Doom 3 Tweak Guide

[Page 4] Patches, Maps & Mods



Official Patch


It is traditional for any modern PC game nowadays - no matter how well it's coded - to receive at least one patch during the course of its life. The game's programmers often resolve certain issues, improve particular aspects of gameplay, or add new features through such patches. Given Doom 3 is an extremely popular game, and that it is based on a highly advanced engine, it is very likely it will receive such a patch at some point. For the moment, the latest version of Doom 3 is version 1.0 which is the original retail release of the game.


To make sure you are running the latest version of Doom 3 at any time, there are two things you can do:


  • Use the Built-in Updater: Make sure you are connected to the Internet, then start Doom 3 and on the main menu screen click the Update option at the bottom. The game will automatically contact to the main Doom 3 server, check the current version of your game and if necessary prompt to you to download and install updates. Make sure you install any updates that are necessary to bring your version up to the latest one.
  • Manually download and install patches: Doom 3 does not currently have any official patches, however once these become available I will provide notification of their location, and the fixes/features they incorporate.


    • Whichever option you choose, make sure you are running the latest version as this is a requirement for joining most multiplayer servers, and also ensures you experience the best performance and least issues when running the game. Keep an eye on this guide for notification of updates, and their performance impacts, as they are released.


    Click to enlarge

    No-CD Patch


    Doom 3 has a protection system based primarily on a CD Key check – you must have a valid CD Key to install and play Doom 3 online. Doom 3 also checks to make sure you don't have certain drive emulation or CD copying software installed. Software like Alcohol, Daemon Tools and CloneCD can and will cause problems when attempting to install/run Doom 3, so if necessary uninstall this software to ensure Doom 3 runs without any problems. This is an unfortunate necessity with some of the latest games (like Far Cry), and it is up to you whether you tolerate such protection systems or not.


    Finally, Doom 3 also has a CD check, whereby you must have the game CD in your CD/DVD drive to launch the game. This is incredibly annoying, and long-time readers of my guides know two things – that I don't believe in this crude protection system, and that while No-CD files are available to defeat it, I don't provide details about where to get them due to legal concerns. However I can tell you that using a No-CD for Doom 3 may improve your framerates slightly and may also help prevent issues with CD emulation/copying software causing incompatibilities. That is all I can say on the subject, because I don't want the lawyers coming down on me. Hopefully Activision will remove this CD check with a future patch release.


    Maps and Mods


    It is absolutely guaranteed that Doom 3's incredible engine will spawn many user-made and official mods and maps. Just like earlier id games like the Quake series and Return to Castle Wolfenstein, the engine driving Doom 3 is just too lush and malleable for any mod and map developers to pass by. Expect to see many, many user-made and official Doom 3 mods, maps, add-ons, total conversions – you name it. The first to hit the net are in these:


    Doom 3 Mod Pack #1

    Doom 3 Mod Pack #2

    Doom 3 Mod Pack #3

    Doom 3 Mod Pack #4


    If you have an itch to be creative, you can use the built-in DoomEdit editing tool included with the retail version of the game. To access this, start the game and open the console (See Advanced Tweaking section), and type "Editor" (without quotes). Note that the editor starts in a window, so if you want to use DoomEdit regularly you should set your Doom 3 resolution to the same as your desktop, then set Doom 3 to run in Windowed mode (r_fullscreen 0) before launching DoomEdit.


    When using DoomEdit the only thing limiting your creativity is a bit of a learning curve and your own imagination. Don't be scared to experiment. Take advantage of Doom 3's advanced lighting and shadows - think of an Aliens vs. Predator mod based on the Doom 3 engine, or perhaps a multiplayer Thief mod, or how about a fun mod which gives players giant heads and NERF weapons? Uh, forget that last one anyway just get to work feeding the gamers' frenzy for anything related to Doom 3!


    Rest assured that as significant mods, maps and patches are released, both official and user-made, I will link to them here and provide details for you to download and try them yourself. I would strongly suggest you check back here often, as I can feel some great things coming for Doom 3!



    The next section of the guide covers In-Game Settings for Doom 3.






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