Quake Live Mapping Thoughs - Mapping for Steam QL?

[CZghost]

The more and more I'm watching new QL videos, the more and more I think of returning to QL and start mapping for QL. It might be mostly conversions of my regular Q3 maps (VQ3, TA) to support new gametypes and new modes in QL, as well as new features.

These are my thoughs:

1. Advertisement boards - include or not?
2. Weapons of choice, general ammunition packs - where to place these packs?
3. Keys and locked doors - how it works?
4. General layout - items placement, which items should be placed, which replaced?
5. Weapons and items markers - does it make sense to always mark the item by its sign?
6. Gametypes - Domination, Attack & Defend, Red Rover, Freeze Tag, Race - any special support?

Spending 10 bucks for a game download is pretty much like buying brand new CD, so I'm pretty okay with that. Steam registration seems to be free, so the only thing that need to be paid for is the game itself... But the question is the free time and how long the registration expires. I'm not going to make this primary job, only a hobby. My primary level editing hobby would be still for Q3A, QL maps will be only conversions (well, mostly), which is the reason I'm really asking.

Also: How's that with secrets in maps for QL? I mean when it comes to include secrets, should I put something worthy in there to make game flow better and make that secret interesting and worth of seeking? Are secrets considered good or is it mainly forbidden? As I plan to make secrets in my maps to make gameplay more interesting for egg-hunters, but don't know if it's okay with QL maps where gameplay is number one priority and such things would rather damage the gameplay than make it more interesting. As for visuals, most players play without textures, which kills the mapper's idea of nice looking map and pretty much only levelshot is the only one guide to look at the map visuals And pro-players don't look for secrets, sadly, which is something that kills the whole idea of making gameplay more interesting with secrets and easter eggs...

[Hipshot]

To be honest, just consider QL as Q3, there really is no big difference. Skip all ad boards, no need to have them there, unless you think they are fun.

I think the biggest feature of QL is the key, I can see a lot of fun maps being made with that. It's probably pretty simple to implement, don't know how though, maybe you can just decompile Elder and look?

[CZghost]

Maybe. The ads are pretty much only about visual site than actual thing to pay for the game. But don't know - is it only visual or is it still working as advertisement boards? For me, the ad boards never worked back in the time when QL was played in browser and even not in standalone version... The only thing that was displayed on the ad screens was the QL logo... So I always though of them as just design feature...

[sst13]

1. No need for, but maybe as decoration only. (There are no ads anymore in QL)
2. Place the Ammo Packs above the default ones. (for single ammo) Or between them, if you have several default ammo in a line.
Like in this 3 examples:

single boxes:
[Ammo-Pack]
[Rockets]

double boxes: (http://sst13.net/pics/ql_global_ammo.jpg)
[Lightning] [Ammo-Pack] [Grenades]

tripple boxes:
[Rail] [Ammo-Pack] [Plasma] [Ammo-Pack] [Shells]

3. In the func_door: Spawnflag 16 = silver key | spawnflag 32 = gold key
4. New items are: ammo_pack, ammo_hmg, weapon_hmg, item_armor_jacket, item_key_silver, item_key_gold, item_key_master, race_point, team_dom_point
5. No, most people know where the good stuff is.
6. Race needs some "race_point"s connected in a chain. Domination needs 1-3 "team_dom_point"s.

Sometimes QL is in a special offer for 4,99$ or only 1,99$. You can put it now on your Steam Wish-List and you will be notified via email when a special offer occurs. But this can take some months...

[CZghost]

I'm okay waiting But: This is not completely my machine, even the one sitting on my desk home is not mine. And as I read some system requirements for Quake Live I'm afraid that it won't meet requirements for both machines, desktop nor laptop I'd like to have it installed possibly on both machines, but since desktop is an older hardware, it won't work there. The only one hope is laptop, but I wanted to make major gaming platform my desktop, which is also home of original Quake 3 Arena installation... I'll see what I can do to hardware upgrade to meet requirements... Will QL work with dual-core CPU? Intel Core 2 Duo, an older CPU I bought few years ago...

EDIT:
Also, I have an older graphics card (nVidia GeForce 9800 GT). Minimum requirements say this: NVIDIA GeForce 4 MX or better - is it newer or older than my graphics card? I can't tell. If newer, then it probably won't work on my desktop, which is a thing of shame What I don't understand is why QL engine is using DirectX instead of OpenGL like original Q3A engine? It's huge difference then...

Also, can be ADSL considered wideband Internet connection? It's rather slower than today's average Internet speed (we're still connected by telephone line), may it be fast enough to participate in online games? I'd like to test maps also with humans and record spectating matches on my maps (to demonstration purposes, of course)...

All these specifications (except for the Internet connextion, which highly depends on location) are however matched with my laptop, so I could possibly start playing on my Windows 10 64bit machine...

[CZghost]

Okay, registered to Steam today (didn't download Steam application yet, however). Added QL to my wishlist and watchlist

[AndyW]

Install the steam-launcher. I will send you the login-stuff for my QL-Test account... so you can try it! ; but we have to be online at the same time -so i can send you the key from my email.
Just pm me

EDIT: I think theres no problem running QL on that machine(s), just test it!
On my second PC (Core2-E8400@3GHz//ATI-6850-1GB//8GB-RAM) i got no problems playing QL.

[CZghost]

Okay I'm going to sleep now, tomorrow (well, today) I'm going to a bit programming implementation test Hope it will improve my grade

[CZghost]

As for my Steam account still is missing payment informations, it does provide some options for a credit card. I do not have a credit card (in fact, credit cards are not much common in Czech Republic), but I do have a debit card (payment card associated with my bank account, not with rental account like credit card). The problem is I don't know which payment methods Steam supports. I don't know whenever it supports debit card payment or using some service for online payment (like PayPal). I need to pair my free Steam account with some of payment method to buy games and items, to trade with other players. But this is all it offers me (screenshot in attachment).

What payment method would you recommend me to buy things on Steam? I do have enough money, I just need to choose the right payment method to do the “kauf”. I'd like to also add friends to my friendlist (which I can't without spending money here - which means at least fill up the Steam Wallet if not buying a game right now). I know some payment services charge a fee for online transaction (PayPal is one of the services), so I'd like to pay smallest possible fee for those services (to save money as much as possible for Steam games). And of course, I don't want credit card - it's so much responsibility for it to keep credit at some point. As you go below the line, they will start charging the time you have to return the spent amount of money into the credit, while this time was exceeded, they will start raising the amount of money to be payed for (raising the line = taking money from your credit), which is something I don't want to risk My friend once forgot to return spent money to the credit (it was something around 200 CZK), they charged him to pay total of 800 CZK (nearly 1,000 CZK), which is pretty much high. He could be lucky it was “only” 800 (not 8,000). He told me in my home town Ústí nad Labem (before I moved to Prague for studying in university), we walked along to a bus station to take a ride by trolleybus to school to participate in maturita exams back in the day (it was in end of May)... Then I participate in schooling for an Electrical Engineering certificate, which I passed

Payment is something I really take care about. Yes, I do have enough money, but it's not very much high amount to actually simply take no care about the payment method. This is something I can't leave alone...

[obsidian]

There's a picture of the supported payment methods on the right - Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB - all credit cards. I don't think it supports any other method.

You can probably apply for a credit card at your local bank. Don't buy more than what you have, and pay your bill at the end of the month and you'll be fine. Your friend is probably a moron and didn't pay his bill for multiple months to rack up that much in interest charges.

I'd try to scam you and tell you that you should be sending all of your money to me so that I can buy the games for you, but with the exchange rate of Czech to Canadian and transfer fees, I'd probably be looking at a loss.

[CZghost]

So no other way than credit card? That's what I was afraid of I have MasterCard debit card, I never felt to purchase a credit card and I was never really interested in credit card payment method. Well, it's time to learn now Thank you for your assistance

[Hipshot]

Sorry, I don't understand, you have a MasterCard, but can't use it?

There should be no issue if it's a credit card or debit card, unless there's regional restriction?

[CZghost]

No. I have MasterCard debit card, but credit card is required. I really don't know what payment method Steam supports. In terms of conditions they say only “any payment methods supported by Steam” and nothing about which payment methods are supported, I found nothing in FAQ nor support. So that's why I am asking as I know that Visa is credit card only and from the providers there are two “America only” credit cards. MasterCard is both credit card and debit card, so I am unsure if it supports only credit cards or also debit cards. Unless give it a try...

[monaster]

Steam supports a couple of playment methods, see this anchor and if you need further information, use this link, the latter one is the same page but starts at the top.

[CZghost]

Thanks a lot, it explains everything BTW, I'm not allowed to use PayPal When tried to access http://www.paypal.com website, it says me this:

Access Denied

You don't have permission to access "http://www.paypal.com/" on this server.

Reference #18.c3c1002.1485530722.37919c3

What the hell does it mean?

[monaster]

Either the Czech Republic isn't allowed to use PayPal (unlikely) or you use Tor or a VPN (or an IP used by many different devices like a dormitory IP) which is detected and therefore blocked by Paypal (more likely).

[CZghost]

I'm at college, with unique network related IP address assigned for my machine only (assigned to my MAC address). I did not use Tor to access their sites (though, I have Tor installed), I just clicked on the “View more informations about PayPal” link to bring the sites and got blocked But college network is behind school proxy server, which may set the visible IP address in Internet, so well, that means I can't use PayPal while I'm at college. I don't know the IP range for public access from college network, though, so maybe it detects the IP is just assigned to proxy server (therefore masking the real IP address of the network), so they blocked me off. Can I write 'em? Does anybody know their contact e-mail? 'Cause I'm really curious about why they block off such network. Maybe it's not PayPal's end, but academic network end that simply blocks off such site to protect us... Will see...

EDIT:
Oh look, it blocks off just Wi-Fi connection Connected with wire and it works! Unfortunately, my wire connection occassionaly disconnects in my computer, falling back to Wi-Fi

[AndyW]

so switch off the w-lan

[CZghost]

May work or may disconnect me at all. If so the other, I might start solving this troubleshooting with particular support forums (Acer, Microsoft, virus removeal helpdesk, etc.)

[AndyW]

Again, i can give you the login fo my 2nd test account! When you get your own working you just logout/awitch to your own and thats all!
But we should time that, you need a key at your first login, and that key will be send to my email-add.