Running Mods On ECWolf In Four Steps

Overview

ECWolf might be a nice little source port, but what’s a source port without some mods to go with it? This guide illustrates how to configure Steam to load add-ons and extensions of ECWolf, using a high-resolution graphic pack as an example.

Introduction

Let’s be honest here: the graphics and sound of Wolfenstein 3D are quite ugly. Even when you’re running source ports at 60fps and 16K resolution, those blocky guards and endless waves of mazes with identically colored walls are going to bore you sooner or later. Thankfully, ECWolf[maniacsvault.net] was designed to work with mods, and in this guide I’ll be showing you how to set Steam to run add-ons to enhance your gameplay experience.

Steps

Replace the original DOSBox copy that comes with Wolfenstein 3D with a copy of ECWolf. If you haven’t done this beforehand, simply find your way into the “base” folder where all the program data is stored, delete the original “dosbox.exe”, copy over the necessary files from ECWolf, and rename the “ecwolf.exe” to “dosbox.exe”. Once that’s done, test to make sure the program loads correctly and adjust any settings as needed.

(Pictured above: ECWolf, running normally without mods. Notice the HUD, weapon, and dead guard.)

Time to go hunt for mods! ECWolf uses .pk3 files much like its brethren ZDoom, so if you’re familiar with Doom mods, you’ll have an easier time with Wolf 3D mods. There’s a few options out there, but for the purpose of this tutorial, we’ll be using CeeJay’s hi-res/enhancement pack [forum.zdoom.org], a mod that upgrades the textures, sprites, and sound effects to match the Macintosh / Jaguar / SNES / 3DO versions of the game. The pack also includes optional soundtracks, which aren’t required for this tutorial but will compliment the newer graphics (my advice: the 3DO soundtrack works best for this upgrade.)

Once you download the .pk3 files, simply unzip them into any folder you want. I recommend putting them where you keep the rest of your ECWolf files, but anywhere accessible will work (see photo below.)

On the library menu, right-click on the game, click “Properties”, “Set Launch Options”, and then type in something to this effect:

In my case, the coding is typed like this:

Save your settings, click back to the library menu, and load up the game. If done correctly, you should be seeing / hearing your mods play out immediately; if not, go back through the steps again and try to figure out what went wrong.

(Pictured above: ECWolf, running with the high-res pack. Again, notice the HUD, weapon, and dead guard.)

Conclusion

Historically, Wolfenstein 3D modding has never been as easily accessible as its successors Doom and Quake, but a community has thrived nonetheless and with ECWolf’s implementation of the DECORATE language used in ZDoom, new hacks are pushing the old raycasting engine to new limits. Tastes may vary, so browse through whatever sites offer mods to download and pick out whatever appeals to you, and if you wish to develop your own mods for ECWolf, a two-part introduction can be located here [maniacsvault.net] for further reading.