News

           From our 'Net Reporter, Alex van Kaam

@~Hi, welcome to another news issue for SynTax, this issue we
@~have:

- Legend of the Five Rings : Ronin
- Ultima IX preview
- LOL III Preview
- Soulbringer Preview
- Rage of Mages Interview
- Baldur's Gate General stuff
- Middle Earth - the game
- Dark Secrets of Africa

>>> Legend of the 5 Rings : Ronin

@~A new game from Activision is called "Legend of the Five Rings :
@~Ronin", Activision has a website up at
@~http://www4.activision.com/games/l5/ and I ripped the following
@~info from that site <g>:

As a young ronin, a samurai without honor or allegiance, you are
visited by a sorceress promising a chance at redemption. You must
travel through the Emerald Empire of Rokugan, collecting pieces of
a sacred artifact foretold to contain tremendous power. But your
journey is fraught with peril, treachery and terror. To survive,
you must master the arts of warfare and magic.

Legend of the Five Rings: Ronin is an action-role playing game set
within the fantasy world of Rokugan from the popular trading card
and role-playing system by game masterminds Alderac Entertainment
Group, a subsidiary of Wizards of the Coast. Visit the seven clans
of the Emerald Empire, embarking on over thirty quests in a
beautifully rendered, 32 bit landscape. Confront enemy samurai and
evil creatures from the Shadowlands with authentic motion-captured
attack techniques and over thirty different spells. Join fellow
samurai online for up to eight player cooperative play.

>>> Ultima IX preview

@~There is yet another preview of Ultima IX at
@~http://www.avault.com/previews/uix.asp, the more I read about it
@~the less I am sure about it, I think personally that Ultima
@~reached its peak with VII, but IX could prove me wrong, below is
@~a small section of that preview:

It is important to note that this is not a hardcore CRPG in the
statistical tradition. While it is not a sad action/RPG hybrid or
a linear adventure game, the focus has shifted toward interaction
with the world and the people within it, rather than
number-stacking and inventory micromanagement. Combat is a large
part of the game, but it has been confirmed that the pace is that
of an RPG -- not a 3rd person run-and-gun like the now infamous
Tomb Raider accusations have implied.

In order to satisfy all takers, the camera and interface are 100
percent customizable, which is an excellent move. Each and every
object in the game is a polygonal entity, so if someone hurls an
axe at you and you duck behind the door, expect to be able to
wrench it free and lob it back. The physical model incorporates
points of balance and environmental factors, so windblown leaves
or the clatter of a dropped blade will become commonplace. Little
elements of interactivity like this will not go unnoticed, even by
die-hard fans, I believe. One thing is certain -- this will be the
most immersive Britannia we've ever seen

>>> LOL III Preview

@~And while we are onto previews, here is yet another one for
@~Lands of Lore III
@~http://www.cdmag.com/Home/home.html?article=/articles/012/179/
@~lands_lore3_preview.html and following is a small part of that
@~preview:

You are 16 year old Copper Legre, illegitimate son of Eric, leader
of the White Army and brother to King Richard. Your mother was a
half-Dracoid whom Eric happened upon somewhere in his travels
(apparently more than "happened upon"), and his wife was not very
happy about the unexpected son. It is not known exactly when the
Draracle departed from the Lands. Stating simply, "I am no longer
here," he used his mirror to create a Portal through which he
passed, asking Jakel, his faithful servant and magical construct,
to seal it behind him so that the Ancient Magic would be wiped
from the Lands. It was the end of an age. Jakel fails to seal it;
instead he shatters the mirror, the Shining Path, and five shards
fall away into the blackness.

An inexplicable shifting in the fabric of reality has caused other
Portals, or gateways, to appear at random locations across the
Lands.  The crisis of the Portals looms large in the Lands.
Someone must pass through the gateways and find the departed
Draracle, who may be the final hope for Gladstone, and for all of
the Lands.  When Jakel shattered the Shining Path, the mirror
broke into five large shards which have become well hidden. There
are 10 different locales to explore, but some will have changed
substantially in content as the game progresses, so you will be
playing approximately 18 levels. You must explore each of the
portal worlds: the Frozen Wastes, the Ruloi Homeworld, the
Volcanic Caves, the Post-apocalyptic universe, and the Underworld;
you must defeat the creatures guarding the Shards and recover
them.

>>> Soulbringer Preview

@~Okay I can't help it that every one is putting previews on the
@~web but here is yet another one, this time about Soulbringer,
@~the upcoming game from Gremlin, get the full stuff at:
@~http://www.gagames.com/games/firstlook/soulbringer.html or read
@~my little rip off below ;-)

Soulbringer is a new 3D classic fantasy Adventure RPG currently in
development at Gremlin Interactive. I will be honest and state
that the game looks VERY promising at this stage. The trailer
http://files.gagames.com/trailer/SOUL.mov I viewed shows off a
game which looks to be a lot of fun, I suggest you keep your eyes
and ears open for this one.  The world of the Soulbringer contains
a whole empire to discover.  Towns and villages, forests and
mines, arctic wastes and arid deserts: all are populated by a cast
of mystical characters, drawing gamers deeper and deeper into an
immense real-time world of heroes and wizards. Soulbringer
provides this finest environment for adventure thanks to a fully
rotational, true 3D world with gorgeous graphics and dynamic
lighting effects in 24-bit colour.

>>> Rage of Mages Interview

@~Well not really an interview with the Mages themselves, but with
@~the designers of this new game, it sounds promising so here are
@~a few questions from the interview, and make sure you check out
@~the screenshots, all can be found at:
@~http://desslock.gamespot.com/features/rageofmages/

The Game :

Delekhan: You've made Rage of Mages as a hybrid of the real-time
strategy and RPG genres, which you describe as both being
"massively over-developed".  Can you elaborate on this?

Serge Orlovsky: Our whole team likes strategy games and RPGs more
than any other genres. This is one of the reasons why we decided
to create a strategy game with RPG features. The real-time aspect
fits multi-player much better than turn-based; that's why the
real-time mode was chosen. Two years ago, when we started
designing Rage of Mages, the RTS genre was not so "over-developed"
and there were too few good RPGs on the market. So, the choice was
very reasonable. Later on, lots of RTS games hit the market, and
they were so similar to each other that they were like brothers or
twins. We tried to move away from the common elements of pure RTS,
so we took more and more steps toward RPGs. And finally we created
a RPG with RTS features. ;)

Delekhan: Why did you choose swords & sorcery fantasy as your
subject matter?

Serge Orlovsky: The keyword is sorcery. Magic is much more
mystical, all-embracing, and more variable than technology. It
gives players very different solutions for the same problem. Also,
there were marketing reasons, because there were lots of sci-fi
RTS games on the horizon, but no fantasy, except Warcraft. And
finally, we like fantasy books, films, and games.

>>> Baldur's Gate General Info

@~This was taken from a news group, don't ask me which one, I
@~forgot <g>, it has some general stuff about BG, enjoy:

Actually there are two types of travel and movement rates.  The
first is walking in an area. In this case the actual movement rate
of the characters isn't affected by the terrain type that you are
walking through. We tried this and it was more annoying than
realistic. You still have to dodge trees and walk around blocking
terrain features, so areas without roads do take longer to
traverse than areas with roads.  The second type of movement is
long distance traveling. When you leave an area, you are presented
with the world map. From this map, you can then pick any area that
you have been to, along with any new explorable areas. You then
pick the area that you want to go to, and then we move you to the
new area. This allows you to travel between areas that you have
already been to without manually walking across the same old
ground for the 10th time (the game is big enough without this,
trust me). We calculate the amount of time it takes to travel
based on the distance and terrain types. For example road travel
is the quickest, forest is slower, and mountain terrain is even
slower (these values are right out of the AD&D rule books). So if
you are travelling between two mountain areas, more time will have
elapsed when you arrive, and your party will be more tired, than
if you had travelled an equal distance between two road areas.

About random encounters...
There are random encounters during both the area travelling and
long distance travel. The type, difficulty and frequency of long
distance random encounters are affected by the type of terrain and
distance from civilized areas. If you have an encounter on a road
area, it will most likely be bandits. If the encounter is in the
mountains, it will be monsters. The encounters are also affected
by the time of day. During the night, you will get nocturnal
monsters, or even some of those pesky undead.  So here is a hint.
At the very early levels, stick to roads. You won't run into the
really nasty monsters, and you have a better chance of running
than when you are in forest, or mountain areas.

>>> Middle Earth, the game

At http://www.middle-earth.com/ you can get all the info about
Yosemite Entertainment's upcoming game Middle Earth, this is a
mass multiplayer game (10,000 players per game !!!!!) in a
huuuuuuuge area (20,000 rooms and 1 room is about 20 times your
screensize !!!!!!!!!!!!) I ripped off the FAQ page, I know it's a
long read but I think it sounds very promising, Enjoy:

What is Middle Earth?

Middle Earth is the world created by Professor J. R. R. Tolkien
in The Lord of the Rings, the Hobbit and other works. Yosemite
Entertainment is creating a living, breathing interpretation of
this world as a massively multi-player Internet game, where
thousands of players will be able to explore and enjoy the beauty
and danger of Tolkien's creation.
Q: When can I play the game?
A: We expect to begin beta testing for Middle Earth around 3rd
quarter 1999.
Q: How many players will be in the game at one time?
A: We will support 10,000 players simultaneously in one world.
Q: Will it be one world, or several ?
A: An additional copy of the world will exist for each 10,000
players we support.
Q: Will there be a single player version of the game?
A: No. Middle Earth has been designed as a massively multi-player
Internet game only.
Q: What type of computer will I need for Middle Earth?
A: Our expected minimum requirements are a 300 MHz Pentium-class
processor with a Direct3D compliant graphics accelerator, 32 MB of
RAM, and 500 MB free hard drive space. Be aware that these
specifications are expected to change.
Q: Will I need a 3D video card?
A: Yes. Any contemporary Direct3D compliant graphics accelerator
should provide acceptable gameplay.
Q: Is the game played over the Internet?
A: Yes. You will require an Internet connection to play.
Q: What will it cost to play the game?
A: We haven't decided quite yet. We are currently evaluating
pricing plans to see what is financially viable.
Q: What is the perspective - 1st person or 3rd person?
A: The game perspective is from a 3rd person overhead view.
Q: What parts of the game are 3D? Which parts are 2D?
A: The game engine is a 3D polygon engine. All terrain and avatars
are constructed of polygons with shading and 3D lighting effects.
Q: How many beta testers are you going to have? When? Is it a
public or closed beta?
A: We haven't decided just yet.
Q: When can we see some real screenshots?
A: Real soon now!
Q: How big will Middle Earth be?
A: Middle Earth will consist of approximately 20,000 'rooms'. Each
room is 3200x3200 pixels, roughly 20 screen-sized areas.
Q: How will travel be implemented?
A: You will be able to travel by horseback or on foot. There will
not be any teleportation or 'recall' spells available, as these
things are inconsistent with the Tolkien universe.
Q: How long will it take to get from the Shire to Rivendell by
foot?
A: Approximately a half-hour, if you were travelling in a straight
line and you weren't interrupted. To get from one side of the
continent to the other would take more than an hour.
Q: Will I be able to own property?
A: Every character will begin with a house in a location dependent
on the race of the character. You will be able to relocate to a
new city as well.  Additionally, guilds will be able to buy (and
sell) specific buildings set aside for that purpose.
Q: Can I decorate it?
A: Yes. You will be able to place and move furniture in your
house. There will also be upgrades that can be purchased for your
house to make more rooms available.
Q: Is harvesting raw materials part of the game?
A: Yes, but only insofar as collecting the appropriate ingredients
for actions such as preparing foods, spell-casting, alchemy and
healing.
Q: Will I be able to own animals?
A: Yes. You will be able to have a house pet (a cat or a dog for
example) and be able to tame wild beasts.
Q: What can you tell us about the story?
A: Our Middle Earth is set many generations into the Fourth Age,
after the War of the Ring. Though the world of Middle Earth has
largely been at peace since the fall of The Lord of Rings, as
Gandalf reminded the captains of the west, other evils there are
that may come; for Sauron is himself but a servant or emissary.
Rumours come to the free peoples of forces gathering against them,
and Orcs are seen abroad again. But, with these new threats also
comes the aid of the wise, who have not wholly forsaken
Middle Earth.  Thus the players of Middle Earth will find
themselves in a place of adventure and peril, at least when they
step beyond the carefully cultivated borders of their comfortable
homelands.
Q: Why the 4th age?
A: We have chosen to set Middle Earth in the 4th age so we can be
creative with the story whilst remaining consistent with the
original works of Tolkien.
Q: Will there be weather?
A: Yes. Expect rain, snow, and fog to impede your travels.
Q: How much can I customize my characters?
A: You will be able to customize your characters to the highest
degree. You will be able to create your character's face from a
huge array of heads, eyes, noses, chins, ears, lips, and
hairstyles. There is also a grand selection of clothing, weapon,
and armor types to choose from when dressing your character.
Additionally, clothing options can be dyed to any color and shade.
Q: Will there be guilds? How will the guild system work if so?
A: We will have guild support in Middle Earth. The details of this
system have yet to be fully completed.
Q: How will I communicate with other players?
A: Middle Earth will have a full IRC style chat system embedded
into the game. You will be able to locate and converse with
individuals or groups of people in the game wherever they are in
the world. Additionally, there will be hundreds of global 'gossip
channels' that can be used for guild or other special interest
discussions.
Q: When characters get killed, what happens to them?
A: They die, permanently. The character ceases to exist. This will
be a rare occasion, however - when a character is bested in combat
he will be 'knocked out', stripped of his possessions, and left
for dead by most monsters.  Players will have the option of
permanently killing other players, but the penalties for such a
hideous act will be dire.
Q: What about NPCs - who, where, what do they do, can I hire them?
A: There will be many NPCs in Middle Earth, and they will act with
sophisticated intelligence in their interaction with players. NPCs
will range from notable local leaders, who might provide you with
quests or information, to disgraceful rogues that loiter in the
countryside looking for easy prey. You will find conversation with
NPCs useful and rewarding.  Some NPCs will be mercenary, but most
will have to be convinced of your good intentions and high
reputation in order to follow you.
Q: Will there be user-defined shortcuts (macros)?
A: There will be a specific in-game macro system that will allow
you to assign shortcut keys to often-repeated tasks. The game will
not allow macros to be used for tasks that could be repeated to
gain experience or improve skills.
Q: Is the RPG system skill or class based?
A: Middle Earth employs a hybrid RPG system, employing the best
aspects of typical skill- and class-based systems. Depending on a
character's race and profession selections, the character will
acquire a set of skill Affinities, Aversions, and Abstentions.
Having an affinity to a skill denotes that the character will
learn the skill quickly and ultimately achieve a higher ability.
Having an aversion signifies that the character will learn the
skill slowly, and having an Abstention means that the character
can not utilize the skill at all.
Q: Can I become super-powerful like Gandalf was?
A: Experienced players will never become superhuman or godlike in
Middle Earth. They will have a much wider variety of abilities to
draw upon and better chances to succeed at any given task, but
they will not be able to hack apart overwhelming groups of
monsters or players without fear of their own death.
Q: What races will I be able to play?
A: You can play as a Hobbit, Human, Elf, or Dwarf.
Q: What professions are available?
A: Your character can be a Warrior, Ranger, Bard, Thief, Healer,
Blacksmith, Barbarian, Brigand, Sorcerer, Enchanter, Assassin,
Alchemist, or Loremaster.  Some professions will not be available
to all races, however.
Q: What types of skills are there?
A: Middle Earth will have, of course, a plethora of skills. From
Acrobatics to Alchemy, each burgeoning young Hobbit, Human, Elf or
Dwarf will have a wide choice of abilities in which to specialize.
Naturally there will be a number of combat-oriented skills, but
there will also be healing, herblore and cookery. Players will be
able to make swords, armour and other items, but will not
generally be required to skin rabbits. Skill in the tongues of
other peoples will be a useful asset to any party. Some skills of
magic will be available to some players; more detail will be
released on this with time.
Q: How do I improve my character's skills?
A: Middle Earth's RPG system does not use the typical RPG
'levelling' system to improve skills. There is no generic 'level'
that you achieve after gaining a set amount of experience points.
Each skill will have its own independent level, increased by
practice.  Depending on the skill, achieving a new level will
grant success bonuses when using the skill and allow the character
to learn more 'abilities'.  Abilities are the specific end result
of skill and knowledge, and can be gained by first having the
proper skill level and then having a specific NPC (or possibly a
guild) teach you. The NPC may require a quest or a sum of gold to
teach you the ability.  As far as improving health and other
attributes, there will be many hidden experience pools that will
be contributed to when you gain skill levels.  Gaining a skill
level with your sword may make you stronger and more dexterous.
Taking severe damage in combat may ultimately increase your
constitution and health if you survive the experience.

>>> Dark Secrets of Africa

@~I ripped this off from : http://www.newgsoft.com/index.htm.

"Dark Secrets of Africa" is an Action-Adventure with RPG elements.
The game's view is chosen in 2D-ISO-View, as known from the proved
game "Diablo", and surrounded with a 16-Bit graphic engine with
lots of graphic effects. The RPG elements are developed for each
character, like e.g. endurance, food, water, exhaustion and magic
energy. The main character, Howard Hawk, is able to practise
different spells.

@~I did have to laugh at this comment:

Also on older machines you get all effects of Dark Secrets. This
game needs no 3DFX-Card because of the polished coding, but offers
great particle- and light effects at a high speed.

@~Polished coding or no polished coding, some effects just don't
@~look as good is software mode as they do in hardware mode,
@~something like that makes me go "hmmmmmm" and think back to a
@~game called BattleSphere which I once bought <hides>
@~------------------------------------------------------------------
@~Well I am already at my 20K limit for this time, blame it on the
@~Middle Earth article, but I find it sounding very promising,
@~let's hope they can avoid the same things that made UO not as
@~great as it could have been.

                              - o -