September, 1999 News and events from the month of September.

|Misgivings|8:25pm
I've had a few thoughts about my recommendation regarding Ethereal TF. Looking around a bit more, and doing a little digging of my own, i've come to the conclusion that this site has some issues. Namely, it has no direction. The people involved with it seem to be more interested in posting their editorials, rather than any news. I noted a bit on Wedge's Scrummage, but other than that, a whole lot of ranting going on there. I guess what i want to say is, please temper my recommendation about this site with your own good judgement. That's all...

September 29, 1999
|Some Sites of Interest|6:50pm
Well, while doing my nightly rounds of the web, i've come across some interesting sites of note. One was submitted to me for a link on my page, and it belongs to Respawn. They cover news of a Half-Life nature, as well as TFC and TF2. It definately is a treat to look at, so swing on by and give it a peek. Tell 'em Borg sent ya! Also, while visting the Planet Fortress main page, and checking up on local happenings, i noticed a few news postings about a little known, but very old and established Team Fortress site, Ethereal TF. This place has been around forever, and even PF's own Spaceman Spif had been involved with it at one time. Currently, they're in dire need of news and comments from all of us on the Team Fortress community. So, in true team fashion, i hope you'll all head over and give them another look, not to mention a helping hand! Remember, we're one big, happy family out here...

|Rumour Update|6:30pm
Well, it seems that TestMonkey has corrected his page, and informs us that Radium has changed his mind. Silly monkey! I always wondered what the heck happened to you if you ate too many bananas!

September 28, 1999
|Rumours, again?|11:20pm
Just a little heads up for all of you. I've been informed that Radium may be hanging up his hat. I looked over at TestMonkey's site tonight, and saw his farewell posting to the memory of Radium. Hmmmm? Truth? or Fiction? you decide...
If so, we're going to lose a truly defining member of what our community is today. He's had a lot of things happen in his life as of late, and i certainly can understand his situation. There's only so many hours in the day, and if you want to have a healthy life, you certainly can't find it in front of a monitor. I'll keep you posted...

|Late Update|11:10pm
Woo, these updates are getting pretty late, no? Well, i had to stay at work for an extra 3 hours tonight, due to a big meeting, so i didn't get home until late. I'm being told by the others here at the collective that the new forums are working out well. I'm glad to hear it! Just to let you know, Wedge, our resident editorial dude, and nimrod., our files pimp, now have new e-mail addresses that you can contact them directly at, in regards to their respective sections. You can reach them here Wedge nimrod. As i'm working on the site re-work, i'm looking over designs on how certain areas will change, so don't expect to see things change overnight. It's going to take a little time, and i'm still trying to get those reviews out too. Just keep in mind that until the site has been fully ratified, things are going to go a little slow. Just be patient, and all will be well...

September 27, 1999
|New Bulletin Board|11:40pm
Sorry it took so long, but i needed to fly some stuff by the site team before i let it go up, but it is now Up! This is the full version kiddies, so feel free to have at it. There's some features you'll find work differently than other full-version UBB's have, due to the fact that mine is the latest release, so don't bitch needlessly. I've still got reviews to write, playtests to organize, and another site re-design to get done, so i'm just a tad busy. Oh, did i mention i was gettting married in a week and a half? Oy! Anyway, enjoy the new board, and i'll hopefully have some reviews up for you all soon. Until next time...

|Promises Made Good|6:00pm
Well! finally some good news. The Tech boys at GameSpy were true to their word, and my new Bulletin Board has been installed! *yay!* However, now comes the part where i've got to configure it, so don't expect access to it for a bit. There's about a zillion new features with this registered version, and i need to take time, go through them all, and make sure that it looks the way i'd like it to. I'm still waiting to get access to upload some custom banners and such, as well as get a couple of new e-mail accounts created. So, i'll be busy for a bit, not to mention i'm still working what i hope will be the final revision of the site for awhile, as i'm putting quite a bit more time into it. Mainly, in the area of graphics. The content and layout will pretty much remain the same, but some areas will change, and other will change later to reflect design thoughts that i'm having. I'm off to get that UBB working, so hopefully i'll be able to implement it tonight! Ta-ta for now...

September 26, 1999
|Working...somewhat|11:10am
Ok, i'm back to working on things again. After the scathing letter i sent to quite a few people at GameSpy Industries, i've been assured that things will be fixed up in short order. I have been told that things will be as they should be on Monday. I'm still pretty upset, but my mood has improved somewhat. As such, i've been doing some work on improvements for site, in a visual sense (you didn't actually think i would TOTALLY stop working on the site, did you?), and i think you'll all like what i've done. There will be some changes on the main page, as i'm going to add the Pic-O-The-Day/Week/Month here, so that you can all see those quicker, and allow Wedge to implement some things in the Insights section. So, expect to see some changes soon, as i can get things designed and set-up. I'm using Photoshop 5 to design somethings, and believe me, that program has quite the learning curve! I'm also trying to arrange a playtest for us later this afternoon, so if all goes well, i'll announce that later. Yes, i'm going to get the last batch of maps reviewed, so just bear with me. Well, i'm off for a little nap...

September 24, 1999
|Stress Break|8:00pm
I'm going to appologize to all of you in advance. I've decided to take a break from updating the site for a bit. I'm very upset over recent events with GameSpy. I've been trying, unsucessfully, to get the licensed version of the Ultimate Bulletin Board, which i paid over $100 for, set-up on their server for us to use. I've also tried to get 2 e-mail accounts created for my team members, which i also requested over a week and a half ago. Neither one of these requests have been addressed, but what's worse is that they don't even reply to my e-mails! I get short "ok" replys from them, sometimes. The rest of the time, i wait days in hopes of gettting some good news. Well folks, it just hasn't happened, and i'm totally pissed off. So, until things improve, and my mood goes back towards the positive side, i'm taking a break. I invest a HUGE amount of personal time to this site, and all of you. I don't ask anything from you in return, but i would hope that GameSpy would at least try to help me. I'm just really frustrated, and i need some time out. If things improve shortly, i'll get back to it, but i don't expect much. I'm also starting work on a re-design of this site, that i'm hoping will be it's last in terms of structure. I've been fighting with various ideas, and i've reached a number of conclusions that will go into this final update. I'm warning you ahead of time, the site will be optimized for screen resolutions of 800x600 or better, as this composes the majority of my visitors. If you're using 640x480, i'm sorry to any "side-scrolling" this will cause you. This will allow my design ideas to finally be achieved, and be viewable on a number of platforms. If you'd like to share your thoughts, rant, rave, or just shoot the breeze, feel free to e-mail me. So, i'll be off working, or better yet, vegging out in front of the t.v. Until later...

September 23, 1999
|Thinking|6:40pm
I'm currently working on a few tweaks for the site, mainly to try and re-organize a bit, so look for some changes over the next couple of days. I've also started the reviews on last night's playtest maps, so expect to see some out shortly. I won't be able to playtest on Saturday, due to personal obligations, so maybe tomorrow night, or most likely, Sunday. It turns out that the location of my download location for Scrummage isn't getting updated for some reason, so feel free to get the map at pcgs.org. I suspect that Planet Fortress is having some server problems, so this update might not show up for a while, last night's last update didn't show up until after i went to bed. Well, i'm off to do some designing and things, so get out there and play...

September 22, 1999
|News|11:30pm
I've got some updates for you all. First, i've been back in touch with our Insights author, Wedge, and he's told me that the revised version of Scrum! is now out. You can get Scrummage here! Speaking of Wedge further, his latest installment of "Views from the wEDGE" is up! it's posted in the Insights section. I suggest you head over and have a look! Secondly, i'm working over some plans on a redesign or a different look to the Files section. The newest member to be assimilated into the collective is none other than nimrod. He's going to give it his best shot to bring you all the latest in Half-Life and TFC related Mods, Patches, and cool stuff for your consumption. He's a young lad, but undoubtedly one of the most original and spontaneous members of our community. I'm sure his energy will work well with what we want to offer you. Look for an update to the Files section soon, as he's been busy, but i'm still trying to decide how to re-organize things. That's all i've got for you all right now, as i'm beat, and heading off to bed. G'nite!...

|Playtest Over|9:00pm
The playtest is finished for tonight. My thanks to all who came, as there weren't too many that showed up. I'm still baffled as to why the turnout was so low, as i announced the playtest a day early, had all the maps available to download, and advertising was aplenty. However, the poll shows that Saturday is by far the best day. Well, i'm going to try my best to have another one for Saturday, and we'll see how it fares. To all who played tonight, please be sure to leave your comments in the forums, or e-mail me directly. Thanks again for your support! A big thank-you to the Old Geezers, for providing the server for tonights action! These guys have always been a big supporter of all my efforts, and believe me boys, it's appreciated! (special hats-off to Coder!). I may update more a little later. That's all for now...

September 21, 1999
|Running|10:20pm
Well, the computer is up and running again. I've only got the bare essentials loaded right now. Enough to web surf, e-mail, and update the site. I don't even have TFC loaded right now...i know, the horror! Anyway, i just wanted to let you all know that i'm back, sorta, and i'll be working on my system for the next few days. I'm still trying to arrange us all a playtest, so we'll see how that pans out. I've also yet to hear from Planet Fortress on whether or not my new full version of the UBB is up yet. Judging by the fact that no-one (including me) can access the BB system right now, i guess it's a good indication that they're working on it. I'm assuming the server must be down, as no-one's BBS's are working. I've got more work to do, so until my next update, Peace...

September 20, 1999
|Offline...again|10:45pm
I've decided to go over my system again. Since adding a LOT of new hardware lately, things just haven't been working right, and i really lost track of quite a few programs i had. So, since i haven't been able to get a playtest server to run some maps on, i'm going to reformat my hard drive again. This will clean out the junk, and i'll take a little more time to think my installations through. I'll probably be unable to update the site for a couple of days, but i'm sure that most of you will find stuff to keep yourselves occupied with, seeing as how i've got nothing in the way of new reviews. Sorry about the lack of map news, but it's been tough for me to make headway as of late. Hopefully, by the time i'm running again, things will be better. Until then, take care...

|Interesting Site|9:00pm
I just wanted to point you all to a new developing Team Fortress website that i've been watching for a little while, The Fortress.Org site is another up and coming effort that's looking promising. You should head on over and have a look. I love their logo, kinda cool. That's all for now, i'm out...

|Slack|7:30pm
I'm starting to feel pretty outdated here. All the other map review sites seem to have something new, while i'm sitting on my laurels. I'm sorry that i don't have any new reviews for you yet, but i've got to get a playtest happening first, and getting a server to use hasn't panned out. As soon as we've got a place to play, things will get hopping again. I was also out of town for most of the weekend, and i didn't have a whole lot of time to work on things. Hopefully i'll be back on my feet this week. I post again when i've actually got something interesting to tell you all. I've also created a button link for the site, and you can find it on the right side, under the related sites header. I've had some requests for a link button, so there it is. Feel free to use it at your own discretion. In the meantime, just remember, the Pikachu loves you...

September 19, 1999
|Too Funny|8:47pm
Ok, i couldn't resist this. I saw this on Planet Fortress' main page, and i just had to let you see it. I know how a LOT of people truly dislike this guy, but the image just made me laugh. Maybe you'll get a good laugh too! I'm off to the pubs...

Pikachu luvs ya!!

|Denied|8:00pm
I'm sorry that i don't have good news about a playtest tonight folks. I guess it just wasn't meant to be this weekend. Communication, time, and commitments have all conspired against us, and we won't be able to have a game tonight either. I will have a playtest as soon as i'm able to secure a server for us to invade this week. I'll be working to have it asap, as i've got new maps coming in. I also want to thank you all for voting on which day(s) would be good for playtesting, as this will help me in my arrangements. I don't want to have them, if your all not going to come. Look for news concerning the playtest as soon as i find out. Hopefully i'll also have the new UBB up this week, if the dudes at Gamespy keep their word. I'll probably play the pubs tonight, so you may find me hanging out. If you do, come by and say hi! Thanks again for all your support, believe me, i listen to all of your comments, and it's nice to have your support. Take care...

|Repairs|8:05am
Well, it seems that when i did my last update, i screwed up the code for the insta-poll. Sorry about that. It's fixed now, and you should be able to cast your vote again. Hey! i'm still learning, so cut me some slack, ok? *grin* Anyway, i'm going to be out of town for most of the day, but i'm waiting for a reply back about whether or not we're going to have a playtest tonight. If i get the green light, i'll post all the neeeded info for the playtest. Expect me to update around 5-6pm MST, that's when i'll be back, and know for sure. Until then, have a great day...

|Rest|12:33am
I'm heading off to bed, for some much needed sleep. I modified the screenshot layout somewhat in the Insights section, as i was over at my parent's place tonight, and while looking at the site there, i noticed that the pictures were all over the place when looking at it in 800x600 resolution. Needless to say, i couldn't sleep with it in that state, so should be ok now. Still no word on the new UBB yet, but GameSpy tells me that "someone" will be dealing with this shortly. As soon as i get confirmation on it, you can rest assured you'll be the first ones to know. I'm going to be out of town for most of the day tomorrow, but i'll try and post a quick note tomorrow morning. I hope you all like the new layout of the site, as well as the addition of the poll, and i hope to add more later. Until then, take care...

September 18, 1999
|Poll!|3:00pm
Ok! i've finally manged to get this sucker working! Take a few moments to cast your vote, as i'm going to be seriously monitoring the results. This will directly influence when we have our playtests, as i get varying opinions from everyone. Also, head on over and have a look at FilePlanet, as it's been given the new facelift! Too cool...

|A New Look!|11:06am
After a lot of hard work, and a little custom design on my part, the new look for The Team Fortress Collective is done! I think that this new layout will improve the overall look of the site, and make things easier to read, as well as find. There will be more changes on the way, as i'm working on a custom navigation bar to replace the current text one. This should give a more polished look to things. I'm still working on having the playtest on Sunday night, and it should be sometime after 6pm MST. Look here for updates on the playtest status. Credit for my new banner goes out to Valve, as i slightly "modified" the existing banner that ships with Team Fortress Classic. I felt that this would mirror the site's theme more effectively. Well, i'm off to take a much needed break, and watch a little Clint Eastwood...

September 17, 1999
|Upset|9:55pm
Well, i'm a little pissed. It's now been 3 days since i told the folks at GameSpy that i had a licensed version of the UBB for them to install, so we could all enjoy it. I've yet to even receive a reply that they've even gotten it! Needless to say, i'm quite disappointed in the recent turn of events. If you were here at the right time earlier this evening, you might have seen my brief, failed attempt at posting my first opinion poll. Well! let me just say, the coding doesn't seem to agree with my editor, and it all resulted in errors. *sigh* All of this, coupled with the fact that i couldn't get a playtest organized because of my frickin' e-mail being fragged at my isp, has made today a particularly aggrevating experience. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! Ok. I feel a little better. Thanks for listening to my rant. On a more positive note (if you can believe there actually is one), i've made some progress on what will be another redesign of the site. Be prepared for some wild changes in format, but i'm really happy with how it will look, and i'm sure you will too. I'm going to try and arrange us a playtest for Sunday night, and in the meantime, i'm going back into the ring with GameSpy, and my ISP. Wish me luck...

September 16, 1999
|Working|8:40pm
I'm currently working on getting a playtest set up for us to run, so nothing really new to report. I may update with a bit more later. I'm working on adding an insta-poll on here, as i need some questions answered, and this thing is the best way to go. TestMonkey updated his site again, with some rants, maybe wander over and have a look. I'm still looking at some maps for review for the playtest, and then i'll probably hit the pubs...

September 15, 1999
|TF2 Stuff|9:30pm
Just a little note to let you know that i've added a news update on the Team Fortress 2 section of the site. I read a good interview with one of the members of the TF2 development team. I think you'd all enjoy it. Wander on over and have a look...

|New Pics|7:46pm
*yawn* Oh! sorry! You caught me napping again. Let's just say i'm feeling a little tired this evening. There's been quite a bit of work that i've had to do lately in regards to the site, and i'm starting to feel the effects. We should be getting our new Forums soon, and i'm starting to play around with the site a bit. Make sure you head over to the Insights section, as Wedge has posted some new screenshots from recent server action. I'm sure you'll find them amusing. If you've got a submisson for that page, make sure you head over there, and see where you can send it for consideration. In other news, we're going to have another member added to The Collective soon! He's one of the younger members of our community, but he's got a lot to offer, and you can't deny his great spirit! He's going to be taking over updates in our Files section, so look for news on that soon. That section may get a bit of a facelift, but he and i are going to work on how we'd like it to go. I'm sorry about the playtest. It doesn't look like we're going to have it tonight or tomorrow, as i've yet to find a server that could accomodate us tomorrow. If i don't find anything tonight, then i'll probably schedule us for Friday night. Let me know when you all would like to play Friday night, or Saturday. I'm going to actually goof off tonight and play on the public servers a bit. I'm not sure where i'm going, but if you do run into me, come and say hi! That's all...

September 14, 1999
|Quickie|10:00pm
Two quick notes. First, i've bought the full version of the Ultimate Bulletin Board, so you can all quit your complaining about it's features! *grin* It should be up and running in a couple of days. You'll all have to re-register, but that should be the last time. Second, no news on the playtest yet, but i'll keep you informed. Later...

|Updates|6:39pm
Ok, a few things to inform you of. First, the playtest is temporarily on hold for the moment. Some of my servers may be unavailable for tomorrow, so i'll let you all know what's happening as soon as i do. Second, you may notice that the Screens section has been renamed Insights. Well, the newest addition to the Collective is none other than Wedge, of the PC Gamers Society! He's provided us with playtest servers in the past, and will again in the future. Because of the tremendous conversations we've had, and his delightful insights, he's decided to come onboard and bring his own skew on the Team Fortress community. He'll be bringing you the Pic-o-The-Day/Week/Month, as well as screenshots from public server action, and various LAN parties. He'll also have an ongoing rant section, just to give you all a piece of his mind. Speaking of which, he's got one up now, so go check it out! I hope you'll all give him a warm welcome. Wedge will also be bringing a new feature to the Insights section, Sneak-a-Peek. This will comprise of screenshots from up coming maps in development, or things Team Fortress related. Keep your eyes open for that soon. In closing, i'd also like to say that i'm working on a replacement for our current BBS, and i'm either implementing a full-on retail version, or a slightly better "modified" one. I'll let you know when it's up. That's all for now, have a great day, and i'll see you on the pubs...

|Playtest Soon|12:50am
Well, before i head off for some sleep, i just wanted to let you all know, i'm planning on having another playtest this Wednesday. I'm not sure to the exact number of maps, but that will be announced tomorrow. I may just have a short jam session, to run through a few new ones quickly, or maybe more. We'll see how it goes. Playtest time should be around 6-7pm MST. If i can, it will be as early as possible that evening. I also wanted to let you know, i've taken on a new member to the inner sanctum of the collective. He's well known in the community, and will be taking over the workings of our Screens section. Look for his comments and rantings on the community and things TFC in general, as well as exciting new screenshots from public server romps, as well as private LAN thrashings. There may also be a new sneak-a-peak section, where shots from maps in development will be shown. More on this evolution as it takes shape. I'm bushed, G'nite...

September 13, 1999
|Ha-Ha on Me|7:10pm
I hope you all are enjoying the new reviews, as i slaved, and slaved..;) I just have a few things to share. First, there's an entity update to Trivecti, as sent in by Ace_340. He's seen the errors in the map, and he's working on fixing things. You can get the update Here. Next, i received an e-mail in regards to my review of BaM. Guess what? Midori is actually part of the Valve crew, and was involved in the inner workings of the game. Think i feel a little stupid! You decide! Anyway, if you want a good laugh, just keep that in mind while reading the first paragraph of my review on it. I'm sure you'll have a good chuckle, at my expense. Hey! i never claimed to be perfect! My points on the map still stand, it's solid, but not too original. Lastly, I expect to have another short playtest in the next couple of days, to quickly go through some new maps. I'll post the details about it here when i know for sure what's happening. That's all, i'm out...

September 12, 1999
|Reviews|10:00 pm
Whew! i've finally managed to get all those reviews done. It's been quite the day, and i hope that this will keep you all happy for a bit. I need to do some work around the house, as i've neglected that the last few days. I've activated the news archives, as this page was starting to get too long, and i wanted to shorten it up. I've started to receive more maps, and i might run a short playtest in the next couple of days to have a look at them. In the meantime, here's the new reviews, enjoy...

• BaM - Aptly named
• 2 Chemical Plants v2 - Quite a mouthfull
• Two Mesas - Nice.
• Cellblock A - Don't drop the soap!
• Trivecti - Well....
• QuadGod - Strange
• HW Hell - Too True

|Still Working|5:15pm
Just to let you know, i'm slowly wading my way through these map reviews. I've been working on them for most of the day, and i've got most of them done. I may or may not get them out tonight, depending upon whether or not i just break down and pass out. I'm considering having an opinion poll on the site, but i don't want to if you all think it's tacky. After all, EVERYBODY has one. Think we need one? e-mail me, and let me know...

|Working|11:30am
I'm trying to get some new reviews up for you all to see, since i feel we've finally beat those maps to death. Look for some, if not all, later today. I'm working like a madman to get these out, as it's been too long since our last batch of reviews! I'm also getting the news archive page set-up, so that i can shorten this page a bit, since some of you were bitching about it :)
I also wanted to wish clan [WAC] luck with their upcoming OGL match. There are a LOT of supporters of this site in this clan, so wish them luck along with me. Win or lose, it's still fun to watch the pieces fly...

September 11, 1999
|Playtest Done|11:05pm
My second playtest has come to a conclusion, and things were a little better tonight. It took a while, but we did have a fair number of people show up. My thanks go out to those members who called in friends, the TFC Map Messager, Planet Fortress, and the PC Gamers Society. The PCGS supplied us with the server, once again, and it ran smooth as a whistle. They normally run a TFC server 24/7, so drop by sometime and check them out. Say hi to Wedge for me, and tell them Borg sent you. I now have enough to compile some reviews, so check back for them. I'm hoping to get them out tomorrow, but forgive me if i'm a little slow, as i need sleep. Thanks again for your support, and we'll see you all again soon...

September 10, 1999
|Playtest Over|11:50pm
Well, another playtest has come to an end. It was relatively slow tonight, and we never came close to reaching the capacity of the server :(. The general opinion was that being Friday night had a major influence on that. If this is so, MAIL ME ABOUT IT! You guys need to let me know when is a good time to run these things. Maybe we can get a better turn out in the future. I may run another playtest tomorrow night, but i'm not sure yet. My greatest thanks goes out to Wedge, and the PCGS Group, for the use of their awesome server: PCGS Valiant TFC! Things ran pretty good, and i don't have any real complaints, other than the turnout. I'll let you know about whether or not i'll have another test later on...

September 9, 1999
|Playtest Tomorrow|8:34pm
Here's a brief announcement concerning the playtest. We WILL be having it tomorrow! Yes, that's right, tomorrow. Wedge has graciously given me access to his server, and will have the playtest map rotation in his cycle tomorrow night. Our last playtest was too disorganized, and with the combination of the server re-directs not working (due to PF's servers being down), things were pretty hectic. As a result, we didn't have a very organized test. Rest assured, things will be in a far better state tomorrow night. I will post the map list that you'll need to download for the playtest later on tonight. Server information and password will be given before the playtest begins. I'm still working on my own system, as well as trying to get various other things in order with my real life, so i'm asking for your understanding in regards to reviews getting behind. Not to worry, i'll always do my best to keep you all abreast of the latest happenings. Look for the map list in a bit...

September 8, 1999
|Just a note|11:20pm
Just to let you all know that it'll be a little quiet here for the next day or 2 again. I'm still working on my system, which is almost finished, and i'm out of town for some training. I'm only about an hour and a half out of town, so i'm back at night. But, needless to say, i'll be pretty tired, so don't expect too much. I haven't had adequate time to work on my reviews, but they will be here...soon. I'm working on getting us a playtest again, either on Friday night, or sometime Saturday. If all goes well, i'll post needed info and updates here. I'll try and have this one at a human hour this time! I'll also make sure my map download links work this time, promise! Well, cross your fingers that all goes well...

September 7, 1999
|Thrashing|10:30pm
Ok! I've finally managed to patch together enough of my system so that i could at least let you know where the heck i am. I ran into quite a few complications while building the systems, so i've been trouble-shooting a whole lot more than i'd thought i'd have to. I should be back to normal around Thursday (i hope!), so i'll get to work on getting us another playtest arranged, at a more humane hour, so i can get a better look at that last batch of maps. I've gotten enough to work on a couple of reviews, so hopefully i'll have those up this week. Sorry about the delays guys, but you know how the best laid plans and new computer systems goes...

September 6, 1999
|Offline|8:30am
Just a note to let you all know that I probably won't update the site again today. I've got 2 computer systems to build, and my own system is getting a complete upgrade again (grin). I may post again later tonight, but we'll see how things go. Thanks for the fairly good showing at the playtest last night, and I'm working on scheduling another one in the next couple of days, so that I can get through the rest of the maps. Until later...

|Playtest Over|1:00am
The playtest has come to an end. We managed to run through a few maps, but I may retest some of them at a later date. I've got enough to review a couple, so expect to see some reviews soon. I'll schedule another playtest sometime early this week. I'm sorry about the late announcement of this one, and for the messed up download links, but some of it was just beyond my control. Next time, things will be smoother, promise!! (I hope)
A big hand to our host, Test Monkey, for running the server for us. Hopefully, our next playtest will go smoother. I'll admit, this was a bit rushed, and sometimes things like this happen. The Monkey Den II is a big supporter of the TFC community, so make sure you say hello, and tell him that I sent you. I'm out...

September 5, 1999
|Update|9:51pm
Ok, the playtest is a go. TestMonkey has agreed to donate his Monkey Den II server for our playtest. He's getting things organized on his end, and I'm still waiting for the maps to be mirrored for you all to download. As soon as the maps are ready, I'll update here again. Again, I'm sorry this is so late, but if the turn-out is poor, we'll re-schedule to run again. Check back in a bit...

|Playtest|8:30pm
Ok! I just got finished talking to our server benefactor, and it turns out that we may have a playtest after all! *yippee!* He's going to get back to me within the hour, so keep checking back to see if it's a go or not. I'm pretty sure it's going to happen, so c'mon back. I'll post the map list, server details, and when it's all going to happen. I'm sorry it's so late, but life isn't always that convenient at times. Until later...

|Review|7:58pm
Well! Sorry this update is so late, but I've haven't been able to upload my updates, as the Planet Fortress FTP server was offline, ALL DAY! Just to let you know, I can't get our playtest happening today, due to not hearing back from a server donator about whether or not we could run today. I'm terribly sorry, but sometimes, poop happens....heh, did I say poop? As I've got 2 computer systems to build, and my own system will be offline for a day, I don't expect to update again until either late tomorrow or Tuesday. Either way, I'll keep you all updated as to what's happening. I recieved some new maps yesterday, and most of them are not too bad. A good show from the community. I've also finished the review for scrum, so check it out. That's all for now...

• Scrum  - Put on your running shoes!

September 4, 1999
|Busy!|11:40pm
Well! I'd just like to welcome all of you to the Team Fortress Collective. Now that I've had my "Official" launch with Planet Fortress, I'd just like to extend a greeting to all of you who are new to this place. I'm trying my best to fill a gap for new TFC custom maps and reviews, and hopefully offer coverage of the same when the TF2 game hits the scene. My thanks to Planet Fortress, and GameSpy Industries, for making all of this possible, and giving me a place to call "home". You may not realize it, but this community of ours is a great place to be, and I'm glad as hell that I made it in!
To those of you who have sent me maps recently, I'm going through them, and hope to have them playtested soon. This will then lead into the reviews of each. I have gotten them, and I will send a short reply to all of you.
To those of you who were waiting for playtesting info, I'm sorry I didn't post it today, but family obligations ate up practically all of my time, and I'm scrambling to catch up. Not to worry, I'm still lobbying to get our playtest to happen tomorrow, around 6-8pm MST, and I'll announce further details tomorrow, HONEST!
Well, that's all for now. Have a great day, and keep your eyes here for more news! I'm out...

|Playtest done|12:20pm
Our little informal playtest of scrum was completed tonight. Now normally I wouldn't do these spur of the moment, but the opportunity was there, and I took it. My thanks to Wedge[PCGS] for hosting the server, and giving me the chance to give it a run with a crowd. Wedge is also the maps builder, so some corrections to it were made on the fly. I was getting pretty tired after about a solid hour, so I packed it in. I do have enough to do my review, so look for it here soon. I'm pretty sure we're having a formal playtest this weekend, as I've received confirmation from TestMonkey that he will host a server for us (hats off to testmonkey). I will post times, maps, and any necessary details about the formal playtest tomorrow. I'm bushed, so it's sleepy time, g'nite...

September 3, 1999
|Friday|8:20pm
Well, the first official day has gone ok for our little place in the sun. The counter is now working again. It seems the tech crew at Gamespy were tweaking it a bit. I just want to extend my thanks to all of you at Tech Support, great job! I have to tell you, efficiency is this group's motto. It's almost scary how organized these guys are, maybe I should ask them to balance my checkbook! *grin*
I'm still working on arranging us a playtest sometime this weekend. I've sent out the word to TestMonkey, as well as the guys at the Mountain Server Group. I hope someone can help us out. I've still got the backup of my cable-modem equipped server, and I'll use it if need be. But, just for once, it would be nice to run 16 players, no? I'll keep you informed. I've been trying to see about brightening some of the screenshots in various sections, but guess what? I can't. The bright-ass background here is the cause of most of it, so until I get some really kick-butt image editing software, this is the status quo. Even then, I don't know if they can be made all that much brighter without hurting the quality. Whew! That was a major mouthful...
I've been in touch with Spiff, at Planet Fortress, and the wheels are turning on my official launch debut. Keep your eyes on the Planet Fortress main page for that one. I'm off, for now...

September 2, 1999
|Update|10:18pm
Just a little note to let you all know that I've added a couple of files to the Mods section, and that I've finally managed to climb back up through all my e-mail. I've got the re-direct in place at the old site, and you all should be coming here now. Feel free to look around, and post your comments on the forums. I'm gonna get some much-needed sacktime, and I'll see you tomorrow. I'm out...

|I'm here!|5:44pm
I've finally finished things up, and the site is now open to all of you. I still need to update some things with server admins to get us a place to playtest, so we can get some new maps done soon. I'm also going to get in touch with the Planet Fortress Launch crew, and arrange my public launch of the site, so look for that sometime over the next few days. I hope you all like the redesign, as I've got more hours invested in it than I'd care to admit. Let's just say, if I didn't want to get this done so badly, and get this whole thing going, I'd have given up long time ago. I desperately need some sleep, so don't expect a whole lot for major updates just yet, i need rest!
On another note, -Sick-, who we all remember from our "other" forum days, is now running the TFC Map Messenger system through ICQ. He will keep tabs on members, and map makers, who will let him know when new maps are ready, and in turn, he can let everyone know they're out. A nice idea, so give him your support. TFC Map Messenger ICQ# 48163910 As always, when I get maps, reviewed or not, I'll have them available for download through the site, the addresses for them, if not reviewed, will be given to him, to give to the rest of you.
Well, I'm out for now, as I've got some e-mail to respond to...I'm a few days behind! I'll update a little more later...

September 1, 1999
|Almost Done|11:25pm
Well, I've finally got things working pretty good over at Planet Fortress. The site seems to be working well, except for a few minor things, but I'm sure I'll have those hammered out pretty soon. I'd post the address, but there are still items on the site that are sensitive, and need to be finalized before I unleash you hounds on it. I hope to have this running smoothly in the next day or 2 at the most. Again, hats off to GameSpy Tech Support! I'll keep you all updated....

|Working Hard|12:49am
Sorry for the lack of updates guys, but I'm trying to get the site retouched, and I'm now working on getting the site working smoothly at Planet Fortress. I've got a bit of work to get done, but rest assured, it should be finished soon. Progress is going to go more slowly now, as I troubleshoot, and fix all the little problems in the site. A big hand to the Technical Support at GameSpy Industries, as I've been bombarding them with problems for the last 2 days. Everything is pretty much on hold until i get things worked out, but rest assured, I'm still working hard every day to get this thing moved in! I'll give you guys a progress report later in the day. Have a good one...