Some questions about qc...

[jim]

I'm starting a mod for DarkPlaces and now I want to know what's possible to do with qc and what is not possible.
Here comes the list of stuff I've thought about modifying/adding:
* Player speed increase/decrease
* Player classes with different starting weapons/abilities
* Self recharging shield that can be used to boost damage, speed, weapon accuracy
* Crouching
* Alternate firing
* Light amplifying vision mode
* Use button
* Scope
* Distort model polygons, because some weapon hit the monster/player
* Some projectiles that stick to world and entities
* Ability to move in walls and ceilings for players and monsters
* Foot step sounds that interact with the world material
* Monsters who help player

[Dr. Shadowborg]

I'm not sure how many of these can be done in darkplaces, but the ones I do know can be done in the order listed:

* Player speed increase/decrease (Yes, though it's somewhat controlled by the engine, it depends on what you specifically want)

* Player classes with different starting weapons/abilities (Most definately yes via QC)

* Self recharging shield that can be used to boost damage, speed, weapon accuracy (Yes via QC)

* Crouching (Unknown. Probably yes for Darkplaces via QC)

* Alternate firing (Yes)

* Light amplifying vision mode (No, unless Darkplaces has something I don't know about)

* Use button (engine specific, but can also be done from QC)

* Scope (Yes via QC, though this too is dependant on what you want)

* Distort model polygons, because some weapon hit the monster/player (No)

* Some projectiles that stick to world and entities (yes via QC)

* Ability to move in walls and ceilings for players and monsters (Unknown)

* Foot step sounds that interact with the world material (Unknown)

* Monsters who help player (Yes, via QC though somewhat AI dependant)

Hope these help a bit.

[Preach]

Darkplaces supports reading the texture name from the surface that a traceline hits, so if you compile a list of texture names and the type of surface they represent, then you can do footsteps that match the surface. But it would be a lot of work. I did a similar thing with a mod where wood splinters flew off a few set textures when shot at, so it's technically doable.

[Wazat]

* Player speed increase/decrease
Very easy, in fact you have absolute control if you use SV_PlayerPhysics.

* Player classes with different starting weapons/abilities
Yea, there are lots of mods like this such as Team Fortress.

* Self recharging shield that can be used to boost damage, speed, weapon accuracy
Yup

* Crouching
Yes, darkplaces supports crouching -- Nexuiz uses it for example.

* Alternate firing
Yup

* Light amplifying vision mode
Hrm... this I don't know.

* Use button
Yes

* Scope
Like a sniper scope? Yea, Nexuiz has one, and I made one for my sniper rifle in Conquest.

* Distort model polygons, because some weapon hit the monster/player
You mean, change the model when the target gets hit? No, there isn't that ability atm.

* Some projectiles that stick to world and entities
Yup.

* Ability to move in walls and ceilings for players and monsters
Like moving right through the wall as if it's not there? Well, yes, but you have to be careful where they go in doing so. If you limit them to only going through certain walls that you specify, it'll be a lot better.

* Foot step sounds that interact with the world material
Yes, though I really recommend that you use textures with some kind of naming convention, such as "metal_<texturename>" for metal textures, "wood_<texturename>", etc. This will make it so you can just test what the prefix is to find out what kind of surface the player is walking on. The normal quake textures do not really consistently follow such a convention as far as I know.

* Monsters who help player
Yes, various mods like Archmage have done this. You can summon monster helpers, or have computer-controlled (though admittedly stupid) humans helping you out. I believe another person on the IRC chat rooms is doing monster summons as well, and I've done them myself.

If you have questions on how to do these, just ask.

[Supa]

Just a quick post, light amp can be accomplished by using DP_SV_DRAWONLYTOCLIENT. Attach an entity with some kind of light effect (such as EF_BRIGHTLIGHT) to a player, then set '.drawonlytoclient = foo' on the entity. ie, if the light entity is named 'thwacky' you would use 'thwacky.drawonlytoclient = (put your client pointer here)'.

I haven't actually *tried* this, but it should work. :P

[MauveBib]

Distorting model polygons has been done in quake, but not in darkplaces and not in a released engine. IIRC Rich Whitehouse was writing a tutorial on how to do it, but couldn't release it due to contractual obligations with his job.

[jim]

Aha, so about everything can be done, great thanks to you all!

Oh yea, the ability to move in walls and ceilings.. I meant Alien style wall walk thing, should I said on the walls and ceilings?
If something can walk in the floors, walls and ceilings, can the model rotate to match the floor, wall and ceiling angle?
Can I change the max slope angle objects can walk up?
Can I change the slope sliding not to happen on some slopes less than 45 degrees or something like that?

[RenegadeC]

Too bad there isn't a way yet to send lightstyles to one client, that'd be a good solution for full light amplification!

lightstyle(0, "a");

etc..

[pud]

[Error]