The open sourced, freeware FPS game Alien Arena 2009 has been released (Windows and Linux). The improvements to the game engine are very significant, and have surely raised the bar for free games of this genre. All surfaces in the game are now rendered using GLSL, not only improving the visual quality, but the performance as well. Interesting new effects like post-process distortions using GLSL have been implemented, as well as light volumes, better per-pixel lighting (reminiscent of UT3), and shaded water.Equally notable is that the sound system has been completely rewritten using OpenAL, allowing for effects such as Doppler, and adding Ogg Vorbis support. The game is free to play and available for download on its official website. It has a stats system and a built-in IRC client in its front-end game browser.
This time around, the game's been almost totally overhauled, with a "staggering" amount of improvements to the game engine. Full implementation of GLSL per-pixel lighting on all services sees the game come alive, especially when coupled with the OpenAL audio system and some spiffy new gameplay features. Optimisation has been a major focus, with the developers claiming that "No longer does one have to be leary of cranking the settings up, the game plays remarkably faster with the switch to GLSL for per-pixel operations."
Described as a "lean, clean fragging machine", the devs have made the statement that "This isn't your daddy's Alien Arena" - and it's a good few notches above last years model, boasting new and improved maps, music and sound effects.
So - what else is new?
Some of the new features in this release:
* GLSL per-pixel lighting on all surfaces.
* OpenAL 1.1
* Ogg-Vorbis support.
* GLSL post process framebuffer effects.
* New scoreboards.
* New HUD.
* Stereo music files.
* Seven new maps and two new player characters.
* Light volumes.
* Voice taunt system.
* Doppler sound effects.
Alien Arena 2009 is completely open source, free to play, and promises to set a new standard in freeware FPS gaming. Check it out now for Windows or Linux/Unix, and let us know what you think!
7.21 - 7.30 changelog
1. Rscript shader optimizations, fixed bug with flushing.
2. Fixed maxclients so that timedemo and other items can be run.
3. Added new textures and meshes for maps.
4. Added dm-deimos2k9.
5. Added realistic sun object.
6. Quake4 style explosion shockwave effect.
7. Added type option for vegetation shaders(grass and leaves).
8. Fixed and modified cvar r_speeds operation.
9. Added dm-warmachine2k9.
10. New scoreboards.
11. Rewrote mesh rendering routines, removed ordered iteration for non-legacy code.
12. Replaced all fixed function mesh per-pixel lighting routines with GLSL.
13. Removed Cybergirl until UV maps and animations can be fixed.
14. Changed lighting in player setup menu.
15. Added support for scrolling and glow effects for GLSL mesh shaders.
16. Improved accuracy of real-time lighting of meshes in GLSL.
17. New player model, Slashbot.
18. Much faster shadow rendering.
19. Fixed map voting string.
20. Low skill bots no longer user disruptors or vaporizers.
21. Added Mouse Smoothing(adaptive sensitivity).
22. Constrain overbrights to valid values.
23. Eliminate duplicate putenv() calls.
24. Updated blaster skin, fixed uv maps.
25. New HUD for AA2k9.
26. Ejecting brass now makes noise.
27. Add gl_showpolys.
28. Fixed some bad water normalmaps.
29. New player character, the Commander.
30. Added voice taunt system.
31. Fixed bug in func_rotating flags.
32. Rescaled Violator view weapon.
33. Added ctf-frost2k9.
34. Added dm-invasion.
35. Better culling of grass.
36. Fixed bullets endless bouncing in some cases.
37. Added water splash entity(misc_watersplash).
38. Added OpenAL 1.1 sound system.
39. Replaced all music with stero files.
40. Rocket, rocket launcher sound effects changed.
41. Vaporizor sound effect changed.
42. Disruptor no longer sends sound to entire level.
43. Added GLSL post process framebuffer effects.
44. Added explosion distortion(using GLSL FB effect).
45. Added pain distortion(using GLSL FB effect).
46. Added widescreen resolutions to non-custom list.
47. Updated menus with new options.
48. Added aoa-frost2k9.
49. Allow alt-fire to respawn players.
50. Added dm-chasmatic2k9.
51. Added normalmaps for vehicles, consoles, and powerup items.
52. Fixed bug with normalmaps getting gamma correction.
53. Added smoke to explosions, updated smoke effects.
54. Flag return for campers who die from anti-camp.
55. Resampled sounds that need to be upsampled.
56. Status explanations of video settings.
57. Added doppler effect setting.
58. Fixed bug with normals array being undersized.
59. Updated vehicle icons.
60. Added dm-command2k9.
61. Added Ogg-vorbis support.
62. Slight repositioning of beamgun.
63. Fixed menu bug with dynamic lights, bulletproof the menu from doing bad things with settings.