# DOOM3: Who's got it? Who's playing it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 4, 2004, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doom3-whos-got-it-whos-playing-it/258292 "2004-08-04T14:45:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doom3-whos-got-it-whos-playing-it/258292/1 "2004-08-04T14:45:59Z")
It certainly ranks as up there (or above) the System Shock series with mood and atmosphere. Also, possibly the scariest game I’ve ever played. Insane graphics. Part of me wonders, though, if I haven’t been a little spoiled by Far Cry and it’s huge detailed environments. Is the whole game going to be crawling though real tight corridors in the half dark with zombies jumping out of hidden closets _behind me_. I guess I’m not far enough along in the game to make that judgement. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doom3-whos-got-it-whos-playing-it/258292/2 "2004-08-04T16:13:22Z")
Rather than start my own Doom III review thread, I’ll piggy-back on this one. Is it worth the wait? What spec’ box does one need for decent gameplay? Speak up people, pursuade me to get a new PC 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ross](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@Ross](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ross)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doom3-whos-got-it-whos-playing-it/258292/3 "2004-08-04T16:26:21Z")
I refuse to acknowledge this game till I have the specs to cope. So that’ll be about 3004. ---
**Author:** ![pyrrthon1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2acd7d/32.png) [@pyrrthon1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pyrrthon1)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doom3-whos-got-it-whos-playing-it/258292/4 "2004-08-04T16:29:57Z")
Some guy just paid [$20 million](http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=62053&item=8122008245&rd=1) for his copy. ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doom3-whos-got-it-whos-playing-it/258292/5 "2004-08-04T16:32:47Z")
My friend’s review: This is a great engine; it’ll be really cool when somebody makes a game out of it! ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doom3-whos-got-it-whos-playing-it/258292/6 "2004-08-04T16:51:58Z")
Go out and buy a copy of the damn game! I don’t think it’ll beat out Half-life 2 in terms of gameplay, but I highly doubt you’ll feel as though you wasted your money. Obviously you won’t be able to run it with the highest graphical settings (I sure can’t), but that won’t detract as much as you probably think from the game. The settings are nicely scalable. Just make sure you have a nice graphics card. A couple points: The interface is really well done. If you walk up to a computer screen your crosshairs turns into a cursor and you can fully use the computer screen. For example, when typing in numbers on the keypad a separate “keypad screen” doesn’t have to pop up as is standard in so many games. Rather, you manipulate it right from the normal 3d view. Ehh, I’m not explaining that very well, but you’ll see what I mean. Some parts of the game are just excruciating. As you can imagine, most of the levels are very dark and sometimes the lights conveniently turn off (power failure?). Thus, often you are desperately in need of your flashlight. Unlike most games where you press the flashlight key and it turns on while you still hold your gun (what is it, a headlamp?), in D3 you have to switch to the flashlight using a quick switch button. It works very well. Basically you have to sacrifice holstering you weapon in order to pull out the flashlight and see what the hell is going on. Adds a lot to the scariness as you definitely feel vulnerable when you pull out that flashlight. Again, I’m not very far into the game. Not long ago, I first received the Shotgun! ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doom3-whos-got-it-whos-playing-it/258292/7 "2004-08-04T17:44:48Z")
> [@SolGrundy](#): > > My friend’s review: This is a great engine; it’ll be really cool when somebody makes a game out of it! And that is all that really needs to be said. The game itself does have some neat atmosphere and whatnot, but it’s value is more as a engine for mods than for a game itself. ---
**Author:** ![Murcielago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Murcielago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Murcielago)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doom3-whos-got-it-whos-playing-it/258292/8 "2004-08-04T18:13:17Z")
I like what I have seen so far, it is running smoothly on my Athlon 2600+ with an ATI 9800 Pro and 1GB PC3200 RAM (Stock speeds). The preamble to the action “borrows” quite heavily from _Half-Life_, which is not neccessarily a bad thing though I would have appreciated a bit more originality. I’m also finding it a bit tedious to return to constrictive environments and scripted events after enjoying the freedom of _Far Cry_. That’s only a tentative judgement, I’m not deep enough into the game to see the really cool stuff (at least that is what I’m hoping). ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doom3-whos-got-it-whos-playing-it/258292/9 "2004-08-04T18:22:59Z")
$20,000,100? To get it two days ahead of time? Is this a joke? I’ve not played it, as I don’t have $60 to spend on a video game. I did, however, buy the Doom Collection with Doom, Doom II and Final Doom. I’m reliving my childhood. IDKFA. ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doom3-whos-got-it-whos-playing-it/258292/10 "2004-08-04T18:24:49Z")
I thought it compared favorably to Far Cry, though FC was brighter and easier on the eyes. Flickering lights/pitch black only goes so far before it becomes damned annoying! I am hooked on/spoiled by the ‘realistic’ shooters: Rainbox Six, Swat 3, Operation Flashpoint, Joint Ops, etc. I just don’t care for the ‘get hit a zillion times and live/find the medpacks’ stuff. _shrug_ If I haven’t bought it already, knowing what I know now, I wouldn’t buy it. I’ll play it, but it won’t shine until the mods come out, IMO. P.S. WHY THE \*\*\*\*\*\*\* \*\*\*\* \*\*\*\* \*\*\*\* CAN’T I DUCT-TAPE MY FLASHLIGHT TO MY RIFLE OR SHOTGUN? Ahem. I hate that. ---
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doom3-whos-got-it-whos-playing-it/258292/11 "2004-08-04T19:03:03Z")
> [@Ross](#): > > I refuse to acknowledge this game till I have the specs to cope. So that’ll be about 3004. _sigh_ Welcome to the club. Anyone got about $3000 to spare? ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doom3-whos-got-it-whos-playing-it/258292/12 "2004-08-04T19:41:13Z")
> [@Muad'Dib](#): > > _sigh_ > > Welcome to the club. > > Anyone got about $3000 to spare? Exactly how bad is your machine? My impression is that a [$250 graphics card](http://froogle.google.com/froogle?price1=100&price2=&btnP=Go&q=radeon+9800+pro&scoring=p&price=between)would do the trick. ---
**Author:** ![Duderdude2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Duderdude2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duderdude2)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doom3-whos-got-it-whos-playing-it/258292/13 "2004-08-04T20:23:34Z")
> [@Jayrot](#): > > $250 graphics card would do the trick. It it’s just for one game though, I don’t think the expense is worth it. 'Course that may just be may, I have plenty of friends who have no qualms with throwing down hundreds of dollars to upgrade their computers for the next best thing. Of course, they’re also morons 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doom3-whos-got-it-whos-playing-it/258292/14 "2004-08-04T20:38:35Z")
> [@Duderdude2](#): > > It it’s just for one game though, I don’t think the expense is worth it. 'Course that may just be may, I have plenty of friends who have no qualms with throwing down hundreds of dollars to upgrade their computers for the next best thing. Of course, they’re also morons 😉 Yeah, it’s really too bad they don’t make these graphics cards compatible with more than just 1 game. I’d be nice if you could get one that would work with future system upgrades too. That way you could just move it over to a new system if you chose to upgrade later on. I guess 8X AGP is on it’s way out. ---
**Author:** ![Duderdude2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Duderdude2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duderdude2)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2004, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doom3-whos-got-it-whos-playing-it/258292/15 "2004-08-04T20:46:45Z")
> [@Jayrot](#): > > Yeah, it’s really too bad they don’t make these graphics cards compatible with more than just 1 game. I’d be nice if you could get one that would work with future system upgrades too. That way you could just move it over to a new system if you chose to upgrade later on. I guess 8X AGP is on it’s way out. Are you being sarcastic, because it really could go both ways. I mean, obviously graphic cards are compatible with more than one game, but it really is on an generational basis, if that. Take Half-Life 2 for instance and its markedly better performance with a Radeon as opposed to a Nvidia. Do they expect those who own a Nvidia to purchase another graphics card for actually one game? Anyways, if you were being sarcastic, the quote you referenced was only applicable in the event that Doom 3 was the only game that guy wanted to play. ---
**Author:** ![jinty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dbc845/32.png) [@jinty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jinty)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2004, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doom3-whos-got-it-whos-playing-it/258292/16 "2004-08-05T12:41:10Z")
I played Doom & Doom 2 to death several times, but I never got into Quake or any other ~successor, largely due to lack of a map. So my question, obvious really: is there a map in Doom 3? Can I prevent myself getting hopelessly lost after turning 2 corners? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2004, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doom3-whos-got-it-whos-playing-it/258292/17 "2004-08-05T13:32:10Z")
**Duderdude2** , I think what he meant was that if he buys a new card so he can play this cool new game, four months from now the next “generation” of graphics-heavy games is going to require a new card. I have a box full of retired video cards, and computers that are now hopelessly outdated because the box got full and I realized I was in a no-win situation… ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2004, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doom3-whos-got-it-whos-playing-it/258292/18 "2004-08-05T14:02:09Z")
> [@Duderdude2](#): > > It it’s just for one game though, I don’t think the expense is worth it. 'Course that may just be may, I have plenty of friends who have no qualms with throwing down hundreds of dollars to upgrade their computers for the next best thing. Of course, they’re also morons 😉 Not me. I wouldn’t do that. Buying a Radeon 9800 Pro and Far Cry at the same time was pure coincidence. Really. I swear. ---
**Author:** ![Ponster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponster/32/17081_2.png) [@Ponster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponster)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2004, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doom3-whos-got-it-whos-playing-it/258292/19 "2004-08-05T14:11:03Z")
Well I’ve been playing it now for about 3 days and am pretty impressed by what I’ve seen. The game is increadbly dark, and the atmospheric music/sounds are amazing. I’m running a my Athlon 200+ with an ATI 9600 Pro and 512Mb PC3200 ram. The offical specs are: • A 1.5-gigahertz Intel Pentium 4 chip or AMD Athlon 1500. • 384 megabytes of memory. • Two gigabytes of hard drive space. • An nVidia GeForce 3 graphics card or better; or an ATI Technologies 8500 or better. These are the minimum requirements set by the designers and maybe I don’t know all that much but IMHO all ‘gamers’ would already have this spec if not better. The game has been designed to work of slower systems so you don’t have to fork out that $3000. ---
**Author:** ![Ponster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponster/32/17081_2.png) [@Ponster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponster)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2004, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doom3-whos-got-it-whos-playing-it/258292/20 "2004-08-05T14:30:06Z")
I’ve just found this [site](http://www2.hardocp.com/article.html?art=NjQ0LDU=) which proves that DOOM III can run on a 1.5GHz Pentium 4, 512MB of Corsair RAM, GeForce 4 MX 440 video card > [@](#): > > I know some of you are thinking that it would be tough to call gaming at 640x480 a good gaming experience, but the environments in DOOM 3 are very forgiving in terms of resolution as discussed in our IQ section. Do we suggest you use a higher resolution to place yourself in an even more immersive environment? Without a doubt, but it is hardly a requirement to really feel a part of the DOOM 3 story. > > As mentioned in our id Software’s Official DOOM3 Benchmarks article, id Software has resourced hundreds of man hours in order to optimize DOOM 3 for a wide install base. It is truly amazing that so many people will be able to enjoy DOOM 3, possibly even those that have not upgraded their computer for years. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doom3-whos-got-it-whos-playing-it/258292.md?page=2)