Linedef actions

I use the Skulltag engine choice for testing because I don't want to open another source port to test it out.

The thing is, is there a way to filter out all Boom linedefs somehow because my episode 2 levels are made to be vanilla compatible.

If you want to make a vanilla map, why don't you select the vanilla game config?

What he said. You can test a vanilla map in Skulltag (though you'd better also test it in Doom2.exe or Chocolate Doom before release).

boris said:

If you want to make a vanilla map, why don't you select the vanilla game config?

I don't want to test using Vanilla or Chocolate Doom engines but my preferred one Skulltag. If there was something to hide non-vanilla actions and things, that would help since I am used to freelook and freeaim.

You can test a Doom 2 config map with Skulltag.

Indeed, use the Vanilla Doom2 config when making your map. Then test using Skulltag or whatever port.

That said though, it's wise to test a "Vanilla" wad in Vanilla Doom to check it really is Vanilla compatable. Beacuse some ports handle some low level things differently to the Vanilla engine. (i.e like ZDoom's tag 0 quirk)

Yeah, while it'll use only Doom's triggers and features, your map, being tested only on Skulltag, may not work on various other engines. It's happened with some of the releases you've made already, where I noticed some triggers fail or some HOMs show in Doom+ (Doom hacked so limits are raised, see here.) You might want to have beta testers that test your level in PrBoom under Doom compatibility, Doom+ in DOSBox, Strawberry Doom, or the like to ensure more general vanilla behavior. In any case, you can use the Tested With entry in the template to note what engines you know it works on, and the preceding lines to list any bugs that may show up on any of them and any engines you know won't run it.

As much as I love ZDoom and its' child ports, I wouldn't use them solely to test Vanilla compatibility. Apart from the fact that the physics are greatly different, the chainsaw is different and demos break, things sometimes do work/break in ZDoom that break/work in PrBoom or Vanilla.

Solarn ran into this issue with his MAP07 in dwspd021. He had two Boom-spec triggered linedefs close to each other. Him and I were happily playing and finishing his map in GZD until someone started it in PrBoom and couldn't get out of the first room.

I've run into behaviour myself that works as expected in PrBoom, but is "broken" in both Vanilla and ZDoom. ZDoom is not a Boom port, it's a separate port which mimics Boom editing specs, but contains its' own set of compatibilities and bugfixes - not the Vanilla ones and not the Boom ones.

If you really really really want your map to be Vanilla-compatible, test it in Vanilla or Chocolate. Preferably, test it in Vanilla, Boom, and ZDoom just to make sure everything works as intended. I do.

From what I have done, I have only utilized the vanilla specific linedef actions so I won't run into any incompatability issues for those who bother playing with the original EXE and such.

I always wondered, why Doom never had sector action 17 (candle flicker) and a few linedef actions, especially linedef action 109 (W1 open door fast), which I use frequently to spring traps but they still work with ZDoom and Boom ports playing the original game.

Mr. Chris said:

From what I have done, I have only utilized the vanilla specific linedef actions so I won't run into any incompatability issues for those who bother playing with the original EXE and such.

You don't know that. Many times people release maps with that thought only to spring unexpected tutti-fruttis and hom's everywhere that most source ports fix.

You might want to decide if you'll be mapping for "limit removing vanilla" or plain vanilla, as plain vanilla requires extra attention to limits and may demand a simpler level. Given you had already made levels that exceeded the original limits to some degree, I pointed to "limit removing" testing options above.

Giving this task to a beta tester or two would still allow you to test it personally with Skulltag.

It might take me a day or two to find time, but I'm happy to help out testing for you Mr Chris. Just chuck me a PM. Can do PrBoom, PrBoom-Plus, ZDoom, GZDoom, Eternity as well as Vanilla in DOSBox.