I've come to the conclusion that Eternal is not a person. He is a supercomputer designed by IBM to make awesome Doom maps once every month. Seriously, this guy clearly doesn't have time to sleep with all the maps he (it?) has been putting out. Even though most /newstuff Chronicles seem to be clogged with Ruba, Terry and other such clone maps regularly, Eternal's stuff appears with the same frequency. The only difference is that Eternal maps are fucking awesome.

This year's most notable Eternal wad is Hell Ground. The focus of this map set was a series of Gothic themed arenas. The maps vary disjointedly between gothic castles, Plutonia-esque techbases, and surreal skybases, each one with a very distinct theme and layout. Simply put, this wad is absolutely gorgeous. Eternal has a very distinct mapping style, so many of the maps are very reminiscent of the best parts of his other maps. The gameplay is equally as impressive as the rest of the level's qualities; it shows a good understanding of how to make a fun fight.

Overall, this is a solid set of maps and is more than worthy of a golden cacodemon. After all, what are the Cacowards without our favorite Russian mapper?

-Patrick Pineda

NewDoom Community Project II - Various Artists

For the most part, choosing the 10 best Doom maps in a given year is pretty easy. You have 2 or 3 epic projects which are guaranteed greatness, roughly 4 really great projects and another 6 or 7 good projects. It's picking from the "good maps" that proves challenging. I played 5 different wads, all of them very good (Claustrophobia 1024, Titan 2, Necrosis, Cheogsh 2)... in the end, the NewDoom Community Project II was the most fun.

I've been called a hack, partisan, and a tool because I tend to prefer newer projects (all of these labels are true, of course). Despite my affinity for work that showcases Doom's potential, I can't help but enjoy a good Boom compatible megawad. Like any community work, there are some average maps, but also some really outstanding ones as well. Featuring works by prominent community members like Dutch Devil, Fatal, EXL and LoganMTM, you know the caliber of the maps will be high.

Perhaps the NewDoom Community Project II is a fitting end and tribute to the community that bears its name. In July of this year, NewDoom closed its doors for good, closing the book on one of the community's longest running Doom websites.

-Scuba Steve

Harmony - Thomas van der Velden

"I'm playing this with GZDoom with texture filtering off and the resolution set to 320x200." Patrick said this in the Harmony release thread before I even recruited him to help write the Cacowards. Without causing another debate (any resolution does this game justice), playing this game at a reduced resolution really gives you the sense that you are playing an old FPS from 1994/95. Harmony is that good (bad?).

Playing Harmony reminds you of Tekwars, Fortress of Dr. Radakai, Cyclones, and every other me-too "Doom Clone" available. Where those games wanted to be the next Doom, Harmony is an homage to those games and the early years of first person gaming. To Thomas' credit, it plays the part very well and genuinely has the feel of a game you could have picked up in a bargain bin in 1995. Harmony boasts an entirely new cast of enemies created using models and digital photography, the very same technique used to make Doom's beastiary. Just as important as the retro appearance, it plays well too. Besides the Centaur tower, the maps are gorgeous, rendered in an entirely fresh texture set, again, all made by Thomas van der Velden.

Thomas has been making mods for the Doom community for years; just one map from his resume would be impressive. Plutonia 2, Revolution! and the Community Chest Series are all projects with his involvement, but, and this is my opinion, Harmony is his magnum opus.

-Scuba Steve

2009 Cacowards

Page 1

• Hell Ground
• NewDoom Community Project II
• Harmony

Page 2

• Mapgame
• Legacy of Suffering
• Tribute

Page 3

• Ghouls vs Humans
• Whispers of Satan
• Demons of Problematique 2
• Plutonia 2

Other Awards

• Best Multiplayer
• Worst Wad
• Mordeth Award
• Mockaward
• Mapper of the Year

THE SKY MAY BE

After struggling with a cancerous tumor for over a year, Espi succumbed to his disease this summer.  Despite chemotherapy and the eventual amputation of his arm, Espi was always positive and in good spirits.  This isn't hyperbole: Espi was one of the greatest designers in Doom's history.  Play Suspended in Dusk and Eternal Doom 4... you'll see what I mean.

Esa Repo
Nov 12, 1981 - Aug 29, 2009