The DWmegawad Club plays: Base Ganymede

[LadyMistDragon]

For a wad to round out the month I'd like to nominate +++Osiris because it comes to exactly 30 maps when you add the total to Auger; Zenith and also because I like the idea of mixing the old with the new. If there's anyone who thinks that it's aged about as well as something like the Trooper's Playground though, we can always go for +++ WMC 01: The Rising instead.

[dei_eldren]

58 minutes ago, Book Lord said:

I don't know how many agree with me, but I would really like to see you develop a 4th episode for Base Ganymede

 

i definitely would - in fact, i neglected to add in my summary a lot of things, but among them the fact that i hope that Khorus will still continue mapping, as he clearly has talent.  And i'd love to see what he can do with the 4th episode.

[LadyMistDragon]

Come back Khorus! I'm soory!

[DuckReconMajor]

E3M8 - dsda-doom - skill 4 - rewind feature used

 

The mini Gotcha! fight was so cool! And unlike in real life (aka Doom 2) the Spiderdemon won! I was very pleased

Putting the spiders up on pedestals was a neat twist that prevented me from just BFG slamming them immediately

 

Spoiler

 

 

[DisgruntledPorcupine]

Back from my camping trip and ready for some Doom

 

E3M6

UV, pistol start, no saves

100% kills, 2/2 secrets 

 

A somewhat by-the-numbers looking hell level (although its still quite easy on the eyes like everything else in the wad). Like the previous map, this one felt pretty breather-ish, but I had a bit more fun than I did in E3M5. The layout is more cramped, so you have less room to work with when avoiding enemy attacks, but most of what the level does throw at you isn't too tough to handle, and I didn't really find myself getting close to dying even with relatively tight health resources. Conversely to health, the ammo again felt rather ample, most noticeably the cells and rockets.

 

Ambushes in this level feel a little bit non-threatening for what the wad has shown so far. I do really like the stretch after acquiring the red key though, when the level repopulates with baddies. I especially enjoy the spectacle of the massive number of imps that teleport in right after picking it up. A few rockets cull their numbers quite easily so it's a bit of a trivial fight, but sometimes I'm good with an ambush just having that sort of flash to it. The rest of the repopulated enemies also aren't too bad, as said earlier you get quite a lot of cells and rockets in this level so feel free to be liberal with pulling out the big guns. I found the secret exit pretty much immediately, so I didn't have to waste any time there.

 

Easy level, but an easy level that still manages to provide a good time. Might be more suited to an earlier episode, but a good one nonetheless.

 

E3M9

UV, pistol start, no saves

100% kills, 0/1 secrets 

 

A gory cavern with 53 monsters that goes by in a flash. From pistol start, this map is mostly a mad dash to amass enough guns and ammo to mow down the threats dotted throughout the very small area this level takes place in. Once you have the means, taking care of the enemies is easy as pie. From continuous play, I imagine this map is nothing more than a brief oddity without much point to it, but pistol start at least provides you a small bit of thrills. In any case, it's an easy map and one of the simplest in the wad so far. Not much more to say, but it was alright.

 

E3M7

UV, pistol start, no saves

100% kills, 0/1 secrets 

 

Gotta say, after a pretty fiery start to episode 3, I was hoping the back portion of the episode would have some real ass-kickers in it, but the difficulty feels like its sort of died off in the later portion. I am still enjoying these levels, but they don't quite live up to the action shown in maps such as E3M2 and E3M3, or even the scale of something like E3M4. 

 

This level is a key hunt, where you have to get each skull key and bring it back to the starting area to make your way to the exit. I think why this level ends up being a bit too easy is it feels like it overprepares you at times. The plasma at the beginning is fine as it makes the baron less of a headache, but I feel like the rocket launcher immediately afterward is a little bit overkill. The soulsphere you get when you get the blue key feels a little bit unnecessary, and its health boost can pretty much be ridden for the rest of the level. Finally, the last fight is just an awesome teleport ambush that I really didn't expect to see the scale of, but the BFG you get right beforehand makes it kind of a joke. I do kind of get with the number of barons the fight might be a bit too spongey otherwise though, so maybe there was a different route of making this a little harder. I still loved the fight though, for the same reasons I alluded to in the imp fight in the E3M5 writeup, it scared the hell out of me when I saw it haha.

 

Despite overpreparing you, I thought it was a fine level with a great ending. Just a little more refinement of the pickups and I think the level would be a great one.

[DuckReconMajor]

Final Thoughts

It's Base Ganymede, what's not to love?

As I stated at some point earlier this month, I'm biased toward any Doom 1 wad. 

Some of the scenes that open up to the excellent sky background make the trudge through all the sludge worth it.

I'm down for any break from the ol' SSG, even during extended staredowns with Barons of Hell.

I remember when this wad came out, I was super excited for it. I could've sworn I played it, but I remembered next to nothing of the levels. It was great to have a second first-time experience.

[Endless]

E3M8 | UV Continous | GZDoom & DOOM Retro

 

 

The ending has come. This is it, the last map is... well, decente, I guess. I like the idea of returning to a previous area you know, but change it with a different theme and add some variation. In this case, hell flesh has overgrown this lovely tech-base and demons are now tighter and ready for action. Sadly, that action falls a bit short but it still is enjoyable, if a bit lackluster. Design wise is solid, the progression is straightfoward and the combat is right in your face most of the time, but that's it. I guess I'm used to the last map being one of the best ones, bu this one is just o-key. Nothing fancy yet nothing bad, a decent effor that could've been done better.

 

So, my final words on Base Ganymede? I think it's pretty damn good. A solid megawad for the original Doom that explores a beautifully unique yet familiar theme; tech-base in Jupiter's moon! The aesthetics are gorgeous throughout almost the entire megawad, with a few dull looking maps here and there, but most just feel so good and play so great it's one of those megawad you could binge if you have the stamina. My favorite episode is probably going to be E1 and the early maps of E3. I just loved the simple progression and non-stop action. I would def recommend this piece of work. Worthy winner of its Cacoward.

 

As for my vote:

 

+++ Zone 400

 

I love pcorf work, so I really want to dig in this.

Edited July 28, 2021 by Endless

[DisgruntledPorcupine]

E3M8

UV, pistol start, no saves

98% kills, 0/0 secrets 

 

E3M8 has a bit of a flashback quality to it, bringing you back to a past techbase (can't recall which level(s) are referenced here off the top of my head), only now it is overgrown with gore and hell textures. The level has some easy fights that lead up to an opportunity for a spiderdemon vs cyberdemon showdown. Alternatively you can just take down the cyberdemon with the BFG and then the spider, but where's the fun in that? After they are done, you teleport to a final fight with two spiderdemons on corners of an arena, and some more enemies roaming the ground. The level ends when the spiderdemons are dead.

 

So I only got 98% kills, because for me the level also ends if the cyberdemon dies, making 100% kills impossible. I initially was confused and thought it was a very strange design choice, but judging from other comments it's probably something only I am experiencing (dsda-doom is my sourceport of choice). Accounting for the level not running this way, it's a decent level, if not a little bit meh as a closer.

 

Final thoughts:

So Base Ganymede is the first full Doom 1 megawad I've played. I have played Nihility: Infinite Teeth before because it was made by somebody whose work outside Doom I am a fan of (being created by well known noise musician Uboa), but this is the first full three episode and first vanilla Doom 1 wad for me, so it was interesting to see how Doom 1's limitations influenced the level design, and whether I would miss the Doom 2 monsters. I do think the Doom 1 roster did lead to combat feeling a bit samier, lacking monsters such as mancubi, revenants, and archviles that can define a room all on their own, and the ambushes felt a little bit repetitive at times too. Obviously though, these are difficult things to account for when you are creating a Doom 1 wad, so I can't be too upset about it.

 

Ignoring the Doom 1 related stuff though, I think this wad was pretty good. Visually it was great, bringing the most potential out of the vanilla textures by using immaculate lighting, and creating a strong atmosphere. Combat-wise, it has its ups and downs. As I said, lots of it does tend to feel a bit less diverse in the gameplay department than a lot of other creations out there, but limitations aside I feel like I was often waiting for the wad to bring a bit more oomph to its encounters. The resource starvation that was often present was generally done well, with some exceptions (E2M6). 

 

Overall, I am happy to have played this one. I may not have overly loved it, but it was nice to give a Doom 1 wad a shot, and I had fun.

 

Favourite level: E3M2

Least favourite level: E2M6

Hardest level: E2M6 (for the wrong reasons)

[baja blast rd.]

+++ RAMP for the next six months

[TJG1289]

Alright, time to finish this. This week has been rough for me so I hadn't had the mental wellness to play this, but I'm feeling better now.

 

E3M7

(UV/Continuous/Saves)

100% kills and secrets

Time: 11:42

 

Hell textures of the rock, wood, metal and flesh variety greet us when we start this level, along with some imps, pinkies, barons, and lost souls. Thankfully, there's some weapons and ammo here to help. The goal is to get the three skull keys and activate switches in the middle column here. Honestly, I don't remember the order in which we do this (I think yellow, blue and red?). First key path just has a monster closet open, nothing bad there. The next path has a little more too it, as there's some indoor and outdoor areas as we make our way to the key we first see when we take the lift up to this path. Once we get to it, we grab it and the Soul Sphere, which pretty much confirms that the Spider Mastermind that awakened when we first fired in the opening has teleported back to the main hub. Take it out and open up the next path. We can see the secret bulk cell in one corner. Go to the other one and hit use in it to activate the just barely visible switch to lower it (I actually didn't even see the texture until after I activated it, I just had a hunch based on some sector lines in the automap). This path will lead not only to the final key, but another BFG, which is used for the final teleport ambush back at the beginning. Best fight in the level here, but for a penultimate level, this isn't really a challenge. It does seem like the ep has been getting easier, but that could be due to me playing continuous. It's a fine level though, and I did enjoy it.

 

E3M8

100% kills and secrets

Time: Heck if I know

 

This is an interesting final map. I don't remember specifically which level(s) we have returned to, but we are back in familiar territory, but it's not exactly the same. New passages made of flesh have opened up, along with blocking off old ones. We start with a tiny ambush of imps and barons once we grab some goodies (including the first chainsaw of the episode apparently). Once we kill them and head into the new fleshy path, we come across another familiar looking spot where we can spot a BFG. Head back the other way to get up to it, and then take out the barons on the blood floor. Once we take those stairs, we can't go back, so make sure that BFG is in your hands, as you're about to take on the final Cybie of the WAD. You could get behind it and hit the switch to unleash a SM too, and get some Gotcha! going on, but I didn't know that was going to happen and I ended up two-shoting them both. Go through the teleporter to the final fight. A square room with imps and barons on your level, and 2 SMs on opposite corners. Stay at the base of one of these corners to get out of both SM's line of sight, and rocket the ground troops. Then BFG them both to end the WAD. Probably the easiest ep ender, but at least there's more meat to this one.

 

Final Thoughts: I did enjoy the WAD, but there's something about it that doesn't elevate it to more than 3/5 personally. I don't think it's necessarily that it's just a Doom WAD, even if I do Doom II's addition, since I don't remember having this feeling of "meh" after I finished Lunar Catastrophe last year. And there's nothing I can really fault in the levels themselves. They're very well designed and use everything well. I never felt lost, and generally had fun playing most levels. Hell, I appear to be one of the few that liked E1M8, as that was a really cool final ep level that was more a speedrun puzzle. The difficulty was decent, with the only thing I didn't like was the lack of health (and a rad suit in that one E3 level), but since I didn't really think much of this WAD was hard, I guess that's where the difficulty comes from. So if everything's fine, why do I only think this WAD was ok? I don't know honestly. I enjoyed the time, but I don't see myself playing this again. It was a good one time thing, and a solid Doom WAD, but there's something missing here that I can't put my finger on to elevate it to great. 

[dobu gabu maru]

New thread will be up tomorrow. Zone 400 is the winner, with Zenith in second. Not going to combine them however as it seems like a hellish amount of maps to get through and I don't even know how I'd order it.

[ElPadrecitoCholo]

Well, since everything has its beginning, everything also has its end ... it's time to end this once and for all...

 

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E3M1:
A map with things that have more to do with episode 1 or 2 than with 3, but hey, there are only toxic floors, walls designed with metal areas and rocky areas, and also, this map is open, at least not here. there is so much mobility problem. The combat is what stands out the most here, because there are quite a few Hitscanners everywhere, as well as many imps, which makes it a bit complicated to start, not to mention the inclusion of the barons of hell here, so it can be A bit complicated to pass the initial area but after that, everything else is relatively simpler, because Pinkys and Cacodemons appear but to a lesser extent, and with the help of the

armored vest and the secret weapon, which is the Chaingun, everything the rest will be much easier.

 

E3M2:
Already entering this map we are made to see that the scale of difficulty is increasing in a very strict way, but first detailing the map, let's say that it is a semi-open place, because for the most part we are locked in a place, but that is really big, well, here again it has a structure and designs not related to the third original episode, but in the same way not everything is a confinement, since if there are parts that are open, even if they are only very scarce, but it does not matter, of Anyway, what is true is that the map has many places to go to visit, and I honestly will not go into detail all that, so just to say that there are many closed areas, some open, and several roads to travel to grab each key is more than enough ... As for the combat, let's say that is what also stands out here, from the beginning there are already Imps attacking, there is also a Spider MasterMind in the middle of everything, and then we find Hitscanners, then to Pinkys, the Lost Souls, the Cacodemons and finally, the Barons of Hell, to whom, these enemies are seen much more frequently in the end of the map, which is a mini-Slaughter not very well programmed but which also turned out to be very entertaining.

 

E3M3:
Unlike the others, this map is more influenced by the third episode, therefore, here you will see very demonic things, so, detailing the map, it is completely in closed areas, some with movement space and others not. So, everything is put in different textures, meat here, red walls there, a bit of wood there, etc., in addition to having lava floors in certain places on the map. Again it is the combat that best shines here, because having closed spaces, these end up being stressful for the Marine, and it makes it more difficult to be progressing during the course, and by the way, I have also realized that I have rusted in this of look for secrets, because I almost never manage to have one around here ... and finally, the last area where there is a long path of red walls and meat floors was the most interesting thing that this map could offer me, but a shame not being able to enter that portal near the Lost Souls area ...

 

E3M4:
This map totally broke what was seen in the previous map, now it seems that I was playing a Wad for episode 1, but hey, anyway the progress system that exists in each of the episodes is more and more absurd than I I was thinking ... well, there are quite a few things to highlight here, for example, the huge and exterior area that this map has, there are almost no confinement areas, so fighting with enemies is more in the open air than staying alone inside technological facilities ... and if that were not enough, this place looks very similar to a strange maze that you have to go through from going and looking for the keys, until the player starts to think about where the exit of this is located place. The combat here is just as entertaining, adding to the fact that before going directly to the end of the map, we have one last battle with a cyberdemon that appears to try to annihilate the Marine, but fortunately it is not difficult to defeat him, even more so if he He has the secret Soulsphere and ammo in almost every weapon, so you only need to stay on the top floor in front of him to defeat him.

 

E3M5:
This map has been really complicated ... the truth is that to be a site with much more expanded area than closed, if it has caused certain inconveniences in my ... first to detail the map, it is a map of large space, but with some small areas, and also that it has another area just as expanded and open air but with pillars on the sides, everything is mostly white and red, but when entering some small closed areas it seems to be like inside small castles. The combat here was a little more intense, since you have the two bosses at once, the Spider MasterMind in the large space of the initial area, and the Cyberdemon in the other area that is accessed by crossing a portal, there are quite a few Hitscanners and Imps than any other monster. Although good, one of the positive points that could give to this, is the fact that he returned to take again the demonic setting that characterizes the original episode 3 so much.

 

E3M6:
Just entering the map, there are already Hitscanners and Imps waiting ... but hey, the map consists of small open areas and many closed areas ... yes, I know I'm starting to sound repetitive in this kind of thing but it's the truth Either way, there is a certain variety here that at least you can see demonic atmosphere again, which is very good because now if you feel the demonic environment again, and as such, you can see a lot of things that were already seen in The previous maps, in addition to that, it should be noted that the way this map is structured is really interesting, because you can see places that have a higher level, steps to climb, and several corners to explore that tend to confuse the Marine a bit. due to the repetition of textures on the red wall that there is, but the important thing here is that at least the map remains a little more varied than expected, and without taking into account that it lends a bit of inspiration from some maps of the e Floor 2 for some areas, but everything here was extremely entertaining. The combat here is a bit intense at first but then the risk is reduced, implying that the difficulty curve here was lost, but even so the fighting is kept entertained by the kind of traps that can be found here, And speaking about that, finding the secret area was not easy at all, but I am quite glad I did it without much trouble.

 

E3M9:
This map begins extremely well, with a 100% demonic setting, not in the style of Sigil but it does have its own charm, besides that there are many, many walls of viceras and huamana meat, which was very good inclusion, also the map is be something small, which is fine because considering that it is a secret map, I thought it would be a little longer but I am glad it was not, and finally we found an area of walls and areas carved out of wood, in this It is only accessed to take a key I think, and then go in the direction of the exit. As for the combat, it was very good at the beginning, and then normal, so there is not much to detail here.

 

E3M7:
A map that really reminds a lot of Plutonia because of the decorations of lianas and things of that style on the walls, but hey, considering the map in general, this one is really huge, since there are many areas to visit and there are also all kind of interesting traps throughout the course of the trip, and there are from closed areas, to outdoor areas, the normal of each map but I like that they keep this kind of thing hehe, even so, a map with its dose of difficulty without any doubt. The combat here turns out to be brutal, because there are also a large number of resistant enemies that go after the marine and this does harm our hero a lot, and not to mention that there is also the appearance of the Spider MasterMind when trying to unlock the Switch that allows you to reveal the exit, and without a doubt it turned out to be a challenging and hard map in several aspects, as well as getting that secret of Cell's charge.

 

E3M8:
This map was undoubtedly one of the most interesting I've seen, since it practically returns us to the first map of the entire episode but with the great exception that now the Marine must get into the bowels of all that demonic chaos and travel to certain parts already seen before by the first missions that this episode has, and I think that here they refer to mission 1 and 2, because then the Marine is transported to the last combat arena, which refers to mission 5. Well, in the visual section, it is just as good, because here it is practically a compilation with clipping of the first 2 missions of this episode, with the only change that you see walls of meat and viceres everywhere, and that the last arena The combat area is just a circular area with level 5 textures, but from then on there is absolutely nothing else. And here the combat was really good, having many bosses to face, being the Spider MasterMind who takes all the palms, because it appears 3 times here, while the Cyberdemon only appeared once, well, the end at least was satisfactory for me after having killed those last two bosses.

 

→Here's the video evidence:

 

 

 

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And well, everything has come to this point, thanks for participating and I will definitely withdraw from these collaborations of playing Megawads from Doom 1 and 2, thank you for everything and I wish you all an excellent day, because with me, I have so much to do that already I don't have the time to play Megawads without the use of powerful mods, so thanks for everything and goodbye guys.