extremely out of the loop, please help

[alLAN95th]

Hello,

 

I have not attempted to make a WAD in a very long time, but the way life has become with the world's current situation, it has persuaded me to attempt to be creative once more. The last time I did any Doom editing was when XWE was a new program, so it's been some time now since I did anything with Doom. I have done some research before joining here, but am having trouble understanding why there are so many level editors that seem to not look much different from each other? Last one I used in the past was DEU, which from what I've gathered is not worth using in this day and age, but all the Doom Builder examples look identical in many aspects. Is there a reason I should use one of those variants over another?

 

I've also found the program, SLADE, which seems to be a much more advanced program that has some similarities to the XWE program I remember using, but I noticed this program also has a level editor.

 

So, what I'm really getting at here is I've been out of the loop for a while. I want to start making WADS again, but I am unsure if I should use one of the many variants of DB, or if something like SLADE would be a smoother transition for someone who's only previous experience involved DEU. I am not really in the know on these new features either. Are they necessary or is it still acceptable to resort to the original limits of the DOS game to ensure compatibility for users who wish to play the WAD through whatever source port they chose? I would hate to go through all the effort to make a WAD and it only run on one port of the game, for example. I'm assuming this is what the "Doom in Doom format" is used for, but other editors don't show this as an option, so would I just need to stick within the limits and keep track manually, or is there something I'm missing with that as well?

 

I'm sorry if this has been asked before, which it probably most certainly has, but I felt my situation was specific enough for me to ask for assistance.

 

Edited April 13, 2023 by alLAN95th

[Nevander]

Really, you can make maps in whatever format you like. People are pretty ok with most ports, and generally will ask you the format if you don't specify. The most advanced is UDMF but if you always mapped in vanilla then perhaps you'd be more comfortable with Doom in Doom for now. There's also Boom format which is a good compromise, and will run in almost every port.

 

As far as WAD management, SLADE is your best bet. I only used XWE one time but never looked back once I found SLADE.

 

For map editing, I started with Doom Builder 2 but now use GZDoom Builder pretty much always. However, the current editors in that line are Ultimate Doom Builder and Doom Builder X. I'm thinking Doom Builder X might be the best fit for you right now. It's more updated than 2 but not as advanced as Ultimate. I have not used SLADE's editor so I can't comment on that.

[Simomarchi]

The softwares in the DoomBuilder serie are similar to each other, but every new instance adds something useful to speed up the process of mapmaking and sooner or later you will end up asking yourself how have you managed to map without that tools in the past.

 

I'm also using GZDoom builder at the moment. Despite his name it can be used to map in any format, from the basic Doom in Doom format to the advanced UDMF, and the maps that you create with it are playable with every port that supports the format of your choice.

Talking about its functions it offers some nice visual clues to help you visualising your map, like the possibility to see the floor textures while editing the map, or the brightness level. It also has a really easy to use function to create stairs, and another one to create circular shapes. Things are displayed using their actual icon, not only a simple circle.

So you surely have to try this editor (or one of the even more advanced ones like DBX or Ultimate DB).

 

Regarding SLADE3 it does everything that XWE used to do, but it almost never corrupt your files (it never happened to me at least).

 

As for the formats: people nowadays are using mainly 3 source ports (as far as I know): Chocolate Doom, PRBoom+ and L/G/ZDoom.

Chocolate Doom emulates the original game in almost every aspect, so you should stick to Doom in Doom format if you want to map for that source port.

If you want to create more fancy stuff however you can use the Boom format, that allows you to greatly improve the quantity of things that you can do with your map. This format runs with both PRBoom+ and the ZDoom family of source ports.

Lastly, if you plan to map for ZDoom you can consider the UDMF map format that adds an incredible amount of customisation to your maps.

 

So, to sum it up:

Doom in doom: runs with everything

Boom: PRBoom+ and ZDoom

UDMF: ZDoom

 

There are other source ports of course, but these are the most used and it is unlikely that someone doesn't have them installed.

 

It is acceptable to stick to the old limitations, and it is equally acceptable to use the newer functions (however keep in mind that it is generally a good idea to avoid the use of UDMF if you don't really need it, mainly because you are forcing your players to use ZDoom).

[alLAN95th]

Nevander and Simomarchi,

 

I'd like to thank you both for your detailed responses. This has helped explain a lot, and I should be good to go now.

Edited April 13, 2023 by alLAN95th

[boris]

If you PC is less than 10 years old and supports OpenGL 3.2 there's no reason to use GZDB over UDB.

[alLAN95th]

boris,

 

My PC is a brand new custom spec, actually. If there's no reason to use GZDB over UDB on my machine, is there a reason to use DBX over UDB, or vice versa? I know Nevander mentioned that UDB is more advanced, but is it more advanced enough to make a difference if I'm making vanilla maps?

Edited April 13, 2023 by alLAN95th

[Gez]

Basically, Ultimate Doom Builder is the continuation (and bugfixing) of GZDoom Builder. It changed its name when it changed its graphic backend (from Direct3D to OpenGL) so as to be more easily usable on Linux. The older GZDoom Builder is still recommended to people whose PC can't run OpenGL 3.2; but otherwise it's just an abandoned, unmaintained software now.

 

Doom Builder X, on the other hand, is a different beast. They have a shared origin (both GZDB and DBX were forked from Doom Builder 2) but different goals. The main selling point for DBX is Lua scripting, as in you can use scripts to modify the map you're working on. Note that I'm not talking about having in-game scripts, here -- it's the editor that allows scripts to modify the map for you. Perfect for repetitive or complex tasks. Of course if you're not familiar with Lua or with scripting in general, that's less interesting.

[alLAN95th]

Gez,

 

I think I'll try UDB for now, as until you mentioned it; I was unsure of what Lua was, and I only know of the in-game types of scripting. Thanks for clearing this up for me. Now, off to making levels again!

Edited April 13, 2023 by alLAN95th