Moustachio

2023 birthday post:
 
Currently 2:18AM at the time of writing this. I am 23 years old. I've been celebrating all of last week and especially this weekend, but today is finally the day. 
 
Yesterday I went to bed very early because I did a power hour (drinking a shot of beer every minute for an hour) and drank some vodka. It was fun, but not something I'd do again. And the night prior, I stayed the night at my best friend's place and we played some Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and watched anime.
 
I just wanna say to anyone that may be reading this, I'm happy I made it this far in life. I wouldn't say I've been dealt a bad deck as much as it just is that I have been given insight via mental struggle to gain more knowledge than the average person, and it blocks me from enjoying certain activities. Yet here I remain, enjoying life, having gotten back into Doom PWADs full-time and having fun with it. Can't complain about that.
 
Enough rambling, enjoy your day everyone. I won't be doing much today - just a relaxing day with the family, thanks for making this forum my main social media home for the past 7 years. ^^

Just started a brand-new WAD longplay channel! Check my profile description for the link. Currently playing through Akeldama. 

Done with university - I'm graduated and have diploma! Time to get some rest and think what to do next with my life...

Lately feeling exhausted, so much to do, so much to read, no time for break. 
I hope I won't break down mentally and screw up before I'll finish my thesis, that would suck bad.

Working on my 3rd free MIDI-pack. Sneak peek below. Should be ready in a month or two.
 
Song titles and lengths are still in draft.
 

another day, another instance of opening udb and my brain shutting down as soon as i draw a linedef. im never gonna be able to release shatterdawn at this rate lmao

Really soon I'll release second project and that will encapsulate my 2022 releases so far. I have few more but they are for longer term. 

Finally compiled all 5 maps in one intended short episode. There are still few things I must do before first public release:
Add end map. Balance skill settings in maps to be sure it's fair for everyone. Add other smaller bits, like new titlepic/interpic. Test episode to be sure I didn't miss any critical bugs.

Season 18 of ONEMANDOOM: The Vorpal Bird Went Karthik-er Snack: Good Bye to the Alex Parsons Project, Loved You Lutz (July 17th, 2019 - December 28th, 2019)
 
Season 18 kicked off with my review of the Smooth Doom mod. This period of reviews is deeply-immersed in an exhaustive monograph on the works leading up to the first Community Chest. It also rounds up thread that I started tugging at during the previous season. 
 
Maximum Breakdown (by @Vorpal)
Warehouse (by @pabloD)
Industrial (by @magikal)
10 Sectors Part 2 (by Various)
Blind Alley M., "The Citadel" (by @Searcher)
Dark Tide (by @Lutz)
Suteni (by @Memfis and @Plut)
Hellscape (by @Lutz)
The Tyrell Corporation (by @Vorpal)
Inn-Escapable (by @Impie)
The Chemical Base (by @pabloD)
Dissolution (by @Gunrock and The Solution)
Blind Alley P., "The Boardwalk" (by @Searcher)
Overheat (by @Memfis)
Project Slipgate (by @Gunrock
Congestion Control 2 (by @Karthik)
The River of Fire (by @pabloD)
No Quarter (by @Kid Airbag)
Enjay Doom (by @Enjay)
Blind Alley, "Nukage" (by @Searcher)
Tayutayu (by @Memfis)
DSV (by @Kaiser)
Dark Fate (by @Karthik)
They Will Repent (House of Pain Part Two) (by @pabloD)
The Baron's Domain (by @Kid Airbag)
Return to Hadron Episode 2 - The Collider's New Clothes (by @cannonball)
Installation B (by @nobbjob)
Menkui (by @Memfis)
Counterattack (by @Mechadon)
Out of Phase III: One Cloudy Afternoon (by @Karthik)
Gestalt666's Town of Heresy (by John Bye)
Complex 867 (by @Volte)
Installation A (by @nobbjob)
icarumem by @Memfis)
Doom the Way id Did: The Lost Episodes (by @hobomaster22 @40oz @Lorenzo @Armaetus @Marcaek @Alfonzo @Mithran Denizen @Xaser @Marn @ellmo @M3g4Sph3r3 @Walter confetti @phobosdeimos1 (RIP) @Foodles @XenoNemisis @Icytux @General Rainbow Bacon @Mr. Freeze @Captain Toenail @traversd @C30N9 @Moustachio @Taedium @Hellbent @ShadesMaster )
Congestion Control (by @Karthik)
Sacrifice (by John Bye)
The Subway (by John Bye)
The Park (by John Bye)
Hell's Arena (by @Volte)
One-Week Megawad (by @Erik @SpinSpyder_KaK_ @Liberation @Opulent @Virgil and Dan Crowley)
The Catacombs (by @nobbjob)
Relive X2 (by @Memfis)
Abyssal Speedmapping Session 6 (by various) ( @Jimmy @Obsidian @jmickle66666666 @MTrop @Alfonzo @Tarnsman @ClonedPickle @General Rainbow Bacon and Osiris Kalev)
The Other Side of Phobos (by @Karthik)
Magnum Opus (by John Bye)
Max Saga: The Doom Dragon (by @Impie)
Mayhem 1500 (by  @Walter confetti @Impboy4 @jmickle66666666 @dobu gabu maru @cannonball @Impie @AD_79 @Marcaek @pcorf @gaspe @Chris Hansen @CorSair @Inkie @Obsidian @joe-ilya @NuMetalManiak @Phobus @Pinchy @Urthar @an_mutt @Argent Agent @Egregor @Archi @Breezeep @ArmouredBlood @Demonologist @NoisyVelvet )
Mossvale Dungeons (by @nobbjob)
MM2MEM01 (by @Memfis)
Smooth Doom (by @Gifty)
 
 
Season 19 (January 2nd, 2020 -
Season 18: The Vorpal Blade Went Karthik-er Snack: Good Bye to the Alex Parsons Project, Loved You Lutz (July 17th, 2019 - December 28, 2019)
Season 17: Shilpashastra (January 15th, 2019 - July 12th, 2019)
Season 16: Odysseus (July 6th, 2018 - January 10th, 2019)
Season 15: The DOOM Poets Society (December 5th, 2017 - July 3rd, 2018)
Season 14: A Quick One (July 17th, 2017 - November 30th, 2017)

A short status update to kick off 2022. The last few weeks of my life have been a waking Nightmare! thanks to an unfortunate bout of illness. I had to skip a month and a half of DWMC, but I'm planning on returning in February.
 
As of right now, I'm still working on Atonement: Episode 5. It's been going slow because I've started and scrapped quite a few maps at this point. They're not bad maps or anything, I just want to make the absolute most out of the 10 maps I have left. I'm also planning on releasing a few more standalone maps that will iterate on the Herschel Spaceport map that I released a while back. Herschel Spaceport is also getting an update soon and will go live on idgames. I'm just about done with the Interception II update as well, so I'm pushing it to idgames as a file update sometime this weekend.
 
In December, I finished doing a file update for Interception, fixing many issues such as the infamous soft-locks on MAP19 and 29, the missing Hell Knight in MAP09, the stuck Hell Knight in MAP02, and a few more small fixes all around. All the changes and bug fixes are noted in the text file. Anything that prevented 100% completion or crashed the game was fixed, which leaves some other non-vital quirks present (such as the damaging rocks in MAP13). This helps maintain demo compatibility, although the changes will break demos for the maps that had to be altered (MAP02, MAP09, MAP15, MAP19, and MAP29). I apologize for the inconvenience, but luckily for demo enthusiasts, the original version of the wad is preserved on Doomshack. The file update has been live on idgames since December, so go ahead and update your intercep.wad if you are intrigued.
 
This year, I'm going to really make an effort to release better and more creative Doom content. Here are a few ways that I'm going to push myself as a Doomer in 2022:
Upload more Doom videos on YouTube. Whether they be wad showcases in DOSBox or more structured essay-type videos, I want to make sure my channel isn't just sitting there collecting dust. Push for more memorable combat setpieces. During the Interception II Megawad Club thread, I noticed that more people took notice of the setting of my maps than the combat. I think that I'm a little rusty at creating engaging, unique, and memorable combat setpieces, so I'll be spending a large portion of my 2022 mapping figuring that out. More detail. My maps don't have the most compelling visual language for the modern Doom age, so I'm thinking that I should spend some time practicing detailing. This means coming up with creative, visually-striking maps on a regular basis. For me, the hardest part is always coming up with the details, so I'll have to be more creative rendering real environments in a game engine from nearly three decades ago. Steadier pacing. I want a steady series of wad releases, a decent output in the Megawad Club threads, and a decent stream of YouTube videos on my channel. That's a lot to chew on as one human being, but I think figuring out this balance will really just be a matter of practice. Or so I'm hoping, since it will be my main challenge as a creator going forward.

A short status update to kick off 2022. The last few weeks of my life have been a waking Nightmare! thanks to an unfortunate bout of illness. I had to skip a month and a half of DWMC, but I'm planning on returning in February.
 
As of right now, I'm still working on Atonement: Episode 5. It's been going slow because I've started and scrapped quite a few maps at this point. They're not bad maps or anything, I just want to make the absolute most out of the 10 maps I have left. I'm also planning on releasing a few more standalone maps that will iterate on the Herschel Spaceport map that I released a while back. Herschel Spaceport is also getting an update soon and will go live on idgames. I'm just about done with the Interception II update as well, so I'm pushing it to idgames as a file update sometime this weekend.
 
In December, I finished doing a file update for Interception, fixing many issues such as the infamous soft-locks on MAP19 and 29, the missing Hell Knight in MAP09, the stuck Hell Knight in MAP02, and a few more small fixes all around. All the changes and bug fixes are noted in the text file. Anything that prevented 100% completion or crashed the game was fixed, which leaves some other non-vital quirks present (such as the damaging rocks in MAP13). This helps maintain demo compatibility, although the changes will break demos for the maps that had to be altered (MAP02, MAP09, MAP15, MAP19, and MAP29). I apologize for the inconvenience, but luckily for demo enthusiasts, the original version of the wad is preserved on Doomshack. The file update has been live on idgames since December, so go ahead and update your intercep.wad if you are intrigued.
 
This year, I'm going to really make an effort to release better and more creative Doom content. Here are a few ways that I'm going to push myself as a Doomer in 2022:
Upload more Doom videos on YouTube. Whether they be wad showcases in DOSBox or more structured essay-type videos, I want to make sure my channel isn't just sitting there collecting dust. Push for more memorable combat setpieces. During the Interception II Megawad Club thread, I noticed that more people took notice of the setting of my maps than the combat. I think that I'm a little rusty at creating engaging, unique, and memorable combat setpieces, so I'll be spending a large portion of my 2022 mapping figuring that out. More detail. My maps don't have the most compelling visual language for the modern Doom age, so I'm thinking that I should spend some time practicing detailing. This means coming up with creative, visually-striking maps on a regular basis. For me, the hardest part is always coming up with the details, so I'll have to be more creative rendering real environments in a game engine from nearly three decades ago. Steadier pacing. I want a steady series of wad releases, a decent output in the Megawad Club threads, and a decent stream of YouTube videos on my channel. That's a lot to chew on as one human being, but I think figuring out this balance will really just be a matter of practice. Or so I'm hoping, since it will be my main challenge as a creator going forward.

A short status update to kick off 2022. The last few weeks of my life have been a waking Nightmare! thanks to an unfortunate bout of illness. I had to skip a month and a half of DWMC, but I'm planning on returning in February.
 
As of right now, I'm still working on Atonement: Episode 5. It's been going slow because I've started and scrapped quite a few maps at this point. They're not bad maps or anything, I just want to make the absolute most out of the 10 maps I have left. I'm also planning on releasing a few more standalone maps that will iterate on the Herschel Spaceport map that I released a while back. Herschel Spaceport is also getting an update soon and will go live on idgames. I'm just about done with the Interception II update as well, so I'm pushing it to idgames as a file update sometime this weekend.
 
In December, I finished doing a file update for Interception, fixing many issues such as the infamous soft-locks on MAP19 and 29, the missing Hell Knight in MAP09, the stuck Hell Knight in MAP02, and a few more small fixes all around. All the changes and bug fixes are noted in the text file. Anything that prevented 100% completion or crashed the game was fixed, which leaves some other non-vital quirks present (such as the damaging rocks in MAP13). This helps maintain demo compatibility, although the changes will break demos for the maps that had to be altered (MAP02, MAP09, MAP15, MAP19, and MAP29). I apologize for the inconvenience, but luckily for demo enthusiasts, the original version of the wad is preserved on Doomshack. The file update has been live on idgames since December, so go ahead and update your intercep.wad if you are intrigued.
 
This year, I'm going to really make an effort to release better and more creative Doom content. Here are a few ways that I'm going to push myself as a Doomer in 2022:
Upload more Doom videos on YouTube. Whether they be wad showcases in DOSBox or more structured essay-type videos, I want to make sure my channel isn't just sitting there collecting dust. Push for more memorable combat setpieces. During the Interception II Megawad Club thread, I noticed that more people took notice of the setting of my maps than the combat. I think that I'm a little rusty at creating engaging, unique, and memorable combat setpieces, so I'll be spending a large portion of my 2022 mapping figuring that out. More detail. My maps don't have the most compelling visual language for the modern Doom age, so I'm thinking that I should spend some time practicing detailing. This means coming up with creative, visually-striking maps on a regular basis. For me, the hardest part is always coming up with the details, so I'll have to be more creative rendering real environments in a game engine from nearly three decades ago. Steadier pacing. I want a steady series of wad releases, a decent output in the Megawad Club threads, and a decent stream of YouTube videos on my channel. That's a lot to chew on as one human being, but I think figuring out this balance will really just be a matter of practice. Or so I'm hoping, since it will be my main challenge as a creator going forward.

Yesterday, 5 years ago I registered to this site and in 2 days shared my first playable level called think about it:



Now 5 years forward my layouts look like this:

I hope there will be more years here and I'll release more projects too. 

Day 02: cat still sleeps peacefully. Time from time he goes out, demands food and attention. 
 

 
 

Lazy cat, sleeping while people around him need to prepare food and shelter:
 

So, here I am.
 
This has been a difficult 24 hours, to say the least. I recognize that moderating decisions haven’t been very popular here as of late. I also realize what’s been flying around has been a lot of misinformation and vitriol. So here’s what I’ll address.
 
1. I have always been as transparent as I can be about my own moderating decisions. If I ask someone to message me, it’s usually because there’s little sense in continuing to derail the thread the moderating decision was made in. I will always refer people to a second opinion or an admin if they do not find my decision was agreeable. 
2. I don’t have control of what other moderators do. I will address a non-public decision (i.e. a warning) as best I can but I won’t always have the answer, unfortunately. We mods talk a lot to each other but we don’t talk about every single action we take. 
3. I realize that it is not great that there is no FAQ, public staff page, or rules. This was something that was an issue long before I came on board and there have obviously been some attempts to address this. We’ve been working as hard as we can on it but rule-making on such a widely diverse public forum can be difficult, to say the least. I have said many times in moderating discussion that I can’t imagine how frustrating it must be for people to receive warnings and sometimes not know what actions they could take to prevent being warned in the first place. This is something that will be addressed as soon as humanly possible. It will not happen overnight.
4. I tend to take as hands-off a moderating approach as I possibly can, but that does not mean there will be no consequences for shit-posting or shit-headery. Some people seem to think that any moderation action is a bad thing, and that approach simply does not work for this forum, due to the volume and diversity of members. 
 
Lastly, Endless, I’m going to address you, by saying that despite what has happened, I dearly loved and appreciated the Wadazine and its efforts. I loved contributing to it. I loved watching you grow into an avid reviewer and mapper. And that hasn’t changed. I hope you continue to do well for yourself, wherever your journey goes. And I mean that, sincerely. I can’t say I’m not disappointed at what has happened, but I will never regret the past year of contributions and fun we had. 
 
My door is open for anyone to talk to me, leave me constructive feedback about moderating, how to improve the site, etc. I’ve fielded all kinds of feedback from all sorts of places and people since I’ve become a mod and I appreciate the love and passion that you guys still put into this site and its longevity. But most importantly, I just want to know if something is a problem before it blows up. I don’t want anyone sitting here feeling like they can’t touch me, can’t talk to me, can’t look in my direction because I’ll ban them if they do it wrong- that has never been my M.O. I’m empathetic to a fault and I’ll always do my best to level with people. Just talk to me. I’ll answer, in kind.

Disclaimer: My original thread got nuked, deleted.
 
Banning of WADs, Hyper–Moderation and the Recent Issues at Doomworld
 
Disclaimer 2: I couldn't publish this first because the DBPs thread is locked.
 
Hello everybody. If you haven’t heard of me, my name is Endless and I am a self-called WAD addict. I love Doom and I love the custom content. I’ve been playing on and off since 2013, if my memory doesn’t fail. I’m also the creator and editor-in-chief of the Doom Master Wadazine, a free fanmade e-magazine dedicated to the Doom saga. In other words, I love Doom.
I like to think that I’ve been part of this community since 2017 or so, when I started to become a bit more active. Before that I just lurked a lot, seeing all the stuff happening and things going on. It is with great pleasure and satisfaction that I began to realize that this was a close-knit activity, full of passionate creators, artists, programmers and fantastic multi-talents sweating gold. I was fascinated by the idea that such an old video game had such a large and active group in the modern day.
Yet now, I’m starting to believe that there’s something wrong going on behind the curtains. Since recent memory, some things have occurred that have shaken me slightly regarding my faith in this place and this community. I usually stay away from drama and shitposting, but today I’m honestly hurt, not necessarily by one single action, but the accumulation of various things. Before starting, I want to express some of the points that have led me to create this:
 
- The total ban of the Doomer Boards Projects.
- The increase in moderation activity.
- The decrease in infrastructure activity regarding Doomworld.
- The highly inclusive stance that’s not actually inclusive.
- My personal opinions (Oof, what a dangerous thing to say).
 
1.      The total ban of the Doomer Boards Projects:
The very first point and the thing that really made me tear up a bit today. If you've been a follower of my reviews or activity (thank you very much by the way) it's no secret that I've been a big fan of the Doomer Boards Projects since the day I met them. From Monuments of Mars to Auger;Zenith, I've played the vast majority of the projects and reviewed them. Each WAD has been a delight to play and something I have thoroughly enjoyed. Some WADs have stuck in my memory, becoming almost a nostalgic part of my journey through Doom. There is no doubt that this series is the most consistent series of WADs in quality and number in the history of Doom. 39 projects, if I'm not wrong, and if I could give an overall rating to all of them, I would say: great. Now, that's my opinion of the WADs, of the maps, of the art created, and here comes my problem.
 
Suddenly (maybe not so suddenly) they’ve been banned from being published on Doomworld (and probably also promoted, which would get me in trouble) I'm honestly not sure. A percentage of the authors have been former creators of these forums who were previously banned, some even before I was on Doomworld. The creation of the Doomer Boards was born out of this. Personally, I don't care much. If I don't like the person, I don't interact with them, but if their work is good, I have the decency to at least not shit on them. Apparently the Doomworld staff considers them misogynists, xenophobes, racists, terrorists? Idk. I'm sure that more than one of them is like that, but all of them? No. I've met great map authors who started out on the Doomer Boards and I'm pretty sure they're none of those things. Probably the key word among all the accusations is that they are fascists. A word that carries weight but seems to lose relevance. Now it's just a sort of insult used to accuse someone you don't like.
 
And in the end, they decided to ban the projects altogether. I'm sure there are members that the DW staff hates from there, but I'm sure there are others who simply wanted to create maps for the projects and yet they completely screwed them up too.
 
I think this is NOT OKEY. I'm not as old as the community, but I'm sure this is the first time WADs or Mods have been banned completely from any kind of publication for posterity. Not even terrywads had this much moderation. I am a person who believes in free speech and the right to create. Regardless of whether you like them or not, or consider them ''fascists'', the future of the entire projects did not deserve to be banned for the actions of others. I will use a simple expression for this: Separate artist from art. I'm sure more than one will point out that the projects promote negativity or whatever. One of the examples given is that the projects should be banned because they promoted the Doomer Boards page. The image in question seems totally harmless to me. But apparently it is treated and seen as a propaganda act that results in the creation of some sort of army full of ultra-right wingers and I don't know what else... and yet DB doesn't even have 500 members.
 
Before this there was the discussion about whether or not Auger;Zenith would win an award. Honestly, I was sure it wouldn't, but I never expected that they would ban the projects completely. What does this mean for me now? I will probably receive subtle threats as I have received before if I decide to promote WADs. Maybe not, but I doubt it. Oh, also, why lock the announcement thread? Can’t the DW members voice their opinions there?
 
And this last paragraph might be a bit paranoid, but I feel like this could just be a chain reaction. Suddenly, more and more WADs could be outright banned for reasons that seem to trivial or might not even be known.
 
2.      The increase in moderation activity
I initially thought this was a good thing. Finally, a new wave of moderators to help out the increase in activity. It ends up resulting in something mixed. While I appreciate the moderation when it comes to shitposting or attacking posts, I've found that it's become a bit of a content blocking and banning party for the slightest offense. I think we can all agree that there’s more closed threads or downright deleted posts now a days than ever before. If something breaks the rules, then first make the rules clearer please, and in the end, I think it is better to keep threads locked than to delete them completely. At least the evidence works as a guide of what not to do.
 
3.      The decrease in infrastructure activity regarding Doomworld.
Oh, this is not really a new one. Since 2016, Doomworld hasn’t changed pretty much at all, and is on a decadent state that’s quite shameful to be honest. Some problems that need fixing will probably never be fixed, and the first excuse of it tends to be that it’s impossible because the forum software doesn’t allow it. The truth is that I am not an expert in this technical subject, so take this as a customer's opinion; the news section is dead, the Downloads section is dead, and this is a serious one that personally hurts newcomers who wish to have their WADs in some sort of download center or modern WAD repository. The threads section is a mess, and it was supposed to be fixed, but there seem to be no changes. I think that rather than a problem, this is an example of a simple lack of interest or power in wanting to fix it. I guess it's not as important as it used to be. A homepage would work wonders too. On a side note, I have to credit the recent increase of concern and activity regarding one single administrator that’s trying to get shit fixed.
 
4.      The highly inclusive stance that’s not actually inclusive.
Doomworld frames itself as a very welcoming community that accepts you in any shape or form. This was something I really liked and felt especially nice because I been an outcast for too long in real life. I was feeling welcomed here, like I belonged for once. This didn’t last.
 
First of all, the early days of Doomworld were not as acceptable as they are now. And don't tell me Doomworld was a less toxic place compared to the rest of the internet. It was full of idiots, abusive, violent moderators and the like. Read some of the older threads (/newstuff for example) and you will quickly realize that everyone was immature. The very foundation of DW was a toxic one. It's a good thing that they changed over time, but as much as they changed, they also brought the problem of hyper moderation. Now there is a fear of any kind of discussion, opinion that is not acceptable or divergence in beliefs or any ideology. While the truth is that I don't care if they argue or not in any kind of forums, I find it improper to point fingers at other places or people for being fascists, when here the cradle itself still has stains of a dirty past.
 
5.      My personal opinions (Oof, what a dangerous thing to say).
I don’t really enjoy drama or making discussions in a place where the main subject is related to a videogame, not real-life issues, but I think this is the time I speak out. There is a certain Doomworld elite (the very word elite sounds silly but I think it describes it well), while this sounds like a stupid conspiracy, I have been involved on some of this issues myself. I don't think it's worth naming names or sentencing titles, but certain members of the Doomworld staff are abusive, self-centered and armed with power/influence. I have had discussions that could have been handled in a more civilized manner, but instead I have had to deal with sarcastic comments, heavy handed accusations, threats to cut off relationships and remove my support. This is because I am editor of the Wadazine, a magazine dedicated to Doom and WADs in particular, and the only one of its kind in this community. So, if I publish something that’s deemed as offensive or not-likeable, well, I’ll get in trouble. I already did I believe. However, I have no major support from the staff, a few great members have promoted me every once in a while, but it seems that everything has fallen silent since certain problems started to rise, and I didn't turn back to fully praise the opinions of others high members.
 
I love Doom, I love that it has been alive for almost 3 decades and it’s more popular than ever. But I don’t know if I love the community that much anymore. I support neither Doomworld, which abuses power and hides intentions behind moderation actions, nor Doomer Boards, which is full of unfunny shitposting and seems to complain more about Doomworld than playing Doom. After that, I don't even know what other forum is left alive. Doomworld is practically the central hub for everything Classic Doom related, but, unfortunately, it has become a quasi-political network by this point.
 
And it has reached a breaking point for me. I’m just sad, to say the least. I like to create content, activity, play WADs, write about them and so on, but now it seems that the focus of the community is elsewhere.
 
Oh, and by the way, as a disclaimer: This is Endless opinion, not the Wadazine opinion or even the teams, these are my word and what I think. If you want to discuss, you discuss with me.

New PWADs Played, FYE 2021 part II ( for part I, see here)
 
6/13/21
Infraworld: Coma Moonlight by Stormcatcher.77
Notes: RC2. Second entry in what will hopefully be an ongoing series for the author. Originally slated for last year's Refracted Reality project, depicting a nocturnal crumbling castle/astral dreamscape. The extremely complex and vertical layout is very involved (and involving) to traverse, with full support for jumping and crouching allowing for a highly personalized route. This complexity of navigation is offset by mostly very light action, making for a relaxing experience. Unrelated/irrevelant trivia: first new PWAD played on the spanking-new gaming machine I acquired almost purely to keep up with modern Doom.
 
6/15/21
I. H. N. I. Episode 1 by Kraja
Notes: Version 7b. Short mapset feels like a survival from the classical era of the ZDoom engine, with a modern degree of polish and tuning. Realistic setting and simple but well-paced action, and lots of surprises. Check it out.
Barnum & Barons by LindaIsHere
Notes: Quirky circus-themed set with an oddly intriguing implied narrative, for those who enjoy imagining such things. One of the two secret levels is even weirder than the rest. A bit buggy throughout and perhaps occasionally slightly obtuse, but a memorable experience nonetheless.
Nightwalk by Adahn
Department Store of Doom by Adahn
Trouble in Rubble City by BigBossHeinzohn
Notes: Debut map in a realistic style. Some my-first-map issues as to be expected, but lots of creative energy apparent. Seems meant for a gameplay mod, but plays fine without.
Generic Slaughter Map by Aicidia
Putrefaction Labs by mittenz
Doom: Toxicity by Paar - FDA
Notes: Enjoyable Knee Deep experience from the author of "The Chasm of Sinful", elsewhere on the list.
 
6/16/21
WRESTLEMAPIA I by MajorArlene and BluePineapple72
Notes: oh ma GAWD she's stompin' a mudhole in 'im 'an WALKIN' IT DRY
Operation CyberHell by HLRaven - FDAs
 
6/17/21
Lullaby by Danlex
Notes: A visual marvel in a high-contrast astral void theme. Very regimented (though non-linear) structure hosting a variety of very accessible setpiece fights and three tricky secrets.
 
6/21/21
Wiremaster Ritual by Misty - FDA
Notes: RC1.
Long-term Storage and Gore Processing by _sink - FDAs
Notes: Another of the year's many promising debuts.
To the Portal! by kinker31 - FDA
Notes: Original upload version. Billed as vanilla-compatible, but a bug/oversight means the switch-actuated crushers meant to kill a number of caged monsters don't work, instead just harmlessly bonking them on the head a bit. Map is still quite playable despite this, though.
DreamTek by Orcsbreath - FDA
Notes: V1.2. Vaguely Deimos-y facility map based on a dream. Slightly eccentric gameplay that is both uncomplicated and fun. I continue to be rather fond of this new author's work.
Playstation DOOM Reloaded by RHG 45 and Yikesdude794
Notes: V1.0. GZDoom. Port capabilities are used to simulate the look and feel of the old PSX conversion, including such details as slightly choppier animations and some subtly modified enemy stats/behaviors (untampered PC Doom player movement). Two 30+ level episodes of mostly slow-paced, straightforward action with frequent IWAD homages/references and the requisite Aubrey Hodges soundtrack, likely to appeal to fans of this version of Doom.
 
6/22/21
Wolfenstein: Blade of Agony
Notes: Verboten v3.0 version. Episodes 1 and 2 were released serially in previous years; the concluding E3 is new this year, with many technical and mechanical updates to the older episodes as well. E3 continues in a similar vein as E2, with increasingly grandiose and lengthy missions that communicate a great variety in settings (within the frame of the more or less realistic WWII setting) and game mechanics alike. Proceedings are thus never dull, though sometimes the piles and piles of ideas and other stuff arguably operates contrary to good flow and good sense (and perhaps occasionally good taste, depending on one's views). As a whole package, this is indubitably one of the most involved achievements in modding in the community's long history, though like so much else to have come from this workgroup over the years, its gloss is marred not simply by social controversy but by a more fundamental lack of creative focus and directorial maturity. Nonetheless, it's a memorable experience that I would recommend to everyone at least once (by the time you're reading this, an updated version should be available, which presumably addresses various content-related controversies, and hopefully some general bugginess/user-friendliness issues as well).
 
7/12/21
Perpetual Powers by Lorenz0 and a few special guests
Notes: Version RC2. GZDoom. Three episodes in three colorful themes, complemented by a well-chosen array of existing BGM tracks both new and classic. Tends heavily towards a modern encounter-focused style (with a diversion on occasion), but should be accessible for a wide range of players.
Rescuing Ducino by Al War
No Health (1 + 2) by Engired
Notes: Does what it says on the tin. An uncommon yet nevertheless familiar concept to niche/challenge-oriented players, this is a bit more gentle than many other entries in the genre and may be a good choice for someone looking to try this particular mode out for the first time.
Chilled Chicken by various authors - FDA
Notes: Single limit-removing map with eight different authors working in tandem. Stock textures. Perhaps expectedly, whipsaws about in style/tone/difficulty, but is an enjoyable playthrough nonetheless. Good for players who like it oldschool/abstract/eclectic.
Twisted Reality by Zedonk
Notes: v1.0. A rare single map for Hexen, via GZDoom. I played on skill 4, using the Mage. Simple aesthetics belie highly creative scripting and clever use of portals and silent teleporters (some inspiration from the Doom classic "Impossible: A New Reality" perhaps?). The final wave-based battle is one of the best I've seen for Hexen, though granted most don't think of it as a particularly fight-y game. Nevertheless, highly recommended for Hexen fans, and perhaps for those who might be interested in a much more streamlined vision of the game as well.
 
7/13/21
DBP37: Auger; Zenith by various authors - FDAs
Notes: RC1. Shortly after I downloaded/played, RC2 emerged, including a new m22 (an end credits map, customary for the series) and a few bugfixes. In this pack, m10 is DNF due to another instance of the all-ghosts bug, which seems to haunt this series of late. m19 has a likely softlock at the last elevator which IIRC is not yet fixed in current version; in the recording I suicide and replay to the finish, however. Another entry in this popular series, this time with a dystopian neon cyberpunk theme. A longer-form structure with a more definite sense of narrative and some unexpected sidetracks as well as a level of action that's a bit hotter than is typical for the series make this one of the stronger DBPs to date.
 
7/16/21
Jailbreak by Mr. Misfire - FDA
Notes: V1
Ancient Temple by Zion
Notes: GZDoom. Strong visuals and atmosphere by a new/unknown mapper, using OTEX and some more traditional gothic assets to create something like a stone gibbet towering high into bloodred skies, leading up to an ominous ring of standing stones. Classic BGM selection makes for a nice contrast with the new textures. Solid action, fairly tight ammo balance. This one has passed a lot of people by, but I think many of you will enjoy this. Check it out.
Great Treasure by MiMa DM
GZDoom. From the same satellite community (and same competition) as Banana Factory Accident, elsewhere on the list. Birds of a feather, so to speak -- same crude sense of humor, a narrative that "really goes places", etc. This one is framed like the modern Doom games, i.e. a series of arena battles where monsters spawn in in waves, some of the action gets quite intense indeed. BFA was the competition winner, but of the two "Broleg" WADs to make their way here I actually prefer this one.
 
7/19/21
Heartland by Skillsaw
Notes: idgames version. Fresh hell comes to the rust belt in this sweeping and bloody adventure by one of the modern masters, showcasing the untapped potential of the Eternity Engine.
 
7/23/21
Full Moon by various authors
Notes: Third and final part of the "Moon" speedmap CP trilogy, along with "Tenth Gear" and "Halfmoon", elsewhere on the list. A few bugs of varying levels of severity (and occasionally, hilarity) here and there if played in "Boom" spec (read: -cl 9), presumably not present in GZDoom. The extra 30 minutes allowed for each map vs. Halfmoon is mostly invisible, to my eyes. What may surprise fans of the previous installments, and of this type of inclusive newcomer CP in general, is that this is basically an openly challenge-oriented set from start to finish, with sensibilities ranging from "hardnosed" to "open your meme-hole and say ahh."
 
7/26/21
Fragor Portum by RiviTheWarlock - FDAs
Notes: idgames version. Short episode with a space station/industrial theme. In the FDAs pack, m05 is DNF due to a switchpress sequence break (at the console in the huge central courtyard) resulting in a softlock; I replayed the map in full shortly after diagnosing the problem. Despite a lot of rough edges, this mapset is charming, with a lot of Doomcute energy and a sense of playfulness that contrasts with its somewhat stark/sterile texture theme.
Viscous Realms by Horus - FDA
Notes: Large map set in a nebulous Otherworld, where brimstone, blood and bile flow freely. A feeling of gloom and unease predominates in spite of the colorful visual scheme. Houses some tricky encounters and a thing balance set so that you can never quite get comfortable, as well as one of the most hideously demonic trials you can find this year: a math problem. Solving the many secrets and puzzles is optional, but is the key to gaining an edge.
Ruins of Sathryn by Endless - FDA
Notes: RC2 I think? Seems to be some nodebuilding issues in this version (monsters occasionally fall into the ground/etc.), but still quite playable. Outdoor desert/ruins map by the main organizer of the WADazine. A hearty dose of action in a relatively small space/runtime, with a lot of quasi-platformy emphasis on dashing around hoovering up goodies (alongside the killing).
Demons of Shiga by Origamyde
Notes: v1.1. Feels like an expansion or extra level for the author's debut release, "The City of Dread", elsewhere on the list.
 
7/27/21
WMC02: Thy Flesh Vored by various authors - FDAs
Notes: RC3.
 
7/28/21
Cosmogenesis by NoReason
Notes: idgames version. Hypermassive macroslaughter suitable primarily for dedicated genre enthusiasts. m05 contains just under 75,000 monsters; maps 01-04 are this same map divvied up into smaller portions purely for the sake of performance. Includes a high-contrast new color palette (green is plasma-charged, reds are replaced with magenta and mauve, etc.) and textures from some rarely-used packs provide a soothing accent to the carnage. Don't be fooled by the somewhat ridiculous stats, this is more than a modern Holy Hell or similar, and there is a lot of smart design here. Still, be sure you understand what you're getting into and adjust your expectations, playing habits and perhaps schedule accordingly if you're going to partake.
 
7/29/21
Valhalla Project by arch_93
Notes: Played with GZDoom. Adventure mapset in a 'Russian realist' vein, themed around ancient civilizations. Strongly assumes continuous play. Straightforward appearance and design belie some striking scenes and ideas as one gets farther in.
32 Piece Cliptucky Fried Chicken Special! by Clippy
Notes: GZDoom. Full set of 32 small maps. Each map contains the same number of monsters as its mapslot (so for example, map 10 has 10 monsters, map 11 has 11 monsters, and so on). Not a conventional Doom experience, this is a grab-bag of gimmick/concept-maps with a humorous tone, with an impressive variety of ideas on display. Very short runtime (my full playthrough was somewhere around 90 minutes, and I am not fast) and a low skill floor make this a sure crowd-pleaser.
 
7/31/21
Angry Quilt by various authors
Notes: In the spirit of the old Exquisite Corpse project, a map comprised of 16 different square chambers, each measuring 512 x 512 units, by 15 different authors.
claustrophobia.wad by spindel
 
8/02/21
Belial's Keep by smeghammer
Notes: GZDoom. A brick/iron keep floating in a fiery, burning sea somewhere in the outback of Hell. Highly complicated 3D design with many nested layers/floors shows the author's rapidly growing facility for worldbuilding. Progression can be rather disjointed/obtuse, on the other hand, especially early on. A number of powerful custom/R667 monsters inhabit the place, but the marine is armed to the teeth from almost the outset, so they don't stand a chance.
 
8/03/21
Deadly Standards 3 (a.k.a. Atypic Death) by various authors - FDAs
Notes: RC2. Various bugs in this version, most notably ZDoomisms in E3M9 and some node problems in E3M8, but all maps are completable. Full replacement for Doom's third episode, favoring a surreal void-based liminal realm rather than fire and brimstone inferno (though there is a bit of that as well). Strong sense of variety in a moderately-sized package, with each author making the theme their own and offering their own distinct kind of gameplay.
 
8/04/21
Zone 400 by PCorf - FDAs pack
Notes: Final idgames version, from July 24th.
 
8/06/21
The Descent of Evil by TOVA
 
8/09/21
Enigma of Sector Sigma by Albatross
Notes: Played with Eternity Engine. Modern encounter-focused mapset, not so 'rough' but a lotta 'tumble', with some modified monsters (alongside rather than in place of the classics) and an extremely bright, colorful aesthetic.
 
8/10/21
Nameless by Jimmy
Notes: RC1. Realms Deep 2021 mapjam participant.
 
8/15/21
DBK01: Dungeon Synths by various authors
Notes: RC1.1, played with ZDoom. Short episode by former members of the DBP group, featuring a whimsical theme of gothic castles with steampunk and neon elements. Lovely music. Should readily appeal to fans of the established DBP series.
 
8/16/21
The Deep by Major Arlene
Notes: RC1. Realms Deep 2021 mapjam participant.
Soaked in Blood by T.Will
Notes: RC2. KDitD replacement in a familiar vein....more or less. Initially feels starkly traditionalist with obvious map/mapslot homages to the original episode, but develops its own particular cadence over time, the latter half sporting a liberally expanded sense of both space and bodycount. A certain dry sense of humor seems evident, and the secret map is not quite what one might expect. Recommended for fans of re-imagined classics.
 
8/17/21
Skulltiverse by various authors
Notes: Fixed idgames version. Direct sequel to Hellevator, elsewhere on the list.
 
8/22/21
Hakros Complex by hakros
The Red Tower by evil_scientist
Mountain Lab by ArchRevival
Monroe's Killer by TheGreenZap
The Deep Labs by Doomax
Notes: Quality debut from a new mapper. Mid-sized map in an quietly creepy Deimos-for-Doom-II vein with strong mood lighting and lots of secrets. Hope to see more from this author in future.
Scream of the Triad by EmoLevelDesigner
Notes: RoTT-themed; uses Return of the Triad mod as an IWAD/base (download link available in thread). Realms Deep 2021 mapjam participant.
Basilica of a Thousand Torments by IvanDobrovski
Notes: Quake-themed; uses a Quake-based mod I'm not otherwise familiar with, bundled with the download. Realms Deep 2021 mapjam participant.
 
 
8/23/21
The Hanging House by DevilMyEyes
Big Dill by Killerratte
Notes: Deceptively sprawling and non-linear level with a mixed techbase look. The music is not the only thing that's sassy here.
deceased.cable by Obsidian and Fuzzball
Notes: Sid i thought we were cool dog
 
8/24/21
Warspite by Yukarin - FDAs
 
8/25/21
Zzul Bases by Killer5
Notes: Three small-medium dark metal voidbases and one bonus map using the new MBF21 format. Mainline progression in the main maps is surprisingly accessible and focuses on nonlinear room-by-room blitzes; the author's trademark webs of secrets again hold much of the real draw and intrigue, revealing rewards ranging from tasty goodies to intense ambushes to ominous puzzle sequences. The bonus map in slot 31 is a very difficult platforming affair, for enthusiasts only.
Meatbox Slam! by clamgor
Notes: Quite the title. Stock-textured showdown-type map with lots of energy/moving parts, and a particularly memorable opening room. Check it out.
Cycle of Sorrow by CHAINMAIL
 
8/27/21
Don't Get Burned by RetroAkaMe
Notes: Highly conceptual/experimental WAD based on arch-viles and their eccentricities. Interesting, but very, very rough in execution.
 
8/29/21
Slith by Pistoolkip - FDAs
Notes: v1.07
Grotto of the Scorned by Valhen
Notes: V2, played with Eternity. Most ambitious work by this author this year (so far), with a look and feel which put me in mind of a lost Alien Vendetta map in both pacing and tone. Colorful, claustrophobic, and dangerous.
 
8/30/21
Interstice by Dunn (& Dunn)
Notes: v1.1. Puzzle-type map with an abstract voidbase theme (which seems a genre standard setting for this type of map at this point). Simply reaching an exit is quite manageable if your Doom trivia power-ranking is reasonable; finding all of the secrets and seeing everything is quite a bit more of a brain-teaser. Some closed gauntlet-type encounters are present for contrast (mainly along the secret path), but it's the puzzles that are the highlight here.
DBP 38: Chronicles of Ghost Town by various authors
Notes: Sort of a wasteland/funereal theme this time (some Plutonia reference is also a given). Abandoned an FDAs pack for this one due to mounting levels of buggy-ness in later maps (which, bugs aside, are also generally the highlights of design this time). Business as usual for this long-running, popular series.
 
9/01/21
Uprising by Cheesewheel
Notes: RC2, played with Eternity. Fresh reimagining of the classic/fundamental Doom II story from the author of last year's CPD. A long but thoughtfully composed campaign with plenty of action and a few new foes that seems to find itself a place somewhere between classical and Alm-era references and more contemporary expectations in terms of pacing and tone, impressive for a single author. Check it out if you're up for something with a bit of an old soul, but with a bit of a modern flair.
 
9/03/21
Down the Drain by Benjogami
Notes: RC1. Gives the outward impression of a quaint/innocuous 90's era compilation WAD in look and general tone (music, ancient map tropes, etc.), but there's definitely a ghost in this machine, seemingly a very bitter one. Strange balance and strange progression schema spur you on through increasingly strange environments. TBH I suspect most players will find this baffling, or even actively unpleasant, but it's an intriguing and memorable experience for those on a certain wavelength.
 
9/14/21
Tarnsman's Projectile Hell by Tarnsman
Notes: RC2, Eternity version. Colorful, fast-paced, occasionally outlandish and always cheeky project which is both a goldmine of unexpected thematic diversions and a codex of insider-baseball mapping tropes.
 
9/26/21
The Mean Green 2 by Chris Hansen (no, not the one who asks you to "have a seat over there")
Notes: Continuation of a series begun in 2019 by a veteran mapper. Sassier and spicier than the first part by far. Good to see this author rediscovering a sadistic fondness for damage-floor.
 
9/27/21
Tricked and Trapped by Soulless
Notes: RC3. Clean/sterile industrial theme with some unusual medieval touches later on. Lots of traditionally-actuated moving parts (switches, lifts, deadfalls, etc.) and some very light scripting as well as a consistent sense of claustrophobia/spacial constraint dominates, making for a deceptively dynamic and indeed very trap-heavy environment. One of the author's most technically sophisticated releases to date.
Dark and Forgotten by Endless
Notes: RC1. Requires a relatively recent version of the OTEX texture pack to be loaded separately. Plays like a challenge-oriented set from an age long gone.
The End by Clippy
Notes: More of the manic concept-oriented design and late-90s retro look which has been the author's stock in trade this year, here in a more expanded form. Lots of bad guys and lots of danger here, but play along with the author's whims and you'll be fine. Also possible to exit the map without ever leaving the starting platform with just a bit of pacifist-trolling. Map 02 is the same as map 01, but played from a different starting point, making for an interesting contrast.
Silver Edge by Paul977
Notes: New entry from one of the classic "gauntlet" style's major modern proponents. Short in duration, abstract in theme, drum-tight in balance.
 
9/28/21
Haste by various authors
Notes: v1.3. Big things come in "small" packages. 17-map set of relatively compact yet fiercely unadulterated levels, in wildly and imaginatively varying theme, by a 'supergroup' of several of today's finest purveyors of slaughter & challenge-oriented mapping.
 
9/29/31
Hell Cellar by c0deNull
Rapidfire by jazzmaster9
Notes: RC4
Verdant Hollow by Makedounia
Notes: Spacious map with a green caves/earth theme from a new author. Has a look and feel in some ways reminiscent of early maps from Speed of Doom, unusual (but hardly unwelcome) in a debut map.
Dereliction Derby by PinkKittyRose
Notes: V1. Sprawling, polished techbase up in the mountains somewhere (plus endmap) with a marked slant towards representational or "doomcute" detailing. Starts about as you'd expect, ramps up into some genuinely surprising and gratuitous displays of mass violence. Very impressive debut.
 
9/30/21
DBP 39: Carnage Oasis by various authors
Notes: This one uses a desert base theme which reminds more than anything of Darkening II, though the asset pack is not shared. A broader number of authors than is typically involved in these projects gives this iteration a little stylistic more range than usual, though the typically on-brand sense of prim restraint reigns this back in to a degree. Unfortunately, once again very buggy, perhaps moreso than usual. Generally speaking, business as usual for this long-running, popular series.
 
10/01/21
Atmospheric Extinction by Velvetic
Notes: RC4. Triptych of short, 3-level episodes making exquisite use of the OTEX resource for an uncommonly lush visual presentation. Features a bespoke OST by the author with a number of memorable tunes new to my ears (and likely yours as well). Gameplay mild to moderate, occasionally laconic, suitable for a wide range of player skill.
 
10/03/21
Cydonia by AD_79 and Scotty
Notes: Beta 2. For The Plutonia Experiment. Authentically-styled tribute to the most iconic mapping joint of the Brothers Casali. Smart, efficient, and well-honed layouts that capture the rough-and-tumble feel of the original without being overly reliant on direct homage. Lots of fun. A later update is meant to add a second secret map in slot 32.
 
10/05/21
Arceon by DMPhobos
Notes: RC2. Six-level episode using OTEX for an almost curricular examination of the ins and outs of modern techbase design, with a marked slant towards looping, non-linear sensibility. More variety and range in action and content than one might initially expect from a rigid dedication to the 'regular' techbase theme. m06 is a particularly impressive work of craft in layout design. Great OST, partially bespoke, by a selection of familiar community musicians.
 
10/07/21
Old Still Life by Rednov
Notes: 11-map campaign combining a realistic aesthetic style with a decidedly surreal atmosphere. Gameplay comprises an unusual blend of brain-teasers, traversal-based puzzles, tough/gritty gauntlet-style encounters, and a wide variety of apparent influences and references, both old and new. Dozens of obscure secrets and an occasionally severe sense of balance make continuous play and/or HMP advisable for most first-time players. Difficult to pin down or attribute to any particular trend or counter-trend, this is a deep cut for the most adventurous among you.
 
10/09/21
Towen by hjordan159
Notes: No longer available for download as of time of posting. GZDoom. Large, effects-heavy castle/gothic map with something of a kitchen-sink design sensibility.
Dread Factory by sectrslayr
Notes: Current version as of this date (unlabeled). Scrappy tech/fortress setting rendered in OTEX. The more survivalist, encounter-focused design is a marked contrast with the author's KDitD-inspired work from earlier in the year, and shows range on his/her part. I would be interested in seeing the earlier, allegedly " "unfair" " version of this.
Shark in a Puddle by xdarkmasterx
Notes: lol
Ode to the Odonata by Jimmy
 
10/10/21
Just a Mapset: E1 by Vortale
Notes: RC2. Conspicuously inconspicuous title glibly conceals an exuberant release pulling in many different creative directions over its substantial 12-map length. Weapons and most enemies have been given slight buffs/tweaks, making core game balance most reminiscent of relatively recent throwback-style partial conversions, ala Ray Mohawk, Rowdy Rudy, etc., with grungy, schlocky cyber-troma aesthetic to match; a bit more edge/challenge to proceedings than with either of those sets, perhaps. Most of the maps have a very distinct concept or gimmick to them (and widely varying visual themes to match), many of which will be familiar to veterans of PWADs, a few of which are quite fresh, and all of which are delivered with obvious gusto. Pacing perhaps bogs down a bit in the last map or two, but nevertheless a great sense of creative energy is evident throughout, and the variety on display is impressive.
 
10/12/21
Blasphemous Experiments by Cacowad
Notes: RC1, played with ZDoom. A collection of Heretic maps from across the span of its author's mapping career, assembled into a complete 9-map episode. Uses texture assets from Blasphemer (the Heretic equivalent of the FreeDoom project, for those not in the know), giving the settings a grittier, drearier look vs. classic Heretic. Relatively humble beginnings of earlier maps give way to some impressively sweeping, grandiose constructions, particularly in E1M6 (my favorite) and E1M7.
 
10/14/21
WMC03: Biophilia by various authors
Notes: RC1, played with k8vavoom. Contains: Trees, bases, tree-bases, dumpy little gremlin ravers (WTF?), puns. m06 is the highlight.
Rapidfire 2 by jazzmaster9
Notes: RC2. Reads like an alternate take on the first Rapidfire, both thematically and compositionally.
 
10/20/21
Axolotl by Xyzzy01
Notes: It's spelled Roebuck's but it's *pronounced* Throat-Warbler Mangrove
The Harrowing of Men by smeghammer
Notes: RC1. More abstract and experimental than the author's other releases this year, while retaining the heavily 3D, building-based design style. This initial RC is somewhat buggy, but still quite playable. Progression is again rather odd, especially in the early going. Perambulate the grounds, scale to the roof, warp out of there, blasting the smattering of hellspawn with the scads and scads of bullets & bombs again provided.
The Long Trek Back Home by hervoheebo
 
10/22/21
Judgment by Rayziik
Notes: RC1. Career-spanning omnibus megaWAD, arranged as a single campaign. Refitted for the new MBF21 standard, with various new monsters and some minor tweaks to the player's arsenal for a different feel. A wide variety of texture schemes / level themes are present, with a gritty gothic feel seguing into some post-Sunlust metal/neon abstraction in the final/most recent minisode. The wide span of time in the creator's career covered by the WAD is readily evident to the seasoned eye, but the experience is fun throughout, with an upbeat / fights-forward immediacy to the action and mostly mid-sized or smaller levels making for a more digestible experience than some might expect, given the range of influences expressed.
 
10/27/31
DBP 40: Funnelcake Apparitions by various authors
Notes: RC1. Happy Time Circus theme in general, though with a lighter tone, and typically casual / concise level design. Less buggy than other DBPs in the second half of the year. Business as usual for this long-running, popular series; worth a look to a newcomer for the unusual theme.
 
10/28/21
Alpha Major by KineticBeverage
Notes: RC3. Inspired by the (mildly infamous) cavalier / borderline unreasonable/dysfunctional balance of Dimensions, by Killer5, with a more po-mo color-forward neon/metal abstract theme. Rather extreme in spots, the author's understanding of the specific niche-within-a-niche is evident in the design's ability to overcome the somewhat RNG-dependent wildcard nature of its predecessor while communicating a similar frantic energy, though it is still far outside the bounds of what most players will find palatable.
 
10/29/31
Literalism by various authors
Notes: "Final" version. CP where designers were tasked with designing a level based on a pre-assigned, randomly generated (?) map name. Fairly consistent quality for a CP, lots of visual drama, though the arrangement of the map roster has had the side-effect of it peaking in the middle and trailing off towards the end somewhat.
 
10/31/21
Fractured Worlds by Nirvana, Scotty, and Insane_Gazebo
Notes: v1.6. Intelligent, well-schooled evolution of the Stardate/post-Stardate sub-genre. Powerfully focused aesthetics and production design, with a truly impressive variety of innovative encounter-designs.
 
11/02/21
Ad Mortem by various authors
Notes: V3. Vaguely Halloween-themed CP from the /vr/ satellite community. Lots of Blood influence and some strikingly attractive new weapon sprites. Thread activity suggests this may be an incomplete release that will see more maps in the future; I'll believe it when I see it, but this would be quite welcome. The spooky autumnal atmosphere and variety of map styles with a marked adventure-style lean make for something quite appealing. This is easily the best comp release to come from this community to date, and even in its incomplete state is low-key one of the most consistently strong CPs to come out this year, in competition with 1KL3 and other high-profile Doomworld-based releases. Check it out.
 
11/06/21
Chikai Jigoku by ShiroiAkuma51
 
11/08/21
Warglaive by EANB
Wormwood ]I[ by Grain of Salt and Ribbiks
Notes: Continuation of an ongoing Halloween tradition. A short and well-balanced release, contrasting relatively conventional atmosphere-forward maps with some highly mechanical, gimmick-based experimental design. Huge disparity in pitch and pace over a short duration. A bracing, spooky good time.
 
11/11/21
Crypts of Eternity by Decay
 
11/12/21
1000 Lines 3 CP by various authors
Notes: RC1.
 
11/14/21
The Civvie 11 Massacre by various authors
Notes: RC4. GZDoom. "Small" CP from a satellite community based around the popular Youtuber/streamer. Arranged in hub/level-select format, ala RAMP or similar. Wide variety of level sizes and styles, many at the beginner level of design, some quite accomplished. I imagine there are a lot of references/in-jokes here, none of which I personally get, though the set's playability to an outside audience doesn't suffer as a result. Good deep-cut selections for fans of the particular idiosyncrasies of the CP format.
 
11/15/21
Inferno by CHIEF QUEEF
Notes: Requires OTEX to be loaded manually/separately. An outwardly simple clusterfuck scenario in a classic HR/HRII vein, more of a tactical puzzle than a straight-up fight.
Aquarius Ruins by inflame the dragon
Notes: Loosely inspired by the aquatic ruins stage of "Dracula's Curse." Much more chill than that stage of that game, but appealing for cross-fans nonetheless.
Altar of Sacrifice by Esperpento
 
11/16/21
DBP 41: Hell Revealed III (pt. 1) by various authors
Notes: Beta 1. I am disinclined to dignify this with a real response.
 
11/18/21
3 x 3 Take Two by various authors
 
11/20/21
Broken Whispers by kuro_mahoh
Notes: GZDoom. Short, linear, haunted-house style experience, no combat.
Undermine by Benchy
Notes: Second version/edit.
Lunar Laceration by finnks13
Notes: RC2. Another MBF21 release, clearly patterned after Skillsaw's Lunatic thematically. Features a few new enemies and some minor arsenal tweaks, as has been the standard for releases on the frontier of this new port spec. Maps are all compact and mostly shortform in design. More of a traditional techbase slant for most of the runtime, with terser balancing as escalation in the later maps, vs. the rollicking, soft-arena style of Skillsaw's minor classic.
 
11/21/21
Infested by ginc
Notes: v1.0. A variety of representational settings (museum, sewer, corporate highrise) host a marriage between traditional Doom and Doom 2016/Eternal design sensibilities: incidental exploration trades off with wave-based combat. Confidently delivered, the action scales well over the set duration and sits fairly naturally within the setting, with arenas reading well as parts believable parts of various buildings as opposed to simply as VG arenas, ala the modern Doom games.
 
11/23/21
Gehenna by LiquidDoom
Notes: idgames version. Phobos replacement by an established member of the Czech community. The very loose handling of the theme and approach to atmosphere (heavy Hell/abstract thematic slant in the back half) couples with straightforward, room-by-room design and slightly overscaled construction to create a very authentically "retro" feel that recalls the days of 90s webcrawling, long before the TWiD movement was a tingle in its parents' keyboards.
 
11/25/21
Ashes: Afterglow by Vostyok, ReformedJoe, et al
Notes: Continuation of the Ashes 2063 series/universe. More open/exploratory vs. more straightforward action-oriented design of the original and its "expansion" episode, Dead Man Walking, with more fleshed-out level/world construction and more nuance at every level of design in general.
 
11/29/21
NoSp3 by NoReason
Notes: MDF21. idgames version.
 
12/01/21
Ray Mohawk 2: Ray Wreaks Havoc! by various authors
Notes: idgames version. Fullscale sequel/expansion to the popular short episode from 2019. Immediately engaging, action-forward set with a lot of character, eliding from both its bright / sunny island aesthetic and cheerfully overclocked weapon balance, which different contributors explore in a variety of exponentially escalating ways. Strong example of an open, community-sourced project that reads as a cohesive experience, as opposed to a grab-bag of different/disparate ideas.
 
12/03/21
DeadTech by various authors
Notes: Beta 2. GZDoom. CP using Doom64 assets, based on the D64 Retribution conversion (if this means little to you, don't worry -- suffice to say it looks like D64 and feels like the idtech1 games, via GZDoom). Very buggy and unpolished in this version -- different maps expect you to manually rejig your graphics/emulation settings, m10 is totally nonfunctional due to broken scripting, locks/blocks of various severity present in other maps, etc. Nevertheless, the set comes out of the gate very quickly (on skill 4), and offers more than initially meets the eye, with strong concepting on display deeper in, ranging from flooded/water-based maps to timetrial countdowns to highly abstract void-based sojourns. Obviously of great interest to D64 fans, though it is probably wise to wait for the fixes of the announced Beta 3 before partaking.
 
12/07/21
The UnMaking by Ryath
Notes: idgames version.
 
 
 
 

In memory of Kentaro Miura, and the stories he told. The journey is eternal.

Good evening, Moustachio.
 
I'm contacting you as I'm interested in playtesting Atonement, which is looking awesome and, although I don't have much time during the week on account of my job, I'll have time for it this weekend.
 
Additionally, I don't have much of a gaming pc at the moment so, I'll try and record some demos of the Megawad, probably on Chocolate, and send them over.
 
That's all. I hope I can contribute to this WAD's development in a useful way.
 
Have a good one.

Okay, this is a second day of unpaid vacation from discord platform and now I realised how much I value connections and friendships I built through here, I guess that feel then you start missing someone and something is creeping in. In other hand, break from social platforms is good thing(quite ironic because I'm lurking in forum, lol), because I found myself being a bit too overwhelmed by things happening around servers and it's so hard keep up with everything around. 

Anyway, I'm alright and well, most likely I'll get back at Friday or Thursday, working on things I wanted to finish for quite long time. 
Like this full of squares map I'm almost done:

I'm thinking of switching my name to just Moustachio. As long as there's no other Moustachio's on DW of course.

Doom the Way id Did: The Lost Episodes by various authors (review posted 08/31/19)
 

 
Doom the Way id Did had the community in a fervor, attempting to make levels in the styles of Romero, Hall, and Petersen. Many of the castoffs were collected into this megaWAD. It's full of classically-oriented action with a few twists here and there as things diverge from "id-like" design. Its infamous post-production period got it a Mordeth Award as well as a few new definitely-not-id outings.
 
@hobomaster22 @40oz @Lorenzo @Armaetus @Marcaek @Alfonzo @Xaser @Marn @ellmo @M3g4Sph3r3 @Walter confetti @Foodles @XenoNemisis @Icytux @General Rainbow Bacon @Mr. Freeze @C30N9 @Captain Toenail @The Mysterious Moustachio @Taedium @Hellbent @ShadesMaster @Memfis
 
R.I.P. @phobosdeimos1
 
 

I don't remember who said that I'm already a good mapper year or two back, when I showed never properly finished map back then, but I want say thank you. Everytime, when I feel discouraged or sad over mapping stuff, I just remember those words and continue foward regardless of outcome.