>> Jeff Nelson was saying to All... <<
 JN> my  opinion. I think it doesn't have that "feel" as a classic like Doom
 JN> does. It feels too light, not solid, kinda superficial (I guess). Doom
 JN> has never worn off too me, but I've lost the novelty of Duke3d already.  
 What DOOM and DOOM 2 lacked in technical sophistication they made up with
 a ton of atmosphere.  Those games will be around for a while.  I still
 play DOOM 2, and of course it runs much smoother on my 486 than Duke does.
 Have you played the registered version?  Once I beat the shareware version
 it lost novelty, but I haven't finished the registered one yet.  And now 
 that people have the capability to modify and add their own levels and
 artwork, there will be plenty to play through.  I've actually played around
 more with Build since I got the registered version than I have the actual 
 game.
 JN> still  haven't lost that feeling I get when I play it. I just think
 JN> Duke is  still a doom clone with a bunch of new stuff added to make it
 Let's face it, every 3D game since DOOM has been and will be referred to as
 a clone.
 But we also have to admit another thing, and that is that Duke Nukem 3D
 is the next step up on the evolutionary ladder of 3D Games.  
 It might not be as big of a step as some would like, but it is a step.  
 JN> feel  different, some of the stuff is completely irrelevant...like
 JN> having the  enemies duck. What is the point? Since you don't really
 JN> need to aim up  and down it's the same thing as having them stand up,
 JN> you just need hit  tracking to do the work for you. And when I'm
 JN> underwater, it doesn't  feel like I'm really under water, it just feels
 JN> like I've been slowed  down a whole bunch. The ideas in Duke are pretty
 JN> cool but not  groundbreaking, i'll show you some ideas that I've come
 JN> up with (not  all are possible, maybe) to prove you don't need to be
 JN> some creative  person (although I DO think I am creative) to come up
 JN> with some stuff. 
 Of the "stuff" you listed, they were either a) already possible using
 the tools on the registered CD, or b) not technically feasible using    
 currently available _affordable_ technology (or just plain gripes).
 JN> 1.) You could have timebombs that you set, that run on real-time. Not 
 JN> 4.) Have a partner or team mate that can follow orders on certain 
 JN> 5.) Infiltrating buildings to retrieve documents (or whatever) would
 Number 1 is, I believe, quite possible with Duke Nukem 3D.  All you
 really would need to accomplish it are the utilities included on the CD,
 and a text editor to modify the actor code in the .CON files.  Though I
 don't think you would be able to "set" the time while in the game, actually.
 For number 4, try playing in Co-op mode.  And if you are looking for more 
 military-like actors and settings, just be patient.  The tools to edit the
 artwork and layout are all included, and it will take a while for people to
 figure them out and release some of their own quality stuff.  But you can 
 bet it will show up.  Have you played the MARINE1.WAD file for DOOM 2?  
 The Marine Corps is evaluating Duke3D to replace that.  
 Have you played all the levels in the registered version?  The registered
 levels are better than the shareware ones (imo).
 JN> 6.) Why does every enemy have to shoot you? 
 Because if they don't, you will shoot them.  Simple survival instinct, you
 might say.  Unfortunately, they won't be getting the chance to evolve to
 the level where they are smart enough to run when Duke Nukem runs out of
 gum.  :)
 
 JN> What if you could have a disguise like a uniform and be able to walk 
 JN> past guards without having to shoot them? Undercover stuff  would 
 JN> (wait for it) RULE.
 Would it also "rule" that everyone would have to buy 166MHz Pentiums with
 64MB of RAM just to play such games?  Duke Nukem 3D's hardware requirements
 are a bit stiff as it is. 
 JN> 7.) Silencers would be nice. Grappling hooks to climb up buildings 
 JN> would be cool. 
 Silencers should be easy enough.  Who needs a grappling hook when you 
 have a jetpack?  ;)
 JN> 8.) Being able to interact with the enviroment would be nice, to a
 JN> FULL  scale here. Like in that little Quicke mart on level 2 of duke, 
 JN> shooting a rocket in there would cause the magazines to fly
 JN> everywhere,  the shelves to fall, etc.
 I think magazines flying could be done by modifying the actor code to
 spawn papers on certain conditions.
 
 JN> suspect a  thing!" I felt more like "ok, there's the gun. Let's shoot
 JN> some bad  guys"
 "There's the gun, let's shoot some bad guys" is exactly what these games
 are about.  It was the exact same way (MORE so, in fact) with DOOM & DOOM 2.
 If you want a harder prison level, one can be made easily enough using
 the tools on the CD.  
 JN> you could capture someone "important" on the enemy's side. Then stick
 JN> a  gun on the person's back and say "ok! Now give me the yellow key or
 JN> I  blow his head off!" Then just blow his head off anyways.hehe
 Outrageous, radical... unfeasible, unrealistic.  :) The kind of monstrous
 processing power that would be required to run a game like that would make
 it out of reach of anyone without the latest processor and a ton of RAM.
 Duke Nukem 3D is a damn good game.  It has it's bugs, and sometimes the
 suspension of disbelief comes crashing down, but overall it just plain
 rocks.  It's not, and I don't think it's trying to be, everything to
 everyone.
 You might be more pleased with a 3D game like "Dark Earth" from Mindscape
 (see a sneak preview in June issue of Computer Gaming World).  That one
 looks very interesting, and it is much more than "here's the gun, let's
 kill some bad guys".  :)
... One day something inside me snapped... AND I LIKED IT!!!
--- Blue Wave/Max v2.30
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