diff --git a/code/renderer_oa/tr_flares.c b/code/renderer_oa/tr_flares.c
index 530501a1..6aaf1202 100644
--- a/code/renderer_oa/tr_flares.c
+++ b/code/renderer_oa/tr_flares.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301  USA
 // tr_flares.c
 
 #include "tr_local.h"
+#include "../qcommon/cm_local.h"
 
 /*
 =============================================================================
@@ -348,6 +349,10 @@ FLARE BACK END
 */
 
 
+void CM_Trace( trace_t *results, const vec3_t start, const vec3_t end, vec3_t mins, vec3_t maxs,
+						  clipHandle_t model, const vec3_t origin, int brushmask, int capsule, sphere_t *sphere );
+
+
 /*
 ==================
 RB_TestFlareFast
@@ -355,7 +360,7 @@ RB_TestFlareFast
 faster simple one.
 ==================
 */
-static void RB_TestFlareFast( flare_t *f ) {
+static void RB_TestFlareFast( flare_t *f, int dotrace ) {
 	float			depth;
 	qboolean		visible;
 	float			fade;
@@ -367,8 +372,20 @@ static void RB_TestFlareFast( flare_t *f ) {
 		// doing a readpixels is as good as doing a glFinish(), so
 		// don't bother with another sync
 		glState.finishCalled = qfalse;
-	
-
+		if (f->type == 2) dotrace = 0; // sun cant trace
+		// leilei - do trace, then complain
+		if (dotrace){
+			trace_t  yeah;
+			CM_Trace( &yeah, f->origin, backEnd.or.viewOrigin, NULL, NULL, NULL, f->origin, 1, NULL, NULL );
+			if (yeah.fraction < 1){
+				visible = 0;
+			return;
+			}
+			else
+			{
+			visible = 1;
+			}
+		}
 
 	// leilei - delay hack, to speed up the renderer
 
@@ -433,7 +450,7 @@ static void RB_TestFlareFast( flare_t *f ) {
 RB_TestFlare
 ==================
 */
-static void RB_TestFlare( flare_t *f ) {
+static void RB_TestFlare( flare_t *f, int dotrace ) {
 	float			depth;
 	qboolean		visible;
 	float			fade;
@@ -445,6 +462,22 @@ static void RB_TestFlare( flare_t *f ) {
 		// doing a readpixels is as good as doing a glFinish(), so
 		// don't bother with another sync
 		glState.finishCalled = qfalse;
+		
+
+		if (f->type == 2) dotrace = 0; // sun cant trace
+		// leilei - do trace, then complain
+		if (dotrace){
+			trace_t  yeah;
+			CM_Trace( &yeah, f->origin, backEnd.or.viewOrigin, NULL, NULL, NULL, f->origin, 1, NULL, NULL );
+			if (yeah.fraction < 1){
+				visible = 0;
+			return;
+			}
+			else
+			{
+			visible = 1;
+			}
+		}
 
 		// read back the z buffer contents
 
@@ -486,6 +519,59 @@ static void RB_TestFlare( flare_t *f ) {
 	
 }
 
+static void RB_TestFlareTraceOnly( flare_t *f ) {
+	float			depth;
+	qboolean		visible;
+	float			fade;
+	float			screenZ;
+
+		backEnd.pc.c_flareTests++;
+	
+	
+		// doing a readpixels is as good as doing a glFinish(), so
+		// don't bother with another sync
+		glState.finishCalled = qfalse;
+
+		// read from a traceline 
+		trace_t  yeah;
+		CM_Trace( &yeah, f->origin, backEnd.or.viewOrigin, NULL, NULL, NULL, f->origin, 1, NULL, NULL );
+		if (yeah.fraction < 1){
+			visible = 0;
+		return;
+		}
+		else
+		{
+		visible = 1;
+		}
+	
+		if ( visible ) {
+			if ( !f->visible ) {
+				f->visible = qtrue;
+				f->fadeTime = backEnd.refdef.time - 1;
+		
+			}
+			{
+				fade = ( ( backEnd.refdef.time - f->fadeTime ) / 1000.0f ) * r_flareFade->value;
+			}
+		} else {
+			if ( f->visible ) {
+				f->visible = qfalse;
+				f->fadeTime = backEnd.refdef.time - 1;
+			}
+			fade = 1.0f - ( ( backEnd.refdef.time - f->fadeTime ) / 1000.0f ) * r_flareFade->value;
+		}
+	
+		if ( fade < 0 ) {
+			fade = 0;
+		}
+		if ( fade > 1 ) {
+			fade = 1;
+		}
+	
+		f->drawIntensity = fade;
+	
+}
+
 
 
 /*
@@ -1153,10 +1239,18 @@ void RB_RenderFlares (void) {
 		f->drawIntensity = 0;
 		if ( f->frameSceneNum == backEnd.viewParms.frameSceneNum
 			&& f->inPortal == backEnd.viewParms.isPortal ) {
-	if (r_flareQuality->integer > 1)		// leilei - flare quality test
-			RB_TestFlare( f );
+	if (r_flareQuality->integer > 4)		// highest flare quality - only frequent readpixels, no trace
+			RB_TestFlare( f, 0 );
+	else if (r_flareQuality->integer == 4)		// highest flare quality - frequent readpixels, trace
+			RB_TestFlare( f, 1 );
+	else if (r_flareQuality->integer == 3)		// highest flare quality - delayed readpixels, no trace
+			RB_TestFlareFast( f, 0 );
+	else if (r_flareQuality->integer == 2)		// highest flare quality - delayed readpixels, trace
+			RB_TestFlareFast( f, 1 );
+	else if (r_flareQuality->integer == 1)		// highest flare quality - no readpixels, trace
+			RB_TestFlareTraceOnly( f );
 		else
-			RB_TestFlareFast( f );
+			RB_TestFlareFast( f, 1 );
 
 			if ( f->drawIntensity ) {
 				draw = qtrue;
diff --git a/code/renderer_oa/tr_image.c b/code/renderer_oa/tr_image.c
index bc252446..a3c22d9e 100644
--- a/code/renderer_oa/tr_image.c
+++ b/code/renderer_oa/tr_image.c
@@ -806,52 +806,7 @@ lighting range
 */
 void R_LightScaleTexture (unsigned *in, int inwidth, int inheight, qboolean only_gamma )
 {
-	if ( only_gamma )
-	{
-		if ( !glConfig.deviceSupportsGamma )
-		{
-			int		i, c;
-			byte	*p;
-
-			p = (byte *)in;
-
-			c = inwidth*inheight;
-			for (i=0 ; i<c ; i++, p+=4)
-			{
-				p[0] = s_gammatable[p[0]];
-				p[1] = s_gammatable[p[1]];
-				p[2] = s_gammatable[p[2]];
-			}
-		}
-	}
-	else
-	{
-		int		i, c;
-		byte	*p;
-
-		p = (byte *)in;
-
-		c = inwidth*inheight;
-
-		if ( glConfig.deviceSupportsGamma )
-		{
-			for (i=0 ; i<c ; i++, p+=4)
-			{
-				p[0] = s_intensitytable[p[0]];
-				p[1] = s_intensitytable[p[1]];
-				p[2] = s_intensitytable[p[2]];
-			}
-		}
-		else
-		{
-			for (i=0 ; i<c ; i++, p+=4)
-			{
-				p[0] = s_gammatable[s_intensitytable[p[0]]];
-				p[1] = s_gammatable[s_intensitytable[p[1]]];
-				p[2] = s_gammatable[s_intensitytable[p[2]]];
-			}
-		}
-	}
+	return; // leilei - quake2 "gamma" code is obsolete here. breaks shaders
 }
 
 
@@ -1818,7 +1773,7 @@ static void Upload32( unsigned *data,
 		Com_Memcpy( scaledBuffer, data, width * height * 4 );
 	}
 
-	R_LightScaleTexture (scaledBuffer, scaled_width, scaled_height, !mipmap );
+	//R_LightScaleTexture (scaledBuffer, scaled_width, scaled_height, !mipmap );
 
 	*pUploadWidth = scaled_width;
 	*pUploadHeight = scaled_height;
@@ -2930,7 +2885,7 @@ void R_SetColorMappings( void ) {
 	}
 
 	for (i=0 ; i<256 ; i++) {
-		j = i * r_intensity->value;
+		j = i * 1;	// leilei - disable this because it breaks everything.
 		if (j > 255) {
 			j = 255;
 		}