Favorite individual map of all time (from iwad or pwad)

[SAV88]

From all IWADs and PWADs, my most beloved is Hell Revealed, with its unique surreal atmosphere, and I completely agree with Peo's personal opinion about a level called "Afterlife":

"I do appreciate original and nice looking ideas like for instance HR map26 which is probably the most original and goodlooking map ever (probably one of the hardest as well, yes it is harder than map 22 and 24, at least if you start it from scratch, then you_ll have only SSG for most of the map)".

Often the most difficult level in a WAD is also my most favorite from the set. Some more examples are Ultimate Doom E4M6, Doom2 MAP29, Memento Mori MAP28, Memento Mori II Map28, Requiem MAP24. This interesting coincidence is easily explainable: for a masterfully designed level with a grand, unordinary plot, it's logical to have a grand, unordinary gameplay, which is also more challenging than normal.

[Note by Grazza: This type of question has naturally come up before; for earlier answers, see these threads, for instance:
http://www.doomworld.com/vb/showthread.php?threadid=24884
http://www.doomworld.com/vb/wads-mods/20553-what-are-your-all-time-favorite-levels/
http://www.doomworld.com/vb/wads-mods/24884-favorite-map-of-all-time/
http://www.doomworld.com/vb/wads-mods/15636-desert-island-maps/ ]

[Naan]

AV Map20 and Eternal Doom 3 Map22 are tied. Those are simply the most epic maps I've ever played.

Honorable mention to GULAG.wad but it's an Heretic mapset.

[Katamori]

The most levels in Claustrophobia 1024 and 1024 2. The best maps I've ever seen, although I can't choose the best

[General Rainbow Bacon]

Doom 1: e3m4
Doom 2: map 28
UDoom : e4m6
Pwads: Deus Vult II map 21: The Cathedral

[Keeper of Jericho]

It's hard to choose since I've played so many great maps... But if I had to narrow it down, it goes between "For We Are Many" from Community Chest 3 (map 29) and Hell Revealed II's map 32 "Playground".

*thinks*

All things considered, I'll go with "Playground". It's the embodiment of a fun slaughtermap, IMHO. That cheerful music tone, the plain irony of the map's title (Playground, brilliant!) and the insanity of what you're up against... Yep, my favourite map of all time. I love playing through it on Ultra Violence. It's an endurance mach, and one heck of a fun one at that. So, Hell Revealed II map 32 "Playground" it is.

I have a couple of 100 runners up. =p

[The_MártonJános]

DoomHero85 said:

UDoom : e4m6

Best of the classic maps of all time.
My personal favourite from a pwad is NDCP2 MAP21.
Second is WOS MAP27.
Third, I have to mention Simply Phobos' E2M9.

[Marnetmar]

Z1M8 of KDIZD is my current favorite.

[Mr. Freeze]

E1M2
MAP07 (Doom II)
Hunted (Plutonia's MAP11. One of the first levels I truly feared playing on UV)
Deus Vult's MAP02
Hell Revealed's MAP29

[Stupid Bunny]

Plutonia MAP29: Still one I look at for inspiration in city maps.
Scythe II MAP27: Epic, beautiful, other overused but applicable adjectives
Scythe MAP19: In a megawad renowned for its flow, tactical gameplay and simple but attractive architecture, this one still stands out for me.
The Sky May Be: That shit never gets old

[Qaatar]

AV Map 31. Probably because of Adam Hegyi's flawless demo, which coincidentally is also my favorite UV-Max demo.

[valkiriforce]

That's a really tough question what with the abundance of great Doom maps I've played and have yet to play. Though at the moment I'd probably go with MAP29 of Icarus, "Brutality." It was a creative map and it always opens up my mind when I think about it.

[j4rio]

Sunder.wad ;)

Started it, pressed idclev10 and was immediately like DAYUMM... but then I looked at monster count and was more like HOLY SHIT... and went further when the first thing you saw was platforms lowering 8 cybers :S. Also the sound of monsters waking up from dormant state all at once after first shot is mentionable.

Talk about first impression.

[darkreaver]

Wow, tough question.

I`ll just say AV map18 without further thoughts on the matter.

[Daiyu_Xiaoxiang]

I like the hellish maps of WOS, as well as most maps in AV.

[Malinku]

my 4 favorite (couldn't chose just one)

Tremor

IC2005

Sine Die (both maps)

[Guest DILDOMASTER666]

montana.wad

[esselfortium]

Esa Repo's "The Shrine", Eternal Doom IV MAP27.

Fisk said:

montana.wad

[applaud] [smite]

[DeathevokatioN]

I can't choose an absolute favorite... because it all depends what mood I'm in. Sometimes I wanna experience the quirky, and creative gameplay of some maps off ICARUS, sometimes I wanna experience the challenge and great atmosphere off some of the AV maps, you get the point... Some stand out levels for me are Map15 of Momento Mori, Map28 of Momento Mori II, Map04, Map05, Map11, of AV, Mathias Worch's and Iika Keranan's maps of Requiem, and I have to second Kmetl_9 from Kurt Kesler, and I'll also second Brutality off the Icarus level set. Amazing level, and creative as hell. I wish people still made maps like that, where the whole time you feel as if your trapped inside a puzzle.

[EDITAGE]

Just realized I forgot to add Monster Condo, the definition of what I enjoy about hell maps.

[Foodles]

esselfortium said:

Esa Repo's "The Shrine", Eternal Doom IV MAP27.

Seconded

[Snakes]

Maybe not my favorite, but certainly the most influential on my own mapping: Requiem Map06

Also, Void, Decade, and Vrack2b

[chexwarrior]

Tough one, but its gotta be Nemesis in AV, level 11 I believe. A really epic level.

[DeathevokatioN]

Chex Warrior said:

Tough one, but its gotta be Nemesis in AV, level 11 I believe. A really epic level.

Yeah. Can anyone verify whether this map is within vanilla limits in terms of not getting VPOs or anything? If so then that would make this probably the most amazing map ever made.

[General Rainbow Bacon]

Still Deus Vult 2 map 21. That Cathedral is fucking beautiful.

[Grain of Salt]

[jute]

gravity.wad map02. Exquisite.

[Mechadon]

esselfortium said:

Esa Repo's "The Shrine", Eternal Doom IV MAP27.

Yea, this one is hard to beat. In fact I have been playing through it again recently for inspiration. Third'd.

[SAV88]

Grain of Salt said:

From DOOM - E4M2
From DOOM II - MAP28

From usermade WADs - Plutonia 2 MAP28. I think this map is sublime, but I've never heard anyone else comment on it. :(

PL2-28, Eternal's "The Bloodwall", is my most favorite map from both Plutonias. The unique atmosphere of this epic level is truly Doomish. BTW, I have great fun watching Anima Zero's 14:57 UV Max demo on it, even though it can be done at least four minutes faster with a more serious strategy.

As for UDoom and Doom2, I think episodes 3-4 and levels 25-30 are the best parts of these two original wads, including of course such great levels as Perfect Hatred and The Spirit World.

[Grain of Salt]

[SAV88]

Grain of Salt said:

That's intriguing, actually. It's not really the kind of map where you can wake everything up early on and leave them to kill each other.

Right, but still this UV Max record (just like hundreds of other long maxes) can be significantly improved with more aggressive handling of many parts (for more effective monster grouping), more carefully and detailedly planned BFG usage (to save many seconds by blasting more monsters), and faster general playing, with minimum slowdowns and hesitations (based on practising the run more and knowing the plan of actions better). For example, you don't need to waste so much plasma on the first cyber, as he can easily be blasted later with two BFG shots.

I tried it with savegames for some time, and realized it's humanly doable in 10:XX, if not 9:XX. Sorry I was too lazy to record it myself -- was busy with many other labor-intensive demos.

[fatal error]

The Texas Linguine Foundation from MM2. That map amuses me.