Do you like Loki's Minions CTF variant? Would you care to make your own LMCTF maps? Using Worldcraft? Do you like Coke better than Pepsi? If you answered yes to the first three questions, head on over to the Loki's Minions page and get the lmctf.fgd file.

• Loki's Minions
• lmctf.fgd

-autolycus

There's an interview with Dario Casali, Half-Life map designer, over at rust.

A small sample:

I made all my Quake maps using BSP because I found it the closest to DEU and DETH (the tools I used for Doom). I'm now using WC because it's evolved significantly from when I last saw it. It's also now the best editor out there (and I've tried the others). Nobody likes switching editors once they're used to the one they're with. It's a credit to WC's user interface that I managed to do so without major headaches. I'm delighted that we have Yahn Bernier working for us now who is ensuring that the best parts of BSP are merged with WC

• r u s t
• Dario Casali interview

It's rare that you can put into words something that is felt as an instinct. I've attempted to do just that, however, in writing my own design thesis. It's short and, I believe, worth a look at. I welcome comments and opinions, which i may post along with the thesis if enough interest is generated.

• Design Thesis

Neal White III let me know that he's just finished a tutorial on building textures with Wally. It guides you through creating ten custom textures and should take about an hour to complete.

• http://www.quake2.com/bdp/wally/index.html

Neal White III sent word that Wally, the Quake 2 WAL texture editor, is now publicly released, with a bunch of enhancements and bug fixes. You can get it at http://www.quake2.com/bdp/wally/index.html.

After installing Wally, I ran it, and my reaction was a mediocre "OH MY GOD THIS KICKS ASS!! BEEFCAKE!!", but i'm sure i'll like it more as I use it. :) Seriously though, this program packs some serious whoopass...here's a list of features from the introduction in the help file:

• Load, view and save .wal files.
• Create new textures.
• Browse texture directories.
• Set content and surface flags in textures.
• Edit at a pixel level.
• Add various effects, such as bullet holes, scratches, and so on.
• Import and export PCX, BMP and Quake MIP files.
• Change the palette of a texture.
• Copy and paste to and from the Windows clipboard.
• Resample individual mips within a texture, using ReMip Deluxe.
• Drag-and-drop files into the Wally desktop.

If anyone is making custom textures, this is the program you need! :)

• Wally 1.0

r u s t has posted a nifty interview with Disruptor, level designer, etc, at id Software. Topics include Porsches, Quake III level design, and level design in general. Go. Read. Now.

Castle AaaaaarrrgghRad.

I'm sure anyone with Quake1 editing experience has fond memories of ArghLite, Tim Wright's modified Light program that added a gaggle of new options, including nifty ways to play with lighting directly in the map entities.

He's baaaaa-ack. ArghRad 1.0 is available for download. A number of fancy-schmancy things have been done this time. For a full run-down, read the included documentation. Here's a brief listing:

• Load textures from paks, supports optional mod dir
• Better patch subdivision control
• Sunlight options
• Extensive light falloff control
• New spotlight aiming methods
• Negative lights/colors
• Entity brush models can cast light, provides many more surface light options
• More misc. options

A modified version of the Quake II FGD (arghquake2.fgd) and an information file (arghrad.fgd_) is also now available so you can easily take advantage of the new ArghRad enhancements. (You can open up the .fgd_ file in a text editor and cut and paste the stuff into whatever q2 compatable fgd you'd like).

Both ArghRad and the FGD information are available in the Files section, or you can click below. I've changed all the files downloads so they point at http://asp.planetquake.com/dl/dl.asp?, giving you easy access to plenty of mirror sites.

• ArghRad 1.0
• ArghRad FGDs