The DWmegawad Club plays: Demonfear & 1000 Lines 2

[Phobus]

MAP07: The only damage I took here was in going for 100% items and dipping into the lava to grab the health bonuses and chaingun (the latter for ammo). Playing continuous, I didn't have enough rockets to clear the first room with the rocket launcher, but it was still the obvious opening weapon, as the beefy first encounter provides plenty of space. The SSG was the clean-up tool of choice. After that, it was as easy as taking out Imps, Demons and a couple of Mancubi with ample ammo and plenty of cover. Both secrets really require the player to just press on walls that stand out, but are camouflaged by symmetry. I imagine in '95, playing keyboard only and relying on autoaim at a low resolution, the start of this map would have been pretty intimidating. Maybe on a pistol start ammo would've felt tight, too.

 

MAP08: This map really rewards continuous play, presenting you with a firing squad that can be taken on comfortably with a chaingun (doubly do with mouselook and free aiming). The Pain Elemental mixes things up in a big way and is a priority target that you can't close in on too easily thanks to the hitscanners and Imps up high that you can't ignore long enough! In a way, this map works nicely without infinitely tall monsters, as it allows the Lost Souls to be thrown into your safe space at the bottom of the stairs much more easily, thus forcing more movement, dodging and target switching. On the other hand, once you've beaten the initial two-thirds of the map and seen the final third, default GZDoom settings trivialise it in a way that only something like The Icon of Sin can compare to. If you take the risk and grab the rockets from the lifts before taking on the AV, Chaingunners and Barons at the end, and are playing with mouselook and free aim, like me, there's nothing stopping you standing with your back to the central platform, between the two sets of stairs and being impossible for the Chaingunners and Baron of Hell to hit (unless they're standing at the top of the stairs). Then you can wait for the Arch-Vile to begin attacking and rocket it in the face, before running forward for cover (if he's not flinched). Not sure that'd work with autoaim! Saying that, the alternative of using the switch on the central platform for cover and using rockets is pretty safe too, as long as you don't stay out long enough for the chaingunners to do much damage. There's enough health and armour around to make taking a few hits affordable. Hell, you could even get up there and mix it up (or rush the exit switch) as there's pillars for cover there, too. Quite a versatile setup, all told.

[Cheesewheel]

MAP07 - Pretty easy to render the hell nobles impotent. only trouble I had was rushing to the high ground and running face first into a mancubus.

 

MAP08 - This map is a really fun microcosm of progression on pistol start. As you clear a tier of enemies, upgrade your weaponary and then repeat. I enjoyed the pressure the flying enemies and archvile put on you to move quickly.

[Snikle]

MAP07 - The Wall

This one was a little harder than anything we’ve faced so far. For me, this was primarily due to the lack of supplies once you use up what you can get at the beginning. A little more health and ammo in the back rooms would have done wonders for this level. Like those two rockets you get when you flip the switch in the back, why not make those boxes of rockets? Or one box of rockets and one box of shells? Oh well, I still enjoyed the challenge here. More than I can say for HR2.

 

MAP08 - The Hatred

Another super short map, but this one still packs a lot of punch. There’s almost nothing to do in the level but kill and exit, but there’s quite the range of shit to kill. Baron, AV, PE, tons of chaingunners, imps, and sergeants. And they’re all there when you start, nothing opens or warps in. So you need to get your bearings. I died the first time because I rushed for the chainsaw, and the auto-swapping got me defenseless long enough to be killed. The chaingun and SSG are up on the tiers above the starting area, be sure to grab them. I really enjoyed this, it’s certainly not “boring ‘90s”.

[galileo31dos01]

On 10/2/2020 at 8:02 PM, Capellan said:

Not sure which map this is - there's nothing like that in dfearlvl.txt that I can see.

 

I worded it lazily, I could swear for example the texts from maps 22 and 23 talked about content that wasn't in the maps but it can be my mistake, will look into that in a minute.

 

EDIT: Just checked map 22, the cwilv displayed in the intermission was from map 23. 

 

Looking at the lumps in SLADE, cwilv00 displays the text that in dfearlvl is map 02. In addition, cwilv29 displays the title of the corresponding map 30, while the correct text is in cwilv28. This is with all the cwilv lumps so yeah that's where the issue is. I'm using the idgames version, perhaps this got fixed in the newest that's been posted here?

Edited October 4, 2020 by galileo31dos01

[Capellan]

2 hours ago, galileo31dos01 said:

EDIT: Just checked map 22, the cwilv displayed in the intermission was from map 23. 

 

Are you using GZDoom?  @P41R47 notes that there is an issue with said family of ports, over in his thread about the midipack.

[galileo31dos01]

22 minutes ago, Capellan said:

 

Are you using GZDoom?  @P41R47 notes that there is an issue with said family of ports, over in his thread about the midipack.

 

I use Crispy Doom, this issue in particular is not related to source ports but to incorrect cwilvxx naming. Shouldn't this text display for map 02?

 

[P41R47]

3 hours ago, galileo31dos01 said:

 

I worded it lazily, I could swear for example the texts from maps 22 and 23 talked about content that wasn't in the maps but it can be my mistake, will look into that in a minute.

 

EDIT: Just checked map 22, the cwilv displayed in the intermission was from map 23. 

 

Looking at the lumps in SLADE, cwilv00 displays the text that in dfearlvl is map 02. In addition, cwilv29 displays the title of the corresponding map 30, while the correct text is in cwilv28. This is with all the cwilv lumps so yeah that's where the issue is. I'm using the idgames version, perhaps this got fixed in the newest that's been posted here?

 

2 minutes ago, galileo31dos01 said:

 

I use Crispy Doom, this issue in particular is not related to source ports but to incorrect cwilvxx naming. Shouldn't this text display for map 02?

 

 

 

All the cwilvs patches were made so you read what you will found on the next map. And so on.

Thats why i started from map02 cwilv on map01.

 

Puting the same info from the map you already exited seems redundat and not good way to tell the story.

 

Some probably see it, some probably not, but the backstory or at least the story that Capellan wrote for map01 is accesible  by pressing F1 to bring the help info on screen.

 

When you finish map29 the text displayed is what the next map will show. That why while entering map30 the cwilv"Demonfear" appeard. To add a little dramatism. I could just use a transparent cwilv without nothing, like i did for every map prior to a proper text screen.

[Capellan]

15 hours ago, guitardz said:

"I've got everything set to Doom strict now"

 

Except your lost souls are 1/2 strength :)

 

[tmorrow]

map09

We've got to raise the bridge. The main threat is the archvile and once he's gone, you can control the pace.

map10

The initial 2 hellknights and imps are the only real obstacle. The exit is the tiniest shuttle I've ever seen! Must be nanotechnology at its finest! There's no stopping progress.

[loveless]

prboom+, no saves, uv pistol starts  
 
map 5
deaths 2
man, hitscan without armor is brutal.  i feel blessed to have discovered the green armor when there are only 3-5 monsters remaining. 

Spoiler

 

 

map 6

deaths 0

can't believe i was going to try and chaingun a baron.  shout out to the red key door for helping me.

Spoiler

 

 

map 7

deaths 0

no silly manc/arach thing, very nice.

Spoiler

 

 

map 8

deaths 2

those rockets off to the side would've been nice toward the end.  two barons and chaingunners getting raised over and over, barely having enough shells to ssg snipe everything.

Spoiler

 

demonfear demos 5-8.7z

[VanaheimRanger]

2 hours ago, Capellan said:

 

Except your lost souls are 1/2 strength :)

 

Lol, yes, this will never change.

[golbeeze]

Maps 05-10

The wad continues to be enjoyable and short. Some of the levels have felt repetitive, but overall really fun combat. I'm pretty far behind with commentary, so my mind may be blending things together as I try to think of something other than "doors."

 

[DJVCardMaster]

MAP07 - "The Wall"  (86%K/100%I/100%S):

Difficult cramped map filled with nobles, the ones that I tried to ignore for the most part, as they were pretty dirty, blocking most of your maneuver. It was a difficult map because of the little space, but really nice as a "bossfight". I have a doubt anyways, as it is the MAP07, I killed all the mancubi, but I did not notice any change, so I feel tag 666 is not used here, as far as I can know.

MAP08 - "The Hatred"  (14%K/0%I/100%S):

Pretty cool looking map totally inspired from Thy Flesh Consumed, it was pretty good and challenging until I noticed you can ignore everything and run straight to the exit, that's what I did, I was not willing to bother with so many hellfire.

Deaths: 11 (UV Playthrough - Chocolate Doom)

Order of preference:

 

Spoiler

MAP03
MAP07
MAP06
MAP05
MAP04
MAP02
MAP01
MAP08

 

[Endless]

MAP07: The Wall

LZDoom

UV

 

The truth is that I didn't feel any kind of sensation of being on a wall or anything like that, it's more like a big green marble box with a few enemies. The initial area can be a bit difficult for the Barons or Hellknights, but once they are mastered the rest becomes easier.

 

MAP08: The Hatred

 

 

One path, one destination. A map so brown that Quake would be embarrassed. This one is hot and somewhat challenging. Despite its simple appearance, the positioning of enemies is not bad for the 90s. It's not perfect, but it's fun, I would even say quite tactic.

[Pseudonaut]

Map09: UV-Max in 1:11
Another one where I did lots of attempts, 35 of them in this case. I think this might be my favorite map so far. It's not as RNG-based as the previous map, and there's plenty of fun challenge to be had from the arachnotron, chaingunners, revenants, and especially the arch-vile that is inconveniently placed near a pinky and hell knight. I could've had a time of about 1:05 here if I didn't fall off at the end.

 

Map10: UV-Max in 1:46
This was only my second exit, didn't feel like grinding it for a really good time. Narrow corridors like these have never been a favorite of mine, but it's still a good map.
 

Demos:

DF09-10.zip

[Biodegradable]

Demonfear: MAP09 - The Bridge

UV | Continuous with Saves | GZDoom + Final Doomer

 

Starting off being plinked by a Chaingunner by an open window, how rude! Very cheeky. I think this is probably one of the breezier maps so far as Tmorrow aptly put it, once you've gotten rid of the Archvile, you very much have control over the rest of the pace of the run. I liked the look of this one with its wooden architecture held together with iron bars and the extra detailing of the flag thingies and bookshelves. Also reviewing my footage, I missed the secret in the Blue Skull room because the the sounds of multiple doors opening and closing distracted me and I didn't notice. Kicking myself lmao

 

Demonfear: MAP10 - The Shuttle Bay

UV | Continuous with Saves | GZDoom + Final Doomer

 

This was a funny techbase, I'm not sure why (perhaps it was all the doors) but I kept getting the impression there was more to the map that I just wasn't finding even though there isn't. Funny how something as simple as using multiple, different shaped doors can give you that kind of illusion.

 

 

[loveless]

 

prboom+, no saves, uv pistol starts  
 
map 9
deaths 1
wow, this was exciting. very intense from beginning to end, felt like i was low-hp until the very end. 

Spoiler

 

 

map 10

deaths 0

always the small ones i get the most lost. 

Spoiler

 

 

demonfear demos 9-10.7z

[Phobus]

MAP09: Well, well, my first death! The chaingunner behind me at the start in the little tower got a few hits in before I sorted him out, and then after I'd killed the invading Demon and chaingunned the two Revenants, I poked my head out of the door to pick off the stuff down on the ground and an Arch-Vile attacked! I didn't know where he was until too late, and didn't know where to take cover as a result. So I loaded up my save at the start of the level and used my continuous loadout, armed with the foreknowledge of this failure, to methodically chew through the map. This map is pretty good, and packs a lot into it's small footprint. The secret teleporter was easy enough to stumble upon, but I took a while to find the other secret, even knowing what I've picked up from the previous maps. Unfortunately, once you've cleared out the first 30-odd monsters, which is pretty straight forward on continuous when you're not being surprised, the map is unpopulated. A bit of pacing with a delayed warp-in after grabbing the key or something would be nice. Still, a very solid little map!

 

MAP10: Back to business as usual in this map, with plenty of doors, little threat from any given encounter and some representative architecture. I like the implication of a bigger world brought on by the barred-off doors and the enemies behind and on top of the crates in the blocked off corridor. The effect of the gantry extending as you walk towards the rocket at the end was very nice, too! I came across the secrets quite fluidly here, noticing the odd-texture-out on my first pass. I suppose with maps this small and mapping in the 90s style, there's not too many places to hide them. Hell, you could just hump every wall, Wolf3D style, without losing too much time! For all the general smallness and easiness of the maps, I'm having a lot of fun with the quick action, and the frequent discrete encounters brought on by the room-door-room-door habit is refreshing, after playing so many more modern maps.

 

 

And so concludes another episode! This one is appreciably more difficult, and you can see the struggles from a pistol start pretty clearly. On continuous, the hot starts are tempered by the carried-over firepower, allowing you to engage the often heavy initial opposition and then push forward to mop up and refill your supplies for the next map. The theme has been a bit less consistent than the first episode, whilst the increasing enemy variety has been pretty effective in adding excitement to the short bursts of activity. Really good stuff so far - particularly for the time.

[VanaheimRanger]

 

[golbeeze]

I like the arena feel of a bunch of these levels. 

[Snikle]

MAP09 - The Bridge

Another toughie, although mostly due to sloppy playing rather than the level itself. Chaingunners were my downfall most of the times I died. The AV, on the other hand, was engaging and fun as hell to deal with, especially with the ammo pressure as well. I had to ‘zerk it to death. Also, a proud moment of acrobatics for me, I dodged a rev rocket at the end by ducking below it by running down the stairs. Fun little level, for sure.

 

MAP10 - The Shuttle Bay

I was kind of expecting this to be longer, because of the split at the start. I assumed the other side would open eventually, but I guess not. Level was still pretty short, like the previous ones. A little too corridor-heavy for my tastes, a lots of HKs in small spaces, and even a Baron in one at the end. The visuals were kind of surprising for the ‘90s, actually. Lots of small details, especially in the opening area and the area near the blue door. Not one of my favorites so far, but still plenty fun and interesting.

[tmorrow]

map11

We have arrived at a space station, this one full of doors. Depending on which way you go, there will be some backtracking to lower the red key.

map12

A small city of buildings with some narrow sewer tunnels to explore. The only real danger is if you meet the archvile before picking up the super shotgun or berserk pack.

[Capellan]

Belated realisation: one of the reasons these maps have so many doors?  In 1995 I didn't know how block sound lines worked, and this was a way to brute force it.

 

Edit to add: also, on map09, the blue banners in the BK room are supposed to tip you off that the blue banners elsewhere are a blue door.  In 2020, I got stuck for a few seconds on this, myself :)

Edited October 5, 2020 by Capellan

[Endless]

19 minutes ago, Capellan said:

Belated realisation: one of the reasons these maps have so many doors?  In 1995 I didn't know how block sound lines worked, and this was a way to brute force it.

 

Edit to add: also, on map09, the blue banners in the BK room are supposed to tip you off that the blue banners elsewhere are a blue door.  In 2020, I got stuck for a few seconds on this, myself :)

The doors are part of the charm man! lol

[Capellan]

My commentary for maps 11-15 & 31-32 is up.  As always. preview image is hidden for spoilers, since this includes the maps for tomorrow and (3/4 of) Thursday.

 

https://youtu.be/yLSFknGY8Pg

 

[golbeeze]

Maps 11 and 12

I didn't care for the O of Destruction style map. It just felt repetitive moving around in a circle. I did, however, thoroughly enjoy map 12. It was a neat little "city" area. It felt a lot like those Mario levels where you are "big" and everything around you is small. All the little "huts" felt like they should be seen as full sized buildings, but you and the demons are enormous for some reason. I don't know if anyone else felt that way, but I really enjoyed it.

[galileo31dos01]

05. Sporadic teleportations outside of the house was a fun idea to keep players on their toes. The setup comes with its flaws, a couple baby imps took minutes to come in, they lost track of their mom I assumed. You can also leave the YK for last, without firing a single shot things won't teleport, not that you'd think of that from the get go.

 

06. Few corridors, few weaklings, two barons and that was pretty much it. I saw a stuck chaingunner on a corner for a moment until it actually walked away from it, weird. Music felt familiar, where has it been used before? 

 

07. IIRC, I left the map with 10 shells and one missing secret. Out of curiosity I gave it another try, this time gathered just enough for a cyberdemon, if there happened to be any, so ammo is well judged for me with a backup chainsaw.  

 

08. The start was hot, and not just because of flammable skulls flying everywhere. Archvile loved reviving gunner after gunner rather than attacking me, so things slowed down a bit eventually.

 

09. I don't have much to say, was nice to see an arachnotron outside. Too bad I couldn't weaponize it like I usually want to.

 

10. I found two pinkies humping two spectres at the end, or viceversa. No kink-shaming but that looked wrong in several ways. Interesting thing, the A side was sealed, so your correct way is D, and I didn't hesitate going for the D (:

[Capellan]

They're intended to signify Arrivals and Departures, for the record :)

[Biodegradable]

Demonfear: MAP11 - Space Station

UV | Continuous with Saves | GZDoom + Final Doomer

 

First stand-out map to me in a while. The close-quarters layout combined with clean, sterile tech textures and skinny doors gave me a good sense of tension and encouraged me to try and use my trusty chainsaw to conserve ammo and teach the demons how to make jack-o-lanterns with their own fucking faces!  

 

Demonfear: MAP12 - Edge of the City

UV | Continuous with Saves | GZDoom + Final Doomer

 

This one, for some odd reason, made me feel like I was wandering around a cheap rental caravan park or mobile home complex or model village heh. It's rather charming, but also deadly if you're not careful. Oooh, those pesky Chaingunners.

 

 

[Endless]

MAP09: The Bridge

LZDoom

UV

 

 

This one made me laugh. What once could have been considered a bridge is now more like a small platform that does not stand out that much. A small map with a few enemies that are mostly mied-tiers, with an Arch-Vile keeping us company coming up near the end of the map. It is incredibly simple, which ironically makes the bridge stand out for its innocent vanilla charm.

 

MAP10: The Shuttle Bay

 

 

Well tightened and and full. Plenty of doors and a few rooms. One of the roads has an obstruction of different boxes, on the other side a group of demons walk over them to attack us which I think looked neat. The rest of the map is bland.

 

MAP11: Space Station

 

 

I don't have an exact picture of how we got to space, but we seem to be at a station in space. This is a pretty tight map with several roads and many doors. Its circular design makes it quite easy to navigate in spite of the many different paths, giving it a kind of circuit style that in spite of having a few obstructions, we can complete it quickly.

 

MAP12: Edge of the City

 

 

An urban labyrinth (or so it seems) with a few surprises and even a small drainage system. Simple in appearance but with a little more depth compared to the previous ones; always following the same style and quite tight. Lovely town vibes in that sense.