ZDoom Stuffage

The ZDoom homepage was updated with the following:

Did I mention I had been struck by feature creep? I just added mirrors to ZDoom. I'm also considering adding sky boxes, since they are functionally very similar to mirrors. Maybe I will be able to stop myself and actually finish what I originally had planned for 1.23 so that I can release it...

I've also sped up the drawing of floors and ceilings and made them more accurate. (e.g. Blinking lights no longer "shake" sectors.)

As for the decals I hinted at on the first of the month, there are two types: automatically generated ones and decals placed by the level author. Automatic decals include bullet holes, scorch marks from explosions, and blood splats. (At present, I only have the bullet hole graphics done, so those are the only automatic decals that are actually implemented yet.)

Decals? Mirrors? Skyboxes? Am I the only one who hasn't heard of any of this stuff going to be in ZDoom before?

when will this updated version be released?

... is that it'll still be faster than Doom Legacy when Legacy is running in software mode. :)

Not trying to bash a port here. Just stating the obvious.

Oh, and ZDoom has better memory management than Legacy too.

I'm so excited to load ZDoom 1.23!!!!
I can't hardly wait for that !!!!

ghgsbgh6thyjawheFRQRTQGGTE!!!!! (joke)

Make it faster Randy ! I need it !
Well we need it.
:)

Can anyone explain what Skyboxes are?

AFAIK, skyboxes are used in Quake-engine games, and are basically a big box with a sky texture (hence the name skybox, heh). It consists of a bunch of different "sky" textures... one for each side of the box and one for the top and bottom. This would help a lot in ZDoom because you wouldn't have to turn on the stretch skies option (which doesn't look that good with the normal Doom skies).

All this info and not one mention on how he pronounces zdoom :)

I prefer the Unreal skyboxes than anything else. They are so incredibly pretty, that you can just stare up at them for about an hour and not get bored by the pretty clouds rolling by.

PLEASE make them as good as Unreal! =(

Presumably he pronounces it zee-doom, as Americans are inclined to do. Damn Americans, corrupting our language! :)

Bullet holes and blood splats on walls, hmm? This does *not* sound like doom to me. I hope it's an optional feature, and not something that happens by default. It might be good for some wads, but I think the majority won't work well with them.

As for mirrors, it sounds a bit foreign for doom as well, but it doesn't especially bother me. I just hope it doesn't become a big thing. One or two wads with mirrors will be interesting, but don't swamp us with them. I won't be the only one to get sick of them fast.

Triad, I don't think any of the Quake engine games use skyboxes, the first game to do so was Unreal I. Quake engine games use polar mapped skys, which is why the first Quake games skys look blobby and like jelly whenever you look up or down.

Incidently, Confusion is right. It's ZedDoom, no matter what the trans-Atlantic types may think (er, that means Americans, I think!) :D

The bullet holes and blood stains in Legacy look great with any WAD. There's no reason to assume they won't in ZDoom as well. Add to the interactivity.

Is that they are ALL drawn.

For example, say you plasma a wall for a few seconds. ALL THE plasma damage is drawn at that single spot. Whenever you look at that wall the game slows down horrendously. Don't tell me you've never experienced THAT. :)

That's a valid point. Of course they are ways to work around it. I'm sure Randy has done so. If not, then let's hope that we can turn it off. Either that, or just don't stand around staring at shot walls.

Personally, I like the idea of decals and mirrors. Never done much with skyboxes, but if it helps the look of the skies... put it in. I hope you can attach mirrors to translucent walls and floors... Always wanted to do that... Great water and glass effects. Also, a note to the purists: You're right. ZDoom is not especially doom-ish; but I'm a game developer first, then a doomer. I like it. (Saying any more than that is just digging up an old debate that won't die.) Now just release it soon, okay??

I think when Randy puts in the decal-feature, me might just as well put in spray-logos just like in Half-Life. Go for it Randy :)

And about this Zee-Doom, Zed-Doom debate:
screw it, the ports good! what's a name?