The DWmegawad Club plays: 25 Years on Earth

[floatRand]

MAP04, UV pistol start
100k/0s

First death so far due to a sneaky sneaky lost soul at the end.
But at least it made me realize what pressing skull switches did - it turned out the lights, how dastardly! 
Navigating and fighting zombies and imps in complete darkness is not something I'd recommend, but at least there are switches
to turn lights back on - in the back ends of the dark rooms. 
Outside of that, it isn't much step up. You get to see a baron and a super shotgun - one that kept taunting me through the run. 
I did not figure out how to raise the bars (or if you acquired SSG some other way). If I had to wager, I'd guess it has to do 
something with the lights - but at the point I had killed all monsters so after some experimenting and searching I just buggered off. I am bit too lazy to dissect map in Doombuilder at this point, too. 

 

I have been playing these in chunks, so time to take break because unfortunately midis are not helping my headache.
 

[Summer Deep]

MAP04

 

Another short, fairly symmetrical and straightforward map which you might as well play from a pistol start, as resources are not much of a problem. You're unlikely to get killed here unless you press those skull switches near the side rooms, but you wouldn't realize that on a first playthrough. The hardest thing so far about this wad has been a couple of the secrets, and I didn't come close to getting what I assume was an SSG behind a barrier in the blue key room. First Baron pops up here, but you have plenty of room for manoeuvre and he's very manageable even without the SSG. The largish room with the rising pedestal was quite impressive.

 

 

I'll have to remember to edit the video thumbnail to get the wad name right next time. The 'Hell On Earth' caption is generated automatically by the Windows 10 screen recorder.

 

 

Edited June 4, 2020 by Summer Deep

[Horus]

MAP03 - “Urban Renewal”

 

So this one was actually a pistol start for me because I switched from prB+ to GZDoom, because the latter is much smoother for me when recording. This has a fairly fast paced opening, with the two arachnotrons having the potential to cause problems if you’re not quick on your feet. The shotgun shells secret is easy to get, but just about obscured enough as a secret to pass as one in my opinion. It’s fine, not much to say about this level though.

 

MAP04 - “Wasted Luxury”

 

I think this level shows the limitations of going for a ‘use at least one trigger once’ trope. The change brightness to 35 switch here is used in a trollish way similar to the super-secret level of Mars War, while the use is clearly far less obnoxious than in Mars War, it’s still annoying. And if the player dies, then clearly they don’t trigger it again.

 

The question is, how do you use that trigger in a better way, what upside could there be to the player of choosing to lower the brightness? The thing that comes to my mind is using it to mark out a pattern as part of a secret puzzle, but the point is that it's not exactly an easy trigger to come up with ideas for.

 

Anyway, if the first map was myhouse.wad, this one is myapartment.wad, with the player starting in a reception-like area before making way to the rooms behind. Which contain an interesting amount of marble textures.

 

Checking the text file, Phobus says the latter half of the level was cherry picked form later in the set. I believe it, because it doesn’t really gel together with the first half, even if gameplay-wise it plays fine (single shotgunning a baron aside).

[Biodegradable]

MAP04 - Wasted Luxury

This one's an improvement over MAP03 for me. You tricked me with your pesky skull switches, Phobus, you cheeky sod. However, I can still see the glow of my enemies eyes and they shan't skip on the bullet tasting convention! Likewise, I also couldn't figure out how to get the SSG, which was disheartening cos it's SUPER and I want it, dagnabit! Well, I'm sure you've hidden another one somewhere I might have better luck finding in MAP05. And if not, I will be writing you a stern PM later telling you what a big jerk you are ;^P Not sure what else I can really say about this map as nothing else really stuck out to me with this one, but every map's design has been interesting. You haven't killed me yet, Mr Phobus, but I'm sure you will soon.  

[Capellan]

MAP04

Some of the dark areas are perhaps a little too dark, but other than that I enjoyed this one.  Even managed to pick up the SSG secret, which was handy since it made the baron and soul fight (which is a pretty nice setup already) a bit less grindy.

 

[Phobus]

8 hours ago, Horus said:

Checking the text file, Phobus says the latter half of the level was cherry picked form later in the set. I believe it, because it doesn’t really gel together with the first half, even if gameplay-wise it plays fine (single shotgunning a baron aside).

Sorry, that's my fault for poor wording there! I meant that the second half of the 6-map demo I released was cherry picked from later in the set. The second half of this map was very much made alongside the rest of it, but is meant to be locked "behind the scenes" sneaky UAC facility stuff, hidden in a "luxury" apartment complex.

 

@DuckReconMajor MAP03 uses a MIDI of "Pinball Map" by In Flames. Not exactly a classic in the sense that the first couple of map MIDIs were, but I think it's a classic In Flames song, at least!

 

 

Congratulations to those of you who've found the secret SSG in MAP04! If you're playing continuous, it'll serve you well.

 

MAP03: Urban Renewal

I came in fully stocked for the shotgun and chaingun, with 60-odd armour, so this was very easy and non-threatening to play. I think I took about two individual hit-scan hits on the whole map, and then backtracked to top up my armour and ammo before leaving. Of course, I do know where everything is, so coming in loaded-up I should have it easy.

 

If you want to play the "other half" of this map, here's a link to Urban Escape, which is a fair bit tougher, but still rather short. Also a @Major Arlene YouTube play through here, for those of you who are curious but don't want to play it: 

 

I like a locked-down and/or ruined city setting, as you can have a lot going on in the background that may or may not be accessible (in this case, decidedly not) and, unlike the first map, you've got plenty of scope for making areas impassible and visually conveying that. The "secret" box of shells basically makes the map less chaingun-heavy for those who find it (we like having options, right?) but it is a very weak secret. If this were a bigger map (a stand-alone release, for example) I'd have been keen to open it up a lot more and give the player more to explore, but the linearity of it, combined with the introduction of the chaingunner, Arachnotron and Lost Soul make it feel like a "worthy" early map to me, even if it is a bit lightweight and filler-y.

 

Funnily enough, the little warehouse room is completely optional, but as you don't know which of the two switches lowers the lift, you'll almost definitely press both and fight it anyway, which I like. This, and the little circular-path corridor ambush are both examples of where wanting to "use up" line actions can actually lead to novel game play ideas, and do a little to elevate this map. It's definitely not as impressive as MAP02, IMO, but it serves it's purpose and changes the tone of the mapset to something a little more action-oriented whilst setting up the urban theme for the next few maps. We're on a journey here, which hopefully won't feel too disjointed!

Edited June 4, 2020 by Phobus

[kalaeth]

MAP02 : 

 I've already played this map 3 times and although I didn't enjoy it the first two (regular shotgun to fight a hell knight, on map 02, on easy? I was close to giving up before I get frustrated a bit down the road!) but on my third play, I decided not to kill the knight and the map becomes less annoying. 

MAP03 :

 Really short, but it has the chaingun! (since I didn't find the secret one on MAP02) Not much to say about it.

MAP04:

 Nice house level, I've gotten the SSG but I still don't know how to open the bars that protect it, I just press everything and return there from time to time until I can my hands on it :D The blue key area seems as if doesn't belong to this particular map, thematically. 

[Summer Deep]

3 hours ago, Phobus said:

 

 

If you want to play the "other half" of this map, here's a link to Urban Escape, which is a fair bit tougher, but still rather short. Also a @Major Arlene YouTube play through here, for those of you who are curious but don't want to play it: 

 

 

I've just completed Urban Escape on UV. Could definitely have done with some armour! Ironically enough, green armour seems to be quite easy to come by so far in this wad.

[Alper002]

What initially stood out to me about MAP04:Wasted Luxury was it's creative line action usage. Particularly that pillar you raise with a walkover, and then lower if it gets to high with a switch. The light switches were neat too, but it didn't have the same impact to me. The lights-off switches are an unusual inclusion as well, but at least they only do anything when you've essentially cleared the room and found the lights-on switch already. The doomcute in the rooms of varied lighting also didn't go unappreciated. Combat was also pretty decent, with the final encounter standing out as pretty good. I didn't find the SSG secret, nor did I even notice the teasing of it until I replayed the map to gather my thoughts and get an idea of what to write. Still didn't find out how to grab it, though.

 

Map ratings:

Spoiler

Maps get rated on different lists (which I'll add as I deem necessary) depending on which part of the map I liked most, and the placement on said list is dependent on what I think of the map as a whole.

Maps I liked for their simplicity:
MAP01:Drop Pod Excursion

 

Maps I liked for their aesthetics(visuals & music combined):
MAP02:Bunker Buster

 

Maps I liked for their sense of place:
MAP03:Urban Renewal

 

Maps I liked for their creativity:
MAP04:Wasted Luxury

 

Either I'm worrying unnecessarily, or I might end up with 32 1-map-long lists by the end of this lol

 

Edited June 4, 2020 by Alper002

[Horus]

3 hours ago, Phobus said:

Sorry, that's my fault for poor wording there! I meant that the second half of the 6-map demo I released was cherry picked from later in the set. The second half of this map was very much made alongside the rest of it, but is meant to be locked "behind the scenes" sneaky UAC facility stuff, hidden in a "luxury" apartment complex.

 

Oh I see, that half of the level makes more sense in that context

[Phobus]

@Summer Deep I replayed it after that post and thought much the same. Alternatively, if the secret that is so awkward to fight to get to was a Soulsphere rather than a totally useless Invisibility Sphere, that would've been handy. Obviously I wasn't as forgiving 5-6 years ago!

 

@Alper002 I'm sure you'll avoid having 32 different single-map lists. You might not like every map, for one thing!

[gaspe]

MAP04: This felt like a 94' wad, it's another sort of MYHOUSE with doomcute details and a rather varied texturing (it was only missing more decorations all around but there's a dead tree inside) but it's all made with a modern polish. The fullbright rooms also add to this impression even if I guess they were made more to use the special actions. Very easygoing in the first half but after the locked doors the action steps up a bit. The SSG was very handy, I still don't understand how you unlock it.

Edited June 4, 2020 by gaspe

[Snikle]

MAP04: Wasted Luxury

Another very short level. I don’t know anything about the WAD so I don’t know if they’re all this small or if they get larger soon. Doesn’t really matter to me, I tend to enjoy larger levels more but smaller levels means a higher chance I’ll actually finish them all for the club. And even if they are all this short, they’re very high quality, good enough to keep me engrossed nonetheless. This level introduces the hell nobles, and the SSG which was in a secret I didn’t know how to open. Layout and visuals were top notch again.

[Deadwing]

MAP04:

 

This one wasn't one of my favorites. The layout was a bit too boxy + doors and claustrofobic indoors. I enjoyed the lighting trick, though, and the second half was pretty great :D I believe I let the Baron live in the end haha, although most of the action was pretty good (especially killing foes in the dark)

 

Map preference order:

 

3, 2, 4, 1

Edited June 4, 2020 by Deadwing

[Andromeda]

MAP04: Wasted Luxury (25 Years on Earth)

PrBoom+ 2.5.1.4, HNTR-PS, no saves, 100% everything

 

Now this was pretty fun! Short, slightly cramped but not too punishing. The skull switches turn off the lights in the rooms nearby, which certainly helps in giving a factor of unexpectedness to the combat. Prevail and your reward is the switch that turns the lights back on :) The first half contains decent amounts of doomcute which is always a pleasure to look at, but the yellow key section was definitely my favourite - it's clear what you have to do to get the key and if you're paying attention you might even figure out how to get the SSG, teasingly displayed in the blue key room. The last stretch was a bit disappointing, but it didn't hamper my enjoyment of the level so it's all good.

 

Levels in order of preference:

Spoiler

MAP04: Wasted Luxury

MAP02: Bunker Buster

MAP01: Drop Pod Excursion

MAP03: Urban Renewal

Edited June 4, 2020 by Andromeda

[Pechudin]

MAP03: Urban Renewal (Kills: 100%, Secrets: 1/1, Deaths: 0)

    As I mentioned in the thread where this map was released, a lot of these beginning maps feel like little chunks of Hellbound's maps, Bite-Sized Hellbound if you will, mainly referring to the 'realistic' urban mapping style (well, either Hellbound or some of the less weird bits of A.L.T.). If you, like me, missed the secret Chaingun on the previous map, the map provides one right at the start, straight from the undead hands of a Former Commando (really ought not to loiter around explosive barrels, chum). Pretty nice, and useful since the opening baddies are all at semi-long range.

 

    As others have noted, this map has fairly straightfoward progression, being mostly linear corridor shooter. I do not feel like that detracts from it though. One thing I did not like was the blind jump into the Pinky alley (or an attempt to jump if you like me have infinitely tall enemies on), just like @Capellan noted.

 

MAP04: Wasted Luxury (Kills: 100%, Secrets: 1/1, Deaths: 0)

    Unlike last time I played this map, this time I knew not to press those light switces. Also unlike last time, this time I found the SSG! Hooray! The method of obtaining was sneaky and a bit finnicky, but fairly creative. Geometrically this map is a fairly basic hub-map, and the urban theme continues. That UAC lab bit was a bit jarring though, did not fit in thematically IMO. I liked the DoomCute furniture and the sink/stove and the toilets, but I am deducting points for them not being flushable. Team TNT did it 24 years ago!

 

    Combat was easy enough, all those doors make easy chokepoints. Hardest encounter is probably at the map's start with the 2-sided Shotgunner/Pinky trap. The final fight was a bit meh, with all the Lost Souls and the Baron. I feel it was put there just to spend ammunition. The MIDI this time I did recognize, but as with other maps thus far (maybe except MAP03) I feel it does not really fit. Just my preference.

[DuckReconMajor]

MAP04: Wasted Luxury

glBoom+ 2.5.1.7um, skill 4, continuous with saves

 

Phobus has pulled a Mars War MAP32 on us! i thought the first time I plunged into darkness. Not learning my lesson, I did it again on the other side

 

Snikle compared a previous map to Going Down, and I think it fits even more here, which I consider a compliment. There may not be wide open choreographed fights but i love the feel of this map and it was a blast to play through.

Another great MIDI, even if you don't know the song just hearing the midi you can know it's AC/DC.

 

i refused to leave the level until I opened the SSG, and ended up going into doombuilder to figure it out. Great secret.

 

Spoiler

 

 

[TheOrganGrinder]

MAP04: Wasted Luxury

 

I have a feeling that I will be tempted to use the phrase "neat little map" a lot while working through this WAD. This one is some kind of luxury hotel or upscale apartment building (with a reception desk and a doorman) with an oddly industrial area embedded in the middle of it, kind of reminiscent of the way maps following the classic Doom themes like to embed nuggets of masonry or flesh in the middle of technological environments.  I spent probably longer than I should've wandering back and forth slapping at walls in the first half of the map, convinced that the author wouldn't put the switch that opens the secret area in another part of the map entirely; its actual location is a bit unintuitive and relies somewhat on the compact footprint of the level to not be obnoxious.  The Baron of Hell definitely feels like a finger being wagged at those who didn't open up the secret area and snag the super shotgun before that point, with his high hitpoints depleting half your stockpile of chaingun ammo or your patience if you choose to popgun him down with the pump-action.

[floatRand]

MAP05, UV pistol start
98k/0s

Nastier and nastier. While still not difficult, it is major step up with the traps and enemy placement. The water room
was a nice, although for more experienced players is bit obvious. 
I suffered one death from YK room - those damn lost souls keep just getting me. 
Outside of that, not much to say. It is a linear affair and features a rocket launcher secret - which I couldn't figure out no matter how much I tried. Maybe my brains are just too clogged with tumours. So far the secrets in the set have been REALLY secretive.  
way too much time to find out, and perhaps would have been nice for the later encounters: the map does boast much higher monster count than its predecessors, although hang around at the end.  

Edited June 4, 2020 by floatRand

[Horus]

MAP05 - “Skyline”

 

Well this map certainly ramps up the monster count in a big way. I did wonder if this was going to be a case of level padding (even if the levels so far have been short), but fear not, because this is not the case, instead it’s a relatively short level of high monster density.

 

The key to these kind of maps is if health and armor are balanced for the task. Fortunately in this case, it is. Which makes it a fun level, my favourite so far.

Grabbing the BK has an interesting mechanic of raising the platform to it to the right level so you can glide to it before it drops too far down.

 

The dual mancubi trap that proceeds it is probably the toughest part of this wad so far (which I barely scraped through thanks to RNGsus).
Again, monster density makes the YK area fun, it was a real battle to stay alive here. The secret here is a matter of pretty tight timing, which if you get it, is a case of giveth with one hand and taketh from the other. I wasn’t a huge fan of my only death on this map coming from the secret I worked fairly hard to get (one of the mancubi killed me), but what makes up for it is how useful the RL is against the imp horde that comes next (certainly it’s more fun to wipe them out that way).

 

After five maps, I would describe the music as ‘okay’. Not really my thing, but decent enough for me not to change it.

 

YouTube video for maps 03-05 is in spoiler:

Spoiler

 

 

[TheOrganGrinder]

MAP05: Skyline

 

The opening post of the thread mentioned "short, fun maps," so it may be that this is one of the longest and largest maps in the WAD; we shall see, I suppose.  It's certainly the most substantial so far, sending you scrambling across rooftops in stark contrast to the enclosed and intimate gameplay of the preceding level, with a strong sense of progression from space to space and a varied throng of enemies arrayed against you.  Most of the assembled horde consists of the now-familiar low-tiers, but there are a handful of heavy hitters in the mix too, most notably the two pairs of mancubi (one pair in the "flood chamber" beyond the blue door, one pair protecting the secret rocket launcher - more on Ultraviolence or Nightmare) that put in what I believe is their first appearance here.  I'd like to come back to play this again from a pistol start rather than continuously, just to see how that changes how certain encounters play out; there were only a couple of points (the flood chamber and the imp horde before the yellow door) where the super shotgun snagged from the previous level was my weapon of choice and I feel as though the latter encounter might have made for good rocket fodder if I'd picked it up earlier in my playthrough.

Edited June 4, 2020 by TheOrganGrinder

[ironicmoustache]

Crispy, continuous, UV, saves.

 

MAP04: I enjoyed the setting and blasting through dark apartments. (Those skull switches, eh? Had a bit of a chuckle once I figured what they were all about.) I was kinda charmed by some of the Doomcutery in the apartments, too. Close quarters blasting in darkness is always quite fun. Took me a few tries to figure out how the raising platform in the second half of the map worked. The second half of the map felt a bit disjointed stylistically from the opening apartment area, makes sense given that the second half was taken from a later level. Couldn’t figure out the SSG secret, but maybe I'm just dumb. Neat and quick map. (EDIT: Watched @DuckReconMajor's video above and I'm kicking myself for not noticing the shootable switch. I'm usually pretty decent at spotting those, you know...)

 

MAP05: A huge increase in monster density here, with a bump in difficulty to go along with it. I liked the hitscanner-heavy start, but the highlight was probably having to criss-cross the room with the raising and lowering floor/water level. The two mancubi caught me by surprise a bit and took a bit longer to dispatch than I would have liked—given I was without the secret SSG from the previous map—but it wasn't too difficult. The yellow key area was pretty fun and reasonably hectic. The central structure made the lost souls a bit of an annoyance during the occasions where one or two came at me over the building and scored free damage, but well, that's lost souls for you. I didn't figure out the rocket secret, so the imp swarm was a wee bit of a slog and had me slightly worried about my ammo since all I had to mow them down was the standard shotgun. Wasn't a huge problem at the end of the day, though. The exit section was pretty cool architecturally, too. Probably my favourite level so far.

Edited June 5, 2020 by ironicmoustache

[Endless]

MAP04: Wasted Luxury. Played on UV with Brutal Doom and LZDoom.

 

Loved the dark areas. The whole ''apartment'' aesthetic and theme made it quite fun and interesting. Realistc maps or more ''earthy'' maps tend to be quite enjoyble and fun if done right. This one was quite fun, I liked that whole ''dark areas'' theme. One of the few times were Brutal Doom actually makes the map easier too, all thanks to the glowing eyes of the monsters in the dark. I liked that.

Good map, really fun and fast.

[Biodegradable]

MAP05 - Skyline

Mwahahahaha that was a fun one for sure. You almost got me twice, Phobus. That mancubus ambush nearly had me panic in a way to make me too stupid to survive, but I snapped back to reality and ran around like a headless chook and dove for cover in one of the side-openings. Then that second one with the massive horde of imps, but my fully-loaded chaingun was the perfect FUCK OFF spray the job needed. The only thing that gave me pause with this map was getting the blue key. I'm still very new to this, so I had no idea I can hit a button multiple times and it still have things happen. Oh you clever mappers, but I'm on to your tricks, Phobus. I'll know now to test EVERY button I find that way from now on!

 

Definitely my favourite level so far with high-octane VIOLENCE combined tricks and traps to keep me on my toes! I love it. Can't wait to see what MAP06 has in store for me. You have killed me yet, Phobus, but you've got me hungry for more. Only two demons managed to escape the taste of my lead and I'm still not very good at finding your secrets. :P

 

 

Edited June 5, 2020 by Biodegradable

[Summer Deep]

MAP05

 

Played this initially in UV continuous and got through it without dying, but it was tough going. It's when you try it again from a UV pistol start that you realize how difficult this one can be though. I was killed a couple of times in the earliest phase, and only managed to survive the next time by taking cover behind one of the large pillars in the corner of the starting building and fighting off the opening assaults from there. When you get out into the open, there are hitscanners everywhere, and the Cacodemon, Hell Knight and imps are all expertly placed to cause maximum problems. The action never really lets up, with more serious danger coming from the Lost Souls and the mass imp attack in the yellow key area. The final wave of enemies seemed just a little anticlimactic by comparison.

 

I got really annoyed by that blue key puzzle, and it took several minutes before I realized how to build the bridge. Very clever idea, but it does take a lot of the momentum and impetus out of the player's progress, and you do need to be in the right mood to enjoy this sort of thing. Still, it wasn't as bad as some of the puzzles which won't let you get out of a room, or those which teleport you around or use timed lifts, etc. You will have gathered that I'm not a great fan of puzzles....

 

I'm not doing another video for a while, as Vimeo has a ridiculously strict limit on weekly uploads and I'm too stingy to pay for an upgrade. Must look into getting a YouTube channel, I think. Do they allow unlimited uploads, does anyone know?

[Deadwing]

MAP 5

 

So far the largest map for the initial batch. The building vistas are really beautiful and the in-level detailing is awesome. Some small detailing does the difference, such as the gradual lighting in the staircase in the very final section of the map. Lots of other sections here are also very memorable.

 

The level is linear, but it's full of little things that adds to exploration, such as the BK platform puzzle, the Mancubus ambush and the little platforming section where you can grab some additional health and armor.

The action is pretty good, especially when you can turn on your chaingunner and melt down lots of low tier foes. However, this is the level where I felt a non-secret SS or RL would do the difference to reduce a bit the grinding. Some HK or Caco's might be a bit too boring to kill due to that. Also, I let the Imp flood live in the end due to the same reason. Thankfully you are not obliged to kill them which helps keeping the map's flow nice.

 

The only actual weird thing I would point is how the water behave in the mancubus setpiece haha (with some of the "ground" showing in the middle of the pool) although it's not a big deal.

 

Anyway, a larger and memorable map definitely helps creating a change of pace and it was a really fun one.

 

Preference Order:

 

3, 5, 2, 4, 1

Edited June 5, 2020 by Deadwing

[Capellan]

MAP05

This was a lot of fun, and the first map of the set where I've gone "that looks nice".  On several occasions, in fact.  It's true I am something of a sucker for techbases, though!  I didn't see a non-secret SSG on this one, so very glad I brought the one from map04 with me, as it helped make some of the fights progress a bit more quickly.

 

I enjoyed the frequent use of fairly large clouds of imps and troopers, as mowing them down was quite fun.  I just wish there had been a few more barrels about the place to set some satisfying chunky salsa going on.

 

[Alper002]

A thing I only noticed after I posted about MAP04 was that the lights were on by default... I really thought throughout my playthroughs of the map that the rooms were dark by default. Guess I really was MARSWAR MAP32'd ;). It does change how much I like the lights-off switches, but not by much. I like the quirkiness the line action usages have provided thus far.

 

Speaking of interesting line action usage, I particularly like what MAP05:Skylines has going for it in that regard. The blue key puzzle and the the usage of an S1 raise by 8 units to give access to the yellow key stand out here. The combat has upped it's intensity a bit compared to last map, and was a lot of fun to fight through. The room behind the blue door in particular was one I liked a lot, and was decently challenging. I also managed to find a secret weapon for once, and it was definitely appreciated against the imp horde guarding the yellow door. Something I also particularly liked was how you could see a city surrounding the map, making it feel more like it's an actual place that you're in. The way the map plays is probably what I like most, though.

 

Map ratings:

Spoiler

Maps get rated on different lists (which I'll add as I deem necessary) depending on which part of the map I liked most, and the placement on said list is dependent on what I think of the map as a whole.

Maps I liked for their simplicity:
MAP01:Drop Pod Excursion

 

Maps I liked for their aesthetics(visuals & music combined):
MAP02:Bunker Buster

 

Maps I liked for their sense of place:
MAP03:Urban Renewal

 

Maps I liked for their creativity:
MAP04:Wasted Luxury

 

Maps I liked for their gameplay:

MAP05:Skylines

 

Here's hoping that's enough lists lol

 

[Phobus]

As a warning in advance for MAP06, if you're struggling with progression, the megaWAD has three demos in it, and DEMO1 is a "how to" guide for MAP06, where I very politely die at the end. They were recorded in complevel 2, so should play back in any demo-compatible port! Congratulations to those of you getting the early rocket launcher in MAP05, too - it'll really serve you well, as the weapon doesn't make a proper appearance (or an easy secret one) for a few maps, yet! Saying that, MAP05 is definitely the main use-case for it.

 

MAP04: Wasted Luxury

I actually managed a "no damage" run of this map, leaving with slightly more health and armour than I came in with, and only one less bullet! Of course, I know not to press the light switches... I think it wouldn't have been possible without the continuous chaingun, too, even with my knowledge of the map. I can't believe, having never played Mars War before last month, that my nasty trick with the lights would've been codified in a megaWAD played just before! Saying that, I got it out of the way on an early map because it felt "fairer" to me to do it in isolated areas with weak enemies, rather than later in the set where you'd expect nastier traps and encounters to be!

 

Making this map represented a bit of a development speed bump. I didn't manage to start it before the 25th anniversary of Doom II, so the six-map demo needed to be salvaged from other maps I'd already made for a timely release. I then built the first room and the two side antechambers, only to promptly burn out. I had notes on what I was going to do, had picked out and placed the music for every map, sorted out map names, themes and more... But just didn't want to make this map.

 

After some delay, I forced myself into it and built a couple of previous apartments I'd lived in (the smaller one was a studio flat in Liverpool that I was in for a couple of years, the larger one was a shared flat for 10 weeks or so in Salford whilst on a training course) and set up a back-and-forth progression that lead to a key. Contrary to my phrasing in the text file, I did actually build the parts of this map behind the key doors shortly after, rather than picking them up from later in the map set! I feel like I'll have to rewrite that sentence before I upload the zip file to /idgames... The reason it looks tech-y has been explained above, but I figured that, if the UAC had a facility on the roof, they'd want it locked off from the general public, and would have their technical facility extend down to the entrance.

 

The rising pillar being necessary both for progression and to get you on a level for the shoot switch to unlock the SSG was born out of how the repeatable line actions were being used, and the convenience of there being a 72-unit texture that tiled vertically reasonably well. I chose a Baron of Hell at the end to make the SSG feel useful, but not required. The Lost Souls was more because I like how they reveal and teleport combo makes for potential chaos.

 

Ultimately, I liked how this map turned out, but the journey to get there was a bit torturous.

[Pechudin]

MAP05: Skyline (Kills: 100%, Secrets: 171, Deaths: 0)

    So, this map takes place on a rooftop of some large building, which is evident from the water-tower(?) series of rooms (really loved the cute skyscrapers and the streets below). I guess the first comparison that jumps to mind is the Going Down MAP01 (and a later map in that set). This one is more open though, and has more cover. Still, the start is hectic (doubly so on pistol start I believe, did not try) until you carve yourself a small niche, and then open up the second area. Enough health to go around, thankfully.

 

    The Blue Key 'puzzle' stumped me the first time I played the map. At first it reminded me of a puzzle in D2TWID MAP09 where you had to get on a rising platform, but stepping on it would trigger it to lower. But! I remembered that the lowering action cannot be performed until the platform has fully risen. Thus I spent about 9-10 tries sprinting from the switch to the platform and cursing DoomGuy's phat hitbox (and you, @Phobus) every time I got stuck on a pillar. The solution was simpler than I though, and I resolved to always check switches for multiple uses in the future.

 

    Speaking of things I did different, I found the Rocket Launcher! This time the trigger was more obvious, but it tested my 'gotta go fast' skills to barely reach the reward. Even then, almost all of the rockets got spent on the Fatsos on the pillars. Maybe I could've used them to infight the mass of Imps but gibbing them with the RL was far more satisfying.

 

    The final area was a nice little gauntlet, trivial compared to the previous areas (well, except that Berserk trap that almost cost me my life since I suck at Berserking and DoomGuy switched weapons painfully slowly). Maybe that final switch area could've been more detailed? All in all, nice map. And the music was fitting.