Add a Base Game WAD

Before you can launch any Protocol, you need at least one base game WAD available to the system. The base game WAD is the foundation, the “planet” your mission takes place on. Without it, your source port has nothing to run.

What is a base game WAD?

A base game WAD (or IWAD) is the original game data file, such as doom.wad, doom2.wad, heretic.wad, or freedoom1.wad. These are not mods; they are the core game assets that every mod builds upon.

The system stores and manages these in your configured WAD Files Directory.

Getting a base game WAD

You need actual game data to launch anything, and you have two routes:

• Own DOOM or DOOM II? (Steam, GOG, or the original CDs) Your WAD files are in the game’s install folder. Skip to Adding a WAD.
• Don’t own it? Grab FreeDoom. FreeDoom is a free, legally redistributable replacement for the classic DOOM game data, no purchase required. UAC Launch Control can download it for you:
  1. Go to the WAD Files tab (during onboarding or on the Install page), or Settings → Wad Config.
  2. In the FreeDoom section, click FreeDoom (Phase 1 + 2). The app downloads both IWADs (freedoom1.wad, freedoom2.wad), verifies their checksums, and registers them automatically.
  3. A FreeDM option is also available if you fancy the deathmatch-only IWAD.

Downloaded IWADs are stored in ~/.config/uac/freedoom/ and appear in the WAD list like any other base game.

Adding a WAD

Navigate to the Install page and switch to the WAD Files tab.

Drag and drop

• Drag a .wad file from your file manager directly onto the dashed drop zone. The system will immediately begin scanning.

Browse and select

• Click the drop zone to open a native file picker. Navigate to your WAD file and select it.

Review and confirm

Once a WAD file is selected, the system will display:

• Source File: the original filename of the selected WAD
• Stored As: the filename it will be saved as (an MD5 hash-based name to prevent collisions, e.g. doom2-<hash>.wad)
• MD5: the computed MD5 checksum for integrity verification

Review the details and click Confirm Import to finalize. The file will be copied to your WAD directory and registered in the system.

Post-Import: Configuration

Once a WAD has been imported, you can configure it in Settings → WAD Config:

• Name: The display name for the WAD (e.g. “Doom II: Hell on Earth” instead of doom2.wad)
• Icon: A custom icon displayed in the sidebar and dropdowns
• Engine Runtime: Override the source port executable for this specific WAD (e.g. if heretic.wad needs a different engine)
• Launch Arguments: Additional command-line arguments specific to this WAD
• Additional Parameters: Extra engine parameters (e.g. -nomonsters -warp 01)
• Hide from Interface: Excludes the WAD from base game dropdowns and the sidebar. Useful for support files like voices.wad that strife.wad requires but shouldn’t appear as a selectable base game.

Auto-detected WADs

The system recognizes the following WADs by default and supplies a pre-configured name and icon:

File	Recognized As
doom.wad / doomu.wad	The Ultimate Doom
doom2.wad / doomii.wad	Doom II: Hell on Earth
tnt.wad	TNT: Evilution
plutonia.wad	The Plutonia Experiment
freedoom1.wad	FreeDoom: Phase 1
freedoom2.wad	FreeDoom: Phase 2
heretic.wad	Heretic
hexen.wad	Hexen
hexdd.wad	Hexen: Deathkings of the Dark Citadel
strife.wad	Strife

Any unrecognized WAD will use a fallback icon and its filename as the display name, which you can customize in WAD Config.

WAD Directory Watcher

The system automatically watches your configured WAD Files Directory for changes. When new WADs are added (or removed) outside the application, e.g. copied in via file manager, the system picks up the changes in near real-time and updates the version registry accordingly.

Storage

All base game WAD data is stored in your configured WAD Files Directory (~/.config/uac/wads/ by default). The configuration metadata lives in:

~/.config/uac/doomVersions.json

This file can be edited manually, though you should let the system handle it unless you know what you’re doing. Tampering with the registry may result in protocol instability and unscheduled UAC review meetings.