Is r_lightmap a cheat?

[Amanieu]

Many people use the r_lightmap cvar to get a better visibility. Here are 2 screenshots, one has r_lightmap off and the other has it on:
http://azrael07.org/r_lightmap_0.jpg
http://azrael07.org/r_lightmap_1.jpg

Should this cvar be cheat-protected?

[Odin]

Yes.

[Demolution]

Isn't this feature supposed to help you run faster?

[David]

Isn't this feature supposed to help you run faster?

AFAIK, it has no effect at all, and is just for debugging maps.  As such, I vote cheat-protect.

[+ OPTIMUS +]

make it as an option for battlesuits or hs3 helmets. 3d scan view. :-)

[googles]

If you're going to lock lightmap, might as well lock r_gamma, and r_overBrightBits as well.

[Bomb]

r_lightmap can be used for cheating, but so can a lot of things. Like googles said, if you're going to lock that, you might as well lock the rest.

[David]

That's totally different.
lightmap has no use beyond debugging a map.  Gamma is needed due to the massive differences between screens.

[+ OPTIMUS +]

If you're going to lock lightmap, might as well lock r_gamma, and r_overBrightBits as well.

or showing weapon 1/0... such an abuse of getting more sight. however, i would forget about what kind of weapon i am actually using instantly...

[Archangel]

My aim is MUCH better with cg_drawgun 0, but I can't seem to get the hang of shotty like that. Weird, eh?

[+ OPTIMUS +]

it's because it's all about the hang of it.

[Kaleo]

I would be more worried about r_fullbright.

Looks like shit, but you can see everything.

[cactusfrog]

it gives you very little advantage plus it makes everything look like crap i would rather have the maps look descent then see a dretch better. 

[TBob]

If you're going to lock lightmap, might as well lock r_gamma, and r_overBrightBits as well.

Yeah, if you had the gamma at what most players set it at, I think the dretch would be more visible than with r_lightmap 1, cause c'mon, show me someone who plays nexus with r_gamma 1.

[Kaleo]

If you're going to lock lightmap, might as well lock r_gamma, and r_overBrightBits as well.

Yeah, if you had the gamma at what most players set it at, I think the dretch would be more visible than with r_lightmap 1, cause c'mon, show me someone who plays nexus with r_gamma 1.

I play all maps with r_gamma 1. It all depends on your monitor.

[seeeker]

ohi!

[Bissig]

Might as well lock monitor brightness controls ;-p

@Seeeker

Advanced Noobs don't fall for the hiding dretch anyways.

[Snake]

Well, it should keep as it is right now, optional, if someone can, everyone can so is your choise if you want to have r_lightmap 1 or not.

I vote that it shoulnt be  cheat protected because isnt a cheat, is more like more brightness for crappy PCs and a helpful tool for my MD

[Volt]

no, leave r_lightmap.
and googles right if you lock up r_lightmap
might as well get rid of weapons bindings and ev binding cuz they give you advantages as well.

[Lava Croft]

r_lightmap 1 has nothing to do with weapon binds. It should be cheat protected, just like cg_shadows 2 and cg_shadows 3.

Anyone saying it should not be cheat protected is probably someone who plays with r_lightmap 1, or someone who just found out he can do something else than r_gamma 5.

[jal]

If you're going to lock lightmap, might as well lock r_gamma, and r_overBrightBits as well.

and don't forget r_picmip!

[Eeeew Spiders]

I don't think r_lightmap should be a forum poll!
Either it is cheat protected, or it's not cheat protected.

[seeeker]

The poll is like going to a bar asking signatures for a petition to ban alcohol xD

[==Troy==]

Just a note, vertex illumenation completely changes the map lightning, in some cases to such extent that what is normally dark is actually nearlly fullbright. (but it does give you a nice fps gain)

[Lava Croft]

Just a note, vertex illumenation completely changes the map lightning, in some cases to such extent that what is normally dark is actually nearlly fullbright. (but it does give you a nice fps gain)

On the other hand, areas that are mildy dark with lightmaps, end up being pitchblack with vertex lighting.

[SlackerLinux]

it is a cheat just like r_fullbright and really should be locked

i dont use if for the fact that it does in some maps give an unfair advantage.

[Hellrider]

r_lightmap was not cheat protected since the first release (as it is not in the quake3 client i think) so people started to mess around with config and started using it (myself included).

If you think it is a sort of a cheat then we have been all potential cheaters (but nobody really cared about it untill the advent of real wallhacks or aimbots). In my opinion there is no reson to call someone a cheater because he took full advantage of the cvars the developers let him use (r_whatever).

If you think it might give someone too much an advantage, it's pointless to disable it in custom clients since in the "official" one you can still use it; you would only scare away from your client people who actually use r_whatever cvars (yes, i am included, and there are plenty of others).


I don't really believe people who shout that they never used/use it in game, since:
1) after all we are not so honest, expecially behind a monitor on the internet
2) i can't check in any way if you are actually saying the truth or you are making fun of me 


It's ok to discuss about it being a cheat or not, but untill developers decide to enable/disable it in tremulous 1.2 i'll stick with r_lightmap enabled.


Guess what? if devs decide to disable it in next release, i think we will soon see a custom client with it enabled 

EDIT: typo.

[gimhael]

I think to have equal chances for all players, all maps should be changed so that they only have plain white textures. That would reduze the download size of the maps too.

[KamikOzzy]

This should not be cheat protected.

I used to play on a crappy PC, and needed low quality settings to run Trem smoothly. For some reason, with low quality I couldn't see at all in some areas (the example I remember the most is the window room in niveus, up in the ceiling it was pitch black.)

Now I play on high quality all the time, and I can see anywhere just fine, but for the players with crappy comps, I say leave it available.

As for seeker's pic: the gamma in the first half of that .gif is a lot lower than what I play with, and there's no way a dretch could hide there unnoticed with my (r_lightmap 0) settings.

When I was recording demos they turned out dark. I tried setting r_gamma higher but I believe it is capped at 3. Like I said I have no problems with visibility now, and I've never been a user of lightmap so I'd just like to represent at least one person who doesn't use it, but thinks it is okay to use it.

There may be few similarities between this and binds, but this is a purely visual aid. In fact, it reminds me alot of the alien crosshair debate we all had not so long ago. That too, is a purely visual, yet non-standard aid in gameplay.

Tl;dr version: I'm not going to hide in a place that isn't covered by a wall or some other obstacle, are you guys? If so: you're retarded. If not: this "cheat" really doesn't hurt you at all, so try not to be upset about what others may gain from it.

[Lava Croft]

I think to have equal chances for all players, all maps should be changed so that they only have plain white textures. That would reduze the download size of the maps too.

In addition to that, do not compile any lighting information at all, that will make the mappers so happy! No more 1-hour compiles, unless your map sucks!