Title: Transfer Station File Name: transf.zip Author: Roger Ritenour e-mail: ritenour@rlc.net Story: While the Strogg occupied Earth, they set up a transfer station on a remote rocky island to process their "harvest" for shipment to Stroggos. With the Makron dead and the stargate closed, one would think the Strogg Invasion would be over. But they still occupy this station, which is a fortified affair on a rocky and forbidding island. Your mission is to retake the island and clean the Strogg out! Description: Single level from scratch. Set up to eventually incorporate into a unit of several levels. (Note: you collect the pyramid key but do not actually use it.) Setup: This is a custom texture Quake 2 creation, which means this level is a pile of files. The download file, transf.zip retains directory information to assist in placing the components into their correct subdirectories under baseq2. Your directory tree will look something like: QUAKE2 (quake2 executables are found here) BASEQ2 (pak0.pak is found here) MAPS (the .bsp file is placed here) TEXTURES QED (all .wal files are placed here) ENV (the 6 .tga and 6 .pcx files are placed here) If you are already running custom levels, some or all of these subdirectories may already exist, in which case, the files for this level will be loaded into their respective directories. Note: This will in no way affect the all-important pak0.pak file or other game essential files. By far, the most numerous files are the .wal files which are packaged into the directory, qed, which will make it easier to keep track which files belong to this level for future uninstall. The env directory will contain 12 files for the sky. All of them begin with "fsky1_". Only one file, transf.bsp, is placed into the maps directory. Running: With the setup above, this level is run conventionally from the map command. Ie. start Quake 2; set your difficulty level; pull down the console (by pressing the ~ key) and entering map transf . Credits: id Software, Some of the textures are borrowed from DOOM. A few of the textures came with the qED editor program, most particularly, the excellent texture adopted for use on the sides of the hills. Rodney Korn for his patience with me while I e-mailed him to death for help with his qWAL tool. Editors used: qED level editor qWAL texture tool QBSP3 QVIS3 QRAD3 CorelDraw 6 & 8 Corel Photopaint 6 & 8 Known bugs: There are a number of open areas that experience a reduced frame rate due to the so-called sky bug of Quake 2. On a 200 MHz MMX machine with monster 3-D accelerator, it is just noticeable. Generally, the frame performance of this level is equivalent to id software's levels with large open areas. This level was tested on a 133 MHz Pentium with a rage 3D accelerator where in one place it became objectionable, specifically, where a tunnel opens into the valley of the livestock pens. If you encounter this, switch off your open gl graphics acceleration and use the "software" drivers. This achieves a satisfactory frame rate, even on a 133 MHz Pentium, although with considerably reduced graphics quality. Further technical note on graphics quality: This level provides open gl support. Most open gl graphics accelerators give an option of restricting to 8-bit graphics. The sky texture is provided in both 8-bit and 24-bit color files; and it will look much better with the 16- or 24-bit option turned on (8-bit graphics turned off). These settings can be controlled from the Quake 2 main meny under "video" **** Play Information **** Single player: Yes Cooperative player: No Deathmatch: No Difficulty settings: Yes, full range, all settings somewhat harder than standard Quake 2. New Sounds: No (although existing .wav files in pak0.pak are extensively used to give a rich sound-filled environment.) New Textures: Many surface textures, plus a new sky. Strong emphasis placed on the atmosphere and "feel" of the place. It looks fundamentally different. All you DOOM aficionados will recognize some of the textures. Colored Lights: Yes. However, they are used subtly. You will not see a kaleidoscope of color, but rather subtle spectral shifts from hard white sunlight to "warm" white lights of ordinary indoor lights and the like. Demos Replaced: None Compile Statistics: Machine: 200 MMX w/ Monster 3D 3DFX Open gl. Qbsp3: 36 seconds Qvis3, level 4: 1403 seconds. Qrad3, bounce 4: 9855 seconds. **** Legal Stuff **** * Copyright / Permissions * Generally I have no objections if you modify or use it as a base for building additional levels, however, the source files are not included in the zip. The graphic files (.wal files, and sky) you may use, but please drop me a line and give credit as appropriate, whether me or whom I borrowed from. I would also be curious where you use them. You may distribute this level through any electronic network (internet, FIDO, local BBS etc.), provided you include this text file and leave the archive intact. You may include this file on a cdrom where the purpose of the cdrom is a means of distributing Quake levels and the price remains modest, with the primary purpose of the proceeds being for publishing the cdrom and maintaining the internet sites. Commercial exploitation where this level may become the object of considerable commercial gain must have my written permission.