The /newstuff Chronicles #100

[The Ultimate DooMer]

Well, the wait is over! Break out the cola, sausages-on-sticks and party hats, summon all your friends and celebrate because today, the /newstuff Chronicles has reached its centenary! Yes, it's chapter #100 coming your way, and it contains a bumper 14 new wads with 22 maps, as everyonecomes together to release their wads upon /newstuff to celebrate this special occasion (which is a double-header for me because this is also my 500th post!). We have a huge variety of great wads for your DooMing pleasure: single player, deathmatch and sound/music only replacements, ZDoom, Heretic and Vavoom as well as vanilla DooM 1 and DooM 2! And finally, I've decided to mark this occasion by providing twice as many screenshots as usual!So without further ado, let's jump into this special centenary set of wads, which are guaranteed to keep you busy for the whole week:

• The Fortress of D'Sparil by SlayeR - (img) (img) (img) (img) - This is the first of it's kind anywhere in the world - a ZDoom Heretic map! Yes, that's a Heretic map with ZDoom features! They're not used extensively, (except for the warping flats) but that's not a bad thing here, as it still feels like a normal Heretic map. The areas are nicely detailed, with a large number of different Heretic styles present here. The gameplay is good, with all types of weapons and good monster placement, with ammo and health balanced quite well. The powerups are not that common, with many of them hidden away, which improves the balance. However, the fight with D'Sparil at the end of the map is very frustrating once you've dismounted him, as most of the floor becomes fiery, he teleports around and spawns wizards as usual, and there's no rings, wings and armour to help you out. But that's the only bad point in the map, as the rest is extremely good and well worth playing, even if you're not a Heretic fan. Replaces E3M8, and requires ZDoom. (you can run it with 1.23 beta 33, as there are no morph eggs in the map)
• VSlayeR1 by SlayeR - The first of 3 (!) Vavoom demo maps in newstuff this week, This is a small but detailed tech map designed to show off the various features of the Vavoom engine, which include Quake-style lighting (normal and coloured), 3D floors and deep water sections. The gameplay is pistol-based for a little while, then becomes normal, with a few big creatures along with a population of mostly small creatures. Ammo and health are balanced OK, but the main focus here is the graphics, and showing off the capabilities of Vavoom, which it does so quite nicely.(I particularly liked the sewer room).Unfortunately, Vavoom doesn't seem to be able to take screenshots, so you'll have to download it to see for yourself. The latest version of Vavoom is available here.
• Dark Whispers by Bryant Robinson - Another Vavoom demo map, this is a Quake 1-based map. Taking bits from various metal gothic levels (including the textures and sounds), this demonstrates the lighting and 3D floor capabilities of Vavoom, while being averagely detailed and having a fair spread of monster types. Ammo and health are balanced ok, as is the difficulty, but I would stick to the original Quake. The latest version of Vavoom is available here.
• Storage Area by Bryant Robinson - The last of the Vavoom demo maps, we're now in Quake 2 territory. Inspired by the warehouse levels, this demonstrates scripting and coloured lighting as well as normal lighting and 3D floors. Like the previous map, it looks similar to the original in terms of architecture, but still has basic detail. This time there's too much ammo, but the health balance is ok, and the lack of a super shotgun means (thankfully) it can get fairly difficult in some places (notably when the big monsters are alerted). But, again, I would stick to the original Quake 2. An additional problem is that it's 4 megs in size, due to the inclusion of the Quake 2 textures wad (which is required to play it). If you want to play this, then go ahead and download it, but if you're not a Quake 2 fan and/or you're not fond of tech maps, you'll probably want to stay clear of this.The latest version of Vavoom is available here.
• Grind by Kara C. Rader - (img) (img) - Overlooked for newstuff #99, this is a small deathmatch map for DooM 2. It contains a number of small areas, each with its own weapon. Some of the texture choices are a bit suspect (ie. a grey texture area feeding into brown city-stone and wooden panelled areas) but there is some nice detail, notably the overhead pipes. Ammo and health are scarce, meaning you'll probably need to go for a new weapon after each frag. Armour and powerups are also present, but are hidden. It would certainly get chaotic if more than 3 people/bots were in it, so it's best to stick to a 2 or 3-way fight.
• MP2 Music Definitions for JDoom by sparky - This is a simply a definitions file for JDoom, allowing you to play all the original DooM tunes in mp2 format without having a large 60 meg file. (but you still have to download all the tunes yourself)
• Death Comes Not Gently to the Wicked by Rex Claussen - (img) (img) (img) (img) - It's been a while since the last one, but ReX appears at just the right time to deliver another high-quality map. Replacing map 18, this is a city-based map with several large buildings, many of which are only accessible by teleporter. The architecture is impressive throughout, even the narrow passages don't escape the author's keen eye for detail. The gameplay is also impressive, with many traps and combat scenarios just waiting to catch you out, as well as a good mix of monsters without going over the top (ie. minimal Plutonia-style gameplay). Despite this, the map is extremely difficult, as the ammo is balanced very finely indeed, and it's easy to make a tactical error and leave yourself out (there are monsters placed solely to waste your ammo). You certainly can't waste any, and the health is also balanced finely, and there is no armour to be seen. However, all these features disappear in a rip-roaring final battle in the last area of the map. Perhaps a chainsaw or berserk placed at the beginning would have helped the lesser-skilled players on UV, but there's always the lower skill levels implemented. To sum up, it's an extremely good wad which everyone should play, especially those who like a challenge.
• Congestion Control by Karthik Abhiram - (img) (img) - It's certainly the time for comebacks at the moment! This time it's Karthik, who after quite a while since his last release, appears at just the right moment to deliver another high-quality map. This is a small DooM 2 map with an extremely rare quality of architecture, since it manages to blend gothic, modern, hi-tech and Plutonia styles alltogether in the same map! A couple of Plutonia textures, some hand-made graphics and the red sky from Evilution all add to the atmosphere. Gameplay-wise, it's fairly challenging with some sneaky traps at the beginning, but doesn't really get harder, except for one or two areas later on. There's more than enough ammo to go round, with a fairly good health balance, but the confines of the map's rooms and passages means it's not plain sailing. (and there's also a few surprises along the way...) There's also a special secret (in a Quake 2 sort of way) to be found, along with three others and a cool ending. In short, play this wad now as it's well designed, brilliantly detailed, and good fun, too.
• Io Anomaly by Exl - (img) (img) - Quite a rarity these days, this is a DooM 1 map. Replacing E1M9, this is - you guessed it - a Phobos-style level. It certainly looks and feels like E1 in terms of architecture and atmosphere, (ie. not overly-detailed, but authentic) and it has the weapons, ammo, health and secrets to match, but where it differs is the monsters - there's tons of 'em! This map would win the 'how many monsters can you cram into a small space' competition, but this is definitely not a bad thing here. The monsters are of E1 type only (ie. no cacos or barons) and their numbers certainly made the wad more enjoyable for me. The only downer is, as you might expect, you only fight with shotgun/chaingun all the time, but there's so many monsters to gun down here, you'll soon forget that fact while you're having a blast with this wad. Download and enjoy!
• Marvel vs. Capcom DooM by Andrew Locmel - Another of those graphics/sounds/music only wads that have been appearing a lot recently, this one replaces a couple of graphics, and all the music and sounds with Marvel and Capcom stuff. Sadly, when played it seems that everyone and everything is just screaming things in another language, without much difference between the samples used (I couldn't even find a 'hadoken' or 'sho-ryu-ken' in there!). For Marvel and Capcom fans only.
• Redux by Daniel Trim (BB_) - (img) (img) (img) (img) - This is an impressive 6-map replacement for DooM 2. Comprising of brown/metal industrial maps with a dash of silver and slime, this is the author's first wad but like the Scientist wad a couple of weeks ago, it certainly doesn't show. The detail is impressive throughout the levels, with some really good industrial architecture in some places, and the atmosphere is great. It's also pretty challenging, with lots of nasty traps and big monsters in right from the start, and the ammo is balanced very finely indeed. In fact this forms one of the flaws in the first half - there's not enough ammo to kill all the monsters, thus calling for evasion tactics in some fairly tight areas. The ammo problem disappears in the second half, but the harder traps and gameplay there means that you'll probably struggle for health quite a bit, meaning that UV is for skilled DooMers only (lesser skilled players would be better off on skill 2 or 3). This wad might annoy those who don't like close-up battles in tight spaces, ammo crises and sneaky traps but those who like a challenge will eat this one up, as will fans of industrial/modern/tech maps. In short, this is the best multiple-map wad I've seen for a while, and is definitely recommended!
• OMFG by ZarcyB - (img) - A silly wad, released specially for newstuff 100. See the screenshot if you want to know how silly.
• Newstuff 100 by Nick Byrd (frwl) - (img) - Another silly wad released specially for newstuff 100, but this one is a bit better. In fact this might prove quite a challenge to beat, as you race over the letters, dodging the monsters along the way. A speedrunner's paradise.
• Captain Mancubus by Epyo - (img) (img) (img) (img) - And finally, coming in right at the end, is Epyo's latest creation, which is also the first of its kind, as it's a hub-based ZDoom episode! (EDIT BY LING: uh, Tei Tenga? Hell Factory?) 6 maps are here, one 'hub centre', 4 maps that you can visit in any order, and one boss level. The wad certainly has its tongue firmly in its cheek, as you play the role of a mancubus, right down to the sprites, sounds and fireballs! (albeit only 1 at a time). Prepare yourself for a roller-coaster ride through this one, as although each map has a different theme, they all have one thing in common - the pace is extremely fast! The maps themselves are fairly detailed, with ZDoom features improving the architecture in each map, and the atmosphere is greatly enhanced by a MOD soundtrack on each map except the first. You'll be fighting in open spaces, confined spaces, solving puzzles and even bouncing around! Gameplay is pretty tough, with lots of big monsters and a fair few archviles as well (including stealth varieties!), which means that, UV at least, is definitely aimed at better DooMers. The health and ammo balance is pretty good throughout, except on the boss map, where monster in-fighting is called upon quite a lot to avoid running out. Everything is beautifully scripted, with some impressive special effects in a lot of places, not to mention some surprises along the way. The only downer is the high difficulty (if you're a lesser-skilled player), and the inclusion of a modified Capslocked map (if you've played Capslocked), but this wad has broken new ground in ZDoom editing as well as being really enjoyable. Consequently, this wins the coveted "Newstuff #100 Wad of the Week" award. Requires ZDoom. (1.23 beta 33)

[DOOM Anomaly]

Its Here!!!! Its Finally Upon Us!!!!

/me sees the light

This calls for some happy times :D Group-hug anyone?

Anyways...Its Here!!!!! Woop wopp woop wopp woop woopp wop woop wopp

**Victory Dance**

:D and yes, Im hyper, ermmm Sugar-high 8D

[Nanami]

Woo woo! I actually got a good review from one of the officials. Let's hear what some of you unofficials have to say about my, uh, fourth attempt.
(Grind.zip, by the way. ^_^)

[DOOM Anomaly]

Nanami said:

Woo woo! I actually got a good review from one of the officials. Let's hear what some of you unofficials have to say about my, uh, fourth attempt.
(Grind.zip, by the way. ^_^)

Yes, we will see, I'll play it now >:D

[Edit]Bah, it won't open the link to allow me to download it, I'll try it when I wake up in the morning.[/Edit]

[Rich]

Hey, Ultimate DooMer!

Nice job on the reviews!

[DOOM Anomaly]

Rich said:

Hey, Ultimate DooMer!

Nice job on the reviews!

DOOM Anomaly Greatly Concurs with that, those were some Pimpin' reviews u had there :D
Keep up the biatching work!!
How does it feel to do the reviews for The /newstuff Chronicles #100?

[deathz0r]

DOOM Anomaly said:

How does it feel to do the reviews for The /newstuff Chronicles #100?

I should of payed more attention to what number it was up to.

[sgtcrispy]

Kick arse and all that shit. Now if I could have had a few of my maps done for this...

Oh and check out Karthiks maps guys. He emailed my when he got his page updated and this map owns you!

ZDoom Heretic? So exactly how do I get that to work?

Oh and congrats Ultimate Doomer. I've been regged for over 2 years and only have 165.

[boris]

sgtcrispy said:

ZDoom Heretic? So exactly how do I get that to work?

zdoom -iwad heretic.wad

[The Ultimate DooMer]

DOOM Anomaly said:

DOOM Anomaly Greatly Concurs with that, those were some Pimpin' reviews u had there :D
Keep up the biatching work!!
How does it feel to do the reviews for The /newstuff Chronicles #100?

Thanks. It feels great, especially as it was #100, and there being so many wads in it, too. I also feel honoured to have been able to undertake such a task.

sgtcrispy: Simply run ZDoom in your Heretic folder, and you have Heretic support for ZDoom.

And yes, before you say it, I hadn't heard of any hub-based ZDoom episodes before I played Captain Mancubus. (well worth staying up for, as I played it at 11pm last night, having got it very late on)

[Fletcher`]

I seen a few hub maps before. I think Securitron and Securitron 2 were hub. that and Blackness (supposed to be DSV2) Trust, and a few other i forgot.

[Epyo]

Wow I got the little picture next to the top story! And there's 14 wads this week too? Best /newstuff chronicles EVAR!

Im off to play the "silly" wads...

[Epyo]

Ultimate DooMer said:

Captain Mancubus by
Epyo -
- And finally.......

Actually, this wad was created by "Epyo and Black Void", see text file or see DooM credits screen.

[Grazza]

ravage said:

I seen a few hub maps before. I think Securitron and Securitron 2 were hub. that and Blackness (supposed to be DSV2) Trust, and a few other i forgot.

Also TeamTNT's Doom 2000 (one hub released 31-Dec-1999).

[The Ultimate DooMer]

Epyo said:

Actually, this wad was created by "Epyo and Black Void", see text file or see DooM credits screen.

Oops, I didn't notice that. (my apologies to Black Void)

Anyway, I've updated this thread, at least. (not the news article, as I can't do that - hopefully Ling reads this and updates the article)

[Epyo]

thanks...

Anyway...

Woo woo! I actually got a good review from one of the officials. Let's hear what some of you unofficials have to say about my, uh, fourth attempt.
(Grind.zip, by the way. ^_^)

I liked it, but it was a little big. I loved the pumps that move up and down and that fake slope in the exit room!

[mustafa saed]

I played storage area and dark wispers...both look just like their respective counterparts.Unlike Ultimate doomer,I love tech and medieval maps.I am gonna try out those other zdoom wads!

[mustafa saed]

One more thing...Dark wispers was made by kevin robinson not bryant!

[The Ultimate DooMer]

mustafa saed said:

I played storage area and dark wispers...both look just like their respective counterparts.Unlike Ultimate doomer,I love tech and medieval maps.I am gonna try out those other zdoom wads!

You misunderstand, I'm actually a diehard fan of tech maps (and I like gothic wads also), what I said was I preferred the original Quake 1/2 compared to those versions.

[Nanami]

Epyo said:

I liked it, but it was a little big. I loved the pumps that move up and down and that fake slope in the exit room!

Big? If anything, I think I made it too small!

[Black Void]

Yes, quite nice reviews my friend and thank you epyo, for remembering to remember to ask ultimate doomer to add me in with ya :-) However, it was more epyo than me, but hey, its always fun to help people with map projects. *Note- it wouldve been MORE fun, had my computer not dissed me in the first place*

[Epyo]

hee hee hee

[zark]

OMFG

[Epyo]

Nice wad ZarcyB, It was funnier than the other newstuff 100 wad. But the other one was more fun...

[DOOM Anomaly]

ZarcyB said:

OMFG

Hehehaha yea, that was a funny wad. kudos for making such a great wad.

[Epyo]

So, has anyone found the secret switch in the hub that turns on wav music of my brother playing guitar yet?

(250th post)

[Fletcher`]

-continuing hubs-

http://imechanation.deepdreams.net/

Some of Lilwhitemouse's projects.

My fav- A furry tale retold, and Chibi Rebellion. I don't know why, but they are fun.

[Black Void]

Epyo said:

So, has anyone found the secret switch in the hub that turns on wav music of my brother playing guitar yet?

(250th post)

Wow dude, amazing 250 post! :-) and not even i have found the secret switch! hmm... can i just whip out idbeholda?

[DooMBoy]

Heh, I played SlayeR's ZDoom Heretic specific E3M8 map, and I found it very complex and very fun as well. However the fight at the end had me saying, "My God, how can I beat D'Sparil without cheating?" Unforutnately I had to cheat to defeat him. Oh well, very good map and I hope more ZDoom Heretic maps pop up in the future.

[Epyo]

Black Void said:

can i just whip out idbeholda?

Heh, that won't help, mwahaha...