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AliensTC4Eva

Idbest.wad runs with Shareware Doom?

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OK, ok, I'm trying to recover all of the Master Levels for Doom II "Maximum Doom" set of WADs since I've lost the CD, and I'm sure the Maximum Doom level WADs are public domain, but the Master Levels are still copyrighted by ID software. I was looking around and I read somewhere that claims one of the Wads included in the Maximum Doom set of 3,000 levels, "idbest.wad" can run with shareware doom?!

If it's true, then which version of shareware Doom? As in 1.x (assuming there is no 0.x versions, other than Beta demos)?
Also how do you get Idbest.wad to run in the Shareware version of Doom. As I've tried using DOS executable, even Doom95.exe won't allow me, no luck so far. And if no body have a problem, can they explain why this wad works on the Shareware version? Was it an accident/bug that it somehow works with the shareware version of Doom, or did IDSoftware intended it to be that way?

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Yes, older versions of the shareware allowed you to load custom wads. But when user-made wads started appearing id first asked people to make sure their wads needed stuff not available on the shareware release (textures, flats, sprites, etc.) Eventually, as wad making got even bigger, they also made the engine incapable of loading wads when it loads the shareware as the IWAD. Decent user-released engines nowadays keep that block, as well, respecting id's request that PWADs should not be usable with the free shareware IWAD.

So the claim likely comes from a textfile from back when the EXE still could load the shareware and an add-on. The block was added for the v1.5 release.

Finally, the copyright of the Maximum DOOM wads depends on what the author of each wad stated when they released the wads. Wads can't be public domain unless an author states that, and according to id they can't be, as they are considered in their terms of use as an arrangement between add-on makers and the company. That is, I doubt the wad format can be used as "public domain" which would allow anyone any sort of usage, even commercial, to the fullest extent. So in short, by default and practically by definition, wads are NEVER public domain.

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myk said:

Yes, older versions of the shareware allowed you to load custom wads. But when user-made wads started appearing id first asked people to make sure their wads needed stuff not available on the shareware release (textures, flats, sprites, etc.) Eventually, as wad making got even bigger, they also made the engine incapable of loading wads when it loads the shareware as the IWAD. Decent user-released engines nowadays keep that block, as well, respecting id's request that PWADs should not be usable with the free shareware IWAD.

So the claim likely comes from a textfile from back when the EXE still could load the shareware and an add-on. The block was added for the v1.5 release.

Finally, the copyright of the Maximum DOOM wads depends on what the author of each wad stated when they released the wads. Wads can't be public domain unless an author states that, and according to id they can't be, as they are considered in their terms of use as an arrangement between add-on makers and the company. That is, I doubt the wad format can be used as "public domain" which would allow anyone any sort of usage, even commercial, to the fullest extent. So in short, by default and practically by definition, wads are NEVER public domain.


Oh, ok thanks for the tip. I'm just trying to find back all of the WAD files for that Maximum Doom set, ever since I lost my Master Levels for Doom II CD. The good news was that I had the Master Levels backed up since I played them more, but I forever regret the day I lend the disc to my friend who claims he was going to give it back to me within 2 days, and then he said he lost it. ARGH!

I always thought wad files (except registered /commercial versions of ANY doom.wad and doom2.wad, tnt.wad, plutonia.wad, and the 20 master levels wads) would be public domain just because they are available for free, but you are not allowed to sell them, just for personal use.

I'm actually more interested in getting some help in finding any of the Wads that I can't find on this list:

http://www.classicdoom.com/mlcdwads.txt

I've found a whole bunch on the Maximum Doom set of Wads for Doom 1/Ultimate Doom across a whole bunch of wad servers, but not all of them.

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"Public domain" things belong to anybody, while wads fall under a copyright established by the author (with possible restrictions from id Software.)

As far as the Maximum DOOM wads go, funduke is gradually uploading (to idgames) all the ones that have text files and are distributable; perhaps you'd like to cooperate with him.

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myk said:

"Public domain" things belong to anybody, while wads fall under a copyright established by the author (with possible restrictions from id Software.)

As far as the Maximum DOOM wads go, funduke is gradually uploading (to idgames) all the ones that have text files and are distributable; perhaps you'd like to cooperate with him.


OK, I'd like to help. I needed mostly the Doom 1/Ultimate Doom wads from the Maximum Doom set right now, I'll worry about trying the Doom2 set of Maximum Doom wads when I'm through playing through with the first 201 wads.

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