==============================================================================
HACX: Twitch n' Kill 1.3D for DOS                                  revision 1b
2026/05/24                                    DOS binary compiled by MrFlibble
==============================================================================
1. General Information & Features
==============================================================================

This is a DOS version of HACX: Twitch n' Kill by Banjo Software, version 1.3D
(the freeware stand-alone community-updated release). The DOS binary is based
on the Doom source code, bringing the game as close as possible to the DOS
original.

The binary is derived from the code of DoomNew Vanilla, a DOS Doom source port
with some extended features like DeHackEd support:

  https://github.com/SenhorFlibble/doomnew-vanilla

Banjo Software declared HACX freeware for non-commercial use, but the updated
stand-alone version of the game (1.2) is not compatible with DOS. This package
contains a further updated HACX.WAD that works within vanilla Doom limits as
well as with other Doom source ports. It can be played either in real DOS or
in emulators like DOSBox.

In addition to preserving the original vanilla features, this version also has
several optional extras:

- fixes for a number of known Doom/Doom 2 bugs
- restored variable pitch for sound effects
- option to disable vertical mouse movement
- optional secrets counter on the map screen
- extra cheat codes

Some of these features must be enabled by editing the EXTEND.CFG file.

There are also a few improvements over the previous releases of HACX:

- added custom colour scheme on the automap
- added custom help/controls screen (show when pressing F1)
- disabled display of par times on the level tally screen, as HacX does not
  have any custom par times
- fixed spelling of two level names (Hidden Fortress and Desiccant Room)
- fixed two broken player character animation frames
- fixed a bug with player health resetting down to 200 from a higher value if
  Centrophenoxine is picked up (only if bugFix enabled in EXTEND.CFG)
- better compatibility with MBF and BOOM-derived source ports
- minor fixes of HUD font characters

This version is compiled with the APODMX wrapper and the Apogee Sound System
instead of the proprietary DMX sound library, making it fully GPL-compliant.

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1a. Licenses & Permissions
==============================================================================

Hacx is now a royalty free item. This means that Hacx may NOT be used to
generate income of any kind nor can it be used to promote any activity that
would generate income.

The DOS binary game code is licensed under the GNU General Public License,
version 2 (please see the GNU.TXT file for the full text of the license).

Tone libraries for OPL2 and OPL3 chips produced by The Fat Man are released
under the MIT license (please see LICENSE-TheFatMan.txt in the DOCS folder).

==============================================================================
1b. Revision History
==============================================================================

2026/04/12 - r1 - initial release

2026/04/14 - r1a- minor updates

2026/05/24 - r1b- added extra menu lumps for port compatibility

==============================================================================
2. Installation & Running the Game
==============================================================================

No additional files are needed to play. Unpack the game into the directory of
your choice, run SETUP.EXE to configure audio devices and controls, then run
HACX.EXE to play.

You can configure controls to WASD, then set novert to 1 in EXTEND.CFG to
disable the vertical mouse axis (which is originally assigned to forward &
backward player movement in Doom).

Please refer to DOSBox documentation for information on how to set up and
configure the emulator. You can also simply drag-and-drop HACX.EXE over the
DOSBox icon, although this is not the preferred method of starting the game.

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2a. Instructions for Source Ports
==============================================================================

The DOS version of HACX aims to accurately reproduce the original's behaviour
by way of direct modifications to game code, but source ports will depend only
on the embedded DEHACKED lump in HACX.WAD.

Because of different handling of DeHackEd code, some ports will not replicate
all HACX features. Notably, the player will not be able to collect up to 400
health by picking up MicroKits (1% health bonuses).

Chocolate Doom is known to correctly handle this feature. To enable it, you'll
need to load the external HACX_C.DEH file:

chocolate-doom -deh hacx_c.deh

NOTE: It is also possible to use the original DOS version of DeHackEd to patch
the vanilla Doom II binary v1.9 to run HACX 1.3D as a stand-alone game.

==============================================================================
3. Credits & Thanks
==============================================================================

HACX                            Banjo Software

HACX 1.2/1.3 updates            Xaser and Blzut3

DoomNew                         Frank Sapone (Mara'akate)

Doom Vanille                    Alexandre-Xavier Labonté-Lamoureux (AXDOOMER)

gamesrc-ver-recreation          NY00123, Nuke.YKT

Miniwad                         Simon Howard (Fraggle)

Freedoom                        Freedoom contributors

OPL3BankEditor                  Vitaliy Novichkov (Wohlstand)

OPL2/OPL3 tone libraries        George Alistair Sanger (The Fat Man)
                                K. Weston Phelan

BSP 5.2                         Colin Phipps et al.

ZokumBSP                        Kim Roar Foldøy Hauge

RMB: Reject Map Builder         Jens Hykkelbjerg and Steve Benner

Doom Text Generator             eevee

==============================================================================
4. Web Links for Reference
==============================================================================

> HACX - Twitch 'n Kill (official website)

  http://drnostromo.com/hacx/

> DoomNew by Frank Sapone

  https://github.com/maraakate/doomnew

> Recreations of different Doom versions' source code

  https://bitbucket.org/gamesrc-ver-recreation/doom/src/master/

> Miniwad - Minimal Doom IWAD

  https://github.com/fragglet/miniwad/

> OPL3BankEditor

  https://github.com/Wohlstand/OPL3BankEditor

> libADLMIDI

  https://github.com/Wohlstand/libADLMIDI

> BSP 5.2

  https://games.moria.org.uk/doom/bsp/

> ZokumBSP

  https://web.archive.org/web/20200925005931/http://doom2.net/zokum/zokumbsp/

> Doom Text Generator

  https://c.eev.ee/doom-text-generator/

==============================================================================
5. Compiling DoomNew Vanilla
==============================================================================

The binary was compiled using the freeware Watcom C 11.0c available here:

  https://www.openwatcom.org/ftp/archive/11.0c/

I first installed Open Watcom C 1.9 in DOSBox, then installed Watcom C 11.0c
elsewhere and copied those files over the Open Watcom ones, overwriting them.

Compiling with Open Watcom C might work, but will likely throw up a bunch of
warnings.

You will also need Borland Turbo Assembler 3.1 to compile the Assembler parts
of the code.

==============================================================================
6. What is DoomNew?
==============================================================================

DoomNew is a enhanced DOS source port created by Frank Sapone, otherwise known
as Maraakate. It is derived from Linux Doom. It aims to enhance the stock
executable with system drivers and bug fixes derived from Heretic and new
features, including the use of the DMX sound engine, internal and external
DeHackEd support and the raising of static limits, such as visplanes.

==============================================================================
7. History
==============================================================================

Frank Sapone was previously active in the Daikatana community and impressed
John Romero with the community patch for it that improved the stability of the
game. Wanting to make an improvement to Doom, he acquired the DMX sound engine
from Romero himself. The first activity was on December 19, 2012, and DMX was
linked on June 1, 2013. The port is known as Doom 1.9a. Sapone kept a detailed
record of his progress in a file called CHANGES.TXT.

September 2013 was easily the most productive month for the port. On September
9, music was added in, with graphics and sound following on the 10th. From the
12th to the 20th, the port was brought up to speed, gaining support for all
versions of Doom, along with TNT: Evilution, The Plutonia Experiment,
Perdition's Gate, Hell to Pay, Chex Quest and HacX. A lot of effort was spent
taking code from Sapone's other port: an enhanced version of Heretic. On
September 24, preliminary DeHackEd support, adapted from Chocolate Doom, was
added in. On October 10, experimental support for internal DeHackEd patches
was added.

2013 and 2014 were thus spent on fixing bugs, partially using code from his
enhanced Heretic fork. After November 11, 2014, development stopped until
August 31, 2015 when Sapone released a massive code clean up. Experimental
support for the SimulEyes Virtual reality glasses was provided utilizing a
secondary executable called DOOMVR.EXE. The last update and release was on
October 21, 2015.

==============================================================================
8. Original DoomNew features
==============================================================================

*Utilizes the DMX sound engine

*Support for Doom, The Ultimate Doom, Doom 2, TNT: Evilution, The Plutonia
 Experiment, Perdition's Gate, Hell to Pay, Chex Quest and HacX through their
 own parameters
 -doom, -doomu, -doom2, -tnt, -plutonia, -perdgate, -hell2pay/, -hacx

*A additional configuration file, called EXTEND.CFG. With this you can set
 parameters:
 -novert to disable vertical movement
 -noprecache to disable graphics precaching
 -nowipe to disable the screen melt effect

*Doom.wad will search for Episode 4 and auto-load The Ultimate Doom. This can
 be overridden using the -doomu parameter

*Specify the main WAD file utilizing the -mainwad parameter

*Ability to load older save files using the -oldsave parameter

*Ability to convert older save files utilizing the -convertsave parameter

*Various new cheats from Heretic 1.3a:
 MASSACRE
 HHSCOTT: This instantly finishes the level

*Speed enhancements from Heretic, such as linear.asm

*Raised limits:
 SAVEGAMESIZE to 1024 KB
 SAVESTRINGSIZE from 24 to 256
 Visplane limits are removed, utilizing code from wHeretic
 Support for internal and external DeHackEd patches

*Ability to toggel loading internal DeHackEd files through the -deh_internal
 parameter

*Virtual reality support through DOOMVR.EXE

==============================================================================

                       --- END OF FILE (2026/05/24) ---
