Press Releases

Total Entertainment Network Delivers Revolutionary Quake Enhancement

"Team Fortress" Add-on Creates True Online Teamwork and Specialization

SAN FRANCISCO May 5, 1997  Total Entertainment Network (TEN), the market and technology leader in online multiplayer gaming, today announced the immediate availability on the TEN network of a major Quake modification (mod) called Team Fortress (TF).  Expected to revolutionize the way Quake clans and informal teams play, TF stresses individual specialization, making true cooperation between team members a must.  Not available on any other online gaming service, TEN's TF mod, written by Robin Walke, John Cook and Ian Caughley and optimized for TEN by Thomas Erickson, offers a wealth of new weapons, capabilities, and player "classes" with specific attributes, tools, and weapons.

The concept, as in other team-oriented Quake mods such as Capture the Flag, is to work with other members of your team to accomplish a specific goal.  Numerous Team Fortress maps -- Quake levels with specific objectives -- are available, including four-team Capture the Flag levels, "The Hunted President," and "Storm the Castle."  However, the most dramatic enhancement the TF mod makes to Quake is the player classes.  Each player on a given team has a particular role with unique responsibilities, weapons, and other capabilities.  Classes include Scout, Sniper, Soldier, Demolitions Man, Combat Medic, Heavy Weapons Guy, and Pyromaniac.

"Our active Quake community has been looking forward to Team Fortress' release," said Willem Knibbe, Quake editor at TEN.  "Success in Team Fortress requires specialization and teamwork, and TEN's interface fosters these traits.  Players can chat about who is going to assume what role and strategize about various plans of attack before jumping into a game."

Class Definitions

Each class in TeamFortress has numerous unique aspects, including different appearances (skins).  Some, but not all, of these specific capabilities are outlined below (new weapons and items capitalized):

• Scout: The fastest moving class, scouts can only wear small amounts of armor.  Limited to shotguns and the nailgun (both with low ammo counts), scouts are also equipped with a Motion Detector, Flares, and Concussion Grenades.
• Sniper: Capable of medium movement speed, the sniper is also limited to modest armor, nailguns and the wicked new Sniper's rifle (both w/medium ammo),  plus grenades.
• Soldier: A slow-moving infantryman, the soldier can wear large amounts of armor and use all normal weapons (with high ammo counts) except the grenade launcher.  Soldiers are also equipped with Hand Grenades and Nail Grenades.
• Demolitions Man: A medium speed class limited to medium armor levels, the demolitions man uses shotguns, the grenade launcher, and the new Pipebomb Launcher.  He also has a highly explosive DetPack, hand grenades, and Mirv Grenades.
• Combat Medic: A medium-speed, medium-armor type, the medic can use both shotguns and nailguns, as well as Hand Grenades and Concussion Grenades.  Medics also regenerate, actually regaining health automatically over time.  And most importantly, the medic can heal teammates and "infect" opponents with a "mysterious tropical disease," using the new Medikit and Bioweapon, respectively.
• Heavy Weapons Guy: Slowest-moving of all the classes, the heavy weapons guy makes up for it with heavy armor capabilities and naturally, heavy weapons.  In addition to shotguns and the nailgun, he also sports the new Assault Cannon (capable of sawing foes in half) and  Hand and Mirv Grenades.
• Pyromaniac: A medium-speed class with some flame-resistant armor, the pyromaniac has a short fuse, literally.  In addition to the shotgun, the pyromaniac handles the Flamethrower and the new Incendiary Cannon, as well as carrying Hand Grenades and Napalm Grenades.

New Weapons

• Sniper Rifle: Using shotgun shells for ammo, the Sniper Rifle works in two modes: 1)"Single shot" mode lets players control the amount of damage done -- longer aiming results in more damage, to the point where one shot will kill almost any opponent; 2) "Auto shot" uses more ammo and does less damage, but creates a strafing, machine-gun effect.
• Assault Cannon: This haymaker packs a tremendous punch.  The cannon uses shotgun ammo and tends to exhaust your supply quickly (while reducing the enemy to pulp).  The Assault Cannon has its drawbacks: it can't be fired while the wielder is moving, and it gets hotter and harder to control while being fired, so cool-down breaks are a must.  But boy, does it hurt.
• BioWeapon/Medikit: The Combat Medic BioWeapon infects enemies with a mysterious tropical disease.  This infection can only be cured with the Combat Medic's Medikit. Combat Medics can heal allies, resulting in the stricken teammate regaining 10 health points per whack with the medikit axe.  If the medic runs over a health box while at max health, that health is attributed to his Medikit.  Medikits also heal Fire and Concussion effects.
• Incendiary Cannon: Used in place of the rocket launcher by the Pyromaniac class, this cannon does modest damage initially, but sets everyone within range on fire.
• Grenades: Not to be confused with those used in the Grenade Launcher, five new grenade types exist in TeamFortress:
  • Hand: Twice as powerful as those in the launcher, easy to carry and throw.
  • Concussion: Don't do actual damage, but makes everyone within range woozy (good for enabling scouts to escape from a crowded room).
  • Nail: Good in large rooms, Nail Grenades levitate into the air and begin rotating while firing nails for a few seconds, after which they detonate like a normal grenade.
  • Mirv: Also know as "Room-clearers," Mirv Grenades divide into approximately 15 individual grenades that then explode.
  • Napalm: When these explode, they throw out flames in all directions, setting things (including players) on fire.
• Detpack: A large-scale explosive device carried by the Demolition Man, the Detpack includes a timed trigger which can be set for delayed detonation.  While priming the Detpack, the Demolition Man cannot move; a scout can disarm a detpack by simply running over it.

TF joins such other popular mods as Capture the Flag 4.0, Bombs, and Cujo on TEN.  For more information about Quake mods on TEN, visit the Quake DataSphere (www.filefactory.com/GAMESCAPE/BASETEN/DATASPHR/ QUAKE/).

Total Entertainment Network is the premier entertainment network for game playing consumers on the Internet.  TEN has online rights to more than 30 games  half of which are TEN exclusives  by leading software publishers including 3D Realms Entertainment, Apogee, Blizzard, Eidos Interactive (formerly Domark), id Software, GT Interactive, Maxis, MicroProse, Sierra Online/Papyrus, SSI and Westwood Studios.  Based in San Francisco, TEN was formed in 1995 from the merger of Outland, Inc. and Planet Optigon, Inc.  TEN received its initial funding from Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, with subsequent investors including:  Ameritech; Goldman Sachs; Robertson, Stephens & Co., Vertex Management, and Wasserstein Perella.

For More Info, Call

TEN Press Contact:
Garth Chouteau
Tel:  (415) 778-3774
Fax:  (415) 778-3520
Internet: 
garth@tenetwork.com

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