PrBoom Plus

PrBoom+ is a Doom source port developed from the original PrBoom project. PPrBoom+ is currently based on the source code of its most recent stable version, 2.4.8 (SVN).

The target of the project is to extend the original port with features that are necessary or useful for me personally and to all those interested in my work. It is worth noting that all changes introduced by me in no way break PrBoom's compatibility with the original Doom/Doom2 engines, and it is possible to be confident this will never happen in the future since compatibility is as important a merit of PrBoom as it is to me.

Features:

• Common:
• Uncapped framerate
• Advanced more informative HUD
• Opportunity to vary the playback speed in-game
• Demos:
• Re-record feature
• Fast forwarding during playdemo
• Walkcam and chasecam
• Smooth turns durig viewing demos
• Limits:
• Large levels support
• Render:
• Full mouselook
• FOV - field of view
• Detail textures

What is new in this release:

• This version adds speed improvements, many bugfixes, and several new features, including support for 16 sprite rotations and a few new HUDs.

What is new in version 2.5.0.8:

• Support for DeePsea's tall patch method: Now it's possible to use patches of any height.
• Support for hi-res textures in wads. You should place them between HI_START/HI_END markers.
• Fog in gzdoom lighting mode.
• High Quality Resize modes. Scale2x/3x/4x are supported. Thanks to Benjamin Berkels.
• An alternative way of sky drawing was added. Sky Mode: Skybox. It's slower than the Standard method, but looks better if you use mouse look. Also, it's the only way to see skies properly on old hardware, like 3Dfx Voodoo Graphics, ATI 3D Rage Pro, and others which don't support Environment Mapping.
• Added a gl_clear config variable for clearing the screen between frames. This is only necessary when developing a map, to see HOMs.
• Added a gl_ztrick config variable for very old hardware, like 3Dfx Voodoo, NVidia RIVA128, etc. If this toggle is enabled the game will not clear the z-buffer between frames. This will result in improved performance (~10%) but might cause problems for some display hardware. Makes sense with gl_compatibility 1 and gl_clear 0. Do not use it with TNT2 or better, as performance will be slower.
• Now PrBoom-Plus can save all necessary playback information at the end of demos without loss of compatibility. With such demos you just need to type prboom-plus demoname or click on a demo from your browser, archives manager or explorer and prboom will make any additional work by itself without any assistance. PrBoom-Plus will check for a demo footer and if it is present, will read which IWAD, PWAD and DEH files were used for recording, will try to download necessary add-on files from the Internet and will play the demo for you. Currently, PrBoom-Plus saves the following information (with demo_extendedformat 1): - VERSION - version of DemoEx format (1.0) - PORTNAME - port name and version (PrBoom-Plus 2.5.0.1) - PARAMS - iwad, pwads, dehs and critical for demos params like -spechit - MLOOK - mouse look data For the automatic downloading of files, one must specify the getwad_cmdline parameter in the PrBoom-Plus config file. Examples: getwad_cmdline D:\games\Doom2\getwad\getwad.exe getwad_cmdline C:\my_cool_app -download_pwad_from_somewhere %wadname% -here c:\doom2
• PrBoom-Plus can now apply Boom colormaps to hires resources.
• Supports independent OpenGL filtering methods (nearest, linear, etc) for textures, sprites and patches.
• It's now possible to change screen resolution from the GUI.
• An option to see any monsters that are still alive through walls. By default it's toggled with Numpad /. It has two modes: All sprites with living monsters or living monsters only. Works only in GL mode.
• PrBoom will attempt to play a DEMO4 lump present in a wad immediately after DEMO3, but without exiting with the W_GetNumForName: DEMO4 not found error that the Plutonia and TNT executables get. This makes sense for Plutonia 2, which includes a DEMO4 lump that is played back during the demo cycle by vanilla Plutonia.
• PrBoom-Plus title instead of PrBoom on the CREDITS screen page.
• Doesn't alter the default skill level when the difficulty skill is selected from the New game menu. An explicit default skill option was added instead, shoehorned into the misc section of page 2 of the General menu.
• Smoothing for the edges of textures with holes. (And not only for sprites, as before.)
• Screenshots in gzdoom lighting mode use current gamma.
• Reconfiguration in menu.
• Better and faster mipmapping for modern hardware. Support for GL_ARB_TEXTURE_NON_POWER_OF_TWO extention.
• Two service variables for developers were added: gl_color_mip_levels and gl_fog_color.
• PrBoom-Plus doesn't use detail texture over hires textures.
• Textures are reloaded after changing the Override PWAD's graphics with Hi-Res option.
• Smart algorithm for more seamless flats drawing. In some situations this removes seams from hires flats (between sectors 125 and 126 on map20 @ doom2.wad, etc).
• Speed improvement in OpenGL mode.
• Can play any episode with The Ultimate Doom, Final Doom, Doom95 and DosDoom compatibilities and -warp command line switch. Now you can play E5M1 @ 2002ado.wad with -warp 5 1 -complevel 3. The (vanilla) Ultimate Doom executable also allows this.
• Some interpolation code was optimized. This fixes slowdowns on the beta of ndcp2.wad map02.
• Speed improvements. Some timedemo examples for my hardware (Intel Core2Duo 3.0, NVidia GeForce 8800 GTS): Command line: [port] -geom 640x480 -window -nosound -file [pwad] -timedemo [demo] portepic.wadnuts.waddv.wad glboom 2.5.012653560 glboom+ 2.5.0.1234130640 glboom 2.5.0.1.fast277134705 glboom+ 2.5.0.2362149834 prboom 2.5.0174115400 prboom+ 2.5.0.1158114382 prboom+ 2.5.0.2191121424
• Fixed a rare wrong sprite rotation glitch when render_paperitems is 0.
• Avoids segfaults on levels without nodes, and refuses to load maps with an incomplete pwad structure.
• Avoids segfaults with unknown patch formats, and checks if the patch lump can be a Doom patch.
• Gets rid of a line of graphics on some middle textures with holes. Sector #42 on gravity.wad as an example.
• Doesn't render holes between flats and walls in some situations, on some hardware. Sector #557 @ map21 @ pl2.wad. GLBoom-Plus now renders per linedef instead of per seg. Performance has increased a little as a bonus. Also, some small texturing glitches are gone. See linedef #361 @ bbb.wad, as an example.
• Gets rid of a half-pixel mismatch on seams between identical and correctly aligned textures in GL. This was an old GLBoom bug which is now fixed.
• Fixed incorrect flipping for Transfer Sky Texture actions (272 271) in OpenGL.
• Fixed issue with near-clip plane. Works only on NVIDIA. From PrBoom - Don't set default skill level from the new game menu. Added explicit default skill option.

What is new in version 2.5.0.4:

• Support for wide resolutions was added and bugs were fixed.

What is new in version 2.5.0.3:

• Simple shadows from Doomsday.
• New "Fog Based" sector light mode. Very similar to software. If it does not work correctly for you - try to update your drivers or burn your ATI, because per-pixel fog (GL_NICEST) does not work with some ATI+drivers.
• map_always_updates config variable for updating unexplored parts in automap mode.
• Do not use multisampling in automap mode.
• Speed improvement in OpenGL mode. ~25% on nuts.wad, 7% generally.
• Optimisation of automap drawing in GL mode. 220 fps instead of 30 on map05 @ dv.wad after IDDT IDDT.
• Fixed bug with middle texture on Claustrophobia 1024 map06 sector 39.
• Fixed desynch on longdays.wad (-emulate 2.5.0.1/2 for viewing incompatible demos).

What is new in version 2.5.0.2:

• Support for DeePsea's tall patch method: Now it's possible to use patches of any height.
• Support for hi-res textures in wads. You should place them between HI_START/HI_END markers.
• Fog in "gzdoom" lighting mode.
• High Quality Resize modes. Scale2x/3x/4x are supported. Thanks to Benjamin Berkels.
• An alternative way of sky drawing was added. "Sky Mode: Skybox". It's slower than the "Standard" method, but looks better if you use mouse look. Also, it's the only way to see skies properly on old hardware, like 3Dfx Voodoo Graphics, ATI 3D Rage Pro, and others which don't support "Environment Mapping".
• Added a "gl_clear" config variable for clearing the screen between frames. This is only necessary when developing a map, to see HOMs.
• Added a "gl_ztrick" config variable for very old hardware, like 3Dfx Voodoo, NVidia RIVA128, etc. If this toggle is enabled the game will not clear the z-buffer between frames. This will result in improved performance (~10%) but might cause problems for some display hardware. Makes sense with gl_compatibility 1 and gl_clear 0. Do not use it with TNT2 or better, as performance will be slower.
• Now PrBoom-Plus can save all necessary playback information at the end of demos without loss of compatibility. With such demos you just need to type "prboom-plus demoname" or click on a demo from your browser, archives manager or explorer and prboom will make any additional work by itself without any assistance. PrBoom-Plus will check for a demo footer and if it is present, will read which IWAD, PWAD and DEH files were used for recording, will try to download necessary add-on files from the Internet and will play the demo for you.
• Currently, PrBoom-Plus saves the following information (with demo_extendedformat 1):
• VERSION - version of DemoEx format (1.0)
• PORTNAME - port name and version (PrBoom-Plus 2.5.0.1)
• PARAMS - iwad, pwads, dehs and critical for demos params like -spechit
• MLOOK - mouse look data
• For the automatic downloading of files, one must specify the getwad_cmdline parameter in the PrBoom-Plus config file. Examples:
• getwad_cmdline "D:gamesDoom2getwadgetwad.exe"
• getwad_cmdline "C:my_cool_app -download_pwad_from_somewhere %wadname% -here c:doom2"
• PrBoom-Plus can now apply Boom colormaps to hires resources.
• Supports independent OpenGL filtering methods (nearest, linear, etc) for textures, sprites and patches.
• It's now possible to change screen resolution from the GUI.
• An option to see any monsters that are still alive through walls. By default it's toggled with "Numpad /". It has two modes: All sprites with living monsters or living monsters only. Works only in GL mode.
• PrBoom will attempt to play a DEMO4 lump present in a wad immediately after DEMO3, but without exiting with the "W_GetNumForName: DEMO4 not found" error that the Plutonia and TNT executables get. This makes sense for Plutonia 2, which includes a DEMO4 lump that is played back during the demo cycle by vanilla Plutonia.
• "PrBoom-Plus" title instead of "PrBoom" on the CREDITS screen page.
• Doesn't alter the default skill level when the difficulty skill is selected from the New game menu. An explicit default skill option was added instead, shoehorned into the misc section of page 2 of the General menu.
• Smoothing for the edges of textures with holes. (And not only for sprites, as before.)
• Screenshots in "gzdoom" lighting mode use current gamma.
• Reconfiguration in menu.
• Better and faster mipmapping for modern hardware. Support for GL_ARB_TEXTURE_NON_POWER_OF_TWO extention.
• Two service variables for developers were added: gl_color_mip_levels and gl_fog_color.
• PrBoom-Plus doesn't use detail texture over hires textures.
• Textures are reloaded after changing the "Override PWAD's graphics with Hi-Res" option.
• Smart algorithm for more seamless flats drawing. In some situations this removes seams from hires flats (between sectors 125 and 126 on map20 @ doom2.wad, etc).
• Speed improvement in OpenGL mode.
• Can play any episode with The Ultimate Doom, Final Doom, Doom95 and DosDoom compatibilities and -warp command line switch. Now you can play E5M1 @ 2002ado.wad with "-warp 5 1 -complevel 3". The (vanilla) Ultimate Doom executable also allows this.
• Some interpolation code was optimized. This fixes slowdowns on the beta of ndcp2.wad map02.
• Speed improvements.

What is new in version 2.4.8.5:

• The processor affinity mask is set under non-Windows platforms using the POSIX API.
• This is a workaround for a bug in SDL_mixer that causes occasional crashes on multicore systems.
• Strange behavior may result if a dehacked patch changed the music or sound lump names.
• A crash which occurred if a response file (i.e. @myargs.rsp) is used was fixed.

What is new in version 2.4.8.4:

• High color rendering was added.
• A real "black and white" effect was added for the invulnerability effect for hires textures.
• A motion blur effect was added for strafe50.
• The ability to play MP3 and OGG data from a WAD was added.
• Demo compatibility was added with Chex Quest.
• A huge speedup (100x) of level reloading in GL mode was made.
• Some bugs in the hardware and software renderers were fixed.
• Code optimization was done.