The /newstuff Chronicles #343

• Doom 2 Variations by Dimaension X - Mr. Chris
  ZDoom Compatible - n/a - 40072077 bytes
  Reviewed by: Wills
  A collection of new songs for Doom 2. They sound pretty good, if you're a fan of prog-ish metal semi-remixes, and pay more attention to the game than the music. If you listen closely, parts of the songs don't exactly sound right, due to the modern-instrumentation + MIDI approach instead of having a real, live band cover the songs. Also, the original music tends to be more low-key and subtle, like sonic wallpaper - it's interesting to listen to but fades into the background easily when you need it to. "Into Sandy's City" and "Waiting For Romero to Play" are the standouts. A nice effort by Dimænsion X for making the music and Mr. Chris for, uh, putting them in a wad.
  
  
• K6S.zip - Cory Banket
  Limit Removing - Solo Play - 137351 bytes - (img) (img) (img)
  Reviewed by: udderdude
  A single map for Doom 2. Pretty average map; for some reason, it seems to get easier the further you progress. Starts off pretty tough, though. Architecture is pretty boxy, but there's good height variation. The detailing pretty much sucks, unfortunately. It's worth playing once, that's about it.
  
  
• KS8.zip - Cory Banket
  Limit Removing - Solo Play - 168449 bytes - (img) (img) (img)
  Reviewed by: udderdude
  A fairly large techbase map for Doom 2. Definitely more difficult than the previous map I reviewed by the same author. This map is pretty much better in every aspect, especially challenge. There are some nasty traps and confined fights to deal with. Worth playing.
  
  
• KS9.zip - Cory Banket
  ZDoom Compatible - Solo Play - 176164 bytes - (img) (img) (img) (img) (img)
  Reviewed by: Wills
  Another entry into the KS series. Like with the others, the main theme is difficult to pin down, though you go through a quarry area (very nicely done; you don't see that done too often), a library/mansion, and a series of stony underground tunnels. Gameplay is not too difficult but can throw a few tricks at you (the exploding-barrel ambushes were inventive). Map design is good, with some occasional what-did-that-switch-do moments. There's one necessary switch that's hidden in a secret (very bad), but at least it's near the beginning, so you don't have to do a lot of searching. The tech-y area immediately after the yellow door is rather impressive; the different rooms unfold and reveal themselves through a series of switches in a semi-complex way. Overall good for your time.
  
  
• KS10.zip - Cory Banket
  ZDoom Compatible - Solo Play - 198228 bytes - (img) (img) (img) (img)
  Reviewed by: Wills
  One of the best in the KS series so far. Map layout is interesting, challenging throughout the whole map (except for a final showdown which is far too easy), ammo/health are good (I ran out of ammo near the beginning, but this was due to my decision to snipe Revenants with shotgun shells), etc. etc. The author makes good use of the continually raising/lowering platforms, which I normally find annoying. Other than that I really don't have much to say except this is probably worth the 30 minutes of your time you'll spend playing.
  
  
• KS11.zip - Cory Banket
  ZDoom Compatible - Solo Play - 171665 bytes - (img) (img) (img) (img) (img)
  Reviewed by: Wills
  I've gotten to enjoy the KS series more as I play more installments; I can't tell whether this is because Cory is improving as a mapper or some maps are better than others with no particular order (I can't remember which KSs I played in which order). This is another nice one with a different theme: Cyberdemon/Mastermind showdown in a giant warehouse/factory! Or something like that; as with the other KS wads, other themes pop up through the map.
  
  According to the author this one's a bit shorter but more difficult than his other maps; I actually thought it was about average length for KS (although indeed slightly harder). There are quite a few difficult moments, such as going to press a switch and coming across the three Revenants that are hiding in wait, or maneuvering around while the ever-present Cyberdemon and Mastermind pummel you with rockets and bullets. And there are something like 100 imps that are throwing fireballs at you, as well as plenty of chaingunner and shotgun guys. Map design is somewhat unusual for a KS map in that it's much larger and more open than Cory usually does; it's a nice change. Overall, recommended.
  
  
• KS12.zip - Cory Banket
  ZDoom Compatible - Solo Play - 8328429 bytes - (img) (img) (img) (img) (img)
  Reviewed by: hardcore_gamer
  This is a WAD that replaces MAP01 for Doom 2. It has new textures, weapons and enemies. The textures are good for the most part and fit the map well; the new weapons also fit the theme well and are fun to use.
  
  Gameplay wise you will be facing a horde of demons in an earth-like map. It's not very tough yet not very easy either since ammo is valuable in this map.You will face mostly zombies and some medium powerful demons. Just use the shotgun and the chaingun and you will be fine. But don't throw away ammo.It should take 15-20 min to beat this map as it has over 260 enemies and a number of puzzles.
  
  Detail wise the map looks very good. Just look at my screenshots to see what I mean. The new textures look great, they fit the theme perfectly, they are very earth like. The new enemies can be tough to take down and the new weapons are awesome. You can see the new improved BFG9000 in action on one of the screenshots.
  
  The layout is good; I did not get lost much, though there was this one place where i did not have a clue, but overall it's not tough understanding where to go next.
  
  I can easily recommend this WAD. I had fun with it, and I am pretty sure you will too if you download it.
  
  
• rock and roll rebel radio against satan city - Walter "Daimon" Confalonieri Reviewer: Wills
  Boom Compatible - Solo Play - 644824 bytes - (img) (img) (img)
  Reviewed by: Wills
  With a name like "rock and roll rebel radio against satan city", it HAS to be good, right? It's actually not bad at all. These two maps are Duke Nukem-themed; they both take place in (cramped and pretty ugly) cities with all sorts of Duke textures and plenty of strippers. Daimon manages to pack a good bit of gameplay into 1024 square units of space, and the maps feel larger than they actually are; it's occasionally hard to figure out what to do or where to go next, but there's not a whole lot of space to wander around, meaning you'll figure it out eventually. There's a new enemy, some sort of super-sergeant with the Quake zombie sounds. Overall the maps aren't too tough, although there are a few challenging moments.
  
  
• Heretic Conveyorbelt Script Demonstration - Kristian 'Kristus' Käll
  Heretic Support - Solo Play - 10873 bytes
  Reviewed by: udderdude
  A small Heretic map demonstrating a conveyor belt that works in various source ports. Truly a must-download sensation of the century.
  
  
• Not So Simple - Mr. Chris
  doom2.exe - Solo Play - 12629 bytes - (img)
  Reviewed by: Wills
  A Map07 replacement. Difficulty is fairly low, as the arena gives you ample room to move around and plenty of ammo (you can avoid getting hit at all and use only rockets if you're careful enough). Map is kind of bland-looking, in keeping with the original. So, uh, that's all there really is to say about it.
  
  
• Koul Textures - RottKing
  n/a - n/a - 385727 bytes
  Reviewed by: udderdude
  Some decent textures, they are almost all edits of existing Doom 2 textures. Some are simple color changes, others are more advanced edits that look pretty good. Grab it if you're looking for some more variety in the stock Doom 2 textures for your next map.
  
  
• Stoned - Mr. Chris
  doom.exe - Solo Play - 31583 bytes - (img) (img)
  Reviewed by: udderdude
  A short techbase map for Doom on E2M1. Not much to say about this one, it feels like a classic Doom map. Difficulty is pretty low. Average detail. Has some good use of dark areas. It's worth a quick playthrough. You would be more entertained by it than reading this review.
  
  
• Fallen - The Rising - Nuke em
  ZDoom Compatible - Solo Play - 969670 bytes - (img) (img) (img) (img) (img) (img) (img) (img) (img) (img)
  Reviewed by: udderdude
  A 10 map set for Plutonia, using ZDoom. These maps are definitely a mixed bag. Things start out strong, with some short but well made maps. Unfortunately, things start to unravel around level 4. Detail, layout and gameplay start to drop in quality. The author also makes no attempt to provide weapons if you start from a pistol/warp start in most of the later maps. Some levels can be completed by creative use of monster infighting and just plain running past some monsters, but it's only somewhat worth it to play that way, since the maps weren't designed for it, and you can't get maxkills.
  
  Maps 1-3 are techbase maps, to me, the best 3 in the entire set. Play these three if any.
  
  Map 4 is an outdoor area that's pretty bland and feels tacked on. Completable from pistol start if you run past almost every enemy.
  
  Map 5 is a dark underground base which features an extremely annoying dark green area, where it's very difficult to see anything, especially enemy projectiles. Not completable from a pistol start.
  
  Map 6 is another techbase map. Completable from pistol start if you run past enemies and cause a lot of infighting.
  
  Map 7 is absolutely the most broken map in the set. The elevator that lowers you doesn't seem to work - you have to noclip to get past it. The main area is an arena fight which is comically broken, in that you can hide in one particular corner of the arena and no monster will ever attack you, since they are all looking in the opposite direction when they spawn.
  
  Map 8 is yet another techbase map. Not completable from a pistol start.
  
  Map 9 is a hell map. Completable from a pistol start. Has a really annoying section near the end where you drop right in front of a spiderdemon and two arachnos with nowhere to hide. Enjoy your buttrape.
  
  Map 10 is a HR-style tech map, with some hell elements. Also has a final boss fight with Doom 2's final boss. Very large map, lots of monsters in this one. Completable from a pistol start, and you can get maxkills. Still not the best map, though.
  
  Overall it feels like this mapset was shoved out the door unfinished and without proper testing. With more work done on the later maps, it could have been really great. As is, it's just average. Too bad.
  
  
• Mapgame - rf
  Boom Compatible - Solo Play - 1812136 bytes - (img) (img) (img) (img) (img) (img) (img) (img)
  Reviewed by: Traysandor
  Mapgame is a nine level Episode 1 replacement for Doom to be played on any Boom-compatible port.
  
  However, added to the mix is a new shotgun sound, the Flaregun (chaingun replacement), and an enemy Sentry Turret. The shotgun sound I found to be tolerable, the Flaregun was okay but not really that great, and the Sentry turret seems kind of out of place for an Episode 1 replacement, but it seems to hold its own in the overall theme of this wad.
  
  The level design and detailing was fairly good for the most part; I didn't have very many complaints about how the nine levels were presented, and there was some nice eye candy too. The difficulty was overall not too much of a factor, with sufficient health and ammo placed though the levels. It does gets a tad hectic though in some of the later maps running around and killing off low level monsters.
  
  Overall though, this is a pretty solid mapset, and it's worth a playthrough. It may not be your typical E1 replacement, but I liked most of what I saw.
  
  
• aloha808 - Alamain
  doom2.exe - Solo Play - 219054 bytes - (img) (img) (img) (img) (img) (img) (img) (img) (img) (img) (img)
  Reviewed by: Wills
  You Can Make Doom Maps Too!
  The Guide to Creating Custom Exciting Doom Levels In Hardly Any Time At All!
  
  Have you ever played a map for Doom and thought, "Gee, I wish I could do that... but I just don't know how"? You've come to the right place! I can explain to you in easy, simple steps how to create a level to call your very own! Best of all, once you're done with this tutorial, you'll have a brand-new, totally unique map that you can play, release, or do whatever with!
  
  1. It's always a good idea to have a specific theme in mind when creating your level. For our example, we'll be making a map with the theme "green"! Any texture that's mostly green, such as the STAR and marble textures, is good. Varying the textures you use is a good idea; you might want to have some all-green textures, some mostly-green-with-silver textures, some half-green-and-half-silver textures, and so on.
  
  2. Start building a few rooms. Rectangles and squares are a good idea; you don't want to confuse the player. Make sure to connect a few of these rooms with long hallways. It doesn't matter if some textures are unaligned or don't look right, it doesn't matter because this is just a video game anyway! Try building some stairs. A rule of thumb about hallways and stairs: the more and the longer, the better! And make sure they go in one direction and don't split off, that might make the player uncomfortable. Also try varying the light levels. Alternate between dark rooms and bright rooms to keep the player guessing!
  
  3. Now here's the really good part. You probably have a good bit of map now, but it sure doesn't look like the kind of levels you've been playing. Here's an awesome feature most map editors have - COPY AND PASTE. Just select the entire map you've made so far and plop down a few copies, then connect them all with more hallways and stairs. Talk about mapping made easy! Best of all, it makes your map really big, which is always a good thing!
  
  4. "But what about gameplay?" you may be asking. This is where monsters come in. There are a lot of monsters to choose from in Doom, so start scattering them everywhere! One good idea is to keep certain types of monsters confined to different areas of your maps - make a few rooms filled with Revenants, a few other rooms filled with Chaingunners, etc. This will make for exciting gameplay as the player searches through your map for...
  
  5. Switches! Having a bunch of switches to look for in your map is exciting and is a test of your player's skills. Put a few around your map so the player has to scour every inch of explorable space to find the switches.
  
  6. Try doing the above steps a couple of more times so that the player has several "mazes" to explore in different sequences. Make sure to put a key at the end of each one as a nice, juicy reward!
  
  7. Now all you have to do is come up with a name and a story. You can name your Doom mod any wacky thing you want, it doesn't matter since it's a video game! As for stories, a combination of any of the below is a good idea.
  Blood
  Demons
  Survival
  Fighting
  Violence
  Nightmares
  Being trapped
  References to your weapons/how badass you are
  Death
  Use a little creativity and combine as many of the above things as you can!
  
  8. Congratulations, you have made your first map! Bask in the glory of your creation, just as players around the globe will be doing when you upload your wad all over the Internet! Pretty soon you will be a famous, well-respect person!
  
  Now is the time to start developing your mapping skills even further. Try reading my other guides, such as Doors and Other Advanced Techniques, Imps: The Sky's The Limit!, Hey, What Did That Switch Do? (Keep 'Em Guessin'!), and Teleporters Are Fun!. Thanks for reading, and I wish you the best of luck!
  
  

First Post.

What the Hell is up with the review for aloha808?

Scuba Steve said:

What the Hell is up with the review for aloha808?

It's a work of genius. Unlike the map itself. :P

Scuba Steve said:

What the Hell is up with the review for aloha808?

My guess is that the review is just dripping with sarcasm to demonstrate how bad the map is. Just a hunch.

Thanks wills, I know now how to make a map. Thanks ALOT! When is the other parts going to be up. Also I have heard something about the guide with the name "press F7 and your map will rock outta everybody's pants". Do you know anything about that guide?

Ha, nice work Kristus. I'm glad someone's putting my Heretic tinkering to good use.

udderdude said:

It's a work of genius. Unlike the map itself. :P

I am not really sure about that. He mocked the WAD but since he said next to nothing about the WAD itself i have no idea about the quality about it. The reviewers are suppose to "review" maps, not just mock them (even though it can be kind of funny sometimes).

Aloha808 basically looks and plays like a typical `94 map. If not for the text file you wouldn't know it was created in a map editor that supports visual texture alignment.

Traysandor said:

My guess is that the review is just dripping with sarcasm to demonstrate how bad the map is. Just a hunch.

Save the next Aloha for me. This is not his first iteration, so he might actually be trying to improve his style iteratively. Maybe it'd be more helpful for him if someone could compare between iterations rather than saying each one sucks.

Bah screw it.

hardcore_gamer said:

I am not really sure about that. He mocked the WAD but since he said next to nothing about the WAD itself

Really?

"1. It's always a good idea to have a specific theme in mind when creating your level. For our example, we'll be making a map with the theme "green"! <snip>"

Translation for the sarcasm-impaired: the texture choices are made without any ounce of common sense, the author used green textures because they were green, mixing marble and stargreen illogically.

"2. Start building a few rooms. Rectangles and squares are a good idea; you don't want to confuse the player. <snip>"

Translation for the sarcasm-impaired: the architecture is uninspired and bland, mostly orthogonal walls, with long hallways and long stairs. Light levels vary without rhyme or reason. The level looks ugly.

"3. Now here's the really good part. <snip>"

Translation for the sarcasm-impaired: most of the map is, or at least seems, to be just cookie-cutter copies of a few rooms (which, as said above, are badly done both architecturally and texturally). It makes the map too big.

"4. "But what about gameplay?" you may be asking. <snip>"

Translation for the sarcasm-impaired: Monster are herded in rooms, so most fights are against one type of enemy only. If you fight hitscanner, they'll do 95% of the job themselves through infighting, otherwise there won't be any infighting at all.

"5. Switches! <snip>"

Translation for the sarcasm-impaired: so in our ugly-looking map with boring ambushes, there's a painstaking switch hunt all around identical-looking areas -- which, let's say it again, don't look well and don't play well.

"6. Try doing the above steps a couple of more times <snip>"

Translation for the sarcasm-impaired: the borefest of the switch hunt is multiplied by three because there's also a key hunt!

"7. Now all you have to do is come up with a name and a story.<snip>"

Translation for the sarcasm-impaired: the level name is unrelated to the map and there is no story to speak of.

"8. Congratulations, you have made your first map! <snip>"

Translation for the sarcasm-impaired: this map plays like a beginner's first attempt and has nothing to offer to a player. Nothing, on any level: Architecture? No. Texture use? No. Height and light level variations? No. Monster use? No. Puzzle use? No. Creativity? No.




It is a review which said all that about the level, just in a humorous and scathing way. You could say it's a satiric deconstruction of the map. If you were to make a map by following this "guide" seriously, you would obtain something that would play just like Aloha808.

If nothing else, it tells you the map is shit.

@Creaphis: Yay!

Everyone should definitely check out Mapgame, I liked this mapset alot.

GreyGhost said:

Aloha808 basically looks and plays like a typical `94 map. If not for the text file you wouldn't know it was created in a map editor that supports visual texture alignment.

The amusing part is that he did make levels back in 1994. Apparently, he has not improved since.

Heh I gotta waste time making a level one day all in the name of getting it reviewed. Perhaps as I'm making music these days I'll make a single just for a doom level or something.

The Green Herring said:

The amusing part is that he did make levels back in 1994. Apparently, he has not improved since.

Well it is his 808th map, if I interpret his naming convention right. :p

SLIGE could make 808 maps in 5 minutes, and judging by the screenshots they'd be of similar quality, only with better texture alignment.

Cory Banket's levels are fun. Anybody know him? That isn't "Bank" is it?

I remember playing KS12 an year ago or something, I downgrabbed it from doomwadstation at that time.

http://www.doomwadstation.com/2006/ks12/

Cory's work seems well worth playing, i'll download a couple of is maps to see that.

Also lol @ the aloha review. Kinda sad when a review on a wad is better than the wad itself.

The screenshots for mapgame look very interesting. I'll have to check it out.