Quake Mod Help

[DeathMaster]

So, I've recently begun my time as a mapper for the original Quake and immediately I've run into some problems, as well as a few noobie concerns/questions:

1. How do you finalize a level as a .MAP file? I'm 100% positive there isn't an export function, and I can't find any good exporters that don't crash immediately or have some kind of strange error.

2. Are there any tutorials on making full mission packs, Scourge of Armagon/Dissolution of Eternity style? I'm a ****** for doing things the old fashioned way and crafting a full mission pack is something I've been wanting to do for a while.

Thanks in advance, and pardon my potential stupidity ()

[MadGypsy]

1) file->save
2) none that I am aware of.

if you meant BSP file you need a compiler. I could hook you up with everything ready to go but, every time I do nobody ever does anything with it.

[Baker]

So, I've recently begun my time as a mapper for the original Quake and immediately I've run into some problems

Func_Msgboard is where Quake mapping happens.

Ask in the mapping help thread there:

Func_Msgboard: Mapping Help

You might want to check out Jackhammer http://celephais.net/board/view_thre...61269&start=70 or TrenchBroom http://celephais.net/board/view_thre...908&start=2002

I would only get my mapping advice from people who have released a map, hence Func_Msgboard (and almost no one who participates here falls in that category).

[MadGypsy]

I would only get my mapping advice from people who have released a map

Yeah, that's where I got all of my advice.

It's a shame I never released a map or I just might have something to teach DeathMaster.

[cough] notanoob [/cough] ahhh that feels better. That was totally stuck in my throat .


DeathMaster - you should get information from anyone that can help you. You will know these people by the quality of their answer.

[Baker]

[cough] notanoob [/cough] ahhh that feels better. That was totally stuck in my throat .

No you aren't a newb, you just aren't familiar with where various mapping resources are because you don't use them and don't know about many of them.

Which is why you didn't answer his 2 questions, because you don't actually know what they are and where they are --- obviously you would be able to find some of them with Google, but that's no different than anyone else. Those guys there instantly know because they are very serious mappers who are very into mapping. They also know good resources from bad ones, and know more updated ones from less.

(The mapping help thread at func has 16000+ posts and can be viewed as single page and you can search it in your browser by doing CTRL+F.)

[DeathMaster]

You might want to check out Jackhammer or TrenchBroom.

TrenchBroom's actually what I've been using. It's a lot easier to use than WorldCraft.

[MadGypsy]

I'm amazed at the confidence of your assumptions.

[sock]

2. Are there any tutorials on making full mission packs, Scourge of Armagon/Dissolution of Eternity style? I'm a ****** for doing things the old fashioned way and crafting a full mission pack is something I've been wanting to do for a while.

There are no tutorials or guidelines for what you ask for as not many people have even made mission packs or multiple map packs. The best advice I can give you is create a story, work out your mission pack from the top down. Think about the journey first, where is the player going? (like locations), what things are they suppose do? (collect, change or destroy) If you are still stuck for ideas then try Call of Cthulhu Board games and Adventure packs

Once you have a big story arc for your mission pack, then think about the locations, what is special about each location, think about a landmark! Something you can make and be the central theme of the map. You should be able to describe each location in one sentence to someone else and they should be able to get the basic idea of the what the map is going to be about!

Map 2 - A dark stone tower clawing its way towards the sky perched atop a mountain of rock and to some, the home of the white wizards!

Once you have a story and a list of locations it will be easier to create one map at a time and plan for progression with weapons, monsters and items. Quake has always followed the theme of starting in a tech base, but there is nothing to say you can do it different and start in a graveyard or a cave!

I highly recommend you try and play existing community map maps, especially any from Tronyn like Arcanum or Unforgiven. Both are exceptional for gameplay and most importantly they have landmarks, a theme and feel like a journey.

The actual construction of maps, selecting textures, building encounters is not something you can easily teach in tutorials. Your best chance of making a map pack is first understand how an existing one is setup. Take the existing Quake map packs, work out what weapons were given in each map, the themes, the encounter progression, the pace, flow and the routes!

[Seven]

So, I've recently begun my time as a mapper for the original Quake and immediately I've run into some problems, as well as a few noobie concerns/questions:

1. How do you finalize a level as a .MAP file? I'm 100% positive there isn't an export function, and I can't find any good exporters that don't crash immediately or have some kind of strange error.

2. Are there any tutorials on making full mission packs, Scourge of Armagon/Dissolution of Eternity style? I'm a ****** for doing things the old fashioned way and crafting a full mission pack is something I've been wanting to do for a while.

Thanks in advance, and pardon my potential stupidity ()

Hello DeathMaster,

Baker gave you important links about the mapping community of Quake.
That path will certainly lead to answers of your questions no.1.

Sock gave you some basic ideas about how to approach making a map or an episode.

But I am unsure if I understood your question 2:
You mention the official mission packs. They have additional maps yes, but they also bring a big amount of new features.
Have you asked about features as well, or was your question only map related ?
I can only recommend to not plan on making a complete feature packed mission pack, when you are at the very beginning of Quake modding/mapping career.

Make small steps and learn small things first. Like your tool chains (that is essential when it comes to Quake modding). Your learning curve will be high when you do seperate things one after the other. Otherwise you might get frustated...

If your heart/passion is about mapping, then follow Bakers links and leave the gamecode aside first. Let others comment your first maps and learn from the old gurus at func to improve your next maps.
Then you can take a deep breath and dive into gamecode modding or modeling. That is where the real fun begins
There is another community dedicated to coding for example. Most of them hang out there: InsideQC Forums • Index page

Anyway, Best of luck DeathMaster !
And be sure to keep us updated.
Looking forward to your work

[DeathMaster]

If you are still stuck for ideas then try Call of Cthulhu Board games and Adventure packs

It's funny you should mention that, because I've actually been taking a lot of inspiration from Lovecraft. Perhaps the biggest help is F. Paul Wilson's The Keep, it's even got a map of the book's setting.

I've also been studying a lot of hellish imagrey, as to ensure that it isn't just Lovecraft stuff.

[DeathMaster]

So, I've managed to get my whole .BSP situation working, and I've settled on the latest version of Trenchbroom as my mapping software. I've begun screwing around with various ideas, like a map based on technology using Half-Life textures, one based on Hell, etc. and I noticed that there are a few elements featured in Quake that don't show up in Trenchbroom. For instance, this bastard right here:


Anyone know how I can incorporate this into my maps? I've tried looking it up and I've come up with absolutely nothing. I think he might be a zombie, but shooting it has no effect.

[Baker]

https://quakewiki.org/wiki/Zombie

[MadGypsy]

you have to add the crucified flag to the model, which basically turns it into a decoration. If trenchbroom has an entity inspector and your fgd is legit you should have a number of checkboxes that can be checked for entities (such as ambush, not_easy, etc). The zombie entity should have a "crucified" checkbox. You will have to manually position the zombie on the wall with the back of the bounding box sticking 12 units into the wall. The image below is of net radiant. It illustrates what I mean by checkboxes for spawnflags. Your editor should have similar options. If your editor does not have these options (that would be super crappy) you will have to manually add it to the .map file. Simply find your zombie in the .map and add "spawnflags" "1" between the curly brackets for that zombie entity. Keep in mind, if you make that change manually due to your editor or fgd being incomplete, if you save the .map through the editor again it will erase your modification.

[DeathMaster]

Thanks! I hope this turns out in my map.

[MadGypsy]

You're welcome.