Configuring version 3.20 (widescreen and no mouse accel)

In case you want to play the original game version. Note: I'm not making any recommendations on whether you should or should not use a patch or source port. This simply shows how to play the original 3.20 version comfortably, only modifying 2 unsigned integers of the exe.

Define a custom resolution

Requires a very basic knowledge of how to operate a hex editor. (if there's a demand I could also demonstrate basic operations of a hex editor = byte editor using hex format.)

Unfortunately resolutions were hard-coded into the exe. However using a hex editor such as http://mh-nexus.de/en/hxd/ this is not a problem. What you can do is change what the resolution of the 1600x1200 selection (gl_mode 9) actually is.

Quake2.exe version 3.20 hex offsets
at 54464 is the horizontal resolution (4 byte unsigned int, little endian)
at 54468 is the vertical resolution (4 byte unsigned int, little endian)

Click start then enter calc in the box. In calc click view->programmer.

Let's say you want 1920 horizontal resolution. Click dec radio button and type in 1920. Then click hex radio button you'll see 780, pad zeros on the left to make 4 bytes 00000780. This is big endian. Swap the order of the bytes to make it little endian: 80070000. Now enter 80070000 at 54464.

Let's say you want 1080 vertical resoultion. Click dec radio button and type in 1080. Then click hex radio button you'll see 438, pad zeros on the left to make 4 bytes 00000438. This is big endian. Swap the order of the bytes to make it little endian: 38040000. Now enter 38040000 at 54468.

Save it.

Now in the game select 1600x1200, and whala, it is actually 1920x1080!

4K 3840x2160
Dec -> Hex Big Endian -> Hex Little Endian
3840 -> 00000F00 -> 000F0000
2160 -> 00000870 -> 70080000

NOTE: for some reason it only displays correctly on Full Screen mode, not windowed mode. (can switch modes by pressing alt-enter.) If you have a hybrid graphics laptop be sure quake 2 uses Nvidia graphics, not Intel (though you might see diagonal tear line as in Google Earth when using nvidia.)

Disabling Mouse Acceleration

For a background on the problem check the replys I made on this post:
http://steamcommunity.com/app/2320/discussions/0/864959336738934589/

Long story short: Quake1 and Quake2 both force Windows mouse acceleration even if you have it disabled in your Windows settings! To rectify make your mouse acceleration curve linear by following the instructions here (for Windows 7 & 8) http://www.esreality.com/?a=post&id=1846538

For Windows 10, it would appear that maxing 'pointer speed' and checking 'enhance pointer position' is a way to make the 'curve' linear. If you lower the speed it develops a curve (test by seeing how far the pointer travels for an inch of travel of the mouse, at various speeds.)

See gun with wide FOV

For some reason displaying the gun with wide fovs is disabled in 3.20.

file: cl_ents.c
function: CL_AddViewWeapon
// don't draw gun if in wide angle view
if (ps->fov > 90)
return;

One way to fix this problem is to find out where that 90 is compiled to in the exe, then change it to say 179. I have now found it, it is at address 47b00. Change 47b00 to 00 00 33 43. This is how float32 179 looks like in memory, little endian order. Now you can see your gun up to fov 179!

It's very dark in many places

I play with my monitor with low brightness, which is fine most of the time. However Quake 2 by default is just too dark! Increasing brightness in the game menu simply oversaturates. Try entering vid_gamma 1 then gl_modulate 3 then intensity 2 then vid_restart in the console. Expiriment with gl_modulate values followed by vid_restart till it looks good.

Regarding the video menu: no for 8bit textures (use 16bit.) yes for sync every frame (no tearing.) Max texture quality slider (not sure what var this affects.)

[QWEEDDY2]

Thanks!

[Hyper Sonic]

I don't know how it's compiled either. I found it by going through everywhere in the exe that has the value 90 in float32 (there weren't all that many) then by trial and error I found out which was the one that affected gun model FOV. Just need to use a HEX editor on the exe and change 4 byte values starting at address 47b00 hex.

[A. A. Grimm <3]

I dont understand the fov instructions. How do i see whats "compiled" in the exe?

[Hyper Sonic]

I'm glad you've fuond it useful! I'm not sure how to alter mouse accel to linear in Windows 10 though, perhaps the same as 7 & 8.

[DCC]

Thanks, it was quite useful

[250hz]

Thanks :)