What's something about Doom you absolutely love?

[Captain POLAND]

The fact that you can play through thousands of user - made levels and still not find them boring.

[TheHambourgeois]

Probably the definitive weapon set for retro shooters. All other FPS games before the tyranny of the military shooter are basically trying to find an iteration of the same formula.

[Doomkid]

So many excellent answers here. I'm gonna do my stereotypical answer and say that I love how Doom started online, international multiplayer gaming. To me, playing video games is literally never as fun alone as it is with friends. Bluntly, Doom not only did it first, but did it best; that gameplay is 99.1% pure.

 

Every multiplayer FPS I've played since ranges from "comes almost close to being as fun as Doom DM" and "falls so short it's not even a contest". Don't care that the weapon balance is only 99% perfect rather than 100%. Don't care about all the little weird gripes or hangups I've heard about it before. Using source ports, the ability to do minor tweaks and QoL improvements to the already-incredible baseline that vanilla Doom provides just makes it such a pure, primal multiplayer FPS experience.

 

6 hours ago, spineapple tea said:

Doom mapping has this perfect balance of being completely accessible to people new to mapping for video games while also having options like Boom/MBF and UDMF for more mature and and technical works.

I absolutely appreciate the underlying point of your post, but I'm going to be a nitpicky asshole and say that I don't like referring to Boom / UDMF as more "mature" formats that Doom. I know you just mean more intricate, but some of the worst/most "immature" piece of shit wads I've ever played were Boom or ZDoom-specific rofl. Forgive me for mentioning DoomCraps in a thread about DoomGoods.
 

2 hours ago, Heck Yeah said:

But Plutonia of Casali Brothers is epic coz it was the basis of almost or I dare say all maps that was made after the release of Plutonia Experiment.

Plutonia absolutely nails the "small map, fairly straightforward to navigate, always challenging but never unfair" formula for sure. Doom 1 and 2's maps are much bigger and more labyrinthine though, and kind of feel like this "big twisted world", whereas Plutonia generally doesn't have the same sense of place & narrative and feels distinctly more "arcadey" even than Doom 2 as a result.

 

Not downplaying Plutonia which I love, but I do also like to play/make maps that have a fair bit more environmental storytelling and general sense of place & narrative. The best of both approaches is ideal!

[Insaneprophet]

I just love that the only game ive never got sick of playing has never stoped having new content created for me to play.

[Muusi]

I love what Shareware Doom is using Doom95. That whole experience, the awesome splash screen and all. It was so far beyond anything I'd ever seen on my SNES back home. People give Doom95 a hard time and yes of course it's not exactly the best source port out there but it was what introduced me to Doom.

 

Also I love how much better Doom managed to be on a PlayStation, which was definitely inferior hardware than what was available for PC at the time.

Edited January 12, 2023 by Muusi

[Rudolph]

"At Doom's Gate" and "Intermission from DOOM". The Doom 64/Playstation theme song. Punching pinkies with a berserk-powered fist.

[SteelPH]

The fast-paced, fun gameplay and near endless amounts of usermade content to play.

[Doomkid]

1 hour ago, Muusi said:

I love what Shareware Doom is using Doom95. That whole experience, the awesome splash screen and all. It was so far beyond anything I'd ever seen on my SNES and back home. People give Doom95 a hard time and yes of course it's not exactly the best source port out there but it was what introduced me to Doom.

I just want to add onto this and say that the classic Doom games always were pretty fantastic is regards to splash screens and title screens for setting the mood. The Doom95 splash screen was indeed badass, but even the DOS versions had that cool, imposing bright red bar saying "DOOM II: HELL ON EARTH 1.666" at the top as the game loaded with the iconic Refresh Daemon text.. For being text-only it was a pretty nifty little loading screen, I remember other PC games of the era almost never having any color or interesting features at all on such screens. Dunno why 1.9 had to make the colors slightly lamer.

 

Also, even though I'm a PC Doom fanatic and think it's the One True Version, I have to give credit where due to that cool-as-Hell PSX title screen, with the rising flames and badass music. Talk about setting an awesome tone! (Plus I do love PSX Doom in general, easily the best console Doom port)

 

Since Doom95 was brought up I just want to mention its launcher as well. The definition of simple but elegant, imo. Really wish to see it recreated exactly for the current classic Doom scene, only with changes where absolutely necessary: the ability to pick source port, pick custom screen res, maybe convert the multiplayer window at the left to a server browser - heck, it already says Games Currently Available:

 

[prfunky]

1 hour ago, TheHambourgeois said:

"the tyranny of the military shooter"

Awesome! You couldn't crystalize my feelings about other FPS games

more succinctly than this.

 

Believe it or not, when Doom was "new", I wasn't interested in playing it

because at first glance, the first-person perspective evoked something

of an anti-"video games train the kids for war" emotion in me.

 

It wasn't until later on that I realized what an absolutely great cartoon

Doom is to watch. I would say then that in response to the question of

the original topic; what is it about Doom I absolutely love? My answer

is the comic/cartooniness. I now try to emphasize this aspect in all of my

map work I do to add to this behemoth universe that Doom has become.

 

[Cammy]

Every level has its own music lump, even if it uses the same midi as another level. Can you imagine being restricted to having the same midis for every map02/11/17, every map08/14/22, every map06/12/24, and so on? Only having 18 unique pieces of map music, instead of our rich history of incredible bespoke music for each map in a pack so none ever gets old and every map has its own flavor? I'd die.

 

Also, the sound design. I know a lot of it is just stock sounds, but that low-bitrate crunch gives every sound so much oomph and character. I just cannot get behind any sound pack that takes away that crunch. When you make the sounds "better", it just makes it so much more obvious that they're stock sounds. The pistol and shotgun sound like garbage when upscaled, and dying revenants sound like I dropped a bowl of oatmeal on the ground. No sir.

 

It may be divisive, and it's certainly not always written amazingly well, but dammit, I love the ridiculous lore in the new games! Even back in the beginning Doom's story was kind of a blend of silly and badass - angry justice man beats up his boss, gets put on Phobos duty, and somehow didn't die when the entire place got smacked by demons, so he gets pissed off and goes directly to hell to fistfight a cartoon mecha-brain, loses his pet bunny rabbit, and goes on a murderous demon't rampage???? It almost feels like the natural and logical endpoint of that concept to make it an over-the-top, power-crept space opera about our Doomguy being so goddamn mad about demons still existing that he becomes god and hops between timelines and universes just to kill more of them! It's on a much greater scale and a very different setting, but it honestly holds on to the roots of this game's story so loyally in spite of all its differences.

 

Lastly, I'd like to thank Shawn Green for creating E4M3, and also to thank E4M3 for existing.

[prfunky]

12 minutes ago, Doomkid said:

Since Doom95 was brought up I just want to mention its launcher as well. The definition of simple but elegant, imo. Really wish to see it recreated exactly for the current classic Doom scene, only with changes where absolutely necessary: the ability to pick source port, pick custom screen res, maybe convert the multiplayer window at the left to a server browser - heck, it already says Games Currently Available:

 

Hopefully, not de-railgunning this topic too badly but I said this before in its related

topic; Hypnotoad90's Rocket Launcher 2.0

[Capellan]

BOOM *chk chck*

 

 

(almost all of the sound design for monsters and weapons is great, honestly)

[Somniac]

1 hour ago, Doomkid said:

 

 

Damn, that brings back memories! I'd totally forgotten about that. 

[thelamp]

There's lots of things to love about Doom, but one aspect that stands out is just how good the sound design is. Not just in the sound effects I really like, for instance the Arachnotron's death or the Archvile's pain sound, but even the sfx that kinda suck, like the Imp's lame camel noises or the plasmagun being too loud, are really not that big of a problem. The only problem I really have with it are the noises that are shared between monsters, like idle and pain sounds. It'd be better if every monster had it's own but maybe I'm just being greedy. It speaks to the quality when my only complaint is that I want more

[Doomkid]

1 hour ago, prfunky said:

Hopefully, not de-railgunning this topic too badly but I said this before in its related

topic; Hypnotoad90's Rocket Launcher 2.0

Unfortunately it doesn't load .deh files, which makes it useless to me - but I do appreciate how well done that UI is.

 

Doom Explorer gives me all I need since it has (imo) the best single player and multiplayer launcher as of now, and supports everything!

[Hellbent]

The snort and thud sound a demon makes when it dies.

[prfunky]

3 minutes ago, Doomkid said:

Unfortunately it doesn't load .deh files, which makes it useless to me - but I do appreciate how well done that UI is.

 

Doom Explorer gives me all I need since it has (imo) the best single player and multiplayer launcher as of now, and supports everything!

 

Hmm... I don't think I've loaded any .deh files, at least not recently, but wouldn't it just

be a switch added in the "Additional Command Line Arguments" box at the bottom?

Or is there something about this launcher that makes it incompatible with .deh files?

 

[indigotyrian]

I love how Doom's monster roster is at once incredibly simple (most monsters just walk forward and occasionally attack) and amazingly complex. Each monster on its own is quite simple to understand and can, on its own, be defeated pretty easily (even archviles, cyberdemons, and spiderdemons aren't too scary once you understand how their attacks work). The real challenge and joy of Doom is how different types of monsters, their placements, the shape of the environment, the overall numbers, and the player's tools at hand inform how the encounter plays out. Many simple tools in the hands of the creator refract into a wonderfully complex arrangement of behaviors.

[Doomkid]

1 minute ago, prfunky said:

Hmm... I don't think I've loaded any .deh files, at least not recently, but wouldn't it just

be a switch added in the "Additional Command Line Arguments" box at the bottom?

Or is there something about this launcher that makes it incompatible with .deh files?

 

I do believe Hypnotoad specifically mentioned it being incompatible with DEH files even through the command line way back in the original Zandronum thread about the launcher, which is a total shame. Maybe it was fixed since though, I'll double check that soon.

[TheMagicMushroomMan]

38 minutes ago, segfault said:

I love how Doom's monster roster is at once incredibly simple (most monsters just walk forward and occasionally attack) and amazingly complex. Each monster on its own is quite simple to understand and can, on its own, be defeated pretty easily (even archviles, cyberdemons, and spiderdemons aren't too scary once you understand how their attacks work). The real challenge and joy of Doom is how different types of monsters, their placements, the shape of the environment, the overall numbers, and the player's tools at hand inform how the encounter plays out. Many simple tools in the hands of the creator refract into a wonderfully complex arrangement of behaviors.

Absolutely. It's a balance that other games could not achieve - I love Blood, but it just doesn't have the feeling of precise design that Doom has. Same goes for the other Build Engine games. All the major Build games are fun (well, Shadow Warrior has some issues) but you're not likely to ever hear someone comparing Duke or Blood to chess. Granted, the Build games had a different style of combat in general that was a bit more loose, and it works for those games most of the time, but even Blood (which I love) suffers from relatively severe problems with enemy behavior and enemy/weapon balance. Doom's enemy roster is perfect. There's probably room for another weapon or two, and I don't personally care for the BFG too much, but it's an extremely balanced setup. It is very precise in terms of design, but the combat never feels cold or clinical. Not sure if that makes sense, but I don't know how else to say it.

[Ludi]

Might be a weird choice, but being able to buffer inputs. As a speedrunner, this is a feature literally every game should have.

 

Being able to queue inputs during a weapon's firing animation is something I feel is taken for granted.

 

EDIT: I don't speedrun Doom, I speedrun Postal 2, Super Metroid, and Super Punchout

Edited January 11, 2023 by Ludi

[Individualised]

I love how Doom 1, Doom 2, and Final Doom manage to create an atmosphere out of assets that aren't necessarily atmospheric. For example, E1M8's great lead-up to the Baron Twins boss fight, starting you off in a confined space with "Sign of Evil" playing, and hearing the Barons roar when you reach them, it sounds simplistic but really gives a sense of atmosphere you just don't get even in modern games. When I was younger and could barely even beat the first episode, reaching E1M8 was always a treat because it felt so rewarding, and beating the fight, seeing the "Doomguy gets mauled to death" cutscene, and hearing the story screen music was as equally rewarding. E2M4's scrolling skull wall also genuinely kinda freaked me out the first time I saw it, especially combined with the music for that level. It communicates well that "this is when the game starts to get serious". Doom 2 doesn't do stuff like this as much, though I feel it's levels with a large amount of vertical space give an atmosphere that was missing in Doom 1. Final Doom, especially TNT Evilution also gives a similar sense of atmosphere that Doom 1 did, but even better. TNT levels, and in some cases Plutonia levels too, feel like they are real, alive places with backstories, and that I'm going on an adventure. And I don't mean when levels try to realistically recreate stuff like chairs and tables (I think there's a word for that), but just the overall structure of TNT levels feels "real" and I can't quite pinpoint why. I know Final Doom is considered a low point in Doom games and Evilution is especially not that well liked, but I will always love it and hold it in the same regard as the first 2 Doom games because of stuff like this.

 

Doom 64, which uses traditionally atmospheric assets, is also great in its own right and I love that game too, but it's a very different feeling I get from playing it compared to the first 3 games.

 

Edited January 11, 2023 by Individualised

[ＤΞＬＴΛ]

The fact that doom exists in the first place?

 

That and the incredible versatility when it comes to modding and programming.

[ZeMystic]

Getting brain from the spider mastermind

 

I like the modding scene. It's neat expressing creativity through doom maps and brings me back to when I'd mess around with Halo: Reach's forge game mode. I also enjoy a lot of memories that comes with playing doom. Trying to co-op TNT with my dad, or him setting a laptop in front of me with the doom builder download page. Also, Into Sandy's City being the best track.

[BedrockCastle]

Garbage 90s WADs. Dead serious - I've always found a lot of enjoyment in playing through mid-1990s trash.

[Kyka]

8 hours ago, Individualised said:

I love how Doom 1, Doom 2, and Final Doom manage to create an atmosphere out of assets that aren't necessarily atmospheric. For example, E1M8's great lead-up to the Baron Twins boss fight, starting you off in a confined space with "Sign of Evil" playing, and hearing the Barons roar when you reach them, it sounds simplistic but really gives a sense of atmosphere you just don't get even in modern games. When I was younger and could barely even beat the first episode, reaching E1M8 was always a treat because it felt so rewarding, and beating the fight, seeing the "Doomguy gets mauled to death" cutscene, and hearing the story screen music was as equally rewarding. E2M4's scrolling skull wall also genuinely kinda freaked me out the first time I saw it, especially combined with the music for that level. It communicates well that "this is when the game starts to get serious". Doom 2 doesn't do stuff like this as much, though I feel it's levels with a large amount of vertical space give an atmosphere that was missing in Doom 1. Final Doom, especially TNT Evilution also gives a similar sense of atmosphere that Doom 1 did, but even better. TNT levels, and in some cases Plutonia levels too, feel like they are real, alive places with backstories, and that I'm going on an adventure. And I don't mean when levels try to realistically recreate stuff like chairs and tables (I think there's a word for that), but just the overall structure of TNT levels feels "real" and I can't quite pinpoint why. I know Final Doom is considered a low point in Doom games and Evilution is especially not that well liked, but I will always love it and hold it in the same regard as the first 2 Doom games because of stuff like this.

 

Doom 64, which uses traditionally atmospheric assets, is also great in its own right and I love that game too, but it's a very different feeling I get from playing it compared to the first 3 games.

 

 

totally agree. Plutonia always felt like a challenge. Evilution felt like an adventure. Great distinction.

[TheMightyWhoosh]

It’s been said many times previously, but the replay value of Doom is unmatched elsewhere. It’s just so easy and satisfying to kill time playing a few levels, or loading up the editor and creating something from nothing.  
 

The Doom community is so humble and welcoming, too. 

[TheSlipgateStudios]

Everything is top notch, a close favorite of mine but Quake took the spot for the #1

[WSADKO]

the fact that is a very thought thru game, despite it was made on a horrendously small time limit.

and that its holds up very well today, its like chess of videogames, with iconic weapons and enemies

[Azafran]

1. Historic reasons. Doom defined a genre, it's true that it was not the first FPS, but it's the one that popularised it and set its tropes. Deathmatch, cooperative play, genre defining arsenal... It was cutting edge at the time, plus all the story with the two Johns, Id software, etc. All of this makes it super appealing to immerse in the historic side of the game.
    
2. The most pure and satisfying gameplay. This past year I made a point to beat some old boomer shooters that I played years ago but never completed: Duke Nukem 3D, Quake, Rise of the triad, Blake Stone, Blood... They're good, but Doom has something that makes it "baseline". The weapons have the right balance, the right sound and they inflict the right amount of damage. Monsters are not bullet sponges like in Quake, instead there are a ton of them and makes you feel like a god when you mow them down in a frenzy.
   The graphics and theme is like "vanilla" enough to allow for infinite replayability and modability. It never gets old.
   That all of this was accomplished in such a short development time (taking into account they were running into new territory), it's nothing short of miraculous.
   It feels to me like the Id guys struck the most satisfying balance by pure luck and the next games tried to improve a formula that was already perfect. So instead of an improvement, it was a downgrade in some ways.
    
3. The best community and a massive amount of mods. Doom is probably the most modded game of all times. At this point is almost a 30 years old game and maps are still coming better and in greater numbers than ever. This fact is totally AMAZING to me. There is enough high quality content to last for many lives of playing.
   That the source code was released is completely awesome and the huge number of source ports is a testament of that.

Edited January 17, 2023 by Azafran