What are you playing now?

[cuppscakes]

On 9/1/2023 at 8:16 AM, TheSlipgateStudios said:

Just started Doom 64 yesterday!

Same. Playing via the Nightdive release on Steam. About eight maps in and while it's fun... it does a metric ton of "hit a button here that seemingly does nothing, and then go find the random door three miles away that just opened". I feel like I've done so much backtracking to find the next path to take, compared to other Doom campaigns.

[Flytrap]

Tried playing pandora.wad and quit around 7 or something because that map with the arachnotron and revenant being boxed in with you is cruel and horribly not fun to play. Enjoyed the rest of the maps before it

Playing penumbra for hexen right now, because im not just one of thsoe freaks who enjoys the master levels, i also enjoy hexen, and deathkings even more than base hexen. Penumbra's fun so far

[Flytrap]

27 minutes ago, cuppscakes said:

Same. Playing via the Nightdive release on Steam. About eight maps in and while it's fun... it does a metric ton of "hit a button here that seemingly does nothing, and then go find the random door three miles away that just opened". I feel like I've done so much backtracking to find the next path to take, compared to other Doom campaigns.

Later game levels get more combat oriented, but the early portions are like that, yea....

[Cutman 999]

On 10/14/2023 at 11:29 AM, Cutman 999 said:

• Speed of doom (more like "re-playing" but i didn't get past map 17 before, so idk)

Map 31 is one of my absolute favorites of all time. The concept is pretty well executed, with sharp black and blues contrasting with the red, nightmarish sky, and the enemies being such mechanical monstrousities, fits perfectly with the thematic elements almost perfectly. 

 

Darkwave is a genius in slaughter combat, even if there's almost 500 enemies, the map never feels overwhelming at all, letting you have a lot of options on how to dismantle his crusades in both aggressive and passive ways, basically, if you know more than basic crowd control, the map is really beatable, but the sheer spectacle never ceases to be fun in one way or the other.

 

First time i've ever killed of all the keens, withouth doom wiki is tricky but also very doable if you know how to search and pay attention to details in the map, like darkwave usually does.

 

 

Btw, best intermission message ever written in doom:

 

Edited October 15, 2023 by Cutman 999

[Cutman 999]

On 10/14/2023 at 11:29 AM, Cutman 999 said:

• Plutonia (Second playtrough, although i play it semi-regularly)

Finished the 5 or 6 maps I had left of plutonia, really bland ones compared to the rest of the set, even anti-Christ is not that punishing or hard compared to final frontier.

 

My first fully saveless and pistol started playtrough of this mapset, so now i aplied to that civvie 11 joke about attracting all the chicks at quakecon (?

 

Also it is my birthday, so yeah i completed plutonia again on my fucking 21th birthday, cool.

 

[OceanMadman]

6 hours ago, Cutman 999 said:

 

Also it is my birthday, so yeah i completed plutonia again on my fucking 21th birthday, cool.

 

Feliz cumpleaños pibe >:) 

Edited October 17, 2023 by OceanMadman

[SPACEDETECTIVE]

Just finished Ultimate Doom on UV for the first time, took me long enough. I didn't really enjoy E4 that much but maybe I might end up with a different look on it whenever I play it again.

 

Exploring more Doom 1 stuff, I started Fava Beans, which I could really only describe as a handsomer E1, same difficulty and everything.

[volleyvalley]

I started my yet another replay of Scythe X, I got to MAP08.

[Catpho]

Played D2 MAP26. In hindsight, I was probably too influenced by the popularity of KDitD, so I thought that Romero's 90s levels were fast and breezy. Lo and behold, the sass. Abandoned Mines at one point features a (admittedly optional) blind drop into a pit with a manc and a dozen barrels, looking like something Sandy would set up if he was in a bad mood. That's not to mention how sprawling and messy the navigation in 26 could be, what with a dozen "secret" (the obvious kind) passageways dumping you through all corners of the map. He's not always like this in D2, esp. in his more streamlined (and perhaps consequently?) popular levels MAP11 & MAP29, but I really appreciate these Sandy-like moments where he embraces the general "screw normalcy" attitude of the game. D2 Romero > his other doom levels, something with the attitude of Sigil and the speed of D2 would be great.

 

Fractured Worlds is my favorite Stardate. Props to Nirvana for making vile zerg rush and point blank multi cyb duels seem chill (Midnight Tengu moment).

[Firedust]

Forgive me father 2 demo, great stuff.

[D0M0]

Currently losing my sanity over speedrunning Fire and Ice.

[TheSlipgateStudios]

Rekkr: Sunken Land & Hands of Necromancy!

[bioshockfan90]

Since Nostalgia 2 came out not too long ago, I've been playing through the first one as I was on my Doom hiatus when that came out. On MAP09 now, it's really nice and reminds me of if like, say, Scythe grew up and got a wife and kids. 

 

Sidenote: I doubt anyone really cares, but I plan on making a thread in the WAD Discussion subsection of the forums when my Tumblr WAD review blog hits 100 reviews and plan on covering MyHouse.wad for the 100th. It's been a long-running joke between my friends and I since I started it. I think I'm on like review number 33 as of now, so it could be a while but I'm excited to keep at it.

 

Non-Doom wise? I softmodded my OG xbox lately and finally got the HDD upgrade to work so I've been loading it up with games and been playing Battle for Bikini Bottom for the first time on there. I might fuck around and do San Andreas (also for the first time) after that. And of course, I couldn't let myself slide without playing some Doom 3 on the OG Xbox. 

[apichatpong]

Two wads from my exploration of French community stuff :

 

Villa de la muerte by Yugiboy85 :
And the Oscar for the most annoying cyberdemon goes to…
I haven’t been to the end of the map right now but it’s a tough yet enjoyable one with a beautiful design ! I would’ve loved living in that kind of dreamy Spanish village, at least before hell invasion. Very expressive* and exciting map !

 

*The high above bull is also a nice touch, reminded me of my youth in south of France where you could see some highly-placed tauri announcing ferias.

Ventose by Roofi :
One of my greatest achievements ’till now… took me more than 3 hours but managed to end this tricky and wonderfully adventurous map on HNTR with all kills and all secrets (and without doom wiki help).
From the very beginning, with the help of a great midi choice, you know it will be haunting, and, more unexpectedly, cottony, in an hypnotic way.
I don’t know if it’s me being dumb but, during the first 40 mins I wandered in this intricate stuff with only pistol and single shotgun (it’s a doom 1 wad) with not so many ammo, a provocative unreachable berserk, some rockets (and maybe even some cells, don’t remember) but no rocket-launcher nor plasma gun… facing (among others) highly-placed barons. SO, I killed hitscanners and ran from the big stuff (the barons were at least paired, and I’ve learned that, usually, two barons on low skill = 1 cyberdemon on UV, so not sure UV is « cottony »), waiting for the big arsenal… which finally arrive : two rocket launchers, three or four plasma… and this help you never feel bored to come back and forth on same places, because the way you’ll approach them always change.
The exploration aspect is top notch, you really have to revisit rooms to move forward, I felt blocked numerous times but always found my way through this maze who sometimes demands sharp eyes and really attentive ears.
Sometimes I was asking myself : « where the f… have I seen this yellow key switch ?» And just after remembering it « how the f… do I go back there ? ». That’s one point of this map… but in the end, the rewarding feel is intense !
You don’t always know what your switch pressing do but it densify the mystery… One thing you quickly understand is the point of the secret quest. Of course… I’ve got it after killing most of the demons, but Roofi is elegant enough to let you play with your new toy (new toy that you can quickly see from far away… as another provocative move).
Awesome map ! I’ll definetly try the whole Deadly Standards 3 !

One very contemporary wad :

Stanley by Dee Legit :
Not so much to say about this one as I’m far from having ended it. Like my house, it’s very well done, impressive, but not exactly my stuff. Even though, I prefer the old fashioned humor you can find in this map* instead of the existentialist approach in myhouse.
Anyway, objectively, this is great stuff !

 

*and that from the beginning… yeah… I’ve tried to go through the white windows too many times.

Two wads that I’ve played using cheat on some parts :

 

Event Horizon by Killer5 :
I fell in love with Killer5 stuff with… The Zzul method by Lunchlunch. I’m totally aware of this being way above my skills (right now and for the 5 next years, to say the least) but didn’t resist to try it. Some beginning fights are tedious though doable but, from the opening (and central ground) you know that at some point it will be punishing ! SO… I’ve followed the delinquent method.
The architecture is cold, post-modern, oppressive, threatening but a pleasure for the eyes, plus, killer5 use great smartness in his way to involve platforming in this map, it always feel adventurous and lead to something (with one notable exception : the horrific platforming on tight pilars on the big nukage room).
The midi installs a dark but abstract atmosphere of the greatest kind, you instantly get that there is much more in here than these three middle-sized rooms, and not only the distant titanic castle, also some threatening but hidden places.
The quest for secrets is also something else and will give you hard time (so many missable things !)
One day, maybe, one day, I hope, I will be able to play this great stuff legit.

 

Uroboros by Ravendesk :
Got the 1-8-5-4-6-9 sequence, so the bad ending.
I love the way, after some exhausting fights in the first map, Ravendesk tells you « now you have a choice to do : good or bad », the good way leads to facing archvile(s?) and three cybers (after pain elementals and revenants) with not so many ammo…. I chose the bad way !
Map 8 almost got me out because I felt I didn’t belong there, tough ! But I stayed (and iddqd some fights) and was rewarded with the two next maps, one majestically platforming-puzzly the other slaughter but « approachable » (for the joke, the first time I missed the « sticks » and seriously thought that it was a strange Tyson slaughtermap (two words that don’t belong together) where you had to let the guys infight and use the multiple invulnerability spheres offered on ITYTD to survive (and kill some stuff)… and you know what, I was close* to make it work… but failed. Of course, I asked myself what was it with all these flasks on the floor…).
The « thing » from map 6 is great ! After some puzzle-platform, a little surprise and a very original, yet very very (VERY) difficult fight but of the kind you want to go back to, to learn and improve.
I’ll have to come back to this awesome one !

 

* OK, I have this typical default of mediterranean guys, I tend to exaggerate…

Edited October 27, 2023 by apichatpong

[Ravendesk]

18 hours ago, apichatpong said:

« now you have a choice to do : good or bad », the good way leads to facing archvile(s?) and three cybers (after pain elementals and revenants) with not so many ammo…. I chose the bad way !

Glad you enjoyed the set.

 

To clarify just a bit: going through cybers in 01 is not needed, it doesn't lock you out of a good ending. Path to good ending is accessible from map 06 no matter how you get to it. But you need to find a secret exit.

And yeah bfg sticks being easily missable in map 04 is my bad sorry about that :p Didn't think that through very well.

Edited October 28, 2023 by Ravendesk

[apichatpong]

1 hour ago, Ravendesk said:

Glad you enjoyed the set.

 

To clarify just a bit: going through cybers in 01 is not needed, it doesn't lock you out of a good ending. Path to good ending is accessible from map 06 no matter how you get to it. But you need to find a secret exit.

And yeah bfg sticks being easily missable in map 04 is my bad sorry about that :p Didn't think that through very well.

 

My mistake ! I was so on the urge to run from the cybers that I imagined what I wrote above.

And regarding the bfg sticks, don't be sorry, they are not that missable (it was me being under panic) and, anyway, it leads me to this bizarre (in a good way) first feeling. Now I wonder if its possible to do that fight "pacifist" + invulnerability... Not by me, for sure, and since i imagine that in UV they are replaced by soulsphere or megasphere, not sure anyone else will try... but it was, strangely, one - among many others - great moments I had with your wad !

[DrRock]

PUSS XIII: TH1RT3EN, since I've rolled that one for my ER/iWA backlog. Almost fourth fifths done and mostly enjoying it thus far. There is some really wild stuff in there I wouldn't have expected to see. To those in good mapping shape, three hours seems a decent amount to craft some truly good output.

[Ersim]

Ultimate Doom in DOSBox.  As Old School as it gets baby!

[Rudolph]

I noticed Mars War among the recent Doomworld File Reviews, so I decided to give it a shot. I was already aware of its anti-Microsoft imagery and as such I was half-expecting it to be some kind of joke wad, but much to my surprise, it is a straightforwardly enjoyable, albeit weird mapset. By "weird", I mean that the level geometry is very unusual and I do not believe I have seen anything like it before. The soundtrack is also quite unusual for Doom, but so far, it kicks ass.

[Lila Feuer]

@Rudolph Speaking of anti-M$ the ending to Dystopia 3 is hilarious if you haven't already seen/played it.

[Devalaous]

Been playing Deathkings of the Dark Citadel on and off as a Mage, and occasionally working through stuff on my 'Now Playing' list on Doom Launcher, like Memento Mori II and The Abyss. Still need to finish Eternal Doom as well, it and its demo-sequel are the only TNT-related things I haven't finished.

[pantheon]

I just finished Autophagy, each level was a perfect dose of classic Doom gameplay and tropes (in a good way). But my favorite part had to be the Wolfenstein secret levels and the ways they unfold, especially MAP33. They captured the magic of secret hunting in some Wolf3D levels where doing the optional secret areas really magnifies the adventure of the level. Next I think I'll go through Never since I enjoyed the other kind of soundtrack-centric WAD I played, Warlock's Hearth.

Edited November 2, 2023 by pantheon

[CacoG0ld3n]

im play project brutality 3.0 it´s good and fun, Just one thing, when you kick the demons it no longer lets you kick again or use weapons, so they disappear. 

 

(P.D it is not the original prbj 3.0, the one I play is Cody Cruikshanks project brutality )

 

This is if you want to try it:

https://www.moddb.com/mods/cody-cruikshanks-project-brutality1/downloads/cody-cruikshanks-project-brutality2

[Bri0che]

I am currently playing Crysis 1 (the original). Damn, the game looks gorgeous even for today's standards ! A true gem where you can feel the passion from the devs.

 

Alongside, those days I also play Subnautica, Bioshock, Fear, Metro Last Night, RE 2, Condemned, etc. Yeah, I play a lot of games x')

 

I also play Doom ofc... 

Edited November 6, 2023 by Bri0che

[Rudolph]

No WAD in particular. There are so many of them in my backlog right now, so I just switch between them on a whim.

 

A little Akeldama, a little The Rebirth, a little Ichinichi, a little Freedoom, etc.

[Cutman 999]

I have completed solar struggle even if I didn't plan in finishing it initially. I have to say, most stuff there is pretty damn good, especially for a community project.

 

There're bad apples in this set like E4M6, E3M7 and E2M9, but overall, I'm amazed by how consistent and modern it feels for a project of this scope. I have completed doom 1 wads before, but solar struggle is easily my favorite, mostly because (for the most part) doesn't try to plagiarize id software, the combat feels like a mix of popcorn style knee deep in the dead fights with some more modern style ambushes, and i like the themes of each episode and how every level in this set tries to respect them in a way or the other. Pretty good stuff here.  

[Crusader No Regret]

Couple of replays.

 

  I haven't played through Doomed in Space continuous until now.  So I wasn't aware there was an actual ending after the last map.  The quirky cast of enemies makes it feel like its own world.  Granted, I'm probably biased having playtested this one.

 

  Went through UAC Supply Depot again with the Alien Vendetta weaponset from Final Doomer.  I wound up feeling the absence of the plasma rifle and BFG as that arsenal feels awkward for focusing down archviles.  Found a few more secrets that I missed on the first go-around.  Also somehow missed a monster somewhere but it's not likely worth combing over such a huge map for it.

 

  Not a replay but I did try out My House.  The mainstream attention had turned me off for a while but it seems to have mostly settled.  Part tribute, part showcase of doomcute, part mind screw is what I'll say about it here.  I'd avoided most of the spoilers until after running through it 2-4 times.  Then I caved and looked stuff up and lost most of my motivation to play it any further.  Heh.

[Captain POLAND]

Just finished Community Chest and started Valiant.

 

 

[Treehouseminis]

I was thinking I would pick up one of the bigger games that came out this year when I got paid from my commission side job, but making and playing doom is too big a hobby atm to play baldurs gate 3 or Armored core 6 lol.  

 

Currently playing random maps from "Hardfest2" and going through "I can't give you anything" when I get in the mood for it, finished the goth girl episode.  

Edited November 14, 2023 by Treehouseminis

[OneSwellFella]

Dark Encounters with Meatgrinder. A bit less than a third through at this point? I'm having a ton of fun, and Meatgrinder makes the surprisingly large fights manageable.