checked out the shot and it looks really nice!

I'll try to shoot for an update on the site within another month or two, with some more shots and info etc. 

In between essays, work and ennui, I've been poking at the QC.

trigger_read still will not page past "page 1", and I can't figure out why; the code looks okay, for crying out loud. It might be that you could well be limited to Unreal-style messages - one small page of text. Yuck.

I'm also in two minds about implementing explosive shells. I can't see the point, and it's getting to where my brain hurts thinking about doing so.

So the feature list is as follows:
Weapons
* Chainsaw replaces Axe
* Chaingun
* Multi-rockets (need testing)
* Lava Nails (need testing)
Monsters
* Acolytes, Sorcerors and Warlocks
* Ritual Gremlins
* Axeman
* Rogue Wraths
* Zerst�rer Troglodyte
* Rogue Dragon
Environmental
* func_ladder
* func_bsp
* func_breakaway
* func_nodraw
* func_bspframe
* func_model
* func_tree
* extra keys
* master and slave fields for several entities
? trigger_read (still buggy)

These are described in more detail in the a_docs.html file in v0.9 of the resource pack, which is can be downloaded from http://www.planetquake.com/fatty/smile/betas/arcane_v0-9.zip

BTW: func_ladders rock. 

I didn't have 'net access for the last week or so, but this sounds great! Thanks a lot FC! 

i was thinking that a way to make them useful would be to make them use a different type of explosion than normal.

i'm thinking an explosion that deals very little damage over the same radius with less fall off than regular explosions.
so, something like
damage = 15*(100/dist);
if (dist < 100)
damage = 15;

anyway, the result of this is that it would be useful for groups of weaker monsters, but useless against more powerful monsters (which makes sense since these are shells after all) and won't overpower the weapon.

just some random idea. :) 

Here's the source code and the start map sources and wad:

http://www.planetquake.com/fatty/smile/betas/arcane_source.zip

I have far too much to do right now with work driving me insane and other matters, and I do not see the situation improving any time soon. If anyone wants to try fixing up my loose ends, more power to you. (Tools included.)

More to the point, I simply have no interest in Quake modding any more. I have other infants to fry, and matters to pursue, and I'd best cut my losses where I can. 

That's sad.

I put the frowny face icon to indicate the sadness. 

but good job on releasing the source. Hopefully someone will pick it up and finish it. 

you know it's time to give up.

Now I have to knuckle down and start that fucking 3000-word essay. 

i just got set up to start finishing the shit 

exams are over within 2 weeks for me. After that I'll be getting into finishing this project, including seeing if I can get anyone to finish the code. Expect an update on my site early may.

Thanks for your work to this point FC, I appreciate the effort, not just on this but on other projects as well, and particularly SOE. Good luck in future endeavours, may they be more rewarding than just a bunch of anonymous guys on the internet thinking that you're cool a fleeting sense of personal accomplishment :) 

...should read "and a fleeting sense of personal accomplishment..."
(hopes recent essays didn't contain similar omissions) 

It's like your recent Feb 2004 site update ... 

How's this thing coming along? Still alive? D: 

Expect a site update (of the arcane site) by the end of the month.

Looking for someone to replace FC as code-dude. 

If the project is still going/alive/speeding along behind the scenes, you might like to know that the following code fixes the trigger_read problem


void() read_touch ={

local entity stemp;

if (other.classname != "player")
return;


if (other.impulse == IMP_READ)
{
if (self.axhitme == 1) {
return; // leggo the key, dumbass!

} else {

self.axhitme = 1; // edge detection
return;
}
}

if (self.axhitme == 1)
{


self.count = self.count + 1;
if ((self.count > 12) || (self.count > self.cnt))
self.count = 0;
self.axhitme = 0;
}


if ((self.attack_finished > time) && (self.count == 0))
return;


// FIXME: Close book if the string in question is null
if (self.count == 1) {
centerprint2 (other, "\n\n\n\n\n", self.message);
}
else if (self.count == 2) {
centerprint2 (other, "\n\n\n\n\n", self.noise);
}
else if (self.count == 3) {
centerprint2 (other, "\n\n\n\n\n", self.noise1);
}
else if (self.count == 4) {
centerprint2 (other, "\n\n\n\n\n", self.noise2);
}
else if (self.count == 5) {
centerprint2 (other, "\n\n\n\n\n", self.noise3);
}
else if (self.count == 6) {
centerprint2 (other, "\n\n\n\n\n", self.noise4);
}
else if (self.count == 7) {
centerprint2 (other, "\n\n\n\n\n", self.wad);
}
else if (self.count == 8) {
centerprint2 (other, "\n\n\n\n\n", self.map);
}
else if (self.count == 9) {
centerprint2 (other, "\n\n\n\n\n", self.deathtype);
}
else if (self.count == 10) {
centerprint2 (other, "\n\n\n\n\n", self.model);
}
else if (self.count == 11) {
centerprint2 (other, "\n\n\n\n\n", self.weaponmodel);
}
else if (self.count == 12) {
centerprint2 (other, "\n\n\n\n\n", self.netname);
}
if ((self.count == 0) && (self.attack_finished < time))
{
// alert player with sound cue
stemp = self;
self = other;
centerprint (self, " ");
bprint("Readable message\n");
self = stemp;
self.attack_finished = time + 3;
return;
}

else
self.attack_finished = time + 0.1;
};


Arrgh, the board swallows all the tabs, so it's an unindented mess. Should still work though, I have the qc file here in any case.

You will also need to add

void(entity client, string s1, string s2) centerprint2 = #73; // sprint, but in middle

to defs.qc just below the original centerprint function. Technically all the changes to the centerprint bits are cosmetic, they weren't the crucial fix. What they do mean is that the crosshair doesn't get in the way of the text. It's just possible that doing this will cut off the ends of long strings, if so, change it back.

So, anything else need doing? 

it's not the board's fault; HTML viewers are supposed to treat any sequence of tabs, spaces and carriage returns as generic 'whitespace' which gets collapsed into a single space. 

maybe you could be the coder of the project since fat controller has left it 

Yeah, I'd be up for that. I've got a lot of free time on my hands until term starts again in October.
So what needs doing coding wise? I know the trigger_read was causing problems for a while, but I'm not sure what else is needed for the pack. Is there anything in particular that the mappers need, like a monster that doesn't work right? Or is there a head mapper I should get in contact with who'll set me straight? 

the head mapper is Tronyn, you should contact him for more details.

As for what mappers need - it would be nice for me to include earthquake and lightning effects. 

Is progs.dat ready? The architectural part of my map is almost ready. I think it's time for me to place monsters. I have a marksurfaces problem in my map, so I'll probably make a final battle in a separated map.

But I also have an idea that it would be good if we make all maps in progression one after other. I'm not sure if it will work, but I need hear someone's opinion. 

I can't use my own computer to edit anything right now, but my map has been at monster-placing phase for a while now. I think having all the maps in sequence would be a good idea.

Preach: Sorry I haven't been in contact, while trying to fix my mess of a computer I lost all of my email. An address that works for me right now is djg164@mail.usask.ca. Once Pulsar and I get some entities into our maps it'll provide a lot more ability to test/fix/code whatever with the arcane progs.dat. 

What progs.dat do you use? I found that the one FC posted a long ago (v0.9) had a lot of unworking stuff. Some monsters don't work, my func_plats don't move etc. And there's no spawn fuctions there afais. And no earthquakes and corpse removal so far.

btw is it possible to make fgd file for these progs.dat? 

I'm placing entities (monsters etc) in my map right now, and I'll test how well it works with the 0.9 progs. I'll compile a list of things that don't work and then email it to Preach for fixing. Pulsar, you could do the same with the issues you mentioned.

An FGD probably isn't that difficult; I haven't made one before but I think I know how; I'll look into it. 

I'll compile a list of things that don't work and then email it to Preach for fixing. Pulsar, you could do the same with the issues you mentioned.

That sounds like a good idea. I'll do it.
So monsterspawning don't work? oh I plan a lot of spawning in monsters in my map.

And FGD would be great 

The Baron uses the DDZ base, with permissions, and EvilBastard is mentioned quite prominently in the Nehahra credits.

I must confess though I didn't have the experience with converting models in the skinmap department in 2000, so the skinmap was atrocious and the vertexes suffered degradation, which was a bit saddening as I'm a great admirer of Evilbastard's work.

I've already rectified that for the re-release and Ep4 though, and the baron looks great.

I had to comment because I took offense with the "rip-off" comment. I always give credit where credit is due and have no interest in taking the credit for other people's work, which is why there were so many names on the passive contributor's list. I am so conscientious of it that I am nearly anal about it and I see nothing wrong with using models that have free permissions if said models reflect what you envisioned in your head (though I am more often than not *inspired* by existing models, rather than inspired to create or find a model to match an image in my head). The alternative is trying to build a model just like it. Why rebuild something that already exists if you're free to use it? It would be silly to do so.

Anyhoo, pluck your turds out of my bubble bath :(