Pigpen, one of the former designers, the lead programmer and the web designer of the mod Deus Ex: Vindicta has decided to take the project over from me. Production won't begin until some time in January though considering that he is currently on vacation, but I thought I'd just let all the people who were looking forward to Vindicta before it initally died that it is going to go back into production. This also means that I won't be putting up the design docs like I had initially planned. I personally may still take part in production of the mod in some capacity but that is yet to be determined.

While Kaigen sounds optimistic about the future of Vindicta, I'm very hesitant in believing it is back for good. I've seen these things happen too many times.....a Mod dies, then it's resurrected only to die off again. I wish Pigpen the best of luck with this project, and I truly hope it's back for good, but I can't start getting excited over Vindicta again until I see progress on the project once again.

Good luck Pigpen, and I wish you well with this project.

Harvey: **Sigh** Moving offices is sooo cumbersome, but it's also cool to move into a new space. We'll be moving up the road, here in Austin, into a place with more roominess.

BackDoor: How far up the road?

Harvey: Only a few miles. We need more space.

Deicide: They have some concept art of some characters, and it can be viewed in their Gallery section. They also mention that their mapper has nearly completed the first portion of the Mod.

Deus Ex Fortress: They have added 3 model pictures and some concept art of their Bio-Gas Grenade, Temporary Assault Pod, and some new pics of the Close Combat Specialist.

Modus Moriendi: They don't have any current content updates, but they are looking for some coders.

Plague of Betrayal: They have up an awesome Pre-Briefing that tells you about your role in their upcoming Mod. This is a MUST read.

Quarantine: First off, they have changed their name to 'Essedarius', and they will be referred to as such from here on out. Their link has already been changed in our Community section. They have also posted a new concept pic of a vehicle which will be in their Mod.

Redsun 2020: They will be hosted by DX.org as of December 1st. They have some interesting new story information up, and they are looking at using a new class in their Mod that was created by Mishkin. This class is very unique and sounds great if Mishkin can get it to function properly. Here's the excerpt from their page.

I have made a camera point that can be triggered, then once triggered, drops whatever is in your hand and makes a JCDouble in your location and rotation. When the sequence ends, JCDouble is destroyed and control is returned to the player.

Team UC: They have updated EdGann's Universal Constuctor to version 1.1 which can be downloaded either off their site, or right here.

Jamaican Escape: They have posted several images, ingame screenshots from the first area, along with a few concept sketches of Dalton Graham. They have also written up three Deus Ex level design tutorials using AI barks, using the various NavigationPoint actors, and using the flag system in your levels.

First of all, they have a couple of new maps, one of which, is highly recommended by Jered. You can find the maps here.

Secondly, they have two new Mods up on their Mods page. One Mod is called 'Shop Mod', and I have yet to try it out, and the other is called 'Grappling Gun'. The 'Grappling Gun' Mod is from DarksTalker of Darkstalker's Mini-Mods,and is pretty neat, but I've only checked it out for a couple of minutes, and haven't had time to test it thoroughly. It doesn't matter though, because you can find both Mods right here.

They also have up some new tutorials for the Coder in all of us, and they are listed below. The first tutorial is by EdGann of Team UC.

Basic Packages, Sub Classing, and Compiling

These next three are by Musician of DXEditing.

Your first room
Creating a Curved wall using intersection and de-intersection
Vertex Manipulation and Sound Effects

Please keep in mind that you might have trouble with the last three links. I know I did, and I couldn't get those pages to come up too often. They could be revising them or working on the web page though.

Well, I thought we had found all the skill points but upon doing a recount we found some hanging points. Now that I've done my overdone joke of the year, let me point out that 38 more skill points have been added to Mission #3: Hidden Airfield. I have supplied a pic to go with them. They are a little hard to find.

Remember, have fun, but be safe, so that you come back to play another day of Deus Ex, or one of the promising Mods coming out soon.

Team UC is a collection of individuals from the DX community who want to make great mods. We started off doing our own small projects and eventually started having ideas for large scale modifications. The plan was to use Ed Gann's UC mod as a base for each of these and eventually we decided to all work together as a team to help each other out. Currently, team UC is working on 4 Mods; the UC Mod, Bliss, CodeName: Merc, and CorpWars.

Thanks Ed, and I wish your team the best of luck with all your upcoming Mods.

On another note, I did some house cleaning on the site last night and made both sections 'General Gaming Community' and 'Mod Community' decend in alphabetical order according to the title of the website. I hope this makes it easier for you to find what you're looking for.

I was just doing random 'whois' lookups (I found another interesting find for planetbattlezone :P) and noticed that deusex2.org and net are registered by some Chris Lambert (which kind of sounds familiar, but I couldn't tell you who it is) and deusex3.com is registered by eidos. maybe they're just thinking way ahead? I doubt there could be thought to development on the third yet, but isn't that weird?

WHOIS information for deusex3.com:

Registrar: NETWORK SOLUTIONS, INC.

Organization: Eidos Interactive
address: 651 Brannan, Ste 400
San Francisco, CA 94107 US

I wonder if ISA has signed a deal with Eidos for DX, like LGS had signed a deal for so many more 'Thief' sequels? Thanks Lee once again for this news.

Before you click on the link though, there was a bit of information I forgot to include in my write up. In OpenGL I was using the latest build (1.0.0.117), which can be found right here. As for D3D drivers, I was using the Detonator 3's.

BackDoor's Quick-Take of the Current Beta Patch

JonP, of DX.org, has interviewed Bliah, of Team UC. Go ahead and check it out.

I wish Team UC the best of luck, but can't help but wonder if they're in too deep and are taking on too much? I certainly hope they come through with all 4 Mods, and I hope the stress of taking on such tasks and having such high ambition doesn't run them dry. Good luck to you all.

The second interview is over at DX Illuminati. N-B-D interviewed Gwog of DX Incarnate. You can check that interview out right here.

Kaigen, over at DX Nation, has posted some very disappointing news about the fate of Vindicta. Disturbingly, this type of thing happens all the time, and his team is not the first to be plaqued with such problems. Here's what he had to say:

I, project leader Sean "Kaigen" Simpson, have the great displeasure of announcing that the post-apocalyptic, single-player mod Deus Ex: Vindicta has shut down as of 9:30pm PST November 19, 2000. Vindicta was not the most well known of mods, but it was one of the first announced for Deus Ex and was what I consider to be one of the more ambitious single-player mods to go under production for any game. It's death, honestly, comes as no surprise to me. Our team, while dedicated, was too small and inexperienced for such an ambitious project.

Within the next few days I'll be releasing all my design docs for those who are interested, as well as some of the components we did indeed complete. That would include some music, concept art, skins, and the beginning of the story. In the meantime you can check out the beginning of the website at http://pigsty.gamepl.com/vindicta/.. Where you can find some info on the story, and some of the concept art I mentioned earlier. I apologize to all who were looking forward to this project.

Also, if anyone out there likes what they've seen so far and would like to take the project under their own wing, e-mail me. In the e-mail please include your reasons for wanting the project and past experience.

Although this type of thing happens all the time in the Mod community, I can't help but feel sorrow for those involved. Just knowing the time and effort that has gone into such a thing thus far, then to see it slip away into a blackhole is very disappointing, and truly sad.

I noticed this on tweak3d.net today where someone posted about this device. It's a really long and angled monitor much like the computer terminals in deus ex! Interesting, isn't it?

Click this link to go see the Deus Ex Terminal Look Alike.

Chemscape: Legion

Drunken Raccoon Productions http://www.drunkencoon.com/ is in need of several level designers for our Deus Ex mod Jamaican Escape. We're looking for mappers with some experience in the Unreal engine, preferably with samples of their work. Anyone who's interested can submit an application here: http://www.drunkencoon.com/open.php?src=corporate/join.drp

If you've got the skills that pays the bills then get over there ASAP.

But why is there already an update to the Beta? Well, it seems that one of us Beta testers found a major bug in the intial Beta, and ISA and Eidos have already fixed it, so they have given us the newer one. It really is an honor to be working with such great people who really do want your feedback, and who want to push the quality product out the door, but not before it's been tested.

The coffee has been started here in my humble home, the waffle maker is working efficiently, and I'm ready to test out this new beta patch today and tomorrow then report what I find. You all stay tuned, I'll bring you more as I find out more of the effectiveness of the patch.

The IRC Applet has been fixed thanks to Cratus, and will now take you directly to our #deusex channel.

The IRC Java Chat link is located under our Off-Site Links section above.

You can check out the DXEditing site update, or just go straight to their Coding section. But why do either of those when you can go straight for the Gusto by clicking HERE!

O.k., o.k., so sue me....I felt like adding as many links as I could.....big deal.

So, what does this got to do with DX? Well, Old Man Murray illustrates how good NOLF is by showing a picture of Jason Hall and his obviously, very pretty girlfriend. He then shows a picture of Warren Spector and a young boy who is, in what looks like a cabin, on Warren's houseboat, and makes a reference to Warren being a little bit too sweet. I wonder what OMM is trying to say by illustrating such a thing? Anyhow, it's a very funny read, and unfortunately you can only see Warren's back, but it is a picture of Warren nonetheless.

Thanks Harvey for sending that link this way. I appreciate it, and I'm sure the fans will too.

Darkstalker's Mini-Mods

Warzone

Rawbeefskin

Modus Moriendi

Weapon-X

Elite Ops

Deicide

Quarantine

Plague of Betrayal

I will keep you all up to date with all the updates and happenings on these websites at least once a week, if not more. If there is a Mod that you know of and I don't have it in our Community section, then Email me and I'll get it in there.

I proceeded to contact ISA to answer his question of whether or not Warren Spector was a really big fan of the C64, and Harvey "Witchboy" Smith had this to say, "Nope, he was not....that I know of. I was a C128 fan though."

I also threw in a side question in which 'Manboy' was eluding to, and that was whether or not the 2000 version of Deus Ex Machina was inspired in anyway from the latter. Harvey simply answered, "None."

I'd like to thank 'Manboy' for pulling this great article out of the wood work. The article can be found right HERE!

I'll be frank, this is one of the best games I've ever played. This game is an RPG, pure and simple. You pick what you say in dialogue, and it will actually change the outcome of the game. Everything, and I mean everything, is scripted. I walked into the ladies' room at the UNATCO Headquarters, and for the rest of the game, the woman who was in the bathroom didn't like me. My boss even yelled at me for it! Later in the game, the woman in the bathroom will give you some hints, and because I had walked in on her, I lost out on that info.

It's not perfect, though. There is still a set main path you have to follow in the game. If you're a jerk throughout the game, you'll still get to the end. Unless, of course, you try to shoot up UNATCO at the beginning of the game, you'll find out the main characters are invincible. Also, I got kind of annoyed going through the game the second time when I found out you had to leave UNATCO. But I understand the time constraints on Ion Storm had with the game.

Bottom Line: Great game, as close to RPGs as we're going to get in FPS games right now.

For the complete article, then just click here.

The SDK fixes the bug that was present in the conedit which didn't allow you to put conversations into your levels. The SDK will not work without the new patch, thus, if you're doing any type of level editing/Mods, then you will need to install the new patch first when it is officially released.

I would like to thank ISA and Eidos for allowing me the opportunity to Beta test this patch.

Now.....look to your left, and what do you see? That's right, our Poll's have now officially began and they will be running on a bi-weekly basis. They will be at the top of the News Section and off to the left just as you see it right now. If you have any suggestions on any polls you'd like to see, then just Email me.

They have also just "...posted the first sections of what will eventually become a comprehensive Deus Ex scripting guide."

I'd like to thank Jered of DXEditing for telling me about this interview.....I almost missed it.

Hey everyone, we apologize for the downtime the past day or so. Let me explain -- we are searching for a place to host our server on a fast connection. Our server has been hosted at my uncle's software company the past 1.5 years, and recently due to the popularity of this site (which is a good thing!), TTLG has been taking up all their available bandwidth, so they had to unplug us temporarily, which also means they can host us no more. Unfortunately though, I am still at school and don't get off until next week for Thanksgiving, so there really isn't anything I can do right now but see if the site doesn't get unplugged every so often. So basically, if the site is down occasionally or even often in the next week or two, don't be surprised. To minimize our bandwidth hogging, I'm going to also disable access to our FTP site for the time being, hopefully that will help the situation. Again, I apologize for the inconvenience. Oh, one more thing: If you run an ISP or have a fast connection that can provide hosting for our server, and you are in the Northern Virginia area, please let me know. Thanks!

Please forgive us if this site goes a couple of days without updates. I will update the site as often as I can, barring any connectibility problems.

BTW, keep checking here often, because when the site has a stable connection in a week or two, we have some very important news we'll be posting.

Redsun They have up a new screenshot, or as they like to call it, snapshot. They have also opened up their forums, updated their site with better navigational features, put up a tentative schedule for their Mod, and also got their Help Wanted page up.

Jamaican Escape They have reported information about the augmentations that their Mod will be using, and have posted a thread on their forums about it. If you have any feedback or suggestions on the way they'll be implementing augs, then head over to their forums and let them know.

Deus Ex Fortress They have updated their Classes page with all the classes that will be in the game. They also have a neat interview up as well that's worth a read.

Absynthe's updates will be missed. He has been a valuable asset to the community, and we'd like to salute him for his contributions. We also wish him well with his other site, as well as his future endeavors, and would like to give him a sincere 'Thank you' for his efforts and energy he poured into his site to help us all enjoy the game even more.

Although he will not update his website for some time, it's still an excellent source of information on anything DX. Get on over there and check it out.

It's been a while since we had a contest here at DEI, so we decided that it was about time to have another one. This time around we focus on fan fiction. All you have to do to win a DX-tshirt is write a page or two with a Deus Ex short story. It's that simple. Get your pens (or computers) out now and send in those fanfics. Go to our contest page for details.

I can't wait to read some of the entries for this one. DEI, you are going to post these aren't you?

Augmentations and Skills

Importing Textures

Creating your own HUD

Robot Alliance Alteration

Exporting Meshes in WoTgreal

Creating and Compiling Classes

They also have up a new review of a map called 'Academy Gun Training', and they also mention a bug in the SDK. Head on over to DXEditng and give this great, resourceful site your support.

Mods Week Day Two: Deus Ex

Deus-Ex.Org

Witchboy's Cauldron (Harvey "Witchboy" Smith)

deusex.jeuxderoles.com (French)

Denton's Databank

Gamespy's Stategy Guide by Absynthe

The next set of links are MOD specific links. They will take you to the specific site of the MOD you wish to know about. The new Fan-Made Missions section, or MOD section, whichever you feel more comfortable with using, will be growing tremendously in the upcoming months, so make sure you keep your eyes peeled to that section as well. Without further adue, here are the MOD links.

Deus Ex Editing (Editing Consortium)

Deus Ex Fortress (Mod)

Drunken Raccoon Productions (Jamaican Escape Mod)

Redsun (Mod)

Why mechanical augmentation? JE is a prequel to Deus Ex. In DX, nano-augmentation is still in the very early testing phases - the Denton brothers are really the first nano-augmented humans. JE takes place eight years prior, so nano-augmentation still doesn't exist outside of Area 51 stasis chambers.

Mechanical augmentation is what Gunther and Anna have from DX - specific body parts replaced by cybernetic, robotic, artificial versions. While these new body parts provide greater functionality than their organic counterparts, it comes at a steep price - physical appearance. In Deus Ex, your nano-augmentations caused a little disfigurement (those blue lines on JCs' neck, for example), but nowhere near as much as Gunther or Annas' mechanical augs caused them.

In JE, you'll have to choose whether you want to sacrifice appearance for functionality. Do you install those cybernetic arms, even though they'll cause most people to avoid interaction with you? That choice is yours. Each augmentation causes a different level of disfigurement, so you'll have to find a way to balance functionality with freakiness.

I've ventured over there and read some the material they have up on their newly developed website, and I must say, this looks like a very promising MOD.

I urge all of you to take a couple of minutes of your time and get over there and give these guys your support. You can access their site by clicking right here.

For this update I wanted to let all of you know that the Demo, and Add-On, which will allow you to play the second mission of the game, are up and ready for download. The Direct 3D Beta Patch is up as well, as well as the SDK and Readme.txt for the SDK.

On another note, I have just received the Walkthrough from Absynthe which will be posted under the Game Data section of the site within the week. I will post an update letting you know when it is up and ready for your viewing pleasure.

Take care, and have an awesome weekend.

BackDoorBandit

"Winning the BAFTA for PC Game of the Year is just unbelievable. I've been associated with award-winning games before but none of those awards were as prestigious as this. What makes the award especially meaningful is that, during development, we didn't really know how people would respond to what we were doing. The Deus Ex team worked incredibly hard to give players an experience unlike any they'd had before. I can't tell you how great it is to know that all that work paid off, that people recognize the value of what we were trying to achieve. And it was very much a "we" effort. Lead Designer Harvey Smith, Lead Programmer Chris Norden, Lead Artist Jay Lee and the entire dev team did an incredible job bringing the world of Deus Ex to life. Thanks also have to be extended to the marvelous folks at ION and Eidos, who got behind us, helped us and encouraged us every step of the way – I couldn't bear to leave any one out but there are just too many to name. Suffice to say Deus Ex could not have existed without a lot of behind-the-scenes support -- support we got in spades. Finally, thanks go to all the Deus Ex players around the world who've voted, in their own way, for a new and different kind of gaming experience."

And of course Harvey "Witchboy" Smith added his two cents:

"Working on Deus Ex was enormously rewarding on a creative level. Winning a BAFTA has added tremendously to that experience. Appealing so strongly to gamers and critics alike has justified all the extra effort it required to bring something as complex as Deus Ex to the world. Clearly, the British are ahead of the US when it comes to recognizing the importance of our medium. The fact that the Academy does not present an interactive award at this point in time is somewhat questionable. It feels as if the film community is now frowning on interactive entertainment in the same way the world frowned on film as an art form a century ago."

You can read the entire press release over at Voodoo Extreme.

The pics were donated from Grundbegriff who had also posted them in our forums under a thread in which he discussed his pilgrimmage to Liberty Island. Thank you very much for your donation to the site Grundbegriff, we appreciate it.

What are you doing still reading this? Get in there and check them out. Besides, they'll make you appreciate Deus Ex even that much more after viewing them, because it shows the detail that ISA put into the game.

By the way, you have to scroll down a bit before you actually get to the thumbnails of the pics.