How do I make my OWN Quake mod?

Morphv2 · Post by **Morphv2** » Mon Nov 22, 2004 12:01 pm

I have several ideas for some awesome Quake mods. Are there any tutorials out there to help me learn how? And, is there any specific things I should do to ensure compatibility with the Dreamcast hardware?

Thank you in advance!

Post by **Tyne** » Mon Nov 22, 2004 4:04 pm

Inside3D.com has good QuakeC Tutorials for learning the QuakeC language; the meat and potatoes of Quake.

Then you can ask questions here and have them answered by Me or perhaps FrikaC or anyone else experienceed with quake, whoever swings by.

For keeping Dreamcast compatibility try and keep the level under 4 megabytes, but otherwise anything you can throw at the Dreamcast it'll most likely run - I'm surprised with what Envenom's doing right now on Dreamcast.

Morphv2 · Post by **Morphv2** » Mon Nov 22, 2004 9:48 pm

kool beans, thanks. Now, all i gotta do is find a quake model making program, since qME is nowhere to be found, then I will be all set!

TheDumbAss · Post by **TheDumbAss** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 8:34 pm

Model making programs?

http://www.edgefiles.com/dirs/965.html

good luck

Post by **Tyne** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 6:26 pm

Just wanted to add that if you need modding help a really good place is to check channel #qc on irc.gamesurge.net port 6667, this is the main quake community channel and contains QuakeC programmers and other general help for anything quake related. I'm known as "RenegadeC" in the channel.

Code-Red · Post by **Code-Red** » Sun Nov 28, 2004 2:04 am

I think I'll announce that I'm making a mod. While not necessarily for Dreamcast, I will keep it in mind. Here are some of my ideas, and no I dont know how long it will take me:

Main focus: Updating AI and physics
-Realistic and balanced weapons
-New maps for SP (I believe that is the problem with most mods, playing Quake's original levels over and over again, need to learn a map editor....only have experience making Half Life maps)
-Possibly new enemies and models, although most likely will use skins on existing
-Bunch of other stuff I'll release later
-Weapon experience system

I hate to say it, but I think I will be aiming for a single player Tacticle game.

mankrip · Post by **mankrip** » Sun Nov 28, 2004 7:08 am

I suggest you to take a look at the source for FrikBot X. It take quite a lot of time to fully understand it, but in the end you will have learned how to code enemies with a very good AI. You will also learn many stuff about how the physics works.

I don't know what you mean by "Realistic" weapons... If you're talking about per-polygon collision detection, like in Doom 3, it's impossible in the Dreamcast. LordHavoc was working on it for Darkplaces (a Quake engine for PCs), but I don't know if he finished it.

Making maps for Quake should be easy for you, since Half-Life maps are almost the same thing.

I have to admit that most of the original models in Quake sucks. If you can't find good Q1 models, you can get models from Quake 2 or Quake 3 and convert them. I guess it's possible to convert models from Half-Life also.

There are lots of tutorials for experience systems out there, just take a look at them and adapt them to your needs. You can find some at Inside3D.

Morphv2 · Post by **Morphv2** » Sun Nov 28, 2004 7:25 pm

Well, I don't know how far i'll get, but I have people helping me, so I will explain which mods I PLAN on doing.

GoldenEye Quake
a World War 1 mod
*something else*

*something else* = probably a test game that will utilize some kind of online connection, even if just a basic ginsu-type thing. JUst to see if it is workable.

Post by **Tyne** » Sun Nov 28, 2004 10:59 pm

The source for Frikbot X is not recommended for a newbie to look at, it'll make your head explode - heck, at times I don't fully understand it (cause I haven't looked at it too much). Also Fragger, Frikbots need an extra entity spawned in multiplayer games that helps with the physics, so his mod would have to set deathmatch 1 to work properly if he used FBX physics and doing that wouldn't allow saving to work.

My suggestion is to play around with the quakec source for a while doing things here and there to help you get familiar with the language, also don't attempt huge total conversions as your first project - most likely you'll get a bit done on it and then get stuck and abandon it (this often happens).

Try skimming defs.qc, comes in handy. :)

Working from scratch without Id's code to muck through is the best possible way to learn QuakeC in my opinion. Scratch rocks, progs106 is ugly, messy, and does a lot of things wrong but it's good to see how Id's done some things and then rewrite it better. =)

Another reason scratch rocks is because your mods don't feel like regular Quake mod rehashes, you're not basing your code on Id software thus your mod is completely original and far away from regular quake 1's gameplay/feel as possible!

Just thought I'd share some more advice...

mankrip · Post by **mankrip** » Mon Nov 29, 2004 12:19 am

I wasn't saying for him to actually implement FBX in his mod. I just suggested him to take a look at it to see a good number of things which can be done in terms of AI and to have a good idea about how the Quake's physics works.

And in my opinion it isn't a good idea to begin learning QuakeC by coding a mod from scratch without even looking at the QC code from Quake. Yes, id's QC source has a lot of problems, but it also has a lot of useful techniques which would take a good amount of time for someone without any knowledge of it to figure out how to do. If there's something in the Quake's QC source which suits your mod, there's no need to reinvent it.

Just to make it clear, I'm not saying that coding a mod from scratch is a bad idea either. I'm just saying that when there's something you don't know how to do, it is a good idea to look at how others have done it. Even if you don't end up using their code, it will always give you some knowledge, and this knowledge may lead you to the path of the solution.

Code-Red · Post by **Code-Red** » Mon Nov 29, 2004 1:42 am

Yea, I'm sampling from various qc bots (mainly FrikBot and Reaper) and tutorials since they basically the use same routines as the monster ai. I think I'll follow Tyne and build it from scratch, which I havent done before..... might give me a new perspective.

Fragger wrote:I don't know what you mean by "Realistic weapons... "

I'll make a semi and fully auto routine and determine how long its in use. The longer in use the farther "bullets" will stray from the crosshair (ex. Counter-Strike). I think I'll use real life weapons (Gooseman's Navy Seals could be used, they are kinda boring tho)....either that or I'll have my friend do some models up for me. Also, if I get around to it, I would like to try bullet ricochet and firing physics from scratch.

Post by **Tyne** » Mon Nov 29, 2004 5:48 am

If you get stuck also feel free to post a topic here asking for help, I'll gladly do some QuakeC on these forums to help you. Scratch has one huge advantage over progs106 and that is since you're writing it you'll know exactly how it works, and if anything goes wrong it's easy to debug unlike id's base.

TheDumbAss · Post by **TheDumbAss** » Mon Nov 29, 2004 10:04 pm

Dont forget about Tutorbot and its tutorials on the AI Cafe!

I found these old tutorials invaluable when I was working on my first project many years ago. I developed a few of my own enemys and targets for that project based around the tutorbot core using the tutorials and the knowledge I gathered during that time.

http://www.planetquake.com/minion/tutorial/main.htm

Also for those interested in a fast and stable DEATHMATCH ONLY mod core you could check out Electro's CleanDM which may be impossible to find... I did put Electro's CleanDM together with FrikaC's modified for dreamcast version of FrikbotX and FrikaC's FrikMenu though...

Get it here:
http://www.edgefiles.com/files/11492.html

so with that source straight out of the package you get fast, furious, and stable Deathmatch play; Bots that can play just as furiously; and a nice simple console friendly (and easily expandable) menu system. The problem is the total lack of singleplayer support. (but who says you cant put your own back in?)

Morphv2 · Post by **Morphv2** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 11:54 am

thank you all very much, and I will do so when it is required.