Celebrating 12 years of Quake!




09/12/08

We are making good progress on the Remake project. The downside of this is that I won't release any maps at this QExpo; I feel sorry, but I'd rather put the time into RMQ at this point. However, it doesn't mean that there won't be things going on in the future; bjptools for Linux are waiting to be ported to more platforms, and to have multithreading implemented. I will continue to hang out in #qexpo; and you can always find me at func_msgboard and similar places :) If you need to contact me, come on IRC, func_, Inside3d or ask the usual suspects.

Thanks for an unbelievable QExpo 2008. It was great meeting all of you.

gb


09/09/08

bjptools-090908 for Linux released. Includes binaries for treeqbsp, vis and light.

TreeQBSP now runs and successfully compiles maps!

Please read Changelog and PORTING, as always.

bjptools-090908.zip

Next up: multithreading in vis and light. Thanks for the code, Willem. ;-)

09/07/08

Complete source (includes binaries for vis and light) of bjptools for Linux available.

Please read

a) Changelog
b) PORTING

I am looking for someone really good with this stuff to help port qbsp. I have trouble with the wad loader which contains Windows system calls. wad.cpp is the only file that doesn't compile - so we're ALMOST there!

Contact me in #qexpo on irc.anynet.org.

Enjoy.

09/07/08

I ported Jardrup's vis and light to Linux.

I will release the code soon, I'm still cleaning it up a bit. I'll release under GPL, since the original tools (which these are based on) were re-released under GPL by id Software themselves.

They should compile under any POSIX-compliant unix eventually. No idea about Macs - they are too expensive to get one for testing...

You can thank me later.


09/05/08

I'll update this to give some more info about the Remake project, since some questions have popped up. Short rundown of what the goals are:

- Recreate from scratch all original Quake maps, using the original texture themes as a base
- Include some enhancements on the QuakeC side:

- Extras (a set of additional entities, like moving water, emitters, breakables etc)
- probably Gyro (a physics library)
- monster tweaks, mostly from mods like Cranked
- weapon tweaks, like a more powerful shotgun etc. (chainsaw's the only addition so far)
- powerup tweaks, like a more useful Ring of Shadows (backstabbing)
- a small set of alternate skins for most monsters (can be randomly chosen)
- some monsters originally from QTest: Dragon, Vomitus
- some monster variations, most notably Axe grunt and Nail grunt
- 44.1 kHz sounds throughout the game (ie. for everything)

Someone asked on IRC if we wanted to do "Quake done right" - yes, that's pretty much it. At least the goal is to make it look and feel like an extension of the original game. We're not doing DiscoQuake here.

Target engine is Fitzquake 080, pretty much. This should not require an "enhanced" engine, although there is at least one testmap that might hit (quite) a few limits.

This is mainly a mapping project, the "mod" just follows our mapping needs. All game modes should be supported. One of the goals is that playing the original game in our mod should be preferable to stock id1 progs. This is one of the major differences to other mods, which don't do much to existing maps. Our mod will affect any map using id1 progs, and that's only a side effect.

Since the question came up, yes, the map sources and QC sources WILL be released, because it is the right thing to do, and because we look forward to anyone using the stuff to make something cool, any way he/she wants. A side effect will be that the speedrunners can make their own progs, for example.

We're a bit looking for one or two mappers that could ideally do a whole episode, basically adhering to the original theme etc, but with enough room to build additional areas and use some additional (matching) textures, using the mod's features if and to the extent they want, and at a slightly bigger scale compared to id1. Make no mistake, this is a big and rather masochistic task, and some people (able mappers, I might add) have declined the job offer already. We basically need someone who is gifted, masochistic, very bored, and/or stupid.

How far did we get with it? Suffice to say, we started in mid 2007, then using Quoth, trashed a handful of attempts, and are not near a release yet. So don't expect anything _this_ winter. ;-)


***

Quake wallpaper!

This was originally meant for the Photoshop contest, however I doubt it qualifies (the contest requires something to do with work environments.) I got a little carried away, too.



and the plain version:



1024x768 wallpapers (they are easy to resize, since the background is uniform white):

normal version
plain version

The basis for the wallpaper were a photo of a plastic office bag stamped, "To avoid danger of suffocation, keep this wrapper..." and a pic of blood projected by a syringe. The whole thing was done in GIMP without using any filters (OK, the drop shadow on the Q).

Welcome to my booth. In case you don't know me (likely), I'm a mapper and irregular at func_msgboard. Right now I only map for Quake 1, but that might change (both Quake 2 and Hexen 2 have good chances.)

You can see some screenies of maps in progress here, and I will release a map during the expo. All screenshots are taken in software Quake - please excuse the absence of antialiasing and other gimmicks. It looks better in GLQuake I guess. These are the things I am working on atm:

Remake of Quake episode 1, the shareware episode, using a custom mod. This will be different enough from any other remakes (notably Quoth's) to be worthwhile. It may tie in with one or more other episode remakes, most notably Ijed's (it's no secret anymore, is it.) This project uses the original textures and tries to keep and expand upon the original's feel. Will include all monsters from the full version *lol*

Screenshots:

















Remake of the Hangar unit from Xatrix (The Reckoning) Quake 2 missionpack in Quake 1. Includes "Lower Hangars", "The Hangars" and "Strogg Freighter" levels. So far using the Quoth mod for its extended base monster lineup. Using IKBase textures.

Screenshots:
















The coming QExpo map, using Quoth and id metal textures.

Screenshot:



Other stuff:

Two ex-turtlemaps, a deathmatch map and a large base/temple map that might or might not see the light of day (probably not.)

A cleaned up, touched up new release of the Zigock Bot for Quake 2, including support for the Rogue missionpack, more botchat and other stuff like that. Ponpoko, I'm sorry, this won't be finished for the expo, it's taking too much time. Qudos, sorry I didn't get back to you. Mapping ate all the time.

Documentation and "stuff" intended for a certain cross-platform Quake engine, mainly bigger thrusters and broader fins, you know :-) Just in order to be able to run my own maps in Linux, too. Tyrann, I'm still at it :-)

Oops, I forgot this one: 44.1 kHz replacement sound pack for Quake 1. 85% completed and reached over 40 MB already. Will largely support Quoth 1, since Necros sent me the sounds he still had. I never heard back from the Quoth 2+ team about this, and they introduced a lot of new sounds, so it's unlikely there will be more support. The base for the pack is a mix of Mindgrid's work, some great player sounds that popped up over at quakeworld.nu (thanks!), and a lot of free and Creative Commons sounds from internet databases which I spent some hours searching for and even more hours making them fit.

gb