July.14.2006
With the upcoming release of the QUAKE 4 1.3 Point Release we’re making great strides in tuning and tweaking the QUAKE 4 multiplayer gaming experience based on feedback from the people playing it the most.
We’re implementing a number of community requested features and actual gameplay changes to QUAKE 4 gameplay which will provide a faster, smoother, and more highly competitive experience that we hope particularly appeals to those playing QUAKE 4 regularly and/or competitively, but also makes the game even more fun for new players. You can expect increased mobility and control, improved performance with ambient lighting options, and weapon alterations that advance playability and challenge competitive players.
We’ve noticed several LAN and competitive events considering what games to use for their future events, and we would encourage players and organizers to give 1.3 a try – we think you’ll like it. We feel these competition friendly changes, coupled with an all-new gametype, a new weapon, and several professionally made maps will extend the life of QUAKE 4 for all players. We’re currently in a small, private beta test of the point release and hope to have it out publicly sometime before QuakeCon.
Source: [ id software ]
June.26.2006
May.25.2006So another month has gone by and as some of you may have seen in my latests posts in the QuakeCon thread, there have been some new developments on the 1.3 Point Release. Last week there was supposed to be a new build of the 1.3 patch available for me to test (both myself and with a small group of private testers). I, unfortunately, fell very ill Thursday night and wasn't able to go into work Friday. Today is Monday, I still really don't feel well yet, but anyone that knows me I typically go to work as long as I am able to actually stand up. So here I am, came in a bit earlier than anyone else so all is still quiet. I imagine that later today once Jason comes in, I'll be talking to him to find out if we received the new build for me yet.
This new build, I have personally deemed the "1.3 half-patch". Meaning that this is supposed to be the completed form of the first half of the patch, the part that has been made by a third party which includes a new gametype, new game settings, new maps and a few other things. This patch will be privately tested a bit while at the same time we here at id start adding in all the goodies that people have been wanting for oh so long. But, while the I say the patch is "half way done" that does not mean that it should take another X months to complete the patch. Our "half" shouldn't take too long at all.
Now I would like to make a request for all of those reading... Consider this perhaps your last chance to voice your opinions on what to put in this patch, but once again if there is anything people would like to stress for us to put into the 1.3 Point Release... have at it, right now, right here in this thread. Yes, we already have our old long list of features people have wanted, I'm not asking for a rehash cause its all been forgotten or set aside. But I would like to know if anyones priorities have changed, if maybe somethings are more important than others since this discussion was made.
I am tweaking the potential changelog and will be turning in all of this requests within 24-48 hours so that we can get to coding.
And that is for now, where we are with the 1.3 Point Release.
Source: [ ESReality ]Today there was a new build of the Quake 4 1.3 Patch. We spent some time playtesting the new content, playing about 8 matches in each gametype (Deadzone, Tourney, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Arena CTF, Deathmatch and then Deadzone again) -- playing on both some of the existing maps as well as a few of the new ones. In about 2-3 of the matches of each gametype we also tested the latest changes to the 'Buy Mode' option.
Things went well and the patch is shaping up. At least this portion of it. We still have a ways to go as all the new content in here is a second parties contribution whom is finishing up their work before handing it over to us for us to add our portion of the patch.
I'm highly looking forward to what's to come. The current new content additions seem to be well coded and crafted but also as many might suspect is definately going to be more welcomed and accepted by the casual player. In other words, I hope that 1.3 is a patch that brings the product to a new level -- bringing new content for casual players, gameplay adjustments for the competitve player and maps for everyone.
I can't answer many of the questions that people have atm. Is this or that in the patch? When will the patch be out? There simply aren't answers. id has discussed many of the changes and additions that we might consider for 1.3, but besides that our end of it has currently been in testing and perfecting the new content that is being provided by this unnamed second party.
Everything in this post has already been made public by others in the community. People have seen test servers running with Deadzone, with new map file names and have seen and posted several of the new cvars available in this portion of the 1.3 patch. I wish I could provide you all a closer play by play as to the makings of this patch, however, it is currently too early to do so. But I'll do my best to answer questions as things become possible to do so.
But hell, i can wish...
