The source release, both versions, is HEAVILY commented and very nicely laid out. It's a nicer package than all the previous code releases.

Here's the rub: Q2 runs very nicely in GL on many many machines, emulating when it has to and amazingly keeping a decent framerate. It is very simple graphically, very basic in functionality, but a standing example of why John Carmack's well known speech on the subject of OpenGL vs D3D applies only to John Carmack and those willing to approach the API in the same way.

OpenGL is poorly supported, or not supported, by MANY video cards, even in current OEM systems. Yet Quake 2 will run at playable speeds using practically any of them, and a dated processor, with emulated (software) enhancements. EVERY patch to the GL renderer I have seen yet from the community thus far BREAKS IT on MANY system configurations. A lot of supposed "professional OpenGL programmers" who criticize Mr. Carmack's approach are responsible for OpenGL implementations that DO NOT RUN AT ALL, HAVE MAJOR GRAPHICAL PROBLEMS and/or CAUSE OTHER SERIOUS PROBLEMS on many many system configurations.

If for no other purpose these source releases should serve as an example, especially to those who hang on every word the man speaks, of what Mr. Carmack intended by his support of the OpenGL API. Q3A also has unprecedented support for a broad range of hardware, likely using similar methods of emulation, though the processing requirements rise respectively.

I hope this post gets read by a few people, and that at least one decent programmer takes it to heart. Alas, it will more likely only generate flames.

Programming is not a zero-sum game. Teaching something to a fellow programmer doesn’t take it away from you. I’m happy to share what I can, because ’m in it for the love of programming. The Ferraris are just gravy, honest!

John Carmack.
Michael Abrash black book

i've tried all the links. is it just me that can't get the source code?

The old distribution has been superseded with the latest one: http://www.bluesnews.com/files/idstuff/source/q2source-3.21.shtml

-- Frans
News editor, http://www.bluesnews.com/
3D Gamers admin, http://www.3dgamers.com/

HL is 40% quake(1) code and %60 new code. It's based on quake, not quake2.

i've tried all the links. is it just me that can't get the source code?

Lighting in HL is completely different than Quake 2.

As far as I know, there is NO Q2 code in HL.

Everyone stop whining - games get old.

And this is a dream come true for me. I've been waiting to read this code for years.

-tAE-

He should have included documentation that says this is a virus...

Well if I was releasing any of my code I would also supply documentation. Yeah I can read and understand the code but it helps to have docs also (if there are any). Sure its free code but doesnt mean to say that quality in the releases should drop because of that. So, acting a big dick and saying stuff like that is just plain dumb.

Sorry that Mr. Carmack can't cater to you -- I'm sure he never originally planned to release it in the first place.

</set sarcasm 1> Given a few more days, he'll release a front-end that practically writes the next-gen engine for you and explains it all in a simple manner that even a trained chimp can understand (it will be later released in hardcover as "Quake II Engine Programming and BSP Partitions for Dummies") </set sarcasm 0>

So... Quit your whining about a free gift that's probably filled with more brilliance than you or I could ever conceive of.

Peace.

Thats the most bullshit comment ive ever heard.

Documentation is part of the quality of a product.

if you need documentation, you should stay away from it anyway.

WHERE IS THE DOCUMENTATION?

"Play with your friends."

Now this game requires friends? Dammit! Now I'll have to get some of those.

People who doubt the validity or importance of Mr. Carmack's generosity should check out what people have done with previous releases. QuakeForge and PrBoom spring to mind as old engines made fresh with new rendering engines like complete OpenGL ports, (beyond just Glide,) and like QuakeForge's kick-ass framebuffer support on Linux.

Thank you, id and Mr. Carmack!

This year my best christmas present will be this quake2 source code. Thank you Mr. Carmack!

Sure... I've been banned off many servers by admins who thought I was cheating. And these weren't just average joe servers. Admins can't tell between a good player and a cheat unless they're 'very' blatant about cheating.

EJ

The way it'll open the doors for cheats is with the q2 cheat protection code and new hacked .exe's that weren't possible b4.

As for protection code, any decent league still going will use a 3rd party tool such as BWAdmin and on public servers, cheating is pretty much a free for all anyway.

Releasing the source primarily means the game has shifted from mainstream playage to mainstream coding (great for learning), which after 5 years of life can only be a good thing.

Id are extremely generous with these kind of releases and should be thanked, so thx guys, especially as it's very well put together and extremely simple to build

Ender, if you've got a forum look out for a request from me...

Just keep an eye on www.quakesrc.org - where most of the action will probably happen *grin*.

'enuff self pluggage. Half-Lifes netcode was originally based off QW.. but in the recent major revisions it's been mostly rewritten. Personally I've already taken the Quake1 source code and rewritten enough of half-life for it to play native counterstrike.

One day I should finish it off and release it as an unofficial linux half-life port or something.

- Ender, QuakeSrc.org

It's that time again. Guess this means i'll need to re-install Q2 to check out all the funky stuff ppl do with the engine.

To the CS kiddies:
Get a clue, this release won't make anything easier/harder for cheaters, if they implement anything into Q2's netcode, it can't be ported to Half-Life, since Half-Life's source isn't available. The only thing it could allow is a better understanding of Q2's cheat protection system, which Half-Life doesn't even use, it has its own.

Woohoo! Thanks, id Software!