How do i download gzdoom?

[LonieHaag]

I unpacked it correctly but it just says "cannot find a game IWAD (doom.wad doom2.wad heretic.wad ect Did you install gzdoom properly you can do either of the following place one or more of these wads in the same directory as gzdoom edit your gzdoom-usernameGeometry Vibes.ini add directories of your iwads to the list beneath (IWADsearch.directories).

[Enjay]

As the message says, you need a game IWAD, and it needs to be somewhere that GZDoom can find it (e.g. in the same folder where you put the GZDoom files).

https://zdoom.org/wiki/Installation_and ... n_of_ZDoom
https://zdoom.org/wiki/IWAD

[axredneck]

You should buy these IWADs (e.g. on Steam or GOG) or download FreeDoom. GZDoom is just an engine, it doesn't contain games themselves.

[camper]

You should buy these IWADs (e.g. on Steam or GOG) or download FreeDoom. GZDoom is just an engine, it doesn't contain games themselves.

Or download doom1.wad, but it will not allow you to play modifications

1. https://doomwiki.org/wiki/DOOM1.WAD#External_links

Download DOOM1.WAD v1.9

2. https://freedoom.github.io/download.html

[Enjay]

The IWAD Wiki page that I linked to contains links to several free IWADs, and to the GoG/Steam pages where the commercial IWADs can be obtained.

[Redneckerz]

The IWAD Wiki page that I linked to contains links to several free IWADs, and to the GoG/Steam pages where the commercial IWADs can be obtained.

For the sake of discussion, lets have one

The title suggests that GZDoom is difficult to download, but the OP clearly highlights that they did. But the feedback they raise is feedback that we have all read dozens of times before. Why is it that people still make these threads? Can we make it easier? Because the error clearly tells any user what to do, but enough times than none, the user ignores this, goes through the process of registering here (All of which, dare i may, is a significantly more complex step than either downloading GZ or a IWAD!) and then makes a thread here.

I know GZ authors would not and should not do anything about using common sense, but would an autodownloader to the latest FreeDoom be of any help? Aside coding this (Which means nobody on the team should do this), it would take away the above.

The far more easier route, i know, is to pertain to user's common sense - and attempt to understand what the error says. But given this doodle comes up every so forth time, i figured, why not have a little debate on it.

[Enjay]

It's actually why I kept my reply minimal. Basically, "the information already exists, here it is."

I'm not sure that the devs could do much more and, even if they did, I'm sure we'd get "I downloaded GZDoom and clicked the FreeDoom link but it's still not working" threads. Add Brutal Doom into the mix and we would likely be worse off, not better.

Also, I think realistically most people want the actual Id games. FreeDoom is cool and all, and it will get GZDoom working, but it's not really what most people are downloading GZDoom to play.

I can't remember if the no IWAD error message says anything more than what LonieHaag posted but, if it doesn't, perhaps it could be extended to link to the IWADs wiki page that I linked to?

[camper]

The IWAD Wiki page that I linked to contains links to several free IWADs, and to the GoG/Steam pages where the commercial IWADs can be obtained.

For the sake of discussion, lets have one

The title suggests that GZDoom is difficult to download, but the OP clearly highlights that they did. But the feedback they raise is feedback that we have all read dozens of times before. Why is it that people still make these threads? Can we make it easier? Because the error clearly tells any user what to do, but enough times than none, the user ignores this, goes through the process of registering here (All of which, dare i may, is a significantly more complex step than either downloading GZ or a IWAD!) and then makes a thread here.

I know GZ authors would not and should not do anything about using common sense, but would an autodownloader to the latest FreeDoom be of any help? Aside coding this (Which means nobody on the team should do this), it would take away the above.

The far more easier route, i know, is to pertain to user's common sense - and attempt to understand what the error says. But given this doodle comes up every so forth time, i figured, why not have a little debate on it.

Maybe include shareware by default in the package?

upd. Although this is a stupid idea. Permission from the copyright holder is needed. An analogue of shareware for gzdoom is needed, the same small in size and for information in help2 where to get other iwads.

[Enjay]

Maybe include shareware by default in the package?

While that would get GZDoom running, it doesn't support mods and provides a limited game.

More importantly, I think it's overkill. GZDoom gets thousands of downloads and an occasional "how do I get it working" post. Bulking up the download with an IWAD would mean thousands of people downloading a bigger file - probably with content that they already have - just so that one or two people who find the installation tricky have a ready to run solution.

As I said, perhaps the message could possibly be expanded to point to exactly where the help can be found but I personally don't feel it's a huge problem and I don't think doing something that would be a disadvantage (albeit a minor one) to most of the downloaders to fix such a small problem would be proportionate.