Now that the first win32 test is out, here is The Plan for going forward:

All future releases should be same-day for all architectures. There may be an exe-only update to the current distributions if there are significant problems, but it isn't scheduled.

The next major test release will include a new one on one map designed for tournement play, and new executables with server and game modifications, but will not require downloading a new pak0.pk3. The release after that will introduce various teamplay rules on the original two maps. This version will likely be another full download, because I know that I still have a couple things to change in the map format. This will probably be the first test running with the virtual machine.

The final major test release will introduce the single player game with bots and ranks. After any bugs are shaken out of that, it will be the "Q3 Demo" instead of the "Q3 Test", and we should be ready to release the full game to stores. In an ideal world, people that aren't prepared to deal with in-development software would wait until then to form an opinion of the product.

'Same day on all architectures' sounds pretty good to us; just goes to show how far OS-level OpenGL support is going to take us in the gaming future. And for once a Carmack .plan update without a nasty swipe at the Mac OS! [Deniz]





MacSoft Stomps on Civ 2 Gold Bugs
MacSoft's Nate Birkholz recently issued a statement regarding some of the bugs that have been plaguing Civilization 2 Gold since its release. The company is currently working on a patch for Civ 2 Gold and should be available soon. Here's what Birkholz had to say:

Civ 2 Gold was one of our most heavily-tested releases ever, with several rounds of professional testing along with the valiant efforts of a large number of volunteer testers. Some bugs slipped through the process, however, and please believe me when I say that no one is as upset about this as we are. We very sincerely apologize to those who have been experiencing problems with Civ 2 Gold.

We are working on getting a new version of the application as soon as humanly possible. I have been monitoring this and other discussions as well as talking to many users on the phone. I think I have a good number of the bugs recorded and am passing this along to the programmers in order to get the whole shebang fixed.

These are the issues of which I am aware:

• Cannot load saved games (the File Sharing conflict)
• Cannot load new scenario graphics off the CD
• Changes to unit art not saved if editing an existing scenario
• Color Palette messed up when reloading an edited scenario
• Frequent and (to us) unexplained crashes (error code examples, anyone, or are they all freezes? - I can pretty much play for hours)
• Crashing on program quit (error -88 is the one example, anyone else seen this?)
• Goto bugs from version 1.0 of the PC code
• "Trade Route dialog not going away" bug
• Message from Spies while in Diplomacy screen requires force quit

As far as the Mac version being based on an earlier PC version, please understand that when we contract for a port, we are working with a particular code base, and thus the 1.0 code was what we were working with. If we can get a patch code before a couple months from the end of a project, we can almost always fold it into the Mac release. A few days after we finalized the Mac version of Civ 2 Gold, however, Version 1.2 of the PC code was released. A moving target is nearly impossible to hit at this end of the business, and as we are always a couple of months behind, the updates will lag for the Mac. As we release bug fixes, we will upgrade to the latest versions of the code--the latest versions at the time we _start_ on the code. The first Mac patch will aim for version 1.3 of the game, as this is the most recent.

While we like to get Mac versions of titles released close to the PC versions, and have been trying to do as much simultaneous development as possible, the current Civ 2 Gold situation has, unfortunately, illustrated the downside of a simultaneous porting.

As always, we truly do appreciate the input from all of you, and we hope to have a patch available very soon to correct these problems.

Knowing those guys, the patch will be out very soon - and of course you'll find it here on IMG on our Updaters page. [Deniz]





Onicore Oni Web Site Announced
As if all the Oni previews, Oni interviews, screenshots and the actual Bungie Oni website wasn't enough, Onicore is here to give you the inside scoop on this upcoming action-fest from Bungie:

Onicore (www.onicore.com) opened its doors to the public today. "Our goal is simple, to provide the online audience an online hub for anything and everything dealing with Bungie's upcoming release, Oni," said Aaron "Lithium" Corcoran, one of the webmasters and partners of Onicore.com.

Onicore began as a simple idea, yet expanded the a full fledged site in a matter of weeks once a strong team was brought together. With such names as Ben "Darkus" Rood from OniWeb (oni.myth2.com), Maarten "Hexagon" Goldstein and Aaron "Lithium" Corcoran from Ritualistic (www.ritualistic.com), the idea was quickly made into a reality. Onicore features news, interviews, fan fiction, and forums, as well as all the Oni information anyone could desire! For the opening of Onicore there is a special exclusive interview with Alex Okita, concept artist and 3D modeller for Oni.

Bungie Software began as an archetypal story of the American computer industry: a talented young man graduates from college and, in lieu of getting a real job, decides to publish a game he had made for his own amusement. Over the years Bungie Software has released many titles, but is most widely known for it's Myth series of Real Time Strategy games, which test tactics and skill over brute force. Bungie West, Bungie's second base of operations located in San Hose, is developing Oni. Oni tells the story of Konoko, a one-woman SWAT team whose approach to fighting crime is a devastating combination of rational calculation and fighting fury. Konoko is also a woman divided and haunted by shadows in her past by Oni, "ghosts" or "demons" in Japanese. Perhaps the most stylish of Bungie's games so far, Oni takes place in a near-future 3D anime world which can be imagined as a blend of "La Femme Nikita," "Ghost in the Shell" and "Fists of Fury." Konoko's attire, attitude, and even fighting skills evolve as her world becomes ever darker and more dangerous.

It looks like Oni is going to be as much of a big deal on the web as its predecessors from Bungie, Myth and Myth II. You know a game's got the hype when its fan sites appear months before the game does... [Eilers]





Daydream Announces E3 Lineup
Daydream, a Swedish company (creators of the award-winning Safecracker) announced their E3 lineup yesterday, and it looks fantastic. Here's what IMG will see firsthand at E3:

Traitors Gate: GM May 1999, Beta version available at E3. Mac and PC, X-platform. CD-ROM or DVD

Traitors Gate is a mission firmly rooted in realism, where the location, target and challenge are all drawn from the actual Tower of London. Without being seen or heard and leaving no trace, agent Raven, must steal the British Crown Jewels. To succeed he must out-fox both the armed security personnel and the multi-million pound surveillance system protecting the Jewels.

Traitors Gate is probably the most ambitious game ever in it's category and has already gained a lot of interest among distributors all around the world because of its hyper realistic graphic immersion and flexible gameplay scenario.

Read more on www.traitorsgate.com.

Clusterball: GM June 1999, preview version and trailer available at E3 Mac and PC, X-platform, eventually Dreamcast.

Clusterball is an online fantasy sports game. Clusterball is a mixture of ball- flight and racing games. By combining the feel and gaming experience from these gaming types Daydream have created something never seen before.

Clusterball contains several features never before seen in computer gaming, one of the features in the game that will be shown during E3 is Jalda, wich is EHPT's (Ericsson Hewlett-Packard Telecom AB) new Internet payment system. With Jalda Daydream can allow customers to choose to pay per play, pay a membership fee or an unlimited license for use of its games.

Read more on www.jalda.com.

SnoPRO: GM November 1999, Design document and graphics viewable at E3.

Snowmobile Racing as a non violent online computer action game. Developement in cooperation with one manufacturer of Snowmobiles. Mac and PC, X-platform, eventually Dreamcast.

Make sure you stop by IMG's E3 page in the next few days to get all the latest details and from-the-floor coverage of this gaming expo. [Eilers]





Mac-O-Rama Cashes In on the Star Wars Craze
Ahhh, let the cross-marketing begin! In a timely Star Wars tie-in, Mac-O-Rama has announced yet another sale:

In a galaxy not so far away... MAC-O-RAMA has LucasArts titles on sale! Win cool Star Wars Episode 1 stuff! Prizes include figures, furniture, candy and more! There is a different giveaway each day starting Monday, May 10, 1999! Plus, we’ve got great games at awesome prices, check them out...

Afterlife $10
Batman and Robin Activity Center $11
Connectix Virtual Game Station $39
Dark Colony $17
Day of the Tentacle $10
Full Throttle $10
Hexen $9
iFlight for Macintosh $19
Mortimer $10
Starcraft $35

And get FREE Priority Mail shipping (in the US) on these great titles:

Havoc $11
Railroad Tycoon 2 $48

There are two easy ways to win cool Episode 1 toys! Any purchase made from May 10 through May 19 will automatically be entered in the daily drawing. Or if you are a little short of cash, just visit MAC-O-RAMA to enter!

Contest starts May 10, 1999 and ends May 19, 1999. Prices good while supplies last. FREE gift wrapping available upon request.

Frankly, those prices are tough to beat. Stop by and support Mac games and this great Mac-only resale company. [Eilers]





Pop Top Interview at MacNN
Trevor Covert of MacNN interviews the president of Pop Top software, maker of Railroad Tycoon II:

In this week's edition of The Covert Gaming Corner, I interview President of PopTop Software, Phil Steinmeyer. PopTop Software is the developer of Railroad Tycoon II, which was recently released for the Mac. The interview hints at some more railroad goodies for Mac users in the coming months.

If you can stop playing the demo of this amazing game, stop by and read the interview - then it's back to the trainyard again! [Eilers]