The /newstuff Chronicles #84

Holy /newstuff DoomWorld, do I have a batch for you. 7 new wads for a total of 27 new maps this week, so stop watching your leaked Doom 3 footage and ready your supershotgun (and you'll need your crossbow this week as well, hehe).



Let Them Die 2 by Berserker79 - - Let's get this ball rollin. Let Them Die 2 is a single SP focused map replacing E2M5 of The Ultimate Doom. The author created it with the look and feel of one of the original Shores of Hell classics. It does a good job of accomplishing it's goal, Zdoom features regardless. However, more creative use of lighting would've added a bit to the atmosphere. Gameplay is slow-paced but it delivers nonetheless. Requires Zdoom.

When the Sleeper Wakes by Alastair Montgomery - - A single deathmatch map replacing Doom 2 Map01, When the Sleeper Wakes is a unique dm battlefield riddled with weapons and powerups. Legacy features are used to their fullest to make the otherwise typical square main arena interesting and to make the big guns and powerups that much harder to get. Sleeper should house both one-on-one and 4-player FFA games easily. The wad contains a few interesting new textures and sprites to boot. Requires Doom Legacy.

Suck a Sage by DarkWolf - - This oddly titled map is yet another Legacy deathmatch map replacing Doom 2 Map01. The layout is fairly simple from a map editor's viewpoint, however there are several interesting variations in the gameplay which couldn't be spotted from the automap. There are dubiously useful 'sniper spots' in the corners of the arena . Legacy 3Dfloors are used to create 'hiding places' in the floor which I imagine could be easily abused if there aren't a lot of people playing. Suck a Sage is probably more suitable for FFA matches than serious one-on-one contests. There's a rockin music replacement to be found as well. Requires Doom Legacy.

Hex by Peter Rodriguez AKA Vileslay - - Running on Doom 2 Map01, Hex is merely a rerelease of a previously reviewed 'test' wad that fixes many of the obvious mapping errors. Read the original review in The /newstuff Chronicles #82.

Dark 7 by Bryant Robinson - - Dude... duuuuuude. Dark 7 is a seven-map mini-episode replacing Doom 2 Map01-Map07, and it easily wins a place among my favorite wads. Taking place in an overtaken arctic base, Dark 7 forces you to complete a series of 'mission objectives'. Don't worry about it being too complicated or un-doomish however, completing most the objectives isn't any more complex than finding and flipping a switch. The level design is consistent throughout the episode and there's an almost Half-Lifeish atmosphere to most of the maps. The health balance is perfect, and while there's quite a bit more ammo than you'll probably need, the battles are so intense and challenging that it shouldn't bother you. The Zdoom features and scripting are used excellently and add a lot to the gameplay rather than just existing for the sake of eyecandy. Sounds from Doom 64 and Unreal are used, the texure/graphic replacements are from the Darkening and nightmare1, and there's a great new soundtrack that covers both music and background noices/voices. Aside from the rather cheesy and disappointing last map, Dark 7 is a winner in every aspect. Requires Zdoom.

Dark 7 Mission Pack 1 by Bryant Robinson - - Did you like Dark 7? Well, it seems Bryant didn't want to waste any time in putting out a sequel. Once again replacing Doom 2 Map01-Map07, the Dark 7 "Mission Pack", while not quite as atmospheric as the first, and lacking the creative use of swimmable water among other features, is still a wonderful gameplay experience and belongs in anybody's Doom directory. The zip file includes a weapons replacement wad as well, if you're sick and tired of the same old Doom 2 guns. Requires Zdoom.

Shadowcaster by Stephen Clark AKA The Ultimate Doomer - - I'm finishing up this great week with a nine-map episode not for Doom, or Doom 2, but for Heretic. Shadowcaster replaces all of Episode 5, but unfortunately it's not the godly mapset from heaven Heretic's cult followers have been waiting for for so long. This episode is a mixed bag, with maps that look good, maps that play good, maps that look and play good, and maps that make you froth at the mouth in frustration. The author seemed focused on making good use of some of the nagging little features that were missing from Doom: flowing water, wind sectors, flying, those mini-volcanoes, etc. Most of the time however, the attempts at creating a dangerous environment to complement the dangerous monsters are poorly executed or just annoying (ie. navigating a narrow Doom 2 Map24-esque catwalk with strong winds blasting you in the side). On the bright side, the ammo, health, and secrets are balanced excellently and there's some commendably creative puzzles as well, such as the e5m5 pod jump. If you're a Heretic fan, you're probably groping for new maps, and Shadowcaster should deliver. If you never cared much for Heretic in the first place it's safe to pass this one up.

I'm going to play Shadowcaster through again and post a personal, more opinionated review in the wads and mods forum... it's interesting.

OMG OMG OMG HERETIC MAPS OMG OMG OMG

The last area of E5M8 looks a whole lot like E3M8 of ichor.wad, except for the low friction (which I didn't like much).

I'm not going to have internet access for about 2-3 weeks, so is there any way for me to get all the new wads/news I missed when I return?

I have long wondered: As I have understood it, Heretic came out between Doom and Doom II. If that is correct, then why didn't id software use the new cool features they added to Heretic in Doom II? It could have made Doom II so much more interesting and a stronger sequel. If Heretic came out after Doom II then feel free to flame me ;-)

id didn't make Heretic, Raven did.

Ohhh... I see. Guess that explains it, huh!? Thanks Ling, this proves that I am not allowed to call myself the one in the world who knows the most about Heretic! :-)

Nice ones this week. I really liked Dark7. Dunno if I mentioned it before, but the Screenshots you put up are perfect.

yes, I was heavily inspired by that excellent wad when I did the boss arena. I put the slippery floor in because it had never been done before, and would make the final battle more interesting. After all, has anyone ever fought maulotaurs and d'sparil on ice before?

PS. where can I get the latest beta of zdoom 1.23? (as I want to play dark7/letdie2 but I only have beta 28, which I got from this site)

Ultimate DooMer said:

yes, I was heavily inspired by that excellent wad when I did the boss arena. I put the slippery floor in because it had never been done before, and would make the final battle more interesting. After all, has anyone ever fought maulotaurs and d'sparil on ice before?

PS. where can I get the latest beta of zdoom 1.23? (as I want to play dark7/letdie2 but I only have beta 28, which I got from this site)

http://zdoom.notgod.com/ftp/

Dark 7 is teh sex.

Is funny. I already have Dark7.zip hmm.. k.

Yeah, this is an update to dark7, there was a problem with the original apparently, and the maker fixed it and uploaded a new version recently..hence it's appearance in newstuff I'll assume.

Why aren't the Legacy screenshots taking using hardware rendering (GL,Glide,etc) instead of software rendering?
You miss some of the Legacy special effects in software mode.

Also does everybody over here hate Legacy as no-one ever seems to comment on Legacy levels ;o)

Heh, well Legacy isn't nearly popular as popular here as it is at NewDoom Al, but I like it ;)

Hrm, I don't play Legacy in GL much because of some of the nagging little graphical problems it causes with some maps (ie. Alien Vendetta Map01), but I'll test any further Legacy maps in hardware rendering as well.

kristus said:

Is funny. I already have Dark7.zip hmm.. k.

Yeah, I noticed that too when winzip asked me to confirm the overwrite. Normally makes me suspicious, but the file was some 100ks or so bigger.

That aside, this was a delicious slice of zdoom power. For me it's great because I think it enhances doom, rather than sending it off in direction away from the game.

Well done Bryant, awesome stuff, loved the mod music too, reminded me a little of ROTT somehow

Liam the Bard said:

Hrm, I don't play Legacy in GL much because of some of the nagging little graphical problems it causes with some maps (ie. Alien Vendetta Map01), but I'll test any further Legacy maps in hardware rendering as well.

The new Zennode fixes most if not all of the old GL holes,etc in wads.

woo! i like seeing so many wads in newstuff
dark7 is very refreshing and fun, nice work! i really should consider submitting my own works. next i going to play the mission pack.

more levels!

Big_Al: Not those created by vanilla doom SFX.

That satellite looked cool. No complaints about gameplay or architecture. I didn't mind downloading the 10+ megs; I think the music was worth its size. Looking forward to more Dark7 mission packs. :)

kristus said:

Big_Al: Not those created by vanilla doom SFX.

Yeah nuffings perfect, still better than it was :D

play more Heretic....well you're certainly right there, Liam. Speaking of Heretic, when were you thinking of doing that Shadowcaster review in wads and mods? (I'm intrigued to know what you really think of it)

Just finished dark7 and it's awesome. Great atmosphere (the tunes and ambient sounds make it very Unreal-like) and the zdoom features make it unlike anything I played before. That train level is especially cool! It took me an hour to download, but it's totally worth it. Onto the mission pack......

I liked Dark7, although it got kind of repetitive after a while, IMO. The objectives never really changed, and it seemed as though all the levels were either ice caves or warehouses. Overall, it wasn't bad, though. Haven't played the mission pack yet, busy with finals and stuff...

Oh, and I thought that music crap was really annoying. Well, the music was okay but the voices? WTF? He should release a version that doesn't have that music so the download is lighter.

Archvile64 said:

I liked Dark7, although it got kind of repetitive after a while, IMO. The objectives never really changed, and it seemed as though all the levels were either ice caves or warehouses. Overall, it wasn't bad, though. Haven't played the mission pack yet, busy with finals and stuff...

Oh, and I thought that music crap was really annoying. Well, the music was okay but the voices? WTF? He should release a version that doesn't have that music so the download is lighter.

Me, personally, Dark7 and Dark7:mission pack1 was real nice!
I cant wait 'till zdoomgl is compatible with zdoom 1.23.Dark7 will kick ass! Also why don't you e-mail the maker of Dark7 and ask him
a version made just for you?

Cause I really don't feel like being a pain in the ass, it's really not that important. Just downloading an 8 meg file that could easily be 3 or 4 meg cause of the fancy music doesn't really attract me towards downloading it.

where's #85? for some reason i feel the urge to play new maps, any maps..

I emailed it to him yesterday.