What would a game site be without a little hype and PR every once in awhile? Here are a couple quotes from our playtesters:

"One of the coolest things about NS for me right now is that every single proper game I've played so far is just oozing with story-telling content. Every game is so memorable, and you just have to share it with people."

"I really truly believe that this thing is closer to a commercial game than an amateur community mod. In all ways: The quality of the work, the innovative and original gameplay, the mindset of the dev team, the way the community is handled, everything! Like I've said a million times over: You are going to be blown away when you get your hands on Natural Selection."

"NS went WAY past my expectations. It is so much better than I thought it was going to be. The experiences are truly memorable, and the mouse interface is very clean and tight. The atmosphere is superb, really puts you in the middle of things, and I think a lot people will like this game. I can see how this could bring in all genre's of MP games (DM, Team play, RTS, strategy). I think you've outdone yourselves."

"Natural Selection = pure swank. I can't think of a better way to put it."

So the long time between news updates is only because the team has been working harder then ever before. With around 40 playtesters (and more being added all the time), and with playtests happening every weekend, the team has been busy taking feedback, adding and fixing things...and playing! Thanks to all the hard "work" from the playtesters, the game continually grows more stable, balanced, and easier to learn.

Along with the playtests, a lot of work is starting to go into the sound side of things. With help from Sound Ideas, sound production is starting to take shape. There are around 500 "placeholder" sound effects in the game right now, and they are all being replaced with custom crafted effects designed for NS. The first pass for these effects should be done within a couple weeks, with refinements happening ongoing after that.

This past month has also seen lots of growth in the forums, increasing membership by around 25%. Greedo386 has been added as a forum moderator, and the team will likely add more in the near future.

As we gear up for a summer release, watch this space and the forums for more info...