"SynQ": Why the future won't resemble the past

[Baker]

Update: I changed a couple of things about some of the texturing that I didn't like.

I have a zip of the new version, I was debating releasing it right now, but there are a couple of things I really want to fix very badly (recreate help files, re-remove certain start map entities, recompile retextured maps with skyboxes indicated -- not that any of the DM maps show much sky) and I want to document a few things on the to-do list that I noticed affect this. Using 7-Zip, the download size is 27.9 MB, which isn't bad at all.

This new version will be released later today.

Although one of the main differences between this and the first release is, of course, that the DM maps look nice -- but there are some things about this release that I personally find far more interesting :d :d

[Entar]

Very cool. DM4 sorta looks like something out of Half-Life 1, which isn't a bad thing, necessarily. DM5 is a totally different look, but I like it... or maybe it's just because my favorite color is blue. Still, keep up the good work, and maybe we can see a few single player maps in there soon

[MrBear]

DM1 looks great to me with the marble-like smooth look..

I wonder what DM2 would look like if the stone tile were diamond shaped instead..

DM5 IMO would look cooler with a deep red brick color

It all looks good though I really need to try out the latest release

[Baker]

Still, keep up the good work, and maybe we can see a few single player maps in there soon

I started to work on E1M7, but couldn't quite get a feel for it.

Needless to say, the DM maps have less textures per map. DM6 has under 10, DM4 about the same. DM3 has 58, I think, and was a bizarrely beautiful accident because I literally did 90% of the retexture of DM3 in under 2 minutes and it happened to look close.

DM1 looks great to me with the marble-like smooth look..

I wonder what DM2 would look like if the stone tile were diamond shaped instead..

DM5 IMO would look cooler with a deep red brick color

It all looks good though I really need to try out the latest release

Thanks! That's about 2 hours away.

If you have the sound turned off, it looks and feels as good as playing Quake (actually better) on the DM maps if you can ignore the rocket box skins

The state of sounds is best described as improved from pretty bad to almost ignorable most of the time.

[Baker]

Download: SynQ "Alpha 005" 7-Zip 27.9 MB (you need WinRAR to open it)

Sources: DM1-DM6 map sources/wad

SynQ "Alpha 005" Development Release:

7-Zip format, you will need WinRAR or 7-Zip to open the download.



Summary

This isn't quite where I want it, so there is not .zip file or installer. This is more of a stop gap release, I didn't have time to put all of the finishing touches on it. I'll be releasing another one maybe 8 or 9 hours from now if all goes well.

The Good

The deathmatch maps (DM1 thru DM6) look nice, in general. I still can imagine much better, but this will do for now.

The skin/texture for the LARGE (not small) cell boxes to me look good.

The default settings are super for maximum speed and ease of configuration; the built-in script aliases are user friendly. The F1 help is a good start.

The maps also appear to look nice in GLQuake-ish engines that do not support external textures --- MOSTLY. Some of the 8-bit Quake palette clones are terrible, particularly noticeable on DM5 and DM4.

The Bad

The rocket ammo boxes skin/textures are hideous.

The start map is a mess ... sorry. I decided to include an experiment textures and didn't have time to recompile it to remove the entities again.

The recompiled DM1-DM6 sometimes will crash a software renderer (joequake.exe), this appears to be related to the textures somehow and I imagine it is easy to fix.

Don't try any of this in a non-DarkPlaces engine for now. I need to figure out how I want to deal with engines that use different external texture naming conventions.

Silly QBSP, which I used to recompile the brush models (ammo/health boxes) didn't give me a warning message saying it couldn't find the textures like aguirRe's txqbsp does, so in non-DarkPlaces engines the brush models will be black.

The SuperZoom script (mouse3 default bind) only works in DarkPlaces. I will figure out an implementation to keep engine-specific stuff somewhere that other engines can't find things like in .pk3 files/Qrack folder and such).

The SuperZoom script (mouse3 default bind) prints script warning messages on-screen, although it does what it is supposed to do perfectly (it seems). I'll have to ask LordHavoc how I need to adjust the script to avoid that.

Quicky Quad/Pent/Ring replacement models. They look like poker chips for now. I haven't had time to put much emphasis on that.

The sounds. Needs a lot of work.

Other stuff? Probably!

Anyways, I hope to do another release in 8-9 hours fixing some of the above, but I wanted to get this out the door.

[kaeser]

i should be releasing a zipfile of my retextured e3m2 map this weekend, is there anywhere that i can/should put it?

[Baker]

I'll ask Echon @ QuakeDev for some more FTP log-ins; he seems to be a very busy guy so if you need somewhere to upload before I can get you a log-in, use FileFront and private message me a link in the mean time.

I look forward to seeing that

[Entar]

Silly QBSP

I recommend LordHavoc and Vic's hmap2, which can be found at LH's website. It's very easy to use, and works very well.

[kaeser]

okay, i'm heading to the cottage for an early weekend... yeahyeah, i'm still bringing work with me, and i can watch my g/f have fun. ANYways, please find replacement textures for e3m2 at the following link:

http://files.filefront.com//;7482299;;/

the theme is 'gilgamesh', one of my favorite eras. anti-deluvian. neat stuff.

ANYways, it's about 80% complete. most artwork comes from me running around photographing churches with my cellphone, and grabbing mesopotamian and sumerian cuneiform stuff from google image. noone owns photos of clay tablets. no, seriously. X�

i didn't spend any time on the crates and lava, because i assumed there were goign ot be universal ones for all maps. i did replace the teleports with peacock feathers... to feel like eyes staring out of the warp... i'm about 25% happy with the effect. i will also be tweaking the celtic designs, and replacing them with more mesopotamian/sumerian stuff.

SO -- looking forward to hearing some comments, the more critical the better, to better expediate my texture learning-curve.

peace,

[Baker]

Wow, some of the things you did in with the textures were SICK!

The effect when you press a button FREAKS ME OUT! I've never expected that in a Quake map. It still gives me chills.

2 things I noticed:

1. OMG the wood floor texture is bad. Distractingly bad! It ruins the other textures. Have no fear, I'll upload some various wood textures that have licenses compatible with the GPL.

2. The main stone texture -- the white stone -- maybe the color or something about that one bugs me. Personally I find white doesn't render well in Quake because it can't received lighting well (what's whiter than white? Well, nothing is .. ya know?)

3. I notice the painting/area/what not that has the texture ruined by the secret door. Don't worry about stuff like that (as long as it is very few instances). The map can be opened in a texture editor and the secret door texture alignment can be changed.

Other than that, there is a creativity in your texture choices that is very refreshing ... gives it qualities that I can't quite find a word to describe well.

I can see what you are trying to do and the concept is great. Some of it doesn't seem to mesh together well, but I know you are still working on it.

/Check private messages and I've sent you info and texture links that I think will be helpful.

[Baker]

Images of vanilla GL renderer shots and (yuck) software render:

Vanilla GL renderer with no 24-bit support:






Software renderer (WinQuakey):






JoeQuake.exe -- that's the WinQuake style version of JoeQuake -- not the GL version -- doesn't like the Yellow armor area of DM3 and crashes, but doesn't seem to mind the other maps.

[foq]

There's nothing wrong with the vanilla GL engine...
Even though that these textures are more advanced that Quake's shitty ones, I prefer Quake's shitty textures over these ones because these textures seem to be a little monotone, but this has come a long way since v1.0.

[Baker]

The more I've got into this, the more I've realized the single thing about Quake that really makes the DM feel the way it does are the good player sounds.

I've long played with custom textures, custom weapon models and custom models.

The player sounds are really what make a game.

I *have* used non-authentic player sounds with Quake that give it a good feel so I know from personal experience that different sounds can work; the main challenge is either locating, altering or making player sounds that feel good and, of course, fit with the GPL license.

There's nothing wrong with the vanilla GL engine...

I didn't say there was. I want the textures to look acceptably good in the native .bsp format.

[foq]

They are already acceptable, they just need less blandness, spice it up a bit with some more variety within the textures within the walls and stuff without it being monotoned

[Baker]

Yeah, they are already acceptable and do need less blandness. Working on the look and feel is rather easy. No fears there.

But in the very short term, I want to focus on the things that will improve the quality the most:

1. The player sounds suck. Turn the sound off, everything is wonderful. The player sounds ruin the feel.

2. Some of the item sounds need work; some are good and some are not good.

3. Kill bugs/annoyances. Some of the current sounds that are ambients aren't "right" and generate a "Total Channels == Max Channels" error in DarkPlaces. I need to recompile the ammo/health boxes, they appear as all black in Qrack and JoeQuake, probably because they are not lit properly.

And 1 model appears to crash software renderers, g_shot.mdl.

4. Get Qrack into the fold. Maximize the versatility of DarkPlaces and Qrack but in a way that "degrades gracefully" in the other clients, right now the default.cfg is awesome for DarkPlaces but contains a lot of DP specific cvars.

Qrack needs more "media" than DarkPlaces for a total conversion because Qrack uses customized content for the menus.

5. There are little things here and there that really need work. An example, the HUD is mostly perfect but about 15 of the graphics need some level or work/replacement. The character set needs to be brighter. The menu elements look nice, but are boring.