Note: This readme file covers two maps: tltf.bsp and tltf2.bsp. Although both maps appear identical at first, there are two subtle variations and one major difference between them. The differences are detailed below but essentially the tltf2 version adds an extra platform, cells, and the BFG. There is a third edition of this map named chaosdm_tltf.bsp which has the Chainguns removed (because they become Airguns in the Chaos mod). If you haven't tried Chaos DM you're missing out on some serious fun. Check out the mod and other Chaotic Dreams projects at http://www.chaoticdreams.org! 8/3/00 ================================================================ Title : The Longest Three Feet Filename : tltf.bsp Game : Quake 2 - DM Map File Path : quake2\baseq2\maps\tltf.bsp Title : The Longest Three Feet - Special Edition Filename : tltf2.bsp Game : Quake 2 - DM Map File Path : quake2\baseq2\maps\tltf2.bsp Original Author : id Re-Author : Jon 'Briareos {Moo}' Bruner Email Address : mangadude@fcmail.com Home Page : http://members.fortunecity.com/mangadude/ Description : A Q2 conversion of 'The Longest Yard' (Q3DM17) with some liberties taken. Possibly the first (and likely the last) backwards conversion of a Q3 map. Texture Credit : Holy{moo} Check out her texture repository at http://www.inland.net/~jokotoro/holymoo/index.html (The new texture appears in chaosdm_tltf only.) Thanks to : id Software - For creating awesome games and my favorite level of all time (The Longest Yard) Mom O'Bot {Moo} - Playtesting, suggestions, love and support Rayonix{moo} - Playtesting, suggestions, and giving me the mapping bug Chaotic Dreams - Thanks for an awesome mod and hours of laughs and fun http://www.chaoticdreams.org Rust - Teaching me how to map http://www.gamedesign.net Moo Clan - For putting the beta version up on the Cattletown server. For playtesting, feedback, and affirmation. Thank you Trixie and HasBen for forming a wonderful clan. You're the best! Fun fraggin' or die! http://www.mooclan.com Special thanks to the Chaos community for addressing my mapping questions during construction. Thank you Scooby, evil, The-Teef, VonJenk, and Spark ================================================================ * Play Information * Single Player : Uh, no. Making that interesting would be a quite the challenge though Cooperative : Uh...no. Thanks for asking Deathmatch : You betcha! Not many modes left :) Difficulty Settings : None New Sounds : Only those you bring with you New Graphics : Not in these two versions New Music : Nada Demos Replaced : Zilcho ================================================================ * Construction * Base : Made from scratch, while playtesting Q3DM17 for reference Editor(s) used : QuArK 5.10 Known Bugs : All we know is that ... a zeno-morph may be involved ... and that there are four lighting glitches on the outside of the superstructure...and a full compile was not possible... Build Time : 3 Months Compile Time : 947 seconds (15 minutes 47 seconds) on a Pentium III 450 (see 'Other Info') Texture directories used: e1u1, e1u2, e1u3, e2u2, e2u3, e3u1, and e3u3 Custom texture used : None Weapons : Super Shotgun x 2 Chaingun x 4 Grenade Launcher x 2 Rocket Launcher x 2 Railgun x 1 BFG 10k x 2 (tltf2 only) Ammo : Shells x 4 Bullets x 18 Grenades x 4 Rockets x 4 Slugs x 2 Cells x 4 (tltf2 only) Items : Medkits (25) x 10 Mega Health x 1 Armor Shards x 6 Combat Armor x 1 Body Armor x 1 Quad Damage x 1 Spawn Points : Seven (hidden) ================================================================ * Other Info * TLTF, TLTF2...WHAT'S THE DIF? As mentioned above these two maps look identical, but there is a singularly big difference between them. While playing TLTF note that the Bullet boxes near the Chainguns are arranged in 'Y' formations, and that the 'TV screen' displays a standard Q2 symbol. TLTF2 is denoted by 'triangular' Bullet box formations, a 'spiked' Q2 symbol, and three buttons. The first is located behind a teleporter, the second (which looks identical to the first) can be viewed from the Railgun platform, and the third looks like a small angular window. These buttons operate a sub-platform which holds the BFG. This addition completely changes the focus of the map so I thought I'd make a classic version (TLTF) that was more true to the original. So basically if you want the BFG play TLTF2, and play TLTF if you don't. MAPPING GENESIS This is my first attempt at mapping for a 3D game. I initially thought that making a conversion of The Longest Yard from Q3 would be a quick and simple way to learn the tricks of the Q2 mapping trade. Wow, was I ever wrong. Two things stood in the way of this being a quick and dirty job. First: I'm a perfectionist. About 50% of the design time for this map has been playtesting, mostly trying to get the jump pads working similarly to Q3DM17. The other 50% was spent trying to mentally and physically duplicate the dimensions and architecture of the map while staying comfortably within the limitations of the Q2 engine. Secondly: Due to the open nature of the map, I ran into some unforeseen compiling problems that slowed the process a bit and drastically complicated the lighting. The lighting problems (argh!) and extreme r_speeds (1350) in a couple spots led me to completely rebuild the map, resulting in this 'final' version which tops out at an r_speed of 850-950. TO FASTVIS OR NOT TO FASTVIS To this day, I have never successfully done a 'Full Build' with this map. Any attempt at a full compile results in a memory allocation error (4 hours into the process I might add) leaving me with a 'fullbright' map (uuug-ly). I was finally able to achieve an acceptable (fastvis) compile by setting 'bounce' to 0 and activating the 'extra' flag to smooth out the shadows. If anyone knows what I might be doing wrong, please e-mail me at the above address. I'd be grateful to finally understand this problem. IT'S BEEN A HARD DAY'S NIGHT All in all, I would guess that I've spent 120+ hours on this baby over the past twelve weeks. My initial attempts at this map are very poly heavy, but quite close to being identical (in shape) to the original. My first teleporter frame and cylinder added 250 apiece to the polycount (oops). Two renditions later and I arrived at the sleek (compromise) version you see in the map. The platforms have been squared off in places to keep the r_speeds down, but I think the spirit of the map is still there. (Subsequently, many of the 'square' polyhedrons have secretly been replaced with 'triangular' polyhedrons.) :) ENGINE TROUBLES After numerous attempts I finally found a way to acceptably suspend the Armor and Shards between the upper jump pads, however there is no way to suspend the Mega Health above the central pad without disrupting the player's bounce. I experimented with moving doors and by dropping the Mega Health from the quad platform: nothing worked consistently. The player would either be struck by the invisible door on occasion, or miss the Mega-Health altogether. Finding no other solutions, I decided to just leave the Mega-Health on the pad itself. Oh well, you can't win 'em all. Note: If you play with 'weapon stay' off in your DM flags the second spawn of the Mega-Health will be suspended where it should be. I presume that this is due to a quirk in the code and the fact that I'm using the engine in a way that was never intended. In fact, this entire map (as far as open spaces go) is larger than anything id intended for this engine. WELL, THAT'S NEW During a first look at this map, you may be thinking, "What's the Grenade Launcher doing here? And what's this button for?" Yes, I took some liberties with the conversion. I figured I had to compensate for the fact that you don't start out with a Chaingun as your default weapon (and there is no Q2 equivalent of the Gauntlet). Besides, I wanted to be a little creative and the grenade launcher remains an awesome weapon in this version of Quake. (Try using the jump pads to hurl launched grenades at your opponents.) As for the three (yes three) buttons, well, I was VERY creative with those. What do they do? You'll see. :) (e-mail me if you need a full explanation of their functionality.) I couldn't resist using the space background as it adds a whole new level of ambience to the map. Oh, and watch out for 'gib comets' and floating weapons/powerups. (Yes, they're intentional.) This effect was achieved using a trigger_gravity set at zero just above the 'killbox' on the 'sky floor.' LONGVIEW Yes, I am aware that the Railgun platform partially/fully disappears at times (as do parts of the main platforms when standing near the Rail. Unfortunately this is necessary to preserve the dimensions of the original. Once again, if anyone knows how to correct this problem, please let me know. APPLES AND ORANGES Aside from the graphic enhancements, there is still a great deal of difference between the Q3A and Q2 engines. The main differences (as far as players are concerned) involve the physics of each game. An Arena player can run faster and fall further than a Q2 player. Rockets travel faster in Q3A as well. To keep damage amounts for falling and landing after using jump pads reasonably consistent, I reduced the gravity to 700 (from the default 800 setting). Aside from using a mod to speed up the rockets there's really no way to duplicate the 'feel' of Q3A, however speeding up the rockets would unbalance a fairly balanced weapon set, and besides - my intention was not to duplicate Q3A, but to bring an awesome map into my favored gaming engine in a playable and aesthetically pleasing manner. Hopefully I have succeeded, although I suspect that low-end machines will choke on this map in a few places. GOTTA GET BACK IN TIME So, why go backwards? (Well, if you turn around you can pretend you're going forwards.) The reason is simple. I don't have Q3A yet. (I used the demo for reference.) To be honest, I'm waiting for Chaotic Dreams to finish their mod for Q3A since Q2 Chaos DM is all I play right now. (Besides most of the people playing Q3A have DSL or Cable Modems and I can't compete with the LPBs and have a lot of fun without really trying.) Despite the third coming, Q2 is still a great game and there are many things I still love about it. One day I'll move on, 'but I want to look around me now' and enjoy Q2 while the community is still alive. cmd timestandstill (Darn, it still doesn't work!) SO LONG, FAREWELL Anyhow, thanks for reading my novella. ;) Now that I've told you everything you didn't want to know about these maps, drop these 'bsp's into your baseq2\maps directory and gib something. Fun fraggin' or die, y'all. Peace. ================================================================ * Copyright / Permissions * Original level design is the property of id Software. This conversion (as a whole or in part) may not be used or distributed for profit without direct written permission from myself (and even then you'd probably have to get the rights from id...) Why are you still reading this? Go play, silly!