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DoomNoob

Oldschool Doom player, new to custom WADs, which are worth downloading?

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I've downloaded both Crispy Doom and PrBoom+.

What are some of the more popular / favorite WADs worth downloading? So far I've only downloaded Survive in Hell (Release #2) but looking for more. :)

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Struggle
Moonblood
Exomoon (moonblood sequel)
Valiant
Ancient Aliens
Back to Saturn X

And more you can found here:

 

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Is there an easy way to tell which WADs are compatible with whichever source ports? (should I assume most are for PrBoom+?)

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By text file. Idgames(legacy site) has text file below and all information is inside. I recommend use that one instead of beta download page. 

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14 minutes ago, DoomNoob said:

Is there an easy way to tell which WADs are compatible with whichever source ports? (should I assume most are for PrBoom+?)

 

Some tips:

 

- Everything you read "vanilla", and most importantly "tested with Chocolate Doom/Doom.exe" will theoretically run fine in Crispy, e.g. Alien Vendetta, BIOWAR, TNT: Revilution.

- Usually wads from 2000-2010 where the text file claims to be "limit-removing" are probably better to experience with ZDoom, because Crispy Doom didn't exist back then, or if you read "tested in prboom" it could mean anything. A few exceptions exist, like Heroes' Tales which works entirely in Crispy, and for that I'd suggest to check dsda if the wad has demos. The compatibility is usually specified so if you see something like "prboom+ 2.5.1.4 cl2" it means that particular map is fully playable in Crispy. Another example would be Newdoom CP, which most maps are compatible with Crispy but others break due to specific shenanigans with, either Boom or ZDoom. For that one, it is advisable to use a boom compatible port.  

- Also anywhere you see "cl2/3/4" (cl stands as "complevel" in PRBoom+) will work with Crispy since they are the same compatibilities, e.g. ConC.E.R.Ned. Now if you read "Boom/complevel 9" or "MBF/complevel 11" those are meant to be played using PRBoom+. 

- If you still have doubts a specific wad you don't see any information anywhere, ask in the forum and you'll get help, hopefully.

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I recommend to try Eternity Engine, it feels very vanilla and will run any wad if it's not for (g)zdoom only. Zdoom is ok port, but it makes game feel different, won't play vanilla demos. Also i had some problems with it's physics.

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Thanks for the swift / detailed responses, everyone. I downloaded a bunch of those WADs and picked up Eternity Engine and GZDoom -- gonna get cracking and work my way through. :)

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If you like Doom 64 I highly recommend Doom 64: Retribution.  It has the full D64 campaign and a handfull of other mappacks that were converted from Doom 64 Absolution and EX.  It runs in GZDoom.

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51 minutes ago, galileo31dos01 said:

- Also anywhere you see "cl2/3/4" (cl stands as "complevel" in PRBoom+) will work with Crispy since they are the same compatibilities, e.g. ConC.E.R.Ned. Now if you read "Boom/complevel 9" or "MBF/complevel 11" those are meant to be played using PRBoom+. 

 

I should clarify this, Crispy Doom supports all the iwads (original commercial wads), so complevels 2/3/4 correspond to Doom2/Ultimate Doom/Final Doom respectively. You only need the correct iwad in the same folder of the pwad (custom), and Crispy will read them via proper commands. If you see that something runs with one of the Final Doom iwads, but states boom compatibility, use complevel 9 in PRBoom+.

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Is there a "complevel 1" for doom 1? Or is there no point since Doom 2 >= Doom 1 in terms of compatible features, assets, etc? I don't quite know the differences / reasons for the various complevels.

11 minutes ago, galileo31dos01 said:

 

If you see that something runs with one of the Final Doom iwads, but states boom compatibility, use complevel 9 in PRBoom+.



Why not complevel 4 if that's what corresponds to Final?

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16 minutes ago, DoomNoob said:

Are pwads = "patch wads" that add or replace sprite assets in the original iwads?

pwads are the actual content. iwads are used as resource for sprites, weapons, textures, yadda yadda...

13 minutes ago, DoomNoob said:

Why not complevel 4 if that's what corresponds to Final?

Because -cl4 does not support boom-actions, so even if you need final doom as resource, you still need -cl9 to get the boom features working.

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Are there any other [x]wads or are there just two types of wads: iwads and pwads?

1 minute ago, Nine Inch Heels said:

Because -cl4 does not support boom-actions, so even if you need final doom as resource, you still need -cl9 to get the boom features working.


Sorry, what are "boom-actions"? I'm not seeing much on Google.

Are there any other complevel considerations to take into account? Is the general idea to run -cl9 whenever anything mentions that it's boom-compatible?

Is there ever a downside to using -cl9 for everything or are there tradeoffs between the levels and we can't say one's strictly contained in another?

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10 minutes ago, DoomNoob said:

Are there any other [x]wads or are there just two types of wads: iwads and pwads?

there's iwads, pwads, and pwads by extension include pk3.

10 minutes ago, DoomNoob said:

Sorry, what are "boom-actions"? I'm not seeing much on Google

It's map format specific feature. Don't concern yourself with details you don't need to know unless you wanna make maps yourself.

10 minutes ago, DoomNoob said:

Are there any other complevel considerations to take into account? Is the general idea to run -cl9 whenever anything mentions that it's boom-compatible?

Boom format is always -cl9. MBF (valiant) is -cl11. Also complevel is only ever relevant if you use PrBoom+, since GZDoom for example does not work based on complevel, but instead works on "compatflags", for lack of a better term.

10 minutes ago, DoomNoob said:

Is there ever a downside to using -cl9 for everything or are there tradeoffs between the levels and we can't say one's strictly contained in another?

Yes there are downsides to using wrong complevels, maps behave differently in different complevels.

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1 hour ago, galileo31dos01 said:

- Usually wads from 2000-2010 where the text file claims to be "limit-removing" are probably better to experience with ZDoom, because Crispy Doom didn't exist back then

Limit removing would be closer to PRBoom+ and other vanilla compat ports that remove limits, as Boom was the typical limit removing port people used at the time.

1 hour ago, galileo31dos01 said:

or if you read "tested in prboom" it could mean anything.

"Anything" meaning it was tested in PRBoom, which can safely mean limit removing if it otherwise doesn't explicitly state Boom.

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How do most people record their runs? I'm thinking of recording myself playing through all of these custom WADs for the first time, and uploading to YT or something. Do most people just use regular screen recording software? Do you think people prefer just raw gameplay or with player voice included?

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14 minutes ago, DoomNoob said:

How do most people record their runs? I'm thinking of recording myself playing through all of these custom WADs for the first time, and uploading to YT or something. Do most people just use regular screen recording software? Do you think people prefer just raw gameplay or with player voice included?

 

EDIT: alternatively, if you don't want the hassle of recording Boom demos one can simply record GZdoom footage (in windowed mode, otherwise it'll be very laggy) using OBS.

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I can't tell if this is specifically for recording doom/demo-playbacks that you'd have to watch/run in the actual engine or something you can upload to YT?

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On the subject of custom wads, I want to recommend BloodStain, Hellbound and Sunlust.  These are all on idgames and are fantastic megawads.  If you are looking to spice up good ol' Doom II, look up Doom II in Name Only and Maps of Chaos, the latter of which spruces up the original maps in interesting ways. 

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I did have HellBound and Sunlust downloaded from that megathread linked earlier -- picking up BloodStain too. Thanks!

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4 minutes ago, DoomNoob said:

I can't tell if this is specifically for recording doom/demo-playbacks that you'd have to watch/run in the actual engine or something you can upload to YT?

not uploadable on youtube, engine-only

 

(that is, for demos)

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I think the link bioshockfan provided is only for demo recording and playback. I'm sure other members with actual experience could chime in, but I'm pretty sure for the purpose of recording yourself playing with commentary, you would use any regular screen capture software, like OBS or something

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Is it common practice to record all of it simultaneously? (engine playback, YT video, voiceover track?) Unsure what most people tend to do. I know "it depends" but just curious.

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16 minutes ago, Edward850 said:

Limit removing would be closer to PRBoom+ and other vanilla compat ports that remove limits, as Boom was the typical limit removing port people used at the time.

 

Sure, but I found many wads from the last decade, specially community based projects, that don't clarify they're Boom compatible, but instead just "limit-removing", so some worked in Crispy Doom or complevel 2, and others (like Vae Victus) were only tested in ZDoom and presented only a few issues in Crispy. That's why I put Newdoom CP as an example, even though that one should run fine in complevel 9. Nowadays mappers specify better the compatibility and source ports used for testing.

 

Black Star recommended Bloodstain, and while the text file explicitly mentions complevel 2, I read that people experienced issues and had to resort to complevel 9 for certain maps.

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Is it a safe bet to correlate "limit-removing" with prboom complevel 9 if nothing else is mentioned in a given txt?

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5 minutes ago, DoomNoob said:

Is it a safe bet to correlate "limit-removing" with prboom complevel 9 if nothing else is mentioned in a given txt?

Yes

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