Gotcha!

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MAP18: Courtyard - ok monsters all infight here in this courtyard, I get it.
MAP19: The Citadel - Oh this is a big castle thing, that makes sense
MAP20: Gotcha! - uhh.. what exactly is the 'Gotcha' moment here?

I don't remember ever being really shocked by anything this map. Was the Cybie/Mastermind arena  supposed to be like a Dead Simple style boss battle thing, and then it was decided later that the map needed to be extended? To this day I'm still not really sure what this map name means.

I never thought too hard about it, but figured it was referring to getting the two big bosses to infight.  Not "gotcha" as in the player springing a trap but more you saying "gotcha" in a "haha the demons are dumb" sense.

I have a feeling they were just throwing out names at random and assigned them to anything they didn't have a name for yet.

Well, this map is full of traps, isn't it? Maybe we're just so desensitized to traps that we don't realize this anymore.

I always thought the player was "caught" in blood in this map or maybe Romero found surprise attacking sergeants fun like in E3M6.

What are doomers' thoughts on this map anyways? Besides the boss duel, the map plays like a closed E3M6 with obscure secrets.

The very first set piece of the map is a gotcha ( ha, let's see you try and fight a cyberdemon and a spider mastermind at the same time! ) followed up by a counter-gotcha from any player that knows about infighting. I'd say it's a pretty appropriate name.

the gotcha is the very first moment of the match when you've snuck up on the shotgunner, right? The rest of the entire map is set piece trap after set piece trap so that's your one moment of glory :))

PS this is my very favourite level in any commercial FPS

IMO it's the "boss fight". You enter the keep, and then the two biggest, toughest enemy types appear, basically right at the start of the map! Plus it's MAP20, a nice round number, you expect this to be the final fight? Gotcha! The bosses are largely irrelevant (just make them infight and then go away) and it's a full level after that, and the game continues after for a full episode.

I always thought that it's due to the "boss fight". That's why I named my stupid tweak like this.

I like this map, the start of the music theme reminded to me Terminator always. That's why I did this.

And also the first map I did for the PSX Lost Levels was the "Gotcha!" map.

Thought it was all over? Gotchya! Archvile waiting in the next room! Very little room for cover, too.

It's been hours since the last shuttle left with what few survivors remained. You've seen untold horrors, unfolding right in your own hometown. The suburbs where you spent your growing years, burned to ash. But, after an exhausting search, you've finally found it - The Hell Gate.

Gotcha.

Wasting no time, you slap a couple of shells into your trusty shotgun. Time for a little invasion of your own.

I always assumed the same as yakfak - the "gotcha" is practised by the player on the hapless shotgunner. 

Well the "gotcha!" was totally effective for me the very first time I got to this map, many years ago, I just wasn't expecting to see the two giants together right behind the first door. Plus, had no idea infighting existed, I was too intimidated by both monsters to advance, and didn't know which one to kill first. All I did was spam with everything I had via door camping and pray not to die. In addition, the archvile in the isolated secret tower always got me every time I went there. It wasn't until last summer that I saw BigMacDavis' video of the level, that I found out they were supposed to infight with each other. One night I loaded that map and set the show, only to presence a draw, that was hilarious.  

But that was my experience, you can also see the gotcha! like karma, you slap the poor shotgunner in the back because you believe he's inferior to you, only to be punished seconds later by two things that are superior to you. That obviously corresponds to first times for new players. Or like others said, you think after killing the two ex-bosses the game is over, but no!

I think the meaning is up to your imagination, just like other map names, is Barrels O' Fun literally fun with barrels? Some people think yes, some others not.

Gotcha does not refer to the shotgunner directly in front of you, ffs. What would Map01 be then? Double Gotcha? Is Map02 Triple Gotcha?

I always assumed it was related to the presentation of both boss enemies to you at the same time. I guess it is ultra tame now but when the map was made, surely it was an intense prospect.

There's quite a few gotcha moments in the map thinking about it. Enter the big room you're lead right into to see both a spider mastermind and cyberdemon bearing down on you. Find the teleporter into that one brown building to the northwest of the map space, there's a soulsphere you can reveal but there's a teleporter in front of it, which you need to find a way around. The chaingunner out of sight until you enter the building behind the start. The previously mentioned archvile at the end, and a few fun pain elemental positioning.

As Xaser mentioned, none of it is really novel these days, but holy fuck every bit of this map stands out, and for years every time I'd play it I'd find something new.

"Gotcha!"

;-;

"This level Serves NO purpose!"

4 hours ago, MetroidJunkie said:

Thought it was all over? Gotchya! Archvile waiting in the next room! Very little room for cover, too.

That was my first thought! I played through Doom II again this week and forgot all about that Archvile until I emerged from behind where the cyber was and it shot me upwards :<

Yep, definitely the archvile. 

Gotcha makes sense

What the fuck is Monster Condo? Or The Focus?

I always took "Gotcha!" to refer to the way the previous map, The Citadel, is this sprawling complex all purposed around the locking of the most elaborate and hellish exit room in both games afaik. Surely it's a gate to hell, right? But no, one more earth map, gotcha

3 hours ago, Linguica said:

Gotcha does not refer to the shotgunner directly in front of you, ffs. What would Map01 be then? Double Gotcha? Is Map02 Triple Gotcha?

E1M8's new name to me is now Barrels O' Gotcha

I think the purpose of the name is a reference to how you just walk into a room and you have the Spider Mastermind and a Cyberdemon fighting. It kinda catches you by suprise first time playing. You would not expect to have a regular level then suddenly having the 2 biggest baddies staring you down waiting to mow you down. TBH it got me off guard.

22 hours ago, ASD said:

What are doomers' thoughts on this map anyways?

That is my favorite map of doom 2.

Also, I never take in consideration the fact that this map is similar to E3M6... I think that a map more suitable is MAP15, but mostly all city maps from the iwad have that sandbox nature a la E3M6...

I for one am looking forward to gotcha.wad.

I actually only recently played it to the full potential, meaning I found all the secrets, killed every enemy and collected all items. The last time I played it was probably back when I was still a kid and the first thing I noticed by looking at the automap is that it's actually a sandbox map. I always played it in the linear fashion without bothering to look behind or try a different route so naturally I missed a lot of stuff on the way. The other thing is that it's really tricky if you're playing it from pistol start like I do usually. There are some really vicious AV encounters and PE usage and players can sometimes find themselves in a pickle mostly due to the teleport system that the map is based on. Nevertheless, it's actually a really great map with some really challenging gameplay and cool secrets.

I'm really happy to discover new things about Doom. I think aside from the first episode in both Doom and Doom 2, I never bothered to explore the maps entirely back then, mostly due to lack of skill, limited knowledge of certain areas and for the sake of simply surviving. I think I'll take my time with revisiting them because I find it exciting knowing that there are still things in Doom that I haven't seen yet, even after all those years.

1 hour ago, fraggle said:

I for one am looking forward to gotcha.wad.

And what this wad gonna do or show...?

34 minutes ago, DeXiaZ said:

And what this wad gonna do or show...?

Pay $1 to find out if you get a 5★ weapon to take on your foes! If you only get a 1★ weapon, though, then give us more money, you'll get your 5★ eventually, honest!

1 hour ago, DeXiaZ said:

And what this wad gonna do or show...?

A shotgun guy behind every door.