What is needed to make Q2 user-friendly?

[R1CH]

Currently, Q2 suffers from the same problem a lot of older games do - it's difficult to get setup and running properly by a casual gamer on a modern OS. This thread serves as discussion for the problems and potential solutions to help attract fresh meat into the Q2 community. For simplicity purposes, it is assumed that this will be targeting Windows users.

[R1CH]

Menu / Config System
The config system in Q2 sucks. The menu shows limited options, settings are lost between mods and configs are overwritten all over the place. Players should not have to mess around with a text editor and .cfg files to get their binds, video, sound, etc settings how they want them. Menu is unwieldy and lacks mouse support.

Difficult to really fix without breaking compatibility with old Q2 configs. Perhaps an install-time option to use a new configuration system that does not rely on .cfg files and properly preserves per-mod settings. An external settings application for configuring binds (with mod context), sound/video since the Q2 menu system sucks.

Widescreen Support
The number of hardcoded resolutions does not suit all screens. Users expect a decent video config with the right resolutions for 16:9 and 16:10 displays. Enumerate video modes and only show supported ones in configuration.

Finding Servers
Need a decent integrated server browser.

[Ravey]

Good idea, I think this is one area where Quake has remained mostly untouched. Anyways, here's my suggestions:

* Replace DMFlags with a generic option, should fit with the context of the game mode.
* Replace the functionality of shortcuts and batch files with a flexible frontend.
* Remove outdated/redundant options from the menu.
* Allow people to join a server from the web browser.
* Modernize the HUD/UI, keep them simple and make it a mouse-driven interface.
* Replace 'new game' during multiplayer with a multiplayer-specific screen that allows you to choose levels, max players, friendly fire, admin controls, etc... allow people to see the levels on the menu too.
* Better editing tools that alleviate restrictions rather than providing work-around solutions.
* Standard FPS controls by default, each mod should have it's own custom list.

[General]
Attack - Mouse 1
Previous Weapon - Wheel Up
Next Weapon - Wheel Down
Move Forward - W
Move Backwards - S
Step Left - A
Step Right - D
Run - Shift
Jump - Space
Crouch - CTRL
Inventory - I
Use Item - Enter
Previous Item - [
Next Item - ]
Drop Item - Backspace

[Multiplayer]
Talk - T
Team Talk - Y
Scoreboard - TAB

[wision]

* Allow people to join a server from the web browser.

works already.. http://q2servers.com/

[bf]

I think.. he meant that when you click server it opens quake 2 and connects..  But thats stupid :f

[wision]

that's what it does.. read the bottom of that page

[Ravey]

works already.. http://q2servers.com/

Awesome, I was just speaking generally for Q2.

[stan0xaq2]

A Up to date readme file.

and in some dif languages

there must be at least a way to easy setup r1q2.
 

[R1CH]

Yes, I agree that setup / install and configuration are perhaps the biggest areas that need improvement, as well as "first impressions". So far I've quietened down the R1Q2 startup screen so it's less "spammy" and confusing, also in the works is a standalone installer for DM/TDM (unfortunately due to the lack of free textures, a standalone generic Q2 installer is not possible).

[wision]

http://q2scene.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=346&start=0
you can ask this guy.. i think he's painting those textures by himself.. not sure tho

[R1CH]

The problem is those textures don't match the originals at all, making them useless for many mods.

[jdolan]

The in-game server browser is by far the largest setback.  People will feel their way through config.cfg if they see that they can easily get into a game.  Currently, newbies have no idea how to actually find a server and connect to it.

Btw, yet another reason to move to SDL (in addition to cross-platform input handling, sound mixing, sound playback, image loading, multi-threading, shared library access..) is that you can easily query available video modes:  http://www.libsdl.org/cgi/docwiki.cgi/SDL_ListModes

[puppy]

i think that it's need to add features from aprq2 cl_chathudtime and con_cmdcomplete 3 (or 2).
i agree that menu system in q2 suxx, but it's classic. and i can replace quake2.exe with r1q2.exe and it would looks same.
ps: sorry 4 my english.

[puppy]

how about to add "cd_nocd 2" option, which made playing q2 soundtrack from quake2\<moddir>\music\Track02.wav-Track11.wav . so, its would possible to play single without CD, but with original music, if its extracted from cd, with EAC tool, for example.

[QwazyWabbit]

Better map management.

Ability to find textures and sounds associated with a map.
Ability to fix maps with broken ancillary file trees.