The DWmegawad Club plays: Doom 2 the Way id Did

What is the DWmegawad Club?
This is a place where we settle down, have a cup of tea (or drink of your choice) and take a month to play through a megawad on our own, together! Any keen observations, criticisms, or frustrated ranting about it goes here in the discussion. As long as you want to say something about what you've played, feel free to speak your mind.

Can I join?
Sure. The only rule is that you have to play at least some of the levels in our monthly megawad to contribute, but you're generally encouraged to finish the whole thing, even if you've played it before.

What levels am I allowed to post about?
Whatever day of the month it is, is the upper limit for the map you can post on. So if it's the 6th, you may discuss up to MAP06.

Do I have to post an entry every day?
Nope, not at all. This is only for our more enthusiastic members. As long as you play through it with us you’re part of the club.

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The megawad we are playing through currently is Doom 2 the Way id Did

>>>Doom 2 the Way id Did<<<

Time for a blast from the past (kinda)! Doom 2 the Way id Did (released in 2013) takes on the spirit of the original Doom the Way id Did, this time scrutinizing and copying how Sandy Petersen, John Romero and American McGee designed Doom 2. It's designed by a tight team, so let's see how this stacks up to its predecessor!

Author & maplist for Doom 2 the Way id Did

Quote

Map01 - "Loading Bay” by RottKing
Map02 - “The Compound” by Tarnsman
Map03 - “Water Main” by Esselfortium
Map04 - “The Terminal” by Alfonzo
Map05 - "The Boiler” by Pavera
Map06 - "The Gorge” by Esselfortium
Map07 - “Counterpoint” by Tarnsman
Map08 - “Quarantine” by Purist & Tarnsman
Map09 - “The Gambit” by Tarnsman
Map10 - “Reservoirs” by Tarnsman
Map11 - “The Garrison” by Pavera
Map12 - “The Shipyard” by Esselfortium
Map13 - “The Wharf” by Marcaek
Map14 - “Flooded Library” by Jimmy
Map15 - “The Causeway” by Tarnsman

Map31 - “Vorticon” by Xaser & Megalyth
Map32 - “Well of Wishes” by Xaser

Map16 - “Cul-de-sac” by Pavera
Map17 - “The Precinct” by Tarnsman
Map18 - “The Sanctum” by RottKing
Map19 - “Bedlam” by Alfonzo
Map20 - “Leap of Faith” by Esselfortium
Map21 - “Passage to Exile” by Megalyth & Marcaek
Map22 - “Borderlands” by Tarnsman
Map23 - “The Crucible” by Tarnsman
Map24 - “Crushed Spirits” by Marcaek
Map25 - “Dead Sea” by Esselfortium
Map26 - “Damned Strait!” by Tarnsman
Map27 - “The Bloodwash” by Alfonzo
Map28 - “Abyss” by Xaser
Map29 - “The Mortal Coil” by Esselfortium
Map30 - “Hell on Earth” by Alfonzo

BONUS CONTENT
kmxexii's review
Antroid's Let's Play (feat. Alfonzo)
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OLD THREADS
BF_THUD!
Community Chest 4
Jenesis
MAYhem 2012
Memento Mori
Interception
2002: A Doom Odyssey
Hadephobia
Coffee Break & Fava Beans & Double Impact
HYMN
Stardate 20X6 & Monochrome Mapping Project
Realm of Chaos
Back to Saturn X E1 & Favillesco E1
Kama Sutra
Unholy Realms & Zone 300
Vile Flesh
Ultimate Doom
Whitemare & Sacrament
Scythe
Epic 2
Whitemare 2
Sunder & Countdown to Extinction

MAP01- Simple as heck, easy as heck, and uses my favorite textures, monsters are weak and it's 'pistol-with-a-shotgun-in-a-secret' type of megawad opener, almost like scythe, would be cool with a BFG in the back tho, heh.

Oh, cool. I didn't think D2TWID would ever get picked, haha. Looking forward to the reviews and discussion.

A couple of errors in the maps/authors list: map29 is mine, not Alfonzo's, and Marcaek's name is spelled incorrectly on map21.

I look forward to finding out if there's some sort of trick you have to do on MAP09's switch-floor section, or it really is that difficult.
While I'm here, clever use of the dead lost soul class to define a custom monster. Never seen that done before.

Doom 2 The Way ID Did- MAP 1: HMP, Continuous, Keyboard Only

Nothing special here, even for an opening map it's super easy.

As far as the project goal is concerned, I don't feel that this map gets it quite right. The opening shot does it's intended job of replicating the goal of the opening maps of both Doom & Doom2, which is showing off variation in height & lighting. The rest of the map replicates the opening maps by having both interior & exterior areas, introducing the player to other basic things such as doors, switches, & the concept of secrets. The gameplay sticks with the basic imps/zombiemen of doom 2, I will say that it seem that I was fighting more imps than zombiemen compared to Doom 2. After a quick look through the editor it looks like D2TWID has a more equal distribution of imps & Zombies, whereas Doom 2 had quite a few more zombies than imps. As to where I feel this map fails is in it's texture selection & lighting. The map is just to dark, in addition to just simply using low light levels there are not enough bright textures used, it's mostly browns, dark greys, & dirty greens. Compared to Entryway this map just looks depressing.

So is Marcaek one of the authors of map 21? He's not credited in the text file. Apparently there was a re-upload in December '13, because my original text file from November '13 didn't include it.

Anyway... I haven't played through Doom 2 in a while (and I only played it a single time), so I'm going to try and play the D2TWID maps with their corresponding Doom 2 maps and drop my thoughts on both, if that's ok.

Playing using PRBoom+, -complevel 2, UV, pistol start but with saves.

Wad: Doom 2
Slot: 1
Map: Entryway
Author: Sandy Peterson
Notes:
This map really holds up as a fantastic intro to Doom 2. Memorable pieces include the non-secret chainsaw secret, the multiple hidden imps, the outdoor shotgun secret with imps ready to be blasted.

Wad: Doom 2 the Way iD Did
Slot: 1
Map: Loading Bay
Author: Matt Cibulas
Notes:
Any map that I'm able to play through without taking damage on UV is probably a little bit too easy. Even in Entryway I take some damage. I figured out how to get outdoors and found the chaingun secret, but while I think the third has something to do with the big round metal things in the second last room, I couldn't figure out how to get the third secret. I like the hidden imps in the two secrets I did find; that reminds me of Entryway. It feels bigger than Entryway, and it's less punchy because of that.

MAP01: Loading Bay (Playing on Zandronum, UV, Keyboard+Mouse)

This map is rather short and easy, easier than the first map of Doom 2. Took a few hits on UV, but nothing too major. Managed to find all three secrets after a couple minutes of searching (The Soulsphere secret in particular took a bit of time). Overall, decent intro map, looking forward to the rest of the WAD.

Back in the game
Map01 - "Loading Bay” by RottKing
Not much to say here, does the map meet the criteria of an IWad introductory level? Yeah I think it does. Small yet feels quite expansive with plenty of height variation and room to maneuver. Found 2 secrets and the combat was easy, but that was to be expected.

Hey, someone ought to try this solo-net, for science. ;)

Psyched to see this one on the roster, though! Hopefully it lives up to an expectation or two. :P

IDK if solonet would make much of a difference considering ID MP placement is basically "here's another cyberdemon" on all the romero levels. That said, maybe some people like more cyberdemons :V

Well, I played through this through on HMP back in January, so I'll give it a go on UV this time. As always, GZDoom/keyboard/continuous.

MAP01: Loading Bay
This one never "felt" like a Doom 2 level to me, and I'm not sure why. I think the yellow-brown textures throughout remind me of the first map of No Rest For The Living more than anything. Combat's simple and pistol-heavy, with some surprise imps, but the major pain is tracking down the secrets. The jump through the window to get outside always seemed awkward, and I've never found the final secret (in the middle of the map): though the door (marked with the offset texture) is obvious, I've never been able to open it.

I also played through this a while ago, but that was a continuous run through so time to go through it on pistol starts.

Map01 - "Loading Bay” by RottKing

That opening view bugs me for some reason, the way it is looking at everything from the wrong angle, then again the whole map is full of disjointed angles and semi organic architecture so I'm guessing thats a theme (the exit room itself is at 45 degrees as if to underline this). It feels a bit big and clunky with the high ceilings and large rooms drawing attention to how thinly populated it is. I found all the secrets though so thats a bonus.

Marcaek said:

IDK if solonet would make much of a difference considering ID MP placement is basically "here's another cyberdemon" on all the romero levels.

Shhh, you're spoiling it. D:

so the baron on the right in the image was Tarnsman the whole time?

whoop, as I said before, I'm sitting this one out.

I've never really liked Doom 2 all that much to be honest, but I'll see how long this holds my interest. Playing on ZDoom, UV, continuous (for now, unless I start to get really bored), save/reload as I see fit.

MAP01: Loading Bay
100% kills | 3/3 secrets | 5:32

Hmm. Not bad for an introductory map, one can certainly see a general resemblance to Entryway (lots of tans and browns inside, a grassy outside area, etc.) There are a few things that strike me as a bit odd from an id level, but I'm sure that someone could quickly prove me wrong given how much examination there was in making these maps. The main thing for me is that the level feels bigger, and emptier. I agree with 7hm that this actually feels easier than Entryway - I actually take damage on that map. Rarely more than one enemy on the screen here, and when there is, they're spread out in such a way that isn't that dangerous (i.e., all lined up down a corridor).

Most of the time was spent hunting down secrets. I found the soulsphere one right away (my ears are keenly attuned to the falling of a secret wall...), figured out to jump through the window after awhile. The chainsaw took me the longest, though I found it fairly quickly when I remembered to look at the minimap.

One thing that probably is an error - one of the SUPPORT3 sides of the wall that drops for the soulsphere secret isn't aligned correctly.

Howdy folks! Thought I might drop by and leave a few words, being a project leader of sorts. I've already offered plenty of commentary on the design and development of D2TWiD over at Doom Radio and in an exclusive playthrough of the mapset by Antroid, but I can't pass up an opportunity to get some of it down in print and so here I am! The authors of each map will doubtless provide a bit more insight into the design of their own creations than I will, but we were all communicative enough that you should be able to take my word for what the process was like, or there abouts.

Developer's Notes:

...
MAP01: Loading Bay
Oddly, and in contrast to the first DTWiD where we were getting E1M1's right off the bat, the MAP01 slot didn't see very many submissions until deep into the later stages of the project's development, when Jimmy and Rottking in particular had a crack at bringing home the bacon (Hellbent, Marnetmar and NoneeLlama each attempted a map at some point early on but the want of stucco, tightly knit corridors and other peculiarities was lacking for most project enthusiasts).

This was the 3rd or 4th attempt by RottKing to make a MAP01 equally as striking as Entryway in its ability to demonstrate what the engine was capable of from a historical point of view, and for its DM versatility. He and dew spent a while duelling on the map to ensure it was fun enough to play, though clearly less obscenely balanced than Entryway what with the lack of grossly biased spawn points, and a good many hours were poured into making the opening shot of the game look just as impressive and iconic as the original. It's a neat little nipper of an opening, I think, and offers up a little bit of that Doom 2 replay factor with plenty of extra titbits and niches to bulk the map out beyond its 10 second running time.

Here's a little bit of trivia for you: there was a cyberdemon in the starting room in MP until the very last beta. Who the hell removed it?! He was a quality inclusion and the man responsible should be hanged, drawn and quartered like an animal. The bastard.

EDIT: Rott has kindly informed me that this was more like his 5th or 6th attempt. Sweet jesus.

Posting a link to my review since this is one of those rare times where it was done prior to the MWC picking it up.

7hm said:

I'm going to try and play the D2TWID maps with their corresponding Doom 2 maps and drop my thoughts on both, if that's ok.

Except for the key slots in 01, 07, and 30, D2TWiD's maps don't correspond to the original maps that take their place, and this despite the fact that many of the Romero and McGee maps appear in exactly the same spots (MAP11, 17, 20 etc.). Contributors made maps for the episode they wanted it to feature in, and the arrangement was made in a way that was only roughly analogous to the stock line-up. In fact, the end result's positioning of authorship was mostly coincidental save for E1, where McGee was needed to fill out the roster because of his tendency to make smaller maps.

Still, it's a good idea to play Doom 2 alongside it anyway, because you'll likely get a better idea for some of the design choices made. That and it's a great game!

Alfonzo said:

Except for the key slots in 01, 07, and 30, D2TWiD's maps don't correspond to the original maps that take their place, and this despite the fact that many of the Romero and McGee maps appear in exactly the same spots (MAP11, 17, 20 etc.). Contributors made maps for the episode they wanted it to feature in, and the arrangement was made in a way that was only roughly analogous to the stock line-up. In fact, the end result's positioning of authorship was mostly coincidental save for E1, where McGee was needed to fill out the roster because of his tendency to make smaller maps.

Still, it's a good idea to play Doom 2 alongside it anyway, because you'll likely get a better idea for some of the design choices made. That and it's a great game!

Hmm, I didn't realize that. In that case I'll still do the same thing, but just keep my Doom 2 thoughts to myself (except for 1,7,30, I guess).

Alright, D2TWiD. I've been wanting to play this for a while, mostly because I've had a craving for some fresh Petersenesque maps for a few months now. Incidentally, Sandy is the author of most of my favorite maps in Doom II (and in the original game, in fact), while McGee's work generally has had the toughest time finding purchase with me, so in the interest of gauging authenticity we'll see if the same holds true here with these affectionate Sandylikes and detailed McGeegaws (don't worry about the Romerothings, they'll have their moment in the sun, I'm sure).

Other general information that may be vaguely pertinent....for my part, I've always mostly liked the original Doom II, and so I don't expect to feel compelled to take a particularly skeptical/adversarial stance regarding D2TWiD's basic design style coming out of the gate. While I do agree somewhat with the popular charges that Doom II's surface aesthetic is somewhat more drab and sleazy and even tacky in some ways than that of its predecessor, its actual level design--layout, flow, choreography, things like that--in concert with the world of new possibilities introduced by its new items and augmented bestiary easily elevate it to a higher plane and more than justify its status. That being said, I suppose it may be worth mentioning that my favorite part of the original DTWiD purely from an end-user standpoint, episode 2, was also actually the one I felt to be by far the least successful in terms of minutely/faithfully resembling the source material, while the part I felt to be the most successful/thorough emulation, episode 1, was also the least engaging to actually play. It will be interesting to see if the same holds true here, but I somehow suspect it won't....Doom II itself is a more varied and stylistically freewheeling game--with a wider scope for imagining what 'could have easily been', if you will--than the original Doom, and so perhaps the TWiD team will have found authenticity and novelty to be at odds less often (as they clearly sometimes are in the original DTWiD) in the making of this WAD. I suppose the most pertinent thing I can say is that, for me, the WAD's overall enjoyability is not going to be predicated in the first instance on how 'authentic' I feel it to be; that aspect will be more like an interesting bonus layer to the overall product.

Anyway, enough chatter. As per usual, pistol starts on UV, going to try to refrain from saving much (if at all), etc. etc. etc. Without further ado.....

Map 01 -- Loading Bay - 100% Kills / 100% Secrets
Hmm, already some interesting angles that can be taken in regards to the subject of authenticity. Bearing in mind that in the world of D2TWiD.wad, the 'original game' is DTWiD.wad rather than Doom.wad, I think that 'Loading Bay' carries the torch fairly well. Like Esselfortium's E1M1 from that game, this is a surprisingly elaborate, even flashy, introductory map with a thoroughly interconnected layout mined by some clever secrets. Also like that map, the actual UV-skill combat is so utterly paltry (even in comparison to what the actual IWADs fielded in their first maps) that it hardly seems worth mentioning; the star of map 01 is completely and utterly the structure itself. For my part, I find it to be rather attractive on an aesthetic level, largely a function of the way it is lit, to the point where if I were to feel compelled to really critique its authenticity this would probably be something I'd focus on (and an issue I suspect is going to crop up over and over again throughout the playthrough)--it's true that DooM II has all kinds of striking lighting contrasts, but rarely are they presented in such a smoothly-gradated, consciously "realistic" way (although this is again mitigated somewhat if we consider DTWiD as the game's predecessor, since it compared similarly to the actual IWAD in this sense). In some ways, though, this kind of thing is why this WAD is a little more challenging to talk about than a lot of what the Club has played previously....I call something into question, and yet I'm not necessarily always going to be actually complaining when I do so, because I find the end product pleasing in its own right.

The one thing I definitely do feel the map gets a bit wrong any way you slice it as an id-style first map, whether we compare it to the actual IWADs or look at it as a natural continuation of the DTWiD alternate timeline, is that its outdoor area doesn't feel nearly special enough. The way in which you actually reach the outdoor area is what is highlighted here, and it's cool in its own right and all (very clever by map 01 standards, especially the indirect connection to an alternate exit route), but once you're out there it's all rather anticlimactic, even the material reward isn't particularly exciting (first green armor, "whooooo."). Entrway's outdoor area is openly telegraphed by the huge window in the penultimate room and features a surprisingly large group of imps and the first chance at the beloved shotgun once you actually get out there; Hangar's mysterious blue armor openly entices you from nearly the word go until nearly the end of the map; and Communications Bridge has that observation point with the green armor that features a complex view across some exterior ledges and a pool of slime (all with tasty pickups in/around them) into another window and through several partitions of the titular Bridge in a distant part of the compound. The outdoor area here, well, it's vaguely hinted at by a high window, and it's an anonymous, unpopulated grassy sideyard with a sweaty old mustard-stained security vest in one corner once you get out there, somehow seems a bit out of keeping with the id/TWid spirit of shouting "Hey look boys and girls the outdoors are gonna be a THING in this game!" in the first map.

That aside, I do still feel it works as a map 01 (albeit not the most commanding one), histrionically id-like in every respect or no, simply because it does serve as a rather thorough sampler of what it feels like to actually move around in this engine/game world.

Popping in to emphasize the DM aspect of map01. Entryway is perhaps the most unique duel map of all time (in all games), simply because it's absurdly complex, chess-like and uncompromising for all the wrong reasons. At the basic layout level, it's a broken piece of crap, unbalanced to the point of being laughable. 4 spawns, 3 of them useless, the last remaining one gets nukes and sandworms. And it's not a circular or even interconnected design, by gods! But thanks to a rich array of Doom engine bugs, exploits and a massive dose of strange mapping luck, it all fits together and creates one of the most challenging DM maps in history. If you acquire that taste. Watching two elite-level players then showcases more "Doom skills" than the rest of the Doom maps combined (pardon my artistic licence).

For me, d2twid map01 wasn't about "iconic opening blahblah" or "intriducing zombiemen and yadda yadda", it was about recreating that crazy magic at least partially. This was perhaps the hardest task in front of the d2twid team, because Entry is a cult icon for the most grizzled, jaded and self-entitled "Doomgods" out there and in the 20 years of Doom, one would struggle to come up with a handful of maps that get close to that uniquely punishing, unfair, "make a miracle or die" gameplay. And one of them is The Gantlet, which doesn't count. The entire DM mapping industry moved away from hopeless attempts to strike that legendary weapon balance (every weapon is useful) and stuck with circular designs, arenas and SSGs.

But the d2twid remake also has to be original enough, right? No blatant copying. I have to praise Rott for doing what few mappers could. While leaving the cul-de-sac design and having some circular routes in his layout, it's still quite easy to get trapped somewhere. Plenty of height dropoffs and strategic bottlenecks mean you can get locked in a room by a guy with stronger weapons. Some spawns are still pretty much haha-fuck-you and yup, there's a lot of stuff to exploit, but in a different way than in d2map01. Rott employed different bugs, if you wish. :)

So it plays different, because it's a very different map and it's not quite that dickish (which also means it's more approachable by newbies), but it succeeds at evoking that unique nostalgic feeling when playing d2m1 or d2m3. And it plays good.

Map02 - “The Compound” by Tarnsman

Again with the diagonal start. I had to check the original game and it does indeed have a few diagonal starts, though they are usually reserved for directions of interest, so this one seemed a little weird since players will be mostly concerned with the building directly opposite, but hey ho. This map seemed quite a step up in difficulty from the last one. The red key trap where you get attacked from front and rear is a bit nasty, i was on low health for a bit after that, guess I wasn't expecting such a trap this early in the wad so it took me by surprise a bit. I should say that even though I played this before, it was quite a speedy run through several months ago so I can't remember much. Got both the secrets, not that either of them helped me by that time, but quite a treat for continuous players. I found the biggest threat was from bullets hitting my naked body, those shotgunners can really knock a chunk out of your health if you are unlucky. Pretty fun, nice use of lighting and surprise lifts.

Out of interest I had another go at doom 2 map02 and you really notice the difference in difficulty, for example in the dtwid map02 you get a number of situations where you are forced to take immediate cover, such as lifts that deposit you directly in front of enemies, or enemies dropping down from lifts. Nothing remotely as threatening happens in the original, I'm wondering if the map makers made a conscious decision to steepen the difficulty curve for the modern audience? I wont complain about this being "not like doom 2" as I try and view this wad as a sequel by the original authors rather than a direct analogue of the original.

MAP02: The Compound
I love this level. The opening gives vibes of Underhalls by having a channel dividing the two portions of the starting area; pretty superficial, but that (coupled with the music) really puts me in mind of the original MAP02. Like that map, this one also features tons of deadly hitscanners. Lots of fun/tough ambushes here; I took a lot more damage on UV than I remember taking on HMP. I think I exited at 1/3 health. The big secret area took me forever to find last time (ye olde trip-a-linedef-and-listen-for-the-door-opening secrets are my least favorite kind: super-satisfying when you can find them, but mega-frustrating when you can't) so this time I only had to wander around for a little bit to jog my memory. My only gripe with this level is that I wish there was a shorter way to access the northern portion without having to traipse all the way over to the teleporter; it's only a minor inconvenience, though. (As for the secret exit to Hexsoil, I took it this time around; would never have known about it had I not seen how to access it on YouTube.) Overall, this a highly-memorable map with more-or-less nonstop action. Good stuff.

MAP02: The Compound
100% kills | 2/2 secrets | 4:31

Aesthetics-wise, feels like a combination of Underhalls and The Focus, definitely hits the starter Doom 2 starport feel. Gameplay is a lot tougher than MAP01's paltry affair, with plenty of ambushes and shotgunners here. The teleporter can be a bit disorienting, but that's par for the course for old id maps.

(Also had no idea about Hexsoil until Salt-Man Z mentioned it, and ... its a bit of a doozy, heh)

Wad: Doom 2 the Way iD Did
Slot: 2
Map: The Compound
Author: Richard Frei
Notes:
Was this in McGee's style? It really felt like it. Lots of right angles, big blocky architechture. A really quick map as befits a 2 slot. The RL secret isn't needed of course, but it's a little help during the red key trap fight. Pretty linear map progression, but similar to Underhalls in how it shows you multiple paths early on, and even allows you to shoot a little bit ahead of where you're actually able to go. Fair number of traps here, again similar to Underhalls, and I like how the traps aren't just telegraphed, but the route to safety is pretty obviously telegraphed as well (the teleport pad at the red key).

I did manage to find both secrets, but the armor one was after I had already cleared the map.

And... I didn't know the exit to Hexsoil was on here. I'll have to replay it and try to find it.

7hm said:

I didn't know the exit to Hexsoil was on here. I'll have to replay it and try to find it.

Dude, don't waste your time. Short of opening the WAD up in Doombuilder, I don't see how one could even accidentally find it. Just watch here: http://youtu.be/MBWGtXZMSdM.

(It's obviously based on the invisible secret exit switch in MAP02 of the XBox port.)

I'm going to replay the "original" MAP33 tonight, and then see if I can finish off Hexsoil. (I ragequit it about 1/3 of the way through last time.)

Map02 - “The Compound” by Tarnsman
Nice map, definitely has a McGee feel to it. Feel a little tough to handle with the number of hitscanners so again gives that same feel as the original IWad.
Not much else to say here really.

Map 02 -- The Compound - 100% Kills / 100% Secrets
Ah yes, American McGee. I do agree that this level is quite successful in capturing his style in its look and feel; while a lot of folks probably most remember the tans and browns of 'Entryway' and 'The Gantlet' when thinking of Doom II's first episode, for me it has always been defined aesthetically by McGee's heavy usage of cement flooring, riveted green sheet metal, and the greasy-looking dark metal in concert with some decidedly OSHA non-compliant lighting schemes, and 'The Compound' embodies that whole visual angle in spades. While in some ways it is broadly reminiscent of 'Underhalls' (the below-ground canal, the zombie computer café, etc.) and perhaps of 'The Focus' in its dimly-lit interiors, it definitely seems like something McGee might've done without seeming heavily patterned on any of his specific maps, so props to Tarnsman for a job well-done on that front. That said, I do still have the faint impression that on the whole the entire thing is a little bit more aesthetically polished in small ways than most of the actual id maps were, but seeing as in this case it's subtle enough that I can't quite define where the impression is coming from, perhaps it's mostly psychological. Not like it's immaculate, either, i.e. I did notice that monster closet that has a strip of fluorescent lights as one of its dootracks, no doubt a Leave It In (R) moment.

As to how it plays, well, it's a fitting companion piece to 'Loading Bay' in that it seems to pick up that map's slack on the threat front--imps make less of a showing in this one to make way for a generous dosage of shotgun guys, who here have an uncanny propensity for stepping out from around the (very McGee-esque) numerous blind bends and chunky structural supports in the building interiors to deliver close-range buckshot blasts, which can be quite painful here (particularly down in the red key basement) given that the only substantial armor pickup available is present mostly as a secret-hunting incentive for continuous players. Demons are given a nice little setpiece introduction (and there's also one in the exit room, right where he should be), charging the player from two sides when s/he goes for the red keycard, a situation which is very tidily defused through a combination of the nearby teleporter pad in the little nukage pit and the application of the secret rocket launcher's two preloaded rounds. None of this blows me away in particular, which fits the mold, really--so little of McGee's combat, despite sometimes being a credible threat from an attrition standpoint, actually feels very lively or involved to me--but I do agree that seeing the level of violence pitched somewhat higher early on than it was in Doom II or even DTWiD is certainly not something I'm going to complain about (on the contrary!), so let's hope it continues as the game progresses.

Oh yes, I am aware of 'Hexsoil' (in fact I think I might've seen Alfonzo stream it using Extreme Weapons Pack or something once), but I must confess I couldn't find out how to get there from here, so that might be something I'll have to return to later on.

wait, so Hexsoil is accessible in the game WITHOUT using a level cheat?

not like I wanna go back there. d:

Doom 2 The Way ID Did- MAP 2: HMP, Continuous, Keyboard Only

I'm pretty sure that I'm one of the few people around here who likes American McGee maps, so I really liked this map. As others have said this map seems to be Underhalls design meets the Focus visuals so the layout & visuals are definitely reminiscent of McGee. With the majority of the monsters being hitscan & the demon in the exit the monsters are used like they would be in a McGee map, though there were quite a few shotgun guys early on in this map for it being map 2. I guess it makes up for the difficulty of map 1. So overall a much more enjoyable level than map 1.