Doom Runner (yet another graphical Doom launcher)

[NightFright]

I see that basic Duke Nukem 3D support has been added on GitHub. This should be the first step towards Raze compatibility, I presume. Thumbs up for that, mate!

[youda008]

@Barry Burton Do you follow this thread? Did you read my private message?

[Barry Burton]

Hiya. I read it last night. I don't have access to my Doom stuff just now but I'll try it out this evening.

[youda008]

Hello. Version 1.3 is released.

Changes:

• For each engine you can now set custom directory of config files (required for using it on Linux).
• You can now select multiple map files via CTRL, but they will always be loaded in alphabetical order. If you need to change the order, you have to either rename them, or add them to the mod list and reorder them there.
• Selected map files are now saved to presets instead of globally.
• Line for additional command line arguments has been split to preset-related and global one.
• You can now select whether "Launch options" in second tab should be saved globally or to presets.
• You can now drag&drop also in Setup dialog to IWAD list and Engine list.
• When using manual IWAD management mode, you can now give each IWAD a custom name by double-clicking on it in Setup dialog.
• IWADs are now distinguished from PWADs by file header instead of filename suffix.
• To select a map, a command +map is now used instead of -warp to allow custom map names.
• Added a basic support for Duke Nukem files (.grp and .rff).
• Fixed that collapsed directories always expanded again on every update.
• Fixed that "Allow jump/crouch/aim" checkboxes produced incorrect flags.
• Error message during parsing options.json file now contains more detailed information and checkbox to ignore them all.
• Automatic checking if there is a new version available.

Plus one more useful feature. When you download a WAD from doomworld.com, it usually contains a .wad and an equally named .txt (for example D2RELOAD.WAD and D2RELOAD.TXT). When you extract them both to your map directory, you can display the content of the .txt in the launcher by double-clicking the corresponding .wad in the map list. This way when you forget what is that weird hg.wad that you downloaded years ago, you can easily remind yourself

Also, a 32-bit version for Windows is now available.

What is planned for next version is more launch options like sound/music checkboxes, dirs for saves and screenshots, demo recording, etc.

[NightFright]

Great to see an update after a long waiting time!
First thing I noticed is that quite a few of my wads (a third - 7/21) are no longer automatically detected after switching from v1.2 to 1.3.

IWADs:
action2.wad
blasphem.wad
chex3.wad
doom.wad
doom2.wad
freedoom1.wad
freedoom2.wad
hacx.wad
harm1.wad
heretic.wad
hexen.wad
plutonia.wad
rekkrsa.iwad
square1.pk3
strife1.wad
tnt.wad
voices.wad

PWADs:
hexdd.wad
master.wad (customized wad with Doom II Master Levels)
nerve.wad
sigil.wad

Names in red indicate the entries which are missing in the list/not recognized. You can still add the missing entries by managing the list manually, but automatic detection should work as it did before, especially since all wads are located in the same directory. What's strange is that it detects my custom master.wad while having issues with official wads like hexdd.wad, chex3.wad or hacx.wad.

I don't have Hedon in my current setup, but this one should work as well since I have it on my other computer and it can be loaded just fine with v1.2.

[youda008]

Well because technically they are not IWADs, as per specification https://doomwiki.org/wiki/IWAD

In the same way the hexdd.wad is not a PWAD

I just listened to this guy at https://www.doomworld.com/forum/topic/1 ... -launcher/

and made the IWADs recognized properly.

[Enjay]

The funny thing about that IWAD/PWAD header in the file is, as far as I can tell, Doom never really cared about it. If a file with a PWAD header has everything needed in it, it can be run as an IWAD and an IWAD can be run as a PWAD. I mean right back to vanilla Doom. I'm not sure why it is even there. Perhaps id just wanted a convenient label, or had plans for the header that they didn't use, or maybe there is something going on in the background that I'm not aware of.

The programs that have tended to take notice of those headers are some of the editing tools - typically just to prevent writing to a file if it has an IWAD header (I think that SLADE, for one, does that). Most of the time, I've actually just found that restriction in the tools a pain rather than a benefit.

[Rachael]

It's a usable file signature, since it can be only one of two combinations both of which form unique 32-bit integers, depending on the endian order with which they are read - that would be handy to allow for certain operating systems which were designed without file extensions in mind to be able to recognize the file.

That being said - yes - there is no strict rule on what is a IWAD and what is a PWAD. To put that strict of a check in a Doom tool is a bit on the insane side to say the least.

[Enjay]

I get that it could be used. I'm just not sure that it ever was by anything that id did. Certainly, with PC DOS Doom, if the file was present and had a name it recognised (doom.wad, doom2.wad) whether the header said IWAD or PWAD didn't matter, just as long as the content was there.

I've certainly found the strict check in tools a problem several times, but I don't recall ever feeling that it helped me.

[Barry Burton]

Great to see another release. Thanks for putting in so much work. DR is rapidly becoming indispensible. I love the fact I can now open txt files from within the launcher, something I've always fancied but lacked the knowledge to do it for myself.

1.3 takes a bit longer to load than 1.2. Is there a reason for that? Just thought I'd mention it in case its a bug.

I can't wait for the next version. The additions you plan for the future sound great (and from a selfish point of view great for me! )

Your building something really cool. Thank for sharing.

[NightFright]

Considering the fact that v1.2 did not have any internal IWAD checker and allowed to load ANYTHING (.wad, .pk3, .ipk3, .iwad etc), I humbly request this highly questionable "feature" to be removed again if possible, otherwise I have to stick to v1.2 and that's the end of the line for me, then. Which would be a pity since I'd be missing out the added groupfile loading capability which is also highly interesting for me.

If you believe for any reason this is a must-have feature for a launcher - I can tell you it's clearly not, you are just crippling an otherwise perfectly fine tool this way.

[youda008]

Looks like i'm dealing with contradictory requests here. Oh well.
I had no idea that there are PWADs pretending to be IWADs and vice versa.
But when i look at it now, supporting known game files (although they are done improperly) sounds more reasonable than putting everything in a single dir together and then demanding a "smart filter" for the files.

[NightFright]

Well, with this new update you more or less undid support for the additional file formats (e.g. .iwad or .ipk3), so it was kinda counter-productive. I am pretty sure the distinction between iwads and pwads via internal file header is pretty irrelevant by now, as previous posters have also pointed out. Personally I'd be ok with being able to choose 3 different folders for iwads, mods and addons and ANYTHING you put in there is recognized (provided file format is supported).

[Someone64]

I'm really loving this as I was looking for an alternative to ZDoom executor and this hits almost all the notes I need it to!
I only have a few problems with it so far.

The first is that it lags like absolute hell if you don't set a map pack directory. I don't know if this is only a problem for me but when I actually do set a directory for it it suddenly starts functioning fine.
Another issue is that once I select a map from the map pack menu, I can't simply unselect it if I want to just load the iWAD's maps instead. I have to either make a dummy file or folder for it or select a wad that doesn't replace any maps.
I also find that not being able to configure where config files are located in initial setup is a bit annoying since that means I have to place all my config files beside the DoomRunner executable even if I have a nice tidy folder set up just for configs and there's no way to select an arbitrarily placed config unlike in ZDoom Executor. I also use the explorer dialogue for picking configs in ZDE to quickly make new configs based on a template config but I have to keep the explorer open to do that with DoomRunner. Lastly, even though I can just drag and drop from Windows explorer to have the same functionality, it would be nice if there was an add folder as mod button for adding mods.

Besides these issues I think this'll be the perfect new daily-driver launcher for me considering its simplicity and flexibility.

Also, regarding map load order and using the mod list to load maps instead for the sake of being able to change said load order, what if you made it so that a map that you select from the map packs box appears as a specially named mod (something like [SELECTED MAP PACK] with a special color?) in the mod list to the right that acts pretty much like a mod that can't be removed? You'd have the convenience of being able to select the map easily from the map pack box but the advantage of being able to change load order.

[youda008]

Thanks for feedback.

The first is that it lags like absolute hell if you don't set a map pack directory. I don't know if this is only a problem for me but when I actually do set a directory for it it suddenly starts functioning fine.

I will investigate it. It is possible that the launcher accidentally tries to scan the directory all the time if not valid or something like that.

Another issue is that once I select a map from the map pack menu, I can't simply unselect it if I want to just load the iWAD's maps instead. I have to either make a dummy file or folder for it or select a wad that doesn't replace any maps.

You can deselect it by holding CTRL. I wanted avoid a design where switching from file A to file B would require first deselect A and then select B.

I also find that not being able to configure where config files are located in initial setup is a bit annoying since that means I have to place all my config files beside the DoomRunner executable even if I have a nice tidy folder set up just for configs and there's no way to select an arbitrarily placed config unlike in ZDoom Executor.

Actually, you can select a directory of config files. It's under the engine properties, below name and path.

Lastly, even though I can just drag and drop from Windows explorer to have the same functionality, it would be nice if there was an add folder as mod button for adding mods.

Yes, this was already requested, it's one of the things planned for 1.4.

Also, regarding map load order and using the mod list to load maps instead for the sake of being able to change said load order, what if you made it so that a map that you select from the map packs box appears as a specially named mod (something like [SELECTED MAP PACK] with a special color?) in the mod list to the right that acts pretty much like a mod that can't be removed? You'd have the convenience of being able to select the map easily from the map pack box but the advantage of being able to change load order.

That's interesting idea. Just out of curiosity, what map pack and mod is that exactly, that it requires map being loaded after?