The DWmegawad Club plays: Moonblood (it's our 5 year anniversary, golly!)

[Demtor]

 

MAP08 - "Sewers"

gzDoom - UV – pistol start/no saves

 

There’s a lot to love about this one IMO. Lots of optional paths again so keeping things straight is hard but there are some tricky ambushes and reveals. A big watery one way ledge drop that opens into a great open area introducing the Rev. I missed ya, fella. Well not you, but the excitement you bring! 

 

There were some nice green waste to see as well. I liked the entire layout of the map really. Interesting rooms connected at random with a liquid theme going through them all. The difficulty increase was welcome as wll. Hah, nice try!

 

Lighted steps are always neat in secret areas. Especially the one in torchlight.

 

The PG placement was tricky and kind of funny. I liked that the cell pack outside of the big square center piece before it drops was kind of a portent to it’s availability. You have to react quickly to grab it before it’s too late.

 

I had a fun time playing this. I even enjoyed the use of PE’s! 

[paymentplan]

MAP08 - Sewers

Kills: 100% Secrets: 0%

Like everyone has said, this map is kind of like a love letter to Underhalls. It's kind of like if Underhalls grew up to be big and strong. The paths are bigger, the difficulty is up there (though this may be possible pacifist). 

 

I thought the different paths were neat in this one, albeit kind of goofy. If the player goes right they'll be taking on a PE, mancubus, hell knight, plus numerous hitscanners with just a shotgun and chaingun and some armor. I followed this path the first time through and the armor was all that kept me alive til I got done in by the room with the revenant, pain elemental, and arachnotron. Decided to go left on my next try and immediately had the SSG and the rocket launcher not long after! Not to mention I mostly battled lower tier monsters up until the blue key.

 

But that's not really a downside; it's neat to have stuff like that in maps. The difficulty is turnin' up a bit here with some nasty traps and just an overall increase in the threat of the monsters used. Nearly died to the red key mancubus battle as well as the yellow key hitscanner surprise.

 

All in all it's good stuff. Still really enjoying this. 

 

[Magnusblitz]

MAP09 | E2-3: Delta Labs Industrial Research

100% kills, 3/3 secrets

 

Again a blunder from me that made the level much harder than necessary, I didn't realize the yellow key was available from the start and so reached the exit without ever grabbing it, and thus passed up the rocket launcher and a fair amount of shotgun ammo that would've been helpful (I ended up punching the spectre in the exit room to death). So yeah, ammo is tight if you miss that. Overall I found this one a bit more annoying to play, with the quick lifts and that goddamn timed door before the blue key being a bit annoying to constantly use to traverse the level. Especially that PE/spectre fight in the slime near that timed door. I think the dark maze was the worst one so far, although it does have a secret liteamp, not that I had the yellow key to use it...

 

Oh, and major bug by the way - the red key door is just a normal door, no red key required.

[dobu gabu maru]

MAP05: Another good map. Not as tough as the previous one but I enjoyed being able to use the rocket launcher and going nukage spelunking. Shame the hell knight didn’t get much of the spotlight here; the cacos remain top priority due to all the windows they can peek through. I enjoyed that one arena the player gets locked into since Doomguy can’t hop up a wall 32 units high—that’s my favorite kind of lock-in mechanic. We typically don't play a lot of TEK-based maps, so that was another delight.

 

MAP06: Oh hey there’s the SSG! The mapset has been so enjoyable so far that I haven’t been sorely missing it, though I appreciate being able to blast the silly grin off those damn cacos. Lotta dark corridors and tight spaces in this map—the lost soul area to the north was a bit vexing, just because it was so dimly lit (and I guess in Moonblood lore, the lost souls make nests out of dark wire closets or something?) The ending trap was pretty easy but I still managed to blow myself up on a cacodemon… ah, good times.

 

MAP07: Yeowch that’s a step up in difficulty! I was really aching for shells on this map, especially in the northeast section; I always appreciate when a map goes more RL-heavy and pushes you to conserve shells/bullets. The manc & arach traps were pretty good too—the YK trap in particular is a real fun one. Progression was a little weird since I missed one of the switches in the northeast section, but other than that this was a good map that thankfully wasn’t a Dead Simple spinoff.

[TheOrganGrinder]

MAP09, E2-3: Delta Labs Industrial Research

 

I don't know if this is genuinely a significant step up in difficulty over the last couple of maps or if I was just playing really sloppily for some reason, but the denizens of this level seemed especially proficient and merciless in their taking of chunks out of me, with gameplay that overall feels much more focused on close-quarters traps.  Given the dark and claustrophobic confines of MAP08 I feel like this one might have stood to benefit from more in the way of open and/or brightly illuminated areas as marks of contrast; as it is, I'm starting to feel as though I've seen much of what this particular theme or episode has to offer.  The layout is more linear here, also, with the map opening up one distinct chunk at a time, gated behind a succession of locked doors that eventually loop back on themselves to return the player to an exit that's rather closer to the start than might initially be assumed.  There are some interesting ideas here but with the theme now starting to become familiar they don't stand out quite so brilliantly as the distinguishing quirks of MAP07 and 08.

[Pirx]

MAP05 - "Infrastructure Sector"

 

this map give the chaingun right away. it starts with some corridors leading to the sewers and from there to a nukage area, which in turn ends in a computer room with imps doing acrobatics on computer walls. most of the action is carried by shotgun & chaingun, with only about 5 rockets given for the rocket launcher, but they really help in that courtyard. there's a little puzzle to get a soulsphere in the end room.

 

 

 

MAP06 - "Central Command"

 

continues the concrete + blue theme of the previous map, minus the sewers, which are replaced by water here. gameplay is more trap-heavy, pushing a button lowers some structures or opens closets to release monsters in the light mid-range - knights, cacos and chaingunners, the latter being being the only monster that did damage consistently. the dark part with the lost souls and the flickering lights is supposed to be spooky, but only strained my eyes, i'm really not into disco lights. the rest was enjoyable. especially getting the ssg here. a nice ambush of 3 hell knights in the end, one even teleports in your back to offset your rocket launcher, but one can see that coming. getting suddenly out into the green was the bigger surprise.

[Salt-Man Z]

2 hours ago, TheOrganGrinder said:

I don't know if this is genuinely a significant step up in difficulty over the last couple of maps or if I was just playing really sloppily for some reason

It's not just you!

 

MAP09: Delta Labs Research

18:44 | 100% Kills | 100% Items | 66% Secrets

 

Very much continuing along the same lines as the last two maps. Mostly I had fun, but the quest for the blue key was ridiculous. At least there was a light visor this time! The PE spam sucked down all my plasma ammo while I'm trying to hurry up before my radsuit wears off, oh and here's a switch that opens a door across the room that only stays open for a couple of seconds and when you dash in you get pincered between a revvie and some chaingunners, plus now is when your visor runs out. Blech. As mentioned above, the red key door doesn't actually need one. And I didn't get the soulsphere secret, but I was able to grab the sphere itself by straferunning up against the pillar. (I assume you're supposed to straferun onto the pillar, but try as I may I was unable to do so.)

[Magnusblitz]

2 hours ago, Salt-Man Z said:

 And I didn't get the soulsphere secret, but I was able to grab the sphere itself by straferunning up against the pillar. (I assume you're supposed to straferun onto the pillar, but try as I may I was unable to do so.)

 

You're supposed to

 

shoot the computer panel above it and it'll raise a bridge

but yeah, I grabbed it from straferunning first too.

Edited August 9, 2017 by Magnusblitz

[riderr3]

MAP09
This level contains dark areas with sneaking lost souls and spectres.
A marble-face carvings are occurring more often. We going to hell probably?
Level exit is right after blue-keyed door without any signs.
And do not miss that soulsphere secret near the exit - shoot this computer on the wall from the balcony.

[Deadwing]

Map 09 - This level features two keys elements: The optional yellow key which provides additional resources and the big dark area where the hardest setpieces happen. It's also more difficult than the previous levels, featuring hitscan hell in the beginning, teleporting traps and a dark area full of Pain Elementals and Spectres. You should be able to finish fine the level without the yellow key, btw, although it's going to be harder. 

 

Anyway, it is my least favorite level of this episode, especially because, as you guys noticed, it doesn't offer much of difference from what previously was showed upon, and then it has balance problems. I retextured the walls, taking off the METAL texture and changed to BRICK, then the dark area was remodeled to the current version, so it would reduce that familiarity feeling, but it is still plays very similary than the previous two levels.

 

The UAC door in the dark area could've been changed into something less obnoxious. The SR idea was that the player wouldn't be able to go back so he could kill the Revs + fodders in safety, but not only it didn't work but, the trap can be fatal or the player wouldn't enter the door and he would need to do the action again. Thinking now, I could remove that door, change the whole wall that separates the two areas into bars and just release the monsters so the event would occur in the bigger area. But, to be honest, I guess I should've replaced this level with something entirely new lol, but oh well.

 

Originally it was also the level where I learned to make monsters teleport in, which happens when you grab the RK. It was cool for me, but it is a way common element to be considered a "feature". The monster placement back then was awful haha Hitscan hell in the beginning was much worse lol

 

(watch without sound =x)

 

[NuMetalManiak]

MAP09 Delta Labs Industrial Research

 

Alright here's the first map that really got to me good. Another layout to get lost in, some hard secrets, and general all-around combat that gets tricky when I least expected it. Liked the pain elemental encounters the most, also raising the bridge to the soul sphere secret and recreating the walkway that lowered in the nukage area. That one area where you have to go on the square with the armor to open the doors was actually kind of annoying. The yellow key was completely optional in the map too, which actually isn't bad. No cacodemons in this map on this setting either, huh.

[Demtor]

 

MAP09 - "Delta Labs Industrial Research"

gzDoom - UV – pistol start/no saves

 

Not the biggest fan of this one. I don’t know why exactly. I just wasn’t as interested in the texture schemes and designs. The motion doors and their slow raising steps annoyed me. As did the brightly lit halls. * shrug * Personal taste I guess.

 

The dark area would have been a bear without those secret NV googles. The one secret I found was probably the most useful. Lucked out there. Regardless those hidden CG’ers at the steps killed me dead quick. Damn.

 

Best part of this map was having the PG play a big role. It’s my favorite weapon so I’m always happy to be encouraged with it’s use.

[antares031]

MAP10 - Toxic Treatment
ZDoom, UV - PS, KIS(%): 100/97/75

 

Now we're entering the toxic treatment facility, heavily textured with dark metallic panels. As you can expect from the title, this level is all about using radiation suits efficiently. Nearly half of this level is covered by green toxic sewage, so make sure to remember the location of the next rad suit to use. The overall combat is pretty similar to the other levels from the same episode; a combination of low-tier monsters and some arachnotrons and mancubi, and occasional monster ambushes. While I don't mind the concept of this level at all, there are some places that tagged as pain sectors, but they are not textured with green slime properly; sector 343-344, and sector 331. I should have noticed that earlier before this wad was uploaded to idgames. Anyway, use your radiation suits wisely, and you won't have much trouble in this level.

[DAZZER]

MAP09: Delta Labs Industrial Research

Time: 11:12

 

Not much positive things to say about this Map :/ It starts unfortunately with a kinda ugly symmetrical cross area. After that it 

continuous with unspectacular (again) Tech-Base Rooms filled up with hitscanners. Talking about used Enemies I really have to say that this Map annoys me with Pain Elemenatals. Especially in small corridors. Also I went in heavy Munition problems at the half of the Map. I ended up  Fighting Lost Souls with Plasma... Good things are again the cool music (I liked that piano solo thing) or the Plasmagun pickup which throws you in a hard situation where it's helpful to use it :) But things like that don't make the Map much better... I hope MAP10 will be more fun

Edited August 9, 2017 by DAZZER

[Capellan]

MAP10

Not a big fan of this.  A lack of clarity about where to go / what to do, plus pain sectors everywhere, is for me more a recipe for frustration than fun.

 

I do think we're seeing better use of arachnotrons and mancubi than in many map sets, though.  They're employed rather effectively here, without resorting to the "long range sniper bastard" role that 'trons often fill.

[paymentplan]

MAP09 - Delta Labs Industrial Research

Kills: 100% Secrets: 33%

 

Phew, this is the first map that felt like it had no regard for the player's safety! Don't feel like grabbing the armor and partial invisibility at the beginning? You're gonna die! The layout and aesthetics are more of the same. Not bad, but not really breaking any doors down either. 

 

I had a harder time with this than I should have because of my tendency to hoard plasma. I got the rocket launcher but never felt safe using it. Spent a lot of the time bumbling into ambush after ambush. Had to stop and catch my breath! The breakneck pace of the map (slightly hindered by waiting for stairs to rise) is halted completely after the blue key. But the map's basically over then anyways. Could've been telegraphed better, like @riderr3 said.

 

This is the first map where I think the non-linearity really works against the map's favor. There's an obvious "best path" or at least paths that will leave the player at a severe disadvantage. They yellow key stuff isn't necessary, but it is necessary to beat the map comfortably.

 

Still aching to get out of the techbases, but no problems otherwise!

[Salt-Man Z]

I see lots of people complaining about MAP09's slow-rising stairs, but they weren't an issue for me: I went around and entered that room from above, so the stairs rose behind me when I dropped down in. :)

 

MAP10: Toxic Treatment Lab

24:07 | 100% Kills | 95% Items | 75% Secrets

 

I wasn't expecting to enjoy this one, given my general dislike of damaging floors. But radsuits were nicely plentiful, almost always in spots where you would want/need them. The only issue was backtracking to search for secrets. (I missed one secret; don't even know what it would have been. According to the computer map, I found everything visible.) I liked how progress consisted of kinda jumping around the nuke river, and how advancing would usually open up a passage or teleporter back. The easy standout part of the map was right at the beginning when you raise the nukage level. That was pretty cool. I would have liked to see more of that sort of thing.

Edited August 10, 2017 by Salt-Man Z

[Magnusblitz]

MAP10 | E2-4: Toxic Treatment Lab

100% kills, 3/4 secrets

 

This one was a pain to traverse, and not really due to the sludge (plenty of radsuits to go around), but more due to all the teleporters and getting lost. Didn't help that I kept dying midway through the level, decided to try another path, die there, and then after awhile forget which paths I had and hadn't taken yet. Also felt like the weakest aesthetically so far, likely because of the lighting being pretty similar throughout.

[TheOrganGrinder]

MAP10, E2-4: Toxic Treatment

 

I found this one to be a bit of a mixed bag.  The extensive damaging sectors push the player toward a fast pace, dashing from one safe zone to another and trying to hoard spare radiation suits against possible return trips, and there are a couple of neat landmarks and set pieces, like the early use of a rising floor to simulate a flooding toxin reservoir, and the later piston/crusher room.  On the other hand, those memorable landmarks don't play much of a purpose in the actual navigation of the level, and I feel like they drew my attention away from the other portions of the map where the real action was going on, reducing those sections in my mind to a relatively anonymous tangle of homogeneous waste canals and metal-panelled corridors.  There are a lot of switches, and at least one place where a texture that's used as a switch elsewhere in the level (in the same room, even!) is used purely as a decorative texture, and then you've got the fact that the key that lowers with the platform with the yellow key on it has its line of sight to that platform blocked by an unnecessary barrier, and... I don't know, I'm left with a feeling that this level is harder to navigate and to form a mental picture of than it really needs to be, and those navigation difficulties aren't the fun kind.

 

@Salt-Man Z, I too finished the level with only three or four secrets; I popped it open in Doom Builder after finishing it up and it looks like the missing secret is a control sector for the soul sphere platform, and is completely inaccessible.

[Deadwing]

Map 10 - It's my favorite level of the second episode. I love that open sky + metal + acid floor mix from it. Also, this level features some cool setpieces (the "largest" so far), where the YK key one is probably the toughest and also the most fun due to the larger space + in-fighting. I like a lot that acid gimmicky, especially since you have to manage well the radiosuit (which becomes plenty later on), but I agree not everyone will like it. Progression is again non-linear, which allows different ways of approaching the same areas, although sometimes too subtle (the yellow key being "hidden", like @TheOrganGrinder said).

 

About the secret bug, I thought this didn't happen with the "last" release. I checked it some days ago the last build I had and it had only 3 secrets. I probably messed something again, sorry :/

 

Originally the old level was a lot easier to navigate, since it was linear, but it had much more simplier layout and it was way too overpopulated.

 

 

Edited August 10, 2017 by Deadwing

[NuMetalManiak]

MAP10 Toxic Treatment

 

Now this is a unique nukage-themed map. Those radsuits are a necessity, while raising the nukage levels up and fighting enemies from every direction at the same time. Absolutely loved it, the right amount of radsuits helped out greatly. And then there's the yellow key encounter which was quite hard. The area with the partial invisibility and crushers also stood out, while you can skip the crushers, there's a secret down there. One interesting thing to note about the invisibility room, the lost souls can be skipped as well. Shooting into the room from the one on the right, or perhaps the door from the left somehow does not wake them up, you have to alert them INSIDE the room.

 

The linear crawl to the exit also was a standout point, almost got caught by the teleporting mancubi upon pressing the switch to open the area, then I realized I stood on one of their spots by accident. GG me. Haven't seen any new monsters in this map though, maybe the next will have some? No barons, archies, or cyberdemons, and this map surprisingly AGAIN lacks cacodemons. Heck, I haven't seen a cacodemon in this set since MAP06! MAP08 did have one but it was on UV.

[paymentplan]

MAP10 - Toxic Treatment

Kills: 97% Secrets: 25%

 

Damn, I loved this one. Like @Salt-Man Z said I really wasn't expecting to, either. These maps always make me anxious. I'm always afraid of grabbing a rad suit to soon, or not grabbing one soon enough and getting stranded. Luckily, my fears were mostly quelled. Rad suits are plentiful, but not enough to make the player completely comfortable. I did get stranded a few times, most noticeably at the yellow key trap. Forced me to play really cautious to take out the baddies that spawned in.

 

Despite the constant pressure of the nukage, the map is a bit of a breeze compared to MAP09. I enjoyed having the RL and SSG from the start. Plus there's a plasma gun and lots of cells to really wipe out any of the tough threats. Really solid map, here, especially since I thought I was gonna hate it!

[rehelekretep]

map07 fda

really enjoyed the vertical non-linearity in this map.

the random teleporter lines - ho boy - i nearly crapped myself when the arachnotrons and pinkies started teleporting while i was trying to use rockets and i was at 2hp >.<

i can see why the little ledge towards the YK might confuse people; i accidentally jumped over it just trying to get a better angle without realising it was actually passable.

[rehelekretep]

map08 fda

i dont know if its the music but this map feels very relaxing after 07. the chaingunner/shotgunner trap at the RK(?) really spoiled my mood :D

i must admit i didnt spot an Underhalls homage but on watching the demo i see it now.

[rehelekretep]

map09 fda

confusing map! i went through the whole dark bit without the YK, then went back and found it, and barely used the extra weapons and ammo.

still almost died in the exit room though!

[rehelekretep]

map10 fda

really enjoyable run-and-gun map. lots of interesting combat scenarios. the only thing id change is make the skyline/silhouettes of the areas a little more varied in height or detailing; they looked quite flat/cardboard boxey for some of the areas.

[DAZZER]

MAP10: Toxic Treatment

Time: 09:06

 I kinda was hoping for an underground Map when I saw the dirt corridor downstairs at the start. But it leads to a facility I wouldn't call a "normal" Tech-Base. Most of this Level is flooded with Toxic Waste. This gives the Map an extra challenge I really could enjoy. There always were enough Radiation Suits and it's clearly your fault if you wasted them to quickly. The ambushes are everytime a surprise but most of the time it's with the same Enemies... Mancubi, Arachnotrons and sometimes shitty Pain Elementals. The Yellow Key Arena was one of my favourites. Felt like a little "Dead Simple" ^^ The Revenant with the Pinky's from behind near End was also Evil :) A way better Map then the previous one.

 

[Demtor]

 

MAP10 - "Toxic Treatment"

gzDoom - UV – pistol start/no saves

 

Natural touche with the root walls at the start. I haven’t played a map like this in a while. Running from EV suit to EV suit makes this map feel like you’re on a timer almost. Usually not a fun deal but I enjoyed it mostly thanks to safe rest spots and a lot of suits spread throughout the map.

 

PG was definitely on display here at times. I got so busy killing I forgot I needed another suit!

 

First use of a crusher mechanic in this wad? Kind of a cool way to force a player around the other side with that half door.

 

The waterfalls of green waste were a nice touch and I especially liked the last area were you have to squeeze down a winding tight passage in to a cramped narrow path leading to the exit but the player has to survive the last few enemy ambushes in close quarters with no where to run as the spider is defiantly in the way.

 

First time I think that a secret area killed me. Certainly did not expect that HK behind while two fattys pummel me from the front. The other secret spot was much easier to deal with.

[rehelekretep]

@Deadwing do you play with hardware or software renderer?

[antares031]

MAP11 - Logistics
ZDoom, UV - PS, KIS(%): 100/100/75

 

A medium-sized non-linear level to close the second episode. The level starts with a hub room with a teleporter in the middle, and your goal is finding two keys from each part of the hub to reach the teleporter. The level is comprised of several sectors with their own texturing schemes, and the combat still stays with the series of small actions, without any giant setpiece or challenging moment. Even the last fight, right before the exit door, was a little bit underwhelming to my taste. Still, if you're looking for a level with casual gameplay and you like non-linear level design, this one is a good option. But since the levels felt a little bit repetitive in gameplay and environmental design, we'll see how it goes in the next episode.