Ok, kiddies, you've all had the time to grab the Quake2 demo right? Good. Here's your chance to enjoy an equally FREE copy of Quake2 "when it's done."

Simply write a story based on the first three levels of the Quake2 demo. How you write it is up to you. All entries will be judged by the Guild staff and the winner gets a free copy of the most highly anticipated game of all time....Quake 2.

But the clock's ticking. All entries must be postmarked by 12:00am midnight Friday November 28th. So if you're half literate and enjoyed the demo, give it a shot. All non-winning entries will be posted when the contest is over for your enjoyment! Tell a friend and fire up those word processors.......good luck -=Fig=-

GLQuake and Q2Test for Linux are pretty much done. I'm waiting for a couple bug fixes in MesaGL that corrects some texture alignment errors and fixes the colored lighting in Q2Test. As soon as that is completed, I'll be releasing GLQuake, GLQWCL, and Q2Test for Linux. Q2Test will support three rendering shared libs, ref_soft.so (SVGALib console), ref_softx.so (X11 windowed) and ref_gl.so (Console MesaGL w/GLIDE). You can't switch between renders on the fly unless you are running as root due to permission problems. :( Need some way to make a .so setuid. :)

>While you are still massaging the protocol putting in the prediction I
>want to ask for a maxpacketsize parameter as a client variable. This
>would go alongside the RATE command as in QuakeWorld.

Actually, a maxpacket size is going to replace the rate command. Q2 sends out a fixed number of packets, so they are similar in functionality, but I am going to prioritize updates in the packets instead of dropping entire packets.

The connect problem should allready be fixed, as I now limit packets to 1.4k at all times instead of 8k. That was only possible because of some nice new changes in the signon process.

>What about if you have 269 players in the one room....
>Likely? No. But it _could_ happen.
>:-)

It will start losing updates to them, resulting in a lot of statues until the area quiets down.

10/28/97
Well I am on cloud 9, Bear! The fact that everyone digs the intro and endgame is a big weight off my shoulders. Making sure these were dead on worthy of being in an id game was my main concern. As picky as Adrian, Kevin and John are, getting their stamp of approval is a really good feeling. Everyone else here at id is never bashful with comments and suggestions either, so winning their approval is most gratifying.

The tools I used for the intro were 3DS4 for animation with IPAS routines like Lenzfx2 and glow during post editing. I used Photoshop to hand tweak motion blurs and small lens flare effects. Animator pro is the best DOS tool out there for 254 color animation manipulation and I also used Adobe's Premiere for some animation tweaks. I've worked on this anim mainly at home over the past ten months so while I feel it could have been better given more attention, I put my main efforts into the more important game art (i.e. modeling and animation).

Overall the Intro is just at 3.5 minutes and is unfortunately going to have to be a series of 254 color palettes running 320 by 240 at 15 frames per sec. The reason for the low rez is because John wanted to keep rez switching out of the cinematics AND because the cd space required to support a hi rez version of the cinematics would push us onto another disk (intro weighs in at around 85 megs). As it is we're stretching to fit on one disk now. The 254 color palette limitation (its not 256 because I can't use color#0, or #255) is just the way it is but instead of limiting me to one palette for the whole thing, I can dedicate a palette to every segment that can be separated by black. So to preserve the colors I had to find creative ways to do fade-to-black cut-scenes and fade-ins from black.

Sound Deluxe who did the sound for movies like 'Heat', 'Braveheart' and the opening to 'Mechwarrior2' did the sound effects for the intro as well as the sound effects for the majority of Quake2 (American supplements, implements and/or tweaks them to fit.) These guys took the script I wrote for the radio chatter and story set-up, applied their magic and viola. They are simply amazing at what they do. They also integrated the Rob Zombie piece seamlessly with a big time movie score worthy of any motion picture soundtrack.

As far as the endgame flic goes, it's short and a smooth transition from the final mission. I faxed storyboards and a description to Blur Studios and with some over-the-phone art direction cranked out a kick-ass piece of work EXACTLY as we wanted it in less than two weeks. Sound effects are the same on the end flic sans any Zombie but still very BIG and very movie-like.

I really look forward to your reaction when you fire up the game and see the intro. I feel confident this first 3d cinematic in an id game'll hold up to anything else out there. Rest assured as well all you TC fanatics that the code is in place to drop in any cinematic at the points we've placed ours. So I expect we'll be seeing quite the epics coming from those of you aching to try your hand at conversions.

Be cool.

ps

We are looking for a few modelers and artists for a new Quake 2 TC. This is not just any Quake 2 TC. This is a 3D fighter TC. We want to create a 3D fighting TC ala Mortal Kombat 4 and Tekken 3 using Quake 2. Our modelers will need to be able to create very realistic models that will be viewed consistantly at close range. Our artists will need to provide us out-of-this world textures and skins. Send us your resume and sample work. Please send a seperate confirmation email to be sure your attachments arrived safely. Send all inquiries to croper@vt.edu with the subject "Help Wanted".

October 27, 1997 (part 2)
------------------

Okay, some Quake stuff. Today I:

- implemented input fields using Kevin's newer, prettier box characters
- finished up multitexture support today
- got new drivers from NEC/PowerVR/Videologic that I still need to test, after I test them I'll point interested parties to a URL where it can be downloaded
- started sifting through the bug database...joy
- worked with James Barnes solving some DirectInput issues. We now support the other 23 AUX buttons that DirectInput specs, cleaned out some cruft, and added support for a vertical (up/down) axis that can be controlled by an input device.

Over the weekend Michael Gold from SGI was here helping us bring Quake2 up on our shiny new R10K O2. We managed to get it up and running TIMEDEMOs pretty reliably, but there is still a lot of tweaking that needs to be done. All in all not bad for about 14 hours of work (Michael worked only worked on it on Saturday).

And through all this I've been fighting back problems and the plague. I know, wah wah wah, quit yer whining....

I've noticed you can only push barrels in the pure X and Y directions, not diagonally. Also, you can't push them up or down ramps. Any chance id will add the ability to do any of these things?

I came across this in the Q2test, and I'm not sure if it's a bug with the parasite AI, or just a great tactic. When you get to the room with the two parasite "nests", as soon as you open the door, run straight into the first den and right up to the parasite. As long as you press forward against the parasite, it can't attack with the thing on it's back. It will shoot out, but never connect. Although this same tactic works in the open, it is much harder to keep pressed up against it without sliding off to the side. However if you can corner it, it then becomes a breeze to do away with it with just your blaster. As others have mentioned, using "notarget" and "noclip" are great for getting a chance to get a good look at all the monsters in their standby poses.

Regarding Q2Test and monster idle animations... I think the idle animation for the parasite is cool. It sits twitching the outer toes of its two-toe rear feet, like it is anxious to attack. Then it stretches its neck to the left and vigorously scratches its ear with its left hind leg, like a dog. The look on its face is gruesome.

Thanks for the feeback on the demo. For the most part is has been quite useful. We've already fixed a number of bugs that were found by you. I'm not even all that bothered by the people who forgot to RTFRM (Read The Read.Me) and submitted known problems. Sorry about the brief updates, but I figure you'd rather get the game done sooner than listen to me ramble on. I'll have time enough to do that later ;-)

Just wanted to express how well the sound mix went in LA. Sound Deluxe Media Labs is the SHIT when it comes to sound engineering and music. Tom, Bill, Greg, Brian, Jeff and Scott are a very talented and very dedicated and hard working bunch of guys. They've gone the extra mile for us here at id and I applaud their work. My intro animation has been transformed via their magic into the best game intro I've ever seen. Kevin's idea to tell the story through a series of news broadcast during the title intro was brilliant and Adrian's insistence that we base our theme music on Conan rather than Star Trek is dead-on what id's about: kickin' some ass. The intro and end game flic will not only be the best cinematics seen in an id game, they will with the addition of Sound Deluxe's stuff establish a new standard for games to emulate.

No words can express how cool the intro and end game animation turned out. Each and everyone of you all will dig it. Short, to the point and in your face, these animations tell a story while jogging along with you during the game experience and in no way block your view or stop the flow.

As far as the rest of the game goes...I can only say as I shake my head in disbelief looking over at Adrian's monitor: Wow. To say that the multi-player experience will be taken to the next step just based on the textures done by a single artist may sound bizarre, but trust me. The work Adrian's doing will have more impact than any of you can imagine.

This thing called Quake2 is just plain and simple an awesomely tight and massively strong product that will bring much diversionary happiness this Christmas. I'm too tired to talk shit. I'm just trying to do you all a favor and give you time to buy plenty of 'Depends' and stock up on the Kleenex.

You're all in for a treat and despite the insane ramblings of people who claim that the 'rights' of the consumer are toothless and are being stomped upon by the evil companies making all those self-serving software titles, we take your wants and desires very seriously. One, those things are curiously enough pretty close to our particular bends and two, ever wonder who the 'Andy' was I mentioned in an extensive update awhile back?

So sit back and chill dudes and dudettes. There are some things we're doing for the game that will be a surprise. Even without the secret weapons, this game's gonna put a smile on yer face.

Be cool.

ps

I'm going to work on it after we master the win version. A rhapsody executable may be available around the same time the win version hits stores.

I actually did some work day before yesterday on getting stuff compiling for rhapsody.

Right after we hand off the master, we will all be working on a free deathmatch expansion for Quake 2 that should take about a month. I'm not sure if the rhapsody work will be done during that or after.

Our current port priority is probably: linux, SGI, rhapsody, everything else.

...if you use the cheat code "give all" and then cycle through your inventory with the "[" and "]" keys, you can see many of the items that have not yet been implemented in the demo. But, some of them are just "?'s". No problem. Just press the "'" (quotes) key and you throw them down. Then walk over and pick it up and you will be told what it is! Some of the graphics on these items are not finished. There are some interesting items such as the Air Strike Marker, Commander's Heart, etc."

Well, after all of that, I have some good news for you: I was working on the frame accurate movement for Q2 yesterday, and I found that after all of the architectural changes that were made for Q2, client side prediction is going to slide right in.
.....
Its going to be in the shipping product. It was only a question of when, and it turns out that it fits nicer than I thought it would.
.....
The net game in the retail box is still going to be fairly raw, but we should have the free expansion pak available on the net within a month of shipping.
.....
John Carmack

Mushroom Blue Entertainment is proud to introduce
SURVIVAL!
Using the quake 2 engine..this game will add a new level of reality (hopefully), with brand new immersion techniques, and excelent quality audio and video. Visit us at...
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and email us at
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thanks...
Jared Hosh

I didn't mention this a first because I thought everyone would see it, but I have not yet seen mention of it: at the console, type "notarget". Then go view a chaingun/grenade arm elite cyborg soldier. Use "noclip" to gain a better angle. Watch one that is in a "standing around" animation. Every once in a while, he opens up his chaingun arm and sucks in a bubblegum ball! Really. Crazy!

Quake, Quake 2, and the stylized are registered trademarks of id Software, Inc.