Roofi's longplays on vanilla wads (New video on "Epic 2" , the Alexander .S "Eternal"'s magnum opus !)

[Roofi]

Hello,

 

I'm making this thread to explain my new project : making longplays on vanilla wads, preferably old wads from the 1990's but maybe not always.

 

First of all what is a longplay?

 

Here is the wikipedia definition :

Quote

A longplay is a play-through of a video game, created with the intent of completing it as fully as possible, mainly for the purposes of nostalgia, preservation, and possibly as a walkthrough. 

 

What will I do concretely?

 

Based on this definition, my goal is to make videos where I complete vanilla wads from the 1990's or not, namely 100% kills, secrets but also items. In case of impossibility because of bugs, I will mention it in the description. (See SLUGFEST.WAD as exemple which has some)

 

Longplay must not be confused with D2all uv-max !

 

The longplay is very similar to the D2all UV-max, but with the difference that there is no will of speedrun and thus of optimization. On the contrary, I plan to play slowly, as if I were a beginner player but who knows the wad very well. I run if necessary (difficult fight) or if the backtrack is too important for example. The main objective is to show the wad in its details. :)

 

I play obviously in continuous so no idclev XX. In the same way, no save and no death except death exit of course.

 

I use DOSBOX to keep an old-school feeling.

 

As I'm an old fart, I chose to use DOSBOX to make the longplays, especially to bring a very purist aspect. Doom, nothing but Doom. No graphical enhancements, no gameplay mods, no monster/secrets counters like we can see on ports like gzdoom or prboom...

 

 

What wads will I make?

 

Now for the wads I plan to make, I don't have a precise list. However, I avoid for the moment to make whole megawads because of their length. I'm aiming to make episodes or small sets of maps. Single maps are excluded for now as well.

 

First example with SLUGFEST.WAD, a wad from 1995.

 

Before making this thread, I made a video of SLUGFEST.WAD, a 10 levels wad from 1995. Besides, the format is very simple, I don't bring any comment. I like to listen or watch longplays of videogames to sleep, so why not longplays of wads !

 

 

I thank those who want to watch this type of video. I am open to recommendations, advice... :)

Edited April 17, 2023 by Roofi

[Noiser]

Oh this will be entertaining! First mapset already have some nice 90's aesthetics (looks very good for a 95 wad)

Edited November 6, 2021 by Noiser

[RjY]

Great idea. Incidentally I've long felt there is a gap in the market for demos that optimize for safety. It's often advised to watch a demo if you are stuck on a hard map, but a player looking for a risk-free strategy is not well served by trying to mimic a speedrun.

Also good choice of wad to start with. In particular I found map09, the lonely path through the black void, inspiring to the extent that an attempt to remake it was my first nontrivial mapping project (it failed through overambition). Well done for getting 100% kills, I remember it taking a while to figure out how to knock that one last imp off its tower; shame 100% secrets is impossible due to unavoidable sector special transfers. Finally, map10: I remember there's a point halfway up the stairs from which you can spam rockets and clear the map, but you did it the brave way.

[BigBoy91]

Awesome. I love watching longplays. I always fall asleep watching them too. This should be good.

[P41R47]

Excellent idea, pal!
I wonder when you will be tackling your favorite HRII :D

As a suggestion for your next mapset, probably The Darkening Ep.2 would be interesting.
High challenge and short mapset.
Otherwise, SlayeR, the most important release of the first decade of doom mapping..

[Endless]

I also used to watch longplays of videogames while trying to sleep. Last year I watched the crap out of the DoomSpeedDemos channel, that while not longplays per se, are also very fun to watch.

 

Love this idea, plus 90s WADs? Hell yeah. The Wadarcheology thread could help you out choosing WADs; not a lot of megawads there so could work out.

[Roofi]

Thank you for your comments all !

 

Here is another video! It's fracture.wad a small wad I played during Pegleg's Ironeagle Competition a year ago.

 

 

Informations :

 

Quote

Filename : fracture.wad

IWAD : Doom 2

Author : Adam Foster

Release Date : 14th february 1999

Number of maps : 5

Difficulty : Ultra-Violence (100% kills , secrets and items)

Engine used : DOSBOX

 

Description : Fracture is a set of 5 maps made mainly in an industrial theme with zombies as the major bestiary. This wad is quite challenging due to the scarcity of health bonuses and the numerous ambushes involving a lot of hitscanners in narrow spaces. Barrels may help you to get rid of them. I fell to 1% HP in map 04! Some secrets are especially necessary to survive properly in a few traps.

 

Notes : The wad has no custom soundtrack. I picked the music from this wad : https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/music/an_music

 

Bugs : None.

 

Edited November 7, 2021 by Roofi

[Dusty_Rhodes]

These are really solid. I enjoy them a lot.

[xdude_gamer]

Maybe have a commentated longplay and an silent longplay! So basically explain some of the features (like Decino) and maybe have a silent one on the side :)

[Roofi]

2 hours ago, xdude_gamer said:

Maybe have a commentated longplay and an silent longplay! So basically explain some of the features (like Decino) and maybe have a silent one on the side :)

 

Hi , thanks for the suggestion ! 

 

I don't plan to make longplays with comments like Decino or any other modern youtuber using his voice could do. However, I could expand the description of the video by commenting on my journey with the difficulties encountered or the points that attracted my attention the most for instance (example: detailing element, architecture ...)

[xdude_gamer]

43 minutes ago, Roofi said:

 

Hi , thanks for the suggestion ! 

 

I don't plan to make longplays with comments like Decino or any other modern youtuber using his voice could do. However, I could expand the description of the video by commenting on my journey with the difficulties encountered or the points that attracted my attention the most for instance (example: detailing element, architecture ...)

That'd be just as cool! Can't wait.

 

Spoiler

You should play Icarus: Alien Vanguard it's super cool

 

[Dusty_Rhodes]

3 minutes ago, xdude_gamer said:

That'd be just as cool! Can't wait.

 

  Hide contents

You should play Icarus: Alien Vanguard it's super cool

 

Great wad, perfect for this channel.

47 minutes ago, Roofi said:

 

Hi , thanks for the suggestion ! 

 

I don't plan to make longplays with comments like Decino or any other modern youtuber using his voice could do. However, I could expand the description of the video by commenting on my journey with the difficulties encountered or the points that attracted my attention the most for instance (example: detailing element, architecture ...)

I really like the idea of writing about your journey, especially if you really embellish it. Like a little story. 

[Roofi]

Hello ! I worked this week on a longer wad called "Insertion" ! Enjoy !

 

Video description : 

Spoiler

Filename : Insertion

IWAD : Doom 2

Author : David Shaw, Stephen Watson, Adam Williamson and Thomas Evans

Release Date : 7th March 1998

Number of maps : 11

Difficulty : Ultra-Violence (100% kills , secrets and items)

Engine used : DOSBOX

Description : Insertion is an episode for Doom 2 made by 4 people released in 1998. It is in the line of wads like Memento Mori 2 and Requiem. David SHAW, one of the mappers of this project, realized the whole soundtrack. The tracks come from previous projects, notably STRAIN and Requiem. The wad contains very few new graphic resources. We can see a new red sky but the maps are fully designed with stock textures. The whole wad takes place in quite complex and trappy tech bases . The difficulty is intermediate but has some difficulty spikes.

 

Notes : - The soundtrack was composed by David Shaw , notably for previous notorious projects like Requiem or STRAIN.

 

Bugs :

- Insertion has 4 built-in demos but only 3 can be launched.

- An armor shard can't be reached in Map 03 , so only 97% of items can be collected.

- The soulsphere's secret in map 09 can't be activated , so you can get only 80% of secrets.

 

Time stamps : 0:00 TITLEPIC and Built-in Demos

2:55 MAP01: Sabbatical by David Shaw

5:30 MAP02: Abandoned Station by David Shaw 1

2:02 MAP03: Cakewalk by Stephen Watson and David Shaw

24:16 MAP04: Inner Sanctum by David Shaw

32:19 MAP05: Barracks of Hell by Thomas Evans

45:20 MAP06: The Enemy Within by Thomas Evans

53:57 MAP07: Military Inferno by Thomas Evans

1:07:30 MAP08: Toxic Waste Site by Stephen Watson

1:24:08 MAP09: Running Scared by Adam Williamson

1:35:21 MAP10: Hanford Disaster by David Shaw, Stephen Watson and Thomas Evans

1:57:10 MAP11: Focal Point by Adam Williamson and David Shaw

 

A more in in-depth review of each level here (Check my youtube comment for timestamps...) :

Spoiler

Map 01 - A small and compact map with a certain charm with its dormitories. The music from Requiem brings a mysterious and warm atmosphere.

 

Map 02 - The second map shows a very common feature in Insertion maps: backtracking. Although not difficult for combat, the secret of the soulsphere where you have to jump into a crate requires some precision. It is not very difficult in reality, but it can become very frustrating if you fail... Another strange point, some monsters wake up only if you shoot in a certain room (See at 6:24 in the video) A nice map, especially for its computers and chairs but contains too much useless backtracking.

 

Map 03 - One of my favorite levels of Insertion and the best map of David Shaw in this project in my opinion. It stands out in particular for a section full of crushers, which could be considered a foretaste of the diabolical map 11.

 

Map 04 - A very relaxing level to finish during longplay but particularly uninteresting because of the excessive backtracking and switchunting. The areas are very heterogeneous and don't connect very well to each other. David Shaw has created some interesting areas such as the big yellow key room with the floating soulsphere or an invisible bridge surrounded by lava. However, some areas do not bring anything to the gameplay such as the small underground corridors of 64 pixels wide made of TECH textures. The fight to get the red key is incomprehensible. David SHAW tries to scare us with an arch-vile but it is totally harmless because of the invisible walls surrounding it. We can kill the hordes of enemies without difficulty and kill the vile at the end by protecting ourselves behind a wall. (see 31:15)

 

Map 05 - Thomas Evan's first level in Insertion and this is actually where the wad starts to show its claws, especially if you play pistol-start. In fact there are two cases: either you know the location of the secret containing the BFG and the invulnerability sphere which is almost indispensable and you can finish the map relatively peacefully or you will be destined to suffer in front of a huge difficulty spike. The main reason for this sudden increase in difficulty is that the map was not designed for pistol-starting. Indeed, apart from the Shotgun and the Chaingun collectable from zombies, there is only the BFG. There are neither SSG, nor plasma gun and nor rocket launcher while you can find a lot of rockets throughout the level... The fight of the yellow key is clearly one of the hardest in the wad if you don't know the secret of the BFG, even in continuous because the RL is too dangerous in front of pain elementals and the SSG is much too slow. (see at 37:30 for the trap in question) Apart from that, nothing special, like map 03, I like the non-linear gameplay thanks to the two keys to obtain in any order. I liked this level only after knowing the secrets. Before, I hated it.

 

Map 06 - The second level of Thomas Evan's trilogy and it is probably my favorite of his. Contrary to map 05, map 06 turns out to be a breather with combats involving mostly weak bestiary and an easily accessible megasphere in the middle of the map. (see at 50:25). The most annoying aspect of this map is certainly the bridges that take forever to rise. However, the backtracking aspect is much less apparent. We return several times to the zone of the beginning to get the keys, but they allow to discover each time a different zone.

 

Map 07 - The last map exclusively from Thomas, which I appreciate more than the 05 but not as much as the 06. What I like the most in this map is probably its generosity in regards to items for the first part of the map. You can get a soulsphere, a megasphere, a blue armor and many boxes of shells. The second part, where you have to kill two mancubus located in two different areas, as if they were keys to retrieve, is much more monotonous. The two branches do not really distinguish themselves knowing that they are mostly large compartments with a big part of hitscanners, imps and revenants. Not a bad map, but clearly too long for what it is.

 

Map 08 - The only map made exclusively by Stephen Watson and I think it counts among my favorites. On the other hand, it's also the most complex of the wad because of its many teleporters leading to different locations. To tell the truth, I didn't really enjoy doing it during my longplay, because of the fear of getting lost. I admit that it appears in my top 3 Insertion maps, just for its massive outdoor battles (see at 1:20:20 and 1:22:15). The rest consists of just standard places. (a library , a warehouse...) As for the secrets, the most generous ones, namely those containing the megasphere, the soulsphere and the blue armor, require the blue key to reach them. One of them contains a section with crushers that is impossible to cross normally. (see at 1:15:48). Another secret contains 3 switches that only allow to light three very dark rooms, especially the one with the yellow key (see at 1:09:38) A particularly complex map which does not hide its ambition.

 

Map 09 - The first map from Adam Williamson. To tell the truth, I didn't like it, but I still prefer it to his cursed map 11. This is the only map where it is impossible to get the 100% secrets (only 80%). The dysfunctional secret is facing the teleporter to the soulsphere. I think you can compare it to map 15 of Doom 2, except that there is no Pain Elemental and my name is not Zeromaster anyway. Also, the arrangement of the secrets is pretty silly. There are 2 secrets for the SSG and 2 secrets for the closet with the chaingun. Also, these have been mostly set on small sectors so it's very easy to miss even by walking on them. The combats are somewhat bland and the ammunition is very restricted (in pistol start anyway).

 

Map 10 - The only map made in trio, namely David, Thomas and Stephen. It's one of my favorites despite its stupid labyrint made of elevators which is by far the most boring section of the whole wad (see 1:43:30) What I liked the most has been its architecture and especially its large courtyard filled with toxic liquid. Moreover, we can meet the only cyber and the only SM of the sert but they really look weak because of their extremly poor placement. Small remark, but the slime where the BFG is placed does not cause any damage. Maybe it's just an oversight. (see 1:42:20) Definitely the longest and most ambitious map of the project.

 

Map 11 - A very disappointing but horribly sadistic ending from Adam Williamson. There is an IOS to kill, but not to face directly. Instead, you have to get through a large room occupied entirely by crushers. (see at 2:02:00) To tell the truth, I was reluctant to do a longplay just because of this single room. However, I found the solution to never die in it. I have nothing to say about the rest, it is exceedingly forgettable.

 

 

 

[Roofi]

Hello !

 

New longplay online ! On an old small episode of 5 maps from 1996 called "Warriors of Spider" this time. Each map has a different theme (city, factory, cave...) but has in common a convoluted progression with a pronounced use of lifts, which can sometimes be unpleasant.

 

The wad contains new sounds, some new textures from Obituary and new non-authentic music that we have already heard elsewhere. We'll start with one of the most famous compositions of Johann Sebastian Bach, the toccata in D minor.

 

 

Description of the video :

 

Spoiler

Filename : SPIDER.WAD (https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/lev...) I

WAD : Doom 2

Author : Andreas Lange, "APS-Software"

Release Date : 23th May 1996

Number of maps : 5

Difficulty : Ultra-Violence (100% kills , secrets and items)

Engine used : DOSBOX

 

Description : Warriors of Spider is an early episode for Doom 2 that probably takes its name from the 1988 science fiction novel. Each map has a different theme but has in common that it features an intricate progression using lifts extensively. The wad also contains some new sounds, a few custom textures and non-authentic music that we have heard elsewhere.

 

Notes :

 

- Map names are provided in the text file of the wad.

- The textures come from the Doom 2 wad "Obituary".

 

Bugs visible in the video :

 

- some blatant HOMS are visible , like at 9:35 or 15:55

- A lot of stuck monsters can be seen.(exemples : 9:21, 17:35 or even 22:23)

 

Detailed comments of each map :

 

Spoiler

Map 01 - The level officially takes place in a factory but the ubiquitous brick textures and Bach's "Toccata" makes me think more of a fortress. A level that I like overall because generous on shotgun/SSG shells. The crate maze, which is the only place that actually reminds me of a factory, is quite fun to explore, despite the many imps that act as snipers. The lift leading to several floors (see 1:20) is particularly unpleasant to use because of the imps regularly getting stuck inside. However, this is unfortunately not the only time the author has used this type of system. Similarly, you have to use a perpetual floor to reach the backpack, which has no other purpose than to waste time (see 3:00). At last, the exit is quite amusing because you have to press the right switch. If you press the wrong one, you either trigger useless actions such as turning off the light or lowering the floor or traps such as raising the floor so that the ceiling crushes the player.

 

Map 02 - A good map, which is shorter than the others if you know it well. The main difficulty lies in some jumps to get more than dispensable objects such as a chainsaw or a box of bullets. You have to walk fast enough to reach the platform but not so fast that you bump into the wall (see 11:09). I also like how the mapper gives you a free BFG and a megasphere. To access the secret of the megasphere, you have to press a wall that is located in the secret of the backpack (see 16:54)

 

Map 03 - The inspirations of the map 15 of Doom 2 can be felt quite easily. You start at the top of a building and go down via a lift. Moreover, the resemblance is also perceived by the possibility to move freely around the buildings. However, it is not as developed as in the IWAD map because the map does not contain relief unlike Industrial Zone which had pits filled with lava... In any case, a rather pleasant map despite the numerous backtracks particularly boring. You can find two megaspheres and a soulsphere, which helps to make the map quite fun to play. Once you've got the blue key guarded by blocked mancubus and an arch-vile, you have to use a multiple floors lift, quite similar to map 01 except that you need precise timing because each floor is blocked by a small lift. Using this elevator well means using a lot of switches in the right order and with precise synchronization (see 25:35). The last one is unbearable if you discover the map for the first time. By the way, the path to the soulsphere, although requiring a blue key, is totally optional (see 27:15)

 

Map 04 - My favorite map, but it took me some time to appreciate it, especially because of the complexity of some places, such as this room full of perpetually moving floors with arachnotrons on top (see 33:00). Beyond that, it is to my taste the most accomplished map, visually speaking. The use of blue tech textures is really nice and the new barrier textures contribute to make this map particularly unique. Likewise, the little electro music brings a quite comfortable atmosphere. I also enjoy the way of hiding secrets where you have to climb on a door made of lift (see 29:18) Finally, the little puzzle with the platforms to raise in order to create a path shows the potential of Doom's mechanics (see 31:25)

 

Map 05 - The final map, which is quite a mixed bag. At first sight there is no boss, not even a Mastermind that would have justified the title of the wad. To tell the truth, the atmosphere remains particularly well done because the level proves to be quite adventurous and complex and the music clearly indicates that this is the ultimate challenge. However, progressing in this map was a chore, especially at the beginning when lots of shotgunners flush out anything and severely malfunction the lifts in the main hub. The first task in this map was to get rid of all these zombies before moving on. Beyond that, the map is nothing more than a switchhunting party which becomes not so complex once you play the map again.

 

I absolutely regret the absence of boss in this map. You can find two arch-viles in a crevasse that presents very little threat, within a particularly beautiful Silver structure. (see 53:30). Apart from that, I don't have much to say. A lot of backtracks that artificially lengthen the level.

 

Edited November 27, 2021 by Roofi

[Roofi]

Hello !

 

A new longplay is online ! This time , I venture into the demo version of Hell Revealed released in 1996. It contains 11 maps , some had not been changed in the final version and some were radically different.

 

 

Description of the video 

Spoiler

Filename : hrep1.wad

IWAD : Doom 2

Author : Yonatan Donner and Haggay Niv

Release Date : 24th June 1996

Number of maps : 11

Difficulty : Ultra-Violence (100% kills , secrets and items)

Engine used : DOSBOX

 

Description : Hell Revealed Episode 1 can be considered as the demo version of the 1997 famous mlegawad. It features the easiest levels but with some changes. Map 01 and Map 09 are radically differents, some are a lot easier than the final version. (Map 11 doesn't have bosses nor arch-vile for instance). Some levels like map 03 and map 04 haven't changes between the different versions. Also, contrary to final release, HREP1 contains a more developed story. The authors used cheesy midis of popular bands before incorporating ROTT's soundtrack. Finally, the wad has a custom intermission pic but no titlepic nor custom statbar yet.

 

Notes : Nothing particular.

 

Bugs : - There is a blatant softlock in map 09. You get stuck at if you don't manage to escape the room before the doors close.

 

Comments about each map

 

Spoiler

Map 01 - Well I'm happy this level had been replaced in the final version. It features the same gimmick with teleporting monsters but the layout is a lot more simplistic with rectangular rooms and 64 pixels wide corridors. I actually like the small room with the chair and the table though.

 

Map 02 - This level has not been changed in the final version (except the deathmatch unreachable area which was not here yet). It's indeed a fun punchy level . One of the best from the first episode in my honest opinion.

 

Map 03 - Same , nothing really different.

 

Map 04 - No change too, I love this level for some reasons. I like the attempt to create something at least a bit realistic. Also , despite its smallness, the layout prove to be quite open.

 

Map 05 - Some strangeness here. In the final version , you have to kill an AV before reaching the exit. However, in the Demo version , there is no monster but only in UV because the authors placed a HK on HMP and an imp on HNTR. Except that, not a major fan of this cramped level.

 

Map 06 - Cool map. No change here unless if I'm wrong.

 

Map 07 - This version contains so much less arachnotrons that I wondered first if I really chosen the UV difficulty. The first version was absurdly easy , even the original dead simple was a lot harder.

 

Map 08 - No change here too. Not a huge fan of this map. The large room containing a lot of imps and demons is boooring.

 

Map 09 - I used to like "Knock-out" from the final version a lot but the first version was initially called "Slime Disposal". I think honestly it's the only challenging level from the Demo version. You have to walk on mandatory damaging liquids and there is a section where a slow crusher has a great chance to cowardly kill you. Also, contrary to the other maps , the level's layout looks a lot more organic , reminding me a lot more of 1994's levels.

 

Map 10 - I always loved this Myhouse themed map. The only notable change was the invulnerability sphere in the HK-mancubus room which helps reducing the grind.

 

Map 11- The first really hard map in the final version but what about in the Demo version? The authors had not placed the troublesome monsters yet. The demo version contains no arch-viile , no cyberdemon,, no Spider-Mastermind and lot less mid-tiers monsters in general. It originally just a longer but not exciting level.

 

[Roofi]

Hello,

 

new longplay here ! On EtptTrio, a forgotten and forgettable but pretty fun small episode of 3 maps !

 

 

Information about the wad :

 

Spoiler

Filename : EtptTrio.wad
IWAD : Doom 2
Author : Dave Johnson
Release Date : 17 July 1996
Number of maps : 3
Difficulty : Ultra-Violence (100% kills , secrets and items) 
Engine used : DOSBOX

Description : Etpttrio is a trilogy of maps built in 1996 by Dave Johnson, in a classic style with exploration and lots of secrets. Each level has a new music from famous artists. Moreover, the names of the maps correspond to the titles of the songs. Also, the wad features some cheesy new weapon sounds.

Bugs : 

- You can't reach a secret on a teleporter in Map 01.
- You can't activate a secret occupied by an "Evil Eye" thing in Map 03.

 

Timestamps :

0:00   Titlepic
0:15   Map 01 - Makuswet.wad
11:27  Map 02 - Comeplay.wad
21:07  Map 03 - Bestshot.wad
 

 

Comment about each map 

 

Spoiler

Map 01 : A map that I liked pretty well overall. It has a lot of useful secrets like the blue armor or the plasmagun. Nevertheless, Dave Johnson placed the secrets quite randomly. Out of the 10, one of them can't be activated. This is the teleporter visible at 2:32 in the video. Eventually maybe a linedef-skip could solve the problem. I like the large, dark courtyard outside. This one contains many barrels to blow up in chain.

 

It's fun to see enemies literally explode. See at 3:48 in the video.

 

Map 02 : My favorite, probably because of the music, I love the frenetic feel it gives. The big courtyard visible at 15:00 is one of the most developed places of the map and the whole wad. Moreover, this level contains some unique sceneries such as slime cascades piercing the ceilings (see at 16:05) or some kind of plants made with stalagmites (see at 12:14). Towards the end, the fights turn a little bit to slaughterlite with a lot of enemies coming out of monsters closets. See at 19:50 for example.

 

Map 03 : And on the other hand, the one I like the least among the three. The navigatio wasunpleasant because of its very mazy and narrow aspect. First of all, you have to go through a small labyrinth with 64 pixels wide passages while killing monsters bombarding you from small windows. (See at 21:20) Then, after getting the blue key, the stone maze unfortunately doesn't bring more fun.

 

In my video, I used the plasmagun in order not to miss an enemy in the dark. Fortunately, you can find light goggles in a secret place to reduce the pain a little bit. On the other hand, there are a lot of useless and misplaced secrets. Among the 12, one is not accessible again.It's the small bright sector with the "Evil Eye" thing, visible at 26:36.

 

The thing is too close to the edge of the sector so you can't activate the secret, unlike the two hanging corpses. At the end the, fights become a bit more exciting. Like in map 02, you kill a lot of enemies at the same time but with a BFG that can be found in a secret.

 

However, the too numerous ammunition and the insufficient number of enemies failed to create a real finale. All of this remains quite monotonous and therefore disappointing...

 

[Nikku4211]

It's really cool that you're using the real vanilla Doom under DOSBox.

 

One minor thing, though.

 

How are you recording the videos? Are you using DOSBox to record the game and are dubbing in the MS GS music? Or are you using a screen recorder?

 

If a screen recorder, you can go into DOSBox's configuration and change 'aspect = false' into 'aspect = true' in order to have the game be in the 4:3 aspect ratio it was designed for.

[Roofi]

52 minutes ago, Nikku4211 said:

It's really cool that you're using the real vanilla Doom under DOSBox.

 

One minor thing, though.

 

How are you recording the videos? Are you using DOSBox to record the game and are dubbing in the MS GS music? Or are you using a screen recorder?

 

If a screen recorder, you can go into DOSBox's configuration and change 'aspect = false' into 'aspect = true' in order to have the game be in the 4:3 aspect ratio it was designed for.

 

Hi ! Thanks for your encouragement :)

 

I'm using OBS for video recording. About 4:3 aspect ratio , you mean the presence of lateral black borders? More precisely, I bought the game via gog and this is the basic configuration. So, I always preferred that the game occupies the whole screen.

 

About the music, it just comes from the game, there is no need to dub. 

[Roofi]

Hello, here is another longplay recorded this week. :)

 

it's about the demo of "Flashback", a WIP UD megawad by Espi, Erik Alm and Torn which had never been released. The demo contains 6 maps where authors have taken the main gimmicks of the iwad maps and reworked them with their own style. Expect a lot of graphical improvements compared to the levels from 1993.

 

https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom/d-f/fbdemo

 

 

 

Informations about the wad + comments about each map :

 

Spoiler

Filename : fbdemo.wad

IWAD : Ultimate Doom

Author : Espi, Erik Alm, Torn

Release Date : 10th December 2003

Number of maps : 6

Difficulty : Ultra-Violence (100% kills , secrets and items)

Engine used : DOSBOX

 

Description : "Here it is; the demo of the Flashback megawad. Designed in the spirit of the original levels, with doom.exe compatibility. Hope you'll enjoy playing the levels as much as we enjoyed making them. There are six maps; one from E1, two from E2 and E3 and one from E4." The whole megawad has never been completed.

 

Bugs : - 0% secret in E2M4 because there is no secret. 

 

Comments about each map :

E2M1 : A remake of E1M1 which has the advantage of offering more verticality compared to the original level. Nevertheless, I regret the monotexturing outside of the buildings and the large outdoor landscapes that don't contain any items.

 

E2M2 : I really don't like Refinery in Ultimate Doom. However, I love the remake proposed by Torn and Espi. I find the layout much morespacious and messy. Also, you can see and hear real working machinery. It adds to the immersion. The secrets are also quite cleverly interwoven. One of my favorite levels of Flashback Demo.

 

E2M3: Deimos Lab, one of my favorite Ultimate Doom levels and the best one in my opinion in Fbdemo.wad too. Definitely, the collaboration between Torn and Espi is producing good things. I don't know if I prefer the remake to the original though. It lacks the iconic crusher and some strange secrets. Nevertheless, the atmosphere is still very strong.

 

E2M4: A really crappy map in Ultimate Doom. Really glad that Espi could do something better than 64 pixels wide corridors and a real fortress worthy of the name instead. Nevertheless, the gameplay is not very outstanding. We kill shotgunners, caco and imps mainly. The blue key trap with the imps teleporting around the player is a particularly striking and sadistic moment at the same time.

 

E2M5 : Argh Slough of Despair, I always hated this map. Espi's version is much better for my taste, but it's still my least favorite map. I remember running out of ammo when I played it in pistol start, it's quite frustrating. Funny detail, the layout doesn't look like a hand anymore but a foot, I forgot to show it in the video ! The map is much more spacious and detailed than the original one.

 

E2M6: I never understood the craze for episode 4, it's really my least favorite episode in UD. Sorry Erik Alm, your new version of E4M1 did not convince me. I have to say though that the blood pool that drops down to reveal the passage underneath is pretty neat. Apart from that, this map feature the most dangerous traps in the wad.

 

 

[Roofi]

Hi ,

 

Here is a new longplay , about Operation: Biowar ! A 19 levels megawad released in 1999 by Chris Harbin, John Bishop and Paul Corfiatis (@pcorf)  . I decided to work on longer wads and also I tried recording on aspect=true instead of aspect=false. I don't know if it looks better for you. Let me know !

 

UV 100% (Monsters, Secrets and Items) as usual. However, a secret can't be activated in map 08 : it explains the 66%.

 

I played Operation: Biowar for the first time in 2013.

 

Download it here 

 

 

Technical Informations about the wad :

 

Spoiler

Filename : biowar.wad
IWAD : Doom 2
Author : Chris Harbin, John Bishop, Paul Corfiatis
Release Date : 21 novembre 1999
Number of maps : 19
Difficulty : Ultra-Violence (100% kills , secrets and items) 
Engine used : DOSBOX

Description : Biowar is a 19 level megawad released in 1999, directed by Chris Harbin with John Bishop and Paul Corfiatis as guest mappers. Chris added new textures and music, coming from wads released earlier such as Memento Mori or Requiem. Nevertheless, Biowar stands out for its new statbar and especially the new character that reminds me directly of "The Thing" from the 4 Fantastics.

Bugs : 

 

- A secret can't be trigerred at map 08, because the sector is too tiny.

 

 

Timestamps :

0:00      Introduction
0:10     Map 01 - The End
2:33     Map 02 - Terror Core
5:00     Map 03 - Onslaught
8:29     Map 04 - The Arrival
11:33    Map 05 - Skybase
18:59    Map 06 - Last Call (by John Bishop)
23:24    Map 07 - Apparatus
26:49    Map 08 - Biolabs
31:09    Map 09 - Security (by Paul Corfiatis)
37:58    Map 10 - Dark Woods
42:41    Map 11 - Frozen Terror
48:18    Map 12 - Military Center
53:02    Map 13 - UAC Prison (by John Bishop)
1:03:45  Map 14 - Absolution
1:12:31  Map 15 - Heat
1:18:14  Map 31 - Juggelo Funhouse
1:22:11  Map 16 - The Killing Fields
1:34:18  Map 17 - Sacrilege
1:43:21  Map 18 - Die Heuschrecke
 

 

My review of the wad and each map :

 

Spoiler

The 19 levels offer different themes such as tech-bases, a volcano, ice or hell temples. Nevertheless, you should count on a bit less than 2 hours to finish this wad because most of the levels are characterized by their short length and their directional progression. Sometimes, the player has to explore longer and more complex levels, especially in the last maps, but these do not represent the majority.

 

In any case, for a wad from the 1990s, the wad moves away from the usual weirdness in its structure. The locations have been thoughtfully designed to create real places that allow the player to be taken on an adventure. Of course, some levels contain their share of unnecessary and time-consuming switches and backtracks. Nevertheless, I found the whole thing neat and balanced.

 

Moreover, Chris Harbin was careful to make his wad accessible to everyone. If I could suggest to a beginner to play a wad, Biowar would be ideal. Even Doom 2 has much more difficulty because of the strict balancing on some of its maps. In Biowar, you often face small bestiary while bosses and arch-viles can be numbered on the fingers of one hand. However, John Bishop's two maps (06 and 13) show more violence because of their slaughterish cramped gameplay. Paul Corfiatis' map (map 10) abusively rewards any player curious enough to find the secrets.

 

Also, as I mentioned before, the enclosed aspect of the maps prevents the player from getting lost for too long trying to figure out where to go.

The wad also excels in the field of "Doomcute". You can see a flying ship in the sky at the beginning of the first map, or you can admire the lively machinery in map 06. The author has also incorporated some cool thunder noises.

 

Map 01: The End

A basic introduction exclusively focused on the pistol if you haven't found a way to access the shotgunner compartment. This map is not very exciting. A shotgun given at the beginning would have reduced the grind.

 

Map 02: Terror Core

Typical map where the "3 keys, 3 paths" trope is applied by using teleporters. Confusing when played for the first time. Brief and fun once you get the hang of teleporters. Each small section contains micro fights involving imps , shotgunners and chaingunners.

 

Map 03: Onslaught

A map I don't like but I respect the atmosphere. The thunder sound is great on this level in particular. I blame Chris Harbin for relying too much on darkness. The outdoor fights can get annoying at times, especially with some of the chaingunners.

 

Map 04: The Arrival

Probably one of my favorite maps. The ship that serves as a spawn is charming. Although short and linear, it was relaxing. The trap where 5 cacodemons teleport successively requires more patience than dodging skills.

 

Map 05: Skybase

The first long map of Biowar which feature many backtracks to get each key. Between the crate maze at the very beginning, the fascinating blue lab near the exit or the big elevator leading to a small cold room, Sky Base offers more content than its predecessors.

 

Map 06: Last Call

John Bishop's first map that stands out with a much higher density of monsters. While fun overall, it could have benefited from being a bit more spacious, as the 64 pixel wide corridors don't make for a pleasant journey. Nevertheless, the author has done a great job of creating an active machinery, using scrolling textures and crushers.

 

Map 07: Apparatus

I hated this map. The doors acting as lifts annoyed me. You have to carefully kill the pain elementals in order to avoid triggering unwanted infighting with the Mastermind located behind and then being flooded with lost souls... Aesthetically speaking it's rudimentary.

 

Map 08 : Biolabs

A nice level with a dysfunctionnal secret. I really like the blue animated textures on the floor or the passage in an air duct.

 

Map 09 : Security

Security is the only guest-map from Paul Corfiatis. I loved this one because of Paul's overgenerosity when it comes to secrets. You can find two BFGs, two megaspheres, a soulsphere and even a sphere of invulnerability! Besides, he added the best music of MM2 "Organic Gods". Definitely a highlight.

 

Map 10 : Shadow Woods

Shadow Woods is distinguished by its forest and thus by the numerous trees. Totally linear, it is more of an intermission map.

 

Map 11 : Frozen Terror

Another favorite level where the ice theme prevails. I really enjoyed the pronunced height variations.

 

Map 12 : Military Center

A map similar to map 02 in its design, i.e. 3 teleporters leading to 3 keys and then to a final section. Uninteresting map overall with a lot of symmetry. Moreover, contrary to map 02, you have to get the three keys in an established order.

 

Map 13 : UAC Prison

I love UAC prison for its significant number of enemies (more than 350 !). Most of them teleport into the central courtyard and shooting them with a plasma gun makes the gameplay really enjoyable. The underground part with the prisons  cells was more annoying than anything else in my humble opinion. 

 

Map 14 : Absolution

A mysterious temple, surely one of the most accomplished maps from Biowar with its vast  courtyards or its small satanic chapel. Nevertheless, the TP work badly on this level. Some monsters teleport lately and therefore ruined few longplay attempts.

 

Map 15 : Heat

An epic volcanic adventure. The music of Memento Mori works well.

 

Map 31: Juggelo Funhouse

A circus as a secret level is a good idea.

 

Map 16: The Killing Fields

I should have like this map for its ambition but I didn't. Actually the map contains too many backtracks and it's easy to forget a monster in some places like the maze leading to the blue key.

 

Map 17: Sacrilege

It's correct. Chris Harbin often tends to create dedicated areas for each key that can be reached via a teleporter. Despite the cyberdemon and the Mastermind at the end, the level was straightforward.

 

Map 18: Die Heuschrecke

Oh no, an Icon of Sin, although this one doesn't even require shooting in a small gap with the RL! You just have to press 4 successive switches to reach the brain. Honestly, I only like this map for its easiness. A traditional IOS would have displeased me.

 

[Roofi]

5 months later... and the project is still active !

 

Here is a longplay of Bing Bong Blippo, a 10 maps episode created by @ZeMystic which consists of small greenish tech-bases. That wad was relaxing to play and fit perfectly for a coffee-break. The wad also features a fluid weapon progression. You get the SSG and the plasma gun very late for instance.

 

 

As usual, 100% means for kills, secrets and items. Fortunately Bing Bong Blippo was easy to memorize !

 

More technical infos here :

 

Spoiler

Filename : bingblip.wad

IWAD : Doom 2

Author : ZeMystic

Release Date : 3 August 2022

Number of maps : 9 (+ 1 "Thanks for playing" map)

Difficulty : Ultra-Violence (100% kills , secrets and items)

Engine used : DOSBOX

 

Bing Bong Blippo is the perfect wad for a coffee break. Through this wad, ZeMystic makes us discover 9 small greenish tech-bases. Although mainly using stock textures, some new resources are discreetly inserted into the picture. Each level takes less than 5 minutes to complete and has a low difficulty. I loved the linear nature of the wad. Each map has good interconnectivity while remaining straightforward.

 

Bugs :

 

The music of the 02 and 07 map sounds hilariously wrong on DOSBOX. I can't explain why. 
 

 

 

Edited September 16, 2022 by Roofi

[Roofi]

Hi all !

 

And here is a new longplay, on a wad released in 1998 named "REAL: DOOM2 Conversion" made by Joe "JAZ" Zona!

 

This one contains 7 levels (actually 6 playable and an epilogue) but it finishes extremely quickly because of the small size of the levels and the very low difficulty.

However, I chose to make a video on this wad because it contains some graphically successful jungle themed levels with ambient sounds making the game much more immersive. I voluntarily removed the music for this purpose (The wad has no new music anyway). Of course, the wad contains its share of generic levels such as a cave or a temple, but it is still worth a visit.

 

The wad uses a dehacked to include new sprites and modify the intermission text in particular.

 

More technical informations here :

 

Spoiler

Filename : real.zip

IWAD : Doom 2

Author : Joe Zona "JAZ"

Release Date : 16th April 1998

Number of maps : 7

Difficulty : Ultra-Violence (100% kills , secrets and items)

Engine used : DOSBOX

 

Description : REAL offers a small adventure among jungles and temples. It uses a dehacked which adds new sprites : rocks, trees , water splashes... The wad uses ambiant sounds in order to make the jungle more immersive. Real is extremly short and easy and can be completed in less than 20 minutes.

 

Notes : I muted the music since the wad doesn't have any custom midi.

 

 

[Roofi]

Hi all !

 

I'm back with a new longplay, and this time it will be "Epic 2" , a megawad by Eternal released in 2010, featuring egyptian temples and alien spaceships !

 

I initially didn't plan to record longplay on whole megawads, mostly because of their complexity, length and sometimes difficulty. However, I wanted to create an exception for Epic 2, which figures among my personal favourite megawads. Despite, being technically limited by the vanilla restrictions, Epic 2 is one of the most immersive and sensational adventures I have ever experienced with Doom. The numerous custom ressources incorporated in this masterpiece bring to Epic 2 an unique personnality. Each time I play Epic 2, I feel like watching an action-adventure movie  and this is one of the reasons why I wanted to record a longplay.

 

Epic 2 is extremly long and complex for an one-man megawad but at the end I had a lot of pleasure replaying it again and again, in order to learn all the areas, secrets and encounters. At the end, memorizing this megawad wasn't a big deal at all because Eternal knew how to guide the player. Of course, a lot of maps disoriented me the first time I played them, but at the end I think they are brilliantly designed, so that you can always find your way back. Even map 28 "Ogdoad", which is known to be insanely complex, didn't pose me a lot of trouble when I recorded the video.

 

About the difficulty itself, Epic 2 starts soft but it gets really spice in the last episode. I admit I recorded map 01 to 28 in one sitting whereas while maps 29 and 30 were the subject of two separate videos that I later assembled. Map 29 is a Deus Vult hommage where fighting becomes so savage that spheres of invulnerability are sometimes not enough to keep control upon monster spams. And for Map 30, I just usually suck against IOS.

 

At the end, Epic 2 was an outstanding vanilla-compatible ride. It's a privilege to see such a beautiful megawad running on Dosbox, although the absence of the "That's right" playing every time a secret is found was a bit regrettable. Epic 2 also includes some optional HD skies which can be launched on advanced sourceports but the azure and night skies still wonderfully work. And I didn't talk about the soundtrack, which notably let us to rediscovering some of the greatest classics from J-RPGs games.

 

I may develop my review further on each level. Map 14 "Orion Belt's" is my favourite part of this megawad. In any case, I wish you a good viewing of this extremly lengthy movie!

 

NB : Map 01, 20 and 30 have no secrets.