Good Finales in WADs?

What maps in certain WADs have the most epic battles? I don't mean this in atmosphere really but rather a very fun and engaging battle; something that suits being a final challenge. I'm looking for some inspiration here, also no slaughter maps please.

Bonus points for no BFG usage.

Most epic/engaging + no slaughter? What do you want?

SuperCupcakeTactics said:

What maps in certain WADs have the most epic battles? I don't mean this in atmosphere really but rather a very fun and engaging battle; something that suits being a final challenge. I'm looking for some inspiration here, also no slaughter maps please.

Bonus points for no BFG usage.

Antaresia's singleplayer map is really epic, but largely due to well made boss monsters that are imports from other games (done tastefully). I think you solve the "epic conclusion" riddle by having a really gradual, well balanced buildup, followed by a an increased difficulty curve and a previously unseen opponent, involving the combat arena in some new and interesting way. Not easy. Particularly these days, when even Cybos are more or less common enemies. The larger the map, the harder it is to save some oomph for that final, would be emancipating, struggle.

Sorry I mean just "big" well-balanced battles, setpiece or not that stick out in memory with good use of high tier monsters.

I think I already have ideas for solving my problem so sorry for making this thread on a whim but I want to put this to good use and still ask for some maps to play with good fun finales that are satisfying to a map's conclusion.

Ever played Excalibur, Map30 from Eternal Doom? That has got to be one of the most epic finales in a wad I have ever played. A huge, complex castle map that is both challenging in puzzles and monster fights, and it's by Bob Evans.

SuperCupcakeTactics said:

good fun finales that are satisfying to a map's conclusion.

300 lines has several memorable battles like that. Every Cybo you meet feels like a real encounter. Some good Mancubi battles too, that stick to memory. Took me ages to find a BFG. Highly recommended.

Oh and it's a good thread subject, don't apologize. ;-)

BTSX EP1 and 2 has some of my favorite finales out of any wads, though they're just epilogues from the penultimate map, which are the real finales. i still like them, though.

Equinox is also amazing, but it's a giant gauntlet of monsters, so you might not enjoy that.

i had more recommendations, but you said no slaughter so...

Finale with no BFG usage? Darn, man...

I can only say that I highly commend the DTWiD team for their subversion of the BFG-oneshot finale in their D3M8. The pillars will make that impossible - best I could do was 2-shot the mastermind - even then it was probably lucky and wouldn't happen every time. id Software really screwed the pooch on this one.