THATS RIGHT! We have finished moving to our new server. You can go there by clicking HERE. Please, if you have us bookmarked, change it to that link. Ill be updating a log more, but not here anymore. As of now, this site will not be updated, and will eventually just be a redirection to the new site. Again, you can go HERE to visit the new site.
News for Wednesday, January 23rd, 2002
FPS Community Mobs Westwood!
1:32 P.M. - Alien13UFO
Tomorrow January 24th, 2002 is a very big day for the community and Westwood Studios. Why you ask? We have invited some of the most respected FPS (First Person Shooter) community leaders from all around the world to Las Vegas to play Command & Conquer Renegade for the day. During the event we will be uploading pictures of the festivities and commentary for everyone to read. Next week, after everyone has calmed down from the multiplayer mayhem, these sites will be posting hands-on previews detailing their adventures and Renegade gameplay.
So stay tuned for updates, you definitely don't want to miss out!
This weeks Captions Contest Winner is "Cavsguy!" Congrats on his new MP3 player and speaker system. Week two of the captions contest has started so don't delay this your chance to be creative, funny, and win a cool MP3 and Speaker setup at the same time!
For those new to the caption contest, the Renegade guys have put together a few images that need captions (kinda like a comic strip). Be as serious, funny, or ridiculous as you like - we accept all entries! However, if you want to win a prize, your comic strip shouldn't contain any "adult" content or we won't be able to display it.
This is the second of four comic strips, and we'll be awarding great prizes for each. The second contest will end on January 24th, and you can enter as often as you like. We'll announce winners on January 25th (Friday) after our Renegade team has a chance to look through the entries and pick the best ones.
Good luck to everyone!
News for Thursday, January 17th, 2002
Be-A-Renegade Tour, and new movie!
2:38 P.M. - Alien13UFO
Westwood invades the USA! We have partnered with iGames, Alienware, NVIDIA and Discreet for the Be-A-Renegade tour, are will take Renegade to five major cities around the country, giving fans a chance to play the game weeks before it hits the stores.
The Be-A-Renegade Tour will make stops at game centers in five major cities around the country. At each of the tour stops, fans will be able to play both the single and multiplay modes of Renegade, talk with Westwood representatives, win Westwood merchandise, and meet Joe Kucan, Westwood's director of dramatic assets and the man who plays Kane in the Command & Conquer(tm) Games.
Also at each event, NVIDIA will be giving away one EVGA GeForce3-based graphics accelerator via random drawing, and Alienware will be registering attendees to win a fully-loaded PC that will be given away by random drawing at the final event in San Francisco. In addition, a representative from Discreet will be at several of the events to demonstrate gmax(tm), their full modification package that can be used with Renegade.
"Alienware is ecstatic to be part of the Be-A-Renegade Tour and excited to give Command & Conquer gamers an opportunity to win an Alienware AREA-51 Ultimate Gaming Machine," said Kevin Wasielewski, Marketing and Business Development Manager for Alienware Corporation.
Paul Perrault, Discreet product manager for gmax said, "Discreet is very excited to tour with the Command and Conquer Renegade team and demonstrate gmax, our free game modification software based on 3ds max. With gmax, Command and Conquer users will now be able to play with custom weapons, characters, and other scene objects that they create."
For more information about Renegade and the Be-A-Renegade Tour, and for specifics on the Alienware computer, Click Here.
Space is limited at each event, so anyone wanting a chance to play Renegade should visit to reserve a place. Additional space will be available to observe the games in progress, and everyone who attends will be eligible to win an EVGA GeForce3-based graphics accelerator and the Alienware computer.
Also.........
As promised, here's the next edition to our continuing series of in-game web movies we've been releasing since last year. This week's movie is titled 'Humm-vee Assault' and shows off some of the daring tactics you can perform while behind the wheel of GDI's utility vehicle.
The news draught is over!
Tomorrow January 17th at 5 P.M. PST, Westwood's C&C community team will be hosting a chat featuring Executive Producer Dan “DanC” Cermak. This will be the perfect time to get all those questions lingering in the back of your mind answered and receive a status report on the ongoing field test of Renegade’s Command & Conquer multiplayer mode.
As an added bonus, three Renegade multiplay beta slots have been made available and will given away during the chat. The lucky recipients will be able to participate in the multiplayer madness for the remainder of the test period.
To participate in the chat, simply show up here around 4:45 P.M PST to access Westwood's java chat client.
Don’t be late!
Delphi
Online Community Manager
News for Saturday, January 12th, 2002
Final Box Art, and New Contest!
3:30 P.M. - Alien13UFO
We went back to the drawing board these last few weeks and decided to rework our final box image. We now have a Havoc that looks a little tougher, intense and more realistic than our earlier versions.
Take a look at the new and improved Havoc!
Is this a guy you'd care to meet with no ammo in your clip?
And here's WW's latest contest:
Here's your chance to be creative, funny, and win a cool MP3 and Speaker setup at the same time! The Renegade guys have put together a few images that need captions (kinda like a comic strip). Be as serious, funny, or ridiculous as you like - we accept all entries! However, if you want to win a prize, your comic strip shouldn't contain any "adult" content or we won't be able to display it.
This is the first of four comic strips, and we'll be awarding great prizes for each. Our first contest is set to end on January 17th, and you can enter as often as you like. We'll announce winners on January 17th (Thursday) after our Renegade team has a chance to look through the entries and pick the best ones.
The February 2002 issue of Computer Games Magazine includes a 2 page preview of Renegade. This is a follow up from the preview posted in their September '01 issue.
Quotes of Note:
"From the moment you hit the beach in search of your captured brethren, to the final confrontation with the minions of Nod, Westwood Studios' Command and Conquer Renegade will have you going full bore."
"With its focus on fast-paced action and excellent but very bright looks, Renegade is breaking a bit from the current mold of ever darker and more complex shooters."
"There's plenty to do in the game -- every level is tightly tied to a series of mission goals, and some of them are pretty elaborate -- but the heart of the game is pure action."
Check out the article!
Heres a beta battle story by Paradox, from Havocide:
As a tribute to the tons of newly-discovered tactical situations springing up from the ongoing beta, here's an account from Paradox (thanks Havocide) displaying both sneaky stealth and mind-blowing firepower out on the beta battlefield:
Early on, in the first week of my beta experience (I'm pretty sure), I dealt out a pretty neat commando run, in my opinion. I was a Nod technician on the City map, and used a Stealth Tank to slip into the GDI base out of the Advanced Guard Tower's range. This was before the Stealth Tank was put on steroids in the latest patch, so it was still relatively weak. I ran inside the GDI Power Plant and loaded the Master Control Temrinal with two timed C4, and two remote C4.
After levelling the P-Plant, I decided to head back to base. I then made the startling discovery of a GDI Mammoth Tank near the overpass beside the base. I decided to try my best to take it out in my Stealth, but I ended up getting my vehicle blown to shreds. The driver of this Mammoth Tank decided not to make sure I was dead, and hopped out of the Mammoth to repair it. A costly mistake! :)
I ran up to the now neutral behemoth as it was being repaired, and as its health hit full (or close to it) I hijacked the monster! The GDI engineer must have been rather surprised when his Mammoth started moving and pummeling the Weapons Factory! The Mammoth came under heavy fire, but I managed to destroy the Weapons Factory.
Soundtrack News:
Get ready to rock and roll! Westwood announced today that it has completed the soundtrack for Renegade.
Frank Klepacki, senior composer for Westwood, and the man behind most of Westwood's previous game soundtracks, composed the music for Renegade. Klepacki provided his signature blend of industrial and electronic music, and went back in time to update the retro feel of the original Command & Conquer music.
"Renegade is 100 percent C&C, and even follows the original game's timeline," said Klepacki. "For that reason, I used the original C&C soundtrack as the basis for my inspiration for the Renegade music. I added some new twists on some of the old fan favorites to breathe new life into them, in addition to creating all new pieces."
Klepacki also worked to make the Renegade soundtrack reflect the styles of gameplay in Renegade. Just like the main character, Havoc, uses a blend of quiet stealth and heavy firepower, the soundtrack also has two dramatically different types of songs.
"One of my favorite things about working on Westwood's soundtracks is the opportunity to blend the music with the game," said Klepacki. "One of the best games for this was Renegade, because there are so many different moments. When Havoc is infiltrating a base with guns blasting, the music is driving and upbeat. But, when he goes into stealth mode, the player will hear more ambient, low-key tracks."
The Renegade soundtrack features 15 songs with titles such as "Got a Present For Ya!" and "Sneak Attack." The soundtrack will be available in select retailers once the game is released and is also available on the EA.com store as a free gift for those who pre-order Renegade. Check out five full-length tracks from the soundtrack here.
Finally
Senior Producer Sean 'Closer' Decker reveals his tale to PC Game Central and gives a little advice on breaking into the games business. Get the lowdown on the interview here.
IGN.com has posted part five of it's ongoing series of Renegade Designer Diaries. This time, the spotlight shines on programmer Tom Spencer-Smith, one of the guys responsible for getting some of you addicted to Command & Conquer mode.
"Initially we expected to ship with a handful of fairly generic multiplayer modes, much like those that you see in most multiplayer action games. But eventually we decided to tackle something far more ambitious: Command & Conquer mode. Our goal was to bring you into the midst of the action, to put you down there on the battlefield amongst your teammates, defending your base and putting the hurt on the other guy."
To read the rest of what Tom has to say, click here.
Here it is, my latest creation. Click Here to get it. Its 1024x768pxl. I hope you guys like it!
News for Friday, January 4th, 2002
Raveshaw's Crucible: Inside Nod's Black Hand
2:51 P.M. - Alien13UFO
Nod's sinister faction, the Black Hand, has been developed in secret for years, and only now is information coming to light. Click here to read about its cruel tactics and mind-bending genetic experimentation with Tiberium. Also read about the driving force behind the evil, Raveshaw.
"CONGRATULATIONS" to "Shen" and all the staff members over at Battlefield Command! They have been selected as our Renegade fan site of the week.
Battlefield Command is fairly new to the community. Their site is updated daily with news for Renegade and RA2, they also supply unique maps and mods for players to download. Check them out when you have the chance!
Every week we like to honor our hard working community by featuring them on our official site. These webmasters and news reporters work around the clock for the latest news, interviews, maps, and strategies for all of Westwood's games. So when time permits, please visit our fansite section and check out all the goodies these guys have to offer.
Thats from Westwood. Also, they have posted their New Years Resolution Contest winners. Here they are!
Here's the winners of the Havoc's New Year's Resolutions contest that was held on the message board! Congrats to all the winners and enjoy your 2002 calendar!
- Get Sydney Mobius's phone number. - from Bob the Hobo
- Use the three R's better.... Rearm, Reload and Return fire..... - from [DAA]Ash
- Stop assaulting random bald people. - from Brutus
- Remember to shoot first and ask questions later. - from 2nd Lieutenant Morgan
- Use less gas, Use Nod's vehicles instead - from Tanya
- Take Hum-Vee over to Al's shop to get bullet holes/dents repaired. - from Taximes
- Give NODS e-mail address to local Pyramid scheme network - from Catfish
- Call Mom - from Gendres
- Finish Mailing off those explosive fruit cakes to Nod Employees. - from SolarNoize
- Plant C4 on Kanes Head - from CrazyMunkey
Wow, I actually got on for more than 5 minutes today. I guess ill update the news. First up, is the tools of the trade. This time its the Nuke Beacon. Here goes:
The Nod 'Retribution' Nuke Beacon. Looks like a harmless thermos, right? Wrong. This small, cylindrical gadget is the means to more destruction than a thousand Obelisks of Light. Once deployed (which takes all of 15 seconds in the hands of a skilled operative), the unassuming beacon transmits its signal via an ultra-low frequency, triple-encrypted radio wave. This signal, which begins to weaken at roughly 7500 kilometers radius, is received, deciphered and fed into any Nod command console found within range. The command console in turn initiates the firing sequence by running a final authentication, determining missile launch destination (usually a submarine, mobile missile site or hardened bunker) and releasing the safeties. Impact typically comes in 1-3 minutes, the result being a 25-megaton nuclear explosion that lays waste to any object (living or otherwise) within 10 miles. More than just an attention getter - a sinister and cruel device held over the heads of those who hold freedom dear.
I just love nukes :). They are so fun. Next up, Westwood has featured my account from the beta as their renegade rewind this week. Here it is:
In this week's Renegade Rewind, we decided to pull out one of the more exciting fan stories from our open beta testing. Enjoy this thrilling account by Alien13UFO:
"I was GDI, and it was a 16-player game. On the Field map, everyone just runs and guns in the tunnels for a few minutes until they have cash, so that's what I did. Then, after dying a 2nd time, and having 2 kills of my own, I had enough for a humm-vee. I quickly changed to an engineer, and hopped in. I drove to the Nod base, where my humm-vee was nearly destroyed by the Obelisk. Luckily, the Hand of Nod was right in front of me, so I hopped out and ran inside. I went down the stairs, planted 3 C4's, turned around, and there were 3 guys at the purchase terminal up the stairs. So, upstairs I went, it was the only way I could go if I wanted to get out alive. I got upstairs, and I'm spotted - one of the guys runs after me, so I detonate my remote C4, and run like hell. I get outside, and the Obelisk immediately blasts me. Luckily, they didn't disarm the C4, so I destroyed the Hand. Now, this is about 5 mins into the game, and I have 1500 credits. So, what do I do? That's right! I buy a Mammoth Tank! I roll up in their base, with nothing to stop me, because the Obelisk was just badly damaged by someone else, I shoot it a few times and it's gone for good. With a medium tank as support, I continue shooting the refinery, and finally the airstrip, and I get 4000+ points, and the MVP."
Well, there it is. I hope to get things moving again on my server change, but for that to happen, I need to be able to be on-line more. Just be patient. I could take some time.
"Where's the news?" you ask? Well, I have been having problems with my ISP this past week, and they are still not resolved. As soon as I do, I will post more news, and continue my transfer to my new server. Thanks, and be patient.
"CONGRATULATIONS" to the "THEVOICE" and all the staff members over at Westwood Infiltration! They have been selected as our Renegade fansite of the week.
WI has been with Westwood Studios for some time now. Their site is updated daily with the latest breaking news for Renegade, RA2 and anything else important from the community. So check them out when you have the chance!
News for Tuesday, December 18th, 2001
Phase 3 and Tools of the Trade.
2:45 P.M. - Alien13UFO
Phase 3 of the Renegade beta has officially begun. Serial #'s are being sent out via email even as I type this and 500 new people should be getting into the game ASAP.
Oh, and good news for everyone in Phases 1 & 2! Executive Producer Dan Cermak decided to let everyone carryover to Phase 3, so your serial #'s are still good until the beta test closes up shop on Dec. 24th!
Click Here to see a picture of the Leer jet from the new tools of the trade. Heres a description:
"The Brotherhood of Nod, although widely considered an underground threat to the safety of the free world, is not above flaunting its prestige and financial power from time to time; case in point - the Nod Lear Jet. Nod wholly owns a fleet of state-of-the-art Lear Jets used for speedy shuttling of corporate suits, high-ranking military personnel and even Kane himself across the globe. With VTOL capability and advanced ECM equipment, these heavily modified 'civilian' crafts are extremely maneuverable and quite capable of outrunning GDI Orcas at higher altitudes. Speculation even exists that Kane's private plane has the technological ability to deliver a nuclear warhead from 40000 feet with pinpoint accuracy - a rumor that nobody, not even GDI, feels prepared to challenge."
'I was prowling around the base of the mountain with my sniper rifle trained up on this elevated ice bridge not too far off. I knew there was an enemy sniper up there as well, sizing me up and waiting for me to stick my mug around the rocky corner. I had a powerful Ramjet rifle so if I got the jump, it would be one-shot, one kill. What ensued was a 15-second version of that movie 'Enemy at the Gates.' We each let off a few warning shots that were more intended to rattle the other's chains rather than score a frag. Although there were a ton of explosions and tracer fire going on around us, this became a very personal encounter. Finally, I saw him crouch behind a boulder that covered everything but the extreme top of his head. He obviously didn't know, but it was all over at that point. I let loose a single blast and basically scalped the poor devil (people's heads don't come off in the game, but I gave him a nasty virtual 'reverse' mohawk). I had to laugh out loud. Overall, an awesome exchange and a very satisfying frag."
- Mike "Meatball" Bell
Renegade Files:
Kane. Even his name conjures fear in the hearts of GDI and Nod soldiers alike. Intelligence reports on this enigmatic leader of the Brotherhood of Nod are sketchy at best, but we've compiled all that we have and are ready to release it to the masses.
Havoc got back online long enough to check his email and respond to a few of your burning inquiries. Submit your email questions to [email protected], and we'll have him take time out to answer some of your toughest brainbusters.
As you know, Gamespy hosted a chat with developers of Renegade. They answered a lot of questions and gave away 10 beta slots! Here is the log.
News for Tuesday, December 12th, 2001
Westwood to include Discreet Gmax mod tools in Renegade!
11:45 P.M. - Alien13UFO
Huge news from the Renegade front! Westwood has formed a deal with Discreet to offer its widely popular gmax mod software for Command & Conquer Renegade!
The gmax software is a mod package based on Discreet's award-winning, professional 3D modeling and animation software-3ds max, and allows users to create new 3D levels, objects, player models, skins, vehicles and weapons for Renegade. User creations will be playable in both single and multiplayer modes.
Westwood Studios has licensed Discreet's popular gmax software and will be distributing it on the Renegade CD, and offering it as a free download right here on the official Renegade website. In addition, Westwood is creating a Renegade game pack that will allow content created in gmax to be exported into the game. The gmax game pack will also be available as a free download on the Renegade website in the coming weeks.
Westwood will be posting documentation and tutorials for the gmax software on the Renegade website in the coming weeks, and create designated discussion forums for the Renegade game pack. The Renegade website will also feature special sections where users can download fan-created levels and skins.
"Action gamers clearly want the ability to build new maps and mods for their games, so we're giving them a great tool to build with," said Dan Cermak, executive producer of Renegade. "Discreet's gmax will give hard-core Renegade players everything they need to customize, modify and extend their game."
"Westwood's decision to include gmax with Renegade further highlights the value of gmax as a cutting edge add-on for one of the most exciting games available on the PC," said Paul Perreault, gmax product manager. "With nearly 50 thousand gmax registrations in two months, it is clear that the gamers and mod communities are excited about gmax and the growing list of gmax-enabled titles," said Perreault.
Click here to download the gmax software and begin modding today!
Today at 4pm PST Gamespy Arcade will be hosting a chat featuring several members of Team Renegade! Executive Producer Dan “DanC” Cermak, senior producer Sean “Closer” Decker, and community managers Cliff “Devinoch” Hicks and Chris “Delphi” Rubyor will all be on hand to answer questions about what’s happening with Renegade and the ongoing field test of Renegade’s Command & Conquer multiplayer mode.
If that’s not enough to fire your obelisk, they’ve uncovered a secret stash of 10 slots in the multiplayer test and will give them away during the chat! The lucky recipients will be able to participate in the multiplayer madness for the remainder of the test period, right up until Christmas Eve!
To participate in the chat, you’ll need to download and install the Gamespy Arcade software. Click here and link to the download page.
So don’t be late! Head over to Gamespy Arcade tomorrow at 4pm PST to talk Renegade, and maybe get your shot at Command & Conquer mode!
News for Monday, December 11th, 2001
More beta impresions and info.
6:35 A.M. - Alien13UFO
Well, first of all, I have to say, this is the best game I have ever played. Westwood has done a fabulous job on this one! As I have said before, I think GDI and Nod are pretty well balanced, although I think the stealth tank needs an armor upgrade. The reason they are balanced, is because, although GDI has bigger and badder tanks, like the mammoth, Nod has decent tanks, that cost a lot cheaper than GDI's tanks. The characters are also very balanced, since they are basicly the same. Each side has an officer, with the chain gun, which is excelent against infantry. Also, each side has a rocket soldier, although GDI has 2 (one has more health and armor). Then, Nod has the chemical warrior, who has the chem sprayer. Very good Vs tanks, and he can run over tiberium as well. GDI's counterpart is Sydney, who has the tiberium auto rifle. Pretty powerfull, and shoots fast. Excelent weapon for its price. Those are all the basic level characters. Tomorrow, I will tell you about the special forces characters.
The third installment of the Renegade Designer Diaries at IGN.com focuses on fearless Community Manager Cliff Hicks, a.k.a. Devinoch. Cliff details the trials, tribulations and joys of managing the rabid Renegade fan community. Everything from responding to the spiraling number of forum posts of hungry Renegade fans, to managing our current multiplayer beta test, to helping the growing numbers of Renegade fan sites achieve perfection, Cliff makes Hercules look like a day laborer! Check it out at IGN.com by clicking here.
This game, is the best game, ever made! I played all last night, and I had no problems. Didn't notice any bugs, except that the server thinks i have a firewall, and the lag isnt even bad on my 56k in a game with 25 people. GDI is by far my favorite side right now, but I don't not like Nod. GDI has awesome weapons and tanks, so thats why i like em. The only thing i disliked about it was the stealth tank. You can see it's shadow when its driving, so its not THAT stealthy. The physics are also, very awesome. If you fire a tank, you roll back a little, its so awesome. My favorite feature by far though, is being able to hijack enemy vehichles. I got in a Nod flame tank yesterday, and none of the Nodies were shooting at me, because the tank still is red. I killed about 3 light tanks with that thing. Flame tanks are awesome vs them. Another thing I noticed, was that Engineers are definantly the most important members of your team. You can be an engineer with no credits, but they are worth much more. When someone is sitting back on a cliff in a nod artilery or a MRLS, firing at your base, you will be glad you have them. I have some screenshots, but I have yet to upload them. I will get them up tomorrow. Until then, see ya on the battle fields!
Well, there is so much new news today. So, instead of making one big, huge, gigantic news update, I thought I would just give ya a link to the news. Click Here to go to the main Renegade news page.
Straight from Westwood. This is going to make some of you veeeeeeeery happy :)
The Renegade beta test is off to a strong start! Games are running non-stop, and the reactions have been very positive! We're getting a lot of good feedback and we've decided to roll everyone from Phase 1 of the beta into Phase 2! So everyone who's in can keep playing until next week!
We're also hoping to have out a patch later today to address a few issues, and confirmation emails for Phases 2 & 3 will be sent out later today! Keep your eyes open!
I hope I get my CD today. When I do, I will have info for you guys every day. See ya!
Renegade Basic Training at Gamers.com and Beta news!
6:52 A.M. - Alien13UFO
"Cadet" Rob Smolka has posted the first of his two part preview of Renegade at Gamers.com. In Part One, he spends some time giving a general overview of the game, and how both the novice player and seasoned FPS vet can use the tutorial to hone their skills for the coming battle against the forces of Nod.
Quotes of Note:
"...early indications are that it's going to be a blast. Literally."
Get complete intel by clicking here. There are some cool screenshots. Go take a loook.
On a side note, Devinoch will be sending out confirmation e-mails late today for phase 2 and 3 testers, so keep your eyes in your mailboxes!
Get the inside scoop on the Dead 6 -- GDI's elite force of fighting machines, including everyone's favorite commando, Havoc. Read all about their special combat talents and why they are referred to as "Dead." Click here to read more.
There is also a new movie out. "Using C4 on a NOD Light Tank" Click Here to get it.
Look to the right of the site. We got a new poll up and running on every page. Please vote, and tell your friends! Hehe.
News for Thursday, November 29th, 2001
New Interview, and end of beta sign-ups! 4:00 P.M. - Alien13UFO
Sign ups are over:
We want to thank everyone who signed up. We had over 26,000 signups over the day we took signups! Those who made it into the beta will be recieving emails in the next couple of days so watch your email box!
And there is also a new interview at Loaded Inc. Heres a bit:
How do you think Renegade will appeal to a hardcore C&C fan that may not be a big fan of FPS games?
It should feel like they're down on the battlefield. Imagine getting to drive those vehicles you ordered around the map or entering the Hand of Nod in order to plant explosives, very powerful reinforcement of familiar images.
There is a bit of a learning curve getting used to the controls but we are supplying a tutorial, help with the beginning missions and other means to improve game play for the novice FPS player (auto-aim, for one example).
I will have a new poll up tomorrow, as well. See ya!
News for Wednesday, November 28th, 2001
Still have 12 hours to sign up for the Beta! 3:00 P.M. - Alien13UFO
That's right, from now until 12:01 PST tonight C&C fans and actions gamers from all around the world have the opportunity to signup to be part of the Renegade beta test. This is a once in lifetime chance to help out Westwood and test their killer new action game and supply feedback to the development team to help make the game even better. So what are you waiting for! Sign-up now!
First, CnCWorld has recently posted their report of Cabal's visit to Westwood Studios and Westwood Studios Pacific. During Cabal's visit to the U.S. he had the chance to meet with Athena Massey (Lt. Eva) from RA2 and Yuri's Revenge, snap photos with Kane, and watch C&C Renegade in action.
Lucky guy!
Here is a snippet from the article:
....we started going along a bigger corridor past Chris Longpre (producer of Emperor) to meet Ted Morris (VirtualTed) and his fish :) He was busy talking to somebody so we didn't stay long - just enough to say hi. Then I knew what was next, since in an interview in 1999 between Rade Stojsavljevic and DailyDimentia he said that Kane (Joe Kucan) was next to the Online guy (Ted). So, we stopped and said hi. Just like Athena Massey said he is a gentle, funny person who wouldn't hurt a fly. I talked to him for a while before having a once in a lifetime photo opportunity with him. "Wait" he said... "I'll get my hat"... He then proceeded to get his funny hat from the office and put it on.. "nope.. will look better on you" So, he took it off, put it on my head and said we could take the photo... lol.... thanks Joe. He said that there was no filming that day, but that we could look around the blue screen room anyway. So, off we went.
Click Here to read more and view some cool pictures.
Next, The latest installment in Westwood's Renegade Backstory section is live. Click here to read about the mysterious green element Tiberium and the daring folks who work with it.
And...the second part of the Renegade Designer Diaries, Lead 3D Engineer Jani Penttinen discusses some of the opportunities and advantages afforded the development team by using a proprietary 3D engine for the game. Here's a snippet:
"...Renegade is being developed to appeal to both Command & Conquer fans as well as the action shooter crowd, and the system specs for these two camps can vary widely. So the game's got to look great and take advantage of the latest graphics cards from a variety of manufacturers as well as the most powerful processors from people like Intel and AMD. At the same time, it needs to offer a great game play experience for the users with lower end hardware. This kind of scalability is best achieved when the engine is tied as close to the game as possible."
For the complete story, click here to visit IGN.com's PC section!
Mutants are no longer a part of C&C mode. We found problems related to the affiliation changing that created real issues implementing them.
Not sure when the light tank movie comes out, the Renegade team is in this weekend but the marketing and PR groups are out for Thanksgiving. I assume it will be next week.
Tank tracks do move when a tank is in motion and the suspension will go up and down as the vehicle moves over objects, we have a real physics engine that worries about wheel radius, traction, gravity and a ton of other things.
Viseroids are part of single player, we decided it would be a real hose on a player to get changed into a viseroid rather than die in MP, people would probably just suicide immediately, especially since a viseroid is suppose to be mindless and attack anyone close by. The GDI have the tiberium weapons and it is a real disadvantage to be a viseroid, Nod would no longer be balanced.
Air strikes are normally called in by destroying sam sites. We have redone the way bombs drop a bunch of times, should be better, in fact there is an A10 strike on a bunch of tanks in level 1.
All weapons are bought fully loaded, I believe the laser chain gun or "Chain Driven Obelisk Module" has around 400 charges, 100 per battery. You can refill all ammo, health and shield at any purchase terminal for 0 cost. All vehicles are locked for a brief time (currently about 12 sec., may be increased) so that the purchaser can have time to enter, after that time anyone can enter. There is a server setting for "Driver is Gunner" which means that the driver always drives and shoots when this is set.
That movie you saw posted is not from the intro it is from the install. We are doing something very special as an install for everyone, we wanted to take the C&C fan back to the fantastic install of the orginal game. That movie is just a piece of the full install, it is very sweet.
The list of specific weapons to characters is pretty long. Everyone has a pistol.
Special Forces:
Minigunner - Standard Sniper Rifle (GDI & Nod)
Heavy Weapons - Adv. Rocket Launcher (GDI), Chain Obelisk Module (Nod)
Specialists - Tiberium Flechette (GDI), Obelisk Module (Nod)
Engineer - Advanced Repair Module, remote, timed and proximity C4
Boss:
Minigunner - Ramjet Rifle (GDI & Nod)
Heavy Weapons - Personal Ion Cannon (GDI), Mass Driver (Nod)
Specialists - Volt Rifle (GDI & Nod)
No Engineer
The vehicles in the Weapons Factory do have an animations, can't remember what it looks like from the inside, been too busy to stop and look, will do so today. Air strikes would be nice but we opted not to include them, many design issues.
Stealth tank make very little noise. They work off different triggers: proximity (slight shimmer than grows as you get closer), fire (decloak) or are hit (close to decloak).
Usually if you are close enough to see the shimmer you are about to go under the treads
I feel fortunate in that what we got from the Closed Beta was mostly a reaffirmation of what we wanted to add. We were planning on EVA announcements regarding your base, radio commands, more diverse maps (we are putting a city map in the next beta), some balance issues. The biggest thing I would say was a concern was the learning curve and because of that we have added a MP practice mode. Allows a single person to experience C&C mode without the pressure of being on line. All the rules apply and there are AI units protecting the enemy base. The mode automatically places you in as a GDI or Nod (randomly). This also allows you to get used to the map. We will probably supply 2 maps in this mode.
The PCT is a purchase terminal that can be found in all buildings (multiple ones are present in each building). They reflect the status of the building they are in (health and power) and also if you walk up to a PCT and press the use key (default is "E") you will be given the purchase menu. At this menu you can upgrade your character, buy a beacon or vehicle and also get your ammo, heatlh and shield brought back up to full.
We are still thinking about Kane in MP. It was the number one request from the Beta test and I just might do it.
There are no MCVs in the game, all bases are prebuilt.
The MCT is different from the PCT. It is the heart of a building and basically its weakpoint. A couple C4 in MP and it will be dead. Course you can also repair a building faster if you direct your efforts to the MCT.
prices vary per character but the Specialist run 500 - 700 a piece (both GDI an Nod).
We could put Kane as a Boss Specialist class, move Mendoza over to Heavy Weapons boss and Drop Raveshaw (it is kinda cool to see this little tiny man with a huge gun but I'm not wedded to him).
Mobius occupies the Boss Specialist slot on GDI.
But I ramble, no decision as yet on Kane.
Practice mode will be done by the next beta, don't know yet whether we will include it, we are looking at it currently
We have had the rules for a long time, I certainly hope we haven't missed anything, it would a bit late to try and shoehorn anything different in now.
My biggest concern is making sure that C&C players (nonFPS) can get in and enjoy the game as well as anyone else.
I see lots of ideas on the forums for things we have considered. I would have liked to put many of the ideas in the game but we always need to consider our design goal. Our decisions about what is in the game are based on simplicity, fun and performance concerns.
the Boss level characters cost anywhere from 900 to 1100 depending on class. This is true for both GDI and Nod.
This week's update, from Dan Cermack, is here. Check it out!
Yes we are in today, thought I would take the time to answer questions. Some notes:
MP characters - divided up into classes and ranks. The ranks are Grunts, officers, Special Forces and Bosses. The classes are Minigunner, Heavy Weapons, Specialists and Engineers. Grunts are free, advanced characters require the infantry producing building to be functional. If the powerplant goes down all units cost 2x original price.
Each non-engineer character has a specific weapon, a pistol (unlimited ammo) and 1 timed C4. The only way to get the weapon is to get the character.
There are 2 engineers, a grunt and a special forces unit. The grunt has a repair module, a pistol and 1 remote and 2 timed C4. The special forces engineer has 2 remote, 3 timed and 9 or so proximity mines. Their repair module is also more powerful than the grunt engineer.
The beacons are available to everyone (for a price), they can be used anywhere but placement in the correct spot (beacon zones are present in the Barracks and Hand of Nod)will end a game (if the server side setting that allows beacon victory is on).
Keep in mind that Dan is answering people's questions in the post, so go there to ask your questions. I will update later with all of his answers.
News for Thursday, November 22th, 2001
Happy Thanksgiving and an interview! 10:05 A.M. - Alien13UFO
Happy thanksgiving everyone! Ok, now that we got that out of the way, MGON.com's (Media & Games Online Network) Steve Polak put on his stealth suit to get some behind the scenes intel in the first of a two part interview with the Renegade dev team. In part one, he speaks with senior producer Sean Decker about what's in store for action gamers when Renegade ships in February. Here's an excerpt:
MGON: How will base infiltration figure into the action? What sorts of goals will the player have in doing this?
One of the things we've continued to emphasize is that this is a Command & Conquer game, so you can count on several of the missions to include base infiltration. The gameplay will follow the RTS game; so when you enter a Nod base, your commanding officer might order you to take out the Hand of Nod to prevent reinforcements, or have you destroy a Nod Power Plant to interrupt production. Your actions in completing these goals will often result in some sort of bonus for you, whether it's reinforcements, a vehicle, a health or an armor bonus.
For the full interview, click here.
News for Tuesday, November 20th, 2001
New preview and new interview. 2:35 A.M. - Alien13UFO
Gamespot has a new preview with pics, and videos, for Renegade up at their site. Go here to check it out.
Also, HomeLAN has conducted an interview with Dan Cermack. Click here to check that one out. Heres a bit of the interview:
HomeLAN - What sorts of drivable vehicles will be featured in Renegade?
Dan Cermak - There are 11 different types of vehicles in Renegade, and at some point during the game, Havoc will be able to access them. The Nod vehicles include the Attack Buggy, the Light Tank, the Flame Tank and the Stealth Tank. GDI vehicles include the Hummer, the Medium Tank and the Mammoth Tank. In multiplayer, the list of vehicles will grow to include the Nod APC (Armored Personnel Carrier), the GDI APC, the Nod Mobile Artillery unit and the GDI Mobile Artillery unit.
Congrats go out to new Renegade Fansite of the Week, Havocide. The guys over at Havocide know your favorite commando almost as well as we do.
Being Renegade Fansite of the Week means you get special treatment. Havocide not only gets a spiffy mention from us, they also get their own exclusive goodie -- a movie of Renegade in action! It's the second in a series of movies we'll be releasing, so come back every Friday to see which Fansite has the next installment!
The open beta test will give gamers a chance to see Renegade's exclusive multiplay "C&C Mode," where two teams of players, GDI and Nod, fight to destroy each other's base. The beta test will include four different multiplay maps, and players will be able to play as any of the 28 characters, use all of the 23 weapons, and drive all of the 11 vehicles in the game.
"We're really excited to give gamers a chance to see 'C&C Mode,'" said Dan Cermak, executive producer of Renegade. "We've been working really hard on the multiplay side of Renegade, and we've got some incredibly fast and fun gameplay to show everyone."
The beta test will be held in three phases, each lasting for a week. Five hundred testers will be selected to participate in each phase of the test, for a total of 1,500 participants over the three weeks. The beta test servers will be on 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with only short breaks between phases.
Signups for the open beta test will begin on the official Renegade website at 12:01 a.m., Wednesday, November 28, and last for 24 hours. Westwood will use a lottery system to select the 1,500 testers from the applicants who meet the minimum system requirements. Westwood will notify the chosen testers within three days of the end of the signup period.
Click here to visit the Renegade beta test page for more information.OOOOOOOOO I'm so exited!
Meatball ,from the Renegade Forums, just posted this bit of info about the Best Buy pre-order spcecial. Heres what he had to say:
If you pre-purchased Renegade through one of the $10 small boxes at Best Buy in the US:
We found a small bug that was preventing consumers from registering as a Renegade Insider for the 3 free Havoc skins. Apparently, the website was rejecting some of the serial numbers. It should be fixed now if you enter the coded serial number that came on the printed sheets in the box. You can register now or when the game launches - it doesn't matter yet since the unique skins aren't yet available.
Thanks,
Meatball
News for Tuesday, November 13th, 2001
CTF Dropped and Renegade Unplugged! 7:30 A.M. - Alien13UFO
Unfortunately, Capture the Flag mode was dropped from Renegade. They said they are to busy perfecting C&C Mode to add it, but it might come in a mod, gold pack, or patch. Also, IGNPC recently visited Westwood Studios and played Renegade. They have a huge article and lots of pics up on their site. Go here to check it out!
thought I would take the time to address some comments I saw in a chat 3 members of the Beta had. The chat was on CnCRenegade link is: CnCRenegade Chat
There were some excellent comments and questions.
1. The interiors of the buildings: The buildings are different from the Single Player buildings (about 50% in external size). Inside we also only have 1 level in MP, we had multiple and found they were ignored because the battles take place outside. The Single Player buildings have up to 6 or 7 levels and are much more detailed. We are minimizing the poly counts in MP to keep the speed up and allow as many players with as low a spec as possible.
2. The Nuke: The beta version was not working. It has a special animation, with clouds (red tinted) forming and the EVA notification as well as a flash, the explosion and ash floating after the detonation.
3. EVA messaging: The next beta will have EVA messaging in place, annoucement about the buildings under attack, nuke strike emminent, etc.
4. The AGT: It was underpowered in the beta, this will be balanced up.
5. Kane: Thinking about putting him in MP. Not sure yet.
6. Mobius as the best Unit: We basically set it up as ranks and classes. So therefore Havoc is the Boss of the Minigunner class and has a super sniper rifle while Mobius is the Boss of the Specialist Class and has the volt rifle. It was done to match class to rank.
7. Starting money: We found that starting with any amount of money really changes the dynamic of the game. We will allow the server to set different values for starting money.
8. Somebody else firing your vehicle's weapons: We have a server side option to set the driver as gunner. This means that anyone jumping in a vehicle is a passenger only. We just didn't have it on in this beta. We will try various settings in the next beta. We also lock a vehicle so only the buyer can get in it for the first 12 seconds, sounds like this time needs to be extended.
9. Driving a Harvester: The idea of allowing the harvester to be driven has been debated quite a bit here but the problems come up regarding docking properly and AI having to be restarted if someone jumps in. The simpliest answer is to leave it as AI (and in a lot of cases I opted for simplicity because the game has so many more elements to it that I am concerned about the learning curve).
10. Pooling money: Also considered this but saw so many problems (especially the way games are played on line right now) with the trust issues and the learning curve that we opted for simplicity again.
11. Building units: Same deal regarding learning curve. We had guys in the Beta who were die hard FPS fans saying that it took a while to figure out the rules, esp. relating to buildings etc. Keeping it simple keeps it fun and addictive and easier for the novice to pick up.
12. Comments on Vehicles: Sounds like we balanced them the way we wanted. The MRLS and Nod Artillery are very powerful but require support to be really effective, the mammoths are tough but even in the Beta games you can deal with them with teamwork and fire (flame troopers and Flame tanks).
13. Graphics: These will improve, the lighting and texturing were not final. I may be able to put hi-res textures on the vehicles as well but the goal is to keep the memory foot print down for performance reasons.
Thanks to KingZeus, Gobalopper and Kaymaster for the insightful comments.
Look forward to seeing you on the battlefield again.
That's right campers! Beginning today, Westwood will publish a series of eight articles on the rich Renegade universe, detailing the history of the main characters and the two warring factions of the game: the humanistic GDI and the terrorists of the Brotherhood of Nod.
Each Thursday in November and December, visit the official Renegade site to read up on the various factions and characters of Renegade, full of previously unrevealed information. Accompanying each story will be new screenshots.
"Renegade has such a compelling story, and we haven't had a chance to tell it yet," said Dan Cermak, executive producer of Renegade. "We've really expanded on the Command & Conquer fiction, adding new characters, political intrigue, and story elements, and we're excited that everyone will now get to see what Renegade is really about."
The first article on the history of the GDI is available now. Click here to begin your Renegade education!
Next...
Those nuts at IGN.com are all over Renegade like stink on a...uh...well, commando! We recently partnered up with this true-blue gamer crew to bring you, the ever-faithful Renegaders, a brand new series of Designer Diaries straight from the Renegade development team. We're kicking things off with an article from Beau Anderson, an artist whose worked on a lot of character modeling and texturing, even Havoc. You can read about it at IGN.com and be sure to check back here DAILY to get the ongoing scoop on Renegade.
Oh, we almost forgot - they also posted up 39 NEW screens from the multiplayer beta last weekend!
Congrats go out to new Renegade Fansite of the Week, Renegade Planet. It's a German site, but they made a news post for all English visitors. Because everyone deserves a shot at the title.
Being Renegade Fansite of the Week means you get special treatment. Renegade Planet not only gets a spiffy mention from us, they also get their own exclusive goodie -- a movie of Renegade in action! It's the second in a series of movies we'll be releasing, so come back every Friday to see which Fansite has the next installment!
Continuing our series, here's an image and short description of one of the vehicles, weapons or characters that our free-wheelin' commando Havoc comes in contact with out on the battlefield. This week we're highlighting the GDI Mobile Rocket Launch System (or MRLS). Check back here often for updates to the series.
GDI's version of mobile devastation, this long-range attacker fires lethal 227mm rockets and is capable of systematically dismantling virtually any enemy unit, armored or not. However, with no short-range fighting ability, this somewhat unwieldy vehicle needs close-quarters backup for effective protection. If caught in a knife fight, the MRLS can be quickly overrun by enemy forces. Nevertheless, with adequate support and range to let loose its salvo of death, only a Mammoth Tank can equal the prolonged barrage deliverable by this critical platform in the fight against Nod.
News for Saturday, November 3rd, 2001
New Screens, plus some answers 3:28 P.M. - Alien13UFO
First of all, there are more new screenshots from the renegade beta test. Go here to see them. I got loads of screens to upload now. Second, as I said before, I would post Dan's answers from the forum. I would have posted them earlier, but I thought he would answer more. Anyway, here they are:
Q: I live in California and I am interested in becoming a computer game designer or executive producer of a game, or something like that. I am just starting to learn a little programming and starting to make my own games. What would you recommend for someone like me? Did you go to college? Where did you go and what did you study in? Do you have any other advice for me?
A: About getting into the business. I have a College degree but I have it in the medical field. I got into the industry over 16 years ago, taught myself assembly language on the old Atari/C64 and wrote two games that were published by SSI. Because of my management experience I was hired by SSI as manager of test and external development. Did everything from Producer to VP of Development (I produced Dragonstrike and Eye of the Beholder for Westwood). My recommendation is to get into computer science if you want to program, also do some engineering (very useful now). If you want to produce, you need management classes, some computer science, writing and business. If you want to design you need computer science, writing and an understanding of art. It is a bit of a daunting task to get in the buisness right now. I have one guy who has a Masters that worked in test before getting a design job.
Q: When will the open beta test be, and how will you do it? Will it be like E&B where you mail out CDs?
A: The next beta will be in late November/early December (not firm yet) and will be must larger, 100s of people will be playing. We haven't decided on specifics of how it will be set up and made available, we will let everyone know as soon as we do.
Q: Will there be pistols in Renegade?
A: In both Single and Multi-play every character has a pistol with unlimited ammo.
Q: How powerful is the Portable Ion Cannon? will it take out vehicles in one shot, or will it be a little weaker than that?
A: The portable Ion Cannon can take out small vehicles (Nod Buggy) with one shot and does a good amount of damage to all other vehicles, also is very effective against buildings. Problem is requires you to hold down the fire button for a long time. If someone charges you with a pistol or rifle it can be difficult to escape.
Q: will each side have exlusive weapons like nod is the only one with flamethrowers,chemical sprayers,obelisk modules and gdi with personel ion cannon and so on?
A: Each side in C&C mode has exclusive weapons. The Flamethrower, Chemsprayer and the obelisk modules (standard and chain) are Nod weapons and the Tiberium Autorifle, Personal Ion Cannon, grenade launcher and Mass driver (currently a rail gun but undergoing a change) are all GDI exclusive.
Q:another thing is will gdi be able to call in a-10 air strike cause that will make the sam sites usefull since there is nothing else to shoot down since orcas are not in it.
A: There are no air units in C&C mode. We found that the current system and balance is optimal (we looked at the ideas you mentioned).
We went back to the drawing board these last few weeks and decided to rework our final box image. We now have a Havoc that looks a little tougher, intense and more realistic than our earlier versions.
