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RanDOOM (1) DOOM Operating System RanDOOM (1) NAME RanDOOM - A smart object placement randomization utility for DOOM. SYNOPSIS RanDOOM [WADfile][-C<seed>][-M<n>][-W<filename>][-G] [-LE<j>M<k>][-O<outfile>] DESCRIPTION RanDOOM is a utility which will randomize the placement of objects in the DOOM playfield. Additionally, RanDOOM has some smarts about the manner in which it will randomize things - it's designed to never leave you with a pillar blocking the exit, or a keycard on the opposite side of the door from where you start, or to erase all the DEATHMATCH warp-in spots with other objects (preventing DEATHMATCH network play), or to replace the endgame bosses with other objects (thus preventing the completion of an episode). In short, RanDOOM will always leave you with a playable level. RanDOOM is also user configurable - it allows you to specify the proportion of total objects a given object will comprise via a customizable object weighting scheme. This allows you to tailor RanDOOM's randomizing to your personal taste (and/or masochism ;-). RanDOOM does not make any changes to your WAD files; instead, it creates a separate Patch WAD file containing the information for the modified levels. To run a RanDOOMized game, simply invoke DOOM with the -file command line switch, e.g. DOOM -file randoom.wad. At the end of each run, RanDOOM will append to a file called RANDOOM.LOG in the current directory information from that run. Currently the seed value used for the random number generator is saved for future reference. OPTIONS WAD_file_name - Use this path to the WAD file. If no filename is specified, doom.wad in the current directory is used. -O<filename> - Specifies the name of a file where RanDOOM should place its output. If no output file is specified, the filename RANDOOM.WAD is used by default. -C<seed> - Use a single ASCII character as the seed value 1 RanDOOM (1) DOOM Operating System RanDOOM (1) for the pseudorandom number generator. The character is case-sensitive, so 'K' and 'k' yield different seed values. Alternatively, -C accepts a positive integer number [0..65535] as the seed value. If no -C parameter is specified, a seed value is taken based on the current system time. -G - Produce a graphic display of the item randomization process on the screen (VGA required). This switch was added to aid in debugging the selection algorithms. You may find it interesting to watch. -M<n> - Use randomization mode n, where n is a single digit [0-9]. Currently only three randomization modes (0, 1 and 2) are supported. If no -M parameter is specified, mode 0 is used by default. -LE<j>M<k> - Process Episode j, Map k only, where 1 <= j <= 3, 1 <= k <= 9. Multiple -L switches may be specified on a single command line. If no level is specified, all levels are processed by default. All randomization modes attempt to avoid potential problems which would arise if a completely random replacement of objects were made. Such problems include immovable objects, such as a pillar or tree root, blocking a switch or doorway; monsters becoming "stuck in the wall" (or tangled up in each other!) and unable to move or fight; the replacement of player warp-in spots with other objects, preventing one or both forms of network play; the movement of keycards or skulls to new locations which then become inaccessible; etc. To achieve this, RanDOOM maintains lots of data about the objects and the DOOM level maps, such as the locations of objects, their relative sizes in three dimensions, their types, whether the player can move them, kill them, or pick them up, the locations of walls, the amount of "headroom" in a given area, and so forth. From this information, RanDOOM is able, in most cases, to calculate whether or not a given object will "fit" into a given location in the map without conflicts. Randomization mode 0 takes the objects currently placed on each level and rearranges them. No objects are added, subtracted, or replaced - if a given level contains 2 Barons of Hell, 12 Imps, 32 blue health vials, and a chainsaw, then the modified level will also contain 2 Barons of Hell, 12 Imps, 32 blue health vials, and one chainsaw, rearranged in random order. 2 RanDOOM (1) DOOM Operating System RanDOOM (1) Randomization mode 1 replaces "nonessential" objects with other randomly selected objects from the entire range of available objects. This randomization mode may place objects into a level which would not normally appear there, e.g. M1 may place Cacodemons in the Hangar level. Those items which are needed to complete the level, such as keycards or level bosses, remain in their original locations. Randomization mode 2 does the same things as mode 1 with the addition of weight factors for replaceable objects. These weights are user adjustable (via the weight file specified using the -W switch) to allow a relative increase or decrease in the number of a given item inserted in the game. Thus, items with higher weights have a higher probability of being selected. NOTE: If the -M2 switch is specified, the -W switch (see below) must also be specified. Randomization mode 3 improves on mode 2 by using a "best fit" algortihm to approximate the item distribution requested by the user (via the weight file) as closely as possible. The items to be placed are sorted and placed in order from largest to smallest. This prevents a fairly large space which could potentially hold a larger object from having a smaller object placed into it instead and consequently allows optimal object placements. Because not all items will fit into all areas without sticking or other conflicts, the exact distribution requested may not be possible. For example, a distribution of 100% Spider demons would be utterly impossible to provide. As with mode 2, mode 3 requires that a valid weight file be specified on the command line with the -W switch (described below). NOTE: With randomization modes 1, 2 and 3 ALL objects will appear at ALL FOUR skill levels as well as during network play; there will be no variation in the number or types of objects between "Hey, Not Too Rough" and "Ultra Violence." -W<filename> - Use item weight factors from file <filename> in randomization modes 2 and 3. The weight file is a flat ASCII text file consisting of a series of <itemname> <weight> pairs, one pair per line. <itemname> must be one of the predefined names listed in the sample weight file (randoom.w), while <weight> must be a floating point value greater than or equal to 0.0. In general, the larger the weight value, the more occurrences of that object RanDOOM will put into the game. There are some exceptions, most notably with the larger objects. Because RanDOOM will only place an item if it will "fit," some hard-to-place items will have a lower effective weight than that specified in 3 RanDOOM (1) DOOM Operating System RanDOOM (1) the weight file. Take the Spider Demon, for example. This sucker is so large it gets stuck just about anywhere. Out of the hundreds of available item spots, there may be only one or two locations where the Spider would be able to function. Thus, even though it's number may come up via the weighted selection scheme, its placement may still be prevented. If an object is chosen which is too large for the available space, another item is chosen until one is found which can be safely placed into the current location. Some comments about speed: Those of you who have used earlier versions of RanDOOM will notice that 1.52 takes longer to process the WAD file than did its predecessors. This is due to the fact that 1.52 does a lot more work than earlier versions, most of it 2-D geometric calculations (such as the distances from objects to walls for collision detection). After trying several different approaches to the "monster stuck in the wall" problem, the method currently employed was the best tradeoff in terms of speed and accuracy I've found so far. Although RanDOOM makes extensive use of integer and fixed-point math and '386-specific instructions to speed the many calculations, it still takes time to run (several minutes on a 20MHz 386SX test-dog system). Of course, any system capable of running DOOM adequately will have absolutely no problems with RanDOOM - it breezes right along on my 486/33. EXAMPLES RanDOOM Display a brief usage synopsis. RanDOOM -Ck -M1 -Omy.wad Rearrange levels using randomization mode 1 and random seed character 'k'. Output is saved to MY.WAD. RanDOOM -M0 Rearrange levels using randomization mode 0 and random seed based on the system time. Output goes to RANDOOM.WAD. RanDOOM -M2 -Wc:\doom\randoom.w -C23456 -Onew.wad Rearrange levels using mode 2 with weights given in the file "c:\doom\randoom.w" and using the integer 23456 as the random number seed value. Results will be written to file NEW.WAD. RanDOOM c:\doom\doom.wad -CT -G -LE1M1 -LE2M1 Rearrange levels E1M1 and E2M1 in WAD file c:\doom\doom.wad using randomization mode 0, seed 4 RanDOOM (1) DOOM Operating System RanDOOM (1) character 'T', and display the object placements graphically. Results will be written to file RANDOOM.WAD. NOTICES DOOM is a registered trademark of id software. RanDOOM is copyright 1994 ASRE. You are free to use and distribute this software provided that no modifications are made to nor derivative works produced from it and that no fees are charged for its distribution or use. Although RanDOOM has been thoroughly tested, it is not guaranteed to be completely free of bugs. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The ASRE would like to acknowledge the kind assistance of many volunteers who offered their time, effort, and suggestions. Your input has allowed RanDOOM to continue to improve and become an even greater benefit to DOOM players everywhere. Special thanks to: Barry Bloom and Scott Braley for their hard work in optimizing the size settings for the monsters; Chris Gregg for his kind assistance in coming up with additional items to add; and many, many others, whose names would easily double the size of this document were I to include them all, for suggesting improvements, new algorithms, new features, and other enhancements. And, of course, id Software for creating the BEST GAME EVER to grace the screens of ISA machines. BUGS I welcome your comments, suggestions, and bug reports. id software, however, does NOT, so make sure you send your bug reports to me, not them! Input from users like you has made RanDOOM into the fun and useful utility you see before you today, so don't please don't hesitate to let your virtual voice be heard. Please email any bug reports and/or comments to tmkk@uiuc.edu. For bug reports, please include the following information in your message: The version of RanDOOM you're running, The version of DOOM you're running, The command line switches you used, The random number seed value you used, And a description of the problem. The object placement algorithm may still occasionally misplace objects, allowing them to become stuck either in a wall or in each other. Occurrences of such sticking are now extremely rare, especially when compared with earlier versions of RanDOOM. 5