Doom monster
Register | User Profile | Member List | F.A.Q | Privacy Policy | New Blog | Search Forums | Forums Home
Doomworld Forums : Powered by vBulletin version 2.2.5 Doomworld Forums > Classic Doom > WADs & Mods > The DWmegawad Club plays: Memento Mori (play at your own pace!)
Pages (8): « 1 2 [3] 4 5 6 » ... Last »  
Author
All times are GMT. The time now is 11:39. Post New Thread    Post A Reply
cannonball
Senior Member


Posts: 1415
Registered: 07-11
Map 12 - Kinetics by Mackey "Avatar" McCandlish
Well this is all over the place, wacky 1994 design, texture misalignments various things which make no sense, pretty bad gameplay.
Yeah this was pretty awful, pretty sure I pressed a few switches and had no idea what they did. Maybe there is a suicide booth in this map, certainly needs it :P
Edit - Screw you map12

Last edited by cannonball on 01-12-13 at 11:52
Old Post 01-12-13 11:39 #
cannonball is offline Profile || Blog || PM || Email || Search || Add Buddy IP || Edit/Delete || Quote
General Rainbow Bacon
may have been DoomHero85 at some point


Posts: 2275
Registered: 01-10
Yeah, map 12 was awful. It certainly was difficult if that's your thing though. I have a dedicated fail demo of just this map if anyone wants to watch. It's pretty hilarious actually even though I was cursing the whole time.
Old Post 01-12-13 12:24 #
General Rainbow Bacon is offline Profile || Blog || PM || Email || Search || Add Buddy IP || Edit/Delete || Quote
Phobus
Forum Staple


Posts: 2138
Registered: 10-06
MAP12: Kinetics: When people were talking about a map nobody would like, vague memories of this did come to mind. Sure enough, this map does many things I don't want in a map (surprise crushers and rampant symmetry are the main two). It does have some sort of saving graces though:
1) It's short
2) The traps are pretty standard levels of bullshit for today, so even if they kill you once, you can take it the second time comfortably enough
3) With mouse look, the bold (and arguably quite good) use of height differences aren't unfair

So yeah... Adventurous and definitely designed to kill the player, but I've played worse/more frustrating.
Old Post 01-12-13 12:35 #
Phobus is offline Profile || Blog || PM || Email || Homepage || Search || Add Buddy IP || Edit/Delete || Quote
Memfis
Forum Spammer


Posts: 3168
Registered: 04-07
Fun fact about the author of map12 :D
Believe it or not,
Mackey later went on to work as a professional level
designer... His work can be found in e.g. "Medal Of
Honor: Allied Assault".

(full text here)
Old Post 01-12-13 12:36 #
Memfis is offline Profile || Blog || PM || Email || Search || Add Buddy IP || Edit/Delete || Quote
vdgg
MM2 maniac


Posts: 1166
Registered: 08-07
I wonder if Kristian is watching the thread... :)

For me the worst MM level is 25, followed by 12.
The best is 14, followed by 24 and 27.
Old Post 01-12-13 12:47 #
vdgg is online now Profile || Blog || PM || Email || Homepage || Search || Add Buddy IP || Edit/Delete || Quote
mouldy
Member


Posts: 517
Registered: 02-12
12 - Kinetics by Mackey "Avatar" McCandlish

Now I know why I never remembered finishing this wad, I'm pretty sure this was the map that made me give up last time I played. I forced myself through it this time, but I can see why this was such a wad-killer for me - there's only so many deaths from bullshit traps and bad design that you can take before you realise this just isn't fun. And that your reward for finishing this map will be another 18 maps of possibly similar quality.

I could write an essay about all the things I found wrong with this map, but I shall move on and hope for better things to come.
Old Post 01-12-13 19:39 #
mouldy is offline Profile || Blog || PM || Search || Add Buddy IP || Edit/Delete || Quote
kmxexii
Forum Regular


Posts: 806
Registered: 06-10
Memfis said:
Fun fact about the author of map12 :D

(full text here)


Mackey did a lot of stuff. He was the lead designer for Modern Warfare 2. Kinetics is the least accessible level he ever designed, I think. I'm fairly sure he did the stranger levels from Perdition's Gate (MAP31&32) and Hell to Pay, but I'm just guessing on the latter one.
Old Post 01-12-13 19:49 #
kmxexii is offline Profile || Blog || PM || Email || Homepage || Search || Add Buddy IP || Edit/Delete || Quote
mouldy
Member


Posts: 517
Registered: 02-12
Memfis said:
Fun fact about the author of map12 :D

(full text here)


Roffle:

"A complex level with lots of moving parts, such as the
mother of all building staircases. Permeated by lots of
green marble and good texture alignment."

Is he refering to the staircase that rises to the top of a lift for god only knows what reason? Or the one next to it that crushed me to death perhaps. Incidentally it seems the switch in the corridor that does nothing actually lowers the lift that blocks the exit several rooms away, again for god only knows what reason.

However, I do like the way he put a hole in the floor of a nearby corridor with a teleporter to take you back up, to help familiarise players with the act of jumping blindly into holes. I have to wonder if he is being sarcastic about the good texture alignment...
Old Post 01-12-13 19:59 #
mouldy is offline Profile || Blog || PM || Search || Add Buddy IP || Edit/Delete || Quote
DeathevokatioN
Forum Staple


Posts: 2326
Registered: 03-10
Map12 is actually one of my favorites of Memento Mori, sometimes I like levels that try to kill me in politically incorrect ways as opposed to the "tasteful" standards and with straight forward generic unmemorable gameplay that too many maps have nowadays. But then again, I'm probably biased because of just how insane the level of intensity this map has when you play co-op with a friend and your max lives is set to 3 each.
Old Post 01-12-13 20:06 #
DeathevokatioN is offline Profile || Blog || PM || Search || Add Buddy IP || Edit/Delete || Quote
Capellan
Member


Posts: 585
Registered: 10-02
Phobus said:
With mouse look


I recognise that my refusal to use mouse-look in Doom is a matter of personal taste, but this level was designed at a time when it wasn't even an option (a sick and wrong option!). So calling the value of mouse look in it a 'saving grace' is being very, very generous :)

Mackey's other Doom levels were also pretty abstract and strange, but generally of higher quality than this.
Old Post 01-12-13 20:17 #
Capellan is offline Profile || Blog || PM || Email || Search || Add Buddy IP || Edit/Delete || Quote
Xaser
Forum Staple


Posts: 2121
Registered: 07-03
So I decided to jump into this for no real reason. I just realized I'd never actually finished either Mori so I may as well get with the times. :P

I'm on MAP02 at the moment, and I remember this map as the one that has a bunch of new textures but really boring rooms. Sort of a "sign of the times", I guess, as if the use of new textures was something cool enough to check all the "this looks great!" boxes. I just don't think it's aged that well, in this particular case. Plays allright, thus far, though.

I also see it's the origin of a certain border texture that I've been spamming all over my TNT2 map. :P

[EDIT] I should also disclaim that I'm playing it with a mod of mine, so the "dreary shotgunning powerful monsters" effect that some have reported is quite diminished. :P

[DOUBLE-EDIT] Great. Now I'm completely and totally stuck on MAP04. Can't find either the red or blue key, and a quick automap cheat (aaa cheats!) makes it look like each one is behind each other's door. This is pretty miserable.

[TRIPLE-EDIT] Fuck mandatory secrets.

[QUAD-EDIT] Fuck unmarked exits, too. D:

Last edited by Xaser on 01-12-13 at 20:41
Old Post 01-12-13 20:20 #
Xaser is offline Profile || Blog || PM || Homepage || Search || Add Buddy IP || Edit/Delete || Quote
Phobus
Forum Staple


Posts: 2138
Registered: 10-06
Capellan said:


I recognise that my refusal to use mouse-look in Doom is a matter of personal taste, but this level was designed at a time when it wasn't even an option (a sick and wrong option!). So calling the value of mouse look in it a 'saving grace' is being very, very generous :)

It was a rare moment of generosity from me :P For some reason, I didn't want to hate the map, even though I could certainly justify doing so. I think it's the experimental and short nature. Can't say I'm surprised to hear the map author has gone on to the largely cinematic and gimmick-driven level design of modern shooters - the map does remind of the trial-and-error approach of playing something like MW2 on a high difficulty, what with the lack of armour, traps (set-pieces) and strange combination of being unimaginative (symmetry) and having weird design choices - given mapping back then could get you a games industry job.
Old Post 01-12-13 21:30 #
Phobus is offline Profile || Blog || PM || Email || Homepage || Search || Add Buddy IP || Edit/Delete || Quote
Feniks
Mini-Member


Posts: 76
Registered: 08-12
Map07

Ugh... ugh...

I thought I found a lot of secrets, but eventually got 28% of them. Perhaps I found more of them when I played it the last time. Dunno.

Anyway, I hope I won't be playing this one again soon, definitely. Just a dull, uninspired map which isn't aesthetically pleasing either. Too bland, too samey, too many rectangular corridors. Too much switch-hunting as well.

I remember I used to find the Hell Knights/Barons maze pretty difficult, but found it fairly easy now. But tedious anyway. The first arch-vile trap was clearly below the belt. I really hate level design like this, "oooh, I'll throw a vile at you with a pack of other enemies and nowhere to hide, if you're low on health you might as well reload/restart the level now". It's so cheap. I beat it on my second attempt without taking any damage from the vile, but it was so luck-based that... And the unmarked exit was the last straw. I would've saved before. Fuck you, map07.

Needed to vent. Off to map08.

Last edited by Feniks on 01-13-13 at 00:27
Old Post 01-13-13 00:22 #
Feniks is offline Profile || Blog || PM || Search || Add Buddy IP || Edit/Delete || Quote
vdgg
MM2 maniac


Posts: 1166
Registered: 08-07
The first vile is essential if you want to skip the maze :-P (demo)
Old Post 01-13-13 00:33 #
vdgg is online now Profile || Blog || PM || Email || Homepage || Search || Add Buddy IP || Edit/Delete || Quote
Capellan
Member


Posts: 585
Registered: 10-02
Map13

This map wears its inspiration right in its title. It does a good job of evoking the same look and feel without being a direct copy of the original.

Visually it's good. Nowhere near as detailed as modern maps, of course, but properly aligned and with thought given to the textures chosen.

It plays pretty well too, on the whole. The massive pinkie horde in yellow door area being a particularly amusing moment. My only complaints would be the frequent use of long-range chaingunners ... and the exit.

Oy, the exit.

Edit: the two arachnotrons near the plasma also baffled me a bit. They're entirely superfluous and can be safely ignored, it seems.
Old Post 01-13-13 01:39 #
Capellan is offline Profile || Blog || PM || Email || Search || Add Buddy IP || Edit/Delete || Quote
Magnusblitz
Junior Member


Posts: 159
Registered: 12-12
MAP10 - THE MANSION

Meh. As a theme map, it's not bad - the theme is there and recognizable, it's a mansion. The architecture is pretty underwhelming by today's standards, but wouldn't be bad back in 1996 I suppose. Overall the map is far too large and roomy, turning most fights into "pop the zombies with the chaingun from afar." The ending was pretty underwhelming as well - open the blue door and you're done.

MAP11 - HALLS OF INSANITY

Strange map. At first it seems like it'll be a nice old-school map, lots of abstract design but nice close encounters with a fair amount of enemies. Instead, it turns into some weird design choices. Multiple keys of the same type (including needing to go through a blue door to get a blue key), and as far as I can tell reaching the yellow key requires a semi-secret door (yes, it's clearly a different texture and not very hidden, but it also isn't a door texture!) All the fun is front-loaded at the start of the map as well, the encounters really tail off at the end.

MAP12 - KINETICS

Wow, you know you're in for a treat when the opening room requires you drop down a pit, sit on top of a shotgun guy you can't easily shoot, and wait a minute for the lift to drop down. The entire map is bordering on an crazy with tons of platforms moving, staircases building instantly (complete with HoM effects), strange texture choices, tiny hallways, huge height differences and some unfair traps. In a way, it almost has its own bizarre charm though. Had it been called "Halls of Insanity" and had a bit more weirdness I might be able to recommend it.
Old Post 01-13-13 08:04 #
Magnusblitz is offline Profile || Blog || PM || Search || Add Buddy IP || Edit/Delete || Quote
cannonball
Senior Member


Posts: 1415
Registered: 07-11
Map13 - The Inmost Dens II by Denis Möller
This was an alright map, the switch hunting in the first half of the map it a little tedious as well as starting the player in a damage sector (why!!)
Second half of the map is good, though some of the traps are a waste of time. Arachnotrons are no threat along with the demons past the yellow door, you just sit on the stairs and shoot with complete safety.
Looks good, plays a little on the average side
Old Post 01-13-13 11:35 #
cannonball is offline Profile || Blog || PM || Email || Search || Add Buddy IP || Edit/Delete || Quote
Phobus
Forum Staple


Posts: 2138
Registered: 10-06
MAP13: The Inmost Dens II: Game play observations are much the same as what cannonball said. I found health difficult to form an opinion on, as it seemd plentiful until each time a Revenants managed to hit me with it's homing missile. Then I found myself feeling a bit precarious for a little, before stocking up again. I really liked the music - it was fast-paced without ending up being a crappy metal MIDI full of clicking drums. I think it did a nice job of sort-of being The Inmost Dens whilst still clearly being it's own map. Probably set to be a highlight of the pack, given how underwhelming half of it has been so far!
Old Post 01-13-13 12:34 #
Phobus is offline Profile || Blog || PM || Email || Homepage || Search || Add Buddy IP || Edit/Delete || Quote
Kristian Ronge
Senior Member


Posts: 1928
Registered: 11-03
vdgg said:
I wonder if Kristian is watching the thread... :)

I never miss anything MM related. ;-)

Loving the thread, guys! Keep it up!

Last edited by Kristian Ronge on 01-13-13 at 13:23
Old Post 01-13-13 13:14 #
Kristian Ronge is offline Profile || Blog || PM || Search || Add Buddy IP || Edit/Delete || Quote
mouldy
Member


Posts: 517
Registered: 02-12
13 - The Inmost Dens II by Denis Möller

I had a bad feeling about this map when it started me off sitting in a puddle of nukage, but it wasn't all that bad. The layout is all very square, but then so is the original map. I can't help feeling it was a bit more linear than its namesake - there was a feeling of go here, do this, way opens, go there about it. Also the fights were a bit shooting gallery for the most part. Enemies stuck on pillars, in holes, behind windows or doorways. The trickiest fight was the 2 archviles, but that felt more frustrating than interesting - picking them off from behind 2 automatic doors while they ressurected chaingunners ended in my only death, and it takes a fair leap of faith to run into the room with them to find there is some cover there.

There were some bizarre design and gameplay choices along the way: the switch that is invisible from behind felt a bit gimmicky, the arachnotrons by the plasma gun were entirely useless, the fight in the churchy building was just strange - standing still shooting endless teleporting pinkies that cant actually reach you while two barons helplessly try to shoot you from behind pillars - and the finale was entirely dealt with from a safe distance outside the room, followed by standing around waiting for a minute for the bars blocking the exit to lower. But like I say, it wasn't all that bad - the action was fast paced and the layout was varied enough that I didn't mind dying at the achviles and having to go through it all again. Not the best map so far but certainly not the worst either.
Old Post 01-13-13 19:13 #
mouldy is offline Profile || Blog || PM || Search || Add Buddy IP || Edit/Delete || Quote
Capellan
Member


Posts: 585
Registered: 10-02
About the two blue keys on map11: remember that this was a co-op optimised wad. The 2nd blue key is because some player starts are on the other side of the door from the single player start.

If you're looking for something to do in between MM levels, by the by, you could do a lot worse than A Taste for Blood. I just played through it to do a newstuff review, and it was well worth the download.
Old Post 01-14-13 02:56 #
Capellan is offline Profile || Blog || PM || Email || Search || Add Buddy IP || Edit/Delete || Quote
cannonball
Senior Member


Posts: 1415
Registered: 07-11
Map14 - Aquaduct by Tom Mustaine
Really good map this one, the only issues come by texture misalignments. The gameplay is good with good monster placement and traps. First cybie is also found here.
Old Post 01-14-13 07:57 #
cannonball is offline Profile || Blog || PM || Email || Search || Add Buddy IP || Edit/Delete || Quote
Capellan
Member


Posts: 585
Registered: 10-02
Map14

Fun level, mostly done in a brick and metal theme. As a keyboarder back in the 90s, the door runs in this were an absolute bitch to do. Today, with the mouse, they're a doddle.

Good use of monsters. Not much that's deadly, really, but plenty of exciting encounters.
Old Post 01-14-13 08:02 #
Capellan is offline Profile || Blog || PM || Email || Search || Add Buddy IP || Edit/Delete || Quote
Phobus
Forum Staple


Posts: 2138
Registered: 10-06
MAP14: Aquaduct: Looks pretty nice, even with the very obvious texture misalignments (which also mean monster closets are largely telegraphed), in particular that cave with waterfalls in was a good sight to behold.

Game play managed to use large monsters and be largely unthreatening, but it was entertaining. Particularly as I knew mistakes could well be costly (although with all the medikits laying around and the two soulspheres I picked up, probably not) and I was supplied adequately to take each battle in any way I liked. The lengthy door runs had me clenching a bit, but turned out to be easier than I'd anticipated (probably thanks to mouselook). All in all, an enjoyable map!



MAP15 (the name of which puts me in mind of "Karma Chameleon) looks set to be another one of those stand out big maps. I'll probably try and get MAP31 in tomorrow as well, then do MAP32 and MAP16 on Wednesday, assuming I find the secret maps, that is.
Old Post 01-14-13 19:12 #
Phobus is offline Profile || Blog || PM || Email || Homepage || Search || Add Buddy IP || Edit/Delete || Quote
Capellan
Member


Posts: 585
Registered: 10-02
Phobus said:
assuming I find the secret maps


I shall at least remember to look for them, this time! :)
Old Post 01-14-13 19:39 #
Capellan is offline Profile || Blog || PM || Email || Search || Add Buddy IP || Edit/Delete || Quote
mouldy
Member


Posts: 517
Registered: 02-12
14 - Aquaduct by Tom Mustaine

This was a nice map with varied layout and simple progression that allowed for some mindless blasting, my brain was on autopilot through most of it. It was probably made more difficult by the fact that I couldn't figure out how to get the SSG, strange to make that obscure when more powerful stuff was freely given later, but it always makes for a different kind of game without it. There were a couple of deaths working out the layout at the start, and from there it was plain sailing (other than a nasty chaingunner ambush), if anything I'd say some of the enemies were a bit wasted, especially poor old cyberdemon stuck on his perch. Good for a quick blast though.
Old Post 01-14-13 19:59 #
mouldy is offline Profile || Blog || PM || Search || Add Buddy IP || Edit/Delete || Quote
Magnusblitz
Junior Member


Posts: 159
Registered: 12-12
MAP13: THE INMOST DENS II

Well, I suppose it does a decent job of aping the style of Inmost Dens, at least as far as I can remember (brown textures, square areas with water around, chaingunners on walls/columns, etc.) Plays relatively nice and easy, though there are some strange design choices (a switch with no width invisible from one side, and a switch after that which, as far as I can tell, does nothing but rearrange the scenery). As others have pointed out, some of the traps don't work - the arachnatrons in the plasma run room can be ignored and the yellow door demons can be safely shot from afar by standing at the top of the stairs, or even completely avoided by not firing within the room (and creating the sound to activate them) if you want to save the ammo. The arch-vile fight is a bit annoying because of how the doors trigger, and I felt there wasn't enough chaingun ammo leading up to where the chaingun is most useful (killing chaingunners from afar).
Old Post 01-15-13 01:24 #
Magnusblitz is offline Profile || Blog || PM || Search || Add Buddy IP || Edit/Delete || Quote
Capellan
Member


Posts: 585
Registered: 10-02
Map15

It's rather square.

Passable enough level, though not especially memorable. Basically a bunch of square buildings in a bunch of square courtyards, with waves of monsters being released at regular intervals. I chewed through most of the opposition fairly easily, and exited with 200/200 and stacks of ammo.

Didn't find the secret exit. *shrug*
Old Post 01-15-13 07:33 #
Capellan is offline Profile || Blog || PM || Email || Search || Add Buddy IP || Edit/Delete || Quote
cannonball
Senior Member


Posts: 1415
Registered: 07-11
Map15 - Karmacoma by Florian Helmberger
OK level, large buildings, trying to recreate the theme of Doom 2s map 15
Nice battles here and there, huge ambush for the red key but made pointless and the building you enter to release the red key protects you from the ambush with half the monsters being slain by the cyberdemon.
Missed 50 kills and half the secret. No secret exit for me.
Old Post 01-15-13 08:15 #
cannonball is offline Profile || Blog || PM || Email || Search || Add Buddy IP || Edit/Delete || Quote
Snakes
Forum Staple


Posts: 2048
Registered: 09-09
Ah hell, thought I'd commented on the first 5 maps already. Time to rewrite a bunch of shit. For the record, I've played this megawad several times over.

Map01: My first PWAD map ever, and I won't forget the feeling it evoked when I saw that pentagram for the first time. It's hard not be biased, as it does a great job in starting a megawad - short, violent fun. The curved halls are plain, but acceptable. Drawbacks include a touchy 30-sec door (completely unnecessary) and a trio of useless demons at the exit. Not bad, not great.

Map02: Some nice visual touches save an otherwise fairly boring play. The empty crossroads, repetitious monster closets, and absurdly distant secret path really grind things down for me. Only the CG battle is memorable at all. That being said, the bridges are great from a scenic perspective and that solitary archway is incredibly memorable for being a one-off thing. Oh, and custom textures++

Map03: Take those keys away, and this is a bonafide Map01. Very much typical of Mustaine's style, what with the Map01 theme being used. The highlight of this map is easily the pair of traps early on - a stair-lift massacre coupled with a rising wall that I didn't even notice the first two times I played the map. Little things help it stand on its own feet, and it desperately needed it.

Map04: The real meat of the megawad starts here. Typical Jens-style map. Switch-triggers everywhere, creative use of rising/lowering floors, puzzles here 'n there, etc. Unlike his other maps I've played, this one never quite grew on me for one reason or another. Gameplay's one continuous grind, without a real memorable trap and the SG can be lame (getting the SSG's annoying, IIRC). The exit's touchy... not a favorite of mine. Fun note: I once chainsawed an HK to death on this map and I don't recommend it.

Map05: Ah, yes, Flaherty. I really like this map. It's a great imitation of Romero's theme with some more 'modern' (for the time) approach to progression and visuals. The ledge-based gameplay isn't nearly as annoying as it could be, thanks to the rad suits and some space on the ledges, the monster placement is great (save for those sergeants near the start), and the arachnotron battle early on is a stand-out for me. Nice stuff!

Map06: Theme-shift galore, but it's a fun map. I notice a lot of people SR'd to the blue key, which is something I always found amusing. The route isn't all that great, as there's some backtracking to be done, but there usually an assortment of new enemies to keep you busy regardless. The YK-area was unique enough, with the darkened-outdoor trick. Serviceable, entertaining little map to run through.

More to come.
Old Post 01-15-13 19:50 #
Snakes is offline Profile || Blog || PM || Email || Homepage || Search || Add Buddy IP || Edit/Delete || Quote
All times are GMT. The time now is 11:39. Post New Thread    Post A Reply
Pages (8): « 1 2 [3] 4 5 6 » ... Last »  
Doomworld Forums : Powered by vBulletin version 2.2.5 Doomworld Forums > Classic Doom > WADs & Mods > The DWmegawad Club plays: Memento Mori (play at your own pace!)

Show Printable Version | Email this Page | Subscribe to this Thread

 

Forum Rules:
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts 		HTML code is OFF
vB code is ON
Smilies are OFF
[IMG] code is ON
 

< Contact Us - Doomworld >

Powered by: vBulletin Version 2.2.5
Copyright ©2000, 2001, Jelsoft Enterprises Limited.

Message Board Statistics