I followed the id trail since the release of Wolfenstein 3D, then Doom and all the variations good and bad. I generally saw the good in whatever id did. It may not have been the best game but they were advancing the technology to where we are at today! But then comes along Quake and I was in heaven. Quake II was a disconnect. I had fun playing it but not like Wolfenstein, Doom & Quake. Quake 2 is not a game I would replay or use for mods, I have the first Quake! Seeing the interviews and id’s reflective commentary on the time was very interesting. So I had been out of gaming for a while for various reasons. I encountered some youtube videos on ray traced Doom and the first Quake. And that really sucked me back in, not to mention that life has simmered down just enough for me to reaquaint myself by replaying those original episodes of Doom - albeit with a little ray tracing. I am a huge fan of vkQuake and vkQuake RT for the ray tracing stuff. IronWail is looking very promising particularly in light of vkQuake reaching the end of its development cycle The RT version of vkQuake for the original game is just phenomenal - you are correct I’m not a purist but from what I’ve seen from the modding community, no one is! HaHa and I am glad, because the creativity, the beauty of the textures, the architectures, the level design is just unbelievable! With that said I do have some preferences. By all means go hog wild with the textures, building design, map designs, and if you have the capability, soundtracks; while keeping it all Quake-ish. I like small to medium size maps, with low secret quantities 3-4 that have a purpose behind map completion, not just a super health pack. A gradual progression in the map with an appropriate balance of weapons, ammo and health to the number and strength of the monsters. And I like pauses between the action. Super intense fighting, then a break, look for a key or a switch, enjoy the scenery so to speak; challenging but enjoyable. I don’t go for a constant barrage of nonstop action. The mod that immediately comes to mind is retrojam7 : koohoo. Simply beautiful and well balanced! The mesoamerican theme - AWESOME! The artwork, the textures, the architecture, the map layout, the game play - AWESOME! Well, I Hope you enjoyed reading this and I looked forward to more mod time on Quaddicted!