Doom 3 Last Man Standing

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A Cover Art for the Last Man Standing Modification of Doom 3. The Last Man Standing (LMS) coop mod is a popular Doom 3 single player and multiplayer modification that aims to bring back the classic Doom experience. The 'LMS Mod' gametype is survival in nature.

(Redirected from Last Man Standing Coop)
Doom 3
Developer(s)id Software[a]
Publisher(s)Activision
Designer(s)Tim Willits[1]
Programmer(s)
Artist(s)Kenneth Scott
Writer(s)Matthew J. Costello
Composer(s)Clint Walsh
SeriesDoom
Engineid Tech 4
Platform(s)
Release
  • Microsoft Windows[2]
    • NA: August 3, 2004
    • EU: August 13, 2004
    LinuxMac OS X
    • NA: March 14, 2005
    • EU: April 8, 2005
    Xbox[3]
Genre(s)First-person shooter
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Doom 3 is a horrorfirst-person shooter video game developed by id Software and published by Activision. Doom 3 was originally released for Microsoft Windows on August 3, 2004.[4] The game was adapted for Linux later that year, as well as being ported by Aspyr Media for Mac OS X in 2005. Developer Vicarious Visions ported the game to the Xbox, releasing it on April 3, 2005.

Ignoring the events of the previous Doomgames, the game is the first reboot to the series. Doom 3 is set in 2145 on Mars, where a military-industrial conglomerate has set up a scientific research facility to research into fields such as teleportation, biological research and advanced weapons design. However, the teleportation experiments inadvertently open a gateway to Hell, resulting in a catastrophic invasion by demons. The player character, an anonymous space marine, must fight through the base and find a way to stop the demons attacking Mars. Doom 3 utilizes the id Tech 4 game engine, which has since been licensed out to other developers, and later released under the GNU General Public License in November 2011.

The game was a critical and commercial success; with more than 3.5 million copies of the game sold, it is the most successful game by developer id Software to date. Critics praised the game's graphics and presentation, although reviewers were divided by how close the gameplay was to that of the original Doom, focusing primarily on simply fighting through large numbers of enemy characters. The game was followed by Resurrection of Evil, an expansion pack developed by Nerve Software in April 2005, while a Doom film loosely based on the series was released in October 2005. A series of novelizations of Doom 3, written by Matthew J. Costello, debuted in February 2008.[5] An expanded and remastered BFG Edition was released in the fourth quarter of 2012.

  • 1Gameplay
  • 2Synopsis
  • 3Development
  • 5Versions
  • 6Reception
  • 7Legacy

Gameplay[edit]

Single-player[edit]

Doom 3 is a story-driven action game played from a first-person perspective. As with previous Doom games, the main objective is to successfully pass through its levels, defeating a variety of enemy characters intent on killing the player's character. Doom 3's more story-centered approach, however, means that the player often encounters friendly non-player characters, who provide key plot information, objectives and inventory items. The game incorporates ten weapons for the player's use to survive, including conventional firearms such as a submachine gun, shotgun and grenades, experimental plasma weaponry, and the powerful BFG 9000 and chainsaw weapons of the Doom franchise.[6] Enemies come in multiple forms and with different abilities and tactics, but fall into two broad categories of either zombies or demons. Zombies are humans possessed by demonic forces, who attack the player's character using their hands and melee weapons or a variety of firearms, while demons are creatures from Hell, most of which attack using claws and spines, or by summoning plasma-based fireballs.[7] The corpses of demons are reduced to ashes after death, leaving no trace of their body behind.

The player fighting a Revenant in Doom 3. The majority of the game takes place within the futuristic base

The game's levels are fairly linear in nature and incorporate several horror elements, the most prominent of which is darkness.[8] This design choice is not only intended to foster feelings of apprehension and fear within the player, but also to create a more threatening game environment in which the player is less likely to see attacking enemies.[8] This aspect is further enhanced by the fact that the player must choose between holding a weapon and holding the flashlight (until the BFG editions released in 2012 made the 'duct tape mod' a standard feature), forcing the player to choose between being able to see and having a readied weapon upon entering a room, which consequently leads to a more deliberate pace for the player.[8] In addition, the levels are regularly strewn with corpses, dismembered body parts and blood, sometimes used in conjunction with the game's lighting to disorient the player.[8]

Frequent radio transmissions through the player's communications device also add to the atmosphere, by broadcasting certain sounds and messages from non-player characters meant to unsettle the player. Early in the game, during and directly after the event that plunges the base into chaos, the player often hears the sounds of fighting, screaming and dying through their radio transmitter. The ambient sound is extended to the base itself through such things as hissing pipes, footsteps, and occasional jarringly loud noises from machinery or other sources. Often ambient sounds can be heard that resemble deep breathing, unexplained voices and demonic taunting from the game's antagonists.[9]

Early in the game, the player is provided with a personal data assistant (PDA). PDAs contain security clearance levels, allowing the player to access certain areas that are otherwise locked and off-limits. Additionally, the PDA can be used to read e-mails and play videos that the player's character acquires during the game. Whenever the player picks up any of the other PDAs found throughout the game, its contents are automatically downloaded to the player's own device. Other PDAs often contain e-mails and audio logs for other characters, which can provide useful information such as storage or door key codes, as well as significant plot details.[10]

Multiplayer[edit]

Doom 3 was released with a four-player multiplayer element, featuring four game modes. However, the game's community created a modification to boost this to eight or sixteen players.[11][12][13] The Resurrection of Evil expansion would later officially increase the player limit to eight. The four game modes are all deathmatches. The standard deathmatch game mode involves each player moving around a level, collecting weaponry and killing the other players, with the player with the highest kills when the time runs out winning. A team variation of this involves the same principle. The third game mode is 'last man standing', in which each player has a limited amount of respawns, with players losing a life when they are killed. Eventually, all but one player will be eliminated from the game, leaving the survivor as the winner. The final game mode is 'tournament', in which two players fight each other while the other players watch as spectators. The victor of the battle remains in the arena, facing each other player one at a time until the winner of previous rounds is defeated. The loser then moves to the spectators and the new winner remains to fight the next player.[14] The Xbox version of Doom 3 also incorporates an additional two-player co-operative mode for the main single-player game.

As of April 15, 2010, the Xbox Live service was shut down, thus online multiplayer for the original Xbox game is no longer available.

Synopsis[edit]

Setting[edit]

Doom 3 is set in the year 2145. Much of the game's story and dialogue was created by author Matthew J. Costello.[9] According to the game's backstory, the Union Aerospace Corporation (UAC) has grown to become the largest corporate entity in existence, and has set up a research facility on Mars. At this base, the UAC are able to conduct research into several scientific areas, including advanced weapons development, biological research, space exploration and teleportation. On Mars, the UAC can perform its operations outside of legal and moral boundaries.[15] As the player progresses through the game, they learn that the employees on the base are unsettled due to a large number of incidents involving hearing voices, unexplained sightings and increasing cases of paranoia and insanity, often leading to fatal accidents with the facility's machinery. Rumors regarding the nature of experiments in the UAC's Delta Labs division are especially prevalent among the base's employees.

Characters[edit]

There are five main characters in Doom 3. The player assumes the role of an anonymous Space Marine corporal who has just arrived on the UAC's Mars base. The player's non-commissioned officer in-charge is Master Sergeant Thomas Kelly, voiced by Neil Ross,[16] who gives the player objectives and advice over the player's radio for the first half of the game. The antagonist in the story is Dr. Malcolm Betruger, head scientist of the UAC's enigmatic Delta Labs division, who is revealed to be working in collaboration with the forces of Hell to cause the subjugation of humanity. Betruger's demonic voice, provided by Philip L. Clarke,[16] frequently taunts the player as the game progresses. The final two principal characters are Elliott Swann and Jack Campbell. Swann, voiced by Charles Dennis,[16] is a representative of the UAC's board of directors, sent to check up on Betruger's research as well as investigate the rising number of accidents on the Mars base after a request for assistance from a whistleblower. He is almost always accompanied by Campbell, another space marine who acts as Swann's bodyguard and is armed with a BFG 9000. Campbell is voiced by Andy Chanley.[16] Swann and Campbell are often shown in the game to be a few steps ahead of the player, but cannot be reached and directly communicated with until late in the game.[9] The game also incorporates a large host of minor characters who add details to the story or assist the player in certain segments. The player encounters multiple scientists involved in the various research and development programs and archaeological digs through the UAC base, as well as fellow marines and security guards. Civilian employees engaged in bureaucratic work and maintenance workers are also seen.

Doom 3 Last Man Standing

Plot[edit]

The story of Doom 3 is conveyed through in-game dialogue and cut scenes, as well as e-mails, audio logs and video files found throughout the game. The game opens with UAC board member Elliott Swann and his bodyguard Jack Campbell arriving at Mars City, the main access to the UAC's Mars base, disembarking from an Earth transport, with the player's anonymous marine just behind them. Swann and Campbell, here to investigate multiple incidents, have a heated conference meeting with the man in charge of the Mars laboratories, Dr. Malcolm Betruger[17] while the marine heads to Master Sergeant Thomas Kelly for orders. Kelly gives the marine instructions to find a scientist from the Delta Labs who has gone missing.[18] The marine finds the scientist in a nearby decommissioned communications facility, where he is frantically trying to send a warning to the UAC on Earth about Betruger's teleportation experiments.[19] However, as he tries to explain the situation to the marine, another teleportation test takes place and loses containment, at which point the entire Mars base is swept with an unnatural shockwave. This transforms most of the base's personnel into zombies as the forces of Hell invade through the teleporter's portal.

Much of Doom 3, such as this section in the Delta Labs, was planned using storyboards

Now forced to fend off attacks from zombified base personnel and the demons from Hell, the marine returns to Mars City, where Kelly remotely gives the marine orders to link up with another squad of marines (Bravo Team) and get a transmission card containing a distress call to the main communications facility to call for reinforcements. As the marine progresses through the base, he learns that Swann and Campbell have survived, and are also en route to the communications facility to prevent any messages being sent in hope of containing the situation on Mars. The marine squad is ambushed by demons and slaughtered in the EnPro Plant,[20] and although the marine recovers the transmission card, he is too late to prevent the bulk of equipment at the communications facility being destroyed by Campbell. Kelly, however, directs the marine to a backup system,[21] where the marine is given the choice of whether to obey Kelly's orders to send for reinforcements, or accept Swann's argument to keep Mars isolated until the exact nature of the invasion is understood, so as not to endanger Earth.[22] The marine is told to go to the Delta Labs by Kelly or Swann, depending on whether the transmission is sent or not.

On the way to the Delta Labs, the marine is contacted by Betruger, who is now clearly shown to be working in cooperation with Hell in order to invade Earth. If the marine did not send the distress call to Earth, Betruger does so himself, hoping to use the ships bringing reinforcements to transport the demons to Earth.[23] Betruger then unsuccessfully attempts to kill the marine using the toxic gases in the base's recycling facilities. Upon arriving at the Delta Labs, the marine learns of the details behind the teleportation experiments, expeditions into Hell to retrieve specimens and Betruger's increasing obsession with the tests, as well as of an archaeological dig under the surface of Mars. The dig is excavating the ruins of an ancient civilization discovered on Mars, and has produced a relic known as the Soul Cube. According to a scientist the marine finds alive in the labs, the Soul Cube is a weapon created by the ancient civilization to defend against the forces of Hell. The scientist also reveals that the invasion began when Betruger took the Soul Cube into the portal at the beginning of the game, depositing it in Hell.[24] The marine pursues Betruger through the labs, but is pulled into the main teleportation portal after being lured into a trap by Betruger.

The portal takes the marine directly into Hell, where he proceeds to fight his way through the large number of demons to the Soul Cube, defeating its demonic guardian. The marine is then able to reinitialize the teleportation equipment left by research expeditions into Hell and return to the Delta Labs. Betruger, however, tells the marine that although the main UAC teleporter has been destroyed, Hell is opening a Hellmouth on Mars, capable of bringing millions of demons to Mars.[25] Further in the Delta Labs, the marine encounters the injured Swann. Swann informs the marine that Kelly has been working with Hell for possibly the whole time, and has been transformed by the demons.[26] Telling the marine that Campbell has gone after Kelly, Swann gives the marine his PDA containing information on the location on the Hellmouth under the surface of Mars and assures him that he will try to make his way out of the base alone.

However, when the marine catches up with Campbell in the central computer processing sector of the base, Campbell is mortally wounded and only has enough strength to say that Kelly has taken Campbell's BFG 9000 weapon before expiring.[27] Kelly then begins to taunt the marine in a demonic voice.[28] The marine eventually faces off with Kelly in the central computer core, revealing Kelly as a cybernetic human grafted onto a tank-like base. The marine is able to kill Kelly and takes the BFG 9000 before proceeding deeper under the Martian surface to Site 3, the archaeological dig site where the Soul Cube was unearthed. At the primary excavation site, the marine discovers the Hellmouth, defended by Hell's mightiest warrior, the Cyberdemon. Using the Soul Cube, the marine defeats the Cyberdemon in combat, and the Soul Cube then seals the Hellmouth. The ending cut scene shows the reinforcements from Earth arriving at the base to discover the carnage. They find the marine alive, but discover that Swann has died. They are, however, unable to locate Betruger, who in the final scene is shown in Hell, reincarnated as a dragon-like demon.[29]

Development[edit]

Production[edit]

The game engine powering Doom 3 was created by John Carmack, who also spurred the initial planning of the project

In June 2000, id Software's game engine designer John Carmack posted an internal company plan announcing a remake of Doom using next generation technology.[30] This plan revealed controversy had been growing within id Software over remaking Doom. Kevin Cloud and Adrian Carmack, two of id Software's owners, were always strongly opposed to remaking Doom, believing that id was going back to the same formulas and properties too often. However, after the positive reception to Return to Castle Wolfenstein and the latest improvements in rendering technology, most of the employees agreed that a remake was the right idea and presented the two owners with an ultimatum: allow them to remake Doom or fire them. After the reasonably amicable confrontation (although artist Paul Steed, one of the instigators, was fired in retaliation),[30] the agreement to work on Doom 3 was made. Id Software began development on Doom 3 in late 2000, immediately after finishing Quake III: Team Arena.[31] In 2001, it was first shown to the public at Macworld Conference & Expo at Makuhari Messe[32] and was later demonstrated at E3 2002 at LACC, where a fifteen-minute gameplay demo was shown. It won five awards at E3 that year.[33]

Early in Doom 3's development, Trent Reznor of the band Nine Inch Nails, a fan of the Doom games,[34] was set to compose the music and sound effects to Doom 3. However, due to 'time, money and bad management',[34] none of Trent Reznor's sound effects or music made the final product. Eventually, Nine Inch Nails' former drummer, Chris Vrenna, produced and fellow Tweaker band member Clint Walsh composed the game's soundtrack.[35][36][37]

We never really did come to an actual agreement with Trent. The original idea was just for him to do all of the sound design for the game. I don't think Trent anticipated how long and how involved that process was and what is involved in game design versus what he does in the music and production side. It just wasn't a good mix with how much time it was going to take him, the value it was going to provide to the game, and what we could afford to pay. Trent's a popular guy. He's a rock star, and his time is valued in rock star dollars.

— Todd Hollenshead – CEO of id Software[38]

Doom 3 was also intended to be more storyline focused than previous id titles, as was demonstrated by the developers' conscious effort to have more professional voice acting.[39] Late in 2002, two employees at ATI Technologies leaked a development version of Doom 3 onto the Internet.[40] One year later, a new trailer was shown at E3 2003 and soon afterwards id Software's website was updated to showcase Doom 3 as an upcoming project, although it was also announced that Doom 3 would not be ready for the 2003 holiday season. According to John Carmack, the development took longer than expected. The developer Splash Damage assisted in design for the multiplayer elements of the game.[41]

Technology[edit]

The shadowing effects of the unified lighting and shadowing engine applied on a group of zombies

According to John Carmack, the lead graphics engine developer at id Software, the technology of Doom 3 was supported by three primary features: unified lighting and shadowing, complex animations and scripting that showed real-time with fully dynamic per-pixel lighting and stencil shadowing, and GUI surfaces that add extra interactivity to the game.[42] The key advance of the id Tech 4 graphics engine developed for Doom 3 is the unified lighting and shadowing. Rather than computing or rendering lightmaps during map creation and saving that information in the map data, most light sources are computed in real-time. This allows lights to cast shadows even on non-static objects such as monsters and machinery, which was impossible with static non-directional lightmaps. A shortcoming of this approach is the engine's inability to render soft shadows and global illumination.[42]

To increase the interactivity with the game-world, id Software designed hundreds of high-resolution animated screens for in-game computers. Rather than using a simple 'use key' to operate these computers, the crosshair acts as a mouse cursor over the screens allowing the player to use a computer in the game world. This allows for in-game computer terminal to perform more than one function, from operating security door codes, activating machinery, toggling lights or unlocking weapons lockers. According to the Doom 3 manual, GUI designer Patrick Duffy wrote over 500,000 lines of script code, and generated more than 25,000 image files to create all of the graphical interfaces, computer screens, and displays throughout Doom 3.[43] Other important features of the game engine are normal mapping and specular highlighting of textures, realistic handling of object physics, dynamic, ambient soundtrack, and multi-channel sound. Doom 3 on Xbox supports 480p widescreen video display resolution and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound.[44]

Release[edit]

Doom 3 achieved gold status on July 14, 2004[45] and a Mac OS X release was confirmed the next day.[46]Doom 3 was released in the United States on August 3, 2004 and to the rest of the world on August 13. Due to high demand, the game was made available at select outlets at midnight on the date of release. Additionally, a Linux version was released on October 4, 2004 by Timothee Besset. The Mac OS X version was released on March 14, 2005 and on February 20, 2006 the patch 1.3 Rev A included a universal binary, adding support for Mac OS X on the x86 architecture.[47] Finally, the modified Xbox conversion was released on April 3, 2005, featuring a limited steel book edition which included Ultimate Doom and Doom 2.

A week before the game's release, it became known that an agreement to include EAX audio technology in Doom 3 reached by id Software and Creative Labs was heavily influenced by a software patent owned by the latter company. The patent dealt with a technique for rendering shadows called Carmack's Reverse, which was developed independently by both John Carmack and programmers at Creative Labs. Id Software would have placed themselves under legal liability for using the technique in the finished game, so to defuse the issue, id Software agreed to license Creative Labs sound technologies in exchange for indemnification against lawsuits.[48]

During the keynote address at QuakeCon 2011, John Carmack announced that the source code for the Doom 3 engine would be released.[49] The source code was open-sourced under the GPL on November 22, 2011. It contains minor tweaks to the shadow rendering code to avoid potential patent infringement with a patent held by Creative Labs. Art assets such as 3D models, music, sound effects etc. remain subject to the EULA.

Versions[edit]

Expansion[edit]

On April 3, 2005, eight months after the release of Doom 3, id Software released an expansion pack for Doom 3 on Windows.[50] The expansion, entitled Resurrection of Evil, was developed by Nerve Software, a company that had partnered with id Software on several other projects, including Return to Castle Wolfenstein and the Xbox conversion of Doom. Once again published by Activision, a Linux version was released on May 24, 2005, and an Xbox version followed on October 5, 2005.[51] The expansion featured a new twelve-level single player campaign, set two years after the original storyline, as well as three new weapons, one of which is geared towards manipulating the physics in the game. Several new enemy characters were also introduced. Multiplayer gameplay was enhanced, officially increasing the player limit to eight and adding new game modes such as capture the flag.[52]Resurrection of Evil's reception was not as positive as it had been for Doom 3, but still received generally favorable reviews from the industry's critics.[53]

BFG Edition[edit]

A re-release of Doom 3 called Doom 3: BFG Edition, published by Bethesda Softworks, was released on October 15, 2012, in Australia, October 16, 2012 in North America[54] and October 19, 2012 in Europe. The BFG Edition features enhanced graphics, better sound with more horror effects, a checkpoint save system, support for 3D displays and HMDs, and the ability to use the flashlight while holding a weapon, in the form of the so-called 'armor-mounted flashlight'[55]. Also included are the previous expansion packResurrection of Evil, a new single-player expansion called The Lost Mission, and copies of the original Doom (the Ultimate Doom edition with the add-on fourth episode, Thy Flesh Consumed) and Doom II (with the expansion No Rest for the Living, previously available for the Xbox 360). The versions of Doom and Doom II released with the BFG Edition have undergone some degree of censorship.[56] PC versions of Doom 3: BFG Edition other than the GOG.com release require the Steam client and a valid Steam account for installation, play and achievements.

Reception[edit]

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
PCXbox
1UP.comB+[57]A[58]
Eurogamer9/10[59]
GameSpot8.5/10[13]8.6/10[60]
GameSpy[11][61]
GameTrailers9.0/10[62]
IGN8.9/10[12]9.3[63]
PC Gamer (UK)90%[8]
PC Gamer (US)94%[64]
Aggregate scores
GameRankings86.6%[65]87.7%[66]
Metacritic87[67]88[68]
Awards
PublicationAward
GameSpotBest and Worst of 2004:
Best Graphics (Technical)[69]
Golden Joystick Awards2004 edition:
PC Game of the Year,
Ultimate Game of the Year[70]

Doom 3 received a favorable reception from critics, with the PC version of the game holding an 87 percent score[67] and an 88 percent score[65] at the review compilation sites Metacritic and GameRankings respectively. Much praise was given to the quality of Doom 3's graphics and presentation; GameSpot described the game's environments as 'convincingly lifelike, densely atmospheric, and surprisingly expansive',[13] while PC Gamer UK described the graphics and non-player character modeling and animation as simply 'flawless', stating that Doom 3 signalled the return of the Doom franchise to the forefront of the computer and video game industry, eleven years after the release of the original Doom.[8]IGN's Dan Adams noted that the game's presentation comprised a remarkably high proportion of the game, stating that 'without the atmosphere, Doom 3 is a plain shooter that hearkens back to those of the '90s.'[12] In addition, several reviewers praised id Software for making the game still look surprisingly good even on lower graphics levels.[57][12]

A number of reviewers also praised the attention paid to the game's premise and setting; GameSpot's Greg Kasavin described getting 'the impression that Doom 3 takes place in a fully realized world'[13] while IGN noted that 'the UAC base also has a very worn and lived-in feel that adds to the realism.'[12]Eurogamer in particular pointed out that the game's opening sequence 'feels like a fitting tribute to the excellent ideas' of Valve Software's genre-defining Half-Life.[59]

Many reviewers noted that Doom 3 stuck with a similar 'run and gun' gameplay style that was successful with its predecessors, and the game was alternately praised and criticized for this element. Several reviews were critical of a perceived repetitiveness in gameplay after a while.[57][13] In addition, the game's artificial intelligence was not regarded as particularly challenging, with GameSpot noting that 'enemies follow the same sorts of predictable patterns that [players] may remember from previous Doom games'[13] while GameSpy stated the way enemies would spawn to attack the player was 'gimmicky'; the reviewer noted that players would realize that picking up a lone armor vest would cause a variety of zombies to emerge from hidden compartments in the dark.[11] In addition, several reviewers noted that the game's methods of conveying the story were 'ineffectual', compounded by the lack of an identity for the player character.[13] Finally, the game's multiplayer was seen as lacking in innovation, with its low player limits and small number of game modes, particularly in contrast to id Software's influential Quake III Arena.[11][12][13]

The Xbox version of Doom 3 received a similar level of critical support, holding a score of 88 percent on Metacritic[68] and an 87.7 percent score on GameRankings.[66] The game was praised and faulted on many of the same issues as the PC version,[61] although the game was praised for maintaining smooth and user-friendly controls on a gamepad, as well as for including a two player co-operative multiplayer mode, which IGN described as 'worth the price of admission alone.'[63] However, some criticism was directed towards slow-downs in play due to the game engine, despite being scaled down for the Xbox, still being demanding on the Xbox hardware.[63]

Computer Games Magazine nominated Doom 3 for its 'Best Technology' award, which ultimately went to Half-Life 2.[71]

Sales[edit]

Doom 3 was a commercial success for id Software. In the United States, the computer version sold 760,000 copies and earned $32.4 million by August 2006. It was the country's 16th best-selling computer game between January 2000 and August 2006.[72] Its computer version also received a 'Gold' sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),[73] indicating sales of at least 200,000 copies in the United Kingdom.[74] By the beginning of 2007, over 3.5 million copies of Doom 3 had been sold worldwide, making it the most successful project by id Software to date.[75][76]

Legacy[edit]

In early 2008, a new series of Doom novels by Matthew J. Costello were published, an author who had worked on the story and scripts for Doom 3 and Resurrection of Evil; previous Doom novels had expanded the storyline of the original two Doom games. The series of books aim to novelize the story of Doom 3, with the first installment, Worlds on Fire, published on February 26, 2008.[5] The second book in the series, Maelstrom, was released in March 2009.[77]

The game engine for Doom 3, id Tech 4, has been licensed out for the use of other developers, such as in Human Head Studios' Prey, Raven Software's Quake 4, Splash Damage's Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, Raven Software's Wolfenstein, and Splash Damage's Brink; however id Tech 4 has not been widely licensed compared to Epic Games' Unreal Engine.[78] On November 22, 2011, the source code of the engine was released under the GPL, but the game's artwork content still remains under the EULA. A later source code drop also included the changes made for the BFG Edition, allowing the re-release to potentially be ported to other previously unsupported platforms such as Linux and OS X,[79] and such a port was eventually released.[80]

Film adaptation[edit]

A Doom film, loosely based on the franchise was released on October 21, 2005 in the United States and in the United Kingdom in 2005. It was directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak and starred Karl Urban, Rosamund Pike, and The Rock. The film did not fare well and received a poor critical response,[81] with ticket sales for the opening weekend totaling more than US$15.3 million, but promptly dropping to $4.2 million in its second weekend.[82]

2016 reboot[edit]

Id Software eventually went on to do another remake, this time following the series' original roots in minimal storytelling and fast-paced action. Development was announced in 2008, then slated to run on the id Tech 5 engine and initially titled as Doom 4.[83] Titled just Doom and powered by the id Tech 6, the game was released in 2016 by Bethesda Softworks for Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 with cross-platform support in its 'Snapmap' multiplayer mode. A Nintendo Switch version was released in 2017.

Notes[edit]

  1. ^Ported to Mac OS X by Aspyr Media, and to Xbox by Vicarious Visions.

References[edit]

  1. ^id Software (2004). Doom 3 (manual). p. 16. Doom 3 lore – Tim Willits, the lead designer on Doom 3, started his career making maps for the original Doom and releasing them on the internet for free. id liked his work and hired him as a designer in 1995.
  2. ^'Doom 3 versions'. GameSpot. Archived from the original on December 8, 2008.
  3. ^'Doom 3'. GameSpot. Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  4. ^'Doom 3 (PC)'. GameSpy. Archived from the original on February 28, 2016. Retrieved July 17, 2008.
  5. ^ ab'Doom 3: Worlds on Fire'. Simon & Schuster. Archived from the original on December 6, 2008. Retrieved July 14, 2008.
  6. ^'Doom 3 Weapons'. Planet Doom. IGN. Archived from the original on September 24, 2008. Retrieved July 11, 2008.
  7. ^'Doom 3 Enemies'. Planet Doom. IGN. Archived from the original on September 24, 2008. Retrieved July 11, 2008.
  8. ^ abcdefAtherton, Ross (September 2004). 'Review: Doom 3'. PC Gamer UK. No. 139. pp. 66–73.
  9. ^ abc'Doom 3 Overview'. Planet Doom. IGN. Archived from the original on September 24, 2008. Retrieved July 11, 2008.
  10. ^'Doom 3 Items'. Planet Doom. IGN. Archived from the original on September 24, 2008. Retrieved July 11, 2008.
  11. ^ abcdAccardo, Sal (August 6, 2004). 'Doom 3 Review'. GameSpy. Archived from the original on December 7, 2008. Retrieved July 24, 2007.
  12. ^ abcdefAdams, Dan (August 5, 2004). 'DOOM 3 Review'. IGN. Archived from the original on July 2, 2016. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
  13. ^ abcdefghKasavin, Greg (August 4, 2004). 'Doom 3 for PC Review'. GameSpot. Archived from the original on July 11, 2016. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
  14. ^id Software (2004). 'Multiplayer'. Doom 3 manual). p. 12.
  15. ^id Software. Doom 3. PC. Activision. Level/area: Mars City. The Union Aerospace Corporation is the largest corporate entity in existence. Originally focused on weapons and defense contracts, new ventures have expanded into biological research, space exploration, and other scientific endeavors. With unlimited funds and the ability to engage in research outside of moral and legal obligations, the UAC controls the most advanced technology ever conceived.
  16. ^ abcd'Doom 3 credits'. AllGame. Archived from the original on November 30, 2012. Retrieved July 28, 2008.
  17. ^id Software. Doom 3. PC. Activision. Level/area: Mars City. Elliott Swann: I will need full access, Doctor Betruger, Delta included. I won't have any difficulties doing that will I? / Malcolm Betruger: Only if you get lost Swann. Just stay out of my way. Amazing things will happen here soon, you just wait.
  18. ^id Software. Doom 3. PC. Activision. Level/area: Marine HQ, Mars City. Thomas Kelly: Now, here's the situation. Another member of the science team's gone missing. As you're the ranking FNG, you get to find him. I want you to check out the old decommissioned comm facility, we heard he might be headed that way.
  19. ^id Software. Doom 3. PC. Activision. Level/area: Old Comn Main, Mars City Underground. Jonathan Ishii: Huh? No, no, please... you must let me get this communication out. They have to warned while there is still time. I can't let... I... You don't know what I've seen! You can't possibly understand or comprehend. The Devil is real! I know... I built his cage.
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External links[edit]

Wikiquote has quotations related to: Doom 3
  • Doom 3 official website, retrieved from archived version of January 4, 2008
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Doom_3&oldid=900776274'
Oli Wilkinson catches up with the team behind the exciting Doom 3 mod, 'Last Man Standing' .
[size='3']
Can you please introduce yourselves and talk about your roles within the team?[size='3']

MercyKiller: I'm Stephen 'MercyKiller' Youts - level designer. My main role on the team is not only designing and implementing levels but also the creating the required art assets (models, in my case and scripting level events. However, we are a small team and thus all do odd jobs from time to time. I'm sixteen years old and live in Houston , Texas . AO: I'm Arne Olav Hallingstad - a coder. Being a student so passionate about game programming I looked around for a Doom 3 mod to join back in December 2004. It had to be a Doom 3 mod (since I love the engine), and be a mod that caught my interest. LMS Co-op was perfect since they were in need of a programmer to implement cooperative play, a major part of the mod. I saw it as an interesting challenge and joined the team.
BurN: My name is Balal Aizaz but my homies know me as 'BurN'. I'm 18 and live in the USA . I'm the webmaster for Last Man Standing and somewhat graphics designer as well. Although I intentionally signed up as a webmaster I always find myself doing unique and creative things for LMS.
Calimer: My name is Michael Tomaino, though in the internet world I'm referred to as calimer. I'm 25 and I live in upstate New York. My primary jobs are project leader, public relations, mapping and scripting. Overall though my main job is to make sure things get done and that the mod is progressing smoothly. If for some reason an area is lacking, it is my job to help in that area, even if it is not a job I'm accustomed to.
Hobbes: My name is Tom Tirone. The LMS mod was quite advanced when I joined the team. I started out modifying the Doom3 maps for cooperative play but then advanced to be a coder. LMS is my first experience in modding.
[size='3']What made you enter the IGF mod competition?
MercyKiller: Entering the IGF competition was originally calimer's idea, and we were all pretty cool with it and jumped onboard.
BurN: Like Mercykiller said, it was calimer's idea. He mentioned it to the team and we unanimously agreed. The next thing I knew we split the entry fee and were announced finalists. It was also due to the fact that Calimer is so dedicated to LMS that he thought without a doubt we could win the competition, that's what helped me to agree to the idea.
Calimer: Actually I can't take the credit for it being my idea; AO noticed it on the Moddb.com webpage and referred me to it. We had been hoping for a competition for a while, I had even sent an e-mail to Id Software suggesting the idea, so this was a perfect opportunity. The reason we wanted a competition so badly is that we wanted to be able to fully demonstrate all of our hard work and effort that we had put into the mod. So when I heard about the IGF competition I saw this as our opportunity and got to work on making it happen.
[size='3']The mod category is a new addition to the IGF competition this year; your mod is a finalist in the Doom3 mod section - how does this make you feel?

MercyKiller: I'm amazed at how far we've come through the 1.5 odd years of development. We've traditionally had a good run of garnering interest via magazines and interviews, but being an IGF finalist tops it all. It's been really great working with the guys and I'm extremely proud of how LMS has turned out.
Calimer: It is an awesome feeling to have our mod as a finalist! As I said earlier we were hoping for any kind of competition, and to be a finalist in such a big competition is a dream come true, and really a testament to all of the effort we put into the mod.
Hobbes: I am very excited about being named a finalist in the competition. I am proud of the entire team and the work we have accomplished over the past year.



[size='3']'Last Man Standing' is competing against only one other candidate, do you think that it's an omen when you consider your game's name?
MercyKiller : I'm confident that we'd be the 'Last Man Standing' regardless of how many competitors would be arrayed against us. Though we'll probably be given a run for our money, considering that any mod that makes it to IGF finalist has to be good.
BurN: Last Man Standing is in no way meant to be an aggressive or maniacal mod name, its just mere coincidence. And the rumors of the team members being taken over by demons have no evidence backing it. That being said, the other mod is going down!
Calimer: This is certainly an interesting question and not one that I had ever imagined I'd be asked, ever. I don't know if it is an omen or not but it certainly would be a blast to play some LMS vs the other team and see who could come out as the Last Man Standing!
[size='3']The fact that this is the first year the IGF has run a competition for mods is pretty groundbreaking; do you feel that the game industry is now starting to recognize mods as top-quality games in their own right?

MercyKiller: In my opinion, mods have always played a huge part in the success of the base game, at least when longevity is concerned. For example, Half-Life was a great game, but owed much of its staying power to the mods. However, there are many different categories of mods and the industry is recognizing those that either add a significant new feature, or change a large chunk of the content most. Mods are definitely becoming more independent, bolder, and more visible than they were traditionally; contests such as 'Make Something Unreal' are the most obvious forms of the industry recognizing mod developers.
Calimer: I'm not sure if they are recognizing mods as top-quality games, but I think they are definitely starting to see the importance of modding. Mod have a lot more room to be creative since they are generally created by volunteers and have much more freedom since they aren't bound by deadlines or financial constraints. Also the content base that modders get to work from is quite extensive which means that the focus can immediately be on getting gameplay in game, as opposed to having to start from scratch.
[size='3']Tell me about 'Last Man Standing', what is it all about?

MercyKiller: Well, the original idea was to bring back the feel of the classic Dooms to the game, with swarms of monsters assaulting the player. Co-op is an integral feature to this concept, as we originally intended to limit the players to only one life, leaving the Last Man Standing the winner. Obviously, the concept has shifted a bit to encompass more general gameplay, though the emphasis is still on cooperative gameplay against insurmountable odds.
Calimer: To me Last Man Standing is all about having fun gameplay, and to bring to Doom 3 some elements that I felt were missing. Originally this included levels that featured survival type gameplay against swarms of assaulting monsters. We had levels where you would progress, defend, or were stuck in a small room trying to take down as many monsters as you could and outlast the other marines. Cooperative support was essential to this gametype and due to popular demand we added coop support to other areas of Doom 3, such as the single player levels, the expansion pack, and the Classic Doom for Doom 3 project.
[size='3']How did you come up with the idea for the game?

Calimer: The idea was created by Scott Penner and I. We had wanted to create a mod for a while and had been coming up with a lot of complex ideas. I suggested that since the ideas were so complex that we start small and work our way up and that's when we came up with the idea for LMS. A lot of the inspiration came from classic doom and the custom Starcraft maps where you have to defend against swarms of monsters. So as can be seen, a 'simple' concept certainly ended up being a lot more complicated than we realized.
[size='3']How does LMS differ to regular Doom 3 multiplayer?

MercyKiller: Well, regular Doom 3 multiplayer was a rather limited form of deathmatch with some minor variations such as tournament play. LMS is 100% about cooperative gameplay. The biggest feature Doom3 lacked multiplayer-wise was coop and LMS fills this void. Naturally all the original Doom3 and RoE levels are supported in our coop game mode, in addition to LMS Mod and now CDoom Coop.
Calimer: It really is completely different from deathmatch since players work together rather than try to kill each other. Key differences are cooperative support, monsters (6+ which are new!), new weapons, new music, new sounds, tons of new maps and maptypes, infrared vision, new server admin options, a LMS specific scoreboard, and lots more!



[size='3']Who is your target audience with LMS?

MercyKiller: The majority of LMS players are old Doom veterans who crave more of that gameplay style. However anyone who enjoys multiplayer teamplay will probably like LMS.
Calimer: I would have to say that our target audience is us. I started this mod with wanting to create something fun for me to play since I had been so disgusted with other games that did not seem to have any gameplay focus. I figured too that if I found it fun that others would find it fun as well. The reverse holds true as well, if I didn't find it fun, I couldn't expect others to either. Luckily others have found the mod fun as well, and I would say LMS is the perfect mod for anyone who finds the idea of pumping massive rounds from heavy weaponry into the minions of hell even remotely interesting, or someone who just needs some good stress relief in general J
[size='3']First Person Shooter games are all about the guns and action, what does LMS add to this to differentiate from the crowd?

MercyKiller: I wouldn't say we 'add' a whole lot to differentiate us, per se. However, FPS games seem to be evolving along an increasingly realism-bent trend. LMS is a throwback to the old, simple days of Doom. I guess LMS is similar to Painkiller in that regard. We're concerned with action-packed and fun gameplay, not with anally retentive realism detail.
BurN: We just took Doom=MC? and added Coop to it. Just the fact that you can play with your friends online and try to defend off hordes of monsters gives LMS that extra thrill. We also have different modes of Coop, like single player coop and LMS coop. So having a variety of modes to play online with friends has helped to keep people interested.
Calimer: I would say the biggest thing that is different about our mod is the sheer amount of gametypes and maptypes there are to play. If you want a lot of fast paced action than you can play LMS Mod, which has a lot of different gameplay types on its own. If you like the single player levels, then you can play them coop, or even play the expansion pack coop. Not even the Xbox version of the expansion supports cooperative play. And if that isn't enough, in our newest version you can play the Classic Doom For Doom 3 Mod cooperatively. There are so many different things to play in LMS that I really think it can suit just about anyone's FPS needs.
[size='3']LMS sounds like a real departure from the regular Doom3 experience; your game is fast paced compared to Doom3 which was slow and broody - was this intentional?
MercyKiller: The ultra-fast tempo of LMS one of the core concepts driving the mod.
Calimer: It definitely was intentional as I thought the gameplay in Doom 3 was too slow paced. I wanted to bring back the classic doom experience and add some of my own personal favorite gameplay elements.
[size='3']One aspect that particularly appeals to me is the co-operative Defense maps; are there times where you stand back to back with your team-mates screaming in terror as you let loose your chainguns against the hoardes of hell?

MercyKiller: That sort of gameplay isn't restricted to defense maps, though it is emphasized more due to their layout. In my opinion, nothing is more fun than getting pinned against a wall and saving your friends' collective posteriors.
Calimer: Oh yes definitely. That is a gameplay element that I've tried to encourage in the other map types as well. It is certainly something I have strived hard to achieve in my defense maps, which is the maptype that has been my main mapping focus throughout the mod.
[size='3']Tell me more about the new gameplay types you've added with your game... How do they differ to other mods?

MercyKiller: LMS Mod is the swarm-based gametype, and CDoom coop is an integration of the Classic Doom 3 mod into LMS. Doom3 and RoE coop are very similar to the vanilla game, except for the addition of more players.
Calimer: In LMS Mod the maptypes are Progressive, Defense, and Killfest. In Progressive maps you progress through areas in a map. In Defense, you are defending a certain point, VIP, or outpost. Killfest maps feature a small room filled with monsters where players try to outscore other players and see how long they can keep from dying. Defense in particular is a gametype/maptype that I've tried to push since I don't think many other mods or games feature it. And as Mercykiller mentioned, we have SP Coop, ROE Coop and Cdoom Coop for our other gametypes. It is worth mentioning again that only through LMS can you play ROE Coop, not even the Xbox version has this feature.
[size='3']Have you added/removed any weapons to the game to make it more suitable for what you were trying to acheive?
MercyKiller: The only weapon we've removed is the BFG, mainly due to its overpowering nature in coop. We've added our own Super Shotgun, along with some other fun weapons such as the Plasmathrower. Most weapons were modified to deal with a greater number of monsters more effectively.
Calimer: Also we added the plasmasniper J My favorite addition definitely has to be the double barrel shotgun as it was my weapon of choice in classic doom, and I was very unhappy when I found out it wasn't in Doom 3. The plasmathrower is fun too since you can it actually ignite monsters and see their bodies collapse under the flames.
[size='3']Have you altered the graphics used in the Doom 3 and ROE expansion packs?
AO: We have updated the HUD, main menu and in-game menu to our own theme. We also have a few new player model skins so people get a bit more variety in how their fellow players look. Aside from that I can't think of any other graphical changes worth mentioning, the goal was never to create a total conversion.
MercyKiller: We've got some custom graphical content, but for the most part we've stuck with the stock Doom3 themes.
[size='3']One thing that stands out about LMS is how 'light' it all is compared to the original Doom 3; what made you decide to do this?
MercyKiller: For the most part Doom3's darkness contributed to its slow pace. LMS levels are brighter to allow better visibility and thus a generally smoother flow. There are exceptions, of course. Chambers of Misery and Labyrinth come to mind.

Calimer: Making things 'dark' was not really something that needed to be a part of our mod. The mod is more about fast paced action and inciting panic in the players by having hordes of demons running after them to tear out their throats as opposed to a lone zombie jumping out of the darkness.
[size='3']How about sound, what have you done to change them to fit your game?
MercyKiller: We've had the pleasure of working with some fantastic bands on music for the mod. Mostly intense metal/industrial stuff to get the adrenaline flowing.
Calimer: There has been a lot done in terms of sound because the majority of the levels are accompanied by a heavy metal soundtrack. Also we have a custom made theme song for our menu. The goal was to have the heavy metal music help get the adrenaline pumping to its max as the players are battling off the hordes. We also do have some custom sounds for our new weapons, including the classic doom DB sounds that we were given permission to use from Idsoftware.
[size='3']What tools and technologies have you used in the development of LMS?
AO: We use Subversion as the repository for all mod related assets and code. It's a really great tool and makes us work together more efficiently. Both me and Hobbes, our other programmer, have used VS .NET 2003 as the development platform.
MercyKiller: Doom3Radiant is the tool I use for constructing levels. My models have been done in Blender3D, and my textures in the GIMP. I've used a wide variety of text editors - everything from ConTEXT under WinXP to vim or emacs under Gentoo Linux. Text editors are actually pretty useful for certain aspects of level editing as well, such as fixing little problems that Radiant introduces.
Calimer: We have really used a lot of tools on various operating systems. For example Hobbes uses PearPC and Xcode to compile the Mac builds, I use scons on Linux to compile the Linux builds, and I have used VS 2005 Express to compile the Windows code. As far as mapping I have used both GtkRadiant and D3Radiant, although unfortunately a lot of the mapping could only be done through D3Radiant. As I became more familiar with the engine, a lot of my mapping started to be done with text editors. Textpad really has been my text editor of choice and I have done lots of LMS editing with it since almost every Doom 3 file can be opened as a text document.
[size='3']Why did you choose to create a mod for an existing engine rather than starting from scratch?
MercyKiller: Keep in mind that although the core concept of LMS could easily drive a standalone game, the mod is really about bringing back old school FPS gameplay - gameplay that was first implemented in Doom. I can't really comment on the actual choice as I joined shortly after LMS appeared as a Doom3 mod.
Calimer: I think that modding is a great way to get experience, and I had no idea how to even begin a standalone game at the time, so it was the natural choice. Also I had wanted the experience to help me get a job working on an actual game, as opposed to starting my own business.
[size='3']Tell me a little about your experiences coding for the Doom3 engine: What's been the best thing about using the engine?
AO: Well it was a pretty daunting task getting to grips with the Doom 3 engine once the SDK was released. With over 250 000 total source lines and ~40 000 lines of C++ like script I felt pretty lost at the start. After about 6 months of working on the code it started to come together, and I could modify the code without having to look up and read the code so frequently to understand the concepts and program flow.
Still I love the engine, it's a lean and mean engine created to fulfill it's goal to support a game like Doom 3. There's no leftover code because of a transition from any previous game, it's all written from 'scratch'. You still find concepts from the earlier Id engines in there which is probably why it's so fun working with the engine.
And it's very educational and inspiring to be able to work on the game code of what is one of the top game titles out there right after its release. Invaluable experience if you want to get a job in the game industry like I do. J
MercyKiller: The engine has great support for advanced graphical features. I haven't actually done engine coding, but as a level designer the Doom3 engine is an excellent platform, regardless of what popular opinion seems to be.
Calimer: I think the engine is well organized and I love how you can open just about any Doom 3 file in a text editor and see how it works and make changes. Also I like how map compiling times seem to be shorter than other engines I've worked with.
[size='3']Have you encountered any problems using it?
AO: No, can't think of anything except the hours of frustration created by my own lack of understanding of the engine. Its part of the process needed to understand such complex code I think. Doom 3 last man standing download
MercyKiller: Doom3 is much more difficult to develop for than the previous generation of engines, and some designers decided to not use it because of this. One of the hardest things to get used to is the new approach to lighting. No longer can high framerates be maintained with a great number of overlapping visible lights, and one must compensate accordingly. The stock Doom3 engine has no LoD algorithm or volumetric fogging which makes huge outdoor maps somewhat difficult. Thus, breaking levels into several sections is key, and visportals are a great tool for this.
Calimer: I haven't done a lot of Doom 3 coding myself, but in regards to problems modding Doom 3, I would say that multiplayer definitely has a lot of problems. The netcode is not that good, and the game is very CPU and memory intensive. Also D3Radiant was buggy and resource intensive itself, and it also required Doom 3 to loaded while using it. A lot of care also had to be placed in the maps, and monster placement because of how easy it was to make an unplayable multiplayer map.
[size='3']How did you overcome these problems?
MercyKiller: The above problems can be avoided through planning level layout within the constraints of the engine.
Calimer: I don't think the netcode problem was really overcome, but a lot work was put into making it the best experience possible. We have come a long way in making it playable over the internet, which is really saying something. Also a lot of care in the level design is essential. My maps are very specifically tweaked to be intense but also run smoothly. Other mappers have done likewise, and maps that weren't up to par in terms of running smoothly were not included.
[size='3']Would you recommend other teams use the Doom3 engine to make their games?
AO: Yes, I'd recommend it over any other engine. I like how Id software's engines are designed; they're relatively easy to understand after spending some time in the game code. Although I do not have much experience with any other game engines like HL2 or Battlefield 2.
MercyKiller: I'd recommend that developers take a look at Doom3, and if the sort of game they're developing would work well with the engine's limitations than serious consideration of use would be a good thing. Naturally if you're a licensee then you can implement your own features. From what I understand Quake4 has some additional enhancements as well.
Calimer: It largely depends on what their project goals are. It is important to take into consideration the strengths and weaknesses of all potential engines. The engine that is picked should best fit the needs of the actual project.
[size='3']How long has LMS been in development?
MercyKiller: Circa 16 months.
Calimer: Yep, since the tail end of August 2004
[size='3']How did you plan the development of the mod? (Tell me how you went from idea to the game as it is now).
MercyKiller: From my perspective, development just sort of...happened. Everyone was motivated by the well defined concept and stuff just took off. Designers had total freedom within reason, and that's one of the reasons why we cranked out cool levels relatively quickly. Calimer most definitely knows more about the actual organization.
Calimer: A lot of the mod is about collective development. There were certain jobs that were set that I wanted complete, but in general people were able to add what features they wanted. I think the beautiful thing about LMS is how it is structured in such a nonlinear fashion that as long as content obeyed some basic guidelines, imagination was really the limit as far as what could be put into the mod.
[size='3']Have you suffered any setbacks in your journey from zero to the IGF finals?
AO: Not really any setbacks, just a lot hours spent debugging the game code...
MercyKiller: It was initially difficult to find a coder, and some of the weapon models took a while. However, development has never really stalled.
BurN: Being in LMS since before its first release I'd say we have had our share of 'mod drama'; people leaving the team, real life situations where we had to take some breaks or just getting fed up with certain things. But overall calimer is such a wonderful team leader to have, and without a doubt it was with his enthusiasm that he kept us in constant motion.
Calimer: There have been setbacks but a key way with how LMS was organized was that flow could be continued even if it was just myself on the team. I would say the most major setback was when the original project leader disappeared (I was originally the co-leader with a focus on mapping) and I had to make the choice of taking on all of his jobs in addition to mine, or to let the mod die. I think I made the right choice, even though it was only Burn and I for quite a while. I'm so glad that we never gave up, quitting was never even mentioned. I still have so much respect for Burn for never giving up hope or belief in me. I definitely couldn't of done it without him. Together with my map fortcomp, and then his gameplay video of the map, we were really able to get LMS steamrolling ahead.
[size='3']What advice would you offer other teams who want to make their own mods?
AO: I wouldn't start a mod team unless I had the necessary level designers/coders/modelers/animators right from the start. Mods are dying because the amount of experience and dedication required. Lower the expectations of your own mod so you don't have to depend on anyone but the ones on the team you trust. Might be easier to get a team together in the Half Life 2 community, but it's only gonna get harder. Then on the other hand, it's even more impressive with those who do make a successful mod.
MercyKiller: The most important thing is having a well defined concept and getting possible developers and players interested in the concept. Calimer had a stroke of genius when he released the demo version of Fortcomp. That was my first exposure to LMS and I remember thinking 'Dude, this is everything Doom3 could have been if it were modeled after the first two games!' That mindset has propelled me forward throughout development.
Calimer: The best advice I can give is start simple and work your way up! So many teams ignore this concept and fail because their projects are too ambitious. LMS is a great example of how even a concept seems simple can be a lot more work than one would realize. I structured LMS in such a way that I could do releases by myself if need be and every extra person working on it was an added bonus instead of a necessity.
[size='3']Would you recommend mod development over creating everything from scratch?

Last Man Standing


AO: Definitely. Creating a mod lets you focus on the gameplay right from the start of development, which is really cool. It also gives you invaluable experience from working on the same code that the top game companies work on.
MercyKiller : Mod development is probably a more viable alternative if you're just starting out, as you already have a base to work with. Traditional mods (total and partial conversions sometimes nonwithstanding) are generally also driven by a desire to make one of your favorite games better, whilst game development is more about implementing a vision.
Calimer: It completely depends what your overall objective is. It does help have a base to work off of, but you are also limited in selling the product, the promotion you can give the product, etc.
[size='3']As a modding team, how do you feel the game development community supports your efforts? Is there any additional support that you'd like to see out there?
AO: There's usually a few Wikis out there regarding the engine you're on, a few forums with lots of searchable information. I can only speak about Id software's latest engine here, but their support has been great, they really do more than you would expect.
MercyKiller: I'd have been extremely great about supporting mod development with the Doom3 engine. Sure, the SDK was a little slow to come out and the 1.2 patch caused some problems, but things like IdDevnet and being able to communicate with the actual developers of the game is awesome. Doom3 modders are also very fortunate in that there are a great number of pioneering and inquisitive minds at Doom3World.org who are willing to share their knowledge.
Calimer: Most of what I have learned is through playing with stuff myself and asking other members of the team, but the times when I was stuck Brian of Id Software was always very willing to help me out. So with that I'd have to say the support was great. As far as additional support it would be great to have more guys like Brian, especially that step up and make themselves readily available to modders.
[size='3']How have you gone about promoting your game?
BurN : Promotion for the mod is a full time position for our main man calimer. He always submits news to countless gaming sites and pushes PR for LMS to its limits and beyond. We have also promoted LMS by releasing a few videos of LMS in action, which have all received great feedback.
Calimer: Any way I could. I had even wanted to do TV commercials but I think I confused Id Software a bit when I proposed the idea. They initially got back to me but I think when they saw how serious I was about it I think they were unsure how to handle it.
[size='3']How well has your game been received by the wider community?
Calimer: I think it has been incredibly well received. I have heard very little negative feedback about the mod, and so much positive. I think that finishing at #6 out of 3600+ mods in the user voted Moddb.com Mod Of The Year contest is a good indicator of how it has been received.
[size='3']How would you 'sell' your mod to people who have never played one before?
MercyKiller: Nothing beats a live demonstration, in my opinion.
BurN: Are we talking with our without the free chips and dip?
[size='3']Will you be attending the GDC 2006?
AO: I will, all the way from Europe ! I consider it a once in a lifetime opportunity to be able to attend IGF as a finalist, and becoming a professional game programmer is my dream. So this is very exciting being able to attend GDC with all the conferences from industry veterans.
MercyKiller : Yep. Look for a stereotypical looking teenaged bum with somewhat long hair.
Calimer: Definitely! I can't wait to show everyone the mod and get them excited about it! Also I am so interested in meeting all the top-notch game developers and seeing what other game products people have to show off. It will be a learning experience of a lifetime.
[size='3']What opportunities do you hope that your place in the IGF finals will bring your team?
AO: Will make it easier to get a game industry job hopefully!

MercyKiller: I'm still relatively young so I'm not likely to apply for industry jobs anytime soon. The biggest thing for me is getting to attend the IGF and actually meeting veterans of the industry.
BurN: I know that if we win the IGF competition that it would be if not the greatest day, one of the greatest days in this mod teams history. We will have infinite bragging rights, all the brownies we can eat, and it will be a wonderful way to show people Platinum Arts, the gaming company calimer has started (www.platinumarts.net).

Molly Ephraim

Calimer: I hope that it brings the mod more attention and that more people will as a result download it and enjoy it! The main reason the mod was created was to give people something fun to play, so the more people it can bring enjoyment to the better!
[size='3']Do you have any final thoughts or comments for our audience?
MercyKiller: Play more LMS! J
Calimer: Thanks for this awesome opportunity to be interviewed! And thank you to my team for all of your great help! Take care and I hope everyone is enjoying the mod J
Game Bio
Name

Doom 3 Last Man Standing

: Last Man Standing
Type : Multiplayer Co-operative Doom3 Mod
Developers : 5
Development Time : 16 months
Web Links: http://lms.d3files.com
Gameplay Video: http://doom3.filefront.com/file/Last_Man_Standing_Coop_20_Gameplay_Video;48332
Mirror : http://gamershell.com/download_11094.shtml