The DWmegawad Club plays: Claustrophobia 1024

[DFF]

Map32 - Oil Rig
K: 89 |I: 90 |S: 100 |

Gzdoom UV Continuous, CCards 5.0, Zero Tolerance

Snipers cast arch fire upon death, HKs can teleport to pursue the player, One marked monster must be killed 9 times

 

This was the straw that broke my back, compounding issues with the map the weaponset and the chosen cars resulted in this being a miserable experience. I think i'll restart with vanilla monster+weapons, and maybe less permanent cards for this set.

 

Unfortunately this was a really miserable map for me. Its too dark, its too cramped, too many monsters, and it goes on for too long. The setting is interesting and well done but nothing gameplay wise was fun about this map unfortunately. Without the silly mods my experience likely would have been better, but my main issues feel more fundamental and likely still would have been an issue. The cyberdemons are a chore to fight (i completely ignored the 3rd hoping a crusher would take it out later, which was not the case), the various lifts can easily be camped by monsters and not easily shot at, and the MIDI even broke on me, going into long spans of quiet or single instruments playing. The credits secret was a nice touch but in the end is basically a soulsphere.

 

I think this is a case where a mapper has some grander visions and gameplay desires than the mapping limitations allow. The map is in 1024 and seems like thought was put into the design and presentation, but unfortunately for me, it feels like there is just too much being crammed into the limits. Map31 i feel does this better since the crammed progression is at least a bit more varied. This map feels like it just has too much unnecessary backtracking thats there only to extend the length and spawn in more monsters (Ex. Blue to yellow key progression). 

 

After this im going vanilla with Corruption Cards set to random permanent (one card is dealt, can't pick) which should be fine since i'm missing 16 other cards.

 

Rankings:

Spoiler

 

Map31

Map15
Map06

Map05

Map12

Map07
Map08

Map14

Map03

Map02

Map10

Map09

Map01

Map04

Map11

Map32

 

DNR: map13

Old Cards:

Spoiler

 

One marked monster must be killed 9 times

Mancs are more aggressive

Secrets summon a random monster with a random enchantment

Revenant missiles bounce off walls
-Angry Revenant stalked map13-

Barons gain regenerating shields

Knights throw explosive projectiles

One marked monster spawns 100 mystery eggs

Imps can consume corpses to gain new effects

Demon Imps adjust aim

Spawns fake items that spew grenades

Imps throw illusions out
Soldiers (CGunners) gain +Fast Monsters
Imps can carry other monsters

Devil Imps fire explosive projectiles
Monsters never infight

 

 

Edited August 18, 2023 by DFF

[elborbahquarama]

i had played both congestion 1024 and claustrophobia 1024 2 but not this one so this is just for me !! i'm going to play in 'hey not too rough' difficulty and doing my best to get 100% of everything (that's how i play in real life too)

 

level 1 : the warp facility by the green herring, lotsa lion switches !!! scary pits and fun escalator, pretty red walls too, by the way thank you for putting a little sign indicating where the life is !

 

level 2 : return to the darkening by impboy, scary electronic cables hanging from the ceiling and magicly climbing a mountain of boxes of various sizes ??? mysterious trickery there, got caught by the cow demons forgetting to get my chainsaw, they bit me while yelling "GET YOUR CHAINSAW" i did not and proceeded to shot them with my shotgun, losing precious life points in the process ._.'

 

level 3 : break the chain by jodwin, oh my god i love my cosy little room thank you jodwin ! sound of grinding gears made it impossible to sleep peacefully though, had to go out and tell them to shut it ! had lots of fun riding the conveyor belt in the process (edit : also the music in this is the best, i did not recognise it at first but it's from sunsoft's journey to silius, so nice)

 

level 4 : pit of sludge by stewboy, a whole building buried underground, the exit hidden under a rock ? this is all great stuff !! also lotsa big guys, could have been killed because i ran without looking around me but thankfully lotsa big guns too, cool secrets took me forever to find because i'm dumb (when all the guys teleported in the middle building they just all fighted each other that was fun)

 

level 5 : subterfuge 1024 by mechadon, huge EVIL fortress with poisonous sky and fighting cows in the moat ! thank you very much caco for showing me where to open the red door at the end, good boy (edit : also i forgot, a room with invisible floor ????? level designer is a witch)

 

level 6 : four square by the green herring, running as fast as possible to get those switches !!! also wow such a beautiful setting outside with that ocean and this big blue and black sky above it, i love it, it made me think that maybe this level took place on an oil platform ? :o

 

level 7 : dead in, dead out by mechadon, some sort of summer camp in space for billionaire monsters or something ??? >:o i really thought i was gonna die at the beginning against those sun bathing mancubi there and then i remembered i had a rocket launcher

 

level 8 : hex of depression by pcorf, scary castle ??? >:o i managed to make a tricky jump on some boxes, could easily use that spot in a game of hide-and-seek !

 

level 9 : bitter sanctuary by kyka, oh i like it it's mysterious and the scenery outside is very scary, i managed to get lost haha, this was the hardest one for me so far ! you wake up aboard a deserted spaceship that has gone through space and time and discover the earth long after it has been destroyed and wander around this unknown vehicle trying to uncover its sinister secrets, what unknown form of life could hide behind those walls ? find out by playing BITTER SANCTUARY ! ! !

Edited August 19, 2023 by elborbahquarama

[rehelekretep]

maps 13-32

1024clau-fda-13-32-rehelekretep.zip

[cannonball]

MAP19 - “Nova Scotia Robots” by esselfortium

 

A much more spacious level, which is welcome. This one is pretty low key but with two elements that makes things trickier, firstly ammo is pretty darn tight at times and you will probably need to use infighting to give yourself some breathing space. The other is that there are a couple of nasty little traps to trip you up, the one that probably has the highest chance of catching the player out is the blue key, the mancubi/revenant sandwich can really get you. Otherwise this was a fun map to play, the only gripe is that you can exploit monster block lines that I assume are in place to prevent monsters getting stuck in the "3d bridge" trickery, this creates a few odd moments during the earlier phases of the map.

[RHhe82]

MAP19: Nova Scotia Robots. Played on DSDA v0.26.2, UV, PS. 40/40 K, 1/1 S, 0/0 I. Comp. time 5:46

 

This one feels like a breather map, especially since there's no sign of ammo deprivation - but it's also slightly easier than what we've seen recently. The greenish brown base aesthetics continue to please me. I don't remember if I mentioned this in the earlier maps, but restricted map size seems to invite the use of 3D floors, which I usually don't like that much -- but so far in this mapset I haven't had problems with it, the 3D floors are consistently used in such a manner that they fit well their environments. We've come a long way from Community Chest 1 or Hell Revealed II.

 

Anyway, I quite liked this one, despite it being "just a regular techbase". I guess the double archviles at the end felt a bit as if they were placed there just for the sake of it.

[DFF]

Map16 - Nocturnal Abyss
K: 89 |I: 90 |S: 100 |

Gzdoom UV Continuous, CCards 5.0

Summons flame traps periodically throughout the map

 

The flame runes, unlike the revenant sigils, act more like ROTT flame walls than stationary revenants. They don't make annoying sounds and give an arcadey feel to the map, made the yellow door bridge fight a bit more interesting since one was lined up to go across the whole bridge. A nice fresh start to hopefully replace the complicated headaches of before.

Map16 is a quaint little void base, which is a theme that I do love dearly. The map is well detailed with a very nice air of storytelling. In the windows you might see: decaying wires, the hung bodies of marines less fortunate, floating island in the black expanse, or eerie red eyes watching you progress. Shadows are added to give certain walls nice contrasted lighting rather than the regular doom shading. Finally the map like many before uses a lot of verticality to make good use of the space, with several invisible bridges to expand the space. They are very well done and I always appreciate a good floating bridge. In terms of design the map is a lovingly created delight with lots of oozing ambience and a light MIDI to accompany it.

 

I got to experience the gameplay from a pistol start which is likely the intended way to play. Unfortunately gameplay definitely takes a back seat to the detailing. Its not necessarily bad but its maybe a bit too grindy. I can maybe understand that the map was going for a more horror-lite sort of vibe, with limited ammo and only a pump shotty and a chaingun to back you up, but dealing with mancs, aracs, a baron, cacodemons, and a pain elemental with only a pump shotgun and little bullets is an experience that goes from "undergunned and vulnerable" to just a chore to get through. I'm a bit more lenient on the final baron arena fight but i could see how this might be a real stickler for others (admittedly I too have done a small arena with a baron and got some bad feedback on it long ago).

Gameplay was only slightly a  bit of a damper, but the rest of the map was pleasant and enjoyable. Also being locked out of map re-exploration once you reach the exit is a sin in my book

 

Map17 - Transfer Base
K: 100 |I: 90 |S: 100 |

Gzdoom UV Continuous, CCards 5.0

Pain Elementals can summon nearby enemies on death

 

Another quirky map that probably overstays its welcome. I like that the map had some TNT-esque vibes, and was immediately confirmed with a fun triangular 'wormhole' design. Having the player periodically jump between the hell and tech sections while progressing the map was a fun way to break up the progression. Then as keys are obtained opening up both sections to explore is welcomed. The progression and secrets are sometimes a bit archaic but the two soulsphere secrets were a nice way to reward backtracking and mirror memorization. There was also the pseudo secret mega armor but that was a bonus since I imagine fitting in space for a 4th secret trigger was not doable.

Once the red key is obtained the hall fighting gets rather monotonous, with some fight being just rev and chaingunner spam that would make Casali cringe. Not to mention there was probably one or two too many archviles that with the clogged corridors, started to almost be RNG dependent on successfully killing them. If not for spam resurrecting chaingunners i would have ran out of ammo at several points. At least the ending gave some medi packs for continuous, appreciated.

Overall a quirky and fun map with an upbeat MIDI to fit the vibe. Maybe a bit long and monster mushy but its more palatable than some of the other loaded maps.

 

Rankings:

Spoiler

 

Map31

Map15
Map06

Map05

Map12

Map17

Map07

Map16
Map08

Map14

Map03

Map02

Map10

Map09

Map01

Map04

Map11

Map32

 

DNR: map13

Cards:

Spoiler

 

Pain Elementals summon enemies on death
Runes will spawn on walls that shoot periodic fireballs

Zombiemen throw bottles that revive enemies

 

 

[brick]

GZDoom, Boom compat, software, HNTR, blind, continuous with saves.

 

MAP18 - “Weather Station” by InsanityBringer, Kyka, Jodwin
Another map that follows the hub approach: central area with 4 doors, one unlocked, each of the others requiring a key. The path is not entirely straight, there's some crossing back into some of the earlier doors after pushing switches, but the map flows very organically. Enemies often teleport right behind you but unlike a few previous maps it didn't annoy me here, maybe because they're timed to teleport in a trickle instead of everything shooting from everywhere at once. I'm not sure what unlocked the secret near the exit, I suspect it was all the red buttons I kept pushing. There's some very lovely low-key detailing all over the map, some of it is on the ceiling and I kept using mouselook just so I would see it better.

 

MAP19 - “Nova Scotia Robots” by esselfortium
The base has a nice look of rusty metal thanks to the custom textures. Instead of a hub this one goes for multi-levels to try and make the best use of space, complemented well by a fake vanilla bridge near the end. I liked how the blue key room later serves as a connecting passage, other maps have reused the space like this and it's a clever trick to go beyond the limitations. I don't have much to say about the map but I liked it and found the layout quite memorable.

[bioshockfan90]

MAP19: Nova Scotia Robots

 

100K | 100I | 0S

 

Essel means quality in every instance I’ve seen one of her maps, and this is no exception. She makes the 1024 playable space feel wide open and breathing. This comes at a cost of not much of a chance to make encounters that interesting or as monster packed as one would hope, but it still manages to knock every map in this set out of the park by a wide margin. Only complaint is that the final archvile off to the side is kinda just there to get plinked away at, doesn’t really do anything to keep you on your toes. Other than that though, fantastic and going to the top, I’d be surprised if anything tops this. 4.9 out of 5.

Spoiler

 

MAPRANKS:

 

MAP19

MAP05

MAP16

MAP14

MAP18

MAP15

MAP07

MAP01

MAP09

MAP06

MAP04

MAP13

MAP17

MAP02

MAP10

MAP03

MAP12

MAP08

 

 

[Celestin]

MAP19: Nova Scotia Robots by esselfortium

 

A weird name (borrowed from a song by a band I've never heard before - is this Essel's tradition?) is the most noteworthy thing here. It's the easiest map in a while, thanks to its spacious design and low monster numbers. It reminds me of Nocturnal Abyss somewhat, you have a similiar techbase aesthetic and 3d bridges that makes it feel larger than it really is. The red key pitfall is the only thing I find remotely threatening, because this is the one place where you can't just run away. The rest gives you a lot of room to move, something that you won't see much in this wad.

 

While this is a solid map that looks good, I think it should have been placed earlier on in the wad.

[esselfortium]

Ah, the old days before I knew how to make compelling gameplay :P

[Klear]

Oh dear, I have a lot of catching up to do. The bonus maps happened to coincide with a very busy and very sleep-deprived week, but I hope to be up-to-date by the end of the weekend.

 

I have a question about maps 33-34: how are they implemented? I've found the secret exits in maps 15 and 31, but even after nocliping throughout Oil Rig (very trippy in VR) I couldn't figure it out (Edit: I did find the secret credits sequence normally), so I looked up a gameplay video and it seemed like map32 just followed after exiting the way I did. Might be there's a trick that QuestZDoom just doesn't recognise so it dumps me into map16.

 

There's a level warper in a convenient cheat menu, but that only goes to 32. There are other ways I can probably use to get at the last two levels, but since I'm so behind I decided to leave them for later, but I'm curious about how it works.

Edited August 19, 2023 by Klear

[DJVCardMaster]

MAP19 - Nova Scotia Robots - Esselfortium (100%K/0%I/100%S):

Hey, an Esselfortium map all from the sudden, at that time she already was one of the most interesting mappers, and shows it off with a map as does not feel congested, and uses a lot of fake 3d floors to maximize space. It is a short map but looks and plays well. Not only that but it is welcome that the map is not as congested as the two previous maps we had. The main area felt a little bit similar to MAP16's though, isn't it? Visuals are also nice, again another solid "Claustrophobia" vibe given by them. The Archvile placements though are a bit dumb and inoffensive, and monster blocking linedefs that prevent monsters to go up the bridges kinda makes cheesing enemies easier, but it is a sweet map, and clearly a breather.

(UV - Playthrough/PRBoom+)

Order of Preference:
 

Spoiler

 

MAP31
MAP09

MAP05
MAP19
MAP16

MAP03
MAP07
MAP15
MAP13
MAP12
MAP14
MAP06
MAP18
MAP02
MAP04
MAP01
MAP17
MAP32
MAP08
MAP10
MAP11

 

 

1 hour ago, Klear said:

I have a question about maps 33-34: how are they implemented? I've found the secret exits in maps 15 and 31, but even after nocliping throughout Oil Rig (very trippy in VR) I couldn't figure it out (Edit: I did find the secret credits sequence normally), so I looked up a gameplay video and it seemed like map32 just followed after exiting the way I did. Might be there's a trick that QuestZDoom just doesn't recognise so it dumps me into map16.

The only way to access them is through "idclev33/34" cheat, or "map map33/34" in modern sourceports through console.

[Klear]

MAP31 - “Skyscrape IV” by @Jodwin

QuestZDoom, UV, blind, pistol start, saves

 

This map is: beautiful, sprawling, tough and especially paranoia fuel. Every time a switch ends up moving unseen walls all around me I was wondering what kind of mess is being prepared next and it was always worse than I expected. I ended up dying quite a lot at the end, but I was surprised just how long I managed to go on my first life, given all the ambushes, especially those spectres in the force-field room. That is not my strong suit.

 

One thing I want to highlight is those fake 3D walkways. Those are not expect to hold under the scrutiny of freelook, much less my even more improved perspective, but they look amazing in VR! Absolutely stunning.

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

MAP32 - “Oil Rig” by @Mik57, @Mechadon

QuestZDoom, UV, blind, continuous, saves

 

I mentioned I haven't gotten enough sleep lately, well, you can see the effects in the first two minutes of this video. I really wanted to play, but apparently I wasn't in a state to dodge a single hell knight projectile so I rage quit decided to take a small break. I would have normally recorded the whole playthrough from scratch, but since I already saved and I wanted to do this one continuous, here it is.

 

I didn't really like the gameplay here - it felt grindy even though I brought stuff from the previous one - but I absolutely love the visuals. The rusty metal street aesthetic strongly reminds me of something I can't quite put my finger on. Might be Duke Nukem 3D, but there's something more in it. But I just love it, and the music compliments it very well. There were maps with more intricate details or bold texture usage, but this one's... let's call it art direction just jives with me for some reason.

 

After exiting, I remembered there might be a secret exit and spent some time looking for it (thanks for confirming it was in vain, @DJVCardMaster!) and I IDCLIPped into some of the unreachable areas. It all looks great.
 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 19, 2023 by Klear

[RHhe82]

16 minutes ago, DJVCardMaster said:

The only way to access them is through "idclev33/34" cheat, or "map map33/34" in modern sourceports through console.

Or in the latest versions of DSDA-Doom, you can also go to Options->Level table and choose the map from there.

[Klear]

3 minutes ago, RHhe82 said:

Or in the latest versions of DSDA-Doom, you can also go to Options->Level table and choose the map from there.

 

Well, my issue is playing on a standalone headset, so I can't easily write stuff into console or use cheats normally. There are ways though, the most straightforward one being warping directly into the maps from the launcher which does come with a virtual keyboard.

 

I'll leave it until the end of the month though. I only read other write-ups after playing through the maps myself, but I'm pretty sure I saw something about slaughter...

[rehelekretep]

maps 16-19

1024clau-fda-16-19-rehelekretep.zip

[Klear]

MAP16 - “Nocturnal Abyss” by @brinks

QuestZDoom, UV, blind, pistol start, saves

 

I've seen people mentioning this being a breather map, but the subtle horror vibe kept me on my toes throughout. It really is different from my perspective. Those red eyes! I love some of the details here, like the grass growing around some shells in the first room. And more 3D platforms. Also floating in a black void makes almost everything better.

 

The combat was fine, until the swarm of cacos. Staying to fight was not an option, so I danced around the mancubus and (after two deaths) decided this will be a problem for future me. A great opportunity to deal with the situation presented itself shortly. I'm not sure how many of you are watching my videos, but you should definitely check it out around the 8 minute mark, since there I made the greatest VR pro move ever. I noticed I can chainsaw them through a high window and seeing my health and ammo, I figured I'm probably already screwed if I don't cheese them. It worked, but it was slow and awkward holding my hands to high, so I picked up a (real-life) chair and stood on it. You didn't see that coming, did you, demons?

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

MAP17 - “Transfer Base” by @Solarn, @Kyka, @Jodwin

QuestZDoom, UV, blind, pistol start, saves

 

This map... wow. I mentioned subtle horror previously, well this is more of a non-stop dread. It started by pressing a button and hearing a telepor behind my back. I whirled around and placed a perfecly accurate shotgun shot into the blue armour that spawned. And from then on I'd never have peace from the damn arch-vile laughs...

 

I played very carefully and always felt like I'm just moments from a disaster. There's so many teleport sounds, moving floors, not to mention the constant chatter of demons in their closets. It's unnerving, though thankfully the suspense often gives way to high-octane action to calm my nerves. And the teleporters between the two halves! Did they seriously attempt a time-travel gimmick map on a 1024x1024 square? And succeeded?! This map gaslights you, switches between suspense and endless hordes of enemies, I had no idea what I was doing or where I was going most of the time, yet I hardly ever got stuck. It's amazing.

 

I've noticed others had trouble with ammo at the end and I'm no exception. First attempt at the final hallway packed with demon bodies left me with an impression that it will be impossible to finish this, but I managed to push through after that. I left the map with just 4 shells.

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

Edited August 19, 2023 by Klear

[TJG1289]

GZDoom/UV/Continuous/Blind/Saves (if needed)

Map 19:  Nova Scotia Robots - Esselfortium 

100% kills and secrets

Time: 4:05

 

Ah, an early Essel map! A map that is also named after a song by a lesser known artist! I am a Boards of Canada fan, but considering this song is on an album that only saw a limited release back in '96 and hasn't been reissued, it's not a surprise that I didn't realize this name was a BoC reference. As for the map, this is a rather sedate affair, which is surprising given its map slot. The mid tiers don't really show up until you get the SSG, which will immediately sic 2 revs and 2 mancs on you, while the early map is dealing with hitscan, imps, and 1 hell knight. Opening the blue door does reveal one of 3 archies, but it's not really a threat, even with the imps it's with. In fact, none of the archies are threats here, as the other 2 show at the end one at a time and can easily be picked off. Map looks nice as expected, and I like the use of 3D bridges. Overall, not a bad map. The only complaint I have is this should be earlier in the WAD, as it's way too easy. 

[DFF]

Map18 - Weather Station
K: 100 |I: 100 |S: 100 |

Gzdoom UV Continuous, CCards 5.0

Cacodemons attack with a burst of 3 projectiles

 

A very odd setting on this one, I quite like it. The heavy uses of green and the scrolling walls are a novel design, not sure if this is supposed to be air chambers or something though. Combat wise this map is pretty straightforward. There are 4 rooms branching from the center, with each leading to a key to the next. Teleport and closet traps are the main form of monster distribution with some pre-staffed zombies lurking in adjacent rooms. This map like the last is all indoors and uses minimal exterior playspace design, resulting in a not overtly cramped but definitely more claustrophobic experience, which by WAD name almost suggest that that should be the goal.

 

Overall a decent map that maybe verges on being a bit filler, but the design aesthetics at least make it a bit memorable. Might not remember which map weather station was, but it was the green one with the scrolling walls and the multi-switch blue armor secret.

 

Map19 - Nova Scotia Robots
K: 100 |I: 100 |S: 100 |

Gzdoom UV Continuous, CCards 5.0

Aracnotrons never infight

 

This is very reminiscent to map 16, but brighter and more brown. NSR in a very open map that finally tries to swing the needle back in the opposite direction on the crampedness chart. It has some nice height variation in both gameplay and progression, and the traps are more closet oriented, which I feel can be a lot more palatable than cramming in a bunch of teleporters depending on the map style. This map felt like a breather as difficulty felt it was on the meeker side, especially when compared to the last few maps. Most traps feature at worst a couple mid tiers, and often just a chaingunner or two. The exit is flanked by two archviles that are more annoyance than challenge, both are locked in their rooms and just force the player to play buckshot peek-a-boo.

 

A fine map but a bit more forgettable. Finely designed but the overall combat was a tad drowsy and the colors are too muted. Details outside the play space are also rather minimal.

 

Unrelated note, been a while since a RL was given to the player, hoping to see some cramped risk and reward introduced soon.

 

Rankings:

Spoiler

 

Map31

Map15
Map06

Map05

Map12

Map17

Map07

Map18

Map16

Map19
Map08

Map14

Map03

Map02

Map10

Map09

Map01

Map04

Map11

Map32

 

DNR: map13

Cards:

Spoiler

 

Aracnotrons never infight
Cacodemons attack with a burst of 3 projectiles
Pain Elementals summon enemies on death
Runes will spawn on walls that shoot periodic fireballs

Zombiemen throw bottles that revive enemies

 

 

[cannonball]

MAP20 - “Refinery” by dutch devil

 

This one felt rather elaborate, though this is another one of those levels where you will need to run from one side to the other multiple times. The areas extending beyond the 1024 box are really well fleshed out here, giving the impression that you are covering a larger area than you actually are. I found the SSG secret really quickly, which means that my playthrough was a lot ore straightforward than it could have been, though most of the opposition here are fodder with the exception of a few hell knights and one mancubus near the end.

Overall this is perhaps a bit too heavy on the back and forth, but the map is generally pretty fun to blast through and again this felt more natural in terms of its presentation and progression. A decent map.

[RHhe82]

MAP20: Refinery. Played on DSDA v0.26.2, UV, PS. 121/121 K, 3/3 S, 16/16 I. Comp. time 10:51

 

Wow, talk about a hot start. Refinery feels like a turbo-tuned KDITD map (the name is from SoH, though?), even the choice of soundtrack, which I think is almost the only complaint I can think of other than the fact that I felt you *need* to find either the plasma rifle or SSG secret in order to survive on UV. Not sure if that's accurate, but I think I would have run out of ammo otherwise. (Guess I could have tried leaving enemies behind and come back to deal with them later, I suppose).

 

The map looks good, perhaps even more than E1 it reminds me of NRftL's first map, just wildly condensed. At first I was thinking just how is this 1024x1024, but I guess that once again applies only to the playable area. I wonder if there is a version of this map that uses the rest of the area, which seem very playable, I think I even saw switches somewhere one can't reach?

 

Great map, lands in the top tier of Claustrophobia 1024 levels.

[Celestin]

MAP20: Refinery by Dutch Devil

 

In a similiar vain to Bitter Sanctuary or Weather Station, Refinery is another massacre of trash monsters, which is a kind of map I'm enjoying a lot here. Despite relying in stock textures, it doesn't look bad, there's a ton of fine details and a lot of crates that hide monsters on top, act as makeshift stairs to other places or block your way. It all feel organic.

 

What I appreciate here (beside the combat), is an efficiency in design. Dutch Devil used the space to its full extend and height variation makes the map feel bigger and more complex. Great map and a worthy episode ending.
 

[DJVCardMaster]

MAP20 - Refinery - Dutch Devil (100%K/I/S):

Damn, the amount of space used is crazy, is this map still 1024? The reuse of areas that are already visited, plus the interconnection between some of them makes the map flow and play really nice for a space so short. Not only that but, the amount of detail for areas outside the 1024 units is ridiculous, it really makes the map feel bigger than it actually is.
The map gives off some No Rest For the Living vibes just like MAP03, and plays like one of its maps, but with a small size. The gameplay may not be so hard, but still really enjoyable, one of the better maps here, specially because how well used the playable area was, Dutch Devil squeezed it the most. It is on top with MAP05 and MAP09 in that regard.

(UV - Playthrough/PRBoom+)

Order of Preference:
 

Spoiler

 

MAP31
MAP20
MAP09

MAP05
MAP19
MAP16

MAP03
MAP07
MAP15
MAP13
MAP12
MAP14
MAP06
MAP18
MAP02
MAP04
MAP01
MAP17
MAP32
MAP08
MAP10
MAP11

 

 

[Klear]

MAP18 - “Weather Station” by InsanityBringer, @Kyka, @Jodwin

QuestZDoom, UV, blind, pistol start, saves

 

I managed to screw myself immediately by shooting into the ground on accident while exiting the menu, waking up the initial ambush. Second time went much better and I survived with 13 whole hit points. Yay! The map is very nice with the brown and green theme and I especially liked that it all felt like I was following some objective. Staring a reactor, or some other machinery perhaps. The areas look lived-in and the progress makes sense on a level that's beyond most Doom maps. It's by no means a requirement for a great map, but I really like it.

 

At 1:58 I noticed a few voxels sticking out of a box and to my surprise managed to shoot through it. Not that it made that section significantly easier, but I always enjoy a bit of cheese. A bit stumbling block came with the green sludge room, 4:16 in the video. I was still pretty low on health and the imp ambush just kept ripping me to shreds. I tried several approaches, looking for a way to make at least a bit of a safe zone, different weapons, but I failed again and again. In the end I realised only fancy footwork can help me here, something I'm not very good at in VR. I finally got it at 6:07 and it was all worth it. I honestly think that bit was likely best executed VR gameplay I ever did, passing the room without taking a scratch.

 

I did not appreciate that one spectre ambush near the end and the overall difficulty was a tad above what I'd consider good fun, but it's still one of my favourite levels so far.
 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

MAP19 - “Nova Scotia Robots” by @esselfortium

QuestZDoom, UV, blind, pistol start, saves

 

This is what I needed! I've been getting more and more twitchy and paranoid playing the last couple of levels so this was a welcome change of pace. And it's so spacious! There are moments like picking up the red key where you get lowered and as soon as I heard a chaingunner wake up I knew I was in trouble and adrenaline started pumping and... wait, just one? And he's already dead? Oh, thank god. It's refreshing when a map is not explicitly trying to kill you for a change. And it looks good, especially the fake 3D bridges again.

 

One big criticism: there are not nearly enough robots. Also what's up with putting an Arch Vile inside the exit room? I think this is like third map that's done that, at least.

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

MAP20 - “Refinery” by dutch devil

QuestZDoom, UV, blind, pistol start, saves

 

I did not have a good time playing this map. It starts of very chaotic which I like. Plenty of fodder enemies to chew through, lovely surroundings (I especially liked the view to the courtyard with an electric box). But then progress starts to rely on switches that open stuff elsewhere in the map and I had a lot of trouble figuring out where to go next. First big problem was when I reached the room with the green slime. Again. The secret teleporter was instant death. OK then. I backtracked and realised I am running very low on ammo. I was having a blast sniping the various imps in unreachable windows and such that it never occured to me I should have been hoarding every shell I can get my hands on.

I managed to clean the starting room of fodder but got chewed up by the hell knight repeatedly. Then I got him infighting an imp and got chewed up by a chaingunner ambush repeatedly. After getting through all of that, the worst part followed. I completely missed that the door letting me progress further acts like a lift as well. I saw the slime bridge rising through a window, got the red key, remembered where the red switch is and... that was it for progress. 7 miserable minutes of running around in circles followed before I figured it out.

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

There we go! All caught up.

Edited August 20, 2023 by Klear

[KickAss]

GZDooM 4.10, PB 3.0, HeXeReTiC HUD PB3 v8.3RC2e, Glory Kills v29b, SilentDoomguy, Flashlight, -iwad doom2.wad (ver 1.666), -skill 4 (UV), continuous play, no saves.

 

MAP10 - “Mudbath” by Stewboy, Jodwin

I haven't found a way to get this soulsphere ... :-(.

 

 

MAP11 - “Technicfear” by pcorf

 

MAP12 - “Spitshine” by Fiend

[bioshockfan90]

MAP20: Refinery

 

91K | 100I | 33S

 

Dutch Devil Delivers! Another excellent usage of space that makes the map feel nowhere near as constricted as you’d imagine a 1024 map to be, although this time with the help of far-off monsters outside of the roamable space to create a sense of a larger map. It’s really in contention for me if this is better than MAP19 or not, but I still think I like that more by a hair. Did not expect such back-to-back quality after the last map. This mapset is making up for its low points and has been on a hot streak since around MAP15 or so. 4.6 out of 5.

 

MAPRANKS:

Spoiler

MAP19

MAP20

MAP05

MAP16

MAP14

MAP18

MAP15

MAP07

MAP01

MAP09

MAP06

MAP04

MAP13

MAP17

MAP02

MAP10

MAP03

MAP12

MAP08

 

 

[elborbahquarama]

level 10 : mudbath by stewboy, skull-shooting secret !!!!! you can kill a lot of the enemies without really leaving the beginning area which is nice and comfy, just get out your sunglasses, deckchair, soda and armory to snipe evil boys and enjoy the summer (be careful of the sneaky chaingunner)

 

level 11 : technicfear by pcorf, nice music, creepy iron base with human spine lying on the floor, curious key business going on and then ???????? this is the strangest level !! i died two times against the arch-vile because i didn't have any life left after eating the rockets the cyber-demon cooked for me (extra spicy :'o)

 

level 12 : spitshine by fiend, i got killed by the surprise arch-vile AGAIN !! this time after getting ambushed by a bunch of body-building goats wearing pants... suspicious symbol, secret bleeding wall and beautiful light pillar at the center, very nice, also more red things, thank you

 

level 13 : assault by joshy, oh this level was fun, it was simple but i thought it looked nice and every part felt different to me and like it was very well imbricated against each other (i hope you understand what i mean...), i had the impression that it was quite dynamic, it also made you go around in circle by adding fewer but stronger enemies and i felt that i played well even though it wasn't really hard ! also music from perfect dark and LOST SOULS TRAP *revenant scream*

 

level 14 : deception by dreadopp, very evil temple, LOTS of faces on the walls, i think there was a little problem and a few guys couldn't teleport in the level to join the party so i couldn't get 100% kills but that's okay, also don't ask me why but the starting area made me think it looked like a farm or a ranch (in a good way)

 

level 15 : the inmost con'dens'ed by jimmy91, a baby version of the inmost dens, so cute ?? a lot of obstacles that make the imps shoot into walls at the beginning so you can relax a little, also a couple of chimney fires that shoot at you like when you hurt an old dude in a dungeon from zelda 1, i love it ! this was a lot of fun, everything felt like it was stacked on top of each other, very cosy, also the part with the conveyor belt and the teleporter is hilarious, felt like a crowded subway or something

it also took me forever to find the secret switch at the beginning, i think it disappears after a while and also a part of the level gets blocked off at some point, i had to restart the level several times but i didn't mind

(edit : i also forgot to mention that i enjoyed the feeling that it gave me to constantly see snipets of areas that you can't reach that surround all the map, it not only made me feel that the place was bigger than what i could explore but also imagined that it was potentially an infinite space of dens that extend on landscapes further than the eye can see)

 

level 31 : skyscrape iv by jodwin, wow this is way too intense for me, it's a bad ass skycraper stage that is super well constructed so i still had fun but there is sooo many enemies everywhere i was exhausted and it made me enjoy it a bit less (i died a lot but i don't mind that because i used saves after my first attempt)

also i had a huge problem and got stuck in the room with the spider demon, if anybody can help me understand how this works i would be very grateful, to me it was just a fireblu wall that was shooting at me (which is cool because creepy :O) but once i killed it i had to come here to read your playthroughs of the level because for me i couldn't see through the wall so i didn't know there was an arrow back there, did i do something wrong with the settings of my game ? i'm playing through this wad with the source port prboom+, if anyone knows if it's my fault or if it's normal i would love to here from you because i'm confused x_x

Edited August 20, 2023 by elborbahquarama

[Celestin]

2 hours ago, elborbahquarama said:

also i had a huge problem and got stuck in the room with the spider demon, if anybody can help me understand how this works i would be very grateful, to me it was just a fireblu wall that was shooting at me (which is cool because creepy :O) but once i killed it i had to come here to read your playthroughs of the level because for me i couldn't see through the wall so i didn't know there was an arrow back there, did i do something wrong with the settings of my game ? i'm playing through this wad with the source port prboom+, if anyone knows if it's my fault or if it's normal i would love to here from you because i'm confused x_x

 

Check your translucency options.

[Horus]

MAP19 - “Nova Scotia Robots” by esselfortium

 

As with Jimmy, this seems to be an early (single-player) map in esselfortium’s esteemed mapping career, albeit she did quite a lot of multiplayer mapping beforehand. The first thing that really popped out is how much space there was! After the intense claustrophobia of most of this set, it really felt like the shackles had come loose and we suddenly have a lot more space to roam. For a while, it felt more than a 1024.

 

Of course, when you design a map this way, this reduces the lengthy progression opportunities that you see in maps 9 and 31 for example, and indeed this map ends up being pretty short compared to those around it - although it does use verticality and 3D bridges to make it feel a bit bigger.

 

Visually it looks very nice, giving off a slick, clean and consistent impression, without feeling overdetailed (or even that detailed at all really, essel really lets the textures do the talking in this map). The map name is quirky, which is very fitting because it is an essel map after all!

 

A few others have commented on its placement in the mapset – whilst I can see where they are coming from as it’s definitely on the easy side compared to surrounding levels, I personally welcome the breather.

 

MAP20 - “Refinery” by dutch devil

 

Stock textures, it feels like we are back to Congestion 1024 again! Whilst it feels a little bit out of place for that reason, this map has a lot going for it.

 

It very much kicks things off with a hot start, with sniper imps beyond the playable space, together with hitscanners and yet more imps, it took me a while to get a foothold in this one. When finally you take out the initial wave and can have a bit of a breather, you can take a moment to admire the level of detail in this map. What’s most impressive is the amount of effort that dutch devil has put into detailing areas outside the playable space, to the degree that they fit seamlessly with the areas actually within it.

 

The combat continues with its high energy throughout, though mainly through numbers and placement of low-tiers in a small space, with mid-tiers fairly scarce, and no high-tier monsters present. There is also a degree of non-linearity in progression – only a small bit, but since most 1024 maps are entirely linear it does set it out from the crowd a bit.

Edited August 20, 2023 by Horus

[elborbahquarama]

37 minutes ago, Celestin said:

 

Check your translucency options.

oh you're right i forgot i had disabled translucency thank you! i did it because it makes things like the imps fire balls or soul spheres translucent which i don't really like, but i looked up a tutorial for compatibility settings and there is one to adjust that so it's perfect! sorry for bothering everybody with that dumb stuff here :s

Edited August 20, 2023 by elborbahquarama