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Redneckerz

Zugnaex - A unofficial Doom client, or a paid FreeDoom app?

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Introduction:

Regardless of its name, the Boomer shooter tag is a great way in Steam to find new fast paced Doom clones.

 

But Zugnaex by Twisted Words LLC is something very peculiar. And apparently it releases in a few days (October 10). It is also on the Microsoft Store.

 

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Blurb:

Quote

Zugnaex: A Classic FPS Experience Reimagined

 

Step into the world of Zugnaex, the ultimate fusion of nostalgic FPS action and modern gameplay enhancements. Designed for fans of the genre's golden era, Zugnaex offers seamless compatibility with legendary classics such as DOOM® and DOOM® II. Whether you’re reliving the glory days or discovering these timeless adventures for the first time, Zugnaex delivers an unparalleled experience.

 

Classic Gameplay, Modern Touch

Immerse yourself in the adrenaline-pumping action that defined a generation of gamers. Zugnaex stays true to its roots with classic FPS mechanics while introducing an innovative Heads-Up Display (HUD) designed to enhance gameplay without losing that retro feel. The HUD provides unique functionality including a detailed mini-map, clear display of important game statistics, a unique target display with health bar, and a tactical but simple cursor which conveys target health and improves accuracy.

 

Single Player Campaign

Don your armor and brace yourself for a single-player campaign using the included maps. Navigate through challenging levels, battle relentless enemies, and uncover secrets in a meticulously crafted world that pays homage to the classics.

 

Free Online Multiplayer

Own the original DOOM® games? Zugnaex takes your experience to the next level with an online multiplayer mode. Engage in intense battles with players worldwide, showcasing your skills and strategies in a fiercely competitive environment. Or, work together to survive. You'll never know what to expect.

 

Compatibility with Classic DOOM® Games

Zugnaex seamlessly integrates with your existing DOOM® and DOOM® II games, allowing you to revisit iconic levels and face familiar foes. Experience these classics in a new light while enjoying the added features and improvements of Zugnaex. In addition, thousands of the player created maps are compatible. The game has an intuitive user interface that simplifies selecting and managing active game mods.

Rediscover the thrill of classic first-person shooters with Zugnaex. Whether you're blasting through the single-player campaign or dominating the online leaderboards, Zugnaex offers a perfect blend of nostalgia and innovation. Join the fray today and experience an FPS revolution!

 

Screenshots:

The screens are, well, from FreeDoom:

 

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So why do you call this peculiar?

Well, at the bottom, this can be read:

 

Quote

Zugnaex is an unofficial DOOM® client.
DOOM®, DOOM II®, and id Software® are worldwide registered trademarks of Microsoft, Inc.
Zugnaex and DoomBattle.Zone are not affiliated with or approved by Microsoft, Inc. or id Software LLC.
The Ultimate DOOM® or DOOM® II must be licensed and installed on your PC to play online.
ODAMEX © Odamex Development Group.
This product includes freely downloadable maps from the Freedoom project, © Freedoom contributors (see https://freedoom.github.io).
Zugnaex is not endorsed by Freedoom.
Our intention is to make a product you can enjoy.
Zugnaex is provided "as is." There are no warranties of any kind either express or implied. Zugnaex has no control, filter or regulation over any User-Generated Content (UGC) that is available when playing online or within the game client.
This product is provided for entertainment and educational purposes only.
Full licensing details included with the game.

  • This apparently uses Odamex. So i do expect any and all source code to be released..
    • Doing a search on DW reveals this thread by @DoomBattleZone where this is apparently a source mod to Odamex called DoomBattleZone? It contains links to Github
  • It isn't endorsed by FreeDoom, yet it includes some of the maps. Which, given FreeDoom's licensing, is fine, unless this is going to be a paid app
    • And apparently it is. The Microsoft Store lists an A.Tyson and $4.99 for this.
  • Miss Slaughter from Nightdive streamed this. -

But it costs 5 bucks to include FreeDoom assets and using an Odamex fork? I am obviously missing context here because some things do check out, such as the tech side. But i was still surprised to see something like this on Steam.

 

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Posted (edited)

We've been talking about this in Discord, but the general consensus is that anyone can sell FreeDoom + Odamex because their licenses allow it, but they do have to share the source code. DoomBattleZone did create this game with some help, and in Discord stated the source comes with the game (so for $5). Legally no source code has to be presented until the binaries are distributed.

 

You could say that since the binaries were distributed to Miss_Slaughter (and friends), the source now needs to be available (not 100% sure on this).

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So it's basically Odamex with FreeDoom IWADs, a pricetag, and more red flags than the French Revolution, what with the Bing AI key art and off-brand-pharmaceutical name.

 

53 minutes ago, Redneckerz said:

Miss Slaughter from Nightdive streamed this.

Miss Slaughter also streams as her own independent entity, albeit one that could probably do with being a bit more cautious about how certain things can look when your personal and professional identities blend together.

 

Quote

Zugnaex is an unofficial DOOM® client.
DOOM®, DOOM II®, and id Software® are worldwide registered trademarks of Microsoft, Inc.
Zugnaex and DoomBattle.Zone are not affiliated with or approved by Microsoft, Inc. or id Software LLC.

This is funny because those trademarks are not, in fact, owned by Microsoft directly. Probably wanna make sure your legal disclaimers have all their i's dotted and t's crossed when you're selling a commercial product, even if that does require five extra minutes Googling (or talking to an actual flesh and blood lawyer, for that matter).

 

hPjswua.jpeg

 

The launcher screenshot on the store is very funny too, on account of just outright using the Doom logo as part of their "Doom Battle Zone" branding thing that I still don't know what it is (an alternate dedicated server? a matchmaking thing?). That's probably fine, though, Bethesda's trademark lawyers are famously understanding.

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Posted (edited)

A totally necessary product for hardcore Classic Doom fans who need to be reminded what HUD (Heads-Up Display) stands for. I'll pass on this "FPS Revolution" product application game-thing.

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Regardless of monetization and licensing, my only question is why? What would be the reason for someone using this instead of just getting Odamex and Freedoom from the original sources?

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This reminds me of the fiasco with the one game that was literally a one-hour Python coding tutorial with Doom assets and the "developer" somehow thought they'd get away with putting it up on Steam.

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6 minutes ago, Jimmy² said:

Seriously, no human being would ever come up with "Zugnaex".

Agreed, Zugnaex is more like an alien name like Zuckerberg.
And you can say Freedoom is zugged now.

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Yeah, this whole thing seems kinda sketch at first glance. The AI generated art is a massive turn off as well. DoomBattleZone tagged me in a Twitter post about this the other day, but I didn't want to have a repeat of the Doom Awards on my hands, so I opted to wait for more info to come out. Got nothing but good things to say with regards to Miss Slaughter. I know from personal experience how easy it is to have your good heartedness taken advantage of. 

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14 hours ago, TheMagicMushroomMan said:

A totally necessary product for hardcore Classic Doom fans who need to be reminded what HUD (Heads-Up Display) stands for. I'll pass on this "FPS Revolution" product application game-thing.

Tsk, tsk, tsk, you don't know how eyesore and pixelated original Doom GUI is for the game from '93.
doompixelatedaf.png.e7a74510e7362634939dbdc1ec0b8fe6.png

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This makes me wonder if this is an Odamex fork with Steamworks support? If so, then this should be interesting to check out. lol

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Even the description gives off the vibe that it was written by an AI. This seems to be the work of someone just wanting to cash in on the boomer-shooter genre hype without even having the bare minimum of creativity to put a few boxes together. This "launch" is going to be dead on arrival, calling it now.

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17 hours ago, Napeyear said:

Regardless of monetization and licensing, my only question is why? What would be the reason for someone using this instead of just getting Odamex and Freedoom from the original sources?

There's a lot of people out there who aren't familiar with Odamex/Freedoom, and will think the seller made the game he's selling. Who would be selling free software when people can just download it themselves? Someone who doesn't care. It's the bare minimum effort to make a product. Betting on the people who will be fooled enough to buy it. Especially since the disclaimer that the levels and assets are freedoom is at the very end of the painfully generic, boring blurb. And Odamex is just name-dropped without any context or explanation what it is.

What's in it for the buyer? Nothing. What's in it for the seller? 5USD a pop for no work what so ever.

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Posted (edited)

I was checking out the website associated with Zugnaex.

 

mRFURGi.png

 

You could play as a guest but it needs a CAPTCHA. However the CAPTCHA isn't showing on my end for some odd reason and when I tried to register an account out of curiosity. I was given a verification email which presents me with this :

 

p3hYQ06.png

 

UPDATE

 

ZJRT4n5.png

 

Turns out it needs Zugnaex and it currently costs $5 on Microsoft Store, lmfao.

Edited by THEBaratusII

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Posted (edited)

I mean, the description says that you need Doom to run the MP. As such, this isn't a standalone game and probably shouldn't be sold. I'm also guessing the Freedoom folks may have choice words about their work being taken and monetized this way

edit: I'd run across the page this weekend when doing work for Reload and also had a lot of the same thoughts but didn't want to stir up a big fuss about it, so thanks Red for taking that bullet

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Whole thing is pointless for anyone who is decently into Doom, and just seems like a bad deal for anyone who might want to buy it.

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7 hours ago, Jimmy² said:

Seriously, no human being would ever come up with "Zugnaex".

Arguably one could say the same thing about "Zandronum" too

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Nah "Zandronum" has actual rhythm to it and an unambiguous number of syllables. "Zugnaex" is the definition of a word that cannot roll off the human tongue.

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Posted (edited)

I watched part of the stream since there is a vod and i am wondering who would actually like this. You are not really paying for a source port you are buying a crappy coop mod that has random twitter quotes from John Romero along with a few other notable people after you die while you collect bags of money with the "joke" cashgrab. I had no idea the streamer worked for nightdive till after i reread the thread and now i am wondering why they showcased this mod to begin with.

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5 minutes ago, zredgemz said:

 I had no idea the streamer worked for nightdive till after i reread the thread and now i am wondering why they showcased this mod to begin with.

Miss Slaughter has her own personal stream, this was not on behalf of Nightdive.

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Posted (edited)

If was an actual standalone game like some of the GZDoom engine games on steam, but supported loading Doom and Freedoom as a bonus, that would be kinda cool. As it is, I suppose it's for people who aren't aware of free source ports or who can't be bothered with even the minor effort of setting them up. I guess that's probably worth $5 to someone.

Edited by flamepanther : less redundant wording

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6 hours ago, Decay said:

Arguably one could say the same thing about "Zandronum" too

Zandronum is actually a combination of "ZDoom", "Andromeda" and "Infernum"

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Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, Zdexium said:

Zandronum is actually a combination of "ZDoom", "Andromeda" and "Infernum"

I am very well aware of what Zandronum was named for. It was stupid name then and still is.

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