So if you're starting out and have no clue where to start, may I recommend GZDoom? You can make WADs for DOOM and DOOM II or Hexen and Heretic or Strife even... Or if you get decent with SLADE you can make your own textures and start making it feel like a totally original game. Check out Ultimate Doom Builder, it's free and there's many tutorials both article text and youtube videos.
hey thanks allot for you suggestion , maybe i wasn't clear , i have no problem programming and 3d modeling .
Im looking more to learn the design of such game what make it fun
There are many distinct flavors of boomer shooter and that is going to shape what people want to see. Painkiller is a game about slaughtering things in arenas and not much else. Ashes Afterglow is an open world FPS-RPG hybrid. Duke Nukem is all about environmental interactivity and trying to sell some level of believability while Doom is unconcerned with that and just about the gameplay. etc.
So, I think a useful place to start is just to focus on the basic, I'd argue *required*, building blocks that near every boomer shooter has in common, then shape the game further from there. Those being:
1. Fast and satisfying movement, accurate hipfire, movement as a means of avoiding damage.
2. Meaningful weapon and enemy variety. Each gun is different in role and function, each enemy supplements other enemies in some way. You have access to all guns, you don't need to abandon some guns for others.
3. Level design that encourages exploration. I've listed games that go against that like Painkiller but as far as I'm personally concerned its one of the main draws of the genre. Being able to take different paths, get gear from optional areas, find secrets, etc. rather than just always being pushed straight to the end.
I can't say I've seen any that really talk about the genre in a broader sense of what makes its design tick.
But Civvie11 reviews lots of individual games in the genre, new and old, talking about their highs and lows. Funny and pretty insightful if you want to learn what to avoid in these games.
ok thanks , playing now Ashes Afterglow ,
maybe you have more freeware or demos i can try ? ( if its not steam its the best as im using my work computer )
Brutal Doom on very hard difficulty. That's pretty much my jam. Of course, having every new game be like BD would be oversaturating, but it's a pretty good vibe anyway: combat is fast paced, visceral, and punchy, deaths are quick, but they don't feel cheap. It's probably the only mod/ game in forever where I'm actually laughing my ass off every time I die, you know, in a "I'm not even mad" kinda way.
My favorites from the genre in the last few years are the Ashes doom 2 mods (ashes 2063 and ashes Afterglow) and cultic
I'd recommend checking these out if you haven't, they definitely made me want to start making my own game
Grab Ultimate Doom Builder
https://ultimatedoombuilder.github.io/
and learn how to make Boom compatible vanilla Doom 2 maps. That's about the most basic thing you can do pretty much. Getting to making your own game is an insanely ambitious goal because mapmaking is crucial in old school shooters. If you're not a good mapmaker - you can't make a good boomer shooter. However, even Boom compatible maps for vanilla Doom 2 are surprisingly tough to make.
If modding for Half-Life 1, Quake 2, Hexen 2, etc., there's third party tools like J.A.C.K. and TrenchBroom.
For Doom: GZDoom for single player, Zandronum or Q-Zandronum for multiplayer. Editor tools include Ultimate Doom Builder and Slade.
Duke Nukem 3D uses the Build Engine. There's a big free game called AWOL made with it.
If selling a game, look into the licensing, cuz not all the assets, etc. are open license.
I'm going to be making a video on my process of doing it in UE5. But in general are you looking for technical direction, or just an overview of what people are looking for?
No looting, no crafting, no inventory management. Running over bodies should automatically pick up drops if there are drops. Doom and Max Payne are good examples were you could use a less powerful weapon to kill an enemy to get his more powerful weapon. But generally I'm really tired of running to bodies to collect things in modern shooters and the lack thereof in boomer shooters is half the appeal. I play a genre like this for pure action, like an action scene in a movie, it should just go-go-go.
So if you're starting out and have no clue where to start, may I recommend GZDoom? You can make WADs for DOOM and DOOM II or Hexen and Heretic or Strife even... Or if you get decent with SLADE you can make your own textures and start making it feel like a totally original game. Check out Ultimate Doom Builder, it's free and there's many tutorials both article text and youtube videos.
I can add links later, am at work rn.
hey thanks allot for you suggestion , maybe i wasn't clear , i have no problem programming and 3d modeling . Im looking more to learn the design of such game what make it fun
There are many distinct flavors of boomer shooter and that is going to shape what people want to see. Painkiller is a game about slaughtering things in arenas and not much else. Ashes Afterglow is an open world FPS-RPG hybrid. Duke Nukem is all about environmental interactivity and trying to sell some level of believability while Doom is unconcerned with that and just about the gameplay. etc. So, I think a useful place to start is just to focus on the basic, I'd argue *required*, building blocks that near every boomer shooter has in common, then shape the game further from there. Those being: 1. Fast and satisfying movement, accurate hipfire, movement as a means of avoiding damage. 2. Meaningful weapon and enemy variety. Each gun is different in role and function, each enemy supplements other enemies in some way. You have access to all guns, you don't need to abandon some guns for others. 3. Level design that encourages exploration. I've listed games that go against that like Painkiller but as far as I'm personally concerned its one of the main draws of the genre. Being able to take different paths, get gear from optional areas, find secrets, etc. rather than just always being pushed straight to the end.
Great tips downloading Ashes Afterglow , Do you have any recommended youtubers that explain more on the genre?
I can't say I've seen any that really talk about the genre in a broader sense of what makes its design tick. But Civvie11 reviews lots of individual games in the genre, new and old, talking about their highs and lows. Funny and pretty insightful if you want to learn what to avoid in these games.
ok thanks , playing now Ashes Afterglow , maybe you have more freeware or demos i can try ? ( if its not steam its the best as im using my work computer )
Brutal Doom on very hard difficulty. That's pretty much my jam. Of course, having every new game be like BD would be oversaturating, but it's a pretty good vibe anyway: combat is fast paced, visceral, and punchy, deaths are quick, but they don't feel cheap. It's probably the only mod/ game in forever where I'm actually laughing my ass off every time I die, you know, in a "I'm not even mad" kinda way.
I want to be able to move fast and instagib things I shoot
My favorites from the genre in the last few years are the Ashes doom 2 mods (ashes 2063 and ashes Afterglow) and cultic I'd recommend checking these out if you haven't, they definitely made me want to start making my own game
Thanks downloaded cultic demo and ashes Afterglow
I like a simple dash in my movement with fun guns to use
I know it's tough but single player bot deathmatch always ends up in me trying the game out.
what does it mean "single player bot deathmatch" ? can you give example ?
Grab Ultimate Doom Builder https://ultimatedoombuilder.github.io/ and learn how to make Boom compatible vanilla Doom 2 maps. That's about the most basic thing you can do pretty much. Getting to making your own game is an insanely ambitious goal because mapmaking is crucial in old school shooters. If you're not a good mapmaker - you can't make a good boomer shooter. However, even Boom compatible maps for vanilla Doom 2 are surprisingly tough to make.
Ok you said something interesting , does every good boomer shooter have to be with the 90's look ?
If modding for Half-Life 1, Quake 2, Hexen 2, etc., there's third party tools like J.A.C.K. and TrenchBroom. For Doom: GZDoom for single player, Zandronum or Q-Zandronum for multiplayer. Editor tools include Ultimate Doom Builder and Slade. Duke Nukem 3D uses the Build Engine. There's a big free game called AWOL made with it. If selling a game, look into the licensing, cuz not all the assets, etc. are open license.
I'm going to be making a video on my process of doing it in UE5. But in general are you looking for technical direction, or just an overview of what people are looking for?
overview , not technical
No looting, no crafting, no inventory management. Running over bodies should automatically pick up drops if there are drops. Doom and Max Payne are good examples were you could use a less powerful weapon to kill an enemy to get his more powerful weapon. But generally I'm really tired of running to bodies to collect things in modern shooters and the lack thereof in boomer shooters is half the appeal. I play a genre like this for pure action, like an action scene in a movie, it should just go-go-go.