April 17th, 2000PearlSlam is Back!Dunno if you remember all the great servers Pearl used to run, but he's started up a new one at 12.17.193.36:27910, so go check it out. It's on the server list and stuff, so you don't have to copy/paste it from here. :) April 11th, 2000PausedI figure I'd let you guys know. Due to my very limited free time, progress on q3pball is near standstill. I still plan to do it, but school has to come first. Maybe on spring break I can finish up the code.
So, now comes the part where I'm flooded with emails of people who want me to send them what I have so they can work on it, or where they ask what needs to be done...
No, I'm not passing my work off to someone else at this point, and the only thing the general public should spend any time on if they want to do anything is: Cool q3 pball maps.
As for a q3 pball release, I've decided I'm going to take a slow and thorough[sp] approach, starting sometime later. Go play some counterstrike or something. =) April 10th, 2000News ArchiveOK, sorry about the slow archives (and the fact that some of the later months weren't listed). I converted them all to html files so they should load fine now, and all the months are there too :) March 30th, 2000Pick.Okay cheaters, take your pick. Q2 aim bots, or q3dp. March 20th, 2000The rundown...Okie. So I haven't exactly kept you all informed on my progress. I'll try to change that and update as much as possible. I'd like to remind everyone that i'm doing this all one my own, with occasional volunteers popping up then dissapearing before they produce anything.
I'm up for all the volunteer work you can provide... but just DO it, don't ask me questions, do half of it and ask me to do the rest.... I don't have time for that. I tried that before and ended up spending 3x the time getting it finished than it woulda taken me on my own.
If you want it out, take initiative. I'll answer questions and provide files AS NEEDED. Dont ask me what editor to use, if you can have everything I've done so far.... I don't have time for that either. I want to get this done.
2D Graphics
I'm converting all the HUD images from q2. The scoreboard needs to be re-designed for q3. I want a different q3 character set, as the one in q3 seems to be bulky and HUGE. I have a console background. [q2 console with the number being III]. The converted HUD images tend to have fuzzy, weird colored edges because of anti-aliasing affecting the alpha layer BEFORE the image is multiplied with it. I have a 2d image for a "radar circle", but once again quake3's "trap_drawStrechPic" tends to mutilate it to an excruciatingly ugly level... I still need a name for the game, and a corresponding logo to show on connect...
Model Skins
Currently I have 4 people supposed to provide me with a skin for the bitterman q3 model. I think 3 of them died, and the 4th one I just talked to yesterday... So even if he makes a skin I don't expect it for a while.
I was having problems with quake3 [or the q3 model compilers] not supporting multiple skins for a model, and so I ended up having to make a copy of the .md3 for each different skin, with the skin hex edited into the file.
Theres a problem with the weapon models all referencing their skins as being in the "odels" directory instead of "models". I can't fix this with a hex editor, because hex editing requires the string not getting longer. [shorter is fine]. As it is MISSING an m... not much I can do unless someone knows of a model compiler that lets you change skin names [some make you think you can, but dont save the changes].
Models
I have ZERO modeling skills. I'd like to thank pb2x for converting all the models over, even tho some of them don't work at the moment.
I re-added the "hand" feature of q2, but mirroring the weapon model makes it cull the wrong side. [doesnt draw faces not in the feild of view]. But since I'm mirroring the drawing, it calculates what it can see normally, and I end up mirroring the culled weapon. eesh. I need a set of mirrored models.
I'm using the bitterman player model for the game. If anyone wants to try your hand at skinning him... go for it.
I'm using the q3 flag models for the game unless someone wants to design a new one. Alreday have q3 ones colored
I'm looking for some foliage models/sprites for future maps. Jit made a bush for one of his q2 maps, but thats all we have so far. They're not needed, but would be nice to have. Once again, take initiative, but don't expect me to to teach ya.
Code
Bots work to a degree. They pick everything up and know where the ammo is at... they will sorta aim, but they're morons when it comes to paintball strategy. They tend to like the deathmatch style "run past everyone and take pot shots".
Rounds start, end, fix all the items, start and end again.... No bonus points for flags yet... All thats lets there is to get the game ending code in there. It detects game over, but just restarts the game right now.
No admin functions yet
Team radar [shows teammates on radar]. messagemode2 messages WILL make the player light up on the radar... still shows dead players on radar...
theres a frame or two of player movement lag whenever you first come in contact with a base. Unknown why.
ball speed is doubled. Reflects slightly over 200 feet per second now. Q2, in order to make balls not fall too fast they were only affected by 50% gravity. Now they get full gravity and full speed. Same fall off. This WILL affect gameplay, making people need to be more cautious and move slower. Player velocity also added to ball now. Makes it a bit weird to control, but more realistic.
Making addition of new game modes REALLY easy. Might release server code for the "gametype_*.c and gametype_*.h" as well as objects for the rest of the code.
The basic game works fine so far...
Maps
None done. Battle partially converted, but the lighting is fux0red. If you want to help in this department, just recompile maps for q3 and make them look good, and I'll later release specs for an entity-only recompile if needed. I can provide a map decompiler, and a q2bsp to q3bsp converter that works with maps so long as they don't have ladders.
I'm looking for ONE new map for q3dp, based on a realistic forest type scheme. If you're interested, and have DAMN good mapping skills, and have a way of making a realistic style forest, TALK TO ME. =) Only respond if you're willing to work on it. I dont want people who want to help but dont want to do any work. Those are a dime a dozen.
And on... and on...
I'll try to keep the news updated with what I'm doing. Click here for my little screenshot dir. It's not organized... pics are added as I feel like it. I cant just hit f12 because my 3dfx drivers for win2000 suck. It causes a driver error.
Anyways.... This wasn't meant to be a well worded essay with perfect grammer. Get over it.
Oh, and for whoever on the bboard said all that stuff about me doing this as a hobby and for people to just chill out and wait, thx. =)
[And that due date I gave before wasn't the real one. Its my way of saying: If you ask me for a date, you won't get one. Its just as hard for me to guess a release date as it is for you. Free time comes and goes.]