ZDoom

I don't want to read text files for the hundreds of WADs I have each time I play them. It's not like you can't change the settings. AFAIK jumping is the only real gameplay feature that can be toggled via MAPINFO and that is accessible through the menu.

What I find much more annoying is something like RTC-3057 which slows down the player (fortunately it is configurable) or an even more extreme case, Cold As Hell which went out of its way to amputate the game to satisfy its 'needs' - and that without any chance to switch them off. Both of these WADs also didn't release their script code so it became an even bigger chore to circumvent their nonsense.

[quote="Graf Zahl"]But your point of view would force any user to read a text file each time he plays a WAD. That's not such a good end result. ;)[/quote]

True, but then I do tend to have at least a cursory glance through the text file for any WAD I DL, just to find out if there are any specific instructions, hints on how to play or which map the level actually replaces. Perhaps people reading the text on a more frequent basis would be a good result. :)

[quote="David Ferstat"]Anyone who plays a game for the first time without reading the docs is asking for whatever they get.

Personally, I don't like a game designer telling me that I [i]must[/i] use certain keys for functions, or restricting the number of saved games I may have.[/quote]


Agreed, that is stupid. These are clearly user preferences the WAD designer shouldn't have any control over. The same would be the 'SUCKS' issue which inexplicably turned out differently. :(

But gameplay settings are a different matter. These are primarily the responsibility of the mapper. It is a major pain having to set up the engine each time a WAD is started when just because of Enjay the mapper isn't doing it himself. Guess why I make MAPINFOs for each WAD I keep, even the vanilla ones. That way I don't have to bother with reading the text files over and over again just to get the settings right.

One thing in particular that endlessly annoys me is the compatibility options. These should really be controllable by MAPINFO, even if it is most likely the end users who create those lumps for old WADs. As it is they are global and you have to look out every time you start a WAD to get them right. The COMPAT_SHORTTEX flag is particularly annoying because there are many WADS that need this set. So a MAPINFO option for this particular flag would be greatly appreciated.

If I want to cheat I still can change the settings in the menu or the console

I also think autosaves should be seperate for at least IWADS. That way I don't lose doom autosaves to fucking STRIFE.

Anyone who plays a game for the first time without reading the docs is asking for whatever they get.

Personally, I don't like a game designer telling me that I [i]must[/i] use certain keys for functions, or restricting the number of saved games I may have.

But your point of view would force any user to read a text file each time he plays a WAD. That's not such a good end result. ;)

All fair points, but not my personal preference.

Like I said, we agree to disagree. :)

[quote="Enjay"]I think we've agreed to disagree on this in the past. ;)

As I think you know, I dislike anyone else setting my preferences for anything and would rather have instructions in the text file as to how to set up the recommended options instead of having them forced on me. I even take this as far as not liking jumping explicitly being prevented by MAPINFO. If I want to jump and break gameplay, why shouldn't I? The only one I grudgingly accept is fallingdamage because it may be essential to gameplay.
[/quote]

See, that is exactly what I don't like.

Having to read a text file that says 'Set A to B, C to D and E to F to play this properly.' A WAD should be able to set up the engine in the way it needs to run properly. There's always the gameplay menu where you can alter these settings afterwards. Jumping in a map that doesn't support it is a cheat. Cheating is something that has to be performed manually by the end user so why should this be different? If I had created a WAD that isn't supposed to use jumping I'd want that to be the default the engine is set to when the game starts. It's not that you can't change it back if you wanted to!


[quote]
I'd rather have the option to ignore the authors instructions and ruin the experience for myself if I want to. :)[/quote]

As I said, that's the purpose of the gameplay menu! Don't think that I never cheat (including jumping in maps that don't support it.)

I think we've agreed to disagree on this in the past. ;)

As I think you know, I dislike anyone else setting my preferences for anything and would rather have instructions in the text file as to how to set up the recommended options instead of having them forced on me. I even take this as far as not liking jumping explicitly being prevented by MAPINFO. If I want to jump and break gameplay, why shouldn't I? The only one I grudgingly accept is fallingdamage because it may be essential to gameplay.

You, however, are more tolerant of these things and are happy to have a WAD designer ensure certain settings are used to enhance the playability of the WAD.

I'd rather have the option to ignore the authors instructions and ruin the experience for myself if I want to. :)

Depends on what they want to set. Here it is pointless but a WAD should be able to set the engine to specs it needs to run well.

[quote="DoomRater"]Seconded for the WAD designer to be able to force it, or at least default it.[/quote]

I disagree with the principle of any WAD designer forcing my preferences to change, even if it is just for that wad and no others.

[url=http://forum.zdoom.org/viewtopic.php?t=5816]Added[/url].

I like the idea of your own number of autosaves, only 4 can be FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF half the time.

Seconded for the WAD designer to be able to force it, or at least default it.

I'd go the the user-settable variable myself. But then, I'd like to see just about every variable in Zdoom either user-settable, or able to be changed by the WAD designer. :)