Ok, I'm trying to dust down the mapping cobwebs so I'm a bit rusty. I have but one question:

I traditionally use bengt jardrup's tools - which bsp.exe should I be using - TxQbsp, or TreeQbsp - and why? 

txqbsp. he worked on that one more iirc.
also, strictly speaking, you shouldn't be using the original aguirre tools except for the bsp program.

Willem and Tuna successfully got multi threading going on vis based off his version ( http://www.quaddicted.com/tools/wvis_20100119.7z ), and MH has an excellent version that adds coloured lighting while retaining all the old light functionality (sun, outdoor minlight, attenuation5, etc...) ( http://mhquake.blogspot.com/2010/11/bengtlightcoloured-r2-is-out.html ) 

Is there an official Quoth minimum package, with no maps skyboxes and all the extra stuff? 

What would be the point? 

cheers - Tx it is :}

i'll look into the other stuff too :} 

so regarding mh's BengtLightColoured - do I have any reason to switch to using it over bengt's original if I'm not implementing coloured light?

Using coloured lighting in Quake is a bit like trying to "improve" a Piranesi etching with a box of Crayola. 

 

-threads 

# 

oops, yes, i forgot to mention, there's also multithreading, so even if you're not using the coloured lighting, it's still way faster.

and i wouldn't discount coloured lighting entirely. i certainly don't advocate neon greens and blues, but subtle shifts can really add a lot to an area. even just tinting outdoor sun minlight slightly blue can make shadows look deeper and more natural. 

Ah cool, I'll have a look at the threading shizzle :}

Regarding coloured lights - I only use WinQuake so won't ever see them. These fancy GL-based engines do horrible things to the look of Quake's textures and lightmaps. Texture filtering in Quake is about as appropriate as a J-Pop soundtrack in a Fritz Lang noir. Jesus >_<. 

Fitzquake + gl_texturemode 3 ftw

Or if you're adventurous, there's the Qbism engine which is a high-limit software port with support for colored lighting as stuff.

Btw. running BJP's light with the -gate 1 speeds it up considerably without visible downsides. Not sure if the multithreading light has that too (would make it a one second job, I assume). 

http://www.quaddicted.com/engines/software_vs_glquake 

mh's light is based on aguirre's light, so it has everything + coloured lights and multithreading. 

I tried gl_texturemode 3 with GL-based engines but you still don't get that crucial striated effect with the lighting, and besides, circular particles are just wrong.

It's a bit like getting Optimus Prime for christmas only to discover you've been bought the Chinese knockoff version instead.

Qbism looks less offensive than most engines I agree. Pol Pot was also less evil than Hitler.

I've always used -gate 1 btw... 

circular particles are just wrong.

r_particles 2 

kinn's overflowing with similes today. ;) 

r_particles 2

Hehe, learn a new thing every day.

I'm still not using a custom engine though. 

But with a custom engine you could use high-res skins like this http://www.securitronlinux.com/files/dp000012.jpg 

But with a custom engine you could use high-res skins like this

But why would I want to see a knight in that much detail? Would H.P. Lovecraft's stories have been improved if he presented his horrors in such mundane and precise detail? 

First, you think colored light is fine, then you'd want truecolor textures...
this way you'll end up with q2 monsters allover your maps!
And the last thing you know you are not allowed on quaddicted anymore. 

doesn't do coloured lighting. 

Rock on, Kinn. You're a man after my own heart. :) Blocky pixels and low res texture FOREVER.

That high res knight, to me, looks ridiculous. 

but it can now stab you with its nose!

didn't everyone get the memo on "higher resolution being always better"? 

but it can now stab you with its exaggerated junk!