Why the name ZDoom?

[Softie]

I would hereby like to invite everybody to a discussion on why the game bears the name ZDoom. Why not DarkDoom for example? Or perhaps FreeDoom.
Yours truly have a suggestion to make. I guess that the name refers to the implementation of the Z-Axis. The ability to look up and down, aim, jump and walk on top of the characters and monster.
But this is only my guess.
Does anybody have any thoughts on this?

[insertwackynamehere]

Because if you put Z or Q or J infront of something everyone knows it's cool.

Likewise, if you put G or K or Free infront of something everyone knows it's free :/

Also, there is a Freedoom. Of course ZDoom came out first but whatever

[Nmn]

Umm.. just because?

[Graf Zahl]

I don't know but both RDoom or HDoom sound kinda stupid, don't they???

[Bashe]

How about 245Doom? THAT SOUNDS SO KEWL!!

I think it's named it just Zdoom just because. Ask Randy why.

[wildweasel]

Z is the last letter in the alphabet - so, ZDoom appears last in every list of sourceports. Just like the old shareware classic "ZZT" - the name means nothing, but it always appears last in the shareware lists.

[Softie]

But would that not suggest the name ADoom instead? It must be better to be first in a list than last. Or does the last position work together whith the coolnes factor of the letter Z, to make for an ultra cool name?

[wildweasel]

Randy could just as well have made the port name "~!1Doom" to ensure that it always appears first.

[Nmn]

Maybe it has something to do with the Z-Height? Was ZDoom the first Doom sourceport that introduced variable heights of objects?

[MasterOFDeath]

Because if you put Z or Q or J infront of something everyone knows it's cool.

Well, there is a ZDoom, a JDoom, and there is a Q doom but the Q means quake

NMN - No, if I am not mistaken Legacy and DosDoom did that first...

AHEM RANDY - QUESTION THAT NEEDS AWNSERING!

[Bio Hazard]

zDoom is my own port of the official Doom source code to Win32. Yes, I realize
that Andy Bay, Bruce Lewis, and Petteri Kangaslampi have already released their
own ports for Win32, and there are also several others for MS-DOS. The reason
I'm releasing this one is because I worked on it and like it best. (Although
I don't like the name zDoom. Anybody have any good ideas for a different name?)

[Enjay]

I don't like the name zDoom. Anybody have any good ideas for a different name?)

Hmmm, hadn't spotted that before. It still doesn't tell us why "Z" though. Although, if Randy doesn't like Zdoom, I vote for calling it Bob, or maybe Jim. Susan has a nice ring to it for a source port...

I don't know but both RDoom or HDoom sound kinda stupid, don't they???

RDoom especially sounds like we are back to "talk like a pirate day" Arrrr, Doom me hearties.

[Siggi]

how do you say zDoom any way.
Zee-doom or Zed-doom?

[Enjay]

Heh, I was just wondering when the Zee/Zed question would come up. The why "Z"Doom and how do you pronounce it questions come up on a regular basis. There must have been a dozen threads about it over the years.

And still there is no answer.


Oh, and you missed one option. Some people call it zzzzdoom (actually using the z sound, not the name of the letter).

[Csonicgo]

It's Z doom... zeedoom. This is an AMERICAN game.

Besides, Zed doesn't really fit the letter Z, because the ABC song says so. and I like the ABC song, so there. Better than IZZARD. let's all it izzardoom.