Frequently Asked Questions

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ZDoom wiki questions

What is this wiki thing for?

The wiki was created to be a repository of all information regarding editing and customization of ZDoom. For a more detailed explanation, check the ZDoom documentation project page.

I don't know where to find information, where do I start?

It is always a good idea to check the glossary and the guides that are available.

How do I join the wiki?

If you only want to read the wiki, there isn't really a reason to join. If you want to be helping the wiki, or you have information to share though, or you think you can write a good explanation of any of ZDoom's features, please send a private message via ZDoom Forums or ZDoom Discord server to Jekyll Grim Payne (aka Agent_Ash) or Gez if you want an account to be created for you. You will need to provide your email address and explain briefly what plans you have for the wiki (fixing issues/maintenance, creating new documentation, etc.)

How do I create new pages?

First of all, read the editing guidelines.

Then make sure the wiki doesn't already contain the information you want to add.

There are two ways to add new pages to the wiki. If you want to create a new article from scratch, you should type this in your browser's address bar:

http://www.zdoom.org/wiki/index.php?title=Name_Of_New_Page

Replace the title with the subject you wish to write about. You will then be given the option to edit this new article, which you should do so.

You may also occasionally see red links in the articles on this wiki, where people have linked to a topic that doesnt exist. If you are feeling brave, you can help out by filling in these blanks - just use common sense that you are able to write a worthwhile and helpful article on the topic in question, and also that the link is not just a spelling mistake or variation on an already existing topic. In those cases, it would be more useful to fix the link in question.

My page does not appear in the Category pages

If the [[Category:<Category name>]] tags (or categorizing templates) are correct on your article, yet the article is not listed on the corresponding category page, this is probably a caching issue. You can force the Category page to be refreshed by using the Purge action.

  1. Click on the Edit or View Source button. It changes the URL in the address bar from something like "wiki/Category:WADs_created_for_ZDoom" to something like "w/index.php?title=Category:WADs_created_for_ZDoom&action=edit".
  2. Click on your address bar and replace the action by "purge". So in our example it will be "w/index.php?title=Category:WADs_created_for_ZDoom&action=purge". Hit enter.
  3. You may get a page asking you to confirm the purge demand. Click on OK to do so. If you don't get such a page, then don't worry, it's just auto-confirmed.
  4. It should now be solved.

General Questions

Q. What is ZDoom?

A. ZDoom is, essentially, an advanced source port for Doom. However it does not just support Doom/Doom II, it also has support for Heretic, Hexen, Strife and Chex Quest. Additionally, it has been used as a platform to develop entirely new games. For more information see ZDoom For Dummies or just browse the Wiki yourself.

Q. ZDoom or GZDoom

A. ZDoom is no longer in development, instead development continues with GZDoom. However, everything from ZDoom is included in GZDoom. Whenever this wiki mentions ZDoom, you can assume it concerns GZDoom as well; just like "Doom" is generally understood to be "Doom II" as well.

Q. Is it free?

A. ZDoom the port itself is free to download and use. However, you need a game to be able to play with it. See the IWAD page for a full list of supported games and where to find them.

Q. When will the next version of (G)ZDoom be out?

A. “When it's done”. The development team has a life to live beyond (G)ZDoom believe it or not, so you should be patient. Asking on the forums will not help. In the meantime, you can use the unofficial SVN builds. They are linked to in the header of the Main Page. In addition, you should know that ZDoom is no longer in development so please get GZDoom instead.

Q. Who develops ZDoom?

A. ZDoom was created by Randy Heit and maintained with the help of Christoph Oelckers, Braden Obrzut, and many other contributors. After Randi's retirement, GZDoom is developed by the same team with the addition of Rachael Alexanderson and Magnus Norddahl. A more complete list of contributors can be obtained through the GitHub interface, though it does not credit contributions from before the move to Git.

ZDoom Specific Questions

Q. How do I do X?

A. Before asking a question regarding editing or editing ZDoom, browse this Wiki and try to find your answer. If you still cannot find anything post on the forums.

Q. Will ZDoom implement true-color or OpenGL graphics?

A. Randy considers true-color graphics a low priority. On DirectX-capable systems, 2D rendering (menus, HUD elements including HUD weapon sprites) are already in true-color. However, 3D rendering (including all other sprites) remains paletted. However, OpenGL graphics have already been implemented in some source ports derived from ZDoom.

Q. Cajun bots are too stupid. Why?

A. Not enough effort was put into the Cajun bots to make them more versatile. Randy has no current plans to fix or improve the bot code. See the bots article for more information.

Please do not make bot-specific feature requests or bug reports on the forums. They will be immediately closed without consideration.

Q. ZDoom will not run on my system. Why?

A. There are several factors contributing to this. Here is one:

  • If you are running on a laptop with an ATI Rage Mobility video card, you must lower your graphics acceleration settings in Windows.

If you have any other issue that is specific to your system, you can try asking for help in the ZDoom forums. Chances are, if you are having problems, somebody there can help you, and you may end up contributing to ZDoom's development by reporting a previously unknown bug.

Q. I found a bug in ZDoom! What should I do?

A. First of all, make sure you are using the 4.11.3 of GZDoom. Try also the latest development build to see if it has been fixed already. If the bug is still there, head over to the bugs forum, search the forum to see if a similar bug has not been found and then post a new topic if one is needed. Remember to include what you did to find the bug and what wads you were using at the time.

Q. Will you add or will there ever be *insert feature here*?

A. Request it in the feature suggestions forum. But remember that just because you ask for it does not mean you will get it!

Troubleshooting

Q. Sounds are clicking badly; ZDoom freezes when a lot of sounds are played. How do I fix this?

A. Once again, there are several factors contributing to this—

  • Try to increase the buffer size in the sound menu to at least 100 ms.
  • Do you have another application using sound in the background? If possible, try to close other applications using sound (e.g. Winamp) before playing.
  • You may need to reinstall or update your sound card drivers.
  • You may need to upgrade your DirectX to the latest available version.

Q. I accidently checked the box which prevents ZDoom from letting me pick my IWAD! How do I get it back?

A. This can be changed from the miscellaneous options menu, or by changing the value of the queryiwad console variable to true. Alternatively, you can force the dialog to appear by holding SHIFT during startup.

Q. I am experiencing input lag (delayed response) when I enable VSync (vid_vsync 1) in the console. Is this a known issue?

A. There is apparently an issue with certain newer graphics cards that causes them to buffer frames, resulting in the currently-displayed frame being lagged slightly. Luckily, you can disable this option from within your display control panel.

For NVidia users: Within the NVidia control panel, locate the option “Maximum Pre-Rendered Frames” and set it to 1.
For ATI users: Locate the option “Flip Queue Size” and set it to 0.

This should make the game feel more responsive. Note that it may have unintended side-effects in other games, however. Currently, there is no way to limit this fix to ZDoom only.

See this forum thread for more information.