RavenGames News Archives

March 2004

Microsoft held the first major keynote of Game Developers Conference 2004. While many speculated that the company would use the time to discuss Xbox Next, it wasn't to be. Instead the company unveiled its XNA program. While the news wasn't what millions of gamers wanted to hear, it might be more significant to the gaming industry. If Microsoft has its way then XNA will allow developers more time to work on the creative and innovative aspects of game making, rather than struggling with the technological facets.

To talk about the specific of XNA, vice president J Allard addressed the audience. He positions XNA as a next-generation software platform that integrates many technological innovations. It's an industry-wide initiative that requires the participation of many players, from developers to middleware vendors to publishers. He equated it with Microsoft's Win32 architecture, which helped unify the PC platform. With XNA, developers will have an easier time developing for PC, Xbox, and Windows Mobile devices.

You can read the whole article by Raymond "Psylancer" Padilla at Gamespy's GDC 2004 Coverage!

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Toxic Facility takes place "in another world, where they have carelessly spilled" toxic waste as far as the eye can see. Floating in a large pool of toxic waste, the facility is an open arena with large walkways twisting around to connect the two flag areas. Along the walkways are a few sniper towers (which give a great birds eye view of the entire map). Each side has three of these towers. Because the map is so open, it can get a little tough trying to get to/from the enemies flag. The weapon placement is pretty good and definitely makes sure player cannot get too powerful and dominate the map quickly.

"This map is based on a toxic facility in another world, where they have carelessly spilled it. The map is medium-sized, with 3 sniper towers in each. The map isnt made for eye candy-- its made for solid and fast gameplay. It took about 1 day to develope it, and 5 hours to completly beta and fix it. The music is techno style, and gives the map a Techy Toxic feeling."

Check it out at Elite Force Files.

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IZaNaGI brings us a map called "Forsaken Monument" for Jedi Academy! I must say I like this map. It has a temple feel to it...but isn't like the rest of those temple maps I've seen. It's refreshing. FPS is great! I thought it would be low because of all the brushes and such, but it wasn't and I loved that.

The whole map flows together and follows the same theme all around so nothing looks silly or out of place. The architecture was done well with lots of cool looking things to look at. The music went very nicely with this map. It added to the feeling of the map and it was great. There are some secrets in this map and trust me they aren't easy to find! Good luck! All in all very nice work. I want to see more from this author.

Bot Support- Yes
New Textures- Yes
New Music- Yes
Gametypes- FFA TFFA

Map reviewed and commented by SanosuKe.

Take a look at Jedi Knight Files!

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Console gamers have Splinter Cell and Metal Gear Solid, but PC players have always gotten their sneaking thrills from Eidos' Thief series. Originally developed by the highly esteemed Looking Glass Software, Thief and its sequel delivered an unparalleled stealth simulation that could trick you into holding your breath and trying to peek around your monitor. Now, Xbox gamers are finally going to get to see what all the fuss is about since Thief: Deadly Shadows, developed by the motley crew at Ion Storm Austin, is headed for a dual console / PC release.

Though story details are thin, Thief: Deadly Shadows may just cap off the trilogy, as it promises to tie up loose ends left in the previous games. Players will once again assume the role of the heroic thief Garrett, and help him pull of heists that would make lesser thieves blanch. Balls of steel are a requirement here, and I guess Garrett's off to a good start: He has a mechanical eye.

A nice preview of the X-Box version by Benjamin Turner at Gamespy.

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Here is another map from ZeD-nl for the original Soldier of Fortune, its based on a factory/ warehouse theme. The map supports DM only, so for all you SoF1 players still out there go give it a test and see what you think!

You can find it at SoF Files.

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This is a slightly updated version of Boom's map Skypark. The only update to it is a missing texture that is in the first version. You more than probably will need this version of the map if you're connecting to a server playing it (as most everyone uses this version).

The map is basically a park set out under the open sky. A pretty simple layout with a gazebo in the centre and little park benches near the flags for cover. The outhouses on the sides transport you to opposite ends (though mostly they all end up near the red base).

Bot Support: Yes
New Textures: Yes
New Sounds: No
New Models: No~

Check it out at Elite Force Files.

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Sith-J-Cull brings us a CTF map for Jedi Academy called Antalus. Let me just say wow. This is a guy who never fails to impress me with his work, and this map is no exception. FPS was great, architecture very impressive, and music was really cool. Naturally you have the red and blue sides, and what's interesting is that these aren't just the same thing in different colours. They are a different base.

I was so happy to find that you not only had to get to the flag base but you had to figure out how to get to the flag itself at the base, which was a great innovation. The map is a valley of sorts and is full of goodies like mines (evil grin) and rockets. As I said before this author never ceases to amaze, and I can't wait for more of his brilliant work.

"This map is something a bit different and its inspired by many themes and ideas, the main insparation for this map was UT 2003 and one particular map called Antalus << thats why I chose to call this map by the same name (I know how un-original am I?) still I thought that map was awsome anyway back to my map...

I know a lot of poeple are going to say that this should have been a seige map, and my anser to this is; maybe it should but one think about siege I dont like is that once you have completed the objectives the game ends and thats it, my idea however was to have the players go though a siege like setup up of objectives which require both sides to lower the deffencses of the other before gaining access to the flags, once these objectives have been completed a normal game of CTF can continue!"

Gametypes - CTF
New Music- Yes
New Textures- Yes
Bot Support- Yes

Map reviewed by SanosuKe and commented by the author, Sith-J-Cull.

It can be found at Jedi Knight Files.

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German developer Crytek released the v1.1 patch for its Ubisoft-published PC shooter, Far Cry. The 27.2 MB download fixes a number of out-of-the-box issues in the game, including online multiplayer timeout, anti-cheat measures kicking players off, and shader speed problems.

This patch was released to fix a small number of bugs and to add functionality to FarCry.

Details:

1. We are aware of an issue causing players connecting to an internet based multiplayer game to drop their connection and timeout during a connect. If you find your connection stalling when joining a server, we recommend that players retry the connection until it succeeds.
2. When hosting games on LAN with punkbuster, please remember to enable pb_sv_lan 1 pb_sv_guidrelax 7.
3. We strongly recommend players host multiplayer games only through FarCry dedicated server.

Single player

- Added toggle modes for Aim and Crouch
- Fixed numerous small bugs
- Fixed a crash when attempting to load more than one instance of FarCry
- Fixed bug with AI autobalance that sometimes caused it not to initialize outside of DEVMODE
- Fixed issue where player spawns a little higher in the air after a load from checkpoint.
- Improved AI saving state at checkpoints.

Multiplayer

- Fixed issue with FarCry anti-cheat kicking players connecting to non-similar regions due to post process copy protection
- FarCry anti-cheat is now disabled by default (replaced with Punkbuster)
- Added support for All Seeing Eye
- Added Punkbuster support
- Added new netcode optimizations, vehicles now use significantly less bandwidth in client to server updates. Mounted weapons no longer generate packets when not being used. Included various other packet compressions.

And a lot more fixes added, you can read them all in the included readme file.

You can download this patch from Gamespot or from File Planet!

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I'm going to totally forgive some of the lack of detail on the texturing because of the great model AND the superb (read: wow) face on this guy. The texturing really could have done with a bit more sharpening in various places as it seems to blend slightly which is such a shame but besides that this model really is nicely done.

This looks like a totally new model to me (it is right guys?) because it is perfectly fitting for the texturing; if it is a new model then kudos on the work on it, the guys chest is even done properly to give it the right shape for a well built guy.

The prisoner model does have one problem however, he has lumps on his arms...they need to go! Besides that though the girls should be happy, the guy has no shirt on The "BattleWorn" one is kind of a blend of the normal one and him without a shirt on, as the name suggests it's like he's been in battle and they've tore his cloths (as they always do when the main guy is well built don't they?) MGS3 is a camo outfit which is another one I particularly like, this one has the detail they all should have, clear good texturing and nice job on the face paint too!

Good job on including new sounds for him too, they're clear and sound great, but "you kept me waiting, huh?" for what? lol I've not played the game so I have no idea; but it sounds cool anyway!

New Sounds: Yes
Bot Support: No
Team Colors: Yes

News comments by WadeV1589.

You can find it at Jedi Knight Files.

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This year, at the Game Developers' Conference, Carmack took a step back to examine how far we've come since the early days of videogames -- it's amazing to think that computing power in games has actually increased by a factor of a million since then. In the beginning, being a gamer meant you had to suspend disbelief and buy into the fact that the dots on screen represented a monster or fantasy world, but today's games reach out and grab you with their attempts at recreating believable environments.

The question Carmack asked was, "What could we do with another factor of a million?" It was once believed that "reality" required 80 million polygons a second, but that barrier's been broken and it's clear that even more detail is necessary to create truly lifelike worlds. As an example, Carmack noted how you'll often see a desk in a videogame dotted with a few random items, while that same desk in real life would normally have far more items sitting about.

Carmack stated that he expects that "another factor of a hundred" should come, and someday we'll be able to achieve Lord of the Rings quality CG in interactive games, but probably not for another decade - in a movie, every frame might be tweaked by hand, something that can't be done when you're giving the player the ability to move around freely in real time

The full coverage of the event was made by Sal "Sluggo" Accardo and you read it all at Gamespy!

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This is a small map for Soldier of Fortune II that supports CTF and DM game types, there are plenty of places to hide and loads of vantage points for all you snipers out there. The author has even thrown in a secret for you find!

A good map that should do well on custom servers, so go grab it now at SoF II Files and see what you think!

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We can always count on Plasma to give us high-quality and almost always slightly sexy skins for JK2. Now he's branched out to Jedi Academy and his skinning remains consistant.

Plasma is working on an asian theme with three sisters here. Woo Lin is a work in progress, and I can't wait to see the other two skins when they're complete. What I love about this skin is that Plasma was able to take the Twi'lek and make her look human. He just turned those tentacles that grow from her head into pigtails. Her facial features are quite lovely and Plasma thankfully gave her subtle make-up. There are two different skins included here for the Twi'lek. The first one shown there is an asian-flavored top, with the back cut out and barely anything on her down below. The second skin is my favorite of the two. It has the same pattern of the shirt on the other, but it's a dress with large slits up the sides. Really, it's less a dress, and more just flaps covering certain areas. Still, it's a very sexy look, especially from behind.

There are red and blue versions of each skin, and while they are only color changes, I think the blue one looks great. The sounds are perfect for the skin. I can't understand a thing that's being said, but thanks to Plasma's readme, I do know that the sounds were taken from Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and if you want to know what each sound translates to, just check the readme. Bot support is included to make this a very complete skin. I can't wait to see his other Woo Lin skins and I think we'll see quite a few people using this skin on the servers. Great work, Plasma, as always!

Bot Support: Yes
Team Colors: Yes
New Sounds: Yes

News comments by AmosMagee!

You can find it at Jedi Knight Files.

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First-person shooters started out as simple games that put you into a first-person perspective, armed you with a weapon, and let you blast away at your enemies before they could blast you. But over the years, they became more refined and new features were added, and they began to place more emphasis on teamwork and team-based strategies. The original Starsiege Tribes from 1998 was among the first first-person shooters to focus almost exclusively on team-based gameplay. It featured multiple character classes, futuristic weapons, jetpacks that let you fly for brief periods of time, and "skiing"--a technique that let you skate over the surfaces of the game's alien worlds at high speeds. In 2001, Tribes 2 improved on the formula and added a race of "bioderm" aliens, but it also launched with some technical problems that have since been largely worked out by the game's remaining production team, and publisher Sierra Entertainment (also known as VU Games Northwest) and developer Irrational Games are now at work on the third game in the series.

Take a look at this amazing Tribes preview written by Andrew Park at Gamespot.

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Inspired by real life architecture in Stadstuin - Amersfoort, the Netherlands, this Soldier of Fortune II new multiplayer map features a big appartment building, large open areas, treehouses, shortcuts to the roof and a MOVING HOT-AIR BALLOON! This is an update of the author's first map 'Stadstuin'!

This is a nice DM only map, it will support 2-16 players, its been tweeked and updated, go give it a try at SoF II Files and see what you think!

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In a somewhat similar setting to CTF Longrun, HighFire pits two bases across each other with an open arena inbetween them.
What I liked about this map is the obvious increase in DarknessKnight's mapping ability. Things are getting a little more finished looking as well as the move away from box-like rooms. The lighting is another aspect that is showing itself more evidently. You can easily tell that there are indeed lights, and the shadows are recognizably coming from the various structures in the map (as opposed to vague dark blotches on walls which don't make sense).

The bases themselves are relatively simple and linear. The main entrance at the first level has two small rooms at it's sides for sniping. It leads on into a stairwell area (except ramps instead of stairs ) which either takes you up towards the flag room, or down to the underground passage. The flag itself is situated on a ledge overlooking the ramp coming up to the flag room. This is good for defenders to get a nice eagles eye view of people coming from below, and attackers can see who's up there. The underground passage is a bit simple, it's just a long corridor from side to the other (though the RAD gun is here in the very open).

While the bases were pretty good, I was a bit let down with the outside and the item placement. The outside is just a plain repetitive brown texture and the items are just scattered (almost randomly it seems).
I think the outside area of DK's map LongRun coupled with Highfire's bases should make for a pretty good map!

Check it out at Elite Force Files.

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I.C.S. is `the` must have `Balls-To-The-Walls` mod for Soldier Of Fortune II, with all new commercial quality content and improvements; not just a mod, I.C.S. is a better way to play and enjoy SOF2!

ICS enhances the familiar SOF II 'action' experience with a new theme, expanded scenarios, game-modes, commercial quality level and sound design, and all new feature content. Smoothing out SOF II's rough edges ICS offers a feature rich higher quality game.

The International Crime Syndicate is a well financed, organized, offensive criminal mercenary force with suspected ties to the Corsican Mafia. The ICS takes crime to the 'next level' with high-tech, modern weapons and motivated talent. Defending game objectives are SWAT, Special Police or Private Security teams. ICS expands SOF II with contemporary urban settings like Banks, Casinos, Art Galleries, and more.

Upgrade from ver 2.0 to 2.1a with this small package:

Weapon Changes & Fixes

· new M4 'Fire' sound
· OICW code overhaul with all new weapon handling, recoil, damage and accuracy
· new SIG handling and performance update (balance between 1.0 and 2.0)
· USAS 12 slug damage increased slightly
· tighter shot pattern & damage on M590
· new weapon skins for USAS 12 and MSG90 A1 skins
· new M1911 A1 skin courtesy of Reverend Ted
· new crouch/lean code courtesy of Kris!
· fixed the M1911-A1/MP5 combination ammo bug (required removal of RPG7)
· respawn invulnerability for the M7A3 Tear Gas grenade
· increased transparency on M7A3 Tear Gas cloud effect

For a full list of features, check out the International Crime Syndicate homepage.

You can get this upgrade from SoF Files too! This is one hell of a SoF II Mod, you can't let it go that easy!

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Looking for a new map for your medium-sized ffa's or duels? Look no farther. Roshi brings us the DoA Tournament map. Now I know you're thinking "Oh GOD A Clan Map!!!" Well yeah, but no. I really didn't see any logos or anything. (No bar either, like in alot of clan maps). At first, my fps was in the mid 20's, but that's as low as it got. Sometimes as high as 60. (Not bad for an onboard 64mb graphics card eh? ) I really like the way Roshi used curves in this map. From the structure itself, to the glass walls to keep you from falling off. The map kinda looks like what an ore depository for the Empire would look like on Bespin. This is one I'd put on my server.

This map has 2 basic levels for fighting. Ideal for medium sized FFA's or Duels. The lower level is basically just cooridor type thingys, the upper level, contains 4 areas for duelling. And for the force pushers/grippers out there, you can pitch people off the upper level to thier demise. This map include bots support, allthough no new textures or music. But this map really didn't need them. It's a great usage of what came with JA. Roshi kept the level design simple, but very effective. Great job Roshi. Hope to see more from you.

Game Types - FFA Team FFA
Bot Support - Yes
New Textures - No
New Music - No

Map reviewed and commented by LordXan.

You can find it at Jedi Knight Files.

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For almost a year now, the gaming world has eagerly anticipated the arrival of the next-generation wave of first-person shooters. These new games would finally begin to take advantage of the powerful graphical features that hardware companies have been incorporating into their video cards to deliver unprecedented visuals. But while we're still waiting to see the fruits of the labors of storied developers like id Software and Valve, Crytek, a relatively obscure German developer, has managed to beat everyone to the punch with Far Cry. In fact, Crytek almost delivers a knockout blow. Far Cry isn't just a stunning technical accomplishment. It's quite possibly the best single-player first-person shooter experience for the PC since Half-Life.

Without a doubt, Far Cry has the most advanced graphics seen in any PC game to date. Everything in this game looks amazing, and the level of verisimilitude is unprecedented. Jungles actually feature dense foliage that consists of trees, plants, and tall grasses, and this foliage is filled with birds and insects. Beaches have blinding-white sand, and the surf slowly laps ashore. The character models are some of the best we've ever seen in such a game, and they're richly detailed and animated. The game also incorporates real-time lighting and shading effects to a degree rarely seen before, so when you walk in the jungle, you actually see the shadows of overhead leaves flickering on your rifle. In some of the larger indoor levels, the shadows of oncoming opponents are projected in larger-than-life form onto walls. Intense heat blur from lava streams distort the atmosphere. And a near miss from an enemy rocket will black out your vision--as if you got the wind knocked out of you. You can't help but be pulled in by the sheer immersiveness of the game.

A very nice review by Jason Ocampo that you can read at Gamespot.

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This new Soldier of Fortune II map has all gametypes minus Demolition. Great for DM, CTF, CCTF and INF play! To sum it up, its a bunker sitting in front of a flowing DAM. Not too big and not small, with 34 players its a mission, hehe. ' POX ' was the author's first official map, it had some framerate issues (fps), now DAM is much much much cleaner and should provide hours of fun.

There are a few secrets in the map you're going to LOVE! Besides there are ADULT THEMES in certain areas, mature gamers only, please! After all, why not? There is a big M on the box!

A few miscellaneous things fixed in this new version, so go grab it at SoF II Files and enjoy!

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When I first loaded this map I was'nt expecting anything special, ok, its another Voy map...as I thought. Soon I found myself playing CTF on this map over and over again, with bots! The gameplay, although simplistic, is very well balanced and the bots navigate and play the map with excellence. It has some of the best bot support I’ve seen in a custom made map. Graphically, well, it looks like a Voy map, nothing special. Nevertheless, like the bot support however, the brushwork is exceptionally polished and 100% bug free.

I truly hope to see this map on some servers, this is the kind of stuff I like to see.

New Textures: No
New Shaders: No
Bot Support: Very big YES!

Map reviewed and commented by Alpharaptor!

Take a look at Elite Force Files.

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This new Soldier of Fortune II map is based on the Manor House from the original Resident Evil, and good it is too. There are plenty of dark places for you to hide and explore. The map supports DM, INF, CTF game types and will host 32 players, the only thing missing are the Zombies!

Go download it now and give it a try, its a good addition to your ever growing collection of SoF II maps!

You can find it at SoF II Files.

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A new version of Vavoom has been released. It features more improved Strife support as well some bug fixes and implemented some requested features.

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Remus is a pretty large map with it's main theme being of a Romulan Dilithium Mine. The map encompasses a surface area, a large mining shaft going underground, and several cave areas. The surface has a few building (three for each side, and one big one in the middle). The building at the corners have transporters, while the buildings in the centre have elevators descending down to the mines. The main mine shaft has transporters and an elevator to connect to various other locations in the map. The mines themselves are reached by cave-like entrances or by elevators.

Now the map is pretty big with LOTS of area to cover from one flag room to another. There appears to be only one way to the flag room (and that is by first going through each side's mine). Expect lots of resistance, there are many times you can encounter an enemy. The flags themselves are kept in one square room divided by a glass floor (i.e. you can see one flag room into the other, but cannot shoot into it). This is a kinda cool feature because you can always see what's going on in the other's flag room.
Even though the map seems so big and looks like it can take ages from one flag room to the other, it is actually possible to go from one flag to the other and back again in a couple of seconds!

Overall, I thought the map was pretty interesting. There is lots to do and many ways to get around, though it'd be nice if you had some people playing with you... or you'll feel a bit lonely!

Bot Support: Yes
New Textures: Yes
New Sounds: Yes
New Models: No

Check it out at Elite Force Files!

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Weapon mods that change the effects of a weapon are always fun to review. When you play the same game over and over, it's always nice to spice it up a little by changing the effects. |_|n1+_Z3r0 (let's just call him Zero from now on) has created this weapons mod that changes almost all of the weapons effects to something more spectacular.

The blast from your pistol now packs a much more powerful punch. Though Zero claims that the effects for the det packs have been changed, I don't see it. Maybe it's really subtle? *shrug* I think the author changed the effects for the rocket launcher a little. The screenshot just looks washed out, but it's from the bright strobe light effect that comes from the explosion of a rocket. I don't remember that being an effect from the original one. One of my favorite changes is for the E-11. The brilliant blue light is a bit blinding, but it looks really freakin' cool. The bowcaster now longer spits out little green balls of plasma (or whatever that stuff is); it's now a ball of lightning that will spray a bolt in one direction or another. Y'know the Electromagnetic Pulse thingy? I don't remember what it's called. So that'll work. Well, it also has the lightning effect, but it seems to last longer than the blast usually would. The repeater's primary fire doesn't seem to be different, but the alt fire is definitely a change. A bright, pure white flash is all you'll see. And probably all your opponent will see too. The Flechette has a pretty little fireworks display with the primary fire. Unfortunately, the alt fire is just the same lightning effect used for other weapons. It would've been nice to see some continuity between the two effects here, but more like the primary fire. And finally the Concussion rifle has kind of a weird blast that seems ... broken, or something.

All in all, this is a fun mod that has some neat effects, but it would be more complete with some new models and new sounds. Also, I have to say that the lightning effect was overused. Other than that (and my other complaint about the Flechette's lack of continuity), this would be worth a download if you want a new look to your weapons' effects!

News comments by AmosMagee.

Go get it at Jedi Knight Files.

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Sniper Wars. Sound familiar? Yeah, just about every game has a map called Sniper Wars. Lucky us, we have two! Yup. Two different maps with the same name. This one is created by Dark Knight. For now, it's an FFA map, but it should be updated soon and made into a CTF map - which clearly it is set up to be.

One of the most interesting features of this map has to be the one-way glass. It works sort of like a one-way mirror, except ... y'know, not. All of the rooms in the building have glass on the outside so you can see inside and watch a duel or FFA that may be taking place, but if you're inside, you can't see out. Very cool. And there are several rooms for that. All with a different theme. Outside is dark and there's a lot of space between the two bases. To quickly get from one side to the other, you can take one of the stap vehicles included. Thankfully though, the vehicles are included in a seperate pk3, so if you don't want to run the map with vehicles, it makes it easy to do so.

The music is familiar and works fine for this map. I do like the map, except it's a bit too dark outside for my taste. It'll be nice to see an update to this map.

Bot Support: Yes
New Textures: Yes
New Music: Yes
Game Types: FFA

Map reviewed and commented by AmosMagee!

Take a look at Jedi Knight Files.

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This map is designed around a.... wait for it ... multistorey car park! You can reach the flags quickly which makes it fun for 2v2 but the author added support up to 16v16!

A good fun map to try out, it supports DM, TDM, CTF, ELIM, INF, DEM game types and will host 32 players max, though 16 is more realistic, go give it a try at SoF II Files and see what you think!

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Do you like playing on Shop 2? Then this you will enjoy! Its basically the same map,but now it has a totally different look. This is how the author explains it:

"This is my jordan version of the original mp_shop2. It was my intention to modify the acclimatization, leaving nearly intact the structure of this beautiful map modifying only few small things..."

The map supports TDM, DM, CTF, INF, DEM game types, so go give it a test now at SoF II Files and see if you like it!

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He has been so busy of late that the map master is running out of names for maps... This map from the latest batch no doubt is set on a klingon base on a plant that is known for it volcanic activities (probably not the best place to set up a base if you ask me but what do I know...)

Flix has tried to make this map fun to play and there are lots of little turns and twist’s in it, the thing that struck me was how good the lighting was and this really adds to the feel and play of the map! Weapon placement and power ups are ermm well placed and not to cluttered.

Overall a good map that is fun to play.

Map Supports:

-Holomatch
-Team Holomatch
-Capture the Flag

News comments and map review by Pan.

You can find it at Elite Force Files.

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There's something about this map that reminds me of some of M.C. Escher's art. It has that same quality and being in black and white, it really creates a mood. The music as well lends to the moodiness of the map. The gears and stairs and platforms all work together seamlessly. And there's just something I really like about the thick fog and not being able to see what's just in front of you until it's right under your nose.

The screenshots should speak for themselves. The FPS is decent and while this map does support FFA, it's really only made for dueling. If you're a duelist, you should check out this map. Don't rate it based on the screenshots alone. You need to play this map to really get a feel for it. Great work, Wes. I can't wait to see more from you!

Bot Support: Yes
New Textures: Yes
New Music: Yes
Game Types: FFA, Duel, Powerduel

Map review and comments by AmosMagee!

Check it out at Jedi Knight Files.

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Over in the X-Men Legends forums, I have set up a fan art gallery which is growing by the day, featuring work by FieryPhoenix and myself. If you want to take a look, click here.

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Battlefield Vietnam is one of the most anticipated games of the year. But the question is, can it emerge from beneath the shadow of its illustrious predecessor, Battlefield 1942, as well as megapopular user-made mods such as Desert Combat? While a jaded gamer might label Battlefield Vietnam nothing more than an elaborate update, that's taking a very cynical and shortsighted view. The truth is that Battlefield Vietnam is more than just a new collection of maps and weapons; it's a superbly designed multiplayer action game that incorporates the lessons learned from 1942 and mates them with better technology. And yet, it must be said that Battlefield Vietnam just doesn't feel as groundbreaking as Battlefield 1942 did for its time, when it successfully combined first-person shooting action with vehicular combat on a relatively large scale. Be that as it may, hardcore Battlefield fans and new players alike will probably agree that Battlefield Vietnam is a great, often thrilling action game.

The first thing that strikes you about Battlefield Vietnam isn't the graphics; it's the music. From the opening movie to the loading screens, you're immediately exposed to a soundtrack that's packed with the classic Vietnam War protest songs, including Edwin Starr's "War," Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son," The Trashmen's "Surfin' Bird," and others. You may not recognize the names, but you'll definitely recognize the music from countless movies, commercials, and the radio. The soundtrack itself would be worthy of a big-budget Hollywood movie, and it permeates throughout the game.

A great review by Jason Ocampo at Gamespot!

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There have been a few Bespin flavored maps made for JK2, but none that I can think of made yet for Jedi Academy. So far, I think this one is my favorite.
It has that classic Bespin sky we all know and love and four platforms perfect for dueling. Also good for FFAing. The platforms seem to be much bigger than the one in JK2's Bespin Streets. On the lowest one, the sun is casting a shadow on the ground and there are lifts to take you up to the next level. The second one is fairly boring. Nothing much sets it apart from the other levels, except that it's quite plain. The third platform is probably my favorite because I just love those lampposts. And the uppermost level is of course, the landing pad for the Millenium Falcon.

All in all, I'd have to say this is a good map for any FFA server out there. The elevators move quickly enough and there's plenty of room on each level for there to be multiple duels. With great FPS and bot support, what more could you want? I may add this to my server rotation. Good work, Killermic!

Bot Support: Yes
New Textures: Yes
New Music: No
Game Types: FFA, TFFA, Duel, Powerduel

Map reviewed and commented by AmosMagee!

It can be found at Jedi Knight Files.

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There isn't some clear-cut formula for making a great game, but Epic hasn't ignored bullet-point features in expanding the Unreal Tournament series, which is now in its third installment. The multiplayer-focused first-person shooter series started off in 1999 with great graphics, crisp control, solid networking (which led to smooth online gameplay), and hectic action. These basics haven't been neglected, even as expectations have changed--and have significantly increased--over the last five years. However, UT has never been just about settling for the basics, and to this end, the new Unreal Tournament 2004 has a tremendous variety of maps and modes of play. In the same package, you'll find cutthroat deathmatching as good as it's ever been, plus large team-based modes in the style that's become so popular lately. Simply put, this is the multiplayer action game that offers something for everyone--even those who prefer playing offline, since the UT bots are better than ever and are still the best in the business.

While there's a whopping total of 10 different game modes, assault and onslaught are bound to get the most attention. The new onslaught mode is the biggest departure from past UT games, and it sets up team battles for 10 to 32 players on large outdoor maps. At first glance, the expansive, rolling terrain might look a lot like Tribes 2 or Halo, and like these games, there are maps big enough to make running from point-to-point seem prohibitively slow. But a few key innovations keep the pace fast, and as powerful as the vehicles are, those on foot are far from helpless. Onslaught focuses on power nodes that are strategically distributed on the maps, and the ultimate goal of the mode consists of destroying the power core located in the opposing base. The nodes connect in certain configurations, and nodes located behind front lines can't be attacked, which concentrates the action around just a node or two at a time. Once a node linking to the power core is captured, the core itself can be attacked directly, thus pressuring the defenders to desperately man the base defenses or recapture the pivotal node.

An incredible review by Sam Parker that you can read at Gamespot!

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Orbitius has brought us the first custom siege map for Jedi Academy, and now he brings us the second. The map is set in an imperial drugs warehouse. The first thing I noticed in this map was the textures, the textures for the map, are really realistic, and make the map feel some what authentic.

As you may have guessed from the title of this siege map it is not set within the star wars universe, as such, and has objectives such as, destroy the drugs shipment and destroy the nuclear missiles, however although the map isn’t set within the star wars universe, you can either play as the storm troopers or the J.E.D.I.

When I test played this map on my clan server, I couldn’t help but notice all the comments about how fun the game play of the map is, and I have to agree with them, the game play for this map really is amazing, and it is certainly enjoyable to say the least! The map does have a few bugs however but trust me these do not subtract from the map enough to effect it seriously.

Bot support: No
New Textures: Yes
Game Type: Siege

Map reviewed and commented by Wolf.

Take a look at Jedi Knight Files.

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This map is a sucky ass map! It is a basic 2 level design with lots of ins and lots of outs. There is a main room at the top, the castle I think, which is a blue spawn point. The caverns are the red spawn points. It basically speaks for itself, this is not dm or tdm, it was way too long and tiresome to put in the pickups. INF briefcase is in red spawn, drop off is in cemetery at big headstone, it will change since red has advantage. For CTF the blue flag is in castle entrance and the red flag on bridge over lava. The briefcase spreads throughout map!

It was developed by [WZ]Cinch and in his own words: "This is my second complete map. It has taken a while, i learned somethings on the way, tried some stuff, bought a new computer, gave up and restarted, but through all of that i think it came out pretty damn good."

You can find it at SoF II Files.

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This mappack includes2 maps. And the maps really go from good to evil, the mappack includes 2 maps:

1-Base Station AFO:
This map is actualy quite fun it looks decent and plays well, main downside realy its a bit small and the forcefields are a bit slow for my taste. But weaponplacement is mainly good.

2-The Temple of Frag 2k4:
This map is the evil side of the mappack! It's prety ugly, bots play bad and the actual CTF aspect of the map isnt very good ither. With other players it can be fun, but not with bots as they allways just drop into the water and more or less just wait to be shot at.
The fact that only the QuantomRocket Launcher is available in this map is both good and bad, as it can be fun, but it gets booring quickly.

To sum up, these are 2 fun maps for Elite Force II, in between other maps, but the CTF gameplay isn't very good.

Maps reviewed and commented by FliX.

You can find them at Elite Force Files.

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When I first started exploring this map, I was a bit disappointed. It's an incredibly dark map and I wasn't impressed with what I had seen so far. But I kept exploring. And thankfully, my opinion slowly changed.

Around every corner was a new room or a dark hallway with stairs leading down or up to a brighter area, or a darker room with a pit of fire, or a lake of lava. The shape of the doors keeps a continuity throughout the map, regardless of how different one room is compared to the next. There are many places to hide and the weapons are placed sporadically, so you kinda have to explore to get some good guns. With a name like "Dungeon", I didn't expect to find a large room with bright flags and a red carpet running down the floor to an Alice in Wonderland like room, with a large chessboard in the center. Go through another door and you'll find yourself in a dark library. But then turn the corner and again you're in a dark room with ruins.

While the map has the title of Dungeon, it doesn't stick with that theme throughout the map. Usually, that bugs me. But it all flowed, somehow. The only things I'd want for this map might be bot support, making it just a little bit lighter and definitely some creepy music. It's a map that would be best for guns FFA and with lots of people. Great job on this, cwv_8t88!

Bot Support: No
New Textures: Yes
New Music: No
Game Types: FFA

Map review and news comments by AmosMagee!

Check it out at Jedi Knight Files.

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FFA Destroyer is one of those maps that are perfect for small gun FFAs. Not for those who get a bit claustrophobic, though. The rooms are small, the halls are tight and there's just enough ammo and weapons for a small FFA. There are three levels, and some rooms and platforms here and there, which might work well for some dueling. I happened upon a secret room, but I have no idea how I got there. So don't ask me.

The music is appropriate for the map and its title. Too bad there's no bot support - but it's a small thing that we can live without. In my opinion, this isn't the greatest map for saber only. It's best with guns, and for small groups. I'd love to see what else -=NJO=-DareDevil produces.

Bot Support: No
New Textures: No
New Music: Yes
Game Types: FFA, TFFA

News commetns by AmosMagee!

You can get it at Jedi Knight II Files.

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Two of the biggest additions to Jedi Academy have to be Dual Lightsabers and the Saber Staff. For most, this was enough to satisfy players, but for some, they wanted more. Something more powerful. Something ... in my opinion ... that is a bit too powerful and duels just end way too quickly. RED SITH has combined dual lightsabers and the saber staff and created dual lightstaffs. It's almost impossible for anyone to penetrate the two staffs, so you almost never get hit. And the damage that the sabers cause is just huge.

Also, the author reskinned the staff saber you use for this mod. My screenshot doesn't really do it justice. You'll have to just see it in-game. So if you've always wanted dual saber staffs, now you have 'em. It's just a pk3 you drop into your base folder, but they'll need to be uploaded to a server for you to use them anyone other than your own machine. Y'know? So ... yeah.

News comments by AmosMagee!

You can find it at Jedi Knight Files.

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This is a nice small sized map for Soldier of Fortune II supporting CTF only, the theme is based on a big bridge,there is also a big tunnel for you to explore and has good spots for snipers.

The map will host 10 - 40 of recommended players you also need to be co-operative withteam mates to get flag. A good map to add to your collection, go download it now at SoF II Files and see if you like it!

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Prisoner is the second map release of the Halo TC for Elite Force! It sports a very simple design which offers much when it comes to gameplay. Though it may not seem that way at first, there are a number of corridors and sections adjoining the main area that help to flesh the map out. The flow is pretty good, as well. You should be able to get around all levels of the map and yet not feel secluded from the action.
There are three main levels to move around in, as well as two sniper spots at the corners. Items are plentiful but not overpowering.

Really, the gameplay is all there to make for some fun deathmatches (albeit small number of players). Perhaps adding some more details, like breaking up the walls that lead to the ceiling to just make it more visually interesting, could really take the map to a great level.

Bot Support: Yes
New Textures: Yes
New Sounds: Yes
New Models: No

Go get it at Elite Force Files.

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Well, we wanted it and he's giving it to us. Sith-J-Cull revamped his Battlefront Yavin map and made the transporters into CTF bases. The bases are not mirrored, so it may be easier to defend the red base than the blue base - especially with that rope bridge there. It seems to be a challenging CTF map, so it should be fun.

The ATST's have been removed and so have the swoops, so that's good, in my opinion, anyway. There's not much more I can say about this map that I haven't said already in the review of the FFA version. So if you want to check that out, read it here!

Bot Support: Yes
New Textures: Yes
New Music: No
Game Types: FFA, TFFA, CTF

Map review and news comments by AmosMagee.

Take a look at Jedi Knigth Files.

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Two years ago, developer Digital Illusions and publisher EA Games released what would become one of the most popular online games today: Battlefield 1942. This fast-paced first-person shooter let you play as a WWII soldier armed with contemporary weapons. Additionally, this soldier had the ability to jump into just about any nearby vehicle to go for a ride. The original game included fighter planes, battleships, and plenty of tanks and artillery. All the vehicles were easy to jump into and drive but required some amount of skill, timing, and finesse to use effectively.

You can expect to see even more vehicle-based action in Battlefield Vietnam, which (of course) will take place during the Vietnam War. The new game will let you play as either the US forces or as the Vietnamese opposing forces. You'll not only coordinate ground assaults with armored personnel carriers, tanks, and jeeps, but you'll also be able to creep up river deltas in patrol boats, and you can descend on enemy positions in attack choppers.

Check it out at Gamespot.

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EIGHTEEN MONTHS AGO, Unreal Tournament 2003 and Battlefield 1942 were released a few weeks apart. At that time, UT was the old standard, while Battlefield was the underdog, the hip newcomer that burst onto the scene with a fresh spin on teamplay. By the end of 2002, Battlefield was the new king of the hill, racking up fans and awards in droves, while UT 2003 was sort of left out in the cold -- a solid effort, but dismissed by many as an uninteresting update.

That battle renews itself next week with the release of both Unreal Tournament 2004 and Battlefield Vietnam, and UT 2004 has come out SWINGING. It's a stunning comeback for the franchise, a fantastic mix of the fresh and the familiar, and enough content to make this the only game you need for the next few months. If you're a fan of multiplayer shooters, odds are you'll find a LOT to like in Unreal Tournament 2004.

Take a look at this UT 2004 review by Sal "Sluggo" Accardo at GameSpy.

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No other game since the dawn of home computing has been the source of as much retro-lust as the mythical Elite. Over twenty years after it was released gamers are still waiting for the definitive modern update. Over the years there have been many pretenders to the Elite throne with titles such as Hardwar, Privateer, Mercenary and Freelancer taking the Elite premise and trying to do their own thing with it. Even a couple of legitimate children of Elite have vied for your patronage, although by some bizarre irony these have been some of the weaker challengers to Elite's continued supremacy. A few years ago an unknown German developer going by the eponymous title of Egosoft released X: Beyond the Frontier. It was the latest attempt to capture the freeform nature, intense combat and empire building of Elite and marry it to the abilities of modern computers. It was a worthy attempt. Yet its limited scope, non existent plot and repetitive gameplay mean that X: Beyond the Frontier was destined to join the piles of slain knaves and knights that have smashed themselves against the seemingly insurmountable supremacy of Elite. Fast forward a couple of years, past one expansion pack, and Egosoft are back for another stab at the prize.

X2: The Threat has a lot going for it. It takes the massive improvements that the expansion, X-Tension, made to the original X and coats them in the most sumptuous graphics this side of a pre-rendered cutscene. The images that X2 paints onto the monitor are so lusciously detailed and coloured that they initially overwhelm the player with their beauty. This time round the entire galaxy is literally there for the taking. Whereas in the past you could build a few factories and set up a couple of trading runs, this time round you can oversee the construction of an entire trading empire. Rather than humble yourself with a single fighter you can invest in your own armada, even owning carrier ships which will empty squadrons of fighters onto any who dare to stand in your way. There's even a rudimentary plot tacked on. X2 should be the daddy, the space empire game we have all been waiting for these many years, the title that will hold us off until the holy grail of an online persistent world Elite has been realised.

An excellent review by Sam Gibson that you can read at Ferrago.com!

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"Hero-based real-time strategy." That's what JoWood and Encore call SpellForce, a game with a mixture of genres that can best be described as somewhere between Diablo and Warcraft. Set on a fractured world linked by magic portals, you control a rune warrior attempting to reunite the planet. In parts of the game, you'll be romping around by yourself in a very detailed 3D environment, smacking bad guys, talking to NPCs, and acquiring quests. However, once you find a special monument, things get interesting. Without load times or any graphical changes, the game turns into an RTS. You can command your monument to spawn workers, who in turn gather natural resources and construct buildings so you can raise an army. This blend makes SpellForce one of the more interesting games we've seen lately, although not without its share of problems.

As a single-player game, SpellForce shines. Players are treated to a very deep (albeit totally linear) storyline where they'll eventually be able to command warriors from six different races. NPCs that can be interacted with are clearly marked. There are a ton of minor quests to perform, along with the main overarching quest, so there's never a point in time when you're confused as to what you should be doing.

The level of customization you can give your main character gives SpellForce the ability to be replayed over and over again, each time with a different feel. For instance, my first character was an enchanter, capable of affecting the minds of my enemies and convincing them to join my side. There are four different schools of magic (White, Elemental, Mind, and Black), each with three specializations. There are also melee schools that allow a player-character to gain access to tougher armor and weaponry.

Check out this excellent review at GameSpy.com!

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Though it hasn't launched in North America or Europe yet, Lineage II is making quite a splash in South Korea. The sequel to the world's most popular online role-playing game (with more than a million subscribers) launched in South Korea in October, and it's been racking up impressive numbers ever since. As in most online role-playing games, in Lineage II you create a character to explore a vast virtual world that's populated by thousands of other players. You hunt monsters and battle other players in the never-ending quest for prestige and better equipment. But Lineage II differs from most online role-playing games because it incorporates an intriguing political and economic system that allows players to band together to rule the countryside. Aaron Rigby, the North American producer for Lineage II, visited the GameSpot offices recently and filled us in on how and why it is so important to capture castles in the game.

After you create a character in Lineage II using an incredibly simple and straightforward process, you can explore and play the game on your own. However, once you reach the 15th level, you'll discover that monsters can defeat you easily if they catch you alone. The same is true of other players. Lineage II currently has a free-form "player-versus-player" (PvP) combat system that lets anyone attack anyone else, at the cost of losing "karma," which is essentially your character's reputation. If you slaughter too many innocent players, you'll lose so much karma that your character will become a hated outlaw who will be attacked on sight by guards and who can be hunted down by other players to reduce their own karmic loads. This is why it's a good idea to join a clan, which is a long-standing player association (also known as a "guild" in other games). By becoming part of a clan, you not only join a group that you can adventure with but also join a group that can lay siege to castles and can control the local economy.

Castle sieges are two-hour-long battle royals that can occur between multiple groups of clans. The way it works is fairly simple. When a clan gains control of a castle, it has control of it for only two weeks. To control the castle longer, the clan has to schedule a siege. If the clan successfully defends against a siege, it gets the castle for another two weeks before it has to hold another siege.

You can read the whole preview at Gamespot.

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This is the moment you've all been waiting for! ICS 2.1 mod for Soldier of Fortune II has been released! New weapons skins, weapons code, admin features, map tweaks, bug fixes and much, much more. 2.1 is the ultimate ICS version. It's a vast improvement over version 2:

New features:

"Weapon Changes & Fixes
· new M4 'Fire' sound
· OICW code overhaul with all new weapon handling, recoil, damage and accuracy
· new SIG handling and performance update (balance between 1.0 and 2.0)
· USAS 12 slug damage increased slightly
· tighter shot pattern & damage on M590
· new weapon skins for USAS 12 and MSG90 A1 skins
· new M1911 A1 skin courtesy of Reverend Ted
· new crouch/lean code courtesy of Kris
· fixed the M1911-A1/MP5 combination ammo bug (required removal of RPG7)
· respawn invulnerability for the M7A3 Tear Gas grenade
· increased transparency on M7A3 Tear Gas cloud effect

Level Design Updates
· new version of "Invasion Corsica" with new route through the center mountain
· new version of "Nuclear Plant B" adds clipping on the fuel tanks
· new version of "Bank Job" with clipping on rooftops and easier access through elevators

New CVARS and COMMANDS
· new server cvar g_refKickBanTime (default and max 30)
· changed ref_kick so it automatically bans according to g_refKickBanTime
· new ref commands: ref_mapcycle and ref_cancelVote
· above ref commands incorporated to in-game referee menu for ease of use
· added ref_say command which allows refs to chat, as refs, to all players and spectators
· added ref_chat command which allows refs to chat privately with other refs

*IMPORTANT NOTE* - Anyone who has made weapons mods based on ICS will have to remake them based on the new ics.wpn file. The ammo type for frag grenades has changed and is imperative for the grenades to function properly."

You can pay a visit to ICS website here or you can download it from File Planet here!

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This is a Extended Demo entitled "Research" of Far Cry from Crytek Studios. The Far Cry "Research" demo may also be found as the featured demo on PC Gamer's April demo disc hitting streets in early March.

You can get it at File Planet and if you downloaded the password protected file, enter the word "far" in all lower case letters.

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City of Heroes is an immersive and thoroughly enjoyable romp into the MMP world of Superheroes!

"Faster than a running hellion, more powerful than a fly-enclosed cadaver’s icky ranged attacks, able to leap small walls and fences in a single bound … look! It’s not up in the sky, it’s not a bird, it’s not a plane, it’s YOU!

Cryptic Studios and NCsoft are currently in beta with the superhero massively multiplayer online role-playing game known as City of Heroes. The game is slated for release in late April (currently it is April 27), and if there was ever an MMP with broad appeal, this would be it!

City of Heroes is the type of game that will most certainly appeal to those who grew up watching the Justice League or Fantastic Four or the tales of Spiderman or Batman on television, for devotees of comic books, or anyone who has ever wondered what it would be like to have superhuman powers at your command.

Each character is customizable and you can truly create an avatar that will not look like or perform like others. The odds of that happening are very minute.

The game begins in the character creation area. You select one of five origins for your avatar – natural, science, mutation, technology and magic. These fundamental origins of your powers are the cornerstone upon which players will base their skills and storyline in this world. For example, should your on-screen persona be founded in magic, you will find yourself going against more magical villains(...)"

A great preview by Michael Lafferty at GameZone!

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A report from CBBC demonstrates the use of a video game controller used to manipulate the game world directly from the brain. In the game Mind Balance, a player dons a lightweight, wireless headset and helps the alien character Mawg walk a tight rope between sci-fi inspired buildings by focusing on left and right flashing boxes. If Mawg sways too much to the left, the player focuses more on the right box to counterbalance. Neither the game not controller are available for purchase, however, this first generation will enable researchers to create more sophisticated applications and devices for retail use.

Take a look at BBC News Round.

(Source: GameSpy Daily)

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After the assassination of Deus Ex in Invisible War and the loss of an entire PC gaming community, Warren Spector turns to console gaming and prepares the murder of the Thief series with a third person perspective and a tipical console interface:

"Third person has its strengths. I've always resisted it because the whole idea behind the games I've worked on is to make it feel like it's you in the world. J.C. Denton in Deus Ex has this flat, monotone delivery to his lines because I want the player to provide the emotion. I want the player to feel like "I'm angry." If the character is happy, happy, happy and the player is angry, all of the sudden it's not you in the world anymore. I want you to believe it's you.

Manipulating a puppet ... here's the perfect example. When people play a Tomb Raider game, they say, "Lara jumped across that chasm. Did you see when she did this!?" When people play System Shock they say, "Did you see what I did?" and that "what I did" is what makes games special. So I always resisted third person, but now that I've done it I don't think that it has to be that way. I don't think it has to be just a puppet.

It's kind of cool seeing yourself flatten against a wall as a guard walks by. It's cool to see your character fade into the background. It's cool to see yourself climb up a wall. It really does provide a kind of tactical awareness you don't get in a first-person mode. In a first-person mode, you're stuck. You can see what's in your view cone, basically. In a third-person game you can actually see the arrangement of elements. If you're providing a lot of tools, a richly simulated world, and a lot of ways to interact with them, seeing what's going on in the world from that tactical advantage viewpoint is kind of cool. As I play, I find myself switching back and forth constantly, which the game supports. We switch you back and forth. We switch you into first-person mode, even if you're in third-person mode, if you're using the bow and arrow.

I think the console audience is growing so rapidly that it's supplanting the PC audience. I'm sorry that I've just lost my entire fan community [with that comment], but the consoles are getting so powerful now and except for certain kinds of games that really do require a mouse and keyboard, you know -- go and buy an Xbox, buy a PlayStation 2, because it costs less than upgrading your video card, for crying out loud!

You can play essentially, and I probably should even take that qualifier off, you can play the same game on both platforms now. In every significant way, you can play the same game on any platform now. I think in that sense the audience is converging, but it's really that the console audience is growing, growing, growing, and a lot of PC gamers are moving onto consoles as they realize, "Wait, that's where all the games are and that's where the developers are going. The games I want to play are over there, so I'm going.(...)"

You can read this whole controversial interview at Gamespy.com!

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Finally! Yes, finally Hydroball finds its way to JA! Hydroball was a popular mod made for JK2. Not many maps were made, but it was a fun mod and the maps were fine. It was all about the game, not the maps. Rich Whitehouse has released Hydroball II for JA, I'm assuming with permission from his good friend Kirt who made the first Hydroball mod.

From what I could tell, the mod works the same way for JA as it did for JK2. You and your team work together underwater and without weapons to get a ball into the goal. It's much like soccer, but with force power and you can tackle your opponents! Oh, and you use your hands, not your feet. I hope this mod takes off and we see some Hydroball servers out there. If so, let me know when and where and I'm SO there!

The map included with this mod is very basic and very, very dark. The author admits he's not a mapper/designer - he's a programmer. So what we need are some decent Hydroball maps, guys. They don't have to have a bunch of eye candy - like I said before, this is all about the game. So some simple maps should be easy to make and get 'em up here so we can start playin' Hydroball again! Thanks Rich for giving the JA community a chance to play Hydroball!

News comments by AmosMagee.

Take a look at Jedi Knight Files.

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Wizard takes place in an octagonal arena. There are transporters at opposing corners that allow you to immidiately fly from one side of the map to the other and thus making the space feel bigger than it really is. Standing on the higher ground is sure to give you an advantage as all the weapons and pickups are located here. The pickup placement may cause players to constantly move around the map in order to get the good weapons. This gives a chance for others to climb up and grab a weapon while the coast is clear.

Lucky time for you Halo fans as the Halo TC releases it's third map today. The map may get a bit crowded in FFA, but seems to work pretty well for one vs one!

Bot Support: Yes
New Textures: Yes
New Sounds: Yes
New Models: No

Check it out at Elite Force Files.

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Wade's review of the first version of this map:

*NOTE: This map contains a file yavin.shader from JK2, this will bork up many of the new yavin shaders in JK3!*

"When I first spawned I was greeted by a nice looking, petit garden with its own chinese bridge and bench to put my feet up on. The design of this garden is pretty simple however it has detail enough to look nice and would be good for dueling in.

You walk into a teleporter that is an image of the council chamber to go...into the council chamber unsurprisingly! I must say this room is nicely done, I particularly like the dragon flag fluttering in the breeze, it shimmers like water. The thrones are nicely done, looking sharp like dragons fangs and as though they are really plastic (I know they're notsupposed to be but the environment map makes them look like black shiny plastic which I really liked). In the council chamber though the environment mapping is slightly excessive and doesn't work well on the black floor, it is too strong.

I entered the first transporter which took me into a small cliff-side rock room which a weird pattern on the floor. I saw two buttons, hitting the one on the left changed the music to a song I don't recognise but I didn't mind, was quite quiet and I like it when the music doesn't sound like I'm in a concert. I hit the button on the right and then a rancor vehicle appeared next to me..although at first I jumped back and squeeled cuz I thought it was going to attack me (No sleep, I was hallucinating!)

I headed back off to the council chamber and then went thru the second teleporter to find myself outside again in what appeared to be the floor of a temple, kinda like ruins of very very old; more buttons to press here to spawn things and change the music. This is a perfect dueling area, flat ground in the centre, little decor around the edge in a nice bright skybox.

The next transporter took me into a weird futuristic room where each corner has a bounce pad which is fun when you're diving around and accidentally touch one, the wall texture in here was stretched somewhat though and I found that displeasing. Two more buttons here, music again and a reborn spawner - these button respawners are great for those of you on a server with no other people yet. Makes it choosably interactive

Finally I went through the last transporter to find myself in no other than a (slightly trimmed down) version of the dojo from the first Matrix film where you could of course spawn someone to kill The only problem with this room was the light beam effects on one side of the room, the walls themselves were not bright so it was effectively a dim wall where sunlight was mysteriously coming through. In this room, you also had the music button but this time, of course, it was some Matrix music which is a very good choice, it's one of my favorite Matrix tracks.

There are secrets on this map, most noteably the flashing discotheque with funky music known as "Shady's Dragon Bar". I've always been a fan of bars simply because they are totally unneeded in any map but the mapper puts in the effort to make them anyway for a chill zone. Being a secret they are often declared as no kill zones which pleases many people who believe in nokill area's. In my travels I also found what appears to be a secret council room that takes a slight knights of the round table theme and warps it into a dragon clans idea of a council room. The music is very very mellow in here and fitting for the name dragon. There are more secret rooms but I'll leave you to find them on your own

Overall, a nice map, it may be a clan map but it is a nice map and worthy of anyones base folder. Neatly mapped out, nice texturing and suitable for FFA, tournaments and dueling as well as those of you who are plain bored and want a fun mini world to explore!"

The only difference between the JK2 version of this map and this one is that the one for JA took the same concept used for music in each room and made an NPC generator in the rooms. So you can fight a Rancor, a Wampa or just a Reborn with a staff saber, if you want. It's a clever idea and works well for this map and the way it's laid out. I don't know if there was bot support in the last version of this map, but there is now. I couldn't find all of the secret areas, I don't think, so good luck to you!

This is the final version of this map, so I can't wait to see what else Night Shade has in store for the community. Hopefully more maps.

Bot Support: Yes
New Textures: Yes
New Music: Yes
Game Types: FFA

Map review by Wade and news comments by AmosMagee!

You can find the Jedi Academy version here and the Jedi Outcast version of the "Temple of the Dragon" here at Jedi Knight Files!

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Sith-J-Cull is probably the most prolific mapper for JA now and he makes great maps. He's done more for Chrono's little JKR (Jedi Knight Racing) "mod" than anyone else. His latest addition for the created game type is Boonta Eve - Tatooine Pod Race.

The map is huge. And it's not just one big circle that you race around for a few minutes and get bored. There are a few different paths you can take and there are a few obstacles you have to watch out for. I didn't expect to find a Wampa on the track and his growl as I passed by scared the crap outta me. There are also some of those little training droid ball things that shoot at you, placed all around the map - and not surprisingly, there are Tusken Raiders that will try to take you out. Sure, the FPS is a little low, but it's not so bad that you won't be able to race. The map looks great - there were some areas with z-fighting, but the areas aren't important and I only saw them when I spectated and flew around, looking at the tops of buildings and stuff.

No bot support, but you don't really need it for a JKR map. The sounds are perfect, taken straight from the movie, I believe. I think the track is fairly accurate, but I haven't seen the movie in a while, so I can't say for sure. Most importantly, I had fun racing in this map. And I can't wait to see more of these Speedway maps from you James. Before long, we may see some strictly JKR servers hosting only your maps! Great work!

Bot Support: No
New Textures: Yes
New Music: Yes
Game Types: FFA (JKR)

Map review and news comments by AmosMagee!

Chack it out at Jedi Knight Files.

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Well would you believe it? FliX released a new map! That makes three maps in 3 days that must be some sort of record? So hats of you flixster!

The map is based a bit on matrix hence the name, you have to jump and frag your opponents while flying though the air from building to building, rooftop to rooftop , I cannot explain how much fun this map is really:

Textures are nice, lighting is good; weapon placement is, well placed! The music on this map is good as well and adds’s a good atmosphere to the feel and play of the map.

One thing however... bots on this map seem to stay on there own building. Nevertheless, this still is an excellent map!


Map Supports
-Holomatch
-Team Holomatch
-Control points

Map review and comments by Pandemonium.

You can find it at Elite Force Files.

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This is a very nicely layed out map, the detail in the architecture of the building is incredible, I mean really truly incredible.
There is one room that looks like a theatre in design, viewing boxes up at the top with their beautiful balconies then across the room is a set of pillars that come across as true decor not forgetting the 4 pillars that go the height of the room with that perfect light set near their top.

Leaving that room takes you down a small-ish corridor that is sectioned by perfect looking pillars with a wooden door motif on their sides at the bottoms, beautiful map work in such a simple way.