Quake 2 Kicker - New players start here.

[[BTF]Jehar]

This thread will be used to test, configure, and polish the Quake 2 Kicker - a quick-start Q2 setup that focuses on ease-of-use and customization. I've gotten the first release put together last night, and on #tastycast we had quite a few comments for improvements for the next version, but overall, people were able to add pak0 and jump right into the game. From here on out, we'll be focusing on making config setup even easier, based off of Dervish's full-to-the-brim config posted in the first thread. Anywho, give it a whirl, and leave comments here.

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Pasting in the current readme:

Q2K - ALPHA

***NOTE***
I don't take credit for any of the content here, besides minor alterations to skins. Quake is all about standing on the shoulders of giants, and this is just a compilation of some of the best content.
***NOTE***


Welcome to the Quake II Kicker, a starting point for anyone to get back into Quake II. This has been designed for ease of use, accessibility, and lightness. This is not designed to be a "pro" setup from the start - rather, it provides a solid base from which players can make their own additions and modifications.

The Q2K is organized as follows:

---------/
The root directory contains the Quake II Server Browser (by R1CH), aprq2, and aprq2_soft. We use aprq2 for the extra functionality it provides, and it's easier setup. Also included is the CleanCode Q2 (Paril) updater, which will keep your game dll as fresh as possible.

---------/baseq2
This is the main directory, from here all gametypes and mods draw their resources and settings (at least at first). Model, texture, and map directories are stored here, as well as in the .pkz files. I use pkzs for two reasons: 1 - aprq2 can load them and 2 - they can be opened with just about any archive manager. Besides the basic files, baseq2 contains:

----------/baseq2/textures
Hi-res textures for all of the base materials. Rename or remove if you prefer the older ones.

-----------/baseq2/models
Regular player models, no brightskins, see below for details.

-----------/baseq2/optionals
Here you will find the preliminary add-on pkzs to further customize your experience. Included in this build:
   brightitems - still a work in progress, at the moment it only brightens armors. I    need to find a bright item pak.

   brightplayers - player brightskins, green and white

   hires_hud - an alternate hud number set, will include cleaner menu and font elements    in future builds.

------------/baseq2/autoexec.cfg
THE MOST IMPORTANT item in your quake 2 setup is your config. Whirlingdervish started a great annotated config which I have modified for aprq2, and organized so that item, movement, and weapon binds are at the top. If there is anything confusing in this, let me know.

There is more to come in future releases, but this should provide a starting point for comments. Please find me either in #tastyspleen on ETG, #tastycast on GlobalGamers, or just email me at jehar@tastyspleen.net

I hope you will find this headache free. I will refund any aspirin purchases made in the use of the Q2K.

Compiled by - Jehar

Todo list for next release:
-Organize the config, annotate more.
-Include a utility for easily editing the config.
-Find better openal drivers or revert the default to s_initsound 1
-Get a decent bright model pak.
-Include demo pak0

[:iR:goatkilla]

hey i just remembered that q2scene had a thread just like this one

might be worth checking out

[[BTF]Jehar]

Yeah, but that setup is rather bloated, and comes with purri's setup, which isn't ideal for someone just starting out. This is more of a base setup to customize from.

[VaeVictis]

I tested the setup first and i gotta say it's very nice

Biggest problem is some glitches with the sound roll off, other than that once the config is more organised it should make a great base for anyone to start

[[BTF]adam]

As for that decent bright model thing, I would suggest Elysiums brightskins. I've been using them over normal brights for awhile now and love them, they retain the actual texturing of models but are still very visible. One of the problems i've had trying to bring new players into q2 is they either found stock too dark or brights too bright (psh no pleasing some is there). These are a nice and effective way to bypass this.

[R1CH]

Yeah as a casual player I don't like any fullbright skins, the Elysium ones are great. I'm not sure including CleanCode as a replacement baseq2 Game DLL is a good idea, it may break single player and demo compatibility - baseq2 is supposed to be 3.20.

Rather than having the user move paks around manually, a menu system (or even a .bat file) would work nicely. Also the installer should choose which ones to use as a default. You can also use the installer to script the registry entries for QSB so it auto finds AprQ2 in the correct place.

I would also recommend including R1Q2, Q2Pro and EGL as options for installation, I'm even tempted to recommend Q2Pro as the default.

EDIT: Now I've downloaded it...

Really needs an installer. People don't know how to use zip files these days, also installer could set the paths etc for QSB / provide uninstall, etc.
What is this 140MB base.pkz file in baseq2? Seems to contain a whole bunch of sounds that won't ever be used by Q2. Also contains copyrighted pak0 content. Should be a pak file for compatibility with other clients.
Pak Explorer is known to corrupt pak files, I would not recommend including it - use PakScape. Also, it should not be in baseq2.
anticheat.dll does not belong in baseq2.
Textures are all missing the .wal files, so wal scaling won't be possible - this will make a lot of maps look terrible and reduce compatibility with other texture paks.
Textures contain file formats that are unusable by Q2 (bmp)
Texures should also be in a .pak for de-duplication (make sure to run PakOptimz on any .pak files)
Whole bunch of weird zip files in players/female/
Missing cyborg and crakhor models (part of 3.20)
"waste" player model is included for no real reason?
Weird readme.txt in players/
Many temp / log files / save files lying around many directories.

[peewee_RotA]

Seems to contain a whole bunch of sounds that won't ever be used by Q2. Also contains copyrighted pak0 content.

Does it contain content available from ether the demo or the 3.20 patch? My understanding is that freely distributed content may be freely redistributed. Basically a shareware license.

[[BTF]Jehar]

R1CH, thanks for the niggles, am currently cleaning it up. This is spawned from my own q2 dir, which over the years has become quite a mess. So, the bulk of the work here will be cleaning and re-organizing files.

[VaeVictis]

you still need to release a new version with the demo script fix i gave ya, and also you need to completely redo the tdm binds because with how your setting up the config the current ones wont be too pretty :/ i suggest just simplifying them to get rid of the complex alias'ing with binds that is causing the problem i see, if youd like some simpler ones i can also give you the ones i came up with after tearing those apart, also is it really needed to alias each weapon bind? in my opinion its just wasted space, and it may seem a bit confusing if the player using the kicker is new to quake 2 configs

and having some of the stuff in the base.pkz as optional instead of forced would be great

adding some optional crosshairs with screenshots would be nice as well give newer players some options

um... i know im forgettin a couple things ive suggested before i finally got around to posting about them >_> so ill make another post when i remember

[VaeVictis]

i suggest replacing the zoom script with this one

// ---ZoomTool---

set zoomfov "30"
set zoomsens ".5"
alias +zoom "set storesen $sensitivity;set storefov $fov;set sensitivity $zoomsens;set fov $zoomfov"
alias -zoom "set sensitivity $storesen;set fov $storefov"
bind mouse3 "+zoom"

its basicly the same, but it pulls out the zoom sensitivity and fov values making them easier to set and it got rid of the normal fov by storing the current fov value, that way it can never really screw up changing back

[[BTF] Reflex]

good call storing the sens,  never knew about that.


Here are the sounds I put with my zoom,  gives it a good feel.
Like some mechanical lens adjusting.

[VaeVictis]

good call storing the sens,  never knew about that.


Here are the sounds I put with my zoom,  gives it a good feel.
Like some mechanical lens adjusting.

yeah i was thinking ya could throw a couple sounds in to make it sound like a real zoom, and then also a custom crosshair that covers the whole screen to look like a sniper scope, would be pretty easy, just store the crosshair value then switch over to the new one, and then just play the sounds, but im too lazy to make shit

[VaeVictis]

// ---Demo Recording---

alias startdemo "record ${$time}-${$date}-${$mapname};bind F5 stopdemo"
alias stopdemo "stop;bind F5 startdemo"
bind F5 "startdemo"




there is the demo script i forgot to post works great for one button stop and start, the one included with the kicker currently will stop the demo and start another and it just never ends

[VaeVictis]

its great how ya set some default controls for the lazy noobs who dont want to go set jump binds and stuff, but if your taking that route i suggest you also set the mouse scroll wheel to switch through the weapprev and weapnext cause the default controls kinda sorta work, but they are completely missing weapon changing

also i still think the tdm binds are a little too complicated for your currenct config setup, with keys already being bound in alias's and such, while they are great binds, in my opinion, for newer players less is more

heres what i suggest you replace the tdm binds with

alias rl1 "drop rocket launcher"
alias rl2 "drop rockets"
alias rg1 "drop railgun"
alias rg2 "drop slugs
alias sg1 "drop drop super shotgun;drop shotgun"
alias sg2 "drop shells"
alias cg1 "drop chaingun;drop machineGun;drop hyperblaster"
alias cg2 "drop bullets;drop cells"

bind RIGHTARROW "cg1;cg2;say_team DROPPED CG/MG/HB < ${$loc_here} >"
bind DOWNARROW "rg1;rg2;say_team DROPPED RG < ${$loc_here} >"
bind LEFTARROW "sg1;sg2;say_team DROPPED SSG/SG  < ${$loc_here} >"
bind UPARROW "rl1;rl2;say_team DROPPED RL < ${$loc_here} >"

of course you can remove the arrow key binds i have set in my config which i directly copied this from

aside from the weapon drop binds, your tdm chat binds seem fine

[[BTF] Reflex]

Holy crap,  never knew you could name demos with date and time,  I type a name at start of every game,  ffa or tourney.

This might help me get control earlier in ffa.   thanks!