The /newstuff Chronicles #245

[Use]

Greetings Doomworld denizens! 'Tis I, Use, sending you on your Newstuff adventure. This week is really a letdown though, complete with many 94 wads most of you won't play. Since of the lack of fresh meat, I reviewed them anyway, and found a few to be worth playing! I also skipped over a Skulltag wad, which has a nice txt file, but I don't play or use Skulltag, so every one who uses Skulltag download it! Another was some Robocop wad that uses a weird engine I can't be bothered with. (Editor's note: Besides, it's been reviewed two or three times already.)

• OMG!!! NOT Another Map By PuMpKiNsMaShEr - Pumpkin Smasher
  Boom Compatible - Solo Play - 160 KB - (img) (img) (img)
  Pretty much the only new map I played was this one, and it's spicey! I died a few times trying to find some weapons, but once you know where things are it's not too difficult to get a foothold. When you've got some firepower the gameplay consists of medium sized groups, and several single encounters with the nastier critters. For a brick and metal map, this wad is attractive. The detail level is low, clearly desgined as a functional gameplay layout, and it achieves that. I found the lighting to be lacking in a few areas, oppressive darkness where torches/skylights are present but aren't doing anything. I also ran into two oddly placed voo-doo dolls, and wondered if they were left in (hopefully) by mistake. The texturing works well, I would have liked to see the strict theme broken up a little bit more but it's still good. Eventually you'll find yourself in a hellish pit, where a fun battle awaits with some Knights and hostile Barons. Download for a fun challenge!
  
  
• GLADIATR - Tim J. Ash
  doom.exe - Deathmatch - 16 KB - (img) (img)
  This is a very small deathmatch arena from 1994, clothed in gstone and some metal. There's also a HOM for good measure. I think it's meant to be played with monsters, only the chainsaw is available for pickup. This makes an otherwise okay 1-on-1 map pretty crappy.
  
  
• Fragville, USA - Michael C. Davis
  doom2.exe - Deathmatch - 41 KB - (img) (img)
  A small 1994 Citadel-like deathmatch arena for Doom2. This map looks like it would be a good time with a few skilled players, all the bots did was fall into the moat and stand there. Fullbright strikes again, and the theme is pretty monotonous.
  
  
• DMLAMOU2 - Francios Lamoureux
  doom.exe - Solo Play - 58 KB - (img) (img) (img)
  Here is an interesting wad for Doom, there's no release date in the txt file but it judging from the random themes and odd layout it's from the 95-96 era. This level is fun at the beginning, with small critters and plenty of ammo. Things soon become more cramped and you'll have to face off with some big dudes with a meek arsenal. After the fighting cools down prepare for some mild switchhitting, then back to close combat. Ammo then becomes tight, and eventually a Spidermind shows his ugly face, initially it appears the fight is lost, but with a little observation you can beat him without unloading all your ammo. Overall I liked this map, anyone who doesn't mind older maps will appreciate this one.
  
  
• Demon's Lair - Kyle Pero
  doom2.exe - SP/DM - 501 KB - (img) (img) (img)
  Ever wonder what a Demon's Lair looks like? Well, in 1995 a lair comprised of large, squarish rooms and very wide doors. Oh, there's a huge tech-like crushing ceiling in the middle. This wad has a few surprises, some new sounds, textures yanked from Heretic, and some other textures that I can't place. Combat in this map is spread out, and small ambushes can get the best of you if you're not careful. Save your plasma ammo, and always look before you leap. ^-^
  
  
• Five Really Insane Environments - Michael C. Davis
  doom.exe - Solo Play - 28 KB - (img) (img)
  The concept for this 94 wad is kinda neat, you're supposedly fighting in five unqiue environments each with it's own slew of monsters. However the execution isn't so neat, all the places look big and ugly, with bad texture choices and doors disguised as walls. The battles are easy, and the ample movement space should be enough for anyone. Play if you want, but you're not missing anything.
  
  
• Frogger3 - Francois Bertrand
  doom.exe - Solo Play - 70 KB - (img) (img) (img)
  The txt files claims this wad to be funny, it does include some quite unfunny new textures, and it's chock full of 94 ugliness. Textures are never aligned on either axis, the rooms are big and bright and bare, and the gameplay isn't even that good. Overall totally skippable.
  
  
• The Gallery - Mike Seltenright
  doom2.exe - SP/DM - 11 KB - (img) (img)
  A large 1994 symmetrical Doom2 level. Obviously designed more for deathmatch than single player, although both modes of play are pretty boring in this map. Z?
  
  
• The Final Gathering - Daniel 'Stormin' Norman
  doom2.exe - Solo Play - 738 KB - (img) (img) (img) (img) (img)
  Here is a fun, older 5 level set for Doom2. The first 2 maps are sketchy but things get interesting around map3. The themes are well defined and the gameplay is fast and quite good. Combat varies between cramped/base style shooting to large scale arena battles with the forces of hell. Map4 and map5 stand out, map5 having a complex yet effective layout and creepy music. I'm glad this set came along, there's some fine design and gameplay ideas here I would like to see in new wads. A worthy download.
  
  

[Ralphis]

fp!

A lot of old maps again

[Kaiser]

In other news, kaiser_10.wad has been updated
http://www.doomworld.com/idgames/index.php?id=12505

[leileilol]

Bloodshedder said:

Here is an interesting wad for Doom, there's no release date in the txt file but it judging from the random themes and odd layout it's from the 95-96 era.

The timestamp reads September 1994.

[SlatheDoomer]

Sorry I didn't make this /newstuff. I know everyone anticipates my highly detailed maps. LoL.


JK.

I think i'll have two maps for next week's /newstuff.


-SlatheDoomer

[balanco01]

Last weeks newstuff could use some re-reviewing. I quote from the thread for last weeks newstuff:

SlatheDoomer said:

I waited a week for a two sentence review(Kaotic). Gee thanks man. I guess i'm just disappointed in myself. I thought I did alot better with this map, but it just sucks as bad as my last one. *Sigh* I guess a beginner mapper shouldn't submit anything to /newstuff until they have an Evilution wad on they're hands.


Thanks for even booting it up to look at, Good reviews on everything else though.


-SlatheDoomer

Ditto. Same with my MOTRBATH wad. Master peice of crap? WTF?! Also, the review lacked any detail except the part about bitching about the ammo supply. I dunno if a "good map" in Dethzor's opinion is one crammed with ultra-detail
in every possible view, but a good map dosen't need to look as fancy as a crystal chandelier(sp?) in the throne room of Buckingham Palace. I concentrated more on a realistic atmosphere which usualy dosen't look all that fancy.

[M8.]

For an alternate review of The Final Gathering, follow this link to an Oldstuff Chronicles feature written by Matt Dixon back in May of 2001:
http://www.doom2.net/~mykdoom/oldstuff/1139.htm

Additionally, and for anyone who thinks that nothing noteworthy came out of '94, check out the Oldstuff Chronicles archive for an alternate opinion:
http://www.doom2.net/~mykdoom/oldstuff/

[Nmn]

Good reviews.

Crap contents.

Meh.

[june gloom]

i didn't pay any attention to those reviews from last week. some people just like to complain about anything.

[funduke]

Another nice thing, that was given back to online life from 1998:
Lego -enemies, -weapons and -items. A must-have!
LeggO DooM
by Thomas O. Cruickshank
http://www.doomworld.com/idgames/index.php?id=13764

Greetings
Funduke

[Dittohead]

Good reviews. Wish I could say the same for the maps.

[Russell_P]

funduke said:

Another nice thing, that was given back to online life from 1998:
Lego -enemies, -weapons and -items. A must-have!
LeggO DooM
by Thomas O. Cruickshank
http://www.doomworld.com/idgames/index.php?id=13764

Greetings
Funduke

Or you could just download Legobase (enhanced version), which has most of these resources included (with permission) PLUS an actual lego level to play in. But that's all I'm going to say, don't want to be accused of pimping again ;)

[Grazza]

Informative, helpful reviews - good work.

The earlier version of The Final Gathering [gather2] (19-Apr-1995) that funduke has unearthed is historically significant, since it places it before Waterfront [wtrfront] (31-May-1995) as the first intentional use of the arch-vile (ghosts) bug - unless anyone can point to an earlier one, and assuming the date-stamps are correct.

Use3D said:
OMG!!! NOT Another Map By PuMpKiNsMaShEr ... I also ran into two oddly placed voo-doo dolls, and wondered if they were left in (hopefully) by mistake.

These were left in by mistake (the author tested the map in Legacy) and he has since uploaded an amended version, replacing the version that had the voodoo dolls.

Funnily enough, the voodoo dolls made it much easier to speedrun this map.

[lerner]

Eh, I can't say I liked this week's /newstuff Chronicles. I can understand not wanting to play a Legacy map due to the fact that Legacy doesn't work well for many people, but not wanting to play Skulltag because you usually don't? 0_o.

Oh well. Not something I can bother being concerned about since I have no say.

[sargebaldy]

OMG Iews revuse! Nicely done.

Looks like my complaint from last week doesn't apply this time, although this stuff doesn't strike me as terribly intriguing either.

[Csonicgo]

some of the download links are borked. especially the gathering.

[Grazza]

That's because they were initially put in the wrong place in the archive, and then moved to their correct place. There are new pages in the idgames database for these wads:

Demon's Lair

The Final Gathering - actually that one is not a new page; it had been the one for the older version, and still has the previous text-file.

If you get this problem for other wads, the simplest solution is to Search for the file-name.

[Use]

lerner said:

Eh, I can't say I liked this week's /newstuff Chronicles. I can understand not wanting to play a Legacy map due to the fact that Legacy doesn't work well for many people, but not wanting to play Skulltag because you usually don't? 0_o.

Uh what? What Legacy map? Omgpump was tested using Legacy but doesnt require it. I didn't have time to fumble through Skulltag just for one review. Also, thanks to everyone for the kind words, I'd love to do another newstuff sometime!

[kristus]

He was using Legacy as a reference, as many reviewers often disregard reviewing Legacy maps because of Legacy's instability. But if you skip reviewing a wad just because you don't feel like downloading the port it utilizes. Then why are you making newstuff reviews?

[myk]

kristus said:
Then why are you making newstuff reviews?

For those like me, perhaps. A link to the missing one would have been proper, but in my opinion no reviews should be forced; the more the better, but if the reviewer doesn't even want to play the maps, you get bitching and bad reviews. It was only one and he mentioned it, so someone else could review it on the thread, or next week. This is not like when they skip 6 Doom/Doom2 wads just because they are from '94 (you can find and sort one easily, but not six.)

[Veddge]

Kaiser_10.wad said:

Thanks for Playing Kaiser 10!

You're welcome ;) It was the best thing this week... even if it wasn't in newstuff.

[Hobbs]

I enjoyed this weeks newstuff. Because the reviews were good. Even if none of the maps stayed on my HD.

[exp(x)]

As long as the skulltag one gets reviewed next week, I shall not complain.

For those interested, it was this one:
http://www.doomworld.com/idgames/index.php?id=13766

[deathz0r]

balanco01 said:

Last weeks newstuff could use some re-reviewing. I quote from the thread for last weeks newstuff:

Whine whine whine, get over it. Your map sucks not just because of detail, but because of the overabuse of cell packs.

[Lorenzo]

Hello!
I'm new here and this is my first post.

Time ago I uploaded a file, ced.zip in the doom2 section. No one reviewed it!

Can someone review it in the next newstuff/chronicles ?

[DooMBoy]

Excellent reviews Use. You should do more of these :)
Too bad most of the maps aren't that good.

[balanco01]

deathz0r said:

Whine whine whine, get over it. Your map sucks not just because of detail, but because of the overabuse of cell packs.

Did you bother to go *in* to the buildings? Oddly, I didn't see any screenshots of the interiors where most of the detail is.

[TheDarkArchon]

deathz0r said:

because of the overabuse of cell packs.

Since everyone knows that all good maps must have as much ammo as your average survival horror game.

[Udderdude]

Kaiser said:

In other news, kaiser_10.wad has been updated
http://www.doomworld.com/idgames/index.php?id=12505

Well it's good you got rid of that #$%! revenant at the start. There's another problem now .. the scripts don't work in .63a, you can't break the glass windows to walk through them. Doh.

Also I still can't figure out how to get the red key :P

[mystery8]

The Final Gathering was pretty nice.