Thirty Years with Doom - now on idgames

[RaRu Des2122]

Playthrough of the first episode of megawad is coming to an end. And here are the maps left in it:

Map08: Fresh Air by @SilverMiner

Map09: Technohell Tower by @Michael63

 

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Edited February 15 by RaRu Des2122

[tmorrow]

I've played through most of 30YEARS. It has some excellent maps and is a real adventure. I'm a slow, cautious player and some of the maps took me up to an hour to beat, map17 and map23 for example. Cleaning up the floating enemies in the 4 cybie room of map23 took over 20 minutes. I didn't want to start up the crushers until everything else was dead.

 

The maps do get progressively harder and I was able to uvmax every map up to map27 where I finally gave up. There's a big jump in difficulty on map27. The rng is particularly mean with some of the fights. The chances are "the wheels are going to fall off" on one of the many fights in any uvmax attempt. I did get past the secret vile room twice by collecting the blue key and running without firing for the blue door and then funneling the viles from outside. Many of the viles don't even wake up and you have to go back for them but then they all wake up together with a vengeance. I still managed to fail the vile cleanup after that though in both runs - I should have practiced the section more. I gave up due to it requiring too many attempts to get that far each time. I suspect I got close to a decent chance to finish the map since there is a soulsphere and megaarmor on pillars at the end of that secret to set you up for the nasty final part of the map. The rng of the teleporting viles or the cybie + 2 viles fights or even the teleporting spider mastermind fight at the end offer many opportunities for doomguy to go down for the count.

 

I took a sneak peak at MAP30 and found it to be quite difficult too so I'm assuming maps28-29 are the same.

 

I've parked the wad for now and will keep an eye out for any map27+ demos in the future to get some further ideas/strategies.

 

Congratulations on the release of the wad! More people need to try out this wad, it's got some great maps. The final maps are extremely challenging though so consider using saves on those maps.

[Summer Deep]

Just about to start this. Will it work properly with ZDoom? Showing a lot of 'script errors' on the loading screen.

[ShiroiAkuma51]

1 minute ago, Summer Deep said:

Just about to start this. Will it work properly with ZDoom? Showing a lot of 'script errors' on the loading screen.

No. Zdoom is not supported. This wad using UMAPINFO lump.

[SilverMiner]

2 hours ago, ShiroiAkuma51 said:

No. Zdoom is not supported.

Lie, it is

 

2 hours ago, Summer Deep said:

Will it work properly with ZDoom?

 

[RaRu Des2122]

There are interim results after the first episode:

 

BEST MAPS:

1) Map03: Death Guard by @Kisadillah

2) Map07: Disconnection by @Chainie
3) Map31: Kaikyo by @ShiroiAkuma51

BEST SOUNDTRACK:

1) Map03: "Plasma" by Lee Jackson

2) Map04: "Suspense" by Robert Prince (the rest of the tracks have almost no chance if these are the ones playing!)

3) Map07: D_E3M4 from SILENCE.WAD by @Wilster_Wonkels

 

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The first episode is completed and the maps in the style of the first Doom are over. Further the assortment of weapons, monsters and bonuses will be full!

 

[tmorrow]

8 hours ago, Summer Deep said:

Just about to start this. Will it work properly with ZDoom? Showing a lot of 'script errors' on the loading screen.

It seems to work fine in zdoom 2.8.1. The script errors are all from the ZMAPINFO lump and only with the TITLE and AUTHOR lines for each map. Map titles, title patches, music and which maps have secrets exits all seem to work correctly.

[RaRu Des2122]

We are starting to play the second episode! Today are presented:

Map10: CUR by @Lainos

Map11: Refuted Lies by @BeeWen

 

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Edited February 17 by RaRu Des2122

[RaRu Des2122]

Today are presented: 

Map12: Dry Season by @Track Federal

Map13: Alchemy Machine by @Shadowman

 

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Edited February 18 by RaRu Des2122

[RaRu Des2122]

Today's three levels will feature the second and last secret level which I personally consider the hardest of all in the first half of the megawad.

 

Map14: Old Military Base by @Mikle

Map32: Memories by TGA

Map15: Anomaly by @RastaManGames

 

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Edited February 19 by RaRu Des2122

[ax34]

This teleport doesn't work for some reason. I'm on GZDoom 4.11.3.

 

Edit: some other teleports in this area also don't work, but some work.

Edited February 19 by ax34

[Michael63]

16 hours ago, ax34 said:

This teleport doesn't work for some reason. I'm on GZDoom 4.11.3.

Yes, indeed there is a bug with teleporters in map 28. The bug is not critical in the sense that the map can be completed despite of the bug (but not with 100% items). In fact, BigMemka has already fixed this bug and also something in map 16. The new version will soon be sent at idgames. But now everybody can continue playing the current version. Just avoid the place shown at the screenshot above.

[RaRu Des2122]

Today are presented:

 

Map16: Agency X by @BigMemka

Map17: Another Doomed City District by @RastaManGames

 

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Edited February 20 by RaRu Des2122

[RaRu Des2122]

The second episode ends with two real masterpieces from @ShiroiAkuma51! Thanks a lot for them!

Map18: Betrayer by @ShiroiAkuma51

Map19: Deep Down by @ShiroiAkuma51

 

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Edited February 21 by RaRu Des2122

[tmorrow]

I took a look at map28 and map29 and managed to uvmax both despite some of map28's defunct teleporters in the lava. I really enjoyed map29, an epic map. It's a good thing you can crush 14 of the 17 cybies on the map early on or it would really hard. A great wad! So that's 30/32 maps uvmaxed with the tough map27 and map30 to ponder.

 

[RaRu Des2122]

17 minutes ago, tmorrow said:

So that's 30/32 maps uvmaxed with the tough map27 and map30

 

Both of them are also UV-Max completable - I personally checked it more than one time. In general, this is one of those rare megawads where all 32 maps can actually be completed in UV-Max.

[tmorrow]

Sure they are uvmaxable. But both are quite difficult, a bit beyond my skill level. If I bang my head against them several times I might pull them off but I'll wait to see if anyone has better strategies than I've come up with.

[Firedust]

Currently on episode 3, I love how deceptively 'simple-looking' the megawad kicks off, and then, boom, the city episode greets you in all its grandeur and glory.

 

EDIT: Just beat map 27, no idea why some folks are saying it's not uv maxable. You get a boatload of cells and rockets, more than enough you actually need. And the secret vile fight is easily beatable if you find one of the two BFGs.

Edited February 22 by Firedust

[RaRu Des2122]

There are interim results after the second episode:

 

BEST MAPS:

 

It was an extremely hard choice... All the maps are excellent and choosing the three best ones is quite a difficult task. I think something similar awaits me in the third episode :D

 

1) Map12: Dry Season by @Track Federal

2) Map17: Another Doomed City District by @RastaManGames

3) Map19: Deep Down by @ShiroiAkuma51

 

BEST SOUNDTRACKS:

 

1) Map32: MIDI rendition of "Rays of Light (City Ruins)" by Keiichi Okabe

2) Map16: MIDI rendition of "Crucifix Held Close" by Michiru Yamane and Yuzo Koshiro

3) Map18: "Dream Dweller" by @AD_79

[tmorrow]

For episode 2, my favorite maps are:

1. map17: I'm a sucker for a downtown map.
2. map15: I never get tired of wormhole maps.
3. map16: Love the way the environment changes in the center as you progress. Wish the water channels could be revisited, sometimes monsters get stuck there.

I tend to like longer and more epic maps like these.

 

[RaRu Des2122]

@tmorrow As I said, it was hard. I can't disagree with what you wrote although our threes matched only in one point))

 

By the way, what can you say about the first episode?

[RaRu Des2122]

9 minutes ago, tmorrow said:

Wish the water channels could be revisited, sometimes monsters get stuck there.

 

If you find a secret teleporter to the soul sphere at the final location then you can return to the channels. I did so in the video and finished off the stuck monsters.

[tmorrow]

1 minute ago, RaRu Des2122 said:

By the way, what can you say about the first episode?

 

For episode 1, my favorite maps are:

1. map10: Enjoyed the city part the most.
2. map31: Love the Episode 1 of Doom references. Also uses the wormhole new and old idea.
3. map07: Very oppressive map. I was afraid of entering almost every room.

I love the secret code idea on map01 that you also needed for map02 and map04 of the episode.

[tmorrow]

19 minutes ago, RaRu Des2122 said:

If you find a secret teleporter to the soul sphere at the final location then you can return to the channels.

 

Nice! I found that secret but it was just a tiny room with the soulsphere and return teleporter. I didn't realise you can lower the wall and get back to the center and then reenter the water channels again. Thanks.

[Michael63]

4 hours ago, tmorrow said:

 

For episode 1, my favorite maps are:

1. map10: Enjoyed the city part the most.

 

Map 10 is the first map of episode 2.

[tmorrow]

Just for the record I'll list my favorite 10 maps over the entire wad.

1. map29: Crushing 14 cybies is always fun, great use of height, enemies sniping from all over
2. map32: Epic map with caverns, open areas, marble buildings and dangerous ravine finale
3. map17: Large city map with 6 keys to track down and a large bag of secrets to net
4. map10: The shopping mall area is great and there's a surprise cybie appearance in the west gardens
5. map15: A wormhole map, you first clear the current day submap map then the harder overrun submap
6. map23: A trek through caverns, lava rivers and blood lakes to the enemies dangerous cyberdemon factory
7. map16: A tech base with water channels. Love the way the environment changes in the center as you progress.
8. map14: Doomguy beats up a military base (a new theme, never been done before in doom)
9. map31: Wormhole map. In this one you crisscross between current and overrun Doom & Doom2 references
10. map13: A mansion with some heavy encounters and a twin cybie ending

That's 0 from episode 1 (map07 comes 11th), 6 from episode 2, 2 from episode 3 and both secret maps. As I've said before, I tend to like the grander, larger and more epic maps so it's no surprise that episode 1 missed out since they are typically smaller. I really like the secret code concept that is used in the earlier maps in episode 1. Episode 2 is definitely my favorite.

 

All the maps in this wad are well worth playing, even the maps I liked the least are fun in parts.

[RaRu Des2122]

It's time to begin playthrough of the third episode which is last in the megawad!

Today are presented:

Map20: To the Shores of Hell by @Shadowman

Map21: Crypt of the Ancients by @Shadowman

 

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Edited February 23 by RaRu Des2122

[RaRu Des2122]

Today are presented: 

Map22: Stiff Loneliness / Suffocating Despair by @RastaManGames

Map23: Cyberdemon Factory by @GranitMaster, @BigMemka and @Michael63

 

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Edited February 24 by RaRu Des2122

[Firedust]

Finally done!

 

Fantastic job, guys! 10/10 megawad, loved pretty much all maps (except one ahaha). I couldn't believe my own eyes when I saw the build time in text document. Imagine if there'd been a much longer development cycle.

 

Favourite map: All of episode 2. I love how the iddqd veterans' contributions were instantly recognisable. One of the best Doom city episodes I've ever played. Loads of Doom cute, great visual storytelling, and fun but quite forgiving combat. The only thing that I wasn't a big fan of was how long it took to procure the ssg in some of the maps, but that's a very minor nitpick.

 

Least favourite map: The Cyberfactory (23 iirc). For someone who isn't a fan of the bigger TNT levels, this really rubbed me the wrong way. One problem was combat. I actually think it was a great idea to make the player trek through the mountain range before arriving at the factory's doorstep, but the opposition was kinda underwhelming. I really wish there was a proper showdown right before the bridge leading to the entrance. Secondly, jfc, THAT one secret lmao. A random switch raises another random switch in an area you're extremely unlikely to come back to, which in turn opens a passageway in once again another area you probably won't return to. Holy shit, I am befuddled and stupefied lol

 

I didn't get the complaints about maps 27 and 29 - you get so much cell and rocket ammo, as well as wiggle room to dodge all the projectiles, that I'd say there wasn't THAT much of a big of a spike in difficulty. In fact, I felt that the megawad was pretty forgiving combat-wise by and large - which I am positive is precisely what you were gunning for.

 

Now, I have a couple questions for you, guys (and I don't mean to sound greedy :p):

 

1. Are there any plans to make another one of these beauties for Doom 2's anniversary?

 

2. Has RD2INO (your version of doom 2 in name only) been abandoned? I remember I google translated a thread and you kept on adding more maps to the project (think it was over 20 maps at that point), and then it seemingly vanished :(

[RaRu Des2122]

Today are presented:

Map24: In the Belly of the Beast by @BigMemka
Map25: Hell's Deep by @Shadowman

Map26: Forbidden Oasis by @Michael63

 

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Edited February 25 by RaRu Des2122