Contest Reviewed

Karthik's Doom Pages have been updated with the reviews of Metabolist's Ockham Complex and of all the 15 levels in Doom Center Episode 1 contest megawad.

The critique:

"This level didn't feel much like an Episode 1 level at all. There are a lot of textures from E1 used here, but the level has cacodemons and lost souls floating about!"

Oops, I guess I should have thought of that. Oh well, you get in a rush and you screw things up.

"The place where you get the red key is very weird... and in the red key room you have a pulsating maze type area like in the original E1M2."

No, the maze is nowhere near the red key and the room isn't wierd. It's what happens when you can't think of anything decent to put in. :)

"But there are lost souls."

Guilty as charged, but still I think it could have been worse. I made it in about 7 hours.

"The final area which has 4 barons, looks ugly."

True again.

"In fact, there are lots of misaligned textures and bad lighting (some areas are very dark).

Okay, what's up with this? 3 misalignments (and I challenge you to find them) and I made a room dark and that's some kind of travesty? Sorry, next time it'll all be 255.

"Still, if you don't bother about that,..."

C'mon, there's 3 misalignments and a dark room! What kind of idiot would play a level with a dark room!

"...the gameplay of this level is good, and I found it quite entertaining."

Thanks, but you were a bit harsh in the rest weren't you? I know my level sucks but dammit after spending 2 bloody months on my NewDoom legacy level and still no results I wasn't feeling like working very hard on it. ANd still, I think I should get points for building it in 7 hours, with WADED no less!

Maybe I'm just whining cuz I had a bad day at work too. Never mind me!

E1M4

"Really nice level - in my opinion the best in this WAD and one of the best I've played!"

Damn right ;)

haha fred finally gets closure.

Eight out of ten. I guess I can stop kidding myself that I'm crap at this. Been going nearly a year now.

Well, I'm just pleased about the comments regarding my level, as it looks like I hit exactly where I aimed, if you follow.

Jay. Damn right. Stop your whining now.

Okay, Ebola, so I can't look at any one of my levels and not see the flaws above all else. I'm not whining, I'm just a little too harsh when it comes to self-analysis.

And, evidence has come to light that I have actually been editing for nearly a year and a half, judging on the date of my first .wad on my HD.

Still not doing bad.

But hey, I edit because it's fun, not because I think it makes me 31337 or anything.

Hey, E1M7 is my level, 7 / 10, yay!

"The hardest part of this level is a maze with nukage that's almost pitch dark! You will get a lite-amp to help you out part of the way..."

Heheheh... there's a trick to that. DON'T get the glasses. As you make your way through the maze it gets lighter and lighter and it gets really easy.

"It does look a bit empty compared to the original Knee-Deep levels, and in some places there is some improper texture use (unpegging not done, etc.)"

Yeah, it originally had more monsters, but it made it less KDITD-y. :p
Plus that unpeggingtexture thing is in ONE (maybe two) spot. There's a spot in the raised hallway with a computer recessed into the walls. I accidentally gave the Up and Low textures a STONE2 instead of STONE texture.

"One of the doors in this level (the place where you get the yellow key) seems to open only once - so you'll have to be careful to get out quick."

Pretty unavoidable. You did see the switch which opens it right? You can be in there for as long as you want, just don't go in again.

I dunno I thought all the levels were pretty good. Kind of wish the big names would enter these contests, or there was just more support in general.

shouldve let it go for a month... romero didnt judge them for 1.5 anyway :|

Did anyone else noticed that nearly all these levels had at least one room obviously directly inspired by an original e1 level?

Kind of wish the big names would enter these contests,

As in? Fredrik entered, that would be a B level name I would say.

Fredrik is a Mercedes Class A

Hey Rellik, any chance of a look at your entry for the newdoom Legacy contest, I entered quite a few for that one (only 1 really good one though). I guess we will never know the winner.

I want it for my Doom 3D page, I already have most of the other entrants wads.

Apparently it's been a while since you've tasted exquisite food, and have forgotten what it's like. ;-)

heh

check out my corner of www.teamdeim.com it's up for download. I want feedback about the ending as it is very.... unique. If people like it I'll whip up another level with it.

Swedish Fish: Yes, but he isn't the only one. I think one out of all the big names floating around isn't a very good turn out. It speaks highly of Fred though. :)

Well, once Freedoom is finished, Espi will certainly be a big name :).

There are a few others that most people will have heard of, such as Jay Townsend, Tobias Muench, and of course yourself.

Then there are the people who no-one's ever heard of before. Like the winner :)

Are you saying I'm a big name? I think you've just insulted everyone who ever made a DOOM level. :p

Well I just hope there are more contests that get more support. Granted of course a DOOMWORLD contest will get more response (being the grandpappy of sites) but more support for ALL contests means more contests, more great maps, and more cool prizes.

No, I'm just saying most people in the community have probably heard of you.

"E1M4

"Really nice level - in my opinion the best in this WAD and one of the best I've played!"

Damn right ;)"

You need to shut the fuck up and stop thinkin youre the best editor of all time... your name wasnt on the "top 10 doom level designers" u know? and if they had still been around theyd make maps 20 times as good as yours... and vrack1/2 is not of the best levels ever made. like that time u said "metabolist remove the plutonia2 site from that domain cause it has pop-ups or u wont get my map4." thats the definition of gay and how much someone can think of themselves...

Gem: Kdoom and Mordeth is still around ;) Ikka popped by during the 10 sector contest.. even made a map last year.. and considered to make a 10 sector entry..

I think you need to learn what ;) means

ebola: what map last year? havent seen it..
think i heard he was goin to make a 10 sector map...too bad he didnt... and mordeth hasnt really released any maps in a long while and probably wont be in a long while either...hehe.

nightmare: its not ok when u do that all the time..

kdoom was on top10 by the way?

Gem: I wasn't even editing when the 10 best authors thing was made...

I never said i'm the best author of all time. I never said vrack 1/2 are the best levels of all time.

And yes, you need to learn what the ";)" means.

About the Plutonia 2 site and the pop-ups,
you're really lost somewhere in your ass now.

"thats the definition of gay and how much someone can think of themselves..."

Again, you seemingly wouldn't understand the meaning of a ";)", or should I say, "sarcasm".

And what if I cancelled my level, would that be because I think I'm the best level designer ever?

I got the wad, very nice, I love that spiral staircase and the elevator (Im studying it closely to see how you did that) and the moving 3D floors.

Im getting worried about that competition now, I thought I had a fair.

I still havent found the exit, I keep getting trapped in a room with two hell knights.

I played E1M4 by Fredrik Johannson, and I'd like to put in my $0.02 worth.

Level Design -- Excellent, very non-linear level with good combat areas, nice traps, and clever secrets

Textures -- Decent choice of textures, impeccable alignment, subtly indicated secret areas or traps (e.g., when blue key is picked up)

Gameplay -- Well above average gameplay, allowing for circle strafing multiple enemies, some tight spots (especially with rushing demons), and sniping

Ammo-Health-Armor Balance -- This is the only department where I had complaints. There is way too much ammo. On UV with a pistol start, when I completed the level I had 249 bullets, 100 shotgun shells, and 24 rockets. Plus there were many shotguns still lying around. This is despite the fact that I never once used my chainsaw. There is too much health and armor, especially if you find all the secrets. I left with 175 health and 147 armor, with some armor still remaining.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the level, which I believe has good replay value, but the ammo-armor-health balance brings the score down somewhat.

That's what I never really had time to test.