Jump to content
Search In
  • More options...
Find results that contain...
Find results in...
EduXYZ

R.I.P DOOM on DOSBox?

Recommended Posts

Probably because its universally easier to play, not that its hard to use but its much easier to start up an executable than using the DOS command line.

Share this post


Link to post

Personal choice! No? We can't chose? Nahhh...
Anyway PRBoom is extremely close to DOS version. Besides DOS program can't handle with large wad like a Sunder.wad for example.

Share this post


Link to post
Azuruish said:

Personal choice! No? We can't chose? Nahhh...


Just a question, dude.

Share this post


Link to post

DOSBox is a Virtual Machine, while Chocolate Doom (which tries to emulate vanilla behavior as closely as possible) works natively on modern operating systems, so if people wanted vanilla experience, they'd just use that.

Reasons to use advanced sourceports are indeed: Easier setup, higher-resolution, no static limits, and working Boom / ZDoom features.

Share this post


Link to post

Pretty much what scifista42 said. Besides, if I want the full DOS experience, I'd rather turn on my old laptop and play Doom as I did it back in the day.

Share this post


Link to post

I use dosbox, but that's just because I use deth and it's easier to start up dos doom than to start chocolate doom. But as soon as I get speakers for my dos machine, I'll use that instead.

Share this post


Link to post

Dosbox is an emulator, not a virtual machine. VMware is a virtual machine, Virtualbox is a virtual machine...but I digress...

Using dos or something like dosbox isn't really needed to play Doom anymore. Even if all you want is the low resolution, classical experience with limits, Chocolate Doom does that with a lot less headache (no need to set up dehacked, novert, various patches etc.)

IMO, the main reason to use Dosbox to play doom isn't for vanilla, but for playing dos source ports like Boom and MBF, because PrBoom-Plus has terrible netcode...

Share this post


Link to post

I use DOSBox for DOOM mainly so I can play the game off a flash drive on any computer I have access to. If it weren't for ZDOOM being unable to run on computers with crappy or no video cards (like SOME computers I know of...), then I'd immediately use ZDOOM instead...

Besides, I've got DOSBox's autoexec set up so it can start the game, the setup program, or the DeathManager program right away, and close right when I quit the game as well, on both Windows and Mac computers. I've even got it set to where I can play LAN games.

EDIT:
Actually, now that I've been thinking about this, I might use Chocolate DOOM instead in order to "play the game off a flash drive on any computer I have access to". I already tested it on a computer with the video driver uninstalled, and it worked, so I know it'll run on any Windows computer, even computers with crappy video cards, so now I just need to test it on Mac computers and see how that goes. Fortunately, I'm FINALLY going back to the Traverse City Library tomorrow, so not only will I be able to do my Mac testing for Chocolate DOOM, I'll also be able to get that System Information that I promised Maes I'd retreive for him a month ago...

I hope this works out, because in addition to GZDOOM (which I mainly use for playing DOOM on my home computers), I do also wanna play Classic DOOM in its original form. There ARE a few advantages Chocolate DOOM has over DOSBox that I like, such as pixel-perfect screen scaling up to really high resolutions like 1920x1080 (which Vanilla DOSBox won't go up to).

Share this post


Link to post
RexFesto696 said:

I use DOSBox for DOOM mainly so I can play the game off a flash drive on any computer I have access to. If it weren't for ZDOOM being unable to run on computers with crappy or no video cards (like SOME computers I know of...), then I'd immediately use ZDOOM instead...


ZDoom doesn't benefit from having a video card, as far as I know. I think it just uses CPU power for rendering (someone correct me if I'm wrong). GZDoom, on the other hand, really benefits from having a GPU.

Share this post


Link to post

I always play classic IWADs in DOSBox. I'm pretty sure I don't have any screen stretching on my 16:9 display. I don't mind playing with black bars on the sides though.

And I've got a set of batch files that make running the game or recording demos very easy.

I use source ports for community WADs, though, because dragging WAD on executable is much easier than typing a complicated (FBMOUDIS, custom config for DOOM, etc.) DOSBox prompt with all the parameters. Launching source ports via command line is easier too.

Share this post


Link to post

Ports are better for:
- removing limits
- complete adaptation for a modern user (launchers, flexible settings, very easy mod installation without messing with doom2.exe, etc)
- lots of useful features for a particular kind of activity (demo recording in prboom plus, multiplayer in zdaemon)
- some ports are 100% (99.9%?) equal to vanilla, Chocolate Doom for example, so what's the point to use dos / dosbox at all?

Share this post


Link to post

I recently tried Chocolate Doom and found the capped framerate uncomfortable. PRBoom+ gives the classic feel but without the "cinematic" fps.

Share this post


Link to post

From the thread title I was worried for a brief moment that DosBox was no longer being developed. I use it for testing purposes and even use it for multiplayer once in a blue moon. Choco is without doubt easier to set up, but unless you're totally computer illiterate, DosBox is easy enough to get working too.

I like to make sure wads run in all ports, so I have DosBox, Chocolate Doom, Zandronum, ZDaemon, Odamex, PrBoom+ and Risen3D set up to easily launch in Doom Expolrer at any time.

Share this post


Link to post
Sodaholic said:

That is not a good descriptor of low framerate.


It's a term used by some console game developer as an excuse for making the game cap at 30 FPS and saying it looks better than at 60 because it feels more cinematic. Then it became a meme for crappy framerate.

Share this post


Link to post

Here's a reason:

Playing Doom in dosbox at full speed requires a significantly more powerful PC than just using a source port.

On my laptop I can either play Doom in dosbox and have it heat up a bit (and significantly reduce battery life) or use Chocolate Doom and have it never place enough load on it to even spin up the fans.

Dosbox is inefficient if you have a native option.

Share this post


Link to post
Doomkid said:

From the thread title I was worried for a brief moment that DosBox was no longer being developed.

That might be worryingly close to the truth. There hasn't been a new DOSbox release in years now. I do hope we get a new release at some point and I wish the DOSbox team would switch to a more modern development process.

Share this post


Link to post
EduXYZ said:

I just see people playing with sourceports, why? Hard to use? Low res?

Ports are just more convenient all around. Why would anyone use DOSBox? The only reason I can see is laziness, if you've bought Doom on GOG or Steam and just use their preconfigured DOSBox shortcut.

Share this post


Link to post
Doomkid said:

From the thread title I was worried for a brief moment that DosBox was no longer being developed.

Same.

I don't play Doom for what it was, I play Doom for what it has become. Advanced ports allow you to do things that rival any other triple A game. Everyone should experience Doom how it was if only to have a bigger appreciation for what it has turned into and how it has maintained its legacy for nearly 25 years.

My question is, "Why play it in DOSbox?" We all have our reasons.

Share this post


Link to post

I've played it enough times on DOSBox via the stock games that it's honestly pointless trying to take it seriously through anything else (external WADs, DeHackEd etc.)

I did play HacX 1.1 in DOSBox though and it was pretty cute but Harmony was another oldschool style game that while running in ZDoom can look retro by setting res to 320x200.

It's more versatile, and saner, to use a port. Then depending on the port how old or modern you like it yourself.

Share this post


Link to post
Gez said:

Ports are just more convenient all around. Why would anyone use DOSBox? The only reason I can see is laziness, if you've bought Doom on GOG or Steam and just use their preconfigured DOSBox shortcut.

Authenticity. Particularly for those who haven't played in a long time and want to experience the vanilla game closest to MS-DOS.

Share this post


Link to post
Gez said:

Ports are just more convenient all around. Why would anyone use DOSBox? The only reason I can see is laziness, if you've bought Doom on GOG or Steam and just use their preconfigured DOSBox shortcut.


Until the day where the full DOS doom.exe's source will be available, there will always be some doubts over whether we're "missing something" even with the most faithful ports out there. Don't forget that all modern ports derive from that initial butchery that was linuxdoom v1.10. Even a disassembly can't reveal what was in the source but didn't make it into the EXE for whatever reason.

Seriously, what's the holdup on that one? For years, the reason cited was a clause in the DMX library license...but the DMX library's source code itself has been part of the Romero-released source packs for some time now! So seriously, WTF?

Share this post


Link to post

Yeah, I don't like the way Chocolate DOOM works on Mac, so it's DOSBox all the way! For me at least...

Share this post


Link to post

Why would anyone want to play a game through DOSBox when it already has source ports available anyway?

Blood is probably the only old FPS game which I ever play through DOSBox entirely because it has not source ports.

Share this post


Link to post

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×