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Hey folks, it's been awhile since I was last on the DB forums and I already know probably none of you remember me...

I've been away for almost 2 years now (joined the army) but I'm getting back into the swing of things. I took a look at DBPro and was amazed at the capabilities! It's a long way from when I last used it!

Anyway, I noticed that DBPro is capable of using quake 2/3 map files, but it doesn't go into too much detail about it. Can someone enlighten me on how well it uses the maps? I don't want to buy DBPro for the project I'm thinking of doing if it's not able to do what I need.

Any and all information on what DBPro takes from the Quake 2/3 files (lightmaps, etc) and how fast the rendering is (can DBPro handle the normal quake 3 map poly load, including curves?) and how good the collision detection is... all those things and any other info anybody is willing to share, please respond... I'm over in Afgahnastan right now and have been planning this game out since I got here... only a few more weeks before I get back stateside and can start it

Also, any information on how well DBPro handles quake 2/3 files, would also be appreciated... can anyone tell what kind of maps and models I'll be using, eh? not too obvious, am i?

Oh, and for those of you wondering, I used to use the name "Tom" (my actual name) in the old old old DB forums... I ran "Solo Studios" and was working on a title called "Wizard"... which actually was about 95% complete last time I looked at it... although I hear my younger brothers trashed my computer back at my parents home where I had left the computer almost 2 years ago... a well, it woulda been a nice game if I had gave it out, but the next game I'm thinking of is going to be even better! Just need to be

Anyway, any of that information would be appriciated... thanks!

Signing out from Afgahnastan,
FallenAngel

Yeesh... I remember this board being alot nicer (and quicker) about answering people's questions... I've noticed the community has died down a little from what it used to be and there are so many new names I can't even see the people I used to know anymore...

Can someone please answer my questions, even a little bit? I've looked on the forums for information and all anyone has to say about BSP files are that they keep messing up for them... is this a common thing, or what? I would very much appreciate any help in this... even if the news is bad, I'd like to hear it...

Thanks!

-FallenAngel

Yes it handles quake 2 & halflife bsp files.
The collision detection is good and further enhancements are coming.
MDL files are also handled.
As for messing them up its just a matter of tweaking to get them in correctly - read the documentation, then fiddle a bit, some bsps that are compiled by diffent bsp compilers work a bit strange. somwhere on the forum somone had a formula to get them in better.

DBPro handles Quake 3 BSPs reasonably well:

+ Points:

- Fast BSP Renderer (I get > 150FPS on a medium sized, reasonably complex level on a P4/1.6Ghz / GF3Ti200 system)
- Collision is generally pretty good and easy to do(Except when an object approaches a low BSP wall (eg a step on a staircase) at a 45 degree angle)
- Using GuySavoie's BSP entity tools (from http://www.realgametools.net) you can get information about entities in a BSP which is a very useful feature

- Points:

- Occassionally BSP geometry is not interpreted correctly (only occurs with complex shapes)
- BSP bugs with ghosted objects, sprites etc. hopefully fixed in Patch 5
- DELETE BSP doesn't work!!! (That better be fixed in Patch 5!)

BTW - I am pretty sure that lightmaps are supported but curved surfaces are not, nor are shaders used in BSPs (although DBP supports shaders on objects so there are workarounds)

Hey, thanks for the intel, guys!

So DBP has a problem with having a BSP file and a ghosted object at the same time? What exactly happens? What about things like planes with see-through textures? Does that effect them? How complex is "complex"? If it can handle all the old quake 2 files with no problem, then I'm not worried. I most likely won't have anything more complex than those, although much better looking

So there is no way to get rid of the BSP map after it's loaded?? That's a big problem!!

Anything else about the MDL files available? Or are they handld like the old .X files? Can you still attach parts to each other (ie: torso to head, legs and arms to torso, weapon to hand, etc) like before?

Actually, if someone could email me ([email protected]) the "help" file on BSP files and the model file formats, I would really appreciate it. I'm over in afgahnastan right now and can't download
-anything- onto these gov'mt computers so I can't even try out DBP. I want to research the engine I'm going to use for this game before I actually start it, and I know DB to be good on it's abilities, so I expect DBP to be even better.

Also, how good is the multi-player functions? They were still being born the las time I even -heard- of them... are they usable and fairly easy to work with?

Anyway, thanks for the answers guys! Sorry about all the questions, it's just that I have limited resources to work with while overseas... I'm just trying to do as much research as I can... you guys know the drill

Thanks again! I'll make a couple of hadji dance for you guys tommorow morning

-FallenAngel

Alright, first things first, welcome back!

I amnot sure about BSP files, haven't worked with them in DBP much, the only thing I did was load de_dust in from CS. It worked perfectly except for the sky, lol but that goes without saying.

MDL files are supported, not sure how well though, but when patch 4 comes out (soon apperantly) EVERYTHING will change. There will still be support for X objects and such, but now there will be DBO, the DB object format. Much quicker loading and such, and supports everything, so you can convert mdl to DBO. As well, pipeline optimizations and such will bring a HUGE speed increase, and hopefully a few fizes for me, ghosted objects look kinda funky on my comp...

Anywho, Patch 5 will be more language fixes, ie-Delete BSP

Multiplayer functions are very much usable, pretty user friendly from what I can tell but I have to admit I've never used em...

Glad to be back, rap! I still remember DB 1.07, I think... way back in 2000! Been away way too long

Yeah, skies have always been a problem in DB as far as I can remember!

So with patch 4, there will be true md2 and md3 capabilities? I kept reading the info on the forums and I keep on hearing that it's not worth the trouble and to just stick to X... not sounding too good :/

What's this DBO format? Some DB file format that DB uses that's faster/better than MDL, MD2, and MD3 or something?

Not being able to delete your bsp is a BIG thing... how could they ship a release if something like that wasn't enabled? BSP capabilities are the only reason I'm looking at DB again... I've been fluent with making quake 2 maps and models for awhile now and have always wished I could use the editors to make my games... I nearly shat a brick when I read DBP supported those file formats! I've had tons of game ideas waiting in the wings for an engine I could use quake files with...

I'm glad to hear that the MP functions are good to go... The game I want to make is simply an FPS online arena using q3 maps and models... I was going to throw up a client server and let people blast away and beta test it. I was lookng forward to being able to whip up an arena map and a few models with quake editors... an FPS engine in DB has always been simplistic... so it should be a snap... all I need is to get back to the states and getta working...

Any news on when this patch 4 and 5 are coming out? I don't want to have to sit there and wait forever to be able to delete the map after the level is complete :p

Anyway, keep that intel coming, boys!

-FallenAngel

Bubba-Bump