NOOB - Running doom wads

[joedotts]

While, I am my no means a noob at doom, I been playing since 93, and making levels since 95, on and off. I know all the basics, but I can NEVER get levels I download to work. Like today I tried to get "Putrefier" off of the cacowards. Download it, and only got a pk3 file. WTF? How do I play half of the levels on this site? Seems like the only ones I can get running are like Alien Vandetta and Deus Vault, all the other stuff is gotta be in like doom in hexen format or something (which is all very new to me, up until a few years ago I was still just using WadEd lol)

Help! im a noob at all this technical shit

[joedotts]

because i usually just try to open up the wad i download in doom builder and run it that way.... what is the best way to play these custom wads?

[Acid]

To play some newer levels that you download, you'll need limit-removing ports that provide new features that the old Doom could not handle. The most common source ports for new wads are:

(OpenGL & Fancier effects)
GZDoom - http://www.osnanet.de/c.oelckers/gzdoom/index.html

(Newschool emulation, runs most wads)
ZDoom - http://zdoom.org/News

(Great for running and creating demos)
PrBoom-plus - http://prboom-plus.sourceforge.net/

To play, just download the appropriate file, unzip, place Doom 2 into its directory, then drag and drop.

"Doom in Hexen" simply allows the creation of regular Doom levels with fancier effects that Hexen supports, like slopes, translucent lines and 3D floors.

[joedotts]

wow. Thank you. its that easy.

I use GZdoom, and Im actually real good at editing, I figured out multiple 3d floors, i have a few city wads with 20 story buildings, but its limited...

having just discovered the hexen format thing, its really amazing what it can do and its what ive always been looking for. too bad im in the middle of an absolutly massive wad when i found out about it... it really would have helped.

but how about this "Putrefier" Wad?? I downloaded it and it only came as a pk3.

[glenzinho]

A pk3 is just a zip file renamed with a pk3 extension. Just add it like you would normally add a wad file.

[Acid]

Adding to what glenzinho said, pk3's are a zip file replacement that can be run exactly the same way as a normal .wad file.

[GreyGhost]

joedotts said:

How do I play half of the levels on this site?

There's drag'n'drop (as BloodyAcid mentioned) which is supported by GZDoom and several other ports, though my preference is to use a launcher.