How do I use modern FPS controls in PrBoom?!

I don't need Mouselook as such, and I've got WASD sorted, but how the hell do I bind the right-mouse button to Use? I can only figure out how to do it with double-click, but then the right mouse button is strafe too!

Basically, I want the right-mouse button to be use and the left mouse button to be fire. Is there a way to do that - like you can in Chocolate Doom? I really don't want to use the arrow keys as I find it unplayable. Thanks in advance for help.

I think you can't do that, as PrBoom behaves like Doom and Boom do. PrBoom+ does have such an option, however:

Options, general (3rd screen), dbl-click as use use: no

I tried that - and the use button was disabled altogether!!

And they have the same button to double-click for use as FORWARD!

Hmm, yeah, I can confirm it's messed up...

I hadn't ever tried it because I'm used to leaving the double-click functionality. Heh, I even reintroduce it in ZDoom engines with alias and bind.

I even tried compiling my own version, but no luck.

PrBoom would be perfect if it weren't for this.

The use on mouse used to bother me too, but it's pretty easy to get used to using something else for use, such as space.

Nowadays when I fire up ZDoom after playing prBoom+ for a while I end up jumping in front of doors and switches because I'm pressing space instinctively. :(

Yeah, it isn't ideal but I bind strafe to the right mouse so double clinking to use is less intrusive most of the time.

Of course I would like single click use on the middle (or right) mouse button as I have in nearly all other modern games. This is partly why I'm trying to switch my primary engine from PrBoom-Plus to the Eternity Engine since the Eternity Engine, Doomsday, Odamex, ZDoom et la and EVEN Chocolate Doom now allow 'single click use' to be bound to the middle or right mouse buttons while also allowing the unbinding of Forward and Strafe.

Then again EE still doesn't use the 'run' button for walk when always run is on but neither does Chocolate Doom and I doubt it ever will. Although I was totally surprised by Chocolate Doom adding weapons, 'single click use' and most any other bind one could want even beyond PrBoom... Well, short of Boom's quick 180 turn which Chocolate Doom doesn't support.

[soapbox]

I think controls are a barrier to the game world and should be universally customizable to fit as many people as possible to level the in game playing field. So it's less about who can grope the controller and more about who can actually play best with the in game mechanics.

[/soapbox]

I personally use a key (Control, pressed with the palm of my hand) for use, but also leave right button the double-click to do it. If it were to fail on some engines or games, it's irrelevant, because it's a secondary input setting.

HackNeyed said:
I think controls are a barrier to the game world and should be universally customizable to fit as many people as possible to level the in game playing field. So it's less about who can grope the controller and more about who can actually play best with the in game mechanics.

I'll adapt to any game that is good enough for me to bother spending considerable time with. Otherwise I'm be making it impossible for myself to use it fully. Hence, I use a setup that is universal for DOOM, from the vanilla engine to source ports, and relatively good for practically any FPS. If I were more of a fan of other games, perhaps I'd have problems with some engines that run DOOM, but that's not the case.

Well, I suppose I could use E, like in Half-life.

myk said:

I'll adapt to any game that is good enough for me to bother spending considerable time with.

As do I, however, I'd rather spend that time playing the great game then adapting to it and then readapting to the ones I come back to again. I too will tailor my overall setup for the widest array and make minor exceptions when necessary. That's what I find so great about PC gaming and why I feel PrBoom(-Plus) is falling behind the times, especially now when even Chocolate Doom allows it. Though I understand the authors may have differences in their goals for the engines.

[soapbox]

Sure back in Super Mario Bros or Mega Man there were only 2 buttons that really mattered and that is what I and many others grew up with and learned. Well, many years ago a Mega Man compilation was released for all major consoles, PS2, GameCube, XBox and you couldn't remap the controls, but, why would you need to? Except for the fact that one of them had the buttons reversed... Needless to say it was practically unplayable! Sure one could adapt but why? Even overlooking the psychological adjustment it was physically harder and uncomfortable to roll the thumb backwards to jump and shoot. Why? Why did Resident Evil: CV on the Dreamcast also have the Run and Use/Fire buttons swapped to again be physically harder and uncomfortable to roll the thumb backwards... Sure I adjusted, but why?

[/soapbox]

I know you and I have been over this before and we see "controls" as something fundimentally different. Where I see a barrier in our world to the game world you see an extension of the game world into our own. Where I am only intrested in the 'in game' mechanics of interaction you are interested in the overall game experience down to the mechanics of interaction with the game itself. I do believe we both have a purist or classic affinity. For instance I've stuck with PrBoom for it's mix of classic bug and behavioral compatability levels and it's more modern ease of use features. As I'm sure you enjoy as well along with the DOS engines. I just draw a slightly smaller circle for what I am willing to deal with or enjoy.

Of course one day VR games will be fully mind controlled and even though I'll have died long ago my ghost may step from it's soapbox. :)

HackNeyed said:
I know you and I have been over this before and we see "controls" as something fundimentally different.

I'm not interested in that previous discussion, especially as what I'm saying here is different. It may be related, but I think this is better than what I may have said then. Especially because it is more essential that those previous statements.

That's what I find so great about PC gaming

In short, I find DOOM to be what's particularly great about PC gaming, and thus wouldn't like to hinder that with other secondary stuff. Like I said, if these ports that retain the vanilla functionality of the mouse are "behind the times" to one, one can't play with them properly.

I'm not saying I wouldn't play any other games, but it's going to be DOOM that dictates my primary settings in general, at least for FPS games, because it's my favorite.

myk said:

Like I said, if these ports that retain the vanilla functionality of the mouse are "behind the times" to one, one can't play with them properly.

Exactly!

I guess it doesn't matter since there are other engines and ZDoom seems to be the catch all anyway.

myk said:

I'm not saying I wouldn't play any other games, but it's going to be DOOM that dictates my primary settings in general, at least for FPS games, because it's my favorite.

Doom is my favorite as well and PrBoom is Doom to me and it still gets updates so I'm hoping it'll 'catch up' for those who care (and might only be me). DOOM.exe may be Doom enough for some and ZDoom may be Doom enough for others and that's all well and good for them. The rest probably adapt more or move. I've tried the former and I intend to try the latter.

Anyway, I'm glad Nixot found something that works for him.

Jodwin said:

Nowadays when I fire up ZDoom after playing prBoom+ for a while I end up jumping in front of doors and switches because I'm pressing space instinctively. :(

GRR! I tried to open a door with E in ZDoom! **

myk said:

In short, I find DOOM to be what's particularly great about PC gaming, and thus wouldn't like to hinder that with other secondary stuff. Like I said, if these ports that retain the vanilla functionality of the mouse are "behind the times" to one, one can't play with them properly.

Don't you think that this attitude is a bit arrogant?

Don't forget that many players never played these old first generation FPSs with a mouse!

The first game I ever used a mouse for was Quake so the end result was that I just couldn't play Doom with a mouse back then - because the controls are not what I'd instinctively expect from 'proper' mouse control. So I played Doom with keyboard only for far too long and there was a time when I was ready to give up on Doom due to that.

I still can't play Doom with the classic control setup where moving the mouse moves the player.

Graf Zahl said:
Don't you think that this attitude is a bit arrogant?

Nah, it's practical once you play the game often and use a variety of engines, as those are hard-coded in the base source.

I still can't play Doom with the classic control setup where moving the mouse moves the player.

I don't use that either, but it's a practically universal toggle in Doom engines. If I were to enable vertical mouse sensitivity, I would say I can use it, but might be in a tight spot over thin ledges and the like (Map24 will definitely be scarier).

Nixot said:
GRR! I tried to open a door with E in ZDoom! **

Heh, you should definitely map the keys pretty much the same way in each port, plus extras that apply only to some. In engines where jumping is possible, I use the right mouse button (which is strafe and double-click use in various other engines) to jump (but also use on double-click where possible). Technically, I rarely use the right mouse button in vanilla-like engines, as there's another main use key and I really strafe with strafe-left and strafe-left keys. The mouse option can be useful for sr50 (this is like strafe-running but faster and always in a straight line, done with an extra movement to a side using strafe+turn), although I generally use a key-only way to do it which also works in other ports where the button is used by jump.

Nixot said:

GRR! I tried to open a door with E in ZDoom! **

You can bind the E key to "use" in ZDoom without problems. That's one of the things I like about ZDoom, you can bind any function (including console scripts) to any key or mouse buttons, even some keys and buttons that most other ports are utterly unable to see. If you edit the bindings in the ini file directly, you can bind more than two keys to the same action, and you can also set up double bindings, which are just like binding something to a double click except it also work with keyboard keys, not just mouse buttons.

Dang, so no way to change this? :(

The only gripes I really have with PrBoom-Plus is the annoying control configuration restrictions and the lack of widescreen support. (Yes.. I know you can adjust the FOV in the options, but that doesn't take care of the stretched out sprites, not to mention you can see too far up and down at that point.) Frankly i'd settle for aspect ratio correction (Kinda like dosbox perhaps?)



I run dosbox at native resolution, that way with aspect ratio correction enabled, it's not all stretched out.

glboom-plus allows you to set any aspect ratio you wish.

-aspect AxB

(e.g. -aspect 9x5, -aspect 2x1, etc.)

You might want to check usage.txt in the package.

Grazza said:

glboom-plus allows you to set any aspect ratio you wish.

-aspect AxB

(e.g. -aspect 9x5, -aspect 2x1, etc.)

You might want to check usage.txt in the package.

That parameter doesn't do anything at all as far as I can tell. I'm using the latest version of Glboom-Plus at 1680x1050.