QUAKE RE-MASTER, YAY OR NAY?

Quake
1

So come on, after a little while, your thoughts upon the re-master?

I would imagine that most here, upon Quaddicted, are loyal fans of the original, having discovered it at the time, or at some time close after?

But now, how do you now feel about the way in which Bethedsa have created a new alternate and divided community, one almost completely isolated to the original Quake community, where the controller versus the mouse, and a new community who so far have unfortunately been completely denied the offerings the rest of us have exploited for years ?

Cheated? Ripped off? Undermined? Is what comes to mind.

I sincerely hope that those amongst us who came at this through an un-adulterated Quake, from some place close to its ultimate origin’s, have not even bothered to play the ‘re-master’.

I haven’t (yet) because it was a case of ‘why do I need one of those?’.

But curiosity killed the cat, and I reckon a great many took the bait. Maybe I will eventually?

From my distant disconnected perpective, having not even touched the thing, I think the newly created community is almost completely isolated from the former, and yes, sadly, there’s some amongst the former that actually would prefer a controller to a mouse… even if they are nothing but ‘fragbait’.

Having not played the ‘re-master’ I really want to know if I should.

To be honest, my initial thoughts were, ‘flipping heck (I am a brit) I hope this don’t somehow mess up my Quake!’

Having carefully cloned my original folder and only gently updated it since 1996.

So please convince me, why should I bother, should I sympathize with the newly converted, or should I continue to offer only a two finger salute?

2

It’s fine.

For what it’s worth I already owned the game on Steam, so it was a free update for me.

I still mostly use community source ports because they have better support for custom content (there are very few maps that don’t work on the remaster actually, mainly just the really huge ones) and a few nice features, and I don’t really like many of the remaster-exclusive features such as motion blur, ambient occlusion and real time shadows. Dimension of the Machine is pretty nice; mostly not as good as the best custom maps but still worth playing imo, especially for the first three episodes. I have no concerns about the community being split: I mostly care about singleplayer, and it’s not like it affects me which port other people use. Even for deathmatch, I don’t think anyone stopped playing QuakeWorld because of the remaster, so it doesn’t make a difference. It’s really neat how easy it is to do co-op in the remaster, which could be the main advantage of it, but not yet because it’s still a pain to set it up with custom maps.

So should you buy it? Probably not, but I don’t hate that it exists, mainly because new eyes on Quake is always a good thing, especially when those people start engaging with the existing community as I have seen. Again, I didn’t pay for it, so I find it very hard to be upset about.

3

I did not play it as well, at least as of yet. I do not really bother, there is plenty of quality stuff to play on “Quaddicted” and the modern ‘Quake’ engines are good; at least they were, until they embraced compatibility route with the remaster. I do understand, however, it is better that way.

Maybe I will try out the remaster sometime in the future, dunno. I am not being active ‘Steam’ consumer - nor user, since neither do I have the ‘Steam’ client installed - but I do have ‘Quake’ on some desolate ‘Steam’ account of mine, probably.

But I do think the remaster is a good initiative, in the end; it stirred things up, “Quaddicted” did notice some constructive traffic increase since the re-release. Either way, ‘Quake’ has too much legacy for people not to notice that the grassroots, is stronger than the glitter; ultimately a lot of people seek the legacy content.

EDIT:

Thinking about it, the remaster certainly introduced ‘Quake’ to a generation of players who otherwise could have been alienated from a representative experience of the game; especially the non-PC crowd.

4

On other quake pages and forums there seems to be a mild frustration that much of the custom user content won’t work.

@h4724

When you mention maps working, do you mean maps that are unasociated with mods?

And do any mods work directly with the re-master?

Also, I have friends who would like to play my mod and others, is it correct that the re-master contains what you need to get the sourceports working?

5

@Triple,

I guess the challenge is to convert console players over to the desktop so they can join in and produce new content for their chosen platform.

6

[quote=Balgorg]When you mention maps working, do you mean maps that are unasociated with mods?

And do any mods work directly with the re-master? [/quote]

Most mods work exactly as they would in other source ports. The absolute biggest maps like The Forgotten Sepulcher and Tears of the False God still crash. There’s a fairly comprehensive list here https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2604765537 explaining which mods work, though I’d say the colour ratings are somewhat inconsistent compared to the actual compatibility.

The Steam and Bethesda.net versions still contain all of the files that they did before the remaster unaltered, so everything should work just as well, but the Microsoft store version does not have the old files because the game wasn’t available on that platform before, so it might not work with only the files included there; I’m honestly not sure.

7

Thanx.

8

Hi guys!

I don’t know in which topic I should write my question and therefore decided to try to write here.

Does anyone know how to connect external textures to the “Quake Enhanced” KEX engine? Textures in the “textures” folder in the “pak1.pak” file are not perceived by the engine in any graphic format! I tried in bmp, tga, png formats. I really want to attach improved textures to exploding barrels. I replaced all bsp files of medkits and ammo with my own. I renamed mdl models to bsp and got shadows and lighting. But!!! The game absolutely does not want to accept the files “b_explob.bsp” and “b_exbox2.bsp”, renamed from mdl models to bsp and crashes with an error as soon as I reach some exploding box.

9

I am interested in what you are doing Andrew, but I am not ‘techy’ enough to answer that one. But I would like to get my mod working properly in the new engine. So keen to follow your progress.

10

Here is a link to my topic if you are interested:
https://www.quaddicted.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=1017

11

When it’s on sale for only $4 USD on steam I’d say definitely grab it. I appreciate the efforts of the guys at Nightdive, but I’m annoyed that they broke a lot of mod support and people are complaining of lag spikes in single player seemingly due to interpolation problems they need to iron out fast. If it works in the regular version of the game without a source port, it should work in the remaster, but that currently is not so. Something really lame is I heard you can’t even play CTF in it. Testing multiplayer splitscreen, the included 2nd expansion Dissolution of Eternity has a CTF map, but you can only play deathmatch on it! (EDIT: On steam forum, someone has said they have a CTF mod with grappling hooks working in the remaster and to find it through the Discord. Bottom post at https://steamcommunity.com/app/2310/discussions/0/3035976310915362488/?ctp=2 ) It’s also annoying that Quake 64 included as a mod forces the resolution really low and blurry to make it look like you’re playing on an N64 instead of just keeping it high resolution and people are complaining of it failing to play its alternate soundtrack. Ironically emulating the N64 version in Project 64 ups the resolution to look like PC! Also annoying is playing it on steam, it always connects to Bethesda’s server, because they just gotta have their modern DRM tracking. If you play while disconnected from the internet, it makes you wait an irritating amount of time before it says it can’t connect. Fortunately everything, including its local splitscreen multiplayer, still works while disconnected and they have no control over what you do with the original version game files and using source ports. Unfortunately, Internet multiplayer within the remaster version seems dependent on Bethesda servers and lacks netquake improvements such as client-prediction. You can’t do the remaster version multiplayer over a LAN like the original game. The Remaster also seems to require Windows 10 to run. If you only have a Windows 7 computer, I advise against upgrading it to Windows 10 as most computers get royally screwed by a defective upgrade process. I recommend keeping a Win 7 or Win 10 computer as what it started as. (EDIT: I heard that upgrade completed successfully for someone and the HD failed later, but I still think I heard bad things.) I don’t know about Linux or other compatibility.

Ok, so the good stuff:
Plenty good to play through the single player campaigns: The 4 original episodes, those of the two official expansions, Dimension of the Past, Dimension of the Machine, and Honey, totaling to 12 episodes.

SP or cooperative Horde mode, but they need to make the key appear later or something, as players are having a problem with someone new joining in, grabbing it ASAP, and ending their game.

Romero’s full improved beginning of E2M6 that was cut from regular Quake is included in the remaster version.
https://gamerant.com/john-romero-pleased-restored-map-quake/

While I’m totally a mouse + keyboard player and the days when Goldeneye 007 was all the rage annoyed the **** out of me (wasn’t many PC players in my area back then and even less now), 4 player local splitscreen is a very welcome addition. Player 1 always has the mouse+keyboard while you have an option whether controllers start getting used at player # 1 or 2, (unlike official Doom Classic (with a capital C) which starts them at player 1 and you can’t configure otherwise, needing 4 for 4 player even if #1 is using mouse+keyboard) I’ve brought my laptop over a friend’s house and played 3 player multiple-instanced LZDoom (which can also play Heretic, Hexen, Strife, Hacx, etc). Now I have Quake 1 as a great option as well. I got four modern dual joystick controllers I can plug into my 7-port USB hub, and I can plug an additional USB keyboard and my mouse into it to sit back on a couch with friends while my laptop’s HDMI output goes to a TV, which hopefully isn’t a really shitty “Smart” TV with a delay in its display. They had a huge one with a delay and now have a little bit smaller but still large one that displays in realtime like a TV ****ing should. You could see the delay in just moving my mouse up and down in windows.

If you have Doom Eternal (though I like classic Dooms, Quake, Doom 64, and Doom 3 more), you get a cool Quake 1 Ranger skin in orange, aqua blue, and silver (though you still have the DoomSlayer’s face) and cool Quake 1 style architecture to stand on. I got the remaster on Steam while I have DE on bethesda and it detected my linked account or whatever and gave me it. You also get a way retro looking Ranger and I think his axe in Quake Champions, but I think they should have made it look better, maybe using the Q3A version. It seems to not look as good as actual Quake 1 itself.

Original Quake/WinQuake/GlQuake and two official add-ons are included for whoever doesn’t have them all, and they can use whatever source port.

The remaster release gives Quake 1 a lot of much deserved recognition, gets a lot more people playing it of which a number will then try out source ports, independent custom maps and mods, and may even get into mapping and modding themselves. It happened with the classic Dooms and their source ports after Doom 2016 was released. Of course this is also a double-edged sword as many new and young people will also be pains in the arse (English localized here for OP as a courtesy). The volume AND quality of maps being made for classic Dooms now is incredible, also aided by modern tools.

Side notes: The old N64 Quake 1 cart or emulated rom is only single player for the episodes and splitscreen is limited to just two player deathmatch on only seven maps for it. N64 Quake 2 is four player (and looks great emulated with higher resolution) but analog stick sensitivity set to minimum seems considerably too high. You can take the time to just slightly press the stick to do some fine aiming but time is a luxury you don’t have in Q2 DM. Dreamcast Q3A is also 4 player splitscreen and you can use the DC mouse & keyboard, but for four player, that player has to give up either the mouse or the keyboard or everyone just has to use controllers. 3 player you can do one mouse+KB player with two controller players.

I also think they should have included the Saturn exclusive maps which someone converted just ten months ago (which required actual recreation of many portions and components and might still need work). https://www.celephais.net/board/view_thread.php?id=62026 There’s videos if you look on youtube, both of the PC conversions and actual Saturn.

12

imo ReRelease is all better than original. Because changes are faithful & respectful to original, while making the experience drastically better in 2021 and further on. Basically what you get is colored lighting, fog, and better mobs & weapons models. Plus dynamic lighting & shadows but that’s not so much obvious feature ingame. That’s it. Oh and nearly forgot about upgraded HUD which is also much suitable, less distracting, love. So… hm. If only ALL mods could work on ReRelease I would switch to it totally. For now I play everything I can on rerelease, while some maps & mods like AD on QSS

13

[quote=Andrew]Hi guys!

I don’t know in which topic I should write my question and therefore decided to try to write here.

Does anyone know how to connect external textures to the “Quake Enhanced” KEX engine? Textures in the “textures” folder in the “pak1.pak” file are not perceived by the engine in any graphic format! I tried in bmp, tga, png formats. I really want to attach improved textures to exploding barrels. I replaced all bsp files of medkits and ammo with my own. I renamed mdl models to bsp and got shadows and lighting. But!!! The game absolutely does not want to accept the files “b_explob.bsp” and “b_exbox2.bsp”, renamed from mdl models to bsp and crashes with an error as soon as I reach some exploding box.[/quote]

Kex doesn’t support external textures unfortunately

14

It’s very sad! I like this engine, but I don’t like the textures. :frowning:

15

I’d say that’s a rather major feature to be dropping support. I think the Remaster got a little update earlier this week but can’t find any notes on it.

16

For sure - YAY!

I know that it’s probably 15-20 years too late. But look at the community that was built, by Source Ports, Maps, etc, because id software ignored us. lol … We were begging YEARS ago for this.

I am the optimistic sort, and any Quake is GOOD Quake in my book.
I really like that they updated to Vulkan api, and i’ve become attached to low res textures/models lately. I used to try and max out my texture resolution in darkplaces, ezquake, etc … but honestly, the original textures still look great as far as I’m concerned. It IS kind of smack to the face to not support mods, external textures, etc. but whatever …

They have also updated Doom2.exe with modern support. I really like how they are giving our older games some attention, whether it’s needed or not.

I was able to copy the mg1 file (Dimension of the Machine) from the rerelease folder, dropped it into vkQuake,
-game mg1
The game loads up nicely, unsure how buggy it is.