Finding Doom II WADs on the Internet to download can seem, at first, a hit or miss proposition. Fortunately. there is a vast store of WAD files that can be loaded, unaltered, by holding down the 's' key on startup (or 'm' key for multiplayer deathmatches or cooperative play) and then selecting the name of the WAD to be loaded.
If the WAD doesn't appear, you may need to ensure that its name is in ALL CAPS. (This glitch is fixed by the Doom II 1.0.2 update.)
But otherwise, PC WAD play is generally a cinch. Except that many of the more cool sounding PC files -- such as the famed Simpsons and Barney WADs -- come in the form of "patches," which use DOS applications and are unusable on the Mac.
A PC patch generally comes in the form of a batch or ".BAT" file which is nothing more than a script. In fact, it's a text file, and System 7.5 users with PC Exchange will find it has already been translated into Mac SimpleText format. Double-click it open, and you'll see the DOS commands used to translate the file.
If you have access to a DOS machine or emulator (like SoftWindows), you can make the WAD work on your Mac! (Unless the patch uses DEHACKED, a utility that patches the actual DOS Doom application. So far, there is no work around to implement these patches on the Mac.)
To start the conversion, you can either print it out, or re-translate it back to DOS text format so that it can be executed under SoftWindows. Yes, as it stands at this writing, the only patcher available is a $300 program from Insignia Solutions. SoftWindows is kind of an expensive WAD converter. Hopefully some wiley Mac programmer is hard at work on a Mac WAD patcher. But until then, you need SoftWindows -- or an actual PC -- to do the job.
Most WAD patches are fairly straight forward. They generally include the tools (often a tiny little program called DEUSF) to perform the job -- everything but the DOOM2.WAD that comes with MacDoom (and PC Doom, for that matter). You supply that.
Here's what you do:
1) Drag a copy of your DOOM2.WAD into a shared folder (generally designated as your E: drive) so SoftWindows can access it. It should be in the folder that contains the WAD patch and associated files.
2) Make sure that the ".BAT" file is in DOS text format. Use a tool like BBEdit or a drag-and-drop utility like Dos2Mac 1.0e to perform the translation, as necessary. (If you unzipped the patch files using Stuffit Expander and you're using System 7.5, it is most likely in Mac text format.)
3) Boot SoftWindows and switch to your unzipped WAD directory. Type the name of the ".BAT" file, leaving off the file name extension. (e.g., for BARNEY.BAT just type BARNEY.)
4) If you get a string of error messages right away, the ".BAT" file is probably in Mac text format. Make sure it's in DOS text format. If all is well, the batch file will run the DOS utility(s) necessary to combine the new sprites, sounds, and graphics with the materials in the DOOM2.WAD file. You'll get a new WAD file that will run just like all of the other working WADs you've
downloaded.
Don't worry if you get an error or two at the end of the process. The batch file may be trying to start up the DOS Doom II application (which, of course, you don't have). If it creates a new batch file for running the game, don't worry. There may be multiple WADs (for different elements, like sound, sprites, and graphics) or it may be set to turn off messages or set some other game parameter.
No matter, you don't need to use it. Just see what it does, so you know which WADs to load on startup.
When all is done, the WAD may have ballooned to several megabytes in size. Make sure the name is ALL CAPS if you're running Doom II 1.0. You may want to change the type and creator of the WAD so that it reacts like a Mac file. There's a great AutoTyper utility called PC Wad --> Mac Wad. It makes the job easier, and it has a great icon. (Or use your favorite retyping tool to make it type: ".WAD" and creator: "idSW")
You can trash all of the DOS files except for the WAD(s) and the READ ME. Oh, and keep the copy of the DOOM2.WAD for future patching operations. It should be unchanged by the operation.
That's it! Now go get that purple dinosaur!!
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Copyright 1995 Dave Kramer. Reprinted from the Candy Apple, newsletter of the South Jersey Apple/Mac Users Group. Special thanks to Suphi Muangman <bookers@haven.ios.com> for turning me on to the secrets of PC patching.
Note to editors: This article may be reprinted for free in newsletters published by non-profit user groups, provided an issue of the newsletter in which the article appears is sent to:
Dave Kramer
16-B Harvard Ave.
Collingswood, NJ 08108
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Several Mac converted WAD files, including the Barney WAD, as well as some Doom II screenshots can be at:
