Yes: he still has the hair
January 22, 2015 5:26 PM Subscribe
John Romero Plays Doom, personably. Doom history enthusiast and Spacebase creator JP LeBreton joins id Software co-founder John Romero as the two play though the first episode of Doom, “Knee Deep in the Dead,” in its entirety. John Romero’s run through each level turns up fresh and encyclopedic insight into how this genre-defining title was designed and set the stage for first-person action games for years to come.
You left out 'or when making love'.
posted by um at 5:45 PM on January 22, 2015 [18 favorites]
posted by um at 5:45 PM on January 22, 2015 [18 favorites]
I was really stoked to watch this. Like, really.
But I can't. I just can't. That interviewer yups and yeahs his way through the first two videos, scuffing and stomping Romeros commentary. I don't know if that dude was nervous or just wanted Romero to know that they were absolutely, without-a-doubt *peers* in design chops or technological understanding... no clue. It's super irritating, though.
posted by m_steven_a at 5:49 PM on January 22, 2015 [8 favorites]
But I can't. I just can't. That interviewer yups and yeahs his way through the first two videos, scuffing and stomping Romeros commentary. I don't know if that dude was nervous or just wanted Romero to know that they were absolutely, without-a-doubt *peers* in design chops or technological understanding... no clue. It's super irritating, though.
posted by m_steven_a at 5:49 PM on January 22, 2015 [8 favorites]
Here's some guy at IGN playing KDITD with Romero back in 2013 for the 20th anniversary.
posted by Pope Guilty at 5:53 PM on January 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Pope Guilty at 5:53 PM on January 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
Way better than Valve's scripted commentary nodes. (speech bubble stops spinning)
posted by infinitewindow at 6:08 PM on January 22, 2015
posted by infinitewindow at 6:08 PM on January 22, 2015
I saw The Hair of Romero in the early 90s and it was breathtaking. He walked into that weird little conference room and when I beheld it, I swore I heard music, even though none was playing - that was its theme song.
I am pleased to see that it is still fully majestic.
posted by louche mustachio at 6:25 PM on January 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
I am pleased to see that it is still fully majestic.
posted by louche mustachio at 6:25 PM on January 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
I thought these videos were really fun. The rest of the series they're a part of is generally pretty great too. In particular, I'd recommend the three on the Mother/Earthbound series and most especially the ones that show off doing some rom hacking on the original Legend Of Zelda before running the results of the rom hack on actual hardware.
DoubleFine becoming friends with this documentary crew is one of the better things to come out of their recent Kickstarter escapades, I think.
posted by sparkletone at 6:43 PM on January 22, 2015
DoubleFine becoming friends with this documentary crew is one of the better things to come out of their recent Kickstarter escapades, I think.
posted by sparkletone at 6:43 PM on January 22, 2015
I was really stoked to watch this. Like, really.
But I can't. I just can't. That interviewer yups and yeahs his way through the first two videos, scuffing and stomping Romeros commentary. I don't know if that dude was nervous or just wanted Romero to know that they were absolutely, without-a-doubt *peers* in design chops or technological understanding... no clue. It's super irritating, though.
Nah, JP is just sending a lot of AWK packets. In my experience this is actually how higher-level computer nerds communicate, kind of like modems, like "DATA ABOUT CONCEPT...?" "Yep!" "DATA DATA!" "Yep!" "OK, DATA ABOUT DATA DATA?" "Yep!" "OK, so we can skip ahead to DATA?" "Yep yep!"
Note that the "interrupt" interrogation goes both ways. There are pauses in the rhythm and tangents that are presented and either used or discarded. The discarded AWKs or interrupt calls are where he lets John talk more.
I think he's also probably super stoked and maybe nervous, too, but he and John a very much in rapport and clock-sync, and JP isn't a slouch or outsider to game dev, so they really are more peers than fan/master or whatever.
Sure, this doesn't make it easier to follow if you want to take other bridges or tangents, or, say, if you're not at least somewhat versed in the topic...
...but I found it fairly easy to follow just as someone who played a lot of Doom when it was current and who occasionally thinks or reads about game/graphic development.
posted by loquacious at 7:09 PM on January 22, 2015 [6 favorites]
But I can't. I just can't. That interviewer yups and yeahs his way through the first two videos, scuffing and stomping Romeros commentary. I don't know if that dude was nervous or just wanted Romero to know that they were absolutely, without-a-doubt *peers* in design chops or technological understanding... no clue. It's super irritating, though.
Nah, JP is just sending a lot of AWK packets. In my experience this is actually how higher-level computer nerds communicate, kind of like modems, like "DATA ABOUT CONCEPT...?" "Yep!" "DATA DATA!" "Yep!" "OK, DATA ABOUT DATA DATA?" "Yep!" "OK, so we can skip ahead to DATA?" "Yep yep!"
Note that the "interrupt" interrogation goes both ways. There are pauses in the rhythm and tangents that are presented and either used or discarded. The discarded AWKs or interrupt calls are where he lets John talk more.
I think he's also probably super stoked and maybe nervous, too, but he and John a very much in rapport and clock-sync, and JP isn't a slouch or outsider to game dev, so they really are more peers than fan/master or whatever.
Sure, this doesn't make it easier to follow if you want to take other bridges or tangents, or, say, if you're not at least somewhat versed in the topic...
...but I found it fairly easy to follow just as someone who played a lot of Doom when it was current and who occasionally thinks or reads about game/graphic development.
posted by loquacious at 7:09 PM on January 22, 2015 [6 favorites]
You left out 'or when making love'.
Please. That's obviously the Mario song.
posted by turbid dahlia at 7:38 PM on January 22, 2015 [4 favorites]
Please. That's obviously the Mario song.
posted by turbid dahlia at 7:38 PM on January 22, 2015 [4 favorites]
Even despite his recognition that it was stupid, I still haven't forgiven him for the "John Romero wants to make you his bitch" campaign.
Also, in response to a complaint about Quake network code, he said something like "I have a T1 to my house, so we never thought to test it on a modem connection."
He did have great hair though.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 7:44 PM on January 22, 2015
Also, in response to a complaint about Quake network code, he said something like "I have a T1 to my house, so we never thought to test it on a modem connection."
He did have great hair though.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 7:44 PM on January 22, 2015
Please. That's obviously the Mario song.
It's this one.
posted by michaelh at 7:51 PM on January 22, 2015
It's this one.
posted by michaelh at 7:51 PM on January 22, 2015
It's ACK not AWK.
posted by kiltedtaco at 8:17 PM on January 22, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by kiltedtaco at 8:17 PM on January 22, 2015 [5 favorites]
Also, in response to a complaint about Quake network code, he said something like "I have a T1 to my house, so we never thought to test it on a modem connection."
I remember this, but wasn't that Carmack? Romero was mainly a designer, not a coder.
Whatever his personal flaws, Romero will always have a special place in my heart for (indirectly) making Deus Ex possible.
posted by neckro23 at 9:07 PM on January 22, 2015
I remember this, but wasn't that Carmack? Romero was mainly a designer, not a coder.
Whatever his personal flaws, Romero will always have a special place in my heart for (indirectly) making Deus Ex possible.
posted by neckro23 at 9:07 PM on January 22, 2015
I was really stoked to watch this. Like, really.
But I can't. I just can't. That interviewer yups and yeahs his way through the first two videos, scuffing and stomping Romeros commentary. I don't know if that dude was nervous or just wanted Romero to know that they were absolutely, without-a-doubt *peers* in design chops or technological understanding... no clue. It's super irritating, though.
Oh my fucking god. I saw this comment before starting the video and I thought, "nah, it can't be that bad". But it really is that bad. Jesus. I'll have to try again later because I'd really like to hear what Romero has to say, but seriously, this interviewer must be stopped.
In my experience this is actually how higher-level computer nerds communicate, kind of like modems
Yeah, but the difference is that in a two-person conversation, this is a sensible thing to do! Doesn't make any goddamn sense for an interviewer to interrupt a guest who's talking to the audience...
posted by equalpants at 9:47 PM on January 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
But I can't. I just can't. That interviewer yups and yeahs his way through the first two videos, scuffing and stomping Romeros commentary. I don't know if that dude was nervous or just wanted Romero to know that they were absolutely, without-a-doubt *peers* in design chops or technological understanding... no clue. It's super irritating, though.
Oh my fucking god. I saw this comment before starting the video and I thought, "nah, it can't be that bad". But it really is that bad. Jesus. I'll have to try again later because I'd really like to hear what Romero has to say, but seriously, this interviewer must be stopped.
In my experience this is actually how higher-level computer nerds communicate, kind of like modems
Yeah, but the difference is that in a two-person conversation, this is a sensible thing to do! Doesn't make any goddamn sense for an interviewer to interrupt a guest who's talking to the audience...
posted by equalpants at 9:47 PM on January 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
It's AWK in the case of IP over avian carriers.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 10:35 PM on January 22, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 10:35 PM on January 22, 2015 [3 favorites]
IP over avian carriers.
The user testing for this mode is in progress. If you have a !zwip profile, please !zweep it to the support desk and your holowatch or smart tattoo will notify you when testing is complete. If not, a pigeon will notify you via the usual airborne packet delivery method.
posted by dhartung at 11:15 PM on January 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
The user testing for this mode is in progress. If you have a !zwip profile, please !zweep it to the support desk and your holowatch or smart tattoo will notify you when testing is complete. If not, a pigeon will notify you via the usual airborne packet delivery method.
posted by dhartung at 11:15 PM on January 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
Doom is still my favourite game. I love how it's obviously Romero's favourite too.
posted by Foaf at 1:01 AM on January 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Foaf at 1:01 AM on January 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
Seriously, that hair is great.
Also videogames or something.
posted by Drexen at 3:05 AM on January 23, 2015
Also videogames or something.
posted by Drexen at 3:05 AM on January 23, 2015
It's ACK not AWK.
I knew I was making a horrible mistake somewhere. Sorry, I had a long shift as a barista. It tends to kill brain cells dead.
In penance I have chopped off all of my glorious hair and I have a 48V POTS line crammed somewhere dangerous, and I have published the phone number as a no-quota H/P/V/A board and Doom multiplayer portal.
posted by loquacious at 6:13 AM on January 23, 2015 [3 favorites]
I knew I was making a horrible mistake somewhere. Sorry, I had a long shift as a barista. It tends to kill brain cells dead.
In penance I have chopped off all of my glorious hair and I have a 48V POTS line crammed somewhere dangerous, and I have published the phone number as a no-quota H/P/V/A board and Doom multiplayer portal.
posted by loquacious at 6:13 AM on January 23, 2015 [3 favorites]
I guess my super-power is I just filter the yups out. I didn't really notice until you lot mentioned it.
posted by RobotHero at 8:27 AM on January 23, 2015
posted by RobotHero at 8:27 AM on January 23, 2015
Chocolate Doom (and Choco Heretic, Hexen and Strife) for people looking to get their vintage game on.
posted by filthy light thief at 8:49 AM on January 23, 2015
posted by filthy light thief at 8:49 AM on January 23, 2015
Romero's comments about contrast, symmetry, etc are making me appreciate his levels even more. I used to think they were kinda ugly but fun -- I'm learning the reasoning behind the ugliness.
Also, co-op death match sounds super fun.
posted by Foaf at 10:15 AM on January 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
Also, co-op death match sounds super fun.
posted by Foaf at 10:15 AM on January 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
I watched this earlier in the week after it was linked from RockPaperShotgun. Honestly, the yups didn't bother me at all & it was interesting to hear from someone on the design side of such an iconic game - given my programming bent I've heard a lot of what John Carmack has had to say down the years, but much less from the other side. The tight connection between code & design when making Doom was clearly part of what made it great, but I also loved the way John Romero just used the game engine to create the experiences he wanted: no monster spawning scripts? No problem - create a room full of monsters with an audio pipe to the target room, stick a teleporter at the end of the monster room so that when the player makes a sound in the target room, all the monsters walk into the teleporter and appear! No code needed :)
posted by pharm at 10:34 AM on January 23, 2015
posted by pharm at 10:34 AM on January 23, 2015
Romero will always have a special place in my heart for (indirectly) making Deus Ex possible.
One of my favorite side anecdotes Romero relates in the interview is basically about how Deus Ex came about because he loved Warren Spector's work so much that when Looking Glass went down, Romero went to him and said basically, "Yo, if you want to do a game with us, we'll let you do absolutely anything you want."
posted by sparkletone at 11:28 AM on January 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
One of my favorite side anecdotes Romero relates in the interview is basically about how Deus Ex came about because he loved Warren Spector's work so much that when Looking Glass went down, Romero went to him and said basically, "Yo, if you want to do a game with us, we'll let you do absolutely anything you want."
posted by sparkletone at 11:28 AM on January 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
I remember this, but wasn't that Carmack? Romero was mainly a designer, not a coder.
Romero started his career as a coder. At the time of DOOM I believe he was still doing some of the gameplay implementation (in this interview he mentions being able to go in and add trap features that he wanted) the non-engine parts of the original level editor and assorted tools. But yes, network code was almost certainly the other John.
posted by atoxyl at 12:26 PM on January 23, 2015
Romero started his career as a coder. At the time of DOOM I believe he was still doing some of the gameplay implementation (in this interview he mentions being able to go in and add trap features that he wanted) the non-engine parts of the original level editor and assorted tools. But yes, network code was almost certainly the other John.
posted by atoxyl at 12:26 PM on January 23, 2015
Please. That's obviously the Mario song.
(Foreplay)(Cue Soundtrack)(Thrust)posted by The Confessor at 12:47 PM on January 23, 2015
Swing your arms from side to side.
Come on, it's time to go do the Mario!
Take one step, and then again.
Let's do the Mario!
All together now!
Come on now!
Just like that!
posted by RobotHero at 1:22 PM on January 23, 2015
Come on, it's time to go do the Mario!
Take one step, and then again.
Let's do the Mario!
All together now!
Come on now!
Just like that!
posted by RobotHero at 1:22 PM on January 23, 2015
Also I remember now this series starts with The Lion King which is also pretty neat though I didn't play it so I don't always have the frame of reference I have with Doom.
posted by RobotHero at 1:24 PM on January 23, 2015
posted by RobotHero at 1:24 PM on January 23, 2015
« Older Mop Top Not | A very specific sequence of weird tricks that... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by turbid dahlia at 5:31 PM on January 22, 2015 [6 favorites]