Aspects in Doom

What aspect in Doom do you think "made" the game?

Personally, I think every aspect of the game was essential to turn the game into what it was.

the thing that made doom what it is, is that it was the only game to combine all those factors.

No, the barrels made the game

The shotgun sprites while reloading.

the hole between a dead imps legs.

Not to mention to fact that it basically inspired the idea of open-source and player-made add-ons and whatnot.

Not to mention to fact that it basically inspired the idea of open-source and player-made add-ons and whatnot.

no, it's definatly the dead imp's anus. I sure wouldn't be here if not for it, hell I wouldn't have gotten through puberty without it.

No, I'm serious. The shotgun is what made me fall in love with the game. Sweet, sweet shotgun.

And I see everyone here is too lazy to think a rational answer to the poll and just goes for the "ALL" option.

And I see everyone here is too lazy to think a rational answer to the poll and just goes for the "ALL" option.

Cripes... it's not about laziness, (even though I am very lazy) it's just that all of the factors mentioned had to be combined to make Doom as great as it is. It's hard to narrow it down from that. If I had to pick any one aspect of Doom that made me love it, I would have to say it would be the first episode. Even now the first episode is why I love Doom as much as I do and it has always been and always will be the best part of the game.

ahhh e1m8... that map is genious, I spend 5 minutes breathing from a bag in a dark corner after the barons of hell killed me for the first time.

What made the game? How 'bout the all-night session I spent to beat the game the first time. Followed by the nightmares for two weeks afterward. Doom was the first game that sucked me in and would not let go.

And I see everyone here is too lazy to think a rational answer to the poll and just goes for the "ALL" option.

Not to mention to fact that it basically inspired the idea of open-source and player-made add-ons and whatnot.

If you ask me, I think it was the scare factor. We all remember fighting the Barons of Hell at the end of the first Ep, don't we? I know I do. Those guys scared the piss outta me the first time I saw'em. Then the immortal battle with the Cyber at the end of the Shores of Hell. That fight gave nightmares for weeks on end. In fact, I still dream about from time to time. Then was the somewaht-disappointing-but-still-scary fight with the Spider Mastermind.
But it's not battles with bosses. Think about it.
The lights that strobe on and off. The monsters themselves. The creepiness of playing the game in a dark room with no music turned (unless it's E1M5 or E1M7, that is). The claustrophobia some of the levels instill. The sound of a shotgun firing and then realizing-"Hey, that's not my shotgun firing."
So yeah, I think it's the scare factor.

You know, to me it was the action and the cool monsters/weapons that was the main factor for me.

I often wonder if there's something really wrong with me, especially when I read posts about people getting scared in games.

For some odd reason I don't get scared when playing a scary game (even the almighty Doom never scared me). I'm talking about getting scared to the point where one doesn't dare to proceed. The closest I've ever come to be scared in a game, was probably the battle against the Cyberdemon in e2m8, but I was more nervous than actually scared.

Only scary movies can actually scare me shitless - and that's something I don't like. Getting scared while watching a scary movie, means to me that I don't want to watch the movie any longer. This happens to me only in movies - never in games.

But I love a spooky atmosphere - the best "scary" atmosphere I have experienced so far is in RtCW in the crypt levels - especially when the music changes.

Scare factor

What scare factor? IMO, though DOOM is a kickass game, it's actually one of the least scary. Well, now it is, at least. I remember when my uncle in-law got a joystick for X-Mas one year that came with the shareware version of DOOM. My cousins (both girls) tried playing it, and as soon as they heard the first zombie growl they handed the keyboard over to me. As for me, I made it through very easy.

But Crendowing, at the time it came out, it was scary as fuck.

I think all of the factors help, certainly, but the scare factor definately kept me riveted.

It was actually quite scary for me when I played it the first times... I was like 11 years old then...

I can imagine that Doom was scary back then, but as I mentioned above, I'm a bit strange and don't get scared of games. And yep, I DID play Doom when it was brand new (spring 1993, was the first time my eyes fell upon this masterpiece), but even though the game had amazing graphics, it still looked like a game rather than a movie in my eyes and I knew back then that one day games would look like movies (that will happen when Doom 3 is released).

The new Doom game might scare me, but then again, a FPS like Doom puts you in the boots of a heavily armed badass, which means that you can take care of yourself. When whatching scary movies you have no influence and you just
watch helplessly as the characters in the movies get mutilated or whatever happens to them.

In the game I am the one who mutilates (insert evil laughter here), thus I don't get scared easily.

The new Doom game might scare me, but then again, a FPS like Doom puts you in the boots of a heavily armed badass, which means that you can take care of yourself.

Until you play in the hardest setting with no savegames. That's the best way to really appreciate a game.

I can imagine that Doom was scary back then, but as I mentioned above, I'm a bit strange and don't get scared of games.

Well, I first played in summer of 94. And I was eight years old back then.

Until you play in the hardest setting with no savegames. That's the best way to really appreciate a game.

I've tried that with Ultra Violence - no problem, but I died a couple of times and had to start over with only a pistol, which quickly made me better.

[edit]Actually I tried it without saves the very first time - did pretty well - reached e1m5 (Phobos Labs) until I died.[edit]

I have to admit that I've never completed Doom on Nightmare skill - that skill level is damn frustrating and disatisfactory as you are forced to exit the level without being able to kill everything off, grrrrr!

I never liked speed-running through the maps.

Actually I tried it without saves the very first time - did pretty well - reached e1m5 (Phobos Labs) until I died.

Heh, the first time I ever played it I was eight years old and had no idea what the fuck I was doing so I ended up playing Hurt Me Plenty without savegames and somehow ended up in the Computer Station. Then I got surrounded by Imps and was taken down to 2% health before getting scared and quitting. :P

Heh, first time I played DOOM:

E1M1: Woah, awesome cool environments space base computers!
E1M2: Wow, more of them! Hmm, hard to find where to go... whoops, got a chainsaw! Cool!
E1M3: Ack, this map is bigger... oii, gotta watch out that I don't fall into the green slime from these narrow catwalks! Sweet bright green sky!
E1M4: Omg, huge-ass level that GOES IN ALL DIRECTIONS! I can't find the way. Hmm, got a new weapon (# 4). Better not use it until later on, I might run out of ammo. No, can't find where to go. This map is too big.

<save game, go do something else; next day:>

E1M4: Hmm... yay, (10 minutes of playing) there the exit is.
E1M5: Big level... aouch, scary! Dark. 20 minutes of playing, finds exit.
E1M6: Cool feeling with the music and all. Monsters, showing up more of 'em. Wonder what you find down here in the green stuff? I dare it. Woah, a blue sphere! 200% health, now I'm invincible. <20 minutes later> Fuck, I'm stuck. Where the hell am I supposed to go? *discovers secret computer map*. Hmm, how the hell do you use this? <tests all keys on the keyboard>. Yay!
E1M7: Long boring stuff... a bit scary... lots of monsters... takes some time...
E1M8: Couple of demons... goodie there are barrels. Hmm, well this level seems simple, almost empty. What's here? <goes up with elevator>. Those doors open... uh? Crap?!

*dead in 20 seconds*

Damn :(

*restarting map*... only gets chaingun and shotgun... well, manages anyway. But what the hell? I die in the end? And it says it's over? Nooo.... I want my exit switch.

You pretty much describe how the levels worked on me!
Heh :-).

You pretty much describe how the levels worked on me!
Heh :-).

Ummmmm, ditt-fucking-o man :)

E1M4: Omg, huge-ass level that GOES IN ALL DIRECTIONS! I can't find the way. Hmm, got a new weapon (# 4). Better not use it until later on, I might run out of ammo. No, can't find where to go. This map is too big.

That's almost exactly how I felt when I played Halo. The only difference was "Hmm, got a new weapon... wait... this sucks, I want my old gun back!" and "What? I can't even see the enemies- what kind of idiot thought up these gimpy controls. I can't believe this could have been on the PC- it might have been playable then (hatred for Microsoft rising)."

My only complaint about the game itself is the whole "needle in a haystack" feeling you automatically get. "Wait, I think I've found out where I need to go. What? Oh, now the radar start working. As if I didn't already know to head to the hordes of enemies in the middle of the fields... I thought I had to the very edge of the field instead. It's a good think they clarified that :| "