Quake Enhanced Edition

[J_C]

launching rockets straight from your DICK

Alright, you convinced me. :D

 

[Zeem]

Is this enhanced edition Windows-only, or there's a native Linux version too?

 

[Curratum]

Is this enhanced edition Windows-only, or there's a native Linux version too?

Kex engine is Linux-compatible, I think, but I don't know if this specific release has that too.

 

[LESS T_T]

Windows only. Things published by Nightdive mostly get Mac and Linux versions but this is Bethesda release. Even if Beth was not acquired by Microsoft I don't think they would have released non-Windows PC versions.

 

[Zeem]

Windows only. Things published by Nightdive mostly get Mac and Linux versions but this is Bethesda release. Even if Beth was not acquired by Microsoft I don't think they would have released non-Windows PC versions.

Into the trash it goes then, I'm sticking with QuakeWorld. At least it doesn't force me to use spyware to play online.

 

[soulburner]

Interesting mod.

It certaily looks more natural. The centerd weapons always looked a bit off IMO.

No. When you hold a weapon, you position your body in a way that it's centered in your eyesight. Shooting while holding the weapon at the hip or to the right of your head is a good way to hurt yourself. Centered weapon models in games are thus more natural and you don't even need a crosshair drawn in the center of the screen to properly aim. Too bad there weren't that many shooters with centered guns - I think Unreal was the last one to have such an option.

edit - yes, I know new Dooms have such an option, but the models are so damn huge they're actually a visual obstacle. They are huge on the right side, too, so the models are generally fucked up.

You never, ever hold a gun or rifle dead center to your body, while facing forward, don't try to pull some realism card here. And in games it looks stupid, but each to their own.

Yes, you don't. That's why I wrote "you position your body in a way that it's centered in your eyesight". You don't hold a shotgun against your chest. You turn your body, tilt your head to make the weapon "appear" exactly in front of you. Otherwise you would not only hurt yourself but wouldn't be able to hit anything. Do not confuse this with aiming down the sights, that one is obvious, but imagine holding the weapon mid way between aiming and just pointing in the general direction of the target. This is how you walk around with a gun with the intent of using it.

The last game centered weapon models looked good is Unreal. Doom 2016 and Eternal look stupid with centered models because they are so god damn huge it would probably be best to disable them completely. Too bad the games are pretty much unoddable, I'd love to see what guns the community would come up with.

 

[randir14]

So apparently the new Dimensions of the Machine episode is Kex-exclusive in that it can't be ran on the homebrew engines for technical reasons. Those who don't care for this rerelease will have to wait for someone to port it it seems.

Now liberated from the KEX Engine Hegemony:

https://quakeone.com/forum/quake-talk/quake-central/283211-quake-enhanced-is-out-now

The latest version of vkQuake can play the re-release but none of the graphics upgrades are carried over other than the colored lights. The only real benefit is not being limited by the Kex Engine's internal 60hz limit.

What is that 60 hz limit and how does it work?

There's a big thread about it on the Steam forum: https://steamcommunity.com/app/2310/discussions/0/3035976310912886195/
I guess one of the developers posted on Discord that it had to be done to prevent physics from breaking. Some people say the various source ports have the same limitation, but that it's not noticeable since they use better movement interpolation than the Kex version.

 

[ferratilis]

Either I'm crazy or blind, but I've noticed nothing out of the ordinary, been playing at 120hz all this time, with fps also capped to 120.

someone posted this on steam forums, first time seeing it

 

[randir14]

It's not that bad for me, but I can definitely tell a difference in smoothness between the Kex version and vkQuake when both are locked to 120hz. For example in Kex if I strafe back and forth in front of an object I can see slight jitter that isn't present in vkQuake.

 

[Ivan]

So I just finished playing through Arcane Dimensions and has a wonderful time. A great variety of levels to play through, myself preferring the longer ones. I was curious to see what ever came of the folks behind the project. Did they get hired at ID/open up their own studios? I think some moved on to develop Wrath. Have there been/are any new projects on the horizon of such scale for this or other classic game (FPS or otherwise)? E.G. I remember playing through a mod campaign for Thief 2 featuring a female protag.

Anyway, just wanted to share my top 3:

Spoiler

Leptis Magna: one of the finest levels I've ever had the pleasure of playing. what an innocuous start too! you start with only the axe, stone statues all around you but they don't activate. you press forward, do a little in-doors exploration and room clearing. from there, the level expands vertically, then it starts throwing surprises your way, walls break, floors shatter, enemies jump out from all sides. the game supplies you well with ammo and well placed powerups for you to go to town. an absolutely exquisite level that just keeps on going and going until the chef kiss finale. Absolutely wonderful, this has surpassed the Bog level for me as my favorite thus far!

Forgotten Sepulchre: a delight to explore. secrets are everywhere, breakable walls/bookshelves litter the environment, climbable stones pepper the playspace, often leading the way to buttons and switches. A greater emphasis on adventre/exploration/puzzle solving than combat. A wonderful change of pace and I'm glad I saved it for last. Easily rounds out my top 3 for this collection.

Foggy Bogbottom stole the show for me in my first crack at this expansion. It took me a solid 40 minutes to complete and it was a wonderful labyrinthine level that kept folding into itnself. There was one shortcut that made me smile as much as the first one in Undead Burg from Dark Souls. Such a wonderful level with fantastic pacing. I enjoyed the 2 or 3 other levels before this one, but this one stole the show. I wonder if there are any other levels that will be of similar scale (~400-500 enemies).

 

[JarlFrank]

E.G. I remember playing through a mod campaign for Thief 2 featuring a female protag.

That's Shadows of the Metal Age.

It's only one of many, many fan missions for Thief. You got a whole new world in front of you mate.

 

[Curratum]

This is so weird. I have zero stutter or any uncanny "unpleasantness" in movement, it feels exactly the same as the QSSpiked I used to use before the update.

 

[Wunderbar]

So I just finished playing through Arcane Dimensions and has a wonderful time. A great variety of levels to play through, myself preferring the longer ones. I was curious to see what ever came of the folks behind the project. Did they get hired at ID/open up their own studios? I think some moved on to develop Wrath. Have there been/are any new projects on the horizon of such scale for this or other classic game (FPS or otherwise)?

some of them were already accomplished level designers.
Sock worked on Wolfenstein Enemy Territory, Enemy Territory Quake Wars and Wolfenstein 2009. PulSaR is a level desinger at Owlcat studios. Vondur worked on Blitzkrieg and Silent Storm games. Skacky now works at 3DRealms on Wrath and Graven, and according to mobygames he helped Streumon on Space Hulk Deathwing. Lunaran worked on Natural Selection 2, Titanfall and helped with The Beginners Guide (?). BaL is an artist at Quantic Dream. Etc, etc.

 

[Bad Sector]

Yeah, Quake is where level designers go to do actual level design free from the modern AAA bullshit :-P

 

[ferratilis]

They forgot to spruce up the UI for the expansions. It's like when you're playing a PS2 game through an emulator on high resolution, there are lines around the HUD elements. Why can't they get such basic things right?

 

[Curratum]

I don't have those artifacts, weird.

 

[passerby]

Sock worked on Wolfenstein Enemy Territory, Enemy Territory Quake Wars and Wolfenstein 2009.

Also Crysis Warhead

 

[Curratum]

They forgot to spruce up the UI for the expansions. It's like when you're playing a PS2 game through an emulator on high resolution, there are lines around the HUD elements. Why can't they get such basic things right?

Try disabling texture filtering. I can't imagine why I wouldn't have those artifacts while some people have them.

 

[ferratilis]

They forgot to spruce up the UI for the expansions. It's like when you're playing a PS2 game through an emulator on high resolution, there are lines around the HUD elements. Why can't they get such basic things right?

Try disabling texture filtering. I can't imagine why I wouldn't have those artifacts while some people have them.

It's already disabled. I would never use texture filtering in the first place. Are you also playing at 1080p?

 

[Curratum]

They forgot to spruce up the UI for the expansions. It's like when you're playing a PS2 game through an emulator on high resolution, there are lines around the HUD elements. Why can't they get such basic things right?

Try disabling texture filtering. I can't imagine why I wouldn't have those artifacts while some people have them.

It's already disabled. I would never use texture filtering in the first place. Are you also playing at 1080p?

This screenshot looks like it has texture filtering on, man... And yes, I play at 1080p.

This is what it looks like with filtering disabled:

 

[ferratilis]

You know what's crazy, I tried toggling texture filtering on, and the lines disappeared in both modes. This game is weird

Spoiler

 

[LESS T_T]

Minor fix: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2310/view/2943653788150871159

Multiplayer Update for All Platforms

• This minor update fixes an issue that caused multiplayer lobby instability for some users

 

[Curratum]

Realm of the Stonemasons in the new episode is some fucking bullshit. 150+ enemies on two consecutive maps, tryhard-hard rooms and fights, three shamblers in a large empty room, hope you found the secret with the quad because you have no thunderbolt or supernailgun nonsense.

Want to get this over with and continue to the next location.

 

[Ash]

Level designers should use Shamblers and Vores quite sparingly. They're perfect when rare with good encounter setup, but when used a lot it just gets annoying doing the ole pop in/out of cover dance. The Shambler 50% explosive resistance just makes it more annoying, effectively disallowing use of GL/RL. As usual the vanilla level design is a good example of how it should be done. Not many vores and shamblers throughout the game, and when they are present each encounter is usually an interesting unique setup.

 

[Curratum]

I take whatever good things I said about Dimension of the Machine back. Those levels don't have shit on AD, even though they have a few moments of glory.

3 of the 5 dimensions / 2-level sets have been an absolutely annoying slog. So many issues, my head starts to hurt, and I'm forcing myself to finish them on Nightmare to get the last two achievements...

Shitty overdetailed brushwork on floors and walls that you get caught up on often, some dull "detailed boxes" rooms and long stretches of level, absolute everloving enemy spam to the point where it makes you sick, one level had over a dozen shamblers, some fancy-pants designs that look a lot better than they play (which was very rarely the case with AD).

Scourge and Dissolution are so much more fun that the new stuff. Even Dimension of the Past was better, honestly.

Edit: Just got to the final boss. What an fucking pisstake. This is exactly why you don't make boss fights in games like Doom and Quake - they all invariably end up HORRIBLY shitty.