For those who have not used a Doom Frontend such as ZDL before, this is an interface allowing you to quickly set up a doom game using any combination of source port, IWAD, patch wads and additional arguments of your choosing. Furthermore, you can associate and launch doom files with this program, and it is also compatible with doom builder to test your maps with.
Q: Why use this instead of ZDL?
A: No particular reason, this is a personal project I am working on that I have decided to share. This may not be quite as feature rich as ZDL, but it does have a few advantages, such as:
-DOSBox support:
Want to play vanilla doom but tired of typing commands and mounting directories in dosbox? Then use Rocket Launcher, it will automatically run the doom executable in dosbox with the correct aspect ratio, will understand skill and command line parameters, and attempt to load any additional files you specify (must be doom compatible wads).
Yes, simply add dosbox.exe as an engine, then select it and you will be prompted to locate your original doom/doom2 executable file. In order for this to work, you must make sure the files used (including any pwads) and folders containing them (including parent folders) used are no longer than 8 characters long, or it probably will not work properly!
Here is me testing the vanilla compatibility of obsidian deathmatch for instance from Rocket Launcher:
(note, this picture was taken before certain features such as saving and loading config files was added)
-More ergonomic design, including a box listing all of your patch wads allowing you to quickly add them to load in the engine of your choosing.
-An "Include Skulltag Data Files" checkbox, saving you time by not having to load the data files individually.
-Displays the associated logo for each engine.
Jroc wrote:I finally decided to work on this again after all this time. My first update brings some much requested features:
First of all the pwad loading system has changed, you now have a button to add each pwad from the pwad folder listbox into the main 'Files to load' listbox, and you are able to manipulate the order or remove individual wads from this box; no longer must you have to clear the box and load files again if you want to change their load order or remove individual files not in the default pwad folder!
Support has been added for the popular new 'Doom Retro' source port.
Rocket Launcher now remembers the last IWAD and Engine you selected on application start, allowing you to quickly launch wads without having to select the engine and iwad each time.
A checkbox to hide or show the command line arguments has been added.
edit: also I'd like to mention, because people seem to be unaware about this: Rocket Launcher supports wad/pk3 file association, so if you associate your doom wads with Rocket Launcher in windows and double click them, it should run Rocket Launcher with the pwad loaded and ready to go.
Download: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/460 ... cherb7.zip
(Note, for the time being due to the strange way the doomsday engine works, it is not properly supported by this application at this time.)
As usual, please contact me if there are any bugs!
Engine support list as of version b7:
Spoiler:Additional thanks to:
Propaganda - for testing and suggestions
TerminusEst13 - for testing and coming up with the name
capodecima - testing
