Overview
A beginner’s guide to playing DOOM! Includes Source Port tutorials, Terminology explanations, and various recommended mods for one of the 90’s most influential first person shooters!
Introduction
This is a guide for those who are new to Classic DOOM and all of the ways to play it that exist. Below are step by step instructions for how to play DOOM using ways that are not DOSBox, for DOSBox is a sub-optimal way to play DOOM.
Obtaining the Game
To play DOOM, you first need to buy it, of course. This can be done through the likes of eBay or Amazon, but there are ways to buy it digitally as well, such as Good Old Games (GOG), or the very site you are on now, Steam.
Source Ports: What They Are and How to Use Them
Next, You need something known as a Source Port. A Source Port is basically a way to play DOOM on modern hardware, usually with a bit more graphical flair, such as better, more dynamic lighting effects, or features not possible in DOOM normally, such as slopes or openGL support.
It’s quite easy to find a Source Port to use. Many exist, and a lot of them differ from one another in various ways. This list on wikipedia contains all of the more widely used Source Ports- [link]
All that remains is to find the Source Port that fits you and contains your wanted features.
Here are a few Source Ports to get started, though.
ZDoom- [link]
The most common source port, as well as a good starting point for new DOOM players.
Notable features include:
-Extensive options menu that lets you customize everything to your heart’s content- including graphics, video modes, and controls!
-An expanded save/load menu, with picture icons for saves, as well as autosaves at the beginning of levels.
-Looking with the mouse, jumping and crouching.
-Cannot run more advanced mods such as Brutal Doom
Zandronum- [link]
A Source Port that has all of the features of ZDoom (some are listed above), but with a bit more.
-Easy to setup multiplayer, complete with bots for those playing alone.
-OpenGL mode: Play DOOM in true 3d, with all the maps being rendered with proper polygons now.
-Dynamic Lighting
-Support for more advanced DOOM mods, such as Reelism or Brutal Doom
Chocolate Doom- [link]
A Source Port that strives to accurately recreate playing the Windows 95 version of DOOM.
-Limited options menu: change basic controls, change window size, and not much else.
-No mouselook, no crouching or jumping.
-No OpenGL mode.
-Compatible with DOS DOOM save files.
-Emulates the framerate and low resolution of DOS/Wndows 95 Doom.
-More extensive options menu available through an external program.
-Cannot run more advanced mods such as Brutal Doom
GZDoom- [link]
-Identical to ZDoom in in-game features.
-OpenGL renderer, for playing DOOM maps in true 3d.
-Can run more advanced mods such as Reelism or Brutal Doom
Using your Source Port
So now you have a source port. All that’s left is to set them up to play DOOM.
First what you need to do is put all of the source port files you downloaded (should be in a zip file that was downloaded) in a folder. So for ZDoom users you make a folder called ZDoom, for GZDoom users, a folder named GZDoom, e.t.c. Zandronum users don’t need to worry about this step, as Zandronum has an installer you can download, and the folder for it should be in
(Local Disk C:, Program Files (x86)) by default.
Now that you have a folder, we need the game! Go to your steamapps folder,
(Local Disk C:, Program Files (x86), Steam, steamapps, common) and find a folder named
“Ultimate Doom” or “Doom 2” or “insert name of DOOM engine game you bought here”, open it up, open up the folder named “base”, and you should see a file called DOOM or DOOM2 with a file type of .WAD. copy-paste this .WAD file into your source port folder (you can have both in the same folder), and then you are ready to play! Just click on the Source Port’s executable! Note that if you have more than one .WAD file in Zandronum, ZDoom or GZDoom, the program will give you a prompt telling you to select a game. Chocolate Doom users must have one .WAD file in at a time.
IWADS and PWADS
Now that you have DOOM ready to go, it’s time to learn the difference between IWADS and PWADS.
IWADS are the main game that any mod pulls it’s resources from. IWADS are what you grabbed from the steamapps folder. IWADS will automatically recognized by Zandronum, ZDoom, and GZDoom.
PWADS are mods. They must be loaded alongside an IWAD (see below), and cannot be run by themselves.
Loading Mods
Now you wish to try playing with mods, I bet. I mean, you keep hearing about this “Brutal Doom” thing and you want to try it. So here’s how to load mods into DOOM.
First, you need a mod. Many DOOM mods can be found here: [link]
or here: [link] [link]
Now put the mod and its contents (if it has any) into a folder. For example, If I were to download Requiem [link] , I would put the files REQUIEM and REQMUS into a folder named Requiem.
Next take the mod and highlight all its files with your mouse. Now drag these files over the executable of your source port (Note that this only works with ZDoom, GZDoom, and Zandronum.).
Now select the IWAD that the mod uses (In Requiem’s case, it’s Doom II), and now you are ready to play!
For Chocolate Doom users, you will need to go to this guide [link] , or use a Launcher (see below). Chocolate Doom will not run more advanced mods such as Reelism www.thekinsie.com/reelism/ or Brutal Doom [link]
Using a launcher can make loading mods quite easy. I recommend Rocket Launcher
[link] Rocket Launcher allows you to load mods and IWADS from any source port in one location. It even allows Chocolate Doom users to load any IWAD they wish from a menu, as opposed to swapping IWADS.
Notable IWADS and PWADS
There are many ways to play DOOM. Here are a few to get you started!
IWADS:
DOOM (Shareware)- www.doomworld.com/classicdoom/info/shareware.php
This is DOOM’s “Shareware”, or Demo. It allows you to play the entire first episode of the first DOOM free of charge. You cannot run mods with this.
Freedoom: Phase 1 & 2 + FreeDM- [link]
A full 32 level DOOM experience. Due to DOOM’s Source Code being released to the public, we have Freedoom. It is Identical to DOOM/DOOM II, but with the graphics and levels changed (to avoid copyright infringement and piracy) It works with all DOOM/DOOM II mods.
Chex Quest 3- [link]
Originally released in cereal boxes, Chex Quest was a kid friendly mod for DOOM. Does not work well with DOOM/DOOM II mods.
PWADS:
MooD- [link]
A mirrored version of all of The Ultimate Doom’s levels. Runs with The Ultimate Doom’s .WAD.
2002: A Doom Odyssey- 10th Anniversary Edition- [link]
A 4 episode level pack containing great level design and fair difficulty in the style of the original DOOM. Runs with The Ultimate Doom’s .WAD.
Requiem- [link]
A great set of DOOM II style levels. A bit on the difficult side, though. Runs with DOOM II’s .WAD.
Batman DOOM- [link]
A 25 level Total Conversion for DOOM 2 where you play as Batman stopping crime in Gotham City. Remember to load batman.deh alongside batman.wad or else the graphics will glitch.
May not work with Chocolate Doom.
Master Levels for DOOM 2- (comes with Steam version of DOOM II)
Various levels for DOOM II that are meant more for people who have mastered the main game.
Do not load all the WADS at one. Load each one individually.
Brutal Doom- [link]
A massive gameplay mod that revamps DOOM/DOOM II to modern standards, as well as adding heaps of gore and a few new weapons. Also includes Glory Kills (like DOOM 2016), new enemy attacks, and much more! This will not work in ZDoom or Chocolate Doom.
Reelism- www.thekinsie.com/reelism/
A massive horde mode for DOOM II, where you fight enemies for as long as you can and get a high score, but with a twist. A slot reel will roll at the start of each round, changing the conditions of the battlefield. This will not work in ZDoom or Chocolate Doom.
UDMX and DWANGO: 21st Anniversary- [link] [link]
2 great deathmatch mappacks for DOOM II. Requires Zandronum for best experience.