The DWmegawad Club plays: Epic 2

I'm working on map11 and it is very switch-hunty. Is this goimg to be a thing?

Yes Capellan, you're in for a lot of switches when Eternal is in town.

Demonologist said:

Taken from Eternal Doom, heh.

As are all of the non-monster sound replacements, I think!

The switch sound and the teleport sound in particular are from Eternal Doom as well. I don't really like the teleport sound when it's used in this wad though, too quiet. So I replaced it with the regular teleport sound instead.

Map 11

First off - this map has way too short a music track given how long it takes to complete. It was driving me insane by the end (clearly I'm too stubborn to turn it off).

The actual tower is my favourite part of this map by far, but sadly the bulk of the map is taken up by yet more subterranean skirmishes. The area with many columns in which a mastermind resides looks pretty, but it provides almost no threat (the reverse of a scenario in the next map, incidentally).

The tower isn't perfect itself, as the closing cyberdemon and archvile encounters are so easy and uninteresting and the "puzzle" in the cyberdemon room is, to me, just a ridiculously contrived and confusing replacement for what probably ought to be a simple switch.

Map 12 to follow when I actually complete it... I've saved myself into a rather awkward position.

Maps 7 to 11:

I really like the lava use, even though some of the banner textures really didn't fit the Egyptian theme IMHO. I'm enjoying the wandering caverns, and I think there's just enough variety in the scenery and textures to keep things from getting stale. I can see how this wad wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea, but I'm liking it on the whole so far.

The outdoors of Map 11 is nice, and I was looking forward to wandering around outside for a bit maybe. But then...



Well, this will certainly be a different theme at least. Not sure what to think yet.

MAP11: The Tower
94% kills, 2/2 secrets

Nice epic music for a good episode ender. At least, visually. The eastern side of the map is a pretty dull corridor affair IMO, which really saps some of the fun of the level. I kinda like the Spider setup, but let's be honest... it's far too easy, especially with the SSG and shells right there just screaming to be abused with the columns.

The last half of the map also has a few annoying parts (hordes teleporting in, that weird poison Cyberdemon room) but also plenty of opportunities to play Magnus-style and just run from stuff, or create infighting. Yeah, that switch to escape the cyber room is shoot-only, but I still managed to grab the Megasphere and hit the Hexen planet map switch without eating a rocket. :) Somewhat annoying are the things that aren't clear that they're meant to be pushed, such as the elevator into the ship (where the revenants teleport too - I only remembered it from the last time I played) and the exit door.

MAP12: Alien Ship
88% kills, 3/5 secrets

SPAAAAACE

Pretty straightforward ship level, IIRC there's one coming up that's really weird and mindbendy (I think it's 13?) Couldn't help but feel that there was really supposed to be a suicide-exit between maps 11 and 12; other levels are easier playing on continuous but this one felt really designed for a pistol start. Ah well. I was mad that the lift at the end had a forcefield around it that only mostly kept me safe, the mastermind got a few good shots in the gap before it hit the ceiling...

I really like the Nazi sprite replacements, actually, though I'm not sure what they're supposed to be (aliens? humans controlling the demons? etc) Their guns are mounted on their shoulders/upper arms and they kinda shoot by aiming their elbows at you, heh.

MAP13: Mebius My Time: 6:59

Only fighting archviles as enemies, so it evokes "Hunted" style gameplay. Very much reminiscent of MAP10 of Equinox moreso. Slow and steady wins the race yet again as I use the SSG to clean these foes, and the plasma or rocket launcher if absolutely necessary. With patience, it's not hard to avoid damage from them, of course true reality isn't possible because of the voodoo gimmick. The invisible troopers make a return in this map, but they are generally out of play. Grabbing the first key apparently crushes them all in their dummy sector leaving a majority of monsters wiped out. On the other hand, there's this one in some sort of chamber that can't be accessed or shot through; it has some invisible crusher killing him when I approach. If one didn't get the key earlier, then several of his clones jump into that chamber only to be crushed as well. Not sure what kind of point was used here.

Two other notable things this map has. One, I already mentioned the voodoo gimmick, which is similar to MAP12's in that it damages the player just as he enters the next map, except this time I go down instead of up. And two, the scarab icons can be used as "health stations," Just press use on one and then you have some free health.

The health stations on map 13 give a different amount of health based on difficulty settings. On UV, it's a paltry 20, HMP gives 40, and HNTR gives 60. I believe the stealth troops are solely to create atmosphere; their death screams fit with the context of being on a creepy alien vessel.

MAP12: Alien Ship 102% kills, 4/5 secrets, 2 deaths

One death came from botching the scanner; the other was at the blue key due to stubbornness in provoking infights.

There's some living quarters in a few parts of the map that give the sense the ship is inhabited somehow. Seeing only stealth troops at first adds to the atmosphere. Combat is mostly laid back. As long as you spot the stealth troops first, there's not much danger from them. There are some teleporting monsters that will provide a reminder this is a later map. The red key room can get intense with the limited space. There's also a Pain Elemental that can become troublesome if not spotted quickly. Other monsters teleport uncomfortably close. Spectre? Chomp. Imp that appears right after landing from a jump? Get it off me, aaahhh. There's one secret that only opens up upon reaching a checkpoint even if the player uses the correct spot. Chaingun appears in two secrets but is nowhere to be found outside them. Exit provides additional sense of progression by beaming up into a UFO.

I like this one. I had an expectation from the mapset of providing interesting and atmospheric locales and the slower paced combat lets me take it in. Preferences do vary.

Map13 - “Mebius”
Why such a title?.. Whatever.
A clear reference to Equinox map10 (which, in turn, is something like futuristic/extraterrestrial take on Hunted), the player finds himself on board of UFO full of angry arch-viles. This map encourages careful playstyle, precise shooting and good dodging abilities, however, its Equinox predecessor was still much more demanding. In here, the UFO is smaller, ammo is more generous and weapon selection is wider and also more convenient (spraying viles with plasma is fun sometimes, but not when you're forced to do it all along the way and frequently against groups of them). There are also stealth troopers, but they're here for, shall we say, 'decorative' purposes. And health stations mentioned above are also a nice touch, a reminder of other games like Half-Life (am I the only one who also sees something Xen-like in this map?) and The Chronicles Of Riddick. Nice.
While I'm not a fan of Hunted and its lineage, I must admit that this map is unique in an interesting way, at least among other maps in this set since, as I already told, it inherits older ideas found in older mapsets. An eerie and adrenaline-boosting experience, definitely memorable.

map11
The map starts and immediately there's a distant chaingunner on a high position. *sigh* Not a good first impression.

This map has some nice looking areas, but the gameplay is hampered by some narrow corridors (a thing we've seen quite often), gimmicky encounters, and tiresome switch hunting. If I wanted to pixel bitch in an FPS, I'd install Hexen.

I will probably play a bit more of this during the month, but it is definitely not holding my interest enough to make me want to keep up with a level a day.

As I'm sat at home ill, I might as well catch up on yesterday's map as well as do today's...

MAP12: Alien Ship
It's a good use of the SS in this level what with the stealth trooper sprites and Eternal Doom III sound effects, although I thought health throughout the first 2/3rds of the map was very low. The megasphere secret felt pretty superfluous, but after the final battle it was nice to go back and top up before finishing the map. That voodoo doll effects was pretty difficult to trigger, but it did the job eventually. I quite like the theme here - kind of desolate.

MAP13: Mebius
Very unorthodox and very eerie, this one. As others have said, it's like Equinox MAP10, although I think this was a fair bit easier, if memory serves. I missed two secrets and one enemy, but otherwise all was well. I agree with people who've said the health stations were neat... not much else to say, really!

MAP11 - The Tower

More contrasts. Unusually large opening area featuring just small groups of low-tier monsters. Admittedly, the area was immersive and set the mood well. Then for a change, a huge part of the map takes place in narrow corridors, I don't really complain though. As confirmed by the previous levels, this kind of design works well for such an adventurous, (at least partially) atmosphere-based wad. And the mastermind room with pillars and lower foes roaming around actually played well.

I was never sure whether I'm exploring a secret, or if that's the intended regular path. That was an interesting experience, not seen very often, as most mappers make the difference distinct.

The music track was great, unfortunately too short for such a sprawling map. I could bear it, I've played the map on two rounds anyway.

A BFG! Quite easily given out, though, yet I'm satisfied.

The later parts had some nice and unexpected moments too. I've enjoyed them. Also it was great how the exit room "explains" the story about this level, without any words - it just makes me realize and wonder. Well done.

I'm looking forward to the second episode, and wonder what it could be like. Map names are hinting...

Map 12

A pretty good space ship map, with a frustrating ending. There are a lot of elaborate tricks in the level, which seems to have been one of Eternal's main focuses. The alien enemies are OK-ish, although their daft elbow-mounted guns make them a lot more comical than threatening. There are five secrets, but I didn't find any of them which meant that yet another mastermind encounter was annoyingly tough to get through.

Map 13
Yuck. Frankly, I hate this map. Fighting archviles around every other corner simply isn't fun, and the circular map design - while interesting in theory - actually turns out to be a real pain because it is both extremely confusing and results in there being tons of things to get caught on and to bump into (resulting in being fried by archies, of course). A map I really wouldn't want to play again.

MAP12 - Alien Ship

Wow. A large spaceship level focusing on atmosphere in the first place. And the atmosphere is very specific and distinct. Still the same Eternal's style, only in different environment that Epic 2 E1. I enjoyed exploring the level (albeit in fact it was linear). Got 4/5 secrets, well fitting to the map's feel.

I wondered if there was any special DEHACKED trickery done about the new monster type - and as I've checked, apparently not! It's just a sprite replacement. I like the enemies, so shame they're that underpowered. With all my resources brought from the previous map, the map gave me minimum challenge. But that more I could absorb the level's greatly crafted out atmosphere.

(Here I have to say, as I've observed, the level counts with pistol starters in a way that would probably make the tension stand out even more.)

A lot of tricks were used throughout, the last one is awesomely performed.

I didn't mind the decreased focus on "standard Doom-like challenging gameplay" and not very spacious areas. This map impressed me a lot by the sheer atmosphere - and playability was actually pretty darn good too.

MAP14: Orion's Belt My Time: 16:24

More Hexen II music to set the mood.

When I first played Epic 2, I was stuck right at the beginning of this level, could not shoot the switch no matter what. That bug has since been fixed though, so now I could actually play this.

I like to think of this map as an epic in an epic, since it's large and exploratory with some sweet puzzles. And also, voodoo doll tricks again, which I'll explain later. The map opens up when you shoot the switch, you came out of that UFO onto solid terrestrial ground. The journey has shootable stuff and winding pathways too, complete with an awesome tower climb in what is definitely a cool sight. Combat is generally mild so far, with nothing too nasty, I used the chainsaw on just about every enemy being careful not to fall through space. Then, we reach a hub with three teleporters, for a nonlinear adventure aspect, although the actual places the teleporter leads to are linear. Overall, gameplay-wise is usually nothing too interesting with just linear monster placement, some teleporting in front of the player.

Some interesting moments include the red key area, where you have to grab the key first, then flip two switches to leave. Grabbing the key gives a one-two punch of archies, which I miraculously avoided damage when fighting, then both switch presses lend one mancubi. The teleporter leading out of that area back to the hub has a secret wall that's not shootable but usable still, and there in those catacombs we find an answer to a puzzle we might need later on. The yellow key is present in this map section in a rather obvious trap, but at least the BFG can be nabbed here too. The red and yellow keys are both required for a puzzle in one fork in the hub (see the third screenshot later) and after "placing" them down and killing resistance, you have a button puzzle. Hope you remembered! With success, the final teleporter in the nexus will be revealed leading to the finale, where we battle four cybies and a stowaway archvile. With the BFG and invulnerablities, they are made short work of. Four switch presses later, another stowaway archvile appears along with a revenant wall. Still easy with the BFG and enough ammo going around even with my invulnerability withering. Totally epic level within Epic 2.

Now on to those voodoo doll gimmicks. They're the same as the previous levels, only the doll isn't pushed onto an exit line, they are pushed on a teleport line which telefrags another doll. So it's a pretty odd but legit way of making an instant death trap. Especially odd as if you do trigger it in ZDoom ports, the obituary message says "(Player) got killed by (Player's) weapon" or something instead of "(Player) killed himself" as it normally would should they actually telefrag a voodoo doll. I don't see this used often. NDCP2 is another wad I know that uses it several times, but there it's not really implemented for vanilla. So where is this gimmick used in Orion's Belt?



Here's the first instance. You actually have to pass through this area, but in order to do so, you must press the switch on the left first. This will cause a floor to rise so you can press the switch to lower the exact same floor. You'd say, "So what? Doomguy can fall extreme heights without carking it!" but if you don't press the switch and decide to fall instead, you trigger the gimmick which kills you. Possibly simulating the "falling to death" aspect. Pressing the switch on the left not only raises the elevator, but it also raises a wall inside the dummy sector, separating the barrel from the doll so that you can safely continue with the level. The barrel will blow up anyway but will not kill you.



Basically use your common sense. Don't fall off the pathway into outer space, or you'll trigger the gimmick and die again. There are several of these "open space" areas around, one of which is a circular staircase.



Here's that puzzle ya gotta remember. Press the wrong button on that symbolized pillar and you're dead in an instant!

Map 13 -- Mebius - 100% Kills / 100% Secrets
Just what happens in the narrative here is a little unclear to me. Apparently, Doomguy has been transported from an alien ship...into a UFO? Was level 12 not actually a ship, but a station of some kind, at which this UFO was docked (seems unlikely since the room near the blue key in that map is clearly 'the bridge')? Is map 13 like the upper 'officers only' deck of the same ship? Or maybe they're both different ships, with the one in map 12 being sort of like a spacefaring 'aircraft carrier' or the like? Questions, questions!

Anyway, as has already been said, this is a clear nod to both B.P.R.D.'s 'Equinox' and to "Hunted" from Plutonia. Much like map 12 before it, its purpose in the overall mapset is mainly for narrative and mood-building purposes, rather than to be an action highlight; gameplay is extremely simplistic, even repetitive. It is not at all difficult (I got through without taking any damage, and this with some rather cavalier play), as you are steadily drip-fed a quite adequate supply of quality firepower with which to handily dispatch the occasional arch-vile that will show up in your path--a couple of times later on you might be confronted with a pair of them, and once in a while one of them will teleport in right next to you, but the tight, windy corridors and stuffy compartments of which the UFO is comprised makes it very easy to break of line of sight, unless of course you happen to panic or freeze and thus let one of them corner you. Just stay cool and it's a cakewalk, but in case you need the help, those little scarab terminals will indeed give you a quick one-time health boost (I don't remember there being any actual stimpacks or medikits around, come to think of it). For some reason this little concept in concert with the map's theme and textures makes me think of the health booths from Corridor 7, though the mechanic is really not much like that (more like the vending machines from Blake Stone than anything).

It's funny. I'd say that map 12 was/is one that relies on its theme/setting to carry it and mostly just phones in the actual gameplay (beyond that first puzzle segment, anyway). I think it's fair to say that 'Mebius' does exactly the same thing, arguably even to a greater degree, since the play itself here really is very one-note....and yet I find it significantly more compelling than its predecessor. Perhaps it's just that the setting itself is more interesting to me (which it is), or perhaps it's because this map is very conceptual in actual structure and flow, as opposed to just being conceptual in aesthetic. Whatever the case, this is a memorable intermezzo that, while a one-trick pony, does a good job of carrying the narrative forward (however vague the details may be) without overstaying its welcome.

I went ahead and played map 12. DNF; I have no idea exactly *how* I died, but was pretty close to the end (had all three keys, was headed to the Yellow Door). I suspect it was a Spectre biting me some absurd number of times, but I absolutely couldn't find him on any side of me, so...?

Anyways... yeah, that was pretty bad. A switchunt with unfamiliar textures, so I don't even know what the switches are. And an awful bit of platforming to get the yellow key (I lost something like 80 health in that fucking slimepit total). And the closest thing to a standout fight, that is, the fight that happens when you grab the SSG, happens in a room where you constantly get snagged on crap. Ugh.

Making of a speedrun: Map 13 UV "Reality" Max in 4:21

True reality can be done in skill 2 but on UV there is the unavoidable damage at the exit. As there are very few Reality demos out there (mostly because it's not really interesting to watch cautious creeping) the idea of making one that played nearly as aggressively as a regular maxdemo caught hold and stayed for over 100 recording attempts.
As Hurricyclone notes, it's not hard to avoid damage when being patient. As I had a speedrunner hat on (which is the opposite of how I normally play) I was not patient and over 70% of my attempts ended in failure due to damage. A few others were aborted from movement snafus. Getting the time under 5 minutes wasn't too difficult; it was pushing below 4:30 that took persistence before it happened.

The route is quite linear so there are few route decisions to make. Running backwards at the start and strafing right will cause an archvile to teleport away which make the start much easier to manage. Then there's the acquisition of weapons. SSG, RL, plasma, berserk works best for me. I wanted berserk because it kills faster than SSG when I can pin an archie to punch it repeatedly. Berserk preserves ammo for other weapons too; I stop watching my shell count after the yellow key. If the archvile that appears after taking berserk places itself where I can land some easy punches, I'll do so. What almost always happens is that I leave quickly and dispatch it the next time I run through the central room. Where to use rockets is another question. Risking splash damage is no go so that limits the places they can be used. The pair that appears upon opening the blue door tends to be a slow spot in most of my attempts. The one at the start that teleported away is randomly running around on the top level but isn't really an issue except for the rare instance it attacks as soon as I open the door. (It can be dodged by backing off the lift but that wastes time). The one by the soulsphere secret has ended some attempts, especially since it's near the end of the run so I'm likely to be nervous. Plasma and SSG for the last two and door abuse to stay safe.

Besides bumping into walls more often than I'd like and missed shots, there's a route error in my published demo. It's better to drop into the soulsphere secret after hitting the last switch that opens the exit rather than before.

After opening the blue key door, the archie that came into the central room was unplanned. It worked to my advantage in the end and reduced down time.

Map14 - “Orion's Belt”
One of the most adventurous maps in the whole set with focus on exploration and careful movement without jerking around (there is pretty smart usage of voodoo dolls to make an insta-death effect when the player isn't watching his/her step, or jumps into the elevator shaft without the parachute). Atmosphere is strong here, even though the gameplay pace is slow even in finale with its cyber menace. A limited non-linearity is intorduced once you reach the teleporter hub on top of the mountain; but in the end you'll have to visit all the areas, one way or another.
Elemental puzzle is the thing I'm not very fond of actually, never thought that such punishing puzzles are fun in any way, at least for such a careless player like myself, but since there's a solution for it - it's not that bad, however, you'll have to find it first.
This is not a bad map, still - I must say that I personally can grow tired easily of such a slow pace all along the way (and I did, in fact, when I played all of this for the last time). Thankfully, the next one tends to be more entertaining. And speaking about adventurous maps - there's one shortly after that I like more...

MAP13 - Mebius

More unsettling atmosphere is going on. But unfortunately, the aspect of subpar playability value prevailed this time. Movement is highly restricted and the challenge isn't any satisfying for anyone who had already fought archies in a lot of other wads. The only enjoyable fight for me was the initial one with 2 AVs. I even got a hit several times throughout the map, but survived comfortably.

Navigation was hard too, which I however don't mind, given the setting. The purposeless wall switches just confused me. At least I've found all secrets. I managed to miss one monster though, that's odd. Also I was confused in the end, just by a pure luck I've found that I had to re-enter the pad where the map started.

This was a weaker map than the previous map. However, I admit that I still have high respect to Eternal's ability to create a strong atmosphere.

MAP14 - Orion's Belt

Possibility of comfortable movement has improved a lot. Gameplay reminded mostly non-intense, except for a couple sheer slaughter moments. Could have been done much better IMO. Atmospheric and adventurous progression. I enjoyed the subtle sort of narration through decorations. Quite a believable environment of a hostile foreign world. Feels wild, truly as if the monsters don't expect your presence, at least at first.

I don't find this map any remarkably good, because aside from the adventurous aspect, the gameplay provided was pretty simple and not enough fun for my liking.

Map 14

Eternal goes all out for adventure on this map, which I feel is at least interesting in parts. Those parts are generally the interesting areas surrounding key points like the keys and the ending - unfortunately (as with Epic 2 on the macro level) a lot of the interstitial stuff really doesn't come off for me and as a result I don't think the map hangs together very well. It doesn't help that, again, what you're actually meant to do becomes very fuzzy towards the end of the map, resulting in a lot of aimless wandering around (albeit less this time than on my last attempt).

MAP13: Mebius
97% kills, 2/4 secrets

I really like the aesthetic of this level, at least - the strange textures, the rounded corridors and circular design, the alien detailing - really sells the idea of being an "alien" vessel. Could probably be a bit darker though, some spots are a bit too bright and non-threatening.

Gameplay-wise, it's a bit of a bore. It tries to be a Hunted clone with the SSG and Arch-Viles, but the tight rounded corridors actually help the player against the AVs, and make things pretty easy. The only difficult fight was at the start, because one of the AVs didn't want to hit the teleport line and leave. There's lots of switch hunting, with the switches being entire unclear as to what they open up. The ending is very non-intuitive as well - oh, I was supposed to step back on the start platform? Whatever. And no idea what's going on with the Nazi replacements being obliterated one by one in the box.

MAP14: Orion's Belt
86% kills, 1/1 secret

Onto an alien planet, continuing some of the theme of the last map. As Rook says, it's got some interesting parts held together with some very boring parts, a lot of which simply feel like stuff left on the cutting board from earlier tomb levels. The last half feels like a Hexen level, and not just because of the portals. Unfortunately, one of the areas (the yellow key) is basically hidden behind a secret, which is a bit bullshit. The puzzle is a bit annoying too (I kept thinking I had to hit the four icons in order, not realizing there was a switch which revealed two icons lit up...) Then there's a bunch of enemies thrown at the player at the end, made easy by the powerups provided.

Also, for me at least (playing ZDoom(, getting killed by one of the voodoo doll gimmicks gives me the message "Magnus was killed by the power of voodoo" which is kinda funny.

Map 14 -- Orion's Belt - 100% Kills / 100% Secrets
Another long-ish, atmospheric slow-burn. After apparently initiating some kind of landing sequence in the UFO (which looks really silly from outside, incidentally), we find ourselves deposited in some desolate steppes on an alien world, perhaps not the hi-tech destination one might've expected (at least not yet). There's little to do but go exploring, and that's really the meat of the experience in this map--apart from a big (though not very dangerous) fight at the end, and an ambush or two along the way, combat here is very light, even moreso than that of maps 12 and 13, really. It really does feel quite a lot like Hexen in the way it flows, although that impression is probably shored up a bit by the well-chosen music track, which I believe is from 'Darkmere' (the swamp/castle area) in Hexen.

Though it's slow-moving, it is a compelling setting, and would be almost relaxing to walk around in if it weren't for the occasional monster attack. For most of its duration it's not as 'alien' in appearance as one might expect--apart from some weird webby growth and a couple of other miscellaneous textures in some of the interiors, it could easily be an Earth setting, complete with some more ancient ruins. Not quite of the stylized ancient Egyptian type seen previously, mind--there's a suggestion of the Mesoamerican to these, alongside some of the Egyptian/Powerslave iconography. I do love tomb/ruins themes--it's one of the reasons Epic II appeals to me in the first place--and so I'm not bothered that we've been presented with something that's reminiscent of the theme episode 2 sort of presented itself as taking a break from (and it will after this, a certain optional detour aside). That being said, it's the early outdoor stuff that I like the most here--the night sky is a fine compliment to the various crevasses and canyons, and the view of the stonework spiral crowned by the small temple of portals is quite a sight--I've always been fond of that kind of scale and vista in DooM.

It's important that the setting does appeal, because once again this aspect of the map is what carries most of the weight--the basic objective is a sort of disguised key-hunt with an additional puzzle to cap things off, and the business of actually acquiring the keys is a bit rote--monsters, tunnels, the occasional obvious trap. The most interesting area is probably the yellow key segment--interesting because it has the worst the map has to offer, as well as some of the best. The BFG/yellow skull setpiece is probably the action highlight of the map, since it requires quick thinking and quick reactions to escape (the mess at the end is quantitatively a lot bigger, but it's trivialized by the presence of an invulnerability artifact); and yet, the maze of narrow tunnels linking various points of interest in this section is probably something that should have been left on the cutting-room floor. Incidentally, progressing in the map does require the player be relatively observant at points; locating some switches and uncovering some paths (most notably the way to the aforementioned yellow key area) requires the player to find what could very reasonably be classified as secret areas in more conventional WADs. Some will probably view this as an affront, but I think that Epic II firmly and clearly established early on (read: map 01) that in keeping with the setting occasional searches for hidden passages and the like were going to be a part of the WAD, and it has reinforced this at several points since. Nothing here is terribly obscurantist--not the switch that displays the 'hint' for the element symbols puzzle, not the route to the yellow key's portal (which uses the same texture that the player is very obviously directed to punch through/otherwise mess with 60 seconds into the map), etc. Certainly nothing as counterintuitive as knowing that one was expected to return to the player 1 start position in order to exit the previous map, certainly.

Again, it's a successful outing in terms of atmosphere and narrative, but it's at this point, after a string of atmospheric concept-maps, that one starts to thirst for a little more action. Fortunately, if memory serves, the WAD will start heading more in that direction for most of the rest of the episode (and the game).

MAP15 Astral Base My Time: 19:13

Here's another music track the wiki doesn't seem to have :/.

It's the return of the conventional hitscanners in this one. Wonder how they got into the space base. Level's not too huge, but there's plenty of monsters to attack here and that's going to stick for a few other maps. It evokes shades of DVII's Stargate, as if it were a mini-version or something. Combat is very rough with hitscanners in a lot of places, chaingunners on higher elevated floors will be a nightmare in places. Go slowly would be some good advice. A few teleport ambushes can be nasty too, like the crate lower with the archvile, or the multiple hellknight/baron/caco ambush after the blue key. Those health and ammo items strewn about will prove quite useful. I noticed that one of the crates at the start can be opened revealing a shotgun, something I never knew before. Some switches are kinda hard to spot, and one in particular hides behind a blue laser that you can't cross. You must shoot it instead!

The coolest fight in this map is the one with the teleporter pad in the center of the map. First, demons, easy to take down with berserk, but there's a painelemental and a cacodemon coming in. I took out the pain elemental while running around punching, and somehow the caco pissed off three demons, he got his ass bit. Note the two red "vat" textures with noble and revenant silhouttes; these are switches and when pressed will release specific monsters. Both have to be pressed anyways, and with that two walls lower revealing a cyberdemon. This arena is pretty cramped for battling cybie but keep some enemies alive so that he can attack them instead.

A short while afterwards, and we start seeing those lovely invisible troopers again! Not many this time, and they are all near the exit. Oh look, there's two portals. Which one? The blue one leads to the rest of space, and is easily reached by pressing the blue seal to engage it. The red one...is more complex to get to. A bit of trial and error for me to actually open it but I figured it out eventually. Oh, it says I went down the wrong teleporter. Oops. Still, a tough level for those who get shot by hitscanners a lot.

This map also has a voodoo gimmick akin to Orion's Belt. I originally thought it was the large blue light floor somewhere to the left of the start, but that wasn't it.



Step through the red laser and receive a prize, instant death! If you deactivate the laser somehow, you can pass through it, and it will still crush the barrel, but you'll live!

There's several of these red lasers around the map as well. The blue lasers are harmless but still block movement.

MAP14: Orion's Belt 89% kills, 1/1 secret, 2 deaths

"Where the heck is this?" the marine is thinking after leaving the UFO. This map creates a sense of wonder and immersion that I wouldn't expect from a Doom map. It's most atmospheric until entering the temple at the top of a mountain. There, the player finds portals to realm completely unknown. The pond on the outside of the temple holds a (non tagged) secret.
Like the previous map, there isn't a medikit or stimpack to be found; health is doled out in packets (3% at a time here) alongside some soulspheres and megaspheres

Combat is very much on the easy side. Only areas of danger are the yellow key and the double archvile surprise at the red key. Again, I make a fool out of myself by dying more often than on a map I perceive to be harder. Once at the yellow key and another came from an archvile. The immobile one on the coffin. Sticking around when it started it's attack while the SSG was still reloading was a dumb idea.

Ammo is tight early on from scratch. The detour for the shotgun is very much a given. I ran out of shells at least once. Keys can be obtained in any order but blue, yellow, red seems to work best when playing from scratch. Going for blue nets SSG and chaingun, yellow nabs backpack and BFG (which is nice for the double archvile surprise). The plan for the yellow key trap is simple: turn the hellknights against the mancubi. Also, it's worthwhile to only use plasma for archviles and hoard the rest until the one way teleporter to the end since the supply is tight and it helps the final arena go faster.

Maybe it's my settings in PrBoom+ but 12 monsters never appeared.

When I first played this map, I kept failing the elemental runes puzzle. Anyways, easy maps are out for a bit; the next map and most of the ones after that crank up the intensity on the combat side.

I'll put the secret maps in this post as well.

Map15 - “Astral Base”
A space station level that immediately invokes memories of Deus Vult 2 map19 (which, in turn, is a spiritual successor to Vrack series as we all know). Of course it's smaller tenfold and not as complex and labyrinthine, but in terms of aesthetics it's surely close. Colored lasers, crates (oh yes), the texture scheme... Even the starting area is somewhat similar.
Gameplay-wise this map finally offers some decent action, but then again ammo isn't very generous, so you may want to watch your shooting. And in crowded fights like the one after the blue key you'll want more ammo, so infighting and ammo conservations are the most preferred options here.
The final big mess with demons/revs/nobles and a cyberdemon turning his back on you (and closing his ears as well) is pretty fun on its own, however, I don't like this cyber positioning. It would be much more better if he would be facing you after the wall lowers, then it would be much easier to get him fighting hordes in such cramped location. The current situation is much more threatening. Still, you can dispatch the waves all by yourself one after another if you're a walking ammo box. It's possible, I checked.
SECRET EXIT: upon entering the exit room after dispatching groups of stealth troopers, you'll discover two gates. The blue one is easily opened by a nearby switch, but the red one isn't. Instead, the switch related to it opens a wall section in the previous area for a short amount of time, revealin a passage to the switch unlocking the actual gate, again for a short amount of time. This puzzle requires some timing, but nothing exceptional, so I suppose you'll be able to figure out the solution shortly after you see how all the switches and lifts work.

Map31 - “Osirion"
A map with strong Misri Halek vibe (I was never a fan of it, in all honesty) and an exceptionally loud music track. It holds some magnificent vistas in case you'll have the time to look around.
Since the very beginning you'll be facing ammo shortage, so yo'd better spend some time searching bor berserk. After that I strongly advise using it as often as you can to conserve shotgun shells, you're gonna need them. Punching groups of nobles may be difficult, but it's worth it.
This map also introduces the first 'cyber jumper' teleporting between several spots, and this is where you're gonna need your ssg fully supplied. Of course you can try and just run for it risking with your life and your progress, but it would be much more convenient to find a suitable spot and gun him down. It takes some time but in the end you'll have a safe passage, which is a good thing since you'll have to run through these enfilades more than just once.
After that combat becomes easy enough, up until the exit hall and the noble ambush preceding it. Then again, provoking infighting is an option, but it may be really dangerous with the space given and columns guaranteeing splash damage from rockets.
SECRET EXIT: once the primary exit is revealed, head back to the beginning areas (you should remember where you got the ssg), there you'll see an opening. After completing your dirty deeds here go into the hall with coffins and the throne. The rest is obvious. Trivia: you'll be able to glance at the secret exit teleporter from afar at some point.

Map32 - “The Harbour”
A compact, picturesque and deceptively peaceful map, albeit the illusion shatters quickly enough. Despite its size, it features some mean encounters you'll have to deal with, i.e. a cyberdemon, resurrecting sentries and some viles among other nasty surprises. So all in all, this map, while being an eye-candy, is pretty annoying in gameplay department. Then again, ammo is scarce enough (how surprising) even with infighting taken into consideration. The exit area is more or less nice though, still - you'll have to reach it first.

Regarding the secret maps in general: I admit that they're worth visiting mainly for sight-seeing purposes, because actually playing them isn't much of a fun and more of an annoyment. Maybe it would still be wiser for you grave robbers to skip them completely... Still, curiosity prevails, I understand.

MAP15 - Astral Base

I consider this aesthetical change to be highly unfitting. All those rusty, ancient, mystic-like alien technology is now gone in favor of... a silver, Scythe-styled space/tech-base?

On the other hand, I like this base a lot for its own. Great gameplay, with actually fun usage of archviles, revenants, pinkies and everything! And the fantastic aesthetics! A very strong map. Linearity is a side issue, I was glad that I wasn't lost. Music is also pretty good.

I like this texture:



There's also a couple similar ones in the map.

One thing I completely forgot to mention last time: Some of the self referencing sectors seem to be bugged in Zandronum, in which I'm playing. I wasn't able to even start MAP14, because I couldn't shoot through the blue bars to the mandatory switch. A similar problem appeared in this map too. I had to noclip to shoot the respective switch. Weird.

I got the secret exit, was nicely hidden, I highly approve that! :)

So much going on that it's been impossible to keep up...

Map11: The Tower

I think this is a great map. The original The Tower in Epic is even better but that map one is of the most memorable maps I've played so it isn't much of a slight to this one to call this a bit lesser. The first impression of the map is very striking, a massive ominous black tower looming over the desert. And that music track, I fucking love it and it fits better than perfectly in the setting.

Combat is kind of mild throughout but encounters pop up constantly so things don't really get boring at any point. The tomb area with the Mastermind has an interesting and not a very working design in most of the time, but it actually is pretty effective if you're oblivious of the teleporting hordes and the AV. If you let them spread out, they're everywhere and things might get a little hairy. There's a clever "trap" in the RL room too when infinite tallness is on. It's clearly designed so that you can deliver splash damage to possible antagonists below but it's something not everyone might "get" first time around. The tower part is a pretty short affair and it's probably what mostly sets the two Towers of Epic/Epic2 apart the most. But yeah, awesome map and a good finale for the first episode of Epic 2.

Map12: Alien Ship

This is a similar map to map01 in my opinion, a relatively low-key adventurous affair with the purpose of introducing the player to all the new alien stuff we'll be seeing in episode 2. And I do think it does that quite well all in all, but it's a bit problematic to have an "introductory" map as a map12... Difficulty is pretty much on par with the majority of the maps in ep1 so it isn't really a huge drop in that sense though. The stealth troopers are a cool replacement enemy and good addition to the alien theme. Truly not much to say about the gameplay since the map is mostly about the adventure and atmosphere. Decent level, but better maps await around the corner.

Map13: Mebius

I largely agree with Magnusblitz in regards to this one. Aesthetically it's pretty nice but the gameplay design, while perhaps a good idea in theory, just doesn't work very well in this environment. The Arch-Viles are totally harmless when there's corners and doors everywhere to hide behind, I just replayed it and I think I only took damage in the soulsphere secret area 'cause I had 200 health and picking up a soulsphere at that point seemed like a total waste so I didn't really even try to hide much.

Map 15

Wow, where did this come from? The space maps have been quite poor up to now, and all of a sudden this one is such an enormous step up that it's probably my favourite map in the WAD so far. The aesthetic has very little to do with past maps (making the narrative, such as it is, yet more confusing) but it's far superior to what we saw in "Mebius", for example.

The gameplay is also spot on, with a lot of interesting encounters and a very wide range of monsters used effectively. I suppose my one gripe is to do with the secret map - I think the entrance is probably too obtuse, and I would never have figured out how to reach it fully without looking it up. I'm also a bit alarmed by the Misri Halek comparisons I'm hearing about Map 31 (and the prospect of going back to the by now very tired Egyptian theme)... we'll see.