Quake II

Quake II

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Developers
	id Software
Publishers
	Activision
Engines
	id Tech 2
Release dates
Windows	December 9, 1997
Mac OS (Classic)	1997

Quake
Quake	1996
Quake II	1997
Quake III Arena	1999
Quake 4	2005
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars	2007
Quake Live	2010
Quake II RTX	2019
Quake Enhanced	2021
Quake Champions	2022
Quake II Enhanced	2023

Key points

Engine is open source with modern multi-platform ports available; see Source Ports

Runs well on low-end hardware

Small but hardcore community^{[citation needed]}

Easy to mod

The Steam Version lacks the Soundtrack, but this can be fixed.

General information

Quake Wiki - A detailed wiki for every Quake game made.

Steam Community Discussions

Steam Users' Forums for game series

FAQ on Steam forums - A starting point for new Quake II players.

Func_Msgboard - The mapper hub, new map releases, technique improvements.

Availability

Source	DRM	Notes	Keys	OS
Steam		Does not come with the game soundtrack; see No Music Playback
GamersGate
Retail

This game can also be played on OS X and Linux using a source port.

Mission Pack: Ground Zero

Source	DRM	Notes	Keys	OS
Steam		Requires base game.

Mission Pack: The Reckoning

Source	DRM	Notes	Keys	OS
Steam		Requires base game.

Source Ports

Since the release of the 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.

• 3.24 - This is a simple patch that fixes bugs and adds certain things to the engine such as widescreen-support. Easy to install and use.
• Fruitz of Dojo Quake II - A Cocoa port of the engine, it allows Quake II to be played on modern Macs.
• KMQuake II - An enhanced source port. Allows for customization of textures, game interface etc.
• LWJake2 - A LWJGL-based source port focusing on compatibility and bugfixes.
• Quetoo - Another source port which adds support for Linux and FreeBSD. Only for people who know what they're doing.
• R1Q2 - Source port that focuses on the multiplayer aspect of the game.
• Ultimate Quake II Patch - Designed for the Steam version of Quake II but is also compatible with retail versions by changing the install path of the mod. Adds bug-fixes, improved graphics, enables mouse use in menus as well as music through software playback.
• Yamagi Quake II - An "enhanced client" focusing mainly on bug- and code-fixes.

Essential improvements

Patches

3.20. Latest official patch.

• ftp://ftp.idsoftware.com/idstuff/quake2/q2-3.20-x86-full.exe

3.24. Unofficial patch that focuses on bugfixes and minor tweaks.

• http://www.markshan.com/knightmare/

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

Template:Game data/rowTemplate:Game data/row

System	Location
Steam Play (Linux)	<Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/2320/pfx/

Save game data location

Template:Game data/rowTemplate:Game data/row

System	Location
Steam Play (Linux)	<Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/2320/pfx/

Save game cloud syncing

System	Native	Notes
Steam Cloud

Video settings

In-game general settings.

In-game graphics settings.

Anisotropic filtering (AF)

It is not built in, but forcing it through graphics drivers should work.

Anti-aliasing (AA)

The game doesn't have built in anti-aliasing but forcing it through your graphics control panel should work.

Vertical sync (Vsync)

The game is capped at 90 fps. To fix this, create a text-file in C:\Program Files (x86)\id Software\Quake2\baseq2\ then add the line cl_maxfps "120" (or whatever you want the maximum fps to be) and save it as autoexec.cfg. You can also force V-sync through graphics drivers control panel.

Audio settings

Localizations

Language	UI	Audio	Sub	Notes
English

Network

Multiplayer types

Type	Native	Players	Notes
LAN play		16
Online play		16

All official maps are designed for at most 16 players. However, dedicated servers can be set to have the max player limit at 256

Connection types

Type	Native	Notes
Matchmaking
Peer-to-peer
Dedicated
Self-hosting
Direct IP

Ports

Protocol	Port(s) and/or port range(s)
UDP	27910

Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) support status is unknown.

Issues fixed

No music playback

The music plays directly from the game-CD so the Steam version unfortunately lacks it. Try applying the Ultimate Quake II patch mentioned above.

If you prefer to use the original engine you can download the soundtrack from the Steam forums. Either burn a new CD from the image file or use a CD emulator like WinCDEmu to mount the image.

System requirements

Windows

Mac OS (Classic)

Windows
	Minimum	Recommended
Operating system (OS)	95, NT 4.0	98, ME, 2000, XP
Processor (CPU)	Pentium 90 MHz	Pentium 133 MHz
System memory (RAM)
Hard disk drive (HDD)	25 MB	400 MB