Endless Random /idgames WAD Adventures #1 [A WAD diving, exploration & review adventure for everyone!]

[Endless]

^{Logo by @4MaTC}

 

Endless, what the hell is this now ?

Endless Random /idgames WAD Adventures is a small project of exploration, interaction, entertainment and reviews where we meet once a week to select random WADs in search of hidden treasures, lost promises or our worst nightmares! In case you didn't know, /idgames archive has a special feature where we can search for random files, of course, sometimes they are resources or unplayable stuff, so we will focus on looking for WADs!

 

So, what are we going have to do ?

1. We/I try to play at least 4 (or more if you can) random WADs on /idgames. For that, I use the Random File feature.
2. We comment/review the WADs for the duration of the week. There's no set time, but one WAD every 2 days is a good measure, or 1 every day in case there's more.
3. Try to take screenshots of your adventures.
4. Play however you want, on any skill-level, as long as you play the WAD as intended/in working shape.
5. Avoid shitting on people's work, try to review in a respectful manner, but of course, let's all have a good laugh in case we find something odd.

 

What kind of WADs are we looking for ?

Mostly singleplayer WADs that work in your source-port of choice. You can skip DM WADs in case you don't have anyone to play with. Heretic WADs are also allowed. I will look for at least 4 random WADs for the week and add them here. Feel free to play them with me, or if you wish, look for your own! The point of this is to encourage you to explore this vast, random world.

 

Endless Random /idgames WAD Adventures of this week: 

1. THE CHAMBERS OF DEATH TRILOGY v1.2 and DOOM BATTLEFIELDS
2. Archviolence
3. Peppermint Cookie
4. The Trial.
5. the abandoned base

 

^{You can play this WADs with me or you can look for more yourself using the Random File feature.}

 

BONUS:

Spoiler

A random WAD from Doomworld WADs & Mods subforum:

• Waterworks - my newest map [GZDoom]

 

 

Also, all the Endless Random /idgames WAD Adventures are going to be selected and collected for publishing on the Doom Master Wadazine of each month! With the best comments/review being highlighted for the articles.

 

Let the fishing, begin!

Edited March 16, 2021 by Endless

[Stupid Bunny]

I love the random feature on /idgames, it's always a delight to pull up some long-forgotten, unreviewed map from 1997 and discover it's actually not terrible.  I have one I dredged up from the abyss in particular that I might want to share with the world (although I'm not sure it counts if I random-found it a while ago).  Either way this is a fabulous idea.

[Endless]

1 minute ago, StupidBunny said:

I love the random feature on /idgames, it's always a delight to pull up some long-forgotten, unreviewed map from 1997 and discover it's actually not terrible.  I have one I dredged up from the abyss in particular that I might want to share with the world (although I'm not sure it counts if I random-found it a while ago).  Either way this is a fabulous idea.

Come and join the adventures! You can share that one WAD you found, after all, it was randomly done ;)

[KeaganDunn]

I hit Random File and I got Flotsam. Shit. https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom2/Ports/megawads/flotsam

 

This will definitely be a fun idea, though. XD I've been wanting to look around for more stuff on idgames.

[leodoom85]

That's actually a nice idea. Just get something random, drag&drop the wad and play in your favorite port to review it.

[Endless]

1 minute ago, Dunn & Dunn said:

I hit Random File and I got Flotsam. Shit. https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom2/Ports/megawads/flotsam

 

This will definitely be a fun idea, though. XD I've been wanting to look around for more stuff on idgames.

[danidf96]

You really are an "endless" stream of Doom creativity and ideas.

[Walter confetti]

Funny idea! I remember some year ago something like this has been made

[Endless]

Just now, Walter confetti said:

Funny idea! I remember some year ago something like this has been made

Oh wow, really? I didn't find something like this, could you direct me to a link ? :D

[Walter confetti]

When I find it, sure... Let me check it

[Redneckerz]

1 hour ago, Endless said:

Oh wow, really? I didn't find something like this, could you direct me to a link ? :D

I too remember this.

 

But nevertheless, this is neat. Woe is me though if you pick something like OTTAWAU though! ;)

[Walter confetti]

I didn't understand a thing: We have to play the maps choice on OP or it will be a random pick using the random file button?

[Endless]

2 minutes ago, Walter confetti said:

I didn't understand a thing: We have to play the maps choice on OP or it will be a random pick using the random file button?

You can:

 

A) Play the ones on the OP, or

B) Look for random ones yourself.

 

Option A is mostly so we can share the same experience n.n

[Walter confetti]

Ok, got it.

[Jark]

Doom Battlefields is certainly... something?

 

Spoiler

 

[leodoom85]

You know what?

I'll record all of those maps mentioned in the OP and maybe add one randomly chosen by me...

[Endless]

@Jark It's an special thingy.

 

So, day 1 ! We kick things off with: THE CHAMBERS OF DEATH TRILOGY v1.2 and DOOM BATTLEFIELDS

 

^{100% of all the maps (the entire megawad) starts like this.}

 

This is the kind of WADs that make us take a spiritual journey and transcend beyond the simple humanistic perception of reality that is shown to us through the obvious extramartian manipulation. If you play this WAD, you will see the face of God.

 

No seriously, this is the first Terry WAD I've ever played in my life and boy is it surprising (I hope it's a Terry) because it's just, uh, made of what I might say like poop cake. And it's a complete megawad! The 4 episodes of Ultimate Doom replaced by a plethora of repeated episodes that change minimally in layout and show a selection of textures... questionable. Honestly, playing this is a laughable torture. Like when you were tickled to death as a kid. Only the tickling here is with knives and an obscene amount of bugs. Everything you shouldn't do in a WAD was done by this one. And I can't believe I played the whole thing.

 

You better have an overkill mod ready or you'll have to play with God mode all the time, because a few maps were simply impossible to complete; Cyberdemons by the dozens stuck in little nooks and crannies. Paths that make absolutely no sense and fake walls everywhere.

 

God, this is beautiful.

 

 

@leodoom85 You'll have the time of your life. Be prepared to have your third eye opened.

 

PS: You're going to see a lot of Memfis comments on /idgames, lol the guy is everywhere.

 

Edited March 16, 2021 by Endless

[Jark]

The gentleman who made the sets was 14 at the time and it was in 1995 - Jerry Lehr, that rings a bell...

Edited March 16, 2021 by Jark
1995 not 1996

[Catpho]

Some previous threads if you want to see some older takes on the idea. Carry on though, sounds fun :)

[Endless]

7 minutes ago, Catpho said:

Some previous threads if you want to see some older takes on the idea. Carry on though, sounds fun :)

Interesting takes on the subject. Thanks for sharing them. The rd thread looked (and reads) like a lot of fun. Hopefully, this project will last a little longer with the current format.

[General Rainbow Bacon]

So if we do this do you want us to post a review here?

[Endless]

2 minutes ago, General Rainbow Bacon said:

So if we do this do you want us to post a review here?

Sure. If you want to join other adventurers and share your experiences, feel free to make reviews or comments about the WADs!

[General Rainbow Bacon]

Also, are we playing the same maps you are or doing our own random file adventure?

[Endless]

8 minutes ago, General Rainbow Bacon said:

Also, are we playing the same maps you are or doing our own random file adventure?

 

3 hours ago, Endless said:

You can:

 

A) Play the ones on the OP, or

B) Look for random ones yourself.

 

Option A is mostly so we can share the same experience n.n

 

 

[Major Arlene]

Carrying the torch of my Youtube series I did not long ago <3 hope you guys find as much joy in it as I did.

[Endless]

• Day 2 | Archviolence | 1995 | William Sullivan | Played on LZDoom + UV

 

An interesting project from 1995 (quite, quite old) with a strange puzzle premise that seems to incite the quirky and almost... incomprehensible. Archviolence lives up to the fact that both the end and the beginning of the map present us with an Arch-vile, making different uses of these. The beginning, in particular, requires us to arch-jump in order to progress through the map, however, it is after this technique that things get a bit more interesting as we are shown a cryptic system of switches that open different doors and raise different elevators.

 

It is interesting to see the point of innovation that the author had for the year, even if it is a completely dated WAD, it shows tricks that we can deduce, were inspired by a desire for innovative ambition. On the other hand, I think that even for 1995 it has a few errors that make it slightly incomprehensible.

 

Starting with the puzzles, which make no sense at all (and there are several switches that can get us stuck in softlocks) as well as a particular design that doesn't look good at all. There are about 7 textures all over the map. On the other hand, the gameplay is bombastic and challenging, being a bit unfair at times but relatively fun. If this were 1995, it would probably be a very difficult map.

 

A peculiar experience that shows us how the minds of yesteryear worked... well, kinda. On the other hand, this WAD does show a hint of maturity and respect, something that not many WADs of the 90s (especially 1995) had.

Edited March 17, 2021 by Endless

[Walter confetti]

@Endless actually the first troll (not Terry, really) map is Pie imo

 

 

Is this way acceptable for the reviews?

[Endless]

5 minutes ago, Walter confetti said:

@Endless actually the first troll (not Terry, really) map is Pie imo

 

 

Is this way acceptable for the reviews?

it works, indeed. I would recommend pasting them here too for a more attractive presentation, but still works, nonethelesss. :D

[leodoom85]

DAY 1: Archviolence + Torture (both made in 1995 and, Torture was chosen by me). Both played in GZDoom, UV difficulty.

 

 

First, let's take a look at Archviolence (NOT to be confused with Arch-Violence, from Plutonia 2). It needs Doom 2 to run this map.

 

You are greeted with an archvile and a nice megasphere to bear their flame attack. The knockback propels you to a platform, containing a super shotgun and ammo. That process can take you a fair amount of tries if you aren't familiarized with the archvile's attack (Alternatively, you can use the switches scattered in that area with their slow lifts to get that weapon). You NEED that weapon in order to kill the stronger monsters. The fact that using an archvile to propel you out of that area to progress and, get the weapon early, is a novelty, if we're talking about the year that the map was made.

The switches scattered in that area have different effects like platform progression to the next major area or some monster closets. However, it's not difficult to dispatch them quickly if you know what you're doing. That adds some sort of surprise to the map itself, which is fine.

Continuing to the next area, you'll notice that the map acts like another map of the bunch for a change. However, don't get fooled for that, because the player needs to stay alert, no matter if the map is easy or not.

In fact, the exit area is a good example of this. Teleporting a baron to an area that's already populated by a hell knight is usually a sign of death waiting for you, especially since that area is pretty tight. Never underestimate the power of 90's wads folks!!!

The wad itself was decent, with decent gameplay with surprises. Even I fell to their deadly trap...yikes.

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------o----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Second, Torture is another wad from the mid nineties. It needs Doom 1 to run the map.

 

You see, we know that early Doom 1/2 maps contains areas that are shaped like squares or triangles or, some has tight, long corridors that are angled. This map is one of them.

Some areas must be treated carefully because of the hitscanners, especially the shotgunners. Those can be a real pain if you aren't lucky. Also, I noticed that the map doesn't fall into the "extreme verticality" trope, seen in other maps of that era.

The secrets are very generous in this map, so, you can use it without a problem. The map itself is not hard but, because of the aforementioned shotgunners, it can be a problem.

Another thing that I noticed and, some maps do, is the backtracking used...Does that feel like a major issue that players faced back in the day? Who knows...maybe players didn't cared.

I don't have much to say about this map to be honest but, it played decently well, considering the areas and how the layout is distributed. SO....I think I can suggest to give both maps a go and to give some opinions about it.

 

Day 2 WILL be spicy though.....

 

 

Edited March 18, 2021 by leodoom85

[Endless]

41 minutes ago, leodoom85 said:

DAY 1: Archviolence + Torture (both made in 1995 and, Torture was chosen by me). Both played in GZDoom, UV difficulty.

 

 

First, let's take a look at Archviolence (NOT to be confused with Arch-Violence, from Plutonia 2). It needs Doom 2 to run this map.

 

You are greeted with an archvile and a nice megasphere to bear their flame attack. The knockback propels you to a platform, containing a super shotgun and ammo. That process can take you a fair amount of tries if you aren't familiarized with the archvile's attack (Alternatively, you can use the switches scattered in that area with their slow lifts to get that weapon). You NEED that weapon in order to kill the stronger monsters. The fact that using an archvile to propel you out of that area to progress and, get the weapon early, is a novelty, if we're talking about the year that the map was made.

The switches scattered in that area have different effects like platform progression to the next major area or some monster closets. However, it's not difficult to dispatch them quickly if you know what you're doing. That adds some sort of surprise to the map itself, which is fine.

Continuing to the next area, you'll notice that the map acts like another map of the bunch for a change. However, don't get fooled for that, because the player needs to stay alert, no matter if the map is easy or not.

In fact, the exit area is a good example of this. Teleporting a baron to an area that's already populated by a hell knight is usually a sign of death waiting for you, especially since that area is pretty tight. Never underestimate the power of 90's wads folks!!!

The wad itself was decent, with decent gameplay with surprises. Even I fell to their deadly trap...yikes.

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------o----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Second, Torture is another wad from the mid nineties. It needs Doom 1 to run the map.

 

You see, we know that early Doom 1/2 maps contains areas that are shaped like squares or triangles or, some has tight, long corridors that are angled. This map is one of them.

Some areas must be treated carefully because of the hitscanners, especially the shotgunners. Those can be a real pain if you aren't lucky. Also, I noticed that the map doesn't fall into the "extreme verticality" trope, seen in other maps of that era.

The secrets are very generous in this map, so, you can use it without a problem. The map itself is not hard but, because of the aforementioned shotgunners, it can be a problem.

Another thing that I noticed and, some maps do, is the backtracking used...Does that feel like a major issue that players faced back in the day? Who knows...maybe players didn't cared.

I don't have much to say about this map to be honest but, it played decently well, considering the areas and how the layout is distributed. SO....I think I can suggest to give both maps a go and to give some opinions about it.

 

Day 2 WILL be spicy though.....

 

 

Torture (or is it Torment?) looks like a fairly decent WAD from the 90s. Good find there! That's the kind of good stuff that makes it worth it.