Doom (and other game) launcher menu

dudleydes

@BenMcLean I did look at creating a launcher menu for Doom mods last year but gave up when I couldn't implement the joy2key.py script to allow navigation with a gamepad. It works fine with a keyboard.

You can find the scripts I used to create the menu here. I am using Crispy Doom as it's compatible with John Romero's Tech Gone Mad mod though I'm sure something similar could be implemented for lr-prboom. In the Gist, I have included a script to create a menu to launch Doom 2 PWADS in lr-prboom using the method in the wiki but it is untested.

Using Crispy Doom, I created a new folder doom1-mods in /opt/retropie/configs/ports/ where I placed the doom1-mods-dialog.sh script and the emulators.cfg file.

In the Ports rom folder, I then added the Doom 1 Mods.sh script.

The final step was to make sure that the scripts, doom1-mods-dialog.sh and Doom 1 Mods.sh, are executable by running a chmod +x command.

Here is a screenshot for Doom 1 mods when you launch from ES.

Once I had the joy2key script working, I was planning to work on designing a better looking menu but, instead, I ended up creating a separate entry in ES for Doom mods.

BenMcLean

@edmaul69 said in Doom (and other game) launcher menu:

@BenMcLean you make sh files for every doom game so you have a gamelist in emulationstation. No need to have a menu. Also if you set up controls in one doom game it sets it for all of the doom games. Its also better to have all your wads, pwads, iwads, pk3, etc.. files all in one folder. So no need for any extra stuff for that.

Here's the thing about that: If we wanted to do everything with creating our own custom scripts then we wouldn't be using a frontend like EmulationStation. WADs are like ROMs. There are a ton of them and we should be able to easily launch them.

edmaul69

@BenMcLean i guess i prefer to see my roms on the main page as apposed to a sub directory. I am willing to create a .sh file to achieve that. Sure it took time for the 150+ dos and doom engine, port games i have. Some people dont go through making .sh files for dos files and just type commands in dosbox but i was willing to make files once to make my life easier later on. And if you wanted to make .sh files for doom engine games for zdoom i will gladly post any that you want, to make your life easier. Including the doom games, hexen, heretic, chex quest, blah blah blah i have about another 45 doom mod files. I could at least save you a lot of time there.

BenMcLean

I appreciate the offer but ideally we want to get to where the entire system can be controlled by the gamepad. That's a big part of the advantage of using something like retropie as opposed to just installing raspbian or whatever.

I can follow the instructions but I really think this isn't the best way for RetroPie's launcher to support Doom and other games with lots of mods in terms of design.

BenMcLean

I am wondering though: have you managed to get any Chex Quest multiplayer version working?

edmaul69

@BenMcLean i dont have anyone to play multiplayer with so i never tried. I will have to try setting it up on my other pi and try to get multiplayer working.

BenMcLean

Well the idea is to have one person on the PI and another person on a laptop. This worked great with Descent last weekend except for the sad absence of any sound from the PI.

However it might be even cooler to be able to have splitscreen multiplayer. Doubt thats possible though.

backstander

@BenMcLean
I wonder if there's a way to accomplish this by adding another field to the Runcommand just for ports/games that accept addon maps/mods (like Doom, DukeNukem3D, Quake, etc).

BenMcLean

@backstander said in Doom (and other game) launcher menu:

@BenMcLean
I wonder if there's a way to accomplish this by adding another field to the Runcommand just for ports/games that accept addon maps/mods (like Doom, DukeNukem3D, Quake, etc).

That would be awesome. It's been weird finding out which games you can run easily and which you can't. Here's what I tried today:

Wolf3D: Steam files work for main Wolf3D and Spear of Destiny but there's no script to launch the Spear of Destiny mission packs. Haven't tried Super 3D Noah's Ark but I don't think wolfSDL supports it. (need ecWolf for that)

Doom: Doom works, Final Doom works but there's no script to launch Doom 2. Also, I haven't tried it yet but I'd like to get Chex Quest working as much as possible at some point. Will look into that.

Descent: Descent 1 and 2 both work perfectly and even network with the PC with no issues except for a total lack of any sound. What's up with that?

Duke Nukem 3D: Atomic Edition works, but I have yet to figure out how to launch Nuclear Winter, Duke It Out in DC, Life's a Beach, Shadow Warrior, Blood or Redneck Rampage.

Quake: Registered Quake works, but I'm still trying to figure out if it will launch the mission packs.

Quake 2: It's very odd that there's no Quake 2 port in RetroPie. Going to try the PS1 version to get splitscreen multiplayer, although its sad that means having to give up mods.

Quake 3: It runs but doesn't seem to see the custom map I tried to load.

Most of these don't get along well with the gamepad, which makes it annoying to switch back and forth. Why can't I control EmulationStation with the keyboard in addition to the gamepad?

I'd be interested in helping to contribute to the RetroPie setup script so that it automatically makes the right launch scripts to get all these games running.

BenMcLean

The Quake mission packs work when the files are placed in the way instructed on the setup wiki.

Now I just need to figure out how to replicate that for the addons of all these other games and then send in a PR.

BenMcLean

It looks like Quake sets up the launchers for it's mission packs in this part here so the trick is to figure out how to replicate that for the Duke Nukem 3D addons and other Build engine games in the eduke32 setup script. Although first I'd need to figure out what the launchers should say of course. Just specifying "-addon 1" for Duke It Out in DC doesn't seem to do anything.

(later edit) Oh wait, you said we'd have to modify the runcommand thing first. Still, this shouldn't be too hard.

backstander

@BenMcLean

Quake 2: It's very odd that there's no Quake 2 port in RetroPie.

Haha, I was wondering that myself. I guess there is not a good Quake 2 source port for the Raspberry Pi?

(later edit) Oh wait, you said we'd have to modify the runcommand thing first. Still, this shouldn't be too hard.

Figuring out the correct parameters/arguments to use to launch mods and maps would definitely be the first step.

I'm glad you're looking into all this! I had planned to dig into this deeper but have been way too busy!

I'm not much of a programmer but I wonder what would be the best way to envoke another field only for the source ports in the Runcommand?

BenMcLean

I got the official Duke3D addons working but I'd still like to see these in the setup script.

I guess making sh files for Doom wads isn't so bad, but there should be one automatically created for Doom 2 at least. Also, there should be one click to easily install FreeDoom. I really want to get involved in making some of this happen, because the scripting really shouldn't be very hard if I can once start to learn the syntax.

backstander

@BenMcLean
I think an easy install for FreeDoom would be nice as well. I wrote up the tutorial for RetroPie's Doom documentation.:
And here was the original post:
https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/5392/how-to-setup-freedoom-for-retropie

I really want to get involved in making some of this happen, because the scripting really shouldn't be very hard if I can once start to learn the syntax.

Here is the ZDoom install script module for an example:
https://github.com/RetroPie/RetroPie-Setup/blob/master/scriptmodules/ports/zdoom.sh

BenMcLean

I'll look into that when I get a chance, plus making a launcher for the Spear of Destiny nocturnal missions.