What are you playing now?

[seed]

Finished BTSX E1 in the meantime and started Speed of Doom.

 

Seems fun, challenging, but figuring out how the traps work almost trivializes them sometimes, not to mention they're predictable. So far anyway, we'll see what happens later.

[Kira]

1 hour ago, seed said:

Seems fun, challenging, but figuring out how the traps work almost trivializes them sometimes, not to mention they're predictable. So far anyway, we'll see what happens later.

Darkwave's maps tend to be this to me, though they are actually my favorites overall :)

 

Joshy's offerings were a lot less forgiving to me for some reason.

Edited February 23, 2019 by Kira

[Hellbent]

Adventures of Square. Or I was.. until the sound decided to stop working.

[Kira]

Just finished No Rest for the Living. One of the most polished official mapsets for Doom I think, which is a good thing since it came up barely a few years ago. Finding the secrets was on the easy side but they were consistently interesting so I won't complain. I was surprised at how much you find yourself using the chaingun and how rare the backpack tends to be.

 

Either way I'm in the mood for another run through the Master Levels now. It's been a while.

[Lila Feuer]

Yeah it's a great set indeed, nice detailing, good fights, balanced item distribution, theming is strong with the earthy nature and Hell is appropriately cavernous and red.

The Master Levels are a mixed bag IMO, while there are some very prolific mappers in that collection a lot of their best works can be downloaded for free. But it's still worth playing at least 60% of the pack.

[Kira]

I must confess a soft spot for the Master Levels because I experienced Doom for the first time with them, on PSX Final Doom. Dr.Sleep's work in particular is kind of "Doom aesthetic" for me because of how memorable the maps were. The PC version made me discover Jim Flynn and his strange style, which was interesting, if on the frustrating side haha.

[Kepehn]

I'm playing Icarus: Alien Vanguard, a classic from a sadly dead team: TNT! It's a shame, all of their projects are so good!

[Lila Feuer]

@Kepehn That's an old megawad I've yet to play through in its entirety, despite having started and stopped on it like three times several years ago. I just could never stay invested in it long enough to get halfway through. Or rather last time I did get about halfway point only to just up and stop and not go back to it. IDK what's the deal, I like the themes and the music, but I guess I just thought the mapping was a little too experimental and/or mediocre to hold my attention? I should really try it again. I liked Evilution, and Eternal Doom.

[Kepehn]

30 minutes ago, Lila Feuer said:

IDK what's the deal, I like the themes and the music, but I guess I just thought the mapping was a little too experimental and/or mediocre to hold my attention?

 

I quite understand you. If weren't for my infinite love for the TNT, I don't know if I would ever have finished Icarus. Although some levels are really good, I feel it is a little inconsistent with some uninterested maps. But I love it's spirit enough to play it again.

Edited February 24, 2019 by Kepehn

[seed]

9 hours ago, Kira said:

I must confess a soft spot for the Master Levels because I experienced Doom for the first time with them, on PSX Final Doom. Dr.Sleep's work in particular is kind of "Doom aesthetic" for me because of how memorable the maps were. The PC version made me discover Jim Flynn and his strange style, which was interesting, if on the frustrating side haha.

 

I will always prefer the PSX version of the Master Levels, at least they kept the decent maps. The original package is all over the place :v.

[Lila Feuer]

@seed Black Tower was one of the best maps that sadly didn't make the cut on PSX.

[Kira]

The main draw of the PSX version is that you don't listen to D_RUNNIN 60% of the time or the void of -nomusic. I'm too lazy to IDMUS and using a PSX music wad didn't gel that well with me because the ML are so bright on PC.

 

Anyway I'm now on Titan Manor, from playing in the order in the attached picture (it's the PSN order which I agree with overall). I don't enjoy Christen Klie's levels again, sadly. I used to like a few of his back then.

 

[Lila Feuer]

8 hours ago, Kira said:

using a PSX music wad didn't gel that well with me because the ML are so bright on PC.

A good dark PLAYPAL like PalPlus would do a good job at simulating a darker atmosphere.

[Kira]

4 hours ago, Lila Feuer said:

A good dark PLAYPAL like PalPlus would do a good job at simulating a darker atmosphere.

That's a neat idea, but for now I caved in and use IDMUS. It prevents me from going crazy at least.

 

Now at Titan in the order pictured above. It hurts me to out someone like this, but I doubt I'll ever play anything else by Christen Klie from now on. There is too much nonsense and design I can't stand anymore. Usually I make an effort to at least find most secrets and kill as much as I can, but by Subterra I was basically fleeing the level from being fed up.

 

On a more positive note I enjoyed Paradox. It's not as impressive to me as the first time around, but it's a very cute castle themed map.

 

Also from memory, there're only levels I should like to some extent now.

[Snikle]

I haven't played all the Master Levels, I really need to do so. I know they're weird sometimes, but they're all odd 90s stuff that looks like they could be interesting. I'll probably play them once the DWMC gets to them. 

[NuMetalManiak]

Well I barely have a schedule to play some Doom these days, but I've been seeing whichever files show up on the newest reviews panel and playing those (and reviewing them if I haven't already), now I'm currently going through levels from Doomworld Speedmapping Sessions (the dwspd ones).

[Lila Feuer]

Reached Chapter 3 in Eviternity and it's fkn great, the sliding monsters on ice is really funny touch, don't believe I've seen that effect done in Doom since old Boom/MBF PWADs. Astral Cacos can suck it, though.

Edited February 26, 2019 by Lila Feuer

[Terminus]

Finished playing Birthday Bash.

Maps were kind of gimmicky but the overall quality was pretty high. Don't get what was the point of MAP31 as it was clearly incomplete, but I enjoyed the wad none the less.

 

Currently going through Damned City 2: From Moscow to Agartha.

I had to dive into SLADE and remove all the custom sounds inside the wad as they were abysmal Russian screaming in the vibe of what you'd hear in a wad released in 1995. That bad. Also all the maps are lacking custom music except for MAP01, for some reason.

Other than that I'm actually quite surprised by the quality of the mapping itself and the gameplay factor - It's really fun to play and you don't get bored at all.

 

Next up on my play list are UDTWiD, Concrete Rage and Rowdy Rudy's Revenge.

[hella knight]

I tend to have a lot of stuff in rotation, I can't stick to one thing and see it through. Some of these I've restarted over the years but still never completed. I wish I could spend a good couple weeks in a timeless void with some weed n snacks and just commit myself heart and soul to finishing some wads without worrying about the anxieties of the outside world. Guess I'll just have to wait 40 years til retirement :p

• Eviternity map15
• Deathless e1m7
• Lunar - e1m4
• DTWID - map05
• Rudy - finished!!!
• Nova 2 - map14
• Vile - map06
• 100minvr - map13
• Eagle project - map07
• Mayhem17 - map08
• Pedgate - map17
• Jpcp - map08
• Btsx e1 - map14
• Jiffybag - map10
• Sunlust - map03

All great wads :)

[seed]

Still busy with Speed of Doom.

 

Ugh, it goes downhill after MAP22 onward for me... Still has a fun map every now and then, but MAP21 and its almost exclusive reliance on punching was annoying. MAP22 was probably the worst of all...

 

MAP27 with its dark ring with the yellow skull can go suck a dick too.

[Valboom]

Memento Mori 2,old but very gold.

[Lila Feuer]

I gotta replay the Memento Mori duology again. I always wished for a third.

[seed]

Never felt the need for a third tbh, the original aged very, very poorly imo. MM2 slightly better, but still... 

 

Finished SoD after I stopped enjoying it after MAP22. Eh, at least I loved MAP28 and the final one. MAP29 can also go fuck itself. Expected more, but whatever.

 

Gonna play Flotsam next. First thing I did was fall into the lava pit below, good at platforming™ :v. 

[Kira]

I remember hating 27 and 29 but 23 impressed me as some hardcore real-time chess board of sort. 21 is a blur to me because it's quickly dealt with, berserking mancubi or not. Otherwise I was a sucker for anything Darkwave in ep3.

Edited February 27, 2019 by Kira

[seed]

3 hours ago, Kira said:

I remember hating 27 and 29 but 23 impressed me as some hardcore real-time chess board of sort. 21 is a blur to me because it's quickly dealt with, berserking mancubi or not. Otherwise I was a sucker for anything Darkwave in ep3.

 

It gets a lot of things right, and I like the fact that it explores multiple, different gameplay styles similar to the Scythes, I just wish you had more freedom in the maps as opposed to being forced to do them the author's way. That, and it has some genuinely frustrating maps.

[Kira]

9 minutes ago, seed said:

 

It gets a lot of things right, and I like the fact that it explores multiple, different gameplay styles similar to the Scythes, I just wish you had more freedom in the maps as opposed to being forced to do them the author's way. That, and it has some genuinely frustrating maps.

This is fair enough. I can definitely relate if we are talking 23, 27 and 29 in particular (plus frustrating bit for the last two).

[Lila Feuer]

Judging from what I've heard regarding Speed of Doom, it lives up to its title in that speedrunning is an encouraged playstyle. It would certainly help improve your ability to mop up, maneuver and overall alter your playability to be more versatile I'd imagine. But yeah, definitely not a casual megawad, I probably won't get to it for a while. 

[seed]

1 minute ago, Lila Feuer said:

Judging from what I've heard regarding Speed of Doom, it lives up to its title in that speedrunning is an encouraged playstyle. It would certainly help improve your ability to mop up, maneuver and overall alter your playability to be more versatile I'd imagine. But yeah, definitely not a casual megawad, I probably won't get to it for a while. 

 

It can most certainly be played more casually, it's just some maps that are... eh...

 

Though I agree that it didn't really look like it was meant to be played that way.

[Kira]

On 2/24/2019 at 6:24 PM, Lila Feuer said:

A good dark PLAYPAL like PalPlus would do a good job at simulating a darker atmosphere.

Ok so I continued my Master Levels run with Jovian Palette and PSX music, and it's like I'm back in the past except better. Vesperas in particular benefits from that setup if you are curious.

 

Edit: on the subject of SoD, I think even late Darkwave maps are very free-form. Like 26 can be routed in different ways. Heck, back then I'd change my route if I was fed up retrying with one. 28 is no-comment, you can play it any way you want.

Edited February 27, 2019 by Kira

[seed]

27 minutes ago, Kira said:

Ok so I continued my Master Levels run with Jovian Palette and PSX music, and it's like I'm back in the past except better. Vesperas in particular benefits from that setup if you are curious.

 

Edit: on the subject of SoD, I think even late Darkwave maps are very free-form. Like 26 can be routed in different ways. Heck, back then I'd change my route if I was fed up retrying with one. 28 is no-comment, you can play it any way you want.

 

Never had much luck with either palette tbh (Jovian or PalPlus). Both made the red letters in the hud look almost purple. For me, the closest thing that emulates how Doom looked like back in the day on a CRT is with darker gamma corrections (like in Doom Retro or ZDoom's gamma set to 0.90), which is why I requested this feature for Crispy at some point, and with brightmaps.

 

Yes, they are, especially MAP28 which is full-fledged slaughter, those usually provide many ways to deal with.