=====================================

=SECTION ONE= PRELIMINARY INFORMATION

=====================================

--------------------------

CHAPTER [2]: What is DOOM?

--------------------------

DOOM is a three dimensional, virtual reality type action game created by id Software. In some ways, it is similar to Wolfenstein 3-D (id Software, Apogee).

In DOOM, you're a space marine, one of Earth's toughest, hardened in combat and trained for action. Three years ago you assaulted a superior officer for ordering his soldiers to fire upon civilians. He and his body cast were shipped to Pearl Harbor, while you were transferred to Mars, home of the Union Aerospace Corporation.

The UAC is a multi-planetary conglomerate with radioactive waste facilities on Mars and its two moons, Phobos and Deimos. With no action for fifty million miles, your day consisted of suckin' dust and watchin' restricted flicks in the rec room.

For the last four years the military, UAC's biggest supplier, has used the remote facilities on Phobos and Deimos to conduct various secret projects, including research on inter-dimensional space travel. So far they have been able to open gateways between Phobos and Deimos, throwing a few gadgets into one and watching them come out the other. Recently however, the gateways have grown dangerously unstable. Military "volunteers" entering them have either disappeared or been stricken with a strange form of insanity--babbling vulgarities, bludgeoning anything that breathes, and finally suffering an untimely death of full-body explosion. Matching heads with torsos to send home to the folks became a full-time job. Latest military reports state that the research is suffering a small setback, but everything is under control.

A few hours ago, Mars received a garbled message from Phobos. "We require immediate military support. Something fraggin' evil is coming out of the gateways! Computer systems have gone berserk!" The rest was incoherent. Soon afterwards, Deimos simply vanished from the sky. Since then, attempts to establish contact with either moon have been unsuccessful.

You and your buddies, the only combat troop for fifty million miles were sent up pronto to Phobos. You were ordered to secure the perimeter of the base while the rest of the team went inside. For several hours, your radio picked up the sounds of combat: guns firing, men yelling orders, screams, bones cracking, then finally silence. Seems your buddies are dead.

Things aren't looking too good. You'll never navigate off the planet on your own. Plus, all the heavy weapons have been taken by the assault team leaving you only with a pistol. If only you could get your hands around a plasma rifle or even a shotgun you could take a few down on your way out. Whatever killed your buddies deserves a couple of pellets in the forehead. Securing your helmet, you exit the landing pod. Hopefully you can find more substantial firepower somewhere within the station. As you walk through the main entrance of the base, you hear animal-like growls echoing throughout the distant corridors. They know you're here. There's no turning back now.

(Back to the index)

------------------------------------------------------------

CHAPTER [3]: What makes DOOM different from Wolfenstein 3-D?

------------------------------------------------------------

[3-1]: Texture-Mapped Environment

=================================
DOOM offers the most realistic environment to date on the PC. Texture-mapping, the process of rendering fully-drawn art and scanned textures on the walls, floors, and ceilings of an environment, makes the world much more real, thus bringing the player more into the game experience. Others have attempted this, but DOOM's texture mapping is fast, accurate, and seamless. Texture-mapping the floors and ceilings is a big improvement over Wolfenstein 3-D. With their new advanced graphic development techniques, allowing game art to be generated much faster, id brings new meaning to "state-of-the-art".

[3-2]: Non-Orthogonal Walls

===========================
In other games (such as Wolfenstein 3-D), walls were always joined at ninety degrees to each other, and were always eight feet thick. DOOM's walls are at many angles, and of any thickness. Walls have see-through areas, like windows. This allows more natural construction of levels. If you can draw it on paper, you can see it in the game.

[3-3]: Light Diminishing/Light Sourcing

=======================================
Another touch adding realism is light diminishing. With distance, your surroundings become enshrouded in darkness. This makes areas seem huge and intensifies the experience. This also creates some amazing effects; sometimes the lights go out, and you'll have to look for a light switch or light amplification visors. Light sourcing allows lamps and lights to illuminate hallways, explosions to light up areas, and strobe lights to briefly reveal things near them. These features make the game frighteningly real.

[3-4]: Variable Height Floors and Ceilings

==========================================
Floors and ceilings can be of any height, allowing for stairs, poles, altars, plus low hallways and high caves-allowing a great variety for rooms and halls.

In DOOM, monsters can be shot on levels that are higher or lower than you are. All you have to do is aim horizontally, and DOOM will do the rest!

[3-5]: Environment Animation and Morphing

=========================================
In DOOM, the world reacts to you. Many surfaces animate. A glowing wall-plate may change in appearance when you touch it. Radioactive ooze could seethe and bubble.

In earlier versions of the FAQ, I talked about environment animation and morphing. id Software removed information terminals, access stations, and wall weapon damaging. DOOM does include "crushing ceilings," however.

[3-6]: Palette Translation

==========================
In earlier versions of the FAQ, I talked about many different types of palette translation. Most of the palette translation has been removed from DOOM. The only palette translations that are currently implemented in DOOM are for multi-player mode (other players are in different colors), invincibility mode and a few other special effects.

[3-7]: Multiple Players

=======================
Up to four players can play over a local network, or two players can play by modem or serial link. DOOM v1.2 supports modem play. You can see the other player in the environment, communicate with him or her, and in certain situations you can switch to their view. This feature, added to the 3-D realism, makes DOOM a very powerful cooperative game and its release a landmark event in the software industry. This is the first game to really exploit the power of LANs and modems to their full potential. In 1994, id Software fully expects to be the number one cause of decreased productivity in businesses around the world. See Chapter [8] for more information on multi-playing.

[3-8]: Smooth, Seamless Gameplay

================================
The environment in DOOM is frightening, but the player can be at ease when playing. Much effort has been spent on the development end to provide the smoothest control on the user end. And the frame rate (the rate at which the screen is updated) is high, so you move smoothly from room to room, turning and acting as you wish, unhampered by the slow jerky motion of most 3-D games. On a 386DX, the game runs well, and on a 486/33, the normal mode frame rate is almost as fast as television. This allows for the most important and enjoyable aspect of gameplay: immersion.

*3-9*: New Monsters and Artificial Intelligence

===============================================
Wolfenstein 3-D is basically made up of a lot of closed rooms. When you open a door, the guards get a chance to see you and opening the door connects your sound area to the revealed room's sound area, so a gunshot will be heard in both places. Guards in both places will respond to this kind of action. In DOOM it's much more complex. DOOM isn't made up of a bunch of rooms; it's a cohesive world. You might blast your shotgun and the sound could travel through a window or slime-river tunnel to another entirely different area and alert some monsters. Then, they'll come looking for you! Opening doors, going down stairs, wading through slime, etc. You are still able to get the drop on them from behind, just like in Wolfenstein 3-D -- but you have to be sneakier about it.

There is a huge amount of new enemies in DOOM. Here is a list:

FORMER HUMANS (dudes in filth-covered combat suits):
Just a few days ago, you were probably swapping war stories with one of these guys. Now it's time to swap some lead upside their head. They are the weakest of all enemies.
FORMER HUMAN SERGEANTS (dudes in black armor, also filthy):
Same as above, but much meaner and tougher. These walking shotguns provide you with a few extra holes if you're not careful!
IMPS (brown thorny hominids):
You thought an imp was cute little dude in a red suit with a pitchfork. Where did these brown bastards come from? They heave balls o' fire down your throat and take several bullets to die. It's time to find a weapon better than that pistol if you're going to face more than one of these S.O.B.s.
DEMONS (pink horrors, vaguely humanoid):
Sorta like a shaved gorilla, except with horns, a big head, lots of teeth, and harder to kill. Don't get too close or they'll rip your fraggin' head off.
SPECTRES (vague, half-formed shapes):
Great. Just what you needed. An invisible (nearly) Demon.
+ LOST SOULS (flying skulls):
Dumb. Tough. Flies. On fire. Flying skills with a hot temper. They like to go for a screaming head-on collision.
+ CACODEMONS (gigantic floating one-eyed heads):
They float in the air, belch ball-lightning, and boast one Hell of a big mouth. You're toast if you get too close to these monstrosities.
BARONS OF HELL (you'll know `em when you see `em):
Tough as a dump truck and nearly as big, these goliaths are the worst thing on two legs since Tyrannosaurus Rex. Watch out for the green plasma they fling at you.
+ CYBERDEMON (rocket shooting colossus):
When you get to the end of the second episode of DOOM, you'll know. Get ready to see this guy a lot more often in DOOM II.
+ SPIDER MASTERMIND (huge robotic chaingun shooting spider):
It will make you wish you never were playing DOOM in the first place. Watch for it at the end of the third episode of DOOM, and numerous times in DOOM II.
# HEAVY WEAPON DUDE (overweight sergeants with chain guns):
These guys are probably the first new enemy you will encounter in DOOM II. They are more disgusting looking that sergeants, and are also more deadly due to their chain gun.
# HELL KNIGHT (brown colored Baron of Hell):
Slightly easier to kill than our friend the Baron, but appear in larger numbers.
# ARACHNOTRON (toddler version of the Spider Mastermind):
Smaller than the Spider Mastermind, and a lot harder to kill, but there are a lot more of these guys. Watch for its BFG9000-like green plasma.
# PAIN ELEMENTAL (even more disgusting huge Cacodemon-like blobs):
Watch out for these guys, they fly around and fire Lost Souls at you. If you don't kill them quick enough, the Lost Souls will eat you for lunch.
# REVENANT (skeletons with a bad temper):
These huge skeletons are just cruel. They punch and kick the life out of you, and also enjoy launching flaming rockets into your torso.
# MANCUBUS (overweight walking blob with guns for arms):
He is fat, ugly, and like shooting enormous fireballs into you from his arms.
# ARCH VILE (flaming spirits):
Not only does he summon the fire elementals to watch you go up in flames, he revives already dead demons while he's at it.
+: Not found in the shareware version

#: Only found in DOOM II

[3-10]: Weapons

===============
Here's a list of weapons that are in DOOM. Don't try using these at home. :)

+ = Denotes a weapon not implemented in the shareware version.

#: Denotes a weapons found only in DOOM II.

(3-10-1): What does BFG9000 stand for?

--------------------------------------
Being the most powerful weapon, the only thing BFG9000 could stand for would be "Big Fraggin' Gun." :)

(Back to the index)

------------------------------

CHAPTER [4]: Who created DOOM?

------------------------------
DOOM was created by id Software, and is also published by id Software.

Id Software is made up of the following dedicated people:

        - John Romero     Coder         -
        - John Carmack    Coder         -
        - Dave Taylor     Coder         -
        - Adrian Carmack  Artist        -
        - Kevin Cloud     Artist        -
        - Jay Wilbur      CEO           -
        - Sandy Peterson  Designer      -
        - Shawn Green     Tech Support  -
        - Robert Prince   Music         -
Note: Apogee has NOTHING to do with DOOM.

[4-1]: How can I contact id Software?

=====================================
id Software can be contacted via the Internet. If you would like to ask any questions about DOOM (that are not answered in here), send E-mail to "help@idsoftware.com". Id Software can also be reached at their 800 number. The number is (800)-ID-GAMES. This number is for ordering games ONLY. This number is not for technical support or inquiries.

(Back to the index)

---------------------------------------------------------------------

[5]: What are the differences between the different releases of DOOM?

---------------------------------------------------------------------

(5-1): What is the shareware release?

=====================================
The shareware version of DOOM only includes one of the three missions of DOOM. Each mission contains eight levels and a secret level. The shareware version contains network support and modem support. The shareware version does NOT include the Plasma Rifle and the BFG9000 weapons. On December 10th, 1993, v1.0 was released. On December 16th, 1993, v1.1 was released. On February 17th, 1994, id released v1.2 of DOOM. This version fixed many bugs and added new features, including modem support. Unfortunately, this revision added many new bugs. Finally, in June of 1994, v1.4 was released. This version was only an "Internet Beta version," as was used to find bugs before the pending released of v1.5 of DOOM. Then, on July 8th, 1994, v1.5 was released as another "Internet Beta version." Both version 1.4 and 1.5 were released without registered version patches. In early August, v1.6 was released as yet another "Internet Beta version." FINALLY! In early September of 1994, v1.666 made its debut! The new features of 1.4, 1.5, and v1.666 are outlined in Chapter [5-3].

[5-2]: What is the mail-order release?

======================================
The mail-order release of DOOM includes all three missions of DOOM. Each mission contains eight levels and a secret level. This version includes all weapons. All mail-order releases ordered before February 17th, 1994 are v1.1. It is recommended that you upgrade to v1.2 if you wish modem support and Nightmare mode.

[5-3]: What makes the six versions different?

==============================================
Seven different versions of DOOM have been released: v1.0 (which has the v0.99 operating system), v1.1, v1.2, v1.4, v1.5, v1.6, and v1.666. Version 1.0 was the initial December 10th, 1993 release. Version 1.1 was the first upgrade of DOOM, released on December 16th, 1993. Although this version fixed many bugs and compatibility problems, it introduced many new ones. Version 1.2, released on February 17th, added modem play, Nightmare mode, and better use of networks, but again introduced many new bugs. v1.4 of DOOM was a Beta version released exclusively on the Internet, and was only used for finding bugs before the pending v1.5 release. v1.5 followed, which again was released as an Internet Beta version to find bugs for the pending v1.6. v1.6 was then released as another Beta, and finally v1.666 was released in early September which fixed some modem play problems and other miscellaneous sound code and control bugs.

Note: id reports that v1.8 of DOOM will be released in the near future, and DOOM II has a version v1.7 and v1.7a.

        v1.4/v1.5/v1.666 new features:

        - New 14.4k and 28.8k modem support
        - Better serial support
        - New and improved SETUP.EXE with the following features:
                + Phone number list
                + Modem string database
                + Level warp key (F1)
                + Up to eight digital channels instead of four
        - New DeathMatch v2.0 rules (-ALTDEATH parameter):
                + All objects respawn after 30 seconds
                + Suicide subtracts a frag from your score
                + Negative frags are now possible
        - You can type "+" and "-" in chat mode
        - The "Official" DOOM FAQ is now included
        - Microscopic map bugs fixed and some elements changed in certain
          maps for network play
        - Recording multiplayer demos is now possible
        - Recorded demos do NOT end when you die or when the level ends.
          You must press "Q" or quit from DOOM to halt recording.  The
          default demo buffer is 128K, but it can be increased by using
          the "-MAXDEMO <#k>" command-line parameter.  "-MAXDEMO 1024"
          would allocate one megabyte for a demo recording buffer!
        - When playing back Multiplayer demos, you can use F12 and TAB
          keys to access the other player's views and watch everyone
          on the automap.
        - You can NOT use external files with the shareware version any
          longer.  You must register first.
        - You can now reload maps using the IDCLEV cheat if you are
          map editing on a LAN
        - Supports RESPONSE files for up to 100 command-line arguments.  A
          response file is a text file that contains all the command-line
          arguments you which to pass to DOOM.  An example would be:

            ---- start of file ---- (don't type this line)
            -nomonsters
            -deathmatch
            -altdeath

            ---- end of file ---- (don't type this line)
          If you name this file RESPONSE.TXT, when you invoke DOOM, you
          would type "DOOM @RESPONSE.TXT" and add any additional
          command-line parameters afterwards.
        - Sound Blaster AWE32 sound support
        - Sound does NOT work under Windows or OS/2 yet.  A new version is
          being test and will be released when it is stable.
        - new FAST parameter allows optional fast enemies
        - new TURBO parameter allows the marine to move more quickly
          (this is considered cheating and is only meant for DeathMatch play)
        - the DEVPARM parameter is no longer needed to record demos

        NOTE: Saved games from versions before v1.666 do not work with v1.666.

        Bug fixes since v1.5:

        - Miscellaneous sound code, serial code, and control fixes
        - IDKFA and shotgun no longer crashes the game

        Bug fixes since v1.4:

        - SERSETUP has been rewritten-- AGAIN!
        - Help screen now mentions F11:Gamma Correction.
        - Sprite graphics can now be used in PWADs.
        - A bug that caused some monsters to teleport outside of the levels
          has been corrected.
        - Mysterious DeathMatch bug (since v1.0) that caused random objects
          to reappear but not be gettable has been corrected.
        - Increased 64K of savegame buffer space for PWAD developers.
        - SERSETUP COM port setting > 38400 has been fixed.
        - Response file bug fixed.
        - SETUP lets you type ENTER for a control key.
        - New GUS instrumnet mapping file for 1mb GUS cards only.

        Bug fixes since v1.2:

        - Now more than two people can play over a network without crashes.
        - No more PS/2 mouse bug (player loses control of character,
          character spins, game locks, etc.)
        - Saving a game under a open door, restoring it, then pressing
          space no longer causes the game to crash.
        - Sound code rewritten.
        - Serial game difficulty selection fixed in SETUP.EXE.
        - map bug fixes including two-sided linedef bug and faulty
          SKY1 ceiling texture mapping
        - gun projectiles (rockets, plasma, rockets) will no longer trigger
          linedefs
It is recommended that you upgrade to v1.666 if you have not already done so.

(5-4): What is the commercial release?

======================================
The commercial version of DOOM is called "DOOM II: Hell on Earth" and is now available in stores!

DOOM II is finished and is now available to registered users of the original DOOM. It can be ordered directly from id or from GT Interactive Software at 1-800-332-4300. It costs $44.95 per copy.

DOOM II includes these features:

        * 30 levels plus 2 secret levels
        * Lots of graphics
        * All new music
        * More sound effects
        * Runs a little faster than original DOOM due to further code
          optimizations!
        * New enemies
        * Totally killer DeathMatch-designed levels!

[5-5]: I bought DOOM in a store, is it illegal?

===============================================
Here is accurate information regarding DOOM's legality.

        (1) DOOM purchased directly from (800)-ID-GAMES is NOT illegal.
        (2) The registered version of DOOM purchased in ANY retail stores
within the United States is illegal.
        (3) The registered version of DOOM purchased on CD-ROM ANYWHERE
is illegal.
        (4) The registered version of DOOM purchased in retail stores
OUTSIDE of the countries listed below is illegal.

                Australia
                New Zealand
                Hong Kong
                Taiwan
                Singapore
                Netherlands
                UK

        (5) The registered version of DOOM purchased in retail stores in
Canada is illegal.
        (6) The shareware version of DOOM purchased anywhere (on CD-ROM
or otherwise) is LEGAL.
I hope this clears it up. If you own an illegal copy of DOOM, please E-mail to "help@idsoftware.com" to report the distributor, date of purchase, and price. Calling (800)-388-PIR8 is also allowable for people without Internet access.

(5-6): What is WinDOOM?

==================================
Here is the latest information on WinDOOM, direct from Microsoft.

- WinDOOM is a joint effort of id Software and Microsoft.  Microsoft is doing
  most of the porting work.
- WinDOOM is a Win32 application.  It runs under Windows NT and Windows 4.0.
- WinDOOM uses the recently announced WinG libraries.
- WinDOOM supports full music and sound and supports all Windows MIDI and
  WAVE devices.
- WinDOOM has variable resolution.  WinDOOM can render the display at
  320x200 through 640x400.  Resolutions greater than 640x400 are
  performed via "stretching" (this is a limitation of the DOOM engine)
- WinDOOM supports network play via WinSOCK (TCP/IP) and NetBIOS (NetBeui,
  IPX, etc.)
- WinDOOM supports any display with at least 256 colors.
- WinDOOM is multithreaded so if you're running under a multiprocessor
  machine you'll see a significant speed increase.
- WinDOOM will support DEC Alpha and MIPS RISC machines.

*5-7*: What other DOOM ports are in the works?

==============================================
Here is the status on all the latest DOOM ports. This is DIRECT from id Software, opinions conveyed in here are not nessecarily the opinions of Hank Leukart.

QNX: DOOM for the QNX OS is anonymously ftp'able from quics.qnx.com.
It's compiled with Pentium optimizations and supports sound, music,
the VGA console and X Windows with pixel doubling and tripling.
We don't support this version, QNX Software Systems did the port.
This version will run the shareware, registered, or doom2 wadfile.
The files to ftp are:


  usr/free/doom/qnxdoom.pax.gz - Console and X versions of QNX DOOM
  usr/free/doom/doom1.wad.gz   - DOOM v1.666 wad file
  usr/free/doom/qnxdoom.faq    - Installation instructions and other
  details


OS/2: Still working, no dates yet. IBM guys are handling this.
This is how this will work: You will be able to download the
OS/2 version from most BBSs and ftp sites. It will work with
your registered wad or the shareware one. NO CHANGE. STILL NO CHANGE.

SGI Irix v5.2:  ftp.uwp.edu:pub/msdos/games/id/sgixdoom.tar.Z.
It is integrated with the v1.6ish DOOM version.  It supports
pixel-doubling, -tripling, -quadrupling as well as 16-bit sound
for clearer mixing.  Now compiled with -mips1 flag. Do not send
us mail about this. We will delete it. NO CHANGE.

LINUX: the linux version is at sunsite.unc.edu:pub/Linux/Incoming
and may be moved to whatever appropriate directory later. Do not
send us mail about this. We will delete it. NO CHANGE.

JAG: It's out now. Go buy it. Everyone likes it.

MAC: We have found a team to do this. There is no release date.
We just got some Power PCs to test the beta
version on. It should be here soon. Please do NOT ask to test
this. There is no more info on this at this time. NO CHANGE.

WINDOWS: We just got a beta of this. Looks AWESOME. Still no
release date. The MICROSOFT guys are working on this. NO CHANGE.

NEXTSTEP: There is a version 1.2 available from cs.orst.edu. There
will not be another patch until we send out the finished version.
Omnigroup is working on a new NEXTSTEP release of
DOOM with interceptor direct framebuffer access, sound,
customizable controls, and lots of other features.
A DOOM II release will also be available.
URL for the info page at Omni's WWW site:
  http://www.omnigroup.com/Software/Doom/

Sega 32X: Released. Everyone is spooging over this one, too.
Buy it.

There will never be a port to these machines:
Amiga, Sinclair 2000, Apple //gs, TRS-80.
(Back to the index)

----------------------------------

CHAPTER [6]: Where can I get DOOM?

----------------------------------
Note: Unless you are an official id Software Beta-Tester, any Beta version that you may have in your possession is a violation of U.S. federal copyright laws. Additionally, it is illegal to make copies of the registered release of DOOM. Violation of these laws can result in fines of up to $250,000 and jail terms of up to 5 years. If you are in possession of a Beta version, it is suggested that you delete your copy immediately.

[6-1]: How can I get the shareware release?

===========================================

*6-1-1*: What are the file names?

---------------------------------
DOOM is released in two formats, a two file 1.44mb format, and a one file 2mb format. The 2mb format is released under the name "dm1666.zip". The 1.44mb file names are "dm1666a.zip" and "dm1666b.zip." If you got DOOM before September of 1994, it is recommended that you upgrade to v1.666 if you wish all of its new features and bug fixes. A patch under the file name "dm1666sp.zip" is available to upgrade the v1.2 shareware version to v1.666. A patch under the file name "dm1666rp.zip" is available to upgrade the registered version to v1.666. Additionally, a file named "altdoom1.zip" is available for those people whose computers do not work with the DOOM DOS Extenders, but only for DOOM v1.1. NOTE: Registered version patches for v1.4, v1.5, and v1.6bt were NEVER released.

There is NO shareware version of DOOM II, however, there are patches to upgrade DOOM II to v1.7a. These are available under the file names "doom2p16.zip" (if your DOOM II is v1.666) and "doom2p17.zip" (if your DOOM II is v1.7).

(6-1-2): How can I get DOOM using FTP?

--------------------------------------
Here is a list of sites DOOM is on. Choose the one closest to you for fastest delivery.

[6-1-3]: How can I get DOOM using AFS?

--------------------------------------
DOOM can get received from the following AFS site.

[6-1-4]: How can I get DOOM on a BBS?

-------------------------------------
DOOM is on id Software's official BBS, Software Creations. DOOM is located in the id Software directory. Choose the appropriate phone number for your modem.

*6-2*: How can I get the mail-order release?

============================================
The mail-order release of DOOM is available directly from id Software. To order, call id Software's order number, (800)-ID-GAMES. This number is for ORDERING ONLY, not for inquiries or technical support. The mail-order version of DOOM costs $40.00. If you live out of the United States, you can still order DOOM by an out-of-country shareware distributor.

*6-3*: How can I get the commercial release?

============================================
DOOM II was released at the beginning of October. It can be purchased in your local software store or ordered directly from GT Interactive (DOOM II's distributors) at (800)-332-4300 in the United States.

There is a patch to v1.7a of DOOM II available on the Internet. If your version of DOOM II is:

        v1.666          ftp.uwp.edu     pub/msdos/games/id/doom2p16.zip
        v1.7            ftp.uwp.edu     pub/msdos/games/id/doom2p17.zip

[6-4]: How can I get the DOOM Specs for creating add-on utilities?

==================================================================
id has made the decision not to release their own DOOM specs.

The Unofficial DOOM Specs, however, written by Matt Fell and distributed by myself, are available. See Chapter [15-17] for more information.

[6-5]: Where can I get the serial play and node building source code?

=====================================================================
The serial play source code is available on the FTP site "ftp.uwp.edu" in the directory "pub/msdos/games/id" under the filename "sersrc.zip."

The node builiding source code is available on the FTP site "ftp.uwp.edu" in the directory "pub/msdos/games/id" under the filename "doombsp.zip."

*6-6*: What books about DOOM are available?

===========================================
The following books about DOOM should be available soon.

        Killer DOOM: Tips & Tricks by Brady Publishing
        Author: Robert Waring
        Price : $9.95
        Order : (800)-428-5331

        The Official DOOM Survival Guide
        Author: Jonathan Mao Mendoza
        Price : $19.95 ($15.00 if ordered directly from id)
        Order : (800)-ID-GAMES

*6-7*: Where can I find World Wide Web sites about DOOM?

========================================================
The HTML version of the DOOM FAQ is at:
        http://doomgate.cs.buffalo.edu/docs/FAQ/doomfaq/

The DOOMGate is located at:
        http://doomgate.cs.buffalo.edu/

Here are all the DOOMWeb sites to date:

        file://ftp.netcom.com/pub/vhold/doom/doom.html
                by Marty Price (vhold@netcom.com)
        http://lilly.ping.de/~sven/doom.html
                by Sven Neuhaus (sven@fuzzy.ping.de)
        http://www.cis.ksu.edu/~trm/doom.html
                by Tim McCune (trm@ksu.ksu.edu)
        http://www.cs.hmc.edu/people/tkelly/docs/doom/index.html
                by T.J. Kelly (me, TJ@hmc.edu)
        http://www.cedar.buffalo.edu/~kapis-p/doom/DOOM.html
                by Piotr Kapiszewski (kapis-p@cs.buffalo.edu)
        http://www.cs.indiana.edu/games/doom/doom-home.html
                by Bill Perry (wmperry@spry.com)
        http://cornelius.ucsf.edu/~troyer/sgidoomfaq.html  
        (The SGI DOOM FAQ)
                by John Troyer (troyer@cgl.ucsf.edu)
        http://hp11.zdv.uni-tuebingen.de:2611/doom/doom.html
                by Joost Schuur (lothlhwI@irc)
        http://www.cs.umd.edu/~lgas/computers/doom.html
                by John Evans (lgas@cs.umd.edu)
        http://www.catt.ncsu.edu/users/deftly/www/doom.html
                by Randal Wilson (deftly@catt.ncsu.edu)
(Back to the index)

----------------------------------------

CHAPTER [7]: What is needed to run DOOM?

----------------------------------------

*7-1*: What is REQUIRED to run DOOM?

====================================
DOOM requires a 386sx IBM compatible computer running MS-DOS v3.3 or higher, VGA (320x200x256) graphics, and 4mb of RAM. The shareware version of DOOM needs about 4.8mb of hard drive space. The mail-order version needs about 12mb of hard drive space.

DOOM II requires a 486 with at least 17mb of hard drive space. I have seen it RUN on a 386, but it runs too slow.

DOOM ports for the Atari Jaguar, Linux/X, Irix/X, Windows, OS/2 PM, MacOS, SEGA 32X (Mars), QNX, FreeBSD, Solaris, and UNIX are also planned.

*7-2*: What sound cards does DOOM support?

=========================================
DOOM supports general MIDI, Adlib, Sound Blaster, Sound Blaster Pro, Sound Blaster 16, Roland Sound Canvas, Gravis UltraSound, WaveBlaster, Pro Audio Spectrum 16, Sound Blaster AWE-32, and compatibles.

[7-3]: What game controllers does DOOM support?

===============================================
DOOM supports keyboard, mouse, joystick, and trackball (functioning as a mouse).

DOOM also supports the Gravis Gamepad and Logitech Cyberman.

(Back to the index)

----------------------------------------------------

CHAPTER [8]: How can I use multiple players in DOOM?

----------------------------------------------------
DOOM supports 2-4 players in a multi-player mode. DOOM is playable over networks, modems and by serial link.

Note: For playing the registered DOOM over networks or by modem, EACH user MUST BUY his/her own individual copy of the game.

[8-1]: How does the multi-player gameplay work?

===============================================
In DOOM, players are able to see each other, and watch each other jerk in pain as they are hit during the game. Players are able to watch others get hurt, die, and move throughout the labyrinth. DOOM allows players to play together, working as a team. In this cooperative mode, players can see each other on an "automap" and switch to each other's view. DOOM also allows players to play against each other, in DeathMatch mode.

[8-1-1]: How does pausing, saving, and loading work?

====================================================
In DOOM, some things change when playing with more than one player.

When you activate the Options menu or submenus, the game KEEPS RUNNING so that other players can continue with the action. So, it is best to find a safe place before adjusting screen size, sound, etc.

A player may pause the game by pressing the PAUSE key, but any other player can unpause the game by pressing the PAUSE key again. Make sure it is okay with your buddies before taking a breather.

When you do a save game during network/modem play, it saves on every player's system in the save game slot you select, writing over whatever was there. Before saving the game, players should agree on a safe slot to save it in.

You cannot load a saved game while playing a multi-player game. To load a game, everyone must quit from the current game and restart the game from a saved game. To start a game from a saved game, you can either select it from the SETUP program or identify it as a command line parameter.

[8-1-2]: What are the different uniform colors for?

---------------------------------------------------
In network/modem games, each player's uniform is a different color. The color of your character is the color behind your face on the status bar. The colors are BROWN, INDIGO (black), GREEN, and RED.

These are used to identify between players during game play, and to chat with others using Chat Mode.

[8-1-3]: How does a player see what others are doing?

-----------------------------------------------------
If you're playing in cooperative mode, press F12 to toggle through the other players' viewpoint(s). Press any other key to return to your view. You still retain your own status bar at the bottom, and if your view reddens from pain it is YOU, not your partner, who has been hit.

[8-1-4]: How do players communicate using Chat Mode?

----------------------------------------------------
In a multi-player game you can communicate with other players in the Chat Mode. To enter into Chat Mode and broadcast a message to all the other players, press the letter "T". A cursor will appear where your messaging is normally placed. To broadcast to a specific player, instead of pressing "T", you'll need to press the first letter of the player's color: (B)rown, (I)ndigo, (G)reen, and (R)ed. For example, to send a message to the brown character, you would press the letter "B".

In DOOM v1.2, a macro capability has been added. After defining ten macros in SETUP.EXE, pressing the player color, and then "ALT-" will send a macro.

[8-1-5]: How do the weapons work?

---------------------------------
When a player runs over a weapon, he picks it up, but the weapon remains in the game for other players to take. Shotguns dropped by former human sergeants are removed from the game after being picked up or smashed.

In DeathMatch v2.0 (use the ALTDEATH parameter), weapons are removed from the playing field from thirty seconds and then reappear when playing DeathMatch mode.

[8-1-6]: What happens when a player dies?

-----------------------------------------
If you die and restart in the level, previously taken items and destroyed monsters don't reappear unless you are playing in DeathMatch v2.0. Even though you've died, other players have survived.

[8-1-7]: Can players exchange supplies?

---------------------------------------
Players cannot exchange supplies.

[8-1-8]: Miscellaneous

----------------------
In Cooperative mode, each player begins in the same area. In DeathMatch mode the players begin in completely different areas--if you want to see your buddy you'll need to hunt him down. Plus, each time you die, you'll start in one of several random locations.

Unlike in single-player or Cooperative mode gameplay, in DeathMatch mode the players start at each location with the keys necessary for opening any locked door in that area.

In DeathMatch mode the ARMS section on the status bar is replaced with "FRAG." The FRAG section displays the number of times you've killed your opponents.

In Cooperative mode the Automap works the same way it does in single-player mode. Each player is represented by a different color arrow. In DeathMatch mode you won't receive the pleasure of seeing your opponents on the map. Just like the monsters, your friends could be just around the corner, and you won't know it until you face them.

[8-2]: What exactly is "DeathMatch" mode?

=========================================
DOOM has a "DeathMatch" mode where every player is out for himself. At the beginning, the level is infested with enemies and power-ups. In this mode, players can't see the other players in the Automap, nor switch to their view. Players are not able to view other's health in the mode, because of the disadvantage this can cause.

[8-3]: How does DOOM work with networks?

========================================
DOOM supports the IPX (Novell Netware) protocol in the initial shareware version. Using this network support, DOOM can be played in a workplace type environment.

To start network mode:

*8-3-1*: What are the network command line parameters for DOOM?

---------------------------------------------------------------
-LOADGAME
allows you to start DOOM from a specified save game. Instead of using the saved game name, simply enter the number (0-5) that corresponds to the slot you saved the game to on the SAVE GAME screen.
-loadgame <# of the game>
-DEATHMATCH
starts DOOM as a DeathMatch game. If you don't enter DEATHMATCH as a command line parameter, DOOM will default to Cooperative mode.
-deathmatch
-SKILL
sets the skill level (1-5) you wish to play.
-skill <# of skill level>
-EPISODE
sets the episode (1-3) you wish to play. The default episode is Episode One, Knee-Deep in the Dead.
-episode <# of the episode>
-CONFIG
allows you to use your configuration file from any directory you choose.
-config ex. -config f:\doom\data\myconfig.cfg
-NOMONSTERS
allows you to start playing with NO MONSTERS running around! This is great for DeathMatch where, really, the monsters just get in the way.
-nomonsters
-RESPAWN
tells DOOM that, yes, you are a badass, and yes, you want all the monsters to respawn 8 seconds after you kill them. The NIGHTMARE skill level already does this. Note that using -respawn and -nomonsters at the same time is a dumb thing to do.
-respawn
-ALTDEATHM
uses DeathMatch v2.0 mode.
-altdoom
-FAST
uses fast monsters, as in Nightmare mode
-fast
-MAXDEMO
determines the maximum size of a recorded demo
-maxdemo

[8-3-2]: How does DOOM determine player colors?

-----------------------------------------------
The player numbers and colors are determined by the ethernet node address. The lower the number, the lower number you will be assigned in a multi-player game. The lowest number gets green, and the highest number (with four players) gets red. To change the player numbers in a net game, insert the line :"NODE ADDRESS xxxxxxxxxxxx" under the Link Driver section of your net.cfg before you load LSL.

[8-3-3]: How can I use DOOM on Novell Netware Lite?

---------------------------------------------------
Here is information on how to play DOOM on a Novell Netware Lite network. Novell does not approve of or recommend the following drivers.

HOST/CLIENT (1) Load the LSL.  (LSL.COM)
HOST/CLIENT (2) Load your card driver.  (example: 3C5X9.COM)
HOST/CLIENT (3) Load your server.  (SERVER.COM)
HOST/CLIENT (4) Load your client.  (CLIENT.COM)
CLIENT      (5) Log into the network.
CLIENT      (6) Map the hosts to the hard drive.  (refer to NWL Manual)
HOST        (7) Run DOOM's SETUP.EXE, configure, and press F10.
CLIENT      (8) Change to mapped DOOM directory, and run SETUP.EXE,
                using the same options as used on the host.
            (9) PLAY DOOM!
Note: It is illegal to use the Registered DOOM on only one server. You must buy a seperate copy of the game for each player.

[8-3-4]: How can I use DOOM on other types of networks?

-------------------------------------------------------
It does not matter what type of network you use for DOOM, whether it is Lantastic, Windows for Workgroups or other networks. netDOOM uses the cards at such a low level that it does not need the network services. It only needs the ODI/IPX drivers.

This being the case, netDOOM works fine with any Ethernet or any other cabling system. Naturally, you can not use any normal network services at the same time.

There are a number of ways of getting IPX working with a given ethernet card. One is to use a dedicated IPX driver for the card, another is to run an IPX converter over some other standard such as NDIS, ODI, or the packet driver standard. If one method fails to work, try another one! I have had good reliability with the IPX over Packet driver method, though it can sometimes be a challenge to get it running... If you are already using Novell, then the IPX over ODI might be simpler to set up, though I have found it less reliable.

Before I get going, let me plead with everyone NOT TO USE DOOM 1.1 OR 1.0 ON ANY NETWORK OTHERS ARE TRYING TO USE!! Doom 1.2 is now available, so please use it rather than 1.1 or 1.0. DOOM 1.0 and 1.1 really screw up networks.

Now that I have all my disclaimers out of the way... :)

To use this method of installing IPX you need two files, both of which are in the file PKTD11.ZIP, which can be had from oak.oakland.edu as /pub/msdos/pktdrvr/pktd11.zip. I have seen some problems with this version (11) of the drivers, however, so it would be wise to test out the packet driver after it is loaded, or perhaps to try one which comes direct from the ethernet card manufacturer. (i.e. 3c5x9pd.com from ftp.3com.com)

If you have problems with these drivers, I have put together a collection of older versions of IPX and packet drivers which seem to work better with DOOM. This package will be uploaded to ftp.uwp.edu as OLDIPX.ZIP. (see Chapter [14-6])

The first file is specific to your ethernet hardware. It is the packet driver software that converts packet-driver calls to commands your ethernet card can understand. The INSTALL.DOC file included with the packet driver collection has details about which cards are supported and what sort of command-line parameters are needed for each packet driver. I always load the packet driver using interrupt 0x60, a popular convention. These drivers will not work well under Windows without tweaking, so read the INSTALL.DOC file for details. There are also some useful packet utilities included. Again details are in INSTALL.DOC. (Got the hint yet? :)

EXAMPLES:

3Com 503 card on interrupt 5, I/O port 0x300, and the internal transceiver. (twisted pair RJ-45 connector ON THE CARD or coaxial BNC connector-- NOT the 15-pin AUI connector) The shared memory area is automatically determined-- but be sure to exclude the region from your expanded memory manager, if used!

3C503.COM 0x60 0x5 0x300 1

3Com 509 card: These cards are entirely software-configurable through the config/diagnostics on your EtherDisk that came with the card. If you have lost the disk, all the needed files are available from ftp.3com.com.

3C509.COM 0x60

AT&T StarLan cards: Almost like the 503 except the memory location must be specified.

AT&T.COM 0x60 0x2 0x360 0xD000

Once the packet driver is loaded and reports things correctly (i.e.it does not give your ethernet address as FF:FF:FF:FF:FF:FF...) then just run PDIPX.COM to load IPX support. The PDIPX.COM program is included with PKTD11.ZIP, but it is contained in a .ZIP file INSIDE of PKTD11.ZIP called PDIPX103.ZIP. Run the .COM file with no parameters.

If you have problems with an "invalid mode" when loading PDIPX, you probably are trying to run other network software at the same time as the Packet Driver/IPX combination. Strip down your CONFIG.SYS and your AUTOEXEC.BAT files to those shown below. Do not load any additional TSR's! Once this bare-bones configuration works, you can begin adding TSR's. if your problems persist, try using the older versions of the packet driver and IPX-to-PD converter. (They should be on ftp.uwp.edu.)

If nothing seems to work, try running the diagnostic program PKTWATCH.COM after getting everything set up. If your screen fills with scrolling multicolor hexadecimal numbers then the packet driver is working OK. If it just flashes a cursor at you, then you have problems UNLESS you are wired directly to another computer. Hook your computer back up to an active network and see if you can receive anything then. If you do not have an active network available, start DOOM on the OTHER computer while running PKTWATCH on the original computer. Of course, the other (sending) computer needs to have IPX set up as well.

The simplest way to get all the drivers you need loaded and to exclude other drivers which may interfere is to create a boot disk with the correct startup files. For example:

     CONFIG.SYS
          device=a:\himem.sys
          dos=high,noumb
          files=30
          buffers=30

     AUTOEXEC.BAT
          prompt [DOOM Setup] $p$g
          a:\3c503.com 0x60 0x5 0x300 1
          rem change the above according to your card.
          a:\pdipx.com
The ONLY line that will vary with what card you have is the "3c503.com" line. I encourage you NOT to load an EMS driver since so many cards use shared memory and it is sometimes difficult to ensure that the proper area, and only the proper area, is excluded. DOOM runs just fine with XMS, and you have the added benefit of loading DOS high to make room for things like mouse drivers. DOOM does not NEED XMS to run, though. Also, I like to change the DOS prompt to reflect my configuration whenever I am using a bizarre setup.

It might be a good idea to also scan your bootable floppy for viruses BEFORE booting the networked computer with it. (Scan it on the NETWORKED computer, not your own...) There are a number of common viruses spread by booting computers from infected disks. (Stoned, Form, and Michelangelo to name a few.) Let's not give DOOM a bad name by booting network computers from infected disks! (btw, F-prot from oak.oakland.edu as /pub/msdos/virus/fp-211.zip is an EXCELLENT antivirus program. <plug>) You must make sure that all of the networked computers using DOOM are using the same frame type.

[8-3-5]: How can I set up a small inexpensive DOOM network?

-----------------------------------------------------------
All that is required for network play is a network card for each computer, a T-plug for each computer (usually supplied with your network card), and some cable. A server is not necessary. Here is a good supply of inexpensive eight bit network cards for DOOM play.

Corporate Systems Center                PHONE: (408)-734-DISK
1294 Hammerwood Avenue                    FAX: (408)-745-1816
Sunnyvale, CA 94089
Brand new 16-bit cards priced at only US$49.00 each. When calling, tell your service person that you would like to run DOOM. Corporate Systems will send you the cards mentioned here.

[8-4]: How can I play DOOM by serial link?

==========================================
DOOM works in two player mode by modem or null modem. The minimum baud rate to play DOOM is 9600 bps.

Shareware versions 1.0 and 1.1 do NOT support play by modem or serial link. It is recommended that you upgrade to v1.2 of DOOM. Using this mode is similar to network mode.

To use a serial link connection, run the DOOM setup and choose "Run Network/Modem/Serial Game." Then, choose the type of connection you plan to make. Then, configure the game to your liking, and choose the connect method.

Note that to run null-modem game, you must have a null-modem cable plugged into a serial port on both computers and each computer runs SETUP.EXE with identical parameters.

If you are using a modem, you will most likely need to edit the MODEM.CFG file in the DOOM directory. The first line of the file is an initialization string. Pull out your modem manual, and do the following.

To find an already created initialization string for your modem, look in Chapter [18-3] of this FAQ. If one is not listed for your modem, you will have to dig up your modem manual for the correct settings.

The second line is a hangup string used when you quit DOOM.

If you STILL cannot get the modems to connect, both of you should run your favorite terminal programs, and connect with 9600, no error correction, no data compression, and NO HARDWARE FLOW CONTROL. Then just run SETUP.EXE with the "Already Connected" option in the configuration box.

[8-5]: How can I play DOOM over the Internet?

=============================================
(8-5-1): How can I play DOOM using IHHD?
----------------------------------------
Enter IHHD -- the Internet Head to Head Daemon designed by Jim Knutson. With this brilliant little piece of code, multiplayer gaming has soared to new heights. With IHHD, you'll be able to play Head to Head against other human opponents all over the world, with the only cost to you being the regular prices you pay to connect to or use your Internet host. Best of all, it's free.

First of all, your host needs to be running UNIX as its operating system. If you aren't sure what your host is running for its operating system, check the information given at the login prompt or send mail to your administrator.

Other than that, you should be able to run IHHD with ease. Your first order of business is to get the IHHD software. It is available via anonymous FTP at "rex.pfc.mit.edu" in the "pub/IHHD/src" directory.

To get it:

If you followed the above steps, you should now have the "dialer1.6.4.shar" file in your home directory. Type "ls" at your host's command prompt to verify its existence. If you don't see it, try the above steps again or call for help.

Next, if you've successfully retrieved the "dialer1.6.4.shar" file from the FTP site, you need to prepare the IHHD to run on your UNIX system. For UNIX veterans, the "dialer1.6.4.shar" file is in fact a shar file, and contains a makefile for easy compiling on your system. For the rest of us, follow these steps to get the IHHD up and running:

If everything checks out, you're ready to rumble!

Here's how you get connected using IHHD:

        (1) Set up a time to play with another Internet DOOM player.
            Ideally, you should use E-mail to make the prior arrangements.

            Make sure you and your opponent use the same baud rate and line
            settings for your modems.

            Make sure data compression, error correction, and hardware
            flow control on your modem are off.  Look at the modem
            initialization strings section in this FAQ for more help.

        (2) When it's time to play, start your favorite terminal program
            and call up your Internet host using your modem.  Make sure that
            your baud rate and line settings correspond to your opponent's.

        (3) Login to your Internet host normally.

        (4) Contact the other player by sending a short E-mail message
            indicating that you are on the net and ready to play.

        (5) Once you both establish that you're there and ready to go,
            return to your UNIX prompt.

        (6) Type "cd IHHD" to enter your IHHD directory.

        (7) You may have to type "terminal download," if you do not have it
            activated already.

        (8) Type "dialer opponent's.host" to start the IHHD connection.
            For example, if you were playing against knuston@cactus.org,
            you would type "dialer cactus.org" to initiate the connection.

            Another way is to type "tcpdialer opponent's.host" while your
            opponent types "tcpdialer -answer".  Or reverse roles, where
            you type "tcpdialer -answer" while your opponent types "tcpdialer
            your.host".  Don't ask me what the difference is; I don't know.

            So, to recap, there are two methods of IHHD connection.
            Method 1: dialer.  You each type "dialer other.guy's.host"
            Method 2: tcpdialer.  One of you types "tcpdialer other.guy's.host"
                      while the other types "tcpdialer -answer".

        (9) Regardless of which method you use to connect, type short text
            messages followed by a carriage return until you see your opponent
            acknowledge you.  Unless you have "local echo" set to ON in your
            serial settings, you will not see the text you type.

       (10) If you don't see your opponent after a reasonable amout of time,
            exit dialer or tcpdialer by pressing "CTRL-C" (i.e. hitting
            the "CTRL" and "C" key simultaneously.)  Contact your opponent
            again by E-mail and agree to try the other method of
            connecting.

       (11) If you're connection looks fine and your opponent has acknowledged
            you and you have acknowledged him, exit your terminal program
            and change to your DOOM directory.  Run SETUP.EXE, and select
            "Run Network/Modem/Serial Game."  On the next menu, choose
            "Modem."  Finally, configure all of the options to your liking,
            select "Already Connected," and press F10.

       (12) If everything goes well, DOOM will start up and bring you to
            your first game over the Internet!  Congratulations, you are
            now connected by IHHD.  You can now proceed to play DOOM as if
            you were connected via a regular phone line.
If you are having trouble getting DOOM to work with your modem, you may want to download one of the many third-party serial drivers for DOOM. (see Chapter [15]) Unfortunately, because of the nature of the Internet, delays and warping may occur with your IHHD connection, depending on the quality of the connection between your and your opponent's host machines. These delays are often sporadic, and depend largely on what's going on on the Internet at that particular times. Then again, you might just be extremely unlucky and have a cruddy Internet connection.

To gauge the quality of the connection, try to "ping" your opponent's computer from your host. At the UNIX prompt, type "ping -s opponent's.host". You should get a listing of "ping times", which you may stop at any time by pressing "CTRL-C". Try pinging some other hosts you know to get an idea of how much ping times vary, and use this data to guesstimate the quality of the connection between your host and your opponent's.

Another way to judge the quality of your connection is to simply look at the other player. If he's jumping all over the place, you've got a cruddy connection. If he's relatively smooth and steady, you've got a good connection.

If all else fails, burn incense and sacrifice a beautiful young virgin princess to the net.gods. No, wait. Better yet, send me a virgin. E-mail me for an address.

*8-5-2*: How can I play DOOM using iDOOM?
-----------------------------------------
                    The TCP/IP Internet DOOMer's FAQ
                    by Scott Coleman (asre@uiuc.edu)
                  and Jay Cotton (jay@calc.vet.uga.edu)
                            updated 10/16/94
                        
Introduction

id Software's DOOM is truly the Killer App of the MS-DOS world. DOOM's popularity is so immense, it has been estimated that DOOM is installed on more PCs than OS/2 and Windows NT combined, and DOOM's creators commute to work in Ferarris. Interest in the game has been so great that it has been hacked, reverse-engineered, dissected, and enhanced more than any other game in PC history. And now, as more and more people become hooked into the Internet, DOOM is rapidly becoming the Killer App of the Internet, as well.

Internet DOOM play is currently at the "clever hack" stage. DOOM, as released by iD, supports only IPX network play and serial play between two machines. As a result, the DOOM documentation doesn't include any information about DOOMing across the Internet. Of course, this also means that DOOMers can't call id for help. The result of all this is many curious people asking the same question: How do I play DOOM over the Internet? Enter this document. In the pages that follow, we will attempt to answer the most frequently asked questions about Internet DOOM, including what you need, how to set it up, and how to find new fragbait - er, I mean, opponents.

DOOM across the Internet is made possible by a neat little freeware program called iDOOM. iDOOM uses the UDP protocol (part of the TCP/IP protocol suite) to send DOOM game information between multiple machines on the Internet. It is based on the WATTCP TCP/IP kernel written by Eric Engelke of the University of Waterloo. By some strange coincidence, the authors of this document are also the creators of iDOOM, and we have used the program to play Internet DOOM sessions with opponents from as far away as Estonia. In writing this FAQ, we hope that sharing some of our experience will make it easier for you to get connected in your own Internet DOOM sessions. NOTE: Throughout this document, we will refer specifically to games of DOOM played over the Internet via a DIRECT CONNECTION, i.e. no modems are involved anywhere in the link. Note that IHHD, SLIP and PPP connections all involve modems at some point. Although other methods of connecting two DOOM machines together across the Internet exist, this document will focus on direct net connections using the iDOOM network driver program.

Getting Prepared

Q1: I want to play DOOM over the Internet using iDOOM. What hardware do I need?

To successfully play DOOM across the Internet, you will need the following hardware:

Q2: OK, I've got all the hardware. What software do I need?

In addition to the hardware requirements, some software is also required to round out your the package. Before you can play, you'll need to pick up the following:

Q3: Hold on - I don't have some of this software! Where can I get it?

Q4: OK, I've got everything, now what do I do to set it up?

Setting your computer up for TCP/IP access is very straightforward. As an illustration, I'll be taking you through the steps necessary to set up a PC with an SMC ethernet card and the IP address 128.192.23.5. You'll of course need to substitute your own specific information in place of the examples given here. All set? OK, let's get started.

Step 0: START WITH A CLEAN BOOT!!!!! Set up your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files to load as few drivers as possible. This includes such things as memory managers (HIMEM, EMM386, QEMM, etc.) and network drivers (e.g. LSL, IPXODI). DOOM doesn't need the former, and the latter will probably conflict with the packet driver. We recommend that you prepare a boot floppy with a CONFIG.SYS containing only a FILES=20 line, and an AUTOEXEC.BAT containing only the line "prompt=$p$g".

Step 1: Set up the packet driver. Determine your ethernet card's IRQ setting, it's base I/O port setting, and it's memory address setting (if any). You should be able to determine this by looking at the card itself and consulting the user manual. You'll need some if not all of this information, depending upon which packet driver you use and/or type of hardware you have (for example, some IBM computers with the MicroChannel bus can determine the settings on the card automatically without you having to supply them on the packet driver command line). Unzip the appropriate driver from Crynwr Packet Driver collection archive. In our example case, the packet driver is called SMC_WD.COM. By looking at the jumpers on the card and consulting the manual, I determined that the card has been set to IRQ 7, Base I/O port address 300h, and the base memory address is at segment d800h. For this example, I have chosen to use interrupt 60h for the packet driver. Packet drivers typically operate on an interrupt in the range of 60h to 80h inclusive; since nothing else in my sample system happens to be using the first available interrupt (INT 60h), I chose that. Thus, to load my packet driver, I use the command line

     SMC_WD 0x60 0x7 0x300 0xd800
where 0x60 is the packet driver interrupt, 0x7 is the IRQ setting on the card, 0x300 is the I/O port base address, and 0xd800 is the memory base address (NOTE: all numbers are in C-style HEX notation). Don't worry if you don't understand what all this stuff means - as long as you use the correct numbers, your packet driver should work. NOTE: If your PC is currently part of a Novell network (e.g. Netware, Netware Lite, Personal Netware) the parameters you need can be found in a file called NET.CFG, usually located in your \NOVELL, \NWLITE or \NWCLIENT subdirectories (along with all the other drivers needed by Novell).

At the very minimum, the packet driver should give a sign on message and report the ethernet address of your NIC when you load it. Chances are that if your NIC has been functioning properly for other tasks (e.g. as a node on a Novell network) then you'll have no problems here. If not, or if there are any error or warning messages, something is wrong. One possibility is that one of the settings on your NIC is in conflict with those of another expansion card in your system. No two cards can have the same IRQ, I/O port, or memory address settings, nor can the memory areas of two cards overlap. Whatever the cause, you'll need to find and correct the problem before continuing.

Step 2: Set up your WATTCP.CFG file. Your WATTCP.CFG file contains important parameters used by the WATTCP TCP/IP kernel. These values MUST be entered correctly if you wish to make a connection with another DOOM PC. In preparation for this, you'll need several bits of information. Contact the network administrator for your site and find out the IP address for your machine, the IP address for your gateway or router, the IP address of at least one Domain Name Server local to your site, and your netmask value. The three IP addresses will each consist of four groups of digits separated by periods. In our example, the machine's IP address is 128.192.23.5, the gateway is 128.192.23.1, the netmask is 255.255.255.0, and the nameserver address is 128.192.44.67. NOTE: it is important to use the numeric IP addresses, not the actual host names. NOTE: If you have other Internet programs currently installed on your machine, such as a Gopher client or the Trumpet newsreader, you can probably find the information you need in the configuration files used for those programs. If the application is based on the Waterloo TCP package, it will have it's own WATTCP.CFG, in which case you can simply copy it over to your DOOM directory. When you have collected all this information, unzip the iDOOM distribution archive (e.g. IDOOM11.ZIP) into your DOOM (or DOOM2) directory. Use your favorite ASCII text editor to edit the file called WATTCP.CFG. Edit or add the following lines in WATTCP.CFG:

my_ip=
gateway=
nameserver=
netmask=
On our example machine, the WATTCP.CFG file looks like this:

     
my_ip=128.192.23.5
gateway=128.192.23.1
netmask=255.255.255.0
nameserver=128.192.44.67
Save the changed file and exit back to DOS.

If you know your machine's IP address, but you can't determine the other values, you can often get away with some educated guesswork. For instance, the gateway for a subnet usually has an IP address ending in .1, as is the case with our example. Thus, if your IP address is xxx.yyy.zzz.www, try setting your gateway's IP address to xxx.yyy.zzz.1. As for the subnet mask, a common value for this parameter is 255.255.255.0. In some cases, the gateway value can be something like xxx.yyy.1.1 with a corresponding netmask value of 255.255.0.0 - if one doesn't work, it can't hurt to try the other. Finally, if you don't know your nameserver's IP address, you can probably get by without it for the purposes of DOOM playing. Since you'll be specifying IP addresses for all of your opponents' machines, a nameserver lookup won't be necessary to resolve their addresses.

Step 3: Test your TCP/IP setup. Load your packet driver with the appropriate interrupt, IRQ, I/O and memory addresses. Next, unzip the TCPINFO and PING programs from the WATTCP apps archive into your DOOM directory. At the DOS prompt, type:

TCPINFO

and press the key. If your WATTCP.CFG values are set up correctly, and if your packet driver and net connection are functional, you'll see a couple of screens of information about your system, including your ethernet address and the parameters you specified in the WATTCP.CFG file.

If everything looks OK, the next step is to use the PING program to attempt to establish contact with your subnet gateway. At the DOS prompt, type

PING

and press the key. After a brief delay, you should see a message telling you that the host is responding, as well as the round trip time for PING's test packets. If you see the "Timeout" error message, then something is wrong with your setup; if your PC is unable to reach your gateway, it will be unable to reach the rest of the Internet as well, since all network packets which are sent to nodes outside of your local area network must pass through your gateway. For our sample system, we would type:

          ping 128.192.23.1
If your gateway PING was successful, try PINGing your Domain Name Server (at the IP address you specified in WATTCP.CFG) as well as some well-known site on the internet (e.g. infant2, which is at IP address 129.79.234.115). These will test your machine's ability to connect with other machines outside of your subnet as well as those outside of your site. All of these PINGs should result in a "host responding" message with a response time. If any of these attempts fails, recheck your entries in WATTCP.CFG and/or get some help from your network administrator. Examples for our test system:

     ping 128.192.44.67
and

     ping 129.79.234.115
Put Me in, Coach - I'm Ready to Play! First, go find up to three of your most patient frag buddies. Since this is your first attempt at Internet DOOM, it's best to try and find someone on your local network who's willing to put in a little frag time with you. Connections on your local net will be faster and less problematic, whereas if you attempt a long distance connection your first time out, you'll have a hard time discerning problems caused by distance from problems caused by an incorrect configuration.

Decide amongst yourselves which machine will be the "server" (the remaining machines in the game will all be "clients"). The server machine (and there can only be ONE server per game) acts as the coordinator for that session. The player operating the server is in some sense "the boss" - she can decide when to start the game, which parameters (e.g. -altdeath, -nomonsters, -warp, - skill, etc.) will be used, whether to kick a player out, and so on.

The server starts iDOOM as follows:

iDOOM -server [other game parameters]
Once the server has started iDOOM running, the clients (all remaining players) can then connect to the server. Each client invokes iDOOM using the command line:

iDOOM -client 
As an example, consider several computers which are part of a local area network in a computer lab. In this lab there are identical machines sitting side by side, with sequential IP addresses, i.e. 128.192.23.4, 128.192.23.5, and 128.192.23.6. After stepping through the basic configuration process outlined above on all test machines, my frag buddies and I are ready to begin. First, we all agree to play our favorite DEATHMATCH level, DOOM I episode 1 map 5. We also agree to play in -altdeath mode, with -skill 5 and -nomonsters. On my machine, which we decided will be the server, I type:

iDOOM -server -warp 1 5 -altdeath -skill 5 -nomonsters
The iDOOM screen comes up, and a message is displayed informing me that iDOOM is entering server mode. This screen is divided into several sections: the credits, the output window, the status bar, and the input line. At the top of the screen is the name of the program, its version number, and the copyright notice. The large area beginning with the second screen line and continuing to the 22nd screen line is the output window. Here is where iDOOM will display all status messages as well as the chat text entered by the other players. Below the output window is the status bar, where the current game settings are displayed. Below the status bar is the input line where all the text I type on my keyboard will appear. Finally, the bottom line of the screen lists significant contributors to iDOOM.

Once my iDOOM server is up and running, all the other players can connect to it. The other guys type:

iDOOM -client 128.192.23.5
Each client's screen layout is identical to that of my server. iDOOM displays a message confirming that it is entering client mode and connecting to the server. As each client's connection is established, the arrival of each player is announced by the server.

During this phase of the game setup, all players who have connected thus far can type messages to each other using iDOOM's built-in chat facility. To send a message to the other players in the game, I simply type my message on the keyboard. My keystrokes appear in the input line at the bottom of the screen, and when I press (ENTER), the text will be echoed to the screens of all players (along with an indication of who sent the message). The identical procedure can be used to send messages from each of the client machines. The server itself will also send messages. Messages from the server will begin with three asterisks ("***").

When a client connects to the iDOOM server, the client receives a message containing the game parameters which will be used during that session. These game settings will be displayed on the status bar. The settings are abbreviated to ensure that they will all fit within the available space. These game settings may be changed interactively at the server console.

My friend sees that I have selected E1M5 as the default episode and map for our game. He reminds me that we've been playing that one a lot lately, and suggests we change to E2M2 since we haven't played that one in a while. I agree, and issue the commands /episode 2 and /map 2 to change the level. Our status lines are immediately updated to reflect these changes.

Once I have determined (via the chat facility) that everyone is ready to begin the game, I press the F10 key. The iDOOM server signals the clients that the game is beginning, the chat facility is shut down, and iDOOM sets up the connections which will be used for the actual game. Once these network links are established between all the machines, the message "Prepare to meet your DOOM!" is displayed, followed by the usual DOOM startup information. Shortly thereafter, the screen melts away and there we are, in E1M5, pistols at the ready!

Give your buddies a good thrashing - you've earned it! Now, after you've gotten DOOM working on your own subnet, you're ready for the final step. Find a partner who is also capable of playing Internet DOOM. Watch the posts in alt.games.doom, or tune into the #doom, #tcpdoom or #iDOOM channels on irc. You and he will negotiate game parameters, such as which map to play, which skill level, and so on. You'll also decide on who will be the server and who will be the clients (experienced DEATHMATCHers will often try very hard to avoid being the server, since that player's uniform is colored day-glo green and is easier to spot in a DEATHMATCH). Now simply add the parameters you've agreed on to the iDOOM server command line you used before. A typical command line will look something like

          iDOOM -server -skill 5 -nomonsters -deathmatch 
Oh Oh - It's Not Working!

OK, so you've done everything, just like I've shown you, but you're still having problems. The following are some suggestions to try in case of trouble.

Q: When I try to connect to the iDOOM server it returns to DOS saying "Server is not responding" or "Remote reset connection."

A: This means that the player on the server machine hasn't yet started the iDOOM server. The server must be started before the clients try to connect to it. Try again in a few seconds.

Q: I keep seeing an "ICMP: port unreachable" message on my screen.

A: This message is generated by the other machine when the port being requested by the sender is unavailable on the destination machine. I've seen this happen in some cases when I started iDOOM before the other player did. Once the other iDOOM was running, the ICMP: messages went away, and the game linked up normally. If you see this message, you might also want to try using a different port (see the iDOOM documentation on the -port command line parameter).

Q: The music starts up fine, but all I see is a BSOD (Black Screen of Death).

Q: My machine displays "sending network start info" or "listening for network start info" and then locks up.

A: This problem can have several causes. Perhaps the server specified a DOOM II game, but one of the players didn't have DOOM II. Perhaps one of the other players' machines is slower than the others, or has a fragmented disk and takes a longer time to load DOOM at startup. Or perhaps some packets were lost - iDOOM uses UDP (user Datagram Protocol) packets to exchange game information between all machines in the game. UDP packets are not guaranteed to reach their destination, and there is no mechanism for the sender to even be informed that what it sent never made to the destination machine. iDOOM is designed to compensate for these lost packets to the extent possible, and occasionally this detection and correction takes a few extra seconds. You should always wait for at least 30 - 45 seconds for the other DOOM engines to sync up before you abort the setup.

Frag Servers/Frag Trackers

Frag Servers are a recent development. They facilitate iDOOM connections between multiple players quickly and easily and with a minimum of command line typing. Current versions of the Frag Servers are very similar to the server built into iDOOM. NOTE: An iDOOM client can NOT connect to a Frag Server. Frag Servers have their own client program which then loads iDOOM as the network driver.

As of this writing, the latest version of the frag client/server package is TCPSRV12.ZIP, available from one of the infant2 mirrors in the pub/doom/multi_doom/net directory. A couple of the more popular fragservers can be found at ararat.cs.ucdavis.edu and patriot.et.buy.edu. Both of these support 2, 3 and 4 player games on ports 1666, 1667, and 1668 respectively.

Future versions of the Frag Servers (which will be known as Frag Trackers) will serve as online meeting places where DOOM players can log on, see a list of games which are awaiting players, and either join an existing game or register a new game. Waiting players will be able to send chat messages to each other, negotiate and set game parameters, check connection quality, etc. Although this exciting capability does not exist in the current Frag Servers, it will be available sometime in the near future, and will revolutionize the way Internet DOOM is played.

[8-6]: How can I setup DOOM to be played on a multi-player BBS?

===============================================================
Applied Personal Computing, Inc. has recently developed a platform that allows almost any multiline BBS to host 2-4 player network DOOM games.

The APCi MultiPlayer Game Server allows gamers to create a simulated IPX network just by dialing the host BBS at high speed. APCi MultiPlayer Game Client software makes use of the APCi MultiPlayer Game Server very intuitive for even the newest user of online services. Best of all, all APCi MultiPlayer Game Client software is FREEWARE and includes any and all information desired about the supported game.

For more information regarding the APCi MultiPlayer Game Server, or to witness the APCi MPGS in action, call the APCi BBS at (618) 632-7664. You may also contact APCi at 1-800-535-APCi. More information can also be requested from Kevin Sawyer (sawyerk@delphi.com).

[8-7]: Where can I find multi-player partners?

==============================================
A good place to find people to play with is on Usenet is the "alt.games.doom" newsgroup or on IRC on the #DOOM channel.

(Back to the index)


+This HTML version of the FAQ is maintained by TJ@hmc.edu and brought to you by The DOOMWeb.