Cacowards 2024 Mentionation Thread

[Dynamo]

Hello all! As we head out into the uncertain but exciting future of 2024, we are once again asking for your input on the various cool WADs that will come out (and have already come out!) that we on the Cacowards team might want to check out. This includes anything that'll release in the coming months but also stuff released from mid-November 2023 onwards. There's many great things being worked on Doomworld and beyond, and we can't wait to see what's getting cooked up in everyone's Doom Builders and Slades.

 

Now just before I pass on the mic to you, there's a couple things to keep in mind:

 

1) Please do not nominate your own projects.

2) Beyond just providing the name of the project, it would also be helpful if you (very briefly) explained what it is, who made it, and also provided a link to it.

3) The mentionation thread is not merely for single maps, levelpacks and megawads, but also works for other things such as gameplay mods, music packs, texture packs, promising newcomer... if you feel like we should have a look at it, post away!

4) Yes, we are aware of Eviternity 2 and Sigil 2 and a couple other high profile projects, so you don't need to nominate these two and other extremely well known projects that will, undoubtedly, be on our radars already.

5) Please mention projects that are actually released or finished in some form, doesn't matter if they are only available as "episode 1" or "RC1" so long as there is something available to download and play.

 

Onwards to another great year! Of course, if you're new or you missed the 2023 Cacowards, you can read them here.

[baja blast rd.]

Extra tips: 

 

1) It really doesn't matter how obscure something is, how small something is, or how much you think you're the only one who likes it or believes in it. If you really liked a wad, mod, soundtrack, utility, or anything else, mentionate it. This thread is far more important as a signal boost for very obscure releases than for work like Heartland or myhouse anyway.

 

2) If you like something, you don't have to wait until idgames finalization. That sometimes happens years after a work is understood to be properly released. "RC"-like releases, for example, should be mentionated. 

[Captain Ventris]

FOR FUCK’S SAKE EVITERNITY 2

[Tristan]

+1 myhouse.pk3

[Terminus]

1 minute ago, Tristan said:

+1 myhouse.pk3

[roadworx]

45 minutes ago, Captain Ventris said:

FOR FUCK’S SAKE EVITERNITY 2

i love how the first response is doing the thing they literally just asked people not to do, lol.

 

anyways, +1 for sigil 2

Edited December 30, 2023 by roadworx

[TheMagicMushroomMan]

I know it's not out yet, but +1 for DBP 69: Blimp Squadron.

[LadyMistDragon]

Potential +1 for Hebonky. Though he's released maybe 1 wad after the cut-off date for last year, Red Sector was just such a good map, and the others were nice puzzles (massively overcooked AV fight at the end of Wormius aside even on HNTR...) or cool tributes like how Frost basically feels like another Ad Mortum map, though maybe leaning more towards Sunlust difficulty.

 

Also, +1 for Hell's Bane.

Edited December 30, 2023 by LadyMistDragon

[VoanHead]

Same here, it isn't even out yet, but +1 for Doom 2 in City Only.

 

From what I've seen in some of the screenshots posted in the thread if you do some digging, the project so far looks pretty lit. It's gonna be another MBF21 wad, hope to see what comes of it on the deadline of March 1st.

Edited December 30, 2023 by VoanHead

[No-Man Baugh]

+1 for 30 Screams to Map

Yet another megawad released for the 30th anniversary for Doom, but it deserves acknowledgement simply for being made up of maps that took 30 seconds each to make, and being conducted and released on the same day

 

[Dynamo]

1 hour ago, VoanHead said:

Same here, it isn't even out yet, but +1 for Doom 2 in City Only.

 

From what I've seen in some of the screenshots posted in the thread if you do some digging, the project so far looks pretty lit. It's gonna be another MBF21 wad, hope to see what comes of it on the deadline of March 1st.

While obviously the enthusiasm for the project is appreciated, it would be best to mention projects which are actually finished, or at the very least released in some form. This particular project can be thus brought up once it hits the scene in March.

[Argent Agent]

+1 to Chex Quest: The Penultimate Breakfast

[Lizardcommando]

Sigil 2 gets my vote. I would have said Eviternity 2, but 2 people already beat me to the punch for that one.

[Hebonky]

+1 for Blues Brothers by General Rosterok, the concept is very "What the hell?!" but it's LOADS of fun!

[Berubaretto]

+1 for Outpost 13. This map has lots of interesting and creative interactivities. I'd like to see this one getting mentioned in 2024 Cacoward.

[Bobby :D]

+1 Altitude Adjustment
Yet another phenominal collab from veterans Dreddopp and Lord Z, you blast through the inner workings of an airborne aircraft carrier (an aircraft carrier aircraft if you will!). The carrier itself is immaculately detailed, from the more deliberate landing strips with fake polyobject fans and the always appreciated doomcute helicpoters to the more abstract metal/tech portions reminiscent of that old crusty-but-in-a-good-way Vaporware (ironic) demo. A lot of care has been taken to represent the sense of space while keeping a great contrast and brevity with each of the storerooms and shafts you clear out. Looks great, plays great, just fantastic.

I'll also take the time to mentionate some smaller releases I enjoyed as well

+1 Veranda
Brutalist Shopping Mall, mostly arena gameplay with an insane second half.

+1 Outpost 13
Breathtaking recreation of the titular location from John Carpenter's The Thing, with outstanding usage of point lighting and doomcute of bars, bedrooms, and what not that both faithfully capture several classic moments from the things and show off skill that could only come from someone engrossed in Build engine shenanigans.

+1 Broadsword Jim Saves Christmas
I gave my eloquent commentary on the thread itself :D.
Anyway, some background, you are a sword, a broad one, named Jim, and you kill Santa Claus with Pingu. 10/10

 

Edited December 30, 2023 by Bobby :D

[Obsidian]

+1 Brullov for Most Promising Newcomer.

[antares031]

+1 Charge by Tristan Clark & Guardsoul, MAP32 of Eviternity II.

No, this is not a joke. This is a serious proposal. Even if Cacowards does not accept a single level from a megawad, I have to mentionate this level, so it can get a spotlight. Probably something small but special, like "Top 10 Levels of this Year" section in Cacowards 2024. And I'm aware of the fact that I'm technically violating the rule number one with this proposal. But this is a mentionation to Charge, not Eviternity II.

Edited December 30, 2023 by antares031

[Scuba Steve]

I doubt the policy on awarding a single map within a larger project will ever change. In this case, everyone knows Eviternity II will be in the award spotlight, but for other projects... it feels rude to point to a work of art and tell everyone who contributed, "not yours, theirs." I won't speak for the awards team... but I don't see this unspoken rule ever changing.

Maybe you can nominate 'Charge' as the map for which the screenshot will be taken and used in the article. Also, TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CACOWARDS LETS FUCKIN' GOOOO!

[VoanHead]

2 hours ago, Dynamo said:

While obviously the enthusiasm for the project is appreciated, it would be best to mention projects which are actually finished, or at the very least released in some form. This particular project can be thus brought up once it hits the scene in March.

Fair enough, I jumped the gun there ha ha.

 

On a side note, +1 for Not Even Remotely Fair; the final episode of that wad has recently dropped and now it's a complete 32 map megawad focused around nightmare difficulty. I only played the 1st 3 maps, and I actually like how it forces me to change my play style and coming up with a strategy to beating the levels. Awesome music, and as stated before outright devilish levels. Hope this mapset at least becomes an influence for people to embrace making nightmare difficulty style wads.

[Firedust]

+++ Headless Chicken by Chookum
 

 

[El Inferno]

+ Nakano, a really cool map paying tribute to new sunder and quite impressive for a first released work. It is pretty damn hard but lower skill settings should be coming soon-ish (people play these things on UV anyway, right?)

 

 

Edited December 30, 2023 by El Inferno
edit link to show picture

[Roofi]

 

by @Jayextee. I still have the last episode to finish but it's an extremly solid Ultimate Doom Megawad.

[Deadwing]

If it wasn't elegible for 2023:

 

 

Edited December 30, 2023 by Deadwing

[MFG38]

I know I'm directly violating Rule #4, but I'm still mentionating Eviternity II.

[Traysandor]

Besides the obvious ones so far...

 

+1 NERF Episode 3

Edited December 30, 2023 by Traysandor

[Shepardus]

It may not be 2024 yet where I'm at but I already know my WAD of the year:

 

[Walter confetti]

 

[unraveler]

I really hope more wads embrace the trend of changing the themes every 5-6 maps!

 

[DaliVinci]

@Z0k's Episode 2 for Doom 64
https://steamcommunity.com/app/1148590/discussions/0/2266942281796520386/