Es ist bald Patch Zeit! Die Spielewelt in World of Warcraft steht kurz vor der Zerstörung von Deathwing und das leitet schonmal die Grundlage für das nächste Addon World of Warcraft: Cataclysm ein.

Zusätzlich werden noch die neuen Anfangsgebiete der Goblins und Worgen eingefügt. Richtige WoW Nerds, schauen natürlich direkt bei Blizzard nach.

Noch lange bevor im Winter 2010 mit Napoleon: Total War ein Standalone Addon zu Empire: Total War erscheinen darf, gibt es mit The Warpath Campaign schon im Oktober neuen DLC, der um knappe 7 €ugen eine neue Nordamerikakampagne, 5 neue native Amerikanerfraktion (political correctness skill increased, baby), namentlich Irokesen, Cherokee, Huron, Plains und Pueblo sowie einen neuen Tech Tree mit sich bringt.

Derweil wird das Spiel morgen auch auf Version 1.4 gepatcht, was auch für nicht-DLC-Käufer, ein paar “minor issues” fixt und zwei neue historische Schlachten (Battle of Rossbach & Battle of Fontenoy) hinzufügt. Den Press-Release haben die Indianer (da is sie wieder weg die pc) hinter dem großen Fluss versteckt.

EMPIRE: TOTAL WAR EXPANDS

Update 1.4 Out Tuesday, The Warpath Campaign Out October 2009

LONDON (21st September, 2009) – SEGA® Europe Ltd. and The Creative Assembly today announce that Empire: Total War™ expands with The Warpath Campaign. This expansion pack will be exclusively available through Steam™ in October 2009.
Empire: Total War – The Warpath Campaign adds a new detailed North American campaign map to expand the Empire: Total War experience. In addition to this, The Warpath Campaign also adds 5 brand new American Indian factions, the Iroquois, Huron, Plains, Pueblo and Cherokee tribes. The new playable factions will battle the invaders in the Warpath Campaign, and are also playable in multiplayer battles. A new technology tree, with 18 tribal technologies, will only be available to these new factions, as well as 2 new agent types, namely the mystical Shaman and the cunning Scout. These new factions will also have their own unique Elite Units.
The all new update 1.4, which is out on Tuesday September 22nd, fixes some minor issues with Empire: Total War, as well as adding 2 brand new historical battles: the Battle of Rossbach and the Battle of Fontenoy. Both battles are available in single player and multi player and are completely free.
“To further iterate our support for Empire: Total War, we’re happy to announce The Warpath Campaign” says Mike Simpson, Creative Director at the Creative Assembly, “With brand new factions, a full new campaign map to play through and changes to the technology tree, this is the definitive Empire: Total War experience.”
Empire: Total War is set in the 18th century, a turbulent era that is the most requested by Total War’s loyal fan base and a period alive with global conflict, revolutionary fervour and technological advances. Empire: Total War was released on the 6th of March 2009 and will expand this October with The Warpath Campaign.

Also, “wieder” Klasse.. denn die Classless Update Days sind vorbei.
Die Updates brachten gleich einige neue Maps, einen neuen Spielmodus, viele Changes und Fixes und eine Unmenge an Hüten.

Eine komplette Liste an Neuerungen findet Ihr nach dem Sprung.

New Content:

* Added King Of The Hill game mode.
* Added custom animations played by the losing team during the post-win state. They are moved into third person camera to enjoy them.
* Added lots of new hats.
* Added koth_Viaduct.
* Added ctf_Sawmill
* Added community map Arena_Offblast
* Added community map Cp_Yukon

Additions / Changes:

* Added “Auto Reload” option to the multiplayer advanced options.
* Clip-based weapons that reload a full clip at a time can now have their reloads aborted by firing.
* Pistol now fires at a fixed rate, not based on the speed at which you press the firing button.
* Added a color blind option to add a Jarate icon above enemies who are busy accepting a terrifying existence where they have no dignity.
* Significantly reduced the amount of network traffic being sent.
* Capturing the flag in a CTF game mode gives the entire capturing team 10 seconds of critboost.
* Sappers attached to a teleporter automatically place another Sapper on the other end of the teleporter, if it exists.
* Engineers wrenching a teleporter will repair the other end as well, and remove Sappers from both if they exist.
* Disguised Spies no longer trigger On-Hit effects (like the Blutsauger’s heal).
* Removed self-inflicted minicrits. Fixes Jarate’d Soldiers/Demomen having ineffective rocket/grenade jumps.
* Added an item panel to the spectator cam that shows non-standard items being carried by the player you’re spectating.
* Added an “Inspect” key that allows you to look at items being carried by your team mates.
* Backpack improvements:
- Added drag & drop to move items around. Item positions are maintained on the backend.
– Added multi-select, allowing you to delete multiple items at once.
– Added a new key to the key binding page that opens your inventory directly to your backpack.
– Fixed mouseover panel being incorrectly position when the backpack first appears.

* Cloaked Spies standing in valid backstab positions no longer raise their knife.
* Added current map name and gametype to the bottom right of scoreboard.
* Added class icons to tips on the loadout and loading screens.
* Improved visuals around flags when they’re being carried by a player.
* Improved critboosted visuals, making it much clearer when an enemy has critboost.
* Updated the loading panel to show the game type under the map name during level transition.
* In-game chat dialog now supports full Unicode characters.
* Added BLU main menu background.
* Added response caching for some server queries to help reduce the CPU load from DOS attacks.
* Teammates no longer block friendly radius damage. Prevents nearby teammates causing rocket/grenade jumps to fail.

Map Changes:

* Update PLR_Pipeline
- Increased the starting advantage in the third round if a team has won the first two rounds.
– Fixed carts not continuing to the second round if they’re capped at the same time in the first round.
– Fixed being able to shoot pipebombs over the starting gates in the first round.
– Fixed being able to open the doors in the first round before the setup time was finished.
– Fixed players getting stuck in some doors.
– Fixed players being able to get onto rooftops and out of the map boundaries.
– Fixed other minor bugs and exploits.

* Update Arena_Sawmill

- Fixed DirectX8 bug where some models would not be visible.
– Fixed exploit with building teleporters outside of the map.

* Updated CP_Granary

- Made a few changes to improve balance based on competitive

community feedback.

Item Reworks:

* The Force of Nature
– The enemy knockback now only `works in close range and behaves more like the Pyro’s air blast.
– Enemies cannot be juggled by the FaN’s effect.
– The self-knockback has also changed to respect the firer’s view angle. Looking up while shooting will no longer propel the enemy upwards.
– Knockback is now scaled by damage done.

* The Sandman

- A Scout will receive 1 point for stunning an enemy and 2 points for a long range stun.
– Stunned players now take 75% of all incoming damage instead of 50%.
– Übercharged players can no longer be stunned.
– Heavies spinning their mini-guns will continue to spin when stunned (whether the left or right mouse button is pressed).
– The minimum distance to stun a target has been reduced.
– The negative attribute has changed from “no double jump” to “-30 max health”.

Fixes:

* Fixed various issues around layout & presentation of items inside the Backpack and “X is carrying” item dialogs.
* Fixed an exploit that allowed players to work around sv_pure.
* Particle files are now protected by sv_pure.
* Fixed critboost effect getting stuck on when you die while critboosted.
* Fixed Timer HUD element backgrounds not being the correct color if you change teams during waiting for players.
* Fixed a couple of issues with the way critboosts affected The Huntsman and the Spy’s knife.
* Fixed an exploit where you could reload The Huntsman faster than intended.
* Fixed Heavy “civilian” exploit.
* Fixed a set of exploits using the DXSupport config files.
* Fixed r_screenfademinsize and r_screenfademaxsize exploits.
* Fixed sentries firing at a fully cloaked Spy if they’re still the closest target.

Community requests:

* Added a HUD element for hybrid CTF & CP maps.
– Supports 1 or 2 flags, and any number of CPs.
– Mapmakers need to place a “tf_logic_hybrid_ctf_cp” entity in their map to enable it.

* Added custom kill server log text “train” and “saw” for deaths caused by these environmental hazards.
Format: “%s<%i><%s><%s>” committed suicide with “world” (customkill “%s”) (attacker_position “%d %d %d”)
* Added new “medic_death” event for server logs
Format: “%s<%i><%s><%s>” triggered “medic_death” against “%s<%i><%s><%s>” (healing “%d”) (ubercharge “%s”)

– healing is the amount the Medic healed in that life
– ubercharge (1/0) is whether they died with a full charge

* Added “func_respawnflag” trigger entity. It will remove & return the flag if a flag carrier touches it, or if the flag falls into it.

Segas/CreativeAssemblys Empire: Total War bekommt kommenden Montag ein Update mit neuen Units und – was viel wichtiger ist – Fixes Fixes Fixes.
I need a fix ’cause I’m going down…
‘Tschuldigung, bin schon wieder da. Was war? Aja, der Empire-Patch.
Ich hoffe der bringt das Spiel aus dem Gröbsten raus! Schließlich will ich diesen Sommer nicht doch noch an die frische Luft gehen müssen!
Patch-Notes nach dem Sprung über die feindlichen Linien.

UNITS

Prussian Grenadiers

Wearing a distinctive brass fronted mitre cap, the Prussian Grenadiers are an explosive force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.

Spanish Guardias de infateria

These elite guard infantry are charged with protecting the monarch and are a potent force on the battlefield.

Swedish lifeguard horse

This cavalry regiment forms part of the monarchs’ household guard. Superbly drilled, they act as a shock force on the battlefield.

Holland Horse Guard

Armed with heavy cavalry sabres, these disciplined cavalrymen represent the elite of the army.

Prussian Garde Du Corp

The Prussian Garde Du Corp are a replacement for the Prussian standard Household cavalry. These heavy horse shock troops are best used to break enemy lines and overrun enemy positions. With a strong charge and fearsome attack, these riders make short work of those who would oppose a Prussian monarch.

Prussian Life guard

The Prussian life guards are equipped similarly to line infantrymen. However their uniforms are altogether more splendid, marking them out as a superior force, in arrogance if nothing else. They do a good job as garrison troops and are dedicated to the crown.

Russian Grenadiers

This new Russian unit is great for assaults and their grenades pack a mighty punch!

Spanish Guardias De Corp

The Spanish Guardias De Corp replace household cavalry for Spain. With almost unbreakable morale, on the charge they are almost unstoppable.

Spanish Grenadiers

These are a replacement for the standard Spanish Grenadiers with a distinctive bearskin hat to mark them out as exemplary on the battlefield.

Swedish ‘Lifeguards of foot’

These are a highly trained replacement for the standard Swedish guard. They are often used as a force in a system that defends a monarchy and can be relied upon for utter loyalty and deadly accuracy in the field. Their professionalism is reflected in their fearsome battle reputation.

Holland Guard

The Holland Guards from the United Provinces are superior line infantry units. Carrying smoothbore muskets, they were traditionally chosen to protect the royal family and have an incredibly high morale, often making them the last troops to break in a fight.

Scots

The Scots are a Highland ex-patriate infantry used by the United Provinces, renowned for their deadly charge.

Swiss Infantry

Very disciplined infantry of the United Provinces with quick reload and excellent marksmanship.

Mamelukes

Mamelukes are fearless light horsemen, deadly when deployed against a broken or unsupported enemy.

Additionally the Spanish nation has had a new uniform design to better reflect its historical look.

FIXES

Audio:

Sound loading has been made asynchronous, so heavy disc access is reduced to a minimum. This makes loading times faster and reduces any instances of ‘stuttering’. Unit group sounds have also been improved, for more realistic group movement. The primary sound library (Miles DLL) has been updated to stop occasional clicking. And we’ve added more sound variation for unit deaths and musket fire.

Campaign:

– Several crash bug fixes in saves, movement, agents and logic.

– Various optimisations have been made to AI and path systems to reduce the campaign map turn times.

– When the pirates are destroyed and re-emerge they now maintain a status of at war with all and are unable to enter into diplomatic negotiations.

– Added small ships on domestic trade routes from the trade nodes to home regions moving in the correct direction, i.e. with the flow of trade.

– The AI should now no longer repeatedly sign a diplomatic agreement and then break it the next turn. Treaties are more valuable and adhered to.

– We’ve fixed some border trade agreements allowing greater numbers of bordering factions to properly trade with one another.

– Movement arrows now reflect the range of the selected units, not the whole army/navy.

– AI will no longer counter-offer and ask for more money than the player has available.

– Fixed commerce raiding taking money from blockaded trade routes.

– Fixed navies getting stuck when forced to retreat from ports (tactial retreat).

– Fixed rare inability to attack certain ports.

– Fixed middle mouse button camera drag stopping working occasionally.

– Made emergent factions be at war with the faction they emerged against if that faction is human.

– Fixed various movement extent crashes.

– Changed background income for minor factions.

– Fixed diplomatic relations with emergent factions.

– Tactical withdrawal will now always leave armies on the landmass containing the settlement of a region.

– Changed war score system to make the AI more likely to accept peace.

– Fixed crash when embarking and disembarking armies at ports.

– Fixed trade ships not being correctly registered in trade nodes after splitting forces.

– Fixed government change diplomatic effect.

– Improved commerce raiding display on trade screen.

– Faction specific text is now used in diplomacy.

– Prevent players cancelling the movement of fleeing agents.

Balance changes

Units

– Charge bonus generally increased across the board for all units and melee defence reduced.

– Greater diversification of stats between different unit types designed to emphasise differences and improve balance.

– Redone costs for all units for multiplayer to improve game balance which better reflects the actual battlefield worth of each unit.

– Mob formation added in for Native American, irregular and some skirmisher units.

– Spot distance for light infantry, skirmishers, irregulars, light cavalry and missile cavalry increased allowing them to spot hidden units at longer distances.

– Russian line infantry stats have been boosted to allow them to compete more with other faction’s line infantry.

– Movement speed of all unit types reduced by 10%.

– Ammo for light infantry increased to 20, line to 15.

Land battle morale

– Charge morale bonus reduced from 10 to 4.

– Recent casualties, extended casualties and total casualties morale penalties increased slightly for higher percentages.

– Rear and flank exposed morale penalties increased.

Fatigue

– Fatigue penalty for melee reduced from 18 per tick to 10.

– Running fatigue penalty for heavy and light cavalry reduced from -3/-2 to -2/-1.

Artillery Changes

– Calibration area for cannons and howitzers reduced. Accuracy of non-round shot shot types reduced to compensate.

– Muzzle velocity of round shot for cannons increased to make them fire lower and bounce more, accuracy also increased.

– Lethality of shrapnel pieces reduced to match canister shot, range also reduced to 350.

– Load time for special shot types for howitzers increased slightly, and range reduced to 350.

– Calibration area for mortars increased, accuracy of round shot increased to compensate. Reload time increased slightly.

– Accuracy of 18 lbr horse guard artillery restored to 65.

Hit points of gun trains increased to 50, all guns and caissons to 25.

Diese Woche ist es also endlich so weit: der nächste Contentpatch für World of Warcraft ist fertig und wird morgen auf den Live-Servern implementiert. 3.1 bringt unter Anderem: Dual-Spec, eine neue Raidinstanz Ulduar, Tier 8 Sets, eine neue Arena-Saison und vieles mehr. Eine genaue Liste gibts hier.

Wer den Klick auf den Ruhestein wagt, kann den offziellen Trailer begutachten!

Die PC-Version von F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin, das in unserem Review ja recht gut abgeschnitten hat, soll in den kommenden Wochen einen Patch bekommen, der nicht nur ein paar Bugs ausmerzen sondern vor allem das Spiel im höchsten Schwierigkeitsgrad schwerer machen soll, da sich anscheinend einige FPS-Veteranen beschwert haben, dass es ihnen zu leicht wäre.

Es ist natürlich sehr löblich, dass so auf den Kunden eingegangen wird, nur stellt sich die Frage warum das von den Entwicklern nicht langsam im Vorhinein bedacht wird.
Viele Multi-Plattform-Titel der letzten Zeit (Fallout, Dead Space, etc.) leiden darunter, dass sie auf dem PC einfacher sind, weil Mäuse nun mal schneller auf Köpfe zielen. Sicher, die beiden Beispiele kann man natürlich auch am PC mit Gamepad spielen. Aber warum sollte man das wollen, wenn es mit sich mit Maus und Tastatur einfach sinnvoller anfühlt?
Also, ihr Entwicklerfreunde da draußen: In Zukunft einfach für den PC einen Schwierigkeitsgrad mehr! Danke! Wir haben euch lieb!

Nachdem Epic Games einen epic Patch für Unreal Tournament III angekündigt hat, dachten viele, dass dieser für alle Plattformen rauskommt. Tjo, so kann man sich täuschen.

Der Patch wird nämlich so groß, dass er nicht konform mit den Xbox Live Richtlinien gehen kann. Ausreden oder stimmts wirklich? Die fünf Besitzer der X360 Version von UT3 sind also nun ziemlich pissed.

Community Coordinator Chris Priestly hat im offiziellen Forum angekündigt, dass das Team von Bioware bereits an einem neuen Patch für die PC-Version von Mass Effect arbeitet.

In letzter Zeit habe man verstärkt auf das Feedback der Fans gehört, um das Spiel weiterhin zu verbessern. Leider können bisher noch keine konkreten Details sowie ein Veröffentlichungsdatum genannt werden.

Puh, fast hätte ich vergessen, dass Epic Games neben Gears of War auch noch ein anderes Franchise hat. Wie es scheint ist der Shooter Unreal Tournament 3 dank ein paar Neuerungen wieder in aller Munde.

In Kooperation mit den leiwanden Valve Leuten hat es Epic geschafft UT3 ins Steam Netzwerk zu integrieren und so kommt man in den Genuss sämtlicher Steam Vorteile – unter anderem braucht man dadurch nimmer nach der DVD für die Installation suchen. Einfach den UT3 CD-Key in Steam eingeben und fertig. Yes!

Zur Feier des Tages wurde auch ein Patch für den Shooter angekündigt! Nach dem Double-Dodge-Jump gibts den ganzen Changelog.

Danke an Odin für die News!

* SUMMARY OF MAJOR FEATURES:
* Major enhancements to Server Browser
* Visual and menu flow overhaul for improved useability of user interface.
* Significant AI improvements, especially in vehicle gametypes.
* Client-side demo recording support
* Improved networking performance.
* Midgame map, game type, and mutator voting support
* Award system using Steam Achievements
* Improved mod support

* Improved Steam integration
* Steam Achievement support for Steam installations of UT3.
* Integrated Steam Authentication support.
* 57 achievements mark your progress and mastery of UT.
* Progress screen shows which awards you have earned, and completion progress on all awards.

* Server Browser:
* Server Browser updates, expanded query filtering, clientside filters and a new UI option list.
* Added mutator filtering to the server browser (filter by installed mutators, mutator classes and mutator names)
* Now displays each servers IP in the server details box
* Added ‘Join IP’ and ‘Spectate IP’ buttons to the join game menu
* Added an ‘Add IP’ button to the favourites menu
* Modified the main menu to return to the server browser after disconnecting
* Added a new button to the midgame menu ‘Add Favorite’, and a new console command: AddServerToFavorites
* Updated server browser code, so that custom gametypes are properly filtered.
* Added a ‘List All Game Modes’ selection to the server filter menu.
* Added more information to the server browser player list.
* Fixed servers not being added to history, when following a friend to a server
* You can now attempt to directly connect to offline servers in History and Favorites (even during master server downtimes).
* Show “+” for player counts that are populated by bots.

* UI:
* Major visual and menu flow overhaul for improved useability.
* Made the instant-action and host-game menus keep their settings.
* Scoreboard double click functionality for kicking, messages to specific players.
* Enabled gamepad stick sensitivity setting in UI.
* Improved gamepad support on PC.
* Added support for a whole mess of options on Advanced video settings page.
* Easier to click buttons by fixing cases where mouse went just past them.
* Max player counts always fit on all scoreboards.
* Modifier cards should take display priority in toasts over character unlocks.
* Improved voice command menu positioning and offsets.
* Fixed showing as teleport destinations on map nodes which could not be teleported to.
* Added tooltip while deployed in stealth vehicles to show drop deployable button.
* Bot count UI changed from “Number of opponents” to “Number of combatants” to be less confusing.
* Added support for showing top weapon user in end of match scoreboard. This shows which player got the most kills with a particular weapon. If a player was the leader with more than one weapon, it picks the weapon he or she got the most kills with.
* Show beacon with name of enemies in DM if they are close enough.
* Fixed ammo number on HUD pulsing on armor pick up instead of ammo pick up.
* Third position for powernode beacon, when just looking at base.
* Added speaking icon to player beacons.
* Portraits shown for player speaking with VOIP.
* Fixed onslaught teleporter tooltip not always displayed correctly.
* fixed toasts that don’t shut down properly popping up later unexpectedly
* More delay before going back to ambient music from action.
* Fixed text being obscured after removing a friend from the friends list
* Fixed showing proper weapon icon on weapon bar for selected weapon when two weapons are in same slot.
* Fixed issue where playercard and friend message screens were disappearing.
* Reduced chat log spam.
* Fixed rules for showing “change team” button.

* Vehicles:
* Increased radius/volume of Manta, Raptor, and Viper engines.
* Fixed scavenger legs disappearing in kill volumes.
* Force occupied manta to rise if underwater.
* Added sound effect and recharge bar to SPMA to indicate when the weapon is ready to fire
* Increased water damage taken by vehicles.
* Increased Goliath health.
* Fixed nightshade beam weapon accuracy.
* Fixed spidermines confused about nightshade that switches teams.
* Tank shell is always relevant, so you’ll see it if it kills you from a hidden tank.
* Leviathan shield doesn’t stay around after death.
* Fixed leviathan passenger beacon positioning.
* Fixed hoverboard rooster tail positioning when traveling over shallow water.
* Fixed flag positioning on tracked turrets.
* Fixed flying Manta exploit.
* Fixed boost exploit with Fury vehicle

* Weapons:
* Added burn trail for link gun beam.
* Weapon pickups now disappear for the player who picked it up, until it can be picked up again (now works like weapon lockers).
* Weapon throwing always enabled.
* Improved force feedback for various weapon and pickup actions.
* Simpler crosshair for instagib rifle.
* Third person translocate sound.
* Stinger now higher priority than flak cannon by default.
* Back splatter decals for hits with sniper rifle, stinger, and enforcer.
* Improved spidermine aiming help on console with hitscan weapons (enforcer, stinger, sniper).
* Fixed enforcer anim problems when become dual during initial loading.
* No ammo display for instagib rifle.
* Improved spidermine herding with Avrils.
* Improved redeemer blast screen shake.
* Spidermines work properly in deathmatch.
* Fixed translocator discs being able to get embedded in geometry with zero extent collision on but box collision off.
* Fixed deployable exploit (run over deployable while firing weapon, get in vehicle while still firing, and never switch to deployable).
* Fixed trans discs getting stuck on instigator’s head.

* AI:
* Added Drop Flag/Orb command (accessible through voice menu) to get bot teammates to drop the flag they are carrying.
* Improved bot handling of navigation failures, don’t stay stuck.
* Bots understand ducking under obstacles with the Darkwalker.
* Bots understand getting off hoverboard to use a lift.
* Adjusted bot new enemy acquistion speed.
* Low skill bots don’t slow down if carrying flag.
* Bots understand how to effectively use Orbs in Warfare much better.
* Bots use the hoverboard more effectively.
* Improved bot AI for using Translocator.
* Improved AI for picking best weapon to use.
* Improved AI for Leviathan, including aiming with the leviathan, and navigating the Leviathan.
* Improved AI for using the Hellfire SPMA.
* Improved Scorpion AI for trying to run over enemy foot soldiers and self destruct into big vehicles. TTP #103637.
* Improved Manta/Viper AI for trying to run over enemy foot soldiers.
* Improved stealth vehicle deployment AI.
* Improved bots yelling “same team” when player is actually trying to hit nearby enemy.
* Fixed bots not able to get in Darkwalker secondary turret in some cases.
* Fixed bot AI issues in secondary turrets.
* Bots go after countdown nodes if core can’t be attacked.
* Fixed bots grabbing orb without getting all the way to orb spawner.
* Improved AI for bots deciding whether to get out of vehicles and continue on foot.
* Automatic fix for not letting bots in vehicles try to go into areas that are blocked for vehicles by turnaroundvolumes.
* Bots are move aggressive about driving vehicles without slowing down too much for slight turns.
* Bots fully understand kismet disabled nodes.
* Improved bot AI for fighting enemies in Slow Fields.
* Improved bot understanding of targeting occluded powernodes.

* Demo Recording:
* Added support for clientside demo recording.
* Demo playback is now delayed until precaching completes.

* Networking:
* Fixed localization of certain networking messages received from different language server.
* Improved dynamic netspeed system based on player counts.
* Improved hoverboard smoothness in net games.
* Friend following now attempts to place friends on the same team.
* Added team balancing between matches.
* Fixed reachspecs occasionally keeping level references across seamless travel, causing levels not to be properly unloaded.
* Increased net priority of movers with viewer based on them. Reduces mover popping in large playercount games.
* Networking bandwidth use optimizations.
* Improved prioritization of actor replication.
* Improved network pawn position update smoothing using mesh translation.
* Tweaked finding floors for simulated falling pawns.
* Yaw and pitch change smoothing for other players on clients.
* Fixed character mesh not getting onto hoverboard right away in high player count games.
* Improved turret replication in high player count games.
* Fixed remaining cases where team color skins weren’t being properly set.
* Fixed clients auto-switching to better weapon when they stop firing.
* Don’t dynamically adjust listen server client netspeed above max client has requested (for modem clients).
* Make sure all audio components get cleaned up on seamless travel.
* Fixed various exploits.

* Server Administration:
* Removed download speed limitations, when hosting LAN servers.
* Implemented auto-reconnect code for Gamespy uplink and advertising. Servers now continuously try to advertise to the master server upon failure.
* Fixed buggy URL parsing function, which was breaking mutator advertising
* Added code to recreate serveractors after seamless travel
* Fixed case insensitivity issue with admin and game passwords
* Added session banning, with the command: AdminSessionBan
* Security fixes.
* Added config variable ‘SpawnProtectionTime’ to UTGame.ini.
* Optimized stats sending bandwidth.
* Support `n as \n in MOTD.

* Engine:
* Collision Octree optimizations
* Particle system optimizations
* Safe handling of inversing nil matrices. Addresses rare ragdoll physics crashes.
* Removed unnecessary profile saves, improved saving progress when player expects it.
* Improved Garbage collection performance.
* Optimized decals.
* Teleporter portal rendering updates are now disabled by default, even for high end systems (for performance reasons).
To enable, add the following to your UTGame.ini file
[UTOnslaughtNodeTeleporter]
bRealtimeCapture=true

* Game:
* Option to allow for custom characters to load at all times (no default characters, but may get hitches when new players join).
* CTF flag is hidden for player carrying it.
* Can no longer teleport to node that is under attack.
* Improved victim death messages (precise cause of death).
* In game types using weaponlockers, players spawn with weapons from nearest weapon locker.
* Fixed scoreboard issues during seamless travel.
* Fixed lifts returning if you jump or get shot while on them.
* Play taunts on upper body only for moving players.
* Fixed black boxes on Leviathan shock balls.
* Fixed lighting on first person spidermine death effect
* Improved code for leaning players which are going around turns.
* Reduced foot jittering on stairs.
* No team change penalty for automatic swaps.
* Improved lighting for characters.
* Reduced mesh offsetting on slopes, removing exploit allowing players to hide.
* Fixed winner pawn rotating after round ends.
* Fixed sender not hearing autotaunts.
* Fixed krall missing footstep sound notifies.
* Fixed bots leaving game affecting TDM team score.
* Fixed bad low LOD meshes (spiky when feigning or dead).

* Mod support:
* UTHUD now responsible for drawing player and vehicle beacons, making it easier to support custom beacons for custom game types.
* Added support for stretching IK limbs (see SkelControlLimb.uc).
* Merged PC version script functionality to PS3 to improve mod compatibility for mods on PS3.
* Added spectator notification hooks to Mutator.uc:
- AllowBecomeActivePlayer: Allows mutators to prevent spectators from joining the game
- AllowBecomeSpectator: Allows mutators to block players from spectating (not fully implemented).
- NotifyBecomeActivePlayer: Notifies mutators when a spectator successfully becomes an active player
- NotifyBecomeSpectator: Notifies mutators when a player becomes a spectator (not fully implemented)
* Added two new functions to Object.uc, ‘IsNetScript’ which returns true if the current code was remotely executed, and ‘GetNetFuncName’ which returns the name of the replicated function where script execution began
* Added a new function flag, ‘DemoRecording’, which replicates the function into the demo file when recording demos NOTE: Implicitly flags the function as simulated
* Added the ability for mods to specify custom settings scenes, through new values in UTUIDataProvider_GameModeInfo.uc:
- ‘ModGameSettingsScene’, allows mods to specify a custom settings scene which is accessible through a ‘Mod Settings’ button in the Instant Action and Host Game menus
- ‘ModClientSettingsScene’, allows mods to specify a custom settings scene which is accessible through the main menu settings
page, and the mid game menu settings – Added ClearConfig and StaticClearConfig functions to Object.uc
- Added team change notification hooks to Mutator.uc
- AllowChangeTeam: Allows mutators to prevent players from changing team
- NotifySetTeam: Notifies mutators when a player successfully changes team
* Added bCanRagdoll flag to UTPawn for mod authors.
* Added slight player glow support for darkmatch (maps with DARKMATCH at start of worldinfo name
* Made UIObject ‘ResolveStyles’ function accessible to script.
* Added support for loading a Splash.bmp in a mod directory.
* Fixed server browser not being able to filter custom gametypes; in the gametype data provider, set ‘GameSearchClass’ to: UTGameSearchCustom
* Added code to reinitialize ServerActors after seamless travel
* Added editable ‘MouseBounds’ property to UIScene, which allows you to configure mouse boundaries for the current scene
- ‘MouseBounds.BoundaryObject’ is set through the ‘Set Mouse Boundary’ submenu in the UIEditor context menu
- Also added a selection to the UIEditor View menu, ‘Mouse Boundaries Outline’, for viewing the current mouse boundaries
- Mouse boundaries can be changed during runtime using ‘UIScene::SetMouseBounds’ and ‘UIScene::ResetMouseBounds’

* Level specific:
* Fixed redeemers nopt able to damage power cores in Islander.
* Don’t allow disabling of fog volumes. Fixes VCTF-Sandstorm exploit.
* Fixed collision issues in VCTF-Suspense and Suspense_Necris.
* Fixed real-time teleporter portal updates in WAR-Avalanche.

* Maplists
* The old maplist system has been replaced with an entirely new one, which is configured through UTMapLists.ini, this allows mods using custom .ini files to have map cycles setup from the ingame menus
- To recover the old server maplist settings, you need to open UTGame.ini and go to the [UTGame.UTGame] section, then for each ‘GameSpecificMapCycles’ entry you need to find (or create) an entry in ‘GameProfiles’ under [UTGame.UTMapListManager] in UTMapLists.ini, which has a ‘GameClass’ value that matches the ‘GameClassName’ value in ‘GameSpecificMapCycles’.
Then you need to find the maplist in UTMapLists.ini which is specified by ‘MapListName’ value in the ‘GameProfiles’ entry, (e.g: [DMMapList UTMapList]), and then you must manually transfer each map name in ‘GameSpecificMapCycles’ to the maplist in UTMapLists.ini.
For example, Maps=(“DM-Arsenal”,”DM-Biohazard”) in ‘GameSpecificMapCycles’ would become: [DMMapList UTMapList] Maps=(Map=”DM-Arsenal”) Maps=(Map=”DM-Biohazard”)
* Configuration options for [UTGame.UTMapListManager]:
- GameProfiles: This is a list which is used to define custom game type settings (mainly for game voting), options include:
o GameClass: The FULL class name of the gametype, including package name as well as class name (e.g. “UTGame.UTDeathMatch”)
o GameName: The name that is displayed on the vote menu when selecting a gametype (e.g. “Deathmatch”, “Warfare – No Orbs”)
o MapListName: The name of the maplist that this game profile will use (e.g. “WARMapList”)
o Options: Additional URL options which are used when switching to this gametype (e.g. “?WarmupTime=60″)
o Mutators: Mutators to be loaded for this gametype (e.g. “UTGame.UTMutator_LowGrav,UTGame.UTMutator_Instagib”)
o ExcludedMuts: Mutators which are disallowed for this gametype (e.g. “UTMutator_Instagib,UTMutator_Slomo”)
o bIsTeamGame: Specifies whether or not the current gametype is a team game (used internally for game voting)
o MapReplayLimit: The number of matches which must pass before any one map can be played again
o ActiveGameProfileName: The ‘GameProfiles’ entry which is currently active; mainly used by the game during runtime
o PlayIndex: A value used for keeping track of when maps were last played, represents the total number of games played
o AutoStripOptions: A list of URL options which are automatically removed upon map change (e.g. “LinkSetup”)
o AutoEmptyOptions: The same as ‘AutoStripOptions’, except these options are given an empty value on the URL (e.g. “GoalScore,TimeLimit”)
* Configuration options for [UTGame.UTMapList]:
- Maps: The list of maps used by the maplist, options:
o Map: The filename of the map (minus the file extension)
o ExtraData: An array of arbitrary data which can be associated with each maplist entry; mainly used by the game at runtime
o AutoLoadPrefixes: Maps with the prefixes defined here will be automatically added to the maplist (e.g. AutoLoadPrefixes=CTF,VCTF)
o LastActiveMapIndex: The index into the ‘Maps’ list which was last active; mainly used by the game during runtime

* Voting
* Added support for midgame voting for maps, game types, and mutators.
* All vote related variables have been moved to UTVote.ini
- To recover the old vote configuration values, you need to open UTGame.ini and go to the [UTGame.UTGame] section, then manually transfer the vote configuration values to the [UTGame.VoteCollector] section in UTVote.ini; the affected values are: ‘bAllowMapVoting’, ‘VoteDuration’ (now ‘MapVoteDuration’ and ‘GameVoteDuration’), ‘bMidGameMapVoting’ (now ‘bMidGameVoting’), ‘MapVotePercentage’ (now ‘MidGameVotePercentage’), ‘MinMapVotes’ (now ‘MinMidGameVotes’), and ‘InitialVoteDelay’.
* Added new configuration options ‘InitialVoteTransferTime’ and ‘RushVoteTransferTime’; the first slows down the speed at which vote related data (e.g. maps, game info) is transferred, to spread out bandwidth usage and prevent lag; the second speeds up the remaining transfers, for when the client opens the vote menu
* Added gametype voting, allowing players to vote in a different game type before voting for a map (if map voting is enabled). Gametype configuration is setup in UTMapLists.ini, through ‘GameProfiles’ under [UTGame.UTMapListManager]; configuration options in UTVote.ini:
- bAllowGameVoting: Enable/Disable gametype voting
* Added mutator voting, allowing players to decide which mutators get enabled/disabled in the next match; configuration options:
o bAllowMutatorVoting: Enable/Disable mutator voting
o VotableMutators: The list used to determine which mutators should be votable, options include:
+ MutClass: The FULL class name of the mutator, include package name as well as class name (e.g. “UTGame.UTMutator_Slomo”)
+ MutName: The name that is displayed on the vote menu for this mutator (e.g. “Instagib”, “Low Gravity”) N.B. When left blank, the game will attempt to set this automatically
o MutatorVotePercentage: The percentage of votes required to enable or disable a mutator; percentages are only checked at endgame
* Added kick voting; configuration options:
- bAllowKickVoting: Enable/Disable kick voting
- bAnonymousKickVoting: If true, then the voters name is not shown when performing a kick vote (except to admins)
- MinKickVotes: The minimum number of votes required in order to kick a player
- KickVotePercentage: The percentage of votes required in order to kick a player

Frohlocket ihr Gamerscorebitches; die neuen Achievements für Gears of War 2, die der Ende des Monats erscheinende Patch mit sich bringen wird, sind bekannt:

• Skeletons in your Closet (20 GS) – Die Wellen 1 bis 10 in Horde auf allen Flashback-Maps absolvieren (jeder Schwierigkeitsgrad)
• More Mystery, Less History (15 GS) – Ein Mehrspielermatch auf jeder der fünf Flashback-Karten gewinnen (jeder Modus außer Wingman)
• Bound by a Shared Past (15 GS) – Ein Wingman-Match auf jeder der fünf Flashback-Maps gewinnen
• Trial by, and on, Fire (20 GS) – Die ersten zehn Wellen in Horde auf den Karten des Combustible-Packs im Team bestehen
• The Roof! The Roof! The Roof… (15 GS) – Ein Mehrspielermatch auf jeder der drei 3 Combustible-Maps gewinnen (jeder Modus außer Wingman)
• Forged in the Fire (15 GS) – Gewinne ein Wingman Match auf jeder der drei Combustible-Karten
• Annex: Now With Execution Rules (75 GS) – Triumphiere in einem Annex-Match auf jeder der Flashback- und Combustible-Maps (nur öffentliche Spiele)

Der Nachteil an der Sache (vor allem für unsere deutschen Spielkameraden) ist nur, dass man für diese Achievements die DLC-Packs Flashback und Combustible braucht.

Achja, die nervigen Bugs aus dem Multiplayer möchten Epic mit dem Patch auch noch ausbessern – nett von ihnen! Welche Bugs das denn so sind, erzählt euch Mark Rein nach dem Jump.

As I mentioned before the break we’ve been working on a major title update for Gears of War 2. This update will address bugs and exploits as well as add some new achievements related to downloadable content. We don’t have an exact date for it but all indicators are it will go live within January. If that changes we’ll let you know.

We’re fixing a whole bunch of online exploits. For example we’ve fixed the ability to wield an invisible shield, melee through some walls, gain infinite Lancer ammo and equip a shield and a two-handed weapon simultaneously plus many more.

We’re also making several small changes to improve the overall online gameplay experience. A few of the ones that might interest you are; increased penalties for quitting matches early, adding additional spawn protection against planted grenades and chainsaw attacks, and adding the ability to see the Submission flag carrier destination by using Tac/Com.

We know you folks love achievements so on the achievement side we’re adding achievement progress numbers to the War Journal, increasing the frequency of in-game Achievement progression notifications and adding some new Achievements for DLC.

This is just a very small list of some of the things that will be in the next title update…