
                               M o n o l i t h
                                 version 1.1
                                 


  1. What is Monolith?
  2. How do I install Monolith?
  3. What do I need to run Monolith?
 *4. New to Monolith 1.1
  5. What keyboard layout does Monolith use?
 *6. How do I edit/configure/change Monolith?
  7. What are these extra "tricks" I keep hearing about?
  8. Legal stuff. Skippable.
  9. About the author
 10. Where to send suggestions, questions, ideas, flames.
 11. Credits
  
  
  
  1. Monolith is a collection of initialization files for Qtest1. It is a solid
     standard mouse-and-keyboard setup with a few extra "tricks" built into it
     which may or may not prove to be useful to you depending on your style of
     play. I worked it out after a while, and I really liked it. Also, I've
     found that it's a great setup to learn how to use the mouse with.


  2. To install Monolith, simply copy all the Monolith files into your Quake
     directory. You should have the following:
                  - FILE_ID.DIZ      That file you just love to delete  :)
                 *- MONOLITH.BAT     The startup batch file.
                !*- MONOLITH.CFG     All the changeable settings -  KICS
                 *- MONOLITH.MCL     The "Look around corners" routine
                 *- MONOLITH.MMS     The "Mouse-weapon switcher" routine
                !*- MONOLITH.MMV     The "Map View" routine 
                 *- MONOLITH.MRL     The "Run-lock" routine
                 *- MONOLITH.MSJ     The "Super-jump" routine
                 *- MONOLITH.MZM     The "Zoom in / Fisheye lens" routine
                 *- MONOLITH.RC      The core file.
                  - README.TXT       You're reading it.
     Then, to use it, simply type "MONOLITH" instead of "QUAKE".
     N.B.: You only need the files marked with an asterisk to run Monolith.
     N.B.: The file marked with a "!" are new to Monolith 1.1

   
  3. To run Monolith, all you need are QTEST1.ZIP, available from FTP.CDROM.COM
     in the PUB/QUAKE directory, a two-button mouse, and a keyboard. Most people
     I know have all three of these.
   

  4. New to Monolith 1.1 are the KICS system for easier re-mapping of control
     keys, and the map mode. Both of these took some doing to finish
     (ESPECIALLY KICS - wow. Hard to keep track of all those aliases). I hope
     that the only noticeable differences are an increase in playability. The
     map view was added because I thought some people might want it. KICS was
     added because I was told many people did not share my key preferences. It
     was specifically sparked off by Budman, whom I met on IRC, and who has
     helped me test and evaluate Monolith. Thanks, Budman!
  
  
  5. Monolith uses a keyboard layout centered around the left hand on the
     directional arrows and the right hand on the mouse. The keys are:
     
     The UP arrow:           Run forward
     The DOWN arrow:         Run backwards
     The LEFT arrow:         Run sideways <strafe> left
     The RIGHT arrow:        Run sideways <strafe> right
     The ENTER key:          Super jump. Hit once to jump, once to stop.
     The \ key:              The reset button. Hit this if anything goes wrong.
     The / key:              Zoom in. Also, un-fisheye lens.
     The . key:              Zoom out. Also, Fisheye lens.
     The SHIFT key:          Jump
     The CTRL key:           Look around corners to your right
     The ALT key:            Look around corners to your left
    !The DEL key:            Map mode - zoom in
    !The END key:            Map mode - zoom out

     The LEFT mouse button:  Fire your weapon.
     The RIGHT mouse button: Cycle your weapon <weapon1, weapon2, weapon3...>


  6. To edit, change, and otherwise modify Monlith's settings, point your text
     editor towards "MONOLITH.CFG" and hit engage. In DOS terms, this means
     typing, at the prompt, "edit monolith.cfg". Everything in the file is
     commented and explained. It's all very simple to change - at least I hope
     it is. If not, please tell me what's wrong and I'll go back to the drawing
     board for you!


  7. Quake has many command-line functions that can be assigned to a keypress.
     The "tricks" you hear about are just series of commands that do neat
     stuff. Monolith has a few of these built in, that I've found work rather
     well. They are:

  a. Corner Look-around. An interesting idea, this script shifts your viewpoint
     from left to right, away from your normal "body". It's useful to make sure
     no one's waiting to pick you off right around that corner. You can also
     use it right next to a wall and look through it, but this is a little less
     useful. To re-center your view after having shifted it, press the other
     key - thus, if you were looking right <with the CTRL key>, you would hit
     ALT to restore your normal vision and vice-versa.

  b. Mouse Weapon-switcher. A VERY useful script, I've found. It cycles through
     all of your weapons, one by one, as you hit the right mouse button. Great
     in the heat of battle when you just don't have time to search around for
     that "5" key for the grenade launcher.

  c. Run-lock. A rather simple script, it just makes sure you are always
     running. A great asset since no one ever lets go of the run key anyways,
     so this frees up a key and simplifies control.

  d. Super-jump. This is my first attempt at a Quake script, and probably the
     messiest you'll ever run across, but it works. The execution is rather
     simple - hit the enter key once to get into the air, and again while
     you're IN the air. What it does is jump you up while holding "+moveup",
     which gives you a little extra boost. Problem is, there's no way to make
     it stop holding those keys. So you have to hit it twice unless you want to
     bounce all over like a squash ball.

  e. Zoom in / Fisheye lens. Now here's a wierd one. Quake has a few strange
     commands, and this takes advantage of one of them. The FOV <field of view>
     command defines how much the screen tries to display. Higher values give
     you more "peripheral vision", like a fisheye lens, while lower values zoom
     in the viewpoint. There are two "extreme" levels of magnification that do
     NOT use the FOV command. They actually shift your viewpoint forward. This
     can be very disorienting if used incorrecty, as they sometimes push your
     perspective right through walls. Be careful when using them. To zoom in,
     use the  /  key. To use the fisheye lens, press the  .  key. To reset your
     view, hit the opposite key - just like the "look around corners" script up
     top. This can be a useful feature, especialy if you're a sniper.

  f. Map View. Hmmm... Useful for finding enemies in deathmatch, and for
     getting an idea of the general idea of a level. Have not tested it in
     QuakeMatch yet, but I'd suggest you find a sheltered spot before looking
     around! The default keys are "DEL" to engage it - continue pressing it to
     cycle through five levels of zoom. The other is "END" - it zooms out of
     your view. Useful in the big levels, like test2 and test3. In either case,
     the other key resets your view - if you're zooming in, the zoom out key
     resets your view, and vice-versa if you're zooming out.


  8. Monolith is provided as is, with no warranty, real or implied, of any
     kind. Damages and/or loss of time, data, work or sanity are not the fault
     of the author and shall not be acknowledged. Essentially, if anything
     goes wrong, don't look at me. But don't worry, what can possibly happen?
     <famous last words...  :)   >
     
     You can use Monolith as a base for whatever you want. Edit it, tear it
     apart, see how it works. Go for it! It's good to know stuff like that. If
     you base anything on Monolith, though, please give me credit. I spent all
     of a few hours patching this whole thing together.


  9. About the author? Why? I don't think you'd really want to know. Well, my
     name is Benjamin V. Zanin. I'm 16, I live in Quebec <soon to change. I'm
     LEAVING. Damn.>, I have blonde hair, blue eyes and way too much free time.
     That's about it.


 10. If you any ideas, comments, suggestions, please e-mail them to 
     zanin@mail.odyssee.net
     Or meet me on IRC in #quake and #lifebane. I'm Gnomon.
     If you have a bug report, please tell me so I can fix it! If you have a
     favourite feature you'd like to see here, please tell me and I'll try to
     include it in a future version. If it doesn't show up, I'll still make you
     your own "plugin" for that feature.


 11. Credits. Well, so far, the people who have helped me the most are:
 
     Nurgle, for miscellaneous stuff and a good laugh on IRC once in a while!
     
     Budman, for sparking off the great KICS idea! (man, that was hard to do..)
     
     Lauri Alanko, for documenting all the Quake commands - whose work without
     Monolith would still be a doodle on my desk and an idea in my... Head? Is
     THAT what it is? Wow.

     and of course, John Carmack, John Romero, and all the id crew - for pretty
     obvious reasons. Thanks, guys!
