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Doom 3 Xbox Previewed, PC Version No-Show At E3
Thanks to IGN Xbox for its hands on preview of the E3 demo for the Xbox version of Doom 3, Vicarious Visions' conversion of id's long-awaited FPS title. They comment: "The atmosphere is dark, the pacing of the demo somewhat slow, and every aspect more fitting of a survival horror game than a run and gun shooter", but praise the results: "That's not a bad thing at all, in fact, it makes for a more intriguing title... The hard part for fans is going to be looking past expectations of what a DOOM game should be and embracing what DOOM 3 is." Elsewhere, GameSpot has a preview confirming that the PC version will not be shown at E3, since id "is locked in 'completion phase' at the company's Mesquite, Texas, offices", and both previews also reference the previously revealed, not yet playable Xbox-exclusive co-operative mode.
there are certain areas where "demonic influence" takes over. Hell literally forces its presence in the area, shaking the walls (and camera) and tossing items about in true poltergeist fashion.
Sounds a bit like Eternal Darkness. I just hope they don't use any more insanity effects, especially not the BSOD one. Too many people will be so used to seeing it that they'll just restart the machine automatically. Not good after three hours of unsaved playing.
Let's see, Doom with 3D rendering, dark, horrific atmosphere, and a slower pace? Yeah, we've seen it, it was called Doom 64. I thought it was a decent game, but many didn't like it because it was so different.
I love ID as a company, but I don't think the new Doom deserves all the empty hype and massive system upgrades.
Besides, what made ID, Doom and Quake popular in the first place was mindless, bloody, fast paced carnage. That's what ID needs to focus on, IMHO.
vi ~/.emacs
Some games need a story, some don't. Doom III is definitely in the latter category - who needs the story when you can gleefully waste time killing thousands of demons with the chainsaw?
When I want to play a game with a great story, I turn to Planescape: Torment, or The Dig, or Day of the Tentacle, etc...
By the way, last year I attended a meeting with Carmack at Stony Brook University, and he said pretty much the above: Doom doesn't need no stinking story. He also said PC games are usually much more story-based than consoles, which (usually) are all about action, and he's still surprised that he's doing PC, and not console, game development.
But you do bring up one very interesting point. Can Doom 3 (or Halflife 2, for that matter) engine serve as a base for some story-based game? Morrowind on Doom 3 engine, anybody?
Yeah, you're right. I forgot Carmack's explanation about doing a GOOD co-op play into the game would complicate the scripting of events and stuff. You risk trapping some players here while the other is over ther etripping a trap, etc. Thanks.
jX [ Make everything as simple as possible, but no simpler. - Einstein ]
Even more so was the Aliens Total Conversion mod for Doom (or was it Doom II?). That, my friends, has been the only game ever to literally have me jumping out of my seat as I played it (at midnight, with the lights out, and headphones on).
Granted, my gaming has asymptotically been aproaching nill ever since that time as I grew older (that game is, what, 10 years old now?), but man, I've never found a more thoroughly immersive gaming experience as Aliens TC.
BTW... anyone know where I can score a full copy of Doom and Aliens TC online? I've heard that Doom was released to the public domain (or at least the core engine) and that Aliens TC was pushed waaay underground by the studio (Fox?) that owns the Alien franchise. Will that stuff even run under Linux? This post has my nostalgia running high. :)
The Terminator II mod for Doom II was kinda fun, but it got kinda old after you were left with nothing more than fifty T-1000's coming after you. No real plot or goal, unlike the ATC mod.
Method of processing duck feet
The source for Doom/Doom2 engine was GPL'd years ago. You still have to pay for a copy of the game in order to legally play their levels.
The Aliens TC was s*tcanned by the studio almost immediately after it came out. Bummer. The guys who created that created a work of art IMHO. I saw an early beta and was blown away by the textures alone.
I'd love to be able to point you to a copy but I never got to download the thing. I was on vacation the week it came out, and it was gone by the time I got back.
wbs.
Huh?