What’s new on Gambits this issue? Plenty. You will notice some big changes. We have been experimenting this past year with broadening our coverage of add-ons for available games. This made MFYG a player in all fields, but a starter in none. Readers complained that we were missing important files and including scads of pointless ones. While opinions as to value and importance here may vary, we acknowledge that it is impossible for us here at Gamebits to share a fan’s-eye-view of every game on the planet. We have, therefore, shifted our coverage to provide more quality in exchange for variety. Please note that this is a work in progress and won’t be in full gear for another issue or so. If, after a few installments, you are totally dissatisfied with this approach, please say so.
For starters you will notice that each game is divvied up into sub-folders. Each game has a file for essential utilities (which will reappear each issue), new scenarios (which will be different every time), and hacks, patches, and cheats (which will also carry over). You will notice a new file named “Cheats”; this file contains cheat lists and walk-throughs for a collection of games and will carry over from month to month. Also, wherever possible, we include a file of URLs for Web sites dedicated to the featured games. Just click on one of these files and your browser will head right to that site. We will be expanding this service as time wears on and we hope you like it.
The biggest change in Gamebits is in how we collect the content for each month’s collection. We have searched for Web sites which provide quality files for Mac versions and asked them to “sponsor” an individual game. Thus, your add-ons are being chosen and prepared by people who know the games intimately and, like you, are fans. You will thus find more files with Read Me’s included and will notice a significant rise in quality. If you have a Web site dedicated to a game (major or minor), we would love to make you a sponsor for Gamebits; please e-mail to news@imgmagazine.com to find our more. If you can recommend a Web site, please give us the address and we will approach them.
Now, on with the show.
The Update Files
On this month’s CD we include:
Carmageddon Time patch
Damage Inc. 1.0->1.1 Update
F/A-18 Hornet 3.0.1b2
Flight Stick Pro 1.2.9->1.3.3
Updaters for Master of Orion 2
Updaters for Quake
Triple-A 1.5b->1.5.1
Please read the Read Me files to find out if you need these patches.
More for Your Game: Scenarios, Cheaters and Add-Ons
Every month we bring you all the new cheaters, scenarios, and miscellaneous goodies we could dig up to enhance your gaming experience. Remember, cheaters can reduce the challenge of your games, so use them at your own peril. Scenarios are the products of the do-it-yourself gaming culture in which any average Joe/Jane out there can design brand new challenges for their favorite game. There will be some losers, but don’t let a few lame WADs keep you from finding the occasional gold nugget. We take no responsibility for the quality or stability of any of the scenarios we have included.
If you find any goodies that you wish to share with your fellow Mac gamers, please let us know about them and we will pass them on. Remember, where appropriate, to pay the shareware fee!
Featured this month is everything to do with Mac Quake. We have provided copious levels, utilities, URLs, and MODs including Team Fortress and Reaper Bots.
Other major games featured in MFYG this month are:
Civilization 2, Close Combat, Close Combat 2 demo, Damage Inc., Dark Forces, Doom 2, Duke Nukem 3D, Escape Velocity, Master of Orion 2, Quake, and X-Wing.
If this list looks a little lean, don’t despair. We will be expanding our coverage somewhat as this new approach takes hold.
Help Us
If you are updating your game, please send us a note with the changes you’ve implemented. We will be sure to include your update in our next issue. e-mail us at news@imgmagazine.com.
Also, if you have designed a scenario, cheater, or any other item of interest to us here at MFYG, do let us know. If we get enough, we might have a special section for IMG-reader-created stuff.
Also, a few readers have complained that we are missing some items they felt worthy of inclusion (and too large to be conveniently downloaded). It is our goal at Gamebits to provide the most up-to-date, complete selection of game add-ons available, but it impossible for us to find everything. If you hear of any files you would like to see on IMG, please drop us a line at news@imgmagazine.com, tell us what it is and where we can find it (ftp address, if you have it) so we can save you a download. We’re not perfect, but we do take requests!
Disclaimer
All of the shareware files or free updaters listed above are available on this CD-ROM. Always make backups before applying patches, hacks, or updaters to a copy of any program! Nobody but you is to blame if you mangle your original.
