Doom on a 1640 Computer

Doom on a 1640 Computer

Concept

On 22 April 2026, the game Doom (id Software, 1993) will be executed on a "computer" — not as we understand the term today, but as it was understood in France, circa 1640: a human being whose occupation is to compute.

The 1640 Computer

In the early 17th century, the word computer (French: calculateur or ordinateur in ecclesiastical contexts) referred to a person who performed mathematical calculations by hand. These individuals were typically:

• Astronomers computing planetary tables
• Navigators calculating routes
• Tax officials computing liabilities
• Military engineers computing trajectories

System Requirements

Component	1993 PC	1640 Human Computer
Processor	Intel 386	One trained calculateur
RAM	4 MB	Working memory (approx. 7±2 numbers)
Display	VGA (320×200)	Large sheets of vellum, updated by a team of enlumineurs
Storage	20 MB HDD	Ledgers and folios
Input	Keyboard/Mouse	Verbal commands, written instructions
Frame Rate	~30 fps	~1 frame per 3 to 5 business days

Implementation

The "execution" proceeds as follows:

1. A team of calculateurs manually performs the raycasting algorithm using trigonometric tables and compass-and-straightedge construction
2. Each wall segment's height and position is computed on paper using basic arithmetic and lookup tables
3. A team of enlumineurs (illuminators) renders the computed frame on vellum using period-appropriate pigments
4. The player (a separate individual) issues movement commands in writing
5. Each command requires a full recomputation — approximately 72 hours for a single step forward
6. Demon positions are tracked in ledgers and updated each "frame"

Raycasting by Hand

The core algorithm requires computing, for each of 200 column-pixels across the field of view:

1. Angle of ray (arithmetic)
2. Distance to nearest wall (trigonometric lookup + comparison)
3. Wall strip height (division)
4. Texture column selection (modular arithmetic)
5. Light level (simple subtraction)

A skilled calculateur can complete one column in approximately 45 minutes. A full frame thus requires roughly 150 hours of continuous labor, or about 3 weeks with a single computer working daylight hours.

Projected Performance

Metric	Value
Time to complete E1M1	Approximately 34 years
Staff Required	200 calculateurs, 50 enlumineurs
Ink Consumed	~12,000 liters
Vellum Consumed	~80,000 sheets

Historical Context

This project sits comfortably within the tradition of Blaise Pascal's era. Pascal would invent his mechanical calculator (Pascaline) in 1642, just two years after our nominal date. One wonders whether a Pascaline could accelerate the raycasting computation by perhaps 0.3%.

See Also

• Doom ports
• History of computing
• Artisanal computation