Q3Arena.com - The Ultimate Quake III Site

As some of you may know by now, the rumors that were flying around IRC have turned out to be true: that an early beta version of Quake3 Arena has been leaked out onto ftp and web servers everywhere. We haven't yet learned how this leak happened, but it has been confirmed as I've talked to several people who have played it myself (no one on our staff has seen it yet). You can be sure that we'll post more info when we learn it, though.

In the meantime, please do NOT email us asking for download links, as those messages will be promptly deleted without response :)

We love our webpage design. We think it rocks. Unfortunately in order to have such a great design, we had to use some of the latest HTML design techniques, which some browsers haven't been brought up to speed with yet. However, users of Opera, Lynx, and other such browsers will be happy to know that we've put up a text-only version of our front page at http://www.q3arena.com/textindex.php3.

The text-only page receives the exact same news updates at the same time as the page you're reading now, so people who choose to use browsers other than MSIE and Netscape aren't penalized for their choices.

The first public version of QTS, a classic Quake mod, has been released. Features include 2 DM maps, new sounds, higher jump, more speed, and "lava jump". Check out the Pels Interactive website for more info.

There's an article up here that discusses John Carmack's thoughts on 3D Audio and whether it'll make its way into Q3Arena. They also talk a bit about EAX and A3D.

Chaodin of Chaodin.net has put together his own Quake3 Arena Preview. His preview covers graphics technology, multiplay tech. and network code, gameplay and "single-play". Certain sections throughout the article are use the public Quake3 screenshots to display the topic at hand.

In response to many thankful emails that were sent to the Webdog team, they've decided to keep the project alive by releasing the final build and the full visual basic source code as well. In addition, the Webdog site will be re-launched in late March with a fully automated system to allow the addition and removal of sites from the Webdog system without requiring their supervision. Everyone is encouraged to download the latest build, and coders are especially encouraged to grab a copy of the source and port it to other operating systems like Linux and MacOS.

ChemicalX has released a new map called "Portal". There are versions for regular Quake2 as well as the Xatrix Quake2 mission pack. The Xatrix version is customized to use the new weapons and powerups that are available in the addon pack. Drop by the ChemicalX site to check them (and other maps) out.

Version 1.0 of Qpack, the QuakeWorld server-stats script for mIRC, has been released. This is a substantial improvement from the older version 0.26, and includes a ton of new features. Some of the new stuff includes QStat and QLoad integration, a new ping feature, a new config menu, and more.

RUST has posted an interview with the Dawn of Darkness team. Along with the interview is a set of six exclusive (new) screenshots of DoD.

I saw over on Blue's that id's John Cash made a post or two to the Quake3 Arena Bot Board about the status of Q3Arena's bots. Follow that direct link to read his entire post, but he does mention that the bots are coming along nicely, and that they haven't made a decision about whether they will be including any bots in Q3Test, which is due out around the end of March.

Mark from 3DsoundSurge sent in some info about a 3D audio petition that they're running. According to ALive, id Software has not yet included support for 3D audio (like A3D and EAX) in Q3Arena, and will evaluate support for it later. Rather than tell everyone to email id Software and encourage support, 3DsoundSurge has put up this petition that people can sign which will be sent to id Software as a representation of the community's interest in 3D sound.

GameSpot UK is running a new online poll with the objective to have their results as "true to life as possible". Here's what the press note had to say:

The idea is simple - we've grouped this year's batch of action titles into four pools. The election system is the good old British first-past-the-post method. The winner of each pool goes forward to the semi-finals and, if they're lucky, the final. Voting starts at 12.00noon GMT on Monday 1st March.

[snip] - In order to put the election into context, from tomorrow, GameSpot will be dedicating a whole week to focusing on all the latest news from the pretenders to the 3D action throne. We'llhave exclusive previews, interviews and pix from the hottest games to be released EVER!

You can visit the 3D Week UK site here.

Stonewall has just finished a new Quake2 movie which documents the "rise and fall of a Quake2 CTF clan". There's a lot of good CTF action in this movie that fans would surely enjoy watching.

The Action Quake2 team has redesigned their website. They mention that the redesign is a definite improvement over the old one, but is still pretty simple to use.

Oops, I forgot to mention one other thing: For those of you who were wondering what we did with our link to the previously hosted sites at Quake2.com, I've moved that into the "Info" menu at the top (not "Game Info"). Just click the Info button and it'll be the first link in the menu that drops down. Or you can get to it here.

We've added a cool new feature to the site, as you may have noticed with the new box to the left. We setup a quick email newsletter to hopefully help everyone keep up with the headline news that was reported that day. Once every morning, our spiffy newsletter setup will automatically send out the previous day's headlines, with links to each item, so you can read the body to those articles that might interest you. After you subscribe you will start receiving a daily "Headline News" newsletter in your inbox every morning.

Sound cool? If you'd like to give it a try, you can subscribe by either filling out the form to the left and hitting enter, or by emailing dailynews-request@q3arena.com with the word "subscribe" in the message body (no quotes). It's simple!

From time to time, we may also be using that list to send out special email bulletins, such as important breaking news and the like. Please understand that when you subscribe, your email address stays private and is not given out to anyone at all, it stays here at Q3Arena.com HQ until you unsubscribe from the list. If you have any questions about the list, feel free to email myself or Blitz and ask!

The Loki's Minions CTF page has been updated with news that there will not be a beta test of LMCTF 5.0, because they're so close to release anyway. Screenshots of the new maps have been posted there as well, with the new version expected to be released as early as this Monday!

Atomic Pop has released their tandem-game (Quake2 and Unreal) based Total Conversions. The Quake2 TC, "Panic I, Dr. Atomic vs. The Hitmen", takes you on a musical adventure as you and your band try to save the earth from "The Hitmen". The second TC, done with the Unreal engine, is called "Panic II, Hostile Takeover" and features the aftermath of Panic I. Check out the Atomic Pop site for more info (and storylines).

The guys over at PlanetQuake have done an interview with id Software's Christian "Disruptor" Antkow. Among the topics at hand are his work at id, and his work on level designing for Q3Arena.

Word from the WebDog news tracker site is that its founder, Richard Smith, has decided to discontinue new versions of the project due to lack of enthusiasm and other reasons. He says the plan-tracker service will still continue, as will the news tracker service as it is now, however no new sites will be added to the news tracker, including new ones that have been requested but not added yet.

The 4th Dimension Interactive team has updated their site with some information on the status of their Crush Depth project. Crush Depth is a mod that puts you in the cockpit of a personal submarine, or lets you control a jetski in a capture the flag war.

sCary's ShugaShack has just gotten in a batch of four extremely high quality Q3Arena screenshots. A couple of the shots have been released before, but not in as high a quality as these are. The four main ones are in 1024x768 resolution, with links provided to even higher-res versions of two of them, in 2048x1152 resolution!

3DGaming.net has posted their own Q3Arena Preview. It's actually quite lengthy and isn't a bad read, but doesn't shed much light on anything that most people don't know already. Good for a quick Quake3 fix though ;)

Tim Willits made a rare plan update yesterday to let everyone know that due to popular demand, Quake3 jerseys are now available for order online. These are the same jerseys with the stylish Q3Arena logo on them that John Carmack wears in the March issue of Next Generation magazine. You can even get your own name (or nickname or frag count) hand-sewn onto the back, for an additional fee.

With the large gain in popularity that the Expert CTF mod has seen, the EQ News and Expert CTF sites have been redone and updated to include Player Guides for EQ2. The guides offer secrets, tips, and general info on how to become a better Expert player.

Many of you have probably used the cloaking service that the old qGRC site provided, which let people with really long domains (like a Geocities domain for example) have a shorter and easier one to remember. Well, a brand new site, iLERNeT, is now offering that as well. Everyone is encouraged to drop by their site and register for their own cloaked host, ie. http://www.iler.net/yourname. Cool eh?

The guys over at LoToH Software dropped us a line to let us know that the demo version of their upcoming Quake2 TC "Devil's Domain" has been delayed an extra week. Keep an eye on their site for info on when it will be officially released (I'm sure we'll have the good word up here also).

Version 0.68b of QuakeStarter has been released. New features include support for the newest Famke and Eraser Ultra bots, Q2 Basketball support, and several other small bugfixes.

A new patch for the Terror Quake2 mod has been released. This quick-fix takes care of some icon problems, some bugs, and an animation flaw of the t1911 pistol. Along with the new patch, they've also released a new map for Terror Q2 called "Soho", which is also available at their site.

The Bot Emporium has put up a new Messageboard, which is now available to discuss all things bot-related.

S.A.S's Guide to CTF has been updated with a debate on BFG use in CTF games. Other updates include an advanced config section, and two programs: one to automatically save your logfiles between each game, and another to view details about a demo without having to load it up.

I really have no idea how the Beatles would play Quake2, but you're going to get the chance to play it in their home town anyway. DeathMatchUK is a LAN event planned to take place in Liverpool, England on March 13th. The tourney will start at 9:00am and end at 9:00pm, with a total cost of �15.00. Food and drinks will be provided, visit their site for more info!

Mod Central has done up a review of the "Rob The Strogg" mod from Twisted Matrix. They call it "one of the best undiscovered mods around" and invite everyone to give it a shot after they've read the review by joining them on the official RTS server at 206.96.221.150:27930.

Version 1.20 of Xtreme Quake2 has been released. The biggest change with this new version is that it has been totally rewritten to use the Quake2 v3.20 source, to ensure maximum compatibility. There are also new weapons and items added in, along with GameSpy and PingTool tabs, and more!

The newest version of Terror Quake2 is now available. New features include pain skins, bullet holes, bleeding and limping, and tons of new equipment and weapons. Grab your copy at the Terror Q2 site and give it a try.

Some of you may remember the Quake3 backgrounds that were available for about an hour from Bobby's Computer Page before his site was taken offline. After finding (and losing) several different sites to host his pics, he finally found a solid home for them at this new site. They are now available for browsing and use as desktop wallpaper.

Version 2.2 of the BotJohnny bot launcher utility has been released. New features include (ripped straight from the press email): New option allowing you to select extra config files to execute on launch, Configurable chat editor (ICE chat files can now be edited), Options to play and record demos, Enhanced filename option data type, Explore Mod files option, New option to transfer DM teams to CTF and vice versa, More ICE options, new gravity option, more configuration options, fixes and so on.

Looking for some Quakeish tunes to spice up your gaming? Check out Quakers Domain. Every week Quakers Domain will be releasing a few new songs for Quake players everywhere to download and listen to. The songs will be available in Real Audio or MP3 format.

Remember the site I mentioned a couple days ago which was steadily releasing maps from Quake Episode 1 (e1mX) converted to Quake2? They've finally finished the last three maps that were left (e1m6-e1m8) and now have the entire Episode 1 conversion available at their site! Be sure to drop by and grab this way cool Quake to Quake2 conversion!

Zaranthustra Studios has released part five of their Quake2 demo-editing tutorials. This new feature covers the menu-based special effects available from within Keygrip2. An updated agenda for future tutorial topics has also been added.

On the LAN/Tourney front comes news from the GameOn Network that they're holding a LAN party in Nottinghamshire, England. The party will start at 8pm on Friday, the 26th of February, and go on until Sunday afternoon, the 28th February. The cost is �15 for the entire weekend.

Also, Da Valkyries, a group of women gamers, is holding a monthly Quake2 "Just for the fun of it" tournament called "DaV". Visit their DaV Tournament site for more info.

PlanetQ3.com has opened up their "version 6.0" design. Drop by and check out their new design and services.

Pels Interactive has a "finish the sentence" interview up on their site with idsoftware's Paul Jaquays.

QuakeCity has celebrated nearing the 1,000,000 hit mark by redesigning their site. They now host over 105 gaming sites in all categories, as well as other network sites and clans. Be sure to check them out and congratulate them on their millionth hit!

Version 0.7 of MapSpy, the Quake2 map editing diagnostic utility, has been released. This update features boatloads of new error checks and refined report output. A new search option has been added to help you find entities, useful when making revisions to large, complicated maps.

Ward Six has posted a brand new teaser screenshot to their Dawn of Darkness news site. This particularly dark screenshot is of a Cheitan cannoneer, one of the many characters you'll run in to in DoD.

Just a quick note to let you all know that I'll be leaving town later today for Tennessee, and won't be back until Sunday night. I'll talk to someone about filling in the news spot for me while I'm gone, so expect an update from me next on Monday or so. Thanks!

Xian reported that the idsoftware site was hacked and index.html was replaced with a "Free Kevin" banner. He states that the /cgi-dos/args.bat as well as the /cgi-win/uploader.exe files of Website Pro for NT were the culprits and if you run this web server you might want to check the security settings or remove these files. For any of you that do not know, "Kevin" is an imprisoned "hacker", you can go to this site if you want to learn more about him.

The Coven has released a third Linux ported mod from their commercial "Disposable Heroes" deathmatch pack. After releasing the first two Linux versions last night, they've officially released the Linux port of the MAD mod. They now have a full set of Linux and Solaris ports available of the mods that were in Disposable Heroes over at their ports download page.

GameGirlz is taking registrations for their Online Level Design course, given by Dolomite. The course curriculum will start with the basics (ie. which editor to choose, and basic geometry), and then will move on to more advanced topics as Dolomite from D-Team helps you construct a Quake2 map of your own. The class will be run via IRC and forum discussions. Check the link above for more info.

Pels Interactive has done an interview with Mike Wilson from G.o.D. They talk about things like qtest, quake, shareware and more, in Pels' "Finish the Sentence" interview style.

The Coven has released Linux ports of the ArmourBack and flame entity mods from their commercial Disposable Heroes deathmatch pack. A Linux port of the MAD mod (also part of Disposable Heroes) is on its way as well. Check The Coven's site for these ports (Solaris port available also), and more.

id Software has posted five new Q3Arena screenshots on the official Q3Arena site. I've gone ahead and added them to our screenshots section here. Netscape users may experience a problem when they try to view a larger version of the thumbnail, I'm aware of it and will hopefully have it fixed soon (it works fine with Internet Explorer). Enjoy!

I saw over on Blue's that version 1.03 of Ultimate Regular Quake has been released. This classic Quake mod is keeping original Quake alive and kicking with their new added deathmatch modes, map rotation, drop item functions, and more. Check out their site for more info.

The Croation Quake3 Arena Scene has posted a Quake3 Arena preview article. Be warned that the review (and page for that matter) are in Croatian, so you may need a translater to help you out.

Update: Doh, the article and the preview are actually in English, it's just the news that is in Croation. Sorry guys :)

Yet another Q3Arena TC has started up. This team is looking for recruits to join them as they develop they're yet-un-named Q3Arena TC. Any and all areas of expertise are needed.

Those of you involved with or interested in the CPL might be interested to read this interview with Angel Munoz, compliments of SamHell. Munoz is also involved with Avault as well.

One of the first new mods in the works for Q3Arena, RoGUE CTF is looking for help. They're really in need of mappers, coders, and modelers to join their team. Check the RoGUE site for more info.

Along with the new release of the ICE Bot (see next item) comes the ICER, the ICE Bot launcher. The new ICER (v1.0 also) features all of the new ICE 1.0 stuff, as well as new Dedicated Server enhancements.

Version 1.0 of the ICE Bot has been released. New features include ICE Challenge mode and ICE Training mode, new "Advanced Information Management" features, and more.

Fuzzy Logic has re-opened with a new design, specializing in Q3Arena skinning, and more.
The Locator is now "Netscape friendly" for those of you who use Netscape, and they invite everyone back to give it a second look.
The Quake3Source is a new Q3Arena site, complete with wallpapers as well.

To celebrate turning one year old, Orange Smoothie Productions has released a brand new mod called "Rocket Olympics." Here's the press release:

So you say you can rocket jump heh? Come find out as Orange Smoothie Productions celebrates its one year anniversary with the release of a brand new Quake II Mod, OSP Rocket Olympics. It is a virtual play land of rocket jumping feats and events. Categories included Height, Distance, and Accuracy and oh ya.. Quad Height!!! Each event has a progressively more difficult jumps to make. All of them are color coded for skill level and marked in meters and all in scale to a Quake2 Marine! Find out just how good you are, make some new friends and share some "fish" stories along the way with this addictive Non-Deathmatch mod. Available now for download at http://www.planetquake.com/osp

OSP has setup a Rocket Olympics server at 192.195.6.145:33000. As more servers show up, use your game browser to look for games of type "rocketo".

Serberus has released his latest conversion map from classic Quake to Quake2, q2e1m4. His q2e1m5 conversion is already finished and will be released soon, while q2e1m6 through q2e1m8 will be released in the near future. He's also included the map file with q2e1m4 for those of you studying the Zen art of mapping.

Quaker's Domain has reopened with a brand new design and new features. They also have a few job openings posted so be sure to check those out as well.

Quake Central is looking for 2 new staff members, one for news and the other for general site stuff. Check their site for info.

The guys over at Mod Central have whipped up a few new reviews for your reading pleasure. Covered this time around are Orange Smoothie Production's "OSP Tourney DM", the newest version of "Weapons of Destruction" and Team Reaction's new mod "Gloom."

An interview section has been added to Yodasbarn.com site, to celebrate their four servers being online for an entire year. They currently have an interview with K9-Gloucester from clan Canine up on the site.

Version 2.7a of Gibstats has been released. This new version features some bug fixes, as well support for the Gladiator bot, Action Quake, and more.

Here's the unedited press release from Pels Interactive:

I'm proud to announce that pels interactive is working on a classic mod for Quake, it's called QTS. In QTS we have taken all the cool sounds from the qtest, this is all the pain, death and land sounds. You will also be able to run around ca. 38 % faster then before, this will make the gameplay much faster and more challenging and really hard to hit your opponents. You will also be able to jump really high, this is so funny and the feeling is awesome, with the high jump you'll be able to reach places you've never been before, lava-jump will also be an option. There will be 4 new dm levels, all made for the qts jump and running system.

I guess this just goes to show you that there's still life left to Classic Quake afterall :)

The Skynet Project has released 2 new screenshots of their upcoming Terminator-based mod.

Version 1.15 of OSP Tourney DM from Orange Smoothie Productions has been released. This is a full upgrade release, and people running OSP servers are *strongly* encouraged to upgrade to this latest version.

PlanetQuake has posted an interview with American McGee, formerly of id Software fame and now working at EA on a new game of his own. Much of the article focuses on his time at id developing DOOM II, Quake, and Quake2.

Planet EBS has released the "Gold Edition" of their EraserBotShell software. This is a point release version, now featuring support for EraserUltra, Keys2, RA2 and RailArena, as well as the standard Eraser bot. They also have added a new 'EBS on-line' feature, which automatically keeps your copy of EBS up to date. Check their site for EBS or check Team Impact for the Eraser Bot.

Endor Productions sent out this press release reguarding their Entron Deathmatch Arena Technology:

Endor Productions, Inc. is proud to present Entron Deathmatch Arena a technology demo we have constructed to demonstrate just a few of the new features we will have available to public to toy with for the developer as much as the player. The Non-interactive demo demonstrates our new scripting and AI structure. This demo is merely a single sequence modified from the full retail release Entron - Freedom's Edge. It has been modified in an entertaining fashion that even the public will enjoy. For more details about the demo and about the final retail release, please visit the Official Website at http://www.endorproductions.com/entron.

Quake3D Rage has redesigned and moved to a new home. They plan on offering new services such as hosting, reviews, and other stuff, so keep an eye out on their site for updates.

Warrior Software is looking for some help with their Q3Arena mod called "Quake3: The First Impulse." Check their site for more info and open jobs.

We're happy to announce a few new changes to the GamesLink IRC Network. First, we've expanded our server software to allow for nicknames that are up to 21 characters long, for those of you that have long nicknames or clan memberships. Secondly we've also added a java-chat applet to our webpage, which you can use to visit us straight from your web browser. Or if you prefer to visit us the old way, you can point your IRC client to irc.gameslink.net or Q3Arena.com's own server there at irc.q3arena.com. Cool eh?

I saw over on Blue's that version 0.65 of AirQuake2 has been released. This new version is mostly a bugfix, but does throw a totally new vehicle into the fray.

A brand new and very cool sounding mod called Dawn Raid has been announced. This mod features a "real" clock, meaning days and nights come and go as they would in real life. This can make for some very cool strategies. They're currently looking for some help (including testers), so be sure to check out their page, which includes screenshots!

Version 3.1 of Expert for Quake2 has been released. This is mainly a bugfix version, but contains a few new changes and features.

Routeworx has moved to a new home and has become part of the Bot Emporium.
The aforementioned Bot Emporium has re-opened with a brand new look and some new sections to boot.
To celebrate it's 1 year anniversary, Skeeve's Deathmatch Reviews has been redesigned.
The Quake2 Webring has been redesigned.

The Over the Top TC is looking for an experienced modeler to finish off their last weapon.
LiquidQuake.com is looking for 2 people to coordinate efforts to start a Quake 1&2 clan. The applicants must be willing to spend 7-10 hours a week with their work and must be willing to stay exclusive to LiquidQuake and the version of Quake they apply for.
BlackOmega is looking for people to help them complete their free Quake2 mission pack "The Stroggos Conspiracy."

The Linux port of Gloom has been released. They have a port available for each version of Linux.

Version 1.2 beta 2 of Outbreak for Quake2 has been released. Check the Outbreak page for the changelog and the files.

I forgot to mention that I was going to be out of town this weekend at a LAN party thing, so I'll update later today, sorry :)

Received an email from Blade over at Quake Central that their site is no live and ready for visitors. He warns that a few sections are not completely finished and online yet, but overall the site is ready to go. Check it out at http://www.quake-central.com/.

S.A.S's Guide to CTF has been updated and now includes detailed info on the three new CTF v1.50 maps. Also, a downloadable version of the main parts of the site will be available soon.

I'd just like to take a minute to remind all of our readers of a few key facts regarding Q3Arena.com. First, remember that we are not id Software, and we really play absolutely no part in the development of Quake3 Arena. Those of you who have sent us resumes, requests for features, and samples of work really are sending it to the wrong people ;)

Also, id Software has set up technical support phone numbers for people with problems regarding Quake2 to call. Please don't use our contact form to send technical support questions. We're seriously starting to get about 5 to 10 tech support questions every day, and that's not what we meant that form to be used for. We appreciate you thinking of us as experts of that sort, but we'd prefer it if you'd use the official tech support phone numbers instead. Thanks!

A new version of BooM, the Linux-only Q2 mod, has been released. Version 0.7 brings a few new features, the biggest of which is what they're calling "the world's first client-emulated bot for Linux Quake2." I'm not really sure if this falls in the Z-Bot category, or if I just understand it wrong, so be sure to use it ethically :)

Those of you who have played the Window of Retaliation Mod for Quake2, and now want a little multiplayer action will be happy to hear that they have setup a WoR server at 194.193.163.114. Happy fragging!

A relatively "new" group to the mod scene, Team Wolfen has released a beta version of their new mod called "S][N". The beta software is available on their site along with a new patch that updates the monster AI for S][N single-player games.

Some of you may remember Bobby's Computer Page from a couple days ago. If you tried to get at the Q3Arena wallpapers that he put up, you were probably greeted with an error page, as his page was taken down and made inaccessible. Well, Bobby sent us a note to let us know that he has reopened his page at its new home.

Version 1.0 build 070 of the id Demo Analyzer has been released. The new release features some new statistics like the "agility factor", with a "camper factor" in the works. If you have any suggestions on how to put the "camper factor" in to effect, email them to Spike.

Gameforum.com is a new site by the guys at Gibbed.com. Gameforum is a place where gamers can go to discuss cheats, game info, and other such topics. They also have a few developer boards up, including one devoted to Raven Software.

The Coven sent out another press release to let everyone know that their new deathmatch addon pack for Quake2, "Disposable Heroes," is now officially available for purchase. You can get it now at the GameSpy Blackmarket. Disposable Heroes is a combo mod containing five mods all together, with tons of new weapons and maps to boot.

The GameSpot UK group has a few new screenshots from the N64 Quake2 port. From the 3 or 4 shots that I looked it, this Q2 port really seems to be shaping up quite nicely.

I saw on both Blue's and the Shack that Paul Steed has cleared up a few of the "issues" people have had with the female model screens that he released a couple days ago. He's also sent along a couple screenshots of the *real* Quake3 medium-weight female model mesh (without any skins or artwork). You can check out those screens and his note on either of the 2 links above.

...is Zaranthustra Studios. They're currently looking to expand their movie-making team for upcoming projects that are in the works. Current needed positions are coders, map makers, and modelers/skinners. Check their site for more info.

A new mod called Window of Retaliation has been released. The mod is based around a "new mission" in the Quake2 universe, and has several new features including new enemies, weapons, and levels specializing in deathmatch mayhem. They have also posted some screenshots on their site for everyone to check out while they download.

A new Quake2 deathmatch soundpack addon called ROKS has been released. It features a whole load of new sound effects, as well as two additional "railgun sniper" and rocketjump sounds that are used with a custom config (included).

id Software's Brian Hook made a .plan file update (even though our finger script didn't update our list, you can still get the new plan from that link). He covers two of the most common questions he's been getting about Q3Arena, which are "How much net bandwidth do I need for a server, per player?" and "How important is floating point performance for a server?"

The Skynet team has released a brand new screenshot to update everyone on the progress of their mod development. The Skynet project is a total conversion for Quake2 based on the Terminator storyline/movies.

Well almost anyway. The Coven's new commercial Quake1/Quake2 deathmatch pack "Disposable Heroes" is scheduled to be available later on today at the GameSpy Blackmarket. It'll be retailing for $14.95 (+ S&H) to US and European customers.

To celebrate, they've also released a Quake2 Preview Pack of the mod, which includes 3 maps, and one of the mods from the full pack ("MAD: Rocket Wars"). MAD replaces almost all the Quake2 weapons with different types of rocket launchers! Check The Coven's page for more info on the demo and the full product.

Strange Company has announced the release date for the second part of the Eschaton Quake2 animation series, "Eschaton: Nightfall." Featuring over 4000 frames of new animation, a totally original score and 40 minutes continuation of the Eschaton story, the new version will be released at 6:00 pm on this Friday!