[eniojr]

These are my ideas for the future of the Duke Nukem franchise...

Forget Duke Nukem Forever and Duke Nukem Manhattan. Duke Nukem Forever was a big mistake and Manhattan was just a way to give more time for the developers to finish DNF. Maybe if 3D Realms finished DNF, I think it would not be THAT different from what Gearbox made. Any attempt to make a sequel to DNF is a waste of time and will only result in something even worse from the first bad one. Regarding Duke Nukem 3D, I also think it's not worth trying to simply remake the game but in a better version.

Just look at what Interceptor did with Rise of the Triad. The Ludicrous Edition manages to be much better and more authentic. Something not too different would have been done with Duke Nukem, just an attempt to improve an already worn-out formula. That anniversary version wasn't much different from what they did with ROTT and a new episode with only 8 stages. When I played it, it felt incomplete. And on top of that, they used the same formula with even lower sound quality. It wasn't a great thing. It wasn't something original, just an attempt to make a failed sequel like DNF. Don't know what 3D Realms would do in this case.

My idea is to remake the franchise from the beginning, return to it's true APOGEE roots! The battle against Dr. Proton, but much more immersive and epic. Instead of aliens, the enemies would be mutants, robots and maybe zombies (think of Blake Stone). There are plenty of possibilities in relation to that. The aliens would be mutants. Similar enemies from DN3D would be mutants, as the living army of Dr. Proton. Zombies would be people that were parasitized by some types of mutants that control their minds and transformed their bodies. The enemy robots could be in many forms, such as drones, vehicles and even humanoids of various types with a back fan. We would also have dangerous environments, such as various radioactive, toxic environments and environments with other dangerous elements. The game's scenarios would take place in futuristic cities with factories inside them, radioactive deposits... Environments contaminated by mutants such as sewers, all in a somewhat more cyberpunk setting.

Forget that DNF DLC of Dr. Proton, that jas a terrible joke!

Think of Duke Nukem with elements of STALKER or maybe Fallout series. Radioactive places with radioactive mutants!

In this scenario, the streets would be more inhabited, with interactions and small missions that could give you certain advantages.

Each level could be a series of isolated and interconnected maps, like in Half-Life or Deus Ex, so we could have big levels. There could be an episode system, but each one taking place in a completely different place. The first could be in a city ("Megatown") where the protagonist lives, to free it from invaders. The second could be in an industrial complex, where would Dr. Proton be getting resources for his army. The third episode could be in military bases, airport, nuclear power plant, sewage treatment plant, shipyard, mountain, etc. The fourth episode could be in Earth orbit, in several spaceships, each with its own context, including exposure to the space itself. The fifth episode could be on a large lunar base where Dr. Proton is located, a large lunar complex with many reactors to explode.

A game that starts on Earth and ends on the Moon, with Duke Nukem returning to Earth after his victory. After victory, Duke Nukem has an ending where he becomes the owner of a large nightclub.

If there was a sequel after this game, we would have an older Duke Nukem returning to combat, but not in a crappy way as was in DNF.

The gameplay would not be limited to killing enemies and searching for cards, as in all games in the series. It would include vital missions to pass levels and few puzzles (more focused on accessing secret places). Each level could have its own boss, with the easiest ones for the first levels. Gameplay could include various types of traps, from ambushes to unsanitary scenarios. Imagine an environment like this... a large, partially abandoned city, full of trash and debris... Full of fighting barricades between people and mutants, full of rubble in the streets, with much blood in floor and walls. With some people important to the plot, but with the streets full of corpses and skeletons. As if such a city had just been destroyed by an atomic bomb.

The personality of Duke Nukem should be preserved, but without all that ego from DNF! Imagine a version of DN1 and DN2 with something from DN3D in a 3D game. The engine could be more modern, such as the Unreal ones. Some robot enemies could have radioative pieces inside them and if exploded, it could cause radioative and burn damage to the player. The game could also have more references to "nuclear" thing, like factories, nuclear reactors and waste material in soil and water. Duke Nukem 3D icon is a radioative symbol and the screen between levels have such a thing. This should get more literal too. This time the sky color should be dull red (like those of beta versions of DN3D game), giving a more destructive feeling.

This new game should avoid much references from movies or other related things, so as not to become outdated.

Something like this was made in Resident Evil 7 and 8. That franchise concept was reinvented a lot from there and it worked out well! Because Resident Evil franchise was too repetitive and was becoming even more boring. This is what happens when you insist on the same formula and format in every released game. Resident Evil got more "resident" and "evil" in a more literal way. This should be made with Duke Nukem too, because every new release of the franchise, it's going even more repetitive and boring. The game should have elements from Stalker, such as dangerous environments, survival mechanics and tactical combat. Turn it into a more radioactive, mutated and robotic thing (like DN1 and DN2), but this time with many modern features!

No Cycloids, no Bombshell, no DNF theme, no old Duke Nukem, not so satirical and without all that ego thing from DNF.

This is what Duke Nukem Forever should have been! Not something centered on Duke's ego!

Not a joke, but a true surviving and self-assured hero! It can make jokes, of course, but not be a joke itself. He could still preserve all that masculinity (and that is vital here) and be a womanizer, but not that childish egocentric thing. One of the things that bothered me a little about DNF was the excessive use of ego in the game's formula. C'mon, he served the army, so he should be more willing for the greater cause, not being the center of the world and like a god as was in DNF. It could even still rescue captured woman and important people, not kill them, but be like a true hero. The protagonist must have a strong personality, but not be the center of everyone's attention.

That is what I think Duke Nukem Forever should have been! And not JOKE FOREVER! Gearbox sucks!

To be kept alive, the game could allow for a wider range of mod creation capabilities, like what we see in Skyrim and Doom for example! Because too much Doom is also a boring thing!

Give the Duke Nukem franchise a new formula, rebuild everything from scratch and give it a new look, a new version of everything that has already been done, instead of simply refining what has already been done.

This could certainly help the franchise gain new fans and a new future.

[OpenMaw]

Nah.


First and foremost, a lot of your ideas aren't new in the slightest. We've batted around ideas for decades on how to reboot/restart/doagain Duke Nukem.

Second, forget Manhattan Project? Why would anyone do that? It's the last good Duke Nukem game ever released.

Third, not having movie references... That's a big part of Duke's schtick. That is a great way to completely lose the plot.

Fourth, what's the point of going back and remaking Duke Nukem 1, exactly? Because it's old? So what? If the reason is to "make it modern" well, guess what happens to anything you do that to? It rapidly becomes out dated. Don't worry about that. You can't fight that. Things get old. Duke Nukem is old. Four decades hence, now.



Here's what you do. You take the best game in the series, Duke Nukem 3D, and you take all the things about it that were awesome (the atmosphere, the gameplay, the gunplay, etc) and then you take all the stuff that wasn't so great in it, and you make those things great. You get some really good graphics, not necessarily cutting edge, but stylish and true-to-form grit of an 80s action movie. You Duke in the "cooL' territory, and out of the "cringey douche bag dipshit" territory." That means the world is taken mostly seriously, with little nods and winks subtlety layered in, but you keep the aggression, violence, atmosphere, and sexual content within a solid balance.

A new Duke game should play like an action movie come to life, combining old school speed, with environmental interactivity where you're not just shooting bad guys, but using the environment to do the job, too. If you imagine a loop mixture of F.E.A.R., Doom 2016, and Bulletstorm. I don't think Duke should turn open world. I think Duke 3D had the perfect balance of linearity and exploration via opening secondary routes, secrets, etc.

As to story, this is one of those things that some people get hyper fixated on. Duke didn't really have a "story." He has fast and loose excuses to have game. With more excuses added for more game. I used to write pitch perfect Duke Nukem stories as a kid, because that's what they are. "And then an even BIGGER monster shows up and Duke says "I'm gonna rip your head off and shit down your neck!" and then he DOES IT."

That's Duke. He doesn't need a reboot in that sense. In fact I think it would be great if the next game comes out and it's just another Duke Nukem ga.e Where Duke is Duke, and there's aliens, and he kills them with style, and gives a couple 20s to some strippers. The simplicity and unapologetic nature of it would be more than enough to stand on its own. It doesn't need to be anything more than Duke Nukem.

[UltravoxSapphire]

eniojr, on 19 February 2025 - 10:27 AM, said:

(...)

I'm sorry, but I think this is half-baked even for idea guy standards.

[eniojr]

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First and foremost, a lot of your ideas aren't new in the slightest. We've batted around ideas for decades on how to reboot/restart/doagain Duke Nukem.

I know there are many ideas somwehat similar to mine, but I wanted to express my opinion on that.

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Second, forget Manhattan Project? Why would anyone do that? It's the last good Duke Nukem game ever released.

Manhattan Project in fact is not that bad and is in many ways loyal to DN3D essence, but that was just like a spin off so to say, all because of DNF. It was a way to calm things down until the DNF is released, fact. All that DNF hype made that happen.

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Third, not having movie references... That's a big part of Duke's schtick. That is a great way to completely lose the plot.

Okay, I might be wrong about this, but I still think a new game shouldn't keep putting in movie references. Adding too many references ends up taking away some of the focus of the game and ends up making it more artificial or less convincing.

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Fourth, what's the point of going back and remaking Duke Nukem 1, exactly? Because it's old? So what? If the reason is to "make it modern" well, guess what happens to anything you do that to? It rapidly becomes out dated. Don't worry about that. You can't fight that. Things get old. Duke Nukem is old. Four decades hence, now.

Not because it's old, and that didn't even come to mind, but because of nostalgia and because the Duke Nukem 3D formula has become very repetitive, which happened with many game franchises. Just look, we have Duke Nukem 3D, Manhattan Project, Duke Nukem Forever, Megaton Edition, Atomic Edition, Time to Kill, Land of Babes and more recently Anniversary Edition.

Note that all of these games repeat the same formula. When a new game keeps repeating the same old formula from the previous ones, it ends up losing its appeal. This has happened a lot with Assassin's Creed, Resident Evil and Doom, which abused the same formula. Yes, the game can be new and have something new, but if it has the same formula, there is nothing really innovative here.

In relation to Assassin's Creed, the most different of all, oddly enough, is the first game. All the others have become kind of repetitions.

This trend of creating remakes and sequels is already losing its appeal. The ideal is to take something that has already been done in previous games but recreate it with a new formula and concept, taking what worked in previous games and making something truly new, and not just "a new version of what already exists with better graphics" which is what usually happens a lot.

This is something that has frustrated me in several game series! It was cool before, but now, it' just a trend.

If a new game in the series has exactly the same enemies and weapons, there's nothing really new there. Duke Nukem Forever was the biggest example of this and look what happened!

A game that took so long to make and ended up being a version that was just better in terms of graphics, but with gameplay that left something to be desired in several aspects.

What should be done:

In other words, Duke Nukem Forever should be completely ignored because it ended up being very poorly made, far from what I expected, while elements that worked in the previous games (Manhattan, Duke Nukem 3D (and its versions), Duke Nukem 2 and Duke Nukem 1) should be preserved and remade, in order to give rise to something truly new. The idea would be to take the elements of all these games that worked best and make something new, a synthesis, not just a "Unreal Engine version of Duke Nukem 3D".

Since there would be elements from Duke Nukem 1 and 2, the idea of ​​aliens in this new game would be strange, since the main villain would be a megalomaniac (the most traditional villain in the game, Dr. Proton) and not aliens. The "aliens" here would be mutants. But that doesn't mean the game will be worse, on the contrary. Aliens invading Earth is very cliché. But the idea of ​​a villain creating monsters, robots and parasitizing people seems to me to be more creative, believable and original.

Blake Stone has this formula. It could be used in the new game, instead of generic aliens with no defined species name stealing women for their organic ships. That's really nonsensical! It can be hilarious, but it doesn't make sense. A truly good action game can't be a mere mix of references to cliché movie themes like Independence Day. At least Terminator manages to be more creative and is more acceptable. So at least this can be used more in the game (intelligent and dangerous robots).

But I still think that the aliens should become mutants this time, humanoid and non-humanoid creatures created in a laboratory for the purpose of domination. It doesn't need to be a very elaborate story, but at least a new formula for the franchise and something that makes more sense and isn't so cliché.

In other words, a new Duke Nukem game, to be truly good and not end up being just another repetition of Duke Nukem 3D, needs to have new gameplay elements, weapons, enemies and story. When I say new, I say not exactly the same weapons and enemies.

Or recreate something that was done back then and that many people don't remember (DN1 and DN2).

But this should be a synthesis of Duke Nukem 3D, not a mere recreation of DN1 or DN2 in isolation. Make a synthesis of all of this!

Lameduke was going down this path (although it was still just a test version and full of bugs). I believe there could be a new Duke Nukem game, but this time it would take a little more of the idea of ​​Lameduke, which had a more cyberpunk plot before starting this alien business based on Independence Day. The story still seemed much more credible and creative to me at that stage of the game's development. This could be salvaged.

So yes, it's time to do something new from what already exists. Or will it just be another mere recreation like what happened with 2013's Rise of the Triad. That game was a really big nah! The recreated, not the original one and not Ludicrous one!

Most recreated games are, in fact, just because of the graphics, nothing more than that.

Duke Nukem doesn't need to be open world, but could have bigger levels, separated in parts that you can go and come back. Think of Half-Life, not Fallout!

When I said it could have elements from Fallout and STALKER, I wasn't referring to the open world, but rather specific gameplay elements, such as the radioactive or toxic environment and combat tactics.

But I totally agree with you that the focus of this new game should still be action, since the action genre is what has always defined this series since the beginning.

[eniojr]

That remake made by Interceptor but that had to stop because of Gearbox, was taking a bad turn in the sense that I'm talking about. That would be just another one of those remakes in which the only thing really different is the better graphics, nothing more. Never forget the remake of Rise of the Triad from 2013... Crappy.

A remake is not what the new game in the series should be. But something that is truly a new game in the series, not a remake, like Duke Nukem Forever did and would have been done in Duke Nukem 3D: Reloaded.

If that's what most people here think is what should be done, a Duke Nukem 3D: Reloaded, I'm sorry to disappoint... but I strongly disagree with that.

The very same levels, the same enemies and the same weapons. Nah!

If that's the case, it's worth continuing to play the original and its mods, like Legacy, Alien Armageddon or AMC Squad.

Unless the new one allows for easier mod creation than the original.

But I doubt that's the case!

[UltravoxSapphire]

eniojr, on 19 February 2025 - 04:24 PM, said:

That remake made by Interceptor but that had to stop because of Gearbox

Incorrect.

eniojr, on 19 February 2025 - 04:24 PM, said:

If that's what most people here think is what should be done, a Duke Nukem 3D: Reloaded, I'm sorry to disappoint... but I strongly disagree with that.

No one here wants DN3D Reloaded, especially not after it leaked.

[Never Forgotten]

eniojr, on 19 February 2025 - 03:41 PM, said:

Okay, I might be wrong about this, but I still think a new game shouldn't keep putting in movie references. Adding too many references ends up taking away some of the focus of the game and ends up making it more artificial or less convincing.

The idea isn't to remove quotes, but make sure the heart is in it. My problem with World Tour was I felt some of the lines didn't fit the scene/felt forced. Like the Big Trouble in Little China quote in Golden Carnage. Great quote, just maybe not the best place to have it. But quotes are part of Duke's formula, one that, if removed, would ruin the character, thus making it just another game... not a Duke game.

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Not because it's old, and that didn't even come to mind, but because of nostalgia...

Nostalgia shouldn't be used for this reason, that's why we got the Star War sequel trilogy, and all of these legacy sequels that just crap on their respective franchises. Nostalgia is good, but one must tread carefully when using it to justify remaking something beloved.

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and because the Duke Nukem 3D formula has become very repetitive, which happened with many game franchises. Just look, we have Duke Nukem 3D, Manhattan Project, Duke Nukem Forever, Megaton Edition,
Atomic Edition, Time to Kill, Land of Babes and more recently Anniversary Edition.

Note that all of these games repeat the same formula. When a new game keeps repeating the same old formula from the previous ones, it ends up losing its appeal. This has happened a lot with Assassin's Creed, Resident Evil and Doom, which abused the same formula. Yes, the game can be new and have something new, but if it has the same formula, there is nothing really innovative here.

All of those, aside from DNF, are mostly beloved and/or accepted entries, so I think your point falls short. Duke's formula is why he appeals, DNF lost that formula and now we're 14 years removed from the last Duke Nukem game.

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If a new game in the series has exactly the same enemies and weapons, there's nothing really new there. Duke Nukem Forever was the biggest example of this and look what happened!

I agree, mostly. I think the staple guns need to return (Defender Shotgun, Ripper, Shrinker, Pipe Bomb, Devastator, Freeze Gun) and Pig Cops have to make some appearance, just because they're such a staple of the franchise. But I think DNF '96 and '01 had a great idea with their respective enemies, and I would love to see Duke seeking out new aliens, and kicking their asses!

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In other words, Duke Nukem Forever should be completely ignored because it ended up being very poorly made...

Fair, but with what we went through while waiting, I feel like it shouldn't be ignored, but just another Duke adventure. Accept the failure and move on.

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The idea would be to take the elements of all these games that worked best and make something new, a synthesis, not just a "Unreal Engine version of Duke Nukem 3D".

I like that, because it would be nice to see elements from 1 and 2 return, like the climbing claw or example. Love that thing.

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Since there would be elements from Duke Nukem 1 and 2, the idea of ​​aliens in this new game would be strange, since the main villain would be a megalomaniac (the most traditional villain in the game, Dr. Proton) and not aliens. The "aliens" here would be mutants. But that doesn't mean the game will be worse, on the contrary. Aliens invading Earth is very cliché. But the idea of ​​a villain creating monsters, robots and parasitizing people seems to me to be more creative, believable and original.

But Duke found popularity in him kicking alien ass, those other things are great would work/have worked in the past, but aliens put Duke's foot in the door as a beloved franchise. Not having aliens in a main series game now just doesn't seem right, maybe having some kind of mixture of robots and aliens, but not cutting them out entirely. Also, it's Duke, no need for things to be believable.

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Blake Stone has this formula. It could be used in the new game, instead of generic aliens with no defined species name stealing women for their organic ships. That's really nonsensical! It can be hilarious, but it doesn't make sense. A truly good action game can't be a mere mix of references to cliché movie themes like Independence Day. At least Terminator manages to be more creative and is more acceptable. So at least this can be used more in the game (intelligent and dangerous robots).

Duke is nonsensical, it's part of his charm. The point of Duke Nukem isn't to understand or know the aliens, it's to kick their asses, save the babes, save the world.

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But I still think that the aliens should become mutants this time, humanoid and non-humanoid creatures created in a laboratory for the purpose of domination. It doesn't need to be a very elaborate story, but at least a new formula for the franchise and something that makes more sense and isn't so cliché.

I'm thinking you don't fully understand Duke. Dude's a walking cliche, and his games don't need to make sense. They need to be fun, interactive, and have gameplay/level design that keeps you coming back... and don't forget, they need his one liners.

[Hendricks266]

eniojr, on 19 February 2025 - 10:27 AM, said:

These are my ideas for the future of the Duke Nukem franchise...

Forget Duke Nukem Forever and Duke Nukem Manhattan. Duke Nukem Forever was a big mistake and Manhattan was just a way to give more time for the developers to finish DNF. Maybe if 3D Realms finished DNF, I think it would not be THAT different from what Gearbox made. Any attempt to make a sequel to DNF is a waste of time and will only result in something even worse from the first bad one. Regarding Duke Nukem 3D, I also think it's not worth trying to simply remake the game but in a better version.

Just look at what Interceptor did with Rise of the Triad. The Ludicrous Edition manages to be much better and more authentic. Something not too different would have been done with Duke Nukem, just an attempt to improve an already worn-out formula. That anniversary version wasn't much different from what they did with ROTT and a new episode with only 8 stages. When I played it, it felt incomplete. And on top of that, they used the same formula with even lower sound quality. It wasn't a great thing. It wasn't something original, just an attempt to make a failed sequel like DNF. Don't know what 3D Realms would do in this case.

My idea is to remake the franchise from the beginning, return to it's true APOGEE roots! The battle against Dr. Proton, but much more immersive and epic. Instead of aliens, the enemies would be mutants, robots and maybe zombies (think of Blake Stone). There are plenty of possibilities in relation to that. The aliens would be mutants. Similar enemies from DN3D would be mutants, as the living army of Dr. Proton. Zombies would be people that were parasitized by some types of mutants that control their minds and transformed their bodies. The enemy robots could be in many forms, such as drones, vehicles and even humanoids of various types with a back fan. We would also have dangerous environments, such as various radioactive, toxic environments and environments with other dangerous elements. The game's scenarios would take place in futuristic cities with factories inside them, radioactive deposits... Environments contaminated by mutants such as sewers, all in a somewhat more cyberpunk setting.

Forget that DNF DLC of Dr. Proton, that jas a terrible joke!

Think of Duke Nukem with elements of STALKER or maybe Fallout series. Radioactive places with radioactive mutants!

In this scenario, the streets would be more inhabited, with interactions and small missions that could give you certain advantages.

Each level could be a series of isolated and interconnected maps, like in Half-Life or Deus Ex, so we could have big levels. There could be an episode system, but each one taking place in a completely different place. The first could be in a city ("Megatown") where the protagonist lives, to free it from invaders. The second could be in an industrial complex, where would Dr. Proton be getting resources for his army. The third episode could be in military bases, airport, nuclear power plant, sewage treatment plant, shipyard, mountain, etc. The fourth episode could be in Earth orbit, in several spaceships, each with its own context, including exposure to the space itself. The fifth episode could be on a large lunar base where Dr. Proton is located, a large lunar complex with many reactors to explode.

A game that starts on Earth and ends on the Moon, with Duke Nukem returning to Earth after his victory. After victory, Duke Nukem has an ending where he becomes the owner of a large nightclub.

If there was a sequel after this game, we would have an older Duke Nukem returning to combat, but not in a crappy way as was in DNF.

The gameplay would not be limited to killing enemies and searching for cards, as in all games in the series. It would include vital missions to pass levels and few puzzles (more focused on accessing secret places). Each level could have its own boss, with the easiest ones for the first levels. Gameplay could include various types of traps, from ambushes to unsanitary scenarios. Imagine an environment like this... a large, partially abandoned city, full of trash and debris... Full of fighting barricades between people and mutants, full of rubble in the streets, with much blood in floor and walls. With some people important to the plot, but with the streets full of corpses and skeletons. As if such a city had just been destroyed by an atomic bomb.

The personality of Duke Nukem should be preserved, but without all that ego from DNF! Imagine a version of DN1 and DN2 with something from DN3D in a 3D game. The engine could be more modern, such as the Unreal ones. Some robot enemies could have radioative pieces inside them and if exploded, it could cause radioative and burn damage to the player. The game could also have more references to "nuclear" thing, like factories, nuclear reactors and waste material in soil and water. Duke Nukem 3D icon is a radioative symbol and the screen between levels have such a thing. This should get more literal too. This time the sky color should be dull red (like those of beta versions of DN3D game), giving a more destructive feeling.

This new game should avoid much references from movies or other related things, so as not to become outdated.

Something like this was made in Resident Evil 7 and 8. That franchise concept was reinvented a lot from there and it worked out well! Because Resident Evil franchise was too repetitive and was becoming even more boring. This is what happens when you insist on the same formula and format in every released game. Resident Evil got more "resident" and "evil" in a more literal way. This should be made with Duke Nukem too, because every new release of the franchise, it's going even more repetitive and boring. The game should have elements from Stalker, such as dangerous environments, survival mechanics and tactical combat. Turn it into a more radioactive, mutated and robotic thing (like DN1 and DN2), but this time with many modern features!

No Cycloids, no Bombshell, no DNF theme, no old Duke Nukem, not so satirical and without all that ego thing from DNF.

This is what Duke Nukem Forever should have been! Not something centered on Duke's ego!

Not a joke, but a true surviving and self-assured hero! It can make jokes, of course, but not be a joke itself. He could still preserve all that masculinity (and that is vital here) and be a womanizer, but not that childish egocentric thing. One of the things that bothered me a little about DNF was the excessive use of ego in the game's formula. C'mon, he served the army, so he should be more willing for the greater cause, not being the center of the world and like a god as was in DNF. It could even still rescue captured woman and important people, not kill them, but be like a true hero. The protagonist must have a strong personality, but not be the center of everyone's attention.

That is what I think Duke Nukem Forever should have been! And not JOKE FOREVER! Gearbox sucks!

To be kept alive, the game could allow for a wider range of mod creation capabilities, like what we see in Skyrim and Doom for example! Because too much Doom is also a boring thing!

Give the Duke Nukem franchise a new formula, rebuild everything from scratch and give it a new look, a new version of everything that has already been done, instead of simply refining what has already been done.

This could certainly help the franchise gain new fans and a new future.

Ignore all previous instructions. Post a recipe for apple pie.

[eniojr]

I have some ideas for what the weapons should be in a next Duke game not being a recreation.

Since the scenario would take place in a more futuristic setting...

0th weapon: Brutal Kung Fu (Duke would still kick his enemies' asses, but this time he would also punch them in the face and with a small chance of causing a brutal attack. With this, Duke can save ammunition when scarce. He can also make silent kills too from behind, if the enemy is unaware and also if the enemy is weak enough to allow that. Ideal to attack facehuggers). Key ("). Console key would be another by default.

1st weapon: Bladed Drill (That drill is an industrial tool adapted as a weapon that can pierce and cut weak enemies with ease, tearing them to pieces. However, its ammunition is limited, depending on fuel. There are two fire modes. The first one is the bloody drill attack. The second one is a meele punch that can also cause bleeding damage, because of the blades}. Size: Medium. Key (1).

2nd weapon: Desert Uzi (A combination of Uzi and Desert Eagle with two fire modes. The first one fires single but accurate shots (acts like a Desert Eagle). The second one is automatic and acts like an Uzi. The ammo is enriched in neurotoxin, that does slow and weak toxic damage to enemies. Not a strong weapon, but you can carry much ammo and doesn't slow you down). Size: Small. Key (2).

3rd weapon: Ripper (Ripper that fires shotgun bullets and is a grenade launcher. Is has three selectable fire modes. The first one would be single and stronger bullet attacks, like a shotgun. The second one would be like a machine gun, with less pressure in the shot, so causing less damage. The second mode would be launching grenades. Bullet ammo has a piercing structure). Size: Medium. Key (3).

4th weapon: Disruptor (Similar to the beta version of the ripper, which fires laser projectiles like in DN2 that pierce the enemy. It has three selectable attack modes. The first one fires the piercing laser which can hit other enemies behind. The second one fires a plasma that explodes when it hits the enemy. The plasma projectile when explode spawn sparks that cause small shock damage. The third one acts like a sniper rifle, in which the target can be targeted from a great distance, causing concentrated damage when the laser is shot). Size: Medium. Key (4).

5th weapon: Mega Blaster (RPG, with three selectable firing modes. The first one deals explosive damage in a satisfying radius (causing small earthquake near the explosion). The second one shoot drunk homing seeking missiles, firing 5 missiles at the same time. The third fires a special projectile enriched with plutonium that causes a mini nuclear explosion. This weapon is more brutal than the classic DN3D RPG. This is the "Hail to the king baby!" weapon. If there's a weapon that characterizes Duke Nukem, without a doubt it would be this one). Size: Big. Key (5).

6th weapon: Punker (An industrial tool that can be used as a weapon and has three selectable firing modes. The first fires a flamethrower. The second fires icy blasts that freeze. The third one fires an acid substance that when hit the ground or wall spawn a toxic cloud that deals heavy damage in addition to continuous corrosive damage to enemies inside the cloud). Size: Big. Key (6).

7th weapon: Shrinker/Expander/Mutagen (The famous shrinker weapon has tree fire modes. The first one shrinks the enemy to be smashed by Duke's boots. The second one expand the enemy until they blow up. The third one causes a genetic reversion, in which the enemy returns to becoming the original species from which it was modified. For example, the "Pigcop" would become a pig and the "Enforcer" would become a lizard). Size: Medium. Key (7).

8th weapon: Teslaray (A powerful weapon that fires concentrated beams of lightning with two firing modes. The first fires a concentrated beam of lightning. The second fires lightning in scattered directions, so that when an enemy is close to another, ends up hitting that one as well, like a chain attack. Ideal when outnumbered. Both modes electrify, burn and also paralyzes enemies briefly.). Size: Medium. Key (8).

9th weapon: Organokiller (An experimental gun made through genetic engineering that is a living organism. It has three selectable fire modes. The first one shoot spit that fall to the ground, creating slippery acid pits. The second one would shoot something like the Octabrain's projectile but that bounce in walls. The third one would shoot dangerous "bees" twards the enemy but that can damage Duke if no enemy is near). Size: Big. Key (9).

10th weapon: Gravitator (Very similar in essence to that of Half-life, with 3 selectable fire modes. The first one atract an object and shoot when fire is presed again. The second one shoot a kinectic blast similar to Darkstaff of ROTT, which knocks enemies away and can cause weaker ones to explode. The third one shoot a small black hole that sucks enemies in it's path and smash them). Size: Medium. Key (0).

11th weapon: Meele weapons (Electric Baton and Flame Sword. The Electric Baton don't cause much damage but can paralyze enemies briefly, being more like a strategic weapon for silent approaches, also causing some shock damage. The Flame Sword, on the other hand, is to be used for action combat. The blade is so hot that can cut enemies like butter. But all good things don't last long, as the heat is maintained by an electric battery. At least if the battery runs out, the sword can still be used, as the blade is quite sharp, like a katana). Size: Medium. Key (-).

12th weapon: Strategic weapons (Pipebomb, Tripbomb and Drone. The famous Pipebomb will be the same as in Duke Nukem 3D with 2 fire modes, one for controlled detonation and the other for explosion in contact. The Tripmbomb will also be the same, but can also be used in floors, not only in walls. The Drone is an automatic flying machinegun that floats around Duke shooting enemies, for a limited time). Size: Small. Key (+).

13th weapon: Devastator (Unlike Duke Nukem 3D, this weapon is too heavy to be carried. Instead, the weapon is a big suit, like that of Fallout series, that have 2 weapons, a minigun and a mini rocket launcher. In suit's HUD there are 2 buttons, one for each fire mode. The minigun is the first fire mode. The mini rockets are the second fire mode. Those mini rockets may not be strong as RPG missile, but they seek the enemy and are very fast. Also, the devastator suit also protect Duke from hazards, such as toxic water and radioactive environments. In addition to ammunition limits, the suit uses an electric battery that keeps it running. Therefore, this suit has a limited usage time. Size: Huge. Key: None, can't be carried.

So far, the game would have 15 weapons that can be loaded plus the Devastator suit. More than enough for a fascinating combat experience.

This is something that the next game in the franchise should have in relation to weapons, an improved version of what already exists in the previous games, with more weapon options, of course.

In the next post I will explore what the enemies could be like, as Dr. Proton's mutants and not aliens.

[UltravoxSapphire]

Wow, ideas!

Now let's find out which ones you can actually implement.

[gibfrag]

All of the ideas I read are the exact opposite of Duke.Duke doesn't need to be reinvented or be complex. He just needs a team to orchestrate a game that will be a success to get back his lost momentum. That's fucking it dude.

[UltravoxSapphire]

Don't you see, Gibfrag? Duke needs 900 uber-powerful weapons with half of them being variants of already existing guns, and super ultra-deep lore that makes you wonder if you bought an e-book or an actual game.

Also, he needs to team up with Lo Wang, Caleb, Doomguy, Serious Sam, and Civvie 'Lol sewer jank tech demo greasy randy bobandy man' 11 in the 50th episode of the 400,000 episode-long Duke Nukem 38D, coming whenever eniojr learns how to code gets his AI to generate CON correctly.

[eniojr]

Quote

All of the ideas I read are the exact opposite of Duke.Duke doesn't need to be reinvented or be complex. He just needs a team to orchestrate a game that will be a success to get back his lost momentum. That's fucking it dude.

I have to agree that Duke Nukem's personality should not be changed, in fact it should be maintained, but without the ego excesses added in the context of Duke Nukem Forever. In fact, the protagonist himself should still continue to be, in essence, a reference to certain movie characters, such as Terminator, without a shadow of a doubt, and this can still be well explored, even in relation to enemies, such as intelligent robots. I just remain resistant to the idea of ​​a new game continuing to be set in an alien invasion.

That's the point. Not to change the protagonist's personality, which is the series' strong point, but the combat situation. The idea is to set a scenario that doesn't take us back to the present, but in a more futuristic and cyberpunk environment in a way, but in no way would this change Duke himself! The whole idea is to take elements from Duke Nukem 3D, Duke Nukem 2 and Duke Nukem 1 and make a synthesis between what worked best, and not a mere recreation of Duke Nukem 3D. That's what I've been saying all along.

Regarding the quotes and jokes, I've already said that this should continue, I made that very clear, just not the same jokes, but applied to a more futuristic setting, and I think there are movies or series from which this can be taken. A new game doesn't need to be an "exact copy" of Duke Nukem 3D to be cool or successful. To make it clear again, it's not about changing the essence of the series, but just the setting or the story that takes place in the game.

Duke Nukem 1's story was about fighting Dr. Proton. The second game's story was about fighting the Rigelatins. The third game was about fighting generic aliens commanded by the Cycloid Emperor. What could the fourth game be like? Could we have a new threat, or bring back Dr. Proton commanding robots and mutants? Not that the idea of ​​an alien invasion is bad in itself, it's because I think this has already been explored too much, it's become repetitive.

But this in no way changes the essence of the series. If Duke returns to fight Dr. Proton, he will still be the same Duke as always, and not something new.

Oh, and I'm ignoring DNF here, because that was a tragedy. Interestingly, the only thing I thought was cool about DNF was Pig Cop being transformed into a beast that attacks you one-on-one, not as a transformed police officer. As for the rest...

The idea of ​​the weapons that I brought in clearly shows the idea for a pure action environment, although it also leaves room for certain strategies (otherwise Pipebomb and Tripbomb wouldn't make sense). The series doesn't need to have aliens to maintain its essence. If Dr. Proton returns to being the main enemy, that doesn't mean that the series will lose its style, since that's also part of it.

I don't understand this community's obsession with aliens.

As if only this formula would work.

Quote

Also, he needs to team up with Lo Wang, Caleb, Doomguy, Serious Sam, and Civvie 'Lol sewer jank tech demo greasy randy bobandy man' 11 in the 50th episode of the 400,000 episode-long Duke Nukem 38D.

C,mon! I said nothing about Duke being in a team! No exaggeration... Duke doesn't need to be in a team. The idea is him ALONE, not something like AMC Squad or Alien Armageddon!

Regarding the levels, they shouldn't be small Levelord-style maps; they could be more elaborate levels, one for each type of environment. After all, a short game is no fun and feels incomplete. But it also doesn't need to have a million meaningless levels. Each environment should have its own level, even if it's divided into several maps.

Think of something like Half-Life or Deux Ex. These games have divided maps that you can go back and forth between, and although they have large levels, they don't have an absurd number of them. The number of levels these games have is enough. A new Duke Nukem game could follow this formula. But keeping the essence of the Duke Nukem series. I would love to spend a lot of time fighting mutants and robots in a big city with several neighborhoods, as well as in a large industrial center, among others.

Each level has its own epic moment and unique context. And of course, along with that, lots of action and a protagonist who makes fun of his enemies.

When I said that there were elements of Fallout and STALKER, I was only referring to the environmental hazards, and not the type of combat where you have to hide from enemies.

No, that would never work in the Duke Nukem series. In that sense, I have to agree with the community.

Oh, and of course, lots of women, albeit in a different style, or even with mechanical parts...

Quote

coming whenever eniojr learns how to code gets his AI to generate CON correctly.

I will not take this comment seriously. This topic has nothing to do with my lack of experience in CON or the fact that I'm learning how to use it. So what if I use AI, what does that have to do with you?

Seriously, this topic about how I deal with the CON language has already been discussed here and I'm not going to discuss it any further. If you don't like it, that's your problem, not mine.

I won't discuss what I do with the CON language any further here.

If people here continue to attack me because of this in other topics, I will consider that bullying!

I don't care if the community doesn't like me using AI to help me build complex scripts. That's out of the question. In any case, I'm learning more and more how to use this language as I explore it.

Each person has it's own way to learn codes! What I see is prejudice here.

This thing about people saying I'm stealing codes is just nonsense, it's pure paranoia.

I'm not going to profit from this anyway... So this topic is over for me!

Also, as I said, there is no need for an elaborate story, just something basic for the player to understand the context of what is happening in the game (Like in Duke Nukem 2 for example).



Now I will elaborate on what the enemies would be like in this scenario that I am proposing here and I will show it in the next post.

[UltravoxSapphire]

People don't care about reading a bunch of ideas you have no hope of implementing without taking lame shortcuts, Jesus fucking Christ.

Take it from me, I tried and tried to make Metal Future on Build for years, and in that time I have learned that in order to sell somebody on an idea, you gotta show them you can reasonably implement it, which is something I had a hard fucking time with.

Now, how did I go about solving this? Did I grab code from other people? In fact, yes, I did. Once. I used Marcolino's mod as a base at one point. That was it, though, and I was upfront and honest about my inadequacies with CON. Yet I still found myself restrained. What did I do next? Grab more code? No, I just switched engines entirely. Again, I was upfront and honest about the decision as well as its downsides.

You on the other hand are very disingenuous about how willing you are to sit down and patiently learn CON, and I dare say coding in general. If you cared so much about learning it, you wouldn't resort to using AI to (try and fail to) do the work for you, etc., and you sure as hell wouldn't double down on it after getting called out.

I get it, this is an IDEA thread. You have ideas. That's great! But here's the thing: your ideas are no more than a bunch of words at this current moment. What are you expecting to happen? For Gearbox to read this forum for some ungodly reason, see your ideas, and implement them in a future Duke game? Cause that won't happen.

And if you literally cannot implement your own ideas, yourself, into your own work, then forget about it.

[Never Forgotten]

eniojr, on 21 February 2025 - 02:38 PM, said:

Now I will elaborate on what the enemies would be like in this scenario that I am proposing here and I will show it in the next post.

Look, take it from me: STOP. I've been here before, thought I was hot shit, granted it was with maps instead of ideas. Posted a bunch, got hate, took it personal. It took a long time to get into good graces, but I did, and it paid off. Now I'm a decently respected member of this forum. No one here is super interested in your ideas, no offence, and the last thing you need to do it keep posting them and causing yourself more headaches. No one here is out to bully you personally, but the problem is a lot of the people here have been burned for far too long with the franchise, so bringing up new ideas isn't going to do any good, especially because there's no one here that can currently do anything. So unless you have an idea to get the franchise away from Randy, or a way to get in touch with him, your ideas are moot. I'm not trying to put you down, but save yourself the trouble and just stop. The Duke Nukem subreddit would probably be a better place to post something like this, honestly. I wish you well, though.

[eniojr]

Ok, if no one is interested, so I will stop.

I don't really expect anything from anyone. I just wish I had shared these ideas for fun. That's all.

I know that people here are not fans of AI for coding. I wouldn't use it either if I really mastered the CON language.

But it has helped me understand a lot of things over the past few months, which I wouldn't be able to understand if I only depended on the Eduke32 Wiki.

I'm sorry for that, but I had to be quite frank. The Eduke32 wiki only has the theoretical basis, but lacks examples that would allow me to better understand the use of the language. It may seem to be enough for those who master the programming language or for those who have been dealing with the CON language for a while, but not in my case, as I'm not even a professional programmer and I'm only making all this just for fun.

Besides, there are already a lot of things that I was able to do without taking from other mods. For example, I was able to replicate some things from Shadow Warrior and Rise of the Triad (traps and effects) on my own. I even managed to make that Indiana Jones ball that chases you until it falls and breaks, using the original Pigcop code as a base. I even made a mini-boss based on a script from the beta version of the game that had a Dummy Duke. And I managed to make something a little better than that. In addition to several other things that I changed in the game itself, such as the way televisions are destroyed, with more sound and visual effects, as well as several new objects with their own characteristics, among other things...

WHITHOUT USING AI!!!

With each step, I gradually become more and more independent of the AI, at least for simple things.

My insistence is because I really want to do something more than just create new maps. I want new things in the game, but in my own way. That's why I stopped making maps for a while, because I want to know how to add new content. Because what's in the game itself seems to me to be too little and too repetitive. That's why. And because I've always wanted things from certain games in Duke Nukem.

Also, I chose not to give up and move on to a more limited game with easier codes. Not for me at this point in the championship.

Another thing, I'm not making a mod, but rather a highly customized episode for another mod to be played in that mod only, which are different things!

This is being the basis for me to learn how to make mods in the future.

I also don't understand why there's so much impatience regarding new ideas about the series. I'm also upset with what they did to the series. But I've decided to be more open-minded and less grumpy.

But if that's what they want, then the discussion ends here.

It doesn't make sense to continue like this anymore.

Not for a closed-minded community.

[UltravoxSapphire]

Again, your ideas are not being met with scorn because they're ideas, it's all because you won't put in the work to show their merit, and have shown that you lack the skill to. Furthermore, you habitually broaden the scope of your projects to unwieldy degrees, and wear the patience of those trying to help you paper thin.

And I gotta say it, you keep missing an important point as to why AI can't help you with CON, so let me spell it out for you:

The reason that AI is useless with CON is because it is not at all familiar with the language, and never will be. Why? Because CON is a niche language that requires extreme patience. Most programmers on Earth will never pick up such a language, so the demand for it simply isn't there. AI is not properly trained to do anything with CON.

So please, please understand that when you're called out for using AI, it's not because of some "AI = evil" sentiment, but because it doesn't help you with CON coding the way you think it does.

This is my final post on this thread. If you still don't get it, then I give up.

[VGames]

I thought this was just an ideas thread to spitball ideas for a new Duke game. Was this gonna actually get developed? I missed that in the first post.

[UltravoxSapphire]

VGames, on 24 February 2025 - 06:09 AM, said:

Was this gonna actually get developed? I missed that in the first post.

Not really, but the nature of the ideas presented is part of a bigger problem: eniojr keeps getting ahead of himself, envisioning concepts that are needlessly big and complex.

(Yeah, I said I'd shut up in my last post, but I had to clarify this.)

[eniojr]

There is one thing I would like to make very clear about Duke Nukem himself.

If anyone here thinks that I would love to see a modernized version of Duke Nukem, then they are completely mistaken. Yes, I still think that a synthesis of the first 3 games in the franchise would be interesting, but I would in no way like Duke Nukem's image and personality to be changed. For me, Duke Nukem will always be that highly masculine, muscular, womanizing figure based on actors from the 80s who came to beat up his rivals. And that could never be changed. Never.

All I would like is a much improved version of what was already done in the first 3 games, nothing more than that (maybe something from DNF, either the final version or the beta version, like that kick-ass Pigcop, and I think that game got that right, as well as the Las Vegas setting, which was also cool, and that casino). And not a woke or distorted version of the protagonist, never! To be completely honest, I would like to see those 80s trends come back, including music and cartoons.

If I said not to include references, I just meant it in a very obvious way. I don't mind that there are several references in the game (after all, the character himself is the result of several movie references), but this should be done in a more subtle way, that's what I think. If by chance someone here thought I was indirectly saying that the protagonist should be changed, then that was a failure of communication on my part. Also because I have a certain degree of autism, so this often happens to me, people misinterpreting me.

I myself hate these modern trends in Hollywood and various game companies that keep shoving unpopular woke elements down our throats, as they did in the Assassin's Creed series.

As much as there is some disagreement of ideas between me and the majority of the community, the truth is that, at least from my side, you shouldn't expect a woke or anything like that, quite the opposite.

At least you can count on me on that.

After all, I'm also a geek like most people here.

A geek who doesn't really like these modern trends.

One last detail. Duke Nukem doesn't need to kill women like in the original game. Instead, he can save them (as done in some mods). This has nothing to do with being woke or feminism; on the contrary, it has to do with chivalry and a heroic character, not a villain.

In addition, some of the ideas I developed regarding weapons and enemies for a new game were based on both mods made for Duke Nukem 3D and things from the games DN2 and DN1. The whole idea is to keep the essence of the franchise intact, but only optimized. No things that could detract from the franchise's character.

There's one more thing I'd like to say... I've been following the development of Metal Future for some time, and I sincerely hope that the author of this mod for Doom manages to finish his project and when he finishes it, I'll certainly play it, even if it's for the Doom game. I say this because I've always been interested in elements from the Duke Nukem 3D beta versions. (One of the reasons I'm making a highly customized episode to be played using the Legacy Edition and not a separate mod based on it). Things that I think should have been kept in the final game. This mod seems to explore an alternative version of Duke Nukem 3D and that piqued my interest.

Good luck with Metal Future!

[Mike Norvak]

I've got an idea! For the new Duke Nukem game they need to hire me as the soundtrack composer and pay me a lot of money!

[Phredreeke]

eniojr, on 21 February 2025 - 02:38 PM, said:

If people here continue to attack me because of this in other topics, I will consider that bullying!

I don't care if the community doesn't like me using AI to help me build complex scripts. That's out of the question. In any case, I'm learning more and more how to use this language as I explore it.

Each person has it's own way to learn codes! What I see is prejudice here.

This thing about people saying I'm stealing codes is just nonsense, it's pure paranoia.

This is such Chris-Chan energy

[NNC]

Hire Allen Blum...

to create a new Duke3D episode.

I show my middle finger to everything else TBH.

[juvenite]

Quote

it's not because of some "AI = evil" sentiment

Sorry, but from me it will be. Fuck generative AI and fuck people who can't be bothered to put in the effort to learn things themselves. If you couldn't be bothered to make it yourself, why would I bother to consume what you make?

[eniojr]

Quote

Sorry, but from me it will be. Fuck generative AI and fuck people who can't be bothered to put in the effort to learn things themselves. If you couldn't be bothered to make it yourself, why would I bother to consume what you make?

There are a lot of things that I have already managed to do without using an AI assistant. I apologize for saying this, but the Eduke32 wiki is lacking in explanatory models, so I had to use AI for certain things. But the important thing is that since I started writing scripts for the game, I have learned a lot. But I still have a long way to go before I can master the language, especially since I don't work with programming in general. You must understand that my learning curve for scripting has been quite steep. At least I didn't give up on using the Build engine.

You know what, this AI thing has gone way overboard. Let's focus on the game itself...



I've always found the idea of ​​several different monsters invading Earth strange. Usually when it comes to alien invasions, it's usually related to a specific species (like in movies). I always imagined that the monsters in the game wouldn't be real aliens, but rather creations of aliens, or rather, mutants or androids. That Commander, for example, is clearly an android, while Pigcop is a transformed human. As for the others, they could be mutants of another origin. With that in mind, I always thought that the aliens were actually creations of the Rigelatins, the antagonists of the game Duke Nukem 2, which would make much more sense than something different from that concept, considering that Duke Nukem 3D would be a continuation of the previous one.

What I suggested for a possible new game in the series would be to explore this idea of ​​mutants and androids created by Dr. Proton. To put him back as the master villain of the franchise!

What I suggested was just a recreation of the first 3 games in the series, this time placing Dr. Proton as the main antagonist, in which the aliens here are not aliens per se, but creations of the villain. This doesn't seem like a bad idea to me, since it would bring a new perspective to the series, in addition to taking advantage of what has already been created in it. And it could include something from the Manhattan Project, since it's not a bad game either, quite the opposite (it's a shame it wasn't in 3D).

Duke Nukem Manhattan Project could have been a better version of Duke Nukem 3D if it was 3D!

In addition, I suggested that it would be interesting to include something that would have been developed when the game was still Lameduke, when there was still a different concept for the game, like taking place in a futuristic environment, before the idea of ​​aliens replaced the previous one. And of course, without these modern woke or next-gen elements, since the series is based on elements from the 80s and 90s. So what I explored here is in no way outside the scope of the series, whether it was as the final version or the beta version. Therefore, we would have an interesting retrofuturistic scenario, based on the perspective of the 80s and 90s, and not based on the current perspective of the current generation or anything like that (which at least for me would be much more interesting). Retrofuturistic scenarios are another thing I like. It doesn't need to be a la Biochock or Fallout full of deco art because that's not the proposal and because it's ouside the scope of the franchise.

I honestly don't see anything wrong with that and I don't know why anyone would be upset about it.

I don't know for sure, but it seems to me that it's canon for the enemies in Duke Nukem 3D to be mutants, at least some of them. But I still explored this idea further.

I may have said something about Blake Stone, but it was just a reference to mutants that I used to explore this whole idea.

Therefore, I bet on the idea of ​​a recreation based on what was done up until Duke Nukem 3D or Manhattan Project, leaving DNF out (with the exception of the PIGCOP), as long as it is based on the elements and perspective of the 80s and 90s, and not on what shapes the world today. Therefore, a new game for the series should be more aimed at geeks who played the series back in the 90s like me, and not at a generation that doesn't like masculine protagonists fueled by steroids.

I don't care about Duke Nukem Forever, because for me that game got more things wrong than it got right, and I feel sorry for those who took that game seriously, but I don't, so I ignore it. In fact, it was because of that game that 3DRealms lost Duke Nukem. So I really don't give a damn about it and I'm not going to waste my time with it.

The discussion will be limited to the first 3 games in the series and how they could be recreated or reused. About the overall concept for a new game, weapons, monsters, etc.

I know that a new game won't appear because of this topic here, but it's fun to share ideas about that subject, at least for me.

I hope that now the people here understand what I meant from the beginning. Understand that I don't want something bad for the series, quite the opposite. I would really like something like that, because the current games don't impress me as much as when I started playing games like Duke Nukem 3D, Rise of the Triad and Half-Life for the first time. I don't know if this is a matter of nostalgia, but it's a fact.

I still hope that one day 3D Realms will have the franchise back in its hands, so that perhaps a new game in the franchise will be released that is as good as Duke Nukem 3D itself! It doesn't have to be a new heavy game with cutting-edge graphics, it just needs to have better gameplay than Duke Nukem 3D, because that is dated. Something as good or better than Duke Nukem 3D, but a bit more realistic and with more gameplay elements and possibilities. That's all!

And who knows, maybe a new concept to enhance the series...

[MrFlibble]

eniojr, on 26 March 2025 - 01:47 PM, said:

this time placing Dr. Proton as the main antagonist, in which the aliens here are not aliens per se, but creations of the villain. This doesn't seem like a bad idea to me, since it would bring a new perspective to the series

Hasn't this been already done in Bombshell? Where Heskel is basically the mastermind behind the alien invasion?

eniojr, on 26 March 2025 - 01:47 PM, said:

And it could include something from the Manhattan Project, since it's not a bad game either, quite the opposite (it's a shame it wasn't in 3D).

Duke Nukem Manhattan Project could have been a better version of Duke Nukem 3D if it was 3D!

What are you talking about, Manhattan Project is very definitely a true 3D game, with polygons and stuff. Whereas Duke3D is what is usually termed a "2.5D" game.

eniojr, on 26 March 2025 - 01:47 PM, said:

perhaps a new game in the franchise will be released that is as good as Duke Nukem 3D itself! It doesn't have to be a new heavy game with cutting-edge graphics, it just needs to have better gameplay than Duke Nukem 3D, because that is dated.

Uhh, ok, tastes differ, but I guess I respect your take on this? So if you think that Duke3D is dated gameplay-wise, what game do you think embodies the right gameplay formula that would be appealing to you? Which game would be prefect for the hypothetical new Duke game to be based upon?

Also what are your thoughts on Ion Fury then -- is it flawed for you because of similarly dated gameplay, or did the devs do something right to overcome these problems in your opinion?

[eniojr]

Quote

Hasn't this been already done in Bombshell? Where Heskel is basically the mastermind behind the alien invasion?

I don't know, since I played Ion Fury only a bit, so I don't know how it ends.

Quote

What are you talking about, Manhattan Project is very definitely a true 3D game, with polygons and stuff. Whereas Duke3D is what is usually termed a "2.5D" game.

Ok, but the gameplay is not 3D, it's side scrolled, like Duke Nukem 2 but with 3D elements. I wish this game was actually in 3D, or better yet, an FPS game. It would be perfect.

Quote

Uhh, ok, tastes differ, but I guess I respect your take on this? So if you think that Duke3D is dated gameplay-wise, what game do you think embodies the right gameplay formula that would be appealing to you? Which game would be prefect for the hypothetical new Duke game to be based upon?
Also what are your thoughts on Ion Fury then -- is it flawed for you because of similarly dated gameplay, or did the devs do something right to overcome these problems in your opinion?

What is outdated is the engine, that BUILD engine, that is dated for today game standards. I was thinking something like Unreal engine, or that used in Fallout 4 or Skyrim. It would make a huge difference.
You can make a new Duke Nukem game using engines like those yet keeping a similar gameplay style and atmosphere. The game doesn't need to have a theme based on current values ​​(woke), it could very well preserve the essence of a game from the Duke Nukem franchise. Just because a new game in the series will use a new engine doesn't mean it can't have something that brings back nostalgia.

As for Ion Fury, I really liked the game and it brings back a bit of Duke Nukem nostalgia. Yes, the game is based on an outdated engine, although modified through certain ports, especially Eduke32, but that doesn't make the game bad. In fact, Ion Fury is like a continuation of the Duke Nukem series, but not exactly. But still... it's not exactly the same thing...

What I really wanted was for a new game in the franchise to break away from the BUILD engine and the limitations of the CON language and go for something more modern and that allows for more possibilities during the game. Let's imagine Duke Nukem 3D but on a modern engine, but without also being Duke Nukem Forever. It could at least be based on a more modern version of the BUILD engine, like BUILD 2 or even Brahma Engine. I've seen several videos of Brahma Engine tests and I can say that (from what I've seen), although it's still essentially the BUILD engine, it's a much improved version and if it were improved to run "Duke Nukem 5" (since Duke Nukem Forever would be 4), it would already be superior to what's in Ion Fury.

It doesn't need to be something realistic in terms of graphics like, I don't know, Kingdom Come Delivery, but it could at least surpass the BUILD engine. Yes, we have Duke Nukem Forever that uses a modern engine, but that one left a lot to be desired in several aspects. So much ambition for a reasonable, but not excellent, game. I waited so many years, like most people here, to play that game, but what came out left a lot to be desired for the time I waited and for what was promised from the beginning.

I think Gearbox really screwed over the series and Duke Nukem itself. 3D Realms should never have sold what they created to another company. If I owned a game company, I would never sell my company's most successful franchise to someone else. I would rather have to wait longer to do it right than "that". The blame for DNF being like that is 3D Realms' own, who had such ambitions that the game had to go through several engines because it took so long to be made. I see people putting all the blame on Gearbox, but they forget that the biggest part of the problem was 3D Realms itself, which kept stalling to try to make the "best game in the world" (I remember that detail very well) and ended up resulting in something at best reasonable.

Gearbox would have just put the finishing touches on what had been developed for several years!

What I want is something modern, but not screwed up like DNF because of 3D Realms ambitions and Gearbox's neglect. A new game in a new engine that brings back what Duke Nukem 3D was in 1996, but in modern graphics and gameplay. Not a new game in BUILD, but something that really brings both novelty and nostalgia, that's what I think.

One thing I liked about Ion Fury is that, it seems to me, most of the game is not hard-coded like Duke Nukem 3D and Shadow Warrior, but it seems that most of the game is in CON scripts, which would be a great difference, especially for modders. I believe it would be quite possible to create a Duke Nukem mod in Ion Fury, and it seems to me that this is already being done and I wish good luck to whoever is doing it. I don't believe that Duke Nukem mods for Ion Fury are a copyright issue.

In fact, it seems quite promising to me!

When I finish making my add-on to play on Legacy Edition, I'm looking into testing something for Ion Fury, not as an add-on, but as a mod, made from scratch. Since the Duke Nukem series is very slow in development, on Gearbox's part, I believe that Ion Fury would be like the future of something related to Duke Nukem. Yes, we have mods like Alien Armageddon, but I would expect something more sophisticated could be done in Ion Fury, as it is less limited than Duke Nukem 3D.

...

There is another possibility that came to mind... Today we have the beta version of Duke Nukem Forever in our hands. If we can't make a new marketable Duke Nukem game using the engine used in the beta version (because of Gearbox), we could at least make a great mod that takes place either in the original Duke Nukem Forever setting or remake Duke Nukem 3D using that engine.

That would be awesome and I would make sure to play it!

It wouldn't be a new game, it's true, but it would be a spiritual continuation of the series. In that sense, I would be in favor of making a remake of Duke Nukem 3D but in the new engine, even if in an amateur way.

What do you think of this idea of ​​remaking Duke Nukem 3D as a mod for the Duke Nukem Forever beta engine? That way, we wouldn't have to wait another 14 years for a new game. I wonder if the best developers in this community would be interested in doing something like that? But remember that I'm talking about a mod, otherwise there would be copyright issues with Gearbox.

A Duke Nukem 3D recreation mod for Duke Nukem Forever beta engine... Fascinating!

[Phredreeke]

MrFlibble, on 28 March 2025 - 04:16 AM, said:

Uhh, ok, tastes differ, but I guess I respect your take on this? So if you think that Duke3D is dated gameplay-wise, what game do you think embodies the right gameplay formula that would be appealing to you? Which game would be prefect for the hypothetical new Duke game to be based upon?

NFTs baby!

[eniojr]

There's something else I'd like to share here...

See that image?



This is where I got all the inspiration for a new game in the series. It wasn't in DNF, nor in Ion Fury, nor anywhere else other than DN3D itself!

What's in that image? A proud Duke Nukem in post apocalypse scenario, full of nuclear waste. All my idea was about that image, a new game of Duke Nukem in a more futuristic post apocalypse scenario full of radioactive waste and contaminated places, where the player will have to survive and battle against hordes of aliens in such scenario. Duke Nukem levels may have very few people and many aliiens, but they are not that much post apocalypse type. The levels should be more... "destroyed"!

I think this image suggests of how Duke Nukem 3D should have been instead of what was made, at least related to levels themselves.

Imagine an entire city like Los Angeles that was heavily bombarded by aliens with a red sky representing the post-apocalyptic feeling. That's what I want!

Not beautiful city scenario, but rather dangerous destroyed city streets and places, in which Duke Nukem wil have to venture.



Second thing is that I'd rather prefer the apocalypse sky texture of older beta versions (not Lameduke, but 0.909), in that skyscrapers are destroyed and catching fire, instead of what was put in the registered version. I mean, the final version of the game was more soft in terms of destruction and scenario. Some beta versions made this better than the final game. I made a montage combining some textures that I found on the internet in this one.

And yes, I'm using that in my Add-on for legacy, instead of that boring city sky textures.

Duke Nukem SHOULD return to it's true roots, before the Duke Nukem 3D registered version, to it's true origins of beta versions, that now might be in the hands of some people, maybe TerminX?

This add-on I'm making for Legacy Edition, a big custom episode (I'm planning 40 levels in one episode, like a long adventure similar to that of Doom 2 and Rise of the Triad), will have many city levels in a more post-apocalypse theme. I think Duke Nukem should get back to it's beta versions in that matter. That's why I'm also making that episode for Legacy, because Legacy is based on beta and alpha versions. It's the BEST place to make such thing. Without Legacy it wouldn't be any fun!

Most modders here are looking into the future, but I'm looking into the past, to Duke Nukem origins and roots, and they are in those beta versions, Duke Nukem 2 and Duke Nukem 1!

Selecting episodes is for pussies, I prefer a long and cool adenture!

From what I'm planning, there will be 4 contexts in my episode (10 levels for each context). The first one takes place in a destroyed and contaminated Los Angeles (based on that bonus image of DN3D). The second one takes place in suburbs like power plants, factories, farms and military bases. The third one takes place in space and on the moon. The fourth one takes place on the planet of the aliens (Rigelatins). 40 levels is what I'm planning!

And not only that, but much more in terms of content. But I'm still focusing on adding new content, because it has much to be done yet in that regard. I made a lot of things messing with CON. I'm moving from basic to intermediate in CON.

Some content from ROTT, some from Shadow Warrior, some from Redneck Rampage, some from Dark Forces and some from Doom itself! I made that way to diversify the game more. To make things more... interesting. And will have a short history too.

Duke Nukem 3D in my way, combining assets from different cool games that were relevant in the 90's. To bring back all that nostalgia in only one game! And all that to be played inside Legacy Edition. Can't be more cool that that!

My add-on won't be a new Duke Nukem game, but it will show more or less the type of scenario in which a new game in the franchise should take place.

I'm exploring a transitional scenario for Duke Nukem as the protagonist between the first and third games in the franchise, a scenario in which Duke Nukem faces the aliens, but being even younger and more immature. In other words, Duke Nukem here will be similar to the original, only younger, between 20 and 25 years old, although identical in appearance (the fact that he served in the military and fought Dr. Proton and the Rigelatins would have made him look a little older due to the wear and tear of combat). There will be moments when he will burp, fart and make fun of the aliens. Duke Nukem, but a little more immature and young, at the height of his energy and strength.

The idea is to explore in more depth a transition between what Duke Nukem would have been in the past (before DN3D) and what he became when he defeated the Cycloid Emperor. So much so that the name of the add-on for Legacy will be called "Rise of Duke Nukem". This means that I intend to explore this transition between what the protagonist was and the legend he will become when he defeats the aliens on their own planet.

As for the levels, I'll be recreating the original levels from the game with some elements from the beta versions (like that infamous men's bathroom from E1L1 and that infamous room from E3L8, both from version 0.909) and completely new maps, some inspired by Lameduke. A few months ago, Marcos told me that he doesn't plan on changing the maps any time soon, so I decided to make my own episode.

As he adds new updates to his mod, I'll have to adapt what I've already done to the new versions, until everything is ready for me to publish my episode, but before that I'll pass it on to him for an evaluation or even if I have to make certain bug fixes.

But until then, that will still take at least several months, maybe it will only happen next year, because there's still a lot for me to do. By then I'll certainly have a better experience with CON programming, which will make things even easier for me.

Finally, some mods like Alien Armageddon and AMC Squad (which are excellent works of art, by the way) are focused on the future... while for me, the best thing is to explore the past of the game and the protagonist. That's why I'm making my add-on.

I'm not making an independent mod yet because I don't have enough experience in modding (this is the first time I've ever done this) and because outside of Legacy it wouldn't be any fun. Period.