Doom for X-box

When I brought my X-box the first game I played was Halo.

It occurred to me that is would be really something if I could play Doom in the same way. When I saw how detailed the Flood were up close it made me think that Doom for X-box could be really scary and atmospheric. DOOM 3 for Xbox is out since I first wrote this, but I've not played it.

What advantages would there be to playing Doom on X-box, other than the vastly improved graphics? One would be the controls. You could actually look up and down, so there would be no more shooting at a patch of wall to kill a monster 20 feet above. Probably the best configuration would be rather like that for Turok or Unreal, using the X and B buttons to cycle through the weapons. A and the left trigger would replace the spacebar, the Black button operate the map, etc.

What levels to have for this game? I'd like this to be Doom 2 with respect to the extra weapons and monsters. I'd like to see most of the levels of Doom 2 used, although there are a couple I'd not miss. However, I'd also be very disappointed if at least a dozen of the Original Doom Levels were not included. One of the revolutionary things about Doom was that people were encouraged to write their own levels, and some of these were very inventive. There was a level based on the blueprints of the DeathStar, and another allowed you to chase demons around the campus of an Oxbridge college. It would be a great shame if some of these levels were not included in the X-box game. It would add variety for Doom veterans. I'd also like to see the terminology errors corrected: the guns use magazines, not clips, and the chainguns are actually mini-guns.

What other features would I like? Well, “save anytime” was a nice feature of Doom, and something often lacking on X-box games. I'd like the cheats included too, including clipping mode, since some of those timing puzzles I've never been able to do. I'd like several difficulty settings, and would like to be able to play “Nightmare” without enemy respawn, or have the option of this on lower settings.

I'd like to see progressive damage to monsters that need multiple hits. A creature that needs to be hit by five rockets should not be acting as though it is in perfect health after it has been hit by four.

One variant idea I've entertained is “Manic Marine”. Your opponents are limited to zombies, shotgun guys, imps and pinkies (maybe the occasional cacodeamon). Your armament is limited to fists, pistols, chainsaw and/or lasersword. There would be plenty of beserker packs around and there may also be fire-axes, baseball bats, hammers, shovels or spanners you can use as weapons.

What about new monsters and weapons? Some very nice suggestions for other weapons come from Michael Gummelt, author of the “Insane” patch I found here.

His ideas include:

• 2-Punch combo & kick: This makes you throw a two-punch combo followed by a kick. Certainly the unarmed moves of the marine could do with some more variety.
  
• Laser Sword: “.....sword with a laser for a blade, can kill most lower-level monsters with a single swipe.”
  
• Double Pistols: “Two pistols which can do some nice damage. Watch your enemies fly when hit just right!” This is a really nice addition in the best Hong Kong movie tradition. These pistols are about eight times the fun of the single original, and far more practical.
  
• Mega Shotgun: A five barrelled shotgun –“can take down a cacodemon with one shot at close range.”
  
• Grenades: A very welcome addition. “Lob them at your enemy, or over a ledge to clear out hiding monsters you can't see. Also has a radioactive charge that screws up the vision of any human player- in DM or co-op it comes in direct contact with.”
  
• StrikeBack (tm) Force Shield: “places a Laser-Grid Force-Shield that severely damages any monster (or any player except the one that laid it) which comes in contact with its grid. It blocks all incoming bullets and projectiles (except the Archvile attack). If it is shot at and hit, it fires back a tracking missile at the attacker!”
  
• Health Booster: “An electro-chemical boost that sends a chemically-laced pulse through your body. In addition, the electric charge contracts your muscles to a degree that makes you leap into the air- this could be useful for getting on top of areas you usually couldn't. Collect the glowing blue health vials to use with this device.”
  
• Crucifix of Destruction: “A gift from God to aid you in your battle against evil. To use, place four of them in the formation of a cross, all facing each other. If you use less, He will be less likely to intervene. Once placed, any monsters you see will be struck down by lightning and flames by God. If you place only one, this will only happen every now and then. If you place all four in the correct configuration, every monster you see will be struck by lightning until dead. The crosses also act as a shield against projectiles. As a bonus, the first time you use a crucifix in the game, you will receive the laser sword instead”
  

To this admirable selection I'd also like to suggest a flamethrower (the one from Turok will suit me fine) and a sniping rifle for hitting those commandos and imps on high ledges. What would be nice is if you had the option to play “classic”, with standard Doom 2 armament, or “Insane”, with the new weapons. A very good feature would be customizable inventory so you can select what weapons you'll have or you will find on a level.

For ideas for new monsters I'm going to draw on the Insane patch for inspiration, although I'm suggesting these as additional, not alternate foes. A “classic” option would allow you to just play the traditional Doom menagerie.

Some other likely ideas are here.

• Ghost Zombies: Like the Green haired guys, but with blue hair and the ability to walk through walls.
  
• Chainsaw Zombie: Zombie with a Chainsaw: may also be a ghost zombie.
  
• Rocketeer Zombie: Fires up to three mini-rockets in each attack.
  
• Boomerang Sergeants: Look just like other shotgun sergeants but when you kill one it may come back to life a few times before staying dead.
  
• Imps. Some imps spit fireballs, others throw blobs of napalm from their hands. There is also a beefier imp that does not have a ranged attack but uses tooth and claw. This latter variety can use beserk packs to heal itself and become stronger (better get to the packs first!).
  
• Nazis: As in the game, but get the uniforms right this time: grey or black, not blue! These guys could be taken from Medal of Honor, so MP40s, STG44s, stick grenades, bayoneted bolt-action rifles and maybe the occasional panzerfaust or MG42.
  
• Spectres: (invisible demons): Game includes the option of these being COMPLETELY invisible except when they are hit, die, or are attacking.
  
• Grey Mancubi: Just like a Mancubi, but grey, and armed with a homing missile and a chain gun.
  
• Baby CacoDemon: Smaller, and do not bite as hard. Make up for it by a higher rate of fireballs and often congregating in groups.
  
• Grenadier Knight: Like a Hell Knight but with different horns and throws grenades. Uses the same radioactive grenades described under weapons, so if you kill one you can take the grenades he has left.
  
• Silver-Viles: An archvile evolved into something much more dangerous (and silver). They can bring down lightning and flames on you, chucking you up into the air and causing quite a bit of damage. When killed, they release a floating sphere that follows you around but doesn't harm you. It will resurrect any dead creature it passes over (Silver-viles themselves can't do this when alive.)
  
• Afrits and Gargoyles: Flying nuisances, possibly created from former humans. May attack with tooth and claw or use Zombie weapons.
  
• Water Monster: No idea what it is, but there must be something nasty in some of those pools of waste and water.