Tartar (EE-fork, DOS) - testing build available 15.03.2025 (2025)

Tartar

Tartar is a Doom source port for DOS. I am aiming for it to be useful to players running pure (as in non-emulated) DOS or Windows 9X on modern machines for retro gaming. Note: I consider, say, Core 2 machines modernfrom retro-gaming stand point.

Tartar highlights

• Has better audio compatibility through updated Allegro library from MBF 2.0.4 Maintenance Releaseand plays 16 bit sound effects
• Supports additional screen resolutions of 640x480 and 1280x1024
• Can load
  • classic Caverns of Darkness TC for DOS
  • what remains from the cancelled Eternity TC
  • Chex Quest without dependency on any Doom assets
• Includes numerous quality of life improvements including auto-loading of WAD files, compatibility improvements and bugfixes
• Treats certain popular WADs as first class mods improving player's experience with them:
  • InstaDoom by @linguica
  • No Rest for the Living via a "helper WAD"
  • Jumpwad.wad by @Grain of Saltand Ribbiks
• New display (game view) size for higher resolutions and new translucency mode
• Can load more complex (i.e. "more contemporary") maps than the Eternity Engine version it is based on. Some (but not all) maps from Eviternity, Ancient Aliens, Sunlust and Jumpwad can be played for example.

Screenshots and videos

Documentation

Up to date documentation is always available with project source distribution

(you may have to scroll a bit to reach the readme section).

CHANGES- comprehensive list of changes in Tartar compared to ee-2.39db5-joel2 it is based on

AUTHORS - acknowledgements for authors of the ports Tartar is based on and their work

EXTRAS - notes on goodies and extras included with the binary distribution

Obtaining and installing Tartar

Tartar binary distribution is available following the link below:

https://mega.nz/folder/V50HiaSJ#yZa2LjO_kJB3Vs4tvlR3cQ

There, STAGE3directory contains the executable TARTAR.EXE and files required to run it.
EXTRAS document above describes the contents of DEMOS and GOODIES directories,
and includes guides on running InstaDoom, No Rest for the Living and Intermission Maps mods with Tartar.

Playing Doom with Tartar

1.Download STAGE3 directory contents from the above link (MEGA has means to download directory as a ZIP archive)

2. For a quick and simple start either

- put one of the supported WADs (e.g. DOOM.WAD, DOOM1.WAD, DOOM2.WAD, PLUTONIA.WAD or TNT.WAD)

into the directory with TARTAR.EXE

- or put TARTAR.EXE and other files from the directory into your Doom game installation

3. Run SETUP.EXE from directory with TARTAR.EXE and follow on-screen instructions to configure sound and music card

4. Run TARTAR.EXE to play

Playing Caverns of Darkness with Tartar

1. Download Caverns of Darkness TC distribution and unzip the contents into a separate directory

2. Download STAGE3 directory contents from the above link (MEGA has means to download directory as a ZIP archive)

and copy everything there to the same directory as COD except do not copy KEYS.CSC and retain the one shipped with the TC

3. Copy DOOM2.WAD into the same directory as COD

4. Run SETUP.EXE from the COD directory and follow on screen instructions to configure sound and music card.

5. Run TARTAR.EXE -file COD.WAD CODLEV.WAD to play

Playing No Rest for The Living with Tartar

1. Install Tartar as described above

2. Put helper NERVE.WAD found in GOODIES\TAPE directory of the distribution into TAPE directory sitting side by side with TARTAR.EXE. E.g.

C:\GAMES\DOOM2\TARTAR.EXEC:\GAMES\DOOM2\INTMAPNR.WAD - OPTIONAL...C:\GAMES\DOOM2\TAPEC:\GAMES\DOOM2\TAPE\NERVE.WAD

4. Obtain actual No Rest for the Living NERVE.WAD - e.g. from Doom 3 BFG edition installation and put it into the same directory as TARTAR.EXE

5. RunTARTAR.EXE -file NERVE.WAD -nodemo

NERVE helper WAD found under GOODIES\TAPE contains assets by@OpenRiftused with their permission.

Adding extras and fixes to Tartar

1. Install Tartar

2. Drop D2SPFX20.WAD from Doom 2 Minor Sprite Fixing Project into FIXES\DOOM2, FIXES\TNT and/orFIXES\PLUTONIAdirectories

and D1SPFX20.WAD into FIXES\DOOM directory

3. Drop pk_doom_sfx_20120224.wad from Perkristian's High resolution Doom sound effects packinto FIXES directory

4. Or alternatively dropDoom_Sound_Bulb.wad from Doom Sound Bulbinto FIXES directory if you sport a 16-bit sound card

5. Put both SELFIE.DEH and SELFIE.WAD of InstaDoom into the same directory as TARTAR.EXE

6. Copy all WAD-s from FILTERS directory of InstaDoom into FILTERS directory side by side with TARTAR.EXE.
Also extract WAD-s from instadoom_dlc1.zip of InstaDoom WAD of the Year Edition into FILTERS directory.

If running in real DOS you may want to set FILES=70 in CONFIG.SYS and reboot after that.

7. Put JUMPWAD.WAD into the same directory as TARTAR.EXE

8. Optionally consider copying WAD-s from GOODIES\TAPE directory of Tartar's disro in Mega into TAPE directory side by side with TARTAR.EXE

Known issues