Fast Monsters: -fast not working for me

I know that to get fast monsters you use the -fast command. But where do you do this? namely on Steam (that's what I'm using). I tried typing it ingame (like a cheat) and doing it as a launch option in steam properties and neither works.

From the command line when you launch the game. You'll want to install a source port.

fraggle said:

From the command line when you launch the game. You'll want to install a source port.

Thanks. Ok I installed chocolate doom- but how do I get to the command line (sorry, I'm tech challenged)? I can launch the game by double clicking the .exe but no command line shows. I also tried using Run to point to the directory & then appended " -fast" to the end, and that didn't work (game launches but monsters aren't fast). Example D:\Downloads\chocolate-doom-2.2.1-win32\chocolate-doom -fast

if you're technically challenged you should 100% download GZDoom/ZDoom instead of one of the more 'technical' ports (e.g. ChocDoom/PrBoom+ etc.)

GZdoom
ZDoom

then if you are wanting to use fast you type in a text file (in the same dir as the .exe for g/zdoom & the doom2.wad file)

 gzdoom(or zdoom) -iwad doom2.wad -skill 4 -warp 4 -fast

then rename the .txt file as .bat and you double-click on it to start the game

this would give you doom2 map 4 on ultra-violence with -fast enabled

And that's why launchers were invented.

Asking someone who -by his own admission- is not tech-literate to use batch files is not much improvement over using the command line. Besides, with the default settings in Windows, you can't even see, let alone change, file extensions (assuming the concepts of a file, file name and file extension are understood, even).

If anything, I'm surprised that guide hasn't been extended with a section on a few of the most popular launchers, as a complete newbie will almost always need one to get started or to do anything beyond playing the basic IWADs.

hopefully he's reading the link fraggle posted up.

i am completely unfamiliar with launchers. my reasoning was if he follows those instructions he will be playing doom2 on -fast, but i concede that i have assumed a lot.

rehelekretep said:

i am completely unfamiliar with launchers.

Give ZDL a try. You might like it, and it is not limited to ZDoom-based ports.

koncreteklaw said:

I also tried using Run to point to the directory & then appended " -fast" to the end, and that didn't work (game launches but monsters aren't fast). Example D:\Downloads\chocolate-doom-2.2.1-win32\chocolate-doom -fast

This was close to be working, but you also needed to specify the map to be launched via -warp parameter, skipping the menu and loading the map immediately, because selecting "New Game" in the menu clears the effect of -fast. To specify skill level without a menu, use -skill parameter.

you could always open up cmd and type in this:
d:
cd d:\downloads\chocolate-doom-2.2.1-win32\chocolate-doom.exe -iwad doom2.wad -fast -skill 4 -warp 16

I find it fun to use.
BUT, that's why launchers such as ZDL exist.

Edit: forgot to mention. In Boom-based ports, such as PrBoom-Plus, you can type in the cheat TNTFAST ingame to toggle fast monsters on and off.

Voros said:

cd d:\downloads\chocolate-doom-2.2.1-win32\chocolate-doom.exe -iwad doom2.wad

I don't think that will work as intended.

koncreteklaw said:

Thanks. Ok I installed chocolate doom- but how do I get to the command line (sorry, I'm tech challenged)?

Yeah, unfortunately Chocolate Doom has been pretty much designed from the outset with the assumption that you know how to use the command line. Nowadays though that's increasingly uncommon. I've filed a bug to put together a short intro guide to help people who don't have this knowledge.

fraggle said:

I don't think that will work as intended.

Really? Then I suppose this:
d:
cd d:\downloads\chocolate-doom-2.2.1-win32\
chocolate-doom -iwad doom2.wad -fast -skill 4 -warp 16

Thanks everyone! Actually just ended up going with rehelekretep's .bat suggestion, but using chocolate doom (since I already had it):

rehelekretep said:

if you're technically challenged you should 100% download GZDoom/ZDoom instead of one of the more 'technical' ports (e.g. ChocDoom/PrBoom+ etc.)

GZdoom
ZDoom

then if you are wanting to use fast you type in a text file (in the same dir as the .exe for g/zdoom & the doom2.wad file)

 gzdoom(or zdoom) -iwad doom2.wad -skill 4 -warp 4 -fast

then rename the .txt file as .bat and you double-click on it to start the game

this would give you doom2 map 4 on ultra-violence with -fast enabled

And now I'm good to go :)

👌