Item description:

1.1 - What is Odamex?
Odamex is a modification of DOOM to allow players to compete with each other over the Internet using the client/server architecture. Thanks to the source code release of DOOM by id Software in December 1997, there have been many modifications that enhanced DOOM in various ways. These modifications are known as "source ports", as early modifications mainly ported DOOM to other platforms and operating systems such as Windows and Macintosh.

Odamex is based on the CSDoom 0.62 source code originally created by Sergey Makovkin, which is based on the ZDoom 1.22 source code created by Randy Heit.

Odamex is released under the GNU General Public License v2. Please read LICENSES for further details regarding the license.


1.2 - Features at a Glance
Odamex features:

* The popular ZDoom 1.22 core engine and CSDoom 0.62 core net code
* Compatibility with many major operating systems, including Windows, Linux,
FreeBSD and Mac OSX
* Core gameplay modeled on the original doom2.exe
* Accurate playback of doom2.exe demo files
* Streamlined WAD loading, allowing the server and clients to load WAD files
on the fly without needing to restart the client or server
* Compatibility with Boom, MBF and CTF Standard maps
* Deathmatch, Cooperative, Team Deathmatch and CTF gametypes
* Jumping, Mouselook and other non-standard features available as server-side
options
* A spectator mode, allowing players to watch games already in-play
* Comprehensive cheat and exploit countermeasures
* An open source code base licensed under the GPL, available for anyone to
examine, compile, or modify to their liking

Section 2: Installation
2.1 - Requirements
Odamex requires the following in order to operate:

* A Pentium-compatible or PowerPC microprocessor
* 32MB of RAM
* An Internet connection
* 3MB of hard disk space

2.2 - Installation - binary download
Binary downloads of Odamex are available from [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] . There are currently binaries available for Windows and MacOS X platforms.

For Windows, run the provided installer. If you choose the archived version, extract the contents of odamex-win32-0.4.4.zip to a desired location, add a Doom or Doom II IWAD and run odamex.exe.

For MacOS, TBA

For Linux, TBA

For BSD, TBA


2.3 - Installation - source download
The source code of release versions are available from [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] . If you are interested in the bleeding edge development of Odamex, you can access the SVN repository at [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] with anonymous read access. Be warned however that it might be incompatible with current release versions, and stability is not guaranteed.

The following libraries are required:
* SDL v1.2.9+ ( [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] )
* SDL_mixer v1.2.6+ ( [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] )
For Windows, you will need Microsoft Visual C++ 8 or later, or MingW32 ( [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] , Codeblocks ( [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] ) or any other program that can be used to assist compiling Odamex with MingW. There is a Codeblocks project available for Odamex compilation. Other compiler platforms can make use of the CMake to generate platform-specific project files.

For MacOS, you can use CMake to generate a makefile for use with gcc.

For Linux, you can use CMake to generate a makefile for use with gcc.

For BSD, you can use CMake to generate a makefile for use with gcc.

For additional information on generating a project makefile using CMake, please see the wiki entry at [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] .

Section 3: Setting up Odamex*
Section 4: Gamemodes
4.1 - Cooperative
If going against other players isn't your style, then you can always battle against the monsters with other players on single-player maps. In cooperative games, players work together to complete the level and any existing subsequent ones. When a player dies, he or she starts back at the beginning of the map without any keys, items, or weapons that he or she may have acquired on that same level, unless the server has such settings that allow for players to keep their keys, items, and weapons upon respawning.

4.2 - Head to Head
If you'd like to be given a break and shift your focus from fighting a plethora of players at once onto battling a single individual, then Head to Head would be the perfect choice. Head to Head, commonly referred to as 1-on-1 or dueling, is a variant of deathmatch where the amount of players playing simultaneously is limited to only two, hence the name "Head to Head". The objective is the same -- to rack up the highest quantity of kills, yet only against one adversary. This game mode particularly allows for high competition among individuals and many tournaments center on this game mode.

4.3 - Free for All
Free For All, otherwise known simply as deathmatch (DM) or referred to by its acronym as FFA, is a game mode where the objective is to attain the highest amount of frags and reach the set fraglimit, while facing one or more players. It is the most basic and played game mode.

4.4 - Team Deathmatch
This is the ideal game mode if you would like to still fight a horde of players yet have some allies back you up. Team Deathmatch is a team-based variant of deathmatch where players are divided into teams determined by color; traditionally blue and red teams. The goal is overall the same, yet a whole team must achieve a higher amount of kills than another team.

4.5 - Capture the Flag
A highly popular and addictive game mode, Capture the Flag, or CTF, draws attention to strategic and team-based gameplay. Capture the Flag, like Team Deathmatch, is a team-based game mode, where two teams, most commonly distinguished by the colors red and blue, fight each other. However, the objective is not to rack up the highest amount of frags.

Each team has a base with a flag in it that is of the same color as the team to which it belongs (e.g. the red flag belongs to the red team). One team has to capture the flag of the other team while it is still in possession of its own flag (e.g. the blue team has to capture the red team's flag while it still has its own flag and vice versa).

Then, the team has to bring the enemy flag to its base to where its own flag is to score a point (the blue team takes the red flag and brings it back to its own base to where its own flag is situated, so it can score). If the team's flag had already been taken, then it cannot score until its flag had been returned (if the red team had already taken the blue flag while the blue team has the red flag, then the blue team cannot score unless its flag is returned and vice versa). To return one's team's flag, the person who is holding the flag has to be killed and the flag must be touched by the team to which it belongs.


Section 5: Reference*
Section 6: Frequently Asked Questions
If you still have questions that are not answered in this documentation, there are several different resources at your disposal that may help you find the answer you are looking for.

Much of the documentation in this manual has been taken directly from [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] , the official homepage of Odamex. You may find more information by checking the wiki or bug tracker, both of which can be accessed from the main page.

If you prefer a more direct method of speaking with the development team there are multiple methods in which you can make contact. Through the website, you can create an account and post to the public message boards.

For a more speedy reply, you may want to consider using IRC to contact the team on irc.oftc.net #odamex. IRC stands for Internet Relay Chat. By using an IRC client to connect to a certain server and channel, you can communicate with the development team and other fans of Odamex in real time. However, knowing the ins and outs of IRC is beyond the scope of this document.

[ Register or Signin to view external links. ]