The Unofficial Deathmatch FAQ

Deathmatch Defined

Section [1]: Deathmatch defined

Before I say anything else, we have to define some terms. We need to know we're all talking about the same thing. It's also a good time to decide if you really care about Deathmatch after all.

[1.1]: What is Deathmatch, anyway?

Dante's Book of Doom defines Deathmatch thusly:

DEATHMATCH (deth-mach) -

1. n A 3D game in which two or more players engage in head to head combat via remote computers linked by various means, with the sole purpose of "killing" the other player. These games include Doom & Doom2, Heretic & Hexen, Descent, Duke Nukem 3D (aka DukeMatch), and Quake.

2. adj Describes the style of play or action in a game.
e.g. We were playing co-operative, but he kept getting in my way, so I blew his head off, deathmatch style.

3.vb To engage in a game of this style.
e.g. We got a bunch of levels together and deathmatched all night.

So basically, Deathmatch is getting together with friends, linking up your computers, loading up Doom, and blowing each other's heads off for a while. What could be more fun than that?

[1.2]: What's so great about it?

I'm always a little surprised when somebody asks me this question. Look at it this way - if you think Doom is cool, doesn't it stand to reason that it would be even more cool if you were playing against opponents that can think for themselves? Sure it would. If you play on your own, it's just a video game. If you play against somebody else, it becomes a sport. The only difference is, in this sport, nobody really gets hurt. You get to vent your frustrations, legally blow somebody away with a shotgun, and you can still be friends afterwards (although this isn't neccessarily true in all cases).

The thing you notice the most when you start playing Deathmatch, is when you're taking on a real opponent, the kills seem a little more significant. There's a person on the other end of the line. It's not just another anonymous monster - it's a real person, with real intelligence. Egos are at stake - you can't lie to your friend about it, because he's right there. Heart rates go up. Blood pressure goes up. Awareness is heightened, and if you're lucky, occasionally you will have an actual physical response to what is happening on the screen. It happens, believe me. Many times we've played and actually hit the ceiling because there was somebody behind the door when we didn't expect it. Give it a try - see if I'm wrong.

[1.3]: How many players can be in a Deathmatch game?

Depends on your connection. With a network, you can have up to four players in one game. With a serial or modem connection, you are limited to two people. There are a few exceptions to this rule, however. Multiplayer BBS's, most notably DWANGO, can allow you to have four player games via modem, and with utilities like JSERVE, you can set up a four player game with a combination of modems and serial cables.

The one definite rule is, you can have a maximum of four players per game - no more. If anybody tells you any different, they are either lying, misinformed, or they are using an altered version of Doom, which iD Software will not support. This will never change, as iD Software is done with Doom, there will be no more changes or updates. Period.

[1.4]: How can I learn more about Deathmatch?

Number one, first and foremost, READ THE DOCS!!! I'm not kidding! If you ever see the acronym RTFD in your e-mail or in a newsgroup article, you're being told to Read The F*@&ing Docs!.

While I love getting mail, and I don't mind answering questions, it can become a little tedious answering the same questions over and over, when the answer is very likely sitting on your very own hard drive at home. Every version of Doom and Doom2 comes with a README file of some sort. This is a good place to start. Version 1.9 comes with the Official Doom FAQ written by Hank Leukart. This is a HUGE file, with all kinds of good info and facts. If you don't have version 1.9, you should. Read these files, read this page, and give it a try.


Section Two

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