News
April 15, 2006 - Source Code Released!
One year ago, Plan of Attack was released as the first total conversion Half-Life 2 Mod. Today, on our first birthday, we are releasing our entire source code back to the community. We do this as a way to thank our dedicated community and to give other MOD teams an invaluable learning resource to use when creating new games.
We hope this gives aspiring MOD teams a huge step up in creating games for the Half-Life 2 engine. The art assets alone will save teams several man-months worth of development time. The source code includes all of our raw art assets for player models, weapons, textures, and props - all in Maya. Also included are all map source files, including a few unreleased maps.
The Plan of Attack Source Code is released under the Creative Commons license. This means anyone is able to copy and distribute modifications of this work, as long as they are non-commercial in nature and you credit the Plan of Attack Team.
We will be opening up a new forum section dedicated to folks using our code base to modify and create new MODs.
All files, totaling over 1 GB, can be found at Filecloud below:
Source Code - http://www.filecloud.com/files/file.php?file_id=3164
Art Assets - http://www.filecloud.com/files/file.php?file_id=3165
Full Development Copy - http://www.filecloud.com/files/file.php?file_id=3166
- mike
October 5, 2005 - Beta 4 Released!
The entire team is proud to announce that Plan of Attack Beta 4 has been released! You can download it now. The complete changelog is below:
- New map, Blaze
- Fixed spawn problem on poa_industrial
- New player models and textures, including 2 random faces per team
- New weapon textures
- Adjusted weapon feedback/recoil effects
- New crosshair option for those that hate circles
- Revised player collision code
- New in-game strategy editor (totally awesome and totally easy)
- Level of Detail for player models (improved performance)
- Map restart instead of map change (2 games per map)
In celebration of our launch, we have an interview up on Gamecloud as well as an interview at HL2 Central.
- mike
October 4, 2005 - More Beta 4 Media
We've just released some new screenshots from Beta 4, showcasing the new strategy editor and our new weapon textures. Head on over to the media page to see them all.
We have also released a fan-made movie from our beta 4 testing. The movie, an 11 MB WMV file, highlights our new map and our new weapon textures. Check it out!
Oh, we're also releasing Beta 4 two days early. That means...tomorrow!
- mike
September 28, 2005 - Beta 4 Character Video
We've just released an avi video of our new characters from Beta 4. The file is a 3MB ZIP file. Download and enjoy!
- mike
September 26, 2005 - Beta 4 Release Plans
Plan of Attack Beta 4 will be released next Friday, October 7. We're giving ourselves some extra time for testing to make sure the Valve updates don't affect anything we've done, and to give people plenty of time to enjoy Day of Defeat: Source. The new Beta is very spiffy and contains the following:
- New map, Blaze
- Fixed spawn problem on poa_industrial
- New player models and textures, including 2 random faces per team
- New weapon textures
- Adjusted weapon feedback/recoil effects
- New crosshair option for those that hate circles
- Revised player collision code
- New in-game strategy editor (totally awesome and totally easy)
- Level of Detail for player models (improved performance)
- Map restart instead of map change (2 games per map)
Over the past few weeks there have been occasional update problems with ModStats, but everything is up and running again. If you notice any bugs, please let us know in the forums.
We're happy to announce a new German Plan of Attack Community web site has gone live at www.plan-of-attack.net. We're all very impressed with the hard work behind the site and wish the community the best of luck!
- mike
September 2, 2005 - Germany Fan Community Launched
The first German fan community web site has launched at PlanOfAttack.de! Even though we can't read a damn word of it, we're very impressed. German-speaking fans rejoice!
In other news, I posted a brief development update in the forums.
- mike
August 19, 2005 - Clanbase Ladder and Media
We're happy to report that a competitive Plan of Attack ladder has been created on ClanBase. This is an excellent opportunity for all of those clans out there to begin competion with one another. So go ahead and sign up (new clans here) and start playing some matches! The dev team clan will be added shortly.
Over the past few weeks we've also added a number of screenshots from the upcoming Beta 4. They are in our media section, so make sure to check them out!
- mike
August 4, 2005 - Community Update
The entire Plan of Attack team owes a great deal to our community. We have an incredible fan base of folks just like you that are active in-game, on the forums, at events, and in helping us make a better game. I'd like to take a moment to recognize a few community faces and highlight what they've been doing.
If you've ever been to a pick-up game (PUG), you probably know Pointe. He's been busy setting up and running dozens of these organized matches for several weeks now. The dev team has participated in a number of them and we've had a great time. Whether you're a veteran or a newbie, I'd encourage you to check them out.
Siebenburgen is a member of the community who has been mapping for Plan of Attack for a few months. His first creation, poa_industrial, was one of his first efforts and we liked it so much we released it with Beta 3. He's currently working on a new map which we'll be playtesting soon!
We have a great group of beta testers that have the patience to help us create the best releases we possibly can. Steve has been with us from the start and always has plenty to say, during and after tests. Critical, insightful comments from him and the rest of the testing team is a huge asset. He's also been busy creating a strategy editor you can use outside of Plan of Attack, which we're hoping to release soon with Beta 4.
A big thanks to Pointe, Siebenburgen, and Steve - and to the rest of our community - for helping make Plan of Attack what it is today. Thanks, everyone!
- mike
July 26, 2005 - One Millionth Kill
We're happy to announce the one millionth kill in Plan of Attack, as tracked by ModStats since the launch of Beta 2 in May. In celebration, we have re-launched ModStats, which is our global player statistics system. In addition to 1,000,000 kills, Plan of Attack has been played by over 40,000 people for over 276 days of game time.
The new ModStats includes player stats from all servers running Plan of Attack. Detailed play stats, weapon and accuracy stats, and a new persistent ranking system are just some of the features players are enjoying.
For those interested, I've also posted a development update to let you know what we're currently working on.
- mike
July 19, 2005 - New Character Screenshots
We've been working on updating our player characters for our next beta release. I'm happy to show some current work-in-progress shots of the new American and Coalition soldiers.
To see the rest of the screenshots, including a before/after comparision, and our high-resolution head model, just click here!
- mike
July 15, 2005 - Fight Nights
A few weeks ago we started up our weekly Fight Nights, which are organized matches (Pick Up Games - PUGs) between random player teams. These matches are informal, typically the players know each other, and usually last 1-2 hours.
A few of the developers were part of a match last Tuesday and we had a ball! We were joined by forum regulars, new players, clan players, non-clan players, and first time PUGers. It's a great way to meet new folks and get a taste of the excellent organized play that Plan of Attack has.
So if you're interested, just head on over to our Pick Up Games forum. There are sign up sheets for different dates. I believe Oscarius (Plan of Attack developer and #7 on ModStats) will be playing in the game on the 19th. Here's your chance to boost your ranking!
- mike
July 5, 2005 - Beta 3 Released!
Plan of Attack Beta 3 has been released! This latest release adds to the exciting firefights, teamwork, and strategy involved in this award-winning Half-Life 2 mod. The new beta version includes a unique strategy system (including a strategy creator!), 4 new maps, and a collection of other improvements and additions. Download now!
Change Log:
Major Additions
- Strategy system and in-game strategy editor
- Two new official maps: Gauntlet and Prison
- Two new community maps: poa_loading and poa_industrial (by Soulfather and Siebenburgen)
- In-game tutorial
Minor Additions
- Newly optimized map Spark
- New hand and glove textures
- New team and class selection menu images
- Optimized world weapon models
- Team killing punishment system
- Legend on the in-game map
- Rockets go through broken glass
- mike
June 30, 2005 - Magazine Features & Interview
Plan of Attack was recently featured in three major German gaming magazines: PC Action, PC Games, and GameStar. Copies of the articles, posted with permission, can be found below. Here are some of our favorite quotes:
"Brilliant!"
- PC Games Magazine
"...the gameplay is unique."
- PC Action Magazine
"...puts a breath of fresh air into the genre."
- PC Action Magazine
If that wasn't enough, Plan of Attack has also been awarded the "Super-Mod" award by PC Action Magazine, and named the June "Mod-of-the-month" by PC Games Magazine. Thanks to everyone, including our European friends, who are enjoying Plan of Attack!
 
 
We have also been interviewed by the fine folks at Mod HQ, an excellent site for news on Half-Life, Unreal, and Doom/Quake mods. The interview deals with our new strategy system and includes two exclusive screenshots of our new map, Gauntlet. Check it out!
- mike
June 27, 2005 - Beta 3 Details Announced
At long last, we have released details of our upcoming beta 3 release, scheduled for Tuesday, July 5. The big new feature is our strategy system, designed to enable each player to come up with their own unique plan of attack.
The strategy system allows one player from each team to pick their team's strategy for that round. Will you choose a full frontal assault, a feint, a flanking maneuver, a pincer attack, or something totally new?
Players can also create and share their own strategies, developed with the in-game strategy editor.
For complete details, the changelog, and three screenshots, visit this thread.
- mike
June 13, 2005 - Competitive Ladder Launched
The first competitive PoA ladder has been created! Thanks to the work of Racer and DocHolliday, the MLO has been launched and with the help of iRG.Pointe, competitive PoA has been included. This league is hosting 5v5 competitive PoA ladder and welcomes any team willing to play. You can access this league at www.themlo.com.
Featuring the collaboration of the three most accomplished clans for PoA, the PoA ladder is the spark that the competitive PoA community needs to get itself moving further forward. The admins for this ladder is iRG.Pointe, {KoTL} Alex Row, and an unannounced member of A5th.
Though this ladder is designed for north american competition, Pointe is looking for someone to help him set up a European ladder as well. All teams are welcome on this ladder and please feel free to join in on the fun! Maybe you'll even win a bit of the cash!
- mike
June 2, 2005 - Beta 3 Info & Wallpapers
I have posted some information on the upcoming Beta 3 release, as well as a new wallpaper image of our soldier. Just check out this thread to read the update and download the wallpaper.
- mike
May 27, 2005 - Beta 2.1 Patch Released
We've released a patch to fix a number of small bugs some folks are having with beta 2. The following changes have been made:
- Fixed crash while connecting to a busy server
- Fixed crash when the round starts that only occurs if you are not using English or French translations
- Skill class display issues
- In-game map rotation issues
You can download the files here. This is a client-only patch; servers do not need to update, and you'll be able to play on all Beta 2 servers without problem.
- mike
May 26, 2005 - French Interview
For those readers who speak French, we have a new interview posted at one of our French fan sites. Check it out!
- mike
May 20, 2005 - Final Beta 2 Changelog
We've updated the final beta 2 changelog, which can be seen here. Aside from the big features like the new map and weapons, the most exciting change is our scoring system. Once a team wins, the map resets and players keep their experience. This continues until the map time limit is reached. We're also awarding "caps" when your team successfully captures an objective and you end the round in that objective.
We've fixed the infamous "memory crash" so the game will be much more stable. Several weapon textures have also been touched up. Oh, and ModStats is going to absolutely rock.
- mike
May 19, 2005 - Beta 2 and Modstats
Beta 2 is progressing nicely and will be released right on schedule: Monday, May 23 at 12 noon EDT. The main features are a new map, spark, and two new automatic sniper rifles. There are also a large number of gameplay changes. Read the changelog here.
We have been interviewed by POASource, the first Plan of Attack fan site. The interview focuses on our upcoming release of Modstats, a very in-depth stats package that will be released along with Beta 2. The interview also includes three new screenshots (one, two, three) from Spark. You can read the interview here and see a preview of some stats here.
- mike
May 10, 2005 - Beta 2 Release Details
I've just posted details on our upcoming Beta 2 release, scheduled for May 23. This release adds a new map, some new weapons, and a number of bug fixes and gameplay polish. For the complete details, read this thread.
- mike
May 10, 2005 - Server Hotfix Available
We have released the official beta 1.1 server hotfix, which addresses a number of issues with dedicated server stability. If you are running a dedicated server (Windows or Linux), it is highly recommended that you download and apply this small hotfix.
It is only necessary for dedicated server admins to download this. Players do not need to make the update. Download the file here.
- mike
May 4, 2005 - 100,000 and Growing!
It's hard to believe Plan of Attack was publicly unveiled only one month ago, and first released two weeks ago. I'm very proud to announce that we've had over 100,000 game downloads in our first two weeks! This is a huge accomplishment for our team, working on a shoestring budget, but we've managed to produce a solid beta in 4 months that thousands of gamers from around the world are enjoying. So, what's next for Plan of Attack? News maps! New weapons! More gameplay tweaks, and more bug fixes! We're very hard at work on the next major release, which will include at least one official new map and new weapons.In celebration of our 100,000 download mark, we're releasing "Plan of Attack Target Practice," an exciting 2D shooter version of our game. Each class has a mini-game that you can play, with high scores revealing "behind the scenes" images from Plan of Attack. You can download Plan of Attack Target Practice at Filecloud here.
- mike
April 28, 2005 - Beta 1.1 Released
We've released the beta 1.1 patch. Check out this thread for what's new and the download page to get a copy!
- mike
April 21, 2005 - Interviews
We've been interviewed by two sites. If you're interested, you can read the first at HLPortal.de in English, or in German. You should also check out the second interview at Boomtown.
- mike
April 20, 2005 - Official Mapping Program
Plan of Attack is happy to announce its first Official Mapping Program. People who apply and are accepted into the Mapping Program will receive the full support of the PoA team in developing a map to be included in a future release. Over 40,000 people downloaded and played our Beta 1 release last Friday - this is an excellent opportunity for your work to be seen.
The PoA Mapping Program is for experienced mappers; an amateur group will be started at a later date. Interested mappers should have prior experience with Hammer and have at least one published, high-quality map.
Once accepted into the Mapping Program, all mappers will receive the following support:
- Tutorial on PoA map design concerns, including timing and objective layout
- Art assets for your map, including props and textures
- Infrastructure to host your map for testing, including a group of dedicated testers
- Continual support from a close-knit community of fellow mappers
All maps that successfully come out of this program will be included in future releases of PoA. If you're a mapper and you want to work with a very dedicated and committed team, and showcase your work to tens of thousands of gamers, this is for you!
To apply, just send an e-mail to info@planofattackgame.com with work samples.
- mike
April 18, 2005 - An Amazing Release
Plan of Attack Beta 1 has been released - and what a release it has been! Over 30,000 people have downloaded our first beta and given it a try. At any time, there are hundreds of people playing on nearly 60 servers from around the world. And it's only been two days!
We'd like to thank the entire community for supporting our launch. The feedback has been very positive, which is very encouraging. We're developing a great community on our forums, and more is sure to follow.
After taking the weekend off, we're hard at work on our next release (beta 1.1), which will contain a number of bug fixes as well as a beta of our stats system. After that...more good stuff!
- mike
April 12, 2005 - Release Details
The first beta of Plan of Attack will be released this Friday at 12 noon EST. The team will also be releasing Windows and Linux dedicated server files on Thursday. If you want to setup a dedicated server for Plan of Attack and would like those files as soon as they become available, please visit our web site and post a message or contact the team.
We're happy to announce that we've partnered with several leading hosting providers that will be offering a number of download mirrors and game servers for our launch. Filecloud, a part of the Speakeasy network, will be exclusively offering Plan of Attack on their high-speed network. Fragism, a provider of high-quality game servers, along with a host of other generous partners, will be hosting games in the United States and Europe.
The Plan of Attack development team will also be hosting a "Play the Devs" event all day Friday. If you want to play against us, just drop by the forums for more information.
- mike
April 7, 2005 - New Screenshots and Dev Updates
This has been a very exciting week for the Plan of Attack team. We had a playtest with Valve on Tuesday and received some great feedback. A big thanks goes out to all 8 Valve folks who gave us their time and insight!
The Developer Updates have been updated a number of times, giving you a look behind the scenes here on what we're working on.
A total of 11 new screenshots have been posted in our media section (at the bottom of the page).
We have also reached agreements with a number of download mirrors and dedicated game server providers, assuring our launch next Friday will be smooth and problem-free. Make sure to look for the dev team opening day!
- mike
April 1, 2005 - Official Public Launch
After many months of working in secrecy, the team officially launches the web site and announces our release date - April 15!
For all of our new visitors, you may be interested in visiting the following sections of the web site:
The next two weeks are sure to be exciting around here, so make yourself a spot in the forums; we're very active and will do our best to answer your questions. See you in a few weeks!
March 1, 2005 - Plan of Attack Web Site Launched
The Plan of Attack web site was quietly launched today to little fanfare. Keep posted for future updates.
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