Quake FAQ
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================================================================= 12/04/94 ==
"it should be renamed to liesdamnitlies" - dave taylor (id software)
=============================================================================
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[table of contents:]
------------------
[0] intro
[0.1] the doom-editing mailing list
[0.2] on version numbers
[0.3] quaketalk by mail and finger
[0.4] a real quake faq
[1] magazine articles and the likes
[2] irc, mail and usenet posting quotes
[3] peoples' .plan
[4] screenshots, previews, demos, betas
[5] outro
[5.1] credits
[5.2] version history
----------
[0 - intro:]
----------
quaketalk is an unofficial newsletter dedicated to 'quake - the fight
for justice', the new frp action game by id software, the company that
brought you the megaselling hits 'doom' and 'doom 2 - hell on earth'.
while very little is known about the game yet and id representatives
themselves repeatedly say they're only in a conceptual stage (tentative
release date, end of '95), i have made an effort to collect and publish
whatever quotes and facts (if they can be called that) i found. thus, bare
in mind, that everything here could be a total lie, as american 'yes, that
really is my name' mcgee (idsoftware) always likes to put it.
feel free to spread this in any form you like. post it to netnews, send
it to friends, upload it to a bbs or to other networks such as compuserve
and aol. do not, however, alter quaketalk in any way and, in particular,
do not remove my email adress or the credits towards the end of this
newsletter. if you spread quaketalk to other nets, please drop me a note
saying where you uploaded it to.
i'll gladly include info about quake that i may have missed, as long as
they have some factual basis. a magazine article, or a posting made by id
maybe. if you have a private email, please check with the sender, before
you have it published here. please remember to add the source and date of
the material you're sending too.
my email adress is joost.schuur@student.uni-tuebingen.de (this has
changed against since qt 2.10, so please use this one instead)
------------------------------------
[0.1 - the doom-editing mailing list:]
------------------------------------
you'll see several references to the doom editing mailing list. this is
a mailing list on 'advanced doom editing' that john romero from id is on.
this is _not_ a quake discussion forum. we discuss all aspects of doom
editing (.exe hacks, wads, be it levels, music, sound, editor/utility writing
e.g.) if you would like to join, send mail to majordomo@nvg.unit.no with the
following in the body of the mail:
subscribe doom-editing <your_email_adress>
bare in mind that this is not a newbie forum. we like to keep the noise
down a bit, so please don't post unless it's of an advanced nature.
as of november, i am no longer in charge of doom-editing, nor do i
subscribe to it. if you have a question directly related to doom-editing
(no quake questions please) get in touch with the new admin, tom holmes
<tom.holmes%224@satlink.oau.org>.
-------------------------
[0.2 - on version numbers:]
-------------------------
quaketalk is updated whenever i get new facts on quake. i'll increase
the version number according to how much the new stuff is. future versions
may include other segments on quake, maybe not just direct quotes from id
people. i'm open for suggestions, if there's something you want to see here,
let me know.
updates will carry a '->' in the first collumn. these will be the updates
since the last copy. check out the version history at the end too.
-----------------------------------
[0.3 - quaketalk by mail and finger:]
-----------------------------------
due to numerous requests, the latest quaketalk is now available by email
too. if you would like to automatically receive the newest copy, please
send me a note at my above adress with the words '[quaketalk by mail]' in
the header. this is not an automated service, i'm just massmailing everyone
who's on my list, and please remember to drop me a note if your email adress
is no longer valid.
you can also finger me at zxmsu01@hp10.zdv.uni-tuebingen.de to receive
the latest quaketalk.
-----------------------
[0.4 - a real quake faq:]
-----------------------
i had already started working on a true quake faq together with hank
leukart, the original doom faq author, when it occured to me, that id might
not be so happy with that. the stuff in quaketalk is after all, pure
quotes. a faq would be a mere speculatory matter at this point. we will
reconsider a quake faq when more info on quake comes out, probably not until
the beginning of next year. if you wish to contribute or help in a real
quake faq. get in touch with us too, please.
------------------------------------
[1 - magazine articles and the likes:]
------------------------------------
from the july '94 issue of computer gaming world (taken from the original
quake faq):
shakin' and quakin'
"what is the next huge leap? they wouldn't say much, still in the idea
phase and reluctant to build expectations too early, but they did tell
me thisthe name is quake, the game engine is completely brand new, and
the 3d world will be so complete and characters will have depth, rather than
being flat sprites. the current setting (notice i didn't say the evil
s-word, "story") is a fantasy world where the player becomes a thor-like
being weilding a giant hammer, which he can throw at or bludgeon anything
that moves. the world will have some real physics, so that characters will
tumble when when they fall from heights, and be knocked flat on their
backs. as romero was describing the multiplayer quake of his imagination,
he was literally hopping out of his seat and pantomiming the violent drama
between two warrior gods, punctuating the action with sound effect (which
he is given to in most conversation). if they can calm romero down long
enough to get some work done, id hopes to start working on quake in
september and a release date of christmas '95."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from the august '94 copy of pc format:
quake to hit in '95
id software's doom 2 is released on on 10 october, but details are already
beginning to emerge about quake, its successor which is scheduled for
release in the latter half of '95.
quake features a thor-like character who, armed with a massive hammer,
likes nothing better than to bludgeon his victims to death.
id is hoping to include some real physics in the game, so that characters
will twist and tumble through the air when they fall from a great height,
or be knocked flat on their back from a heavy blow. in-game sprites will
also be depicted in 3d, unlike the flat two-dimensional characters that
inhabit the doom games.
there will almost definitely be a multi-player link-up, as well as a vr
tie-in with a majoe manufacturer. the last point is probably the most
exciting, as many of the vr exhibitors at ces used doom to show off their
respective helmets' abilities. by producing a game with a specific headset
in mind, id software could finally kick-start the vr market in a b-i-g
way. prices of vr-headsets are already in freefall - five manufacturers
were showing off cheap sub-$200 helmets at the show - so a game designed
to work with them would be an instant hit and could even be part of a
bundling deal.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from the october issue of pc gamer:
pc gamer: "you've been reasonably quiet about the new project, quake, so
far. there must be something more you can tell us about it.?"
jay wilbur: "we're getting it together at the moment, it's in concept stage.
i'm reluctant to build up expectations, but i will say that it
will be a quantum leap over doom. currently the idea is to have
more realistic gameplay. in doom, for example, the characters
are all bitmaps and they're set in their ways. when you shoot a
character, he reacts in a programmed manner. maybe he throws
his arms out and leans his head back. and every time you shoot
him, no matter where you shoot him, he does the same thing.
it's like a dance. in qauke, we have polygon characters like
those seen in virtua fighters. we may texture map them so they
have a more realistic look, maybe not - that's in discussion
right now. but the idea is that if you shoot one of these
characters in the upper left quadrant, for example, his left
shoulder will be blasted back, he'll react more naturally.
we'll add the ability to look and move up and down. if you're
pushed off a ledge, physics comes into play. in doom, you
just kind of drop down, but in quake, if you fall of an edge
and your top heavy, you'll tumble. and your view will tumble
with you. of course it'll be very fast, but the whole world
will react accordingly."
pc gamer: "it all sounds very complex. the trick is, i suppose, to add all
this stuff while still keeping the game simple and intuitive"
jay: "absolutely. it has to be an intuitive game to play, so the
player can achieve instant success. with doom, all you need
are the four arrow keys, the fire button and the open door
key. other than that you don't need anything. you can achieve
instant success. you walk in, find somebody, press fire a
couple of times - and your successful. in quake, there'll be
more complex controls to deal with; you'll be able to take,
for example, an axe in your hand and slash it around, but the
control will be intuitive, like using the mouse."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from the november issue of multimedia magazine:
[...]
yet even as doom ii is hitting the street, the people at id
software (developers of the game) are already looking toward the future.
john romero, a lead designer and programmer at id, says the team is hard
at work on id's next generation game, quake. like doom, quake will be a
first-person, action-oriented, multiplayer shoot-'em-up -- but it will
take every element, from graphics to sound to game play, to an entirely
new level.
"the technology in quake will be much better than in doom,"
romero says, "the graphics will use 3-d rendered models, unlike the 2-d
images in doom. so if you walk around a pillar, you'll see it in full
360 degrees, as opposed to only eight different rotations in doom.
you'll also be able to move in six different directions, and they'll be
much better animation. we're also adding cool cinematic sequences that
take place while you're playing the game. basically, doom will feel
stiff compared to quake."
beyond enhanced visuals, quake will use additional techniques to
make the world appear more lifelike to the player. "we want quake to be
as realistic as possible, so there's no music in the background." says
romero. what you'll hear are "environmental sounds -- of owls and
crickets and monsters -- that are triggered by where you walk and look.
for instance, you're going along and you hear something. you turn toward
a cave and the sound, now ominous, grows louder. then, as you walk
toward the cave, the sound gets even louder, and a pair of red eyes
appear -- next thing, a monster's coming right at you, and you better get
the fuck out of there. just looking around makes it happen.
another major innovation accompanying the game's release will be
the free distribution of a server utility, which will allow the creation
of "remote, quake-based entertainment networks," according to romero.
dozens of players will be able to enter a game simultaneously, even if
they're playing on different machines. (quake will likely be released on
every computer and video game platform except those made by nintendo -- a
result of id's righteous indignation over the censorship of its first
hit, wolfenstein 3-d, when it was portthen everyone gets
into the market. and they may have good technology, but they don't
understand design. they just don't know what it takes to make a a cool
game," he says. "in the meantime, we've already moved on to the next
thing. so we're not worried at all. like our other releases, quake will
be the first of its kind. nothing else will ever be close."
prepare to be shaken and stirred.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-> from the doom 2 strategy guide, an interview between ed dille
-> and john romero:
-> ed: what is your development process?
-> jr: quake will require a totally new editor. that's going
-> to take a long time to do. with quake, there isn't even a
-> premise yet. there's just kind of a feel for the thing.
-> there isn't any story.... well, there is kind of a vague
-> story, but there isn't anything solid because halfway
-> through the development of the game we'll probably have to
-> throw it out and redo it. because we'll have learned so
-> much about the technology and the way the engine works and
-> what's cool that what we did before will suck. so we'll do
-> a lot of development for the game, then probably throw it
-> out about halfway through. that way, when a game comes out,
-> it's great. that's how we learn and make cool games.
-> ed: how is id improving its game design as time goes on?
-> jr: with quake, we're going to move the [3d] design along
-> further. the 3d engine has gotten to the point where it's
-> going to be almost as much fun to experience the environment
-> as it is to actually play the game. you should be walking
-> around in quake just in awe, looking around and going, "this
-> is awesome!"
-> and there won't be background music. in every game
-> we've done there has always been background music and sound
-> effects, right? the soundtrack is always there while you're
-> playing. there will be no soundtrack. we're going to make
-> you feel like you're in a real world. there will be bugs
-> and birds flying around. you'll be looking around, going,
-> "this is great! hey, i wonder what's over there?" so you
-> start walking over toward some forest. there will be a lot
-> of cinematic things in the game. of course, we'll never
-> stop the game just for a cinematic. we never do that. what
-> we will do [is something] like this: say you're walking into
-> a forest, which looks just awesome, and all of the sounds
-> are different, and it's dark, and to the right you see this
-> dark cave or something. as soon as you look at that cave,
-> something is going to happen. you'll hear some kind of low,
-> evil kind of sound, and something will trigger, even just
-> from your looking at this area. maybe some red eyes will
-> start glowing in there and maybe a growl or something. so
-> you can take off or you can charge in there, whatever you
-> want to do.
-> of course, you'll still be able to pulverize stuff.
-> that's just something to do and it's a lot of fun. i mean,
-> when you play deathmatch, it's just great blowing people
-> away. it is just totally fun. and we think that's still
-> important. you get lots of feedback from it. it's a fun
-> thing that you can't do in real life unless you want to go
-> to jail, and it's a guy thing. so you're still gonna kill
-> things in quake, but not like in doom ii. in doom ii, you
-> mow things down by the dozen. in quake you'll fight, say,
-> three monsters at the max. probably you'll fight three
-> guys, but it's going to be like a virtual fighter. there
-> will be more skill involved in the fighting. you won't be
-> holding the gun in front of you. in the games you've played
-> before, you're still kind of distanced from the death.
-> you're pointing the shotgun at something, you're pulling the
-> trigger, and it shoots and the thing is dead. all you had
-> to do was press the button. - you move the mouse and press
-> the button - and it's as easy as that. in quake, you'll
-> really have to kill things. you won't just press the
-> trigger and hit it, you'll have to really beat the living
-> shit out of the thing until it's dead. so you'll have this
-> huge hammer and you'll pound it into blood paste on the
-> floor, and you're going to have to take awhile, too. you're
-> going to have to work on it. you won't just have this arrow
-> point-and-click kind of thing.
-> ...quake will be the ultimate. you are not going to
-> believe quake. quake is going to be an industry when it
-> comes out.
-> ed: [grunt of disbelief]
-> jr: it will! we're going to encourage people to start
-> businesses based on quake. we'll upload the server software
-> for quake onto the net, which means that anyone can take the
-> quake game and create a whole new game off it, a totally
-> different game off the server software. like a location
-> based center. we're going to allow people to go location
-> based quake as much as they want. no fees. we upload the
-> server software and if you want to start a location-based
-> quake center, do it. the only way we make money is that you
-> have to buy the client. so let's say someone wants to start
-> a location-based quake center and they think this sgi is an
-> awesome powerhouse server that can supply 10 nodes with no
-> problem. so they buy this awesome sgi machine, they
-> recompile quake on the machine because we've supplied a full
-> the source code, and then the pcs are hooked into the sgi
-> for the playing of the game. the client - the code that
-> runs on the pcs - the guy has to buy from us. so we just
-> sold 10 copies of the game to this guy; that's it. we sold
-> 10 copies of the game and we're happy. and the guy got
-> himself a business where people come in and pay him to let
-> them play quake. it's gonna be great! we're going to let
-> people create new games.
-> the game industry will really have kind of a tough time
-> with it, because we're going to give away the ultimate game
-> engine for free and let people create whatever they want.
-> there won't be any licensing-the-technology thing. it will
-> just be "buy the client from us." there's gonna be kind of
-> a mini-shakedown-type thing about who's going to take the
-> quake technology and create games and who isn't. i mean,
-> why waste you own development effort when the coolest 3d
-> engine is out there? and we'll develop another one and do
-> the same thing.
-> so we'll supply you with the industry while everyone
-> else is using it for cool stuff. and [the users] can
-> rewrite the rules of the game - no problem - because they
-> have the server software to create any game they want based
-> off it. and they have this incredible 3d universe where
-> they can create any kind of game they want and they don't
-> have to pay for it, except for the client, which interprets
-> all the information being sent and does the actual 3d
-> rendering. so quake will be huge when it comes out.
-> ed: how do you feel about the creeping up of the hardware
-> standards for games?
-> jr: we think that when people get the game, most of them
-> should have a fun time. the people who won't have a fun
-> time are people who we consider are going into the dark
-> ages; they should consider upgrading. you need to look at
-> the benchmark systems that people have - what does everyone
-> have? most of them have 486s. so even quake, when it comes
-> out in the fall of next year, is going to be built for a
-> 486; it isn't going to be built for a pentium.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------
[2 - irc, mail and usernet posting quotes:]
-----------------------------------------
from the doom-editing mailing list (doom-editing@nvg.unit.no)
on fri, 5 aug 94 11:38:19:
quake will be totally externally programmable. a planar surface (as opposed
to line triggers, switches, etc.) will have an activation tag. anything with
a matching tag will contain the action that should be performed on itself.
thus, walking on a certain surface with an activation tag will make the
program search the world for matching tags. a match will make the program
check the object for the type of action to be done. this allows one action
to affect many actions, i.e., walking into a large room can close the door
behind you, turn the lights off, raise 5 staircases and release 10 monster
holding pens.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from the doom-editing mailing list (doom-editing@nvg.unit.no)
on fri, 5 aug 94 17:25:53:
quake will be extremely modular -- doom was just the tip-of-the-iceberg
experiment. we will be more cooperative than you can imagine -- how does
uploading the quake server code sound? that way, anyone could recompile
quake for any super server system.
quake is in true 3-d. not faked doom 2-d/ 3-d.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from the doom-editing mailing list (doom-editing@nvg.unit.no)
on fri, 5 aug 94 15:56:23 (on sector tagged actions):
total freedom. nothing will be hard coded into the executable. more than
likely, the action will be a text descriptor that will match a function name
or somesuch.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from the doom-editing mailing list (doom-editing@nvg.unit.no)
on fri, 5 aug 94 16:02:48 (on scanning for sector tags)
for speed, of course we'll be using index lookups. i'm trying to describe
the overall idea, not the actual implementation. and depending on our
long-range goals with quake, we may not even use indexes if we want the
gameworld to be continuously modifyable -- esp. for real-time multi-player
connections where a "god" person is building a new structure in the world
where 100 people are playing at the same time as the level design in the
level they're playing.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from the doom-editing mailing list (doom-editing@nvg.unit.no)
on fri, 5 aug 94 16:02:48:
<much programming structure and ideas deleted>
don't worry. quake will be done right.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from ddt@idsoftare.com on sun aug 7 21:53 cdt 1994:
(credits to scott bessler (scott@grayfox.svs.com))
> ... i have a question about quake, you have been quoted
> as saying it'll support 100 players.
not me, man. that sounds like something romero would say. the
truth is that we have no clue how many players it will support
until we're done writing it.
the game will be well-geared to pay-for services where you have a nice
server like a medium-end workstation. it will allow more users and
still offer smooth play.
the required line speed will depend on a lot of factors. we'll
have no idea how fast it will need to be until we've coded it.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from the doom-editing mailing list (doom-editing@nvg.unit.no)
on tue, 9 aug 94 10:09:21
quake has gravity. down is down.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from the doom-editing mailing list (doom-editing@nvg.unit.no)
on mon, 8 aug 94 10:59:20
in quake, we're aiming for a total d&d fantasy adventure and, yes, there will
be dragons! (we hope. remember, we could be lying. :)
that's how quake will be programmed! not one single bit of information will
be hard-coded -- everything's external! we will supply a language compiler
for the c-type language that we'll use for quake's external code modules.
id software will never again get any code programmed by an outside source (in
doom, the only external id code was the sound code.) we will program our own
sound code, but are planning to use the vesa sound spec.
quake will be client/server only -- even a single-player quake session will,
inreality, be a client/server setup with the client process and server process
residing in the same system. we will make the setup as painless as possible.
quake's shareware exe will only work with the shareware version, unless you
register (the client), in which case you will be able to play the registered
version and all the wads available.
probably an oversight. quake will use none of doom's code. except for the
memory zone allocation. the wad utilities will be revised.
quake will run well on a pentium, but a 486 is required. it's just a notch up
from doom's requirements386 required, 486 recommended.
hopefully, the initial shareware release will handle real dynamic maps. id's
quakenet will definitely have this ability. we're hoping to start another
small company that is a pure 24-hour quakefest! (hey -- we want a piece of
the action, too!:) it might be a couple dozen players modem-linked into a
lightning-speed server, but we're really targeting quake to be the first home
cable game -- brought to you through your set-top box and played on your huge
tv screen!
quake's level editor is true 3-d. we've just started quakeed.
quakeed is using a real-time 3-d bsp generator. it will be optimized. bsps
are awesome tools -- they can be used in many different types of applications.
quake will probably use a few different types of bsp trees. the guy that
invented bsps visited us and taught carmack even more shit.
quake will not have 1 sprite in it -- all objects will be hi-res 3-d models.
texture-mapped polygons, but hi-res so they're not bad-looking. much better
than alone in the dark's.
i didn't mention this before, but sound is a major integral part of the quake
design and, yes, you will be able to wear a headphone/microphone unit (which we
will also sell -- made by koss) and speak to each other (over a lan only) --
but not as a headset comm. you will be "speaking into" the game world, so the
closer you are to someone, the louder your voice is. and the monsters have
ears, too!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from johnr@idsoftware.com on thu 11, aug 94 12:25:59
the quake-by-cable will definatly won't be in the first release -- it's a
couple years away at the least :)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from jay wilbur on irc wed aug 24 21:35:32 mesz 1994:
'quake is working. carmack is testing the concepts.'
'a quake faq...already? ... bitchin!' (on quaketalk ;)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from american mcgee on irc september 3rd, 1994:
'yes. this is something that will go into it first thing' (on slippery floor)
'for everyone else it will be very hard. for us it should not be to hard.
we will be running it on very fast hp geckos.' (on making a quake level)
'it should not be much larger than doom.' (the size of quake on your hd)
'it will be more of an action game' (as opposed to an rgp/mud)
'we are still working on that idea. i think the only thing you will gain
is a killed/kills thing.' (on players gaining experience)
'ideal would be pentium' (on the ideal system for quake)
'the interactive-ness of the people who will be playing.' (on the most major
golly-gee-wizz-bang feature of quake)
'the resolution will be much better.'
'yes, headsets will be a big thing in quake. lan = headset.'
'hammers for sure. i don't know what else.' (on weapons)
'this is one of the main features of quake.' (on 3rd party quake addons)
'there will be some sort of demo out soon enough.'
'there will be some sort of quake start-up package for those of you who want
to buy a quake server.'
'there will be gravity.'
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from john romero's posting to aol, 1 dec 1994 01:46:36:
okay, people. it seems that everyone is speculating on whether quake is
going to be a slow, rpg-style light-action game.
wrong!
what does id do best and dominate at? can you say "action"? i knew you
could. quake will be constant, hectic action throughout -- possibly
moreso than doom. i will be concentrating on making quake the most
disquieting and upsetting game on the planet. very, very evil. doom's
"evil" was really non-existent. quake must be evil -- but correctly done
evil that doesn't become tiring and sophomore-ish. it must be honestly
and truly disturbing.
what's cooking with quake at this minute?
well, we have our sgi (indigo2) running alias, which is the modeller we
are using to create everything with, except the maps. quakeed is in its
we have multi-player working right now with lots of connections. players
are able to hop in and connect to the quakeserver at any time while a game
is going. you can also hop out at will and rejoin later. yes, it is
working right now.
oh yeah, our alias to idmodel converter is finished and we have actual
alias models in quake's 3d engine. oh yeah, the 3d engine is up and
running right now, although it's unoptimized and the texture mapping
isn't being done properly yet.
-------------------
[3 - people's .plan:]
-------------------
from johnr@idsoftware.com's .plan:
the next game is going to blow doom all to hell. doom totally sucks
in comparison to our next game, quakethe fight for justice! quake
is going to be a bigger step over doom than doom was over wolf3d
(ya know -- doom = pong). we won't start developing quake until fall'94...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from help@idsoftware.com's .plan, on july 25th 6:14pm:
this will not be out until sometime next summer.
john carmack is currently designing the engine.
multi-player should go something like this:
someone owns a fast server somewhere. you dial in and join the
game in progress. ten or more people at a time can be in the world.
you will not need a pentium to play quake. everyone knows you don't
need one for doom either... but it doesn't hurt anything.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from help@idsoftware.com's .plan:
status of quake---updated: tue, aug 9th 11:38am
john now has a simple (slow) engine running. it uses converted
doom maps and runs them with flats for textures. it looks really
cool.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from help@idsoftware.com's .plan, on september 2nd:
ok, imagine this. you have a health thing and you don't need it.
you meet someone in the game who has a nice weapon but is really
low on health. you guys decide to exchange items. you don't really
trust this guy so you bring along a friend and tell him to hide out
somewhere with a bead on the other guy's head. you meet somewhere
in the middle of a field and face off. you drop your health, he drops
his weapon and you both strafe over the object of your desire. you
start to back away (not turning your back on him) and suddenly decide
you're going to whack this guy before he gets a chance to use that
health. you move towards him and draw back with your hammer. he notices
this and starts to duck, but it's too late. you smash him in the head
and watch him fly down to the ground, landing on his side. you smash
his still body a few more times and cause him to explode! now you and
your friend pick up all of the items your dead friend left on the
ground. as you are walking off you pick up his severed head and put
it in a bag. that will come in useful later... when you need something
to sacrifice to a demon.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from help@idsoftware's .plan, on sat, oct 29th 4:21pm:
john has a faster engine working now. groundwork for network play
has been finished. looking _very_ cool. for those of you who still
have a wife, kids, a job, and a life after doom, this game is for _you_.
you doom junkies will have a new fix...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from john romero's aol profile:
quote: quake will rule the cosmos. doom will then crumble.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from help@idsoftware's .plan, on sat, dec 2nd 2:20pm:
this will not be out until sometime next winter.
ok, ok... you guys wanted more.
as of today the following things are working/semi-working:
network play
basic engine
object modeling
map editor
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
network play:
server/client code is functioning great. set up a quake server on
a next, linux, or sgi box. once the server is running you
get on another machine (next, linux, sgi) and log into the server.
a play window opens and you can see the other players, move around,
quit out, get back in, etc... there is no deathmatch yet, but this
will be the first part of the game to be working... monsters etc, will
be added in later.
basic engine:
this is running pretty fast. in network mode it slows down somewhat,
but this will be reversed soon. (network will be faster than single
player.) right now we are using a part of doom map 1 1 to test the
engine.
object modeling:
kevin created a model of a person that only consists of about 200
polygons. this model looks surprisingly good... we had thought we
would need more polygons per model to create the amount of detail
we want. so far this is the only "thing" in the game. he does not
animate, but it is still cool to watch him be "born". at the moment
he is textured with the art from the cyberdemon.
map editor:
john also has a map editor in the works. at this point it looks
somewhat like 3d studio, with a camera view and a top down view
of the thing you are working on. you can add and subtract blocks
of "material" from the view. these are the building blocks of the
world... no, you will not be limited to blocks in the finished game.
all of this will come together very soon to create one of the most
awesome network/3d games in the world... if not the most awesome
(ok, who are we kidding? it will be the most awesome hehe.)
----------------------------------------
[4 - screenshots, previews, demos, betas:]
----------------------------------------
now that your mouth is watering after all that you've read about quake,
you'll probably want to see more, right? hehe. i thought so. well, watch
this space in the future for any info on screenshots, previews, demos,
betas or the likes.
as i've said before, quake is still far from being finished and you
can take my word on this, there are no betas available, no matter what
your /<-rad friends said they found on their 31337 ftp/fsp sites. let me
relay a quote of ddt on irc late november '94:
"<dtaylor> lot, wish we had a quake beta."
'nuff said, come back in half a year ;)
----------
[5 - outro:]
----------
no outro yet. maybe next time ;) i know, i know. i keep saying that.
heck, what do you want to see in an outro?
--------------
[5.1 - credits:]
--------------
me <joost.schuur@student.uni-tuebingen.de> (lotlhwi@irc)
for doing most of the work ;)
william lachance <ad904@freenet.carleton.ca>
for the pc format article
rick hammerstone <rickh@gcctech.com>
for getting me a copy of the original quake faq
scott bessler <scott@grayfox.svs.com> (jackyl@irc)
for an excerpt from his mail with ddt
toby nichols <toby_nichols/t/gb/3com%3com@3mail.3com.com>
for the october pc gamer article
alex lee <alee@access.digex.net> (sirace@irc)
for the november multimedia magazine article
art s. <arts8@aol.com>
for john romero's profile from aol
jordan feinman <jordanf@globalone.net>
for john romero's first posting to alt.games.quake
dan cerman <decerman@ouray.cudenver.edu>
for telling me when i released qt 1.00 ;)
-> david laprad <psc10003@mtsu.edu>
-> for the dille/romero interview from the d2 strategy guide
----------------------
[5.2 - version history:]
----------------------
1.00 (08/09/94) - first edition. i simply cut and pasted all the quake
quotes from romero and the .plan's in a file and
spiffed it up a bit.
1.01 (08/16/94) - added credits to ddt's email about quake and changed
the intro.
1.10 (08/22/94) - added the magazine article section and the version
history.
1.11 (08/24/94) - jayw's brief quake comment on irc added.
1.20 (08/31/94) - pc format article added. credits section.
1.50 (09/02/94) - quake stuff from help@id's .plan added.
1.55 (09/03/94) - mcgee's comments on quake on irc.
1.55a (09/12/94) - i'm no longer looking for the original quake faq, thanks
to all those who sent me a copy. finger me at
zxmsu01@hp10.zdv.uni-tuebingen.de for the latest issue
of quaketalk.
1.70 (10/14/94) - october pc gamer article added. comments on a true quake
faq. slight restructurisations.
2.00 (10/23/94) - multimedia article added. table of contents.
2.05 (11/04/94) - new help@id's .plan info, different email adr. of mine,
typos added.
2.10 (11/09/94) - newest quaketalk now available by mail. new intro.
2.30 (12/03/94) - id's more detailed quake status info from their .plan,
screenshots, previews, demos, beta section.
yet another (minute) change in my email adress)
2.40 (12/04/94) - john romero's first posting to alt.games.quake
-> 2.60 (12/12/94) - romero/dille interview from the d2 strategy guide
-j
_ /////// ///// // // //
__ _ _ _ __ _| | _____ / // // // // //
/ _` | | | |/ _` | |/ / _ \ / // // // ////
| (_| | |_| | (_| | < __/ / /////// // // //
\__, |\__,_|\__,_|_|\_\___| / // // /////// // //
|_|
================================================================= 12/04/94 ==
"it should be renamed to liesdamnitlies" - dave taylor (id software)
=============================================================================
------------------
[table of contents:]
------------------
[0] intro
[0.1] the doom-editing mailing list
[0.2] on version numbers
[0.3] quaketalk by mail and finger
[0.4] a real quake faq
[1] magazine articles and the likes
[2] irc, mail and usenet posting quotes
[3] peoples' .plan
[4] screenshots, previews, demos, betas
[5] outro
[5.1] credits
[5.2] version history
----------
[0 - intro:]
----------
quaketalk is an unofficial newsletter dedicated to 'quake - the fight
for justice', the new frp action game by id software, the company that
brought you the megaselling hits 'doom' and 'doom 2 - hell on earth'.
while very little is known about the game yet and id representatives
themselves repeatedly say they're only in a conceptual stage (tentative
release date, end of '95), i have made an effort to collect and publish
whatever quotes and facts (if they can be called that) i found. thus, bare
in mind, that everything here could be a total lie, as american 'yes, that
really is my name' mcgee (idsoftware) always likes to put it.
feel free to spread this in any form you like. post it to netnews, send
it to friends, upload it to a bbs or to other networks such as compuserve
and aol. do not, however, alter quaketalk in any way and, in particular,
do not remove my email adress or the credits towards the end of this
newsletter. if you spread quaketalk to other nets, please drop me a note
saying where you uploaded it to.
i'll gladly include info about quake that i may have missed, as long as
they have some factual basis. a magazine article, or a posting made by id
maybe. if you have a private email, please check with the sender, before
you have it published here. please remember to add the source and date of
the material you're sending too.
my email adress is joost.schuur@student.uni-tuebingen.de (this has
changed against since qt 2.10, so please use this one instead)
------------------------------------
[0.1 - the doom-editing mailing list:]
------------------------------------
you'll see several references to the doom editing mailing list. this is
a mailing list on 'advanced doom editing' that john romero from id is on.
this is _not_ a quake discussion forum. we discuss all aspects of doom
editing (.exe hacks, wads, be it levels, music, sound, editor/utility writing
e.g.) if you would like to join, send mail to majordomo@nvg.unit.no with the
following in the body of the mail:
subscribe doom-editing <your_email_adress>
bare in mind that this is not a newbie forum. we like to keep the noise
down a bit, so please don't post unless it's of an advanced nature.
as of november, i am no longer in charge of doom-editing, nor do i
subscribe to it. if you have a question directly related to doom-editing
(no quake questions please) get in touch with the new admin, tom holmes
<tom.holmes%224@satlink.oau.org>.
-------------------------
[0.2 - on version numbers:]
-------------------------
quaketalk is updated whenever i get new facts on quake. i'll increase
the version number according to how much the new stuff is. future versions
may include other segments on quake, maybe not just direct quotes from id
people. i'm open for suggestions, if there's something you want to see here,
let me know.
updates will carry a '->' in the first collumn. these will be the updates
since the last copy. check out the version history at the end too.
-----------------------------------
[0.3 - quaketalk by mail and finger:]
-----------------------------------
due to numerous requests, the latest quaketalk is now available by email
too. if you would like to automatically receive the newest copy, please
send me a note at my above adress with the words '[quaketalk by mail]' in
the header. this is not an automated service, i'm just massmailing everyone
who's on my list, and please remember to drop me a note if your email adress
is no longer valid.
you can also finger me at zxmsu01@hp10.zdv.uni-tuebingen.de to receive
the latest quaketalk.
-----------------------
[0.4 - a real quake faq:]
-----------------------
i had already started working on a true quake faq together with hank
leukart, the original doom faq author, when it occured to me, that id might
not be so happy with that. the stuff in quaketalk is after all, pure
quotes. a faq would be a mere speculatory matter at this point. we will
reconsider a quake faq when more info on quake comes out, probably not until
the beginning of next year. if you wish to contribute or help in a real
quake faq. get in touch with us too, please.
------------------------------------
[1 - magazine articles and the likes:]
------------------------------------
from the july '94 issue of computer gaming world (taken from the original
quake faq):
shakin' and quakin'
"what is the next huge leap? they wouldn't say much, still in the idea
phase and reluctant to build expectations too early, but they did tell
me thisthe name is quake, the game engine is completely brand new, and
the 3d world will be so complete and characters will have depth, rather than
being flat sprites. the current setting (notice i didn't say the evil
s-word, "story") is a fantasy world where the player becomes a thor-like
being weilding a giant hammer, which he can throw at or bludgeon anything
that moves. the world will have some real physics, so that characters will
tumble when when they fall from heights, and be knocked flat on their
backs. as romero was describing the multiplayer quake of his imagination,
he was literally hopping out of his seat and pantomiming the violent drama
between two warrior gods, punctuating the action with sound effect (which
he is given to in most conversation). if they can calm romero down long
enough to get some work done, id hopes to start working on quake in
september and a release date of christmas '95."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from the august '94 copy of pc format:
quake to hit in '95
id software's doom 2 is released on on 10 october, but details are already
beginning to emerge about quake, its successor which is scheduled for
release in the latter half of '95.
quake features a thor-like character who, armed with a massive hammer,
likes nothing better than to bludgeon his victims to death.
id is hoping to include some real physics in the game, so that characters
will twist and tumble through the air when they fall from a great height,
or be knocked flat on their back from a heavy blow. in-game sprites will
also be depicted in 3d, unlike the flat two-dimensional characters that
inhabit the doom games.
there will almost definitely be a multi-player link-up, as well as a vr
tie-in with a majoe manufacturer. the last point is probably the most
exciting, as many of the vr exhibitors at ces used doom to show off their
respective helmets' abilities. by producing a game with a specific headset
in mind, id software could finally kick-start the vr market in a b-i-g
way. prices of vr-headsets are already in freefall - five manufacturers
were showing off cheap sub-$200 helmets at the show - so a game designed
to work with them would be an instant hit and could even be part of a
bundling deal.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from the october issue of pc gamer:
pc gamer: "you've been reasonably quiet about the new project, quake, so
far. there must be something more you can tell us about it.?"
jay wilbur: "we're getting it together at the moment, it's in concept stage.
i'm reluctant to build up expectations, but i will say that it
will be a quantum leap over doom. currently the idea is to have
more realistic gameplay. in doom, for example, the characters
are all bitmaps and they're set in their ways. when you shoot a
character, he reacts in a programmed manner. maybe he throws
his arms out and leans his head back. and every time you shoot
him, no matter where you shoot him, he does the same thing.
it's like a dance. in qauke, we have polygon characters like
those seen in virtua fighters. we may texture map them so they
have a more realistic look, maybe not - that's in discussion
right now. but the idea is that if you shoot one of these
characters in the upper left quadrant, for example, his left
shoulder will be blasted back, he'll react more naturally.
we'll add the ability to look and move up and down. if you're
pushed off a ledge, physics comes into play. in doom, you
just kind of drop down, but in quake, if you fall of an edge
and your top heavy, you'll tumble. and your view will tumble
with you. of course it'll be very fast, but the whole world
will react accordingly."
pc gamer: "it all sounds very complex. the trick is, i suppose, to add all
this stuff while still keeping the game simple and intuitive"
jay: "absolutely. it has to be an intuitive game to play, so the
player can achieve instant success. with doom, all you need
are the four arrow keys, the fire button and the open door
key. other than that you don't need anything. you can achieve
instant success. you walk in, find somebody, press fire a
couple of times - and your successful. in quake, there'll be
more complex controls to deal with; you'll be able to take,
for example, an axe in your hand and slash it around, but the
control will be intuitive, like using the mouse."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from the november issue of multimedia magazine:
[...]
yet even as doom ii is hitting the street, the people at id
software (developers of the game) are already looking toward the future.
john romero, a lead designer and programmer at id, says the team is hard
at work on id's next generation game, quake. like doom, quake will be a
first-person, action-oriented, multiplayer shoot-'em-up -- but it will
take every element, from graphics to sound to game play, to an entirely
new level.
"the technology in quake will be much better than in doom,"
romero says, "the graphics will use 3-d rendered models, unlike the 2-d
images in doom. so if you walk around a pillar, you'll see it in full
360 degrees, as opposed to only eight different rotations in doom.
you'll also be able to move in six different directions, and they'll be
much better animation. we're also adding cool cinematic sequences that
take place while you're playing the game. basically, doom will feel
stiff compared to quake."
beyond enhanced visuals, quake will use additional techniques to
make the world appear more lifelike to the player. "we want quake to be
as realistic as possible, so there's no music in the background." says
romero. what you'll hear are "environmental sounds -- of owls and
crickets and monsters -- that are triggered by where you walk and look.
for instance, you're going along and you hear something. you turn toward
a cave and the sound, now ominous, grows louder. then, as you walk
toward the cave, the sound gets even louder, and a pair of red eyes
appear -- next thing, a monster's coming right at you, and you better get
the fuck out of there. just looking around makes it happen.
another major innovation accompanying the game's release will be
the free distribution of a server utility, which will allow the creation
of "remote, quake-based entertainment networks," according to romero.
dozens of players will be able to enter a game simultaneously, even if
they're playing on different machines. (quake will likely be released on
every computer and video game platform except those made by nintendo -- a
result of id's righteous indignation over the censorship of its first
hit, wolfenstein 3-d, when it was portthen everyone gets
into the market. and they may have good technology, but they don't
understand design. they just don't know what it takes to make a a cool
game," he says. "in the meantime, we've already moved on to the next
thing. so we're not worried at all. like our other releases, quake will
be the first of its kind. nothing else will ever be close."
prepare to be shaken and stirred.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-> from the doom 2 strategy guide, an interview between ed dille
-> and john romero:
-> ed: what is your development process?
-> jr: quake will require a totally new editor. that's going
-> to take a long time to do. with quake, there isn't even a
-> premise yet. there's just kind of a feel for the thing.
-> there isn't any story.... well, there is kind of a vague
-> story, but there isn't anything solid because halfway
-> through the development of the game we'll probably have to
-> throw it out and redo it. because we'll have learned so
-> much about the technology and the way the engine works and
-> what's cool that what we did before will suck. so we'll do
-> a lot of development for the game, then probably throw it
-> out about halfway through. that way, when a game comes out,
-> it's great. that's how we learn and make cool games.
-> ed: how is id improving its game design as time goes on?
-> jr: with quake, we're going to move the [3d] design along
-> further. the 3d engine has gotten to the point where it's
-> going to be almost as much fun to experience the environment
-> as it is to actually play the game. you should be walking
-> around in quake just in awe, looking around and going, "this
-> is awesome!"
-> and there won't be background music. in every game
-> we've done there has always been background music and sound
-> effects, right? the soundtrack is always there while you're
-> playing. there will be no soundtrack. we're going to make
-> you feel like you're in a real world. there will be bugs
-> and birds flying around. you'll be looking around, going,
-> "this is great! hey, i wonder what's over there?" so you
-> start walking over toward some forest. there will be a lot
-> of cinematic things in the game. of course, we'll never
-> stop the game just for a cinematic. we never do that. what
-> we will do [is something] like this: say you're walking into
-> a forest, which looks just awesome, and all of the sounds
-> are different, and it's dark, and to the right you see this
-> dark cave or something. as soon as you look at that cave,
-> something is going to happen. you'll hear some kind of low,
-> evil kind of sound, and something will trigger, even just
-> from your looking at this area. maybe some red eyes will
-> start glowing in there and maybe a growl or something. so
-> you can take off or you can charge in there, whatever you
-> want to do.
-> of course, you'll still be able to pulverize stuff.
-> that's just something to do and it's a lot of fun. i mean,
-> when you play deathmatch, it's just great blowing people
-> away. it is just totally fun. and we think that's still
-> important. you get lots of feedback from it. it's a fun
-> thing that you can't do in real life unless you want to go
-> to jail, and it's a guy thing. so you're still gonna kill
-> things in quake, but not like in doom ii. in doom ii, you
-> mow things down by the dozen. in quake you'll fight, say,
-> three monsters at the max. probably you'll fight three
-> guys, but it's going to be like a virtual fighter. there
-> will be more skill involved in the fighting. you won't be
-> holding the gun in front of you. in the games you've played
-> before, you're still kind of distanced from the death.
-> you're pointing the shotgun at something, you're pulling the
-> trigger, and it shoots and the thing is dead. all you had
-> to do was press the button. - you move the mouse and press
-> the button - and it's as easy as that. in quake, you'll
-> really have to kill things. you won't just press the
-> trigger and hit it, you'll have to really beat the living
-> shit out of the thing until it's dead. so you'll have this
-> huge hammer and you'll pound it into blood paste on the
-> floor, and you're going to have to take awhile, too. you're
-> going to have to work on it. you won't just have this arrow
-> point-and-click kind of thing.
-> ...quake will be the ultimate. you are not going to
-> believe quake. quake is going to be an industry when it
-> comes out.
-> ed: [grunt of disbelief]
-> jr: it will! we're going to encourage people to start
-> businesses based on quake. we'll upload the server software
-> for quake onto the net, which means that anyone can take the
-> quake game and create a whole new game off it, a totally
-> different game off the server software. like a location
-> based center. we're going to allow people to go location
-> based quake as much as they want. no fees. we upload the
-> server software and if you want to start a location-based
-> quake center, do it. the only way we make money is that you
-> have to buy the client. so let's say someone wants to start
-> a location-based quake center and they think this sgi is an
-> awesome powerhouse server that can supply 10 nodes with no
-> problem. so they buy this awesome sgi machine, they
-> recompile quake on the machine because we've supplied a full
-> the source code, and then the pcs are hooked into the sgi
-> for the playing of the game. the client - the code that
-> runs on the pcs - the guy has to buy from us. so we just
-> sold 10 copies of the game to this guy; that's it. we sold
-> 10 copies of the game and we're happy. and the guy got
-> himself a business where people come in and pay him to let
-> them play quake. it's gonna be great! we're going to let
-> people create new games.
-> the game industry will really have kind of a tough time
-> with it, because we're going to give away the ultimate game
-> engine for free and let people create whatever they want.
-> there won't be any licensing-the-technology thing. it will
-> just be "buy the client from us." there's gonna be kind of
-> a mini-shakedown-type thing about who's going to take the
-> quake technology and create games and who isn't. i mean,
-> why waste you own development effort when the coolest 3d
-> engine is out there? and we'll develop another one and do
-> the same thing.
-> so we'll supply you with the industry while everyone
-> else is using it for cool stuff. and [the users] can
-> rewrite the rules of the game - no problem - because they
-> have the server software to create any game they want based
-> off it. and they have this incredible 3d universe where
-> they can create any kind of game they want and they don't
-> have to pay for it, except for the client, which interprets
-> all the information being sent and does the actual 3d
-> rendering. so quake will be huge when it comes out.
-> ed: how do you feel about the creeping up of the hardware
-> standards for games?
-> jr: we think that when people get the game, most of them
-> should have a fun time. the people who won't have a fun
-> time are people who we consider are going into the dark
-> ages; they should consider upgrading. you need to look at
-> the benchmark systems that people have - what does everyone
-> have? most of them have 486s. so even quake, when it comes
-> out in the fall of next year, is going to be built for a
-> 486; it isn't going to be built for a pentium.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------
[2 - irc, mail and usernet posting quotes:]
-----------------------------------------
from the doom-editing mailing list (doom-editing@nvg.unit.no)
on fri, 5 aug 94 11:38:19:
quake will be totally externally programmable. a planar surface (as opposed
to line triggers, switches, etc.) will have an activation tag. anything with
a matching tag will contain the action that should be performed on itself.
thus, walking on a certain surface with an activation tag will make the
program search the world for matching tags. a match will make the program
check the object for the type of action to be done. this allows one action
to affect many actions, i.e., walking into a large room can close the door
behind you, turn the lights off, raise 5 staircases and release 10 monster
holding pens.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from the doom-editing mailing list (doom-editing@nvg.unit.no)
on fri, 5 aug 94 17:25:53:
quake will be extremely modular -- doom was just the tip-of-the-iceberg
experiment. we will be more cooperative than you can imagine -- how does
uploading the quake server code sound? that way, anyone could recompile
quake for any super server system.
quake is in true 3-d. not faked doom 2-d/ 3-d.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from the doom-editing mailing list (doom-editing@nvg.unit.no)
on fri, 5 aug 94 15:56:23 (on sector tagged actions):
total freedom. nothing will be hard coded into the executable. more than
likely, the action will be a text descriptor that will match a function name
or somesuch.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from the doom-editing mailing list (doom-editing@nvg.unit.no)
on fri, 5 aug 94 16:02:48 (on scanning for sector tags)
for speed, of course we'll be using index lookups. i'm trying to describe
the overall idea, not the actual implementation. and depending on our
long-range goals with quake, we may not even use indexes if we want the
gameworld to be continuously modifyable -- esp. for real-time multi-player
connections where a "god" person is building a new structure in the world
where 100 people are playing at the same time as the level design in the
level they're playing.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from the doom-editing mailing list (doom-editing@nvg.unit.no)
on fri, 5 aug 94 16:02:48:
<much programming structure and ideas deleted>
don't worry. quake will be done right.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from ddt@idsoftare.com on sun aug 7 21:53 cdt 1994:
(credits to scott bessler (scott@grayfox.svs.com))
> ... i have a question about quake, you have been quoted
> as saying it'll support 100 players.
not me, man. that sounds like something romero would say. the
truth is that we have no clue how many players it will support
until we're done writing it.
the game will be well-geared to pay-for services where you have a nice
server like a medium-end workstation. it will allow more users and
still offer smooth play.
the required line speed will depend on a lot of factors. we'll
have no idea how fast it will need to be until we've coded it.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from the doom-editing mailing list (doom-editing@nvg.unit.no)
on tue, 9 aug 94 10:09:21
quake has gravity. down is down.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from the doom-editing mailing list (doom-editing@nvg.unit.no)
on mon, 8 aug 94 10:59:20
in quake, we're aiming for a total d&d fantasy adventure and, yes, there will
be dragons! (we hope. remember, we could be lying. :)
that's how quake will be programmed! not one single bit of information will
be hard-coded -- everything's external! we will supply a language compiler
for the c-type language that we'll use for quake's external code modules.
id software will never again get any code programmed by an outside source (in
doom, the only external id code was the sound code.) we will program our own
sound code, but are planning to use the vesa sound spec.
quake will be client/server only -- even a single-player quake session will,
inreality, be a client/server setup with the client process and server process
residing in the same system. we will make the setup as painless as possible.
quake's shareware exe will only work with the shareware version, unless you
register (the client), in which case you will be able to play the registered
version and all the wads available.
probably an oversight. quake will use none of doom's code. except for the
memory zone allocation. the wad utilities will be revised.
quake will run well on a pentium, but a 486 is required. it's just a notch up
from doom's requirements386 required, 486 recommended.
hopefully, the initial shareware release will handle real dynamic maps. id's
quakenet will definitely have this ability. we're hoping to start another
small company that is a pure 24-hour quakefest! (hey -- we want a piece of
the action, too!:) it might be a couple dozen players modem-linked into a
lightning-speed server, but we're really targeting quake to be the first home
cable game -- brought to you through your set-top box and played on your huge
tv screen!
quake's level editor is true 3-d. we've just started quakeed.
quakeed is using a real-time 3-d bsp generator. it will be optimized. bsps
are awesome tools -- they can be used in many different types of applications.
quake will probably use a few different types of bsp trees. the guy that
invented bsps visited us and taught carmack even more shit.
quake will not have 1 sprite in it -- all objects will be hi-res 3-d models.
texture-mapped polygons, but hi-res so they're not bad-looking. much better
than alone in the dark's.
i didn't mention this before, but sound is a major integral part of the quake
design and, yes, you will be able to wear a headphone/microphone unit (which we
will also sell -- made by koss) and speak to each other (over a lan only) --
but not as a headset comm. you will be "speaking into" the game world, so the
closer you are to someone, the louder your voice is. and the monsters have
ears, too!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from johnr@idsoftware.com on thu 11, aug 94 12:25:59
the quake-by-cable will definatly won't be in the first release -- it's a
couple years away at the least :)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from jay wilbur on irc wed aug 24 21:35:32 mesz 1994:
'quake is working. carmack is testing the concepts.'
'a quake faq...already? ... bitchin!' (on quaketalk ;)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from american mcgee on irc september 3rd, 1994:
'yes. this is something that will go into it first thing' (on slippery floor)
'for everyone else it will be very hard. for us it should not be to hard.
we will be running it on very fast hp geckos.' (on making a quake level)
'it should not be much larger than doom.' (the size of quake on your hd)
'it will be more of an action game' (as opposed to an rgp/mud)
'we are still working on that idea. i think the only thing you will gain
is a killed/kills thing.' (on players gaining experience)
'ideal would be pentium' (on the ideal system for quake)
'the interactive-ness of the people who will be playing.' (on the most major
golly-gee-wizz-bang feature of quake)
'the resolution will be much better.'
'yes, headsets will be a big thing in quake. lan = headset.'
'hammers for sure. i don't know what else.' (on weapons)
'this is one of the main features of quake.' (on 3rd party quake addons)
'there will be some sort of demo out soon enough.'
'there will be some sort of quake start-up package for those of you who want
to buy a quake server.'
'there will be gravity.'
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from john romero's posting to aol, 1 dec 1994 01:46:36:
okay, people. it seems that everyone is speculating on whether quake is
going to be a slow, rpg-style light-action game.
wrong!
what does id do best and dominate at? can you say "action"? i knew you
could. quake will be constant, hectic action throughout -- possibly
moreso than doom. i will be concentrating on making quake the most
disquieting and upsetting game on the planet. very, very evil. doom's
"evil" was really non-existent. quake must be evil -- but correctly done
evil that doesn't become tiring and sophomore-ish. it must be honestly
and truly disturbing.
what's cooking with quake at this minute?
well, we have our sgi (indigo2) running alias, which is the modeller we
are using to create everything with, except the maps. quakeed is in its
we have multi-player working right now with lots of connections. players
are able to hop in and connect to the quakeserver at any time while a game
is going. you can also hop out at will and rejoin later. yes, it is
working right now.
oh yeah, our alias to idmodel converter is finished and we have actual
alias models in quake's 3d engine. oh yeah, the 3d engine is up and
running right now, although it's unoptimized and the texture mapping
isn't being done properly yet.
-------------------
[3 - people's .plan:]
-------------------
from johnr@idsoftware.com's .plan:
the next game is going to blow doom all to hell. doom totally sucks
in comparison to our next game, quakethe fight for justice! quake
is going to be a bigger step over doom than doom was over wolf3d
(ya know -- doom = pong). we won't start developing quake until fall'94...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from help@idsoftware.com's .plan, on july 25th 6:14pm:
this will not be out until sometime next summer.
john carmack is currently designing the engine.
multi-player should go something like this:
someone owns a fast server somewhere. you dial in and join the
game in progress. ten or more people at a time can be in the world.
you will not need a pentium to play quake. everyone knows you don't
need one for doom either... but it doesn't hurt anything.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from help@idsoftware.com's .plan:
status of quake---updated: tue, aug 9th 11:38am
john now has a simple (slow) engine running. it uses converted
doom maps and runs them with flats for textures. it looks really
cool.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from help@idsoftware.com's .plan, on september 2nd:
ok, imagine this. you have a health thing and you don't need it.
you meet someone in the game who has a nice weapon but is really
low on health. you guys decide to exchange items. you don't really
trust this guy so you bring along a friend and tell him to hide out
somewhere with a bead on the other guy's head. you meet somewhere
in the middle of a field and face off. you drop your health, he drops
his weapon and you both strafe over the object of your desire. you
start to back away (not turning your back on him) and suddenly decide
you're going to whack this guy before he gets a chance to use that
health. you move towards him and draw back with your hammer. he notices
this and starts to duck, but it's too late. you smash him in the head
and watch him fly down to the ground, landing on his side. you smash
his still body a few more times and cause him to explode! now you and
your friend pick up all of the items your dead friend left on the
ground. as you are walking off you pick up his severed head and put
it in a bag. that will come in useful later... when you need something
to sacrifice to a demon.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from help@idsoftware's .plan, on sat, oct 29th 4:21pm:
john has a faster engine working now. groundwork for network play
has been finished. looking _very_ cool. for those of you who still
have a wife, kids, a job, and a life after doom, this game is for _you_.
you doom junkies will have a new fix...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from john romero's aol profile:
quote: quake will rule the cosmos. doom will then crumble.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
from help@idsoftware's .plan, on sat, dec 2nd 2:20pm:
this will not be out until sometime next winter.
ok, ok... you guys wanted more.
as of today the following things are working/semi-working:
network play
basic engine
object modeling
map editor
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
network play:
server/client code is functioning great. set up a quake server on
a next, linux, or sgi box. once the server is running you
get on another machine (next, linux, sgi) and log into the server.
a play window opens and you can see the other players, move around,
quit out, get back in, etc... there is no deathmatch yet, but this
will be the first part of the game to be working... monsters etc, will
be added in later.
basic engine:
this is running pretty fast. in network mode it slows down somewhat,
but this will be reversed soon. (network will be faster than single
player.) right now we are using a part of doom map 1 1 to test the
engine.
object modeling:
kevin created a model of a person that only consists of about 200
polygons. this model looks surprisingly good... we had thought we
would need more polygons per model to create the amount of detail
we want. so far this is the only "thing" in the game. he does not
animate, but it is still cool to watch him be "born". at the moment
he is textured with the art from the cyberdemon.
map editor:
john also has a map editor in the works. at this point it looks
somewhat like 3d studio, with a camera view and a top down view
of the thing you are working on. you can add and subtract blocks
of "material" from the view. these are the building blocks of the
world... no, you will not be limited to blocks in the finished game.
all of this will come together very soon to create one of the most
awesome network/3d games in the world... if not the most awesome
(ok, who are we kidding? it will be the most awesome hehe.)
----------------------------------------
[4 - screenshots, previews, demos, betas:]
----------------------------------------
now that your mouth is watering after all that you've read about quake,
you'll probably want to see more, right? hehe. i thought so. well, watch
this space in the future for any info on screenshots, previews, demos,
betas or the likes.
as i've said before, quake is still far from being finished and you
can take my word on this, there are no betas available, no matter what
your /<-rad friends said they found on their 31337 ftp/fsp sites. let me
relay a quote of ddt on irc late november '94:
"<dtaylor> lot, wish we had a quake beta."
'nuff said, come back in half a year ;)
----------
[5 - outro:]
----------
no outro yet. maybe next time ;) i know, i know. i keep saying that.
heck, what do you want to see in an outro?
--------------
[5.1 - credits:]
--------------
me <joost.schuur@student.uni-tuebingen.de> (lotlhwi@irc)
for doing most of the work ;)
william lachance <ad904@freenet.carleton.ca>
for the pc format article
rick hammerstone <rickh@gcctech.com>
for getting me a copy of the original quake faq
scott bessler <scott@grayfox.svs.com> (jackyl@irc)
for an excerpt from his mail with ddt
toby nichols <toby_nichols/t/gb/3com%3com@3mail.3com.com>
for the october pc gamer article
alex lee <alee@access.digex.net> (sirace@irc)
for the november multimedia magazine article
art s. <arts8@aol.com>
for john romero's profile from aol
jordan feinman <jordanf@globalone.net>
for john romero's first posting to alt.games.quake
dan cerman <decerman@ouray.cudenver.edu>
for telling me when i released qt 1.00 ;)
-> david laprad <psc10003@mtsu.edu>
-> for the dille/romero interview from the d2 strategy guide
----------------------
[5.2 - version history:]
----------------------
1.00 (08/09/94) - first edition. i simply cut and pasted all the quake
quotes from romero and the .plan's in a file and
spiffed it up a bit.
1.01 (08/16/94) - added credits to ddt's email about quake and changed
the intro.
1.10 (08/22/94) - added the magazine article section and the version
history.
1.11 (08/24/94) - jayw's brief quake comment on irc added.
1.20 (08/31/94) - pc format article added. credits section.
1.50 (09/02/94) - quake stuff from help@id's .plan added.
1.55 (09/03/94) - mcgee's comments on quake on irc.
1.55a (09/12/94) - i'm no longer looking for the original quake faq, thanks
to all those who sent me a copy. finger me at
zxmsu01@hp10.zdv.uni-tuebingen.de for the latest issue
of quaketalk.
1.70 (10/14/94) - october pc gamer article added. comments on a true quake
faq. slight restructurisations.
2.00 (10/23/94) - multimedia article added. table of contents.
2.05 (11/04/94) - new help@id's .plan info, different email adr. of mine,
typos added.
2.10 (11/09/94) - newest quaketalk now available by mail. new intro.
2.30 (12/03/94) - id's more detailed quake status info from their .plan,
screenshots, previews, demos, beta section.
yet another (minute) change in my email adress)
2.40 (12/04/94) - john romero's first posting to alt.games.quake
-> 2.60 (12/12/94) - romero/dille interview from the d2 strategy guide
-j
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