Tag Archives: id Software

Games Developers Play

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It’s rare I speak about the electronic entertainment industry since retiring from any sort of online game development or online game, I’ve also given up supporting many companies, such as Microsoft who still cannot get the XBox 360 right. In my tenure working on an amateur development team and rubbing elbows with some well known companies like id Software, Activision, Ravensoft and others I have lost some respect I once held for some of these professional development houses.

Since moving on from Urban Terror I have yet to spend any money on another PC game, nor have I built a new computer to support these high end fandango games that only seem to be getting prettier than anything else. I can’t speak for their game play, but after nearly 10 years of development on Urban Terror it became quite apparent that game play would always trump graphics. As we have seen in the past and will continue to see in the future, graphics will continue to sell games, not game play. Even games that should have never made it to retail will end up being found on retail shelves and not long after in the bargain bin.

Unfortunately many game developers continue to recycle their “franchise” products. This in my opinion is not what development is about. I feel that many companies seem to have lost that creative drive that bought us many unique and enjoyable games back in the day, DICE and their Battlefield series is one of the most popular. Another example is Call of Duty from Grey Matter Interactive/Activision. Both of these developers have been taking their series to the next level, but how is the game play? I believe as a franchise ages it can become chocked full of so many features that it actually detract from game play. I still feel Codename: Eagle was a solid game from DICE. Simple, yet enjoyable on a LAN.

Recently with the release Portal 2 by Valve (alleged) fans seem to do nothing but trash talk the game. This is typical of supporters to whine, “while hundreds of negative summaries complaining about unbelievably inane shit (source). This just goes to show even professional designers can’t get things right and fans continue to shell out their money for games and feel they are deserved something in return.

I do agree with what is stated in this article on Destructoid, “Of course, the people whining would still buy <insert game here> and everything else <insert company here> puts out without a second thought. No wonder they whine so hard — it must be difficult being such spineless, dickless chumps.” This was ALWAYS the case with Urban Terror development and all those chumps didn’t have to pay to play. It’s no wonder I got out of gaming.

Development houses will continue to develop games. While the actual retail market is undergoing a change, with boxed software slowly giving way to downloadable software, the quality of games continue to improve. I believe this is a trend that will continue to rise for years to come. Franchises will continue to spin new iterations and gamers will continue to overpay for under-developed software.

Urban Terror: Close the Door

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Since leaving the development team and Urban Terror, nearly 2 years ago I have yet to return to online gaming. The motivations for my departure and retirement were purely personal. For me, I had gone as far as I could with development as it was quite clear the game would never flourish as I had hoped for during the early years.

It’s quite rare I even bring the name, Urban Terror up because it’s a part of my past and I have moved on, leaving the community, the web sites and activities to others in order to cultivate. I still have an informal tie to the community as I continue to hold the rights to the domain name.

I happened upon a conversation today with an individual who is still around the community and as I understand it, the community and the game are not the same. I can’t speak to that, but can only surmise the problems plaguing the community/game now. While I never had a direct hand in any development, it was the community who drove the game to the success it had upon my departure.

Of course the development team was at the core of the community, with talented individuals leaving their mark and moving on. The early years were truly the “best of times” for me personally. Being courted by id Software, visiting their offices, participating in Quakecon, jet setting to Los Angeles for E3, being featured on Tech TV are just some of the highlights I take with me. Of course those days are all in the past and rarely do I even cast a glance at the newest PC games on the market because it’s “more of the same.”

With that said, there is still something to say about those individuals who continue to support the game after so many years. I have a few individuals in mind who, through thick and thin stuck it out with the development team. Not sure if I were on the outside looking in, like I was with Action Quake II if I could have continued for nearly 10 years even with a game I enjoyed

Being in the rare position I was, between the community and the game I had a unique perspective and seemed to get opinions from everyone. For many, I was the voice/face/name of Urban Terror, but never did I attempt to take credit. While I was involved, I left the real development/design to the talented individuals that knew how to code a feature, or create a model, uvwrap it and skin it. I was highly impressed with those who were level designers, but that was not my calling.
Unfortunately, it was “never quite good enough” for some. The worst place to be the day of a point release was on the community support forums. This was my domain, a place I controlled and supported and nurtured from the beginning. It was a unique feeling creating a community from virtually nothing to a strong community of supporters we had when I departed. I was amazed at the success and the ride I had been privy to.

Maybe my departure gave rise to someone with new ideas and new blood to bring something into the community to improve the game. While some may disagree I took a lot with me the day I left. Much of the unwritten history left with me. Many gigabytes of files continue to reside on my archived hard drives that will most likely never be accessed again.

Most of all I remember the people, behind every alias, either in game, via e-mail or on IRC there is a person. I was fortunate enough to meet a small percentage of these people over the years. The strongest bonds were between the long standing development team members. The same can be said for the long time supporters in the community, the people I entrusted files or hosting to. There were some great people behind the scenes who rarely got a mention. Maybe they hosted files or ran a web site or always put in a word of praise to the community, game or development team. While I will probably never communicate with these individuals again, they were a special part of the community and one of the things I held close though out my tenure.

Often times I was referred to as, “not a developer” because I did not provide any content for the game. While that is a true statement, it could not be further from the truth. I was a development team member and played an integral role that was often overlooked. Many individuals involved couldn’t or wouldn’t do what I did over the course of 10 years. While not the most important aspect of the game or community, I brought Urban Terror to life though the use of shoutcasting, when online gaming radio stations were still in their infancy.

My use of the radio medium introduced a new dimension to online gaming that was rarely seen previously. I attempted to stress the importance of the community, wanting feedback and information from supporters in order to strengthen the radio show on a weekly basis. By far, the most important portion of the show, aside from my bad, 80’s music was the development team update. This was sometimes a futile attempt to provide up to the minute information about development.

The second part of this new medium was acting as a commentator during online matches. I spent many hours a week dedicated to my radio shows and broadcasts. It would have been enough to just cover the match, but our community was something special and they deserved more. I had a pre and post game report, as well as commentary and sometimes guest casters on air.

This, to me was my calling for the game and it went a long way in the community. Yet some failed to see the connection. In the end I was burned out, tired. Maybe it was the years of abuse I took never really striking back or going off, unless completely necessary. A few examples spring to mind. When I initially got involved I wanted to see this development through to a defined end. For me, that will never happen as I dropped everything in a blink of an eye and walked away, never to return.

But, as I said early on the friendships you make will last a lifetime. The memories remain, but may fade as years go by. For the most part these were good times, never great, but good enough to keep you going for just a bit longer. Hopefully those involved now have an idea of where the game came from and of those who came before.

Urban Terror. The Real Deal?

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While I was not around when the concept for Urban Terror was originally conceived, I was a few months late to the party, but was able to become a member of the development team prior to the end of 1999. I have experienced much in the lifetime of Urban Terror and honestly I never thought I would be talking about it in 2008. Who would think a game concept from a teenager would see so much success in the future.

The future. Success. Just how successful has Urban Terror been? We were invited by id Software to Quakecon in 2000 and 2001 in order to show off our work on the game, as well as host a few round table presentations for gamers to attend. We met personally with members of id Software including Kevin Cloud, Robert Duffy and Marty Stratton. After the 2000 event, myself and Sam, aka dokta8 were invited by Activision to their Santa Monica offices to talk about the future of Urban Terror. Both of these events were the proverbial “feather in the cap” sort of experiences.

The Activision meeting would have been more productive IF we actually went in with the idea there was going to be a future for the game. Unfortunately, in 2000 the developers were really nothing more than enthusiasts who enjoyed developing the game as a hobby. Looking back, we probably did more harm than good for any future the game could potentially have.

The mod has been featured in worldwide publications from the UK, France and here in the US, as well as some of the newspapers and countless web sites wanting interviews. Again, a taste of success, but nothing that really put more then a temporary spotlight on what we had achieved.

Urban Terror was never as successful as Counter-Strike, then again very few games will EVER reach that status again, especially coming from the mod scene. It makes me wonder, the tenure we have with Urban Terror, the strong community support and now the ability to play Urban Terror without paying for Quake III, why are developers/publishers not taking notice?

In reality Urban Terror is a small fish in a big ocean, a REALLY big ocean. We have seen many retail games come and go with success so short lived it makes your head spin. Maybe I shoulder the responsibility as Project Coordinator/Public Relations saying I have not met expectations that were set. Of course, we were not incorporated until a few years ago, when Urban Terror was already established and the founders of FrozenSand, LLC now have a direction and goal they want to pursue.

That goes back to the question, why is Urban Terror not getting noticed? Part of it stems from the aging Quake III engine,we definitely had some good use out of the engine, but maybe we should start looking for a new, next generation engine to move the game to.

Urban Terror has never been heavy on the artistic side. With that said, I take nothing away from BladeKiller or the others who have spent years, countless hours and a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get the game looking like it does. But the fact is, developers and publishers want a game heavy in art assets. This is something we did hear when our demo was played by some professional developers.

Over the years we have concentrated more on game play, which you think would play a prominent role among developers, but I can’t think of any game I come back to other then Urban Terror because of the game play. This is echoed by gamers in the community, some who leave and return version or years later because of the game play. Now, if we were heavy on the art assets, would Urban Terror get the notoriety it deserves?

Nothing is ever just handed to you on a golden platter. We have been given nothing, but earned everything over the years. Our hard work, effort and commitment to Urban Terror, the community and most importantly to our fellow development team members makes us thankful for the success we have achieved. Who knows, maybe with v4.x release series we will be able to promote the game more heavily and possibly get some developers/publishers/bags of money interested in what we have to offer, not only in the game but as a development team.

Behind the Microphone

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At one time, years ago…well not that long ago, maybe 1998 I was like a sponge. I was soaking as much information as possible when it came to PC games. id Software‘s hit, Quake II had me mesmerized. From that point on, the snowball effect took control.Now, maybe it’s my age or my [lack of] attention span, or life priorities, but I am not much of a gamer now (maybe I will blame the crappy games out there). Damn skippy though, back in the day at the Netzwerk Terror LAN I would attend, I was as competitive as the next in the 1 v 1 tourney. Never did win, but I did take a third place. Once.

Since my “humble” beginnings I experienced many things, such as QuakeCon (a MUST for any gamer), software development with Urban Terror and on air commentary, previously with Team Sportscast Network and more recently with Inside The Game. To be honest, I get more pleasure talking to the gaming community, be it covering a game like Urban Terror, Medal of Honor or a plethora of other games. FIFA kicks some serious ass!I also produce two radio shows called Just Push Play, where we flashback to the 1980’s and check out movies, television, music, coin-op video games and nostalgia from a decade past. Also in support of Urban Terror I started Urban Radio, which focuses on news and notes from the community, along with some gaming action on a server provided by the community…basically it is my chance to give the community something other than a web site update.

I have all the previous Just Push Play shows now available on the site, linked to FileCloud. Currently I am putting the finishing touches on this week’s show, JPP #009 – Oswald Strikes back. The show debuts on Wednesday, January 4 at 12PST/20GMT on Inside The Game.

More recently I have agreed with start covering Medal of Honor: Allied Assault over on Clanbase with EuroCup (Obj Realism) and Nations Cup (Obj & Obj Realism). I do believe my enjoyment of casting shines in a game like MOHAA, mainly because of the what you can do with the game. The production value is extremely high and the game itself is full of atmosphere.

If you want an example of the production value of Medal of Honor, you can download this cast featuring Art of War versus [ =N3S=] I covered as a “test cast” last week. Just listen past he minor technical issues I had during the coverage that I failed to catch.

Oswald Rant: From Beta 1 to Beta 2

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With the Beta 2 release of Urban Terror by Silicon Ice Development [SID], the development team looks to forge ahead and give their community a mod that far exceeds the expectations of any gamer. Created using one of the most powerful gaming engines available, the Quake III engine by id Software, Silicon Ice looks to have a very successful realism based mod to rival any in the gaming community.

Beta 1 was released August 5, 2000, while members of the Silicon Ice Development team were attending QuakeCon 2000 in Mesquite, Texas. On an invitation from id Software, the team shared a booth with Quake 3 Fortress, as each took time preview and demonstrate their projects. SID and Urban Terror were still relative unknowns at the time and were following in the footsteps of some very popular mods with cult-like followings, in Action Quake 2 and the highly publicized and successful, Counter-Strike.

Since many of the team members were strangers to “modding” it was a challenge to know what sort of reception Urban Terror Beta 1 would receive upon its initial release. Those of us attending QuakeCon were quite pleased to see gamers swarming to the booth, waiting in droves and a chance to play the mod. Looking back on the release, there were some fundamental mistakes that could have been resolved, providing for a stronger initial release giving us a better reputation. Looking back on our Beta 1 release, we agreed not to make the same mistake in future development.

For those in the community who were around less than one year ago when Beta 1 was released, I am sure you have not only see, but experienced the difference while waiting in anticipation for Beta 2. Silicon Ice Development takes great pride in their community and the mod they have come to support. To us, it’s the gamers that make the community great. We have continued to ask for input, in the form of suggestions, features and changes that could make the mod more enjoyable. We also released the mod to a group of internal beta testers, who provided valuable feedback and quality assurance. This to supplement the countless hours of team based testing in order to work out many issues and problems.

Silicon Ice Development is the driving force behind the creation of Urban Terror, but the community measures just how successful it is. While SID had an idea, gamers never failed to voice their opinions. As a development team, we took an active interest and listened to what they were saying. We continued to interact with the community, on our forums, in IRC, on ICQ and even on public servers. We were continually answering questions and providing feedback over the last ten months, which culminated in the release of Beta 2. Of course the most common question on the community’s mind, “When is Beta 2 being released?”

There was one minor incident that sparked some controversy during our development. That was the unfortunate leak of an internal build to the community. Looking back, that event was probably a blessing in disguise, as gamers not chosen by SID had an opportunity to experience our work and get a hands on demonstration of what was in store for Beta 2. We did everything in our power not to recognize those who were experiencing the build, as it was an early version, not meant for the gaming public. Through the period of the leak, there were rarely any negative comments that were received by SID. This was foreshadowing of things to come with the release of Beta 2.

A major component of any release is an official release date, something SID was hesitant to recognize. We had delays during previous beta development that had us overshoot our target date. We were bound by blood not to make the same mistake twice, as it weakens the credibility and report we have with our community. We continued to give a developer’s answer, “The mod is ready when we are done.”

We offered an internal build to Caryn “Hellchick” Law of GameSpy Industries and 3D ActionPlanet and Robert Duffy, programmer for id Software. Caryn had provided us with the female voices in Beta 1 and provides great insight into the community with her work. SID offered her the opportunity to play test the mod with a few of the team members in order to get her opinion and to provide us with feedback, which she gracefully did. She has been a support, since her initial preview of Beta 1 over a year ago.

Robert Duffy has been our main point of contact at id Software. We have play tested numerous times and received positive feedback on our development. Beta 1 provided Silicon Ice a platform from which to build, they must have seen potential in our development, as we were invited to QuakeCon. They have provided valuable support and answers to our team as we look to keep a strong working relationship with them through development.

June 1, 2001 was a day in which our expectations were not only met, but also exceeded when we released Urban Terror Beta 2. We were taken back by the over 500 gamers awaiting the release in #urbanterror on Enter The Game. The mod was officially released at 5pm and gamers flocked to FTPs in an attempt to download this much-anticipated beta. Now, a week later, the total number of downloads has exceeded 50,000! Based on GameSpy Stats, Urban Terror has jumped from #8 to #3 in terms of popularity with between 500-800 gamers online playing since the release.

Support like this from a community starved for a mod to take advantage of the power of the Quake III engine has arrived. Urban Terror Beta 2 has received overwhelming support and praise though out our community forums. A tough group to crack, the Shackers had many positive comments over at Shacknews. We feel very fortunate to be in the position we are since our release. We are already drawing up plans for our post Beta 2 development, which will include a multitude of bug fixes and additional maps in the coming weeks.

Silicon Ice Development would like to say thank you to everyone in our community for the patience and support for Urban Terror Beta 2. Be proud to know that you have had a hand in creating one of the best Quake III mods around.