Do you ignore the regular Shotgun after picking up a Super Shotgun?

[Muusi]

Usually when watching videos about Doom, i see people mowing even smaller enemies down with the SSG in situations where the regular shotgun would surely be enough to safely proceed. Is this something you do too? 

 

I love the regular Shotgun and the sound it makes when using PSX sounds like i always do. I find myself using it on all weaker enemies, even Cacodemons and Pain Elementals since they tend to get pushed far away from damaging them, which isn't a problem for the good ol' Shotgun. Only when facing a Hell Knight or higher do i switch to the SSG unless they're far away.

 

It's not about ammo conservation, i just like the Shotgun more for whatever reason.

[Dubbag]

using the SSG for anything less than a pinky or a full group of low tier enemies is a waste of ammo IMO. The normal shotgun also has a better range for zombies at a distance. I refuse to kill one imp by itself with the SSG unless I panic LOL

Edited May 31, 2021 by Dubbag

[Biodegradable]

I concur with Dubbag 100%. It's all about accuracy and ammo conservation. I'm always switching back and forth between the shotguns depending on what's being thrown at me at any given time. 

[baja blast rd.]

I'll waste shells on zombiemen or use two SSG blasts on one mid-ranged imp pretty happily, because my mindset is more about pragmatism: I don't try to save ammo in spots where the only effect that'll have is I finish the map with 34 shells instead of 40 or something like that. Even in ammo-light maps, stirring up a handful of creative, unexpected infights or temporarily ignoring some low-threat monsters (especially turrets) can save lots more ammo. When ammo is tight, I'm more likely to semi-pacifist. Also, just as importantly, being less of a perfectionist is more fun for me. 

 

The situations I'm most likely to lean on the regular shotgun after getting the SSG are slow-paced maps where it feels good to play slowly and contemplatively, maps that are extremely ammo-tight, or maps that don't give out the chaingun or many bullets.  

[Final Verdict]

I use the Shotgun quite a lot. I dislike using the SSG to blow Zombiemen and Imps away. Sure it's fun, but I hate wasting the ammo.

 

There is one enemy I do like to keep the SSG handy for, the Archvile. It has a really high pain/flinch effect on it. It depends how many there are and what environment I'm fighting them in. Obviously I'm not going to use the SSG if there is any more than 2-3 of them or they're on some raised platform etc. 

 

Otherwise I prefer to use a stronger weapon like the Plasma Rifle for tougher enemies. I really don't use the SSG as much as I should, a bad habit I picked up years ago. But I will lean on it quite often in tighter maps.

 

[Denim Destroyer]

I use the super shotgun for close groups of enemies and singular tough enemies. For longer range combat I will use the regular shotgun.

When I first started playing Doom I would only use the super shotgun which lead to many easily preventable deaths due to poor ammo conservation.

Edited May 31, 2021 by Denim Destroyer

[Murdoch]

No. I frequently alternate between them depending on the distance. The idea of a shotgun of any kind being a sniping weapon is deeply hilarious.

[Arrowhead]

Both shotguns have their uses. The single shotgun has the benefit of basically being usable as a sniper rifle. I find myself switching between them all the time to save ammo, too.

[Mayomancer]

Depending on the amount of ammo drops, possibly. For the stuff that it'd be overkill to use the SSG, or are just too far away, i use the chaingun. I actually use the chaingun a lot even for higher tier enemies if the urgency to take them out is not too high.

 

So unless bullets are scarce, or i don't have an SSG, i'm most likely not using the normal shotgun too much.

[Kurogachii]

Doom is such a well balanced game that there's actually a difference between both shotguns, the SSG being more of a crowd control weapon, and the regular shotgun being a more precise one shot one kill weapon for imps and zombies at mid-close range.

[roadworx]

nope, i frequently use the single-barrel both to conserve ammo and as a sniping weapon

[out_of_service]

Nope! It still has a purpose after picking up the double barrel. I also love that racking noise the regular shotgun makes after each shot.

Edited May 31, 2021 by PSXDoomer

[MattFright]

Never.

[Dark Pulse]

Absolutely not. It's inefficient to do that.

 

If you got groups of baddies or a big mean one, by all means, pull out the SSG.

 

If you're just gunning down riffraff, or single monsters, by all means, pull out the Shotgun. Anything up to and including a Baron can be downed with that and a little footwork.

[Juza]

Only situations I will do so is if the gameplay still revolves around sparse groups of Imps and lower, or if I need a long-range option and the chaingun isn't available

[smeghammer]

I'll use the regular SG for preference. I like its faster reload times, narrower spread and better long range accuracy.

 

The main time I will choose the SSG is for downing fatsos - 3 shots and gone. It is useful for pinkies but I'll use chainsaw for preference unless there is room to circle strafe and also PLENTY of shells.

 

I agree SSG is mighty powerful, but - and this is a big but for me - only at very close range because of that very wide spread angle. If you do have it, it certainly gives you more options, but the lack of it is by no means a bad thing for me.

 

I suspect this PoV stems from playing Doom1 to death before D2 was even a thing, so the SSG is still a "new" weapon in my head.

[Teo Slayer]

I use the Super Shotgun when I want to fight with the big enemies for example Mancubus, Arachnotron, Hell Knight, Pinky etc

I use the Shotgun when I want to snipe enemies who are far away. Sniping with the SSG is an ammo waste, it hardly hits them

[Book Lord]

People in videos are usually speedrunning/quickly maxing out/pistol starting the map, so ammo conservation is not a priority unless the map balance is tight. SSG is a more efficient and quick way for disposing of close encounters of any type. RL, BFG and Plasma are used for clearing crowds or distant enemies. Infighting and crowd management does the rest.

 

Normal Shotgun is tied to classic original Doom gameplay (hitscanner hallways, windows...). It is a good medium range weapon, perfect for door or corner camping, to kill semi-stationary enemies (caged snipers, Pinkies in mounds, etc) without plunging into the danger zone. I think it is pretty good against Cacodemons and small groups of Arachnotrons and Mancubi. Their low pain threshold makes them flinch at every hit, stopping their attacks.

 

I use the shotgun just as often as the SSG, but the latter gives me a sense of relief because it is more reliable against Pinkies. I usually play with -fast monsters, where they pose a real threat.

[Doom-X-Machina]

Standard shotgun is my favourite weapon in the game so... definitely not.

[DRM-MAN]

I use the single barrel more then the ssg, I'll use the ssg whenever the game gives me a reason to.

[DynamiteKaitorn]

If I only need to gun down 1-2 light enemies, the chaingun has me covered. Once I find a super shotty, unless I have to conserve shells I generally start being liberal with my use of the SSG so that I can clear out rooms quicker and to take down mid-high tier enemies with ease.

[SilverMiner]

As I rarely run out of shells, I completely ignore the normal shotgun once I pick up a super one.

But in the latest map I'm working on, I didn't place much shells and it became something in resource starvation style that forced me to switch to the normal shotgun many times when playtesting, and I think it adds some gameplay variety

[Christian Ck.]

.

Edited June 15, 2023 by Christian Ck.

[evil_scientist]

I used to, before I learned that you could just press '3' again to switch back to the standard-issue shotgun! :D

[Cinnamon]

While my practicing with the regular shotgun was a thing I started with due to ammo conservation, as I get better it becomes less and less about that.

 

It's "hit area" i.e. a line is way easier to aim efficiently at anything that's more than medium distance away. And using the SSG and seeing 75% of all pellets miss the mark just feels wrong to me. So as long as situation is not too hectic (lolololol D64) I will favor the reg. shotgun due to its vastly better precision.

 

This is more than true at medium to long to extreme distances: you can actually reliably aim with the reg. at pretty long distances. This would be a laughable proposition with the RNG cornucopia that the SSG is. :)

[Matthias]

Many modern megawads got me used to use regular shotgun, as with SSG you can loose your ammo quickly as it takes 2 shells, so killing unecessary zombiemans and imps with it... not a good idea.

[Zenki]

Depends on what comes at me. SG is faster than SSG, good enough for zombiemans or imps. SSG is much more efficient with pinkies imo. And yeah of course depends on ammos i got.

[CBM]

I just use the SSG whenever I can because.. well.. I like it a lot better than the regular one.

[URROVA]

No, i use the supershotgun for monsters with more health like demons or hell knights, but i use the shotgun for imps or zombies with any weapon, and lost souls. Also the shotgun is more precise because shoots all the shots on an horizontal line.

[1Destro3456]

No, I use them for different reasons like the SG for really low tier enemies or sniping if I don't have chaingun ammo, I use the SSG for groups of enemies or mid-tier enemies a bit more close