Table of Contents

How to play DOOM

Want to play Doom but don't know how? Follow the three steps listed below. It boils down to; get yourself an IWAD (e.g. doom2.wad), get yourself a source port (e.g. GZDoom), and then run the IWAD using the source port.

Get an IWADs

Doom runs using .wad files. These can be PWAD files (patch-wad, for custom maps and such) and IWAD files (internal-wad, full game assets).
You need an IWAD to play Doom/Hexen/etc and their mods.
You can buy most IWADs through Steam/GOG/etc (the IWAD will be in the game files) but here they are in case you don't want to spend money on 30 year old games.

Get a Source Port

Since the original Doom EXE doesn't work on modern machines, you need a source port (source code ported to Windows/whatever) to run your .wad files.
There are many options, below are some popular ones.

How to run the game

You can run your IWADs via one of the 4 following methods;

• Click and drag your IWAD (and mods: PWADs, PK3s, PK7s, etc) onto the source port EXE.
• Place your IWAD in the same folder as your source port and run the source port (optionally by dragging any mods you may have onto the EXE).
• Create a batch script such as sourceportname.exe -iwad path/to/doom2.wad -file path/to/optional/mod.wad another/optional/mod.pk3 -deh for/dehacked/mods.deh
• Use a launcher

If you want to play mods and custom levels, that last one is probably the best option to keep your stuff organised. Here are some launchers to consider:

How to get good

If you're having a hard time on Ultra Violence difficulty; just lower the difficulty silly.
If you still want to get good, be it singleplayer or multiplayer, here are some resources.

• The DM Bible. Strats for Deathmatch.
  Doom2.net PDF
• The BFGFAQ. Explains how the BFG9000 works (its counter-intuitive)
  Gamers.org Link
• WAD Progression for Skill Improvement. List of wads to play in order to get better
  Doomworld Thread
• Doom Analysis, by Decino. Explains the mechanics of Doom. Not all Doom videos are relevant. (He has a video about BFG9000 as well)
  Youtube Playlist
• How to Doom, by SoBad. Explains strategies to fight demons.
  Youtube Playlist
• PRO DOOM MONSTER STRATS
  Youtube Video

What is Boom, MBF, limit-removing, etc? What are complevels?

You might have heard these terms before. These tell you which sourceports/settings you need to use in order to play the WAD in its intended way. If you can't bother reading all this, there are some videos in the More info subsection.

If you plan on playing everything on GZDoom regardless; that's fine, a lot of people already do this. You can skip this section. Otherwise keep reading, especially if you plan on mapping.

What does it all mean?

There are many mapping standards for Doom, and map makers will pick one to make their map with. They will give this information in the readme or wherever they released their map, which will determine which sourceport(s) you can use to play the map.
Most common standards include:

Vanilla compatible: DOS exe or a sourceport that emulates it perfectly. If a sourceport emulates the exe perfectly but doesn't crash due to hardcoded limits (e.g. map too complex), then it is said to be limit removing. Chocolate Doom is currently the only mainstream sourceport that is vanilla compatible but isn't limit removing.

Boom/MBF/MBF21 compatible: Supports advanced features for mappers to make cool stuff with. Boom is the predecessor of MBF, which is the predecessor of MBF21. However none of them obsolete, and if anything Boom is the most popular among these standards.

GZDoom/Eternity: These engines boast a ton of advanced features, and so a map made for GZDoom will only run on GZDoom (or sometimes a related port like Zandronum) and a map made for Eternity will only run on Eternity, unless stated otherwise.

What is complevel?

Some ports like DSDA Doom and Woof! support many standards, and they allow you to switch between them. You just need to use the -complevel parameter when launching a WAD, short for "compatibility level". For a list, see the "More info" section or click here (yes both DSDA and Woof! use PrBoom+'s parameters, although Woof!'s is a bit more limited).

Since these ports emulate these standards perfectly, they also allow you to record and play demos without having desync issues. Demos are useful for giving feedback to mapmakers, or speedrunning if that's your cup of autism.
Note that DSDA Doom has a -dsdademo parameter that allows you to save/load while recording a demo, which is normally not possible. Such demos can only be played back on DSDA Doom.

For majority of cases, you're gonna be using -complevel 2 or -complevel 9 which are vanilla Doom (v1.9) and Boom respectively.

It should be noted that some ports like Eternity have similar parameters for vanilla Doom only (for Eternity its -vanilla).

More info

PrBoom+'s Compatibility Levels Explained by Decino (applies to DSDA Doom and Woof also)

What even IS "Vanilla Doom" by Doomkid

Compatibility Modes on DoomWiki

Comparison of Source Ports: Comparison by Compatibility on DoomWiki (rest of the page is also a good resource)

How to make maps/mods

Isn't it difficult to make maps?
Not at all, it's actually really easy to get a basic one going. This video will give you an idea of the process:

ANYONE can make a DOOM map by Jimmy

How to start mapping?

Download Ultimate Doom Builder. It comes with support for pretty much all map formats, and it's the most popular editor so it'll be easier to seek help when you need it. Some tutorials are linked below.
Slade 3 also has a map editor built into it and it's alright. If you're on Linux, use Slade or Eureka.

How to start making custom enemies/weapons/etc?

For vanilla or similar ports, you'll want to make dehacked patches. WhackEd 4 is a great GUI editor that can do pretty much anything you want (doesn't support MBF21 as of yet). DEH9000 is "coder's dehacked", allows you to create patches via python. DecoHack (DoomTools) similarly allows you to create patches via a DECORATE-like language.
Slade 3 is a very important tool for creating, maintaining, and editing WADs/PK3s. Has a ton of useful features; adding custom textures/sprites, editing color palettes, etc. You'll be using this regardless of port/standard.
XWE is an alternative to Slade. It's no longer maintained but it can handle Build Engine files and some other weird formats.

Links

References

• ZDoom Homepage- Knowledge Base
• ZDoom Wiki- ACS
• Zdoom Wiki- ZScript
• Zdoom Wiki- Tutorials

Mods

Make sure to check our stuff (managed by different anon). Here's some cool mods:

Other Games (Wolf3D, Quake, Nuke3D)

Wolfenstein 3D

1. Download the Wolfenstein 3D TC for ZDoom
   https://zdoom.org/wiki/Wolfenstein_3D_TC
2. Download ECWolf
   https://maniacsvault.net/ecwolf/
   https://puu.sh/5kGNE.7z - Game data
   A - Alternative: a Wolf3d starter pack, posted Sept. 2016
   https://pastebin.com/mRmhVWce
   https://mega.nz/#!ikVlQBpQ!AtTZGvnFZgw_I96tsaOK-dbyLf6Usps1nVjLSdxUGz8

Quake

1. For Singleplayer, use Ironwail (or VkQuake if you're having bugs/etc)
   https://github.com/andrei-drexler/ironwail/releases
   https://github.com/Novum/vkQuake/releases
2. For Netplay, use EZQuake
   https://ezquake.sourceforge.net/

Some Mods
Hi-res map textures: https://qrp.quakeone.com/downloads/
Hi-res monster textures: https://quakeone.com/reforged/downloads.html
Dynamic lighting: https://quakeone.com/forums/quake-mod-releases/finished-works/6465-inkub0-new-rtlights.html
Transparent water: https://vispatch.sourceforge.net/
HQ Music: https://quakeone.com/forums/quake-mod-releases/finished-works/7337-high-quality-music-packs.html

Duke Nukem 3D

1. EDuke32
   https://www.eduke32.com/

Some mods
High res pack - https://hrp.duke4.net/download.php
Full Copies - https://pastebin.com/ywSx8g9E

Community

Where/How to find the Doom thread

If you have 4chanx you can add this to your "general" filters to pin the thread on /vr/:
type:subject,comment;/doom thread/i;type:subject;highlight;op:only;boards:vr
Or you can bookmark this URL:
https://boards.4chan.org/vr/catalog#s=Doom%20Thread

We're not on /vg/ because of the community. /vg/ has a far more insulated group of posters, and having the threads there would result in a total stagnation of new traffic. We even asked on /q/ whether it was allowed, they said they'd be fine with it.

When can I play with /vr/?

Usual schedule is:
Friday Night Firefights (pvp), Sunday Night Shitshows (coop), and Wednesday Night Wankshows (SRB2Kart )
For karting specifically, see here https://pastebin.com/fFj8euau
See also; http://clovr.xyz/

Where's the rest of the community?

Over here!
Doomworld Forums
ZDoom Forums
Doomer Boards
Zandronum Forums
Steam Group (Dead)

Miscellaneous

What are soundfonts?
Music in Doom is in MIDI format, which means you can change how the individual instruments sound. A soundfont file is a collection of such instruments.
Doomkid covers this topic in the the following video;
Improve DOOM Music! MIDI Soundfont Tutorial w/ VirtualMIDISynth
Comparisons of different soundfonts:
Comparison 1, Comparison 2, Comparison 3

Why do people love/hate Brutal Doom
Everyone has their reason (reloading, ironsights, general feel/speed, tons of gore, the author, etc)...
...but ultimately, nobody should care. Cause, well, >opinions

Is Nu-Doom good
This is the retro board so Doom 2016 and Doom Eternal aren't discussed here. If you're wondering what /vr/ thinks, some like it, some don't.

Other pastebins
Hosting with BE tutorial: https://pastebin.com/XLeN2pxe
/vr/'s stuff: https://rentry.org/8ca3061522e0
Soundfont Q&A: https://pastebin.com/y0Mnk9s4
Old FAQs: http://pastebin.com/q0kKJy36, https://pastebin.com/hzDnLpct, Old /vr/'s stuff https://pastebin.com/5sKRiJzS

Masters of DOOM pdf