Doom Eternal, 2nd anniversary.

[GraphicBleeder]

Well, it's March 20th. 2 long years since the game first launched. How do you feel about it after all this time?

[Disktra]

This game was a total blast for me. I'm just wondering how id will manage to make a sequel to it, if they plan to at least.

[whatup876]

I think it's too soon for a new Doom game but i like to think there's always room for new ideas and potential.

2 years of Eternal, i wonder if they still have plans for the game itself since there's the leaked updates and stuff.

I even have a vague memory of a "classic Vile" skin on some leaked text files.

Edited March 20, 2022 by whatup876

[BGreener]

On 3/20/2022 at 9:53 AM, GraphicBleeder said:

Well, it's March 20th. 2 long years since the game first launched. How do you feel about it after all this time?

Still favorably of course! At launch it was conflicting since I had some concerns about direction while being absolutely delighted with the improvements.

[MemeMind]

Good game

[Cantleylads]

My favourite game since Quake 3.

[Major Arlene]

I like the game itself, its gameplay loops are fun, but I've had way more technical issues with it than when it first launched. Had to start by upgrading the graphics card after TAG1's release since the game decided to eat up ALL the VRAM (I was playing on a 1060 before), plus this last session I played I had the game just hard-crash to desktop randomly and the Gladiator fight bugged out- the health bar would not go down even if I staggered the dude with a rocket, and ate up a bunch of my lives. Dunno what Bethesda/id's been doing with the game recently but it's become much less fun to play with those issues, unfortunately. It sucks because I genuinely adored the game at launch. 

[Mr. Freeze]

Still haven't found it within myself to 100% like I did 2016. 

[Astronomical]

I waited until early 2021 to get a computer powerful enough to play the game, I had played 2016 on console and my brother bought me the game on sale in October of 2020.  By the time I had finished the game I was unimpressed, while I had liked the game the combat loop is super repetitive and gets old by the end of the game.  I had no desire to play TAG because by the time I had finished the base game I had felt I had mastered the combat loop to such a degree that I didn't care if I got any better and the new content didn't seem worth it even on sale.  2016 had benefited a lot from being a return to form, but eternal lacks that and just isn't fun to me anymore. 

[whatup876]

Weird seeing some people "feeling old" over Eternal being 2 years old because it doesn't seem that long ago unless it's because of outside stuff like COVID.

The game is still getting updates and people are still talking about it.

 

Since i got a lot to say about Doom as always:

* Something very specific i noticed about the Praetor suit's helmet is how the top of the visor has like a thing going downwards. Like, if the visor was a single eye (Or even 2 conjoined eyes like a Sonic character lol), then it would look like an angry single eye because its shape is like a curve aiming down. Which in a way sort of fits the Slayer's character and even reminds me of Judge Dredd a bit. Because the "visor top" or whatever you call it in the classic Doom helmet is flat/linear. Imagine if in a new game, Doomguy's helmet is designed to be more "expressive" even when he covers his face/eyes, so you get an helmet with moving parts or something. It could even work in a classic Doom-esque HUD that shows the helmet instead of the face (and by "expressive helmet", i obviously don't mean the "canned cain" from Serious Sam). I also thought a design idea for Samuel Hayden would be if the "blue eye" thing could also be animated to move or show different states of the character.

* "Anti-rocket" enemies could be more than just resisting explotions or avoiding rockets, like imagine a demon jumping on top of a rocket, just so it could jump from it like a platform and get closer to the player. or better yet: remember that DMC3 cutscene where Dante rides a rocket? imagine a demon riding a rocket and trying to guide it back to the player lol.

* Some people complain that infighting is not as common in Eternal but i feel like in a way it may not make sense in the new games. Like it worked in classic Doom because it didn't have the same "Kill for resources" system, arena style combat/encounters, complex ai/behaviours and had the Blursphere which by making innacurate enemies, unleashes infighting chances. at least there's enemies made for player's advantages/enemies' disadvantages like Clueballs/Engineers which is kinda different. though if the Hologram from 2016 returned in a new game, it'd be interesting seeing that being able to trigger enemy infighting in a game where that is even rarer.

 

But something in specific i wanted to touch upon is how you can keep making something out of Doom withoout feeling like you're "Milking" it.

Because Doom should not be a series that gets a game every year or in a short timespan.

But i feel like certain franchises are "milked" because they may have specific formulas that are the way they way to facilitate releasing games more often, whether it's a "check list" tower climbing open world game or a linear corridor shooter with barely any interesting mechanics.

Because even within a series like Mario, there's a difference between a real ambitious, mainline title like Odyssey and the "New" SMB series.

 

Doom is a series where gameplay and game design always came first that it was important for each game to think of something new or refreshing and even besides gameplay, there's still other areas such as art design/aesthetic, music/sound, technology/engine or even story now.

It's a series that not only always had potential to be more, but that is needed to justify making a game or at least an expansion or a smaller scope project.

Doom-like games, be it older retro FPS or modern FPS that are vaguely inspired by those, tend to focus on similar aspects for variety/complexity: The movement, level design, weapon and enemy variety, resource management and some other elements.

So because of the game design aspects that defined most of these games, it's not easy to "milk" a series if it's not part of the 7th gen FPS staple of "all there is in the game is aim down sights and maybe reloading".

There's also the fact that stuff like spiritual successors and mods exist in case someone wants "More Doom" and even those projects sort of show how expandable Doom is.

(that and maybe the novelty of something new being under the Doom name officially, because some cool weapons you see elsewhere aren't really "canon")

I feel like as long as there's creativity and all, it's possible to make a new Doom feel fresh (there's even so much concept art and unused content too).

Maybe i could even mention how Doom is a series that mixed sci-fi and fantasy elements that went through different directions while something like COD were mostly based off real war, even with stuff like sci-fi/future games or Zombies.

 

I feel like the least you could do i have a mindset like behind the Metal Gear Solid series where you treat a game like it's the last one and go all in, even when it's not the last.

Because there's still discoveries being made on Doom Eternal and even a more divisive game like Doom 3 has effort in a lot of areas.

I guess depending on how much can justify a Doom game can at least justify spin offs or expansions, though TAG was the way it was because of a year one pass release window.

id is also more aware of themselves and their surroundings than most other devs, so there's hope in that too.

Though for now, a Quake project should be a priority.

[MemeMind]

I'm still adamant that there should a Doom Wars Enemy Territory. 

[Azuris]

On 3/20/2022 at 2:53 PM, GraphicBleeder said:

Well, it's March 20th. 2 long years since the game first launched. How do you feel about it after all this time?

 

I loved it at launched, i had Dreams of it because of the Music and the Gameplay Loop :D

 

Style of the Monsters closer to classic was great.

Only the Barons look better in 2016.

 

But the Addons broke that Love.

Imo they are just bad Game Design.

You can only kill it with this, you can only kill it by that, this and that effect will go on your Nerves, you are not allowed to see.

They have gone to far.

The Levels itself felt also not as polished, with many invisible Walls.

The Fights often felt like if being a Employee in a Shop and five Minutes before Closer there will Enter more Customers.

Not challanging, annoying.

But i liked the Spirits.

 

Overall the Addons really killed the Game for me.

 

The Multiplayer is no fun, did most of the Archivments.

 

I think some of Updates also weren't really a Benefit, like the funny Sounds.

When they decided to do most of the "weekly" Missions only for the Multiplayer, i lost the Interest.

Strangest Change is still the Change of how Cheats work.Dann

For Example, no unlimited Ammo for Super Weapons.

Sometimes it was Fun to run around with the Unmaker and destroy everything that Moves :D

Maybe it was changed back, haven't tested it for a While.

 

Also, it has grown from 45 to nearly 90 GB, what the heck?

And it was possible to delete other Language Pakages before and save 5-10 GB, now they have changed how the Files are organized...

Somehow the same with Doom 2016?

 

I've pirated the Game after they tried to force me to install Denuvo Anti Cheat back then.

So i have a older Version of the Game as a Backup.

I think i will play that instead again.

 

 

[dyshoria]

God damn time goes by fast

[Kute]

It's still new to me, I only started playing towards the end of last year.  But there's quite a bit of content imo. I just got the gold UNM armor, now I can play the DLC's. I've only played one of the master levels as well.

 

Gameplay wise, this is the most entertaining game I've ever played. You can play in drastically different ways too. That "Under the Mayo" guy plays a very, very different way than say, zero master. Like, he uses micro missiles. And remote detonate. And the plasma rifle. Everything is viable. I was watching a video of a PS5 player who because of the controller limitations inherent there, has made a style out of purely endlessly blasting PB/sticky bomb combo. If my muscle memory wasn't set to not swap into a second weapons secondary moving out of PB, I'd try it for kicks.

 

I do wish horde mode was a bit... better. Like just more simple, but endless. Just some fun arenas with never-ending waves of harder enemies. No gun gimmicks or anything, just the normal gameplay, but with big fun arenas that gradually ramp up, you get a high score, and there'd be a leaderboard. (disclaimer: I haven't actually tried horde mode myself, so my perspective is just from watching a few runs - maybe they have this stuff?)

 

I also wish there was more traditional death match/team deathmatch. I really dunno why they couldn't include that.

 

I'm just pumped because beating UNM means I never have to play cultist base again. Or arc complex. The early levels play more like a traditional shooter and I don't think it's a coincidence that I find them a drag.

 

I don't know what their plans are moving forward, but whether it's quake or doom, I hope the combat gives you the movement freedom that Doom Eternal did. I have faith in Hugo Martin. I don't think people give them enough credit for bringing a beloved series back from the dead, while putting a modern day spin on it, and while changing a lot of things dramatically. 2016 and especially Doom Eternal took some big leaps of faith and it could have went really bad, as we've seen so often. But they killed it, and I'm grateful.

 

I'm a carmack fan, and this is extremely ignorant of me to say as I have no clue what was going on, but it felt like as he got rid of romero and started essentially making games as tech demos, the gameplay was beginning to suffer badly under his watch

Edited March 31, 2022 by Kute

[gwain]

does anyone else feel like it released it a few months ago...

[CasualScrub]

It's not a game that I go back to like I do Doom 2016 sometimes.

 

It's just personally too much for me. It's not that I think it isn't fun at times, because I do, but I simply just don't take to the very intense weapon switching and grenades, constantly switching upgrades, etc. Combine that with all the mobile elements like dashing and swinging, I just have trouble keeping up with it all and just can't keep fast enough with it. Doom 2016 gives a little more leeway in this regard, which is why I enjoy it much more.

 

Also just the fact that I really hate the story and storytelling of Eternal.

 

Still, even with all that said, I'm glad that the game proved so popular, and has helped keep Doom alive and well, and the fact it's so beloved clearly shows that many people really do love that more aggressive gameplay loop.

[Doom Rasta]

I've been like 2 years without playing Doom Eternal... That's sad

[whatup876]

Another reason why a new Doom game should wait/take a while is probably tech, since tech is a big id thing.

So it can even affect the gameplay, besides just performance and graphics.