "Exit:" logging assertion was reinforced: This avoid especially OSP warmup stages counted as valid games.
• Mod: HTML look more neat and sleek.
• Mod: In Main Page are showed only mods parsed and not all mods supported.

Find out more on the Who's the Winner web page.

The crew over at Clandestyne Software just sent in this news flash about their new game commands database. Here's what they had to say:

Clandestyne Software would like to announce a new version of the Online Game Commands Database, adding new and updated commands for all supported games.

Whats an Online Game Commands Database? The database contains lists and definitions for nearly ten thousand game scripting commands (cvars, console commands, etc) in searchable format. The database is provided free of charge for all to use and supports many popular games and mods such as Quake, Half-Life, Counter-Strike and many other Quake Engine games.

Its your free one-stop source for all your game scripting needs! Check it out now at http://www.planetquake.com/clandestyne/default.asp

As promised yesterday, the Weapons Factory Arena team has released version 2.9. Head out over to their web site for the download and the rest of the information you will need for installing the mod.

The Weapons Factory Arena team has sent word that they will be releasing a new version 2.9 on Friday at 6pm EST and the team has released 30+ in-game shots of the new release. Here's what they had to say about it:

We're releasing WFA 2.9 on Friday 6pm EST.

You haven't heard from me or from WFA in a long time because we've been busy playing WFA and busy working on a big patch and upgrade. Its been over a year since WFA 1.0 came out and the popular WFA 2.1 succeeded very well in the Q3 community. WFA is still the most intense, fast paced, class based CTF fragfest you can have in Q3!

Its a hotly anticipated version for our dedicated community because its our first 1.27h compatible version. This version has been in the works for several months. Meanwhile, thousands of loyal fans have clung to 1.17, or swapped back and forth between 1.17 and 1.27h so that they could play other great mods like ra3 and q3f which went to 1.27 earlier this year.

WFA 3.0 introduces some new features besides just fixing the few bugs in 2.1. Such as the new Team Arena inspired HUD, as well as a new pistol model for the Recon class and Assassin class. There is a player placeable camera that sports a picture-in-picture camera view on the hud that really is really impressive and a few other surprises!

Here is a 7mb "PR pack" of 30+ in-game shots from WFA 2.9. http://www.q3wfa.com/wfa-29-screens.zip

Almost all of the maps from WFA 2.1 have been overhauled or replaced, the 16 maps we are shipping with the 2.9 went through extensive quality assurance and play testing and many of the new maps are on par with the best maps in q3 today. There is a growing WFA competition scene with more than 6 ladders and leagues running worldwide and this is facilitated by the new referee menu options.

The standard CTF mode is complimented by a public beta test of what we tentatively call "command point mode". This mode is like "domination" where the flags disappear and are replaced with 3d tokens or command points. Teams touch the command points and begin earning points depending on how many command points they control and for how long.

Anyway, with all this info, I hope I didn't overwhelm. We are obviously excited about this release and hope you are as well!

TeamEvolve just sent us a heads-up--and this should be real nice news to you Painkeep addicts--that they are actually in final bug squashing stage and will be releasing the full version of PainKeep Arena soon.  They don't say when, but they drop a little teaser in the form of 3 screenies from as-yet unreleased maps--Nice!  Check 'em out right here.

The guys from Silicon Ice, the developers of that sweet-@$$ Q3Arena TC UrbanTerror, recently sat down with the fine folks at EntertheGame and talked about gameplay modes, mapping and other development areas of their upcoming TC.  Here's a lil' of what they had to say:

Lots of bug fixes and 1.27 feature enhancements to make the game play more smooth and feel more professional. We are basically taking the mod to a whole new level of professionalism. Here is a partial list of what will be included in Beta 2: ARIES [new damage system], new weapons like the M4, SR-8, Desert Eagle, Hand grenades (flash, and high explosive), MP5k. New game modes: Capture and Hold, Search and Destroy, Tax Collector, Assassinate and Infiltrate. We have improved ladder and ledge climb, new surface effects (including wall sparks and sounds), new maps (uptown, abbey, pressure zone, rommel). There will be two new player models introduced, various new skin sets, all new weapon models and hand animations. All new player animations. New weapon sounds. Multiple items and multiple weapon gear selection. Visual representation of items/weapon on the player model. Medkit. Stamina system. Sprinting. And more….

I know it's a long post, but I had to paste something down to get your interest :P  The interview is really well written and should be a good read.  You can check it out right here, or just download and listen to the audio interview ( fast forward that sucker to 1:07:00--that's where the actual interview starts) from right here.

Redwood from Stomped sends word that the Classic CTF peeps have posted six new screenshots from a map that DD created for the Threewave/Classic CTF unifcation project now in progress. They don't list the name of the map, but Redwood seems to love it, and says it's a remake of an original map he knew as "Smelter" from Q2CTF. Check it out right here.

Freeze Tag for Quake 3 and Team Arena has just released a new version. Now at version 1.42, many fixes have been added. Here's a short list of what they have for the new version:

• Fixed frozen bodies getting stuck in people
• Added voice command support
• Fixed fraglimit announcements
• Fixed ricochet off of frozen bodies
• Force respawn works finally (as does inactivity)
• Fixed frozen animation being animated (frozen body walking stopped

Sounds like some good stuff.  Check it out right here.

Karnatos from Z-Axis checks in with a new map review by Arklight of Grecia, by ]NX[Mythra, for Weapons Factory Arena.  Here's a cut'n'paste from the review:

I always love it when a map comes out that breaks the rules of the old ones, and set the standards for the new, and this map has done just that. ]NX[Mythra offers a chance to WFA players to step away, and really appreciate the effort and the skill that is placed into the maps and see how much a well done one enhances the game..

Read the rest of the review and check out those sweet @$$ pics right here.

Deimos from the the folks at WesternQuake3 have updated their site with some news of their  Old West based Q3TC of the same name.  Here is a short list of what they have posted:

• 2 ingame shots of the Sharps Rifle
• 6 Screenshots of Lt. Frag's re-designed Lake map
• 2 Western Quake³ wallpapers

Head on down there and give 'em a visit.

I was hoping to hear something about this given my clan's server not being updated due to Loki's not liking the 1.27g or h code.  Anyways, id Software's Graeme Devine has updated his .plan with happy word on the upcoming point release for Quake 3 Arena. Here's a cut'n'paste from his update:

It's been a long long time since there has been any sort of update for Quake 3 (well, it seems that way). Originally a new point release way due out towards the end of March, which suited me fine because that coincided with the release of Mac OS X and it meant we would be right there with a point release as the operating system came out.
Well, for several reasons, we're still working on the point release, and it's still a ways out. We've been working extremely hard to get it to you, and working with the mod community to get all the features into the point that you've asked for, and it's all taking a little more time than we originally anticipated. We've also been working hard on the various other work projects id has for Robert, Mr.Elusive and I. Some of these have been on a critical time path in the past few months, and have required our utmost attention.

Read the rest of it and his old ones right here.

"Does anyone remember QuakeWorld?" is the title of an article which delves into the past and is a plea for new people to try out QuakeWorld servers with their spiffy new machines and better internet connections. It's worth reading so check it out here.

Explosive Design has updated their page with 6 new screenshots of two maps which have been finished for the class based Q3TC,  Dark Ages. Check it out right here (psst. you can also figure out what it is, it looks d*mn sweet!)

The Annihilation team has posted 12 new screenshots of their up-and-coming Q3TC of the same name. These screenshots are showing off the test runs of the final maps for the mod. Also, they have added breakable objects for the mod, which should be featured shortly on a video (we hope :P) Here's a clip to let ya know just what this TC is all about:

In Annihilation, we welcome you back to the 1940's...back to World War 2. You choose between Allied Nations and Nazis, and are then able to select a player class according to your skills

Check it--and those pics--right here.

Speaking of Polycount, they have uploaded 6 new Q3A weapons for you guys to play with (if you're not like me and and actually know what to do with them :P). Here's the list:

• Colt M41A Pulse Rifle by Edmund 'Buster Charlie' Dupont
• M41a Pulse Rifle by Janus & Chemical Burn
• Rhinox's machinegun by Troy Hina
• Hawk Mk-8 by Balou & Redlemons
• Sick Puppy Plasma Gun by CleanerWolf has been updated
• Flamethrower by Robert 'Rumor' Nall has also been updated

Check 'em out right here.

The spaced-based Wing of Alliance TC for Quake III has posted shots of the new Cerbere cruiser craft that will be part of the "pirate" faction.  Check out the new ship at Wing of Alliance, and we should start seeing skins on these ships soon.  For those of you who don't know what Wing of Alliance actually is, here is a lil' cut'n'paste to get you up ta speed:

This modification is based on StarWars universe. It gives us the possibility of flying in mythical ships of the 4th, 5th, and 6th episodes. Everybody knows StarWars : 2 teams, the Alliance, fighting with rebel (sic) ships for liberty, but less soldiers than the Empire that fights with fast ships, but without armor.

Head on over there and pay them a visit.

Polycount has just reviewed a new model for those of you who are sick and tired of using sarge all the time (of course, forget the fact that another person who doesn't have your model in his baseQ3 directory will only see sarge anyways :P)  If you like Gundam and using new models for Q3, check out what  Ronin{TRIAD} has done to create MS-07B Gouf.  See ya there!

Version 1.5 of the Art of War mod for Q3A has been released. This should be the last public test version with a final version 1.6 to be released soon. New in this version is:

• The last of the gameplay tweaks
• New graphics for gold and spells
• Enhanced faction voting
• Automatic team balancing
• Better deathmatch level support

More information including where and when the best time to find servers can be found on the Art of War website.

Once again Karnatos from Z-Axis gives us a heads-up on a new map review on their site.  Today, they post a  review of Defcon-1 by OS-Seven for all of us WFA players.  Arklight reviews the map, it's play mechanics, and tells us whether it's worth the download.  Check it out right here.

Attention all  screenshot and wallpaper junkies!!  If you're  looking for some cool, new ones to add to your collection, GameWallpaper has added some new TeamArena screenshots.  Some of them look pretty sweet, and they're saved in multiple resolutions to give you more of a choice of what you want to download.  Check it out right here.

A new version 2.4b of the server parser QStat has been released. The new version adds some more features for Q3A and also has some more support for Tribes 2. Find out more at the QStat website.

A new version of Q3Offline has been released at Shellshock's Crater. This new version 01.04.14.00 has a huge list of new features and other goodies. One of the new features is the addition of Q3A bot support which will allow you to use the single player bots. Check out Shellshock's Crater for more info!

Team Evolve has released a Beta 2.2 version for Linux and Mac for their PainKeep Arena mod. The new release can be found at File Planet or on the Team Evolve site.

Looks like today is a great day for Mods going gold, eh?  Well here's another one, and I offer them a hearty Congrats!  KnyteHawkk is pleased to announce that after almost two years of development and 6 beta releases,  Rune Quake has been released in final form.  Rune Quake is a DM/CTF modification for Quake 3 boasting over 50 completely unique Runes, 10 alternate firing modes for the weapons, a new gameplay style (Supremacy), and a ton of server customizations including map-specific config files and the ability to ban/unban runes on a per-level basis.  You can check it out, or read all about it right here.

Nils "Thes33k" Bartels, sends happy word that he and his blokes at ArenaWorld, have just posted an avi, which shows off the intro and some cool-A** in-game shots of their Q3Mod of the same name.  The movie is zipped and weighs in at 5.3 megs, so it shouldn't be any trouble even for you guys at 56k (O, unfortunate souls!)  Go on, and scope it out right here.

Forgive me if I don't know much about this Q3Mod, but Nicholas Brodzinski from Pink Rabbit Software has just announced that their Q3Mod, Capture the Gunz!, has just been released in its final form.  Here's what it's all about:

Capture the Gunz! is a Quake 3 teamplay mod that gives all members of a team access to a type of weapon when your team is the last to control its spawn point, while none of the opposition will have that weapon until regaining control, which likewise deprives their opponents. The goal is to control all weapons in the level. As soon your team has captured all the weapons you'll receive a powerup bonus for a short time (set by the server). At the end of this period all guns will be lost and will respawn randomly in the level.
The final release (1.5Mo only) is 1.27x compatible, Windows Mac and Linux compatible, a bot support (programed by Cgg, lead programer from Akimbo and WID**) is included and every teamplay maps are playable (this includes CTF maps).

Hmmm, sounds interesting enough.  If ya wanna find out more, go ahead and check out their site.

This is good news for HPBs.  The may issue of PC Gamer hit shelves today, and--as promised--Alliance 2.4 CTF/DM for Q3A was on the cover CD.  Although already available for download, Alliance weighs in at 133mb so now it's much more accessible due to the PC Gamer distribution.  Alliance has been called a free mission pack by many.  It sports 27 custom maps, new weapons, skins, powerups, plus 3 distinct gametypes for CTF and DM.  Whatcha waitin' for? Go ahead and get it.  BTW, you can visit the Alliance website right here.

What would our day be like without word from Karnatos at Z-Axis.  He sends a heads up that Arklight, their Weapons Factory expert, has posted the debut article in a new feature, on one of the most original and better known mappers in the WFA scene.  Since he's only been mapping for a few 
months and has already earned the admiration of both the WFA MOD Team and players alike, he seemed like the perfect debut article piece for this new series.  Here's a little clip from the article:

Z-Axis: Any suggestions on what mappers can do to improve their style?
]$[D-Man: Hmmm, I think it helps if you have a theme in mind before starting. Having a theme in mind prior to starting sets a tone for your map, architecture, details, and textures all come from that. Most of my maps I've used this approach, like Observatories, El Guapo, Offshore, TCF.

Check out their first mapper article feature with D-Man.

Deimos from the Western Quake3 Mod team sends word that they have updated their site with news of a new weapon, and a little poll on what you, the user, want next.  The shots look pretty sweet.  Go ahead and check out some of that bada** western goodness!

Allen Heidenreich sends word that he has released version 1.12 of his cool Quake3 Menu bind utility.  For those of you not in the know, this program has literally hundreds of settings for Quake3, which can be manipulated in-game--and yes, you don't have to lose your binds.  Here's a list of things he's changed for this version (hehe): 

• Some new things.
• More Links.
• Some few bugs Fixed

As always you can check it out right here.

Stomped chats with id Software CEO Todd Holleshead about what he can reveal about their upcoming Doom game for the Nindendo Game Boy Advance console, as well as a few other subjects. Here is a cut'n'paste:

Stomped: Of course, a lot of people are excited about the multiplay aspect of Game Boy Advance. How will Doom use this feature?
Hollenshead: I don't know who else is doing what with multiplayer for GBA, but I really believe that we're going to be doing the most exciting multiplayer experience ever for hand held systems. Four player hand held DOOM! Airport lobbies will never be the same again ;-)

Head on down and read the rest of the interview.

DoomCenter has posted an interview with Lee'Mon, leader of the Generations Arena Quake 3 mod. . Here's a cut'n'paste to whet ur whistle:

Can you give us a quick rundown of what the Generations project is and what it consists of?
The goal behind Generations the concept is simple: to unite the different "old schools" of classic FPS gameplay to compete against "new school," as well as each other. Some people prefer the blazing speed of the Doom games; others the sheer power of classic Quake; others the strategic, any-weapon-kills combat of QuakeII. Generations Arena gives players the chance to bring their "classic" skills to the table to fight against other schools of thought, as well as die-hard Q3A players

Read the rest of it right here.

I know you are still out there!  All of you who are still playing Doom and decrying the Quake series just might have a chance at a game for you :P Beta 2 of the DOOMed2Frag mod for Quake III Arena has been released.   Here's a cut'n'paste for ya to get ya up to speed on this kewl sounding mod:

D2F (DOOMED2FRAG) is a Quake3 mod designed with the purpose of bringing the adrenaline pumping, visceral experience of DOOM2 Deathmatch to Quake3 with a few nods to features from more recent games.  In Beta1 we have 7 new DOOM2 based weapons replacing Quake3 weapons; and in our next release we plan to add another two weapons to the fray. We have included 3 of the best custom maps out there that worked well with the mods changes and new weapons, and we thank the makers of these great maps for granting us permission to include them (they are KODIAK, r_speeds (aka twoAM), and Natestah, PJW, and Auhsan). We hope you enjoy this fast paced mod as much as we do.

Go on down to their site and give them a holler!

Version 1.0 of the bQuery "free alternative to Gamespy" game server browser has been released. Games supported include Tribes 2, QuakeWorld, Quake 2, Quake 3, Half-life, Starsiege: Tribes, Sin, Heretic 2, Kingpin, and Soldier of Fortune. If you're interested, or just too damn cheap to play for the Gamespy license, go get it right here.

The official Quake III Fortress site was updated with new screen shots, plus also word of a fix for the mod's in-game server browser. You can read more about the mod by hitting it up right here.

And now from the hardest working mod makers in cyberspace, comes some nice  screenshots of the beta 2 maps for Urban Terror. This total conversion for Quake 3 by Silicone Ice Development is closer and closer to beta2 with build7 on the rack right now. If you haven't seen it or read about this kewl-A** mod yet, give them a visit.

Haven't heard from these guys for awhile, but it looks like the Navy Seals have updated their site with some new screenshots and the newest status of their up-coming (I'm waiting for it impatiently :)) mod for Quake3Arena. Also--for all of you desktop junkies--there's also a nice wallpaper done by cyte that shows the actual startup screen that will be used in the game.  Go get it!

HEHE, I know a few admins that could really, really use this utility; so I'll just do my good deed and show it to them :P The Q3 Server Wizard tool has been upgraded to v1.4. The newest version of this server starter has quashed a few more bugs (what bugs??!!) and now supports Beryllium and BFG10K mods. Check out all the latest features of this kewl utility right here.

BTL Development has just made a massive update to their site with news on their NightRage Quake III conversion. Check out an animation of the Combat Shotgun along with the new pics.  They're getting pretty close to beta1 (about 60% close,) and I must say the mod sounds pretty intriguing.  Here's a little cut'n'paste from their FAQ, just in case you don't know what this conversion is:

NightRage is a Teamplay-Action RPG for Quake 3, that employs a team based round system set in a futuristic Cyberpunk world. Players can choose from four species, each with different attributes and skills, which will rise by use to adapt to and reflect the unique playing-style of each player. Fight, either as a member of the outcast Streetrunners or the Petroil-Megacorp Elite Conguards, in the tense and thrilling atmosphere of a Cyberpunk world.

Hey!   Didn't you know that I was a closet RPGer?  It's that damn Q3 that keeps me from playing anything else!!! :-)  Read more about this conversion right here.

The Q3 Paintball site has been updated with news that things are coming along at a fast pace now and a beta will be forthcoming soon. The site mentioned they have been busy getting the skins ready and the elimination code is now working and functional. Check out the Q3 Paintball site for more details!

Another slow news day gives us a chance to ask you to submit your screenshots for our Picture of the Day! All you have to do is send an in-game shot of Q3A or your favorite Quake mod to potd@q3arena.com and we will be able to feature it on the upper right hand side of this website! Don't delay, send in your shots today!!!!

As a teaser for the immanent release of their first public release, the Arena World team has released a short movie showing off some of their mod for Q3A. The movie weighs in at 8.1MB and shows some in-game action with bots and high speed movement, and has some shots their chaingun. You can get the movie at the Arena World site or you can grab it here.

The good peeps at ArenaWorld have sent word that they have updated their whole site and have a major announcement to make (Can you say byebye Swat?)  Click here to read the press release. 

And they keep on coming!! Karnatos and Z-Axis once again posts a map for review. This time it's Q3CTF and it's called Runaround, by Tyler "Neotic" Buser.  Here's a blurb from the review:

Located directly behind the tower is a room full of many, many goodies. Here you'll find some red armor, and plenty of ammo in which to fill your needs. That's what I call lovely :). Oh, and did I forget to mention that if you're not walking along the paths pointed out above or running around the aforementioned flag area you'll find yourself sinking? Yes, indeed, water fills each team's area. This not only causes frustration if you happen to be knocked into said water, but can make for an interesting underwater standoff once and a while as well. Suffice it to say, I love the sectional team areas.

Go on down there and read the rest of the review.

Karnatos from Z-Axis sends word that they have once again posted another map review--this time for Weapons Factory Arena called Breaker, by {BR}Infernal.  Breaker introduces a few cool new ideas for WFA, giving the players a chance to test the specific class-based skills, and pay homage to the cyborg god of WFA. You can read the review right here.

WOW! This is not gaming related, but I couldn't help posting it. Let me tell you--if you ever run into somebody like this run, run as fast as you can! I found this site earlier today, which details two weeks of voicemails from a psycho girlfriend to the beleaguered guy who made this website. One of them is almost 5 minutes long! Check out one of the 53 calls right here, and the guy's website right here.

Just in case you didn't know, the good peeps at WFA have released a new beta to their kick-a** mod, Weapons Factory Arena for Quake3.  This release (2.8F beta) fixes a nasty crash bug they found in the last version of the fast, class based Quake3 version of Team Fortress.  Check out their site, or just download that sucker right here.

Matt Hughes from the Backburner has just sent word that they have posted 4 more in-game screenshots from W.U.M.P. 2106 on their site.  Just in case you missed the last post, WUMP 2106 is the Quake 1 open source engine game which features vehicles and ships as combatants instead of characters.  The shots don't look half bad.  Check 'em out below:

[ Shot 1]    [ Shot 2]    [Shot 3]    [Shot 4]

As always you are encouraged to take your bootie down to their site and see what they're all about :)

A new public test version 1.4 of the Art of War mod has been released.
Here's what the team had to say about this new release:

This version has new graphics in it, an enhanced radar, and a new spell for the Lich (shackles). Teams also vote on their faction between levels, which should help team coordination. There are a few more gameplay tweaks, as expected with a public test.

Server owners should be happy with this new release as well. You can now play on Deathmatch levels as well as Capture the Flag levels, so a map rotation can have much more variety in it. Check out the server.cfg file included in the latest version for an example map rotation.

The guys at Arena_World have updated their site with a new in-game video showing the action of their up-coming Q3Mod.  They also hint about some special kind of news tomorrow.  Check out the video right here.

Hmmm. This sounds pretty kewl to me, so I guess I'll pass this on to you.  The good peeps at Assassin sent me a heads up pimping their new site and the release of beta1 of their Assassin Q3 mod.  It's an FFA based mod, in which you are assigned someone you must kill.  Here is the basic gist of the mod's point system:

• If you kill your assigned kill you are awarded 1 frag
• If you kill someone else you lose 2 frags
• If you kill someone who is supposed to kill you, you are awarded 2 frags
• Highest frag count wins the game

Pretty simple premise, yet interesting.  I must warn you that this mod is only intended for those who are playing the 1.27 point release.  Check 'em out right here.

Attention to all your Stats-Junkies!!  There's a new service in town, and they may be a very good alternative to NGStats or TheCLQ.  Our new, good friends at CSports.net have just opened up a beta frag tracking site so you can see just how well you stand in the World of Quake.  Here are some of the other cool stat services that CSports offers:

- Most popular games
- Most popular mods
- Most popular maps
- Most popular servers
- Players favourite Maps
- Players favourite servers
- Players ranking
- Players frags by day

This service currently holds stats for not only quake games but also 42 other on-line games, with more games to come shortly as well as other new innovations are being added each week.
CSports.net currently holds stats for over 15 million online gamers so it should be a very good indication of where your skill level stands in relation to many other players.  Check it out right here.

Core-Evolution has uploaded three new screenshots of the upcoming beta 3 of Quake 3: Weapons Factory Arena. Go on and check 'em out!

They were talking about it--and now they've released it.  Team Evolve has released the Beta 2 version of PainKeepArena.  PainKeep Arena (for those of you not in the know) is a free mission pack for Quake 3 Arena that adds some cool weapons such as Beartraps, Autosentries, and the much-feared Gravity Well. The Beta 2 Release is a full-featured mission pack - containing 9 awesomeweapons, 10 custom maps and 3 new bot opponents. Here's a little abbreviated feature list of what PKArena offers:

• All PKA Weapons including the reskinned Nailgun and Airfist.
• Nine maps added.
• Two new bots with custom skins.
• PKA Voting HUB

Go on and grab it while it's still hot!

The good 'ole boys from AE have just announced that they have released a new version of their Quake3 stat utility, AeStats.  If you're looking for a parser that will generate Statistics and Ranking in form of neat HTML, that is easy to use and configure is code portable to any platform with the gcc C compiler and much, much more (I'm too lazy to type it all :P), check out their site and download that sucker!

Deimos and his possey at WesternQuake3 have updated their site with news of a new team member, some new models for your enjoyment and news for your perusal. For a closer look at this TC based on the Wild, Wild West head on over to their site and check it out.

A new version 3.04 of QRec has been released at the Bowlay.com site. New in this version is full support for Q3 v1.17.
What is QRec? Here's what the author has to say about it:

QRec is a "program for Kingpin, Quake 2 and Quake 3 lets you automatically record unlimited demos, perform unlimited condumps, and take unlimited screenshots (Quake 3 only). You need only bind a few keys in each game and QRec does the rest! Gone is the need to use large scripts to record multiple demos, and the need to supply a filename with every condump desired, and the need to have Quake 3 screenshots with numeric names. QRec does it all with a minimum of fuss -- it couldn't be done simpler."

Check it out on the Bowlay.com site in the software section.

Matthew from the BackBurner sends word that Hellcat has reviewed 4 Quake 3 Arena Maps for them and for you :P.  Here are the maps (with their links) reviewed:

• Trampoline - mmm Bouncy
• Duellist - Dueling... ay?
• Hongkong Academy - Gotta learn somewhere.
• The Edge [Conversion] - Quake 2 0ld Sk00l

April Fools!  HEHE, seriously, Oswald and his gang from Silicon Ice have updated their site with six new screenshots from their up-and-coming reality based Q3TC, UrbanTerror.  They also give out a few updates on it's progress.  Check out all the juicy details right here.

Boy--this must be the day for Q1 News! Darkslayer from The Backburner has a sit down with Koolio from Counter Attack, about his Quake1 mod of the same name.  For those of you not in the know, Counter-Attack IS powered by the open source Quake1 Engine.   Here's a cut'n'paste from the interview:

Counter-Attack is a mod that tries to be as close to Counter-Strike as possible. Once finished you should be able to play all of the game modes found in Counter-Strike as well as use all of the weapons/features etc. 

Let me tell you--after checking out out some of the screenshots posted in the interview--I find it hard to believe that this is a Q1-engine game.  Go ahead and check out the pics and the full interview right here.

Matt from TheBackburner sends word that his good pal, Jon from the W.U.M.P 2106  game which is going to be made using a heavily modified Quake 1 Engine, has given him the first ever in-game shots to post.  Just in case you don't know what this mod is--like me:)--it's basically a team-based game that features vehicles and the following game modes (ripped from the W.U.M.P site just for you):

Metal Hunt
The first team collecting 500 tons metal wins. Now how to collect metal? Well, you have to collect metal from killed submarines (from the other team!), and not everybody can collect metal, only the support submarines can collect metal, but it will have less firepower, so a nice balance between fighters and support vehicles is good in this gametype.
Download rush
The Cerberus team is downloading military information! The W.U.M.P have to attack and stop the download, this will be a typical Defence gameplay, due to the Cerberus have to defend the vehicle that Downloads, and the W.U.M.P will try to kill it =)
Data core
This one will include a data disc on the map, the teams will rush for the disc and the team that holds the disc will gain 1 points each second, the team first to 350 frags win. Note that a kill will also count as 1 frag.

Here are some links to the BackBurner screenies:

[shot1]      [shot2]      [shot3]

As always you can go straight to their site if you wanna check 'em out in more detail.

A new version of pakMOVER has been released by the guys at Pharfrueminsain (ya gotta love that name!)  The new version fixes a date related bug and changes the direction of the date sorting feature. The new pakMOVER also installs to your Windows start menu like other programs for ease of use.  Just in case you're not sure if you need this utility which is basically a .pak file sorting and moving utility, go check them out at Pharfrueminsain and see for yourself.

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