The only reason they used it was to prevent the files being recognized as ZIPs by Windows so that double clicking doesn't open them. And since it is the best known alternative extension for ZIPs it might have stuck. I used it for GZDoom.pk3 for the exact same reason id did.Enjay wrote:It is curious that the files are often referred to as that. Everyone knows they are just renamed ZIP files and that PK3 is just the id software convention (presumably indicating they view it as the third incarnation of container files for their games that started with the quake PAK file) for the ZIPped resources shipped with Quake3 engined games. To me, they are logically tied in with Quake3. I don't see why the PK3 extension should have any relevance outside that engine.BlackFish wrote:pk3
But I have no idea why this name is so persistent. After all they still are ZIP files and not something different.
Good question.It just strikes me as a little odd that Doom ports and Doom players refer to them as PK3 files when they are not playing Q3. Especially when the same people refer to exactly the same format as a ZIP in all other circumstances.
With which you are negating the one reason the different extension was chosen,What's more, it's meant that I finally felt the need to set up an association for Winzip with the extension PK3.
That's the problem, isn't it? They just assume that as a game resource file it should be named .pk3 (why not pk4? It's the same content with a different name...)Not saying there shouldn't be support for the extension (especially as JDoom has it, so people will want to transfer resources I suspect). I'm just saying.