The DWmegawad Club plays: Speed of Doom

[NecrumWarrior]

7 minutes ago, NuMetalManiak said:

MAP09 Depradation

 

Given the rest of the settings, this one seems rather out of place. Hooray for techbases, with windows because E1M7, or some shit. Nothing really sticks out here as much, but then again, nothing is really terrible here anyways. This easily seems like a speedmap, and would be a legit map for the AS sessions *pokes Obsidian*.

Yeah, I thought the theming was odd too. This portion of the Wad starts with entering a prison so I am left to wonder if this is still supposed to be such. Maybe a wardens office?

 

Anyway, I'm not looking forward to the next level based on the title... 

[gaspe]

MAP09: A fairly standard techbase level, but the red carpet was a nice touch to make it stand out more. I'm not really enthusiastic of the gameplay, it starts interesting but it progressively gets unremarkable as you go to the end.

[Surreily]

MAP09

 

As others have said, it's your typical techbase level, but it throws in a few Plutonia textures and has an awesome red carpet too. Most of it consists of hallways with windows to other hallways, and there's a neat little outdoor area near the end.

 

The main threat in here seem to be the revenants that show up at regular intervals, along with the occasional arch-vile. There's enough space to move around, which is a nice change from Joshy's previous map, and there aren't any BS traps or monster placements either. I do think the part with the timed door was under-utilized - I was playing super cautiously here, ensuring I didn't get locked in until I was ready, but there was nothing really threatening on the other side anyway.

 

Although I don't have much else to say about this map, I do think it's Joshy's best one so far.

[galileo31dos01]

11 hours ago, Spectre01 said:

How can HMP be the most balanced when the authors designed everything around UV and then poorly and inconsistently made changes for HMP, which many people have pointed out.

Well UV has the maximum of enemies and some changes with the pick ups and ITYTD and the other have the minimum, isn't HMP like the middle one? I don't know, it doesn't feel "shitty" or "garbage" yet but the opposite. I might be wrong, anyway...

 

MAP05: I felt NRFTL vibes here, the layout made me remind of that wad. Now the SM was no problem for me, the revenants gave her a hard time. It was that damn archvile in the middle of everything and me with no cover, he subtracted most of my well cared health, and the sudden hell knight on the road to the red key beat me, you mother f... I found the only secret after I killed all the enemies. The first PE was funny to fight, he suddenly appeared and I was like "OH NO YOU WON'T" and it was shoot ow shoot ow shoot ow (attempt to spit a lost soul) shoot ow shoot ow shoot BOOM. Yeah, a bit intense level but fun to play. My time was 29:29   

Edited April 9, 2017 by galileo31dos01

[baja blast rd.]

What everyone is saying is not that HMP isn't in the 'middle' but that the authors (of which there are two) applied the changes differently in their levels. There are maps that are much easier on HMP than on UV, and there are maps that are practically the same on HMP and UV. This means that your experience might wildly yoyo in difficulty in a way that it wouldn't on UV. The level you just played is one where HMP is essentially UV. 

 

All things that are flagged UV-only are highlighted below: 

 

Spoiler

 

 

The most impactful additions are a couple of sergeants and spectres, basically. If you could beat HMP you could also beat UV without any extra sweat. 

 

But in the next map after that (spoiler alert): 

 

Spoiler

 

(I think this is already big enough that I don't need to show anything more.)

Also, it's important not to conflate 'middling' (in terms of enemy count and resources) with 'more balanced'. Taking some enemies away from UV and calling it HMP doesn't make it more 'balanced' unless it was actually tested properly. In fact, and I'm speaking from experience here, in the absence of careful testing, doing such a thing will basically always make maps less balanced. This imbalance is usually shown in the form of erratic difficulty curves, meaning encounters that are gutted on HMP and encounters that are practically unchanged existing within the same level -- and also more rarely but still possible, encounters that are actually harder on HMP than on UV, because a somewhat thoughtless removal of monsters reduced crucial infighting possibilities. 

 

[Cynical]

The start of map 07 on HNTR is a great example of a map that's harder on the lower difficulty level -- you don't have the Pinkies at the start to help cover you from the hitscanners, but the hitscanners are all there.

 

SoD is UV-only in practical terms.

[galileo31dos01]

I'm going to try on UV, this will be my first complete attempt on UV ever. Thanks for the explanation, now I understand a bit more of what all of you were talking about.

If I beat the cybers in PRCP Map32, I can deal with two, I think... hopefully... may the angels be with me... 

[NecrumWarrior]

28 minutes ago, galileo31dos01 said:

I'm going to try on UV, this will be my first complete attempt on UV ever. Thanks for the explanation, now I understand a bit more of what all of you were talking about.

If I beat the cybers in PRCP Map32, I can deal with two, I think... hopefully... may the angels be with me... 

I had intended to play HMP too and with a few exceptions I'm doing okay on UV. The main thing to watch out for is the intense climaxes some of these maps have. But some of them you can just run past so keep that in mind lol. 

[The Bandit]

@rdwpa Yeah, I know what you mean about alternate difficulties.  I only play UV because 99.9% of wads were designed around it.  Sorry if I came across as an asshole the other week.  I'm just here to share my love of Doom and be brotherly!

Edited April 9, 2017 by The Bandit

[Crusader No Regret]

I played through Speed of Doom years ago: continuous, HMP, frequent saving.  Once is enough though I will share some thoughts about various memorable parts of the set throughout the month.

 

Map 8: The first thing that I can remember about the map is the gimmick of only providing rockets and shells.  Was not paying close attention to that when I woodenly gunned a few things down with chaingun.  Now that the Megawad club is covering this, it just occurs to me that this is only the first of several maps where Darkwave uses a limited weapon selection.  The telefrag chain is funny and I enjoy goading the pack of imps in the bunker into wearing down a mancubus or two.

 

Map 9: Perhaps something that better suited for the confessional booth but whatever.  I enjoyed the music of this map enough that I will sometimes load SoD with another mapset just for the soundtrack.  Go IDMUS.

[Demtor]

 

MAP08 - “Frenetic” by Darkwave0000
gzDoom - UV – pistol start

 

Lol, that title. These maps are getting nuts! I found it important to get the secret that lets you telefrag every Manc turret ASAP. However, if left alive you kind of had to book it before their fire becomes problematic. Be wary though as speed kills here because if you move too fast to that RK, you’ll bring ambushes raining down on your head with no room to run! This whole map is like a tough balancing act that way. Before I found that telefrag secret, I’d always waste the precious few rockets on a few mancs instead of saving them for the double AV’s. Anyways, I’m sure there are other ways of doing things but clearing out the few baddies before the RK pickup, sprinting back immediately to kill the two AV’s, followed by the telefragging secret, seemed to give me the best chance at surviving the rest this mess bit by bit. 

 

The giant horde of imps was hilarious. You can waste your shells on them ahead of time, or hit the switch and let them run loose, double back behind them and let those rockets fly. However that insta lone AV will really mess with your timing with that. If you aren’t quick, the imps will swarm in on you and you're going to have a bad time. Fun stuff, hah. 

 

I tried to rush around too much once the SMM and arachnotrons were let loose. Again… speed kills. You have to be fast, but time you’re kills out as you go or you’ll end up in a corner sucking down green plasma like I did. Lil' spiders go first as quick as you can and then empty that rocket supply on the SMM  (I had to use the SSG for the finishing touches) before taking one step further past the lowered wall. Try and rush to the end and it will most likely bite you in the ass.

 

Keeping a calm and measured approach to killing and moving around cover seemed like it was key to staying alive. It's a great map that enforces it’s desired pace on the player. Whew.
 

[Demtor]

 

MAP09 - “Depredation” by Joshy
gzDoom - UV – pistol start/no saves

 

Wow, this map was brutal. How I didn’t die… I have no idea. It seemed like whenever I needed a med kit, it was there. Ammo was suuuuper tight at the beginning though. 

 

A departure from all of the fancy detailing the previous maps have had. The YK yard was maybe the nicest looking but looks are not this level’s strong point. What is was the varied array of traps and tight situations through a series of hallways and rooms looking in on each other. Like having to mow through a snaking mass of zombies while avoiding AV fire or all of the closets filled with everything from shotgun guys to AV’s as well as ambushes involving groups of revs with imps and insta popping baddies. Don’t forget the mini caco swarm through the windows. In your face action is the name of the game here. Much like the music which is an amazing hyper rocking tune to keep things upbeat and almost cheery as if to celebrate a player happily avoiding all of the death traps found.

[Ribbiks]

drive-by commentary for m10:

 

Simply put, I think this map is a masterpiece of modern spacious/casual-difficulty mapping. It wouldn't be an understatement to say I studied this map back when I was trying to articulate what attributes of a level I found appealing, what tropes were worth taking and running with, etc. (This was probably sometime in the 2010-2011 neighborhood). Here's a brief summary of some positive attributes I felt this map exemplified:

-- entire map is a cohesive structure enclosed in an attractive environment, feels more like a "place", regardless of how gamey it is to navigate.

-- optional secret offshoot areas! I love these. bonus points for them being visible from regular areas of the map

-- map geometry that unravels, revealing connections between new and previously visited areas

---- overall the layout is tangled in on itself in an efficient way

-- the occasionally cheesy fight that is just fun/funny. demon horde, final AVs

 

if we're not done talking about death-destiny influences yet, please note the similar fetish for long narrow hallways that "surprise!" open into a clusterfuck from the sides.

[rehelekretep]

map10 fda

inclined to agree with everything Ribbiks has said :D

to add:

- midi + Hunted-style vile reveal (we're going to fighting all them? oh boy...) sets the atmosphere perfectly BUT i think the map light levels are a bit bright for the tone of the map, but that's not really a strong criticism, just a personal preference

- i would slightly criticise the ammo balance: the pinkie horde/PE lost soul horde/final arachnotrons makes you use up your plasma and rockets, then you are stuck in a enclosed space with all those AVs. granted, it provided a stressful and memorable end to the map, but i wouldve been quite annoyed if id run out of rockets and plasma and just been stuck dying (especially if youre a 1 save kinda player!)

- the pinkie swarm is funny and almost trapped me (i guess that's Darkwave's intention?) but then its too easy to cheese them from the blueberry-plaza steps because the only thing more dangerous to a demon than doomguy is a staircase.

 

great stuff!

 

 

Edited May 9, 2017 by rehelekretep

[baja blast rd.]

MAP10: Vile Pain

 

Ribbiks beat me to it: this map is great. It also might even be the progenitor of the 'whole bunch of oppressive shit at the start that warps away at a mandatory shoot switch and appears throughout the map in regular intervals' idiom that we've seen in many maps to follow: for example skillsaw's "13 Angry Archviles" and "14 Angrier Archviles". But I'm hesitant to be sure of that, because whenever I think that, like, Erik Alm 'invented' the style of clean-angled architecture present in much modern stuff, I find out that, no, other people, namely Richard Wiles, did it before him, and I feel like I want a 'History of Doom' lecture by someone more knowledgeable about this stuff. And 2010 does seem kind of late for that to pop up for the first time, so maybe there were wads that did it many years prior. 

 

Of course, here, the archviles don't exactly 'appear throughout the map in regular intervals'. It's amusing. It's kind of like Darkwave maybe wanted to do a longer map, but eventually reached a suitable conclusion and then didn't want to pad the length out, so all of the unused viles ended up being dumped into the comical exit fight. Said fight is pretty much a nonevent from a combat perspective but the shock of it all, as well as the late warping viles, keeps things suitably exciting on your very first go-around. 

The chaingun secret at the beginning is amusing because of how easy it is to trigger accidentally the first time, and then purposefully but without realizing what exactly is being triggered. (A face on the shoot switch block is different.) Also UV -fast on this map is hilarious. It's not because of the pinkies, which unfortunately are easily cheesed by retreating to the outdoor area that had the blue skull key. (Would be an epic fight if they could chase you all throughout the complex without any obvious camp spots :(.) It's the archviles at the end, which block the teleport destination for other viles because they attack immediately and don't move unless they are stunned. So you have to kill over half of the viles without invul, because it's only when the door opens and you break line of sight that they can all warp in! This isn't a very interesting fight, because you can run back and camp in the path leading to the exit, and you can even save rockets to reduce the chances of a potential disaster scenario. It is, however, pretty cool that there are two markedly different ways this fight can play out depending on whether you are using regular mechanics or fast ones, both amusing in their own way.

 

Edited April 10, 2017 by rdwpa

[baja blast rd.]

 

12 hours ago, The Bandit said:

@rdwpa Yeah, I know what you mean about alternate difficulties.  I only play UV because 99.9% of wads were designed around it.  Sorry if I came across as an asshole the other week.  I'm just here to share my love of Doom and be brotherly!

's'all good 

 

On 4/9/2017 at 5:19 AM, Grain of Salt said:

Different versions of gzdoom can't run each other's demos, though. Demos recorded in cl9 on prboom-plus can be watched on any (non-bugged) version of prboom-plus, plus a few other ports that support that compatibility level.

Adding on to this, the most useful convention is to put the version number of the port in the file name too. Watching ZDoom+ demos can get pretty messy, btw.  Look at this. If I wanted to watch these demos, to not miss such riveting things as ToD shooting at stuck cybers with an infinite ammo chaingun, I'd have to unpack all those different ports and (for future convenience) set them all up in my ZDL. Luckily ZDoom 2.8.1 being the final version makes that all more convenient, however. 

 

Edited April 10, 2017 by rdwpa

[NuMetalManiak]

MAP10 Vile Pain

 

Let us take two this time for a semi-Hunted routine. Viles, and pains. Yep, taking two of the most annoying enemies that Doom II had offered and teleporting them away, now the suspense occurs when we have to hunt them down before we become basically, the Hunted. See what I am doing there? But you know what? Fuck this concept. Overbearing suspense with certain enemies just isn't my thing anymore, and archies that appear out of nowhere, fast as fuck and hard to dodge since they attack so quickly has gotten stale. I didn't like MAP10 of Valiant for that reason, you know. Adding pain elementals to the mix in this level doesn't really bother me at all though. I'm one of the only players who never has trouble with these things. Maybe it's cuz I have the lost soul limit on all the time?

 

And again, darkwave makes sure those secrets are interesting and juicy, at least for the mechanics necessary to reach them. And like other Hunted-style levels, a gunfire trigger is necessary to move on. There are a few other enemies around too, so it's not entirely boring. I'm just not a fan of the go a few inches and then arch-vile teleport thing. Hey, at least there's a spectre/demon rush somewhere, I like those pinky hordes. And the ending, despite the inundation of arch-viles, at least provides an invulnerability, so it's safe to go nuts. Prepare to hear more Heretic tracks too in darkwave maps.

[Spectre01]

MAP10 - “Vile Pain” by Darkwave0000

 

Easily the best in the set so far, this map is similar to Hunted and some later skillsaw maps that involve a bunch of Viles teleporting away at the start and then showing up in small numbers throughout various encounters. Although this concept goes one step further and includes an abundant amount of Pain Elementals as well, hence the title. Combining the two most "annoying" Doom 2 enemies, Darkwave holds back on other great stuff like Revenant spam and instead opts for frequent Arachnotron use along with mostly low-tier enemies. This puts the map into more of the fun-zone difficulty wise and none of the fights should really break the balls of experienced Doomers. The giant Pinky horde was amusing, but reasonable cheese-able by camping with the Berserk Fist until the 3 Pains arrive. As was the Invul finale that tests your skills at holding down the trigger on the Rocket Launcher. The secrets are also very intuitive and satisfying to find. The visuals deserve praise as well with large vistas providing some impressive background detailing and establishing a larger world outside the gameplay space. The coolest view is in one of the secrets that takes you to a tower across from the starting area. Sick map 5/5. 

Edited April 10, 2017 by Spectre01

[gaspe]

MAP10: Seems like we start to depart from the techbase setting, there's music from Heretic and the place has mostly bricks and wood altough some tech structures still remain. Sure the map calls Hunted in the start but we have also a bunch of pain elementals with the archviles, and the two types of monsters will be present in most of the big fights. Idk if it's because I already played the map and the surprise factor wasn't really high, but going from a trivial setpiece to another trivial setpiece was really tiring and after a while I just wanted the map to end soon. The silly fights and teleport traps didn't help. At least I appreciated the (somehow) diversity of the encounters, but the high points of the map are its secrets and the beautiful vistas of the surrounding scenery. I don't think it's a bad level overall, but this time it didn't kept my interest like it used to do.

[Surreily]

MAP10

 

Holy shit, that's some fucking beautiful river/valley scenery, and thankfully, the map gives us plenty of opportunities to view it, and from both sides too! I love maps that make use of large outdoor areas like this, I only wish I could access it through a secret or something :(

 

As soon as the player starts, a whole load of arch-viles and pain elementals are visible on both sides of the room, and of course, you have to punch a switch to exit the room. I managed to get hit by two arch-vile blasts right at the beginning (the assholes didn't teleport away quickly enough), but still kept going. If I were making this map, I would have put up an invisible solid barrier thing (like the ones in the secret pyramid level in TNT) to prevent them from attacking but still be visible.

 

The gameplay throughout relies very heavily on traps, but I can excuse it as this appears to be more of a gimmick map than anything else. The difficulty is kept surprisingly low and the arch-viles are put to good use (except the bit at the end that I can't help but feel was a little bullshity if the player is too cautious and doesn't immediately grab the invulnerability). There's a cool part where loads of demons come out and give us another taste of that slaughtery gameplay we all love, though it's not as extreme as MAP06.

 

Overall, while it's a brilliant map, I still prefer MAP06's exploration-based gameplay, but this one takes home the prize for best visuals so far.

Edited April 10, 2017 by Surreily
price -> prize

[baja blast rd.]

Warning for headphones users: map11 has one of those really loud death exits. :D 

 

 

[NecrumWarrior]

MAP10: Vile Evil

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4e4zt96u2jtzjce/SoD_M10_Necrum_GZ2-4.lmp?dl=0

(Internal screaming)

This map features my two favorite things in the whole fucking world: Arch-Viles and Lost Souls! I loved it so much that I died many many times just from sheer happiness. The opening area introduces you to your new best friends: A bajillion Pain Elementals and aforementioned Arch-Viles. Unfortunately they all teleport away as soon as you get the map going instead of fighting you all at once. Guess I'm not very good company. These demons are scattered throughout the map and often arrive at just the best of times when I started to feel lonely. I noticed there's actually a fair amount of green in this level, which we haven't seen much of lately with the tech-basey levels, and I hate it. Green is not a creative color. I didn't much like the Arachnotrons, either. They always got in the way of me giving the Arch-Viles big ole hugs. I give this map a 9/10 needs more Arch-Viles.

Edited April 10, 2017 by NecrumWarrior

[Paul977]

Map 10 Vile Pain

 

Yes this is a very good map. The environment, a large canyon with waterfalls, zimmer and ashwall4 (a combination of textures really well used). The main structure made by various brikcs, woods and teklite textures is also very good visually and give me a strong Plutonia vibe. Gameplay is on the fun side for me with foreknowledge (finished at the first shot), while in my first playthrough wasn't particularly fun thanks to running low on ammo in various situations and missed secrets with the 'last' viles and pains. 

I agree with secrets being very neat in this map, with my personal highlight the one that give you the vista of the starting area from a top position.

 

I have played map 11 of PRCP from the same author before this one and it is similar conceptually and visually, although in a superior manner; in fact, I consider "Vile Pain" a really good level while "Will you be my NME" a total masterpiece by Darkwave.

 

8 hours ago, rdwpa said:

It also might even be the progenitor of the 'whole bunch of oppressive shit at the start that warps away at a mandatory shoot switch and appears throughout the map in regular intervals' idiom

 

This is Hunted concept even though on plutonia map 11 is done in a smaller scale

Edited April 10, 2017 by Paul977

[WH-Wilou84]

23 minutes ago, Paul977 said:

This is Hunted concept even though on plutonia map 11 is done in a smaller scale

Yep, except in Hunted you don't have to shoot the switch, you're only manually activating it (I believe that was rdwpa's point).

[DAZZER]

MAP10: Vile Pain
Time - 11:35

 

I dont really understand why this Map is in the Megawad. The only "Traps" this Map had where some annoying Arch-Viles Spawn ins or Pain Elemental Cabins... I also the think the whole WAD uses to much of these brown flying shit balls... They are not even challenging or hard/fun to kill. They are just munition wasting. Needless to say this Map was inspired by Plutonias "Hunted". I also had some serious Munition Problems -_- shouldn't happen. Well, Well not the best Map... ᵗʰᵉ ᵉˣᶤᵗ ʳᵒᵒᵐ ʷᵃˢ ᵃʷᵉˢᵒᵐᵉ

 

 

Edited April 10, 2017 by DAZZER

[galileo31dos01]

Ok, UV has been more or less the same for the first 5 maps, from now on the rest is going to be totally new for me.

 

MAP06: The music, makes me remember of another older game, but what is it... Nevermind, this was so fun and challenging for me, specially because of all the infighting, YES TO INFIGHTING. Too bad I killed the two cyberdemons before releasing the last horde, but at least the barons got rid of the revenants. About the secrets, legally I found 4/7 and a couple I already figured where they were, but didn't know how to reach them. After searching, the other 3 were: the computer map secret (I hid in that place so many times but I didn't see the black squares wall, ugh...); the archvile-jump secret, I don't like this kind of secret, naturally if I see an archvile I have to kill him as soon as possible, I don't think it can be used to jump to an unreachable area, like all those health fucking bonuses over the blue shelf; the blue armor, I found that thanks to the computer map, so no cheating here. 

The BFG one was harsh, still felt like a nice reward. I died only once and it was in the BFG room, the rest was challenging but manageable. Excellent map. Time: 1:05:seconds

 

EDIT

 

MAP07: Mixed feelings, as I am playing continuous, by far I wasn't having problems with ammo, until this one... It started good, nice atmosphere, hell knights here, chaingunners there, revenants on tops, fine for me. Even the cyberdemon was easy. Then, after the archvile... oh boy, was the author on drugs?? Was he like "OH HAHA LET'S CLOSE THE PATH HAHA LET'S PUT A LOT OF FATFUCKS CUS IT'S FUNNY HAHAHA HE IS GOING TO DIE A LOT XDXDXDXD LOLOLOLOL AND THEN A HORDE OF SPIDERS XDXD CUS IT'S FUNNY ROFLZ"? (no offense to the author). I don't know, it killed the fun for me, it was not about running as much as possible to dodge the attacks, because you can't run so much, it was about the "clausterfuck" feeling (I think native english speakers call it that way). At least there was a megasphere, but seriously, in my opinion it could have been better if less mancubi. Probably I should have flipped the switch to open that white wall to escape... Anyway, found 1/1 secrets, good at the beginning but unfair at the end. Time: 29:02 

Edited April 10, 2017 by galileo31dos01

[paymentplan]

MAP09 - Depredation

 

It's interesting to see the different directions Joshy and Darkwave0000 went in their first few entries in this new techbase episode. MAP07 was a roided up Dead Simple with Joshy's signature cramped techbase style, Darkwave0000 opted for more of a sandbox for the player to play around in. Depredation is a continuation of Joshy's cramped techbase style as seen in MAP07 and the earlier MAP03. It's a brightly lit, red carpeted (or is it stained with blood?) lesson in cautious play and ammo conservation.

 

Playing without saves here could potentially be very frustrating as I found it to be. The starting series of encounters, starting with the horde of pinkies and ending with a fight against hell knights and barons, becomes very tedious after solving it. Punch the pinkies, take out the chaingunners, kill the revenant, kill the chaingunners that teleport in, grab the SSG without waking the hell nobles, and then finally mop up whatever is left. It's a very hard fight to navigate on the fly. Waking up the hell nobles too early and you'll be overwhelmed.

 

Moving on, there's a strange encounter with an arch vile and a bunch of former humans. There's no armor by this point, and getting whittled away by small arms fire is an incredibly possible humiliation. Although, if you do some more exploring you'll find a plasma rifle which all but trivializes the challenge. This is the only example in this map of getting to kill monsters purely for the fun of it, contrary to the previous map where finally taking out that mass of imps with the rocket launcher is a most exquisite catharsis. 

 

There's another odd encounter with arachnotrons and pain elementals. There's not much challenge here, but the arachs and PEs sizes make it impossible to rush past them. Afterwards is the blue key and a really fun little arch vile encounter where its just you, your mostly spent ammo, an arch vile, and its pet cacodemon. Was really sweating it here, the ammo crunch was strong.

 

The back hallway is full of imps and a switch to another hallway which finally leads outside to, as mentioned by other commentators, the prettiest area the map has to offer. The yellow key courtyard is nice in its simplicity. This whole back part of the map after the rocket launcher and leading to the yellow key is a nice respite from the close quarters high octane fights. I definitely appreciate Joshy's knack for having an ebb and flow to the challenge in his maps. 

 

What follows, though, is quite an unfun battle with an arch vile and two hell knights. The small elevator leading to the first yellow key door leaves no room to maneuver around the hell knights' fireballs. They serve to absorb SSG shots while the arch vile tells you to find cover or else. If you were like me at all and relished the newfound plasma rifle and rocket launcher as soon as they were found, this is a challenging fight. Coming to it with a surplus of rockets or plasma and it won't be too big of a problem. Otherwise, prepare to kill the same hell knight 3 or 4 times before the arch vile finally succumbs.

 

The last room before the exit is almost an afterthought. Symmetrical in both design and monster placement, there's not much to really hate or love it for. 

 

I didn't find any of the secrets, nor, aside from the obvious soulsphere, do I know what they contain. I am sure however that they would have helped. I really did not expect to come into this WAD loving Darkwave0000's maps so much more than Joshy's. The two takes on episode 2 couldn't have been more different. Joshy's congested and trap heavy affairs do not mesh with my play style as much as Darkwave0000's open arenas have. That can of course change. We'll have to see what MAP10 brings...

 

Kills - 103%

Items - 50%

Secrets - 0%

[Demtor]

 

MAP10 - “Vile Pain” by Darkwave0000

gzDoom - UV – pistol start/no saves

 

Love the window views! Every section of this map had it’s own natural waterfall scenic backdrop. Even the secrets. The last stretch was especially stunning.

 

A lot of good praise has been thrown at this one already so not too much else to add. Lots of AV one on one time throughout but with plenty of cover options if you think ahead a little bit. Taking on two at a time can get tricky though and almost all of them were insta pop in surprise encounters so you have to react quick. The best one was the secret on your way to the exit where he pops up in the waterfalls beyond the window to scare you before porting right behind you right in your way back out. Great stuff. So was the exit sequence. Easy but nerve racking. ”There sure are a lot of them… how long does an IV sphere last again?!"

 

I enjoyed hearing some Heretic music again. It’s been a while and it fits very well here.

[galileo31dos01]

On 7/4/2017 at 7:55 PM, rehelekretep said:

are all the people having spawn issues playing with q/g/zdoom? doesnt seem like anyone on pr/glboom+ have had any problems.

I'm using PrBoom+ and the remaining arachnotron instantly teleported after I killed the others

 

MAP08: For a continuous player like me, was not that hard, I understand why for pistol starters it would be very painful. This is the first map I didn't die any single time. That super horde of imps at the beginning gladly killed a mancubus for me, thank you imps, take these rockets now.

It was a good idea to leave the hell knights at first so after grabbing the RL, they could take care of the new ambush released. The SMM and the arachnotron had me running around a little bit, but managed to kill them, well, she and the remaining spiders. I must say, I love the textures and architecture used here. I knew there was a secret to telefrag the mancubi, however I chose to deal with them before. So, overall, a very nice map. Time: thirty something minutes ugh I keep forgetting my times...

Edited April 10, 2017 by galileo31dos01

[Pirx]

joining the boring club, as it got me to play this wad, which i haven't played until now, and shame on me for that...

MAP01 - “First Blood” by Joshy

simple opener map with a plutonia look and the assorted chaingunners on the outer base wall which make berserking through this map much less fun.

MAP02 - “Mysterious Cove” by Darkwave0000

excellent atmosphere, made by the music and the earth & green looks. thankfully that green fluid doesn't hurt. gameplay alternates between suspenseful moments and the ambushes which seem to be specific for this wad. some goodies if you jump a bit. the exit came a bit unexpected.

 

MAP03 - “Constrained Base” by Joshy

the title says it, it's often close quarters and boxy, would have been better with an ssg i guess. some platforming to pick up goodies (blue armor), which gave it a bit of variety.

 

MAP04 - “Sedgemire” by Darkwave0000

a larger map, a damp cave to explore, and the rocket launcher / soulsphere quest feels very rewarding. masses of imps plus some barrels add hilarity. as i said, i didn't like that instapop thing, but whatever, the map is cool.

 

MAP05 - “Cliffside Siege” by Joshy

HR hommage, even more obvious given the music choice. doesn't look that similar imo. the part that sours many players is the opening, as you have to avoid a spider chaingunning you at every step, while grinding down some nobles, but after getting a foothold, you can start island-hopping, and, indeed, i gunned down that pesky spider at the first opportunity, only to find out i could have telefragged him.