It has been a long journey from the first release back in 2015 to the latest version 1.8 that came out a couple of months ago. What started as a small project to replace all hitscan weapons with projectiles eventually turned into a mod with new weapons to find, many monsters to fight and a large collection of maps to explore created by a small team of dedicated Quake fans.
Arcane Dimensions 1.42 was trying to be an alternative universe where Quake Ranger could explore giant maps and fight new monsters. With loads of updated models, a new code base and a more compact style of start map (portals were themed based on what lies beyond), AD was trying to feel like quake but different. There was also visual updates with particles, skyboxes and better lighting from the latest compilers and plenty of new game play features like breakables that monsters could use just as well as Ranger!
Eventually AD 1.50 came out with even bigger maps to explore and a brand new list of features for the community to find and enjoy. Each new map was a complete dimension, full of surprising events, nooks and crannies to explore and plenty of replayability with multiple routes and different setups.
After several years of releasing screenshots and gnashing of teeth with technical problems, AD 1.6/1.7 came out with the final last chapter map, the Forgotten Sepulcher. A map so complex and limit breaking that it initially required its own engine and special compiler tools to cope with all the new features.
With the Lost Chapters complete and only bugs remaining this was suppose to be the end of AD, however more features got added over time and more limit breaking maps were developed and eventually AD 1.8 was a thing worth releasing. Featuring new giant non linear maps to explore and a new special set of Castlevania style powerups to collect, hopefully more players will discover Arcane Dimensions.
You got my vote.
And mine! 😺
Thanks, much appreciated! :)
Congratulations on being part of this years Top 10. You totally deserved this.
Thank you very much, hopefully more people will want to try Quake modding after this exposure! :)
I'm probably stupid but I can't get this to run. I downloaded ezquake and tried to run it via a .lnk file with -game ad, but it says sv_error and quits.
I got a launcher (SQLauncher) that properly detects it, but then I end up on an ffa version of the q1 hub map :'( First time I actaully try to run a quake mod.. I own pak0.pak and pak01.pak of quake, they're in the ID folder..
Should I try a different port? Do you recomment one?
EZquake client is aimed at MP ONLY. I highly recommend you check the readme file included with the download. Full installation instructions and links to all supported clients are included.
I now found the info in the description of the file on moddb. Sorry :)
But the latest file doesn't seem to have installation instruction inside apart from "[...] Create a shortcut to your preferred Quake engine" so I figured any port would do.
Looking forward to playing this :)
When you download the zip file (ad_v1_80p1final.zip) and unzip it in a separate directory (usually AD) there should be 11 files. One of those files should be "ad_v1_80_readme.txt", this has full instructions of what to do with the MOD. Lines 48-75.
There should be 11 files; 2 editor files, 5 text files, 3 pak files and 1 quake.rc file.
1st of all - THANK you dear sir Simon. I am 40 years of age and YOU made a big part of this particular year truly happy. Played AD thru & thru. Impressive!!!
*My favourites, I think, are ad_swampy, ad_sepulcher & ad_grendel
The story is that I was born on 1980 and grew up on Wolf3D, Doom, Quake, Thief... but I didn't play any of them since than. BUT last year I found Wrath: Aeons and Dusk nearly simulteniously. Both of them brought me here. So it can be considered as a somewhat new wave of interest to old-fashioned style shooters. At least I see it this way, because I met A LOT of people who became aware of Quake modding due to being fascinated by Wrath & Dusk. I mean it's an interesting situation. And I think for quite some time Quake community will grow bigger. Since TrenchBroom exists and it is user-friendly for real... so. Hmm. What I was talking about? Ah! Yes. The question is do you guys know each other? I mean are you AD devs know any Wrath and Dusk devs? I've heard rumors some people from AD devs are Wrath devs now. Is it true?
Glad to hear you are back into Quake, I hope you get the chance to check out what the community has been up to all these years! The best place to start is Quaddicted.com
AD has been around a long time (2013+) and I don't have any connection to the Wrath or Dusk dev projects.
Thank you for your work Simonoc!.