The DWmegawad Club plays: I C H I N I C H I

[Antiquated]

Need to catch up a bit:

 

Map09: Olive Pinnacle 

 

In the name: Well, it's very olive. And that giant mouth object seems like the pinnacle of pool architecture. Fun for the whole family.

 

This is the first map that got me to use saves, I don't enjoy the beginning much and I found that I kept getting stuck on random stuff. The fact that a lot of the enemies just die going through the crusher hallway also made things feel a bit odd, but I really enjoyed the architecture, especially the pool area at the end with the chaingunners leaving the changing rooms (right next to the public pool?), which was a surprisingly fun arena.

 

6.5/10

 

Map10: Ed

 

In the name: I think this map is more like a Harry to me.

 

Pretty fun map with a cool design, but I have a complaint in that if you alert the guys right next to a lift and leave before killing them all, this can lead to you getting murdered trying to reenter the area unless you let them all go up the lift one by one. I don't have a ton to say about this one admittedly, although the megasphere ambush is funny.

 

6.5/10

 

Map11: Team Rocket

 

In the name: Doesn't seem like a very functional team if we're dueling each other.

 

I like this map quite a bit. I love rocket combat and the cyberdemon fight is well implemented, especially with the teleporters acting as a unique way to dodge around him, whilst trying to incent infights with the barons. By the finale of the map, I just kept my plasma ready at all times and spammed it with the amount of cells given. I believe that the plasma is really underrated as a general go to weapon, it doesn't do bad in any situation except like, trying to snipe cacos.

 

8/10

Edited November 11, 2023 by Antiquated

[UUN4]

MAP11: Team Rocket

UV | Pistol start | No saves

K: 100% | I: 100% | S: 50%

The arachnotron, mancubus, and imps at the start aren't all too bad (and also I sniped the chaingunner next to the window of the rocket launcher room), the imps and mancubus evoked a nice slaughter-like fight. Afterwards, getting up to the main hub with the lowering and raising border might prove scary with all the barons (and probably cyberdemon) firing at you and pinkies gnawing at you, but I managed to get through it fine; once you clear all the other enemies including the kind-of-annoying side arachnotrons (there were a lot of rockets lying around the arena), fighting the cyberdemon was pretty easy if you know how to dodge his rockets. Afterwards, I decided to go into the little alcove where the red key door is out of curiosity (I had died a few times before) and was awarded with the plasma gun, which explained the cell ammo dispersed throughout the map. The plasma gun proved immensely useful for the remainder of the map, particularly the ambushes in the red key room and the final room with the exit teleporter (although I did still get kinda close to dying in the latter fight despite finding the secret supercharge due to lack of attentiveness), I agree with Celestin that being forced to use the RL in these fights would been nail-biting and that the plasma gun kind of waters that down (although that's not to say I didn't have zero fun using the PG).

[Celestin]

MAP12: Eetoem

 

I have no idea what the title means. Anyways, it's a techbase cleanup, combining E1 aesthetics with TNT's hitscanners, made more challenging with the lack of armor in the map. 

 

The combat is mostly incidental - moving from room to room, killing anything that gets in your sights. There's one big fight, and that's by the blue key, where you get ambushed by a pair of archviles and chaingunners. If you've been saving cells, it should be a right place to use them. In the end, it's an average map and even "I Sawed the Demons" wasn't able to save it.

[TheMightyWhoosh]

MAP11 thoughts, comments and spoilers below:
 

Spoiler

This map went through many, many changes. The starting area was the original MAP01; however the combat just didn’t fit and so I decided to move the map to a later slot. 
 

Speaking of the combat, that also changed various times from a slaughter map-type thing full of low tiered enemies to the current Cyberdemon + mid tiered friends setup which works much better, especially as an episode closer. 

 

The layout and progression also changed considerably by removing two keys and adding/removing rooms around. 
 

I will defend including the plasma in this map as it’s great fun for the RK ambush! 

 

[espilka]

MAP12 Eetoem - K: 100% / S: 100% (UV, continuous)

 

A techbase where the action takes place mainly along the hallways in once again architecturally complex and clever design.  We begin in an elevated central area with a view to the lower floor with enemies from between the walls and the floor.  There is a setpiece fight for the BK in a gorgeous blue room (that distinct blue techbase texture), where the heart - an impressive and strange piece of technology - of the base is, against Arch-Viles and Chaingunners. That's not where i died though, but my death came by getting cornered by a HK coming down an elevator near the end.  Unfortunate as i felt my run until then was pretty decent, and the next one was a typically slightly frustrated second run, which i did survive.  The secrets were Soulsphere and a BFG (i think it was), which comes handy in that mise-en-scene, though i'm not technically very proficient with it. :P

 

Regardless, my favourite map so far - basic Doom gameplay in basic Doom environment, with nearly perfect execution and lots of little details to elevate it (such as the mechanism to acquire the YK).  The name is enigmatic, but this reminds me more of an E2M (no, i'm not implying that'd be what the name refers to, it's just a nice ill-fit, and as far as i got with it :D ) because of a few elements, the main room included.

[_goofyguy]

MAP08 - Bliss

Very open map with mostly incidental combat. Got a little confusing at times as to where I'm meant to go/what button to press. Uses one of my favourite pieces of music from Doom, relatively easy combat. The jumpscare at the yellow keycard got me

MAP09 - Pinnacle Olive

Lots of cramped corridors with a few open arenas to space things out. I quite like how this one has a few areas that serve no purpose other than providing somewhere to explore, like the flesh maze near the beginning. In most other cases this would seem like padding, but it's pulled off okay here. Fun map.

[TheMightyWhoosh]

MAP12 thoughts, comments and spoilers below:

 

Spoiler

Completely non-linear, and perhaps that’s the downfall for this map? 
 

I originally mapped out the central BK area and then created the base around it, resulting in various ways to progress and tackle the map. Not much changed after the map was completed as despite sitting and staring at the editor for countless amounts of time, I didn’t really know which parts to change and improve on. 
 

Personally, I feel that it met the ‘Ultimate Doom with added Doom II monsters’ vibe I was aspiring for and I’m happy it became a favourite for at least one Doomer here! :D 

 

[UUN4]

MAP12: Eetoem

UV | Pistol start | No saves

K: 100% | I: 97% | S: 0%

I had the red key for a hot minute and forgot about the red door for a bit, so I cleared a good handful of the level with the chaingun and standard shotgun; getting the shotgun and rocket launcher later on kinda felt like a nice sense of power progression but that's just me. I also managed to get the BFG which I lowkey felt like should've been a marked secret (then again I don't know much about mapping and people's philosophies on that); it proved vital for the double arch-vile encounter even though I used up more cells than I should have. Overall I'd say it was kinda an average level; for what it is, it's fine.

[espilka]

MAP13 Dirty Laundry - K: 100% / S: 100% (UV, continuous)

 

More dirty greens, this time coupled with sewage - seems like a dirty business when the demons have their clothes washed.  But no matter, it might stink but at least the dirt isn't damaging.  The main and final room of the map is used twice, first to collect the BK and second for the exit, and each time entering there is a very serious ambush in both of which i died, managing deathless run only on third attempt (i don't remember dying here on my HMP run.)  First time entering, there's just a load of enemies, but worst are the Chaingunners on the other side of the area on elevated floors that are hard to deal with everything else going on around you with Cacodemons, Hell Knights, Imps and Pinkies.  The second time entering there is an ambush of Chaingunners and Imps, and it's just easy to get shredded very quickly.

 

One thing cool about that room is the two falls of nukage into different pools.  When grabbing the BK, one of them stops to release Mancubi from the inside, and when teleporting back from behind the BK door after having pressed a switch, the other fall has stopped to reveal the exit.  There's a lot more going on in the map, naturally, such as the many-tiered YK room with hitscanners which also harbors both of the secrets, and the different sections of the map are connected via a combination of sewage tunnels and teleporters, and is occupied by all enemies up to the Baron. 

 

i would offer however that the sewage tunnels could have used more elaboration, as as they are they feel somewhat utilitarian.  They need to be traversed twice and are on both times occupied with monsters - but on second time most of the monsters come to you, i awaited for them by the door, leaving the tunnel uninhabited with only a few Chaingunners staying at the other end.  But in addition, i would have also liked the section to be more extensive and have more substance also in terms of layout.

 

Obviously that's a small thing, as Dirty Laundry is another very good level elevated from standard with the author's usual finesse and design choices.  And our mysterious companion appears to have gone missing again.

Edited November 13, 2023 by espilka
elaboration on tunnels

[brick]

MAP12 - “Eetoem”
This time I have no idea what the title refers to. I'm not sure if I have a lot to say about the map but that's not because I disliked it! I had a lot of fun going around it and trying to figure out how the various parts work. It's one of those maps with passages that loop around each other, so that moving between two adjacent rooms requires a lot of running around, but it works here because the map is not too large and so the backtracking is part of a fun navigation puzzle that doesn't outstay its welcome. The blue key ambush gave me a moment of panic as the archviles tried to flank me to make it more difficult to break LOS, but it was a very fun fight. This is also the map where I realize the lighting work in the wad is gorgeous, subtle and restrained (has to be to stay vanilla) but so natural and exquisitely "just right".

 

MAP13 - “Dirty Laundry”
I found the title humorous since this is the sewer level. Much as these are a video game meme, this might be one of my favourites because it has most of the tropes without abusing any of them, and it's a memorable map to boot. The most sewer-like section is the one just past the yellow door, the twisty dark passages with mostly imps and spectres that has to be done twice (repopulated of course), but again it's so short that the incidental combat is inoffensive and actually fun. The large room with the toxin cylinders has the most intense fights, whether when walking in, when picking up the key, or when getting teleported back later on. I'm just loving the wad so far.

[jmac]

I have some catching up to do.

 

Map 9: Pinnacle Olive

This map was a significant jump in difficulty, with some mean chaingunner encounters. For once, the encounters don't lend themselves well to infighting. The map is more difficult if you don't grab the berserk pack near the beginning. Lots of small crushers here, but they only posed a threat when I became impatient. Overall a decent map, but not among my favourites so far.

 

Map 10: Ed

The opening fight was pretty intense, and probably my favourite part of the map. If you don't quickly grab the invisibily sphere, you're pretty much screwed. I instinctively avoid that powerup most of the time, and that led to a quick death on my first attempt. After that, things actually become quite a bit easier, especially if you find the secrets. The visuals here felt pretty ominous, and I liked that.

 

Map 11: Team Rocket

I haven't played a lot of maps that make you almost exclusively use the rocket launcher, and I wish it was done more often. The high damage output + the high risk factor make it a fun weapon to use, and some encounters can become pretty dangerous when you have no alternatives to use. This map didn't feel as dangerous as it could've been, but I had fun with it nonetheless. Infighting is back in full force, and I got a kick out of watching the mancubus near the beginning get swarmed by an angry mob of imps.

 

Map 12: Eetoem

Googling eetoem only brings up this wad, while google insists that I must have meant to type "storm", so IDK what the name is supposed to mean. This is among my favourites so far. Maps that are nonlinear like this one are always the most fun to pick away at and replay. For the most part, it is the most difficult map of the bunch so far, although finding the BFG trivializes all of the later fights. I liked how the starting room managed to feel frantic without actually putting you in much danger, by having monsters in neighbouring rooms alerted as you move around and grab supplies.

[UUN4]

MAP13: Dirty Laundry

UV | Pistol start | No saves

K: 100% | I: 100% | S: 100%

For me, I feel like the starting room when you press the switch and reveal two mancubi is the most intentionally precarious moment of the level; initially, I tried dodging fireballs coming from two direction (alongside other miscellaneous projectiles and hitscan fire) but I ended up just darting out of the room to whittle the mancubi down from cover with the SSG at the start of the level. The megarmor secret kinda feels like it's given to you instead of a secret you find (especially with the door to its teleporter opening within your view as you move to nab the yellow key). The berserk secret on the other hand was more of a secret in comparison (despite my automap somewhat giving away the existence of the teleporter), and it was nice that it was previously teased to you before giving you the satisfaction of grabbing it; it was useful in killing the revenant in 1 or 2 of my level attempts. The rocket launcher proved invaluable in killing the ambushing baron as well as the level's remaining mancubi; I felt that the chaingun/SSG were safer options for the other enemies in there, and I even berserk-punched one of the revenants (even though the SSG probably would've been safer there). Near the end of the map, when I heard the sound cues of imps and checked, I had a hunch that enemies were probably teleported into the dual slime dump room, and my suspicions were confirmed when I was greeted with a bevy of imps and chaingunners. I found the re-utilization of sections later in the level kinda neat, although the revisits of various rooms was a little toned down versus the initial visits due to hell knights, cacodemons, mancubi, etc. no longer being there to mess with you. I enjoyed this level, although the chaingunner traps were a tad nasty (just like the sewers the level takes place in; speaking of which I am very relieved that the sludge wasn't toxic enough to be a damaging floor).

[TheMightyWhoosh]

MAP13 thoughts, comments and spoilers below:

 

Spoiler

This was destined to be a much larger map initially, but sadly fell victim to the 24 hour limit rule. 
 

I had a plan to use all three keys and to also include a library - pretty much a copycat of a certain Plutonia map. I also initially used the deep water vanilla trick for the sewage but this was eating too much into my time. 
 

The end result still I feel isn’t too shabby and perhaps not copying MAP28 in Plutonia can be seen as a positive thing! 

 

[Celestin]

MAP13: Dirty Laundry

 

No sleep-walking through this sewer. Dirty Laundry has some sections that will put you on edge. The yellow key trap squeezes you between two mancubi reinforced by hitscanners. The blue key room and the round two by the exit feature long-range chaingunners that can make your health disappear quickly, mixed in with other monsters. The only part I dislike is a tunnel that connects parts of the map. It's nothing to talk about, just turn a corner and kill two imps or something. This is, again, a minor nitpick, otherwise the map is fine.

[espilka]

MAP14 Around She Goes - K: 100% / S: 100% (UV, continuous)

 

Not a good idea to open up the walls at the start.. i kept obstinately doing that merely to get overwhelmed by the eclectic opposition from all direxions, but all went well after i gave up that ill-adviced practice, so i think i got through deathless on fourth try.  It's a simpler map at heart than most before with basically a squarish building with an outside perimeter inhabiting a small amount of enemies (doesn't really feel like that when you're in the thick of it!), and two Spidermommies.  Of course, the simplicity is not quite that, as there's some design features, such as the opening up of the building in stages, a baffling crusher-section (to lure any errant quasi-arachnids into, mainly, i guess), a cool secret i fell into, and a mechanism to open up the exit pad.

 

i think i blasted the first SMM with my BFG9000, and shotgunned the other - there's enough pillars and corners to do all this quite comfortably.  Real feat would be to lure them to the crusher, but my instinct is to get rid of them however ineffectivelly as fast as possible.  Maps like this make me too nervous to say it's a fun one, but it is a good one :D

Edited November 14, 2023 by espilka

[Celestin]

MAP14: Around She Goes

 

The monster count might be small, but damn, they are fierce. Essentially you are in the middle of an expanding arena, with enemies appearing around you. It's a hectic map, where you run around, dodge projectiles and try to not get overwhelmed. My only gripe is a pair of masterminds at the end. I spend way too much time trying to instigate a catfight, because they are on the opposite sides of the map and no way in hell I'm killing them myself. This one thing aside, I like the map a lot, it's a great 5 minute brawl.

[TheMightyWhoosh]

MAP14 thoughts, comments and spoilers below:

 

Spoiler

I had an idea to create a map that slowly expanded outwards but still felt like it had separate rooms/areas and this was the result. One of the fastest maps I created as I was buzzing with ideas here. 
 

The Masterminds are intentionally kept separate when alerted so you are rewarded if you manage to make them in-fight, or perhaps coax one or both into the crushers…? ;-) 

 

I also wanted to use the infamous ‘Donut’ tag at least once in these maps, and it appears to fit in this map reasonably well.  

 

[espilka]

MAP15 Diamond Mines - K: 100% / S: 100% (UV, continuous)

 

Despite having some similarities with the Host this map actually playes entirely different.  The action takes place in a large, mostly open, fiery hellish grotto with passageways and elevation differences.  Despite the hectic start and quite stiff opposition along the way, i only died by the Cyberdemon once on both my runs (blind HMP, and now) - he's on elevated position, has quite a long range thanks to the layout of the map, and is just a bitch to kill (not a complaint/criticism, it's a fair'n'fun fight).

 

The design is exactly what we are used to by now - thoughtful and complex - but obviously the standout and my favourite feature is the puzzle for the secret exit, which type i doubt has been featured in Doom before (it also works as a representative example of the ID of the maps in general.)  There's also a secret Soulsphere, located behind a fake wall (KINDa used this controversial feature prominently in one place, and i did not at all appreciate the invisible teleproting Arch-Vile there on my blind run due to my unfamiliarity with such deviltry, but fake walls are used in I C H I N I C H I quite liberally and i've come to appreciate the feature since then.)

 

Onto the secret maps, of which i'll write on the morrow.

Edited November 14, 2023 by espilka

[brick]

MAP14 - “Around She Goes”
A fun concept map. Each switch pressed peels away a layer, revealing more enemies. There are windows everywhere, and walls lower on multiple sides at once, so enemy fire will come from all sides, but their numbers are small on HNTR. The titular She is of course the big Spider, who will indeed go around after being woken up and much to my horrified surprise followed me into the central structure (for some reason I assumed she wouldn't fit through the doors). Still, taking her out wasn't too bad and once that's done the path to the exit is clear. I guess it could also be fun to just get her to go round and round and run for the switch and then the exit while she's on the other side.

 

MAP15 - “Diamond Mines”
The hot start here sets new standards for heat but manages to do so without being unfair, running around like a panicked chicken was a lot of fun. Getting the red and yellow keys is straightforward (by the standards of the wad anyway), but I suspected those bars up north that I couldn't immediately open had something to do with the secret exit. Turns out walking into the normal exit and seeing the blue door opens them up, and past them is a little homage to TNT MAP30 and the voodoo doll telefrag puzzle, which I thought was cute. With the blue key we get to the other exit. Let's see what the secret levels have in store.

[espilka]

MAP31 Boom! - K: 100% / S: 100% (UV, continuous)

 

The start gives at first a bit of a fright of a barrel-puzzle, but just staying still and waiting for the incident be over is enough this time :D  Next is a surprisingly pesky attack by some Mancubi, even as one can escape to the corridor around the central room, and then the level proper begins.  It's a large (and complex) installation where you hunt the RK for the regular exit, and solve a switch-puzzle for the Super-Secret one.  There's basically three sections accessed from the central hub, and after two runs i couldn't give a good description of how it goes, but couple of them are interconnected and there's also teleports to travel within them.  Each section has one of three switches for the SSE, and one of them has the RK.

 

There's a lot of barrels to blow away enemies with, or for enemies to blow you away with, and while the trek is not easy treading carefully should get you through.  The RK ambush is the only really difficult one, and as the map is non-linear, this time i approached it from different angle than last time, and felt this was easier.  As you grab it, a lot of enemies teleport in, along with some crushers getting activated.  And then there's the hidden Arch-Vile behind a fake wall on an elevated position :D  But i ran back to the hallway past him where i came from, and it's relativelly safe to take care of the ambush from there with rockets et cetera.  There's also a baffling tunnel of barrels blowing up which is ill-adviced, ha-ha.

 

Fantastic map.  And much improved from its counterpart in KINDa that also has a barrel-combat based map, but which is a bit of a bitch to play - should i mention the damaging f'king floors on that one? :D  (Don't get me wrong, i like that map, but it's also very annoying.)  This is also a fitting time to mention that the switch-puzzles here are better implemented than in KINDa (which for the most part i don't mind too badly, either), and that without making them idiot-proof either, so i really like them here.

Edited November 15, 2023 by espilka

[TheMightyWhoosh]

MAP15 thoughts, comments and spoilers below:

 

Spoiler

Couldn’t have a map without using my favourite texture! Actually, this map started out looking completely different, using BSTONE as the dominant texture instead. 
 

The secret exit puzzle is obviously a shrunken version of the infamous TNT MAP30 puzzle, but mine looks a little more colourful right? ;-)

 

I actually wasn’t sure where to situate the secret exit, but then felt it was rare to have a secret exit that was located inside the regular exit and not at all hidden, so went with that. 

 

[Celestin]

MAP15: Diamond Mines

 

I don't know if I'm the only one here, but it always feels weird to me to hear "At Doom's Gate" in anything besides E1M1. Anyway, Diamond Mines is a good map. I like how it looks, the combination of an open pit with nearby tunnels create a distinct feeling. As for the gameplay, the start is the strongest - a scramble for guns and ammo, where enemies are immediately alerted to your presence. Once this is cleared, the pacing dies down somewhat. Once again, you are supplied enough to handle everything the map throws at you. This includes a cyberdemon, which I found to be a time sink, rather than a threat. 

 

Since this is a MAP15, there is a secret exit to reach. I've found a locked corridor earlier, I'm not sure what unlocks it (reaching the regular exit, perhaps?), but it the end I could enter this place. It was surprising to find a Last Call-inspired puzzle, where you need to follow the correct path or get killed. It wasn't hard, as there is a solution nearby, but I think it makes more sense here than in the final map of TNT. Beating this gives you a blue key that unlocks a secret exit next to the standard one.

 

MAP31: Boom!

 

Alternative title: Barrels o'Fun but fun.

 

The first secret map of Ichinichi contains a truly staggering amount of explosives. From the first room, it's a rampage, where you are blowing up monsters left and right. Just, you know, don't get caught in the blast radius. The progression is odd. You start in the centre of the map and make a loop around the perimeter. There are switches here, both regular and shootable eyes, but I have no clue what they did. I just pressed or shoot everyone, collected the red key (which triggers a fight where you can just stand in place and spam rockets) and it opened the way to the secret exit. I don't know how it works, but I won't complain. I like the sleek techbase with only a hint of demonic corruption. Also, FIREBLU trees.

 

I've played this one after a tough day at work and it was a relaxing experience.

 

MAP32: Himitsu

 

Wood, slime base and nazi paraphernalia is an odd mix, but a detailed layout make it work surprisingly well. As for the gameplay, like with many maps of Ichinichi, the difficulty is front-loaded. It's so tedious to take out the early enemies (including a hell knight and a pain elemental) with a scavenged shotgun, but once they are dead, you find a super shotgun and a rocket launcher, so the rest pose little challenge. The final boss of the map is a cyberdemon in a dark room with dark columns. Just spray plasma you're given right before the fight and it's over in not time. Don't forget about an imp in a secret with a toilet, which I'm certain is a nod to the works of Cyriak Harris.

[Pechudin]

MAP12: Eetoem (UV, PS, Saveless; Deaths: 2)

A smal techbase with many ways to play it. Grab the SSG and the RL ASAP while instigating infighting. I liked it, even if it killed me twice. Did not find the BFG.

 

MAP13: Dirty Laundry (UV, PS, Saveless; Deaths: 1)

A dank sewer that feels much less like its inspiration and more like a grown-up, meaner version of the Underhalls (at least in the beginning). The two traps in the final room were a tuch meaner, indicating that perhaps the difficulty is finally going to offer us something more substantive. I liked it.

 

MAP14: Around she goes (UV, PS, Saveless; Deaths: 1)

Hot start, middle and end. A self-contained challenge that offers a quick 5-min heart-rate bump. The beginning requires some spatial awareness, especially with the roaming Chaingunners. I did not grab the SSG before opening up the map, so i had to rely on infighting which worked out pretty well. The ending is a bit of a slog, tried to get the SMMs to fight each other but ended up killing them both.

 

Should've been named "Around they go".

[espilka]

MAP32 Himitsu - K: 100% / S: 100% (UV, continuous)

 

In one aspect this is a strange map - essentially it's not that different from the usual fair for the set, but something is different enough about the architecture and layout that it really reminds me of a map by Deadwing (especially for Moonblood), whilst combat is more typical Mr. Whoosh.  i can't tell what it is, but it's not the texturing, and it's not just the row of health potions down in the nukage (which this time does hurt) to indicate secret (unofficial!) passage :)

 

There's some Wolfenstein 3D textures around, but thankfully no nazis (personally i'm tired of that trope and whilst it may have been cute in the 1990s, just like Commander Keens, i don't find it so anymore. :P )  There is a cool optional almost semi-secret area (for pistol starters i think it hosts the SSG), a some sort of a tech-room that has some nice detailing for a FIREBLU device.  The one ambush of the map comes when lowering the YSK, and includes an Arch-Vile resurrecting corpses you put down before.  Mind you, along the way the Manx and Revs are not at all easy to deal with, so i'm happy to have gotten through deathless on both my runs through all the surprises, like monster closets opening, and other inconveniently placed enemies.

 

The main fight of the map is of course against the Cyberdemon, in a dark metal hall with pillars.  Yes, i should have used the Plasma Rifle instead of BFG9000, which wasted a lot of ammo in that difficult space.  i also found that the darkness adds a lot of pressure to the encounter.  Got through barely deathless, though.  i guess we'll never know if the Imp in the toilet just had to go at that crucial time or if he was hiding :D

 

What does the name of the map mean?  i imagine it'd have something to do with that device since it's so prominent, but could be anything!

 

PS: i had to look up TNT's final map to see about the puzzle in MAP15 that everyone else recognized a correspondence to, and have to admit i don't ever remember seeing that (it's tooo looong since i've actually played it, counted in decades, not years... and i've no idea if i played the IOS map or not, flower children :P ), but seems like a very cool adaptation of it.  i like them both a lot.  (Note to self: if i ever map, figure out a harder version...)  Also, i think the guy whose playthrough i last watched of TNT didn't figure out the puzzle but used automap instead to see the route.

Edited November 15, 2023 by espilka

[Pechudin]

MAP15: Diamond Mine (UV, PS, Saveless)

Going off my memory on this one as I randomly warped to it some time ago. Reminds me of some TNT maps (Quarry). Combat is essentially contained in the opening area, and the ending Cyberdemon can be skipped entirely. Didn't go for the secret exit.

 

MAP31: Boom! (UV, PS, Saveless)

Also from memory. Lots of barrels and geometric, brutalist design envokes notes of Skillsaw, but the combat is much more demure, the barrels are often enough to massacre the hapless demons. Some odd decisions, like the Archvile behind the FIREBLU fake wall are notable. Map feels weird but I can't quite put my finger on why.

 

MAP32: Himitsu (UV, PS, Saveless; Deaths: 2)

Just played this one, and I quite liked it. The map's name means "Secret" in Japanese if my anime memory serves me still. I admire the choice of incorporating WOLF* textures in a regular map, like the wood texture. The combat relies on relative ammo scarcity and monster density at the start, I like to head left and grab the Shotgun from a Shotgunner, and then systematically clear the enemies with emphasis on hitscanners and the Pain Elemental.

 

I liked how you can screw yourself by not picking up the RL before flicking the Mancubus switch, ordinarily you'd put the RL there but here the ambush with the Revs, Chainers and HK can kill you if you do not have the RL at the ready. The final fight is a good use of darkness and a Cybie, as its sprite does not light up in the dark, which means that you need to rely on hearing or constantly have the Cybie on the lighted paths. Good map.

[brick]

MAP31 - “Boom!”
The enemy count made me wince, but it becomes immediately apparent that there will indeed be a lot of barrels going Boom! Yes, this is Barrels O' Fun The Way TheMightyWhoosh Did, and it is hilarious and indeed oh so fun. Just shoot the barrel in front of you without even moving and 100 enemies are already gone just like that (or even better... just wait for them to shoot I guess). I think it's possible to do almost every single fight using just barrels, if you're careful and don't blow some up too early. Sometimes the way the barrels are trailed all the way and then around and enemy just looks so humorous. There are other points of interest too, such as the "do not shoot" sign (I saved and tried; the sign is there for a reason!) and the entire path to the secret exit, which involves finding 3 sort-of-hidden switches. What a marvellous map!

 

MAP32 - “Himitsu”
I admit I was a little disappointed at first. Not that this is a bad map, far from it! It just felt more conventional after a streak of creatives one that just kept getting more unique. Still it looks good (fantastic lighting in parts), and while combat is not hard a couple of ambushes took me by surprise, namely the crescent-shaped stairs and the archvile teleporting with an army of imps. And then that final fight is now one of my favourite Cyberdemon arenas, it's just a one-on-one but the lighting is ingenious and makes it look like he's popping in and out of pure blackness. I think what amazes me the most about this wad is that in a collection of short speedmaps each one is so different from the others, and each is so memorable. I'm not disappointed after all, this isn't a conventional map but yet another great one.

[_goofyguy]

MAP10 - Ed

Much longer map than the previous view. There's a BFG right at the beginning thats JUST out of reach, though you can get it through a secret. I spent a rather annoying amount of time trying to find the button leading to the teleporter room. Relatively easy level.

MAP11 - Team Rocket

Certainly an apt name, given it's about the only thing you're given ammo for. There's also a cyberdemon to deal with, and while killing him with rockets would be a pain, the BFG certainly helped. I certainly liked how the initial starting area expanded out to reveal a dozen barons of hell.

MAP12 - Eetoem

Unsure of what the title means. Very exploration based map with a lot of ways to go through it. Couldnt get that BFG but it didn't matter since i already have it. Fun map. Gets a bonus because it uses one of my favourite tracks.

MAP13 - Dirty Laundry

Very much like the sewer theme here. The well executed lighting also helps. Pretty tricky since it puts you into an open room with Heavy Weapons Guy From TF2 sniping you from afar. Otherwise, very nice level, probably one of my favourites.

 

[espilka]

MAP16 Tortured - K: 100% / S: 100% (UV, continuous)

 

Late & drunk so the essentials: the ambush with the six Manx is the most challenging situation so far in the whole wad - i died many many times before managing a deathless run, and needed to grab the secret Soulsphere to get through it.  i think this fight was also much easier on HMP, probably featuring less of the lardy cubes.  There's another large-scale skirmish after grabbing the RSK outside, but going back inside and taking care of it with rockets is not much of a problem.  The second secret of the map has a very nasty switch that i was tricked into pressing in hope of goodies.

 

Another intelligently creative map with classic visuals, combining both Doom and Doom II aesthetics with Mr. Whoosh's own style of corruption.  Really good stuff!

Edited November 16, 2023 by espilka

[Celestin]

MAP16: Tortured

 

It's a good looking map, but I find the gameplay to be a bit lacking for my taste. There's an early fight where you are stuck in a pit with mancubi above you and a big teleporting wave that appear after grabbing the red key, but that's about it. The ending is just disappointing. Some monster closets and a large lowering wall that reveal nothing. 

[TheMightyWhoosh]

MAP31 & MAP32 thoughts, comments and spoilers below:

 

Spoiler

MAP31 - Had a blast making this one. I knew I wanted another barrel-themed map (similar to that of MAP13 from KINDa) and the secret map appeared appropriate this time. 

So yeah, this map was probably the most fun to create. I had many ideas and the combination of fire and grey came out pretty good I’d say!  
 

I found the idea of FIREBLU trees hilarious and rolled with it.

 

Did anybody shoot those forbidden barrels? Muhahaha! 

 

Spoiler

MAP32 - Another fun map to create! The Cyberdemon room came out looking and playing really well and is probably my favourite Cybie fight of the megawad. 
 

The toilet secret was the final room I created for the project; however I totally missed a trick by not having the ‘Peeping Skull’ rising up from the toilet bowl! 
 

I’m happy that the Wolf3D textures mixed with standard Doom textures worked out pretty well.