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FreePlay Issue 12
F R E E P L A Y !
Multiplayer Internet Gaming Newsletter
Vol 1.12 - Dec 16, 1996
Home Page - http://freeplay.home.ml.org
Archives - ftp://ftp.etext.org/Pub/Zines/FreePlay (also at WWW site)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Murphy's Law of Lag: You will always freeze as
soon as you need to avoid something.
Murphy's Second Law of Lag: No matter how
lagged you are, you can always be lagged more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Editor - Mark Shnayer <freeplay@snet.net>
Associate Editor - Scott Grattan <scotti@gj.net>
Copy Editor - Leann Shnayer (no email id yet, im working on it :)
Reporter - Andy Hartwell <phatso@world2u.com>
Webmaster - Orog Ork <orogork@cs.tu-berlin>
Sections
-----------
Announcement - Goodbye Geocities and we got TWO FTP sites.
Editorial - Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Rambling On - By Scott Grattan.
Gaming News - All the multiplayer news you can use.
Hot Links - Bookmark these now!
Resources - To make multiplayer gaming a heck of a lot easier
Updates - Take old bugs out, put new ones in.
Previews - The Not-Ready-For-Prime-Time Review.
PBEM Games - Play By Email Games
Online Games - Multiplayer Internet Games you can play NOW
Humor - Something to make you laugh while you are gaming
Details - How to subscribe, back issues, legal junk
************************************************************************
Announcement
------------
We have a new copy editor!
--------------------------
After re-reading and spellchecking this newsletter three hundred and
eight nine times (but, who's counting), I have drafted my wife into
becoming our official Copy Editor. She says "under protest" because he is
NEVER getting off the &#(^%$ computer otherwise!
Among her other duties are rubbing my sore back from leaning over and
staring at the computer monitor for hours on end!
Goodbye to Geocities.
---------------------
The FreePlay WWW site is moving to Dragonfire.
The new address will be http://www.dragonfire.net/~freeplay
It will hopefully be up there early January.
It would have been there already but they just suffered a major disk
crash. (on Friday the Thirteenth, wouldn't ya know, with me in the
middle of uploading my html stuff for my WWW pages!).
Once they replace their crashed ftp drive I will archive the FreePlay
newsletters at my anon ftp site there and get the FreePlay WWW site up
There will also be a mirror ftp at ftp.etext.org just in case.
But keep your bookmark set to http://freeplay.home.ml.org
As soon as the WWW stuff is moved to the .org URL will
automagically send you to the new and improved FreePlay home page.
FreePlay Newsletter is now archived at ftp.etext.org
---------------------------------------------------
Issues #1 thru #9 of the FreePlay Newsletter in .zip format are
now available at ftp.etext.org.
Click on ftp://ftp.etext.org/Pub/Zines/FreePlay
if your email reader supports clicking on URL's or
using your favorite ftp client go to the above.
I will be uploading issues Vol1.10, 1.11, and 1.12 shortly.
************************************************************************
Editorial - Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!
---------
Isn't anybody RELEASING any multiplayer games??? It is getting damn hard
to find recently released online games. Instead, the preview section of
this newsletter has overtaken the online game section!
It used to be Microsoft was THE company to hype their software years in
advance with previews and rumors and private beta tests. They were
accused of issuing vaporware, rumors, and press releases just to try to
control or stop other companies from developing in a specific market
till they got their product released.
Now, its every and all the gaming companies pulling the same stunt.
If this keeps up I will have to rename the newsletter to the
FreePlay Preview of Multiplayer Games newsletter!
We are taking a Holiday Break, so no issue on Dec 30.
The next issue of the FreePlay newsletter will go out January 13,1997.
Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
************************************************************************
Rambling On - By Scott Grattan.
http://www.gj.net/~scotti
-------------------------
Well, I finally got tired of putting together web pages for other people
and get something up for myself. If you are looking for something
entirely unexciting, this is the place to go! I haven't had much time to
put into it, but I'll be working on it, so check in a month or so. If it
still hasn't changed, please email me and tell me to get my ass moving on
it.
Diablo has hit the shelves in some areas, but not here. I've got every
store in town on auto-dial, in case they forget to call me when it comes
in. If you've got it, I'm jealous.
Magic: The Gathering has been a much anticipated item, and MicroProse
finally managed to squeeze out a demo! I think the competition they're
getting from Acclaim to release M:TG is lighting a much-needed fire under
their butts, and hopefully we'll see something before Christmas. Read
more about it in my reviews in this issue (in the online gaming section).
Computer Player, a magazine (you people DO still read, don't you?) is a
mag that I never really paid much attention to until recently. They're
getting better and better about their reviews and content of articles.
Now, they're changing their name to Computer & NET PLAYER, and as far as
I know they're the first to claim NET gaming savvy-ness (a word? it is
now!). I found myself agreeing with MOST of their reviews, and they
manage to get some real juicy stuff dug up. In addition to changing
their name, they're also allying themselves with OGR (online gaming
review (http://www.ogr.com)), a well-known source of information when it
comes to up and coming gaming news. Check them both out!
SkyNET has been taking quite a bit of my time lately. If you checked
out Future Shock, and weren't impressed, join the club. But SkyNET has a
lot more playability, and is net-able! I haven't found anyone to play
yet, but when I do, I'm sure I'll have to sacrifice even more of my sleep
/eat/work time. Between everything else that's coming out, we're going
to have to start lobbying for longer hours in the day! If you do have
SkyNET, here's a few things for ya to try:
SkyNET Cheat Codes
------------------
Hit ALT and \ at the same time to be able to enter these codes:
GARBLE Garble cheat codes toggle
SUPERUZI Get the Super UZI
ICANTSEE Show viewscreen
WHOAMI Shows your name
COUNTERS Shows current co-ordinates
VERSION Shows version
HELLO Shows message: Hello?
If you're REALLY bored, try shooting the moon. Those guys at Bethesda
must have a lot of free time on their hands! Go to their homepage
(http://www.bethsoft.com) for the latest patch. No more dying from
sliding!
Well, time to get back to acting like I'm working. Next time I'll have
something to say about Diablo (didn't I say that last time?), as well as
a bunch of other things that are looming on the horizon. '97 is going
to be an awesome year for games, but I'm sure I'll wind up having to buy
all kinds of neat gizmos for them too. Such is the burden we gamers face,
but the ride is worth the price of admission!
************************************************************************
Gaming News - All the multiplayer news you can use.
-----------
Happy Puppy
http://happypuppy.com
----------------------
A web site for video game players, last Wednesday Happy Puppy announced
it will shift its editorial coverage to focus exclusively on consumer
gamers.
Coverage of the gaming business, of interest primarily to people within
the gaming industry, will be discontinued.
(FreePlay: the heck with them , I hate all that yellow background on
their WWW pages, and I *HATE* the way the left frame is constantly
pushing banner ads and other ads in your face.)
Programmer fired for unauthorized content in computer game
----------------------------------------------------------
12/06/96 - 10:03 AM ET By The Associated Press_
SAN FRANCISCO - Buxom beauties are fine but buff hunks aren't, a gay
programmer discovered when he got fired for adding some muscle men in
swim trunks to a computer game.
Jacques Sevrin, who worked at Maxis Inc., slipped the unauthorized
characters - who kiss each other on some days - into the new action game
SimCopter, a follow-up to the popular SimCity 2000 game.
In the new game, players fly rescue missions through a complex
3-D city with tiny characters in the background.
"The artist that was working on it made them these standard
female computer-game bimbos, really skimpy shorts, big breasts
- what you'd expect," Sevrin said Wednesday.
The male figures were "really dumpy, little squat middle-aged
types," he said, so he threw in some beefcakes.
The game was released Nov. 20 and 78,000 copies were shipped
before the company discovered the additions.
Sevrin was fired the next day for "adding the unauthorized
content," a violation of company policy, Maxis spokesman
Patrick Buechner said.
The additions also went unnoticed by even hard-core devotees
of the game, said WiredNews, an on-line news service that
first reported Sevrin's firing. New versions of the game,
which will ship starting next week, won't contain the hunks.
Sevrin, 33, said since the company doesn't object to images of
scantily clad women, studly men also should be allowed. He
said there was nothing overtly sexual about his characters.
"These boys in swim trunks just walk around - very rarely, I
might add - except on certain days of the year," he said.
On those dates, which the program automatically reads based on
the computer's internal calendar, include Friday the 13th and
Sevrin's birthday, Sept. 30, as well as Aug. 22, his ex-
boyfriend's birthday.
"On those days, all kinds of things happen. There will be boys
kissing, there will be a greater number of bimbos, there will
be Elvis impersonators. It's really hilarious," he said.
Despite being fired, Sevrin said Walnut Creek-based Maxis was
a fine employer and he never felt any homophobia at the
company.
"I didn't do it out of anger, just kind of 'Why not?' I can't quite
figure out why they would be so angry. It's not a game for kids, it's
for 20-year-olds, " he said. "But you put gay and kids anywhere in the
same sentence and people explode."
************************************************************************
Hot Links - Bookmark these now!
---------
Command & Conquer - Red Alert -=Data Downlink=-
http://health2.uwsp.edu/c&c/DataDownlink/RedAlert/
Submitted by Orog Ork <orogork@cs.tu-berlin.de>
--------------------------------------------------
This area is dedicated to information resources on Red Alert.
It has a message board, file area, scenarios and utilities to download,
and just about everything and anything to do with Westwood's Red Alert.
The Cheater's Guild
http://www.thecheatersguild.com/
--------------------------------
The Cheater's Guild Motto
I came, I tried, I lost, I tried again, I cheated, I won.
This is simply the best and most up to date WWW cheat page for
multiplayer and other games it has been my pleasure to
surf into.
The Quake Weenie Tactics Site
http://www.msn.fullfeed.com/~agiesler/quake
-------------------------------------------
Bullies kicking sand in your face? Whomped more often than you whomp?
Wonder why you spend so much time lying on the ground looking up at
other Quake players as they run by?
From the author of the Descent Weenie Tactics Site, the Quake Weenie
Tactics Site will help you to move yourself from utter humiliation to
mere embarrassment. Tactics, statistics, console basics, and more.
We're growing, so stop by and submit your Quake deathmatch tips.
"You know... you suck a little less than you used to."
Can't you hear it already?
Quad City
http://www.mind.net/worksj/quake/mainmenu.htm
---------------------------------------------
The most complete guide for Quake on the Internet. Almost everything you
could ever want to know about setting quake up for network, and local
playing. Step by step instructions make it simple enough to get anyone
fragging along in no time.
The Official Doom FAQ
http://sync.mpx.com.au/wizards-lair/MAC/doom/index.html
-------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to the post-release v5.7 of the "Official" DOOM FAQ.
************************************************************************
Resources - To make multiplayer gaming a heck of a lot easier
---------
Audssey Mailing List
http://www.psnw.com/~henrich/00-index.txt
-----------------------------------------
Audyssey is a mailing list for the Audyssey Gaming Magazine. The
bimonthly publication offers reviews and information about games that are
usable by the blind, i.e., text-based games.
You do not, however, have to be blind to join the list. if you are
interested in nongraphical games, by all means, subscribe to the list.
The list is a one-way list. Only the magazine and administrative
messages will be sent to its subscribers.
The magazine is edited by Michael Feir.
To subscribe, send a message to jmeddaug@cris.com with the words
'subscribe audyssey' in the subject or body. Note that this is not a
listserv address and that several other lists are run through this
address.
Thanks to Paul Henrichson <henrich@psnw.com>, you can download back
issues at: http://www.psnw.com/~henrich/00-index.txt
SHAREGAMES on Sonic@Fan.net
---------------------------
SHAREGAMES is an unmoderated, games distribution list. There will be
games distributed almost everyday but at least once a week. People who
belong to the list are welcome to contribute games to the list. This is
a shareware games list, everything possible will be done to stop any
commercial game from being passed through the list but since this is an
unmoderated list, there are no guarantees that this type of activity
will never occur on the list. People can also talk about new and old
games out there. If you really like games, then this is a list for you.
To subscribe to SHAREGAMES, send email to Sonic@Fan.net and in the
subject and body of the message, place the line
SUB SHAREGAMES your-email-address
For example: SUB SHAREGAMES luke@isp.net
************************************************************************
Updates - Take old bugs out, put new ones in
-------
Links LS Patch
http://www.accesssoftware.com/patch.html
----------------------------------------
Links LS update version 1.30 now available!
CHANGES AND FIXES IN LINKS LS VERSION 1.30
Fixed a sound library edit bug.
Fixed a bug introduced by ver 1.10 that stopped the Links LS icon from
working correctly.
Fixed a 'view saved shot' bug.
Fixed a rare ball flight bug caused by a FIFO buffer overflow.
Made a change to allow a 9 hole match play game to finish as soon as the
winner is determined.
Pirates - The Quest for The Seas
http://www.mountainside.com/
--------------------------------
Originally reported in Issue #4, the game has been updated.
The next version of PIRATES is: Version 2.0 (NO LONGER A BETA!!!)
It will be released on or before: December 15, 1996
Some of the features that will be included in this new version are:
Ability to BUILD YOUR OWN SHIP, name it and customize it the
way you like it! Trade cargo space for firepower, trade crew for
cannons, increase the speed and visibility, add an iron hull for
strength, and more!
Improved battles! Movie clips instead of moving cannon balls! Ships
will have "hit points" instead of simply judging the victor by the
number of cannons they have. Each battle will have a cannon round
and a crew round....
Ability to navigate the directories on your PC when opening /
creating PIRATES files. No longer will it be necessary to place all
your PIRATES files in your PIRATES directory!
Ability to store treasure in a fort of the territories that you govern.
No more losing EVERTHING when someone pillages your ship!
You will be able to order your crew to attack any ship that passes by
when it's not your turn. This will allow you to barricade certain
territories, or just become a real menace to society.
When attacking a ship and you lose, the winning player's ship will
suffer some damage. Also, you can do damage to a fort even when
you lose.
Smarter computer players...you'll even be able to tell the game
whether you want the computer players to be able to attack each
other, or whether they form an "alliance". This should make them a
lot tougher!
Plutonium PAK v1.4 to v1.5 Patch
http://www.apogee1.com/catalog/duke3d/dukefix.htm#pak15
-------------------------------------------------------
Please note that if you do not already have the Plutonium PAK v1.4
CD-ROM, you cannot use this patch.
On December 12th, 3D Realms released the Plutonium PAK v1.5 patch. This
small update to v1.4 fixes some bugs in the game, as well as corrects an
install program problem for people with computers that have 64Mb of
memory or more.
This file is available right now!. You can download it here!. Please
note that this will only update a game that has already been updated with
the Plutonium PAK. If you do not already have the Plutonium PAK CD-ROM,
this patch is not for you.
SubSpace by Virgin Interactive Entertainment
(review by Scott Grattan)
http://www.vie.com/subspace
---------------------------
Another version has been released, and with it several new arenas! Most
of the changes are purely cosmetic, with new artwork for all the ships.
Two new arenas have been added, so there's sure to be something to keep
you happy in the SubSpace universe. Here's what the latest news.txt has
to say.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Version 119.
-New ship graphics. (new web art available for those with sites)
-New help/tutorial screens.
-Teammates now give you no points if you kill them.
-Suicides now impossible but you CAN damage yourself severely.
-Packetloss scheme implemented to even out connections. This should
allow people with bad connections to stay logged on in all but FLAG ZONES.
-Names containing naughty words now blocked ,you bad people :)
-Flags now do not appear until after the first minute you enter the game.
-Subspace.exe now separated from art & sound files. I future revs this will
allow for much smaller updates.
-In some zones you will get a %of you own bounty added to your kill(10-20%).
This is an incentive to stay alive with high bounty.
-Packetloss is now much more tolerant for spectators.
-loads of bug fixes as per usual.
And here's the info on new zones:
SPEED ZONE
This new zone is for the player who does not have much time but wants to
be able to win a game. The game lasts for 1 hour and after that time the
person with the highest score wins. In this game the following commands
are available.?time = time left in game
?best = your personal best.
To speed up gameplay players start with 30 bounty in this zone.
When you enter game or the game ends your score is reset but your best
is recorded. These bests will be posted in the biweekly winners table.
TURF ZONE (this one will take some fine tuning)
This strategic zone is similar to the game "risk" in concept. 200 fixed
flags are distributed around the map. 20 man teams compete to grab and
defend territory. Every 10 mins or so you get points depending on how
many flags your team owns. The map is designed to be able to make
defensive "fronts" thus good squads (even small ones) can stake out their
turf and defend it. We hope that this game will be a good start for
ownership subgames. We will see.
Webgames
http://www.eden.com/~springer(W,W95)
http://www.eden.com/~springer/download/gammon10.zip(download)
---------------------------------------------------
Webgames BACKGAMMON is ready to play !
If you already have Webgames v2.2 with Hearts you can simply
download the backgammon client
Unzip it and run setup.exe
If you don't have v2.2 then go to www.eden.com/~springer/download
and follow the instructions to first install the basic system
with Hearts and then get the add-on game Backgammon.
CRIBBAGE will be the next game available on Dec 30, 1996
In the news... Webgames Online will be joining the company
Network Entertainment Inc. Our web page will be moving
(and getting a much needed facelift !) soon and you'll
be able to find it at http://www.igames.com
More new games & features on the way in January and February
including:
o Chess
o Checkers
o Private Conference Rooms with generic role playing game support
o Bulletin Boards that you can create & manage yourself
o A Face Builder!
For those of you who remember the ImagiNation Network (tm)
and our "toons" you'll be happy to know we'll have something
very similar (but better & faster of course) for constructing
a unique face & upper body that others can see whenever
they point the windows cursor at your name in the Webgames
Chat Room.
************************************************************************
Previews - The Not-Ready-For-Prime-Time Review.
--------
Air Warrior II (W95)
http://www.imagicgames.com/aw2.dir/aw2.html
-------------------------------------------
From Interactive Magic and Kesmai
Air Warrior II is the single-player game specifically designed by Kesmai
Corporation to bring to stand-alone gamers the winning tactics and
strategies played out every night online with Air Warrior. This is the
opportunity gamers have been waiting for: a chance to join the squadrons
who've been flying the unfriendly Air Warrior skies since 1987.
Now you can practice maneuvers and fly with the same skill and
strategies that real-life fighter pilots use. Air Warrior II gives
players the tactical flight practice and exposure to various aircraft
options they need to defeat even the most seasoned online veteran.
Air Warrior II includes more than 25 historic aircraft to fly in over
100 detailed missions spanning three eras: WWI, WWII, and the Korean War.
Air Warrior II features single-player and head-to-head modem play, as
well as online multiplayer access.
Fly over 25 combat aircraft in more than 100 detailed single-player
missions Introductory training level makes Air Warrior II accessible to
everyone Authentic, dynamic flight models recreate the warplanes of WWI,
WWII and Korea with incredible realism Multiple screen resolutions up to
1024 by 768.
Single-player, head-to-head modem, and online play
System Requirements
Windows 95
486DX/50 Mhz CPU or faster
SVGA video card
2X or faster CD-ROM drive
8 Mb RAM
Supports most popular joysticks
Supports most popular sound cards
Taking flight in Early '97!
Blood (Dos,W,W95)
http://www.blood.com
--------------------
Blood will immerse you in a world of horror unlike any you've experienced
before. Brace yourself for a nightmarish battle against the bloodthirsty
minions of an ancient, forgotten god bent on wiping humanity from the
face of the earth. As a former member of the Cabal, you have a good idea
of what you're up against, and the odds aren't in your favor. But the
hunger for revenge can be a powerful ally--and you've got some old debts
to settle.
System Requirements unknown at this time.
(FreePlay: There's been a lot of hype that like Unreal, this will be the
next Quake killer)
Claw Homepage (W95)
http://www.captainclaw.com/
---------------------------
Claw is the world's first up-to-256-player, internet capable,
arcade-style action adventure game for the PC!!!
The networking in Claw is REVOLUTIONARY. We can't give you all the
details right now, but when we release a demo, you'll see what we mean. We
can tell you that the networking in Claw is DirectPlay based, which means
you'll be able to play Claw over a lan, on the net, or head-to-head via a
modem--all through Windows 95 and DirectX. You'll also be able to find
other players in our Claw Game Lobby, so hooking up for a multiplayer
game takes all of about 10 seconds. Multiplayer online gaming has never
been this easy or this fun. Trust us.
General Gameplay Features
Claw is a high-res (640x480 256 color) arcade-style action adventure that
runs under Windows 95 and utilizes DirectX technology for superior
performance. Claw features 16 levels, nearly 50 enemies, and close to 20
minutes of hand-drawn animated cutscenes.
Interactive Football League (Play By Email) (W,Mac,Amiga)
http://www.team17.com/cgi-bin/ifl-idx.pl
----------------------------------------
Interactive Football League (or IFL to it's friends) is a new development
from The Games Room, the multi-player games division of Team 17 and RW
Software, one of the worlds leading play-by-mail companies. It's a
football management game, but it's not like any other football management
sim you may have come across. Instead of playing against a badly
programmed computer controlled manager, IFL lets you play against other
real people.
Instead of playing for no reward, you could win big cash prizes...
What sets IFL apart from the rest is that you are in full control of all
aspects of your team and make all the key decisions affecting its
performance. The client software comes with a hassle-free graphics
user-interface (take a peek at the screenshots) with plenty of help
pages and tutorials to guide you along. Expert or beginner, you'll find
the game both challenging and fun to play.
You can either play over the Internet, or by disk.
Launch: Early 1997
Platforms: PC, Mac & Amiga
Interactive Magic's iF22 ASF (W95)
http://www.imagicgames.com/f22.dir/f22.html
--------------------------------------------
The Definitive Simulation of the F-22 Air Superiority Fighter
The Lockheed-Boeing F-22 Lightning II -- the most lethal jet fighter
ever designed. Combining advanced stealth capabilities with superior
dogfighting and air-to-ground strike capability, this multi-role fighter
will dominate the skies of the 21st century. Only an elite few will have
the chance to fly the F-22 ... and you can be one of them!
Features
Over 250,000 square miles of photorealistic terrain rendered from real
satellite photos and elevation data of Bosnia, Ukraine, and Kuwait Truly
dynamic campaign system -- never the same missions twice Active Cockpit
-- on-screen switches and controls are not just for looks, they're fully
functional Instant action, single mission, and campaign play Huge variety
of planes and vehicles, all actively participating in the ground and air
war Multiple levels of difficulty for novices and aces alike Modem and
network support -- declare war on your friends!
System Requirements
Windows 95
Pentium processor
SVGA video card
2X or faster CD-ROM drive
16 Mb RAM
Taking flight in Early '97!
Interactive Magic's Great Battles of Alexander (W95)
http://www.imagicgames.com/alexander.dir/alexander.html
-------------------------------------------------------
Part One of the Ancient Battles Series
From Interactive Magic and Erudite Software
It begins here...
The armies of ancient Greece are amassed against you. On the rocky
battle plain at Charonaea, you and your father stand against seemingly
insurmountable odds. Defeat will doom you to obscurity. Victory will
herald the beginning of the most spectacular military campaign in history,
one that will carry you from Greece to Africa and Asia. The entire known
world can be yours to conquer!
Features
Spans Alexander's entire career from Prince of Macedonia to conqueror of
the Western world Every unit fully animated in movement and combat --
see and hear them come to life (and death!) 10 stand-alone battles plus a
campaign game in one package Detailed artwork and accurate battle
simulations true to the era of Alexander Real, detailed units like the
Macedonian Phalanx and Indian War Elephant Solo and multiplayer options
--match wits with your friends via modem, local network, and the
Internet
System Requirements:
Windows 95, 486DX2/66 MHz processor or faster, 8 Mb RAM (16 Mb
recommended), SVGA video card, 2X or faster CD-ROM drive, Supports most
popular sound cards.
Conquering your world in Early '97!
Into the Void (W,W95,Play By Email)
http://www.playmatestoys.com/pages/pie/itv.htm
----------------------------------------------
Into the Void is a space strategy game that allows players to build their
empire by exploring remote star systems, colonizing new exotic worlds,
and building fleets of starships. Along the path of conquest, alien races
will make contact and try to prevent your civilization's rise. Increase
your technology by researching. As your technology grows, so too will
your reach into the stars. The dark uncharted reaches of space are yours
for the taking. At risk is your entire civilization. As you venture...Into
The Void.
With the development of the first rudimentary "Hyperspace Portal", faster
-than light space travel has become a reality. You must create a galactic
empire by building fleets of starships. Exploring remote star systems and
colonizing new exotic worlds. But your are not alone. Other races in the
galaxy have the same desires. In the race to populate worlds you must
choose from a number of different options. You may need mighty forces to
fend off an enemy attack or to take another planet by military force.
Perhaps powerful negotiation would produce better results? A statesman's
approach may also be useful...or perhaps covert espionage. The ultimate
success of your race depends on you.
Fully networkable for up to ten players via local area networks or the
internet, through e-mail.
Super VGA Graphics with high resolution 3-D rendered starships and
facilities, combined with challenging strategic gameplay.
Create a galactic empire by designing and building fleets of starships
to explore remote stars and colonize new worlds.
(No hardware specs or playable demo available at this time).
Myth (W95,MAC)
http://www.bungie.com/prpages/myth.html
---------------------------------------
Bungie PULLS THE LID OFF...Myth
A river of blood runs through it
CHICAGO, IL - December 5, 1996 -
What does a company known for 3D, first-person action games do when they
want to make a game depicting the clash of armies, the wheeling of
formations and the savagery of melee? They make Myth. Bungie's upcoming
game Myth is the first example of a fully multimetric realtime tactical
game, and it will stun gamers with the full-on experience of epic battle.
Free of a static isometric view, Myth players orbit around the heads of
their units, zoom in for a closeup on a melee, pan past a long column of
troops and fly over the landscape in any direction. The action takes
place in a world of truly 3D terrain and objects. From the moment players
see drifting clouds reflected in the water or the ground ripple and
deform from the shockwave of an explosion, they will know they are in a
place no computer game has gone before.
The gameplay focusses on tactics. Instead of spending time collecting
resources and building up structures and armies, players command groups
of units who are thrust into battle with enemy forces. Mastery of
formations and disciplined unit movement is critical to survival, where
large scale maneuvers end with the fury of hand to hand combat. Myth
depicts the carnage of the battlefield in all its awful glory, with
fountains of blood coating the landscape, heads rolling down hills and
chunks of meat and bone flying through the air trailing goreÑall
according to the most detailed and realistic physics model of any game
on the market.
Cross-platform networking will allow players to battle with small strike
teams or mighty legions, while Bungie's MetaServer makes playing over
the Internet as easy as over the office LAN. Myth will include maps
designed specifically for network play, and alternate networking
scenarios like Assassin, Capture the Flag, King of the Hill and more. The
game is easily customized with a user-programmable scripting language
based on Java(TM) that will allow users to write their own scripts to
reprogram monsters, change game constants, even change the rules of
netgames.
Myth will require a Pentium with Windows(R) 95 or PowerPC running Mac(TM)
OS, 16-bit color and a CD-ROM drive. The game will be released in 1997.
This is the only accurate information available about its release date.
For the latest on Myth, stay tuned to www.bungie.com.
The Tone Rebellion (W,W95)
http://www.tonerebellion.com/
-----------------------------
They say it is darkest before the dawn. The Tone Rebellion provides no
exception as you start out alone and isolated, struggling for deliverance
on one of the 15 remaining islands. As a floater, you begin mining Tone,
rebuilding bases and resources for the ensuing battle for deliverance
from the hands of the Leviathan.
The Leviathan immediately seeks to defeat the resurgent clans. If you are
successful, your efforts will lead to the discovery of mystical links to
other lands where you'll find other floater species. Cooperating with
other floater clans, you will be able to build on each other's strengths
to further your cause against the Leviathan. And yet, the Leviathan's
strength grows with each success you achieve and the dawn is still a
distant dream.
With superior animation, incredibly detailed graphics and a powerful
original sound track, The Tone Rebellion promises to surpass other real
time strategy games. This, combined with a multiplayer option, makes The
Tone Rebellion a sure thing for gamers seeking a new age of entertainment.
Requirements not available at this time.
Ask for The Tone Rebellion starting in April, 1997.
************************************************************************
PBEM Games - Play By Email Games
----------
Electronic Knockout - An Internet Boxing Game(any WWW browser)
http://www.vivi.com/eko/
------------------------
Electronic Knock Out, or "EKO", is a boxing simulation game run over the
Internet. You create fictional fighters and manage their careers.
You begin by creating a stable of fighters. Different fighters have
different abilities. You keep "re-rolling" a fighter until you get a set
of abilities you like. Then you give him a name, a description, and tell
him how to fight in each bout.
Every weekend your fighters are matched against other players' fighters.
You are notified 5-7 days in advance so you can scout your opponents and
devise strategies.
All fights take place off-line -- you get the results by email. This
includes a blow-by-blow account of the fight and how the fight was scored.
Results of every fight are on-line and can be viewed with your web
browser. There have been 13,485 bouts between 4,981 fighters managed by
over 1,400 players! Every fight in EKO history, and every fighter ever
created can be viewed on-line.
Fighters are ranked in each weight division and each region. Your goal
is to push your fighter as far up the rankings as possible and,
ultimately, to create a "World Champion".
Managers role play between bouts by issuing press releases.
EKO is currently free. Each manager can manage up to three fighters. In
the future, EKO will be partially commercialized -- each manager will be
allowed to manage one fighter for free, but will be charged a fee for
additional fighters.
Saratoga-e - Star Trek Role Playing Game
----------------------------------------
saratoga-e on majordomo@columbia.phy.wfu.edu
The list saratoga-e was formed with a new concept in RPG's (role
playing games).
The Final Frontier... The Klingons... A Space Station DS11...
and the Saratoga-e.
Saratoga-e is a RPG based on Star Trek. Many exciting things are always
happening on the Saratoga.
To subscribe write majordomo@columbia.phy.wfu.edu with the commmand
subscribe saratoga-e
There is no digest at this time.
************************************************************************
Online Games - Multiplayer Internet Games you can play NOW
------------
Armageddon (any Java capable browser)
http://www.starbelly.com/armageddon/
------------------------------------
Keep in mind that Armageddon is a two player game, so you might have to
wait if there is not already an opponent waiting to play. (The longest
you should ever have to wait is 13 minutes.) Once you login, you will be
in the queue to play, so go ahead and play a single player game at
Starbelly Gaming, the game will start when an opponent
connects.
Fallen Haven (W95)
http://www.imagicgames.com/fhaven.dir/fhaven.html
ftp://ftp.imagicgames.com/pub/demos/fhaven/fhdemo.exe(download)
-------------------------------------
This is a playable demo of Fallen Haven. It is a self-extracting,
self-installing archive. Just download the file and run it. The demo
requires Windows 95, a 486/66, and 8MB RAM.
A paradise lost ... two races at war ...
and a world whose fate hangs in the balance
The planet New Haven was supposed to be a paradise, an idyllic,
peaceful new home for colonists from Old Earth. But that was
before the wars broke out, before the provinces turned on one
another ... and before the aliens arrived ...
Fight your way through multiple scenarios, each spanning fifteen
disputed territories. Wrest control of provinces from your enemy or from
neutral forces, then develop your territory to gain wealth and power to
fuel your war efforts. Build your might until you are ready to take the
offensive and strike deep into the the heart of enemy territory --
capture the capital, and victory is yours! Features Strategic and
tactical levels of gameplay Build structures, research technologies, and
fight battles Play as humans or aliens, each with unique strengths and
weaknesses 15 territories to conquer in each scenario.
Interactive Magic has released a demo of Fallen Haven, its upcoming
futuristic turn-based C&C-style strategy game.
Magic: The Gathering for Windows '95 by Microprose
(review by Scott Grattan)
http://www.microprose.com/gamesdesign/magic/magic.html
------------------------------------------------------
Magic: The Gathering, based on Wizards of the Coast, Inc.¹s popular
trading card game of the same name, is now an interactive computer game.
Not only can you duel the computer AI and fine-tune your decks, but a new
Sid Meier-designed strategy card game environment provides an
introduction for new players while challenging the most experienced
Magic:The Gathering fans.
The demo is available (14M), and the computer is a very worth opponent.
However, it is rumored that this will not have the options to play online,
which was going to be a big deal for all us M:TG players! I couldn't
find any mention of this (to either confirm or deny), but I'll let you
know when I do! However, MicroProse took too long, because someone else
has come along to pick up the Magic gauntlet and accept the challenge...
Magic: The Gathering - Battlemage by Acclaim
(review by Scott Grattan)
http://www.acclaimnation.com/acclaimnation/twitch/interactive/magic/MAGICinter.html
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(how's that for an easy to remember URL?)
A maniacal warmonger,
Six powerful wizards,
and legions of magical beasts....
Welcome to Magic: The Gathering - BattleMage
A devastating planeswalker war rages across the continent of Corondor.
Ravidel, a mighty planeswalker, has gone insane from grief and betrayal.
He now seeks the destruction of all other planeswalkers and the conquest
of the land itself.
Sound good? Check out the URL above, and read the entire thing! It
sounds like an incredible journey, with two modes of play available. The
Duel mode allows up to four player (computer or human) to build decks and
slug it out (via LAN, modem, or internet). Acclaim is porting this to
the Sony Playstation and the Sega Saturn, and they can use
split-screen to play. Although, how you keep someone from seeing your
cards I can't imagine.
The campaign mode allows you (a planeswalker) to conquer territories and
acquire artifacts and spells, and to interact with "more than 90 beings
from the Magic: The Gathering universe".
I can tell you that (as a recently recovered M:TG'er, I'm more
interested in the Acclaim version, simply for the multi-player and
'nettable aspect. MicroProse has taken entirely too long, even with the
addition of Sid Meier to design their playing environment. I've been
waiting for MicroProse to get this thing out for more than a year now. I
didn't even KNOW Acclaim was working on something until just the last
month, and they're saying it's being released this week! More on that
later!
Tsarwars
http://204.194.39.10/
---------------------
Tsarwars is a multiuser, multiplayer, space/war/strategy game. Within
the game there are only about 30 commands. Learning to play is easy. You
will start out in a "sector" of space. That sector will connect to other
sectors which you can enter by clicking on their sector numbers. You can
dock at ports and make money trading. When you encounter other players
you can attack them. You can build starbases and deploy fighters to
guard sectors or spy on passersby -- or charge them tolls. You can
travel to other galaxies via wormholes, pulsars, or hyperspace, and try
to take one over, make it your personal kingdom, and defend it from other
players. Or, you can wander the Universe like a nomad, going wherever
the wormhole takes you, trading, gambling, and amassing your own personal
fleet of fighters. You can enter into an alliance with others and attempt
to rule the entire Universe....
Ultimate Warrior
http://134.83.128.48/~empgdda/ad/uwhome.htm
-------------------------------------------
Ultimate warrior is a new Strategic Weapons Combat Fighting Game. Set in
the mid 14th century, your character battles for the right to fight the
evil Warrior of Mukia. Although at first, it could be mistaken for a
typical fighting game, that is far from the truth.
This is one of the best 2D fighting game you will ever see or play. All
our efforts have been built on previous experience to make this so. For
example there are around 10 different warriors to choose from, however,
weapons and amour can be changed, providing a net total of over 1000
(yes one thousand) different character configurations. Nobody has ever
come even close to achieving this kind of feat in a fighting game.
Gameplay has been given as much consideration as the graphics, each
character has a novel move combo construction system which provides each
one with over 120 different combo moves. This means that each character
moves exactly how you would want it to and exactly when you want it to.
The moves are all carefully designed to provide the best in gameplay and
feel.
Ultimate warrior is not just another fighting game. It is a unique
concept incorporating a number of novel features, providing an original
game experience which will undoubtedly prove popular amongst all game
players.
************************************************************************
Humor - Something to make you laugh while you are gaming
-----
(originally posted in Issue #4, but we have so many new subscribers who
haven't seen this and I thought it was appropriate after the news release
about the programmer who got fired from Maxis for putting those cute
Easter eggs in the release of SimCopter
Posted with permission from Corey Lewis <Corey.Lewis@DALSEMI.COM>
Top Ten New Games That Maxis is Considering to Produce
10. Sim Vaporware - (to win you must spend months developing a game,
while at the same time relentlessly advertising it, only to pull
the plug when customer anticipation is peaked)
9. Sim NFL - (must get through 10 seasons without being busted for drugs,
wife beating, solicitation of prostitutes, steroid abuse, DWI, or child
molestation --- reportedly is going to be a very tough game.)
8. Sim Widget (become the world's largest and most powerful widget mogul.)
7. Sim Televangelest (speaks for itself)
6. Sim Solid Waste Treatment Facility (Dive in to this one and experience life
at its most pungent)
5. Sim Park Ranger - (Yes, you too can live the exciting life of a Forest Park
Ranger. Experience the surge of adrenaline as you ticket people for
unlicensed fishing and for cutting trees for camp firewood.)
4. Sim Homeless - (Prowl the streets, and never worry about paying rent.
Make decisions such as should I eat the Beets and Corn soup at the
shelter? Or should I search the dumpster behind the Pizza Hut?)
3. Sim Porn Video Director - (see #7 above)
2. Sim Junk Yard - (organize ad campaigns to bring in loyal customers so they
will see that your junk is better than the competition. Bonus points for
recycling and separating plastics, glass, and aluminum.)
1. Sim City 2000 *Ghetto Edition* - (create the inner-city hell of your
dreams. Gang shootings, turf wars, crack houses, government project
housing facilities...all this and more. May be a "Crip" and "Blood"
option for added replay value.)
************************************************************************
Details - How to subscribe, back issues, legal junk
-------
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This document is copyright 1996 by Mark Shnayer.
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