Freedoom Classic Megawad 0.01 Release

[Catoptromancy]

Freedoom Classic 0.01 Released

 

A collection of replaced or original heavily edited, yet finished maps. I think most are exitable. I kept wad as simple as possible only adding things that allowed the maps to work, like various colormaps . Empty slots are using the dummy.wad until more maps get added. The wadinfo.txt in the zip file lists all the lumps added, and which version of Freedoom it came from.

 

After some discussion in thread I decided not to add anything more than maps. Leftover.wad can be used for an even more classic experience which includes older graphics, sounds, and sprites.

 

Download 0.01 Release

Mirror

 

Original Post:

Spoiler

 

I think it is time, now that Freedoom has become vanilla to release(probably unofficially) classic Freedoom maps and other resources into a pwad. I want to include the most finished versions of maps that were either completely removed, remade, or needed heavy modifications to become vanilla. The iwads older than 0.6.4 can be hard to find, as well as missing much content. The megawad/pwad target is perfect, as the current Freedoom resources can fill in the missing sprites, sounds, and music when used as its iwad. Should feel like playing the old iwads, just without the missing resources...all into a single mapset. 

 

Maps and sprites will be released together, but into separate pwads. The maps have a high probability of being doom or doom2 compatible. People may want to play them on id's iwads. 

 

This is for resource preservation as well. Maps that are not finished or exit-able, will have an exit appropriately added as well as 4 coop player starts. No other modifications should be made, just the bare minimum of making them playable. Several maps are incredibly difficult, but possible to beat...no skill balancing. Will also include replaced sprites, weapons, monsters, powerups. Music was an issue before 0.6.4, might want to avoid adding the old music.

 

0.7 was the first Freedoom release to ensure all maps are exitable and still fully boom compatible. It may be a source for many newer maps.

 

I know little about sounds, will need help if people want classic sounds.

 

This is just a brainstorming, please post better ideas or suggestions. 

 

 

 

Edited November 8, 2021 by Catoptromancy

[Catoptromancy]

Post for organizing: Will be edited often.

 

List of resource and source. Source may change if newer version is more complete(not including remakes or heavy edits). Some listed maps may be removed if slots run out and there are decently similar ones on current repo with only minor differences. 

 

Megawad Slot: Source Version/ Current Repo Slot/ Difference

MAP01: 0.5/ none/ id's map01 remake

MAP02: 0.5/ MAP08/ minor vanilla adjustments

MAP03: 0.5/ same/ heavy edits

MAP04: 0.5/ same/ heavy edits

MAP05: 0.5/ same/ heavy edits

MAP06: 0.5/ none/

MAP07: 0.5/ none

 

MAP09: 0.7/ none

MAP10: 0.5/ none 

MAP11: 0.5/ same/ heavy edits

MAP12: 0.9/ none

MAP13: 0.7/ none 

MAP14: 0.7/ none 

MAP15: 0.7/ same/ major vanilla adjustments

MAP16: 0.5/ 

MAP17: 0.5

MAP18: 0.5

MAP19: 0.8

 

 

MAP25: 0.5

 

MAP27: 0.5

MAP28:  

 

MAP32: 0.5

 

 

E2M9: 0.9/ same/ major vanilla adjustments

Edited August 7, 2021 by Catoptromancy

[P41R47]

Thanks for your work, pal!
Now Freedoom is finally reaching the point of 1.0 release :)

And now you commit yourself to save the unused maps and make them beatable.

I think its a great idea to preserve the effort through all this years.

It will be really interesting to see the evolution of the project.

Edited August 6, 2021 by P41R47

[MrFlibble]

4 hours ago, Catoptromancy said:

Will also include replaced sprites, weapons, monsters, powerups.

I'm all for this project! The tricky thing is that there's a multitude of different sprites for some of the items, some of which never actually got used in any release (or went to the attic) - like raymoohawk made several different takes on the health and armour pickups, for example. So I guess it's either hand-picking the version which you think fits most, or sticking with the "definitive" classic release - v0.7 or v0.8 seems to be good for that.

 

I believe that now it is quite possible to build an entire IWAD worth of sprites and textures that are not found in current builds of Freed∞m IWADs, including all player weapons, monsters, HUD face, panel and digits. Many textures have been replaced over the course of development, but still others have earlier versions from before they were tweaked and polished by fredrik.

 

 

[Catoptromancy]

Maybe I'll just stick to maps. No conflicts when another map slot can be chosen. Can do something with other stuff later.

[selliott4]

Neat project. Older Freedoom was in Subversion. I don't suppose anyone has a still functioning Subversion URL that can be shared that can be used to find older resources.

 

Are you aware of the fraggle's Freedoom leftovers from 2010?

 

19 hours ago, Catoptromancy said:

The iwads older than 0.6.4 can be hard to find

 

git has tags for 0.6.4 down to 0.5:

$ git tag | sort -V | grep ^v | head -8

v0.5
v0.6
v0.6-rc1
v0.6-rc2
v0.6.1
v0.6.2
v0.6.3
v0.6.4

 

[Catoptromancy]

Those leftover are perfect, half of this project is already done. But its been 11 years and old maps have been finished, new maps have come and gone, and some massively converted to vanilla. I think we can fill out a whole megawad of maps now. 

 

http://www.geocities.ws/catodemos/freedoom/iwads/

 

Edited August 7, 2021 by Catoptromancy

[MrFlibble]

One thing to keep in mind though is that some resources have been phased out for being a little too close to Doom originals, like the old AGM door, or the level start door.

 

BTW, do you remember that raymoohawk also made a bunch of textures that I think never got used anywhere?

[Catoptromancy]

Well I used that list I posted and finally made it. All slots are filled, but many are dummy maps. Will get updated as more maps move around.

 

I included the build scripts so it can be extracted and added to easily. Made sure all maps loaded with dsda-doom.

 

https://www.geocities.ws/catodemos/freedoom/freedoomclassic/freedoomclassic-0.01.zip

 

Load it up with Freedoom leftovers for a much more classic feel. Make sure leftovers is first on the -file command.

https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/combos/leftover

Edited November 5, 2021 by Catoptromancy

[MrFlibble]

I just checked this out, and I have to point out that some maps were replaced for a reason, e.g. MAP01 is basically too similar to Doom's MAP01. I'm not sure if this is of any concern today, but still.

[erzboesewicht]

Thanks for this work!

 

I am currently doing some "archeology" of old Freedoom (Phase 2) versions to find maps which were cut, so this megawad is very helpful. My aim is to create one or several expansion packs, i.e. megawad(s) with some of the old levels, but not with all of them but those which meet some quality standards.

 

My first idea is to create an expansion pack of"exploration"-style maps like the old maps 9, 13, 21 and 27 (not the one in your megawad but one included later which was still present in 0.10 or so), or a recent discovery, a pretty hard hellish MAP24 from 0.6.4. It seems that some maps were cut just because their focus is not so much on gameplay but environments, or they feature switch hunts and other "not-so-modern" elements, and there are some players like me who enjoy them. The idea is to use always the most recent version before they were cut from the iwad. This is also to honour the work the mappers have put in them, and if they want give the opportunity to continue improving them without having to fear them to disappear. Once the project progresses I will perhaps create a dedicated thread for it.

 

I interpret that your project does not include necessarily the newest version of each map, am I right? If not, is there a list of when the maps were cut or have I to work through the changelogs? The attic seems to be outdated regarding levels ...

 

 

Edited May 30, 2022 by erzboesewicht

[Catoptromancy]

I attempted to find most the original, yet best playable versions. Pretty much all the boom maps that were stripped to vanilla, or removed entirely were added. Some of the original boom submissions had bug fixes, so I tried to use the bug fix versions.

 

Knowing which port target the current iwad was is helpful. The first version that was limit removing, definitely had lots of boom stuff stripped from the boom maps. 

[erzboesewicht]

Thanks for clarification! Yes, I'm aware of the compatibility issue. For my own little project obviously I would allow boom-compatible maps, but I'm a bit undecided if I should use the very last version or the last one which was updated without vanilla/"limit-removing" compatibility in mind.

I'm currently compiling a list when each level was removed. I've seen some of the maps I mentioned (e.g. the big MAP27 with the three teleporters) still are in the official 0.12 iwads, but are cut on the current git. Perhaps the list is of interest here too, maybe better in a new thread.

[Catoptromancy]

New release with new maps means, I can update this again. 

 

MAP21 from 0.12.1, MAP31 from 0.10. 

MAP27 from maybe 0.9 or 0.10

 

[Enzo Carozza]

Amarande's MAP27 was from v0.7.


Will just continue from where me and you got sidetracked in the Phase 1 Episode 2 channel, Cato. Heh.

Your old MAP24 which was just 0.6 - 0.6.4, I think.
Torn's id clone MAP26 from 0.1 - 0.11.3.
Original version of Z0k's MAP28 that had Boom features.
Cacodemon Leader's old MAP30 from 0.1 - 0.9, the one that got split into E3M7 and MAP30.

 

Edited February 20 by Enzo Carozza