How to Play Maps and Install Add-ons my Way ------------------------------------------- |------------| |Playing Maps| |------------| Playing maps in Duke Nukem 3D (D3D) is easy. I know three ways: 1. the command line 2. the setup program 3. attaching a program to .map extension The first two work in either DOS or Windows 95, the third is as far as I know exclusive to Windows 95 (it might work in Windows 3.x, I do not know, I never used it). 1. The Command Line ------------------- duke3d.exe can accept numerous arguments, which are listed below: Command line help. F:\DUKE3D\DUKE3D.EXE [/flags...] ?, /? This help message /l## Level (1-11) /v# Volume (1-4) /s# Skill (1-4) /r Record demo /dFILE Start to play demo FILE /m No monsters /ns No sound /nm No music /t# Respawn, 1 = Monsters, 2 = Items, 3 = Inventory, x = All /c# MP mode, 1 = DukeMatch(spawn), 2 = Coop, 3 = Dukematch(no spawn) /q# Fake multiplayer (2-8 players) /a Use player AI (fake multiplayer only) /i# Network mode (1/0) (multiplayer only) (default == 1) /f# Send fewer packets (1, 2, 4) (multiplayer only) /gFILE, /g... Use multiple group files (must be last on command line) /xFILE Compile FILE (default GAME.CON) /u######### User's favorite weapon order (default: 3425689071) /# Load and run a game (slot 0-9) /z Skip memory check -map FILE Use a map FILE -name NAME Foward NAME The interresting one is "-map FILE". This flag allows the input of a user map, either internal to duke3d.grp, or external anywhere on any hardrive you might posses. To call a specific map which is included in duke3d.grp (they are named eXlY.map, where X is the episode from 1 to 4 and Y a level from 1 to 11, except for episode one which has only 8 levels), replace FILE by the name of the level. To load an external map, you will have to replace FILE by the name of the map RELATIVE to the directory in which duke3d.exe is located. This features allows you to create child directories in which you store your map (which I personnally recommend), leaving the base directory 'clean'. The name of the map can also be absolute (ex: G:\this\directory\has\maps\amap.map). It is to note that even if DOS file names are upper case, DOS command line is not case sensitive (except in Windows 95, when, for exemple, you open a DOS window and you compile java program, that entirely another matter). 2. The Setup Program -------------------- You probably know the setup program. One of its menu is 'User Level Selection'. When you enter it, you have two options : 'User Level Search Path' and 'Select User Level'. The first option allows you to choose the child directory from which you want to load maps, and the second allows you to choose you map. Exit this menu and enter 'Save and Launch Duke Nukem 3D'. Voilà. Important note, user levels lauched this ways load directly and at skill 2. Also, any parameters you pass to setup.exe will then be passed to duke3d.exe. This means that if you type: >setup /m /ns the map you choose will play without monsters and without sound. If you choose no maps, you will play an ordinary game (supposing you chose no other options). Also, if you click, in Widows 95, on duke3d.exe, and you happen to have a 'Windows' keyboard (with the winkey between CTRL and ALT), and if you did not install the blocking program that can be found on the Atomic CD (maybe on others, I do not know), and finally you hit that key, you lose you game if you bring back the DOS window. If on the other hand you click on setup and directly launch D3D, that problem will not happen. 3. Attaching a Program to a .map Extension ------------------------------------------ In Windows 95, you can link a file with an extension to a program. Clicking on the file triggers the execution of the program with the ABSOLUTE file name as argument. I suggest you make a batch file, name for exemple D3D.BAT, that way: F:\DUKE3D>copy con d3d.bat f:\duke3d\duke3d /xf:\duke3d\game.con /gf:\duke3d\duke3d.grp -map %1^Z 1 file(s) copied Explanations: 1- ^Z is 'CTRL + z' (the end-of-file character), 2- you will have to adapt yours, on my system D3D is in f:\duke3d\, 3- /x to indicate which game.con (in this case the default, 4- /g to indicate which kgrouped file(in this case the default), 5- %1 indicates that the argument, if any, should go there. You don't have to use this way, but it is the fastest. You can use any text editor you want if you like it better. After the creation of the batch file, you select a .map and then right-click on it, choose "Open With..." and go select your batch file. Be sure you check the checkbox to assign all .map to this batch files. Then all you will have to do is to double-click on any .map (that is a D3D map) and voilà. Altough this method is cool in Windows 95, it has its drawback. The .map extension is used for other type of files than D3D user levels (Shadow Warrior's user level, ready to compile Quake levels for exemples). Or you might want another program to use .map (build.exe for exemple). There is another use to this batch file. You can put it in your path (learn DOS if yopu do not know what a path is in computer science) and use it to lauch map by typing the command and then the map name (either in absolute or relative). This method is a bit long, but well, you decide. |-----------------| |Installing Add-on| |-----------------| Installing add-on my way is a bit more complicated than above. I call it the right way because it does not prevent you from playing all the normal level, and gives you additionnal save games. First list all the files in the directory of duke3d.exe: >dir > listbe4.txt the '>' operator redirectss what is to be printed on stdout (usually on the screen) in a file, in that case 'listbe4.txt' install the add-on their way. re-do the listing >dir > listaftr.txt then: > fc listbe4.txt listaftr.txt > compared.txt 'fc' stands for file comparaison. In compared.txt, you will have all the files that the add-on installed. Of course, listbe4.txt will be listed, you will have to discard it. Make a child directory, usually with the name of the add-on. You will have to examine the .con, because some add-on back your defaults and install them, making them 'transparent' and other install their own with distinctive names. Usual files found: .map, .voc, .art, .mid, .wav, .con, .grp. Copy also, your cdrom.ini (even if you cracked duke3d.exe) and duke3d.cfg in this child directory. After you copied all the files you though right, uninstall the add-on. To be sure, you can create another file with the redirection technique above and test it with listbe4.txt. If you wish, you can create your own kroup file with the add-on's one (some add-on comes with their own .grp), but leave the .art out of the .grp. Now, create another batch file: cd ..\duke3d /x /g /g..\duke3d.grp cd .. and name it with a distinctive name. This batch file is to be place in the same directory than duke3d.exe. Now to play the add-on, run the batch file. I mentionned that this technique gives more saved games, it is because it saves games in the child directory rather than the parent. Another advantage of this technique is that to back-up the add-on, all you have to do is to back-up the child directory with its batch file. Hope this helps anybody If you find any errors, please contact me and tell me what is wrong, my e-mail is: leonard@jsp.umontreal.ca ------------- Daniel Léonard Computer Science Student "Anything worthwhile takes time" Université de Montréal -Phong in Enzo the Smart, Reboot http://www.iro.umontreal.ca/~leonard