Official Modification:

Table of Contents:

1. About AQ:TE
2. Changes from 1.0 to 1.2a
3. Included Features
4. New Server Variables
5. New Client Commands
6. Playing a match
7. Known Bugs
8. Credits and Thanks
9. Download and Distribution

Hi.

AQ:TE is a teamplay match based version of AQ2. The idea is to create a version which makes it difficult if not impossible to cheat successfully, as well as making the process of setting up a match on a 3rd party server much easier. The new features are designed to make the process of playing a match easier and less controversial than it has been in the past.

Everything has been ported from 1.52. The port is a TRUE port, meaning that every single feature and functionality in 1.52 is now in TE as well. Consult 1.52 documentation for those features (friendly fire, etc.).

Note that there is still a known issue awaiting resolution: the server still falls into a infinite loop when waiting for a vote sometimes. A fix is underway, but given the LONG delays that have been extremely annoying, I felt that the code was stable enough to release.

-inghaw

Various refinements to the referee code, including forcing the referee to be not on a team. Referee now also able to kick players, as well as pause the match, as well as silence any player.

The first truly accurate timekeeping: matchtime counter now pauses itself when a matched is paused, so that it reflects only time played.

Added a "silence" command (see Section 4 for details).

• Team captains and optional match referee

• New settings menu allows parties to change variables in the brand new dynamic variable structure (see settings command description in section 5 for which variables are supported.)

• Map voting by captains

• Limited chasecam options: Normal chase, team only, or team eyes only

• Ability to limit public chat or silence any player

• Spectators are dealt with using a cvar

• Team substitutes (team spectators)

• Dynamic team name and skin changing

• Full features from 1.52, complete with backwards compatability via "matchplay 0"
  
  
• Various scoreboard refinements:
  * Displays pings and a composite "ping rating" based on pings of active players (non-substitutes)
  * Displays amount of match time elapsed (actual play time, not servertime)
  * Displays names of captains, referee, and team readiness
  * Does not highlight other team's names, making it impossible to tell how many people are alive on the opposite team, to further prevent cheating
  * Separate section for substitutes and spectators
  
  
• Easy OGL compliance or backwards compliance to 1.52 with a single cvar

• matchplay (default: 0)
  - If set to 1, enables all the client commands and options.

• ogl (default: 0)
  - If set to 1, locks in server settings according to OGL specifications. NOTE: Settings OGL 1 automatically makes teamplay and matchplay 1.
  

• vote <mapname>
      - Vote for <mapname>. Captains-only command.

• votelist
      - List the percentages of votes to each map, and how many who have voted. Also lists the maps that can be voted on.

• captain
      - Call captain of your team. If you already are captain, then you resign from the job.

• referee [<name>]
      - Choose match referee (can only be done by team captains). If no argument is given, then the name of the current referee is printed (if any). Captains-only command.

• ready
      - Can only be used by captains and the match referee, and tells the server that your team is ready to play. The game starts when both captains have typed this (and referee if there is one). Captains and referees only.

• settings [variable] [value]
      - Without an argument, brings up the settings menu. From the settings menu, you can change the various in-game dynamic variables. Currently supported variables:
  * roundlimit
  * timelimit
  * roundtimelimit
  * fraglimit
  * maxplayers
  * spectators allowed / not allowed
  * messagemode1 enable/disable
  * chasecam mode (Normal, Team Only, Team Eyes Only)
  * tgren (0, 1, 2, 3)
  * irvision on/off
  * display score enable/disable
      - With an argument, displays that variable. e.g., "settings timelimit" displays the timelimit.
      - With 2 arguments, sets the first argument to the second argument. e.g, "settings timelimit 20" sets the timelimit to 20.
  Captains and referees only.
  

• sub
      - Toggle between substitute/playing modes. Type 'sub' to become a sub if you are an active player, or to become an active player if you are a substitute and your team is under the limit.

• teamname [<team name>]
      - Changes the team name. Captains-only command.

• teamskin [<model/skin>]
      - Changes the team model/skin. Captains-only command.

• matchtime
      - Shows the elapsed time in match.

• Please note the ignore/uningore functions will be in an upcoming release.

• silence [playername]
      - Silences the particular player from messagemode1 (if messagemode1 is enabled from the settings menu). Captains may silence anyone on their team. Referees may silence anyone they like.

The server operator must first set the "matchplay" variable to 1, and
then manually restart the map (or move to another map) for the changes
to take effect.

Once the matchplay is on, each clan should join one team. One person
needs to call captain by typing "captain" at the console. This person
will then have a * by their name in the scoreboard, and a message will
flash across the center of everyone's screen saying that someone is now
captain of a particular team. Both teams need a captain before the
match can start.

The captain has various abilities. He can change his teamname and
teamskin to whatever he pleases, as well as nominate a referee (this
will be discussed in a bit). The captains can also, through agreement,
change the server settings. Each captain is able to type "settings"
at the console to bring up the settings menu, and the changes can be
made from this menu by 1 captain alone. Of course, both captains should,
at this point, have the settings menu open, so that they can see
whatever changes the other captain makes. Once the server settings are
correct, both captains should type "ready" at the console to indicate
they are ready, and then the round countdown will start, and the settings
cannot be changed after this point, unless one captain "un-readys" himself
(by typing ready again at the console), at which point the countdown ends.

This is not the perfect system. If captain A closes the menu with one
set of settings, and types "ready" at the console, and captain B
secretly goes back and changes the settings before he himself types ready, then
the server settings will be those that captain B chose, even though
Captain A was under a different impression at the time he typed "ready."
If you don't understand this, that's fine, because this isn't something you
should be doing anyways.

There are 2 safeguards against this. First, 10 seconds before the first
round actually starts, the match settings will be printed across the screen
of every player. This gives the captains an effective last-second review
of the server settings. If they notice that something has been
changed, they should IMMEDIATELY un-ready themselves to prevent the actual
match from starting. Remember, most leagues and ladders require that
the start of play signifies agreement of all server settings. So don't
get duped, keep your eyes open.

The second safeguard is much safer. There is an option to elect a 3rd party
spectator to be a "match referee." The way this is done is by each captain
typing "referee [name]" at the console. Once this person is elected referee,
they cannot become un-refereed unless they disconnect, so be careful.

The match referee has overarching power. He can unilaterally change
server settings (once a referee has been elected, the captains no longer
have power to control settings). In order for the match to start when
a referee is present, both captains AND the referee must type "ready"
at the console for the match to begin. At any point in the match when
a captain or referee unreadys himself, the next round will not begin. This
effectively gives all powers in the game a veto vote. Use it sparingly.

Clan leaders are encouraged to elect trusted referees in matches. This
ensures that no underhanded funny business goes on with the server
settings. Also note that the administrative functions of the match do
not require rcon power.

Once the match is in play, type "matchtime" at the console to see how
much time has elapsed from the time that the first round started. Note
that the mod automatically adjusts timelimits for time not played-- that
is to say, if the captains agree to a 20-minute timelimit match, *20 minutes
of play will actually occur*, since the mod starts measuring ttime from the
time the first round was started.

At the end of each map, when the timelimit/roundlimit is hit, and the server
moves on to the next map, each captain should type "vote [map]" at their
console to vote for whichever map they want to come up next in the
rotation. If the 2 captains both vote for the same map, that map
will come up in the rotation. Not too difficult.

(note that the server settings agreed to on the previous map
should carry over to the next map).

Anyways, that was way too long, but sometimes you just have to spell
things out for some people.

Also, note the new improved scoreboard reflects pings, scores, as well
as whether or not each team has typed "ready," and whether or not
there are spectators.

-- inghaw

Known bugs:
===========
Problem: We believe the voting mechanism still spams the server sometimes from an inaccurate vote counting.
Resolution: Restart the server.

Please email comments, bug reports, etc. to
[email protected], [email protected] and [email protected]

Also Thanks to:
==========
Original Action 1.52 source:
Fireblade and Zucchini from GENO

Bug Fixes:
hal[9k] - AQDT
Mike [NW] - AQ:G-Team

AQ:TE is available for download from the AQDT Files section.

- AQDT Staff, 06/15/99