Title    : PLASMA GUN for Quake, plus a new trigger...

Filename  : IKPLASMA.ZIP
Version   : 1.2

Date      : 1/30/97

Author    : Iikka "Fingers" Ker„nen
            (View this file in DOS to see my name properly!! Windoze suxx..)

Email     : ikeranen@raita.oulu.fi

Web Page  : http://www.student.oulu.fi/~ikeranen

Credits   : ID, Brian Martin (MedDLe)


** Type of Mod **

Quake C  : yes
Sound    : yes
MDL      : yes
Test map : yes (2 DM starts for testing, some monsters)


** Format of Quake C **

unified diff  : no
context diff  : no
.qc files     : yes
progs.dat     : yes

I have included all necessary .qc files, including the modified ones.
They have comments that should help you to understand them... Plasma.qc
contains most of the stuff needed for this gun, but I had to modify some
others to make everything work OK. The thunder.qc contains a new trigger,
see it in action in the example level.

** Description of the Modification **

This is the plasma gun from Doom and Doom2, converted to Quake style.
It does NOT replace any of the original weapons, so your levels not
designed for plasma gun remain unchanged.

Plasma gun features:

* New models for plasma gun from scratch! They look as cool as the original
  weapons; I spent nights making those textures...

* Original plasma gun sounds from Doom.

* Maximum amount of cells is 200, and plasma shoots thrice with one cell.
  This makes the total amount of plasma shots as high as 600! You can chase
  people, firing this gun through all the level in deathmatch... It takes
  a full minute to shoot 600 times. (Hehe, I used to do that in Doom...)

* Damage similar to Doom plasma: Grunts die usually for one hit, but if they
  survive the first they may get gibbed on the second... :)

* 50% change to gib a zombie per shot; makes the gun useful against them.
  A long burst always gibs a zombie... 

* Quad damage makes this gun an ultimate gibber.

* Plasma is basically electrically charged something that flies off this gun;
  doing that underwater is unhealthy. Much more satisfacting is to shoot some
  plasma into water when somebody else is down there. ;)

* Impulse 9 (cheatcommand) gives you this gun as well as others, but NO KEYS,
  so all those levels work where a key works as a trigger.

* Impulse 15 selects this weapon. When you use the weapon cycle key, it's
  between rocket launcher and lightning gun. I have included a .cfg file to
  bind number 8 for plasma... 9 is lightning gun. (because the lightning gun
  feels somehow heavier..)

* When making a level, put "weapon_plasmagun" somewhere to be collected...
  I have included a tiny level just to show you how it looks like. I'll
  make more levels later, and I hope you'll do some too.

This gun is meant to be a ruler weapon. It is overpowered and doesn't eat
ammo too fast. BUT, you only get 15 cells (45 shots) with this gun, and it's
not really many (a few seconds burst). If you don't spread too much cells in
your levels, it can keep well balanced. Basically, use the plasma like you
could use the lightning gun.

The only disadvantages of this gun are it's unability to work underwater, and
the relatively low speed (compared to lightnings...). OK, it's as fast as
nails, but you can see plasma bullets from a long distance (when you still
have time to dodge it).

** How to use Modification **

Press the button with command "impulse 15" to select the gun. In the
included .cfg file this button is number 8. (Of course it doesn't work
if you haven't cheated or collected the gun.)

When you have selected the gun, aim towards the closest enemy and press
fire until it dies.

** How to Install the Modification **

Create a directory within the Quake directory called IKPLASMA.

Unzip the files from IKPLASMA.ZIP into that directory, by typing
"PKUNZIP -d IKPLASMA" in that directory.

Start Quake by typing: "QUAKE -GAME IKPLASMA +MAP PLASMAEX"

** Technical Details **

Most of the new QuakeC is in PLASMA.QC, but I needed to modify some other
files. The modifications are marked by comments, and each modified file
contains descriptions about the modifications. I have included PROGS.SRC
file to show in which order the files should be compiled.

I have used variable PARM10 to contain information about plasma gun, as
it seems to be used nowhere else (???). That was the only way I could
move the new gun from a level to another, and it allows me to do several
other new weapons into the same patch in the future.

The new variable (self).moreitems is used to store the plasma gun, and
more weapons in the future. When it contains number 1 (bit 0), the entity
(player/backpack) has a plasmagun. This number is in constant IT_PLASMAGUN.

When you select the plasmagun, the self.weapon is changed to IT_PLASMAWEP,
which is 128 at the moment.

I may try to do this stuff simpler in later releases. (Perhaps I'll store
all the old and new guns in a new variable like "self.gunitems" or something)

Known Bugs:

There's still none. I have even fixed some bugs that didn't exist. :)

** Future Enhancements **

* More Guns. I've planned making stuff like Vulcan Cannon, land mines and
  Hand Grenades like in Dark Forces (you can decide how fast you throw it)

* Better animation for the v_plasma... OK, it does look cool already, but
  perhaps not as cool as in Doom? (Adding the hand would be a major rework
  as it'd surely need more vertices/triangles)

Don't think you'll get all this tomorrow. I have lots of other things to
do as well...

** Copyright and Distribution Permissions **

Authors MAY use these modifications as a basis for other
publically available work.  When you have made something all
your friends find cool, tell me about it and I may get interested. :)

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.

If you're going to include this modification in a commercial product, such
as a collection CD, You will need to ask me first. If it sounds interesting
enough, you'll have to send me a copy of your product. :)

Finally I found out what the Actura software is, and what they have done.
Thus, Actura Software may not use these files for anything!
