The DWmegawad Club plays: Solar Struggle

[RHhe82]

E2M4: Air Filtration Plant. Played on DSDA v0.25.6, UV, PS. 111/111 K, 3/3 S, 6/6 I. Comp. time 13:07

 

There's something very classic about Air Filtration Plant -- it feels like a KDitD- or Evilution-level, but in a good sense -- it's tech-basey and semi-realistic, and aside from a few nasty ambushes (especially the one with pinkies and cacodemons) the encounters are classic in difficulty and form. Well, the red key is served with nanoslaughter of pistol zombies.

 

I enjoyed the map - I didn't have clear memories of playing it, only flashes as I came across them, especially the four baron banquet. At first the map looks it's going to be confusing and mazy, but what do you know, it's not, although it's possibly I just happened to wander in the correct direction after snatching the blue key.

[Ralgor]

E2M4 - "Air Filtration Plant" by WeirdSandwich
MIDI: "Clandestine" by Psyrus
dsda-doom v0.25.6 cl3, UV, Pistol start, blind run
100% kills and secrets
Deaths: 0
Time: 17:48

This level is a water-based air filtration plant. Your first job is to grab the red key near the main water pumps. This releases a large group of hitscanners that is not hard to take care of with the provided chaingun. Unfortunately, this is one of the two actual large fights in this map. The rest is mostly light incidental combat. Once you have the red key the level opens up a bit and the rest is pretty non-linear. You can go by the air intakes, or through some air vents. After getting the blue key, you can reduce the water level in the main tank and escape through some muddy tunnels.

 

Spoiler

The main pumps

The hardest fight in the map is right at the end. You're stuck in some narrow ditches with four barons of hell around you. You can lower the pylon in your way, but there are some pinkies there that will try to chew on you. If you have the plasma rifle you can take one of the near barons down pretty quickly which gives you some breathing room. The rest requires a bit of luck it seems. I did come down here with nearly 200 health and armor, but left with around 100 of each. You get the megaarmor and soulsphere in secrets, so the secrets make this last fight a lot easier.

 

Spoiler

A broken down tech room?

This map is very interconnected. It's not just that you can choose which path to the blue key you want to take, but you also open up shortcuts as you move along. The main water pipes that run through the map are pretty well done. I didn't really like the ducts though, they were boring, and since the soulsphere is in there you really should go that way. Picking off one lost soul at a time with the chaingun isn't exciting. I am glad that there is a way to get back out of the water tank once you've dropped down there. I needed that to take screenshots. Unfortunately, the map just wasn't very exciting as a whole, with the exception of that last fight. The layout is well designed and it looks good though.

 

Spoiler

Water falls from the pipes at a higher level to a lower level

 

[cannonball]

E2M4 - “Air Filtration Plant” by WeirdSandwich

 

Mixed feelings about this one, there are some cool elements such as the water draining to reveal the exit, the blue key fight is probably most well calibrated fight so far. However there are some real annoying sections, the air duct section is probably a little too dark and the final area is more annoying than anything else. The visual are generally basic, but there are some interesting structures buried within this facility. Overall this is an okay map.

[TJG1289]

GZDoom/UV/Pistol-Start/Saves

E2M4: Air Filtration Plant - WeirdSandwich

100% kills and secrets

Time: 11:18

 

The weirdest of sandwiches makes their second WAD appearance in a row with the club. This map is a simply detailed water-based air filtration plant. There's a lot of height variation in this map, which makes the map look a lot more confusing than it is. There's only one real path throughout, but there's a few optional paths that just lead back to previous areas or that house secrets. My favorite part of the map happens early when you grab the red key and a ton of zombies appear behind some walls. Mowing them down with the chaingun will never not be fun. I also like the way you get the mega armor secret from here. The blue key fight is one of the most dangerous fights in the WAD so far. You're given rockets, so you're expecting to use those, but the ambush is cacos and pinkies in close quarters. It's hard to not face rocket here, so try to chaingun your way out to escape, and rocket the cacos as they attempt to give chase. You can find that secret soul sphere by opening up a lift area that will take you to some dark air ducts, then look for a different wall texture. The blue key allows us to drain the water in the basin right outside the pump room, allowing access to a secret plasma in another duct and the final fight. Chaingun the pinkies before hitting the switch in the center of this room so you can grab goodies and escape without having to worry about them eating you. Escape from what exactly? Escape from being in the direct center of 4 barons. When you escape to the outskirts you can take them on one-by-one in relative safety, but you'll have to use all your rockets and cells, then finish with the shotgun. Not too bad of a fight, but can still be dangerous. Mop them up, then we can leave. Overall, this map isn't too bad. Some traps are kinda nasty, and the blue key one doesn't seem too fair if luck isn't on your side. Layout is ok, visuals have some cool accents, but is mostly fine. Mostly just an ok map. 

[Capellan]

E2M5

 

 

 

And miraculously, also E2M9:

 

 

[finnks13]

E2M4 - Air Filtration Plant by Weird Sandwich:

8:28/0 Deaths
A bit of a lower-key entry after the previous entry, Air Filtration Plant is one of those maps that is necessary and appreciated in these sorts of projects - something pretty solid that's short and keeps the pace up, at the cost of being a little bit boring. There's some oddities to talk about here, such as the map throwing 80% of it's monsters at you in the first minute and then plodding for another five minutes to the end. But the main weird thing about this map is that pretty much every single monster you fight in this map is placed as part of a single-monster-type grouping, you have groups of zombiemen, groups of imps, even a small group of barons at the end, but never a group of imps & zombies (you do fight different monsters at the same time, they're just never placed like that). Is this meant to be a joke about this being a Filtration Plant or am I reading into this way too much? (Probably that.....)

 

It's visually pretty low-key, but I honestly think after the last map's ridiculous level of detail, a more IWAD-style map was appreciated for me just for variety's sake. There's a couple of pretty cool fights here, the blue key fight in particular being a fiendish encounter that requires swift reactions, mostly to realise that the rocket launcher you've just been given is probably not the best tool to deal with cacos & pinkies in an absolutely tiny room! I also liked the finale, since you won't have enough rockets to deal with all of the barons immediately, you have to rush to kill a couple of them granting a safe space to whittle the others down which I think is actually a pretty good use of the baron's high health pool. Overall, this is a solid enough map that made me go slightly mad with trying to notice patterns so good job :P

[continuum.mid]

I'm gonna stick to Doom language from now on for the sake of comprehension, even though I'm technically playing Freedoom: Phase 1.

 

E2M4: Air Filtration Plant (Weird Sandwich)

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

Kills: 95%, Items: 83%, Secrets: 33%, Time: 10:38, Save Count: 5

 

I'm conflicted on this map. Though I see others describing this map as "IWAD-style", it'd feel more out of place in Ultimate Doom or Freedoom: Phase 1 than it does in Solar Struggle, because it still feels like Weird Sandwich had an idea of what each area represented, and it's visually homogeneous in its use of gray wall, iron, and water. Nonetheless, it does scale back the detail of the previous maps. While I suppose it makes sense to have ventilation ducts in a ventilation plant, I still despise cramped maze areas, and simple as they are, Air Filtration Plant's are no different. Thankfully they're mostly filled with easily manageable Lost Souls.

 

Indeed, most of this map's incidental combat is non-threatening, but Weird Sandwich can put together some mean setpieces. The red key fight was more dramatic than hard - picking up the key reveals more Zombieman than I could count, but since they're all zombiemen, they die quickly without dealing much damage and then replenish all the chaingun ammo they took. The second hardest battle was around the blue key, where a switch lowers several walls to reveal a flurry of Cacodemons alongside Pinkies that will pin you if you don't move quickly. I died both to getting pinned and to face rockets. The hardest was the finale - a cramped cross-shaped area with Pinkies blocking the way, where approaching the switch in the middle reveals four barons, two of which need switches to be pressed in order to get near them. After several attempts died to either face rockets or just taking too many Baron fireballs, I noticed that my ammo depleted quickly against the Barons even if I picked up all of the rockets in the area, so I decided it was best to just run past all of them, hitting the switches along the way. The exit came right after.

 

Slaughter-lite maps like those prevalent in last month's WAD make me feel like a good Doom player. Maps like these, which everyone else seems to find easy yet I keep dying in, remind me that I'm still not very good at Doom. Still, I think this map fits perfectly into the map order and I enjoyed exploring it as much as the others.

Edited May 12, 2023 by continuum.mid

[Book Lord]

E2M5 – Abandoned Tunnels by @ViolentBeetle

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

 

The project leader originally meant to make only this very small level, which he grabbed as the slots were quickly claimed by other people. Even though it consisted of only two zones with small encounters, it was a gem of classic Doom corridor shooting in cramped spaces. I enjoyed myself a lot with the close-quarters action, the spooky visuals, and the satisfying secrets. I always like to find the secret exit in a natural way, as I did on my first playthrough.

Spoiler

 

 

 

The first area contained damaging slime patches and presented good resistance for the pistol starter, who must take the chaingun and go on a killing spree to conquer the northern riverbank, where more ammo was available. The descent in the pit under the sight of -fast Imps and other snipers was taxing for my health, just like the trap in the corridor behind the blue door. I barely survived with the given health pickups, and I remembered the Berserk Pack secret a bit too late. I liked that ViolentBeetle placed so many rockets in the narrow crate warehouse, since they were unsuitable for the circumstances. Remembering the last teleport ambush by the RK, I prepared the plasma rifle I found in a secret, and it was the best solution for the in-your-face turbo Demons. Not an ambitious map due to the restrained size, Abandoned Tunnels was perfectly fit for the scope.

 

E2M9 – Artifact Storage by @Hitboi

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

 

Hitboi joined the Solar Struggle team with this small and unpretentious secret level, featuring easy-going and generally fun combat in a corrupted tech-base. The starting area was a bit baffling with enemies facing away from the player, a readily available backpack, shotgun, and rocket launcher, then a Baron appeared and started pounding a group of wrongly facing Lost Souls. If everything seemed totally bonkers, wait to press a hidden skull switch on a computer terminal to reveal… four shells.

Spoiler

I went to the east hoping to find some artifacts to steal, and I encountered more Shotgun Guys, two stealthy Cacodemons, and a pitch-black flooded room. The exit teleporter from The Plutonia Experiment sent me to a nearby place, to fight new enemies and to be ambushed by a Lost Soul behind my back, happily teleporting between the new area and the former. I picked up a YK I was not looking for, along with a plasma rifle that came in handy for the appearing Cacos. I emerged in the starting room to find new opposition and a portal to the second part of the level, which was a cavern filled with monsters waiting for my rockets.

Spoiler

The worst aspect consisted in the “stored” and largely unreachable artifacts, including the out-of-place BFG in the exit room. I expect to gain something special in a secret level. The RC version allowed to grab it by bumping at the pedestal, but it had been fixed to comply with ViolentBeetle’s equipment specifications. Artifact Storage chipped away at my health and armour with the -fast hitscanners, and it gave nothing in return, not even a Soul Sphere or a Combat Armour. For this reason, I found its overall weirdness less amusing than I should have, and I concluded it was not really worth visiting.

Edited May 12, 2023 by Book Lord

[Weird Sandwich]

Hey, thanks for playing my map everyone. Comments on Air Filtration Plant here:

 

Spoiler

Honestly, I had a huge case of mapper's block trying to make this one. I struggled to get a good blend of combat and layout, which is why monster placement and difficulty is kind of uneven. I also would've liked to have made progression a bit more open ended. I do still like how some of the setpiece fights turned out though. One thing I've learned from this MWC is that I should probably be less stingy with ammo placements going forward. I usually like to place just enough (or close to) to kill everything, but I can see how that can harm the player's experience.

 

Stuck probably a little too closely to the original project request of making it look like an IWAD map and not overdetailing it, so it's pretty bare in the looks department. My goal was to get across the idea of it being an air filtration plant using big, low detail pieces of geometry (e.g the water pumps, air filter columns) instead of doomcute, and that aspect seems to have worked as most players have pretty much figured out the process. Also, with a map name like that you just have to include some vent crawling, though I tried to keep that part short.

 

In the end, while I don't think it's a bad map, to me it's the weakest one I've made for a ViolentBeetle project.

 

[KickAss]

Tbo I skip this month completely because this megawad is for Ultimate DooM and I am playing DooM ][ megawads only atm. Looking forward for next month for a better game. I hope I'll be back than.

[ViolentBeetle]

I think E2M5 was one of the first maps made for the project (Logical, because I pretty much has a plan for most possible map names I came up with) before other contributors upped the ambition. Compared to stuff like E2M3 it looks kinda meh. But then again, I always make small maps.

[Celestin]

E2M5: Abandoned Tunnels by ViolentBeetle

Spoiler

Cramped, tight on resources and hard-hitting - I like this.

 

Abandoned Tunnels is a short mixture of caves, bricks and brown slime. Not the prettiest place on its own, but I can see a lot of work went into detailing. In the end, I'm okay with its aesthetic. The difficulty again comes from the lack of space. The blue key fight, for instance, drops the player into a pool of damaging liquid with a row of imps on a balcony and cacodemons flying toward you. The rocket launcher trap squeezes you betweet cacodemons, lost souls, shotgunners and a baron in a corridor with not enough distance for rockets (at least initially). A secret plasma rifle, located on a ledge behind the blue key, would have dismantled this encounter, but I forgot I've found it, so this one is on me. The last fight for the red key is much easier if you decide to run away and kill the monsters through the windows. 

 

The secret exit fairly simple, just climb some crates and head for the vent. 

 

I like this one, but I think it needs a bit different midi. Something more ambient and atmospheric, not unlike E1M8.

 

E2M9: Artifact Storage by Hitboi

Spoiler

I have trouble remembering this map and I'm typing this right after I completed it, so it's not a good sign. I guess the unreachable weapons and marble gargoyles are the titular artifacts? 

 

The kill count is rather low and the map compensate by being stingy with health pickups, especially at the start. However, a secret berserk pack is easy to find and helps replenishing your health and most of the traps here can be easily overcome by running back and firing rockets, the map gives plenty of those. E2M6 is the first map of the wad with a non-secret plasma rifle, located right next to the yellow key. I'd save it for the final fight with four cacodemons in a tight room, though you can just run back where you came from and wait for them to fly to you.

 

Artifact Storage is the most forgettable map in the set so far, with little to justify its secret slot. But my biggest issue is wasting the potential that comes with its name. There is a lot to be done with a concept of a warehouse storing demonic items or remnants of a past civilisation, both in terms of visuals and gameplay.

Edited May 12, 2023 by Celestin

[DJVCardMaster]

E2M5 - Abandoned Tunnels - ViolentBeetle (100%K/0%I/25%S):

Seems like ViolentBeetle really likes his maps being short, at least for Solar Struggle, in similar vein to E1M8, we have yet another short map with cramped rooms and a somewhat survival horror feeling. This time, the map has a little bit more action, and I enjoyed that. It feels like one of those Alien Vendetta maps at the middle of the megawad, you know, bricks, nukage, caverns... do you remember Toxic Touch? Well, feels like a section of it taken to make this level, with nice attention to detail. Combat feels good all along the level, although there are no "high" points in spiciness. Just a straight-forward level. I like the way you reach the secret level. Sadly, I could not find any more secrets.
I won't complain about its duration tho', I think it is ok for the map to be shorter just because of M2 and M3. I still need a relief.

E2M9 - Artifact Storage - Hitboi (100%K/100%I/50%S):

This map was silly, and I think the music helped it being that, as a secret map, it does not have much to offer apart from the secret BFG and the rocket launchers that I don't think you can get, the "storage of artifacts" idea was well implemented, I think. I would have placed them behind glass or something. The map is short and combat is there, there are two sections, and that's it. Texture usage here is also one thing I did not like that much. Still, is one of Hitboi's first maps, and it is an acceptable entry, specially if we are talking about a secret level. 
 

Order of Preference:
 

Spoiler

 

E2M3

E2M2

E1M6

E1M4

E1M2
E1M3
E2M5
E2M1
E1M8
E1M1
E1M5

E2M4
E1M9

E2M9

E1M7

 

 

[RHhe82]

E2M5: Abandoned Tunnels. Played on DSDA v0.25.6, UV, PS. 85/85 K, 4/4 S, 0/0 I. Comp. time 7:50

 

This one I remember well from early stages of development; a nice, compact map by the project lead. Knowing roughly the secrets (although their precise implementation has lived a little) makes the map easier: early on you get to save ammo (I remember ammo starvation all too well), and later on you get much needed medikit - it's not a difficult map, but I don't find it that forgiving either.

 

There's something very pleasing (aside from the soundtrack) in this map; I love how the entrance to secret level is basically in plain sight, in the middle of everything, yet you might not notice it, it fits there so naturally. Abandoned Tunnels doesn't need to stretch, it's short and sweet, and it looks good. A great map. Like the music, too.

 

*

 

E2M9: Artefact Storage. Played on DSDA v0.25.6, UV, PS. 86/86 K, 2/2 S, 1/1 I. Comp. time 8:10

 

Truth to be told, Artefact (or was it Artifact?) Storage feels a bit like a speedmap. The fortress (?) area is square-y, and the cavern area underdeveloped. That said, Artefact Storage is perfectly fine map, and some of the visuals (plutonia exit teleporter lookalikes glowing in the dark) look cool. I relied needlessly on the secret berserk, the map equips you well enough for whatever awaits you. In the end map succeeds in being an enjoyable experience. Funnily enough, I didn't realize until the very end that there indeed were artifacts store around the map -- chainsaw, rocket launcher and a BFG none of which you could grab (although the map gives you a rocket launcher elsewhere).

 

One thing bothered me a bit -- the better hidden secret gives you, I believe, 4 shells. Felt kind of pointless when the other, easier to find, gave you berserk pack, much more useful secret.

[Book Lord]

7 hours ago, Weird Sandwich said:

Stuck probably a little too closely to the original project request of making it look like an IWAD map and not overdetailing it, so it's pretty bare in the looks department.

 

2 hours ago, ViolentBeetle said:

I think E2M5 was one of the first maps made for the project (Logical, because I pretty much has a plan for most possible map names I came up with) before other contributors upped the ambition. Compared to stuff like E2M3 it looks kinda meh. But then again, I always make small maps.

I think the project turned out very well and surpassed the expectations not only for the overall quality, but also for the global cohesion and combat vision shared by different mappers.

 

Still, there are some entries that detach themselves from the rest, despite being great maps on their own. As much as I think it is right to criticize old sets like the Community Chests for the sprawling size of their maps, it is also a fact that there were no clear boundaries given at the time. In Solar Struggle, the premises were clearly stated in the development thread:

Quote

I want this wad to look like a homage to original Doom, so while making it look good is desirable, try not to overdetail it. Also try to make the looks evocative.

(...)

I don't want a magnum-opus map that take forever to finish, so you are recommended to make a map that fits in a square somewhere between 2048 and 4096 units. Not a strict requirement, but if you go way overboard, I might ask you to trim it.

I am convinced that adherence to the guidelines helps bringing a map set together, elevating the work of everyone. The size limit you mentioned was a bit too restrained, and most contributions exceed the indicated unit square, without feeling too large or out of place. Some levels are twice as big though, and the completion time tends to skyrocket in E3-E4. E1 and E3 managed to be quite consistent in difficulty, visuals, and duration of the maps; E2 and E4 have a couple of excesses that were not trimmed, because it is horrible to tell a mapper to discard or mutilate their work. Sometimes it should be done though, and the best mindset from a contributor is to restrain themselves for the greater good, so that nobody actually has to tell them they went overboard. To say it bluntly, nobody wants to kill artistic expression, but if you want to express yourself in total freedom, a community effort is not the best way to do it.

 

Past community projects used to be more selective, and still they did not end up as cohesive works. We played Doom the Way id Did with the DWMC last year, but they did not fully succeed at bringing back the feel or design of the OG Doom, despite the comprehensive discussion that took place on the forums and tons of contributions, leading to full megaWADs made of rejects. Leading projects is not an easy task, and I am often surprised by how many of them are going on at the same time, and how many reach release status so quickly. You did a great work at bringing this one together, there's a lot of different people involved with a wide array of skills, ideas and priorities. The fixed map names leading the design were a good idea, as much as the strict enemy/power-up/weapon allowance which felt very retro (typical of 90's community projects like Memento Mori and Requiem) and I liked it because it gives proper consideration to atmosphere and continuous play. For the same reasons, other people might enjoy them less, but there's plenty of standardised WADs around.

Edited May 12, 2023 by Book Lord

[LadyMistDragon]

E2M5: Underground Tunnels 

by ViolentBeetle

 

It was interesting to see ViolentBeetle, who made all the little gimmick maps and episode closers in Skulltiverse, take what seems like a random and anonymous slot that had undoubtedly dictated when the name was originally picked. But the detailing is up to par and not unlike Map 16 from that wad, there are some nicely calibrated ambushes. Plus, the stewboy midi "Ghosts in the Wall" is just excellent, not unsettling at all but at the same time, still a great complement to the mood.

 

That mood would be a layout that despite twisting around quite a bit, is ultimately a simple one to parse out, which can only be a good thing as despite containing less than 90 enemies, combat is incredibly claustrophobic and from the moment the chaingun is acquired near the start, it's expected that enemy density will be quite high. In particular, sergeants tend to be in places where they can't be dispatched immediately because of the opposition elsewhere.

 

The blue key door hallway with spots of flesh on the floor and a rocket launcher in the center, only underscores this tone. Pick it up and an ambush consisting of Barons and Lost Souls in the front, Cacos on the right side and Cacos and sergeants behind us! I don't think rocketing this last group is a good solution. 

 

But in any case, we are well-supplied ultimately, which is the only-saving grace. As we approach a storage cave, in addition to an initial Imp assault, there's seemingly a shotgunner behind every crate and a seemingly unending parade of Cacodemons that we're obviously intended to rocket but were largely too lazy to bother dodging.

 

The secret exit was easy to locate, just in case the random vent wasn't enough of a clue, there are red bars blocking it! We also found 2 other secrets, cleverly hidden but can likely be spotted by those looking out for them. We only found 3 out of 4 however, but as can possibly be discerned, weren't really in the mood to go traipsing the whole map to find the remainder. Oh well, at least the exit cave, then the disturbingly large pile of corpses in the tiny marble room where we actually leave, hints at the next map and actually makes for some good environmental storytelling. Ultimately, it's probably the second-best map here. Although how much of that is due to the lack of quality of the other maps? Hmmm, don't want to think about it right now. I actually liked Storage Facility for the most part however.

 

E2M9 - Artifact Storage

by Mohammed "Hitboi" Firas

 

This map was panned in at least one early review I read of this....but I think somewhat unfairly. See, Hitboi may have rather limited talent for detailing which might be in part why the last section is hellish weirdness, but he's actually not entirely ineffective at setting a mood, if the large red symbols covering the sides in one of the opening rooms are any indication. And honestly it makes sense "artifacts" would be set into closed-off spaces, even if we must question why a rocket launcher would somehow count. Although that's not really needed, as we'll soon see. Honestly, I think Hitboi did a decent job, the combat's just a touch colorless.

 

Although I'm certainly not against the idea of a power fantasy in principle, it was really strange to see all the initial groups of enemies facing away, probably so that we have the freedom to go in multiple directions. Which is fine. The 2 secrets are easy to find, with the last one seemingly opened by a random computer panel near a set of candles in the other rooms. The Berserk is nice though because who wants to waste their rockets on pinkies if they don't have to.

 

Because the combat does become considerably more beefy as we get further underground for one. There's at least 2 Barons and 4 Cacos that attack at some point but we were easily cornered and pushed back so it's hard to say just how accurate that is. Unloading with rockets on zigzagging pinkies still seems unwise though. Unfortunately, we were missing 2 monsters by the time we reached the exit and it turns out that a) 1 was a stray Caco that had wandered off for a bit and b)2 was an Imp that had wandered away from the side window in question and didn't seem eager to attack.

 

If there's any disappointment here, it's perhaps the minimalist visual storytelling not quite being met by the action when expected at least. The random Plutonia portal in the dark room would seem to indicate something like a Caco ambush but the Imps greeting us, not to mention the small pinkie ambush that also follow, are a little mild for that, despite causing a slight jump, probably.

 

 

 

 

[Ralgor]

E2M5 - "Abandoned Tunnels" by ViolentBeetle
MIDI: "Ghosts in the Walls" by stewboy
dsda-doom v0.25.6 cl3, UV, Pistol start, blind run
100% kills and secrets
Deaths: 0
Time: 8:51

It turns out that Ceres doesn't actually have very many abandoned tunnels, if this map is anything to go by. It's small and cramped in here, with the few open spaces flooded with toxic waste. Hell flesh is growing into the area too. Once you come down the stairs at the beginning, you will immediately find a chaingun and some ammo. And plenty of monsters to use it on right then. Be nimble because this map doesn't have a ton of health packs around. You very quickly gain the blue key after dropping down into a vat of toxic sludge.

 

Spoiler

Behold! The biggest room in the area. With a river of slime down the middle.

Moving on, you have to fight a baron and some cacodemons with a rocket launcher. Don't bother saving rockets, since the rest of the level is really too cramped to use it much going forward. Be very careful once you get around the storage area. The hitscanners and cacos will have fun flanking you and doing damage that you will have a hard time recovering from. Luckily, once you clear this out, you're done with the level. The secret exit does require you to do some easy platforming, but for some reason I kept failing at it. This whole section with the cramped quarters and platforming was a little frustrating.

 

Spoiler

The main hallway. This is where you get the rocket launcher and use it to kill a baron and some other stuff.

This level is pretty linear, with one specific path through it. I didn't find any of the secrets on my first pass through, but once I started looking for them specifically I found all of them in short order. This level is somewhat difficult, but almost entirely due to the cramped spaces and lack of health. I only barely enjoyed this one, but it was over so fast it's hard to really tell. I do like how it looks though. I suspect if this was part of a larger level, what little problems I have with this one would have faded and I wouldn't even mention them.

 

Spoiler

This cramped crate area is too small for rockets, and the monsters can flank you if you're not careful.

 

Edited May 12, 2023 by Ralgor
Removed unintentional sarcasm.

[Alaxzandarz]

DSDA-doom, pistol-start, UV

 

e2m4

Detailing in this map is a lot less interesting than in the previous maps. I wish the map leaned even more into the brutalistic concrete textures, as the map has some cool visuals done with it, like the long curved concrete stairway. The flow at the start is really good. Pretty basic map, not that much to say.

 

e2m5

I like the undergroud ruins theme, but does feel like a weird outlier. The map has some really good detailing, especially with the brick textures. I like the crammed nature of the map. The fights, especially the last one are pretty hectic and fun and they utilize the crammedness pretty well. The secret exit feels nice to find. Nice map

 

e2m9

I really really dont like the music in this map. The detailing is pretty basic and the combat is fine. Somehow this map just really annoys me, I feel really nothing else towards it. It's not bad but I didn't enjoy it.

[Catpho]

I don't see myself doing dwmc-pace dooming for the next week (not a surprise at this point, heh), so here's all the playthroughs I recorded for E1 so far.

e1m3

e1m9 (part 2)

e1m4

e1m5

Edited May 12, 2023 by Catpho

[cannonball]

E2M5 - “Abandoned Tunnels” by ViolentBeetle

 

Short and rather humble. There isn't a lot to say about this one. The map is neatly detailed and passes quickly. The initial drop down into the slime (That rewards you with the blue key) is probably the highlight as this posses genuine danger, given the lack of safe space. The red key despite some changes is a little bit on the grindy side because of the obvious method of dealing with this. Strangely having plasma instead of rockets as the primary weapon may have offered more flexibility, but this section is fairly brief and the level ends. The secret exit is pretty easy to find and is obtainable after killing all but the monster in the exit room.

Overall this is okay, generally inoffensive with a couple of neat flourishes.

 

E2M9 - “Artifact Storage” by Hitboi

 

Another short map that unfortunately creeps into the mediocre category. This is probably one of the easiest maps in the set (If you know where the traps are), it does kind of fits the profile given at the start of the project, but I do wish that this could have a bit more meat to it, either from making the map more complex of offering

some heavier combat scenarios. In the end this one felt a little dull. 

[continuum.mid]

E2M5: Abandoned Tunnels (ViolentBeetle)

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

Kills: 97%, Items: 0%, Secrets: 25%, Time: 7:11, Save Count: 5

 

This one was surprisingly brief compared to the last three maps, but that's actually quite refreshing. It's simple and to-the-point, a series of close-quarters fights that are a challenge on first encounter but become easy with planning. The scenery is simplistic, and given that this map was made early on in the project, I think that's because ViolentBeetle was following his own desire to keep the project stripped-back and IWAD-style, but it still has some good atmosphere, feeling like the ruins of a lost civilization. After the opening fight, where the only challenge is the darkness, you'll have to drop down into a room with a cross-shaped platform containing a light armor and some clips. I actually died to the shotgunners here, but as long as you eliminate them first, this is a cakewalk. The best fight is also in the best-looking room of the map - a hallway where picking up a rocket launcher in some rubble will reveal a Baron guarded by two Pinkies, with Cacos approaching from behind. My best strategy was to eliminate the Baron first, then use the back of the hall as a vantage point from which to kill the remaining enemies and dodge their attacks.

 

The map loses momentum from there on, the hallway just leads to a cave and then a storage area, both of which are full of seemingly arbitrarily placed fodder and more Cacodemons than I'd like. After grabbing the red key, I got to the exit in only two saves and six minutes, only to realize too late that I forgot the secret exit. So I had to replay the second half of the map to get back to that point, and it turns out that some clever crate platforming was all that I needed.

 

Abandoned Tunnels is definitely a break map, but it's a well-done break map - never overwhelming or even surprising, but still very fun!

[Ralgor]

E2M9 - "Artifact Storage" by Hitboi
MIDI: "Beatdown" by Joshua "Dragonfly" O'Sullivan (from Overcome album)
dsda-doom v0.25.6 cl3, UV, Pistol start, blind run
100% kills and secrets
Deaths: 0
Time: 8:23

 

Spoiler

A chainsaw and rocket launcher on display

"Artifact Storage" really seems to be some sort of armory. Many Doom weapons are scattered about on platforms, protected by various objects. There's even a BFG here, but none of these weapons are actually reachable. The combat is purely incidental in nature, and none of it is very difficult. There were a few times where I expected some ambush, but there was nothing. The fight after picking up the plasma rifle is the only one that was at all memorable.

 

Spoiler

Hell flesh is growing under the tiles...

This short map seems to be created by someone with not a lot of experience making Doom maps. This really shows in the haphazard way the level is put together. Some areas of the map are lacking detail. Both the secrets and the combat were pretty easy, although for some reason I kept expecting something more. It's not all bad though, since this map gives you plenty of room and ammo to rocket just about everything less squishy than a shotgunner. And despite my criticisms, it's not actually a bad map. It just doesn't compare favorably with the rest of the wad. I'm not sure you would want to bother visiting this map if you're playing continuous.

 

Spoiler

The BFG is the only real "artifact" in this level, though I wonder whose skull is on that pedestal...

 

[Doomy__Doom]

E2M5 - Abandoned Tunnels

 

This one joins E2M3 in the "nope" category. Too cramped, cacos will inevitably just clog the way forward to key/plasma secret and the shooting gallery will respawn and finish you off. If they somehow don't, starting area respawns or enemies just behind the door will. Perfectly fine on standard difficulties.

 

E2M9 - Artifact Storage

 

I'm lazy to demo, but it's not hard. Rocket the pinky. Rocket shotgunners. Rocket cacos. Rocket more hitscan. Rocket more cacos. Rocket/plasma imps/barons. Rocket 3 more pinkies. Rocket zombie horde. Rocket cacos. Exit.

It's a bit reminiscent of E2M1 problem of lacking armor early on, if only because the detour to the weird secrets area (one shell pickup???) is completely optional. Getting past the YD teleporter may get unpleasant with point blank hitscan respawns if you dawdle too much.

[Celestin]

E2M6: Transport Nexus by Jark

Spoiler

Another mapper whose work I'm not familiar with. Transport Nexus revolves around a train tunnel, which is a main axis of sort for the map - most rooms branch off of it. The first one to visit would likely be a basement of a nearby train station, overgrown by fleshy corruption. The lift that lowers here can get crowded if you don't run out, but surviving this encounter rewards you with a plasma rifle. It is invaluable, as the map really love barons.

 

The next step is the room labelled "Fuel Depot" - a small room with shotgunners, lost souls, cacodemons and damaging floor. It isn't that bad even with only a shotgun. The blue key here unlocks the way to a pier of an underground canal. I love places like this, where you know what you're looking at without being overdetailed. The red key sits on one of the barges here and the way forward loops back to the starting point. 

Spoiler

Normally you could have returned to the station, but the tunnel collapses, opening a hole to the canal. It forces the player to take a detour through a previously-locked section of a tunnel and pass through an abandoned train, which is another cool piece of doomcute. A fleshy pit right after is not my favourite, as it uses monster-only teleport lines to move barons around. It seems to be inspired by a similiar scenario from Plutonia's MAP20 and is as annoying here as it was back then. Past this is the best fight of the map, an intersection of two tunnels which becomes a stage for a large teleport trap. If you have cells or rockets left, this is the best place to use them. Back at the station, there is one part left, a fight against barons and spectres. With this over, you can proceed to what I initially assumed to be a rocket, but now I think is a circular elevator shaft.

 

Transport Nexus was a pleasent surprise to stumble upon. Episode 2 is rather uneven when it comes to quality, but this is one of the better maps here, with great details, moody vibe and some hectic fights.

[TJG1289]

GZDoom/UV/Pistol-Start/Saves

E2M5: Abandoned Tunnels - ViolentBeetle

100% kills and secrets

Time: 7:40

 

We have a small and compact map by the project lead here. Its small size means there isn't a lot to talk about since it's quick to clear, but there's a few things to note. First, it's nicely detailed and evokes the feeling of being in the titular tunnels very well. Both key fights are pretty intense. Getting to the blue key has you drop into some slime and deal with shotgunners, imps, and approaching cacos, all while only having a shotgun and chaingun to deal with them (and a secret chainsaw I didn't find until I went secret hunting). Speaking of secrets, you can find a secret plasma in the blue key room too, but that's another thing I didn't find until later. You can find the RL shortly past the blue door, but this opens up some walls with a bevy of baddies bolstered by a baron. This entire map is cramped, so you'll need to make room to use the RL. The red key ambush almost got me cause of that. I had the RL out to take out whatever was going to show up, only to panic switch to the chaingun when 2 pinkies teleport in my face. Tried to take the RL out to take on the approaching cacos, but they got too close before I could do so. Pretty dangerous ambush. I find it interesting that the secret exit was easier for me to find than some of the normal secrets (I at least found the secret medikit before needing to go secret hunting). Overall, this is a nice compact map with some dangerous encounters. The rockets lure you into thinking that would be the preferred method of attack when it's really not.

 

E2M9: Artifact Storage -HitBoi

100% kills and secrets

Time: 7:37

 

Here's another mapper that I don't think I've played anything by. They have credits in a few other community projects, but I didn't make it far enough in the ones I played to get to their maps. Oops. This map is pretty ok overall. Some areas have some good detailing while some are more bare. The best details are the pedestals that contain various "artifacts" like the BFG. It's all purely decorative, but it reminds me of some 90s and early 00s maps in how the would do Doomcute, like Gene Bird's Spirit World HQ, and the Darth Mall in Fragport. Combat-wise, this map is pretty easy. The imps in pinky have their backs to you, so you can lure the baron in the hall nearby over to kill them all for you stealthily (which is what I did). You get the shotgun and RL right off the bat, and the first non-secret plasma is here too. Grabbing that and the yellow key opens a room with several cacos that should be rocketed instead. In fact, the RL is very useful in this map against the 7 barons in this map. I saved the plasma for when crowds were taken down to single-digits. Both secrets were easy to find, and I did find it weird the 4 shells were a harder secret to find. Didn't seem like an adequate reward for that, when the nearby berserk is behind a bloodfall you just walk through. The weirdest part of the map to me is the automap, as there's a lot of lines on it that don't show up, including some small rooms and the entire final section. Why these are hidden I have no idea. The final area looks the most interesting in the automap too. Overall, an ok map. Feels very novice and has some design choices that could be refined a bit. The actually detailed parts are pretty good tho. 

[continuum.mid]

E2M9: Artifact Storage (HitBoi)

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

100% Kills/Items/Secrets, Time: 9:21, Save Count: 0

 

This is an odd one. Taking place in what's ostensibly some sort of storage area for all the game's Things, Artifact Storage simultaneously feels formulaic in layout, and wildly inconsistent in its look and feel, which I suppose would make an accurate Sandy Petersen homage. A lot of things about this map feel odd, like all the enemies behind the player in the starting area, or the fact that the map gives you just about every weapon except the chaingun, or the fact that the BFG is on display in a completely inaccessible area, or the arbitrary rooms marked invisible on the automap, or that secret where pressing a hidden switch reveals four shotgun shells and nothing else. (I'm pretty sure both of this map's secrets are in the same room, too.) Most of the combat is easily cheesed on second attempt, if not first, by ducking behind doors and such.

 

It just feels off, all the way through. This is either surprisingly detailed and fine-tuned novice work, or an experienced mapper's throwaway. Not quite skippable, but below this WAD's high quality standards.

Edited May 13, 2023 by continuum.mid

[Capellan]

E2M6

 

 

[MAN_WITH_GUN]

13 hours ago, ViolentBeetle said:

I think E2M5 was one of the first maps made for the project (Logical, because I pretty much has a plan for most possible map names I came up with) before other contributors upped the ambition. Compared to stuff like E2M3 it looks kinda meh. But then again, I always make small maps.

Personally, i think it's a cool thing to have 'break maps' in projects, especially in megawads that usually have long or medium-size maps. I think this project made a great job of mixing short, medium and long levels in all episodes so players will be excited for each map that brings something interesting on a table.

[Book Lord]

E2M6 – Transport Nexus by @Jark

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

 

Jark claimed the slot with a few ideas already in his mind, and his Transport Nexus turned out as one of the most ambitious levels in the second episode. The setting was an underground rail and navigation system with realistic construction and creepy demonic growth spreading everywhere. The first part without monsters was an excellent build-up for the atmosphere and finding demons at the bottom of an elevator, in a basement engulfed by alien corruption, had a strong 'Aliens' feel. Their -fast reaction scared the hell out of me, even if I was revisiting the map for the third time.

Spoiler

Plasma rifle was now openly available and saw good use during the tensest situations, one of which was the herd of turbo Demons charging me on top of the multi-storey elevator. A small detour allowed me to see the boat dock in the intestine-filled caverns; I liked the use of darkness in the whole map, as it created an unsettling atmosphere that greatly went above the real danger. Following the only possible path brought me back to the train platform, where I noticed the door to the ‘Fuel Depot’ was now open. These signs reminded me of the recent Fragport playthrough. The teleport pad takes the player to another room with some barrels and hazardous floor, where he will eventually gain the BK after dealing with Sergeants, Lost Souls, and a Cacodemon. The hidden YK and the even more concealed yellow bars might be found with a thorough search, requiring keen eyes and ears. Along with generous power-ups and bonuses, it offered a shortcut to the BK and a vantage point against its guards. Excellent secret design.

Spoiler

The BK must be used to open the bars and access the dock area, but instead of the bars I triggered a vicious Baron trap. I cleared the dark caverns from Imps and Cacodemons, then I opened a door to find myself in a scary situation. The WOODGARG scenic trick is something I have been imagining since I was a teenager, as I have always been obsessed with those evil red eyes. This time it only led me to a cell pack. I acquired the RK and must leave the area through caverns filled with Cacodemons and other horrors, finding myself again in the starting room, where I acquired the rocket launcher and other supplies.

Spoiler

Going back to the platform was not possible, as a rail section had sunk. The RK allowed to open a closed portion of the rail tunnels, where I found a whole train swallowed by alien growth. At the end of it there was a jump-scare Baron ambush, prompting a blind jump in a flesh cavern. Once again, great ‘Aliens’ movie vibes here (see the dead marine with the sector torch). A teleport pad sent me to a distant rail crossing, probably a train depot, where a large monster teleport reacted to my attempts at leaving the dead end.

 

I was eventually back on the platform and raised the red bars, opening the elevator to the Research Complex. Jark saw cannonball’s entry while still working on his map and decided to create continuity between the two, introducing the visual theme in the exit room. Before reaching it, Doomguy must kill some Imps and Spectres in a dimly lit room and dispose of a wall of meat blocking the staircase. A Computer Area Map and a way back to the rest of the level were provided for completion fanatics, even though they might not help getting 100% items, since a health bonus was placed in a weird non-secret room near the exit, accessible only to the most curious players. Transport Nexus had a lot of content and well-executed ideas in store, and for me it was the iconic map of Ceres Carnage.

Edited May 13, 2023 by Book Lord

[RHhe82]

E2M6: Transport Nexus. Played on DSDA v0.25.6, UV, PS. 139/139 K, 3/3 S, 31/32 I. Comp. time 24:41

 

Curiously I had less than cheerful memories of this one: I remember there being barons, I remember the map being confusing, I remember the ammo being scarce. I was right about the barons, at one point it does start to feel bit like a chore with all the cacodemons and barons, but somehow I managed to get just enough ammo to make it. Cells are meant to be used against the next barons and cacos, rest assured.

 

I do think the map conjures an exhausting feeling; I suppose that is due to the wide open tunnels that turn out to be mostly empty. That is merely for shortcuts, though; in the end the map is straightforwardish. 

I really like the final big boy encounter, the lowering staircase is magnificent. I like that encounter.

 

A good and ambitious map, which would (for me) be better on a second playthrough, if I remembered how to access the yellow key secret.