GZDoom 4.7.1 "Vanilla" Doom Settings

[PKr]

Hey all!

 

I have created a small config file for GZDoom 4.7.1 that will emulate the looks and feel of the original DOS version of the game. If you ever wanted to make GZDoom look like Doom/if you get a lot of questions how to make GZDoom look like Doom, but you never had a willpower to go through all the settings and simply used other more accurate source ports, then fear no more!

 

1. Go to GZDoom folder, locate "gzdoom-username.ini" file, and back it up in case if you'll need to use your current settings again in the future.

2. Either delete gzdoom-username.ini file or go to Options > Reset to defaults > Yes.

3. Create a new text document in your GZDoom folder with a notepad and call it “doom.cfg”. Make sure you save it as a “.cfg” file and not as a “.cfg.txt” one.

4. Add following to the doom.cfg file:

//Reset options to default (have you saved your .ini files?)
reset2defaults
//Resolution scale 0=normal(default), 6=320x200(original)
set vid_scalemode 6
//Rendering interpolation 0=on(default), 1=off(original)
set cl_capfps 1
//Render mode 4=Hardware Accelerated(default), 0=Doom Software Renderer(original)
set vid_rendermode 0
//Enhanced night vision 1=on(default), 0=off(original)
set gl_enhanced_nightvision 0
//Classic transparency 0=zdoom forced(default), 1=vanilla forced(original) 
set r_vanillatrans 1
//Lost soul translucency 0.75=25%(default), 1=0%(original)
set transsouls 1
//Rocket trails 1=particles(default), 0=off(original)
set cl_rockettrails 0
//Number of decals 1024(default), 0(original)
set cl_maxdecals 0
//Teleport zoom 1=on(default), 0=off(original)
set telezoom 0
//MIDI Device -5=FluidSynth(default), -3=OPL Synth Emulation(original DOS default)
//set snd_mididevice -3
//Randomize pitches 0=off(default, Doom v1.4+), 1=on(Doom <v1.4)
//set snd_pitched 1
//Sound channels 128(default), 8(original, maximum)
//snd_channels 64 (64 is the minimum value possible in GZDoom)
//Enable autosaves 0=always(default), 2=never(original)
set disableautosave 2
//Status bar 0=Use default scale(default), 2=proper 4:3 size(original)
set st_scale 2
//Show obituaries 1=true(default), 0=false(original)
set show_obituaries 0
//Number of messages 4(default), 1(original)
set con_notifylines 1
//Show secret notifications 1=true(default), 0=false(original)
set cl_showsecretmessage 0
//Detailed save messages 1=on(default), 0=false(original)
set longsavemessages 0
//Critical messages 2=gray(default), 11=red(original)
set msg2color 11
//Map color set 0=Custom(default), 1=traditional doom(original)
set am_colorset 1
//Show monster counts 1=true(default), 0=false(original)
set am_showmonsters 0
//Show secret counts 1=true(default), 0=false(original)
set am_showsecrets 0
//Show item counts 1=true(default), 0=false(original)
set am_showitems 0
//Show time elapsed 1=true(default), 0=false(original)
set am_showtime 0
//Show keys (cheat) 1=true(default), 0=false(original)
set am_showkeys 0
//Compatibility mode 0=default, 2=doom strict(orginal)
set compatmode 2
//Monsters get stuck over dropoffs 0=false(default), 1=true(original)
set compat_dropoff 1
//Cripple sound for silent BFG trick 0=false(default), 1=true(original)
//set compat_soundslots 1
//Don't let others hear your pickups 0=false(default), 1=true(original)
set compat_silentpickup 1
//Instant moving floors are not silent 0=false(default), 1=true(original)
set compat_silentinstantfloors 1
//Sector sounds use center as source 0=false(default), 1=true(original)
set compat_sectorsounds 1
//Enable mouse in menu 2=Touchscreen-like(default), 0=off(original)
set m_use_mouse 0
//Smooth mouse movement 0=false(default), 1=true(original)
set m_filter 1
//Forward/backward speed 1(default), 10(~original)
set m_forward 10
//Always mouselook 1=true(default), 0=false(original, move with mouse)
//set freelook 0
//Turning speed 1(default), 0.2(~original)
set m_yaw 0.2
//Allow jump 0=default(default), 1=off(original)
set sv_jump 1
//Allow crouch 0=default(default), 1=off(original)
set sv_crouch 1
//Allow freelook 0=default(default), 1=off(original)
set sv_freelook 1
//Dynamic lights (Software) 1=on(default), 0=off(original)
set r_dynlights 0

5. Save the file, launch the game, open the console, and type “exec doom.cfg” without quotes.

 

Now the game should be indistinguishable from the original Doom for ~50% of players. :)

Other ~45% of players will notice that GZDoom can't play demos unlike the original Doom:

(Screenshot from the Doom running in DosBox)

 

The most perceptive ~4% of players will notice that GZDoom doesn't have an option to turn off auto-centering weapons:

(Screenshot from the Doom running in DosBox)

 

They will also notice that, you can't turn off bug fixes in GZDoom:

(Screenshot from the Doom running in DosBox)

 

...and that map labels in the automap are centered:

(Screenshot from the Doom running in DosBox)

 

The rest of the differences (like different RNG math, etc) is only known to speedrunners, mod creators and developers of GZDoom! :)

 

P.S. If you know some other settings which could make GZDoom even more authentic, or if you noticed some mistakes in settings, please share your knowledge.

 

GL & HF!

 

P.P.S. Other settings are set to default because they are either "correct" values by default, don't work in conjunction with other settings, are set to the right values by other settings or simply have no relevance to our goal to make GZDoom look like Doom. Also, if you want to save freelook/jumping/crouching permanently, create autoexec.cfg and add "set dmflags 4521984" to the file.

Edited February 9, 2022 by PKr

[Shepardus]

Cool, nice work. I have a "vanilla-ish" config of my own, but wasn't as thorough with it and took some liberties where convenient - it's more of a "PrBoom-ish" config.

 

One thing I think is missing from your config is enabling autoaim - vanilla autoaim should be the highest value, 35.

 

There's also the "Vanilla Essence" mod which provides easy access to toggle most of the relevant configs.

[PKr]

1 minute ago, Shepardus said:

Cool, nice work. I have a "vanilla-ish" config of my own, but wasn't as thorough with it and took some liberties where convenient - it's more of a "PrBoom-ish" config.

 

One thing I think is missing from your config is enabling autoaim - vanilla autoaim should be the highest value, 35.

 

There's also the "Vanilla Essence" mod which provides easy access to toggle most of the relevant configs.

The vanilla autoaim value is already set to 35 by default. That's why it's not in the config file. I've mentioned that in "P.P.S." part of my comment. 👍

[Hawk of The Crystals]

Wow, that's actually kinda nice. I think I'll start using these settings from now on. Good job!

[PKr]

I've checked Vanilla Essence. It's really cool! Never heard about this mod before but would definitely have used it otherwise.

 

Just to point out its default settings rely on hardware accelerated render mode + palette tonemaps. It's very different from software rendering and is especially noticable in pwads.

 

For example that's how this scene looks with default Vanilla Essence's preset:

 

Now, with doom software renderer this scene looks like this:

 

Just for the refference the same scene from crispy doom:

 

Don't get me wrong, I am not a purist. It's just nice to have a vanilla reference configuration lying around! 😅

Edited February 9, 2022 by PKr

[esselfortium]

Don't forget the compatibility setting for invisibility sphere behavior: ZDoom-based ports inexplicably default to the Heretic invisibility behavior even when playing Doom, which completely alters the gameplay in maps that use it.

[PKr]

2 minutes ago, esselfortium said:

Don't forget the compatibility setting for invisibility sphere behavior: ZDoom-based ports inexplicably default to the Heretic invisibility behavior even when playing Doom, which completely alters the gameplay in maps that use it.

Yep, it's already in the config. Compat_invisibility is being appliead once you set compatmode to 2.👍

[maxmanium]

3 hours ago, PKr said:

(like different RNG [...])

 

GZDoom uses a Mersenne Twister algorithm for its PRNG instead of doom[2].exe's hardcoded 256-element array. As far as I'm aware there's no way to change that.

[Shepardus]

On 2/8/2022 at 6:24 PM, PKr said:

I've checked Vanilla Essence. It's really cool! Never heard about this mod before but would definitely have used it otherwise.

 

Just to point out its default settings rely on hardware accelerated render mode + palette tonemaps. It's very different from software rendering and is especially noticable in pwads.

I was just looking at Vanilla Essence again and realized that it sets the "Vanilla" light mode by default, but "Software" is closer to the software renderer. I'd recommend changing that in its settings if for whatever reason you don't want to use the software renderer itself. (In the mod's defense, I think "Software" light mode is relatively recent and didn't exist at the time the mod was created.)

 

There are a couple other settings in Vanilla Essence that I changed from its defaults, but I think the most important as far as gameplay is concerned is to change the compatibility it uses from "Doom" to "Doom (strict)."