Nexuiz

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Nexuiz

Developer(s)	Alientrap
Engine	DarkPlaces
Latest version	2.1
Release date(s)	September 9, 2006
Genre(s)	First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: Not Rated (NR)
Platform(s)	X Window System, Windows, Mac OS X 10.3 or newer
Media	download
System requirements	800 MHz Processor, 256 MB of RAM, GeForce 2 or equivalent, about 200MB of storage
Input	Keyboard and Mouse

Nexuiz is a free software (engine, gamecode and data) 3D first-person shooter computer game distributed under GNU GPL by Alientrap Software. Version 1.0 was released on May 31, 2005. The current version, 2.1, was released on September 9, 2006. Nexuiz uses DarkPlaces, a significantly modified Quake engine.

The logo is based on the Chinese character "力," meaning strength.

1 Overview
2 History
3 Community
4 Features
5 Screenshots
6 See also
7 External links

[edit] Overview

Nexuiz focuses on bringing the FPS back to the basics with quick, lethal battles and balanced weaponry. As of the current release there are 9 weapons and 24 official maps, as well as 15 player models, with an average of 2 skins each.

While Nexuiz is not intended to be an eye-candy game, it features many effects such as coronas, bloom, Realtime World and Dynamic Lighting and shadowing, shaders (with OpenGL 2.0), offset mapping, and High dynamic range rendering. These effects can be turned off to make the game run on old hardware.

Nexuiz is primarily multiplayer (though it includes a full single-player campaign, which allows one to play through the various multiplayer game types and maps with bots), and allows for hosting and joining of games. It can also support new gametypes, or whole conversions quickly applied to it (much like Quake). Nexuiz supports most, if not all, Quake modifications (although with varying functionality). Currently there are a few custom mods and maps used.

[edit] History

Nexuiz development started as a Quake1 modification in the summer of 2001 by Lee Vermeulen. Soon afterward the project moved to the DarkPlaces Quake1 engine created by Forest "Lordhavoc" Hale, who later also joined the project. The original design called for a simple deathmatch project with a few levels and one character model to be released the next summer. But as the team became larger the plans became more ambitious, and the design soon rivaled full commercial game titles in terms of content^{[citation needed]}. After four years of development with a budget of zero, Nexuiz 1.0 was released on May 31st 2005 completely GPL and free software. Because this was a first for the project of its type^{[citation needed]}, Nexuiz received a lot of media interest^{[citation needed]} and by the end of June had over a quarter million downloads. Development continued after the initial release, with 1.1 released soon after, 1.5 released February 14 2006, 2.0 released June 14 2006 and 2.1 September 9 2006.

[edit] Community

Nexuiz, despite its relatively young public age, has a rather large online community willing to help out newcomers. Also, it maintains a steady popularity, boasting several active servers at any given time.

[edit] Features

Nexuiz screenshot

available for the X Window System (on GNU/Linux and Unix), Mac OS X, and Microsoft Windows
can run on old hardware and take advantage of new hardware
futuristic, science fiction environment
multiplayer (with server browser); up to 64 players supported
bot support
alternative firemodes
QuakeC server-side programming
uses the same map format as Quake III Arena—plenty of content-creation tools available
optional dynamic lighting system similar to the one seen in Doom 3
advanced model format using skeletal animation
detonating rockets shot by the rocket launcher in midair with secondary fire