With the sad demise of the Zap MegaTF server (gotta love mods of mods), xavior and TastySpleen have teamed up (see what I did there) and have launched a new MegaTF server with additional features such as visible weapons, CSQC use for the discerning FTE player, and an "incoming achievements system."

The server address is 74.54.186.230:27502 and theres already a discussion thread here!

Over at Quaddicted, Spirit has done an interview with Mexx, legendary Quake mapper. Its a good read, and shows just exactly where he went with his life after Quake, and what the experience was like for him.

Maps aside, Mexx also was a steadfast modder, crafting whatever he needed to make his maps a memorable experience and to expand upon that great Quake experience in the form of new tricks, traps, storytelling elements and great combat and scenarios. Go give it a read!

Discuss it on the Inside3d forums - http://forums.inside3d.com/viewtopic.php?p=28254

Due to significant life constraints, largely in the form of work schedules and personal obligations, I have been very lackluster in following the news, let alone posting about it. I encourage all reading this, if you have something you would like me to post - and not just something of your own, but something you would like to see get more recognition - send me a private message on the forums.

This is not a guarantee of a news post by any means, but my radar isn't working too well lately and so I am asking for your assistance. Just provide some details, preferably a link or three and maybe your own thoughts on whatever you are suggesting. If the subject matter is a bit older, just mention that, such a thing will be a 'highlight' rather than news.

Thanks, please return to your regularly scheduled Quaking.

idTech 5, the engine behind id's upcoming Rage is not going to be available to parties outside of Zenimax. This could be the end of an era in some respects. Forum thread here.

motorsep has updated the Kot-in-Action blog with a quick update on their DarkPlaces powered top down arcade shooter, Steel Storm. This update comes with five rather gorgeous screenshots that are rather consistent in quality, and graceful in their method. The artwork really shines through and if it is coupled with a smooth framerate in some classic top down shooter action, this is certainly a treat to look forward to, from a lean but effective indie group giving their all! Go give the shots a look!

Tomaz has released TomazQuake 1.481, a minor release from 2002's TomazQuake 1.48, this features a fix for modern video cards, which Tomaz himself tested on Windows 7 Ultimate x64, and which I gave a whirl on XP with an 8500GT.

Go check it out for a look at a great engine from the earlier years of Quake engines, on your modern rig! (I still love the bouncing particles and fading centerprints)

Urre, through Kot in Action, has released Strap-on-Bomb Car, a one button racing game using the DarkPlaces engine.

Strap-on-Bomb Car is a standalone release that does not require any other titles, and is controlled simply with the spacebar. The car accelerates using Urre's excellent Twig physics, and spacebar toggles which side of the car it will turn on, leaving the most simplistic input for navigating the race track and surrounding terrain, in a game where collision means combustion!

Consistent thematic art style, fun music and ingeniously simple implementation make this a must try, go give it a download!

Qbism has started a thread in the forums concerning a master list of links regarding Quake. He starts out with a nicely sized list, and others put up some contributions, particularly Spirit of Quaddicted who links to a massive list of URLs.

Go give it a read and leave your contributions!

LordHavoc has released a new stable build of DarkPlaces with a major new feature, the introduction of real time high quality shadowmapping. Where the previous real time lights used the stencil buffer to calculate volumes for shadows to occupy, shadowmaps work more like projecting textures onto the world from the perspective of the illuminating lights. Shadowvolumes are known for their hard edges, but shadowmaps being a texture projection essentially, can be filtered more effectively leading to softer edges and blurring, creating a far more organic feel. You have likely seen shadowmaps in more contemporary titles such as Crysis, Unreal Engine games like Borderlands and Bioshock, and the past three Call of Duty releases. Not only does this feature give Quake a more seamless and organic feel, it also shows the caliber that the independent and open sourced community can reach.

Go give it a download, but be warned, shadowmaps are not cheap when it comes to system resources. Thankfully LordHavoc has included a console command for enabling them simply for models, not geometry.

So we're do a massive update and I do apologize for the lack of updates, but I figured this one could go up real quick because it means more people getting Quake.

For this week, you can get the entire Quake collection on Steam for $24.99 (excludes Quake4 and ETQW), or if you are explicitly interested only in the original, Quake for $4.99 and the mission packs for $2.49 a piece. If you've never owned a legal copy of Quake before, now is your chance!