Saturday, January 29, 2000
MPG - Final News - Brian
Alright, the final post regarding the MPG. You can now access it either by subdomain or folder. IE: Both http://www.massassi.net/mpg/ and http://mpg.massassi.net/ should work. If you have problems with one, try the other... If you have problems with BOTH, then email me. Again, I apologize for all the problems, but I think they're cleared up now.
MPG: http://www.massassi.net/mpg/ - Brian
I'm very sorry for the problems people have been having accessing the MPG. Please try the new address, and if you have problems accessing this one, please email me. The new address is: http://www.massassi.net/mpg/.
Problems with Subdomains? - Brian
Many, many people have been having problems accessing sections of our site that are under a subdomain (IE: http://somthing.massassi.net/). I am in the process of moving all our subdomains over to more conventional address (http://www.massassi.net/something/). First will be MPG, and I will announce the completion of the move shortly. I apologize for the inconvenience.
The Massassi Players Group! - Brian
Talk about a killer news day today! First we get Ryan's KILLER sp level (trust me, I've been beta testing it for about a year now), and now something for the MP fanatics out there. I am very pleased to announce the release of the Massassi Players Group (http://mpg.massassi.net). What is this thing you've been hearing so much about for the past few weeks?

The Massassi Players Group is a place for JK and MotS players to get together and play MP games without visiting the Zone. We have completely streamlined the registration process and made it easy for everyone to know exactly which mods to download. This way, everyone has the same mods, and nobody is left downloading while everyone else is playing. Just login, download the mods, and get playing!

We support two types of games. The first is a master ICQ list of everyone who wants to play. When you're ready to play a game, just send a message to the list announcing your game, and everyone has the option to join. Secondly, we have our dynamic IP Board. This IP Board allows you to go in, select the addons you are hosting, select the amount of time you estimate the game will be up, and post the game. Anyone browsing for a game can visit the IP Board, get a list of addons that are activated in that game, and join.

All it takes is a simple registration. Details (as well as our privacy policy) can be found over on the MPG main page.

We have also just created a new forum (over on the Massassi Forum System for MPG related discussion. Please visit the site and let us know what you think!
LOTW - Slug
I know you guys have got to be sick of hearing about this level (There have been what, 4 posts about it now?), but I can't say enough about it. It is truly an amazing testament to what editors can do with this game. My hat's off to Ryan, and I thank him for giving us such a brilliant and fun level.
Imperial Siege Zip Fixed - Ryan
As Slug mentioned below, the Imperial Siege on Derra IV zip was corrupted this morning. Have no fear, however. The zip file has been repaired for your downloading enjoyment. Sorry for any inconvenience! (Download @ TACC)
New JK Single Player Level: Imperial Siege On Derra IV - Slug
File: Imperial Siege On Derra IV
Author: Ryan Bickhart
Screenshots: Screenshot 1, Screenshot 2
Description: In the years following the Battle of Endor and the destruction of the Second Death Star, many systems throughout the galaxy began to break away from Imperial rule. Consequently, Imperial military garrisons were established on many Core and Rim worlds to maintain Imperial order. However, unrest is brewing beneath the tight grasp of Imperial power. Many Core systems have already proclaimed full support for the New Republic and the Empire is hard pressed to keep even insignificant Rim worlds under its command. Many garrisoned systems everywhere wish to declare neutrality, or even to join the strengthening New Republic, but will not for fear of retribution. The planet Derra IV is on the edge of uprising. If the System Command Center, the key to Imperial defense and planning, were to be neutralized, a small force of New Republic troops could sweep the disorganized Imperials and regain control of the planet. Intelligence has reported the site of this command and communication center to be inside the bulwark of Imperial defenses - the impenetrable Fortress of Derra IV. Your mission is simple. Breach Imperial security, neutralize defenses such as TIE Fighters and ground-based shields, and disable the communications network to prevent reinforcements from being summoned. After the path is clear for the incoming New Republic troop transports, get out before the Imperials know what hit them.
The LOTW - Slug
Well, today's the day - I'm updating the Level Of The Week. Er, as soon as Ryan gets a working .zip of his level up, that is.. I beta tested it, and it's honestly the best user made sp level I've ever played. It rivals some of LEC's stuff.. Flawless architecture, and brilliant texturing..
Imperial Siege on Derra IV @ TACC - Ryan
The Admiral's Command Chamber has been updated with a new Jedi Knight single player level entitled "Imperial Siege on Derra IV." As many of you probably know, this is my own level, which has been just under two years in the making. Anyway, screenshots and plot information (as well as the all-important download) are available over at the site, so feel free to head over there for your daily dose of SP goodness.
Millennium Updates - blujay
Hideki has updated Millennium again. This time he has answers to last week's cog quiz, the new quiz for this week, and a new poll on the frequency of cog quizzes.
New Reviews @ Hyperview - blujay
Hyperview has posted a new review of the JK MP level The Matrix. They are also looking for people to help out on the site, so if you're interested, check it out, you could end up helping out at one of the longest-lived JK sites in the community.
MPG Delayed for a Day - Brian
I wanted to have the MPG released this morning, but I ran into a hitch with javascript (I know HTML, Perl, PHP, MySQL, some Pascal and some Delphi, and javascript was Greek to me!). I did get it figured out, but it took me a lot longer than I expected. I hope to finish programming the final tidbits this afternoon and release tomorrow. Don't know what MPG is? You should visit the forums more often!
Friday, January 28, 2000
New JK/MotS 3do: ap_mwch1.zip- Staff
Download: ap_mwch1.zip
Author: KOP_blujay
View: Screenshot
Description: A modern-day wood chair. Would look good in any office, restaurant, house, etc. setting. Detailed legs and armrests, well-textured, and perfectly scaled to fit Kyle. Uses standard mats and the dflt.cmp colormap.
New Level Features @ TACC - Ryan
The Admiral's Command Chamber has updated with two new level features for your viewing enjoyment. Both levels have some pretty nice screenshots along with background and status information, so be sure to take a look. A new interview should be posted tomorrow, so feel free to drop by the site to check that out as well.
Problems with Staff Address and Attachments - blujay
I've been noticing some problems with the staff@massassi.net address's handling of attachments. So if you send an e-mail with an attachment to that address and don't get a response in a few days, send it to one of the individual staff member addresses. If you still don't get a response, e-mail us without an attachment and tell us. We'll try to get this sorted out. Thanks.
Thursday, January 27, 2000
JK Screensaver Project Back on Track - Kedri
Whoops. This e-mail came in nearly two weeks ago and drifted out of my inbox and into oblivion. It almost happened again. Many thanks to Mike Starr for re-sending the info. Check it out:
Ladies and gentlemen, the Jedi Knight Screensaver project is now active once again! You can now send your entries to the e-mail address JKScreensaver@hotmail.com.

Due to the delay, the deadline is now the end of February, and I will still accept post-deadline entries as long as they keep coming. Don't forget to include your name and any other info you want included with your pics, like "Stormtrooper Slaughter by Ninja Monkey". Also, convert the file from PCX to BMP or JPG/JPEG if you can, if not I'll try to do it.

A few tips for picture taking: turn off the crosshair and HUD, and cover up the "Screenshot Taken" words if you can. They make for a more professional-looking pic. Also, when you stand still the camera rotates around you. Experiment with it. If you can, make it a group effort. Get some friends together for some interesting multiplayer pics. Finally, doctored pics are accepted and encouraged. Jerec in a tutu? Kell Dragons doing the macarena? Send it in!
Wednesday, January 26, 2000
Millennium Updates - blujay
Hideki says that Millennium has added a modification collection page where he will gather and list all mods available. He's just opening it so it won't have much yet, but he'll gradually list them in several ways of categorizing.
Glowblades Updates - blujay
Dark Shadow has updated his Glowblades 3D site with some new versions. They look pretty good, so go check 'em out.
Monolith 3D Interview with Alan Willard - blujay
Monolithic Illusionshas just posted an interview with Epic Games' level designer, Alan Willard. He's the man responsible for the Unreal Tournament maps, Liandri, Coret, Niven, Rook, Gharden, Olden, Cryptic, Lament, Stalwart, StalwartXL, and Zeto. The discussion ranges from how he started work at Epic to his predictions for the future. You can read it all here.
JK Archives Moves - blujay
Sauron sends word that the Jedi Knight Archives has moved to http://jkarchives.jedikc.com/. He also would like to thank Jedinights for hosting them for a period.
Depot Updates - blujay
Dragonfly sent this in:
After a long pause (sorry for that), the JK Depot has finally updated. We have added a new poll asking which pet is best, and released the results of our past poll. See our site for the info. We have also updated the mailbag and added a new topic. This week's topic is "What do you like to do for fun besides playing/editing JK?" and you can send all mail to extrasbag@hotmail.com. We also have about three guides and an interview on the way.
Fett's list updates - EvanC
There is a new biography up at Fett's list. If you haven't visited the site in a while there have been a few recent biography submissions which you might like to take a read through.
Alert Red Review @ TACC - Ryan
The Admiral's Command Chamber has updated with a new review of "Alert Red." In addition to a several more reviews that should be posted soon, the screenshot contest is almost ready to go. More information about the contest and rules should be released this weekend. In the meantime, two sample screenshots have been posted at the site, so feel free to check them out and see if you can name the titles of the levels pictured.
Most Promising New Developer - Brian
Gamespot posted an article (and is running a poll) on the most promising game developers. In the running are Nihilistic software and Infinite Machine, both formed by former employees of Lucasarts. Anyway, give the article a read and vote for Nihilistic! Thanks PlanetVampire.
Game Design Article - Brian
Jedi Legacy announced that Loony Games has released an article entitled Tell Me a Story. Here's a quote/description of the article...
In this article we’ll take a look at story development in several top-notch games, and talk to the industry giants behind them: Marc Laidlaw of Valve Software (Half-Life), Justin Chin of Infinite Machine (Jedi Knight while with LucasArts), and Tim Schafer, formerly of LucasArts (Grim Fandango).
I love reading through these types of articles... Thanks JL.
Hyperview Reviews - Brian
Hyperview has posted 2 new reviews... The Dihnari Book and Confusion.
Tuesday, January 25, 2000
Darkjedi Screensaver - Staff
Ugg_Boot from over at the Code Alliance sent us a Jedi Knight Screensaver. Here's the description:
Here's the perfect accessory to your modern Jedi Knight lifestyle, the new DarkJedi Screen Saver (147kb) It's only a version 0.1 beta, so it's a bit rough, and you may have trouble with it. If so, please write and tell me about it. Hopefully, any problems will be fixed as I learn more about these fiendish things!
Tosche Reviews - Brian
Tosche Station posted 2 new reviews: Madd's Inn and Morpheus.
Forums - Brian
If you're having problems accessing the forums via the IP address, please mail me and we will try to get it figured out. Just click forums on the sidebar...
Etc. - Brian
The long awaited Massassi Players Group is *almost* done. I think another day or two of programming, then some more testing, and we should release this weekend.
Monday, January 24, 2000
Forums Switched to IP Address - Brian
Due to an increasing number of complaints about our forums subdomain, we have moved the forums back to the IP address. Hopefully everyone can now access the forums. To visit the forums, please use the link on the sidebar, or go here: http://198.92.131.6/. Hopefully this and all our other server problems will go away once the forums are moved to the UGO servers.
New Review @ TACC - Ryan
The Admiral's Command Chamber has updated with a new review of "Abilities of the Empire 2." Several other reviews are underway, so be sure to drop by the site for your daily dose of single player goodness.
Home Networking - Brian
Our network hardware site, Hardnews.org, announced that digital clips have posted a Home Networking Guide. This article (you guessed it) discusses how to set up a network for (among other things) gaming.
JK Beta Testing Group Openings - Brian
Our hosted site, The Jedi Knight Beta Testing Group, has openings. If you play a lot of levels, and want to test addons that are in "beta" stage (pre-release), go apply!
SavageX Screenshots - Brian
SavageX's Command Center has posted some screenshots of SavageX's MP level, The Mucky Sewers. Like all his work, this level is looking great.
Etc. - Brian
I would like to wish everyone luck on the level contest! Last time we ended up with a ton of great levels, and after seeing the stuff that's been released SINCE then, I have the feeling that this one will be a lot better. I'm trying to get Kiramin to work on a level (he's the guy who did Wayrest Landing in the last pack), but he's busy with other stuff, so I don't know if it will happen.

In other happenings, I have my system tuned and ready to go again. I installed a new HD (my 8.4Gig filled up) and it pretty much went without a hitch. I had an old PCI graphics card and an extra 15" monitor, so I gave Windows 98's Multi-Monitor support a try. It's actually a very cool thing. You can hook up two monitors to one computer, and it just extends your desktop. It's now very easy for me to test out our pages in 800x600 and higher resolutions - I just open IE or Netscape on the smaller monitor.
Help Me Want Ads - Brian
Our hosted classifieds site, Help Me, has been pumping out the classifieds. Remember, if you want to jump into a project, go over there and offer some help. If you need some help, it's the place to ask. Recent submissions? King of the Hill cogging and reviewing help over at Absolute Jedi.
Reviews - Brian
A bunch of review sites have been pumping out the reviews lately. Be sure to check Hyperview, Absolute Jedi, and Command Chamber. You may think I left out Tosche Station, but I couldn't get the page to load for some reason...
Official Contest Rules - Slug
For those of you with questions about the contest, the official rules have arrived. They're fairly straight forward, but if you have any questions, feel free to send an email our way at staff@massassi.net. The deadline is tentatively set at February 29th - It'll give you guys a little over a month to work.. Comments on the deadline? Click here.
Sunday, January 23, 2000
New JK Multiplayer Level: The Scither Templer - Slug
File: The Scither Templer
Author: Xaem
Screenshots: No Screenshots
Description: A small saber or gun dueling arena made for NF... But you can use force if desired. Have a fun frag fest at the Scither Temple, or better yet, train your clan! All comments/questions can be e-mailed to me. -XAEM
New MotS Multiplayer Level: Cargo Ferry - Slug
File: Cargo Ferry
Author: RED_XIIII
Screenshots: Screenshot 1, Screenshot 2
Description: This level is the inside of a cargoferry based enitrely for deathmatch play. well it would have to be you know how small a cargo ferry is.. Anyway Framerates on this level are always around 60 on my P2 333 excellent!
New JK Multiplayer Level: Asteroid Arena - Slug
File: Asteroid Arena
Author: Jedi_Lord_Dhi
Screenshots: No Screenshots
Description: This is a big level for 4 players at least(in my opinion) in an asteroid near of the Tattoine moon when you have inside the asteroid an arena with many guns and boxes.This is level is a "hide-shoot" level and it makes the level interesting because i didn't find any level with this style,hide in the boxes,and pursue your enemies.It is my first level,but i hope you have fun with it!
New MotS Multiplayer Level: Mantis's HideOut - Slug
File: Mantis's HideOut
Author: Mantis_OTNJC
Screenshots: Screenshot 1, Screenshot 2
Description: A good little level, lots of hidden areas and very cool. It is basicly the hidden lair of Mantis the greatest killer alive. Has all the weapons, a few cool traps, and lots, lots more. Good snipering level, also good for gunz/sabers FF or NF.
New MotS Multiplayer Level: Prison Ship Docking Bay - Slug
File: Prison Ship Docking Bay
Author: HolocronKeeper
Screenshots: Screenshot 1, Screenshot 2
Description: This is a smallish multiplayer level set in and around the docking bay of a prisoner transport. It consists of a docking bay - converted for fighter support, prisoner holding cells, a control room, and a few other areas. There are internal defences and atmosphere fields in place, making a wrong move a dangerous thing. This level is intended for 2-4 players. Well placed weapons and powerups make for fast play. My first multiplayer level.
The Level Contest - Slug
The late, ill-fated contest has finally arrived.. We've been debating about whether or not it should be CTF, and finally, we've decided on "No".. If you guys want a CTF contest, give us some emails, and if the response is strong enough, the next time we have a contest, it'll be CTF.. For now, grab your cleaving tools, and get to work on a JK death match map. Same rules as last time, so if you remember them - Great - If not, just wait and I'll dig up the rules and post them again.. Thanks for being patient guys.