The Tim Ferriss Show

#681: Doom Legend John Romero — The Path to Prolific Innovation and Making 130+ Games, How to Find the Soul of the Work, Audacious Ambition, and Building in Monk Mode

Wed Jul 12 2023

Nutritional SupplementMattressesGame DevelopmentJohn Romero

Description

This episode covers the topics of AG1 nutritional supplement, Helix Sleep mattresses, John Romero's background, early programming journey, advancements in gaming, rapid game development, designing Wolfenstein 3D, creating engaging gameplay, impact of Wolfenstein 3D, hyperthymezia and game development, game development and success, impact of Doom and Quake, engine development and Quake, and starting Ion Storm.

Insights

AG1 Nutritional Supplement

AG1 is a comprehensive nutritional supplement that supports whole body health. It contains vitamins, probiotics, and whole food-sourced nutrients. AG1 provides support for the brain, gut, and immune system.

Helix Sleep Mattresses

Helix Sleep offers tailored mattresses based on sleep preferences. They have a variety of mattress models to choose from, including luxury models and mattresses for specific sleep positions. Helix mattresses are American made and come with a warranty and a risk-free trial period.

John Romero's Background

John Romero is a computer and video game legend who has designed and published over 130 games since the age of 16. His major achievements include co-inventing revolutionary computer games like Doom, Quake, Wolfenstein 3D, and Commander Keen. He grew up in Tucson, Arizona with Aztec and Yaki heritage and endured hardships in his childhood.

Early Programming Journey

John Romero discovered a computer lab at Sierra College in 1979 where he could play text-based games for free. This sparked his interest in programming, and he taught himself how to code by asking questions and reading programming books. He didn't have his own computer for three years but practiced coding on machines in computer stores.

Advancements in Gaming

John Romero made a significant advancement in gaming by creating the first navigable maze on a screen, giving gaming a third dimension of movement. Advancements in 3D graphics led to smoother movements and the introduction of solid filled walls and textures. Id Software played a key role in creating these breakthroughs.

Rapid Game Development

In the early 90s, John Romero's team at id Software made rapid advancements in game development, creating pixel smooth scrolling on a PC and developing multiple games in a short period of time. Their ability to scope games effectively and work without distractions allowed them to achieve high productivity.

Designing Wolfenstein 3D

The design of Wolfenstein 3D focused on speed and high-speed run-and-gun gameplay. The team removed unnecessary elements that didn't contribute to the soul of the game and kept doors in the game for suspense. The inspiration for Wolfenstein 3D came from a top-down game called Castle Wolfenstein.

Creating Engaging Gameplay

Creating suspense and uncertainty through gameplay elements like doors was important for engaging gameplay. John Romero's previous games, including Spear of Destiny and Shadowcaster, influenced the development of Wolfenstein 3D. The team aimed to create high-speed 3D gameplay that was unique at the time.

Impact of Wolfenstein 3D

Wolfenstein 3D had a significant impact on the gaming industry, introducing high-speed 3D gameplay and inspiring future game developers. The game's success led to the development of the next game, Do, which would have non-anthropical walls and be multiplayer.

Hyperthymezia and Game Development

John Romero's hyperthymezia, a condition where he remembers every second of his life, has influenced his game development career. Having enhanced memory can be challenging but also beneficial for problem-solving and avoiding failed designs of the past. John Romero's team successfully worked on multiple games simultaneously without creative block.

Summary

Transcript

AG1 Nutritional Supplement

00:00 - 07:14

AG1 is a comprehensive nutritional supplement that supports whole body health.
It contains vitamins, probiotics, and whole food-sourced nutrients.
AG1 provides support for the brain, gut, and immune system.
The formula has been improved 52 times since 2010.
AG1 has 75 ingredients and is highly nutrient dense.
It is convenient to use while on the go.
AG1 is NSF certified for sports and does not contain harmful levels of microbes or heavy metals.

Helix Sleep Mattresses

00:00 - 07:14

Helix Sleep offers tailored mattresses based on sleep preferences.
They have a variety of mattress models to choose from, including luxury models and mattresses for specific sleep positions.
Helix mattresses are American made and come with a warranty and a risk-free trial period.

John Romero's Background

06:57 - 14:35

John Romero is a computer and video game legend who has designed and published over 130 games since the age of 16.
His major achievements include co-inventing revolutionary computer games like Doom, Quake, Wolfenstein 3D, and Commander Keen.
John grew up in Tucson, Arizona with Aztec and Yaki heritage.
His childhood was culturally significant, learning about his Mexican side.
After his parents divorced, John moved to Northern California.
John's father was an alcoholic and drinking was common in their social circles.
John endured hardships in his childhood, including witnessing domestic violence.
He joined the Aggressor Squadron on a military base where pilots learned combat maneuvers during the Cold War.
In school, John learned computer programming and impressed his teacher with his skills.
His teacher took him to the Aggressor Squadron and introduced him to Cap and Spencer, who showed him a mini computer to program on.

Early Programming Journey

14:05 - 21:18

In the 70s, it was difficult to access computers as they were not yet in homes and only a few people had them.
In 1979, at the age of 11, John discovered a computer lab at Sierra College where he could play text-based games for free.
He became interested in programming after learning that the students in the lab were programming the games themselves.
John taught himself how to code by asking questions and reading a basic programming book.
He didn't have his own computer for three years but would visit computer stores to practice coding on their machines.
The immediate feedback and iterative nature of programming kept his interest and allowed him to learn quickly.
Programming gave him confidence that he could solve problems and create what he envisioned.

Advancements in Gaming

20:51 - 27:54

Learning programming involves breaking down problems and gaining confidence in problem-solving abilities.
John Marrow made a significant advancement in gaming by creating the first navigable maze on a screen, giving gaming a third dimension of movement.
3D games have been around since the 70s, starting with primitive renderings on mainframe computers.
Advancements in 3D graphics led to smoother movements and the introduction of solid filled walls and textures.
The focus was on achieving high-speed, smooth movement in 3D scenes.
Id Software, founded by John Carmack, Tom Hall, Adrian Carmack, and John Romero, played a key role in creating this breakthrough.
The team applied positive constraints to optimize for speed and improve the player experience.

Rapid Game Development

27:39 - 34:53

In 1990, the company made a breakthrough in creating pixel smooth scrolling horizontally on a PC, which was previously unimaginable.
The company started in 1991 and made 13 games that year at high speed.
Their first 3D game, Hover Tank 1, focused on making the screen appear like other games but with smooth movement and high frame rate.
The team's ability to develop games quickly was due to their individual experience of making dozens of games before joining together.
They were skilled at scoping games and knew how to cut unnecessary features to meet deadlines.
The lack of distractions from phones and internet allowed them to focus for long hours each day.

Designing Wolfenstein 3D

34:36 - 41:26

Prototyping was not used in the development of the game due to time constraints.
The team could visualize and communicate the game design without the need for prototypes.
Functionality that did not contribute to the soul of the game was removed, even if it had already been programmed.
The design spec needed to be decided in advance to allow for the removal of unnecessary elements.
The original inspiration for Wolfenstein 3D came from a top-down game called Castle Wolfenstein from 1981.
The team wanted to replicate certain gameplay features from Castle Wolfenstein but in a 3D environment.
Some features, like dragging dead bodies and searching them, were initially included but later removed as they didn't match the new spirit of the game.
The focus of Wolfenstein 3D became high-speed run-and-gun gameplay, so anything that slowed down or interrupted the player's movement was removed.
Doors were kept in the game as they provided suspense and added depth to the gameplay.

Creating Engaging Gameplay

40:56 - 47:54

The design of the game focused on speed, but suspense was necessary to create a more engaging experience.
Doors in the game provided suspense and added an element of uncertainty.
The original games focused on the suspense of alerting guards or making noise.
The speaker made multiple games before Wolfenstein 3D, including Spear of Destiny and Shadowcaster.
Wolfenstein 3D introduced high-speed 3D gameplay that was unique at the time.
The next game after Wolfenstein needed a new engine architecture and a list of innovative features.
The goal was to create the best game imaginable with features like light and dark areas, lighting control, stairs, tall and cramped rooms, and non-anthropical walls.

Impact of Wolfenstein 3D

47:24 - 54:28

Wolfenstein 3D was a high-speed maze game with 90-degree corners.
The next game, Do, would have non-anthropical walls and be multiplayer.
The game would be open for modders to create new experiences.
The first piece of the game would be given away for free as shareware.
A press release was put out before the game was even written, claiming it to be the best PC game ever.
Hyperthymesia is a memory disorder where individuals have superior autobiographical recall.
Hyperthymesia can range from good recall of significant events to remembering every second of one's life.

Hyperthymezia and Game Development

54:09 - 1:01:45

Hyperthymezia is a condition where people remember every second of their life
Hyperthymezia can be induced by head injuries or be present since birth
Having hyperthymezia means constantly having all memories and thoughts present in the brain
The speaker with hyperthymezia remembers significant events, music, movies, programming, and games throughout the years
Learning how to code at high speed strengthened the speaker's hyperthymezia
In the early 80s, learning computer hardware was more important than language knowledge for programming
Having enhanced memory can be challenging as negative experiences and arguments are also ever-present
For the speaker, insignificant details may seem more important due to their connections to other things
In team environments, knowing what has been done before is helpful for solving issues and avoiding failed designs of the past
Having two games to work on simultaneously did not impact the team's success as they divided their time between them
The team worked eight hours a day on each game without creative block for a whole year

Game Development and Success

1:01:19 - 1:08:20

Worked on games for a whole year in 1991, with no creative block
Small team of four people allowed for fast execution of ideas
Doom was initially believed to be the greatest game they had ever played
Tom Hall left the team in August 1993 and Sandy Peterson replaced him
Streamlined the design by removing lives, score, and items
Abstract level design style was developed to maximize technology usage
Playing Sandy's levels gave insight into how players would feel scared
Realized in October that multiplayer was missing from the game
John figured out a peer-to-peer networking model for multiplayer quickly
Multiplayer feature added within hours and tested successfully

Impact of Doom and Quake

1:07:54 - 1:14:58

Multiplayer in Doom was a game-changer and blew everyone away.
There was a lot of internet activity around the release of Doom, even before it launched.
The creators never expected Doom to have such a long-lasting impact and for people to continue making mods for it.
John Carmack left id Software in 1996 after working on Quake.
Quake was initially planned as a medieval 3D adventure game, not a first-person shooter.
The team at id Software faced challenges with technology creation and gameplay programming during the development of Quake.

Engine Development and Quake

1:14:36 - 1:21:37

The term 'engine' in game development refers to the core functionality that drives the game, including graphics, sound, and gameplay.
The concept of an engine was pioneered in 1990 with the game Commander Keen.
With Quake, a new engine was created that could do full 3D and had advanced gameplay code.
By November, the engine was ready but the team was burnt out from creating technology that made their previous work obsolete.
The team suggested making a shooter game instead of pushing design boundaries with Quake.
Despite resistance from the team, it was decided to design a first-person shooter using all existing technology and release it quickly.
The team entered crunch mode, working seven days a week for seven months to complete Quake.
After releasing Quake, John Romero planned to leave id Software and start a design company with Tom Hall.
Emotionally, leaving id Software was challenging but also exciting because of the possibilities for creative freedom without limitations on design.
Romero and Hall spent six months building relationships with publishers before starting Ion Storm with I-DOS as their partner.

Starting Ion Storm

1:21:10 - 1:28:04

John Romero and Tom Hall spent six months building relationships with different publishers to start Ion Storm.
John Romero wrote his memoir, Doomguy, Life of First Person, to share the story of his early life and what led him to create Doom.
The book also serves as a chronicle of id software's Ludography and includes details about the development of Black Room.
The name 'Doom' was inspired by a scene in the movie 'The Color of Money' where a character says 'It's Doom'.
John Romero expresses gratitude for his career in game development and is excited for people to read his book.