The Oldstuff Chronicles #3

[DooMer 4ever]

I don't know If anyone actually plays the wads i've reviewed. Well, the previous Oldstuff Chronicles got over 150 views so I guess someone's at least interested of them... This time I have 35 reviews of wads I played previous saturday and some of them this morning, and a lot of the levels are quite good too.

Windows1 Dave Johnson 60 %

So many 90 degree walls... Well, it certainly don't have good details but I liked the monster placement and it wasn't too easy either. Ammo was well balanced too, though the pulse rifle was unnecessary, well, at least it was in a secret room.

Windboss ? 5 %

No text file. Well, this wad certainly is unique, but extremely weird too. It has a small arena with some kind of bird boss possibly from some game I haven't played. The monster has so much energy that it takes about ten minutes to kill it with plasma rifle. Pretty boring since you have something like 4000 health and 15000 energy shells. So it's not much of a chance that you would die. The monster fires two kind ot bullets: mancubus fireballs and revenant missiles (with graphic replacements). The only think I can give points of is the pulse rifle graphics witch weren't that bad, especially the beam of the gun.

Wind ? 5 %

More weird levels from the same author as the previous map. The author had really played with dehacked to make these levels. The levels itself are pure torture but I gave same points to the map2 music replacement (megaman2) and to the new cacodemon monster (I got good laughs of it) and I guess the fight with the pain elemental boss in the fifth level wasn't all that bad. The levels have one major problem: they are all extremely easy since you have practically infinitely of health. The only way you'll ever have to load a game is that you fall into a pit and can't get out or the game crashes.

Wildwrld Aaron Hansen 78 %

Three quite well detailed levels. The first one is quite hard and I didn't like that so much as the other two. Especially the third level was great. Textures are used mostly nicely and monsters are well placed. There could have been more different kind of monster though. I really liked these levels. Definitely worth playing through.

West ? 10 %

Very small map in which you don't need to get any keycards or even press any switch. Because of this the level can be completed in a few seconds, you just have to know where the exit is. I made it through in five seconds! The monster placement wasn't that bad (if you go to explore the area) but there is too much ammo.

Wicked_5 Rex Claussen 75 %

Not very old level really :) Anyway, the level is quite challenging and there's lot of action in it. I didn't like it that that i had to save my bullets by not killing the demons at the start. The inside parts of the level were good but I don't like the levels with huge clearings much. There could have been a little more different kind of textures, but at least the ones that are in the level fit well. I liked the lightning effects too. Good level but I didn't like the extra running in it (especially after you push the other yellow key switch). Oh, and you would have very much luck if you survived all the traps with first try.

Wicked_4 Rex Claussen 80 %

Well, you can easily tell it's the same author in the wicked wads. I liked this one more thogh, becouse there is not so much big spaces. The ammo and monster placement is exellent (though there could have been a little more ammo for the cyberdemon, I had to go back to get some more). And speaking of cyberdemon, it was far too hard to find the way to the switch that opens the door to the cyberdemon. Especially because the level is huge and it's easy to forget which place was what ... Nice lightnings again.

Wicked_3 Rex Claussen 70 %

Another level from the wicked series, this time it's hell themed. Good monster placements and ammo balance but too symmetric and there could have been a little more details.

Wicked_2 Rex Claussen 68 %

A fairly intresting level with a cyberdemon and a spider mastermind fight with other monster around at the same time. The best way to complete this level is to let the boss monsters kill all the other monsters around and it was kind of boring to just run around and around.

Wicked_1 Rex Claussen 78 %

This level is possibly the most challenging of the wicked levels. You gotta be careful of your ammo so that there will be enough for the level. The map is very unlinear and you can choose quite freely where to go. The monster placement was again professionally made, but I still would have wanted more different kind of monsters.

Whitpm15 ? 47 %

At first glance this didn't look like a newbie wad, but it turned out to be one. There are many of the usual newbie mistakes in this: no text file, normal ground that hurts you, wall that you need to walk through, a room where you can't come out if you go in and the door behind closes. Strangely it had some good points too, the monster and ammo placements were quite good and there wasn't terribly much health either. Oh, and seems like the authir did the level like Doomboy: by not counting by eight ;)

Where2 Andre Maas 57 %

This DOES look like a newbie wad at the start, but it unlike the previous, this turns out to be quite good. I would have given this wad a little more points, but I HATE it when there are hidden teleporters that dumb you to the start of the level. Ammo and health placements are quite well tought off, but in the end there is too much of them. Interesting fights though.

Wg Arjan Driessen 50 %

Well, it's a house level and I've been told they are always made by newbies. This author is clearly a newbie too, but the levels itself aren't that bad. Even though the only room that has ANYthing inside is his own room. The texturing is the weakest spot in the wad: floor is metal and I doubt anyone has metal floor in his/her house. All the doors are made with the BIGDOOR textures which looks dumb because they are too wide. But there was something positive too in this wad: the monster, health and ammo placement was well thought, apart from the nazis. Why would anyone have nazis in their own home. maybe he had a nazi HQ in his home before the hellspawn invaded the earth... Btw, the first level is the ground floor and second is the upper floor.

Wetwrkd2 Zen Psychosis 59 %

Better than average newbie level. Average texturing, easy but not SO easy than most of the levels and not too much ammo and It looked quite good too. But why do they always have to put those doors that doesn't differ from normal wall in their levels. I don't like running along the walls pushing use button. And I don't like monsters firing through wall either. Oh, one more weird think: the text file was in doc format.

Wetlands Toom "Mr. Doom" Sanner 30 %

First I tought this was mainly intended for deathmatch but it turned out you are supposed to play it in SP. The idea is that you should kill as many monsters spawning continuously. Boring, at least it is for me. I don't like wads that has no goal to achieve. The map itself is tiny but look quite good with the little river and the hills. Well, I guess someone could like the idea.

West Mike Lasota 5 %

Heh, maybe I should develop an own rating system for the newbie wads. Something like this:
Walking through walls: YES
Monsters firing through walls: NO
Impossible 100% kills: YES
Normal wall texture doors: YES
Maze: YES
Part with Darkness 0: YES
Invisible teleporters: YES
Nazis: YES
Terrible sound replacements: YES
Huge rooms: YES
Normal floor that hurts: NO
No escae traps: NO
No, propably not, the list of the usual newbie flaws is too long :) The points come from rairly good sound replacement btw. Heh, every time I see a zip that is bigger than others I automaticly think there is some afwul sound replacement. Well, I was right at least this time.

Wellslap Der Teufel 55 %

I don't think that is his true name :) Der Teufel is germany meaning the Devil. Well, the level is quite small but it has enough action and there is not too much health or ammo. Maybe the author could have been more creative on placing different monsters and different textures but other than that it's fun level.

Welhell Paul Schmitz 70 %

Wow, exellent use of darkness! I usually don't like levels in which you must spend like 10 times more time on finding the way than killing the monsters. This is one of them but I still liked it because the cool use of darkness and cacodemons in it. Heh, the cacodemons were almost scary because of it. Now the bad think: its damn hard to find the way! In the first level I had problems even getting out of the first room. I think you need to shoot the right spot of the window or something. And the second level was even worse, I never find the exit. I had to warp to the third level but I didn't find the exit there either. I would give this even 85% if it was easier to know what to do.

Web Derek Merrill 5 %

A level with huge halls. The only good thing in the level is that there is not too much health. It cannot be even completed because there is a red door and only a blue key.

Weapfac Andrew Burchill 30 %

So this is a level of AndrewB? Nazis controlled by hellspawn? Well, I guess it's an okay level if you take it as a mix between Wolfenstein and Doom. The architecture was quite good in the level but it was FAR too easy. If it was harder it could be a nice level. I wonder how many levels I will review from the people at the forums...

Wazplus1 8megsonly 70 %

It's very small level, but small is beautiful, isn't it :) Well, at least this level is beautiful. It has good details and texturing and I liked the enemy placement too. It's not hard, but not too easy either. I only hope it would have lasted longer.

Wayback Thomas Brigle 70 %

Hey, I remember that name (because it reminded me of pringles:), /me checks. Yes, he was the author of Wudda (30%). The style is same on one thing: there is massive hoards of monsters. This level is practically full of traps and monsters coming out of them. And extra warning: NOT for those who hate pain elementals. The traps were nearly all good, but why did some of the traps have to be those walking through wall type of traps? I've never undestood how can someone walk through walls. In some parts it was hard to get enough ammo to kill all the monsters. Definitely improvement from Wudda. It was very hard level, maybe I should have played on HMP...

Way2hell Dax L Nulph 5 %

Flat level with mostly same textures. Extremely boring and baphomet as normal texture is one of the stupidest ideas in texturing. It's not too easy though.

Waverly Alastair Montgomery 50 %

Aah, the horror! Simpson voices in Doom. Quite nice map, good architecture and health and ammo placements. I didn't like monster placement that much: too much former humans. Quite challenging.

Watrfac Marc J.S. 43 %

This level doesn't look special but it's still playable. On UV there is annoyingly little ammo so you need to kill all the demons with fists and when there is no berserk pack... I really can't say much of this level, it has nothing really good but nothing bad either.

Waterwld ? 0 %

The author of this wad must be the same as in the Wind wad. This is just as bad or even worse. I couldn't play more than to the second level: in it I couldn't find the way and I gave up. The new monsters were even more ugly than in the wind wad so I don't think I missed much. The levels were all mazes and only two textures were used. The only positive think compared to the wind wad is that it is possible for you to die in these levels.

Waterfld Michael Lundy 75 %

Ah, good to be playing normal Doom levels again. I don't know if playing that horrible waterwld wad affects this review but I try my best so that it wouldn't :) I liked the wad, especially the second level was exellent. Lot's of action, good monster placement and hard enough. The amount of ammo was very tight especially on second level so I had to leave some of the mosters and came back later to kill them. Plus from nonlinearity to the levels.

Waterbos ? 5 %

More torture... It's the boss for waterwld levels and it took something like 15 minutes for me to kill it and I don't think there is even exit in the level. Well I geve some points because the octopuss move kinda funny way.

Water2 Bob Ferguson 75 %

Wow, this is the most impressive looking house level I've seen. The house is very well detailed and there are no empty rooms at all! At first I tought It had no newbie mistakes, but there are a few: door are too tall, there is at least one door that doesn't differ from normal wall texture and some hidden switches that has notmal textures. Because of the hidden swithces I had to take a look at the level using wadauthor to find the blue key. The area outside the house isn't that well detailed but the rest of the level looks good. It's a bit too easy too and there could have been more hellspawn instead of zombies.

Watcher ? 0 %

In most of the level darkness is 0, so don't play it. It's awful. I could give maybe 20 % to it if there was some light but...

Wasted Christian Hansen aka. Dykanden 85 %

This level is really good! The lighting effects and architecture is exellent, though texturing could have been a bit better. I think ashwall 2 was overused, the texture doesn't really fit to walls of a building. Most of the monsters teleport to the level. That could work well but in this case it doesn't work that well. Often when smaller monsters like shotgun guys teleport in you can just shoot them one by one as they appear at their destination. On bigger monsters this works better though. I wouldn't call the level very hard though it does get harder as you go futher.

Waste Fredrik Svedberg 83 %

Quite big and unlinear level only for final doom. Exellent monster placement, but it could have been more detailed, nothing wrong with texturing though. I think this level is supposed to be hard, but it wasn't very hard even on UV, at least there was too much ammo, because I had 100 shotgun shells most of the time. I liked the difficult the way it was, but I bet some people would have wanted it to be harder.

Washmonu Vince Lupo 5 %

An ugly looking level that is supposed to have something to do with Washington monument. It's just a medium size boring arena with mainly shotgun guys and chaingunners and a huge boulder of slime in the center. I gave some points because there wasn't too much ammo like there usually is in newbie wads.

Warped Jason Free 20 %

This was so meaningless wad, that I don't really know what to say. I can't even remember much of the level after playing it :) Well, at least it wasn't very good, too much square rooms and too much monsters at least one of the rooms. I found it stupid that the monsters could not hear you if you shooted them from another sector (they were looking other way). Some points because it wasn't terribly easy.

Warp Micheal Eastwood 0 %

AAARGH!!! I HATE TELEPORT MAZES. And this level has NOTHING but a teleport maze. There aren't even monsters in it. Just a ugly looking maze. And when i finally found the door, it wouldn't open! That's when I used idclip. I would reeeeallly want to know what is the fun part the author is talking about in the text file...

[Kinsie]

Links, please.

[DooMer 4ever]

Trasher][ said:
Links, please.

They can be all found from in-span.net, the zip names are the same as those that are written first on top of each review. I really don't believe you're too lazy to go to the archives yourself :)

EDIT: Here, I'll give you a shortcut:
ftp://3darchives.in-span.net/pub/idgames/levels/doom2/v-z/

[myk]

http://doomsearch.com is very helpful here. Just copy/paste each map name into the search box from the thread, to find it.

[DooMer 4ever]

myk said:

http://doomsearch.com is very helpful here. Just copy/paste each map name into the search box from the thread, to find it.

Good tip, that's propably the fastest and easiest way to download them. I've never used it myself, because I found out about it just a few weeks ago and after that there has not been particular wad I needed to find.

[Little Faith]

Before these wonderful guides will end up languishing in the bottom part of a forum where they will be forgotten you should really consider putting up a homepage with them.

[myk]

Maybe just a page with links to the threads would do, but anyone interested can always do a search in the WADs & Mods forum for the topic "oldstuff chronicles" and they will all show up.

[DooMer 4ever]

myk said:

Maybe just a page with links to the threads would do, but anyone interested can always do a search in the WADs & Mods forum for the topic "oldstuff chronicles" and they will all show up.

I have all the links stored to all the threads. When there are enough of them, I'll post a thread with the links. Maybe a mod could do it so that it will always show on the wads and mods forum?

[Searcher]

DooMer 4ever
I sure don't have the guts to take on a project like yours, the archives are just way to vast.

Thanks for saving us a lot of brain damage and wasted hard drive space ;)

Nice job on the reviews.

[DooMer 4ever]

Searcher said:

DooMer 4ever
I sure don't have the guts to take on a project like yours, the archives are just way to vast.

Thanks for saving us a lot of brain damage and wasted hard drive space ;)

Nice job on the reviews.

Thanks :) I hope the reviews are of use.

[Black Void]

Of course - there is never a better way to satisfy long boring hours then to go take a drive down the archives.

[Little Faith]

Wow! Days of Xornox is teh Sux0r.

[DooMer 4ever]

Little Faith said:

Wow! Days of Xornox is teh Sux0r.

Heh, so you actually downloaded it :) I'm kinda worried about that part 8 reading in it...

[Sphagne]

Water and WaterWld and Air... lots of weird wads, some neat dehacked ideas but totally unplayable. ;-)

[999cop]

myk said:

Maybe just a page with links to the threads would do, but anyone interested can always do a search in the WADs & Mods forum for the topic "oldstuff chronicles" and they will all show up.

You sure if it would work putting into it with a map name? Or a file name?

[myk]

I was saying just typing oldstuff chronicles and searching for a topic. But surely anything in the thread (filenames, etc.) should show up on a search, so if someone were looking for the review of a specific WAD he or she could just type the name.

[drav35]

Boy These Oldstuff Chronicles are pretty cool keep up the good work!
It also tells me what to download and not to download!

[Little Faith]

Now, if we could just get some guy to work the other way starting at A.

[Sphagne]

Good idea!

[deathz0r]

maybe doomer 4ever should pay more attention to the dates of the wads for it to be "oldstuff".

[DooMer 4ever]

deathz0r said:

maybe doomer 4ever should pay more attention to the dates of the wads for it to be "oldstuff".

Heh. True, some of them aren't exactly old. But as long as they're not in the newstuff at the same time it's fine for me :)

[Black Void]

I'll do it from A - that is if Doomer4ever doesn't mind me hoggin' a little glory, heh...

[myk]

DooMer 4ever said:

Heh. True, some of them aren't exactly old. But as long as they're not in the newstuff at the same time it's fine for me :)

It doesn't matter, really. Newstuff gets old stuff that gets reuploaded too. What you should do is mention the date the file was finished... (for reference, it helps to know when something was made to judge it fully.)

[Nanami]

Someone should start from A, but then you'd have to count backwards and call it /oldstuff #26.

[Black Void]

I wanna make sure I don't piss off - oh hell, I'll review from A!

[Grazza]

Black Void said:

I wanna make sure I don't piss off - oh hell, I'll review from A!

Who's going to do 0-9 ?

BTW, I think this should be called The New Oldstuff Chronicles, to distinguish it from the old Oldstuff Chronicles.

[Sphagne]

Lets call it Old Stuff Forward.

[DooMer 4ever]

Grazza said:

Who's going to do 0-9 ?

BTW, I think this should be called The New Oldstuff Chronicles, to distinguish it from the old Oldstuff Chronicles.

Well, I guess the name could be The New Oldstuff Chronicles, but what do we call it when it's couple of months old and not that new anymore? The Old New Oldstuff Chronicles? ;)