Most common topics in Doom General

[SPG]

So I don't know about others, but I'm reluctant to post new topics. Despite doing what I can to search for the topic before posting, I find that there's always someone who will post older threads about the same topic, basically making me feel dumb for bringing it up again. With that in mind, I thought maybe I should ask here what are the most common topics you've seen asked over and over, ideally with links.

Thanks!

[indigotyrian]

Doomworld has a very bad habit of alienating and bullying new people, you shouldn't feel dumb for not knowing the answer to an obscure question or not trying the search feature that never really works on any site at all (especially nowadays). That said, common topics I've seen include:

 

- What's the best/your favorite source port? (GZDoom tends to be quite popular for its wide compatibility, followed by DSDA-Doom for its strict adherence to classic Doom behavior, useful for speedrunners and mappers. My personal favorite is Doom Retro.)

- Is Doom really a 3D game? (Depends on your definition of "3D" but this is a rather loaded topic with a lot of misinfo surrounding it and always ends in flamewars. Short answer: Yes.)

- What Doom wads should I start out playing? (Play whatever looks interesting or fun, don't feel pressured into having to line up with some baseline 'doom canon (literary)' before you can enjoy whatever else. Check the previous Cacowards for each year for good suggestions though. I personally think Eviternity is a great start for Doom neophytes as its skill ramp starts somewhat low (assuming you've beaten the original game) and builds up over time.)

- I want to make custom Doom stuff! Where do I start? ( https://eev.ee/blog/2015/12/19/you-should-make-a-doom-level-part-1/ )

- I have a problem, how do I fix it? (This is a case where searching might actually be a great idea if only it worked; Google is utterly broken right now because every query returns either an SEO-optimized page with LLM sludge, a malicious Fandom wiki, an unreachable Reddit thread, a bitrotted forum post, etc. Searching the ZDoom forums requires you set an account up there so if you're having a GZDoom error it might be a good idea to go over there. Otherwise, if it's a non-GZDoom source port issue, try asking in the thread about that Source Port in the Source Ports board. If it's a modding question try the forum we have about modding questions.)

Edited June 19, 2023 by indigotyrian

[Lucius Wooding]

It's pretty obvious most of the time, stuff like "What's your favorite WAD/Demon/Weapon", "Which Doom game was the best", "Do you like slaughtermaps", etc. Those get reused every month and people who might have been here hundreds of months have seen them too often and heard every take imaginable on them. 

 

It's not that you can't repost a topic; the forum's as old as the hills so most things have been done in some form or other. The main thing is for the thread to provide a different nuance or otherwise put a new spin on the conversation (if it isn't something actually original). Additionally, sometimes things happen in the community or enough time passes that the topic can be revisited and get some new responses. You could also frame the discussion a certain way where it points more at a focused topic; instead of "Is GZDoom/UDMF better than vanilla?", you could go with "Have recent GZDoom/UDMF maps impressed or won over any vanilla purists lately?". The latter is a lot more engaging and gives the topic new life since it also touches on current events. Additionally, topic 2 is about an opinion being changed rather than one that's set in stone, so people will have a story to tell from that prompt rather than just weighing in. Forums should encourage interesting and nuanced discussion. Some people will also be unable to resist snappy one liners and shitposts as well, who among us hasn't been guilty. But you want to encourage the former more than the latter for a successful thread.

 

The main thing when creating a new thread is to give some original thought to it and put some effort into the first post; tell us your opinion and your reasoning and don't just make a prompt and bail. That's like inviting everyone to a potluck BBQ and not making anything, it's poor etiquette. Don't be afraid to defend your opinion in a respectful manner either, thoughtful debate can be healthy and make for good topics in forums where it's usually toxic in other social media.

 

You don't have to be reluctant to make a topic, even as a new member. But you should probably lurk or scroll into past threads a bit to get an idea of redundant topics, and don't spam topics too much. Another thing is you might be better off posting in an already popular thread if the topic is similar, for example the MyHouse.wad thread is a better place to put your theorycrafting than making another new one since it's still a new and heavily discussed topic; it doesn't need to take up the entire WAD subforum's first page even if the main thread is constantly bumped, and people in there will be receptive and take part in discussion. Even if your post is good, it's likely mods will close/merge the thread if 4 or 5 salty responses happen right away. 

 

Finally, you shouldn't feel like it's a huge rebuke if people point out your thread's been done, or even if a mod moves/merges it. Maybe a couple people might dunk on you a bit but it's not that big of a deal. If the thread has some merits then those posts will get skimmed over and people will still have a good discussion. We're mostly all on the forum because we're bored so it'd be a shame if no topics got made at all.

 

 

Other things that make a good thread:

 

-Put it in the proper forum. If there's a specialized subforum for your subject, you'll get better replies and the engagement will come from interested people and not the peanut gallery. If it needs to get moved you'd be better off not attracting a handful of sarcastic comments. Instead you want it to get good responses right away to get it started.

 

-Non clickbaity, descriptive and accurate title. For people who are interested they can spot the thread and know immediately whether they have a contribution. Additionally, people can find it more easily later with searches. 

 

-If your title is your entire OP, you should make it a status update instead. Or at least back it up with some substance. Status updates are useful for when the rest of us don't have to respond; some of the recent threads have been open and shut where nobody can really contribute to them in a meaningful way.

 

-Leave a path for interesting discussion. That's the goal here, not just to get lots of responses or karma. 

 

-Don't rely entirely on links. Not only do they often seem suspicious, but posting an article or the like isn't as good as posting the same as well as your summary and reaction to it. Some social media sites take this approach and it's pretty terrible and low effort, so try and give us context and something original besides just dropping the link.

 

-When all else fails, add pics/video. These can help salvage a mostly empty thread, and some of the pic only threads make for great reading, like the Doom Pictures or Cursed Images threads.

[Redneckerz]

55 minutes ago, SPG said:

So I don't know about others, but I'm reluctant to post new topics. Despite doing what I can to search for the topic before posting, I find that there's always someone who will post older threads about the same topic, basically making me feel dumb for bringing it up again. With that in mind, I thought maybe I should ask here what are the most common topics you've seen asked over and over, ideally with links.

Thanks!

Isn't that just a summary of ''Topics people tend to post all the time''?

Basically, the first 3 things that come to your mind that you make think: ''I should make a topic about that'': Dont. Because those first 3 things you think of have topics already.

 

Another common occurence is that new people ask a question but either never return for the answer or never elaborate on what they mean. That too doesn't help.

 

41 minutes ago, indigotyrian said:

Doomworld has a very bad habit of alienating and bullying new people, you shouldn't feel dumb for not knowing the answer to an obscure question or not trying the search feature that never really works on any site at all (especially nowadays). That said, common topics I've seen include:

Oh humbug with this victimhood of alienating and bullying. And its not like there is even a victim here!

Some people post curious takes and get curious answers. Some people post dumb takes and thus get obvious dumb answers. And some other people just don't get it and those get a bit of pushback.

 

You make it sound like this community is out there to make people feel like shit and that's bullshit.

 

This isn't disregarding the rest of your otherwise excellent post, by the way.

[BonciuADV]

At least you guys get posts on your side of the forum. The Doom 3 subforum is really empty and I am envious of the new people just joining in Doom Classic and starting to integrate in the community, where veteran players can talk to them, hostile or not :) Even after the biggest resurgence in Doom 3 that happened last month, where almost every single post on r/Doom was about the game literally ONE person joined Doomworld and asked if his modern pc specs are good enough. And guess what? I loved it, even though it wasn't much I sorely missed the newb posts, new people is exactly what the community needs. 

So be grateful and most of all respectful to these new people that perhaps don't know much about how the forum works or if it already has asked before.

Bad time to post this as the biggest legend in Doom 3 modding Brian Trepanier returned to modding, but still not that many posts about Doom 3.

[Endless]

26 minutes ago, Redneckerz said:

You make it sound like this community is out there to make people feel like shit and that's bullshit.

[indigotyrian]

43 minutes ago, Redneckerz said:

Oh humbug with this victimhood of alienating and bullying. And its not like there is even a victim here!

Some people post curious takes and get curious answers. Some people post dumb takes and thus get obvious dumb answers. And some other people just don't get it and those get a bit of pushback.

 

You make it sound like this community is out there to make people feel like shit and that's bullshit.

 

This isn't disregarding the rest of your otherwise excellent post, by the way.

 

The OP literally describes how they're reluctant to participate because they've seen other new users get swatted down and snarked at.

[FecalMystAche]

I’ve noticed what @indigotyrian is saying too on this forum. Tons of backseat moderators that try to make newcomers abide by their own sense of order instead of letting the actual moderators handle it if it was even necessary to do so in the first place, so I can understand OP’s hesitation. 

[Lucius Wooding]

I've been on many forums over the years and the phenomenon of new people getting chased off isn't new or unique to this forum. Not that it's always the veteran posters' fault, but new people can easily feel ganged up on for obvious reasons. They usually genuinely don't feel they did anything wrong but get multiple people with accounts older than them giving them bad feedback. Even if the feedback is constructive, if it's not what they expected then it can feel negative. And usually at least one person will be impolite when several reply. That's not always the case, and often the people responding who point out other threads or whatever are actually doing it in a helpful way. But the OP can still feel that way regardless of intentions. Keep in mind the new users and old don't know one another well enough to know the context.

 

I think people will fit in better if they're not thin skinned about this kind of thing, but that's also survivor bias since all of us who stuck around either knew how to fit in or got past any initial pushback. We can make threads detailing what makes a good post but they usually won't get read by the people who need them. In the end bad threads are unavoidable and it's necessary to tolerate them along with the people who make them. I'd still want people to make better ones though; by tolerance I mean not ostracizing or banning them. Moderating or criticizing threads should still be done when needed. And if the thread is salvageable I usually try to at least contribute somewhat to the conversation and make it work. No reason to completely shitcan it 95% of the time especially if it's their first thread.

 

In the end I generally prefer not to blame the new people excessively since these days most of them are new to forums in general and often don't lurk nearly enough. It's a very antiquated style of site these days even if most of us here prefer it. If someone makes a terrible, low quality post I usually prefer to tell them in detail why it's terrible in the hopes that they improve their efforts. I believe there are objective, quantifiable things that commonly make a bad thread and it's usually a matter of ignorance when they happen. Sometimes things still derail or turn into a flame war even if the OP did their best, that's part of the experience too IMO. The mods shouldn't get involved directly in every instance of conflict. In the end we all come here for the good stuff and let the bad stuff pass. Unless you make nothing but terrible threads or create issues with others, usually people forget all that.

[Doomkid]

There’s definitely pointless hostility towards newbies fairly often, including far too much backseat moderating. It is very goddamn tiresome, doubly so as a moderator who has done my damnedest to make everyone who isn’t a complete asshole feel comfortable and welcome.

 

It costs nothing to be polite and the message that this community is full of standoffish assholes is not one we should be sending, largely because it IS bullshit. The vast majority of interactions I’ve had here or with people I’ve met here have been overwhelmingly positive!

 

I like you @Redneckerz, but you literally proved the OP right with your post. Furthermore, there’s no need to tell everyone who posts a ”repeat” topic (sometimes 3 or 4 long years later) to use the search button. The nature of a forum this old is that repeat topics are going to happen. I think linking an old thread with a friendly note like “topic was also discussed in the past for anyone curious” is a much warmer way to get the same idea across.

I don’t want to single out Red, it’s just that he posted here and is a culprit, but he’s not alone. As a rule of thumb, save the snark for people who have been around the block a few times (let’s be honest, sometimes if someone is being enough of an ignorant twat, snark is totally justified. That’s usually not the case, though..)

 

FWIW I was able to handle the most toxic aspects of the Doom community circa the early 00s, including some straight up “fuck off annoying child” type stuff, but I don’t think it’s fair to expect that resilience of everyone.

[Horus]

The Doom General subforum inherently will have a lot of repeat topics. I don't see the issue with it.

 

Like this topic has been done many times in the past, but so what, I don't think that should bar people from discussing it now.

Low effort / spam threads are more problematic yes, but that's a different discussion.

[BigBoy91]

23 minutes ago, Doomkid said:

FWIW I was able to handle the most toxic aspects of the Doom community circa the early 00s, including some straight up “fuck off annoying child” type stuff, but I don’t think it’s fair to expect that resilience of everyone.

We've come a long way since Doomworld's version of Godwin's Law where everything becomes a Brutal Doom discussion, and I'm happy with that. It's a forum about a 30-year-old game. There's bound to be some repetition.

Edited June 19, 2023 by BigBoy91

[tatsu91]

3 hours ago, indigotyrian said:

Doomworld has a very bad habit of alienating and bullying new people, you shouldn't feel dumb for not knowing the answer to an obscure question or not trying the search feature that never really works on any site at all (especially nowadays). That said, common topics I've seen include:

 

- What's the best/your favorite source port? (GZDoom tends to be quite popular for its wide compatibility, followed by DSDA-Doom for its strict adherence to classic Doom behavior, useful for speedrunners and mappers. My personal favorite is Doom Retro.)

- Is Doom really a 3D game? (Depends on your definition of "3D" but this is a rather loaded topic with a lot of misinfo surrounding it and always ends in flamewars. Short answer: Yes.)

- What Doom wads should I start out playing? (Play whatever looks interesting or fun, don't feel pressured into having to line up with some baseline 'doom canon (literary)' before you can enjoy whatever else. Check the previous Cacowards for each year for good suggestions though. I personally think Eviternity is a great start for Doom neophytes as its skill ramp starts somewhat low (assuming you've beaten the original game) and builds up over time.)

- I want to make custom Doom stuff! Where do I start? ( https://eev.ee/blog/2015/12/19/you-should-make-a-doom-level-part-1/ )

- I have a problem, how do I fix it? (This is a case where searching might actually be a great idea if only it worked; Google is utterly broken right now because every query returns either an SEO-optimized page with LLM sludge, a malicious Fandom wiki, an unreachable Reddit thread, a bitrotted forum post, etc. Searching the ZDoom forums requires you set an account up there so if you're having a GZDoom error it might be a good idea to go over there. Otherwise, if it's a non-GZDoom source port issue, try asking in the thread about that Source Port in the Source Ports board. If it's a modding question try the forum we have about modding questions.)

Thats not a problem to Doom world specifically. The same thing happens in any space centered around one subject be it a forum or a sub reddit. 

[Noiser]

I don't mind repeated topics at all. I'm here to have a good time, talk about Doom and see what new members are discussing.

[baja blast rd.]

11 hours ago, SPG said:

So I don't know about others, but I'm reluctant to post new topics. Despite doing what I can to search for the topic before posting, I find that there's always someone who will post older threads about the same topic, basically making me feel dumb for bringing it up again. With that in mind, I thought maybe I should ask here what are the most common topics you've seen asked over and over, ideally with links.

Thanks!

 

I have always been reluctant to start new topics. I feel threads should be higher-effort and more thought-out compared to a typical post. I try to start mostly threads with paragraph-long or multi-paragraph bodies, and while sometimes the ideal length is clearly a sentence or two and there's little else to say, I try to make that a minority of the ones I start, under 10%.

 

While the reason you've provided isn't ideal, I think of a reluctance to start threads on its own as a good thing, because it means the threads you do start are more likely to be worth posting. Some people seem to treat starting a thread as the default way to interact with the forums. Or maybe they start threads out of boredom. Or maybe they're used to posting on Twitter. All of that can lead to lazy, low-effort threads.

 

My rule of thumb is that a higher-effort thread justifies itself. If someone starts a Brutal Doom thread and backs it up with a lot of thought of their own, that seems fine. (They should still expect pushback and argument though because that's what happens when you start a thread on a divisive topic.) This thread is a good example: 

 

8 hours ago, Horus said:

The Doom General subforum inherently will have a lot of repeat topics. I don't see the issue with it.

 

Like this topic has been done many times in the past, but so what, I don't think that should bar people from discussing it now.

Low effort / spam threads are more problematic yes, but that's a different discussion.

 

This topic has been done a million times but the OP is making an effort to provide their own opinions, so it's not the worst thread in the world, really. 

The first response is pretty off the mark, linking three threads that are out of the bump window. If you have a problem with certain forms of armchair modding, consider reporting it.

[indigotyrian]

I honestly think that post reactions contribute a lot to the overall negativity here. It turns posting into a competition, and posts that "win" (i.e. get the most whuffie) tend to be short enough for most people to read and not skim, snappy and witty so as to entertain the reader, and usually align along Doomworld's orthodoxy to assure the reader that they indeed have the correct opinion. Get rid of em.

[Xaser]

Yeah, what Doomkid said. There's been a big increase in unnecessarily-hostile posts from forum regulars over the past few months, usually directed toward new users. I've been tempted to make a thread about this myself, but kinda figured it'd be a bit hypocritical since I've been a bit of a grumpus myself about certain topics lately-ish (complain-train-threads mostly, which I do think still mostly suck :P ). But too late, here we are. :P

 

The general gist I'm getting is that a lot of regulars are just tired. There are folks here who have a huge wealth of knowledge, contribute to projects, enjoy discussions about the game, and all that good stuff, but they've been around just long enough that they've seen yet another brand-new user account ask that same damn question, or post that same damn topic, or make the same sort of "newbie mistake" a bazillion times already. Sometimes those brand-newbies go on to become a Menace(tm), clogging up the forum with shitty posts and general tomfuckery until they're booted out the door.

 

So we don't wait -- we see a newbie Do the Thing and engage Menace Response Protocol without thinking. Problem solved, eh?

 

...Well, maybe not. 'Cause this thread exists. Oops! We crotchety old folk just scared off all the new blood.

 

Rant aside, I'm in a funny spot because I've been hanging around in the Doom space for long enough to have gone through many many cycles of this. Long peaks of hyperactive megasocial productivity, followed by valleys of "meh, Doom community sucks, what am I doing with my life." I'm neither a psychiatrist nor a believer in one-size-fits-all solutions, but the thing I always fall back on during Suck Time is the dumb brute-force solution: take a break from posting for a bit. Heck, don't even read the forums for a while. Go elsewhere, play a game, maybe keep on working on Doomy things but keep the browser tabs focused elsewhere while the metaphorical social stamina meter recharges (haha listen to this guy use game terms like a NERD).

 

I dunno if any of this rambling helps, but now I've got it out of my system so I can go practice what I preach. See y'all on the other side of System Shock. :P

BTW, I'm not meaning to single out any one person in particular with this... and by that I mean that I can think of upwards of 10 people off the top of my head that fit the bill, including myself. So if you think I'm addressing this at you... yeah, probably. If this place is driving you that bonkers, get some dang rest; socializing online is exhausting.

[Decay]

7 minutes ago, Xaser said:

Sometimes those brand-newbies go on to become a Menace(tm)

This made me laugh.

 

Sometimes the oldies become a Menace(tm) too.

[Maximum Matt]

But seriously, Toxin Refinery is my favourite map in Episode 1, even though most people prefer Computer Station.  

[Biodegradable]

2 hours ago, Xaser said:

I'm not meaning to single out any one person in particular with this... and by that I mean that I can think of upwards of 10 people off the top of my head that fit the bill, including myself. So if you think I'm addressing this at you... yeah, probably. If this place is driving you that bonkers, get some dang rest; socializing online is exhausting.

 

I won't lie, Xaser, I have done my fair share of groaning lately in regards to the really feckless shitpost-tier threads, but it's only because I've noticed a sudden influx of them lately this past month. However, I do realise it's not The Greatest Tragedy of Mankind and should take Jello's advice in an older thread and just ignore it, let the staff handle the riff-raff. I'll just stick to my usual MO of doing my best to have a positive presence here, be helpful and not engage in petty shit. After all, moaning and being a wet blanket is just as annoying as the shitpost threads and I don't want to contribute to that.

 

Speaking of being helpful: for your question, @SPG, my advice is to simply use the handy search engine located at the top right and use its functions to help narrow it down, keep an eye out for which topics were talked about in the past month or so. If your particular topic idea was already posted two months ago and you have relevant info or something interesting to add, give that old thread a bump. If the old thread is two years older or more, then it's better to make a fresh new thread.

Edited June 20, 2023 by Biodegradable

[RHhe82]

6 hours ago, SPG said:

So I don't know about others, but I'm reluctant to post new topics. Despite doing what I can to search for the topic before posting, I find that there's always someone who will post older threads about the same topic, basically making me feel dumb for bringing it up again. With that in mind, I thought maybe I should ask here what are the most common topics you've seen asked over and over, ideally with links.

Thanks!

I totally get it; I’m too reluctant to start new threads - although not just because some topics are brought up too often, but because somehow I think OPs should be higher-effort by default. I may have started some less-than-ideal threads myself, I’m not sure, but I’m damn sure to have been about to start a new thread, hesitated before clicking ’submit’ and backed out in the end.

 

In the past I’ve found it useful to lurk in a forum before becoming active. I joined this forum in fall 2021, and I don’t think it took that long to see certain topics (like the ones asking to list favourite / least favourite IWAD levels) get repeated.

 

That said, repeated topics with well-written opening posts are not a problem. I’m already in that stage of veteranity that I don’t care to list my favourite iwad maps or favourite source port again, but that’s okay. Those topics don’t bring up the grumpy veteran in me, but the weary veteran. Grump comes out when I see chat-like bombing of the forum with low- or zero-effort shitposting (and just to make sure: I don’t know you, but by the quality of this thread-opener, you have nothing to worry from me :P) by people who appear to be pre-teen edgelords or just plain kids who barely know how to write in some understandable language.

 

But that’s not the issue you brought up, I suppose. I wouldn’t want people to shy away in fear of posting something that’s been posted before. Maybe just put some effort in, especially if the impulse to post some topic seems to have come very easy.

[Devalaous]

Ive noticed a ton of additional hostility and snark myself, often its people trying to boot out all the new blood brought in by My House's popularity reminding people that classic Doom is still alive and well, and I can tell the moderators are losing patience with it all, just look at how much snark is in those closed cut off threads, some are literally dripping with contempt. DW has always had these sort of tides, its why I tend to disappear for months, sometimes years, because like Xaser says, sometimes you just need some rest. The majority of us are bitter and jaded oldbies, and we tend to be grumpy and deepseated in our ways, some moreso than others.

 

A majority of the Doom modding I do is actually aimed at newcomers, like people asking why stuff like Memento Mori and AV have no automap names, complaining about command line/console only maps, why x megawad isn't on the Unity port, how to play Master Levels like they are on the PS3, etc, so when they get shunted back out the door prematurely it upsets me a bit.

[Mr Masker]

Yeah, I have noticed this issue whenever it's been pointed out by someone else. There's been a lot of new people recently with MyHouse, so this is becoming even more noticeable. Maybe I've even been contributing to it partially without completely realizing, to which I apologize.

 

While there are people who legitimately don't care about following the rules, we shouldn't be too hard on poeple for single mistakes. I'll try to be a bit lighter going forward.

Edited June 20, 2023 by Mr Masker

[Redneckerz]

13 hours ago, Endless said:

 

12 hours ago, indigotyrian said:

The OP literally describes how they're reluctant to participate because they've seen other new users get swatted down and snarked at.

That single sentence did it, eh? The one where i said You make it sound like this community is out there to make people feel like shit and that's bullshit.. It doesn't really matter what else i wrote there because that single sentence is what people focus on. That in and itself is also a problem, so i am pointing it out (And i am equally guilty of doing this)

 

Paradoxically its recursively proving the OP right, but its also proving me right because see, i got singled out aswell because of that single line when there is enough in there (That i think most of us would agree with). Should i now also feel hesitant to post again? For all i know people would zoom in on a single line and judge the entirety of my post for it.

 

Semi-joking aside, real talk. I tend to dig a little bit against newbies a lot and my writing style has frequently accused me of being snobish. Whilst the latter i can't change (I am very nice IRL, trust me bro) the former is something i should address. Its a bit of a chip on my shoulder to consistently see threads made that clearly (Emphasis because there are dozens of newbies who do it right) aren't made because people are clueless. Whether it is necrobumps or what's your fave port, atleast for me (And perhaps that's the problem!) its easily spotted.

 

The main problem at the end of it though is myself. I allow a snark to be put in even when i am aware any staff member can recognize a crapshoot for what it is and deal with it. A report would be enough, but no, obviously i need to tell the OP what a doofus they are. That's on me.

 

12 hours ago, Doomkid said:

I like you @Redneckerz, but you literally proved the OP right with your post. Furthermore, there’s no need to tell everyone who posts a ”repeat” topic (sometimes 3 or 4 long years later) to use the search button. The nature of a forum this old is that repeat topics are going to happen. I think linking an old thread with a friendly note like “topic was also discussed in the past for anyone curious” is a much warmer way to get the same idea across.

I don’t want to single out Red, it’s just that he posted here and is a culprit, but he’s not alone. As a rule of thumb, save the snark for people who have been around the block a few times (let’s be honest, sometimes if someone is being enough of an ignorant twat, snark is totally justified. That’s usually not the case, though..)

Your first suggestion is literally something you could implement in forum software, but you know better than me that the codebase as is tends to be, errr... not supporting this :P

 

Thanks for the singling out by the way. (This isn't snark).

[⇛Marnetmar⇛]

It's become rather ubiquitous to the Doomworld experience to me to see posts by naive newcomers who are new to forums in general and think "Oh no, this poor kid's about to get eaten alive" while my stomach drops a little. This isn't unique to Doomworld -- it's something baked into old school internet forum culture in general.

 

While etiquette and best practices should be enforced, it doesn't take much effort at all to have a little compassion and empathy while enforcing them. As far as I'm concerned, the SA mindset of making newbies learn the ropes via inflicting pain on them ought to be a thing of the past.

Edited June 20, 2023 by ⇛Marnetmar⇛

[Li'l devil]

Never be afraid to start new topics on any subject. And if you receive criticism or hostility, stand up for yourself and retaliate. In the end, the majority of people will benefit from it, because most people visit forums for new drama, let's be honest.

[LadyMistDragon]

Like Xaser, I'm far from the first person with a right to speak regarding either grouchiness or the tendency to be snarky for instance when someone posts a very basic wad with zero explanation and expects people to look at it. But there is something to be said about being less hostile to people who for instance are asking questions about editing. Sometimes when wanting to know a particular function, you might not to wanna fool around with search terms when wanting to find how to do something, you know? Granted, that's not the reason why I'm not mapping now, but it has contributed towards making maps that are no more than half-baked.

 

In anycase....as long as it's not some bland question about, you know, Brutal Doom, it shouldn't matter how often "most and "least" favorite maps as a topic is asked. As long as it seems like you care about what you're talking about somehow and perhaps posting some ideas and descriptions of your own, justifying the pushback someone gets for asking about something is difficult.

[PhoxFyre007]

21 hours ago, indigotyrian said:

Doomworld has a very bad habit of alienating and bullying new people, you shouldn't feel dumb for not knowing the answer to an obscure question or not trying the search feature that never really works on any site at all (especially nowadays). That said, common topics I've seen include:

 

- What's the best/your favorite source port? (GZDoom tends to be quite popular for its wide compatibility, followed by DSDA-Doom for its strict adherence to classic Doom behavior, useful for speedrunners and mappers. My personal favorite is Doom Retro.)

- Is Doom really a 3D game? (Depends on your definition of "3D" but this is a rather loaded topic with a lot of misinfo surrounding it and always ends in flamewars. Short answer: Yes.)

- What Doom wads should I start out playing? (Play whatever looks interesting or fun, don't feel pressured into having to line up with some baseline 'doom canon (literary)' before you can enjoy whatever else. Check the previous Cacowards for each year for good suggestions though. I personally think Eviternity is a great start for Doom neophytes as its skill ramp starts somewhat low (assuming you've beaten the original game) and builds up over time.)

- I want to make custom Doom stuff! Where do I start? ( https://eev.ee/blog/2015/12/19/you-should-make-a-doom-level-part-1/ )

- I have a problem, how do I fix it? (This is a case where searching might actually be a great idea if only it worked; Google is utterly broken right now because every query returns either an SEO-optimized page with LLM sludge, a malicious Fandom wiki, an unreachable Reddit thread, a bitrotted forum post, etc. Searching the ZDoom forums requires you set an account up there so if you're having a GZDoom error it might be a good idea to go over there. Otherwise, if it's a non-GZDoom source port issue, try asking in the thread about that Source Port in the Source Ports board. If it's a modding question try the forum we have about modding questions.)

Mild tangent: What about Doom Retro to you makes it better than say Woof! or DSDA-Doom or Eternity or etc.?

[indigotyrian]

4 hours ago, PhoxFyre007 said:

Mild tangent: What about Doom Retro to you makes it better than say Woof! or DSDA-Doom or Eternity or etc.?

 

Doom Retro specifically focuses on a bunch of really nice aesthetic changes and updates while still keeping the "soul" of a mid-90s DOS FPS. It has all the features of Woof! and DSDA that I really care about (full support for MBF21 and lower specs) but also features things like drop shadows, per-color translucency for certain sprites (e.g. translucent lights, fire, potion bottles), bobbing and swirling water (that you actually submerge in!) with corpses and items that similarly bob in the water, blood splats and trails, per-color brightmaps for textures, rocket smoke/trails, and a bunch of other little fixes and tweaks too numerous to really detail here. All the additions feel in-line with what could be expected from contemporaries, and overall it makes the game feel like a BUILD engine game in the best way.

 

It has a few drawbacks compared to Woof! or DSDA (the options menu is anemic and most settings are changed via console, there's no demo compatibility or even a clean way to set complevels a-la DSDA/PRboom+, no multiplayer at all, no built-in support for custom MIDI soundfonts) but most of these I don't care about and custom MIDI soundfonts are easily achievable by using Virtual MIDI Synth.

[SPG]

Thanks to everyone so far for replying!

While "kindness towards newbies" is a legitimate angle, I posted this thread moreso on the face value that, as a relatively newer member, I'd like to avoid the "FAQ" equivalents for topics. As has been noted, though, on such an established forum, that can be difficult, even when using the search function (which doesn't always seem to work), or digging through previous topics (I'll admit, I think requiring folks to scroll past the first page or 2 of topics is a bit unreasonable) or "using common sense" (sure, maybe it's common, but there's a difference between "brought up every six months or so" and "brought up every other week").

Most of the topics I've wanted to bring up lately have actually been for a sort of "research" as I've been making a homebrew TTRPG campaign based on the Doom franchise, more specifically Doom 1 Episode 1. If I start up the topic with that "unique" reasoning, though, that will very much color the responses I get. "Oh, you're asking about it for a TTRPG, well let me give unsolicited opinions on system and game design and my favorite horror moment is X but you should really do Y instead" sort of stuff. Even beyond this particular situation, though, I just want to have a general community understanding without spending literal hours scouring the forums, only to still find the topic "common" or whatnot.

EDIT: I'll probably post more about my homebrew in the relevant sub-forum when I've gone through my first "beta test" with my players. :) My plan afterwards is to actually make Doom levels based on them, and then run it again and get that feedback loop until I think I've struck a pretty solid basis for both a fun TTRPG experience and a spiritually-faithful Doom experience. Well, more PSX Doom/Doom 3 in tone, but still.

Edited June 22, 2023 by SPG