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Segway RMP bots used for sniper target practice, other nefarious deeds (video)
Are your snipers bored of the same old stationary, predictable cardboard targets? What they need is disconcertingly realistic acting robotic ones! The Australian Defense Force and Marathon Robotics took a number of two-wheeled RMP 200 Segway robots, placed hoodie-clad foam dummies on top, armored the bottoms, and then programmed them to wander randomly around a small village. A sniper perched up on a hill then picks off his target and, like magic, the remaining robots all scatter automatically in a game way more fun than Modern Warfare could ever hope to be. There's a video of that after the break, along with an RMP 400 doing some sweet jumps off-road, even roaring up stairs. The YouTube channel at the source link has plenty more Segway demos, some new and some old, so if you have some time to kill today you know where to click. [Thanks, Mark E.]
Sniper: Ghost Warrior aiming for Xbox 360 & PC in 'Q2 2010'
click to zoom and enhance First of all, no, there isn't a better title for an FPS than "Sniper: Ghost Warrior." That's just a fact. Second of all, the game's coming from the makers of such gaming classics as Chicken Riot and I Love Beauty: Hollywood Makeover, so we expect nothing but the best from the just-announced title. Sniper: Ghost Warrior is the first Xbox 360 venture from Poland-based devs City Interactive, an idea the company says was born out of some recent television programming. "With all-new programming airing nationally on the History Channel and the Military Channel regarding the training of snipers and their missions, interest in the art of sniping has never been greater," VP of sales Lisa Rivera explains. The game is said to be centered around the assistance of rebels who are trying to overthrow "an aggressive and hostile military command" that has taken over the once-democratic (and fictional) nation of Isla Trueno. A handful of screens were released with the game's announcement this morning (which we've dropped into a gallery below), and if those tickle you pink then it'll interest you to know that the game's got a "Q2 2010" release window. %Gallery-87697%
Fallen Earth sniper trailer shows that 'life is cheap, bullets are expensive'
Fallen Earth is an upcoming post-apocalyptic MMO that will take place in a near-future setting, one ravaged by nuclear war and viral epidemic, sparsely populated by a factionalized society of survivors. Although the game is still in beta, the Fallen Earth team has been stepping up their game trailer releases and the latest introduces us to a mercenary of sorts. The video shows us the lengths (or depths) a person will go to for a handful of irradiated squash: stabbings, beatings, and for the sake of expediency, sniper headshots. Still, in Fallen Earth, "life is cheap, bullets are expensive" and the video aims to show us more of the game's harsh setting. Stick with us after the jump for a look at the latest HD video from Fallen Earth:
Urine for a treat as TF2's Sniper practices 'jarate'
We've met the Sniper before, but now we learn what he actually does with all those jars of urine. The latest update in Team Fortress 2's continuing Spy vs. Sniper saga reveals the Sniper brandishing his liquid gold as a weapon. A thrown jar of "Jarate" on an opponent will increase damage by 35 percent (poor Heavy) and can disable the Spy's cloaking device. If it's used on a teammate (eww!), it'll put out fires and jellyfish stings ... if there were jellyfish in the game.We may not be playing Team Fortress 2 that much anymore, but we're more than happy to let Valve keep chronicling the exploits of the well-developed TF2 cast.[Thanks, Anthony]
Team Fortress 2's Spy murders Sniper, both receive updates
We thought Valve had straight up flipped their melon (whatever that means) when they started announcing the upcoming changes to Team Fortress 2's hawk-eyed class, the Sniper. A bow and arrow? Okay, fine -- but a shield that prevents you from getting backstabbed? Why not just allow them to turn on God Mode? However, our worries were assuaged by the latest revelation for the Sniper update, in which said Sniper gets Julius Caesar'd by a Spy -- the proud recipient of yet another TF2 update.The betrayal-prone class will be getting two new tools in the update -- the Cloak and Dagger Spy Watch, which allows you to stay camouflaged indefinitely (as long as you're standing completely still) and the Dead Ringer Spy Watch, which instantly cloaks you for eight seconds when you get hit, dropping a fake corpse in your stead. Oh, we're going to do terrible, terrible things with that.
TF2 Sniper update adds touch of Ted Nugent, available later this week
Valve just sent a press release our way confirming that the upcoming Sniper update for Team Fortress 2 will be a bit less, uh ... upcoming. The update will be available to download through Steam sometime later this week, as Valve could not provide us with a definite date of release for the new goods. So, what is there to look forward to?Well, the Sniper is going to go all Ted Nugent with a new bow and arrow, apparently, as you can see in the image above all of this text. The weapon is called The Huntsman longbow, and it will allow our fan of the long range an opportunity to pin those bothersome bobbers and weavers against the wall. Hey, Scout, think you're going to zig-zag all over the place? Well, not when you've been bowed to the wall.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Autonomous sniper system combines Xbox 360 controller, .338 rifle for deadly drone action
You know how it is -- we're frightened and appalled by the thought of unmanned killing machines, but if they must exist we really, really want to play with one. The US Army's latest nightmarish deathcopter / awesome tech toy is a little something called the Autonomous Rotorcraft Sniper System (ARSS). Essentially a .338-caliber rifle mounted to the bottom of a Vigilante unmanned helicopter (though it could eventually be made to work on a Predator drone, for instance), this bad boy utilizes a modified Xbox 360 game controller for targeting while the vehicle itself stays put courtesy of its autopilot functions. Never again will your favorite sniper need to leave the comfort of his barracks! Airborne testing begins in July, with autonomy to come soon after that and a possible robot apocalypse estimated for Q4 2011.
Sniper getting next TF2 class update, still working on 360 update
All of the monkeyshines which occurred this past April Fools' Day weren't completely without newsworthiness. For instance, Valve's April 1 update revealing the Sniper's newest (and fakest) armament -- weaponized jars of urine -- was a hint that the Sniper class would be the next Team Fortress 2 class to get the update treatment. In fact, Valve promises it will be the biggest update thus far, with new maps and gameplay tweaks. In addition, a second update, due to arrive before the Sniper pack, will add "some new content for all classes." Probably no jars of urine, though.Also, if you're a member of the incensed mob of players of the (mostly) non-updated TF2 for the 360, the latest Valve update includes word that the developer is still working to bring new content to the console. So please, put down that torch and pitchfork. You'll put someone's eye out.
iPod touch M110 sniper rifle: another reason to fear the Cult of Apple
We're trying... we're trying real hard to cling to our pacifist ways. But damn if the fusion of this US Army M110 Sniper Rifle and mounted iPod touch running the BulletFlight external ballistics calculator (available via the App Store) doesn't make us want to kill. Tap in the variables such as weather conditions, ammunition type, distance to target, and wind speed before exhaling and gently squeezing back on your second amendment right. God bless America. [Via The Firearm Blog] Read -- M110 sniper rifle with iPod touch mount Read -- BulletFlight App [warning: iTunes link]
EVE Evolved: The art of tanking - Unusual tanks
Although in EVE Online we tend to think of a tank as our ship's ability to absorb damage and self-repair, it makes sense to describe any strategy used to keep yourself alive as a form of tank. In the previous parts of this guide on the art of tanking in EVE , I gave some tips on choosing what type of tank to use on your ship and gave an overview of both armour and shield tanking. In this final part of the guide, I take a look at alternative strategies for keeping your ship alive. Strategies such as the spider tank, defensive use of electronic warfare and the much lauded speed-tank are put under the microscope as I look at some of EVE's more unusual tanks. Spider tank: When I first coined the term "spider tank" back in early 2006 (before that calling it a "squadron tank"), I was convinced we would see them on the battlefield increasingly frequently. Sure enough, spider tanks have become a staple of gang and small fleet warfare. A spider tank is a strategy in which each member of a fleet fits a remote armour repairer or shield transfer in one of their high slots and they repair anyone in the fleet who starts to take damage. When the enemy concentrate their fire on one member of the gang, the gang concentrates their remote repairers on that member to keep him alive. Read on to find out how a logistics ship can generate capacitor out of thin air and how ECM, long range weaponry and speed can be effectively used as tanks.
An insider's account of galactic warfare in EVE Online
Prolific games journalist Jim Rossignol is an avid EVE Online player, who has made regular contributions to Eurogamer focused on this particular sci-fi MMO. His latest piece, "EVE Online: Battle Reports", is a brief account of how his PvP-focused corp (EVE's version of a guild) fared in a conflict against some steep odds. His aim is to explain a bit about how the game works while telling his story, hopefully holding appeal for those who don't play the game as well as those who do. "Because of the open structure of the game world, player-versus-player battles happen in all kinds of contexts and situations, and the sheer number of variables means they can make for a great story," Rossignol writes.
Tabula Rasa finally gets an FPS camera view
Have you ever wondered why a game like Tabula Rasa never utilized that classic first-person view, considering the fact that it's billed as an FPS-style MMO? The over-the-shoulder view never really did it for most players who were looking for more of a shooter aspect in their game. Rest easy in knowing that the FPS view is finally coming to this NCsoft sci-fi MMO, according to the latest Feedback Friday.If that's not enough, there will also be a scope view, allowing players to use their Torqueshell Rifles more authentically and adding to the immersion of playing an actual Sniper class. But wait, there's more! This Feedback Friday also describes a new mech cockpit view and increased camera distance from the character, which will be great news for the support classes who tend to hang back a bit from the front lines. Although there's no date mentioned for the implementation of these improvements, you can check out the entire news story for some impressive screenshots showcasing these new views.
DARPA's Super-Resolution Vision System uses heatwaves to magnify targets
DARPA's Super-Resolution Vision System (SRVS) may not be as cool as the threat-sensing binoculars we saw a while back, but it may prove a little more practical. The prototype scope takes advantage of something called "atmospheric turbulence-generated micro-lensing" to provide three times the resolution of current diffraction-based scopes. In other words, if soldiers can see you more clearly, they can make an informed decision on whether or not to shoot you. [Via The Future of Things]
EVE Evolved: Electronic Warfare, part 3
In the first two parts of this three part guide, I explained the basics of electronic warfare in EVE Online and examined the skills and equipment you'll need as an electronic warfare specialist. In this final section, I tackle the tricky issues of battlefield operations and survival.Survival:An unfortunate fact about being part of a fleet's electronic warfare crew is that you'll almost certainly be a high priority target for your enemies. To make matters worse, specialist electronic warfare ships tend to have very poor defensive capabilities. Fitting any kind of tank on an electronic warfare ship can waste vital module slots and severely impact the performance of your ship. This is particularly true in the case of ECM jamming ships where the low slots should be used for signal distortion amplifiers.What can you do to keep your ship safe on the battlefield and what should you do to help your fleet be victorious? Join me as I answer these questions in a thorough tactical overview of electronic warfare in EVE Online.
Scattered Shots: Do Hunters need Camouflage?
Hunt much? Got a pet? Scattered Shots is the feature you turn to when you've gotta have your weekly fix of hunter information, and you've just gotta have it every Thursday afternoon without fail. Those who mine the very depths of the Wrath of the Lich King alpha client have discovered a possible new hunter ability called Camouflage, which, if it goes live, could add an entirely new dimension to the hunter class. Its current form is kind of like a combination Vanish and Cloak of Shadows, in that, once every 5 minutes, it saves you from all debuffs currently destroying you in one way or another, and it puts you in "improved invisibility" (not actual stealth like a rogue has). There's no mention of any time limit, except that it will break when you deal damage.There are a number of implications this ability could have for hunters if it actually ends up on our action bars. For one, it would be quite different from a mage's Invisibility spell, which usually only allows them to see other invisible targets and only lasts for a short time. If Camouflage were to break upon dealing damage then we'd have to be able to see our targets, right? Likely we'd be able to move around and stalk them too. Also, it would not break when you start to cast a shot (such as Aimed Shot), or even if that shot were to miss -- only if it hits its mark. It could be the perfect companion to good damage openers on unsuspecting targets.If this goes live, Hunters are going to become snipers on top of everything else we are, which is super cool.
Boom! Headshot your desktop with Sniper wallpaper
It's no secret that Team Fortress 2's Sniper has it hard. Bogged down by professional courtesy and parents that just don't understand, the Sniper could use our moral support. Thankfully you can help by dressing your desktop with this picturesque Sniper wallpaper. We're not sure why he would stand in the middle of a desolate wasteland, without cover, but we'd like to think that the picture was taken moments after headshotting the last remaining person on Earth. Thankfully, we all respawned. Click the image to grab the full, hi-res version.
Team Fortress 2 update nearly complete, Sniper getting intro, Pyro getting axe
Don't misinterpret that headline -- the much anticipated update for Valve's cartoony multiplayer run-and-gunner, Team Fortress 2, will not see the dismissal of the game's most burninating class. No, we simply mean that Valve has revealed one of the unlockable weapons for the Pyro: the mighty Axtinguisher. Well, the sometimes mighty Axtinguisher -- Valve explained in a recent Steam blog post that the weapon only deals half as much damage as the standard fire axe, unless used against engulfed opponents, in which case it deals a guaranteed critical hit.We've yet to learn the achievements required to unlock this powerful armament, or the other equipment that will be made available to the flame-obsessed archetype -- though in the same news post, Valve confirmed the Pyro-centric update will be accompanied by one of their popular video introductions for the most steady-handed TF2 character, titled "Meet The Sniper". Also, Valve confirmed that they've "almost completely wrapped up" the update. Arsonists, rejoice![Via Evil Avatar]
Tabula Rasa Feedback Friday
In this week's installment of TR's Feedback Friday, we get some information on a needed improvement to the Public Test Server and a change to the Shredder Ammo skill that players have come to love since the last patch.For the last few Public Test Server proliferations, a game master has been on-hand to give players an instant boost to level 30 in order to check out the Tier 4 class changes. This only seemed fair since the majority of changes happened to these high-level classes. In the spirit of convenience, the developers have created a PTS Level Command NPC who will do that dirty work for them.In addition to this, they mention their awareness of the problems with the Sniper's signature weapon -- the Torqueshell Rifle -- and how players have resorted to the Chaingun/Shredder Ammo combo with their Snipers. They state their intentions to re-balance this in order to make the TSR more effective, and lower the extremely unbalanced power of the Chaingun/Shredder combo.
TR's Ranger classes get a second look
We're pleased to report that this week's Tabula Rasa Feedback Friday is uncharacteristically juicy. The decision was made in the Classes and Combat teams that Rangers and Spies needed a serious looking at in patch 1.7. Their logic was that the two Ranger classes, Spies and Snipers, are too narrowly restricted by their class-defining weapons. Snipers have been struggling with this recently with the changes to Torqueshell rifles. And while Spies have been anything but hindered by their spectacular Blade damage, their effectiveness discourages Spies from trying different tactics.Among the changes that will be heralded in patch 1.7 (it's worth reiterating here that patch 1.6 is still in testing and has no confirmed release date) is a new ability called Fire Support, which will take the place of Carpet Bombs in the Ranger repertoire. It's different effects at different ranks should give it increased utility for single-target DPS. Another ability with the potential to be quite cool is Tactical Evasion, which, at pump 5, would give the Ranger player the ability to set up a temporary beacon that you will teleport back to after a given amount of time. It sounds like a near way to rush into a crowded area, take out an important target, and get away quickly. To check out the full range of changes, make sure to check it out on the official site.
TR Sniper problems addressed
Critters and the TR dev team have used this week's Feedback Friday to address the recent uproar that's risen up over the change to the Torqueshell rifles in patch 1.6. In line with our hopes, it seems like the development team has seen the light, and has decided to cede a little room to player feedback. They're working on another build for the test server that will change the nerf in Torqueshell damage from the 55% wollop that it was originally down to only about 75% of the pre-patch damage. With the increased rate of fire from the change in the shooting mechanic, this comes out to a far more favorable DPS number in the end.Critters goes on to explain how the development team's vision for the Torqueshell weapon and the Sniper class is one where players really have to know their class and have all their buffs and abilities in order to be able to achieve the one-shot one-kill scenarios that most Snipers have been clamoring for. The increased speed of attack also means that players will have more maneuverability and capacity to adapt during battle, instead of standing static waiting for their shot to go off.
