Difference between revisions of "Zombieman"

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[[Image:Former_Human.png|256px|thumb|A zombieman firing upon the player in [[E1M1: Hangar (Doom)]]]]
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[[File:Former_Human.png|thumb|A zombieman firing upon the player in [[E1M1: Hangar (Doom)]]]]
The '''zombieman''' (also known as ''former human'' in the game manuals, and sometimes referred to colloquially by the Doom community as a ''trooper'') is the least powerful enemy in the game, intended as the first enemy a new Doom player will face. A zombieman is described as a space marine which has been turned into a [[Former human|zombie]] during the invasion from [[hell]].  The [[monster]] appears as a man in a bloodied tan uniform and body armor, carrying a rifle. His hair has an unusual greenish tinge, perhaps stained with [[Animated flat|green slime]] or caused by a problem in converting a light hair color into the game palette.
+
The '''zombieman''' (also called the '''former human''' in the game manuals, and often referred to colloquially by the Doom community as the '''trooper''') is the least powerful enemy in the game, intended as the first enemy a new [[Doom]] player will face. A zombieman is described as a space marine which has been turned into a [[Former human|zombie]] during the invasion from [[Hell]].  The [[monster]] appears as a man in a bloodied tan uniform and body armor, carrying a rifle. His hair has an unusual greenish tinge, perhaps stained with [[nukage]], reminiscent of the odd hair colors that often occur in comic books, anime, and animated works of art. He is officially described as such:
 
+
{{Quote|Just a few days ago, you were probably swapping war stories with one of these guys.  Now it's time to swap some lead upside their head.|Doom instruction manual|Doom instruction manual}}
The Doom instruction manual says: ''Just a few days ago, you were probably swapping war stories with one of these guys.  Now it's time to swap some lead upside their head.''
 
  
 
== Combat characteristics ==
 
== Combat characteristics ==
  
The zombieman will make one of three different sounds when alerted: an animalistic roar, or two inarticulate chatter sounds. All three zombie types make the same sounds when they spot the player.  The zombieman is armed with a rifle that fires bullets that are slightly less damaging than [[Pistol|the player's bullets]]. When the zombie attacks, it aims its rifle at the player for a short time (10 tics) and fires a single pellet. The zombieman's weapon has a wide dispersal (standard deviation around 9°, to a maximum of ±22°), and will most likely miss at medium to long ranges. After firing, the monster resumes walking to its target.
+
The zombieman will make one of three different [[#Data|sounds]] when alerted: an animalistic roar, or two inarticulate chatter sounds. All three zombie types make the same sounds when they spot the player.  The zombieman is armed with a rifle that fires bullets that are slightly less damaging than [[Pistol|the player's bullets]]. When the zombie attacks, it aims its rifle at the player for a short time (10 tics) and fires a single pellet. The zombieman's weapon has a wide dispersal (standard deviation around 9°, to a maximum of ±22°), and will most likely miss at medium to long ranges. After firing, the monster [[Monster behavior|resumes walking]] to its target.
  
The zombieman is generally considered the least dangerous enemy in the game; no other monster (excepting the [[Commander Keen]]) has a lower movement rate, hit point total, or average damage per attack. When killed, the zombieman falls hard on its back with various bits of blood and flesh blown off its form, dropping an [[ammo clip]] containing 5 bullets (or 10 on [[I'm too young to die]] and [[Nightmare!]]); if he subsequently [[Skill level|respawns]] or is [[Arch-vile|resurrected]], the zombie will drop another clip each time it is killed again. It can also be [[Gibs|gibbed]] if attacked with powerful weaponry, such as a [[rocket launcher]].
+
The zombieman is generally considered the least dangerous enemy in the game; no other monster (excepting the [[Commander Keen]]) has a lower movement rate, [[hit point]] total, or average damage per attack. When killed, the zombieman falls hard on its back with various bits of blood and flesh blown off its form, dropping an [[Clip|ammo clip]] containing 5 bullets (or 10 on [[I'm too young to die]] and [[Nightmare!]]); if he subsequently [[Skill level|respawns]] or is [[Arch-vile|resurrected]], the zombie will drop another clip each time it is killed again. It can also be [[Gibs|gibbed]] if attacked with powerful weaponry, such as a [[rocket launcher]].
  
 
== Tactical analysis ==
 
== Tactical analysis ==
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Unless in poor health, an armed player should never need to back down from a single zombieman, although large groups can slowly drain the player's health during the time it takes to kill them all (as in [[TNT: Evilution|Evilution]] [[MAP09: Stronghold|MAP09]]). The dispersal of the shots from its rifle means that it is barely a threat at medium to long ranges.  In an emergency, or when conserving bullets during a [[UV Tyson|Tyson]] run, the [[fist]] is effective in the short term if the player's footwork is good (two blows will usually knock one down, while a single [[Berserk pack|berserk]] attack will certainly finish it, often [[gibs|gibbing]] it). As they are extremely weak and easily disposed of, using heavier weapons against them is considered a waste.
 
Unless in poor health, an armed player should never need to back down from a single zombieman, although large groups can slowly drain the player's health during the time it takes to kill them all (as in [[TNT: Evilution|Evilution]] [[MAP09: Stronghold|MAP09]]). The dispersal of the shots from its rifle means that it is barely a threat at medium to long ranges.  In an emergency, or when conserving bullets during a [[UV Tyson|Tyson]] run, the [[fist]] is effective in the short term if the player's footwork is good (two blows will usually knock one down, while a single [[Berserk pack|berserk]] attack will certainly finish it, often [[gibs|gibbing]] it). As they are extremely weak and easily disposed of, using heavier weapons against them is considered a waste.
  
Zombiemen, and other low-ranking monsters, can be used as a form of "roadblock" to slow down the player, usually through the use of [[teleport trap|teleport traps]]. While relatively easy to handle during normal play, this tactic may be used by mappers to frustrate [[speedrun|speedrunners]].
+
Zombiemen, and other low-ranking monsters, can be used as a form of "roadblock" to slow down the player, usually through the use of [[teleporter#Teleporter traps|teleport traps]]. While relatively easy to handle during normal play, this tactic may be used by mappers to frustrate [[speedrun|speedrunners]].
 +
 
 +
Zombiemen hordes may also serve as {{wp|cannon fodder}} to cause [[Autoaim|confusion]] between the player's weapons and the player's intended target. An example setup is a higher-ranking monster attacking from a raised platform distant from the player, with zombies swarming in the foreground. It is best to take care of these zombies as soon as possible, as waiting on infighting may waste valuable health and time, especially if other monsters can reach you with projectiles.
  
 
The zombieman's low rate of fire and damage capability make it a rather weak contributor to [[monster infighting|monster-monster battles]].  Attrition among a crowd of zombiemen is generally slow, and distraction of larger monsters minimal.
 
The zombieman's low rate of fire and damage capability make it a rather weak contributor to [[monster infighting|monster-monster battles]].  Attrition among a crowd of zombiemen is generally slow, and distraction of larger monsters minimal.
 
Zombiemen hordes may also cause confusion between the player's weapons and the player's intended target. An example setup may consist of a higher-ranking monster attacking from a raised platform distant from the player, with zombies swarming in the foreground. It is best to take care of these zombies as soon as possible, as waiting on infighting may waste valuable health and time, especially if other monsters can reach you with projectiles.
 
  
 
In most stock levels, many of the enemies in the first few rooms are zombies. Unless the player's primary goal is speed, the zombiemen's dropped clips can be a valuable early source of ammunition. In most cases, ammo gained from picking up a clip dropped by a zombieman will make up for the bullets required to kill it.
 
In most stock levels, many of the enemies in the first few rooms are zombies. Unless the player's primary goal is speed, the zombiemen's dropped clips can be a valuable early source of ammunition. In most cases, ammo gained from picking up a clip dropped by a zombieman will make up for the bullets required to kill it.
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== Inspiration and development ==
 
== Inspiration and development ==
  
An early version of the zombieman appears in the [[IWAD]] file of [[Doom 0.4]], although the [[sprite]] (POSSA) does not appear in the game. The sprite is almost identical to the [[Doomguy]]; it is slightly lighter in color, and has crudely drawn square red eyes (to show that it is possessed). The only frame is a full frontal view, with no rotations. In [[Doom 0.5]], however, the sprite is virtually identical to the finished version.
+
An early version of the zombieman appears in the [[IWAD]] file of [[Doom 0.4]], although the [[sprite]] ({{c|POSSA}}) does not appear in the game. The sprite is almost identical to the [[Doomguy]]; it is slightly lighter in color, and has crudely drawn square red eyes (to show that it is possessed). The only frame is a full frontal view, with no rotations. In [[Doom 0.5]], however, the sprite is virtually identical to the finished version.
  
 
== Notes ==
 
== Notes ==
  
* The zombieman has the type name MT_POSSESSED in the [[Doom source code]], and the sprite prefix POSS, while the analogous MT_TROOP and TROO are given to the [[Imp]]. The zombies were called "demon-possessed humans" (or simply "possessed humans") in the [[Doom Bible]] (section 7.2), being "possessed in their sleep".
+
* The zombieman has the type name {{c|MT_POSSESSED}} in the [[Doom source code]], and the sprite prefix {{c|POSS}}, while the analogous {{c|MT_TROOP}} and {{c|TROO}} are given to the [[imp]]. The zombies were called "demon-possessed humans" (or simply "possessed humans") in the [[Doom Bible]] (section 7.2), having been "possessed in their sleep".
* With only 20 hit points, the zombieman can be [[Gibs|gibbed]] with the [[berserk]] fist, [[rocket launcher]], [[plasma rifle]], [[BFG9000]], exploding [[barrel]], Demon bites, Cacodemon ranged and melee attacks, [[Hell Knight]]/[[Baron of Hell]] clawing and ranged attacks, [[Revenant]] rockets and [[Arch-Vile]] fire attacks. This is more than any other monster in the game.
+
* With only 20 hit points, the zombieman can be [[Gibs|gibbed]] with the [[berserk]] fist, [[rocket launcher]] (player or [[cyberdemon]]), [[plasma rifle]], [[BFG9000]], exploding [[barrel]], [[demon]]/[[spectre]] bites, [[cacodemon]] ranged and melee attacks, [[lost soul]] bites, [[Hell knight]]/[[baron of Hell]] clawing and ranged attacks, [[revenant]] rockets and punches, [[mancubus]] fireballs, and [[arch-vile]] flame attacks. This is more than any other monster in the game.
 +
* The official French name of the monster is simply "zombie".
  
 
== Data ==
 
== Data ==
Line 42: Line 42:
 
   |ID #||3004 (decimal), BBC (hex)
 
   |ID #||3004 (decimal), BBC (hex)
 
   |-
 
   |-
   |[[Hit points]]||20
+
   |[[Hit point]]s||20
 
   |-
 
   |-
 
   |Speed||8 [[map unit]]s per frame<br>(70.0 map units per second)
 
   |Speed||8 [[map unit]]s per frame<br>(70.0 map units per second)
Line 52: Line 52:
 
   |Reaction time||8
 
   |Reaction time||8
 
   |-
 
   |-
   |[[Pain chance]]||200 (78.13%)
+
   |[[Pain chance]]||200 (79.30%)
 
   |-
 
   |-
   |Pain time||6 tics
+
   |Pain time||6 [[tic]]s
 
   |-
 
   |-
 
   |[[Mass]]||100
 
   |[[Mass]]||100
Line 107: Line 107:
 
|}
 
|}
  
[[Image:PossHistogram.png|none|300px|thumb|''Damage done by a zombieman's bullet'']]
+
[[File:PossHistogram.png|none|300px|thumb|''Damage done by a zombieman's bullet'']]
  
 
{| {{prettytable}}
 
{| {{prettytable}}
 
| '''Shots needed to kill'''<sup>1,2</sup>
 
| '''Shots needed to kill'''<sup>1,2</sup>
 
| Mean
 
| Mean
| [[Wikipedia:Standard deviation#Interpretation and application|Standard<br>deviation]]
+
| {{wp|Standard deviation#Interpretation and application|Standard<br>deviation}}
 
| Min
 
| Min
 
| Max
 
| Max
Line 124: Line 124:
 
|[[Barrel]]||2.93||0.83||2||6
 
|[[Barrel]]||2.93||0.83||2||6
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Trooper]]||2.93||0.83||2||6
+
|[[Zombieman|Trooper]]||2.93||0.83||2||6
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Sergeant]]||3.91||1.04||2||7
 
|[[Sergeant]]||3.91||1.04||2||7
Line 134: Line 134:
 
|[[Chaingunner]]||8.80||1.74||5||15
 
|[[Chaingunner]]||8.80||1.74||5||15
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Lost Soul]]||12.29||2.16||9||19
+
|[[Lost soul]]||12.29||2.16||9||19
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Commander Keen]]||12.29||2.16||9||19
 
|[[Commander Keen]]||12.29||2.16||9||19
Line 142: Line 142:
 
|[[Spectre]]||17.86||2.79||13||26
 
|[[Spectre]]||17.86||2.79||13||26
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Boss Brain]]<sup>3</sup>||29.78||4.39||25||42
+
|[[Boss brain]]<sup>3</sup>||29.78||4.39||25||42
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Revenant]]||35.44||5.22||30||50
 
|[[Revenant]]||35.44||5.22||30||50
Line 148: Line 148:
 
|[[Cacodemon]]||47.41||6.88||40||64
 
|[[Cacodemon]]||47.41||6.88||40||64
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Pain Elemental]]||47.41||6.88||40||64
+
|[[Pain elemental]]||47.41||6.88||40||64
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Hell Knight]]||58.95||8.61||50||82
+
|[[Hell knight]]||58.95||8.61||50||82
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Arachnotron]]||58.95||8.61||50||82
 
|[[Arachnotron]]||58.95||8.61||50||82
Line 156: Line 156:
 
|[[Mancubus]]||70.57||10.22||60||96
 
|[[Mancubus]]||70.57||10.22||60||96
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Arch-Vile]]||82.52||12.01||70||114
+
|[[Arch-vile]]||82.52||12.01||70||114
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Baron of Hell]]||117.61||17.02||100||159
 
|[[Baron of Hell]]||117.61||17.02||100||159
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Spider Mastermind]]||351.57||51.06||303||473
+
|[[Spiderdemon]]||351.57||51.06||303||473
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Cyberdemon]]||468.91||68.19||405||631
 
|[[Cyberdemon]]||468.91||68.19||405||631
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
<small>
+
<div style="font-size: smaller">
#This table assumes that all calls to [[Pseudorandom number generator|P_Random]] for damage, [[pain chance]], [[blood]] splats, and bullet dispersal are consecutive. In real play, this is never the case: counterattacks and AI pathfinding must be handled, and of course the map may contain additional moving monsters and other randomized phenomena (such as [[Sector#Vanilla Doom|flickering lights]]). Any resulting errors are probably toward the single-shot average, as they introduce noise into the correlation between the indices of "consecutive" calls.
+
#This table assumes that all calls to [[Pseudorandom number generator|P_Random]] for damage, [[pain chance]], [[blood]] splats, and bullet dispersal are consecutive. In real play, this is never the case: counterattacks and AI pathfinding must be handled, and of course the map may contain additional moving monsters and other randomized phenomena (such as [[Sector#Doom|flickering lights]]). Any resulting errors are probably toward the single-shot average, as they introduce noise into the correlation between the indices of "consecutive" calls.
 
#The target must be close enough to compensate for the monster's inaccurate aim.
 
#The target must be close enough to compensate for the monster's inaccurate aim.
 
#Assumes that direct hits are possible, which [[Icon of Sin|does not occur]] in any stock map.
 
#Assumes that direct hits are possible, which [[Icon of Sin|does not occur]] in any stock map.
</small>
+
</div>
  
 
== Appearance statistics ==
 
== Appearance statistics ==
  
In [[classic Doom]], the zombieman is first encountered on these maps:
+
In the [[IWAD]]s the zombieman is first encountered on these maps per [[Skill level#Doom and Doom II skill levels|skill level]]:
 +
 
 +
{{col-begin}}
 +
{{col-break|width=50%}}
 +
{| {{prettytable}}
 +
!colspan="4"|Single-player
 +
|-
 +
!Game / ''Episode''!!1-2!!3!!4-5
 +
|-
 +
|''[[Knee-Deep in the Dead]]''||[[E1M1: Hangar]]||E1M1: Hangar||E1M1: Hangar
 +
|-
 +
|''[[The Shores of Hell]]''||[[E2M1: Deimos Anomaly]]||E2M1: Deimos Anomaly||E2M1: Deimos Anomaly
 +
|-
 +
|''[[Inferno]]''||[[E3M2: Slough of Despair]]||E3M2: Slough of Despair||E3M2: Slough of Despair
 +
|-
 +
|''[[Thy Flesh Consumed]]''||[[E4M9: Fear]]||E4M9: Fear||E4M9: Fear
 +
|-
 +
|[[Doom II]]||[[MAP01: Entryway]]||MAP01: Entryway||MAP01: Entryway
 +
|-
 +
|[[TNT: Evilution]]||[[MAP01: System Control]]||MAP01: System Control||MAP01: System Control
 +
|-
 +
|[[Plutonia Experiment]]||[[MAP01: Congo]]||[[MAP07: Caughtyard]]||MAP07: Caughtyard
 +
|}
 +
{{col-break}}
 +
{| {{prettytable}}
 +
!colspan="4"|Multiplayer
 +
|-
 +
!Game / ''Episode''!!1-2!!3!!4-5
 +
|-
 +
|''Knee-Deep in the Dead''||E1M1: Hangar||E1M1: Hangar||E1M1: Hangar
 +
|-
 +
|''The Shores of Hell''||E2M1: Deimos Anomaly||E2M1: Deimos Anomaly||E2M1: Deimos Anomaly
 +
|-
 +
|''Inferno''||E3M2: Slough of Despair||E3M2: Slough of Despair||E3M2: Slough of Despair
 +
|-
 +
|''Thy Flesh Consumed''||E4M9: Fear||E4M9: Fear||E4M9: Fear
 +
|-
 +
|Doom II||MAP01: Entryway||MAP01: Entryway||MAP01: Entryway
 +
|-
 +
|TNT: Evilution||MAP01: System Control||MAP01: System Control||MAP01: System Control
 +
|-
 +
|Plutonia Experiment||MAP01: Congo||MAP07: Caughtyard||MAP07: Caughtyard
 +
|}
 +
{{col-end}}
 +
 
 +
The IWADs contain the following numbers of zombiemen per skill level:
  
{| {{prettytable}}    
+
{{col-begin}}
!Game||[[I'm Too Young To Die|ITYTD]] and [[Hey, Not Too Rough|HNTR]]||[[Hurt Me Plenty|HMP]]||[[Ultra-Violence|UV]] and [[Nightmare!|NM]]    
+
{{col-break|width=50%}}
|-    
+
{| {{prettytable|style=text-align: center;}}
|[[Ultimate Doom]]||[[E1M1: Hangar (Doom)|E1M1: Hangar]]||[[E1M1: Hangar (Doom)|E1M1: Hangar]]||[[E1M1: Hangar (Doom)|E1M1: Hangar]]
+
!colspan="4"|Single-player
|-    
+
|-
|[[Doom II]]||[[MAP01: Entryway (Doom II)|MAP01: Entryway]]||[[MAP01: Entryway (Doom II)|MAP01: Entryway]]||[[MAP01: Entryway (Doom II)|MAP01: Entryway]]
+
!Game / ''Episode''!!1-2!!3!!4-5
|-    
+
|-
|[[TNT: Evilution]]||[[MAP01: System Control (TNT: Evilution)|MAP01: System Control]]||[[MAP01: System Control (TNT: Evilution)|MAP01: System Control]]||[[MAP01: System Control (TNT: Evilution)|MAP01: System Control]]
+
|style="text-align: left;"|''[[Knee-Deep in the Dead]]''||''88''||''169''||''214''
|-    
+
|-
|[[Plutonia]]||[[MAP01: Congo (The Plutonia Experiment)|MAP01: Congo]]||[[MAP07: Caughtyard (The Plutonia Experiment)|MAP07: Caughtyard]]||[[MAP07: Caughtyard (The Plutonia Experiment)|MAP07: Caughtyard]]
+
|style="text-align: left;"|''[[The Shores of Hell]]''||''26''||''58''||''60''
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|''[[Inferno]]''||''20''||''37''||''37''
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|[[Doom|Doom (registered)]]||134||264||311
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|''[[Thy Flesh Consumed]]''||''69''||''74''||''73''
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|[[Ultimate Doom]]||203||338||384
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|[[Doom II]]||221||268||290
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|[[TNT: Evilution]]||337||370||443
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|[[Plutonia Experiment]]||117||81||86
 
|}
 
|}
 +
{{col-break}}
 +
{| {{prettytable|style=text-align: center;}}
 +
!colspan="4"|Multiplayer
 +
|-
 +
!Game / ''Episode''!!1-2!!3!!4-5
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|''Knee-Deep in the Dead''||''88''||''169''||''214''
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|''The Shores of Hell''||''26''||''58''||''60''
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|''Inferno''||''20''||''37''||''37''
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|Doom (registered)||134||264||311
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|''Thy Flesh Consumed''||''69''||''74''||''73''
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|Ultimate Doom||203||338||384
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|Doom II||221||268||290
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|TNT: Evilution||342||375||448
 +
|-
 +
|style="text-align: left;"|Plutonia Experiment||117||81||86
 +
|}
 +
{{col-end}}
  
The [[IWAD]]s contain the following numbers of zombiemen:
+
Of the maps covered on the Doom Wiki, the following have the highest numbers of zombiemans in single-player on skills 4-5:
 
{| {{prettytable}}
 
{| {{prettytable}}
!Game||[[I'm Too Young To Die|ITYTD]] and [[Hey, Not Too Rough|HNTR]]||[[Hurt Me Plenty|HMP]]||[[Ultra-Violence|UV]] and [[Nightmare!|NM]]
+
! Map !! Count
 +
|-
 +
| [[MAP24: Blue Radishes with Herpes (Mock 2: The Speed of Stupid)]] || 1849
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Ultimate Doom]]||203||338||384
+
| [[Holy Hell Revealed]] || 1727
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Doom II]]||221||268||290
+
| [[Holy Hell]] MAP05 || 1047
 
|-
 
|-
|[[TNT: Evilution]]||337||370||443
+
| [[MAP20: Wolfenfels (Doomworld Mega Project 2017)]] || 817
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Plutonia]]||117||81||86
+
| [[MAP32: 1000 in less than 10 (Doomworld Mega Project 2017)]] || 613
 
|}
 
|}
 +
''This data was last verified on August 2, 2019.''
  
 
== Other games ==
 
== Other games ==
 
+
[[File:Doom64Zombieman1-D64ex.jpg|thumb|A group of zombiemen in [[Doom 64]] [[MAP01: Staging Area (Doom 64)|MAP01: Staging Area.]]]]
 
=== Doom 3 ===
 
=== Doom 3 ===
 
{{Main|Z-Sec}}
 
{{Main|Z-Sec}}
  
=== PlayStation Doom===
+
=== PlayStation Doom ===
In [[PlayStation]] Doom, their gunshot damage is increased somewhat, up to a maximum damage of 24.  The manual also lists the name of this enemy type as "Former Soldier", as opposed to "Former Human" as in the PC versions' manuals (or "Zombieman" as in the enemy cast at the end of the game).
+
In [[PlayStation]] Doom, their gunshot damage is increased somewhat, up to a maximum of 24.  The manual also lists the name of this enemy type as "Former Soldier", though he retains his original name of "Zombieman" in the [[Doom II cast sequence|game ending sequence]].
  
 
===Doom 64===
 
===Doom 64===
 
{{Main|Doom 64 monsters#Former human}}
 
{{Main|Doom 64 monsters#Former human}}
[[File:Doom64Zombieman1-D64ex.jpg|thumb|A group of zombiemen in [[Doom 64]] [[MAP01: Staging Area (Doom 64)|MAP01: Staging Area.]]]]
+
In [[Doom 64]], the zombieman's a visual appearance is similar to that in [[vanilla Doom]], but instead their rifles look more like shotguns and their suits are colored blue-grey. They first appear in [[MAP01: Staging Area (Doom 64)|MAP01: Staging Area]]. Also, as in PlayStation Doom, their gunshots deal somewhat more damage than the originals.
In [[Doom 64]], they use a visual appearance that is similar to the [[vanilla Doom]] looks, but instead their rifles look more like shotguns and their suits are colored blue-grey. They first appear in [[MAP01: Staging Area (Doom 64)|MAP01: Staging Area]]. Also, like in PlayStation Doom, their gunshots deal somewhat more damage than in previous versions (up to about 21 damage).
 
  
 
=== Doom RPG ===
 
=== Doom RPG ===
Line 219: Line 305:
 
* Zombie captain (normal colors)
 
* Zombie captain (normal colors)
  
They are weak against axe attacks.
+
They are weak against [[axe]] attacks.
 +
<gallery>
 +
ZombiePrivate.jpg|A zombie private.
 +
Doom II RPG Zombie worker.png|A zombie worker in [[Doom II RPG]]
 +
</gallery>
  
 
== Trivia ==
 
== Trivia ==
 
* In [[Doom II for Game Boy Advance]], a red blood splatter, half-way covered in green, appears in the zombieman's death animation.
 
* In [[Doom II for Game Boy Advance]], a red blood splatter, half-way covered in green, appears in the zombieman's death animation.
 
* The bullpup-style rifle carried by the zombieman matches the one carried by the player sprite, and is likely an in-game conception of [[Tom Hall]]'s [[Doom Bible]] idea for the "machine pistol," which was eventually implemented as the [[Assault rifle (Doom)|assault rifle]] which appears in the [[Doom 0.4]] beta.
 
* The bullpup-style rifle carried by the zombieman matches the one carried by the player sprite, and is likely an in-game conception of [[Tom Hall]]'s [[Doom Bible]] idea for the "machine pistol," which was eventually implemented as the [[Assault rifle (Doom)|assault rifle]] which appears in the [[Doom 0.4]] beta.
* Some of the zombieman's rotation sprites are missing from the IWAD, presumably for space reasons. Doom mirrors the existing sprites horizontally to compensate for the missing rotations, causing the direction of the enemy's rifle to "switch sides" occasionally while walking.
+
* Some of the zombieman's rotation sprites are missing from the IWAD, presumably for space reasons. Doom mirrors the existing sprites horizontally to compensate for the missing rotations, causing the direction of the enemy's rifle to "switch sides" occasionally while walking. The missing rotations were later [[2015 Doom source data release|released by John Romero]].
  
 
== See also ==
 
== See also ==

Revision as of 07:14, 2 August 2019

A zombieman firing upon the player in E1M1: Hangar (Doom)

The zombieman (also called the former human in the game manuals, and often referred to colloquially by the Doom community as the trooper) is the least powerful enemy in the game, intended as the first enemy a new Doom player will face. A zombieman is described as a space marine which has been turned into a zombie during the invasion from Hell. The monster appears as a man in a bloodied tan uniform and body armor, carrying a rifle. His hair has an unusual greenish tinge, perhaps stained with nukage, reminiscent of the odd hair colors that often occur in comic books, anime, and animated works of art. He is officially described as such:

"Just a few days ago, you were probably swapping war stories with one of these guys. Now it's time to swap some lead upside their head."
― Doom instruction manual [source]

Combat characteristics

The zombieman will make one of three different sounds when alerted: an animalistic roar, or two inarticulate chatter sounds. All three zombie types make the same sounds when they spot the player. The zombieman is armed with a rifle that fires bullets that are slightly less damaging than the player's bullets. When the zombie attacks, it aims its rifle at the player for a short time (10 tics) and fires a single pellet. The zombieman's weapon has a wide dispersal (standard deviation around 9°, to a maximum of ±22°), and will most likely miss at medium to long ranges. After firing, the monster resumes walking to its target.

The zombieman is generally considered the least dangerous enemy in the game; no other monster (excepting the Commander Keen) has a lower movement rate, hit point total, or average damage per attack. When killed, the zombieman falls hard on its back with various bits of blood and flesh blown off its form, dropping an ammo clip containing 5 bullets (or 10 on I'm too young to die and Nightmare!); if he subsequently respawns or is resurrected, the zombie will drop another clip each time it is killed again. It can also be gibbed if attacked with powerful weaponry, such as a rocket launcher.

Tactical analysis

Unless in poor health, an armed player should never need to back down from a single zombieman, although large groups can slowly drain the player's health during the time it takes to kill them all (as in Evilution MAP09). The dispersal of the shots from its rifle means that it is barely a threat at medium to long ranges. In an emergency, or when conserving bullets during a Tyson run, the fist is effective in the short term if the player's footwork is good (two blows will usually knock one down, while a single berserk attack will certainly finish it, often gibbing it). As they are extremely weak and easily disposed of, using heavier weapons against them is considered a waste.

Zombiemen, and other low-ranking monsters, can be used as a form of "roadblock" to slow down the player, usually through the use of teleport traps. While relatively easy to handle during normal play, this tactic may be used by mappers to frustrate speedrunners.

Zombiemen hordes may also serve as cannon fodder to cause confusion between the player's weapons and the player's intended target. An example setup is a higher-ranking monster attacking from a raised platform distant from the player, with zombies swarming in the foreground. It is best to take care of these zombies as soon as possible, as waiting on infighting may waste valuable health and time, especially if other monsters can reach you with projectiles.

The zombieman's low rate of fire and damage capability make it a rather weak contributor to monster-monster battles. Attrition among a crowd of zombiemen is generally slow, and distraction of larger monsters minimal.

In most stock levels, many of the enemies in the first few rooms are zombies. Unless the player's primary goal is speed, the zombiemen's dropped clips can be a valuable early source of ammunition. In most cases, ammo gained from picking up a clip dropped by a zombieman will make up for the bullets required to kill it.

Inspiration and development

An early version of the zombieman appears in the IWAD file of Doom 0.4, although the sprite (POSSA) does not appear in the game. The sprite is almost identical to the Doomguy; it is slightly lighter in color, and has crudely drawn square red eyes (to show that it is possessed). The only frame is a full frontal view, with no rotations. In Doom 0.5, however, the sprite is virtually identical to the finished version.

Notes

Data

Attributes
ID # 3004 (decimal), BBC (hex)
Hit points 20
Speed 8 map units per frame
(70.0 map units per second)
Width 40
Height 56
Reaction time 8
Pain chance 200 (79.30%)
Pain time 6 tics
Mass 100
Bits 4194310
Bits list

1: Obstacle

2: Shootable

22: Affects Kill %

Sprites & sounds
Sprite name POSS
Alert sound DSPOSIT1,
DSPOSIT2, or
DSPOSIT3
Action sound DSPOSACT
Pain sound DSPOPAIN
Death sound DSPODTH1,
DSPODTH2, or
DSPODTH3 (normal)
DSSLOP (gibs)
Ranged attack
Type Hitscan
Damage 3-15
Sprite name PUFF (impact, miss)
BLUD (impact, hit)
Sound DSPISTOL
Damage done by a zombieman's bullet
Shots needed to kill1,2 Mean Standard
deviation
Min Max
Player (100%
health, no armor)
12.29 2.16 9 19
Player (100%
health, security armor)
17.86 2.79 13 26
Player (200%
health, combat armor)
44.18 6.03 37 59
Barrel 2.93 0.83 2 6
Trooper 2.93 0.83 2 6
Sergeant 3.91 1.04 2 7
Wolfenstein SS 6.37 1.39 4 11
Imp 7.43 1.53 5 13
Chaingunner 8.80 1.74 5 15
Lost soul 12.29 2.16 9 19
Commander Keen 12.29 2.16 9 19
Demon 17.86 2.79 13 26
Spectre 17.86 2.79 13 26
Boss brain3 29.78 4.39 25 42
Revenant 35.44 5.22 30 50
Cacodemon 47.41 6.88 40 64
Pain elemental 47.41 6.88 40 64
Hell knight 58.95 8.61 50 82
Arachnotron 58.95 8.61 50 82
Mancubus 70.57 10.22 60 96
Arch-vile 82.52 12.01 70 114
Baron of Hell 117.61 17.02 100 159
Spiderdemon 351.57 51.06 303 473
Cyberdemon 468.91 68.19 405 631
  1. This table assumes that all calls to P_Random for damage, pain chance, blood splats, and bullet dispersal are consecutive. In real play, this is never the case: counterattacks and AI pathfinding must be handled, and of course the map may contain additional moving monsters and other randomized phenomena (such as flickering lights). Any resulting errors are probably toward the single-shot average, as they introduce noise into the correlation between the indices of "consecutive" calls.
  2. The target must be close enough to compensate for the monster's inaccurate aim.
  3. Assumes that direct hits are possible, which does not occur in any stock map.

Appearance statistics

In the IWADs the zombieman is first encountered on these maps per skill level:

The IWADs contain the following numbers of zombiemen per skill level:

Of the maps covered on the Doom Wiki, the following have the highest numbers of zombiemans in single-player on skills 4-5:

Map Count
MAP24: Blue Radishes with Herpes (Mock 2: The Speed of Stupid) 1849
Holy Hell Revealed 1727
Holy Hell MAP05 1047
MAP20: Wolfenfels (Doomworld Mega Project 2017) 817
MAP32: 1000 in less than 10 (Doomworld Mega Project 2017) 613

This data was last verified on August 2, 2019.

Other games

A group of zombiemen in Doom 64 MAP01: Staging Area.

Doom 3

Main article: Z-Sec

PlayStation Doom

In PlayStation Doom, their gunshot damage is increased somewhat, up to a maximum of 24. The manual also lists the name of this enemy type as "Former Soldier", though he retains his original name of "Zombieman" in the game ending sequence.

Doom 64

In Doom 64, the zombieman's a visual appearance is similar to that in vanilla Doom, but instead their rifles look more like shotguns and their suits are colored blue-grey. They first appear in MAP01: Staging Area. Also, as in PlayStation Doom, their gunshots deal somewhat more damage than the originals.

Doom RPG

In Doom RPG, the zombieman appears as the "zombie" monster class. There are three different forms, identified by color:

  • Zombie private (brown)
  • Zombie lieutenant (blue)
  • Zombie captain (normal colors)

They are weak against axe attacks.

Trivia

  • In Doom II for Game Boy Advance, a red blood splatter, half-way covered in green, appears in the zombieman's death animation.
  • The bullpup-style rifle carried by the zombieman matches the one carried by the player sprite, and is likely an in-game conception of Tom Hall's Doom Bible idea for the "machine pistol," which was eventually implemented as the assault rifle which appears in the Doom 0.4 beta.
  • Some of the zombieman's rotation sprites are missing from the IWAD, presumably for space reasons. Doom mirrors the existing sprites horizontally to compensate for the missing rotations, causing the direction of the enemy's rifle to "switch sides" occasionally while walking. The missing rotations were later released by John Romero.

See also