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Sunday, 21 May 2000 -
Cache   comment
Cache runs a very popular US scene site called Cached which covers Q3A (and UT) competition news. As well as playing Q3A, Cache has organised online competitions involving "pro gamers" and has "his finger on the pulse". Cache is also an ex-Q2 guy (rather than QW) so his views on changes to things like RL speed and damage are particularly interesting.

Cache takes the approach of basing his views on the suggestions Methos made.

Cache Responds to Methos
Methos made a great Outline and basically covered a lot of issues I would touch on; therefore, I'll just note something that I agree, disagree, or am indifferent on.

Methos is in purple.
I am in white.

Weapons

• Rocket Launcher - Should be made faster (1000 firing rate) and have more splash. Not sure why but, it just doesn't seem to do the same damage as previous versions even though the damage count is still the same.

-When I was in Q2 and this argument came up about increasing the RL firing rate, I wanted it to stay slow.  However, now that I've played with very slow UT RL and the increased speed of the Q3 RL, my opinion has changed.  I think the Rocket Launcher firing rate does need to get increased in PRO Mode.  In additoin, you should be able to kill your opponent with one Rocket Launcher rocket if you hit them in the face.  In other words, the players should spawn with 100 health and the RL speed should be made much faster.

• Lightning Gun - The last time I saw somebody get hit by lightning, they were tossed about 40 yards (meters) from where they were standing. In Q3A, you just hear the beep of hitting somebody and they don't move. Oh, and I miss being able to hold somebody in the air with the shaft.

-I don't think there was anything wrong with the Quake 1 Lightening Gun except that it did to much damage.  I would leave the damage that it causes the way that it is now, but add try and add in the effects that Methos just mentioned-that is, being able to hold somebody i the air with the shaft.

• Grenade Launcher - The bounce is much higher than it was in Quake and thus, it makes it much harder to "place" a grenade where you would like it to be. On the other hand, real grenade launchers can't be controlled that way so, why should game grenades.

-The Q3 Grenade Launcher is gay.  If you kill anyone, it usually out of luck.  The Quake 1 GL was the best out of all 3 series. I think you should make it more like the Quake 1 Grenade Launcher.  In addition, I think  you should ad hand grenades as in Quake 2.  I doubt if this would happen because I don't know how many people on the project played Q2, but for the people who did, we all know that hand grenades in the hands of a talented gamer was very effective.

• Plasma Gun - So, if the Grenade Launcher is more realistic, what's the deal with this cartoonish weapon? Nothing but an FFA spam weapon, rarely used in 1on1 or clan matches unless the player doesn't have other weapons. It should be removed or made so that you need some talent to shoot with it.

-I don't care much for the Plasma Gun either.  I say bring back the Q2 Chaingun or that Gun 4 or Gun 5 from Quake 1.  However, let those guns have more damage.

• Super Shotgun - Somebody explain to me why you can't kill a player that has no armor with a Rocket Launcher but, two shots from a SSG will drop them dead? This is not my idea of a balanced weapon. This needs to be made weaker or at least weaken it from a closer distance. To explain, have the SSG do this much damage only when really close up.

-I think the Super Shotgun should be weaker but have more splash damage.  Often, you can be in front of a person and miss them.  You often need to have railgun precision to hit your opponent.  Since we already have a railgun (which should be completely left unaltered), tweak the SS gun so that it's able to hit it's target more.  I don't mind if it's made weaker.

• Weapons Switch - Needs to be faster (or instant) and you shouldn't be able to switch to an empty weapon.

-I agree.

• Weapon View - Is there a way to get the weapons viewable from the center and not off to the side? This would be very cool. For some reason, I can't get the aim of the weapons like other players can. Perhaps this is more to do with the lousy crosshairs which I always have a hard time seeing.

-no comment.

• Ammo - Every player I've seen play the game is always running out of ammo too fast. This was done on purpose by id Software to stop the dominance of one particular weapon. In my opinion, this stinks. Put more ammo (or backpacks) in the game, it will help game play and stops promoting camping of players always going for their favorite weapon.

-I agree.  The ammo runs out way to fast.  This is what I would do.  I would replace the Gauntlet with the Quake 2 pistol as the default weapon.  However, I would keep the gauntlet as a weapon option.  Maybe gun #2?  In this way, you would never run out of ammo and you could still humiliate people.

• Dropping Weapons - One of the few features I liked in Q2 team games. This could be implemented for Q3A team games. I'm not sure how it would work with the ammo though. Would the pick-up player get 10 rockets or just 1?

-No doubt I agree with this.  IF YOU WANT TO SE T THIS MOD APART FROM THE REST, then you need to add the ability to drop weapons.  Anyone who disagrees with dropping weapons, is wrong.

• Air Movement - I would love to see this back in the game. Without it, the game plays like Quake2. Players are to the point where they just make a Rocket Jump script (pffft, pussies!) because you can't move in the air anyway, unless you're on a jump pad. Watching the XSI games and seeing players like Lakerman, Timber and all the other players that are known for their fancy moves was almost sad. All the players jump the same way and seem very robotic.

-I agree.  Toss in the Air Movement.  It's great in UT, it need to comeback to Q3.

• Footsteps - I'm sure you know how I feel about these, dump them.

-Another Critical area, If you want to set this mod apart from the rest, then drop the Footsteps.

• Armor - Two things here. First, why does it seem that the armor doesn't protect you from anything? Second, what's with the armor countdown? The countdown has to go.

-No Shit.  I can have armor and health, but often when I die, it's as if I didn't have any.  In addition, kick that armor countdown to the curb.  All of this new crap was put in Quake 3 for the newbies.  This is Pro Mode. Drop the footsteps and  Armour countdown crapola-add the ability to drop weapons.  Don't even think about adjusting the speed at which the railgun fires or I'm not going to play this mod. =)

• Models - As much as I like the models in Q3A, there should be a default model and team color for team matches. Right now, another model would have to be chosen. Speaking of models, is there anyway to get rid of the death animation? After seeing it once, it's just a waste of time after that.

-No Comment

• Teleporters - Bring back Quake 1 teleporters. The double teleporter moves became an important part of Quake and QW duels. Having said that, there aren't any teleporters that are 2-way in Q3A.

  -I don't see anything wrong with the teleporters.

• Maps - We all know (or you will now) that id Software and an unidentified company are working on a map pak addon for Q3A. Let's hope some of these are more conducive to 1on1 and clan matches. Having said that, they can't be much worse. Oh, but the skies are soooo pretty.

-No Comment

• Heads Up Display (HUD) - Two points here. Any reason we can't have a side display with all weapons and ammo? With people running the game at 1024 and higher, there's lots of room. Speaking of 1024 and higher, does anybody other than me have trouble reading the small text at that resolution? I would like to see the -conwidth 320 (or higher) command added into Q3A the same as it was in QW. What this means is that no matter what resolution you play the game in, it will show printed text at the same size as though it was at 320x240 (or whatever you set the conwidth to). This was a huge bonus for higher resolutions.

-Load up UT, take a look at the different ways that you can display huds in that game and then come up with a few ultimate huds.

• Screen Messages - YOU KILLED THRESH (yeah, I know it would never happen). Couldn't they make that text a tad smaller? Also, what's the deal with the "Recording Demo" text? Both are pretty lame.

-I like the recording demo text because we record a lot of demos in the states. If he's talking about the message at the top were it tells you what demo you are recording and the size of the demo, then I say leave that alone.

• Spectating - Add a "spectator only" mode for 1on1 mode. When you spectate a game, if you're the only other one on the server, you get thrown into the match after the game finishes and the loser gets kicked out. What if it was best of 3? What if you're just a proxycam? Dumb, dumb, dumb!

-I think spectators should be able to talk.  It's pretty gay having to change you name to "whenareyouguysgoingtostart", just to get a players attention.  I think there should be an option were the gamers on the site can vote to 'mute' a gamer!!  Ingenious !

• Sounds and Music - Have different sound for different health, weapons and armor. On at least one map, I think it was The Grim Dungeons (Q3DM14), there are parts of the map where music plays. I checked and I had cd-audio shut off and music shut off. All of a sudden, I hear the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing when I went by certain walls. What is with that?

-I agree.  If you're not going to increase the weapon respawn time, then at least change the sounds for the weapons and armor.  This game needs more strategy. I still don't understand why people want the guns to respawn every 5 seconds when there are only 2 people in a game, but 20-30 seconds  when there are 8 people-especially when the ammo always runs out.

Cache - come visit at www.cached.net.

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