if you still like quake1, then just think of quake2 as a really polished total conversion with its own custom engine. There are cool new textures, some great level designs with neat chunky architecture (the cooling facility and waste levels were my favorite, you can clearly see that they are the successors to tim willits' e3m5 and e4m1 maps in quake.) Also jail4 (i think?) was a really cool moody stone jail map with heavy angled architecture, and the city levels are great, and there's a low grav secret level, etc. etc.

Probably the big area of dispute is whether the monsters were as fun/well designed to fight as quake monsters, and whether the weapons were good compared to quake. 

Couldn�t get used to the yellow light, supposed it could be the atmosphere of Mars.

There are Q2mods where the light is white.
Best memory are the cave part with the outer defense attack.
One of the best mapping skills.

And although better of engine and all, it couldn�t attrack me more than Quake1.
Dunnoh, perceiving a monster better, don�t make it a better monster. 

I really should play Quake 2 again. Never finished it actually. Well I'm sure I stored that CD in a safe place, finding it will be easy I bet. 

I agree it's now a very dated FPS, but...

great interconnection and replay value, plus the "athletic" gameplay that only belongs to old school FPS.

...this really. Characterful enemy too. 

Look up the Berserker mod - the best mod for playing Quake 2 on a fairly modern computer - shines up the visuals very nicely!!! And more.
Doesnt alter the gameplay much though, basically like playing Quake 2 but with much sexier graphics.... 

I think I've only completed it once (on easy, admittedly). I've only completed one of the mission packs, though. 

is a timeless FPS with some real improvements over Q1.

Especially Mission Pack 1, The Reckoning, is a real gem and contains some top-notch level design from guys who really knew what they were doing. The Reckoning is one of the top 10 FPS of all time.

The catalog of games which use the Q2 engine, or parts of it, is amazing.

Q2 has seen, is seeing, and will be seeing great custom maps, both SP and DM. *_*

Although it'll be obliterated by Q1 soon. 

Download Q2Max if you want glitz, and there's loads of mods out there - Lazarus was always my favourite, but that's a mappers POV.

But the core gameplay ruined it for me. 'Great, now the Quake guy moves at a realistic speed.'

And why most of the enemies humananoid? Apart from the bosses there were the Parasite, Gladiator and Medic - the best enemies in the game.

Other retarded decision - the player has run out of grenades but walks over some 'WEAPONSWITCH' and don't let them turn it off.

Weapons were shit. Compare them to the Awakening mod - light is a good sp example that uses that set. Railgun was excellent, but the rest just felt uninspired.

Ok, sour grapes that it was Strogg Wars 1 instead of Quake 2. 

Ok, sour grapes that it was Strogg Wars 1 instead of Quake 2.

That'll be the one. 

It's a good game. Well, as far as good goes for someone playing a technically and conceptionally worse one. With a decent source port, Quake 2 is enjoyable every now and then. Q2XP is neat, for example, as it spices up the visuals in subtle ways and also increases the movement speed to almost Quake level. 

Q2SP sounds better then.

Although it also sounds like you'll be moving on to Strogg Wars 2 (or Quake 4) negke - don't go. 

Top of the architecture is not done (hence it is completely flat), and I think a kind of platform will be there: with Ogres firing grenades, or something like this... The map will be a kind of Quoth-agula concept... and a CDA sequel BTW.... maybe too dark... though...

http://lambert.jeanphilippe.free.fr/Divers/GTH1.JPG 

looks good so far. i like the detail with the broken tiles all along the edge. if you can keep that level of detail up for the whole map, it'd be pretty sweet.

are those undying textures? or like hexen2 or something? i like the gray stone and metal detail texture a lot. 

i guess its the daikatana episode3 textures 

I never cared much for Q2... 

and Maric!! 

Thnaks for feedback, and I used a mix of Daikatana episode 3 and Doom 3 Hell level textures :) 

Seconding what necros said ... the broken tiles look -sweet-! Really adds a sense of grim reality to the place. Gives it substance. Well done! 

This is a preview of the level I'm currently hacking on. It's going to be in a temple environment and feature specific combat arena areas.

http://wantonhubris.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/previewshot_05172009.jpg 

Thanks for the encouragements ;)

Your shot looks very nice as well :) 

very nice both maps!!!

go map ladies!!! 

looks cleanly built so far. 

If homoerotic (and wtf was a sheep doing at the start?) games aren't your thing then the Japanese also cater to the opposite end of the spectrum:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHCw3MZdm0I 

some killer animation at 1:11. Just moonwalkin up and down those stairs. 

If you don't have that sort of stuff implemented then why put it in the environment. Oh yeah, because your target audiance is 14 and will one day be a 40 year old virgin.

The original video I saw had a character selection screen - they probably spent weeks getting the bump and grind animation just right, find it and you'll see what I mean.

Mind you, girls in bikinis chopping up zombies?

-> they'll make money.