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# 30 Years of Rip and Tear: Doom’s development story

John Romero shows how dropping arcade mechanics and adapting academic BSP trees birthed the modern FPS. Uncover the 1993 month-by-month technical sprint that brought Doom to life.

- **Speakers:** [John Romero](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/@john-romero)
- **Event:** World Congress 2023
- **Published:** August 11, 2023
- **Duration:** 29:37
- **URL:** https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/599-30-years-of-rip-and-tear-doom-s-development-story

## Summary

John Romero chronicles the month-by-month development of Doom throughout 1993, highlighting id Software’s journey from building Wolfenstein 3D to defining the modern first-person shooter. The genesis of Doom involved transitioning from DOS PCs to NeXT computers using Objective-C, which accelerated the creation of their custom level editor, DoomEd, and core engine tech. The narrative captures the team's creative pivots, from declining an Aliens movie license to retain creative freedom, to temporarily pausing development to rush a Super Nintendo port of Wolfenstein 3D.\n\nA major creative challenge was breaking away from the flat, 90-degree maze designs of previous eras. Romero introduced an abstract 3D level design style featuring varied heights, dynamic lighting, and atmospheric environments. When complex geometry like curved stairs severely tanked performance, John Carmack innovated by adapting Binary Space Partitioning (BSP) trees from an academic whitepaper to optimize 3D rendering and backface culling. The team also pushed technical boundaries by utilizing the DMX Sound Library to support the game's groundbreaking 32-bit mode architecture.\n\nThe intense final stretch in late 1993 culminated in removing archaic arcade mechanics like lives and point-based loot, shifting focus entirely to pacing, survival, and combat flow. During this crunch, the team coded serial modem support and invented "deathmatch" multiplayer, fundamentally altering the trajectory of the games industry. Ultimately uploaded to a BBS system that crashed multiple times from staggering demand, Doom not only pioneered the FPS genre and high-speed networked multiplayer but also laid foundational models for modern game modding and free-to-play distribution.

**Keywords:** doom development history, id software game design, objective-c game programming, nextstep os development, 3d rendering architecture, binary space partitioning, bsp tree optimization, abstract level design, 32-bit mode audio integration, dmx sound library, deathmatch multiplayer networking, shareware distribution model, game modding framework, first-person shooter origins

## Chapters

1. **Early id Software history and adopting NeXT computers** (00:21) — John Carmack leverages a NeXT computer to develop foundational texture-mapped 3D games like Catacomb 3D and Wolfenstein 3D.
1. **Naming Doom and drafting the initial game design** (04:27) — The team decides to build a new first-person shooter named Doom and drafts its foundational design document.
1. **Announcing Doom and building the level editor** (06:06) — A press release outlines the technical revolution Doom will bring while the team begins work on the engine and DoomEd level editor.
1. **Digitizing practical models for monsters and weapons** (07:00) — Developers scan physical clay and latex models alongside toy guns to create realistic in-game sprites for monsters and weapons.
1. **Moving away from maze-like environments in game design** (08:30) — The team realizes traditional 90-degree walls are uninspiring and begins experimenting with new architectural shapes for 3D levels.
1. **Reviewing the first playable technical engine demonstration** (09:52) — An early tech demo showcases basic engine capabilities like collision detection and sprite rotation despite lacking advanced level design.
1. **Rejecting the Aliens license and completing console ports** (10:44) — The team briefly considers an Aliens movie tie-in before pausing development entirely to finish a contracted Super Nintendo port.
1. **Implementing binary space partitioning for rendering performance** (12:29) — John Carmack adapts binary space partition data structures to solve severe rendering slowdowns caused by complex level geometry.
1. **Evaluating the initial alpha release and environment textures** (13:56) — The first functional alpha version reveals that office-like textures and uniform ceiling heights create a visually monotonous experience.
1. **Establishing an abstract style for 3D level design** (15:08) — Moving away from realistic military bunkers, the team adopts an abstract architectural style that significantly improves environmental atmosphere.
1. **Analyzing the pre-beta version and atmospheric improvements** (15:59) — The pre-beta build introduces a streamlined interface, dynamic lighting, and keycard mechanics to enhance the overall gameplay experience.
1. **Managing team turnover and introducing flying enemy concepts** (17:33) — Recognizing a lack of enemy variety, the studio hires new developers to replace departing staff and expand the monster roster.
1. **Developing the automap and integrating audio drivers** (18:46) — Programmers build an in-game map system and integrate a third-party sound library to support the transition to 32-bit mode.
1. **Polishing gameplay mechanics in the press release version** (19:38) — The near-final build features active enemy artificial intelligence, secret areas, outdoor environments, and improved texture alignment.
1. **Removing arcade mechanics and introducing high-speed multiplayer** (21:54) — The team discards outdated concepts like extra lives and point items to focus on establishing the first deathmatch and cooperative modes.
1. **Fixing the final bug and uploading the initial release** (23:13) — After resolving a persistent freezing issue during a 30-hour sprint, the completed game is successfully uploaded to dial-up bulletin boards.
1. **The enduring legacy of Doom on the gaming industry** (25:10) — The release of Doom popularizes first-person shooters, game modding, and foundational multiplayer frameworks that define modern gaming.

## Related Moments

- [Democratizing game development through modding communities](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1719-wearedevelopers-live-fun-and-games-and-all-that-comes-with-it-back-to-basic-more) (from "WeAreDevelopers LIVE - "Fun and games - and all that comes with it", Back to BASIC & more")
- [Following up Doom with Quake and integrating GPU hardware](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/202-a-lifetime-in-games-the-past-present-and-future-of-the-industry) (from "A Lifetime in Games: The Past, Present and Future of the Industry")
- [Conceptualizing Doom and building open architectures for community modding](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/202-a-lifetime-in-games-the-past-present-and-future-of-the-industry) (from "A Lifetime in Games: The Past, Present and Future of the Industry")
- [Founding id Software and pioneering early 3D rendering engines](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/202-a-lifetime-in-games-the-past-present-and-future-of-the-industry) (from "A Lifetime in Games: The Past, Present and Future of the Industry")
- [Releasing Wolfenstein 3D and handling international game censorship controversy](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/202-a-lifetime-in-games-the-past-present-and-future-of-the-industry) (from "A Lifetime in Games: The Past, Present and Future of the Industry")
- [Teasing new game projects and discussing musical inspirations](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/625-live-doom-ii-deathmatch-with-john-romero) (from "Live doom II deathmatch with John Romero")

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