Myth@Bungie.Org

News Archive for August 2003

Saturday August 30th

Myth II v1.4.3 Released { Gholsbane }

MythDev have unleashed the last of the Myth 2 patches on the community. Along with a few bug fixes and feature enhancements comes a Mac OS X CD installer that performs a full 1.4.3 install from a CD in the drive. You can even hop onto PlayMyth straight away but the Myth 2 EEL file is still needed to play on any other server. Patch MariusNet is obviously also needed if you're planning to connect to marius.net.

Again, this is the final patch MythDev will release for Myth 2 unless any major bugs pop up, so the team will be focusing on Myth 3 for now. Mac Vengeance anyone? We can always hope...

Thursday August 28th

TFL Night on MariusNet { Zandervix }

Tonight, as always is TFL night on MariusNet. If you don't have TFL, or prefer SB, head on over anyway and meet up with some folks and have some fun. Who knows. I may even show up tonight. Of course, that's if you care.

Wednesday August 27th

Dorfball 2003 Tourney { Zandervix }

Allright. Here's what you do. Get over to http://www.killahcalvary.com/~dorfball" and register. That is all.

Tuesday August 26th

Letter Response to Community Address { Zandervix }

Strange enough, none of the other Myth sites (that I know of) covered my address (Although, the smart folks over at Rampancy recognized my power). I didn't even see mention of it in any of the forums. How odd. At first I thought that maybe this site just wasn't getting the traffic I thought it was. But I got many, many nice letters from folks from all over the community. So, now I know we're getting plenty of traffic. I guess those who write the news on the other sites are just in denial about my presidency. Hmmm...

Anyhoo, I got a lot of nice letters, so I'd like to thank those who wrote to me. Although, with the nice folks, there is always one nutcase out there. :)
I suppose that's to be expected. The big P.Z. ~out~

Saturday August 23rd

State of the Community Address { Zandervix }

I'm not so sure we're a community at this point. It?s more like a political system. I therefore appoint myself as President. Yeah, you heard me. President Zandervix. Sure, it's just an honorary title at this point, but who knows?

Well, as President, I say we should stop all the bickering, and get back to a community state. I've got a feeling that we're going to have our own little version of red vs blue here.

Webster's defines 'community' as: a unified body of individuals. (Oddly enough, just two words up from community is communist, but I digress.) Note the unified body of the definition. Right now we are not unified. Heck, we're more seperated than Tom and Nichole; Bruce and Demi; Sonny and Cher; Michael and Bubbles. It's just sad, people.

Yes, people will always have their differences. There is no stopping that. But do we have to split the community over things? Now, I admit, I don't know every little detail of every little tiff, but I do know a group of quarrelsome pre-schoolers when I see one.

Let me just point out, and I've said this before, that I appreciate all the work that is done by members of this community that furthers the game and a community as a whole. I appreciate people who put time and money into game servers and file servers and websites. I appreciate the fact that all of these things are free to me. We must be aware that with these priviliges comes responsibility. We have to be responsible for our actions. Just as I'm sure I'll get some back-lash for my comments here.

Clem, just the other day, posted a rather wordy point about the use of The Mill. I won't re-cap it all here, but I will say that I agree with it for the most part. It basically states that if you want to post to The Mill, you should be free of problems and issues with it's management and members. Also meaning philisophical differences with these same individuals. I won't pretend to know exactly what that means, but I get the point. Unfortunately, with a lot of organizations, the entity as a whole, no matter how good it may be, may be overshadowed by the negative actions of just a few individuals. These few individuals can make a problem out of the whole system. The Myth organizations are no different. While I'm fine with all of the organizations within the community based on the the work they do and what they can contribute, there are those few individuals within these organizations that can make [Myth] life unbearable. These individuals, with continual flaming and hate spewing, continue to try to be above the community. No one person is above a community, not even it's President. :)

It's important we remember what got us here. We came for a game. We came for a good time. Sure, some of us came to exhibit our skills, or even to display our vanity; but in the end of it all, it had to do with a game. Some of us came for the comeraderie, for the friendships. I personally came for the story itself, but stayed for the fun. Whatever the reason we are here, we originally came here for, and because of, a game. Why we stay, well, that could be for various reasons. But I don?t believe in staying just to spread dissent and to try and push members of this community out. We can't all agree, it's true; but we have to live with each other, so let's play nice.

I?ve been through a lot of forum posts with people claiming 'Myth is dead.' I don't believe that. This community has been in various states of living and dying; but it is/was never dead. Currently it's not in it's glory days, and hasn't been for a while; but with the talented individuals that are currently residing within this community, it could come back to being close. However, that will never happen if we continue the infighting that is occuring. If you push away talented individuals, you're dooming us to continue on a downward spiral. However, that doesn't give those with the talents the right to act like complete asses.

This community can't be patched up overnight. I know not everyone will suddenly decide to be civil to one another. What I do ask is that everyone sit back and think real hard about why they are here and what motivates them to stay.

I know this is nothing new. This is all stuff we've heard before. "Get along and play nice." But when single individuals begin making things unbearable for others at the cost of the community, it makes me sick. We're a community. This is no place for selfishness and politics. This is not a business. This is a place for a game. And the advancement of that game. If you're on a high horse, get off of it. You don't own this planet, you just live here for a time.

It's okay to thank people for the work that they do. It's also okay to admit that you may not always be right. Everyone has their own point of view, and not every point of view is in the wrong. Just like not every point of view is in the right. Going back to Webster's, just a few pages over from 'community' is the word 'compromise.' I invite you to look it up for yourself.

My views may not neccesarily reflect the views of anyone else, including those of the community or others involved with this site. But they are my views amd I'm not afraid to say it. My name is Zandervix, and I am the President.

Friday August 22nd

MythWA, A-OK { Zandervix }

This from MythWA:

After a chaotic week MythWA.com should be back in full shape. All CGI scripts should have been restored after the attack on the server that happened almost a week ago. We are up and running on a new server now and security will be better in the future.

There might however be forum posts missing, and if there is a thread or post that you can´t find and really want to get it back, contact me and I´ll see if I can extract it from the pile of junk data I got over here. The MWC forum got the biggest hit it seems.

The MWC page will be updated as soon as possible as will uploads of the grand final films (who are allready out on other servers).

Myth(Dev) Mention Over at PennyArcade { Zandervix }

Here's the snippet from PennyArcade in response to an inquiry about games that have been taken over (and further developed) by a community:

I would be disappointed, yes, disappointed in you if you were not familiar with Bungie's Myth. Almost universally adored, and luscious with (then novel) 3Dfx accelerated graphics, Myth games were good in virtually every way one can reckon a tactical fantasy game. It had a beautiful interface that allowed access to a wheelbarrow full of great maps and gametypes, it was essentially the cat's pajamas. We're all aware that when Bungie became a part of Microsoft, Bungie's own multiplayer matching service would eventually become a thing of the past. Of course, this was long after I had started playing other games - so I was not aware that the community had risen to the challenge here, as well. I had heard about this more recently, when gamers displeased with the state of Myth III successfully petitioned Take-Two Interactive to gain access to the source code in order to fix the game.

Think about that for a second.

In any event, their legacy is real - modern, playable versions of all three Myth games, and a matchmaking service to tie it all together. It makes me want to clap.

Thursday August 21st

TFL Night at MariusNet { Zandervix }

You know what to do.

MWC 2k3 Conclusion { Gholsbane }

The winners of the 2003 Myth World Cup have been announced. BIAUIHYAC came out on top against fierce competition from Northern Paladins. PlayMyth has the details.

Wednesday August 20th

Myth Pen & Paper { Zandervix }

General Pepper posted an interesting idea to the Asylum. It's sort of a D&D version of Myth (Think GURPS, but before the wars, and into the Great War). You can check it out here and post your thoughts.

Monday August 18th

Chia Sighting! { Zandervix }

Dave "Chia" Pindrys has been sighted. Here's the full beef from PlayMyth:

Dave 'Chia' Pindrys is back! I [Spond] had the priviledge and pleasure to play a couple of games of grave with him last night. He said he's going to be attending school in Savannah this fall, and he's doing great.

For those of you who don't know or maybe don't remember, Chia is a long time Myth community supporter and member. He designed the original Bungie Sightings website for Bungie's official "#1 fan" Miguel "Freewill" Chavez. He also hosted The Myrgard Times, a Myth news site for which Drunk Bob, myself, and other Myth wackos wrote for. He is a huge part of Myth and Halo lore, with his name right up there with Freewill, Peter Tampte, Peter Marks, Alex Seropian and just about anyone else you can think of.

Along about Dec 01, 2001, Chia was in a wreck, where a huge truck and his compact car got into a disagreement over who was bigger. The truck won. gg. Chia being inside the loser, wound up in the hospital for a very long time. The Myth Community, the larger Bungie community, and in truth the entire gaming world rallied around to help with support, prayers, and donations to help cover medical expences. There were news items on PC Gamestuff and Inside Mac Games as well as the most well established Myth and Halo fan sites, and many others. For a while, Freewill operated helpdavepindrys.com with a paypal account, and a guestbook. I remember reading the guestbook often, and being amazed at the outpouring from the world's gamers.

Goes to show how much love there is in the community, despite how we may act towards one another at times. Chia coming back now is nothing short of an answer to prayer to me personally, and should be a sign to the community at large that we all belong to a bigger group.

Sunday August 17th

MythDev Looks For Talent { Zandervix }

From a MythDev:

The Next Phase
MythDevelopers is preparing to head into the next phase of development on the Myth game. For this task, we're looking for talented individuals who would like to contribute to a worthwhile project. We're currently looking for folks in the following areas:

1. Progamming:
We're looking for code junkies. Must be virtuosos in programming C and C++. Of particular interest are programmers who understand OpenGL programming. Any physics knowledge is a plus as well. Programmers should submit two examples of recent programming they have done as a showcase of their work, or include links to work they've done.

2. Creative
MythDev is looking for talented traditional Illustrator's who have a flair for fantasy style illustration and the creative bent mind to back up their talent.

3. Modeling
We're also currently looking for advanced 3d artists experienced in producing Low Poly Units and Models for current generation games.

4. Beta Testers
This is perhaps the biggest need we face. We're looking for current Myth players and new players alike to help us test new creations. This is open to anyone who is willing to spend some time testing developer builds of our upcoming project.

If you are interested in applying for any of these areas, please fill out the form on the Contact page. Someone will get back to you within 24 hours to let you know your email had been received. If you have any questions, please send an email to info@mythdev.com.

Friday August 15th

MythDev Gets a Facelift { Zandervix }

If you haven't been over there for a while, go check out MythDev. They've got some good bits of news on some new builds for Myth II & III, as well as sporting a new look. Check it!

Wednesday August 13th

Myth Alice Project Kicks Off { Zandervix }

From the MBO newsdesk:

A new community project has been created in which anybody interested can participate. The goal of this project is to build a bot that can be run on a game server or a website and hold conversations pertaining to the Myth series. If you wish to participate in the development of this bot, head on over to the MythAlice Website!" Go to www.darooster.net/mythalice

Tuesday August 12th

Ranked Myth TFL on Playmyth { Zandervix }

Just like the title says: PlayMyth now supports ranked for TFL.

Monday August 11th

Myth Merchandise from MythDevelopers { Gholsbane }

As was alluded to in a recent interview, the MythDevelopers team have begun selling Myth gear through their new cafepress shop. Most of the material has been seen before but hi-res versions are now able to be sold legally.

The proceeds from these goodies will go into the development fund for further advancement of the Myth series. There's a lot to choose from so head over there now do your thingamawotsit.

Rampancy Interviews Blades { Gholsbane }

First of all, I'd like to apologise for my extended absence of late. I now find myself stateside at the start of a three week tour of the west coast as well as New York area and environs. As for the last three weeks, I spent those in Italy so there's that excuse. Zandervix seemed to have pulled the place together rather nicely while I was gone too. I think he might deserve a cookie. Well, I am back now so you can return to hassling and harassing me for old time's sake.

So without further ado: On with the news!

Kevin from rampancy.net has interviewed Blades from MythDev and PlayMyth. The questions range from Blades' personal experience with Myth to the relationship between MythDev and Take Two with a discussion on Myth's future as the core. Definitely worth a read, especially for those wondering which direction the Myth franchise is facing in.

While you're there, be sure to check out narcogen's History of Bungie, which was no doubt part of his entry for the Editor position at bungie.net. We wish him the best of luck.

Saturday August 9th

MythDev Explains Their Position { Zandervix }

I've been getting a number of e-mails about my little editorial on Aug 5th [Myth:TFL v1.4]. Most of them have been quite nice, thanks. But I want to point out one particular one that I got yesterday from someone on the inside. It explains some of the reasoning behind the way the update was made. I'm going to say this again: I totally appreciate the work that MythDev has done for this community, and will continue to do for this community. And I thank [anonymous] for their letter. But I still have to say, "why didn't you say so in the first place?" Here's an excerpt to help the understanding begin:

The main goal of TFL 1.4 was to be OS X native, which is a major feature for us OS X users. Other goals were to make it playable on pmnet and not to change anything else. After watching all the problems brought on by the changes in Myth 2 w/ 1.4, we had no desire to mess up a game that people have played for years and love. There are plans in the future for bigger and better things that involve TFL but we just wanted to get something out there that worked first. Porting it to OS X and replacing the entire network layer in 2 weeks while finishing updates for Myth2 & Myth3 was a pretty major thing. The code for the entire low level networking code was last or Bungie maybe never had it, because Apple pretty much wrote it for them. Which is also another reason the entire networking/metaserver layer had to be replaced..

On the mnet thing: TFL 1.4 is using the complete metaserver layer from Myth3 which mnet will not support.

Even if the secure myth protocol was turned off it still wouldn't work on mnet because the packet structures are all m3 ones.

Friday August 8th

Tourney of Ego Ups the Ante to 64 { Zandervix }

That's right, the Tourney of Ego, originally slated to only have 32 teams, have been getting such a good response that they've upped it to 64 teams. There's not much time left. Get over there and register!

Thursday August 7th

Myth 2 v1.4.1/1.4.2 Released { Zandervix }

Let me speak real slowly. This-is-for-Myth-2, not-Myth:TFL. This-will-play-on-MNet. Okie dokie? Now, here's the first bit of information from Blades:

After months of blood, sweat and tears, Project Magma in association with MythDev are pleased to bring you the release of Myth II v1.4.1.

Created by die-hard members of the Myth community, Myth II 1.4.1 fixes not only outstanding problems with the game engine, but also adds functionality which will allow for continued community growth; this is truly a project for all Myth players.

A lot of hard work went into this for the community. It's the result of countless hours of working, reworking and reworking again of thousands of lines of code by people who simply love this game. If you enjoy the updates, drop by the projectmagma.net or MythDev.com forums and let them know what you think.

After a marathon session of tracking and debugging things on the PC and Macintosh end of Myth II code... we're somewhat happy to bring you Myth II v1.4.2... although many of us wish it wouldn't have been necessary.

You should update to v1.4.2 if you are having any problems using the v1.4.1 on either Mac or PC platforms. If you are running 1.4.1, you DO NOT NEED TO DOWNLOAD THE COMPLETE 12-14 MEG FILE, we've provided a 1.4.1 -> 1.4.2 updater that is .5 - 1.5 megs to make life easier. Be sure to read the instructions for installing. Version 1.4.2 and 1.4.1 are 100% compatible and will not cause any sync problems.

We're also providing manual installers for those who prefer that kind of thing. Be sure to read the readme with the manual installers. If you're updating a basic install of M2 from CD, the automatic installers should work great for you.

Windows
Version 1.4.1 - 1.4.2 Updater
Myth II v1.4.2 Manual Installer
Myth II: v1.4.2 Auto Update Installer

Macintosh
Version 1.4.1 - 1.4.2 Updater
Myth II v1.4.2 Manual Installer
Myth II: v1.4.2 Auto Update Installer