The DWmegawad Club plays: Three is a Crowd

[tmorrow]

map11

 

This map is cast in darkness. Not pitch black darkness, but dark enough to make spotting the enemy more difficult. Ultimately how dark depends on several factors including your default gamma settings and other sourceport settings. The square sectors with a blue circle in them will provide around 5 seconds of light before reverting back to darkness. You will find them in most of the rooms. Most of the enemies are tier 1 with the occasional tier 2 monster thrown in and there are no really nasty ambushes. The map opens with the most difficult fight the level has to offer.

[Egg Boy]

Map10: And... 10 maps in we get a fairly standard map01. I have a feeling this episode may be a bit more standard than e1. This map feels like it almost could have been plucked straight from Ultimate Doom. A dark maze and some congested corridors make up the main layout, very simple and straightforward combat and progression ensue. Simple, clean fun.

[ElPadrecitoCholo]

Map 10 (Down in the Dark):

 

Status:

*Deaths: 0

*Saves: none

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's a really interesting map, curious for its design and structure that has positions in certain parts of the adventure, although most of these are not remarkable at all, since these architectures placed here are not something new that has not been seen in others Tech-style wads, but still, it's interesting how each room was crafted. Now with the difficulty, it is really different from how it was seen in the beginning, here we only have few enemies, and among the vast majority, they are weak enemies, for example, Hitscanners and Imps, but there are also one or two enemy appearances With more stamina and vitality, such as the Revenant at the end and the Cacodemon in one of the rooms, at least this beginning felt better than the risky start the first Marine had in the adventure.

[ElPadrecitoCholo]

 

Spoiler

Now that I look closely at the final screen of each level, you can see a kind of scene where Marine 1 is trying to grab the yellow key without falling into the trap of the Cage, in the style of Indiana Jones.

 

[golbeeze]

Maps 10 and 11

Map 10 was straightforward but a lot of fun. I grenaded a bunch of fools on a lift before I actually used it. Good times.

Map 11 had a light gimmick I didn't like. So I turned on my flashlight mode like normal. I have never been a fan of darkness-as-a-gameplay-mechanic in any game. Guess how I feel about DOOM 3... Still a fun map though.

[kalaeth]

MAP 11 : Ah yes, the lights on lights off map. Kill the imps, light the light, pick a side.. Brown door it is. Nukage pool and a yellow key far away. Into the labyrinth we go, shotgun in hand.. Oh, secret RL! Good. Stair, yellow key, lost souls. Yellow key, yellow door, more imps, a switch and a chaingun oh yeah. Back to the start, grey door now, in the darkness a switch we find, cross the corridor and crushers crush, pass the path and crates we find. Lost soul, pinky imp, turn on the lights and climb the crates. A secret switch something did, a path to the soulsphere, it would appear. Blue armored, blue sphered, red keyed here I go. Main room again, a door yet unopened we press : in the dark a few imps fail to impress, yellow door, either one, another imp and a mancubus on the way to the end. Secrets still amiss, couple monsters too, I walk back and try to find walls that are different to grind.Oh, a map and lights to spare! One more secret, that I'd missed because the trigger line I did not cross.. And lost souls lost on labyrinthic darkness I found and with my pistol I shot. All is done, the end is here, at 14 minutes and 47 seconds I died not once and killed all foes, found all secrets, but left out items.

 

totals : 3 deaths and 2h39m05s

 

[akolai]

Hey there. New guy round here.
First couple levels were really offputting, but I'm giving these later ones a shot.
 

MAP11: Interesting gimmick, but I would've had a better time of it if I'd realised the pads light the place up before the 5 minute mark. The secrets weren't too obfuscated, which would have been awful for this type of map. Regardless, it's pretty average as a tech base level, but it does try to differentiate itself from 'tech base with faulty electricals' in terms of gameplay and layout - the crushers work particularly well with the moody atmosphere.
The two yellow doors at the end were also broken - the right was stuck open, and the left was locked shut, but only from one side.

[EDIT: I'm playing on prboom+, which makes the darkness even more extreme, and (I THINK) in some cases, can make spectres literally invisible. Probably worked out for the best, since it made constant light pad abuse even more of a necessity]

Was definitely worth a shot, overall.

On the note of club etiquette:

1. Are dates decided by the poster's timezone?

2. How do we handle the secret maps?

Edited November 11, 2020 by akolai
realised lighting effects could factor into this

[Phobus]

@akolai - For question #1 - yes, your timezone decides the date, so some people are playing near enough a day ahead of others here even without anybody falling behind. For #2, if you find the secret exits (or are pistol starting) you can slot them in on the 15th and 16th. If you want to check them out after the map is done, then the 30th (or 31st, where applicable) is just as good. It's pretty loose here, though, so if the secret maps are taking up your time too much, you can always pace yourself out over the rest of the month with an eye to catching up by the end. Just be aware of spoilers in other people's posts if you're worried about that sort of thing!

 

MAP11: Lightbringer

A great map to test out your brightmaps and GLDEFs on... Although the ones I'm using are so effective that they rather trivialise the concept. As the monster blocking line at the start did to the initial battle, when I backed in and the Demons couldn't get to me. The Spectres later in the map took away my advantage somewhat, but are also something I do myself in a lot of my maps, so it wasn't too tough for me. My playing experience was pretty similar to the last map, all told. I was impressed with the light fade effect that limits the effect of the lighting platforms, and would be interested to see how that works, but even without the gimmick it's a reasonably solid, easy map. I like the story connection coming through in the intermission text and look forward to something a bit more traditional in the next map... Hopefully.

[Omniarch]

MAP11: Lightbringer - 100% kills 100% secrets

I really like this one. Lightbringer is essentially a rock-solid techbase elevated high above its station by the careful integration of a highly original gimmick.

 

The use of low light levels as an integral part of a map's gameplay and progression will always be a tricky thing to get right. This is mainly for two reasons, the first being that players often resent having their vision, and thus their ability to make decisions and react to stimuli severely and 'unfairly' reduced, which is fair enough. The other reason is more technical, and has to do with the way various ports handle sector lighting, as various other posts in this here thread demonstrate.

 

This map solves the first problem by making the low-vision state an active and dynamic part of play, giving the player some control over the light level and making that control an essential part of the challenge. The second problem is hard to solve, impossible even, so I can not fault the map for this inevitability. Since I play any wad I can with Crispy Doom, this is not an issue for me.

 

In terms of progression, Lightbringer essentially revolves around the acquisition of the red and yellow keys. The path to the former involves navigating a crusher room that would be less than trivial in a normally-lit room, but when combined with the map's gimmick makes for an interesting though still fairly easy challenge. The room after this is a rather sparsely-inhabited crate room that would be downright bland in any other context.

 

It think it is fair to say that the yellow key area is by far the more interesting of the two. The combination of a mazey layout, damaging floors and beefier opposition make it far more challenging than the other path.

 

The other interesting thing about this map is how easy secret-hunting would be if it were not for the darkness. My favourite of the three secrets, the rocket launcher and radsuit alcove in the yellow key area, is just blatantly sitting there, out in the open, but my irrational fear of the inky black meant I actually walked right past it the first time I ran through the area.

 

In general, I think Lightbringer is most notable for using its unique mechanic to make fairly standard Doom 1 base crawling far more interesting. I think the combination of the familiar with a bit of Scypek2-brand originality is successful recipe, though perhaps not as flavourful as some of the wad's more exotic offerings.

 

Actually, a part of me really wishes this map's gimmick would reappear in a more complex form in a later level, though I don't think it likely. There is so much potential in the concept that a fairly standard techbase simply does not do justice. Ah well, can't have everything.

 

 

Before I wrap this up, there are two aspects of 3IAC which I have taken little notice of up until now that I wish to note today: music and the deathmatch arenas.

 

Now, I have always enjoyed the wad's music. It is undoubtedly odd, but highly appropriate given the nature of the wad. This time though, the midi really struck a chord with me. It starts out so much like 'The Imp's Song' that I always mistake it for E1M2's theme, before it evolves into something much darker and more foreboding. The combination of familiarity with an edge of the otherworldly really captures the spirit of the level. Come to think of it, I don't recognize any of the music in this wad. @Scypek2, would you care to illuminate?

 

 

The deathmatch areas are an interesting addition. Since I personally never do multiplayer, these areas are normally of little interest to me. This time though, the integration of the arena into one of the level's secrets intrigued me, and, after taking a closer look at some of the other deathmatch areas, I must say they would be rather interesting to play. Maybe I should give MP a shot sometime.

 

 

Overall, a good map with an interesting and well-executed gimmick.

 

On a different note, I must say I am getting quite burned out by these rather long writeups. I think in future I will save my more in-depth rambling for the maps that really stand out to me.

[akolai]

1 hour ago, Phobus said:

@akolai - For question #1 - yes, your timezone decides the date, so some people are playing near enough a day ahead of others here even without anybody falling behind.

Cool, I'm taking advantage of that with the power of 2am AU time.

 

 

MAP12: Adjustable Diode

 

One of this map's secrets annoyed me greatly. I spent about 20 minutes with a map, idclip and eventually an EDITOR to work it out. (I might just be dumb)

 

The loop rooms are a really neat idea, and I loved being dropped in the middle of it for the final proper fight (as if the loop had somehow been 'broken'), but the one-way doors mean I have to play ring around a rosie after missing my stop by one door. The switch secret is cool, and already gets you thinking outside of the loop.

 

Nukage area had too many lost souls for my liking, and felt way too open and empty once the first wave was dealt with - but that first wave felt like it throws out just enough enemies to force you into the drink (unless you're playing sensibly, and clearing areas before moving forward).

 

The invuln is kind of necessary for that moshpit fight, so I understand why it's there, but it still kills the drama. I would've given out a megasphere instead, and lowered the number of fodder enemies in the pit.

 

Generally a good map (excluding the first room, which is kind of boring), but I'll never not be salty about that damn secret.

Edited November 11, 2020 by akolai
attachments arent letting themselves fade away into the abyss

[P41R47]

50 minutes ago, Omniarch said:

On a different note, I must say I am getting quite burned out by these rather long writeups. I think in future I will save my more in-depth rambling for the maps that really stand out to me.

Please, continue with them.

Your insightful and detailed reviews are really a joy to read.

Specially since i had an special place in my heart for this megawad.

[Omniarch]

Just now, P41R47 said:

Please, continue with them.

Your insightful and detailed reviews are really a joy to read.

Specially since i had an special place in my heart for this megawad.

Thanks for the compliment :) I put a lot of effort into my writings, so I'm glad to see you enjoy them!

 

Don't worry, I will continue posting daily, its just that I will save the really long writeups for the maps I find most interesting.

 

And I agree that this megawad is something special. I have a feeling 3IAC will end up sitting beside No End In Sight and Alien Vendetta in my top three megawads.

[Egg Boy]

Map11: Another short, e1-like map, but with a twist. Like the last map, this one features a lighting based gimmick, though, a more interesting one, directly controlled by the player. This map was good fun! 

[Scypek2]

4 hours ago, Omniarch said:

Now, I have always enjoyed the wad's music. It is undoubtedly odd, but highly appropriate given the nature of the wad. This time though, the midi really struck a chord with me. It starts out so much like 'The Imp's Song' that I always mistake it for E1M2's theme, before it evolves into something much darker and more foreboding. The combination of familiarity with an edge of the otherworldly really captures the spirit of the level. Come to think of it, I don't recognize any of the music in this wad. @Scypek2, would you care to illuminate?

 

Aside from a handful of IWAD tracks, all the music in the wad was made by @Ribbiks, @Crunchynut44, and @Doomkid! Here's a detailed track list I wrote down:

 

Spoiler

D_DM2TTL - spicecave
D_DM2INT - intense
D_EVIL   - mygit

D_RUNNIN - D_E1M2                > composed by Bobby Prince	
D_STALKS - The Devil's Riff     \
D_COUNTD - Sent From Hell        |
D_BETWEE - The Dank              |
D_DOOM   - The Devil's Riff      | composed by
D_THE_DA - Crumbling             | Crunchynut44
D_SHAWN  - The Dank              |
D_DDTBLU - Sent From Hell        |
D_IN_CIT - Stomping Grounds     /

D_DEAD   - D_E2M2                > composed by Bobby Prince
D_STLKS2 - Satan
D_THEDA2 - dfd3
D_DOOM2  - Red Alert
D_DDTBL2 - Dark Expanse
D_RUNNI2 - nip
D_DEAD2  - Red Alert
D_STLKS3 - dfd5
D_ROMERO - Satan

D_SHAWN2 - D_E3M2                    > composed by Bobby Prince
D_MESSAG - Minimal Animal           \
D_COUNT2 - NIN - Head Like A Hole    |
D_DDTBL3 - JKwon - Tipsy             |
D_AMPIE  - Denied                    | composed by
D_THEDA3 - Minimal Animal            | DoomKid
D_ADRIAN - Wasted                    |
D_MESSG2 - JKwon - Tipsy             |
D_ROMER2 - NIN - Head Like A Hole   /

D_TENSE  - spicecave
D_SHAWN3 - party-is-dead
D_OPENIN - Triage

D_ULTIMA - Dark Expanse

everything else composed by Ribbiks

 

Interestingly, most of Ribbiks' midis I used (all except Satan, Red Alert, Dark Expanse and Triage) have been speed midis. I've listened to many midi packs, and I think Ribbiks' speed midi series have been the most consistently enjoyable.

 

 

Anyway, back to the map commentary:

 

MAP09: Futile Ascent

The previous map concluded with you approaching a big floating island from below, and now you get to climb the tower that's on top of it! This is the 12th map I made, well before the previous six. It also employs my favorite vanilla alternative to silent teleporters, which I like to call Loud Teleporters - things that obviously teleport you, but mislead you as to where they teleport you exactly. I employed one of those before in MAYhem 2048, to make the map feel bigger than it really is, and now I decided to use several to create this multi-story structure. I put a whole bunch of mountains and details outside to really sell the effect. The new music suits the map exceptionally well I think, and creates a foreboding feeling alongside the weapons all scattered on the staircase in front of you. One of the little things I really like in this map is the progress meter alongside the three switches. I'm also glad with how distinct all the rooms feel, in gameplay and visuals alike. The first floor was made out of green marble initially, but then I decided that color fits the top floor better, so I repainted the bottom one red. @Doom_Dude's red demon face texture helped immensely, it's so much better than a boring old recolor.

 

As you conclude the map, one of the major story elements takes place: you attempt to kill the Icon of Sin, but archviles attack you and knock you off! I tested that bit extensively to ensure you can't just kill them all AND stay on the platform, but it might still be doable... though very difficult, I'd imagine. The only way I can think of is to fire up the BFG before the archies can even pop up, and step off the platform at the perfect moment so that the archies not dead yet will blast you back on top of it. I figured that a player who pulls something this difficult may as well be allowed to wreck the storyline and skip the death exit as a reward... since a casual player is near-guaranteed to miss it, unless they play with a gameplay mod that gives them BFG10k or something equally overpowered.

 

MAP10: Down in the dark

The 7th map I made. The beginning of the second episode, and it opens with one of the other two protagonists trying and failing to follow the first one into the ravine, then setting out to find some other way to save him. It's one of multiple maps that revisit previously seen areas, and this one's unique in that it lets you explore the entirety of MAP01 again. You even get rewarded with a chainsaw for doing so! Which makes sense, since the first protagonist also found a chainsaw there. Too bad he took the BFG and the double barrel inside the ravine with him!

 

In the level proper, the most notable is the dark basement with the flashing light. This is a trick I first saw in MAP03 of A.L.T., and I fell in love with it immediately. All it takes is a dark sector with effect 8, and a linedef action that makes it bright. It gets bright, fades down to its original level, and then stays there instead of pulsating back and forth like the sector type 8 normally would. I already used it in MAP03 of my NaNoWADMo 2018 project... though it was pretty minor there. In this map it plays a much more significant role, and even that it's only a teaser before the next level...

 

In the meantime, there's the familiar (to the player, but not to this protagonist...) hellish exit door that then melts into a more conventional tech-styled one while you're distracted with a revenant. Blink and you'll miss it! There's also an inconsequential little gargoyle jumpscare that may show up later. Two final minor things I like about this map is how the low tier opposition makes the revenant feel like a boss enemy, and how the inaccessible symmetrical bits in the last room make the place feel more realistic.

 

MAP11: Lightbringer

The 8th map I made, and the culmination of multiple interesting light-related facts I learned. The possibility of making once-fading lights like described before, and the fact that you can set the light level to more than 255. At first, I thought that "light change to brightest adjacent" would require me to attach absolutely everything to a control sector, but nope - it just takes the value from the trigger linedef's sector! That made things a whole lot easier, and also meant I was free to sprinkle some decorative details here and there, such as the first light pad with a very 3d-looking structure on its upper part.

I like the mancubus encounter at the end. It's like a boss fight of the level, just the the revenant on the previous map. From map12 onward though, the mid-tiers are back in fashion.

 

5 hours ago, Omniarch said:

The deathmatch areas are an interesting addition. Since I personally never do multiplayer, these areas are normally of little interest to me. This time though, the integration of the arena into one of the level's secrets intrigued me, and, after taking a closer look at some of the other deathmatch areas, I must say they would be rather interesting to play. Maybe I should give MP a shot sometime.

 

Fun fact - the pillar-filled room seen from the secret used to be just a decorative thing at first, before I decided to put some deathmatch starts in there just for kicks, and that in turn inspired me to make all the other levels more or less deathmatch compatible. The secret itself didn't exist initially, either - I think it was either @joe-ilya or one of the people watching his stream who suggested that this would be the perfect level for a lite-amp secret, and so I added one, but only right at the very end, since it totally breaks the entire challenge.

 

If you ever wanted to try 3IAC multiplayer out with me, I'd be down with it! I'm not much of a deathmatch person either, so I guess our skill levels would match well enough! Some of the levels are quite likely so suck, but others, such as MAP10, were entertaining enough even against bots.

[Omniarch]

6 minutes ago, Scypek2 said:

Answer to music question

Ah, that explains why the midis had such strong melodies. Doomkid and Ribbiks are great musicians. Never heard of Crunchynut44 though, I'll have to check their stuff out now!

 

5 minutes ago, Scypek2 said:

Interesting stuff about MAP11

I really enjoy this sort of vanilla trickery. I feel one can only really appreciate this sort of thing if you understand the limitations under which it was achieved. Strange as it may seem, I will always be more impressed by creative uses of vanilla specials than any technical feat achievable in Boom or Zternity (within reason).

 

3 minutes ago, Scypek2 said:

If you ever wanted to try 3IAC multiplayer out with me, I'd be down with it! I'm not much of a deathmatch person either, so I guess our skill levels would match well enough! Some of the levels are quite likely so suck, but others, such as MAP10, were entertaining enough even against bots.

I would enjoy that, if I ever figure out how Doom multiplayer works!

[Snikle]

I'm fucking pissed that life's been so busy lately and I'm falling further behind in the WAD I voted for and am enjoying so much (And that I also don't have much time at all for my Boaty McBoatface map). I don't have as much work next week, hopefully I can catch up...

 

MAP06 – Emergence

A castle rises from the ground, what fun! Inside the castle is a lot of fun but cramped encounters arranged in a way that would make Tom Hall blush. The fights were fun, although I wish I didn’t waste all my cell ammo before I got to the cyberdemon. Oh well, it added some more tension to the final fight, so it was a blessing in disguise. I’m still super behind so I won’t write much more, but this was another enjoyable level.

Edited November 11, 2020 by Snikle

[ElPadrecitoCholo]

MAP11 (Lightbringer):

 

Status:

*Deaths: 0

*Saves: none

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's a very interesting map, it really seems to be all dark, and the fact that there are "flashlights" on the ground is really cool, a very interesting concept, but well, getting into the background with the map itself, it really has an interesting structure, it has Also areas with a lot of toxic green liquid, and to top it off, it has crusher traps in a specific area, everything else on the map is quite technological, it is almost the same as the previous map, with the only difference that the entire level is practically at dark, although fortunately or unfortunately, however you want to see it, I could perfectly see my path thanks to the strange configurations that I had made to my GZDoom 1 or 2 months ago, and I do not remember what it was that I had to achieve such a vision to dark but hey, the point is, that I manage to avoid the traps placed on the map, both from the crushers and from the enemies themselves appearing from various parts, but anyway, the map looks quite gen ial in general appearance. Now with the difficulty, because there is not much to say, since the greatest difficulty on this map is supposedly the total darkness in which you find yourself, from then on, there is no great variety of high resistance or higher vitality enemies, in this map we only find the Hitscanners, the Imps, the Pinkys, Cacodemons, Lost Souls, 1 Mancubus, and 1 Revenant, to tell the truth, it is not a big deal, maximum for an experienced player like me, but with the fact having a lack of light makes it really complicated, unfortunately that was not my case in particular.

[tmorrow]

map12

A techbase with a large toxic waste section. The map name "Diode" gives away the maps gimmick. In this case it is doomguys movement that is mostly one way rather than the flow of current. There are a series of rooms surrounding the yellow key, all connected with one way doors. The yellow key is perched on a ledge opposite the yellow exit door but it turns out you can't reach it until the end of the map after you've found the red key and have progressed through the red door.

The red key setup in the north is interesting. There are 2 ways to reach it, either via the western corridor running north or by passing through the west side toxic waste and finding a tiny lift taking you into the northern area. Whichever path you take will likely block you into one way into and out of the red key area unless you are clever. You can take one path and use the green switch but don't take the newly raised stairs. Instead double back toward the start and then take the other path and use the green switch on that side. Then you will have stairs to take you into and out of the red key area whichever way you wish to go. Taking these steps isn't necessary but makes the red key trap much easier.

The yellow key pickup is made quite easy with the invulnerability provided. To get the most out of it try to kill everything up to the exit. If you have found the berserk pack secret or have plenty of rocket remaining, you won't have any problems.

[kalaeth]

MAP12 : not much to say, love the broken red door. Did a quick play and did not take notes while playing, so here's the status :

11m50s to get 96% kills, 50% secrets.

Total : 2h50m26s, 3 deaths.

(I'll be back to beefier playthroughs tomorrow)

 

 

[Phobus]

MAP12: Adjustable Diode

A nice idea, to have most of the map only flow one way thanks to how the doors work and other neat tricks. I somehow ran out of ammo hopping into the big nukage pool and ended up doing some serious chainsaw work, taking on multiple Cacodemons, Demons, Zombiemen and even a Mancubus before going after the ammo that was clustered around the place. Funnily enough, I didn't have any shortages after that!

 

I found the automap secret, which led me to the Berserk secret, but didn't have any luck with the soulsphere or whatever the fourth secret is meant to be. Obviously my hunting skills are waning a bit, but in maps that are generally low difficulty and mostly staffed with E1 fare, the secrets are far from essential. It helps that there's an Invulnerability for one particularly rough encounter, and that the last map gave me a soulsphere and blue armour that mostly carried over. Our first glimpse of this coniferous forest and overcast sky is a welcome one, and this brighter techbase was an enjoyable place to kill demons in.

[Egg Boy]

Map12: An ammo starving sewer map. Another more generic offering, but I can't say it wasn't fun. The detail of the broken door, which I assume is from the shotgunner behind it, is neat. So far this episode has been a bit less interesting than e1, hopefully it picks up next map.

[Scypek2]

MAP12: Adjustable Diode

This was the first map I made for the project, on October 1st. My plan was to make all the plot-relevant levels first (the beginnings and ends of episodes as well as the epilogue), but the inspiration for this one came to me spontaneously and of course I couldn't say no. The first "diode" part of this level is the central room, with a lot of one way doors that only go clockwise. The second part of the diode motif is the fact that you have to enter the red keycard room from one side and exit it from the other, but it's up to you which direction you approach it from - hence the "adjustable" part.

This map has one more unrelated interesting gimmick: crates that temporarily sink into nukage as you step on them. They simply have deep untextured holes inside them, and lower as lifts to hide below equally untextured nukage. 32 is the widest possible gap that's still impossible to fall into. The only flaw with this design is that you don't take damage if your center is overlapping the lowered crate bit instead of the nukage sector... but that's not very noticeable.

 

The yellow key bit originally threw you into a pit with enemies in close quarters and no cover, with no aid whatsoever. It's unfair enough that I opted for an invulnerability instead, but that in turn made the encounter easy even after I added plenty more opposition. Maybe I should've beefed it up further still, cause it's not quite satisfying enough as is.

 

It was interesting to have to design two sections that play out equally well when approached from either side! Almost like a palindrome.

[Moravectomascb]

How can I get to that BFG in map 05? I found secret door with switch, which will open door, but how can I get fast to that opened door to BFG? If is it, that I have to be fast to get to teleport and to door, it isnt possible or its only for someone?

 

E:I found it

Some of Czech guys dont like this wad(They play only 1-5 maps), but Ill play it all of maps and find, if was it good or not. Map 01 was medium for me and that ending wasnt function in GLBOOM+ but thanks for unused exit in red door are.

Map02 was interesting idea, I have to see post of one guy, and found whats going on. There I cant have 100% at all. But this wad Ill play it maybe slower than other wads.

Edited November 12, 2020 by Moravectomascb

[tmorrow]

map13

This map is an excellent techbase adventure. You are confined to shotgun and chaingun for most of the level until a rocket launcher finally turns up. The map is tuned with suitable enemies and ambushes and I enjoy the game play.

My favorite section is the area with lots of doors, one leading to the yellow key. Many of the doors are narrow corridors that link up and connect to common areas.

[golbeeze]

Maps 12 and 13

Both were fun, although nothing really stood out to me. They were fairly normal maps. I had irritatingly rapid hiccups while playing so, no commentary.

[akolai]

MAP13: Outpost Facility

 

The first map so far I've had to play twice to come to grips with.

 

The fights themselves may not even be much more intense than many standard encounters in other wads, but what makes these interesting is that they show up in a tech base. You're tuned to the standard play of slowly peeking from cover to methodically clear corridors, which makes it all the more surprising when this map's major ambushes are thrown at you. They are fairly typical and boring outside of a few key examples, unfortunately.

The yellow key room feels really good to take care of prematurely by taking the door to the right first, and I wouldn't be surprised if the creator recognised that players would be drawn to the fight on the right side of the door room, and thus be more likely to clear the doors going right to left. The key grab isn't even a deathtrap when it isn't defused ahead of time, but the mass of zombiemen and imps in such a cramped corridor gives off that impression to anyone who does. It's a really good feeling, and one I don't see enough (or any) opportunities for in most maps.

 

On the other hand, the blue key arena is disappointing as the second half of this level. Stacks of fodder enemies can work on their own, as seen in the remixed teleporter trap earlier in the left path - which is seriously exciting, and manages to trick me into thinking I'm being overwhelmed. Their use in relatively low numbers, in the most expansive room on the map, on the other hand, is rather dull - and the lack of berserk means I can't even try to spice it up.

The archvile placement also seems redundant - it's in a room with a max of one corpse, can't get past you unless you just let it happen, can't dodge rockets as there is no room for jukes, and doesn't even require any wierd, risky peeking to take out - it's a perfectly straight shot from the door to most positions in that room. The only tension involved in anything from the blue key arena to the end of the level is residual from the first half of the level, and the knowledge that you'll have to survive those ambushes a second time if you mess up at some point.

The map could have also given the player more choice in the approach - I was excited at the sight of two branching doors before finding out the path forward on the left is blocked by the red key - but I understand this is somewhat standard for tech bases.

 

The map, overall, is saved by its first half, and the payoff from completing the map is worth the otherwise stale gameplay on the way there.

[Omniarch]

Right, I'm gonna do cover to two maps today, since I got distracted yesterday.

 

MAP12: Adjustable Diode - 100% kills 100% secrets

An interesting techbase level with an unusual progression that utilizes resource scarcity as a major aspect of the difficulty.

 

From a visual perspective, Diode is one of the most refined maps I've seen so far, with many nice details and a complimentary texture scheme. It also introduces the second episode's skybox, which looks really nice, and gives me the impression of a secret research base nestled away in the mountainous reaches of the US pacific northwest.

 

Unlike the last map, most  of the challenge here comes not from the lighting but from the lack of resources and the rather murderous layout. Fodder enemies snipe you, pinkies and specters try to corner and gnash you, lost souls get in the way and waste resources, arachnotrons ambush you and revenants make a real nuisance of themselves in the tight doorways of the central area.

 

The secrets are good enough, relatively easy to find once you get the computer area map, which is the easiest of the secrets.

 

Overall, a good, slightly eccentric techbase that offers a significant challenge.

 

 

MAP13: Outpost Facility / Area Zone (?) - 100% kills 100% secrets

Another odd techbase level, this time feeling like a mix between an early Evilution map and Tricks and Traps.

 

Outpost Facility is certainly eccentric, with beefy opposition for a mid-sized techbase and a rather bizarre layout. There is no strong central gimmick or theme here, and as a result the map is unusually aimless for 3IAC. That's not to say it isn't fun, quite on the contrary, I think something a little less taxing, both to play and to write about, is exactly what I needed at this point in the megawad.

 

Overall, I don't really have anything else to say about this one. Its fun and a nice breather.

[Phobus]

MAP13: Outpost Facility

This is a really good example of how you can sprinkle Doom II enemies into a Knee-Deep in the Dead/Shores of Hell level and make a cohesive, challenging experience that keeps you moving quickly. Part of the charm here is that spaces are generally tight, there's a relatively easy secret for a soulsphere and blue armour early on and the backpack (which I didn't come into the map with) is only available right at the end. You've got (or I had, at least) no SSG and limited rockets, so most combat was me fighting for space against groups of low-tier enemies, almost relying on attrition and stun-locking to kill the enemies off before I got mobbed. The secret "build your own megasphere" gave me the interesting tactic of being able to stand my ground and take a few light hits in order to keep my foothold, or maintain partial cover whilst funnelling the enemies.

 

This fast-paced, exciting combat is enhanced by a very retro arcade MIDI that feels like a perfect choice. The high tempo and claustrophobic confines of the tech base give plenty of opportunities for traps, ambushes and random bits of architecture to open up, often at unexpected angles and whilst you're otherwise preoccupied. A very enjoyable style, close to my own heart. Another invulnerability/Revenant setup here, which seems like a bit of a signature for this episode at this point. Good stuff!

[kalaeth]

MAP 13 : a couple of zombieman placed next to barrels... Ah no, depth perception tricked me, nothing too serious. Unto a techbasey room we go, shotgun in hand, pressing switches, lowering lifts. Up we go into a courtyard of many doors, we start on the left and progress, door by door. Door number one : a pinkie! Door number two : invun. Won't pick it just yet. Door number three : a corridor that leads to a yellow keyed door and speaking of doors, here comes door number four : a barrel and a tunnel, pinkies and imps at the end, and the sixth door too. Fifth door then, corridor corridor yellow key and the trap that would be has already been killed by me.  Seventh door, what is it for? A zombieman and a switch, the stairs go up and a path back I have. Back to door number three, a path with demons waiting to be shot by me. Switches after I open a nukage, back to door number two for the invun, shoot the barrels blow the revenants, cross the nukage and tomatoes fly while the red key stands by. A pain the ass elemental pops up, chaingun says hi until he blows. Back, back I goes, I have a red key but a blue door, back back, further back I go, into the first room and the door on the left, a pinkie was there, is no more, I shot him while I crossed the door. Press a switch, get a chaingun I already had, kill some imps and pinkies and red door here we go. Another switch, another pinkie, an oldschool style secret smiles, the sphere is there, so close so far, I hump the walls but nothing opens, giving up for now I jump down belllow, imps and zombies everywhere I go! A couple pinkies, this room screams danger, I save I press, let's see what the walls have hidden for me. A few pinkies, is that all? A switch in blue and a rocket launcher appears, I was wrong in my fears. Secret one is now found, the exit in my grasp. A couple chaingunners caught me by surprise, but the archville was the evil prize. Killed, well dead are all the monsters. A couple secrets left for me to find! Found the chainsaw, and from here.. Found the outside as well! And then, to the exit I sprint, 26 minutes, not a second more, not a second less, I died not once and killed them all! 

 

total : 3 hours 16 minutes and 26 seconds, 3 deaths, and average of a little less than 1 death / hour of game.

[Scypek2]

MAP13: Outpost Facility

The 11th map I made. It began with the blue key room, as I came up with the idea of having it be inside of a nukage pool that rises, and also having that pool be surrounded by a wall to be lowered, all while releasing more enemies by the very same floor movement actions. This room soon expanded into what became the rest of the level.

 

The name, along with the names of MAP14 and MAP15, is just a snarky jab at the mundane pseudo-realistic names given to many techbase levels. Nuclear bio waste lab enrichment core... whatever! As if your abstract map was gonna incorporate the theme in any way besides maybe tweaking the quantity of crates and nukage a little.

 

As usual, the level is not without a technical gimmick. This one is a comeback of the trick from MAP12: platforms that sink into nukage and reemerge after a while. They're on the path to the red key, and this time, they sink on their own periodically. That means you may have to wait a bit until they reemerge, but an impatient player will only get hurt a little if they decide to just run across anyway.

 

This map also introduces the second leading gimmick of the megawad. During the first 31 days of October, I had my creativity additionally spurred by a friend giving me mapping challenges to complete. I'd have to incorporate a specific gimmick or theme in one of the next few maps, which would reward me with another challenge. The challenges varied in specificity and vagueness, and the one I tackled for this map was rather mundane:

 

"In the next five maps, you must include a room with seven doors in one wall... and exactly one other exit."

 

And so I did! Only I made the "one wall" curved, so now it's more like three walls. It's one of the least impactful challenge gimmicks I implemented (more often than not, they'd end up shaping the entire map), but it did add some much needed nonlinearity to the level. Because of the order I made the levels in, the challenge gimmicks span most of episode 2 and some of episode 3. In the end, I completed 8 challenges in total:

 

On 6/18/2020 at 8:29 PM, Scypek2 said:

 

1. Unexpectedly long corridor.
2. A room with seven doors in one wall, and exactly one other exit.
3. Make the player feel sorry for an enemy.
4. A least seven arrow shapes that indicate the direction of something, at least one of which the player walks through.
5. 37 chaingunners in a single level!  Precede their appearance with an image of the number 37... and include at least one other reference to the number 37 somewhere in the level.
6. A lift that you keep encountering, but ████ ██ ███ ███ ███ ███ ███.
7. approximate the feel of a store with a storekeeper from which you can buy things... but maybe ███ █████ █████ ██ ██ ████?!
8. Include a key whose location is very hard to find by chance... but for which there are multiple clues indicating where the player should look, scattered around the map.

 

 

You've got something to look forward to!