What are your ten favorite maps of all time?

[MS-06FZ Zaku II Kai]

2 minutes ago, Omniarch said:

This. Very much of this. The maps you mentioned are all superb examples of what I was talking about. I'd add onto that Kim Andre-Malde's contributions to Alien Vendetta, which are similarly timeless in their execution. The pursuit of fidelity for fidelity's sake is the bane of the modern games industry, ballooning budgets whilst failing to meaningfully improve visual appeal.

I´m 100% behind this post, and realy shows one of the the reasons we had such a catastrophic technological stagnation in gaming, the other culprits being corporate buyout/sabotage (EA, SONY and MICROSOFT) and planed obsolecence (digital only future)

[Yumheart]

I don't have like a comprehensive list of my favorite doom maps of all time and am not even capable of enough commitment to make one. But here are some maps that I would consider my current favorites, in no particular order and without any coherency or competence in reviewing things, my apologies.

 

"The Chasm" from Doom 2 for being very atmospheric, challenging and even pretty for Doom 2 and Sandy Petersen standards.
"Fear" from Scythe for being incredibly fun and frentic, if rather easy for being a "slaughtermap".
"Mining Project" from Scythe 2 for being really fast, fun and upbeat.
"54-Pit" from JPCP because it's one of the strangest and most creative maps I've seen, even if the combat is nothing to speak of.
"Hillside Siege" from Alien Vendetta for being visually appealing and having really good and satisfying combat, especially considering it's age.
"Dreamscape", "Vile Pain" and "The Meat Grinder" from Speed of Doom, because they are all beautiful, atmosperic and bombastic in regards to combat.
"Descent to the Core" also from Speed of Doom for being full of really fresh and unique combat scenarios.

+ probably like every second map from Valiant for making me feel like a skillful player, even if they are never all that difficult.

[DisgruntledPorcupine]

I'm less seasoned than most so my list is probably a little typical. Anyway, no particular order and limiting myself to one map per wad:

 

Eviternity - MAP19 - Dehydration: So this map is a little bit of a controversial topic as I've noticed. Lots of folks don't like it, while some like me adore it. To try and sum up why I feel the way I do, I'll say it's probably the most immersive techbase map I've ever played. The whole thing feels like a high stakes mission, and the techbase itself is visually fantastic and just brimming with inspiration, variety, and creativity. The Jimmy midi is in my opinion the best he's ever done as well. Sure it's linear and extremely lengthy, but every moment of this thing feels inspired and fun to me, which is just an astounding accomplishment.

 

Ancient Aliens - MAP16 - Leave Your Sol Behind: If I had to pick any map to show somebody who may not have touched Doom in decades to show them how far Doom is come, it'd be this one. The sense of adventure in this thing is mindblowing. The combat is fantastic, flying around in the UFO is the coolest thing, and the final encounter is extremely climactic and leaves you feeling so victorious once it's all over. The Stewboy midi also captures the vibe of the map to a T, which enhances it all.

 

Back to Saturn X Episode 1 - MAP20 - U.S. Mustard Company: This one always really stuck with me from BTSX. It feels very "spy mission" and carries a distinct aura from the rest of the wad that further accentuates how I feel. Skulking about the secrets to find alternate paths around the level always felt really cool, and something about the very first room always felt very memorable to me, architecturally and lighting wise. It's less flashy than most of BTSX, but it pulls off what it does to a stellar degree.

 

Sunlust - MAP25 - Proxyon: This is a simpler map as far as Sunlust goes, but it doesn't waste a single second. All the fights feel extremely frantic and high pressure here, the stair fight in particular being one of the best in the wad. It also nails the techy aesthetic it goes for as well. Sunlust is one the hardest wads to pick a favourite from for me but when I think about it, this one provides the most consistently enjoyable experience in my opinion.

 

Japanese Community Project - MAP29 - hazmat hazama: Okay, if this spot doesn't give it away, I am a sucker for the surreal. And this map feels like a downright artistic expression. It's a ramshackle mess in the best possible way. There are other maps in JPCP that might play better, but none will stick in my mind as much as this one. Toooooasty went all out on this one and knocked what he was going for out of the park.

 

Hell Revealed - MAP13 - Last Look at Eden: I'm not a fan of Hell Revealed as a whole, but this map always really excited me. It kind of marks the point where the wad becomes truly difficult, and it really doesn't mess around. Lots of Hell Revealed has a problem with its difficult fights feeling more tedious than anything, but this one feels refreshingly fast and exciting. Maybe not as interesting as something like Afterlife, but in terms of fun nothing else in Hell Revealed comes quite close to this one for me.

 

Alien Vendetta - MAP10 - Toxic Touch: My favourite looking vanilla texture only creation ever made. I've always been a fan of the greener side of the vanilla textures, and this is the apotheosis of that aesthetic. The lighting and atmosphere is unparalleled, and it's extremely fun to play. It also features my favourite midi usage in AV (no disrespect to the iconic MAP20 midi), the Duke Nukem track sounding equal parts calm and unnerving. It's peaceful yet deadly, and it's a real masterpiece.

 

TNT: Revilution - MAP12 - Transduction: I love maps that have an air of storytelling about them, and this thing is jaw-dropping in that department. It does owe a lot to its midi, which is an absolute masterwork, but the map itself is fantastic in its own right as well. Seeing that door texture at the beginning is a hell of a moment, as well as that final fight in the alternate reality. I compare this map a lot to Mr. X in Scythe 2 a lot in my mind as that map nails a similar dark atmosphere, but I have to prefer this one for being a more fully realized experience.

 

Going Down - MAP14 - Secrets and Lies: So this was the most difficult choice on the list, as choosing between this and the spectacular drama of MAP26 is nearly impossible. I chose to give it to this one though. It has an air of playful sinisterness that perfectly condenses the entire mood of Going Down into a single map. I also have to commend the way this map changes depending on the order of operations you take, and the fights are blistering and fun as always for this wad.

 

The Plutonia Experiment - MAP15 - The Twilight: Felt like closing this one out with an IWAD mention. The combat in this map is downright blistering. It has that Plutonia mean-spiritedness throughout, and I love every second of it. It's an all gas no brakes joyride, and while the difficulty may not be crazy compared to works that would come later from the Doom community, it's definitely wont to destroy you if you aren't careful. It's the most exciting map in the IWADs.

 

Some honourable mentions: Eviternity MAP15, Ancient Aliens MAP29, Sheer Poison, Going Down MAP26, JPCP MAP19, BTSX E1 MAP24, Speed of Doom MAP06, Sunlust MAP24

Edited April 20, 2021 by DisgruntledPorcupine

[Dubbag]

4 hours ago, Lutrov71 said:

Hey man! I'm so stoked to hear that this is your favourite map of all time. I just happened to come across this post by pure chance (I haven't posted on this forum for well over a decade!) I'm also 29, so it turns out I made the map when I was only 12 years old.

 

Anyway, thank you so much for the kind words. Feels good knowing something I made so long ago has brought joy to somebody :)

absolutley man. Thank u for making it. I use it all the time to try out weapon and monster MODs. It's like my go to. I remeber a night when I was 18 and was playing it having a blast. It just hit me like no other WAD did The vanilla textures rule, the monster encounters are fantastic and the finale where a bunch of them come out of the door at the end is the best part of the whole map. It just hits me in all th right spots, it's perfect for me.

 

Edited April 20, 2021 by Dubbag

[Dubbag]

"No Breaks" was vicious btw. I remeber when it first appeared on Doomwadstation. I could never beat it as a kid.

 

Edited April 20, 2021 by Dubbag

[NaturalTvventy]

My favs. I'll add if when I think of more.

 

DOOM - e2m2 - Containment Area - Sandy Peterson

Doomsday at the UAC - Leo Martin Lim

Inferno - e3m1 - Chris Lutz

Phobos: Anomaly Reborn - e1m6: Subterra - Chris Lutz

Doom: The Lost Episode - e5m1: Logos Anomaly - Xaser

No End In Sight - e2m3: Contagion Engine - Xaser

Drip Feed - iori

 

Edited April 21, 2021 by NaturalTvventy

[jmac]

I could probably remake this list every day, and it'd be different each time, but here goes, in no particular order:

 

Tough Skin River - Back to Saturn X ep 1

The Room Taking Shape - Back to Saturn X ep 1

Shrine to the Dynamic Years - Back to Saturn X ep 2

54-Pit - Japanese Community Project

Demon - Eviternity

Brigandine

The Pit - Doom 2

Suburbs - Doom 2

Subway Sandwich - Heartland

Sinkhole Showdown - Ancient Aliens

 

Edit: swapped out one of the maps

Edited April 21, 2021 by jmac

[Mad Dal 85]

One of my all time favourite maps is Map05 Vivisection in DOOM II: No Rest For The Living. 

Edited April 22, 2021 by Mad Dal 85

[Ennello]

Okay, let's think about this... I'm picking these entries based on enjoyment. There might be other maps that I forgot to include, but this is what I came up with.

 

10) Foursite.wad (Bauul)

So this is a lesser known wad, made my a lesser known mapper. However, the care that was put into this project becomes immediately apparent. The concept is simple: there are four quarters to the map that get progressively harder. Beat them all and you can exit. Doesn't sound that special, right? Wrong! The fights in this wad are often clever, with carefully calculated ambushes and interestingly designed setpieces. The circular room with the lost souls in particular comes to mind. I don't often play maps that aren't part of a larger map pack, but this one really has replay value. The charm is hard to explain, so i suggest you experience it for yourself.

 

 

9) The Plutonia Experiment - MAP32: Go 2 It (Milo Casali)

This is the only commercial Doom map I'll put in here, I promise! But I'm not ashamed, Go 2 It really is the only commercial Doom map that I really enjoy, and come back to often. I had been putting off playing Plutonia for a long time when I first booted up the megawad. The megawad's bland visuals caused me to burn out over Plutonia quite fast, and I never even finished the megawad. Even worse: I've never reached the secret levels in Plutonia. It all feels like a slog, when there are better looking megawads out there. However, I've watched playthroughs of Plutonia, and these caused me to dread MAP32. When I first played the map though, miraculously, I beat it first try, with no issues. And BigMacDavis had trouble with this map? I'm not going to lie: I felt really proud. To this day, I still boot up Go 2 It if I want to experience a real power fantasy in Doom. I still feel like I'm crushing an "impossible" level and the proud feeling never goes away.

 

 

8) Vanguard - MAP10: Superstructure (Skillsaw)

Ah yes, the first Skillsaw map on my list. Skillsaw is featured here multiple times, not necessarily because he is a great mapper (which he is, don't get me wrong), but just because he's been pumping out megawads. This map in particular deserves a spot on the list because it has all of the elements I love in a Doom map. It starts out with a large room filled with huge packs of enemies. Many of them are stationary, or at least won't get in your way, so you're free to run around the room and see all the monsters die. I love a good infighting section. Of course, you could use your weapons, but it's less satisfying to me. Eventually you're gonna have to take out the remaining enemies with the rocket launcher. Now, if you've been going through the map quite passively, you'll be forced into combat soon after, in an outdoor area. As always with Skillsaw's maps, these fights are high-pressure, but above all else, manageable. It's just plain fun. I personally feel like this map has the best executed fights of the map pack, and even though I haven't played it in a while, I look back fondly on this level.

 

 

7) Deus Vult II - MAP13: Eagle's Nest (Huy Pham)

Believe it or not, but this was the first custom megawad I ever played. I managed to beat the first map. The second map was harder. But from the third map onward, the maps became unbeatable for my inexperienced self. So I did what every sane person would do: turn on god mode and have fun. During my first "playthrough", one thing became apparent: the megawad is gorgeous. Now that I've returned to it, I'm even more impressed with the attempt of creating a landscape and interesting setpieces, rather than just connecting a bunch of rooms. The megawad is still way out of my league though, especially the last few maps, but the middle maps have become doable. I picked this map because the concept behind it is interesting: you climb a mountain and clear out a mountain fortress. Also, it's one of the best looking, if not the best looking map in the map pack. I'm in absolute awe of this map. And the combat is tough: lots of hitscanners, revenants on small ledges, cramped rooms that are just large enough to dodge projectiles. It looks good, plays good, and is very deserving of a spot on this list. I'm going to be honest and add that MAP22 is a more interesting map in my opinion, but since I've never legitimately beaten it, I will not include it.

 

 

6) Sunlust - MAP08: Oneira (Ribbiks)

Now, if I were to rank megawads as a whole, Sunlust would be in my top 3 for sure. Combat really is the only focus of this megawad, and rooms are functional rather than aesthetic. I like beating my head against a wall until I beat a map, and Sunlust provides that for sure. Picking a Sunlust map is hard though, since all maps are well executed in my opinion. First of all, I decided not to pick maps that I haven't legitimately beaten without saves, so I could forget putting MAP25, MAP29 and MAP30 on here, which are the most fun and challenging maps of the megawad in my opinion (sorry MAP28, you're too much of a sadist for me). Instead, I opted for a map that really encapsulates Sunlust, and landed on MAP08. Why is this map great? Because it is one of the only shorter maps that feel like I'm playing a snippet of God Machine or Go Frick Yourself. The quality and cleverness is on par with Ribbiks' greatest work, yet the map doesn't drag on. It's easily one of my favourite maps of his. It's a map I want to return to and get better at until I can breeze through it. And I can't say that for most Sunlust maps, so that's really saying something.

 

 

5) Ancient Aliens - MAP19: Crash Landing (Skillsaw)

You know what I wish there were more of in Doom? Tyson maps done right! This map knocks it out of the park in that aspect (pun might be intended). It doesn't drag on, like Hell Revealed's MAP09, and unlike Vanguard's MAP06, you can't kill half of the enemies with your pistol for which you get the ammo by killing zombiemen. This map actually forces you to punch, as a Tyson map should. In stead of just sending groups of enemies your way, this map actually has technical fights, like the one with the imps, pinkies and the archvile, or the one with the revenant and, again, the archvile, which adds to the fun. I'm not going to lie though, I feel guilty that I'm only putting one map of my favourite megawad on this list, but the maps of Ancient Aliens just blend together to a point where not many of them really stand out. The similar look of the maps adds to the quality of the megawad as a whole, but the individual maps usually aren't as unique. However, this map distinguishes itself from the rest. I'm pretty sure it's the only red level, so it's visually distinctive, and you are bound to remember any Tyson map from a megawad, because it forces you to think and "git gud". Especially when you are forced to punch out an archvile. Well, I guess it's possible to snipe him later in the level, but I have to keep things challenging. This really is the most underrated map of Ancient Aliens and I'm not ashamed of saying it's one of my favourite maps, period.

 

 

4) Valiant - MAP07: The Mancubian Candidate (Skillsaw)

Talk about a unique concept! The fact that mancubi are hard coded to trigger a certain event - usually a door or wall that opens - in Doom II's MAP07, has the consequence that MAP07's of almost all Doom's megawads are quite gimmicky. Usually, mappers go for Dead Simple clones, with slight variations on monster placement and architecture. Sometimes the Dead Simple mechanic is well hidden and killing all mancubi will trigger some sort of secret, without being the focus of the map. This map turns the whole gimmick around. You don't want to kill the mancubus, or you will have to deal with the consequences. These consequences come in the form of 16 archviles that you have no means of killing or escaping. This time around, infighting is your worst enemy. It really doesn't help that the map curves around the mancubus, so the mancubus can easily get in enemies' line of fire. Don't talk to me about those cursed arachnotrons... If one of them gives you a mean look from across the map and decides to shoot you, your mancubian friend is as good as dead. I still can't get around how creative this map is. It changes your entire way of playing. It's a unique experience that I would recommend to anyone. Oh yes, and a cyberdemon fight at the end only adds to the thrill... What more could you want?

 

 

3) Back to Saturn X Ep. 1 - MAP24: Tough Skin River (Tango)

Hot take: I'm not a huge fan of Back to Saturn X's first episode. I can only enjoy so many tech base maps, and i feel like the tech base theme of this megawad overstays its welcome a little. I still enjoy the maps taken one by one, but I will never play through the wad in its entirety again. I much prefer episode 2. However I highly doubt I will ever play a megawad that goes out with a bang as big as this one. The first half of the map might lull you into a false sense of "I've seen this all before", but then comes the fight. Oh yes, the fight. You are never prepared for the fight. As you grab the red key, you see an absurd amount of cacodemons rise from behind the fences. Okay, let's rocket them down a bit. Then more enemies spawn in and you think: "Yay, infighting!" So you run around and see enemies kill each other. But the monsters keep spawning, the number of cacodemons is too large, your path gets inevitably blocked and you die. The only way you can beat this fight is by keeping your finger on the fire button and dodging the monsters that seem to keep teleporting in. And the melancholic, yet heroic midi that was provided by Jimmy Paddock just makes the fight seem like it's filled with... emotion?? It's an experience like no other. It's the most majestic fight I've ever fought, knocking out Eviternity and Sunlust's finales. You can't help getting attached to this map, and won't regret it either.

 

 

2) Eviternity - MAP32: Anagnorisis (Ukiro)

Every Doom fan that knows a thing or two about custom megawads, knows Anagnorisis. It's huge. That's it, it's huge. Oh yes, and it's gorgeous, the fights are clever, the layout is well thought out and the soundtrack bangs in my opinion. There's a threat around every corner. This is as close to Dark Souls as Doom will get, and I love Dark Souls to death. Ukiro, who designed the Otex texture pack, contributed only this map to Eviternity. However, it feels like he worked on this one map longer than Dragonfly worked on all of his maps combined. There are a few locations that I dread in this map: the annihillator in the narrow hallway, the cyberdemon on the bridge, the annihilator in the sewery area... But lose your focus and every fight can end your run. And the fight in the end is no pushover either. Die here and I'll guarantee you'll rage quit immediately. It's a slog at first, but once you get the layout down, it's the most immersive and intricately crafted map you'll have ever played.

 

 

1) Valiant - MAP27: Rocket Zone II (Skillsaw)

However, there is one thing that beats out sheer beauty and scale: pure fun. I can't begin to describe how much I enjoy Rocket Zone II. The fifth episode of Valiant is my favourite, or at least on par with episode three as my favourite. These maps focus on high action and have some of the most fun midi's in the entire megawad. I enjoy every map in this episode so much. However, there is one thing that gives this map the edge. Everyone who has played this map sees it coming. It's the incredible secret fight. The random video fragment of a dude doing a dance with playing cards in his hands and a knife in his mouth, tells you that Skillsaw has abandoned all seriousness for the coming section. You enter a teleporter and the first few notes you hear tell any person with a good recollection of 80s music what's gonna happen. It's the final countdown baby! As if the first part of the map wasn't fun and fast-paced yet, this banger of a fight comes around. You fight 10 waves of enemies that will spawn into an arena that gets bigger as you go. All the while, a counter against the walls is counting down from 10 to zero, and a note-for-note adaptation of the Final Countdown is blasting through the air. I can never help smiling as I mow down demons and always start singing along. It's the definition of fun. Want to play a Doom map for fun? Play this one! Also, the name is aptly chosen... Rocket Zone II is the biggest Doom blast I've ever had!

 

 

 

So that's it. Of course I don't know every map that's out there, but these are the ones I've had the most fun with so far. I hope people agree with me on some of these picks, and maybe I'll get people to play some maps they haven't played before?

Edited May 24, 2021 by Ennello

[MajorRawne]

My top ten:

 

Beast Island - Alien Vendetta map 08

From the gorgeous sunset sky, to the crumbling ruins, to the achingly nostalgic music (Huline Temple theme from Lands of Lore 2), and ultimately to your first breathtaking glimpse of an entire castle awaiting exploration, this one's got so much emotion attached for me.

 

Twilight Descends - PSX Doom level 29

Stunning in its day, immersive in how it's crafted, a notable step up from the original maps and a tour de force in making Playstation Doom terrifying.

 

Hell Keep - PSX Doom level 17

Totally different and hugely superior to the original map, this like all PSX exclusive maps is notably tougher and scarier than the original maps. Used to leave me breathless with my heart hammering to play this on UV from a pistol start. Success was never guaranteed.

 

Sever the Wicked - PSX Doom level 26

It's so weird but on deathmatch, this was such an incredible level. My friends, my brother and I seem to be the only people who discovered this level's potential. Achingly lonely music, a hellish sunset sky and map design that somehow works for 1v1 play meant we spent more time on this map than any other.

 

Crater - PSX Final Doom level 17

Lonely, melancholy, tons of extra places to explore and a gorgeous night sky. This was a glimpse of what Doom might have been: a creepy, living, breathing environment where you could go places just to see them, rather than because locked doors force you down there.

 

Nessus - PSX Final Doom level 9

A glorious, gorgeous map with a kick. The Toxin Refinery music suits it so well.

 

Afterlife - Hell Revealed map 26

An absolute masterpiece of abstract design which has stuck in my head for 20+ years, which is precisely the time it took me to beat it on UV from a pistol start with a mighty 78% kills (running away from numerous Cyberdemons). And I did it with only the double barrelled shotgun. Take that, Afterlife!

 

Daemonic Hordes - Alien Vendetta map 25

Just pure destruction with way more personality than a modern-day arena map. You move through several increasingly jaw-dropping, increasingly tough areas, feeling like you're exploring the ruins of an alien civilisation that was overcome by Hell. Never beaten it from a pistol start but that will change this year.

 

Go 2 It - Plutonia map 32

A map I never cared for until I beat it on UV from a pistol start, it's unendingly exciting and totally relentless.

 

Playground - Hell Revealed 2 map 32

The map that turned me into a man. I had to drop down two difficulty levels to beat this the first time. UV seemed impossible, but beating it (after considerable effort) was so sweet.

 

Edited June 18, 2021 by MajorRawne

[pcorf]

Some maps that blew me away.

 

1. Endgame MAP07 - I love the atmosphere and layout of this map. Spectacular!

2. Community Chest 2 MAP24 - A massive, futuristic sewage base.

3. Lost Civilization MAP09 - A huge medieval map with breathtaking views to an enormous scale.

4. Scythe 2 MAP27 - You are truly in the depths of hell. Black castle, Afrits, Lava, what else can I say.

5. Alien Vendetta MAP20 - You venture deep inside a pyramid for a true adventure. Nuff said!

6. Demonized MAP01 - One of the first Boom maps, absolutely spectacular medieval city-like map.

7. Eternal Doom MAP28 - Futuristic medieval starbase.

8. Ultimate Doom The Way id Did E4M8 - A stunning Dr. Sleep tribute.

9. UAC_Dead.wad - Classic base map from 1994 that we all know about!

10. Sunder MAP32 - That mansion map surrounded by a dark jungle-like garden holy f***!. Best map in Sunder by a long way.

Edited June 18, 2021 by pcorf

[Andromeda]

53 minutes ago, pcorf said:

7. Eternal Doom MAP28 - Futuristic medieval starbase.

Huh, I never thought about Timeslip like that... but it makes a lot of sense!

["JL" was too short]

Incomplete list:

 

Misri Halek (Alien Vendetta)

Terror Cube (ZPack)

Leave Your Sol Behind (Ancient Aliens)

Unstable Journey (BTSX 2)

ZDCMP 2

 

These would, no question, be on the list if I were to make it right now.  I'm not sure what the other five would be; there are tons of maps that I think are really good, but I'm not sure I can name five more of them while being able to answer the inevitable "okay, why isn't this other one on there instead?"  The five I've named, I'm confident would not be displaced by any of the maps I've played.

 

There are some episodes, taken as an aggregate, that I could feel more confident about putting on the list right now.  For instance, I could put E1 as a whole on the list (and E1 actually probably takes about the same amount of time to beat these days as some of the above entries), but if I have to pick individual E1 maps I probably couldn't do it.

 

edit: You might be able to tell that I like long, flavorful adventures, whether they come as a single map or an entire episode arc.

Edited June 19, 2021 by jerrysheppy

[pcorf]

9 hours ago, Andromeda said:

Huh, I never thought about Timeslip like that... but it makes a lot of sense!

 

I also like the rather joyful music in that map as well even though it does not really suit the theme.

[Deadwing]

Mano Laikas Map 20 - Extremely alien map with only stock texturing. Also, as expected from monti's, lots of exploration.

 

Culture Shock (Ancient Aliens) - The map speaks for itselt. It has a strong Spyro vibe and everything is masterfully crafted. From the same wad, I also loved Leave Your Sol Behind.

 

BTSX1 Map 1 - One of the strongest intros I've played so far. (which I tried to create "my own version" with Exomoon)

 

The Antaropolis - Struggle - One of the most epic levels I've played, in a wad with already lots of amazing and epics maps.

 

Urania map 4 - Insanely big and dangerous map, with a mind-crushing progression. I think it took me an hour to finish this, but It's one of my favorite exploration maps. Very adventurous and non-linear.

 

Plutonia Baron's Lair - Classic map that got stuck in my mind. It's very moody, from the revenants shooting at you "far away" in the beginning, to the spectres waiting at you in that room.

 

Brigandine - It's a Dark Souls map in Doom 2. Beautifully crafted.

 

Plutonia 2 Lurking Fear - From all the great maps of this wad, I think this one was the one that stuck in my mind. It's very epic, the initial area is really moody and you know shit will get real.

 

Doom II The Spirit World - I was mindblown when I played this map for the first time lol It's very different from the others hell maps, the new song definitely enhances the mood and it is full of memmorable areas.

 

Eden - Amazing unique aesthetics, it's a very moody map with unexpected turn of events (from short tight fights to slaughter then literally silence leading to a final confrontation)

[Phobus]

I know I shouldn’t - given we, as a community, have an embarrassment of riches where great maps are concerned - but I’m always gutted to get nowhere near these sorts of topics and lists.

[MajorRawne]

Lots of people mentioning Egyptian Slaughter a.k.a. Misri Halek (which I've always mis-spelled Mishri Halek because English people lack the foreign language gene).

 

I didn't include that because the gameplay has always seemed a bit off to me - it's easy to lose your way and run round for ages. That said, the music is perfectly chosen. As an exploration and adventure map, it remains unparallelled to this day. Alien Vendetta's greatest strength was its sense of location. You aren't just running through a weird jumble of rooms that all look the same, you are in an actual environment. Misri Halek doesn't just do this well, it perfects it. This is the only case where I'd consider a map legendary even if it's not my favourite to play.

 

Of course, when you do know where you're going, eg climbing up that mountain, it's full on Doom fun.

[Doomkid]

42 minutes ago, Phobus said:

I know I shouldn’t - given we, as a community, have an embarrassment of riches where great maps are concerned - but I’m always gutted to get nowhere near these sorts of topics and lists.

I hope I'm not misunderstanding you here, but your wad Mini Doom is really high on my list of favorite wads. It was nice to have something that used non-vanilla mapping features while still feeling super pure.. That's a rarity, so I hope you don't mean you're "nowhere near" being on anyone's radar as far as great mapping is concerned. You're high up on mine!

[TheMagicMushroomMan]

52 minutes ago, Phobus said:

I know I shouldn’t - given we, as a community, have an embarrassment of riches where great maps are concerned - but I’m always gutted to get nowhere near these sorts of topics and lists.

25 Years on Earth is one of the best megawads I've played. In fact, it's the wad that got me back into Doom. I took a break for a long time and it was the first thing I played that made me remember why I love playing Doom. Nothing else seemed to do the trick for me.

Edited June 19, 2021 by TheMagicMushroomMan

[Phobus]

Thanks @Doomkid and @TheMagicMushroomMan - maybe I’ll finally break through to “household name” status with the next release… or the one after (or eventually). I’m not going anywhere!

[Li'l devil]

For me favorite equals most memorable. Unfortunately, most pwads I've played had no maps that stand out in my memory, even if the wads themselves were memorable. Just off of my head, here are mine picks, most of them are from iwads tho.
E2M2 Containment Area. Probably my fav map. It's massive, non-linear, has nice music and good atmosphere, and I also like crate mazes.
Map 05 Infested from 1 Monster. I like the design and music a lot, it has tremendous amount of barrels to blow up, your only enemies are pinky demons and it has rather unique combat scenarios.
E1M2 Nuclear Plant. Especially on the PS1 version, I find this map genuinely creepy even after playing it so many times, especially that dark hallway maze.
Ghoul's Forest 3, a one map wad. I think it's one of the most terrifying levels in gaming as a whole, mostly due to enemies, but the design fits perfectly well with them.
Map 02 Underhalls. I played it so much, but it somehow never gets boring, unlike other Doom 2 maps. It's somehow random every time I play it, the enemies always appear in unexpected places. And since most enemies are zombies, it's always a fun easy experience for me.
Map 18 Mill from TNT. Not a good map, but I remember it so much because I got stuck on it for very long, and somehow I liked how confusing and weird this map was.
Map 09 Stronghold from TNT. It's so fun breezing through large crowds of zombies, I don't know why there aren't a lot of maps like this in terms of enemies. I guess because zombies are "too easy" as if it's never fun.
Map 12 Crater from TNT, for lonely night-time atmosphere. When I think of TNT, this map always comes to mind the first.
Map 15 Spook House from 1 Monster. I remember this being a very well made horror map in style of Blood.

Marine Assault, a standalone map by Enjay for ZDoom. This map felt like an actual mission rather than a map. You infiltrate a base, fight guards who make funny screams when they die, plant explosives and stuff. It was really cool.
Map 01 from wow.wad. It's original and has a memorable description.

[Omniarch]

8 hours ago, Phobus said:

I know I shouldn’t - given we, as a community, have an embarrassment of riches where great maps are concerned - but I’m always gutted to get nowhere near these sorts of topics and lists.

Well, you're certainly on my radar, if that means anything :)

 

Your DTWiD submission (E3M6: Depths), for example, is probably my favourite map in the set, and that's saying quite a bit given how much of DTWiD stan I am. If memory serves, your cc4 submission also left quite an impression on me when I first encountered it over a year ago. I distinctly remember lovely naturalistic rock formations cast against a dreary grey sky creating a nice sense of mood. I also enjoyed Big Woodchip, which I played for the Miniwad Club a while ago (though I didn't do a write up for it, due to burnout from Miasma).

 

Of course, you also made a whole megawad, which is a pretty hefty achievement. I'll admit I haven't played the whole thing (I rarely do, bouncing from wad to wad like a pinball), but I used to replay the first episode regularly. Also, I do eventually plan on playing through the DBPs, and then I'll get to experience your contributions to them as well. Finally, I plan on playing through the 15 Years A Doomer submissions, yours included. Given your description of it "Enjoyable pop-corn for the masses (possibly my favourite type of Doom)", I'm sure it'll be a good time!

 

In short, you've made some really good stuff over the years, so don't feel bad. You've given many Doomers many hours of good, clean fun :)