Goal of the Game
The goals of Quake II are divided into a series of complex missions or objectives. During the game your field computer provides you with each new objective. It is important to regularly review this information. The Intel Brief section of this manual describes general information on your missions, environment, weapons, special items, and alien profiles.
Game Structure
Quake II contains eight large units, each with a number of levels to complete in order to proceed to the next unit. It is likely you will have to go between levels several times to accomplish a particular goal. Remember that once you leave a unit you cannot return unless you reload a saved game from that unit. Therefore it is important to review your field computer to be sure you accomplished all of your goals for that unit.
* Note on Units: If you wish to play a particular unit, without working your way through all the levels preceding that unit, you can. We do not recommend that you jump into the middle of the game or skip any levels, since Quake II was designed in a progressive manner, and each level is important to the unfolding of the entire game. However, if you want to just play through a particular unit, you can 'exec' a file which will launch the level and give you the appropriate weapons and ammo to start with for that unit. To do this, simply pull down the console by pressing the tilde ( ~ ) key, and type the following command for the respective unit you wish to start:

To play: | Type this command :
Warehouse Unit | exec warehouse.cfg
Jail Unit | exec jail.cfg
Mine Unit | exec mine.cfg
Factory Unit | exec factory.cfg
Power Unit | exec power.cfg
Biggun Unit | exec biggun.cfg
Hangar Unit | exec hangar.cfg
City Unit | exec city.cfg
Boss Levels | exec boss.cfg

Main Menu

When you start Quake II, a demo sequence of the game will begin. At any time, press the Escape key to pull up the Main menu. Use the up and down arrow keys to navigate, and press the Enter key to select. Each Main menu function brings up a list of secondary menu items. If you have problems using the secondary menu selections, please refer to the message banner at the bottom of the screen or the online manual for technical details.

GAME: Start a new game with a specific skill level, load, or save a game.

MULTIPLAYER: Start a network server, join a network server, or change your character information.

VIDEO: Select either Software only or one of several OpenGL modes, and adjust screen modes and settings.

OPTIONS: Customize your keyboard, mouse, or joystick controls, adjust your audio, and change your game play control options.

QUIT: Exit the game from here.

Game

Under Game, you can select a variety of skill settings that range from really easy to nearly unbeatable. Each skill setting adjusts reaction, health, power, and number of the monsters you’ll face.

Easy: This is meant for kids and grandmas

Medium: Most people should start Quake II at Medium skill

Hard: Here at id, we play Hard skill, and we think you should too, once you’re ready.

Load Game: Select Load Game to pull up the load game menu. The first name on the list is an auto-saved game. Selecting this puts you back at the start of the last level you entered. Use the arrow keys to move down to the game you wish to load and press the Enter key.

Save Game: Select Save Game to access the save game menu. Using the arrow keys, move down to an empty slot, or one you don’t mind writing over and press the Enter key to save. Quake II will generate a name for you with title of the level and the current time.

Multiplayer Menu Selection

There are two main ways to play Quake II with other people:

LAN or TCP/IP over the Internet. This menu provides three options: Join Network Server, Start Network Server, or Network Server Player Setup. Please see the readme.txt for details on multiplayer game play and also the Multiplayer Section of this manual.

Video Menu Selection

Here are controls for changing your video driver, screen resolution or video mode, brightness, screen size, window or full screen mode, texture quality, and translucent settings. To change an option, simply arrow to that option, then press the right or left arrow keys to adjust. Then, after making all of your adjustments, arrow to 'apply' and press ENTER. You can also press enter when on an individual setting to make that option take effect immediately. When changing video settings, Quake II may blink from the screen, or the game console may appear. This isn't unusual. After a moment of this, the game should resume normally. Once you hit 'apply' to commit all of your changes, the game will reload the map to incorporate the new settings, and this will take some time as well.

Video Driver: You have four choices under Video Driver. These are Software, 3Dfx OpenGL, PowerVR OpenGL, and Default OpenGL. As you can see, generally this breaks down into two choices: Software or some form of OpenGL.

IMPORTANT: Your system may not support many of the video driver options provided by Quake II. If a selected video driver is unavailable

Quake II will return to your previous selection or to a safe software mode.

Software: If you are running under Windows 95, and do not have OpenGL supported hardware acceleration, Quake II will use this setting.

OpenGL: With the assistance of OpenGL drivers, Quake II runs in 16 or 24 bit color, with colored lighting effects, cleaner graphics, and improved translucency.

3Dfx OpenGL: Use the 3Dfx OpenGL driver on systems that possess a 3Dfx Voodoo and Voodoo Rush accelerator.

PowerVR OpenGL: Use the PowerVR OpenGL driver on systems running Windows 95 with a PowerVR PCX2 board installed.

System OpenGL: The System OpenGL driver allows Quake II to render using the default OpenGL driver installed in the system. Select this if running under Windows NT when using a 2D/3D accelerator other than those specifically supported in this menu.

IMPORTANT: We do not recommend using OpenGL on systems that do not have hardware acceleration of OpenGL installed.

This information is subject to change with different revisions of the game. Please see the readme.txt file for further details.

Video Mode: Many video modes are available to you through this menu. Your system may not support many of the video modes provided by Quake II.

Screen Size: The screen size slider controls the size of the game area on the screen. Reducing the screen size will usually result in higher performance.

Brightness: The brightness slider controls the brightness of the screen. Its effects are immediate under software. When using OpenGL, select Apply after modifying the brightness.

Fullscreen: This selects fullscreen or windowed rendering. Fullscreen mode availability is dependent upon the type of graphics adapter installed. Fullscreen software rendering requires the presence of Microsoft DirectX. Under OpenGL, fullscreen rendering uses the current color depth of the desktop.

Texture Quality (OpenGL only): The texture quality slider determines the overall crispness of textures with OpenGL renderers. Better quality often results in lower performance.

8-Bit Textures (OpenGL only): 8-bit texture support is available on some graphics chipsets such as the 3Dfx Voodoo. Enabling 8-bit textures reduces visual quality in exchange for better overall performance. IMPORTANT: We recommend you use this setting if you have the appropriate hardware and want to increase the performance of Quake II.

Stipple Alpha (Software only): Enabling stipple alpha results in faster performance when rendering transparent surfaces such as windows, water, and lava, but also results in reduced image quality when rendering transparent surfaces.

Apply: Selecting this option "applies" any modifications you make to your video configuration.

Options

Here you can adjust your audio settings, change your mouse options, customize your keyboard settings, and restore all your control settings to their defaults.

SFX Volume: Using the left and right arrow keys moves the slider bar to increase or decrease the volume of your sound effects.

Sound Quality: Select low quality for 11 kHz sound and high quality for 22 kHz sound. Using low sound quality may increase the performance of Quake II on your machine.

CD Music: Use the left and right arrow keys to turn CD music on or off. Turning the CD off will not change the performance of the game.

Mouse Speed: This allows you to adjust your mouse sensitivity. The higher you set this the faster your character will turn in relation to mouse movement.

Always Run: Set this to Yes if you do not want to hold down the Run button in order to move quickly.

Invert Mouse: This gives your mouse "airplane-style" controls. This means that pushing the mouse forward "noses down," and pulling it back "noses up." Some people prefer this control technique.

Lookspring: Returns your view immediately to straight ahead when you release the look up or look down key. Otherwise, you must move forward for a step or two before your view snaps back. Lookspring does not work while you are underwater.

Lookstrafe: If you are using the look up or look down key, then this option causes you to sidestep instead of turn when you try to move left or right.

Freelook: With this option enabled you no longer have to press the mouse look key to look up and down while using the mouse.

Disable Alt-Tab: This will disable moving from Quake II to your Windows desktop by pressing the Alt and the Tab key.

Customize Controls: Selecting this option will bring up a second menu that lists all of the game controls. Use the arrow keys to move through the list. Press the Enter key to select a control to change. Press the appropriate key or mouse button that you wish to use for that control. If you want to go back to the original controls, go to the previous menu and select Reset Defaults.

On-Screen Information During Gameplay

Status Bar: Your status is shown as icons floating in your view at the bottom of the screen. There is an indicator for your health, armor, ammo for the current weapon, and currently selected or readied item or weapon. When you pick up something new, an icon will briefly appear at the bottom of the screen with a picture of that item. To view all of your inventory, press the Tab key. Maximizing the screen (+ key) may remove the Status Bar from your viewing area. To get it back, simply press the - key.

Messages: Quake II will talk to you from time to time. Some messages appear at the top of the screen. These are non-critical, and tell you that you’ve picked up an object, or you’ve died in an interesting fashion (multiplayer games). Certain messages will appear in the middle of the screen. These are always important, and you do not want to ignore them! Examples are "You Need the Red Key" or "Crouch Here," etc.

Field Computer: Press the F1 key to access the field computer. This details your unit location, your primary objective, secondary or current objective, kill ratio, goals completed, and number of secrets found. When your field computer receives an update an icon will appear at the bottom of the screen. Be sure to regularly check the computer for information on progressing to your next objective.

Console: Pressing the tilde key (~) will pull down the Console window. This is a special area that list all of the game messages, and allows you to give Quake II commands that cannot be given through the menu. For more information on the Console, please refer to the online manual.

Inventory: Press the Tab key to access your inventory. Use the bracket ([ ]) keys to move through the list. Your status information will update to show an image of the currently selected item. Pressthe Enter key to use a highlighted item or press the single quote key ( ‘ ) to drop an item. (Dropping items is only useful for multiplayer games.) Weapons and items are "readied" in this manner. For example, you can select or ready an item before engaging the enemy. Then at the appropriate time you can quickly use that item by pressing the Enter key.

Getting Around Stroggos

Walking: Use the four arrow keys or the mouse to walk around. To walk steadily forward, hold down the forward key (the up arrow or center button on the mouse). Turn left or right with the left or right arrow keys, or by sliding your mouse in the desired direction.

Running: To run, simply hold down the left Shift key to increase your speed. If you prefer to always run during the game, open the Main menu, then the Controls menu, and select Always Run.

Shooting: Tap the Ctrl key or the left mouse button to fire. Hold the shooting key down to keep firing.

Looking Up and Down: The letters A and Z allow you to look up and down, respectively. Start walking forward and your line of vision will automatically re-adjust to the center position. You may also choose to select Free Look under the Controls menu which will allow you to move the mouse around as if it was your head movement.

Swimming: While underwater, aim yourself in the direction you wish to go and press the forward key to go in that direction. Unfortunately, as in real life, you may lose your bearings while underwater. Use the jump key, normally the Space Bar, to kick straight up towards the surface. Once on the surface, tread water by holding down the jump key. To get out of the drink, swim toward the shore and you can either jump up onto the land or walk straight out if it is shallow enough. There is always a way out of water, but you may have to submerge even deeper in order to find it.

Ducking: Press and hold down the C key to duck and move forward to crawl. When you release the C key, you will return to an upright position. It is also possible to avoid rockets in this manner. You may notice some aliens have learned this trick.

Jumping: Tap the space bar to jump. You jump farther if you’re moving forward at the time or if you’re running. You jump higher if you’re moving up a slope.

Strafing: Hold down either Alt key while the left or right arrow key is pressed and you will side-step in that particular direction. This is perfect for avoiding incoming missiles, rockets, or gun blasts from enemy Strogg.

Picking Up Objects: To pick up items, weapons, and power-ups, simply walk over them. If you are unable to pick something up, it means you already have the maximum amount possible for that object.

Selecting Items in Inventory: Use the square bracket keys ([ ]) to cycle through items in your inventory. Press the Enter key to select a highlighted item.

Dropping Objects: To drop an item, tap the square bracket keys ([ ]) to scroll through your belongings. When the desired object is high- lighted, press the single quote ( ‘ ) key to drop it.

Giving Items to Other Marines: To give an item to another player simply select it from your inventory and press the ‘ key. The item will then be tossed out for anyone to pick up.

Talking: To communicate with other players in multiplayer, press the T key and type in your message. Press Enter when finished and your words will appear at the top of the screen. Look for a reply, unless your fellow troops have been disemboweled.

Dying

Each time you enter a level Quake II automatically saves the game. When you die, press the Enter key to pull up the Load Game menu. Select the first game name on that list to restart at the beginning of the last level you entered.

Multiplayer Games

To set up, run, or join a multiplayer game, use the Multiplayer option in the Main menu. The Quake II Multiplayer section in this manual contains details that may be useful in helping you run multiplayer network games.