There has been a bit of confusion surrounding the next release of NS. NS 2.1 is taking longer then originally thought, so we're going to delay it a bit, and release a server-side 2.01 soon instead. 2.01 has many of changes that 2.1 was going to have, but we thought it was important to get fixes for exploits and balance as soon as possible.
NS 2.01 has now entered a public beta, and any server ops are free to run it, and provide feedback. Head over to the public beta forum (no longer available) to download it. It is available for both win32 and linux. There may still be big problems with this build, so please don't run it if you're not comfortable running beta software.
Note: only server operators will need to download this patch. Everyone else will see these changes just by connected to any 2.01 server.
NS 2.01 changes include: - If an Onos redeems while digesting a player, the player is left behind - Changed "lastinv" so that it's preserved between upgrade gestations - Resupplying at armory only goes into reserve (addresses end-game grenade spam at marine start) - Made offense chambers less accurate against fast-moving targets (jetpackers) - Marine resource tower cost lowered from 20 to 15 - Aliens are now able to walk slowly when cloaked via the cloaking upgrade (allowing them to sneak past turrets, and even build and use buttons while cloaked) - If you get disconnected while playing aliens, and you rejoin, your resources will be preserved - Read the [file=changelogs/v201-changelog.html]full changelog here[/file]
Sorry for the confusion, and have fun with 2.01! We hope to release the final version officially as soon as the end of the week. Enjoy!
NS 2.1 is on its way! The contents of the patch include the following:
- VALVe Anti-cheat support (VAC) - Many balance improvements (slightly reduced the power of aliens at hive 2, lessened some marine costs, fixes for long end-games, etc.) - 1-2 new maps from the community - 3rd-person marine reload animations (hoping this will be ready in time) - Fixes for dedicated server and mp_consistency - Visible player score and new scoring system (not confirmed, and still working out the details) - New spectator UI (simple, automatic and shows much more information) - Cloaking upgrade enhancements (fades smoothly, players can walk slowly with it) - Translations for German, Spanish and Turkish (write Nemesis Zero at nemes1szer0@gmx.de with questions or comments) - Many bug fixes (occasional stuck issues, sinking structures, rules for voice comm, improved wall-walking near railings and water, etc) - Fixing all known exploits
The patch will probably be between 5 and 10 megabytes, and all players will need to download it. We are hoping to release it before the end of August, so look out for it. The team has been receiving many questions about NS and the Half-life 2 engine. We want to see NS on the HL2 engine as much or more then you guys do. It would be a huge amount of work though, and to really take advantage of its capabilities, all the artwork and maps would have to be re-created. Seeing a sequel to NS on HL2 is something we're looking into though.
As CAL and UGL leagues are gearing up for their first season, Kaos from Game Broadcasting Live indicates that they are in dire need of some broadcasters. They need people to commentate live matches, so people can listen while watching via HLTV. It's quite cool. If you're interested, in something like this, write him.
In preparation for the first season of the CAL-NS league, there is a pre-pre-season tournament (not quite pre-season). There are 16 clans are competing tonight, on Eclipse, Nothing, Veil and Tanith. In addition, these matches will be broadcast to the public using Half-life TV!
To watch these matches live, with match commentary by the NS dev team, simply click the links below. You don't need anything else installed besides NS 2.0. The tournament starts at around 8pm EST.
HLTV #1 (thanks Lightning Blue!) HLTV #2 (thanks Nero!)
Notes: You will probably see some harmless errors while connecting. Just ignore them. Also, player models may not be updated correctly when you first join, so you may see skulks that look like marines or vice-versa. These two servers will broadcast the semi-finals, and the finals (pick either link).
This website is being moved to an upgraded server, so you may seem strange behavior over the next couple days. Once the site has been fully transitioned, the forums should be faster and go down less often. See you at the new site.