2023 Missed Cacowards - Any WADs you'd like to share?

[Daytime Waitress]

7 hours ago, BluePineapple72 said:

I know it's a tad taboo for one to talk about their things in a thread like this, but I really just wanted to talk about my PUSS.

 

PUSS has gotten pretty wide as of late and has had a rotating door of regulars and virgins coming in and out if it. Word about PUSS has been spreading too, so a lot of gamers have had a chance to try some PUSS too, which is always nice; the more people getting into PUSS the better.

 

How I feel about my PUSS too has changed over the past year. I does seem that when I opened PUSS up back in 2020, the way I held it and passed it around lent towards PUSS releases being pretty sloppy. I'm pretty confident in my saying that PUSS has gotten very tight. And despite myself and the team constantly putting out it pleases me greatly to say that the PUSS has yet to get dry.

 

Very glad to see PUSS get a mention in 23more, though one day it would be nice for my PUSS to get a trophy :)

 

 

I'd typically frown on mods/admins abusing their privileges, but all I'm saying is that one among you has the opportunity to change his custom title to "Mrs. Slocombe"...

[RDETalus]

Trenchworkz Facility by @DM_Workz

It's very solid map by a first-time mapper. Architecture, detailing, and combat are all very competent. Great map for streamers to play through as well.

[TerryMastermind]

Godless Night

 

[Proxy-MIDI]

The OST of this megawad of course. It deserved to have a reward because it was the best of this year without any contest. The musician spent 2 weeks for that, which is far to be nothing ! :oversize ego: https://tenor.com/bs7v3.gif

 

Alright, I'm stopping. It's just that I'm disgusted that the community leader went insane with the members and has wasted the official release because of this attitude. :/

[plums]

22 minutes ago, TerryMastermind said:

Godless Night

 

it got a Cacoward: https://www.doomworld.com/cacowards/2023/best3/

[TerryMastermind]

12 minutes ago, plums said:

it got a Cacoward: https://www.doomworld.com/cacowards/2023/best3/

It seems that the cacowards has an anti-memetic effect on me, as such, by simply reading the entry on it, the semantic memory of "Godless Night" being featured has been erased from my mind. 

[plums]

1 hour ago, Proxy-MIDI said:

The OST of this megawad of course. It deserved to have a reward because it was the best of this year without any contest. The musician spent 2 weeks for that, which is far to be nothing ! :oversize ego: https://tenor.com/bs7v3.gif

 

Alright, I'm stopping. It's just that I'm disgusted that the community leader went insane with the members and has wasted the official release because of this attitude. :/

Oh man that thing, I didn't realize it had a completely custom soundtrack. Are you going to release the music on its own at some point?

[Naarok0fkor]

Too many people have been left out. Arrowhead, Edwardoandfriends and many more...myself included(..). The problem is that there are just a few trophies and like in the music industry, it's very often who do you hang with...

 

Anyway, Christmas is coming fast, it's going to be better than ever even without cacowards...

https://www.moddb.com/mods/guntoberfest/downloads/naarok0fkors-winter-slayride-2023

[Dynamo]

25 minutes ago, Naarok0fkor said:

Too many people have been left out. Arrowhead, Edwardoandfriends and many more...

Arrowhead won a Caco last year, and EduardoAndFriends's Deep Breath got a HM this year. I suppose the anti-memetic effect is real... :P

[baja blast rd.]

On 12/11/2023 at 7:49 PM, Arsinikk said:

DOOMKID.WAD

 

This one added about a third of its maps after Nov 15.

 

Escape from Slime City is probably an extra one I would have chosen as an HM if I did everything myself. Imo more people should do informal write-ups, so I'll write one for that. 

 

Escape from Slime City by kwc

Doom 2, DSDA-Doom, 1 map

 

 

 

Escape from Slime City (much like Jimmy's Mercury Rain) shows the good you can get out of advanced-port bells and whistles by making them part of the core experience. This 15-minute lighthearted trek through a post-apocalyptic city has edible donuts, a fully stocked arcade room, a bowling alley cluttered with pins that go kathunk with every wayward SSG pellet, and much more -- playing out as a barrage of amusing ideas spaced out by punchy and sometimes unexpectedly vicious traps. There's also surprising depth if you go looking for it. Packaged alongside the brief "infiltrating a computer" set HOTFIX '93, kwc shows good taste for fx curation; nothing is ever garish, overdone, or out of place.

Edited December 13, 2023 by baja blast rd. : fixed compat

[Master O]

...

[Dynamo]

9 minutes ago, Master O said:

Venturous in the Footsteps of the Fallen:

 

https://forum.zdoom.org/viewtopic.php?t=78218

It's here.

 

4 hours ago, RDETalus said:

Trenchworkz Facility by @DM_Workz

It's very solid map by a first-time mapper. Architecture, detailing, and combat are all very competent. Great map for streamers to play through as well.

Sad to have missed this one! Hopefully DM_Workz returns with some other treat for us all next year.

[LVENdead]

I've kind of slipped into this interesting space where, as a mapper, I play way less Doom than I'd like because I spend a lot of my free time making maps for Doom. Is that a bit ironic? I don't know. But I bring this up to say that I spend a lot of my playing time following the major releases (as opposed to digging through everything that comes and goes) and starting (but not finishing) a ton of WADs, through no fault of quality on the part of the mappers.

 

On that note, Abscission is one of the megawads I DID finish this year and I was a little surprised to not see it get at least a silver. This year was absolutely stacked so I realize that my "played" catalog isn't nearly extensive enough to have considered everything worthy of an award, but personally speaking, Abscission ticks all the requisite boxes of something worthy of greater recognition. It cleverly reinvents the wheel with all the stock assets, and very quickly outgrows its "Doom 2 but the dark evil version" premise to something far more enthralling and sinister. I think it's also very cohesive in terms of execution, and the synthesis of Snaxalotl's fairly unique visual style and gameplay design with the completely bespoke soundtrack creates this feeling that I find hard to match in other Doom content. Often times smothering (where many WADs would interpret that descriptor to mean "choke the player with 450 monsters in one fight"), other times fear-inducing, Abscission is arguably as harrowing during its downbeat moments as it is during its action packed ones due in no small part to its fairly excellent pacing. You often walk away from completing a map feeling not like you've beaten it, but that you've survived it. It was profound enough to me that it's had a lasting impact on my own mapping, and served as a huge inspiration to the types of moods and setups I invoke in my maps.

 

There's some bias present because Snaxalotl is a friend, but I also don't go out of my way to indiscriminately recommend content to people, and I basically can't recommend Abscission to enough people.

[Deffers]

15 hours ago, Doomkid said:

It did get a mention, but Abscission is one of the best wads I've played in years. It certainly belongs in the discussion when it comes to best vanilla megawads, particularly best solo-author megawads of all time, without a doubt. There's no other Doom wad in existence with a soundtrack like that, either. I see it remaining one of my favorites for years to come!

I was honestly surprised it didn't get one and I think that in any other year it would have easily.

[Roebloz]

Nice to see this thread popped off; This is a great way to share our stuff and have discussion. Great!

I'll definitely check out some of these now that I know of their existence.

[Kaapeli47]

So many great multiplayer projects this year, such as Alphatius by @hiimaura, Lover's Quarrel by @Peccatum Mihzamiz, @myolden & the rest of the PUSS community, and Foxy Deathmatch by @Major Arlene were left without a mention which would've been nice, but then again the jury for multiplayer this year was once again just one person, which was @dew. He does amazing work towards researching multiplayer every year, but I don't blame him if this year was simply too big for multiplayer. You can have only so much time and energy with one person to try and make a myriad of writeups, whether they're awards or mentions, for half a dozen great multiplayer projects released in a year, which compared to even the last five years is a spectacular amount.

 

With that said, it was amazing for Dew to feature the first ever silver Cacoward for a multiplayer project this year, and if the amount of multiplayer releases next year is consistent with this one (if not higher) I hope we get to see even more of those in addition to the golden ones and sidebar mentions.

 

One amazing gameplay mod I also would've liked to see at least a mention of is GZChaos by @kevansevans. This is a mod which you use to see the world of Doom burn, for better or (probably) worse for yourself. With its 200+ different mutators that by default roll every 30 seconds, it can make the game ridiculously easy, absolutely unfair, both, or simply bonkers. It's not at all meant for a serious 100% playthrough of a mapset. Literally anything can happen, which is what makes it a fun mod, and it should be treated as such.

I personally think this should have been out there with the other mentions, but given that this year was also big for gameplay mods - so much so to feature four golden gameplay awards in a year for the first time - and given that they are probably the second most produced projects in the community right after mapsets, even with a team of two gameplay award writers, @Kinsie and @Cardboard Marty, it's possible to cover only so many amazing gameplay mods when the input is so big every year. Huge respect for both of you for going through a grand list of mods this year!

 

Here's links to the fantastic projects I mentioned above:

 

[roadworx]

as someone who loves transforming geometry as well as neat little technical tricks, @Grimosaur's YOUDOVOODOO is just...amazing. it's a massive non-linear labyrinth with an incredibly dynamic layout; it's constantly opening up, changing the geometry of areas, and crossing over itself. it throws over 1000 enemies at you as well, and the map's fairly cramped geometry along with some really nasty placement makes the combat throughout feel almost reminiscent of going down at times. it's a wonderful wad, and while i will admit that it's absolutely not for everyone (getting lost is almost guaranteed, the combat can be really mean sometimes, and good god it's LONG), i feel like its technical achievements and overall design make it something that everyone needs to at least try at some point.

 

my only real complaint about it is that i wish that it had all of de futura as the map02 midi instead of just a small section :p

Edited December 12, 2023 by roadworx

[BeachThunder]

^{Aside from my own stuff,} I'd have hoped to have seen @Andrea Rovenski's Autophagy get a mention.

 

Oh, and @ViolentBeetle et al.'s Tribute Quilt was very cool. [full disclosure: I created roughly 2.7% of it].

[CrocMagnum]

I understand there's a multitude of modders who outdid themselves this year, 2023 Cacowards will be remembered fondly. 

So making a selection was probably not easy. Still I would have loved to see: 

 

Pleasant Vibes (@Clippy) this one is all about fun and originality. Some maps are unique, creativity is through the roof. Also with the numerous feedback of the community, Pleasant Vibes has become a well-polished megawad. 

 

Venturous: I know it was briefly mentioned in the Cacowards. I probably understand now why it didn't get the full spotlights. Venturous is still a work in progress (more levels and tweaks to come). So all I have to say is this: if you like Indiana Jones in your Doom, peppered with Word War II weapons, unique enemies and some very professional level design, just try Venturous. I enjoyed this mappack immensely, as much as Godless Night. 

 

Edited December 12, 2023 by CrocMagnum

[ViolentBeetle]

1 hour ago, BeachThunder said:

Oh, and @ViolentBeetle et al.'s Tribute Quilt was very cool. [full disclosure: I created roughly 2.7% of it].

It probably wasn't THAT outstanding, but maybe it's the fact that I actually had to suffer through assembling and testing it speaking. Would be nice to make more people play it though.

[Arsinikk]

5 hours ago, baja blast rd. said:

This one added about a third of its maps after Nov 15.

Tbf I considered/enjoyed the wad before the update. I still would have posted it here even without the extra maps. They were just the icing on top.

 

6 hours ago, baja blast rd. said:

Imo more people should do informal write-ups, so I'll write one for that.

I'd love to do something like this, but tbh I didn't really play that many WADs this year, so I don't feel I'd have much to write about. Turns out managing a community project for most of the year kinda takes time out of actual WAD playing :P

[xScavengerWolfx]

Same here, i've been so busy doing my solo project that i didn't really have time to play WADs this year as well.

 

Also i kinda suck at writing reviews anyways

[BeachThunder]

3 hours ago, ViolentBeetle said:

It probably wasn't THAT outstanding, but maybe it's the fact that I actually had to suffer through assembling and testing it speaking. Would be nice to make more people play it though.

Well, I thought it was outstanding. It's a pretty wild experience playing through all of it.

[kwc]

The Cacowards were great this year. There have been so many good .wads, and the Cacowards continue to be a fine reflection of that fact. I don’t envy the writers having to draw the line every year! Even after extending Cacos to Silver, HM's, and Sidebars, it seems like there will always be this Zeno's/Coastline Paradox for representation.
 

I feel like I should say something 😄. It’s really nice to have my little maps mentioned here. It wasn't expected, and I'm humbled and think you are all cuties. I'm proud of what I have made, and folks like @ShallowB, @EduardoAndFriends, @thelamp, @sandwedge, @Clippy, @mancubian_candidate, and many others have made me feel appreciated by making and sharing gameplay videos. Not to mention the nice comments and support from @baja blast rd., @Not Jabba, @plums and everybody in the release thread. That’s plenty! 🙂

Oh and btw,

9 hours ago, baja blast rd. said:

(G)ZDoom bells and whistles by making them part of the core experience

99% of this is DEHEXTRA (or BEX, I forget), IIRC the only *zDoom thing I did was make the Doom Doll from Slime City have it's own pickup sound! 😉 That's kinda cool that it comes off like that though!

Edited December 12, 2023 by kwc

[Andrea Rovenski]

5 hours ago, BeachThunder said:

^{Aside from my own stuff,} I'd have hoped to have seen @Andrea Rovenski's Autophagy get a mention.

aww thanks! 

[EduardoAndFriends]

44 minutes ago, kwc said:

The Cacowards were great this year. There have been so many good .wads, and the Cacowards continue to be a fine reflection of that fact. I don’t envy the writers having to draw the line every year! Even after extending Cacos to Silver, HM's, and Sidebars, it seems like there will always be this Zeno's/Coastline Paradox for representation.
 

I feel like I should say something 😄. It’s really nice to have my little maps mentioned here. It wasn't expected, and I'm humbled and think you are all cuties. I'm proud of what I have made, and folks like @ShallowB, @EduardoAndFriends, @thelamp, @sandwedge, @Clippy, @mancubian_candidate, and many others have made me feel appreciated by making and sharing gameplay videos. Not to mention the nice comments and support from @baja blast rd., @Not Jabba, @plums and everybody in the release thread. That’s plenty! 🙂

Oh and btw,

99% of this is DEHEXTRA (or BEX, I forget), IIRC the only *zDoom thing I did was make the Doom Doll from Slime City have it's own pickup sound! 😉 That's kinda cool that it comes off like that though!

Such a pleasure to play your marvelous creations, mate. I'm hungry for more! I wasn't joking in my Old Bean video when I said you making a map of an abandoned ocean liner (or something to that effect) would be TIGHT. :D

[Maribo]

On 12/12/2023 at 8:01 AM, baja blast rd. said:

Escape from Slime City is probably an extra one I would have chosen as an HM if I did everything myself. Imo more people should do informal write-ups, so I'll write one for that.

I'll do some too. :)

 

Saturnia by "Manco Casali" (Xyzzy)

Plutonia, vanilla-compatible, 13 maps

 

 

Borrowing a color palette from Arcadia Demade, "Manco Casali"'s take on Plutonia is an extremist version of its ideals, drenched in beautiful blue-greys. Monsters are milked for all of their worth, placed in arrangements that will make some want to pull their hair out -- and then they'll discover that they are already playing on "Generous", courtesy of Saturnia's reversed difficulty implementation. It does not fuck around, it does not hold your hand, it is trying to kill you as quickly and as brutally as it can, and it is up to you to make sure that it doesn't happen in too embarrassing of a manner. Don't be afraid of ghosts, go appreciate the sector bunnygirl in Map31, and make sure you feed the Icon on your way out.

Subverter by SoBad

Doom 2, MBF21-compatible, 1 map

 

 

A short history lesson: there exists a genre of level in the Super Mario Maker community referred to as a "troll level", which has evolved over time to be less and less malicious in nature. Nowadays, a competently made troll level is one that uses engine quirks, gags, and subversion of expectations to get a laugh out of the player. Sometimes this laugh is at their own expense and sometimes it is a very silly kind of "heh, didn't expect that to happen".

 

Subverter is an application of this philosophy in Doom. It is a JokeWAD, but one that wants to poke lighthearted fun at the standard expectations that the average player has come to have. Clearly marked stairs that don't raise how you would expect, fake floor shenanigans that make what appears to be a stressful platforming fight easy, and the cutest archvile flood ever conceived are all vignettes that are present within. It wants you to give it a chance, and it will probably make you smile if you do.

 

 

Deadly Secret Beneath the Dark Wood by Berubaretto

Doom 2, Limit-removing, 1 map

 

Berubaretto's lush woods are hiding something a bit more sinister beneath them. After a short visit to a cabin that reminds him of a creep doctor that he encountered somewhere else, a long time ago, he finds himself stumbling upon a hidden village beneath the sector canopy, and before he knows it, all kinds of ghastly creatures come crawling out of the woodworks. It really is the dedication to crafting a full sector forest that hooked me with this one, I love being able to wander through these digital forests and feel like I am deep in the undergrowth.

 

 

Yay BMO by whybmonotacrab

Plutonia, Limit-removing, 6 maps

 

 

Bite-sized Plutonia-based combat is something that I've come to appreciate quite a bit since 2022. I find it to be a convenient method of stimulating my brain when I want something that will keep me on my toes, but don't feel like investing twenty-odd minutes into whatever big megawad or ambitious episode that I might be working my way through at the moment. whybmonotacrab's snack-sized miniwad is perfect for that purpose: coffee break Doom with a Plutonic edge, perfect for a balanced diet. It also includes a couple of bonus maps that will cook you alive and teach you how to dance.

[ShallowB]

2 hours ago, Maribo said:

Bite-sized Plutonia-based combat is something that I've come appreciate quite a bit

 

Yes! This!! I love a good Plutonia as much as the next nerd, but a lot of "Plutonia-style" map sets are brutal, punishing, and so huge that they often feel like an endurance test. I feel mentally and physically exhausted playing some of these 2000-monster 55-minute maps. Which is not always a bad thing, but it did leave an unfilled niche open for something a little more fun-sized. 

 

I had the exact same thought playing Yay BMO, they're a great collection of challenge maps that don't overstay their welcome. They test your skills, let you figure out the combat puzzle, and then give you a nice little burst of dopamine with the exit before throwing you back into the fire again in a brand new map. It feels nice and comfy without being a total walk in the park.

[Tiramisu]

All of this year's stuff that I've played was great, but my personal favorite wad was Tambourine Tangerine by @SuperCupcakeTactics. I kind of feel bad now for not giving it a mention because I think it's a genuine artistic triumph :)

[bioshockfan90]

Scorn by @Bri was one of my favorites this year, really showed me what MBF21 is capable of. Surprised it didn't get mentionated, but I suppose another one of their projects did so it's all good at the end of the day. There were some neat mapping mini single-level experiences that came out this year, just single maps for the most part that were fun and deserve a look if you missed them. 

 

That's about all I can think of.