A highly inventive individual, going by the online moniker "b33f", has undertaken a fascinating project: the meticulous conversion of the entirety of the groundbreaking 1993 first-person shooter video game, Doom, into the portable document format (PDF). This is not simply a document about Doom, but rather a functional, albeit unconventional, rendition of the game itself. The PDF file, hosted online for public access, leverages the surprising capabilities of the PDF specification to emulate a rudimentary form of interactive gameplay within the confines of a document typically associated with static text and images.
The project utilizes a series of intricately designed pages, each representing a distinct game state or a minor incremental change within the game world. Rather than employing traditional animation or code execution, the "gameplay" progresses by manually navigating through these numerous pages, simulating movement, actions, and even the passage of time within the Doom environment. Each page is a static snapshot, depicting the game's visuals at a specific moment, including elements such as the player's perspective, enemy positions, and the state of the environment. Progression is achieved by clicking hyperlinks embedded within the PDF, each link corresponding to a potential player action, like moving forward, turning, or firing a weapon. Clicking a link transports the user to the page representing the outcome of that action, effectively creating a painstakingly constructed illusion of interactive experience.
While this approach drastically deviates from the original game's real-time dynamics and smooth animation, it serves as a remarkable demonstration of the often-overlooked flexibility inherent in the PDF format. The project is not meant to be a practical replacement for playing the original Doom, but rather an intriguing experiment and a testament to creative problem-solving. It showcases how a seemingly inflexible format can be manipulated to achieve unexpected results, blurring the lines between document and application, and offering a unique, albeit cumbersome, way to experience a classic piece of gaming history within the familiar confines of a PDF reader. The sheer volume of pages required to represent even a small portion of the game highlights the dedication and effort invested in this curious undertaking.
Summary of Comments ( 57 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42678754
Hacker News users generally expressed amusement and appreciation for the novelty of rendering Doom as a PDF. Several commenters questioned the practicality, but acknowledged the technical achievement. Some discussed the technical aspects, wondering how it was accomplished and speculating about the use of vector graphics and custom fonts. Others shared similar projects, like rendering Quake in HTML. A few users pointed out potential issues, such as the large file size and the lack of interactivity, while others jokingly suggested printing it out. Overall, the sentiment was positive, with commenters finding the project a fun and interesting hack.
The Hacker News post titled "Show HN: Doom (1993) in a PDF" generated a fair amount of discussion, with several commenters intrigued by the concept and its execution.
One of the most compelling threads started with a user questioning the practical use of having Doom rendered within a PDF. This sparked a discussion about potential applications, with some suggesting it could be used for archival purposes, preserving the game in a format less susceptible to software and hardware obsolescence. Others saw it as a novelty or a technical curiosity, appreciating the ingenuity involved in rendering a dynamic game within a static document format. The creator of the PDF chimed in, explaining that it was mainly a technical experiment, driven by curiosity about the possibilities of the PDF format.
Several users expressed admiration for the technical feat, particularly the implementation of sound within the PDF, which some found surprising. They inquired about the methods used to achieve this, prompting the creator to explain that they utilized the PDF's multimedia capabilities and embedded a MIDI soundtrack.
There was also discussion about the limitations of the PDF version, such as performance issues and the lack of interactivity beyond basic menu navigation. Some users pondered whether it would be possible to incorporate more complex game logic within a PDF, leading to a brief exchange about the potential and limitations of PDF as a platform for interactive applications.
A few commenters also drew parallels to other projects that had explored unconventional ways of running Doom, referencing instances like Doom running on calculators or other limited hardware. This reinforced the theme of technical curiosity and the desire to push the boundaries of what's possible with existing technology.
Finally, there were some lighthearted comments appreciating the quirkiness of the project and its nostalgic connection to the original Doom game.