Installation | Starting Q3F | Running Servers | Basic Configuration | Troubleshooting

Before you start

Before you start, you should ensure that you have correctly installed Q3F, applied any necessary patches and removed any 3rd party DLLs. Please read the 'Installation' sub-section before attempting to run Q3F. If you experience any errors or problems while running Q3F, you should also check the 'Troubleshooting' sub-section. If you're still unable to run Q3F, stop by the 'Support Forum' on our website and we'll do what we can to help. If you believe you've found a new bug, please visit our Bugs Site.

The Q3F modification can be ran with Quake 3 Arena in one of three modes:

- As a 'client', which can then connect to Q3F Game Servers
- As a 'non-dedicated server' which allows clients to connect to your machine, while still allowing you to play too
- As a 'dedicated server'

This section details the various methods by which you can run a Q3F client, and then connect to game servers using a Windows 98, NT, Linux or Apple Mac operating system. For detailed instructions on setting up a non-dedicated, or dedicated Q3F server, please click the 'Running Servers' link on the navigation bar at the top of this page.

Starting Q3F for the first time (Windows 98, NT, Linux or Mac)

The most important thing to do first is to ensure Q3F is installed and configured correctly. It's much easier to locate problems with things like server browsers such as Gamespy, starting Q3F from the command line or using a desktop shortcut, if you're sure first that the MOD works perfectly.

The easiest way to check this (and start playing Q3F), regardless of which operating system you are running, is from within Quake 3 itself: Simply follow these steps:

1. Connect to the Internet
2. Start Quake 3 Arena
3. Click the 'MODS' button on the Main Menu, select 'Q3F' from the list and then click the 'LOAD' button (Quake 3 may restart at this point)
4. If you haven't done so already, configure your Q3F keyboard controls by clicking the 'SETUP' button, then 'CONTROLS' and then 'Q3F'. You'll be presented with a list of the basic Q3F commands which you'll need to assign keys to. For help on this see the 'Basic Configuration' sub-section, or the more advanced 'Commands' section.
5. To connect to a server and start playing, click the 'MULTIPLAYER' button on the Main Menu which will take you to a server list. You'll probably need to hit your 'SPACE' key to halt the server update. Now click the 'SERVERS:' option, until it displays 'INTERNET' , the 'GAME TYPE:' option, until it displays 'Q3F' and the 'SORT BY:' option, until it displays 'PING'. If you now click the 'REFRESH' button in the center at the bottom of the screen, a server list will start to appear. Hit your 'SPACE' key at any time to halt the server scan when a suitable server is displayed near the top. Now just select the server you wish you play on, and click the 'FIGHT' button.

If you experience any problems while doing the above, such as:

- Missing 'MODS' button on the Main Menu
- Q3F missing from the MODS list
- Errors when you select 'Q3F' and try to load the MOD such as "VM failed to compile"
- Missing Q3F option from the 'GAMETYPE' field on the Server List screen
- Being thrown back to the Menu when trying to connect to a Server
- Failure to connect with the error "Unknown Executable" or "User interface is version 4, expected 3"

Then this may indicate an issue with your current Quake 3 configuration. First try a couple of other servers (to ensure you're not trying to connect to a server running an old version). If you still get one of the above errors, they should be easily resolved by following the checklist in the 'Troubleshooting' sub-section of this documentation.

Configuring Gamespy

If you're using Windows 98 or NT, another easy way to find the fastest/nearest Q3F server and just start playing Q3F, is to get Gamespy. You should note that versions of Gamespy prior to 2.19 did not support Quake 3 Arena MODs correctly. Please ensure you upgrade to at least version 2.19, before trying to connect to Q3F servers through Gamespy.

For those of you that already have Gamespy 2.19 or later installed, we've included a Custom Gamespy Tab that will filter the Quake 3 server list to provide you with just Q3F ones. To use this do the following:

1. Select the View menu in Gamespy
2. Click Custom Tab, then click Import
3. Locate the file called Q3F.PST (it's included in the ZIP and should be in your Q3F/contrib directory)
4. From the drop-down list on the top button bar (where it reads 'only show these servers') you can now select the Q3F

It's also worth adding the following Q3F master server, which should contain only Quake 3 servers that are running the Q3F mod:

Name: Games Inferno Server: master.gamesinferno.com Port: 27950

To add this Master Server to Gamespy:

1. In Gamespy, right-click the "Quake 3 Arena" tab on the left hand console
2. Select "add master list" and enter the details above.
3. Select the new 'Master', right-click and then select the 'Update' option

Using the command line or creating a desktop shortcut

If you'd like to launch Quake 3 Arena, so that Q3F is loaded by default, you can do so by specifying the MOD on the command line.

> quake3 +set fs_game q3f +connect IP_ADDRESS:PORT +password PASSWORD

Where IP_ADDRESS:PORT is the server's IP address and port that you wish to connect to and PASSWORD is the password for the server (if required).