Noone can explain Nato 3's status better than ARMM, so here is the news straight from their site.

New weapons added!
We've added 3 new weapons to our mod. Heckler and Koch's latest prototype SMG the HK PDW 4.6x30mm, the suppressed version of the Steyr AUG the Steyr AUG A2-SD 5.56x45mm, and the suppressed and subsonic KAC SR25K-SD .338 Whisper.

NATO 3 Status - nearing beta
We are getting close to beta testing! Please do NOT send it requests to be on the beta team. We have already selected the team and in the process of contacting them and making the proper arrangements. The press (aka fan web sites) are not included in the beta. This is a bug fix and test-type beta, not a "hype" one.

ARMM Library
ARMM has decided to not only release our mod to the public free of charge, as always, but we are going to create a kind of ARMM library for other mod makers to use our files. We all realize how difficult it is to put together high quality mods and we thought that making our work easily available to other creators it would improve the overall quality of mods for the community. Basically, all our models, ammos, bitmaps, sounds, etc. will be available for use by other mod makers, for free of course. All we will ask for is credit in the mod.  We will be releasing this library after NATO 3 ships publicly. More details will follow as we iron them out.

I'm guessing that the people getting the beta are the people who have frequented ARMM's forums, if they aren't giving it out to sites like RSD.

Got this from Snicker:

The Rogue Spear Retreat is happy to release a new utility to the Rogue Spear community! This tool is created by DJSlakoR and you can find by clicking here along with a screenshot.

RSB image files are what Rogue Spear uses to store all of its images. RSE has released Photoshop plugins for RSB files but unfortunately not everyone can afford to use Photoshop or a compatible image editor. To solve this problem, the RSB/BMP Converter has been created. Now, if you want to make a new armpatch or edit graphics in Rogue Spear, all you need is at least MS Paint! This program will take any RS RSB file and convert it to a 24-bit BMP file. Also, you can take a 24-bit BMP file and convert it to a RSB file to be used in RS. Not only can it convert these file types, it can convert them extremely fast. It can do around 45megs of images in only 25 seconds. Note: This only works on Rogue Spear RSB's and not Rainbow Six RSB's. Also, BMP images must be 24-bit.

Download the RSB Bitmap Converter here.

Gary Stelmack, QA Analyst at RSE, posted the following in the RSE Forums:

"There are full mission briefings for the missions. There is not a contiguous plotline however for the two campaigns we are providing [...] There is the Urban Operations Campaign, and the Classic Missions Campaign. The Classic Missions is not the full Rainbow Six campaign, but it is the 5 missions strung together in their proper order."

Source: Rogue Spear Retreat

Supergeek has sent this in to me:

OmniPotent has decided to enter into Madspin's Rogue Spear Archive's mod contest for the reason that I need a new joystick. The OmniPotent entry for this will be a samll project named "Darkness". This will take classic RPG elements and insert them into RS. Planned features include 3 character classes, with unique differences in armor strength, attack speed, movement speed, and weapons. These character classes will be the fighter, assassin, and the mage. Each will have about 3 primary weapons and 2 secondary weapons. Numbers may vary. Also planned are new 3D weapons models and the usual media - bitmaps, sounds, and descriptions. Note that this project is just a quick detour from Operation: Overlord, OmniPotent's WW2 mod. Hopefully that will not be delayed too much. Further information as of right now is not ready, but the web site should be updated soon with more.

Check out the OmniPotent website here.

Bill Brown, the composer of the music in the Rainbow Six Series, has released a Urban Operations Remix on his website. Check it out at his website here.

Thanks Merlin!

The Rooster, from the Rooster's Nest, has written an article about a new game type for Rogue Spear called "Manhunt" he has developed that is designed for small groups. Be sure to pick the article up at the Rosster's Nest's downlod page.

Gallaleo has released version 3.5 of his Rogue Spear Stats:

Again, I have released a new version of Gallaleo's RogueSpear Stats. Version 3.5 is now available for download. The new v3.5 has a complete new user interface, a new HTML stats design and the ability to recall the last HTML file names and comments you have used when creating your HTML files. Check out a screenshot here. This will most likely be the last release until RS: Urban Operations comes out.

Download RS Stats here.

What is Gallaleo's RogueSpear Stats? It is a statistical recording utility for RSE's Rogue Spear. This program will record and keep track of your players kills, deaths, average kills per game, shots fired, shots taken, average hit percentage, total games played, and last date played. It will not only record these stats for you, the player, but for EVERY player that you play with in multiplayer games. Gall's RS Stats will continue to add to your (and others') stats as you play more games. You can even create HTML files that show the players rankings by "Skill Points" and then upload that to your web site if you like.

-Gallaleo-

Download Gallaleo's Rogue Spear Stats v3.5 here.

Pie has sent along this email about his upcoming Profiles (click the button below our menu to check out the current Pie's Tactics Profile):

Pie's Tactics has announced that it is now taking questions for the next profile. Pie4Foo, webmaster of Pie's Tactics, will be the next profile, and he'd like to field your questions. He's going to try to answer as many of your questions as he possibly can, so submit them by Sunday evening! For more information about the Profiles in RS series, please visit Pie's Tactics.

After Pie's profile, other webmasters will be profiled! Yes, that's right, your favorite webmasters will be interrogated so that you can learn way more than you ever wanted to about their personal hygiene!

Gamecenter has put up a SWEET preview of Urban Operations. The preview has lots of new screenshots, which reveal all the new multiplayer maps and Rainbow Six "Classic" maps. The screenshots also reveal new shots of maps and the new Custom Mission and Mod system! Here's a clip:

The most notable of these is the addition of innocent civilians. "In the past," says Steve Cotton, producer of Urban Operations, "when Rainbow has gone into a hostile situation, there have been only three types of people to worry about--good guys, bad guys, and hostages. But sooner or later every situation gets a little more complicated. In Urban Operations, we wanted to see how Rainbow would handle a fourth worry--innocent bystanders. And it definitely adds a new twist. You have to be even quicker than before to keep from shooting the wrong people."

Check out the preview here.

Rodion has released the FINAL version of The Temporary Tango mod, v1.21. Here are a couple crutial release notes:

FOR THOSE HOW HAVE EARLIER TTT VERSIONS..
Pls. REMOVE ALL OLDER TTT versions before installing the new TTTv1.21 FINAL (FULL) VERSION. The TTTv1.21 BETA came with an uninstaller, so you should uninstall that first! And if you have the old v1.01, or v1.02, simply delete the folder called "ttt" under the mods folder. Then, delete all those "enhancement" files I told you to transfer over to the original RS folders (if you did so).

FOR THOSE WHO HAVE OTHER MODS...
I highly recommend that you uninstall Rogue Spear (backup any savegames or replays you want to preserve), then totally DELETE the empty "Rogue Spear" folder. Then install RS again (full, clean install) then patch it with either 2.04, 2.05, THEN install TTT v1.21 FINAL...I know this is a lot of work, but I guarantee results ;) NOTE that this is not a conspiracy to let you get rid of your other mods!!! This is just to prove to you that TTTv1.21 does work, provided installed in a clean, and patched Rogue Spear install.

FOR THOSE WHO DON'T HAVE OLDER TTT's and DON'T HAVE OTHER MODS INSTALLED...
It should work right after you install it!

Download TTT v1.21 here.

HellKnight has created another map for the United Mod Makers. Intensity is a maze on in the central room of The Met. There are some intrestingly placed landmines to offer a nice surprise, also.

You can download this server-side map here, or view a screenshot of the action here.

I really need to start checking the RSE forums more...

A topic popped up about team chat before and after multiplayer missions (not just during). Greg Stelmack replied to them that it was being put into Urban Operations as a feature. This could prove to be very useful (my clan had to use Roger Wilco before games to do this.)

Source: Rogue Spear Retreat

Red Storm has announced that they will bring Rogue Spear to the PlayStation. Here is the story from FGN Online.

The PC version of Rogue Spear has won many awards throughout the industry. Developed by Saffire, the same company that developed the N64 version, the PlayStation version will hold onto the most popular elements of the PC version.

"We intend to continue the expansion of the Rainbow franchise and we know and respect the high quality and professionalism of Saffire's work," said Red Storm President and CEO Doug Littlejohns. "When it came to choosing a developer for this exciting and challenging project Saffire was the obvious choice.

"We at Saffire relish the opportunity to take the great Rogue Spear property and give it life on PlayStation," added President Hal Rushton.

Rogue Spear for the PSX is due out in the fourth quarter of 2000. Nothing has been announced yet for the N64, Dreamcast, or the future systems of Dolphin and PlayStation 2.

We recieved news of a new skin mod; check it out.

Colonel Magic has released his latest mod for Rogue Spear. The mod is a skin mod containing 28 new skins which include:

11 skins made from the terrorist & Hostages from within Rogue Spear.
2 Skins Transported onto Rogue Spear Models From Rainbow Six.
15 Enirely new skins created by Colonel Magic.

The mod will not overwrite any existing Rogue Spear skins. But it will overwrite any othe skin mod which you might allready have. You can use the skins during "Open Training & Multiplayer games" but please note that while you are still able to join and host games with the mod installed using the default skins. In order to select any of the new skins then all players must also have this mod installed otherwise they will be booted from the game.

Colonel Magic has also created a flash movie with all the skins in it. You can view the movie here. Download the skin mod here.

Rodion has released a BETA upgrade for The Temporary Tango. YOU MUST HAVE AN OLDER VERSION FOR IT TO WORK. Here's the scoop from Rodion's site...

Although I have assigned official BETA-TESTERS, some of you may like to beta-test it yourself. However, pls. don't send me any suggestions or comments about it, because I shall only be getting those suggestions/corrections from the official testers (so that I won't go insane answering all your letters!). Thank you.

Take note, you need to have TTT v1.01/v1.02 installed BEFORE you install this Upgrade. Simply unzip the TTTSETUP.ZIP file to any directory, and run TTTSETUP.EXE. Then follow the installation wizard (courtesy of Mindware's I-Vise) to install TTT v1.21 BETA.

Download the TTT v1.21 Beta here.