New Quake III Point Release

[paulcs]

This one, I believe, changes the letter in the version number from "M" to "N."

http://209.39.91.193/files/quake3/q3pointrelease_116n.exe

It is also "Final" as opposed to beta.

Paul
paulcs@flashcom.net

[Rik]

Does THIS one still have the reversed-stereo-with-A3D problem, anyone?????!!!!!

[xortam]

Glad to see the final is here (didn't bother with the Beta). Guess I'll download it and give 'er a try. Now I'll be able to join the MGI Q3A server again . I'll be connecting in a short while if anybody's looking for an easy target ...

[Darin]

Ahhhh, so that's why I feel disoriented when using A3D! I just upgraded from am A3D1.0 to an A3D2.0 card, thinking I'd really like using that, and found that I didn't think sounds were coming from the right places. I'm glad to know it wasn't just me or my system!

[Rik]

Hey, Darin
Have you tries the new A3D 2048 drivers with your new card? They add reverb support to Quake III and it sounds superb. The trouble is it gives you a 30%+ performance hit, unless you type 's_geometry 0' in the console to use only positional sound with no wavetracing. This way the performance hit is less than 10%.

[bobby2]

Is an MX300 an A3D card? 1.0 or 2.0?

bert

[Darin]

Rik,
I just got the sound card a few weeks ago, and used the latest drivers that were posted around the beginning of February. I have since upgraded to some even newer A3D drivers that were posted this month. I've not really used A3D though, because my performance went from around 45 fps to around 38 fps (in demo001), and to me it was more disorienting. If the stereo is indeed reversed, that would certainly explain why! I didn't know about turning off wavetracing. I might try that to see what the perfromance hit is, and see if the stereo is fixed.

FYI, I'm using a C366 o/c'd to 490 (best I can get), and running Q3 @ 1024x768x16, biliniar, lightmap, medium geometry, & texture detail around 1/3. The speed of 45fps is with a vanilla 32m DH backed down to just below MAX speed. I just got this card... do these numbers seem right? I'm planning on upgraded to a pIII 600 (which should easily do 800), and figured once I got that I could up the geometry, add a3d and hopefully add 32bit color (though I'm probably fillrate limited there).

Bert,
An MX300 is an a3d card, and I'm 99% sure it's 2.0.

[Rik]

Darin -
Your Q3A framerate seems very good considering the resolution you use and the fact you don't have the PIII SSE instructions on the Celeron. If you want to hear A3D correctly in Q3A you might have to re-install it without any point release.
(Also, if you want a couple of good web sites for A3D info try www.3dss.com and www.vortexofsound.com)

[Darin]

Rik,
Thanks for the A3d sites! In case you haven't figured it out yet, the stereo is still screwed up. Are you saying it's an issue with the Q3 point release, and the only way A3d works right is without it installed?

FWIW, I have found a few postings in various places that acknowledge the reversed sound issue. I have found a couple of posts that suggest setting the stereo separation to -0.5 (default is .05) in the console. I have tried this, and it does fix the L & R issue, but it also eliminates any sound that should be coming from directly in front or in back (at least when I use it in 4 speaker mode). I guess A3d is just broke in Q3 for the time being. Since I can't really use it, I haven't tried disabling soundtracing yet.

Thanks for all the help.