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"Modern gameplay features" such as..?
Things the player can interact with. In the original game there were some things like that, but in a new game you might have more options for interaction. More things than just shooting, opening doors, and finding cards. That's what I was referring to. Being able to drive vehicles and operate ground-mounted weapons would be interesting. I know something like this already exists in mods, but I'm talking about a new game where these things are done with more realism and proper animations.
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I believe I have already asked this question, what do you think of Ion Fury and The Last Exterminator? How do these two game compare to what you think would be the proper new Duke Nukem game?
These games would provide a good foundation for what a new Duke Nukem 3D game could be like! They have more to offer than a game can have, like more features without mods, and that's something that could be explored. I'm sure many of the features in Ion Fury were based on Duke Plus-based mods. Now imagine all of these cool features in a game without needing any mods for it. That's the difference. And better yet, on a modern engine!
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I'm also not entirely sure what you mean by "more action and combat elements". To me at least, Duke3D already offers a very good balance between combat and exploration, contrasting with a more heavy focus in firefights that is characteristic of Doom (both the official and user maps, in general). I don't think that leaning more heavily towards the slaughter map kind of gameplay would be a good development for a Duke3D successor.
I haven't thought deeply about what I meant, but it could have something to do with enemy AI, in terms of more intelligent enemies and the need for more strategy for certain enemies. This is better than having a combat where you just have to shoot and nothing else. There's no point in the protagonist being badass if there's no intelligent strategy in combat. For me, a badass protagonist must know how to fight in specific contexts, not just go around shooting like Chuck Norris as if he were immortal. Especially because a game with combat strategy is much more fun and immersive than the way it was done in the classic games. Shooting head-on is only realistic for weak enemies. Then it makes sense.
It would be interesting if we had certain enemies that made you a little scared when you got close to them, that required you to choose a way to kill them other than head-on. They could be aliens inside vehicles or wearing exoskeletons as power armor. A balance between having weak enemies and overpowered ones. I know that Duke Nukem isn't really the type of game for this, but adding something like this would add another element to the combat.
Bosses could have different levels of combat, something like what happens with the Cycloid Emperor in Duke Nukem Legacy and with NME in Rise of the Triad, where the more he dies, the more dangerous he becomes.
This would be perfect for a game like Duke Nukem!
We could also have a melee combat system, where Duke Nukem would beat up the aliens, which might be more satisfying for some people. Like, when he hits the enemy hand-to-hand, the enemy would also be forced to go into a fight mode. This could be interesting when facing an enemy alone or when you want to save ammo. The fighting style would be different for each enemy. For example, while Pigcop would be more of a brawler, with Octabrain he would try to grab you with those tentacles and then bite you, with Octabrain being more dangerous to fight than Pigcop. Octabrain could also try to poison you, just like those slimers.
In the context of Duke Nukem, he would use a combination of punches and kicks. The kick would be the strongest attack, in which a weak enemy would be knocked back and temporarily weakened, giving Duke Nukem a chance to land a critical hit. Critical hits either through hand-to-hand combat or with weapons is another interesting suggestion. In addition, we could have a localized damage system, in which the damage is greater or lesser depending on where the blow or ammunition hits the enemy. This makes a lot of sense for enemies that use suits and armor like troopers and enforcers. This is much better than enemies being bullet sponges.
Aside from all this, the enemies could have a more terrifying appearance or be a little more intimidating. The Pigcops, for example, could be twice the size of Duke Nukem, the Octabrains would be even bigger, and the troopers would be shorter but in groups.
For each enemy, you would have to have a different combat strategy.
Another cool feature would be an RPG skill system, where as he defeats aliens, he can gain hand-to-hand combat perks for weapons, movement and physical resistance. This would make the game even more immersive and interesting. Something like this already exists in some mods, but in a new game it would be even more interesting. There could be items that you can only pick up in secret rooms that give you free perk points. This would make secret rooms even more interesting and appealing. For example, the player is on the street and there is a flashy item on a roof and you have to figure out how to get it, having to explore several parts of the map until you find the secret path and then earn perk points.
A powerup system would also be cool. For example, after killing a certain number of aliens in a row, Duke could enter a Berkserk mode in which he would become even stronger, faster and more resistant for a limited time. Steroids could be used for this purpose. This would increase the dynamics of combat (or fighting). The original game also have other things in inventory to be more explored. Nightvision could be better explored in some combat contexts. For example, the game would have a stealth system in which most enemies would not see him in the dark, but he could see them and attack them by surprise. In the original game, even in the dark, enemies can see the player. But in a new game, this strategy could be explored.
Duke could also use space suits in space levels, like outside lunar bases and around space stations. Space combat!
Another cool thing would be to explore more combat using the jetpack. For example, in certain parts of the game Duke Nukem would have to use the jetpack several times and on such occasions he would have to face certain enemies like troopers and octabrains in the air. The combat style in the air would also be different for flying enemies. In other words, to better explore the aerial combat that already exists in the original in a primitive way. Duke could also use those flying vehicles that Pigcops use. Imagine a purely aerial combat above the sea in which you rely on using a flying vehicle to shoot down similar ones driven by Pigcops or Enforcers. That's one thing I miss.
These are things that could be explored in a possible new game in the series and that would make the gameplay much more interesting and immersive.
A protagonist as badass as Duke Nukem doesn't just need to know how to shoot everything he sees in front of him. He has to have other skills, such as a specific combat strategy (this is something that happens in certain action movies, by the way) and knowing how to annihilate his enemies by surprise, which is smart in specific situations or when you're at a disadvantage. After all, Duke Nukem would have fought in the Gulf War before, so he must already have some advanced combat expertise.
But we can't forget Duke's jokes when the aliens are taken down. Without that, it wouldn't be Duke Nukem...
I know this is a lot for a boomer shooter style game, but trust me, it would make the game much more interesting and immersive.
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