How to play .pk3 files

I know how to load .wad files, but how do I load wads with .pk3 files? How do I use openGL?

You load them the same way you do with wad files. If it doesn't work, you're probably using the wrong source port.

For OpenGL, use just a source port written for it. It should be used as the default renderer.

There are three PK3 formats if I'm not mistaken:
- Doomsday
- Vavoom
- ZDoom (also used by GZDoom and Skulltag)

Check the mod's readme. They have different folder setup so they're not entirely compatible. They may work cross-port, but no guarantee.

For OpenGL:
- Doomsday is in OpenGL by default. I think it doesn't even have a software renderer, and its D3D renderer has been removed.
- Vavoom is in software by default, but you can change that in the launcher, if it accepts to work. (I had problems with it.) There's a command line switch, though (vavoom -opengl).
- ZDoom only has a software renderer, but you can use GZDoom instead, which has an OpenGL renderer and defaults to it. Alternatively, Skulltag lets you choose which renderer to use in its startup window.

Doomsday has a software rendering mode. Enter "-allowsoftware" on the command line.

But the odd's of it running at a remotely playable speed are likely very low. IIRC, it also can't actually be enabled if your computer has hardware rendering.

Create batch files and type in "zdoom doom2 -file […].PK3" or if you have wads and pk3s: "zdoom doom2 -file […].WAD […].WAD […].PK3 […].PK3".

Also: use GZDoom if you want to have opengl.

Deeforce said:

Create batch files and type in "zdoom doom2 -file […].PK3" or if you have wads and pk3s: "zdoom doom2 -file […].WAD […].WAD […].PK3 […].PK3".

Also: use GZDoom if you want to have opengl.

So deeforce how would I get batch files to load like this guy? doom.png I got the batch files to load, but I need gzdoom and the wad or pk3 file to be in the same folder.

Vermil said:

Doomsday has a software rendering mode. Enter "-allowsoftware" on the command line.

But the odd's of it running at a remotely playable speed are likely very low. IIRC, it also can't actually be enabled if your computer has hardware rendering.

Doomsday doesn't have a software renderer. -allowsoftware simply instructs it not to fail if no hardware acceleration is reported.

Batch files are just one method out of several that are possible.
This can tell you more.

tempun said:

Doomsday doesn't have a software renderer. -allowsoftware simply instructs it not to fail if no hardware acceleration is reported.

Quotes Doomsday Wiki: http://www.dengine.net/dew/index.php?title=Command_line_option_reference#-allowsoftware

-allowsoftware
Allow using the software renderer if no 3D hardware acceleration is detected (or reported by Windows)...blah blah...

I bet that Doomsday Wiki article uses incorrect terminology. With -allowsoftware the engine probably uses the Windoze built-in barebones OpenGL driver. Its feature set is very basic, so all advanced functions are performed via software (i.e. the load is on the CPU, not the GPU). The renderer is still OpenGL.
You can force glBoom-plus' OpenGL renderer to operate in the same mode by copying the Windoze opengl32.dll into the same directory as glBoom-plus.exe. I accidentally did that last year and was wondering for a while why glBoom-plus' framerate dropped into single digits.

That does sound feasible. The old Kickstart launcher's description of the command also states it run's 'the software renderer', but has it under the OpenGL options and also states that it doesn't affect Direct 3D.

Though, unlike glBoom-plus, Doomsday seemingly can't be forced to use the mode; if a suitable 3D card is found, Dday will use it whether or not one has added -allowsoftware to the command line.

I experienced the OpenGL software renderer a few graphics cards ago. It was about 1 fps at best. Of course, computers are faster nowadays, and some old games might be even at a playable rate with it now, but why bother when virtually every graphics chip set has hardware acceleration?

Vermil said:

That does sound feasible. The old Kickstart launcher's description of the command also states it run's 'the software renderer', but has it under the OpenGL options and also states that it doesn't affect Direct 3D.

Though, unlike glBoom-plus, Doomsday seemingly can't be forced to use the mode; if a suitable 3D card is found, Dday will use it whether or not one has added -allowsoftware to the command line.

The phrase "software renderer" usually means the Doom's own sowtware renderer; and you confuse it with a software implementation of OpenGL. The latter, AFAIK, is transparent to the application, but app can check wheter OpenGL is accelerated. But it it still OpenGL. Doomsday doesn't have a software renderer (I mean own).

In the Doom community, yes, "software renderer" does refer to a renderer that looks alot like Doom's original one. But outside it doesn't, hence Doomsday's use of the term is accurate.

I never saw any big problem with loading PK3 files, all I did was simple drag and drop, and if you wanted another wad I just hold ctrl click on then repeat the same process.
Click, Drag, Drop on .exe file, thats what I say and it's worked so far for me

Vermil said:

In the Doom community, yes, "software renderer" does refer to a renderer that looks alot like Doom's original one.

It has nothing to do with looks. Read: Software Renderer.