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Friday, March 25th, 2005
Rod Price, Foghat Guitarist, Dead at 57 at 17:01 ET by QAPete
Rod Price, former guitarist for Foghat, died a few days ago (March 22) from a fall down the steps in his Wilton, New Hampshire home. He was 57 years-old. For those of you who only know Foghat from 'Fool for the City' and 'Slow Ride', you're missing out on a lot of good stuff. Rod Price was one of the most talented lead, rhythm and slide guitarists around. Check out 'Honey Hush' or 'Midnight Madness' sometime, and you'll see what I mean.
Rod joins former bandmate Lonesome Dave Peverett (lead singer) in the great beyond. Dave died five years ago after losing his battle with kidney cancer.
Dave and Rod combined to produce some of the greatest bluesy, boogie-woogie rock magic ever committed to tape. Amazing rhythm guitar work everywhere (you just don't hear it like that anymore).
God bless you, Rod, and thanks for the great music!
Thursday, March 24th, 2005
Bush Sucks at 21:42 ET by QAPete
Just thought I'd title this post 'Bush Sucks' because I'm far from a young republican (guilty on both counts, actually). Just for the record, I disagree in oh so many ways with the way George and his band of bandits have lied to the world about, well, just about everything. The good news is, he can't run again....
Tribes: Vengeance is dead as a doornail. Too bad, the apparent end of this series of games is a sad thing, and undeserved by the original developers. The announcement yesterday that they can't/won't even pursue a 1.1 patch to fix some of what is wrong with the game is a real stinger. So much for caring about the gaming public. I'm guessing this is the last Vivendi game I purchase.
You might have noticed that I'm pretty absent from the main BU site. It's not that I don't care, it's that I need a little break, and have a lot to attend to in RealLife. Believe it or not, folks, after doing this gig for about 7 years, I need some downtime. It's a good time right now to take a break anyway, because we're in-between major releases. I will, however, be working on some BU feature material for Pariah, a game I'm really excited about. DE rules...
I took my 1999 Dodge Durango back to the dealer last night for replacement of my ball joints after a mere 38,000 miles (yeah, I don't drive much). Daimler-Chrysler paid for the replacement, even though my year wasn't part of the massive recall for ball joints. Kudos to them, but I still probably won't buy an American-made car (whatever that means, anymore) for the foreseeable future. The repairs were done correctly and completely, and I notice the improvement in handling.
I noticed, while browsing the Dell site yesterday, that they don't offer P4 laptops anymore. This is a bummer, as I really like playing all my high-end games on my Dell Inspiron 9100 P4 box. While the Pentium M has improved substantially, there's nothing like a P4 multi-threaded laptop with an ATI Radeon 9800 Mobility 256 mb card to rock my world. Fortunately, I got in before they dumped the P4s.
For those of you still not jumping into the HDTV world: what are you waiting for? There's NOTHING quite like enjoying a quality movie, TV show or sporting event in HD format! 1080i is the best, which you get on most of your major sporting events and many movies. There's really nothing like it, and I can't do it justice by trying to describe the improvement. Just get it, already.
My comment on the Terri Schiavo 'news': the American government has stooped to an all-time low. They should NEVER have gotten involved in this most personal of issues, especially considering how they are fucking up everything else in the world. We invade a country, Iraq, take over their oil, and gas/oil prices rise to an all-time high. Go figure. I hope YOU are not surprised that there's such a large insurgence as a result of our actions. I'm so ashamed of our leadership.
In closing, I have to recommend Three Olives Vodka to those who care. Smooth vodka, good straight or mixed, and very reasonably priced. It's right up there with Absolute and any other top-shelf vodka. Figures, I guess. It's English.
Wednesday, March 23rd, 2005
Some Blog Action at 06:56 ET by QAPete
I have a few minutes this morning and feel like doing a little blogging, so here goes.
I bought a 2005 Honda Accord EXV6 last night for Mrs. QAPete. Nice car, comes with most all of the goodness one would expect, and has the added bonus of vroom (240 horses in a smallish mid-sized sedan). The six-cylinder V-Tech engines are not only durable, powerful units, they last incredibly long, and are a real work of art. Very well-designed (I work in the automotive industry, FYI).
One thing, though, and I'm not making accusations here, I'm just offering my opinion: there was virtually no negotiation on the price or 'throw-ins' for the car. I contacted three Honda dealers in a 45 mile radius, all owned by different people, and none of them were willing to negotiate. I got more off sticker initially than I figured I would, but that's where they stuck. One of the dealers, when I presented him with a counter-offer of having him throw in a cargo net for the trunk, walked away from the deal! These guys might as well go the Saturn way and say 'the sticker price is the price.' Still, it's a quality vehicle, very safe and as reliable as they come. I'll try to snag a pic or three of it when we pick it up on Saturday.
If you haven't watched the new Pariah trailer, you're missing out. It not only does a nice job of getting you excited about the game, it's funny too. Gotta love that Canuck sense of humor!
I think this year's E3 is going to be big. Really big. They've successfully sold out their floor space, and the 'ol crystal ball sez we're going to see some significant things this year, not just a rehash of what we've all been seeing on the web sites and in magazines all year. I'm actually looking forward to the fruit it bears, unlike the past couple of years.
I also picked up a Nintendo DS for my younger son over the past week. While DS game availability is still an issue, and some of the wireless 'VS. mode' functionality is less than what I was expecting, the PictoChat function is a killer app for young kids, and the unit is a lightweight, well-built piece of work. It's a shame it's not true WiFi / internet-capable (I know, get a PSP...) And would somebody tell me why Mario 64 is one of the most compelling games of the past 10 years? The DS version, mostly a re-hash of the original, is still a great game to play after all this time.
Tribes: Vengeance update: I'm at the 'here's how you use the grappling hook' portion of the SP now, and I'm starting to see how stupid this game really is. I mean, you have a damned jetpack in the rest of the game. Why is a grappling hook even necessary, especially one that works like crap? Bad design decision...
Sunday, March 20th, 2005
Long Time, No See at 08:53 ET by QAPete
Well, as it happens sometimes, RealLife reared its ugly head up and has consumed me for much longer than I had hoped. I'll skip the long version of why, and just let you know that I've been busy, and it's not over yet.
For those of you who were wondering, the weight loss is going very well. I'm down about 25 pounds now, and I'm looking to drop another 20-25. I have little doubt that I'll reach my goal. I feel better already, the sleep apnea is less of a problem, and will probably be gone altogether by the time I reach my target.
On to some other topics. First, a non-Unreal one. If you haven't had the chance to see it, there's a PBS program I highly recommend called 'Alone In The Wilderness' about a man, Richard Proenneke, who build a log cabin in the wilderness of Alaska using nothing but hand tools. The only man-made items he used, to my knowledge, were nails, a few pieces of tar paper, some polyethelyne and some concrete. He built this 11x14 cabin at the age of 51 in 1968, and lived there for over 30 years, keeping a journal for most of that time. He, thankfully, filmed himself building the cabin, resulting in a unique historical record of a man choosing to live a simple life in harmony with nature. It's a very interesting film, which is available in DVD and VHS format (Google it).
On the Unreal front, BeyondUnreal is in the process of adding a new MotherShip game server, courtesy of Vipers Servers. Located in Dallas, TX, it will be the new FragBU server, having been tested by RaffiB and certified by him to have excellent performance. Stay tuned here and on BeyondUnreal for more info.
I recently picked up a copy of Tribes: Vengeance, just out of curiosity. Never before have I seen a game nosedive in popularity right out of the gate! I'm still trying to grasp what happened here, but it would appear that there were a combination of things. First, the game is reportedly virtually unplayable with anywhere near a full server (32 players). I say reportedly, because I have not been able to find enough players online to test this! At best, I've seen about 8 players online on any given server. Stunning...
Second, it also appears that the developer and/or publisher completely ignored what made Tribes and Tribes 2 popular. In fact, there is a big backlash right now against VU Games as a result of T:V to the point where I would sincerely doubt that we'll be seeing another Tribes game from anyone in the next several years. IMHO, any new Tribes goodness will be strictly community-produced, and probably not on the Unreal-engine.
The game itself is graphically beautiful, as you might expect. The single-player cutscenes are well-produced, although the voice acting is a bit over the top. Gameplay is fine, and the 'Teen' rating for the game is appropriate, as T:V is certainly geared toward young teens. To date, I haven't experienced any gameplay issues that would cause me to revolt against Irrational Games or VU Games, but I'm only about 25% into the single-player game, and haven't been able to try a large-scale online match yet.
From the online research I've conducted, it would appear that the new developer and publisher simply missed the mark on what made Starsiege: Tribes a hit. They put in about 3 1/2 years on T:V, and seem to have released it to 'cut their losses' and get at least some revenue generation going. The game is virtually universally appalling to hard-core Tribes players, and isn't even listed on PlanetTribes! It's a shocking bomb of a game with the community, and should be a lesson to game designers and publishers everywhere - listen to your fans, and make games they want, not what you think they want. Anyone remember what UT2003 did to the UT99 community? I do...
CliffyB and I don't agree on everything (to me, gameplay is first, graphical wizardry is secondary and should *never, ever* get in the way of gameplay), but we certainly agree on one point he made on his website. The price point for new games needs to get down to $20! Publishers, developers and the gaming public would all benefit greatly by this. You'd see a huge increase in units sold, as people would be much more likely to 'impulse buy' a game or two for $20 than they are at the $50 price point. Greed, greed, greed... it's getting in the way of building much bigger devoted communities of gamers. The ironic thing is, if they'd lower the price point, you'd see much more revenue over time.
Finally, I wanted to make a point about Digital Extremes and their upcoming game, Pariah. If you're like me, you have grown tired of the Unreal-engine releases. All the Splinter Cells, XIII, T:V, etc... there have been a number of forgettable releases. Legend Entertainment's Unreal II was a commercial flop. UT2004 is getting long in the tooth (although the mod teams are really stepping up to the plate, thankfully). There hasn't been anything fresh and compelling in quite some time...
...until, perhaps, now. The people at Digital Extremes are right up there, creatively, with the folks at Epic, and I'm really looking forward to seeing Pariah. From what I can ascertain right now, there has been an almost religious attention to detail in this game, and a real drive to recapturing the immersiveness of the original Unreal (you folks DO remember how immersive Unreal was, don't you?) With the talent at DE, they can certainly pull this off, and sometime early next month, I'll be visiting DE's studios to get a first-hand look at Pariah. Look for my impressions on BeyondUnreal.
Sunday, December 5th, 2004
It's Been Too Long at 12:10 ET by QAPete
It's been too long since I updated this site, so here goes...
1) We're expecting to get one or two new MotherShip servers over the course of the next month or so. I say one or two because one of them is supposed to be from Talon Servers, but as of this posting, even our TS file mirror on BU is down, and I haven't been able to get in touch with our contact there. We're hoping there's nothing major-league evil going on there, as we'd really like to have a Euro MotherShip server online. The other server in development shall remain a mystery, for now...
2) I have finally, utterly decided that I'm not going to pay $55 for a copy of Half Life 2 that requires me to install Steam on my computer, then go decrypt a whole gaggle of stuff just to play what amounts to an SP game with a recent DM addon. I know, I know, it's the best thing since sliced bread, but I just can't justify it. I might check it out when it hits the cheap racks in six to twelve months.
3) I want to thank our new friends at Midway for allowing us to send Prophetus and TyeFang to the Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Project LAN/press event in New York City this past week. For once, a publisher is treating us as more than a fan site on a consistent basis. Our statistics and history as a site, way back to the PlanetUnreal days, prove that we deliver the goods, and continue to improve as time goes on. It's really nice to have started out on such a good footing with Midway, and we look forward to working with them on UC2 and beyond.
4) A quick update on our new server, payed for by a gaggle of BU community members. Our tech guys are working on a number of things, including a new mail system. When complete, we should have a full-fledged webmail system going. We're also implementing some better security measures to help keep us online and healthy as we move ahead. Unfortunately, there's limited time available for our people to work on the server, so progress is slow, but steady. We appreciate your understanding and patience with this major project.
Wednesday, November 3rd, 2004
New America at 20:12 ET by QAPete
Well, America voted and elected (this time) Dubya. I was pretty depressed about this turn of events, although Kerry was - amazingly - more of a bumbling idiot than Gore was four years ago. My depression ended, however, when I saw this pic linked to in #beyondunreal (where all the cool people hang).
I'm hoping the fantasy of living in 'New America' will carry me through the next four years... God Bless New America!
Friday, October 15th, 2004
Utterly Addicted to Dawn of War at 07:11 ET by QAPete
Ok, it's not Unreal-related, but the MotherShip site serves as my homepage too, so bleh...
I don't think I have enough good things to say about Relic Entertainment/THQ's Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War. Years ago, I used to love to play the turn-based Warhammer games, and I've been waiting for a decent Warhammer or Diplomacy RTS to show up for the PC. Well, wait no more: it's here.
The negatives are few and far between in DoW. Yeah, you can only play as the Space Marines in the SP campaign. The SP campaign is only 11 missions long. And there are some AI quirks that just don't make much sense. Finally, I'm not impressed with the GameSpy multiplayer 'system' - I should be able to put up a server that is advertised to the public, ala UT2004.
Beyond that, DoW is a visceral, fast-paced strategy/action game that pits you and your squad (Space Marines, Orcs, Chaos or Eldar) against one or more squads (up to seven others). The object of the game is to satisfy one or more of the win conditions (Take and Hold, Annihilate, etc.). These conditions, as well as many other game conditions, are user-settable.
When you start out each match, you need to start building structures, troops, power generation stations, etc. You also have to take and hold strategic points, critical points and relics. You build listening posts on strategic points and relics, you do 'research', and all the time, you need to protect yourself, kill the enemy, etc.
Once you get set up with the right structures and research, you can upgrade your troops with advanced weapons and armor, build a variety of vehicles and mechs, and enhance your troops with several varieties of commanders. It's all quite insane at times, but the feeling you get when, for example, a couple squads of Space Marines slaughters an incoming Zerg rush of 50 or so Orcs is quite satisfying....
In a nutshell, I'm loving it. Finally, an RTS computer game that does justice to its turn-based roots. I'd give it a 9/10. Also, stay tuned for editor tools and new gametypes to be released.
UPDATE: 10-16-04 - I'm lowering my rating to an 8/10 for one reason: the online component is really sucky. The gameplay is fine, but the lack of a TRUE dedicated server option (start a dedicated server for others, walk away from the computer) is just too heinous to forgive. As the online component is an important part of the game, this simply has to deduct a full point from my rating.
Saturday, September 25th, 2004
Ketnar Server News at 21:04 ET by QAPete
Well, a few things need to be said about the Ketnar server. First, we've added redirected downloads, so if you're missing a map, no problem - the good people at Gameservers.net will stream the map files to you.
Second, although I added the ECE files to the server, it's not recognizing them at all. I don't know what's causing that, but...
Third, Raffi_B has taken over the day-to-day administration of the server. I simply don't have time to mess with it, and Raffi is 100% dedicated to running better, faster, stronger FragBUs, and has the time to spend kicking the box in the arse.
Last on the list is that the Ketnar guys had to reboot the physical server that our game server is on. Seems that some people were running some massive CPU eating jobs that got away from them, causing some significant lag / warping issues over the past few weeks. Hopefully, this won't happen again.
Thursday, September 16th, 2004
Ketnar Updates at 07:00 ET by QAPete
The Ketnar server has been updated to the 3323 patch. This version promises server-side bandwidth and performance improvements and, as such, should improve gameplay. We're also looking at adding in a redirect server for those of you who don't have the maps you're looking for. Stay tuned...
We've also added DM-Goose2K4 and ONS-RapaNui to the rotation, as a result of a recent BU poll. We have more maps on the way, which will be selected by FragBU regulars.
Monday, September 6th, 2004
More New Levels at 09:53 ET by QAPete
I've added three new levels to the Ketnar MotherShip. First off, ONS-Aridoom, from the ONS Bonus Pack, was missed during the initial server configuration. Don't ask me why, I just spaced it.
Also, since our selection of Assault maps was so thin, I've added AS-Thrustv2, an update to the popular AS-CBP2-Thrust and AS-Vindication. Both of these selections were added as a result of this forum thread. While I maintain that there is no such thing as the perfect map listing, some people still think there is such an animal. Silly wabbits...
At any rate, all three of these maps are worthy ones that I don't have a problem including on the server. The whole idea here is that we'd like to populate the server with a large number of high-quality levels. There will never be a time where everyone agrees that we have all the right maps (like there is such a thing), but we certainly can work toward having more of the right maps.
We're going to continue with the BU polling for high-quality levels to be added to Ketnar. I've asked the guys at Insite to suggest the next five for voting, so stay tuned.
Sunday, September 5th, 2004
Minor Updates at 08:35 ET by QAPete
I've added pics (thanks, Raffi!) for all of Raffi's maps, plus the Flag Pack maps. I've also removed The Web from our MotherShip Collective section, which is currently empty... If you have a game server and want to brand it 'MotherShip' and be part of the BU online community, just email me and I'll let you know how it all works.
Saturday, September 4th, 2004
New Maps Added at 09:42 ET by QAPete
I've added Chris 'Plutonic' Blundell's excellent CTF-Confrontation to the Ketnar server. This is a very solid, nice looking map that provides some very challenging gameplay. I've always been partial to Plutonic's levels, and once you try CTF-Confrontation, you'll see why.
Another level designer I like is Fordy, who created an excellent remake of CTF-EternalCaves. As Nali City reviewer Shadowlurker says, this is a fine example on how to port a level over to UT2K4.
Tuesday, August 31st, 2004
Ketnar Server Updates at 19:05 ET by QAPete
I've been far too lazy and shiftless when it comes to updating this site, so we'll pour a whole bunch into one posting.
First and foremost, I've updated our Ketnar server to the brand new 3270.1 patch, so all you people who had to take the long way around in AS-Junkyard can now relax... it's all good.
We've also added a number of new levels, including all of RaffiB's map pack goodness and the stellar Flag Pack. I've also included Spoondog's CTF-LavaGiant-ClassicV2, as no good server should be without it. Finally, Raffi's fixed version of CTF-RB-Arid is online.
We've been having FragBU events on Friday and Saturday nights, and the attendance has been great, so keep stopping by to play!
Friday, July 30th, 2004
Ketnar Server Updated at 18:29 ET by QAPete
We've updated our Ketnar server with the Community Bonus Pack 2, as well as Jailbreak, and provided for multi-game map vote, so you guys and gals can pick what you want, when you want it.
The Alienpod servers are history, with the east coast servers going down some time ago, and the west coast server biting the dust more recently. We'll continue to look for a game server partner that can provide multiple servers for the BeyondUnreal community's gaming needs.
Tuesday, July 13th, 2004
JB/CBP2 Thumbs Added - New Server Coming at 22:32 ET by QAPete
Special thanks needs to go out to BuFer GerbilJammer, who took the time to create 256x128 thumbnails of all the CBP2 maps as well as the UT Jailbreak maps. We use them in our Iridium-coded server query section of the MotherShip site below. GerbilJammer will be receiving a box of cool and rare UT swag as a thank you for his help.
We'll *finally* be adding a UK-based MotherShip server in the coming weeks. And, before you ask, yes - we WANT to have a Euro FragBU event, so hang tight while we get things finalized. Oh, did I mention that we'll have a sixth FileWorks mirror as well? Stay tuned.....
Sunday, July 11th, 2004
What You Get For Free at 09:16 ET by QAPete
As a community-run website that makes very little money, we often rely on the kindness of others to provide some of the goodies, like game servers, to you. Sometimes, that doesn't work out the way we'd all like to see it.
Recently, all but one of our Alienpod game servers abruptly went offline. We have been trying, for several weeks, to contact the guy who was taking care of them for iLan, to no avail. The Alienpod folks also tried, and were not successful.
So, for the short term, we appear to have only our Ketnar server (which has this nasty habit of going offline every 12 hours, requiring us to manually reset it) and one Alienpod server on the west coast, which is administered by Nali City. The JB people are also running their server, which has been added to our main server listing and is now polled every five minutes for activity.
We're going to take a look around and try to add some new game servers to the mix. Thanks in advance for your patience as we work this out.
Wednesday, June 23rd, 2004
Updates! at 08:33 ET by QAPete
Couple of news items for 'ya. First off, we've upgraded our Ketnar server to 3236.1, which will - hopefully - eliminate many of the issues we've been experiencing in 3204. We'd like to upgrade our Alienpod servers, but we currently don't have FTP access, nor a way to shut down those servers, and our contact there is AFK. We'll continue to try and roust him.
We're also thrilled to see that Webslinger is back, and better than ever! His ruXX0r server, TheWeb MotherShip, is now running votable ONS/CTF/DM/AS, along with his always excellent collection of maps. Please do stop by for a frag or two!
Finally, we've updated our link to the UT2K4 Jailbreak MotherShip, as they've successfully made the transition to UT2004. If you haven't played UT2K4 Jailbreak yet, you're missing out on a great experience, as the game has really evolved and improved since the original UT release. Stop by PlanetJailbreak for more info and the download links.
Saturday, June 5th, 2004
MotherShip Server FTP Issues at 10:46 ET by QAPete
We're working on getting some BeyondUnreal MotherShip FTP issues sorted out. Specifically, we've run into some problems getting the CBP2 goodness on some of them. We appreciate your patience while we work with our friends at Ketnar and Alienpod to get everything resolved.
For now, just hop on in and get your game on! FragBU is tonight starting at 8 PM EDT (1AM GMT, 2AM CET); we hope to see you there!
Saturday, May 22nd, 2004
BU Alienpod Nali City MotherShip at 07:30 ET by QAPete
I've configured the BU Alienpod Nali City MotherShip for multiple gametypes, so you'll be able to vote for whatever gametype you want, including AS, BR, CTF, DDOM, DM, ONS and TDM. We may do the same with one or two of our other servers at some point.
I'd like to thank those of you who are playing on the MotherShips. It's important that these servers get used, as it doesn't do any good to have servers available if nobody wants to play. We are slowly building a regular base of players, especially on the ONS, AS, 1v1 and FFA servers, which is great. I'd love to see more of you online playing CTF as well!
In addition to the multiple gametype change, MassChaos has added a good number of popular community maps, including CTF-Unearthed_SE_2k4, DM-Goose2k4, DM-Aristocracy2004, ONS-Pipeline, ONS-Draor, ONS-Nevermore and more. Stop by and enjoy the carnage!
Sunday, May 16th, 2004
ONS-Pipeline at 10:58 ET by QAPete
Just in case you live in a cave, I thought I'd take a moment to extoll the virtues of donator's ONS-Pipeline.
This is a clever, well-designed map. The layout and default link setup are just great, giving you not only multiple paths to attack the enemy power core, but placing you and your enemy in a position to be 'offensively defensive.' How so? The enemy power cores are just close enough to your own first and second power nodes to allow the enemy an opportunity to mess you up while you attempt to begin stringing together power nodes.
The 'main' powernodes are partially protected against air attack. Notice I said 'partially'; this is key. You can still buzz over in a Manta, or even a low-flying Raptor, but not without exposing yourself to peril. Nice design.
The secondary power nodes are close to the first ones, and easily attacked. Again, nice design. While it is easy to take control of them, it's also easy to take 'em down, making for some really good give and take in-game. I also like the fact that the secondary power nodes have a Manta and a Goliath stationed there... the fastest and slowest vehicles in the level.
The center power node has a Hellbender, and is moderately hard to control and defend. Nice balance here.
The bases are just loaded with vehicles and weapons, and are layed out quite well. I like the use of jump pads, the location of the Raptor, and the location of the power core itself. While it is quick work to get to the base, grab some weaponry, take two jump pads to the power core and start wailing on it, it's also easy to defend the power core with the arsenal there. Kudos again on design.
I won't get into the little extras found in ONS-Pipeline (well, I will tell you I liked the 'No Parking' sign), but I can heartily recommend that you download it immediately, and get playing it. I'm going to get this level put on our Ketnar ONS MotherShip, so you'd better get practicing! Good job, donator! Let's see some more from you!
Wednesday, May 12th, 2004
Servers Are Back at 08:57 ET by QAPete
All of our Alienpod servers are back online now. Seems that they got a taste of the Sasser worm, and at a bad time, too (our Alienpod guy was off getting married - congrats, Xixax!) Anyway, the servers have been immersed in scrubbing bubbles, and are now clean and ready for battle, and we don't anticipate any further issues there.
I've also solved the little issue on our Ketnar server, where every 12 hours it was resetting to ONS, but using DM-Rankin as the map. Doh! No more... it'll restart using ONS-Primeval.
So, with all the servers back, we'll start kicking around configurations again. I have a strong feeling we'll set up a TDM server, as it's been something people have been talking about. At any rate, please use our servers. It doesn't do us any good to have multiple servers if you guys aren't playing on them. Any suggestions you have for keeping them populated, send to me.
Sunday, May 2nd, 2004
Sunday Rant at 16:39 ET by QAPete
In addition to being the center of all things BU MotherShip-related, the MotherShip site is also my personal site, my place to rant, something I haven't done in quite some time. Let me pick a single topic for today, or I'll just type 30,000 characters...
The US Government - that's right, my own government. George Bush and the Republican party is so far up the religious right's ass right now, they're about to be digested. We're losing our liberties, our constitutional rights, we attacked Iraq for no good reason whatsoever (no WMDs, no link to 9-11 there at all...), we're fining broadcasters for 'inappropriate' content (by who's standards?).... George Carlin says the human race is destroying itself, and he's having a good laugh watching the show. Chillingly spot-on, Mr. Carlin is.
Our government also stands by and allows hundreds of thousands of jobs to be outsourced overseas, putting millions of Americans into what I call 'functional poverty', where both the parents in a family have to work to simply pay the bills, save for college and retirement, etc. We're not a democracy in America, were a capitalist state...
Corporate America is loving this, at the expense of people. I don't know how many towns I know of that have all but disappeared due to the loss of manufacturing or other better paying work, which has been schloffed off to Mexico, India, China and the like. The same thing is happening at my own job, where we outsource more and more every month, all in an effort to try and stay competitive, and make enough money for our owners - a target that keeps getting harder to hit. This is just wrong, and is tearing the fabric of the nuclear family apart, which will cause more crime, more poverty and destroy us utterly.
Due to our government's actions around the globe, about 2/3 of the world has a great spoken or unspoken dislike of the United States. This is a real shame, as the PEOPLE of the US are, by and large, good folks. I've met people from more than 1/2 the states, and I find US citizens to be like most other people: mostly kind, helpful, generally tolerant and peaceful. Unfortunately, our face to the rest of the world is our government, and that's a whole different visage to deal with. There's a reason we didn't have a real 'coalition' in Iraq. We were wrong to be there, and everyone knew it, and knows it.
BTW, I don't disparage our troops for what they are doing there. This is very similar to Vietnam, where we didn't have any business being there, but our troops did their best to follow orders. Problem was, and is, the orders were/are flawed...
One thing I'm happy about is that, through online gaming, a lot of Americans get to interact with people from all over the world. These relationships are solid friendships, and are not savaged by the inappropriate and infantile actions of the US government. It's my hope that some of these bright people ascend to lead towns, counties, states and even represent people in Congress. They're part of what I feel is the true hope for the future of the US, and better relations with the rest of the world.
Enough ranting for now. Violence belongs in games, not in real life. We're all on this little planet together, folks. Let's try, in spite of government, to get along, have fun in the limited number of years we have on this planet (anyone remember Mobace? I do...) and help each other.
Saturday, May 1st, 2004
FragBU Tonight at 08:55 ET by QAPete
That's right, uh-huh. FragBU is tonight, from 8-10 PM EDT (12 AM to 2 AM GMT). This is the perfect opportunity for you to stop by and rip a chunk out of a BU community member, including the staff. C'mon, you know you want to stuff an Avril rocket up RaptoR's nose!
We always have a good time at these events, and we really hope you can take a couple hours to join us. Pop in at #beyondunreal on irc.enterthegame.com prior to the start of FragBU for the server password.
In other news, thanks to RaptoR and Iridium for allowing me to use the Irid's server-snooper code to provide an up-to-date MotherShip server listing below. I know that some of the images don't show, but that's because we're flat out too lazy to take pics of the custom maps running on some of the servers. I'll take a look at updating that little issue.
Thursday, April 22nd, 2004
Six New MotherShip Servers! at 07:12 ET by QAPete
We're happy to announce six brand new BeyondUnreal MotherShip Servers, courtesy of our friends at Alienpod:
BU Alienpod AS West MotherShip
65.38.251.19
BU Alienpod CTF MotherShip
69.28.241.112
BU Alienpod Onslaught MotherShip
69.28.241.116
BU Alienpod AS East MotherShip
69.28.241.117
BU Alienpod 1v1 MotherShip
69.28.241.115
BU Alienpod FFA DM MotherShip
69.28.241.118
A seventh is on the way. We're still kicking around ideas as to how we're going to use these new servers, but for now, just jump on in and create some carnage!
Thanks to the good folks at Alienpod for providing the hardware, bandwidth and support to make this gaggle of BU MotherShips a reality!
Wednesday, April 21st, 2004
You Heard It Here First at 20:31 ET by QAPete
Looks like we might be adding on seven new MotherShip servers, courtesy of Alienpod. Five of these servers are in the northeast US, one in the midwest, and one on the west coast.
We're currently working out how we want to structure the new servers. One idea is that we'd run an additional Onslaught server, add a CTF server, and dedicate the other five servers to mods that we host and clans that are affiliated with BU. It's all just brainstorming now, but I'm sure we'll work something out that will work out for everyone.
More on this as it becomes a reality. For now, be sure to check out our Ketnar/BU Onslaught MotherShip server at 38.144.80.240:7800. This puppy is hooked to a 100 mbit connection right next to MAE East in Virginia, so the latency is truly miniscule.
Sunday, April 18th, 2004
Like The Phoenix.... at 14:58 ET by QAPete
...the MotherShip site rises from the ashes! Whereas I left this place for dead about a year ago, it was probably due to a couple of things:
- We didn't have much going on in the way of MotherShip Servers
- I didn't play UT2003 online hardly at all
- We didn't have any FragBU events for quite some time.
With the introduction of UT2004, and the seriously-addictive Onslaught gametype, as well as the very polished gameplay of UT2004, I think it's safe to say that you'll see all of the BU admins online more, and participating in FragBU events, both scheduled and spur of the moment.
One note: we haven't heard from Webslinger lately, and his server has been down. If anyone has information they could get back to me on what Webby's doing these days, shoot me an email If he's running his fantastic server, The Web, I'd really like to get him back posting news of upcoming events right here.
Sunday, March 2nd, 2003
End of the Line at 08:30 ET by QAPete
The MotherShip Homepage will be going down for the count shortly, basically because:
1) I no longer run the Strangelove MotherShip Server
2) With everything else going on in BU land, I don't have the time to keep this page up-to-date.
3) We no longer host regular FragBU events, again due to time constraints.
The Jailbreak MotherShip will continue to run, check the UTJB site for details. Also, we'll continue to run our Barrysworld server, generally set to UT2K3 Bombing Run, as people seem to like it. The URLs for those servers will be posted on the BU main page, in the right sidebar.
So, if there is any content here you wish to grab, now's the time. By sometime next week, you'll probably be seeing a 404 here. I'll be seeing you on the BU main page!
Saturday, October 12th, 2002
The Web BR Retail is finally up! at 10:47 ET by Webslinger
I finally got the UT2003 dedicated server installed on The Web! It is running Bombing Run, No Adrenaline and Slo Mo Corpses.
Have Fun! unreal://theweb.dyndns.ws:7777
Sunday, September 29th, 2002
New Domain for The Web at 17:47 ET by Webslinger
Since dns2go is charging for dns services now, I have changed the domain name. Effective immediately you can now access the server at unreal://theweb.dyndns.ws:7777.
Thursday, September 19th, 2002
One Less Server at 19:24 ET by QAPete
I've decided to take down the server I ran from 66.92.238.12:7787. Our traffic has been hugely expanded due to the release of the UT 2003 Demo, and I simply can't see leaving the server up anymore with the little trickle of bandwidth that's available to support it.
I will be working toward getting another server set up at another location, on another DSL line, but until then, the server marked 'SL2 MotherShip' below will be offline.
Friday, September 13th, 2002
UT 2003 Demo MotherShip at 23:36 ET by QAPete
It's out, and it's online! We've replaced our SL2 MotherShip with the UT 2003 Demo MotherShip at 66.92.238.12:7787. Larrystorch will be putting his server up shortly, in place of the UT Jailbreak server. Stop by one or both of the servers today! Oh, yeah, you'll need the UT 2003 demo - links posted on BeyondUnreal.
Monday, September 9th, 2002
TCR is Back! at 22:02 ET by QAPete
The Carnage Reactor (TCR) MotherShip is back online with a new IP after a bit of downtime. You can reach TCR at unreal://195.149.21.117:7837/. Welcome back, boyz!
Sunday, September 8th, 2002
SLV2 Server Back Up at 22:20 ET by QAPete
Well, we're back up (sort of). I don't have MapVote installed yet, nor do I have the big pack 'o maps installed, but the server is up with 'stock' maps for your fragging pleasure.
It was a long day, converting everything to Lunix, and not everything works 100% yet (sound, in particular, is frosting my nutz). This means there will still be some downtime as I work on things, so don't be surprised if the server is unavailable off and on over the next week. Stick with us - by the time I'm done, we'll probably have TEH DEMO, and we'll be running something totally different!
Saturday, September 7th, 2002
Downtime at 15:03 ET by QAPete
The SL2 MotherShip, currently being used for the BuF Bonus Pack, will be down beginning at around 4:00 PM ET today. I am converting my entire main work computer over to Linux, and this just happens to be the box I run that server on.
Depending how things go, I might have the server (SL2) back up this evening. In any event, I'll post here when all is well.
Friday, September 6th, 2002
BuF Bonus Pack MotherShip at 07:06 ET by QAPete
Today and part of tomorrow are your last chance (for now) of hopping online and playing the BuF Bonus Pack, by CogWorks online at our BuF Bonus Pack MotherShip. I'll be offline for a day or so after that while I rid my computer of all things Windows and set up my 100% Linux workstation. Once that's completed, the SL2 MotherShip will be back for your gaming enjoyment.
Sunday, September 1st, 2002
BuF Bonus Pack Released at 08:23 ET by QAPete
The long-awaiting BuF Bonus Pack has been released by the CogWorks team! The pack, available in both .umod and .zip versions below, weighs in at a compact 14 meg and contains seven new maps and five new weapons for your fragging pleasure.
You can download the BuF Bonus Pack from our BeyondUnreal Download System:
You'll also need to install Epic's Bonus Pack 4, available on our UT Essential Files page.
We're also running a MotherShip Server (temporarily replacing the SL2 MotherShip), containing a couple of the BuF Bonus Pack maps, plus some standard and BP4 favorites. Stop by the BuF Bonus Pack MotherShip at unreal://66.92.238.12:7787 and have at it!
Wednesday, August 28th, 2002
Server Admins! Enable Local ngStats! at 18:16 ET by Webslinger
I have become an admin on a crusade!
Now that ngStats reporting is basically useless, it's up to us with UT Servers to turn on our local stats.
Here is a document at The Admin Page telling how to do that:
http://www.planetunreal.com/theadminpage/ngStats_ForAll.htm I would suggest that all server admins make the default website of their stats:
http://YourServerIPAddress/stats/
Stats for The Web can be found here:
http://theweb.dns2go.com/stats/
Sunday, August 25th, 2002
Scary TV at 11:27 ET by QAPete
While we *all* wait for TEH DEMO to come out, some of us find ourselves being amused by other things. This morning, I found myself actually afraid to use my television again.
Scanning through channels, I found myself watching, for 30 painful seconds, VH1, where Celine Dion was onstage rocking out to 'Shook Me All Night Long'. It was, frankly, the most horrifying, unsettling thing I've ever seen on cable. There she was, stomping and strutting on stage, howling out the AC-DC classic. Celine Dion, the chest-thomping, saccharine-sweet Diva that destroyed much of our auditory systems with the theme from 'Titanic', now abusing a time-honored classic like 'Shook'. I wanted nothing more than to remove my skin and die in a puddle on the floor.
Kill me now. Take my TV. There is no safe haven anymore....
On a site-related note, I was unaware that the Netherlands mirror of some of the Mothership files was history. I'd like to thank El Muerte for providing his web space to us for as long as he did. Now that we have multiple file mirrors at BU, we're fine without it, but we do appreciate El Muerte for his efforts in our behalf.
Saturday, August 10th, 2002
Vacation Pics at 09:02 ET by QAPete
Not much news happening here at the MotherShip servers, with the exception that they're continuing to get serious gameplay, especially the SL2 and Jailbreak servers (rock!).
Since things are slow, I've taken the time to put together a 2002 Vacation Pic Page. The pics are from Sea Isle City in New Jersey, USA, taken a couple of weeks ago during a quickie three-day vacation. The heat index for two of those days was over 105 deg. F., meaning, when you go out on the beach, you get baked to a crispy-brown in about 10 minutes. Enjoy the pics, and pray for TEH DEMO!
Friday, July 19th, 2002
Minor Downtime at 18:05 ET by QAPete
Well, you know how it is. New computer, gotta get it all tweaked out. Anyway, they'll be a bit of downtime on the SL2 MotherShip tonight while I transplant my firewire card and a hard drive from the old system to this new smoker. So, if you're trying to connect, try again in a couple hours.
Update: all set, everything works, and we've got a new network card in here as well. Play on!
Tuesday, July 16th, 2002
Some Down Time at 19:29 ET by QAPete
The SL2 MotherShip will be down a bit tonight while I move operations to the new Athlon XP 1800 system.
Update: All is well, and the SL2 MotherShip is back up on the new box. Enjoy!
Sunday, July 14th, 2002
Minor Modification - SL2 MotherShip at 09:48 ET by QAPete
I've removed the kick vote option from MapVote on the SL2 server, due to a few m0tards that insisted on kicking everyone that wasn't part of their group. It's a shame that people have to act like this.
In other news, I'm building a new 'puter. Here's the poop:
Athlon XP 1800
MSI KT333 Ultra motherboard
VisionTek GF4 Ti4600
1 GB RAM
350 watt mini-tower case
2 40 GB drives
Various other goodies
Total cost of the 'puter was about $520, plus the VideoTek card. I'd like to recommend Thompson's Computer Warehouse to you for your hardware needs. This place has always done right by me, and I have no reason to believe they would be any different with you. Right now, they have a US $3.95 FedEx three day shipping special, so if you order, say, a hard drive from them, it's only $3.95 to ship it to a US location. Not too shabby.
Sunday, July 7th, 2002
WebTourney at 10:35 ET by QAPete
BU's RaptoR and Team Fusion have come up with a great time-suck called WebTourney. WT is an online battle/trade game that pits you, your item choices and your map and strategy picks against other players. Set yourself up, choose and challenge an opponent. An email is sent to the opponent you've chosen and, once accepted, BeyondUnreal's servers take the variables selected and produces a winner.
We're closing in on 200 players who are helping Team Fusion beta test WebTourney. Join them, and see how addictive this web-based game can be!
Sunday, June 30th, 2002
Back From Vacation at 22:20 ET by QAPete
I just got back from a WONDERFUL vacation in the Pocono Mountains (yes, we capitalize both words here in Pennsylvania, USA), specifically from Lake Wallenpaupack, named after the Paupack Indians, who used to populate that area until the white man threw them out. It's a glorious place, one that me and the family visit every year at this time.
Basically, I caught a bunch of fish, ate some *really* good food, and drank a lot. Typical vacation stuff. Oh, and the mountain air seemed to do the wifey good too, if you know what I mean.
If you're interested, here are some lovely pics to enjoy:
Wednesday, May 22nd, 2002
New Sunday Lockdown Time at 21:42 ET by QAPete
The UTJB Sunday Lockdown time has been changed to Sundays at 7 PM GMT to better deal with Daylight Savings Time. Larrystorch has upgraded his UTJB III MotherShip server as well, and if last week's action was any indication, people are liking it! Do stop by - there's plenty of UTJB action to be had!
Saturday, May 11th, 2002
Yeah, It's Been Awhile at 23:20 ET by QAPete
....but you guys know why. We've launched the BeyondUnreal main page, and that's taken up a lot of my time. Still, there are some updates to be done around here, and I'm going to eventually get around to doing them. Yeah....that's right. Sure I am!
One thing I'll comment on now is a response to some questions I received about the Jailbreak and SL2 MotherShip servers. It's true, after UT 2003 comes out, people are going to want servers up ASAP, and these two servers are the ones we directly control, so they'll be UT 2003 servers as soon as we get our grubby paws on the game. That being said, if Jailbreak or 0fus come out with UT 2003 mod revisions, we'll be right back running those mods for you here.
Talk to you all soon, and please do check out the main page, if you haven't already. Type in a bad URL, let us know how you like our 404 page...
Monday, April 22nd, 2002
Barrysworld MotherShip IP Change at 22:54 ET by QAPete
Effective today, 4-22-02, the new Barrysworld MotherShip server IP is unreal://213.221.175.65:7790. Please update your favorites accordingly.
Sunday, April 21st, 2002
UTCMS Mapping Contest at 19:24 ET by QAPete
Our friend Varpu is holding a mapping contest at his site, which you can visit for more information.
Saturday, April 20th, 2002
Ludicrous Speed, Captain! at 17:01 ET by QAPete
We've gotten our bandwidth upgrade at BeyondUnreal, now at a mercury-like 1.5 mb/sec. This should improve both BU and server performance here at the home office.
Some other news: some folks have asked me if we're going to change the MotherShip servers to UT 2003 servers. Of course we are, and as soon as possible, but it's my hope that the mods that we host servers for will either run under UT 2003 or will be modified to do so. UT 2003 is looking to be something very cool, a significant jump in performance and detail from UT, and you can be sure we'll be here to host some servers!
Tuesday, April 16th, 2002
New BW Mothership IP at 07:24 ET by QAPete
Our friends at Barrysworld have changed IP addresses for a number of their fine Barryservers, including the BW MotherShip. The new IP for the BW MotherShip, effective April 22, 2002, is 213.221.175.65.
Friday, April 12th, 2002
Wiki Needz U! at 07:18 ET by QAPete
In case you didn't know, Unreal Wiki is a new hosted site on BeyondUnreal. What is Unreal Wiki? Well, it's an open-source, collaborative set of Unreal editing resource goodness that ANYONE can add to, change, etc., run by Mychaeel and Tarquin, but authored by many.
The Unreal Wiki could easily become an incredibly rich Unreal editing resource if you get involved adding content! Stop by Unreal Wiki, take a look around, read up on the ridiculously simple Wiki markup language that's used there, and contribute! This is a great time to get involved, with UT2003 coming out soon, so let's turn Unreal Wiki into the primary stop for everyone's Unreal editing needs!
Wednesday, April 10th, 2002
Jailbreak III Service Pack 1 at 06:47 ET by QAPete
Ok, I'm a little late with the news here, but the boyz at PlanetJailbreak have released the Jailbreak III Service Pack 1. It includes some bug fixes and a bunch of frequently requested new features such as optional numeric ping and play time display, a vastly faster server browser and a plain-text web admin interface variant.
You can read the list of changes, then head on over to download the UMOD Installer or the zip version from BeyondUnreal.
Saturday, April 6th, 2002
Some BU News at 20:42 ET by QAPete
Notice: since we're using newsPHP here now, any MotherShip Collective server admin that would like news posting access here should contact me. You can use our news here to help promote your MotherShip server!
I thought I'd take a little time and space here to update you guys on what's going on with BU.
Putting together a site like BU is a lot more complicated than throwing up a page like this one. BU itself can be expected to generate perhaps 18,000,000 page views a month, or about double what our top four sites, including the forums, generate now. So, off-the-shelf content management systems aren't going to work - it would be 'CPU death' to even consider them.
So, we have a custom solution, which has been created and is being tweaked out for our site design, which is also done. We also have to set up our own download mirrors, which we're working on. Unfortunately, some of these mirrors are plain difficult to work with in an automated fashion. Keep in mind that push-mirroring, which is what we're doing here, is something rather unique to BU. Most sites 'pull-mirror' on a schedule, where we can push files whenever we choose.
Nali City, which has been stagnant for about 6 months, is now finally getting the attention it needs. The entire subsystem for Nali City has to be rewritten in order for it to work here on BU (remember, NC was on .asps over at PlanetUnreal), and we have to work out things like how to do secure uploads. The new NC3 site design is done, and work is proceeding on the backend stuff. The new NC3 will also support UT 2003 and U2, as well as all future Unreal-engine goodness.
We have created and are running our own ad system. With this, we're using several different ad programs to generate enough revenue to pay for the operation of the site. This is important, as we do not intend to be another one of those failed dot.coms. To date, things are going rather well with the ads, and we continue to look at ad campaigns that will provide sufficient revenue, but not force you guys to have to deal with popups, popunders, superstitials or Giant Ad Banners of Death.
We'll have to bring over some old (but useful) content, and we're working on getting some new, exclusive content for our launch week. I'm not going to say more on this; I'd rather keep things a surprise.
The same people working on the content of the site are also working on maintaining the server, and providing services to hosted sites so they can run pretty much anything they need, short of .asps. Running everything on a 1.1 mb/sec line requires that we're very, very careful about how we do things.
We'll be upgrading to a full 1.5 mb/sec line before we launch. There's no doubt that we'll need the bandwidth. We're also looking at adding a db server to the site, offloading all the mysql processes to that server in an effort to spread out the CPU load and provide increased performance for the entire site.
So, what's this all mean? We are working very hard to be ready for launch before the UT 2003 demo comes out. Now, that's not a promise, as the all-volunteer staff at BU has RealLife issue to deal with as well, but it's our goal. Whether or not we achieve that goal, you can be sure we're going to keep at it, with the end result being that BeyondUnreal will be a daily stop for you.
Tuesday, April 2nd, 2002
April Fools! at 04:41 ET by QAPete
Ok, if you were gullable enough to download CTF-Imghey from PU, even - perhaps - waiting a good deal of time in the FileNazi line for it, you're not alone. Over 2000 downloads of this April Fools joke occurred. Too easy. I thought the 1337 screenshot would have clued more people in that it was just part of the festivities of the day.
You can go delete it from your hard drive now, and we'll just forget this little incident! ;-)
In a totally unrelated event, today is my 41st birthday. I celebrated in grand style, falling asleep last night at around 6:30 PM. I might *really* party tonite and do the same thing!
Monday, April 1st, 2002
Great New Map! at 07:28 ET by QAPete
Just when you thought UT was dead, a great new map makes its way to the forefront. Check out Lophead's review of CTF-Imghey, then run, don't walk, to download it here. Stunning!
Here's a snippet of Lophead's review, to whet your whistle:
As Ive already mentioned the eye candy is sweet as the easter chocolate you were probably eating yesterday. You wouldnt believe it but CTF-Imghey has only used default UT textures. You'd swear you'd never seen such glorious composition of colour. The textures however are nothing without the flawless lighting.
Sunday, March 31st, 2002
New News System at 01:10 ET by QAPete
I've finally decided I'd better start learning and using PHP, so as an easy first round of training, I've installed NewsPHP here on the site. What this means is, easier (and hopefully more frequent) site updates, and automatic archiving.
I'll also have to go through the rest of the site, adjusting links, cleaning things up and using includes instead of repeated text throughout. So, some links may not function while I get things straightened out. Please bear with me.
One MotherShip-related item - we've been trying to run the Barrysworld MotherShip on Lowgrav Instagib as much as possible, due to the high popularity of this mutator combination. Please enjoy it while it's here. I'm hopeful that, when UT 2003 comes out, we'll be able to garner ourselves a new UT 2003 server at Barrysworld.
UT Jailbreak III at 00:10 ET by QAPete
That's right, uh-huh! UTJB III is alive and well over at PlanetJailbreak, where you can download all of the goodness you need to play on the Jailbreak MotherShip and other UTJB III servers. Early feedback about the mod is great, with accolades like 'polished', 'slick' and 'awesome'! Don't be the last to get in on the fun, stop over at PlanetJailbreak and download it today!
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