You have been invited: DooM Online (Zdaemon / Zandronum)

[KenaiPhoenix]

Hello, I know many of the people on this forum are probably not that 'online defined' and prefer single players. But I thing that 'retro' online gaming kind of a hard destiny in which the games still lives on, but it is in dire need of new players. The communities still have the servers, but there is not too many people on them.

So rather than just crying on it I decided to just make post like this (an anyone is invited to so the same) to invite people to play this 'low barrier' games. 'Low barrier'? with this I mean that the idea here is to just invite people to play games that are practically free or with a low cost barrier. Preferly something you play and would like to share with others.

And what better way to start this crazy idea of mine than with the most active online community: DooM

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DooM - The online experience

Doom require little introduction so I wont spent too much time here. Not the first FPS but defiantly the one that popularized. One of the ideas behind DooM was to give the game to the community afterwards, making it highly modifiable and even better: releasing the source code later. This would be the birth of many 'source ports' like GZDooM, Chocolate DooM, and many other. But I will keep it related to the topic of this subforum: Online Gaming

First thing first - Where is the game?

DooM main file are the .wad files, the ones you want is doom.wad and doom2.wad

How to get them is really easy: you can navigate your "Doom + Doom 2" re-releases or just google 'Doom wads' or 'Doom pwads'. But better yet I will just link the repo of RGT:

DooM 1:

The Ultimate DOOM (DOS) Download – The Repo

How to play The Ultimate DOOM (DOS): Extract the zip file, drag and drop DOOM.EXE to DOSBox.

retrogametalk.com

DooM 2:

Doom II (DOS) Download – The Repo

retrogametalk.com

Just download it and keep the *.wad files.

But now how to play online? Well, just like life there are more than one flavour:

Zdaemon - A more classic Experience

Zdaemon is a 'source port' (aka a community port) for online Doom. You can download the Windows Installer from its webpage, but it works perfectly on Linux as well (I regularly play without any issues) by just use wine

Online Multiplayer Doom - ZDaemon.org

ZDaemon Home Page - A Multiplayer Doom port

www.zdaemon.org

Zdaemon offers a more classic experience with an account based system, IRC (aka 90s Discord) and a DooM experience more close to the original one. So dont expect some really crazy maps, BUT what it doesnt have in modern coding it makes up in some killer game modes with 'Survival' being the most active one, here you are tasked to beat maps/mods with one live each player, if everyone dies, it is a restart. But it you want to test your skils, you can just join a Death match server and I can guarantee you someone will come to test you skill, with an EXP system that rewards kills, but penalizes deaths.

But how to install it?

Just download the Zdaemon launcher from the webpage. Once installed you can go to:

Settings > General > Wad Directories...

Here you can see where you *.wads files will be downloaded. Just drop your 'DOOM.wad' and 'DOOM2.wad' (that you got from the REPO) there and the rest will be downloaded when you try to enter a server. And if you somehow cant find the 'Wads' folder, just go to your 'Zdaemon' installation folder, by default it is there.

When is the community more active?

The best days, like usual, is friday and sundays in the night. Zdaemon community always gatter around on a survival server on these days but, like I said, you can just join any empty server and people join you now that they see someone is playing there.

Zandronum - A more modern Experience

If Zdaemon is like playing DooM in the 90s-early 2000s, Zandronum is like playing Doom online like it was on 2026: more modes, more mods compatibilites, more gameplay options, etc. I can get into why it is like this, but it is out of topic. What it is important is thar more modern mods are more like like to work with Zandronum than wiht Zdameon, like the 'Quake champion: Doom Mod' or one of the most popular server 'Mega Man multiplayer', or one of my favorites mods that lets you pick a class: Doom guy, 007 from golden eye, Gordon Freeman, Quake Grunt, and many others in coop missions.

How to install?

You can get Zandronum from its official webpage and even, for windows and linux:

Zandronum - Multiplayer ZDoom

Zandronum is a modern multiplayer-oriented source port for the Doom engine, with seemless netcode, mod support, and cross-platform compatibility.

zandronum.com

Once thats done you can go to the installation folder and paste 'DOOM.wad' and 'DOOM2.wad' in the wads folder or go to:

Options > configure > File path

And leave the stuff there.

Now for the Linux bros, you can also use the 'Discover' flat pack installer. In that case you will find the path on .config on 'Home'.

Once launcher you might realize there is no need to set up an account, like on Zdaemon. This is really nice for new comers but can also be a pain in the ass for 'surival' maps. Remember when I tell you that Zdaemon plays like and old game but its gamemodes are amazing? In my opinion this is one of the weakest sides of Zandronum. There is more mods compatibility, but survival suffers since you will always have to wait for the map to end before joining. Now this is proabably one of the reasons why Survival is not that popular on Zandronum, but Co-op it is.

And does the community play more?

For some reason the Megaman mod servers are ALWAYS with people. This is a class TDM from what little I have played, but besides that there is always some Co-Op running, even some classic TDM.

Like all games, this also is more popular on fridays and saturday nights.

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Closing words

Both multiplayers flavours of DooM are really good, and there is not a real good reason to use one and never touch the other.

Yeah maybe from a more competitive view this can be a not that great option, like Quake 2, DooM deathmath/duals can be brutal for new comers. But for a chill co-op experience? Both platform are, in my humble opinion, a great alternative for some chill friday night to just slaught some demons and talk whatever you feel like it on the mic or through text.

I really hope I can see you on the servers

Thanks for reading!

 

[CheesyExplosive]

............. Do you have h-doom?

 

[Heretic]

how to play as Cyber Romero?

 

[DinoRexMax DinoRexMax]

Oh, are you organizing something? Or is this just informative?

 

[-------]

I have no problem with online games as long as they are good and fair.

 

[moon200218]

I was wanting to play through some wads online in co op myself a while back. I dont know if the likes of Auger;Zenith can be played with others through zandronum, but if so then i sure want to try out

 

[PacGuy]

RIP AND TEAR!
The megaman mod has its own website. You can find the servers on zandronum https://zandronum.com/ or use their launcher https://mm8bdm.net/home

 

[SamanthaSamantha's icon]

ZDaemon is extraordinarily toxic, man.

I once asked for help on their forums and they just responded with links to my character bio, implying that I was too "low level" to acknowledge...

(And then they got racist).

But yeah, I'm a DOOMer for life & would love to play it again.

 

[PacGuy]

ZDaemon is extraordinarily toxic, man.

(And then they got racist).

Doom communities are wild. That sounds slightly more tolerable than the ultra sensitive hugbox Doomworld has become. I wish there was a more happy medium

 

[SamanthaSamantha's icon]

Doom communities are wild. That sounds slightly more tolerable than the ultra sensitive hugbox Doomworld has become. I wish there was a more happy medium

Maybe... But it really tweaked me how a bunch of randos criticized my usage of a third language when they couldn't even speak it right themselves.

Was also not a fan of having to get my account manually validated by an admin... Probably my first-ever brush with (a flavor of) gatekeeping.

Meh, I played with chat off the entire time and never returned to the forums.

 

[PacGuy]

Maybe... But it really tweaked me how a bunch of randos criticized my usage of a third language when they couldn't even speak it right themselves.

Was also not a fan of having to get my account manually validated by an admin... Probably my first-ever brush with (a flavor of) gatekeeping.

Meh, I played with chat off the entire time and never returned to the forums.

I don't blame you there. I'm American and half of my country is illiterate. But if someone who doesn't speak english misspells a word online they're suddenly the stupid ones.

 

[Burzuru Burzuru]

i remember pissing people of in the megaman game once. i haven't played much doom online. couldn't find many straight deathmatch servers with active players.

 

[PacGuy]

i remember pissing people of in the megaman game once. i played much doom online. couldn't find many straight deathmatch servers with active players.

The Doom 1 and 2 release from Bethesda usually has a few servers with people playing DM or coop in the multiplayer lobby section.
Downside being having to buy it, ofc

 

[KenaiPhoenix]

............. Do you have h-doom?

Well, you could set up a server with H-doom

Oh, are you organizing something? Or is this just informative?

Mainly informative, before we could organize something we would need players.

But if people really want to, I would have no issue in organize a RGT DooM night.

I have no problem with online games as long as they are good and fair.

Then I got some great news for you.

ZDaemon is extraordinarily toxic, man.

I once asked for help on their forums and they just responded with links to my character bio, implying that I was too "low level" to acknowledge...

(And then they got racist).

But yeah, I'm a DOOMer for life & would love to play it again.

Really? I never had issues with Zdaemon players back in the day. And recently there arent many people. Just last night someone sent me a dm for a dual but I said 'no', and it was all polite.

Since you like DooM, you can give Zandronum a go then. You could think that player bases overlap, but Im probably from the few ones that play both.

Doom communities are wild. That sounds slightly more tolerable than the ultra sensitive hugbox Doomworld has become. I wish there was a more happy medium

Dont tell me about it... DooMworld is just insufferable.

The Doom 1 and 2 release from Bethesda usually has a few servers with people playing DM or coop in the multiplayer lobby section.
Downside being having to buy it, ofc

Before my return to Zandronum and Zdaemon, I try to play online the 'official way' with DooM 1 + 2.

It is not worth it for the online. Really unless you just want to play DooM 2 for the nth time. And since the server/room browser is so barebones, unless you memorize all maps in each wad, there is no way you can know if the room is for vainilla doom or some player made wad.

 

[PacGuy]

Well, you could set up a server with H-doom

Mainly informative, before we could organize something we would need players.

But if people really want to, I would have no issue in organize a RGT DooM night.



Then I got some great news for you.



Really? I never had issues with Zdaemon players back in the day. And recently there arent many people. Just last night someone sent me a dm for a dual but I said 'no', and it was all polite.

Since you like DooM, you can give Zandronum a go then. You could think that player bases overlap, but Im probably from the few ones that play both.


Dont tell me about it... DooMworld is just insufferable.



Before my return to Zandronum and Zdaemon, I try to play online the 'official way' with DooM 1 + 2.

It is not worth it for the online. Really unless you just want to play DooM 2 for the nth time. And since the server/room browser is so barebones, unless you memorize all maps in each wad, there is no way you can know if the room is for vainilla doom or some player made wad.

True. The "official" doom browser sucks.