The DWmegawad Club plays: Doom Zero

[golbeeze]

Playing on UV continuous.

The first two levels were fun. The traps were fine and the weapon changes have been enjoyable. This seems like a pretty good start to the wad, although there isn't anything too memorable yet. It feels like it could have fit into the original IWADs, even if it is a bit early to say.

[fran]

MAP02: Toxic Tower

Woof! 5.0 (-complevel vanilla), UV-Fast, pistol start, no saves.

 

100% Kills / 100% Secrets

 

Like the first map, this one I found fun! I like the variation between the two maps, but still keeping that air of the original games. I had already played the first two maps before, the third will be my first time so I hope to keep this good feeling with the rest of the set.

 

I share my demos of the first two maps!!

doomzero0102.zip

[Biodegradable]

MAP02 - Toxic Tower

UV | Continuous Play with Saves | GZDoom

 

A terrific second map that amps up the combat to a more fun degree. It feels like a kind of spiritual successor to E1M3 with its use of nukage and outside-like areas. Wasn't sure what to make of the puzzle switches by the yellow keycard but I think they determine what certain secrets open (I got a backpack). The way these maps look so far is a really nice retro-throwback kind of look, as if the Doom Zero mapping team really went out of their way to try and emulate the OG id Boys mapping sensibilities with some modern flair. I'm already rather hyped for this WAD at just two maps in as it very much feels like an IWAD but with some lovely tweaks and added advancements from the community's efforts to make it feel like a real proper sequel similar to No Rest for the Living. Maybe I'm being a bit overzealous? Not sure, but all I know is this is great fun so far.

 

 

Sadly, my footage got corrupted during this map's playthrough due to some unexpected input lag. The visual's fine except for the bit that shows where the lag happened, but it fucked the audio up. No sense wasting footage though, so I've uploaded it with the E1M1 music the map used, plus the 3DO version and a kick-ass synthwave rendition for good measure hehe.

 

 

[Maribo]

MAP02 - Toxic Tower

PrBoom+, UV (100% kills, 75% secrets), Pistol Start, No Saves, Blind

 

The layout of this one felt more like a traditional E1 map, maybe it's the circular room that the level is based around. This one went harder with the traps than I expected. I stumbled into one of the secrets by complete accident after trying to locate it with help of the sliver of secret area I could see on the PrBoom map.

Here's my blind demo, featuring a bunch of fruitless secret hunting for the third and fourth ones: maribo_zero_map02.zip

[continuum.mid]

MAP02: Toxic Tower

Crispy Doom 5.10.0 (Debian), UV, continuous, saves allowed but not used

Seriously fun. Mowing down rows of hitscanners is never not that, but the added platforming challenges actually work really well here. I almost died from the nukage during one platforming section, thankfully there's a lot of health in this map. Doom Zero is going a lot better than I expected so far.

[xX_Lol6_Xx]

Chocolate-doom v.3.0.0 (Ubuntu), Bring on the Pain, continuous, saves when needed, blind run.

Map 02: Toxic Tower

  

I enjoy this map, it has another "tech base" kind of thing going on, combined with At Doom's gate The monster count obviously increased but it's not that hard to give trouble in medium skill. I like the way the rooms are connected. We get the chaingun, yay! Probably my favorite part is the switch puzzle. I only found the supercharge. The only issue I have is the poison area, because you have to use a switch before going down there, very hard to know in a blind playthrough, the rest is rather cool.

Edited May 2, 2021 by Lol 6

[roadworx]

MAP02: Toxic Tower

Crispy Doom; UV Pistol Start

 

this honestly feels like playing episode 1 for the first time again, ngl. while it's still pretty easy, i did enjoy the combat more in this map. the monster count has increased significantly; luckily for us, there's conveniently placed explosive barrels scattered throughout the map as well as a chaingun (which is faster - i'm sensing a trend here) we can use to help take care of the larger groups. the first doom 2 enemy, the chaingunner, is also introduced in this map.

 

all of the switch puzzles are still pretty easy, but they're a bit more complex this time around, and there's also some platforming added into the mix. i don't have much more to say about the map other than that i really enjoyed it! :)

[MS-06FZ Zaku II Kai]

10 minutes ago, roadworx said:

MAP02: Toxic Tower

Crispy Doom; UV Pistol Start

 

this honestly feels like playing episode 1 for the first time again, ngl. while it's still pretty easy, i did enjoy the combat more in this map. the monster count has increased significantly; luckily for us, there's conveniently placed explosive barrels scattered throughout the map as well as a chaingun (which is faster - i'm sensing a trend here) we can use to help take care of the larger groups. the first doom 2 enemy, the chaingunner, is also introduced in this map.

 

all of the switch puzzles are still pretty easy, but they're a bit more complex this time around, and there's also some platforming added into the mix. i don't have much more to say about the map other than that i really enjoyed it! :)

You have a lot to look forward to in a good way, trust me ;)

[P41R47]

1 hour ago, roadworx said:

a chaingun (which is faster - i'm sensing a trend here)

its not faster gameplay wise, it shoots at the same rate as on the original, its just that the animation was tweaked to make the chaingun barrel rotate at the same rate as the firing sound. Just a graphical touch up, the same as the pistol that looks far more smoother than the original, but only has it animation states tweaked to look more fluid, but yes has it firing rate altered a little to be faster and more focused.

In comparison, vanilla pistol shoot 50 bullets after 20,28 seg.

And the new one shoot 50 bullets after 17,36 seg.

Not that great improvement, but those three seconds less are really notorious.

 

The only weapon that has it behaviour altered is the only one that has a new graphic for it.
I don't name it just to not spoild things up for those that didn't play it.

;)

Edited May 2, 2021 by P41R47

[Doritos420]

Map02 - Toxic Tower

Spoiler

This map definitely turned up the heat compared to the previous one (luckily it gives you a shotgun at the start). Lots more enemies and a few monster closets to spice up the encounters. I liked how the the level was constructed with the structure in the middle surrounded by the nukage. Very interesting progression to make your way to the yellow key/switch room having to go in and out of the central structure. The circular nature of the map makes it easy to backtrack to the start once you have the yellow key. One area I really liked was the switch room inside the inner structure, and when you get there a few more monster closets open up on the opposite side of the nukage moat and you have to fight them while in this enclosed space. Very fun level. I was able to get all the secrets (the one with the automap was the most difficult one), I kept thinking there was some sort of special key pressing progression inside the yellow key room, since the right-most switch didn’t seem to do anything except turn out the lights. My wife also played this one but since she’s not too familiar with Doom (and the lack of jumping mechanics) she didn’t really know how to approach flinging herself off of the stairs from the center structure. She said the level was interesting but was not used to the controls so had a hard time.

[roadworx]

i'm gonna start doing continuous cuz i kinda hate pistol starts, this is the first time i've done it and tbh i really don't like it lol

[Doritos420]

@D4NUK1 Huh, the map01 music is different in the x-box version. I guess they didn't have permission to put in the remix.

[DisgruntledPorcupine]

MAP02: Toxic Tower

UV, pistol start, no saves

100% kills, 2/4 secrets

 

We have another E1-esque one here, complete with At Doom's Gate. This one has you in a sort of round techbase with a small structure surrounded in nukage at the center. The combat is still quite easy but makes more attempts to threaten you this time, throwing quite a few more monsters at you and greeting you with some unexpected traps at certain points, leaving you to fend off waves of hitscanners and pinkies/spectres coming at you from both sides. You are liable to take a decent few hits from shotgunners in this one, but with proper caution and knowing when to run for cover the threat of death is still low.

 

We do see the difficulty of the switch puzzles ramped up slightly here, this time with the doors being timed and requiring you to open up a faster path in order to make one of them. Not gonna lie, the room with the 3 switches, one that killed the lights, one that blocked off all the switches, and one that opened the door totally went over my head. I'll have to revisit that room to see what it was actually made for, because despite a minute or two of fooling around I never came out with anything. Told you I was bad at secrets and whatnot. :)

 

This map also introduces us to a couple more changes, firstly the chaingun, which now only fires once per button press and also fires much faster when held down (disregard that, I just read the comments above. Got caught in the illusion, haha). I'm a fan of this one as well, not just because of the faster firing but it feels more satisfying to snipe things without having the gun rally off two shots each time you push fire. The chaingunners also now have the sound of your own chaingun when they fire, which I personally prefer the rapid firing shotgun sound they had before, but it's all down to preference.

 

Overall, another solid and fun to play early map.

Edited May 2, 2021 by DisgruntledPorcupine

[fran]

@dobu gabu maru Doom Zero has a HQ Music patch for certains source ports, in case you can add it to the description

 

Link: https://www.moddb.com/mods/doom-zero/downloads/doomzero-high-quality-music

[Magnusblitz]

MAP02: Toxic Tower

100% kills, 2/4 secrets

 

Decided to do pistol starts, and this one is actually quite dangerous at the start. Died 3 times - once to a barrel (something far too rare in most mapsets), once to just getting overwhelmed and once when I decided to jump in for the berserk pack, which was a bad mistake because I got ripped apart from above by shotgunners while escaping the slime and central tower. Most of the map is one circular area with a path on the outside and a central bunker in the sludge, but it gets a lot of mileage of it with plenty of monster closets that open as you go along. Another nice and punchy level.

[Biodegradable]

MAP03: Marble Zone

UV | Continuous Play with Saves | GZDoom

 

Combat is amped up another notch with a hot start in a tight corner to get your blood pumping! We're out of the techbase and into a jungle of rock, concrete and Plutonia vines strewn about. The humble Cacoboy also makes his inaugural appearance in the WAD in the form of a surprise Caco-Cloud ambush that came close to giving me my first death of the run even. They seem to have tweaked his voice a bit too, giving him some new sounds. I'd say this map's the most simplistic and quickest to finish by far, but that certainly doesn't make it any less fun. Combat is nail-biting, there's a great use of height variation and even a good reward for backtracking when you see the architecture shift around as you progress. I managed to snag myself a secret rocket launcher and the Soulsphere before I left too! :^D

 

 

[Sape]

UV Pistol start with saves, DSDA Doom

Map01 - High-Rise Roofs

100% kills, 3/3 secrets

A small E1 techbase, with some weak monsters and secrets that continuous players will appreciate, this map introduces you to the main gimmick of Doom Zero: switch puzzles, you also get a pistol with a better fire animation, nothing else to say, a nice first level.

 

Map02 - Toxic Tower

Another e1 styled techbase, specifically an e1m3 style, with nukage and monster closets. this level introduces you to the chaingunners(whose chainguns actually sound like one thanks to DeHacked) and of course to the chaingun, which has an improved firing animation, but now it shoots 1 bullet per click instead of 2. Overall, Toxic Tower is another small fun map.

 

Also, this is my first post, so hi everybody!

[fran]

MAP03: Marble Zone

Woof! 5.0 (-complevel vanilla), UV, pistol start, no saves.

 

100% Kills / 100% Secrets ; 4 dies in UV-Fast, 0 in UV.

 

Oh god, I tried complete it in UV-Fast, but I was already tired of trying.

 

Spoiler

All the time when I died was thx to hitscanners (an in a stupid first attempt when the fast-pinky killed me)

 

I really loved this map, so fart i have felt this classic atmosphere in the map design <3

 

But I can't disagree more with the change of certain sounds :(

 

Spoiler

wtf this bee(?)-caco ??????

 

Edited May 3, 2021 by toxic.rat

[DisgruntledPorcupine]

MAP03: Marble Zone

UV, Pistol Start, 0 saves

100% kills, 4/5 secrets

 

A break from the techbases, this one finds you in a marble structure with lots of raising and lowering platforms. It's another small step up in difficulty, pitting you in a bit of a sticky situation at the very start, and also introducing cacodemons into the mix (who sound a little bit strange in this wad). Chaingunners appear in larger numbers too, which I gotta say them having the "proper" firing sound really messes with my danger senses and causes me to not seek cover as hastily as a normally would when I hear chaingun fire, haha. You also get your first super shotgun in this map, which seems to utilize the same sound effects, but in a rearranged order. We do see more of the puzzle element here, especially in regards to the secret holding the megaarmour, which requires you to be a little bit keen in lowering/raising the platforms and was a fun one to figure out. 

 

Overall a pretty fun map. Maybe did not stick with me quite as much as the prior two did, but I enjoyed myself and really liked the inventive secret.

 

[dei_eldren]

Doom Zero - MAP03 - Marble Zone (HMP: K 100%, S 100%, D 0)

 

And so all of a sudden no one is holding the Doomguy's hand any more, being left all alone in this map.  The spike in difficulty is palpable and death has now become a true possibility.  The map consists roughly of two parts, an imposing green fortification and its surroundings, close to the visual style and colours of Plutonia - in fact, this level has a lot of the feel of both sets of Final Doom, whilst there's nothing in Doom II that i could associate with this.  It's also the most complex design so far, featuring a changing layout and a clever maze of rising and lowering pathways.  A notable change of pace and style, and also a window into what is to come.

 

The level begins with going into the Fort, whose design is curious and invites, as well as rewards, proper exploration.  On my first run, i failed to penetrate the most intriguing secret of the level (which still irks me) on my own devices, but at least in this WAD what you learn you will surely be able to put to good use later, so there's always a chance of redemption.  It's also a nice place with lots of weakly guarded goodies. The enemies here feel a bit perfunctory, but maybe that's the idea - just a few stragglers left haunting the place.  Why not, after all.  Gameplay-wise, since there's no threat whatsoever here, i'd suggest that either an entirely empty Fort or one with a sudden appearance of some immediate threat would be eerie, and build up tension.  But then again, why not like this?  (Ok, this is simply not how i would have populated this place, and that's the most i can say.  This set often uses Pinkies very effectively, and in the very least, i would've put ten or fifteen of them here - the zombies are just so... meh!, at this point.  And that's the end of my mapping advice...)

 

Once out of the Fort and down to the surroundings, the pistol starters get their SSG, while everyone else is greeted by a formidable horde of Cacodemons, that surrounded me way quicker than anticipated and took nearly half my health (luckily it was full), as i was forcing my way back to the safety of the lift i'd come from. 

i really appreciate the little intermission of a switch-puzzle and minor encounters one must resolve in order to gain entrance to the second main area, a veritable mini-Plutonia (but, the hole in the wall by the switch to show the gate opening was totally unnecessary at this point - i found that probably more annoying than i should have.)  This is a dangerous area, not only because of the hitscanners and others such, but because Chaingunners also make their entrance, in numbers.  And as one thinks everything is starting to be cleared, there is a devilish ambush that will kill if one is caught unawares - like for example dreaming of the classically displayed, beautiful and mysteriously elusive Megasphere, or simply in low health.  Loss of health and couple limbs isn't much of a big deal as this is nearly the last danger in the level and it's not hard to get back to 200% soon after to feel confident to begin the next one.  The secrets are generous in this set to compensate for the difficulty of reaching them, as i think it should be.  i like to be rewarded for my efforts, and that's one reason i prefer to play continuous.

 

Despite my little gripe about the Fort, this is a very nice level, the 2nd half being one of my favourite areas in the whole set.  (It's Plutonia done right...)

Edited May 3, 2021 by dei_eldren

[dei_eldren]

2 hours ago, toxic.rat said:

But I can't disagree more with the change of certain sounds :(

 

i agree with this.  i have only few criticisms about this set, but for me this change is totally unnecessary, and a mere novelty. 

[Kyka]

On 5/2/2021 at 5:50 PM, Biodegradable said:

MAP02 - Toxic Tower

UV | Continuous Play with Saves | GZDoom

 

A terrific second map that amps up the combat to a more fun degree. It feels like a kind of spiritual successor to E1M3 with its use of nukage and outside-like areas. Wasn't sure what to make of the puzzle switches by the yellow keycard but I think they determine what certain secrets open (I got a backpack). The way these maps look so far is a really nice retro-throwback kind of look, as if the Doom Zero mapping team really went out of their way to try and emulate the OG id Boys mapping sensibilities with some modern flair. I'm already rather hyped for this WAD at just two maps in as it very much feels like an IWAD but with some lovely tweaks and added advancements from the community's efforts to make it feel like a real proper sequel similar to No Rest for the Living. Maybe I'm being a bit overzealous? Not sure, but all I know is this is great fun so far.

 

 

Sadly, my footage got corrupted during this map's playthrough due to some unexpected input lag. The visual's fine except for the bit that shows where the lag happened, but it fucked the audio up. No sense wasting footage though, so I've uploaded it with the E1M1 music the map used, plus the 3DO version and a kick-ass synthwave rendition for good measure hehe.

 

 

 Slightly disappointed to see that you didn't manually replace all of the sound effects for the vid and line them up with what was going on. Still, we did get some really good renditions of that classic Doom theme, so all is not lost. Good vid.

 

On a broader note, I appreciate the DWMC, because it has often informed what I play next, and if I have already played a wad that the DWMC is currently playing, it is always interesting to get other peeps take on a level and compare them with my own thoughts.

 

Doom Zero is one of the best classic mapsets to come out in the last few years, and I don't think many will fail to enjoy it. Good hunting everyone.

[Crusader No Regret]

Map 2: 100% kills and secrets, HMP continuous

 

Still breezy intro level.  The progression has gotten more complex though.

 

  I found the computer map secret early which kindly telegraphed future monster closets for me.  I didn't do this but there's lots of opportunity for large numbers of barrel frags for those willing to route their usage.  At first I didn't catch how to solve the three switch puzzle by the key but being more observant allowed me to solve it on the second try.  Didn't see the lights out situation that other players have noted; I guess it could be the one switch I didn't hit.

 

  After all the hype about tricky exploration and secrets, I was superficially disappointed how easy it was to obtain the megaarmor.  But with another 30 maps to go, there's still space to be devious and sneaky about secret placement.

[Biodegradable]

4 minutes ago, bLOCKbOYgAMES said:

Slightly disappointed to see that you didn't manually replace all of the sound effects for the vid and line them up with what was going o

 

lol you'd have to pay me to do that because you're asking me to do my day-job during Doom time! ;^P

[Kyka]

13 minutes ago, Biodegradable said:

 

lol you'd have to pay me to do that because you're asking me to do my day-job during Doom time! ;^P

 

What is your day job, if you don't mind me asking? #curious

[Biodegradable]

13 minutes ago, bLOCKbOYgAMES said:

What is your day job, if you don't mind me asking? #curious

 

Video editor.

[Kyka]

Just now, Biodegradable said:

 

Video editor.

In that case good sir, probably don't edit that video. Enjoy your dooming, as I am sure you do. Cheers.

[Book Lord]

Hello everyone. This is my first post in the forum and it’s great to join the DWMC for a mega-PWAD ride. I’ve never played Doom Zero, as well as most recent community PWADs, but it looks like it’s a new & improved vanilla setup that I will surely enjoy.

 

MAP01 - High-Rise Roof

Doomsday Engine, UV-Fast, Continuous, blind run w/saves

 

A classic but classy opener, E1 style all over the place with lots of windows, stairs and visible hints at secrets. I had to get used to the improved rate of fire of the pistol, something that I felt not really necessary on this map, nevertheless playing on UV -fast it’s a welcome tweak. The shotgun has only a more fluid frame sequence, it seems; it still looks faster than normal.

Spoiler

Interesting and very didactic use of three keys in one place: choose your destiny… I hope this approach is used again in the WAD with more important consequences than here. I just had to open a specific door to access an area I’ve already cleared by shooting from the windows.

Spoiler

Switch use and secrets are carefully designed to guide the player into the tropes of Doom Zero: coded switch textures and creative use of lifts to gain access to the hidden areas.

Spoiler

I missed the blue armour secret on my first attempt... I noticed it when I passed a second time for the screenshots. I was baffled for a while after leaving, since it's not listed in the Doom Wiki entry for this level.

Spoiler

Nice remix of "Suspence", one of my favourite Ultimate Doom tracks. On to the next map!

 

Edited May 12, 2021 by Book Lord

[Book Lord]

MAP02 - Toxic Tower

Doomsday Engine, UV-Fast, Continuous, blind run w/saves

 

More hectic than MAP01, Toxic Tower is another E1 homage with its nukage pits, windows and monster closets, often with nukage inside. I always find hilarious that Doom enemies have a soft spot for bathing in nukage and hazardous fluids. Barrel placement is perfect for clearing out the area in a funny and quick way.

Spoiler

Good gameplay design, as I've always felt attacked by the enemies in an efficient way, sometimes chaotic, even though they were not in numbers and strength to pose an actual danger.Then there's the titular tower in the centre of the pit, with interesting bridges, platforming and timed switches that open up the rest of the map, up to the yellow key room. I triggered the 4 switches there haphazardly, but in the end it appeared I did everything right.

Spoiler

There are a couple of secrets that are easy to miss, because of habits a player might develop after playing harder and less puzzle-heavy WADs. No way I'm gonna jump in a pit with no visible escape, when there's a Poison Sign above it. Also the combat armour is easy to miss, because you won't believe you can get it so easily... this is a lesson to learn for the next maps. More exploration than my latest Doom experiences (I'm coming out of some combat-oriented WADs, where exploration was needed to survive and staying in a place was usually not possible).

Edited May 12, 2021 by Book Lord

[Maribo]

MAP03 - Marble Zone

PrBoom+, UV (100% kills, 80% secrets), Pistol Start, No Saves, Blind

demo w/ half the length dedicated to secret hunting lol: maribo_zero_map03.zip

 

That caco sound replacement is uh..... yeah.... I hope this wad does not feature cacos very prominently, to say the least. Map was okay, my least favorite so far, didn't really find it much of a difficulty hike either. The fort aesthetic appeals to me a lot less than the tech-base one, but I like the layout. I'm starting to really appreciate the way berserk feels thanks to the dehack, sometimes it does feel weird compared to vanilla berserk, but I might prefer it in all honesty. The pistol is a LOT more bearable to use.

Spoiler