"I have a Dream..." [About Quake2]

[|iR|Focalor]

If the game could be repacked (maybe with high res or even new textures), all the updates including R1Q2 and a server browser then this might be what is needed to bring some new blood into the game.

There are hi-res textures in PNG format (instead of crappy PCX or TGA), but like you mentioned, they only work with updated clients/renderers like r1q2 w/ r1GL.

R1CH's 32bit hi-res texture pak: http://r-1.ch/z6_32bitclr_png_allmaps.7z

Bottom line is that Quake2 is about as old in computer game years as the record player is to audio. It would be nice if some game very similar to Quake2 could be created that could take advantage of advanced modeling and textures while retaining the ability to run smooth. It should also offer the ability to transmit a barebones amount of data from client to server to client in order to keep the game smooth and enjoyable. Something like that would probably limit a map to containing simple features until a time when everyones internet connection gets a little faster. Consider Quake4. It's good looking and runs just fine for most people in single player, but multiplayer tends to bog down the speed of gameplay for a lot of folks, myself included. I'd be playing Quake4 instead of Quake2 if it would run smoother than a retarded kid on an inclined gravel road in multiplayer.

[VaeVictis]

i've read comments that Q2's rail is a "rail gun", Q3A's is a "sniper rifle". 

There's nothing stopping anybody from making their own 100% free Q2 experience & giving that away.  You'd need to replace every asset in the game, but it could be done!  You could even include r1q2's exe in the package.

But the Q2 community is more focused on making content for the game vs trying to bring in new players who aren't really interested in anything pre-2004 anyway. 

people make free quake2 clients using the pak0.pak from the demo and a third party exe such as r1q2... if you use the demo patched it works online, thats how clients like the quake2 kicker arent illegal for download

[reaper]

KISS

I haven't found many games I like but I must say Metal Gear Solid 3 was AWESOME!

[The Happy Friar]

It would be nice if some game very similar to Quake2 could be created that could take advantage of advanced modeling and textures while retaining the ability to run smooth. It should also offer the ability to transmit a barebones amount of data from client to server to client in order to keep the game smooth and enjoyable. Something like that would probably limit a map to containing simple features until a time when everyones internet connection gets a little faster. Consider Quake4. It's good looking and runs just fine for most people in single player, but multiplayer tends to bog down the speed of gameplay for a lot of folks, myself included. I'd be playing Quake4 instead of Quake2 if it would run smoother than a retarded kid on an inclined gravel road in multiplayer.

That could be done *IF* someone wanted to do it (with the Q2 engine upgrades).  The D3 engine transmitted EVERYTHING: all lights, projectiles, all switch states, all collisions, shadow locations, etc.   It was all transmitted to avoid all the cheating that can be done in the older engines (like q2) with the fullbrights, spiked models, etc.  "security" was traded for "customization" & "ease of use".  I've done some testing &, with the exception of the per-poly for map models, you could recreate Q2 in a modern looking way & still have it perform well (you'd need a better computer, like that for doom 3, but your network connection wouldn't be what slows you down).

people make free quake2 clients using the pak0.pak from the demo and a third party exe such as r1q2... if you use the demo patched it works online, thats how clients like the quake2 kicker arent illegal for download

I assumed the idea was about the whole game, not just the running the demo stuff.  That doesn't give them the whole SP experience & Q2's one of the few games that does support coop... 

[themuffinman]

It's the same 'dream' I've had for a long time - to almost merge the segregated Quake community into one massive Q2 mod that takes the best out of each Quake game and mod and combines it into one great game with a modern touch.

I've properly redone about 40% of all Q2 textures, and I can easily clean up the flawed Q2 maps and recreate them with a modern compile. What I need is a team of dedicated expert programmers, sound engineers, mappers and modellers, then we'll get somewhere. Who knows - maybe even id Software will take notice and hand out a commercial licence agreement and/or financing for the project. There are too many knowledgable and talented people out there working on pissy little projects that are getting nowhere, we all need to get together.

[The Happy Friar]

It's the same 'dream' I've had for a long time - to almost merge the segregated Quake community into one massive Q2 mod that takes the best out of each Quake game and mod and combines it into one great game with a modern touch.

that's generation arena. 

[Terbo]

Not every game has a arqon. You need someone with real passion and real talent to make stuff like that happen. People like Jehar.

I remember feeling the same way like 7 years ago when I thought Q2 was struggling then. Where has the time gone.

[themuffinman]

that's generation arena. 

Something better than Generations Arena - that mod never appealed to me somehow (the weapons didn't even animate when fired!). With single player, and none of the different classes stuff. Plus with every gametype imaginable - FFA, TDM, 1v1, CTF, CaptureStrike, Freeze Tag, Rocket Arena, Overload, 1Flag CTF, Harvester, Jailbreak, etc. and modes such as InstaGib, Vampire, Frenzy, etc.. Then add bump mapping, spec mapping, real time dynamic lighting and physics, post processing effects such as bloom and color correction, reflections on surfaces, plus a whole lot more. Then we're on to something!

[The Happy Friar]

Something better than Generations Arena - that mod never appealed to me somehow (the weapons didn't even animate when fired!).

It's exactly what you're wanting for MP.  animating weapons is an engine limitation. 

[Slayer :D]

Try the SOG mod, it is really cool (but it has bugs with configstrings overflowing after a long time ).

You can play as the Wolf3D guy, Doom, Ranger, or Bitterman, and you can set the cvar "sogflags" so that the monsters are Doom monsters, Wolf3D monsters, Quake I monsters or Quake II monsters .

edit: Since they replaced all the assets with their own work, it's legal too (unlike Generations)!

edit #2: The tank boss in "Security" is about 5x harder to beat because he is now the Cyberdemon .