The QdQ stats patch

To record demos suitable for multi-level runs you will need to have a way of changing your default starting statistics. Our patch lets you do this.

Download, installation and running

This is a totally standard patched progs.dat. Just put it in a directory in your main Quake directory and start Quake with the -game command-line option.

The download QdQstats.zip contains

The patched progs.dat
A text file QdQstats.txt
A copy of this HTML reference QdQstats.html

You can download it directly from ftp.cdrom.com here, or get the file QdQstats.zip from a closer mirror if you prefer.

If you are reading a local copy of this documentation, you may want to consult the copy at QdQ to be sure of getting the most up-to-date information.

What the patch is for

A run like QdQ is made by glueing together recordings of individual demos. Because we want QdQ to be a continuous run through the game, we must start new levels with the correct statistics relative to those with which we finished the previous level.

By default, Quake resets statistics to their defaults whenever you use the map and record commands. Our patch lets you change what these defaults are so you can start with the correct stats for a later level.

Quake statistics

The important stats that can be set for the start of a game of Quake are

Health.
This is always between 50 and 100 at the start of a level. If you had more or less than this when you finished the last level, your starting health for the next level is adjusted to the maximum or the minimum.
Armor value and type.
You can have from 1 to 100 points of green armor, 1 to 150 points of yellow, 1 to 200 points of red, or no armor at all.
Items.
The only items you can carry between levels are your weapons and the runes. All other items such as keys and power-ups disappear when you start a new level. Our patch doesn't handle runes; we have a tool to add these into demos when we do our final editing and composition. Quake also keeps track of which weapon you had selected. You can't have a weapon selected if you don't have any ammo for it.
Ammo.
You can have from 25 to 100 shells, 0 to 200 nails, 0 to 100 rockets and 0 to 100 cells. If you had less than 25 shells when you finished the previous level, this is adjusted back up to the minimum 25 for the next level.

The default values for these statistics are 100 health, no armor, axe and shotgun (selected) and 25 shells with no other ammo. Our patch will let you change these defaults to any other legal combination of values.

The menu interface

You can change these defaults and a few other options using a menu interface. Pressing any menu control brings up the menu. Here is what it looks like when it contains the default statistics and other options.

 HEALTH:100  ARMOR:0  NONE
 SH:25  NL:0  RK:0  CE:0
 1 2              NOW SET RESET
   *                 HELP OFF

The controls

Six impulses are used to control input to the menu. We suggest you BIND keys to them as appropriate.

IMPULSE 90 moves left in the menu
IMPULSE 91 moves right in the menu
IMPULSE 92 increase
IMPULSE 93 decrease
IMPULSE 94 increase by 10
IMPULSE 95 decrease by 10

Clearly you can do without the last two if you wish, but they allow you to select values much quicker.

The menu options

Use the left and right keys to change which item you have selected in the menu. Activating most of the items is straightforward. Some options are more specialised. In any case, we explain all the details of every option carefully below.

[HEALTH:100] ARMOR:0  NONE
 SH:25  NL:0  RK:0  CE:0
 1 2              NOW SET RESET
   *                 HELP OFF

This option lets you change your default health from 50 through 100.

 HEALTH:100 [ARMOR:0] NONE
 SH:25  NL:0  RK:0  CE:0
 1 2              NOW SET RESET
   *                 HELP OFF

This option lets you change your default armorvalue. The values it can be set to are related to the type of armor that you can have, but they range from 0 through to 200.

 HEALTH:100  ARMOR:0 [NONE]
 SH:25  NL:0  RK:0  CE:0
 1 2              NOW SET RESET
   *                 HELP OFF

This option lets you change your default type of armor. You can increase and decrease through the values NONE, GREEN, YELLOW and RED. The colours you can select are related to the armor value that you can have.

 HEALTH:100  ARMOR:0  NONE
[SH:25] NL:0  RK:0  CE:0
 1 2              NOW SET RESET
   *                 HELP OFF

This option lets you change your default number of shells from 25 through 100.

 HEALTH:100  ARMOR:0  NONE
 SH:25 [NL:0] RK:0  CE:0
 1 2              NOW SET RESET
   *                 HELP OFF

This option lets you change your default number of nails from 0 through 200. Note you cannot have weapons 4 or 5 selected if this is 0.

 HEALTH:100  ARMOR:0  NONE
 SH:25  NL:0 [RK:0] CE:0
 1 2              NOW SET RESET
   *                 HELP OFF

This option lets you change your default number of rockets from 0 through 100. Note you cannot have weapons 6 or 7 selected if this is 0.

 HEALTH:100  ARMOR:0  NONE
 SH:25  NL:0  RK:0 [CE:0]
 1 2              NOW SET RESET
   *                 HELP OFF

This option lets you change your default number of cells from 0 through 100. Note you cannot have weapon 8 selected if this is 0.

 HEALTH:100  ARMOR:0  NONE
 SH:25  NL:0  RK:0  CE:0
 1 2[ ]           NOW SET RESET
   *                 HELP OFF

This option controls whether or not you have weapon 3, the super-shotgun. The control keys toggle this item on or off.

 HEALTH:100  ARMOR:0  NONE
 SH:25  NL:0  RK:0  CE:0
 1 2  [ ]         NOW SET RESET
   *                 HELP OFF

This option controls whether or not you have weapon 4, the nailgun. The control keys toggle this item on or off.

 HEALTH:100  ARMOR:0  NONE
 SH:25  NL:0  RK:0  CE:0
 1 2    [ ]       NOW SET RESET
   *                 HELP OFF

This option controls whether or not you have weapon 5, the super-nailgun or perforator. The control keys toggle this item on or off.

 HEALTH:100  ARMOR:0  NONE
 SH:25  NL:0  RK:0  CE:0
 1 2      [ ]     NOW SET RESET
   *                 HELP OFF

This option controls whether or not you have weapon 6, the grenade-launcher. The control keys toggle this item on or off.

 HEALTH:100  ARMOR:0  NONE
 SH:25  NL:0  RK:0  CE:0
 1 2        [ ]   NOW SET RESET
   *                 HELP OFF

This option controls whether or not you have weapon 7, the rocket-launcher. The control keys toggle this item on or off.

 HEALTH:100  ARMOR:0  NONE
 SH:25  NL:0  RK:0  CE:0
 1 2          [ ] NOW SET RESET
   *                 HELP OFF

This option controls whether or not you have weapon 8, the lightning-gun or thunderbolt. The control keys toggle this item on or off.

 HEALTH:100  ARMOR:0  NONE
 SH:25  NL:0  RK:0  CE:0
 1 2             [NOW]SET RESET
   *                 HELP OFF

This option sets all your current statistics to be equal to the ones in the menu. However, it won't update any of the weapon models, so this may look a little odd. Any control key activates this option.

 HEALTH:100  ARMOR:0  NONE
 SH:25  NL:0  RK:0  CE:0
 1 2              NOW[SET]RESET
   *                 HELP OFF

This option sets the menu statistics to be equal to your current ones (or more precisely, what statistics you would start with if you ended the level with your current statistics.)

NOTE that this happens automatically when you finish one level and start another. So if you complete the level you are currently working on, but want to carry on recording it rather than going on to the next one, don't press fire to start the new level!

 HEALTH:100  ARMOR:0  NONE
 SH:25  NL:0  RK:0  CE:0
 1 2              NOW SET[RESET]
   *                 HELP OFF

This option resets the default statistics to be the Quake defaults as shown in the display above.

 HEALTH:100  ARMOR:0  NONE
 SH:25  NL:0  RK:0  CE:0
 1 2              NOW SET RESET
[  *            ]    HELP OFF

This option lets you choose which weapon you will have selected. You can move the cursor left and right under the weapons you already have to select one. Note that what you can select will depend both on what weapons you are carrying and what ammo you have.

 HEALTH:100  ARMOR:0  NONE
 SH:25  NL:0  RK:0  CE:0
 1 2              NOW SET RESET
   *             [  ]HELP OFF

This option toggles the grenade-launcher count-down on and off. This displays a status bar that indicates when any grenade that you fire is going to explode. You may want to use this feature to help you time your grenade-jumps. Any control toggles the option on and off.

 HEALTH:100  ARMOR:0  NONE
 SH:25  NL:0  RK:0  CE:0
 1 2              NOW SET RESET
   *                [HELP]OFF

This option displays very quick help, basically directing you here. Any control activates this option.

 HEALTH:100  ARMOR:0  NONE
 SH:25  NL:0  RK:0  CE:0
 1 2              NOW SET RESET
   *                 HELP[OFF]

This option makes the menu disappear again. It will also disappear by itself if left for long enough. Any menu control key activates this option. Once activated, any menu control will bring the menu back up again.

Remember that to use these default statistics you must start a new map with the map or record console commands. If you use restart or die and return to the beginning of your current map, you will use whatever statistics you had when you first started the level, not the new defaults you have set.