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Catching Up - Celestin's review thread (now playing: Plutonia 2)


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Maybe you saw that Unwelcome got picked to be the Ironman choice for this month....and it was quite an odd one to say the least! I think it's good but having never played it before....it's kind of hard to rush through when one doesn't know what to do.

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@LadyMistDragon I did see it was picked up. I agree that MAP01 is not the kindest one to start with (especially when you have one chance) and some later levels tend to get more conventional.

 

MAP05-MAP08

 

MAP05: Unspeakable

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MAP06: Undying

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MAP07: Unfeeling

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MAP08: Unwelcome

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Conclusions

 

Unwelcome was an interesting experience. I think its biggest strenght was the variety of gameplay styles it uses. Concepts like tense, low-ammo horror, puzzles and exploratory maps are mixed in with more conventional levels, so you never know what you'll play next. A short lenght of an average map is also something I welcome.

 

As for the visual aspect, the custom palette does the job and is the reason Unwelcome stands out. Because let's be honest, if you remove it, you're left with techbases that, while well-crafted, would be hard to tell apart from other wads. A melancholic soundtrack gives the wad this dreamy atmosphere, which I like a lot.

 

So, Unwelcome is an entertaining episode that I highly recommend. I won't give a list of the best maps, because 8 levels is a bit too few to form it, besides, the quality is very consistant, with only MAP08 feeling out of step with the rest of the wad.

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One thing I've noticed about myself while participating in the DoomWorld Megawad Club is missing obvious references to official maps. Indeed, I haven't played the iwads as much as others did and I'm a bit ashamed about this. So let's rectify that now. The Ultimate Doom comes first - the original 1993 release with Thy Flesh Consumed, an additional fourth episode.

 

Also, I know dobu gabu maru came up with some weird challenges to keep the playthrough interesting, but I won't be doing that - my thread, my rules.

 

Episode 1: Knee-Deep in the Dead

 

E1M1: Hangar by John Romero

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E1M2: Nuclear Plant by John Romero

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E1M3: Toxin Refinery by John Romero

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E1M9: Military Base by John Romero

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E1M4: Command Control by Tom Hall and John Romero

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E1M5: Phobos Lab by John Romero

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E1M6: Central Processing by John Romero

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E1M7: Computer Station by John Romero

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E1M8: Phobos Anomaly by Sandy Petersen and Tom Hall

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Episode 2: The Shores of Hell

 

E2M1: Deimos Anomaly by Sandy Petersen and Tom Hall

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E2M2: Containment Area by Sandy Petersen and Tom Hall

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E2M3: Refinery by Sandy Petersen and Tom Hall

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E2M4: Deimos Lab by Sandy Petersen and Tom Hall

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E2M5: Command Center by Sandy Petersen

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E2M9: Fortress of Mystery by Sandy Petersen

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E2M6: Halls of the Damned by Sandy Petersen

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E2M7: Spawning Vats by Sandy Petersen and Tom Hall

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E2M8: Tower of Babel by Sandy Petersen

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Edited by Celestin

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Episode 3: Inferno

 

E3M1: Hell Keep by Sandy Petersen

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E3M2: Slough of Despair by Sandy Petersen

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E3M3: Pandemonium by Sandy Petersen and Tom Hall

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E3M4: House of Pain by Sandy Petersen

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E3M5: Unholy Cathedral by Sandy Petersen

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E3M6: Mt. Erebus by Sandy Petersen

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E3M9: Warrens by Sandy Petersen

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E3M7: Limbo by Sandy Petersen and Tom Hall

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E3M8: Dis by Sandy Petersen

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Episode 4: Thy Flesh Consumed

 

E4M1: Hell Beneath by American McGee

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E4M2: Perfect Hatred by John Romero

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E4M9: Fear by Tim Willits

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E4M3: Sever the Wicked by Shawn Green

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E4M4: Unruly Evil by American McGee

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E4M5: They Will Repent by Tim Willits and Theresa Chasar

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E4M6: Against Thee Wickedly by John Romero

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E4M7: And Hell Followed by John "Dr. Sleep" Anderson

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E4M8: Unto the Cruel by Shawn Green

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Conclusions

 

I think it's fair to split this into two parts, one regarding the original 1993 release and one regarding Thy Flesh Consumed, as they were made like 1,5 year apart, with different design philosophies.

 

So, the original Doom. I had a great time replaying E1. Sure, the gameplay is simple with a very limited variety of monsters and weapons, but at the same time, you are faced with big groups of weak enemies. This sense of power is entertaining in its simplicity, besides, Knee-deep in the Dead is the best looking one of the three original episodes, with aesthetic that people invoke to this day. As for E2 and E3, I think they are comparable in quality and both tend to be more uneven than the first one. Petersen made a couple of good maps, but they tend to get mixed in with stuff like E3M1 or E2M9. 

 

I also think this is where the issues with Doom 1 combat comes to the foreground. It's hard to approach this topic without mentioning its sequel, but with a foreknowledge of how the series would have evolved the next year, the fights of the original tend to get boring and grindy. There's only a handful of monster types, most of them are either hitscanners or imp clones, with a considerable lack of mid-tier demons. It's no wonder most mappers shifted to Doom 2, giving more possibilities to design combat scenarios.

 

In the end, those are the very first Doom maps ever released, so it's natural they are somewhat rough and rather easy, but I still think they hold up as a baseline, against which the community works can be compared.

 

Now, for the Episode 4. The gap between the first three chapters and Thy Flesh Consumed is huge - in terms of quality and challenge. It's obvious that after Doom 2, the id team had more experience under their proverbial belt, but so did the players. That being said, this part also a mixed bag. Romero's maps are the strongest part of it, no doubt here, being tightly designed and rewardingly difficult. I also enjoyed E4M8, which was the only good chapter finale, and run-and-gun nature of E4M3. The rest is mostly average, with an exception of E4M1 - that one sticks out for the wrong reasons.

 

One thing I see as superior compared to the sequel is the episodic structure of the wad. I think it's a good compromise between pistol-start and continous play, while making each part of the game more distinct. No wonder some Doom 2 wads decided to emulate this approach with death exits or MAPINFO features.

 

Overall, I had fun playing The Ultimate Doom. Sure, some parts are better than others, but for the very first set of maps, it is surprisingly solid and I think it took the community a while to reach a similiar level of polish.

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  On 10/27/2023 at 8:06 PM, Celestin said:

E4M6: Against Thee Wickedly by John Romero

 

Then there's the final obstacle: the cyberdemon that blocks the exit. You can either fight him head-on in a tiny alcove or perform a surprisingly (for 1995) precise strafe-jump and obtain an invulnerablility sphere.

Expand  

One of the secrets conceals an easier way to reach said invulnerability.

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@Andromeda oh, I haven't noticed that. Guess I like to make things harder for myself than I should.

 

So, since I enjoyed E4M2 and E4M6, it's obvious what comes next: SIGIL, a 2019 wad by John Romero, advertised as an unofficial Episode 5 which, like Thy Flesh Consumed, is set between Doom and its sequel. It's time for another trip to hell.

 

E5M1: Baphomet's Demesne

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E5M2: Sheol

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E5M3: Cages of the Damned

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E5M4: Paths of Wretchedness

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E5M5: Abaddon's Void

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E5M6: Unspeakable Persecution

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E5M9: Realm of Iblis

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E5M7: Nightmare Underworld

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E5M8: Halls of Perdition

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Conclusions

SIGIL is a natural extension of John Romero's maps from Thy Flesh Consumed. Just like Perfect Hatred and Against Thee Wickedly, it consist of tightly-designed maps that push a limited gameplay of Doom 1 to its limit. Mostly by limiting your health and ammo. It is not my favourite style of combat and it would likely benefit from a second playthrough, but this wad achieved what it was aiming for. Difficulty-wise, this is much harded than Thy Flesh Consumed, though not as bad as contemporary challenge wads. Try not to get hit, make your shots count and you should be fine.

 

One thing I enjoy about SIGIL is its distinct aesthetic and dark, brooding atmosphere. It's much darker than the four original episodes, with red, cracked floors appearing often. Jimmy's midis are great, the rocking soundtrack really pushing you forward.

 

In the end, it's great to see one of the original id mappers still in form. SIGIL is a great Ultimate Doom wad and while I do think it stands out a bit too much to be considered "the fifth episode", it's still worth playing, especially if you are a fan of Romero's style.

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After a detour to play SIGIL, it's time for Doom II: Hell on Earth, a 1994 sequel with new monsters, new weapon and 32 maps to play.

 

MAP01-MAP08

 

MAP01: Entryway by Sandy Petersen

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MAP02: Underhalls by American McGee

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MAP03: The Gantlet by American McGee

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MAP04: The Focus by American McGee

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MAP05: The Waste Tunnels by American McGee

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MAP06: The Crusher by American McGee

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MAP07: Dead Simple by American McGee and Sandy Petersen (allegedly)

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MAP08: Tricks and Traps by Sandy Petersen

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MAP09-MAP16

 

MAP09: The Pit by Sandy Petersen

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MAP10: Refueling Base by Tom Hall and Sandy Petersen

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MAP11: Circle of Death (aka "O" of Destruction!) by John Romero

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MAP12: The Factory by Sandy Petersen

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MAP13: Downtown by Sandy Petersen

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MAP14: The Inmost Dens by American McGee

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MAP15: Industrial Zone by John Romero

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MAP31: Wolfenstein by Sandy Petersen

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MAP32: Grosse by Sandy Petersen

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MAP16: Suburbs by Sandy Petersen

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MAP17: Tenements by John Romero

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MAP18: The Couryard by Sandy Petersen

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MAP19: The Citadel by Sandy Petersen

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MAP20: Gotcha! by John Romero

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MAP21: Nirvana by Sandy Petersen

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MAP22: The Catacombs by American McGee

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MAP23: Barrels o' Fun by Sandy Petersen

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MAP24: The Chasm by Sandy Petersen

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MAP25: Bloodfalls by Shawn Green

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MAP26: The Abandoned Mines by John Romero

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MAP27: Monster Condo by Sandy Petersen

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MAP28: The Spirit World by Sandy Petersen

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MAP29: The Living End by John Romero

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MAP30: Icon of Sin by Sandy Petersen

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Conclusions

 

I think it's best to talk about Doom 2 in relation to the original 3 episodes, because it expands on the features of the 1993 release. The new monsters and the mighty super shotgun make the combat more varied and less grindy. The biggest change is in a more experimental approach to mapping. Sandy takes a lead here and while some of his ideas weren't the best, I find the maps to be much more memorable than in Doom 1. A lot of concepts that the community still reuses can be traced back to this game: The Inmost Dens, The Living End and The Icon of Sin deserve a special mention due to the number of derived works, but the willingness to try something different is the strongest part of the sequel. Still, I find the overall mapping quality to be more inconsistent compared to Doom 1. I think it's because of a larger number of mappers and having their works mixed together, while in the original, Romero made the bulk of E1 and Petersen the following two episodes. It's also considerably harder than the 1993 game, but also more rewarding and interesting.

 

Doom 2 isn't as groundbreaking as Doom was, but it's a great base for the community to expand and experiment, something that keeps the game alive. This experimental aspect is something that kept me interested and in the end made it a pleasent experience.

 

TOP 3 maps:

MAP14: The Inmost Dens
MAP22: Catacombs
MAP29: The Living End

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Before I move to the Final Doom, I'd like to play the addons for Doom 2. The first one is No Rest for the Living, released initially with an XBox 360 port of Doom 2 in 2010 and created by Nerve Software. I'm playing the wad with a community midi pack, which replaces the stock tracks with far superior music.

 

MAP01: The Earth Base by Russell Meakim

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MAP02: The Pain Labs by Arya Iwakura

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MAP03: Canyon of the Dead by Russell Meakim

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MAP04: Hell Mountain by Russell Meakim

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MAP09: March of the Demons by Russell Meakim

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MAP05: Vivisection by Arya Iwakura

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MAP06: Inferno of Blood by Arya Iwakura

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MAP07: Baron's Banquet by Arya Iwakura

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MAP08: Tomb of Malevolence by Arya Iwakura

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Conclusions

 

No Rest for the Living is somewhat of an oddity when it comes to official Doom content. It was released almost 15 years after Final Doom in a completely different era, one where Doom is not the the hot new game, but rather a celebrated classic that is starting to experience a revival of sort. You can clearly see it more modern approach to design, especially with its detailed architecture (helped a lot by being designed for an engine that raises certain limits compared to the original .exe). Its combat style prefers increased monster density, with some fights getting really claustrophobic. It also puts the player against larger groups of enemies, especially of the weaker variety. That being said, I didn't find NERVE.wad that challenging. If you are willing to look for its numerous secrets, you should be well supplied to face anything the maps throw at you (though maybe it's because it was originally meant to be played with a controller).

 

The community midi pack deserves a special mention. It's a collection of varied and memorable tracks that acts as a proper replacement for stock Doom 2 music. It's one of the better soundtracks that the community has created.

 

In the end, I highly recommend trying No Rest for the Living out, it's a consistently good episode that deserves more recognition. I didn't have this much fun playing Doom in a while.

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No Rest for the Living is over, so it's time for Master Levels for Doom II, the collection of 21 maps, made by the best of 1995 mappers. I haven't played them myself yet, but I've seen the Dean of Doom episode and I'm aware of the general sentiment that Master Levels aren't good, but I'll try approach them with an open mind.

 

Also, I'm using the midi pack by Megasphere, since the maps use a stock soundtrack and half of them just play D_RUNNIN. It took me a while to prepare the wad proper (with an added UMAPINFO patch to fix the issues with tags 666 in some maps), but now I'm ready.

 

Part 1

 

Attack by Tim Willits

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Canyon by Tim Willits

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Catwalk by Christen Klie

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The Combine by Christen Klie

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The Fistula by Christen Klie

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The Garrison by Christen Klie

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Titan Manor by Jim Flynn

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Part 2

 

Paradox by Tom Mustaine

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Subspace by Christen Klie

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Subterra by Christen Klie

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Trapped on Titan by Jim Flynn

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Virgil's Lead by John Anderson

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Minos' Judgement by John Anderson

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Bloodsea Keep by Sverre Kvernmo

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Edited by Celestin

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Part 3

 

Mephisto's Maosoleum by Sverre Kvernmo

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Nessus by John Anderson

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Geryon by John Anderson

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Vesperas by John Anderson

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Black Tower by Sverre Kvernmo

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The Express Elevator to Hell by Sverre Kvernmo

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Bad Dream by Sverre Kvernmo

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Conclusions

So, why exactly is this hated so much? Like, don't get me wrong, there are some bad maps here (Mephisto's Maosoleum and the bulk of Klie's levels), but for 1995, this feels solid. Is it the fact id sold fan-made maps for money? Or how many maps were yanked from work-in-progress sets? Or because the quality of mapping was evolving rapidly and very quickly Master Levels were seen as dated?

 

In any case, while Master Levels aren't something I'd like to revisit anytime soon, it was an interesting experience. Some maps, especially by Sverre Kvernmo and Jim Flynn (who carry this set - just like in Eternal Doom) hold quite well and deserve more recognition. I can't praise the new soundtrack enough, it can get more experimental than the average Doom midis, but it gives the maps this odd personality they would lack with stock music. Perhaps that's the reason why, with some exceptions, I didn't have a bad time.

 

TOP 3 maps

 

Black Tower by Sverre Kvernmo

Geryon by John Anderson

Trapped on Titan by Jim Flynn

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The Final Doom is the natural conclusion of my iwad playthrough. I'll begin with TNT: Evilution, as I've played Plutonia more recently.  Unlike any other commercial release, TNT was developed by a large team of mappers, who bring a diverse set of design choices, combat philosophies and quality.

 

Part 1

 

MAP01: System Control by Tom Mustaine

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MAP02: Human BBQ by John Wakelin

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MAP03: Power Control by Robin Patenall and John Minadeo

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MAP04: Wormhole by Ty Halderman

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MAP05: Hanger by Jim Dethlefsen

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MAP06: Open Season by Jimmy Sieben and Ty Halderman

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MAP07: Prison by Andrew Dowswell

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MAP08: Metal by John Minadeo

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MAP09-MAP14

 

MAP09: Stronghold by Jimmy Sieben and Ty Halderman

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MAP10: Redemption by Tom Mustaine

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MAP11: Storage Facility by Dean Johnson

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MAP12: Crater by Jim Lowell

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MAP13: Nukage Processing by Brian Kidby and Ty Halderman

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MAP14: Steel Works by Robin Patenall

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MAP15-MAP20

 

MAP15: Dead Zone by William Whitaker

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MAP31: Pharaoh by Dario Casali

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MAP32: Caribbean by Dario Casali

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MAP16: Deepest Reaches by Andre Arsenault

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MAP17: Processing Area by Tom Mustaine

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MAP18: Mill by Dario Casali and Ty Halderman

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MAP19: Shipping/Respawning by Ty Halderman and Jimmy Sieben

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MAP20: Central Processing by Drake O'Brien

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MAP21-MAP25

 

MAP21: Administration Center by Drake O'Brien

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MAP22: Habitat by Christopher Buteau

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MAP23: Lunar Mining Project by Paul Turnbull

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MAP24: Quarry by Dean Johnson

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MAP25: Baron's Den by David J. Hill

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MAP26-MAP30

 

MAP26: Ballistyx by Mark Snell and Jim Lowell

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MAP27: Mount Pain by Drake O'Brien

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MAP28: Heck by Milo Casali

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MAP29: River Styx by Jimmy Sieben

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MAP30: Last Call by Jimmy Sieben

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Conclusions

TNT: Evilution is a very uneven megawad. There are a couple of good maps that I feel hold up well to this day, but they are surrounded by a sea of levels that are either forgettable or frustrating to play. The latter can come from many aspects, including hitscanner-heavy combat with little health and cover, excessive lenght or confusing progression. When it works, though, it offers atmosphere that's so much better than in Doom 1 and 2 (with no small help of the new soundtrack), while it's more combat-oriented maps provide healthy challenge.

 

In the end, I can't deny the ambition of Team TNT, I just find the end result to not age well. I tend to judge older wads (especially the official ones) based on what they brought to the community in terms of influence. See, Doom 2 was experimental with gimmicks that still get brought up decades later, Plutonia was a template for short, challenging maps, but TNT? It has grandeur and atmosphere in some places and some maps do get their inspiration here, but is, for the most part, conventional when it comes to map design. It's sadly a case where positive aspects being overtaken by negative ones.

 

TOP 3 maps
MAP32: Caribbean by Dario Casali
MAP09: Stronghold by Jimmy Sieben and Ty Halderman
MAP27: Mount Pain by Drake O'Brien

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  On 11/29/2023 at 9:20 PM, Celestin said:

MAP30: Last Call by Jimmy Sieben

 

Your projectile will pass through a wall and somehow damage the Romero's head (it's also placed too far, so no satisfying explosion for you). 

Expand  

I believe the issue is actually that the Romero head is placed facing the wrong way, so the explosion occurs in the void and not where it should.

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One more IWAD to play and I've save up the best for the end: The Plutonia Experiment, created by Dario and Milo Casali. One thing before starting, I play with the Plutonia MIDI Pack, which replaces stock tracks with much better alternatives.

 

MAP01-MAP08

 

MAP01: Congo by Milo Casali

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MAP02: Well of Souls by Dario Casali

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MAP03: Aztec by Milo Casali

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MAP04: Caged by Dario Casali

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MAP05: Ghost Town by Milo Casali

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MAP06: Baron's Lair by Dario Casali

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MAP07: Caughtyard by Dario Casali

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MAP08: Realm by Dario Casali

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MAP09-MAP14

 

MAP09: Abattoire by Milo Casali

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MAP10: Onslaught by Dario Casali

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MAP11: Hunted by Dario Casali

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MAP12: Speed by Milo Casali

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MAP13: The Crypt by Dario Casali

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MAP14: Genesis by Dario Casali

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MAP15-MAP18

 

MAP15: Twilight by Milo Casali

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MAP31: Cyberden by Dario Casali

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MAP32: Go 2 It by Milo Casali

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MAP16: The Omen by Milo Casali

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MAP17: Compound by Dario Casali

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MAP18: Neurosphere by Milo Casali

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MAP19-MAP24

 

MAP19: NME by Milo Casali

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MAP20: Death Domain by Dario Calasi

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MAP21: Slayer by Milo Casali

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MAP22: Impossible Mission by Dario Casali

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MAP23: Tombstone by Milo Casali

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MAP24: The Final Frontier by Milo Casali

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I sometimes feel like Plutonia stumbles a bit in its final act. Like maps 22 & 23 and one upcoming map, they almost feel like they belong more in Evilution... and not because I think they are of lesser quality than your average Plutonia map, but by the virtue of them being longer, more adventurous maps rather than short and punchy combat-puzzles.

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MAP25-MAP30

 

MAP25: The Temple of Darkness by Dario Casali

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MAP26: Bunker by Dario Casali

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MAP27: Anti-Christ by Milo Casali

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MAP28: The Sewers by Dario Casali

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MAP29: Oddysey of Noises by Milo Casali

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MAP30: The Gateway of Hell by Milo Casali

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Conclusions

 

Plutonia is a wad that I've put off playing for a long time, only completing it for the first time a year or so ago. This was mostly due to its reputation of being the hardest official wad. And while this is true, it's been a while since 1996 and I think the skill level of an average Doom player has increased a lot. I mentioned shock value several times, I wish I could have played this at the release, experiencing little beside Doom 1 and 2 prior. Plutonia must have felt like a brutal, punishing game that only the best could have matched.

 

It clearly made an impression, as its combat style - small, trap-heavy maps, that rely on chaingunners, archviles and revenants - has been replicated numerous times since. The influence Go 2 It had on the whole sub-genre of slaughter maps also can't be understated. But how does the original hold up? Well, I find Plutonia to be a healthy challenge. Foreknowledge regarding some of its traps might have helped, but it still managed to kill me once in a while. I think Plutonia is at its best when it makes those hard-hitting maps where every monster fills a role and the whole thing wraps up in ten minutes. There's also the other side, large and sprawling levels that might or might not have been TNT outtakes. The latter tend to group in at the end, and while not bad themselves, they do make the final third drag for much longer than it could have been. Also, the difficulty curve is very inconsistant. Plutonia starts hard and peaks in the middle (with maps 15, 32 and 16 giving me the most trouble), but than it drops considerably. This could have been reshuffles for a better flow (especially since Plutonia generally doesn't stick to episodes' themes).

 

I also have to praise everyone involved with the midi pack. I love the new soundtrack, it improves the atmosphere so much. In any case, this is my favourite IWAD. I think it aged well and I had a ton of fun replaying it.

 

My top 3 maps are:


MAP32: Go 2 It
MAP15: Twilight
MAP27: Anti-Christ

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I wanted to get myself into this holiday spirit, so here's a short wad I've played over the weekend - DBP7: The Merry Christmassy Doom Project, one of the earlier Doomer Board Projects. 

 

MAP01: An Unexpected Visitor by Big Ol' Billy

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MAP02: Empty Present by SuperCupcakeTactics

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MAP03: Evil of Snow by Scrangus McBrickdad

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MAP04: Coal For Christmas by Scrangus McBrickdad, glenzinho

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MAP05: Yule Probably Die by Big Ol' Billy

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MAP06: End by Big Ol' Billy

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Conclusions

 

While it has its ups and downs, The Merry Christmassy Doom Project is a brisk and entertaining wad to spend an afternoon. The maps here are all relatively compact, with individual difficulty ranging from simple corridor clearing to Plutonia-like challenge. The custom textures and sprites adds personality, something that has been consistant in DBP wads. For what it is - a short, Christmas-themed wad made in one month, it's not bad. It was fun to play through something that could be completed in a single afternoon and I think I needed a short break between larger megawads.

 

I just wish MAP03 was fixed, I have no idea how a bug this blatant made it to the release version. No top 3 for a wad with 5 maps, my favourite would be MAP05: Yule Probably Die by Big Ol' Billy.

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When I started thir thread in July, I've planned to play two megawad initially and then decide what to do next. The first one was Community Chest 2, after completing it I was supposed to play Skulltiverse - this name has been brought up a lot when DMWC was playing Mapping at Warpspeed and Solar Struggle, since they all share a number of contributors. However, everytime I was planning to start it, I got distracted by something else. It took me a while, but let's see how it holds up. This will be a mostly blind playthrough, I've only seen MAP26.

 

MAP01-MAP07

 

MAP01: Skullgate Central by Shawny

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MAP02: Regular Base by joe-ilya

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MAP03: Get Rectangular by Nimiauredhel

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MAP04: Bilis by RataUnderground

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MAP05: Green Tech's Embrace by Death Bear

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MAP06: No OH&S Compliance by Washing Machines Enthusiasts

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MAP07: Constant Companion by ViolentBeetle

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