DOOMModLoader is a simple program that allows you to load up a modified version of the game, without needing to bother with patch files/repacking. It also allows you to share mods via simple zip files, which through the loader can be easily used together with other mods, on pretty much any current or future version of DOOM.
DOOMModLoader 0.2 by infogram - Github.com
DOOMModLoader is a simple program that allows you to load up a modified version of the game, without needing to bother with patch files/repacking.
It also allows you to share mods via simple zip files, which through the loader can be easily used together with other mods, on pretty much any current or future version of DOOM.
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Version history
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0.2: merges fileIds.txt from each mod, allowing mod zips to update file IDs if needed.
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Install / Usage
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To install just copy the DOOMModLoader.exe + ICSharpCode.SharpZipLib.dll to your DOOM folder, next to the DOOMx64.exe file.
Create a folder next to it called mods, and then put any modified files or mod zips inside there.
Simply run the DOOMModLoader.exe file and it'll automatically apply these mods and then run the game in devMode.
(note that you should remove any custom .patch/.pindex files you might have created previously, in order for the ModLoader to work correctly)
You can also run the ModLoader exe with some switches:
-mp:
run DOOM in multiplayer mode (and will build patches for the mp_gameresources file instead)
-snap:
run DOOM in snapmap mode (ditto above, but for snap_gameresources)
-vulkan:
run the DOOMx64vk vulkan exe instead of DOOMx64
-moddir <pathToFolder>:
use a different folder for mods
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How it works
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The ModLoader is a simple program, which works in three stages:
The first stage extracts & combines all the zip files/loose files in the mods folder into a temp directory.
The second stage finds the latest patch file for the game mode you've chosen, and creates a new patch based on it. That new patch is then rebuilt to include the combined mod files.
Finally it launches the game with the chosen game mode (and with devMode enabled)
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Mod creation
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To create and test mods, simply put the files you want to mod into the mods folder and run ModLoader, a patch file will automatically be created for the mod.
If you make any changes to the mod, simply rerun the ModLoader and a new patch file will be created - no need to delete the old one, ModLoader will replace it automatically.
To share mods, using a zip file is the most ideal way IMO, instead of sharing patch files which will stop working with the next update (or when the user tries to install another mod), zip files + ModLoader will allow your mods to be combined with other mods effortlessly.
And because ModLoader bases the custom patch on the latest one it can find, your mod should work well into the future (provided the files you've changed haven't been changed drastically in a patch, and that they haven't changed the resource/patch formats)
To create a mod file zip, simply zip up the mod you've made so that the root of the zip would be the same as the root of the games resources.
eg. if your mod contains the files "generated/cm/reloadanims/blahblah.decl" and "decls/renderprogs/superdupersample.decl", the zip file should have the folders "generated" and "decls" at its root.
You can also include a file called modinfo.txt at the root of the zip, while ModLoader is loading the contents of this file will be displayed inside the ModLoader window.
This file should contain the name of your mod, and whatever other info you'd like to add.
eg. the modinfo.txt could contain "My awesome mod by infogram" (without quotes), ModLoader will then display "Extracting My awesome mod by infogram" while it loads.
