Monday, November 2, 1998
File/News Submission Instructions - Brian
Just finished the submission instructions. Please use these whenever you send news or files to us. The page can be accessed by clicking the submit news/files link above.
Command Chamber News - Brian
Don't know if this was posted yet, but the Command Chamber has updated (on October 29th) with some new reviews and a new featured level. The Featured Level looks awesome, be sure to check it out.
New Screens @ Holocron - Brian
Holocron Editing has updated twice with new screenshots. The first is an update of the Level 3 shots, and the second is of Level 12. This looks to be a great mod, I'm looking forward to it.

In other Holocron news, they have updated their voting booth question. If you are looking forward to a specific mod more than all the others, Go Vote!
Jedi Finger Updates - Brian
If you've never visited JediKnight.net's finger service, Jedi Finger, you may be missing out on a lot. It's a great place to get up-to-date news and information related to JK. Here's a few of the good ones from the past weekend.

Nijaan - on the closure of Spaceport:
Well, some of you may have noticed that I closed down the site for a while...

Why?

Well after Neb left everything obviously slowed down, and Inph can't really work on the site till may... this leaves me, I don't have a lotta time on my hands so I decided to close down the site for a small period of time....

But this down time is not perminent. I plan on re launching the site in a month or 2, at the latest, the re-launch would be in early Jan.

Another format?

Yes I am gonna make a new format for one reason, every one I have came up with so far as sucked big time. so what am I gonna do? I am going the distance, going for speed, ok well just for something simple that is well organized fast loading and works for all ressolutions. I must also mention my good friends from the Cantina Cloud who gave me advice on the ressolution wether they know it or not.

What about reviews?

No more reviews. They are a pain so instead of that I am aiming for articles. I mean there will be a major inflow of articles, another reason the relaunch won't be for a wile, because I want to come out with a bang. so I will need article writers, and a few have already started working on some material. I will be writing a lot of material for this as well... and a few on going sections from me(and hopefully some other people will have sections for the new site as well) that will tackle subjects that has to deal with the Star Wars(not only the games) in general.

Anything new?

Well yes other than what I have just posted up top I have plenty of ideas for new features which I can't say now cus I need to see if I can get support from variose people on one of the features. I will also have an art gallery collecting any of the proffesion conceptual art(sw related) I can find, IE RM, Dave Dorman, and lucasarts. which I do believe will be cool. And if you people are artistic please send me your work I promise it will be posted.

Thats all for now, when I think of something, I will give ya peoples another update.
Dark Knight - Class Creator progress:
Ok. Didn't spend all that much time on CC this afternoon (worked on it into the wee hours of the morning though). Just did some minor tweaks on the program to get some things corrected. Tried my hand at making a context sensitive help file for CC - didn't work out too well. Hopefully Rishka will be able to figure out that damn program. On schedule for tomorrow is to start creating some documentation and work more on .per importing. Then whip up a website on Tuesday and hopefully release Wednesday. Didn't get a chance to put up the DLL stuff, that'll come tomorrow.
Alexei Novikov - Status of JED:
JED is almost ready. But there are still a few things that need to be taken care of, so I doubt it'll be out this weekend, rather the beginning of next week (tuesday?).

I was planning to add a capability for plug-ins to actually display some things in JED window (giving a way to .KEY editor, for example), but there are some complications with that. I'll need to think some more about it.
Jedi Legacy? - Brian
Saw on Jedi Nights, our wonderful host, that Jedi Legacy will be re-opening. At first they were a pretty good JK news site, then they (kindof) merged with Darkness Falls. Unfortunately, that merge didn't work out too well. Hopefully, the latest incarnation will be great.
Medieval TC Screenshots - Brian
Don't know if these were announced last week, but the Medieval TC has posted a couple of screenshots. The bulk of them are here, but be sure to visit their main page for a couple more.
Hmmm... - Brian
We've expanded our staff and are no longer accepting applications. Thanks to everyone who has applied. I will announce the names/positions of the new staff members once we get them informed on how page updates work, etc.

Other site related news: We are working on a levels page to keep an archive of the levels we post. This should be done today or tomorrow. Please, though, if you are submitting a level to us, let us know whether its SP or MP, JK or MOTS, KFY or CTF, etc, etc, etc. We need this information so we can classify and post each level without having to play it.

Also you may notice that the news posts look a little different. It saves space, and is just as easy to read, so we will go with it. Thanks goes to Farrax, of Hyperview, for helping me out with the html for that. We've also worked out a cool deal with Farrax. Once we get the levels page up and running, Farrax will be helping out with posting levels -- so when you submit your level to Hyperview, it will automatically get posted on Massassi as well.

I'm really not happy with our little link-to button. If anyone feels like making a new one for us, please do! Remember to make it the same size (as in pixel width/height).

A few more things: I WILL finish that templates tutorial if its the last thing I do! Also, Evan is working on re-wording one section of his rivers tutorial. Once that is finished, it will get posted.

On levels and patches: If you submit anything to us, and we haven't posted it within one week, please re-submit it! We strive to get to everything, but sometimes things get lost in the shuffle.

Feedback Wanted! How do you feel about our expanded coverage of everything JK-related? I have been enjoying posting (as you can see, I don't post much, if at all, on weekends), and I'd like to hear your feedback. Feel free to send me an email, or post a message on the discussion board.
Sunday, November 1, 1998
Another Level for the Masses - Slug
Warground
JK MP
Author - Nysander
3dos! - Slug
2 new 3dos for you all.. The first is a skiff by Andrew. Just like Jabba's skiffs. The second is a snow speeder by Earl Dalton. The author says he forgets who did the original 3do, but he retextured it. Looking at it, I believe the 3do is originally done by EvanC, it's from his saberworks level. If anyone can correct me, or confirm this, (hint, hint - evan, icq me) please do so. Apologies to both authors for the delay in posting..
New Levels - Slug
Got a batch of new levels here.. Be sure to post a few comments on the review board after you play them.

NarShaada/Bespin
Author - GOD_Tazman_A

Temple Ravine
Author - SLJ_Ghost

Skyport
Author - Damian Vines
Saturday, October 31, 1998
New 3do - Slug
SLJ_Ghost has sent in a 3do of a ramp tower. As the name suggests, it's a tower of ramps. Thanks for the contribution Ghost, and sorry about the delay in getting it posted.
New 3do - Slug
Milhouse sent in a 3do pack of Boba Fett stuff. It includes a boba fett enemy, a flying Boba Fett enemy, Han Solo encased in carbonite, and 2 Slave1 3dos (one flying, one landed). Thanks to Milhouse for the file, and again, sorry for the delay in getting it posted.
Friday, October 30, 1998
Adjoining 1: Tutorial Updated - Brian
I updated the first Adjoining Tutorial. Not much was changed, only a bit of clarification on a few paragraphs as well as the format update.
Jed Status - Brian
Alexei Novikov, of the Code Alliance and creator of JED, has updated his .plan file on Jedi Finger. Here is what he had to say:
October 29, 1998 11:28
Beta-testing is coming along. Except for some weird Direct3D problems everything seems to be going smoothly. Nothing much else to say about that.

But I do have something to say about something else - I got my copy of Grim Fandango today (with signatures of GF team, copy of Full Throttle and all). Cool! Can't wait to play it.
Not too much info, but it's always nice to get updates on the progress.
Class Creator News - Brian
Also saw on Jedi Finger that Class Creator should be out this weekend. Here's Dark Knight's post:
October 29, 1998 21:43
Ok. Class Creator is coming along great. Added support for .ccf files to allow for saving of work-in-progress classes. Exporting works 100%, output still needs to be tested. Added some features, squashed a few bugs and generally spent most of the evening working on the program. Still mulling over whether or not to write a .per importing feature. Email me your opinions on this subject. Still a few bugs remaining, but nothing really big. Should be out this weekend.
Holocron Screenshots - Brian
Holocron Editing has posted a few more screenshots of their mod, be sure to check them out.
Level Review @ Hyperview - Brian
Hyperview has posted a new level review of DC Outpost. It got 4 stars and high praises, be sure to check it out.
More Stuff - Brian
Being unhappy with the type of news posted on the other JK news sites lately, I have decided to try expanding our coverage. Don't worry, we won't get non-JK/editing related, at least until another cool editable Star Wars game comes out. So, if you have a review site, editing group, etc, and want us to post your news, be sure to send an email to the submit news link. Remember, we don't take skins (yet), and won't post "help wanted" or "classified" type ads. Also feel free to leave feedback on the discussion board.

One more thing, if anyone has experience in web based java-chat, and knows a good program to use for it, let me know. I'd really like to get a web based IRC client for our chat channel.

Files coming soon: A couple of tutorials, some 3do's, and more.
News + Message Board Archived - Brian
To read the old news, click on the Archived News link towards the top of this page. The old message board posts can be read: http://massassi.jedinights.com/msgboard/old/index.shtml.
New Version of JkEdit - Brian
Got an email, and saw on JK.net that the JkEdit Homepage has posted version 1.26 of their JK/MotS editor.
Version 1.26 of JkEdit has some new features since version 1.24:
  • The Create Elevator command now includes certain lifts as well
  • A new Create Stairs command
  • The Distance Properties now also measures distances between vertices
Version 1.26 of JkEdit has a few bug fixes since version 1.24:
  • When extruding surfaces, sometimes the side surfaces would have no textures
  • When saving into a GOB/GOO file, added WAV files were not included
  • Sometimes JK/Mots would crash when testing a level after adding more 3DO objects
  • Sometimes a crash could occur when creating a pyramid
  • Sometimes a crash could occur when creating an elevator
  • Sometimes a crash could occur when using ghost objects and changing directories
New Site Feature - Review Board - Brian
Linked off the sidebar you can find the Review Board. Starting now, Massassi will accept and post levels, weapon patches, and force power patches. We will accept anything that modifies the game other than skins (this may be added at a future date). Once we post a file, you can visit the review board and leave your thoughts on the patch -- this will get the author the feedback needed, as well as get your opinion out on what could be made better. A few things to remember when posting.
  • Whoever starts the post: Use the name of the patch as the subject for the message.
  • NO personal attacks.
  • This board will be closely monitored, all rude or degrading posts will be deleted. It's okay to have negative feedback, but it must be presented professionally and non-aggressively.
First File for the Chopping Block - Brian
We have received our first file - if you download it and want to leave feedback, be sure to visit the review board. The file is a mod from Hideki. Here is the info:
1) Enhance.zip
This is a pack that enhances every weapon and some force powers. This is intended for single player game. There's another version that has no weapon modification that works in multi player game.

2) EnhanceNW.zip
This patch is made to fix the fatal error included in the complete patch. It works perfect both in Sp and Mp game play, but every weapon modifications are removed.
Thursday, October 29, 1998
New Version Of JkEdit - Brian
Just got an email from Ole -- new version of JkEdit (1.25) available at the JkEdit Homepage. Here's the rundown on the bug fixes/new features.
Version 1.25 of JkEdit has some new features since version 1.24:
  • A new Create Stairs command
  • The Distance Properties now also measures distances between vertices
Version 1.25 of JkEdit has a few bug fixes since version 1.24:
  • When saving into a GOB/GOO file, added WAV files were not included
  • Sometimes JK/Mots would crash when testing a level after adding more 3DO objects
  • Sometimes a crash could occur when creating a pyramid
  • Sometimes a crash could occur when creating an elevator
  • Sometimes a crash could occur when using ghost objects and changing directories
This editor is chalk full of automatic functions (stairs, doors, elevators, all different shapes, adjoining, and more!) -- Check it out if you're interested.

On another JkEdit note, Ole has been cranking out tutorials to help you along -- be sure to check them out as well.
3do Tutorial Updated - Brian
Just finished updating the 3do tutorial. For more info on why I'm updating, read the post below.
Water Tutorial Updated - Brian
I have begun the long process of updating our old tutorials to reflect newer versions of JED, newer techniques, and updated information. In the process, they will be converted to the new white format as well (its easier on my eyes). I started with the Water Tutorial. If you already know how to make water, don't even waste your time. I just wanted to let everyone know that I am working on this aspect of the site. I will continue to announce as each tutorial is updated. As always, if you feel something should be added or taken away from any tutorial, just email me and I will look into it.

On a side note, the update version of the water tutorial mentions a rivers tutorial -- its not posted yet, but will be soon. I just didn't want to have to re-update the page when the rivers tutorial gets posted.
Beta Templates Tutorial - Brian
Since I'm not too familiar with the ins and outs of creating templates (I can do them, I'm just no expert), I wanted to let everyone read over my templates tutorial before I actually posted it. Its on the Discussion Board. Note: There are no images yet, I'm trying to get things right first, so be sure to leave input.
Interesting Site - Brian
Not totally editing related, but I was browsing some Star Wars sites and happened upon a really cool reference site. It has tons of info on a LOT of Star Wars characters, even some audio and video. If you need some ideas for main/supporting characters in your story lines, or are looking for some more skins to work on, be sure to check it out. The site is: Delta Source.
Site Map Updated - Brian
Finally updated the site map. Link on sidebar. Now on to the articles section! Gotta add all the recent articles from the last couple of Darkness Falls. They've had some really great stuff lately! Check out last months Cog Tutorial and Outdoor Architecture tutorial, as well as this months Particles tutorial.
Spaceport Closed - Brian
I don't know whats up with this, but apparently the Spaceport has closed its doors for a while. You can read Nij's small post by clicking the above link. I'm sorry to see this site close down, as I really liked their tracker feature.
Editing Groups Section - Brian
I was going through the links on our editing groups page, and about half of them were dead. So, I have decided to take that page down. If your editing group wants to be mentioned in the news, update your site with some screenshots or information, and then drop us an email.

Here is our new policy on editing groups: We will NOT post classifieds/help wanted info. This is due to the incredible amount of TC's that have been started and never finished. If you need members for your groups, feel free to use the Discussion Board. However, we WILL post news whenver you update your page with new screenshots or information on your project (NOT new members, web page redesigns, etc). So, if your group wants to stay in the news, be sure to email us whenever you update your page!
Personal Rant - Brian
JediKnight.net posted a news post by Jepmaan relating to a skinning course. While I'm not opposed to the idea, I am disappointed that Jepmaan decided to post us as potential sponsors without even talking to me about it. If you or your editing group needs/wants Massassi as a sponsor, PLEASE ask me.
Help Wanted - Brian
Once again we are asking for one or two people to help us out with the site. I would like to have one person for mat files and one person for 3do's. Slug and the rest of the gang have been doing well, but it's just too much work considering all our other side projects.

Basically, when a new mat or 3do comes in, you would have to post it on the news, update the 3do/mat page, and upload the file to the server. All html for Massassi is done by hand in WORDPAD, so if you don't know how to hand code html, please do not apply (graphical editors bite). If interested, please Email Me.