Pre-release maps and TCs on modern source ports

[ludicrous_peridot]

I have been looking around recently for maps or mods that preserve the levels from pre-release version with some accuracy and can be loaded in modern source ports (e.g. GZDoom) to be played without hassle of DOSBox, date adjustment or extra command lines. Put the ones I found in spoiler below and asking which other efforts you'd advise to check. Please note that suggestions of conversions of (very) unfinished stuff and level fragments that are only seen as novelties are welcome. I'm less interested in mods and map packs that are alpha- or beta-inspired here, but rather in original maps conversions.

 

 

Onward to Doom II?

Spoiler

A compilation of test and development maps, some of Doom 2 era, some preceding it, has been created by @Individualised.

 

@Faceman2000 has shared a touched up and actually playable version of E5M1, which was originally done by id during Ultimate Doom days.

 

 

"A Day at id Software" (aka 0.8)

Spoiler

While not directly a port or recreation of the maps, several attempts were made to create believable "what if" versions of maps from pre-beta period, especially after "A day at ID software" video was released.

 

Nes and few other users have authored E1M1 variants with geometry seen in the video, links shared in this topic.

 

@Quasar was leading a project to build a full 1 episode IWAD playable with modified press release binary. Whether the maps would load in a modern source port is not clear, but E1M3 and E1M5 conversions from Shareware were created by @SaladBadger, and @Dragonsbrethren made E1M4 and was working on making E1M6 resemble what was seen in the video. Nes's e1m1beta.wad was supposed to be used for E1M1.  Sadly, the project did not have a release, nor any downloadable maps.

 

 

Press-release build (aka pre-beta)

Spoiler

WinMBF has the levels in BETALEVL.WAD. These replace certain maps of Doom episodes, so cannot be played in sequence, and are better warped to . The sprites for beta bonuses are in BETAGRPH.WAD and it also has replacements for enemies, pickups, etc. The port itself should support beta gameplay features, e.g. BGF, but the maps are still playable without it.

 

https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/source/winmbf02

 

A more straightforward conversion was done by @neubejiita:

 

http://www.doomworld.com/idgames/index.php?file=levels/doom/m-o/newpress.zip

 

0.5

Spoiler

@deathz0r has recently re-uploaded conversions of 0.5 and 0.4 doom. This includes both sets of levels that can be played and sprites, weapons animations and other customizations.

 

A more detailed E1M1 version was found with editor screen grabs published by @Quasar in 2015, and its geometry was restored by @GreyGhost.

 

@LoneAlpha2401 has posted reimagining of E1M1 from 0.5 and E1M11 from 0.4 in this topic.

 

0.4

Spoiler

In addition to @deathz0r's wads above, @kb1 made conversion of the maps from 0.4. The levels are there, but not the textures.

 

A (likely) pre-0.4 variant of a map has surfaced as part of DoomEd source dump, that has been converted to wad by @FireFish 

 

It has been edited later by @MLGari with missing textures added among other things.

 

 

0.3

Spoiler

@Linguica did a conversion of 0.3 maps. This replaces certain episode 1 maps, and has extras as first 2 maps of episode 2. The levels are textured and playable.

 

 

 

0.2

Spoiler

@kb1's alpha levels pack contains the level of 0.2 version, and it also is missing textures, as are the 0.4 maps contained in the wad.

 

@MLGari did a textured version of the level, which by looking at the map itself seems to have been done from scratch, rather than converted/copied over.

@MLGari also assumes the other level from DoomEd source dump comes from the times of 0.2 or predates it, so the wad contains the textured version of that as well.

 

In addition to that @MLGari has shared a fantasy conversion of pre-0.2 version of which his vision is that it would have looked like like 0.2 map with orthogonal and not curved walls.

 

Edited August 15, 2023 by ludicrous_peridot
moved LoneAlpha2401 level to an appropriate section

[ludicrous_peridot]

As Tom's Halls are upon us, posting in this 2 year thread again. I've included a few more links to pre-release id levels recreations, curious if you anyone encountered more?

[Individualised]

I'm glad pre-release Doom is getting more attention now, always thought that it was overlooked by the Doom community, when prototypes are often very important in communities of other games.

 

What's the difference between Pre-beta and Beta on your list? I thought Pre-beta was referring to the October 4th build and Beta was referring to the A visit to id Software build but they both seem to be referring to the former? We probably shouldn't be using speculative names like "0.8" or "pre-Beta" though. Use definitive names, either "press-release build" or "October 4th, 1993 build" is fine for what id officially called the press-release build.

 

There's a partial reconstruction of the IWAD for a build of Doom 2 from July 29th, 1994 floating about that you're missing. It's not "pure" though as it has at least one map that pre-dates it (MAP33, an older version of Bloodfalls) and it has some fan-made assets (super shotgun sprites) and guesswork (it uses RSKY1 as the sky for all maps, but there's a good chance they used Doom 1's SKY1 as a placeholder for all levels, they did in earlier builds)

 

Also damn that hacked version of the October 4th, 1993 build with all of the artificial limitations they put for the demonstration to the press removed is exactly what I was looking for a while ago. I was considering trying to do it myself with a hex editor but I don't know any x86. I do have an edited IWAD with all of the final game's E1 maps though. I really wish we had the "real" version of that build with the full IWAD and no limitations.

Edited August 7, 2023 by Individualised

[ludicrous_peridot]

Thanks for the feedback @Individualised. I have reformatted, also using press release build now (I think pre-beta stands for the same in Doom jargon?). Also the top two sections are somewhat more vague, perhaps I improve this later on, if I have a look at more Doom 2/Doom SE/Ultimate Doom related pieces. For now I think it's fine as towards the top we move into "fantasy doom" territory with people creatively reimagining the levels based on images, videos or memories of the dev team - even if your dev.wad is actually on the "pure" side.

 

8 hours ago, Individualised said:

Also damn that hacked version of the October 4th, 1993 build with all of the artificial limitations they put for the demonstration to the press removed is exactly what I was looking for a while ago. I was considering trying to do it myself with a hex editor but I don't know any x86. I do have an edited IWAD with all of the final game's E1 maps though. I really wish we had the "real" version of that build with the full IWAD and no limitations.

Well, people involved with 0.8 are around, so probably they may shed some light here. I PM-ed @Dragonsbrethren a while ago in hopes of him sharing the WIP maps no longer available via the links in the topic, and he kindly replied with E1M6 version he had in the works. Who knows, maybe @Quasar still has the engine?

 

Spoiler

Not directly related, but I once made a working mock up of how inventory screen in Beta might have looked based on assets still available in 1.1.

https://www.doomworld.com/forum/post/2665612

This is all new code, so very "unpure", but I also have an itch to have lives back and maybe the alternative message log... eventually, sometime ...

 

 

8 hours ago, Individualised said:

and it has some fan-made assets (super shotgun sprites)

Gosh, and I though the Beta SSG thing was leaked and not re-created... 

 

[SiFi270]

Gokuma also recreated the "visit" version of E1M1, in addition to mixing together a bunch of prerelease/console stuff in Entry Hangar. He also contributed a combination of beta Doom 2 maps to the infamous DBP 48, and I'd like to see a "just Doom" version of it, but I don't think it'll happen.

 

There was also a ZDS session where they played through the Doom 2 beta levels with a patch to recreate the differences in the 1.6 executable. I don't think that patch is still available, but it might also be easy enough to recreate for more accurate ports. I have no idea.

 

I think what happened with those beta SSG sprites was the asset dump from Romero only included two, so someone else filled in the blanks.