Introduction
This is the 99e
"FAQ". While some questions may not be
frequent, they might be important. This covers common
questions that have cropped up from time to time that we
feel are important enough to provide. If you have a
question it may be answered here, so hold off on that bug
report until you've read through this file. Questions are
bolded.
Why do I keep getting kicked with
"invalid pk3 files" from the server?
Why does Gen do some really strange stuff
when I connect to a server, but not when I play a local
game?
Do you have any other .pk3 files in your generations
folder besides these?
pak9_genv99e.pk3
zz_mappack_99e.pk3
zz_99e_CTF_mappack.pk3
These are the only official Generations Arena files for
the .99e release. No other PK3's should be in your
generations folder except for third-party maps. If you
have any older Generations Arena pk3 files please delete
them.
I keep getting kicked with the message
"This server is running an older version of
Generations." OR "I keep getting kicked with
the message "Client/Server game mismatch:
generations/baseq3"
The first message may occur if you are connecting to a
server running Generations 99c or before. The second
message may occur if you are connecting to a server
running a mod other than Generations. In either case, try
another server.
I'd like to make some custom binds to be used
for each different class so I can get to my favorite
weapons easier. Is there any way I can do that?
Absolutely! Generations is very config friendly when it
comes to per-class keybindings. Take a look at these
files:
earth.cfg
doom.cfg
slipgate.cfg
strogg.cfg
arena.cfg
You can put any custom key bindings in there. Look at the
"1" through "0" and "g"
keys as indications of what number corresponds to what
weapon, and bind accordingly. Please note that the
"flipweapon" command is specific to the DOOM
WARRIORS class only. Trying to use it for a different
class will result in the game complaining to you about
it. Otherwise, tweak away!
Every time I change classes I'm back to using
either Sarge, Doom, Ranger, Grunt, or Visor, even though
I changed models. What gives?
If you're having problems with models
"remembering" on class changes check the files
mentioned in the previous question. If there are any
"model" statements in there remove them. These
files execute every time you become the appropriate
class, and having any "model" statements in
them WILL BREAK model memory since it is setting THAT
model every time you changed class. If you fresh
installed Gen 99e it should be no problem, but if you
copied over old configs from an older version it could be
a problem, so double check that.
How come when I try to change models in a
Team Deathmatch or CTF game nothing happens, but in FFA
or 1vs1 it works fine?
How come when I set my team model my head
stays the same as the old model?
How come I can't change headmodels in
teamplay?
Quake 3 uses FOUR variables to set models. They are:
model
headmodel
team_model
team_headmodel
In Team Deathmatch or CTF the "team_model" and
"team_headmodel" variables are read, NOT the
"model" and "headmodel" variables.
Also, in teamplay (due to a Team Arena leftover gib in
the Q3 code) your team_headmodel will not switch when you
change the team_model variable. Normal Quake 3 does this
as well. Our solution is to use this command:
/fmodel [model/skin]
What is "fmodel"? It's mainly just a
convenience command we added. This will set ALL FOUR
model variables to the same thing, so regardless if
you're in teamplay or FFA it will ALWAYS set your model
and head to what you specefy. If you want to use a
different headmodel you'll have to assign that manually
of course. Gen DOES have the capacity to remember
separate team models, so if you want to use a different
model for Teamplay for a specific class than you do for
FFA you'll have to manually set the variables as in
normal Q3 instead of using "fmodel". Also note
that headmodels do NOT remember independantly of your
body. If you were Doom/red and used the Biker/default
headmodel, the next time you become a Doom Warrior you'll
have Doom/red for your body and Doom/red for your head
again.
That sounds complicated. Can't I just use the
menu?
Absolutely. The Generations Arena menu for 99e is the
recommended method for changing models and skins. Note
that in TEAMPLAY you will see your TEAM model. If you are
in the main setup menu or are spectating the model skins
will default to RED, but the proper team color will
display once you join a team. Please note that headmodels
must still be set manually at this time.
How come the guy attacking me shows a circle
and a slash over his face?
Any time someone changes class, naturally their model
changes too. It has to. In order to prevent the game from
"hitching", or stuttering whenever someone does
this it defers the loading of their model to a safe time.
Generations will wait until you either die or bring up
the scoreboard before loading player models. In the mean
time, you will see the default model for the particular
class running around. In spectator mode models will load
instantly unless you are "following" another
player.
How come I keep seeing "This model
cannot be used for this class... forcing default"?
This is Gen's way to prevent the wrong model being shown
on the wrong class. Let's say you're a Doom Warrior, and
you type the following:
/fmodel biker/cadavre
Biker is one of the Earth Soldiers, so he can't be used
if you're a Doom Warrior. This message informs you that
you tried to pick a model that does not work for the
class you belong to. It will load the default model for
the time being until you select a model that DOES work
for that class.
I keep trying to change to my favorite model,
but it's saying "Cannot find animation2.cfg file for
model. Forcing default." What does this mean?
Each model in Generations has a file associated with it
called "animation2.cfg". In future releases of
Generations it will also feature a list of new animation
stances so that our combatants can hold their pistols out
properly, lob grenades, heft BFG's in a more realistic
manner, carry TWO gatling guns (yes, TWO) at the same
time from third person view, swing axes with force, slash
with knives, and throw punches like they mean it. When
this is complete we'll release a SDK for modelers to make
their favorite models compatible with whichever class in
Generations they like, or build future models with the
new stances in mind. Right now it just controls which
class the model belongs to. While someone could add an
animation2.cfg to a third party model and get it to work
we do not encourage nor do we support third-party model
conversions to work with this system at present.
Can I use my favorite skins with Gen?
Yes! For the existing models available in Generations we
FULLY support skins.
Why do the maps in Gen look kind of dull
compared to normal Q3?
This was a requirement under 99c and before to have the
following variable set:
r_mapoverbrightbits 0
This was mainly to correct a blinding issue with the Doom
invulnerability and is no longer required. You can return
Generations to normal Quake 3 lighting with the following
command:
/r_mapoverbrightbits 1
We recommend this setting. You will need to restart
Generations in order for this change to take effect. You
will almost certainly need to lower your gamma correction
slightly afterwards.
Doom's invulnerability blinds me! It turns
the entire screen white, so white I can't see ANYTHING!
What should I do?
This should be corrected in version 99d and later. You
can still check your r_overbrightbits setting. If 0, try
setting to 1, or vice-versa. You probably just need to
lower your gamma correction.
That didn't help!
Try setting this value HIGHER by a number:
r_mapoverbrightbits
It will wash out the maps a tad, but it should allow you
to see with the invulnerability. If you've tried all this
and are still having serious problems, talk to us in
#wirehead on irc.enterthegame.com and we'll do our best
to help you in person.
Rocket explosions and other dynamic lights
are going crazy colors on me! What's going on?
Open the console and type this:
/r_finish "1". Bear in mind this does enable
vertical syncing, so if you notice a framerate drop it is
a limitation imposed by your monitor's refresh rate.
Can I switch handedness for the Strogg
Troopers?
Yes! This is an entirely new feature for .99e. Just use
the "/hand" variable as outlined under the
Console Commands section of the manual.
I'm trying to load a map but it's lagging
forever!
If you're having trouble getting stuck at "awaiting
snapshot" for excessive periods of time try the
following.
open your q3config.cfg file, and look for this line:
seta r_ext_compressed_textures
If 0, set to 1. Reload Generations. You should no longer
get stuck at "awaiting snapshot". If you still
experience slow load times try to make sure nothing else
is running in the background that might be pulling
resources away from your game. Please note that
Generations uses a LOT of high definition models and
textures, so they will take a bit longer to load than
normal Quake 3 will.
Gen looks great, but my framerate is in the
cellar. Can you help?
While we want people to play Gen with full-tilt eyecandy
whenever possible, we do realize that computers are not
all-powerful and are subject to many limitations, even
with the fastest video cards and processors. If you are
experiencing slow framerates in Generations, try the
following:
Reduce FSAA and/or Anisotropic Filtering, expecially at
ultra-high resolutions like 1280x1024.
Try lowering your resolution to 1024x768, or 800x600. If
that helps, start with a stable, fast resolution that
you're happy with and start adding options to that.
Try setting cg_dlightlevel to a lower number. Plasma and
blaster bolts can load the scene with a LOT of dynamic
lights, and with FSAA or Anisotropic settings turned up
at high res it WILL cause slowdowns even on a Geforce 4
ti4600. If you're only experiencing slowdowns with
dynamic lights in the scene, this will help greatly,
either that or reducing FSAA or Anisotropic.
Try setting r_roundimagesdown to "1". Setting
it to "0" WILL give sharper textures, but will
result in longer load times and increased video load.
"1" is default in Q3, "0" is only
recommended for VERY fast machines with the latest
graphics accelerators.
Try setting r_detailtextures to "0". Some maps
make extensive use of detail textures to add fine
precision to their appearance, but at a tremendous cost
to speed. Setting this to 0 will help speed things up.
Try reducing your color depth, or bitdepth. These are
best set using the menu system, along with resolution.
If r_picmip is "0" try setting it to
"1".
Gen runs fast, but looks kind of blurry. I've
got a REALLY fast rig and I want to see everything as
sharp and groovy as possible. What can I do?
We've included some of the same settings in the
documentation with Gen as above, but in reverse. If
you've got an Athlon XP2100+ with a GFti4600 or Radeon
9700 or better graphics card, we recommend trying the
following, in the following order, to maximize the
stunning visual beauty that is in Generations Arena:
Go to the Setup menu, and choose "system". Set
that to "High Quality".
Set r_picmip to 0.
Set r_roundimagesdown to 0.
Set cg_dlightlevel to 2 or 3 (depending if you like the
secondary missile lights)
Set cg_dlighttype to 0 or 1, to preference.
set cg_dlightshaft to 1, or 2 for more energetic lights
on the Slipgate Thunderbolt's effects!
set cg_dlightflame to 1 or 2 to let the fireballs light
things up with the Napalm Launcher!
Experiment with Anisotropic filtering and FSAA to taste,
but be sure to try this out incrementally. If the Doom
plasma rifle is causing your screen to lag to 20 fps, you
need to back off a bit somewhere.
Are there any other optimizations I can use
to smooth Generations out a bit?
Yes. By default, Quake 3 sets com_maxfps to 85. It is
best to match this setting as closely as you can with
your monitor's refresh rate. 100Hz refresh with
com_maxfps 100 (modem users: see a cautionary note below)
will give a nice smooth movement to the world, but might
result in some visual tearing, and it can be smoothed
some more. Try these settings:
com_maxfps 100 (or your preference)
r_swapinterval 1
m_filter 1
r_swapinterval may induce some video slowdown in complex
scenes with extremely high detail settings, but otherwise
will smooth the world's movement out a LOT. m_filter
smooths the mouse input to make it less jittery. Put
together this makes things in Gen move slick as glass as
long as your framerate keeps up.
I'm on a modem, and I'm experiencing
excessive lag in Gen. I KNOW my server browser told me I
ping 200 to this server, but it's up in the 400's for
some reason. Is there anything I can do to help this?
Yes and no. Try the following settings:
com_maxfps 60
rate 3500
com_maxfps DOES have some control over how many data
packets get sent over the net for some reason. If you're
getting a 200 FPS framerate in Q3 and you're on a CABLE
modem it will add 50 or more to your ping. On a modem it
will practically kill your connection. Experiment with
this until you reach a happy medium. Same with the rate
command. Both of these will make the game chop a bit more
when set low, but will keep the dreaded "Connection
interrupted" message from rearing it's ugly head as
often. Sometimes you just can't get past the limitations
of the modem, however. We've taken every step we can to
make Generations as modem-friendly as possible and to
keep the game enjoyable for everyone, regardless of
connection. I played on a modem for years myself, so
don't worry, we don't leave the 56k'ers behind in our
design plans.
Does Generations work with Punkbuster?
Yes, Generations should have no compatibility issues with
Punkbuster.
I don't see the Punkbuster button in
Generations. How do I enable punkbuster?
Bring down the console, and type the following:
/pb_cl_enable
This will work even during mid-connect to a server, so if
you're trying to connect and getting a "punkbuster
required" message just hit ~ and type that in, and
you can get your game on.
How do I DISABLE punkbuster?
/pb_cl_disable
This will take effect the next time you load Generations,
but not before then. Bear in mind that you do not NEED to
disable the punkbuster client to connect to a server that
is not running punkbuster. Modem users might want to
disable it before connecting to non-PB servers so the
occasional "security validation" doesn't result
in a lag frag for someone else...
I keep getting "INVALID CD_KEY. MISSING
CD_KEY?" messages. Is that a Punkbuster issue? Is
that a Generations issue?
No. This is a CD key issue with communicating to Id's
master server. Generations does not require the use of a
CD key to play the mod (we assume you own a legal copy of
Quake 3, and if you don't then shame on you). However, if
the server admin has set sv_strictauth to "1"
the server that you are connecting to requires your
computer to talk to Id's master server to make sure
you're not using a banned or invalid CD key. This is up
to the server admin, we neither encourage nor discourage
this requirement. Like anything, even Id's computers get
squirrely once in a while, so be patient and keep trying.
I'm on a modem, and the lightning guns and
flamethrower are rather hard to use and look kind of
weird when I run forward. Are there any settings to help
make them more effective?
Yes. Try the following settings:
cg_nopredictlightning 1
cg_nopredictshaft 1
cg_nopredictflame 1
These control the Q3 lightning gun, Q1 shaft, and Earth
flamer thrower, in order. As you may or may not know
Quake 3 "predicts" your movement so that on
your system you're movements are actually slightly ahead
of where the server says you are at the time. It takes
time to update that movement. Setting any of these to 1
will visibly "disconnect" the stream from your
gun's muzzle flash in order to render from the point the
server says you are located at the time. The visible
effect will match the exact path the damage is taking
place over. This may look a bit odd, but once you get
used to it you can employ it with much more effective
results. It will never make up for having a high ping,
but it will help balance things out a bit.
Does Generations feature
"unlagged", or will it in the future?
Generations does not feature "unlagged". The
reasons are twofold. First, Generations has a LOT of
projectile-based weaponry that cannot be predicted as
such. This disparity between "instant hitscan"
and "laggy rockets" breaks gameplay
consistancy. It also tends to penalize low pingers worse
than high pingers since someone with high ping can in a
sense "see into the future" by popping out from
behind a wall, clicking "fire" and popping back
with enough time to see someone else, target them, and
duck out of the way. To the low pinger he'd be
"dragged back" to the spot he was at when the
high pinger's gun went off. This is a kind of reverse-lag
that we feel is not a feature we desire to see in
Generations and robs people of any benefits of a good
connection they paid good money to get. Second, it would
be extremely complex to integrate this system into the
already complex Generations mod.
Generations MAY in the future include an option, based
upon Unlagged's code, to artificially INCREASE one's
ping. Why would anyone want to do this? Two reasons. The
first is that on a local game high ping players can
practice "as they'd play on the net". This
would be a very nice feature to have. Second, low pingers
could voluntarily set their ping more in line with other
players to make a more even match if they desire. I run
my own server, and I ping 6 there. That kind of makes it
unfair to anyone else who plays. Third, server admins
could in theory force an artificial ping onto extremely
low ping players. For example, say a server admin wants
200 to be the "minimum ping" and run his
"HPBland modem-friendly Gen server". Someone
with 30 ping would have 170 added to his latency. If his
ping jumped to 50, it would add 150. This would be a
dynamic system. Anyone with ping 200 or higher would not
suffer any penalty. While the ideal situation is for
nobody to ever have any latency whatsoever, that is a
pipe-dream and even ultra-low latency networks are years
away. In the mean time this could allow an admin to
custom tailor their server and make the gameplay
consistant for the majority of their target audience and
balance the ping factor at a reasonable level with the
tools at hand.
Bear in mind this is NOT set in stone as a definite
feature for a future release of Generations, but it is
something we might do if we have time and can make it
work, if it's even possible. We have more pressing
matters to take care of in the mean time.
This ends the current Generations v99e FAQ. If we can
think of anything else we'll add it as we go.
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