Acorn Gaming: News - Doom+ improvements

[NEWS]

doom+ improvements

Here's R-Comp's full list of improvements to Doom+ relative to the initial release. If you bought the original then you'll receive this as a free upgrade; new purchasers will get the upgraded version by default.

FrontEnd

The network window has had a 'names' button added to it, in which you may configure player names. Use -pname <myname> for newer games.
Sound setup window now has a 'setup music' option which when enabled plays MIDI music whilst setting up the game.
'No scaled status bar' and 'Open text window' added to Misc window. These respectively give an unscaled (ie smaller) status bar, and open the new text display window on startup.
'No startup warnings' added to Misc window, preventing warnings being displayed and requiring confirmation during startup.

Game

General

-precachedemo added to ensure that all the demo is precached, for demonstration purposes.
Deathmatch games should now always receive the keys they need (problem with deciding the keys required on a level)
24 bit StrongARM code speed up (over 2fps faster on 320x256x256)
Multiple sprite rotation problem fixed (reported in osiris.wad). Consequently, rotation problems will now be reported as warnings on startup and may be ignored with -noinitwarnings.
Desktop games should now be more playable, especially in network games with new key and mouse handling allowing much better control.
Now displays the 'end of game' (ENDOOM) message when you quit (desktop only).
Descriptive configuration files are now created.
No longer need to use -devparm to save screenshots in full screen mode.
Now millenium compliant (would have never failed, but was 'wrong')

Visual

Messages window, giving a desktop display of the HUD messages in either a fixed pitch font or the system font; useful when messages are turned off in the game. Use -font for the font, -nofont for the system text. -opentextwin will open the messages window initially. -notextwin will disable the window entirely.
Add -moreblood to the 'others' line for more violent blood splatters.
Linear and bi-linear smoothing possible in both 8 and 24 bit for walls and objects.
Use -noscaledbar, or select the option from the Misc window, to stop the status bar scaling in variable resolution modes.
Smoothing effects are now available from the Options->Display->Smoothing menu. There are different capabilities between 8bpp and 24bpp.
Use IDRESAMP to change all the effects in one go.
Use IDCACHE to change column caching. Column caching is the 'StrongARM optimisation' and hence will speed up SA redraw if enabled.
Cross hair colour configuration added.
-monsternames can be used to show names over monsters heads.
-diminmenus will dim the background when menus are in use
Iconbar gameplay
Can change resolutions midgame

Networking improvements

Changed networking error messages:
NetUpdate: netbuffer->numtics > BACKUPTICS
becomes
Tried to transmit more tics than our buffer can handle

TryRunTics: lowtic < gametic
becomes
Attempted to run a historic tic

gametic>lowtic
becomes
Attempted to run a futuristic tic

Which (even if not completely understandable) are less scary.
BACKUPTICS is now 16, rather than 12; this should speed network games slightly.
Option to display scores in a number of forms :
on :
   'level frags' / 'total frags'
full :
   'level kills' - 'level suicides' / 'total kills' - 'total suicides'
extended :
   'level kills' - 'level suicides' + 'level monster kills' /
   'total kills' - 'total suicides' + 'total monster kills'
Option to details over player heads, for which -allownaming is required on the controller for Health, Weapon, and Name
Net 'Net options' menu option, allowing some 'in game' control over network game options.
Hold - if enabled will ignore settings for exiting levels after a number of kills, or a number of kills ahead.
Exit level - exits the level immediately
End at - changes the number of kills at which the level ends
End ahead - changes the number of kills ahead at which the level ends.
-allowcontrol must be used on the controller for these options to be available.
-pmi allows 'post mortem invincibility'. This means that after dying, you will be invincible for a period. You also cannot shoot for this period.
Can change name whilst in games.
Can change level limitations (eg end at, end ahead) or retain level during the game.
Note:
Network games between mixed 2.01 and 2.02 or later must not use features which are not present in the lowest of the versions. It is recommended that the lowest DOOM+ version be the controller as this should give the most reliable performance.