So it's with great pleasure that today we take the next step in our open development and partnership with you. On Monday, July 26th, we will be releasing the NS2 Playable Alpha to all the Special Edition pre-orderers, on Steam. Like with NS1, this is not the complete game, this is the first of many versions. Here's what you can expect on that day:

NS2 Alpha 1 content

One of our shipping maps (ns2_tram), plus some smaller "test" maps
Marine, with Rifle, Pistol, SwitchAx, Grenade Launcher
Skulks, Gorges, Lerks and their basic movement abilities and weapons
Marine armory "buy" screen for purchasing new equipment
Alien evolution menu for choosing your lifeform and upgrades
Basic marine and alien commander interfaces including MACs, Drifters
Much of our final sounds, artwork, animations, etc.

You have to buy the special edition to play the alpha and once the alpha is out there will not be a chance to get the special edition.

For this update we'd like to show off the first of the alien structures, the Hydra.

We've talked about it a few times in the twitter feed, but wanted to go into a little more depth here. The Hydra is essentially the new name and new look for what was the Offensive Chamber in NS1, so its role in the game remains roughly the same. Once built it serves as a turret, automatically releasing a barrage of deadly spikes to attack marines and marine structures within its range.

http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/

also shows a quick video

P.S. the game is still in develpmont so dont complain on the way it looks.

For today's update we would like to focus on "Tram", one of several maps currently in development. This full sized NS2 map will ship with the Alpha, so those players who have pre-ordered the game will soon will be roaming its atmospheric hallways and fighting intense battles in its beautifully detailed areas.



The history of development on the Tram map has not always been smooth. As the first NS2 map, it was begun long before the Editor Tools were done and before the majority of environment assets had been created. The map's core theme of a large tram tunnel running like a spine though the map, connecting the starting bases, has remained the same, but due to changes in the engine, tools, game design, and even mappers, most of the early work on it had to be scrapped.

read the rest of it here

http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/

^---Points to what was said in headline---^

The Vortex Tactical Shotgun

We wanted to give you a further look into the Marine's arsenal, with the all important shotgun.
In keeping with the look and design of the rest of the NS2 marine weapons and equipment, the shotgun deploys out of its compact inactive state when drawn. We wanted the shotgun to have a reasonable amount of bulk and to feel solid and powerful in the first person view. It is highly good vs. armor so should be useful against larger aliens.

for full info here is link also shows a video.

http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/news/2010/6/the_shotgun