ctronic Arts and Origin Systems have announced a plan that will increase their focus on Ultima Online and halt production of OWO: ORIGIN (UO2). The reason is simple, rather than creating OWO: ORIGIN (UO2) as a parallel world competing with UO, we've decided to put those resources into growing and improving the core offering for Ultima Online's 230,000 loyal subscribers. In the near future and with the release next week of Ultima Online: Third Dawn, players will see new lands, new creatures, and a world that is continually evolving within Ultima Online

Delivers greater flexibility to exploit the capabilities of various gaming platforms
Allows developers to explore a wider variety of gaming genres
New modular and extensible architecture
Re-structured physics architecture
o Allows programmers to control and customize their physics behavior more precisely

* RenderStyles Editor

o Provides an easy-to-use mechanism for creating custom vertex and pixel effects that range from cartoon rendering to dot3 bump mapping.

o Enables developers to create platform-specific rendering methods, such as DirectX 8 vertex shaders

Networking Module

Gameplay
Command Point flag bugs fixed
New OnFire effect added
Player removed from spectator list
Spectators coloured according to selected team
Suicide and kill yielding different awards fixed

***** Prematch implemented (some features not yet complete)
Prematch Time
Current Round Time
Next Map
Mapvote disabling
Server restarting

***** Map Voting implemented

Detpack death message fixed
You can no longer lay a detpack if one exists from a previous life
Arsonist/Heavy Gunner spawn messages resolved
Snow footsteps aligned to walking direction
Saboteur loses disguise if touched by an enemy saboteur
Flashbang effect no longer stays after respawn
Pressing fire and reload no longer increases rate of fire
Ranger speed increased

Bots
Bots vrey much improved for command point gametype

Weapons
Weapon clip sizes are now a factor of maximum ammo
minigun shells for gunner increased to 400
Bouncing mortar alt-fire implemented
Rocket speed increased
Minigun spread and damage adjusted
Mortar reload time increased slightly
New assault pistol model
SMG fire and alt-fire switched
Shotgun now has a skin on the arm


Grenades
Napalm damage increased
Napalm gren spread increased
Caltrop time increased from 15 to 20 seconds

Equipment
You can now set the firing angle of the free standing mortar
Removing default gun from sentry no longer awards metal
Enemies can no longer take ammo from dispensers
Chaotic sentries can be repaired
Sentries only chaotic while smoke in near vicinity
Detection radius of smoke for sentry reduced by 40%
Target prediction added to sentry flamethrower
You are now required to repair sentries health before sabotage and chaos effects are removed
Muzzleflash added to sentry minigun
Aiming prediction for sentry rocket launcher improved
You can no longer backstab a Sentry

User Interface
Time remaining in match added to scoreboard

Mapping
Ladders tweaked

Maps
*** New Map UNF-2FortsUNF by TheMadMonk
*** New Map UNF-VillageChaos by TheMadMonk

"Skittles: Darkened Sky is a third-person action role-playing game based on a series of fantasy-inspired Skittles commercials. In the game you play as Skye and must retrieve five pieces of an ancient talisman in order to rid the land of evil. To accomplish your mission you will be able to perform various hand-to-hand fighting techniques and have access to an assortment of magical spells"