Which classic DOOM level themes' designs do you prefer?

[ant]

I always like the base levels like in E1, E2M2, John Romero's free map from a few years ago, etc. I am not a fan of hell levels. Earth were OK.

 

What about the rest of you?

[CorianderCastor]

Earth techbases? Whatever what McGee did is called. I also like abstract pieces and hellish textures.

 

But probably;

look: monochromatic overload

flow: McGee/Mustaine-esque

[Doomkid]

Circle of Death is the perfect example of what I like. Consistent texturing and theme, design is abstract yet still makes sense. The entire layout and all of the monster placement was made to provide fun gameplay but it’s still visually cohesive. There’s really nothing “realistic” about it, it’s not trying to be a lab or refinery or something and I like that. It’s part of a game and knows it, it doesn’t try to be more than that.

 

I know a lot of people like the “this could have been a real place where people worked and things happened” aspect of E1’s design and I definitely don’t mind that, but I like designs that are purely gameplay driven without any need to ground themselves in reality, Circle of Death achieves this very well imo.

 

All of what I just said could probably be applied to Gotcha! as well, but Circle of Death is more more visually appealing to me.

[Nine Inch Heels]

I like the chasm, and there isn't really anything in IWADs to compare it to. If we pass it off as "gimmicky", then maybe add barrels'o'fun, and traps and tricks to that as well. In any case, I tend to like "weird" stuff a lot more nowadays.

[joepallai]

I love the more fantasy based (Ep. 2 - 4) and weirder Doom2 stuff.   (Really I don't dislike anything in Doom).

[Maser]

I like almost any map that doesn't involve obnoxious platforming.  I love Doom and all, but Doom sucks as a platforming game.  I think Metroid Prime was the first FPS game that did platforming right. 

[Pierrot]

Ep2 of Plutonia. I like the overall wood/blood/grass/green rock theme and the red sky.

[Maximum Matt]

City maps.

[exl]

E4M2 Perfect Hatred and E4M6 Against Thee Wickedly are my jam.

[dr_st]

As individual levels I like hell levels (E3M2, E3M6, MAP28, MAP29) and city levels (MAP12, MAP13, MAP15, MAP16).

 

As a theme, E1's tech bases is the most consistent. Plutonia (if you consider it classic, even though it wasn't done by id) is also consistent and interesting.

[CorianderCastor]

On 5/31/2019 at 6:15 PM, PaquoCastor said:

Earth techbases?

Uhm, starport, I meant starport.

 

"The Crusher" is an example of a great level with a cool theme. Also, "Mt. Erebus," "Abaddon's Void," "Dead Simple," "Against Thee Wickedly," "Deimos Anomaly," "Industrial Zone," and "Barrels of Fun." I could go on, but that's quite enough.

 

Also, red brick Hell is cool.

[chemo]

In general I love The Shores of Hell's visual motif. Its mix of techbase and hellish styles is not only appropriate within the episode's context, but is also very unique and pleasing to the eye.

[xttl]

This is about visuals only, not gameplay right? E1 techbases and whatever you'd call eg. E4M2 or E4M7. (E4M1, 5, 6 and 8 are kinda in the same theme but too much marble and too little wood)

[LadyVader1138]

I prefer the original three episodes in term of look. The progression from techbase to oddly gothic to full on hellscapes pleases me. I wish that Doom II kept that look as that's my biggest problem with the game.

[Scorpius]

I prefer the techbase levels of Knee-Deep in the Dead and the marble/wood levels from Thy Flesh Consumed, they always impress me. As for DOOM II, I usually prefer the Hell levels, such as Bloodfalls, The Spirit World and The Living End. I don't really have a preferred level theme for TNT since I generally don't really like it as much as the other WADs, but I do like some tech levels (like the first map). Lastly, I like all the themes from Plutonia, especially the Earth levels, but I feel like the actual map designs could've been better.