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Quake II

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Quake II<tr><td colspan="2" style="font-size: 100%; text-align: center;">Quake II PC box cover</td></tr>
Developer(s) id Software

<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Publisher(s)</th><td>Activision</td></tr><tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Engine</th><td>Quake II</td></tr><tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Latest version</th><td>3.20</td></tr>

Release date(s) December 6, 1997 (NA)
Genre(s) FPS
Mode(s) Single player, multiplayer

<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Rating(s)</th><td>ESRB: Mature (M)
OFLC: MA 15+</td></tr>

Platform(s) Amiga, Macintosh, N64, PC (BeOS/Linux/Windows), PlayStation, Xbox 360 (free with Quake 4)

<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Media</th><td>CD (1)</td></tr><tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">System requirements</th><td>90 MHz processor, 16 MB RAM</td></tr><tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Input</th><td>Keyboard, mouse, Joysticks</td></tr>

Quake II, released on December 6 1997, is a first person shooter game developed by id Software and distributed by Activision. It is not a sequel to Quake; it merely uses the name of the former game for commercial purposes. The soundtrack was provided by Sonic Mayhem, with some additional tracks by Bill Brown.

A direct sequel, titled Quake 4, was released in October 2005 for the PC, and later for the Xbox 360 and the Apple Macintosh.

Contents

[edit] Overview

The action takes place in a science fiction environment. In the single-player game, the player is a human soldier (known only by his alias, 'Bitterman') taking part in 'Operation Alien Overlord', a desperate attempt to protect Earth from alien invasion by launching a counter-attack on the home planet of the hostile cybernetic Strogg civilization. Most of the other soldiers are captured or killed almost as soon as they enter the planet's atmosphere, so it falls upon the player to penetrate the Strogg capital city alone and ultimately to assassinate the Strogg leader, the Makron.

Unlike Quake, where hardware accelerated graphics controllers were supported only with later patches, Quake II came with OpenGL support out of the box.

The latest version is 3.21. This update includes numerous bug fixes and new maps designed for multiple players deathmatch. Version 3.21, available on id Software's FTP server, has no improved functionality over version 3.20, it simply is a slight modification to make compiling for Linux easier.

Quake II uses an improved client server network model introduced in Quake.

[edit] Open source

The game code of Quake II, which defines all the functionality for weapons, entities and game mechanics, can be changed in any way because id Software published the source code of their own implementation that shipped with the game. Quake II uses the shared library functionality of the operating system to load the game library at run-time - this is how mod authors are able to alter the game and provide different gameplay mechanics, new weapons and much more.

The full source code to Quake II version 3.19 was released under the terms of the GPL on December 21 2001. Version 3.21 followed later.

Since the release of the Quake II source code, several Third-party update projects to the game engine have been created; the most prominent of these are projects focused on graphical enhancements to the game such as Quake2maX, EGL and Quake II Evolved. The source release also revealed numerous critical security flaws which can result in remote compromise of both the Quake II client and server. As id Software no longer maintains Quake II, most 3rd party engines include fixes for these bugs. The most popular server-side engine modification, R1Q2, is generally recommended as a replacement for the 3.20 release for both clients and servers. The most widely used engine modifications as of 2006 appear to be R1Q2, AprQ2 and EGL, with a large majority of users still using the original 3.20 release.

In July, 2003, Vertigo Software released a port of Quake II for the Microsoft .NET platform, using Managed C++ [1]. It became a poster application for the language, showcasing the powerful interoperability between .NET and unmanaged C++ code. It remains one of the top downloads on the Visual C++ website.

[edit] Missions for PC version of Quake 2

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The player takes on the role of a Marine known only as (code name) 'Bitterman'. The game is composed of nine units, each with its own set of objectives. Within each unit, players may be required to move back and forth between individual levels.

  • Unit 1: Base Unit - The drop-pod you travelled in crash landed in a base some distance from your primary objective, the capital of Stroggos. Your mission is to establish a communications uplink to command by reaching the Comm Base.
    • Levels:
    1. Outer Base
    2. Installation
    3. Comm Center
    4. Lost Station - Secret Level
  • Unit 2: Warehouse Unit - In this area, the Strogg are receiving supplies from their ammo depot. You must shut down the key components of the depot, and destroy the logistical train responsible for supply shipment. This unit was omitted from the PlayStation version.
    • Levels:
    1. Ammo Depot
    2. Supply Station
    3. Warehouse
  • Unit 3: Jail Unit - This is made up of the detention centers, torture chambers, and jailhouses of the Stroggos mainland, where captive humans are subjected to horrific punishments. It also houses the core of the laser security grid protecting the industrial region, which you are required to shut down. You will encounter the first boss as you reach the end of this unit.
    • Levels:
    1. Main Gate
    2. Dentention Center
    3. Security Complex
    4. Torture Chambers
    5. Guard House
    6. Grid Control
  • Unit 4: Mines Unit - The only way to reach the industrial area is through the nearby mines. You must navigate through the mines and gain entrance to the factory. Be careful; they are very unstable, and prone to earthquakes. You will also need to lower the toxicity level of the mines before you can penetrate them.
    • Levels:
    1. Mine Entrance
    2. Upper Mines
    3. Bore Hole
    4. Drilling Area
    5. Lower Mines
  • Unit 5: Factory Unit - The industrial area contains a processing fusion plant that serves as a key component for the construction of the Strogg army, using unlucky humans as a catalyst. As long as this remains in operation, the Strogg army will keep rebuilding itself. Your mission is to shut down the plant.
    • Levels:
    1. Receiving Center
    2. Sudden Death - Secret Level
    3. Processing Plant
  • Unit 6: Power Unit/Big Gun - In this area is the nuclear power plant for the Strogg capital. Visible in the distance is the Big Gun, the Strogg defensive weapon preventing a larger human invasion, and you have to shut it down. Destroy the power plant's core by lowering the coolant, and pumping toxic waste in as a "substitute". You must lock down the Big Gun's systems and leave swiftly before the plant explodes, causing devastation for miles around.
    • Levels:
    1. Power Plant
    2. The Reactor
    3. Cooling Facility
    4. Toxic Waste Dump
    5. Pumping Station 1
    6. Pumping Station 2
    7. Big Gun
  • Unit 7: Hangar Unit - The Black Hole Generator provides gateways for the Strogg army to invade different sectors of the galaxy. You must destroy it. Obtain the Tank Commander's Head inside the Research Lab to gain further access into the facility. Then you must close the main hangar door, destroy the launch control computers, and plant an airstrike marker at the Black Hole Generator, allowing bombers to take the generator out.
    • Levels:
    1. Outer Hanger
    2. Comm Satellite- Secret Level
    3. Research Lab
    4. Inner Hanger
    5. Launch Command
    6. Outlands
  • Unit 8: City Unit - The Communications Laser in the palace serves as the final means of keeping the Strogg forces in array. Unfortunately, it happens to be guarded by four layers of airtight security. Only the finest of the Makron's warriors guard this palace, including the imposing 'Tank Commanders'. No one prior has even been close to getting inside this maze. Your mission is to shut down this laser and terminate the Makron "with extreme prejudice".
    • Levels:
    1. Outer Courts
    2. Lower Palace
    3. Upper Palace
  • Unit 9: Boss Levels - The Makron seeks refuge in his astral chambers, located on an asteroid orbiting Stroggos. Only when he dies will the Strogg be crippled. Your mission is simply to kill him outright.
    • Levels:
    1. Inner Chamber
    2. Final Showdown

[edit] Enemies

Main article: List of Strogg in Quake II

[edit] Weapons

  1. Blaster: The only weapon that the player is equipped with at the start of the game, the Blaster is a basic energy handgun. Although lacking in firepower, the Blaster does not require ammunition.
  2. Shotgun: A mid-range hitscan weapon. Essentially the staple shotgun found in the majority of first-person shooters.
  3. Super Shotgun: A pump-action double-barelled shotgun with a slower reload time, but significantly more firepower, than the regular shotgun.
  4. Machine gun: A generic machine gun, although its small size means that recoil is significant.
  5. Chaingun: More reminiscent of a Gatling gun, with a spin-up and spin-down delay. It has a very high rate of fire, which is effective against enemies, but consumes ammunition quickly.
  6. Hand Grenade: The longer players hold a hand grenade after activating the fuse timer, the farther they will throw it.
  7. Grenade Launcher: Somewhat oddly this weapon uses hand grenades as ammunition, rendering it a more effective way of delivering them to their intended target.
  8. Rocket Launcher: Rockets fired from this weapon are effective against even the toughest enemies, although some Strogg are known to duck and avoid them. It is possible to partake in rocket jumping with this gun.
  9. Hyper Blaster: Essentially an energy chaingun, it is also a devastating but ammunition-consuming weapon.
  10. Railgun: The railgun is the quintessential weapon for Quake sharpshooters. Although it has a low rate of fire, each depleted uranium slug is fired at an extremely high velocity and is even able to penetrate multiple Strogg.
  11. BFG10K: The BFG, or Big Fucking Gun, is the most powerful weapon in the game. The mass of energy fired by this weapon can split into a number of beams, each damaging any enemies in the vicinity (and usually killing them).

[edit] Expansions

There are three official expansions:

Unofficial expansions include:

  • Juggernaut - released in 1998, developed by Canopy Games and published by HeadGames.
  • Zaero - developed by team-evolve
  • Oblivion - developed by Lethargy Software this mission-pack still needs patching, but the project seems to be abandoned. You can read more about Oblivion in this forum thread.

[edit] Not a true sequel

Screenshot from Quake II

Despite the title, Quake II is a sequel to the original Quake by name only. Aside from somewhat similar weapons and items (notably the Quad Damage pickup), the scenario, enemies and theme is entirely separate and as of this time does not fall into continuity with Quake. id had initially wanted to set it separately from Quake, but due to legal reasons (most of their suggested names were already taken), they decided to stick with the working title. Quake II was also adopted as a name to leverage the popularity of Quake. Paul Jaquays, as quoted from PlanetQuake's Quake II FAQ, puts it as such:

"OK, now WHY are we calling it Quake 2, when it's not really a sequel to Quake? Several reasons. Trademarking. The names we were going for, the ones that to our thinking, really expressed the concept and theme of the game were owned by someone else (when it appears that you may have money to actually cover real or imagined damages, "foxxing" really gets ugly. They don't just tell you to cease and desist). We kept putting forward names to our copyright attorneys and they kept telling us "You're not safe from liability with that one." The deadline for having our real and true name in time for E3 came, and our hands weren't grasping that one great name. And there it was waiting for us like an old lover ... our working title ... Quake 2. It knew we'd come home to it at last. It should have been obvious. We've built up a great deal of name recognition with Quake. We shouldn't just throw that away."

[edit] Ports

Ports of Quake II were released in 1999 on the Nintendo 64 (ported by Raster Productions L.L.C. ) and PlayStation (ported by HammerHead Ltd.) console platforms. In both cases, the core gameplay was largely identical; however, changes were made to the game sequence, and split-screen multiplayer replaced network or internet play. An SGI port was made in 1999 by Philip Nemec. In 2002, the game was ported to the Amiga PowerPC platform by Hyperion Entertainment. There was also an unofficial port for the Sega Dreamcast, another port to Xbox,named Quake2X, and an unfinished port to Playstation 2 via homebrew coders.

Quake II: Colossus (Quake II with both official addons) was also ported to Linux by id Software and published by Macmillan Computer Publishing in 1999. Be Incorporated officially ported Quake II: Colossus to the BeOS to test their OpenGL acceleration in 1999, and provided the game files for free download at a later date - a Windows, Macintosh or Linux install CD was required to install the game, with the official addons being optional.

[edit] PlayStation version

Several of the PC versions levels were omitted for the PlayStation port, including whole units. A handful of enemies were removed, plus some scenery objects, such as dead marines and explosive barrels. A new enemy (a gigantic human-spider cyborg with twin railgun arms) was added, and many short airlock-like corridors were added to maps to provide loading pauses inside what were contiguous areas in the PC version. In many of these corridors, the player could save their game (As the player cannot save when they like, like in the PC version).

An advantage over other console ports is that it used the PlayStation mouse option, making the gameplay closer to the PC version.

The music of this port is a combination of the Quake II original music score and some tracks from the PC version's mission packs.

The PlayStation version is limited to a far lower resolution than the PC original giving it a grainier look. Coloured lightmaps for levels and enemies, and yellow highlights for gunfire and explosions, are carried across from the PC version, with the addition of (somewhat excessive) lens flare effects located around the light sources on the original lightmaps. There is no skybox; instead a flat gourad-textured purple sky is drawn around the top of the level.

The PC Version originally used particle systems, to render blood and rail gun beams as trails of large coloured pixels. Due to the PlayStation's different technology, the particles are circular and transparent.

There is also a split-screen multiplayer mode for 2-4 players. A thing worth noting, is that unlike the PC version, the players cannot choose to be male or female.

The only available player avatar is a modified version of the male player avatar from the PC version, the most noticeable difference being the addition of a helmet. The players can only customise the colour of their avatar's armour, and change their name.

[edit] Nintendo 64 version

This version, unlike the PlayStation version, had completely different levels and multiplayer maps which had never been seen before. This version also had new lighting effects, mostly seen on gun fire, and also used the expansion pack to offer extra graphical detail.

[edit] Xbox 360 Version

A ported version of Quake II was included in the box of Quake 4 for the Xbox 360, on a bonus disc. This is a direct port of the original game, and does not feature any graphical improvements, other than it may render in 480p and 720p. However it does allow for System Link play for up to 16 players, split-screen for 4, and co-operative play in single player for up to 16 players or 4 with split-screen alone.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] Official websites

[edit] Information

[edit] User Created Maps

[edit] Game Archive and Review sites

[edit] Games using a modified Quake 2 engine

[edit] Game mods

[edit] Modified engines


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