JULY 1999 NEWS

July 30, 1999 A.D.

UK PC Gamer Review   -Arc [11:52 AM CDT]
TiberiumSun.com has re-created the entire UK PC Gamer review of Tiberian Sun online for us. In accordance with their wishes, I will link to their site and not the review itself.

Brett Sperry   -Arc [11:45 AM CDT]
In a follow-up to the last post I made, Brett Sperry is also on of The World's 25 Greatest Gamemakers. It has a background of Westwood and a bit about Sperry. Here's an excerpt:

"The success of Dune II paved the way for the game that would propel Westwood into the big leagues - Command & Conquer. 'Halfway through Dune II, we knew there was a lot we weren't going to have time to fit into the game, so we put all those ideas into Command & Conquer. In the end, it was one of the few games I've made where literally everything I wanted in the game is in the game - and we managed to sell a few copies.'"

July 27, 1999 A.D.

Erik Yeo   -Arc [4:47 PM CDT]
Volume 6 Number 9 of PC Gamer contains "The World's 25 Greatest Gamemakers". Erik Yeo, formerly of Westwood, (known as "Mister Command & Conquer" according to PC Gamer,) is within this list. The article (p.58) tells a bit about his history in gaming and his future plans. Here's a short excerpt:

"I was hooked; it became a full-blown lifestyle. I was lucky, though - my parents supported my habit, so I didn't have to turn to a life of crime."

July 25, 1999 A.D.

Life of a GDI Soldier   -Arc [2:49 PM CDT]
Bounty of BG:TS has written a humorous story of the life of a GDI Soldier. Click here to read it.

The Red Alert Unit Creator   -Arc [2:43 PM CDT]
My affiliate Red October asked me to post this.

The Red Alert Unit Creator (TUC) has made a come back! After a long period of absence. This editor that once was at the TRANS, which had to be registered for 10$. But Now, Download the TUC for FREE from the Red October's Red Alert Site with all the bells and whistles (Building, Units and Projectiles Red Alert Libraries, *.RAL files) for FREE at NO ADDITIONAL cost. With the TUC you can edit everything in Red Alert! Create new Units or buildings with awesome graphic! It's very simple to use: You've just got to open a Red Alert Library File, RAL in short, Drag&Drop the new Unit Graphic you'd like and compile! TATAA! Your self-made unit / building is ready. Further you're even able to change the look of the weapons. The BIG difference between the Red Alert Unit Creator and other Rules.Ini editors out there is that with TUC you're able to change the look of Red Alert. TUC comes with many ready-to-use graphics of new units, buildings and projectiles.

July 23, 1999 A.D.

The Book of Nod   -Arc [10:21 PM CDT]
BG:TS has discovered The Book of Nod, a fictional book by Sam Chupp, which has many "similarities" to C&C (e.g. Caine = Kane). Every review of this book has given it a perfect score. If you're interested in scary tales relating to vampires and whatnot you can buy the book from Amazon.com here for a price of only $8.76.

Top 10 Villains   -Arc [1:09 PM CDT]
Gamespot has released its "Ten Best Computer Game Villains" List. Of course, Kane of Nod has made this list! You can read the Intro, or just go straight to Kane's page. Here's a sample of what they say about him:

"He doesn't have flesh-ripping hooks for arms; he doesn't breathe fire; he doesn't howl at the full moon; he doesn't slobber acidic saliva. And yet, Command & Conquer's archvillain is one of the most vile characters you'll ever butt heads with in any PC game."

Gamers Gateway TS Preview   -Arc [1:05 PM CDT]
I don't usually post TS stuff unless it's related to the original C&C. The opening paragraph says some great things about C&C, so I thought I'd quote it.

"For nearly five years, the Command & Conquer (C&C) community has waited, but the wait is coming to a close. In 1995, Westwood Studios introduced Command & Conquer 1 (Tiberian Dawn) to the world. It was a huge hit and even made it into the Guiness Book of World Records. But when everyone finished the game, they wanted more. Why you might ask, well it was because they were given a relatively short glimpse at the next game to come - Tiberian Sun. A prototype mech walked through a base searching and destroying a hummer. It was really not very exciting, but it excited those who saw it. They wanted to know what was to happen to the Global Defense Initiative (GDI - the good guys) and the Brotherhood of Nod (Nod - the bad guys), and what that bizarre resource known as tiberium was. Then, Westwood announced that they would be launching their next C&C game, and everyone rejoiced at the thought, but there was no tiberium, GDI, or Nod (although Kane, who is the leader of Nod was in the game). They rejoiced at having a new, more enhanced C&C game, but it wasn't Tiberian Sun. In almost a months time, the sun will rise for everyone's enjoyment, and it will refresh the C&C series with new possiblities and adventures."

If you want to read the review, go here.

Hostile Takeover   -Arc [12:57 PM CDT]
As you know by now, the Nod site is up as a result of a diverted transmission. Go look at http://www.tiberiansun.com. Enjoy the Westwood propaganda.

Reditus   -Arc [12:54 PM CDT]
I had a very important and busy week which prevented me from concentrating on this site. Now I'm ready to get back to work!

July 22, 1999 A.D.

Owned   -Arc [4:31 PM CDT]

July 19, 1999 A.D.

Another New C&C 64 Review   -Arc [2:50 PM CDT]
Volume 122 of Nintendo Power contains a review of C&C 64. The full review:

Graphics: Westwood Studios did a bang-up job of revamping Command & Conquer as a 3-D game. Both medium and high-res modes produce crisp, detailed images. Even the small infantry units employ realistic animations. Special attention was also given to special effects, such as explosions and scorched earth.
Play Control: In C&C, most activities are selected using the cursor, Control Stick and the A button. Players can customize cursor speed and set up four teams for quick recall on the C buttons.
Game Design: Playing as either the GDI or Nod commander, players control troops and resources while trying to meet mission objectives. The branching mission structure creates many different routes in the game.
Satisfaction: The replay value of C&C is almost beyond belief, but even casual players will enjoy the action. The fact that you can save your progress in the heat of battle is a big plus.
Sound: The music, voices, explosions, and mission briefings all add immeasurably to the feeling of reality.
Comments: Scott - N64 gamers who missed out on this genre may be amazed by the depth and intensity of C&C. Nate - It could suffer from not having a multiplayer mode. Erich - The game is true to the original, but the 3-D graphics are better. Henry - It's very strategic and has tons of depth.

Graphics: 7.4, Play Control 7.9, Game Design 8.3, Satisfaction 8.2, Sound 8.0.

OVERALL RATING: 8.0

July 18, 1999 A.D.

New C&C 64 Review   -Arc [12:07 PM CDT]
Thanks to Eric Blum, there is a new C&C 64 Review at VideoGameReview.Com Eric's ratings: Overall 4/5, Gameplay 4/5, Graphics 4/5, and Sound 4/5. This review brings the average score of all reviews to a 3.33/5. If you've played C&C for N64 and enjoyed it, please help raise this rating. Or if you just want to read the 3 reviews go here.

All This Access Code Silliness   -Arc [11:56 AM CDT]
First, PlanetC&C reported, "Titanx informed me of a startling discovery, he found what very well maybe a lead to one of the passwords! If you look at the login page, it says ACCESS CODE in really weird writing. But if you look at it BACKWARDS, it says BOOC SEEDA. Now, switch the words around and it says SEEDA BOOK. See The Book! Could this mean the morse code in the RA Manual? Well, go and find out! Here is the NOD Site." Then Dave sent TumSum.com the following: "Okay, sorry to burst your bubble but it is highly unlikely that the words "ACCESS CODE" can be reversed to form the word "SEEDA BOOC". First of all, when you reverse it, it is BDOC SSEDDA, not SEEDA BOOC. Also, whoever discovered the "SEEDA BOOC" phrase, interpreted the "E" in the word "CODE" as a B because of the font that Westwood had used. Otherwise, it would be EOOC instead of BOOC, right? If this was correct, then why had the person not done the same for the word "ACCESS"? If E = B, then the proper sentence would read: BDOC SSBDDA." My view? People are looking too deep. It's a simple mathematic property called the reflexive property. A = A. 1 = 1. Access Code = Access Code. The obvious is being overlooked.

Nod Site Discovered?   -Arc [11:48 AM CDT]
More from TiberianSun.net.nz. Jaguar states, "Well people, tell the world, the Nod site has been found, but not by me, but by someone who wishes to remain anonymous for certain reasons. I can assure you, this is the truth, it has been seen, but he got in through a "back door", so he doesn't know the password, but he tells me it's a lot like the GDI site, only waaaay dressier. He also said he had trouble navigating the site, so it may not be fully operational yet...but it did contain Nod units and stuff just like the GDI site. That's all I know right now." Although he can assure us "this is the truth", I do not believe so. 1.) Why doesn't he take a screenshot of the site? 2.) Why would he remain anonymous instead of taking the credit? 3.) A "back door" is a great cover-up because, just like the rest of us, he doesn't know the password. 4.) Most people assume the Nod site is like the GDI site, and probably not finished. Easy to say it is true because most people will believe it. Same with the back-door theory. 5.) Jaguar is going entirely on hearsay. He can not assure the truth just because someone told him something without any evidence at all.

EB Confirms TS Release Date   -Arc [11:45 AM CDT]
This was delivered to TSU by Scorcher5. "I went to EB the other day wondering when the most anticipated game of the century (Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun) is coming out and he gave me a bunch of information. Here it is: Westwood sent E.B. the release date of August 27, 1999. They told them that it had been getting changed so much because they think the game is going to be such a hit and they want a WORLD release date. So supposedly the WORLD will see C&C: TS on August 27, 1999. But then again, they have changed it so much who knows."

Jaguar's Questions   -Arc [11:37 AM CDT]
Jaguar from TiberianSun.net.nz had 2 questions for Aaron. "What unit has the longest range of sight? (as in uncovering previously unexplored areas of the map)?" Aaron replied, "Sensor array." The other question was, "What types of walls will be available?" Aaron stated, "Laser, concrete, Firestorm." Interesting. Good questions Jaguar.

IanRules's Questions   -Arc [11:21 AM CDT]
IanRules asked Aaron, "In the first C&C I was always frustrated by the stupidity of harvesters. They would wander half way accross the map, and then start harvesting, or if the path was blocked they would turn around and try to go in a complete circle to get around. What improvements have been made to increase the intelligence level of the harvester?" Aaron's reply was, "We've worked pretty hard on that. I think you'll see an improvement." I hope so. I've had Tiberium literally bordering my Refinery and the Harvester travelled across the map near the enemy base! Also, "Do stealth tanks become uncloaked when they are near a communications center or when they are next to infantry (like they did in the first C&C), and are there any other things that will cause them to decloak?" Aaron remarked, "They uncloak when near infantry and when firing." Finally, "In Tiberian Dawn I noticed that the AI's silos would be completely empty, and then they got one load of tiberium and the silos would fill up again (in other words they got 10 times more money then they were supposed to). Does the compuer "cheat" in this way in Tiberian Sun also?" Aaron's comment was "The computer doesn't cheat in TSun, and I'm told it wasn't really cheating C&C. It was a bug with the silo anim."

July 16, 1999 A.D.

The Obelisk of the Future   -Arc [7:28 PM CDT]
The Obelisk is moving along very nicely compared to what it looked like less than a month ago. (Take a look at http://www.black-hole.com/users/anarch/obelisk/indexreal.html). The Storyline is next in line, followed by either Downloads or Strategies. Maps and Missions are going to take an extremely long amount of time. Awards will be last. Afterwards, the News will be focused on, Screenshots, Saved Games, and other sections will be updated frequently, and new sections will be created.

Figurines   -Arc [7:25 PM CDT]
Virtual Ted also was questioned by KEFKane, "Can people who preordered the Platimun verion of TS be able to choose a box that has a GDI or NOD figurine, or will it have to be at random?". Ted's reply, unfortunately, was "Selected at random I believe. There's no way to tell which figurine is in each box until you open it."

The Infamous Nod Page   -Arc [7:21 PM CDT]
This just in from Virtual Ted. "Regardless of your promises not to let anyone else know, the NOD site password is being kept secret - unless someone figures it out. Yes, there is something there." Indeed, it does have a purpose. He added, "I'm sure someone will figure it out soon..."

C&C N64 Review (Again)   -Arc [7:11 PM CDT]
About two weeks ago I mentioned this site for C&C64 Reviews, but at the time none had been submitted. Now I went back and there are two user-submitted reviews. One person hated it and one loved it. If you've played it, go submit a review so everyone can benefit.

Westwood Poll   -Arc [7:09 PM CDT]
The Westwood Poll has changed to "KANE just called and asked you to join NOD. What do you say?". Make sure you go here and vote for "Where do I sign?". (Which is currently winning BTW).

News Shift   -Arc [6:55 PM CDT]
News has moved to the front page where it belongs. Old News can now be reached from the Sidebar.

July 14, 1999 A.D.

Arcs and Conservations   -Arc [3:07 PM CDT]
Oh my, quite some time without an update. I've been rather engaged lately and could not refurbish the site. one reason is I was creating the Save Games by actually playing the game. The other reasons are irrelevant. Enjoy the unfinished Save Games I'll add later today (when i finish zipping them and uploading).

Meaningless Page?   -Arc [3:13 PM CDT]
Examine http://www.westwood.com/games/ccuniverse/tiberiansun/NOD/. Is it meaningless? Virtual Ted says "The NOD site is simply "there". You may do with it as you please." They are still working on it, so I hear, but it just doesn't make sense to upload part of the site designed to trick people into trying to guess the access code. Why not upload the full site when it's ready? (I know..I'm a hypocrite. But I'm just one man. And the site isn't "open" officially.) Werd.

July 11, 1999 A.D.

Tidings   -Arc [1:24 PM CDT]
Although I try to dispatch news regarding the original C&C, this is not a "news site" (yet...). Despite the fact that I'm getting about 20 hits a day and no one is thinking about using the MB, Poll, or Guestbook, this site hasn't even been completed yet. The only search engine that will list The Obelisk right now is Yep.com. Once all the other sections are up I will have a grand opening type event. Thanks to Planet CnC for the hosting even when the site wasn't ready. Anyway, the Multiplay Services are redone, meaning all pages that are going to be revamped have already been completed. Now it's a matter of completing the last sections, and then I can spend much more time on news and other cool stuff, like prizes or whatever.

Sincerely, -TN-Arc, Webmaster

July 9, 1999 A.D.

V-T Day   -Arc [4:26 PM CDT]
Victory over Tables Day! ALL of the old tables are now gone. Once I redo the Multiplay Services, I can finally work on more of the new sections, id est Save Games and Downloads.

Nothing   -Arc [4:26 PM CDT]
The is no news related to the original C&C. =( Non related, My TF clan is in the TFCL Final Four. Yay.

July 7, 1999 A.D.

Suikoden Reference   -Arc [3:02 PM CDT]
Did you enjoy that update yesterday? It's basically Suikoden's story. I worked all day on The Obelisk yesterday, replacing the old yucky tables with modern colourful ones. I also added the Construction Tools and Text Files. The only pages that still have the old tables currently are Multiplay Services and Top Games. This will be corrected by the end of the day (hopefully).

RPG Planet Opens   -Arc [3:06 PM CDT]
A new member of the Gamespy Network is here, RPG Planet! RPGs totally own. FF1 forever!!!

Additional C&C Reviews   -Arc [3:13 PM CDT]

Battlegrounds: TS Review: Impressions of the game.

July 6, 1999 A.D.

Liberation   -Arc [4:28 PM CDT]
The wrath of the Imperial Tables has fallen! The Red and Black Liberation Tables have seized control of the C&C Series, Comparison, the newly formed city of Construction Tools, Editors, Leagues, and Patches. The neutral cities of Links and Screenshots will soon be captured. The Imperial Tables are still holding at Multiplay Services and Top Games, but the capital Units is falling as I compose.

July 5, 1999 A.D.

Updates   -Arc [9:14 PM CDT]
Construction Tools delayed! Sorry. However, some Links have been added, and I joined another Web Ring.

C&C Movie News   -Arc [1:46 PM CDT]
From Aaron:
"The deal is that we're talking with several studios. If it's sold, then the studio would be doing most of the production, which means the script writing, casting, etc. We're basically just handing over a setting, a deep back story, some well developed characters and a fan base of millions."
-Source: Planet C&C

Commando Contest   -Arc [1:46 PM CDT]
RSN is holding a "Design Your Own Commando" contest. Basically you design a commando that you think should have been featured in TS. Detailed instructions can be found here. There will be a prize to be announced at a later date.

Werd   -Arc [1:46 PM CDT]
While searching for Reviews I found this happy little article.

Yesterday I busy celebrating the independence of the United States instead of updating.

Vote in the Poll!

*cough* *cough* *cough*

July 3, 1999 A.D.

Updates
I'm preparing the Constuction Tools, they won't be up until tomorrow though probably. Text Files coming soon.

Westwood C&C 3D Site
Westwood has created its website for the N64 version of Command & Conquer. It has nice looking graphics, (the entire site is graphics, no text), but very little information on the game. Click here for the site.

C&C64 Reviews