The SARACEN's Open Source Demo The SARACEN has so far released several open source modifiactions for the game Quake III Arena. The enclosed PK3 file is a fully-playable demonstration of the capabilities of all of these modifications. INSTALLATION - Simply create a directory directly beneath your Quake III Arena directory, with the name SARACEN. Your directory structure should resemble thus: QUAKE III ARENA | +--BASEQ3 // the main Q3A file directory +--EXTRAS // extra stuff supplied by id Software +--SARACEN // the one you justmade +--TOOLS // Q3Radiant and other stuff you may have installed... Now copy the contents of the file TheSARACENDemo.zip into the SARACEN directory. Finally, create a shortcut somewhere, with the commandline "[drive_letter]:\[directories]\Quake III Arena\quake3.exe" +set fs_game SARACEN +set sv_pure 0 where "drive_letter" is the drive your copy of Q3A is installed to, and "directories" points to where you installed Q3A on that drive. FEATURES - - Modules - There are now six brand new items called Modules. The Modules do not spawn from normal entity locations in the map file - instead they are spawned automatically by the server from random Deathmatch Start locations. Each Module is only spawned once per arena, and only one can be carried at a time - if you are carrying one Module and wish to pick up a different one, you must first drop the one you are carrying. Unlike normal Powerups, Modules last for as long as a player chooses to carry them. If a player is killed, he drops the Module he was carrying. Every 60 seconds, any Modules that are lying around the arena will be moved to a new location. The six different Modules are listed below, with their respective behaviours: Amplifier Module = Essentially half a Quad Damage. Whenever you shoot someone, the damage you cause them is more than normal, but less than what it would be if you had a Quad Damage. Dampener Module = Essentially half a Battle Suit. Whenever you are damaged, the amount of damage you recieve is less than normal, but more than it would be if you had a Battle Suit. Unlike the Battle Suit, the Dampener does NOT make you invulnerable to "splash" damage. Healer Module = Essentially half a Regeneration. As long as you carry the Healer, your health will constantly regenerate up to 100%, at a rate of 5 points per second. Booster Module = Essentially half a Speed. You move faster than you would normally, but not as fast as if you had a Speed. Unlike the Speed, the Booster has no effect upon your rate of fire. Lifter Module = Halves the effect that gravity has upon your body, allowing you to jump higher, and fall further without getting hurt. Try Rocket Jumping off a Bounce Pad when you're carrying this!! Cloaker Module = Essentially a conditional Invisibility. When you're stationary, you will appear exactly the same as if you had an Invisibility. If you jump or run about, however, you will become visible until you stand still, again. There are also some new console variables, as follows: (The Item Flags menu (Multiplayer->Create->Next->Specify) allows much simpler control of these variables g_quadfactor (default = 3) When carrying a Quad Damage, all pain inflicted will be multiplied by this number. When carrying an Amplifier, all pain inflicted will be multiplied by half this number. (this one was actually part of the original game) (In the Item Flags (Powerups) menu, this value is controlled by a text field) g_quadskitz (default = 1) If set to 1, the effects of a Quad Damage will combine with those of an Amplifier if the player is carrying both, ie all pain inflicted will be multiplied by (3/2) times the value of g_quadfactor. If set to 0, the Quad Damage will override the Amplifier, not combine with it. (In the Item Flags (Modules) menu, this value is controlled by a button - "on" = allowed) g_suitfactor (default = 50) When carrying a Battle Suit, all pain recieved will be reduced by this percentage. When carrying a Dampener, all pain recieved will be reduced by half this percentage. (In the Item Flags (Powerups) menu, this value is controlled by a text field) g_suitskitz (default = 1) If set to 1, the effects of a Battle Suit will combine with those of a Dampener if the player is carrying both, ie all pain recieved will be reduced by (3/2) the percentage value of g_suitfactor. If set to 0, the Battle Suit will override the Dampener, not combine with it. (In the Item Flags (Modules) menu, this value is controlled by a button - "on" = allowed) g_speedfactormove (default = 30) When carrying a Speed, the player will move this percentage faster than normal. When carrying a Booster, the player will move half this percentage faster. (In the Item Flags (Powerups) menu, this value is controlled by a text field) g_speedfactorweapon (default = 30) When carrying a Speed, the player will fire this percentage faster than normal. (maximum rate-of-fire for ANY weapon is 20 shots per second) (Booster Module does not affect rate-of-fire) (In the Item Flags (Powerups) menu, this value is controlled by a text field) g_speedskitz (default = 1) If set to 1, the effects of a Speed will combine with those of a Booster if the player is carrying both, ie the player will move (3/2) times the percentage value of g_speedfactormove faster than normal. If set to 0, the Speed will override the Booster, not combine with it. (does not affect the player's rate-of-fire) (In the Item Flags (Modules) menu, this value is controlled by a button - "on" = allowed) g_maxModules (default = 1) The server will spawn this number of each (non-banned) Module in the level. (latched - changes won't take effect until map restart) (In the Item Flags (Modules) menu, this value is controlled by a text field cg_drawteamicon (default = 1) If a player sets this to 1, he will see that triangle icon printed above his teammates' heads. If he sets it to 0, the icon won't be drawn. It would be a good idea to bind a key to "+button5", which will enable you to drop the currently-held Module. I use the F key, so I go (at the console) \bind f "+button5" BUGS: - As yet, there are no custom models for the Modules, so they will each appear as spining rings - the Amplifier is red the Dampener gold, the Healer purple, the Booster yellow, the Lifter light blue, and the Cloaker a clear glassy color. - The Dampener doesn't play a sound when you shoot at your own feet with a rocket. - I have no idea how the Amplifier sounds will play when using the Gauntlet... - It is possible to be running forward, drop a Module, but it does not appear, and never appears in the game again unless someone types in "give cloaker" (eg) and then drops it. (this has been jerry-rigged - if it does not appear when you drop it, it will be respawned next time the server shuffles the Module locations). - Item Flags Console Variables - The DMFlags console variable was already part of the game, but although it was included in the server-setup menu system, it was not fully documented, and its functionality was greatly reduced by comparison to its role in Quake II. I have added three new values to this variable, and also added five new variables to expand the server's control over Items spawing within the game (these can be controlled much more easily by going to the Item Flags (Multiplayer->Create-> Next->Specify) menu, which will allow you to turn all of the individual features on or off with a few mouse clicks). DMFLAGS = Deathmatch Flags. This is an all-purpose variable that controls six aspects of the game. The original three values added by id Software allowed the server to prevent the use of the Zoom function, to turn footstep sounds on or off, and to allow players to fall long distances without getting hurt. The three new functions allow the server to prevent the spawning of Health, and/or Armor, and to set it so that weapons respawn instantly after being picked up, but can only be picked up by players that don't already have that weapon (known as Weapons Stay). WPFLAGS = Weapon Prevention Flags. If flag is set, no ammo will be spawned for that weapon, nor shall the weapon itself be spawned. Reason: some pussies don't like some weapons. (In the Item Flags (Weapons) menu, this is controlled by the list of buttons under "Prevent Spawn" - "on" = banned) WIFLAGS = Weapon Initialise Flags. If flag is set, this weapon will never appear in that level, regardless of whether or not there is any ammo. Reason: you will already be carrying this weapon (with ammo) upon spawning! In a Team Deathmatch game, the amount of that weapon's ammo you spawn with will be half as much as in every other game type (id's idea, not mine). (players will never spawn with prevented weapons) (In the Item Flags (Weapons) menu, this is controlled by the list of buttons under "Initial Weapon" - "on" = players spawn with that weapon) (for obvious reasons, this defaults to 3 = Gauntlet + Machinegun) WAFLAGS = Weapon Ammo Flags. If flag is set, no ammo will be spawned for that weapon. Reason: you won't need it because that ammo will be UNLIMITED!!! (has no effect upon Gauntlet or Grappling Hook) (In the Item Flags (Weapons) menu, this is controlled by the list of buttons under "Ammo Unlimited" - "on" = unlimited ammo for that weapon) (it's pointless to flag a weapon here that's already been prevented with wpflags) PPFLAGS = Powerup Prevention Flags. If flag is set, that powerup/carried item will not be spawned. Reason: some pussies don't like some powerups. (In the Item Flags (Powerups) menu, this is controlled by the list of buttons under "Prevent Spawn" - "on" = banned) PIFLAGS = Powerup Initialise Flags. If flag is set, players will spawn with that powerup item already active, to last for 30 seconds (the Flight powerup is also 30 seconds). For carried items, the server will choose a random one from those that are flagged; if only one carried item is flagged, all players will always spawn with that item. (In the Item Flags (Powerups) menu, this is controlled by the list of buttons under "Initial Powerup" - "on" = players spawn with 30 seconds of that powerup, or, for carried items, with a random one of the carried items so marked, ie "on") (players can still be spawned with a prevented powerup/carried item) MPFLAGS = Module Prevention Flags. If flag is set, that Module will not be spawned. Reason: some pussies won't like some Modules. (In the Item Flags (Modules) menu, this is controlled by the list of buttons under "Prevent Spawn" - "on" = banned) The actual flag values are: Weapons | Powerups | DMFlags ------------------------+-----------------------------+------------------------------ Gauntlet = 1 | Personal Teleporter = 1 | Prevent Health Spawning = 1 Shotgun = 2 | Medkit = 2 | Prevent Armor Spawning = 2 Machinegun = 4 |-----------------------------| Weapons Stay = 4 Grenade Launcher = 8 | Quad Damage = 4 | No Falling Damage = 8 Rocket Launcher = 16 | Battle Suit = 8 | Fixed Field-of-view = 16 Lightning Gun = 32 | Speed = 16 | No Footstep Sounds = 32 Railgun = 64 | Invisibility = 32 | Plasma Gun = 128 | Regeneration = 64 | BFG 10000 = 256 | Flight = 128 | Grappling Hook = 512 | | ------------------------+-----------------------------+------------------------------ Modules | ------------------------+ Amplifier = 1 | Dampener = 2 | Healer = 4 | Booster = 8 | Lifter = 16 | Cloaker = 32 | Simply add the relevant flags together and set that as the console value, eg to ban the BFG and the Rocket Launcher (ya pussy) just go: 16 + 256 = 272 set wpflags 272 If you want players to spawn with Speed, Invisibility and Flight, and either a Medkit or a Personal Teleporter, it's: 1 + 2 + 16 + 32 + 128 = 179 set piflags 179 To ban all Armor, make Weapons Stay, and turn off Falling Damage, it's: 2 + 4 + 8 = 14 set dmflags 14 To ban all Modules except the Amplifier, it's: 2 + 4 + 8 + 16 + 32 = 62 set mpflags 62 Just think of the possibilities: - Everyone spawns with 30 seconds of invulnerability (prevent respawn camping) - Everyone spawns with Railguns and nothing else (WIFlags defaults to 3, but it doesn't have to!), and unlimited Slugs! - No Health or Armor allowed, and no falling damage? We can do that, too! - Wanna put a Cloaker in there? Merry Christmas! - Use your imagination! The server can change the values of these variables at any time - the game should fully adjust within about 30 seconds (MPFLAGS changes within about 60 seconds). - Weapon Slots - There is now a way to bind multiple weapons to the same key. You can select WHICH weapons are grouped together using the slots.cfg file (instructions for doing so are contained inside that file). There are eight slots, with room for up to four weapons per slot. By default, the original Quake III Arena weapons are grouped into pairs: Slot 1 = Utility Weapons = Gauntlet / Grappling Hook Slot 2 = Lead Weapons = Machinegun / Shotgun Slot 3 = Explosive Weapons = Grenade Launcher / Rocket Launcher Slot 4 = Scientific Weapons = Lightning Gun / Railgun Slot 5 = Energy Weapons = Plasma Gun / BFG10K Slots 6, 7 and 8 are currently empty. When we pick a slot that we've been to before, the game will automatically pick the last weapon we used from that slot. We can also use a key to simply cycle the weapons in our current slot (whichever that may be) by not specifying a slot. Thus, our keybinds are as follows: "slot 1" = cycle through the weapons in slot 1 (Utility Weapons) "slot 2" = cycle through the weapons in slot 1 (Lead Weapons) ... "slot 8" = cycle through the weapons in slot 8 (empty) "slot" = cycle through the weapons in the same slot as our current weapon - Lightning Discharge - Now, if you attempt to fire the Lightning Gun underwater, it will discharge all of the cells in your posession at once, electrocuting everyone else in the water in a radius proportional to the number of cells discharged. - Two-Colored Railgun Trail - The Railgun Trail effect can now be customised to be drawn in two colors - one for the core and one for the rings. This is done in exactly the same way as before: go to the Setup->Player menu, and you will find two separate color bars, where before there was only the one. The top color bar selects the color of the core, as well as the color of the Railgun itself during the "recharge" phase. The bottom color bar in the menu selects the color of the rings, as well as the color of the Railgun's muzzleflash and impact marks. :Extra bit - also added a replacement blue banner for CTF maps (just doodling...) :Note - the Classic Railgun Trail has been removed, due to too many bugs. COPYRIGHT - Quake III Arena and all of its trademarks are owned by id Software. The modifications made by The SARACEN to this game, and provided with this text file, are open source, and available free of charge and obligation to any who wish to use these modifications in their own mods. The sound file "mod_pickup.wav" is a modified version of the file "quadfire1.wav", which was taken from the game Quake II Mission Pack: The Reckoning by Xatrix, published by Activision. They own it. I don't really have permission to use it, and I will quite happily find a different sound to use if either Xatrix or Activision ask me to do so. Any other persons using this sound file as a result of using my code or my mod should NOT be held liable in ANY way. AVAILABILITY - The source code for these modifications are available separately at The House of Hard Havoc, http://www.planetquake.com/hardhavoc. If you have any questions or bug reports, please eMail: The SARACEN at thesaracen@ozemail.com.au Another place to check for these and many other mods, maps, models and skins is Mod On Demand, at http://www.planetquake.com/modondemand, a site specifically designed for mod (etc) authors to publicise their creations and make them available to the public - The House of Hard Havoc got its start at Mod On Demand.