Magnusblitz

MAP03 100% kills, 2/2 secrets Unsurprisingly, this one feels very similar in terms of design to MAP01 - the emphasis seems to be on establishing a real sense of place, and the storytelling that goes along with it, though (at least IMO) at the expense of gameplay/combat. The chasm itself is clearly the main attraction, but there's lot of other details that help too like the rain outside, the lifts down to the lava, damaged/destroyed portions of the base, and the maintenance ducts that need to be explored to cross the chasm. It's the sort of thing that in a modern day game, the player character would probably say something like "bridge is out, what now" and your quest log would be telling you to "find a way across." But the detailing here is strong enough to sell that without needing to announce it. The downside is that combat remains very tepid (though apparently if you're playing pistol start there is a sense of ammo deprivation that can spice things up). I'm playing continuous so ammo wasn't a problem, and the lameness of the combat becomes very apparent - lots of skinny hallways, or door chokepoints, and it's just a matter of holding down the shotgun button until everything's dead. Thankfully the SSG helps speed things up, but even then, the pinkie maze is a chore (although it's also the only place where the player ever gets threatened in more than one direction). I'm also a little peeved at the lack of signposts for the exit, though I suspect this was an atmospheric choice (there wouldn't really be an 'exit' sign here as the levels aren't standalone structures like the Doom 1 moonbase buildings). The megasphere secret felt a bit random but also cleverly hidden.

Equinox Gonna play continuous for this one since it seems intended. MAP01 100% kills, 4/5 secrets Pretty interesting to play this one right after Biowar, as despite coming out only 2 years apart they both (at least at first brush) seem to have very different design philosophies. Biowar feels very much like a product of the late 90s and all its earnest clunkiness, whereas Equinox's opening level feels much more stylized and detailed, with lots of custom textures putting in work and a very impressive facility facade that still holds up today. The interior is pretty good too (though admittedly I'm a sucker for the silver base + blue carpet theme), really feeling like the entryway to a big fancy corporate building. That said, it's not without its negatives. The sound replacements are a downgrade for me, especially the pistol shot which sounds like the hammer of Thor, but as far as I can tell in terms of damage is still the same old lousy pistol. The gameplay is also very tedious, basically consisting of small fry in hallways and small fry in large open rooms, all flat, and all in front of the player with nothing interesting going on. The only real threat is the lack of ammo, especially if you're missing some of the shotgun ammo secrets. Hopefully the latter maps pick up in this regard. MAP02 100% kills, 1/1 secret The "hub map" choice is an interesting design choice, doesn't quite serve the typical DWMC map-a-day model but I think it's a cool idea to help sell the 'story' of the WAD and make things feel connected from one map to the next, which I really like. The actual map is pretty much over and done with before you can say too much, but I like the preview of things to come with the labelled (but offline) teleporters.

MAP17: Sacrilege 100% kills, 2/2 secrets This one is on the stronger side, another decently fun map that doesn't outstay its welcome. I like the throwback feel of the blue key wing, with stuff like the trap floors that drop into slime or the combo wall/bridge halfway through. The red key wing has tougher combat, but isn't as environmentally interesting. It also has a rather problem in that the pinkie swarm that gets released from the switch near the manc can't cross up the ledge due to a poorly placed block monster line. Cybie is easy to telefrag by hitting the red switch and luring him into the teleporter, and the Spider at the end isn't difficult in the slightest with the resources you have at that point. MAP18: Die Heuschrecke Weird name. There's some perfunctory brown hallways to clear first, then some switch hitting under the gaze of the IoS, which surprisingly doesn't lower a lift to shoot rockets in its brain, but instead lets the player drop down to an exposed core to grant it an easy death. Some AVs pop out to defend but it's far too easy to pound a couple rockets in before they can do anything, the end. Overall Thoughts: It's okay? To be honest, there's not very much memorable about this set at all. There's a few interesting attempts at atmosphere/theme, and some okay combat maps, but overall it's just very tepid. Outside of the two softlocks (closeable S1 door in MAP05 and the red key column in MAP14) there's not much to complain about either, except a couple of terrible sound replacements (heavy breathing zombies and dog imps). It does have some 90s charm but for something that came out in 1999 I expected a bit more. Best maps: 9 (Security), 13 (UAC Prison), 15 (Heat), 17 (Sacrilege) Worst maps: 1 (The End), 10 (Dark Woods) Overall rating: 2/5 (3/5 adjusting for era)

MAP31: Juggelo [sic] Funhouse 100% kills, 1/1 secret This one is decent enough, with some quick fights and both boss monsters, though neither is too threatening. The Spider Mastermind fight could've been somewhat interesting by forcing the player to run in and out of cover with the RL for ammo and avoid being too close, but the map gives the player so many shells early they can just hide behind one block and play peekabo with the SSG. The Cyberdemon is also in a big open room and provides no threat to the modern player. I'm not sure if the juggalos are supposed to be honored or hated, though I suspect the latter (i.e., much like the player comes across a nazi castle and has to clear it out like the Wolfenstein map). MAP16: The Killing Fields 97% kills, 1/2 secrets Somewhat striking wasteland area near the start (and ends up being the exit), which I suppose is intended as the titular fields. In-between is a bit cave/base exploration that feels a bit random, with a couple of interesting bits (I like the skull maze and the use of darkness to place all the monsters as black silhouettes) but a lot of boring ones, as many portions of the map are just far too oversized for the monsters within. Also a bit of unclear progression and "what did this switch do, exactly?"

MAP14: Absolution 100% kills, 1/3 secret Guess we're in hell now, though some places feel more like the Shores of Hell in-between stage. Combined with the fact I didn't find any SSG, the map actually felt (apart from the chaingunners) very Doom 1. It also meant that combat early on was somewhat difficult - not a lot of resources, and I took a dumb hit from the church baron, so was running on fumes for most of the map until getting the RL. Things really soured when I got locked in because I went through the yellow door without lowering the red key column first. Really makes you appreciate the playtesting modern WADs go through! MAP15: Heat 100% kills, 2/2 secrets This was a lot of more my jam, just the right length and nice punchy pace. Also the Heretic lava texture has always been my favorite lava look (though it does look weird as lavafalls). Thankfully I spotted the SSG in the lava. The first vile room (with the vile coming out of the red pit in the middle) reminded me of the one in MAP28 The Spirit World, though checking it the textures are all wrong. The regular walk-over exit line was far too close to the secret exit switch for my liking, accidentally walked over it by mistake at first.

MAP13: UAC Prison 100% kills, 2/2 secrets Still a few maps left but I suspect when all is said and done this will be the one that stands out in my memory. It definitely has that 90's vibe to it, especially the somewhat obtuse switch progression at the start, but I never got lost or confused, just more kept in surprise as to what would happen next. I can also definitely see the TNT comparisons. The map is also notable for being loaded to the gills with monster meat (and probably two-thirds of it is shotgunners). I wouldn't want to play a whole megawad like this, but after the last few relatively empty maps, it's a nice change of pace. Things do threaten to get a little boring in the last run, especially making the way through the prison cell area, but thankfully the abundance of plasma helps the player move through things quickly. What's probably the most aggravating is there's a fair amount of blind ambushes due to the lifts, but there's also a decent amount of armor and invisibility spheres to help mitigate this.

Good memory! Little bit of googling turned up this: https://magazinesfromthepast.fandom.com/wiki/Amiga_CD32_Gamer_Issue_1

MAP12: Military Center 100% kills, 2/2 secrets I can see the comparison others are making to MAP02, in that both have a center hub with blind teleports to each of the four key areas. I actually liked the center hub area of this one the most, as the design allows the monsters to roam and flank the player, wish more was done with it. The rest of the map is pretty ho-hum though, lots of rote SSG work. There is some slight weirdness in the progression that two of the wings unlock the red and yellow keys in the center, but the blue key's unlock is hidden behind the other key doors rather than just being a third un-keyed wing. I suppose this is the sort of thing that sticks out when the rest of the map is so mentally unstimulating.

MAP11: Frozen Terror 100% kills, 2/2 secrets A lot like last map, the aesthetic theme is the main thing going for it, and the actual gameplay is pretty subpar. Still, it's an improvement, since I don't have to pistol 20 imps this time before getting a shotgun, and there are a couple of interesting fights (though most of the danger comes from chaingunner ambushes coupled with a lack of armor). I'm not sure the second secret, trading a baron's worth of ammo for a chainsaw, is quite worth it, though I did use the chainsaw on the arachnatrons at the end. Speaking of, that elevator ambush seemed like it was gonna be interesting, but it really peters out at the end with the penultimate fight being 3 imps and the last warp-in being one 'tron. I might have been primed by the textures but the red key room reminded me of the "four swords" room in Guardian of Ice from Hexen. Oh yeah, and obligatory fuck that one lift.

MAP09: Security Zone 100% kills, 11/11 secrets Definitely a Pcorf map, very orthogonal but nicely detailed in the classic sense, and the telltale key door hub. This one provides a nice one-map journey through the armory/bestiary, starting with shotgunning low tier zombies up through rocket/BFG against Arch-Viles and the like. What stands out the most is that this map is absolutely loaded to the gills with secrets, most of which are a not-too-difficult "spot the different/misaligned texture" and a supply closet (though I did like the AV jumpscare on the first BFG). The revenant duel for the red key is probably the standout combat moment, especially given the ring of fire around the area that makes dodging even more precarious. Get past that though, and the secrets will trivialize the rest of the map. The rocket launcher comes a bit later than I would've liked. Still, good classic Doom map. MAP10: Dark Woods 100% kills, 1/1 secret This one is pretty blah by comparison, as mostly being a bunch of large rooms with a small amount of enemies strewn about, and thus not very challenging in the slightest. It's also a bit of a drag on pistol start, as I had to kill 20 zombies/imps with the pistol (a fourth of the map's enemy count) before getting a new weapon. Points for the theme but the gameplay is just super boring.

I'd feel remiss not joining in, especially since the maps look relatively on the short and sweet side this month. Gonna just do some quick capsule reviews as I catch up. Biowar UV, pistol start, mouselook, save/reload as I like. The sound replacements are very much a "as was the style at the time" 90s thing, though it feels a bit cringey now. Stuff like the door/switch replacements are fine, but the Quake sounds stick out too much as, well, Quake, and stuff like the zombies' overly loud breathing and the imp dog noises are really annoying. I am a bit intrigued by the potato-faced protagonist replacement, though I barely see it playing with the modern ZDoom HUD. MAP01: The End I like the opening room here, some nice details with the ship in the sky, custom textured computer, and custom environmental sound effects (I'm guessing with thing replacements ala Aliens TC). After that it's pretty banal though, just a lot of pistol work with no armor, actually kinda dangerous (not sure if the secrets help, only found the two shotgun rooms at the end). MAP02: Terror Core This might be one of the smallest 3-key hub levels I've played. This one nicely provides a lot of health supplies in the starting hub, which is good because there's a lot of blind drops/teleports into hitscanner ambushes and its quite easy to get ripped up. It's also very short, which helps make it feel nice and punchy though instead of too punishing. MAP03: Onslaught This one gives you a green armor and chaingun at the start (and an easily found secret blue armor later), as well as a lot more room to maneuver, so it plays a lot easier than the two preceding maps despite 'larger' monsters like cacos and chaingunners. Still decent enough, there's a nice little teleport ambush near the end. MAP04: The Arrival Nice little Doomcute ship at the start (including dangerous thruster exhaust!) and a nice custom texture map. Lots of somewhat vague switch-hitting here, but the map is pretty small (cramped, even) so getting lost isn't much of a problem. The cacos coming out of the sludge were actually a bit dangerous since they teleport on top of you. MAP05: Skybase An actual full-sized map! All three keys, with a lot of backtracking as well, probably too much. Lots of variation in texturing, but in a good 90s way that keeps things fresh and interesting. Like many others, I got locked out by a poorly-designed door on the way back to the blue key and had to IDCLIP my way through. MAP06: Last Call On the flip side, this one is what I would call "bad 90s" with a lot of ugly texturing and schizo theming. Also lots of vague switches and skinny corridors. I even had trouble grabbing the blue key off the column and wandered around confused for awhile before finally succeeding. I do like all of the moving engine parts, though walkover lines to turn them off (when the player isn't present) should be a lot farther away. MAP07: Apparatus Big upswing in difficulty here, possibly intended as a 'boss map'? Pain Elementals, a Spider Mastermind, and a decently difficult AV encounter. I ended up just running by a lot of the enemies at the end, didn't feel like sticking around to spend time clearing skulls and Barons. MAP08: Biolabs This one feels more in line with the rest of the WAD so far. This one feels a bit easy to begin, but this might just be to lull the player into a sense of safety as there's a couple of tough traps, at least on pistol start - the tango with the two hell knights while I still only had the single shotgun was tough. Thematically it's pretty nice with the UAC labs motif.

Speaking only for myself, a large part of it was just a change in time availability - I had been working part-time for quite awhile but finally got back to full time about 5 years ago and my participation dropped off. I've still participated in months where I had more free time and/or was really interested in the WAD, but unfortunately that's not the case every month. In terms of overall trends, I could see it being a combination of things... I think @Celestin raises a good one, too much new stuff might splinter interest as people are already dedicating their time to other stuff. I think also as the club has run through a lot of the old stuff worth playing, and turned to newer things, that can work against it, because people might have just already played it and don't want to revisit it so soon. Also, newer stuff in general tends to be bigger and more grandiose than 90s megawads, though of course this isn't always true. There are definitely smaller mapsets, to be sure, but it can be hard to hit that happy medium between "too long to play on a daily basis" and "too short to have anything to say." I certainly hope this isn't the end, as this has really been my central gateway to playing Doom and staying involved, but I'm also one of those oldtimers who's drifted away (though, I did also rarely vote, as didn't know enough about the choices!) So I'll just say big thanks to @dobu gabu maru for continuing to run things even long after he stopped participating himself.

MAP30: Nostalgia 1/1 secret One of the easier and more perfunctory IOS maps I've played; I was a bit surprised when I opened the red door and it's just a direct shot to the exposed IOS brain, no need to futz around with lifts or timing or anything like that. Actually quite simple to beat without firing a shot (well, except for the rockets at the end), as long as the SMM moves out of your way, as it's fairly easy to avoid the cyber by the switch. I do think I was benefiting from a bug in that I think two cybers are supposed to teleport in and form a wall on the red key, but one of them routinely kept dying on teleport (probably some ZDoom setting I have mistakenly set) making it easy to get the other one to get distracted and you can just run in and out around him to grab the key. Overall Thoughts Short maps are always a double-edged sword for DWMC... playing one map a day, it can sometimes feel like a disservice to pacing that might not be a problem if you play several of the maps at once. OTOH it also lets me actually play them and participate, just don't have the time to play a huge map every day anymore unfortunately. As for the WAD itself, it was definitely... okay. Everything is well-crafted in the technical sense, there's not really any game-breaking bugs or really poor design choices. At worst, things just get bland and/or predictable. The early maps are definitely the weakest, being somewhat reliant on IWAD homages and being overly blocky, but things ramp up a bit in the second episode.

MAP29: Chambers of Dis 100% kills, 4/4 secrets Nice marble-and-blood theme, and the curves help alleviate some of the corridorishness of it. The first cyber was fun to use to infight, especially racing ahead to let the AVs out too for some spice. Ended up with one lone hell knight surviving Mr. Cyber. Also, I think I found all the missing ammo from last map... it certainly is more fun to blast through stuff like the caco wave when you can just let loose with the rocket launcher and not worry about ammo. The second cyber-vs-knights fight is pretty meh IMO, as the cybers just turn out to be a giant meatwall easily taken out with the BFG after being softened up by the hell knights. I found all the secrets but only after going back to look for them, just got lazy I guess (and didn't even have any use for the megasphere because of it). All in all, it's ok.

MAP28: Seasons of the Abyss 100% kills, 1/1 secret Didn't really like this one, though partially that may have been just due to some bad luck as I ate some bad revenant rockets over and over in the first fight as the curve of the area makes it hard to avoid them. Also I probably tried to stir up infights a bit too much, I actually ended up just playing the first section normally, though I did get the monsters around the BFG to take each other out, and used two barons to occupy the cyber. Ammo was stingy too. A nice vista but the actual combat areas, especially the second half, just pretty meh.