The DWmegawad Club plays: 10x10, Heartland, Sigil II

[RHhe82]

MAP10: Lunchlunchlunchlunch. Played on DSDA v0.27.4, UV, PS. 752/752 K, 3/3 S, 110/110 I. Comp. time 36:51

 

The final proper map is a beast, indeed. It might not boast the biggest enemy count - although it's up there - but I do believe this one was the hardest. There had been some hairy encounters on earlier maps, like the ear rape revenenants, but this time feeling of slight frustration started creeping in, almost making me planning on forfeiting and either cheating or turning to lower difficulty. But, I survived. Most of the fights I did "cleanly" or by single midfight saves; some others I savescummed - or, rather, rewindscummed, like the the archvile triplet teleportation hell, which was the hardest fight for me.

 

Not that any of them were exactly easy, except possibly the starting room. The first bigger fight is okay, as soon as I figured I should plasma cut my way through the imps and then do with rockets.

 

And the easy parts were over. The hell knight outpour was already difficult enough -- I dealt with it a bit like the ear rape revenants - hold my ground until I could retreat into the corridor they came from. No cheesing options this time, though.

 

The teleporting archviles I hated... which means I had really hard time with it, even if in hindsight it shouldn't have been that difficult, but somehow hectic situation with narrow possibilities for blocking lines of sight is something I can't do reliably. It's like I'm too slow to think and act with any precision.

 

The pillar dance against cacos and revenants I also hated and rewindscummed. I would just fall into cracks trying desperately to dodge stuff. This actually concerns the same problem as with teleporting archviles: I'm somehow too panicked to act with any precision.

 

The final fight was also very difficult, and I'm still not sure how I managed it. I guess I first thinned enemy lines with BFG, and then retreated into one of the alcoves where I could spam rockets; then switch back to BFG when the enemies got too close... Somehow I survived on my someteenth attempt.

 

Great map, but I'm glad we've reached the end, since I couldn't handle that much more difficult stuff :D 

 

* * *

 

Nothing to say on MAP11, because I assume it cannot be completed. It's game over, man, game over!

 

So! I had seen MtPain coverage earlier, and maybe I had seen some stream playing 10x10 back when it was released, not sure... And I had played the first map, and I think I had put off playing this thinking, it'd be too difficult for me. I think. Now that I've actually played the map, I'm happy to find out 10x10 project is a sort of mapset I really like. The maps are compact, and the difficulty level ranges from "comfort zone" to "somewhat above my skill level". These traits combined with maps being expertly crafted (meaning: the look and play real good) makes 10x10 one of those mapsets I would gladly replay. Moreover: I could gladly replay fights to see if I can do them with less midfight saves. I could even try to single-segment maps, except possibly for the latter half, where hard sections and platforming become more common.

 

A great mapset, I don't think there are, after all, any misfires. I was originally lukewarm on the Zzul method, but the more I think about that map, more I like it. The Anna Dream gets a pass, because it is a secret map, and because it didn't overstay its welcome. This one lands firmly in my "Desert Island" folder.

[Klear]

MAP10 - "lunchlunchlunchlunch"

QuestZDoom, UV, blind, pistol start, saves

 

The beginning gave me flashbacks to Bitter Sanctuary from Claustrophobia 1024, though the map soon opens up to some very large fights. The bonus one with the pinkies and cybers is a fun one. The next one took me a few tries until I found out pinkies have trouble climbing the stairs there and will block anyone else from ascending too. Did I solve it or cheese it? It felt wrong, but I'll take it. Then the map branches out.

 

I went to the room with a completely unreasonable number or hell knights, which was probably my favourite part of the map. Their attacks are easy to dodge and the die relatively easily but they. just. keep. coming. Love it. The second part with the revenants was tougher to crack. I'm somewhat aware that a ton of revs in a tight hallway is a classic which good players could navigate in their sleep, but I had to pull out the old reliable strategy of bashing my head against the wall and praying to RNGesus. Then came the arch-viles.

 

This was definitely the second most arch-viles I've ever faced and it was not fun. I see what lunchlunch did here - first you have a rocket contest with revenants, then a staring contest with viles, but I had a lot of trouble here. The difficulty was compounded by the trouble I had to stay on the non-hurty walkways and the sky texture on the floor eating up my BFG shots unless I aimed them directly at the viles. After trying for about double the reasonable time, I came to the conclusion I don't have a shot at finishing this part. As a last ditch effort I tried using the rocket launcher instead and... it just worked? I was very surprised and kinda angry at myself for not trying it earlier. So yeah, I did get past this without cheats, somehow. Phew!

 

The room with the pillars... let's not talk about it. But it still felt easy after the viles so there's that. The final fight, I was kinda tired of the wad at that point and wanted to get it over with. I did some unreasonably optimistic saves expecting I will be trapped in an unwinnable situation and have an excuse to cheat my way to the end of the level, but I survived somehow and after some more slightly painful platforming that was it. I made it!

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well then. This was a wad that is definitely too tough for me to fully enjoy. I had fun playing some of it, but there was a bit too much frustration towards the end. Having accidentally played one level on HMP and feeling that it made the gameplay less enjoyable to me, I'd say the difficulty is quite uneven and spiking way too hard towards the end. Not my cup of tea, thought it looks like it is at the beginning. Well, at least I can brag I beat it in VR now.

 

The visuals are stunning throughout and it's easy to forget there are any kinds of limits. Kinda makes me want to check out lunchlunch's other work to see what he can do with more than 10 textures.

 

I guess I'm installing Eternity now...

Edited February 11 by Klear

[Insaneprophet]

Map 09: abuse me darling

 

An absolutely awe inspiring volcanic fortress that I could easily see myself loving if done differently than it was. As is it is, it is only a setting for a handfull of lock in slaughter arenas. With a few additions of incedental areas to help tell a story and perhaps toning down some of the fights slightly to build up more towards the end, we would have not just an entirely different map but one I could get into far more easily. I beat this level on UV and though I didnt hate any particular set up, I didnt love any either. When all it is, is one over blown arena after another, none of them became anything stunningly memorable as opposed to the last level where its ending was so unlike the rest of the map that it stood out not only in the rest of the set but will stand out in my memory for the rest of time. I dont want this post to get or be too negative so I'll end with that I could imagine myself having much stronger feelings for any one of these fights, left exactly as they are, if any of them had been used differently and mapped around, not just mapped for.

Edited February 11 by Insaneprophet

[Insaneprophet]

Map 10: lunchlunchlunchlunch

 

I didnt care for this level as well. Again there was nothing I outright hated but nothing I fell in love with either. I could rank the fights here, with the lock in just before the end being my favorite, followed by the lock in secret with the pinkies and revs in second, then the first room and second fight coming next, the mass wave of hell knights is somewhere in the middle, the archies with cyb and pillared caco/rev rooms are near the bottom of the list and the archvile only room or pinkie bridge secret bringing up the rear, but in the end all this level was, was exactly that, a level consisting of a bunch of different fights. They felt disjointed and purposeless, not coming together to create a cohesive map, but thats just my opinion, Im sure there are people who live for this.

Edited February 11 by Insaneprophet

[dobu gabu maru]

I've finally updated the OP. The mapsets are short enough that secret maps can get their own individual days. Heartland starts on 2/12, and Sigil 2 starts on 2/20.

[ReaperAA]

MAP10: Lunchlunchlunchlunch

This is it. The finale of 10x10. Right when you look at the texture choices, you can expect this to have weird abstract otherworldly architecture (and some tough fights within). While this map doesn't have the highest monster count, it does have some of the most creative and difficult fights. There are plenty of memorable fights here and I am going to discuss about them.

 

Right at around the very start of the map, you can get into a secret fight area which will reward you with a computer area. You are teleported in the middle a bridge, with group of pinkies on each end (having their backs turned towards you), and 2 sniping cyberdemons on the sides. You have to press switches behind the pinkies on each end to telefrag the cybers and get out of there. My strategy is to get near one pinky group and then turn around and start firing towards the other group while moving towards that group. Once you reach the one side, press switch and then deal with the other group and finish the fight.

 

Other really notable fights included a fight where once you do a platforming sequence, you arrive at an area with pillars and damaging floor and you have to fight 28 or so archviles (who arrive in groups of 3 every few seconds) with BFG. I don't have a concrete strategy for this, but I managed to beat it in like 3 or so attempts.

 

But by far my favorite fight was the Hell Knight fight. You vs 100+ HKs arriving from a single area who will gradually fill the arena and overwhelm you if you don't herd them properly. My strategy to fight them was to stay near them while firing rockets at them, gradually moving anti-clockwise in the arena while sticking to the outer edge of the arena. By the time I ran out of space and had to switch to the BFG, I had managed to kill most of them anyway.

 

There is also another notable fight where you have to fight some cacodemons and revenants while moving between some pillars (I think this is a reference to a certain map or a fight from dimensions? Don't know for sure, but I have seen something like this before). This one wasn't so bad.

 

The finale was also quite nasty where you have to deal with enemies likes HKs, Barons, Revenants, AVs and a cyberdemon in a small-medium sized area. This one took me at least 5+ attempts. Once you are done with this fight, you just have to done one final platforming segment before you can finally exit this unforsaken place. Rest easy now.

 

 

MAP11: No Exit, It's Over

Oh oh!!! A square room filled with archviles, some SS and a cyberdemon at center. No exit, meet your demise :P

 

 

Conclusion

After MtPain27 made his video on 10x10 project, I was really interested in playing this myself. I had not seen individual map reviews, but I saw the final grade. Also 10x10 won a cacoward, so that also made me curious to try this out. In short, I am not disappointed. It borrows from the likes of Sunder and Killer5's works, but is more accessible and digestible than those wads. The limitation of 10 textures and 10 flats never felt like it limited the visuals of the maps. All in all, this is a solid recommendation for those who are trying to get into the slaughter/challenge wad genre.

 

As for my favorites, I think I will go with these:

1. Map07: The Zzul Method
2. Map10: Lunchlunchlunchlunch
3. Map04: Hey! This is Library

 

 

[brick]

MAP10: lunchlunchlunchlunch
Surprisingly I found the finale to be significantly easier (at least on HNTR) than the previous map, I managed to make it through without using god mode (Lunch does have some sarcastic comments about the difficulty in the text). I still cheated but that was after reloading a thousand times at one of the platforming bits (it's the nastiest one in the wad). That said my feelings on the map are a bit mixed. I really enjoyed some of the arenas, the first one just north of the start gave me a confidence boost after MAP09 made me so miserable, and the snakey canal with the demons and the revenants off the side was a fun exercise in rocket aiming and pretty original, I don't remember playing any similar setup before. The archvile fest to the west seems like an interesting idea on paper but it didn't really click with me, it wasn't even hard with the abundance of cells and megaspheres, just irritating. The wall of a hundred knights was more boring than anything, the only reason dodging becomes hard is that the corpses start hiding the attack animation of the ones still alive. There's a very elaborate secret with the demons and cyberdemons that requires dancing around to avoid getting splattered, another clever idea that is executed very well. I think it's an excellent concluding map, it uses base textures again in a throwback to Ten By Ten, though with a different selection and a different look (the Icon mouth is... odd to say the least).
One oddity: the CWILV gets clipped on GZDoom and only lun is shown, not sure if it's because of some of my settings or what.

 

MAP11: No Exit, It's Over
Just a stopper map with dozens of archviles and a cyberdemon, it gets hilariously messy very quickly.

 

This is an interesting limitation wad with a gimmick I haven't seen often. Most of these kinds of wads try to limit map size or thing placement (1024/2048 areas, 100 Lines, 50 Monsters, etc) but limiting the aesthetic to such a small selection of textures would really force the mapper to squeeze them for every bit of contrast they can create (I wonder how LunchLunch made each selection actually, if they were carefully chosen based on the ability to get them to work together, or if trying to force them to cooperate was a major part of the challenge). In my eyes every single one of the 10 experiments (I just realized this wad really is 10 x 10x10...) was a success, every map looks beautiful, both with the amount of detailing and the way the textures sit side by side, I'm amazed LunchLunch got them to fit when they're all so similar just as well as when they are so different from each other. Due to personal gameplay preferences I enjoyed the first half more, as the wad inevitably veers into slaughter, but really just 2 of the maps were beyond me, all the others were various degrees of enjoyment. My favourites were MAP06 and MAP07, but I think one of the strengths of the wads is that there's so much variety between each map (including the experiments in the secret map), which reflects the variety in texture choices between each one too, it's impressive seeing the creativity that has gone in both gameplay and visuals. And while I only sporadically mentioned the music, all the tracks were lovely choices, even when quieter pieces were used in more frantic maps I think the contrast worked well. It's been a lot of fun playing with the Club again, and I'm glad I crossed this wad off my to-play list, it was absolutely worth it.

 

I probably won't replay Heartland and Sigil 2, but I might pop into the respective final days to give my overall thoughts on each wad.

[ReaperAA]

READ ABOUT ETERNITY ENGINE:

Since Heartland requires Eternity Engine, I wanted to make this comment. Make sure to get the dev build from drdteam site rather than the official build. The official build is 3 years old and outdated at this point. The dev builds have multi-threading support (good for the last 3 maps of Heartland) and also fix a savegame bug that affected a secret area of Map05 of Heartland.

[RHhe82]

46 minutes ago, ReaperAA said:

READ ABOUT ETERNITY ENGINE:

Since Heartland requires Eternity Engine, I wanted to make this comment. Make sure to get the dev build from drdteam site rather than the official build. The official build is 3 years old and outdated at this point. The dev builds have multi-threading support (good for the last 3 maps of Heartland) and also fix a savegame bug that affected a secret area of Map05 of Heartland.

 

Thanks for bringing this up -- I had already played first five maps on what is apparently version 4.02. I haven't had any trouble so far, unless you count the enemy/item tallies that go over 100% due to archviles and spawning items. But I guess it's good that I've pistol-started D:

[Celestin]

1 hour ago, ReaperAA said:

Make sure to get the dev build from drdteam site rather than the official build.

I second this. I don't have the best computer (I think it's slowly giving up) and the official release felt choppy. It plays much more smoothely when switched to dev build.

[Insaneprophet]

10x10 by Lunchlunch

 

In conclusion, I was pleasantly and wonderfully surprised by this mapset, being both exacty and nothing at all, like what I expected it to be. I knew it would be challanging and contain plenty of slaughter elements as well as beautiful both architecturally and texturally, with a high quality design philosophy. What I didnt expect was to enjoy as much of it as I did or find two new levels to add to my all time favorites list. I admitedly did not care much for the levels, lunchlunchlunchlunch, abuse me darling and sad bastard, that is what I thought I was in for and nothing else. Ten by ten, lockjaw, salvia, hey this is library and no more zoomer girls were, while on the easier side of things, still tough in their own rights and displayed both imagination and craftsmanship that was impossible not to have fun with and admire. The zzul method and cocoapuffs breath were the two maps that made any price paid for admission well worth it and make me glad I not only joined everyone this month but didnt pass up playing this wad. Ive broadened my horizons and feel I am better off for it.

Edited February 11 by Insaneprophet

[DJVCardMaster]

MAP10 - LunchLunchLunchLunch (100%K/I/S):

Seems it's time for a final lunch. Another techbase-esque map, just like MAP07, 06, and 01. This one looks more like a liminal space kind of deal.

The start was already spicy with some monsters in tight spaces and small time to react, followed by a hard fight at the next room. So far, it wasn't that hard for me. Then it got harder, but still, in the end, I did not struggle that much with this one, in fact, I feel this is nowhere near the hardest map of the set. The fights where more of an endurance of how much enemies in tight spaces can you mow down, rather than actually opposing to you a painful threat. But that may be me, that may be that I deal with tight fights better, since I did not struggle the last fight of MAP09 as much. 

So, the map wants you from start to go and get two blue keys, the skull and the card, the skull card fight was a bit overwhelming, not as hard as the revenant fight at the previous map, but a lot more annoying, as having to kill this big amount of Hell Knights was a bit grindy for me. The same can be said about the Archvile fight at the blue keycard arena. BFG blasting all these AVs that spawn with a timer was a bit grindy. In fact you will notice this map is all about grinding fights. Even some cool secret ones, like the usual "slaughter map" nowadays, that likes to hide this type of secret encounters just to give more sense to secrets, as most of the big goodies you will find in regular places of the map. The second secret fight was not as interesting as the first one, right at the start, with all those pinkies coming from both sides, and two cybers trying to snipe you.

The last fight and the end of the map was a bit anti-climatic for me, considering this is the end of the mapset, you will have to fight another grindy encounter with more enemy variety. By far, the hardest fight in the level, but not something as amusing as seen previously. I would have expected another big encounter like the one at MAP08. Luckly for me, that was not the case, as my hands hurt after playing so much of these difficult arenas. Cool map, I've enjoyed it, but MAP07 could have served as a better final map, for me. I was expecting a final fight kind of deal.

Again, the end felt a bit anti-climatic, is this the end?...

MAP11 - No Exit, It's Over

... Oh, this is...

Order of Preference:
 

Spoiler

 

MAP07 (Great)

MAP06 (Good)
MAP10

MAP03
MAP01
MAP09 
MAP08 (OK)
MAP04
MAP05 (Average)
MAP02
MAP31 (Awful)

 

 

[Klear]

MAP01 - "Subway Sandwich"

QuestZDoom Eternity, UV, blind, continuous, saves

 

Guess I'm playing flatscreen which means the jig is up - you will all be able to see how terrible player I am and I cannot hide behind playing in VR any more =D

 

Having a very brief look at how the wad looks earlier, I was looking forward to this, since it looks very Duke-ish and that appeals to me. I... don't think I like the wad based on the first two levels though, and I spent a lot of time pondering why is that, because on paper I should be loving this. But somehow I was just not having fun. Here's what I have so far:

 

- The opening on the moving train with breakable windows is amazing and as I said reminded me of Duke 3D, but that caused me to expect more interactive elements and colourful, varied design, which the map kinda doesn't have. It looks gorgeous, especially the surrounding 3D city, overpasses and stuff, but despite some landmarks like the fire truck, garage or a gas station, the whole map feels very samey throughout. There's a lot of backtracking and revisiting the same areas which is something I'd normally praise, but with the more realistic approach compared to usual abstraction seen in Doom maps, it felt like going in circles, unable to progress away from the subway entrance.

 

- I found the sudden introduction of some high-threat enemies including a couple of arch viles jarring when most of the map is filled with fodder. The map sets the tone of an opening level, but then breaks this all of a sudden repeatedly. The tone of the map also kinda made me want to run and gun willy-nilly, but this could at any time trigger a big ambush so it just didn't ever feel safe to do.

 

- There are two new enemies here. The Catharsi are introduced in the sewer and it's awesome. The Suicide bombers on the other hand... I mean I knew things are getting serious when I heard the sound, but getting ambushed by these coming from both sides in a cramped space is not a great introduction. It doesn't help that they look very similar to shotgunners. I'm curious if they'll be used in interesting ways in the future, but here they felt just cheap.

 

- The music is lovely, but didn't fit the map at all IMO. I would prefer something a lot more grimey, this track makes me think of frolicking in nature, or maybe even through some alien landscape, not this gray urban setting. I usually don't pay much attention to music, but it felt jarring throughout the map.

 

- Speaking of sound, I don't like the usage of Quake sounds for pickups. I'm not completely against changing the sounds, even though the original Doom sfx is good enough for me, but these I don't like too much.

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

So yeah, not a great first impression. I've decided to drop down to HMP going forward, hopefully giving me a more chill experience and also enable mouse look. Despite what the readme says, it feels like it's very much the better way with so many things above you to ogle at and some awkward level geometry, especially the subway stairs. Spoiler for tomorrow - it helps somewhat.

[ReaperAA]

Heartland

The 7 map Eternity Engine exclusive mapset made by Skillsaw (the man behind the big hits such as Valiant and Ancient Aliens). It has been 3 years since it was released and roughly 2 years since I last played it. To be honest, I am fairly familiar with the map and remember most of the main set pieces. Though some minor details might have left my memories at this point.

 

I will be playing this on UV pistol starts with occasional saves. I can comfortably beat the first 4 maps saveless and I did once beat map05 and map06 saveless as well, but I'll still use saves here since the maps (specifically the last 3) are fairly long and Eternity Engine doesn't have rewind feature.

 

MAP01: Subway Sandwich

Right of the bat, Skillsaw starts showcasing the neat features of Eternity Engine. We start of in a moving train cab and we can see enemies on a neighboring cab who we can shoot by breaking the windows. Once we open the cab door, we find another pistol which allows us to go akimbo on the enemies. Horizontally moving sectors/trains, breakable glass and dual wielding, 3 features right of the bat that show EE's modding capabilities.

 

Once we exit the subway, we are greeted by the Heartland, the decaying industrial wasteland where we have to fight mostly fodder enemies while visiting places such as the firetruck, garage, offices, sewage area (where meet Catharsi, the first custom enemy of the wad), the gas station (secret area accessed from the sewage area) until we end up in another subway station, where we fend of some ambushes and are greeted by the 2nd custom enemy, the good'ol Suicide Zombies (familiar for those who have played Valiant) before we can finally exit the map.

 

Speaking of the Catharsi, they are imp-like enemies with 80 health that fire a stream of 5 or 6 low damaging projectiles. When they die, they drop a bomb that explodes after a couple of seconds into a ring of the same low damage projectiles fired by the Catharsi.

 

Since it is the first map, combat is mostly easy enough but some of the fights, like the final fight where demons (involving Suicide Zombies) arrive from cabs from opposite sides can get hairy if you don't have rocket launcher prepared for them. The doom cute and the general aesthetics of the map (and most of Heartland really) give of build engine vibes, which I am a sucker of. We need more of this kind of stuff.

 

Oh, and one last thing, we also get an axe as a melee weapon which is much stronger than the non-berserk fists. It becomes even more powerful with berserk, but we don't get one here. Though even without berserk, the axe is pretty decent as it does pretty good damage and also has higher range/reach than fists.

Edited February 12 by ReaperAA

[RHhe82]

Off to Heartland we go...

 

MAP01: Subway Sandwich

 

First of all: my club diary entries will differ slightly from usual template, because DoomLauncher and Eternity engine (v4.02 until MAP06) don't communicate (afaik) - which means I would have to memorize stats to write a proper entry. So, what the hell, I'll just dispense with them for the duration of Heartland. I'm still gonna aim for UV, pistol starts, 100% of kills and secrets, but won't sweat it too much this time.

 

Second of all: I was debating whether or not to do this one actually on continuous instead of pistol starting. I was going for continuous, but I read in the readme file that maps have been tested on pistol start, so it should fine, I suppose.

 

So, let's get started. What a first map. Already the starting subway ride is something of a marvel; Moving sectors, in my Doom game? Guns akimbo? Yes, please. This first map houses over 400 monsters, and it does feel long! (Something Skillsaw also warns about in the readme file). Length doesn't bother me though, because the "floor above floor" magic carries me through this one. I don't know if it's a good or a bad thing; Subway Sandwich almost feels like something out of Duke Nukem 3D. I used to like DN3D as a kid, but as an adult it feels like it has aged badly. Fortunately for Doom's and Heartland's sake, that's partly because of enemies and the general feel of the game (and the adolescent "jokes") -- so in Heartland, the gameplay still feels very much like Doom.

 

We already get at least one new enemy, the flamethrower imp (?), which leaves behind it a bomb upon dying. Fine addition. We also meet an old acquaintance from Valiant, who I though had been criminalized but apparently not... yet.

 

Also there are new item types, like the orange armor that gives 50% armor. Also, is the red health pack different from megasphere? Does it give only +200% health but no armor? I didn't catch that during play, for some reason...

 

Also: great music. Stewboy is a treasure.

 

Heartland's been long on my list of wads I should play, but despite Skillsaw being possibly my favourite mapper (I mean, my only publicly available map on idGames (instead of some WIP piece on some old thread or a dead community project) was described by MtPain27 as a "Skillsaw mapping school sophomore" (or smth.)) I've been putting this one off, and part of the reason is the Eternity engine. It's a good port, and I have absolutely no problems with it (although being able to deliver stats to DoomLauncher would be nice :P), but it's not DSDA which I use by default. Sad, really; while playing this map I had absolutely no qualms with EE, controls felt like DSDA (I must have adjusted them, though, while trying out Tarnsman's Projectile Hell -- another wad I'd gladly use EE to play, but would love to have DSDA support).

Edited February 12 by RHhe82

[SiFi270]

Map01: Subvay Sandvich

When the suicide bombers are introduced, it's obvious they should be prioritized, but their visual similarity to shotgunners they happen to be in groups with makes that hard to do, and that's pretty mean but I'm not sure if that's a deliberate part of the difficulty or not.

[Insaneprophet]

Heartland by Skillsaw (eternity UV)

 

Map 01: subway sandwich

 

Im a little bit surprised I was able to download and make eternity engine work for this, so things are off to a great start. The first level here was a fun romp and introduction, this isnt your fathers... er I mean I guess my... doom. Things played samey enough that the advanced mechanics and options didnt really get in the way, I was able to run and gun right from the start without getting too lost or having to slow down to learn anything new and the author provides plenty of enemies in the starting map to not only get my feet wet but actually douse the floor of the train staion in blood leaving us.. knee deep in the dead.. ba dum bum.. (exit stage left)

Edited February 12 by Insaneprophet

[DJVCardMaster]

Time constraints, see you at Sigil II :)

[Celestin]

Eternity Engine, pistol-start with saves

 

Heartlands was on my backburner for a long time, though I didn't have a reason to play it for a while. It won't be a blind playthrough, as I've seen MtPain27's review, but as usual, I doubt I remember specific encounters.

 

MAP01: Subway Sandwich

 

The strongest aspect of Subway Sandwich is its ability to create a believable place, with the only comparison being certain works of Russian realism (like Bloody Steel or some maps from Sacrament). I have to admit, I don't have that many experiences with advanced source ports and has I've been playing Doom daily for the past year, so it's easy to wow me with moving trains or seamless room-over-room. However, this still feel like Doom - it's more like an evolution of the classic formula, rather than adding new elements that feel out of place (which is something ZDoom-exclusive wads can be guilty of). 

 

The map starts in a driver's cabin of a subway train about to reach a station. Trying to leave reveals zombies in the carriage and a second pistol - dual-wielding guns is always a fun activity, this makes your starting weapon a more viable choice against basic monsters. Once out of the station, the goal is to reach the next one on foot and continue a journey. Since it's a Skillsaw wad, you shouldn't expect a boring opening. Subway Sandwich throws a lot of monsters at once, mostly imps, zombies and pinkies, sometimes with bigger demons as reinforcements. The moment you enter the surface is hectic, you are under fire from every angle. There are several new things to look out for. Orange armor and megapack are new pick-up items, giving you 50% armor and health respectively. Fire axe replaces a chainsaw and it has more range and damage, but at the cost of a lower speed. At one point, you enter a sewer and meet catharsi - a humanoid monsters with a flamethrower and slightly more health than imp. He drops a grenade when killed, so watch out.

 

The map flows well, it feels like a hub a bit, where you return to periodically, opening the place up and revealing more monsters. This include archviles, Skillsaw isn't afraid to use them in MAP01. Also, I enjoyed a secret fight at the gas station, it's two viles with pinkies as meat shields, but what draws me in is the sense of place I've mentioned earlier. Eventually, after obtaining the blue key, you should reach the second metro station. Here, two trains arrive, unloading a bunch of monsters, including Valiant's favourite - suicide zombie. Those bastards are not to be messed with, but luckily they can be dispatched quickly. There's one more station to visit, but the fight here isn't tough. The map ends after your train stops in the middle of a tunnel and you can escape through a hole in a wall.

 

Subway Sandwich is one of the most memorable opening maps I can recall. From its tricks, through entertaining fights to stewboy's midi, this is a great map that sets a high bar for the rest of the episode.

[Klear]

MAP02 - "Bruce R. & Son Construction Co."

Eternity, HMP, blind, pistol start, saves

 

I was planning on playing continuous, but since I wanted to switch difficulties, I just IDCLEV'd into level too this time. I also might have wiped out all my saves and settings when upgrading to the latest version of Eternity.

 

This map is less sprawling, taking place on a single construction site and taking great advantage of the verticality that Eternity allows. I was glad I started using free look, since there's a lot to look at here. As for the floors over floors, they look awesome, definitely, but at times it slightly got in the way of gameplay. There was at least one occasion where the autoaim decided to target an enemy on a completely different level than I was expecting, for example, so that took me out of it a little bit. Might be just that I'm not used to seeing this in Doom and the map definitely feels very much like Doom, so the extra features are breaking my mind a bit.

 

The progression, while not exactly cryptic, kinda made no sense to me. It's obvious you need to climb to the top of the building, but I wasn't feeling the need to go there beyond the old "because it's there". It felt a bit artificial.

 

New enemies! The rocket troopers, I'm not sure what to think of it, mainly because I've for the most part avoided their probably very dangerous projectiles. I'll have to make a more solid opinion later on whether they fill in a new niche or not. The cyber barons (Cybruisers, apparently) look very intimidating, so I let myself be intimidated, ran past and took them down from a relative safety of a corner. The fight for the blue key with an arch vile and a pair of revenants felt a lot more dangerous and interesting in comparison.

 

Overall this was more enjoyable for me than the first level. I'm still not quite feeling it. I think it might be just the result of all the small changes, none of which makes the gameplay significantly less doomy, but together create a sort of uneasiness for me. The music is lovely again, though again feels a bit off compared to the general mood of the wad.

 

 

Edited February 12 by Klear

[Zirtonic]

MAP08: Cocoa Puffs Breath

 

If 10x10 has a "momentum builder" (filler) map it's this one. The symmetrical HK/arachno fight is a little too close for comfort (and something tells me demons don't shower so it probably stinks too) but nothing else stands out here. The final horde thins itself out too quickly for me to be impressed. Not to mention almost everything teleports in so there isn't really any aesthetic value either. 

 

MAP09: Abuse Me, Darling

 

And the award for best opening room in the wad goes to...MAP09! Abuse Me, Darling is a visual feast for ROCKRED lovers such as myself, and the voodoo doll lighting adds some nice flair to a couple fights. Highlights include the opening infernal imp inundation, a Cyberdemon getting Boom'd off of his platform in the fight before the archvile staircase, and the bone brigade bleacher bonanza that takes the crown for my favorite fight in the map. 

 

I shockingly didn't have very much trouble with this level. The only fight I had to do more than once was the one with long distance pain elementals because nothing frustrates me faster than long distance pain elementals. I can tell my BFG technique needs a lot of work though. I understand the mechanics but I don't have much "rhythm," if that makes sense.

 

--------------------------------------

 

I've beaten MAP10 but I'll write that and my final thoughts up tomorrow. Apologies for interrupting the Heartland continuity!

[ReaperAA]

Before writing about Map02, I wanted to mention that not only did Map01 introduced new weapon and enemies, but also new health/armor pickups. The orange armor gives 50 armor which absorbs 50% damage. The red medkit (called megapack) gives 50 health for a maximum of 200 health. Thus megapack is essentially like a half-soulsphere.

 

Anyway on to Map02

 

MAP02: Bruce R. & Son Construction Co.

This map takes place on and around a construction site. Multi-storey structure is a great way to show the pseudo room-over-room capabilities of the engine done by the use of portals. We start off at the bottom floor and our goal is to make it to the top of the building to get the key and then jump down to the bottom again to exit the map. Along the journey, we will get our next new weapon, the SMG. It is basically a chaingun replacement that uses bullet ammo and has similar damage and RoF. But it seems that it's not as accurate as chaingun when trying to tap-fire it, so I still occasionally pulled out dual pistols for sniping.

 

The name of the map also seems like it is a reference to the fact that we encounter 2 new enemies, the Cybruisers (Bruce R.) and Rocket Zombies (their Sons). The cybruisers are cyborg barons (similar to the ones in Valiant and Eviternity I/II) who fire rockets (in volley of 3) which aren't quite as deadly as those fired by their Valiant/Eviternity counterparts, but still do pretty high damage and have pretty fast speed. They have 500 health and are immune to splash damage. The Rocket Zombies fire a single rocket (same type as fired by the cybruiser) and have same health as shotgunners.

 

The combat here is mostly fodder with a few tricky situations here and there. The 2 archvile fight at the very top is probably the hardest fight and it is somewhat tricky. But other than that, this map is honestly shorter and probably easier than Map01. That could be because I recall Skillsaw (or one of the EE devs?) mentioning that this used to be Map01 at some point.

Edited February 13 by ReaperAA

[RHhe82]

28 minutes ago, ReaperAA said:

the Cybruisers (Bruce R.) and Rocket Zombies (their Sons)

And for the life of me I couldn’t make this (now obvious) connection :D I was thinking the reference to Bruce Robertson from Irvine Welsh’s novel Filth (and the movie made based on it), but what did have to do with construction or this map…

[Magnusblitz]

I'll try to jump on here, been meaning to play Sigil II and always enjoy skillsaw. Though some of the upcoming monster counts look a bit daunting...

 

Never used Eternity engine before, and seems like it might take a bit of getting used to. Some of it is just personal preference, such as the HUD (really used to the Zdoom style; the Eternity options are all a bit too crammed IMO, except for the "graphical" style which doesn't use the corners properly and puts the numbers too close to the middle of the screen). Mouselook took some playing with, still feels a wee bit sluggish. Not sure if stuff like the rocket explosions are the engine or the PWAD. And I noticed some weird acceleration issues where I could glide along a diagonal wall really fast.

 

Anyways, on to the PWAD itself... playing UV with saves, probably pistol start.

 

MAP01: Subway Sandwich

94% kills, 1/4 secrets

 

Right away this map throws you right in the action, and some special features, with zombies shooting at you from a moving train and shattering glass windows. The player also gets the dual pistols almost immediately, which all helps really get the blood pumping.

 

I didn't really care for the rest of the level, though... the level is almost entirely flat outside of staircases and drops being used for area transitions, and the enemies are almost always in front of the player, so combat felt very shooting gallery-esque at times - just turn the corner into the next group of monsters, take it out, rinse and repeat. There are a few spots where some thinking is needed, mainly with the AVs or the suicide bombers (love those guys, my favorite custom Doom enemy), but rarely did I ever feel threatened or challenged... when I died, it was just because I was being sloppy. It is the first level though, so maybe that's intended, but at 400 monsters things did start to drag just a wee bit. I think I was more interested in noticing the floor-over-floor mechanics of the engine. :) Like @Klear I didn't really think the music fit either, a bit too jazzy IMO. On the other hand, always get bonus points for being able to blow up stuff with barrels, and plentiful rocket ammo to use on smaller fry.

 

Of the new gameplay additions so far:

Dual pistols: much liked, I actually preferred using these to the shotgun.

Fire axe: hmm, not a fan? It's clearly better than the fist, but still takes 2-3 whacks to kill an imp or pinkie, which still makes it feel relatively useless. I'll be happy to see it souped up with the berserk, though.

Klesk Catharsi: seems fun, didn't really get a chance to shine here, but the grenade it leaves has interesting gameplay potential.

Suicide bomber: as mentioned, love these guys.

 

Edited February 13 by Magnusblitz

[Insaneprophet]

Map 02: bruce r. & sons construction co.

 

Vastly more compact and succinct than lvl one this one uses the engines new tools to highlight the verticality and room over room afforded us. Another run and gun map that has the site over run with mostly fodder workers with the bosses and managment found only once you reach the upper floors. The gameplay is almost all classic and I found that it was impossible for me not to like such a small map that tells such a big story.

Edited February 13 by Insaneprophet

[RHhe82]

MAP02: Bruce R. & Son Construction Co.

 

I think the true star of MAP01 was moving sectors - the subways. We saw "floor over floor", but they were more on a backseat there. MAP02, on the other hand, is another story. The map is shorter in a conventional Doom -sense, but if verticality is a virtue, this one has it. We walk on beams and the floor-over-floor magic really shows here.

 

I don't know if it was the verticality, but I had some trouble navigating and finding secrets. I guess the fact that I spent far too long looking for the red key is totally on me, but the second secret was totally lost on me. I had found a way to the secret medikit (which I now realize is, I guess, a soul sphere that gives +50 health), but totally missed the switch behind one of the red beams. Dang.

 

When I was nearing the rooftop, I was thinking just how the mapper keeps track of everything, just how does this all work... So far Heartland proves Doom can feel Doom even as 3D (in a post-1996 sense), and I wouldn't mind play other sets as Heartland -- when done by a master craftsman such as Skillsaw.

 

Stewboy soundtrack keeps on rocking.

[Celestin]

MAP02: Bruce R. & Son Construction Co.

 

While MAP01 toyed with room-over-room sectors, MAP02 embraces this trick, taking place in a skyscraper under construction. The goal is to reach the top and unlock the exit in the basement. This level of verticality isn't something you see in Doom normally, but again, it just feel natural until you begin to think about the vanilla engine's restrictions. I like the aesthetics of this place too, with concrete accented by red support beams. 

 

Bruce R. is a far smaller map than the opening level and I feel like the challenging combat was not the main focus. Still, it doesn't mean it's boring. Rocket zombies debut here, but unlike the Obituary originals, they are immune to splash damage. Also, cybruisers from Valiant returns, you fight two of them right after getting an SSG. The standout moment of the map is the SMG fight. The gun doesn't seem to be changed that much compared to the chaingun, but it's so satisfying to use (which I attribute to the new sound effects and bigger blood splatters). You are briefly locked in a room, with rocket zombies on your left and kamikaze group behind a slowly opening door. The blue key fight, with two archviles in a rather small room, is tense, as you have to juggle their lines of sight without getting thrown out of the building.

 

I enjoyed Bruce R. & Son Construction Co., especially as its small size and gameplay centred around a single structure made it very focused. 

[Klear]

MAP03 - "Reservoir Dog"

Eternity, HMP, blind, continuous, saves

 

Well, I kinda have no new things to say. Music is still awesome and feeling like a poor fit. The gameplay is still solid in theory, but I'm not having fun for some reason. The environment looks nice but I don't have a sense of goal at all. I'm starting to think I might just be a curmudgeon, not liking the little changes that feel like they were made just for a change's sake.

 

I liked the moment where the room you're in starts filling up with bombs and you have to make a split-second decision to jump out of a window. I find moments where you have to jump out of a window based on a split-second decision to be some of the most memorable in gaming and this one is no exception, and the crowded fight that follows was kinda fun too. I'm still not convinced the headed kamikaze is a good enemy though. I mean, they cost me a death or two just by making me nervous and not ready to decide which weapon to ready, but they're kinda annoying when they ambush you, super annoying when they get stuck in geometry and killing them in the middle of other enemies doesn't produce as much carnage as I'd hope.

 

Also, did the lost souls get an HP nerf?

 

 

[Magnusblitz]

MAP02: Bruce R. & Son Construction Co.

98% kills, 1/2 secrets

 

Thanks to @ReaperAA for pointing out the pun in the title, don't think it would've occurred to me otherwise.

 

This one was a lot more my jam... right away my big two complaints from last level are addressed, with some nice height variation and threats from all sides. The climb up the central building is another good show-off of the Eternity Engine's room-over-room abilities, I kept being surprised when there was yet another floor to conquer. Pretty fun for the most part - the rocket zombies keep you on your toes, and the cybruiser and AV fights were good. The yellow key ambush did seem a little unfair though, as I doubt many people will even notice the rocket zombies teleporting in next door over the screams of the suicide bombers, resulting in at least one learning experience.

 

More additions:

Rocket zombies: Also a classic, another low-HP, high-danger enemy which I prefer. Disappointed he's immune to his own splash though, always loved making him blow himself up on corners.

SMG: I'm gonna guess this is stat-wise identical or even slightly better than the normal chaingun, but it actually felt a bit weak just due to the sound? Eh.

Cybruiser: Yet another classic, though I think the rockets are a bit faster than normal which caught me off guard. Or maybe I'm just getting old...

Lost soul: died in one whack of the axe, so I'm guessing the HP is much lowered, probably for the best.

 

 

[RHhe82]

2 hours ago, Magnusblitz said:

Lost soul: died in one whack of the axe, so I'm guessing the HP is much lowered, probably for the best.

 

I think the axe is just much more powerful than the fists. I could kill imps with one or two un-berserked axe hits, and pinkies in two or three... or something, in any case considerably faster than un-berserked fists.

 

* * *

 

MAP03: Reservoir Dog.

 

A sinkhole showdown in the heartlands. I can't help but admire Skillsaw's craftsmanship in the "transforming layout by sinking floors" department, which already made an impression on me in Ancient Aliens. Even when working with portals, he makes it work wonderfully.

 

Speaking of AA, isn't the midi originally from there? Anyway, I'm finding difficult to make up something to say about the map; I have no complaints, I thoroughly enjoyed my stay. I played this on the same late afternoon than 10x10's final map, which had me appreaciate the more relaxed approach of Skillsaw. Variety is the spice of life. That said, once you drain the reservoir, the following battle is hectic - had to try it a couple of times.

 

At the end of I had almost all the kills (Eternity Engine tally stumbles on archvile revives), and none of the secrets. Looking for them made it clear (if it wasn't already on earlier maps) that automap isn't that helpful on portal-heavy maps. It took quite some time to spot one shootable switch and one cavern I thought I had visited before.

 

Oh, and by the way: pretty much everybody (probably) loved Valiant's superchaingun. You know what? I love uzi-akimbo even more!