What are your preferred visual settings?

[Aaron Blain]

I'm surprised to see so many people playing in Dosbox. My favorite is Chocolate, but I get bumped up to Prboom so often that I tend to default to that.

 

Here's a wonderfully obsessive video about CRT's and non-square pixels:

 

Side note: The idea of being a Windows XP diehard appeals to me too. For me, using Linux with a lightweight desktop environment is like living in an alternate universe where we all kept using XP, except everything works better, and you don't have to deal with Microsoft. My personal favorite is Lubuntu.

 

https://lubuntu.net/

 

It's one of several varieties specially designed to get the most out of older hardware. And, while running XP in 2020 is high-risk, Linux of any kind is arguably the most secure OS.

Edited June 19, 2020 by Aaron Blain

[Hypnotik]

GZdoom/Any of my port settings:

• Typically 800x480 or lower.
• Software rendered.
• 35 frame rate cap.
• Vanilla-ish.

[cu2]

Prboom+ on 1280x720 with framelimiter or zdoom with the same settings and software renderer

[elend]

I've to add to my previous post on Page 1, that I also enjoy to play a bit more "oldschool". Not entirelly vanilla, though, since I use "Vanilla Essence" and enjoy having brightmaps and dynamic lights. I highly recommend Vanilla Essence to everyone who doesn't like Chocolate Doom and would love to have just a bit more options regarding the look.

 

 

Edited June 20, 2020 by elend

[magicsofa]

Very sexy

[Pixel Fiend]

(outdated)

Edited September 5, 2020 by <<Rewind

[Plasma Slayer]

As close to the original as I can get. That's why Chocolate DOOM is my preferred way to play.

[markanini]

I try to retain the vibe of the original visuals as much as possible with a HD resolution.

The settings I use in use in GZDoom to that end are are Texture Filter mode: None(Trilinear). High quality resize mode:NormalNX. Sector light mode:Software. Weapon light strength:20. Enhanced night vision mode:Off. Fuzz style:Software. Finally I use Troo Cullers mod by Pixel Eater to retain the colors of the original DOS Doom.

[Gunstar Green]

Crispy for me. Close enough to the original without hurting my eyes on modern displays.

[RottingZombie]

On 6/18/2020 at 10:19 AM, idbeholdME said:

1) What is fake contrast in ZDoom and what should I set it to to make it look like in the original Doom? On, Off or Smooth? I can see the shades change slightly when I change it but I have no idea what it actually does. Also not sure how it behaved in the original Doom. I assume off, but can anyone confirm?

I am curious about this also.

 

As for my preferred visuals:

 

I like 640x480 mode usually. I have the GPU set to scale it rather than monitor. I like it sorta vanilla I suppose. I usually cap fps in vanilla compatible maps, but may uncap it in source-port required maps, or if i feel like a change. I try to set up GZDoom by disabling the transparencies, interpolation, and most of the stuff that was altered or changed. I almost wish it would come configured with modern settings off, but I guess that would defeat the purpose (and i could just use chocolate). I like Z/GZDoom's "feel" though.

[Hellektronic]

I love all this oldschoolery, haha... so many people with hardcore oldschool setups even in sourceports. I'm no different.

 

I run my LZDoom in 640x480, scaled by GPU so it's a smaller window, then further scaled to 320x200. No filtering, no decals, no bloom, no rendering interpolation, no monster interpolation... just a bit of vignetting to make the lighting look darker. I use Open GL just for the lighting and compatibility with modern wads. Light sector mode set to "Doom" with banded lighting... cool looking combo, makes ultra-dark areas maneuverable without getting lost, but still has the darkness I like.

 

I fiddled with the brightness a bit, turned gamma down to about 90 or 85... set saturation down to 88... really just to pull out that dark and grimy horror element, and make it look less bright and cartoony. I figure since it is GZDoom-based, I might as well make the most of the lighting and transparency effects and such... set lost soul transparency to be higher so they look like ghosts.

 

I very probably missed something, but this setup took me like hours and hours to get right.

 

I also have a version of DOS Doom set up for DOSBox, to get that ultra-oldschool effect... I figure that's even more vanilla than chocolate, hah.

[Hellektronic]

On 6/19/2020 at 10:45 PM, elend said:

I've to add to my previous post on Page 1, that I also enjoy to play a bit more "oldschool". Not entirelly vanilla, though, since I use "Vanilla Essence" and enjoy having brightmaps and dynamic lights. I highly recommend Vanilla Essence to everyone who doesn't like Chocolate Doom and would love to have just a bit more options regarding the look.

 

You've got my attention... does it add a lot of options to GZDoom? The download post is a bit vague as to what all it adds.

[Pixel Fiend]

Visual improvement continues

 

GZDoom 4.42

320x200 Hardware

Sector Light Vanilla Banded

Sprites Face Camera On

Multisampling Toggle

Spoiler

bind mouse3 "gl_multisample 2; echo multisampling on"

doublebind "gl_multisample 0; echo multisampling off"

Sprite Clipping Smart

Fuzz Translucent Shadow

Particles Smooth or Square

Ambient Occlusion Medium

Texture Filter None

Messages on screen 1

Spoiler

con_notifylines 1

Automap Traditional Textured

Custom Inverse Map Red

Classic Transparency Vanilla Forced

Crouch, Jump, Freelook Off

Spoiler

Freelook Toggle:

bind f3 "freelook 0;echo freelook off;centerview"

doublebind f3 "freelook 0;echo freelook on"

Statusbar Scale To Fullscreen

Vanilla Tonemapping Toggle

Spoiler

bind t "gl_tonemap 0;echo tonemapping off"

doublebind t "gl_tonemap 5;echo tonemapping vanilla"

Fake Contrast On

Marifx Palette BTSX Dithering 0.04

Brightmaps+

Brightmaps+ Spritefix

Minor Sprite Fix

Nash Gore

Deep Water

Hitmarkers

Target Spy

Flashlight Steve

Reshade Framelimiter 35fps

Midi Player: Fluidsynth Generaluser GS v1

Edited September 5, 2020 by <<Rewind

[ludicrous_peridot]

Found a good balance between GZDoom hi end options and vintage looks with the below options. Not using any mods to improve visuals or upscale textures.

 

Spoiler

OpenGL/Vulkan renderer

Scale mode to one of "VGA multiples" (320x200, 640x400, etc) depending on the PC capabilities, but definitely lower than native monitor resolution.

Fullscreen, no forced aspect ratio, no fullscreen linear scaling

Rendering interpolation

32x Multisampling

Smooth sprite edges

As much Ambient occlusion as hardware can handle

Also bloom, if hardware can handle

Linear textures filtering 

6x sprites, textures, fonts scaling with Normal scaling

Fake contrast

Dynamic lights on for everything

Sector lighting to Doom

 

I also tweak contrast and brightness to make the game look more dramatic,

and color temp to have more blues, so that red and orange don't look over-saturated for my liking.

 

Also brightmaps that come with the mods - e.g. the one linked on sprite fixing project thread if I use sprite fixes.

 

Like how @<<Rewind's pic shows pillars with art resembling Bethesda menu pic, when Bethesda seems to have just added widescreen to their ports. If that's indeed it, it would be a shame if pun was not intended.

Edited September 5, 2020 by ludicrous_peridot

[M_W]

This thread makes me feel like an old man.

I play on Choco primarily, so 320x200, 35Hz, Software renderer. If I'm feeling a little saucy I'll play with Crispy Doom at 400p widescreen and *GASP*, interpolation to 60Hz

 

Otherwise, it's PrBoom+ at my native resolution/aspect ratio in the software renderer. I really like the way the light banding looks in the software renderer, though I hear GZDoom can replicate the look with OpenGL pretty well, but I don't have it. I might switch to Woof! for my Boom/MBF compatible stuff from now on.

[DCG Retrowave]

I play vanilla on my DOS PC with a CRT.  This is my personal standard for DOOM so anytime I use a source port, I try to make it look just like vanilla (although I will use my modern PC monitor's 1920x1200 resolution).

[Lila Feuer]

Woof! with default 320x200, capped 35fps, the only visual enhancements may be PLAYPAL modifications and/or the sprite fixes, otherwise it looks just like Doom. I like fancy stuff too in GZDoom but I haven't used it in a long time so I won't comment for now.

[Pixel Fiend]

 

 

Edited April 4, 2021 by <<Rewind

[Demion]

10 hours ago, <<Rewind said:

 

On 9/5/2020 at 6:28 AM, <<Rewind said:

 

 

How do you replace black bars with that background? :o

[TheMagicMushroomMan]

On 4/30/2019 at 11:15 PM, vanilla_d00m said:

At last.. I have found the best setting that i really like.  I can see the levels much better with this setting... not only that, I just finished episode 3 for the first time with it.

 

Becoming a classic DOOM vet is what I wanted so bad for many years, staying in hangar and puking wasnt fun, 

 

ZDOOM 2.4.1 (because the shotgun sounds better and much stronger sounding in this zdoom version)

 

Rightclick zdoom.exe and set compatibility to 640x480

 

video setting: 640x480 on zdoom with 4:3 

 

Fullscreen off..... expand the window.

 

vsync off, column rend/interp: off stretch short skies: off screen wipe style: burn

 

gamma correction: default

 

cl_capfps=true  (zdoom.cfg)

 

vid_fps=true (zdoom.cfg)  so I know for shure its running at vanilla fps (it helps me with the sickness)

 

Again.... stretch short skies: OFF!

 

 

 

 

I see you have problems with sound. Have you tried using sound packs by Per Kristan or @SeanTheBermanator? As for music, you can use different soundfonts.

 

Anyway, my settings:

 

GzDoom

4k

16:9

Bloom OFF

Lens Distortion OFF

Sector light mode standard/software/vanilla

Vulkan

Ambient Occlusion HIGH

MSAA 4x

FXAA OFF

Texture Filtering OFF AS FUCK (well none/nearest)

Sprites and Particles for all effects

Square particles

Also, Fullscreen Statusbar mod for everything.

 

I'll also use Smooth Doom for wads with no custom enemies/weapons.

 

Edited October 23, 2020 by TheMagicMushroomMan

[Rei is now real]

this is what i like to call... MyUglyDoom(tm)

[Rei is now real]

i like to have Bloom, and Texture Filtering, and some other option that makes it so the textures are smooth and rounded

 

[AinuTheTaken]

With 'software' lighting in GZDoom (slightly brighter than the other settings) although I've figured out how to get a nice flashlight effect with darkdoomz and bdeflashlight. I think that's what it's called. I also like it when enemies are flat and pixelated for some reason so I turn off antialiasing and bilinear filtering completely.

[SF.]

OpenGL (GLBoom+ and GZDoom), 1600x900, Stretched Status Bar, No Filtering

[Oldschoolgeek32]

My normal visual settings for GZDoom are

-4:3 Aspect Ratio 

-1024 x 768 (HD)

-Doom Software Renderer (Exceptions with some WADS that require or is suited for the hardware renderer)

-Classic HUD (Set to fit screen)

-No texture filtering

My Alternate Visual Settings (For advanced WADS and MODS)

-4:3 Aspect Ratio

-1024 x 768 (HD)

-Hardware Renderer

-Classic HUD (Fit to screen)

-No Texture Filtering

-Lights and Brightmaps Enabled

 

 

 

Edited November 6, 2020 by Oldschoolgeek32

[forgettable pyromaniac]

I use GZDoom for mods so that one has all the cool fancy stuff on like dynamic lighting, and a huge resolution, but I do turn off texture filtering because it looks terrible.

Casual Doom I use default Zandronum Settings, but with a 900x600 resolution, and although there is stuff like dynamic lighting, I don't have things like mouselook on.

And if I'm feeling hardcore, I make a batch file to run doom wads on chocolate doom (or chocolate doom on my mac, which has a neat little launcher.) in 900x600.

I also normally play in windowed mode.

[Mangcubus]

Crisp sprites

Truecolor

Slightly saturated

Alternative HUD

[Kokoro Hane]

Usually I like to play in 4:3 at either 800x600 resolution or if I want it larger, 1024x768. If I'm borrowing my bro's computer, then it's usually set to widescreen.

Edited November 7, 2020 by Kokoro Hane

[Deimos]

Nowadays i like 16/9 high color software with lens distortion. It preserves the classic contrast but without the color banding and full screen. The lens distortion adds a more "organic"/less flat aspect to it.
 

[Pixel Fiend]

PrBoom+

320x200

Edited April 4, 2021 by <<Rewind