Endless Random /idgames WAD Adventures #026

[ICID]

^{(logo by @4MaTC)}

 

ICID, what the hell is this now?

Endless Random /idgames WAD Adventures is a small project of exploration, interaction, entertainment and reviews where we meet once every 2 weeks to select random WADs in search of hidden treasures, lost promises, or our worst nightmares! We use the /idgames archive’s special feature that lets us search for random files. Of course, sometimes the results are resources or unplayable stuff, so we focus on looking for WADs.

 

So, what do we do here?

1. Play at least one random WAD in a two-week period of time. WADs are selected using the Random File feature on /idgames or from the list below.
2. Post a review of whatever you play. There’s no required pacing, but most of us post a review once every 1-2 days.
3. Always provide the name of the WAD, the name of the author, and a link to the file.
4. Play however you want, on any skill level, and with any source port, as long as you play the WAD as intended/in working shape.
5. Be respectful. Good rule of thumb: making fun of a map is okay, making fun of the mapper is not.

 

What kind of WADs are we looking for?

Any file on /idgames is fair game, but most of us choose to stick to singleplayer Doom or Heretic WADs that work in our sourceport(s) of choice. I also pull at least 5 random WADs for the event and add them here. Feel free to play them with me if you wish, or look for your own! The point of the event is to encourage you to explore this vast, random world. 

 

Recommendations for reviewing:

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1. Please take screenshots or video of your adventures.
2. Commenting the source port and skill-level is not required, but provides helpful context to your review.
3. Try to stick to no more than 1 WAD per day to avoid burnout, but this part’s all up to you, champ!
4. As mentioned above, screenshots or videos are awesome.
5. Reviews of all formats are valid. Both longform and shortform are good as long as you write with integrity. 

 

Endless Random /idgames WAD Adventures of this event:

1. Vulkan (Episode 1) v1.2

2. Linna

3. Tribute to the Lamplighter

4. The Landing Pad

5. 64 Lemons

 

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The top 15 (out of 35):

 

1. @Roofi | 3095
2. @Sena | 1445
3. @Walter confetti | 770
4. @LadyMistDragon | 530
5. @ICID | 530
6. @Endless | 405
7. @smeghammer | 290
8. @LUISDooM | 235
9. @Maribo | 145
10. @Biodegradable | 105
11. @thiccyosh | 90
12. @Teo Slayer | 80
13. @Rujasu | 75
14. @leodoom85 | 60
15. @Clippy | 55

 

Join the Doom Master Wadazine community for more events like this! » https://discord.gg/Q2RKn4J

Edited February 7, 2022 by ICID
added roofi's award to his high score!

[Walter confetti]

Vulkan and Tribute to the Lamplighter looks pretty interesting...

I think to have played already The Landing Pad some time ago....

[Endless]

Good luck to all the explorers and thank you all for playing so far in :D I also want to take this moment to congratulate @Roofi for being the first player in reaching 3000+ points! Hundreds of played WADs non-stop since the very first week, this man knows no bounds! He'll keep playing until death or intentionally stop. Here's for the next 3000 points!

 

Congrats, roofi :)

 

 

[Roofi]

Thanks a lot for the award !

 

I wonder how many files I played and reviewed in all, maybe between 500 and 1000. The adventure is far from over! :p

[bimbo]

3 hours ago, Roofi said:

Thanks a lot for the award !

 

I wonder how many files I played and reviewed in all, maybe between 500 and 1000. The adventure is far from over! :p

 

Congrats! I can only hope to achieve your level of RWA greatness!

 

WAD: Junction Station

By: Malrionn

/idgames

 

Junction Station is Malrionn's first WAD, according to the description in the readme, and it's actually pretty impressive! The author definitely has an eye for design, and the map itself was coherent and flowed nicely. It was on the easy side, and was far too overabundant in ammunition -- especially given the lack of demons to kill. Mob spawns triggered on key pickups, there were secrets, and the backtracking wasn't painful. I was never left scratching my head. As for criticism, there was a soul sphere pickup which could only be accessed right before exiting a level, which rendered it completely pointless. I'm not sure if they intended on adding more afterwards and just left it there, or wanted the player to be replenished before moving onto the next map despite this being the only map in the WAD, but either way it was useless. Given the difficulty of the map, it wasn't needed regardless. Also, there was an entire separate building which housed a "secret" rocket launcher, guarded by one Hell Knight and a few imps and zombies. It could have definitely used more. The design was nice, everything was aesthetically pleasing, but the actual combat was skimped on.

 

Being that this is the author's first published WAD, I can safely say this person definitely has a knack for mapmaking. I looked him up and apparently they've contributed to some other WADs, so I'll definitely be checking those out to check on their progression. 

 

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Edited February 8, 2022 by bimbo

[Rujasu]

fulcruml.wad by Steve Suchon (Tacohead) 02/01/96

IWAD: Doom 2

Source Port: PrBoom+

 

This is more of a test level than anything else

 

One thing I can say to my own mapping credit is that I haven't uploaded my test levels to idgames. That said, misaligned textures and trivially easy combat aside the map at least works, with its red key door, lifts and a button that crushes zombies by raising them up to the ceiling. Tacohead doesn't seem to have uploaded any other maps, so I guess we can safely say that the basic competence at making levels was never put to use to make a proper one. Far from the most offensive '96 level I've played.

 

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[Sena]

Day 1: Vulkan (Episode 1) v1.2 https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom2/Ports/v-z/vulkan

 

I found this one to be rather uninteresting. The most significant part of it is that it's paired with an enemy/weapon mod, it calls them 'Brutal Doom settings' in the menus, and while this WAD came out in 2017, this must have been version v 1.0 of BD, because I recall playing a much more advanced version later than that. I normally don't bother with weapon mods to begin with, but if there is one thing I can say that I think BD does well, it is the way in which it overhauled the enemy AI, who act more aggressive, and more in line with how you'd expect a bunch of feral demons to fight. Comparatively, the enemies in Vulkan felt somewhat boring to fight, firstly because, while I went through the first 3/7 maps, making up somewhere around 600-700 enemies, pretty much all the enemies were just humans, who all looked pretty much the same. I would raise the point that this negatively impacts gameplay as it deprives the game of having clearly identifiable enemies, which allows the player to quickly make important strategic decisions, but there aren't really any important decisions to make when it's all just the same enemy type. Adding on to that, I found the weapons to feel quite underwhelming, and I'm not entirely sure if it was due to poor accuracy, poor damage, or perhaps a combination of the two. In any case, when I shot at enemies, they didn't really seem to work as effectively as I felt like they should, maybe it was my fault for not aiming down the sights, but on the shotgun especially that feature felt extremely awkward, and I should probably mention the fact that any time I came I got shot at more than once, all the effects on my screen would cause the game to lag, which is not really something that I particularly enjoy having to deal with. Not that it happened much, because the inaccurate weapons just meant I'd stick to the corners and spray at groups without much real concern for accuracy, and it worked out for me, it was only when they threw in completely invisible spectres and they would take 3x as much damage as they normally would that I started having problems. And despite going through 700 or so enemies, I didn't exactly get many weapons, I got exactly 1 frag grenade I never saw fit to use, an assault rifle, a shotgun, which has a sling on it, which I wouldn't mention if not for the fact the jigglebone is so out of whack that you'd think someone's blowing an industrial-power fan at Doomguy with how much it swings. Stage 3 gives the chaingun, and ignoring the nasty fingernails, from a gameplay standpoint it's just an upgraded rifle, and while maybe I should be thankful I'm not having to spend 90% of my time using a super shotgun, the weapon variety isn't that much better than what I'm used to.

As for the levels themselves, they're mostly serviceable, except the first map which I couldn't complete, got 90 or 95% kills, but still had no idea where to go, even with noclip on, scripting might have broken, I might have broken it, couldn't really tell. If not for the Brutal Doom, this would just be an unremarkable series of techbases, they make decent usage of elevators, some awkward slippery floors, and a generally consistent visual theme. There is clear technical competence here, the STARTAN isn't as bad as my limited screenshots let on (although I'd opine that any amount of STARTAN is too much), but there's not really any question that these are all perfectly playable levels, it's just that none of them have any memorable qualities, well I remember not being able to break glass which surprised me but I don't think that counts. Ultimately, I'll have to give this one a 5/10, the custom enemies and weapons made my experience worse, leaving only the maps to save the WAD, and while I know for an absolute fact that I'm going to find something a whole lot worse in the next 2 weeks, these levels don't strike me as interesting in any regard.

 

P.S.

5 hours ago, Endless said:

 

Very cool trophy and 'grats to Roofi for getting it, but it says 'showelware', not shovelware

[Endless]

33 minutes ago, Sena said:

Very cool trophy and 'grats to Roofi for getting it, but it says 'showelware', not shovelware 

[Roofi]

Month 7 Day 27

 

I play until I die or intentionally stop.

 

[1] SEXY GIRLS, pick-up the most provocative items you can ;) by Javier Fernando Almenara Otoya, Ruddy Palacios Rodriguez. (2001)

 

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A file that contains some new items changes, that are now some SeXy Girls, which are waiting for you :) You can use any engine to play this WAD file; of course to allow the use of the '-Deh' paramater, you should use an engine like BooM, Legacy or ZDooM.

 

 

A sexy little mod that replaces armor and health bonuses with strippers from Dukem Nukem 3D. Literally, you kidnap them and they give you health and armor. A bit creepy though. I feel like a sexual predator. By the way, I'm surprised that this file needed 3 people to be made.

 

[2] DEMOREC.BAT by (\/)&(\/) |\/|/\|\| Software (1998)

 

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A batch file that automatically sets the options for recording a demo with doom 2. It makes recording, or playing, a demo as easy as 1,2,3. And it's only a 2K zip

 

I really like the idea of this file, even if nowadays ports have made the task much easier. By the way, unless I'm wrong, the BAT file is really for Doom2.exe/Doom.exe users, who are nowadays quite rare, especially in matter of speedrunning.

 

6 Ultimate Doom maps made by great names, especially Espi, now out of our world. These vanilla levels have a concept quite close to UDTWID as the authors have created new layouts while keeping the most unique elements of each map, whether n terms of texturing or locations. On the other hand, they kept their mapping style and the result is great because the architecture and the alignment of the textures are much better than the original game. Likewise, each map is longer and includes more sophisticated traps and a stricter ammunition balance, especially for the two maps from episode 3.

 

[3] Flashback: demo by @Torn (Team Leader), Espi, Erik Alm @Erik (2003) 

 

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Here it is; the demo of the Flashback megawad. Designed in the spirit of the original levels, with doom.exe compatibility. Hope you'll enjoy playing the levels as much as we enjoyed making them.

There are six maps; one from E1, two from E2 and E3 and one from E4:

E2M1 By Espi. E2M2 Torn & Espi. E2M3 Torn & Espi. E2M4 By Espi. E2M5 By Espi. E2M6 By Erik Alm.

 

 

Among these 6 maps that were supposed to be included in a hypothetical megawad we find E1M1, E2M3, E2M4, E3M1, E3M2 and E4M1.

 

Concerning E1M1, I was not particularly convinced. Certainly the level is bigger but the monotexturing generates a certain monotony. Moreover I preferred the textures used in the original level.

 

For E2M3, very pleasant surprise because I never liked Refinery in Ultimate Doom. In Espi's version, the rooms imbricate together much better and I liked the noisy machines (crusher noise) outside.

 

Concerning E2M4, I was a fan of the original version, but Espi managed to offer even better with a more lmaze layout and more height variations. I don't mind mazes when the level has a gloomy atmosphere.

 

I didn't like E3M1 too much, but this version will always be 100 times better than the iwad, especially architecturally speaking.

 

Espi had the ingenious idea to make a foot-shaped layout for E3M2. The volcanic rocky scenery is extremely well done. Nevertheless, I almost died several times because of the frequent lack of ammunition and medkits.  A real difficulty spike.

 

E4M1 was not too memorable but I liked the way the level evolves. The blood pools in particular drop down to reveal more passages. The monsters are well used and the difficulty does not rely on lack of supplies.

 

In short, an excellent hommage to Ultimate DOOM. We can only regret that the megawad was never released. Nevertheless, I didn't like the Inferno maps as much because the difficulty was mainly based on ammo starvation.

 

Grade : A

 

[4] Kingpin soundpack by Chris "dragon" Pisarczyk @Armaetus (2000)

 

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99% of the sounds are 22khz, so I reccomend a port like Zdoom/Doom Legacy/ZDoomGL, etc
Aproxmiatly all sounds have been replaced cept for player and switch sounds

 

 

A pack of new sounds, nothing extraordinary which replaces the grunts of monsters by funny quotes. Nevertheless, I really liked the sounds of the weapons, as well as the different sounds when you collect items or spheres. For the weapons, they sound a lot more powerful thanks to this mod.

 

I didn't manage to defeat nambona980 in The UAC Sewage Department

 

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Edited February 8, 2022 by Roofi

[ScrappyMcDoogerton]

Tribute to the Lamplighter for the Doom II iwad by @JudgeDeadd Played in DSDA-Doom, UV diificulty. Playtime: about 15-20 minutes.

 

A single map that was released almost exactly 1 year ago, this wad is essentially a jackpot to anyone pressing the random file button on idgames. Utilizing cc4-tex and an expert level of sector design to mold a striking gothic-void theme, the author is really flexing their skills with this one. The combat is no slouch either, giving the player some high-intensity fights without ever feeling cheap or grindy. If you're rolling the dice and you happen to land on this one, don't hesitate to load it up.

 

 

[Sena]

Day 2: Linna https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom2/Ports/j-l/linna

 

When I said yesterday that I knew I was eventually going to come up against a map that was worse than Vulkan, one that was so bad it would end up being painful having to play through it, I didn't expect it to be the very next one I played. 

The start of the map is promising enough, it says it's a castle in the text file, and it actually looks like a castle, or at least in the opening 20 seconds you'll see the battlements of a castle, after that point it's just a bunch of nondescript rooms as per usual. The level only really has one formula - a room, a hallway, a room, and one of the rooms will lead to a monster closet, and almost never do they bother to do anything else, and the rooms themselves are almost exclusively basic rectangles, with an abundance of doors that don't actually do anything. At least, that's how it opens, after the five minute mark they go from almost never putting any more than 2 enemies in at once, to a singular trap that leads to a two-way revenant-archvile fuckfest, which is an abrupt change to say the least, and the only real thing characteristic of slaughter in the WAD at this point. It's not a change that feels particularly well orchestrated, either, especially considering that at this point the only thing it's been preparing me for is attritional warfare, just slowly taking out 1-3 enemies at a time. It's a sudden change that doesn't match the general design up until this point, and one that doesn't feel well orchestrated, either. You can say that again, because right after that, you get teleported and it's first-person platforming in some place where even with jumping enabled, I can't figure out where to go, while being shot at enemies too far away for me to actually engage, in a place that leads to immediate death if you mess up once, after which point I couldn't bring myself to play it any further. I don't quit early on purpose, it may be hard to believe but I do try and play things to completion, but with shite like this, there is no argument to be made to bother completing it, the longer it goes on, it just grows exponentially worse. 2/10.

Edited February 9, 2022 by Sena

[LadyMistDragon]

Skipping my first hit becuase that one will take too long. It's cool to see Tribute to the Lamplighter up there by the way. The last section was absolutely obnopxious on UV though.

 

 Cathedral (1997) by Denis "DeF-46" Fabrice (Eternity)

 

Very simple but surprisingly open and large deathmatch map. You start out at one end of the titular structure with a cross with an altar containing a Super Shotgun at the other end. There is also a decently-sized outdoor area, containing a tress next to a pool which is a nice touch. Lots of room to move around, and also some hiding to do if you are moving through the Cathedral. Don't really seem to be lots of weapons, but I could be missing something, I guess. I just know it seems it could be quite fun 6/10

 

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Edited February 10, 2022 by LadyMistDragon

[Roofi]

Month 7 Day 28

 

I play until I die or intentionally stop.

 

[1] Gasplant by Jakob (2015) 

 

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Thanks for downloading!

This is a very simple Doom deathmatch map, there isn't really anything redeeming about it.

I'm only uploading for archiving purposes, but I hope you enjoy it.

 

 

An extremely bland looking Deathmatch map. I also doubt that it has good gameplay because of the long straight corridors.  Even some 1994 DM wads look better. The only custom texture is badly converted too. 

 

[2] Halloween DOOM by Carl Schrammel, Steve Belinkoff, Jeremy Nimmer (1995)

 

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You are trapped inside of a haunted house with witches, Frankenstien, a voo-doo man, a skeleton, and bats. Trick or treat bags, scary stories, and other things can help you survive in the house. Pick up the broom and matches to make a fire-broom as a weapon. Also, try throwing pumpkins, slinging, and spraying things at the monsters. TRY TO FIND YOUR WAY OUT OF THE HOUSE!!!!!!!

 

 

 

A Halloween wad which figures among the DM category but according to the text file, it was also designed for singleplayer, so it will willingly receive a grade.

 

By looking at what is presented, it is very likely that the authors were between 10 and 15 years old because expect lots of funny sounds and sprites but a catastrophic level design. Actually, not so catastrophic, because the map is very short and there is plenty of weapons and ammo to clean the "haunted house".

 

Grade : C-

 

[3] Frag Me by Alan J. Post (1994)

 

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This DOOM II pwad was designed specifically with 2-player Deathmatch 2.0 in mind. It features MANY different sector heights, good sniper spots, and some dark corners to hide in. All weapons are present except the BFG (I don't like it in deathmatch). There are just enough monsters to keep things interesting. If you don't like the number of weapons available (or the number/type of monsters) try a different difficulty setting. Plays great with -respawn!! This level has a cooperative exit.

 

A mainly DM oriented map which is also designed for singleplayer according to the author. Besides, another wad for Doom 2 created in 1994.

The level is not exceptional but still appreciable on several aspects. The author created large spaces and was able to highlight them with light effects. In the center there is a huge swimming pool and a picnic table for those who want to have a good time.

 

To reach the exit, it is better to be two though because the door housing the exit is timed.

 

Nevertheless I managed to reach it by doing a wallrun.

 

Grade : C+

 

An imp stole my last 3 remaining HP in SCOTDOC1.WAD

 

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[Rujasu]

CETI ALPHA VI by S. Lampert 02/01/95

IWAD: Doom 2

Source Port: PrBoom+

 

Here's something that's blandly textured, but surprisingly expansive for '95. At first glance the map seemed to go on forever in every direction. There's also some attention to detail like the waterfalls and the computers in the weird blue room. Another thing that made it seem big is that throwing two pain elementals at you when you only have a pistol and a shogun teaches a man to be careful. Map's definitely not a pushover. The author's commitment to not add mandatory secrets or death pits is admirable, but the progression is still a bit too obscure for me. A good map for its time, for sure.

 

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Edited February 9, 2022 by Rujasu
Mistakes

[Sena]

Day 3: Tribute to the Lamplighter https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom2/Ports/s-u/triblamp

 

I'm vaguely certain I played this one before, at the very least it was already in my WAD folder, so at one point in time I planned on playing it, although despite me being pretty sure that I played it, I didn't really recognise any of the setpieces, so either I'm wrong and I didn't play it, or I just forgot about it entirely, which leads to the same outcome either way. And that outcome is that it's a solid level, one that manages to get everything right. The visuals are very consistent, with both the architecture and texturing embellishing one another, leading to an interesting design that is actually rewarding to explore. With regards to the architecture, the level generally keeps its combat encounters high-intensity, i.e. the number of filler enemies just strewn about across random platforms to elongate the level are kept to a minimum. The combat is all around excellent, I play without vertical mouselook, so I can say now that the one time I had to deal with getting attacked by multiple cacodemons who I couldn't shoot because they were out of my field of view was total bullshit, but apart from that, I really couldn't name any grievances. Which is very strange, because this only came out last year, so there's a law somewhere that says at least 80% of the enemy count has to be revenants, but they managed to make good use of a variety of enemies, in particular I noticed that mancubi were used to good effect, albeit just being used at all is more love than they usually get. But really, the level just embodies the spirit of good gameplay, not much else you really need to say about it. Sometimes the arenas will be generally wide, sometimes they'll be on the narrower end but with a midway split of enemy deployments that you have to utilise properly in order to not die. There are definitely a few tight corridors in there, which I normally complain about, but only because they are either used too often, or not used effectively, which is simply not the case here.

The ending fight didn't really feel as well thought out to me as the rest of them, employing a similar scenario of 'enemies teleport in from two ends, don't get overwhelmed', but this one goes on for much longer, and with the number of enemies it used, it didn't make for an unnatural or unfair difficulty spike, but it did feel like one that required much less thought or strategy from the player - after a few seconds, the enemies will be too close to use the RL, so just hold down the mouse with the plasma rifle until everything dies. Additionally, you'll have to deal with a spider mastermind sniping you depending on where you stand, and having to snipe one of those at the end of a level is never particularly interesting to me either, even if this is far from the first map to use it. And, while this is a complaint so trivial that I'd get kicked out of court for using it, I didn't like how to actually exit the level, the player has to quickly push three switches, in the correct order, and by do it quickly I mean it's one of those switches that resets if you're just a couple seconds too late, just having me press the three switches would be enough. I don't know why I always insist on having to end talking about the maps I actually like by listing off my grievances, but no matter, this is a fine example of a level done right - it's a comfortable length, with a level of difficulty that is challenging, while not being frustrating, complemented by some great visual spectacle. 8/10.

[LadyMistDragon]

Timelessness: Tribute to Fear Factory (2003) by Andy Leaver (Eternity)

 

Hey, didn't I just see you reviewed in OneManDoom? So he actually reviewed a number of Andy Leaver maps recently, who you might recognize as a contributor to all 4 Community Chest projects. This was actually the sole map of his that I didn't download recommended on the blog because it didn't exactly sound unique or interesting to me. But since this was a random hit, I had little choice but to play it.

 

And it actually isn't too bad. After an incredibly hairy beginning, this then turns into a standard rendition of Computer Station with the only thing to truly distinguish it are the large numbers of enemies that turn the map to slaughter by the very end.(and the little raising silver-pillar guard station on both sides at one point as well) Probably why we have an upbeat track as opposed to something by possibly the best metal band next to Tool and Alice in Chains to emerge in the first half of the 90s. There are many little E1M7 references that can be found within, including secrets largely accessible through seemingly inaccessible slime tunnels that I didn't really bother, though I should have since the map ends up close to Hell Revealed standards of grindiness at the end.

 

Not that memorable at the end, sad to say. But Andy Leaver doesn't make boring maps, probably 7/10

 

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[Sena]

Day 4: The Landing Pad, DOOM ][ https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom2/j-l/land

 

Well, unlike yesterday's WAD, I did in fact play this one, and ignoring the fact that god damn it how was August 2021 6 months ago, this is a rather relaxed piece. Even without foreknowledge of its general arrangement, you can still play it in cruise control mode, and that's probably how you'd want to play it, since if there is one major drawback of the level, it is in its visual design, which is unfailingly plain, most of it is the same marble texture, which seems to all but encourage you to just run through it without really paying any attention to it - you can't stop to smell the roses if nobody's planted any. And the general combat is largely the same, it's not a particularly difficult level, which certainly has its advantages, namely not having to worry about how long ago it's been since I saved since I don't need to. Might not do anything special, might be a bit primitive, but there's a clear understanding of what works and what doesn't from a gameplay standpoint, and that's good enough for me. 7/10.

Edited February 10, 2022 by Sena

[LadyMistDragon]

Jumper01(1995) by Andrew Tremblay (Eternity)

 

A very standard deathmatch map from 1995 that replaces Map 19, this is quite a visually unappealing sort of techbase environment. This is one of those maps with a large central room and a roundish structure in the middle (a central conduit, I think) with several other rooms branching out, such as some power rooms, storage rooms witb barrels, computer rooms, and tanks wherever. Sooo much grey. Lots of cool use of verticality and cool side corridors and rooms though. I'm not completely certain it would appeal to all deathmatchers though, and it sort of feels like it's missing something. 5/10

 

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https://i.imgur.com/oBx4ptU.png

 

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https://i.imgur.com/viqasEi.png

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https://i.imgur.com/LKjynaF.png

 

[bimbo]

On 2/8/2022 at 3:17 PM, ScrappyMcDoogerton said:

Tribute to the Lamplighter for the Doom II iwad by @JudgeDeadd Played in DSDA-Doom, UV diificulty. Playtime: about 15-20 minutes.

 

A single map that was released almost exactly 1 year ago, this wad is essentially a jackpot to anyone pressing the random file button on idgames. Utilizing cc4-tex and an expert level of sector design to mold a striking gothic-void theme, the author is really flexing their skills with this one. The combat is no slouch either, giving the player some high-intensity fights without ever feeling cheap or grindy. If you're rolling the dice and you happen to land on this one, don't hesitate to load it up.

 

 

 

This is nice! A very pretty map.

[LadyMistDragon]

Enemy (1995) by Jeffry_EnEmY (Eternity)

 

An extremely generic sort of early deathmatch map with grass floor and Doom II tech textures thrown about in a technically workable but very boring matter. Author says he was inspired in part by something called the Danzig series. Technically good, but shockingly generic, talking about this is quite difficult. I'm sure there's at least one secret passage somewhere if that secret count's of any indication, but this has the layout of 5,000 other maps.

 

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[Sena]

Day 5: 64 Lemons https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom2/Ports/0-9/64lemons

 

Some claustrophobic slaughter, of which its most remarkable feature is that instead of making 80% of the enemies revenants, they're now hell knights, and as much as I complain about revenant spam, playing this has revealed something to me that I previously didn't know. It might be obvious, but I don't object to revenant spam because of characteristics inherent to the revenant, but rather, because making 80% of the enemies the exact same is really fucking boring. It's especially boring when the gameplay is as static as this, Khrushchev must have made this, because the map disallows you from taking one step forward. Playing this map, I see the rationale behind Sandy Petersen's whack-a-mole comment, because it does get a bit frustrating, the way the hell knights just keep on coming, you can put 300 cells worth of Big Fucking Go Away Already gun ammunition into the group coming at you, and you'll still have to deal with 10-15 extra stragglers who keep crawling out of the woodwork. After that, you do the same, but with cacodemons, who are much less painful to deal with just because of their lower health, and after that point, about 380/440 enemies, the game bugged out and I got softlocked. I actually enjoy slaughtermaps when they're well made, but this one was not well made, the combat was very repetitive and downright Sisyphean, not to mention, the map is broken, which I would have sympathy for if this were some huge megawad with 30 maps each with a unique author, with hundreds of enemies in each, because in a scenario like that, oversights are to be somewhat expected, but this map is literally one fucking room. 3/10.

Edited February 12, 2022 by Sena

[Roofi]

Month 7 Day 29

 

I play until I die or intentionally stop.

 

[1] Unia Polityki Realnej WAD by Krzysztof Niekrasz (1995)

 

Spoiler

 

 

Quote

This is my first WAD but friends said it's OK. So I decided
to distribute it. My imagination was the only inspiration.
    UPR is a short name of Unia Polityki Realnej that can be
translated as Union for Real Politic. UPR is a polish political party
I'm member of. Some say it's libertarian some say it's conservative-
all that is true because it's a Union. I'm very proud of being UPR.
    This WAD isn't very difficult for those who know how to play
it.

 

The name wad means "Union of Real Politics" in Polish. After a 5 seconds research, it's in fact a right-wing liberal Polish party. Apart from a few Nazis that you can meet in an entirely blue room, the wad contains nothing political. Like many 1995 wads, it is a succession of rooms connected to each other in an illogical way. This one is particularly linear. You start in a room, then you enter another one, then after a while you venture into a rock labyrinth...

 

Nevertheless the map is quite good. Some architectural elements could make this map a bit memorable like the arched windows placed in a rather random way towards the end of the level, or, the compartments using a sky texture separated by stairs directed towards the wall  at the very beginning.

In short, apart from that, there is nothing special aesthetically speaking, but the rendering is far from being catastrophic.

 

The fights remains quite simplistic with groups of imps to kill with shotgun most of the time. In any case, there is no lack of ammunition or health, so the whole thing stays enjoyable.

 

Grade : B-

 

[2] Bella Et Arma by @PumpkinSmasher (2004)

 

Spoiler

 

 

Quote

A cramped DM wad taking place in a Mine

 

A Deathmatch map where 4 sections are connected to a central room by corridors forming a swastika on the automap. The author has particularly developed the detailing. Nevertheless, the crampedbess and the darkness make these places looking bland. Moreover, the bumpy floor at some places constrains the movements.

 

I like how the bloodfalls were used as teleporters though.

 

I stop here for today.

 

 

Edited February 12, 2022 by Roofi

[LadyMistDragon]

  Point Blank 7 (1995)   by Denis 'panza' Moeller (Eternity)

 

One of the last maps in Moeller's well-known point blank series(and hopefully the last 90s deathmatch map for a while, my god), it's upload date seems to suggest it was uploaded just before he left the Doom community for good and went on to repair old computers or some other shit like that, while grousing about all mapping editors completely sucking. It's a sort of nice little smallish map with one rounded end utilizing the same textures as every other Denis Moeller map, or various shades of brown, along with a green-brick wall that complements said shades. It seems like you have to run to get the plasma rifle in the closet. Seems like things would get old after a while. Interestingly, weapon availability is dictated by skill level. 5/10

 

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

Edited February 12, 2022 by LadyMistDragon

[Sena]

Day 6: Lost Way https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom2/Ports/j-l/lostway

 

A level by Lainos, which he says in the text file he made in one day. You may remember I previously played a later work of his, Urotsuki 2: Cargo Cult, which if I remember correctly, is one of two WADs I've played on the ER/IWA that I gave a 9/10, and I'm thankful that I came across this map, simply because I forgot to put Cargo Cult in my folder when I played it. As for this map itself, it's not that special.

 

As with Cargo Cult (and presumptively, all Lainos maps), the visuals are very strong, depicting its environments with realism and believability. Cities that look like actual cities, detailed interiors, and it manages to balance all that with the grandiose 'ancient evil' style architecture that appears at the level's climax, which doesn't feel out of place, and is probably the best part of the map. In fact, I'd say that the map gets better as it goes on, though this isn't necessarily because the climax of the map is really good, but because what precedes it is really bad.

In the text file, Lainos states that "Ultra-Violence is really hard - for professionals only." And while I'd neglect to call myself a professional anything (except professional complainer, maybe), I can somewhat agree with his statement, as the first minute or so of his map has a good chance of killing the player, and it's pretty devoid of mercy. Now, I would have probably had a much easier time, had I just restarted the map, but I was unfortunate enough to have to deal with zombiemen actually deciding that they wanted to not only shoot me frequently, but accurately as well, which is a major problem with these open streets, with basically no cover, and foliage that you can get stuck on far too easily, leading to you always being in the sightline of 1 or 6 zombiemen, who'll slowly drain your health, and you have practically nothing in the way of ammo. But once you get into the hospital, the worst is over, as you've got a shotgun to deal with any enemies with ease, and you'll be fine, once you learn you're supposed to destroy a wall that gives the player absolutely no reason to believe it's destructible. After that, you get into a courtyard, which isn't that bad, push the 4 buttons, each of which bring in a rather benign deployment of enemies, certainly benign since you now have actual firepower to kill them with, and then it's over. Ultimately, I'll have to give this one a 5/10, as its gameplay is a bit all over the place, and none of it is ever gripping, as while it does look nice, it doesn't really have gameplay good enough to get me to recommend it, most certainly not when you could always play Cargo Cult instead.

[Roofi]

Month 7 Day 30

 

I play until I die or intentionally stop

 

[1] DOOM FIST! by @D.Scratch (2017)

 

Spoiler

 

 

Quote

"Doom Fist" is a joke i've made for a little competition in doom moding, its a scripted sequence were the player basicly doesn't exist, its like a film.

 

Hey look! A joke wad! Nevertheless, I'm glad not to come across a terry wad. 

 

Doom Fist consists of a cinematic designed with the features of Gzdoom. In this short movie, we don't have to intervene. Dialogues or fights are triggered by themselves. 

 

Once upon a time, a baron of hell organized a tournament called "Doom Fist" in which a marine faced a revenant. While the other monsters watched the duel captively, a horde of marines stormed the fortress! What happens next will amaze you!

 

I really liked this wad. In particular, it demonstrates that thanks to Gzdoom, mappers have the ability to create cinematics. This short film, although lasting more or less 2 minutes 30, has entertained me. Maybe one day, someone will have the idea to create a movie?

 

Grade : A-

 

[2] Blood of Bin Laden Skins by Infidel (2013)

 

Spoiler

 

Quote

Skins of most monsters from Blood of Bin Laden Monsters project. Skins include most monsters from imperial infidel forces (a.k.a. counter terrorism forces). You can be either a Mechanic, Dual M-1911 Pistol Unit, M-16 Rifle Unit, M-9A1 Super Bazooka Unit, and Stoner 63 Rifle Unit. Troll it up, troll it down, troll with the sound. Now go have fun and fuck around, you bitch.

 

A small pack of zdoom skins that contains sprites of different soldiers represented in a quite realistic way. Although this mod represents very little interest from my point of view, I find the skins particularly well done and the new pain sound adds a some immersion.

 

 

I survived in the 2021 version of Travelling to the Moon - 2021 edition , but not the legacy's one.

 

Spoiler

 

Edited February 17, 2022 by Roofi

[Clippy]

This is my worst episode yet LMAO

 

This time I filmed my selection process - showed some rejected maps before I found something I could play from start to finish and even that was tiny and pointless and broken - what a train wreck!

 

links to maps featured in this presentation in the description of my video - hoping ep 10 goes better!!

 

 

[Sena]

Day 7: Zombi Outbreak https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom2/Ports/v-z/zombi

 

Not a standard level, but rather some sort of survival against waves of invisible zombies. You get some marines to provide support, but they can't actually move for some reason, and you have to reload your weapons, but you can only do that when your magazine is completely empty, which is a pretty huge oversight. You can cover all the ground in the map in about a minute, and fighting infinitely respawning enemies gets old quick, especially when you can't even see them, and if you get hit once you start bleeding out (in green, strangely enough), so there's very little to it. The premise might have similarities to Predator, but it doesn't have any of that film's tension or atmosphere, or anything at all that it manages to get right. 3/10.

[LadyMistDragon]

Hell on Cheese (2005) by @hobomaster22 (Eternity)

 

Nick Laurent was at one point just another mapper before getting involved with such projects as Doom: Way id Did and Congestion 1024. He's been quiet these past few years, but here is a remake of his second-ever map, along with the original version. And if you're playing keyboard-only, this is HARD with a capital H. Many strong monsters, limited amounts of room to move and fairly limited supplies to take them on with. All this set admidst a gloomy techbase set to the tune of Tom Mustaine's "More" and you have a real winner here. Honestly, things may have felt just a touch unfair in spots. Yet, it can't be denied an apocalyptic battle between a Mastermind, Mancubi, and Hell Knights in an astroturf region is a sight worth seeing. Original version may have somewhat less precise enemy placement, but i don't think it's that bad. 8/10

 

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

Edited February 15, 2022 by LadyMistDragon

[bimbo]

Something I wanted to mention before but totally forgot -- one day over last summer while exploring the random files on idgames, in the readme of one of the WADs I ended up playing was the phone number of the guy who made the map. The map was made in 1995, mind you. On a whim, I dialed the number and lo and behold -- he still had the same number! I chatted with him for a solid half hour, and text him with questions about the good ol' days from time to time. He's saved in my phone as "doom guy from 1995." This neat, chance interaction wouldn't have happened had I not been motivated by the random WAD adventures to explore idgames. 

[Sena]

Day 8: The Gap https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom2/s-u/thegap

 

I like playing maps pacifist from time to time, as it presents an interesting challenge. This map forces it upon you, which in turn makes it unplayable, as while in a pacifist run you'll typically have to make good use of the environment to avoid getting killed, there is no environment to make use of. The crux of the map takes place in a hallway that is too narrow to allow you to dodge anything, while requiring you to take one elevator back and forth, probably upwards of 10 times. Which is an option that is completely invalidated because the time it takes to wait for it leads to a good chance that one of the multiple enemies you can't kill will get on it, so the only guarantee of success you have is waiting for them to walk you all the way to the end of the hallway, and then running back and activating the elevator, which is astoundingly tedious - in this map the inability to kill enemies doesn't provide opportunity for new strategies, it takes them away. Once you reach the halfway point or so, you get a shotgun, and it shows how the map was pretty boring anyway, kill shotgunner, walk down hallway, push button, do that another 5 times and it's over. It creates two different gameplay scenarios, but neither of them have any semblance of quality. 2/10.

Edited February 15, 2022 by Sena