=========================================================================== DynaMO - Dynamic Map Organizer =========================================================================== Version: 1.0 (Nov 7, 1998) Quake 2 version: v3.12-3.19 Operating System: Win95/NT Author: SteQve Email: steqve@shore.net Web page: http://www.shore.net/~steqve/quakemods.html Description: Server operators and mappers can write DynaMO scripts to give them unprecedented control over placement of entities within levels, without needing to recompile maps. =========================================================================== Table of Contents =========================================================================== 1. Summary 2. Basic Capabilities 3. Installation Instructions 4. Quick Start 5. Detailed Documentation 6. Credits 7. SteQve Says =========================================================================== Summary =========================================================================== DynaMO, the Dynamic Map Organizer, gives server operators and mappers unprecedented, easy control over the placement and organization of Q2 entities such as weapons, ammo, health, and powerups, all without having to recompile maps. With a few simple commands, server operators can add, remove, replace, or switch entities in the map, breathing new life into old maps by forcing players to relearn where everything is located. Experienced mappers may find DynaMO useful for quickly adding or changing the positions and attributes of entities in their maps, without any recompiling, and almost all entities are supported. DynaMO is powerful enough to allow conversion of deathmatch maps to single player maps, and vice versa. The distribution includes a script which converts Q2DM1 to a single player level, complete with monsters, a laser, etc. An in-game walk-through editing mode and an extensive command line interface allow DynaMO users to visualize the changes they are making to the map. DynaMO features a simple script language called DIESEL which extends its power even further. DynaMO is purely a server side mod (though it can be applied to single player games). Source code will be released for use by other mod authors. =========================================================================== Basic Capabilities =========================================================================== - you can switch around the locations of entities like weapons, ammo, powerups, etc. (e.g. move the rocket launcher to where the shotgun used to be and the shotgun to where the hyperblaster used to be, etc.) - you can replace one type of item with another (e.g. replace all BFGs with grenade launchers, or turn all weapons and ammo into railguns and slugs) or remove all items of a particular type (e.g. remove all health) - you can specify exact locations to place an item. For example, as an act of random cruelty you could set a player respawn point right in the middle of a lava pool. Less cruel would be placing a quad damage right in the middle of the arena in the q2dm1 map. - you can define "random locations" in the map where you can spawn any type of item you want, e.g. spawn a Quad damage on top of any one of several different crates or ledges. You can group together sets of random locations to give you more control over "random" weapon placement - DIESEL scripts allow you to execute entire groups of commands with a single command - an in-game, walk-through interface allows you to: - select/deselect/toggle items by category (e.g. weapon/ammo) or by classname (e.g. weapon_rocketlauncher, ammo_grenades, item_quad). - interactively write a DIESEL script - expert-level DIESEL scripters can easily convert a deathmatch map to a single player map, and vice versa - simple map cycling utility =========================================================================== Installation Instructions =========================================================================== 1) Extract Dyna_10.ZIP file into your Quake II folder. --> a DynaMO/ folder will be created 2) See MapRot.txt for information on setting up map rotation. 3) To start a public server which automatically loads DynaMO scripts, but doesn't let people do editing while it's running, use a command like: quake2.exe +set game "DynaMO" +map q2dm1 ... where ... contains other options such as timelimit and fraglimit. 4) To start a private editing session to create your own DynaMO scripts, use a command like: quake2.exe +set game "DynaMO" +map q2dm1 +set cheats 1 ... where ... contains other options such as timelimit and fraglimit, which you should set to 0 ======================================================= Quick Start ======================================================= Here's a promise: If you just do the quick start and don't read the rest of the documentation, you will only get a glimpse of DynaMO's power. - Start a DynaMO editing session with a line such as the following: quake2.exe +set cheats 1 +set timelimit 0 +set fraglimit 0 - Follow the tutorial in tutorial.txt to see DynaMO in action ======================================================= Detailed Documentation ======================================================= Here are the other documentation files and what they cover. They are listed in the order you might want to read them in. docs/Scripts.txt - basics of DynaMO and DIESEL scripts docs/Tutorial.txt - tutorial docs/MapRot.txt - MapRot, map rotation tool docs/Walkthrough.txt - Walkthrough editor docs/Expert.txt - additional power for experts =========================================================================== Credits =========================================================================== There are the obvious ones: id software, QDeveLS, the q2coding mailing list, all the news sites, etc. Rich Wills wrote the first cool DIESEL script, and in doing so, he converted Q2DM1 into a single player map. drw and Patrick Stepp's enthusiastic responses in these final days is why DynaMO is being released on Nov. 7 instead of Nov. 8. ======================================================= SteQve Says ======================================================= Damn, I freakin' love making this mod. To me, the possibilities seem endless. This isn't close to being done. There are so many potential enhancements it's mind boggling. Therefore I make this bold prediction, in the first release, just so that later on I can say "I told you so." Am I that confident? Hrmmmm... Maybe not. But I'm fairly sure that: "DynaMO is the next VWep. Maybe." Now let's see if I'm right :)