| July 16, 2002 |
|
Well, I'm an idiot. I just accidentally deleted several months worth
of old news updates here, hence the last one appearing as March 6 below.
[update - most of it is now restored, thanks to a reader pointing out the
google archives]
The good news: I still have ideas floating in my head for new maps. The bad news: it may be a while before any of them become reality. The story: I'm working on my Neverwinter Nights site, so things may not happen much here for a while. Be sure to head over there and see what I'm up to! :) |
| June 25, 2002 |
| I'm still not dead! Yes, updates are going to be few and far between here these days, but I DO have ideas floating in my head for some maps. I'm just sorta waiting to see how the new patch works out, especially with regards to the map editing and some of the balance tweaks before diving into it, and also I'm devoting most of my free time to Neverwinter Nights at the moment... You can click here to see my NWN site, which I'm hosting on my own site for the moment, but I'm waiting to see if the PlanetNeverwinter guys ever reply to my application to get it hosted there. |
| May 31, 2002 |
| Never fear, I'm still here! I've taken a bit of a sabatical from Tribes, but I'm never gone for long. I have a few thoughts cooking for new maps, so it's a question of "when" and not "if". More updates will be posted when I have a better idea of what I'm doing myself. :) |
| April 26, 2002 |
|
Greetings everyone! I'm not dead, just dormant as far as
Tribes goes. At least for now. I'll be working on more maps
again eventually, so don't fear.
One project I'm working on is the revival of my old comic series. In fact, today's strip is about Tribes! Click HERE to check it out, and BE SURE TO VOTE. It takes like 2 seconds, so just click on that VOTE button. It'll really help me out! |
| March 6, 2002 |
|
I've just released a some more maps...
|
| March 5, 2002 |
|
I've just released a few older maps...
... and I hope to get The Valley of Death out soon as well. The Fortress maps are revisions to the old SB Fortress already available, and the other two are sample maps from within the BONES Mod that I'm re-releasing for people to play with who don't have the mod. Granted, these maps won't work the same without it, but should still play reasonably well. |
| February 21, 2002 |
| New maps! Carrier Strike, Long Reach, and Ice Wings are now available! Check them out via the Missions Page. |
| February 19, 2002 |
| I'm in the process of adding a Shrike Tactics Page, though it's not finished yet. Also, I'll be releasing those new maps in the near future. Stay tuned! |
| February 15, 2002 |
| Good news! I've come off my "mourning the loss of my server" sabatical, and have some new maps in the works. Long Reach, which was in testing on the server before it went down, will be released soon... plus, two new maps are in the process of being tested. Well, I'm trying to test them, as much as I can without my server. But Carrier Strike and Ice Wings will soon be released, both of which are long-range vehicle-centric maps, much like the spirit of Long Reach. I've come to the conclusion that there just simply aren't enough good vehicle maps with large amounts of room to maneuver, and to really encourage transports with escorts. These, I hope, will change that. |
| December 26, 2001 |
|
Happy Holidays!
Good news... Version 1.00-F of BONES MOD is now available! Check it out on the BONES MOD Page. This will probably be the last version for a while, since with my server gone, it's hard to work up the enthusiasm to work on it, and it's also hard to test it. I highly encourage admins who currently aren't running my mod to look into it (and also install some freakin maps!), since unlike most other mods, this one goes to great lengths to preserve the existing game balance. Now that I'm forced to go play as an average user without my own server, I've become painfully aware of how many servers don't bother to run a good selection of maps, use any sort of alternate map rotation, or any means of controlling NULL and random disconnnect issues. This version of the mod includes some features to deal with those issues, such as a random map sequencer, as well as an auto-reset feature (which performs an auto-shutdown roughly every 6 hours, and only between missions). |
| December 13, 2001 |
|
Sad, sad news I bring... The NecroBones T2 server is down for good,
for reasons completely beyond my control. Maybe someday, someplace else,
I may be able to get it up and running again... but for now it is dead.
This means that chances are the mod will not receive the same level of
attention as it once did, since I lost my primary test-bed. I'll work on
getting the current version ready for distribution, but I can't promise
much beyond that.
Mapping should continue, and while I may take a break before resuming it, it's possible that I may actually get off my ass and make a few maps now that I won't have the server and mod distracting me. We'll see. I'm not making any promises, but I certainly have no intention of dropping off the face of the planet in light of this severe blow I've taken. |
| December 4, 2001 |
|
I'm still making some tweaks to the server, and version 1.00-F of the
mod is progressing well. So far it's mostly administrative tweaks and
not game-balance issues... specifically map randomization (which has
undergone some bug fixes), plus the auto-shutdown feature.
Recordings- I just added a Recordings Page with a link over on the left, and added the new Shrike 102 recording that I just made last night. So check it out! :) |
| November 30, 2001 |
| I haven't been working on maps or the mod as much lately, but new things are in the works. Going into testing today on the server are some new changes with the map system... a map randomizer. I tend to update the Bones Mod Readme as I make changes, so feel free to take a look. |
| November 15, 2001 |
| Having trouble making external maps work with BonesMod 1.00-E? Either re-download it, or remove "maplist.cs" from the bonesmod.vl2 file (using winzip). I corrected it here, but I accidentally left that script in and active in the mod. It hardcodes the map rotation. It can be very useful if you put your actual map list into it, since you can determine exactly which maps will be played, and in what order. An example is HERE. |
| November 15, 2001 |
|
I've put it off long enough, and here it is...
Bones Mod 1.00-E. Check it out! In addition to some bug
fixes, this includes some additional gunship balancing for the dogfight mode,
a new tank-gametype similar to dogfight, a new sample map called "Long Reach",
and some other new features. It's well worth the download!
I changed my mind about switching to a DSO ditribution. I've decided not to allow myself to be lowered to that level, and I'll just trust people not to drag my mod's name through the mud. This means I may have to keep an eye on the other servers out there, to make sure they're not advertising "Bones" and running something that is quite different than my vision of what the mod should be. My request below still stands... if you're going to change my mod, then at least call it "BonesVariant" in the server list or something. Thanks.. |
| October 18, 2001 |
|
More stuff is in the works for the mod. I'm adding another gametype
called "Tank Artillery", which is the tank equivelent of "Aerial Dogfight".
I've also fixed the scorehud for dogfight, and gotten the reticles to work
for the new weapons and vehicles. Plus I've done some more gunship balancing.
All very good changes.
The next version will likely be comprised of a VL2 containing the DSO version of all of the modded scripts. I really hate to do that. Originally I hadn't planned to do so, but I have to protect my mod's name. I saw a server today claiming to be "BONES", and it clearly started out as my mod, but players spawned in light armor with ALL of the weapons, including referee weapons, and 999 ammo of each. I don't mind people looking at my code to see how things work, but I don't want people who've never seen my mod before to think that THAT is what my mod is. If you're going to change my mod, at least rename it to something like "BonesVariant" or something. So anyway, in the future, modification will be next to impossible since I'll just distribute the DSO files, like most of the other modders... *sigh* |
| October 16 & 17, 2001 |
|
I've been updating the Bones Mod a little. Expect a new version
in the near future (most likely next week). I would like to add more serverprefs
option for allowing/disallowing team damage votes, tournament mode votes, and
perhaps a few other things. I'm open to suggestions. Check the "revision history"
section of the BonesMod Readme (near the bottom)
for details of what I've done so far. The current version I'm working on is
1.00-E, so that's the section to check. I've also updated the "to do"
list a little on the bones mod page.
[UPDATE- I deleted the hat and shop. Cafepress never got them right, as the triangle came out purple, and they never replied to my e-mail. So there was no point in trying to sell them.] I also have lots of great stuff in my NecroBones Enterprises Store. You may like the mouse pads in particular. :) |
| October 15, 2001 |
| I just flew one of my better missions and recorded it. This demo recording shows how many of my missions as a shrike pilot go. I've named it "Shrike 101" simply because watching decent tactics put to use can often be very instructional. If you'd like to see how to survive in the air, then check it out. You'll see that I do sometimes get shot down, but overall manage to keep the shrike alive for a long time, and in this case earn over 500 points. So here it is: Shrike 101 (about 6.3 MB. To install it, simply download it into your gamedata/base/recordings directory). |
| October 12, 2001 |
|
BONES v1.00-D is out, and is a handful of fixes, including balancing
that damned albatross. :)
Also, due to popular demand, and the fact that it was easier to extract than I thought, the referee system by itself, without the rest of the mod, is available for download. See the Mod Page. As a side effect of using only some of the mod scripts, the BonesRef mod will generate some console errors. These should just be ignored. Also as a side effect, it will not include the referee-only vehicles. Since this is a relatively untested initial release, please report bugs with it. |
| October 11, 2001 |
|
Since last night, I've re-uploaded the mod, and changed slightly where
you install it in the game directories. I doubt this will fix anything for
anyone, but the other tricks below may be of use... good luck! :)
To easily delete DSO's while working on such things, here's a handy batch-file you can make. Just put it somewhere and call it something like "deletedso.bat", and put the following lines into it:
del c:\dynamix\tribes2\gamedata\base\scripts\*.cs.dso Then you can execute it, and it'll delete all DSO files from the BASE and BONES directories. |
| October 10 & 11, 2001 |
|
BONES MOD is now in PUBLIC BETA!!! Woohoo! Download it, play it, report
bugs, and download future updates as they come... enjoy! To get it, check
out the BONES MOD Page.
UPDATE: Some people have reported not being able to get the mod to run. Well, the last patch has made the game very screwy in that it randomly skips individual external files.. this includes scripts, skins, reticles, and even entire mods. I've updated the installation and running sections of the README, so check it out if you're having any problems. Basically the only thing left to try is to unzip the VL2 and mess around with rearranging the commandline parameters. The new notes in the README should help. UPDATE AGAIN: It's possible that the choice of OS also makes a differnce in how easy it is to get this mod (and presumably ANY mod) working.. My server uses Win98 and has no problems with it. With some of the trickery above I can get it working under Win2k. Others are reporting problems under Win2k as well. I really wonder if there is a correlation. LAST RESORT TACTICS TO LOAD THE MOD: If you can't get the mod to load, try unzipping the VL2 into tribes2/gamedata instead of placing the VL2 there. You can uncompress it with winzip... just make sure it uses the stored directory and pathnames. You should see all the scripts and data go under the tribes2/gamedata/BONES directory. Then try running it again. And if that fails, you can create a file in gamedata/base called 'autoexec.cs' (or just add to it if it's already there), and add the following:
exec("scripts/server.cs"); If THAT fails too, you can always copy everything under BONES to Base as well, so it has two copies to pull from. And if THAT fails, you can also make a backup of scripts.vl2 (so you can put it back for future patching etc) and then zip up all the scripts you just placed under Base into scripts.vl2... that'll ensure nothing is skipped. And it's a last resort that assumes you want to use the mod all the time. MAKE SURE YOU DELETE THE DSO FILES BETWEEN EACH ATTEMPT, or else problems may persist without needing to. |
| October 6, 2001 |
| I've updated the BONES MOD Page with some of the latest news on the mod. Also the BONES MOD README is being kept up to date as I add new features as well. We're nearing release, everyone... woohoo! |
| October 3, 2001 |
I've finally released the current batch of maps that were in testing.
Here's the list agian:
Enjoy! (Oh, and ignore that negative comment someone already left for Twin Towers on tribes2maps.com... as usual people are quick to bitch about maps with very unusual gameplay, without actually giving good/valid reasons for why they dislike it) |
| October 2, 2001 |
|
Ooops, I got sidetracked and still haven't released those maps yet.
Doh! Shazbot! Well, I'll get to it soon. But here's the source of the
distraction:
BONES Mod. It's nearing readiness for distribution. I still have a few more quirks to work out of the referee system, one or two more admin tools to add, and one or two other minor tweaks to make. I'm also considering adding some maps, available only with the mod, that are designed to take advantage of the new features and thus would not work quite right without the BONES Mod (such as having capturable objectives that fire on BOTH teams until captured, since they'll start on the referee team, and perhaps turrets that default to flak or torpedo barrels). So now the question is WHEN. Well, it depends on when I'm happy enough with it to let people try it out. It certainly WON'T be the last version, as new versions will be forthcoming. But I'd like the initial package to have some nice things. But to prepare for its release, I've started a "BONES Mod page", so feel free to check it out. |
| September 27, 2001 |
Several of my new maps are ready for release, but I've been getting
side-tracked. Anyway, the list of maps to soon be released is:
Additionally, I may be releasing a first version of my mod soon. Most people like the changes I've been making, all of which are designed to flesh out some of the things dynamix left undone (sappable barrels on the MPB, light-emission from flares, etc), and some are to enhance defense, so as to allow for and require more organized attacks (increased deployable turret limits, deployable base turret, railgun), and also to allow for more customization (new turret barrel types), and lastly, to give the admins some tools and toys (referee mode, complete with SuperAdmin weapons and vehicles). I can't give an exact time for release, but it'll be soon, and it won't be the only version. I expect to release lots of updates. |
| September 14, 2001 |
The events of Tuesday (the 11th) wee truly horrific. I've taken
much time to reflect, and it has affected me deeply... so please
understand what I do with the best intentions. :) (I've already
been bitched at once for this, but most have been quite approving...)
Back in Tribes 1, I made a map called "Two Towers", which I've been wanting to do a remake of in Tribes 2 ever since. I've been putting it off while trying to decide how to build the towers. Well, in light of what happened this week, I decided to get off my ass, make the map, and turn it into a tribute to those who have suffered. There's a screenshot on the right, which you can click on to see a larger view with details. I've been told by one or two people that it's too soon... too fresh. Perhaps, but then again the map is in testing and won't see wide release for weeks, most likely. But keep in mind this is an idea I've had for a long time, and already implemented over a year and a half ago. It contains a nice little tribute in the load-screen... and it in no way resembles the World Trade Center. It's also been pointed out to me that there's a form of irony in having a tribute that consists of war and destruction/death, but with the acknowledgement that it's appropriate within the Tribes community. And besides, I could have been tasteless by making the towers toppled over with corpses scattered about, but I'm not that sick. :) Even those who have been deeply personally affected by the tragedy have liked the map and approved of it, so I take that as a good sign. So feel free to hop onto NecroBones T2 and check it out, and download it when I decide to release it. It's a fun and visually pleasant map, and it stands as my small gift to the community in this time of horrible catastrophe. |
| September 10, 2001 |
| I've been working on script changes for the server. As many of you know, my server runs with a slightly modified rule set. It's really only just a bunch of minor tweaks (more deployable turrets allowed, they can be slightly closer together, and I put chainguns on the bomber). The thing people think its really neat though is this brand new feature I just added... The "referee". Admins can walk around in-game as nearly-invincible (but unarmed unless they're Super Admins) neutral observers. They show up with a BLUE triangle "hat" over their heads. My whole set of tweaks and modifications will be released eventually as the BONES Mod (BONES = Blatant Obvious Nefarious & Extraneous Scripting). |
| August 31, 2001 |
|
Last night I created yet another map and added it into the rotation
on the server for testing. It's called "Chill Factor" and is a fairly
simple base-to-base CTF map, but with a twist- The bases are capturable,
including their spawnspheres. :)
I also added a Screenshots Page today as well. |
| August 30, 2001 |
| Two new maps will go into rotation today on the server, but they're not my maps. TseTse's "Preying Mantis" and H. M. Murdock's "The Fifth Disorder" look like they'll be fun, and we'll give them a try. Also, Hypothermia and Circle of Stones are undergoing some tweaks, but seem to be working well on the server, despite the hatred a lot of people have towards Hypothermia (hey, don't blame me, blame Tribes 1, since it's a remake and not my own original design) :) |
| August 29, 2001 |
|
It's been two weeks since I've posted an update here, but
things are not stagnant. I made a new map called "Sea Strike"
and managed to fix most of the glitches, but for some reason
the server seems to almost always crash sometime during the
mission... I don't see this behaviour while messing with it
alone, but on the server with a full load of people it has
spontaneous crashes. No error on the console, just a crash.
Odd.
However, I also have another new map that is going into testing today. It's called "Circle of Stones", and has a capturable objective in the center that is basically a little stonehenge. You might think that this was inspired by the new Dynamix map called Pantheon... but in reality I've been planning to do this since I began mapping. I gave up on it in tribes 1 because it was not possible to scale the objects and the game didn't handle high object counts well. In Tribes 2, I've just been putting it off in favor of other ideas. Well, Pantheon came out, and it simply got me thinking about the idea again. :) I spent more time on ambience on this one than I usually do, with an assortment of trees and audio emitters. UPDATE- I also added Hypothermia into testing today, which is a loose (but fairly accurate) remake of "Desert of Death" from Tribes 1. |
| August 15, 2001 |
| OK, I feel like an idiot. In my haste to get all my recent maps uploaded, I completely skipped Urban Warfare. It's available now. |
| August 14, 2001 |
|
Just a few things.. My tribe now has a website, so check it out
here: Sapphire Blade.
Also, I'm in the process of reworking the fortress map a bit, to make it playable (but still way unfair), plus a new version of it that includes the vehicle facility from Hangar 18. The changes are almost complete. Basically the fortress itself is being left unchanged, but the missions will function correctly as CNH, CTF, and Siege, with the appropriate objectives for each. It's official, Dynamix is dead. I hope the braindead execs over there realize it would be in their best interest (and ours) to keep a few of the dynamix people on to continue the work on Tribes2. To bring in a bunch of people not familiar with it and expect them to do well, when the talent was already on hand, is just plain stupid, but unfortunately quite typical in this industry. All of yesterday's map releases are now available on tribes2maps.com, so be sure to head on over there and leave some positive comments and good grades for my maps! :) |
| August 13, 2001 |
|
New maps! I've uploaded all my latest maps, plus some revisions to
old ones... Here's the scoop:
All of the maps have been converted to VL2 files, and have now added the loading-images. Also, the NecroCTF map-pack has been updated to include all of the above. Check them on out the Mission's Page. |
| August 10, 2001 |
I just totally kick ass this week. :)
On the next server reset, a new map will go into the rotation (along with Urban Warfare and the new version of Spy-vs-Spy, since a reset still hasn't happened)-- The new map is called "Hangar 18" and the capturable objective is a large vehicle storage and construction facility that is "powered" by a lightning rod that gets struck by lightning constantly (every few seconds). The framerate ouches a bit around the hangar, but that should improve over the course of the mission as more and more of the parked vehicles get destroyed or used. Also, since it's an objective some ways away from the player bases, not everyone has to go there anyway. I ran into another game glitch that I had to work around. Earlier this week I was trying to help someone on the forums with a "vanishing walls" issue, but had never seen that problem myself... until last night when making the hangar. I've figured out what causes it... or rather, when it ocurrs, so a workaround is possible. Basically if you're standing on spots that correspond to the surface of the terrain (where you've deleted terrain blocks), and objects are NW from you and under the terrain, they may become invisible from that viewpoint. So you have to move things, block views to certain places from certain vantage points, etc. Hence the complex wall structure inside the hangar (I had originally planned to have one big open space, and no internal walls). And man, I never realized just how noisy bombers can be.. Put 4 of them side-by-side, and the noise is rediculous... :) To the right you should be able to see a teaser-screenshot for this new map. You can also look at another screenshot here. |
| August 9, 2001 |
|
BREAKTHROUGH- While I still don't fully understand the
"one and one one zone" error, I've made a lot of progress and
now I know how to avoid it. All 3 of my maps that had this problem
are working (well, I still need to do more testing to be 100% sure
I found all the problem-spots)... that means Spy-vs-Spy will have
a new version released, and Urban Warfare and Reservoir can be
released soon too. And they're all in testing on the server currently.
Here's what I found- The error manifests when two buildings have overlapping space, and when someone (even if in observer mode) goes through certain entrance zones in those buildings. Two buildings may not appear to intersect or touch at all, but the "box" that appears around it when it's selected in the editor is what you need to go by... If the two boxes intersect, then certain rooms in the buildings (the ones with the doors) may generate the error. For instance, in Spy-vs-Spy, the bases were close enough together that there was about a meter of overlap between their boxes, and the entrance rooms would cause the error. In Reservoir, I originally had the flag bunker completely within the base's box, but not actually touching the base, and the two end-rooms with the doors would generate the error. In Urban Warfare, it was the two gigantic bioderm towers that are near the main bases, and they were just a hair too close to the center bridge-base, so the walkways on the roof of the tower would cause the problem. This is why the server would seem to be fine when the mission would load, but would get progressively worse-- things didn't slow to a crawl until people started walking into these areas. Island Bridges will soon be released as well. I originally wanted to hold onto it until I could figure out how to make the grav-bikes respawn... but I've decided that it's good enough as it is, so It'll be in this huge batch of maps (5?) that will be released in the near future. |
| August 7, 2001 |
| Guess what? I added something fun here.. I made a little quiz. Can you guess which terrains I used to make each map? Check it out HERE. |
| August 6, 2001 |
|
PROGRESS. Progress is being made.
I slightly misquoted the error in my last update.. It's actually more like "Error, must be one and one one zone to be a traversal root", which really doesn't make sense. I have to assume it was typed in really fast and then was almost never spotted thereafter, hence the lingering grammar errors. Anyway, It looks like certain buildings in proximity to each other causes this. It IS testable during map development, it's just not obvious because it doesn't lag with only one person logged in. You just have to have another computer telnetting into the game while you're editing, so you can keep an eye out for the streaming console messages. It's still a big problem, but it's starting to appear that there may be workarounds (using different buildings, or repositioning them, once you identify which ones are causing the problems). I haven't contected Dynamix yet, but I'm always hesitant to do so since I have no evidence that my previous attempts to do so didn't fall on deaf ears. THE GOOD NEWS: I fixed Reservoir, and have created another new map tentatively called "Dark Skies" (an aerial map, high above the ground, with 50 acre bases and lots of dogfighting). I'll try to get some screenshots up here soon. These two maps are currently in testing on the server. When they're ready for release, I'll add them to the map-pack, and probably remove Spy-vs-Spy unless I can fix it (same problem Reservoir had, but may be harder to fix since it's the tunnels that are causing the problem, and I'm not sure if I can fix that and preserve the concept of the map). Meanwhile I need to do some extensive walkthroughs and tests of Urban Warfare to identify the problematic buildings in that one... I really hope I can fix it without too much difficulty. |
| August 1, 2001 |
|
I put a new map into testing last night, but took it down
before the mission even ended on the first run. This is the
THIRD map I've made recently that generates the "must have
one and one one traversal route" or some such nonsense (I'm
guessing the error message contains a typo and actually
is meant to say "must have one and only one").
This error PISSES ME OFF SO MUCH!!! I can't test for it ahead of time, since it only seems to ocurr noticably when the server has LOTS of players on it (which means I can't look for it while making the map), and secondly whenever this happens the server slows to a crawl, and STAYS that way even after it goes on to another map (memory leak?)... ARG. I may send a message to the guys at Dynamix about this one... Anyway, the map was called "Reservoir", and may or may not ever see the light of day, just like Spy-vs-Spy, and Urban Warfare. |
| July 12, 2001 |
| Urban Warefare is having mixed results on the server. People love the concept and the gameplay... but unfortunately it's not just war-city... but LAG-city as well. The framerate WOULD be good, except apparently this map puts an enormous load on the server. The server must be spending inordinate amounts of time calculating things for static objects (be they interiors, shapes, or statics), because even with just 20 players actually playing (and maybe 20 more in observer mode), my 800MHz P3 just can't keep up... and the bandwidth usage seems to climb quite a bit too, even when you're just looking off into the city without much action. I think there are still some flaws in how Tribes2 handles things that are normally not noticable on normal maps, but this enormous one is bringing it all out (the MIS file is over 150k, instead of the usual 25k to 35k or so). I knew it would have long load times, but I wasn't expecting so much server lag. This map might have to go on the back-burner until the server code and hardware catche up with my design. :) |
| July 9, 2001 |
|
I'm back from UVALAN3, and a lot of fun was had by all! Unfortunately,
just like last year, even though I kept a server running with my maps
on it, no one would play on them... occasionally someone would connect,
take one look, and then leave. I'm talking approximately a 3-second stay
per person. I guess people are too worried about
not looking l33t because of unfamiliarity with the map, and many of
the people who go to these things have more of a ladder-mentality
(meaning they like ski-cappable maps that involve lots of ski routes
and little thought or strategy), hence a new slogan on this page
above. My maps are generally made with more teamwork and strategy in
mind, and people don't have the patience to learn something new at
the LAN parties. Obviously my new map debut was thusly not viewed
by anyone that I noticed, despite it's availability the entire time.
Of course, this was a more quiet debut since I was told that having
a second 'official' debut would be "confusing to the players". Also,
planettribes completely ignored the annoucement I wanted posted, so
no one was expecting my new map either.
Meanwhile everyone had no choice but to participate in the 'official' map debut "Erebus" (by Dave Meddish?) since it appeared in the tournament as one of the primary maps. A large fraction of attendees didn't even like it. Personally, I found the map to contain several weaknesses and thought it was aesthetically unpleasing (orange distance-fade with a black night sky was wierd), though I admire the fact that it had a multi-stage process for getting to the flag... though I personally thought orange forcefields instead of green ones around the flag would have been better since taking down the gens would be very useful but not completely 100% absolutely necessary. It's frustrating. Overall, the party was fun, was better than last year, and I had very few gripes, especially compared to last year. I'm just amazed that me and my maps were overlooked again, even though I'm much more well known than I was last time. One thing that was kinda cool though was to see both WSBN and TSN working together, especially on a simulcast of the final round of the tournament... and one of them briefly interviewed me during the afternoon one day as well, and I know at least one of my tribe-mates heard it. :) Anyway, my new map "Urban Warfare" still needs some tweaks, but it's up on the server for testing now (as of this writing it'll be in the rotation upon the next server reset). I did what I could to keep the framerate up and still preserve the map concept, so hopefully people won't have too much trouble playing it. But it's definitely resource-hungry, and so the load/relight time is long. |
| July 3, 2001 |
I just wanted to announce that I'll be at UVALAN3 and
will be bringing along all my maps for those who want to
play with them. Additionally, despite requests to the
contrary, I'll be unveiling a new map there as well! It
may or may not quite be finished, but it'll at least be
ready for initial testing, and then will go into public
testing on my server after I return from UVALAN3. Most
likely it (and all my others) won't be on the dedicated
servers at the party, but I'll run my machine as a "listener"
once in a while and we can play around with it. Here's a
sneak-preview screenshot of it too...
|
| June 22, 2001 |
|
A couple of things...
More detail has been added to the Tutorial. There's a new map in testing on my server- Phlegathon, the river of fire. I've also taken Spy-vs-Spy down from my server for the time being, though it's still available for download. Apparently there's some sort of problem with intersecting interiors in Tribes 2 that I wasn't aware of, since it spews a lot of errors on the console. Originally this wasn't a problem, but in the latest patch I think it causes a memory leak or something, since the server performance degrades rapidly. Also, I recently added stuff to my home business- "The Dragon's Hoard Armory", so if you're interested in swords and replica guns, check it out. :) |
| June 20, 2001 |
| I've finally gotten around to starting to write a mapping tutorial. I think there are some good tutorials out there already, but I wanted to write one that starts at the bottom floor and will help you to work-around some of the pit-falls that I fell into along the way. It's not finished yet, not by a long-shot, but you can see what I've done so far HERE. |
| June 15, 2001 |
| I've just uploaded a new large file that allows you to download and install all of my CTF maps in one swoop.. Have fun! :) |
| June 14, 2001 |
| I've finally gotten around to uploading the most recent batch of maps, so here they are! |
| June 6, 2001 |
|
I was interviewed on planettribes today, and you
can read it
HERE! (alternate copy here) I was quite honored.
Also, Hostility will be released soon. Island Bridges is staying in testing until I can figure out how to make the grav-bikes respawn (or until I give up and make a vehicle pad). Two other new maps are in testing: Poison (may get renamed), and Spy-vs-Spy. |
| May 30, 2001 |
| Three new maps have been uploaded! Tartarus, Sarcophagus, and Fields of Fire are now available for download on the Missions Page. Island Bridges and Hostility are still in testing... enjoy! |
| May 29, 2001 |
Currently I have 5 new maps in testing on the server, which
will all be released sometime this week. Here's the list:
|
| May 21, 2001 |
|
The server has been experiencing network problems since saturday
night (the 19th). This appears to be fixed. Have fun!
In more pleasant news, I'm on the warpath again! A new map is in testing on the server... but of course we need the server to start behaving right before we can really test it. This is a map filled with lava fields, called "Fields of Fire". It looks like it'll be fun. :) |
| May 14, 2001 |
|
I've uploaded 3 new maps, plus revised versions of 2 of the
previous ones.. So head on over to the
Maps/Missions page and check them out!
I also added some more stuff in the Skins Section. |
| May 10, 2001 |
|
Yesterday's patch has left me apalled.. The server is crashing
enormously often. Hopefully it'll get fixed with an emergency patch.
The thing that gets me is that you are FORCED to update to this
patch level.. Unpatched servers don't even show in the ping list,
yet if you do patch, you crash all the time. It's a catch-22.
In other news, I have several new maps in testing on the server, including two Tank-centric missions (Artillery, and Desert Guns), as well as updated versions of WetWorld and Air Support. Arctic Flight, my second air-centric map, is working quite well and will be released shortly as well. |
| May 6, 2001 |
| I've added a new section: STORIES, and kicked it off with it's first work, "Drognar's Flight". |
| May 3, 2001 |
| My newest map, "Air Support" is now available on the missions page, and is considered by many to be the best of my Tribes 2 maps so far! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.. :) |
| May 1, 2001 |
| I've uploaded my new underwater map - Ocean Floor! I haven't taken any decent screenshots yet, so I'll post those later, but I decided to make it availabel right away anyway.. so hop on over to the missions page and enjoy! |
| April 27, 2001 |
| Wonderful news today! I've released two brand-new MAPS, as well as a new Vehicle Skin! So hurry up and check them out! |
| April 24, 2001 |
| My first map is currently in testing on our server. It's a fairly simple modification of an existing map (It's based on Slapdash, and is called Stormdash). Basically it's SlapDash with lots of fog and rain, and the flag put inside a protective bunker and moved a little closer to the main base. The weather is brutal, the viewable distance is small, and there's a lot of "eye candy" strewn about the map (destroyed vehicles, corpses, and statues). Because of the change in visibility, it's a lot easier to sneak around the map without detection, and the battles tend to be very close to the bases.. and those battles tend to be fast and furious. It's amazing what fog can do to change the dynamics of play. |
| April 17, 2001 |
|
I've got some map ideas in the works, so don't fret... new
maps will be here soon! :)
On another note, for those who haven't spotted it, the installation instructions for the downloads are on the web pages here... near the top. Enjoy! And on yet another note, the server seems to be doing pretty well... I've been making some minor tweaks to turret placement rules, deployable limits, and some other minor things. I think you'll find that the balance is pretty good. I've also taken some steps to reduce unfair kickbans, and am kicking TK's personally. I hope to keep the NecroBones server as a safe haven for courteous and fair players. :) I've added a Server Info Page as well. |
| April 12, 2001 |
Well, I'm finally getting this site off the ground. I haven't created
any new Tribes-2 maps yet, but I'm already working on some ideas and
have started creating other items for your use/enjoyment. So far I've created
several new things you may wish to use with Tribes 2...
In other news, My T2 server seems to have become quite popular! Within 10 minutes of it going "live", it was already full. It's been full every afternoon/evening since. Woohoo! |
| April 5, 2001 |
| Welcome to the new NecroBones Tribes section, set aside for Tribes 2!!! Soon I intend to resume creating maps, this time for this sequel which just hit the stores 6 days ago. Look here for updates. |
[All content Copyright 2001, Ed T Toton III, All Rights Reserved]
Keywords: Starsiege Tribes maps Starsiege Tribes missions Starseige tribes game dynamix starsiege tribes editing editor action shooter strategy game