Now you see it, now you don't!

Microsoft released the 9.0a version of DirectX on their website today, but nearly as quickly they took it back down. I'm guessing there were bugs that their incredible test group missed, again.

Brian Hook Surfaces

I had been wondering where Brian Hook, formerly programmer with 3dFX, idSoftware and later Verant (the guys who make Everquest,) had disappeared to. Well it turns out he has started his own company. An interview with him at Curmudgeon Gamer reveals some of what Grandmaster B has been up to. His new company Pyrogon Entertainment isn't exactly what you might expect from the old Quake engine programmer.

Americas Army 1.6.0 Released

The America's Army team has just released the 1.6.0 version of the operations game. It is a big download at 340MB, because there isn't an official patch from 1.5 to 1.6. The new version uses the retail release of the Unreal Tournament 2003 engine. The previous versions all used a beta release of that engine. There are tons of new options in the performance settings, and a big new map to test your anti-terrorist skills with. You can get it at lots of places, but I prefer Americas Army Files.

New Epic Bonus Pack for Unreal Tournament 2003

Go check out the new bonus pack with new maps and other cool stuff. It is a massive file at 149Megs, but worth it.
Check out the mirrors at Epic Mirrors.

America's Army seeking artists

Got what it takes to develop art for a premium game? Over at America's Army they are looking for new artists. Here's the post from the Army Game website:

The America’s Army development team is currently seeking talented low-poly 3D Modelers/Texture Artists to join their staff. Ideal candidates should be proficient in Maya and Photoshop, with particular skills in UV and texture painting. Applicants should be enthusiastic, team-oriented individuals ready to work with a motivated, high-energy team. Must be willing to relocate to Monterey, California, and be a US citizen or possess the appropriate right to work in the United States. Submit resume and portfolio to:

Phillip Bossant [phillip@armygame.com]

I recently upgraded my machine. My usual rule is to upgrade if it looks like I can double my performance with the latest technology. My old system looked like this:

1.2GHz AMD Athlon
512MB of NON-DDR SDRAM
Asus A7V333 Motherboard
30GB IBM Deskstar 7200 RPM drives (2)
Nvidia Geforce 3 Ti 500 Video
Soundblaster Live!

So the new system is as follows:

AMD Athlon XP 2100+
512MB of 400MHz DDR SDRAM
Asus A7N8X Nvidia Nforce2 Motherboard
80GB Maxtor 7200 RPM Drive
ATI Radeon 9700 Pro Video
Soundblaster Audigy 2

Performance in all games got either double or more measured by frames per second. The Athlon XP 2100+ is not the fastest chip on the market, but I decided to save money so I could upgrade to one of the faster chips when they drop in price later this year. Given that I am very pleased with the performance of the system. I had it put together for me by a local merchant who does a great job, and beats the price of most web sites. I enjoy knowing every component in my system, and knowing I can upgrade anything with off the shelf parts. I have several friends who have bought Gateway or Dell PC's and I am horrified with the problems they have doing even simple upgrades. Take my advice, if you want the best, and you want to be able to tweak it yourself, build your own, don't by the big name stuff.

I play many games, and consider myself to be somewhat of a grognard. If you don't know what it means, you might be too young ;)

The primary games I play alot are: Battlefield 1942 (BF1942), Unreal Tournament 2003, Everquest, Dark Age of Camelot (DAOC) and Americas Army, IL-2 and CFS3 (see below). If you play any of these games, send me your comments or ideas!

Interested in a combat flight simulation? I have recently been trying out both Microsoft's Combat Flight Sim 3 (CFS3) and Ubisoft's IL-2 Sturmovik (IL-2). My General impression is that IL-2 is the better sim, while CFS3 may be better for folks who aren't ready for a full fledged flight sim. The Graphics in IL-2 also look a lot better than CFS3, which is a big surprise to me. CFS3 and the Flight Simulator engine it is based on has been around for more than a decade now, and I would have thought that Microsoft would have the resources to make a better 3D engine by now. Objects in IL-2 tend to look better the closer you get to them, that just isn't the case in CFS3. CFS3 is also is a major resource hog, requiring a very fast computer with lots of RAM to get it running smoothly.

Flying IL-2 however can be a real challenge. The game engine really puts you in the cockpit, and the WWII planes can be a bear to keep flying during intense combat maneuvers. Fortunately both games let you turn off various realism options, and you can make the game easier to play.

Both games introduce a lot of ground support combat, which means you will be responsible for bombing enemy troops, vehicles and other ground objects on many of the missions. This was a big plus to me, as most combat flight sims have ignored the central role of the air war to support ground warfare.

I say if you want to try a combat flight sim out, either will be good, but CFS3 is a little more forgiving for pilots just starting out.

Games games games. Computer games software has gotten more complex, and so has the gaming industry. I will post here about my favorite games, and the game publishers that make them.