the cutting room mirror

Quake II (PC, Xbox 360)

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This page details development materials of Quake II (PC, Xbox 360).

To do:
Pretty much everything in the "Development" tab of the id Vault needs to be here (probably not "E3 97: Lab" and "Video: ECTS 97" thought).

  • Animation differences with models. (Make sure you add gifs and not static images!)
  • Would it be overkill to have images of the model textures here as well?
  • Early maps from E3 and ECTS.
  • Sonic Mayhem released a demo track in early 1997 that become the song "Stealth Frag" in the final. More or less the same outside of being a tad quieter.

The 2023 remaster of Quake II contains an "id Vault" filled with various materials from the game's development.

Early Models/Animations#

Early Female Model#

Unused Male Animations#

TBA

Weapons#

Early Blaster Viewmodel#

Early

Final

300px

Early Chain Gun Viewmodel#

Early

Final

Early Viewmodel

Final Worldmodel

Items#

Unused Ammo Pickup Variants#

Bullets

Shells

Cells

Rockets

Slugs

Early Stimpack#

An early model of the Stimpack, showing it as a box with a needle. Was later giving a design similar to the Adrenaline. Quake2-idVault-EarlyStimpack.png

Early

Final

200px

Scrapped Items#

  • The Remote Camera would allow the player to view an area and would beep if damaged.
  • The Nuclear Booster's purpose is unknown, it resembles the similarly unused Nuke ammo.

Enemies#

Early Technician#

Quake2-idVault-EarlyTechnician.png

An very early and very unfinished model of the Technician.

Early

Final

Early Flyer#

Quake2-idVault-EarlyFlyer.png

The design was finalised only ten days after this model was made.

Early

Final

Early Mutant#

Quake2-idVault-EarlyMutant.png

Many of the early model's animations show the Mutant standing bipedal. This early Mutant was dated to September 1997, only two months away from release.

Early

Final

Early Tank#

Quake2-idVault-EarlyTank.png

While this model for the Tank is close to the final design, it has some differences. The Strogg insignia and markings on his chest plate are absent and his shoulder-mounted rocket launcher is always up.

Early

Final

Gnorta#

Quake2-idVualt-Gnorta.png

An unfinished model for an enemy referred to as the "Gnorta". It has a turtle-like appearance. Seemingly no further work was done on this enemy

Shocker#

Quake2-idVault-Shocker.png

Another unfinished model for a cut Strogg referred to as the "Shocker". Much like the Gnorta, no further work was seemingly done on this enemy.

Ships#

Strogg Fighter Ship#

Early

Final

Unused Ships#

Two unused models of ships. Purpose unknown but the dates of the models from id's archives imply they could've been set aside for an expansion.

Fighter Quake2-idVault-UnusedFighter.png

Transport Quake2-idVault-TransportShip.png

Early Graphics/Textures#

Early Shotgun Textures#

Three early skins of the shotgun's viewmodel dated to June 1997.

Early

Final

Early Invulnerability Textures#

Early

Final

Early Enforcer Textures#

There are two early textures for the Enforcer in camo and pale flavors. The early textures appear to be an early design, most noticeable with his right shoulder and head. Elements of both designs were used for the final design.

Early

Final

Face HUD Graphics#

The face HUD graphics from the Q2Test prototype. Early versions of the graphics and various leftovers from Quake. Ranger's face sprites were used as placeholders as seen in prerelease screenshots and video.

Strogg Language Font#

To do:
make sure these aren't present in the final game's files

Some custom ligature pairs that went unused.

Design Document#

Sheet 1#

PALACE:
The main colors of the walls are red, black, gold, and silver: **** Germany. The sizes of the walls are described as length first. Though it is named the Palace, the materials are still mostly metal and tech. The decorators taste lean towards the dark, oppressive, cold and large. The Palace is several hundred years old or older, but is well maintained. This is the aliens' "center of the universe." The Palace houses their current leader who of course kicks ass and is responsible for disseminating order and purpose to the population. Without him they may start planting flowers or something.

When creating textures in a tiled world with light sources, low color, and low resolution palette keep a couple of things in mind. You probably know this stuff, but here it is:

1. Don't get too dark. The light and shading needs somewhere to go.
2. Watch out for speckles or bright dots. They really stand out.
3. Every texture should tile both left and right and up and down.
4. Don't make anything a single or flat color. The light source needs a variety of colors and shades. Single or flat colors have banding problems when shaded. This is because there is only 16 shades of any color in our palette and the light source is set to 32 shades.

Stained Glass Windows:
1. 64 x 64 stained glass window that is intended to tile without looking too repetitive.
2. two 64 x 128 stained glass window [sic] with a major theme image in the center
3. two 128 x 128 stained glass windows with a major them [sic] image in the center.

Floors
1. one 64 x 64 single large square tile: stone or metal slick looking, very dark (PRIORITY)
2. one 64 x 64 single large square tile: same as above but scratched up
3. one 64 x 64 same material as above but with no edges that repeats
4. one 128 x 128 floor same material as above with a large circular image in the center
5. one 128 x 128 floor same as number 4, but with a circular image in the center that is about 75% of the original size
6. one 64 x 64 lighter colored metal looking floor: maybe bronze
7. one 64 x 64 lighter colored metal looking floor that is damaged
8. one 64 x 16 stair edge of same material as number 1 but with a lip on the top that is 4 pixel from the top

Support Beams
1. one 64 x 64 black metal support beam that is clean (PRIORITY)
2. one 64 x 64 black metal support beam that is dirty and damaged
3. one 64 x 64 lack [sic] metal support beam with a gold design running up the center

Walls
1. one 64 x 64 metal wall similar to image in Spectrum III page 39 (PRIORITY)
2. one 64 x 64 metal wall same as above with no designs
3. one 128 x 128 metal wall same material as number 1
4. one 128 x 128 metal wall same material as number 1 but with large colored bird emblem
5. one 128 x 64 wall same material as number 2 with carved in alien writing similar to monuments like the Lincoln or Jefferson (slogans to be determined. The first one would have repeated words WAR * CONQUEST * DESTRUCTION [sic note: there isn't a closing ")"]
6. one 128 x 32 wall same material as number 5

Lights:
1. one 16 x 16 single that fits into a wail (white, and other colors)
2. one 32 x 32 light with more design
3. one 32 x 64 light with more design

— Design document sheet 1

Sheet 2#

CITY

The basic concept is one of public areas with massive, overwhelming architecture. These areas connect, or more properly "descend" into basements that are less impressive and older until in the bottom-most levels one encounters remnants and foundations of buidlings [sic] that could have been a part of Earth's own 20th century, but with an alien slant.

For the palace, I've been trying to think a combination of **** Germany and hi-tech stereo equipment ... blacks, reds, gold decorations, neon insets. Think heavy, not light and airy. Think rich, but oppressive.. Dark, but with rich color accents. There should be a hint of high tech (electronics, neon, etc.) in most textures for this area.

For the temple, I've been retreating on the polygons, so textures will have to do things that my geometry cannot to convey the feeling I want.

CITY TEXTURES

1. Stained glass one (for the temple)
2. Stained glass two (for the Palace)
3. Elegant stair edge to match the floor texture described below.
4. Black banner Edge (to large red banner)
5. Podium texture
6. Floor texture (perhaps something that looks like inset tile)
7. A medallion inset into the floor that matches the floor texture.

Transition textures from a palace into a palace's basement

Ancient textures (ok sort of ancient textures) like rotting concrete. Several variations should have painted symbols on them ... think about the paint jobs one finds in old parking garages, steam tunnels, old subway side tunnels.

— Design document sheet 2