=================================================================
 Prowl Quake2 Player Model
 by Jason Seip                         email: jay@telefragged.com

 "Bluestreak" and "CWclan" skins
 by Rikki Knight		       email: wigger@texas.net
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Title                   : Prowl 
Author                  : Jason Seip

Description             :  Quake2 player model of the transformer
			   Prowl, a member of the Autobots

Additional Credits to   : id Software, makers of Quake2
                          Hasbro Inc. for creating the 
			   Transformers line of toys
                          NPherno, maker of the awesome NST
			  Newtek, makers of Lightwave3D
                          Rikki Knight for skinwork
			  Rikki, Gears, and Eric for TFQ (my
			  favorite obsession)

Build Time              : don't ask, don't tell

Tools Used		: Lightwave 3D v5.6
			  Photoshop 3
			  Paintshop Pro 5
			  NST
			  Q2 Modeller
			  And a whole lot of cd's
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DESCRIPTION

   A plugin player model for Quake2 based on an Autobot character 
   from the Transformers line of toys. The model features additional
   frames that were added so it could be used in the Transformers
   conversion of Quake2 that I am leading (www.telefragged.com/
   transformers).  Added are frames for which the character wears
   a jetpack, and, more importantly, frames in which Prowl
   transforms into a car and back into a robot.  Note that you 
   can NOT access these frames in standard Q2 play (so don't 
   ask me how! :P)  You will need to view the model in one of the
   shareware Q2 model editors, like NST or Q2Modeller, for example,
   in order to see the animations.  Once the conversion is complete,
   you can download that and then you will be able to transform and 
   drive around in car mode.  No, I don't know how soon we'll release 
   something; yes, I know you really want it (me too!).

   For those interested, here's Prowl's bio:

   Function: Military Strategist
   "Logic is the ultimate weapon"

   "Prowl will keep at a task for as long as it takes.  Strives to find 
   reason and logic in everything.  A listener, not a talker.  Has most 
   sophisticated logic center of all Autobots.  Able to analyze and advise 
   on complex combat situations almost instantaneously.  Fires wire-guided 
   incendiary missiles and high-corrosive acid pellets.  The unexpected 
   can often scramble his circuits."


INSTALLATION

   After unzipping the files contained in the archive, put 
   them in a directory called 'Prowl', underneath the 
   Quake2\baseq2\players\ folder.  If the name isn't exactly 
   right, it *will not* work.

USING Prowl IN QUAKE2

   To use Prowl go to the mutliplayer setup and choose 
   the Prowl model instead of the male or female players.
      
   You're on your own if you want to use Prowl with one 
   of the 'bot' programs, I'm afraid.  I haven't had the
   time to play with that.
   
SKINS

   I created the "Prowl" skin from scratch (except for the autobot
   symbol I stole from Rikki :), and then built the ctf skins from 
   that.  Both ctf skins borrow the window colors from the 
   Bluestreak skin Rikki did.  I've grown fond of giving transformers
   ctf skins that resemble race car stylings.  You may notice that
   the white stripe for the red ctf skin doesn't extend the length
   of the body.  I had to stop it because the feet use mirrored 
   mapping, which prevent me from continuing the stripe on only 
   one side.  If the skins seem dark, it's because I play Q2 in
   GL mode with a Voodoo2 card, the end result being that skin
   colors really tend to brighten up once in the game.  The CWclan 
   is for the Cybertron Warriors, a transformer-based clan that
   Rikki belongs to.  A skin for the "Smokescreen" character will
   be made as well, and released separately.  Oh, before people 
   start writing me, the Bluestreak skin is based on the original
   toy, not the cartoon or later version of the toy.  So the skin
   is mostly blue, as opposed to the gray cartoon version.

   Please feel free to create new skins for Prowl. You can 
   send them to me by email: jay@telefragged.com.

SOUNDS

   Where they came from:
   I hacked together a bunch of sounds to make the player seem
   a little more like a metallic being.  Most are from 2 demos
   I downloaded:  'Shadows of the Empire' and 'Take No Prisoners'.
   One or two Quake2 sounds made their way in there, too.  If you
   don't like them, just delete them and the game will play the 
   default male sounds.  

COMMENTS

   Prowl is a logical, somewhat quiet character in the transformer
   mythos, so his animations tend to reflect this.  Except maybe
   the taunt, which I couldn't resist. :)  Also, this model was 
   the source of a lot of research and development, and served as
   the bridge between my older Sideswipe model and the new stuff
   I'm working on now, which is much more sophisticated.  The best
   part of Prowl is easily the transform sequence, which was a lot
   of fun to do.  The skin for the weapon was made by creating a
   high-poly version of the gun and rendering it from different
   views in Lightwave.  Then I cut, pasted, and scaled the peices
   to conform to it's skin.  I'm pretty happy with the results and
   am likely to use this method again in the future.  I didn't 
   include vwep models because I just don't have time to mess with 
   them, besides, I think human weapons would look kinda silly in 
   Prowl's hand anyway.  If anybody wants to make them, be my guest.

   Slight bug:  The 2 red pieces on the top of Prowl's helmet have
   a lighting problem in Q2, and almost seem to flash.  I believe
   it's because they share points on the edge, and Q2 tries to light
   them as a continuous surface, even though they are facing opposite
   directions.  The end result is that each frame has them being
   lit slightly different, and it doesn't look right.  Oh, well, live
   and learn...

   Please ask if you want to use the model for anything other 
   than personal use as it is explained here, particularly if 
   incuding it in a patch or add-on.  Don't stick it on anything 
   retail...it won't be me coming after you, it'll be Hasbro's 
   big, bad lawyers.

   Now get out there and kick some.

Jay
jay@telefragged.com
http://www.telefragged.com
http://www.genetic1.com
