emulator: vkQuake
type: standalone
core_classification: game_engine
source: "https://github.com/Novum/vkQuake"
upstream: "https://sourceforge.net/projects/quakespasm/"
profiled_date: "2026-10-23"
source_commit: "80ec4293066505fefc1714408abd887369185c74"
core_version: "1.37.1"
display_name: "Quake (vkQuake)"
cores: ["vkquake"]
systems: [quake]

notes: |
  Vulkan Quake engine derived from QuakeSpasm. VKQUAKE_VERSION 1.37,
  VKQUAKE_VER_PATCH 1 (Quake/quakever.h:37-41). GAMENAME = "id1"
  (Quake/quakedef.h:36).

  COM_InitFilesystem takes the base directory from -basedir, otherwise
  host_parms->basedir (Quake/common.c:3877-3881). Without -basedir, when
  that directory holds neither id1/pak0.pak nor QuakeEX.kpf, it looks for a
  Steam, GOG or Epic Games Store install of Quake or of the rerelease
  (Quake/common.c:3888-3895, 3159-3171). COM_AddGameDirectory
  opens <basedir>/<dir>/pak0.pak, pak1.pak, ... and stops at the first
  index that does not open (Quake/common.c:2882-2886). Right after
  id1/pak0.pak it mounts vkquake.pak, built from Misc/vq_pak and embedded
  in the binary (Quake/common.c:2898-2923). It carries default.cfg, menu
  pictures, a console background, crosshair images and entity fixes, no
  gfx.wad and no palette (Misc/vq_pak/vq_pak_contents.txt).

  gfx.wad and gfx/colormap.lmp come from id1/pak0.pak, and without either the
  engine stops with Sys_Error (Quake/wad.c:80-87, Quake/host.c:1415-1417).
  gfx/pop.lmp, present only in the registered id1/pak1.pak, sets the
  registered cvar (Quake/common.c:2023-2049).

  COM_LoadPackFile compares the file count (339) and the CRC of the pak
  directory against id1/pak0.pak v1.00, v1.01 and v1.06
  (Quake/common.c:58-61, 2773-2786). A mismatch only sets com_modified,
  the file is still mounted. With com_modified set and no gfx/pop.lmp the
  engine stops (Quake/common.c:2029-2035), so -game, -hipnotic and -rogue,
  whose paks differ from id1/pak0.pak, need the registered id1/pak1.pak.

  -rogue and -hipnotic add rogue/ and hipnotic/ after id1/
  (Quake/common.c:3948-3951). Batocera 43.1 runs
  `vkquake -basedir /userdata/roms/quake` and adds -hipnotic or -rogue
  from the ROM name (configgen generators/vkquake/vkquakeGenerator.py).

  Background music is streamed from <game>/music/trackNN.<ext>, ogg, opus,
  flac, mp3 and wav, when present (Quake/bgmusic.c:29, 321).

  Localized strings for the 2021 rerelease content are read from
  localization/loc_<language>.txt, falling back to loc_english.txt, first
  through the search path, then as a loose file in the base directory, then
  inside <basedir>/QuakeEX.kpf (Quake/common.c:4300-4302, 4322-4326,
  4612-4619).

files:
  - name: "pak0.pak"
    category: game_data
    system: quake
    path: "id1/pak0.pak"
    required: true
    source_ref: "Quake/common.c:2882-2886 (pak%i.pak loop), Quake/common.c:3937 (id1 by default), Quake/wad.c:80-87 (gfx.wad fatal)"
    note: "Shareware and registered Quake data, one file in both releases. Directory CRC compared to v1.00, v1.01, v1.06, but a mismatch does not refuse the file."

  - name: "pak1.pak"
    category: game_data
    system: quake
    path: "id1/pak1.pak"
    required: false
    source_ref: "Quake/common.c:2882-2886 (pak%i.pak loop), Quake/common.c:2023-2035 (gfx/pop.lmp, registered check)"
    note: "Registered episodes 2 to 4. Read only after pak0.pak opens. Needed by -hipnotic, -rogue and -game."
    unsourceable: "retail data the collection does not hold, and a same-named file of another game must not stand in"

  - name: "pak0.pak"
    category: game_data
    system: quake
    path: "hipnotic/pak0.pak"
    required: false
    source_ref: "Quake/common.c:3950-3951 (-hipnotic), Quake/common.c:2882-2886 (pak%i.pak loop)"
    note: "Scourge of Armagon data. Loaded with -hipnotic."
    unsourceable: "retail data the collection does not hold, and a same-named file of another game must not stand in"

  - name: "pak0.pak"
    category: game_data
    system: quake
    path: "rogue/pak0.pak"
    required: false
    source_ref: "Quake/common.c:3948-3949 (-rogue), Quake/common.c:2882-2886 (pak%i.pak loop)"
    note: "Dissolution of Eternity data. Loaded with -rogue."
    unsourceable: "retail data the collection does not hold, and a same-named file of another game must not stand in"

  - name: "QuakeEX.kpf"
    category: game_data
    system: quake
    path: "QuakeEX.kpf"
    required: false
    source_ref: "Quake/common.c:4322-4326 (localization fallback), Quake/common.c:3159-3171 (rerelease data directory test)"
    note: "Zip archive of the 2021 rerelease. Opened only for localization/loc_<language>.txt when no loose copy is found, and tested by the store detection to tell a rerelease folder."
    unsourceable: "retail data the collection does not hold"