The FA:S Report

Site Update

2011-12-15T02:25:00.004-06:00

Is this site dead? Yes and no.

Yes, there hasn't been any news updates for the past nine months or so, despite various FAS updates. Yes, no tidbits or news from devs. Yes, no content.

But the site is still "alive."

In fact, something changed just today: a bunch of photos have gone missing! See, stuff is happening! Hopefully fun and exciting things will happen in the near future.

History of the M4

2011-04-04T21:28:00.001-05:00

Will FAS League Play Turn into SSB

2010-09-29T14:38:00.004-05:00

Super Smash Bros. Brawl is arguably one of the best selling fighting games ever made. The game's sales aren't the arguable part, but its status as a fighting game is. I know that the guys I've interviewed who play Brawl competitively would argue that it's just as much of a fighting game as Street Fighter or Soul Calibur. Do you think Brawl is a fighting game, and if so, do you think Brawl will ever be playable at EVO?

It’s a real fighting game. I didn’t always think that, but I changed my mind after spending more time playing both Melee and Brawl. We actually had Brawl on the main stage in 2008 (with items on!) and I thought it was one of the best tourneys that year, with some spectacular finishes and outstanding play. Most of the competitive Smash community prefers to play with items off, which is their call to make, but we try to play a kind of “no holds barred” style at EVO, until something is proven to be undeniably messed up. I can’t imagine how crummy Marvel Vs Capcom 2 would be today if we had started banning things the first time we thought something was “overpowered” or “too random.” (Source)

The current FAS League play seems to be similar to the SSBB league play, or at least heading in that direction. Banning weapons is never a good idea so early in the game's development, since players haven't figured out counters; when you ban the weapons, they never will know how to counter them, reducing the amount of skill involved in competitive play. DysPatch, the league admin, even admits the M79 is not a problem in with smaller player counts:

Sep 07 12:56:15 DysPatch - yeah i think the problem is, you only see how effectives explosives are when you have a full server
Sep 07 12:56:17 DysPatch - 1 on 1
Sep 07 12:56:26 DysPatch - if you have an m79 and the other person an AR
Sep 07 12:56:31 DysPatch - the person with the AR is going to win

So why the restrictions on a single weapon that the lead developer doesn't consider unbalanced with lower player counts? An over emphasis on league play and the leader developer catering to a small but vocal minority will not get FAS to the level of popularity that older versions of FA had.

FAS 1.0E Released

2010-09-05T00:20:00.003-05:00

FAS 1.0e has been released!

1.0e includes many new features for FAS, including:

Increased Weapon Accuracies
Decreased Armor Absorption Values
Weapon Re-Balancing
New Server Options
Over 60 Resolved Bugs

Read more about it here, along with download links!

Firearms 1.0e Complete Change Log

2010-09-05T00:17:00.001-05:00

The complete change log for FAS 1.0e

- Speed modifiers for heavy and medium armor.
- You can select spectate from the team menu after spawning now.
- Fixed bug where you would be shown in the wrong team colour when an enemy you hurt would commit suicide. This is now shown as an "assisted suicide" in the death notices.
- Teamkills no longer report an assister to avoid confusion with the assister being in the wrong team colour. You are silently rewarded assist points.
- Improved assault rifle accuracy (usually 2-3x more accurate) - tweaked to 1024 unit range
- Improved SMG accuracy (about 1.5-2x more accurate) - tweaked to 512 unit range
- Improved pistol accuracy (to about the same degree as SMGs), lowered damage to compensate
- LMGs now have 0.25x the bullet cone while deployed
- M60 damage lowered
- M1911 damage increased
- SR-25 recoil significantly increased
- Lowered M79 Cost
- Fixed inaccurate skill descriptions
- When healing yourself with the IFAK, it no longer reports the previous healing target
- Fixed tracer rounds on the Vollmer
- Armor damage mitigation modified to lower values. Light 0.4x, Medium 0.5x, Heavy 0.6x
- Different types of armor have different armor hit point values, rather than being 150 for all of them. Light has 100, heavy has 200, helmet has 100, limb armor has 75
- Added new damage sounds
- Run speed reduced to 210 from 230 (~9% slower)
- Sprint speed reduced to 325 from 340 (~4% slower)
- Changed strafe and backpedal speeds. Backwards: 0.6 from 0.8, Strafe: 0.7 from 0.8
- Removed delay between firemode toggle
- Added missing MenuOpen/MenuClose/MenuPulse HUD animations
- Resolved sniper weapon selection slot conflicts
- Delay between voice and radio messages
- Weapons start with full ammo on spawn (6 reserve mags rather than 4)
- Hopefully improved stability of Mortars
- Added a fas_version command
- Reworked the ammobox code a little bit to address the ammoboxes only giving ammo to the current weapon
- Made some tweaks to the lighting effects for the NVG's to help prevent model texture/material washout
- Addressed an area of potentially invalid memory in the round over HUD element which could cause a crash
- Reworked some VGUI panels (MOTD, team panel, loadout etc)
- Fixed hint panel showing a black box with no text in it
- Fixed case where holding down MOUSE2 would continue to play the idle animation when you aim down the sights (G36C)
- Holding down the attack, attack2 or reload key will no longer prevent a weapon from deploying
- Solved some visual glitches associated with bolt action (or pump action) weapons
- Disabled the ability to jump if your stamina is less than the amount of stamina drained for jump
- Slightly upped the stamina drain for jumping from 20 to 30
- Setting fas_endgametimer to -1 will remove the 0 rein timeout, waiting until all the players on the team are dead or a full cap is made
- Added fov_desired cvar which is used in Valve's official games which allows you to adjust your FOV between 75 and 90. Defaults to 90
- You can no longer climb a ladder while prone or ducked
- Burst fire queues bullets to fire, so 1 click = 3 bullets (with M16/FAMAS), rather than having to hold it down
- mp_switchteams is now fully operational and will flip the teams when a server admin issues the command
- Ability to restrict weapons per-server through a weapons blacklist
- Shotgun reload cancelling waits until you have released the mouse button
- View punches for recoil are now applied to spectators
- Firemode recoil modifiers are fully operational
- Marksman skill increases accuracy in 10% increments rather than 5% (5->10, 10->20, 15->30)
- Projectiles no longer spawn at the other side of a wall when you're facing next to one
- Reinforcements are drained on spawn rather than death
- Added 4-directional hit indicators, in addition to the red fade
- Ammo caches will replace partial magazines
- Fix for ragdoll spam on initial spawn which would lag out players
- Re-compressed textures which should help users running on low end machines
- SG550 and FAMAS have been re-animated
- Specular maps added to weapon view models
- Fixed channels and attenuation of some sounds, fixes some issues where you can't hear the gun you're being shot by
- Fixed potential crashes with quick bandaging
- Kill icon for suicide
- Fixed ERRORNAME appearing when destroying SD objectives
- Fixed bug with animations and reloading when going prone with internal magazine weapons (M3)
- Fixed the appearance of an IFAK floating next to a player when a player has been put in spectator
- Weapons can fire underwater
- Added cvar fas_switch_teams_on_rwin which flips the teams and rein count between rounds
- Gunnery II now improves holster/deploy times as the label describes
- Server name now appears on scoreboard
- Game should now end after a full cap results in a team going to 0 reins

New for mappers in 1.0e
- PointsForDestroy keyvalue on sd crates to give players points for destroying the objective

1.0e/1.1 Updated Changelog 3

2010-08-28T16:08:00.001-05:00

The FAS 1.0e/1.1 Change Log has been updated. The following changes have been added since August 17th.

- Added 4-directional hit indicators, in addition to the red fade
- Ammo caches will replace partial magazines
- Fix for ragdoll spam on initial spawn which would lag out players
- Re-compressed textures which should help users running on low end machines
- SG550 and FAMAS have been re-animated
- Specular maps added to weapon view models
- Fixed channels and attenuation of some sounds, fixes some issues where you can't hear the gun you're being shot by
- Fixed potential crashes with quick bandaging
- Kill icon for suicide
- Fixed ERRORNAME appearing when destroying SD objectives
- Fixed bug with animations and reloading when going prone with internal magazine weapons (M3)
- Fixed the appearance of an IFAK floating next to a player when a player has been put in spectator
- Weapons can fire underwater
- Added cvar fas_switch_teams_on_rwin which flips the teams and rein count between rounds
- Gunnery II now improves holster/deploy times as the label describes

New for mappers in 1.0e
- PointsForDestroy keyvalue on sd crates to give players points for destroying the objective

Scripting

2010-08-18T17:35:00.001-05:00

I have posted a thread in the FAS Support Forum about Scripting for FAS. Check it out if you are looking for some basic information about FAS Scripting.

Community Model Releases

2010-08-18T09:54:00.006-05:00

FAS all ready has a handful of custom models for you to customize your game. Be sure to check out the Released Assets subforum for more info and to leave feedback.

Kool-Aid and Butterfingers for IFAK by AirborneDaddy

Oh Yeah! :D

Download

BR2FAMAS3 for FAMAS by ville

A fancy FAMAS to replace the standard FAMAS in FAS.

Download

FN SCAR-L MKII for M4A1 by BathroomSecurity

A more modern weapon to replace the long in the tooth M4A1.

Download

CF-05 Animations by Flakk

New and improved CF-05 animations, even the original animator thinks so.

Download

Community Map Releases

2010-08-18T09:43:00.007-05:00

The FAS Community all ready has two new community made maps for FAS. Be sure to check out future releases, or discuss current releases in FAS's Released Maps Forum.

PS_Desesrtcrisis by Hitman

A classic FA staple remade for FAS, with new routes to the middle capture point.

Download

TC_University by Ecktic

A fast and frantic TC map that has an old school charm.

Download

Download TC_University

Ninja Mapping

2010-08-18T09:35:00.003-05:00

Shinobi has updated his developer blog with previews of two upcoming maps, sd_bomba and ps_caliber.

SD_bomba is a "small, tight outdoor map that might be a good server starter."

No information has been given yet about ps_caliber, other than it is planed for a 1.1 release.

If You Gotta Problem, Yo, I'll Solve It

2010-08-17T22:00:00.002-05:00

FAS has a new forum for FAS related support, surprisingly called the FAS Support Forum. Here you can ask for help with any FAS related issues, from glitches to general tweaks to improve your overall experience.

Mantis Kills Bugs Dead

2010-08-17T21:20:00.003-05:00

In Bob_Gneu's developer blog, he has linked the bug tracking tool used by the FAS Team and Testers to track, test and fix bugs. According to Bob_Gneu, "you can now oversee how we are working and what we are working on." Not only that, but you are able to contribute to the bug tracker, the only stipulation is that you can not register anonymously to avoid an environment similar to the input forum.

If not, you can still check it out and see a bit behind the scenes of FAS.

A River Ran Through It

2010-08-17T21:17:00.003-05:00

PS_river fans rejoice, Smilie, is remaking your beloved map. Hopefully screenshots will be available soon.

Source

1.0e/1.1 Updated Changelog 2

2010-08-17T21:15:00.000-05:00

The 1.0e/1.1 Change Log has been updated. The following changes have been added since August 13th.

- Projectiles no longer spawn at the other side of a wall when you're facing next to one
- Reinforcements are drained on spawn rather than death

1.0e/1.1 Change Log Updated

2010-08-13T19:41:00.001-05:00

The 1.0e/1.1 Change Log has been updated. The following changes have been added since August 7th.

- Hopefully improved stability of Mortars
- Added a fas_version command
- Reworked the ammobox code a little bit to address the ammoboxes only giving ammo to the current weapon
- Made some tweaks to the lighting effects for the NVG's to help prevent model texture/material washout
- Addressed an area of potentially invalid memory in the round over HUD element which could cause a crash
- Reworked some VGUI panels (MOTD, team panel, loadout etc)
- Fixed hint panel showing a black box with no text in it
- Fixed case where holding down MOUSE2 would continue to play the idle animation when you aim down the sights (G36C)
- Holding down the attack, attack2 or reload key will no longer prevent a weapon from deploying
- Solved some visual glitches associated with bolt action (or pump action) weapons
- Disabled the ability to jump if your stamina is less than the amount of stamina drained for jump
- Slightly upped the stamina drain for jumping from 20 to 30
- Setting fas_endgametimer to -1 will remove the 0 rein timeout, waiting until all the players on the team are dead or a full cap is made
- Added fov_desired cvar which is used in Valve's official games which allows you to adjust your FOV between 75 and 90. Defaults to 90
- You can no longer climb a ladder while prone or ducked
- Burst fire queues bullets to fire, so 1 click = 3 bullets (with M16/FAMAS), rather than having to hold it down
- mp_switchteams is now fully operational and will flip the teams when a server admin issues the command
- Ability to restrict weapons per-server through a weapons blacklist
- Shotgun reload cancelling waits until you have released the mouse button
- View punches for recoil are now applied to spectators
- Firemode recoil modifiers are fully operational
- Marksman skill increases accuracy in 10% increments rather than 5% (5->10, 10->20, 15->30)

1.0e vs. 1.1

2010-08-13T19:32:00.003-05:00

The FAS Team is considering releasing another patch,1.0e, which would include all the bug fixes and balance tweaks of 1.1, but none of the new weapons. However, this may push 1.1 back some if they have to devote their time to packaging up what they have now for release.

You can see the 1.0e/1.1 change log here.

Let the FAS Team know what you want in the FAS Forums, IRC, ModDB or Facebook.

Current 1.0e/1.1 Change Log

2010-08-07T12:49:00.003-05:00

FAS 1.0e/1.1 looks to improve gameplay in a variety of ways. From tweaking armor and weapon values, to adjusting movement speeds, to possibly 8 new weapons, the next patch is looking great. Be sure to check this thread in the input forum for more updates.

Changes since 1.0d
- Speed modifiers for heavy and medium armor.
- You can select spectate from the team menu after spawning now.
- Fixed bug where you would be shown in the wrong team color when an enemy you hurt would commit suicide. This is now shown as an "assisted suicide" in the death notices.
- Teamkills no longer report an assister to avoid confusion with the assister being in the wrong team color. You are silently rewarded assist points.
- Improved assault rifle accuracy (usually 2-3x more accurate) - tweaked to 1024 unit range
- Improved SMG accuracy (about 1.5-2x more accurate) - tweaked to 512 unit range
- Improved pistol accuracy (to about the same degree as SMGs), lowered damage to compensate
- LMGs now have 0.25x the bullet cone while deployed
- M60 damage lowered
- SR-25 recoil increased
- Fixed inaccurate skill descriptions
- When healing yourself with the IFAK, it no longer reports the previous healing target
- Fixed tracer rounds on the Vollmer
- Armor damage mitigation modified to lower values. Light 0.4x, Medium 0.5x, Heavy 0.6x
- Different types of armor have different armor hit point values, rather than being 150 for all of them. Light has 100, heavy has 200, helmet has 100, limb armor has 75
- Added new damage sounds
- Run speed reduced to 210 from 230 (~9% slower)
- Sprint speed reduced to 325 from 340 (~4% slower)
- Changed strafe and backpedal speeds. Backwards: 0.6 from 0.8, Strafe: 0.7 from 0.8
- Removed delay between firemode toggle
- Added missing MenuOpen/MenuClose/MenuPulse HUD animations
- Resolved sniper weapon selection slot conflicts
- Delay between voice and radio messages
- Weapons start with full ammo on spawn (6 reserve mags rather than 4)

New weapons in 1.1
- Sterling
- Uzi
- Remington 870
- SKS
- KS23
- Raging Bull
- SVD
- FAL

FAS RELEASED

2010-07-23T21:52:00.003-05:00

In case you didn't notice, FAS has been released.

You can download FAS here.

If you are going to set up a server, BE SURE TO GET THE PATCHES.

Halflife2.net FAS Review

2010-07-22T20:36:00.001-05:00

Another FAS review is out, this time on Halflife2.net.

Again, the game is awesome.

PHL: FAS Review

2010-07-22T09:55:00.002-05:00

Planet Half Life has put up their review of Firearms: Source 1.0.

The actual review talks a lot about what makes FAS a great game, but instead of chopping up their review, I'll summarize it in one sentence: FAS is awesome!

FAS Team and Tester Blogs

2010-07-22T09:53:00.004-05:00

With the recent update to the FAS Forums, the developers and testers are able to make blog post. Such post replace the previous developers and tester forums, allowing the team and testers to show off new media, talk about the development or testing of FAS, as well as ask questions to the community, such as which weapons should be included with FAS 1.1.

Be sure to check them out here.

Videos, Videos Everywhere!

2010-07-22T09:47:00.002-05:00

With FAS nearing release, more videos have been made by the FAS Team, Testers, and those who took part of the press preview event.

FAS Trailer, FAS Team

AK-47 on SD_Mine and TC_Iwojima

ModPlay FAS Press Preview Playthrough

Interviews, Interviews Everywhere!

2010-07-22T09:43:00.003-05:00

The FAS Team has made the rounds to various game blogs and sites, doing interviews about the development of the mod as well as answering questions about it.

Podcast#17, Episode 92

GCP, Episode 95

PHL Interview

Cost of War

2010-07-18T10:28:00.002-05:00

The following are the new credit cost of times, taken from FAS's livestream.

Equipment

Machete: 6
Bandages: 3
Night Vision Goggles: 3

Explosives

M79: 46
Claymore: 13
Frag Grenade: 6
Smoke Grenade: 6
Flashbang: 6

Pistols

OTS33: 17
Desert Eagle: 13
Glock 20: 10
92FS: 10
M1911: 8

Shotguns

M3S90: 27

SMGs

MC51B Vollmer: 44
CF-O5: 24
MP5A4: 24
MAC-11: 20

ARs

Sako 95: 42
FAMAS: 42
AK47: 40
G3A3: 40
SG550: 40
G36C: 36
M16A2: 36
M14: 36
M4A1: 33

MGs

M60 E3: 56
M249: 50

SRs

M82A1: 70
SR25: 60
M24: 56

Forums Notice

2010-07-11T21:09:00.002-05:00

NOBODY PANIC!

The forums will be locked tomorrow (July 12th) at approximately 6pm EST so that we can upgrade the forum software. Because we will also be migrating to a new server, and must back up several GB worth of milthread and hot chicks photos, it may take up to 4 days for the forums to be back online.

See you on the other side, FA:Sers!

Taken from FAS Forums. If you still need your FAS fix, you can visit the FAS IRC or Ventrilo channel.

Movie Time

2010-07-03T17:56:00.005-05:00

Cant wait for FAS? Here are four videos to tide you over until the 23rd.

AK47 Demonstration on PS_Crossfire

M249 and 1911 Demonstration on PS_Sand

M24 Demonstration on PS_Sand

M3 Demonstration on PS_Crossfire and SD_Dragovo

Vollmer Demonstration on PS_Snowstorm

FAS NEWS (3 JULY 2010)

2010-07-03T17:42:00.007-05:00

FAS has an official release date, 23 July 2010! The game has changed considerably since it was first conceived July 2006. The game has moved away from Counter-Strike: Source Grid Cache File to a complete custom library of models and assets. Various FA features have been added in that weren't originally going to be included, such as prone and custom player models.

This is only the start of FAS, as the team says they will continue supporting FAS for years to come.

Those who would want to start a FAS server, the team will release the server builds in advanced.

Level Up!

2010-05-17T00:07:00.003-05:00

DysPatch has revealed in this FA Forum post that the skill system and credit cost of FAS has been changed. The skill system will feature six unique skills, with three levels each, for a total of 18 skills. Players will be able to chose as many skills after they want for a set number of kills, for now. In the future, when more skills are added, there will be a cap to how many skills an individual can acquire. With so many skills though, it is unsure if there will still be the standard 10 kills per skill upgrade in previous versions.

DysPatch also provides an example of how this new skill system will work with the new Commander skill.

* Commander I
o 5% Faster Movement Speed for Nearby Teammates
* Commander II
o 5% Accuracy Boost for Nearby Teammates
o 10% Less Damage to Nearby Teammates
* Commander III
o Capture Objectives Twice as Fast

In addtion to the skill changes, FAS will move from the traditional 30 skill points to an even 100. This is for the anticipation of new weapons in the future, allowing for better balance. All current items in FAS will have their credit cost raised to reflect this new system, such as the cost of grenades being raised from two credits, to six credits.

Updates!

2010-05-16T23:59:00.004-05:00

The FAS Map page has been updated, showing off the new, darker, visual style of tc_iwojima as well as the new map sd_Dragovo.

SD_Dragovo is made by a new team member, Wolf, who has previous experience with mapping in the source engine, as well as professional mapping as seen on his blog.

Wide Tracks of Land

2010-05-16T23:55:00.003-05:00

Those with very large resolutions, such as 2560x1600, need not worry about FAS supporting your resolution. DysPatch confirms in this FA Input Forum thread that FAS does support larger resolutions.

FAS NEWS (29 APRIL 2010)

2010-05-16T23:48:00.003-05:00

FAS has released a time line of every FA releases that you can find on their history page (or a more detailed view here). In it, they release the release window for FAS which is sometime in July, as well as a new map SV_Dragovo.

You can also check out FASR's FA Birthday Coverage:

FA Remembrance
FA 1.0 Team Thanks
FA 1.0 Maps
FA 1.0 Weapons

Steamy Goodness

2010-04-27T21:12:00.002-05:00

Now that steam has made their new UI official, you may have noticed that not much is done for third party programs and mods, as shown here.

This feature, DysPatch said, is available to games only who use the Steam Cloud in some way, for now. Unless FAS can be integrated with Steam like previous mods, everyone will have to suffer from the simple display.

Lowlight

2010-04-27T21:10:00.002-05:00

The highlight feature in the previous news update may not make it to the first release candidate. DysPatch said in this thread that the highlighting was unstable, and had to be cut. If this means for testing, or for the first RC, has yet be determined.

Audiophile

2010-04-27T21:09:00.001-05:00

Tired of repeating weapon sounds in games? Vunsuntra has the answer! "Upon release, each weapon will have 3-5 random stereo gunshots the engine will choose from for the 1st person perspective. All the weapons will have a distant sound as well, for when your far away from the gunshot source."Also for RC 1.0, there will be ricochet sounds as well as well as surface impact sounds.

Ting ting ting ting ting!

2010-04-27T20:43:00.003-05:00

In many FPS these days, there is some indicator whether you hit someone or not, be it a change in your cross hair, a noise, or some other visual clue. FAS will not be much different from these other games.

As DysPatch states in this thread, "we plan on having a nice helmet thud or flesh break if you hit someone in the head" and continues with, "I wouldn't mind a cross hair flash for hit recognition. Its been brewing in my mind for sometime." However, adds that it would be something for after the initial release of FA.

Not everyone though shares the same philosophy as DysPatch. Naoto points out that, "hit indicators are borderline cheating." Citing examples from play test, Naota recalls when damage was displayed on the HUD, saying "[it] was one of the most frustrating parts of the game until we went out of our way to remove the damage indicator from testing." These on screen indicators showed when you hit someone, allowing players to "fire their machine gun into the darkness/undergrowth/water/solid walls/prone players/window ledges far away and have the UI feedback tell them to keep shooting because they're hitting someone."

And as Naota said, "As awesome as it might be, bullets are not one of the five senses."

Can I Has Server?

2010-04-25T18:18:00.001-05:00

DysPatch has stated that server binaries for FAS will be released a week prior to the FAS client.

Source

FAS Testing Debrief (25 APRIL 2010)

2010-04-25T18:12:00.002-05:00

The April 25th testing continuned testing the stability of FAS on the orange box engine, as well as enusring that the push and territorial control gameplay worked. Thankfully, most of the issues have been sorted out, however, there are still issues when a team reaches zero reinforcements and someone captures all the points. Futhermore, there are still some issues with the rag-doll physics. Lastly, some balance changes will be looked at such as increasing each team's reinforcements, as well as increasing the effectiveness of armor. The following are known issues that will be fixed for the next build:

Increase M24 Scope Accuracy
Decrease M82 No-Scope Accuracy
Decrease M79 Damage
Increase M67 Frag Damage
Increase Desert Eagle Recoil
Increase Reinforcement Threshold
Increase Armor Effectiveness
Recompile Ragdolls
Decrease Sako 95 Damage
Increase SR25 Movement Penalty
Fix Game rules on Map Full Capture
Fix grenade throw animation

FAS Testing Debrief (18 APRIL 2010)

2010-04-19T18:57:00.003-05:00

DysPatch will now post Testing Debriefings in the Beta Testing Journal. Testing Debriefings summarize the last testing session as well as list bug fixes and changes that will be made for the next round of testing.

The 18 April 2010 testing tested the stability of the game on Orange Box, which is progressing but not as stable as previous builds, with issues such as PS and TC points crashing the server. However, many bugs have been identified and will be fixed for the next round of testing, including:

Fix Armor Credit Cost
Decrease Wind Volume in Snowstorm
Optimize Snowstorm
Re-add Ammobox reload sound
Give More Magazines on Spawn
Decrease time between magazine pick at ammoboxes
Fix sprint speed, and movement speeds in general
Stabilize TC and PS capture points
Add weapon distance firing sounds
Ragdoll recompile (To fix seizures upon death)
M24 Animations

FA RC 1.0 Weapons

2010-04-12T19:04:00.008-05:00

These are the original 27 weapons released with Firearms 1.0. Of the 31 weapons in FAS (not counting the mortar), 19 are from the original Firearms, indicated by the italics.

Melee

Seal Knife 2000

Pistols

Colt Government 1911A1
Beretta 92F
Beretta 93R
IMI Desert Eagle
Colt Anaconda

Shotguns

Benelli M3 Super 90P
Kalashikov Saiga 12-K

Sub Machine Guns

HK MP5A5
HK MP5KA4
HK 51-B Vollmer
Ingram M11

Assault Rifles

AK47
FAMAS
HK G3A3
HK G36E
Colt M16A2
Colt M4
Steyr AUG

Sniper Rifles

HK PSG1
Barret M-82A1

Machineguns

M-60

Explosives

M79
Frag Grenade
Flashbang Grenade
Stielhand Grenade
M18A1 Claymore Mine

FA RC 1.0 Maps

2010-04-12T19:02:00.004-05:00

These are the original 12 maps released with Firearms 1.0. FAS includes remakes of ps_sand and tp_mine (remade to sd_mine).

By Beserker

cti_artic
cti_rama
tp_zerk
ps_check

By LooseCannon

tp_boat

By David "Hitman" Reeves

tp_soviet

By CrowbarSniper

cti_mideast
ps_waterfall
tp_dish

By Tylak

ps_sand
tp_mine
tp_ware

Founding Fathers

2010-04-12T18:57:00.003-05:00

Special thanks to the original FA team for inspiring 10 years of Firearms!

Project Leaders

Casper Milan Nielson (Syre)
Brian Fuller (Democritus)

Programmers

Mike Weldon (FalloutBoy)
James Twohey (Judicator)
Gary Weis (Weis)

Modelers

Ben Irwin (Ninja Monkey)
Christian Oelund (Gekko)
Ross Thelen (Toedip)
Mike Kopinski (TWIN48DCOE)
Ken Bentley (Real Man)
Jack Prince (Wonder Warthog)

Level Design

Eric Smith (Beserker)
Joel Gabel (Tiger)
Natalie Gabel
Paul Oakes (Oakesy)
Gary Lanza (Lanza)
Dominic Crompton (Users-Lag-Time)
Eugene Smozhevsky (-ED)

Graphics Artist

Tobias Dedenroth (Quakie)
Omni Trio (Omnir Trio)

Here is to 10 more years of "guns, and lots of them."

Happy Birthday Firearms

2010-04-12T18:53:00.005-05:00

Happy Birthday Firearms - Monday, April 29, 2002

[Ten] years ago today, Firearms RC1 was released. It's kind of hard to believe, especially when you take into consideration the fact that it's been over [5 years] since we released the most recent version. I'd be the first person to admit that RC1 was hardly brilliant. In fact, when looking at it now, a lot of other team members along with myself are embarrassed with what we released. Graphically, it was pretty nasty. The code was buggy, with a lot of crashes, glitches and exploits. It still appealed to people though, and a buzzing community formed. Many of the original Firearms fans are still heavily involved with the mod, which is really nice to see.

During the year after RC1's release, there were several other releases of Firearms, I personally wasn't too heavily involved with them due to all my time being taken up by a job that I got thanks to Firearms. But with each new version that was released, the improvements were obvious. We were learning from our mistakes, and Firearms was getting better and better...

Lastly today, I'd like thank everyone who's ever made a contribution to Firearms. From Caspar who started it all, to Eric who made Firearms what it is today. There's also this page, which was once [upon] a time run by our lead programmer, Scott. That particular piece was written the very same day that Firearms was first released...Quite a transformation I think.

-Ben

[This post is Ben's two year birthday post, edited to be more relevant to FAS. You can view the original post by clicking the link at the top]

Highlight System Revealed

2010-04-10T18:34:00.001-05:00

The highlighting system in FAS was revealed with little fanfare, leaving many questions unanswered. Luckily, DysPatch has answered many questions about its implementation in this FAS Forum post.

Q: Or is there an option to turn highlights off for specific things, such as objectives, crates and people with specific skills (medic/leader)?

A: Yes, you can turn these effects off in your multilayer options.

Q: Does the ammo box's color change depending on the damage? Like if its in mint condition, its bright green, but servery damaged its dark green (or yellow)?

A: Not currently.

Q: What happens when an objective is destroyed? Does the outline just disappear completely?

A: The highlight will stay there until it is respawned.

Q: Would CTI items also get this glow when they are included as well?

A: We haven't completed the CTI gameplay model since we do not have any CTI maps yet, but the CTI objects in the map will have the glow. We have other plans to indicate where the intelligence is when a player is carrying it.

Q: Is this a mapping entity added to the specific objects, or does the engine automatically apply the glow for these specific objects?

A: No it is not a mapping entity, it is automatically created.

Q: How would the leadership aura work with this?

A: In terms of leadership, we haven't decided what we are going to do with the highlights, but it will most likely show on the players affected by the aura. In terms of whether or not YOU are being supported by the aura, we will either have an icon or a shader for RC1. Our ultimate goal is to get a shader that adds a subtle effect to your screen, but we may not have time to implement that and may stick with just a leadership icon on the HUD.

Q: What effect does this have on the all ready existing player indicators, if at all?

A: We are keeping the overhead indicators because they still serve a purpose that the highlights do not (health indicator, rank indicator, and skill indicator). We most likely will not be adding highlights to individual players because the screen could get cluttered very easily.

FAS NEWS (2 APRIL 2010)

2010-04-10T18:15:00.005-05:00

Following FAS's April Fool's news announcement, the team has released an actual news update. The team has showcased two of the grenades in FAS, the M67 Fragmentation Grenade and the M84 Stun Grenade. The fragmentation grenade is a FA staple and retains the cost in previous RCs at two credits for two grenades. The stun grenades cost slightly more than the frag grenades at three credits, but can blind enemies in a large area and grow more effective the more confined the space is.

FAS has also included objective highlighting. Similar to what is found in L4D and L4D2, the objective highlighting in FAS provides quick visual clues to players about where objectives are. In the pictures provided, you can see the red ammo crates with a red highlight, the blue ammo crates with a blue highlight, and a neutral object (the ammo box) with a green highlight.

FAS NEWS (1 APRIL 2010)

2010-04-10T17:48:00.004-05:00

FAS's April Fool's joke was the removal of dedicated servers and the implementation of "FANet." FANet would provide players with various "features." Such included matchmaking which determined games, "Based on mystical properties of fate beyond the ken all but our most astute software engineers, FANet will place you in the game you are meant to play." As well as a revolutionary new system of communication, "text chat" and custom content, reassuring the community that, "[those] who wish to contribute custom maps, models, skins, or other third-party content will be pleased to learn that they can't, thereby saving them from the very real, very dire threat of Communism."

You can check out the robust feature list of FANet here.

Portfolio

2010-03-29T19:25:00.007-05:00

Shinobi has updated his developer's blog with a video for his personal portfolio of work he has done on FAS. The video includes a run though of parts ps_derailed and ps_crossfire, as well as some of the modeling and texture work he has done.

How Does I Map?

2010-03-10T16:10:00.002-06:00

Since FAS is moving to the Orange Box engine, that means that anyone creating third party maps for FAS can not use HL:DM or any other Source engine games due to the engine change.

If you are looking for another game to use in the meantime, DysPatch recommends using the HL2:EP2, but be warned that the foliage included will not be a part of FAS.

Beta Time

2010-03-10T16:03:00.004-06:00

The FAS Alpha Tester's Journal has been renamed FAS Beta Tester's Journal. As PFS states, "this is more or less the first version that would/could be released."

Player testers now are working on making sure there are no "exploits, bugs, [or anything] that could detract from gameplay."

The forum still has moderated post: FAS team members have to view post before they can be posted. While this prevents leaks, it does not make it easier for testers to post game play experiences.

Do not expect more use out of this forum.

What the Orange Box Means To You

2010-03-10T15:51:00.003-06:00

FAS is moving to the Orange Box engine, but what does it mean to you?

According to Naota in a post on the FAS Forums, these improvements include:

Phong shader masks in texture alpha channels.
Newer vertex lighting and prediction code.
Orange Box graphics settings (real-time shadows on dynamic lights, user-controlled motion blur, and improved HDR among them)
Steamworks compatibility (stats tracked on Steamfriends, persistent achievements, automatic updates, easy FAS downloads from the Steam store)

To see a complete list of these improves, you can check out Valve's Developer Community page.

FAS NEWS (3 MARCH 2010)

2010-03-10T15:22:00.004-06:00

FAS's news post has made it official that FAS is moving over to the Orange Box engine. The reason for the change of engines is because of the problems in the older code, making the game very hard to debug and code. This change however does not effect FAS being released this year. As DysPatch states, "game balance down for what we would like to be released with RC1, so its as simple as moving the functioning clean code over, optimizing old code, and leaving behind the bugs." All of these improvements are made possible FA coding veteran, Mazor, who has done various work on the Half-Life version of FA and FA related projects.

FAS has also released new screen shots of ps_snowstorm. The map has undergone revisions since its last showcase. DysPatch has stated in his developer's journal he has been working on "finishing up the brushwork and the lighting on the map."

In addition to ps_snowstorm, there is a new render of the M18A1 Claymore Mine, modeled by Racer445

As well as the Gerber Gator Machete: modeled by Naota, textured by Dr. Hubbler, and animated by Thisismyname09.

Finally StealthSilver has updated and users who have Desura will be able download FAS though that distribution platform.

Gone But Not Forgotten

2010-02-05T15:38:00.006-06:00

Looking though the source code in FAS's Map Page, you can see some cut maps that are either no longer included in FAS such as ps_forest and maps that may be included in later RCs, such as sd_durandal. Below are a list of the cut maps or maps that may be included in later RCs.

Durandal

A quiet Middle Eastern town is torn apart when a coalition task force moves into the northern outskirts to set up a forward operating base. Red Forces are positioned across a bridge leading to the highway, which serves as a strategic vantage point for all traffic coming into this part of the city.

Author: Hitman
Game Mode: Search and Destroy

Asylum

Red Force para-military units have infiltrated Blue lines and freed all the inmates at a local mental hospital. Some of the inmates are leaders of various militias allied to the Red forces, held there temporarily, while others are homicidal psychopaths. Blue Force units quickly respond, cordon off the area and take measures to storm the building. Inside, however, it's now the inmates that run the Asylum...

Author: Hitman
Game Mode: Team Control

Forest

As the battle wages on between both the Blue and Red forces, each side has taken heavy losses. In their never ending war, resources have been become scarce as their deadlocked troops fight to survive. Whoever crushes their opponent will gain a vast amount of natural resources to further their campaign and become the dominant force on the battlefield.

Author: Airwolf
Game Mode: Push

Juarez

A combined South American and Mexican invasion of America co-incides with violent illegial alien protests and revolt. The southwest United States is thrown into immediate disarray and chaos. Innocent citizens are slaughtered wholesale by roaming gangs, government offices taken over by illegalsb flying Mexican flags, or captured by the invading armies. News broadcasts trickle in to CNN from behind the lines, where the leaders of the revolt are demanding that 'Aztlan', or the states of New Mexico, Texas, Arizona and California, rightfully belong to them. Within weeks, however, the Texas National Guard has gone on the offensive, smashing through to El Paso and linking up with the encircled Army units holding out in Fort Bliss. Now, their mission is to take the fight to the enemy by crossing the border into Ciudad Juarez.

Author: Hitman
Game Mode: Push

Novospassky

As Blue force freedom fighters bear down on the Russian capitol, the remaining Red Force loyalists hole up in the last remaining sections of the city still under their control. A brutal fight ensues over the Novospassky bridge as both teams try and steal the others' intelligence assets, in bloody attempts to gain the upper hand.

Author: Hitman
Game Mode: Capture the Item

Force

(NO DESCRIPTION)

Author: Inveramsy
Game Mode: Search and Destroy

River

(NO DESCRIPTION)

Author: velvety (ported by Shinobi)
Game Mode: Push

The Best and The Rest

2010-01-09T21:48:00.002-06:00

Naota has made a great post on what makes FAS, FAS as well as what makes it unique from other games out now. In summarization, FAS stands out from the rest because of:

Guns... copious amounts of guns
A Genuinely Balanced Skill System
A Unique Loadout System
Reinforcement-based Victory Conditions
Reloading that makes logical sense
The Firearms Menkey
Ludicrous amounts of other interesting mechanics

To find out more, you can view Naota's post in the FAS Forums.

FAS Skills Revealed

2010-01-09T21:40:00.002-06:00

As show in the FAS Manual

Marksmanship I

25% Accuracy Increase

Recoil Reduction

Marksmanship II

+25% Accuracy Increase

Further Recoil Reduction

Field Medic I

Diagnose teammates via HUD

Bandage bleeding teammates

Apply sulfur to self for +10 HP, once

Apply sulfur to teammates for +20 HP, continuously

Two free bandages upon respawn

Field Medic II

Suture yourself for +25 HP, once

Suture teammates wounds for +50 HP, continously

Four free bandages upon respawn

Weapon Handling

25% Faster Reloads

25% Faster Magazine Merges

Battlefield Agility

9% Faster Movement

Faster Stamina Regeneration

Stamina Drain Decrease while Sprinting

50% Fall Damage Decrease

Leadership

9% Faster Movement for Nearby Teammates

10% Less Damage for Nearby Teammates

50% Accuracy Increase for Nearby Teammates

Stealth

75% Quieter Footsteps

200% Knife Damage

Frags with silenced weapons are hidden from the enemy

Artillery Support I

Place Artillery Markers

Request Artillery Fire

Artillery Support II

Assemble Mortars

Fire Mortars & Select Markers using TAC Map

Derailed Update

2010-01-09T21:11:00.004-06:00

Shinobi has greatly updated ps_derailed in terms of gameplay and texture work. The map's progressive spawns - which make you spawn closer to the enemy depending on what flag you hold - have been updated with the most notable change is that they are farther away from the middle cap point.

In addition to the spawn changes, the number of upper level areas has doubled and the texture work has been refined to give the map or more uniform theme, making the map much more industrial looking than before.

Finally, HRD in the map has been reduced but still keeping the areas that need to be light, light.

You can find more screen shots in Shinobi's developer's blog.

Crossfire Updates

2010-01-09T21:00:00.002-06:00

Shinobi has updated some aspects of ps_crossfire, detailed in his personal developer blog. The map before had some problems with the placement of some of the flags. One flag was hard to defend with "270 degrees of overwatches focused on it" and has been moved into a warehouse for safe keeping.

In addition, "the ghetto" flag will mostly likely be updated in this same fashion, making its defense easier.
Finally, beside the flag updates, Shinobi has also added "a sewer system under the park area, hopefully this will make it easier for blue to hold as well as make it easier for red to cap."

FAS NEWS (9 JANUARY 2010)

2010-01-09T20:31:00.004-06:00

FAS has released two wallpapers and an online manual for FAS to help new players become familiar with the game before it's release.

The first wallpaper is the new FAS logo designed by undertone with a release date show as "2010". The FAS team is still working on a few aspects of the mod to ensure that it is ready for the public which is why the release date is vague at "2010". Some coding issues still have to be worked out as well as more polish applied to the maps. However, all the art aspects of the mod are complete which has allowed the art team to go ahead and start working on content for after FAS's release.

As you can see, the new logo is more modern instead of the almost 10 year old stencil font that was previously used.

The second wallpaper is the same logo applied to an in game screen shot of FAS.

In addition to the wallpapers, there is now an online manual for FAS which is still being updated. The manual outlines the basic features of FAS, such as how to install the game, descriptions for each categories of weapons, list of skills and what benefits they provide, as well as a section for "pro tips and hits" which explain game play features in depth.

Some areas of the manual aren't finished, most notably the HUD section, but these will be updated soon.

Detailed

2009-11-27T10:37:00.005-06:00

DysPatch has released a couple of new screenshots of ps_snowblast in his developer's journal. In addition, he invites everyone to check FAS's twitter feed and his personal twitter feed for additional screenshots.

Forest Reborn

2009-11-25T12:57:00.002-06:00

Shinobi has been working on creating a convincing outdoor scene using the source engine for FAS. Currently he has been working blending the terrain as well as creating convincing tree models. You can view Shinobi's FAS work, as well as his other project as his game design blog.

High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle

2009-11-25T12:53:00.002-06:00

StealthSilver has been updated his developer journal, showing his HMMWV model that will be used as a map prop. This is a work in progress.

FAS NEWS (12 NOVEMBER 2009)

2009-11-25T12:34:00.005-06:00

FAS has released a video, showcasing the M14 as well as ps_sand and some screen shots of sd_mine. Not only do you see the effectiveness of the M14, but also the amount of people play testing FA, as well as some other features that are new for FAS.

As you can see near the end of the video, Lustymuffins increases his rank as show by the HUD indicator in the lower right. Also, there is a new cause of death symbol in the upper right which is hazmat symbol for explosives.

In addition, you may notice that there is a audible "moo" in parts of the video. This sound is a placeholder for the M79 which has yet to be replaced.

Finally, this updated also includes a few screenshots of sd_mine. The FAS Team also regretfully announces that not every feature they want included in FAS will make it into the first release candidate. They do say they will continue to patch, update, and support the mod for years to come.

Red Barron

2009-10-22T17:00:00.002-05:00

In a FAS Input Forum Thread, it was asked if FAS would have a similar jump mechanic to the HL version of Firearms where people were able to jump around and still and be able to fire effective. "The only penalties we have for jumping are a stamina decrease, and a slight disorientation of the screen similar to that of FA," DysPatch said. This goes along with other comments in the past about FAS having a more arcade like experience, not a tactical shooter.

Eraser

2009-10-22T16:54:00.003-05:00

FAS has material penetration - meaning you can shoot though some objects in the maps - according to DysPatch is this FAS Input Form Thread. The amount of damage though walls depends on many factors. According to DysPatch: "It is based on the material and thickness of the wall. If its a thin metal sheet, you bullets will pass through it with ease. If its a thick concrete/brick wall, it wont pass through."

Remakes Redone

2009-10-22T16:29:00.005-05:00

DysPatch has updated his developers journal with a list of changes he has made to his maps - ps_snowstorm, tc_rubble and tc_iwojima - as well as

PS_Snowstorm (Most heavily modified of my maps):
- Added two rather large routes on either side of the middle capture point.
-- entrance/exit to middle
-- entrance/exit to center
-- exit to underground tunnel
-- entrance from sniper tower
- Elongated the middle to fit more players
- Moved last flag capture to the bunker left of the spawn exit

TC_Rubble
- Replaced old sniper tower for red with a new one that has more cover
- Added new right to the left of the sniper tower incase red is being pinned down at their spawn
- Added alternate spawn exit for blue to drop into the dark building incase blue is being pinned down at their spawn

TC_IwoJima
- Added two new routes at the end of both tunnels in hopes to reduce spam

Ninja Post

2009-10-16T11:55:00.004-05:00

Shinobi has updated his blog with screen shots of ps_derailed and ps_crossfire.

Crossfire had a lot of extensive play testing and some of the narrow pathways have been expanded into more open rooms to help with flow. For example, "turning a long stretch of hallway into a garage so that there can be some width and crossover to the main route."

Derailed had a similar problem with bottle necking in some areas. These areas have been competently redone from one route to four routes. In addition, the whole blue side of the map has been opened up and the cap points have been reduced from five to three.

Medical School

2009-10-09T17:06:00.002-05:00

In a FAS Input Forum post, Oelund gave insight to the future of the medic skill. Oelund plans for future RCs plans to add first person animations when a medic treats a person.

"Like if you surture somebody you'll see your weapon holster, and a hemostat would appear, he'd then take a surture needle and wrap the thread around the hemostat backwards two times in preparation for a instrumental knot, and grap the needle with the hemostat. both would then holster and the weapon would reappear," he described. While this sounds like it would take a while and slow down gameplay, he says it would only take two to three seconds.

Oelund continues saying that treating people would still be instant on the target; also there would not just be one animation for every medic ability. Other animations would be, "opening a pack of quikclot for medic1 skills, unrolling a Samsplint for treating broken legs."

Pass the Ammo

2009-10-09T16:53:00.002-05:00

In a FAS Input Forum post, Oelund commented about the possibility of a variety of ammo types in future versions of FAS. While it would be possible to have many ammo types such as Full Metal Jacket, Armor Piercing Steel Core, etc, it would not be beneficial to game play. The change in ammo types would make the differences between weapons less noticeable. If a weapon is coded for weaker damage compared to another and suddenly a player has the option to increase the damage by selecting a different ammo type, it would make one of the weapons redundant.

This is not to mean that no weapon would have different ammo types. Shotguns and grenade launchers, with their variety of specific shells, would provide unique ammo types as well as keeping balance. Also, some specific weapons that are available in different chambers, such as the Robinson Armament XCR, could be a candidate for multiple ammo types. This weapon would be an exception to the rule, as the entire upper part of the gun is changed out for the new caliber. In addition, the two types of rounds it can chamber - the 5.56mm and 6.8mm SPC - would be easy to balance, "6.8mm is more powerful, but magazine only hold 25 rounds (vs 30 in 5.56)."

This is still speculation and is a long way off. It a weapon like this ever does come, it would be with or after FAS implements its weapon-attachment system it has planned for future RCs.

Breaking the Mold

2009-10-09T16:45:00.001-05:00

Don't expect every FA map to be remade for FAS. In thread in the FAS input forum, DysPatch commented that, "I have sorta promised myself I wouldn't make any more "remakes," primarily because they often don't play the same in Source, and they are a pain in the ass to balance." While many players would like older maps for nostalgia stake, trying to balance older maps while keeping them look like the original was to much work, according to DysPatch. In addition, all the resources to make a older map new could put to the creation of a new, better map.

Though, this is not to say that no more maps would be remade. The strongest candidate for a remake so far is obj_bocage as it has all ready been started by undertone.

Annual Alpha Tester Journal Updates

2009-10-09T16:29:00.002-05:00

mg23, a recent addition to the FAS alpha testers, had posted a lengthy post in the FAS alpha tester's journal. mg23 is an FA veteran, playing since 2.4 and participating in many leagues in the infamous clan, [S^D] as well as playing a Firearms League (FAL) match in FA2's remake of ps_river. As such, he has came into testing FAS with many expectations: fast game play, benefit to the player who can aim, and benefit to the player who knows how the game is played.

With all this experience with various versions of Firearms, mg23 concludes that, "FA:S is a more polished and more fun game that is lead by a dedicated team of developers who are looking to make this game as it should be." The old maps remade to FAS are enjoyable, says mg23, but the newer maps are not overshadowed by the nostalgia of older maps, able to hold their own.

Weapons were a major concern for mg23 as well. "I'm a sniper at heart, but I've been a staunch advocate of rushing until reinforcements are depleted," said mg23. He believes that the weapons should all be useful for pushing forward and capturing objectives. If you enjoyed this type of game play as well, mg23 reports that this style of game play is prevent and any worries about weapon balance has been laid to rest. While he enjoys the M4 and Sako for their variety of use, he has been impressed greatly by the M24. "The M24 is... incredible. For the first time I feel like picking up a bolt action rifle in a Firearms game," he said. In addition, there is no scope sway in FAS - unlike later editions of Firearms on HL - making them able to take on ARs that are good at long range.

In summary, "FA:S is what Firearms should be: it's fast, great-looking, and a blast to play. It's also nearing completion, so it's something tenable for you folks. Those worried that league play is not getting its fair shake need not be worried. It's my belief that FA:S will have a lot to offer competitively, and I look forward to seeing how this fully develops."

More Sand

2009-10-09T16:18:00.003-05:00

Understone has updated his developer's journal with some new screen shots of ps_sand. Currently, undertone has been working on HDR lighting and color for the map, as well as a few balance issues such as adding doors to the spawns to prevent spawn camping, as well as the adjustment of props and removal of some cover elements.

Watch Out!

2009-09-30T19:36:00.002-05:00

In a short developer's journal post, Hitman stated that you'll see more of what he has been working on, now that FAS is at a level of completeness.

I Hate Bob!

2009-09-30T19:31:00.002-05:00

If you thought the weapon and movement bob in the recent FAS videos was to much, Hitman has some good news for you. "I believe there's a client-side cvar that can turn it off, or at least reduce it to whatever level you want," Hitman said on ModDB. FAS also has movement bob, but like weapon bob, it can be adjusted to a level you like, or turned off completely.

Let the Bodies Hit the Floor

2009-09-30T19:25:00.004-05:00

As you may have noticed that there are no death animations in the recent FAS videos. Rest assured, they are planed for future RC, but would be to much work for the first release unless they wanted to push the game back farther, according to DysPatch on ModDB.

To The Limit!

2009-09-30T19:21:00.003-05:00

When asked about the possibility of other bolt action sniper rifles in FAS, such as the SSG3000, Hitman said: Just because there's an M24 doesn't mean there can't or won't be any other bolt-actions. We're not limited to 32 weapons, and you shouldn't expect us to just stop at that point.

Hitman also stated that taking Firearms to the next level would mean a lot of guns.

M24

2009-09-30T19:08:00.007-05:00

Mirsky has uploaded a video on YouTube featuring the reload animation of the M24.

DysPatch has also said that he would like to see more of these videos, possibly as a show case reel of all FAS weapon reload animations along with sound.

TCP Updates

2009-09-30T18:53:00.003-05:00

The Capture Point is being updated steadily. mp!1HP has shown a new screen shot of the site layout, admin tool for TCP, and has a temporary url as well. Be sure to check out mp!1HP's thread in the FAS Forums if you would like to help at all with its construction or help admin it after it's launch.

Until the site is fully up an operational, mp!1HP is offering to create forum signatures, logos or wallpapers in this thread in the FAS OTF Art Forum.

Video Junky

2009-09-30T18:48:00.002-05:00

Hitman has stated that the videos from last Sunday's testing session may not be the only ones. "I'll be getting some more videos tomorrow," Hitman said.

These new videos will have better sound as well be in YouTube HD.

However, their may not be new videos at all: it's the FAS Team's decision if Hitman publish them and if Hitman is able to get enough good footage from the next testing session.

FAS NEWS (26 SEPT 2009)

2009-09-30T18:19:00.003-05:00

The FAS team has released two videos of FAS with the arrival of the new batch of beta testers last Sunday. The new players are there to help test server stability, overall weapon balance and help find bugs before FAS's first release candidate. Since most of the work on FAS has most been bug fixing in the code and maps, instead of showing new renders and screen shots, the FAS team had recorded last Sunday's testing session and made some quick and dirty video clips of FAS as it stands now.

The first video is two minutes of Hitman with the MP5 and heavy armor in the tunnels and on the flag on tc_iwojima. Here you can see some of changes DysPatch has made to the tunnels of tc_iwojima to make it flow better, as well as the MP5 aim-point in action, the medic skill with its tool tip indicator showing who is bleeding and their health, and how the game plays in general.

The second video is a shot clip of tc_rubble showing off a brief clip of the M4 and M79 in action.

The Capture Point

2009-09-14T11:06:00.002-05:00

mp!1HP is relaunching the FA fan site, "The Capture Point" for FAS.

The Capture Point, according to mp!1HP is "a website where FAS players can download the mod, skins, models, maps, sprites, etc." In addition, TCP will also provide "free sigs, clantemplates for FAS clans, and so on."

mp!1HP is looking for some help with setting up the site. Specifically, anyone who, "can help update the site...like uploading files [or] updating news." Also anyone who wants to put forth any extra work and help with the actual design of the site, or provide some signatures and templates is also encouraged to do.

If you have any ideas, suggestions or just want to help, you can PM mp!1HP here, or visit his form thread.

Iwo Jima

2009-09-02T19:52:00.001-05:00

Little Big Models

2009-09-02T19:29:00.002-05:00

Schmung has updated his developer's blog with information about the technical side of the design process as an artist for FAS. While there is a lot of big flashy stuff that makes the main page, such as his gorgeous M79 skin, other aspects of his work are not as appreciated. Prop models for example are necessary for FAS but don't attract as much attention as weapon models.

Prop models are models in maps such as the deuce and land rover. Much of Schmung's work lately has been with making level of detail models of many of these props. Level of Detail models are models that replace the more detailed models the farther you get away.

"The version you see up-close might be 7000 or so triangles," Schmung said but, "view it from a distance and what you are actually seeing is a model with 700 triangles." (Schmung made it a point that these numbers are made up to illustrate how LoD works.) This also applies to textures as well.

These level of detail models are for all models in FAS, not just models in maps. When you select a lower texture quality in a Source game, what you are doing is selecting the maximum level of detail of the textures. For example, "when you set your model and texture settings to low, typically you will only see the last LOD even if you are right next to it," DysPatch said.

Though while this system has obvious benefits for low end PCs, Naota points out that it isn't always a clear benefit. "We really could save a good 10-20% of our overall weapon texture footprint by doing away with these absurd view model mipmaps," Naota said. He continues with stating that his first person texture models do not have mipmaps because it saves a lot of disk space and it ensures that the texture will always look right.

Greenstone

2009-09-02T19:24:00.002-05:00

Undertone's new map, tc_greentone is in beta and is reading for testing he wrote in his developer's blog.

More Sand

2009-08-22T23:23:00.002-05:00

Undertone has posted updated screen shots of ps_sand in his developer's journal. Expect for some minor detail for the interior parts of the map, undertone believes that ps_sand is "good to go."

FAS NEWS (22 AUG 2009)

2009-08-22T23:01:00.003-05:00

FAS has released new media of the Stoner Rifle 25 and the M1911.

The SR25, donated to FAS by the defunct World at War team is a sniper rifle that has more mid range efficiency than the other sniper rifles due to its 10 round magazine size and semi-auto fire but can also be effective at long range with its high powered scope. While the the SR25 is not a new weapon, it has recently be reskined by DrHubbler to bring it up to the quality of the other weapons.

And yes, that is a suppressor on the rifle according to DrHubbler.

Like the SR25, the M1911 is another older weapon that has been reskinned by DrHubbler to bring it up to FAS quality. Modeled by Sid, the M1911 is a steal at only two credits and packs .45 APC rounds, giving it a bit more power over some more expensive pistols.

These weapon reskins serve a dual purpose: not only do the upgrade the visuals of the weapons, but they also optimize FAS's texture memory making the game more stable. Not only are weapon skins being optimized, but FAS's texture artist are going through FAS's materials directory to make sure everything is optimized.

Viral

2009-08-19T14:41:00.002-05:00

PC Gamer has a screen shot of FAS, submitted by StealthSilver showing off how Source default weapon origin is at the center of the model.

Call To Arms

2009-08-18T21:11:00.001-05:00

Quality of Life Issues

2009-08-18T08:56:00.002-05:00

DysPatch has updated his developer's journal with news about the FAS homepage as well as the popular map, tc_iwojima.

The FAS homepage has undergone some minor updates with the removal of the 2008 stealth showcase video as well as the media update box in the side bar. In their place is a Facebook feed that allows you to to view updates on FAS's Facebook site that includes some screenshots and their Twitter feed.

DysPatch also talks about modifications of tc_iwojima: specifically the opening up of the two tunnels. Larger play test showed that the tunnels became spam inducing death traps, "sometimes resulting in a 4 person explosion." DysPatch hopes that the more open tunnels would promote more team work and lessen the effect of explosives. Rest assured however that the frantic action remains in tact with players always having line of site with the enemy.

Map Showcase - PS_sand

2009-08-18T08:52:00.004-05:00

The classic choke point map returns to FAS with an actual theme instead of a linear corridor with no immersion. Undertone has posted some screen shots of the map in his developer journal, but Shinobi has posted some screen shots with the added detail that undertone's screen shots lack such as models and a 3D sky box.

Map Showcase - SD_mine

2009-08-18T08:49:00.003-05:00

The TP classic reborn as a SD map on FAS, sd_mine is finished, baring any bugs or game play issues.

Map Showcase - TC_Greenstone

2009-08-18T08:42:00.003-05:00

Formally tc_wtf, undertone has continued the work on this TC map that features game play akin to "king of the hill" with red team as the natural defender of a lone TC point with blue trying to take it; though undertone stated that this "is not forced."

Unlike a lot of other FAS maps, tc_greenstone is very open.

Could You Spot It In A Parade?

2009-08-13T16:48:00.002-05:00

You may have noticed that the Sako 95 doesn't exactly look like your standard Sako 95. This isn't due to lack of experinced modelers, but according to Naota it was, "a personal vendetta against generic weapons attempting to further their lack of aestheic appeal by completely knocking off their parent firearm." All changes with the Sako 95 are intentional and included:

-Aftermarket pistol grip
-Black Valmet plastic magazines (as opposed to olive/dried snot green)
-The blatantly AK-47-esque upper and lower hand guards of the Rk. 95 have been removed entirely, replaced with an adjustable vertical grip attached to a custom rail system.
-The front sight assembly at the end of the gas tube is that of the Sako Rk. 62, rather than the Rk. 95, and includes a bracket for a carry strap on the left side.
-The flash hider is the distinctive Sako Rk. 62/76 version which features a bayonet lug, rather than the fully cylindrical Rk. 95 version.
-Attachment mount plates can be found on the left side of the weapon.

FAS Interview

2009-08-13T16:41:00.003-05:00

In case you missed it, FAS had an interview with half-life.net. While this was originally intended as a pod cast, technical issues resulted in it being an interview. The interview covers a variety of topics from the departure from using CSS content to what makes FAS, FAS They even talk about how near it is completion at the end of the interview.

You can find the complete interview, here.

FAS NEWS (31 JULY 2009)

2009-07-31T21:01:00.003-05:00

FAS has unveiled the blue player model; modeled by Schmung and textured by StealthSilver features a CADPAT camouflage so that the coloring and the style is completely different from the red player. The differences don't stop at the skin alone: the blue player model has it's own unique silhouette as well as unique helmet and non-helmet cover. FAS is a very fast paced shooter, and every second matters so the variation between the two teams is important.

Also shown with the blue player model is a candid shot of DysPatch's new map, ps_specter.

This news update also showcases the last weapon in the FAS arsenal, the Sako RK95. The Sako RK95, modeled and textured by Naota, is a rather bare bones assault rifle. While the RK95 has no special features and a bit on the more expensive side of other assault rifles, the RK95 benefits from higher damage, more accuracy and high ROF.

Lastly, on the more technical side, FAS now has all its own art assets. This means that all you need to play FAS is a copy of a Source game and no longer specifically need Counter-Strike: Source.

Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion

2009-07-27T17:23:00.002-05:00

DysPatch has revealed in his developer's journal about a new semi-secret new map, ps_specter. DysPatch has been working overtime on his new map - as well as removing CSS content from preexisting maps - which partly explains the lack of news updates.

Expect to see a screen shot of ps_specter in an August update, hopefully.

And no, there is no James Bond reference in the map...yet.

Tom Clancy's Work Time Fun

2009-07-27T17:20:00.004-05:00

Undertone is working on a unamed FAS map, currently titled tc_wtf. The map is still in the design process, but he has posted some pictures in his developer's journal.

Stealth Tank

2009-07-27T17:14:00.003-05:00

StealthSilver is all ready a great texture artist, but now he has also expanded into modeling as well. His first major project is the M1A2 Abrams tank which is displayed in his developer's journal.

The model is still undergoing some revisions but he encourages people to post and offer constructive criticism.

FAS NEWS (20 JULY 2009)

2009-07-20T09:50:00.004-05:00

FAS's newest media update features the long awaited M60E, textured by Wangchung and StealthSilver. This 17 credit machine gun is powerful and accurate with its bipod and ideal for providing fire support for your team.

Also showcased is the G36c. The G36C modeled by SiD, has been retextured by Dr.Hubbler. The G36, a steal at 11 credits, is great at close quarters due to its automatic fire and can hold it's ground at range thanks to its aimpoint and single shot capability.

Finally, as mentioned by wasited menkey in his Alpha Tester's Journal post, FAS announces "awards." Described by DsyPatch, awards are "earn[ed] in the game can be achieved every time you join a server or new map." These are not achievements that are with the Steamworks system Valve has and they are not saved after you complete them.

What is interesting about the awards is that they have a CTI award (capture the flag variant game mode) but no SD award, despite having no official CTI maps and a few SD maps. PFS though, states this is for future - possibly unannounced - maps.

Eiffel 65, the Pacific Ocean and the Next FAS Update

2009-07-11T10:11:00.003-05:00

Envelope please...

What are three things that are blue?

Going by StealthSilver's twitter post, the blue player models are done. Expect to see them in an update soon.

FAS Weapon Page Updates

2009-07-04T21:57:00.001-05:00

The FAS Weapons Page has been updated with screen shots of the M224 mortar, NVGs and MK2 Frag Grenade.

Forecast, Chance of Achievements, High

2009-07-03T17:08:00.005-05:00

In a FAS Forum thread taking about achievements, DysPatch replied when asked point blank about achievements, "I would hold off on that question for now. It may be cleared up in the near future."

FAS's twitter feed also states that Shinobi and DysPatch will be on halflife2.net's podcast, which would be "the near future." Podcast, besides letting fans hear about the mod, would also be an ideal place to drop some new information about FAS.

Why FAS Is Great

2009-07-03T15:20:00.003-05:00

Naota has posted a good piece of propaganda in the FAS Input Forum describing some key differences between CSS and FAS and why FAS is better because of these differences. Instead of butchering his prose the entire post can be found here.

The reason that everyone uses [the M4, AK47, Desert Eagle and AWM] in CSS isn't that they're popular, but rather that CSS popularized them by making them plainly the best all-purpose weapons in the game by a large margin. They're used so often because the weapon balance is quite terrible and you have guns like this which are clearly superior to mostly everything else in their category, and their incredibly silly money/equipment system does little to nothing to restrict you from using them every time or getting creative. For example, why would you ever pick the CSS Steyr Scout over the AWM aside from willingly handicapping yourself? They're nearly the same in every respect, only one will always kill you no matter where it hits while the other does pathetic damage unless it's a headshot. Compare this to the M82 and M24 in FAS - one is heavy, can't scope while moving, restricts you to maybe a pistol as a sidearm and no armour whatsoever, does much better when bipodded, and can kill players incredibly easily on semi-automatic, while the other is light, bolt-action, mobile, highly damaging but not fatal, and is easy enough on the credits to allow you to use a SMG or even a cheap rifle as your backup. Each rifle has its own set of circumstances where it excels and neither is made redundant by the other, so you see both used all the time.

Because there's no clear distinction of absolute superiority and every gun fills its own little role in the overall gameplay, you won't get hundreds upon hundreds of players flocking to the newest weapon. The weapon balance lets everyone find guns that are their own personal favourite and compete with them without being overshadowed by the baseline AK-47/M4A1. In fact, the AK and M4 are actually some of the least popular weapons in FA because they're so tired and overused (and other ARs do far more interesting things). The only thing that might draw players to a new weapon besides the novelty factor is that it could fill an empty gap in their personal style of play, in which case we're doing our job wonderfully. It's as simple as that.

It puts a smile on my face to think that some day soon, a semi-hardcore CSS junkie is going to give FAS a try, like what he sees, then run out there with Full Medium (no bandages), a glock, and an AK thinking he's going to be king of the world just like in the days of Counter-yore... only to have an enemy sprint-jump over a sandbag he's inching out from and render him a veritable humanoid imitation of swiss cheese with the FAMAS, plant a claymore on his head, heal with medic, then prone off lobbing M79 shells and constantly battlecrying. It will be akin to pitching a denizen of the 1700's thrashing and wailing into this present day as things beyond the scope of his rational perception flood all about in a nightmarish future-hellscape of wondrous complexity and depth.