A Talent for War

2007-01-25T18:10:00.000-05:00

When I attempted to restart ATFW in 2004, I didn't realize the path I would take. I was without internet for a few months and then I was back at work and had to juggle All the Myriad Things in Life. As time passed, I figured I eventually might have time here and there to update. Brian helped out for a while, but keeping up on something like this can be damned near impossible when you have a job, a social life, a significant other, other priorities, and need the elusive shot of Me Time.

I had hoped for many months that I would be able to return with some sort of renewed passion, but really, the moment has passed. Unless you have good chunks of time on multiple occasions each week, there are simply not enough hours in the day to scoop up news, to play and to write, and to publish after a day of work, a night out, or a night in. Five or ten hours per week isn't enough to successfully keep ATFW zooming.

I still game, mostly on the 360 (where the space combat I've experienced still suffers from console-suck. SW Battlefront II--yup, I'm pointing at you.) I don't game as much as I used to, and writing lots about one genre, which means also mostly playing just one genre, doesn't appeal to me now. I tend to write far more fiction these days than non-fiction in any case, and that's where I want to be.

The conclusion is: if you can only manage something half-assed, you might as well just engage ramming speed and go with the pretty boom. Some things do have to end, after all.

Stargamer.net is up and running, however, and they're trying to build some momentum. Hopefully, they will put together a solid staff that will share in duties and really start cracking. I may even pop in there from time to time, writing what I want to write and ignoring the day-to-day news that can take so long to compile.

I am sorry this took as long as it did, but surprise--perhaps I am a nostalgic optimist.

Galactic Civilizations II Has Gone Gold

2006-02-07T11:54:00.000-05:00

The official Galactic Civilizations II website has word that the upcoming Sci-Fi 4X epic has gone golden and will be available n February 21st. I've been waiting for this one for a while, so I know I'm excited.

New Sword of the Stars Screenshots on IGN

2006-02-01T18:28:00.000-05:00

IGN has over twenty new screenshots of the upcoming Sci-Fi 4X game, Sword of the Stars. Here's a couple of 'em to feast your eyes upon:

Head over to IGN for the rest.

New Star Trek Games Announced

2006-01-25T01:18:00.000-05:00

The big news of the day is that Bethesda Softworks has announced their acquisition of the Star Trek license, as well as two new Star Trek games. Star Trek: Legacy is a tactical starship combat game coming for the Xbox 360 and PC, while Star Trek: Tactical Assault is on its way to the Sony PSP and Nintendo DS.

Mad Doc Software (the creators of Star Trek: Armada 2) is working on Star Trek: Legacy while Quicksilver Software (the creators of the Starfleet Command series) is working on Star Trek: Tactical Assault, which means they’re in experienced hands who’ve created well-regarded Star Trek games in the past. Here’s are some clips from the press release:

Star Trek: Legacy places you in the role of the Admiral of a task force of warships, which you control in small and large-scale battles. Test your strategic and tactical skills in real-time combat featuring authentic spaceships, full damage modeling, and spectacular visual effects. The storyline in Legacy spans the entire Star Trek Universe, including the Original Series, Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise eras. Star Trek: Legacy will be released on Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PC this September.

Star Trek®: Tactical Assault, in development for handheld gaming systems, features real-time spaceship combat from the universe of the original Star Trek series. With a wide array of authentic Star Trek races, ships, and weaponry, you can engage in single-player battle through either the Federation or Klingon campaigns or in head-to-head wireless multiplayer combat. Star Trek: Tactical Assault is being developed in the studios of Quicksilver Software, creators of the highly popular Star Trek: Starfleet Command.

We’ll bring you more info as we get it, but this is exciting news indeed.

New Space Game Found - Epoch Star

2006-01-18T11:20:00.000-05:00

It isn't often that a space game flies under my radar, but somehow this one did. I was searching for images of Starflight on Google Images recently, and came across a game I'd never heard of called Epoch Star, which was released in the middle of 2005.

Apparently, Epoch Star is a space adventure game reminiscient of Starflight and Star Control II, and was created by Battleline Games. I played the game for an hour or so last night, and found it was very similar to those two games, but with its own tweaks like a WASD control scheme. I had a ton of fun with the game, so I'd suggest anyone who has even a passing interest in space adventures at least check it out, since it's a free download. I hope you enjoy it.

More Star Trek: Legacy Info Released

2006-01-16T11:36:00.000-05:00

Gamecloud has a small story which gives us some more information about the recently leaked game, Star Trek: Legacy, which will be created by Mad Doc and published by Bethesda. Here's a clip:

According to the article the game is an action-strategy hybrid title for both the PC and Xbox 360 and will actually span the entire Star Trek timeline, from Enterprise to the original series to the Next Gen-DS9-Voyager timeframes. The game is due for release in September 2006.

We'll bring you more information as it becomes available.

Galactica Sim - Free 4X Game - Released

2006-01-16T11:31:00.000-05:00

In a recent press release, Blue Gecko Entertainment announced the release of Galactica, a free "tick-based" 4X game. This looks to be an online strategy game that in this writer's mind looks reminiscient of the Master of Orion games, at least based on the screenshots. According to the press release, "The game challenges players to build an empire by colonising and conquering thousands of planets with hundreds of competing players." Features include research, diplomacy, and a lot more. It looks pretty neat, so head over to Blue Gecko Entertainment and check it out.

Sword of the Stars Snags Publisher

2006-01-11T16:00:00.000-05:00

In a new press release, Lighthouse Interactive has announced that they'll be publishing the upcoming Sci-Fi 4X game, Sword of the Stars. Here's a clip:

Erik Schreuder, Lighthouse CEO, said: “Sword of the Stars marks a major milestone in the growth of Lighthouse. We needed the right title to launch our push into North- America and Sword of the Stars is truly an incredible title with all the ingredients needed to be a genre leader.” Schreuder went on to say “The Kerberos team is world class and have been involved in many blockbuster titles, we are extremely happy to have partnered with them.”

There are also some new screenshots available on Lighthouse's official SOTS page. I'm personally looking forward to this one.

Space Rangers 2 Coming to North America

2006-01-10T12:05:00.000-05:00

I noticed on Blue's that Cinemaware Marquee, a new indie label from eGames, will bring Space Rangers 2: Rise of the Dominators to North America in March. Here's a clip from the press release:

Cinemaware Marquee, an affiliated label of eGames, Inc., today announced that its first title, Space Rangers 2: Rise of the Dominators will be released in North America in March 2006. Space Rangers 2 is already one of the most critically acclaimed games of the year in Europe.

Developed by Russian studio 1C/Elemental Games, Space Rangers 2: Rise of the Dominators continues the trend of Russian developers blazing new trails in videogames. The game is a turn-based RPG encompassing various gameplay genres in a vast interstellar world that can be played in countless ways – explore the galaxy, fight off an evil robotic army, build a trading empire – it is completely up to player. This depth and scope of gameplay ensures that Space Rangers 2: Rise of the Dominators will be one of the most revolutionary titles of the year – the ultimate realization of a truly unique, bold vision to deliver a groundbreaking game on a new scale.

There are a lot of people who've been wanting this game, but have been having trouble getting it due to limited availability here in the states. This should solve that problem.

New X3: Reunion Patch Available

2005-12-22T15:38:00.000-05:00

There's a new 1.3 patch available on the X3: Reunion download page that brings the game up to version 1.3. There's no word on what the massive 119MB patch (or the 62MB patch if you're upgrading from version 1.2.01) does, but at that size, one would hope it does a lot. :)

Weird Worlds Patch Available

2005-12-22T12:09:00.000-05:00

There's a new patch available for Weird Worlds: Return to Infinite Space that has a veritable cargo hold full of fixes and new features, including:

enemies flee if no guns
can try to ram a fighter
formation leader dodges followers

And more! Head over to the Weird Worlds download page to get the 294KB patch.

Homeworld 2: Dustwars Mod Timeline Available

2005-12-17T13:30:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Mike Barton for letting me know that there's a new and extremely detailed timeline regarding the Homeworld 2: Dustwars mod for Homeworld 2 (natually). The timeline is huge and very detailed, so I hope you all enjoy it.

Keep The News Coming!

2005-12-16T23:38:00.000-05:00

Hey there, folks, how are you? I don't think I've ever mentioned this before, but if you have news about a particular space sim, strategy game, or mod that you would like me to share, please feel free to send me an email at by clicking my name on the right hand side of the page and the clicking the email link (I thought about putting a direct email link here, but that might lead to spam), and I'll make sure your news gets posted as soon as I can get to it. Thanks, and I hope you're enjoying the site. Also, thanks to Beth for bringing me on board and allowing me to keep bringing you guys news about the space sims and strategy games we all love.

New Battlestar Galactica Model Screenshots Available for FS2

2005-12-16T23:27:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Eliot Watts for sending me an email about this. Apparently there are some new screenshots of the Battlestar Galactica Model for the Beyond The Redline mod for Freespace 2 available on the Game Warden forums, and I must say they're very impressive. Here's shrunken versions of them that link to the forum itself:

Enjoy!

Galactic Dream Announced & Demo Released

2005-12-15T13:00:00.000-05:00

There's a new space strategy game out there for your enjoyment that I just found out about. It's called Galactic Dream and it looks pretty neat. There's also a demo for the game as well. According to the features page, some of the features include:

Lead one of 3 distinctive and amazing Species: terran, dakras or the wise sandkings. Three Different Sides, three unique playing styles, each coming with characteristic tech tree, units and combat tactics
Almost 40 different units; each possessing upgrading capability, each carrying terrifying space weapons
Each units have different abilities.
A majestic universe, entirely 3D, giving you multiple perspectives over the battlefield

You can head over to the Galactic Dream download page to download the demo. Enjoy!

Galactic Civlizations II Tidbits

2005-12-09T13:18:00.000-05:00

I noticed today that there's a new Galactic Civilizations II interview over at RPG Vault. Here's a clip:

Jonric: What can we expect to see from the AI, both for the friendly units and also for the various enemies you can encounter?

Brad Wardell: There are no tactical battles in the game, so formations and such don't really come into play. Instead, players can build fleets, group units together to send to various parts of the map, create rally points to organize their forces, etc.

The computer AI, which is the part of the game I code, has a different AI personality for each player. This isn't just some variables, but rather its own engine running in a background thread; i.e. a base class for the AI and then each player has its own derived class. So as a result, different players can play quite differently. We are trying to develop a system whereby each computer opponent will use quite different strategies to play. As I play the game more, I learn more possible strategies to play with, and then try to incorporate that into different AI personalities.

There's also a new Galactic Civilizations II preview over on Gamespy. Enjoy!

StarCalibur Demo Released

2005-12-08T00:22:00.000-05:00

A demo of a space sim I knew nothing about called StarCalibur has been released. I found the demo on Filefront, but FilePlanet also has a copy. The game seems to be Russian, but the demo has English text.

I played the demo a bit and found it fun, so check it out. It's a respectable 130 MB in size. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a website for the game at the moment, so I can't find any more info on it, but I'll keep an eye out for some more info. Enjoy the demo!

For the People, By The People: Sunday

2005-11-20T14:01:00.000-05:00

Trying to get back on a regular schedule for this, here's this week's installment of goodies! It's kind of a quiet week, which makes sense with the holidays coming up here in the U.S.

Freelancer:

Lancers Reactor has the usual slew of updates, but the one that really caught my eye was the new Firefly Class Transport. I'm going to reinstall the game just to try this out myself, being the enormous Firefly fan I am. ;)

Freespace 2:

Over on Hard Light Productions, they have news that the Battlestar Galactica Project: Alpha version has been leaked. You can follow this developing story in this forum thread. There's also a new campaign called Just Another Day 2: Electric Boogaloo (I love that name) for you to download.

Homeworld 2:

Apparently the 0.5 beta of Star Wars: Warlords was released on 11/18, but you have to go to their chatroom to get a link.

Star Trek: Bridge Commander:

Bridge Commander Files has more updates to existing files than new stuff this week, but they do offer a Icarus Assault Shuttle for your enjoyment.

Star Trek: Starfleet Command III

Starfleet Command 3 files has a couple of new tidbits like the Stock Ship Replacement.

Tie Fighter: Total Conversion Released

2005-11-13T15:39:00.001-05:00

The Tie Fighter: Total Conversion mod for X-Wing Alliance has been released. This mod converts content from Tie Fighter to the X-Wing Alliance engine. To play the mod you need X-wing Alliance with both CD-ROMS and the TIE Fighter Collectors Edition CDROM or X-Wing Collectors Series Disk 2 CDROM. If you have both of these items, head over to the TFTC downloads page to download the 112 MB mod. I know I'll be downloading it soon myself.

For the People, By The People: Sunday

2005-11-13T15:39:00.000-05:00

Has it really been a couple of months since I did one of these? Indeed it has my friends, and I apologize. Real life can sure as hell suck any free time you have away from ya, which is exactly what's happened recently. Anyway, enough of my whining, here's some recent fun news-y tidbits for you to chew on. Enjoy!

Babylon 5:

FirstOnes has released a trailer of their mod for Nexus. You can download the 16 MB trailer by clicking here.

Freespace 2:

The Freespace 2 community has been as active as ever. Just in the last few days, the Hard Light Productions website has moved to a new domain (http://www.hard-light.net/), updated their Freespace Wiki, and released their MediaVP model and texture pack for FS2. There's so much going on over on the Hard Light Forums since my last update that I'd run out of space posting it all.

Hardwar:

Over on Captain Zedo's, there's a PDF map of Downtown Titan to download as well as a new Hardw[a]r Enhanced Economy Mod DLL 20051112 to download too.

Homeworld 2:

Over on the Star Wars: Warlords website, they seem to be approaching their 0.5 milestone release. On the Freespace: A New Age forum, they've posted an update on how the mod is coming along.

Star Trek: Armada Series:

Since it's been a long time since the last update, I'm just going to keep all of the ST game updates simple and quick. Armada 2 Files has seen a ton of updates, such as the Derelict Map Pack, a new version of the Whale Probe as well as the Earth Alliance Omega Class Destroyer.

Star Trek: Bridge Commander:

Bridge Commander Files also has a slew of updates such as the USS-Mantis, ZZ's Miranda Pack and the new SNS Akira Pack, among others.

Star Trek: Klingon Academy:

KlingonAcademy.com has announced a new download system. Over on the KlingonAcademy.com forums there have been a lot of new mod releases, including a D4 Class Bird of Prey, a NX Class Cruiser Pack, a Daedalus Class Cruiser Pack and a slew of releases from the Next Generation Academy.

Star Trek: Starfleet Command Series:

Starfleet Command 3 Files, like the other sites, has a ton of updates. You can find the USS Anubis, the Alternate Universe: Swift Wars pack, and the Typhon Class Dreadnaught, for example. Starfleet Universe has word that Elite-Kaos has released the beta version of his SFC3 multiplayer mod called EXPANSIONv0-01.

Space Empires Series:

Not only has Strategy First signed the rights to publish the latest Space Empires games, but they've recently released Space Empires IV Deluxe as a digital download for about $30, which is cheaper than previously offered.

Wing Commander Series:

The Wing Commander CIC has been busy, as usual. They have word that some Wing Commander Mods for Space Empires IV are now available, Privateer Gemini Gold is getting a 1.01 patch, Flight Commander 1.3 will have advanced scripting, there's some new art from Origin artist Sean Murphy, and finally a new way to play Wing Commander: Armada online (which I have to try).

X Series

Even though X3 was released recently, Egosoft has already relesed a 1.2 patch that includes a bunch of minor and major fixes. You can find out more in their X3 patches section.

X-Wing/Tie Fighter Series:

The X-Wing Alliance Upgrade has been updated with a new Escape Pod and a new Xiytiar Transport.

Starships Unlimited 3 Launched

2005-11-10T11:21:00.000-05:00

In a recently released press release, Matrix Games has announced the release of Starships Unlimted 3, the latest in the popular sci-fi 4X game series from Ape Zone. Here's a clip from the release:

Unlike many other games of galactic exploration, conquest, economics and diplomacy, Starships Unlimited v3 focuses on a small number of unique starships, each with different crew mixes and different technologies. These ships and their crews are the heroes of this science fiction epic, boldly exploring the unknown, dealing with alien races and helping your people expand to new worlds.

You can find out more at Matrix Game's official Starships Unlimted 3 web site.

Flatspace II Released

2005-11-09T14:56:00.000-05:00

Last week, the latest version of Flatspace -- a top-down elite/roguelike space game -- has been released. Flatspace II, according to its product description page, has new artifacts, better balancing and more. Here's a clip from the page about the game:

Another big change in Flatspace II compared to the first game is the game balancing. Unlike the first game there are no unfair or random events that can instantly kill the player and the game is less punishing to beginners. A new difficulty system limits damage to your ship, upgrades are more affordable, and a massive amount of play testing ensures that the different player activites are much more evenly balanced than before.

You can head over to the Flatspace downloads page to get the 12.5 MB demo version and try it out for yourself. The first game was a lot of fun, so I look forward to trying out this new version.

Star Wraith IV Version 2 Launched

2005-11-09T11:16:00.000-05:00

The official Star Wraith IV site has news that version 2 of this popular indie space sim has been released. Here's a clip:

The next phase of Star Wraith IV, version 2, has been launched! This update is a major revision to the game. The graphics engine has been overhauled to provide Evochron level detail and effects. A few bug fixes are also included along with some new textures and cockpit details. This update is free for all current registered players and the installer will also work as a patch to update any older 1.X version of the game up to the 2.X system.

This new version has several bug fixes, tweaks, and revisions, so head over to the official site to download the 11.2 MB trial version. It's a fun game, so any space sim fan should enjoy it.

Epic: Middle States Becomes Torn Stars

2005-10-24T02:25:00.000-04:00

I got a nice email from Jon of the Epic mod team stating that the mod is now called Torn Stars. Here's a description from the new web site:

Torn Stars (formerly Epic: Middle States) is a new and epic space simulation set in the war torn and ravaged Middle States star cluster. Live a second life traveling and plying the space lanes with a fleet of transports, preying on fat and rich merchant transports as a pirate, exploring l-points and undiscovered star systems, or even laying claims and searching out mineral-rich asteroids.

You can read more about this new mod for Independence War 2, and download the 98MB file, at the official Torn Stars website.

New X3: Reunion Designer Diary Entry at GameSpot

2005-10-21T11:41:00.000-04:00

There's a fantastic developer diary entry over at GameSpot detailing the day in a life of a pilot in the X3 universe. Here's a clip:

With him at my mercy, I ask him to surrender. To my surprise, he refuses and then I realize why. I had not checked my immediate surroundings carefully, and two local police ships are speeding to his aid. The supplier was not attached to any station or factory. He was an independent trader and still they came to his aid! Cursing, I swiftly dispatch the freighter and he disappears in a cloud of dust, his scream cut short. Even in this short span of time, the police ships are onto me--one standard Boron M4 fighter and one Vanguard M4. I curse again. Although the M4s are lighter than my ship, they are faster and more agile, and the Vanguard is faster and more heavily armed than most ships.

Be sure to check out the rest of the diary entry over at GameSpot, and enjoy.

X3 Has Gone Gold!

2005-10-17T11:40:00.000-04:00

According to the official Egosoft website, X3 has finally gone gold. Here's a clip from the announcement:

The sequel to the award-winning PC title X²: The Threat; X³: Reunion is an in-depth space simulation that thrusts players into an epic battle for control of the universe. The latest in graphics technology and a multi-purpose interface allow the player to fight, barter, pirate, police, steal and trade their way to domination. Featuring a real dynamically interactive AI and economic model, NPC pilots will help or hinder players on the way to salvation for the universe.

You can head over to the official Egosoft website for more info.

Weird Worlds: Return To Infinite Space Is Golden

2005-10-13T13:04:00.000-04:00

In a press release on the Shrapnel Games website, they've stated that Weird Worlds: Return To Infinite Space, the sequel to the excellent Strange Adventures In Infinite Space, has gone gold and will be available shortly. Here's a clip from the press release:

Weird Worlds: Return To Infinite Space is the staggeringly brilliant follow-up game to the original, epic coffee-break game of space exploration, Strange Adventures In Infinite Space. Designed for Windows, the sequel is everything you enjoyed about the first game, along with a whole parsec or two of new stuff guaranteed to make even a Vulcan get excited. We're talking gorgeous new graphics, amazing new encounters, even more challenging combat, and more secrets than the strange guy down the hall who always wears that stained raincoat...

You can head over to the official Weird Worlds: Return To Infinite Space site for more information about the game itself, which I know I'll be buying shortly.

Epic: Middle States released for Independence War II

2005-10-11T23:42:00.000-04:00

A new total conversion is available for Independence War II: The Edge of Chaos. Called Epic: Middle States, this new mod has several features including:

A new star cluster with well developed background The Middle States.
Economic simulation and new occupation of Merchant Trader.
Reputation adjusted by player actions such as Piracy.
Governments protect innocent shipping and actively pursue pirates.
Pirates haunt Lagrange points and prey on merchant shipping.

Head over to the official Epic: Middle States page for files and installation instructions.

Word Verification On

2005-10-06T11:28:00.000-04:00

A quick administrative note: word verification has been switched on to prevent comment spamming.

X3: Reunion Interview Over at Gamecloud

2005-09-30T12:51:00.000-04:00

Gamecloud has an interview with Egosoft's Greg Kingston regarding their upcoming space sim, X3: Reunion. Here's a clip:

Gamecloud - What can you tell us about the game's graphical features?

Greg Kingston - The graphics are amazing. The new DX9 engine boasts by far the best visuals of any space game either on or planned for the market. Extensive use of pixel shaders combined with complex ship models and low orbit sectors makes for an unparalleled experience. The first time you start the game and look at the view, it is easy to get vertigo! The game has look stunning to grab the attention of new players but once immersed into the game it is easy to take the quality for granted. Every now and then during testing, I simply have to stop and look at a station or a ship, and just think “wow”.

Head over to Gamecloud for the entire interview.

Darkstar One Webite Launched

2005-09-28T11:36:00.000-04:00

Ascaron Entertainment has released a press release in which they've announced the launch of the Darkstar One website, which has quite a bit of information on the game. Here's a clip from the press release:

Fans of science fiction and gripping space action should fly over to www.darkstar-one.com for a plethora of Darkstar One material, including information about the races, ships and planets, as well as background details and game features surrounding the Darkstar One universe.

You can head over to the official Darkstar One website for more information.

Wing Commander 15 Year Anniversary

2005-09-26T02:18:00.000-04:00

Chris from the Wing Commander CIC wrote in and told us about a news piece they have regarding the 15th anniversary of the release of the first Wing Commander title on September 26th, 1990, and how far the series has come since the release so long ago. Here's a clip:

In the fifteen years since that day, the Wing Commander saga set the high bar for quality in computer and video gaming. If your favorite video game today goes out of its way to make you feel like a participant instead of an observer, it is because of what Wing Commander did to gaming. If your computer plays sounds on a Soundblaster, reads games from a CD-ROM drive or makes use of 3d accelerated graphics, it is because Wing Commander pushed the envelope and made these things the standard.

You can read then entire retrospective over at Wing Commander CIC.

X3: Reunion Q&A at Gamespy

2005-09-24T11:31:00.000-04:00

Gamespy has an interview with Egosoft's Greg Kingston regarding their upcoming space sim, X3: Reunion. Here's my favorite clip:

GameSpy: X2 was kind of an intimidating game with a steep learning curve. How are you making this game friendlier for new players who may not be familiar with the game's conventions?

Greg Kingston: We have drastically changed the interface. Rather than being primarily keyboard driven, it is now mouse-driven and as a result is far easier and quicker to navigate. All controls are now fully re-mappable and the new game engine allows for far greater detail on the menu screens. The new physics in the flight model also makes controlling your ship far more fun, and a variety of newly scripted business tools make managing your empire much easier -- and veteran players will find the economy much-changed from X2. We've also introduced some helpful elements into the game that not only bring the universe more to life, but also offer assistance and hints along the way.

You can read the entire three-page interview by heading over to Gamespy.

Evochron Alliance Released

2005-09-24T11:25:00.000-04:00

Less than one week after it was originally announced, StarWraith 3D Games has released Evochron Alliance. The game/demo weighs in at 25 MB and is available on the Evochron Alliance downloads page.

GalCiv 2 Beta 3 Manual and Tech Tree Visual

2005-09-23T14:46:00.000-04:00

The Galactic Civilizations 2 website has been updated with word that Apolyton Directory offers a new tech tree screenshot.

In related news, the Beta 3 User Manual (screenshots plus info) can be viewed at the GalCiv2 forum.

STO: Two Questions, Two Answers

2005-09-23T14:40:00.000-04:00

STGU provides a translation of a very brief Q&A (two questions regarding localization and the in-game economy) with Star Trek Online Executive Producer, Daron Stinnett. If you'd prefer to read the French original, click over to StarTrekMMOG.net.

FreeAllegiance.org New Cadet Session A

2005-09-23T14:34:00.000-04:00

FreeAllegiance.org has announced that they have begun a new eight-week Cadet Session for new Allegiance players.

EVE Vids and Interview

2005-09-23T14:29:00.000-04:00

The official EVE site hosts a pair of recent EVE videos that include gameplay footage set to a soundtrack by JunkieXL.

Also, Game Industry recently chatted with CCP's Reynir Petursson, who chats about the Cold War expansion and the game's community.

iMod v2.2 for MOO3

2005-09-23T14:21:00.000-04:00

Laryllan sends word that iMod v2.2 for Master of Orion 3 is now available. A description of the mod follows, which is lifted from the mod's site:

iMOD is a modification for Master of Orion 3 to improve the multiplayer experience.

It features new, less annoying graphics and sounds, readable fonts, new player colors and gameplay changes. The first goal of iMOD is to make it possible to win with every race without allowing any killer races or strategies. For that reason, all race picks have been rebalanced, as have governments; every race features hardcoded modifiers and one race-specific level zero technology. The weapon system was changed with more emphasis on beam weapons, many changes have been done to the AI to make it a threat, and much more...

The mod weighs in at 34.2MB and can be downloaded at the mod's site.

Darkstar One English Press Release

2005-09-19T13:11:00.000-04:00

GamesIndustry.biz has a press release outlining some details, in English, about Asceron's recently announced space sim, DarkStar One. Here's a clip from the announcement:

DarkStar One delivers fast-paced action within a vast and authentic universe, spectacular graphics, freedom of choice, a gripping story and the power to save the federal galaxy from its nemesis!

Not much information right now, to be sure, but we'll bring you more as we get it.

Evochron Alliance Announced

2005-09-19T00:19:00.000-04:00

StarWraith 3D Games has announced Evochron Alliance, a sequel to their original space exploration and combat sim, Evochron. Some of the new features include a real-time ship yard, better graphics, the ability to create custom missions, and much more. Check out the official Evochron Alliance for a more extensive feature list, screenshots, and much more.

Starships Unlimited III Announced

2005-08-30T11:39:00.000-04:00

Matrix Games has posted a press release stating that ApeZone has signed with them in order to publish Starships Unlimited III. Here's a clip from the press release:

Starships Unlimited III will be familiar to fans of the original, but with significant improvements. For starters, exploration has been expanded to four ages of exploration rather than one, with planets revealing more of their secrets as your ability to explore them improves. The focus of exploration is now more peaceful and scientific and allows all races to eventually reach new technology ages through exploration and diligent research.

You can read more in the the official press release.

Axiomatic Released

2005-08-28T16:41:00.000-04:00

Ten Ninjas have released their space combat game, Axiomatic. The game looks pretty cool, so check it out at the official Axiomatic website. Once you check out the demo, the full version can be purchased for $15.

X³: Reunion Games Convention Trailer Video Available

2005-08-28T16:36:00.002-04:00

Egosoft has posted an update to the official X3: Reunion site stating that the trailer shown at the Games Convention is now available for download, and you can get it in their downloads section.

Invasion of Cardassia 3.0 Announced

2005-08-28T16:36:00.001-04:00

Hot on the heels of the release of Invasion of Cardassia 2.1, the author has announced that Invasion of Cardassia 3.0 has been announced and will be available sometime in 2006. Using the next version of Bruno R. Marcos' game engine will allow ships to behave accurately, as well as many other enhancements. We'll keep you posted as to further developments.

Babylon Project Tracker Shutting Down

2005-08-28T16:36:00.000-04:00

News from the Babylon Project Tracker states that the site will shut down sometime in October or November. There will be replacement torrents for the files they're currently hosting, but it's unknown at the time whether there will be a replacement. We're sorry to see them go.

For the People, By The People: Sunday

2005-08-28T16:34:00.000-04:00

Hey there, folks, didn't find much in the way of new or interesting stuff. People must be on summer vacations. Anyway, here's this week's batch of stuff. Enjoy!

Freelancer:

Lancers Reactor has its usual bevy of updates, including the Close Encounters in Sirius version 3.1 mod, a new Freelancer Windows Theme, the Evil Empire Revolution mod, a Randomizing Compilator utility, the Freelancer Mk II mod, an update to the Crossfire Open Singleplayer Addon, and much more.

Freespace 2:

Over on the Hard Light forums, news that The Ferrier Project has a new shot of a TFB Paladin battleship, and it looks VERY impressive. Check out the shots in this forum thread.

Starflight III:

The Starflight III home page has been updated with a rather large status update and a call for more coders to help with the project. You can read about it on their news page.

Star Trek: Armada II

Armada 2 Files has a plethora of files for Armada II, including the Springfield Class starship, the Dominion Full Race mod, Mapman's Magnificant Map Pack, and much more.

Star Trek: Bridge Commander:

Bridge Commander Files has the usual ton of updates, including the USS Jupiter, the USS Victorius, the I.S.S. Garth, an Assimilated New Orleans, the USS Commendant, and much more.

Star Trek: Klingon Academy:

Prolific modder Moogle has released many more mods over on KlingonAcademy.com, including the Tholian Hematite Class Heavy Battleship, the TMP Romulan Star Base, and Freighter, the Romulan Wicked Claw Class Destroyer Escort and Wing of Light Medical Frigate, the Tholian Star Base, and the Tholian Granite Class Super Freighter. User Kt'Hyla has also released the Enterprise-K model on his own website.

Star Trek: Starfleet Command 3:

Starfleet Command III files has a ton of new stuff for SFC3, including the Near Distant Future Music Add-on, an X-Wing Pack, the Generations At War mod, an Andromedan Ship Pack, and much more.

Vendetta Online:

The official Vendetta Online site has some news that jumps are now a little easier to accomplish, along with some other tidbits.

Wing Commander:

For those of us with the Wing Commander IV DVD, news that the patch to allow the game to run on modern DVDs has been updated, and you can read about it at the Wing Commander CIC. There's also updates for the two WC Nexus mods, Wing Commander 2634 and WC Tactics.

X-Wing Alliance

The X-Wing Alliance Upgrade has been updated with a new escape pod available to be downloaded.

Darkstar One Announced

2005-08-24T23:36:00.000-04:00

Saw on Blues News that Asceron has announced a new space combat game called Darkstar One. The website, however, is in German, and details are fairly sketchy right now, but you can see some screenshots over on 3D Gamers. We'll bring you more as we get it.

X3 Footage

2005-08-22T11:28:00.000-04:00

The official X site has word that German gaming site, JustGamers, has posted a two-minute video that features footage from X3, along with commentary (white noise for non-German speakers) from Bernd Lehahn.

B5 Starship Commander Updates

2005-08-22T11:17:00.000-04:00

The B5SC site discloses that an initial alpha offering of the strategy title should be available in late September. Also, the devlog serves up details on a number of features that have recently been added to the work-in-progress.

Gal Civ 2 Dev Bloggage: Beta 3, UI, Graphics

2005-08-22T11:10:00.000-04:00

Cari talks Galactic Civilizations 2 Beta 3, UI, and technical graphics details in a recent blog entry.

Vendetta Online Fixes

2005-08-22T10:47:00.000-04:00

Vendetta Online has experienced a recent update, which addresses a few bugs, alters the XP system for newbie players, and changes wormhole and sector jumping rules.

EON Mag Preview (EVE)

2005-08-22T10:37:00.000-04:00

Thanks to EVE-I for pointing out that CCP has posted a preview of the first issue of EON, a magazine devoted to EVE Online. The first issue will ship on October 1, and future issues will be released on a quarterly basis. A sneak peek of articles and the zine can be viewed at the EVE site.

Freespace: A New Age Update

2005-08-21T14:03:00.000-04:00

A new version of Freespace: A New Age, has been released. This Freespace mod for Homeworld 2 is looking very impressive indeed, and you can download the latest version and see screenshots on this forum thread from the official site.

Trials of Obi-Wan Announced

2005-08-21T13:57:00.000-04:00

According to the Star Wars Galaxies Vault, a new expansion has been announced for Star Wars Galaxies. Titled "Trials of Obi-Wan," the new expansion will have content from Mustafar inspired by Revenge of the Sith. Here's a clip:

Trials of Obi-Wan allows players to better understand the meaning of these final words spoken by Luke Skywalker’s mentor, as they embark upon missions delivered directly from the spirit of the revered Jedi Master himself. From the very shores of molten lava where he defeated Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan guides players on quests that span the planet Mustafar – some of which might even convert devotees of the dark side over to a more virtuous path. This expansion features many new high-level quest rewards, including the ability to find a fiery red crystal found only on the volcanic planet that creates a lava-like lightsaber for the lucky owner. Players who fulfill all of Obi-Wan’s directives will also receive a rich reward.

You can read the entire release by heading over to the Star Wars Galaxies Vault.

X3: Reunion Q&A at Gamebiz

2005-08-08T16:06:00.000-04:00

Over on Gamebiz there's a four-page interview with Egosoft's Greg Kingston regarding X3: The Reunion. Here's a clip:

GameBiz: In terms of playable races, should we look forward to new races? Do the races react a little differently to each other and the player as well?

Greg: The player will be able to gain more options on how to play the game as he or she progresses. More exciting is how the races react to one another – we have brought life to some of the fiction behind race conflicts in previous games and the player certainly cannot take everything for granted anymore nor expect everything to be quite as predictable…

You can check out the entire interview by heading over to Gamebiz.

For the People, By The People: Sunday

2005-08-07T16:33:00.000-04:00

Sorry about the delay, folks. RL (Real Life) can get too busy at times. Anyway, here's some of the latest stuff floating around the Internet.

Allegiance:

FreeAllegiance.org has word that Allegiance Wars 4 will begin in a month or two, with custom maps, factions, and teams, all in a persistent universe.

Babylon 5: I Found Her:

The official Babylon 5: I Found Her website has a few updates. First, they're looking for voice actors for the next release of IFH (you can upload your clips here). They also have a new FAQ as well as a history of the project in screenshots.

Freelancer:

Lancers Reactor has seen many new updates, some of which include a Commodity Randomizer (which I am DYING to try), a Server Police Patrol ship, a new version of the popular Asgard Mod, an update to the 88 Flak: Mythic Drive, a Ship Variant mod that adds many ships to the game, an update to the Discovery MOD, and quite a bit more. There's also a new MOD School in the works by The Righteous Angels, and you can sign up here.

Freespace:

Hard Light Productions has word that the long-awaited Transcend campaign has been released, and you can download it at the official Transcend website. Some other new campaigns include the Derelict campaign and the Homesick campaign. Several new mods include a new Archangel Mod, the GTSC Plato, a new starfield. The Babylon 5 Project has some new releases, including Base 3.2 and Raider Wars 2.0. There's also a new Survivor campaign as well.

Hardwar:

A fan-based Hardwar 3000 project has recently been announced, the new game taking place long after the original Hardwar. A new version of the UIM Enhanced package has been released, which adds support activating hangars.

Homeworld 2

The Warlords site, which is Star Wars mod for Homeworld 2, has been updated with new of an upcoming Clonewars 0.91 update for the mod.

Independence War 1/2:

The Independence War II - Edge of Chaos has seen an update with a complete savegame package for those feeling frustrated with the game. A new article on the original Independence War game has also been created over on Wikipedia. Finally, an impressivw graphical presentation of The Storm Petrel from Independence War 2 has been created.

Jumpgate:

Some updates to several popular tools. Zeshin's JGShipCreator, which lets you tweak custom ship layouts outside of the game, and Slopey's popular JGWebTracker, which lets you track prices and commodities, have both been updated.

Star Trek: Armada 2:

There's a ton of new files over at Armada 2 Files, including the Double Shipyard Haven map, the Freedom Class Distroyer, the Nelson Class Starship, the NX-Defiant, the Species 8472 Juggernaut Command Battleship, the USS Lightbringer, and a new set of Armada I Federation Campaigns for Armada II.

Star Trek: Bridge Commander:

Bridge Commander Files has seen several new files added to its roster, including the Alexander Class starship, a Borg-Assimilated Sovereign starship, a heavy photon torpedo, a quantum torpedo mod, and a new Galaxy pack which includes three Galaxy class ships. Also, an update on the status of Bridge Commander 2, or BC2, has been made at the Star Trek Gaming Universe.

Star Trek: Klingon Academy:

Plenty of activity going on at the KlingonAcademy.com forums. A Miranda Class starship, an Avenger Class starship, a Tholian Malachite Class Corvette, a Federation Meru Class Deuterium Tanker, a Federation Yorktown Class Gunship, a Tholian Diamond Class Heavy Cruiser and a Tholian Balsa Class Fighter have been released by one author, Moogle, for download. There's also a new Romulan Corvette available as well.

Star Wars Galaxies:

Both SWG Vault and SWG Warcry have news of a hotfix that has quite a few little fixes for the game that has been posted today, August 7th.

Wing Commander:

The latest update from the Wing Commander: Standoff page tells us that Episode 2 is nearly completed.

The X Universe:

Over on the Egosoft site, they've released the X2 All In One Bonus Package Version 1.04 which includes 12 mods. You can get it from their Bonus Materials download page. Egosoft has also released some new screenshots for X3: Reunion in their screenshots gallery.

Evochron 2.228 Released

2005-08-07T16:32:00.001-04:00

The official Evochron site was updated recently with a new version of the game, 2.228. This version includes several bug fixes, a dedicated multiplayer server mode, and improvements to radar tracking. You can get the latest version of the game from the site's downloads section.

Neutral Zone Commercial Product Named

2005-08-07T16:32:00.000-04:00

Cateia Games have finally named their upcoming independent project, which will be known as Crimeya: Imperial Wars. The official Neutral Zone 2 project has been shut down, and will turn into a mod for the new commercial game.

Flight Commander 1.2 Test Released

2005-08-07T16:31:00.000-04:00

The 1.2 Test version of Flight Commander, an independent Wing Commander title, has been released, has been released, with improved explosions, angular acceleration, customizable hud icons and colors, and much more. You can download the 38 MB file from the Wing Commander CIC.

Starshatter: The Gathering Storm Screenshots Released

2005-08-06T13:14:00.000-04:00

John DiCamillo posted a thread on the official Starshatter forum saying he's put up some new screenshots of Starshatter: The Gathering Storm. Right now we're still unsure whether Starshatter: The Gathering Storm is an expansion or a sequel, but here's a couple of the screenshots to pique your interest:

You can see the rest of the screenshots at the official Starshatter website. We'll bring you more information as we get it ourselves.

Privateer Gemini Gold 1.0 Released

2005-07-24T15:44:00.000-04:00

Wing Commander: Privateer Gemini Gold has reached version 1.0, and is available for download on their files page. Here's a clip from the latest news:

After a successful Beta Test we are proud to announce the completion of Privateer Gemini Gold Version 1.0. Freely available for all operating Systems (Windows, OSX, Linux) and based on the Open Source Vegastike Engine you can experience the fun of the beloved classic Privateer once again with new graphics and real 3D spaceflight.

Be sure to get the 190 MB file from their files page.

The Epic Culture Clash?

2005-07-20T19:41:00.000-04:00

Sometimes the emails I receive are so interestingly-worded in a blindingly original style that I feel compelled to share the entire thing. With no further ado, here's Silver Stiletto's heads up regarding Wing Commander Universe, which is currently in Pre-alpha status as an add-on (see release notes) to the Privateer Remake:

Wing Commander Privateer, the Han-Solo style space combat and piracy game has lingered in many gamers' hearts since its epic 1993 debut. The vaunted release of the open source, cross platform Privateer Remake 1.0 has brought with it political upheaval in the world of game development.

When faded Technicolor EGA memories from 1993 are shattered by the harsh reality of cold, hard 3d accelerated pixels, the calm ripples of the past congeal and explode into a torrent of desire, anguish and pain. It was like Lucas bringing the star wars legacy into the 21st century, stirring up previously calm, collected, knowing fans from decades past into a veritable whirlwind.

Naturally some want more, some want less, but everyone wants change. Unlike many Internet phenomenon, and perhaps similar to the epic Phantom Edit from 1999, the complaints about Privateer Remake did not remain in written English. Some of the disputants translated their elaborate expositions into C++ or python and others went straight into to .3ds and png. Users and developers began pounding out their own vision of how the game was--and how it should be, each with a vision both as opaque as frothing bubbling water and as clear as the sound of a graphite on a slate block.

It was as much a coming together of the community as would be an earth shattering, cataclysmic clashing of tectonic plates. But in the titanic crashing of the mountains of developers through the ethereal seas of cyberspace, three continents formed. The remake remained chipped but in tact, delivering the first stable update, version 1.2 with physics more similar to the original but retaining the subtle improvements of 1.0, but two entirely new land masses were chiseled from the uniform whole, traveling askew, opposite on a spectrum ranging from the pure past to the tumultuous future.

This future body, named Wing Commander Universe, a fork of the remake, offers a dissonance of starships from the early wing commander series and access to a mind boggling array of star systems and maps to explore, or rather tumble through, in the hopes that some distant memory may be sparked by the familiar stars packed into a swath of outlandish systems. In stark contrast, the other fork, Privateer Remake gold edition scooped while still in beta by the german news website returns to the placid meadows of the past, dissociating itself from both the sweeping changes of Wing Commander Universe and the even more nuanced changes of the Privateer Remake itself. And with each branch of the main tree comes an even more jarringly verbose crowd of developers all with unique memories of large blocky pixels and the coldest sea full of pirates, bounty hunters and one lucky Privateer.

Gotta love "faded Technicolor EGA memories". Posted as submitted. Thanks Silver Stiletto!

Evochron II Hinted At?

2005-07-19T15:49:00.000-04:00

In the latest edition of the StarWraith 3D Games Official Newsletter, Shawn alleges that he's begun working on a new version of Evochron. Here's the skinny:

Since Evochron's release earlier this year, I have received a lot of feedback about the game. It was obvious that the concept and gameplay of Evochron was (and still is) very popular and requests for new features began to fill the forum and my in-box. I've managed to implement a lot of the requests/suggestions I've received, but it became apparent that in order to add some of the requested features, substantial changes to the game's design would need to be made... changes that would require an entirely new version of the game. As a result, I've started to work on a sequel and hope to include as many of the features you've requested as I reasonably can. I plan to have some more details about this project available in the next newsletter.

You can check out more by reading the newsletter. You can also see more about Evochron and other Star Wraith games at the official StarWraith 3D Games website.

For the People, By the People: Sunday

2005-07-17T16:40:00.000-04:00

Bridge Commander:

BC Files has several new files avialable, including a new USS Sovereign mod, as well as upgrades to existing ships such as the Ferengi Merauder or the DAP Borg Sphere.

Darkspace:

The official Darkspace website has news of a new free trial offer and word on their upcoming patch.

Epiar:

The official Epiar site has seen a news update showing off some of its GUI improvements.

Freespace 2:

Hard Light Productions has several pieces of new info. There's a FRED contest that's been announced, the Babylon Projecty's Raider Wars has a patch for version 2.0 and the Darkness Fall campaign has been updated, and there's a new Hecate upgrade available.

Galaxy Hack:

There's a new Windows 1.47 patch for Galaxy Hack available in the official Galaxy Hack forums.

Jumpgate:

A new patch, version 1.0102 has been released for Jumpgate. Read all about it on the official Jumpgate forums.

Nexus: The Jumpter Incident:

There are new Wing Commander Tactics screens available for this Nexus total conversion at the official Nexus forums.

Starfleet Command:

Starfleet Command III Files has the latest version (5.0) of the Unity mod with several new features, as well as patch to bring it up to version 5.0B.

Vendetta Online:

The official Vendetta Online website has word on their progress with development of the Hive faction.

Wing Commander:

There's a new Wing Commander interactive Flash navigation map available. Read all about it on the Wing Commander CIC forums.

X-Wing Alliance:

Darksaber's X-Wing Station has been updated with news many new OPTS for X-Wing Alliance.

Privateer Remake 1.2 Released

2005-07-17T14:45:00.000-04:00

The official Privateer Remake announcements page has word that version 1.2 of their program has been released. There's no word on what the new version adds or improves just yet (this forum thread mentions new artwork and bugfixes, but nothing specific), but you can head over to their downloads page to get the 23 MB patch or the 189 MB full version of the game.

TBP v3.2 and Raider Wars v2.0

2005-07-17T09:27:00.000-04:00

The Babylon Project, the stand-alone Babylon 5-based space sim, has been updated to v3.2. In addition to the updated base files, there is also a new version of the Raider Wars campaign (along with a v2.01 patch that addresses a crashing issue). Thanks to dabrain for the heads up.

For the People, By the People: Sunday

2005-07-10T17:58:00.000-04:00

This is my first edition of this, so please be kind. Here's what I've found so far.

Bridge Commander:

Bridge Commander Files has several new files, such as the Hunter of Tosk or the Borg Scoutship.

DarkSpace:

The official DarkSpace website announced the winners of their screenshot contest. Check out the winning entries in this forum thread.

Freelancer:

Lancer's Reactor has some new mods, such as the Alex MP[MOD v1.0 which adds 20 new systems, a bunch of Star Wars ships save games, and an Outposts Mod that adds outposts to the game. Also, the Freelancer Hardware Update page has moved to a new location.

Freespace 2:

Chapter one of The Centaur Project campaign has been released over on Hard Light Productions, and the massive FS/FS2 Campaigns list thread has seen some updates.

Nexus: The Jupiter Incident:

There's a new multiplayer patch available at the official Nexus website, and a demo for the Pirates campaign has been released. The Angels Fall First website has been updated with a progress update for this Nexus total conversion as well.

Starfleet Command Series:

Starfleet Command III Files has a slew of new files, such as the Sedition total conversion or the Dark Enteprise mod. Dynaverse.net has released a massive 200 page Orion Pirates Strategy Guide. Starfleet Universe also has news regarding the balancing of the upcoming beta patc for Starfleet Command III.

Star Trek Armada II:

Star Trek Armada II Files has many new files available, including the Niagara Class starship, the Ambassador & Niagara Ship Pack, or the Deep Space Mining Station, among many others. There's also a new Blue Shields mod over at the Star Trek Gaming Universe.

Star Wars Galaxies:

SWGVault is having a "Faces of SWG" Contest. You can submit your photos here.

Wing Commander:

The Wing Commander CIC has its usual ton of news, such as Wing Commander being appreciated in Sci Fi Universe magazine. The Wing Commander: Standoff website has been updated with screenshots from Episode 2.

The X Universe:
The Mac version of X2: The Threat is now available for pre-order at Egosoft's online shop.

Neutral Zone 2 Project Changed

2005-07-10T17:57:00.000-04:00

The official Neutral Zone 2 website has word that Cateia Games will now be making a new commercial game simular to Neutral Zone 2, but in a new universe. Neutral Zone 2 will be available as a mod for this new game. Here's a clip:

We'll make a new game, one completely similar to TNZ2, with our own universe, races, starships etc.Since the concept is original, we can safely sell the game without violating various copyrights.

Now, about TNZ2: The game, unlike now, won't be a stand-alone freeware game, but a free mod for that new game. I'll make sure to develop all the features necesary to create a quality mod which will allow all star trek specific features such as warp, shield bubble etc.

The rest of the news is available at the official Neutral Zone 2 website.

Star Trek Trader Project Launched

2005-07-10T17:54:00.000-04:00

Over on BattleClinic, there's word of a new open-ended space sim set in the Star Trek universe. Here's a taste:

Hi all, seeing as there is no decent star trek game due for a while, I started a new game called Star Trek: Trader which hopefully will act like an X2 style game but set in the ST universe. It will be an open ended game that starts off in the TOS timeline and progressed onwards though the years until post TNG, covering a couple of hundred years.

You can see screenshots and read more at this forum post.

Freehauler Dev Update

2005-07-10T17:27:00.000-04:00

The official Freehauler website has a new developer update dated July 4th. This new entry talks about audio streaming. Here's a clip:

This coming week, I hope to finish the Audio module fairly quickly and move onto the user-input module. The week after I will be attending the Free Play independent game developers conference in Melbourne. Freeplay is a local (for me) conference targeted at indie game developers. I attended last year and enjoyed it quite a lot. If nothing else I feel Freeplay is a very good opportunity to stay in touch with the indie game deve scene. My impressions of last year's conference are posted here

Click here for the full entry.

New GalCiv II Dev Journal Entry

2005-07-10T16:06:00.000-04:00

There's a new developer journal entry at the official Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords website. Here's a clip:

When you have a constructor selected and you hit the construct button on the ship context area, the starbase window will come up and ask you what kind of starbase you want to build: military, culture, or economy. If the constructor is intersecting a resource, it will only list the mining starbase. Once you've made your selection and confirmed that you want to build the starbase there, if there are any other constructors in that tile, it will change to the starbase upgrade mode. You can build defense modules on any starbase, but you can only build military modules on a military starbase, etc..

Click here for the latest developer journal entry. You can also read previous journal entries as well. Enjoy!

EVE Online: Cold War Edition Released

2005-07-06T18:51:00.000-04:00

The official EVE Online website has news that their Cold War Edition content patch has been released. Here's a clip from the site:

The next exciting content update for EVE Online is being deployed today, 05 July, starting at 0500 GMT. This massive update, over 7 months in the making, will include such features as new capital ships, outposts, skills, modules, tech and much more.
Due to the size of this update, the normal downtime will be extended to 12 hours. The My EVE pages and official forums will have intermittent availability. Check the My EVE log-in page, this page and the Message of the Day for news and updates during the times the My EVE news page and forums are unavailable.

You can download the update from this HTTP link, this torrent, or check out this forum thread for mirrors.

Evochron Version 2.088 Released

2005-07-02T18:17:00.000-04:00

StarWraith's Evochron has been updated to version 2.088. A list of updates includes:

Graphics engine performance increased substantially, especially on low to medium level 3D cards.
Mouse direction flight control system enhanced for better response and accuracy.
Joystick HAT control can now be set to manage lateral and vertical strafe thrusters.
For player created star systems, planets can now be placed inside nebula clouds without atmosphere and gravity problems.
Wormhole scaling corrected at certain distances.
The Phantom cannon occasionably had shifting textures after changing flight controls in-game, now fixed.

You can head over to the Evochron news page for more information, or the Evochron downloads page to get the latest version.

Help with Hardwar 2 Requested

2005-07-02T17:50:00.000-04:00

fragile dog of the Hardwar 2 project has posted a request for C programmers and 3d modellers to help with the creation of Hardwar 2, the fan-created sequel to Hardwar. Head over to this posting on Captain Zedo's for more information.

Vendetta Online News Updates

2005-07-02T17:27:00.000-04:00

The Vendetta Online news page was updated on June 29th with some information as to what's upcoming for this MMO space sim. The latest news includes word of a mission editor (screenshot), and the Hive AI. Here's a clip regarding the mission editor:

Anyway, much of the work going into the mission editor has a much broader purpose than simply adding new missions. As you can see in the screenshot, the entire editor has been implemented within the game engine. Much of the development time was spent creating the new UI system, which while currently very unattractive, has loads of configuration potential, including the ability use user-configured skins, etc. It's our intention to open up much of the UI functionality to the userbase and let people create their own HUDs, menu interfaces, or whatever.

Find out more by heading to the Vendetta Online news page.

EVE Cold War Edition Content Pach Announced

2005-07-02T17:17:00.000-04:00

A few days ago, in the latest issue of EVE newsletter, CCP announced that a new content patch will be coming for EVE Online. The patch, termed the Cold War Edition, is described as follows:

So get ready for a new content patch, a new type of EVE updates from CCP that is much larger in scope than a regular patch and yet smaller than a full expansion. It is our great pleasure to introduce to you the Cold War Edition.

This content patch is an important chapter within EVE and will set the stage for our next expansion - currently codenamed Kali. So get the scoop here on what the Cold War Edition will contain and get ready for some large scale changes.

We'll bring you more information as we get it, but for now you can read more about it in the latest EVE newsletter.

Sword of the Stars Announced

2005-07-01T17:02:00.000-04:00

Thanks to my friends over at Octopus Overlords for pointing this out to me. Kerberos Productions is creating a new 4X space strategy game called Sword for the Stars. Here's a clip from their website:

Sword of the Stars is a breakthrough Space Strategy game that seeks to reinvigorate the sub-genre. Players will explore planets, manage their empire and research new technology. Sword of the Stars provides quick, intuitive play, state-of-the-art graphics and tactical combat that make the game instantly involving and rewardingly fun.

You can see screenshots, read more about the game's features, and watch a trailer at the official Sword for the Stars website.

Weird Worlds: Return to Infinite Space Publisher Announced

2005-06-30T18:01:00.000-04:00

Digital Eel has announced that their next game, Weird Worlds: Return to Infinite Space, will be published by Shrapnel Games. Here's a clip from their website:

Weird Worlds will be released by Shrapnel Games, makers of fine strategy games like Dominions II, Salvo!, Star Fury and the upcoming Land of Legend. Weird Worlds is slated for a September gold date with release to follow within a month. That means you can be thwarting evil Primordius and blasting pesky Deep Hunters to smithereens before you can say Zubenelgenubi!

Head over to the official Weird Worlds: Return to Infinite Space website for more information.

ATFW Status Update

2005-06-23T17:19:00.000-04:00

It seems as if I've been slacking off a great deal as of late, but it's my current goal to manage one day of updates per week. Between the job (which ends at the end of August), the obvious job search underway now, writing elsewhere, having some time for myself, and the indulgence of occasions of the social variety, I haven't had a lot of time for ATFW.

Having said that, "For the People, By the People" will continue its holding pattern while I'm in desperately-seeking-more-hours-in-the-day mode. Once the future job has been secured, and I've resettled, things should pick up again. In the meantime, I ask for your patience and understanding.

Flight Commander Patched

2005-06-23T17:02:00.000-04:00

Eddie Benowitz has posted word that Flight Commander has been updated. Mostly geared towards the modding community, but it also adds a couple of multimedia features. Thanks CIC.

Gal Civ 2 Updates

2005-06-23T16:47:00.000-04:00

Stardock announces that Paradox will be publishing Galactic Civilizations 2 in Europe. Paradox carries the full press release, which was created a couple of weeks ago.

The release of Beta 2 also saw the creation of a number of developer journal entries: CariElf discusses about efforts made on the new screens, mormegil shares eight screenshots from the second beta and also talks about UI design, BoogieBac offers a trio of concept art pieces and talks art, and Draginol reveals the release date (February 2006), gives an update on the game, where it stands, and how the beta will proceed, and also serves up four screenshots from the game.

X3 Screenshots

2005-06-23T16:45:00.000-04:00

Egosoft have published a dozen screenshots in recent days that show off the X3.

Stargunner Freewared

2005-06-23T16:36:00.000-04:00

Stargunner, a space/sci-fi shooter from then Apogee (now, 3D Realms), has been released as freeware. The 38.4 MB download includes 34 space-based and land-based levels (and one underwater level, to boot). Thanks Blue's.

Evochron v2.028

2005-06-13T16:48:00.000-04:00

StarWraith 3D has updated their free-form space combat sim, Evochron, to v2.028. The latest patch can be applied via the game's installer or the full version can be grabbed from the gamesite.

MMPOG Round-Up

2005-06-13T16:34:00.000-04:00

EVE-I.com shares a dev blog entry by kieron regarding a volunteer abuse in the ISD and the resolution of that issue.

A pair of missed Friday Features (Kkhowir Forest and Rryatt Trail) lurk at the official Star Wars Galaxies site.

Wizards of Technology airs a podcast (near the 30 minute mark) that includes a chat with Guild's John Bergman; apparent topics include Vendetta Online's future and an upcoming contest.

B5 Starfury Sim v1.2

2005-06-13T16:26:00.000-04:00

The Babylon 5 Starfury Simulator has reached the v1.2 milestone. The latest and greatest adds mouse flight controls for the joystick-challenged, new graphical enhancements, and a number of new features (all listed near the bottom of the page).

Privateer Remake v1.1

2005-06-13T16:07:00.000-04:00

Privateer Remake v1.1 has been launched in full versions (Windows, Mac OSX, Linux) and v1.0 to v1.1 patches (Windows and Linux). The full changelog (and there are a number of tweaks and enhancements) may be viewed in this thread at the Vega Strike Forums. Thanks PR team!

Star Trek Neutral Zone 2 Alpha 2.5

2005-06-13T16:03:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Stuart and Justin for the news that Star Trek Neutral Zone 2 Alpha 2.5 has been released. The latest version adds 3D audio support. Undetermined future versions will include 3D models, screenshots of which can be seen here and there and that-a-way.

Gal Civ 2 Beta 2 Update

2005-06-01T23:34:00.000-04:00

The Galactic Civilizations II site has been updated with news that the next beta version will include more features than planned but will be available later than expected (the second week of June).

Flight Commander v1.1 Released

2005-05-31T18:06:00.000-04:00

Eddie Benowitz announces the release of Flight Commander v1.1. Flight Commander is an original 3D space combat engine. The latest version offers a number of graphical enhancements and new features. The mission editor has also been spiffed up. Full details on the latest release and (a lucky) seven screenshots can be viewed in this thread hosted at the CIC forums.

Space Empires 5 Beta Pics

2005-05-31T17:57:00.000-04:00

Malfador has updated their SE V website with eight screenshots from the 4X title's beta. Thanks, Lee!

Heads Up: Star Trek Battlestations

2005-05-31T17:50:00.000-04:00

As seen at the STNZ 2 site, Mark Hu's Star Trek Battlestations intends to make a Star Trek-flavored RTS game with "the fluidity of Homeworld".

Star Trek Neutral Zone 2 Alpha 2.4.3

2005-05-31T17:44:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Stuart for the heads up that a new version of the STNZ 2 alpha has been launched. The 2.4.3 version includes a Spanish translation, a new chat system and new power management system, and several fixes.

Heads Up: GalaxyHack

2005-05-31T17:34:00.000-04:00

James sends word of his open-source simulation project, GalaxyHack. The game's site describes the sim as:

GalaxyHack allows you to design a fleet of spaceships which can then be tested in AI script based battles against fleets designed by other players. Though battles take place in real time, the strategy comes before hand, both in writing short AI scripts in a simple scripting language, and also in the set up and selection of your fleet. You don't actually have any control over your units at all mid-battle, but rather use the time to see where the set up of your fleets is working, where your fleets' weaknesses lie and changes are needed, and perhaps also to learn from the strategy of your opponent.

Certainly not a standard type of game we hear about, and even better, the site offers GalaxyHack v1.38 so you can freely check it out on Windows and Linux machines.

Heads Up: Precursors, Birth of the Federation 2, Starfox: Shadows of Lylat, and More

2005-05-31T17:07:00.000-04:00

Apologies for the lag as of late. Between the travel and the work, I haven't had a great deal of time. However, I have several emails worth of newsworthy goodness to share, and those will follow.

First of all, thanks to Nick, who pointed out several days ago that GamersHell featured a press release during E3 for Precursors, which is described as "updated conversion of good old and still famous game Elite, a modern First Person Shooter, classic science fiction movies and the world of the novels from Andre Norton." The game is under development by Deep Shadows, a Ukrainian studio.

Also from the GamersHell E3 section, one can find screenshots of two other commercial space combat titles from the east, Parkan II and Space Rangers 2, and screenshots of X3: Reunion.

Nick also shares two other non-commercial games of potential interest: Birth of the Federation 2 and Starfox: Shadows of Lylat.

BotF2 is a fan-made sequel of the TBS original; a handful of screenshots may be viewed at the website. Trek-Online.com offers a recent interview that clarifies that the game's engine is an original/3DState hybrid.

SF: SoL aims to merge the Starfox universe with the Freespace 2 engine. There appears to be no website yet, but a forum sports screenshots and a FAQ.

Epiar Mission Ideas Needed

2005-05-20T19:12:00.000-04:00

The Epiar developers currently seek ideas for missions in the upcoming v0.6.0 release. Contributors whose ideas are used will be credited.

Starglider: Resurrection Development Update

2005-05-20T18:59:00.000-04:00

A new Echthros Entertainment worklog discusses AI problems, solutions, and the new focus on strategy in the Starglider: Resurrection remake.

Evochron v1.588

2005-05-12T19:42:00.000-04:00

StarWraith has released Evochron v1.588, which includes an AI multiplayer improvement, a revamped training system, and more.

ST Neutral Zone 2 Manual and Interview

2005-05-11T08:04:00.000-04:00

A website version of the Star Trek Neutral Zone 2 manual has been opened. Trek-Online.com hosts a recent interview with Krešimir Špes of Cateia, who chats about a number of game features.