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Blizzard Entertainment has released a new update for WarCraft III and its expansion The Frozen Throne. This latest update brings the fantasy real time strategy game to version 1.24b and includes several game fixes, updates and new maps.

FIXES:
- Fixed a few false positives caused by the "return bug" fix.
- Fixed a crash related to hashtable reference counting.
- "Shadowing" global variables with local variables no longer is possible.
- Fixed a type conversion dealing with operators (i.e. adding a handle with an integer).

WarCraft III Patch Information

Blizzard Entertainment

WarCraft III

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Mac|Life has posted a new review of The Sims 3, the latest game in the popular series. The title adds customizable personalities, goal oriented gameplay, movie creation and editing, and an online community to the familiar lifesim formula. Mac|Life gave the game a score of 4 out of 5.

From the review:

The Sims 3 has an amazing scope of activities. You first create Sims (virtual people), guiding one or several through their lives. You can customize each with a unique appearance and clothing and pick several personality traits from dozens of options. As you earn money from the various careers--doctor, astronaut, chef, and more--you can outfit and remodel the Sims’ home. Hundreds of objects are available, including many paid and free online add-ons.

When they weren’t at work, our Sims saw movies, learned how to play instruments, threw parties on the beach, ordered pizza, and much more. Hundreds of these kinds of interactions lead to constant discoveries and surprises.

Relationships play a huge role. Our Sims made friends and enemies and went on dates. While the characters speak in gibberish, you’ll click general subjects, such as “Tell a joke.” Icons that float over other Sims’ heads and the tones of their voices explain the results, such as laughter or offense. Dozens of these dialogue options gave us a great sense of control.

All of these choices let you play The Sims nearly any way you want. Get married, have kids, and grow old with a traditional family. Make lots of money and buy fancy toys. Win hundreds of friends and throw legendary parties.

Mac|Life: The Sims 3 Review

Electronic Arts

The Sims 3

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Electronic Arts has opened the official online forums for Rage, id Software's upcoming new entry in the first person shooter genre. Set in a post apocalyptic future the game offers both traditional FPS elements and combat oriented vehicle racing. Rage will make use of id's latest Tech 5 game engine, and will feature expansive outdoor environments as well as plenty of enemies to blast.

My name is Peter Sokal and I am the Community Manager over at id Software. These forums are going to be a place where id will be able to communicate with you all with regards to all things RAGE in the coming weeks and months and I look forward to you all being a part of this community. Right now I am working on putting together the first video blog, which was shot at QuakeCon 2009 and features interviews with a few members of the RAGE team as well as some questions from fans on the twitter feed (you can follow RAGE on twitter by going to http://www.twitter.com/RAGEgame).

Throughout development, various members of the team will join me to discuss different aspects of the game's development, while also taking questions from the fans both here and on twitter. Also, if you guys have any topics that you would like to see covered in the blog, please post them here and we will see what we can do! On top of the video blog there will be news updates, and snippets from the goings-on over here at id as we try to give you guys some insight into our studio personality, development, and the people who are working their butts off to make RAGE the best game we've ever put together.

Rage Forums

id Software

Rage: Campaign Edition

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Diii.net has posted a detailed examination of the Monk Skill Tree for the eagerly anticipated Diablo III from Blizzard Entertainment. The partial skill tree is based on information gleaned from the demo version of the action RPG on display at the company's recent BlizzCon event.

Seven Sided Strike
Mana cost: 30
Rank: 1/5.
Description: Dash at your enemies, striking six times in succession for 50% of your weapon damage.

Rank: 2/5
Description: Dash at your enemies, striking 7 times in succession for 50% of your weapon damage.

A very fun skill. Much like a finishing move in a fighter. The Monk teleports to his target, Dragon Flight style, and commences to strike multiple times. As best I could tell, the Monk was invulnerable, or perhaps intangible, during this attack. He’s not visible except as flashing series of human shapes, all shining gold and two-dimensional. You can see a screenshot to the right, or see it featured in the Blizzcon B-roll gameplay footage. The evolution of the skill was described in detail during the Monk design panel as well.

The hits always seemed to land, and did considerable damage in total. If this one was cast on an empty space, the monk would do three flashing hits before stopping. He’d also stop short of 6 if the target died along the way. If there were multiple targets in the area, he seemed to select targets randomly, hitting each of them some number of times out of his total of 6.

This one was best used on single or double targets, ideally a boss that needed finishing off, especially a teleporter or another elusive one, since all the hits would go to it in rapid succession, and hit it no matter how it squirmed.

Fun and effective. What more do you want?

Way of the Hundred Fists
Combo skill. A fast series of attacks strikes enemies in front of you.
Rank: 1/5
First hit: A short range dashing attack that deals 100% weapon damage.
Second hit: Attack rapidly 6 times for 8% of weapon damage.
Third hit: Attack all enemies near the monk for 85% of weapon damage.

Rank: 2/5
First hit: A short range dashing attack that deals 108% weapon damage.
Second hit: Attack rapidly 7 times for 8% of weapon damage.
Third hit: Attack all enemies near the monk for 85% of weapon damage.

Rank: 3/5
First hit: A short range dashing attack that deals 116% weapon damage.
Second hit: Attack rapidly 8 times for 8% of weapon damage.
Third hit: Attack all enemies near the monk for 90% of weapon damage.

This one was a blast to use, and was about the most fun Monk skill. It’s just straight out of an action movie, or some game like Tekken 3. The Monk does a short dash to the first punch, throws a flurry of blows for the second stage, and then blasts an explosive, AoE attack. It’s an excellent crowd killer, and when used on a monster marked with the Explosive Palm 3rd stage, it’s almost certain to clear the room.

Diii.net: Monk Class Skill Tree

Blizzard Entertainment

Diablo III

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