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Community News

ZPack Rejuvenated - Random Maps for ZDoom

After 16 years since its original release, we are excited to present the rejuvenated version of ZPack - Random Maps for ZDoom. This remastered collection of 30 community-crafted maps, originally released in 2008, has been given a fresh new life. It's hard to believe so much time has passed! Some may wonder: Why a remaster? Well, while the original map pack was of exceptional quality at the time, it hasn't aged as gracefully as we'd hoped. For this remaster, we've not only integrated next-gen features but also enhanced some of the weaker maps in terms of gameplay, texture choices, and overall aesthetics. Over the past two years, we've worked (on and off) to refine the project into a cohesive and polished experience, adding a variety of new features that elevate the final product.

We truly hope you enjoy what we've done with the original project, and we look forward to hearing your feedback—especially from the original authors, many of whom are still part of this incredible community.

New enhanced features:

  • New status bar (base by NightFright)
  • Widescreen graphics (including additional assets)
  • New palette
  • Dynamic lighting (removal of sector light effects)
  • Special effects (volumetric light, fire particles)
  • Improved smart weather effects (snow, rain, ember/nukage particles)
  • Enhanced shaders (underwater effects, heat shaders, new torches)
  • New brightmaps and GL-lights
  • Gore effects (modern Nashgore)
  • High-resolution sound effects in OGG format
  • Low-health effect
  • Footstep sounds with improved behavior (modernized approach)
  • Improved map aesthetics (texture choice, geometry, new effects)
  • Conversion from Decorate and old-Decorate format to ZScript
  • Enhanced colors for messages and status bar graphics
  • Complete conversion of the entire WAD into a brand new PK3 format

Special thanks to Ozymandias81 and Salahmander2 for their incredible work and support on this re-release. Without their help, this wouldn't have been possible - and now: enjoy the show!

ZScript for R667 Submissions

Izscriptn case you're not aware, ZScript was finally rolled into the last couple official releases of GZDoom, so we wanted to announce that ZScript is acceptable to use in any submissions to Realm 667.  Haven't heard of ZScript?  It's basically the successor to DECORATE, allowing all of the same features, but enabling much more advanced logic and scripting, including the ability to define new functions and actor abilities.  And, unlike ACS, ZScript doesn't have to be compiled, so it's very easy to work with!  You can read more about it here.  If you want some more examples, you can also look at the .pk3 files included with GZDoom--all actor's script files have been converted from DECORATE to ZScript.

Note that DECORATE and ACS still work, and will continue to be supported.  Also, any new submissions to R667 are not required to use ZScript--you may continue to use DECORATE and/or ACS if you prefer.

ZWindows, or DoomWin?!

zetaActually it is called Zeta Windows by the coder Nero, and while it is already on my list for a long time now, I though it's the right moment to post this to a broader audience. Sure, it is only interesting for a small group of people who have a good ACS knowledge but still it is highly impressive what can be done inside ZDoom. So what is it actually? Zeta-Windows is a generic GUI API aimed at enabling unique implementations that are flexible and dynamic, specific to the needs of the user, fast, powerful, and simple to use. The entire Z-Windows API is written in C and compiled with GDCC in order to be interpreted by the ACS VM. While Z-Windows is capable of being a tool for the general (G)ZDoom community, independent developers looking for extensive interface design flexibility in custom environments without exhaustive production time spent in-code will benefit the most from the Z-Windows API.

Z-Windows gets its name not from Microsoft Windows, but from the X Window System (also ZDoom), which provides the basic GUI functionality for many UNIX-like operating systems. Just like X, Z-Windows provides just the basic GUI framework without mandating what the actual interface is supposed to look like. The term windows is both a GUI organizational concept and a programming concept the interpretations of which can vary dramatically. Z-Windows does deviate from X in that the functionality of Z-Windows is geared toward complete GUI management in a video game architecture and as such can mimic the appearance of an actual operating system but does not offer the wider functionality of one. Also, while GDCC is a full C compiler, functionality like reading and writing files is impossible as the ACS VM does not have that kind of access to the computer's operating system.

Wanna know more? And a video with some live action? Check the dev-thread!