Superheroes Quake 2 v1.0

Category First Person
Size 2 MB

Review
Comments

Superheroes is a Quake2 mod that gives players super powers during a deathmatch. Leap buildings in a single bound, stop moving trains, bend steel with your bare hands, you're a superhero now!

Quake Superheroes II, Version 1.0 CTF

June 29, 1998

[ Be sure to check out www.planetquake.com/modsquad/super2/index.htm ]

[ for new information and other updates ]

[ E-mail bug reports and other suggestions to [email protected] ]

[ Web page commentary goes to [email protected], NOT to phead ]

---------------------------------------------------------------------

/------------------------------| Section 1, Just let me play! |

\------------------------------/

*** SUPERHEROES DEATHMATCH

**************************

To get the mod to work, make a subdir off your Quake2 dir called "super" (or whatever you want), and start the game with the command:

quake2 +set game super

TO USE YOUR ACTIVE POWER:

Bind a key to "use active" and that will do it.

Make sure "deathmatch" is equal to 1, and then go kill each other.

*** MONSTER HUNT

****************

There is a console variable called "hunt". If it is set to 1, monsters will randomly spawn throughout the level. This is more fun than running around alone.

*** SUPERHEROES CAPTURE THE FLAG

********************************

Once you've started Quake 2 (as described above), at the console, make sure "ctf" is equal to 1. Then make sure you are using any of the standard Quake 2 CTF maps (Q2CTF1 through Q2CTF5). Then play!! If you're NOT playing CTF, make sure "ctf" is equal to 0.

If you want, you can have "hunt" = 1 and "ctf" = 1, so it'll be CTF Monster Hunt!!!! CHAOS!! AIIEEEEEEEEE!!

/---------------------------------------| Section 2, How to install Superheroes |

\---------------------------------------/

First you must have downloaded the mod from the Superheroes II web page at www.planetquake.com/modsquad/super2/download.htm. It's a zip file that contains the game code (in a DLL), a PAK file (containing new icons, pictures, models, sounds, etc.), and this readme file.

Once you've got the file, you should create a sub-folder under your main Quake II folder. Call the new folder "super" (without quotes). Unzip the zip file into the new folder.

Now you're ready to play! Read the next section for instructions.

*** WHAT ABOUT CAPTURE THE FLAG?

********************************

We included Capture the Flag in Superheroes II. Here's how to set it up.

If you already have downloaded the regular Quake 2 CTF mod, all you need to do is this:

1) Go into the \quake2\ctf directory.

2) In it there is a file called Pak0.pak.

3) Rename it to Pak1.pak.

4) Then copy it into the \quake2\super directory.

5) At this point there should be a Pak0.pak and a Pak1.pak in the \super directory.

6) Rename the Pak1.pak that's in the \ctf directory to Pak0.pak. (This is so that you can play regular CTF games later on.)

If you have NOT downloaded the regular Quake 2 CTF mod, you should do so. Run the installer, and once it's done, follow the above instructions.

That's it. If you want, you can also download our skins pack, full of superhero skins, to make the game even more enjoyable.

/------------------------------------| Section 3, How to play Superheroes |

\------------------------------------/

To run Superheroes, go to the Quake2 directory and type:

quake2 +set game super

You can add whatever other server commands you want to the command line. Once Quake II starts, you're ready for chaos.

All Superheroes take half damage. From everything. Period.

There are four types of super powers in SH2: Active, Passive, Special, and Triple.

Active Powers are things you must manually use: Optic Blast, Freeze Grenades, and Power Anchor are a few examples.

Passive Powers are effects that automatically occur; you don't have to do anything to make them work. Flying, Super Speed, and Bullet Proof are a few examples.

Special Powers modify your normal fighting attributes: for example, Reduced Ammo Use, Hasted Attacks, and Super Jump.

Triple Powers are combos that take over for all three of your powers (Active, Passive, and Special). They can be better described as a character type, instead of a certain kind of power. For example, Archmage and Killer Robot are two Triple Powers.

When you first connect to a Superheroes server, you will be in Observer Mode. This means that you cannot interact with your environment, and you are utterly invisible to everyone. It is in this mode where you must select powers before joining the game.

Whenever you connect (or when the server switches to a new level), several of your keys will be automatically reset for power-switching. Specifically, the keys above your arrow keys will be used for this. (I'm referring to the Insert, Home, Pgup, Delete, End, and Pgdn keys.)

Insert - cycles forward through Active Powers

Delete - cycles backward through Active Powers

Home - cycles forward through Passive Powers

End - cycles backward through Passive Powers

Pgup - cycles forward through Special Powers

Pgdn - cycles backward through Special Powers

] - cycles forward through Triple Powers

[ - cycles backward through Triple Powers

o - puts you into observer mode

p - makes you into a player

If you normally use these keys in Quake II (I use them for movement, for example), you might want to write a script file that will make some other keys your power-cycling keys, specifically, keys you don't normally use. Since I use the Ins, Del, etc. keys, I wrote a script that binds those functions to K, L, ;, M, comma, and period, as follows:

bind k "use a_inc"

bind l "use p_inc"

bind ";" "use s_inc"

bind m "use a_dec"

bind , "use p_dec"

bind . "use s_dec"

bind ctrl "use active"

bind h "use c_dec"

bind j "use c_inc"

Obviously whatever keys you want to bind them to is dependent on the configuration you use.

Notice the line:

bind ctrl "use active"

In order to use your Active Power, you need to have a command like this bound to some key. "use active" causes your Active Power to execute. I use the control key for this, since it's close to my thumb, but you can use whatever you want.

Once all your keys are properly bound, pick some powers. As you cycle through the powers, the various icons will appear in the bottom-right corner. To see what these icons mean, hit P to display the power names at the top of your screen. Then, press your fire button to spawn as a player. At this point, cause mayhem!

On the right side of the screen will be three icons. The top one, with a red background, is your Active Power icon. Below it, with a green background, is your Passive Power icon. At bottom, with a blue background, is your Special Power icon. If you are using a Triple Power instead, all three icons will be the same, with a brown background.

The numbers to the left of the icons represent recharge times; when you use an active power (or certain passives), they will need to recharge. Try to use them before they are done recharging, and nothing will happen.

Then, go kill something!

*** ONCE AGAIN... WHAT ABOUT CAPTURE THE FLAG?

**********************************************

CTF is played almost identically to the standard Q2 CTF, with the following exceptions:

1) There are no runes.

2) There is no grappling hook (you can still use Bionic Claw if you want).

3) The teams are Good and Evil, not Red and Blue (coincidentally enough, Good players wear red uniforms and Evil players wear blue uniforms -- how convenient!).

Aside from that, it's normal CTF. I'll give a quick rundown for those of you not versed in the capturing arts.

The goal of CTF is to capture your opponent's flag. How do you do that? Simple. Pick up their flag by walking over it, and then bring it back to your base and touch YOUR flag, and you get points. Yay.

The hard part is, of course, getting the flag, since the other team will undoubtedly try and blow you to smithereens in the process.

There's more to CTF, but those are the basics and are really everything you need to know to get started in Superheroes CTF. Enjoy.

BY THE WAY: Certain powers are modified in their functionality for CTF; this is because certain powers (like Super Jump, Power Anchor, and Teleport Beacon, among others) would be unbalancing in their normal form. Here's how they change:

- Super Jump: Works normally unless you have the enemy flag. Then, it acts just like normal jumping.

- Power Anchor: Lasts only 3 seconds instead of 10, no matter what.

- Teleport Beacon: You can't use it once you have the enemy flag, to drop a beacon or to teleport.

*** WHAT ABOUT MONSTER HUNT?

****************************

Simple. Make sure "hunt" is set to 1 (at the console, not the command line), and monsters will randomly spawn throughout the level. Kill 'em dead.

/--------------------------------------------------------| Section 4, What the

are all these powers?! |

\--------------------------------------------------------/

*** LIST OF POWERS

******************

Here's a list of the powers.

Check out the page for more detail.

*** ACTIVE POWERS (23)

**********************

(1) Ants in the Pants

Causes your target to jump around firing uncontrollably for ten seconds.

(2) Banshee Wail

You emit a piercing scream that, at close range, does massive damage.

(3) Bionic Claw

Fires a grappling hook. You can also do damage and pick up items with it.

(4) Black Hole

Everyone nearby flies toward you when you use it. Great in a combo with proximity powers like Boot to the Head.

(5) Death Blow

After charging, it causes your next hit to do 5 times normal damage. However, every shot until you hit uses 10 times normal ammo.

(6) Flame Ball

Fires a powerful, bouncing projectile out ahead of you.

(7) Flame Cascade

Fires a stream of flame along the ground in front of you.

(8) Freeze Grenades

Tosses a grenade that does no damage, but freezes everyone in its radius for 2 seconds.

(9) Grenade Swarm

Launches a swarm of random-detonating grenades out from you. Careful, you might take some damage from it too.

(10) Impulse 9

Gives you random weapon, health, and armor powerups every time you use it. Recharges in ten seconds.

(11) Kinetic Cards

Fires a spread of 5 energy blasts. They go through anything -- even God mode.

(12) Kinetic Throw

Tosses your target into the air, injuring them in the process.

(13) Lightsaber

Slashes a beam of blue laser energy in front of you. Kind of like swinging a... lightsaber.

(14) Optic Blast

Fires a red laser beam directly ahead of you.

(15) Power Anchor

Forces someone to stay in a small area for 5 seconds.

(16) Power Word, Blind

Everyone in a radius around you goes blind for a short time.

(17) Proximity Mines

You launch a small grenade that does 100 radius damage when someone comes near it.

(18) Psionic Blast

Causes a psychic energy explosion wherever you're looking.

(19) Reverse Gravity

Causes an area of reversed gravity to appear for 10 seconds.

(20) Teleportation

Causes you to teleport to wherever you're looking.

(21) Teleport Beacon

The first time, causes an invisible beacon to be dropped wherever you are. The second time, you are teleported instantly to that spot, and the beacon is removed.

(22) Weird Bombs

Drops a bomb at your current location that does wierd things.

(23) Random Active

Randomly selects an active power for you each time you die.

*** PASSIVE POWERS (19)

***********************

(1) Boot to the Head

Upon contact with someone, you perform the ancient art of Tai Kwan Leep on them, doing massive damage with just your boot.

(2) Bullet Proof

You take no damage from bullet weapons (shotguns & machine guns).

(3) Elastic

You take 2/3 normal damage, but five times the kinetic jolt from attacks (thus making it easy for people to propel you around with shots).

(4) Energy Absorption

You take no damage from energy weapons.

(5) Flying

You can fly through the air, instead of jumping, and you fall slowly.

(6) Force Field

When you are hit, you take the damage, but for the 3 seconds after that you are invincible. Once the field wears off, it must recharge for an additional 2 seconds.

(7) Hasted Connect

Using experimental data-compression algorithms, we've figured out a way to decrease your ping by sending less data per unit time. Doesn't always work right, though.

(8) Hyper Density

You are extremely massive, so you take no knockback and reduced damage from some attacks. You also fall faster.

(9) Immune to Radius

You take 1/10 radius damage.

(10) Invisibility

You appear only as random puffs of smoke, making it hard to see you. Once you fire, you become visible again for three seconds.

(11) Life Well

You have a maximum permanent health of 400, but health items only give you partial life.

(12) Liquid Form

You become invisible in water, as well as regenerating health.

(13) Metallic Form

You can pick up an unlimited amount of armor, of any type. You also regenerate armor.

(14) Prismatic Shield

Randomly colored shields appear around you, protecting you in various ways.

(15) Radioactive

You glow yellow, emitting damaging short-range radiation.

(16) Regeneration

You constantly regenerate your health, up to a maximum of 250.

(17) Repulsion Field

You repel anyone who tries to get near you, as well as affecting the course of projectiles.

(18) Super Speed

You can move incredibly fast.

(19) Random Passive

Randomly selects a passive each time you die.

*** SPECIAL POWERS (19)

***********************

(1) Aggravated Attacks

The more damage you do in a single attack, the higher chance you will cause an aggravated wound, which causes the target to constantly lose health, until they drop below 10 (or can get their health above 90).

(2) Angel of Death

A small glowing spirit orbits you constantly. Whenever you fire, it fires too, in whichever direction you're facing —- effectively doubling your firepower (at the cost of double ammo use, of course).

(3) Angel of Life

A different small glowing spirit orbits you, picking up any items you pass by.

(4) Angel of Mercy

Yet another spirit. This one intercepts as many incoming projectiles as it can, rendering them harmless.

(5) Armor Piercing

Your weapons go through armor entirely, but only do 2/3 normal damage.

(6) Berserker Rage

As soon as you go below 20 health without dying, you go into a fighting frenzy. Your health and armor increase to 200, you do double damage, and have an unlimited supply of rockets -- for 20 seconds. Then you die from the exertion. Whoever sent you into the rage gets a frag, and you lose a frag when you die.

(7) Dark One's Luck

When you pick up items, you will sometimes get additional ammo, life, health, etc. When you take damage, sometimes you take less than normal, and when you do damage, you will sometimes do more than normal.

(8) Electric Attacks

You do 50% more damage than normal, but when in water you take shock damage, as do those around you.

(9) Hasted Attacks

You can attack about twice as fast as normal.

(10) Fast Projectiles

Your projectiles move at double normal speed.

(11) Funkagroovitalizer

Increases the radius of your explosive damage.

(12) Happy Fun Balls

A swarm of projectiles emerges from your body when you die, seeking the nearest enemies and destroying them.

(13) Invisible Shots

All your weapons' shots are invisible.

(14) Reduced Ammo Use

Your guns only use ammo about 1/3 of the time, effectively tripling your normal ammo capacity.

(15) Sniper Shots

Bullet shots are concentrated, doing more damage than normal.

(16) Super Jump

You can jump much, MUCH farther than usual. Be careful about jumping high; you will take falling damage like normal.

(17) Super Strength

The more health you have, the more damage you do.

(18) Vampiric Attacks

You constantly lose health, but when you do damage to someone, half the damage you do is added to your health.

(19) Random Special

You guessed it, selects a random special each time you die.

*** TRIPLE POWERS (7)

*********************

(1) Mere Mortal

Like Superman in part of Superman II, you are just a normal human. No special powers whatsoever. You take FULL DAMAGE (not half damage like all superheroes) from everything. However, in recognition of your sacrifice, you get three points for each frag, instead of just one.

(2) Archmage

You are a magical wizard. You can rapid-fire bolts of energy, or teleport to near your opponents, confusing them! You also have a magical familiar that follows you, doing your bidding.

Your primary weapon is a polychromatic energy cannon that sprays shots around.

You have an orbiter that is like the Angel of Mercy (see Special Powers).

Your Active Power makes you teleport to directly behind the nearest other player.

On the downside, you cannot use armor, and your attacks always deplete armor before doing

any life damage.

(3) Assassin

You are one of the world's elite killers, a shadow who can move through darkness like no other. Those around had better mind their backs.

You are permanently silenced, and make no footfalls.

You will sometimes to additional damage from rear attacks.

You are invisible in dim light.

You can teleport to a random spawn spot every 15 seconds, but this will sometimes cause you to lose your armor and take some damage.

(4) Cripple with a Big Gun

Because of your infirm state, you are confined to a wheelchair — a jet-powered wheelchair! You can mow down your opponents with your huge cannon, or wreak havoc on them with your Shield O'Death! The healthy beware!

Your max health is 40.

You have a chaingun with UNLIMITED AMMO, but can use no other weapons.

Your max speed increases by 2/3.

You can only strafe at VERY slow speeds (wheelchairs don't move sideways).

Your Active Power sheathes you in an invincible energy field which does contact damage to

other players. It lasts four seconds, and recharges six seconds after that. Ramming speed!

(5) Jedi Knight

Filled with the power of the Force, you are able to use your Jedi training to fight for justice. Your enemies will have a hard time seeing you, as you constantly have your lightsaber to swing about. Be careful, though; you can toss your foes into the air at a distance, but beware turning to the Dark Side. Also, your physical training gives you a fighting edge in battle.

You have only one weapon, the lightsaber, but you can use it non-stop (just hold down the fire button).

You are permanently invisible, unless you use your Active Power.

Your Active Power is Kinetic Throw.

You also Super Jump.

You always start with 50 Body Armor.

(6) Killer Robot

When you become a Killer Robot, you become a single-minded implement of destruction, lumbering around levels, eating everything in sight. You are limited in your offensive capability, but this is matched by increased vitality and the ability to fly.

Your max health increases to 250.

Any item you pick up, except armor, adds 7 to your health. Armor functions normally.

Your max movement rate is reduced by 40%, and you make loud clunking noises wherever

you move.

Instead of jumping, you can fly into the air.

Your main weapon is a rapid-fire non-explosive projectile weapon, with UNLIMITED

AMMO.

Your Active Power is a green laser beam, that fires for half a second and recharges half a

second after that.

If you have 200+ armor, you get the Killer Robot Upgrade: Health max goes to 300, your

speed increases by 25%, your main weapon does more damage, and your laser beam gets

bigger.

(7) Punisher

You are a vigilante, dedicated to street justice! Those who are wise will stay away from your deadly weapons.

Your attacks are sped up, a la Hasted Attacks.

You also have Reduced Ammo use.

Your active power gives you +30 health, up to the normal max of 100, every

five seconds.

(8) Taft

You are a two-fisted physical therapist, fighting crime in your spare time!

You are Bullet Proof.

You have Fast Projectiles.

You have the radius-doubling damage of Funkagroovitalizer.

Your active power is a reverse-Black Hole.

You take double radius damage -- so watch those rockets!

/--------------------------------------------|Section 5, Is that all? (Deathmatch Options)|

\--------------------------------------------/

Aside from single player and co-op play, there are three ways to enjoy Superheroes II.

More information is given on general play up in Section 2.

*** Deathmatch

**************

You can play normal free-for-all death match. Just set "deathmatch" to "1" at the Q2 console and you're good to go.

*** CTF

*******

You can also play a team game of CTF! Just set "ctf" to "1" at the console. If you want to disallow players changing teams manually (for a clan match for instance) you can set "ctf_force" to "1". Most of the powers act the same way that they do in regular deathmatch play.

*** Monster Hunt

****************

If you set "deathmatch" to "2", the next time that you start a level monsters will be randomly spawned around at regular time intervals, allowing you to use your super powers to slaughter them mercilessly. This option can be combined with CTF (if you're really crazy) by setting both "ctf" to "1" and "deathmatch" to "2".

/----------------------------------------------------| Section 6, Q2 Console Commands & Console Variables |

\----------------------------------------------------/

Here's a list of the additional console commands that are useful when playing Superheroes 2.

*** Server

**********

These commands can only be used from the server console.

"sv ban

" This command allows the server administrator to ban powers dynamically while the game is running.

represents one of the following:

"clear" : clears all current power bans.

<#>" : where

represents either "a", "p", "s", or "c" and <#> is a number. The letter determines the type of power that you want to ban, the the number represents the number of the power. Don't worry, I'll give an example later, it's easy!

"show" : Shows the current bans.

"reload" : Reloads the bans from the "banned.sh2" file (explained in a bit). Ok, here's an example. The following line will ban "Death Blossom".

"sv ban s 7"

"ctf" This enables/disables CTF play on the server. Set to "1" for CTF, "0" for regular.

"ctf_force" When set to "1" this flag restricts players from manually switching teams during CTF.

"hunt" Set it to "1" for Monster Hunt!

"sv forceobs" Makes all players into observers.

"playerlock" If it's set to "1", no one can become a player.

"queue" If it's set to "1", then the game will use the level queue in "queue.sh2". The "queue.sh2" file must be in the /super folder (along with the gamex86.dll, and so on). It's a text file, with a list of all the levels you want the server to cycle through, up to a maximum of 20. Here's an example:

base1

base2

q2dm1

q2dm4

fact3

If any of the lines contains a name that is invalid or otherwise innaccurate, THE SERVER WILL CRASH WHEN IT TRIES TO LOAD THAT LEVEL. So test it out before you leave the server running all day!

*** Administrator

*****************

The following commands can only be used by an administrator. Any player can be an administrator. In order to become one, there must be a file in the /super folder called "admin.sh2". All it should contain is a single line, with an admin password. To become an admin, any player can type at the console:

use admin

where

is the password specified in the file "admin.sh2".

Once a player has become an admin, they can use the following commands:

use warp

is the levelname, i.e. base1, fact3, etc.

use lock #

Sets the "playerlock" variable to #. # should be 0 or 1.

use allobs

Same as typing "sv forceobs" at the console; all players will be made into observers no matter what.

*** Client

**********

These commands can be used by any player. Some are only useful during CTF play (I'm sure you can figure those out).

"use

_inc", "use

_dec" These two commands actually represent eight seperate commands, because

is replaced with "a", "p", "s" or "c". They are automagically bound to the six-key Insert->PageDown formation on your keyboard and to the "[" and "]" keys. These commands are used to cycle through the powers.

"use s_obs" This command makes you an observer. It is automatically bound to the "o" key.

"use s_play" This makes you a player, it is automatically executed when you hit your fire button as an observer.

"use s_pwr" This displays your current selected powers and is automagically bound to the "p" key.

"use pnum" This will display the numbers of the powers that you currently have selected. These numbers can be used for banning, as well as for making power-selection key binds.

"use setp <#a> <#p> <#s>" This will set your current powers to the powers that have the numbers that you type in.

For example, "use setp 1 2 3" will set your powers to Ants in the Pants, Bullet Proof, and Angel of Life. It is useful to bind your favorite combos to keys, so that you can change to them with a single key-press.

"use active" This is the command that you need to bind to a key in order to use your active power. Pick any key you want, just make sure it's easy to get to!

"use rebind" This will rebind the keys to their default configuration if you change them for your convenience.

"use team" Tells you what team you're on in CTF. (CTF only.)

"use score" Tells you the current CTF score and how many players are on each team. (CTF only.)

"use good" Sets you to the Good team, if "ctf_force" is not "1". (CTF only.)

"use evil" Sets you to the Evil team, if "ctf_force" is not "1". (You guessed it. CTF only.)

/----------------------------------------| Section 7, Using the "banned.sh2" file |

\----------------------------------------/

This is the second way for a server to ban powers. Simply create a file with the name "banned.sh2" in your "\quake2" directory and then include lines such as the following:

a 2 4 6 // bans actives 2, 4, 6

p 1 3 5 // bans passives 1, 3, 5

s 1 2 3 // bans specials 1, 2, 3

c 4 // bans combo 4

There are two ways to figure out what numbers to use. One, look at the list of powers above; each power has a number next to it. That's the number you use in the banned.sh2 file.

The other way is to start SH2, and select the powers you want to know the numbers for. Then go to the console and type "use pnums". This will tell you the numbers for your active, passive, and special respectively. Anything on a line after "//" will be counted as a comment (just like in C). Every time the game .DLL is loaded these bans will be instantiated.

/---------------------------------| Section 8, Other Info & Credits |

\---------------------------------/

[ Here's a troubleshooting tip: If you get an "error during ]

[ initialization" when you try to run Superheroes II, you probably ]

[ need to re-install the latest version of Quake 2 (as of now, ]

[ it's version 3.14). You can get it from any decent Quake page, ]

[ like Blue's News (www.bluesnews.com). Reinstall 3.14, then try ]

[ running SH2 again. ]

[ - Maelstrom ]

Thanks to Ian Macdonald ([email protected]) for typing

up most of the powers. I'm so lazy. :) - Matt

Check out the Superheroes II web page at:

http://www.planetquake.com/modsquad/super2/index.htm

Subscribe to the Superheroes II mailing list. Send an e-mail to [email protected] with the word "subscribe" in the subject. Warning: There are about 30-40 messages per day on this list, so if you don't want that much spamola, don't sign up. To unsubscribe, just read the instructions at the bottom of any letter from the list.

E-mail suggestions about the game code to [email protected]

E-mail suggestions about anything else (models, graphics, webpage, etc.) to [email protected]

E-mail vitriol to [email protected]

E-mail spam to [email protected]

If I have forgotten to mention you for something you contributed (please make sure it's in this release, some stuff has changed) let me know who you are and what you contributed, and I'll fix this for the next release.

- [email protected]

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

Game code & concept

:Michael Williams ([email protected])

Some models, icons, sounds, console background, and webmaster for SH2

:Matt Waggoner ([email protected])

Playtesting and immoral support, and Happy Fun Ball model, and some other crap

:Michael Northover ([email protected])

Playtesting and immoral support

:David Fallon ([email protected])

Menu graphics

:Gus Zandt ([email protected])