================================================================ Title : Start Me Filename : STARTME.BSP, MAP2.BSP, STARTME.MAP, MAP2.MAP Author : Jeff Cochran Email Address : jcochran@gate.net Description : Test/Demonstration maps to show tigger_setskill use and trigger_changelevel. See * TUTORIAL * section of this text file. Additional Credits to : ID Software; Quake Ben Morris; WorldCraft Editor ================================================================ * Play Information * Level Name : Kiss of Death Single Player : Yes Cooperative 2-4 Player : No Deathmatch 1-4 Player : No Difficulty Settings : Yes New Sounds : No New Graphics : No Comments : This started out as a simple test map to get the Start level concept working, using trigger_setskill and trigger_changlevel. It's been embelished in a minor amount, with sounds and textures and lighting, but nothing special since it's not supposed to be a full playable level. I also played with one concept that I haven't seen anywhere else, that of a continuous movement level change. In this case, the player jumps into a well, and changes levels on the way down. It's pretty effective with small file sizes, it remains to be seen whether it will work in larger levels as well. * Construction * Base : Scratch Build Time : On and off for two weeks as problems got sorted out. About four hours if I knew what I was doing. QBSP Time : STARTME.BSP - 136 Seconds MAP2.BSP - 27 Seconds Light (Extra) Time : STARTME.BSP - 66 Seconds MAP2.BSP - 9 Seconds Vis (Full) Time : STARTME.BSP - 40 Seconds MAP2.BSP - 1 Second Development System : Pentium 100, Windows 95, 64 MB RAM Editors used : WorldCraft, Notepad Textures Used (Wads) : Quake101.wad Known Bugs : Only in WorldCraft, the trigger_setskill skill options of Easy, Normal, Hard and Nightmare don't work, you need to manually enter 0, 1, 2, or 3. * Legal Stuff * This level may be used as a base by other level authors (send me e-mail if you do so I can see your work too). This level may be distributed via electronic means such as the Internet or BBS, as long as this text file is included intact in the distribution archive, but may not be included in any commercial distribution without the author's express written permission (and a wad of cash...). Actura is expressly forbidden from distributing this level in any manner, and appearance of this level on any CD-ROM compilation constitutes agreement to pay royalties in the amount of 1.5% of the retail sales price of the CD-ROM compilation, or 3% of the wholesale price, at the publisher's discretion. Royalties are to be paid quarterly, e-mail jcochran@gate.net for current billing address. * Where to get this MAP * This map has been uploaded to ftp.cdrom.com, and is available on my web site at: http://www.pinball.com/quake/index.htm * TUTORIAL * These levels were designed as a test and are released as a tutorial for making Start levels that use the trigger_setskill and trigger_changelevel entities to set a skill level for a player as well as load another level at the completion of the current one. First, the trigger_setskill. To use this, create a brush and turn it into a trigger_setskill entity. The only important class for this entity is the "message" class which needs to be set to "0" for Easy, "1" for Normal, "2" for Hard and "3" for Nightmare skill. The .MAP entry looks like this: "classname" "trigger_setskill" "message" "1" Throughout the rest of your level(s), use the flags for Easy, Normal, Hard and Nightmare for any monster, weapon, armor, etc. or even doors. These are set in the "spawnflags" class, by adding the following values to any existing "spawnflags" value: 256 Does not appear in Easy 512 Does not appear in Normal 1024 Does not appear in Hard / Nightmare 2048 Does not appear in Deathmatch So if I wanted a Nailgun to appear only in Easy and Normal, the relevant classes would be: "classname" "weapon_nailgun" "spawnflags" "3072" // 1024 + 2048 for not in Hard or Deathmatch MAP2.MAP enclosed in this archive shows how different wepons and monsters can appear for different levels. Use your imagination... NOTE: There is a bug in the 1.0a version of WorldCraft in the trigger_setskill properties, if you choose from the WorldCraft pulldown list of Easy, Normal, Hard or Nightmare, the message class is set in the .MAP file but doesn't work correctly. Instead, enter the numeric value 0, 1, 2, or 3 in the field manually and the trigger_setskill will work. With other editors there may not be similar problems. For the trigger_changelevel, simply create a brush for the player to enter, set it as a trigger_changelevel, and assign the class "map" the name of the next map to chain to. The .MAP entry looks like this: "classname" "trigger_changelevel" "spawnflags" "1" "speed" "100" "sounds" "1" "wait" "4" "lip" "0" "dmg" "0" "health" "0" "map" "map2" It's simply a matter of pointing the "map" class to the correct level at the end of each previous level to create an entire episode. The "spawnflags" of "1" in this example bypasses the intermission screen, if you have an intermission you also need to set the following: "classname" "info_intermission" "origin" "x y z" // coordinates of the info_intermission position "mangle" "x y z" // coordinates the intermission camera looks at This level also uses a technique that I think is unique (at least I haven't seen it anywhere else...) in that the player jumps into a well, and as he falls the next level loads and he drops into the water at the bottom of the well, beginning the next level. The "spawnflags" "1" allows this since there is no pause for the intermission screen, appropriate here and in most Start levels. In normal play levels, the intermission screen also gives the statistics for kills, secrets and such. A quick note on textures: The texture for a trigger disappears when it's changed to an entity, but to make my life easier, I assign them a trigger texture, it's easier to recognize in the 3D filled polygon views of WorldCraft. If you have any questions on this, feel free to e-mail me at jcochran@gate.net. Send any comments, compliments, suggestions or job offers to the same address.