Different ways of playing Doom

[CtrlAltDestroy]

Most of these I made up myself, so the names are stupid. Post your own favorite ways of playing Doom.

"Reality" (aka Flawless or No-hit): No cheats. Can't take a single hit throughout the entire level.

"Showtime Mode": Turn NoMonsters on and run through each level within par time. Saving is only allowed at the beginning of levels.

"Rambo Mode": Turn on FastMonsters. Saving is only allowed at the beginning of levels. You can use the cheat IDFA at the beginning of levels and whenever you pick up a backpack. (Works best with Doom I)

"Pacifist" (aka Non-violence mode): You can't use your weapon for the entire game. You can, however, use crushing ceilings and crossfire to your advantage.

"Kills Tour": Use the cheats IDDQD IDKFA and IDCLIP. Run through the level and kill all the monsters. You can only advance to the next level if you have 100% kills. For a harder version, your time must be under par as well.

"Hatred Unleashed": You can use IDFA as many times as you want, but you're only allowed to use the Rocket Launcher. For more challenge, use FastMonsters or maybe even RespawnMonsters

"Newbie Mode": You must use only the keyboard and you're never allowed to strafe or run (unless running is required, like if you need to make a jump)

[Amaster]

For doom's 10th anniversary, I played episode 1 in "newbie mode" for the sake of nostalgia. That brought back memories.

[insertwackynamehere]

I always use the keyboard and I don't strafe. But I almost always run.

[Fredrik]

"Map testing mode": run around randomly out of boredom for hours with IDDQD and optionally IDCLIP enabled, then realize what you're doing and go back to mapping.

[Kristian Ronge]

CtrlAltDestroy said:
Most of these I made up myself, so the names are stupid.

They have been invented before, under different names. :-) The categories are sometimes a bit confusing and there are no clear boundaries though.

Post your own favorite ways of playing Doom.

I like to roam through the maps slowly and methodically, taking down everything alive and finding all the secrets. If I've never played the map before, I sometimes save a few times going through. *Especially* if I can sense a nasty trap coming up (which I often can).

This has been discussed recently... Check out this thread for more.

[chilvence]

Fredrik said:

"Map testing mode": run around randomly out of boredom for hours with IDDQD and optionally IDCLIP enabled, then realize what you're doing and go back to mapping.

I'd take a crowbar to the head if it would shake that habit from me...

[Grazza]

Just a comment about Pacifist, since it is a standard category. In the standard form of Pacifist, you can use weapons (e.g. to shoot switches or awaken monsters), just as long as you don't hit any monsters. It is OK to lure monsters under crushers, but not if you've triggered those crushers yourself. You get marginal cases where the player cannot avoid triggering crushers - that was discussed a little in this thread.

If possible, I like to play Nightmare Pacifist. On most maps that isn't really feasible, but if it does look possible, I'll give it a go.

I don't generally care too much about kills or secrets, unless I'm trying to record a demo that requires them.

[bartwart]

Kristian Ronge said:

I like to roam through the maps slowly and methodically, taking down everything alive and finding all the secrets. If I've never played the map before, I sometimes save a few times going through. *Especially* if I can sense a nasty trap coming up (which I often can).

I like to play the same way too. I'm surprised most people don't play that way. I like immersing myself into that fantasy horror world. I don't see the point in inventing little competitions for myself like beating the par or playing on nightmare without firing or what have you. Dealing with the stress of fighting through hell is challenge enough for me.

[dr_st]

My way of playing is probably considered lame to most guys. I play on UV, and I save/load a lot. I rarely play levels from scracth, but start on level 1 and go through the entire episode including the secret levels.

My goal for each level is to clear up the enemies, reach the exit and try to exit with as much health as possible, so I save megaspheres/soulspheres/armor to the end and come back to grab them just before I leave, thus I usually start each level on 200/200 or 100/200 or 200/100, depending on what items are available in the previous level.

So in each level, my goal becomes not getting hit too much, so that I can survive and exit with max possible health. That means that I reload if I get damaged badly, and basically I try to survive the major encounters one encounter at a time, trying to get hit as less as possible each time. Of course I don't expect not to get hit at all, but if I stupidly shot myself in the face with a rocket from point blank, I'll revert to a previous save, no doubt there.

I guess the reason I play like that is because if one wants to be able to beat a level from scratch on UV/NM, he needs to learn the level first a bit (unless the level is totally easy which cannot be said on most levels in Plutonia, for example). And I don't wish to devote so much time to DOOM, cause indeed it gets repetitive after a while.

[Weakmind]

I play Doom many ways. I usually play id as if I was doom guy, walking around on Phobos. I "try" not to get hit, I also try to kill every demon around, All of this in Nightmare Mode, with limited ammo and health.

[999cop]

I play "Hatred Unleashed" a lot ;)

[toxicfluff]

I sometimes like to play with a dehacked patch which limits my max health to 35 (starting health stays at 100). It gets crappy on maps with too many hitscan enemies though, since I have to revert to gameplay slowing tactics like door-hanging.

[Julian]

Moved to Demos, for great justice(tm).

[Ryback]

Some more ways to play Doom:

"Hail to the King Doom": Once you find the shotgun or supershotgun, never use any weapon ever again while playing the game. Most pwad authors expect you to play like this anyway.

"Mutilation Doom": Clear out a level, then practice ways to injure yourself. Rocket in face, barrel explosions, spending inordinate amount of time in radioactive waste just to make that marine sweat blood. It's fun!

"Mapreader Doom": After clearing out a room, pause half a minute, then take a look at the automap. Zoom in and out. Run to a certain exit, stop, hesitate, run to the other, turn around a few times, and maybe change weapons. If any monsters wander in you should ask them for directions. Repeat for every room in the level. For extra credit, record a Mapreader Doom demo then ask people to watch it with -timedemo.

"Didn't Read the Manual Doom": The basic idea is to use the wrong weapon at the wrong time. Waste a BFG blast on a sole imp. Punch out arachnotrons non-berserk fist. Pistol on the spider mastermind. Then go online and complain doom is too hard.

"Too Much Free Time Doom": Choose a particular task. Record yourself trying it thousands of time in succession. Publish result on popular demo websites. Choose new task. Repeat a few hundred times. Eventually, record a Doom2 nightmare run.

[chilvence]

Ryback said:

"Too Much Free Time Doom"

Hehe

[Erik]

Ryback said:

"Too Much Free Time Doom": Choose a particular task. Record yourself trying it thousands of time in succession. Publish result on popular demo websites. Choose new task. Repeat a few hundred times. Eventually, record a Doom2 nightmare run.

lmao

[Kristian Ronge]

Best. Reply. Ever.

[Opulent]

Awesome, Ryback!

[Grazza]

Heh. The problems really start when you insist on playing "Too Much Free Time Doom" when you have very little free time.

[ragnew]

Best reply I've heard in a VERY LONG time Ryback!!!!

LOL - Keeps us going...

[DooMBoy]

Stop And Smell The Roses - Turn on -nomonsters, take your time going through a level, look at the architecture, find all the secrets. Just take it slow and take your time.

[Little Faith]

I have some secret ambition to become the king of "newbie mode" since I almost never strafe.


A lot of ho-hum cyberdemon battles acquires a whole new tactical dimension when you aren't allowed to strafe.