Oleg Sobolev's ASCII DOOM was apparently made by someone named Oleg Sobolev, although his name does not appear anywhere in the game or in any included files. This is, as you might expect, a 3D shooter-ish game made using text-mode ASCII characters.Oleg Sobolev's ASCII DOOM (often referred to as ASCII DOOMdos) is a fan-made ASCII art-based reimagining of the iconic first-person shooter DOOM. This version, created by Oleg Sobolev, takes the fast-paced action and level design of the original DOOM and translates it into a text-based, ASCII art format suitable for playing on DOS systems. While the original DOOM was groundbreaking in its graphical fidelity and gameplay, ASCII DOOM offers a minimalist approach, utilizing only characters and symbols to represent the game's environments, enemies, and actions. Gameplay Core Objective: In ASCII DOOM, players still take on the role of the Doom Slayer, fighting through various levels filled with monsters and traps to ultimately defeat the forces of hell. The goal is to navigate through mazes of corridors, rooms, and enemies to reach the exit of each level while surviving the onslaught of enemies. ASCII Representation: Instead of 3D models and detailed textures, ASCII DOOM uses ASCII characters (letters, numbers, symbols) to represent every element of the game: Enemies: Various monsters, demons, and bosses from the original game are represented by letters or characters. For example, imps could be represented by the letter "I", zombiemen as "Z", and cacodemons as "@", etc. Weapons and Items: The player's arsenal, health packs, and other items are represented by symbols or short letters (e.g., "P" for a pistol, "S" for shotgun). Environment: The game’s environment, including walls, doors, and obstacles, are depicted using a combination of symbols such as "#", ".", or "*". Combat: Combat in ASCII DOOM remains relatively similar to the original. Players engage in turn-based combat, where each move can either result in a successful shot, dodging an enemy attack, or taking damage. The game focuses on strategic positioning as players must avoid enemies while shooting, utilizing their weapons and health items strategically. Movement and Exploration: Players move through the game's 2D ASCII maps, which are representations of the original DOOM levels but entirely in text form. The player moves through corridors, explores rooms, and interacts with objects like switches, doors, and terminals. Each move is depicted as a change in the layout of the ASCII grid, and players can move and interact using the keyboard. Levels and Difficulty: The game follows the structure of the original DOOM, with different levels of increasing difficulty. As players advance through the levels, the maps grow larger and more complex, and the enemies become tougher and more numerous.
3/30/2024