Why are doom maps so wet?

[Catpho]

I find it hard-pressed to find a doom map i like that doesnt have liquid in some form. Sure, there are maps that are as dry as a bone, but most maps i have encountered (including plentiful iwad maps) bound to have water/nukage/lava/(insert other liquid here) in there somewhere.

Why? My guess its that water flats and textures are mostly animated, so it makes the place vibrant. Or its that water is important to our lives, so we just subconsciously include it?

JUST WHY?

[Merry Widow]

Maybe it makes it more interesting?

[Memfis]

It's a very easy way to give the floor an interesting look without making it all bumpy or using tons of detail, and it works with just about any texture theme. The damaging liquids are also very convenient in orchestrating fights. The player has too much space? Well, let's make some of it useless! Plus they are very bright and colorful, which always results in nice contrast.

 

A while ago I've noticed that almost all of my maps feature some liquid, and that freaked me out too.

Edited March 30, 2018 by Memfis

[Roofi]

Monsters  must always have a place to take bath , especially spectres.

[baja blast rd.]

Just now, Roofi said:

Monsters  must always have a place to take bath , especially spectres.

 

Ever wonder why a spectre looks as it does? Well, its fondness for bathing in damaging substances has eroded its physical being into invisibility, leaving only the resilient helldirt behind to be seen.

[printz]

id Software did it in their original maps and everyone got inspired from them and followed suit. Maybe it's also our subconscious craving for water.

[Zulk RS]

Probably because damaging floors are a really useful tool to create varied fights and what better way to tell they player, "Hey, this floor hurts" than making the floor look like lava?

 

That and water makes for some good looking/ interesting rooms.

 

Basically what Memfis said.

40 minutes ago, Memfis said:

It's a very easy way to give the floor an interesting look without making it all bumpy or using tons of detail, and it works with just about any texture theme. The damaging liquids are also very convenient in orchestrating fights. The player has too much space? Well, let's make some of it useless! Plus they are very bright and colorful, which always results in nice contrast.

 

[riderr3]

Mt. Erebus without liquids cannot to be existed.

Fun fact, but in Doom 1 blue water appeared mostly in E3, and probably 2 inaccessible sectors in E2.

[Big Ol Billy]

Because John Romero is a sexy, sexy man

[geo]

Diversity. It breaks up terrain, offers damage and visual enhancement.

[Deleted_Account]

Because demons like to play Marco Polo.

[Doomkid]

I would find it strange if there was any less liquid, honestly. Compared to how wet Earth itself is, Doom actually seems quite dry!

[ReX]

2 hours ago, Catpho said:

Why are doom maps so wet?

Because the lava rocks got them hot? :wink:

[Uni]

* It adds new colors to the map.

* Can provide gameplay aspect and area of denial when damaging.

* It can help put emphasis on creating a setting(rivers, underground caverns, artificial pools).

* Animated so it helps keep things alive.

* Easily applied and doesn't require preplanning.

 

Probably more stuff I can't think of at the moment.

 

 

[DooMingo]

In Ultimate Doom, if you realize, most fluids are damaging floor, even the water in E3 (a way of delusion or trap). Fuids were conceived, at the first time, like another "enemy" for make more dangerous battles. Later, in Doom 2 with more enemies, ID saw some fluids like "wonderful ornamentation".

[Gez]

The Doom engine wants surfaces to be perfectly flat, and liquids have the interesting property of creating perfectly flat surfaces when undisturbed, so they're a natural fit.

 

Of course there's the issue that the water is solid and you can walk on it as if it were concrete, but as long as it's just backdrop scenery and you can't actually go there, who cares? It's easier to sell an endless horizon of water (or, if you're in hell, of lava, blood, etc.) than of any other type of surface.

[Liberation]

You have to question the UAC's health and safety policy with rivers of nukage running through there bases, but then teleporters to another dimension would probably get them closed down anyway I guess.

 

Anyway animated flats/fluids do give the doom engine a great dynamic for fights/visuals.

 

 

Edited March 30, 2018 by Liberation

[printz]

I always had the feeling that especially episode 4, Thy Flesh Consumed, is really flooded with harmful acid.

[Nine Inch Heels]

Because love gets slippery when it's wet:

Spoiler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qvr9HrfpNXw

 

I actually never really thought about the abundance or lack of liquids a lot, but if I were to guess it's either a very elaborate way to make doomguy's slippy shoes more "believeable", or it's meant to add to the overall surrealism.

 

The game is supposed to take place in a different time period, in environments that were supposed to be unlike what we're used to, lots of liquids can really help with that. Then again, most of earth's surface is covered in water, maybe the idea was to make these small microcosms more "earth-like"?

 

Maybe the idea was to make the maps feel more "alive" by adding something like a dynamic surface to otherwise relatively rigid "constructs"?

 

I don't think I'll have something like a "good answer™", but it is an interesting question to think about for sure.

[Marlamir]

Because good and right use of liquid will bring level design to new level and its helping to make nice contrast to gameplay also personally i really like some realistic aspect in maps and liquid is one of the easiest and effective way how to achieved that feeling.

[SaladBadger]

i personally do it because i just like the animation. it looks nice and distinct.