Best Doom Wads?

[Brad_tilf]

Gez said:

Here you go, then

Well, I'm sure that will be helpful but really kind of defeats the purpose of asking the opinion of the people on this forum.

[Brad_tilf]

Tuxlar said:

http://www.doomworld.com/idgames/index.php?file=levels/doom2/Ports/v-z/void.zip
http://www.doomworld.com/idgames/index.php?file=levels/doom2/m-o/mordeth.zip
http://www.doomworld.com/idgames/index.php?file=levels/doom2/Ports/d-f/fritter.zip

So pick one

[NightFright]

Here is what I have on my hard drive at all times. Maybe not everything in there is top-notch, but it's my personal preference - and the result of careful selection over several years. Knock yourself out! :P

Spoiler

DOOM
> Classic:
- Fava Beans (1995)
- CH Retro Episode (2002)
- The Classic Episode (2002)
- Phobos Revisited (2004)
- Simply Phobos (2004)
- The Singularity Complex (2005)
- Wonderful Doom (2007)
- The Ultimate NMD (2009)
- Doom The Way id Did (2011)

> Other:
- NJDoom (1994)
- The Lost Episodes of Doom (1994)
- Serenity, Eternity, Infinity (1994/1995)
- 2002: A Doom Odyssey (2002/2012)
- Base Ganymede (2012)
- ConC.E.R.Ned (2013)


DOOM2
> Addons/Commercial Releases:
- Hell to Pay (1996)
- Perdition's Gate (1996)

> Remakes:
- Doom II Reloaded (2009)
- Doom II The Way id Did (2013)
- Doom II: Flashback to Hell (2014)

> Classics:
- BF_THUD! (1995)
- H2H-Xmas (1995)
- Icarus: Alien Vanguard (1996)
- Memento Mori I+II (1996)
- Dystopia 3 (1996)
- Eternal Doom III (1997)
- Requiem (1997)
- The Darkening Episode 1+2 (1998/2000)
- Alien Vendetta (2002)

> Episodes:
- Insertion (1998)
- Crimson Canyon (2005)
- Rylayeh (2006)
- Remain 1 (2007)
- Coffee Break (2012)
- Back to Saturn X Episode 1 (2013)
- Nex Credo (2013)

> Other:
- Dimensions of Time (1998)
- Revolution! (2001)
- Community Chest 1-4 (2003/2004/2007/2012)
- The Rebirth (2004)
- Ultimate Doom II (2008)
- Whispers of Satan (2009)
- Epic 2 (2010)
- Jenesis (2011)
- Reverie (2011)
- A.L.T. (2012)
- Interception (2013)
- Hellbound (2013)
- Zone 300 (2013)
- Unholy Realms (2013)

> Conversions (GZDoom only):
- Playstation Doom TC (2008/2014)
- Winter's Fury (2012)
- Pirate Doom (2013)
- Soulcrusher (2013)


FINAL DOOM
> Plutonia:
- Plutonia 2 (2008)
- Plutonia: Revisited (2011)
- Plutonium Winds (2013)

> TNT:
- TNT: Renascence (2010)

[darkreaver]

sigh

[Brad_tilf]

NightFright said:

Here is what I have on my hard drive at all times. Maybe not everything in there is top-notch, but it's my personal preference - and the result of careful selection over several years. Knock yourself out! :P

Spoiler

DOOM
> Classic:
- Fava Beans (1995)
- CH Retro Episode (2002)
- The Classic Episode (2002)
- Phobos Revisited (2004)
- Simply Phobos (2004)
- The Singularity Complex (2005)
- Wonderful Doom (2007)
- The Ultimate NMD (2009)
- Doom The Way id Did (2011)

> Other:
- NJDoom (1994)
- The Lost Episodes of Doom (1994)
- Serenity, Eternity, Infinity (1994/1995)
- 2002: A Doom Odyssey (2002/2012)
- Base Ganymede (2012)
- ConC.E.R.Ned (2013)


DOOM2
> Addons/Commercial Releases:
- Hell to Pay (1996)
- Perdition's Gate (1996)

> Remakes:
- Doom II Reloaded (2009)
- Doom II The Way id Did (2013)
- Doom II: Flashback to Hell (2014)

> Classics:
- BF_THUD! (1995)
- H2H-Xmas (1995)
- Icarus: Alien Vanguard (1996)
- Memento Mori I+II (1996)
- Dystopia 3 (1996)
- Eternal Doom III (1997)
- Requiem (1997)
- The Darkening Episode 1+2 (1998/2000)
- Alien Vendetta (2002)

> Episodes:
- Insertion (1998)
- Crimson Canyon (2005)
- Rylayeh (2006)
- Remain 1 (2007)
- Coffee Break (2012)
- Back to Saturn X Episode 1 (2013)
- Nex Credo (2013)

> Other:
- Dimensions of Time (1998)
- Revolution! (2001)
- Community Chest 1-4 (2003/2004/2007/2012)
- The Rebirth (2004)
- Ultimate Doom II (2008)
- Whispers of Satan (2009)
- Epic 2 (2010)
- Jenesis (2011)
- Reverie (2011)
- A.L.T. (2012)
- Interception (2013)
- Hellbound (2013)
- Zone 300 (2013)
- Unholy Realms (2013)

> Conversions (GZDoom only):
- Playstation Doom TC (2008/2014)
- Winter's Fury (2012)
- Pirate Doom (2013)
- Soulcrusher (2013)


FINAL DOOM
> Plutonia:
- Plutonia 2 (2008)
- Plutonia: Revisited (2011)
- Plutonium Winds (2013)

> TNT:
- TNT: Renascence (2010)

So,like, pick one

[Obsidian]

I'm partial to Suspended in Dusk myself.

[Brad_tilf]

darkreaver said:

sigh

lol

[Brad_tilf]

Obsidian said:

I'm partial to Suspended in Dusk myself.

Well, it's good to see that there are people who get the concept of "one"

[Snakes]

Crusades.

[Steve D]

What a toughie!

For me, it always comes down to 2 episodes and one map.

The one map is uac_dead, Leo Martin Lim's incredible Doomsday of the UAC with its mind-blowing invisible staircase and grand yet minimalistic design. Leo Martin Lim's discovery of the crystal sector is an epic moment in Doom history, and the atmosphere in the climactic fight, where the Cyb is on a raised invisible platform, and Lost Souls are feeding on dead Marines, and they are all behind invisible barriers so that they remain still because they can't see you, is almost as awesome as the invisible staircase itself. All this in 1994.

Next is Fava Beans, from '95, by Sean Birkel, a wonderful evocation of Knee Deep In The Dead with elements from The Shores of Hell. Great layouts and surprisingly fine detail. Easy maps that remain fun to blast through, though E1M6 and M7 do have some teeth. These maps are so cool-looking that they are a huge influence on my mapping.

Also from '95 comes my only Doom 2 entry, Osiris, by Glen Payne and Marshal Bostwick. This Eqyptian TC -- more of an extensicve mod, complete with outstanding music, is very atmospheric. A bit more difficult than my other picks, but not very hard. Superb new textures along with many new sprites and sounds and a Stargate theme complete with a beautifully-realized Stargate itself. I usually don't like TCs, but this is an exception so stylish that it, too, proved influential on my own mapping.

So all my picks are oldschool. I'll have to think on this . . .

[Brad_tilf]

SteveD said:

What a toughie!

For me, it always comes down to 2 episodes and one map.

The one map is uac_dead, Leo Martin Lim's incredible Doomsday of the UAC with its mind-blowing invisible staircase and grand yet minimalistic design. Leo Martin Lim's discovery of the crystal sector is an epic moment in Doom history, and the atmosphere in the climactic fight, where the Cyb is on a raised invisible platform, and Lost Souls are feeding on dead Marines, and they are all behind invisible barriers so that they remain still because they can't see you, is almost as awesome as the invisible staircase itself. All this in 1994.

Next is Fava Beans, from '95, by Sean Birkel, a wonderful evocation of Knee Deep In The Dead with elements from The Shores of Hell. Great layouts and surprisingly fine detail. Easy maps that remain fun to blast through, though E1M6 and M7 do have some teeth. These maps are so cool-looking that they are a huge influence on my mapping.

Also from '95 comes my only Doom 2 entry, Osiris, by Glen Payne and Marshal Bostwick. This Eqyptian TC -- more of an extensicve mod, complete with outstanding music, is very atmospheric. A bit more difficult than my other picks, but not very hard. Superb new textures along with many new sprites and sounds and a Stargate theme complete with a beautifully-realized Stargate itself. I usually don't like TCs, but this is an exception so stylish that it, too, proved influential on my own mapping.

So all my picks are oldschool. I'll have to think on this . . .

All good choices (well, not really a fan of Fava) but the other two are excellent choices.

[Lycaon]

I'm going to take a lot of benefit from old members' recommendations in this thread. Keep up the posts :D

I think Tormentor667's Wads are some of the finest, but if it is old school wads you are looking for, then perhaps deus vult II is one of my favorites

[Brad_tilf]

Lycaon said:

I'm going to take a lot of benefit from old members' recommendations in this thread. Keep up the posts :D

I think Tormentor667's Wads are some of the finest, but if it is old school wads you are looking for, then perhaps deus vult II is one of my favorites

It can be old or new and I agree with your on Tormentors. He has had some awesome work

[Salt-Man Z]

I could list a dozen (or more) favorite WADs, but I always come back to Mordeth.

[Dime]

Lunatic

Short, high quality maps that are just so much fun. Rockets have never been more satisfying.

[whiteboy567]

Hell Revealed

After a rough start, the last 22 or so maps are unrivalled in the gameplay department imo. Still haven't found another wad like it that perfectly nails the difficulty balance and interesting fight situations it provides. Never get bored of pistol starting them. Not only that, but it makes for one of the most fun and memorable coop wads out there!

[Springy]

Requiem Map 08 "The Reactor". Why? It showcases true genius within the limits of the Doom engine and it has you descending into the depths of a multi-level mine, coupled with what is possibly the best texture work to have graced Doom. Game play as well is pretty good presenting a small challenge and it makes use of chaingun and SG play to begin with. It also says exactly what it says on the tin and has its own objective; destroying a reactor and the whole level in general looks like a proper abandoned mine with a hidden secret within it. It was a toss up between this, Dark Dome and Time Gate from Eternal, and Misri Halek from Alien Vendetta but you requested one map. I could write more on this level but perhaps later.

[dg93]

The best Doom wads for multiplayer (deathmatch) are: The Gothic Series, Brit10, Greenwar, and Exec.

[Steve D]

Brad_tilf said:

All good choices (well, not really a fan of Fava) but the other two are excellent choices.

Yeah, Fava is too easy for a lot of players, which is one reason why some don't like it. But it sure looks cool! ;)

I think I've decided to settle on Osiris, with my previous babbling serving as my reason for choosing it.

[T-Rex]

Best Doom wad in my vote is Alien Vendetta. Great mapset, fun levels, beautiful architecture, intense challenge, addictive gameplay, high replay value, it's the textbook definition of perfection.

[soner du]

2002: A Doom Odyssey
An excellent complement to The Ultimate Doom !

[fabian]

NightFright said:

DOOM
> Classic:
- Fava Beans (1995)
- CH Retro Episode (2002)
- The Classic Episode (2002)
- Phobos Revisited (2004)
- Simply Phobos (2004)
- The Singularity Complex (2005)
- Wonderful Doom (2007)
- The Ultimate NMD (2009)
- Doom The Way id Did (2011)

> Other:
- NJDoom (1994)
- The Lost Episodes of Doom (1994)
- Serenity, Eternity, Infinity (1994/1995)
- 2002: A Doom Odyssey (2002/2012)
- Base Ganymede (2012)
- ConC.E.R.Ned (2013)

For Doom 2 you have an additional section for "Commercial Addons", but "The Lost Episodes of Doom" is just that and appears under "Other" for Doom?
How are "Serenity, Eternity, Infinity" not "Classic"?
How are "Wonderful Doom", "The Ultimate NMD" and "Doom The Way id Did" considered "Classic", but "2002: A Doom Odyssey" and "Base Ganymede" are among "Other"?
202ADO is the most "Classic" of them all!

[Brad_tilf]

Still looking for suggestions. :-)

[yakfak]

here's my suggestion: ALT.wad for limit-removing ports. it's the Russian community putting together something bizarre and experimental; half of the levels focus on atmosphere and tone, placing you in pseudo-realistic locations and letting you explore, while the other maps are grindy and hard with a touch of the bizarre. includes a moment of total serendipity on MAP05 which helped to establish Azimael as my favourite active mapper.

[Archi]

This one is my favorite.

[Brad_tilf]

Well, we're certainly getting some well deserved recommendations.

[gemini09]

Granted I haven't played all of it because I'm too old to play a Megawad these days, but to me it looks like Hellbound is something I could call the best Wad or Megawad that I've ever played and also seen - I've watched several playthroughs of it on Youtube, and I find the designs to be incredible, and even more so considering everything is by one man, and consequently everything is also perfectly coherent.

I really cannot overstate how impressed I am by the designs in this Wad, because it's both original [in abundance], but also traditional - IE stock resources only. And I love the [for the most part] original music, since it becomes like a re-experience of the original games. A remake allows for such creative touches like using the MAP30 music on MAP01, setting a familiar but different atmosphere.

I aboslutely love it, and as mentioned I haven't played all of it but I look forward to playing more, because every play session has a quality of great maps and incredible designs, but also nostalgia for the very core elements behind it all.

[mrthejoshmon]

Hahaha...

Ok, now being serious I would totally say that Icarus: Alien Vanguard is without a doubt my all time favorite Doom 2 wad:

The music
The textures
The maps
The gameplay
The style...

Everything is perfect for me with this megawad, I honestly have not played any other wads that contested this megawad in my opinion.

[Brad_tilf]

Ok, because I wanted to A.) keep this thread going
B.) Get people thinking outside the Box
C.) LOVE this author

Here is my vote: Yesterday by Shitbag
http://www.doomwadstation.net/yesterday/

[NightFright]

I have failed with my classification, point taken. I have also failed by giving a whole list instead of providing one title.

In that case, I will "nominate" Memento Mori. A fantastic collaboration project of many legendary mappers, and listed as one of the top 100 wads of all time for a reason. Great levels, great gameplay, challenging at times, yet not insane like some modern releases. A classic in its core definition.