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Further to our report last week that an OS X version of the Quake 3 map editor GtkRadiant is in the works, game design tools creators Radiant announced on Monday new updates for their flagship project.

While the updates affect only the Linux and Windows versions of the editor, Radiant insider Timothee Besset had some interesting news regarding the upcoming Mac version:

There is also an experimental setup for the next major GtkRadiant release for Linux (1.3). You shouldn't see much external changes, but it's a much cleaner and powerful internal architecture. As usual with major releases, you can have the 1.3 stuff installed without breaking your existing 1.2 installation.

We don't have 1.3 setups for win32 and OSX yet. The Linux 1.3 setup is a first step on the road to putting out an OSX setup, so that's what got done first. A win32 1.3 setup should follow soon.

IMG: GtkRadiant Coming to the Mac!

GtkRadiant Mac Version Update

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After much anticipation, the Mac version of Master of Orion III is expected out very soon from MacSoft. IMG today posted a preview of the expansive strategy title, describing what both fans of the series and newbies alike will have to look forward to. Jay Swartzfeger gives an honest report of his first days with the game's diplomacy, technology and combat. Here's a clip:

Technology is the first tab and one of the most important areas of the game. Technology is broken down into six distinct branches: economics, energy, biology sciences, mathematics, physical sciences and social sciences. Your empire’s research is broken down into a matrix, so you can tell at a glance what your scientists have learned and what they’re currently researching. The wonderful aspect of MoOIII is that there are certain technologies you just can’t research – you have to acquire them through diplomatic means or through subterfuge and espionage.

If you haven't already pre-ordered Master of Orion III, you can do so now at the IMG store. IMG Pro/MacGames CD subscribers can do so for $39 (the additional IMG Anniversary 10% Off Sale translates to only $35.10), while non-subscribers can get it for $49 (less than $45 with the 10% discount).

IMG Preview: Master of Orion III

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In an effort to increase public awareness of their Torque Game Engine, software developers Garage Games have recently opened up their Torque website to the public.

The Torque Game Engine is a low-cost alternative to the high-end Unreal and Quake game engines. Designed for the independant game market, the Torque engine allows programmers access to high-quality, multi-platform game design tools for a fraction of the cost of higher-end game engines. The Torque engine is behind the recently-released Marble Blast as well as the upcoming action/arcade game Orbz, and the highly-anticipated Mac port of Garage Game's own MMORPG Realm Wars.

Previously, the Torque website was available only to licensed developers of the low-cost game engine. Garage Games' founder Jeff Tunnell explains the reason for the change:

We decided to allow everybody to have access to most of the information displayed on the Torque Home Page. Now even non-SDK owners can peek at the TorqueScript documentation, tutorials, and most of the goings-on in Torque Land. This is the start of site work we are doing to show off interesting Torque projects, highlight developers and projects, and finally explain what Associates are and how you can be one.

Garage Game's Torque Game Engine

GarageGames (add to watch list)

MGF: Marble Blast Demo

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UGO recently sat down with Quicksilver president William C. Fisher to talk about the impending release of Master of Orion III. With the game now in production for PC, and on its way to the Mac via Destineer/MacSoft, Fisher discusses their long production cycle for the strategy game. He also answers questions about how close they came to their original design idea and specifics like Artificial Intelligence.

Here's an excerpt:

UGO: How much effort went into the artificial intelligence (the gameplay and diplomacy AI)?

WCF: Wow. Huge amounts. We had four different people at various times working on aspects of the AI. When we began the game, I think we identified about 20 different AI modules that would need to be written. We built every one of them, and a couple more. Even now, we're still fiddling with some of them.

Diplomacy AI gets into all aspects of the gameplay model. It looks at relations between races in order to make decisions. But that also means paying attention to alliances; my enemy's friend is also my enemy, but his enemy might just be my friend. It looks at laws passed in the Senate, and who's voting for or against every bill. And it looks at the technology tree to make sure it's not negotiating to get something it already has, or offering too much for something it wants. The list goes on and on, and we spent many months making it all work right. It was one of the last pieces to get completely working.

UGO's Master of Orion III Interview

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