What method do you personally use to record demos?

[plums]

I've been wondering what systems/methods people use when they record demos. I've been just typing into the command-line, which is fine enough, but more than once I've overwritten a file when doing FDAs for a series of maps in the same wad. So I was going to make some scripts to automate the process a bit and add a timestamp, but maybe there's a better solution I haven't thought of? Also I'm just curious as to how other people do it.

[Memfis]

I just edit a *.bat file in Notepad and run it. I've overwritten maybe 3 or 4 FDAs by running the file accidentally (so not really something to worry about for me).

[mrthejoshmon]

I create a shortcut to PrBoom and edit the "Target" with Command line parameters, an example is

Target:
C:\games\Doom\prboom.exe -iwad doom2.wad -file TPBM.wad -record MTJM -skill 4

This works flawlessly so far, after I record the demo I rename it to whatever it needs to be called and with using a shortcut, watching the demo to check if it works is very easy:

Just replace -record with -playdemo providing you did not rename the demo but even if you did it is still an easy switch (-record MTJM to -playdemo TPBM1).

using this method also allows for easy wad switching and stuff, very handy.

[Looper]

I use dosbox so I just type:
doom2 -warp 31 -skill 4 -nomonsters -record S531-AAA

Once I get a demo worth to keep, I go AAB then AAC and so on. No need to write the line every time, just arrow up and replace the last letter with B or what ever. If there's something even more notable to keep, I write the 3 letters up somewhere :P (Also in this case S5 means strafe50 and 31 is map31. If it was normal run with monsters, I would have written -record S531-MAA). So far it has worked really well even with many demos rotting around.

[Andrea Rovenski]

I use GZDoom connected through steam and use the launch options via steam. Gotta get that playtime, baby.

[dew]

Memfis said:

I just edit a *.bat file in Notepad and run it. I've overwritten maybe 3 or 4 FDAs by running the file accidentally (so not really something to worry about for me).

This. My batch file contains several full length commands for various exes, iwads, complevels, etc., so I just edit the pwad name on the correct line and comment out everything else with REM. I've only overwritten demos because of massive brainfarts - I keep the batch on my desktop and demo files end up there too. And I like my desktop clean, so I tend to move/process/delete them as soon as possible.

Timestamping sounds hella cool, but I'm afraid it'd make me extremely lazy. I timestamp/autorecord in multiplayer ports and I haven't been in those folders in months, heh.

[Springy]

I use ZDoom Launcher and PrBoom + as it's quick and easy for me.

[j4rio]

Mostly printscreen. Ocassionally, I deploy my calculator.

[TendaMonsta]

I use CDL Launcher with the usual commandlines such as -warp, -record.

I usually record using Prboom-plus. Sometimes I'll use Eternity Engine, and Choco-Doom.

[Never_Again]

Doomer frontend and prB+:

[plums]

Huh, I don't think I've tried either of those Launchers. Just ZDL which I didn't like much. I'll have to give them both a shot, thanks.

Looper: that's basically what I do except occasionally I forget to change the filename after pressing up. Completely a user error, of course.

Editing a batch file or shortcut sounds kind of like an unnecessary step to me, but I guess it works if you don't like working on the command line.

edit: Hah, I just realized right now that PrBoom+ has an option to not overwrite existing files. Good to know!

[Kotzugi]

Neither of those two launchers work on my Windows 7 installation: with Doomer I'm missing a .dll and with CDL Launcher I get some kind of error message and then the field for extra parameters is greyed out, and then another error message when I'm actually trying to run Doom. With ZDL I can't figure out how to select a source port (drop-down menu won't drop down).

I'm used to using the Terminal on my Mac, problem is that recently, Doom has slowed down making it very difficult to play. So I'm switching over to my old Windows but I'm finding Winbash very crude and frustrating to use. Would be nice to try a good launcher which actually works.

[plums]

Kotzugi said:

I'm used to using the Terminal on my Mac, problem is that recently, Doom has slowed down making it very difficult to play. So I'm switching over to my old Windows but I'm finding Winbash very crude and frustrating to use. Would be nice to try a good launcher which actually works.

Have you tried Cygwin? It's still not as good as a proper terminal in a Unix OS, but it's not bad. My main complaint is that unlike in Linux, almost none of the program executables are in the path. I don't know if there's a usual workaround for that, I could just symlink everything.

[Kotzugi]

I used it some years ago on a previous installation for work. So no, haven't tried it recently, should give it a go I guess - thanks. Winbash is terrible in all sorts of ways. :)