The /newstuff Chronicles #95

Hey! It's Sunday! /newstuff on Sunday! Break out your preferred party apparel, consume a ton of your preferred harmful substance, and generally go wild in your preferred method because I'm not off schedule and btw if you were up at 12:01 AM wondering where this update was you aren't invited. Also, because this was popular last time; is your /newstuff measuring up at a pathetic 4 single-map wads long? Order /newstuff enlargement pills! After use a gnome bursts out of your chest and beats crucial parts of Liam's computer into dust so he has to sit around idly while the wads build up.



Dueling Keeps by Pascal 'Gherkin' vd Heiden - - This week's opening act is a Legacy-based DM map running on Doom 2 Map01. Skimming duelkeep.txt informs me that the map was inspired by a Quake 3: Arena map... yes, I'm getting at the fact that the International Army of Faget Campars managed to hijack Gherkin's brainstem temporarily during the design of this map. Basically there's a 'blue base' and a 'red base', and a little outdoor area between them. Behind the entrance to each base there's a left-right fork, both paths of which lead to the same blue or red rooms which I assume would be flag capture zones if the most logical path to making the map was taken and it was designed as a Skulltag CTF map instead of a Legacy DM map. In each nonexistant-flag capture zone is a teleport to the other nonexistant-flag capture zone. So yes, during one-on-one games (which judging from the title is the focus gameplay type of the map) the chance of 'TEE-HEE COME THROUGH THE TELEPORT AND CATCH ME' is painfully high. There's also no real reason that I could see for this map not to be Doom2.exe compatible, the extent of Legacy's use in this map is colored lighting/fog and jump pads. There's a couple of 3dfloors but they don't add anything to the look or gameplay. Bottom line: Legacy DMers have quite a large selection of better arenas to pick from. You know it requires Doom Legacy.

Alien Invasion by Ismaele - - This generic silver tech-base map takes the stage and faces an unenthusiastic crowd. Map15 of Doom 2 is put aside for architecture that's possibly even squarer and linear gameplay to rival something really linear. I understand that Doomers live by 'flip the switch, find the key', but Alien Invasion manages to be repetetive and boring nontheless. I really wouldn't recommend downloading this unless... oh yeah, I forgot about 'The RG Three'. 'The RG Three' are three excruciatingly retarded gameplay flaws that I guess were very very poorly executed attempts at trying to spice up the 1000 SHAWN/SILVER hallways that make up this base. I call them 'The RG Three', not because I'm an E-dick or anything, but because it rhymes. Flaw no. 1: tiny alcoves that house a rather trivial item such as a handful of shells and crush you to your death instantly when you try to pick it up. There is no warning nor indication of a crusher protecting those precious four shells. Flaw no. 2: a teleporter 'guessing game' some time after you pick up all the keys. In order to make it to the last area of the map, you must guess which out of five teleporters lead you there and enter. The punishment for guessing wrong? Being sent to some place in the map you've already been to traverse empty hallways back to the teleporters. Flaw no. 3: the worst exit room ever. Yet another guessing game forces you to press one out of many computer textures in order to lower the exit switch. Guess wrong? You'll be surrounded by a horde of monsters, amongst them a single archvile. Review no. 2: don't bother.

Alien 2 - The Revenge by Ismaele - - I started this map up hoping for revenge against Ismaele for playing 'pick a hand' with me in his previous masterpiece, but unfortunately that is not what this sequel had to offer. Supposedly this map takes you on an adventure to the planet on which lives the alien species that invaded the 90-degree architecture base in Alien Invasion. Of course only one room of this map looks like an alien planet. My guess is that the author couldn't go two sectors without being drawn back into the spell of underdetailed sharp corners. Basically I'm catching the same gameplay vibe as I did with the first alien: hallways, switches, and backtracking. Most of the map is a brown/black METAL theme but the last few parts look exactly like the aformented SHAWN base in, yes, the previous alien. What's good is that 'The RG Three' has been downgraded to 'The RG One' as the only pimple of concentrated anti-fun that made it out of alien.wad and into alien2.wad is a crusher-alcove in one or two places. Wait, 'The RG One' doesn't rhyme. Damn you Ismael!

xfire6 by Lee Szymanski - - A new installment in the xfire series makes the sun come up for this week's update (and it has a little cute baby's face in it too). Weathermen predict the sun will shine brightest on Doom 2 Map04. xfire6 shares the same STAR*/BROWN texturing scheme as its predecessors but sports what I think is the best architecture and lighting of the series. Fragging on this map, the participants will find themselves running up stairs, down stairs, and off ledges to reach the same elevation as their target. Weapons, ammo, and items are doled out liberally but also very fairly... as with previous xfire wads, this map is perfectly balanced. It looks like it would best hold 3-4 players but the action isn't too slow in one-on-one at all. So, DMers, take my advice: fire up a Doom server for you and your friends, don't forget the -file xfire6.wad, and let the cute baby-face sun shine its glorious rays of connective layout and balanced gameplay upon your putrid, naked bodies.

Liam the Bard said:

Alien Invasion by Ismaele - - This generic silver tech-base map takes the stage and faces an unenthusiastic crowd. Map15 of Doom 2 is put aside for architecture that's possibly even squarer and linear gameplay to rival something really linear. I understand that Doomers live by 'flip the switch, find the key', but Alien Invasion manages to be repetetive and boring nontheless. I really wouldn't recommend downloading this unless... oh yeah, I forgot about 'The RG Three'. 'The RG Three' are three excruciatingly retarded gameplay flaws that I guess were very very poorly executed attempts at trying to spice up the 1000 SHAWN/SILVER hallways that make up this base. I call them 'The RG Three', not because I'm an E-dick or anything, but because it rhymes. Flaw no. 1: tiny alcoves that house a rather trivial item such as a handful of shells and crush you to your death instantly when you try to pick it up. There is no warning nor indication of a crusher protecting those precious four shells. Flaw no. 2: a teleporter 'guessing game' some time after you pick up all the keys. In order to make it to the last area of the map, you must guess which out of five teleporters lead you there and enter. The punishment for guessing wrong? Being sent to some place in the map you've already been to traverse empty hallways back to the teleporters. Flaw no. 3: the worst exit room ever. Yet another guessing game forces you to press one out of many computer textures in order to lower the exit switch. Guess wrong? You'll be surrounded by a horde of monsters, amongst them a single archvile. Review no. 2: don't bother.

Alien 2 - The Revenge by Ismaele - - I started this map up hoping for revenge against Ismaele for playing 'pick a hand' with me in his previous masterpiece, but unfortunately that is not what this sequel had to offer. Supposedly this map takes you on an adventure to the planet on which lives the alien species that invaded the 90-degree architecture base in Alien Invasion. Of course only one room of this map looks like an alien planet. My guess is that the author couldn't go two sectors without being drawn back into the spell of underdetailed sharp corners. Basically I'm catching the same gameplay vibe as I did with the first alien: hallways, switches, and backtracking. Most of the map is a brown/black METAL theme but the last few parts look exactly like the aformented SHAWN base in, yes, the previous alien. What's good is that 'The RG Three' has been downgraded to 'The RG One' as the only pimple of concentrated anti-fun that made it out of alien.wad and into alien2.wad is a crusher-alcove in one or two places. Wait, 'The RG One' doesn't rhyme. Damn you Ismael!

Wow, what a jerk...

Black Void said:

Wow, what a jerk...

Liam or Ishmael?

Horray for xfire6! YES! This map is totally awesome, main credits go to Lee and Friction (Yeah, Iron Yard does kick butt big time!). Way to go, Lee! Perhaps we can later talk about some "arrangement" about the project I'm working on :)

I would download Dueling Keeps if it wasn't based on port Doom Legacy which I don't have. It definitely is one of the greatest official CTF maps being made in FPS games. I might make a conversion based on it later without Legacy features, simply Doom2.exe compatible.

Liam.

that's a cool screenshot of a software fog effect.. unless its opengl and i'm retarded

yummy

You are so very friendly and constructive, Liam. Not.

jeez. Get a life Liam. Ishmael makes a map and is kind enough to share it with us and you bash him for it?

Shaviro said:

jeez. Get a life Liam. Ishmael makes a map and is kind enough to share it with us and you bash him for it?

Transparently pretentious and painfully un-credible reviewing.The only saving grace is that you take the time to do it.

999cop said:

Perhaps we can later talk about some "arrangement" about the project I'm working on :)

Beleive me I'm a terrible team member, and when my SP maps and xfire series are complete i'll probably stop mapping.

There should be some Skulltag guys looking for work in the near future, no harm in asking.

I hate to do this, but... I'm putting a link to my review of AfterDOOM (please don't laugh too much), which Lut did on his insanity page a LONG time ago, when I couldn't even make a decent arch. This review shows a better way to say that a wad sucks. Look carefully at the way Lut wrote it, not just how he described it:

http://www.doomworld.com/insanity/rev160.html

This is why Lut is one of the reasons why I have more fun playtesting my levels nowadays. I got a 1.5/10 on that, as it was my first wad. I went back to play AfterDOOM and compared it to one of the wads Lut liked. I found I liked the other wad better than AfterDOOM. My next one, Dark Castle, I got an 8.75/10. Why? Lut, that's why. If it wasn't for him, Dark Castle would probably not exist:

http://www.doomworld.com/insanity/rev169.html

Note that I didn't care about getting a high score; my intention was, and is, that my levels be enjoyable to doomers.

I didn't really get all the baby face/sun compliments on xfire6. I personally like the sound of "DOOM II map04 replacement" better.

fen boi said:

Beleive me I'm a terrible team member, and when my SP maps and xfire series are complete i'll probably stop mapping.

There should be some Skulltag guys looking for work in the near future, no harm in asking.

Initially, I have thought asking you to be part of the team previously, but since the last email you sent me, what I have in mind right now is if we can make some sort of agreement of a cooperative distribution out of xfire series that I would use a couple of levels of yours in my wad, and you'd get full credits on those maps. What da ya say?

Y'know, seems to me the reviews on new wads is getting increasingly harsher

It gets harder and harder to make something new that hasn't been done before.

Argh come on people

What would YOU do if you had to review those levels? "Yet another great level from Ishmaele, good job, keep it up, just a few minor flaws, excellent map, well worth your time?"

Welcome to the club

DarkWolf said:

It gets harder and harder to make something new that hasn't been done before.

....except for me, cos I'm a natural at doing that....

lament said:

Argh come on people

What would YOU do if you had to review those levels? "Yet another great level from Ishmaele, good job, keep it up, just a few minor flaws, excellent map, well worth your time?"

Well I certainly wouldn't attack the guy like this.

I think liam's reviews are appropriate. He is only giving recommendations of what he likes and doesn't. You can still download, make your own opinion of it, and post it here.

Ismaele!

Hey, nice job on alien2! I had a lot of fun recording it for Opulent's DSDA. Check your mail, the lmp is on the way.


Rich Sham

If Liam's giving recommendations, he could at least tone down the harshness some. I'm sure as hell not for saying every wad is great either, because that's certainly not true.

Sphagne: I've played through half your levels. Most of them kick ass. Remind me of gothicdm/gothic2/darkening2's design style: simple architecture, incredible layout. The really cool aspect is the way you seem to connect all the parts of these huge levels in all sorts of ways. That kind of thing is getting rare. I could learn a thing or two from you. I also liked the fact that there was never a dull, 30-minute moment where you'd be looking for what to do next. Are you going to make any more SP maps?

Rich said:

Ismaele!

Hey, nice job on alien2! I had a lot of fun recording it for Opulent's DSDA. Check your mail, the lmp is on the way.


Rich Sham

Same here...good fun map...good to record as there's lots of options to cut time.I was lucky and managed to record it first time through but it will entice me back for more, I should half the time...I think it's called 'learning a map' for those who feel un-marked crushers and the like are un-fair first time through.

I concur. Alien2 looks like a perfectly good map to me.

Thanx for the praise, I am currently focused on ZDoom.

I have made a resource wad for hightech ZDoom levels :

http://ftp.planetmirror.com/pub/idgames/combos/spzdoom2.zip

And I am at the beginig of a TC for ZDoom based on those Resources.
It is Called Doom Ex. and have RPG elements like the skills to hack computers or repair electronic devices.

I am porting Mothership to ZDoom and experiencing all the aspects of ZDoom level design over it.

I`m starting to make a horror type level for zdoom made in the dark and spooky mood like my level "AfterLife".

I think I will make it first then return to hightech levels, and maybe I will need some help with bulk of Doom Ex levels, so I can dedicate more time on scripts and small details.

Come on, the alien wads aren't that bad. I like tech maps, so they seemed better to me than others might think. Admittedly far too much ammo, but some of the traps were good. (if only there were some decent creatures in them...) The second one was good, though. Unusual start, and despite too much ammo again, and normal rooms being classed as secrets, I enjoyed this one better than the first one.
(it was a bit harder, too)

I think it's time to find someone else to do the reviews. My review of these reviews: they suck. Liam is a quite biased DOOMer so therefor only wads of a certain type will get good reviews. Don't bother uploading your levels unless you're sure it fits into Liams very narrow and superficial idea of "good". All this guy's doing is embarrasing DOOMWORLD.

Shaviro said:

Well I certainly wouldn't attack the guy like this.

Liam doesn't attack Ishmaele. He just attacks his maps.

I think we all know Liam's reviews have to be taken with a pinch of salt. I think it's good that he stirs people into comment though, it causes people to say what they really believe. Yay for Liam slaving away for us every week.:)