Endless Random /idgames WAD Adventures #075

[ICID]

^{(logo by @4MaTC)}

 

ICID, what the hell is this now?

Endless Random /idgames WAD Adventures is a small project of exploration, interaction, entertainment and reviews where we meet once every two weeks to select random WADs in search of hidden treasures, lost promises, or our worst nightmares! We use the /idgames archive’s special feature that lets us search for random files. Of course, sometimes the results are resources or unplayable stuff, so we focus on looking for WADs. 

 

So, what do we do here?

1. Play at least one random WAD in a two-week period of time. WADs are selected using the Random File feature on /idgames or from the list below.
2. Post a review of whatever you play.
3. Always provide the name of the WAD, the name of the author, and a link to the file.
4. Play however you want, on any skill level, and with any source port, as long as you play the WAD as intended/in working shape.
5. Be respectful. It's okay to criticize a map, but remember that many mappers read these review threads and behave accordingly. Also, please don't tag mappers into a negative review of their work. 

 

What kind of WADs are we looking for?

Any file on /idgames is fair game, but most of us choose to stick to singleplayer Doom or Heretic WADs that work in our sourceport(s) of choice. If you're worried about finding Terrywads or broken files, I also pull at least five random WADs for the event. Feel free to play them with me if you wish, or look for your own! The point of the event is to encourage you to explore this vast, random world.

 

Recommendations for reviewing:

Spoiler

1. Please take screenshots or video of your adventures.

2. Commenting the source port and difficulty level is not required, but provides helpful context to your review.

3. Try to stick to no more than 1 WAD per day to avoid burnout, but this part’s all up to you, champ!

4. Reviews of all formats are valid. Both longform and shortform are good as long as you write with integrity.

 

Endless Random /idgames WAD Adventures of this event:

 

1. The Oozing Affair (Chex Quest)
2. Long Road, No Turns
3. Technician's Base
4. Forgotten Base: Flooded Area (v2)
5. Runaway

 

Spoiler

The Top 10 (out of 69):

 

1. @Roofi | 8220

2. @LadyMistDragon | 4630

3. @Sena | 2630

4. @Walter confetti | 2530

5. @ICID | 1670

6. @brick | 1600

7. @Endless | 1235

8. @Thelokk | 725

9. @Clippy | 610

10. @smeghammer | 425

 

Join the Doom Master Wadazine community for more events like this! » https://discord.gg/Q2RKn4J

 

And check the Doom wiki for the full list of past adventures.

[Sena]

Charming Castle (2023) by volleyvalley

 

This is a pretty simple affair, 99 enemies, most of it looks the same (although not generic, it makes itself distinctive via the liberal use of hanging corpses), it only contains E1 enemies, and the regular shotgun is the only weapon given to the player. It is notably dark, although the intention behind this isn't entirely clear to me, it's certainly not a claustrophobic level by any stretch, and its atmosphere does feel somewhat limited, as most the rooms have the same sort of structure along with the same textures - I'm also not sure what the intention was on making so many deaf monsters, but overall this is a level that seems to make no attempt to legitimately challenge the player. But with its length, this isn't really a problem, it's a decent enough level to breeze through, I can still acknowledge the value in playing a level that lets me never let go of W and not have to worry about remembering to save or blinking one moment and suddenly have to negotiate a gaggle of archviles trying to give me a rectal exam. 6/10.

Edited December 25, 2023 by Sena

[LadyMistDragon]

Another 'The Best' PWADs list v3.1 (1996) by Luis Lourenco Lopes

 

You know, I doubt many of these things were uploaded to /idgames literally at all, but there was a point when no real rules existed for uploading Doom-related content I suppose. Anyways, this just appears to be a personal top 30 PWADS as of 1996. Unsurprisingly, Simpsons Doom is on the list Amusingly, the Master Levels are all included when it was arguably Cranium, Jim Flynn, and I suppose Dr. Sleep's maps that showed above-average quality. I do kind of want to know what this "Pamela Anderson" wad was about. But hey, it's a fascinating historical curio for once and not just some outdated utility.

 

 

Ps2 Barrel (2001) by Garth "Drat" Dunn

 

Quite possibly among the most pointless, useless, and stupidest of all graphical mods released for any game ever (......) we have a simple graphical conversion that replaces all explosive barrels with PS2s. There's some amusing commentary about early PS2s tendency to overheat, I just know it. Though amusingly enough, Garth did not apparently buy a Ps2 until 6 years after this wad was released, according to a comment he left on /idgames.

 

Spoiler

 

HELL TO YOU (2022) by @Geoffrey(Crispy Doom)

 

A very standard Doom 1 techbase map I've played before, kind of basic but not exactly lacking in challenge and utilizing a level design perspective very similar to that of Doom: The Way Id Did. A nice sort of interconnected layout, containing some cool secrets and with paths near keys linking back to previous areas in quite a natural way. There was a little too much chaingunning of Revenants for my personal tastes at the moment, and I believe I'd found all the secrets possible to that point. Bottom line was I didn't really bother finishing because I thought it was finishable without saving. But this is a very solid Doom map for those who can't get enough of early Doom II aesthetics 7.5/10

 

 

[Sena]

Maps by my 6 Year Old Son by Dylan Ellis Bourke (5 maps, 2012)

 

There's one thing that stands out when playing these, and it's that classic newbie look - big, rectangular rooms, no props and minimal alternate texturing, and the levels are on the whole fairly easy, not quite to the extent you can just run through and ignore everything, but running through and just launching a BFG shot as soon as your path is blocked is a strategy that can get you through most of this WAD, especially when accounting for the placement of some quite unneeded invincibility spheres, although I wonder if that can be taken as an indication that these levels were actually playtested, something that I suspect is not the case for the far less palatable maps lying in the depths of the archive. Unlike some levels that make use of one texture at a time, these maps are short, and change up their look with each new level, so it is never grating. It's a bit unusual to not end with the IoS level, but this set captures the gameplay quirks of Doom well enough, and even if they look nothing like any id level, the fundamental gameplay experience they provide isn't actually that far off. 6/10.

[Endless]

Gideon for Doom ][ Deathmatch | Steve Grecni | 1995

 

A small map with a single area divided in three small rooms each one with different height variations and just like three fucking textures in total. This is as barebones as it gets. There's only 3 monsters in SP mode and an exit, as usual, so at least there's that I guess. Weapon balancing is terrible, very little ammo, and almost no items to find. At least the layout is still manageable, but other than that, this feels more like a backrooms level than anything else.

 

:The Deathmatch Arena | Rob Mosher | 1996

 

Well, we up one year but down the quality a little. This so called arena is more aptly a mess-rena (greatest pun) that lacks any sort of... logic, or sense. A variety of rooms that really make you wonder how far down the insanity of man can go. One wonders what was the creative process behind this thing. It is terrible in everything, pretty much. It has tight rooms, one-direction dimensionless corridors, inescapable death traps, and an exterior area with both a moving ceiling and floor to extra crush you and spite on you. Also, for some reason the author likes to start every sentence with '' : ''

 

Running Late | @A2Rob | 2017

 

A small 5-level WAD for Doom 2 that brings some delightfully short and quick-paced maps to the table, mixed with small visuals tweaks that make it feel fresher. Running Late has you gunning down demons in a collection of scenarios that range in style and challenge. Techbases, industrial complexes, and a abandoned outposts, it feels rejuvenating to finally find something good here, and a small yet fun WAD that actually has some good quality! Running Late is essentially, a good WAD. It doesn't stray too far from the tree and keeps traditional Doom roots; gameplay is tightly designed around mostly medium to small-sized areas, lots of corridors and running through interconnected rooms. At some points I did felt like some of the maps had a little too many doors and elevators to take, in efforts to make it feel more circuit-like, which I don't personally mind, but I prefer it when maps go crazy with the gun & run aspect of the game. Running Late follows a similar pattern, but it also ensures to make each area distinctive from the other. Most maps are around 70-100 monsters, with the last two having the most, mixing a little bit of slaughter that's pretty manageable and enjoyable. What can I say? It is a good WAD, really good to just kill the time and enjoy some simple but fun maps.

 

[Roofi]

Year 2 Month 09 Day 28

 

I play until I die or intentionally stop. I don't comment the wad where I died/stopped.

 

[1] jayswad.zip by Jay Gambell (1995)

 

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I hope you like this doom level that I made. It isn't perfect but it is the first one I have ever made. There is one slight screw up in the begining but thats about it. There is only about 7 rooms in the level and at the end there is a maze full of bad guys. There is also one secret room.

 

A map which is so random and ugly that it's difficult to qualify it as a map.

 

I know it deserves an F but jayswad is short and super-easy afterall, so it won't steal too much of your time. The cramped startan maze doesn't pose much trouble if you know an automap exists.

 

Grade : D-  (3,5/20)

 

[2] Start by @Datacore85 (2017)

 

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A fun map for DOOM2.wad

 

If you're fond of the "my house" concept, you shall like the "my bedroom" one. That one is detailed with quite a lot of furniture created with the stock resources. 

 

Now, the problem is that it's only one room with only two monsters to eliminate, one of which is located in the small optional garden outside, and the exit can be reached in less than 10 seconds. 

 

It's cute, but sorely lacking in content.

 

Grade : C (9/20)

 

[3] Let's Get D00PID for DOOM ][ Deathmatch by timer (1996)

 

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d00pid.wad built from scratch while scratching my butt. heheheheh. doh! Supports Deathmatch only

 

A Deathmatch map which takes the appareance of a Greenwar's arena due to the heavy usage of BROWNGRN textures and grass. The layout is centered around a large courtyard with a sort of inca pyramid at its centre. Timer has prioritized navigation over detail, keeping decors roomy and streamlined.

 

[4] Fiendish.WAD by Steven L. Frantz (2004)

 

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It's going to be one of those days. Once you get a chance to enjoy the hospitality of the welcoming commitee in this level, the warm receptions you will receive from the inhabitants of these fiendish halls will go downhill. Consider this level as a Gothic exercise in wariness. Beware those empty rooms and reap the benefits from the incarcerated fiends.

 

A giant hellish cavern probably conceived almost 9-10 years before its upload on idgames. This is a standard shovelware hell map switching between rather convincing large cavernous areas to visit and rubbish empty corridors to traverse. However, this map remains mediocre aesthetics wise whereas I can praise the attempts to immerse us in giant setpieces.

 

However, the most noticeable gimmick resides in all hidden wide monster closets that open by surprise, releasing each a small group of ennemies. I don't want to say Steven was ahead of his time, regarding the low quality of the map, but this type of design is not something I expect from old maps of this kind, but rather from more modern wads in which the traps are more elaborate. Something fun you can do consists to open the most closets as possible in order to generate a brawl between all the releases monsters. However, Fiendish, contrary to what its name might announce, remains really straightforward and it's therefore useless to adopt specific strategies unless for speedrunning purposes. Moreover, some zones, especially the blue key located in a crater guarded by a cyberdemon and mid-tiers can be skipped without trouble thanks to the available invulnerability spheres.

 

Beside the obsession toward the closets I can enjoy, the author thought it will be funny to place some surprise crushers here and there. I got caught once but it was fortunately a fast one. Nevertheless, this map suffers of dumb (or fiendish?) decisions like this and my grade will a be a bit saltier as I planned to give, as a consequence.

 

Grade : C- (7,5/20)

 

Got ambushed by several Hell Knights in Bloodbath: Hell's Deepest

 

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[LadyMistDragon]

Mad Rush (2023) by Ur-Ninuta (GZ Doom)

 

This was a map that I may or may not have played and written off immediately. But take it on its own terms and it really isn't that bad! I did ignore the recommendation not to jump though, believe me, it takes away some of the frustration. This is a simple escape map, like RonnieJamesDiner's GTFO though this is basically just vanilla brown stuff. I'm not sure how it is on the lower difficulty levels but on UV, there's practically zero ammo outside the secrets and I suspect there's not enough even in the secrets to really stop and take a rest. There's 4, by the way, but this map's not that conducive to finding them and the structure is quite stringy, even if the rooms themselves are not 8/10, but it's not for everyone.

 

 

 

[brick]

I couldn't participate all of last adventure but it feels good to be back.

Brick | 1 wad | 9 maps

 

The Oozing Affair (2011) by TheCupboard. 9 SP maps for Ultimate Doom in ZDoom.

Although this is a Chex TC, it still needs the Doom IWAD and includes all the graphic replacements from Chex in the pwad itself. I like Chex Quest, it's pretty much the original Doom as far as gameplay goes but the assets are cute and there's a lightheartedness in the original episode (and I guess the trilogy that it eventually became) that is endearing. I had some mixed feelings going through the wad though. Ammo feels extremely unbalanced, in the first few levels I had to count every bullet and used the chainsaw replacement far more than I like to because I had nothing else. Then suddenly ammo became so abundant I was maxed out on everything, and I don't think this is just from playing continuous, because the transition happened very abruptly. I know many call the original game's bestiary limited but I don't feel this in many of the high-quality Ultimate Doom wads that I play (most recently Double Impact), but I felt it here, and I think it has as much or more to do with how maps use the limited enemy palette. The early maps felt very bland, just a succession of rectangular rooms, though later ones introduce more interesting architecture. I don't want to pile too much on the wad though, I did have fun with the later maps, and those Chex decorations, especially the trees and space shuttles, really do look great.

Spoiler

 

[LadyMistDragon]

 

GUARDIAN (1995) by Stealth (Crispy Doom)

 

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 GUARDIAN   
                                    
         This transcript contains the last words to pass the lips of                  
         Col Viggen, Who led his team of merceneries into the ill
         fated Luminite extraction facility.
                      
                      
                      
                      
                      
                      WARNING CONTAINS COARSE LANGUAGE
                          (go watch telly kiddies)

          
          AAAAARGHHH..Hit again....Different one this time....BOOOOOM                  
          Eat rockets asshole!....fucken hot down here, damn hot.....
          What the FUCK!...Oh hell i'me dead, it's fucken huge, i'm
          outta here man, i'm not gettin paid enough for this SHIT!
          Hmmn, a teleport.....only chance...gotta make it..........
          WHOOOSH BOOOOOM...........................END TRANSMISSION

 *******************************************************************************

         "Good day Major (your name)"
         "As president of Luminite Corp. I would like to express my extreme
          gratitude for your willingness to attempt this mission on behalf 
          of my company. I am unsure wether you understand the type of enemy 
          we are up against"
         "Noone knows em like i do".
         "UAC?"
         "Yes sir"
         "Then it is you. At least I know I have the best. Are we agreed on
         the price?"
         "Yes sir, very generous sir"
         "I like you soldier. Take care of yourself down there eh"
         "See you topside sir"
******************************************************************************                                
ITELLIGENCE REPORT.
         Approx' 6 months ago, the Luminite Corp, opened another mine- loc- 
         ation classified.The operation proceeded smoothly with huge profits
         until the test drill team discovered an immense vein of luminite.
         boring deep down, the working area became too hot. A special 
         "research team" delved into the tunnels, and never returned. Since
         then, A team of commandos ventured inside, and have not been seen 
         since Their radio tranmissions detail sightings of undead
         beings, and mechoid demons.

 

 

This little map was actually tested by Balrog, a name I've come across before in the Doom DM sphere. Which probably explains why only 1 door featured here is marked with its appropriate key. No matter, this is a surprisingly well-constructed and realized mine level. The supports really match with the surrounding dirt quite well, and there's even little hints of Doomcute. For instance, the little bathrooms with brown toilets for some reason. Or the little station with the Hell Knight guard or the Arch-vile just chilling in a supply closet or the Mancubi security overlooking much of the main, if underdetailed starting room. 

 

But this map also contains a rather serious issue: namely that things are extremely cramped. It's actually bad enough in one room near the beginning that there are two revenants standing in a tiny room with a Mancubus looking on and while it's not exactly impossible, it's also blatantly unfair. The 2 Mancubi mentioned above are also incredibly hard to dodge and were it not for the presence of the otherwise useless Megasphere since the exit is opened by hitting a switch next to the door leading in, this would be very similar to the above-situation.

 

It was also questionable to see a Super Shotgun be placed behind around 4 or so enemies who were more suited for it than a regular shotgun but that might just be an oversight. No matter what you might think though, despite its roughness, it's an admirable effort 7/10

 

 

[brick]

Brick | 3 wads | 3 maps

Adventure | 4 wads | 12 maps

 

Long Road, No Turns (2019) by Benjogami. 1/13 SP map for Doom II in Boom.

I've played and enjoyed some Benjogami maps that were part of group projects (the one in Haste was particularly interesting I thought), as well as Down The Drain, but I'd never played the big solo maps, and I knew they were very different in style with their tends of thousands of monsters. This wad is one of these humongous slaughters, with over 20,000 enemies and Dehacked changes that gives all weapons unlimited ammo. It's split into discrete sections, as the name implies each is a straight road with no turn, and filled with specific mixtures of enemies, usually a pair of types (zombie/demon, shotgunner/spectre, revenant/caco, etc) with hundreds of each, and a bunch of archviles to ensure everything gets resurrected over and over. The sections are completely compartmentalized, so while MAP01 includes everything, the later 13 maps slots just include each of the sections on its own so as not to blow up people's older PCs. The specific combinations might be interesting to fight through, but each section is quite long and once you figure out how to deal with the pair (and the archviles) you just go through the motions over and over, then start again at the next section. I think cutting down each one by 80% would've made for a fun series of bite-sized challenges, but while I wasn't a fan of the grind I think it has its audience, and they'll enjoy it for sure. I do think the strict compartmentalization makes it less interesting than World Orifice.

Spoiler

 

I already played Technician's Base with ER/IWA, and while I liked it I was more in the mood for something new.

 

Forgotten Base: Flooded Area (1999) by Tarin. 1 DM map for Doom II in ZDoom.

Tarin's name is familiar but I don't know where from. In any case this is a simple but quite nice DM map, with a nice watery theme and some simple but pretty detailing that doesn't interfere with movement. The map is small so it'd probably be quite action-packed with multiple players trying to kill each other. I think the only obvious weakness is that it's pretty flat, there isn't much use of elevation.

Spoiler

 

Runaway (1994) by Eric C. Reuter. 1 SP map for vanilla Doom.

For a very early map this is not bad at all. Since I was just talking about elevation, it displays a surprisingly good understanding of how to use it for both visuals and to split the level design into distinct parallel paths, the bit around the blue key in particular is well done, you can either find the teleport to access the lower level or just jump down into the toxin and figure it out from there. It's not the best-looking map but there are attempts at vanilla architecture and at least minimal texture alignment (though not always perfect, as you can see below). Progression is surprisingly elaborate and well done, except this is probably the map that started the trend of not testing on HNTR, the yellow key is erroneously flagged and doesn't appear there, which makes the map impossible to complete under HMP. It's not one of the early greats, but compared to some of the stuff we've had to play through it's not bad.

Spoiler

 

[Endless]

6 minutes ago, brick said:

Runaway (1994) by Eric C. Reuter. 1 SP map for vanilla Doom. 

Ah I remember this one. I found it some time ago while editing the Doom Wiki. It is a surprinsingly good map that has some good, almost OG-level of quality to it. While I wasn't overly fond of the layout and some of the last areas, I still enjoyed it and found it to be a very well polished (for the time that is) map.

 

I also included it as part of my Top 50 WADs from 1994, to celebrate Doom 30th anniversary.

[brick]

I guess I'm feeling an uncontrollable urge to catch up on all the fun I've missed.

Brick | 1 wad | 5 maps

Adventure | 5 wads | 17 maps

 

Beta Labs 2 (2017) by Serious_MOod, Chaingunner, Brain. 5 SP maps for limit-removing Doom. Played with GZDoom on HNTR.

I'm cheating a bit, but when I saw ICID rolled this 2 weeks ago I really wanted to play, as I've enjoyed other @Chainie wads, so I'm moving it into this Adventure. This is another set of map that uses the alpha resources, replacing the weapons (I think they behave mostly the same though?), the textures of course, and some of the enemy sprites and their projectiles. I find the alpha textures a bit hit and miss but they're used well here, there's a thematic consistency that runs through the mapset that makes it easy on the eyes. Lighting is superb, with great use of contrasting lights and shadows, and the detailing is very nice in parts. The removed limits are not just for show though, while the early maps are small and quick playing, they progressively get larger and the last two are long adventures. Maybe a bit too long; I enjoyed all the maps, but E1M4 was a bit too labyrinthine, the windows make the automap a lot less useful, and I swore a couple of times at the backtracking that dropping down the wrong side of a platform sometimes entailed. Combat can be challenging but most of that comes from hitscan abuse, though there are some great setpieces too, barons are used well IMO. Ammo balance is great, I had to constantly switch weapons to conserve precious bullets and shells but rarely had to resort to the chainsaw (though playing continuous, I did eventually fill up; with the weapon placement though I don't think this is a lot of fun to pistol-start). I agree with Walter, I really enjoyed the wad, at least on HNTR.

Spoiler

 

[Andromeda]

14 hours ago, Endless said:

Ah I remember this one. I found it some time ago while editing the Doom Wiki. It is a surprinsingly good map that has some good, almost OG-level of quality to it. While I wasn't overly fond of the layout and some of the last areas, I still enjoyed it and found it to be a very well polished (for the time that is) map.

Worth mentioning that one of Eric's levels was later slightly modified and included as MAP11 in Memento Mori.

[LadyMistDragon]

 

OK, NOW I'M MAD!!!! (2017) by @xdarkmasterx (From Doom with Love)

 

This seems to be Xdarkmaster's......fifth map, I believe? Compared to some of his later efforts, it's kind of unsophsticated with lots of flat, blocky rooms and far too much SHAWN than anyone has the right to witness. Let's not get started on that 'secret' door that requires all 3 keys (only the blue and red keys are needed to exit).

 

But regardless of this and the rather ham-fisted attempts at making the player feel constantly pressured, (there's a hell map from 2021 I believe  where Xdarkmaster used claustrophobia to create actual challeng) it's really pretty fun. But the key here in the first five minutes or so is to NEVER STOP MOVING. This is no exaggeration, it's not too hard to find more powerful weapons other than the BFG, but it'd be advised to go a certain direction, or namely straight-forward so that some of this murder of Revenants here will be tricked into infighting the Cyberdemon, whereas if we just dodge into the side hallways instantly, none of the other chaff is really going to be able to stop them. Some Arch-vile ridiculousness in a side room aside, we should have the blue key sitting in the middle of a blue-carpeted monitoring station.

 

The red key on the other hand has a ton of crap in the way. At first, there's yet one more courtyard with Revenants and a Cyberdemon (the one with the 3-key...walll) and then a maze of comp textures and a small truckload of Arch-viles that immediately converge on your position, with the aid of a vast murder of Revenants. We did have a ridiculous amount of luck here, though. So head through some more dark hallways, then we arrive in a courtyard with a bajillion Pain Elementals for some reason and the red key in the center. 

 

Behind the rk door (in one of the side hallways mentioned at the beginning) we open another door featuring an equal amount of Barons and Cyberdemons on some stairs. With our current armaments, it seems like BS, but at some point before finding the hidden BFG (in a void accessed by a teleporter in the three-key wall mentioned above), we decide to attempt running past everything. RNG might still kill us, but it actually worked out and we're dumped into a final apocalyptic battle with a bajillion Revenants, some Mancubi and four Cyberdemons in the central square and one at what turns out to be the exit. Thankfully, there is a decent amount of room here, along with probably 3 Megaspheres and more ammo than we could ever need, so this doesn't go too badly. Surprisingly, we find the exit so we then determine to go to the three key wall mentioned above, hit some switches and unlock the second secret. The first secret turns out to be opened by hitting a wall behind the Revenant ledge to our right at the beginning, opening another chamber nearby, but the rockets and Soulsphere are still very much appreciated.

 

At the end, it's mostly a nicely difficult map, though at points, the intentional mememry of one of the last maps darkmaster released is recalled (Caligula). It definitely goes over smoother for those who pick the correct path, but that stupid maze nonsense was more than over the top. 7/10

 

 

Edited December 30, 2023 by LadyMistDragon

[Sena]

HOMER by me :-) [sic] (1996)

 

This one's classically old and bad in that unquantifiable 90s way. It's not difficult, the exclusive use of E1 enemies can ensure that, but it is definitely painful to get through, being forced to move through all the random areas that are pitch-black for no discernible reason, plus its general mazelike layout. Apart from its appetite for darkness and jagged edges, it looks like any other techbase from the era that lacks any memorable aspects of atmosphere or visual theming - its most original area is its wide courtyard which is littered with explosive barrels, but when they're spread too far apart to all collectively explode, then I don't really see the point. And there is no point, there is only one point to the whole WAD, which is that the automap makes out Homer's face, which was certainly not worth embarking on this odyssey for. 3/10.

[Roofi]

Year 2 Month 09 Day 29

 

I play until I die or intentionally stop. I don't comment the wad where I died/stopped.

 

[1] The Forgotten Abbey - Part 5 of the Frag Fest! by Matthew Mauger (1995)

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Welcome back! I made this level not long after completing my Dark Towen level, because people wanted something that was small and easy...

Those of you that have played Dark Towen will recognise the old bullet proof glass trick - This time to make raisable shields round the perimeter of the level... Very interesting indeed...

The setting is within a ancient abbey whose only inhabitants are the denizens of Hell that have inhabited the area. Those of you in co-operative will have a shock, as there is no actual way out of the abbey, unlucky.

One potential problem that I had to face when making the level was the potential for spaced out frags - Too much chasing around. This is why I added the BFG (people who have the BFG system sussed will have a field day), and there is a great potential for suprise tele-ambushes and tele-frags :-)

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The Abbey in question just consists of a square arena filled with lot of weapons and supplies despite its restricted size. You can battle with several hell nobles and mancubus if you're playing alone and it's pretty funny they can take the teleporters as you do. For some reasons, you can find a SSG at the four corners of the map, concealed behind an invisible wall that can be lowered. I don't know why Matthew decided to make this but I guess it's just for the wow-factor : "Woah ! Invisible walls in Doom? So cool !"

 

[2] Imprisoned! Copyright @1996 by Steve Wilson (2005)

 

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You wake up in the middle of a prison, somewhere in the far reaches of Hell. Can you stay alive long enough to escape?

With several ambushes and a maze-like layout, you'll have fun figuring out where everything goes, especially if you find some of the secrets. Its appearance ranks a 7.

Try starting with just the pistol and see how far you can get. On Ultraviolence, it ranks a 7 for hardness. I can do it with 3 100%'s and GOOD health and armor in about 40 minutes.

This level is a great 1-player, co-op, and deathmatch level. It's a little big for 2-player deathmatch though.

 

"Imprisoned!" would belong to the pseudo-category of "proto-Hell Revealed" maps.

 

First of all, the prison appears to be way overcrowded and blithely violates fundamental rights. Your goal will notably consists to eradicate all your demonized jailmates and the author grants you all the arsenal for that (except the SSG I probably didn't find but whatever). Moreover, this map is punctuated by some slaughterish combats in which you can experiment the true power of your BFG. One of the first and probably most memorable moments of this map is when you appear in a room, behind a horde of zombies. Shredding them to smithereens with the BFG was pure fun. On a more general level, traps involve a few hordes of monsters here and there. It reminds me a little of what you might find in HR, but Steve has been really generous with resources and surviving is child's play. For example, several invulnerability spheres can be found.

 

Secondly, navigation is rather restricted, with a certain focus on narrow, straight corridors. The prison section is not a pleasant place to visit, not least because of its darkness and maze-like layout. However, the architecture improves once you're out of the ground, thanks in particular to larger zones for smoother movement. Some areas are more eye-catching than others, and I'm particularly fond of the giant circular crusher surrounding the yellow key. Overall, it's decent for 1996 standards.

 

Grade : B- (12/20)

 

[3] DOOMSDAY DeathTAG v2.3 by DoomsDay ( úùøùúùþ[DíímsD’]þùúùøùú ) (1995)

 

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Deathtag only better, or at least thats what i think. Perty good, with a central place with tons of weapons, and two forts, and a new way to defend the switches.
NOTE: BFGS are VERY legal in DDAYTAG. I say this cuz my local Dooming BBS shuns all who use that dang BFG. but in this game it is good.

 

A wad from the "Deathtag" series which are DM designed around coordinated teamplay. Your team has to score points and in order to do that, you have to perform a serie of moves with your teammate, including opening timed doors which are too far away to be reachable alone. That map contains two grassy courtyards with a death pit and some slow crushers preventing from reaching the switch unlocking the door concealing the red/blue key with ease. The said switchs are located at the extreme western and eastern part of the maps and those open timed fast doors located at the other side of the map. That's why it's impossible to score a point alone.

 

Sidenote : it's another countless wad which uses a music from Nine Inch Nails. This band was surprisingly popular among old wads.

 

[4] Kick Attack! by Digital Marketing Associates for Kick (2012)

 

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This is a brand new WAD produced to celebrate Kick, the Hardcore Psycho Nitro
Drink in a Can. Not a total conversion, but we've put a bit of work into this 
baby - hope you like it!  It's been produced with permission from ID Software -
thanks guys. . . Give Kick a try, after this level, we think you'll agree it 
does a little more for you than Alpine Spew. . .

You're a veteran Quality Control Manager at a Kick bottling plant.  Your 
world is one of suits and ties, tests and reports, but above all making sure 
that every bottle of Kick that hits the streets is a brain-mashing brew of 
nitro-driven fizz.

You are not having a good day.

The line has been shut down and you pulled the cord.  You didn't need a 
spectrometer to know that something was wrong - this batch was weak, it did 
nothing for mouth or mind.  It lacked, well. . . Kick.

So you, with loosened tie and your jacket on a hook were crawling through 
passageways trying to find the problem.  Storage tanks, feeder pipes, filling 
nozzles, just what you expected. . .but wait.  What's that?  Out of a newly cut
scar on the side of an otherwise pristine wall came a crudely fashioned pipe.  
Clumsily welded to a major feeder main, it disappeared into the darkness.

Punching a small hole in the pipe with a screwdriver, the liquid that dripped
to the ground confirmed what you already feared  - it was Alpine Spew. Someone
was using Alpine Spew to take the kick out of Kick!  You could already hear
them echoing up from below:  Surfer Mutants with Flattops shouting "Hey Dude!"
The screams of flying two liter bottles with teeth so sharp they'd tear you 
apart faster than the Spew itself.  And most chilling, the taunts of a musty 
old lounge singer: "C'mere baby. . ."  It sounded like he wanted your career 
to be over too.

Something had to be done and you were the man to do it.  Tie off, armed only 
with the pistol from your desk and a can of Kick you crawled into the inky 
abyss.  It was time to Kick some Alpine ass. . .

 

Well, this is a special one, not only because it can be presented as a jokewad but specifically because it's a kind of advertisement for a drink that no longer exists. The file was uploaded in 2012 but designed in 1996 by Tim Willits.

 

Despite of the silly aspect of this map , I can't hide my astonishement on the work brought for the custom sprites, between the "new" weapons marked by a new look and stamped with the brand name or the creative new monsters. The shotgunners became mutant surfers, lost souls by bottles of an opposing brand or ... the pinkies by old lounge singers. Those sound particularly creepy as they constantly repeat "Come Here Baby" or "Take it Baby" when they attack you. In any case, unlike many old conversions, the sprites are very clean and show a certain professionalism that can't have come from an average Doom fan. The mutant surfers can be found in some Doomkid's wads such as "Ray Mohawk" series.

 

The map has unfortunately nothing special and has no custom music. It's a traditional green Tek base map , in a color that matches the drink brand but offers no particular gameplay than a mindless shooting gallery. The enemies are placed at random and wait to be killed. The map is still largely playable and above 1996 standards, but it shows that the main interest lies in the wacky sprites.

 

Still, this wad will be remembered for its unique, well-crafted sprites.

 

Grade : B+ (15/20)

 

[5] Dave.WAD by David Bruni (2005)

 

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This is a practice level I made to try out the Doom Editor-The Real Thing.

 

A disgusting-looking randomly shaped bunker mostly built with wood  and marble. As a practice map, it can be finished under 10 seconds as the exit is located near the spawn and don't require completing specific objectives such as finding keys for instance.

 

However, the map features some optional red hellish parts that I strongly advise against you exploring if you're  epileptic and/or migrainous because the author loved putting headache-inducing blinking lights in those parts.

 

I almost died in this map because opening the first door awakens a lot of monsters, which can corner you if you don't grab a shotgun in time. Apart from that, there are medkits all over the place, so the challenge is non-existent.

 

My grade will be a D for Dave, but above all for dumb and dull. The level is dated 1994 of course.

 

Grade : D- (4/20)

 

[6] The Chaingun FAQ by Ryan Watt (1998)

 

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This is FAQ that explains chaingun tactics and use. There wasnt much to write on it, beacause some of it is obvious, but why not?

 

A small strategy guide for the chaingun. Let's see what it tells:

 

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This is FAQ that explains chaingun tactics and use.
There wasnt much to write on it, beacause some of it
is obvious, but why not?

Q. How powerful is it?
A. It does about 3 points of damage a bullet, about thesame as an Imp fireball. The rat of fire makes up forthe weak shots.

 

Q. Who should I use it against?
A. The Zombie Men, Shotgun Guys, Demons, Imps and Cacodemons. The rate of fire stops them from fighting back if all your shots hit.

 

Q. Does it work in deathmatch?
A. Yes, and very well too. Hard to dodge and rapid fire are the best things about it. Surprise your opponent and you can kill him in seconds.

 

Q. Whats with this demo and wad?
A. It shows tactics with the chaingun like: Strafing aroud the corner to kill eemies fast Killing a Cacodemon at short range

 

Surprising another player(The cacodemons supposed to be a player.)

 

 

I think Ryan missed two important things in his guide, when it comes to fighting monsters :

 

- The chaingun is the most accurate weapon in the game if you tap the left-click and is therefore the weapon of choice for attacking monsters perched or a little far away, for example, or simply shooting switches.

 

- The chaingun is a potent weapon for immobilizing DOOM II monsters with a high pain-chance such as the pain elemental, the arachnotron, or the revenant. The chaingun isn't only useful against Doom 1's bestiary.

 

There's a test map accompanying the file but it only shows close-quarters combats. This guide partially covers the potential of the chaingun in Doom.

 

[7] MyHouse2.wad by Noah Haskell (1995)

 

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This is the Doom ][ version of my Wad file, some of texture's are a little off so if you want the full effect you should play it on Doom I !!!

This is a completely blueprint accurate WAD of my house. I designed the level so my friends who don't have Doom can come over to play Doom via modem and would know the level without having to ask me which way to turn all the time. I also added a few underground tunnels and secret passageways that my house obviously doesn't have. There are hidden teleporters, detailed furniture, and a couple great hiding places. Even though the size of the file is large, the level itself is not that big. It is because of the furniture. Be sure to check out the fireplace and Bathroom's with moving toxic waste!!! This is my first attempt at creating a WAD so please be kind. Enjoy!!! (please tell my what you think!!!) noah@seas.ucla.edu

 

The unofficial sequel of Veddge's masterpiece, running this time on the original EXE. That one sends you in a lifeless house made of Startan and fleshy furnitures. Noah has added a number of backrooms accessible via distorted staircases.

 

The wad is then cursed in its own way, but we agree that the sequel, now oriented towards deathmatch mode, is unfortunately not as convincing as the original.

 

[8] Forgotten Nirvana by Walter "Daimon" Confalonieri @Walter confetti (2011)

 

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Another speed map i've posted ages ago on doomworld, but never send it on idgames, so i do it now. Theme now is a fortress surrounded by blood and dead bodies....

 

When I saw the first room with its imps and medkits littering the floor, I expected a revisit of Doom II's most unjustly unloved level, but this was not the case. Just after the first door, you'll encounter a flock of hell knights with a cyberdemon and the theme has nothing in common with the original Nirvana as it consists to a more "realistic" stone castle with traditional hell landscapes.

 

The gameplay is eccentric without being really arduous, so "Forgotten Nirvana" reminds me of maps like "Fortress of Misery", bearing in mind that I'd already played a remake of this level by Walter.  Hordes of mid-tiers are offset by plenty of ammunition and heavy weapons. A little observation is all you need to find the secret megasphere.

 

 What's more, this level features 88 monsters, which puts it on a par with the two existing Wolfenstein maps!  This map could occupy a secret slot, it's so quirky and uncomplicated.

 

This map is boom-compatible just because at one point, you have to shoot a switch that raises some marble platforms at turbo speed.

 

Grade : B-  (11,5/20)

 

[9] Reactor by @Human_Animal (2023)

 

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Got around to making a new map for you all to suffer through! This time, it's set in an underground facility filled with lava and zombies (and Revenants). I also put lots of barrels near hordes of low-tier enemies, since it's fun blowing them up.

 

a heavily-crowded tech base which includes no more than the stock assets. It uses the music from Doom 2 Map 04 , that actually fits with the non-stop action. Now, I have to point out that finding the secret located in the toxic pit drastically improved the experience to me. Indeed, there's no armor outside secrets and the fact that you're always feeling vulnerable in this type of map increases the stress for nothing, especially as zombies and the occasional revenants can quickly take you down. 

Obtaining, a soulsphere, a green armor and a RL. The absence of armor, on the other hand, encourages you to hide and advance cautiously, which is a shame for this type of map.

 

Human_Animal doesn't seem to be a prolific mapper as I never seen that name before. I'd like to encourage you to make maps, as the architecture is interestingly spacious and slightly oblique in that one. Knowing that you like to blow things up, I'd encourage you to put a reactor to blow up in your future map, with an IOS for example, to reinforce the explosive gameplay.

 

The chaingun also benefits from an increased rate of fire, which speeds up combat.

 

Grade : B (12,5/20)

 

[10] SNIPE99.ZIP (snipe99.wad, snip99e.txt, snipe99.lmp) by Eric C. Reuter (1994)

 

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This level was originally a small deathmatch concept, but needed some additions to improve playability. This level is moderate in size and has been designed for 2 Player Deathmatch. It also plays well as a one player episode. There are a few hidden doors, but they should be easy to spot. Two teleporters. A hidden exit, but it is revealed fairly easily. Monsters are copious in UV, and there is a spiderdemon. Not too tough to get though, because of the location. View the .lmp to see basically the entire level in UV. (Apologize for my performance as I only had the keyboard at the time) (doom -playdemo sniper99 -file sniper99.wad) Comments, criticisms very welcome.

 

A sandboxy and energizing tech-base map due to its "Deathmatch turned into SP" kind of level design. Except the two keys you have to find in order to unlock the exit, SNIPE99 lets you explore at your free will and all parts turn out to be a frenetic shooting gallery thanks to the pretty high number of low-tiers ennemies. Snipe99 reminds me of "Reactor" I just played before but the all the available supplies allow for an aggressive approach. Contrary to many versatile maps, that one is big enough to take at least few minutes to complete.

 

The aesthetics look solid for a 1994 map whereas the whole despite the overall randomness of the layout, it's a succession of rooms with no real meaning after all. There's a certain attention to detail in the lighting, and the contrasts are quite striking.

 

SNIPE99 was a dopamine rush I didn’t necessarily need, but that I enjoy without hesitation.

 

Grade : B (13/20)

 

[11] Boring Doom by B.P.R.D @Foofoo (2005)

 

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THE STORY You stand calm and obediant. The general glances over you as he thumbs the papers of the file you just brought him. In it, the secret base of the demons, which mankind has been battling for many years now. To make a long story short, it ends up where you have to fight more demons as usual. Enjoy!

 

Two maps where you always do the same thing but they're so short that I didn't have the time to feel bored. You have to find three keys in both maps and all of them are guarded by the same troup of imps and demons. The shotgun is your only weapon because it's the perfect exemple of "Boring, but practical" kind of weapon.

 

Actually, Boring Doom was a relaxing small experience because it maintains me in my comfort zone : no gimmick, no challenge, no danger. I could attribute this name to all DM maps I visited. This wad should rather be renamed "Doom in a nutshell" as since that sums up Doom: kill monsters, get keys and press exit.

 

And last thing, it's one of only works from BPRD that keep my mental sanity intact.

 

Grade : C-  (8/20)

 

I stop here for today.

[LadyMistDragon]

Nativity in Black (2006) by TheUltimateHeretic(Lorenzo) (GZ Doom)

 

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In Italy they have a thing called "Presepe" (Crib), a scenographic rappresentation of the Nativity. I tried to do the same using the DooM monsters. This is not blasphemous: the original "Presepe" may contain characters like Bin Laden or Bush or (more often) characters famous in Italy.

 

 

*Geezer Butler solo plays*

A....sort of joke map made early on in a storied mapper's career. It is kind of funny to see these dudes standing around in a shed and with some kind of tense action too! Do shotgun the Arch-vile through the window because only a fool wouldn't! Also, I find it funny that a version of "Manic Depression" by Jimi Hendrix plays which...isn't exactly Satanic 5/10

 

 

 

 

 

Needs More Detail II (2008) by Fiend (Crispy Doom)

 

I would rather have skipped this but it didn't win a Cacoward or a runner-up either and Fiend's not an unknown mapper to me. This basically seems to be one of those wads like Switcheroom or The Way WE^TM Remember It that rearranges IWAD maps. As the name suggests, this simplifies things down to what might be considered a more minimalist design perspective. At the same time, they feel made by someone with more experience, if perhaps less raw talent from a certain perspective, than Sandy Petersen. It is a little goofy how things are simplified sometimes. For instance, the crate 'maze' of E2M2 can't be seen from the start and isn't a maze this time, but probably thanks to the map's character, seems basically just as confusing for a first playthrough. The vines of E2M3 can be recognized but that outdoor area is like something more out of Command Control. I could give a better perspective if I had a little more time for this but now, it sits at a solid 8/10

 

 

Edited December 31, 2023 by LadyMistDragon

[Johantux]

Gloom Sewers 1024 by Mephisto

 

I drew this WAD with the random generator - looks to have been submitted to a 1024^2 map units competition.  And it was pretty fun.  Doomgods won't find it challenging at all, but that title wouldn't apply to me.

 

I recorded a video of my first playthrough - it's a bit choppy, and if I'm going to continue doing this I'll need to upgrade my system or figure out how to optimize OBS - but I hope you enjoy it.

 

 

Edited December 31, 2023 by Johantux
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[Roofi]

Year 2 Month 09 Day 30

 

I play until I die or intentionally stop. I don't comment the wad where I died/stopped.

 

[1] THE SPACE SHIP by Scott Nelson (1994)

 

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This is a level for E1L1 made like a space ship.

The theme is Aliens, and really needs the alien sound effects and graphics loaded to get the full affect of the level. They can be found on most share point where Doom utils are (alien101.zip includes sounds, graphics and 9 new levels).

The story line is you were called in to exterminate the Aliens onboard a Marine scout ship that was infected from contact with escape pod from a prison barge.

Special note: You can go out into space, in this level, but no one can hear you screem...

 

A demonstration that levels made in 1994 aren't necessarly a bunch of random shapes put in the editor, contrary to how many people portray them. Depending of your tolerance toward old-school limitations, you'll think that "The Space Ship" is either a small gem or a simple tech-base including a prolific usage of computer textures. 

 

For my part, I found "The Space Ship" quite impressive on several aspects. The texturing is really consistent despite the reccurent tutti-fruttis and blatant misalignments. Scott Nelson managed to use the most "futuristic" textures and the dim brightness is a bit creepy-inducing, knowing that you're the only human being here, that going outside results to a guaranted death and above all, that the only liveable area is severly infested by demons. 

 

As I mentioned just above, The shapes really give the impression of a ship, between the large rooms that resemble control rooms, and a large straight corridor that serves as an airlock to cross the vessel. The occasional diagonal walls also help to reinforce this modern look: it's neither too square nor too distorted.

 

As a map designed for E1M1, don't expect a true survival horror map but the danger is there. A cyberdemon roams in the control room near the exit and depending your patience, you can either cheese it or being courageous by obtaning the BFG placed near the partially opened door and blow it up in a rather restricted space. In addition to this, traps are activated from time to time behind the player, with a few imps here and there. It's even possible to take a teleporter at the start of the level, which sends you into a zone filled with cacos and a baron. Nothing too difficult, but it can be dangerous if you're low on health. Nevertheless, there are plenty of soulspheres and armor, which make this level a breeze.

 

Grade : B+  (15/20)

 

I took an unmarked teleporter from the map 02 of  Abyssal Speedmapping Sessions: Session 7 that instantly killed me.

 

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[LadyMistDragon]

Happy birthday, Lainos! (2012) by @Katamori (From Doom with Love)

 

Here's a map that I played a long time ago for some reason and remember not really feeling impressed. Not like it's such a great map even now, but it's at least easy to appreciate the map being riffed on, especially with the gloomy-ass music and brutalist architecture that everyone seems to like. It does seem to combine a number of recognizable areas like the subway station, a certain mezzanine, and the apartment complex from Doxamine Moon but Katamori was lacking in time so combat isn't going to do lots, exception being the double-Cyberdemon fight in front of that very odd pyramid that has blue and yellow skulls arranged very carefully on the side. At the end, we're in a room facing a picture of Lainos (he was 21 at the time) with a sort of red panel that contains a Romero head. The solution is probably quite predictable. Anyway, I do have to wonder if the more expansive map planned would be a little more original. If nothing else, the silent teleports at 3 points might at least cause some people to jump 6/10

 

 

[Roofi]

Year 2 Month 09 Day 31 (Happy New Year 2024 !)

 

I play until I die or intentionally stop. I don't comment the wad where I died/stopped.

 

[1] MorDor: The Ultimate Deathmatch. by Victor Mills (1997)

 

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This level was inspired by all the crap that is put out on the net for deathmatch play. Some of the stuff that I download really sucks!! This wad is not the best I have ever played, but it is REALLY GOOD if you are a real Deathmatch Fragger!

 

A giant and overbright junkyard of random ideas serving as a battlefield for DM purposes. The size of the map shows the ambition of its author but I'm quite frustrated that it wasn't designed for Singleplayer instead because it's blatantly oversized and too complex . There are lot of areas to explore and I think the map can quickly get dreary if the opponents spend all their time playing cat-and-mouse.

 

The addition of a starry sky bring some TNT evilution vibes too, reinforcing my desire to see this map converted into a solo adventure

 

[2] Jose by Jose Mancia (1997)

 

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GREAT DEATHMATCH LEVEL

 

A DM map I already covered in Month 3 Day 18  (27th july 2021). here's the review I wrote :

 

"A large Deathmatch map which consists to a sea of green nukage with big sectors letters which form "Jose the master of computers". These sectors act as a lift which hold tons of items. Visually , it's very simple so nothing really interesting besides."

 

This time I launched prboom+ in order to collect the 85 items and find the 4 "secrets" which are just holes from letters A, R or P. Nothing special to add, this little challenge just served to keep me on the map a little longer.

 

I stop here for today.

[LadyMistDragon]

DELCRET.WAD (DownTown2)(1995) by Tony Soderlund (Crispy Doom)

 

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This WAD file took me 3-Days to creat(!) The best with this WAD must be all the new graphics I've added and Sounds! It's a huge city with cool houses all over, a city which feels as the real-thing but the city has been invaded by some scumbags call them self UACm your mission is to save the city from there Cyberdemon and Company. Ever seen the movie "the shining" well anyway, if you have: Do you remember the room 237 at the hotel..." In the city you may visit Mr.John Romero at ID_softwares quarter or the Super-Dome Stadium!

 

 

Curiously, this map seems to have been uploaded by Lupinx-Kassman, months after he had started to make his own maps! Basically, this is a city map which for a while was far more common in the 90s than it was in subsequent years. There are no helpful arrows, so don't flip out and accept that you'll be lost for a bit. Though if you want to progress quicker, look for the hotel. There is a Cyberdemon to dodge though, so things won't be easy and army dudes sure love to teleport in when you start fooling around in the gun store and the bank! Yes, this is one of those maps, containing tons of hilarious monster placement and combat largely lacking in challenge but with signs clearly marking what each building is supposed to be. Although I'm not German, so I'm not sure what some of the signs are saying. I think we enter an Internet cafe at one point but there's a backroom with corpses, which you'd more associate with butcher shops so there's really no telling for sure! At one point, we even enter the id offices! I'll give you three guesses as to whose occupying Romero's office. Hint: it's someone that would actually fit. Great and charming map that goes over much better when not exposed to constant D__RUNNIN 6.5/10

 

 

Edited January 2 by LadyMistDragon

[ICID]

After some introspection, I've decided to stop giving files a number grade in the new year. I'll let the writing stand for itself.

 

 

The Oozing Affair (2011) by TheCupboard

 

^{Play Settings}

^{Source Port: GZDoom}

^{Play Settings: Extreme Ooze}

 

This isn't really a Chex Quest WAD - it's an Ultimate Doom WAD that uses Chex Quest assets. You'll notice this right away when the Flemoidus Commonus and Flemoidus Bipedicus begin dropping ammunition and shooting you from a distance instead of using their usual melee attacks, which becomes a problem very quickly because most of the WAD takes place in flat rooms with little to no cover absolutely packed with these enemies who now act as hitscanners. In fact the monster count on Extreme Ooze here is pretty ridiculous, with most maps containing well over a hundred enemies and rooms often containing dozens of cacodemons or barons at a time. Around E1M5 I gave up on fighting fairly and started running through each map to get to the exit, which is fortunately not too hard as long as you use plasma or rockets to keep the aforementioned hitscanner population down.

 

Those of us who love Chex Quest for reasons other than "lol isn't it funny that this even exists" do so because of its aesthetics - the commitment to doomcute as you go through the scientific research facility, the city complete with its own working movie theater, and of course the extremely cool outer space journey of Chex Quest 3, crammed with all its fancy ZDoom aesthetic features. The combat was never anything to write home about, designed as it was for very small children, but the sense of place and adventure were surprisingly robust and memorable. That unfortunately is all but completely lost here, and the results are quite tedious.

 

In short, any version of Chex Quest that nerfs the Super Bootspork is no Chex Quest of mine.

 

 

Long Road, No Turns (2019) by Benjogami

 

^{Play Settings}

^{Source Port: dsda-doom, complevel 9}

^{Play Settings: Ultra-Violence}

 

I'm not gonna tell Benjogami, the multiple-Cacoward-winning mapper behind such great sets as SlaughterMAX or Down the Drain or Flotsam, how to do his job. But I'm really not sure who this one is for. "Long Road, No Turns" does indeed consist of a very long, straight road with no turns in which you flight large clusters of identical monsters. Most of the thirteen sections of road consist of the same pattern of monsters: some big group of damage dealers (starting with zombiemen and working up to pain elementals), something to limit your movement (demons, barons, lost souls, etc) and then either arch-viles or cyberdemons in the corners. Two of the sections consist of JUST archies and cybers and the final section is a dark maze with no enemies. I appreciate that in addition to playing the whole map continuously, which would take more than 8 hours of real time, you can jump to separate sections using MAP03 to MAP15.

 

Like I said, I'm not sure who this is for. I love slaughter, but I love it because I enjoy solving a diversity of combat puzzles, which is very much not what this is. This is an intentionally monotonous experience that's designed to challenge your patience more than your reflexes or strategic abilities. And it's clearly designed that way, with lovely architecture and clever scene transitions and infinite ammo hacks that completely break the UI (note how I somehow have "-0" rockets in the first screenshot lol.) So this is clearly something that a mapper who's capable of making many other things sat down to make and play and enjoy. Good for him, I suppose.

[brick]

I was wondering why I was enjoying The Oozing Affair a lot less than Chex Quest, and why I felt some enemies were behaving differently, and just attributed it to bad memory and rose-tinted nostalgia. Thank you ICID for confirming that even the mechanics are so different from Chex, that explains a lot.

 

Brick | 1 wad | 1 map

Adventure | 6 wads | 18 maps

 

Tech Gone Bad (2016) by John Romero. 1 SP map for limit-removing Doom. Played with GZDoom on UV.

And speaking of Nostalgia, I really don't think it is the reason that I liked Romero's mapping and E1 in particular so much. Romero has (I used the past tense initially, and it is with so much glee that I caught myself and changed it to the present tense) a very deliberate approach to introducing one-off and distinctive setpieces. E1 is full of them of course, but that's to be expected, there was nothing before it, so everything in it is new. But to see him do it 30 22 years later is one reason he's one of my favourite mappers. One of the unique elements in E1M8b is of course the red cracks, they are everywhere, they cause nasty damage, even being too close to them causes damage, but typical for Romero, who can be harsh but rarely unfair, they're easy to avoid once you understand how they work. The opening is a seething hot start in cramped quarters surrounded by those damned cracks and chewed by demons and turned into Swiss cheese by shotgunners, I died several times despite playing it before. Once past this bump the map goes much more smoothly, exploring the facility is very rewarding with a dozen secrets to find, and I really like the aesthetic both in the architecture and the contrast between the sea of green and the red cracks that seem to be breaking reality itself apart. Despite so much toxin it's possible to take very little damage from it, there are little islands and broken walkways to facilitate going around, and a few radsuits here and there for when there's no other option but taking a swim. Combat is mostly hitscan attrition, but Romero is quite good at avoiding what I consider more bullshit uses (at least outside the opener), they don't snipe from far away or from places where they can't even be seen, and whenever I ate a full shot to the face it was simply because I didn't react fast enough, not because it was truly unavoidable. Romero tends to avoid arena-style fights, so I can't remember any fully enclosed setpiece fight, but I remember enjoying dispatching the large opposition the map throws at us. There are some spots that feel typically Romero, such as the little computer maze at the end, both familiar with how many of these were in E1 but also different enough in to still feel fresh. The one fight that felt a bit of a letdown is the finale. I appreciate it trying to make the portals at the Anomaly actually look like portals, it's certainly a lot more detailed than the original E1M8, but somehow felt easier. The original's difficulty came from trying to deal with both the barons while manoeuvring around the spectres, but here enemies (including the barons) teleport in one at a time, they never seem to swarm, and it made the fight disappointingly easy. It doesn't really detract from my enjoyment though, I love this wad, enough to break my usual choice of difficulty and play this on UV, still enjoying every minute of it, engrossed enough that I completely forgot to take screenshots.

[Roofi]

Year 2 Month 10 Day 01 

 

I play until I die or intentionally stop. I don't comment the wad where I died/stopped.

 

[1] Doomer by Robert Tremblay (1995)

 

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The same plot as Doom II but with my ideas.

 

A trio of maps I already explored in Year 2 Month 06 Day 23 (23th August 2023). Here's my past review :

 

"I think people are too rude when they say Doom II is abstract because you can still recognize a sense of place despite the poor texturing. Robert Tremblay's reimagination of Doom II's plot features a succession of ugly, unshaped and unthemed rooms scattered in a set of three levels. I think he took twice more drugs than Sandy Petersen did when designing "Nirvana". Also, "Doomer" contains randomly placed weak enemies and lot of items which whether translates the lack of mapping skills from its author, laziness or more probably both.

 

Anyway, I hdad fun cleaning each room since the maps are undemanding but that's all. The last level is a tad better than the other thanks to the pseudo-city theme but overall, it's a poor mapset.

 

Grade : D+   (7/20)"

 

I played on prboom+ this time, in order to find all the secrets and kill all the enemies, the adventure didn't become more exciting by the way. However, I still want to raise the grade a bit because despite being totally random and ugly, Doomer is quick and easy and it's hard to give a really bad grade in levels I don't suffer in. 

 

There's nothing special about the gameplay, but the biggest problem is the total lack of artistic value, which is still of secondary importance to me.

 

Grade : C- (8/20)

 

I failed running from a corridor full of zombiemen and barrels in Spawning Fun (Forgot to take screen)

 

[LadyMistDragon]

Tellerstein's Base (2012) by Ericson "Tellenstein" Williams (GZ Doom)

 

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Thou art trapped in Tellerstein's Base, canst thou survive his wretched and hellish spawns?

 

Well, this is some really corny crap. This guy, that has his ever-so edgy mug plastered behind the player start location, actually proves to be not quite so nasty as you might think from the moronic German alias. Not like I can say the progression makes a lick of sense because it makes absolutely NO sense. Ooooo, Tellenstein you're such a trickster! No, but this map is pretty small, so it's really not a huge deal, but it was a little irritating to deal with that in such a short map as this. I suppose it is pretty cool to have the floor in the starting room drop down to reveal a cavern. Although you shouldn't even try to kill the Cyberdemons because you don't got the ammo! And I don't think any crushers activate when you pick the yellow key up either, like that would make any difference. All in all, this isn't a bad idea, and the raising bridge section is actually kind of cool with the way the little encounters are framed but it's a 6/1

 

 

 

[Roofi]

Year 2 Month 10 Day 02

 

I play until I die or intentionally stop. I don't comment the wad where I died/stopped.

 

[1] chaos by Raymond Schmitz (1998)

 

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These 2 levels are for experts, and are a chaotic mess.

 

Beneath the rather generic appearance of these levels lies an abnomarlly high ammount of traps and sort of "puzzles" involving hidden doors, unmarked teleporters or even unusual shootable switches.

 

Both maps present a cramped progression and your goal is to survive in a succession of strange scenarios, not to say burlesque at times. For instance, in the first map, you'll enter in a small room with a lot of chainguns and obtaining one of them will reveal a closet full of chaingunners. Another exemple, you have to succesively fight two Spider-Masterminds in their dedicated room and you have no have no cover (You can fortunately skip). In the same map, you also have to fight a cyberdemon in a tight corridor and you have to obtain an invulnerability sphere before he attacks you (not a big deal though).

 

Sometimes it's really goofy or/and frustrating but all those traps make this level unpredictable and therefore rather exciting to play. More generally, monsters often fill a role and are not placed on the fly, as can be seen in many 1990s maps.

 

chaos is also a sophisticated wad in terms of visuals.  Despite its suffocating layouts, the use of textures remains clean, and Raymond has succeeded in creating environments that are sometimes a little detailed, such as the metal arches. It's less impressive for a 1997/1998 wad than a 1994/1995 one, but I was quite impressed by the alignment of TEK textures, for example, demonstrating a degree of refinement that wasn't very common at the time.

 

I admit that this type of wad with puzzle-oriented combat isn't really my favorite thing, but "chaos" is a sophisticated product in terms of visuals, but especially in trap design. The author was only 15, and I sense a certain ingenuity. I wonder what it would have looked like a few decades later.

 

Grade : B+ (14,5/20)

 

[2] Outpost Recon by Tolwyn (David Shaw) @Tolwyn (2004)

 

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A tactically sensative installation has been overrun by the growing remnants of the hellspawn that has continued to be a threat to our civilization for over 10 years.

 

What? A wad made by Tolwyn and there's no custom music? Pretty surprising and disappointing but he's aware of this according to the text file. Anyway, the music from Doom 2's map 10 perfectly did the job for a mission consisting to infiltrate a futuristic lab isolated in a canyon.

 

The map is divided into two parts : the brown canyon where you start and the lab in which you'll spend 95% of your time. That's a shame that the mountainous part can just be ignored but you can still go back to it and explore at your will.

 

It's a moderatly-difficulty level populated with more or less 200 monsters and 8 quite important secrets to find. Alongside the few arch-viles that pose an obvious threat, the quite numerous baron of hells and hell knights will severly drain your ammo in case you didn't find the easy-to-find but almost essential berserk's secret. Honestly, I wonder how I would have performed against the viles without that berserk pack. Without it, I'd have wasted all my ammunition on the hell nobles.

 

For a limit-removing level, Outpost recon preserves a "vanilla" look as it's just slightly more detailed and open than an usual vanilla map. The lighting work is meticulous, but the overall level remains "classic" and lack of new music doesn't help giving this map a true personnality.

 

In any case, it's a good map, although it doesn't go easy on the barons.

 

Grade : B (13/20)

 

[3] Highlands by Chris Wright (1995)

 

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I'm re-releasing this because the original will never, ever get any attention. I'm not even sure if it's on the idgames archive. I'm actually pretty happy with this one -- I played it about thirty times this spring before getting bored with it. And it's a 20-25 minute affair. It was originally meant for co-op, but I never got a chance to try it out because my best friend at the time soon became a bit of a stranger. Sob sob I know. PS this is Map 07. I never make maps 01 because the music sucks. Surely you agree?

 

Regarding the description, I guess the 7th slot was chosen just because Chris Wright didn't know how to import custom midis in his wads. However, the concept presented here seems to fit well with with the rather warlike feel of the music and I prefer it and I even prefer it to the overused trope of the mancubus and arachnotron combo.

 

Your objective consists to recover three keys scattered among several courtyards acting as sort of war zones with plenty of ennemies to kill. It's linear though as since you need a key to unlock another section. Nevertheless, the exploration aspect is reinforced and each courtyard represents a sort of mini-map, since the themes are very different. You can, for example, explore a lovely green place or, on the contrary, a hellish city made up of red and grey, in which a throne is located.

 

I don't mind about about easy maps, but the overload of weapons and supplies annihilate all the challenge. I would have recommended Chris Wright to be less generous, or rather to make the carnage worse by putting in a lot more monsters. Highlands is a walk in the park as it is, which doesn't necessarily make it suitable for a map 07.

 

As basic as the concept is, I really like it, but it could do with a much better execution.

 

Grade : B- (12/20)

 

I stop here for today.

 

[LadyMistDragon]

DoomonstrationGame (2005) by Michael @Optimus Kargas (GZDoom)

 

I am NOT about to copy the entire description down but it's safe to say Mike had been a participant in the demoscene community for many years and this was created for the Pixelshow demoscene competition of 2005. As one of the /idgames reviews states, this shows off a number of effects never to really be repeated in subsequent generations of Z Doom mods. It's really neat to see the light effects in the darkened areas at the beginning flow, and even better are the numerous flowing texture effects at the closet portals. And possibly the best bit is that series of flowing colored bars moving around the blue key, sitting in the center of some cleaned water, so I assume. Are those bars like a shield? I don't care to find out. I do know that's a hella cool portal that I basically just ran into and this waiting room/kitchen combo ain't half-bad.

 

Though at this point, we're taken to a courtyard with a lot of flesh stuff, a Spider Mastermind, a two pair of Cyberdemons on a stage overlooking another room resembling Control Center from Goldeneye 007....though maybe it's more like an Internet cafe where you can watch god awful comedians that still always kill. There's also a......sort of outdoor-even thingy that made me go Otaku Center from a billion years ago, though that crap is also at my middle and high school. There's no need to kill the Cyberdemons though, if you can get the Invulnerbility to the side.  Just run down the stage, kill the Baron, then take one of two portals, one that brings you back to the beginning and the other one that basically send us to a pit that I think ends the map once your health drops low enough. With that being said, the gameplay is kind of crap but if these kinds of visual experiences were common in the demoscene community, it's too bad we didn't get more of those.

 

 

 

 

Edited January 4 by LadyMistDragon

[LadyMistDragon]

Since there isn't really all that much new that looks interesting rn, I decided I'd break my usual rule. Unfortunately, it won't be two in one post I think because mah boy just posted something

 

 

The Hall of the H2HMud DooMGods core (1995) by Dave Swift (Crispy Doom)

 

I've played another wad or two by the ol' H2H gang before, and apart from the annoying habit of plastering their logo literally everywhere, this really isn't too bad! This really isn't one of those cases like Nessus.wad or one of those old 94-95 deatmatching maps with monsters slapped down with little regard given to ensuring a single player challenge, but an incredibly tense little adventure, replacing Map 29 and taunting you to go without the Invulnerbility (though in that case, expect to be felled in the second room). This is NOT a wad you should be standing and fighting if you're feeling underequipped, so the Invulnerbility is actually quite essential. This little brown-bricked map might be thought as hourglass-shaped, but with good luck, we can avoid being the funneled ones! Fake walls are actually used with some intelligence as a method of discouraging us from loitering in the opening courtyard. Don't worry, we'll have the rocket launcher to take care of the two Arch-viles hassling us behind one of these walls, a painting of someone I'm calling NotRichardNixon, that we're teleported to upon picking up the blue key here that got lowered in another room. Once we get that though, it's pretty much it. It's not a map that exactly hands its ammo over but regardless, it's quite a tense and frantic, if not overly chaotic map, exactly what we came to expect in things like Borgeosie Megawad 6.5/10

 

 

 

 

Actually, turns out I died quicker than expected in another thing I was playing. So let's just try this one out, shall we?

 

 

Sharkskin1 (2019) by Zillo (Ziyo) C.M. (Crispy Doom)

 

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My second map, which is so far my best. I've finally gotten use to the ins and outs and can make even better maps. My first was way to simple for an upload. This map was entirely inspired by the doom 2 master levels, and I've learned practically everything from the DOOM 2 Master Levels. Thos maps are amazing (except the ones christian made those are utter garbage and annoying) But Bloodsea.WAD is so far my favorite. This map is a simple one, just seeing what I can accomplish before moving onwards to more ambitious maps and projects. Any constructive critques are favorable. Thanks.

 

 

I don't know about you, but when I see someone mention the Master Levels as an inspiration, I reflexively arch my eyebrow because while a few of them are very good, their reputation isn't exactly unearned. And indeed, the structure is something akin to a Chris Klie disasterpiece. Although he says all those maps are garbage and with the exception of Garrison, I can't really disagree (bits of Subspace and Subearth expecting perhaps) The red key door isn't marked for some reason and camping in many locations becomes entirely mandatory. Though I have to say, setting SS in front of COMPBLU tables was surprisingly complementary. Although it did feel like there were a few too many cooks in the kitchen inside the stand, so to speak. Maybe they were just having a break but that's how accidents start, y' know? Anyways, we end up heading into a maze after this and once we reach the end, a wall shuts behind us and we have three different paths over lava. The one on the left and right lead to rooms with a Supercharge and a Revenant quad each that prove wholly tedious to kill. The one in the middle on the other hand, has the yellow key, along with some chaingunners.

 

However, this is where I had to stop because the linedef fuckery is such that if one walks through the middle without exploring the other garbage, you'll probably be fucking softlocked. Still gets a 2/10 for that cool courtyard, but combat is tedious, design is lacking in intuitivity, and who knows how much review this got?

 

 

Edited January 5 by LadyMistDragon

[Sena]

Doom Zephyr Demo by Wes "PumpkinSmasher"Rath (9 maps, 2003)

 

Checking the author's page on the wiki, it looks like the full version never came out. Anyway, this feels pretty flavourless and overall boring, its architecture is of the same flat, monotextured sort that characterised Wolfenstein, and dealing with these flat corridors generates the same sort of response from me as they did in Wolfenstein, and adding curved edges to an otherwise plain room doesn't really do much to help make it more exciting, especially with how rigidly it sticks to the room-corridor-room format. In what I assume is an attempt to imitate Half Life, its levels end at random points, which works a lot better in Half Life since it is meant to be all one seamless experience, but when a random door ends a single, contained level, it feels arbitrary and, rather plainly, like an unsatisfying way to end a level. Its visual theming also feels pretty trapped, in a single level, they'll have the same types (e.g. only using STARTAN, SILVER1 and SUPPORT1 within a given level), but between the levels there is so much randomness that it feels like something you'd get out of a speedmapping compilation. The real problem with its room-corridor-room format is there is no large lobby area to separate them, meaning the whole WAD often feels claustrophobic, and it really feels like one big mess, which also exasperates the issue of its endings feeling random. It harkens back to that classic Wolfenstein problem of trying to figure out which of the identical doors, located within the identical rooms, is the correct one. It also has some bizarre ZDoom features, like a swimming area that only lasts for about 10 seconds and feels entirely pointless, and picking up a blue skull key, which is actually used for the yellow door - I have no explanation for that one. Its gameplay feels very bland too, heavy on hitscanners and light on health packs, but I think playing this highlighted the prevalence of the term "Doom clone" to me. Many games that came after Doom had competent enemy design and shooting mechanics, but without the proper visual theming and interesting level design that characterised Doom, they just feel like weak imitators, and in this regard, I will say that the official id maps even at their worst still carried themselves with evocative architecture and being plainly interesting to walk through. This WAD had one or two rooms that actually experimented and felt like they had something going on, but if I cared that much about one room, I'd just watch the Tommy Wiseau movie. 4/10.