Modern DesktopDoom?

[Csonicgo]

Let's get this out of the way: I still like screen savers.

As far as I know, there is only one Doom screensaver that worked without much effort. It was DesktopDoom, a source mod of ZDoom with Cajun bots in deathmatch. Surely we deserve better?

I think it's time to revive this idea with a source port that can play demos. It would need the following functions:

• A method to handle demos and their associated WAD files.
  
• A method to reset the game state to load another demo and WAD file.
  
• A way to download WADs and lmp files, if possible
  
• Allow different camera angles (Eternity's cooldemo mode, for example)
  
• For deathmatch and coop, ability to cycle thru views of players
  

Doable? Feasible? Would anyone even use it?

[RestlessRodent]

Csonicgo said:

A way to download WADs and lmp files, if possible

A screensaver using the internet would be a bit bad for metered connections, so there should be a database of sorts or just random level playing with a bot.

Csonicgo said:

Allow different camera angles (Eternity's cooldemo mode, for example)

ReMooD has a cooldemo mode also, a kind of chase cam that tries to follow the action.

Csonicgo said:

Doable? Feasible?

Yes.

Csonicgo said:

Would anyone even use it?

I would not since it wastes CPU/GPU cycles more than a blank screen would.

[printz]

I think I can program Automatic Wolfenstein to work like that. It can start fairly quickly at some random level and respond to mouse/keyboard events to exit instantly. On death or exit, it would then warp to another random level. I already programmed it in the past, but I lost the SVN branch of it (it wasn't kept for Git). The thing missing was a proper installing procedure. Also, because back then it was SDL1.2, it didn't look correct on two monitors.

The main problem is that it won't save anything at all, it will just consume more CPU and GPU. Is this acceptable?

[The Civ]

This would be really cool.
I'd love to see a screensaver that plays demos from Doom 1 and 2 but from different camera angles, so you could actually see the player running around the level.

[VGamingJunkie]

GhostlyDeath said:

I would not since it wastes CPU/GPU cycles more than a blank screen would.

I think the whole point of a screensaver was to have the color values constantly changing so as not to have an image burn into the monitor. Of course, with modern LED monitors, that's less of an issue.

[Danfun64]

Upon seeing this I am reminded of the old 3d maze screensaver that was included in windows up to windows 2000. I'd honestly love to see something like that with a FLOSS remake.

This request is probably going to be ignored, but if someone made such a remake, here is a wishlist of the kind of features I would want in it:

Ability to adjust violence level with password protection (no hostile npcs [and thus no weapons]; enemies with chex quest level violence; enemies with standard violence etc); different packages containing different violence levels (Nonviolent package can be downloaded by anyone. Violent package uses an online quiz designed to test the age of the user) the gravity reversal feature; being based off ECWolf (so you can have the wolf3d/3dmaze esque mazes while having modern texture support, which leads to...); simplified texture system (walls, floors, ceilings, secrets, buttons, and exits, each only having one texture and each able to be chosen using a modern image format, like png, bmp, jpg, etc; and of course, completely free data.

Most likely not going to happen, but think of all the teachers and parents that would be annoyed by kids staring at the maze regardless of violence level (as teachers and parents were annoyed by kids staring at the windows 3d maze screensaver).