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Marnetmar

So, why was it that id changed DOOM 3 for the worst?

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We all know that the Doom 3 alpha that was presented at E3 was leaked, and because it was leaked id software thought they had to change Doom 3, but why?

Was it to prevent the plot being spoiled? Was it a last minute decision? Was Doom 3 intended to be the way it currently is all along?

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Oh yeah dude, it was a plot by ID to totally screw over its fans in a global plot.

Kidding, ugh, I actually enjoyed DOOM 3. It wasnt that bad at all. Some parts got tired, but other than that it was a decent experience.

RoE I cant say the same for.

DOOM 3 really felt more like quake 1 with high res graphics to me, though. Atleast the hell part.

I think it was just a decision made through the process of making the game. Could have been budget.

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Marnetmar said:

[...] because it was leaked id software thought they had to change Doom [...]


Did they actually say anything to that effect, or it that just speculation?

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Mithran Denizen said:

Did they actually say anything to that effect, or it that just speculation?

I think I remember something about doom alpha being leaked and ID not being happy about it.

That could be the reason, as well.

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yellowmadness54 said:

[ speculation ]

Yeah, but the only place where I've seen the assertion (that they changed the game because of the leaked development version) was on the Doom wiki, and it was added in broken English by some unregistered IP user without a source.

The alpha was leaked in 2002, while the game was released in 2004, so I don't see reason to believe that the final version would've been much closer to the alpha it if it hadn't been leaked. How many games resemble the final cut two years before release?

Besides, how is the leaked version any better than the final game? The alpha maps are full of cutscenes and scripted sequences; I thought that was what the people who complain about Doom 3 didn't like in the first place. There's some cool stuff in there, but I don't think they changed it 'for the worst.'

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Mithran Denizen said:

Yeah, but the only place where I've seen the assertion (that they changed the game because of the leaked development version) was on the Doom wiki, and it was added in broken English by some unregistered IP user without a source.

The alpha was leaked in 2002, while the game was released in 2004, so I don't see reason to believe that the final version would've been much closer to the alpha it if it hadn't been leaked. How many games resemble the final cut two years before release?

Besides, how is the leaked version any better than the final game? The alpha maps are full of cutscenes and scripted sequences; I thought that was what the people who complain about Doom 3 didn't like in the first place. There's some cool stuff in there, but I don't think they changed it 'for the worst.'


Perhaps it was just the final result they wanted. I'm sure there isn't some conspiracy behind doom 3 sucking. Thats just how it turned out, and thats just the direction it was taken. It was a large step for ID at that time, I would think.

DOOM 3 is doom. Its family. Its that creepy uncle no one likes, but we still have to respect as our family.


But seriously, I actually did enjoy doom3, and I fail to see much reason to say it sucked. Hell, beats halo 3 by a long shot in my opinion.

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If they ever changed something major, rest assured that Doom 3 wasn't going to be some sort of updated classic Doom/Doom 2 or some sort of officially-sanctioned super-advanced, PWAD/IWAD compatible source port, if that's what you define as "screwing the fans" by its denial.

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I think the whole theory about Id changing the game because of the demo leak is bunk. Heck, some of the areas featured in the demo remained in the final game as parts of Alpha Labs, and the monsters looked pretty much the same in the final. Most of the changes were minor tweaks.

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I wish they would've kept that one Pinky encounter in as well as the goblin head monster from the early videos. The only thing that could be called "a turn for the worst"

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The pinky munching on the fat zombie in the cutscene, or the one that suddenly bursts out from a wall full of pipes?

I personally like the sequence where the hell knight eats the marine's head, but I imagine it's cooler in a demo/trailer than it would be in the regular game.

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Funny enough, there was a scene in a trailer for the Xbox port of DOOM³, of all things, that had a neat scripted sequence, with a Hellknight actually running towards the player at full speed. Seeing that big thing charging at you would've been quite intimidating in the real game (and I was actually pretty disappointed when it didn't happen).

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Megamur said:

Funny enough, there was a scene in a trailer for the Xbox port of DOOM³, of all things, that had a neat scripted sequence, with a Hellknight actually running towards the player at full speed. Seeing that big thing charging at you would've been quite intimidating in the real game (and I was actually pretty disappointed when it didn't happen).


I remember from a doom 3 video what looked like a beaked, and horned hell knight that was alot more skeletal as well.

It looked really cool, I wish that showed up in DOOM3.

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yellowmadness54 said:

I remember from a doom 3 video what looked like a beaked, and horned hell knight that was alot more skeletal as well.

It looked really cool, I wish that showed up in DOOM3.


This?



I wouldn't mind if it ended up in DOOM 3 either.

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Marnetmar said:

This?



That thing is just freaking awesome. Just look at it. Probably the most demonic looking creature in doom3. ITs the only one I'd find scary.
I like its movement, also.

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It's doesn't really look that Doomy to me... then again, so did practically nothing in Doom 3, imo.
I do admit, however, that it looks fucking awesome.

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I never thought much of the creature, personally, and felt it served its purpose as an early alpha demonstration design and nothing more.

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Doomhuntress said:

It's doesn't really look that Doomy to me...


IMO that is the only monster that really DID look doomy. It's got horns, glowing eyes and a fucking scary grin.

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The beak kinda lowers its creep factor however. For me, birds are never scary.

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Face23785 said:

Hitchcock anyone?

Could be because I haven't really watched any of his films. Sigh :(

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There was no conspiracy, ID weren't trying to fuck over their fans or anything, it just turned out that Doom 3 was too tedious... it didn't have enough variety in it's themes, it didn't have enough outdoor areas, it didn't have enough contrasting with colours, it didn't have enough variety in the gameplay, the levels themselves don't have any character and aren't memorable, and you weren't really in hell long enough, but even the time spent there wasn't really that special.

That monster that didn't make it in the final version was pretty cool though, and looks alot more DooMy than the ones that did make it in.

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hey, one could make a good classic doom enemy based on this creature. the wraith and vulgar from the beastiary based on the doom 3 creatures match the style of the classic sprites quite well.

i recently replayed doom 3 and found it quite enjoyable, despite some too dark or repetitive base levels.

the shotgun's range is a pain though, won't kill a damn imp unless you stick its barrel right into the imp's face.

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Change doom? Its an alpha. Look at where games like Minecraft started out and where they ended up.

That's just an imp skin. Chances are there were way too many polygons for normal computers to render, so they dumbed down the imp. If it was a baron, then they changed it for the same reason.

I'm really shocked people care about why the ALPHA was different than the final. Other than DOOM fans want everything.

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It does look a bit like an Imp, but then agan, many Alpha shots show an Imp that looks pretty much the same way it does now. I gotta say that out of all the previews that was the fucking coolest monster and when I first saw the monster in action in that shot, I thought it was some guy moving around in a costume. heh

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Clonehunter said:

It does look a bit like an Imp, but then agan, many Alpha shots show an Imp that looks pretty much the same way it does now. I gotta say that out of all the previews that was the fucking coolest monster and when I first saw the monster in action in that shot, I thought it was some guy moving around in a costume. heh


I thought it looked a bit more like what the hell knight or baron should have looked like.

I love this creature very much, I mean, hell, If I saw that thing in a tight corridor, I would be paralyzed in fear. I'd just start praying.

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Perhaps a stupid question, but were the alpha labs called that because they were based on the alpha demo levels?

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I think alpha labs would refer to primary labs or one of four labs. Maybe someone else can give insight.

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Marnetmar said:

IMO that is the only monster that really DID look doomy. It's got horns, glowing eyes and a fucking scary grin.

You say scary, I say it looks like Doomguy just gave the thing a birthday present. Happiest looking hellspawn I've ever seen.

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I remember seeing some Spider Mastermind concept art back when Doom 3 was in development. I would have liked to have seen that in the game.

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There's only a couple of things I even recall being all that different from the Doom 3 Alpha that were changed in the final version of the game. In the alpha, zombies could get back up and continue attacking you after being knocked down. If I recall that caused problems with the ragdoll bodies, so they removed it. Also, there's some minor visual and aural differences. For instance, the shotgun looked completely different, and the weapons sounded much more threatening than they did in the final game. They probably softened those up in an attempt to augment the player's sense of hopelessness.

All in all, I don't think it's too far from what the game ended up being like at the end of its development.

I remember seeing some Spider Mastermind concept art back when Doom 3 was in development. I would have liked to have seen that in the game.


It's a good thing we have Doom 3: Phobos, then! :)

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