The Best Option for Doom on Android

[CrbnBased]

Hello fellow Doomers, recently there has been some controversy surrounding the re-release of Doom and Doom 2 on mobile platforms (Switch, iOS, Android).  I offer an alternative to anyone with a device that is capable of running Android, Beloko/Open Touch’s Delta Touch.

 

** Disclaimer **  

 

This is meant to be a reference that others can use to help people find this alternative to Bethesda’s disappointing Android release for Doom, feel free to link this for others to see.

 

Why Choose Delta Touch?

 

Spoiler

 

Mod support.

Online multiplayer.

Performance settings for older devices.

You own the game permanently.

No DRM.

No online requirement for singleplayer.

Less expensive overall, with more value due to fan made maps and mods.

Compatible with older devices.

Controller support with remappable buttons.

Completely adjust touch controls with gyro support and additional on-screen buttons.

Android Oreo 8.0 keyboard and mouse support.

Unified Launcher for little confusion between source ports, and more!

 

 

 

 

Source Ports

 

A labor of love from fans of the series, Delta Touch, offers 5 different source ports, each with their own loyal following and documentation so look into their documentation for more in depth settings.  Source ports hold the code necessary to run the game data known as WAD’s in the context of Doom.

 

Delta Touch has the following source ports:

 

Spoiler

 

GZDoom in 4 versions for compatibility with addons/mods and performance on older hardware, it supports local and online multiplayer.

 

Zandronum for online multiplayer as well as addon/mod support, uses older version of GZDoom for compatibility.

 

Chocolate Doom for strict adherence to classic Doom, with some additional options, also keeps the original multiplayer options from Doom on DOS.

 

Doom Retro for a less strict option for classic Doom, has additional settings for graphics as well as others.

 

PRBoom+ is one of the fastest, full featured, limit removing ports available.  For large, enemy filled maps this a great option for performance.

 

If you’ve been part of the Doom modding community in its long history you may know of these already.  It’s a very impressive list and is updated regularly.

 

 

 

 

Getting Started

 

Where Bethesda’s new Doom apps require only a Bethesda account to play, there is a little more work involved in Delta Touch.  But with a little patience you’ll have permanent copies of Doom that you can play on almost everything, not just an app that when the online server shuts down you can’t play anymore.

 

Spoiler

 

First, download the app from the Google Play Store, it’s $2.50 US.  At this point after installing it will prompt you to download some files.  There is a sound file, accept and download that, then when prompted download FreeDoom 1 and 2.  Both are made by the community using the Doom engine and can replace the original Doom 1 and 2 IWAD’s when playing addons/mods, you don’t even have to own Doom, it’ll give you something to play immediately. All of these files are still less space on your device than the newly released apps, so don’t worry about file size.

 

 

 

 

Doom Game Files

 

Now to put your original Doom files onto your device so you can play!

 

Spoiler

 

You’ll need a file explorer on your Android device and one time access to a computer to copy the files.  I used Google Drive and just put my game files into the cloud so I can access them everywhere, on any device, it’s very helpful.  I would suggest purchasing the original Ultimate Doom, Doom 2 + Final Doom, Heretic, Hexen and Strife from GOG.com or Steam.  You can also use the files from the PC Doom BFG Edition, which has additional features and levels.  Follow the installation instructions for wherever you get it from and then search your filesystem for doom.wad or *.wad if you install more than one.  

 

You then want to copy these files and transfer them to your phone.  Remember that once you have these .wad files all you need is a source port to run doom, you now have a game that they can’t take from you, just don’t distribute it.  Android is pretty simple with its file structure and you’ll be prompted to put the files in /storage/emulated/0/opentouch/delta, just drag and drop and you’re done, now you can play Doom with all the source ports available in the app.

 

Performance Options

 

I have seen many posts about phones stuck on Android 7 and earlier not being compatible with the new Bethesda app, this isn’t an issue with Delta Touch.

 

Spoiler

 

Each source port offers different performance based off of the type of device it is running on, very similar to PC’s.  This is most evident in the source port GZDoom, which has 4 different versions in the app, each adding additional graphics options, but being more processor heavy as you get to the later versions.  GZDoom and Zandronum will be the go to for using any addons/mods and newer more graphics heavy maps so I’ll explain this port in a little more detail.

 

The GZDoom source port uses your choice of software rendering (for dual core or older CPU’s) or hardware rendering (for phones with GPU’s).  You’ll find that most phones sold since 2017 have quad core or higher CPU’s and robust GPU’s, so you’ll get better performance with opengl mode on.  This option is found by touching the gear icon next to the source port icon, it’s just a simple check box, no need to use command line. Same with the additional lightmaps that come with GZDoom, they can be toggled off here for extra performance.  In game there are many more options that can be changed to affect performance, and to make sure you don’t lose any settings you have to select quit game in the Doom menu.

 

 

 

 

Running Addons/Mods

 

So now you have your Doom wads in the right place, you’ve downloaded FreeDoom and you’ve played around with the base games, now you want to mod!

 

Spoiler

 

Running addons/mods is simple, when installing the app it places empty folders on your device to keep you organized.  Those folders are named Mods, Maps and Demos. To do all of this without a computer I’d suggest getting an app to unpackage files like 7zip.  Most mods have instructions to follow in the .txt file for the addon/mod, just make sure you use a compatible source port. Check Doomworld for some great maps and mods to try!

 

So now I have the mod file in the right directory, the map file in the right directory, how do I play?

 

On the main screen select the game you want to mod then touch the keyboard button in the lower right.  You can select your mod and maps then hit ok when complete. Delta Touch will show you the load order on the screen before you press play.

 

Now you’re playing modded Doom!

 

 

 

 

Controls

 

Delta Touch offers multiple options for however you want to control Doom, I’ve listed some of the features to each control option.

 

Spoiler

 

Controller Support:

Completely remappable controller support with sensitivity options for all axis’.

Customizable buttons for mods with additional buttons (reload, grenade, taunt)

Look inversion all sticks.

Savable settings per controller mapping. (when switching between mods).

Simultaneous touch and gamepad play, use a 1 sided gamepad for more precise aiming.

No Octopus needed.

 

Keyboard and Mouse Support:

Android 8.0 and above can truly capture the mouse pointer making it possible to use any keyboard and mouse to play Doom.

Any key remappable.

Android Q Desktop mode and Samsung DeX compatible with KB/M combo.

No Octopus needed!

 

Touch Support:

Completely remappable touch controls.

Add additional buttons per mod.

Increase and reduce the size of any button or joystick, as well as put them anywhere on screen.

Sensitivity settings for every control stick with inversion option.

Gyro support.

 

Choose what option best suits your style of play, I personally love the touch controls and with some practice I now don’t even want to use a controller since it feels sluggish.  I've recorded some game play with touch to show its potential.

 

To add additional buttons for both mapping the controller and having more onscreen buttons for mods go to the center gear when in  a game of Doom, then press the blue icon below it to change touch settings. Go to Hide/Show buttons and turn on show custom, when you hit this button 6 programmable buttons and 2 four way sliders will show on the screen to be remapped, resized and moved.  Every change made to touch controls is per IWAD (Doom, Doom 2, Heretic, Hexen, etc.) and per source port, meaning that if you’ve set up touch controls for GZDoom they won’t be set up for Zandronum and you have to do them again. Maybe this will be fixed in an update, I’d love to have touch presets like we have controller presets.  Also remember that any settings changed in game will not save unless you use the quit game option from the Doom title screen.

 

 

 

All in all Delta Touch is a much better compilation of software, made by the people who enjoy the game, not just to make a buck.  It has options so anyone, with any budget, could find a way to play Doom and all the user created content from the past 25 years right in their pocket.

 

My goal with this thread is to make it a sticky, so people who use the app can come in and talk about settings, tweaks and bugs.  Also it's nice to have a way to get Beloko's ear about updates we would like to see and ways to improve the app.  I see this as a great community effort and a good way to introduce newcomers to the Doom community.  Any suggestions will be appreciated and I will try to keep this up to date.

Edited July 30, 2019 by CrbnBased
Added another hyperlink and changed BFG Edition info.

[Diabolución]

1 hour ago, CrbnBased said:

avoid the Doom BFG Edition, which has compatibility issues and censorship

 

If you happen to want to play legally the official episode No Rest for the Living you need to purchase, yes or yes, Doom 3: BFG Edition for PC, either from GOG or Steam. Also, there is at least one source port (PrBoom-Plus) which does require the BFG IWAD to support properly this episode.

[Andromeda]

On 7/30/2019 at 9:24 PM, Diabolución said:

If you happen to want to play legally the official episode No Rest for the Living you need to purchase, yes or yes, Doom 3: BFG Edition for PC, either from GOG or Steam. Also, there is at least one source port (PrBoom-Plus) which does require the BFG IWAD to support properly this episode.

Not sure about the PrBoom-Plus version on Delta Touch, but No Rest for the Living works fine with the regular Doom II IWAD on the PC (version 2.5.1.4, -complevel 2).

[MAXMEISTER747]

The Bethesda ports no longer work for new android versions. I also don't know hot to use doom 3 bfg files, so I will use the original version.

[Gez]

1 hour ago, MAXMEISTER747 said:

The Bethesda ports no longer work for new android versions. I also don't know hot to use doom 3 bfg files, so I will use the original version.

Kind of a necrobump here.

 

Also since the time the thread was posted, things have changed on the Doom 3 front, now the original release and the BFG edition are bundled on both Steam and GOG, so everyone who has either version of Doom 3 from these stores has both versions; and in the case of NRFTL it's now also downloadable in-game when using what you call the Bethesda port, as documented here.