The BFG's "arm"

[TheDoomDude]

So why does the BFG have what appears to me as an arm judding off the back? It just strikes me as odd that a firearm would have something like this judding off into the air above.

[baja blast rd.]

5 minutes ago, TheDoomDude said:

firearm

 

Sounds like you answered your question!

[TheDoomDude]

1 minute ago, rdwpa said:

 

Sounds like you answered your question!

Maybe I'm just a special kind of special, but could you please elaborate?

[Nine Inch Heels]

It's not an arm, it's a love handle.

[TheDoomDude]

3 minutes ago, Nine Inch Heels said:

It's not an arm, it's a love handle.

Well, it is a beloved gun.

[DuckReconMajor]

I think in the Doom comic or something you can see that arm wrap over Doomguy's shoulder to hold it in place better. Maybe I saw that somewhere else.

 

edit: here here

Edited August 3, 2019 by DuckReconMajor

[TheDoomDude]

1 minute ago, DuckReconMajor said:

I think in the Doom comic or something you can see that arm wrap over Doomguy's shoulder to hold it in place better. Maybe I saw that somewhere else.

That would probably be the best working theory for it. Considering the black rounded end piece looks like it would fit that purpose.

[TheDoomDude]

5 minutes ago, DuckReconMajor said:

I think in the Doom comic or something you can see that arm wrap over Doomguy's shoulder to hold it in place better. Maybe I saw that somewhere else.

Also, is it possible to read these Doom comics you speak of online perhaps?

[DuckReconMajor]

5 minutes ago, TheDoomDude said:

Also, is it possible to read these Doom comics you speak of online perhaps?

I added an edit to my post but here again it is!

 

https://www.doomworld.com/10years/doomcomic/comic.php?page=15

[TheDoomDude]

1 minute ago, DuckReconMajor said:

I added an edit to my post but here again it is!

 

https://www.doomworld.com/10years/doomcomic/comic.php?page=15

Thanks!

[TheDoomDude]

Good God that comic was enjoyable, but is it cannon?

[silentzorah]

Rage 2 also shows it as being a shoulder brace, being fastened on first pickup of the weapon, but nothing canon within the Doom universe suggests this.  Given that the Rage 2 variant is based on the classic version of the BFG, I think that's the best we're gonna get on this one.

Edited August 3, 2019 by silentzorah

[TheDoomDude]

13 minutes ago, silentzorah said:

Rage 2 also shows it as being a shoulder brace, being fastened on first pickup of the weapon, but nothing canon within the Doom universe suggests this.  Given that the Rage 2 variant is based on the classic version of the BFG, I think that's the best we're gonna get on this one.

I think so as well, but this is good enough for me and will now be part of my head cannon moving forward.

[Doomkid]

Forgive me if I’m wrong but didn’t Doom 4 more or less make the comic canon? There’s quite a few references suggesting the new Doomguy and Comic Doomguy are one and the same. They could be called Easter eggs but it crosses more into direct character inspiration imo 

[TheDoomDude]

2 minutes ago, Doomkid said:

Forgive me if I’m wrong but didn’t Doom 4 more or less make the comic canon? There’s quite a few references suggesting the new Doomguy and Comic Doomguy are one and the same. They could be called Easter eggs but it crosses more into direct character inspiration imo 

Could you list some of these Easter eggs? I would love to hear some of them.

[geo]

I assume it was to brace the recoil or designed to be like the Alien franchise smart guns where you don't hold it with your arms so much as hold it with your entire body.

[TheDoomDude]

9 minutes ago, geo said:

I assume it was to brace the recoil or designed to be like the Alien franchise smart guns where you don't hold it with your arms so much as hold it with your entire body.

The comic proves this theory as well. We may be onto something here guys.

[ChicagoTrash]

In the comic, they show that arm wrapping around the user's shoulder. I'd guess it was made to brace the gun while firing or to distribute the weight.

[Unitron]

Known about the comic for years, but never actually read it. Now I have, and it was hilarious, especially that forced environmental message that is just a complete 180 and then right back to the over the top action.

 

It does make sense of that BFG arm though. 

[Nootrac4571]

On 8/3/2019 at 3:06 AM, geo said:

I assume it was to brace the recoil or designed to be like the Alien franchise smart guns where you don't hold it with your arms so much as hold it with your entire body.

 

I think that's likely - it's no secret how much Aliens influenced Doom.

 

Fun fact: The smartgun harnesses in the movie are actually modified steadicam arms:

 

 

If that's the case, then I figure that the arm(s) coming from the back of the BFG are probably supposed to attach to his armour at the waist or on his back, rather than over his shoulder. It's super vague though.

 

[Edit]

 

...and in a case of life imitating art, this is apparently a prototype the US army is working on now:

 

 

Edited August 12, 2019 by Nootrac4571

[Maximum Matt]

It's a collapsible tripod.

[Ashley_Pomeroy]

In the early pre-release versions of the game the Aliens-esque shoulder brace was more explicit - the sprite shows our hero holding the BFG like a drill:

 

I wonder if they were a little bit inspired by Total Recall as well. It's set on Mars and Arnie begins the film operating a drill - wearing gloves! It's a stretch, I know:

 

 

I also wonder if they decided to downplay the BFG's odd design because (a) it would look slightly rude if they modelled our hero holding it and (b) they decided at some point not to bother making "player holding all the different weapons" sprites, and realised that it was a waste of time putting much effort into the design of something that no-one would ever see.

 

Wouldn't it be cool if they remade Total Recall? They'd have to keep the violence and make it 18-cert. All they have to do is improve the modelwork and sets (the original looks a bit cheap) but keep the squibs and one-liners. It can't fail.

Edited August 11, 2019 by Ashley_Pomeroy

[DoomSpud]

Folding buttstock. Standard.

[Nootrac4571]

10 hours ago, DoomSpud said:

Folding buttstock. Standard.

 

Huh, like this I guess?

 

 

Makes sense, since the Doom Bible says the BFG was originally supposed to have insane recoil.

[The Nate]

20 hours ago, Ashley_Pomeroy said:

Wouldn't it be cool if they remade Total Recall? They'd have to keep the violence and make it 18-cert. All they have to do is improve the modelwork and sets (the original looks a bit cheap) but keep the squibs and one-liners. It can't fail.

They did in 2012. It was PG-13 and it was shit.

[Ashley_Pomeroy]

No, I think you're mistaken. If there had been a Total Recall remake I would remember it. The only way Hollywood could mess it up is if they gave it a 12 certificate, took out most of the violence, all of the gags, and cast a really boring actor like Ryan Gosling or Colin Farrell.

 

They would never do that. It would be like remaking Point Break or Red Dawn.

 

Or, I dunno, The Karate Kid.

[Maximum Matt]

Or Doom.

[geo]

18 hours ago, Ashley_Pomeroy said:

No, I think you're mistaken. If there had been a Total Recall remake I would remember it. The only way Hollywood could mess it up is if they gave it a 12 certificate, took out most of the violence, all of the gags, and cast a really boring actor like Ryan Gosling or Colin Farrell.

 

They would never do that. It would be like remaking Point Break or Red Dawn.

 

Or, I dunno, The Karate Kid.

Colin Farrell in it who has fallen from great heights to "leading man of box office bombs." Amazingly Total Recall's remake made almost 200 million and cost 125 million. Arnold made those 80s movies. He knows what Andy Kaufman knew... people love broken English.

 

Kobra Kai is awesome.