Hello, everyone. I noticed that id Software is having trouble defining “what Doom is”. Strange. So, upon some thought, I think that in order to define “what Doom is”, we need to go back to Classic Doom and examine what feelings we experienced as we played. For example, here’s what I felt as I played, IMHO:

• The Stillness of Aloneness: It was me against a map full of enemies. And it remained quiet and dangerous until I, intentionally or unintentionally, found them, stirred them up, and dealt with them. So, I explored those hallways, opened those doors, and looked out those window overlooks slowly and carefully.

• A Persistent Mess: The map, the enemies, and the compromising situations which I was put in remained the same until I dealt with them. No in-game cut scenes, no in-game get out of jail free cards … none of that stuff. (Only the ability to save and reload for, IMHO, unusual circumstances.) So, I set the strategy and the pace and managed my available ammo resources as best I could. And, in turn, I just dealt with the consequences.

• Traps of Chaos: Could I find a way to make the enemies fight? Or did I have to progressively neutralize them? Which angles will I get ambushed from? And how can I avoid such ambushes? The enemies were landmines of nasty encounters which I had to selectively disarm carefully and quickly, step-by-step.

• Those Darn Keys: Where are those blasted keys? Will they be easy pick-ups or will they be surrounded by traps and/or puzzles? Oh, there one is … must … not … impetuously run up to it and grab it …

• Sanitizing the Place and HappyFunKills: I wanted to sanitize the maps of enemies and leave them clean for any UAC rescue teams who follow me in. And, in the process, it was fun killing them and blowing stuff up.

? The player made wad, Brutal Doom by Sergeant_Mark_IV, really helps illustrate what the players in general responded to and want here. (Yes, Brutal Doom’s quality went down in v18 through v20 for various reasons, but, still, Brutal Doom remains popular for the content of its earlier versions. Regardless, Classic Doom purists love to hate on Brutal Doom and its popularity for various reasons.)

• What’s in the Next Room?: I always went from room to room and new level to new level with a curiosity and anticipation of what new sights I would see. What neat stuff will I see? What new enemies will I encounter? Could I find a secret there? The limitless unknown lurks about with the supernatural involved!

• A Massive World: Big levels, interesting futuristic textures, and various interactive elements made the UAC feel like a true interplanetary corporation of the future worth exploring. Likewise, other outdoor environments in Doom felt equally impressive as well.

? The player made wads,

Phobos: Anomaly Reborn and Caverns of Darkness by the Chaos Crew and

Underground Compound, Administration Center, Neighborhood from Hell and After the Holocaust by Sergeant_Mark_IV,

really helps illustrate what the players in general responded to and want here.

In short, you could call Classic Doom a persistent, open world, survivalist dungeon shooter. And, for me, this is what made Classic Doom’s gameplay great. It was simple, yet complicated at the same time. Though, I must admit, key hunting got a bit tedious for me.

But, unfortunately, Doom³ and Doom⁴’s version of the Doom series abandoned all of these elements. In Doom³, you got the opposite of each of these elements in the form of a (survival) horror shooter. The only redeeming aspects of Doom³ were that the story and the environment in general in Doom were better developed in certain respects. Likewise, from what I understand about the latest version of Doom⁴ or “Call of DOOty”, it was a completely new game.

So, how can Doom⁴ turn things around and be Doom again? Quite simply, by preserving and building upon the successful elements of Classic Doom (and their comparable successors in the Quake series).

• Popular Players’ Solutions: Many Doom fans are happy with making Classic Doom wads which simply incorporate textures and sound effects from Doom³. Plus, many made wads which added new environments, new interactive objects, new types of enemies, new weapons (i.e. playable demon weapons), and so on to the Classic Doom experience. Alternatively, other players tried to make Doom³ mods which reproduce Classic Doom levels and play them like you would play Classic Doom.

• My Solution: Heck, the fans are right. Take the modern FPS, add all of the great environments on Earth in high quality graphics, and add lots of new and interactive objects—especially story telling ones, but reproduce the original mechanics of Classic Doom as well.

I'll think on this more, but, frankly, Doom is not that complicated.