Blasphemer

Blasphemer
Various Blasphemer items
Developer(s)	David Spring (Springy)
Initial release	0.0.2 (2009-01-02, 15 years ago)
Development status	Active
Target Platform	Heretic source ports
License	Modified BSD
Source Repository (Git)	GitHub

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Blasphemer is a project to create a free and open-source Heretic IWAD file. Combined with the free source code, this results in a complete Doom-based game. Blasphemer is intended to be the Heretic equivalent of Freedoom, Zauberer and Animosity. The project presently uses several enemy sprites previously featured in Freedoom.

As of April 20, 2023, Blasphemer is still in development, with version 0.1.8 available as a fully playable early release, with the first three episodes mostly complete, as well as a BlasphDM deathmatch set. The theme is dark fantasy inspired by metal music and gothic horror.

History

An initial attempt was started in 2006 by leileilol, but was put on hold due to the Raven source code licensing at the time.

In October 2008, Adam Kalmbach (jute) proposed the idea of a "FreeHeretic" IWAD project, while presenting some usable assets. The name was later changed to "Blasphemer", although "Heathen" was also suggested. Some of his assets were recycled from the cancelled Dave 3D project based on Duke Nukem 3D.

Between late 2008 and late 2009, the development of Blasphemer was at its highest peak. Within a year, most of the game resources were completely replaced and functional. More recently the rate of development has been very low, but assets are introduced to the project from time to time.

In January 2009, jute uploaded the first public release of Blasphemer, version 0.0.2, at jeshimoth.com. This release contained various textures, sprites and sounds with one map present.

In the next month, Blasphemer 0.0.3 was released, which had replaced all flats, many walls, the status bar, sounds (with more new sounds) and sprites.

Then in March 2009, Blasphemer 0.0.4 was released, containing various new maps, textures, sounds and sprites.

In June 2009, Blasphemer 0.1.0 was released, this version having all sprites and textures replaced. jute said that this version only needed enhancements to assets relevant to deathmatch, such as weapon sounds, ammo pickups, player death sounds and so on.

Then in September 2009, Blasphemer 0.1.1 was released, consisting of many fixes to sprites, maps, graphics, and sounds.

In October 2009, Blasphemer 0.1.2 was released. This version had the lump required for source ports to recognise it as a potential IWAD and episodes 4 and 5 were available to access ingame.

In February 2010, Blasphemer 0.1.3 was released, along with the announcement of a new website for hosting Blasphemer, Google Code.

After two years' hiatus, Blasphemer 0.1.4 was released in February 2012. This version had many of the assets mostly finished, but it still required better material, such as sounds, more sprites, weapons and so on.

In November 2012, Stilgar, one of the founding contributors, resigned from the project, passing it on to Blastfrog (a.k.a. Sodaholic). His primary intention was to hold it so that the Google Code repository was not locked out in case the project was properly continued. David Spring (Springy) is now the current project manager.

In September 2015, the project migrated from Google Code to GitHub. This allowed contributors to easily submit potential assets for the project with little hassle. In late 2016 older graphics replaced in Freedoom were imported to fill in placeholders, with an experimental build released on January 18, 2017.

Blasphemer 0.1.6 was released on August 14, 2021, featuring draft levels for the first two episodes, as well as establishing the BlasphDM deathmatch set, and many new sprites and sounds.

Blasphemer 0.1.7 was released on September 5, 2021, polishing off episode one and introducing drafts for episode three.

Blasphemer 0.1.8 was released on February 12, 2023, featuring a number of new monster sprites by Rei.

Monsters

• The gargoyle has been replaced with a raven-like harpy. Previously green glowing skulls once submitted to Freedoom.
• The golem has been replaced with a grey cloaked ghoul. A previous skeletal version was drafted.
• The undead warrior has been replaced with the former dark soldier replacement for the revenant from Freedoom, which was originally derived by leileilol from the same model used for the Gargoyle character in OpenArena. A vampiric design has been worked on, with a suggested name being strigoi.
• The disciple of D'Sparil has been replaced with a floating brain with teeth and tentacles. A legless skeletal version was previously drafted.
• The sabreclaw has been replaced with a deer-like creature with large antlers. Previously used for the golem.
• The weredragon has been replaced with the former frog-like demon replacement from Freedoom. Current development version recoloured, while a catfish-like variant was drafted, but suggested for the ophidian instead named a merewif. A werewolf design called a gwyllgi has been proposed.
• The ophidian has been replaced with the former cobra-like imp replacement from Freedoom. Edits have been drafted.
• The iron lich has been replaced with golden metal faces with dark horns. Previously the original Freedoom version of the cacodemon. Previous submissions include this and this.
• The maulotaur has been replaced by an ogre. Previously the original bulbous baron of Hell from Freedoom. A stone golem take was also drafted.
• D'Sparil has been replaced with a skeleton warrior, which after the first stage loses its armor. Both sprites were originally created for Freedoom, the latter formerly the arch-vile. A riding version has been drafted based on available artwork, and a moth-like concept has also been pitched.
• The chicken has been replaced with the morphed eye, a crawling mollusc-like being. A previous shoggoth-esque design was drafted.

External links

• Official website
• Development fork
• Ongoing discussion thread at the Doomworld forums
• Libregamewiki article