A History of Doomcute
From DoomWiki.org
A History of Doomcute is a special article featured during the 2024 Cacowards, as part of the new edition of The Roots of Doom Mapping: 5 Years Later, written by Not Jabba. The article details the entire history of the term Doomcute, the art of creating real-life objects with sectors, from its inception as a term originated by kmxexii as part of his ONEMANDOOM: WAD Reviews blog, to modern times and its usage in mapping.
Contents
Content[edit]
The Early Years: 1994-2002[edit]
Presents an introduction into the very first iterations of Doomcute designs, featuring various examples like the opening scene in Doom v0.3, The Unholy Trinity, Doomsday of UAC, and Galaxia.
The Golden Age: 2001-2005[edit]
Considered an important chapter in Doom's history, it synthesized mappers' ability to create realistic and consistent scenarios, as Doomcute tropes became more intricate and detailed, such as the work by Thomas van der Velden in Revolution!. Phobos: Anomaly Reborn and Community Chest 2 are also notable examples of projects that featured Doomcute designs heavily.
The Cuteless Times: 2006-2016[edit]
A bronze age for Doomcute tropes, this period of mapping was less focused on designing real-life objects with sectors compared to previous years. Nonetheless, WADs such as Sunder, Sacrament, Comatose, and Hellbound are used as examples of mapsets that use Doomcute with a more realistic approach.
The Modern Doomcute Revival: 2016-2024[edit]
This chapter posits a new revival in Doomcute designs, starting with a resurgence in usage, such as in Ancient Aliens and the Japanese Community Project, as well as a renewed interest in discussion across Doom forums such as Doomworld. With the later years marked by a forward push to recreate Doomcute, with artists such as AshtralFiend and Peccatum Mihzamiz being notable for their quality usage of Doomcute designs. My House is also mentioned as an example of a subversion of the trope that kick started a new trend.
