New to Classic DOOM? Read this tutorial for help!

[Doomkid]

 

For those who are new to the Classic Doom scene, the sheer number of WADs and source ports can be overwhelming. This guide is an attempt to clarify things and provide some simple, useful information for newcomers.

 

 

  PART 1: Getting DOOM

 

This guide assumes you have all 4 of the Classic Doom games - Doom 1 (The Ultimate DOOM), Doom 2, Final Doom: Evilution (TNT) and Final Doom: The Plutonia Experiment. You can get them legally at GOG or on Steam:

 

DOOM (1993) on GOG - Says "Doom 1993", but is actually The Ultimate Doom from 1995 with Episode IV...

DOOM II on GOG - Includes both Final Doom episodes, along with The Master Levels.

DOOM Classic Bundle on Steam - Best value, includes Ultimate Doom, Doom 2, Final Doom, Master Levels, Doom 64 and Doom 3!

 

NOTE: Doom Eternal actually contains the Doom 1 & 2 IWADs themselves in the Doom Eternal/base/classicwads directory. They work fine for singleplayer, but will need to be downpatched for multiplayer.

 

other Doom-engine games:

Heretic + Hexen Collection on GOG
Heretic + Hexen Collection on Steam
Strife: Veteran Edition on GOG
Strife: Veteran Edition on Steam
FreeDoom 1 & 2 (Free Download)
Chex Quest 1, 2 & 3 (Free Download)
Sonic Robo Blast 2 (Free Download)

 

 

  PART 2: Choosing a Source Port

 

A source port is a program that can run Doom. They run on many different operating systems, so no matter what hardware you have, you'll be able to find a port that suits your needs. NOTE: Some source ports require the IWADs (doom.wad, doom2.wad, etc) to be placed inside the port's directory, however most can make use of the DOOMWADDIR environment variable.

 

- GZDoom - This is the most popular source port. It has advanced features, by far the widest compatibility with WADs and mods, and runs on multiple operating systems. LZDoom is recommended for those running older hardware which can't handle the latest versions of GZDoom.

 

- DSDA-Doom or PrBoom+ - Perfect for a classic Doom experience with a little extra customization. These ports are tailored for speedrunning with QoL improvements for demo recording and useful additions to the demo playback experience. They run all vanilla and Boom-compatible WADs, as well as several other extended formats.

 

- Chocolate Doom - This is the port of choice for pure oldschool Doom! It accurately reproduces Doom as it was played in the 1990s, complete with 320x200 resolution. It is compatible with all vanilla WADs. Crispy Doom and Woof! are more advanced forks with QoL improvements and more.

 

- Original Doom/Doom 2 EXEs w/ DOSBox - If you really want a pure oldschool experience, you'll need the 1.9 EXEs. This is only recommended for hardcore purists - source ports are much easier to use!

 

- Classic Doom Unity Port - This comes free with Doom if you buy it through Steam or GOG. It has raised limits compared to vanilla Doom, and support for loading custom WADs, simply place them in the "C:\Users\<user name>\Saved Games\id Software\DOOM 2\WADs" directory.

 

 

..there are many more source ports available and they are tailored to just about every preference you could possibly have:

 

- Source Ports subforum

- List of Doom source ports

- Comparison of active source ports

 

..and if you are looking for Classic Doom Multiplayer, the 3 source ports commonly used are Zandronum, ZDaemon and Odamex. More information about Multiplayer Doom can be found in this tutorial and at the Multiplayer subforum.

 

 

  PART 3: Downloading WADs and Mods

 

A huge part of what makes Doom so fun are the thousands of WADs and Mods available. People have been making custom content since 1994 and have never stopped, so there are lots of frags to be had! Here are some helpful links for finding custom content.

 

Best WADs - These WADs are winners of the famed Cacowards, a selection of the 10 best WADs from every year since 1994. Generally considered the cream of the crop.

 

Doomworld's idgames frontend -  idgames is the longest running archive of Doom WADs and related files. You can find all of the latest WAD releases on this page!

 

Doom and Doom 2 on Mod DB - You can find a vast array of content here. Mod DB allows you to sort by popularity, upload date and more, so finding content is easy.

 

Best Deathmatch WADs - My own personal selection. If you prefer PVP style gameplay, you'll have a blast on all of these.

 

Big Vanilla WAD Pack - Curated pack of over 1,000 vanilla and limit-removing WADs.

 

..there are many more places to find WADs, but these are plenty to get you started!

 

If you're looking for somewhere to upload your WAD, check these sites.

 

 

  PART 4: Selecting a Launcher /Frontend (optional!)

 

Most source ports allow you to simply drag-and-drop WADs onto the port itself, or allow you to copy your WADs and paste them on the port, making launching custom content easy. However, some prefer a launcher since they can load multiple WADs at once, record demos, and save configurations to start the game however you want every time.

 

Doom Launcher - A counterpart to Quaddicted's Quake Injector. The only popular launcher to track your playtime & WAD stats. Also has integrated idgames archive support, so you can download and play the latest WADs on-the-fly without a web browser.

 

Doom Explorer - Easy to use multiplayer server browser, also a great singleplayer launcher. Supports most source ports and allows use of custom/unknown ports as well. Has the handy feature of being able to search various wad databases and download a WAD without a web browser.

 

ZDL - A popular launcher, compatible with any source port. Very simple to use, you can load any mods (.deh, .bex, .wad, .pk3) in any order you want. Files can also be drag-and-dropped externally. Can be resource-intensive at times.

 

Rocket Launcher - Simple, lightweight launcher. Supports some mods, except .deh/.bex files! Allows easy setting of launchgame parameters (-warp to map X, record a demo, no monsters/music) and a useful section for your personal favorite launch settings. Has native DOSBox support for purists.

 

 

There are quite a few other launchers available for multiple operating systems and tailored to many different preferences.

 

 

  Important info on compatibility options:

 

Every wad made for vanilla Doom and the majority of Boom wads are NOT meant to be played with jumping and crouching turned on. Conversely, most ZDoom wads or mapsets for other advanced source ports allow for jumping, or may even require it.

 

For this reason, most non-vanilla ports come with customizable compatibility options. These allow you to make sure you have the right settings for every wad you play, as well as feeling as comfortable as possible in your Dooming experience. If you're unsure what settings to use for a particular wad or mod, simply check out the .txt file which comes included with most Doom content!

 

• Compatibility options for ZDoom-family ports

 

• Compatibility (complevels) for PrBoom+ and DSDA-Doom

 

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

 

Happy fragging!

 

[ReaperAA]

Good job DoomKid. This thread should be stickied/pinned.

[Redneckerz]

4 minutes ago, ReaperAA said:

Good job DoomKid. This thread should be stickied/pinned.

Call it The DoomShack: Your Entryway to Classic Doom.

Would have multiple references, if that.

@Doomkid - I see you list to Wikipedia for the Doom source ports, but could you please refer to the Wiki instead? Its more complete. I understand you linking to Wiki though :)

[BigBoy91]

Trying to recruit a friend of mine, but he is a little overwhelmed. Showing him this post!

[Doomkid]

2 minutes ago, Redneckerz said:

@Doomkid - I see you list to Wikipedia for the Doom source ports, but could you please refer to the Wiki instead? Its more complete. I understand you linking to Wiki though :)

I agree, that's a better idea. Fixed!

[Aurelius]

An excellent guide!

I personally feel that Crispy needs a mention here as a go-to limit-removing source port. As much as I am a vanilla aficionado, I mostly play all vanilla wads with Crispy for those extra pixels and widescreen support. It's a good middle ground between PrBoom+ and Choco.
 

I understand why you omitted it though (to keep the guide simple.) It can easily get bloated with source ports if we get all "then again..."

[holaareola]

Great resource, another vote for pinning this in the forum from me. The only thing I'd add is that you might want a cheeky one-liner p.s. about how easy and fun it is to make your own Doom levels with a link to some variant of Doom Builder.

[Fonze]

This is a great guide for newcomers, but it may also be good to suggest a way to load up wads and mods since making .bat files, using shortcuts, and other stuff involving parameters is a relic from the 90s and perhaps the larger hurdle for newcomers to overcome. May even be best to just recommend a good front end launcher.

[Doomkid]

Will update soon and add a section 4 for frontends / launchers. Which ones do you all recommend? The only one I’ve used for years now is Doom Explorer, which is a good launcher but is Windows only (and multiplayer focused anyway).

[-TDRR-]

2 hours ago, Doomkid said:

GZDoom - This is the most popular source port. It has many features, by far the widest compatibility with WADs and Mods, and runs on multiple operating systems. For users of older hardware, legacy versions can be downloaded here.

I would recommend the legacy version link got replaced by either LZDoom or ZDoom32, both of which are fairly actively updated versions of GZDoom for older computers, with even performance, stability and feature benefits over the legacy versions of GZDoom. (Both allow you to, for instance, set a line draw distance so larger maps can run way, way faster!)

[Redneckerz]

31 minutes ago, Fonze said:

This is a great guide for newcomers, but it may also be good to suggest a way to load up wads and mods since making .bat files, using shortcuts, and other stuff involving parameters is a relic from the 90s and perhaps the larger hurdle for newcomers to overcome. May even be best to just recommend a good front end launcher.

Coincidentally to this i have been researching which (major) WADS on /idgames relied on these bat files aswell as using DeHackEd. Such a list would explain what the bat file does, what has to be done and what the resultant executable is called.*

 

Obviously, if you use a source port that supports loading of DeHackEd patches, you can circumvent the issue, but not every release is that way, sometimes relying on older DeHackEd versions or simply suppling the DeHackEd program together with DeusF, suggestig users to merge their patch with Doom or Doom2.exe. @Maes in the past dabbled with fixing some particularly hard to set up WADS up to modern standards.

It might be relevant to list these WADS and what is required to do to set them up if one wants to play these in a DOS environment, although at the same time i feel that newcomers may not have the skillset to work in that environment. As such, the DOS option should be spoilered, if one was ought to include it.

* The list is well underway but it is not completely ready yet. Its a considerable time sink for something that i am well aware is comparitively little gain. It only serves as additional detail, i should stress.

[Doomkid]

@-TDRR-Just to clarify, does that mean LZDoom is a more “feature complete” alternative rather than legacy builds of GZDoom? Does LZDoom boast the same (or better) mod compatibility than those legacy builds? If so I’ll absolutely change the link, just want to be totally sure first.

[Redneckerz]

22 minutes ago, Doomkid said:

@-TDRR-Just to clarify, does that mean LZDoom is a more “feature complete” alternative rather than legacy builds of GZDoom? Does LZDoom boast the same (or better) mod compatibility than those legacy builds? If so I’ll absolutely change the link, just want to be totally sure first.

It does. It follows roughly in line with GZDoom and is listed as a download option on the ZDoom site.

 

Your question tells me this needs clarification somewhere in the future.

[Fonze]

34 minutes ago, Doomkid said:

Will update soon and add a section 4 for frontends / launchers. Which ones do you all recommend? The only one I’ve used for years now is Doom Explorer, which is a good launcher but is Windows only (and multiplayer focused anyway).

I dont have any suggestions for you on this, sorry. I wasn't going to mention it before since it was off topic, but I have been wanting to look into front ends to recommend to newcomers for the reason I mentioned. I just never feel the need to use them beyond IDE for mp, so I've forgotten all the really cool and useful-looking ones I've seen; apologies.

[smeghammer]

Good intro to using doom today, thank you.

 

55 minutes ago, Fonze said:

This is a great guide for newcomers, but it may also be good to suggest a way to load up wads and mods since making .bat files, using shortcuts, and other stuff involving parameters is a relic from the 90s and perhaps the larger hurdle for newcomers to overcome. May even be best to just recommend a good front end launcher.

 

IIRC, installing GZDoom, on Windows at least, sets up a desktop shortcut anyway that you can use for D&D for multiple WAD files at once. 

 

Launchers need some kind of initial setup and need downloading anyway. That's why I did these posts. They may not be useful in all situations, and are certainly a preference thing, but, once set up, are simple to use and the concept should be transferable to any source port:

 

 

Once set up, just drag and drop.

[Fonze]

11 minutes ago, smeghammer said:

IIRC, installing GZDoom, on Windows at least, sets up a desktop shortcut anyway that you can use for D&D for multiple WAD files at once. 

 

I like to use shortcuts too, but the problem is that they are essentially the same as using a .bat file and either of these two methods leaves most people with the expression on their face of "oh that's too much work," which is why I think the minimal effort to set up a launcher might be more appealing to new doomers who are not used to using parameters and other dos relics than even the shortcuts which I too love to use so much.

 

Additionally, while most relevant ones are, not all parameters are universal between source ports so going down that rabbit hole (which to be fair we should all do at some point) means learning specific ports' proprietary parameters.

 

None of this is to hate on your post; I think that any tutorial to help people get started on this stuff is great and I appreciate you typing that all up. That said though I've been barking up that tree for newcomers for a while and from my limited experience it seems like people who are not used to or nostalgic for 90's dos commands become disinterested when "learning" and "work" sound involved. I suppose there is some "work" that goes into setting up a launcher too but the latter doesn't actually require learning anything.

 

The problem of all the stuff we have to learn to play doom is a big one and I think we would see more success in gaining and retaining newcomers by easing them into things rather than handing them a giant book and 'get back to me next week after you've taken the test.'

[TheNoob_Gamer]

Finally, a proper beginner's guide thread.

Spoiler

If I were you, I would have added a picture instead, it's kinda funny and got everything to the point. But since that picture contains piracy, which got me banned for a few days, so I will say your guide is excellent.

By the way please add Oblige in the custom mod section. Cool stuff.

Edited April 7, 2020 by TheNoob_Gamer

[DynamiteKaitorn]

Heh. Nice work doomkid. :)

 

Also I've been toying with the idea of doing something similar but for those wanting to start mapping... but there's quite a good few tutorial vids on youtube already. :l

[smeghammer]

@Fonze - I do understand exactly what you mean and perhaps the whole 'best way to run custom content' thing should be another thread entirely.

 

I've been tinkering with Doom since the first shareware release and - for me at least - it was always tedious to have to run a .bat file or CLI and type the params and wad name to run custom content. The stuff I posted was simply what works best for me for ease of running custom content.

 

I am somewhat of a tech/coder geek, so I get that this is something I like to do but others may find more tedious. I think you are probably right, that less geeky people would certainly find GUI WAD manager/launchers better than a more techy solution.

 

I had hoped that the guides I wrote would help others - perhaps not complete NooBs now I re-read them - to more easily run the game.  

 

Sure, each source port has different CLI arguments and there are masses of them, so to action anything other than default behaviour would need at least some reference reading - for me, it was the zdoom wiki - and I think that once people have started playing the base game, they would want to explore further, more complex options.

 

[On that note, I just found out I need to read up on how to pass multiple WADs to gzdoom CLI when the -files flag is included :-) EDIT: It's a bug in the Ubuntu version - makes no difference if the -file flag is there or not, it still opens 2 instances of the gzdoom front-end :-(  .  Multiple file drop works just fine on Windows]

Edited April 7, 2020 by smeghammer

[TheNoob_Gamer]

32 minutes ago, DynamiteKaitorn said:

but there's quite a good few tutorial vids on youtube already. :l

Well, you can try to be funny to stand out.

[Senor500]

2 hours ago, -TDRR- said:

(Both allow you to, for instance, set a line draw distance so larger maps can run way, way faster!)

Huh? I couldn't find this on LZDoom, would help a lot! Where is it?

[P41R47]

What i would really like to see, if you don't mind me requesting this, @Doomkid, is a good tutorial of how to play, load wads and properly setting Doom in DosBox as the default GOG setting are pretty lame.
What programs are needed, what are the limitations, if there is a .bat option for swift handle all the differents megawads, etc.

I searched for somethinglike this, but or i suck at searching, or this kind of tutorial were forgotten now that we have Chocolate Doom.

[NoahRules]

We should pin this or something so it isn't forgotten 

[Noiser]

Not sure exactly what the problem with batch files. Maybe it's just me, but I think it's easier and simple to understand than using launchers.

Edited April 7, 2020 by Noiser

[Dragonfly]

Doomkid, this guide is a fantastic starting point, and seeing that you're looking to expand it will only help this serve as a fantastic resource for any newcomers!

 

 

 

3 minutes ago, Noiser said:

Not sure exactly whats the problem with batch files. Maybe it's just me, but I think it's a lot easier and simple to understand.

 

Most people are used to the more modern way of simply dragging and dropping files onto the executable, which is what I would advise newcomers. In most situations, the load order of the wads isn't important so this method works. I only use bat files when the load order is crucial, an experience most newcomers probably won't encounter, and also an issue which should imo be clearly listed by the mod/wad author themselves. :)

 

That said, there is something pleasantly nostalgic about doing it with a bat file.

[Noiser]

Oh yeah, I was comparing it with launchers (I edited to be more clear). Drag-and-dropping is clearly easier.
 

32 minutes ago, Dragonfly said:

an issue which should imo be clearly listed by the mod/wad author themselves. :)

Totally, I agree!

Edited April 7, 2020 by Noiser

[Senor500]

3 hours ago, P41R47 said:

What i would really like to see, if you don't mind me requesting this, @Doomkid, is a good tutorial of how to play, load wads and properly setting Doom in DosBox as the default GOG setting are pretty lame.
What programs are needed, what are the limitations, if there is a .bat option for swift handle all the differents megawads, etc.

I searched for somethinglike this, but or i suck at searching, or this kind of tutorial were forgotten now that we have Chocolate Doom.

I understand playing Doom on an actual DOS machine if you can, but I don't understand why using Dosbox is preferable to Chocolate Doom by this point.

[P41R47]

45 minutes ago, Senor500 said:

I understand playing Doom on an actual DOS machine if you can, but I don't understand why using Dosbox is preferable to Chocolate Doom by this point.

 

Well, not preferable at all, but i think that there should be a tutorial for setting it properly. Why? Because its the original Doom, not source port experience.
Chocolte Doom is the modern way to playing old-style, but i want to re-experience how it was back then. My experience is from when i was a kid, but i couldn't play much pwads because i didn't have internet, so i only tried the maps that were made without custom resources. Then i stop playing for like six years, and when i come back, internet aboard, zdoom was the way to go. So i never learn how to use dehacked and DEU and i would really love to try them. Just for researching pleasure of what can and what can not be do with the original .exes.
I'm just a lame romantic thas loves to code lines to play. Back then it was like chanting magic spells to enter different realities :D
And just for the record: I made BATCH files for all the 300 wads i have for playing, with direct acceses, and icon image changed to the titlepic of the different wads (even made custom titlepics if needed), take a look ;)

Edited April 7, 2020 by P41R47

[Mr.S Retro]

Nice tutorial

[Endless]

I had the same idea a few days ago to create a similar post because a close friend of mine became interested in the original DOOM, but you stepped forward and did me a big favor! Thanks as usual, Doomkid. This is most helpful for newcomers.