id Software games on Steam [SOLVED]

IntergalacticWalrus

I'm thinking of buying the id Super Pack through Steam. I already own many id Software games and would like to complete my collection, but according to my calculations, it would be cheaper to just buy the whole Super Pack than individually buying only the games/collections I don't own.

I was wondering if anyone here has bought one or more id games off Steam, and if so I would really like to know the following:

1) Are the actual game resources for Doom/Q1/Q2/Q3/Tech4 engine games on Steam are the clean, original and unencrypted ones, and OK to use in source ports or Linux versions? AFAIK only Source engine games on Steam use encrypted resources, so I'm guessing they're fine, but even then they may be in some weird format, or packaged differently, or god knows what else. I don't want to buy those games only to end up being only able to play them through Steam.

2) I've heard that Commander Keen and Wolf3D/SoD are not ports, but actually the original DOS versions running in an included special build of DOSBOX. Are those also clean for use in non-Windows versions of DOSBOX? Again, if I'm locked to Steam, I won't buy them.

3) Do the original Doom engine games use the DOS executables, or Doom95, or something new altogether? I'd love to (legally) get my hands on the original DOS executables of those games...

Anyway, thanks in advance to anyone that will answer one or more of my questions.

UPDATE: Answering myself:
1) As far as I can tell right now, yes.
2) Yes.
3) They're the original DOS executables, but for some reason the setup.exe is missing on all but Heretic and Hexen. Luckily the setup.exe from the shareware version can be used (haven't tried myself yet though).

frostschutz · Advocate Joined: 22 Feb 2005 Posts: 2194 Location: Germany

s.hase · Apprentice Joined: 19 Nov 2004 Posts: 293

IntergalacticWalrus · Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2007 5:06 pm Post subject: Re: id Software games on Steam

s.hase · Apprentice Joined: 19 Nov 2004 Posts: 293

IntergalacticWalrus · Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 3:09 am Post subject:

I guess I didn't google hard enough... Ouch, my ego.

Also, turns out the Steam forums are pretty informative about the subject too. In fact using source ports is highly recommended for all games where it is possible, because Steam only uses the original programs, which don't work very well (ie. DOS versions running through DOSBox, or old Windows 95/98 executables that run more or less well in modern Windows). Worst case being the Doom games missing their setup.exes (!!!)

Anyhow, I bought the pack now. Everything looks alright to me, ie. intact resources with correct MD5 sums according to various sources on the 'net. Well, except for music missing from all games that originally used CD audio music... (ie. Quake 1 & 2, and their respective expansions) There's a lot of complaints in the Steam forums about this. Many source ports support running mp3s instead, but I hope id will do something about it. Giving people easy, official downloads of the game soundtracks would be nice.