Hi guys. New here, and I don't really think I'm going to be a regular member here. I loved Doom 3 when it first came out, but I never had a good enough computer to run it, so it was either really laggy or I put it down to minimum settings. Getting the BFG Edition on the Xbox 360 is the first time I could enjoy the full Doom 3 experience with good graphics and smooth gameplay.

However, I feel like the Shotgun is not as powerful as it was previously. I'm playing on Marine difficulty, and usually, on Marine difficulty, the Shotgun is a one-hit-kill for lower level enemies like Imps, Maggots and Z-Sec Zombies, I played the Xbox 1 version, too, and that Shotgun was also one-hit-kill on Marine. However, in the BFG Edition, unless I hit absolutely dead center at extremely close up range, I won't be able to kill these guys with one shot.

Is this a glitch, or was it deliberate because of how overused the shotgun was previously in Doom 3? I know for about 80% of the original game when I first played, both on PC and on Xbox 1, I was using the shotgun, but still, I would like clarification on this point as I haven't seen many people bring this issue up.


I don't think it's because I svck considering I played the Xbox 1 version (backwards compatible to 360) fully several times and was able to get one-hit-kills on every enemy that I expected to kill in one shot, and I'm usually a console player (not here to start the console vs PC debate, here, so don't get started, please).


And if someone has cleared this up before, then the mods can point me in that direction and lock this thread.


Thanks to anyone who can clear this up.



P.S Don't tell me to play the PC version as I have pointed out that I do not possess a computer powerful enough to run this game very well. This is the reason I got it for the Xbox 360 in the first place.

Does seem to be less effective than it used to be but they probably dropped the amount of damage it does because they added so much more ammo all over the place that you never really come close to running out.

I did notice that, as well. I was literally walking around with full ammo for pretty much all my guns, to the point that when I hit Alpha Labs Sector 4 and opened the Security Locker, I didn't take a single thing because I was already full.

Interesting. So it seems like it was a deliberate design choice. Ah well. I miss the old powerful Shotgun, but I guess this helps diversify the game a bit (instead of simply using the Shotgun for 80% of the game).

The changes to it are utterly ridiculous if you ask me.

Just played it some more. I seem to be getting better at placing my shots correctly. At least Maggots no longer seem to be a problem. Imps right now seem to be hit or miss (no pun intended), though I usually have a better chance of one-shotting them during their spawns.

Z-Sec zombies, unless they run directly into me, still refuse to die after one hit. Even lying in ambush with my shotgun still seems to not be reliable at killing those guys. Guess I have to switch to my machine gun for the Z-Secs.

Still, in both cases, I have to literally get extremely up close (as in close enough that I'm actually blocked from moving forward by the world model of the enemy) in order to deal sufficient damage, which is still way closer than what I usually get in vanilla Doom 3.

I certainly hope there's a patch in the future that either increases the shotgun power or decreases the spread of the shots, because I think they nerfed it a bit too much.

The shotgun felt fine to me, but I did notice that the machine gun seemed to have been beefed up a little. I'd only ever found it really useful for popping Trites in the original, but in BFG I was using it a lot more on more regular enemies.

Strange. I never noticed any difference with the Machine Gun. The Shotgun is pretty much the only weapon that I felt some sort of change. Like I said, I can't kill Z-Secs in one hit unless they're literally running at me until I'm in point blank range. Because of this, I usually switch to the Machine Gun for Z-Secs, now. I used to be able to take out any Z-Sec easily with the Shotgun, so there definitely seems to be a change. I really wish the developers could change it back to the way it was in the vanilla edition.

the single shotgun is the same, for it to be completely effective you just have to be semi-close to the target, this you should know, and also yes the machine gun does seem beefed up as in the shooting feels powerful and strong, actually it "feels" more powerful than the shotgun when shooting, (for 360), the double shotty is still the super beast gun though, instant death

I do get close (actually, I get extremely close, and not just semi-close), and I still am having issues one shotting the Z-Secs when I could easily kill them in the previous versions (both Xbox 1 and PC). After some practice, Maggots no longer seem to be an issue and I'm doing better with the Imps, too. But, as I explained above, even if I ambush a Z-Sec running through a door and shoot them while standing next to the door, I still can't insta-kill them. I literally have to run directly in front of them and shoot them in the chest at point blank range in order to kill them. If you're having no trouble, can you give some tips on how to use the Shotgun? My usual techniques don't seem to be as effective as I like and running directly into a Z-Sec (especially Shotgun Z-Secs) to insta-kill them is going damage me a lot in the process.

you just gotta make sure your aiming is on point kinda like what you stated already, if you are even a lil bit off it doesnt seem as effective

It seemed fine to me. I was able to one shot all the weak enemies at close range no problem.

Ive noticed that it does just a tiny bit less damage, but thats not my main concern about the shotgun. My main problem is why did they change the sound that it makes when you shoot?! WHY?!!

If you're comparing to the original PC version, then no - the damage is unchanged for all weapons. If you're comparing to the original XBox version - I have no idea

Only way we'll find out if someone digs into the game files and compares the weapon_shotgun.def files with Doom 3's.

I will post the original game's weapon_shotgun.def and post info in the important sections..

entityDef weapon_shotgun {"editor_color" ".3 .3 1""editor_mins" "-16 -16 0""editor_maxs" "16 16 32""editor_usage" "Shotgun""editor_rotatable" "1""spawnclass" "idItem""size" "32 32 32""model" "models/weapons/shotgun/w_shotgun2.lwo""model_view"  "viewmodel_shotgun""model_world"  "worldmodel_shotgun""joint_attach" "SHOTGUN_ATTACHER""def_dropItem" "moveable_item_shotgun""inv_name" "Shotgun""inv_weapon" "weapon_shotgun""inv_ammo_shells" "4""inv_item" "5""icon" "guis/assets/hud/wpn_2""weapon_scriptobject" "weapon_shotgun""def_projectile" "projectile_bullet_shotgun""ammoType" "ammo_shells""ammoRequired" "1""clipSize" "8""lowAmmo" "2""mtr_flashShader" "muzzleflash""flashColor" "1 0.8 0.4""flashRadius" "120""silent_fire" "0""recoilTime" "325" //Recoil stuff"recoilAngles" "-1 0 0""weaponAngleOffsetAverages" "15""weaponAngleOffsetScale"  ".40""weaponAngleOffsetMax" "20""weaponOffsetTime" "500""weaponOffsetScale" "0.005""hide_time" "0.3" // time to hide weapon when talking to npcs or looking at guis"hide_distance" "-15" // distance to offset weapon when talking to npcs or looking at guis"smoke_muzzle" "shotgunmuzzlesmoke.prt""def_ejectBrass" "debris_shotgunbrass""ejectBrassDelay" "650""snd_acquire" "sound_weapon_acquire""snd_respawn" "sound_weapon_respawn""skin_invisible" "skins/shotgun_invis""spread" "22" //Pellet spread}entityDef moveable_item_shotgun {"inherit" "weapon_shotgun""spawnclass" "idMoveableItem""model" "models/weapons/shotgun/w_shotgun2.lwo""density" "0.05""friction" "0.2""bouncyness" "0"}entityDef damage_shotgun {"damage" "14" //Damage per pellet"kickDir" "1 0 0""mtr_blob" "genericDamage""blob_time" "300""blob_size" "400""blob_offset_x" "400""knockback" "10" //Pellet knockback"gib" "1""smoke_wound_flesh" "burstysquirt.prt""mtr_wound_flesh" "textures/decals/hurt02""mtr_wound_metal" "textures/decals/hurtmetal""mtr_splat_flesh" "textures/decals/dsplat2""mtr_splat_flesh2" "textures/decals/dsplat5""mtr_splat_flesh3" "textures/decals/dsplat7""mtr_splat_flesh4" "textures/decals/dsplat11""snd_flesh" "shotgun_impact_flesh""kick_time" "400""kick_amplitude" "1""dv_time" "100"}

Damage is 14 for every pellet, if anyone can check it if it's a PK4 (Open with 7-Zip actually!), go into /def/ and compare the damage in weapon_shotgun.def under entityDef damage_shotgun.

I'm fairly certain after playing Doom 3 and the BFG edition back to back, that there's no real change to its damage. It's still an instant kill weapon for imps as long as you're sticking the barrel up their nose, just like the original release. I think it's just the combination of the shotgun's horrendous spread and the extremely accurate hit detection that leads to such a great variation in how successful you are with it, but that's really nothing new.

I decided to replay the Xbox 1 version again for a bit, and I think I might've found the source of the problem. Whenever I use the Shotgun, I sprint to quickly get in range. The Xbox 1 version mapped the sprint button to the Left Trigger, whereas the BFG Edition mapped the sprint button to the left Control Stick. Pushing down the control stick made it a bit akward to move accurately, which would probably explain why I was having trouble placing my shots. The Xbox 1 version used the Left Trigger, so my left thumb just had to move the control stick, not hold down the button and move at the same time (all the other games that I played using the Control Stick to sprint don't allow me to shoot while sprinting, so I didn't have to move extremely accurately).

So I just wasn't used to the controls 100%. Guess I just need to play the game a bit more and get used to it. Well, thanks to everyone for helping me clear this up.

I hope id releases a patch that can give me the ability to map the sprint button to the Left Trigger. I still think that's a better control scheme.

That is (almost) exactly what I did, which is why I said it is unchanged from the PC original. I say almost because the BFG edition doesn't used PK4 files, so the extraction process is different. None of the weapon def or script files have changed in an significant way.

Yeah, like I said, I replayed both the Xbox 1 version and the BFG Edition, and I figured out that my issue is more due to the Sprint button being mapped to L3, making it a bit akward to move accurately. I had to put shotgun blasts in the same areas in the Xbox 1 version, but because the Sprint was mapped to the Left Trigger, by left thumb would only have to move the control stick, not press it AND move it at the same time, making it easier to do those small movements to get the correct shot placements. I could eventually get used to it, but still, other games that map sprint to L3 don't allow you to shoot while sprinting, so it wasn't necessary to be able to do small movements while still sprinting. It is necessary here. I hope id software can release a patch to allow us to change our control scheme to what we like, but until then, now that I've figured out the problem, I can practice to get used to it. It's still an awesome game, btw.

tl;dr I just need to get used to the controls, though it'd be nice if id can release a patch for the option of custom control mapping.

Hmmm... My first impression was that the standard shotgun makes more damage than before.
But that maybe related to the new and punchier soundeffect used.
Nevertheless, one shot up close right into the enemy's face is almost always an instant kill.