QuArK support for RTCW-ET

[cdunde]

Hi all; I am cdunde and have been a developer for QuArK (Quake Army Knife) ,a multi game editor, now for over 5 years.

http://quark.planetquake.gamespy.com/

I have just started to work on support for making maps for ET in QuArK and I could use your input and guidance a little bit here.

I can build the bsp file using a batch file and the q3map2.exe compiler.
I startup ET, pull down the game console and type in this to load the map:

\devmap etnewmap

It starts to load the map (a simple test room with an info_player_start and light entity)
but it will not open the map and give an error message that says
“Map ‘etnewmap’ isn’t a valid campaign starting map. Set your gametype to 2 to load it directly.”

My question is:
where and how do I set gametype to 2?

If you can give me a brief description of it and a simple example I would appreciate it very much.

Thank you,

cdunde

[IneQuation]

Type g_gametype 2 in console.

[kamikazee]

“Map ‘etnewmap’ isn’t a valid campaign starting map. Set your gametype to 2 to load it directly.”
I would allso like to mention that I haven’t seen that “error” since I started playing W:ET 2.60.
I don’t know if you’re using an older version to check that it’s compatible, but 2.60 shouldn’t cause so much problems.

[cdunde]

Thank you both for your replies.
Which both were correct. I have downloaded and installed version 2.60, I was using 2.55.
Not knowing if others will be using one or the other version, would it create a problem do you think to leave the “set g_gametype 2” in the command line?
Currently I have removed it.

I recently completed a revamping of the support that QuArK gives for RTCW, its creation of the bsp and aas files, loading the map and running it in the game.
To do this I used the command line settings that another, Mak, had used in a batch file. RTCW also uses q3map2.exe to create these files, although I am not sure it is the same version that ET requires.

I have installed the WolfETtools.exe (GtkRadiant-1.3) although I am not fumier with its use. However I did read and used the batch file that they recommend.
But now I have kind of deviated from that in my testing, using setting that RTCW uses in QuArK which are as follows:
ET.EXE +set sv_cheats 1 +set fs_homepath etmain +set fs_game tmpQuArK +set nextmap “spdevmap %filename%” +exec

The "+set nextmap “spdevmap %filename%” section merrily attempts to supply the name of the map being edited at the time.

When a RTCW map is called to build and load a map, it does so directly into the game. However, ET does not function in the same way.
The bsp, prt and stf files are created (even the aas files) and all are placed into a folder called “maps” in the etmain directory.
Then ET is started and the main menu appears, where I manually have to pull down the game console and enter:
\devmap newmap
That is when it starts its loading process (and use to give the set gametype 2 error), but now it says that it can not find the bsp file.

Can you please look at the command line setting I am using and give me some guidance as to what needs to be changed, added and\or removed.
Also, are there command line “set” entries that can be used to load and run the map directly, without having the game menu appear and stop it.

At this point, working with what we have setup for RTCW, I have been able to reconfigure it to display the ET pak files in the etmain game directory
which allows the viewing and use of those texture and shader files in QuArK editing of an ET map file.
Once the solution of the build, call to run and load the map in ET is resolved, then I can create ET in QuArK as its own “game” and proceed to set it up properly.

Thank you for your assistance and help,

cdunde

[MrLego]

Try adding

+set sv_pure 0

to your command line.

if sv_pure is set to 1 ET will only look for maps within pk3 files - not seperate files.

My command line for a map called “testbox.bsp” looks like this:

E:\Rtcw_ET\ET.exe   +set sv_cheats 1 +set sv_pure 0 +set g_gametype 2 +devmap testbox

If you are using Radiant as a tesbed, version 1.4 is a better choice.

Good Luck

[nUllSkillZ]

So you need q3map2 for the compilation.
You should try to use the latest version that is included in the V 1.5.0 beta of GTKRadiant:
http://www.qeradiant.com/

[cdunde]

BINGO MrLego !

+set sv_pure 0

That did the trick

We have map loading

The main game menu still comes up and I need to pull down the console and manually type in:

\devmap newmap

When you use your command line, are you using a bat file for that or is that in Radiant?
And does it go directly into loading the map or do you also need to pull down the console and hand type that in?

Thank you one and all for your help.
You will soon have another editor to make ET maps with

cdunde

[redRum]

When you use your command line, are you using a bat file for that or is that in Radiant?

What I usually do is to have a duplicate ET shortcut in the desktop with the command line at the end -could also be a .bat file-, and it pointing to the map I’m more often testing. His command line does already have the “+devmap mapname” bit so it should run the game and also load the map at once.

[Lanz]

+set nextmap “spdevmap %filename%”

Replace that with +devmap %filename%, spdevmap is for single player and ET is multi player only.

[cdunde]

FANTASTIC Lanz ! ! !

That took me RIGHT into the map load and by passed the game menu

Exactly what I wanted to do.

BTW folks, GRATE RESPONCE here :notworthy:

I will get started on the ET setup tomorrow and get it out as soon as I can.

It took me almost 2 months with RTCW because of all the stuff for support that I had
to add, all the entity Spacifics\Args (keys) that were never added, sound, light color and model file selectors (or pickers as we call them), creation of md3 models so they all show up in the editor instead of just placement boxes, fixing dead and broken shader files that seem to be left in ALL games, and the full viewing of all textures. :weird:

Hopefully it won’t take me that long with ET, but I’m on it now!

I hope you like it when I’m done.

Thanks again for all your help and inputs,

cdunde

Also, right now I am getting two aas collision files created. RTCW uses those.
Does anyone know if ET also needs them?
If not then I can stop that part of the build.

[Lanz]

Nope, ET doesn’t use AAS at all.

Great that you got it to work btw.

[cdunde]

Very good Lanz, I will remove that part then.

Like Radiant, QuArK can have a number of different combinations of command line entries to do a map build.
As many as 9 preset “program” command line setting groups (arguments) can be used (more can be added) and any combination of these can be used.

These combinations are preset on the games menu for fast selection, one menu line item for each combination of settings.
So it is very flexible and easy to use by just selecting a single menu item.

Because ET, RTCW and Quake 3 are all derived from and somewhat based on the Quake 3 game engine,
I have been basing the work on what is now there for RTCW and Quake 3 to setup ET.
If everybody could take a look at these command line settings for all three and give me their feed back, I can set these combinations up on ET 's game menu.

These are the command line preset argument variations that are set for Quake 3:
Main command line: Quake3.EXE +set sv_pure 0

1st set: (blank - just runs the game and loads the map, must have already been built.)

2nd set: -vis -saveprt

3rd set: -light

4th set: -bsp2aas %file%.BSP -output %mappath%

These are the command line preset argument variations that are set for RTCW:
Main command line: WOLFSP.EXE +set sv_cheats 1 +set fs_homepath main +set fs_game tmpQuArK +set nextmap “spdevmap %filename%” +exec

1st set: -game “wolf” -fs_basepath “%basepath%” “%file%”

2nd set: -game “wolf” -fs_basepath “%basepath%” -vis -saveprt “%file%”

3rd set: -game “wolf” -fs_basepath “%basepath%” -light “%file%”

These are the command line preset argument variations that are currently set for ET:
Main command line:
ET.EXE +set sv_cheats 1 +set sv_pure 0 +set g_gametype 2 +set fs_homepath etmain +set fs_game tmpQuArK +devmap “%filename%” +exec

1st set: -game “et” -fs_basepath “%basepath%” “%file%”

2nd set: -game “et” -fs_basepath “%basepath%” -vis -saveprt “%file%”

3rd set: -game “et” -fs_basepath “%basepath%” -light “%file%”

Suggestion, because light can be very time consuming I could add -light -fast for the 4th set to reduce the build time for just doing a rough light check.

There are also four types of map output formats that are setup on a drop down list and can be easily changed:
Classic Quake
Quark etp
Valve 220 and
Brush Primitives ( the one I am currently using)

Which of the above seems to be the most valid for ET’s default setting?
Although you may not know what they all are, I know I don’t.
I would say give it your best guess.

BTW, I should have added this before, but if anyone has some time and would like to help do this setup,
I can show them what needs to be done and how to do it for QuArK.
That would certainly help a lot on the amount of time it will take to put it all together.
We can brake it down into sections (I will take one myself) then I can put those together to keep it limited time wise for each person that helps.

Thanks again one and all,

cdunde

[cdunde]

OK, making progress with ET’s setup in QuArK, BUT…

Weapon entities are giving me a problem.
Some work fine, you can place them in the map, you can pick them up and use them.
Others show up in the map, but you can NOT pick them up and use them.
And others don’t even show up at all.

As an example, the weapon_akimbocolt entity, I can not get that one to even show up in the map at all.
I downloaded the ET SDK and all the weapons are in the src\game\bg_misc.c file including the weapon_akimbocolt and it shows it should be a usable item.

Any ideas on this?

Thanks,

cdunde

[Jaquboss]

well those weapon entities weren’t made to appear in game - well primaries were… others are done to point which weapon use which ammo
but with some modifications they might work
same for others
multi stage healths needs fix
ammo pickups needs fix and enabling
BTW all of these weapon_ entities should show in map but they have no model set ( weapons doesn’t use models from itemlist but weapon files ) you can see a colored axis under certain conditions

[cdunde]

I see, so you don’t have weapons laying around that plp can pickup as they go, hu!?
OK, well apparently 4 from the original RTCW do work:
weapon_flamethrower
weapon_mp40
weapon_panzerfaust and
weapon_thompson

plus two new added ones for ET:
weapon_mobile_mg42
weapon_mortar

So I have those as selectable drop in entities now for the QuArK editor
and their respective models to display and count settings for amount of ammo to start with.

The ones that appear but can not pick up, I have left out. I don’t see any need for them.

I was about to start with the ammo entities, but you said they also can not be picked up?
How do plp replenish their ammo then?
Seems like that would be a short war!
Maybe that’s what we need in the REAL world.
Run out of ammo…everybody go home! :drink:

When you say:
"BTW all of these weapon_ entities should show in map but they have no model set ( weapons doesn’t use models from itemlist but weapon files ) you can see a colored axis under certain conditions "

I’m not sure what you mean. Maybe you could give me a walk through with an example please.

And you’re right about the ammo pickup and display not working. :bored:
So what DOES work in this game? :???:

While were at it, I understand ET does not use .aas files for collision and bot control,
but what about “mapobjects”, does it use the ones I see in the ET .pak files?
Do plp just add “clip” brushes for their shapes for collision?

Thanks for your reply,

cdunde

[nUllSkillZ]

W:ET is classbased as RTCW.
One class is Field Ops which gives ammopacks to his team.
(BTW there’s also a medic that heals his team with medpacks).
And there can also be ammo- and healthracks in the levels.

Loffy managed to get ammo- and healthpacks and also weapons for pickup in a level.
The map is called Darji 2 (Final) (map file included as far as I know).
So you could take a look there.
ET Maps.de - Maps D-E

[cdunde]

Thanks nUllSkillZ;

It didn’t come with the basic ET pak but I did find it.
So I’ll take a look at that.

cdunde

[kamikazee]

Do mind those health/ammo racks! You need a misc_cabinet_health (or misc_cabinet_supply) and a trigger_heal (or trigger_ammo) targetting it.

[nUllSkillZ]

Should have mentioned that Loffy’s work isn’t “standard” where as the ammo- and health-racks are.

[cdunde]

Right, I have the racks displaying in the editor for placement and that’s about it.

I figured his work wasn’t on the standard side, probably uses some custom scripting.
I’m setting the editor up more for “out of the box” support at this point.

Thanks for your input guys,

cdunde