Slashdot Mirror
FreeDoom, OpenQuartz Help Recreate Classic WADs
Toddd writes "Everybody knows that the Doom and Quake engines are opensourced. But the game data (such as graphics, sound, and maps) are not. Therefore, if you want to check out the quality of today's source ports like Doomsday for Doom or Tenebrae for Quake, you either need to download the shareware versions or buy the retail boxes. However, what is less well-known is the existence of projects like the recently updated Open Quartz, offering 'GPL-compatible content - including models, maps, sounds and textures - which are required for a fully GPL game using the GPL Quake source.' FreeDoom also does similarly for Doom." We recently covered a new release of Doomsday.
Are these games even sold anymore?
I don't see Doom around much any more, but almost every game store that still sells PC games has a copy of Quake (full version) laying around for $5 or $10. Hardly the kind of money to justify piracy, even for those that can justify pirating games in the first place.
If you're going to buy the game then WTF is the point of using FreeDoom or some other version when you have the real thing?
The primary purpose of most of these releases is to extend the engine in one way or another. Often they add improved graphics and modifications to the control capabilities (especially with Doom ports, which may add mouselook and jumping, for example). In many cases you'll want to replace much of the original content anyway to take advantage of the additions to the engine.
Then, of course, there's the fact that both of these games were originally written for DOS. Although Windows (and Linux, and Mac) versions were released, they can often be harder to find, while a source port may run better anyway.
-PainKilleR-[CE]
The "point" is that the other versions have updated graphics and controls and will get along with modern hardware and operating systems.
Plus you're actually paying for the product and giving something back to the developers. It's not as if the Doom games are expensive; I was in HMV at the weekend and they had a pack containing Ultimate Doom, Doom II and Final Doom for 10 pounds.