DOOM Retro v4.4 is now available to download as either a 32 or 64-bit Windows app. Here’s a list of what’s changed since the last version:

• DOOM Retro is now compiled using v17.0.2 of Microsoft Visual Studio Community 2022.
• DOOM Retro now uses SDL v2.0.18.
• Optimizations have been made to further improve the overall performance and stability of DOOM Retro.
• DOOM Retro now supports MBF21-compatible maps and mods.
• DOOM Retro no longer crashes at startup when trying to load a PWAD containing a PNG lump.
• A bug is fixed whereby .deh, .bex and .cfg files wouldn’t load if selected in the WAD launcher.
• If the player makes a typo when entering a filename in the WAD launcher, and DOOM Retro is unable to find what they intended, that text now remains when the launcher reopens so the player may easily correct it.
• The file midiproc.exe that allows the volume of MIDI music to be adjusted independently of the sound effects volume is no longer necessary and therefore no longer distributed with DOOM Retro.
• The volume of non-MIDI music has been lowered to be consistent with the volume of MIDI music.
• Several changes have been made to text that is output to the console.
• Minor changes have been made to the positioning of the input and branding in the console.
• Further improvements have been made to the support of Chex Quest, Freedoom, REKKR and REKKR: Sunken Land.
• The r_berserkintensity CVAR is renamed r_berserkeffect and is now 3 rather than 2 by default.
• The red effect when the player is injured can now be toggled using the new r_damageeffect CVAR, which is both on by default and when vanilla mode is enabled.
• The red effect when the player is injured is now also smoother when the new r_damageeffect CVAR is on.
• The red effect when the player is killed is now more prominent when the new r_damageeffect CVAR is on.
• If the player is injured when the r_blood CVAR is green and the new r_damageeffect CVAR is on, the screen now flashes green.
• The gold effect when the player picks up an item can now be toggled using the new r_pickupeffect CVAR, which is both on by default and when vanilla mode is enabled.
• The green effect when the player has a radiation shielding suit power-up can now be toggled using the new r_radsuiteffect CVAR, which is both on by default and when vanilla mode is enabled. If this CVAR is off, the screen flashes green to indicate when the power-up is about to run out.
• Fixing a possible oversight in Vanilla DOOM, if the player picks up a megasphere when they have 200% green armor, that armor is now upgraded to blue armor.
• The player no longer grunts when trying to open a door that is currently open.
• The player now smoothly slides against two-sided textures.
• Minor improvements have been made to the alternate widescreen HUD.
• Things altered in DEHACKED lumps will now always behave correctly.
• Scrolling skies specified in MAPINFO lumps are now smoother.
• The number of times the automap is opened by the player is now displayed by the playerstats CCMD.
• Player messages are now always grouped in the console, regardless of the time between them, when the groupmessages CVAR is on.
• The behavior of friendly monsters has improved. They no longer always crowd the player when there are no other monsters nearby.
• Thing triangles in the automap that represent MBF-compatible helper dogs are now the correct size again when using the IDDT cheat.

DOOM Retro v4.3 is now available to download as either a 32 or 64-bit Windows app. Here’s a list of what’s changed since the last version:

• DOOM Retro is now compiled using v16.11.5 of Microsoft Visual Studio Community 2019.
• Optimizations have been made to further improve the overall performance and stability of DOOM Retro.
• When DOOM Retro is run for the first time, the WAD launcher will now look for installations of The Ultimate DOOM and DOOM II: Hell On Earth purchased and downloaded using the Bethesda.net Launcher.
• The WAD launcher will now display and launch files with an .IWAD or .PWAD extension.
• Minor changes have been made to the splash screen.
• Minor changes have been made to text that is output to the console.
• Minor improvements have been made to the console’s autocomplete feature.
• Further improvements have been made to the support for REKKR.
• Support has also been added for the commercial release, REKKR: Sunken Land.
• A new am_playerstats CVAR has been implemented that toggles player stats in the automap. When this CVAR is on, the number of monsters the player has killed, the items they have picked up and the secrets they have found will be displayed while the automap is open. This CVAR is both off by default and when vanilla mode is enabled.
• The distance the player has traveled in the current map is now displayed in the top right corner of the external automap when the am_path CVAR is on.
• Rotating the automap is now smoother when the am_rotate CVAR is on.
• All lines in the automap will now be displayed correctly when the player has used the IDDT cheat.
• A bug has been fixed whereby some sound effect lumps in the WAV format wouldn’t play at all.
• The following changes have been made when a monster is crushed to death by a lowering ceiling:
  • Cacodemons, barons of hell and hell knights will now leave gibs.
  • All gibs will now be green if the r_blood CVAR is green.
  • The gibs of spectres will now be red if the r_blood CVAR is red or nofuzz.
  • An obituary is now displayed in the console when the con_obituaries CVAR is on.
• The title in the automap has been moved slightly in some instances.
• A dead player’s negative health will now be displayed in the status bar as it is in the widescreen HUD.
• The items that monsters drop when they are killed will now also move slightly if walked over when the r_corpses_nudge CVAR is on.
• The number of monsters resurrected is now displayed by the playerstats CCMD.
• The “monsters killed by infighting” stat is now reset at the start of each map as intended.
• A bug has been fixed whereby the facebackcolor CVAR wouldn’t be reset to its default of 5 if vanilla mode was enabled.
• The background of the player’s face will now be a better size when the facebackcolor CVAR is a value other than its default of 5.
• When vanilla mode is enabled, any timer set using the timer CCMD will now be reset to 0, rather than being disabled altogether.
• The external automap will now be displayed correctly when the vid_borderlesswindow CVAR is off.
• The vid_scaleapi CVAR is now “direct3d” by default.
• Minor improvements have been made to the support of MAPINFO lumps.
• Blood splats are now translucent when the r_translucency CVAR is on and the r_textures CVAR is off.
• Turning left and right using a gamepad is now smoother.
• A bug has been fixed whereby switching from a window to fullscreen by pressing ALT + ENTER would affect the aspect ratio if the vid_borderlesswindow CVAR was off.
• Translucent things now cast more translucent shadows.
• Dithered lighting is now cast on BOOM-compatible translucent wall textures.
• Things on scrolling floors will no longer continue to move while the menu is open.
• When the player drops down from a great height, their weapon will no longer move too far downwards when the weaponbounce CVAR is on.

DOOM Retro v4.2.3 is now available to download as either a 32 or 64-bit Windows app. Here’s a list of what’s changed since the last version:

• DOOM Retro is now compiled using v16.11.3 of Microsoft Visual Studio Community 2019.
• Optimizations have been made to further improve the overall performance and stability of DOOM Retro.
• The splash screen’s animation is now smoother.
• Minor changes have been made to the font used in the console, and the player messages in the alternate widescreen HUD.
• Minor changes have been made to text that is output to the console.
• Further improvements have been made to the support for Chex Quest, Freedoom and REKKR.
• The bounce of the player’s weapon when dropping down from a greater height is now slightly slower when the weaponbounce CVAR is on.
• When clicking a mouse button that is bound to the +screenshot action, the screen will now flash and a sound will now be heard.
• The console’s background will no longer be affected when entering the vanilla CCMD.
• A fade transition is now applied after saving a game in the save game menu and the fade CVAR is on.
• Further improvements have been made to when the player’s view should be lowered if the r_liquid_lowerview CVAR is on.
• A bug has been fixed whereby the title in the automap could be positioned incorrectly in some rare instances.
• The player’s arrow will now be positioned correctly in the automap when the am_rotate CVAR is on and the am_followmode CVAR is off.
• The following changes have been made when the am_path CVAR is on:
  • The player’s path in the automap will now still be updated when either freeze mode or no clipping mode is enabled.
  • The player’s path will now be positioned correctly in the automap when the am_rotate CVAR is on and the am_followmode CVAR is off.
  • The distance the player has traveled in the current map is now displayed in the top right corner of the automap.
• A bug has been fixed whereby the timer displayed when using the timer CCMD could be positioned incorrectly in some rare instances.
• The size of the crosshair has been reduced when the crosshair CVAR is cross and the r_detail CVAR is low.
• The message displayed when entering the IDMYPOS cheat will now be visible when the fade CVAR is on.
• The sky will now be stretched if the weaponrecoil CVAR is on and the r_screensize CVAR is 8.
• Sprites in liquid sectors now bob correctly when the player is first spawned into a map and the r_liquid_bob CVAR is on.