🚀 go-pugleaf

I think that a fantastic way to handle Quake's programmability would be to make
it an option to have differences between individuals.  Allow me to elaborate.

In Doom et al, all players must share the same WAD and PWADS.  They must also
play with the same version of Doom etc.  So essentially, all players end up
playing with exactly the same weapons.

What would be interesting is if this continuity did not have to exist.  Quake
would be an excellent platform for this since it is to be so modifiable.  Each
player could (if they so choose) program their own weapons.  Naturally there
are limits.  Id could try to ensure that every bonus that a weapon had (range,
damage, speed) had a drawback (speed, range, damage).  That would help to keep
things somewhat even.

Realistically though, this would be too hard to moderate.  I'll be happy if we
will be able to program AI with enough freedom that we can challenge our
programming skills and our minds the ultimate test of which would be to pit
our brainchildren (from hell) against a human opponent. 

This would open up a whole new dimension of competition.  Several players could
be given the same level design as well as guidelines as to the number of
creatures to be contained in that level.  It would then be up to the players
to program the creatures in terms of their behavior and positioning.  The
resulting populated levels could then be playtested by  each of the other players
to see who has succeeded in making the most intelligent players.

Rob Vanden Heuvel