
                        * Dropping Backpacks *

Filename : backpack.zip
Version  : 1.0
Date     : 07.01.1997
Author   : Stefan Schwoon
Email    : ssch0098@rz.uni-hildesheim.de
Credits  : id

Type of Mod
-----------
QuakeC   : yes
Sound    : no
MDL      : no

Format of QuakeC
----------------
Unified diff


Description of the Modification
-------------------------------
This patch lets you drop backpacks while playing Quake. The backpack
contains your currently selected weapon plus some of your ammunition
(see below for details). The patch was written with teamplay in mind,
so you can swap resources with your teammates. Backpacks can be thrown
using impulse 42, and they vanish after ten seconds (to prevent hoard-
ing of ammunition and weapons).

The backpack will contain your current weapon and all its ammunition
(half of it if you have two weapons that use the same type of ammuni-
tion). Additionally, any ammunition that you don't have the right kind
of weapon to use in is put into the backpack. You can never lose your
axe or the shotgun, so if you just want to drop unneeded ammunition
select the axe prior to issuing the drop command.

The idea of dropping backpacks is not unique anymore and some patches
have implemented it before. Nonetheless, I think that this mod still
has merits. It is easy to use (one keystroke), yet it will in most
cases do exactly what you intended.


How to Install the Modification
-------------------------------
Create subdirectories named bpack and bpack\progs in your Quake directory
and copy id's QuakeC source files into bpack\progs, along with backpack.dif.
Then, run "patch < backpack.dif". If you don't have the "patch" utility,
see howpatch.txt on ftp.cdrom.com for where to get it. Run qcc over the
source and start quake with "quake -game bpack". Bind a key to impulse 42,
e.g. with 'bind s "impulse 42"'.

The patch needs to be installed on the server only.


Technical Details
-----------------
You must wait for one second before you can pick up your own backpacks
after throwing them (this is to prevent throwing and immediately re-
catching a backpack).

If you want to assign a different impulse number, simply change the
appropriate constant in backpack.qc.

Comments are welcome (see above for email address).


Author Information
------------------
I'm a student at Hildesheim University whose computer science department
is sadly going to be closed down by 1998.
I also wrote the RandMap patch (see randmap.zip), a patch that allows you
to specify a list of maps and have them played in random order.


Copyright and Distribution Permissions
--------------------------------------
Authors MAY use these modifications as a basis for other publically 
available work. Please give appropriate credit when doing so.

You may distribute this Quake modification in any electronic format as 
long as this description file remains intact and unmodified and is 
retained along with all of the files in the archive.


Availability
------------
ftp.cdrom.com://pub/idgames2/quakec/teamplay and mirrors

