The DWmegawad Club plays: A.L.T.

dobu gabu maru · January 1, 2019

What is the DWmegawad Club?

This is a place where we settle down, have a cup of tea (or drink of your choice) and take a month to play through a megawad on our own, together! Any keen observations, criticisms, or frustrated ranting about it goes here in the discussion. As long as you want to say something about what you've played, feel free to speak your mind.

Can I join?

Sure. The only rule is that you have to play at least some of the levels in our monthly megawad to contribute, but you're generally encouraged to finish the whole thing, even if you've played it before.

What levels am I allowed to post about?

Whatever day of the month it is, is the upper limit for the map you can post on. So if it’s the 6th, you may discuss up to MAP06.

Do I have to post an entry every day?

Nope, not at all. This is only for our more enthusiastic members. As long as you play through it with us you’re part of the club.

When do we vote on the next month’s megawad?

Voting begins on the 25th of the current month. Remember to add one “+++” before your vote to make it easier to count. For example:

+++ Ultimate Doom

Note that you can only nominate up to three separate wads for a single month, and the wads must contain at least three maps each. These are hard limits instituted for my own sanity.

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>>>DOWNLOAD A.L.T. HERE<<<

A.L.T. is the third release by Clan [B0S] and it’s… a doozy. There’s a certain ineffable quality to the project that gives it a unique, deep taste—whether it be the bizarre landscapes, surreal sights, or unconventional gameplay. So this month we’re going to dive and and unravel what makes this megawad so polarizing!

~~Since February is always an awful month for the Club, you're allowed to play the first three maps on the 1st.~~

Author & Maplist:

MAP01 - “Seele” by Azamael

MAP02 - “Dead By the Down” by Azamael

MAP03 - “Dies Irae” by Azamael

MAP04 - “Death From Above” by Azamel

MAP05 - “All Nightmare Long” by Azamael

MAP06 - “Sanctuary” by Nomad

MAP07 - “Pirates” by Nomad

MAP08 - “Psychodelia” by Archi

MAP09 - “Freeze” by Archi

MAP10 - “The Clairvoyant” by TGA

MAP11 - “Recall” by Maddzi

MAP12 - “Pre-Paterna” by TGA

MAP13 - “Knee-Deep in Waste” by Azamael

MAP14 - “Legacy” by Azamael

MAP15 - “Memoris Spiritus” by Falcor

MAP31 - “[B0S]” by Lestat

MAP32 - “Bonus Track” by Lestat

MAP16 - “Dead Calm” by Azamael

MAP17 - “Reaction of Pain” by Chaingunner

MAP18 - “Save Your Life” by Chaingunner

MAP19 - “Point of Return” by TGA

MAP20 - “20.44” by Azamael

MAP21 - “Fracture” by ChaingunPredator

MAP22 - “Acidjazz” by Lestat

MAP23 - “God is Dead” by Azamael

MAP24 - “Sturm” by Azamael

MAP25 - “Duneklheit” by Azamael

MAP26 - “Sudden Death” by Azamael

MAP27 - “Vat” by Wraith

MAP28 - “Gehirn” by Azamael

MAP29 - “Aske” by Azamael

MAP30 - “Alter Life” by Azamael

BONUS CONTENT

DSDA

Kmxexii’s review

“The Doom Mod that Best Describes Our Uncanny Reality” by ella guro

Suitepee plays: 1 2 3 4

--------

OLD THREADS

Spoiler

The DWmegawad Club Metathread

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

Edited January 2, 2019 by dobu gabu maru

Capellan · January 1, 2019

6 minutes ago, dobu gabu maru said:

Since February is always an awful month for the Club, you're allowed to play the first three maps on the 1st.

It's January, dobs :)

MAP01

Doing my usual PRBOOM+, continuous, frequent saves, HMP, no music approach.

Well, this is a map, I guess. It features replacement SS guys, terrible new sounds, a random teleport to what seems like nothing much, and a death exit. Action is mostly in the 90 degree arc in front of you, and largely involves pistol whipping dudes. I don't much care for it myself, though it certainly creates a sense that the WAD's going to be a bit out of the ordinary. I'm willing to play further at this point and see what we find.

dobu gabu maru · January 1, 2019

3 minutes ago, Capellan said:

It's January, dobs :)

Ahaha guess I drank so much last night that my brain broke

Spectre01 · January 1, 2019

That message about February gave me a brief existential crisis before even playing A.L.T. again.

ella guro · January 1, 2019

i've already given this set so much time and energy, so i might sit this one out. read the piece by me linked above if you want to know more.

i might chime in occasionally to tell you all that you're all wrong and you don't understand its brilliance though. lol. but seriously, happy that it's being played and looking forward to passionately disagreeing with the haters.

Edited January 1, 2019 by ella guro

VanaheimRanger · January 1, 2019

So...it's to be A.L.T. then...

I honestly wanted to see what kind of meltdown the club would have if ESP2 won, lol.

Scypek2 · January 1, 2019

Cool, maybe I'll play along! I already tried it recently, but stopped a few maps in after something else took my attention. I really enjoyed the mapset's unique vibes, though. Maybe playing it with alongside other people will be the solution to getting stuck! So far I've only gotten stuck twice, and both times I found a way to progress without cheating of any kind... but I can see the potential for further confusion here. Should be fun regardless!

Capellan · January 1, 2019

12 minutes ago, guitardz said:

I honestly wanted to see what kind of meltdown the club would have if ESP2 won, lol.

There was no meltdown when ESP won, so I doubt it would be an issue. As long as people are voting sincerely, it's all good.

Beezle · January 1, 2019

Oh nice A.L.T. I've heard this wad plays well with horror mods. Only seen the 1st couple maps so I'm looking forward to playing this from the start again:)

Suitepee · January 1, 2019

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/38043845= maps 1-10.

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/38257201= maps 11-15.

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/39650860= maps 16-21.

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/40234999= maps 22-30.

My first exposure to the work of clan B0S back in January 2016, and one that I don't fondly remember. A.L.T has some interesting ideas and visual themes going for it, but the levels are a real mixed bag of quality.

Expect some weirdness if you choose to play this.

Also happy new year to the Doomworld Megawad Club, and here's hoping for 11 more fun picks throughout 2019!

Edited January 1, 2019 by Suitepee

Big Ol Billy · January 1, 2019

Yesssss I might have to get in on this one. This has been on my radar for a while, and looks like a really interesting slice of Russified WeirdDoom.

Misty · January 1, 2019

I guess this will be my first time posting here in this club.

So, A.L.T was one of those megawads, which inspired to try mapping for my own. When I first time played this set, I was blown by atmosphere and I didn't care about much about some maps quality or those silly sound replacements(which now sounds quite unnecessary). But despite of this I still like this set so much and this will be my third time of playing. This time in eternity, without any mods or replacements.

Map01 is introduction map. Shoot some blue dudes and funny sounding imps and zombies... Visually map is simple, you're in plane, but some clues can tell what could happened here before. When I first played I found this map uninspired and even this day I try rush to exit after observing already known things.

Brock · January 1, 2019

I don't get it . So they drink and play levels together ?

Catpho · January 2, 2019

47 minutes ago, Finnthemapmaker said:

I don't get it . So they drink and play levels together ?

Correct on the playing together part. The drinking is optional :)

Spectre01 · January 2, 2019

Hey, about time this got picked. PRBoom+, UV Pistol Starts with a continuous mindset, and saves whenever I feel like it. A few of the maps (only one off the top of my head) have some death zones, so any no-save flexers be warned, I guess.

MAP01 - “Seele” by Azamael

Interesting starting location. I can't think of any other Doom maps with the player onboard a plane, complete with a moving night sky outside the window, giving you a sense that you're really flying. Very nice sector carpet too! Something you don't see too often is the use of the SS enemy outside of Wolf3D-tribute and joke maps. He tends to severely clash with the rest of the Doom bestiary, but doesn't feel that out of place as the main enemy on this plane. There are a bunch of Zombiemen in a cage as well as a Hell Knight and couple of Imps once you get to the cargo area. This houses the Absolute Life Transformation portal, as well as various occult symbols and human sacrifices. Entering the portal is entirely optional, but it teleports you into what looks like a burning hell, an area that will make another appearance further down the line. Things get weirder as you reach the hole in the back of the plane, upon which you're teleported back to the start before a loud explosion. Gotta be quick to shoot that last Nazi if you want a UV-Max before the map ends!

Pretty cool opener for the setting alone and foreshadowing for later maps in the wad. People like whining about custom sounds in literally every wad that includes them, so that's nothing new. I personally don't mind them here and other PWADs that I've played.

bioshockfan90 · January 2, 2019

Maybe 2019 will be the year I start participating more in these things.

I think I played the first few maps of A.L.T at some point long ago in the past, but was pretty weirded out by it and thus didn't continue much further. Hopefully I can finish the wad up this month and see if I still think it's "too weird" or if it is this hidden masterpiece that some say it is. Either way, I'm excited. GZdoom with proper compat settings, UV pistol starts saveless unless it becomes a major issue.

MAP01: Seele | 92% kills | 33% secrets |

The word "Seele" in German is "Soul". Interesting.

The moment you start this wad up, you can pretty much automatically tell it's not going to be your high-grade commercial map experience with tight gameplay and neatly-made layouts. The map takes place in a plane floating in the void, there's SS Soldiers everywhere, and... the back half of the plane has a portal to Hell? Yeah, it's no big deal, you might even end up missing it like I apparently did on my first time playing this. There's probably some deep connection I can make between this portal and the rest of the map and the wad as a whole, how it sets a mood and does this or that, but... part of me thinks this is just some crazy fucking map design until proven otherwise. I think how WEIRD the map is keeps me going more than anything else. Gunning down hitscanners with a pistol isn't the most enthralling task in the world. Make sure to save your shells for the HK or you're gonna have a real boring experience.

Even if you can't stand it from a gameplay perspective, you can't deny that there's something alluring about this map. At the very least, you'll be pretty confused by some of the odd design choices in here. Soldiers outside the plane standing on the wings? The aforementioned portal to Hell? The fact that you essentially shoot yourself to exit the level?

Something tells me I'm truly in for an ALTernate doom experience.

(Shit, they made that joke in the header image?)

7hm · January 2, 2019

I'm going to attempt to do this one from pistol start without saves in UV. Will likely not finish a bunch of maps as a result as I'm not that good at Doom, but when I do I'll toss up either a demo file or a youtube recording of such. I've previously played a handful of maps from the middle of the wad as well as the first map and a half.

Map 1: First impression - SS? Uh, unexpected. The sounds are odd as all hell but the atmosphere is fantastic, and I love the music choice. Looks like we're in for a treat. Or at least something weird.

alt_1.zip

wolfmcbeard · January 2, 2019

Map01-GZD-HMP
I decided to give the first map a play,it's a plane ride and it was very fun, though I have to wonder why this door would hurt me.
The sounds are great in my opinion, though I don't like the one for the pistol.
The WolfSS are an interesting choice of enemy at the start but I wouldn't say it's a bad thing.
In any case, I'm interested to see when the flight lands.
Can't remember what my percents were but I did find at least on secret. and finished it in about 6-7 minutes.

(Ignore the status bar, ZDL loaded it and I was to lazy to un-load it as that was the only thing affected.)

Korikon · January 2, 2019

fdhjhfgjghjghjgh

Edited December 18, 2020 by Korikon

Salt-Man Z · January 2, 2019

I started this early last year, and only got through MAP13. Fairly brilliant stuff, though, I thought. I might join up with y'all later in the month.

ella guro · January 2, 2019

34 minutes ago, Salt-Man Z said:

I started this early last year, and only got through MAP13. Fairly brilliant stuff, though, I thought. I might join up with y'all later in the month.

this reminds me that i should at least come back to talk about MAP 13 when it comes around to it. it's probably my favorite map in the whole set, but it's also probably the most confusing (and maybe one of the most polarizing).

Spectre01 · January 2, 2019

MAP02 - “Dead By the Down” by Azamael

The plane goes down and the wreckage devastates the surrounding town. The start of the map unironically made me appreciate the occasional pistol gameplay. Something about picking off Zombiemen while tap-firing your pistol with pinpoint accuracy is quite satisfying. The general idea here is making your way through the crash site, while climbing cliffs and parts of the plane to get to a nearby warehouse. There is a Chaingun that can be picked up quite early from a Chaingunner that opens a door after you climb the tail of the plane. Really nice attention to detail when it comes to the lighting and sector shadows in the outdoor areas. The sky texture is great too, especially the really bright sun above the grey mountains. There is a secret SSG in the warehouse that I don't think I've found before, guarded by some zombies and a Revenant. The rest involve some form of platforming to get. Another cool map with a rather unusual concept and visual style when it comes to Doom. Also, the chairs and fancy sector carpet landed in one piece.

Capellan · January 2, 2019

MAP02

Yes, we're certainly a little outside the box with this mapset, aren't we? I'm still not convinced that I like it, but it's certainly distinctive and creative. Progression is very much a case of poking into corners and looking for ways to parkour. It's just on the right side of the line between satisfying and frustrating to solve, at least for me.

I think things slack off a bit after you scale the crates inside, though: it's mostly corridors and switch hunting, which is much 'generic Doom' after the previous level and a half.

The shotgunner at the bottom of a blind drop is something of a dick move.

The outdoor areas look nice: lots of slime trails in PrBoom+, especially with the "seats" area. Much of the indoors is rather plain.

TheOrganGrinder · January 2, 2019

All right, let's do this! ZDoom, continuous play, Hurt Me Plenty with saves as and when I need 'em.

MAP01: Seele

So I don't recognise the top part of the title screen, but the bottom part, that's from Hellbound: Hellraiser II, isn't it? The sprawling labyrinth above which the many-faceted Leviathan slowly rotates... anyway, let's get on with things. This is certainly madder than they usually make 'em, with the player starting inside a transport aeroplane carved lovingly from sectors and SHAWN textures and crewed seemingly by time-displaced Nazi soldiers - though they're not howling "Mein leben!" upon death this time around, so maybe they're intended to represent generic soldiers or security guards of a type separate from the subsequently-zombified troopers of Doom proper? It's a map that raises more questions than answers, and much like The Talosian Incident of... good grief is it eight months ago already? It's got that same sense of introducing an experience intended to be quite different from the Doom norm.

MAP02: Dead By the Down

If you'd dropped me into this blind and asked me "When do you think this was made?" I probably wouldn't have guessed 2012, because there's something quite deeply old-school about this level and its use of steps to indicate slopes, of invisible-from-a-distance narrow stairwells representing points where the rock face can be scaled, its exploratory but not obtuse progression. It wasn't until quite late in the level that I felt like I was really getting it, instinctively looking for non-obvious routes and progressing at a pace other than tentative, realising that no matter how many cliff-edges and blind drops and other obstacles might be in my way, I wouldn't somehow find myself unable to backtrack, retrace my steps, or circle around to a place I'd already been. And there is a certain circular tendency built into the map's layout, with the occasional missed step sending you tumbling into the wreckage-strewn valley you'd previously escaped from, to sigh and pick your way back through the debris, climbing over obstacles one more time to attain your former vantage point and not stumble this time around.

The outdoor areas are on the lavish side, which makes the relatively barren interiors feel all the more unsettling; is it just coincidence that your aeroplane happened to go down in this particular valley, with its ruins and strange symbols and its cargo-handling facility buried secretively within the rock? Who built this place, and what is its purpose? The atmosphere overall is deliciously desolate, oppressive rather than threatening, thick with a creeping sense of dread. It's a patient sort of danger than you're facing here. It can take its time wearing you down; it can wait for exhaustion to claim you.

SiFi270 · January 2, 2019

The past few months have certainly been strange for Doomguy.

November: "You're making me remember my mortality again? Fine, whatever."

December: "Nuts to that, death isn't even a thing to me any more."

January: "...I'm dead?!"

Catpho · January 2, 2019

3 minutes ago, SiFi270 said:

The past few months have certainly been strange for Doomguy.

November: "You're making me remember my mortality again? Fine, whatever."

December: "Nuts to that, death isn't even a thing to me any more."

January: "...I'm dead?!"

Absolute. Life. Transformation.

Edited January 2, 2019 by Catpho

Beezle · January 2, 2019

Are you supposed to start Map 01 losing over half your health?

Brock · January 2, 2019

15 hours ago, Catpho said:

Correct on the playing together part. The drinking is optional :)

Hey i am new to this , how can you play with other players in doom ? Isn't multiplayer dead ? And what if other players are using diffrent engines like GZDOOM or SkullTag or whatever ?

Catpho · January 2, 2019

@Finnthemapmaker Hopefully this should contain all the answers

@Beezle Yup. This wad is a doozy

Before it's "official" recognition in the 25yr event, I've already heard some interesting word of mouth about A.L.T.. Although it was only until the amazing article written by ella that convinced me that I should play it here someday. I haven't played any of the clan's previous offerings, my exposure only limited to various Lainos maps, and apparently they are only the tip of the iceberg compared to this a.l.ternate experience. Down the rabbit hole, shall we?

MAP01 - “Seele” by Azamael

What

A bizarre/weird/totally bonkers opener. After witnessing what seems to be... yourself... suspended in a dying pose... the player gets a huge hit of damage, then immediately gets thrust into combat against... nazis (having a hard time typing this lol). It's a surreal and kinda comical scenario, though the fact that the nazis don't have their usual sound clips, attacks you from outside the plane and, well, being joke characters in Doom 2 makes the whole thing feel pretty off. Oh, and they provide a tough as heck combat sequence, one that took a few tries due to the low health left by whatever the opening was. As we are led to the cargo area, the plane also starts to surrender to all the weirdness. The cargo mentioned in the story blurb is now a fleshy portal surrounded by hellish decorations, with the cryptic (title drop) etched (or formed?) on the floor. Entering the portal itself is optional, and really, the scenery inside leaves even more questions, almost like a taunt at your laughable control over this reality. Reaching the end reveals the plane has already been cut in half, and later you see yourself again, this time actually dying. Cue cut to black and intermission screen, and you are just as confused as Doomguy's ouch face is.

A neat little ride, promising the road ahead is not safe for Doom, or your sanity. Luckily, that's just my kind of artistic experience.

Some screenies:

Edited January 4, 2019 by Catpho

bioshockfan90 · January 2, 2019

MAP02: Dead by the Down | 77% kills | 20% secrets |

After the weird ending to MAP01, we find ourselves in some sort of mountainous landscape, littered with the wreckage of the plane we were just on. (What's with the jolly roger flag? is this a plane or a ship?)

Gameplay here is relatively sparse in the first half, just gunning down hitscans and the occasional pinky here or there. However, this changes after you platform your way up to the top end of the map and enter a grey-brick storage base. Here, you'll find hordes of hitscans and pinkies that can kill you if you're dumb like me and wanted to use the chainsaw to kill everything. Even still, health is few and far between so it's best just to take your time and be careful.

Some notes about the design of this map: it's still weird as hell. There's these subtle changes made that mess with your head, like doors opening in the opposite direction of how you'd intend them to, textures that make no sense seeing them where they are, and most notably what appears to be a shootswitch revealing itself to be a standard "use" triggerswitch with a hidden Mancubus blocking your path. This is why you need to play with proper compat settings, otherwise you'd just fall down there with the manc.

The platforming here is really organic as well. Like seriously, I haven't seen platforming that felt this oddly good since... shit, maybe never? Climbing on top of the plane and wrapping your way around the cliffsides feels really rewarding, almost like you're discovering a secret. Speaking of secrets... I only found one. I also prematurely exited the map before I could do any real exploring, so it's a shame, but I might as well give my first impressions on the map honestly.

Anyway, I still have no idea what the overall narrative or theme of this wad is. We went from voidplanes to crash sites and now... alleyways? I guess I'll find out in MAP03.

EDIT: After a second playthrough taking my time to explore everything, I can appreciate the atmosphere this map sets up THAT much more. 92% kills, 60% secrets. I'm perplexed as how to get that megasphere, but unless I'm told directly how to, I think I'll save further plays of this map for the future. Also shoutouts to the weird strobe-lit room in the storage facility with the hanging corpses! What a cool addition!

Edited January 2, 2019 by bioshockfan90

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