Oswald Rant: Wanted – Action Newbies

We have all been there during our gaming lifetime. At one time or another we have failed to double click on the ‘readme.txt’ file or read the FAQ, before asking questions. In the Action Community, new gamers to the scene, or “newbies” are usually frowned upon, because of the redundant, yet simple questions they want answers for. But for any mod to survive, there needs to be a continuous influx of new players. The popularity of Action Quake seems to have peaked and begun a slow downhill slide. This does not mean Action is dead, but for its continued survival, there needs to be new players introduced to spawn a new and continued interest.

I can remember reading a few posts on the “old” AQ2 message board, which were loosely considered rules to follow, before asking a question. First, check two pages back to make sure your question was not asked and previously answered. Second, before asking a question, go through the ‘readme.txt’ file and the FAQ on the Action Quake2 web site. If after that, your question is not answered, ask away. Well, like any newbie, I skipped those steps and decided to ask, “How do I create an alias for my sniper rifle?” For the entire thread, I did not hear the end of it, as references were made to the FAQ and the readme. No one even had the decency to give me a basic ‘sniper alias.’ I had learned my lesson, but was also a bit hesitant to post further messages on the board as I felt I was to be ridiculed. Time passed and Action grew and matured, message boards came and went, gamers too. But, for the most part many new action type mods and games were introduced, but many remained behind in continued support of Action Quake.

At some point, early on in my Action lifetime, I finally read the FAQ and readme.txt. Remember all those questions swirling around in your gray matter? A majority of them are REALLY answered in these files, all without embarrassing yourself, with those “damn newbie questions.” As I read and began to comprehend what I was doing, I even began creating my own binds, aliases and keyboard configurations to help myself understand how they worked and related to the game. This also allowed me to help others with basic configuration problems.

Back in August of this year, a “mega-pak” of Action Quake2 was released through the computer gaming magazine, PC Accelerator. Problems arose due to map authors not being contacted to give their permission to use their maps on a publicly released CD. I still feel this act which was approved by Suislide was done in good faith, with one reason in mind, to bring new Action Quake gamers into the community. With new lifeblood, there would be a renewed interest which would continue to drive and support the Action community. Unfortunately, his attempt was ill received and cause a turbulent week, one in which Suislide and Bartender said their final goodbyes and told the AQ2 masses they would no longer support the Action Quake mod. Their attention would focus on the up and coming Action Half Life.

What is the current state of Action Quake today? Well, Action is no longer in its prime, as mappers have moved on to work with new graphic engines, popular servers and begun to disappear and player support seems to be wanning. The driving force behind Action Quake now, is the continued creation of new maps. As long as there are new maps and ideas being attempted and released, Action will continue to survive. Look at id Software and the original, Quake, the game continues to flourish, thanks in part to the strong bond people have for the game and the support found throughout the community.

So for all those newbies who are making it to The 6th Floor for the first time, thanks for getting involved in the best modification available for Quake 2. There are also some good informational web sites will quench your thirst for Action. With your initial interest and continued support from current gamers, Action Quake will continue to survive, even in these days where “eye candy” is plentiful and systems requirements high for most all computer games. But please remember three things, read the FAQ, check the readme file and don’t be caught playing as ‘Suislide.”