ZDoom 2.6.0, after much anticipation, is released

[randi]

ZDoom 2.6.0 is now available, almost two years after version 2.5.0 was released. This release is available in the usual Windows version as well as in a Mac OS X version.

There have been hundreds of bugs fixed since then as well as numerous enhancements:

• Added Hacx IWAD support.
• Added text-format Strife conversation system with USDF and ZSDF.
• A textured automap is now available; automap graphics are now externalized.
• Rewritten menu system, which can now be defined with the MENUDEF lump.
• Externalized intermissions to MAPINFO.
• Externalized IWAD detection and gave each IWAD its own independent config section.
• Added FluidSynth and GUS emulator softsynths; fixed issues with TiMidity++.
• Added VOC support and enhanced MIDI playback with support for alternative formats such as XMI and HMI.
• Action specials: Added Ceiling_LowerAndCrushDist and Thing_SetConversation. Added console command to execute specials.
• ACS:
  • Increased maximum script number from 999 to 32767.
  • Named scripts allow to avoid script number conflicts altogether.
  • Added StrCopy, CheckSight, SetActivator, SetPointer functions.
  • Added APROP_ScaleX/Y and APROP_Mass actor properties.
  • Added temporary dynamic strings variables with StrParam.
  • Scripts can now have up to four parameters.
• DECORATE:
  • Added A_CheckFlag, A_FaceMaster, A_FaceTracer, A_RadiusGive, A_SetMass, A_SetScale, A_Warp and A_WolfAttack...
  • Enhanced A_AlertMonsters, A_BFGSpray, A_Blast, A_CustomBulletAttack, A_FireBullets, A_GunFlash, A_PainAttack, A_RadiusThrust...
  • Added an actor pointer manipulation system with several new codepointers...
  • Added DOHARMSPECIES, DONTCORPSE, SEEINVISIBLE and INVENTORY.UNTOSSABLE
  • Increased damage type flexibility in several ways with DeathType and PainType.
  • Added customizable fléchettes.
  • Made accuracy and stamina accessible through DECORATE expressions.
  • Added ProjectileKickback, Inventory.RestrictedTo and Inventory.ForbiddenTo class-based properties.
  • Backported VisibleToTeam, VisibleToPlayerClass and weapon DropItem feature from Skulltag, and enhanced them.
  • Added "Fast" keyword for states and deprecated the unreliable FASTER and FASTMELEE flags.
• Added a secret hint system.
• 3D floors support.
• FraggleScript support.
• Voxel support.
• SBARINFO: Ammo 1/2 capacities added to DrawNumber, support for color names in colored text.
• SNDINFO: Added musicalias and attenuation.
• Compatibility: fixed issues with Eternal Doom, Happy Time Circus, Phobos, vanilla compat, Boom compat, light levels higher than 255, Heretic, Strife, MUSINFO, misnamed UDMF field.
• Fixed loading of BMF palettes.
• restart console command.
• Added PALVERS lump for specifying alternate graphics to use with a paletted render, in case the graphics you really want to use look bad without true color.
• Custom IWADs no longer need to include a COLORMAP, as ZDoom will generate one automatically if it is missing.
• Fixed vertical tiling of non-power-of-two textures.

(Big thanks to Gez for compiling this list of changes.)

[Hellser]

Hell. It's about time.

Also downloaded and installed. Wee !

[Scuba Steve]

Shit... now I have to actually finish AD2 stuff.

[Dancso]

WHAT 3D floors finally in zdoom?! ARE YOU AWESOME OR WHAT!
A lot of super useful new features, it's like a dream come true
Bloody good job!

[Graf Zahl]

WHAT 3D floors finally in zdoom?! ARE YOU AWESOME OR WHAT!

Uh... Haven't you been following development or what?

[Piter432]

Finally new zdoom version Great

[Phobus]

Catching up with (and making use of even a small percentage of) all of these features is going to be impossible :O

Still, very glad to see a new version out at long last - definitely going to have fun playing around with new stuff! 3D floors still don't slope, right?
EDIT: Just checked the wiki - indeed they don't. Still need to use OpenGL for that.

[k0da]

Are official Mac OS X binaries likely to be put up on the download page?

[DooMGater]

Congrats to a new release! I'll check this out, whenever i'll get a windows machine, or are there any plans for linux?

[Dancso]

Uh... Haven't you been following development or what?

Been living under a rock for a while now. I did hear that 3D floors could someday make their way into software but I didn't know it was this close to the present

[Graf Zahl]

It has been in the SVN for quite some time now - the 3D floor code was originally submitted in Dec 2010 and merged into the trunk end of Jan 2011.

It just shows how overdue this release was...

[MartinHowe]

This -->

I did hear that 3D floors could someday make their way into software but I didn't know it was this close to the present

At last I have been using GZDoom purely for 3D floors, now my mods will mostly only need "regular" ZDoom. Of course I'll have to revisit any areas using sloped 3D floors, though I can't recall many.

[ReX]

All this new-fangled march of progress. Bah!

I'm sticking with v2.2.0. Period.

[DOOMERO-21]

Increased maximum script number from 999 to 32767.

wow!!

[Enjay]