Id Tech#id Tech 2
{{short description|Series of video game engines}}
{{Other uses|Id tech (disambiguation)}}
{{lowercase title}}
File:Quake - family tree 2.svg]]
id Tech is a series of successive game engines designed and developed by id Software. Prior to the presentation of the id Tech 5-based game Rage in 2011, the engines lacked official designation and as such were simply referred to by the names of the games the engines had been developed for (i.e., Doom and Quake engines). The id Tech engines up through 4.5 have been released as free software under the GNU General Public License. id Tech versions 0 to 3 were released under GPL-2.0-or-later; id Tech versions 3.5 to 4.5 were released under GPL-3.0-or-later. id Tech 5 to 7 remain proprietary, with id Tech 8 currently being the latest engine.
According to Eurogamer.net, "id Software has been synonymous with PC game engines since the concept of a detached game engine was first popularised." However id Tech 4 had far fewer licensees than the Unreal Engine from Epic Games. id planned to regain the momentum with id Tech 5,{{cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/id-tech-5-interview|title=id Tech 5 - Steve Nix on the growth of id's next engine|last=Bramwell|first=Tom|publisher=Eurogamer|date=2007-09-08|access-date=2017-05-15}} until the company was bought by ZeniMax Media, which chose to keep the id Tech engines exclusively for id and its sister studios.
Predecessors
In the id Tech numbering system, the earliest engine to bear the name is either id Tech 1 (used for the original Doom) or id Tech 0, retroactively applied to Wolfenstein 3D. However, id Software had developed 3D engines for several games before Wolfenstein 3D. Each engine had progressively more advanced 3D technology.
- Hovertank 3D (1991) used solid-color drawn polygonal walls and scalable sprites. The source code was released by Flat Rock Software in June 2014 under GPL-2.0-or-later.
- Catacomb 3-D (1991) added texture mapping to the walls. The source code was released by Flat Rock Software in June 2014 under GPL-2.0-or-later.
= Wolfenstein 3D engine =
{{Main|Wolfenstein 3D engine}}
{{Main|Rise of the Triad}}
Wolfenstein 3D (1992) increased the color palette from 16-color EGA to 256-color VGA and also adopted raycasting. The game engine was also licensed out to other companies. The source code to Wolfenstein 3D, along with its prequel Spear of Destiny, was released on 21 July 1995 under a proprietary license, and then later under GPL-2.0-or-later.{{cite web |last=Carmack |first=John |date=March 20, 2009 |url=https://github.com/id-Software/Wolf3D-iOS/blob/master/wolf3d/readme_iWolf.txt |format=TXT |title=readme_iWolf.txt |website=GitHub |access-date=February 26, 2024}}{{cite web |last=Carmack |first=John |date=September 1, 2011 |url=http://metadata.ftp-master.debian.org/changelogs/contrib/w/wolf4sdl/wolf4sdl_1.7+svn262+dfsg1-1_copyright |title=Re: License of Wolf3d source code |website=metadata.ftp-master.debian.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160120224538/http://metadata.ftp-master.debian.org/changelogs/contrib/w/wolf4sdl/wolf4sdl_1.7+svn262+dfsg1-1_copyright |archive-date=January 20, 2016 |access-date=February 26, 2024}}
ShadowCaster (1993) was built upon the Wolfenstein 3D engine and was licensed out to Raven Software.{{cite web |last1=Antoniades |first1=Alexander |title=Monsters from the Id: The Making of Doom |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/monsters-from-the-id-the-making-of-i-doom-i- |website=Game Developer |publisher=Informa |access-date=13 July 2024 |date=22 August 2013}} It features diminished lighting, texture mapped floors and ceilings, walls with variable heights, and sloped floors.{{cite web |url=http://www.ravensoft.com/gamesdetail.aspx?xmmid=624&xmid=4&xmview=2 |title=Shadowcaster at Ravensoft.com |access-date=2009-07-02 |publisher=Raven Software |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090614054825/http://www.ravensoft.com/gamesdetail.aspx?xmmid=624&xmid=4&xmview=2 |archive-date=2009-06-14 }} This Raven engine was later also used by In Pursuit of Greed, and with further modifications for CyClones as the STEAM engine.
Rise of the Triad uses an enhanced engine of Wolfenstein 3D and was meant to serve as the sequel to it. The source code was released on 20 December 2002 under GPL-2.0-or-later.
Other games using this engine are: Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold, Blake Stone: Planet Strike, Corridor 7: Alien Invasion, Operation Body Count, and, with several modifications, Rise of the Triad.
Development
{{VG timeline
| compressempty = yes
| 1993 = Doom engine
| 1996 = Quake engine
| 1997 = Quake II engine
| 1999 = id Tech 3
| 2004 = id Tech 4
| 2011 = id Tech 5
| 2016 = id Tech 6
| 2020 = id Tech 7
| 2025 = id Tech 8
}}
= id Tech 1 =
{{Main|Doom engine}}
Originally known as the "Doom engine", this engine powers the id Software games Doom (1993), Doom II: Hell on Earth (1994) and Doom 64 (1997). It was created by John Carmack, with auxiliary functions written by John Romero, Dave Taylor, and Paul Radek. Initially developed on NeXT computers, it was ported to MS-DOS for Doom
Heretic and Hexen: Beyond Heretic were developed by Raven Software and published by id Software. Their sources were released on 4 September 2008 under GPL-2.0-only. Other games using this engine include Strife: Quest for the Sigil and Chex Quest.
= id Tech 2 =
{{Main|Quake engine|Quake II engine}}
Originally known as the "Quake engine", it was originally written to power 1996's Quake. It featured true 3D real-time rendering and is the first id Tech engine to use the client–server model. The source code was released on 21 December 1999 under GPL-2.0-or-later.
The Quake engine was updated with a new executable titled QuakeWorld that contained code to enhance the networking capabilities of Quake in response to the demand for across-internet network games that arose as a result of Quake{{'}}s usage of UDP for networking.
id Tech 2 was later updated for the release of Quake II in 1997, with enhancements such as colored lighting and a new MD2 model format.{{cite web|url=http://www.idsoftware.com/business/idtech2/|title=id Tech 2 page|publisher=id Software|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080917045739/http://www.idsoftware.com/business/idtech2/|archive-date=2008-09-17}} This updated version of id Tech 2 is the last id Tech engine to include a software renderer. The source code was released on 22 December 2001 under GPL-2.0-or-later.
= id Tech 3 =
{{Main|id Tech 3}}
Originally known as the "Quake III Arena engine", it was used to power id Software's Quake III Arena in 1999. The Quake III Arena engine was updated to patch 1.26 and later versions are called "Quake III Team Arena engine" with a new MD4 skeletal model format and huge outdoor areas. id Tech 3 is the first in this series to require an OpenGL-compliant graphics accelerator to run. The source code was released on 19 August 2005 under GPL-2.0-or-later.
id Tech 3 was updated with the 2001 release of Return to Castle Wolfenstein, which included a single-player scripting system. id Tech 3 was also used to power the first Call of Duty title in 2003, ultimately spawning the IW engine. It was also used for Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory. The source code was released on 12 August 2010 under GPL-3.0-or-later.
= id Tech 4 =
{{Main|id Tech 4}}
Commonly known as the "Doom 3 engine" which was used to power Doom 3 as it released in 2004, id Tech 4 began as an enhancement to id Tech 3. During development, it was initially just a complete rewrite of the engine's renderer, while still retaining other subsystems, such as file access, and memory management. The decision to switch from C to the C++ programming language necessitated a restructuring and rewrite of the rest of the engine; today, while id Tech 4 contains code from id Tech 3, much of it has been rewritten.{{cite web|url=http://archive.gamespy.com/e32002/pc/carmack/|title=Q&A with John Carmack, E3 2002|publisher=GameSpy|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120124031112/http://archive.gamespy.com/e32002/pc/carmack/|archive-date=2012-01-24}} The source code was released on 22 November 2011 under GPL-3.0-or-later.
Other games using this engine are: Raven Software's Quake 4 (2005) and Wolfenstein (2009), Human Head Studios' Prey (2006), Splash Damage's Enemy Territory: Quake Wars (2007) and Brink (2011).
id Tech 4 was updated with the 2012 release of Doom 3: BFG Edition with some features from id Tech 5. The source code was released on 26 November 2012 under GPL-3.0-or-later.
= id Tech 5 =
{{Main|id Tech 5}}
Used for id Software's Rage, the engine is based on the file system frameworks. Some technologies included are the GUI system from id Tech 4, including a new renderer, MegaTexture 2.0 technology, soft shadows and more.
id is requiring companies that use the engine to publish their games through id's sister company, Bethesda Softworks.{{cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2010-08-12-id-tech-5-only-for-bethesda-titles|title=id Tech 5 only for Bethesda titles|last=Bramwell|first=Tom|publisher=Eurogamer|date=2010-12-08|access-date=2017-08-15}}
The engine was later used to power MachineGames' first two Wolfenstein titles, The New Order in 2014 and its standalone expansion The Old Blood, from 2015. It was also used for Tango Gameworks' The Evil Within (2014).
id Tech 5 is currently the oldest id Software engine not to be released under the GNU GPL license. As of 2025, the engine remains closed-source.{{Cite web|last=Graft|first=Kris|title=id Tech 5 Rage Engine No Longer Up For External Licensing|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/programming/id-tech-5-i-rage-i-engine-no-longer-up-for-external-licensing|publisher=Gamasutra|access-date=August 12, 2018}}{{not in citation|date=January 2025}}
= id Tech 6 =
{{Main|id Tech 6}}
Used for Doom released on May 13, 2016. While the engine uses some of the features from id Tech 5, id has also added support for Vulkan rendering. Development of the renderer is led by Tiago Sousa, who had previously worked on CryEngine, following previous technical director John Carmack's resignation in 2013. id Tech 6 was also used in Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (2017), and Wolfenstein: Youngblood (2019) again by MachineGames. It was not used for Quake Champions however, which combined id Tech features with the Saber3D Engine.
= id Tech 7 =
{{Main|id Tech 7}}
At QuakeCon 2018, id Software announced the release of a new game in the Doom franchise called Doom Eternal.{{Cite news |last=Machkovech |first=Sam |date=2018-10-08 |title=Doom Eternal ushers in idTech 7, bloody new powers |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2018/08/doom-eternal-reveals-new-powers-puts-hell-back-on-earth/ |access-date=2018-08-10 |work=Ars Technica |language=en-us}} Powered by the id Tech 7 engine, Doom Eternal was released on March 20, 2020. The new engine is capable of delivering an increase in geometric detail without drops in frame-rate vs. id Tech 6.{{Cite news|url=https://wccftech.com/doom-eternal-debut-gameplay-quakecon/|title=Doom Eternal Unleashes Bloody Debut Gameplay at QuakeCon|last=Birch|first=Nathan|date=2018-08-10|work=Wccftech|access-date=2018-08-12|language=en-US}} On PC, id Tech 7 supports Vulkan rendering only.{{Cite tweet |number=1028133659168186368 |user=billykhan |title=Yes, it's #Vulkan only on PC. #Vulkan is the best API if you want to achieve the absolute highest frame rates on PC. |first=Billy |last=Khan |date=2018-08-11}}
= id Tech 8 =
At Developer_Direct 2025, id Software revealed gameplay details{{Cite web |title=New Gameplay Details Revealed for DOOM: The Dark Ages, Launching May 15, 2025 |url=https://slayersclub.bethesda.net/en-US/article/doom-the-dark-ages-gameplay-revealed |last=Wilhelm |first=Parker |date=2025-01-23 |access-date=2025-01-24 |website=Slayers Club}} and the PC specifications{{Cite web |title=Prepare for DOOM: The Dark Ages with our PC specs |url=https://slayersclub.bethesda.net/en-US/article/doom-the-dark-ages-pc-specs |last=Wilhelm |first=Parker |date=2025-01-23 |access-date=2025-01-24 |website=Slayers Club}} for Doom: The Dark Ages, which is powered by their id Tech 8 engine and was released on May 15, 2025.
The id Tech 8 engine increases the maximum number of on-screen enemies and supports path tracing and realistic game physics, featuring destructible environments.{{Cite news |date=2025-04-01 |title=Doom: The Dark Ages hands-on tech preview - idTech 8 impresses hugely on PC |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/digitalfoundry-2025-doom-the-dark-ages-hands-on-tech-preview-id-tech-8-impresses-hugely-on-pc |access-date=2025-05-12 |work=Eurogamer.net |language=en}} It is the first generation of id Tech engine that requires dedicated raytracing-enabled hardware.{{Cite web |last=Roach |first=Jacob |date=2025-05-09 |title=Exploring the gory brilliance of id Tech 8 in Doom: The Dark Ages |url=https://www.xda-developers.com/doom-dark-ages-id-tech-hands-on/ |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=XDA |language=en}}
Comparison
{{main|List of game engines}}
| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center; font-size: 85%; width: auto; table-layout: fixed;" |
| style="width: 12em" | Name {{small|(aka)}} ! Primary programming language ! Release year ! Open sourced? ! Game world space ! Notable games ! class="unsortable" | Notes and references |
|---|
| id Tech 0 {{small|Wolfenstein 3D engine}} | C | 1992 | {{open source|GPL-2.0-or-later}} | | 2.5D | MS-DOS, Windows, Linux, macOS | Wolfenstein 3D, Spear of Destiny, Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold, Corridor 7: Alien Invasion, Blake Stone: Planet Strike, Operation Body Count, Super 3D Noah's Ark | 2D-based level geometry, sprites, and particles; capable of drawing textures on walls |
| id Tech 1 {{small|Doom engine}} | C | 1993 | {{open source|1999, GPL-2.0-or-later}} | ACS | 2.5D | MS-DOS, Windows, Linux, macOS | Doom, Doom II, Heretic, Hexen, Strife, Chex Quest, Thatcher's Techbase | The capabilities of id Tech 0, plus maps can draw textures on floors and ceilings, have corners of angles other than 90 degrees, and feature geometry of variable height |
| id Tech 2 {{small|Quake engine}} | C | 1996 | {{open source|GPL-2.0-or-later}} | QuakeC | 3D | MS-DOS, Windows, Linux, macOS | Quake, Hexen II, Wrath: Aeon of Ruin | First true 3D id Tech engine; arbitrary geometry now possible. |
| id Tech 2.5{{Citation needed|reason=Has the Quake II engine been called id Tech 2.5?|date=February 2025}} {{small|Quake II engine}} | C | 1997 | {{open source|2001, GPL-2.0-or-later}} | C | 3D | Quake II, Heretic II, SiN, Daikatana, Gravity Bone, Thirty Flights of Loving | Improvements to the id Tech 2 engine. |
| id Tech 3 {{small|Quake III Arena engine}} | C | 1999 | {{open source|2010, GPL-2.0-or-later}} | C | 3D | Quake III Arena, Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K. 2, American McGee's Alice, Call of Duty, Quake Live | |
| id Tech 3.5
| C | | {{open source|GPL-3.0-or-later}} | C | 3D | Return to Castle Wolfenstein, Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory | Improvements to the id Tech 3 engine. |
| id Tech 4 {{small|Doom 3 engine}} | C++ | 2004 | {{open source|2012, GPL-3.0-or-later}} | C++ via DLLs, custom scripting for GUI elements | 3D | Doom 3, Quake 4, Prey, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, Wolfenstein, Brink, Quadrilateral Cowboy | Among many new features, interactive GUI surfaces and unified lighting with stencil shadows. First id Tech engine to support normal mapping. |
| id Tech 4.5
| C++ | 2011 | {{open source|GPL-3.0-or-later}} | C++ via DLLs, Adobe Flash for GUI elements | 3D | Improvements to the id Tech 4 engine. GUI scripting system replaced with Flash. |
| id Tech 5
| 2011 | {{proprietary}} | Script | 3D | Windows, macOS, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 | Rage, Wolfenstein: The New Order, Wolfenstein: The Old Blood, The Evil Within | First id Tech engine to feature MegaTexture technology, starting with Rage |
| id Tech 6
| C++ | 2016 | {{proprietary}} | | 3D | Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch | Doom (2016), Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus | |
| id Tech 7 {{small|Motor}} | C++ | 2020 | {{proprietary}} | | 3D | Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch | Doom Eternal, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle | Much refactoring, MegaTexture removed, many additional new features |
| id Tech 8
| C++ | 2025 | {{proprietary}} | | 3D | Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S | |
See also
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
- [https://github.com/id-Software Source code of open source engines released by id Software]
{{Id Software}}
{{ZeniMax Media}}
{{Video game engines}}