Quake Live Configuration Basics & Custom HUDs

It's time to configure your game! Having a configuration is extremely important to any PC gamer in any game. You must be comfortable while giving it all your best! This guide will be detailed on how you can configure your game to your style and gaming experience.

Introduction

If you have ever looked at Quake videos, possibly even Quake Live for that matter, you might have thought for a moment the game was a bit difficult. The game itself is not difficult, especially with Quake Live. Quake in retrospect has been a game where you have to find weapons and armor throughout the map. Quake Live on the other hand still has this system, but you do not have to find the weapons yourself. My personal opinion towards this does not matter, but I will state it is still a fun game all around.

Back on the subject of Quake Live, it is a very fun shooter that you can spend countless hours on but still enjoy it for what it has to offer. However, if you want to become good at the game, you're going to have to learn the mechanics of the game. There's a guide by a Steam user who goes by the name KovaaK that will introduce you more into the mechanics. If you're curious on reading the guide, you may find it by clicking on the hyperlink that is referenced below:

• Quake Live Beginner Guide By KovaaK

If you have already learned the basics of the game, you might find this guide useful. This guide will jump into configuring your game to your liking. Please keep in mind you do not have to follow this guide at all. A guide such as the one you're reading right now is only preference!

Prerequisites

• Notepad++

If you're on Windows, you're probably aware of the typical standard text editor on Windows. We've all used it before, but it's very plain. There is not that many options in Notepad, so a recommendation would be using Notepad++[notepad-plus-plus.org] to do your configuration editing on. There's hundreds of other reasons to use Notepad++, but they won't be described in this guide. While Notepad++ isn't required by any means, it does prove its usefulness when it comes to configuring files such as a Quake Live configuration file.

• Locations of Quake Live Configuration Files

Depending on your operating system, the Quake Live files will be somewhere on your computer. The following information below will give you information on where to find the Quake Live configuration files:

Steam

\Steam\SteamApps\common\Quake Live\<your steamID64>\baseq3

Standalone (Non-Steam Installs)

Windows Vista or Later:

%AppData%\..\LocalLow\id Software\quakelive\home\baseq3

Windows XP:

%appdata%\id Software\quakelive\home\baseq3

GNU/Linux:

~/.quakelive/quakelive/home/baseq3/

Mac OS X:

~/Library/Application\ Support/Quakelive/

How Do Configuration Files Work?

When you locate your Quake Live configuration folder, you'll find that there are two .CFG files. (These files are just regular plain-text configuration text files) They'll be the following highlighted files:


It is strongly not recommended to modify the highlighted configuration files above. The repconfig.cfg file is there to backup the key bindings and any preferences you've made to the game. The qzconfig.cfg is just there to save other preferences/settings that the repconfig.cfg file does not save.

If you do plan on actually editing those files in the above, please have backups of the configuration files before attempting to do so. If you're experienced on the other hand, then it's always good to have a backup just in case something does go wrong.

Which Configuration File Do I Modify?

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★ Please refer to the index titled How Do Configuration Files Work? before proceeding! ★
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There's no reason to have to modify three configuration files. This is why I'll show you how to create one configuration file that you can modify to your own personal liking. Lets get started!

• Opening Up The Console

Before we begin, we'll need to open up the console on Quake Live. What you will need to do before opening the console is to join a game on Quake Live. The game could be anything, but it's best to make your own game.

After you have done that, follow the instructions below in the image. If you're already aware on how to open up the console on Quake Live, then you can pass the image below.



After you have done that, you'll want to follow the instructions below to get in the process of having your own configuration file!

• Creating The Main Configuration FIles

1. Once the console is open, type in /writeconfig yourname.cfg and press enter. It should then say it's writing the configuration file.

2. Now go back to the location of where your configuration files are stored.

3. We'll now need to create another .CFG file. This step is quite easy. Simply follow the images below and you'll be on your way creating the other configuration file.





4. After you're done saving the file, you'll want to re-enter Quake Live and open the console again in-game. Now type /exec autoexec and press enter. You should now get a result similar to the one in the image below:

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Congratulations! You're now ready to be able to configure "yourname.cfg" now!

Configuring Your Config

Considering whomever is reading this guide is new to the game, it'd make your life easier by handing you a tool that can assist you on configuring your config. I've included a download link to the mirror on Google Drive to the tool. If you're having issues downloading the tool, please let me know and I'll re-mirror it.

Download:

• https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5mLVXUVCgPnLXB4Y2JDTjc0dDA/edit?usp=sharing

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★ If you're having issues running the file, it's likely that you do not have .NET Framework 3.5.
★ An official download for .NET Framework 3.5 can be found on Microsoft's site.
★ <Click Here To Download>[www.microsoft.com]
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When the zip is finished downloading, please extract the file. An example of extracting the file can be shown below:



Once the file has been extracted, you'll need to find the folder where it was extracted to and then open the folder. When you're in the folder, you'll see an executable titled "Quakelive Config Generator". Double click on it and it'll execute.



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★ Please pay attention to the text in the image below! It's important!
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After the file has been launched, you will see a plain looking GUI. It should look something like this:



The GUI should take you through the whole process of actually configuring your autoexec config. The program that i had linked goes through a lot more in-depth than the actual configuration in the actual Quake Live game. It's also a bit easier, at least i think so.

Once you're happy about your configuration in the GUI, you have two options:

1. Generating the config in the tool and then pasting it in your first config file that you had made. (yourname.cfg) Afterwards saving it.
   
2. Saving the file in the same directory where your other configuration files are, but changing the name in the tool from "autoexec" to "yourname" (ex: nasood)

You're all done from there! You've finished configuring your config!

What Are Custom HUDs?

If you have ever played a game such as Team Fortress 2 for example, you're probably well aware of what a custom HUD is. A HUD is nothing that gives you advantage in the game, but it does benefit you relaying information quickly. HUDs are personal preference, just like this whole guide is.

An example of a custom HUD and the normal in-game HUD can be found below:

• Default In-Game HUD

• Custom HUD

As you can see, there's quite a difference between both of them. All it comes down to is preference. Later on you'll read about how to install them and how to make your own, if that's your thing.

Installing Custom HUDs

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★ Please refer to the above index if you haven't already about custom HUDs! ★
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• Downloading Custom HUDs:

  • Custom HUDs for Quake Live[qlhud.net]

The hyperlink above is a website to download custom HUDs from. A screenshot of the site can be found below:



Once you have found your HUD on the website, click on the image of the HUD on the site and you'll be prompted to a page of its contents. It should look something like the image below:



Now, extract the zip that you downloaded from the site linked above. Before doing anything with those files that you see, please do the following steps below:

1. Go to your Quake Live folder.
   
2. Go into the folder that has your configuration files
   
3. Inside of the folder that has your configuration files, you'll want to create a subfolder titled "ui" without the " " (quotes) - It should look something like the photo below:
   
   

Now that you have created that folder, go into the previous folder that you had extracted with the .menu and .cfg file for the HUD. You'll now want to do the following in the screenshot below:

Wait, you're not done yet!

You have to then go back to your autoexec.cfg and add in the following:

cg_hudFiles “ui/hudname.cfg”

Your autoexec should then look something like this:



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Now you're done! Your custom HUD has been installed! (Hopefully)

Creating Your Own Custom HUD

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★ Please refer to the above index if you haven't already about installing custom HUDs! ★
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Unfortunately, I cannot provide much detail about this. Making your own on the site that will be given is fairly straight forward. Please refer to the above guides about installing the HUD that you make if you're lost.

• Custom HUD Generator Site:

  • Visual HUD: Quake Live online HUD generator[visualhud.pk69.com]
    
    (A screenshot of the site is below)
    
    

Extra Notes

If you're needing assistance on something, please let me know. I'm willing to walk you through an issue if you have one. If you follow this tutorial the way I laid it out, you shouldn't have any problems at all.

If you're on OS X or GNU/Linux, you may want to use something such as Wine[www.winehq.org] to run the application provided in the configuration tutorial. :)

Have fun playing Quake Live!

[PERHELION]

I have a problem with it. I created custom config file, all works fine, I can edit it and edits reflect in game ... However, now if I change and setting using settings in game and restart game those settings aren't saved. Is it normal, settings now can be changed only using custom config file?

[PERHELION]

Could you reupload tool that can assist you on configuring config file? ATM link is broken.

[some guy]

This is an old guide, and the visualhud link is broken so if someone wants, go to holysh1t.net/visualhud ... This is the only remaining working reupload.

[₱si₱o₩eꞄ^1Rs]

To make my config files all I do is open baseq3 folder and make a copy of the repconfig.cfg file and save then rename this somewhere safe because this is the default settings and modify the original file, this is the best guide on steam to explain what you need or want to change

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=315482318

[PuppyAngel127]

What about custom models/characters?

[Mr.Snappy]

can I create my own config file w/o entering the game and using the console?

[/\ngel]

@s7enl17o, try:
1. Disable Steam Cloud;
2. Delete the files you want/need(i.e. configs);
3. Verify game files' integrity;
4. Run and close the game;
5. Enable Steam Cloud;
6. Play.

[/\ngel]

Might be sad to accept, but all links are broken.

[s7enl17o]

Hi everyone =))
I forgot to copy the repconfig.cfg and qzconfig.cfg is there any chance I could reset them to the default?

[lemone]

GG WP, Windows says the generator is a virus