For a while there, I thought Natural Selection 2 was destined to become vaporware like so many sophomore efforts by mod developers (see: Tactical Intervention).
Judging by the impressive trailer above and massive beta update, Natural Selection 2 is making good progress toward retail. In the process, the game's beta -- available to those who have pre-ordered -- keeps getting better and better.
This recent update bring a wealth of fixes, improvements, and, most notably, new content. Build 194 finally brings in the marines' jetpack accessory, the ability for alien players to evolve into gorilla form (Onos), and a new map, Mineshaft. For a full list of changes and additions, visit the game's website.
For those unfamiliar with the game, it's the sequel to the ambitious 2002 Half-Life mod that blurred the line between FPS and RTS long before titles like Nuclear Dawn and Savage. In production for five years now, Natural Selection 2's development has been worrying fans but the visuals and gameplay on display above have renewed this fan's faith.
The above trailer has me so excited for this game that I went ahead and pre-ordered. I'll be posting my impressions soon. Feel free to say hi if you see me in a game, but you better hurry because the number of pre-orders (and thus beta keys) are limited.
You guys expect someone who almost literally said PC = glorified Xbox360 to pay attention to things like that? Why bother knowing what you're writing about when you can just post flamebait.
The Agent was in development until it was canned. Unless a dev has something to show, the outcome of prolonged projects becomes questionable.
I think it's funny that you think "glorified Xbox360" is such an insult. For someone who tries to appear so well informed on PC gaming, you seem unaware of the recent trend of connecting PC to TV to play games with a console controller. There is nothing negative about this comment.
Regardless, I don't appreciate your tone as this post is celebrating NS2 and its progress.
@Allistair: Don't let em get to ya. PC folk can be touchy. Especially the hardcore ones. I understand why your comment got to him, but I also understand what you meant with said comment. Either way, Yay NS2, can't wait to get it.
"For those unfamiliar with the game, it's the sequel to the ambitious 2002 Half-Life mod that blurred the line between FPS and RTS long before titles like Nuclear Dawn and Savage"
It's unfortunate that you take criticism so personally, but it's more unfortunate that you're trying to validate pure flamebait by back pedaling.
For clarity, applying the term glorified almost always implies that the object is a polished mock up of something superior to itself, which is hardly a compliment. More over, your original comment, which likened the PC to glorified xbox360 because of a lack of exclusives, which is also a false assumption, rather than the trend of using tv's as monitors and controllers rather than conventional input, which is nothing new, and in no way indicative of ones level of inform regarding PC gaming.
So yeah, you made a comment saying that due to a lack of exclusives (even though there are plenty) the PC is essentially an Xbox360, then tried to justify that comment after the fact by insinuating that I am not in the know because people use their TV's and controllers with their PC's even though this was NOT the justification used in your comparison.
I'd be more mad at my own lack of credibility rather than someones tone if I were you, considering you just put your foot in mouth again, but whatever man. Have a great day.
@PhilK
I'm not even one of these "PC folk". I have multiple systems and I enjoy them equally, and don't buy into that core vs casual/system fanaticism shit.
I just don't like bullshit, and that's what I was just given in response to a completely valid criticism of a piece of wrIting.
Lack of exclusives = Using PC mainly to play improved "console releases" = Glorified Xbox 360 = not back pedaling
Trust me, I wish there were more worthwhile PC exclusives (such as the one above) but there isn't. Unless we are including Paradox strategy games and indie games, PC exclusives are hard to find when compared to PS3 -- I should know since I TRIED TO FIND THEM for that article. Yes, there will still be a Witcher 2 or Diablo 3 every year but even those now get console conversions in time. If it makes you feel better, PC has a better exclusives this year than 360 because it actually has exclusives.
As far as taking criticism personally, give me a break. Usually I ignore naysayers, but if you are going to follow me article-to-article with your attitude then I'm going to address it.
Lack of exclusives = Using PC mainly to play improved "console releases" = Glorified Xbox 360 = not back pedaling
Trust me, I wish there were more worthwhile PC exclusives (such as the one above) but there isn't. Unless we are including Paradox strategy games and indie games, PC exclusives are hard to find when compared to PS3 -- I should know since I TRIED TO FIND THEM for that article. Yes, there will still be a Witcher 2 or Diablo 3 every year but even those now get console conversions in time. If it makes you feel better, PC has a better exclusives this year than 360 because it actually has exclusives.
As far as taking criticism personally, give me a break. Usually I ignore naysayers, but if you are going to follow me article-to-article with your attitude then I'm going to address it.
When you say "A" is a glorified "B", you mean to imply that A is better than B, not the other way around. Though it is definitely not a compliment to either.
I don't give enough of a hoot to track down whatever Allistair originally said in context, because arguing about the best way to play video games is like arguing about fine dining: eating a seven-course meal in a fine restaurant versus a twelve-course meal on a fucking cruise ship.
But it sounds like he meant that the xbox plays good games, and a good pc plays good games better and with more options. Which is true.
Or you know, the 360 could just be a de-glorified PC. Microsoft has been spending more time on pointless Facebook integration than on the games as of late.
When the new dashboard basically shoves the "Gaming" stuff into the corner, there's a red flag.
The "lack of exclusives" point towards PC is kinda funny since the 360 had what, two exclusives (Gears 3 and Forza 4) in 2011?
@Shotgun: I've never seen ya be a dick or a fanboy and like I said: I understand why his comment got to ya, but you did go after his throat, which I hope you understand, makes you kind of look like one of those folk. But you felt he fed ya bullshit, which I understand and would also take issue with. Either way games. We love em, right?
I'm platform-agnostic, so I don't have a dog in this fight. If anything, I'm biased toward consoles, as "PC Master Race" douchenozzles annoy the shit out of me. But I use and love all my consoles and my PC (which, when it plays video games, is basically a console with a different input mechanism, so shut up about it being somehow different).
Allistair:
Can we agree on "supercharged Xbox 360"? I mean, unless the original quote (which I haven't read in context, so if you did this, then you're right not to back down) was along the lines of "The PC can be used as a glorified Xbox 360" or whatevs, "glorified" is traditionally used as a backhanded compliment or an insult. I mean, that is what that word is traditionally used for in the English language. It's not a positive thing to say about anything. Remember when that one dude called the Wii "two GameCubes taped together"? He was saying it was a glorified GameCube, meaning it was underpowered. That is essentially what you are calling the PC when you call it a "glorified Xbox 360" without qualification. "Supercharged" is much closer to the truth in terms of what the platform can do currently, whether or not your current PC can do those things.
Regarding the PC's "lack of exclusives": I have no idea what that means. I mean, if you're saying, "I use my PC like a glorified Xbox 360", meaning that you only play console-esque games like, say, Space Marine on it - if, in other words, your tastes tend to line up with the traditional console gamer's tastes - then you're right, there wasn't much for you that was PC-exclusive last year. But the Paradox games and indie games you mention are PC exclusives. They may not be PC exclusives you're into, which is fine, but they are PC exclusives. And there are hundreds upon hundreds of those sorts of games. So to say the PC "suffers from a lack of exclusives" is just factually inaccurate. You can say it "suffers from a lack of exclusives I like to play" or "a lack of console-style exclusives" (though that's missing the point rather spectacularly), certainly, but that's an issue for you, not a factual issue for the PC platform.
Not trying to come off like a jerk or anything; I'm just saying that those two statements, when presented as facts, don't sound to me like the ones to stake your journalistic reputation on, as it's pretty easy to prove them wrong as factual statements. If those are your opinions, present them as such. Does that make sense?
If you didn't present your opinions in the original article as fact, and Shotgun's just being a jizzjar, then I apologize for wasting your time.
@ShotgunDiplom4t:
Shut up. You could very well be correct, but you're still being a massive dickhole to Allistair. I dunno how things got to this point between you two, but you better quash the beef, 'cause you look like more of an ass than he does at this point.
Sure if you disregard the RTS genre and Indie games the PC doesn't have that many exclusives anymore, than again I would not disregard them. Disregarding them is basically the same as saying I only count games that can also work on the consoles as exclusives which is not really a good definition because you automatically disregard all the games that have a reason to be exclusive. Even if they are not exclusives the pc version can still be clearly better take for example skyrim, it would not be nearly as good without its mods. If I look at noticeable xbox360 exclusives they are mostly fps games of which there are a lot already so if you cannot play them because you don't own a 360 you would still not miss out on a lot and even then chances are the game gets a PC release anyway.
Even if you still think the pc has no noticable exclusives the games themselves are still cheaper especially with steam sales and are still technically superior even if you are just gonna play them in front of a tv with a controller. Some say pc gaming is expensive but if you buy smart the game prices would more than compensate for that especially considering the fact that lately pc's don't have to upgrade a lot to play the latest games smooth at better graphics than the console counterparts. the building itself is easy, picking the parts only requires a little bit of research and maybe a posting a thread on someplace but overall no big deal on the long term.
Is Allistair really trying to say the PC has a lack of exclusives?! That's just a weird thing to say. PC has the highest volume of releases and exclusives of any platform by an incredibly wide margin.
I didn't make this and it's not completely accurate but this is a nice little release chart I saw the other day: http://i.imgur.com/iTZtG.jpg
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Contest:
10:30 AM on 02.03.2012 | 
Left 4 Aliens: Colonial Plants vs. Dead Borderlandcraft Space?
I think I'm game.
I think it's funny that you think "glorified Xbox360" is such an insult. For someone who tries to appear so well informed on PC gaming, you seem unaware of the recent trend of connecting PC to TV to play games with a console controller. There is nothing negative about this comment.
Regardless, I don't appreciate your tone as this post is celebrating NS2 and its progress.
So if your machine is a little weak right now, might want to wait till you have upgraded to play.
Haven't played NS2 in a while, I think I should do that soon though :D
Uprising would like to say hi
For clarity, applying the term glorified almost always implies that the object is a polished mock up of something superior to itself, which is hardly a compliment. More over, your original comment, which likened the PC to glorified xbox360 because of a lack of exclusives, which is also a false assumption, rather than the trend of using tv's as monitors and controllers rather than conventional input, which is nothing new, and in no way indicative of ones level of inform regarding PC gaming.
So yeah, you made a comment saying that due to a lack of exclusives (even though there are plenty) the PC is essentially an Xbox360, then tried to justify that comment after the fact by insinuating that I am not in the know because people use their TV's and controllers with their PC's even though this was NOT the justification used in your comparison.
I'd be more mad at my own lack of credibility rather than someones tone if I were you, considering you just put your foot in mouth again, but whatever man. Have a great day.
I'm not even one of these "PC folk". I have multiple systems and I enjoy them equally, and don't buy into that core vs casual/system fanaticism shit.
I just don't like bullshit, and that's what I was just given in response to a completely valid criticism of a piece of wrIting.
Lack of exclusives = Using PC mainly to play improved "console releases" = Glorified Xbox 360 = not back pedaling
Trust me, I wish there were more worthwhile PC exclusives (such as the one above) but there isn't. Unless we are including Paradox strategy games and indie games, PC exclusives are hard to find when compared to PS3 -- I should know since I TRIED TO FIND THEM for that article. Yes, there will still be a Witcher 2 or Diablo 3 every year but even those now get console conversions in time. If it makes you feel better, PC has a better exclusives this year than 360 because it actually has exclusives.
As far as taking criticism personally, give me a break. Usually I ignore naysayers, but if you are going to follow me article-to-article with your attitude then I'm going to address it.
Lack of exclusives = Using PC mainly to play improved "console releases" = Glorified Xbox 360 = not back pedaling
Trust me, I wish there were more worthwhile PC exclusives (such as the one above) but there isn't. Unless we are including Paradox strategy games and indie games, PC exclusives are hard to find when compared to PS3 -- I should know since I TRIED TO FIND THEM for that article. Yes, there will still be a Witcher 2 or Diablo 3 every year but even those now get console conversions in time. If it makes you feel better, PC has a better exclusives this year than 360 because it actually has exclusives.
As far as taking criticism personally, give me a break. Usually I ignore naysayers, but if you are going to follow me article-to-article with your attitude then I'm going to address it.
I don't give enough of a hoot to track down whatever Allistair originally said in context, because arguing about the best way to play video games is like arguing about fine dining: eating a seven-course meal in a fine restaurant versus a twelve-course meal on a fucking cruise ship.
But it sounds like he meant that the xbox plays good games, and a good pc plays good games better and with more options. Which is true.
When the new dashboard basically shoves the "Gaming" stuff into the corner, there's a red flag.
The "lack of exclusives" point towards PC is kinda funny since the 360 had what, two exclusives (Gears 3 and Forza 4) in 2011?
Allistair:
Can we agree on "supercharged Xbox 360"? I mean, unless the original quote (which I haven't read in context, so if you did this, then you're right not to back down) was along the lines of "The PC can be used as a glorified Xbox 360" or whatevs, "glorified" is traditionally used as a backhanded compliment or an insult. I mean, that is what that word is traditionally used for in the English language. It's not a positive thing to say about anything. Remember when that one dude called the Wii "two GameCubes taped together"? He was saying it was a glorified GameCube, meaning it was underpowered. That is essentially what you are calling the PC when you call it a "glorified Xbox 360" without qualification. "Supercharged" is much closer to the truth in terms of what the platform can do currently, whether or not your current PC can do those things.
Regarding the PC's "lack of exclusives": I have no idea what that means. I mean, if you're saying, "I use my PC like a glorified Xbox 360", meaning that you only play console-esque games like, say, Space Marine on it - if, in other words, your tastes tend to line up with the traditional console gamer's tastes - then you're right, there wasn't much for you that was PC-exclusive last year. But the Paradox games and indie games you mention are PC exclusives. They may not be PC exclusives you're into, which is fine, but they are PC exclusives. And there are hundreds upon hundreds of those sorts of games. So to say the PC "suffers from a lack of exclusives" is just factually inaccurate. You can say it "suffers from a lack of exclusives I like to play" or "a lack of console-style exclusives" (though that's missing the point rather spectacularly), certainly, but that's an issue for you, not a factual issue for the PC platform.
Not trying to come off like a jerk or anything; I'm just saying that those two statements, when presented as facts, don't sound to me like the ones to stake your journalistic reputation on, as it's pretty easy to prove them wrong as factual statements. If those are your opinions, present them as such. Does that make sense?
If you didn't present your opinions in the original article as fact, and Shotgun's just being a jizzjar, then I apologize for wasting your time.
@ShotgunDiplom4t:
Shut up. You could very well be correct, but you're still being a massive dickhole to Allistair. I dunno how things got to this point between you two, but you better quash the beef, 'cause you look like more of an ass than he does at this point.
Yep, every single one of em.
/highfive
Uprising was the shit.
Even if you still think the pc has no noticable exclusives the games themselves are still cheaper especially with steam sales and are still technically superior even if you are just gonna play them in front of a tv with a controller. Some say pc gaming is expensive but if you buy smart the game prices would more than compensate for that especially considering the fact that lately pc's don't have to upgrade a lot to play the latest games smooth at better graphics than the console counterparts. the building itself is easy, picking the parts only requires a little bit of research and maybe a posting a thread on someplace but overall no big deal on the long term.
I didn't make this and it's not completely accurate but this is a nice little release chart I saw the other day: http://i.imgur.com/iTZtG.jpg