The Leading Edge

[Dittohead]

As in, the Enhanced Doom Gaming Engine, which is now up to its 4th release candidate for version 1.29. This also appears to be the last update for quite a while as it seems that the original author has decided to call it quits. You can read up about RC4 and any other EDGE related drama by visiting the development forum.

[Chrono_T]

Fp! Yay new version! :D

[Siggi]

Probably the last version too.

[Chrono_T]

No, I think ajapted picked up the torch.

[andrewj]

Yeah I'll be adding that final polish to get the 1.29 version out.

[Craigs]

Yay! Now comes the hardest part... Installing the thing. <_<;
To be honest, I was kinda surprised this was even released. I thought Edge had died.

[Lobo]

Whats so hard about installing EDGE?

It always surprises me when I see the typical newstuff post where the reviewer moans about how he couldn't try such and such a wad because he couldn't install EDGE. I mean, up to now, it was just a zip you had to decompress and then place an iwad in the folder: how hard was that? And the latest build has an installer.

[kristus]

Iirc, this how the procedure is done:

1. Unzip
2. Run Edge.exe

[Enjay]

Lobo said:

And the latest build has an installer.

I prefer using a zip, provided there is no need for an installer (registry entries etc) which there really shouldn't be for a Doom port.

[Graf Zahl]

Enjay said:

I prefer using a zip, provided there is no need for an installer (registry entries etc) which there really shouldn't be for a Doom port.

Yeah, but there seems to be a tendency to make simple things complicated - because it's the 'cool' thing to do...

[Enjay]

Sad but true.


What does the installer do anyway? I dl'd it a few days ago but didn't install it because I couldn't be bothered having to clear-up any menu items, desktop shortcuts or any other garbage it might try and "help me" by creating.

If it's just a self extracting archive, well fine (I couldn't read it with the archving programs I tried), but whats the point? If that is the case, I only need a zip.

[andrewj]

Well I haven't tried the installer myself, but from DarkKnight's log:

Implemented a basic NSIS install script for EDGE. It installs the engine executable, ogg vorbis dlls, changelog, readme and an option to install the standard DDFs zip. It creates short-cuts and an uninstaller which work fine.

[TheDarkArchon]

For the final 1.29, give users to the choice to either use a zip (My preference, along with Enjay's and Graf's, since I don't use the start menu: Only explorer and KwikStrip for me.) or an installer.

[SyntherAugustus]

Oh well at least we got another port that does teh same exact thing.

[kristus]

Yeah, it's not like it was by far the first port to have 3d floors, radius triggered scripts and fully definable game contence.

[Nick Perrin]

kristus said:

Yeah, it's not like it was by far the first port to have 3d floors, radius triggered scripts and fully definable game contence.

Thank you.

This port does not get enough credit so I understand why it was discontinued by the original author. It really is a great port. Anyway, the mods that are in progress for it right now are the best yet, so once they come out they will speak for the port better than words can.

[Craigs]

I think the reason the original developer gave up was because engine was so far behind. At one time, it was the king of source ports, but when other source ports like Legacy and Gzdoom came out boasting the same features as Edge, minus the mild glitches, Edge was soon forgotten.

(At least that's how I think it happened.)

Yeah, this engine has capabilities. Just clean up the glitches, add more compatability, and make installation a little easier, and this engine will be better then Eternity.

[TheDarkArchon]

Has anyone noticed that RC #4 runs slower than #3?

[Lobo]

Craigs said:

I think the reason the original developer gave up was because engine was so far behind. At one time, it was the king of source ports, but when other source ports like Legacy and Gzdoom came out boasting the same features as Edge, minus the mild glitches, Edge was soon forgotten.

(At least that's how I think it happened.)

You're right: thats what you think happened, not what actually happened.

Yeah, this engine has capabilities. Just clean up the glitches, add more compatability, and make installation a little easier, and this engine will be better then Eternity.

-What glitches? Have you reported them so they can be found and fixed?

-What compatibility are you talking about? OS? Graphics cards? Map formats?

-An easier installation than unzipping a file? Guess the other ports must be hard to install too then.

[Bastet Furry]

Bleh, i just want a port that runs flawlessly under linux and has all the newest bells and whistles (hexen map format, 3d floors, sloopes, ...)
But as i still cant open a shell, su and then type apt-get install $DOOMPORT, this is far from perfect with ANY port.

Now, dont come and say "Use windofzzz!!! lolz!!!!11111" ;)

EDIT:
I dont have any problems editing /etc/apt/sources.list for my dream behaviour, just make me some fucking .debs

[TheDarkArchon]

Bastet Furry said:

Now, dont come and say "Use windofzzz!!! lolz!!!!11111" ;)

"Use zdooooommnm!!! lolz!!!!11111" ;)

Just download the source, flac, FMOD and zlib and then make.

[Nick Perrin]

There are a few bugs here and there I experience with EDGE (Only when creating complex mods though). That's my only peeve.

[Bastet Furry]

TheDarkArchon said:

"Use zdooooommnm!!! lolz!!!!11111" ;)

Just download the source, flac, FMOD and zlib and then make.

Did that, but when i use mlook he only looks towards the ceiling and all i can do is turn clockwise :-/
Reported that on zdoom.org but nobody seems to care.
I would use the windows binary wouldnt it crash cedega. So, basicaly i am screwed on my linux box.
I can play with zdoom, but keyboard only. Boomer.

[Chrono_T]

Yeah, don't see why this port has a hard installation process, considering (non-installer versions) is basically unzip, like other ports.

[Lobo]

Bastet Furry, I know that there's a debian package for at least one port (not sure if it was doom legacy or doomsday) so you could just DL that with your package manager and you'd be good to go. Just search the repository for "Doom" and see what comes up.

[Craigs]

Lobo said:

-What glitches? Have you reported them so they can be found and fixed?

Let me run through my list and check off all the glitches I can find...

-The "Boom compatible mode" sucks, and most Boom features such as 3D bridges (Not Zdoom 3d bridges, the kind that use that crazy ass floor raise and floor lower feature.) don't work and look like shit.
-With OpenGl, I get huge gaps in the ground, glitchy textures that dance all over the places, texture alignment problems on bridges, skys bleeding through transparent parts of textures, and much much more!
Some of the glitches, such as the Icon of Sin glitch, SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED BEFORE THE VERSION OF THE SOURCEPORT WAS RELEASED. They were bugs so obvious a blind ant with its head torn off could have seen them.

By compatability, I mean compatability with more source ports. Some Zdoom compatability would be awesome. Since the original author doesn't want to add Multiplayer, maybe he could have added Skull Tag compatibility, so people could play awesome edge maps online.

[Scuba Steve]

ZDoom compatibility? That is the most retarded thing I have ever heard.

My pet peeve is that it crashes my computer hard, requiring a power button reboot, every time I try to use it.

[kristus]

Craigs: You are retarded.

[Lobo]

Yeah, for some reason I imagined that was the compatibility you were looking for so I'm not surprised.

ZDoom compatibility: OK, as soon as ZDoom gets EDGE compatibility.

Skulltag compatibility: OK, let me get this straight, since EDGE does NOT have multiplayer you want it to support Skulltag maps, even though EDGE does NOT have multiplayer, so people can play multiplayer? hmmmm....

Boom compatibility: you're right, support is not 100%. I would suggest you play these maps in Boom so they work perfectly.

OpenGL bugs: I haven't heard from anybody with those kinds of bugs since about 5 releases ago.
Are you sure you've got the latest EDGE? It wouldn't hurt to update your graphics card drivers as well.
What is your graphics card anyway?


Scuba Steve: Does this crashing happen in 1.29 RC4 also?
I had problems with EDGE a couple of releases back (though never to the point where it crashed the OS).
Are you on Windows?
Could you run EDGE with the "-debugfile buggy.txt" command and send us the resulting file? Cheers.

[TheDarkArchon]

Craigs said:

By compatability, I mean compatability with more source ports. Some Zdoom compatability would be awesome. Since the original author doesn't want to add Multiplayer, maybe he could have added Skull Tag compatibility, so people could play awesome edge maps online.

That has to be one of the most idiotic things I've ever read: THE SOURCE PORTS AREN'T UNIFIED FOR A REASON, YNO.