The DWmegawad Club plays: Dimension of the Boomed & MAYhem 2016

[tmorrow]

map16: Galactic Decay, A.Gamma [category: mapslot x10 = monstercount = 200, designed for map20]
zdoom2.8.1, uvmax, pistol start, no saves, first time played

An excellent, highly non linear tech base with certain parts in ruin, being taken over by hell. It takes some time to work out a decent path to take through the facility. Some ways give you a good vantage point to take out the enemy, like going into the computer bank area from the raised east section rather than from the west from below so you can more easily take out each archvile on top of the computers banks.

There's a kings ransom worth of goodies hidden away in the 8 secrets to found in the facility. Ammo, armor and health are to found in copious quantities as well as the bfg. Careful though, the bfg and megasphere secrets are booby trapped.

Working out the progression is a little frustrating at first. Eventually you work out that there are 2 triggers to lower bars to the blue key. The blue key leads to the yellow key and then the blue and yellow keys will allow you access to the red key.

Warning, in the reactor room in the south end of the map is a red switch. What is supposed to happen is that you action the red switch and then a red key appears on top of the switch that you can collect. But the setup seems to be flaky because sometimes the red key does not arrive. It seems to work better if you pull backward after hitting the switch.

The most dangerous trap is probably the one at the blue key. Most other traps can be easily managed after you've learned the triggers. There are 23 archviles on the map to take care of. Fortunately most of them are away from corpses and are contained to the rooms they spawn in. The fight for the red key and for the exit are a little on the easy side after the blue key trap, especially if you have saved your cells for a bfg extravaganza.

[FrancisT218]

Mayhem 2016 Level 15

 

This map is a bit of a breather but I didn't find it too trivial either as you aren't given a whole lot of ammo. Even with two secrets (though the RL is the one I missed), I could not (without melee) kill all the monsters in the last few rooms, and had a surprising death count for just 70 monsters. If you explored Level 14 thoroughly and play continuous, however, you should have plenty for this level. Overall, it is a typical medium length PCorf map, that is good looking and reasonably fun to play. I also felt that placing it before/between several larger/tougher endeavors was quite reasonable. 

[Catpho]

MAP05 - “Vaalbara Reborn” by Argentum

Not exactly the supercontinent

Argentum (aka Argent Agent on Doomworld) is not a familiar mapper to me, but from what is displayed here shows that he certainly has an eye for visuals. A smooth, clean and colorfully detailed techbase with plenty of nice curves (*ahem*), under a pleasant moonlit night and floating above the blue of eternity paints quite a dazzling sight. Especially liked the killer vistas created with the brilliant sky choice, the ocean and the base itself. Those minor bits like the lamps and blood splatter are also nice.

The fights aren't much for me to rave about, however. Setting itself up to be a potentially fast-paced map, but ends up having a bunch of scenarios where avoiding monsters seems to be the key because of limited supplies and way too durable monsters blocking up way too much space to shoot comfortably. The final big fight just felt pointless because of the aforementioned issues.

Maybe i'm being a bit harsh, but it's just that i really didn't want to see those epic sights get wasted on a rather mediocre playing experience.

Some screenies:

(I like it how Argentum made those water pipes even though it's not visible during gameplay :P)

 

Edited June 24, 2018 by Catpho

[FrancisT218]

First off since it is (almost) the 25th, my vote for next month is @antares031's now full 32-map megawad:

 

+++Struggle: Antaresian Legacy

 

Mayhem 2016 Level 16

 

I found 4/8 secrets, and did not find the BFG, reading about it in @tmorrow's write up only after I beat the level myself. One of those secrets thankfully had a full map, as you'll probably find yourself getting lost in this large base without it. Although you probably won't run out of ammo with at least half the secrets, this map is reasonably tough, much of it thanks to a large number of Archviles even though many of them can't resurrect much. But those that serve as a 'turret' are dangerous, regardless. You'll want to save your good weapons for fights involving them. 

 

I actually found the hardest fight to be after pressing the yellow switch, and it seems the best option is you hightail past the Mastermind to retreat out of there. Even then, once the Mastermind has soaked up all the damage he can take from other monsters, whatever Archviles remain will rush for you, and I did have dead bodies lying around here and had used up the good weapons. So I had to hope to kill them before they resurrected too much. In the end fight, I just slammed on the exit switch as soon as I could.

 

Aesthetics here are nice looking throughout; on that aspect, I have little else to comment about. The opening is cool, though, I will add.

Edited June 25, 2018 by FrancisT18

[Aquila Chrysaetos]

I wasn't able to participate this month, so I won't be voting. Have fun on the next month!

[Capellan]

+++ Dawn of the Dead, Earth and Classic Episode

 

I believe that's 28 maps including secret maps, so we could give the secrets a day each of their own and have 3 days left over to spare.

 

[FrancisT218]

@CapellanIf we do that I'd support either Post Mini-Episode (11 levels), Remain 1 (also 11 levels), or Flashback to Hell (14 regular levels) as a DooM II wad in place of Earth (which is not a wad I was a big fan of after three maps). The two DooM I episodes have a combined 17 levels including secrets (15 without).

 

My official vote remains the same though (for now).

Edited June 25, 2018 by FrancisT18

[Spectre01]

+++ A.L.T.

[tmorrow]

+++ Struggle: Antaresian Legacy

 

Great choice @FrancisT18. I've been following @antares031's solo project closely. The maps look spectacular and many are quite large in both layout and enemy count and so will take quite a bit of time to complete. The mapset is heavily dehacked, with both new and altered monsters, so you've got to rethink and adjust for how to handle some enemies, e.g. revenants. The bosses seem quite nasty, one map had one of them in invisible form, very hard to handle. Antares loves to lock you into an area for a big fight with little cover. Expect the later maps to be a real Struggle! This mapset deserves our attention, its a beauty.

 

[tmorrow]

map17: Grievance, Dragonfly [category: mapslot x10 = monstercount = 270, designed for map27, seems to have 2 monsters too many]
zdoom2.8.1, uvmax, pistol start, no saves, first time played

Dragonfly has made a fun, circular fortress map. You are dropped into the thick of things from the start, to a blood floor, with snipers taking shots at you from many different ledges all around. A series of switches raises and lowers sections as required in a cunning way so you progress to different parts of the map, culminating in the complete opening up of the claustrophobic inside to the rocky outside where you have plenty of room to move. The map finishes with a slaughter battle with 100 enemies including 3 cyberdemons and some archviles. Excellent stuff!

The hardest part for me was the trip from the start to reach the bfg. You face several claustrophobic fights with barely enough safe, close range ammo to use. The early rocket launcher pickup doesn't come into its own until later. The appearance of cybie in the middle is unsettling but as long as you don't panic or waste your ammo on him, you will get your revenge with a satisfying telefrag later on.

Health and armor is tight early on but after the bfg, quite a bit becomes available. The 5 secrets alone yield a berserk pack, megaarmor and 2 megaspheres while there are some soulspheres and another megaspheres lying around at various places.

While the cybie telefrag was fun, the part I liked best was the slaughter fight at the end for the exit.

 

This was the last map I was able to complete on uvmax, the following maps being a little too unforgiving at my skill level, but still fun to play.

[FrancisT218]

@tmorrow and @antares031I haven't finished Struggle entirely (in the early-mid 20s) but every time I think about the wad it's like 'this is the successor to DooM II that I wanted 15 or 20 years ago'. Even though it's not a sequel or anything AFAIK, but this is the kind of thing I think a new Classic DooM game (with a few purely aesthetic ideas from the real DooM 3) needed to be. Most maps are big but this is not Eternal DooM at all by a long shot and you usually will find ammo/health in plentiful supply so it should be well within the range of what DWMC has already taken down.

[Catpho]

A.L.T will win someday @Spectre01....

But for now, +++ Struggle: Antaresian Legacy

[NuMetalManiak]

only seen screenshots but +++Struggle seems cool

[Urthar]

+++No Sleep for the Dead, Back to Basics, Incineration

Edited June 25, 2018 by Urthar

[Dragonfly]

+++ Struggle: Antaresian Legacy

I have full intent of playing / streaming this, so doing so for DWMC would be great. Hope I can keep up. :)

[Deadwing]

+++ Struggle: Antaresian Legacy

[gaspe]

+++ Heroes' Tales :|

[Forli]

I think I'll probably join for next month so...

+++ Struggle: Antaresian Legacy

[Memfis]

+++ Heroes' Tales

[Catpho]

MAP06 - “Ziggurat Mayhem” by Urthar

Urthar creates a Quake themed Doom map that will be worthy in any action-packed Quake collection (and the Doom ones too, obviously). Squares seems to be the dominant shape is this map, meaning corridor fights will make up quite a bit of the player time here. Still, there's still a lot of variety to the combat thanks to environmental hazards like crushers, lava, the incredibly atmospheric blinking lights area (Dig it! But when playing you gotta watch where you aim!) and not too shabby set-pieces. Geometry choice also creates many 90 degrees turns that limit the player's line of sight while still leaving a free flowing and fun layout. Some nice architecture as well, coupled with some phenomenal texturing.

One word: Outstanding!

Some screenies:

 

[dobu gabu maru]

Gotta go for my boy antares's +++Struggle

[Magnusblitz]

+++Struggle

[Suitepee]

+++ Struggle

[Rook]

I accidentally deleted my post so here's a heavily abridged version:

 

MAP13: Cybercrusher

I'm pushed for time and this map sounded (and began) like a real slog so I've skipped it for now.

 

MAP14: Ancient Den

A very likeable ruins map with challenging fights.

 

MAP15: Klockwerk

An exceptionally square but quite cleverly constructed map which repeatedly loops back to its central yard and the surrounding walkway. I found ammo very tight at the start, and again at the end - after collecting both keys I correctly sensed that it'd be possible to dash past any remaining enemies, straight to the exit.

[riderr3]

+++ Master levels, +++Plutonium Winds

[tmorrow]

map18: Maria, Ribbiks [category: mapslot x10 = monstercount = 30, designed for map03] - {DNF}
mzdoom2.8.1, uvmax, pistol start, no saves, first time played

"Maria, you've got to see her! Go insane and out of your mind ..." Whups, this is not the Blondie fan site forum. But Maria is a characteristically difficult Ribbiks techbase map from hell. There are plenty of pain sectors and tough, close up encounters that require ample berserk bitch slapping to get through. The map only has 30 enemies to start with, but they are of the tough tier 2 variety and have been brutally placed. Sad to relate, Ribbiks has been extremely miserly with ammo, armor and health. Perhaps he's been pining over Maria. It's enough to reduce a marine to tears.

You start the map losing health in the blood. This is the Ribbiks normal so get used to it. If you drop down the chute at the start then kiss your sorry crushed ass goodbye because in the immortal words of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, you should have taken a left turn at Alburquerque.

Once you've suffered some ignoble defeats you will reach the rocket launcher. The chances are, you won't have that rocket launcher for long, instead you'll be restarting or reloading the game at this point several times as you work out how to survive the vicious trap unleashed on the player. If you survive this trap you are doing well.

In a surprise twist, the map actually gets a bit easier after that if you are careful and have learned the way. In fact you are not even challenged for picking up the yellow key. Ribbiks must have been having an off day when he designed that part, either that or he's lulling the player into a false sense of security to setup the next knockout trap.

Ribbiks gets his revenge for your persistence and cheek in reaching the room where you make the mistake of using the yellow switch, only to watch in horror as 3 archviles, revenants, chaingunner and pain elemental come at you with surprising ferocity. The only way I've ever gotten through this part is when I've been able to get to the narrow passage and staircase where 2 of the archviles come from.

You may scoff at the measly 5 rockets you pick up on the maps single secret but those rockets can make a difference.

In summary, the rocket launcher and yellow switch traps are the ones to watch out for and will likely end your run. Nasty stuff. if you survive the yellow switch trap then you just need to mop up some of the enemies and finish the map.

In a final, poignant moment near the exit, after all the enemy are dead, we are treated to a free, uncontested berserk pack. Thanks Ribbiks!

Edited June 26, 2018 by tmorrow
grammar

[baja blast rd.]

Here is a max for 18. I was surprised I managed it on my first (saveless) attempt. 

 

 

[Magnusblitz]

Another month, another spate of falling way behind in DWMC...

 

MAP12: Kepler Communications

80% kills, 1/2 secrets

 

Thought this one might be a breather map given the small size of the first few encounters and large swathes of empty space, but these are all just to lure you into a false sense of security before dropping hordes of high-tier hellspawn on you. The yellow key fight is a wake-up call but works well, with a nice layout to move around in with different types of threats (snipers above, roadblocks mancs, fast-moving AVs). The rest of the map felt a bit oppressive as I was never able to really to clear everything out safely (I left the cyberdemon sniper by the lift and some assorted chaingunners/cacos alive). I got to the exit and didn't have the blue key yet, so I ran back to grab it, saw the horde it released, and decided to just hightail it to the exit. Not sure I would've had enough ammo to take everything out anyways, by the end I had only 20 rockets left and still had that cyber and the big group of cacos/PEs alive. I'll also just say I didn't like a lot of the 'filler' encounters, using rockets on single mancs or 'trons in small corridors isn't my idea of fun.

 

Like MAP05, the map looks nice, and there's a lot of vertical space which helps things stand out. I really also like how the blue door at the exit is across the valley from the blue key and red door that leads to it, so if (like me) you forgot where that door was, you'll instantly see where to proceed.

[tmorrow]

7 hours ago, rdwpa said:

Here is a max for 18. I was surprised I managed it on my first (saveless) attempt.

 

Excellent trick at the yellow switch to delay the raising of the bars and biffing the 2 archviles behind them. I never thought of that.

Edited June 27, 2018 by tmorrow

[Magnusblitz]

MAP13: Cybercrusher

78% kills, 1/2 secrets

 

I quite had fun with this one for the most part, I always enjoy being able to crush hapless enemies and this one provided plenty of that. It's also pretty easy for the most part, with the exception of the final fight, which is also about where I checked out like many others. I just started herding the cyberdemons, decided to see what the switches did, only to unleash the horde of AVs... who, despite the map's name, are much more of a threat (given the wide-open spaces). Didn't feel like running around in circles chipping away at everything with the combo of plasma + crusher and just ran for the exit. Decent execution of the gimmick though, and I like the synthwave feel of the level created by the music track and all the lights and lasers.