This page is for the original Quake. For Valve's GoldSrc multi-player remake, see Deathmatch Classic. For 2021's Nightdive remaster, see Quake (2021).
Quake
|
|
id Software |
Mission Pack 1 |
Hipnotic Interactive |
Mission Pack 2 |
Rogue Entertainment |
Mac OS (Classic) |
Lion Entertainment, Inc. |
Linux |
Dave D. Taylor |
|
GT Interactive |
Expansion packs |
Activision |
Mac OS |
MacSoft |
Linux |
Macmillan Digital Publishing USA |
Digital |
Bethesda Softworks |
|
Quake engine |
DOS |
June 22, 1996 |
Linux |
July 5, 1996 |
Windows |
January 22, 1997 |
Mac OS (Classic) |
August 28, 1997 |
Windows (DOSBox) |
August 26, 2015 |
Metacritic |
94 |
Monetization |
One-time game purchase, Expansion pack |
Modes |
Singleplayer, Multiplayer |
Pacing |
Real-time |
Perspectives |
First-person |
Controls |
Direct control |
Genres |
Action, Shooter |
Themes |
Fantasy, Sci-fi, Lovecraftian |
Series |
Quake |
|
Key points
- Engine is open source with modern multi-platform ports available; see Source ports
General information
- Quake Owner's Manual (Steam Community) - A very detailed guide on configuring Quake
- Func_Msgboard - The mapper hub, new map releases, technique improvements.
- Quaddicted - A collection of categorized and rated single player maps as well as general information and history.
- QuakeOne - Original network style multiplayer hub, player community.
- QuakeWorld nu - QuakeWorld multiplayer hub, competitive player community.
- Technical information file about Quake from id Software.
- GOG.com Community Discussions for game series
- GOG.com Support Page
- Steam Community Discussions
Availability
Source |
DRM |
Notes |
Keys |
OS |
Retail |
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Without modifications the disc is required for in-game music. The only official Linux retail release was included as part of the Quake: The Offering collection in 1999. |
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GamersGate |
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GOG.com |
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Quake: The Offering. Pre-packaged with nGlide v1.04 (GLQuake) and DOSBox v0.74 (software mode). Due to legal reasons, the in-game soundtrack in .ogg format is excluded, but is still included as disc images.[1] |
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Steam |
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Can be played without Steam.[2] Includes Quake (2021) and the two mission packs. Does not come with game soundtrack; see Restore music playback. The version of GLQuake included is also outdated (v0.95). See Version differences for a download link of the latest version (v0.97). |
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Bethesda.net (unavailable) |
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DRM-free when launched directly from executable (WINQUAKE.EXE ). Includes Quake (2021). |
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- The Quakespasm icon is higher quality icon faithful to the original.
Version differences
- Quake: The Offering includes the base game along with the two mission packs.
Name |
Description |
|
Qtest |
A technology test released on February 24, 1996, a few months before the full release. Meant to showcase the multiplayer and level themes of the full game. Includes 3 maps and many elements of the game that were either cut or changed for the final release. Further details can be found on Quake Wiki. |
|
Quake (shareware) |
This version is the official demo for the game (besides Qtest). Only the first episode ("Dimension of the Doomed") is available to play. Also, the shareware PAK file can be downloaded separately from the main release (to be used with source ports). |
|
Quake |
The original DOS version. Can be run in DOSBox for newer systems. Maximum supported resolution of 1280 x 1024. |
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VQuake |
The first hardware accelerated version of Quake, released shortly before GLQuake. This MS-DOS port is specifically designed for the Vérité chipset by short-lived company Rendition, using their proprietary Speedy3D API. Uniquely for the time, this version offered edge anti-aliasing, adjustable from 0 to 7, covering various combinations of world, object and particle polygons. As there is no emulation of this hardware available, this port cannot be played on modern computers. |
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GLQuake |
A hardware accelerated Windows port of Quake, rendered with OpenGL. Greatly improves the overall look, allows widescreen resolutions of up to 2560 x 1440 and higher FOV. Screen resolutions need to be specified as command line arguments before launch. This port also has a few regressions; it does not support overbright lighting[3] and has weaker colored lighting than software rendered Quake. For a complete list of differences between GLQuake and Quake / WinQuake, see here. |
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WinQuake |
Native 32-bit version of Quake designed to run under Windows 9x or NT 4.0. Takes advantage of DirectX but has no 3D acceleration. Closely resembles DOS Quake in appearance. Maximum supported resolution of 1280x1024. |
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QuakeWorld |
A multiplayer only version of Quake specifically designed to play over the Internet. A version using OpenGL rendering is also available (GLQuakeWorld). See Quake vs. QuakeWorld for specifics. |
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Quake vs. QuakeWorld
When Quake initially launched its netcode was not optimized for the dial-up connections of the time, and so consequently QuakeWorld was created, a separate exe for the game which was multiplayer only with adjusted physics and severely revamped netcode. As personal internet connections improved, the original Quake protocol became more relevant. The original, non-QuakeWorld version, is now often referred to as NetQuake, and there is a divide as to which to play. Serious competitive players are very sensitive to the differences between them, however for the starting out player the differences will be barely noticeable, and the experienced but more casual players play whichever, simply going for servers where a fun time can be had.
Monetization
DLC and expansion packs
Name |
Notes |
|
Mission Pack No. 1: Scourge of Armagon |
A three-episode expansion pack by Hipnotic Interactive. |
|
Mission Pack No. 2: Dissolution of Eternity |
A two-episode expansion pack by Rogue Entertainment. |
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Dimension of the Past |
An extra episode created by MachineGames and released for free as a gift for the game's 20th anniversary.[4] Included with Quake (2021). |
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- Mission Packs No. 1 and No. 2 are no longer available for purchase individually on Steam as they are already included for free with Quake (2021) and bundled with the original DOS version as of the August 19, 2021 update.[5] For Steam owners of the individual Mission Packs prior to August 19, 2021, it is recommended to uninstall them to avoid having redundant files and re-validate the integrity of the base game as they can launched through the base game's launch options.
- Several unofficial add-ons were also released. Full list available here at the Quake wiki.
Essential improvements
Source ports
Since the release of the Quake engine's source code, various engine overhauls and source ports have been created to enhance or modify the game in different ways. Which one to use is a matter of taste.
- To install a source port, extract it into the same folder as the vanilla executable and run the modified engine's executable.
- QuakeSpasm, QuakeSpasm Spiked, or vkQuake are recommended for authenticity to the original game's features and maximum mod compatibility. DarkPlaces is recommended for graphical enhancements. Quake "Epsilon" is an all-in-one modernized version.
- QuakeSpasm and vkQuake have native support the Kex Engine remaster's game files.[6][7]
Name |
Description |
|
DarkPlaces |
DarkPlaces is a 2nd common port for new players which adds modern graphical features such as realtime shadowmaps, bloom, and normalmapping. It also supports both the netQuake, and QuakeWorld networking protocols, as well as its own. It scales well on visual effects from the modern to the classic and sports fast rendering for modern GPUs. It has some problems with mods that depend on the original Quake's bugs that the engine has fixed. |
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DirectQ (Archived) |
DirectQ is a Direct3D oriented engine with a few tweaks to the menu but little to graphical improvements, it simply runs on DirectX instead of OpenGL. It mostly resembles the classic look with some quirks such as the HUD being based on Nintendo 64 version, outside of that it performs excellently. Note that this source port is no longer under active development. The latest release is v1.9. |
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Fruitz of Dojo Quake |
A Cocoa port of the engine; it allows Quake and QuakeWorld to be played on modern Macs. Also includes their OpenGL equivalents with the download. A more graphically advanced companion, TenebraeQuake is also available. Older versions of both can be downloaded here (warning, adult content!) |
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FTEQuakeWorld |
FTEQuakeWorld is targeted at QuakeWorld players while adding support for other Quake engine games. It features enhanced visuals, voice chat support, and better modding capability for QuakeWorld servers. |
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nQuake |
nQuake is a complete QuakeWorld package, designed to quickly get into multiplayer with all the required features in a modern context. You can also optionally install a pack during installation to enhance the overall look of the game. |
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ezQuake |
A more lean version of nQuake. |
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QuakeSpasm |
QuakeSpasm is a descendant of FitzQuake which like that engine, it focuses on fixing bugs and stability, lifting engine limits such as maximum items and geometry detail and restoring the missing functionality that the original software renderer had but the OpenGL renderer lacked. Unlike many other engines, QuakeSpasm does not alter the style of the original game and doesn't fix game-changing bugs that affects mods. It also has native support for anti-aliasing [Note 1] and anisotropic filtering[Note 2]. The most commonly used source port in the community. By default, QuakeSpasm doesn’t play demo footage upon boot the way the original did; this behavior can be restored using the -fitz Command line argument. |
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QuakeSpasm Spiked |
QuakeSpasm Spiked is a fork of QuakeSpasm that allows the game to run above 72 FPS without breaking physics[Note 3], includes improved networking, voicechat, and increases other limits. |
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vkQuake |
vkQuake is a Quake 1 port using Vulkan instead of OpenGL for rendering. It is based on the popular QuakeSpasm and QuakeSpasm-Spiked ports and runs all mods compatible with it like Arcane Dimensions or In The Shadows. Compared to QuakeSpasm, vkQuake also features a software Quake-like underwater effect, has better color precision, generates mipmap for water surfaces at runtime, and makes physics independent from framerate. It is the current best source port for modern GPUs with Vulkan support. |
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Ironwail |
A fork of QuakeSpasm that is focused on high performance over compatibility, allowing the engine to run advanced and demanding maps such as Peril, Raven Keep, and Ter Shibboleth: Drake Redux on lower-end hardware with faster loading times compared to QuakeSpasm Spiked or vkQuake. It also features an expanded options menus with ease of access to mods via the in-game menu and software renderer emulation options to authethically recreate the original look of the game. |
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Mark V |
Forked from FitzQuake, Mark V also contains features from other source ports such as JoeQuake or ProQuake. Besides that it also has their own such as support for Nehahra mod, copy & paste in console, saving multiplayer games, external texture and .vis support, extended coop features, software mode inspired by WinQuake and many more. As for the music, it only supports CD audio and external .mp3 files. No longer in active development. |
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Quake "Epsilon" |
Based on DarkPlaces, Quake Epsilon is a complete overhaul with high resolution textures and models as well as new sounds and original music. Incorporates minor mods and tweaks, but doesn't detract from the original gameplay. Can be used with the full version of Quake and its mission packs. |
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- More information can be found here.
- The
opengl32.dll
files must be deleted before applying the patch.
- The source port included uses an outdated version and the Scourge of Armagon soundtrack is badly ripped.
- Patches for the Mission Pack can be found below:
This patch fixed numerous compatibility issues found with the game. It's designed only for the Steam version but is also compatible with retail versions by changing the install path of the mod. It includes the Darkplaces source port along with the missing soundtrack.
An alternative patch to the above that aims to fix compatibility issues with GLQuake and WinQuake through dgVoodoo 2, restores the missing in-game soundtrack in MP3 format while using a modified version of winmm.dll for proper music looping, custom autoexec.cfg
files to enable mouselook and crosshairs, and includes QWSVLaunch and Simple Quake Launcher to ease launching the game.
Installers and launchers
A Java-based client for the Quaddicted single player map and mod database that runs on Windows, OS X and Linux. It provides the ability to install and uninstall maps and mods (with their requirements/dependencies) from the site directly on Quake with a single click and includes information about each mod, such as release data, rating (from the Quaddicted editor), title, authors, a brief description (from the editor) and screenshots. Also it can (with varying levels of success) find out if there are known maps already installed. Quake Injector however does not provide access to every map released for Quake (it has no support for multiplayer maps, for example, unless they come as part of a singleplayer map pack or they are singleplayer maps in addition to multiplayer), but it is very close to that and provides an easy method to try new maps and mods.
- Please note that under OS X and Linux, many older maps will need manual editing of their filenames because the original files contained mixed case or upper case letters.
A small Quake launcher that provides an easy front-end to running any user map or original map by scanning Quake and mod archive files (PAK files) and displaying all maps to select from. It can also be used to supply default variables (such as FOV values) and screen resolution when starting the game.
A simple ZDoom Launcher-inspired front-end launcher for Quake, Quake II, Hexen II, and Half-Life that offers ease of use for launching each game and their source ports, auto-detects maps and demos in .pak and .pk3 formats, displays map titles, launching demos, and create desktop shortcuts using the currently selected options.
Remove opengl32.dll
The opengl32.dll
file included in some releases of the game is a 3dfx-specific MiniGL wrapper. It should be deleted on systems not using 3dfx cards unless GLQuake is being wrapped with nGlide (included in the GOG.com release), as it's highly recommended to prevent issues on modern system or when using a source port.
Game data
Configuration file(s) location
- It's unknown whether this game follows the XDG Base Directory Specification on Linux. Please fill in this information.
Save game data location
- 12 save slots for the main campaign and mission packs are available. Some source ports such as QuakeSpasm can offer more save slots.
Video
In-game general settings.
In-game screen resolution settings for DOS Quake.
In-game screen resolution settings for WinQuake.
In-game screen resolution settings for GLQuake.
Input
Enabling mouselook
To set mouselook to always on, add +mlook
to autoexec.cfg
. crosshair 1
puts a plus sign in the center of the screen as a crosshair.
Audio
Localizations
Language |
UI |
Audio |
Sub |
Notes |
English |
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Spanish |
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Fan translation, download. |
Network
Multiplayer types
Connection types
Ports
Protocol |
Port(s) and/or port range(s) |
TCP |
26000 |
UDP |
26000 |
- Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) support status is unknown.
- This is the default port used. It can be changed in-game by the user
VR support
Issues fixed
Restore music playback
- Some digital distribution releases of the Quake either have not properly configured music playback in the game without the original discs in a CD drive or has no music at all.
DOS
- The GOG.com version of Quake in Software Mode (via DOSBox) is already pre-configured to mount the game's disc images for the base game and its mission packs.
GOG.com and Steam
- Due to legal reasons, the in-game music in .ogg format has excluded in the GOG.com version for GLQuake and WinQuake, but it can be restored.
- The in-game music is missing for the digital version of the original Quake (unless you play the DOSBOX version on GOG), it is only included for the Kex Engine remaster.
Install Vanilla Restoration Patch[12]
|
- Download Vanilla Restoration Patch, then extract its contents to
<path-to-game> .
- Launch the game. Music playback should now be restored for GLQuake and WinQuake. To play the proper music tracks for Scourge of Armagon and Dissolution of Eternity, launch the mission packs using the
-game <mission pack> +exec music.cfg command line arguments.
Notes:
- The music files in Vanilla Restoration Patch are in .mp3 format. The music can also be ripped and converted to .ogg format from their respective disc images included in the GOG.com version by using CueToOgg, however, the music track numbers for Scourge of Armagon (
track12 -track19 ) and Dissolution of Eternity (track20 -track27 ) must be renamed accordingly to work with the music.cfg files included with the Vanilla Restoration Patch. Alternatively, the game , gamea , gamed folders containing the music files for the main game and mission packs can also be moved into the id1 , hipnotic , and rogue folders respectively for music playback support while playing the game using a source port.[13]
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Source ports
Download soundtrack files[14]
|
- Some source ports can only play music from the CD drive.
- Downloading the soundtrack is not needed if the Kex Engine remaster is included with the original version as it uses .ogg files. In that case, just copy every music folder from
Quake\rerelease\<game> to its corresponding folder (id1 , hipnotic , and rogue ).
- Download the soundtrack files[Note 6] for the main campaign and mission packs.
- Place
id1 , hipnotic , and rogue folders in the installation folder.
|
Black screen with the DarkPlaces engine (GOG.com)
Remove opengl32.dll[16]
|
- Go to the installation folder.
- Delete or rename
opengl32.dll .
|
GLQuake does not launch
- The original OpenGL version of Quake may not run on some systems with Nvidia graphics cards.
Fix extension limit issues[17]
|
- Edit
Glquake.exe with a hex editor.
- Search for
GL_EXTENSIONS .
- Select the
%s in that line and replace these two letters with two spaces.
|
Current music track plays the next one before the loop (GOG.com)
- This happens with the incorrect CUE sheet that was included. It happens only with the main game and the Dissolution of Eternity. Scourge of Armagon is not affected by this.
Music does not loop
Fix CD audio looping[18]
|
- Rip your game CD-ROM's music. .ogg and .mp3 formats should be fully supported.
- Install patched _inmm.dll and open its main folder.
- Go to
<path-to-game> and drag your game executable on _inmmconf.exe .
- Copy the newly created .exe back to the old position (backup and overwrite old one if needed).
- Open
_inmmconf.exe and set DirectShow player for default file type in the method tab.
- Add your previously ripped audio tracks in the _inmm.ini tab.
- Press the save button and provide it your
<path-to-game> .
Notes
- Further explanations are available on gemot encubed.
|
Other information
API
Technical specs |
Supported |
Notes |
DirectDraw |
3 |
WinQuake only. |
OpenGL |
1.0 |
GLQuake and 3dfx MiniGL only. |
Software renderer |
|
Quake and WinQuake. |
Vulkan |
|
The vkQuake source port is required. |
DOS video modes |
VGA, SVGA (VESA) |
|
Executable | PPC | 16-bit |
32-bit |
64-bit | ARM |
Notes |
Windows | | |
|
| |
A source port is required for native 64-bit. See Source ports. |
macOS (OS X) | | | |
| |
A source port is required for OS X. See Source ports. |
Linux | | | |
| |
A source port is required for native non-32-bit. See Source ports. |
Mac OS (Classic) | | | |
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Visual tweaks
- A majority of these console commands only applies to GLQuake or applicable source ports. These commands can be either entered into the console or written into an
autoexec.cfg
file to be executed automatically upon launch.
Command |
Notes |
gl_texturemode (mode) |
gl_nearest is nearest-neighbor filtering. gl_nearest_mipmap_linear is bilinear filtering and the default setting. gl_linear_mipmap_linear enables full trilinear texture filtering. |
gl_flashblend 1 |
Enables dynamic lighting for light sources, such as explosions (similar to Quake and WinQuake). Setting this to 0 changes the lighting system to resemble the software renderer. |
r_shadows 1 |
Enables shadows for characters and pick-ups. |
r_novis 1 |
Allows the world to be pre-rendered instead of being rendered in real-time, but may cause adverse performance issues. Required to enable transparent liquid textures with r_wateralpha . |
r_wateralpha (0.0 - 1.0) |
Adjusts the decimal opacity of liquid textures for water, slime, and lava. 1 is opaque, whereas 0 means completely transparent. |
r_mirroralpha (0.0 - 1.0) |
Adjusts the decimal mirror reflectiveness of stained glass surfaces (as seen in the "Easy" starting hall). 1 disables reflections, whereas 0 means completely reflective. |
d_subdiv16 0 |
Enables perspective-correct texture mapping. By default, perspective correction is performed only every 16 pixels, which results in warped textures when viewed at sharp angles.[19] |
Installing and playing custom maps
Installing a custom map[citation needed]
|
- In the
Id1 folder (located in the main Quake folder), create a folder named maps .
- Extract the map files (usually a BSP and a text file) from the compressed folder into the
maps folder.
Notes
- For maps requiring mods to function, create the
maps folder inside the folder for the mod.
|
Running a custom map[citation needed]
|
- Use the
+map <name of the BSP file (excluding the extension)> command line argument.
- Alternatively, the
-map <name of the BSP file (excluding the extension)> command can be used in the in-game console (~).
- Ex:
+map jawbreak / -map jawbreak runs the Jawbreaker map by Matt Sefton
|
Installing and using mods
Mods are accessed via an amendment system, where you tell the engine where to look first for game data, and then it falls back to the default subfolder (id1) for the base game. The subfolder root for the mod will either have a progs.dat file, or a .pak or .pk3 file.
Installing a mod[citation needed]
|
- Extract the mod from the compressed folder.
- If the mod does not come in a folder after extracting, create a new one and place all the mod files into it.
- Move the mod folder into
<path-to-game> .
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Running a mod[citation needed]
|
Notes
- Most source ports provide bug fixes to the original Quake engine. Some of these fixes may break compatibility with certain mods, rendering them unplayable (unreachable items floating in the air, enemies falling out of the world, etc.).
- Many modern mods for Quake require a source port to run, as they break the original engine limitations (larger maps, more enemies, more scripting commands, etc.).
Mod creators will state this requirement in the mod page or README file (if available).
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Mods
Vanilla Quake Fixes
A project that aims to fix issues and errors leftover in the main game and its two mission packs while remaining faithful the game's original features. See here for details.
Authentic Model Improvements
A model replacement project that enhances the models of the main game and its two mission packs while remaining faithful to their original appearance. Can be downloaded here.
Texture packs
- List and discussions of additional graphical upgrades can be found here.
Transparent water
Use Vispatch (Mac version available here) to patch vanilla data (some mods already include said patches to data). Use the command r_wateralpha
with any value below 1.0 to enable the effects. Note some engines won't remember this value and will require it to be added to the autoexec.cfg.
Colored lighting
This page includes downloads for .lit
files, which enable Quake II-style colored lighting in compatible source ports. Put the .lit
files in the applicable game's maps
folder.
Lighting effects
This Program generates .lit
and .dlit files, which contain colored light information to enable most modified Quake engines to display the classic Quake levels with colored lighting (.lit
) and allows the engine to use bumpmapped/glossmapped wall textures without turning on real-time world lighting (.dlit).
- The program only runs on Windows, though the files it generates can be copied to other platforms.
Sound packs
- A sound pack for April Fools can be found here, though it does little more than distort the audio.
Total conversions
Small Mod compilation (SMC)
Adds an number of interesting changes to gameplay as well as small aesthetic ones, such as footstep sounds. See here for details.
Console commands
A complete list of console commands can be found on QuakeWiki. Note that not all of these may apply to all source ports.
System requirements
DOS | Windows | Mac OS (Classic) | Linux |
DOS |
|
Minimum |
Recommended |
Operating system (OS) |
5.0 |
6.2 |
Processor (CPU) |
Intel 486 DX4 100 MHz Intel Pentium 75 MHz |
Intel Pentium 133 MHz |
System memory (RAM) |
8 MB |
16 MB |
Hard disk drive (HDD) |
80 MB | |
Video card (GPU) |
VGA
| VESA 2.0/3.0-compliant video card |
Mac OS |
|
Minimum |
Operating system (OS) |
7.1.2 |
Processor (CPU) |
PowerPC 601 60 MHz |
System memory (RAM) |
16 MB |
Hard disk drive (HDD) |
|
Windows |
|
Minimum |
Recommended |
Operating system (OS) |
95 |
98, ME, 2000 |
Processor (CPU) |
Intel 486 DX4 100 MHz Intel Pentium 75 MHz |
Intel Pentium 133 MHz |
System memory (RAM) |
16 MB |
24 MB |
Hard disk drive (HDD) |
80 MB | |
Video card (GPU) |
VGA (WinQuake) OpenGL 1.0 compatible (GLQuake) | |
Linux |
|
Minimum |
Operating system (OS) |
Kernel 2.0.x |
Processor (CPU) |
Intel Pentium |
System memory (RAM) |
16 MB |
Hard disk drive (HDD) |
|
Notes
- ↑ Although the console command to enable anti-aliasing is
vid_fsaa #
, the anti-aliasing applied is only MSAA. This is particularly noticeable when coupled with gl_texturemode "gl_nearest_mipmap_linear"
.[8]
- ↑ The console command to enable 16x anisotropic filtering is
gl_texture_anisotropy 16
. Can be combined with gl_texturemode "gl_nearest_mipmap_linear"
.[8]
- ↑ The console command to disable the FPS cap is
host_maxfps 0
.[9]
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 When running this game without elevated privileges (Run as administrator option), write operations against a location below
%PROGRAMFILES%
, %PROGRAMDATA%
, or %WINDIR%
might be redirected to %LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore
on Windows Vista and later (more details).
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Notes regarding Steam Play (Linux) data:
- ↑ The tracks linked here have been processed with de-emphasis and may sound duller than the composer's intentions.[15]
References