WWIIOL is an Internet-based, massively multi-player, dynamic combat simulation of land / air / and sea vehicles, based in World War Two, and fought in huge, persistent 1/2 size theaters. It's the first truly dynamic virtual battlefield that combines tanks, aircraft, ships and troops all fighting in real time, using the same game!

All of the missions, from the Venice canals to the British underground subway offer an intensely realistic setting. The sound is equally spectacular. As you move through the Turkish bazaar, for example, you'll hear a broad medley of sounds such as crowd noise, music and cheap car engines. You may hear a radio in the distance, and as you move toward it, the volume will ever-so slightly increase.

A bit short, but still a good read.

Yet more Spec Ops DC news [03:31:57 EDT] by - Rush
My good buddy AndOne from Suppressive Fire sent word that dc.ign has posted an article of Ripcord's upcoming releases from the Sega Dreamcast console. They've even got some pics and movie files of the games in action. Here's a snip on Spec Ops Omega Squad:

In the game, a first person shooter, you join the elitest of the elite American Special Forces and go through a series of realistic military missions. The video showed of the game revealed missions set in real locations, like Normandy and Antarctica (yes, Antarctica is real), and we can also expect realistic military weaponry to be included in the pack as well - the included pictures indicate that much, at least.

There are 3 videos and 4 still pics to check out, among others... Check it out!

Trade in any game that is not on the EB exclusion list (see store for list) and get Spec Ops for FREE!!!

Great deal indeed..

Spec Ops Dreamcast [21:52:56 EDT] by - Rush
AndOne from Suppressive Fire sent me these pics of the DC versions of Spec Ops and projected ship dates.

UO review [17:55:20 EDT] by - Rush
I don't have to tell ya tactical gaming news has been really slow, but I saw over at SimHQ that NeoSeeker has posted a pretty in-depth review of RSE's Urban Operations, covering each of the missions in detail. Here's a snip from the conclusion:

The main complaint about Urban Operations is that there really isn’t anything in the game that you haven’t already seen. Sure, there are civilians in one mission, but why not include civilians in every mission? The extra challenge would have greatly improved this add-on. The storyline in Urban Operations seems to have been secondary to map development, but that’s a minor complaint since it would be hard to create an intricate story with only five new missions. Additionally, the new weapons are mediocre at best, and you’ll probably stick with your old favorites. Learning from their mistake of shipping a mission pack with only five new missions (ie. Eagle Watch), Red Storm tried to make up the difference by including five enhanced missions from Rainbow Six, and offering a wide variety of custom missions (like Defend or Lone Wolf).

Tiny independent publisher Ripcord Games was the first third party to jump aboard the Sega.com and SegaNet bandwagon, waiting exactly 9.3 hours to announce four online Dreamcast games: Quest of the Blade Masters, Spec Ops Online, Gorka Morka, and M.O.U.T. 2025. Today, we not only got to see some of these games in motion (expect full details tomorrow), but we also learned an interesting bit of news.

The plan is to have all DC titles be compatible with their PC version counterparts. Pretty interesting news..

Welcome to the US Army Rangers, one of the toughest and most elite of the world’s military task forces. Your main objective is to control your team of Rangers and eliminate opponent targets while completing mission sub-tasks in the time allotted. Choose between stealth or all out war - it's up to you. 3D action, time pressure, and realistic combat will keep you begging for more.

Grab it today if you're a PSX owner!

Urban Operations review [00:27:47 EDT] by - Rush
Tactical Arena (great site BTW), has posted a review of Red Storm's Urban Operations, the expansion pack to Rogue Spear, where they give it 4 out of 5 'arcs'. Here's a healthy snip on the game modes:

The custom mission option in Rogue Spear is perhaps the greatest addition. Assuming you’ve completed, or cheated, your way through the game you can choose any level you want and do a number of different types of missions. There is assault, which is like your regular campaign missions, terrorist hunt which is self explanatory, lone wolf where you take on the world solo, and two new additions. The first is reconnaissance which is levels where you have to sneak in, accomplish a task without being seen and get out. The second is called defend where you are pitted against a horde of terrorist trying to break into your position and push a button. The Reconnaissance mission is annoying, and not for many people but the defend missions are all out fun. Here you can put your new machine guns to test and take hilarious screen shots of terrorists piled on the floor. You can also set the amount of terrorist per level ranging from 1 to a whopping 50 which is 20 above what was previously allowed in Rogue Spear.

Good review with a nice sample of pics. Check it out!™

What types of multiplayer modes do you have planned?

We’ll have co-op mission where you play on the same team as either SWAT officers or terrorists. We’ll have competitive missions where you and another person are each in charge of a team of AI characters. And we have deathmatch missions in which you go head to head with your opponents.

There are also a few screenshots to check out as well.

UO review #74 [18:51:50 EDT] by - Rush
I noticed over at Suppressive Fire that GameSpot has put up a review of RSE's Urban Operations, giving it a 7.2 out of 10. Here's a clip:

Not every map is available in every mode with the custom-missions option. The eight new multiplayer maps can only be used for lone wolf and terrorist hunt, and defend can only be played on the five Urban Operation campaign maps. But between the 18 maps included in the game, there are about 60 different missions that can be set up using the custom-missions option, adding a lot of single-player replay value to the game.

Getting a fix on how hot Zombie Studios is as a developer has required some industrious newsgathering. The creator of the popular Spec Ops series of tactical action games has been hinting at a number of projects for different platforms, most using the LithTech 2.0 Engine. Just when we thought we were up to speed, Blues News reported on Sunday that a help wanted ad on SpecForce mentions Zombie is also creating a Tribes 2-based project. Curious, we contacted Zombie’s founder and president to learn more. Although he was unable to provide specific details since the publisher is going to be the one announcing it--perhaps at E3--we found out that Zombie is developing a Tribes 2 engine game based on a feature length movie. As they say--watch this space.

E3 should def bring us much more news of Zombie's doings.. Stay tuned.

Urban Ops review [19:23:05 EDT] by - Rush
The Wargamer has put up a review of Red Storm's mission pack to Rogue Spear, Urban Operations. Here's a bit on the mission layout:

One more feature is worth describing: the new mode and custom mission options. Through different modes of play (campaigns, lone wolf, terrorist hunt, and the new defend), players now have the opportunity to play each Urban Ops and Rogue Spear mission six ways to Sunday. All are available through the new custom mission menu, which allows easy access to either the Urban Operations mission maps, the new multi-player spaces, the five re-textured classic maps from Rainbow Six, and finally the original Rogue Spear missions. Urban Operations has the smarts to open up the Rogue Spear missions through its menu system, making running the Rogue Spear interface pointless. This is perhaps one of the better decisions made by Red Storm during Urban Operations' development. The problem that Eagle Watch had was that the game was basically a stand-alone mission pack. Eagle Watch could not run Rainbow Six missions, and the only real reason for playing with Eagle Watch was to play the five new maps. That is perhaps why Eagle Watch did so poorly with its initial release.

Great review overall, and nice pics throughout. Check it out!™

More Soldier screens and info [07:41:40 EDT] by - Rush
Ga-Source has posted some info and screenshots of Sinister Games' Soldier. Here's a snip on what the game's about:

Soldier is a 3D, action-arcade, third-person shooter where gamers play as warriors fighting to stave off Government Forces while dealing with a planet's natural predators just to stay alive. When Government Forces don't relent and send genetically engineered Second Generation Soldiers to kill you, you have no choice but to fight back and find a way to get off the planet. While these premise seem to mirror the Kurt Russel movie exactly, Sinister plans to add their own touches to the story.

Zombie hiring [00:45:53 EDT] by - Rush
Zombie Studios is looking to hire some new talent.  If you've got the qualifications, be sure to email them.

Zombie Stduios in Seattle has 4 full-time level designer/builder/mapper positions open on 2 games in development based on LithTech 2.0 and Tribes 2.0.

HL/Quake/Tribes level required for us to evaluate for art direction and game mechanics.

Contact: mark@zombie.com

Mark Long, President
mark@zombie.com
http://www.zombie.com

After clearing the road, tell your teams to hold as you proceed into the opening between the two buildings. Next, prepare some frags. The first should be used to lob into the 3rd story window, just in case one terrorist is still hiding in there (precautionary more than anything else). Next, I try to clear out the flooded basement by lobbing in some frags. It seems that the terrorists like to hide in there.

Be sure to check out the rest.

UO review [18:08:27 EDT] by - Rush
I saw by way of Suppressive Fire that Sniper's Alley has posted a small review of Urban Ops. Cutting right to the chase, here's a snip on the AI:

The Computer AI (Artificial Intelligence) remains the best around. Tangos in Urban Operations can now throw frags and will also hunt you. In the new game type, defend, tangos try to sound of an alarm. Your job is to prevent this. It is a lot of fun for those who like to camp and wait for there prey but the true action is in multiplayer. If you are looking for some great AI, I recommend you go pick up SWAT 3. Don't get me wrong, the Rogue Spear AI is great, but tangos can do some stupid things now or then.

UO designer log updated [18:23:41 EDT] by - Rush
I noticed over at RSR that Travis Getz updated his designer log (scroll to the end) on the new steam effect seen in UO. Here's the info:

In Urban Operations, are those fire extinguishers spraying when shot at new? I don't remember them in RS.

The surface property for a steam effect has been in since Rogue, but we never used it much. Then, one day, I used it by accident on the ceiling of the underwater habitat, and realized I could do the same thing for fire extinguishers. So, I directed the artists to do it for all the Fire extinguishers in the levels. A funny side note, I originally had the cleaning hoses that hang over the sink shooting steam as well (when hit), but it just so happened that the same texture is used on the lamp posts outside, so at the next multiplay firefight in Hong Kong, there was steam shooting out of the streetlamp poles! Ha ha!

I wonder if Travis is related to Leo Getz? (Ok, inane Lethal Weapon reference! )

Codename Eagle MP demo, patch [17:50:10 EDT] by - Rush
Ok, not really tactical, but the Codename Eagle MP demo (31.4 MB) is out and available at 3Dfiles.com.

They also have a beta patch (6.7 MB) for the retail version that "works for both US and European editions of the game, and adds a number of new features, such as Destroyers, War Zeppelins, turrets and artillery, as well as various fixes."

Battle-Fields competition, pt. 2 [14:55:11 EDT] by - Rush
BoneHead from Battle-Fields.com sent me a quick update on the competition they're having. Here's the scoop:

Its happening! The competition has begun at www.battle-fields.com for a real rocket launcher! It ends in 14 days time (5th May) and someone will be the proud owner of a rocket launcher of their very own!

And another UO review [14:48:33 EDT] by - Rush
Spoons from SimHQ let me know that they've posted a very in-depth review of Red Storm's expansion pack for Rogue Spear, Urban Operations. Also included are a ton of screenshots. Here's a snip on some of the graphics 'irregularities':

There was a minor amount of clipping which unfortunately carried over from the preview (and previous R6 games, in fact). It's largely when a character has died, but it's still pretty funny to see him/her swallowed up by a wall or floor. There were also some graphical irregularities, such as all of the walls, etc. vanishing, leaving just the wrapper graphic visible in first person view. Toggling views seemed to clear that. In one of the missions, walking onto a raised step put me in a never-never land where I couldn't get out of that spot, but there were no obstacles around me. Lastly, my AI troopers seemed to be able to fire "through" corners, where they clearly did not have line of sight to their target but were able to still kill him.

I tend to get stuck in doorways a lot. If I open a door, and the door swings 'into' me, my guy will get stuck and I have to move around or close the door again (then re-open it from another angle) to be able to continue on my way.. Quite annoying.

Another UO review [03:36:14 EDT] by - Rush
PCGamePro has put up a review (and 6 screen snaps) of RSE's Urban Operations. Here's the usual snip for ya:

These five missions will be lucky to last the average player two days. Yet before you dismiss Urban Operations to be the equivalent of Rainbow Six's equally meager mission pack, there are some interesting side orders that just might be to your tastes.

First, the long debated, much awaited SAW makes its first appearance, with a fully automatic 200 round clip that'll clear a crowded room faster than you can pull a fire alarm. For a more accurate Russian model, there's the RPD. And of course, Heckler-Koch's answer to the G3A3, the multipurpose light-automatic HK21, which can readily switch to an accurate single fire mode. If you're a sniper who demands stealth, consider the new AW covert rifle, with subsonic 7.62mm rounds. The SAW will definitely give the game a new balance, but it's too early to say if its addition will be accepted in the multiplay arena.

UO Korean levels part 2 [03:20:17 EDT] by - Rush
Rogue Spear Retreat has more info on the 2 new Korean levels for UO. Here's the goods:

Some have suspected that the Korean subway station map may be just the London Underground station level re-textured. However, Antonio reports that this map features all new geometry that is modeled after the real Shinchon (City Hall) subway station in Seoul. Also, because of translation problems, the second map was identified as a "race track." It is actually a level featuring a soccer stadium that is being built for the 2002 Korea-Japan Cup.

Check out the site for more..

Battle-Fields competition [03:09:51 EDT] by - Rush
BoneHead from Battle-Fields.com sent word that they're having a competition, and you could actually win a rocket launcher. Click here for details.

The ADD on is a good supplement of the original play. The new campaign shines by its high degree of difficulty, whereby even old veterans sometimes comes strongly into sweating.

Thanks BluesNews.

Urban Ops review [20:26:36 EDT] by - Rush
There are 2 new reviews of Urban Ops that surfaced today. The first review is over at GamesDomain, who usually do up some damn fine reviews, and this one is no exception. Quite the humorous captions to go along with the screenshots too! They were a bit critical tho. Here's a glimpse:

Next is the rather horrid enemy AI on the low and moderate experience levels. One of my huge pet peeves is that I can shoot at an AI soldier two, three, even four times and he won't move! Not even an inch! He won't dive for cover; he won't attempt to save his sorry butt... nothing! So, I just wait until I get a good position, pop some rounds into him and down he goes, no questions asked. Just like a good radical should, am I right? Anyway, on the highest challenge level, the AI has lightning fast reflexes and always use laser-guided munitions it seems, because they rarely miss. This is simply coding "cheats" that allow the designers to make the game tougher without making their minions "smarter!" I would rather play against smart opponents than these turkeys. What about AI opponents that sneak around and try to get you in crossfire? Or how about AI opponents who react to a direction of attack and move to new positions to intercept it? None of that happens here, as far as I can tell. AI enemies simply sit in their pre-assigned positions, even as every one of their comrades goes down in a hail of my bullets. They do not react to anything, unless they see my operatives or me in his direct line of sight.

Now, to be fair, I've seen the enemy AI do some pretty cool things. If there's a group of 3, I've seen the other 2 bolt after capping the first one. Don't kill a tango on the first shot, and I've seen him duck or run away too. Once in fact, I saw a tango jump over a wall and try to sneak up behind me! He almost had me, but I was quicker!   I've had enemies out flank me and come up from behind as well. I've got no problem with the enemy AI in UO.. In fact, many of the reviews have been saying that UO is harder than RS, and I'd have to agree.

UO Korean maps [19:54:15 EDT] by - Rush
Everyone is posting this, so I might as well too.. Rogue Spear Retreat has info on the Korean version of Urban Ops that includes 2 new levels (Seoul subway station, and a race track), and 2 new weapons (the USAS-12 and the K-2). Hit RSR for the links... Hopefully RSE will release the new maps as a patch later on.. 

Yet more Project IGI info [04:59:09 EDT] by - Rush
Found another one... GameSpot UK has posted a preview of Project IGI as well. Here's a snip on what to expect:

On first impression, Project IGI is just another modern-day shooter, but play on and you'll discover that its fractal terrain engine allows for absolutely enormous environments, and the developers intend for the gameplay to take full advantage of this. For instance, you may need to designate a deployment zone and parachute out of a plane behind enemy lines. Or, you might find yourself piloting that plane or any number of military vehicles within which you'll get a sense of the grand scope of the game's scenarios. This scale will ideally allow for great variety in mission objectives.

Be sure to check out the screenshot galleries as well if you haven't already; they're worth a look.

More Project IGI info [04:46:41 EDT] by - Rush
In my never-ending quest for news, I found an old news item (with some early pics of the game) on Project IGI that was posted over at GA-Source back in September. Here's the goods:

Project I.G.I., developed by Innerloop Studios, is a first person shooter set in one of the largest gaming environments ever seen. Riding trains, stealing planes, hanging from cable cars, ambushing convoys, storming terrorist bases and more. Project I.G.I. throws the player into the shady world of counter terrorism.

The player takes control of Jones; a hard bitten SAS veteran who now works for the British Government carrying out deniable operations around the world, always on a need to know basis!

Initially Jones is sent to free a man held in a military prison who then leads him to an arms trade that threatens the US East Coast with biological attack. Jones has to race against time and save the US and the rest of the world from the growing power of terrorism.

Jones must work to halt the trade and then chase down those who threaten his political masters. Caught between national political interests and personal loyalty, Jones must eventually decide whom he is fighting for.

Travel through temperate Europe to dusty Africa; from the mountains of the Rockies to the icy lands of Murmansk. Realism was created with the help of ex-SAS military advisers who worked closely with the development team. Project I.G.I. promises to contain one of the strongest story lines to have ever graced the PC and will try to prove to be the most realistic first person 3D action/adventure of next year.

Features:
Strong story-line; presented and moved along with in-game cut scenes. 
Game features action, based in both sweeping, expansive landscapes and claustrophobic enemy bases. 
Realistic modelling of weapons and ballistics. 
A complete 3D world, with elaborate interiors and vast exteriors. 
Run, drive and fly your way across a massive game-world.

I'm liking this one more and more...

Urban Ops review [00:49:04 EDT] by - Rush
While snooping around at incite, I also found an Urban Ops review. Here's a snip on the new weaps:

The weapons in Rogue Spear were numerous and varied enough to keep you deathmatching into the wee hours. But do the four new primary weapons of Urban Operations provide a rejuvenated spark in the play mechanics? In a word, yes. The most powerful of the new weapons, the Minimi M249 SAW, is a blast to unload, yet impossibly inaccurate unless you're crouched. Meanwhile the AW Covert, a new sniper rifle, is less powerful, but it's silenced for those shadow lurkers.

Project IGI preview [00:34:26 EDT] by - Rush
Incite has put up (another) small preview (plus screenshots, none new tho) of Innerloop's Project IGI ("I'm Going In"), the thinking man's shooter. Here's a clip from the article:

This is in contrast to games like Rogue Spear or SWAT 3, which stress thinking but often lose some of the all-out excitement generated by serious combat. According to Wensley, Interloop wanted to bridge the gap between realism and playability in a way that other "realistic" shooters haven't. And let's face it: Getting killed by a single bullet might be realistic, but in a video game it becomes tedious after a while. I'm Going In promises to minimize your time at the reload screen while still keeping the game interesting.

Not much new info, but worth checking out.

Urban Ops Proximity Mine Mod - This mod just adds the proximity mine to the equipment category. It behaves just like c4 except that when someone comes near to the mine, it explodes causing the same damage as a frag. Only one mine can be carried in each equipment slot. This mod uses the mod folder.

Single and Multi Proximity Mine - This variation of the proximity mine allows you to use it in single and multiplayer Urban Operations. To install, create a folder in the mods folder and extract everything to it.

Urban Ops Proximity Mine - Another variation of the proximity mine mod. Create a folder in the mod folder and extract everything to it.

I (still) haven't tried these out yet, so if ya do, let me know how they work. They should come in handy during Defend missions.

[Update]: All of these files are now available as a local download.

More UO shots [02:56:33 EDT] by - Rush
Planet Rainbow Six has posted 32 more screen shots of Urban Operations in action, this time from the 3^rd new level, Venice.

If you were a fan of the original Rainbow Six, you will be happy to know that five of the original Rainbow Six maps have been added back to Urban Ops. The five include the Estate, Hacienda, Hot Zone, Skyscraper, and Amazon. Not only do these maps bring nostalgia, but they are also fun to play on. Some of these maps have been touched up and new depth has been added. Urban Ops also adds new multiplayer maps, including the Chemical Compound, Graveyard, Old Train Tracks, Snow Base, Storage Depot, Training Maze, and Underwater Habitat. These maps are actually some of the more fun maps to grace the Rainbow Six series. Urban Ops brings four new weapons, all but one being light machine guns into the mix, all good for specialized purposes. Another addition to Urban Ops is a new mod packager, making it easier for people to make mods like the infamous NATO mod. Another nice edition is a mission editor.

Not much new info, but still a good read.

SWAT3 Battle Plan update [09:37:55 EDT] by - Rush
GA-Strategy has some new info and 2 two pics on Sierra's Battle Plan, the upcoming expansion pack for SWAT3. Here's a snip:

Sierra Studios SWAT 3: Battle Plan, the multi-player add-on to SWAT 3: Close Quarters Battle is scheduled to ship Q3 2000. Battle Plan will allow gamers to experience the real world of L.A.P.D. SWAT by deploying actual SWAT weapons and tactics in new missions and multi-player modes.

The add-on will feature 6 new real-world missions from in and around LA, and is on target for a Q3 release.

Another aspect IGI intends to impress in is the AI. Enemies will react to both sight and sound, and fighting them should provide as much of a challenge as the black ops did in Half-Life. They will cover, retreat, duck and all the other things we've grown used to in Valve's modern classic. "Fire an unsilenced weapon and guards will come in swarms. Shoot a guard in plain view of another guard and the (live) guard will either open fire, sound the alarm, or both, says Andrew. Conversely, if you use a silencer and ensure there are no surveillance cameras around to see the deed, you could move around unseen and unheard.

This one is def looking sweet.. It looks like a cross between Delta Force and Rainbow Six. I'm really looking forward to this one. Release date is mid to late 2000.

Flash Point interview [15:25:49 EDT] by - Rush
CombatSim has posted an interview (plus screenshots) with Marek Spanel of Bohemia Interactive, the developers of the upcoming game, Flash Point. Here's a snip:

COMBATSIM: Flashpoint looks like a fantastic Cold-War era combat simulation. What are the games key features?

MS: Flash Point creates a large and detailed world and engages huge variety of cold war military equipment and vehicles directly in the combat without any limits. Players can play as the infantry and use all mobile, armored, aircraft units in both single player and multiplayer. Everything is created in accurate 3D graphics and with decent physical simulation and complex AI routines. We're trying to remove artificial limits and we give the player large world where is everything possible. Do you think you can steal an enemy helicopter and fly - try it. Do you think you can command a group of soldiers? Do it - you may have up to 11 soldiers in your group at your command.

Be sure to check out the rest.

[Update 19:45]: Pic 4 is from an old Atari game that the Bohemia guys worked on, and is not from Flash Point.

Urban Ops interview [12:02:57 EDT] by - Rush
Here's something that is indeed new. Pie's Tactics has posted an interview with RSE QA analyst Gary Stelmack. Here's a snip from one of the questions:

PIE: What made you decide to go with a CQB theme? Was there a "sniper" theme ever considered?

GARY: The CQB anti-terrorist theme stems from Tom Clancy's works. The "sniper" theme is a hard one to do both realistically and fun. A sniper actually has a pretty boring job. You sneak around, and get into position, and wait for your target to appear. This can take hours or days. We did add in snipers to the R6 line because lots of people asked for them, and they do enhance the game-play. However, they are not a primary mode of play.

Good stuff in there. Check it out.

Rogue Spear review [11:56:14 EDT] by - Rush
Hmm, I dunno if this is new, but BluesNews has a link posted for a Rogue Spear review over at the Wargamer. Even the Wargamer has this listed as "hot", for whatever that's worth. In any case, this is probably the most in-depth review of Rogue Spear I've ever seen, covering even the manual and the box! Here's a snip on the weather effects:

All right, back to the action portion. As I mentioned earlier, the locales are unique locations, and many of them come with some pretty nifty weather effects. I have to say the rain and snow effects are superb, quite possibly some of the better I've seen in quite some time. While the rainy levels could have been darker (same for the night missions), the weather dynamics really added a whole "mood" to the maps. I honestly felt a bit depressed when playing through the mission in the Kosovo town. Snow levels are a bit different, and add one more interesting feature: footprints in the snow. Furthermore, since the snow is falling, the tracks are quickly erased. This makes for some interesting strategy in multi-player mode.

Even more on Red Storm and Zombie [11:13:26 EDT] by - Rush
GameCenter has posted a small bit on Red Storm and Zombie teaming up. Here's a small snip:

The interactive guide is an in-depth tutorial that aims to give gamers a taste of what it's really like to work in covert operations. It will include info and media on counter-terrorism operations and tactics from 1970 to the present, complete with video interviews with top experts, including author Tom Clancy. The guide will also include photos and video footage of weapons and equipment, with descriptions of how and when to use them, a Making of Rainbow Six movie, optional tactical tests, and more.

Kevin Perry, external development manager at Red Storm Entertainment, told Gamecenter that "some covert op specialists may not be able to go on film as themselves, so their face or voice will be digitally filtered."

On working with Zombie, which is designing some of the levels, Perry said, "[Zombie] has a proven capability in the field to provide the content we were looking for. Most other level-builders are [developing] a more Quake III- and Unreal-style game. We're not about that. Zombie is one of the few working in a real-world space."

Check out the article for the rest.

More UO shots [03:08:41 EDT] by - Rush
Planet Rainbow Six has posted their second set of UO pics (25 in all), this time from level 2, the London subway level. Give 'em a look!

Red Storm and Zombie [00:58:22 EDT] by - Rush
Nothing new, but I Avault has posted their take on RSE and Zombie teaming up to work on Covert Ops. Here's what Avault said:

Zombie Studios, creators of the Spec Ops series, will create game levels for Red Storm Entertainment's upcoming Rainbow Six: Covert Operations Essentials. Covert Ops is an extension of the popular Rainbow Six franchise that will contain new game levels as well as an insider glance at the world of covert operations. Red Storm earlier announced a deal with Magic Lantern to create the informational content for this project. Both Zombie and Red Storm will be creating various game levels for this product as well.

Bridging the gap between fiction and real-world special operations, Covert Operations Essentials is an overview covering the subject of counter-terrorism from 1970 until the present. Covert Ops will contain video interviews with top experts in the field as well as photos and film footage of weapons and equipment, along with a description of situations where they are used. People will also be able to test what they have learned through interactive “Officer Candidate School” testing. Red Storm will be showing Covert Ops at this year’s E3 in Los Angeles.

Urban Ops review [00:49:07 EDT] by - Rush
Seems all the news we get these days is on Urban Ops.. Case in point, GameCenter has posted a fairly short review (and some pics of course) of Red Storm's expansion pack for Rogue Spear, entitled Urban Operations. Looks like they liked it as they gave it an 8 out of 10. Here's a snip on the game tweaks in UO, something I never really saw mentioned till now:

Again going beyond the normal duties of an expansion pack, Urban Operations also provides valuable tweaks to the Rogue Spear code. These fixes are mainly to improve gameplay, right unseen wrongs, and prevent cheating online. The first tweak is the multiplayer host disadvantage adjustment, in which both client and host will now receive a jittered reticule when getting shot but not killed. (Some people don't even know this is a problem online because they never host games.) Next, a lot of multiple task problems have been fixed; such as switching weapons/items while opening a door and hitting crouch without a penalty. This time, you will receive appropriate reticule jitter when attempting multiple tasks.

For those of you with Urban Operations, I thought I might offer up this handy tip for Old Train Tracks, one of the new multi-player maps in UO. The map is essentially one big standoff, with the insertion points practically in view of each other! I can't express to you how much I hate this, but it at least forces people to move as quickly as possible.

Check out the rest.

UO interview [16:08:41 EDT] by - Rush
GameSpot Asia has put up an interview with RSE software engineer Greg Stelmack, where they discuss the UO expansion pack for Rogue Spear. Here's a question to get ya going:

GameSpotAsia: How do you see the addition of civilians affecting gameplay? What kind of AI do the civilians possess? How many maps do civilians appear in?

Greg Stelmack: The civilians appear in one map only, the Turkish Bazaar. They make the player have to carefully identify targets. We already have reports in the forums of players using them for cover (as terrorists won't intentionally shoot them, either). They essentially have a hostage AI: they can sit there, they can walk around, they can panic, and they can run pell-mell all over the place. And of course they are available for use by mod-makers in their own custom missions.

Not much new info, but still a good read. I'm a bit disappointed that the civilians are only featured on one level. Part of the point of "urban operations" was to have civilians. I don't see why they couldn't have added civs to say London, Mexico, or Venice. If the game fiction 'didn't fit', then they could have just designed different levels where the civilians would have fit. Same thing for the grenade tossing AI; I've only seen it in Defend missions, and it does indeed add a challenge to that part of the game. I'd like to have seen it in other game modes as well. Opportunity lost I think... I guess its up to the mod designers to flesh out the idea.

Another downfall of Rogue Spear: Urban Operations is the shear difficulty of the game. Urban Ops is unforgiving. One innocent gets shot while you're transporting the last hostage to the extraction zone and you have to play an entire mission over again. Make too much noise and the terrorists might shoot all of the hostages, making your rescue attempt useless. Lean around a corner too quickly and dead-eye Johnson standing in a window slit a half mile away will shoot you right between the eyes. The AI seemed pumped up to the max in Urban Operations, and I found it completely unrealistic that all of the enemies were perfect shots, even with pistols at 2000 paces. Even my snipers weren't that good. Urban Operations almost required auto aim to finish, something I never had to use in the original. This level of difficulty prolongs the game and makes you replay the same mission over and over until you get it exactly right. While this adds to the play time of the game, it is going to frustrate some gamers who want to move on to a new area.

Gotta admit, I've seen some of that too. I was playing Assault on the Bunkers level, and I was getting killed way too easily and often for my taste. Even when using silenced sniper rifle, and crouching as I went, the tangos would spot me from three quarters of the map away, and one shot had me dead. No way! Many times when I died, I felt the tangos had achieved a real 'cheap kill'.

Urban Ops review [17:00:24 EDT] by - Rush
Daily Radar has posted a gushing review of RSE's ex-pack for Rogue Spear, Urban Operations. Got a few nice pics in there as well. Here's how they open it up:

Not since Half-Life: Opposing Force has such a great add-on pack been released.

Urban Operations takes one of the best action games of all time and makes it immeasurably better. There are not one, but two new mini-campaigns, one new play mode, four new weapons and a total of 18 new maps. This pack does more than just breathe new life into the game; it kicks it up a dozen notches and ensures that you'll be playing for a very, very long time to come. No Rogue Spear owner should be without this excellent mission pack.

Ok, the ex-pack is good, but jeez, I don't think its that good.. I finished it in a weekend, and unless you play a lot of MP, there's not a whole lot in there.. But for only 20 bucks, ya can't go wrong, and it's def a 'must buy' for RS fans. (Thanks to Suppressive Fire for the news.)

Motion capture in Flash Point [16:49:33 EDT] by - Rush
I missed this yesterday, but Bohemia Interactive (makers of Flash Point), have updated their page on the motion capture technology they will feature in their game. They will also have a video out at the end of April showing off the new effects. Check out the site for more. (Thanks Bowen for the heads up!)

Zombie and Red Storm hook up [16:21:17 EDT] by - Rush
John from Zombie sent me this PR that outlines Zombie and Red Storm's plans to work together on Covert Ops. Here 'tis:

RED STORM ENTERTAINMENT LINKS UP WITH ZOMBIE STUDIOS

MORRISVILLE, NC –April 12, 2000— Once notable genre competitors, Red Storm Entertainment Inc. today announced that Zombie Studios, best known for its SPEC OPS series, will help to create game levels for Red Storm’s upcoming interactive guide, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Covert Operations Essentials (Covert Ops).

Covert Ops is an extension of the popular Rainbow Six franchise, in which players will not only get to play new and exciting levels, but will also get an insider’s look at the world of covert operations. Red Storm recently announced the deal with developer Magic Lantern Playware to create the informational content for this project, within their proprietary ShowTech application environment. Now, both Zombie and Red Storm will be creating various game levels for this product as well.

"We’re all incredibly excited about the opportunity to work on the Rainbow Six franchise – we’re huge fans of the game," Zombie President Mark Long said. "Combat realism is what we’re all about at Zombie, and it doesn’t get any more real than Rainbow Six."

Bridging the gap between fiction and real-world special operations, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Covert Operations Essentials is an exciting overview covering the subject of counter-terrorism from 1970 until the present. Covert Ops will contain video interviews with top experts in the field, as well as photos and video footage of weapons and equipment, along with a description of situations where they are typically used. A special "Making of Rainbow Six and Rogue Spear" section is an added bonus. Players will also be able to test their skills and knowledge through interactive "Officer Candidate School" testing, as well as by playing the specially created game levels.

Red Storm Entertainment will be showing Covert Ops at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in booth 1246, South Hall, Los Angeles, Convention Center, May 11-13, 2000.

About Zombie, LLC.
Zombie LLC is a design and development studio based in Seattle, Washington. Specializing in realtime 3D games, Zombie also designs develops websites, FLASH animations, music videos, and location based entertainment (LBE) rides. Zombie clients include Take2, Panasonic, Activision, BMG, Disney, GT Interactive, Encore Software, Ripcord Games, and Microsoft. Zombie is a wholly owned subsidiary of Advanced Interactive Systems. For more information call (206) 623-9655, or visit the company’s website at www.zombie.com.

About Red Storm Entertainment, Inc.
Red Storm Entertainment, Inc. is a multiple-media gaming company that produces, markets and publishes interactive computer games and other entertainment products in several forms, including CD-ROM and console games, books, board games and related merchandise. Partnered with Pearson plc, one of the world’s largest and most respected media groups, the company was founded by best-selling author and Chairman of the Board Tom Clancy. Red Storm Entertainment is based in Morrisville, North Carolina, and has its European headquarters in the United Kingdom. For more information call (919) 460-1776, or visit the company’s website at www.redstorm.com.

UO designer diary updated [23:29:00 EDT] by - Rush
QA Analyst Gary Stelmack has updated his designer diary with a pretty in-depth explanation of the new MODS system in Urban Operations. Here's a sample:

Q: I have nothing in my MOD, and yet my friends still have to have it? 

A: Yes, we do not validate the contents of the MOD folder. As a side note, this is a secondary method of locking a game, just give your whole clan an empty folder with the same name, and activate the MOD. Now, only people with that folder on their system can join your server.

Great stuff in there. This is a must-read. (Thanks BluesNews.)

UO shots [22:44:19 EDT] by - Rush
Black Baron from SimActu (French sim site) sends word that they've got a 3 part series of Rogue Spear: Urban Operations shots online for your viewing pleasure. Check them out here: [Set 1], [Set 2], [Set 3]

Proximity mines in UO [18:03:26 EDT] by - Rush
Rogue Spear Retreat has posted word of a hack/mod to get the proximity mines working in UO. I haven't tested it yet, but it seems legit. Scope out the goods and download the file here.  Also available as a local download here.

News? [15:43:03 EDT] by - Rush
Man, there's been zip for news lately.. If you see any, please let me know!

The game has no multiplayer yet but with the add on "Battle Plan" coming out this summer you will have not only great on-line play, but you will also get to be the terrorist for the first time. Now just because there is no multiplayer yet doesn't make this game any less of a game than Rogue Spear, Rainbow Six, Soldier of Fortune it just means they spent more time on the rest of the game perfecting every little detail to the chipped wood underneath the cash register :). Ok so you cant see chipped wood under the cash register but that's just how good this game is. Ok picture in your head tons of customizable weapons, customizable missions, customizable gameplay, to die for graphics, and killer AI, what do you come up with. One hell of a game.

UO defend pics [05:32:42 EDT] by - Rush
I spent a bit of Saturday night playing some Urban Ops. Here's a few snaps of a particularly cool defend mission on the Mexican warehouse district map. The first 3 times I played this one, I was trying to go on the offensive and search out the tangos, but leaving the informant alone just got him killed. I also tried escorting him, but that didn't seem to work either. So, I decided to wait a bit and let the tangos come to me. I set up a perfect ambush in the 3rd floor hallway by the stairs going down. That way I had a clear view of two of the primary ways of getting up there (stairs and fire escape). With the informant I had to protect behind me, in the middle of the hallway, I just waited and picked off the tangos as they tried to get up the stairs. One did climb up the fire escape and tried to sneak in the window behind me, but I capped him as he entered the hallway. The rest died like dogs on the way up the stairs.

This pic shows the result of a well-planned ambush.

Capping the last tango brings the mission to a successful end.

Urban Ops commentary, pt. 2 [20:26:13 EDT] by - Rush
EvilAvatar has posted another commentary on RSE's Urban Operations. Here's the goods:

I did get to sit down for several hours last night and play Urban Operations in both Single Player and Multiplayer. I'm about to give up on the first mission and just move on. I can complete the mission easily, but something always seems to botch things up. On my last try, the Mission went exactly according to the numbers. I rescued the hostages, my whole team was alive and everything was perfect. On my way to taking the Hostages to the extraction point, I passed by where I had left one of my team members and he was lying there dead ??? I have no idea who killed him or where the shot came from, but he was just dead. Odd, but kind of realistic in a way.

After that, I jumped into some online gameplay. I'll admit it, Counter-Strike is a little bit more fun. I like the levels and the models and the realistic weapons in Rogue Spear, but it is very difficult to find a really "smooth" game. So difficult in fact that even Half-Life's crappy network code seems smooth in comparison. Not to mention that the added "toughness" of your player in Counter-Strike makes the games last just a little bit longer and a little bit more fun to play. Still, I eventually found a pretty good server to play on and we had a blast, playing with two 5 man teams. The Urban Operations maps are excellent Multiplayer maps, they almost seem designed for multiplayer and the London Subway maps is just killer. It was a great time and I sure hope we see RedStorm warming up for another sequel, perhaps with just a little bit better network code.

I got some UO MP in under my belt today with the guys from Suppressive Fire. The game is def a lot more fun with other human teams playing. I am finding that it seems to take a lot of hits to put a tango down, even when I aim for the head, but maybe that's just me. So far I've only played direct IP MP games, and lag hasn't been much of an issue for me.

Red Storm interview [16:44:05 EDT] by - Rush
MSN Gaming Zone has put up an interview with Charles Holtzclaw, Product Marketing Manager at Red Storm where they talk about the future of gaming. Here's a snip:

Zone: What is the direction you see computer games and online play taking in the future? 

Charles Holtzclaw: Though I don't think online gaming will ever dominate over the single-player market, it is still a relatively untapped entity with tremendous room for growth in both quality and sales. The success of games like Rainbow Six online is still a rarity. However, increasing CPU and connection speeds, along with the support of major companies like Microsoft, are making online gaming a more viable and profitable target market for companies to explore. Now, with the console industry entering the arena of multiplayer gaming over the Internet, I believe we'll see a greater number of mainstream gamers taking advantage of the interactivity it allows.

Thanks PlanetRainbowSix.

Codename Eagle strat guide [16:26:44 EDT] by - Rush
Rick from Suppressive Fire sent word of a downloadable strat guide for Codename Eagle at the Refraction Games website. 

This guide is really, really detailed and highly recommended. It is divided into two huge chapters :

1: Player's Guide Supplemental - extends the Player's Guide included with Codename Eagle and delves further into the characteristics of each item, vehicle and weapon explaining how they are best used. Additionally, you will find various other tips that you won't find anywhere else. 

2: Mission Walkthroughs - provides a detailed walkthrough of every mission in the game, along with the ingame maps and introductory information. This chapter also includes some cheats.

(Note: the guide is in .pdf format and so requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

UO Interview, pt. 3 [15:40:16 EDT] by - Rush
As expected, Rogue Spear Retreat has posted part 3 of their interview with Travis Getz, lead artist on Urban Operations. This time they cover how Travis got his job at Red Storm, and a bit on getting into the industry. Here's a snip:

What are some of the games you like to play and admire?

I love playing multiplayer Rogue Spear and Urban Operations with the folks here at the company and my family. Why? I guess because it's very relaxing and makes us all laugh when someone gets a really good kill or we win a co-op mission.

Half-Life and Opposing Force were really fun, I loved the solid feel of those games and the great story, but all the puzzle stuff gets on my nerves after a while.

There's also a nice pic of the development team. Check it out!™

SWAT3 review [05:06:26 EDT] by - Rush
Heaven Games has posted a review of Sierra's SWAT3:QCB, giving it a 79% overall. They slam it for not having multiplayer. Here's a snip:

Overall, SWAT 3 has its ups and downs. I think that the one thing that Sierra messed up with was not having the multi-player. I mean come on: who likes to play a game that only has single player? Very few Gamers. If I had my choice of SWAT 3 and RainBow SIX, I would definitely choose RainBow SIX, and for one reason only: The Multi-Player! But don't take my word for it. You can always download the SWAT 3 demo at www.swat3.com and see for yourself!

Thanks BluesNews.

Codename Eagle review [00:35:03 EDT] by - Rush
DailyRadar has also put up a review of Codename Eagle, and let's just say they weren't too kind. Here's how they sum it up:

Overall, Codename Eagle is an average game in an overcrowded FPS market. Its otherwise okay gaming experience is overshadowed by the frequent letdowns. Guards can come out of buildings, but the player can't go in most of them. Guards can be sniped in the head and not die or even notice the bullet. Move in a few feet and retry. This time the guard dies. The plotline forces the player to act in very specific ways, not allowing for exploration of other alternatives. The current kings of FPS (Q3A and UT) have a rabid following, so it's difficult to break into this genre. Half-Life did it with innovation and a sense of style. Codename Eagle really wants to run with the big boys; too bad it shot itself in the foot.

I spent most of my free time playing through the first mission in Rogue Spear: Urban Operations. The level design in the first mission is pretty good, about the same quality as you will find in Rainbow Six / Eagle Watch / Rogue Spear, so we are talking about some very good level design. The Mission itself seems a little harder than normal since they really take advantage of sniper positions in the first mission (Istanbul). It is great to see enemy snipers firing at you from Windows high above the street and over the tops of stores. It does make the mission a little more difficult, but once you get a good idea of the layout, the mission is about the normal Rogue Spear level of difficulty. The AI does seem a bit improved and they seem more able to get out a cry for help when you take them down than ever before. Even using suppressed fire weapons, enemies are often able to scream for help and bring 2 - 3 more enemies running when you take them down. Overall, excellent work on the AI and the mission itself. I successfully completed the mission a couple of times now, but I've been super close to completing it with Zero team losses, so I'm going to try a few more times before I move on to the second Mission.

It looks like you actually have to play the Rainbow Six missions over again in single player to unlock them in the "single mission" mode, which is a nice touch. It gives you a reason to experience these old missions once again instead of them just throwing them in the box. I will probably end up putting more hours into this mission pack in both single player & multiplayer than I do most single player games, so for $19.99 it is a steal. I'm going to try to post my "First Look" article on Saturday afternoon, after I have played through more than one mission and put in a few hours of Multiplayer.

I'll probably post a UO commentary/review soon myself.. Stay tuned.

Codename Eagle review [19:27:37 EDT] by - Rush
PC.IGN has slapped up a review of TalonSoft's Codename Eagle, which is a bit like IllusionSoft's Hidden & Dangerous. Here's a snip on the missions:

The twelve missions are handled very well overall and offer a range of objectives and gameplay opportunities. In one mission, you'll have to gain entrance to a church and snipe an officer as he drives by in his motorcar. In another mission, you'll have to take off from an aircraft carrier and bomb a bridge, sink two battleships and land safely. Another mission has you blowing up anti-aircraft guns to pave the way for your own forces to bomb an enemy base…and you have to rescue a scientist from the base while you're at it. The missions are presented in a very easy to understand format and an in-game map highlights your objectives and any potential obstacle that you might have to overcome. The 3D mission map briefings will also spell out your objectives so there's no confusion.

Urban Ops review [18:08:20 EDT] by - Rush
Kinda surprised it took this long, but Planet Rainbow Six has put up a review of RSE's expansion pack for Rogue Spear, Urban Operations. Here's a bit on the game's new Defend mode:

The newest game mode is called Defend, where you must prevent terrorists from entering an area and activate a switch. Finally you have terrorists charging at you! This mode is extremely hard for single player, for you may only bring yourself into the game, fighting hoards of terrorists charging at you from multiple sides, not to mention the hail of grenades that you can expect from the terrorists(AIs will be explained later). In multiplayer this mode is a blast, with a well placed Stand-Alone Heart-Beat Sensor(SAHBS) and good roving patrols making this mode easier but all the more intense.

I've played a few games of Defend, and its tough, but very cool.. 

Gallaleo's RS Stats [05:34:09 EDT] by - Rush
Gallaleo's Rogue Spear (and Urban Operations) stats prg has been updated to version 3.6. 

This new version has support for both Rogue Spear and Urban Operations, along with a new FTP upload utility that will allow you to transfer your stats web pages to a web site.

Some features:
Supports both Rogue Spear and Urban Operations.
* Kills
  * Deaths
  * Rounds Fired
  * Rounds Taken / Hit by
  * Average Kills Per. Game
  * Average Hit Percentage
  * Total Games Played
  * Last Date Played 

... and more!

Thanks Rogue Spear Retreat.

Sherman Project interview [03:17:24 EDT] by - Rush
Extreme Players (German site) has put up an interview (in English at this link) with Zoombapup, lead coder of The Sherman Project, which is a realistic mod for Half-Life, along the lines of Rogue Spear or CounterStrike.  Here's a question or two:

Valheru: What special equipment will be in? Grenades, night vision etc ? 

Zoombapup: Different grenades (smoke, frag, flash), night vision, mirroring (like in SWAT3). I am also working on booby traps, claymores etc.. also kevlar (3 types).. its all kind of peripheral though.

Valheru: What about leaning? 

Zoombapup: Yeah, I'm still unsure if we should do that or just have mirroring. The mirroring has more of a risk/benefit which is preferable. By mirroring, I mean that you "use" a device that is kind of like a small portable endoscope, it allows you to look safely round corners. I find that leaning is just TOO powerful, especially if you allow the player to fire from the lean position. So that's something that's still under design.

There are also a few pics to check out as well.

I'm not dead yet, just have to much other stuff to do but I was able to make a shot little program that might be useful to DF1/DF2 servers. It is called MissionManager, basically it can disable/enable specific multiplayer missions that are packed inside the *.pff files (DF1/2 resources files), the only way to do this before (after my knowledge) was to ether overwrite a mission file with and invalid file or to extract the whole *.pff remove the file you don't want and then to repack it. both ways are complicated and risky but now with this program you can disable unwanted mission file from you map rotation (as the standard NovaLogic multiplayer missions). Anyway here is the link: http://www.df2hq.com/fworaven/MissionManager.zip

Note: In DF2 it will not Disable (or even show) any of the missions that are in the main directory and are not packed into a *.pff file since you can simply control them by moving them to another directory instead of the main directory to disable them.

Great work FwO Raven!

Urban Ops preview [19:13:41 EDT] by - Rush
I saw over at SimHQ that Prophecy has put up a preview (with some nice pics to go along with it) of Urban Ops. Not much new info, now that the game is out, but still a good read. Here's a sample:

The new missions are truly well designed, and the attention to detail and familiar urban sounds contribute greatly to immersion, the feeling of really being there. The market place is really convincing with books and all commodities being sold, and the civilians add something not seen before in a first-person tactical shooter in such magnitude. Another addition with Urban Operations is the conversion of some of the great maps found in the original Rainbow Six, Hacienda, Estate, Skyscraper, Biolab and Amazon. Hacienda, the villa of a drug lord in South America was modified somewhat to provide an alternative entrance to the backyard.

Urban Ops 'short take' [18:52:20 EDT] by - Rush
GoneGold has put up a 'short take' on RSE's Urban Operations, the mission pack for Rogue Spear. Here's a quick snip:

Oddly enough, the best aspect that has been added IMHO, are innocent bystanders. That's really going to throw a lot of "shoot/don't shoot" quick decisions your way and can make for a much more tactical game for sure.

Seeing a group of people when coming around a corner will certainly make you slow way down for sure. I'm really looking forward to this part of the add-on.

Urban Ops interview, pt. 2 [05:28:36 EDT] by - Rush
Rogue Spear Retreat has put up part 2 of their interview with Travis Getz, Lead Artist for Urban Ops. This time they talk about level design, and a bit about the UO opening intro by RSE artist Thomas DeVries. Here's a snip from the interview:

What were your responsibilities as Lead Artist on Urban Ops?

As lead artist on Urban Ops, I created level designs for the single player campaign with suggestions from the producer, Steve Cotton. I was also responsible for art issues involved in the game. I had libraries of textures and models from the entire R6 series catalogued to use as resources for building Urban Operations levels.

I created one multiplayer space, Chemical Compound, which was my first "start-to-finish" map! I also created two single player spaces (Istanbul and Venice) and tweaked the Hong Kong level (originally created by John Sonedecker) with the help of some ethnic Chinese friends working as consultants. I also fixed lots of bugs and made sure the rest of the artists were getting theirs taken care of in the right order. I should mention here that I had a great team to work with for my first stint at lead artist.

Great stuff. Check out the rest..

Urban Ops files [02:20:11 EDT] by - Rush
Three quick bits of news on the Urban Ops front.

1) Pie's Tactics has put up a file or two that unlock all the new UO missions and the classic R6 missions for Urban Ops.

2) GameSpy has updated their um, GameSpy proggie to ver 2.2 (for registered users), now with Urban Ops support (and Codename Eagle as well). Grab it here.

3) The RS-Toolkit 2000 has been updated to fix a small bug with UO. Grab the update here. (Saw that on Rogue Spear Retreat.)

With M.O.U.T. 2025, Ripcord plans on leading with the Dreamcast version, then follow that release with a SKU for the PC. As we reported in this article, when the game carried the Spec Ops tag, “M.O.U.T.” stands for “Military Operations in Urban Terrain,” and refers to a specialized set of real world battle tactics the U.S. military is testing for urban combat. It also refers to a brand of action that appeals to Zombie’s creative impulses. The title has undergone more than a name change since that report, it has launched down a new artistic path as well. Long told the Adrenaline Vault that a series of M.O.U.T. titles will be released, with each one imprinted with the singular sci-fi vision of a different comic artist, most of whom will be drawn from the pool of talent at WildStorm Comics.

Apparently, Spec Ops: M.O.U.T. has been retitled M.O.U.T. 2025, and will be a series.. interesting.. We'll have to see how the title develops.

Urban Ops 'funnies' [04:51:04 EDT] by - Rush
Pie's Tactics has posted a series of UO 'funnies' -- humorous moments he saw while playing UO. If nothing else, they're more UO shots for ya. Check 'em out here.

More news on Spec Ops Dreamcast [04:33:53 EDT] by - Rush
Rick from Suppressive Fire sent some more info on Ripcord's Spec Ops series coming out for the Sega Dreamcast. Here's the relevant parts:

Spec Ops: Omega Squad
This 1st/3rd person shooter puts players into the role of America's elite special forces, and is expected to ship in June, 2000 as an Offline product.

M.O.U.T. 2025
This previously unannounced title will ship in November of this year as a fully Online compliant team combat action game. The game takes place in the near future across several major US cities, with players joining another one of those elite American forces in a battle against the dreaded evil terrorists (don't those terrorists have anything better to do!?).

Spec Ops Online
This game, which ships in November, takes everything from the first title and adds 25 new levels. Oh, and did we mention that it will be fully playable online? Madness!

Very cool news for you Dreamcast owners..

Urban Ops preview [03:41:17 EDT] by - Rush
Also from RSR comes word that Tucows Games has posted a short preview (and downloadable screenshots) of Urban Ops. Here's a bit on the new 'defend' game mode:

It also comes with one more type of game play you on-line junkies may like to test your skills on. Your used to the normal assault, recon and rescue missions, but the defend mission is something else. Basically you're all alone and it's your job to defend your base against the assaulting terrorists. At first, I figured "I'll grab me a SAW and just start mowing them down", but it didn't quite work out that way. You have to be crafty. Good Job for adding this one to the game guys.

More Urban Ops news/screenshots [03:23:46 EDT] by - Rush
As you might expect, there is a slew of news on RSE's Urban Ops today. 

Rogue Spear Retreat has posted that there are already retail copies at Software Etc and CompUSA. They even have posted 6 stills from the intro movie (the links are on their main page), along with pics of the manual, CD sleeve, and CD itself. 

They also report that Joe Sauder has updated his designer log with comments on the warez version of UO that was floating around.

Urban Ops day! [01:21:11 EDT] by - Rush
Like I have to remind you, but today is the day that Electronics Boutique (among others..) should have Urban Ops in store for purchase. The boys over at Suppressive Fire even say it will sell for only $19.99, so def go out and grab your copy!!

Devil's Bridge review [01:13:24 EDT] by - Rush
GameProWorld has put up a review (with shots) of IllusionSoft's expansion to Hidden & Dangerous, Devil's Bridge (or Fight For Freedom in the Europe). Let's just say they call it as they see it. Here's a snip:

Devil's Bridge adds three campaigns that are interesting enough-steal a secret Nazi aircraft, destroy a strategically located bridge to deny German supply routes, and work to save war prisoners. The individual missions are, like the ones in the original game, set in large and detailed arenas, and sport fabulous visuals. The new weapons are cool, and the new vehicles a blast to use. But it's the overall technical implementation that stinks, and the lack of attention to preexisting problems that bitters.

Check out the rest..

How did fan feedback play a role in making any particular design choices for Urban Ops? What are some specific examples of fan feedback that have been incorporated?

Including the light machine guns was a direct response to fan requests from the RSE Forums. The five map choices for the "classic" R6 missions were based on the levels we saw fans playing most. The Urban Ops mod system and ejecting shells were also included because we knew the fans (and we ourselves) really wanted them.

Moss growing on the walls of Estate.
The Coke machines now say "Col-ahh!"
Lighting has been significantly altered on a number of maps.
The background on Skyscraper is tremendously improved. You can even see the TransAmerica building, as found in San Francisco!
Little touches like rust are extremely prevalent on Amazon.
Glass isn't quite as "clear" as it was prior.

Good article.. def check it out.

From your point of view, what's the single most exciting aspect of the game?

It's very difficult to name just one aspect, since we're aiming to create a whole new experience. Of course the gameplay of 1941 is solid. Our main goal is to create the same atmosphere that the films Saving Private Ryan and The Thin Red Line have, and I think we have succeeded very well in this.

Check out the interview (with more screenshots) here.

Flash Point is going to be a squad game and the player will be able to command as many as eleven soldiers. The soldiers will be given different specialties and tools to complete their tasks. For instance, if you choose a sniper, you will be granted better camouflage gear then you would have if you were a point man. Need to clear a dangerous field? Grab your Mine Soldier and clean up. Thinking of storming a building? Better take along some soldiers and support them with a heavy machine-gunner.

The missions are going to be in vast environments with lots of eye candy. The levels are full of photo realistic details and a heightened ability to use the surroundings for concealing your forces. If you have ever tried to hide behind a thick wall of trees in another game, only to find that the enemy could somehow see through it, then you will be happy to know that your troops will be much safer in this game if they squat behind a tree. The levels will also be non-linear with you being the primary deciding factor on how you will finish them.