How will id handle a Hell on Earth sequel?

[MusicallyInspired]

So more UAC complexes just on different planets? I think there's a way to do Hell on Earth without it resembling any apocalyptic Earth-oriented games that we've got.

Or maybe we should visit other worlds? Other dimensions that hell is trying to conquer? That might be neat.

[shotfan]

massivefanofdoom said:

That's true, I guess. I dunno, felt really different than hell in titan and necropolis. Although dont get me wrong, the feel - the music - the environment etc in Titan, is one of my favourites in the entire game. Second to only kadingir which is my totally overall favorite level.

Man, that musical score once you enter the titan's maw and the cacos start firing at you and creeping towards you - the *feel* still gives me goosebumps. Epic.

Titan's Realm BGM is the best. Gives you enough boost to Berserk through the whole Hell's army. Reminds me of the good old Quake 2's OST this way (even though the music genres of D4 and Q2 are markedly different)

Man of Doom said:

Well, if they're not going to set the game on Earth or Mars, they should at least try new locations, like the Moon, or one of Jupiter's moons such as Ganymede or Europa. Hell, they could even try to put in Tei Tenga for all we care, if they're looking to steer away from Hell on Earth.

TNT: Evilution was already set on one of Jupiter's moons - Io. Maybe Titan this time?

[Man of Doom]

MusicallyInspired said:

So more UAC complexes just on different planets? I think there's a way to do Hell on Earth without it resembling any apocalyptic Earth-oriented games that we've got.

Or maybe we should visit other worlds? Other dimensions that hell is trying to conquer? That might be neat.

Not necessarily. For example, Io would make for a great Hell-themed place, since it's supposed to be covered in volcanoes. The opposite would apply for Europa, since it is an icy moon with water. Sure, it would be more UAC complexes, but at least the locations in said UAC facilities would be more varied.
Plus, with that Orbital DLC map, you could have levels set in outer space.

As for the possibilities of doing other worlds, not only do you have Tei Tenga, we could also try other dimensions as well. Argent Breach (AKA the Night Sentinels tomb that's very reminiscient of Doom 64) comes to mind in terms of trying a different realm that isn't quite Hell.

[ArchangelOfHell]

Exactly, those all would be great avenues to approach in the future series. Also that Orbital map and the rest of the new maps are amazing.

[Trycon]

A space level would be interesting.

[PizzaGuy]

If they do go down the Hell On Earth route I'd like to see some really interesting landscapes above all else, just imagine walking around a warped New York for example.
Recognisable landmarks but with a 'DOOM' spin on them like a statue of liberty holding a giant severed head or something.
Things of that nature they could really go to town with.

[Linheli]

Dead Space 2 has very similar theme and atmosphere with new DOOM..and it was such a great horror game..which new DOOM was lacking.

But I always prefer "Hell on Earth" as the sequels

[MusicallyInspired]

A space level fighting demons in zero g might be fun.

[Angry Saint]

bedbug182 said:

If they do go down the Hell On Earth route I'd like to see some really interesting landscapes above all else, just imagine walking around a warped New York for example.
Recognisable landmarks but with a 'DOOM' spin on them like a statue of liberty holding a giant severed head or something.
Things of that nature they could really go to town with.

Rage ahd something like this. I remind the city level where you see a skyscraper with some strange stuff attache to it, and then you go nearer and enter the bulding.

[igg]

I can't imagine how a Hell on Earth sequel could fit to the current Doom art direction. Doom 2016 is very colorful. Every level is almost covered in red/orange/blue/yellow. If set on earth this will be hard to achieve. Maybe The Foundry would be a good idea to start for a "Industrial zone" map.

[Jaxxoon R]

I don't see how it'd be so difficult. I'd imagine the game would take place at any time in either Blade Runnery city, spooky wilderness, Argent D'Nur land, or a much cooler hell. If on earth they needed that set of colors specifically, they could make it take place in early fall so any outdoor foliage is red like in the multiplayer maps, and make the ground wet from rain to reflect any city lights.

[Koko Ricky]

I don't think it's that an Earth setting is difficult to design in and of itself. It's more like, as I've mentioned before, to many people Doom = Mars. Obviously, Doom = Hell as well, and because hell is hell, it can be anything. So that's never been a very difficult aspect of level design. But the idea of a city, and especially of non-militaristic enemies (such as the hoodie zombie in Doom 4 1.0), seems very un-Doom to many people. I say, fuck it. Just give us Earth already!

[shotfan]

igg said:

I can't imagine how a Hell on Earth sequel could fit to the current Doom art direction. Doom 2016 is very colorful. Every level is almost covered in red/orange/blue/yellow. If set on earth this will be hard to achieve. Maybe The Foundry would be a good idea to start for a "Industrial zone" map.

Industrial Zone's remake in Doom 5...
Now that would be challenging. But I am worried that the engine could not hold a proper amount of enemies to do it justice. Ironic...

[Koko Ricky]

If we're taking a 3 year dev cycle, I would be surprised if advances weren't made in the meantime that allowed for higher enemy counts.

[DeadSimple]

If they were to make a Hell on Earth sequel, they would probably need more Possesed variations. Possesed would probably be very common, being on earth and all, and the three 4 possesed enemy types would get boring fast.

[VGamingJunkie]

Here's my idea for a story:

The Argent Energy on Earth appears to be prosperous for a short while but the influx of energy from high energy demands eventually gets too concentrated and it goes unstable, producing a portal from Hell that the demons use to invade. This also allows Doom Slayer to escape Hell, wherein you start the game in Hell getting yourself orientated (for new players) before leaving and discovering the wretched Hellish landscape (Though, not nearly as wretched as Hell itself, a merger of Earth and Hell in appearance) before being informed by Hayden (or someone else) what happened wherein you're guided through levels like on Doom 2016 where you can explore around but there are specific goals.

[massivefanofdoom]

MetroidJunkie said:

Here's my idea for a story:

The Argent Energy on Earth appears to be prosperous for a short while but the influx of energy from high energy demands eventually gets too concentrated and it goes unstable, producing a portal from Hell that the demons use to invade. This also allows Doom Slayer to escape Hell, wherein you start the game in Hell getting yourself orientated (for new players) before leaving and discovering the wretched Hellish landscape (Though, not nearly as wretched as Hell itself, a merger of Earth and Hell in appearance) before being informed by Hayden (or someone else) what happened wherein you're guided through levels like on Doom 2016 where you can explore around but there are specific goals.

That's a good idea I must say!

One more is that hayden sent him to phobos/deimos/tei tenga/somewhere else where there was another invasion going on while doomslayer was trying to stop the main one in the first game. He somehow manages to reawaken vega once there using his backup, get rid of the tether and go back to earth where hayden is eventually corrupted by the crucible and becomes the vessel for the icon of sin.

[dsm]

DeadSimple said:

If they were to make a Hell on Earth sequel, they would probably need more Possesed variations. Possesed would probably be very common, being on earth and all, and the three 4 possesed enemy types would get boring fast.

I don't give a shit about there being a million variations on possessed enemies because it doesn't affect gameplay if a zombie can have a hundred different faces or "uniforms" - enemies in Doom need to be like chess pieces: Immediately recognizable for each enemy type with distinct behaviour with hard counters.

When you're fighting for your life, you're not looking at their faces or their uniform, you just need to be able to recognize that that is an Unwilling who can only melee you, that is a Soldier who is tougher and can fire plasma bursts at you, and that is a Security guy who has a big, glowy shield that blocks your attacks.

There are only so many different ways you can make a zombie enemy and keep each unique and interesting. A few zombie types are expected (because y'know, Doom), but mostly people are interested in the Demons themselves, because they're the ones the artists can get really creative with.

You do have a point in regards to immersion though and the only thing I can suggest to that is that maybe the city is a UAC controlled city (dunno, some "dystopian futuristic" lore about megacorporations running the cops like "OCP runs the cops" in Robocop), where the UAC supply their own army as a rather militant police force and their employees work as "civil servants", so that when Hell invades, they possess the UAC people (since they're involved with the whole UAC cult and shit), whereas regular people simply get slaughtered and turned into gore nests and the like.

Or maybe the Hell invasion has been somewhat contained to a limited area and all the civies have been evacuated.

I can't imagine how a Hell on Earth sequel could fit to the current Doom art direction. Doom 2016 is very colorful. Every level is almost covered in red/orange/blue/yellow. If set on earth this will be hard to achieve. Maybe The Foundry would be a good idea to start for a "Industrial zone" map.

I don't know why you'd say that - if you play Cities Skylines, you'd find that it is rather bright and colourful game (and I'm also referring to the buildings here). Just make some brightly coloured futuristic buildings and have some bright and colourful grass patches, trees, plenty of colourful lightshow advertisements and brightly coloured vehicles.

[VGamingJunkie]

Why would there need to be vastly more possessed humans? Just do what the original Doom 2 did and still have demons, id isn't exactly one to give the plot too much thought, given how self-aware and downright cheesy Doom 2016 was.

[Battle_Korbi]

Honestly, if Hell on Earth scenario gets achieved, I would like to see some humans. I have seen half of people want to see some friendly faces, other half wants a "last man on Earth" thing.

In order to appeal two sides, I have imagined three scenarios the player would pass through while playing.

1st Scenario: Somewhere during his first hours on Earth.
-Player hears a female scream through the level. He chases the shadow, and witnesses the woman landing into a claw of some boss demon, and gets eaten or viciously killed. The boss notices the player now.

2nd Scenario: In middle of things, exactly on half, on Earth.
-Player hears a SOS transmission from some fighters requesting help (cue Doom 3 references). Just in time the player fights through a arena of mobs to get to the building the fighters are in, the last guy dies by a headshot. Player gets a old but powerful weapon, like a double-barreled shotgun, or some variation of a AK.

3rd Scenario: Somewhere near the finale.
-Player hears a transmission from a old war veteran with a sniper rifle. He is stocked and barricaded on top of some building.The player can only see a waving arm out from a window. The player has to clear some building, and the sniper would help him take care of some tougher mook, and would warn him of a incoming boss. His position is stormed by cacos. You fight the boss alone. After the boss fight, or if you spend too much time fightning the boss, the sniper is back, and points out the weak spot. If you didn't figure it out, he finishes the boss for you, and cusses the living hell out of you, or stuns him. After the boss battle, he thanks you, and dissappears somewhere (leaving him a mystery for players)

There. For both sides of the arguments of whenever there should be friendlies, human NPCs in the game. I think this would be a mostly balanced amount of human interaction in the game (aside from star command or whoever is issuing Doomguy orders). The sniper might be a bit OP, but something tells me the Doom franchise needs more badass survivors.

[Sig]

Maybe it won't be surprising that the OG Doom4 they were making, becomes an outline for the next game, with some reworking and the newer elements added. The were playing it safe by doing a reboot of the first.

I'm gonna 'call it', and say this is going to be the case. I will also dare to guess that the next one will have some SP DLC that will be an origins prequel to everything.

PM for lotto numbers.

[Deleted_Account]

Doom 20-- should be set on a train. It could be like Under Siege 2: Dark Territory, but with demons you know?

[drokk]

Piper Maru said:

Doom 20-- should be set on a train. It could be like Under Siege 2: Dark Territory, but with demons you know?

Blood had a good train level

[Chezza]

Battle_Kirby said:

1st Scenario: Somewhere during his first hours on Earth.
-Player hears a female scream through the level. He chases the shadow, and witnesses the woman landing into a claw of some boss demon, and gets eaten or viciously killed. The boss notices the player now.

2nd Scenario: In middle of things, exactly on half, on Earth.
-Player hears a SOS transmission from some fighters requesting help (cue Doom 3 references). Just in time the player fights through a arena of mobs to get to the building the fighters are in, the last guy dies by a headshot. Player gets a old but powerful weapon, like a double-barreled shotgun, or some variation of a AK.

Actually I would really like that. But I'm thinking both these scenarios happen early with lots of chaos, noise and a frightening representation of the situation all to make a wicked Doom 2016 style introduction.

As the levels progress the chaos settles and the ruined streets become very quiet and ominous. Overall the game is a solo player vs Hell game.

[Jaxxoon R]

If we do end up fighting Hayden in the sequel, I'd prefer if he wasn't transformed into a big monster or whatever beforehand. Just seems like it'd be more satisfying to cave in his chrome dome if it was immediately recognizable as the source of all your annoyance and inconvenience.

[massivefanofdoom]

drokk said:

Blood had a good train level

That it did indeed have, sir! *feels super nostalgic*

[VGamingJunkie]

Maybe for one level but I can't imagine having the play-space cramped into a train would be fun for very long.

[Deleted_Account]

The entire game will be set on a train.

[Koko Ricky]

There are definitely certain locations that would not be appropriate for Doom due to what the official games have provided which is mostly abstract (older games) or centered around "Aliens"-esque environments (newer games). So Earth is going to have to somehow relate to these previous experiences if it is to be an actual location in a future sequel.

[igg]

GoatLord said:

There are definitely certain locations that would not be appropriate for Doom due to what the official games have provided which is mostly abstract (older games) or centered around "Aliens"-esque environments.

Totally agree. Although most people seem to expect a Hell on Earth scenario I'm afraid the points you mentioned contradict a Hell on earth setting in the next Doom game. This doesn't mean it will be a prequel since I'm pretty sure they don't want to reveal more about Doom Slayers past.