Why do I use DECORATE?

About the time I was learning how to use DECORATE, I became aware of its replacement ZScript. So, I tried out a ZScript version of whatever it was I was working on and always came up with an error. I thought, oh well, pipe dream. I went back to my DECORATE code because it worked. It wasn't until last year, 2025, that I discovered the reason my ZScript didn't work was because I do all my testing (and playing) Doom in Zandronum. I seriously didn't know that Zand didn't support ZScript; I just always assumed it was something I was doing wrong.

I design maps primarily for deathmatch, network play between two or more players. I'm weird because I like having monsters in a lot of them. I call it Deathmatch WITH Monsters (TM). So I'm not about to put Zandronum down any time soon. If the code I write works for ZDoom too, great! If it doesn't, I'm not going to cry about it. The fact is, I don't use anything more advanced than what was available when ZDoom 2.8.1 was final in 2016.

But now that I know that Zand only supports DECORATE and not ZScript, I don't want to hear any more shit from people in Doom forums telling me to ditch DECORATE. Furthermore, I don't want to hear (read) any crap about how I need to upgrade from Windows XP to "a more modern version of Windows". The only reason I even run my XP box is for when I'm mapping for Doom using Doom Builder 1.68 because that's the version I know how to run goddamnit! I can run the rest of my computer life on a Debian Linux box. I do not need Windows.