The DWmegawad Club plays: Rowdy Rudy's Revenge! & Rowdy Rudy II: POWERTRIP!

[Krenium]

MAP08 - Creeping Descent by Doomkid
PrBoom+ / Expert / Pistol start / Saves

 

"The camouflage almost worked."

 

Gameplay:

Spoiler

 

 

Is that Command & Conquer music I hear? How nostalgic.

 

The start of this map is downright reasonable. It quickly ramps up in difficulty, but it gives you the tools to handle whatever comes your way. There is quite a bit of foreshadowing happening, casting a pall of anticipation over the experience. Everything you'll do in this map is in preparation for the signature encounter behind the red door.

 

Much of the gameplay is about Doomkid trying to trick you into revealing more monsters at once than you'd like. I was impressed by just how many monsters were crammed into the unlikeliest of places. And just when you think you have the map figured out, it'll spring an ambush on you to keep you on your toes. The ambush with the revenants and mancubii before picking up the red key was particularly surprising to me.

 

The map's design was reminiscent of MAP05 to me, with a mix of outdoor and indoor areas that retreads some ground here and there. The area with the cages reminded me of a traveling circus and I felt bad for ruining the exhibits. All in all, I liked this map quite a bit. The fights at the end are tricky, but you should have the resources to tackle them. It's just a matter of executing. This map continues a smooth progression of difficulty increase and it will be interesting to see if MAP09 turns up the heat even higher.

 

Map ranking (favorite -> least)
5 8 3 6 1 2 4 7

Edited February 8, 2021 by Krenium : better screenshot

[LVENdead]

MAP 09: Expert, pistol start, saveless, 99% k, 50% s

 

Well this map is pretty mean, and not necessarily in a way that I like. I surprisingly beat it on my second try. The first 3/4 of it is just kind of careful room-to-room base clearing, with a few interesting fights, but some of it is feeling pretty routine at this point. The only time I died, one of the toxicacos TP'd into the post-yellow key room and I literally had no way of avoiding him when I teleported in myself. Then there's the teleport fight later in the map...

 

I mean, on one hand, it certainly telegraphs that, yes, you probably know what's on the other side of this teleporter, given that you see the cyberdemon ahead of time. On the other hand, I really dislike teleports that just dump you into the middle of an ambush where you have no real chance of knowing what's awaiting you. I was very surprised to see not one, but two cyberdemons, with a gaggle of barons conveniently encircling the second one. I had found the secret BFG earlier and put my back to everything-not-a-cyberdemon and was very fortunate enough to DPS him down before I got pelted too badly. I dropped back down to the cave and allowed infighting to give me a serious upper hand on the second cyberdemon. Ultimately, it's not that bad of a trap, especially because there aren't hitscanners perched up (that I remember), but I still didn't really like it. My experience with the map was 75% grindy, careful combat, a little opportunity to open it up once you get the super shotty, and then a serious trap that can really spoil a run if you don't handle it well.

 

I don't want to seem like I'm dogging on this map, it just wasn't for me. I do like how the stakes have really increased the past few maps, and this one doesn't break that stride. Maybe in retrospect, it'll feel like an appropriate penultimate map, but on its own I've definitely preferred other maps in this WAD so far.

[Spectre01]

MAP05 - “Forgotten Installation”

 

Cool, I was hoping the maps would get a bit larger. Enjoyable level with a nice mixture of bright outdoor and gloomy indoor locations. The crate area was particularly spooky at the start as I alerted several toxic Cacos without finding a Plasma Rifle first. It's fun having a liberal amount of cells to handle the larger enemies, while using shells and bullets on the fodder. Secrets were nice too, especially the last one with the Soulsphere and Blue Armour. Not too difficult to find but still satisfying.

[Valhen]

MAP09 - "Hell’s Doorstep"

 

The penultimate map in the wad (If you exclude Map11). It looks like we are in some castle of sorts? Nice midi from Drown in Blood too (Which I think it was a cover of a song?). Anyway, about the gameplay. This map has even more baddies than the last map and plenty of tricks and traps. The hardest and most evil one is the trap near the exit. You get teleported into an area where you are attacked by Barons, Imps, and a Cyberdemon. If you then step on the blood, suddenly another Cyber appears surrounded by Barons! I died a bunch of times because I'm really smart and saved when I was about to get hit by a rocket. Fortunately, before exiting I found the secret berserk, so I finished the map with 100% health. Nice little map. Onto the last map of the wad!

[Spectre01]

MAP06 - “Deadly Depression”

 

This map looks a little rough around the edges, almost like a speedmap with how bare-bones the detailing and geometry is in some sections. Minimalistic, but not in a way that works. I can't say I'm a huge fan of the resource scarcity at the start either.  

[Spectre01]

MAP07 - “Smells Like Sulfur”

 

This is more like it! Noticeable increase in difficulty but more interesting layout and combat. Fire Cacos are quite common and make for some tight dodging at close range. I guess my one complaint would be the volume of Imp turrets. There are a lot of them to remove for max kills and they eat into the somewhat tight ammo supply. 

[jmac]

Map 6: Deadly Depression

The room with the out-of-the-way switch that opened both doors felt a little unnecessary and annoying, but other than that, this was an enjoyable level.

 

Map 7: Smells Like Sulfur

This one starts out pretty nasty, and had me scrambling for every little bit of ammo I could find. It caused my first death since I turned the difficulty down to hard. In fact I died probably around 10 times before I beat this level. Despite this, it's my favourite so far. 

 

Map 8: Creeping Descent

One of the more intimidating openings I seen to a map. This one is more bark than bite though; at least it gave me less trouble than the last map. There's several archviles and cyberdemons, but the level gives you plenty of cells and a BFG to deal with them. I'll admit I cheesed the last bit by letting the cyberdemon, archvile, and barons that were locked behind bars infight until only the cyberdemon was left before I flipped the switch. I died twice before I beat this map.

[DFF]

Map08: creeping descent
GZDoom | Kills: 100% | Secrets: 66%

 

yeah this puppy has teeth, probably died at least 7 times. lots of tight action and baddies around every corner, the yellow key room especially was tricky for me. Also the 1st cyberdemon managed to follow me into the exit with the 2nd cyberdemon and promptly died. Not much to say was a fun map with a decent layout, nothing terribly memorable but the invisible cyber/archville window was an interesting addition (managed to prefire the BFG and kill 1 of the archviles).

Also seeing the sand texture on the ceiling is very weird but something i kinda liked.

[Doom64hunter]

(UV, Chocolate Doom, Pistol Start)

Rowdy Rudy's Revenge MAP09 - "Hell's Doorstep" by Doomkid

 

Welcome to Shotgunner castle. Population: Shotgunners.

 

On pistol start, if you don't know what to do in the first room you're dead. Grab the rocket launcher immediately and don't try to bayonet the enemies you see. From that point on, surviving the initial rooms is probably the hardest part, because as already mentioned, this map's favorite enemy type is the ZSec shotgun guy. There's also plenty of cacos to go around however.

 

The rest of the map depends entirely on how many of the 6 secrets you will find. And coincidentally, this also happened to be the first map where I had active trouble finding all the secrets. The more major ones aren't as obscure fortunately, for example, there are two hidden plasma guns and a BFG that can both be found inside the wooden maze, which are not too hard to miss if you press use on suspicious walls frequently. In fact the map almost expects you to find these given the amount of cell ammo in the last area, and there being no other non-secret plasma weapons. Then however, there's a particularly well-hidden fake wall secret containing a SSG and an Invulnerability powerup. Neither pressing use nor walking into it by accident will likely help you find it -- you'll need pure luck and a stray bullet to stumble into it.

 

The cacos in the teleporter room like to be transported away, potentially waiting to devour you on the other side. Luckily, you can see them through the window in the room opposite to the teleporter. If you're careful, you can take out the danger without much of a threat to yourself. The last fight with the double cyberdemon is similar, and probably really difficult if you get neither of the map's plasma weapons. Luckily I did get them both, and moreover, I had the foresight of killing the first cyber from below, as I expected to be teleported into that area, where he could potentially one-shot me. The second cyber ended up being mostly helpless, with barons acting as my meatshields, and the BFG doing the rest.

 

These aspects, combined with the evil starting room definitely make this a map where you have to make smart decisons and be careful to survive. If you do so however, it should be mostly smooth sailing, and you'll be finishing the map with plenty of ammo left.

 

I already mentioned the music in my previous post. The first song from DiB definitely isn't out of place here, as the level is now fully a hellish castle environment, ending with a blood pool, that you may even drown in if the Cybers get you. Next up: The final level of part 1!

[Silhouette 03]

Map 09: Hell's doorstep

My premonition was correct..

The overall difficulty in the penultimate map of Rowdy Rudy! is insane. The starting room is filled with hit-scanners and you are forced to scavenge for weaponry. The thing that is  most notable is the abundance of hit-scanners and higher tier enemies in this map. I was fortunate enough to find the BFG secret( I also noticed the message "Time to spam!" came up when I picked it up(hilarious.. you just described how I tackle slaughter-maps.. when I'm forced to play them). I can't imagine taking on the cyberdemon without the BFG, though the second one can be weakened through infighting.

 

The midi used in this map( as @Doom64hunter pointed out in his post) fits the map perfectly. Both foreboding and action-packed. Good stuff.

 

I wonder what inhumane cruelty awaits us in the final map?

 

Silhouette's Stats:

Kills: 100%

Secrets: 83%

Deaths: 8

Wondering why the Hi-res texture pack doesn't look terrible: YES

Rowdiness meter^TM : 94%

 

 

 

[xX_Lol6_Xx]

ROWDY RUDY'S REVENGE: MAP09 HELL'S DOORSTEP (HARD DIFFICULTY)

RESULTS: 100% kills, 83% items & 50% secrets.

 

So, we have a hard map, full of well placed traps. You get an ambush of shotgun guys right at the start. The cyberdemons are in a very anoying spot, forcing you to backtrack to a better place. I died once because of them and another one because some monsters teleported in the yellow door teleporter. Man, the midi almost made me cry, just... fits the map perfectly! Good one, hard, but if you play slowly and safely, you can do it. (six deaths so far, let's see what the last map has to offer) 9/10

[gaspe]

MAP09: I wasn't expecting for this to be so hard even if the previous map prepared me for another escalation in the challenge. I'd say that the gameplay is a good culmination of previous tricks and tactics that you encountered in this wad. The starting room can cut down a good ammount of health and this is a problem given that medikits are scarce. Same for the armor, in the first half you can count only on some bonuses. On the other hand the ammo is more than enough, thanks also to the many hitscanners. I missed the secret chaingun but at least I found the BFG which is quite a must have for the duo of cyberdemons though I guess that maybe you can cheese them from the lower cave but I didn't tried it.

[Krenium]

MAP09 - Hell's Doorstep by Doomkid
PrBoom+ / Expert / Pistol start / Saves

 

"I have made a terrible mistake..."

 

Gameplay:

Spoiler

 

 

Hell's Doorstep is not playing around. This is an absolutely brutal map the first time through. It's a map which I thought I would hate, but which I look back on (somewhat) fondly. There are a few traps that will undoubtedly kill you, but for the most part, this map rewards your cleverness and secret-hunting ability. Unfortunately for me, I am not a very clever man.

 

My favorite moment in the map is pictured in the screenshot. I knew there was a window I could shoot through to clear out a whole area of guys, but the previous maps taught me that shooting at enemies before I can get to them is a recipe for ammunition shortage, so I held off. Guess where the teleporter sends you.

 

The map was particularly difficult on me because I only found one secret. I spent most of the time plinking away at toxicacodemons with the carbine and shotgun and the odd rocket. If I hadn't found the BFG secret, there is no way I could have completed the map. It was instrumental in clearing out the final area (and one of the cyberdemons) so I could make a run for the exit. I'll be honest: I was so focused and terrified of every encounter that I didn't pay much attention to the visuals. What I can say is that it is perfectly designed to facilitate its gameplay with not a wasted linedef.

 

Map ranking (favorite -> least)
5 8 3 9 6 1 2 4 7

[Omniarch]

MAP07: Smells Like Sulfur - 78% / 0%

 

Deprivation is the name of the game in this one. A massive step up in difficulty compared to the last, Smells Like Sulfur is an infernally cruel experience, forcing the player to treasure every round of ammunition and hitpoint of health whilst barely outmanoeuvring an omni-directional barrage of fire from hell's worst.

 

The Flame Caco shows its true value here, demonstrating its ability to turn large areas of the play-space into danger-zones with arcs of searing fire. This orange bastard is quickly becoming one of my favourite custom monsters due to its uniqueness and versatility.

 

The layout of this map is downright sadistic, especially the opening room. Danger comes from pretty much every direction, and the player is forced to prioritise evasion based on the type of incoming damage. Hitscanners are obviously the most dangerous, due to the scarcity of health, followed by Flame Cacos and their obscene DPS.

 

Constant movement is a must here, with inaction being harshly punished, usually by a plasma ball to the back of the neck. Precision is also necessary, though, since there is little room to maneuver. This combination of extremely high pressure and emphasis on calculated movement is reminiscent of the opening stages of many Plutonia and Plutonia-esque maps.

 

While the map still consists of a linear sequence of arenas, there is a lot more interplay between said arenas than in previous entries. A good half of the map overlooks the central starting room, and even peripheral arenas interact with at least one other in some capacity.

 

Aesthetically, the map is a tad more intriguing than earlier entries, despite sharing the same texture-scheme. This is mainly due to the contrast between the bright pools of lava and the generally dim ambient light.

 

Overall, this map is quite good, achieving its apparent goal of slapping the last vestiges of complacency out of the player before the final stretch.

 

 

MAP08: Creeping Descent - 100% / 0%

 

This map eschews the ultra-difficult hot start of the previous entry in favour of a slow, gradual increase in tension and challenge, culminating in a brutal (and somewhat aggravating) finale.

 

There is an air of dread and anticipation in Creeping Descent, aided by the map's gloomy aesthetic, which is in many ways reminiscent of PSX Doom. Actually, the back half of RRR in general reminds me of that peculiar port (or rather the GZDoom-driven imitation thereof with which I am familiar).

 

Unlike PSX Doom however, which gradually builds dread and anticipation for a climax that ultimately never materialises, this map certainly knows how to make due on the player's accumulated fears.

 

The road to that finale is a engaging one, with many enjoyable fights and mini set-pieces. This map is a lot more conventionally entertaining than the last, mainly due to a more generous resource balance with a decent margin of error. The toxic pool fight is the main exception to this, it is simply annoying, like anything involving corner camping and mandatory damaging floors.

 

Unfortunately, I found the pay-off itself less exhilarating and more aggravating than anything else. The first part is okay, but the final fight before the exit door is just annoying, feeling more like a last middle finger to the saveless player rather than final challenge. Simply put, the map overstays its welcome a little.

 

Overall, this map is pretty damn good, despite the somewhat annoying ending. Perhaps the journey really is more important than the destination? Maybe the real climaxes are the ones we made along the way... okay, I'll stop.

 

 

MAP09: Hell's Doorstep - 100% / 50%

 

This one feels the most like a complete experience of any map in the set. Hell's Doorstep is a complete mini-adventure, taking the player deep into a demon-infested hellbase and out the other end.

 

This time around, the linear arena-after-arena progression that has until now been the defining characteristic of RRR's map layouts, is thrown out and replaced with a more conventional style.

 

Though similarly linear to the rest of the set, this map has far more going on in terms of side areas and secrets. There is also a greater emphasis on smaller-scale encounters as opposed to large arena-based action, with exception of the final fight.

 

Aesthetically, this map is the second most appealing to me (after MAP08), mainly because I like the simplified (compared to Ultimate Doom) hellbase look. It still has a certain 'lite-ness' to it, much like the rest of the set, but there is nothing wrong with elegant simplicity.

 

The resource balancing is much more forgiving than the last two maps, giving the player effectively unlimited shells to fall back on if need be. The tension curve here is quite eccentric, bow shaped with a tough start, soft middle and brutal end.

 

The map starts off with a rather interesting encounter, and after that seems to be going in the same direction as the previous maps, with a number of interconnected arenas. After clearing the third of those, however, the map takes a base-crawler turn.

 

The middle portion of the map's progression is quite pleasant, emphasising caution and gradual exploration. There are no particularly mean traps, and a combination of quick reflexes and common sense can make the experience downright relaxing.

 

Like the last map, my main issue here is the final fight, requiring either luck or grind to beat consistently. The first time I got there I died after falling into the baron / cybie ambush pit. Still not quite sure how I managed that.

 

Honestly, really difficult final fights that are disconnected from the rest of the map just aren't my cup of tea, especially in medium-length maps that I otherwise wouldn't save in. That's not an objective fault with the map, though, just a matter of personal taste (by which I mean lack of skill).

 

Overall, another good map, probably the most conventionally so out of the set.

[Magnusblitz]

In catch-up mode already...

 

MAP04: The Filter

100% kills, 1/1 secret

 

Another small map, and relatively straightforward. I think the introduction of the RL here is a bit wasted since there's really no good point to use it - you don't want to use it going up an elevator, and the flyers that teleport in (and sit at the top of the elevator) make it so the best thing to do is retreat and take them out from afar with the chaingun. You're not gonna use it on the small fry teleporting onto the blue armor platform either. By the time I cleared out the top of the elevator, all the other guys in the exit room and killed themselves off.

 

MAP05: Forgotten Installation

100% kills, 3/4 secrets

 

Maps starting to lengthen a bit here. Things are still pretty linear, but I like the way this loops back around to the start, and lots of use of windows between areas to make it feel less linear - for example, getting to see the outdoor area at the start, or teleporting in snipers into previous areas. There's quite a bit of the latter actually, which stops the player from abusing the doors to clear out each new section, as often enemies will be teleported behind you at the same time. This map gives you the plasma gun (two actually) and it'll be your workhorse for this map with the ammo given out, which does help alleviate some of the difficulty.

 

MAP06: Deadly Depression

100% kills, 0/1 secret

 

That teleporting flame caco at the start is a pretty mean trick, though after last map I'm conditioned to expect a pincing teleporter at every door I open now. The middle part of the map was a little bit of a slog with lots of sniping at far-off enemies with the chaingun, never something I enjoy much. And neither of the yellow key fights is very good - the one near you has a lot of enemies on flat level with no cover (or you can jump down and risk trying to snipe everything again) and the guys outside are hamstrung by the door... think it would've been more fun to have them revealed upon actually going back outside. Wasn't expecting the vile though (someone else said "thanks for not putting it where it would resurrect the flame cacos" but that's exactly what my vile did).

[Valhen]

MAP10 - "Satan’s Watchful Eye"

 

Spoiler

Okay, so today wasn't my day. First, I became a stormtrooper and missed like 90% of my shots while playing the map. Then I didn't notice the map was an IOS fight and stood there for a while, wasting a lot of health and ammo, making it way more difficult than it needed to be. Now, I accidentally upload my review being barely started while I was writing.  What is wrong with me?!

 

Erm... Anyways, back to the review...

 

This is the last map of the wad. In Map09 I was wondering if we were in a castle, but now we actually are in one! Looks pretty cool, I must add. The combat, even though it didn't have as many high tier enemies as the last map, was way harder and tricky. The encounters were more dangerous and nasty. This map also features the final boss, which is a big eye (that looks really nice too!). It's just an Icon of Sin, but unlike other IOS fights, in this one you have to quickly press a bunch of switches while avoiding enemies to get to a platform and press another switch which uh... "opens" the eye? Then you just shoot at it until it dies and win the game. A nice twist on the IOS fight. After this map, you get an ending map with... well, the ending text.

 

And with that, Rowdy Rudy's Revenge is over. It was a really nice wad. The maps were pretty well done, the new enemies and weapons were a nice addition, and the textures looked cool too. I can't wait to play the sequel now!

 

Edited February 10, 2021 by Valhen : Now featuring an actual review!

[DFF]

Map09: Hell's Doorstep
GZDoom | Kills: 100% | Secrets: 66%

 

another tricky map with good combat. At this point the map design is becoming a bit blander as the simpler charm wears off and the new monstres + weapons are not as big of an attention grab. The map is fine, but its just ok. The map has plenty of secrets though, and Im always a fan of maps with many secrets, even if I don't find them all (sometimes especially so). The map also featured some slight non-linearity with giving the player the freedom to fight certain rooms out of "correct" progress-able order to a point. overall maybe not memorable, but still enjoyable. Looking forward to the finale.

 

[Doom64hunter]

(UV, Chocolate Doom, Pistol Start)

Rowdy Rudy's Revenge MAP10 - "Satan's Watchful Eye" by Doomkid

 

(Don't read further if you don't want to be spoiled)

 

Spoiler

The most insidious Icon of Sin maps are the ones that don't announce themselves as such. Though it should be expected, given that this is the last real map of the set, it begins just like the previous levels, placing you in front of a castle you need to assault. After a bit of back-and-forth to get keys, opening gates and taking out a few Archviles, you'll finally be pitted in a dark arena of snaking pathways, leading to a Radsuit.

 

At first, I was confused about why a Hellknight suddenly appeared behind me after I teleported in. Even more strangely, it was seemingly alerted the moment it spawned, which is normally not the case for teleport traps. Is this more dehacked trickery? Then it dawned on me; the rockets, the endless spawning... this rooms holds an invisible, silent monster spawner! Then came the question of where to go next, and what to shoot at. I decided to jump down first, thinking the Radsuit was pointing me to something in the lava, but no dice. It turned out that you need to perform a tricky jump to the ledges surrounding the pit, in order to then hit a switch that lowers a platform. Each successive switch lowered another timed elevator, until finally the central platform was accessible. Then you simply need to fire your rockets into the titular Satan's Eye, and you win the game!

 

Players using a non-vanilla source port will likely have an easier time here as they may not need to deal with autoaim screwing up the trajectory of their rockets. However, unlike other Icon of Sin maps, freelook will not allow you to skip the map, as the eye is covered by bars until you hit the switch on the central platform.

 

Much better than the regular Icon of Sin, as it doesn't turn the game into a rhythm exercise, but also not exactly easy, because when you get shot off the platform you need to repeat the switch cycle. Ultimately though I still like Icon of Sin maps less than a regular boss fight against a big enemy.

 

Map11 simply congratulates you on a job well done, marking the end of the wad.

 

In review, my favorite maps were 05, 08 and 09. Least favorite is probably a tie between 07 and 10.

 

Next time we'll be going on a Powertrip!

[Omniarch]

MAP10: Satan's Watchful Eye - 100% / 100%

 

Oh goodie, an Icon of Sin fight. Joy. At least I don't have to worry about getting telefragged this time.

 

As far as I'm concerned, any change made to the IoS fight is an exercise in turd-polishing, and the result will (almost) always be a grindy, uninspired chore. This particular instance decreases the repetition factor, but in the process increases confusion.

 

Introducing a last-minute platforming challenge to a wad with no platforming is a questionable decision at best, doing so in the middle of the final level is just annoying, and doing so in the middle of an IoS fight is infuriating. But, so what, its not a big deal, right? Once you've figured the puzzle out, it shouldn't be too hard to wrap this little party up. If only it were so.

 

The arena itself is, on the face of it, pretty well designed, with good flow and decent progression telegraphing. There is, however, one small issue: autoaim. Due to the layout of the room, any demon that spawns between the player and the titular luciferian eye will draw the player's fire onto itself, making an already frustrating encounter downright infuriating.

 

Still, I commend the originality of this take on the worn-out format, despite its design flaws. Like I said, the IoS is pretty much unfixable, and it is always interesting to see other mappers' solutions to the age old problem. That said, it baffles me that anyone would put one of these in their wad. Why? Is it the nostalgia? Do some people actually enjoy IoS fights?

 

I mean, boss levels in general are not my cup of tea, since Doom is not really designed around 1v1 encounters. The presence of questionable Boss levels is usually one of my biggest gripes with even the very best of wads.

 

So, with that aside, what's the rest of the level like? Eh, its honestly a little stale. The encounters are mostly either bland or downright annoying (Nightmare Imps in a dark room are even more annoying than their vanilla counterparts), and the decorations scattered haphazardly around the place, make free movement difficult at times.

 

This one is decidedly my least favourite of the set, though given that it is a boss level, that was all but certain from the get-go.

 

 

Right, that just about wraps up Rowdy Rudy's Revenge! Despite my whining in the last two posts, I had a good time with this wad. The new beasties in particular are excellent, and the general audio-visual vibe is unique and recognizable.

 

RRR is a good wad, despite feeling a little 'lite' at times, and I am very glad that its core concepts were later taken and fleshed out into a truly unique experience. I am of course referring to its acclaimed, Cacoward-winning sequel, Rowdy Rudy 2: Powertrip!, in my opinion the best partial conversion this side of Struggle.

 

Even though I have only played a third of Powertrip's levels, it is evident to me that every good idea present in RRR was fleshed out and expanded upon to create what feels almost like a genuine off-shoot of Doom in the vein of Raven's Heretic.

 

Needless to say, I am looking forward to writing about Powertrip!

[Silhouette 03]

Map 10: Satan's watchful eye

I was not ready for this....Map 10 was.. a bloodbath, to put it mildly.

 

My attempts to count my deaths were in vain. A frantic scramble to get better weaponry occurred form the moment I started. The map throws everything in it's robust arsenal at you. Too bad I'm as stubborn as a testosterone addicted mule with a taste for demon blood!

 

I'd like to take a moment to appreciate the visuals of the map. The hellish castle looks really good and distinctive from maps that have a similar theme. The final area( I have a bone to pick with the final area!) looks amazing with the eye made of fireblu( fireblu is best texture!).

 

The final room, I'm sorry to say, frustrated me to no end. Having to run to the platforms lowered by the switches wasn't exactly fun. I also didn't know that the eye was a Icon of sin, which confused me a bit as to why monsters kept coming from nowhere.  However, this was the only time I ever felt frustrated with the conversion. Shooting rockets into Satan's eye was pretty cool( I'd like to shoot rockets into Satan's crotch in the sequel... I have no idea why).

 

Map 11 ends the Wad off with a short intermission screen.

 

Rowdy Rudy's revenge was a great experience. It's overall simplicity in terms of level design, and the 90's stylings of the conversion make it a memorable experience. I've certainly come to respect Doomkid's approach to level design and combat. I don't know how much this means coming from a novice mapper, but good job, man.

 

Powertrip, anybody?  

 

Edited February 10, 2021 by Silhou3tte

[Doomkid]

(I haven’t been commenting mainly because I’m here to listen rather than to talk, but I’ll break that streak to admit it: Yes, I adore the IoS. I think it’s by far better than the 3 bosses of Doom 1, which “wow” you on a superficial level the first time around but then never provide an interesting experience again - which is a complete 180 from the IoS, which seems underwhelming at first but actually provides a genuine challenge even after many playthroughs - albeit a challenge that only about 50% of Doomers seem to actually have any fun with!)

[kalaeth]

no, I did not forget. Just didn't have time for it yesterday, so today it is.

MAP 09 : A few poor souls stand with their backs turned, so rocket into them, I guess? *ploft* A pair of pairs of shotgunners try to ambush me. my SSG had different ideas. Enter the door, kill imps, walk a bit, be ambushed, run out of shells and finish the job with plasma. kill kill kill, next door, kill more. Open door, dodge ambush shoot rockets, finish the job with the SSG, grab the yellow key, open the respective door and shower the insides with rockets, hop into the teleporter, get hit by a rev ball, find secret invun and then die as soon as it ends because I'm a idiot who gets backed into a corner.

 Second go, from the top. Third go, from the top, sorry. And cleared the after 'port zone, went back to it and now there's a Baron taking pot shots at me, so I reply with rockets. Then I went left, kill a lot of dudes, found another secret, which brought me back for some dearly wanted health, went back and found the way behind the boxes. Oh, another secret! BFG, yey! Move, kill, kill, oh a box of imps! *rockets* And now a switch, the bars rise and there's a door. Hum, closed. Let's go to the other side, most of everyone is dead already, I did a good job of clearing this with the invun. So, up the stairs, and.. cyber cow to the face, fuck.

 Fourth go, from the red bars. And cyber dead. Secret berserker and off I go to the red door. Oh, a 'port. Let's jump! Oh fuck, so many barons! Time to BFG. Done. Now, grab ammo, press switch, get to the exit and there are 2 secrets still to find.. Hum.. Found one but now.. I know where it is, but I cant jump up there nor find a teleport to it.. Well, I give up.

 So 3 deaths, 100% K/I, 83% S, 22m58 seconds.

 

MAP10 : Hot start! Clear the entry, enter door, fire cacos meet rockets, a love story, up the stairs, waste ammo, kill all, grab red key, die to archie, pause for a while.

Second go: outside cleared, save, open door, kill fire cacos, clear both sides, call lift. Grab key, take rocket to the face, barely survive, die trying to find a secret opening on the damaging floor.

 Third! much better, survived the AV with 100% health and a brand new blue armor. And now, outside, into the red door and fail to survive the revenants.

 Fourth : BFG + RL combo to deal with the revs, near death to the mini-chaingunners and imps on the lava, actual death to the flame cacos.

 Fifth! much better, now up the "stairs", into the mouth of the fire cacos, couple of BFG shots, couple of SSG shots, room cleared, and then die to the 'porting assorted former humans.

 Sixth... Enter room, BFG, BFG, SSG, SSG, SSG, clear. Switch, leave, fall into lava, die to AV..

 Seventh? Enter room, do the thing, press switch, leave the room, BFG the AV, let out a sigh of relief, proceed. Back to the main door, the other lift is now operational, but I need to get rid of all those pesky monsters first, nothing a rain of plasma won't solve, fall back, grab the invencibility, enter the teleport, die trying to discover how to leave the lava...

 Eight.. Step into the teleporter while attempting to grab megasphere, die quickly as soon as I reach the other side.

 Nine. I like nine, it's a good number, and it got me deep inside the last zone (oh god, I hope it IS the last zone) and gave me time enough to find out what happens when I press the switch. Now, I need to run and climb that column, I guess?

 Tenth : motherf'ing AV hit me while I was riding the column, got thrown down and then dead in secods.

 Eleventh : reached 1st column top, didn't get to second one on time. Same fro twelfth.

 Thirteenth Try : AH AH! Success. 86% kills, 0% secrets (stepped over the teleporter into the last room after grabbing the megasphere and before going for the invun), 10m16s, 12 deaths.

 Total : 1h42m01 seconds! I shoot a few rockets at my own face, and then exit, a sense of duty fulfilled. 

[xX_Lol6_Xx]

ROWDY RUDY'S REVENGE: MAP10 SATAN'S WATCHFUL EYE (HARD DIFFICULTY)

Results: 75% kills, 100% items & secrets

 

Rowdy rudy vs. the eye of lucifer, and he wins!. Brutal map, first we have a hot start with a lot of monsters in front of the castle (I'd like to think it's a castle), very well placed archviles that can get you mad in two seconds. I died twice in the beginning because of all the monsters, once more because of platforming and another one because of the room after the platforming section. The final arena is HARD, especially if RNG hates you (like it did to me) and spawns a lot of revenants and the RPG zombie. I must say that some of the assets and decoration can limit the movement, because of that and the monsters I died like 9 times in this section, but I got the job done. I must say that deeper underground fits the map, and it's a hell of a good conversion of the song. 10/10. Brutal map, but with hard work you can beat satan's forces

(6 + 13 = 19 deaths in the whole game)

 

So, final conclusion, well done @Doomkid, it's a good map set with good areas, pretty cool monsters , good midis and good traps. Absolutely worth it. 

 

Edited February 10, 2021 by Lol 6

[Krenium]

MAP10 - Satan's Watchful Eye by Doomkid
PrBoom+ / Expert / Pistol start / Saves

 

 

Gameplay:

Spoiler

 

 

This is it. We're at hell's (awesome-looking) inner sanctum. And it put up a fight. I had a bit of trouble gaining a foothold in the first interior area, as there are all sorts of nasty monsters shooting at you from multiple angles, and if you try to storm them you may get ripped to shreds by the classic "invisible imps in the darkness." I actually had insanely good luck just holding down attack with my bayonet and they would impale themselves for me!

 

The second half of the map is where I think it really shines. I know, I know, IoS-style fights are not everyone's cup of tea, but I enjoyed the almost puzzle nature of the fight while under pressure. I love the way the eye looks! Unfortunately, it took me an embarassingly long time to figure out what each switch did. *Especially* the one that removes the bars so you can complete the fight. But I got there eventually.

 

This is an example of a wad that probably gets more satisfying the second time through because you've already figured everything out and can actually apply it effectively. And I do intend to return to it someday for that reason. Overall, I'm impressed by the small size of the maps that nevertheless are packed with challenge such that they take (me) as long as medium/large maps. For the most part, the new enemies are interesting (minus the RPG zombies, imo) and are used to great effect. And with that, the Protectors are no more and Jamal is avenged! Can't wait to see what awaits us in the second installment.

 

Map ranking (favorite -> least)
5 8 3 10 9 6 1 2 4 7

[gaspe]

MAP10: Can't tell exactly why but I thought it was easier to manage than the previous map. Maybe because you get straight to the point to the IoS fight,but the part after the red door was quite nasty. At first I was a bit confused at the IoS because the summoned monsters pop out from nowhere. The hellish scenery was good (the initial castle and the Eye's lair).
Bonus discovery: you can get stuck here even if I guess it's unlikely that you'll go there
 

Spoiler

 

 

The user Omniarch before said "basic but competent" to describe the maps and I think it's an apt summary of what I think of the wad. Not that I mean basic in a bad way since doing simple but good stuff it's harder than how someone will think but many times the maps were lacking something more interesting to stick out and felt generic somehow, or to stay in the vibe of the 90's they were missing some "oddities" like that make those old maps charming. The dechaked work and the new enemies was the best part of the wad creating a set of enemies that were fun to fight. I was surprised in a good way about the challenge of the last maps, what I played of Doomkid's other sp maps was more akin to the first maps of the wad in terms of difficulty and I wasn't expecting to get my ass kicked like that.

[DFF]

Map10: Satan's Watchful Eye
GZDoom | Kills: 91% | Secrets: 100%

 

going to try and give a much more fruitful review (and continue to do so) as I did the last one rather late and lacked much interesting substance.

The final map of RRR is a nifty little brimstone keep that houses the hevil master that has been controlling the possessed UAC and the mutated demons. The (low burn) hot start is apt for a final map and gets the player moving, the map itself is short as with most of RRR but very tricky with its combat, often featuring a mix of homing rocket and plasma snipers from elevated leges or chasms while flame cacos assault the player. One thing that surprised me was how far the flame cacos breath actually travels, as they are still quite deadly even from outside regular SSG range. This map also features at least 3 or 4 Archviles, most of the time setup to revive enemies while the player is distracted, and one guarding the red key in a very dickish spot; with the player stuck in a hallway and no cover. luckily for me the chaingunners decided to have a change of heart and help me mow down the Archvile, something the arch was not pleased about. The rest of the fights were very well placed and caused a few deaths and forced me to think up of a strategy other than just running in and shooting, a good feature for maps.

The final part of the map features the slightly unconventional IOS fight over the evil eye, very good imagery and design here. The switch challenge felt fun, but overall i'd say i was not a huge fan of this area, maybe indifferent. its not because its an IOS, but because of the monster spawners. One one hand, i like how they just teleport in to fight without global noise, as it sets up the idea that the minions are coming to save their master rather than a demon brood mother sort of thing. however what I don't like about this is there's no way to know when a demon will spawn, and i was telefragged at least twice. Frustrating but not bad. Also its not super apparent the rock bridge is also a lift if the player gets stuck in the pit, but is relatively easy to figure out once the player scans all the walls of the pit.

Overall, a good and fitting end to RRR, and one that is at least memorable for the set. RRR is a very fun WAD and i really enjoyed it. Its funny how it worked out that RRR and RRP together make up a full 32 maps between the two. Having worked on RRP I do think I prefer the second Rowdy Rudy to the first, but this definitely feels like a good primer for what the second WAD became.
My favorite map or two was probably map07 and map05, those felt very good in design, execution and gameplay. I wouldn't say there was any map I dislike but map09 is probably my least favorite i guess? Either way looking forward to Rowdy Rudy Powertrip even if i've already played through most the maps somewhat recently.

[Valhen]

Time to start playing Rowdy Rudy II! This time using -complevel 9, because the text file mentions 2 bonus Boom compatible maps.

 

MAP01 - "Storming the Bayside Base"

 

A really cool first map. We start in a nice looking natural bayside area with a base nearby. I really like the new weapons. We now have an assault rifle that shoots faster, a shotgun that also shoots faster, and we now use our fists (which has sounds that I think were also used in the fake Plutonia 3?) instead of a bayonet. I also like how quickly they switch. There are also some new enemies. Mainly the zombie demons got new designs (and sounds), looking more like the classic doom counterparts, but we also got a Psycho Imp that shoots plasma! Overall, a nice start to the wad (feels weird not having the HD textures, I got used to them by the end of the first Rowdy Rudy :P).

[jmac]

Map 9: Hell's Doorstep

Maps 9 and 10 made me break the no saves rule I set in the beginning. I broke down and saved when I was around 75% through the level, and realized that if I died now I probably wouldn't have the willpower to start again from the beginning tonight. This map is my favourite of the first Rudy wad though. It's a long and grueling journey, but doesn't feel unfair at any point to me.

 

Deaths: 6 or 7

 

Map 10: Satan's Watchful Eye

Unlike a lot of players, I actually like the Icon of Sin, but putting it at the end of an already tough level is just cruel. I remember the first time I played this level, about a year or so ago, it took me an embarrassingly long time to realize the eye in the final room was an IoS. I just kept fighting the monsters as they spawned for a long time, thinking there'd be an end to them. It was my first time encountering an IoS that didn't actually look like the one from doom 2. 

 

One big issue I have with this level is the switches in the final room. With all the chaos on my screen, I genuinely could not tell what platform each switch lowered until I had repeated it over and over again. It led to death after death because I couldn't tell where I was supposed to go next in a battle where wasting time was fatal. IDK how much of that was me being an idiot, and how much was the map design, because in hindsight, I realize that the effect of each switch is immediately visible when you know where to look. Also, playing this level with infinitely tall monsters seems actually impossible to me, as I constantly get blocked when trying to run off of the platforms, but in recent times I've been playing with that turned off anyways. 

 

Despite my complaints though, I still do like this level a lot, and the song choice makes me feel like a real badass when I'm not being murdered.

Deaths: too many to count. I almost broke my keyboard.

 

MAP11: The End! Congratulations!

Haha, the FF victory music almost feels like it's taunting me after the hell I just went through.

 

Great work, Doomkid. I've recently started working on making my first maps, and you're one of the people who inspired me to do so.

[xX_Lol6_Xx]

We're done with the first one, it's time for the sequel. This time I'll play through crispy-doom v.5.9.2, the boom compatible maps will be played through Prboom-plus v.2.5.1.4 (complevel 9 obviously)

 

I've actually played through some maps of the sequel, though I didn't finished it because of the stupid school. Hopefully I'll finish it this time.

[Dimon12321]

4 hours ago, Valhen said:

Time to start playing Rowdy Rudy II! This time using -complevel 9, because the text file mentions 2 bonus Boom compatible maps.

 

Boom maps are independent. They are much easier if you play them after Map 20 because you'll have your equipment ready for devastation. Also, I'd suggest you to switch to a different complevel (like -1, which has -longtics enabled) because you might feel uncomfortable shooting distant targets.