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Wolfenstein Multiplayer Test 2 Out 238

Kallahar writes: "Everybody and their pet will report this, but the new Wolf MP test is out! Get it from Blues News (or many mirrors)." This probably would have been a better submission if it had included a download link of some sort.
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Wolfenstein Multiplayer Test 2 Out

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  • by neema ( 170845 )
    "This probably would have been a better submission if it had included a download link of some sort."

    Then you should of got the submission from one of the everybody else.

    Or their pets.
  • by Levine ( 22596 ) <levine@nOsPAM.goatse.cx> on Monday November 05, 2001 @01:36AM (#2521298) Homepage
    Does it seem to anyone else that the gameplay in Return to Castle Wolfenstein seems - or is - Quake 3 all over again, with different weapons? Quake 3 is fun in its own respect, but slapping a World War 2 mod on top of it and marketing it as something brand new is pushing it a little, methinks.

    Of course my gameplay has been slightly limited - I certainly haven't logged more than a few hours at most - but I can't help but compare it to the superbly executed (and free) Day of Defeat. I guess it has more to do with realistic damage than anything else; I like the (generally) one shot one kill rules of DoD, and it seems silly that in Wolfenstein I have to shoot you with a Thompson or MP40 many times before you go down.

    Anyone else care to confirm or deny my suspicions and thoughts?

    Cheers,
    levine
    • by Anonymous Coward
      Hmm, not that id Software hasn't been making the same basic game for something like 10 years anyway...
    • by dimator ( 71399 ) on Monday November 05, 2001 @02:09AM (#2521378) Homepage Journal
      Does it seem to anyone else that the gameplay in Return to Castle Wolfenstein seems - or is - Quake 3 all over again, with different weapons?

      Many people use the game engines from iD; I think RCW does too. However, by calling it "Quake 3 + MOD," you devalue the amount of work it takes to create the sound, art, maps(!), effects, and tweaked gameplay that goes into such games. I'd wager that the non-engine work is just as hard/involved as the engine/game system work, and deserves credit.
    • well I would agree on the merits of the multiplay alone but thats not all there is. we have as yet to taste the single player experience. Thats what I'm waiting for. I prefer a single player game though i doubt anything is going to bringa candle to the experience of max payne anytime soon.

      id has fallen out of favor with me of late. I miss a single player game. and what they've been doing with the last four games has simply been rehashes of doom. I beat doom years ago. why does id keep making me play it?
      • well I would agree on the merits of the multiplay alone but thats not all there is. we have as yet to taste the single player experience.
        I'm not sure how you can agree on the "merits of the multiplay" alone...the mod isn't really like anything that was included in the Q3 box - it's got most in common with CounterStrike. Unless the "merits" you're talking about are the idea of shooting other people from the first-person view, online. I suppose it's a "q3 clone" to the extent that it is based on the q3 engine, but of course being developed under license and supervision by iD, that's hardly surprising...

        The surprising part for me is that Gray Matter is doing the single-player component while Nerve Software is developing the multiplayer. I don't know if this is the very first time that the single- and multi-player modes have been divided between different development houses, but it's definitely not a common practice. Normally this would be a good thing, since multiplayer is usually treated like an afterthought, but in this case....Gray Matter are many of the same people who made Kingpin, which had a flat single-player mode, but very good multi. Having a demonstrated aptitude for online multi-player FPS, I'm surprised it's out of their hands...and kind of disappointed. But hopefully Nerve will get the job done right. I hope the multiplayer isn't limited to the CounterStrike clone from the test...as fun as it can be, I never really understood the appeal behind CS and its knockoffs....
    • As another poster mentioned, ID engines are very, very popular for 3d shooters. Probably because they are all very extensible, run on multiple platforms, and are very, very well written.

      Alice is another Q3 engine game and Half Life was just one of the many games based on the Q2 engine.

      Now if you feel that there is a mod for Q3 out there that is better than Castle Wolfenstine, then by all means, go and play it. Personally I've been pretty impressed with CW so far. I'll have to consider if I want to buy it, but all in all it looks like a very solid game.

      As to the damage thing, I think that is an intentional thing. The two online FPS's I've played with any amount of regularity in the past are Quake 1 with the Team Fortress mod and Quake 2 with the Action Quake mod. Action Quake is a fairly realistic damage game (one shot in the right place kills) with real weapons, and that's one of the things I like about it. However, because of that it lends itself to team based skirmishes and not really to CTF kind of things like CW does. I think the CW guys have tried to strike a balance here and so far it seems ot be a good one.
      • by Anonymous Coward
        Oddly enough Half Life was actually based one Quake, not Quake 2. They brought the engine back to the future, which is why the game was late in shipping. Also the engine is really quite a bit nicer than Quake 2.
        • Don't feel bad.

          You're wrong.
          Actually, Half-life was developed in the Quake1 engine for most of the dev cycle, but then Quake2 came out in Dec 1997. After ID Software began licensing the Q2 engine, Valve bought a copy and integrated alot of the enhancements into their copy of the Q1 engine.

          There is always someone that tries to continue the myth that HL is based entirely on the Q1 engine. Please educate others.
      • Try Urban Terror (Beta 2.3) for Q3, www.urbanterror.net

        A fantastic mod, in the vein of AQ2. I came from AQ2 and am more addicted to UT2 than I ever was to AQ2.

        A better damage system than AQ2, and trust me, UT2 plays very well as CTF. There may be a more "objective" style gamemode in beta 3, but I gather that's still in the planning process.

        Check it out, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

        -gleam
    • by htmlboy ( 31265 ) on Monday November 05, 2001 @03:23AM (#2521494)
      Return to Castle Wolfenstein is actually primarily a single player game. You play an army ranger who wakes up in a mysterious german castle. You fight your way out, see firsthand the nasty secret weapons of the nazi's, and (presumably) play a major role in destroying the nazi regime. So there is a rather extensive single player story to the game.

      However, with the sucess of Half-Life (decent multiplayer on its own even before team fortress and counterstrike), they're including a rather sophisticated multiplayer side to the game. I got the impression that it was a side project...just another selling point to what looks to be an excellent game.

      All this is based on my interpretation of the information on the official site (http://www.activision.com/games/wolfenstein/home. html [activision.com]) and a video I found somewhere with interviews of the developers.
      • Bit of a clarification. Half-life wasn't out before Team Fortres. TF was an old classic mod for the original Quake. Back when people with a 33.6 were LPB's to those of us trying to get into QuakeWorld with a 14.4. When 640x480 and hardware 3D was considered a godsend. And a huge advantage.

        -Steve
      • Not a side project (Score:3, Informative)

        by MindStalker ( 22827 )
        I wouldn't say it was a side project, infact its a completly different project. 3 different companies are working on RTCW.
        Id software - Overseeing the entire thing especially any engine modifications, mainly they are making sure to protect the name.
        Gray Matter Studios - Developing the single player.
        Nerve Software - Is developing the Multiplayer
        http://www.3dactionplanet.com/wolfenstein/info/f aq .shtml
        Though I'm curious as to why very few of the docs mention Nerve.
    • you're absolutely right ;-) I guess we'll just have to wait for the multiplayer Medal Of Honour Allied Assault for some real WW2 game that makes excellent use of the Q3 engine !!
    • Quake 3 is fun in its own respect, but slapping a World War 2 mod on top of it and marketing it as something brand new is pushing it a little, methinks.
      Well, the retail version of RtCW is going to include extensive single player action, unlike Quake3, which really only allowed mulitplayer and playing against the bots.

      Of course my gameplay has been slightly limited - I certainly haven't logged more than a few hours at most
      When I had only played Wolfenstein for a few hours, I didn't like it either. It grew on me.

      - but I can't help but compare it to the superbly executed (and free) Day of Defeat. I guess it has more to do with realistic damage than anything else; I like the (generally) one shot one kill rules of DoD,
      Really? That just frustrated me about Day of Defeat [dayofdefeatmod.com]. Especially as most servers have friendly fire turned on; the complete and utter cockmongers [penny-arcade.com] who plague most online games tend to blast you before you ever even see an enemy. Even if you don't get tagged by a teammate, though, I still find it frustrating and not fun -- but realistic, I'll grant you that! -- that so much of the action consists of "walk three steps, get fragged by an enemy you never saw."

      and it seems silly that in Wolfenstein I have to shoot you with a Thompson or MP40 many times before you go down.
      Yes, this is one of the sillier things about Wolfenstein. Example: it takes about nine body shots at close range with the Colt .45 to frag an enemy. The clip holds eight rounds. This makes the weapon less than useless, and not terribly realistic either. I suspect that there will still be some rebalancing coming on the weapons -- I'll probably try the test out later today and see how it goes.
    • I disagree (Score:2, Insightful)

      by Washizu ( 220337 )
      Does it seem to anyone else that the gameplay in Return to Castle Wolfenstein seems - or is - Quake 3 all over again, with different weapons?

      I highly disagree that the gameplay is similar. Yes, using the same engine ensures that some things will look and feel similar, but I don't see how Wolf's goal based, team oriented gameplay is similar to Quake 3 Arena's "pure arcade deathmatch".

      Quake 3: Encourages quick hands, great response times, solo fighting, good knowledge of locations for available power ups, jumping, fast shooting, etc.

      RTCW: Encourages knowledge of map routes, countering player classes, teamwork, reloading, delayed respawns, protecting land areas instead of power ups, strategic plans of attack, etc.

      To people who hardly ever play 3D shooters, I can see how they would think the games were similar, but I doubt you or I are in that category.
  • Civ 3, or Wolfenstein test...

    Wait, I've got two computers!
  • Back in the day... (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Powercntrl ( 458442 ) on Monday November 05, 2001 @01:40AM (#2521308) Homepage
    I remember running Wolfenstein 3D on my Tandy 1000RLX (286/10MHz XT, yes, a 286 with an 8-bit bus and 256k VGA graphics). Man, that was *the* shiznit back in the day. I have a feeling the latest versions will fail to capture the awe I felt when seeing what was actually possible with the processing power of a 286. Quite a legacy to have to live up to, if you ask me.

    To relive the experience, a newer Wolfenstein would have to again push current hardware beyond what is currently viewed as possible. It's quite a shame this is unlikely to happen - Makes me feel like "future generations" of computer users are missing out on something.
    • Acctually much to YOUR surprise they are coming out with a version of this new Quake 3 powered game for the Tandy 1000RLX (286/10MHz XT, yes, a 286 with an 8-bit bus and 256k VGA graphics). What a delightfull surprise!

      Crazy!
    • This person has a perfectly valid and on-topic comment on this topic. Why is it that he was labeled as a troll?
    • > I have a feeling the latest versions will fail to capture the awe I felt when seeing what was actually possible with the processing power of a 286.

      Heh unfortunately for us, you are almost guaranteed to be right. Why? Consider what Wolf3D was when it came out: it was the (semi-)3D shooter. There were no others, and nobody had expectations for what it should be, since it was unprecedented. Now we've got Unreal, UT, Tribes 1 & 2, Quake 1-3, Deus Ex, Fakk 2, Red Faction, Rainbow Six, and a billion other first person shooters.

      And sadly, at their core, they're really all the same. Sure, they have varying levels of strategy and tactics required, but when you get down to it, you're killing people/creatures in first-person. Yeah, you may be grabbing a flag, or destroying an objective, or searching for a key card. But those are all simply extensions of what began with Wolf 3D, DOOM, etc.

      So yes, Return to Wolfenstein will almost certainly not be as breathtaking as the original was. But that's because, in the grand scheme of games, it's just another approach to a formula we've been playing with for the last decade.

      Don't get me wrong - Tribes 2 and the new Wolf are awesome games, and I love 'em to death. But if you're looking for awe-inspiring innovation similar to what Wolf 3D brought to the gaming industry in the days of yore, it's not likely you'll find it this time around. Doesn't mean it's not a great game though. ;)

    • by mrogers ( 85392 )
      To relive the experience, a newer Wolfenstein would have to again push current hardware beyond what is currently viewed as possible. It's quite a shame this is unlikely to happen

      The reason it's unlikely to happen is that current PC hardware was designed with 3D games in mind. The game designers aren't going to come up with any new 3D tricks that the hardware manufacturers haven't thought of, because there are so many brains focussed on that area. The next big innovation in game design will probably come from a relatively neglected area: input devices, speech, plot structure, emergent behaviour etc.

      The original Wolfenstein was written for a platform that nobody ever expected to use for 3D games. To create as much of a stir, the sequel would have to do much more than push the limits of the hardware within the FPS genre: it would have to create an entirely new genre.

    • That's nothing. I remeber running the ORIGINAL Castle Wolfenstein in 2D on my Apple II+. Now that was a great game! It was the first computer game I played that could really keep you on edge the whole time, worried that the SS would show up and kill you. It wasn't about shooting, since shooting would usually get you killed. It was more about stealth. I wonder if this is available for one of the Apple II emulators. I'd love to play it again.
  • And now, the mad rush.. who can download first! Who can get in queue! It'd be interesting to see a traffic schematic to see if releases like this actually produce significant bandwidth bottlenecks... Or is the internet flexible enough that just those wanting to download the file are being hassled?
    • And now, the mad rush.. who can download first! Who can get in queue! It'd be interesting to see a traffic schematic to see if releases like this actually produce significant bandwidth bottlenecks... Or is the internet flexible enough that just those wanting to download the file are being hassled?

      damn and all I wanted was my daily dose of the pr0n.
  • Opinion. (Score:3, Informative)

    by MindStalker ( 22827 ) <mindstalker@@@gmail...com> on Monday November 05, 2001 @01:43AM (#2521317) Journal
    Ok to me, the updated networking code has some bugs. As a medic I need to see your health level quickly. It used to show me your health level instantly, now there is a wait :( Is this purposful?
    On the topic of weither this is just another Q3 mod.
    1. Yes it is.
    2. The full version is going to include a very expansive single player/co-operative game, plus many muliplayer DM modes.
    The single player game will be played carefully/tactically as opposed to run around and shot everything you see Q3.
    • 1. No it is not a "mod"
      2. There is no single player game for Q3 so you are trying to compare apples to oranges.
      3. Play it first before making dumb comments
    • Ok like I would make a comparison between the health showing times of the old test and the new ones, if I've never played it before.
      Second I like the game alot, I wasn't insulting it alot. People were saying that this is just another boring Q3 mod. I was saying, yes, it is a Q3 Mod (because it is a modificaiton based on the Q3 engine), but it also has an exensive single player game to it also. :)
  • Just in case (Score:5, Informative)

    by SynKKnyS ( 534257 ) on Monday November 05, 2001 @01:46AM (#2521322)
    ftp://ftp.bluesnews.com/rtcw/demos/wolfmptest2.exe
    http://www.3dgamers.com/games/returnwolfenstein/
    http://www.shacknews.com/files/fileshack.x?wolfens tein/wolfmptest2.exe
    http://www.fileplanet.com/index.asp?file=69443
    http://ftp.fragzone.se/index.php?s=&p=rtcw/
    http://files.ausgamers.com/?agn=details&id=1016
    http://www.planetmirror.com/pub/bluesnews/rtcw/dem os/wolfmptest2.exe

    Not karma whoring, moderate with moderation. =P
  • Linux? (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Gaccm ( 80209 )
    anyone have any news of whether this one will also be ported to linux? if so, then it would be almost 100% chance that the final version would be out for linux too. If not, well, thats one less game which takes me away from Half-life and Alpha Centauri
    • Re:Linux? (Score:1, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward
      There was a Linux test 1 version. I can only assume in a few days they will release the Linux version.
      • the first version was done by a guy at ID software in his spare time. So I'm just crossing my fingers here for this test, and the full version
  • Before I waste 20 minutes looking for a mirror, can anybody tell me if they've included any new maps? That one they have really sucks after like the 10th time you play it so I haven't touched the game since the week it came out.

    Really needs more maps.
    • It's not the full version of the game. Yeah, it would be nice if they put 5 new maps in this one...oh wait, then you'd be whining that the release of the game keeps getting pushed back, wouldn't you?

      • Well q3test came with 3 maps. I think asking for a single non-crap map isn't that much. I guess you're right, though; now my impression of the game is such crap because of that one lame map that I don't give a fuck when it's released. I think that's really best for all, don't you agree?
    • Re:New maps? (Score:3, Informative)

      by Electrum ( 94638 )

      Before I waste 20 minutes looking for a mirror, can anybody tell me if they've included any new maps? That one they have really sucks after like the 10th time you play it so I haven't touched the game since the week it came out.

      Really needs more maps.

      It's an engine test, not a demo. They will more than likely release a demo shortly before the final version is released, just like with Quake III. The test isn't supposed to reflect final gameplay. It's purpose is to test compatibility and networking code.

    • I played the first demo for quite a bit....up until about an hour after the test2 came out.....just played test2 for about 2 hours.

      The cinematics and actual in-game graphics and textures are almost night-and-day. Like comparing Quake to Quake 3. Seriously....if you play the test1 at all, it's worth the 60MB DL to play the new one. seems to run smoother too.

      I'll be the l33t Panzer soldier named ValhallaPrime that will continually smack you from afar.
  • by ekrout ( 139379 )
    There goes another two weeks at least of my life. Damnit, I was just kicking my Diablo II+ addiction.
  • Changelog? (Score:5, Redundant)

    by acm ( 107375 ) on Monday November 05, 2001 @02:05AM (#2521372) Homepage
    What's changed between Multplayer Test 1 and the latest test? Below you'll find some of the more notable changes.

    1) Hud

    - On the compass, Engineers can see which direction their dynamite objectives are in the world.

    - You'll see a shield icon in the lower left, above your health letting you know when you're invulnerable (when you first reinforce and when revived by a medic)

    - Messages have been moved around

    - Assorted changes

    2) Beach

    - The Axis team will no longer have the option to spawn in the forward bunker. They can deny the Allies this spawn position by taking the flag from them and returning it to a "null" state.

    - Dynamiting objectives has been tightened up. It's always best to plant the dynamite if you see the dynamite icon. If you hear the "Dynamite planted.." message, your objective will be destroyed.

    3) Weapons

    - MG42's take more damage

    - Ammo count modified for many weapons (depending on class as well)

    - Flamethrower's damage tweaked and movement speed reduced

    4) Classes

    - When revived by a medic, you revive with the amount of ammo you passed out with

    - Medic's now get 10 revives. Good for altered max lives games as well as Stopwatch matches

    - LT's can no longer pick up the Soldier specific weapons

    - Engineers now get 8 grenades and another clip

    - Engineers must now arm the dynamite they place. When you toss out a dynamite, you will automatically switch to the pliers.

    5) Networking

    - WolfMP is now using full TA networking.

    6) Stopwatch Mode

    - Stopwatch mode can be played in one of two ways. ABBA, or ABAB. We recommend playing in ABBA mode as this allows both sides a chance to set the clock.

    - Stopwatch is played in two rounds. Which round you are in is displayed on the HUD, atop the Stopwatch icon. Try to beat the other teams' time!

    7) Max Lives

    - Added max number of lives/reinforcements. When this is set, you will only get as many lives/reinforcements as set by the Server. Once you are out of lives/reinforcements, you will only be able to follow the view of other team members. Once a team is out of lives/reinforcements, the round, or match will end.

    - We suggest only running with max lives changed during Tourney Mode.

    - We suggest playing with an unlimited number of lives during net play.

    - Setting max lives to a different value can produce some hectic and frantic gameplay. We suggest practicing safe max lives with only those you know.

    8) Tourney Mode

    - When playing under this mode, there is an infinite warm-up time.

    - Once all players in the game decide that the match should start, someone can callvote for "Match Start", if passed, the game will begin.

    - Optionally, you can set the minimum number of clients for this mode. This option can be found on the Advance Server Setup screen. Once this number of people have joined the server, the game will automatically force a Match Start, allowing 20 more seconds before the game begins.

    - Once the game begins, you will not be able to switch teams.

    - If a player tries to connect with this enabled and the game is outside of the warmup phase, they will only be able to join as a spectator.

    - This mode can not be played with one person.

    - If two people are playing in this mode and one leaves, or joins the Spectators, the game will stop and the match will have to be re-started.

    - You can set this mode to be played with all gametypes and settings.

    - This is the preferred on-line method to play with Max Lives.

    9) Other

    - You no longer "time-out" to the Reinforcement Queue. You must tap out. If you are "dismembered beyond repair", you will automatically enter the reinforcement queue.

    - If friendly-fire is enabled on your server, when killed by a team mate, the complaint system will pop up. If you vote yes, the team mate responsible for your death will have a complaint filed against them. Once they hit the server's setting for number of complaints until kicked, they will be kicked.

    - There is a 30 second delay before you can join a different team as well as the chance of being caught in the middle of a deployment. So maximum time before being able to join another team is 30 seconds +max reinforcement time for the team on the specific level. This is default behavior. By setting Tourney Mode to "Yes", no team switching is allowed. Switching teams for an ill-effect is frowned upon.

    - Spectators are now listed on the team/score panel.

    - Map_restart functions just as warmup mode.

    - Spectators can only talk to each other, not to the Axis or Allied teams.

    - There is now a callvote menu option. Voting that is in progress will be displayed on-screen.

    - Various quickchats moved around.

    10) Resetting to Defaults

    If you run into a situation where your config becomes trashed, or you don't like the settings you've created, run WolfMP with the following option:

    "wolfmp safe"

    This will set all settings to their default values.
    • What's changed between Multplayer Test 1 and the latest test? Below you'll find some of the more notable changes.

      I'll tell you what hasn't changed: Nobody has bothered to tell server admins exactly what is and isn't different (console-wise) from running a Q3A server. What's worse is that folks new to Q3A or Wolf3D will have trouble finding any coherent docs on running a server if they've never run one before. What's worsest is that guys who've never run a Linux-based Q3A server will have a very hard time finding Linux-specific docs about running a dedicated Wolf3D server.

      Can someone, somewhere bother to tell us mere mortals what all we need to know in order to run a ded server safely (which includes kicking people, banning people, stopping cheating, etc)? Don't be like those Tribes2 guys and hide all the console commands from us. Just let us know what it is we need to know. Anything you can type at a console and its effect is what we're after. A simple list would be fine.

      Yeah, I've tried searching Google. Every 15 year-old on the planet has a Wolf3D/Q3A site. None of them are useful. It makes searching for only Wolf3D info very hard. And as to searching any of the popular gaming sites... forget it. They're all paid to sell you Win32 games...

      I'm aiming to run a Linux-based Wolf3D ded server on a very beefy (and dedicated) machine with lots of bandwidth. But only if I can find info about running that server. It would be in id's best interest to make the ded server info available to guys like me. The public servers run by private folks are what made id what it is.

      -B

  • Submission (Score:2, Flamebait)

    by smoondog ( 85133 )
    "This probably would have been a better submission if it had included a download link of some sort."

    That is pretty harsh coming from someone whose career has been developed by volunteers who send you submissions on a daily basis.

    -Sean
    • On the contrary. I think his criticism was perfectly appropriate considering that his career depends on the quality of the aforementioned submissions.
  • I have a compsci exam in 7 days. I spent about 6 hrs on the weekend playing the RTCW multiplayer test...
    Now I'll have to d/l the update & do some more "TESTING" damn you slashdot!
    I would have been better off not knowing!
  • "Improved" Netplay (Score:2, Interesting)

    by CheSera ( 176903 )
    Something went seriously wrong with their update here I think. In RTCW test v1 I could run it fine at 1024x768 at 32 bit textures, now anytime I push the rez over 640x480 I lag obscenely. My ping times remain decent, but the game is unplayably slow. Especially when I dare to leave the confines of the bunker. I wonder if there are any v1 servers left.
    • Heh... a new one's born every minute.

      I can't believe you haven't cracked the nerdss' code yet: "improved" means "it works better on our machines, but we're on dual P4 Xeons wired together with Gigabit Ethernet" (remember the "Improved" new Coke?). Likewise, "feature" implies "... for our competitors' marketing departments," and "security" means "thing that our support department can charge $10 a call to fix."
  • I loved wolfenstein 3d - it was the first computer game I ever really played. I spent hours totally immersed - the sounds, the german, everything made it a totally great game.

    I did cheat slightly though - I could tell if there were a lot of guys in the room ahead before I opened the door. If I walked up to a door (before opening it), my hard drive would grind and the LED light would flash like crazy if there were germans in the room ahead.

    This version though doesn't seem to be as groundbreaking or entertaining as most other games currently on the market. Quake 3 [idsoftware.com] took the first person shooter as far as it could go. I think that genre has perhaps reached it's peak.

    I think there are some really great games out right now. Games like starcraft, the sims, rollar coaster tycoon and nhl2001 are some of my personal favorites.

    I just wish more of those bastard software developers would port their software to linux and/or solaris so I wouldn't have to reboot as much :-)
    • Quake 3 [idsoftware.com] took the first person shooter as far as it could go. I think that genre has perhaps reached it's peak.

      WOW! Surprised a /. would be so lacking in vision, overwhelmed by such shortsidedness :) Let's remember you said that, then in 5 years, we can show how wrong it is. In 10-15 years, the games we play will make us wonder why we thought Wolf3d->Quake3 were "first person shooters." :)

      By no means am I claiming RTCW is more advanced than Quake 3, but indeed we have alot farther to go. When I can be an actor in a computerized reenactment of the D-Day invasion and not realize the difference from reality, THEN we'll talk about the FPS genre having reached its peak :)
    • just wait till quantum computing fps games... "as fas as you can go" sheez.

      rhy
    • I don't think you can say that until Doom 3 comes out, but I do get you're point. The current engine seems to be at it's limits.

    • yeah i listened to the harddrive before entering a room as well. i played it on a 286-12 mh 1mb ram and 60mb hd. even at 320x200 i had to decrease the viewable area a lot to make it playable.

      if you think the fps genre has nothing more to offer read my Infiltration post.
    • Quake 3 took the first person shooter as far as it can go?

      Are you crazy?

      Quake 3, IMHO, sucks. It offers nothing new compared to earlier offerings from ID.

      Say this of a game like Tribes 2, and I may believe you. You'd still be wrong, but closer.
    • i'm writing about the new wolfenstein for wired news. and i'd like to get your comments on what y'all think of think of the game -- and how it compares to the original... e-mail me: noahmax@inch.com nms
  • Fileplanet.com. I have SDSL. Downloaded it at 162k a sec. Of course there was a 4 minute wait... But hey... Lets Slashdot Fileplanet! :)
  • instructions? (Score:1, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Hmm, anyone have a pointer for instructions as to how to play this thing? So, you join a server, look at the pletty menus, and then how do you actually turn into a player from being a spectator?


    Sure, this is a braindead question, but, where is the answer to this anyway so that the not quite so l33t ones of us can participate..


    Thanks.

    • Hit escape, choose Limbo Menu, choose Axis or Allies, Choose Soldier, Luietenant, Engineer, or Medic, Choose weapon, play.


      That's how it works on the OSX version at least.

  • The video control panel. Even if you try to adjust the brightness in game (under windows anyway), it pauses, adjusts, clicks back to Windows, then re-enters the game and puts you in limbo, and then resumes. C'mon, even the original Wolf 3D could adjust brightness easier!
  • Infiltration (Score:2, Informative)

    by MUJAHID ( 209982 )
    Infiltration [planetunreal.com] (extensive "realism" mod of Unreal) is the best fps out there IMHO yet nobody has even heard of it. If you're sick of crosshairs and are man enough to use iron sights, if you're tired of bunnyhopping and other such sillyness, check out infiltration. it does have some problems (some unrealistic rushing is still possible without community-made mutators and it still lacks original mp modes) but it's the best thing out there. i'm also waiting for Hostile Intent which has the same objective ie.: as close as you can get to real with a mouse and a monitor.
    • Re:Infiltration (Score:2, Informative)

      by GroovBird ( 209391 )
      I find True Combat [truecombat.com] very interesting. It's a MOD for Q3A, but the details are astonishing and the realism just rocks. It has classic deathmatch, team deathmatch, capture the flag, survivor and team survivor.

      The latest build (11) also has iron sighting (alpha) and comes with its own bots.

      Ever since I found this I find myself no longer playing the cheater-ridden online CounterStrike...

      Dave
  • Wolfenstein Trivia (Score:5, Interesting)

    by WalterSobchak ( 193686 ) on Monday November 05, 2001 @06:06AM (#2521699) Homepage Journal
    Maybe some /.ers would be interested, that while of course the "Return to Wolfenstein" storyline is fictional, there is a grain of truth to it.
    Heinrich Himmler [nizkor.org], Reichsfuehrer SS, was drawn to - if not obsessed with - the mystical and supernatural. While I would have to research this thesis, Himmler may really have believed (Sorry, German) [http] to be an incarnation of Herny the Lion (1133-1189). A fact is, that H. wanted to turn the SS into a quasi religious order, based on germanic mythology.
    Maybe the most interesting piece here, is that H. installed the "H-Sonderkommando" (German) [uni-muenchen.de], which was a well funded research project on witch hunts. Himmler viewed the witch hunts as a kind of early modern holocaust inflicted upon the Germanic race ... At the same time, researchers say, Himmler was hoping to find among the old records "the remains of the heathen, Old Germanic folk culture that one assumed was meant to be wiped out along with the witches." ( Der Spiegel (English) [spiegel.de]
    To find out more about the guys you're shooting in Wolfenstein, read Himmler's Pozen speech [nizkor.org].

    Apart from this, happy gaming

    Alex
  • In the second test it now looks like its around ten in the morning with the sky all white, I liked it better when it was darker, the 5 am feel. It seems as if the weapons are deadlier as well, I don't know what to think about this. The whole interface has been changed around so it feels like a completely different game.

    The default sprint button has been moved to shift from caps lock, so undoubtedly, more people will actually use it. I don't know I kind of liked it when I was the only one on the map that could run fast ;). The entire level, not just the sky, seems brighter, and I don't think I like it very much, your opinions of course will vary. I wish they released the much talked about sub-base level, but unfortunatly no dice. Hey, can't complain about something free to much can we?

    In closing, I think I liked the first version of the map more, spawning right in the front bunker as the axis was what made running up the beach at first hard!
  • Why don't they add bots for single player mode?
  • This is the Game of the Year in my book. It's only in preview yet, but I am hooked and play several hour allmost every day!

    There's one thing missing though; it should be easy for server administrators to set up TeamKiller kicking. Since votekicking didn't work in test1 on linux (didn't try test2 yet), its impossible to get rid of them.

    Otherwise; to those that think this is only quake3 with mods; play it, and you'll discover that this is a game with tactics that involve teamwork and skills beyond being able to quickly change from the rocketgun to the railgun, to be able to do rocketjumps and aim perfectly with the railgun etc. This look, feels and sounds like war, and your adrenaline goes up high when the heat turns up.
  • I have one question. I've been running Windows XP and it doesn't like allowing me to run anything OpenGL on my lil Riva TNT. Can this version of the test be run in Direct3D?? Please God?? I'll try anyways but I figured if anyone would know you guys would ... thanks.
  • Anyone have a list of ipchains rules / ports that need to be forwarded to play RTCW from a IP masqueraded / firewalled lan? I've got a linux box running ipchains / masquerading and can't seem to get RTCW going with ipchains up.

    I know RTCW uses udp ports in the 27950-60 range, but simply port forwarding these across the lan doesn't seems to work. I didn't have to do anything fancy to get Unreal Tournament working, so I'm wondering if RTCW did something wierd with their networking code.
  • by Seanasy ( 21730 ) on Monday November 05, 2001 @02:35PM (#2523661)
    ftp://ftp.idsoftware.com/idstuff/wolf/linux/ [idsoftware.com]

    Check Linuxgames [linuxgames.com] for more info and another mirror.

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