The DWmegawad Club plays: Echelon & Mutiny

[dobu gabu maru]

Hopefully the holiday festivities don't slow too many people down!

MAP09: Another significantly-less-aggressive-than-usual map but still plenty of fun. I think this map feels very clearly like a Doom map, with the player doing some building hopping until he finds all the keycards he needs in order to skedaddle. The Mastermind fight is a pretty fun romp and the city skyline is positively gorgeous here, but other than that not a lot clings to the mind. I liked the dirty little “now you see the YK, now you don’t” trick.

+++ any of the iwads (Doom 2, TNT, Plutonia)

[TheOrganGrinder]

MAP09: Construction Site

This one felt... awkward, for lack of a better word. Lots of enemies emplaced in ways that either limit their effectivness or make them un-fun to fight, lots of environments that are set-dressed as chance avenues of ingress or escape through half-built structures but which feel too transparently artificial and deliberate for that impression to hold. With the rapid changes in direction of movement and the terrain or material through which the player is progressing, I found it rather disorienting and wasn't able to really put together a mental picture of how the level fit together, even with reference to the automap; I think a part of that is the jumbled nature of the setting making it difficult to identify landmarks toward which to navigate. It's just too busy for any one thing to particularly stand out and stick in my mind. Not one of the stronger levels in the set so far in my estimation. It may well be that I simply don't have the right skillset to properly appreciate what this one is trying to do.

[baja blast rd.]

dobu gabu maru said:

+++ any of the iwads (Doom 2, TNT, Plutonia)

This was exactly what I was thinking.

+++ Plutonia

[baja blast rd.]

[Demtor]

Hahaha, that's hilarious. Merry Christmas!!

MAP10 - "Generator” by scifista42, Noonellama, dt_
gzDoom - UV – pistol start



Hot damn! Great map. I got lost a number of times, bravo! The whole map had this kind of Mechadon feel where everything kind of folds back on to itself in surprising ways and changes form in certain key areas. I can't remember the last time a wandering Mancubus was able to sneak up on me. Hah!

The decision between the RL and the SSG at the start is a really clever design and is one of the reasons I enjoy pistol starting so much as a continuous play would have nullified the weight of that decision. I was kind of sad that you eventually get back to collect the other you didn't pick though. I wanted that decision to have serious consequences but oh well. 3/4's the map with out one or the other is still a pretty big deal.

I went with the RL as I don't mind the single shotgun's style and pace of play at all and after all was said and done, I was happy with my decision. I found quite a lot of AVs to blast with it. Especially the BK room, wow.

Another forced choice between health or armor was pretty telling here. It's too quiet. Something doesn't feel right here... Getting the option to choose which horde you take on first (or all at once!) was excellent. I managed to get everyone infighting enough that when I was able to let the Manci loose, they melted pretty quickly. Love a map that gives you so many choices beyond the basics.

The look of everything in this map is really good. Lots of great tech base stuff mixed in with some yellow/black trimmings the closer you get to the generator core. The use of damage water was surprising but made sense considering the location. Teleporting to the center and dealing with another AV who himself teleports away was pretty cool. I'm not sure if it was designed this way, but I telefragged him immediately after he zipped out of his lowering platform. Hahaha, that felt great.

The last area had a lot of teeth to it's bite. You even have to start point blank with a Rev at the bottom of the elevator no matter which side you chose. Yikes! If you're like me you bolted forward running as fast as you could which seemed like the right decision as dealing with all of the enemies from above in the control room was much, much easier.

The exit room looked wicked with it's flashing lights. Perhaps a taste of what we'll see next? I saved plenty of ammo to pump in there. One last AV for the road, eh? Well done, all around.

[Spectre01]

MAP06 - “Faceless Corporation” by Angry Saint, Corsair, dt_
Great large map with plenty of cool looking areas, like this room here. Nice use of verticality for grabbing the various secrets. All around solid level.

MAP07 - “Bunker Base” by 40oz
Now this is very close to something I would make if I was mapping for this project. Hallway start, largely symmetrical layout and high monster density everywhere! Very straightforward, violent map with some deadly surprises. Of all the things that could have killed me, it was actually the Cacos at the red key as I ended up falling off the bridge. The Vile trap at the end that revives everything is good stuff. Be very aggressive or die! Thumbs up from me.

MAP08 - “Compactor” by Pavera, jmickle66666666
Did I miss a Plasma Rifle somewhere because I found cells but nothing to shoot them with? I guess that made the Cyber fight towards the end more challenging in close quarters with the SSG. Yeah, this map's pretty good. Lots of dudes to shoot as well as hordes to blow up with rockets or mow down with the Chaingun. The Revenant trap towards the end got me as I didn't react fast enough and got my retreat cut off while running forward meant perforation by hitscanners and an AV blast to add insult to injury. Easier to handle the second time though. As mentioned before the safe "not-poison" lava is a bit peculiar but I like all the crushers in the playing space and as decorations, with their noise serving to enhance the gritty industrial setting. There was also some big area on the computer map that I never went to despite finding all 4 secrets.

MAP09 - “Construction Site” by Impboy4, Doomkid, dt_
One of the weaker maps as far as gameplay goes and a bit of a breather, I guess, difficulty wise. Lots of nice background detailing of the city which makes the map appear much larger than the modest playing space. I did like that big office lobby with the Mastermind fight, but it felt a bit restrained on UV. A bit surprising considering how a lot of the earlier maps had no issue with abusing the player. I do like the chunky sounding midi though.

[Spectre01]

rdwpa said:

This was exactly what I was thinking.

+++ Plutonia

Everyone's played the IWADs to death though while there are plenty of interesting PWADs without the same exposure. Is there much left to scrutinize during a monthly playthrough?

[rehelekretep]

yeah if you can explain the notion behind playing through the iwads im happy to vote either way.

i was actually thinking of getting everyone to play through TNT and see if it's as bad as people remember... :p

[gaspe]

+++ Doom 2, Plutonia, TNT.

[T-Rex]

I agree with rileymartin on his view on playing the IWADs, because I'm sure every one of us have played them, given that we have Final Doom. However, if we're going to play them, it's best to go through them in a retrospective form.

[dobu gabu maru]

rileymartin said:

Everyone's played the IWADs to death though

I've only gone through TNT once and I haven't played any of the iwads from pistol start except Ultimate Doom, which I had the chance to do because we played it as part of the club. Plus some of the fun of the club isn't just to analyze/critique what we're playing but to also see the reactions from some of the posters, as I'm sure all of us will have different things to say about a map like The Chasm when we play through it. There's always a slew of megawads/episodes on the horizon, but sometimes it's nice to take a break and play something familiar before diving back into the modern Doom mapping scene. I mean, a ton of people had already played MM, AV, and HR (including myself), but that didn't stop us from playing them, now did it?

[baja blast rd.]

I haven't played much of Plutonia and nearly all of TNT.

[Scotty]

+++ Plutonia

Was planning on having a go at pistol starting Plutonia anyway, not done that before.

rehelekretep said:

i was actually thinking of getting everyone to play through TNT and see if it's as bad as people remember... :p

It is (second half anyway).

[Memfis]

+++ TNT, much more varied and interesting to talk about than Plutonia.

[Spectre01]

Alright, if it's coming down to an IWAD contest then I'll vote for +++Plutonia. Would be somewhat interesting to try from Pistol Start. If TNT wins though, then I'll have to use a gameplay mod and stop being sober to get through it again.

[rehelekretep]

Plutonia is sooo passé darlings :p


+++ TNT

[rehelekretep]

fda here

pretty fun little map. im not sure all the textures mesh properly together, and the revenant on its little isolated balcony is EVIL! but still, good stuff! the mastermind got me good the first time, perfect use of a mastermind as a complete area-of-denial weapon.

[Tristan]

Memfis said:

+++ TNT, much more varied and interesting to talk about than Plutonia.

Yeah Plutonia would be kinda boring for write ups imo

Hard map, a bit too many revenants and chaingunners
Hard map, a bit too many revenants and chaingunners
Hard map, a bit too many revenants and chaingunners
Hard map, a bit too many revenants and chaingunners
Hard map, a bit too many revenants and chaingunners
Hard map, a bit too many revenants and chaingunners
....

needs Photoshopping onto the blackboard from the Simpsons intro

[Demon of the Well]

An IWAD, really....?

If that's the way it has to be, Evilution would be my choosing, simply because I've played it less than all of the others (unless you want to start talking Heretic and Hexen and Strife and such, of course).

Formally, though, my official vote is again for +++ No End in Sight.

[baja blast rd.]

Well at least if TNT picks up momentum, the speed demos sub will be holding an event all of January. :(

[40oz]

Definitely Doom 2

[T-Rex]

No love for Master Levels for Doom 2? Cause I'd sure like to play the compilation.

+++ Master Levels

[Demtor]

Eris Falling said:

Yeah Plutonia would be kinda boring for write ups imo

Hard map, a bit too many revenants and chaingunners
Hard map, a bit too many revenants and chaingunners
Hard map, a bit too many revenants and chaingunners
Hard map, a bit too many revenants and chaingunners
Hard map, a bit too many revenants and chaingunners
Hard map, a bit too many revenants and chaingunners
....

needs Photoshopping onto the blackboard from the Simpsons intro

[dobu gabu maru]

Demon of the Well said:

An IWAD, really....?

Another way to look at it is that the sooner we play them, the sooner they're off the table for future nominations ;)

MAP10: Aww yeah, rocket launcher first baby! Never a bad decision especially if you need to take a target down fast (like an archvile). This map actually feels like it’s partially designed by cannonball instead of sci/llama/dt_, so I was pleasantly surprised by what their combination produced. There’s multiple routes, different ways to play, a superb balance of health and ammo, and some crafty fights to be had (the red key one was my favorite—I’m curious which one of ya designed that). Unlike the last two maps I really couldn’t pull any kind of consistent visual theme from this, so I wasn’t entirely pleased on that front. Gameplay however, was perfect.

[Demtor]

I think we're on map 11 now, lost track with holiday boozing.

MAP11 - “The Furnaces” by AD_79, 40oz
gzDoom - UV – pistol start



Back to back knock outs done by entirely different groups of mappers! Going to be a close race for favortie map. I had to pistol whip a chaingunner just to get a decent weapon! I mean, ya... thanks for the early RL but those few rockets went quick. Chaingunners and Revs to start off, eh? Hah, that's mean.

A much darker affair with a few larger outdoor damage areas that looked really unique with the rock and lava mix under jet black ceiling. I'm glad their were hazard suits! At first I went rambo mode and ran in with a head full of steam and died before I realised it wasn't hitscan damage that did me in. I guess I really should slow down and read the signs in Mutiny. The other damage area is particularly nasty.

Probably my favorite color scheme so far too. The contrast between inside and out is really well done.

No huge encounters or massive set pieces. Just a really solid, simple but challenging map. Set to a music track, Jimmy's "Potioneer", that both hypnotizes and haunts.

[Tristan]

Demtor said:

http://i.imgur.com/8nNepWi.png

<3 <3 <3

[TheOrganGrinder]

MAP10: Generator

I wasn't so much a fan of this one. Compared to the other industrial interior maps at which this WAD excels, this one feels very focused on each room and encounter as its own discrete setpiece, resulting in a somewhat stop-start pace; the impression is of a layout that you're intended to dismantle methodically, piece by piece, taking a breather after each fight rather than pressing recklessly ahead. There's plenty of health and lots of rockets, but I found the map somewhat lacking in opportunities to really get the most out of the latter; swap some of the rockets for shotgun shells and I'd be a rather happier camper. On the plus side, it's a fun, twisty layout with great variation of interior spaces within the theme. I did find it somewhat 'bitty' with the layout's multiple routes not really conveying a strong sense of coherent progression or escalation.

[baja blast rd.]

I'll join in for some of the shorter maps.

"The Furnaces" (11)

Furnaces? Sounds like a perfect setting for archviles! The pair at the start is a fun time, pressuring you to push deep into enemy territory for the provisions to deal with them, assuming you don't want to handle with fists or weak weapons. A cool scenario for sure -- even with foreknowledge, the pathing of the archviles can't fully be predicted, so they might either hang back or join you early, and the lost souls turn the fight into a mess. After that we have a few encounters, but none really as exciting as this. The penultimate group revealed via the teleporter fake-out could either be harsher, with better pathing for the monsters from the higher tier to the lower tier and some monsters released below, or obligate a self-enforced pride-based stand-your-ground approach by handing out additional cells, but it's fine as is I suppose. I wasn't so much a fan of the coven of revenants and the awkwardly placed archvile out in the cave, however; not really exciting in casual play either way you slice it, and probably kind of annoying in a fast maxrun. The pair of viles at the end are superfluous and easily door-camped, just giving fuel to those who choose to see this as a gimmick map (it's not, really), but I appreciated the surprise anyway. But overall, a short map that justifies its runtime despite not really being so inventive on the visual design end by presenting a clever push-forward gameplay scenario and the rare effective use of non-liquid damaging sectors.

[40oz]

Lol oops, those archviles in the beginning of MAP11 areas supposed to show up until much later! I have a feeling I'm gonna get some shitflinging for that, but it does make for a fun UV max video for sure :P

[dobu gabu maru]

MAP11: Yeowch, that’s one hell of a start. I mean, it was bad enough trying to survive 2 chaingunners and 2 revs in a tiny space with only 3 rockets and a berserk pack, but those twin archviles? Really?! But if that’s not hard enough, don’t worry, there’s a different pair of archviles awaiting you a few steps away too, which forces you to blitz through the level until you have some more rockets so you’re able to at least get some heat off your back. I appreciate the puzzle-aspect to this bull-busting encounter but man did this challenge come out of the blue, especially compared to how the rest of the map.

All of the stuff after the AV-gangbang-surprise is really great and the kind of design I expect from AD: strong two-tone theme, lots of angles and overhead arches, tough-as-nails traps, and an excellent interconnected design. Having to grab radsuits for the boiling hot furnace sections is a clever touch and I especially like how run-down the facility looks, as if it had been ill-equipped from the start to harness such immense hell power. This is a really great map but like the ending of MAP05, I can’t forget the bitter taste it leaves in my mouth.

(I wrote that before 40oz's post, and I think the one pro to that "happy little accident" is that it makes the map really memorable, but it's still a crazy challenge to push onto the pistol starters)