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Ebon

Best Quake 1 episode?

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Curious what the DOOM community thinks of Quake. Which episode d'you think it's the best? Which is worst?

First, I like none of the introduction tech missions. They suck. Featureless, they hardly give the atmosphere of DOOM1 or Quake2

I prefer Sandy's E4: Elder World as the best, for several reasons: visible progression, full use of registered monsters and that it's DIFFICULT. It also looks different to other Quake episodes.

On the other hand, E3: Netherworld sucks big-time, except E3M5 and E3M6. E3M5 used a funny concept and E3M6 was just creepy. But the others were just too small, monotonous and lacking surprises.

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I like E2, especially Crypt of Decay, Dismal Oubliette, and The Underearth.

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I'd also go for E2. Interesting maps with scope for a lot of creativity in how you handle them. Dismal Oubliette is the only major blemish from a speedrunning viewpoint, as there is a big chunk of dead time.

E4 is made a fair bit easier by the large number of megahealth jobbies.

E1's not bad - plenty of memorable stuff, and a nicely weird secret map.

I don't think any of the episodes are bad. Having said that, I have only ever played through the whole game once, so it can't have grabbed my attention too strongly. On the other hand, I do watch quite a lot of Quake demos.

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Ebon said:

First, I like none of the introduction tech missions. They suck. Featureless, they hardly give the atmosphere of DOOM1 or Quake


Heh, I liked the intro-tech missions so much that I strung them together into a mini episode (and beefed up their content slightly to get some progression) so that I could play them one after the other in a mission without having to play through the other shitty levels in the episodes.

If I had to pick an episode, I'd probably go for the first one. I quite like the levels and it is the only one that has anything resembling a decent boss fight.

Quake generally, IMO, is clearly a half finished, poorly thought out game; a technology demo, with very little real substance, depth or variety. And it's very brown.

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Grazza said:

Dismal Oubliette is the only major blemish from a speedrunning viewpoint, as there is a big chunk of dead time.

Just imagine if the original cavernous entrance was still included in that map.

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E1 is by-far the most memorable, but as far as creativity in map-design, I'd have to say E3.

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Probably The Doomed Dimension (I think that's the name of the first episode), as that was how I first got acquainted with Quake.
And for the record I love the tech levels - I just wish there were more of them, dammit all.

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Episode 2, but there isn't a lot about Quake that ever struck me as spectacular in terms of levels. The technology was great, but the levels were just not "memorable."

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I would have enjoyed episode 4 a lot more if it weren't for those spawns. Those are the most annoying things ever.

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Ichor said:

I would have enjoyed episode 4 a lot more if it weren't for those spawns. Those are the most annoying things ever.


I'd have to agree with you. The vores are also a problem, they are just like revenants (but worse).

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Dudes, they are there to challenge you!! Plus they're creepy. And they're different to the already-seen-too-much ogres. E4 had less than half in its levels.

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I actually like the Vores, probably more than anything else. Yes, they are annoying, but in a fun and challenging kind of way. The spawns are just plain cheap, and ugly too.

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Ichor said:

The Underearth.

Yes. In fact, I really enjoyed it on the N64 version. The music and lighting effects served its atmosphere well.

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just like with DOOM, the 3rd party maps are better than the originals.
Zerstorer, CZG's, cappuccino, mexx's, etc...
hard to choose between the episodes, though.

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Frankly, I like all the episodes about equally, for different reasons. Episode 1 was a good introduction to Quake, with a good mixture of the various themes found in Quake 1. Episode 2 has a great, desperate and hellish medieval theme going for it, plus the homage to the Dopefish in the Crypt of Decay is classic. :) I love the runic and metal environments of the third episode, which also had some great Shambler battles and lava traps. The twisted and dream like environments of Episode 4 wrap up the gothic atmosphere of Quake rather nicely.

I also loved the two official mission packs for Quake, especially Dissolution of Eternity(I think that's what it was called), which had some really great levels and a nifty time travel theme in the second episode.

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I believe that E4 was indeed the best, good level design, monster placement, traps, etc. Just an all-around GOOD episode.

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ep 3 & 4 only because of some of the the larger levels were fucking great for mp. Like elder god shrine and nameless city...and one more I can't remember the name of. It had this large balcony overlooking a small building with a healing pool inside and IIRC there was a red armor under some stairs...

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All the episodes were hit and miss. I think I had the most fun with Scourge of Armagon, the first mission pack. It felt more coherent.

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Episode 2 for me, but I enjoyed the whole game. Tthe sentiments of others are felt by me, though (hated the spawn, disappointed by the lack of new bosses after episode 1, etc).

I also enjoyed the mission packs... Scourge Done Slick is still one of my favorite videos from the QDQ crew:

http://www.fileplanet.com/dl.aspx?/planetquake/qdq/SdS_hq.avi

Incidentally, I had asked them why a run of the second mission pack was never made. Highly cramped level design was the downfall. :/

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Quast said:

ep 3 & 4 only because of some of the the larger levels were fucking great for mp. Like elder god shrine and nameless city...and one more I can't remember the name of. It had this large balcony overlooking a small building with a healing pool inside and IIRC there was a red armor under some stairs...

The level's called "The Palace of Hate."

Ohyeah, the Mission Packs were sooo great. Shame they got deleted and I had no CDs.

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For me all look basicaly the same, I like some particular maps like E2M2, E4M2, E1M8, and others that get a bit (just a bit) out of the rutine, still I remember it got me very tense and inmerse back in 1996 specially with that music and monotonous but dark (in an evil way) atmospher. But as said it looks like an unfinished game, and a real shame with the "boss fights", a cactus should be deadlier than the final "boss", and the fact that you just fight normal enemies at the end of three episodes is a shame.

The mission packs are other history, specially the second one (still the Dragon is a bit poor).

Hexen II and its mission pack are a far better use of the engine.

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