What are you playing now?

[TheSlipgateStudios]

Just started Doom 64 yesterday!

[Lila Feuer]

Almost done with my UV -fast pistol start no saves run of Doom II. I've pistol started it before but that was years ago, and I'm still easing myself into fast monster behavior and figure the IWADs are good practice for this. Some great challenges here and there...and then there's The Factory and The Chasm which are arguably the most annoying maps in the game to play like this. I enjoy thinking outside the box and having to alter my usual route to finish a level, but when it feels like you just never have enough ammo or opportunities to enable infighting it really is a test of your damn patience.

E: Aight, The Abandoned Mines can run backward through a field of barbed cocks.

E2: Made it work after nearly 14 minutes.

E3: HAH The Spirit World is on another level, what even is this start? BORDERLINE IMPOSSIBLE. Well, the beginning is so comically evil that you almost forget how patronizingly easy it ends. 6th or 7th time was the charm.

E4: Icon of Sin on third try, even beat the par time. Now that's what I call arbitrary difficulty. If you get really unlucky and have too many pain elementals spawn in or an archvile then yeah you're pretty much screwed. Wew. The Living End was a rough bastard too.

Edited September 10, 2023 by Lila Feuer

[elborbahquarama]

On 8/28/2023 at 7:04 PM, DrRock said:

MAYhem 2018 - Orange Edition!

 

I expected to like this a lot more than I actually end up doing. Some of these maps are simply too mean, even by MAYhem standards. Some of the custom monsters also barely emit any sound, which can end up quite annoying. I'll see it through, but moreso out of stubbornness than anything else. I hope that the purple edition is gonna be a little less suffocating in difficulty, once I get to that one.

i'm also playing through this one right now haha

 

the secret wow.wad level is hilarious though (and pretty)

[incel]

 

Beautiful Desolation. It's like Fallout without the combat, and with "Fok" instead of "Fuck". It ends with you storming the Capitol. A most triumphant adventure.

 

Oops, sorry. I thought it was about the games in general, and not particulary doom-specific. The last Doom game I've played was Doom Eternal, I've endured it for an hour and a half, before ditching it. It was totally not my cup of tea.

Edited September 10, 2023 by incel
more Doom.

[apichatpong]

Gosh !

During the last month (and so) I've played exquisite and brutal wads :  two Nirvana's masterpieces (Fractured Worlds, Entropy), a playthrough of Eviternity and Alien Vendetta, LunchLunch's 10x10 project, Crumpets, Stardate 20X6 and Swim with the whales by Ribbiks (I've had a LOT of time these days).

 

Am I a doom god ? still not ! Far from it !!! Here is how I played, as a parody of MountPain27's intro of his Dean of doom videos :

 

- Always play on iTYTD or HNTR

- Never pistol start (except when the game force me to die)

- Saves are encouraged.

 

Even with this way of playing, these wads caused me some headaches, frustation but also great joy and feelings of reward. As I've already said elsewhere, I've learned a lot playing these. Loved the very different approaches for atmosphere and combats (run and gun chaos, puzzles, traps etc), had some tough, VERY tough times, but nothing prepared me for what i've just faced :

 

I started playing Stardate 20x7. Map 1 was sport but doable. As for the two first maps, it seems to me that it will be a personal peak in learning how to deal with ammo-starvation. But man, on map 2, I took a bit early the teleporter to the purple key room and felt absolutly miserable ! I instantly looked on doom wiki to know if a BFG9000 is given on this map... and no.

It mights seem strange to focus on this fight when some in SWTW, and last parts of almost every wads i mentionned above, are ROUGH, but I never felt so armless !

I imagine that map 2 is not the toughest, maybe this fight is not even THE one of this map, but what a ride of abstract brutal claustrophoby it is (and will be).

 

The mappers of this community are really full of surprises and talent !

 

 

Edited September 10, 2023 by apichatpong

[TheSlipgateStudios]

Simply Phobos and Doom Zero! 

[Lila Feuer]

TNT Evilution via pistol start fast monsters and no savegames because I have angered god. Of the first six maps MAP04 was the most frustrating one, so far.

E: Oh yeah, MAP08 can fuck right off, the start is the definition of nonsense. The blursphere near the beginning is a deathtrap even when acquired, there is no way to recoup the loss of health when positively shit shattered by hitscanners. FFS this level's a pain even with continuous play, so add fast monsters on top of this and I'd be surprised if this can be done without savegames or tool assistance.

Edited September 16, 2023 by Lila Feuer

[Lila Feuer]

Got past MAP08: Metal, ducked in an alcove after getting the blursphere so I wouldn't somehow still get destroyed by hitscanners and just hightailed it to the big ugly room with all the caged imps. By far the hardest start of this TNT run so far.

In other news just started my second playthrough of Plutonia 2 but through my newfound love Nugget Doom to obtain juicy screenshots.

[volleyvalley]

I started my replay of Requiem a few days ago, on MAP05 so far.

[DjNeonC1990]

Doom II with Smooth Doom, and Corruption Cards!

 

Currently at Tenements.

[MugMonster]

I played through jimmy's Deathless a few months ago, and since then, I kinda forgot all the secret levels were modified versions of Doom 2 maps.  tonight I was playing regular ol Doom 2 to test out the Voxel Doom mod, and when I got to MAP05, and I kept expecting it to be harder than it was... where was the Caco and Cyberdemon in the dark room?  why weren't the watery tunnels damaging floors?  why was I so sure I had experienced this level with those things?  I'm well aware of maps that pay homage to other maps, like MAP32 in Plutonia and Doom Zero, but I couldnt seem to rationalize that someone would remake The Waste Tunnels... until of course I did remember lol

[Lila Feuer]

Just finished MAP20: Lurking Fear of Plutonia 2 after my sixth or so try. What a nasty level, highlight goes to needing to take out four archviles in quick succession as you get detonated a couple times during it, they knew you'd need that megasphere nearby. Then the end just relentlessly spams pain elementals. The resource starvation was real at times, you think you have a lot of ammo but then a fight or two later you're looking for any scraps you can find.

Stopped at MAP21: Assassin for the time because while not a terrible start the needing to keep hitting a switch in another room so a door stays open while cacos are being funneled through to prevent you from entering the area is pretty irritating design, not to mention blowing myself up with the rocket launcher because on the way back the door across from the timed door decided to slam in my face at top speed. Mappers, please, if you know there's going to be chokepoints being utilized or even required maybe consider normal speed doors.

E: This WAD became insufferably annoying since MAP20, a lot of dickheaded traps on par with Plutonia sure but too many 30+ minute levels with well over 300 monsters was not the Plutonia formula. Ironically the hardest map so far is MAP24: Outpost of the Evil Dead, it only has a little over 100 monsters but it's designed to facefuck you at every conceivable turn, forcing me to put it down today after the 7th death.

Edited September 30, 2023 by Lila Feuer

[LadyMistDragon]

Community Chest 64. It's quite fascinating how the second map seems fairly simple at first, yet ends up taking a ridiculously long time to finish for a second map. It even had a demon key!

[Hasamnas]

I'm playing Eternal Doom for the first time and I just reached map 12. It's pretty good.

[Lila Feuer]

Icon fights outside of IWADs are luck based and designed with saving in mind due to unpredictable spawns, change my mind. Yeah I don't feel bad saving during Plutonia 2's Icon, the cyberdemons are already bad enough, but then you need to hit a VERY precise point on the Icon itself. Good god. I remember the Icon fight for Plutonia Revisited being worse too.

[MugMonster]

Revolution!'s icon fight is pretty simple, but Revolution in general is a pretty easy megawad

 

[DaBigNerd]

Eviternity 😎

[Lila Feuer]

Yeah there's easier ones, I was just venting, the one at the end of the first Community Chest is a complete joke, considering the level you had to deal with prior (or rather not deal with because I skipped it, marking the first and hopefully last time I skip a non-secret level in a megawad.)

 

I remember the Icon of the 1994 tune-up challenge being ridiculously hard because it fires four boss shooters every time, and apparently at one point it used to fire eight before presumably play testers' criticism caused the author to reduce the count.

 

I'm on MAP06 of the Plutonia Revisited CP, also a revisit like Plutonia 2 as I want to see how better this compliments the format compared to its numbered predecessor. So far so good. I remember not liking the homage to Casali maps all that much because they seemed like lazy retreads that were somehow designed worse than the originals, but other than that it's definitely Plutonia alright.

[Catpho]

Played @Large Cat's (with a dog pfp, so not the forum cat) excellent submission for Mayhem 2022, MAP12: A Man Shunned. True to its punny name, it's a totally silly tribute map to all things doomcute. However, what makes it great is that there's a remarkable amount of integration between the witty environment art and varied, sophisticated combat setups, from theater brawls exploding into large fights in the lush gardens that spill incidentally all over the mansion setting, then back to intimate AV traps, shifting fluidly between the two states with a great sense of cinema (I love the timing of that Rev wave). There's also a secret regarding a certain Doomcute prop in the map that really needs to be seen. The whole thing plays like a top tier Big Ol' Billy level, which is good company for a level with such good brio. Some shots from both big cat and me:
 

Spoiler

 

 

 

Defo one of my fav 2022 levels. Looking forward to playing more of your work, Large Cat.

Edited October 4, 2023 by Catpho

[Lila Feuer]

Reached MAP15: Helix in Plutonia Revisited, I forgot about the surprise hike in monsters compared to earlier levels that worked around 100 something (there's 486 here.) Methinks I might have to call it a night for Doom after this one. It is Plutonia 2 levels of too big and has arguably the nastiest traps of any map before it, including downright fatal crushers. It's a good thing I save after 30 minutes when no milestone is reached, otherwise I'd be losing an hour+ from the deaths I've amounted thus far.

E: MAP32: Have @ It is an amazing rendition of Go 2 It, much better than Go 4 It from Plutonia 2, it might have too many monsters, but it's just too fun to care. Honestly very doable slaughtermap, the only part that really gave me resistance was the neverending onslaught of Barons mixed with PEs near the end. They can very easily push you all the way back into a tight spot and overwhelm you as you run out of cells and rockets.

Edited October 7, 2023 by Lila Feuer

[Salt-Man Z]

Knocked out two WADs this weekend (rest of the family was gone, so I could just play games as much as I wanted!)

 

Auger;Zenith by DBP was great, I'd love to see that texture pack used again. Even the weaker maps were really punched-up by the visuals alone. Definitely worthy of its Cacoward, but I'm not sure it would even make my Top 10 DBPs. (Don't ask me what they'd be.)

 

Cyberpunx by Nic Monti was also really good, but the end fight is positively indefensible: you face off with a Cyberdemon and a slow-drip of heavies teleporting in, including more than a couple ill-timed arch-viles. Oh, and the way to exit is to ride a narrow-lipped, very slow, and very high lift up to the exit switch. Almost impossible, you say? Well, what if we also threw out the game's contract with the player and made the cyberdemon invincible without signposting it in any way? I still love Monti's mapping--his creativity and use of verticality are unparalleled--but I'm getting really tired of how mean his levels have gotten...

[Logamuffin]

I played through a couple wads over the past week

 

I played through Plutonia for the 2nd time, this time with the Final Doomer+ weapons pack which I highly recommend, as it has themed weapons that don't feel too unbalanced or give you too much power like many weapon mods. I highly recommend it for any new playthroughs of Plutonia, it's great. As for Plutonia itself, it was way more fun than my first go around! Fav maps: Congo (possibly my favorite opening map ever now), Well of Souls, Caughtyard, Tombstone, and Odyssey of Noises.

 

The other wad I played through was JPCP, though I still have about 5 maps to go on it. I used the same weapon pack with the JPCP themed weapons, though the weapon pack was much less balanced (the chainsaw replacement was OP as hell). I thought the maps were pretty good, I liked a lot of burabojunior and Nanka Kurashiki's maps specifically. Very consistent all around for a community project. Fav maps: 54-pit, G_T_Factory, Magnetic Force Apparatus and Escape from UAC Space base.

[Lila Feuer]

Well I lived up to MAP22: Suicide Mission's name in Plutonia Revisited. I think I'm going to blow myself up with the rocket launcher at a door closing in my face until the end of time.

[DrRock]

On 8/28/2023 at 7:04 PM, DrRock said:

I hope that the purple edition is gonna be a little less suffocating in difficulty, once I get to that one. 

Indeed, it seems that way if the early levels are anything to go by. I still threw in the towel as soon as I got ambushed by a pack of plasma gun marines in the fifth map. The purple half of the project seems to lean in more on door camping sorts of play, which isn't too terribly hot and the custom monsters used here are just as annoying to deal with as in the orange version. Overall a big disappointment for me, since I played most of the MAYhem series and very much liked all of them thus far.

 

As for right now, since I now have a beefier computer than my old one, I'm giving Sunder another shot. Previously, MAP05 made my pc crawl to an almost standstill, making me postpone playing that WAD any further. I even managed to clear the first two maps without saves this time around and am currently on that annoying platforming section in MAP04. Wish me luck!

[Lila Feuer]

Either I'm getting old or the layout to MAP26: Poison Ivy III in Plutonia Revisited is not at all intuitive and I've played this WAD before in 2021. Bruh where does the yellow key go. I feel bad looking up a video because the solution is usually something that makes me feel stupid. Humongo maps that take an hour+ to finish: I sleep. Medium-to-large-ish maps that take close to 30 minutes due to navigation issues: REAL SHIT.

E: OK somehow I missed the RED key. I sequence broke the keys? No it turns out it's just a blind turn I made early on in the level. Sometimes my gamma sabotages me. Also damn that end was a massive fuck you lmao.

 

Edited October 13, 2023 by Lila Feuer

[Skemech]

terraria

[TheSlipgateStudios]

Two maps left of Death Tormention: The Complete Trilogy and attempting to 100% Lunatic!

[Lila Feuer]

Plutonia Revisited Community Project 2, just reached MAP04, some cool levels in here for being rejects from the WIP Plutonia 3.

Doom mapper: Aw his cake is way better than mine.
Doom player: TWO CAKES.

[Hellektronic]

Going between Doom 2, Akeldama and Valiant Vaccinated. Hurt Me Plenty, keyboard-only.

They're pretty excellent, honestly.

Edited October 14, 2023 by Hellektronic

[Cutman 999]

• Nostalgia 2 
• Speed of doom (more like "re-playing" but i didn't get past map 17 before, so idk)
• Plutonia (Second playtrough, although i play it semi-regularly)
• Valiant (What's up with the chasm ass platforming in map 17 skillsaw?)

Edited October 14, 2023 by Cutman 999