January 2024 Update Report news

Introduction

This post is also available on GitHub Discussions.

Sorry for the delay!
Real life has begun catching up again, so this month was a lot of me in maintenance mode, fixing bugs and finishing up some stuff on the backburner! That isn't to say the content this month wasn't interesting though :)

I've seen a lot of love on Patreon recently and for that I want to say, thanks a ton! I'll continue to make it worth your while, even if things slow down a bit. I always put a lot of time and consideration into my contributions.

Finalized Support for NZ:P Beta Maps

Hoorah! Compatibility with classic maps from the "Beta" (2011) era has been released on all platforms. I had done a lot of work to get this off the ground, testing dozens of maps individually, and creating + implementing a new major build component to the development pipeline in order to sufficiently and efficiently accommodate most maps. Please note that this is **not perfect**. There are maps that have unavoidable problems based on how they are built. Some have problems but can be mitigated, others do not. This is due to a lot of core/architectural game related differences, but I am very happy with the results regardless!

So grab one (or some!) of your favorite "Beta" maps and give them a try!

Enhancements for Standard func_door Quake Entities

Mappers rejoice! func_door entities now have enhanced and fixed behaviors allowing them to be better integrated into your levels now, including support for opening Waypoints! No more func_wall killtarget hacks :)

Weapon System Enhancements

I've done quite a bit of cleanup and some feature restoration for NZ:P's Weapon Core. Here are the big bullet points:

• Weapon Spread now increases over time when Hip Firing
• A lot of core internal systems are being migrated to primarily data-driven implementations, for custom weapon support in the future :)
• General Code Cleanup
• Sniper Sway is FINALLY implemented on FTEQW, because I forgot it was absent for years.
• Wonder Weapons no longer play the Pack-A-Punch fire sound effect
• Toggle ADS mode was re-written to be less broken

Sniper Sway is also completely absent if you have Deadshot Daiquiri, adding more usefulness to the Perk while improving Parity :)

Co-Op Pause/Chat Indicators

Co-Op Players can now see when someone is Typing in Chat or has their game Paused, assisting in determining whether or not you need to provide assistance.

FTE View-Model Rewrite

The way View Models are rendered and implemented in CSQC have been completely redone from scratch. Here's the gist of what this means for you:

• Fixes a long-standing interpolation bug when switching models
• Accurate walk and sprint bobbing compared to other platforms
• Unified weapon definitions for Aim Down Sight positions
• Removes all issues with playing at low frame-rates
• Viewmodel "slack" (has to catch up with fast camera movements)

I also took the opportunity to add the idle and subtle Aim bobbing to the other platforms too, so everyone benefited from this :)

Screen Fading Capabilities

While fixing a lot of the CSQC implementation's bloated protocols to improve networking performance, I decided to enhance the Game Over fade system to be more modular, allowing for QC-specified fade types, durations, and colors. This allowed for the game to fade in at start, and for a proper Nuke Power-Up flash!

Double Tap Perk-A-Cola Fixes

This one was a little hard to visualize, so I offered my previous explanation in place. The summary: Double Tap now properly impacts automatic weapons in general, and has a more accurate-feeling stat :)

Documentation Updates

Reminder that I maintain a Documentation page! I've updated the Trenchbroom template base to include the automatic dark mode detection, and added information on some of the NZ:P-exclusive trigger entities, including a new trigger, trigger_awardpoints, which can be used to implement Perk-A-Cola change underneath the machine :)

Barricade Re-model

Thanks to MissLavender-LQ for contributing a new Barricade mesh, that is more proportionally accurate to Call of Duty, and has a snazzy new texture!

IN-PROGRESS: Major UI Overhaul

I have begun work on re-writing the CSQC menu system to test out a new UI design, that will be more user-personalized and interesting to look at! Menu backgrounds are taken from YOUR custom maps folders, and the menu music is configurable via a cvar, so you will be able to make NZ:P your own a little more than before.

See you next month!

Thanks to my Patrons!

• Rinse a Gateau Mandate
• Benjamin Engelhardt
• mochi
• Ryan Baldwin
• Derped Crusader
• MissLavender
• LEXX
• Dawai
• Tony The Bird
• Jeiku
• Marcos Mata
• Shaun Zafar
• Swoop
• Bobthebob
• DukeofLeet