QDeveLS Proudly Presents: DUEL mod for Quake 2

Welcome

… I am your host, SumFuka. Get ready for the most intense, bloody, in-your-face quake2 action you’ve ever experienced.

No power shields.
No BFG.
Just you and one bad-ass(tm) opponent.

You think you’ve got skills with rockets or rail ? Well that just doesn’t cut it soldier. You need to be sneaky, cunning and downright dirty. Not to mention relentless and showing no mercy. This is DUEL.

Party Time

This week DUEL is mod-of-the-week at planetquake. So download the maps, look up some servers and get DUEL-ing !

The PlanetQuake QDevels Duel mod gives you an intense 1on1 duel environment. Just about everything can be customized by the players… they can choose a map and adjust settings (timelimit, fraglimit, powerups, dmflags) all through a sexy menu system. And when the action begins, the spectators can enjoy the bloodbath in any one of 4 ChaseCam modes.

The DUEL mod also gives very ummm, ahem *colourful* evaluations of player performances in the match ! There’s even a ‘duellists log’ recording who beat who… by how much, on what map and when. But don’t take our word for it, Go Get the QDeveLS DUEL Mod 2.0 now ! (it’s designed for 3.14 servers).

By the way, the DUEL mod is a server-side only mod. The client does not need to download anything…. So… if you just want to play duel, search for a duel server and simply jump in. You only need to download the mod if you are running the server…

And, did we tell you that our patch has attitude ?

How to run a DUEL server

Ok, well first you need to download the duel package and unzip it in your quake directory. You should have a new gamex86.dll in the duel directory e.g. C:\QUAKE2\DUEL\GAMEX86.DLL. Run the server like this :

c:\quake2\quake2.exe +set game “duel” +set deathmatch 1 +map q2dm1 +set maxclients 8

Note that with maxclients 8, there can be 8 people in the game (duh), so that means a maximum of 6 spectators (and 2 duellists).

To set a motd (message-of-the-day), simply modify the motd.txt file in the duel directory. Be careful not to put too much text on one line, or too many lines, else the text will overflow from the menu system window.

That’s it ! Just log in and frag away… The server administrator can also inspect the results of duels by looking at the duel_log.txt file (which is saved in the duel directory). The log file is an ascii format – it should be easy to construct stats from it if they are ever required :)

To use a different logfile, run the server with (e.g.) +set logfile mylogfile.txt. To run a server with no log file, use +set logfile none.

How to play DUEL

Simply join the server and use the menu system. Choose ‘Enter the Duel’ if you would like to play, or ‘Watch as Spectator’ if you would like to watch.

If you enter the duel, you will need to be ‘ready’ before the duel actually starts. Simply use the menu option ‘Ready to Duel’.

Here is a tip if you are having trouble with the menu system : hit TAB or F1 to get the menu back up. Use [ and ] to move up and down the menu options, and hit ENTER to select a menu option. ESCAPE exits a menu.

That’s it ! Rock and roll.

DUEL Command Reference

• PLAYER … Enter duel as a player
• READY … Ready to start countdown !
• NOTREADY … Not ready to start
• BREAK … Stop the duel
• SPECTATOR … Watch duel as a spectator
• CHASECAM … Toggle ChaseCam on/off
• CHASEMODE … Switch ChaseCam mode
• TIME … Set timelimit to x
• FRAGS … Set fraglimit to y
• POWERUPS … Toggle powerups on/off
• DUELMAP … Play on map abc
• Q2DM[1-8] … E.g. Q2DM1
• RANDMAP … Random q2dm[1-8] map
• COMMANDS … (This List)

The DUEL mod 2.0 was written by SumFuka in April 1998. It took a little longer than the previous version (which was written in about 5 days before Xmas 1997…). This mod was inspired by the Quake I ‘duel’ patch by fang^FAQ^ and the infamous clanring mod. It was only possible by the absolute extreme generosity of id software in releasing the gamex86.dll source. In particular, John Carmack. You are GOD. You rule.

In fact, Paul Steed rules too. I have actually met Paul Steed (when he came out to Australia for the release of Quake II) and he is not only the most talented 3D modeller in the universe, but a great guy too. I’m not trying to be sucky, I’m just letting you know that id folks rock.

Thanks to Planetquake for hosting QDeveLS and the duel patch. Also thanks to XRayMan and HillBilly for testing the duel patch late into the midnight hours at my place on Xmas. But most of all, thanks to the QDeveLS fans who provided input into the making of the mod.

If you are running a quake2 competition, please feel free to use the DUEL patch ! You should be able to use it as is (just change the motd.txt file to taste). If you require a customized version, get in touch with me.

The duel patch can be freely distributed. I only ask that you leave the zip file ‘as is’ and if you post it on a website, please put a link to qdevels.

Source ? Sure, Ill release it in a month or so, when any necessary modifications have been made. If you’re interested, it’s about 2000 lines.

(Legal Mumbo Jumbo : ) The DUEL patch has no malicious intent but the authour cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage incurred through it’s use.

PS in case you were wondering, the gifs I am using as separators between sections on this web page (E.g. “SumFuka YOU ABSOLUTELY SUCK !!!”) are actual comments that the DUEL patch said whilst I was playing (and losing, BADLY !)

DUEL Map Pak

These 1-on-1 maps are the creations of the most brilliant map-makers every to live. Fear them, revere them, but most of all… enjoy the maps they have so generously made for our DUEL-ing pleasure !

• The Maps

  These maps were selected by the staff of RamShackle and QDeveLS. We looked for good map prettiness/size/layout, good item placement and (most of all) good playability.

  We included no more than one map from each author (in order to give fame and fortune to 8 different people).

  Lastly, we tried to give you some variety in this map pak. There are larger and smaller maps, one map has a quad, and there are three maps specifically suited to RocketLauncher, RailGun and Double-Shotty lovers.

  Enjoy !

q2duel1 : AeroWalk by Mattias “Preacher” KonradssonThis map rocks-ass(tm) ! In fact, it’s my favourite q2 map ever. I’m betting that this map will become “the duellists’ map” for quake2… much the same way that dm4 was popular among quake1 duellists. This map sports intense, non-stop action. But don’t stop too long to admire the picturesque teleporters… you may just cop a rail in the head :)

q2duel2 : Grind by headshot [Dennis Kaltwasser]Hmmm, what does that button do ? You’ll just have to play this map to find out, soldier. Let’s just say that if you play me on this map… touch that button and die ! grind… the name pretty much says it all. Just be careful your opponent doens’t get the idea to grind your face into the nearest brush.

q2duel3 : Brutal Force by Jens AndreassonWarning : do not play this map if you are claustrophobic. Same goes for people with pacemakers… the pace is pretty frenetic in here. This cosy little map is perfect for those intent on spilling blood (and lots of it). Double-shotty specialists will be right at home… don’t go thinking the rocket launcher is king of this hill.

q2duel4 : Out the Window by Brian “Weasel” WilsonIf you’ve ever stood in an elevator and put your hand between the doors just as they were about to close… and watched the doors open and close… open and close… then you’ll love this map. Hell even if you never did that (am I the only person who experienced a weird childhood ?), you still might like it :) Words really do fail me for this map… it’s just so brilliantly different ! The tight layout forces you to throw away your rocket skills and use those weapons best suited to making hamburger meat out of your opponent – double shotty and chaingun.

q2duel5 : Mortal Coil by Phil “Retinal” ChoppDon’t pause to admire the skyline of a smoggy city seen through the windows… you’ve got a Rocket Launcher to race for ! If your opponent beats you to it, well… hehe. It’ll be a game of hide and seek for the next 29 seconds ! … And for a nice touch there is a quad on this map. Quad + Double Shotty = “Mmmmm, yummy”. Duel with powerups on (if you dare…)

q2duel6 : ikdm3 by Iikka ‘Fingers’ KeranenDon’t let the lack of a scary name fool you… this map is excellent fun. And if you are a Rail-head(tm) … well, you’re right at home ! And what the hell is that rotating thing in the picture ? To be honest, I don’t really know. But whatever it is, it’s put more than one elevator mechanic out of work. (How did the blood get on it, Iikka ?)

q2duel7 : Gom Jabbar by Noel “Taltos” WeerDon’t slip into the acid, that’s my advice for this map. Try to keep calm when playing here… this slime pit is all about getting the high ground and keeping it. If you love rocket jumping around, you should excel on this one. (And besides, it has a scary name – it must be fun!)

q2duel8 : The Rage by Sten “ztn” UusvaliLike Mike Tyson’s career, let’s finish with something good to chew on. THIS MAP ROCKS ! It’s pretty… and it’s a certain bloodbath. (Oh, and it’s pretty, too). This map is perfect for the Rocket-lover. You’ll find yourself rounding corners and exiting elevators right in time to cop a sweet rocket to the face. Know it, love it…. mmmm this map rules.

Making DUEL Maps

If you think you’ve got what it takes to make a mean DUEL map, start mapping now ! If this map pak is successful we will make a second map pak in a month or so. Be ready to send them in when we post news about it at QDeveLS.

A 1on1 map is just a normal deathmatch map… there are no special entities you need to know about. Just make sure your map is fun, playable and fair. Be wary of putting a BFG or a power shield in the map. And try to force the players to move around to get armour and ammo – it’s a nasty fact of life but people do camp… make it hard for them to camp.

Stuck for ideas ? Head over to RamShackle to see how hundreds of other cool q2 maps have been made.

IMPORTANT

Please ! Read the following message…

These map makers have put in many many hours of work to create these maps for everyone to enjoy. Please respect their work… drop them a nice note if you enjoy the maps ! Also, please refer to the individual q2duelX.txt files for details on each map.

This map pak is public domain – you are free to distribute it by electronic means (inet/bbs) as long as you give it away for free. Please, do not put these maps on CDs without asking the authors.

Neither the map makers, the makers of this map package nor the agents responsible for distributing this map pak over the internet can be held liable for any loss or damage suffered as a result of using this map package.

Quake2 is a registered trademark of id software .
The work of the map authors remains their own.

Strategy

A Quake[1/2] DUEL is an artform. It is very different to normal deathmatch play. Consider the difference between :

Grabbing the nearest weapon and charging towards the nearest victim with no regard for your own life, hoping to smack them firstAnd…

Masterfully taking control of key areas of the map whilst luring your opponent into a firefight when you have the advantage.

Control

Ok, to ‘control’ the map you will need to :

1. Control the key area(s) – generally this means taking the high elevation and ensuring you are always firing down on your opponent.
2. Control the key weapon(s) – this is a touchy topic ! Where does ‘control’ end and ‘camping’ end. Well put it this way – if your opponent is running for a RailGun that is right next to you… are you going to let him take it or grab it yourself ? Of course you will deny it to him. Although this may seem dirty, accept that your opponent would camp or ‘cycle’ weapons if he were in control. Don’t do him any favours…
3. Control the key item(s) – most often this is the 100-armour or 50-armour. In maps short on ammo, it can be a pack of rockets or slugs. Try to chase your opponent away from them when they are about to respawn. Or alternatively, use them as bait – smack your opponent when they run for them.Play the Odds

   Let’s take some wisdom from the-book-of-Thresh. Play the odds he says in his bible… I’m sure he would agree with what I am saying here. don’t be foolish and go rushing into a fight which you will probably lose. If your opponent is stronger then keep your distance and try to wear him/her down. If they try to rush you then make them pay for it – run backwards firing suppressive rockets or leave a trail of grenades.

   Firstly, keep track of how healthy your opponent is. If they have just grabbed the 100-armour… keep away.

   Secondly, make them pay if they try to approach you. Preferrably, duck behind corners so that they cannot hurt you (but you can still hurt them if they keep chasing you…).

   Thirdly, wait until you have the advantage, then pounce on them. Try to fire a few slugs at a distance… if you hit them then pull out rockets or double shotty and charge them whilst you have the advantage.

   No Mercy

   I have heard many people complain about being raped (killed just as you respawn next to a strong opponent).

   You must accept that DUEL is a game of gaining and keeping the upper hand…In other words, there will usually be a player in the stronger position and a player in the weaker position. Accept this… then enjoy the challenge of knocking off your opponent when you are in the weaker position !

   When you are in the weaker position you must be sneaky. You need to avoid fighting until you can grab a weapon and some armour. If you attack at all, use guerrila attacks – sting your opponent then disappear.

   Once you kill your opponent, you are now in the stronger position. Make the most of it ! Predict where your opponent will head after they respawn (rocket launcher ? railgun ?) and try to get a quick frag whilst they are weak. If they get a weapon – don’t let them get armour or ammo. Retain the stronger position.

   Map by Map Strategies

   It’s certainly too soon to be sure of the best strategies for each map ! But, if you fancy yourself something of an expert, then write up your strategy for your chosen q2duelx map and send it in.

Credits

Many people have contributed to DUEL ! Here they are (in no particular order…)

Concept

 

• Fang^faq^ – the quake1 duel patch that was my inspiration
• The QDeveLS readers – for great ideas and supportProgramming
• SumFuka – hey, that’s me !
• Zoid – thanks for the menu system and chasecam
• Hentai (Tsunami) – thanks for the VWEP code
• Fredrik Haglund ([DaS]Biafra) – thanks for the Solaris portTesting
• Hicks,Wheel,Thermal,Zips,Examier [AI clan]
• Buster,Blade,Sinister [TT clan]
• SnowLeopard [beta tester extra-ordinaire]The DUEL Map Pak
• Mattias “Preacher” Konradsson
• Dennis “headshot” Kaltwasser
• Jens Andreasson
• Brian “Weasel” Wilson
• Phil “Retinal” Chopp
• Iikka “Fingers” Keranen
• Noel “Taltos” Weer
• Sten “ztn” Uusvali
• and goblin from RamShackle – for helping to select the mapsArtwork
• nop (from CO2) – the QDeveLS artwork and html theme
• Peny – DUEL logos (thanks)
• Alan Ford – DUEL logo and icon (thanks)Misc
• Joost, Fargo (PlanetQuake) – thanks for hosting and support !
• Thanks to all the people running DUEL servers ! (too many to list…)

https://web.archive.org/web/20031013173441/http://www.planetquake.com:80/QDevels/duel/index.html