Official DOOM 3 discussion thread

[Concept]

Just found out the reason the fps was fluent on Ultra was because the resolution had reset itself in the menu to 1024x768.

Go figure. At 1280x1024 it goes to 45.4fps at Ultra with my previous tweaks, which is more in line with my expectations.

One thing I forgot to add why I think the the flashlight/or/gun choice was ultimately sliced apart, is because it questions you to make defensive and offensive choices, given the situation you face. You either take refuge in comfort of the darkness and use firepower to blast your way through an unknown, or choose to confront what may be hiding in abandoning your own sense of protection for visability.

The lack of a light on the gun isn't realistic considering the time the game occurs (even now we have sophisticated backlit weapons), but from a design perspective it does definately add an edge. Much like how Halo's original two weapon limit did...

That kind of minimalistic choice availability gets the player to think.

Right, I'm off to play some more.

[Ciaran]

As for the (spoiler ahead)... Soul Cube... I thought it represented the experience outstaying it's welcome in single-player a little bit, and an indication of a slightly confused last fifth to the play in terms of pacing. The game should have finished in hell... When I plundered into the cavern levels afterwards I thought Doom III had lost momentum by peaking a little too early... The slightly weak effect of the Soul Cube weapon showed a lack of thought to the build up it was previously given throughout the story in my opinion as well. Yet... I did enjoy the fact the end boss was the Cyber Demon. I was wondering where the old bastard had got to, and I suppose it only ended fittingly for him to be carved up all gorified by the weapon which the game represented as its pinnicle. Although, in my heart of hearts, that has to be reserved for the BFG.

By the end of the delta labs I was sick of the same thing over and over again, especially the imps and zombies that come out of the closed doors. Then when I got to hell it once again got interesting, but I was very dissappointed when I left hell and had to return to Mars to go into the caverns.

[Tom Salter]

How long is the game for you people? I've probably put 4-5 hours into it, and I'm at the Communications section.

So far, it's been incredibly samey - after the first few things jumped out at me, I got "desensitised" to the rest of it. It's just incredibly similar - even down to the environments. I love going outside, although I wish I had infinite air so I could wander around it more.

But hey - it's DOOM ffs! I still love it, and it's all I expected it to be.

Also, aren't them spiders the most annoying thing in the world? :|

[Concept]

Ciaran -

Hell was superb... I wish in hindsight the game had either taken place more on the outside of mars or more in hell, because those variations in the environment were the most intriguing at times.


Tom -

It took me around 15 hours to complete on medium. And yes, I agree the game is samey in that it's a pure shooter, but that's the point.

This is (for the most part) the traditional Doom experience wrapped up in a spicey evocative atmosphere made possible due to some excellent coding. The jump-scare tactics eventually lose their shock value admittedly, but the actual tension built through the lighting (or lack thereof) is maintained right throughout the adventure in my view.

[MikeRox]

okay, I'm confused by it, my PC doesn't like the game (I have a XP2500+ with 512DDR and a Radeon 9600XT graphics card) the game runs fine. but it keeps crashing and has totally nuked my PC now takes about 5x as long to boot up than it did before I tried playing it.

The first time it crashed in the first cut scene after the game intro (check in) so I tried again but skipped the cut scene, sucess, I got further..right up until u go to the marine HQ cut scene, crashed again. I tried it earlier on my dads PC and the entire thing works fine, apart from the frame rate due to him having a Ge Force 3 Ti 200, played it right past the airlock bit at the start, have had several cut scenes and no problems at all, aside from 5fps when theres more than 1 enemy on the screen ;p so I'd rather not play it like this.

Any suggestions as to how I can get it to work on my PC without freezing (and skipping the cut scenes as I want to truely savour it :P)?

[yashiro]

Update your drivers. Sound and Video.

[MikeRox]

ooof keep forgettin to do things like that... no wonder consoles are better

works like a dream now well... a 30-40fps dream anyway

[Stuart Smith]

Anyone playing a lot of Doom3 online yet, then? Any decent UK communities springing up anywhere. The loss of BYGames means I have no idea where to look for one, hehe!

[jezzace]

Also, aren't them spiders the most annoying thing in the world? :|

I thought they were really annoying as well... then I got to the flying heads, which make the spiders seem like pussy cats! I'll take a rocket launching skeleton any day over a hoarde of spiders or flying heads!

[NeilMcRae]

Just finished it on veteran level - Fantastic - well done to ID for updating one of the best games of all time and doing it well. They have renewed my faith! Now thinking about replaying it on nightmare

One of the great things is that I managed to play this to completion without any patches - it can be done.

Neil.

[Ravon]

One of the great things is that I managed to play this to completion without any patches - it can be done.

Neil.

Thats because its ID and the rock... best in the business..

[MikeRox]

before Doom 3, I wudn't have agreed with u, but having played it for a couple of hours now, I can safely say ID have got the perfect fit between next generation technology, and class gameplay. it doens't feel like a tech demo

[MJ]

I don't have a PC for games, but I have an Xbox and hope they capture the essence of the game in the console version.

[jezzace]

Anybody notice the reference to the Office in there? Theres a pda of rob finch and he's got an email from "Brent Davis" asking him to brush up on his shakespeare for the quiz later, which is what they lost the quiz on in the tv show... Nice to know iD are fans of the office!

[NeilMcRae]

yeah i vaguley remember that and wondered wtf that had to do with the game.