/vr/ - Retro Games

>>5119068
I'm not that dude and boy do I hate the idea of wading into this fucking stupid argument, but there's at least something worth saying here. Being able to run from fights actually points to something integral to what makes Doom what it is, and old school shooters more broadly. With a lot of modern shooters that claim to evoke old school design (Serious Sam, Painkiller, Hard Reset, Shadow Warrior, Doom 2016, etc), there's a clear distinction between level layout and combat - you walk through a linear level and maybe have to pop a few enemies, and eventually enter a situation where you're forced into combat, and when that's resolved, you go back to walking through that linear level until the next showdown. You never have to have a broad spatial awareness of the full map because once the fight is over, you're never going back except for pickups for the next showdown.

But in Doom and other old school shooters, enemies are actually integrated into the level design itself. There's no distinction between "explore level" and "fight enemies" - enemies are present everywhere and affect where you can go based on the resources you have, which requires the player to be aware of what their tactical options are. There may be times where it's preferable to run, there may be times where it's preferable to fight, or you may need to have varying degrees of fighting and running. This fluid mix of combat and exploration gives a much broader space to interpret the level and the game as a whole and adds a sense of dynamism that can't really come from "doors lock, no more exploration, fight now."

The best examples of that broad interpretive space are the Compete-N categories. You can beat a level killing everything and finding all secrets, or you can just sprint straight for the exit (and even do that without monsters on the map), or you can fight only what you can with your fists, or you can actively choose not to kill anyone at all.

Doom 2016 is still a great game, btw.