Just curious: How often do you actually play all 32 levels of others' megawads?

For me, I think the only three 32 level megawads I've managed to beat myself into playing in full (in full being the key) are STRAIN, Requiem, and Eternal Doom. I think I've also played through some Doom 1 megawads, but I can't remember that far back. I usually just can't get myself to stick to large map packs, personally. Though I don't know how on god's green earth I managed Eternal Doom, of all wads :P.

Anyway, what about you? How often do you manage to play through a megawad in full?



Reason I'm asking is that I'm trying to decide if it's more worthwhile in general to focus on single map releases, episodal releases (5-10 maps), or to go for the full stretch. And moreover, to figure if people whose maps are in the latter part of a megawad aren't getting the short end of the stick in terms of player exposure.

Do I have to play all 32? I usually play 30 since I miss a lot of secrets.

There haven't been many that drew me in to the point that I did play all the way through. STRAIN, Scythe, Scythe II, Memento Mori II, Congestion 1024, Cyberdreams... 2002 A Doom Odyssey if that counts. I usually feel like it's a bit of a chore to play to the end of a megawad, although once I reached the last map of wads like STRAIN and Scythe, I was wishing there was more.

Oh yeah forgot Cyberdreams. Though I did cheat through most of those maps, alas (I was fucking pansy back then :P).


And no, I guess not all 32, if the secret maps are just silly or strictly optional or whatnot.

This question was asked last year, more or less.

I've been playing some megawads recently. Just played Memento Mori again and now I'm playing Memento Mori II (at level 17 now).

I play till I die and then continue the level I died on, starting from scratch, picking up from there. Basically you're penalized each time you die by losing your equipment and having to replay the level.

myk said:

This question was asked last year, more or less.

Argh. Should've figured someone had asked something like this already.

Well, this is one of the six topics which we discuss on a rotation, so posting it is perfectly alright.


I pretty much always play all 32 maps in a megawad once I crack the seal by loading up map01. However, I am no longer as likely as I once was to work all the way through a megawad even if I'm not really enjoying it. The part of my brain that thinks that the completion of a torturous wad is an accomplishment is starting to be overruled by reason.

It totally depends on the project, its goal and its execution.


In general I get bored by megawads that are just random collections of maps, like Requiem, Memento Mori or Alien Vendetta and I haven't ever played through one completely.

Normally with this kind of project I extract the maps I like to form smaller episodes.

The second scenario is that at a certain point in the WAD the map style changes in a way that I lose interest. Examples for this are Rebirth (I lost interest after the obligatory 'Hell' transition after level 20), Kama Sutra (after the maps turned into slaughterfests that weren't salavageable with editing them), Scythe, Neodoom (same) and Plutonia 2 (to a lesser degree but the last third of the WAD was not up to the first 2 thirds and contained some maps I did not like at all.)

In this case I normally shorten them a bit to skip the maps I don't like.

Of course there's also some megawads that are good throughout and I have no problem playing through them completely. Examples for this are Strain, TVR, Simplicity, Perdition's Gate, Hell to Pay, Herian 2 and Scythe 2 (although I edited the slaughtermaps in that to be a bit less extreme.)

I find myself playing Alien Vendetta, Hell Revealed 2 and Scythe 2 all the time with friends, I think I've memorised the maps completely!

If a megawad is good, I'll play all of its maps. Why not?

But until you are a very experienced mapper, it makes sense to release individual maps or shorter episodes. That way you can get useful feedback before spending a lot of time creating further maps that might have avoidable flaws.

If I get a megawad from the net, I choose to treat it accordingly, so I play all 30/32/36 levels in order. The main reason for this is, besides the difficulty curve, that it may also have some plot which could be spoilt by playing the maps in arbitrary order.

I also make use of the fact that Doom allows you eternal life after death -- but without the extra guns and armor. For that reason, I use vanilla Doom or -- if the lack of REJECT doesn't allow -- Eternity, or if under Mac, PrBoom.

I don't think I even save, because I know I wouldn't reload, UNLESS it were something like Strife, which quite requires you to reload, because otherwise the missions wouldn't trigger. Otherwise I just -warp my way to the latest map.

Completely agree with printz.  (I guess I played too much Golden Axe and Rockman 1 where I couldn't save and reload...)  It doesn't even have to be a well-designed megawad — garish, unbalanced anthologies sometimes achieve a slapstick beauty all their own.   :>

I look at megawads as brand new games, rather than just add ons, so I try to complete them as much as I can. If I miss the secret levels, it bothers me to an extent, but I always try and come back to the megawad at some point, just to finish the secret levels. I'm quite the perfectionist y'see. ;)

I play through anything on a busy co-op server. I never play through megawads alone, unless KDiZD counts.

I don't usually play all the levels. I usually stop at the 10th level, because i get bored after some time (unless i'm playing it with a weapons mod. =P)

Grazza said:

If a megawad is good, I'll play all of its maps. Why not?

This statement matches my thoughts exactly. Why miss on something good? Why do so many Doomworlders own Final DOOM? Because the levels (primarily in Plutonia) are of great quality and are fun and enjoyable to play.

Grazza said:

If a megawad is good, I'll play all of its maps. Why not?

Same here, really.

Almost never.

I came close to finishing Alien vendetta a few times but I will always get to an annoying level or bug or stupid puzzle that will have me looking for something else to do.

Captain Red said:

Almost never.

I came close to finishing Alien vendetta a few times but I will always get to an annoying level or bug or stupid puzzle that will have me looking for something else to do.

You never beat AV? You should play it, the last levels are fun.

I always play through the well executed and good looking megawads. Unless a megawad is really bad, I will try and beat the whole thing just to say I did.

I always play megawads from start to finish. I think the only megawad I haven't bothered finishing is BCSMW.

JohnnyRancid said:

I always play megawads from start to finish. I think the only megawad I haven't bothered finishing is BCSMW.

BCSMW?

TheeXile said:

BCSMW?

Barney the C*** S****** Monster, Wow. Either way, i play them from start on end, best on coop though imo

I've beat many megawads in coop mode. But only the commercial 32 map wads in SP.

I finish megawads (except map30-like levels) each time I wanted to play them all through the 32 levels.
I finished AV, HR, HR2, 10 sectors, Scythe 2…

Oh yeah! Forgot about 10 Sectors, too. And here I had tried to make a map for it way back when, too. :P

TheeXile said:

BCSMW?

Big Crappy Shit MegaWad. A series of intentionally lousy maps. I downloaded it assuming the author was just being modest.

You kidding me? I haven't even beaten Doom 2 yet! Though that's mainly because I've had to start over about 7 or 8 times already and I get tired of doing the same 10 levels over and over again.

I did cheat through Mock 2, though. And I beat 64.wad. I've almost beaten Equinox though that's only 13 levels. In fact, I think I'm gonna go play that right now.

DuckReconMajor said:

I haven't even beaten Doom 2 yet! Though that's mainly because I've had to start over about 7 or 8 times already and I get tired of doing the same 10 levels over and over again.

All the maps are very playable from a pistol start. Try them that way; you'll probably find it quite liberating, freed from the tyranny of needing a savegame. It also makes the maps more interesting and balanced, compared to starting them with all weapons, full health, armour, etc. And if you have nearly beaten Equinox, you clearly have the necessary playing ability.

Grazza said:

All the maps are very playable from a pistol start. Try them that way; you'll probably find it quite liberating, freed from the tyranny of needing a savegame. It also makes the maps more interesting and balanced, compared to starting them with all weapons, full health, armour, etc. And if you have nearly beaten Equinox, you clearly have the necessary playing ability.

Actually, when I think about it, you're absolutely right. What comes to mind is E3M8 from Doom, which is actually a more fun fight than the Cyberdemon if you don't run in with the BFG from E3M7 and take her out in 3 hits.

Might actually get around to beating it now. Thanks.

DuckReconMajor said:

and take her out in 3 hits.

... isn't that a bit much...? ;)