The DWmegawad Club plays: Overboard & Running Late 2 & Fractured Worlds

[Book Lord]

Let's start writing about New Game +. The environment is (almost) the same as the standard maps of Overboard, with item and monster placement differing quite a bit. The monster numbers and composition have also been significantly tweaked to make the experience harder and much more hectic. I played continuous starting from MAP08, and I noticed that it was not a particular issue, since the ammo balance is tight and there are no opportunities to gather an ammo stock if you UV-max the levels.

 

MAP 08 – Cruis’n UAC+

DSDA-Doom v0.24.3, UV, Pistol start, blind run w/saves

 

The main difference here was the abundance of Arch-Viles and the Cyberdemon that roamed the deck since the start, instead of being trapped in the cargo hold. The RK encounter was changed drastically with the Invulnerability, plasma rifle and a hefty ambush in that small space. Still, I found it easier to read than the situations on the deck, which were sometimes overwhelming with the limited arsenal from pistol start. I preferred the standard difficulty for this map.

 

MAP 09 – Skeleton Coast+

DSDA-Doom v0.24.3, UV, Continuous, blind run w/saves

 

The chaotic release of monsters here was on a greater scale and did not always allow me to tackle the encounters one-by-one, even with the (little) extra resources I carried from the previous map. I must use savegames and, sometimes, change the intended direction and try another route. For example, I could not pick up the plasma rifle before getting the fuel canister, because I was low on resources and was constantly overwhelmed by what was released doing things in that order. The experience was harder but not dramatically different from the standard level; in other words: very good. I wish I had remembered to check the former plasma gun secret early on, because the Invulnerability would have been useful.

[DisgruntledPorcupine]

MAP04: Cacotoa

UV, pistol start, no saves

100% kills, 0/2 secrets 

 

Your boat stops at island with a big rock formation, with the gas can teasing you from high up. Venturing inside the cave it is, true to the title, full of lava (and of course a smiley red friend of ours). It's probably the simplest map from a visual perspective in the set, opting for less of the visual cuteness we often see in this set and being more pure action. Entering the center lava chamber will cause cacos to rise up from the lava, and once you grab the plasma is when the real fun begins. Annoying pain elementals join the party, and the walls start lowering left and right after certain intervals of time. Reminds me a lot of Going Down MAP18 with that gradual cave-in feel and all the lava. Like last map, it's easy to get hemmed in here as this isn't a very wide open level, and the pain elementals really don't make that easier. The level's archviles can also be quite tricky to deal with, and that massive hitscanner party on the outside can be deadly if the cave has beaten you down enough.

 

Like some others this is probably my least favourite in the set, but every map is great so it's not much of a slight. The action delivers very nicely.

 

MAP05: Archi-pelago

UV, pistol start, no saves

100% kills, 1/1 secrets

 

This time you stop at an island and happen upon 3 archviles gathered around a pentagram. They teleport immediately upon approaching them, and you step into the pentagram to follow them into some upside-down hell dimension. Inverted and in the sky above you you can see the ocean, the island you teleported from, and of course your little boat. And instead where you stand is a bloodsoaked black marble arena, with a cloudy sky making up a damaging floor below you.

 

The combat is one big slugfest in this arena, you'll probably find yourself sprinting through the damaging sky a lot as monsters press on you and take away your space. Fortunately though, as this set tends to be kind with goodies, you have some megaspheres and lots of ammo to deal with all of the threats. Killing the two archviles will net you your way out of here. They are stuck on their platforms and aren't really the primary threat to your life, I'd have to give that honour to the arachnotrons. The monsters in this arena tend to have a very good view of most of the rest of the arena, so their rapid fire plasma projectiles can really burn you if you aren't paying mind to them. The cacos that teleport in from around the perimeter are also good at applying a fair bit of pressure. And of course, I can't not mention the final archvile, who you'll find back in your home realm trying to make off your boat with a gas can and adorable little suitcase. Hilarious stuff.

 

Once again the action is top notch, and the visuals in this map are extremely creative and well done. I have a hard time picking a favourite map from this set, but this one is definitely in contention.

[finnks13]

MAP08 - Crusin' UAC+:

4:04/4 Deaths
Already a large spike in difficulty, it's quite interesting to see a Map01 transformed into a reasonably formidable challenge. I found the start the hardest part, since the combo of cyberdemon patrolling the outskirts, archviles guarding both exits with pinkies blocking shots, as well as the lack of ammo got me killed three times. It's a well designed little fight, and I like that it doesn't really feel like a structured ambush, but just the combination of a few different traps that happen as you're exploring the corridor outside your room. The little ambushes on the main deck have been buffed, mostly to feature more revenants than normal. The basement fight seems easier than normal since you get a plasma gun, and loads of cover to take on a few imps & two archviles and the cyberdemon who would normally be here has decided to patrol the main deck instead. You get an invulnerability to deal with the cyber, and the rest of the chaff that spawns in after getting the red key, which made taking them out a much less painful affair than what I was expecting.

 

MAP09 - Skeleton Coast+:

4:25/2 Deaths
Skeleton Coast+ goes in a different direction than Crusin' UAC+ for it's New Game Plus treatment, since (as far as I can tell) the triggers for various fights are now much earlier in the level, and said fights are much more vicious. It's not just a redone monster placement, which was a nice surprise - I suppose this is why mouldy chose to make separate maps for NG+ rather than just adding it in with multiplayer exclusive monsters. As for the map itself, the opening minute is the hardest part once again, since the traps in front of each weapon are much more harsh than you are prepared for, replacing the silly imp & zombie ambushes with archviles and chaingunners, and there are traps everywhere which makes getting a foothold a constant struggle. I made things much easier for myself by going for what was the plasma gun secret in Map02, which is replaced with an invulnerability here - this made the large revenant wave a non-issue since you're given loads of rockets and can chill holding down the mouse button and watch the revenants melt to the splash damage. Might not have been the most challenging fight, but it was very satisfying :P

[DFF]

Overboard: Map06 - Seaside Siege
FDWL (Prboom+), UV, continuous
K: 100 | I: 100 | S: 100
 

The final map in the set sets us against the demon's stronghold along the coast. A formidable map with plenty of doomcute seaside fun on the shores and deadly vertical fighting once you attempt to ascend the walls of the castle. Detailing here is as great as ever. Honestly the flavor items here are probably the best in the set. You got everything: a nice cozy cantina with a bar and drinks, dual toilets that serve as teleporters, a sandy beach with towels and umbrellas (and even a sandcastle or two), a lighthouse with a secret underground cove, and other little knick knacks that add unnecessary but lively bits to juxtapose the ore simplified black and red castle. The castle itself also looks rather good while remaining functional, as the design really credits itself to the "siege" part of the title. The design of the access points up onto the castle grounds as well as the various wall lifts work surprisingly well and fluid for the main combat setpiece, which is maybe a tad bloated on the imps and whatnot, but its still great fun.

Honestly probably my favorite map of the set. The boom trickery here is a bit more subtle and maybe not as interesting, but everything else was well done, and the fact i'm even critiquing boom effect trickery is on account of creative Mouldy can be with the toolset.

 

I'll probably lump sum the new game map reviews since the maps are (mostly) the same but with some different combat, and im focusing my reviews more on my thoughts on the map than describing the experience this time around. I'll review the other maps that are new when i get to them. Not reviewing map07, its a fun ending map, but nothing to say here aside on the map itself really.

Rankings:

Spoiler

Overboard:

MAP06 - Seaside Siege
Map02 - Skeleton Coast
MAP05 - Archi-Pelago
Map03 - Depth Charge
Map01 - Cruisin' UAC
MAP04 - Cacotoa

 

Edited December 8, 2022 by DFF

[DisgruntledPorcupine]

MAP06: Seaside Siege

UV, pistol start, no saves

100% kills, 2/4 secrets

 

An unexpected addition to the ____side Siege cinematic universe, and the final map in the regular rotation. Your boat drops you off on a beautiful beachside with some washed-up seashells, a parasol and beach towel on the ground in front of you, and of course an ominous looking demonic fortress in the background.  The monster count in this one more than doubles any of the preceding maps, so it's a sign that the final map is going to be a bit more dangerous than usual.

 

This one gets pretty slaughtery as one might expect. The first stretch is heavy on the traps, given you some nice opportunities to use barrels. Some mentionable ones include the monsters on that distant ship that you can destroy with some barrels, and the ambush in the little bar. Love how suddenly and sneakily those two chaingunners appear, the building will be empty and the moment you pass that wall and are on the inside they're suddenly there. Speaking of which, I didn't find this secret in my run, but love the secret you can access through here with the adorable little sandcastle that you are rewarded with destroying.

 

The fun really starts when you make off with the yellow key. Two cyberdemons are unleashed, along with a bunch of other monsters and a comical number of imps. Out of the map's 463 monsters, 296 of them are imps, and most of them are unleashed right here. Have run creating a red mist out of these guys. Fittingly this is probably the trickiest fight in the regular rotation, it's not too bad but there's so much stuff to avoid, and those cybers can easily sneak a rocket in on you if you aren't constantly trying to keep moving. They have a nice view of the island from atop that castle. 

 

A nice slaughterfest to close off a wonderful set of maps.

 

MAP07: C U Later, Suckers

 

You winned the game!!! This is a little closer map that has you speeding off in your boat towards the city, collection of gas cans amassed, and an imp jet-skiing alongside you. Give him a few shots with your pistol, and he'll be sure to make you pay by destroying your boat and sending you off to the NG+ rotation.

 

 

[dac]

Hey, finally got time!

 

 

Play Info

Source Port : DSDA-Doom 0.24.3

Difficulty : Ultra-Violence

Saves : Allowed. Doing my best to not save in the middle of a fight.

Restrictions : Pistol start.

 

 

MAP01 – Cruisin' UAC

 

When Cyriak first showed his initial coming-back-to-Doom-modding screenshot, a doomcute toilet that would later find itself in MAP03, I left a comment wondering if said toilet could be flushed. I mean, it's an easy bit of interactivity, so why not do it?

 

Needless to say this was the first thing I checked when I found the toilet in our cabin's bathroom. Turns out you can! Flushing the toilet somehow activates the shower, and pushes out the invisibility sphere clogging it. Very cool! You can't flush the other toilet in your neighbour's cabin, but only because their bones are in it.

 

A lot of the gameplay is kept on the fun mayhem end, which is fine for a first map of a set. Mostly low tier monsters, mostly in hordes too but with plenty of barrels to explode along with them – that's always a winning combination. Even the cyberdemon in the cargo deck does not pose trouble: the cruise had enough wisdom to put a crusher kill switch on his hold, and even if they didn't, well he rocketed a hole through the hull and was going to short-circuit all his cybernetics and drown anyway. (If you wondered why the ship was sinking in MAP02, thank this cyberdemon!)

 

It's a lot of words for an attention to detail you don't see very often, and wouldn't usually notice, but it's worth it to notice it all on a new playthrough. So anyway,, we grab the red key, lower the escape boat (probably has a leak too, considering how fast we run out of fuel on it) and off we go to a nearby island!

[Book Lord]

MAP 10 – Depth Charge+

DSDA-Doom v0.24.3, UV, Continuous, blind run w/saves

 

This time the toilet contained an Arch-Vile, who was easily distracted by the hitscanners. The main concern was the Cyberdemon that started chasing me right when I left the command deck. Escaping required triggering lots of closets, using barrels to clear a path quickly, and then evading the boss at least once to grab cells and spray him with plasma. The Baron encounter felt simpler this time, and the Invulnerability w/BFG allowed me to enter the last room and mindlessly clear everything. I only had to backtrack for the teleporting Arch-Vile to max out the level. I think this level improved on NG+, especially the first section with the Cyberdemon at my heels.

 

MAP 11 – Cacotoa+

DSDA-Doom v0.24.3, UV, Continuous, blind run w/saves

 

Just like the normal map, Cacotoa+ erupted like a volcano as soon as I set my foot inside the caverns. I found the overall ammo balance to be rather tight for the involved HPs, regardless of continuous play. I must kill many Cacodemons, Barons, and Revenants with SSG. The abundance of Arch-Viles and Pain Elementals made the situation unbearable, and the shore was also invaded by a legion of hitscanners that could not be evaded in the open. Moving about often and prioritising the troublesome spawners was key to survival. Easier said than done, as there were random elements such as infinitely tall enemies blocking my movement in quite a few occasions, and projectiles flying everywhere. Extremely hectic, I preferred the normal version of this map, but the intermission with the postcard to mum was lovely.

[finnks13]

MAP10 - Depth Charge+:

4:10/1 Death
This definitely felt like the most changed map so far, instead of being able to explore the submarine at a leisurely pace, mouldy immediately sets a cyberdemon on you to hunt you through the narrow halls of the vessel. The little ambushes that occur throughout the submarine seem slightly easier than normal to make up for the fact that you've got a trail of rockets following you permanently in this map, though this may also be just because I have a plasma gun to deal with them. The rocket launcher ambush hands out an invulnerability, which makes the rest of the map a tense rush to grab the BFG and kill the two cyberdemons that roam the submarine before it runs out because it is so much easier to deal with them in the tight corridors while being invincible! I really liked this one, it's fast-paced, fun and definitely my favourite of the three. (post Map11 me here: make that my favourite of the four :P)

 

MAP11 - Cacotoa+:

4:34/0 Deaths
Don't have too much to say about this one, it didn't feel notably different to play than regular Cacotoa, with the start of the fight being easier due to the immediately accessible invulnerability, and the slightly tankier waves being made up for by the availability of the BFG and plenty of ammo. The most obvious difference I found was the four or five archviles that spawn into the hordes as the exits of the cave reopen, which was a surprise at first, but they weren't too bad to deal with. It's still a fun map, but unlike the others, this felt like it could have just been accomplished with co-op spawns.

 

I do love that postcard intermission, nice to see that Doomguy and his mum are still on speaking terms after he kept skiving off visiting her to kill monsters instead!

[Book Lord]

MAP 12 – Archi-Pelago+

DSDA-Doom v0.24.3, UV, Continuous, blind run w/saves

 

If you were disappointed by the three Arch-Viles of the standard version, here you get what a real Archi-Pelago+ looks like. It’s the same parallel dimension with a ton more enemies, crazy projectile bombardment, and a final AV outburst that will surely leave a mark. I was managing the combat just fine until that impressive surge of monsters blew me away (I mean it literally). It took me about 4 save reloads to get out of that mess, but probably it would have been less problematic if it was triggered from the side with the Invulnerability power-up. Standard and NG+ versions were equally awesome, but the pumped-up final wave could be handled only with foreknowledge and planning in advance.

 

MAP 13 – Seaside Siege+

DSDA-Doom v0.24.3, UV, Continuous, blind run w/saves

 

Unlike the previous NG+ maps, the monster assortment and total increase was not remarkably different from the standard version. The main difference was that almost everything got released immediately! Additionally, the monsters received extra shortcuts to reach the player in every place of the island. Chaos engulfed the resort and the surrounding waters, and the only thing I was able to do was to find shelter in the known secret areas. The hidden cavern did not offer the BFG this time, which was the prize for the daring Doomguys who entered the central structure during the siege. I preferred to hide like a rat and practice an effective guerrilla war, that slowly put the 666 monsters down to rest, coupled with infighting. There was no YSK, so I could have left earlier with the gasoline if I had not wanted to max the kills. This was crazy as hell, but I enjoyed myself more with the normal map.

 

MAP 14 – The Actual End

DSDA-Doom v0.24.3, UV, Continuous, blind run w/saves

 

This time nobody stopped Doomguy from arriving to the city seen from afar on MAP07, and the map started with the motorboat already moored at the jetty. There was a lot of Doomcute city stuff to see around: roadworks, trash skips full of gore, writings on the walls, UAC advertisements, and a cosy apartment with kitchen, toilet, a bedroom with an ornate carpet, and a large living room with a console to play Doom II! I was surprised to find a Romero’s Head to kill that could send me to Industrial Zone, but this was The Actual End of Overboard! A hearty laugh ended this delightful journey. BRUH!

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

MAP 31 – Demo Island

DSDA-Doom v0.24.3, UV, Pistol Start, blind run w/saves

 

Believe me, the hardest part was understanding that I must shoot the treasure chest to open it and get things going. Blame is on me for not watching in-built demos! The bonus map was a tiny island surrounded by deep water brimming with Imps. I got a Megasphere, a BFG and a supply of cells to annihilate them, but space must be managed wisely to return to the replenishing (though not inexhaustible) cell pack, whose sprite gradually became invisible among the bloody mass of the corpses. The second Megasphere was needed as a slight mistake could be costly. Not exceedingly deep, but good fun just as the other entries in Overboard.

Spoiler

 

Edited December 9, 2022 by Book Lord
fixed "inexhaustible cell pack"

[Doomy__Doom]

1 hour ago, Book Lord said:

If you were disappointed by the three Arch-Viles of the standard version, here you get what a real Archi-Pelago+ looks like.

The real Archi-Pelago+, eh. While I don't think I have the original release anymore, I do have a first patch version (2022-08-08).

Quite a different experience, that one:

- 5 more Viles

- 6 less big Cell Packs

- no starting secret Mega

- big guns are not conviniently put in one place, you need to hunt for them and trigger stuff

 

Still very doable, and even sort of doable without invuln (hard with my skill level though), but it definitely was a good idea to tone it down.

[RHhe82]

1 hour ago, Book Lord said:

an infinite supply of cells to annihilate them

I can report that the supply is finite ’:( I ran out in one of my savescum attempts earlier, and had to restart once before I managed to not waste the ammo.

[DisgruntledPorcupine]

MAP08: Cruis'n UAC +

UV, pistol start, no saves

100% kills, 1/2 secrets

 

You rise up from a puddle of blood to the words New Game + written on the wall. I'll keep these NG+ writeups relatively brief, but right from the getgo it's apparent that this isn't gonna be like the relatively relaxed difficulty of the original rotation. While the original version greeted you with a shotgunner in the optional room, this one gives you a cyberdemon jumpscare. He teleports away, but he'll be a big threat throughout this level, as he patrols the outer deck and can often show up at surprising moments to blow you to smithereens. Otherwise notable is frequent use of archviles, tighter ammo, and a reworked fight in the lower area. If you remember, the previous version had a cyberdemon in the center the pushing the button will crush, but here the button teleports in an invulnerability to deal with the beefed up hordes, which now include archviles and a revenant. Because of the invuln this fight might actually turn out easier than the original version, so if you want to challenge yourself you can try without it. It's pretty tough that way.

 

MAP09: Skeleton Coast +

UV, pistol start, no saves

100% kills, 1/3 secrets

 

The most noticeable change to Skeleton Coast is some extra weight added to the meaning of its name. The number of revenants is almost tripled in this take. There are some traps that are also triggered sooner or in more different ways. Most notable case of this is the revenant cargo ship, which now shows up right at the start and is opened by you reaching the top level at all from either side (as opposed to when you approach the gas can in the shed). Also, like MAP08, archviles are much more frequent. Our lone archvile friend in MAP02 now has 3 buddies accompanying him. Really like this take, it takes the chaotic feel of MAP02 and brings it to a whole new level with the more sinister trap usage and the pumped up revenant count.

 

MAP10: Depth Charge +

UV, pistol start, no saves

100% kills, 0/0 secrets

 

Our cramped submarine slaughter is now made even more hectic by a cyberdemon that now chases you throughout the level. It's easy to be caught off guard in a level as compact as this by how well the cybie can move throughout the map, reminds me of Vivisection in Going Down in that regard. Of course this map is more linear than that one, so this is more of a chase than a game of hide and seek. Another big thing is the somewhat changed progression of the level. Where you would once find the gas can near the end of the sub you now find a BFG, which is nice but it won't fuel your boat. Instead, you have to fight your way past yet another cyberdemon (which I hope you saved your invuln for), emerge from the submarine, and go back in to find the gas can in the first cyberdemon's chamber along with some cells. You can now fight your way through both cybies, two archviles, and whatever else is left over and resurrected. Your second time coming out of the sub you can now leave. Very cool ways of adding some extra spice to this level.

[Book Lord]

I am feeling a bit lonely in my Overboard ramblings. I definitely expected more participation to such a short megaWAD from a very popular author. Let's wrap it up:

 

Final Thoughts

 

I have never played Going Down, Cyriak Harris’ acclaimed 2014 megaWAD that won a Cacoward in the same year. The light-hearted Overboard was his first Doom-related work after a 7-year hiatus, a welcome return to the community with a smaller set of maps sporting his trademark dynamic and chaotic gameplay. The events were set on board of various vessels and hopping from one island to another to find fuel for the motorboat. It was a refreshing idea, developed with remarkable creativity.

 

The map set offered 6 playable maps, an animated endgame/credits map, and the bonus MAP31 that had no in-game access. There was a lot of fun and satisfaction to be had while checking the content, as every location was unique, well-detailed, and given life with Boom scripted events. No dull moments awaited Doomguy during his deserved time off, but when he accepted a free cruise on board of a UAC ship, he could not expect anything less than a demonic invasion and the following mayhem.

 

I played UV continuous for my blind first attempts, with savegames mid-level (not during encounters to cheat the RNG or to facilitate anything). Except on MAP06, I have never reloaded a savegame, because the maps were short enough for me to play them single-segment and restart from the beginning in case of death. This happened a few times, as some ambushes were quite unpredictable thanks to the behind-the-scenes voodoo dolls that changed the behaviour of previously cleared areas. I think MAP02 was the most interesting in this regard, while MAP04 and MAP05 played similarly by releasing more enemies if the player kept moving around.

 

Once the game was winned for the first time, a “New Game +” (harder) version of the maps followed immediately, in case the player did not find an adequate challenge for his skills. I gave it a try and I found it much more unpredictable and confusing than the standard version. I must reload savegames to overcome the challenges and sometimes I must try different routes, surprisingly having more trouble with the early maps (probably due to continuous play) than with the last two. Overboard on steroids increased weapon and resource availability but did not save the most powerful monsters for later. For example, on MAP08 it was possible to meet a Cyberdemon on the ship’s deck before having any idea of what was going on. I eventually played it all and I enjoyed the fantastic closure of The Actual End. I was happier with the standard UV version of the maps overall.

 

@mouldy entertained me not only with the combat, but also with the accurate visuals, the animations, the lovely humour, and the creativity he put in these small layouts and their fascinating secret areas. The soundtrack was laid-back, funky, and carefree, in line with the overall tone of the megaWAD, but it still followed the mood of each level with great attention. Regardless of its small size, Overboard was a complete and valuable product, offering an updated and accessible way to approach the author’s style and his Boom-propelled action.

 

Best maps:

None, they were all great for different reasons.

 

[RHhe82]

51 minutes ago, Book Lord said:

I am feeling a bit lonely in my Overboard ramblings. I definitely expected more participation to such a short megaWAD from a very popular author

 

It is a bit curious, I wonder if people are feeling club fatigue? It seemed to me last month had less participation than some of the previous ones already.

 

I didn't replay the NG+ levels, but I loved the first playthrough, and I kinda hope to see similar solutions more: short wads that has an extra difficulty in the form of reworked levels. Or at least I'd like to see it tried; it may take Mouldy's playful creativity to make it really work, but who knows.

 

The NG+ version were definitely more difficult, for me anyway. First two maps were still doable, but the cyberdemon roaming in the submarine was already a sweaty experience. Can't remember Cacotoa+ that well, but hoo boy that archvile swarm at the end of Archi-Pelago+. That took a couple of tries to be sure. Seaside Siege+ also felt insurmountable for a short while, and in the end I only managed to beat by cheesing it; I only found about the non-tagged sand castle secret later on, that would have helped.

 

And if it's not clear, I love Overboard.

[mouldy]

I've enjoyed reading everyones write-ups and watching all the videos and demos, glad people enjoyed these silly maps. It was fun making them after such a long time off. I think that time provided some useful hindsight on my previous doom stuff. Overboard is definitely a bit more chilled out than going down, and if you havent played my old megawad and were tempted to give it a try, I would recommend playing on HMP if you want a similar experience.

 

Have fun with the rest of the month's megawads

[cannonball]

1 hour ago, Book Lord said:

I am feeling a bit lonely in my Overboard ramblings. I definitely expected more participation to such a short megaWAD from a very popular author. Let's wrap it up:

I will probably fit some time around Christmas to play and hopefully comment on some of these. However my time for Doom has dropped to the occasional passing comment on the forums. Fair to say a tiny human takes

up a lot of your spare time.

[Book Lord]

1 hour ago, cannonball said:

I will probably fit some time around Christmas to play and hopefully comment on some of these. However my time for Doom has dropped to the occasional passing comment on the forums. Fair to say a tiny human takes

up a lot of your spare time.

As a father of 2 little (former tiny) humans I know the subject very well. It takes a while to find a new life balance, especially with the so-called free time. Parents usually have no free time.

 

For example, it took me almost 7 years to come back to Doom as a suitable source of entertainment, while most of my previous interests demanded too much time from an already tight schedule. At least, Doomworld is unlikely to disappear and your will find it where it has been for the past 28(?) years, possibly with many new members bringing life to it. This cannot be said for the other online communities I have followed in the past.

[dac]

MAP02 – Skeleton Coast

 

There are a lot of definitions for what "good game design" is, but one I'm fond of is the ability to recognise actions the player would take in a specific situation, even if they are never told to. It's a bit vague said like this, but the biggest example I can give is Bioshock's infamous "Irony" achievement: no one tells you to take a picture of Sander Cohen's corpse, it is not necessary to progress, but after all he's put you through, after all the photographs of dead bodies he asked you to take, why wouldn't you do it? And so you do, and the game rewards you with a ding and a popup.

 

All this to say I loved the secret soulsphere in this map. Given a window into an another area, one that lines up straight with zombies, I couldn't resist taking an easy potshot. Alas, the window is solid. But also alas, shooting that window spawns two revenants. To mock me, and also because it knew I would do this.

 

Back to the map that isn't a secret, the SS UAC sinks, an imp is thrown overboard. A survey of our landing beach shows us a few paths to take, and a fuel canister in a log cabin that is our destination. It's tempting to take the path closest to it, but I prefer the "scenic" route with the chaingun, mostly since I find it easier to handle. The name of the map only becomes true once we try to grab the canister, at which point the map opens up and a skeletal raiding party hops on the island.

 

At this point my language fails me so I'll do my best: I enjoy this map by how much it flows as one whole area instead of being a bunch of areas chained together. I mentioned going for the chaingun path first, but that area is used even when going for the SSG path first, popping a few chaingunners to force you into the monsters popping up behind you or upward into awaiting zombies. An island designed in such a way that nowhere feels safe.

[RHhe82]

Running Late 2

 

MAP01: Drip. Played on DSDA v0.24, UV, PS. 99/99 K, 2/2 S, 40/40 I. Completion time 16:26.

 

What is this, a techbase! Starting with the difficulty menu, I get slight Ray Mohawk vibes, although the first maps plays it straight and presents with some CC4-texy (I guess Overboard used CC4tex as well) base. Opposition wasn't fierce, although the two enemies near the end took me by surprise.

 

I don't know where the music is from (I glanced through the text file, it's mentioned there, but I don't remember), sounds like something from a Mega Man game :P 

The long completion time is all due to trying to find the second secret :P It's not like it's obtuse as such, it isn't, but damn, just didn't occur to me it could branch off from the the other secret.

 

Nice one.

[Book Lord]

MAP 01 – Drip

DSDA-Doom v0.24.3, UV, Pistol start, blind run w/saves

 

Good music choice for the fast-paced opener of Running Late 2. Our Doomguy security guard with black gloves ran into another surprise demonic invasion, and even if he was technically not in a hurry to get to work, he must get out of his cubicle and move fast. The first area was quite crowded for the available ammo, regardless of the black exploding barrels, but the shotgun on the computer column solved most of the map issues once I noticed it. The only other weapon granted was the chainsaw in the flooded basement, which I used on Pinkies and other enemies to save shells.

Spoiler

The various switches released small packs of creatures that were entertaining to fight in these carefully designed and well-detailed spaces. Once through the UAC door, sinking water effects were used as a realistic expedient for progression. The ambush with the Cacodemon in the control room was more dangerous than expected, and Demons surprised me twice in the dark tunnels to the west, thanks to some silent Boom teleports. I played sloppily most of the time, and I was often on the verge of death. After reaching the RK, the exit room introduced the Boxer Revenants, a fast melee enemy that will not fall prey of the chainsaw like your standard Pinky. A thorough search and some blinking lights led me to the discovery of the secret ventilation ducts, where the remaining enemies and items could be obtained. At least I will reach the next map with 100% health and armour. Drip was a great start, a compact but not banal MAP01 showcasing excellent detail, realism, and fun gameplay.

Spoiler

 

[DFF]

Overboard: NewGame+
FDWL (Prboom+), UV, continuous
K: - | I: - | S: -

A rather novel concept for Doom WADs, the NewGame plus has the player revisit the older maps with more difficult combat and some altercations to the original map flow. New details are present and each map welcomes you with the bloody New Game+ logo. The combat in all of these are much more difficult and usually change up the map approach just enough to remain uniquely interesting, but i found that some maps maybe could have gone a bit further with subverting expectations. The details present between maps is still great and makes the experience feel far from a lazy "replay the maps again but slaughter", however majority of the time the main NG+ map changes revolved around shortening map progression, such that the larger map dynamics happen at the start (both skeleton coast and seaside siege feature their main assaults at the beginning). The one map that changed the most was depth charge, having a rampaging cyberdemon or two forcing the player to dash forward through the halls, and at the end removing the crushers and moving the fuel behind the starting area (behind the cyberdemon) forcing me at least to run through the map twice. This was probably my least favorite of the new game maps since the cramped spaces and limited resources murdered me a lot, but it was a well executed change.

I think my favorite of the NG+ set was Seaside Siege, with the map erupting in a 666 monster mayhem right from the start. Not too overwhelming with good movement and item/secret management. I do however think this map suffers the most from shortened progression, as the yellow key was removed entirely and the cybers moved out of the fuel room into the main meeting hall. A larger chunk of the map can be entirely avoided if the player never enters the main hall, and the fuel is quickly achievable as the cantina bathroom is accessible early on. I think keeping the yellow skull would have been better but it was still good fun. Overall i think the NG+ does very well to justify replaying all the maps again in quick succession, and the maps have soo much charm and are generally short that it never felt like a chore to replay.

Overall, Overboard was everything i really expected from Mouldy's work, very much on par with Going Down but in a much more bite sized package. They are fun and creative maps with huge character that i often look to for my own mapping inspiration.

 

Rankings:

Spoiler

Overboard:

MAP06 - Seaside Siege
MAP02 - Skeleton Coast
MAP05 - Archi-Pelago
MAP03 - Depth Charge
MAP01 - Cruisin' UAC
MAP04 - Cacotoa - (note, as expected, this was a bit more entertaining on NG+)

NG+
MAP06
MAP05

MAP02

MAP04
MAP03
MAP01

I'll start Running Late tomorrow, as i am myself a bit late on the map reviews... 

Edited December 10, 2022 by DFF

[finnks13]

Fell a little behind, I shall hopefully start on Running Late 2 later today.

 

~~~

 

MAP12 - Archi-pelago+:

6:16/4 Deaths
I really liked this rework, while the gift of all the powerful guns near the start seemed a bit overkill at first, you definitely need them for the large waves of revenants & arachnotrons that appear near the start of the level. I imagine grabbing the invulnerability before the massive wave of archviles is unleashed in the centre of the map would likely require a map restart, since there's so many of them and this map's very long sightlines give you barely any cover to dodge their attacks - not that I think this is a bad thing. The cyberdemons in the middle also provide a nice challenge, since it's very likely that they'll get distracted by the rest of the monsters and fling rockets everywhere. The sky floor is once again the MVP of the map, since it also helps with dodging the archvile horde's flames in a pinch! 

 

MAP13 - Seaside Siege+:

5:38/6 Deaths
Who'd have thought that removing all of the complex triggers and just releasing all the monsters at once could make a map so much more fun, but here's proof that mouldy is at his most powerful when he is unleashing chaos because this map is just fantastic. The non-secret secret invulnerability you get by shooting the sandcastle helps a ton with carving a path through the imp hordes, and releasing the archviles in the centre, and there's enough monsters everywhere that the BFG doesn't feel like complete overkill like it does in the original. Releasing everything at once also means that the imp armies had a much easier time scaling the fortress and posing a threat in numbers, they definitely didn't feel like cleanup here! I absolutely loved playing this map, it's superb!

 

MAP14 - The Actual End:
I was so excited when this map wasn't just a copy of Map07, and I heard the goofiest Going Down track playing in the background! Seems like the UAC luxury apartments have begun construction, though you'd expect a bit more progress in the eight years since Going Down's ending, I suppose they're re-constructing all the demonic horrors below the surface before starting on the flats themselves :P

This is a great ending map, it's a lovely send off to two of my favourite mapsets of all time.

MAP31 - Demo Island:

1:11/1 Death
In this map, you BFG 1000 imps surrounding you on an island. Seems pretty simple right? Well there's a couple of things to keep in mind - leaving the island to circlestrafe the horde is a horrible idea because you don't get a backpack during the map, and trying to break through the horde to grab some more from the infinite cell stash is much harder than it seems. You also only get two megaspheres to kill them all, and it's very hard to avoid taking tons of damage from fireballs that will be shot at you from every angle. As a little bonus map, this serves it's job well, it's a fun little arena to get side-tracked with.

 

Overall Thoughts on Overboard:

I was incredibly hyped when I saw mouldy's name appear in the Wads & Mods section, Going Down is one of my favourite wads ever - second only to Sunlust - and so seeing a new release from him was very unexpected and very exciting. Overboard didn't disappoint at all, it's superb. What mouldy does incredibly well in his maps is drawing you into his world, with the cartoonishly evil UAC seemingly dabbling in pretty much everything that it's even impossible to avoid them when you've gone on holiday, out to the middle of the sea - and they're STILL performing demonic experiments on their cruise ship! The doomcute is still fantastic, with the custom textures allowing for a different look to some old favourites, and the level of detail and care put into a lot of these maps is incredible.

The inclusion of NG+ is a nice touch, while the maps don't change as drastically as I was expecting them to at first, they're different enough that it's tons of fun to replay the wad with the buffed layouts. I didn't end up playing NG+ on my first runthrough of Overboard, wanting to keep it for a replay, and seeing all the maps in a slightly different light in this runthrough was really cool. I think some of the maps got more interesting overhauls than others but my favourite, Seaside Siege+, was perhaps the simplest of all, so the complexity of the changes definitely didn't matter to me.

 

Overboard is absolutely excellent, and since it's the 10th and we know the winners, I'd like to congratulate @mouldy on the Cacoward for it, it deserves it without a doubt!

 

Favourite Maps:

Map03 - Depth Charge

Map13 - Seaside Siege+

Map05 - Archi-pelago

[Monsieur E]

(I have elected to write about NG+ as a whole rather than break down map by map)

New Game+

After your rude treatment of the surfing imp, you have been sent back to your cruise ship arising from a pile of blood to try your hand at this again, but with a challenging catch. I don't think I had seen a DOOM wad have a concept like this and I'm all for it, NG+ promises a harder experience and rather than just being a bonus difficulty setting, it decides to twist up the gameplay in simple but critical ways. Crucially, the enemies seem to be sic'd upon you much quicker compared to the more reserved unwinding of chaos in the regular mode, perhaps best illustrated by the huge fight that composes map06. Furthermore, the use of heavier enemies is much more liberal, cyberdemons often patrol the maps and archviles stir up chaos. For the cyberdemons, they are at their most devious in map01+ where the moron cyberdemon who got crushed in the original rendition now patrols the deck and in map03+ where two deadly cyberdemons work as a prime pressure pair in the claustrophobia of the submarine. The archvile usage is excellent here, they serve to wreck chaos particularly well in map02+, map04+ and of course map05+. I had complained about the archies not being prevalent in their archipelago but now I had to handle an evil crowd rushing in to light me up, just stunning combat all around.

Fortunately, mouldy is also generous with the resources he provides and upscales them suitably for you to taken on the opposition, mostly notably by giving you BFGs in most of the maps and giving sufficient (but not endless!) cells for the job. Powerups are also provided particularly a critical invulnerability in map05 to help dispense of the archvile parade. Foreknowledge of the secrets works to your benefit here as compared to the regular mode, I found that this is where they are truly useful due to the increased opposition. 

I think the earlier levels were actually more difficulty with the hardest map for me being 04 due to the tightness of the volcano and the fact that the exit out of the volcano only makes itself appear later and after unleashing an archvile crew onto you, however the map compensates by giving you a BFG, completely wonderful but dangerous map. Map06 on the flipside actually feels easier than its regular companion, mostly since the crowd ends up infighting. But the huge imp relief force is done better I'd argue since they almost constantly pursue you scaling the fortress till the end.

For my money, the map I liked the most versus its regular companion would be map02 since it gets chaotic extremely quickly and the amount of freedom of routing you have basically turns the map into one huge brawl, running from revenants trying to bury you, cutting through fodder trying to take down their archvile bosses is exhilarating.

Map14: "The Actual End"
0/0 kills, 0/0 secrets 

Whew our doom marine has reached home safely. I love the detailing here (especially the binoculars on the pier) and seeing the Going Down room with the little change of the building now having been further developed since last time brought a huge smile across my face. Perfect ending map. 

Map31: "Demo Island"
1000/1000 kills, 0/0 secrets

This is like an antithesis to BFG circlestrafing people mention when they speak pejoratively about slaughtermaps :P. It's good clean fun overall with the cap on cell ammo at 300 alongside the placement of cell packs in one spot on the island adds a bit of nuance to the map. But it's just simple fun overall. 

Final Thoughts

Overboard has been one of my favorite DOOM experiences, a nearly perfect romp through lovingly crafted maps which manages to be silly summer fun but also tightly woven challenges. The doomcute and architecture is excellent, the music used perfect, and of course, the combat is extremely refined. I would say in regards to how much fun I had, I prefer NG+ to the regular. But as a whole package, I think the "pacing" and initial surprises of regular UV makes that my favorite overall, not that NG+ is bad or anything. In fact, I think not a single map fails here, I have a hard time choosing a favorite overall. What a stunning mapset and congratulations for the cacoward mouldy, you absolutely deserved it :)!

As an aside, with OB's cacoward, this month we're playing three cacoward winners from three consecutive years!

[Azure_Horror]

On 12/9/2022 at 9:54 PM, Book Lord said:

I am feeling a bit lonely in my Overboard ramblings.

 

I am here! I played through all the maps, but I don't know, how to better write down my thoughts. My accursed prefectionism once again escaped from its holding cell...

 

For now, I would like to say that Oveboard is a great WAD. Like Going Down, it has an unmistakeable design style. @mouldy's approach to Doom mapping is really distinctive! And both Going Down and Overboard showcase different facsets of this approach:

- Going Down is chaotic evil and slaughter-ish.

- Overboard is more like 4d-improv chess/dance floor.

But both WADs employ very fluid and interconnected maps, which are hard to describe in terms of individual arenas and setpieces. Everything mixes with everything in those maps!

[tonytheparrot]

I know it's late, but i am finally starting to write about Overboard (behind spoilers s that the post doesn't get way too big). So, I played Overboard's regular maps when it came out and loved it, but didn't check the maps post 7 (outside of 14), so some of this playthrough is blind, but most of it is not. I will get 100% kills and as many secrets as I can, and play the maps on UV from a pistol-start with saves and loads or Prboom+.

 

Normal order:

Spoiler

Map 1: Cruisn'n UAC

100% kills, items and secrets

Time: 3:51

 

Cyriak opens up this amazing wad with Cruisin'n UAC, which takes place on a big ship. Right from the opening view of the outside areas, You get introduced to Overboard's visual theme and focus on boats. Combat-wise it's pure Mouldy, big monster clusters in small spaces and pure chaos but also lots of supplies and never overwhelming if you stay aggressive and dodge projectiles well enough. All of this is of course topped with his famous possesed clown music, the doomcute (including the return of toilets!) and some boom shenanigans. Also, you will also find out about Overboard's main gimmick : the goal of each map is to find a jerry can and to fill your boat with gas to go to the next one, which somewhat follows the elevator concept from GD. When playing this map for the first time, it felt like seeing more of the type of maps that I loved in Going Down and it was the perfect way for our master of chaotic-evil to make a comeback after 7 years of absence.

 

Map 2: Skeleton Coast

100% kills, items and secrets

Time: 4:00

 

Now that Cyriak's fully warmed up, he goes even more mental, as Skeleton Coast's very interconnected layout and abundance of booby traps allow more and more revs, imps, archies, zombies, tomatoes, Hell knights.... to roam around freely, making the experience delirously chaotic, but also almost as entertaining as a Mouldy map can be. Outstanding work !

 

Map 3: Depth Charge

100% kills,33% items, 100% secrets

Time: 3:23

 

Seeing some floaters and a submarine appearing out of the water is the kind of things that makes all of us love Mouldy's unque mapping style. After infiltrating the submarine, you will immediately get your jerry can, but the longest part of this map is actually leaving the sub. For that, you will have to not only get through revenant hordes, hitscanner battalions and groups of imps and HKs conveniently placed next to barrels, but also through one of the best baron fights I have seen (even if killing them all is a bit tedious). The texture usage in the sub is pretty samey, but Cyriak keeps it from being bland thanks to his doomcute and nice room variation. Again, awesome map.

 

Map 4: Cacotoa

100% kills, items and secrets

Time: 4:00

 

Cacotoa is more similar to map 2 as it is another interconnected island(this time mostly made of caves) in which you will open lots of booby traps when grabbing items. That said, it relies more on timed ambushes than most of Overboard, which might make you wait a bit for the next ambush if you kill the enemies too quickly. Outside of that, this map is again, great fun, even despite it being my least favorite of this wad's first 6

 

Map 5: Archi-Pelago

100% kills, items and secrets

Time: 4:00

 

This ominous beginning showing doomguy slowly getting deeper into that new island and interrupting archies performing a ritual is already tense, but Cyriak is not done : stepping on the pentagram takes you to an unholy dimension floating in the sky in which the celling is actually the island you started on, but upside down. The concept and visuals of this map are of course stunning, even by this wad's very high standards and even if the gameplay is just standard Overboard to me, I don't think there's anything wrong with that given how amazing the maps have been.

 

Map 6: Seaside Siege

100% kills, 58% items, 0% secrets

Time: 7:47

 

Actually my favorite map in Overboard, Seaside Siege is the hardest and most crowded map in the wad, but in typical Cyriak fashion, it stays really manageable as long as you don't get cornered or don't eat too many projectiles. It is also notable for being the only Overboard map that requires you to get a key before you get the jerry can. Also, getting that key gives you access to some ammo depots scattered around the map and 2 toilet teleporters serving as escape options if you get cornered, which is a really nice reward. Again, I can't add much about this map, it's just amazing Cyriak.

 

Map 7: The End

no kills, 100% items and secrets

Time: 0:15

 

A pretty nice ending map in which you are going towards the city on your boat, trying to reach the city in the background while you are being congratulated for having winned the game. That said, it contains a nice surprise : killing the imp on the surfboard takes you to map 8, Let's see what lies ahead...

Next post is for NG+ and Demo Island.

 

[tonytheparrot]

NG+ and Demo Island:

Spoiler

 

Map 8: Cruisn'n UAC+

100% kills, items and secrets

Time: 4:40

 

Compared to the original map 1, this one is more populated, noticeably containing a lot of archies for it's size. However, the most important change is the cyberdemon's position, as he goes from being crushed like an idiot to a very dangerous unit who patrols the deck of the boat, which makes him much scarier. I don't particularly like it more than the original map 1, but it gives a nice idea of what NG+ is about and both maps are of course still amazing.

 

Map 9: Skeleton Coast+

110% kills, 80% items, 100% secrets

Time: 3:39

I don't feel like this map is that different from the original map 2. I just had the impression that there were more archies and revs and that some of the item placements were different, but that's it.

 

Map 10: Depth Charge+

114% kills, 100% items, 100% secrets

Time: 3:55

This one is bonkers on NG+ as not only will you be chased by a really dangerous cyberdemon right from the start, but the enemies you already killed also get revived from time to time by backstabbing arch-viles. On top of that, one of the final areas contains a cyber on top of the already present barrels and imps Thankfully, Depth Charge+ introduces the BFG : OH YES, FINALLY ! That said, it mostly serves to kill the cybers and maybe the last horde of spooky bois.

 

Map 11: Cacotoa+

124% kills, 100% items, 100% secrets

Time: 4:01

 

Cacotoa feels a bit more overwhelming and contains noticeably more archies in NG+, but again, I don't feel like it is very different from the original version

 

Map 12: Archi-Pelago+

105% kills, 80% items, 100% secrets

Time: 4:05

 

Outside of the wave of archies that I would recommend saving the invuln for, I again don't think that NG+ changes a lot to Archi-Pelago.

 

Map 13: Seaside Siege

100% kills, 54% items and 0% secrets

Time: 6:24

In my opinion, this the only map which is noticeably better on UV+, Seaside Siege's tougher version contains 666 enemies, which is an increase of over 200 compared to the original one. Most of these new enemies are in an army of imps which pops-up in the water right when you begin to move. This army along with the added cyberdemons adds even more pressure to an already pretty tough map.

 

Map 14: The Actual Ending

no kills, 100% items, 100% secrets

Time: 1:11

Beating new game plus allows you to reach the city from map 7 and... it's the one from Going Down !!!!! As a fan of Going Down, I was drawn by all of the cute world building and details which, for some of them, were already present in GD like the console or the crane with the guy hung to it. This is one of the best wad closers ever made.

 

Map 31: Demo Island

100% kills, items and secrets

Time: 1:14

 

There is not much about this one, shoot the chest, run for the BFG, blast the 1000 imps, grab a megasphere when you need to and that's it ! Despite it's simplicity, this map can be be difficult as the many projectiles can be tough to dodge and getting past the imps is a death sentence. That said, it's still a really enjoyable minute.

 

I just want to repeat that I don't dislike Overboard's NG+. I think it's exhilirating, but I can't say that I enjoy the harder versions of the maps more than the originals outside of map 6

 

 

Final Time Overboard: 57:34

My final thoughts will be on the final day.

Final Overboard Rankings:

Spoiler

Love:

Map 6

Map 2

Map 5

Map 3

Map 1

Map 4

Like

Map 31

One of the best wad endings:

Map 14

Good "semi-ending":

Map 7

 

 

[RHhe82]

MAP02: Chinatown Beatdown. Played on DSDA v0.24, UV, PS. 117/117 K, 1/1 S, 46/46 I. Completion time 13:56.

 

A city map that at first very much looked like Duke Nukem 3D knock-off, but that's only because I have barely ever played Shadow Warrior. Playing the level I quickly shrugged off my skepticism for recreating Build-engine stuff in Doom, Chinatown Beatdown played very well, and reminded me a bit of Pagodia, another excellent wad I recently played, just with a different color scheme and slighly harder difficulty than in Running Late 2 so far.

 

This one is essentially a tyson map. You get a shotgun halfway thru, but I didn't end up using it very much, only against the couple of cacodemons and a squadron of new acquaintances at the end.

 

At the start there is a player corpse lying nearby, I love it that sprite is altered so that it ever so slightly looks like the doomguy in the portrait :P
 

[DisgruntledPorcupine]

MAP11: Cacotoa +

UV, pistol start, no saves

100% kills, 0/2 secrets

 

Whew, this is the most demanding one so far. Once you grab that plasma rifle the level becomes an all-out struggle for even the tiniest slice of space. The population of almost all monster types is bumped up, but the most felt are the archviles, who see their ranks grow from 3 to 7. When you gradually filter 7 archviles into a level this small, they feel neverending. The level does show some mercy by giving you a BFG that was not there before, but you won't be getting it until you take care of the 3 arachnotrons in the way, and even then it's still very easy to die here. Funnily enough while I called this maybe my least favourite original map, it might be my favourite NG+ map so far. Maybe because the 2nd time around things feel less about the sights and the novelties and more purely about the challenge, and this one definitely delivers that and a thrilling time.

 

MAP12: Archi-Pelago +

UV, pistol start, no saves

100% kills, 1/1 secrets 

 

Uh oh, this time there are 5 archviles in this level. Or at least that's what the 5 archviles gathered around the pentagram would have you believe. The initial stretch of this level isn't too bad, the main differences are you'll have all the weapons available from the start, and there are now extra archviles on the ground to aid their friends on the platforms. After you kill these guys though, a zillion more archviles pour in (approximate number). You'll want to save the invuln for these guys, because survival is incredibly unlikely without it. Even with it they are difficult to dispatch before it expires, as they have that tendency of mass archvile waves to blow you out of the arena when you approach them. Apart from these guys you'll now have two cyberdemons to deal with, and the number of cacos that join the party has also been greatly increased. Talk about a hectic way to end things. Crazy even by mouldy's standards. Love it.

 

MAP13: Seaside Siege +

UV, pistol start, no saves

100% kills, 3/4 secrets 

 

Naturally, the biggest bloodbath last time is also the biggest bloodbath this time. In this version, nearly everything gets released right away, and there is of course more of it (666 total monsters now). After my first dozen or so attempts I thought I was gonna have to finish this tomorrow, but I found that once I got a good groove going it meant that success was just around the corner. Well, assuming I didn't get tagged by an unfortunately timed rocket against any of this map's 4 cyberdemons. Knowing where the invuln was this time, I was able to use that to my advantage as well. You don't get a ton of time with it since you need to spend some making your way back to the action, but you can still get some work done. The biggest threat here is probably the imps actually. There are more imps in this map (499) than there are monsters of any kind in the original (463), and since they're just about all there from the start they can cause huge problems for you if you have an inopportune run-in with them and you have not yet amassed the weapons or ammo to force your way out. Funnily enough, the difference in number of imps between this and the original is the same as the difference in total monsters, but they aren't the only monster changes as other monster types saw small increases or decreases in numbers.

 

MAP14: The Actual Ending

 

You've now reached the city that was visible in MAP07, and a midi that will no doubt be familiar to the Going Down fans out there is playing. Progressing through you'll find yourself in an equally familiar apartment, with some construction outside that was seen some progress since our last time here. "Coming soon... UAC Luxury Apartments". A teaser for the future? I sure hope so.

 

Final thoughts:

 

So, Going Down is a contender for my favourite wad of all time (it's between that and Ancient Aliens), so seeing Mouldy make a return to the community was very exciting for me, and the wad he brought with him was very well worth the wait. Overboard predictably has an overall less macabre tone than the author's previous work, going for an interesting clash between the sunny vacation vibes and the gory chaos, and it pulls that very well in its own right. What hasn't changed at all is the creativity and character behind the maps. The imp diving off a sinking ship to safety in MAP02 only to reappear pulling up in a cargo ship with a bunch of revenants, the archvile attempting to make off with your boat in MAP05, and of course all the toilet humour. Lots of very cool visual moments too, with the most notable being in MAP03 and MAP05. And of course we have the midis, which continue to be unlike anything else heard in Doom mapping, giving the maps a very distinct flavour.

 

The combat is also very Mouldy's type. Resources are usually given pretty benevolently, and the fights themselves are very trap-heavy and highly populated. I always enjoy the moments that play with your expectations, like the wall opening up behind you instead of in front of you in MAP03, and a couple stealthily appearing monsters found in MAP06. Apart from enjoying the tricks though, you gotta enjoy the high action and keen design in these fights. Mouldy also likes using timed monster waves too, which I always enjoy. Lastly, would like to talk about the NG+ concept. Really love how these maps were made to be more than just "another difficulty setting", by making changes that are really transformative to the way the maps play and rely on your knowledge and expectations from having already played them before. You can tell a good amount of effort and thought was put into creating these alternate takes, and it was a great idea.

 

Anyway yeah, Overboard is one of the better times I've had playing Doom. Visually it's creative and is an interesting theme to bring to Doom. But most of all, with its high octane combat, sense of humour, and cool little visual moments, it just knows how to have fun. And that's really what it's all about.

[Azure_Horror]

Running Late

Map 01 Drip

DSDA-Doom, UV, pistol start

 

After mapsets like Uprising, Overboard, Ray Mohawk 1-2, I was expecting some very obvious setting for a map 01 of Running Late. Something related to gathering stuff in a hurry and going through morning transit jam, or maybe something about parkour through back alleys and rooftops to cut some time in a morning commute.

 

But Drip is just a techbase. It is a very cozy techbase, however, and it is built around some water processing equimpent. This is a surprisngly novel detail, typically small techbases  deal with nukage, or avoid liquid processing completely.

 

In hindsight, the gameplay seems to be built around liberal use of Decino Away 9000 chainsaw. But I also have a habit of forgetting the chainsaw alltogether. So I went into the map guns blazing, and managed to complete it that way. The secret airwents were nasty, BTW. Activating one particular section of computer screen panel was completely unintuitive, and only the wiki saved my bacon.

Edited December 11, 2022 by Azure_Horror

[KickAss]

GZDooM 4.9, PB 3.0, HeXeReTiC HUD PB3 v8.3RC2e, Weapon Neural Upscale, Simple Upscaled Enemies, Destroyable Decorations Definitive Edition, Glory Kills v29b, SilentDoomguy, Flashlight, -iwad doom2.wad (ver 1.666), -skill 4 (UV), continuous play, no saves.

 

MAP03 - “Depth Charge”, Feels really cramped but well you are fighting on a submarine.