DUKE PLUS

A GAME ENHANCER AND CUSTOMIZER FOR THE EDUKE32 PORT OF DUKE NUKEM 3D

by Dan Gaskill (a.k.a. “DeeperThought”) 

TO INSTALL AND PLAY:

  1. Extract the contents of DUKEPLUS.RAR into a folder that contains an Atomic Edition copy of the file “DUKE3D.GRP”
  2. Double-click on the included dukeplus.bat
  3. OR, if you don't use the .bat:  Launch the included EDuke32.exe.  DO NOT click the Start button yet.  Select the Game tab and then select DukePlus from the gamedir menu.  Now click Start.  The next time you launch EDuke32, Duke Plus will already be selected.
  4. To use the HRP with Duke Plus: Place “duke3d_hrp.zip” into a folder named “autoload” in your Eduke32 folder.
  5. In the EDuke32 main menu, select OPTIONS->KEYBOARD SETUP and assign keys for "RELOAD ALTFIRE" and "DUKEPLUS MENU".

TO CUSTOMIZE DUKE PLUS:  There is an in-game menu accessed by the DUKEPLUS MENU key.  Options set in the menu will remain set the next time you start a game (they are saved in duke3d.cfg).  There are some some additional options that can only be accessed in the file “USERPLUS.CON” inside the DukePlus folder.

TO AVOID PROBLEMS:  If you have an autoload folder, make sure that it only contains the HRP files (duke3d_hrp.zip and hrp_update.zip).  Any other files in autoload will likely cause problems.  Also, none of the files for Duke Plus (except for dukeplus.bat) should be located outside of the DukePlus folder.  This includes USERPLUS.CON, DUKEPLUS.CON, LIGHTS.CON, dukeplus.def, and the DUKEPLUS_RESOURCES folder.

UPGRADING FROM AN EARLIER VERSION:  If you drag and drop the contents of DUKEPLUS.RAR into your main Duke 3D directory, files with the same names will be replaced with the newer ones.  This should work fine, unless you are upgrading from a much older version of Duke Plus that had a different directory structure.  In that case, you will need to delete your DukePlus folder before installing the new one.

 

DUKE PLUS VERSION 2.20 FEATURES

Game Fixes

  • ducking pigcop has correct hittable area, pigcops will duck incoming projectiles
  • ducking liztroop has correct hittable area
  • water fountains only give up to MAXWATERFOUNTAINHEALTH
  • enemies move backwards when hit by explosives, instead of forward
  • sitting liztroops can be killed without waiting for them to stand up
  • battlelord resumes normal behavior after being shrunk
  • EGG and RECON can respawn, and respawned sprites have the correct palette
  • Protector Drones resize on map load (like the other enemies)
  • All monsters deduct one from the player's kill count when they respawn (before only Octabrain did that)
  • Hydroplant (tile #969) no longer glitches when broken

HRP Fixes

  • Monsters do not turn to face the player when dead
  • Turrets spin randomly when damaged
  • RECON cars have correct and smooth roll
  • Jibs and debris placed in maps as decorations will not spin (their model animation is disabled)

Visual Effects

  • shell casings use models, roll realistically and stay on the ground for a while (and they are spawned by monsters)
  • exploded monsters leave jibs on the ground, which can be destroyed; jibs may burn if the monster was hit by a rocket
  • improved blood pools, water splashes, smoke and teleporter effects
  • new hi-res explosions
  • Ricochet and other hit sounds depending on the type of surface that has been shot
  • Sparks and damage decals (bullet holes and rocket marks) on walls depending on the type of surface that has been shot (optional)
  • Glowing exhaust on rockets (optional)
  • Bits of debris from damaged surfaces and rocket explosions (optional)
  • Improved system for displaying game messages
  • Rain and snow with adjustable properties.
  • Monster bodies and items bob up and down in shallow water
  • Many other effects which can be added to maps
  • A “player glow” feature for better showing features of the Polymer renderer, as well as some optimizations for low frame rate situations

 

Sound Effects

  • Optional new sounds for explosions and other events
  • Optional extra Duke taunts


Weapon Options*

WEAPON

DUKE PLUS OPTIONS*

MIGHTY BOOT

KARATE KICKS
Move forward while pressing  QUICK KICK and Duke will perform a stepping side-kick.  Press backward and QUICK KICK and Duke will perform a spinning hook kick (more damaging than the side-kick, but leaves the player more vulnerable).   You have a finite amount of kick energy that will replenish over time.

LASER PISTOL
Laser pistols have a limited battery which can be replenished only by picking up more laser pistols.  Hold down alt-fire to charge the pistol for a more powerful shot.  When holding a laser pistol, it will replace the mighty boot weapon.  However, you can still kick using the QUICK KICK key.

PISTOL

RELOADING
The HUD shows how many bullets remain in your pistol clip(s).  You can reload at any time by pressing the RELOAD/ALT-FIRE  key (replaces CENTER VIEW).
AKIMBO PISTOLS
When this feature is on, Duke will wield two pistols at once after picking up a second pistol. Once you have a second pistol, you can toggle between using one or two by pressing the WEAPON 2 (pistol) key. Akimbo pistols are less accurate than a single pistol, but the firing rate is doubled.

HEAVY PISTOLS

Gives Duke’s pistols much more damage, but lower rate of fire, recoil, and smaller clip size

SHOTGUN

CRUIZER SHOTGUN
Replaces Duke’s standard shotgun with the Duke Nukem Mossberg Cruizer, which uses a new model and sounds (see credits below).  It has a clip that holds eight shells, which can be reloaded at any time using the reload key, or reloads automatically when the clip is depleted.  Press fire during the reloading sequence to cancel and start shooting.
DOUBLE-BARRELED SHOTGUN
A sub-weapon of the shotgun (press 3 to switch to it from the regular shotgun, if you have picked it up).  It will not normally appear in the game (it is tile 6324  and can be placed in maps manually) but there is an option in the monster sub-menu to make some pigcops use it (and drop it when they die).

CHAINGUN

MP5 SMG
Replaces Duke’s standard chaingun with an MP5 that has a 30 round clip.  It is powerful than the chaingun, but this is balanced by there being less available ammo and the need to reload.  Like the Cruizer shotgun, it can be reloaded using the reload key if you don’t want to wait until the clip is empty.
OVERHEAT (for standard chaingun only)
When this feature is on, the chaingun has double its maximum ammo capacity, does slightly more damage than normal, and can overheat.  When you fire the chaingun, an overheat bar will appear in the HUD and begin to fill.  As the chaingun gets hotter, the word “OVERHEAT” will be displayed – when the word starts flashing, the gun is near overheating.  If it overheats, you cannot fire again until it cools down.

BATTLELORD CANNON

If the “Advanced AI” option is used, then slain battlelords will drop their guns when they die.  Their guns are a subweapon of the chaingun.  Regular fire shoots bullets, alt-fire shoots mortars.

ROCKET LAUNCHER

HEAVY ROCKET LAUNCHER
Does more damage, with a larger blast radius and faster rockets.  This is balanced by the need to reload it (two rockets per clip), and the fact that rocket packs contain fewer rockets if the big rocket launcher is used.  The alt-fire on the heavy rocket launcher fires a volley of cluster rockets.

PIPEBOMBS

Press the reload/alt-fire key to switch between trigger mode (the standard mode in which pipebombs are detonated by a trigger) and timer mode (in which pipebombs detonate after about 2  seconds).  If “BETTER PIPEBOMB THROWS” is enabled, holding down fire will show the pipebomb’s trajectory and maximum throwing distance is increased.

SHRINKER

Press the reload/alt-fire key to switch between shrinker mode and mind blast mode.  In mind blast mode, the weapon will cause enemies fight on your side for a period of time (stronger enemies are affected for a shorter durtation).

DEVASTATOR

Press the reload/alt-fire key to switch between rocket mode and shotgun mode.  Shotgun blasts coming from the Devestator are less accurate and less damaging than the regular shotgun.  However, the increased rate of fire more than makes up for this.  A useful mode for close quarters (to avoid suicide) or cause instant damage at long range (great for multiplayer).

If the BFG replaces Devastator option is selected, it becomes a completely different gun.  The primary fire is a shock beam and the secondary fire shoots highly explosive balls of energy.

LASER TRIPBOMBS

STICKY TRIPBOMBS

You can place tripbombs directly on monsters instead of putting them on a wall.  They will explode for a large amount of damage after a few seconds.

 

MONSTER CAPSULES (a.k.a. Dukemon)*
If this options is selected player starts with three capsules, which take the place of the tripbombs and look like pipebombs (but are larger and colored when thrown).  An empty capsule will attempt to capture any nearby  monster once it is deployed.  The power of the capsules increases as you capture monsters, allowing you to capture stronger monsters.  After a capture, retrieve the capsule.  If you throw that capsule again, the monster will be released and will fight on your side.  You can re-capture the monster to store it for future use and restore its health, but capturing monsters that are already allies does not increase your capsule power  To switch between the different capsules you are holding, press the RELOAD/ALT-FIRE key.  The contents of the currently selected capsule are displayed in the HUD.

FREEZER

Select Freezer Plus in the DP menu for the enhanced Freezer.

FREEZE BEAM

The primary fire is a beam that freezes enemies.  Hits instantly with perfect accuracy.

ICE COMETS

The Alt-Fire key shoots three little ice comets which move very fast.  They can bounce once. Good for finishing off frozen enemies, or just killing them outright.

EXPANDER

GRAVITY GUN
Use the Alt-Fire key (same key as reload) to pull distant objects toward the player and hold them.  Once an object is held, press fire to shoot it at high velocity.  Firing when an object is not held will shoot a beam that pushes objects away.

KNOCKBACK

The shotgun and other high damage weapons have the ability to knock monsters backwards.  The amount of knockback is adjustable.

*Optional features can be toggled on or off using the in-game menu

Player Abilities

MANTLING ABILITY WITH LOWERED JUMP HEIGHT*

When this feature is on, Duke will automatically grab onto ledges. He can hang, there, move sideways (if the ledge allows), or press JUMP to climb up. Press TURN AROUND to glance behind you while mantling.

WALL JUMPING*

While touching a wall, jump up and dodge away from it (i.e. if the wall is directly behind you, double-tap forward) to perform a wall jump.

REALISTIC RUNNING*

More realistic acceleration.

FOOTSTEPS

Sounds depend on the surface being stepped on.

GRABBING/THROWING*

If this ability is turned on, press OPEN on an object to pick it up.  Press FIRE to throw a held object or OPEN again to drop it.  You can also use quick kick on a held object and it will fly away (or be destroyed).  If this option, Duke is also able to eat certain food items.

WORKING COLA MACHINES

Press the open key while facing a cola machine to insert coins.  On the third coin, it dispenses a can, which will roll across the floor if unobstructed.  You can pick up the can by pressing the OPEN key on it.  Pressing FIRE will drop the can, while pressing OPEN again will make Duke open the can and drink the cola (5 health).  After drinking the cola, Duke will drop it and stomp on the can if close.  You cannot drink from a can that has been damaged or has already been opened.  Breaking the cola machine will cause it to dispense a random number of cans.

FLARES*

When USE_FLARES is set to ON, Duke can take out a flare with the USE FLARE key (replaces the AIM DOWN key).  When using the Polymer renderer, the flare will light up nearby areas, making it easier to see.  Place the flare by pressing the USE FLARE key again, or throw it by pressing FIRE.  By default, you can have up to three flares spawned at one time (this number can be changed).  If you want so spawn a new flare but have reached the maximum number, you must either destroy one of the existing flares or wait for it to expire.

QUICK PIPEBOMB

Assign this key, and then use it to throw a pipebomb.  Like Quick Kick, it can be used regardless of the weapon you are holding.  Very convenient!

ENHANCED INVENTORY ITEMS*

If HEALTH STORAGE is set to YES, unused health items are stored in the first aid kit.

If DP STEROID EFFECTS is set to YES, kicks do 4X damage when the player is using steroids, and everything in the game world will seem to slow down, except for the player's movement.

If HOLODUKE SPAWNS BOT is set to YES, the HoloDuke will spawn a helpful Duke bot instead of a hologram.

IF GOGGLESWITCHES is set to YES, the nightvision goggles will reveal which dip switches need to be set.

BETTER ARMOR*

Absorbs a higher percentage of damage taken (and wears out faster as a result)

DOUBLE JUMP JETPACK*

Press jump a second time while in the air to start the jetpack, then hold jump to thrust.  Achieves higher vertical speed than the normal method of activation but harder to control.

* Ability is optional.  Most optional abilities can be toggled using the in-game menu, and some can be turned on by editing USERPLUS.CON

 

Duke Plus Map Effects

In Duke Plus, it is possible to make working ladders, tranparent water, multistop elevators, and many other new map effects.  See the guide for complete descriptions of the effects and how to include them in your map:

DUKE PLUS MAP EFFECTS GUIDE

 

Miscellaneous Features

The Duke Plus In-Game Menu

When you start a game using Duke Plus for the first time, you will see a message at the top of the screen telling you to bring up the menu, using the menu key (which you may assign in the Eduke32 main menu under OPTIONS -> KEYBOARD SETUP).  The menu is divided into five sub-menus:  WEAPONS, ABILITIES, MONSTERS, and EFFECTS, WEATHER, and DUKEBOTS.  The weapons and abilities options have already been described above in the WEAPON OPTIONS and PLAYER ABILITIES sections.  The monster options are as follows:

SHOW MONSTER LIFE BARS --  The length of a bar over a monster's head indicates the amount of remaining life it has left.  Damaging a monster causes the bar to flash.  Note that this feature applies to Duke bots as well.

RANDOM ATTRIBUTES --  Randomized monsters can spawn with various attributes that normal monsters don't have.  They may have more health, use different attacks, drop different items, teleport, use different tactics, or be immune to certain weapons.  The number you set here is the probability that the monster will have each of the possible random traits.  Generally speaking, the higher the number, the more challenging the game will be.  See the MONSTER FLAGS table below for a list of the different attributes.

DAMAGE INFLICTED -- This is the percent of normal damage that the monsters inflict on enemies. 100 by default.

DAMAGE RECEIVED -- This is the percent of normal damage that the monsters receive from the player.  100 by default.

MONSTER IN-FIGHTING -- Set to YES if you want monsters to fight each other after friendly fire incidents (like in Doom).

TROOP CAPTAINS DROP LASERGUN -- Lizard troopers with red backpacks (pal 21 LIZTROOPS) will drop laser pistols when they die, which the player can use..

DOUBLE MONSTERS & EXTRA AMMO -- Does what it says.

ENHANCED AI -- Set to YES to change the enemy behavior for greater challenge.  Changes include:

    • Enemies have greater ability to follow the player
    • Enemies have quicker reaction time and some will shoot at longer range
    • Enemies will try to avoid the player lying in wait for them, depending on conditions
    • Land bound enemies will avoid water
    • Some  enemies can strafe
    • Enemies attempt to avoid pipebombs
    • Enemies may come to investigate if they hear a nearby bullet impact or explosion
    • Most enemies will tred water instead of falling into underwater areas
    • Pigcops have the ability to fire tear gas grenades
    • Lizard troopers have increased firing rate
    • Some lizard troopers are medics with blue backpacks and will heal their allies
    • Enforcers have a new spit attack which releases poison gas
    • Octabrains have a telekinetic pull attack
    • Commanders can dodge missiles, then quickly spin at the player using a "frisbee" attack

The effects menu options are as follows:

DAMAGE EFFECTS -- Set to YES for special decals and other effects caused by weapons

MIRRORED MAPS -- Causes all levels to become flipped on the X plane.  Good for adding replay value to familiar maps.  Known bug:  some swing doors will open in the wrong direction.

DOUBLE-SIZED MAPS -- Maps are scaled up 2X.  The player is given extra jumping height (hold down the jump key for extra height) so that the larger maps are still passable.  Use in conjunction with the double monsters option (in the monsters menu) for added challenge.  Known bugs:  Some sprites are already so large that they cannot be doubled in size; this could make some maps impossible (e.g. if the affected sprites were part of a sprite bridge).  Some map effects which depend on timing and distances may be spoiled.

ITEM QUOTE STYLE -- Choose from 3 styles for item pick up messages.  In addition to the classic style (large messages across the top), you can choose Duke Plus style (quotes flash, and item quotes can be displayed in combination with another quote, such as a secret area message), or Dukematch style (small messages on the side of the screen)

NEW SOUNDS -- Replaces some sounds from the original game with new ones.

HI RES BLOOD -- Replaces the 8-bit blood pools with hi-res 32-bit color ones

WATER SPLASHES -- Adds new water splashing effects

PIGCOP JIBS -- Adds modelled jibs for pigcop body parts.

SMOKE AND TRANSTAR -- Replaces smoke puffs and transporterstar effects with higher quality versions

F7 VIEW MODE – Toggle between the classic over-shoulder view, and the new dynamic view.  In dynamic view, the player is followed by a camera which attempts to get the best view of the action.  A line of sprites from the player shows where Duke is looking/aiming.  If you crouch while facing an enemy, the line will turn read, indicating a target lock.  Once locked, you can uncrouch and you will continue to aim at the enemy until it dies or you press the use key to unlock.

DUKE TAUNTS PLUS – In addition to the regular taunts Duke uses when enemies are blown to bits, Duke has a different set of taunts for killing enemies with bullets and other weapons.  He also has a few one liners he’ll use sometimes when he has cleared an area of enemies.

SHOW CHARACTER MODELS – Set this to NO and models for characters (monsters, strippers, etc) will not be displayed even if you are using the HRP.  Instead, characters will be shown with the original 8-bit art.


The weather menu options are as follows:

WEATHER TYPE -- Can be set to rain or snow. 

WEATHER COLOR -- 0 = standard, 1 = blue, 2 = red, 4 = black, 6 = green with inverted brightness, 7 = yellow, 8 = green, 13 = gray.  Most of the other colors do nothing, but feel free to experiment...

WEATHER TRANSPARENCY -- 0%, 33%, or 66%

WEATHER SEVERITY -- The number of weather sprites that are spawned every tic.

RADIUS -- The maximum distance from the player that weather sprites will spawn.

 

The Dukebike

The Dukebike is a motorcycle that Duke Nukem can ride.  It has very realistic handling and physics for a Build engine vehicle.  It was created from scratch by Muelsa as a separate mod, and has been incorporated into DukePlus, with some refinements.  To test the Dukebike, load DUKEBIKE.MAP or DUKEBIKE2.MAP in the dpmaps folder.  It is also featured in DanM’s Duke Nukem Eternity episode, which is a separate download available in April 2011.

HUD Display

  • When Duke is holding his breath underwater, a bar appears near the top of the screen showing how much oxygen he has left.
  • The number of rounds left in the clip of your current weapon is displayed in the lower left corner.  This includes the pistol and the optional replacements for the shotgun and chaingun.
  • If you are using a trooper laser gun, the energy remaining will display as a bar.  If you charge a shot using alt-fire, another bar appears indicating whether the charged shot is ready.
  • If you use a special kick, your remaining kick energy will display as a bar (it regenerates).
  • If any Dukebot allies are active, the number remaining is displayed in the upper right corner.
  • When riding a motorcycle, it has a HUD showing speed in mph.
  • If you are using the monster capsules optional replacement for trip bombs, the HUD shows your capsule strength and the monster (if any) held in your currently selected capsule.

Map Display

  • Access card readers you have visited are displayed in the map view (but only in the detailed map view that shows textures)

Duke Bots

  •  If BOT ASSISTANCE is set to YES in the monsters sub-menu, then when you start a single player game, a group of friendly Duke bots will fight alongside you. These Duke bots take the place of the player sprites with a lotag of 1, ( the multiplayer starting positions). Therefore, this option only works on maps that have multiplayer starting positions.
  • All Duke bots start with pistols, and can have additional weapons. Some are medics (green pants) who can heal themselves, the player, and other bots on contact. Bots do not pick up items. They do have a limited supply of ammo, but it replenishes over time. Medics use up ammo when healing.
  • You can order a Duke bot to patrol a certain area. Aim at the Duke bot and press the open key (spacebar by default) to select it. Then point to where you want it to patrol and press the open key again to set a patrol point. To cancel a patrol, press the left and right strafe keys simultaneously while the Duke bot is selected.  This option has been disabled as of DP 1.8, though it is still possible to make a bot patrol using mapster.
  • For information on how to use bots in your own maps, see the Duke Plus Map Effects Guide.

 Customizable Monsters

          See the Duke Plus Map Effects Guide for information.

 

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THANKS TO

TerminX” and the rest of the EDuke32 team, for creating and supporting EDuke32

"Plagman" for writing the core of the map mirroring and scaling code and for his work on EDuke32

Hellbound”, for creating the blood and bullet impact decals, as well as the models for the debris and the shotgun muzzle flash

"Gambini" for his maps utilizing Duke Plus, and his laser pistol model, and for his ideas on how to improve Duke Plus, playtesting, bug reports, promotion, and general commitment to this project

Muelsa” for creating the Dukebike and allowing it to be added to DukePlus

Kaiser”, for creating the Imperium cannon model, as the flare model and skin.

Usurper”, for the animated up and down switches and the snow flake graphic

James Stanfield, for much of the footstep sound code and the camera control code

Hunter_Rus”, for some of the HRP fixes and for improving EDuke32

Tea Monster”, for the cola can model and skins, and for the rocket impact scorch mark decal

DavoX” for importing both the Cruizer and MP5 into md3 format and recreating the animations for them

Edisleado”, “HellSpike”, and “Pete”, for creating the model and skins for the Duke Nukem Cruizer shotgun

Short_Fuse” and “Creeping_Jesus” for creating the model and skins for the MP5A4 SMG

David Howe for his explosion animations

Also a big THANKS to everyone who has used DP to make levels…