Future of Quake.

[Captain n00by]

DooM and Wolfenstein got their fair share of attention, it seems now it's Quake's turn.

What we got so far:

- Quake Champions, a online multiplayer continuation of Quake Live/Quake III Arena

- Quake remaster by Night Dive, a very good remaster of the classic

- Quake II RTX, a remaster and tech-demo for RT capable cards

- Quake II remaster by Night Dive, also a very good remaster

So this begets the question for what's more in the store for this franchise:

- Quake reboot in the gritty, dark fantasy fashion of OG Quake?

- Quake V, a successor of Quake 4 with the Sci-Fi theme?

- Quake Wars re-release/remaster?

- Quake III Arena remaster?

- Quake 4 remaster?

Honestly, I'd be down to everything listed above, but we have to have more realistic expectations, so my guess is that there is going to be another "DooM 2016 like" single-player focused Quake reboot somewhere in the future and it might combine the dark fantasy of OG Quake with the Sci-Fi of Quake II.

Quake Wars re-release would be neat but it'd have to be a F2P title and QIIIA remaster would be nice too, although I think Quake Live already kinda fills that role.

But Quake 4 certainly deserves more attention, it wasn't half bad and a remaster could update it in a good way.


Thoughts?

[ULTRA]

I see "very good" remasters of Quake 3 and 4 and a "very good" reboot in the future, yes

[Captain n00by]

Originally posted by ULTRA:

I see "very good" remasters of Quake 3 and 4 and a "very good" reboot in the future, yes

However, while OG Quake and Quake II were in dire need for updates because they were running on the now very outdated builds ("GL Quake", "Win Quake" and a version of Quake II that was last updated in 1999 or so) which simply aren't suitable for modern hardware, Quake III Arena still runs pretty well on modern configurations, and even the MP part still works, it would needs just some resolution and aspect ratio fixes to fit modern wide-screens, and also Quake Live exists, which is basically a stand-alone upgrade of QIIIA with some changes.

I agree on Quake 4 though, it kind of warrants some more attention, updating it shouldn't be too hard considering it's still kinda a modern game, but it would really need improvements, the MP part underdelievered, but it's a solid template, while graphically, they could simply add some better lighting and some other eye-candy, so the end effect would be much like DooM 3 BFG was compared to OG DooM 3.

With Activision-Blizzard and Bethesda now being under MS' roof, there shouldn't be too much issue with licensing.

[Electric Cupcake]

Quake Champion and Quake Live aren't real Quake.

[GamerXT]

Quake Live is basically Quake 3 with censorship though ? How else isnt it real...

[Captain n00by]

Originally posted by Electric Cupcake:

Quake Champion and Quake Live aren't real Quake.

What is "real" or "fake" is down to the individual's perception, but outside of the "heroes" and "special abilities" novelity, Quake Champions is a traditional Quake game, gameplay-wise, and Quake Live is an update of Quake III Arena with some differences (e.g. no blood, some missing or modified maps, edited weapons, etc).

[Delabane]

For Quake and Quake II, other then fixing a few bugs and maybe chapters, what else can they realistically do with games that are 26+ years old? I think the remasters are excellent but how many people purchased these due to the remaster vs already owning? The multiplayer servers aren't exactly bursting with players like they were 24+ years ago.

There is little point doing DLC's are there are thousands of excellent maps and mods out there out there for free.

I won't comment on Quake III as I never played it.

Quake 4 I found ok, it wasn't bad but I only played it for the first time 5-6 years ago. Had I played it in 2005, I might have played it more and been more impressed. If it got remastered, I would probably play it.

Now as for doing a Quake reboot, it would have to be right. Doom 2016 was pretty good but felt a bit too console like. I would also like to see it return to it's Gothy roots as to just another alien shoot em up. I just don't want to be disappointed as I was with Duke Nukem 4 Ever.

[Thermal Lance]

Quake Wars deserves a second chance.

[BlackLizardPlanet]

I'd sure like some extra gameplay/balance upgrades for Quake I.
I'm thinking Copper for all the original campaigns + some expanded levels like with Darkplaces.

[Delabane]

Each Quake game was very different and there were only a couple of people who worked on all of them, therefore each game had a different team. If Quake is rebooted in the future, then it will be an entirely new team (plus Quake will probably be 30 years old by then).

[Jack Phoenix]

I'd love to see a reboot going back to the gothic / lovecraftian theme of the original game, it's still the best imo and nothing else came even close to it

[TROGDOR]

Originally posted by Jack of Black Phoenix:

I'd love to see a reboot going back to the gothic / lovecraftian theme of the original game, it's still the best imo and nothing else came even close to it

This is what I'd want to happen the most.

Since they've effectively established a Quake multiverse from Q3A onwards though, one alternative which I doubt would happen - but would love very much - is take the episodic multidimensional slipgate concept -and present a series of anthology campaigns each with a different character from the Quake roster within their respective origin story setting. Eg. A Turok-like setting for Hunter, a Cyberpunk (co-op-optional) campaign for Anarki & Slash, a Stroggoverse campaign for Major, Cthon campaign for Ranger .etc
+ have a Q3A/TA remake as the multiplayer.
Even keep the subtleties in movement ability differences from Quake Champions in there. It'd be great! like iD FPS Mario Kart!

I don't see either happening tbh, the 1st doesn't have sufficient mass appeal for the kind of production budget Bethesda tends to throw at things, and the 2nd one sounds pretty thematically scattershot & lacks a 'hook'. I see it happening after a successful reboot focused on one theme, (maybe as DLC expansions) not before. Might be a good product for Game Pass though. Keep them subscribers subbin. Make the ol episodic format of games make the sense it didn't 2005-2010.

[Captain n00by]

Originally posted by TROGDOR:

Originally posted by Jack of Black Phoenix:

I'd love to see a reboot going back to the gothic / lovecraftian theme of the original game, it's still the best imo and nothing else came even close to it

This is what I'd want to happen the most.

Since they've effectively established a Quake multiverse from Q3A onwards though, one alternative which I doubt would happen - but would love very much - is take the episodic multidimensional slipgate concept -and present a series of anthology campaigns each with a different character from the Quake roster within their respective origin story setting. Eg. A Turok-like setting for Hunter, a Cyberpunk (co-op-optional) campaign for Anarki & Slash, a Stroggoverse campaign for Major, Cthon campaign for Ranger .etc
+ have a Q3A/TA remake as the multiplayer.
Even keep the subtleties in movement ability differences from Quake Champions in there. It'd be great! like iD FPS Mario Kart!

I don't see either happening tbh, the 1st doesn't have sufficient mass appeal for the kind of production budget Bethesda tends to throw at things, and the 2nd one sounds pretty thematically scattershot & lacks a 'hook'. I see it happening after a successful reboot focused on one theme, (maybe as DLC expansions) not before. Might be a good product for Game Pass though. Keep them subscribers subbin. Make the ol episodic format of games make the sense it didn't 2005-2010.

That's a good idea, SP-oriented DLCs for Quake Champions would be interesting.

But I doubt it's gonna happen.

[TROGDOR]

Originally posted by Captain n00by:

Originally posted by TROGDOR:

This is what I'd want to happen the most.

Since they've effectively established a Quake multiverse from Q3A onwards though, one alternative which I doubt would happen - but would love very much - is take the episodic multidimensional slipgate concept -and present a series of anthology campaigns each with a different character from the Quake roster within their respective origin story setting. Eg. A Turok-like setting for Hunter, a Cyberpunk (co-op-optional) campaign for Anarki & Slash, a Stroggoverse campaign for Major, Cthon campaign for Ranger .etc
+ have a Q3A/TA remake as the multiplayer.
Even keep the subtleties in movement ability differences from Quake Champions in there. It'd be great! like iD FPS Mario Kart!

I don't see either happening tbh, the 1st doesn't have sufficient mass appeal for the kind of production budget Bethesda tends to throw at things, and the 2nd one sounds pretty thematically scattershot & lacks a 'hook'. I see it happening after a successful reboot focused on one theme, (maybe as DLC expansions) not before. Might be a good product for Game Pass though. Keep them subscribers subbin. Make the ol episodic format of games make the sense it didn't 2005-2010.

That's a good idea, SP-oriented DLCs for Quake Champions would be interesting.

But I doubt it's gonna happen.

QC as a game/product/service is a dead end for several reasons but one is being married to the Saber3D engine, it's middleware, not iDTech. It's riddled with issues & limitations that can't be fixed in-house, doesn't scale well to weaker/slower hardware, it doesn't seem like a good position to try & develop SP content on.

It's just baffling really, they don't even have a spectator mode. You can't have an objective view of other players' viewpoints, in a competitive shooter. Not even demo recordings - even Quake 1 had this! But you don't have basic features to a. spot cheaters or b. gain real insight into how other people are playing. Tribes Ascend had a similar problem, no functional spectator mode, just a disembodied 3d camera panning around the map, it was like watching ants! Nobody's showing up to watch that!

That and the game hasn't earned enough to pay for any further core development for years.

So yeah I think QC is a dead-end for a whole stack of reasons. Though absolutely have cosmetics transfer from QC into whatever the next game is if some of the roster is transferring. Don't burn the people who stuck around for 'that'.

I think having a SP hook will be what you need to get enough new people interested in the Quake IP to make a successful product anyway - and that's another reason it's gonna have to mean, new game. If nobody was interested in the base product, they aren't coming back for DLC.

[Defective Dopamine Pez Dispenser]

I think one possibility that could be interesting is a Quake game in name and in principle, but in reality a shared Idverse game.

I feel like they've been teasing that with Doom Eternal, the new Doom 64 content's tie-in directly to it, Quake's new episode, Quake II's new episode (which pretty firmly connects Quake I & II once and for all interdimensionally, though I know the multiplayer games already did that technically lore-wise, and even looks a lot like the Fortress Eternal in its hub,) the Wolfenstein connections, and the fact that there are rumblings of Quake being the next IP Id is going to revisit and try to refresh.

I think making a new Quake campaign that meets with contemporary expectations is a little tougher than making a new Doom or Wolfenstein, because with Doom you have the half scary half silly tone, and they were able to evolve it by adding verticality, speed, jumping, etc. Whereas Quake always already had those things. And Wolfenstein is just straight run and gun and has the appeal of its setting and particular baddies.

Conversely, for Quake, where's the hook? How does it truly differentiate itself from Doom Eternal if they make a new one? Outside of multiplayer, there's not a ton about Quake on the face of it that does anything different or necessarily appealing to modern audiences. The Quake II setting, while I love it personally, is pretty generic sci-fi in the eyes of anyone who hasn't played it probably. And Quake I, while again I love it personally, probably just feels a lot like a differently colored Doom with jumping to a lot of people.

But with the success of the new Wolfenstein and Doom games, if you make what is in principle a Quake game, but use its interdimensional slipgate premise to let it span the entire Id multiverse, then you might generate interest from casual audiences at a glance just by being a multiverse and having a ton of visual and thematic variety on display. You'd get to have all kinds of unique unpredictable level designs and themes.

You can have the Quake I Lovecraftian stuff, the Quake II Strogg stuff, the Doom stuff, the Wolfenstein stuff (I can very easily imagine the baddies in Wolfenstein experimenting with portal tech, maybe even tying into the Strogg somehow,) visit alternate timelines like Doom 3's or the Doom movie - pretty much nothing is off limits since it's already all about dimensional portals anyway. And we've already seen tons of levels and Easter eggs over the years from these IPs crossover into one another.

Story-wise you can ground it in trying to stop some sort of interdimensional evil that threatens the whole multiverse across time. Maybe the Strogg Maker and Kahn Maykyr are related or are both Vadrigar or something. Maybe the Quake dimensions and Hell dimensions have been at war in the past, similarly to Argent D'nur and Hell, and changed hands a few times (it helps that some of the levels in both games are highly reminiscent of one another in suspicious ways.)

And you could give players a choice of who they play as from across the Idverse too. Then that ties into multiplayer, since all those characters would be selectable in a way similar to Quake Champions too.

I would love it if they did this personally, though I know some purists might feel it infringes on what makes Quake Quake. But I mean... Quake is already at least four entirely different feeling things anyway. Quake I feels very little like Quake II, and the subsequent multiplayer-focused games all also feel quite different. And Quake IV is also its own thing, much like Doom 3 was to the rest of the Doom series.

So I think it's okay to let the next "Quake" game be a shared Idverse game but maybe with a 75% to 25% Quake vs other Id IPs ratio just so we can still call it Quake. And throw in massive, fast paced, quick to pick up multiplayer with maps and characters from all these IPs.

I think it would be fun personally and really bold of them to try it. And I'm sure if done well Microsoft would be pleased to have a shiny, fun, popular multiplayer universe on its hands.

[Delabane]

The biggest thing with Quake is its very nostalgic for mid 1990's gamers and at the time it did something new - a true 3D shooter. Doom and Duke Nukem 3D were 2D.5 Most games other then Half-Life 2, have not brought anything new the same way Quake did. Had they done Quake V 5 years ago on a VR headset, that would probably have been the modern equivalent but others beat them to it. So its going to be hard to do anything that has not been done.

Another thing that made Quake (and the original Doom/Doom 2) live for so long was the ability to create content, which I actually loved more then playing the game.