So what's happened?

[Guest nitsud]

With all this talk of Doom 3, I wanted to ask everybody what they feel has happened to the FPS market, and games in general. IOW, what, in your opinion, makes Doom superior after all these years? And what shortcomings (if any) do you think Doom has compared to modern games? Graphics limitations are a non-issue, BTW.

[Guest Turbo I]

DooM is superior for the following reasons:
1) minimal hardware requirements. I was considering putting Winblows95 on my 5x86 so I could work on my K62 system, and still be able to play CSDooM and it would have probably worked. I decided not to work on the K6 though.
2) simple and direct gameplay. This applies to single and multi player. Kinda like DOS/Win 9x. Does most of the same things, but when you just want something done without fuss, or want to kill and blow stuff up, you use DOS/play DooM.

shortcomings:
1) Now not as much of an issue as before, but internet gamability has not been good for DooM until CSDooM came out. ZDooM is cool, but laggy, kinda like Quake was to Quakeworld and its successors. Now we need a server watcher web site like gameaholic.com or a program like GameSpy(haven't really checked out King Elvis' launcher yet...), map voting, maybe, and some new DM levels with internet play in mind, with more vertical variation to the architecture... And people, lets play some freakin' actual DM levels already!

2) DooM maybe requires a little less precision, or something. I guess it is in the game environment. The X and Y coordinates are far more important than the Z component. In Quake 2 and 3, you can duck rockets; stop, aim, and rail someone across the map; rocket jump up and rain rockets down on someone's head :) and stuff like that. On the other hand, DooM's simplicity is also an equalizer. I always tell idiot low ping Quake bastards that think they are 'lite and got skillz that I would be happy to ZDooM their ass. Never had any takers yet :(

Well, DooM still rocks totally.

[Guest Elbryan]

Here's why I think that Doom is better than any of the new games:

1) It's a well rounded game, and ever since the source has hit the net, it only gets better and better.

2) It's a very simple game that has the perfect balance. The old find key, open door, hit switch to finish level architecture may be old, but in my opinion is a lot more fun and easier to pick up than objective based games. They're great one time through, but what then? The game collects dust. Doom's tried and true gameplay is number 1.

3) It is awesome one player as well as multiplayer. I'm getting just bit sick of games that are multiplayer only. I think the games are a cop-out. It takes less time to make a multiplayer game, and is less effort. You don't have to create levels with atmosphere or depth. You don't need a story. Level structure and weapon placement is the only thing they have to make. Pitiful. The only multiplayer only game that's worth mentioning is Quake 3 Arena. It has the atmosphere and balance of Doom.

4) Doom is freaky as hell. No other FPS game I've played has the unique feel and atmosphere Doom. I've nearly crapped my pants with some levels of Doom.

5) Gameplay is the number one thing about Doom. The new games may look cooler, but that's it. No gameplay to back it up. Graphics mean nothing compared to how high of res you can crank up the game, or whether it supports the new video card, or even if it has shiny surfaces.

6) Lastly, it's the most fun game I've ever played. Pure adreneline rush. No other game has so much enemies compacted together to shoot. Fun, fun, fun.