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FabulousDoom

Can someone ELI5 these Doom Map formats?

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Boom, Hexen, UDMF. I'm really new to mapping and I currently use ZDoom (Doom in hexen format), and I heard someone saying that there is no reason to use any other format than UDMF. and I really want to know which one would be actually the best for me.

Thanks in advance.

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UDMF is the most capable format, but it can only be played in ports that support it. Vanilla (Doom-in-Doom) has the least capabilities and fewest gimmicks but can be played in anything that can play the game itself. Boom and Doom-in-Hexen formats exist between those extremes, as I understand it.

 

So it depends on what you want to do and who your target audience is: UDMF if you're aiming for a modern audience and features beyond what Doom normally has; or vanilla if you want maximum compatibility and classic authenticity.

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Boom format is a popular choice because it offers more options than vanilla, but is still universally recognized by most advanced source ports. PrBoom also has the best demo support, while advanced ports tend to have little to none, so if you want people to record demos of your maps, Boom or vanilla format is your best bet.

 

UDMF is a superior alternative to Zdoom Hexen format, with no real drawbacks as far as I know. It allows for setting all sorts of linedef/sidedef/sector/thing/etc properties directly, instead of having to use linedef actions or other hacky workarounds necessitated by the limitations of the Hexen format.

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You can do exactly the same things (some exceptions apply :) ) if you use either DIHF or UDMF.

 

UDMF was developed to make mapping life a lot easier, now and in the future, by providing direct access through clickable feature selections.

 

For example:

to set the colour or reflection of a sector, in DIHF you had to resort to scripting whereas in UDMF you have a menu with clickable colour selection.

 

Another example is that build-in plugins in Ultimate Doom Builder, like editing 3D floors or arches in visual mode, are only possible when using UDMF.

 

On the flipside, using DIHF you have to think more in terms of how things are done in the GZDoom engine, using UDMF much of the 'thinking' is done for you.

 

Historically, DOOM gives a very limited feature set. It is only possible to attach one action special to a linedef. New monsters, weapons, behaviour are only possible by peplacing existing ones. This is also true for BOOM, but the number of action specials increased.

 

Along came HEXEN, which introduced the scripting system ACS. This allowed a script to be attached to a linedef to execute multiple actions at a time.

 

This scripting system was carried over into ZDoom and GZDoom. Plus improvements were implemented, like the possibility for new monsters, weapons, decorations, etc with DECORATE, and many more.

 

https://zdoom.org/wiki/Main_Page see Special Lumps

 

Of course, there are other advanced engines such as Eternity, Edge, Risen, etc. But they implement things in a different manner from GZDoom. You should try them out, if for nothing else but seeing what they can do.

 

 

Edited by Kappes Buur

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