The /newstuff Chronicles #248

Pritch here, back in the newstuff loop for the first time in ages. I agreed to do this week in like, March or something, then totally forgot about until Bloodshedder frantically topic'd it on IRC this week, and someone chanced to point it out to me. Then I said I couldn't do it anyway. Heh. Then I decided, ah, what the hell, I will. We're true professionals at DW, you see.

• Cave - Steven Katz
  doom2.exe - Solo Play - 64 KB - (img)
  A 1994 map with a 1995 text file, so shall we give it the benefit of the doubt? It's a real mishmash of themes and textures, but it actually doesn't play too horribly in contrast to some of its contemporaries. It also has a passable retro feel at times. It's not over in 5 seconds either. If you're not fussy, this will provide a quick blast.
  
  
• dieth - LL Andy
  doom2.exe - Deathmatch - 33 KB - (img)
  1994 again. The text file says it's a DM map but it does come with monsters. My advice is play it as SP then, if at all, because this isn't much of a DM map. Very basic open arena gameplay mixed up with some frustrating rooms. DM has moved on by eons in these last 11 years. Skip it. Oh, it also caused a nice lock-up in ZDoom which required a reboot.
  
  
• IRU2-V2 - Dodd A. Snow
  doom.exe - Solo Play - 82 KB - (img)
  For a 1994 E1M1 map, this is much better than you might expect. It's actually not far away from being a pretty decent E1 map, and as this is genuine retro, and not a modern remake, you can forgive it almost everything. What spoils it is some pretty basic mapping errors including unpegged doors, poor texture alignment, ans so on. It's a pity it wasn't made with a modern editor.
  The gameplay is decent though. Not too challenging, but really oldschool in its feel. Getting through the first part on UV was fun with balancing health with pistol, and not using too many shells. You're then rewarded with a berserk. It's a big map too, and an authentic piece of half-decent 1994. Worth a look for E1 fans.
  
  
• Fenris - Sean Briggs
  doom.exe - Solo Play - 125 KB
  Still... 1994. This one has replacement textures that aren't good, and then there's the actual texturing itself, which is awful. So I'll save some bandwidth and won't trouble you with a screenie. Gameplay centres on lowering various pillars as you go along. There's a puzzle or two but this is pretty standard 1994 stuff, and you should beat it in less time than the text file suggests. Probably skip it.
  
  
• CHRIS - Unknown
  doom.exe - Solo Play - 33 KB
  Believe it or not, I think actually had an older version of this wad in my Doom1 folder already. i told u i was hardcor. Anyway this is your absolutely a-typical 1994 wad - slightly worse than the others I've reviewed so far. As the text says, for completeists i.e. those looking to recreate the archive, only.
  
  
• IMPSRUS - Dodd A. Snow
  doom.exe - Solo Play - 68 KB - (img)
  An earlier map from the same author of IMPSRUS2, unsurprisingly. A very similar story too, a half-decent retro map that's worth a look if you like the old E1 style. It looks and plays better than its early 1994 date would suggest.
  
  
• Mega4 - Jetpack, Martin Cox, MR.ROCKET
  doom2.exe - Deathmatch - 1497 KB - (img)
  Now this is a different story altogether. A DM megawad from the new era. Don't get too excited though. The text file says these are 'new maps fom scratch', so imagine my surprise when Dwango 5 map 1 shows up, missing its 'Compiled by Aikman' texture and sporting the 'Megasphere' one instead. Map13 is from dweller... map14 is d6m1.
  I'm not certain but I think the other maps here have been 'lifted' and whacked into this new compilation along with new sounds, oldschool MIDIs, and new skies etc. Sure, a lot of these maps are great for 1v1 and small FFAs, although some stink (map12) but I don't like what I think may have gone on here. I just don't have time to run through and check which may have come from where.
  At best then this is a pretty good compilation, but because of the way it's been described at worst it's plagiarism. Megasphere team needs an education it seems.
  
  
• MAGIC - Sebastian Kirke
  doom.exe - n/a - 5 KB
  Back in the old v1.2 days, Magic, running on E2M4, allegedly sported entire rooms, consoles etc., that would disappear when you shot them. Now it's been awhile since I used v1.2, and I think this is one for the history books, but if you're a, well, Doom anorak, you may want to download this and see for yourself if it works.
  
  
• NITEMARE - Alan P Tye
  doom.exe - Solo Play - 14 KB
  1994 again. Ugly with basic gameplay. For archivists only.
  
  
• Phobos1 - James Jordan
  doom.exe - Solo Play - 87 KB - (img)
  And again. But this isn't actually too bad. In 1994 I know I would have been excited to play this. It's not that ugly and the gameplay is almost challenging enough on UV, and would have been tricky back in the day. Maybe worth a pop if you're bored.
  
  
• Chamber of Chaos - Lexus Alyus
  ZDoom - Solo Play - 76 KB - (img)
  Forget 1994 for a minute and think Lexus Alyus. I'm a big fan of Lexus's previous maps and this one is no exception. It's a very tidy smallish map divided into sections, with changes in music to herald each new challenge, reminiscent of those boss challenges from TUD's Super Sonic Doom. During these stages, monsters teleport in, you kill them all, and a fresh group follow them. Finally, munitions are teleported in to relieve you. Get through this challenge and you can complete what is a circuit-type map, although beware a sting in the tail. Really nice little map, only about 10 minutes worth, but tough. Wad of the week.
  
  
• E1M1B - "Matt"
  doom.exe - Solo Play - 53 KB
  Back to 1994 with a bump, and this one isn't too terrible, certainly playable. The layout is a bit awkward, the texturing is clumsy but it's a big map and there's bits that are clearly inspired by other classic Doom1 maps, even if they're not as well executed.
  
  
• inca - Steven Katz
  doom.exe - Solo Play - 39 KB
  Ancient 1995 map that basically pits you against yet another cyberdemon in a "So you thought you'd won?!!??!" arena. Skip it.
  
  
• PAIN - Alan P Tye
  doom2.exe - Solo Play - 24 KB
  Vintage Doom2 map that has very basic layout and gameplay, but if nothing else, is challenging. You have to clear out each large area and are basically ambushed pretty much all the time. If you like it fast and pressurised, maybe you'll like this. Worth half a look.
  
  
• smurf - Lee Campbell, Daniel Blair-Johns
  doom2.exe - Solo Play -
  Something to do with replacing the textures or sprites with smurfs. I will have nothing to with those stupid little blue things that plagued the pages of my childhood gaming magazines in the early 90s. So I'll leave this for you to judge, if you're actually sad enough to download it.
  
  
• hogwash - magicsofa
  doom2.exe - Deathmatch - 117 KB - (img)
  Three new DM maps with monsters from magicsofa. Map01 crashes ZDaemon, so that's either hilarious, or a bad start, depending on your point of view. It worked in ZDoom though (who uses ZDoom for DM?!)
  Anyway from a DM perspective map01 is probably the pick. Small, tight, and decent for a 1v1 with plenty of height changes and fast narrow corridors leading to a couple of open spaces. Map02 is a bit ordinary, too open and bland. map03 is better, with a few runs over fatal falls to negotiate, but again it's nothing spectacular. Probably best for a 4-up FFA. Because of the viewing angle, these maps could use a sky replacement, as well as new music. If you do fall to your death, it's nice for it to be instant when you're in deathmatch. These therefore don't quite convince as DM maps, given the standard of the current crop around at the moment.
  
  
  
  

I was also curious about those maps in the Megasphere project... at least giving the proper credit wouldn't have looked so bad.

Weak week. Turn up the good, turn down the suck.

what a fucking godawful week.

back to silent hill 2, then.

From the original mega4 text file which can be found here: http://www.geocities.com/mrrocket2000/mr_homepage.htm

THIS IS A COMPILATION OF THEE MOST PLAYED OLD SCHOOL STYLE DM WADS IN THE WORLD
This is an Official Deathmatch WAD of the MegaSphere (the BEST Indiana multi-player BBS). - SINCE 1996

Every week, someone seems to say "worst newstuff evar". This time they may be right. In fact, never has the word newstuff been so inappropriate. Nearly all the maps are from 94/95 (heh, I remember being amazed at the tricks in Magic back in the day), there is one megawad of ripped-off maps and a DM WAD that won't work on Zdaemon (although the maps seem reasonable, aside from the fault BTW).

Lexus' map is certainly the best of the bunch, but it's a pretty short affair - as much of a scripting trial as anything - and I'd already played it. :(

Yeah, why are all these 94 wads turning up lately anyway?.. who the hell is uploading them.. I'd rather have Newstuff bi-weekly or monthly so at least we could have reviews on 'newstuff'.

Pretty good week, I thought. Many of funduke's uploads were fun to play, and ones I hadn't seen before.

Regarding the "worst week ever" comments that seem to be so fashionable recently (presumably based on the fact that there are very few new wads): if you choose some random weeks from years gone by, you'll quite often find that there was next to nothing new or any good. The weeks with lots of good new wads are the exception, rather than the rule.

Pretty weak week indeed. Mitnal (currently in /newstuff) is quite OK, though.

I uploaded a brand new wad on monday or maybe tuesday, guess I missed your cut-off point eh? I thought maybe it would have been reviewed this week. Did I miss the deadline? Maybe it'll be on next week.

The wad is called tectonic and is on the idgames server...

cheers

amberleaf said:

I uploaded a brand new wad on monday or maybe tuesday, guess I missed your cut-off point eh? I thought maybe it would have been reviewed this week. Did I miss the deadline? Maybe it'll be on next week.

The wad is called tectonic and is on the idgames server...

cheers

Sorry I didn't see it on there, I decided, as I have done before, to make Friday night the cut-off, so let me check...

That's odd it is indeed there, but I can only think it wasn't by Friday, else I can't see how I would have missed the download, as it's right between two that I did get.

Apologies all the same, it will be done in #249.

Heh, now I have found a genuine error in my review. I can account for this one;

I'm missing the reviews of the two text files uploaded, due to bad html on my part.

These are basically documents an avid fan has written detailing cheats in the first, and pros and cons in the second, of every single platform of Doom released. May be of some interest to you, but hardly Hank Leukart-level stuff methinks;

http://www.doomworld.com/idgames/index.php?id=11712
http://www.doomworld.com/idgames/index.php?id=11714

The "Chamber of Chaos" map provided a nice challenge of a few tries for the average player. It´s a shame that it is relatively short, anyways, it´s the best of this week in my opinion.

Chamber of Chaos was pretty cool! Nice work, Lexus!

Hail the ninetyfours! I have nothing against old wads, especially the ones that play well. When they're many I can't try them all, though.

Good job pritch, pretty good and comprehensive overall.

That rip-off DM wad must die.

yeah that's as bad as dwango2005 :X

oh and why hasn't doomuc been reviewed yet

pritch said:

Sorry I didn't see it on there, I decided, as I have done before, to make Friday night the cut-off, so let me check...

That's odd it is indeed there, but I can only think it wasn't by Friday, else I can't see how I would have missed the download, as it's right between two that I did get.

Apologies all the same, it will be done in #249.

Thats cool pritch, shame though because you liked my first wad.

okay i do review of doomuc

REVIEW:

STUPID GAY GAY DUMB STUPID WAD STUPID CRAPS TUPID DUMMY DUMMY STUPID UGH!!!!!

Lexus saves the week IMO. Great map Bro!

hahahaha. tom_d, you're a whole deck of cards.

TomD666 said:

okay i do review of doomuc

REVIEW:

STUPID GAY GAY DUMB STUPID WAD STUPID CRAPS TUPID DUMMY DUMMY STUPID UGH!!!!!

You forgot: GAY GAY GAY GAY

Well seeing as how newstuff has been sucking lately, I'll guess I'll save it once again next week and upload a few wads that I've finished but never got a chance to uploading. 2 sp and 1 dm, pretty average to me but anythings better than a 94 wad am I right?

gargoylol said:

yeah that's as bad as dwango2005 :X

oh and why hasn't doomuc been reviewed yet

Is the reviewer gay?

well i must admit
iv been watching the newstuff fall into near nothing for the past few months
it would seem doom is dieing

doom multiplayer basicly died the day dc was disconnected, it would seem the singleplayer/mappers aspect is goin down the tubes aswell

you guys cant really be out of ideas to make maps can you? or is it cus funduke is uploading the oldies?

hope you guys pull it together soon anyways :)

Xtife said:
it would seem doom is dieing

DOOM will never die, only the wad makers!

Given all the wads we've made through the years, it bemuses me that people complain when there aren't new ones as if there were none left to play, or play again.

Heh, I find play value even in Doom.wad yet.

Nothing good, :(

Xtife said:

it would seem doom is dieing

I don't believe that is true at all. 2005 has already seen a good crop of major new releases, and some more are expected. And as I commented above, if you choose some random weeks from the period 2000-2004, you'll see that the number of good new releases each week is generally rather low.

People just love to complain.

i liked the idea to change to bi weekly or monthly. you guys dont have to do thaat for ever, just untill things start picking up or something

Xtife said:

i liked the idea to change to bi weekly or monthly. you guys dont have to do thaat for ever, just untill things start picking up or something

Nothing wrong with keeping it weekly as it should be.