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Notable Multiplayer Only Games
Allegiance
Allegiance is an online squad-based space simulation offered over Microsoft's Gaming Zone. You can either form a squad with your friends and each fly different individual spacecraft or man one larger spacecraft and sit at different stations, such as helmsman or gunner. There are several different ships to fly, from small one-man fighters to large cruisers.
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The game is online-only and offers traditional dogfights or more elaborate, long-term games with research, resources, and unit building.
Developer/Publisher: Microsoft
EverQuest Expansion
Verant appeared at 989's booth on the show floor with a very, very, very early build of the as-yet unnamed EverQuest expansion. The expansion will add an enormous new continent to the already expansive game world of Norrath as well as a new player-character race, the Iksar, a tribe of evil lizardmen. Thankfully, the Iksar character models are totally different from the ones used for the lizardman monsters that already exist in EverQuest. Other additions include a number of new monsters as well as additional visual effects, like windblown trees.
The expansion is very tentatively scheduled for next year, but Verant representatives were quick to point out that their efforts are focused on the existing EverQuest game (and its current issues and problems) first and on the expansion second.
Developer: Verant
Publisher: 989/Sony
Starsiege: Tribes II
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Tribes II is the sequel to Dynamix's popular team-based shooter. In addition to improved graphics and animation, Tribes II will feature real-time chat, a simpler play interface, a more intuitive command structure, a new player race known as the Bioderm, and improved artificial intelligence for computerized opponents.
Developer: Dynamix
Publisher: Sierra On-Line
Team Fortress 2
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Valve's multiplayer team-based game is shaping up to be a worthy successor to Half-Life. The animation is striking: The game uses MRM (multiresolution mesh) technology to create detailed characters that are lifelike, and the parametric animation system ensures that movement is fluid.Team Fortress 2 also employs a true particle system, which allows for very realistic smoke and fog effects that have direction and dissipate. As an example, the demo showed a smoke screen being used to conceal troop advancement.
But the real emphasis here is on teamwork: Weapons that require - or benefit from - multiple users have been implemented. These include a heavy gun that can be fired by one person but is much faster and more accurate when one player fires while another feeds ammo into the weapon. The game will also include a coach position, which will let players view the battle from overhead and give commands, real-time strategy style. Team Fortress 2 will also include an ICQ-like server search that will let players see who is playing where. Look for Team Fortress 2 to be released by the end of the year.
Developer: Valve
Publisher: Sierra
Next: Notable Puzzle Games
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