explosion Archives

AppWizard

July 25, 2026

Conceived in a secure military facility, this Jedi Knight fansite has been running consistently for almost 30 years: ‘It looks really close to what it did back in 1998’

In the late 1990s, the internet saw a surge in websites, including those dedicated to PC gaming. The Massassi Temple, a website for Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2, was founded by Brian E. Lozier in early 1998. Lozier created the site to share tutorials and support fellow modders after discovering a community of modders while exploring other gaming websites. He learned programming to build the site, which has remained active due to the dedication of its community, despite challenges like the dotcom bubble burst and the failure of some games. The site hosts a vast collection of Jedi Knight content, including mods and multiplayer maps, and serves as a hub for ongoing support and development. Lozier has stepped away from the site multiple times but continues to return to ensure its survival. He aims to create a permanent archive of community contributions and reflects on the evolution of the internet and the shift toward corporate dominance.

TrendTechie

July 24, 2026

BitTorrent исполнилось 25 лет. Как программа одного человека изменила интернет и поставила Голливуд в тупик

On July 2, 2001, Bram Cohen announced the operational status of his program, BitTorrent, on a mailing list for peer-to-peer network developers. BitTorrent revolutionized file sharing by segmenting files into smaller pieces, allowing users to download from multiple sources simultaneously and share already downloaded data, which improved download speeds as file popularity increased. Unlike earlier peer-to-peer networks, BitTorrent did not have a built-in catalog, relying on external websites for users to locate torrents. The first major torrent catalog, Suprnova, emerged in 2002, followed by The Pirate Bay in 2003, making the protocol widely accessible. By 2004, BitTorrent accounted for nearly a third of all internet traffic. In 2004, Cohen founded BitTorrent Inc., which acquired the client µTorrent in 2006. The company launched the BitTorrent Entertainment Network in 2007, but it closed in 2008 due to competition from free pirated content. BitTorrent Inc. later explored various technologies but struggled to establish a sustainable business model. The protocol evolved with decentralization features like the distributed hash table (DHT) and magnet links. In 2018, BitTorrent was acquired by the blockchain project TRON for an estimated 0 million. BitTorrent Inc. claims around 54 million active users per month, with additional users on independent clients. Despite a decline in torrent traffic from its peak, the network has been experiencing growth, attributed to rising streaming costs and fragmented content availability.

AppWizard

July 20, 2026

007: First Light was originally going to be less about James Bond and more of ‘an ensemble piece’, with ‘all the 00s working together, as they do in Slovakia’

In 007: First Light, characters Cressida Bright and Lennox Monroe are introduced alongside James Bond, presenting a unique narrative twist where Bond has flatmates. Initially, the game appears to be an ensemble piece featuring camaraderie among 00 agents during training sequences. However, after a failed operation in Slovakia, most of Bond's fellow trainees die, leaving him aligned primarily with his mentor, Greenway. This shift from an ensemble dynamic to focusing on Bond's individual journey is a deliberate narrative choice made by lead writer Michael Vogt, emphasizing Bond's character evolution and the harsh realities of his profession. The initial intention to include Cressida and Monroe as integral companions was significant in early development, and their absence enhances the emotional depth of Bond's story.

AppWizard

July 18, 2026

The toughest choices in PC games

PC gaming has explored moral dilemmas since 1985 with Ultima 4, which introduced a moral compass for players. The genre expanded in 2003 with Knights of the Old Republic, emphasizing light versus dark choices. Fable presented morality as whimsical, while BioShock's choices lacked depth due to enticing rewards for "good" actions. The ending of Far Cry 3 confused players rather than provoking deep thought. In The Walking Dead, players must protect refugees and make critical decisions during a siege, affecting character fates. Dishonored presents chaos where high chaos leads to grim realities, while alternative choices can also have disturbing consequences. Mass Effect 2 challenges players with the fate of the heretic geth, balancing noble actions against future threats. The Witcher 3 features a decision in the Whispering Hillock quest where Geralt must choose between killing a tree spirit or freeing it, impacting many lives. Batman: The Telltale Series allows players to shape Bruce Wayne's early interactions with villains, affecting future relationships. Dragon Age: Origins places players in political turmoil, deciding between supporting different leaders, each with significant consequences. Frostpunk presents a moral dilemma regarding child labor laws, weighing the innocence of youth against community survival. Fallout 3 features Harold, where players must decide between granting him peace or keeping him alive for potential future benefits, highlighting moral ambiguity in a post-apocalyptic setting.

AppWizard

June 2, 2026

The Baldur’s Gate remakes should scrap the original combat system and fully embrace superior turn-based fights

Baldur's Gate 2 and potentially the original Baldur's Gate are set to receive remakes, with Wizards of the Coast re-engaging BG2's co-lead designer. A community poll indicated that 75% of participants prefer turn-based (TB) combat systems over real-time with pause (RTWP). The success of Baldur's Gate 3 has highlighted how TB mechanics can enhance combat, making it more strategic and engaging. Adopting a TB system could align gameplay with Dungeons & Dragons principles and improve the authenticity of the experience. However, remakes should balance innovation with the preservation of character complexities and narrative dynamics from the original games.

AppWizard

May 13, 2026

Minecraft 26.2 Snapshot 7 patch notes: Friends List, Music Disc, and more

Mojang has released the seventh snapshot for Minecraft Java Edition 26.2, introducing several new features: - A Friends List has been added, accessible via a new button and keybind ("O"), with tabs for managing friends and pending requests. Player presence is indicated, and notifications for friend request activities are included. Privacy settings can be managed in Online Options, though there are known desynchronization issues. - Players can now convert singleplayer worlds to online multiplayer through a new Multiplayer Options screen, offering two connection methods: Invite to World and Request to Join World. The previous Open to LAN screen has been replaced. - A new music disc titled Bounce by fingerspit is available in Mineshaft Chest Minecarts in Sulfur Cave biomes, along with five new background music tracks and activated biome music for Sulfur Caves. - Changes to Potent Sulfur include randomized geyser eruption times and the ability to erupt when a Lava block is placed underneath. Noxious Gas can spread through non-collidable blocks, and erupting Potent Sulfur can propel entities. - Bug fixes include resolving game crashes during legacy world upgrades, addressing issues with Wardens and Sulfur Spikes, enabling bucketed Sulfur Cubes to despawn, and correcting the TNT explosion advancement trigger.

AppWizard

May 3, 2026

Everything new in Minecraft Bedrock 26.30.25/26 beta and preview

Mojang has released the Minecraft 26.30.25/26 Beta and preview build, introducing new features such as Geysers that launch players skyward and Sulfur Cubes that can absorb TNT blocks with varying fuse times based on activation methods. The update includes bug fixes, such as correct generation of iron doors and stone buttons in strongholds, crafting adjustments for Sulfur Spikes, and improvements to video settings and user interface. Technical updates feature the transition of four entity components to the 1.26.30 format, the addition of voxel shapes for 46 vanilla blocks, and a new SoundInstance API class for sound playback control.

AppWizard

May 1, 2026

This new deep-sea roguelike turns mining into a survival horror grind

Yogscast Games is releasing a roguelike game titled The Subminer, set in the icy depths of Enceladus, one of Saturn's moons. Players control a prototype bio-droid tasked with scavenging resources and escaping dangers in a procedurally generated underwater environment divided into three depth levels. Upon death, players return with upgrades for further attempts. The game features a submarine for navigation and support, while players can also dive into tighter spaces as a diver, facing increased vulnerability. The Subminer is developed by Tech Turtles and is set to launch on Steam in 2026. Players can wishlist the game for notifications upon release.

AppWizard

April 29, 2026

Minecraft 26.2 Snapshot 5 Adds Sulfur Cube Explosive Archetype, Geysers and More

In Minecraft 26.2 Snapshot 5, Mojang introduced explosive Sulfur Cubes that can absorb TNT blocks, transforming into volatile entities. When ignited by fire or Redstone, they have a 6-second fuse, while explosions can trigger a random fuse time of 0.75 to 3 seconds. Once primed, they are immune to damage, and the TNT block cannot be harvested with shears. Additionally, Potent Sulfur blocks can interact with water and magma to produce geysers that launch water particles and nearby entities into the air. Hoglins have been reclassified as hostile and will no longer spawn in Peaceful mode. New sound effects accompany the geysers and Sulfur Spikes. To create an Explosive Sulfur Cube, a Sulfur Cube must absorb a TNT block, and geysers are produced when a Potent Sulfur block is placed above a Magma block or submerged under 1-4 water source blocks within a Sulfur Pool.

AppWizard

April 29, 2026

Minecraft 26.2 Snapshot 5

The 26.2 Snapshot 5 introduces several new features, including an explosive archetype for the Sulfur Cube and the addition of erupting Geysers formed by Potent Sulfur. The new Sulfur Cube archetype, called Explosive, shares properties with the Regular archetype but has higher air drag and can absorb TNT blocks. When primed, absorbed TNT has a fuse time of 6 seconds when ignited by fire or Redstone, and a randomized fuse time between 0.75 and 3 seconds when primed by an explosion. Sulfur Cubes with absorbed TNT cannot be picked up or damaged, and no Small Sulfur Cubes will spawn upon explosion. Potent Sulfur creates Geysers when placed above a Magma block and under water, sending water particles skyward at random intervals. Various adjustments have been made to mob hitboxes, and Hoglins are now classified as hostile and will not spawn on Peaceful difficulty. New sounds for Geyser eruptions have been added, and Touchscreen Mode has been removed. The Data Pack version is now 104.0, and the Resource Pack version is 86.2. New particles related to Geysers have been introduced, and several bugs have been fixed in this update.