The DWmegawad Club plays: Claustrophobia 1024

[Celestin]

MAP23: Fear No Evil by Dutch Devil

 

A massacre of imps in a demonic fort. Clearly the visuals were a priority here, with ruins of brick structures, holes in the ground and glimpses of caves behind shattered walls. The combat revolves around repopulating the central arena with new waves of monsters after getting each of two keys. Protip, don't bother killing the archvile on top of the tower, you can telefrag him at a later point. It will save you rockets for another one, which appears once you unlock the exit.

 

Fear No Evil is a quick map to relax, I think it works well as a breather after Mechadon's adventures.

[cannonball]

MAP23 - “Fear No Evil” by dutch devil

 

Another really fleshed out map by DD, this one feels like a double edged sword though, there are a lot of imps that are out of bounds to the player and honestly two of them I had to cheat to find (The ones off to the side by the red key bars). Now if you are having to do this then it suggests that said monsters are not very well placed because they are essentially harmless. Now there are other imps that can wander sizable distances and be often hidden behind the architecture to the point where killing them can be a little annoying. The fights in the central area are surprisingly easy for where we are in this wad, the fights are not helped at times by the bumpy floor that for some monsters seemed to be too much for them (Essentially restricting their movement), minimising the floor height differences (Aside from the marble walls of course) would have helped here, even if the adjustment was slight. As said above, don't bother with the turret archvile, ironically another monster that didn't really pose much of a threat because of the design of said turret.

In the end the map looks great but at times it felt to the detriment of the fundamental design of the map, especially as it rendered so many monsters ineffective. That said the short run time and a reasonable level of freedom of movement was appreciated compared to the majority of the maps in this set.

[RHhe82]

MAP23: Fear No Evil. Played on DSDA v0.26.2, UV, PS. 93/93 K, 1/1 S, 6/6 I. Comp. time 8:22

 

Nice small scale arena fight with an Ultimate Doom -like choice of texturing. Maybe it feels a bit too cramped for me, awkward collision tends to annoy me. That's only a minor complaint here, the pros greatly outweigh negatives; there's no ammo scarcity, no bullshit single-shotgunning tankier foes, even the archvile can be nicely telefragged instead of tediously taken out with the help of wonky auto-aim.

[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.

 

MAP19 - “Nova Scotia Robots” by esselfortium

 

MAP20 - “Refinery” by dutch devil

 

MAP21 - “Padma” by KingKill33, Dreadopp

[Tiramisu]

MAP23 - Fear No Evil

 

With a name like this, the DOOM 1 music playing in the background and the almost exclusively DOOM 1 enemy choices until halfway through, this almost seems like an E4 map that lost its way to the IWAD and ended up here - the only thing that's missing is an orange sky texture to go with it! Unsurprisingly, this map's made by the same author that did MAP20, the other vanilla-flavored, out of bounds detail-rich entry in the wad. And much like that one, it's a quality map - but this time in arena form, with a layout focused around a large, open courtyard revisited 3 times for 3 separate, rather easy fights. The combat features a rocket launcher, a rare sight in this wad - honestly, it's only after MAP22 that I've begun to realize how much I've missed it... The hell setting itself is also a welcome outlier in a wad that's been 99% techbase so far!

 

Favorite maps, updated: MAP09, MAP23, MAP20, MAP03, MAP07, MAP31, MAP13, MAP17

[bioshockfan90]

 MAP23: Fear No Evil

 

96K | 83I | 0S

 

This would overtake the #1 spot if it were not for the fact that it’s kinda unclear when you get the red key and it’s a bit short and easy for my liking. Still super quality, doesn’t feel cramped at all, excellent attention to detail and texturing. A proper hell map in E3 of the WAD and almost feels ripped straight out of ‘Thy Flesh Consumed’. Archvile gimmick is fun, I’ll give this the #2 slot but with a bit more challenge and a bit more substance, this could’ve been my favorite so far. 4.8 out of 5.

 

MAPRANKS:

Spoiler

MAP19

MAP23

MAP20

MAP05

MAP21

MAP16

MAP22

MAP14

MAP18

MAP15

MAP07

MAP01

MAP09

MAP06

MAP04

MAP13

MAP17

MAP02

MAP10

MAP03

MAP12

MAP08

 

 

[Azure_Horror]

Yeah, I am late this month.

However, there is still hope for me and my reviews... (I hope)

 

Map 01 - “The Warp Facility” by @The Green Herring

UV, Pistol start, DSDA with rewinds

 

Strong visuals, but a bit too much teleporting shotgunners for my liking. 1024 restriction is incorporated well, and map structure is quite memorable, thanks to start and end being close nearby, right in the center of the map. Good start for a WAD, all things considered.

 

MAP02 - “Return to the Darkening” by @Impboy4, @Walter confetti, Jodwin, Mechadon

UV, Pistol start, DSDA with rewinds

 

Basically, a logical continuation of map 01. More shotgunner teleports, some pesky revenants to complicate things further, and less healing items. Luckily, most fights comes with comfy corner to entrench oneself in, so the overall difficulty is pretty bearable for your typical map 02.

The visuals of the map are pretty sick, by the way!

 

MAP03 - “Break the Chain” by @Jodwin

UV, Pistol start, DSDA with rewinds

 

In many ways, this is a Tyson map. For me, the level felt especially notable for a Cacodemon in the storage room. The Flying Tomato Monster essentially acts as miniboss, thanks to restricted resources and unusual fight layout. All, in all, this map offers a nice change of pace after shotgunner-infested map 01 and 02, and keeps the overall Claustrophobia 1024 experience fresh and compelling.

 

MAP04 - “Pit of Sludge” by @stewboy and Kyka

UV, Pistol start, DSDA with rewinds

 

This was a really curious and fun entry. The map feels both shorter than the previous ones, yet also more filled with enemies and other interact-able things. The verticality of this level also felt quite good and inventive. All in all, this level offers top-notch case-study for "how much cool stuff can be put into 1024x1024 square". This example is worth studying even for normal, unrestricted map projects, I think.

 

MAP05 - “Subterfuge” by @Mechadon

UV, Pistol start, DSDA with rewinds

 

This is one of my favorite maps so far. Painstakingly detailed, beautiful and imaginative, with a unique sense of character, and with a wonderful MIDI choice. The combat is slightly cruel for slot 05 level, and the layout is pretty complex. However, thanks to 1024x1024 restriction, the map does not outstay its welcome. Congrats to Mechadon, who have used the mapping challenge to its full potential!

 

BTW, my favorite part of the map is the blue switch encounter, with its cool presentation and scary pair of Hell Knights!

 

MAP06 - “Four Square” by The Green Herring

UV, Pistol start, DSDA with rewinds

 

Hitscan teleport ambushes everywhere! Is this a reprise of Map 02?

To be fair, the cacodemon arena did present some unsusal challenges. But in the end, this map feels like a bonus serving of good ol' reliable Claustrhobia 1024 stuff. Small, Good-Looking, Teleports Behind You. A well-crafted entry, if a bit similar to some previous levels.

 

MAP07 - “Dead In, Dead Out” by Mechadon

UV, Pistol start, DSDA with rewinds

 

Corners are Dooguy's best friends. Doomguy and a Corner make an unbeatable team on this map! This is very helpful, because the enemy composition is full of high-damage mid-tiers, while defensive items are fairly restricted at the start of the level.

Not a bad level, but not a special one either. The visuals are comfy, however. (Dead Simple tricks are used quite fairly, if predictably. So I don't have any strong opinions about them)

 

MAP08 - “Hex of Depression” by @pcorf

UV, Pistol start, DSDA with rewinds

 

Don't take damage, don't shoot monsters in wrong order. Or just find a secret ssg+ armor +ammo and forget everything I just said. Typically, I am not a big fan of such design sensebilities, but I must admit that pcorf made a quite compelling level under those restrictions. It also adds to the overall variety of the Claustrophobia 1024, thanks to combining midtiers with resource restrictions.

TLDR: I dislike the map genre, but have a soft spot for this particular map.

 

MAP09 - “Bitter Sanctuary” by @Kyka

UV, Pistol start, DSDA with rewinds
 

A sanctuary, dedicated to corner camping? Yeah, this one is pretty bitter!

 

Ok, all jokes aside, this level was quite something. Unlike previous maps, this one rebuild itself a new multiple times during the playthrough. It really does not feel like a 1024 by 1024 area! So yeah, with some magic, the 1024 by 1024 restriction was seemingly dispelled - and this is a great achievement!

 

In addition to the above, “Bitter Sanctuary” has a strong hitscanner-focused gameplay loop, which seemingly developes the tropes from previous levels of Claustrophobia 1024. As a result, the map really feels like a irreplaceable part of the whole megaWAD. And it looks stunning too!

Edited August 23, 2023 by Azure_Horror

[DJVCardMaster]

MAP23 - Fear no Evil - Dutch Devil (100%K/I/S):

I usually don't like this heavy overuse of green marble textures, as it feels quite striking in a wrong way, because of how "cartoonish" it looks, and because of that bad shade of green. So I must say the map looks quite samey, but still, there is a big effort not to make it feel a late Congestion 1024 map, by making some "over-detailing" as usual, so far.
This map is quite interesting, as it feels more like an arena map, a level that is quite simple, and does not follow a "narrow corridor" structure, rather Dutch Devil tries to make a "Playground" map, with several fights inside of it, and small tasks to proceed with level's progression. This is a strategy I'm seeing a lot while playtesting maps for Constriction, and also seems like a good way to tackle this type of restriction.
I have to say that, just like the author did with MAP20, he did an excellent job in making this one feel ten times bigger, and totally not a 1024 map, but this is the magic of making a great "LODELOR" effect, the ability to fill the level's scenery with a lot of stuff you may be tricked into believing you can get inside those areas, just like an old PS1 game. This trick is totally effective. The map works fine, although there are some imps that are so far away from the map's boundaries that it is quite difficult to snipe them, and the same applies to them trying to hit you, so they feel like a waste of time. Really solid entry, sadly I've got a little bored of the texture usage after a while.

(UV - Playthrough/PRBoom+)

Order of Preference:
 

Spoiler

 

MAP22

MAP31
MAP20
MAP09

MAP05
MAP19
MAP16
MAP23

MAP03
MAP07
MAP15
MAP13
MAP12
MAP14
MAP21
MAP06
MAP18
MAP02
MAP04
MAP01
MAP17
MAP32
MAP08
MAP10
MAP11

 

Again I'm seeing more maps like this while playtesting Constriction: 1024, rather than forcing layouts with narrow corridors, I'm seeing more "arena-esque" maps, or maps where the main areas are open, usually making said entries drag for a shorter timespan but making them more enjoyable. Personally, I like Mechadon-styled 1024 maps a bit more if well done, but this kind of maps just like today's, are also good options.

[brick]

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

 

MAP22 - “Diminished Apparatus” by Mechadon
Mechadon warns that the map has some tough moments, but the only troublesome one on HNTR is the red key and that seemingly-endless parade that teleports in, with almost nowhere to move. The surprise-archvile near the end, who teleports right on top of the 60 or 70 corpses left behind by that ambush, is one of those nigthmare moments if you don't know about it, or an absolute joke if you do. I found myself surprisingly enjoying everything else about the map, there are some fun surprises like the mancubus and shotgun guys reinforcements in the outdoors. The map is also brimming with secrets, as usual for the wad I reached the exit in a handful of minutes, but then spent another 10 or so hunting them down. I thought all 4 were very clever, devious but fair, and I had a ton of fun trying to find them all (I ended up needing hints for one).

 

MAP23 - “Fear No Evil” by dutch devil
The same designs that irritated me in MAP20 are present in DD's other map, though they are milder here. Everything is still shooting from everywhere at the start (including an archvile this time), I still hit impassable linedefs, I still press switches then wonder now what. The marble castle look is very classic Doom but is well done with some very nice naturalistic curves to make the ruins look more realistic. It's not my favourite map but I think I was ok with it.

[TJG1289]

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

Map 23:  Fear No Evil - Dutch Devil

97% kills and 0% secrets (accidentally exited, not realizing the exit was the exit)

Time: 7:55

 

Like Dutch Devil's previous map, this one also does a great job at making the area you play in feel like a smaller part of a much bigger map with all of its extended scenery. This is a hell map instead of that one's techbase, and this one is a lot more open than the other. Most of the action takes place in one big arena, with an opening bridge area. The enemies mostly teleport in to the arena, but the height variations in the ground actually prevent the monsters from wandering all around it, so you can find some cover and shotgun things to death from safety. The archie at the top of a pillar is also not a threat once you drop down off the opening bridge. Because of the openness of the area, rockets are a great option here, especially once you grab the yellow skull and nobles teleport in. Same with the 2nd archie once you hit the yellow switch at the start of the map, tho a plasma rifle is provided here too. Overall, it's a good map, but I prefer the more constrained nature of DD's Map 20 over this one big arena. I also think the floor should have been more even to allow the monsters to move a little more freely. 

[DavitW]

MAP22: Diminished Apparatus
A problem with some of these 1024 maps is that it just feels like you're playing through the same encounters over and over again. Like the blue key area in this map. First time through, there's a mancubus and 2 revenants in the slime pit with 4 chaingunners on pillars above. You come through later in the map and the mancubus and chaingunners are back again, just minus the revenants. If I could handle it just time the first time, then something tells me taking away the revenants isn't going to make it any more difficult. Same goes for the slime pit area you're overlooking at the beginning of the map, though there's some better variety this time around. The ambush that comes after you get the red key can be trivialized by camping in the starting room and using the splash damage of the rockets to slowly clear the enemies out. You get so many rockets throughout this map I honestly got the impression that was how you were intended to deal with that trap. The third time spawns in an archvile, not too bad if you hustle back there as soon as you hear him spawn in.

 

Seeing 9 or so exit switches at the end of the map and I just knew something fucky was going on. After consulting the all-knowing Doom Wiki, I had the forbidden knowledge to access the easter egg. Do games even still have those anymore? I'm sure the easter egg was an absolutely gut busting in-joke between the developers of this wad. Unfortunately, I haven't the faintest clue what it was about.

 

MAP23: Fear No Evil
This is basically one big battle from beginning to end in a relatively open area. Feels a bit like a middle section of a much larger map. There's something about this sort of marble theming that I always liked, and this time it's a nice break from the somewhat monotonous techbase theming that's made up the lion's share of this wad so far. An Archvile sniper makes the beginning of this map a bit more interesting, while the second one that spawns in after opening the exit felt a bit superfluous. Spawning him into the lower half of the map might have made him a bit more impactful.

 

MAP24: Second Assault
Not exactly the prettiest map of the bunch. I'll even go on record as saying it's flat out ugly. But it ain't about how she looks, it's about how she plays. And this one is just fine. The gameplay formula here basically boils down to one room that fills up with enemies as you go on. No secrets to be found, but there is a megasphere ripe for the taking whenever you need it. Either one (Or both) of the Archviles here can turn out to be a huge pain thanks to the combination of little cover and the room quickly filling up with corpses ready to be revived at a moment's notice, placing a wall of meat between you and the archvile. It's particularly bad here considering a single mancubus seems to take up a quarter of the map. Feels like a map that's way smaller than the 1024 constriction, but I didn't take proper measurements. 

 

1024CLAU22.zip

1024CLAU23.zip

1024CLAU24.zip

[Celestin]

MAP24: Second Assault by Spertz

 

The killcount of 36 is probably the smallest of the wad, but the map makes up for this with some really tough placement. Like putting an archvile behind a pair of mancubi, when you only have a super shotgun and a chaingun (no better guns can be found here). Or the revenant and chaingunners trap. Or the second archvile, which will be happy to revive mancubi, barons and whatever else was killed in the central courtyard (which consists of the bulk of Second Assault's area). Also, the map looks basic with a surprisingly large part of the 1024x1024 square unused.

 

I don't like this one and much prefer Joshy's Assault.

[cannonball]

MAP24 - “Second Assault” by Spertz

 

Short and very blunt, you have the main area and two short wings housing the keys needed to leave the level. Despite having a very small monster count, the map is essentially filled on a similar quota system as your garden variety Plutonia map. As such it is very easy to get yourself killed. However there is a megasphere that can soak up a lot of the pressure. In the end the result is pretty crude, but it gets the job done. I will say that this is probably the first map where I suspect the author simply made a short map and called it a day, instead of pushing the maximise all of the available space. Not that it is a bad thing here because the shortness allow a bit more forgiveness in terms of some of the harsh monster placement.

An odd one to judgement, on one hand this is below par in terms of pushing the visuals and utilising the small amount of space, on the other hand I like the fact that we have this nasty little vignette that doesn't outstay its welcome, which is a change compared to a lot of maps that do try to drag the gameplay out somewhat.

[DFF]

Map22 - Diminished Apparatus
K: 100 |I: 100 |S: 100 |

Gzdoom UV Continuous, CCards 5.0

Aracnotrons cannot be damaged when infighting

 

A very lovely base assault that fits a lot of mileage within the space. There are four secrets in this level and they were all rather delightfully well hidden, making use of secret switches, terrain traversal, and the odd looking CUA sign. I missed one but the secret design here is well done given the limitations. Two of the secret sectors are rather finicky to properly trigger but understandable.

 

As for combat, there are some interesting setpiece encounters that make use of locking the player in. These don't feel too suffocating and flow decently well. It is a bit easy to get lost but the map flows well, and once it opens up fully getting to any one part of the map isn't too difficult. I even appreciated the red key trap giving the player a RL, but enough time to dispatch the two revenants before the real flood starts. Combat is fun and the detailing makes good use of contrasts. The non-damaging acid does well to color the map which features a darker selection of hues. Its a map that pops in both gameplay and detailing. Had a good time even if the zombies were lobbing barrages of bombs at me. The final fight did feel a bit excessive and unnecessary however.

Map31 was technically more impressive and the setting is more unique, but I think I find this map more entertaining to play, so i'll award this the top spot for now.

 

Map23 - Fear No Evil
K: 100 |I: 100 |S: 100 |

Gzdoom UV Continuous, CCards 5.0

Revenants spawn with a mini-revenant

 

Some of my issues with the map probably stemmed from not being able to find the yellow key teleporter for so long, and the arena being filled with the flame traps. I tried to not take this into account in my review but being chipped for damage while trying to find the next progression point didn't help. Its hard to see that teleporter lowering from where the red key is. Maybe some skulls to mark it would have helped.

 

I may have a contrarian opinion but I did not like this map much at all. Similar to DJV i am not a fam of the full green marble; I tend to appreciate it in more conservative usage. The map does the faux-space really well and looks very nice for a decaying ramshackle hell-keep, but the colors with the generally mono-brightness was a bit garish. But the detailing and color choice are not that important in my map opinion. I had problems with the design and flow.

 

Navigation despite the space is rather confusing at times (primarily the yellow key telporter), and the teleporters can get in the way when dealing with various demons. Combat was a bit simplistic past the initial battlefield assessment. The archvile in the tower was a interesting battle piece that I did appreciate, but often it didn't doo much being so high up in the space. Another note about faux-space, personally when the maps are this small having invisible lines blocking areas that are easily accessible takes me out of the experience a bit. The goal of exterior design is to create the illusion of more space, but when there's a ledge that is normally completely accessible and I run dead stop into an invisible wall, the facade breaks a bit and the limitations set back in.

 

Truth be told, its not a bad map but it was a little frustrating, and didn't bring anything really interesting or special with the space aside from a rather unique and pretty setting.

 

Rankings:

Spoiler

 

Map22
Map31

Map15

Map20
Map06

Map05

Map21

Map12

Map17

Map07

Map18

Map16

Map19
Map08

Map14

Map03

Map02

Map23

Map10

Map09

Map01

Map04

Map11

Map32

 

 

DNR: map13

Cards:

Spoiler

 

Revenants spawn with a mini-revenant
Aracnotrons cannot be damaged when infighting
Zombies throw pumpkin bombs
Zombies throw viles of toxic gas
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

 

 

[RHhe82]

MAP24: Second Assault. Played on DSDA v0.26.2, UV, PS. 36/36 K, 0/0 S, 3/3 I. Comp. time 5:14

 

I wanted to like this one, small, intense arena. It went swimmingly for a while, but by the time archvile is released to revive all the mancubi, barons, I'm running out of ammo, and with that out of sympathy. Had I been able to deal with AV faster, or had there been slightly more ammo to withstand a few AV revivals, then I'd love this one, too.

[Azure_Horror]

Everything played with UV, Pistol start, DSDA rewinds.

 

Map10 - “Mudbath” by @stewboy, Jodwin

For a map that lacks even a SSG, Mudbath played very smoothly. From the hitscan-focused start, to the Hell Knight arena in the end, the gameplay was quite compelling and diverse. That said, a rocket launcher, or a berserk pack somewhere around first Hell Knight could have been very welcome: shotgun and chaingun combat can get a bit stale. Still, the final fight felt extremely well crafted. A rare case of a compelling Mid-tier focused fight with no power weapons.

Mudbath is a good map, but it could have been even better with just a few tweaks.

 

Map11 - “Technicfear” by @pcorf

The arena-focused design was unexpected for a slot 11 map, so that's definitely a plus. Visuals are also beautiful.

The final entrenched cyberdemon is a grindy obsatcle, but it still can be used for some fun purposes, like clearing some of the barons/mancubi. Roaming cyberdemon would improve map further, but the entranched cyberdemon was still quite well deployed. In conclusion, this was a very fun map11.

 

Map12 - “Spitshine” by Fiend

This is highly detailed techbase map with multiple different sub-settings. This approach to design reminded me of 2021 Fractured Worlds Map 02. A definitive win, when it comes to visuals. The gameplay is a bit mixed, however. On one hand, the variety of encounters is high, and there is quite a lot of different tools provided to the player. On the other hand, there is an overwhelming urge to take a boring, camping-focused approach, especially around the narrow elevator. This is not a real flaw, but still a bit of defficiency. But in the end, I definitely like this map.

 

Map13 - “Assault” by @Joshy

Theoretically, this map should have left quite a good impression on me. Cool circular layout, efficient reuse of space, and multiple different fights are all there. But in practice, this level felt like it is just there. It is a well-crafted level, don't get be wrong, but somehow it failed to really catch my interest...

 

Map14 - “Deception” by @Dreadopp

First thing that grabbed my attention - a very strong art direction of “Deception”. The textures inspire a compelling mix of Wonder and Desolation, while the midi choice is just chef kiss for this small, but scary level.

 

I also love the start of this level. Finding an optimal place to hide from all the gunners was a puzzle of sorts. My solution was to grab shotgun, shoot a former sergeant and hide behind one of the columns around the entrance. This approach seems to work even with -fast monsters!

The rest of the is a series of revenant ambushes, spiced up with some other foes. In theory, nothing special. However, I did found that gameplay quite fun and compelling. Maybe I was in the mood for some Plutonia-style fights, or maybe Dreadopp created an especially effective setup for revenant corridor fights - I don't know. All I know is that the map was very fun to me.

 

Map15 - “The Inmost Con’dens’ed” by @Jimmy, @Mechadon

This map attempts to do quite a number of different things, so it is better analyze its different aspects separately.

1) Inmost Dens homage

The name of the map may contain a jarring pun, but the dedication to the theme is painstaking. There are some direct references to the famous Doom II map, and there is also a lot of beats from different Inmost Dens recreations, be they from Plutonia, Scythe or Hell Revealed. The theme of the map is employed really well.

2) Secret Exit

On one hand, this map has a number of points of no return, including the secret exit switch itself. Such decisions are always divisive, no way around it. On the other hand, the secret exit is unlocked in quite a fun way. On top of that, the crucial switch, which enables the secret exit route, is placed right near the start of the map, so a dedicated secret-hunt focused playthrough is very unlikely to miss the secret exit. The secret sector near the level exit is also quite clever - the player is bound to walk above it, but the secret will count only if the crucial switch was activated - this is clever and elegant.

3) Gameplay

The challenges of this level have a pinch of Hell Reveled in them, but not too much. The fights do feel oppressive at times, but nothing feels truly unbearable. The berserk-conveyor section may appear ridiculous at first, but it also has a consistent solution. It's quite funny: grabbing the pistol allows you to stun imps and avoid too much damage from them, while dealing the Hell Knight for as long as necessary. Quite a clever combat puzzle!

Conclusion: This level is really well done, and it is one of the hidden gems of the WAD. Is it a favorite part of the WAD for me? This is a complex question... Map 15 uses quite blunt and uncompromising design elements at times, so it is really not my cup of tea. But the basic premise is executed very well, and the level was worth seeing just for this reason alone

 

Map31 - “Skyscrape IV” by @Jodwin

Now this is a really insane level. Non-linear, with extremely involved Boom-scripts behind the scenes, with quite a number of different fights and a well-executed visual theme. With Skyscrape IV, Jodwin really went all in in on the 1024 by 1024 mapping theme. My favorite parts are the mastermind-out-of-bounds set up, and the route-independent weapon progression: no matter, which sequence of the 4 rooms you choose, the weapon order seems to be roughly the same.

The gameplay suffers a bit from abundance of close-quarters high-threat ambushes, but this is not such big of a deal: Claustrophobia 1024 employs such fights quite often, and Skyscrape IV is far from the most cruel level in the megaWAD in this regard.

This is one of my favorite maps in the WAD.

 

Map32 - “Oil Rig” by @Mik57, Mechadon

Where does this map succeed:

It is a successful execution of slaughter-esque super-secret map under the 1024x1024 constraints. Quite an achievement! Small playable area and Slaughter/Go-2-It style designs appear at odds with each other, but Oil Rig does indeed combine them quite well. On top of that, the map visual theme is original and memorable. There are definitely things to like about this level!

Where does this map fail:

The level is too constrained in its gameplay. This is caused not by the 1024x1024 restriction but by abundance of beefy enemies around narrow passages. As a result, the gameplay becomes grindy and slow... This could have easily been addressed by either expanded freedom of movement for both the player and the monsters, or by providing a stronger arsenal to make a direct assault less time-consuming. Sadly, neither of this tricks are deployed on the map, so it becomes much less fun than it could have been.

(BTW, with Beed's Cool Arsenal mod, Oil Rig becomes much more fun. So yeah, the powerful guns do indeed help.)

 

Map16 - “Nocturnal Abyss” by @brinks

After Map 32, I decided to keep Beed's Cool Arsenal mod for a few more maps. It is a fun mod, after all!

Really glad that I did. Nocturnal Abyss wants me to deal with cacodemon/pain-elemental flock in a huge open cavern, while having the chaingun as my strongest weapon! Ouch! With normal weapons, such fights are really tedious. And a series of Hell Nobles/Revenanst/Mnacubus fights doesn't help either. Luckily, I had modified arsenal, so the fights weren't that time consuming. And aside from the enemy composition, this level is quite gorgeous: it used out of bounds spaces in a cool way, organizes different fight areas quite well, and also has beautiful visuals.

Conclusion: This could have been a very fun map. Sadly, it is marred by weapon choice: the fights are too beefy for a combo of Chaingun and Shotgun. But if the player has a stronger arsenal with either the help of mods, or due to the continuous playthrough, than this map becomes quite fun.

 

Map17 - “Transfer Base” by @Solarn, @Kyka, Jodwin

We have a bit of alternate reality going here... And both alternating techbases look quite stunning! But no matter the reality, the corridors are filled with monster to the very brim! Unlike Nocturnal Abyss, this level does provide the SSG and the Plasma Rifle. So grindfest-induced tedium is no longer a concern. But the enemy power is a concern this time around! Revenants and chaingunners are commonplace, and there are even Archviles in those narrow hallways!

In practice, this leads to lots of door camping, because ammo for plasma rifle is premium, while the other guns lack firepower to chew through the monsters without diving into cover often. So in the end, this map also stumbles into problem of insufficient tools, but less so than maps 32 or 16. Still, with the tools given, the gameplay is doomed to be less fun, than it could have been... Those corridors beg for some Going Down style close-quarter rocket combat!

Edited August 24, 2023 by Azure_Horror

[Flyxolydian]

Next three... here we go:

Map 23 - Fear No Evil:
Dutch Devil does delightful DOOM... erm, map. Quite a fleshed out hell castle theme here, and it looks pretty convincing too, would be right at home in 'Thy Flesh Consumed'. Combat is somewhere in the middle in terms of intensity, but is never boring, as you get access to stronger weapons as you progress through the map, and you can choose the pace in which you want to play (e.g, my blind finish was somewhere around the 8 minute mark, but I replayed due to missing the secret and did it in 3 minutes the next time). Good stuff.

Map 24 - Second Assault:
Jesus, what a vicious little bugger of a map. You get an SSG pretty early on, but even that feels inadequate given the size of the map, and the monsters used. There is a Megasphere to help soften the blow a little, but poor gameplay can easily have it worn down in an instant (close quarters combat + Mancubi = you gonna have a bad time). There's two wings, and you can tackle them in any order, but there's definitely a better choice of route, you can do it the easy way or the hard way. No comment about the visuals because well... there aren't any lol.

Map 25 - Cabracan 1024:
Jesus, what a contrast to the previous map. Another Mechadon map that feels very... erm 'Mechadon'. That being; quite open, lines of sight everywhere, intricate map layout, verticality, and great detailing. Mercifully, the secrets in this one don't require an IQ above 200 to find, and once you get the BFG, the map is pretty much won. 

Edited August 24, 2023 by Flyxolydian

[Tiramisu]

MAP24 - Second Assault

 

This is probably the most condensed and concentrated use of mid-to-high tiers we've seen so far in this wad, resulting in one of the shortest yet hardest maps so far. There's so much Mancubus blubber and self-propelled angry bones everywhere that it's hard to even move around much less dodge fireballs, and the map just keeps on throwing wave after wave at you, with ammo scarce enough to force some strategic berserk action too! And that's not even mentioning some of the scariest Archviles I've seen in a long time... The map's visuals are basic but imo they do their job well, and looking at the minimap - yeah, the author didn't exactly prioritize maximizing the available space here, but it's not exactly a flaw in my book, either! Overall I enjoyed this map, my only complaint is that there should've been a rocket launcher later on to deal with the Barons quicker.

 

Favorite maps, updated: MAP09, MAP23, MAP20, MAP03, MAP07, MAP31, MAP24, MAP13, MAP17

Edited August 24, 2023 by sq. Tiramisu

[bioshockfan90]

MAP24: Second Assault

 

100K | 50I | 100S

 

We get another assault map? And this one is completely out of place in the WAD with barely any monsters and the most  straightforward progression I’ve seen thus far? That’s… surprising to say the least.

 

Was not a fan of this one at all, maybe difficulty balancing robbed me of a proper experience here, I’ll have to let the UV players let me know, but this is just a joke difficulty-wise for being a MAP24. It does nothing the player hasn’t seen, yet alone done *better*, and as I said it feels very out of place for this deep into the WAD. Near the bottom it goes. Ho hum. :/ 3.4 out of 5.

 

MAPRANKS:

Spoiler

MAP19

MAP23

MAP20

MAP05

MAP21

MAP16

MAP22

MAP14

MAP18

MAP15

MAP07

MAP01

MAP09

MAP06

MAP04

MAP13

MAP17

MAP02

MAP10

MAP24

MAP03

MAP12

MAP08

 

 

[Azure_Horror]

Map18 - “Weather Station” by InsanityBringer, Kyka, Jodwin

 This is another lovingly-crafted tech-basey level with evil foes all around. It looks less striking than maps 16 & 17, but it still feels still quite comfy. Also, map18 has a less straightforward fights than two previous maps. Many encounters do not have obvious safe spots. Maneuvring around the danger requires some thought, and target prioritization is also interesting. I like this level.

 

Map19 - “Nova Scotia Robots” by esselfortium

A relatively easy map, which nevertheless puts a big emphasis on archviles. End result - essentially, this level is a power fantasy. Insrtead of dying to puny hitscanners/lost souls/cacodemons again, again and again, like it was the case in many previous levels, the player is given an opportunity to bully those pesky viles! Such scary-but-easy breather maps are underappreciated.

 

MAP20 - “Refinery” by dutch devil

The Imp Song MIDI and an emphasis on vanilla textures give this level a strong IWAD feel. The convoluted map structure with multiple secrets, and semi-optional areas enhances this impression even further. A cool trip down the nostalgia line, If you ask me. But for me, the nostalgia is not the main selling point of this map. In this level, the borders between background and the playable area are incomprehensible in the first playthrough. This is the first such map of Claustrophobia 1024, and such design is my favorite part about Refinery!

 

MAP21 - “Padma” by KingKill33, Dreadopp

Can I get a Super shotgun? Please? Padma is a really beautiful level with somewhat basic gameplay. A similar map can make for a wonderful map01 in some hypothetical pWAD. But in slot 21, this map feels a bit strange... Still, this level does indeed look beautiful and is worth experiencing.

 

MAP22 - “Diminished Apparatus” by Mechadon

On one hand, Diminished Apparatus is an impressive sandbox level. Beautiful and colorful environments, huge enemy variety, and many different tools to fight.

On the other hand, the level progressions seems to be nebulous, and all significant fights can be easily door/window/corner camped from a correct vantage point. Strange map. The level is indeed a labor of love, with many cool points of interest. Yet still, its gameplay may collapse on itself occasionally... In the end, I cannot say that this map has definitive flaws, but at times it feels very disordered.

 

MAP23 - “Fear No Evil” by dutch devil

Like map 21, Fear No Evil also blurs the line between play area and the background. Structure-wise, this map is one big multi-wave arena surrounded by a variety of background structures. This map would make for an outstanding breather/episode-starter in a non-claustrophobia WAD. It is a solid map, all things considered, but it feels a bit unremarkable in the context of Claustrophobia 1024.

 

MAP24 - “Second Assault” by Spertz

On UV this level is a tiny, yet hardcore vignette. Second Assault loves unleashing archviles. And mancubi. And barons. And chaingunners. Needless to say, the combat situation can get quite nasty at times. But this nastiness is balanced by short map runtime. The map does not outstay its welcome, and, in the end, it feels quite rewarding to beat. I really liked playing this map, despite its simple structure and its basic visuals.

Edited August 24, 2023 by Azure_Horror

[TJG1289]

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

Map 24:  Second Assault  - Spertz

100% kills and secrets

Time: 3:38

 

A very short map, this one has a low enemy count, but the encounters are cramped and intense. There's not a ton of ammo here, but a berserk is provided at the start, so that will be useful on barons later. This tiny map is pretty much the starting area, and 2 alcoves with the keys. The red key area has 2 mancs and an archie while grabbing it unleashes 2 revs and 4 chaingunners. The blue key area has 2 chaingunners while grabbing it teleports 2 barons and a pain elemental in the opening area. Hitting either key switch sends in imps, a baron, and an archie. Yay for continuous BFG! I saved the berserk for this fight, and grabbed the megasphere on the way out. Overall, fun little map that is a little more tough than previous maps. Not much of a looker compared to other maps in the WAD, but that's not a big deal.

[DemoGorgonZola]

Map16 Nocturnal Abyss
- stylistically falls well in the void theme of maps 33 and 34 (another reason play all secret levels together in one go), though a lot easier in comparision, overall a nice smallish base but it doesn't feel that cramped

Map17 Transfer Base
- back to the cramped corridors jam-packed with enemies, this time in a normal/hellish switcheroo looping not the unfolding variety; some gnarly but enjoyable traps

Map18 Weather Station
- solid if standard gameplay, nice detailing

Map19 Nova Scotia Robots
- kind of a breather for, feels very chilled out in continuous play (even if restraining to lower tier weaponry) but fun and good looking

Map20 Refinery
- nice looping with good detailed scenery, uses unreachable monster filled areas to overcome the 1024 limit and seem bigger than it is to good effect

Map21 Padma
- okay map, nothing special but a few good ambushes

Map22 Diminished Apparatus
- this map... feels like a deliberate magnum opus pulling all the stops and to great effect; intricate looping layout with detailed surroundings and very solid encounters that feel even slaughterish at points but the map provides means to deal with them so it's not overwhelming; it's long but doesn't overstay it's welcome; also good luck finding the easter egg on first try unassisted, hehe

Map23 Fear No Evil
- good looking castle-like structure, with a 'once more unto the breach' feel

playthrough video: 

Spoiler

 

 

[Horus]

I was 5 maps ahead at one point, now I'm quite a bit behind, time to catch up!

 

MAP22 - “Diminished Apparatus” by Mechadon

 

This one was seriously impressive, as Demo said a magnum opus in 1024 form (funnily enough we have a map coming up called magnum opus). I decided to load it up in UDB after I finished it…almost 5000 linedefs! Intricate details throughout the ‘CUA’ base and yet I can’t really think of a moment where it hindered gameplay.

 

As with prior Mechadon maps this does a great job of reusing and repopulating space…it means of course backtracking as well but that isn’t too bothersome here.  

It was fun throughout but the highlight was me was the teleport trap that came with the rocket launcher - you had to be quick to avoid the enemies getting too close to you, rendering rockets unusable. And don’t facerocket yourself as a did a couple of times (hey, Coincident would love this map! :P). The archviles are also quite devious, partially shielded by the meat it resurrects.

 

The MIDI is the one of the more popular Jimmidis,  I’m pretty sure I’ve heard it quite a few times before…that said, I believe this is the map it was originally composed to, so one cannot criticise originality here! It’s a little repetitive for me but does the job.

 

It’s tough to choose between this and Map 5 for my favourite Mechadon map so far, but this just about takes it.

 

MAP23 - “Fear No Evil” by dutch devil

 

Another dutch devil map, another stock texture map, one that definitely wouldn’t look out of place in Congestion 1024’s Marbelous final stretch, smothered as it is in green marble. This one has more teeth, mainly due to its annoying sniper archvile. I deliberately didn’t shoot it because I figured it could be telefragged…and I was right, at least eventually.

 

If map 20 gave you imps, well this one gives you more. Somehow, after the initial horde, I managed to get lost…though when I found the way I facepalmed a little internally, the progression is not cryptic!

 

The ambushes and initial onslaught is decently fun (although the archvile annoying if effective), but not as enjoyable as the last dutch devil map, and I did get caught up in the detail a couple of times.

[Horus]

Caught up for now...but I'll be behind again as I'm out of action until the 28th.

 

MAP24 - “Second Assault” by Spertz

 

Stock textures and stock midi just like the last map…but that’s where the similarities end. This map ramps up the difficulty curve, forcing the player into a series of close-quarter scenarios where it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

 

I tried to get the starting revenant to infight with the mancubus…with mixed success, and a couple of deaths. It only gets harder from there…when the map starts revealing archviles and a variety of accompanying mid-tiers. There’s only 36 monsters but the monster count is deceptive and a reminder that monster count and difficulty often have little relation…

 

Visually it’s basic but just about gets the job done, clearly combat is the focus here. For the most part it’s enjoyable despite the difficulty, though the baron-PE tap felt like a bit of a hindsight trap (pretty easy if you charge the PE, rather more difficult if you don’t).

 

MAP25 - “Cabracan 1024” by Mechadon

 

The last of the solo Mechadon maps and very much to the same theme…this time with an added hot start that would make Gusta and his Plutonia 2 hot starts proud…! It’s absolutely manic, with multiple priority targets scattered everywhere…thank goodness there’s a blue armor because you’ll need it! The barrels also help make quick(er) work of some of the hitscanners, but there’s still cacos,  hell nobles, before finally…you can breathe a bit.

 

After that, it very much follows the same pattern as the last few Mechadon maps…tons of detail (8,100 linedefs for a 1024 map…good lord), very interconnected, lots of backtracking and repopulation of old areas as they progressively open up more bit by bit. I think this one stretches things in the gameplay length department even more than the others.

 

The fights are mostly fair, fun and not too grindy…that said I have no idea what triggered the closet with the secret BFG, but I was very thankful for it when that spider mastermind appeared, might have struggled otherwise. Also, the disadvantages of 3D bridges came apparent when I kept getting shot by a shotgunner that I couldn’t see for the life of me!

 

Still, overall, I had fun, and it was a fitting finale to Mechadon’s solo contributions to this megawad.

 

Time to update the rankings:

Spoiler

MAP17
MAP33
MAP22
MAP5
MAP1
MAP24
MAP20
MAP25
MAP14
MAP34
MAP12
MAP6
MAP9
MAP19
MAP2
MAP7
MAP18
MAP13
MAP23
MAP4
MAP31
MAP3
MAP10
MAP8
MAP11
MAP16
MAP21
MAP15
MAP32

 

[Horus]

As for next month's votes, my three choices are:

 

+++Operation Biowar (19 levels), Equinox (13 levels)

 

Two mapsets from the late 90s / early 00s that I've played before but keen to replay with the club. Equinox I played pistol start and it's quite scarce with ammo, so would be interesting to see how much continuous play changes things. 32 maps which is more maps than days, but 3 of the Equinox maps are tiny hub maps that can be paired with the previous one.

 

+++NJ Doom

 

This for me is a historical curiosity, as according to the Doom Wiki widely believed to be the first solo megawad ever released.

 

+++Limit Buffet 

https://www.doomworld.com/forum/topic/138107-limit-removing-megawad-limit-buffet-forcing-mappers-and-musicians-to-play-by-weird-rules-rc1/

And finally for something more modern. I think this leads in quite well from Claustrophobia 1024 as another limitation-focused mapset, but this time every map (and midi) has its own unique limitation, an interesting twist that I imagine will lead to a fair amount to talk about.
 

 

[DJVCardMaster]

MAP24 - Second Assault - Spertz (100%K/I/S):

This one is particularly interesting because of two things, first, the aesthetic, which feels like a Doom 2 apologyst map, as the looks of it switches to use more vanilla textures instead of the new ones found in most Claustrophobia maps. The second thing is that the mapper, whose identity is unknown (This being his only submitted map ever), decides not to use the entire 1024x1024 square, as there are big gaps of unused space that could have made the map bigger. Really interesting, as Spertz does not need the full square to make a short but solid map, reminiscent to Demonfear kind of maps. Gameplay-wise, it involves a lot of fighting in the main area, while trying to make infight the most enemies you can. Progression is just simple, get the two keys, solve the two fights you are going to be in after grabbing the keys, and proceed to do a final fight before exiting. There isn't much more to say about this map, but it is interesting that the author did not need to use the entire space to make a quirky map, he went for a simple, Doom 2 looking map, that fits in a 1024 square, and not only that, he decided that this would be the only thing he decides to throw to the Doom community, so he clearly refused to elaborate further with his submission.
Nice map, but I have to say it is not particularly a breather.

(UV - Playthrough/PRBoom+)

Order of Preference:
 

Spoiler

 

MAP22

MAP31
MAP20
MAP09

MAP05
MAP19
MAP16
MAP23

MAP03
MAP07
MAP24
MAP15
MAP13
MAP12
MAP14
MAP21
MAP06
MAP18
MAP02
MAP04
MAP01
MAP17
MAP32
MAP08
MAP10
MAP11

 

 

[Celestin]

MAP25: Cabracan 1024 by Mechadon

 

According to the info file, Cabracan 1024 was inspired by MAP20: Refinery, but the only similarity I've noticed are crates blocking off parts of the map you're not supposed to enter.

 

The start is among the toughest in the wad, you are being fired upon by hitscanners around you and the way to bigger guns is blocked by cacodemons. You want to kill them ASAP, because otherwise, they will follow you to the yellow key pit. It's cramped enough with spectres. I've found a hidden switch here, it unlocks a soulsphere and a BFG, which you'll absolutely want for the wall of mancubi. The rest of the map is okay, a pair of pain elementals that approach from afar is annoying, so is a mastermind. The barons by the exit are just a waste of time. Finally, the map relies on backtracking too much for my taste, I know it's a common trick in this wad, but here it feels especially bad.

 

I know I've been complaining a lot, the truth is, this isn't a bad map, but other than MAP34, this is the weakest one Mechadon made and I hold him to a higher standard.

 

+++ The Box of a Thousand Demons

+++ Tarnsman's Projectile Hell

+++ Atonement 

[Azure_Horror]

First, some votes for the next month:

Edit: my updated votes are in this post.

- Back to Saturn X Episode 3 preview / Deep Breath / DBP37: Auger;Zenith (32 maps total)

Back to Saturn X series is renown for its quality. Recently, a 5 map teaser for the 3rd episode was released. Would be cool to check those maps out. Deep Breath is a 6-map ocean floor adventure. And finally DBP 37: Auger;Zenith is one of the most renown WADs in DBP series, and a 2021 Silver Caco recipient.

- Doomkid.wad / Jumpwad / Boaty McBoatwad (30 maps total)

Doomkid.wad is a 9-map series, built around the MIDIs of @Doomkid. Jumpwad is a 7-map journey without enemies, but with jumps and a Cacoward! And Boaty McBoatwad is a community project, dedicated to boats in doom. Should be a lot of fun!

I am going to hold my 3rd vote for now.

 

Second, lets talk Claustrophobia 1024

Map25 - “Cabracan 1024” by Mechadon

 

The 1024 x 1024 restriction is not felt at all during the gameplay! To do this, map 25 incorporates designs from maps 20, 13 and 05. A lot of monsters inhabit the background, and the divide between the background and the main 1024x1024 play area is kept hidden. The main play area has a lot of twists and turns in it, and also reuses some areas for multiple encounters.  On top of that, the map is finely detailed, and has a huge variety of enemies. There is even a Spider Mastermind!

 

Sadly, those impressive achievements have come at a price: the map seems to suffer from a Magnum Opus Syndrome. The Syndrome is not as bad as in some Community Chest 4 maps, but it is there, quite unexpectedly for a Claustrophobia 1024 map.

As usual, Magnum Opus Syndrome manifests itself in the principal "more stuff is always better than less stuff, no exceptions". On a map with lots of fine details and a dedicated "background" layer, this leads to over-abundance of snipers, of both hitscan, and heavy-hitting projectile variety. The beautiful, painstaking decorations hide snipers quite well... The map runtime is relatively long, so snipers can really get on one's nerves. On top of that, the progression of the map is quite non-obvious. All this makes map less enjoyable than it could have been.

Nevertheless, “Cabracan 1024” is still an extremely solid level. It has flaws, definitely. But its strengths are also great!

Edited August 25, 2023 by Azure_Horror

[Roofi]

+++ Atonement

+++ Abscission

+++ Doom II in spain only

[Flyxolydian]

How about for next month:

+++ Lost Civilisation (20 maps) & 10 X 10  (11 maps)