Carmack on Operating Systems (1997)

6 months ago

Quake 2 will primarily use a DLL interface for extensions, with Java considered but unlikely due to tradeoffs.
Id Software prioritizes efficiency and debugging ease, focusing on making Quake 2 a better game than Quake 1.
A public release of the QC interface and interpreter code from Quake 1 will be offered for community modifications.
Win32 is the dominant platform for development and initial release, with Linux being second due to its hacker-friendly nature.
No DOS version will be developed; the benefits of modern OS features outweigh the effort to support DOS.
MacOS is technically disrespected but will receive professional ports, albeit delayed.
OS/2 and IRIX ports are low priority, but possible if a trusted party takes initiative.
BeOS and Plan9 were explored but deemed not advantageous enough over existing options.
NEXTSTEP is the preferred development environment, with hopes for future support in Rhapsody for game development.

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