Annoying doom wad cliches

[Foofoo]

here are those wad edits that shit me:

*"New characters" which are actually old characters with different colours.

*nothin' but STARTAN

*Pentagrams all over the place

*Using textures from quake or heretic or hexen.

*People always using the same god damn step texture (that awefully plain brown one) for '3D' bridges and such.

*Scripted bits that force you to read stuff.

A thread like this has probably already been made in the past but EHHHHHHHH.

so what cliches annoy you in wads?

[Vile1011]

A red keycard in a totally empty room on top of a well decorated pedestal with satanic symbols all around, which releases 500 monsters when you pick it up. Wow, didn't see THAT one coming, eh?

Invulnerability spheres and a single Cyberdemon. What's the point?

[Vegeta]

-Chainguners in the way used in Plutonia
-Maps with so many stuff that make the game lag (at least in my comp).
-Be forced to do infight or fist monsters because there isn't enough ammo.
-Start a map with lots of monsters and only the pistol with 50 bullets without any weapon close.
-Fragile scripts that may turn the map unbeatable if something goes wrong
-These kind of puzzles that we all hate.
-Megawads that end with the old boring Icon of Sin.

[ducon]

- A red keycard on top of a pedestal of which I can’t reach the top;
- A megawad that runs only with this version of this port, and of course non-Windows users are fucked;
- Damn, I must get this shell box to go through this door and I already have 99 of them;
- 2 or more shell boxes stacked;
- Monsters sticked partly in a wall or in the middle of nowhere;
- ITYTD is harder than HR2 in NM;
- The cheats are changed;
- The monster count is not correct at the end of the level;
- Secret sector that is the start sector;
- Strafe run 50 with archie and rocket jump and lots of luck if not you’re stuck behind.

[Fredrik]

You're confusing "cliche" with "plain old bad design".

[Dco16]

I'm really sick of the lack of health in levels. There's something wrong when I can play through regular Doom 2 on UV without breaking a sweat, but then there are levels where I have to cheat on ITYTD. WTF is that?

Remember kids, not putting health in your levels is COMMUNISM!!!!

[kristus]

I really hate it when there's lots of health in the maps.

[Jespin]

-Crappy "my 4ll 0r1g1n4l w4d w17h t0t4lly 0r1g1n4l m4p d3s1gnz" that are nothing but dwango 5 maps with different textures and weapons placement (and if you're lucky, a few extra rooms. <_<)
- Crappy Dwango 5 map 7 rip offs.
- Flat Maps.
-Small maps that require you to simply shoot anything you see without using any strategy.
-"Weapons replacements" that are nothing but new skins.

[Dr. Zin]

- Maps that have a key before you could ever possibly reach the door that needs that key (i.e. why don't you just make it a regular door?).

- Often hordes of monsters. Its really hard to execute monster hordes well, and if done improperly they are either a pain in the ass to beat or blasting them gets boring and repetitive.

- Detail at the expense of gameplay (duh).

- Damaging and non-damaging sectors having the same texture (even if they are in different parts of the map).

[Scuba Steve]

Hell Revealed themed maps.

[Fletcher`]

vrack2 ^___^

[The Flange Peddler]

- 'Door Open Wait Close' tags used when 'Door Open Stay' should surely be used (particularly annoying in Co-Op in conjunction with key doors which require you to backtrack halfway across a level if you die)

- Having shadows underneith ceiling beams in fully indoor sections (where exactly is the light source coming from to project those shadows?!)

- 'X more to go/Sequence complete' Quake-style scripted sequences (Just use damn pillars infront of a remotely switched door)

The last in particular is annoying when used in conjunction with overly symmetrical level design. For example, you walk into a room with a door at either side and a third one infront of you which is locked. You go through the door on the left and enter a symmetrical room, with symmetrical item and monster layout, with a switch... You hit the switch (1 more to go) and then enter the exact same room by going through the door on the right. Sequence f'ing complete.

Edit: The icing on the cake being if there's a short cutscene after showing the door opening... as if it wasn't obvious enough.

[Sporku]

The Flange Peddler said:

- 'Door Open Wait Close' tags used when 'Door Open Stay' should surely be used (particularly annoying in Co-Op in conjunction with key doors which require you to backtrack halfway across a level if you die)

- Having shadows underneith ceiling beams in fully indoor sections (where exactly is the light source coming from to project those shadows?!)

- 'X more to go/Sequence complete' Quake-style scripted sequences (Just use damn pillars infront of a remotely switched door)

The last in particular is annoying when used in conjunction with overly symmetrical level design. For example, you walk into a room with a door at either side and a third one infront of you which is locked. You go through the door on the left and enter a symmetrical room, with symmetrical item and monster layout, with a switch... You hit the switch (1 more to go) and then enter the exact same room by going through the door on the right. Sequence f'ing complete.

Edit: The icing on the cake being if there's a short cutscene after showing the door opening... as if it wasn't obvious enough.

You're talking about my maps aren't you? :P

[MikeyScoots]

AgentSpork said:

You're talking about my maps aren't you? :P

If he was he would've mentioned lineraity as well.

[The Flange Peddler]

AgentSpork said:

You're talking about my maps aren't you? :P

Actually no :oP

I quite often think people underuse the 'Door Open Stay' tags. And there's quite a few Zdoom wads that use the 'Sequence Complete' scripted sequence (the TNT series probably being the main ones in mind).

[Chrono_T]

The quad shotgun and double chainguns.

[bryant robinson]

The Flange Peddler said:

- 'Door Open Wait Close' tags used when 'Door Open Stay' should surely be used (particularly annoying in Co-Op in conjunction with key doors which require you to backtrack halfway across a level if you die)

- Having shadows underneith ceiling beams in fully indoor sections (where exactly is the light source coming from to project those shadows?!)

- 'X more to go/Sequence complete' Quake-style scripted sequences (Just use damn pillars infront of a remotely switched door)

The last in particular is annoying when used in conjunction with overly symmetrical level design. For example, you walk into a room with a door at either side and a third one infront of you which is locked. You go through the door on the left and enter a symmetrical room, with symmetrical item and monster layout, with a switch... You hit the switch (1 more to go) and then enter the exact same room by going through the door on the right. Sequence f'ing complete.

Edit: The icing on the cake being if there's a short cutscene after showing the door opening... as if it wasn't obvious enough.

LOL sounds like a couple of my maps!

[Sporku]

Bloodskull said:

If he was he would've mentioned lineraity as well.

As if your maps are any less linear than mine are.

[bartwart]

The exit sign, the ubiquitous exit level door (you know what I mean), and having to "fall through the sky" to end a level.

[Udderdude]

Joke maps with tens of thousands of monsters. ::ahem::

[Sporku]

udderdude said:

Joke maps with tens of thousands of monsters. ::ahem::

Deus Vult? Err.. I mean, NUTS? Well, they might as well both be the same maps.. :P

[Job]

AgentSpork said:

Deus Vult? Err.. I mean, NUTS? Well, they might as well both be the same maps.. :P

It's good to know that I'm not the only one who thinks this is true. Whatever happened with pre-planning gameplay strategy down to each single monster when making a map?

[Doom Marine]

AgentSpork said:

Deus Vult? Err.. I mean, NUTS? Well, they might as well both be the same maps.. :P

BAWHAHAHAHA... guilty as charged.

[Fredrik]

As far as monster placement cliches go, another good one is when an Arch-Vile teleports in after you've killed all monsters.

[Grazza]

Or weapon placement: picking up a rocket launcher triggers a close-quarters demon ambush. Or picking up the berserk opens up a bunch of chaingunners.

I've also played some maps where an invulnerability is placed about a 30-second run away from the place where you'd really like to use it.

[Jespin]

The Flange Peddler said:

- 'Door Open Wait Close' tags used when 'Door Open Stay' should surely be used (particularly annoying in Co-Op in conjunction with key doors which require you to backtrack halfway across a level if you die)

- Having shadows underneith ceiling beams in fully indoor sections (where exactly is the light source coming from to project those shadows?!)

- 'X more to go/Sequence complete' Quake-style scripted sequences (Just use damn pillars infront of a remotely switched door)

The last in particular is annoying when used in conjunction with overly symmetrical level design. For example, you walk into a room with a door at either side and a third one infront of you which is locked. You go through the door on the left and enter a symmetrical room, with symmetrical item and monster layout, with a switch... You hit the switch (1 more to go) and then enter the exact same room by going through the door on the right. Sequence f'ing complete.

Edit: The icing on the cake being if there's a short cutscene after showing the door opening... as if it wasn't obvious enough.

Although I must admit that cliche 1 can be annoying, I also think it's a good thing. If you have to go ALLLLL the way back then get ALLL the keys you need to get back to where you were before you become more cautious. You are incouraged to survive instead of stupidly rushing through the levels as fast as you can. You become more careful to avoid taking damage in fire fights (Though some people have been known to push teammates into the path of imp fire balls to avoid taking damage. [Whistles])
That's what made *Fatlasercoop so damn good.

*For more information on "Fatlasercoop" Go to Zdaemon.org and look through the new project, ZDreview.

[The Flange Peddler]

bartwart said:

the ubiquitous exit level door

I actually get more annoyed when people use this door and it's not the exit :oP

I thought of a couple more...

- Using SW2 switch textures instead of SW1 (grrrr, why mess with conventions?!)

- Using SW1LION, SW1GARG or SW1SATYR as normal textures (damn it, they're called SW1 for a reason, don't confuse me!).

The last is really annoying when people use them as switches or standard textures interchangeably within a single level. Grrr!

Actually, thinking about it, I think I use those SW1 textures as normal textures these days myself, though I think I try and put them in places where you couldn't ever possible reach them as a switch.

[Khorus]

The Flange Peddler said:

- Using SW1LION, SW1GARG or SW1SATYR as normal textures (damn it, they're called SW1 for a reason, don't confuse me!).

Nah, I like this. You have the possibility to make secrets.

[Foofoo]

AgentSpork said:

Deus Vult? Err.. I mean, NUTS? Well, they might as well both be the same maps.. :P

if i had feelings, you might've just hurt them :(

[bartwart]

Imagine the most annoying level ever...

You have to kill tens of thousands to monsters to get to the exit. You come across the ubiquitous exit level door, clearly marked with exit level signs, except it's not a door but a switch. When you use it a bunch of archviles teleport in and start resurrecting the tens of thousands of monster you just killed. And then something scripted pops up telling you how fucked you are.