Escaping the hype...

Post by **ShrapnelCity** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 3:29 am

Now tha this forum is rightly back where it belongs, I have a serious question for some of you...

Now that the Q3 Engine source has been released, do people still think that there is a place for mods that don't use it, and instead just use the mod source that has been available for years?

Post by **dzjepp** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 4:17 am

Sure. I think the big appeal can be in creating a new graphical enhancement client, much in the same flavor Q1 was treated (Teneabre, Fuhquake, ezQuake, etc.)

A lot of things are possible, including improved 'netcode clients' and other, 3rd party anti-cheating tools that can be intergrated. Some people will definately have a lot of fun with the source.

Post by **Postal** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 4:19 am

I only wonder if Valve is going to make Half Life 3 off the Quake 3 source.

Post by **^misantropia^** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 9:59 am

@dzjepp: And don't forget fixing the millions of engine bugs.

Post by **Lukin** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 11:12 am

I believe most of programmers will try to improve visual side of engine, but I would like to see absolutely different new features: like physics simulation, events scripting and AI system. Q3engine modified in that way would be great platform for independent games. If I had to write all those thing by myself to make a game I would rather choose D3/Q4 engine and make a mod for it.

Post by **Shallow** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 4:11 pm

I've always thought that the best Quake source ports weren't things like Tenebrae, I preferred the ones that didn't really change the game so much as improve what was already there. My favourite is probably Fitzquake, which is really just a version of GLQuake with loads of bugs fixed for overall better render quality, and a very selective of list useful things added like allowing higher entity counts. It's a good engine because it completely preserves what Quake is supposed to feel like.

I'm hoping to see some stuff along these lines for Quake 3 before the inevitable adding of supposedly exciting features like bumpmapping, realtime lighting, physics, a dozen different and entirely incompatible sets of extensions to the shader language, and in-game pizza ordering starts in earnest.

EDIT: God I sound like such a miserable bastard

Post by **Kat** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 4:31 pm

Is anyone going to attempt a 'commercial' release with this (within the bounds of the GPL)? Carmac suggested he'd like to see projects like that be done with Q3source. Just wondered if anyone was thinking about it?

Post by **dzjepp** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 8:37 pm

Well, the appeal for commercial projects has always seemed a bit small, but it would be nice if smaller 'garage' teams did something with it. Or at least soup-up their portfolios with some nice freely-distrubuted games such as these: http://www.quake3world.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5065

Post by **dzjepp** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 9:03 pm

^misantropia^ wrote:@dzjepp: And don't forget fixing the millions of engine bugs.

Ahhh yes, how can I forget. I'm actually looking forward to a 'bug-squashing' client more than a gfx one personally. And hopefully such client will be fully compatible with mods such as osp. Hmmm.

Post by **inolen** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 9:22 pm

Kat wrote:Is anyone going to attempt a 'commercial' release with this (within the bounds of the GPL)? Carmac suggested he'd like to see projects like that be done with Q3source. Just wondered if anyone was thinking about it?

I definately think the q3 engine is a much better candidate for this than past engine releases.

Post by **dzjepp** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 9:54 pm

Unfortunately a commercial product would probably be labeled as medicore at best and would garner little interest. I don't know how much money one can get from a bargain bin title but maybe that's one factor that drives people off from it.

Personally I think if the team staggered from the typical fps formula, and used the engine to make an adventure game in the style of american mcgees alice would probably gain better interest.

Post by **Kat** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 11:49 pm

dzjepp wrote:...Personally I think if the team staggered from the typical fps formula, and used the engine to make an adventure game in the style of american mcgees alice would probably gain better interest.

That's actually what I was thinking... the engine is the canvas, just need a good 'picture' to paint on it.

Post by **glossy** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 9:57 am

dzjepp wrote:
^misantropia^ wrote:@dzjepp: And don't forget fixing the millions of engine bugs.
Ahhh yes, how can I forget. I'm actually looking forward to a 'bug-squashing' client more than a gfx one personally. And hopefully such client will be fully compatible with mods such as osp. Hmmm.

I feel the same way about it, too. I wonder if we are just too attached to Quake3, that we don't want to let it get ruined by bumpmapping, shadows and crap that will ruin the very unique and well-done visual style of the game.