Q4Max v0.76

Two weeks ago, id software released Quake4 1.3, including a new gametype (Deadzone), a new gameplay modifier (buymode), and some gameplay tweaks (weapon balance and physics changes). Q4Max 0.76 for Q4 1.3 is now available, and incorporates all of these changes.

We have taken the opportunity to fix a few issues, and to introduce some functionality changes of our own. This includes tweaks to the Freezetag rules, the introduction of a handicap system, and support for the "xgo sounds".
These sounds have been extended to support the Napalm Gun and the Strogg modelsounds, and are believed to provide much better positional information than the standard q4 sounds.

On top of this, we have taken the 1.3 changes and extended them to fit within the Q4Max mod. Buymode may be controlled through modes, and more importantly has been extended to work within the CA, CTFS, and Freezetag gametypes, with cash bonuses awarded for various events in these gametypes.
Due to the short development time the bonuses have not been carefully balanced, so we are looking for community input on changes to the cash awards.

As this release comes so soon after Quakecon, many people will be interested in watching the recent demos. Q4Max 0.76 is able to play demos recorded in 0.75 - ensure you have demo_enforcefs 1 ("Media Only" in the demos menu), and have all the pk4's used to record the demo as well as the 0.76 pk4's.


Version 0.76 (08 Aug 06)
Notes for version 0.76 (8 August 06)

add: Q4 1.3 compatibility - this version of Q4Max does not run on Q4 1.2.
add: cg_thinshaft (0|1, default 0)
Toggle between q4's default lightning gun beam and a thinner one.
add: cg_drawcrosshairnames (0|1, default 1)
Enables displaying player names under the crosshair.
add: ui_handicap (1-100, default 100)
Lowers the health of the player to this value, and adjusts damage done by the player.
add: many commands enabled for dedicated server console / rcon:
players, maplist, allready, abort, marine, strogg, remove, specklockmarine, speclockstrogg, speclockall, speckunlockall, speckunlockmarine, speckunlockstrogg, autorecord.
add: callvote xgosounds [0|1, default 1]
xgo soundpack (full mod version). Sounds are split into low and high frequencies, with the occlusion settings changed to give a better positional sound without disabling occlusion.
Enabled by default, can be disabled by "callvote xgosounds 0" or via mode config, although believed to improve sounds for players both with and without OpenAL.
add: callvote buymode [0|1] / callvote controltime [1-999]
note that these mode settings override and make redundant the 1.3 cvars si_controltime and si_isBuyingAllowed.
These can be configured via a custom mode.
add: Support for buymode in CA and CTFS.
If buymode is active, players are not given all weapons, but may buy them during the countdown period.
add: Support for buymode in CA, CTFS, and FT.
If buymode is active, players are not given all weapons, but may buy them during the countdown period.
Cash awards are granted for various mode specfic events:
- FT: thawing players,
- CA/FT: winning the round,
- CTFS: touching the flag / capping / killing all other team.
Only players alive at the end of the round maintain weapons from previous rounds.
add: "weapon 10" selects the napalm gun.
add: vote_allow_modelsounds, for mode-controlled strogg/marine sounds.
add: Linux Error handling
Access Violations and other crashes now drop to the console and log the error rather than simply segfaulting.
Please submit the error displayed on the console if this happens (multiple lines).
add: FT - callvote ThawWhereKilled [0|1, default 0]
determines whether a player should respawn at the location where they were killed, or at a spawn point.
add: FT - "you thawed X", "you were thawed by X" messages displayed on the hud, and "X thawed Y" chat+console messages diplayed.
add: FT - "thaws" column displayed on the scoreboard shows the number of players you have thawed.
chg: FT - player score is now awarded only upon successful thawing. Only players present at the time the player is thawed will be awarded points.
chg: FT - default mode settings closer to what people are used to from Q3.
chg: modelsounds are now on by default.
chg: players command now shows ui_handicap, net_clientprediction and com_guid of each player.
If you wish to run a league without Punkbuster, this can be used to track players by Q4 guids.
(note : Punkbuster's guids are NOT the same as Quake 4's.)
chg: replaced Vertex light control in the menu with an "Ambient only lighting" control.
r_forceambient is preferred over r_vertexlight at the moment (and overrides it anyway)
chg: hud health/armor bars max out to true maximum (200), not up to 100.
chg: g_fov maximum increased to 130.
chg: net_clientprediction, r_lightdetaillevel stay in the config now
chg: playing a timeNetDemo with demo_enforcefs no longer executes reloadEngine so that you can see the result of the timedemo on the console easily.
chg: demo player now displays error messages in a popup window.
fix: removed double jump pad sounds
fix: weaponstay "pickup denied" sound no longer incorrectly played at times.
fix: (RB) missing teleport sound on napalm gun shots.
fix: crosshair names (incorrect or not) no longer displayed when spectators are following a player.
freefloat specs still get the text, but the text is correct.
fix: Freezetag no longer counts shooting popsicles in accuracy / award calculations.
fix: FTUS + instagib now correctly has infinite ammo.
fix: warmup in instagib now correctly has infinite ammo.
fix: a few gui cvars were missing in profiles.
fix: a number of small gui glitches, more room for clan on scoreboard...
fix: masked the cd key prompt.
fix: failed votes where split 50/50 now fail, rather than timing out.
fix: crash on playing back a demo, inside the console command "reloadEngine".
fix: Spectators do not get shown as "in the game" in the scoreboard after a map change, nor players entering a game with the teams locked.