It's the game that has taken the computing world by storm (latest estimates from iD have 80,000 commerical games sold), but are you a tough enough hombre to storm through it's terror? It takes rock-solid reflexes and determination. Practice makes perfect, as they say, but to get the most out of Doom, you must live, breathe, and inhabit those hellish Martian landscapes. Or you can just keep reading-- it's your choice. Of course, that means that spoilers follow...
The shareware version of Doom became available via anonymous FTP and BBSes on December 10, 1993. Shareware versions have also been readily available in software stores since about the beginning of 1994. Getting your hands on the game is not the hard part-- surviving it is. In addition to the shareware version, FTP sites and other bulletin boards also carry "home- brewed" additions and miscellaneous features which some might enjoy experimenting with. There are several Doom editors that allow closet programmers the opportunity to create all new levels as well as several randomizers that allow players to "scramble" the .wad file for an infinite number of different games. Many of the more enjoyable "tools" in the Doom library only work with the registered version of Doom, so registering it is strongly encouraged. Besides, you can't meet the Cyber-Demon in anything but the registered version, and confronting him for the first time more than compensates for the cost of the full game.
Enjoying Doom at its highest level depends on creating the right ambiance and owning the correct hardware. It's better to play at night, or at least, in a pitch-dark room. It sets the appropriate mood and prevents glare on the computer screen. As a result, your personal view becomes the only view simply because you can't see anything else. This increases the level of submersion. Along the same lines, you should play with headphones (assuming of course, you have a sound card). If you don't have a sound card, maybe you should return to Tetris. Like movies, Doom is an experience of sight and sound-- they compliment each other. A stereo sound card is strongly encouraged. The next step, still related to sound, is to turn the sound effects up and the background music down (accomplished by pressing F4). Let's face it: the growl of a demon should be deafening, so make it so. On the other hand, the jaunty musical numbers are sometimes out of place. Adjust the music so that it becomes what it is suppose to be: part of the background.
Technically, you will enjoy Doom more on a high-end system. While the game runs on a 386, it's kind of pointless. Playing on Low-Detail makes it look like you've lost your contact lenses, and playing in a view smaller than 90% of the screen has everything to be desired (who came up with that greenish background pattern, anyway?).
There is only one reason you should want to play with a view smaller than the full screen, and that's to have an immediate indication of your health and perhaps the direction from which you are being attacked.
The next step is reconfiguring the keys; playing with the mouse or joystick is discouraged. (Personally, I haven't tried Doom on a Cyberman, so I don't know about that). The keyboard lay-out is important, not only for the health of your fingers, but for the health of your keyboard. The most important "buttons" are for moving, and the default cursor keys seem adequate. The next-most important button is for firing the weapons, because this is the one you will use the most (after moving). First rule, don't use the space bar-- it's bad for your keyboard and slower to strike because the key is heavier. Second rule, choose a button that you can press comfortably with your middle finger, since it's the strongest finger you have (excluding your thumb). Author's choice: X
The next-most important button is for opening doors. The space bar is an okay choice, but it's preferable to pick one that you can press comfortably with your index finger. Author's choice: C The next button is for strafing, and the one after that is for running. The SHIFT button seems adequate for running, so pick a button for strafing that is comfortable given the lay-out of all the other keys. Author's choice: Z
With the SHIFT-Z-X-C lay-out, your left hand is ergonomically placed to prevent that dreaded injury known as Doom-Cramp. Of course, stick with whatever works best for you.
Let's pretend, just for the sake of argument, that Doom is just too damn easy for you. You've played it till you're sick and you're about to trade it. Hold on, there, son! Get yourself a copy of RanDOOM from anonymous FTP and you've got a tool that increases the livelihood of Doom ten-fold.
Amongst the many wad-scramblers available, RanDOOM seems to be the best at what it does. Among it's many features is the flexibility to randomize only certain levels in the wad, and thus leave others intact. Here are some quick tips about getting the most from RanDOOM.
1) Get the latest version-- as the patch versions to Doom change, so do the versions of RanDOOM.
2) Keep a copy of your original, unscrambled Doom.wad on your hard drive. RanDOOM alters your wad file.
3) RanDOOM thinks spatially, so larger monsters are less likely to appear than smaller monsters. Take this into account when attributing percentages to the Cacodemon, Cyber-Demon, and Spider-Demon. Oddly, RanDOOM seems to think Cacodemons are bigger than they are, so you might have to experiment with the percentages.
4) It may sound boring, but try placing one single creature type only... and a lot of them. Since monsters of the same "type" don't attack each other, it makes the game much different than you may be used to.
5) Try placing just Lost Souls and Cacodemons; monsters that fly make windows a lot more meaningful and walls a lot less confining. Plus, when you're outside, nothing compares to battling floating monsters that hover above you.
6) Randomized objects are divided into two categories: passable and impassable. There are three object types: Baddies (monsters), goodies (med kits, armor, etc.), and fixtures (bodies, candles, etc.). It's suggested that you don't place impassable objects into the randomizer because you may find yourself in a blocked passage. Many of the fixtures are impassable, but there are a few that are passable, and they should be randomized as well. Playing Doom without the ambiance of death is a sin.
Having trouble with this difficulty setting? There are a few things you should know.
1) In version 1.2, it is possible to play at Nightmare speed without the respawning. Read the Net for more information.
2) Likewise, it's possible to play every difficulty setting with respawning. Just type DOOM -RESPAWN at the DOS prompt when starting Doom.
3) Cheat codes DO NOT work on Nightmare! That's why it's a nightmare. Cheat codes for the other difficulty settings are as follows (at least, the ones I remember):
idkfa -- Full ammo, weapons, armor.
idspispopd -- no clipping mode, allows you to walk through walls.
idclev [episode # mission #] -- warps you to a specific level.
idchoppers -- chainsaw weapon..
idbehold [s,v,i,r,a,l] -- various power-ups.
idmypos -- hex coordinates.
iddt -- on the map screen, cycles through full map and included objects.
iddqd -- god-mode. 3) The best way to survive Nightmare! is to go FAST.
Never stand still; running is encouraged. Also, it helps to know your way around. Know where the armor, the first-aid kits, and the Soul Spheres are. Invulnerability also helps immensely.
4) Strangely enough, it's sometimes safer not to kill things in Nightmare!
5) Along the same lines: Conserve ammunition. It's surprising how fast it goes.
6) The best weapon in Nightmare! is the BFG 9000, if you have it. The second best is your fists.
7) Some consider it cheating, but SAVE ALL THE TIME.
8) Many of these tips are true for the tougher levels of Ultra-Violence, as well.
The first episode of Doom takes place mostly indoors.. The trick to Episode One, therefore, is getting outside. This is usually accomplished by finding secret doors. As a general rule throughout the game (and particularly in Episode One), secret passages are a different color than the rest of the walls, or they are marked by lights, or other such "fixtures."
There are several methods of locating secret passages. One is to look for odd colored wall segments. Or, look for well-lit wall segments. If you hear a door open or close as you walk over a specific spot on the floor, stop and study your map as you go over the spot again. The secret passage will appear in yellow on your map. Another way is to study the map and locate areas that you cannot get to. Try to anticipate where it would be likely to access those areas.
Many secret areas are simply "hard-to-get-to" areas, and the majority of those are accessed by falling into them. Remember: If you are on a high spot and wish to jump over a space to a lower spot, try running. This is a particularly useful tip for Episode One. Many secret areas and platforms are accessed in this way.
The total count at the end of each mission is misleading. Some levels have no secret passages, and will not always tell you that 100% of them were found.
The secret level in Episode One is accessed via level 3: Toxin Refinery. The trick to this one is listening for a secret passage to open up and then RUNNING to the passage before it closes.
The boss level in Episode One mainly consists of two Barons of Hell. The rocket launcher is the best way to deal with them.
These levels are huge and involved. Secret passages aren't nearly as obvious, nor are restricted areas. One tip for finding secret areas is to backtrack over already-visited areas. Switches activate new areas and, more often than not, the switch and passage are far removed from each other. Many of the levels depend on teleports, and it can become confusing. It helps to have a good memory. Running is also very helpful, because a large portion of this level rests in poison.
The secret level is accessed via level 5: Command Center. The trick here is being brave enough to walk though the fire.
The boss level in Episode Two mainly consists of one Cyber-Demon. The best way to deal with him is to be FAR away when you confront him. This will give you time to react to the missiles he fires.
A great trick for Episode Two and particularly for Episode Three is to initiate a cross-fire between different types of monsters. There are so many different types enclosed in small areas, that often the best way to deal with them is to have them deal with each other.
The secret level in Episode Three is accessed via level 6: Mt. Erebus. The trick here is getting into the blue room without cheating... and without hurting yourself. There is an invulnerability artifact close enough to allow you to do the following: Become invulnerable, run to the teleport, teleport up to the lone building ledge, walk along the ledge until you're over-looking the blue "room," which accesses the secret level. Turn around to face the wall and fire a rocket into the wall. The explosion will kick you back far enough to land inside the blue room... and you should still be invulnerable. It takes some practice to move fast enough. But don't cheat. It can be done.
The boss level of Episode Three is comprised mainly of the Spider-Demon. Stay on the upper walkway. Get rid of as many other monsters as you can, first. Hopefully, many of them will get caught in the Spider Demon's crossfire and try to help you slay it. There is a spot on the upper walkway where the Spider Demon's bullets don't hit you. Also, it helps to use that small room in the center of the arena for protection. The best weapon against the Spider Demon is the BFG 9000. Three or four direct hits is all it takes.
A commerical follow-up to Doom called Doom: Hell on Earth will appear in software stores by the end of 1994 (hopefully October 10th). Look for it. The following list is one of the most efficient ways of dealing with each monster type, given their strengths and weaknesses. Of course, the BEST way often depends on the difficulty level and how many of them there are.
Enemy Best Weapon
=============================================
Former Humans Shotgun
Human Sergeants Shotgun
Imps Chaingun
Demons Chainsaw
Spectres Chainsaw
Lost Souls Shotgun
Cacodemons Chaingun or chainsaw
Barons of Hell Rocket Launcher
Cyber-Demons BFG 9000 (if you have it), or rocket
launcher
Spider-Demons BFG 9000 (if you have it), or rocket
Oh, and don't you just love that decapitated bunny at the end? Beautiful!
This article is Copyright (C) 1994 by Brent Sampson for Game Bytes Magazine. All Rights Reserved.