Index: code/game/bg_lib.c
===================================================================
--- code/game/bg_lib.c	(revision 1489)
+++ code/game/bg_lib.c	(working copy)
@@ -1759,10 +1759,11 @@
 /* this is really crappy */
 int sscanf( const char *buffer, const char *fmt, ... ) {
 	int		cmd;
-	int		**arg;
+	va_list		ap;
 	int		count;
+	size_t		len;
 
-	arg = (int **)&fmt + 1;
+	va_start (ap, fmt);
 	count = 0;
 
 	while ( *fmt ) {
@@ -1771,22 +1772,40 @@
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		cmd = fmt[1];
-		fmt += 2;
+		fmt++;
+		cmd = *fmt;
 
+		if (isdigit (cmd)) {
+			len = (size_t)_atoi (&fmt);
+			cmd = *(fmt - 1);
+		} else {
+			len = MAX_STRING_CHARS - 1;
+			fmt++;
+		}
+
 		switch ( cmd ) {
 		case 'i':
 		case 'd':
 		case 'u':
-			**arg = _atoi( &buffer );
+			*(va_arg (ap, int *)) = _atoi( &buffer );
 			break;
 		case 'f':
-			*(float *)*arg = _atof( &buffer );
+			*(va_arg (ap, float *)) = _atof( &buffer );
 			break;
+		case 's':
+			{
+			char *s = va_arg (ap, char *);
+			while (isspace (*buffer))
+				buffer++;
+			while (*buffer && !isspace (*buffer) && len-- > 0 )
+				*s++ = *buffer++;
+			*s++ = '\0';
+			break;
+			}
 		}
-		arg++;
 	}
 
+	va_end (ap);
 	return count;
 }