More pics on the way.. stay tuned!

MESSAGE BOARDS ARE IN! [21:38:18 EDT] by - Rush
At long last, the message bases are in! In order to post or reply, you must register. Registration is free, and is only done so I can have some control over posting. Registering also preserves your nickname so others can't use it. :) You can set your password to be saved, and everytime you visit the forums, you'll be automatically logged in. The forums allow limited HTML formatting and adding hyperlinks, plus there are pretty advanced search capabilities as well.  Please let me know what you think of the forum setup itself, and I encourage everyone to get involved in the discussions! If you have ideas for new forum topics, just let me know...

See ya on the boards!

Rogue Spear shots [19:11:36 EDT] by - Rush
The boys over at Rogue Spear Retreat have posted 4 new shots of Redstorm's upcoming game, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear (damn I hate typing that out! :).. Very wicked shots.. take a look!

More Delta Force 2 info [08:15:33 EDT] by - Rush
Today looks to be turning out to be "Delta Force news day", as I noticed over at Delta-Force2.com that GameSpot has also kicked up a rather in-depth preview (with one new screenshot :) of Delta Force 2. Here's a snip about two of the game's "big new features":

Two other big changes in game design that are sure to please Delta Force fans are the addition of an in-game save feature (which should give the level designers much more freedom when creating each mission) and a built-in mission editor. With over 1,000 registered Delta Force squadrons on NovaWorld alone, the potential number of user-created missions is staggering.

The save game feature will be nice, as it got a bit tedious in DF1 to get 95% of the mission done, then meet an untimely end. :) And the mission editor can only be a good thing as well. That will certainly extend the life of the game tremendously.

Delta Force 2 interview [07:54:39 EDT] by - Rush
I saw over at Voodoo Extreme that CGO has kicked up a small 3 question interview with Wes Eckhart, producer of NovaLogic's DF2. (Ha, could I have any more links in that sentence? :)  Anyway, the questions deal mainly with the physics engine in the game.  Here's a snip about damage from falling:

Every time your feet leave the ground, the game will check how fast you're going when you come back down, so it'll even be possible to take some damage if you go charging straight down a steep hill you wouldn't dare run down in real life.

Here's the PR:

We've been asked countless times - "Will you have real-time day / night change in the game ?"
While there's no game or engine on the market that provide such effect right now, we decided to release short AVI that show how this effect done in Private Wars.

This effect became possible thanks to our in-house game engine Eternity - which is in fact available for license by now.

Another Delta Force 2 article [23:31:38 EDT] by - Rush
Seems like game news comes out on specific days. Yesterday (and the day before actually) was H&D day, and today is working out to be DF2 day. Actually, I missed this yesterday, but I noticed over on Delta-Force2.com that GameSpotUK has posted a preview of NovaLogic's upcoming Delta Force 2 game. Here's a little snippet on all of the new goodies you'll find in the game:

New terrain and battlefield effects like swaying grass and drifting smoke clouds should also help you make the most of any available cover. Novalogic are also promising more complex building structures, as well as underwater catacombs and an expanded range of vehicles including tanks, helicopters, jeeps, cable cars and trains, which will provide plenty of tactical and strategic variation to the missions. As you'd expect, there'll also be a brand new set of armaments to outfit your unit, as well as the ability to use weapons dropped on the battlefield, while a range of dangerous assignments in hotspots including the Gulf, South America and Eastern Europe should certainly raise the level of challenge.

That's quite a list... Check out the rest of the article for more. Can't wait till Fall. :)

Delta Force 2 article [06:53:36 EDT] by - Rush
There is a preview of Delta Force 2 over at CGO, with some great info and nice screenshots. Here's a snip on how weather will affect gameplay:

Weather will play a more prominent role in Delta Force 2 with rain, snow, and fog effects adding new alternatives to the standard open assault tactics of the original game. "Players will definitely enjoy the challenge that comes with the fog, which obscures long-distance views. The player will be forced to be stealthier as he attacks his enemy, and to be more alert as his enemy tries to sneak up on him." Wind plays a major tactical role as well, Eckhart explains, by making long-distance shots more challenging .

Hidden & Dangerous ships in the U.S. [12:24:07 EDT] by - Rush
I received mail from John over at GA-Source letting me know that Hidden & Dangerous has finally shipped. Here's a snip from the Press Release:

Take-Two Interactive Software, and its subsidiary, TalonSoft Inc., announced today that Hidden & Dangerous will be shipping to stores nationwide beginning today, Monday, July 26. The game was developed by up and coming international game developer, Illusion Softworks.

Hidden & Dangerous sets a new level of excellence for the squad-based combat genre. Players will find the game to be an extraordinary combination of tactical combat, strategic planning, and exciting action. Gamers will be responsible for leading a four-man squad of elite paratroopers on daring commando raids behind enemy lines.

While the game can be played entirely from the "action" window, where you actually see your men and control them, to complete most missions effectively you will have to use the map mode. The map mode is a strategy interface where you can coordinate your team to move together to neutralize enemies, provide cover fire, etc.

Not much new info (as we've already seen a million demo reviews, game previews and European release reviews), but still a good read.

Delta Force 2 preview [13:56:25 EDT] by - Rush
PC.IGN has put up a preview with some snazzy screenshots, of Novalogic's upcoming Delta Force 2 game. Here's a snip on the new weapons coming our way:

Of course, no shooter sequel would be complete without some new weaponry, and Delta Force 2 isn't going to be one to disappoint. Delta Force 2 will introduce a whole slew of new guns and equipment to your arsenal, including a suppressed version of the HK .45, a shotgun/grenade launcher combo, time delay grenades, kevlar body armor and field surveillance cameras so you can check out the action from a distance -- at least if you can get a camera down to where you want to see without being gunned down.

More Spec Ops 2 screenshots [14:04:28 EDT] by - Rush
John from GA-Source fired off some email letting me know that GA-Source has posted 2 more exclusive Spec Ops 2 shots. These shots are really cool, showing off the vast interior spaces, and hit specific body damage modeling. Here's a snip on how GA-Source describes Spec Ops:

Spec Ops set itself apart from the rest of the shooter genre by incorporating real world military combat, in actual hot-spot, real world locations, with the actual weapons and tactics used by the US armed services. To find out more about Spec Ops 2: Green Berets, visit the official website.

Rogue Spear MP preview [03:29:16 EDT] by - Rush
CombatSim has posted a new preview on Redstorm Entertainment's R6: Rogue Spear, this time covering adversarial multiplayer gameplay. Topics include movement, the new ability to peek around corners, weapons, new equipment, and more.

Here's a snip on the new weapons modeling:

Weapons in RS function more realistically than in R6. The selection of weapons given to the player is similar to a NATO mod. The M4 (Car-15) now has no three-shot burst capability, while the M-16 is not capable of fully-automatic fire. This is how both rifles actually operate. Zooming is more realistic, with the Mp5 series of weapons having a similar zoom to the pistols in R6. Sniper rifles have three levels of zoom now, so you can reach out and torch someone. The G3 and M-14 are the two 7.62 assault rifles included.

A great in-depth preview.. give it a look.

The new game screen lets you choose your difficulty level (private, corporal, sergeant.) After picking your difficulty level, you get the mission choice screen, with missions taking place in Germany, Antarctica, Korea (no snow this time), Pakistan and Thailand. After picking your campaign, you then pick your sub-mission, and finally your loadout. There is an abundance of equipment and weapons to choose from.

There's more great stuff in there, so do check it out! :) Comments welcome.

Hidden & Dangerous gone gold [18:44:13 EDT] by - Rush
According to an AVault post, the U.S. version of H&D has gone gold. Check it:

We now have confirmation from TalonSoft that the U.S. version of the game has indeed gone gold and is anticipated to be in stores early August. Enhancements to the U.S. version include all the fixes in the UK-released patch, MPlayer support and other minor enhancements. Stay tuned for our exhaustive review and strategy guide feature.

So, we benefit from the long wait by getting all the fixes in the box, and enhanced features to boot! Can't wait!

Another Spec Ops 2 preview [17:47:27 EDT] by - Rush
GamerzVault has put up a combo preview/interview of Zombie's upcoming game, Spec Ops 2: U.S. Army Green Berets, borrowing a bit from my article, and even borrowing some of my screen shots (but I gave him permission.) Here's a bit from the interview portion about John Williamson's (co-producer/designer of the game) favorite level:

3. What is your favorite game setting Germany, Pakistan, Antarctica, North Korea or Thailand?

JW: The multi-storied underground bunker complex in Pakistan is my favorite. You go from the outdoor desert world (ala Spec Ops 1 or Delta Force), down into this huge bunker complex, which changes the gameplay. No other engine can provide both vast exterior and interior spaces. You also do this in the other levels, but the size of the bunker in Pakistan is just amazing.

I have to agree, I think the Pakistan level is awesome. All in all a nice read.. check it out!™

H&D review #4376 [13:44:22 EDT] by - Rush
I saw over at SimHQ that GamesMania (German gaming site) has posted a review (with some snazzy pics) of Illusion Softworks' Hidden & Dangerous. If you need it translated into English, try using the AltaVista babelfish language translator. It doesn't translate perfect, but the pics are in English. :)

Hidden & Dangerous v1.1 patch [13:15:26 EDT] by - Rush
Avault has posted the long-awaited patch for the European version of Hidden & Dangerous. (3.14MB) Here's what it fixes:

Rogue Spear preview [00:15:11 EDT] by - Rush
Combatsim has posted a nice in-depth preview (plus pics of course, some at 1600x1200) of Redstorm Entertainment's Rogue Spear. Here's how the new death animations are done:

Another very cool change is the way the terrorists die. They never seem to fall the same way twice. Sometimes they fall flat on their faces, other times they fall to their knees, and then fall over. Sometimes they fall backwards. It is totally varied now and often times quite humorous.

Another H&D preview [19:38:03 EDT] by - Rush
The guys over at e-Gamez have previewed Illusion Softworks' Hidden & Dangerous and included some nice new screenshots. Here's a snip about how the missions play out:

You will spend most of your time on your stomach, slowly crawling around looking for ways to bypass strongpoints and snipe sentries. The fact that some mission take place in the middle of the day doesn't help either, as it seems the guards are always (a little too) alert. As you get closer to VE-Day, the missions only get harder and harder, and the game gets more rewarding each time, with weapon upgrades and beautifully rendered locations.

Not much new info, but a good read nonetheless. Check it out!™

DOWNTIME! :( [19:25:03 EDT] by - Rush
Ugh! Sorry for the down-time today. But the good news is that I'm now running on a P2-400 with 192 megs of RAM and 7 gigs HD space, up from a P200, 64 megs RAM and a paltry 800 megs HD space! :) Let me know if the server is any faster!

Spec Ops 2 preview [09:59:47 EDT] by - Rush
Avault has posted a preview and 3 new pics of Zombie's Spec Ops 2: U.S. Army Green Berets. Here's a nod to realism that Zombie has in store for you:

Along with lifelike movement, Zombie is really trying to up the realism of combat by including varying degrees of bullet penetration and a brand new damage model. Terrorists won't find any protection behind bulletproof bushes in Spec Ops 2, as your bullets will accurately shred through foliage, fences and even some walls. Furthermore, a well-placed sniper shot to an enemy's hand will not result in an instant kill. A leg shot may drop them to the ground, but don't count them out. The new damage model will take into account where the target was hit and assign the appropriate animation and damage amount. Wounded enemies are likely to retreat unless they've been immobilized, and blood trails will give away their position if you deem it necessary to tie up all the loose ends.

From the thundering gunfire to the stomping of soldiers on ground, the sounds of war in H&D are absolutely genuine and nearly perfect. Each stage has been represented accordingly with various atmospheric sounds. In the forest, you will hear birds chirping and whilst walking by a pub, you may hear a record playing a 40's classic. This attention to detail separates an average game from an excellent one. The musical score is completely appropriate for the game's theme. The music is made up of drum rolls and violins in authentic war themed songs. Unfortunately, there is no 3D sound card support, which could have added even further to the ability to immerse one into the game.

And here's a small taste from the other one about the eye-candy and effects:

Graphically, H&D is very pretty. Not too heavy on the eyecandy, but well detailed and well modeled. Environments are full of objects from trees to buildings to vehicles. Boards are, for the most part, spread out, giving you a lot of room to move and work with. My favorite mission is the only mission of the 5th campaign. The whole level takes place on a sinking German cruiser. While it's a little too dark for my tastes, it is one of the creepiest levels I've played in any game. Lightning will flash and illuminate the decks, while the list of the ship and the swinging chains make it seem so realistic, yet surreal at the same time. The sheer size of the ship and its cold emptiness created an aura of suspense as I played it.

These are two of the better reviews I've seen so far; check 'em out!™

Spec Ops 2 vehicle renderings [13:06:27 EST] by - Rush
The boys over at Tactical Planet have posted 2 new rendered (not in-game) pics of vehicles to be found in Zombie's upcoming game, Spec Ops 2: U.S. Army Green Berets. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the page to see them. Sweet shots, check 'em out!

SpecForce news [08:08:05 EST] by - Rush
I'm sure you've noticed I've been tweaking the site design a bit...

Hidden & Dangerous Demo review [07:14:44 EST] by - Rush
3Dgaming.net has put up a review of the Hidden & Dangerous demo 2, with some lesser-seen screenshots from the Illusion Softworks website. Not much to snip from this review, but here's a small taste:

Let's talk about why I like being a commando. You get to control an elite team of up to four commandos (six total, you choose four out of those), and it's just fun to play. The first mission has you in a rainy area at night. Your only objective is to cross a bridge and make it to the other side..

Hidden & Dangerous website updated [23:48:17 EST] by - Rush
While surfing around tonight, I noticed the Illusion Softworks website has been updated with a few new nuggets of info, most notably they have a chart of game sales in the UK, placing H&D at the number 2 spot. Great job Illusion! Check out the site for the rest of the info.

Hidden & Dangerous review [15:08:24 EST] by - Rush
I saw over at EvilAvatar that 4gamers.nu has posted a review of Illusion Softworks' Hidden & Dangerous, and killer screenshots. Here's a bit on the game's originality:

Most of the locations have been accurately modeled right down to the placement and texturing of some individual houses. Another thing you can do is take over vehicles, no matter what they are, so long as they are unmanned your whole team can get in. so the gameplay is overall very original, nothing like this has been done so well before. Yet some missions can become extremely repetitive as you die so much and have to reply them again and again, one small mistake can cost you your life. If I had to compare H&D, then it would be against SpecOps only a lot harder, very similar gameplay indeed but on a far greater scale with an impressive graphics engine.

A nod to Spec Ops is always welcome. When I first played the H&D demo, I thought it was very much like Spec Ops in WWII clothing myself...

Another R6: Rogue Spear preview [14:40:38 EST] by - Rush
CNN has posted their own preview of Tom Clancy's R6: Rogue Spear, making it look like a 'real' news story. Nice touch. :) Here's a snip from the preview about new effects and gameplay features:

Additions to RB6's gameplay aren't the only modifications. The Rommel Team has tweaked the graphics engine to handle more polygons, more movable objects (like automobiles), and brand-new weather effects such as rain, snow, and warm breath that is now visible in the cold night. Firefights will break out in the pouring rain, sending your deltas running to nearby buildings to get shelter. Rogue will even have a level that takes place in a Siberian Base, in which the snow will not only fall all around you, but will also show footprints when your men trod through it.

Sounding just a bit like Spec Ops 2, eh? Except for the visible breath part.. :) And I'd swear I read this article on a different site, but with so many RS articles I can't remember which one... [Update 14:48 - Found it... Its a re-post of the RS preview at Games.net. See, I'm not crazy. :)]

R6: Rogue Spear preview [04:58:11 EST] by - Rush
I missed this day of, but PCGamePro has put up a preview (with new screenshots) of Redstorm Entertainment's R6: Rogue Spear. We've seen plenty of these so far, but here's a snip about the new peek function:

For instance, Rogue Spear allows you to peek around corners. Not since Looking Glass's venerable System Shock has this been so important. Walk up to a corner, hold down the "peek" button, and then strafe to one side to lean out. Peeking around corners became second nature while playing Rogue Spear. You can shoot while peeking, but more importantly, most of your body is protected from anyone on the other side who's waiting to return fire.

Rogue Spear demo voucher [21:19:37 EST] by - Rush
SimHQ also has the scoop on the Rogue Spear demo voucher that was included in the European retail version of Illusion Softworks' Hidden & Dangerous. Head out over there to check out the info.

Rogue Spear designer diary [21:08:12 EST] by - Rush
Greg Stelmack the Core Engineer on R6: Rogue Spear has posted a new entry into his designer diary (Monday actually), focusing on how weapons characteristics are programmed into the game.

Here's how he starts it off:

There has been lots of interest in the new weapons that will be available in Rogue Spear and their characteristics.
This log entry will describe the new weapon attributes and how I generated numbers for the weapons. In most cases, these formulae were chosen because they gave reasonable game numbers. There are many reasons why weapons are chosen for service in the real world: maintainability, cost, national pride, common ammunition, and many others. Most of these are hard to include in a game in a meaningful way. So, we need to come up with other ways to differentiate the weapons.

Great technical read. Check out the article for more... Thanks SimHQ.

Delta Force 2 Drop Zone opens [16:44:08 EST] by - Rush
I received mail from Harry 'Molotov' Crossley informing me that he has opened his Delta Force 2 site, the Delta Force 2 - Drop Zone 'with a new layout, new domain and new content.' Great site for all things DF... check it out.

New Hidden & Dangerous site [15:26:21 EST] by - Rush
Also noticed over at TP that there is a new gaming site dedicated to Illusion Softworks' Hidden & Dangerous. They also have a new H&D pic up, so check out the pic and the site over at the Hidden & Dangerous Checkpoint.

New Spec Ops 2 screenshot [15:07:19 EST] by - Rush
Continuing with the screenshot news, Tactical Planet has posted another exclusive screenshot from Zombie's upcoming Spec Ops 2. This shot looks really cool, so give it a look.

SWAT3 screenshots [12:12:24 EST] by - Rush
Seems like the only news these days is word of new screenshots being posted, so with that in mind, I noticed the guys at SWAT3.com have updated their screenshots page (yesterday actually) with 17 new screenshots of Sierra Studio's SWAT3 game. Very cool pics in there. Check 'em out. Note: I had some trouble viewing the screenshots page in Netscape, so try IE if the page looks blank. :)

RS offers a wide range of customization, much more so than the original. There's the typical settings like auto-targeting on/off, etc., player name, etc. but there's far more new settings, like a place to type in a path for mods, allowing you to choose the type of texture filtering used, and varying the volume of the different components of RS (like gunfire, voices, dramatic music, etc.) individually.

Great preview. I highly recommend it.

Team Fortress interview [21:40:20 EST] by - Rush
I also received email from  Draco of Specwargru.net letting me know they have posted an interview with Robin Walker of Team Fortress 2. Here's a snip on how the gun placements will work:

Draco: Regarding the fixed gun emplacements (like the M2 .50 HMG), has the aiming been improved since Half Life ?

RW: We're using a lot of fixed gun emplacements now, so we've made them a lot easier to use. The Engineer's now able to build fixed gun emplacements, which makes holding your position in some of the Territorial Control maps a lot easier, if you can hold the enemy off long enough to build them.

NOTE: the official beta program has not started yet, so please do not contact Zombie inquiring about it! Thank you.

Hidden & Dangerous review [14:58:26 EST] by - Rush
The boys over at Tactical Planet posted word that there is a very in-depth review of Hidden & Dangerous over at Active Windows. Here's a snip on just how engrossing the gameplay is:

Since you are concentrating so much on what your 4 soldiers are doing, where the enemy is, how to get across that bit of land without being noticed, time really isn't something you think about. This game has so many "surprise" elements in it that each mission will keep you on your toes wondering where the next soldier is going to be hiding. Sometimes it is quite easy for your sniper to kill of an enemy soldier because you have managed to sneak up behind him and shoot him in the head.

Just as with the Eagle Watch add-on pack, Rogue Spear's single-player game will be played out in real-world locations - and the plot will send gamers to as many locales as you might see in a James Bond movie. As you might expect in a game from a company founded by Tom Clancy, several of the missions take place in Russia and neighboring countries: a city shattered by fighting in Kosovo, a warehouse in St. Petersburg, an opera house in Prague, a terrorist base in Siberia, and a ski chalet in the Caucasus. And many of the missions in these regions take place during winter, which gives gamers a chance to enjoy some impressive snow and rain effects. But you'll also find yourself in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and infiltrating a hijacked 747, to name a couple of the more impressive locales. "Most people are really excited about the 747 mission," Schnurr says. "That one in particular came about from user input - plus it was something the team really wanted to try to accomplish."

Great read overall.. Check it out.

Rogue Spear preview [18:59:59 EST] by - Rush
Games.net has posted a feature preview of Rogue Spear and nifty screenshots to match. Here's a snip on how the game was tweaked:

To help create the varnished look the team was shooting for, they had to fix problems so subtle that most RB6 fans overlooked them completely--such as the fact that all of the game's fully automatic weaponry had telescopic lenses (a major faux paus in the eyes of purists). Team Rommel's removed the long-range zoom from most of the weapons in Rogue, reserving it for the long-range and sniper rifles, and is adding binoculars as a usable item with which players can scout perimeters from a distance. Thus, instead of every delta on your team having super-scopes on his MP5K, your guys will have to switch to their binoculars--much like switching to the heartbeat sensor--if they want to see anything from a distance. This will undoubtedly change the way the game is played.

Sounds like it's shaping up nicely. Thanks Voodoo Extreme, the god of all gaming sites. :)

Spec Ops 2 beta info [16:39:17 EST] by - Rush
I spied this on the SimHQ message bases. Its a little post from Mike T., who has a working beta of Zombie's Spec Ops 2: Green Berets. Here's what he has to say:

Posted by Mike Thompson (207.158.116.142) on July 09, 1999 at 06:54:50:

I have been able to test the new beta to SpecOps 2: the Green Berets. So far it is looking great. I just got in a new version and while there is much to be done the game is stable with no lockups, except in training since it is missing, nor does the game kick you out. Last night I discovered the "supergun", they have included the new OICW rifle that the US Army is working. I plan to keep anyone interested informed about the game.

Some changes to the original, now in binoc/NVG mode you are looking down a tube. Before the screen just changed. Now you have limited side vision, very nice. Makes a spooky situation. I don't like being in NVG mode for long. The 3rd person mode has changed and auto targeting is gone. There is however a very noticeable laser pointer so you know which direction the rifle is pointing.

Mike

Great report Mike! Note: I should be getting my beta copy of SO2 very soon as well, so look for my comments on it as well.

> Another day, another Spec Ops 2 screen [00:50:07 EST] by - Rush
Ok folks, here's today's exclusive Spec Ops 2: Green Berets shot:

'Real' pic of Neostead shotgun [14:37:08 EST] by - Rush
Long time friend of the Spec Ops community, Kristof Ulburghs, fired me off some email with the URL of a pic of the real Neostead shotgun. Nice find Kristof!

Spec Ops 2 designer diary (new) [10:12:33 EST] by - Rush
CombatSim has posted a designer diary of John Williamson, co-producer/designer of Zombie's Spec Ops 2: Green Berets. The article is chock full of great info and new screenshots. Here's a snip from the article on the true light sourcing to be found in the game:

True light sourcing and dynamic lighting greatly change this game over the original Spec Ops. You can shoot out virtually any light on any mission, which makes you harder to see, but the initial shooting of the light will raise the AI awareness. If you turn on your flashlight, that will give away your position.

With true light sourcing you can tell where the light's source actually is. This will prove to be extremely useful in hostage scenarios where you have to go into dark rooms and rescue people.

There's also mention that the mission editor may not ship with the CD, but be downloadable later via the 'net. I really hope they release a mission editor.. Think of the possibilities! :) Thanks SimHQ.

More Spec Ops 2 info [00:36:29 EST] by - Rush
Another tidbit from Zombie's John Williamson. Saw this over at the TP forums:

Author: john <john@zombie.com> 208.211.84.253
Date: 7/8/99 2:51:00 PM
Subject: RE: This game will rock!

Actually we at Zombie pitched Spec Ops WWII to both Take2 and Interactive Magic, went so far as to get a design doc, sample models and video done, well over a year ago. But they both said that no one would be interested in that part of history. Interesting that they both have WWII games out (Morty and H&D).

Any way, SO2 will be better than SO1, lots of new cool features, better graphics, better AI. I have designed the game to fit between the Quake Style run and gun shooters and the tactical RB6 and SWAT3. You still get to run around and shoot a lot, but you need to be a good tactician.

Another feature that has been included in the sequel due to popular demand is bullet penetration. "Some Delta Force players wanted to be able to shoot enemies hiding in a tent," said Eckhart. "Bullets will now go through certain structures where it makes sense - a layer of waterproof canvas will no longer provide cover against the M4 Carbine."

Not much new info, but a good read nonetheless. DF2 should be out in Fall 1999.

Hidden & Dangerous patch soon [16:12:51 EST] by - Rush
Illusion Softworks is working on a patch for their Hidden & Dangerous game. Here's the info as was posted in the Tactical Planet forums:

Author: Sep <pluharik@illusionsoftworks.com> 195.119.190.2
Date: 7/8/99 5:06:00 AM
Subject: Patch for Hidden and Dangerous - Official stand

Fix plan for H&D patch 1.
Next week will be beta patch ver 1.0.

IMPROVEMENTS:
1. Falling through the floor or ground out of the scene....IMPROVED
2. Zooming in sniper or binocs mode - zoom reset after movement....FIXED
3. Dropping weapons held in hands in FP mode when laying - aim object still shown....FIXED
4. Tanks problems (2 turrets after destroying, driving if driver is enemy soldier)....FIXED
5. Internet gameplay with more players shows a big latency and sync problems....IMPROVED
6. Random deaths at missions with trains/trams (Italy1, Danube2)....FIXED
7. Loading saved game - soldiers in vehicle standing, or laying soldiers floating in air....FIXED
8. Improper item saving in game profile after mission finished....FIXED

Thanx for your coop,
Sep

Sounds like a healthy set of fixes. They've also opened up a 'support centre' on their company page.

Spec Ops 2 weapons [15:27:19 EST] by - Rush
I received mail from Andrew who gave me a more in-depth description of some of the weapons in the SO2 shot above. He writes:

The Prototype Infantry Gun is called the OICW (Objective Individual Combat Weapon). It fires a 20mm HE round on top which can have it's fusing adjusted by adding or subtracting the laser ranger finder's distance. Below that is a 5.56 assault rifle. The 20mm holds 6 rounds while the 5.56 holds 20-30 rounds.

The HK SMG is called the HK UMP. Stands for universal machine gun.

Thanks for the update Andrew!

Exclusive Spec Ops 2 pics [00:25:04 EST] by - Rush
John Williamson from Zombie also fired me some exclusive SO2 shots. Here's one, with more tomorrow/later!
  Looking great so far!

> Spec Ops 2 progress report [00:15:28 EST] by - Rush
John Williamson, co-producer/designer of Zombie's upcoming Spec Ops 2: Green Berets has sent me an update on how the game is progressing. Check it:

Spec Ops is moving towards Beta and Gold Master at a fair clip. We've added some new features:
1. Our squad control system, which I believe will be widely copied by all tactical sims next year. This allows you to point at location on the terrain (or even some objects) and give an order (move there, attack , demolish) to specific member of your squad

2. Our lighting/shadow system now works with up to 8 lights, all casting their own shadows, in real time. Multiple shadows climbing up walls adds a  great dramatic, realistic look to the game. No more simple little gray dot under your feet.

3. Inventory control system. You can now drop and pick up specific items, allow you to swap items between your squad mates. This does mean that you can no longer carry every thing that you walk over, nothing comes for free...

4. Interior and Exterior spaces: The new and improved Viper 2 engine allows us to have both the vast outdoor environments that make Spec Ops so unique and large, multi-story, sprawling interior spaces, something no other game engine has.

I'm gonna be liking the new inventory control system. It'll def be good to have weight limits now, and it'll be handy to swap items with your buddies. And real-time shadows will be awesome as well. Can't freakin' wait! :)

Hidden & Dangerous demo on CD [15:28:02 EST] by - Rush
The August 1999 edition of PC Gamer (U.S.) has the Hidden & Dangerous demo 1 on the CD. If you don't have a fast connection to the internet, and didn't want to DL 70+ megs, check out the CD. The game is truly amazing. In case ya missed it, check out my review of the demo.

Also on the same CD is a demo of Shadow Company, a 3D strat game with a military theme.

Here's a bit on how the game concept came about:

But in order to appreciate Private Wars as a game, you must first understand the project's origins. It all began innocently enough, with TS Group CEO and Private Wars creator Sergey Titov thumbing through a recent issue of Newsweek. After reading an article about mercenaries, the game designer had a revelation. He would eschew the industry's love affair with all things alien and mystical, and actually create a PC game based on these real-life soldiers of fortune. Like Spec Ops, and Seal Team before it, Private Wars would feature only real-world equipment, enemies, and combat situations. It would, to put it simply, be the best military/para-military simulator ever created.

Here's the PR:

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:
Try out the latest Delta Force update! The latest update is still in development but we are inviting US version customers to try it out on NovaLogic's development servers this weekend. The Update addresses NovaWorld gameplay issues and is scheduled for universal implementation next week. The update is currently voluntary and can be accessed via executable download by clicking here.

Its an optional download at the moment as its still in development. Grab it if you feel brave.

More Hidden & Dangerous screens [02:57:34 EST] by - Rush
The boys over at Tactical Planet have scored 3 more new screen shots of Illusion Softworks' Hidden & Dangerous. Take a gander...