Quake 4

[missioncontrol]

anybody check it out yet? How is it?

[TalkingOctopus]

I haven't played it, (my computer is too old), but the reviews said good single player and very mediocre multiplayer.

[Bones]

I think I read some time ago that the game was being designed ultimately for single play mode and multiplayer would just be an added bonus......

[missioncontrol]

I will be very disapointed if it turns out to be crap.

[Bones]

I actually won't care. I haven't played any non-mame game in over 12 months. I don't even know what is out and what is good.

[missioncontrol]

I've just started to look around and see what's out there again.

There's quite alot of cool looking first person shooters out now

[Crazy Cooter]

I liked it.

I'm not one for single player fps.  I liked Quake 1 (especially Team Fortress), Q2, and loved Q2 Rocket Arena.  I played Q4 last night 1 vs 1 just on a LAN and was impressed.  It's pretty heavy on the requirements though.  First, it will not run on win98.  The Doom 3 "registry hack" doesn't work.  I had to grab a drive and install XP on my "gaming rig" just because of this.  It's an older machine:
AMD 2400+ XP
2x 256mb of corsair memory (mobo doesn't support the dual-channel though)
256mb ATI (9600?)
7200rpm HD

I did the auto-detect and it set stuff as "low".  I bumped the resolution to 800x600 and it played without a stutter.  My friend used his laptop:
Intel ? (I know the Mhz equiv is less than mine)
256mb video card
512 memory

He had it installed first and noticed some stuttering on single player with "medium" settings.  He changed it to low (& 800x600 widescreen), and the stuttering stopped.  I used his cdkey and I hosted while he connected to me.  There were some hurdles to jump through to get us connected with the same cdkey (and that's all I'm going to say about that).

I didn't try single player (and probably never will).  He did and wasn't that impressed, but his taste is exactly like mine when it comes to games.  He said it was very similar to how Doom 3 feels.

The multiplayer maps include some new & some remakes from previous quake titles, we kind of stuck to playing the ones from Q2 because neither of us were real impressed with Q3, and we played Q2 longer than Q1.  It seems like you run faster than in Q2 and the maps have more color/flavor.  Overall, it's good.  Good enough for me to buy it so we can play online together.  I was real concerned about the hardware requirements, but it looks like I'll be good for now, and can update slowly like I usually do.  If you're the type that needs to see every effect with all it's glory, you'll need a pretty heavy-hitting machine.

Guns (that I remember):
Cutter- Think Unreal disc thrower, but handheld.  Like Q1's Axe.
Lightning- Just like Q1
Shotgun- Like Q2
Grenade Launcher- Like Q2, but longer detonation time
Rocket Launcher- Like Q2, seems like smaller blast radius?
Rail Gun- Like Q2, straight, no cool coil look .  Seems easier to hit?  Might just be the maps?  Seems like less damage.  Easier to pick out where the shot is from.
Nail gun- Shreds the ^%$# out of people.  This is a choice weapon IMO.

The maps are higher contrast.  There are areas that are lit up pretty good.  There is also a LOT of movement in the maps which makes it difficult to tell at first if it's a person or something that belongs there.  Knowing the map will be an advantage (as always).  Nice color, nice effects.  Should look real good with the right hardware.  The lighting will make you cast a shadow so you might blow yourself up a few times thinking someone is there.  I did  .

RANT: Let's be honest about minimum requirements.  The minimum requirements were met by my friends laptop and even on the low setting there was some stuttering in single player.  The minimum req's should be the point where the game is enjoyable *cough* no stuttering *cough*.  NOT just "playable".  My friend is a tech and knows computers and if he can't get it to work stutter-free with the minimum req's, than the average user that has 100 things in the background will never get it to work right.  Luckily, he and I remember how to tweak settings, so we'll get it to play well.  Joe Average will need to upgrade his machine though (or wait for some tweaks to be posted).

RANT2: Since when did planetquake require you to pay?  How stupid.  That site helped carry Quake into the game that it was.  If Q4 is going to be as popular as Q2, there needs to be some sites where maps, skins, models, etc can be downloaded without charge.  Whether id does this or not, it doesn't matter.  All I know is that I'm not paying more to play a $50 game.  I'll go back to Counter-Strike or Q1/Q2.

In summary:  Think Q2 remake with more speed and more colors.  I'm buying it and I liked: Q1 & Q2 much more than Q3 or UT.  I'll be running it on the machine listed above.

[AtomSmasher]

PC Gamer gave it a 70%
"This old-school shooter suffers from a lack of 21st century game design"

IMO, if you want a new FPS, get FEAR instead.

[missioncontrol]

Fear does look pretty good. A coworker plays it all night at work.

[allroy1975]

I just started playing Quake again.  That was a good one.  and now with stuff like FuhQuake it's even better!

[MameJunkie]

From what I've seen, FEAR is another good option instead of Q4.
Haven't played Q4 but FEAR has better good single player for
those who doesn't have friends to play with. 

[Clonedsheep]

I just got myself "Farcry" in the bargin bin at a Target store for 5 bucks.  I have read great reviews on it but have not tried it myself yet. I have not been a FPS fan since Duke Nukem 3d. The metal of Honor series changed that. I am looking forward to F.E.A.R. and Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood.

[Harry Potter]

Return to castle wofenstein got me back into the FPS. Although I do like to go back to the basics every now and then.

Hexen for example.

[pointdablame]

I just got myself "Farcry" in the bargin bin at a Target store for 5 bucks.  I have read great reviews on it but have not tried it myself yet. I have not been a FPS fan since Duke Nukem 3d. The metal of Honor series changed that. I am looking forward to F.E.A.R. and Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood.

FarCry is an awesome game.

I haven't installed Quake 4 yet because I've been really into FEAR... My roommate played some Q4 though and said it's pretty much more of the same.  Not that that is particularly bad, but I think I'll stick with FEAR for a bit longer.

[missioncontrol]

From what I've seen, FEAR is another good option instead of Q4.
Haven't played Q4 but FEAR has better good single player for
those who doesn't have friends to play with.

[Jess--]

have to agree that farcry is an excellent game, The ONLY thing I hated about it was that it insisted that I had CD or DVD emulation software on my machine (I hadnt... honest) so I had to go hunting for a crack so I could play my genuine copy of the game. (mind you the crack also removed the need to leave the dvd in the drive which was handy)

[shmokes]

I'm playing FarCry now.  It's fantastic.  It's taking me forever cos I hardly ever play videogames these days, but I think I'm getting near the end.  I also had to crack it, cos my wife lost the disc.  I still have discs 2-5, but can't find disc 1.  One interesting thing in FarCry is that gameplay is actually affected in very significant ways by the horsepower of your machine.  In fact, the game is probably easier if you have to turn the effects down because so much grass and bushes and trees disappear on low settings.  But, in spite of the added difficulty (enemies are harder to track and have an easier time sneaking up on you when there's tons of foliage, the game is MUCH more fun with the effects turned up.  The feeling of the environment simultaneously being an ally (helping you hide) and an enemy (helping your enemy hide) is palpable.  The environments in FarCry are just spectacular.....and ENORMOUS.

Anyway, I've been having loads of fun with that game.  For anyone who wants another great bargain bin experience, pick up No One Lives Forever 1 & 2.  Those games a an absolute blast.  Gameplay and level design are perfect, but it's the writing that pushes those titles onto the greatest games ever list.  With the exception of Tim Schafer games, those two games are probably the funniest games ever made. 

Also, I downloaded and played the F.E.A.R. demo.  resource hog, brilliant graphics and maybe the best gun fighting experience ever in an FPS.  Really intense.

[SirPoonga]

PC Gamer gave it a 70%
"This old-school shooter suffers from a lack of 21st century game design"

IMO, if you want a new FPS, get FEAR instead.

Well, hopefully most gamers know what every quake has been, tech demo of the new engine.  Every quake is just showing off the engine.  Game play is simple and "old-school" because of that.  So you will get good straightup deathmatching form it, but that's about it.

I will probably get quake 4, I have yet not to buy a quake.  But that's all I expect, a tech demo o fhte new engine.  I will be watching for developers who have licenses to the new engine and see what they come up with.

The only thing I think any quake game lacks is multiple function weapons.  Doesn't it have vehicles?  FEAR doesn't do vehicles, does it?  So other than that what lack of 21st century game design is there?  No interactive environments? 

That's why I like UT, each weapon has 2 different functions.  The advance in what you can do in FPS over the years is reflected in how I map my controls.

I currently think FEAR is the best single player FPS, but nothing new in the multiplayer department.
I think the best multiplayer FPS is UT2k4.  Great multiplayer modes, single player is a lacking as it's just a multiplayer with bots.
Quake has always been a good all around.  The single player (except for q3arena) have had decent gameplay, multiplayer is usually good.  But, it is a tech demo so wait until someone get's their hands on the engine and make something cool out of it.

Actually, even though I am sick of WWII games, after playing the new call of duty demo that might become a must get for single player action.

[shmokes]

One difference with Quake this time around, though, is there is no Quake 4 engine for anyone to license.  Doom 3 is the tech demo in this case and Quake 4 "licensed" the Doom 3 engine.  In fact, I don't even know if I should have put "license" in quotes because I don't think ID actually made Quake 4.  I think they farmed it out to another developer and, of course, gave them the Doom 3 engine to make it with.

Or maybe I'm just crazy and Quake 4 uses its own engine that I'm unaware of.

[TalkingOctopus]

One difference with Quake this time around, though, is there is no Quake 4 engine for anyone to license.

[AtomSmasher]

Yup, Doom 3 was basically the tech demo of the engine (although it did have a decent single player), theres not much (if anything) new in the engine used in Quake 4.  The new Enemy Territory game their working on will probably be the next game with an update to the engine, its supposed to improve the outdoor terrain engine.

[SirPoonga]

Ahhhh, then quake is just being quake. 

[AtomSmasher]

Ahhhh, then quake is just being quake.

[shmokes]

Ooohhh.......you're so missing physics.  That's where the biggest improvements are coming these days, I think.  Aside from the obligatory constant march in graphics, of course.

[AtomSmasher]

Ooohhh.......you're so missing physics.

[SOAPboy]

I liked it.

I'm not one for single player fps.

[jbox]

Link for those wanting to see it in its real size instead of the nerfed forum size..

Errr, FYI - that is the real image. You only need to Right-Click and "View Image" to see all 1280x1024 pixels, the forum adding size tags doesn't magically down-sample the image server-side. However, you still just made all the dialup people download that monster whether they wanted all 220Kb or not. 

[SOAPboy]

Link for those wanting to see it in its real size instead of the nerfed forum size..

Errr, FYI - that is the real image. You only need to Right-Click and "View Image" to see all 1280x1024 pixels, the forum adding size tags doesn't magically down-sample the image server-side. However, you still just made all the dialup people download that monster whether they wanted all 220Kb or not.

[mr.Curmudgeon]

Quake 4 Panoramic Images (QTVR)
http://vrway.com/vr_q4/

[Crazy Cooter]

Rail Spiral is there.. Turn up your detail..

Awesome!  I'm puzling through the config commands today.  I've always made configs for everyone I know since I'm the only one that reads all the info on what does what.

[mr.Curmudgeon]

It's really sad that they didn't make Q4 a NEW game, rather than some warmed over Q2/Q3 clone.
I'm tired of all these remake maps and reused concepts.

[SOAPboy]

It's really sad that they didn't make Q4 a NEW game, rather than some warmed over Q2/Q3 clone.
I'm tired of all these remake maps and reused concepts.

Uh.. it IS a new game.. played SP?

That Q3DM6, is a community made map.. actually play it, then cry..

[AC.]

Thanks for all the quake4 info.   I estimate that I will have q4 in about 2 more days.  I played q3 in a clan for a while - until they kicked me out for stealing projectors.

Original 1st person shooter? Alkalabeth for the Apple2.   I am playing halflife2 now, Far Cry was a great game, DeusEx was good, no one lives for ever, Max Payne, Serious Sam.

[Crazy Cooter]

Quake has single player?

[SOAPboy]

Quake has single player?

[Crazy Cooter]

I noticed that it seemed capped too (now that I played with it).  I've always used 120, so I just set it as that.  The server only setting for bobbing really sucks.  I hate that bob effect.  It makes me dizzy.

I played around with the config settings quite a bit today and got my frames up to ~42 for the necro666 demo.  Not too bad for an old dusty machine that I built on the cheap like two-years ago.  I finally installed CS-Source (I pre-ordered it  ) and played that for a bit today.  Man, I've really missed fps games.  It's nice to have a little time to just mess around.

The Necro666 demo & some (higher end) computer specs/scores are here:
http://forums.pimprig.com/showthread.php?threadid=56021

[SOAPboy]

I noticed that it seemed capped too (now that I played with it).

[SOAPboy]

Results


http://xs53.xs.to/pics/05440/q4necro.jpg

Settings

http://xs53.xs.to/pics/05440/q4settings.jpg

A64 3000+
2Gigs Pc3200 Mushkin DDR 2-2-3
BFG NF4 Ultra Mobo
Evga 7800GTX

*flexs e-peen

[Crazy Cooter]

Nice.  I'll be upgrading next year to something with a little more muscle.  I'm one of those that waits until the last minute to upgrade (Except for the voodoo card I bought when they first came out.  I heard it was going to be cool, saw the pics on the box and never set it down  ).

I've seen rumors about a 64-bit patch that may/may not be in the works.  I don't know how much truth is in that though.  I'd personally like to see id stretch the bottom of the specs... for obvious reasons.

[SOAPboy]

Nice.