Favourite Opening Map?

[AdministrationCenter21]

As the title says, what's your favourite opening map? And if so, why?

[Maximum Matt]

Icarus has an awesome opening map.

[AdministrationCenter21]

9 minutes ago, Maximum Matt said:

Icarus has an awesome opening map.

Agreed.

[cannonball]

Obviously the best map01 is usually going to be one that truly sets the scene of the wad in question.

A couple in mind for me are;

Heartland - Subway sandwich

Auger Zenith - Glass Mesiah

 

Both beautifully introduce the theme of the wad and immerse the player into that world.  There will be plenty of other examples of this.

[Majin]

entryway cause iconic and simpel and easy

[netcurse2000]

1. Hangar

2. To The Site (Jamal Jones Trilogy map 01)

3. Office Space (Lunar Strain map01).

[Jayextee]

Gonna be basic and say Ancient Aliens.

After some mild scene-setting, it's straight in there; with some momentum, I hasten to add; to a menacing Cyberdemon and nowhere close to the amount of tools to deal with him, a volley of imps and pinkies, plus some revs and knights - sprinkled with the usual hitscan humans. Absolutely iconic, and for its time set the tone for AA being perhaps not what you may've been used to seeing from a wad.

[Milkeno]

Overboard's start is the only one I can think of that was notable in any way out of all the wads I played.

[Novaseer]

It's not a conventional opener by any means, but I can't not give it to Eviternity II.

[yakfak]

swim with the whales

 

edit:

 

also NEIS E3M1 and E4M1 which aren't the "opening" level I guess but somehow I think of both of them as the first map anyway

and stardate 20x7

[Daytime Waitress]

Moonstriker's Outpost from Antaresian Reliquary.

Opening track is a kind of bluesy, driving rock - not stupidly intense, but gets the blood pumping and has a nice slick groove to it.

Map is the shortest, most compact of the whole set; but Antares demonstrates a good portion of the gameplay changes, particularly the revamped weaponry, whilst still not showing his hand entirely.

Both of these combined just give off a massive, brass-balled "fuck yeah let's blow a hole in some demons!" vibe.

Gorgeous.

[RHhe82]

Difficult to pick from so many good ones. Ancient Aliens is a strong candidate, but I'm gonna be a contrarian and say Tarnsman's Projectile Hell MAP01, which in itself is merely a solid map, but I really, really, really like the soundtrack.

[DreadWanderer]

BTSX1's opener is fantastic in no small part thanks to essel's track.

[apichatpong]

Ancient Aliens

Flesharmonic

Tangerine nightmare

Jack builds a techbase

Magnolia

Stardate 20X7

Equinox

 

All those ones, even the ones without enemies, are installing great atmosphere fr the things to come, are beautiful and, except for Magnolia, are quite easy !

 

Edit : Lost civilisation

Eviternity II

What lies beneath

Uroboros

Edited September 7 by apichatpong

[Egg Boy]

Arrival Map01

[sincity2100]

Ancient Aliens

TNT Devilution

Community Chest 4

Eviternity II

[Faceman2000]

Doom 64 for Doom II (and, by extension therefore, Doom 64). Try as I might, I can’t get this level out of my head. Does what an opening map should in my mind: straight and to the point, not too challenging, and introduces you to the style and atmosphere of the set. Doom 64’s MAP01 has always felt like a natural evolution of Doom and Doom II’s opening maps to me, and the music and visuals of D64D2’s opener really push it to new levels of greatness.

[El Juancho]

Surprised no one said Alien Vendetta yet, so iconic and memorable, even when it's short. Sets the WAD mood perfectly.

[VGA]

3 hours ago, DreadWanderer said:

BTSX1's opener is fantastic in no small part thanks to essel's track.

This. I stayed around the opening area for a few minutes just listening to the music and taking in the new palette and textures and stuff ... amazing feeling!

[GibFrag]

[VoanHead]

I would say TNT:Revilution.

The opening kicks off with a remix of Sadistic with "TiN Toker" by bucket and features you getting your hands on some berserk and punching out low tier monsters. Since the entire wad is an unofficial sequel/homage to Evilution, obviously the 1st map has to call back to the 1st map of Evilution. I sometimes like to boot it up from time to time just for shits and giggles even after I already conquered the entirety of of Revilution.

[vanilla_d00m]

SIGIL 1 first level.  The “dun na dun na na dun na”  Gets me everytime.  Same thing happened when I played through it again recently. Every level has good music.  
 

And Hangar from DOOM.

[Andrea Rovenski]

hate to be mainstream, but--

Spoiler

Spoiler

its the bass

 

 

[Sneezy McGlassFace]

Ray Mohawk 2 has is killer set with banger opening. And all vanilla dehacked magic.

[Roebloz]

As iconic as Hangar and Entryway are, I think the best opening map is No Rest For The Living's, uncontested.

[Maribo]

Spoiler

 

 

Another Place, Entirely may have a bit of a whimsical tune to its soundtrack, but the world that accompanies it is decked out in cold (and sometimes neon) colors and feels isolated, alien, and aloof. It fits its namesake perfectly, and does truly feel like the player has just been plucked out of normal reality and finds themself lost in a void world, decorated with otherworldly brick buildings and distant alien spires, set beneath a sky populated with mysterious pink stars. It goes directly against the often cited rule of "easing" the player into a new experience, and instead chooses to toss them directly into the deep end, without a life preserver. A beautiful, lonely experience.

[JeffAri]

12 hours ago, Maximum Matt said:

Icarus has an awesome opening map.

yeah it definitely does, which is kinda ironic considering the same guy who made that map also made TNT Map 22 lol

[DynamiteKaitorn]

Possibly a weird pick but I'm going to choose System Control as one of my faves.

[DisgruntledPorcupine]

BTSX2's opener has always kinda lived rent free in my head. Very cinematic flow and atmosphere, phenomenal soundtrack, and I enjoy how you start off on the back foot and have to really fight and explore to get the upper hand. Ideal introduction in my eyes.

[danidf96]

I haven't seen anyone mention Deus Vult 2, i love the explosive, adrenaline filled action it provides, it also serves as an excellent introduction for what's to come