Nexuiz Clans

If you’ve been to Nexuiz.com in the past few days you’ve noticed a major development in the game’s journey into new markets. Lee Vermeulen, the creator of Nexuiz has sold the domain name and essentially the Nexuiz brand to Colorado video game developers, Illfonic.

This has caused quite a stir in #Nexuiz IRC channel on QuakeNet, and also on the AlienTrap forums. The major concern is that GPL’d code from the Nexuiz project will be somehow used in the proprietary console-only version. This essentially will split Nexuiz into two factions, GPL Nexuiz (the original) and simply, Nexuiz (the console version). Neither camps will be able to share source code due to licensing restrictions, nor will they be able to play against eachother.

I’m not here to argue whether or not it was ‘right’ for Vermeulen to sell off the game without informing vast community of developers and players first. The general reaction has been “why were we not told sooner?” Another aspect that has the community in an uproar is the fact that Lee has not exactly been involved with the community for quite some time. I can see the appeal of ’selling out’ but honestly at what cost? Now hundreds of developers who have slaved away to make this game as great as it is are left in the dust.

Lets address the issue of the naming convention. Illfonic has chosen to use Nexuiz as it’s game’s title, while referring to the original as “GPL Nexuiz.” Personally, I think this is completely ridiculous for two distinct reasons. Firstly, the name “Nexuiz” is actually a typo. You would think that someone at Illfonic would have read the AlienTrap forums and figured that out before they dropped the money on the domains and branding. Secondly, Illfonic is virtually damning themselves from having any kind of solid brand identity at all. Are we supposed to go back to every instance where Nexuiz was referenced and change it to GPL Nexuiz? I think not.

Lastly I would like to point out that this is certainly not the first time a stellar PC video game (although it was closed source) has been cannibalised by console developers. I’d like to take you back to the epic series known as Tribes. Tribes 1 and 2 were a staple of the early online gaming community. They relied on the wonderful capabilities of having a mouse and keyboard with many more controls than a standard console controller. The aiming system was as fast as your hand could move. After a small drop in their player base due to newer games coming out, Sierra Entertainment ported the game to the Playstation 2. The result was a slow, sluggish, horrible amalgamation of what resembled PC Tribes, yet felt like MarioKart.

The bottom line is: if you want the full experience of a first person shooter, you must play on a PC. Why Illfonic thought it a good idea to slap some fancy new artwork on a watered-down version of a great game is beyond me.

Source: Nexuiz Files

Hello NexuizClan Bloggers/Players/Mappers. I’ve uploaded two new “Themes” for the blogs. To access them visit your Dashboard and click Appearance -> Themes. There you can preview or activate the two new styles. Both of these Themes are very customizable and extensible. You may upload logos, change CSS code, and move widgets and toolbars to your liking. Here’s are two live demos of the themes.

Arclite – by DigitalNature (I’m using on BennyDacks.NexuizClans.com .)

Mystique – by DigitalNature

Here’s a video on how to change Themes if you get stuck!

Now you can link Facebook to NexuizClans.com. Just click the FB-Connect button.
I’ve added a new profile field as well labled AKA. This way if you’d like to register with your real name, you can still let people know who you play as. If you’d like to change Name to your Alias/Handle as to keep your anonymity, feel free.

Thanks to SHADOWGRAFFITI for suggesting this.

Hey guys,

I’ve noticed that nobody has ventured into the Events section yet, I figured I would explain a little bit more about how this works. The Events can be created by anyone. You can use these to schedule practices, matches, try-outs or just times to play! I know not everyone can be on IRC at all times, so the task of coordinating when/where to play can be tricky. Now that it’s all built into here, it will be that much easier (hopefully). Also, you can send ‘Invites’ to other members. The only thing you need is to be “Friends” before inviting someone (sorry, spam-bots).

Here’s a quick video to help anyone who might be stuck:

NexuizClans.com Events How-To from Benny Dacks on Vimeo.

You’ve no doubt noticed the abundant SPAM sign-ups we’ve been receiving. I’ve added a CAPTCHA to the sign-up page to help combat this. Let’s all keep our fingers crossed and hope it works.

Here’s a list of ideas I’ve been kicking around for NexuizClans.com. Of course, none of these are set in stone.

• More profile fields
• Customizable templates for clan blogs (stylesheet, logo, sidebar widgets)
• IRC integration with #nexuiz on QuakeNet
• FaceBook Connect
• Twitter Support
• Invite “Groups” to “Events”
• “ShareThis” icons for social bookmarking

I’m usually in #nexuiz on QuakeNet IRC from Monday to Friday. I am busy on the weekends with my band thatwasthen and personal life. If you need to reach me, email me: dackstheninja at gmail dot com.

Feel free to comment below and with your own suggestions/input!

Update: Visit the AlienTrap forums to vote http://alientrap.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5637&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=

Well it’s been a great start for the re-launch of NexuizClans.com

Thanks to the great Nexuiz Community, I’ve received a ton of awesome, very usable feedback. Already things are starting to take shape. Thank you to all who make this site part of your daily routine.

So far, we’ve had:

• 11 Clan Blogs created.
• 18 Users Registered.
• 448 Visits
• 1,138 Page Views
• 2:49 Average Time on Site
• Bounce Rate: 33.12%
• New Visits: 63.43%

So here’s the darker theme I promised earlier today in #Nexuiz. It’s definitely a lot easier on the eyes. I’m going to start working on the Clan Blog templates tomorrow.

We’ve added an ‘Events’ page that will allow users to schedule matches, clan practices, or whatever they need! Also, we’ve been tweaking the interface of this site significantly over the past few days. If you’d like to help out, join me on IRC (Quakenet) in #nex.bennydacks .
The events feature will allow Groups or Users to ‘invite’ others to their event. This is a site-wide feature so everyone can participate! Let’s see some matches!

I’d like to point out that there is a new Nexuiz Site that some of you may have not noticed yet.

NexuizFiles.com is a resource for new players to get the inside scoop from more experienced players. This site includes interviews, map reviews and general tips. Check it out!