How do I install Quake3e on Windows?

Download the latest binaries from the Releases section and copy them into your existing Quake III Arena installation directory, as the engine requires the original game assets to run.

Quake3e vs ioquake3: which is better for mods?

Quake3e builds on ioquake3 with enhanced QVM support and performance optimizations, making it superior for mod compatibility and modern hardware, though ioquake3 remains a stable base for simpler setups.

Does Quake3e support all Quake 3 mods like CPMA?

Yes, Quake3e is fully compatible with all existing Q3A mods due to its reworked QVM, ensuring that popular mods like CPMA and Defrag run without issues.

How to record video with ffmpeg in Quake3e?

Use the \video-pipe command to pipe video output to an external ffmpeg binary, enabling high-quality encoding with options for resolution and compression, as detailed in the README.

What are the system requirements for the Vulkan renderer?

Requires a GPU with Vulkan support; the README notes significant FPS increases on modern systems, but performance depends on hardware capabilities and settings like anisotropic filtering.

Can I build Quake3e from source on Linux?

Yes, follow the BUILD.md instructions for compiling with optional SDL2 backend support; it involves configuring renderers and platforms, which may require technical knowledge.

Quake3e

GPL-2.0Clatest

A modern, optimized Quake III Arena engine with Vulkan and OpenGL renderers, focused on performance, security, and mod compatibility.

GitHub

What is Quake3e?

Quake3e is a modern, open-source game engine for Quake III Arena that focuses on performance, security, and full compatibility with existing mods. It builds upon the ioquake3 codebase with significant optimizations, including high-performance Vulkan and OpenGL renderers, enhanced input handling, and improved memory management. The engine solves the problem of running classic Quake III Arena on modern hardware while maintaining support for the original game's extensive modding ecosystem.

Target Audience

Quake III Arena enthusiasts, mod developers, and server administrators who want a modernized, high-performance engine with full backward compatibility. This includes players seeking better graphics and performance on contemporary systems and modders requiring stable QVM support.

Value Proposition

Developers choose Quake3e for its combination of cutting-edge performance optimizations (like Vulkan support and per-pixel dynamic lighting) with strict backward compatibility for all existing Q3A mods. Its unique selling point is being a non-intrusive modernization that remains faithful to the original experience while offering significant security enhancements and raised system limits.

Overview

Improved Quake III Arena engine

Use Cases

Best For

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Running Quake III Arena with modern graphics APIs like Vulkan for significantly improved frame rates
Hosting Quake III Arena servers with enhanced DoS protection and reduced memory usage
Recording high-quality gameplay video using external ffmpeg integration via the \video-pipe command
Playing with large map collections (up to 20,000 maps per directory) due to raised filesystem limits
Developing or running Quake III Arena mods that require stable QVM (Quake Virtual Machine) support
Using raw mouse input and unlagged event processing for competitive gameplay

Not Ideal For

Game developers creating original titles from scratch, as Quake3e is tightly coupled to the Quake III Arena codebase and modding framework.
Casual players seeking a plug-and-play, standalone game client without needing to manage an existing Quake III installation or copy binaries.
Systems with only legacy OpenGL 1.1 hardware, where the optimized Vulkan renderer offers no benefits and the OpenGL2 renderer has poor performance.
Projects requiring extensive graphical overhauls beyond engine features, such as complete asset remakes or support for other game engines.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Cutting-Edge Renderers

Includes optimized Vulkan and OpenGL renderers with features like per-pixel dynamic lighting, bloom effects, and significant FPS increases—up to 200%+ compared to earlier versions, as noted in the README.

Enhanced Mod Compatibility

Reworked Quake Virtual Machine (QVM) ensures stability and full support for all existing Q3A mods, a core focus that maintains backward compatibility.

Modern Security & Performance

Improved server-side DoS protection and reduced memory usage make it ideal for hosting secure, efficient game servers, addressing common issues in older engines.

Flexible Video Recording

External ffmpeg integration via \video-pipe allows for high-quality, efficient screen capture with minimal performance impact, supporting features like arbitrary resolution rendering.

Cons

Requires Original Game Assets

Does not include game content; users must copy binaries into an existing Quake III Arena installation, which adds complexity and assumes ownership of the base game.

Legacy Renderer Limitations

The OpenGL2 renderer is described as 'performance is very poor on non-nvidia systems, unmaintained,' limiting options for users with older or incompatible hardware.

Niche Application

Exclusively designed for Quake III Arena, so it cannot be adapted for other games or general-purpose engine development, restricting its broader utility.

Frequently Asked Questions

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