ZOOM-E2.WAD - A complete second episode for DOOM/ULTIMATE DOOM

[AustroDoomer]

Now its time to release the complete second episode from my megawad ZOOM.WAD - "Hell on Mars".
The WAD includes E2M1 to E2M9 and an secret exit in E2M5 and also some selfdrawn and recolored textures.

The maps are smaller and should not be to hard for playing but E2M2 and E2M5 are bigger and
much harder, especially in UV. Pistol start in every map is possible without any problems.
Some of you already know the map E2M3, I postet it here some time ago and also
playing videos were recorded by some members.
All maps are originally built 1996 to 1998 with dmapedit 4.3 and restyled with GZDoombuilder.

All of them are in old vanilla doom format even if it doesn't look like it.

(wall textures on flats and flats as wall textures)

The wad works only with GZDOOM or ZDOOM based boards

because there is a MAPINFO and a TERRAIN text included (monster specials,level numbers)

so that you cant beat some of the maps whith other boards.(I'm pretty sure)

The most of the new textures are in truecolor and so its possible they are not

displayed correctly in older Zdoom versions. Feedback would be very nice

 

Have fun!

 

GAME: DOOM (or ULTIMATE) - Iwad DOOM.WAD

 

FILE NAME: ZOOM-E2.WAD

 

MAPS:  E2M1 - E2M9

 

No freelooking,jumping or crouching required

 

Designed for single player and cooperative 2-4 Player but only testet in single player mode!

 

No deathmatch starts ! (but i am sure there are starts in E2M8 and E2M9)??

 

Additional Credits to : MaxED (Gzdoom Builder) id software, raven software (i´m not sure),

Simon Judd (Slade), Bruce Benko (Dmapedit)



Difficulty Settings : Yes

 

Tested With : ZDoom, GZDoom

 

DOWNLOAD LINK: https://www.mediafire.com/file/xexuip70ucq7lyc/ZOOM-E2.WAD/file

 

Here is the download link to E1M1 and E1M2 from this megawad.The other maps

currently not released.

https://www.mediafire.com/file/631jbs1nkwgpe53/HELLNEST.WAD/file

 

Edited May 8, 2021 by AustroDoomer
updating

[Csucskos]

I really liked it, I usually play Doom2 maps, and always gets me how limited Doom1 was. And despite this you managed to work around the limitations, and the maps are actually quite fun. Design is great, fights are not boring... So overall great experience.

 

BUT I have a few issues.

 

The secerts: There are just too many, and a few of them is quite obscure. This point is debatable, but for me it did not work. When you have to run here push button then run there to push the newly revealed button... Wasn't managed to find all of them, but again, this might be a problem with me.

 

The other point is relevant though I think. The "extra effects". The purple goo and the ice. They are just so punishing, I did not find them fun. I mean, when the ice was introduced I was like "Yeah, I haven't seen this before", but when I had to fight on the ice against a cyberdemon... not much fun. I felt like I wasn't in control. And the goo. That is just painful. First time I though, ohh, just like lava, let's not get into it. But then suddenly died after touching it. I did not remember how much hp I had so tried again. This time I was prepared had over 50 health and armor so I felt safe. And then died immediatelly. And on the first introduction of the snut you have to fight on really thin ledges like on Chasm (I hate that map) but because of the liquids I felt safe. I learned later that I should not trust the goo, but it felt terrible still. If you want to punish people just put inescapeable pits there, then I would have known not to fall in there. AND there's a shielding suit right next to that, but it does not help against it... so it's really limits your movement and punishes you for one tiny misstep. I did not find that fun.

 

And one more thing: backtracking. Maybe just my perfectionism, but backtracking is really important. I mean let's look at the secret map. There's that room that is filled with barons. Why is that a thing? And before that the teleport room's door closes and you can't open it. And the same thing with secrets. One time activating secrets are not for me. And on that map, I was running around for a good 5 minutes before found that lever next to the red door. Why would I go there if I didn't have the red key? Strange.

 

So to sum up, I think it's a really great WAD with various maps, enemy encounters and fights (although those insta activating traps are really nasty) but sometimes it's too frustrating. Nice work though!

[AustroDoomer]

Many thanks for your feedback you are the first after a longer time!
I already thought that nobody is interested about my WAD.

 

And yes, the maps with the purple slime are not so funny and easy
especially E2M5, the suit in this map is only for pickup the
health bonus on the lava floor. The purple slime is nearly instantly
death when to touch it (also with 1000 hitpoints).The only
protection is the invulnerability sphere or cheating.
At the moment I don't know where the cyberdemon on an icy floor
is. Possibly it is in E2M6 before you get the red key in the outdoor area.
If you mean this area, you dont need to kill the cyberdemon
you can run away but admittedly its not easy to do it.

 

The secret map:
The room with the teleporter is an fake exit so you
can open the door only from one side and when a player
is trapped in this room he had to take the teleporter
and get to the room with the barons who kill them.
The one time secrets should be the crate lifts with the berserk
and blue armor on it, but you don't really need it to finish
this map, therefore its not a repeatable action.
And the switch next do the red door, should be pretty easy to see
when you open the blue door.There is also an wooden cube
with the rocket launcher and you only can grab them when you
go upstairs where the lewer is, even without the red skull key.

But as I said: thanks you for your feedback.

 

 

[Csucskos]

Oookey, let's get started!

 

Quote

Many thanks for your feedback you are the first after a longer time!
I already thought that nobody is interested about my WAD.

I don't know your intentions, but if you need feedback, there's a big thread with all the active playtesters. Hit them up, they'll sure happy to provide some feedback. But in general, just advertise the map, how else people could find it.

 

Slime: OK, just wanted to provide my experience with it. If you think it's fun and it's the best option... You are the dev, just something to think about. :D

 

Ice: Yeah I exactly meant that place, but the other one was the Spider Mastermind fight. That was nasty. They can snipe you on the stairs, and you have no control on the ice...

 

Secrets: I thought about the lifts, but there are a few. The triple caco cage room, the bridge room with the lowering plasma, the invulnerability, the armor... And just in general, when you cut off a bactracking route you essentially cut off the road to the secrets. Not that I can't finish the map, I complained purely because of the completionist gameplay vision.

 

"The switch" - Maybe I was stupid, but I didn't see it when I entered the room and after that, I grabbed the rocket launcher and just ran past the button, as it is not signaled there should be anything there. And even if I saw it, probably subconciously thought it was for the keyed door.

 

But connecting to my earlier point, don't just evaluate my point, reach out for others and see what they think. The first ever comment I received on my wad was: Too hard, no good. But majority liked it so... be mindful. Good luck!

[AustroDoomer]

Thanks, i know this thread with the list of playtesters.

Generally i don't beg someone to make videos of
my maps or give feedback. If someone wants to play my maps
its ok. otherwise its also more than ok ;)
It's enough for me if I can make my maps public here on the board.
I try to make my maps (in UV) hard but not too hard like 3
cyberdemons in a room with less ammo or ammo can easily run
out in the map so that you had to punch monsters like barons
with the fist - without any berserk pack!

Oh yes, the iceroom with the 2 spidermasters:) not so easy to fight there
but the barons can do a lot for you.There is also a small gap on the left
side in the icewall.There it is possible to shot with the shotgun on
on the left spidermaster.There you will be safe and he cant hit
you so easy.You shold have enough shell ammo for that.

The first comment I received on my wad - im am not sure, as far as I can remember
was that you can only fight monsters in front of you and it would be more challenging if
they attack at same time behind of you.

[Bryan T]

You should provide a link to the first episode.

 

Okay, I played through the first 2 maps and some of 3. My takeaway? Aside from the rather extreme difficulty, which was my fault for thinking a doom 1 wad would be easy on UV, the switch hunts kept irritating me until I decided to chuck it in the bin.

Edited May 8, 2021 by Bryan T

[AustroDoomer]

19 hours ago, Bryan T said:

You should provide a link to the first episode.

 

Okay, I played through the first 2 maps and some of 3. My takeaway? Aside from the rather extreme difficulty, which was my fault for thinking a doom 1 wad would be easy on UV, the switch hunts kept irritating me until I decided to chuck it in the bin.

I updatet my first post, now there is a link to HELLNEST.WAD, this are the maps

from the first episode. @Biodegradables playthrough from the maps are in this topic:

In HELLNEST.WAD are only the first 2 maps, the other maps of episode 1 -

I haven't released it yet, but I try to do this ASAP.

Thanks for your feedback,no problem if you don't like it but E2M2 and E2M5

are the hardest and most confusing maps of this wad.