Narrative Style Mapsets

[Devalaous]

Thanks for listing Revilution's soundtrack as 'the best ever', gives me a bit of pride knowing I did something right getting that soundtrack together.

 

Missing from your list is @Soundblock's Echelon megawad, its a short play, even shorter than Demonfear, and is very story focused.

 

I'd also recommend Soundblock's Plasmaplant (Singlemap wad dripping with atmosphere, especially if you pair it with the midi it had during beta, Mark Klem's Organic Gods) and Jim Flynn's works.

 

Most other things ive liked for immersive atmosphere that ive gotten lost in my imagination over are already mentioned; currently playing A.L.T. and that would have been my first pick if not already mentioned.

[Andromeda]

28 minutes ago, Devalaous said:

Mark Klem's Organic Gods

Offtopic, but that's an outstanding MIDI - Memento Mori II's MAP17 is forever etched in my mind thanks to it.

[Azuris]

On 1/5/2021 at 7:39 PM, Rytrik said:

 

*pulls out his rocket launcher with 80 rockets* 

I mean.... 'powerless' might not be the most accurate word for how I feel on E1M8 against the Bruiser Brothers..

 

Well, when you play Doom the first Time as a Kid and you encounter those two and hear their Battle Cry for the first Time, it is a "Oooohh Shi..."-Moment.

 

And as mentioned, when you enter the Portal and it ends like it ends, it is a really Dark Idea that enters your Mind.

 

From that Kind, yes, sometimess lesser is better.

Music, Sounds and Level Design can tell so much more and immersive than every "epic" cineastic Game can do.

 

I've learned that some Games with orchestral soundtrack and cineastic gameplay bores me.

Meanwhile some Super Nintendo Games are burned into my Brain with its Atmosphere (Super Metroid has an insane Atmosphere)

 

 

[Rytrik]

2 minutes ago, Azuris said:

 

Well, when you play Doom the first Time as a Kid and you encounter those two and hear their Battle Cry for the first Time, it is a "Oooohh Shi..."-Moment.

 

And as mentioned, when you enter the Portal and it ends like it ends, it is a really Dark Idea that enters your Mind.

 

From that Kind, yes, sometimess lesser is better.

Music, Sounds and Level Design can tell so much more and immersive than every "epic" cineastic Game can do.

 

I've learned that some Games with orchestral soundtrack and cineastic gameplay bores me.

Meanwhile some Super Nintendo Games are burned into my Brain with its Atmosphere (Super Metroid has an insane Atmosphere)

 

 

 

Ah yes. I suppose I had a unique perspective of playing through Doom 1 for the first time ~1 month ago, and being in my 30s when doing so. I knew what I'd be facing at E1M8, and had already played a moderate amount of Doom 2, so I was familiar with Barons. Plus, as mentioned, I had been stocking up ammo throughout E1 and was walking into that fight with plenty of gear. So it was less of "this is scary" and more of "bring it the F on".

Can completely understand how the perspective would be different for a kid. As you said, hearing the baron battle cry and the encounter as a whole.. ya. That fear makes sense :)

[P41R47]

1 hour ago, Devalaous said:

Thanks for listing Revilution's soundtrack as 'the best ever', gives me a bit of pride knowing I did something right getting that soundtrack together.

 

Missing from your list is @Soundblock's Echelon megawad, its a short play, even shorter than Demonfear, and is very story focused.

 

I'd also recommend Soundblock's Plasmaplant (Singlemap wad dripping with atmosphere, especially if you pair it with the midi it had during beta, Mark Klem's Organic Gods) and Jim Flynn's works.

 

Most other things ive liked for immersive atmosphere that ive gotten lost in my imagination over are already mentioned; currently playing A.L.T. and that would have been my first pick if not already mentioned.

Yeah, your imput and help developing TNTR was great for sure.

 

Thanks for recomending Sverre's mapsets, but i left them out on purpose as i only listed vanilla to boom/mbf mapsets.

Main reason is that i think that the scripting nature of zdoom base ports make it far easier to come with something atmospheric.

Thats why heavywheights like Cold As Hell, Winter's Fury, Unloved, Adventures of Square are out of this list. 

 

Aside from that, yes, i remember playing The Enigma Episode by Jim Flynn and having a great time with it awesome atmosphere.

Thanks for pinting it for me, i will be adding a bunch more soon ;)

[Ofisil]

My chest just expanded a bit as @P41R47 made me a part of this awesome list of WADs.

 

I've always been a fan of Doom's style of "storytelling" - how it gives you just enough to let you imagine the rest.

It's one of the key ingredients in DOOM: Damnation, and the reason why each level is a continuation of the one before it.

 

Thanx again for recommending my work, as well as showing me a couple of gems I wasn't aware of.

Edited February 14, 2021 by Ofisil

[P41R47]

22 minutes ago, Ofisil said:

My chest just expanded a bit as @P41R47 made me a part of this awesome list of WADs.

 

I've always been a fan of Doom's style of "storytelling" - how it gives you just enough to let you imagine the rest.

It's one of the key ingredients in DOOM: Damnation, and the reason why each level is a continuation of the one before it.

 

Thanx again for recommending my work, as well as showing me a couple of gems I wasn't aware of.

no need to thanks, pal!

You work is more than fitting for this list ;)

 

To tell you the truth, i tought i added the original release long ago, when i first made the list.

Maybe unconsciously i was waiting for the new re-release :D

 

There are a lot of mapset here that surelly will be of your liking.

Hope you can enjoy them and have a good time dooming ;)

[Korozive]

This list is awesome. I play mostly megawads of like 15 maps and up and also like a story/narrative to go with them. Thanks for this. \o/

[P41R47]

1 hour ago, Korozive said:

This list is awesome. I play mostly megawads of like 15 maps and up and also like a story/narrative to go with them. Thanks for this. \o/

glad you like it, pal!

;)

 

I will be expanding it soon, probably.

:D

[I Drink Lava]

Marsdoom, I guess?

[Crusader No Regret]

Remembered a few that aren't already on the list.

 

Hellfire Dreams: another creation out of the Russian Doom community  The quality of the mapset is up to debate but there is a feeling the mapping is there to serve the narrative.

 

DBP19: The underlying narrative is what drew me in to try it when it was chosen for the MegaWAD club.  Also Cyberneezer is such a humorous inclusion.

[Final Verdict]

Nice list.

 

Story is important to me, it serves as great way to convey the player forward. It definitely makes me want to continue the journey and get to the end of a Wad. I'll play regardless of story if the Wad is fun, but if it has a story then I'm much more invested in it (even if the story is whacky).

 

I actually made an episode of 8 maps last year, I had this story made up and a theme for each episode (underwater facilities, mountain crypts, derelict spaceships etc) but after looking around I found most modern Wads focus on action and fights and rarely have a story. So I shelved my idea for a megawad split into 4 episodes.

 

I might get back to it one day though. However, even if I did it might be better to practice mapping first. I have only made those 8 maps so I think I need more experience before attempting a megawad. Otherwise it will be fairly crappy by todays standards and not worth the time invested, which would be weeks/months.

 

Anyway, I see one or two hidden gems on that list that I haven't tried out yet. I think I'll add it too my list and take it for a spin at a later date.

 

Edited March 26, 2021 by Final Verdict

[Ofisil]

@Final Verdict I believe that you should never care about what the majority wants. Think about what YOU want, and make it good. There are some great megawads out there that have their own unique feel, and don't cater to current "trends
"

[Korozive]

1 hour ago, Ofisil said:

@Final Verdict I believe that you should never care about what the majority wants. Think about what YOU want, and make it good. There are some great megawads out there that have their own unique feel, and don't cater to current "trends
"

 

True this. I tend to read reviews before I play but they are by no means gospel. Everybody has there own criteria that makes a wad fun for them.

[Final Verdict]

33 minutes ago, Ofisil said:

@Final Verdict I believe that you should never care about what the majority wants. Think about what YOU want, and make it good. There are some great megawads out there that have their own unique feel, and don't cater to current "trends
"

 

Good advice, but it wasn't really about what the majority wanted. I just assumed people had moved on from that kind of Wad.

 

Also 2020 was a rough year for me, my father passed away and I had to make some hard decisions. It's probably why I barely registered the Covid hysteria going around at the time. I already semi-derailed another thread (Dean of Doom I think, if you're curious) explaining it. I don't want to derail a second thread. Besides people go through this stuff all the time. I'm not special, you adapt and move on.

 

Anyway, thanks for the support. I'll probably get back to it in the future, a lot of stuff was going on when I was making it last year. Thus, I had to put it on hold. Me assuming story Wads were done and dusted was merely a slight nudge.

 

Moving on, I noticed Rowdy Rudy II had been released by Doomkid while I was gone. I've read the background Doomkid wrote for it and I like what I see. I have added it to the top of my list, I'll play it once I have recovered.

 

Either way, it seems these kinds of Wads are still going strong. Definitely a good thing.

 

[P41R47]

16 hours ago, I Drink Lava said:

Marsdoom, I guess?

wow, thanks for the recomendation. ;)

Little mapsets with good story are a must for sure

Will check it soon and add it. :D

 

3 hours ago, Final Verdict said:

Nice list.

 

Story is important to me, it serves as great way to convey the player forward. It definitely makes me want to continue the journey and get to the end of a Wad. I'll play regardless of story if the Wad is fun, but if it has a story then I'm much more invested in it (even if the story is whacky).

 

I actually made an episode of 8 maps last year, I had this story made up and a theme for each episode (underwater facilities, mountain crypts, derelict spaceships etc) but after looking around I found most modern Wads focus on action and fights and rarely have a story. So I shelved my idea for a megawad split into 4 episodes.

 

I might get back to it one day though. However, even if I did it might be better to practice mapping first. I have only made those 8 maps so I think I need more experience before attempting a megawad. Otherwise it will be fairly crappy by todays standards and not worth the time invested, which would be weeks/months.

 

Anyway, I see one or two hidden gems on that list that I haven't tried out yet. I think I'll add it too my list and take it for a spin at a later date.

 

 

1 hour ago, Final Verdict said:

 

Good advice, but it wasn't really about what the majority wanted. I just assumed people had moved on from that kind of Wad.

 

Also 2020 was a rough year for me, my father passed away and I had to make some hard decisions. It's probably why I barely registered the Covid hysteria going around at the time. I already semi-derailed another thread (Dean of Doom I think, if you're curious) explaining it. I don't want to derail a second thread. Besides people go through this stuff all the time. I'm not special, you adapt and move on.

 

Anyway, thanks for the support. I'll probably get back to it in the future, a lot of stuff was going on when I was making it last year. Thus, I had to put it on hold. Me assuming story Wads were done and dusted was merely a slight nudge.

 

Moving on, I noticed Rowdy Rudy II had been released by Doomkid while I was gone. I've read the background Doomkid wrote for it and I like what I see. I have added it to the top of my list, I'll play it once I have recovered.

 

Either way, it seems these kinds of Wads are still going strong. Definitely a good thing.

 

Glad you like the list, pal! ;)

And sorry to hear about your father.

Yes, 2020 was really bad for all.

But a situation soo absurd as this epidemy make all of us think twice about priorities.

Slowly, we are moving on, and i hope you can too move on from the harsh situation you went through.

 

Aside from that, i would love to check you maps! :D

And seriously, listen to @Ofisil, he made Doom: Damnation and, seriously its really unique and wonderful megawad.
For me is one of the best out there and he doesn't followed any trend on map making.
And even other great mappers recognize his vision and style. Its his own voice in some way.
And it would be awesome to hear yours ;)

 

3 hours ago, Ofisil said:

@Final Verdict I believe that you should never care about what the majority wants. Think about what YOU want, and make it good. There are some great megawads out there that have their own unique feel, and don't cater to current "trends
"

words of wisdom, pal!
Hope to se more people following your step of ''do it however you like'' :D

[Final Verdict]

5 hours ago, P41R47 said:

Glad you like the list, pal! ;)

And sorry to hear about your father.

Yes, 2020 was really bad for all.

But a situation soo absurd as this epidemy make all of us think twice about priorities.

Slowly, we are moving on, and i hope you can too move on from the harsh situation you went through.

 

Don't worry, I'm fine. I tend to view this stuff as a life lesson thing. The old "whatever doesn't kill you" mindset, or "you only fail when you learn nothing from that failure" et-cetera.

 

Otherwise, there's always something of value within, no matter how harsh or grim that event might be. Alas, we're only human so we tend to be wilfully ignorant. Choosing instead to focus on the negative aspect and not the hidden treasure.

 

Sometimes it's obscure like an over-complex Doom secret in some random Wad, sometimes it's right in our crosshair and we still miss it because our perception is pulled away from it, focusing on the dark stuff. I suppose it depends on the person, everyone has their own method. That's what makes the world an interesting place after all.

 

I genuinely appreciate the gesture though. Cheers.

 

7 hours ago, P41R47 said:

Aside from that, i would love to check you maps! :D

And seriously, listen to @Ofisil, he made Doom: Damnation and, seriously its really unique and wonderful megawad.
For me is one of the best out there and he doesn't followed any trend on map making.
And even other great mappers recognize his vision and style. Its his own voice in some way.
And it would be awesome to hear yours ;)

 

Heh, I'm not dismissing his sage advice. I'm just too 'out of it' to even contemplate mapping at the moment. I'm on some seriously strong painkillers for the next few weeks, so even just the thought of doing anything complex is turning my already addled brain to jelly.

 

Seriously, it may not seem that way but it's running on power-saving mode at the moment. I was posting on a thread earlier and starting typing out a post. I just zoned out halfway through it, 20 minutes later I came to and the gibberish I had typed out wasn't even relevant to anything in the thread, nevermind the thread title or the post I was quoting. It was a disjointed and incoherent mess. 

 

I even spent time trying to decipher it, puzzling over what the hell I had been trying to convey with this nonsense. In the end I just stuck a 'I have no idea where that was going' pin in it and called it a day.

 

Anyway, I don't think I have played Ofisil's Wad yet. I'll add that to the list of 'Wads I somehow missed over the years' I'm making. When I'm off these brain melting meds and more lucid I'll give it a spin. I'm always up for trying something original that strays from the established norm.

 

Thanks for the recommendation.

 

[Diabolución]

How about the Titan series by the late Jim Flynn?

 

ONEMANDOOM: WAD Reviews: The Titan Series

Flynn's DOOM II Levels

[P41R47]

7 hours ago, Diabolución said:

How about the Titan series by the late Jim Flynn?

 

ONEMANDOOM: WAD Reviews: The Titan Series

Flynn's DOOM II Levels

Yes, pretty much, thanks for remembering me that the Master Levels authors also did some great narrative styled mapsets.

I will need to find some time to add all the recent ones i found :D

 

As always, your help is always welcome, pal ;)

[valkiriforce]

Since it was mentioned in the OP, Doom Core's story wasn't really fleshed out much in the original release, with only a vague idea based around the player character having to break free from what could either be a hallucinatory state or some strange breach on reality. I did try to fix this with Doom Core Delta's release giving a little more clarity with DeHackEd text screens, but the other side of it is I wanted to imagine something that could be a little more realistic, so I imagined the person playing the megawad is trying to "break free" from fantasy (Doom) to win their right to return to reality. Reverie's text file explains this and continues the trend, but as interpreted through a dream. It was also an easy way around making things that were less realistic and having an easy explanation around it with simpler map structures and surreal settings. Eternally Yours was intended to have a story, but never came with one. I always felt that while Doom Core and Reverie's focus was more surreal, that Eternally Yours would be the one story that was actually happening, and the world itself would come under attack from demonic forces. This was explained in the Doom Core Trilogy release, but that one is ZDoom-based so it doesn't count for the goal of this thread.

 

And while we're at it, Oceanside sort of has a narrative for being in Doomguy's hometown and fighting off the remaining demons around your city. Your reward is a cozy home in MAP04 where you can kick back and enjoy your weapons collection, watch movies on your PS2 and use an immortal imp as stress-relief.

[I Drink Lava]

Was INVASION mentioned in this thread yet? There's a "The Invasion" but not the works of Andy Chen and Claude Martins. Not only did they have a strong, System Shock-esque vibe for 1994, they also had their own intro and outro animations that use a long-dead file format that's hard to get working in 2021. I think someone on Doomworld got them working and uploaded them in .AVI format a couple years back.