How Should Source Ports Be Classified?

[AkumaKing]

After some thinking, a question came time mind. Can source ports be considered engines or just simple ports?

While, yes, they do port over code from Doom and derives games, they also add new features and such. Plus, it's possible to make whole games on them, as MM8BDM and Action Doom have shown.

So, what do you guys think? Simple port or engine derived from another engine?

[Slim]

Well although ZDoom is a huge step from retail Doom, it still uses idTech 1 (Doom and co.), so I'd say port.

[ibm5155]

Zandronum engine, sounds powerfull

[HexaDoken]

Depends on what exactly you're pointing at here.

Chocolate Doom is a port. It simply makes you able to run the game on more systems.

PrBoom is a port. It simply makes you able to run the game on more systems while also adding in some extra stuff.

ZDoom and derivatives are... well, neither. They are ZDoom and derivatives. On one hand, their goal is pretty much the same - to let you run the game on more systems while also adding a huge load of extra stuff. On other hand, it boasts modding tools so powerful that you can create retail quality games on it that barely have anything to do with doom(coughtotalchaoscough). While they are not technically "engines"(they are not designed for you to design entirely new games on them), they are also much more than "simple" ports.

On the third hand, I gotta agree and say that "Zandronum Engine" does sound damn powerful.

[AkumaKing]

That's exactly why I asked what I asked, HexaDoken. Also, I see avatars are back.