The DWmegawad Club plays: Solar Struggle

[continuum.mid]

E2M2: Storage Complex (Wavy)

Woof 10.5.1 (Debian 12), Freedoom: Phase 1, Extreme Carnage, blind, pistol start

Kills: 94%, Items: 86%, Secrets: 16%, Time: 20:06, Save Count: 11

Spoiler

If John Romero tried to remake the rest of Doom 1 alongside the two maps he released in 2016 and 2017, I imagine E2M2 would be something like this. It's got all the Romero hallmarks: demonic cracks in the floor, extravagant secrets, thin and windy walkways, platforming, and overall elaborateness. And the themes, both visual and musical, seem to be direct remixes of the original E2M2, from the crate mazes to the crusher hallways. Storage Complex is the largest map up to this point, lasting 20 minutes compared to the usual single-digit runtimes of previous maps, and it's just about as idea-stuffed as E1M2 or E1M8, but none of the ideas seem novel or stick out to me enough to be worth a lengthy mention. The first minute is hard when pistol starting, given all the enemies crowding the way to the shotgun (which involves some platforming) but once I got the shotgun and the box of shells in the second crate area, I found the rest easy; I died at most once for the rest of the map and wasn't playing all that carefully to begin with. The red and yellow keys seem to be deliberately on opposite sides of the map - the backtracking for the former requires an awkward jump back to the starting area, and then you just get the yellow key, whose door requires essentially going all the way back. Thankfully Wavy teleports in some foes to make it more interesting - but again, they're easy to manage.

 

Storage Complex is an admirable effort that shows great love for Doom and attention to detail, but if I remember it for anything, it'll probably be the length relative to E1's maps.

Edited May 9, 2023 by continuum.mid

[Poncho1]

A bit late here, but I'll try my best to keep up. I'll be gone for a week, so if I jump ahead of everybody else, apologies, but it can't be helped.

 

As for my personal rules: continuous run, Ultra-Violence, 100% kills where possible and as many secrets within an acceptable time range (so I won't go for super-obscure ones, say).

 

E1M1: Detention Facility

Author: Alex Decker (myolden)

 

Super-easy map that allows just about everybody to ease their way into the WAD. Nothing should realistically kill you, but then again, it's the first map. Very short and snappy, the way I like my "first-few-levels". The secret with the four Imps by the exit feels a little obscure, especially taking into consideration my "kill-them-all" rule, but besides that, I found it perfectly acceptable.

 

E1M2: Admin Offices

Author: Peccatum Mihzamiz

 

Difficulty-wise, it's about on par with the first level. Well, maybe slightly more challenging, but the difference is marginal. I think I neglected to pick up the Chaingun for a good chunk of the level, so I suppose I accidentally set myself a challenge, but as said before, still wasn't too tough. I do like the attention to detail in the office block itself to the west, with details such as computer mice, mugs and water coolers. Nice stuff. The ending gives you a teleport trap by the YK, though it mostly consists either of low-grade demon fodder or Zombiemen, so it goes by easily. Personally, I like quick, easy maps like this, since you can breeze through them whilst feeling like an absolute god.

 

E1M3: Barracks

Author: Doomlust

 

A somewhat linear slugfest that I personally found to be one of the episode's weaker offerings. There's little that I remember from it. Nothing egregious, but also nothing terribly noteworthy. I like the deformed star symbol at the secret Rocket Launcher, and there's a slightly interesting fight with the Rad Suit, but that's it. Spoilers: the way to get to the secret exit isn't terribly cryptic, and I kinda liked it. Somewhat lacklustre, overall.

 

E1M9: Excavation Site

Author: Late Night Person

 

Cacodemons in my Episode 1? Yes indeed. Really enjoyed the gameplay for this one: the rather-obvious Rad Suit secret makes the brief nukage tunnels a non-issue, the hordes of enemies make for fine borderline-slaughter gameplay (if you have the Rocket Launcher, that is), the difficulty progression feels just right (though the map stays on the easy side), and the large teleport trap, while easily circle-strafe-able, is a fun little encounter. The very ending is a bit of a letdown coming off of the heels of the teleport ambush, but eh. When there's this much fun to be had, I can't complain too badly.

 

E1M4: Mineral Processing

Author: Death Bear

 

Here's a map that encourages more exploration and non-linear progression than the previous levels. It's a criss-crossing landscape of buildings high above mostly-nukage wastelands that requires some careful movements. The snipers aren't obnoxious (probably thanks to the original Doom's lack of Revenants, for example), and the many secrets are mostly pretty simple to find. I was a little perplexed about how to get the YK, but it just means backtracking to a previously-skipped Blue door. That's what I get for being a numpty. The final trap feels like it could've been harder, but the abundance of cover and Rockets makes it a cakewalk. The atmosphere and the difference in progression are what make this map stand out from the rest.

 

E1M5: Mining Complex

Author: RataUnderground

 

Mixed feelings for this one: without taking into consideration getting the secrets, it's a pretty strong outing: the combat is a lot more confined and challenging than anything seen so far - the rush after taking the teleporter to the Imp-infested nukage tunnels is a case in point. I also dig the mix of industrial and water-refinery design. However, getting the last few kills is a pain, mostly since one of the secrets is ridiculously obscure, to the point that I needed Doom Wiki to figure it out. The enormous Lost Soul cavern is also a massive drag, since they get in the way of killing the Spectres, and the exit consists of a super-slow lift. Oy... Pretty good if you neglect going for 100% of anything.

 

E1M6: Visitor Center

Author: Peter Blacha (Shawny)

 

Uh, it's actually "centre". Silly spelling aside, looking at the automap, I'd swear that this looked kinda like a skillsaw level. Throw in a few Mancubi snipers, Revs and the odd Archie and it'd definitely look like something he'd make. Of course, those enemies don't appear in an original Doom WAD, but the results are still very entertaining. Non-linear in that you can get some of the keys in any order, I enjoyed the map for its constant action and for it embracing a freedom of routing choice for the player. Due to the small size of each room (and corridor), the enemy congregation makes for ideal situations to let rip with the Rocket Launcher. Though a step-down in difficulty from the previous couple of maps, here's another "god-rush" type of map that I always enjoy.

 

E1M7: Traffic Control

Author: LoreCaco37

 

Episode 1's penultimate map has the episode's highest monster count. It can come across as a little repetitive due to its extremely symmetrical design, and once again it isn't particularly difficult, since the Rocket Launcher - and even the Chaingun - can make mince-meat of the enemy roster. The only annoying part is when one has to ascend a pair of lifts to rooms filled with Shotgunners. Kinda cheap, in my opinion. The only times where symmetry is abandoned are the rooms in the large western and eastern courtyards, though the differences are somewhat marginal. I do like the emphasis on shredding large hordes with the Rocket Launcher, though thinking about it after playing it, the map's flaws do come into sharper focus. Kinda fun, but could've been more.

 

E1M8: Huygens Spaceport

Author: Violent Beetle

 

The umpteenth Baron of Hell showdown to end the episode. Much like the original game, the level focuses on building the tension by way of mood: the smallish skirmishs before the big, final encounter set the tone, and the multitude of littered corpses certainly add to the increasing dread. Of course, the final fight itself is a rather routine Baron battle that is admittedly functional because of the room's layout. Only the Lost Souls will screw you over. A decent E1M8 replacement, even if it sticks to the book.

Edited May 10, 2023 by Poncho1

[RataUnderground]

E1M5 - Mining complex - By RataUnderground

 

Spoiler

 

I was going to make a joke saying that it was undoubtedly the best map in the whole set, but I think that would be of limited amusement. Being honest, it's a map I'm happy enough with.
 

 

 

 

E1M6 – Visitor Center by @Shawny 

 

Spoiler

At the end of e1m5 I forgot to save, so I decided to start the next map in pistol start. I mention this because this is a map where you do not let go of the trigger for a single moment, and the shortage of ammunition has made it difficult for me at more than one time, having to ration my resources while advancing through the brown stucco rooms being besieged on all sides by the usual knee deep in the dead fauna.
Overall, I would say that it is a map with an exquisite balance, and despite the convoluted layout, I did not need to consult the map once. 
I know I'm going to repeat myself because in all the maps I make a point of it, but I would live inside these MIDIS. I'd like a compilation of music featured in Solar Struggle on vinyl, please.
 

 

E1M7 - Traffic Control - LoreCaco37

 

Spoiler

 

Starting with the positive... Hey, at least it's not a frustrating map, and slaughtering groups of demons by the dozens is like eating popcorn. 
Traffic Control is a very linear and symmetrical map. From the moment you pass the checkpoint through the metal detector (somehow, I had no problem with the iron I had on me at the time), you'll find yourself visiting a series of outdoor areas connected by corridors. Areas in which I was able to put to good use the rocket launcher I found in the foyer.
Another thing to note about this map is that it was easy for me to find the secrets, and that's something I'm very grateful for!
I can't say it's a great map, but I had a good time. Its lack of refinement doesn't get tedious as it's not a complicated or overly long map.
 

 

 

 

E1M8: Huygens Spaceport by ViolentBeetle

 

Spoiler

 

And we reached the end.
Something I didn't mention in the previous map is its ending inside the train, thus giving continuity to the last map of the first episode. Here, the leader of the project takes the reins and releases us in a dark subway station. The atmosphere is silent and eerie, and the carriage door is locked. But thanks to the chainsaw I was able to clear it without much trouble (come to think of it, the chainsaw was also found in E1M7, and it's another plus point for the map if you ask me).
Huygens Spaceport throws us right into an atmosphere of terror and escorts us through the interior of a building peppered with pizza doomcute and treacherous ambushes. More than one and two. Surviving the demonic sandwiches as best I could, I finally slipped outside. A circular arena where I was greeted by the bruiser brothers. This time, their mother has given us a larger family to deal with than in Phobos Anomaly, and taking care of all of them while avoiding the cacodemons and trying not to step in the toxic fluid has its complications. I think I've done more damage to myself with the rockets than anything the occupants of the place have done to me.
Finally, after finishing them off there are no more surprises, and that's how the episode ends.
Maybe individually none of the maps are going to make it into the top 100 most memorable maps in Doomworld, but I think as a whole, few community-made episodes I've played where the styles alternate so well and the pacing flows beautifully. Solar Struggle from the start is one of those wads where you always want to play one more map before quitting until the next day.
 

 

 

 

And some stats! (For some reason it didn't count my e1m8 stats, I guess because I didn't save when I finished.)

Edited May 9, 2023 by RataUnderground

[sanfrisco]

Being fairly new to custom WADs (and Doomworld) I'm currently on the lookout for somewhat easier WADs to get better and Solar Struggle did look like something that's right up my alley.

E1M1: Detention Facility [UV; pistol start; no saves]
Solar Struggle gets off to a great start. For how limited the enemy and weapon roster is, the combat was surprisingly engaging with neat traps, while not feeling out of place for a map one. The level theme's execution felt spot on, with the cell block you start out in feeling particularly memorable.

 

E1M2: Admin Offices [UV; pistol start; no saves]
Visually, probably my favourite map as of yet, with very impressive interior and doomcute decorations. The connection to the previous level also felt particularly neat. Combat-wise, I found it to be on par with E1M1, easy but action-packed with shotgunners which can catch you off guard. The yellow key fight is a neat, very fitting climax for the level, even if it is very easy.

 

E1M3: Barracks [UV; pistol start; no saves]
Overall, very enjoyable with a neat, easy-to-understand, well-constructed layout and decent enemy placement. My only gripe with the level is that, besides the lab/hospital area near the end, the level offers too little to distinguish itself from other maps I've played. Also, finding the secret exit took me much longer than it probably should have.

 

E1M9: Excavation Site [UV; pistol start; no saves]
Gameplay-wise this level was easily one of my favourites from E1. It certainly picks up the pace from the previous levels and has a bigger focus on providing separate combat arenas in rather small arenas, leading up to a big climax at the center of the excavation site, which can be handled fairly easily, yet still provides thrilling fun. Also, for the first time, we have other hazards being used to spice things up. The damaging floor section early-on cleverly narrows down your movement options and the crushers, if used well, can also be used to safely deal with a bunch of enemies. Visually, the level doesn't disappoint either once you reach the level's main attraction, but can feel a little bland outside of that.

 

E1M4: Mineral Processing [UV; pistol start; no saves]
Halfway through the map I was already sure, that this map would be hard to dethrone as my personal favourite for this mapset. As of now it does remain on top, as I do think it excels at everything it sets out to do. Most fights throughout, though usually rather simple and easy, are exciting. Highlights include the rush of finding the first few weapons at the start, the rocket launcher and final fight. Navigation and exploration are pure joy with just the right kind of complexity. At first I felt overwhelmed with how open-ended the map feels, but after exploring multiple secitons, everything sort of clicked and I never once actually felt lost.

 

E1M5: Mining Complex [UV; pistol start; no saves]
The music is bloody fantastic in this and had me jamming for the half-hour this map took me to beat. The gameplay deserves similar praise though, offering a neat mix of interesting locations and clever traps. Routing-wise this has been the most complex map so far, but without me ever being confused about where to go. The only thing I really wasn't too fond of was the secret cave and the way it was hidden. The cave has a clear lack of enemy variety and the long wait for the elevator is kind of obnoxious.

 

E1M6: Visitor Center [UV; pistol start; no saves]
This map gets off to a hot, exciting start as you struggle to find guns and ammo on a pistol start. In terms of navigation, you are completely on your own with the interconnectivity being among the best I've ever seen. Combat-wise, I found the level to be fun but never quite matching the highs during the start of the map. While you as the player get stronger, the encounters don't, which I assume mostly is to ensure all possible paths feel manageable in terms of difficulty.

 

E1M7: Traffic Control [UV; pistol start; no saves; 1 death]
While probably my least favourite map of E1, there is still a lot to like here. The airport security check is very cute and the ambush clever, even if it was where I encountered my first death. As a whole, what ultimately lets this map down for me is that, in a map which has its focus on combat, most encounters felt lackluster. The larger fights feel like they have their large enemy count just for the sake of it. You can approach all of the same the same way and the enemy placement seems to have little thought behind it. Also, the symmetry of the map causes the map and encounters to be quite repetitive. Still, I can't deny that high action and blowing up large groups of monsters will never not be fun. 

 

E1M8: Huygens Spaceport [UV; pistol start; no saves; ~10 deaths]
This level boasts atmosphere and certainly feels like a climactic finale. If you, like me, didn't find the secret, ammo can be quite sparse during the first few rooms, which even enhances the tension. Having new enemies spawn in while retracing your steps to the red key door was neat, though they tend to spawn awfully close to you, which led to my first death (of which there were many more to come).
I'd argue that besides the haunting atmosphere, the level's main attraction is its final battle. While I didn't dislike the fight, the sudden harsh difficulty spike caught me by surprise and it took me multiple attempts to get a working strategy for the fight. Circling the arena to get the enemies to infight and prioritising the lost souls was what worked best for me. 

 

Episode 1 Maps Ranked:
E1M4 (9/10)
E1M6 (8.5/10)
E1M9 (8/10)
E1M2 (7.5/10)

E1M5 (7.5/10)
E1M1 (7/10)
E1M8 (6.5/10)
E1M3 (6/10)
E1M7 (5/10)

[cannonball]

E2M2 - “Storage Complex” by Wavy

The presentation is very good, however the map felt slower than even the previous one. There are quite a few monsters that are placed in hard to reach spots, which meant I left with a few monsters still alive as they were on crates that can only been seen from a limited number of spots. The progression also feels like a bit of a fluff given that the map loops you around up to the yellow key, then it is a case of backtracking to get to the exit. In the end I think this could have been tweaked in a few places to make the gameplay match the atmosphere, which is clearly the strong point of the map. 

Overall, this one was okay.

[TJG1289]

GZDoom/UV/Pistol-Start/Saves

E2M2: Storage Complex - Wavy

100% kills and secrets

Time: ? (accidentally skipped the tally)

 

Not familiar with any of Wavy's maps. Looks like they've take part in The Way We Remember It series, but I've only watched Decino play the first one and haven't tried any of them myself. It kinda looks like this is their first released map that isn't a speedmap or a recreation. In that case, this is a very good first map! This map is probably the most referential map we've seen so far. Not only does it pay homage to the original E2M2 (which I believe was a requirement for the map), but it also uses a remixed version of the MIDI that adds to the creepiness. This map is a nice size, with a decent amount of ground and environments to cover, but it's still unified under the storage complex type. Though seeing the hellish influence starting to seep in is a nice touch. This is a mostly linear affair, but the map layout does loop around back to the beginning which is kinda cool. Speaking of the beginning, on pistol-start it's actually kinda tough, as you need to find a shotgun to deal with the handful of imps in your face. If you spot crates to climb, you can nab one up at the start, otherwise you'll have to jump down to where some shotgunners are and wrestle one away from them. Once that's obtained, it's smooth sailing. You'll only find a chaingun after, though rockets and cells are provided for the continuous player (still won't have the rocket launcher, but at least you'll have an extra 9 rockets by the time you find it next map). The detailing and lighting in this map are really good and add to the eeriness the MIDI is going for. I'm surprised people are a little down on the yellow key, considering having a key be directly behind another key door is another clear E2M2 reference. So yeah, I don't really have that much more to say. Very solid first (kinda) map! Good layout, nice detailing. The incidental combat works very well and matches the pace of the map's atmosphere. I don't really have any complaints.

[Klear]

E2M3 - “Stock Exchange” by DFF

QuestZDoom, UV, blind, pistol start, saves

 

Spoiler

 

Since I had to replay E2M1 and drunkedly overwrote my save, I guess I'm pistol starting this one. This map is amazing! So many cute little details to admire! At first I was a bit confused about the music which I felt was clashing with all the danger and ambushes, but as soon as I entered the main floor (and checked the map name on the minimap) it clicked. We're in the very depths of hell, right at the source of Evil!

 

I like how the secrets are done here. I'm not good at finding secrets, more stumble-upon kinda guy, but I did find a couple. They always lead to some extra combat encounters and usually left me with fewer resources than if I haven't found them. The berserk pack, that was my fault. I decided not be be a coward and try to melee the pinkies. Since I almost got eaten, I guess I'll be a coward from now on.

 

The rocket launcher fight gave me a bit of trouble - I think I was supposed to leverage the barons more, but I was kinda in a panic mode, so that didn't happen. I also got caught on some of the cute little details I previously admired a few times. That sucked. Eventually I suffered my third death in the wad, dying in exactly the same position and facing the same direction as when I made a mid-fight save a minute earlier. I was almost tempted to edit the death out =P

 

The map ups the difficulty by a significant margin compared to what came before, but it's still fair and quite manageable. And it keeps on going! So much detailing on such a relatively large map must have taken a ton of work. This map rocks and there's too many great parts to mention, but I wanted to highlight one: exploring the lounge, suddenly the way out gets blocked and a broker of hell teleports straight on the dancefloor. I was forced to shotgun him down at close quarters. Now normally I hate having to shotgun barons, but in VR it felt exactly like that scene from The Tremors. It was glorious. And I won the dance-off without losing any health.

 

 

 

 

[LadyMistDragon]

E2M2: Storage Facility

by @Wavy

 

 

Now THIS map is more like it! Not to say it's exactly action-packed but there's a fair variety of distinct locations that really give off the impression of a corrupted techbase that so happens to be underground, although I'm not really certain that there's a need to dump waste anywhere. At least the pools of lava make a certain amount of sense though. No slime to be found anywhere! But conveyor belts are still notably in operation because I guess transportation is still required to get product from one place to the other and everything else.

 

But anyway, it doesn't take too long to reach a location that while probably being an outer area, still shows signs of recently-arrived crates. Unfortunately, the ground here is broken and one can spot an eye on a platform in the middle. From here, more crates can be spotted in an outdoor area, along with at least one really sneaky enemy. Unfortunately, you won't believe the amount of times we went through here before the blast from a stray shotgunner alerted us to a certain direction we'd been completely missing, concealing a switch that opens a door blocking the main conveyor belt on the opposite end from the entrance. But before we did that, we dropped into a little space to the right of the belt which takes us to a reddened chamber containing an Invisibility Sphere. 

 

After some other stuff that basically included a trip to a cave with dried yellow-lined lava pillars and a hidden Supercharge we could not figure out how the life of us to access. Turns out the obscure shootable switch in question is hidden below the entrance to the blue key chamber. But at this point, things heat up as we enter a sort of medical lab and we end up picking a chainsaw up from a pentagram in the middle of the room.

 

From here, it's a journey into what seems to be the main storage room, a place surrounded by vined walls and lots of Imps on the crates. These end up getting replaced when we hit a switch opening the locked door in the room, most annoyingly because we're not going to be spotting all of them the first time around. Locating the berserk pack proved quite easy though.

 

The final area might've been challenging under the right circumstances, but it's basically just a back-and-forth conveyor belt where we dodge some scattered enemies then miss another Supercharge secret entirely accessed by shooting through a wall basically. This belt will then take us back to the initial room with the conveyor belt we orginally came upon. From here, a red key that we picked up earlier rather unceremoniously after killing three Imps was used to open a door at the beginning which opens, in adherence to the original E2M2, a single marble room with a yellow key. Unfortunately, it took a long time to find the yellow door since it's location isn't exactly convenient.

 

We spent too long here, but safe to say that due to the embrace of Hell, this map is automatically lifted above the rest and due to the presence of single enemy placements, doesn't get especially repetitive with the chaingun. It still feels like the teeth are being held back some though...

 

 

 

 

 

[Capellan]

E2M3

Something of a spike in the action, here.

 

 

[Ralgor]

E2M3 - "Stock Exchange" by DFF
MIDI: "Car dealership from Gran Turismo 3" (sequenced by Viscerality)
dsda-doom v0.25.6 cl3, UV, Pistol start, blind run
100% kills and secrets
Deaths: 2
Time: 27:51

You start in an empty lobby, with the security switch out of reach. Luckily you can punch the button with your pistol, but doing so will bring the demonic security down on you. This first part is really chaotic and difficult. My first attempt was cut short after I got blockmap-bugged three times in a row while getting cornered by pinkies. The second time was much easier since I knew where the chaingun and green armor were. It's still a fun battle that takes some quick thinking.

 

Spoiler

The entrance to the subterranean stock exchange. I forgot my credentials!

The level calmed down after that until you get to the main floor of the stock exchange. I really like the design of this area, and the battle that commences once you hit the switch is great. It killed me without having to resort to old doom bugs. You have plenty of rockets, so the main issue is just not getting cornered. If you can shoot your way back up the stairs it gets a lot easier.

 

Spoiler

Here I am debugging the servers

Once you get the blue key, you have to make your way back to the central circular room. Hitting the switch behind the blue key door transforms the room and warps in a bunch of monsters. I really like this sort of room re-use and it was hinted at by the items on top of the servers. It is a little odd how the final door needs a blue key, but the level blocks your movement until you hit the switch behind the one blue key door you can reach. It's a bit of key re-use I guess, but seemed a little awkward.

 

Spoiler

The stock exchange floor

I skipped over a fight and the various incidental encounters, but they are still good as well. This is the most difficult level in this wad so far. I really like this map. It's close to the perfect difficulty level for me, while interesting and memorable. The secrets are good as well. I really like how the elevator overlooks the megaarmor. And what's with the train tracks back there?

[Book Lord]

E2M3 – Stock Exchange by @DFF

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

 

DFF is a guarantee when it comes to detail and sector magic. The entrance hall with the Doomcute security scanners, the marble columns, the fountains, and the impressive dodecagonal hub full of screens were simply wonderful. Under this point of view, Stock Exchange was impressive and packed with action, featuring wild teleport ambushes and tough monster onslaughts, which felt a bit rough on UV-fast. After clearing the start area from many lurking enemies, I found the Berserk Pack secret and I was almost killed by the warping Pinkies. Good thing that I saved the power-up for later, so I could heal myself right away.

Spoiler

There were many doors in the hub but only one became accessible after pressing the switch on the computer platform. A lift went down to a lower level, and I caught a glimpse of a secret cave during the descent. I arrived at a red T-shaped room that might have been another big hub for financial trading, an activity I found out of place in “a secret research base on Ceres”. The YK could be found in a dark corridor just in front of the blue door. The rocket launcher trap released a ludicrous amount of opposition, teleporting hitscanners, Spectres and Demons inside the pit, along with many bulky turrets around the perimeter. It was a nightmare with -fast monsters, and a very harsh attack for this early slot.

Spoiler

I would say there were too many Barons in this map (13 in total), considering it was supposed to introduce them outside of E1M8 like in the OG Doom. There was sufficient ammo to kill them and the plethora of other enemies, but it was a bit grindy. The first Baron in the small computer room would have been a suitable first encounter, such as the teleporting one in the small club behind the yellow door. A strange warping device sent me to the upper floor, granting an unexpected glimpse of the sky while ambushing me fiercely with Shotgunners, Cacodemons, and more Barons. Approaching the BK prompted a small ambush and the rise of blue bars all around the hub, where I returned to unlock the last big fight.

Spoiler

The blue "COMPTILE door" holding the trigger was not easy to spot on the first playthrough, but the following transformation of the dodecagonal room was superb. Pressing the central switch allowed me to return to the elevator and retrace my steps to the blue door, where some unneeded opposition was waiting, including a dastardly hidden Sergeant near the exit. The secret area with the abandoned mine and the cavern with red crystals would have been a great way to bypass the last fight, but DFF decided to block it with blue bars just as the other escape paths. I think Stock Exchange was too large and hard as an early level of the second episode, and it made the surrounding maps look like dwarves. Moreover, the author did not follow the thematic prescriptions very strictly, showing the sky when we were supposed to be deep underground. I am saddened by my conclusions, because the level was visually astounding and featured both good combat and exploration; it was only unfit for this position in the WAD.

Edited May 10, 2023 by Book Lord

[Poncho1]

E2M1: Piazzi Spaceport

Author: Michal Kurowski (Lorenzo)

 

A darker, more brooding intro level. I like it. Difficulty-wise, I suppose it's a little harder than Episode 1's starting map, but only by a hair. The Chaingun is your biggest ally here. There are a surprising amount of Pinkies which makes the opposition seem more beefy because of the limited weaponry, though combining them with a load of Zombiemen, Imps and the occasional Cacodemon makes the combat feel just right. A few Pinkies are hiding in the Plasma Gun secret, the latter being useful against some of the Cacos. Bear in mind that these hidden-away enemies will become a recurring, often-annoying theme in this episode.

 

E2M2: Storage Complex

Author: Wavy

 

Containment Area may be a good map from the original game, but I don't know what pretenders didn't understand about it. I suppose, being made later and with more advancements in level design that we all feel the need to make crate mazes either a confusing, jumbled mess, or turn them into platforming challenges that are more chores than legitimately difficult. This map goes for the latter option. Also, the multiple enemies that easily hide among the crates is a bother, mostly since they'll either never be found (in which case, why place them if they do practically no harm?) or are the complete opposite and can come across as cheap. The backtracking towards the end with the Yellow Key feels awkward and looks like the mapper was running out of ideas by the end. Also, stupid enemies in that super-obscure Supercharge secret (the one accessed in the snake-like pathway by the Yellow door) feels unnecessary. The attention to detail's kinda nice, and the merging of tech and the growing vegetation is pure Episode 2 goodness, but the progression isn't what I'd call fun.

 

E2M3: Stock Exchange

Author: DFF

 

A hectic beginning by shooting the security button involves a load of Pinkies, Imps and Shotgunners in a confined area. Such restricted combat feels like it's the name of the game with this map, but you can also cheese a lot of the fights. Speaking of, the combat doesn't feel organic because of such cheese methods. The Rocket Launcher chamber can be dealt with by just backtracking and killing the Baron and the few Shotgunners at the entrance. Speaking of this room, I wished that the Barons and Cacos on the pillars could've been designed in a way that made them join the Pinkies on the ground floor. Maybe it would've been too harsh a difficulty spike, especially with all the Lost Souls joining the fray, but it would've been a lot more interesting - and a lot quicker to clean up. Some of my frustration with this map came from unlucky high-damage roles, and also, again, from the secrets. I had to noclip to get the Berserk secret next to the main circular chamber in order to kill the remaining Pinkies because I simply couldn't find how to access it. I know it's a "secret", but Christ...

 

[Continuing to the point I left off, since as previously mentioned, I won't be able to play any Doom for a little while]

 

E2M4: Air Filtration Plant

Author: Weird Sandwich

 

In spite of its relatively smaller size, this level can be a little complicated to navigate; however, my recent playthrough of it was rather problem-free, so I guess I got lucky. I enjoy the compact gameplay, the Duke Nukem-esque tunnels (with nicely-telegraphed secrets, thank you) and the early Zombieman massacre. The ending with the four Barons is kinda bullshit, not least since the Pinkies in the tiny tunnels preceding entry into the Baron corners can block you and get you damaged by those pink bastards, but the rest is perfectly acceptable fare.

 

E2M5: Abandoned Tunnels

Author: ViolentBeetle

 

Quite a quick map that takes a break from the techbase shenanigans in favour of some spooky crypts. I like the difference in aesthetics, and the smaller enemy count compensates for more deadly encounters, usually involving Cacodemons. The ending amidst the crates can be lethal to non-attentive players, though pushing through and killing the Shotgunners in the back to create some space seems to be the best option. The secrets aren't too badly thought out, besides the one with the Medkits, and the secret exit isn't insanely obscure. It's actually easier finding that exit than that dumb Supercharge secret in E2M2. What gives?

 

E2M9: Artifact Storage

Author: Hitboi

 

Starting with a carried-over inventory probably makes this secret map a non-issue, especially if you're as stingey with Rocket and Plasma usage as I am. I suppose that this is a case where Pistol-starting would've definitely given the map the difficult edge it needed, but hey. I try not to save mid-map, so that's my personal incentive to increase the difficulty. Anyway, about the map itself: I don't quite see how it has "secret-map" credentials. The body count's very low, for one thing. Maybe it's the vignette-structure, with completely different areas offering different challenges, but regardless, any half-decent player should get through with breaking a sweat. The abundance of Rocket ammo in particular makes the ending piss-easy. Both secrets are easy to find, not least since they're right next to each other. I guess the mapmakers wanted to give secret-hunters a break after all the obscurities of the past few levels. Good, but oddly placed.

[LadyMistDragon]

E2M3: Stock Exchange

by DFF

 

Der Fuhrer's Face tends to make maps that are, well, in your face! He sort of comes from the SuperCupcakeTactics school of mapping in that he combines highly-detailed environments with a certain bullet-hell lean in the combat. Will this be one of the detailed ones? Oh yes! At the very beginning in addition to the welcome desk, there is a fountain to the right and a painting sitting to our left! There's also a fountain near the end as well, but paintings of various sizes can be found in different hallways, such as the ones leading from the entrance, right into the San Francisco Airport, complete with a hub-like structure and baggage check stations! For some reason, ground digging for some precious red mineral seems to be going on nearby. Which doesn't make too much sense.

 

But in any case, this area proves to be a frantic scramble where we miss the chaingun and the small passage that allows us to get a berserk pack we don't otherwise find until we go back to look for more secrets toward the end. Ducking into an elevator, we are taken down to a rather blatant combat arena - a large and red-carpeted cross-shaped room with several boxes of rockets sitting about. Probably not enough though because soon as we press the switch here, we are surrounded! Although the Barons do seem like a spit in the eye to UV-maxers, in adherence to the principles of Linguica in the map "No Room." It's still nicely explosive though, it's just the main issue is that there isn't quite enough rockets to kill all the Cacos and Barons here. No matter, however, we'll return here later but we won't really have too many spare rockets then either! Though they're weakened enough almost all of them go down from some minor chaingunnage (not a word, but I'm feeling lazy).

 

Anyway, we'll have the yellow key at this point, so we return to the central arena, open a yellow door and enter into what's basically a teleporter to....a blue-carpeted room that turns quite deadly with sergeants in cubbies, a Baron in the middle, and more Cacodemons on the sides along with pinkies. Didn't get the berserk pack until almost everything was dead though. The blue key is at the end of a hallway here, sitting in a sector which causes a closet with Cacodemons to open up, along with a secret closet of rockets behind them.

 

But this is the most annoying part of the map. Because see, blue bars trap us in that we can't even open right away. Basically, we have to return to the central arena, open a blue-lined wall and hit a switch there to trigger one nasty ambush! So the consoles in the center lower, revealing a Baron and some other enemies, guarding a switch that finally allows us to exit. Though in addition to a secret in the above-mentioned mines that requires the blue key (and pits us against some cacos and pinkies) we have to go back to the cross-shaped arena from before and open a blue door in a nearby hallway, leading us to some lost souls with rockets that make their intended dispatching clear. From here, it's a run-down building, exiting into a cave, then after going back for secrets, encounter 1 last shotgunner in the shadows hiding before we reach the door into the next area.

 

I have no serious complaints here. Difficulty is finally where it should be, if not a bit higher than necessary, and the design is genuiely inspired and good! I still don't understand how this location fits into the narrative but is it among the best? Unquestionably.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Doomy__Doom]

E2M3 - Stock Exchange

 

Not stonks.jpg is the long and short of my Nightmareability assessment for this level. Too much stuff going on in space where you can neither utilize mobility, nor really hide, nor systematically and quickly kill everything on your way.

 

Other issues include the lift and backtracking, extremely delayed blue armor, would-be useful secrets making things worse (e.g. berserk unleashing pinkies into central room). Turbo pinkies from the RL arena can reach all the way to the lift back up, and the lift itself will feature enemies, potentially as bad as cacodemons if you don't kill them before Going Down got really difficult. You need some total nonsense like making the baron hit some pinkies and clog the stairs if you want any semblance of space to rocket the lift. And you'll eventually have to backtrack there... somehow... when 100% of pinkies are definitely alive...

 

I could probably list more, but really past yellow key nothing but pain awaits. I won't say "impossible" because speedrunners exist, but it's definitely the first level "not even remotely fair" can be applied to in its direct meaning. Just play it on a normal difficulty (or I guess -fast, considering Book Lord succeded in getting to the exit) and enjoy the sights instead.

[Celestin]

E2M3: Stock Exchange by DFF

Episode 2 has been somewhat of a letdown so far, but luckily, Stock Exchange breaks this unfortunate streak.

 

With its extensive texture usage, especially various circuit boards and displays, it's one of the best looking maps in the set so far. It's this kind of design that brings a real place to mind without sacrificing the combat potential. Speaking of which, Stock Exchange loves cramped fights, using pinkies to block your path. I got killed early on as I tried to escape forward, only to get overrun. The best part is the fight before the yellow key: a large, two-level arena with hordes of pinkies on the ground, barons and cacodemons serving as turrets and flying enemies to make this even more chaotic. If this was Doom 2, you'd likely have a super shotgun and could one-shot demons blocking your path, but here it's not that easy. Shotgun and chaingun are too slow and the rocket launcher is risky up close, so you have to improvise, weaving through the crowds in search of opening. Good, tense fight.

 

The blue key fight and an encounter right after in a circular room are similiar in nature, though on a far smaller scale. This is pretty much the end of the level, once the blue bars are unlocked, you can head for the exit. Or, search the room on your way for the blue key for a lowering wall. While the rewards were useless for someone who pistol-starts (as it's the tail end of the map), the view of the rocky cavern was the price itself.

 

Before starting this wad, I was worried if Doom 1's limited enemy roster would make the combat unfun, but Stock Exchange lessened those worries.

[RHhe82]

E2M2: Storage Complex. Played on DSDA v0.25.6, UV, PS. 184/184 K, 6/6 S, 65/66 I. Comp. time 25:30

 

This one I remembered having very much trouble finding all the secrets -- and because I didn't remember how to get 'em, I spent a lot of time finding the last two this time, namely the blur sphere at the start, and the soulsphere in the lava pit. Well hidden switch, right there, in plain sight!

 

Storage Complex is clearly a good level, and I usually dig the crate maze stuff well enough, but somehow frustration crept in at one point. I'm not sure why that is, since there isn't that much platforming, combat wasn't that hard (although I came close to dying a few times) and I knew some of the secrets weren't gonna be an easy find. But I guess it's the crate-maziness of it, after all, and I was admittedly bit let down to find there was nothing behind the red door except a wall with the yellow key on offer.

 

That said, I find it difficult to say negative things, because it's a quality map, and I *do* like it... just wish I liked it more, I guess? Or am I just being sour for the sake of not being so positive all the time? Umm. I promise to hate on certain other second map of an episode :P

 

*

 

E2M3: Stock Exchange. Played on DSDA v0.25.6, UV, PS. 240/240 K, 5/5 S, 172/172 I. Comp. time 28:17

 

This is where I stopped single-segmenting. Not because I couldn't have made it, but because I'm not feeling it... And yet this feels a bit like a difficulty spike. Not very sharp, but still. "Stock Exchange" as a title doesn't sound that inspiring, but it's still an intense experience, and once again fares perfectly fine without Doom 2 stuff. There are a lot of pinkies and spectres, but you're given a berserk (both of them are technically secrets, though) and plenty of rockets to deal with everything hurled at you.

 

I had two memories of playing this map before. One had to do with ammo scarcity. I think I must have struggled on my previous playthroughs, and I suspect that's due to not finding the secrets giving me the berserk and surplus ammo. (or surplus ammo provided by relying on berserk punches)m because this time that wasn't an issue. Just don't be wasteful.

 

The second one is clearly a false memory, but I was *sure* this was a Cannonball map. Nope, DFF. Maybe Return to Hadron E1 (which I must have played after Solar Struggle release?) has a similar setup as the circular room near the beginning, the sort of hub area? Or something?

 

Great stuff.

[cannonball]

E2M3 - “Stock Exchange” by DFF

 

I am kind of lukewarm towards this one. The start is quite nasty as you scramble for any kind of health whilst being attacked by a mix of zombies/imps/demons and cacos. However once this is clear the map becomes relatively straightforward (If you are light-footed). The biggest fight is for the rocket launcher, here you are in trouble until you can escape the pit where the rocket launcher is situated, from there it is easy work with the rocket launcher. The other big fights are also fairly straightforward to beat, the blue room probably being the best of the lot, though this was beaten on my first attempt. The big issue is that these fights struggle to hold that intensity and threat level from start to finish and as such the combat can become a little bit too grindy. 

Overall it is a nice change of pace from the moody thematics of the previous couple of maps, the visuals are top notch, the gameplay however doesn't quite manage to grapple the nuances of the limited bestiary. Despite the rather grouchy post, I still think this is he best effort so far in E2.

[TJG1289]

GZDoom/UV/Pistol-Start/Saves

E2M3: Stock Exchange - DFF

100% kills and secrets

Time: 21:14

 

Why does Ceres need a stock exchange? I thought we were just dealing with military bunkers and stuff here. I've been saying this a lot the last month and 10 days towards mappers, but DFF is one that I really look forward to seeing. I didn't play through all of Interception II with the club (I had played it before), but I made sure to play up to DFF's magnum opus of a map 11. It's probably my favorite huge level to have come out in the last few years. While big levels can get tiring and confusing, that map remained fun, interesting to explore, and detailed immaculately. Since that WAD, I've played a few other DFF maps, including his new one in What Lies Beneath, which is another top-tier visual feast. So how does he do with a smaller cast and UD's restrictions? Very well, I would say! We have another finely detailed and textured map filled with enemies. This map is fairly big, but not huge like I2 Map11. There's only 2 keys in the map, and only a few big fights, with a good chunk of incidental combat making up most of the map. I like the touch of having the door you presumably went through to enter this map at the beginning open up when you shoot the switch in the first room, revealing some imps. Pinkies also rush in, meaning you'll have to hope you have enough shells. The metal detectors will set off another ambush, just like E1M7, just in a more detailed environment, and with a chaingun. The main plaza area of the exchange will be the scene of the last big set-piece fight, but right now there's just some weaker stragglers. You can get a secret berserk in the hall that looks pointless, then take the other one down a lift. I like the touch here of being able to see a secret that we won't be able to get until the level is wrapping up. After some incidental encounters we get to the first big fight. Hitting the switch in this big dual-level room will lower a rocket launcher and teleport in a murderer's row of demons. Cacos and barons will be stuck on pillars as turrets in addition to monsters of all kinds roaming around. Ignore the turrets, they'll get crushed towards the end of the map. Rocket the rest, or punch the pinkies if they get too close. You'll find the yellow key by a blue door, so now we head that way. The blue key fight isn't too bad. Cubbies with shotgunners open up, cacos and imps swarm in, and a baron appears in the center. I got 2 cacos to kill the baron so I could focus on the hitscan and imps first. Make sure to grab another berserk secret, and look for a shootable switch on the side of a console. You'll find a small dark secret area with a small zombie/lost soul ambush, some health, ammo, and an invis. Just before grabbing the blue key, you can open up a secret passage, but you'll notice you'll need to lower the blue bars first. So let's do that. Back in the main plaza for the final fight. Another baron center-stage, with more barons and other riff-raff on the floor. Closets open, consoles lower providing ammo. Nothing the rocket launcher can't handle. Hit the switch at the top by the baron to lower the blue walls. Head back to that secret path to find a small pinky and caco ambush, plus a chainsaw, backpack, and the mega armor you saw going down the lift. Now we can clean up all the non-turret enemies in the RL room, then head down past this blue door into what looks like a run-down waiting area. Take out the few remaining enemies, then head through the exit door. It's not really the exit, as there's still a little walk to the actual one with a shotgunner waiting to ambush you, so make sure you take that one out before looking for any missing enemies.

 

Overall, another solid level from DFF. Pretty fun and not too challenging, nice detailing. 

[Alaxzandarz]

DSDA-doom, pistol-start, UV

 

e2m2:

Bigger map. Why is the crusher slow damage?? It could be fast and it would still be hazard, just not a fucking instakill. The progression feels confusing, don't know how, the map is pretty much linear. I love the hellish corruption, like the liquids on the ceilings and the scrolling spine on the one compscreen. The cacocloset that has water as floor, lava as ceiling and fireblu as walls is absolutely magnificient. I also like the viney areas. Grass is good. Crate rooms are generally boring, this map is not an exception. At least the crate rooms are short. I do like the crate climbing at the start. They could be interesting, atleast visually. Maybe adding grass and other greenery? The conveyor staircase is absolutely beautiful. The darkness and the red and blue that absolutely pop, just truly great. Why does the red key exist? the yellow key is super close to it and doesn't even have a real room, it's a closet.

 

The combat is whatever. Too much doorfighting. Boooring. Why is the berserk in a secret? It doesn't make the map any better, you are just going to shotgun more. Maybe it's one of the restrictions. Also map feels like E2M2 tribute, but whatever. Still pretty good.

 

e2m3:

Music is the defenition of whiplash from previous to this. Still really good and fits the map. Green marble and water is good combo and should be used more. It's funny how in this map the marble doesnt feel like hell corruption, but like some corporate designer choice. Hipster corruption. The most fabulous usage of tech textures I have seen in a while. Especially SPACEW3. Just super fucking nice. The karaoke place super cool. Especially the dancefloor.

 

Cool how the pinkies push you out of the starting area to find more ammo. I like how before this, maps have hold back with cacos and barons and this map has like a billion of both of them. Bigger fights in doom1 feel very similar to fights in heretic. There isnt really area denial, except shotties and the projectile patterns are very homogenic. And that leads to being able to just run in circles around pretty much all fights from the start. But fights here are pretty fun. I wish mappers gave me berserk before I have full rockets, so I could have a reason to use it. I thought the cacos and barons would be squished in the that one fight. They werent. Mayby they would be and I just didnt find the trigger. Good shit my favourite currently.

[DJVCardMaster]

E2M3 - Stock Exchange - DFF (99%K/100%I/80%S):

Ok, first of all, why is there a Gran Turismo song in a Doom map? Great song tho', but it made me feel like in a shopping center with the aesthetics of the first rooms and the music combined. The map was from start throwing things at you, never letting you without a monster encounter, and doing a really good job even with Doom I beastiary. This map is not only as long as E2M2, but it is the first map in Solar Struggle spicing things a little bit with encounters, most possibly because is one of the first maps that have the freedom to use barons and more monsters. The spicy encounters start at the T-shaped room with the Rocket Launcher, and then never stops comming. Fortunately, I've never died here, even though it was a hard map, but I think I was playing too cautiously. This is the map I had the most fun by far. Then when I finish the level, I notice it was made by DFF all along, and there I understood why it was like that. Viewing it that way, it kinda feels like one of DFF's bangers. Detail-wise may not be one of the strongest ones, but gameplay-wise, it never disappoints. The action of this map makes it place it a little bit higher on my taste list over yesterday's map.
 

Order of Preference:

Spoiler

E2M3

E2M2

E1M6

E1M4

E1M2
E1M3
E2M1
E1M8
E1M1
E1M5
E1M9

E1M7

 

Was this place supposed to be a car dealership or something? I was about to use my 18000 credits on a Mazda Miata.

[DFF]

Thanks again for all the reviews. One of my favorite parts of having maps present in the DWMC is being able to see how people both interact and feel about my maps, as well as being a way for me to give some additional mapping insight/retrospective, as far as i can remember at least.

 

The Story:

Spoiler

Going into the mapset with the restrictions of "stock exchange underground", I had already imagined what a subterranean rich-haven might look like on a desolate planet. The original concept was an inverted skyscraper sort of approach, which was for the most part what the final map was designed but with less locational space. Part of the story was "If rich stock brokers were wanting an exchange, what would be considered desireable?" This resulted in lots of carpet, finely textured wood, marble, and gold, and they would probably pay for the feeling of not being stuck in a bunker. When making the map i wasn't exactly sure how deep M3 would have been at this point and asked VB if i could cheat a little and incorporate some sky. I figured this could be located in a crater and the top level would have ceiling and some eye level outdoors. VB allowed the ceiling but nothing eye level. I kept the skylights in on the upper floors since it looked cool, and wasn't even an issue brought up in alpha/beta. Since i had some time away from the map and I'm able to look at the larger picture of E2 (especially seeing the intermission screen again), I would have changed this to some tech ceiling or crystal and removed the sky. If it helps not break the immersion, imagine that this map takes place partially exposed on the cliff of a deep ravine.

I always like my maps to have a 'semblance of place', its hard for me to see a ledge with monsters and not thing 'how did they get up there'. This map has many examples of that from the fake door to the starting room reception desk to the destroyed elevator going from the main floor to the exit. This also lent itself to some set piece ideas and visual gags. Because i couldn't have eye-level sky, i figured these would be the kind of people to pay for fake skylines and covered the entry terminal in faux windows (which are masking some unremarkable caverns and air control systems as seen in the blur secret). The blue armor secret was a fun idea that part of the stock exchange was originally founded on a lucrative mining site, where the red crystal maybe being a brokered commodity or something. I figured it could have been downscaled or forgotten for a time, but does feel a bit odd for a mine shaft next to a tech building.

Other visual items i tend to include are marines that died usually performing some sort of mission or task. The one in the blue armor secret using a chainsaw to mine some dubiously precious minerals, or the poor marine in the main stock exchange floor who while trying to escape, died next to the blue door having realized he had the key to the lounge instead. Little things I include to try and make the space more lived in, (at least pre invasion). Lastly I do very much appreciate map-to-map cohesiveness since I feel it helps sell the progression aspect. Wavy was nice enough to include a map-to-map ending for his map without me asking (very much appreciated), and I included one for the next map since I find it neat.

 

The design and combat:
 

Spoiler

I usually go into a map with some specific combat and design specifics in mind. For this map it was going to be larger rooms with lots of height variation, low and high tier pressure to make the RL feel special but also dangerous if not used at a distance, and turrets. I never noticed until recently that i have a fondness for monster turrets seeing as the last few maps i've made all have them. I like that they are fixed in place, and force the player to be mindful of their positioning, and reduces the effectiveness of demon corralling. The double edged sword with this is a lot of players don't like having to go out of their way to kill 'window dressing', but often feel the urge to kill all demons. This is respectable but often puts me in a situation of 'how do i discourage the player from wasting time and effort killing these monsters?'. In previous maps i usually just include replacements in teleporters so the message is eventually understood. but here that didn't make much sense. The monsters do eventually get teleported away and die so I figured some ammo starvation (at least for the threat) could be useful, and seems to have slightly worked for some. Originally the blue switch at the end filled the player up with rockets but that felt grindy and VB showed me a way to teleport them to a crusher with the current configuration. Looking back the mistake i made was having them teleport and crush after opening the blue door to the exit, and not earlier when the blue bar switch is pressed. I wanted the room to still be somewhat dangerous to return to but in hindsight this maybe led people to think they weren't killed and were forced to indulge in the grindy task of killing 6 or more barons and cacos with a shotgun to meet 100% kills.

The other issue i ran into was the blue armor secret. Much like how it was presented in the map, it was a secret i designed early on but didn't make an access for it until much later. The blue armor is rather pointless and would have been a great tool for the main room fight, but i had designed it to deposit the player down below, which defeated the point of the lockout. Maybe a bunch of med kits would have been better as an after fight pickup or something, but the design of the secret and the pathing dictated that i needed to lock it off until the blue bar sequence was dealt with.

Hopefully this doesn't sound self-indulgent or like excuses for some of the critiques of earlier posts. I enjoy talking about the process and there were some good talking points that the DWMC members brought up. I appreciate the feedback and praise and have been enjoying shadowing the club this month.

Edited May 11, 2023 by DFF

[Capellan]

E2M4

 

 

[finnks13]

E2M2 - Storage Complex by Wavy:

15:14/0 Deaths
Unfortunately, this one was doomed from the start it seems. While I quite like the crate-maze theme and E2M2 itself, I'm not sure why one of the requirements for this map (according to the development thread at least) was to include homages to the original - it's already a map called "Storage Complex" on the E2M2 slot, there was gonna be a little Containment Area anyway, why ruin the map by requiring it to host a bunch of pointless homages to the original that serve no purpose other than to ask the player "Hey, do you remember Containment Area??" Even the music is a remix of "The Demons from Adrian's Pen", and like a lot of remixes of IWAD tracks, it's just a worse version of the original that got on my nerves incredibly quickly.

 

The map looks nice, there's a lot of little details that I think work very well and I think the SIGIL cracks on the floor lend a spooky atmosphere to the level that I wish were leaned into more heavily. The gameplay is pretty lame, and honestly if you were going to reference E2M2 this much, could you not have also referenced the "immediately give the player a berserk" thing from the original too? I like punching things and that would have made some of the more dull areas much more entertaining. There's a few too many pointless enemies on crates for my liking, and while I did like the large cave with the catwalks near the end of the map, most of the map lacks the punch of this area. The slap in the face at the end of the map is the pointless backtracking section to the start that holds nothing other than another Containment Area reference. It's a shame really cause the map is not inherently bad at all and feels like a rework away from being a genuinely cool level, it just lacks an identity of it's own and that's something that really frustrates me when playing a level.

 

E2M3 - Stock Exchange by DFF:

20:22/1 Death
The episode thankfully does start to pick up a little here, as this map is pretty good. The combat here does feel more polished and set-piece heavy than most of what's come before and it's much more intersting to me for that reason. It's the first map in the wad to intro the Baron of Hell into the regular roster, and unfortunately, it's also the first map in the wad where Doom 1's roster limitations were really felt as some of the combat felt rather sloggy even when I started to skip finishing the clean-up at the end of fights when it was just a bunch of immobile barons. That being said, this was mostly a problem near the start of the map and I was so happy to get to use the rocket launcher this much that I didn't really mind it. I took my first death here, while trying to box a perched baron to death, and I felt like the map was pretty tight on health which might have been my fault for trying to berserk as much as possible in hindsight :P

 

I really like the MIDI, it's not the sort of thing you'd normally hear in a Doom map but I found myself humming along to it after a little bit and I really think it gives the map an exciting yet slightly seedy tone that I really enjoyed. The visuals are absolutely fantastic, there's tons of doomcute everywhere and I love it. It's a little weird how this stock exchange seems to house a club inside it but honestly the variety in scenery makes the rather long length of this map much more palatable. I did think the map started to drag a little at the end, but it managed to wrap up on a high before it started to really irritate me with a fun finale. I also like how there's quite a few elaborate secrets that have little fights, or let you explore the "employees only" areas of this place. Let's hope this continues!

[continuum.mid]

E2M3: Stock Exchange (DFF)

Woof 10.5.1 (Debian 12), Freedoom: Phase 1, Extreme Carnage, blind, continuous

Kills: 90%, Items: 80%, Secrets: 60%, Time: 21:54, Save Count: 1

 

I have never visited a stock exchange, but between the security gates, the colorful rugs, the ambush-ridden nature of the combat, and the action movie MIDI, it really feels like a heist of some kind. Having seen Doomcute bank heist maps in both Eternal Doom, Japanese Community Project, and Auger;Zenith, I am no longer able to view the concept as original. But every map I've played with that concept does something original with it, and that's what counts. Stock Exchange is perhaps not as much of a visual standout as the maps I alluded to - probably because it's limited to stock textures - but its long runtime is never boring, and it does a surprisingly good job of translating modern Doom 2 combat formulae to Ultimate Doom. Pain Barons and Trilocacos are placed as snipers, Serpentimps make up crowds, Hatchlings fly around to frustrate the player, and hitscan enemies make for some great corridor shootouts.

 

This map is a summary of everything I like about Solar Struggle, and it's about as modern as Ultimate Doom maps get, but there's still potential yet to be realized, that I hope to see realized in the remaining maps. I actually finished almost the entire map yesterday - with zero deaths by the way - but then stopped because I mistakenly thought there was a secret exit. I forget that the actual one is in E2M5.

Edited May 11, 2023 by continuum.mid

[Book Lord]

E2M4 – Air Filtration Plant by @Weird Sandwich

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

 

Air Filtration Plant was a darker and smaller installation with lots of working machinery, and a prevalence of claustrophobic combat. I assume the facility obtains air from water and that the layout aims at replicating the industrial process, which is something I always appreciate. From the visual standpoint, Weird Sandwich achieved a mix of TNT:Evilution and OG Doom in a totally indoor level, more in line with the project guidelines than the previous map.

Spoiler

Advancing through the plant was not too difficult, even though the available paths were mostly non-standard, through holes in the floor and cracks in the walls. The Former Human horde appearing near the water pump to protect the RK was hilarious, but not without threat with -fast enemies. I obviously used the carryover chaingun, or I would have surely died. I tried to get the Blue Armour secret to bring me back in shape, but I failed to see the ultra-thin ledge where I must jump. And this was supposed to be a non-blind playthrough!

 

After entering the red door, the big water cistern could be reached by following two different paths: the titular Air Filtration Plant with six large sieve columns, one of them broken and corrupted, and through the classic ventilation tunnels with Lost Souls, which was the most advantageous route that also gave access to a useful Soul Sphere. The BK ambush in the upper room was one of the most harrowing moments with those -fast Pinkies and Cacodemons, all popping up next to me and with ammo distribution suggesting the use of rockets (!). I dodged my way out of it and jump into the lower room, where the Cacodemons followed suit.

Spoiler

The four Barons in the dark room filled with dirty water were tricky, because once again the rocket launcher was the only option to quickly sort the situation, before being overwhelmed by too many slime balls flying in a room with low visibility. I must use the plasma rifle from E2M1 to eliminate the two Demons before they ate my nose, but I had no extra cells for the Barons, since nobody except Wavy bothered to place a couple of them for continuous players. While not the prettiest map out there with mostly brown and grey textures, and not a single thing placed for decorative purposes, Air Filtration Plant was nicely constructed and showcased neat realistic elements. A good map.

[Doomy__Doom]

E2M4 - Air Filtration Plant - Nightmare! 100% Secrets

 

Back to a much more playable degree of space to population ratio. Working with spaces separated from each other gives more breathing room and resources are mostly on time.

 

Realistically, there's exactly one hard part - the RK/path to the blue armor secret. You're armorless and have a ton of hitscan to deal with. It's not something anyone pays attention to in normal play, but zombies can deal up to 15 damage, which hurts a lot without armor. A horde of zombies is basically a discount chaingunner troop under these conditions, and having to spend time on a slow lift and thin ledge to reach the armor aren't helping.

 

Past that, assuming you can get out with >20 HP to account for some imp accidents while clearing path to the vent, you basically win. Lost souls by rocket launcher are harmless because doom physics make them stuck on rocket pickups, BK is solved by pre-firing a couple rockets towards escape. Then down the water pool, grab the secret plasma (or skip for speed).

 

At the quad baron fight, you can watch me epic fail a linedef skip because I didn't stuff myself into the corner correctly. Unlike E1M8, this one is easy to set up, but it's really unnecessary either way. I just wanted to try. Ultimately there's little reason to take damage from stationary barons as you essentially make a circle-y U-shape around them.

 

10 attempts, 3 deaths by pinky block at the chaingun, 4 by a thousand cuts during RK fight, 2 by getting pushed off the lift through the window.

sstrgle_e2m4_nm100s_4-13.zip

Edited May 11, 2023 by Doomy__Doom

[Helm]

falling out of cadence with the group, I played all the way to today but I don't have time to write in, I may have to sit the rest of this one out as work is piling up. It was real fun while it lasted, friends :) 

[LadyMistDragon]

E2M4: Air Filtration Plant

by @Weird Sandwich

 

It was expected that Weird Sandwich would take a more atmospheric direction with more compressed difficulty than the previous map and it....partially does that? The steady light levels of most areas didn't do much for the atmosphere and those walls, those damned white walls were practically everywhere. But combat is probably easier than anything than Storage Facility, despite the presence of some rather large ambushes toward the end, although it's possible to pick up the chaingun before the shotgun since the latter is sitting off to the side in the first square room with the vents running back and forth. Like what else would we use to gun down the zombiemen near the red key? There's only two keys btw, which doesn't mean that we'll have an easy time of it finding the secrets, but that's more due to the structure of the map constructed in such a way that there are a lot of easy-to-miss vents and other things that aren't quite staring us in the face(we thought the final secret had to accessed through an area we'd softlocked ourselves out of, or so we thought, on both counts). 

 

As we get further in, we start to see signs of delightful fireblue decay, though the pillar in the middle of the one room with the armor or the darkened RL room on the sideswhich springs a nasty Caco/Pinkie trap that asks for some restraint with our new toooy. At some point we get to lower the water level in the tank, leading us to.....a sewer section, with Barons in each corner of a caged square room firing at us and without enough rockets for a margin of error. Although the hidden plasma rifle would've helped a little, it's arguably not enough. At least the ending is suggestive of the next map....I guess (sewer count 89). The music was the best part

 

 

[DJVCardMaster]

E2M4 - Air Filtration Plant - Weird Sandwich (100%K/100%I/66%S):

A step back with this one, there is a good in-filtration vibe with this map, that the music helps to give, always getting inside tight spaces or air-vents, taking enemies from behind or just trying to steal some secret recipe from the hellspawn's claws. Weird Sandwich redeemed himself from his annoying piece of gimmickery Skulltiverse's MAP17 was, which made me suffer a lot with those sticky floors and cheap tricks. This one seems more mature, although simple in detail. It has some nice encounters here and there, but combat feels easier than the previous levels overall. There are some spicy moments like the blue key encounter, or the barons inside the cages near the end, fight in which I would strongly recommend TO SAVE ROCKETS UNTIL THE END. You will not have a chance without rockets, and in fact, I survived just because I found the soulsphere and the blue armor secrets. There is a plasma gun somewhere that could make this fight easy, I don't carry mine from E2M1, and I would have used it before, so I could not fight these guys properly. 
Again another claustrophobic map with a lot of atmosphere, but a lot simpler than E2M2, OK or mid tier level for me.
 

Order of Preference:

Spoiler

E2M3

E2M2

E1M6

E1M4

E1M2
E1M3
E2M1
E1M8
E1M1
E1M5

E2M4
E1M9

E1M7

 

 

 

[Celestin]

E2M4: Air Filtration Plant by Weird Sandwich

Spoiler

A map of two extremes. The first is a fun, chaingun-heavy shootout in an industrial complex that gives off TNT vibes. Ammo is a bit tight, but since half of the monsters here are zombiemen, you should have enough to deal with cacodemons once they start appearing. My favourite fight takes place once you pick up the red key and a ludicrious horde of zombies appears. The secrets are easy to find and grants you a supercharge, megaarmor and plasma rifle (though with no additional ammo). All of those helps a lot during the last challenge.

 

Most of E2M4 can be completed on autopilot - until I reached a large water tank, lowered the water and jumped down to tackle the final fight. I've completed the map on my third attempt, with both deaths taking place here. It's a small square room, with a tight cross-shaped walkway and corners blocked off by grates. Each of the corner contains a baron - lack of space makes using rockets safely a challenging task, a secret plasma rifle has enough ammo to take down maybe one of them and the rest of the guns is either too slow or lacks ammo. There are also pinkies in the cross, whose job is to block your path and catch a rocket aimed at barons. I think this is the first map of Solar Struggle where I miss an SSG.

 

Despite this, I still think Air Filtration Plant is a decent map.