And I'd be amiss if I didn't mention the murder mystery series at mac-o-rama. This place sells Mac games, but these brain teasers they've had up this week have been a lot of fun. Though you have to get there at the right time to catch when a new mystery goes up (the first correct explanation of who's the killer and why wins a Mac game), I've had tons of fun just trying to solve the cases. Mac-o-rama is also a great site from which to order games. I've gotten all my orders from them quickly and their people have been more than nice, sending me candy and glow-in-the-dark plastic maggots on Halloween. Enough! ;)
6/23/99 Wednsday's News
Mac PCI vs PC PCI: Looking at 3Dfx's post in my 3Dfx Forum, Ken (of 3Dfx) posted a note on SLI (scan line interleaving, two Voodoo2 cards working in parallel) and a performance advantage of the PC's (intel) PCI chipset called write combining (I used a patch called fastvid on Pentium Pros to enable this feature years ago)
SLI is technically only 'supported' between two identical boards. It may even require that the chip revisions match as well. [I've seen two reference design V2's of different brands work fine - ie a Wicked 3D card and Creative labs Voodoo2-Mike] You can't do something like mix a Canopus Pure3D II and a Creative Voodoo2 and expect it to work right. So, unless you can get another board that matches your current one, you'd probably have to buy two new boards.
As to the whole performance issue... There is a known issue with PCI performance on PowerPC systems vs. Intel. Right now our drivers for Intel will take advantage of a CPU feature on Pentium Pro (and later) processors called write combining. This effectively buffers writes up to 32 bytes at a time and then shoves them all out at once as a burst to PCI. By doing this PCs can quite easily saturate the standard 33Mhz PCI bus with very little effort. Note that this Intel feature is *similar* but not the same as the copyback caching mechanism on PowerPC. Intel's trick works for uncached memory, so you don't trash your data cache, and don't have to do other babysitting tricks to make it work.
Unfortunately, PowerPC does not have a direct equivalent, so for Voodoo2 we are currently only doing 4-byte writes at a time, which has considerable overhead, and is likely one major reason for there not being a significant performance difference between Voodoo1 and Voodoo2. [See our article posted here last year on Voodoo1 vs Voodoo2 performance (link above) - or my Game Wizard review for comparisons-Mike] There are some other things I know that can be done (and I experimented with them on the MacOS X Server drivers last year), but I have no tried to integrate those changes into the MacOS 8 codebase. It is something I would *LIKE* to do, but I can't promise anything at this point since I am completely swamped just trying to get what we have now working well. Performance unfortunately has to take a back seat to stability and compatibility at this point.
-Ken
Stay tuned for more updates to be posted here as things develop. For more on SLI mode and the benefits in different games/CPU speeds (from a PC as no mac supports SLI yet), see my SLI editorial from several months back.-Mike
Voodoo2/Voodoo3 3Dfx Drivers for Mac! William Murray just sent a note that 3Dfx posted this info earlier today in my own 3Dfx forums! I've been so busy I didn't get a chance to check there.
Check out the thread called 3Dfx announcement!
Here's the post made in my 3Dfx Forums from Kenneth Dyke:
"
In order to better support the MacOS community, 3dfx has decided to release Glide 2.x and Glide 3.x drivers for Voodoo2. These drivers will be completely generic in nature and not tied to any particular Voodoo2 board design. These drivers will be provided free of charge via our website. They are available on an as-is basis and are unsupported. Actual date of availability will be posted in this newsgroup, but it is our intent to make these drivers available within the next few weeks.
It is also our intention to release similar drivers for Voodoo3 2000 PCI boards in the near future. Specifically, we will be releasing 2D display drivers as well as Glide 2.x and Glide 3.x libraries. These drivers will not be supported, and thus will be made available free of charge to users who would like to use them. We know there are compatibility issues with Voodoo3 on the Macintosh platform, and we will do our best to document them and ensure that both game developers and end users are aware of the issues. Specific information regarding availability will be provided via this newsgroup.
OpenGL drivers for Voodoo2 and Voodoo3 that plug directly into Apple's OpenGL implementation will not be available. Instead, we will try to work closely with the developers of the Mesa 3D library to help bring OpenGL games to Voodoo2 and Voodoo3 users on the Macintosh."
In a followup Ken posted a note on SLI (two Voodoo2 cards working in parallel for higher resolution/higher performance)
"
Just as a quick followup since I know this will get asked anyway...
SLI should be supported in the generic Voodoo2 drivers. It turns out it was a pretty tiny bug that prevented it from working on the Mac in the first place, but it has since been found and squashed.
Ken
[and another note:]
The only other advantage is that the new generic drivers are based on the most recent Voodoo2 Glide codebase, so any bug fixes that have happened in PC-land will be incorporated into the MacOS drivers.
"
(I really hope this is not some sort of hoax). Thanks to 3dfx for posting to my forum and they say to watch there for future updates on status.
Unreal 2.24
The b4 release of Unreal 2.24 was on Westlake Interactive‰s server yesterday. This update should correct many of the bugs that have been reported and deal with a loss of 4-5 fps that occurred with the b3 release. I have not had the chance to verify that yet, but I will get to it tonight, hopefully.
Miscellaneous:
We are in the process of putting together an iWonder/Microconversion feedback page. With this you will be able to respond to me about your thoughts on iWonder/Microconversion‰s lack of support for SLI and OpenGL. After a week or two, I will put all of the information together and send it to iWonder to see what their response will be. I will encourage people to continue to contact iWonder directly (and please be polite) to let them know what you think. I received another report from a reader that he had contacted them and received a less that enthusiastic response about SLI. If you have contacted them and would like to share the info that you received, e-mail me directly. I will let you know when the feedback page is completed.
Carmageddon 1/2 and T2 Steering Wheel Setup: Contrary to what is posted on the The Idiots of IWS Interactive page today, the info and setup files for getting the Thrustmaster T2 steering wheel to work with Carmageddon 1 and 2 was never removed from this site. It was posted to the Frequently Asked Questions Game and Game Topics page as a permanent addition. In early June, an improved download set of files with preconfigured settings and readme was posted there from reader John Mark Davis (who did an outstanding job!). Check it out and download the files and you're all set.
[the following was Randall's post meant for yesterday's news - may fault for not posting it sooner-Mike]
Unreal 2.24
It looks like there will be another Unreal update today that should take care of the fps loss that users experienced after applying the update that was posted on Saturday. So if you haven‰t applied the b3 patch, I would definitely hold tight and get the update that hopefully shows up later today. I hope that this is it for a while so that I can get a chance to give the most current version a real run through and post my thoughts.
On another Unreal note, Unreal Tournament for the PC will have a demo version that will be released about the time that UT goes gold. James Schmalz from Epic Games noted in an interview recently what could be expected from such a demo. Westlake Interactive has, in the past, stated that if a PC demo was released, there would definitely be a Mac demo. So that is really good news for us.
"Disclaimer: The following _may_ change, but this is the current plan.
Minigun, Shockrifle, Enforcer, Duel Enforcer, Impact Hammer, Translocator, Rocket launcher.
3 Deathmatch maps and 2 domination maps.
The Instagib mutator (everyone will LOVE this)
Bots
1 mesh with 2 different skins.
The plan is to release it when UT goes gold"
Falcon 4:
Even though we expected a Falcon 4 update last week, it appears that update could come today. Phil Sulak of Westlake Interactive posted to Usenet that they ended up finding more things to update than they had thought.
"The 1.06c update for Falcon is coming along, but we've hit a few snags. We're putting the final touches on it today and tomorrow, so hopefully it'll hit the web sites in the next few days. Sorry that it's taken us so long, but we had to overhaul our DrawSprocket code, and by doing so opened up a small can of worms. The good news is that when the 1.06c update comes out, I should have more time to spend posting on the newsgroups:-)."
So those who are having some lingering problems with Falcon, including a few who have not been able to play it may have some relief.
Quake 3 Arena test
Again we are waiting for the next release to the Quake 3 Test. According to Graeme Devines .plan we should expect a release soon, but not this week. The new release will include a new map, and my guess would be it will be another large download.
"We had the Ion Storm guys over last week to play a little deathmatch, and while I won‰t say who won between Romero and Killcreek, I can tell you it wasn‰t the male of the species. But boy, can those Ion guys talk smack.
The reason we asked them over was to have them check in on the status of our tournament map, which we hope to get out there soon with the next version of the test (to give you all time to practice on it before QuakeCon, you are going to QuakeCon right?). We‰re also looking at a /lot/ of bug fixes, changes, and tweaks so we‰re gearing up for your feedback. I‰ll let Chris Hecker speak for glsetup, but we‰re looking to get that updated and support for 3Dfx in there.
Soon can be defined as soon. And that's probably not this week."
I can't wait for that release.
Miscellaneous:
I think that we will be setting up a petition page for iWonder to let them know how dissatisfied we are with the current SLI driver situation. One hope that we have (Mike pointed this out) is that OpenGL drivers are probably more likely than SLI from iWonder since they are still making the iMac Voodoo 2 upgrades and will want to support OpenGL on those machine and hence on any Voodoo 2 from Microconversions.
Keep the tips, questions, and comments coming! - Randall
Check out today's front page news for info and a picture of the wildest LCD display setup I've ever seen, too pricey for most but worth a look (up to 5 LCDs on one stand!)-Mike
6/22/99 Tuesday's News
Unreal 2.2.4 Beta 4 - just released, get it at Westlake Interactive or click here to download the 1MB Update. Click here to see the full ReadMe file. Here's a summary of the changes:
** The b4 patch ONLY works with Unreal Mac 224 (b1,b2 or b3).
The 224b4 update fixes slowdowns in b3, plus a few minor tweaks, and has all previous fixes- problems with AppleTalk games, problems opening several third party maps, and a bug that messed up moving platforms/boats. A few new workarounds are mentioned in the readme also. Click here to view the read me file online.
[I accidently missed posting Randall's update today - my fault not his. I'll add it to tomorrow's news-Mike]
Today's Update from Ruffin Bailey:
The biggest news I've seen online recently has come straight from the
xlr8yourmac main news page. Mike has an informant giving the alleged skinny on possible
Voodoo3 drivers for the Mac coming from 3dfx. Personally I'd love
to see 3dfx release Mac drivers so that we don't have to worry about a Mac-only company having
to guard their investment against piracy in the losing battle MicroConversions fought with the
Voodoo2.
The Voodoo3 is a PCI video card that will apparently fit in the new G3 tower's 66 MHz PCI slot
(with as yet unwritten drivers) that provides wonderful 2D video performance as well as 3D
performance that is faster than two Voodoo2's in SLI. Floyd, my connection to the PC gaming
world, has a Voodoo3 in his box and believe me, it's nothing to sneeze at!
[for more info on the V3 see this article I wrote some months ago-Mike] I'm so green with
envy I'm putting in an order for a 366 MHz Celeron and Abit BM6 motherboard tomorrow morning...
At the same time, I'd like to encourage you to follow Randall's lead and give iWonder a call regarding
the release of what MicroConversion's was able to achieve along the line of SLI drivers for
their Game Wizard product. Many of iWonder's current staff are carry-overs from MicroConversions
(something I'd predicted in my "you could've
seen it coming" editorial on MicroConversion's end), and someone's got to have the
code. Be polite if you call (Thanks, Dad!), and do let iWonder know how much the Mac gaming
community would appreciate such a gesture (even at a cost)!
There's an
interview with James Schmalz about the upcoming release of Unreal Tournament. Schmalz answers
questions ranging from his programming background to what you can expect to find in the Unreal
Tournament demo, if there is one...
In more 3D acceleration card news, 3dhardware.net has a TNT2 review,
showing how this nVidia chipset is starting to fill the
void with third party video cards now that 3dfx has decided to be the sole manufacturer of the Voodoo3.
These three cards are reviewed: AOpen PA3010A 16MB, Leadtek S320 II PRO 32MB,
Creative Labs 3D Blaster TNT2 Ultra 32MB. (all on the PC, for now.)
I swear I'll stop with the 3D acceleration card news after this, but there's a pretty
good review of the Voodoo3 (can you tell I like this card?) at frag.com. Here's an excellent
quote from the review's introduction that hopefully clear up the difference between a Banshee (a 2D/3D combo)
card and a Voodoo2 (3D only) when it comes to 3D gaming:
The problems lie in the fact that the Banshee only carried over one of the
Voodoo2's texture processors. In multi-textured situations, this proved to be the
devastating blow to the Banshee's design.
Graeme Devine and Paul Jaquays are once again fighting to see who can create the most bandwidth on
the internet regarding Quake 3 Test. Check out Devine's
updated
plan promising a new Quake 3 Test tournament map soon (thanks loonyboi o'
www.bluesnews.com). Jaquays is interviewed at
Quake 3 Source. Topics include how Jaquays decided to work at id, his academic background,
and more level design questions & answers. Why the reviewer misspelled Mr. Jaquays' last name is
not discussed. ;^D
Oh boy, yet another screenshot
of Unreal Tournament!!! Collect the whole set! This one appears to be a sewer drain
strategically placed beneath a monorail track. Beautiful.
Trevor at Mac Gamers' Ledge has an
exclusive report on the status of Mac Descent 3. MGL reports that Mac Descent 3 should be ready
for release in 4 to 6 weeks in spite of the fact that there's only one fellow working on the port.
OpenGL is cited as the reason Mac Descent can be finished so quickly. Perhaps there is something to
be said regarding this now belated Mac gaming revival!
Blue's News, possibly the best site on the net for up
to the minute first person shooter news (though the emphasis is on the PC, since that's unfortunately
where most of the news occurs), reports that the June 1999 issue of
Quake Magazine has been posted. Quake Magazine deals mainly with Quake 2 maps, and is a good
place to go to do some research so that when MacQ2 is released, you'll know exactly where to go
for the best games. This month there are two interesting interviews with some Q2 map makers,
who tell about their inspiration for their maps and what drives them to create them. One fellow
graduated from the High Military Aviation Engineering College in Kiev!
As a new "service", I'm going to try and start recapping the best of two USENET newsgroups that
deal with the hottest news in Mac gaming for you each week, namely comp.sys.mac.games.action and fr.comp.sys.mac!
That's right, no bablefishing necessary! If you can't read French, you can get the French Mac gaming skinny right here next Monday (or there'bouts) on xlr8yourmac!
If you've
never participated on a USENET newsgroup, head on over to deja.com
and take a look. Nate Trost and Mark Adams (the programmer of Mac Quake 2 and president of Westlake Interactive, respectively) are two fellows that are regular posters. Topics of the day include how to play a more competitive Unreal deathmatch, whether Marathon is the best first person shooter
of all time, how to jerry-rig your Unreal 224's built-in server browser,
and one guy who was hyping his own shareware game by pretending that he'd just downloaded it that it was the best thing that'd happened since sliced bread. It just doesn't get any better
than that! ;^)
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