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I admit it, I'm a GAMER,..are you?

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PeacefulWarrior

What game are those screens from LogoRat?  (Counter strike?  Socom?)
We shall not cease from our exploration, and at the end of all our exploring, we shall arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.
T.S. Elliot
---------------
fides quaerens intellectum

LogoRat

Its from a game called Americas Army.
www.americasarmy.com
*privacy is a physical illusion*

PeacefulWarrior

As far as I can tell Half-Life 2 will be the most graphically advanced video game EVER when it comes out (within a month or so for Pc, then Xbox).  Here are some more screenshots:

(these screens have been resized and therefore have not retained their graphic integrity...in other words, these screens look bad comapred to how the game will really look when viewed in it's full-size splendor)




We shall not cease from our exploration, and at the end of all our exploring, we shall arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.
T.S. Elliot
---------------
fides quaerens intellectum

Fat_Turkey

Games rule, end of story [:P].

I'll always be a kid and I'll always love my games, especially my new obsession with trading card games like Magic The Gathering. I don't have an Xbox but it would be nice, Gamecube was kind of overrated (however I did get it for a few good reasons - ZELDA!! METROID!! SONIC!!! SSBM!!!)

Later
~FT
Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.
-Anonymous

No amount of rigorous training, sitting and doing nothing, and clearing one's mind can help a man who hasn't overcome his doubts.

Squeek

Peaceful - I love that scene in the demo video :D

There are these spider-looking creatures... They have 4 legs, and it's near impossible to see them in the picture.  The guy playing whips out his gravity gun.  This gun will pull objects to the gun, then reverse the polarity to fire them at the enemy.

So the guy turns around to a sign and pulls off the letter F.  He flings it at the enemy.  He turns around and grabs the U. He fires that one at the enemy.  Get the joke? [:D]

My friend told me this game isn't delayed at all, and that was a rumor.  In which case, it's only 2-3 weeks away.  SOO glad I just got a 19" monitor [8D]

The best part of Half-Life 2 is that things are NOT coded to happen.  The guy in the video says that about 10% of the game is on a set path.  The rest is up to you.  That means that monsters, earthquakes, people, everything is random [:)]

And the AI has been upped beyond feasible means.  The guy in the video gets a table and pushes it in front of the door, then he grabs a jar and puts it on top of the table to weigh it down so the approaching enemy cannot get in.  The enemy knocks on the door a ew times, trying to open it, to no avail.  Then, he slides over to the window and busts that in.  Once inside, he slides away the blockade over the door to allow his friend easy access to the room.  That is freakin amazing.

~Squeek

Man Of Jade

I'm a gamer, I got a mac...

But theres lots o fun games for mac! Baldur's gate II, Warcraft III....

Um...
photoshop...[:D]

Squeek

Ok Squeek here again (uh-oh!)  With an UPDATE of SCII!!!

Ok, that part of the game I told you about (called Weapon Master) was very very hard.  They will give you about 50 missions, all varying in difficulty.  You beat it, and shout for JOY that you won!  Uh-oh, what's this... YOU GOTTA DO THEM ALL AGAIN!  This time the difficulty of the opponent increases, and there's always a catch to the levels. And they always add more levels to the total of the previous one.

Take for example, the level where you cannot be knocked down.  There's a bomb on your body, and if you fall down, or basically touch the floor at all, you DIE.  You have to kill 3 opponents with this handicap, and, oh yea, your health will increase by just a bit when you win battles.

Or, of course, the dungeons.  One enemy per room, 50 rooms in this dungeon.  Twice.  There's a CATCH of course...  Every room is different.  There will be an added feature that will be unknown until something happens to give it away.  It could be the level is made of Ice, which would make you just slide everywhere... or the level is ringed with fire, which burns you when you get to the edges, or it's a level made of Quicksand.  And if it isn't the level, it will be that the floor is set to explode if you fall down, or the random earthquakes, or knockbacks are increased... Or the enemy is invisible, or part of him is visible, or the weapon is invisible, or...The enemy's speed is increased, the enemy has an automatic healer, you are poisoned...

Crazy.  Utterly insane.  And of course I beat it all.

~Squeek

PeacefulWarrior

Thanks for the update Squeek... I let a friend borrow my xbox (ain't I a nice guy?) so I still haven't had the chance to rent and play your game, but from everything I have read and from what you have said, it sounds like one of those rare gems that ups the ante on an entire genre.

Now it's time for me to bring up a game that with have hithertofore not mentioned in this thread, it's an upcoming role playing game for the Xbox (I am sorry to always focus so much on the XBox, but as of now it's the only console I own and it is the most powerful console on the market).  

The game is called "FABLE" and I believe it will revolutionize the genre because of the AI and the fact that..well, here, read about it yourself:

Fable » Preview  



Developer: Big Blue Box
Publisher: Microsoft
System: XBox
Previewer: Jarrid Stacy
Estimated ESRB: TBA
 



It's always been a gamer's dream to have almost full and total control over a character's appearance, life style, and so forth. It is also a gamer's dream to affect the environment, and how the character reacts with the computer players in the game. Dream no further folks. Fable is coming, and it will change the way RPGs are today and will affect the future of RPGs to come.

Two words may be used to describe Fable so far, and those words are "Holy crap". Exclusively on the Xbox, Fable plans on bringing some of the most hardcore role-playing any gamer has never experienced before. Like most role-playing games, the story is basically what is most focused on, but in Fable, pretty much everything is required.

The story for Fable actually starts out quite simple. The world of Fable is called Albion, and is composed of several mountains, caves, and cities that the character will venture through. It all starts out one day when the young main character (at the age of fifteen) is sent out to get some things for his mother and father. Later that day, he comes back to find both his parents missing and his dog dead. So what does he do? He sets on a journey to find his parents and avenge his dog's death! Later, the story of course evolves into an even bigger crisis and so forth, but little has been released on that.

Pretty much everything done in the game affects the surroundings of the player. For instance, if the player (you) decides to destroy a tree or kill the player's next-door neighbor's sister, it will most likely not be there in a few years (years going by in the game), and the neighbor will not be that pleased with the character next time they meet. Even the character's skin and body structure will change over time depending on what the player does with his or her character. For example, if the player decides to keep his or her character in the dark most of the time, the character will turn out pale and week over time, but if the character is out in the sun most of the time doing some hard work, he'll turn out nice looking with a dark tan. Also, if the character gets a cut in battle, it may turn into a battle scar. Players can also have their character's get a haircut, buy them new clothes, and so on. Cool thing is that if the player's character is quite popular in town, some of the kids will dress and act-like the character.

There is an aging system in Fable and it is totally unique. Though, Big Blue Box (the developer) made it to where the only sex is male, and the character doesn't grow old and die! It is kind of like real-life but in a balanced way. If the character experiences a lot of mental stress, he will become weak and obtain baggy eyes, while if the character is feeling well, he'll live and act well. Also, there really is no point in growing old by thy self! In Fable, the character can go off and marry a woman and settle down in a nice house and produce some children to have in the house. However, the player just can't sit back and relax forever because he'll have other heroes and in game players competing with him which will lower his rank.

The battle system really hasn't been revealed a whole lot, but there's enough to get a good taste of what gamer's will have in store. Fable will include numerous amounts of weapons and of course like most role-playing games, magic will be added. However, enemies are not very simple when it comes to fighting them. The enemies actually learn from their mistakes and pack a harder punch next time the player fights them. It has also been said that enemies can actually hide and then attack one-by-one or team up on the character. It can get pretty in detail, like how it depends on how strong the character is when it comes to pulling out weapons. If the character is a weakling, he'll grunt like a wimp, while if the character is strong, he'll whip it out and do some cool moves. Some players like the whole fantasy magic style, but beware, the more magic used means the older the character will look and the more wrinkles he'll have!

Big Blue Box and Microsoft both plan on releasing the game sometime later this year in Q4 or early next year in Q1. Fable is expected to have at least twenty hours of gameplay if the player doesn't do any of the side quests and just sticks to the story. If the player choices to actually live a life and do other things, it is expected to be close to hundreds. Stay tuned with AllRPG for more coverage and media on Fable.

-- Jarrid Stacy  


We shall not cease from our exploration, and at the end of all our exploring, we shall arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.
T.S. Elliot
---------------
fides quaerens intellectum

James S

Q: How do you know the Playstation II you just bought is a fake?
A: It's got a big green X on the top! [:D]

Just heard today the official release of Halflife 2 is next week. But then this is the third official release date its had so hopefully this latest date is more official than the other two.[8]

Has anybody heard any more about the rlease of Doom 3? It was "supposed" to be released late last year.

James.

PeacefulWarrior


"Doom III is currently scheduled for release in 2004." I recently read an article about DOOM 3 which basically states that the game will be unmatched in some aspects of it's graphics engine, etc.  The shadows and shading are going to be groundbreaking.  Here are some early shots and models:

Look at those shadows!

I'm sorry, but this next screen from DOOM3 is just demonic.  I guess they make you really want to waste these things when you're playing the game.



Early graphic models for the engine:




HALO 2- the game for the REAL men...

Elite guards for the Covenant:
They carry "plasma" swords and often times are found armed with plasma rifles.  These sentires are agile, powerful and heavily armored with electromagnetic body armor.  Approach them very tactifully and keep your distance while assaulting with long range weapons.


Preparing to fight the Elites:

P.O.ed elite:

Reminiscent of the Predator, no?



Forgive the choppy resolution (damn, I sound like a marketing agent for Bungie Studios and Microsoft), but this is just an early model of one of the variations of Marines that will be fighting along with you to defend earth from the covenant onslaught.  The soldiers have upgraded AI and will be able to drive vehicles and form their own assaults whether or not you play alongside them or scout enemy territory by yourself.  These Marines of the future carry a number of weapons including pistols, assault rifles with optical sights, fragmentation grenades, should fired rocket launchers.  They also use various vehicles including armored assault jeeps (with 50mm chain gun), small tanks and ATV's.


The Master Chief (you, the cyborg soldier duh!) driving through the mean streets of 2050 or something.

Falling to the earth...

MC strapped and ready.



We shall not cease from our exploration, and at the end of all our exploring, we shall arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.
T.S. Elliot
---------------
fides quaerens intellectum

Varner-LaPrade

You Halo gamers learn to play an rpg or rts or tbs.
Your gaming life will have more depth.

PeacefulWarrior

Actually Varner, I see your point...unfortunately I don't have a lot of time and therefore I like a great game that I can jump right into and enjoy myself.

Halo 2:
Halo 2 (Microsoft Game Studios)
Exclusive preview by Gavin Wright, contributing editor

 
 

We all knew it was inevitable, but now that the most hotly anticipated game in the world is official: Halo 2 is coming. The released trailer provided little more than a setting for the game and a glimpse into the revamped graphics engine, but now we've got a bit more information to keep Xbox owners going a bit longer as the wait until 2004 treads dreadfully closer. Bungie has always felt that Halo could have been better, so they'll be going all-out with Halo 2. While still keeping close to the basic ideas set forth in Halo, the sequel will address the game's major criticisms and expand on the team's original vision. Although the sequel to the Xbox's best-selling game will indeed bring us new weapons, vehicles, and enemies, Halo 2 is also going to be a whole lot more.
The story for Halo 2 picks up right where the ending of Halo left off. Somehow, the Covenant have located and destroyed all of the human colony worlds, and have now focused in on our last hope for survival – Earth. The Master Chief, now donning an all-new impressively detailed battlesuit, returns to earth in the Covenant ship he used to escape from Halo, only to find a planet scarred by Covenant attack. Unable to land, he instead braces himself up against a wall and opens the ship's cargo bay, jumping out into space and directly onto a Covenant dropship orbiting the planet. With Cortana's help, the Master Chief must defend the earth, then take the fight back to the Covenant's home world in hopes of ending the war once and for all.


Halo 2 reveals a lot of the story behind the Covenant, as well as their motivations for attempting to eliminate the human race. The Covenant is comprised of two alien races - the Elites and the Prophets, the latter of which had not been introduced to us in Halo. The Prophets are a species that look similar in size and posture to the Grunts, but are actually the religious and spiritual leaders of the Covenant troops. The Prophets control the other alien forces in combat, but are probably very weak on their own. Halo 2 will also introduce yet another alien race into the mix, currently known as Brutes. The Brutes, much like the Flood in Halo, are hostile to both humans and Covenant. Though their true identity is still unknown, it is possible that they are actually the Forerunners, the race responsible for building Halo and containing the Flood.

Bungie is completely re-writing the enemy A.I. routines for Halo 2. Instead of focusing squarely on attacking and hiding, enemies will be able to adapt and interact to their environment in ways never possible before. They will also formulate group-oriented attacks, something that Halo touched on but didn't have fully in place. Storming a base will alert every single enemy to your location, so they will already have a plan of attack in place once the Master Chief arrives. Bungie has always placed a higher emphasis on artificial intelligence, and Halo 2 is looking to be no different.

The A.I. of your marine allies has been beefed up as well. Whereas in Halo 1, in which each marine functioned primarily as a separate entity, in Halo 2 they are programmed to rely on one another and coordinate advanced attack strategies in combat. Soldiers toting assault rifles and shotguns will advance to the front lines, covering each other's backs and warning one another of any potential hazards. Snipers will typically seek out a good vantage point up on a hill somewhere, then proceed to let loose on their unassuming targets from a safe distance. Marines may request backup fire in tight situations (not only from their buddies, but from yourself as well) or call upon one of their comrades to lob a grenade into a pack of enemies. Marines even have the ability to flip over objects and use them for cover as they see fit. As was the case in the original, the marines often have some important (and at times amusing) things to say, but you'll have to be in the right place at the right time if you want to hear them. In fact, it has been said that at least 70% of the story will be communicated through in-game interactions such as these. And with all of the improvements geared towards smartening up the marine's A.I., it's safe to say that we'll be seeing a lot more of them in Halo 2.

A large part of what made Halo's combat such an intense, strategic experience was the weapon selection. Since the Master Chief could carry only two weapons at a time, the player was forced to decide which weapons to hold on to based on the enemies and the battlefield that lies ahead. If there's a room full of jackals with plasma shields, you won't want to run in blasting them with a needler, since the projectiles will simply bounce right back. That's why the introduction of new weapons must be done carefully, with regards to retaining the delicate balance found in the original. We now know of two new weapons so far that have made the cut for Halo 2, one of which was showcased in the aforementioned trailer. The weapon from the trailer is a combination of the sniper rifle and assault rifle, which has come to be known as the battle rifle. The other is an automatic machine gun that fires caseless ammunition, and closely resembles a tentative model of the assault rifle that was seen in some of the pre-release screenshots for Halo. Of course, there are many more that have yet to be revealed, but the old standards are sure to be there as well.

To go along with his new look, the Chief will also have a handful of new tools at his disposal. First off, he now has the ability to peer around corners and check out a scene before entering it. Although he can't shoot or toss grenades from this position, it allows him to keep tabs on nearby Covenant soldiers without getting tangled up into battle, and it may even provide him with an opportunity to eavesdrop on the enemy. And if that were not enough for you, then perhaps you'd prefer the idea of combo melee attacks. If you time your button presses properly, you'll be able to string together up to three melee attacks into one skull-crunching combo. Lastly, the Master Chief will have the ability to pull down his weapon and break into a full sprint. While sprinting, any action or digressive movement will automatically throw you back into combat mode, so you needn't worry about dashing headstrong into an alien nest unarmed, as you're weapon is always just a touch away.

According to Bungie, Halo 2 will more than double the amount of vehicles from the original. New to the game is the Shadow, a Covenant equivalent of the Warthog that can carry up to four and comes equipped with a plasma cannon on the back. There's also an ATV, which basically looks like a slimmed-down Warthog. The vehicle has no weapons, but can carry a single passenger faster than any other vehicle. Halo 2 also has three different models of the Warthog, each suited for different environments. The Jungle Hog has modified wheels, a chaingun, and camouflage cover; the Snow Hog comes with snow treads and an enclosed interior, yet appears to be unarmed; and the Transporter Hog has seating for up to 6 Marines, but also comes with no attached weaponry. Again, this is only a small taste of what's to come.

The level design in Halo has long been a topic of debate. Many areas were startlingly similar in design, and some even relied on arrows painted onto the ground to keep players from getting lost. A lot of this was forced upon them – Bungie had to work under a very tight development schedule to get the game out in time for the Xbox's launch. But with Halo 2, which they've already been working on for nearly a year, the team has a lot more time to work on the level design. Of course, since a good deal of the game will take place on Earth, many of the environments are going to be quite different from those in Halo. Man-made buildings will replace the alien architecture, and interior levels may even take us to well-known landmarks such as the White House or the Pentagon. It will be an entirely different experience, and the new setting will likely hit some of us a lot closer to home.

We all know the levels in Halo 2 are going to look a whole lot better, but Bungie isn't content to stop there with the improvements. For starters, certain fragile objects in the game - things like columns, doorframes, and thin wooden structures, can be crushed, shattered, and otherwise blown to bits through repeated gunfire or explosions. And this isn't strictly a cosmetic detail either, since the enemies are well aware of which surfaces can or cannot be destroyed. Certain sequences will also allow you to shoot out lights and hide in the shadows to take out the Covenant. Enemies may even come equipped with flashlights for low-light situations such as these. But keep in mind that the designers have no intention of turning the game into a stealth-based affair. This is still the same old Halo, only in a delightful, smartly refined form.

The multiplayer aspect of Halo 2 will be expanded to support multiplayer games over Xbox Live. There will be plenty of original maps, with a stronger focus on outdoor, vehicle-based levels like the ever-popular Blood Gulch map from Halo. Allegedly, the game will not include multiplayer bots, as Bungie would rather have people playing online or via split-screen. The developers envision large-scale, squad-based online games, something that will be made possible only through XBL.

As I've already hinted at, Halo 2 is not simply an add-on to Halo, nor is it Halo 1.5. It's a full-on sequel in every way we could have ever dreamt it to be, and with it will come drastic improvements to what still remains one of the greatest games ever made. The expectations for Halo 2 are undoubtedly high, but from what we've seen so far the game could very well surpass the original, which in itself is a lofty proposition. We all have to wait until 2004 though to see hiw it turns out.

See screenshots | See artwork and models |



We shall not cease from our exploration, and at the end of all our exploring, we shall arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.
T.S. Elliot
---------------
fides quaerens intellectum

Squeek

......

Soul Calibur II is better [8)]

So are all the nintendo-exclusive games [:)]  If ANYBODY here can beat / has beaten Super Monkey Ball 2 (A.k.A. the most logically annoying game ever made) TELL ME HOW.  I don't care about story mode, that was too easy.  I'm talking EXPERT Mode, which would lead to MASTER Mode.

Mmmm... Metroid Prime is fun-yuns too... and Sonic Adventure 2 Battle, and Mario Party 4 (Mp 5 comes out soon!), Zelda: The Wind Waker...

I'm glad I made the decision to buy GameCube instead of Xbox [8D]

~Squeek

LittleNinja

Hi guys, i'm very anticipated upon this upcoming game for the Xbox.




Can you guess what game is it?  It's NINJA GAIDEN.  This game is gonna be awesome.  Just from looking at it, i know it is!!!!  The image you see there is the in-game graphics.  WOWWIE[:O].... soooo beautiful. And guess what? The game has 3 other bonus games in it; the original ninja gaiden 1, 2, and 3.  So basically you have 4 games on one cd. AWESOMES!!!!!

Here are more pictures:













Enjoy.


Edit: I forgot to mention that this game has some online capabilities with Xbox live. I do not know what it is but something cool will happen.  And about the date when it comes out, it's NOVEMBER 18 of this year!!!  But then again, dates may change.

Squeek

DONE!!!

Last night, at about Midnight, I finished Soul Calibur II.

I have every character, every level, every video, and every weapon in the whole game.  Weapon Master is 100% now.

So then I moved on to Super Monkey Ball 2 again... I'm almost done with this one...  I beat story mode, but challenge mode is much much harder.  I've done beginner, beginner extra, advanced, and advanced extra.  Only Expert, Expert Extra, Master, and Master extra left! [;)]

When I finish this game I have to go back and beat Metroid Prime.  Then when I finish that I have to go back and beat Sonic Adventure 2 Battle 100%, then when I'm done with that I have to beat Mario Party 4 100%, then when I'm done with that I have to beat Zelda: The Wind Waker 100%, then when I'm done with that, I have to beat Sonic Advance 2 100%, then when I'm done with that, I have to beat Golden Sun 2 100%.

Odds are I'll have another game by the time I get to Metroid Prime [:P]  I will never finish these games [:)]

Next up to buy is Mario Golf... if it goes on sale.  If not (soon), then there are tons of old games that are now like 20 bucks.  Whooooo

~Squeek

Kazbadan

I insist that you really must try Deus Ex! The storyline it´s very deep for a game like this. You are always thinking in what is gonna happen next. You immerge so much in the game that you feel like part of it!

Cannot wait longer for Deus Ex 2 and Ufo Aftermath!
I love you!

dino333

You just can't beat Gamecube. I'm 16 and I love it! My favorite games right now are Metroid Prime and Soul Calibur 2, but when Rebel Strike comes out...[:P] I even love to play my old NES! Zelda, mario, kirby, ice climers. Nintendo is NOT just for kids.[8D]

Squeek

quote:
Odds are I'll have another game by the time I get to Metroid Prime  I will never finish these games


I just bought "Agent Under Fire" at Wal-Mart for 20 bucks. [8D]

I've been waiting for an old game I liked to drop down for a long time, so finally, this one did!  I'll be working on this game now for a long long time... instead of finishing old games of course!

~Squeek

MK911

I really loved Final Fantasy 3 on Super Nindendo. Now i started to play all FFseries from the very beginning (using emulators and PS2)
The graphics, the music and the story - ITS MIRACULOUS.


















Arcane

I never really got into Final Fantasy. I have 7 and 8 for PS but I found them boring and iritating. The randomly occuring battles got me really ticked off. It cant have been just that though because i loved Grandia.

My favourite RPGs have got to be Ultima 3,4 and 7. and Baldurs Gate 2.

Bob251

Ahh, those were the days.  FF7 is what got me hooked on RPGs and was my first RPG to play.  Quite possibly the greatest FF game Square has come out with.  Good main characters and the evil villian, Sephiroth.

FF8's magic system was pretty bad.  And the story wasn't great.  Although, if it had come out before 7, it might have been better.

FF9 was the next best one.  A return to four characters in a battle, and a good ability system to boot.  Story was good, but nothing fantastic.  Although, the main villian looked kinda.....fruity.



FF10.  My only real complaint here is Tidus.  Horrible main character.  Not only does he look AND sound like a pansy (by sound, look at his lines; not good) but his stats reflect that as well.  All speed and little evasion (although with the sphere grid system, it's not too hard to manipulate it towards the end of the game).  The story is so far interesting (haven't finished the game) and it had one plot twist I didn't see coming.

I think that's all that I have for now.  Oh, if this means anything to anyone here, reply:  DDR [;)][:P]

Squeek

YAY...  I'm almost done with Bond.

I've done 9 levels 100%.  That means gold and platinum medals for each, which becomes very much difficult on levels 10-12.  GO ME.

So Half-Life 2 comes out when?  I wanna get it very much, but I'm just too lazy to go search on my own.

PeacefulWarrior

MK911- great images!  Those are beautifully rendered.
We shall not cease from our exploration, and at the end of all our exploring, we shall arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.
T.S. Elliot
---------------
fides quaerens intellectum

PeacefulWarrior

Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

(the resolution of these images isn't great, but you can see from these gameplay screens that this is going to be an amazing action game)








Diary of the Designer:

Designer Diary #4--Gameplay


By Bret Robbins
Lead Designer

As lead designer I supervise the design, preproduction, and production of every level in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. The process of producing each level is lengthy and involved. It starts when I meet with the other producers to figure out the overall ideas and themes for the level. Once we agree on these, we create a script for the level. Maps are drawn up, along with concept art, storyboards, and then animatics, which are like moving storyboards. This allows us to fully conceive a level before we start building.



Each level in the game falls into one of three categories and features distinctly different gameplay.
The levels in The Return of the King fall into three different categories: linear levels, where the player journeys from point A to point B, with occasionally divergent paths along the way; system levels, where the player has a specific mission to accomplish independent of the level's geometry; and arena levels, where players experience the game's major combat.

Designing levels in The Return of the King has been very challenging. For one, we wanted the levels to be much bigger and more complex than they were in The Two Towers. We've added elements like environmental interaction to the mix. Rather than just being pretty background, the environments are now an integral part of the gameplay, which demanded new ways of thinking in our level design. Designing cooperative gameplay has also been a new challenge. Cooperative play was probably the number one fan-requested addition, so being able to include it in The Return of the King is very satisfying for us.



Designing the levels to support co-op play provided a challenge for the team.
One of the biggest challenges we've faced has been accurately representing the scope of the movies in an entirely different medium. We feature all of the major locations from the upcoming movie in this game, including Minas Tirith, the Paths of the Dead, and the Black Gates of Mordor, to name just a few. What makes this even more amazing is that with all of the playable characters we''re introducing, you can play different characters as they follow their own respective paths. So now you can play not only Aragorn, Legolas, or Gimli, but also the hobbits on their journey to Mordor and even Gandalf as he defends Minas Tirith from Sauron's army.

Despite these challenges, The Return of the King has been a very rewarding project for me. Watching the levels go from ideas on paper to amazing game levels has been thrilling. Our art and engineering teams are brilliant and have fully realized our design goals. It has been really exciting.

Thanks for taking an interest in what I do, and enjoy The Return of the King. Stay tuned for next month's design diary!

We shall not cease from our exploration, and at the end of all our exploring, we shall arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.
T.S. Elliot
---------------
fides quaerens intellectum

Squeek

Mmm page 11...

Updates..................................................

Super Monkey Ball 2 remains UNBEATEN!  Soo not un anti easy it makes you cry.

Agent Under fire ... I'm finishing the last level.  Somehow I don't think it's a good idea to have the gold medal only attainable with the hardest difficulty, the lowest health, and the strongest enemies.

Whatever.

STILL haven't beaten Mario Party 4!  I have to beat Beach Folly Volly ONE TIME and I can't do it!

Sonic Adventure 2 Battle remains unbeaten... gotta 100% alot of things.  I have 120-ish emblems...and it only gets harder X.x

Metroid Prime... I don't even wanna try.

Super Smash Brothers Melee - I can't even believe I haven't finished this.  There are 290 trophies and I have 285.

Zelda: The Wind Waker - Haven't 100%'d this yet.  It'll get done

Enter the matrix - DONE!  Twas too easy.

THPS 3 and 4 - I beat them once and deleted the files to save space.

Starfox - Beaten 100%

Super Mario Sunshine - Got 60 more blue coins to get.  Not even gonna TRY.

Spiderman - 100%'d.

Now I wanna play monkey ball alot.  When I beat it...ever...I'll be ecstatic.

~Squeek