[GEC] Master Edition PSX Doom for the PlayStation. Beta 4 Released [11/16/2022]

Finally! Awesome to see this project is going further than just brainstorm.

I'd like to take "Gotcha!", "Downtown", "Industrial Zone", "Titan Manor", "Trapped on Titan", "Black Tower", "The Sewers",

Well, of course I can't work on all levels at the same time, at first place I'll do "Gotcha!", because this was the same first map I did for The Lost Levels TC.

BTW, will this project also include "Map 33" and "E1M10" maps?

Could someone post step by step instructions on how to use the tools? I did some basic texture replacement for Well of Souls and wanted to see if the map would run, I tried following along with the video but the game never loads after the PSX BIOs in Retro Arch with the Beetle core. I also tried running MAKE PSXDOOM CD2.bat with just the included files and that bin/cue has the same issue.

4 minutes ago, Dragonsbrethren said:

Could someone post step by step instructions on how to use the tools? I did some basic texture replacement for Well of Souls and wanted to see if the map would run, I tried following along with the video but the game never loads after the PSX BIOs in Retro Arch with the Beetle core. I also tried running MAKE PSXDOOM CD2.bat with just the included files and that bin/cue has the same issue.

This is how I do it and it works for me.

1. Edit your map
2. Put the WAD file where you have MAKEIMG and rename your WAD to MAP00, then run MAKEIMG
3. The resulting files, copy them to the folders they should go, the LCD file goes in SNDMAPS1, the rest in MAPDIR0, rename all of them from 00 to 01
4. Run MAKE PSXDOOM CD.bat
5. Copy the resulting PSXDIR.txt to CD\PSXDOOM\ABIN
6. Run PSXHAKIGN.exe
7. Run MAKE PSXDOOM CD.bat again
8. Run the image file

Then it should work. Although I'm using ePSXe, I don't know if RetroArch works.

Hmm, I missed steps 5-7, but even with those, I'm having the same issue with the game not running after the BIOs. Let me download ePSXe and give that a try real quick, rule out the emulator.

Edit: Ok, once I solved an issue with ePSXe crashing under Windows, I got the built image running! (For anyone else having the crash, set Options -> CPU overcloking to 1x)

Unfortunately, but not unexpectedly, I'm getting a memory allocation error trying to run the unaltered PC geometry. Any tips for getting a map into that 64kb limit or should I just tinker until it runs?

Edit 2: Merged a few vertices and swapped the Baron for another Hell Knight and it runs!

I ran into a fun new error, too:

we already have the ULTIMATE TC for the pc version...

so this is a mod to in a way convert that to the psx version?

1 hour ago, StalkerZHS said:

so this is a mod to in a way convert that to the psx version?

Exactly! No "imitations", the real thing.

3 hours ago, Dragonsbrethren said:

I ran into a fun new error, too:

Looks like PSX doesn't like this map with moving "water" platform.

It does look like the engine doesn't like animated moving sectors... :?

14 hours ago, Dragonsbrethren said:

Out of curiosity, what's the performance goal here? Some of the Final Doom (and even Ultimate Doom/Doom 2) maps ran at an abysmal framerate in places. Should we be aiming to keep things as close to the PC version as possible, in lieu of framerate optimizations, or do we have more leeway to get things running as good as possible on the PS1 hardware?

Keeping things as close to the PC versions as possible won't make it look that this was designed for the PS1 hardware. You can notice many differences between PC maps and PS1 maps, some of them were made to match up the PS1 hardware (e.g. some high ceilings were lowered due to some issues with textures, (issue that was fix in the PS1 version of Hexen) this issue cause an awful stretching to the textures)

So, our performance goal here is getting the missing maps that resemble the ones of the PSX version. You can keep a map that look like its PC counterpart if possible to the engine, but if there's an issue with some maps that you dislike, feel free to tell us that you want to modify little things of it.

For those who want to insert the LL maps, let me tell you that you can't (it's a joke)

Let me tell you you can check up the VRAM viewer to get more textures and flats included if possible, you can also make your LL map to look a little bit different to the TC counterpart. We want something cool for everyone. And same for those who wants to make a whole new map conversion.

Don't forget you can use any monster with Nightmare flag if you wish, and Use 3D as well if you want special effects as was shown in my brother's map New Hangar.

2 hours ago, Gerardo194 said:

For those who want to insert the LL maps, let me tell you that you can't (it's a joke)

Let me tell you you can check up the VRAM viewer to get more textures and flats included if possible, you can also make your LL map to look a little bit different to the TC counterpart. We want something cool for everyone. And same for those who wants to make a whole new map conversion.

Don't forget you can use any monster with Nightmare flag if you wish, and Use 3D as well if you want special effects as was shown in my brother's map New Hangar. 

I've started working with "Gotcha" map. I'm making it from sractch instead of using my previous map for TLL. BTW, I'm gonna really use this 3D effect (on Gotcha map already used for secret soulsphere on lava).

That's great my friend @DeXiaZ. put screenies when you can!!! And please use 3D effect. 

Glad to see you again!

Gotcha slot is yours now.

7 hours ago, DeXiaZ said:

Looks like PSX doesn't like this map with moving "water" platform.

It's actually the hallway with all the skull doors/switches. I managed to stop the error by walling it off, now I need to figure out what is causing it. Everything else runs fine without crashing, even that ridiculously deep canyon with the self-referencing sector bridge.

Glad you found the error. We might try to test this later as well to find out what's happening. That's why my brother said "welcome to Hell" 

Regarding the deep canyon, is there any textures issues???

Does Firesky consume more Vram than static sky picture?

Oh man, the PSX is a lot more limited than what I thought. There isn't much room for texture variety hehehe. It's really picky about texture alignment too! I try to align textures and they look all stretched and ugly in-game.

BTW, does "Multiplayer" flag means "Deathmatch" only? Not Co-Op?

5 minutes ago, DeXiaZ said:

BTW, does "Multiplayer" flag means "Deathmatch" only? Not Co-Op?

I suppose it's like Vanilla, where you get Deathmatch items on Co-Op as well. Hard to test, though. I don't know of any emulator that can do the serial link thing.

1 hour ago, Gerardo194 said:

Glad you found the error. We might try to test this later as well to find out what's happening. That's why my brother said "welcome to Hell" 

 

Regarding the deep canyon, is there any textures issues???

Just the horrid texture stretching. I copied the same sector height changes I made for the Lost Levels conversion of the map to fix that.

I seem to have discovered a new stretching issue with Lower Unpegged textures on floors that move down, though. I need to see if removing that flag fixes the texture.

Edit: Yep, removing Lower Unpegged fixed it.

39 minutes ago, DeXiaZ said:

Does Firesky consume more Vram than static sky picture?

Less, actually. IIRC, the fire sky is the size of a 64x128 texture in VRAM, versus 256x128.

Hm. Finished my map. Tried to pack it. Well, it's 164 kb instead of 64 kb. And when I'm try to run new ISO, I'm getting blank black screen.

Looks like PSX limitations are very limited, lol. Or I'm doing something wrong. BTW, used mini-tutorial by @CoTeCiO

2 minutes ago, DeXiaZ said:

Hm. Finished my map. Tried to pack it. Well, it's 164 kb instead of 64 kb. And when I'm try to run new ISO, I'm getting blank black screen.

 

Looks like PSX limitations are very limited, lol. Or I'm doing something wrong. BTW, used mini-tutorial by @CoTeCiO

Try troubleshooting by using a standard map from PSX Doom and see if the map is causing the problem. Otherwise, don't compress your map WAD before inserting it, at first I was doing that and the game would not run and stay in a black screen.

Without compression

P_SetupLevel: Map01 not found

Heh. I even thought it's because I've edited "Map20" at saved it as Map01.wad (Map20). Changed it to Map01.wad (Map01), nothing changed.

UPD:

With Compression:

OpenMapWAD: Invalid Map IWAD ID

Ran into that one myself: Change the map marker lump in the wad to MAP01.

Edit: Wait, sounds like you've already done this. I'm not sure what the issue is, then.

The Lower Unpegged flag seems to cause the lower texture to stretch if its height is greater than 128. Occurring on the moving floor was just a coincidence, I have other stretched textures later in the level.

A single sight-blocking wall fixed that hallway that was giving me trouble. It isn't even that gameplay-altering.

Animated textures/flats only animate if you use their 1 frame. Otherwise they're static and just waste VRAM space.

Gosh, this is EXTREMELY STUPID.

I've opened my converted map in Hex editor. Changed "PWAD" to "IWAD", and..."Map 01 not found".

Damn. I remember those old times when it helped me. Crap.

P.S.: Which f_sky is a FireSky?

1 minute ago, DeXiaZ said:

Gosh, this is EXTREMELY STUPID.

 

I've opened my converted map in Hex editor. Changed "PWAD" to "IWAD", and..."Map 01 not found".

 

Damn. I remember those old times when it helped me. Crap.

 

P.S.: Which f_sky is a FireSky?

Are you using the updated tools from the OP?

F_SKY09 is for the fire sky

1 hour ago, CoTeCiO said:

Are you using the updated tools from the OP?

Yes

1 hour ago, CoTeCiO said:

F_SKY09 is for the fire sky

Thanks!

This thread should have more technical info in the first post.

Overall, here are many details comes up, so PSXDoom mod for ZDoom is seems so unfaithful.

21 minutes ago, riderr3 said:

This thread should have more technical info in the first post.

Overall, here are many details comes up, so PSXDoom mod for ZDoom is seems so unfaithful.

Agreed. This is what I always wanted with the Lost Levels project. Even though I started from scratch, I'm happy to say this conversion and my original conversion of Well of Souls for the Lost Levels are pretty similar, it's just these little quirks of the engine I'm discovering.

Well, this is all unexplored territory. This is the first time there's a substantial project about making PSX Doom maps. I remember Kaiser doing some hacking, but nothing at the level of this. Maybe after this, it would be a good idea to revisit Lost Levels and modify the maps to reflect the limitations we're discovering now.

This is kind of hard, really puts into perspective how limited the resources were back then. We got spoiled by limit-removing and enhanced ports!! Hahaha!

1 hour ago, CoTeCiO said:

I remember Kaiser doing some hacking, but nothing at the level of this

Well, he did a Doom 64 hacking. Which is based on PSX Doom hacking ;)

1 hour ago, Dragonsbrethren said:

Even though I started from scratch, I'm happy to say this conversion and my original conversion of Well of Souls for the Lost Levels are pretty similar

Same to my Gotcha except it doesn't work xD

Anyway, it's kinda interesting to do the same mod again

Just now, DeXiaZ said:

Well, he did a Doom 64 hacking. Which is based on PSX Doom hacking ;)

Yeah! A lot of the mods done to the consoles, like the complete PC mapset on the 32X or the uncensored version of GBA Doom, are thanks to his contributions. Hell, even the PC sounds and HUD for PSX Doom thing I released yesterday was done by reading and using the resources he provided. Doom64 EX was an outstanding achievement! I honestly never expected to see such an accurate representation of Doom 64 on the PC and I'm beyond happy that happened. What I actually mean is making new maps for this port, I think he ported one map or something like that, but nothing beyond that. Also, some of these maps are really going to push (or are already pushing, actually) the limits of what PSX Doom can do.

Ow my gooosh!!

I am soooooo hyped now.... This is the first time seeing this project and I am so duper excited!

I so much always wanted to create map and play it on original PlayStation! I didn't knew this was possible at all!