The DWmegawad Club plays: Plutonia 2

[Magnusblitz]

Looks like a lot of people falling behind this month.

MAP09: Wormhole Zone
100% kills, 2/2 secrets

Now this is a map that'll keep you on your toes, pushing you forward right away with some monsters sitting on top of your start position, and straight into an AV in a tower and more minions of hell. Takes quite a bit of effort to carve out a safe start, especially since taking the wrong path can unleash three AVs before you even see the SSG or RL. Thankfully, most of it isn't completely unfair, while knowing the level certainly helps, you can keep moving through it until you get the needed armaments. Aside from that bullshit insta-pop chaingunner trap by the soulsphere (which is also just a few feet away from a AV/rev teleport trigger, which means you can easily hit both and be quite screwed if you haven't found the needed weapons yet). But pretty good action throughout, though the baron placement is pretty poor (they're just ammo sinks).

Interesting layout, feels a bit unwieldy or illogical in some places but actually flows quite nicely, like many of Gusta's other maps here, has a bit of a DM feel. There's a lot of other jumps and shortcuts here that one could take it seems.

[TheOrganGrinder]

MAP15: Where Hate Runs Red

Short, ferocious, and Hellish-themed level that reminds me in its style and workings more of Thy Flesh Consumed than Plutonia. The map is very efficient at funnelling the player from one set-piece to another, though the level of fun in each varies; I liked the initial cacodemon/pain elemental encounter and the cyberdemon battle with its pit and balconies, was less enthused about the eastern and northern nodes of the map. After the lengthy and intricate MAP13 we've had a couple of shorter and more focused levels, but this one felt a bit like filler to me and I we get back to the larger maps and their more substantial gameplay soon.

[scifista42]

MAP13 - "Hard Facility"

An extensive map in "classic" Plutonia-esque style, which contrasts with Gusta's style like a sore thumb, but seems appropriate for a "Plutonia 2" wad and is enjoyable in its own right. Nice, well playable, somewhat exploratory, I liked it. The zealously-closing Soulsphere secret which had to be accessed via balancing over a thin window's ledge intrigued me (I admit, I used saves to achieve the precise movement).

[Archvile Hunter]

MAP14 - 'Charon Eclipse' by Eternal [https://youtu.be/kkujOoVUMpw]

Kills: 100% | Items: 66% | Secrets: 57% | Time: 8:45 | Attempts: 1

This map feels a lot like MAP13 from the original, but it still has its own visual style and combat. There are some challenging traps here, and chaingunners behind doors are common. I don't have a lot else to say.

[Archvile Hunter]

MAP15 - 'Where Hate Runs Red' by Kira [https://youtu.be/JkJ7iBYDivQ]

Kills: 98% | Items: 100% | Secrets: 66% | Time: 5:02 | Attempts: 2

Ahh, first death here, that pesky Cyber on the balcony got me good. Obviously inspired by Perfect Hatred from Ultimate Doom, but borrowing the aesthetic of Speed from Plutonia. I gotta say, it feels kind of empty for how large some of the areas are. I already knew about the secret exit, it's what got me to practice AV-jumps in the first place. Never quite learned it, but I got it on my first try, which is nice.

1 Cyber in MAP14
2 in MAP15
Many more in MAP31...

[scifista42]

MAP14 - "Charon Eclipse"

Obvious Eternal's mapping traits: Mostly orthogonal-based architecture with non-orthogonal (but often symmetrical) details, no fear of long straight corridors, and gameplay altering between small-scale corridor filler fights (often with monsters hiding behind corners) and medium-scale ambushes (more or less skippable). These traits don't exactly scream "Plutonia!" and thus the map seemed slightly out of place to me, although only a little. It looked pretty good, flowed good, and I enjoyed it. I've found all secrets except for one, which I cheated to discover and it turned out to be hidden overly well behind a normal-looking wall flagged as secret (it was the Megaarmor + Backpack secret).

[gaspe]

MAP15 - Where Hate Runs Red

Kills: 100% | Items: 100% | Secrets: 66%

Meh. The second cyberdemon fight was kinda exciting, and I managed to telefrag the first one. Overall a pretty uninspired map.

[Naan]

MAP12 - "Imprisoned" by Kristian Käll, Thomas van der Velden, Sam Woodman and Pedro Arturo Gomez Blanco - UVMax on second attempt

I guess I took the easy way given that you are supposed to start at low life from the previous level as I finished this map leaving lots of medipaks behind. And the second attempt was only me being silly enough to shoot a rocket to a nearby column.

Anyway, above average map even though nothing really stands out. That chaingunner trap near the end would got me good if I didn't read about it here earlier.

[Archvile Hunter]

MAP31 - 'Cybernation' by Eternal [https://youtu.be/Hvxv5zq59ts]

Kills: 100% | Items: 33% | Secrets: 0% | Time: 9:27 | Attempts: 2

Great practice for 2-shotting Cybs. Another death here, not from a Cyberdemon though. I got trapped in the small corner room with the Mancubi. The safe way to deal with that room, which I went with next time, was to rocket them from the door, which proved to be quite annoying, having to run back and forth to the switch. The map is pretty much Cyberden 2.0 and I have no problem with that. Unfortunately it also has the same faults as the original, like the already mentioned doors, that require switches to open. The final horde pretty much annihilated itself within seconds, although it got a little tense when I got trapped in the small alcove with the lift. Luckily, the Cyber was on my side. But now it's time to Go 4 It.

[Archvile Hunter]

MAP32 - 'Go 4 it' by Kira and Thomas Van Der Velden [https://youtu.be/M8RSD8tGodY]

Kills: 89% | Items: 53% | Secrets: 100% | Time: 18:35 | Attempts: 1

The ultimate challenge of Plutonia 2 really doesn't feel that difficult after having just played Sunlust :P. Doesn't mean it's easy though. Although I didn't die, I came close a few times. Imperfect point-blank BFG shots on Cybers and such. I have a feeling this will not be the map I find the most difficult out of the entire WAD in the end. I always thought the hardest level of the original Plutonia was MAP27. Just like Go 2 It, this map is a remix of MAP01 from Doom 2, though this time we got some E1M1 as well. The music is an upbeat version of 'Nobody Told Me About Id' too, which is neat. It's got the same style of slaughter, where the enemies appear in waves after picking up keys and pressing switches. After the stressful fight before the fake exit (and the rather out of place Ghost-Nazi Fountain) we find out that we are indeed not done yet. The true ending is absolutely epic and silly at the same time. Great finale to a great map.

[NuMetalManiak]

MAP15 Where Hate Runs Red

paying homage to Speed and Perfect Hatred is this somewhat quick map. the hate for this map stems from the red monsters, notably the cacodemons (and pain elementals, and lost souls) at the SSG, as well as the cyberdemon and chaingunners to the west side.

okay so not every monster in this map is a red monster, but there's hate towards just about any of them here, since they are so well placed. arch-viles on higher difficulties, plus pain elementals at the beginning, and the revenant reveal in the bloody exterior. Oh, did I mention the blood too? And of course, an obligatory arch-vile jump for the secret exit. Good times.

MAP31 Cybernation

obvious throwback to Cyberden, and with double the dangers. as if that will stop me. I never really did care much about Cyberden to be honest, with all that open flat space it just feels rather boring to fight the cyberdemons. The big fun happens when you touch the middle, fake exit, where revenants, spiders, and another cyber come in. now that is fun.

[scifista42]

MAP15 - "Where Hate Runs Red"

First impression: Nice start area, I really like the music, it's probably going to be fun! (Killing the distant Cyberdemon using plasma gun from the start area.)
Second impression: Ugh, E4 homages/ripoffs, overgrown monster hordes to spam/snipe down, meh secrets, too late discovery (after I killed all Archviles) that accessing secret exit requires an Archvile jump (through a solid-looking window, even!).
Final impression: Weak map. I will be checking out MAP31/32 anyway, even if on a side playthrough to my main one.

[Dylan Jarvis]

MAP09 Wormhole Zone:

Umm this map was ok I guess. It wasn't all that memorable to be honest. There was a switch that revealed a G, I think I recall something like that in an earlier map but I can't remember which one. Eh I don't know what that's about but I guess I'm moving on. I'll assume the G is the mappers trademark.

[Dylan Jarvis]

MAP10 Cosmodrome:

This map was one of those ok maps. It played ok, the difficulty was ok, the layout was ok. What really drags this one down for me is that I didn't feel like I was in Plutonia anymore. It felt more like a generic Doom 2 map. It was just ok. The next map I "WAS" excited for until I saw that there are 84 Arch-viles in it. Are you serious? That is just overkill already (Yes I'm going to judge it before I play it).

[gaspe]

MAP31 - Cybernation

Kills: 100% | Items: 75% | Secrets: 33%

Pretty much a remake of Cyberden. It's fine I guess, but imo the only map that really needed to recall the original was MAP32. I find that the fast doors are quite annoying here. The last big battle is pretty fun to watch though.

MAP32 - Go 4 It

Kills: 88% | Items: 66% | Secrets: 100%

A memorable map. Maybe it's more the fact that this is the first wad, and for that this map really impressed me when I played it. Basically it's a remake of Go 2 it but with some E1M1 homages. In the big battles infighting happens a lot and it makes the things really fast, though there are many archviles who keep resurrecting new monsters. Very fun and hard fights. I liked the fountain of ghost nazis, a nice thing to do in a secret map.

[gaspe]

MAP33 - Chocolate

Kills: 100% | Items: 100% | Secrets: 100%

Dobu said we can post about this map on the 15th :V
Gameplay was too much of clean the hallway with the SSG, or with repetitive setpieces. Although I liked that first cross fire of the revenants and the archvile. But it was quite enjoyable too, I liked the aesthetics of the map and the music putted me in the right mood.

[TheOrganGrinder]

MAP16: Predatorium

Did I say I wanted a larger map with more substantial gameplay? Because this one delivers. Frantic opening with enemies assailing your position from multiple angles and levels - though I think some of them can't actually hit you - and a good mix of heavy hitters throughout. You've got some freedom to roam, and some fights are definitely better approached through one of the several possibly routes. I wasn't expecting the cyberdemon (though I probably should have been) and when he showed his face I just bolted and ran through what felt like a full third of the level, waking up yet more trouble along the way. Some amusing moments, too, with the non-SR red key room opening up into the start area while simultaneously blocking off the 'obvious' escape back down the stairs with a gaggle of Revenants, and then at the other end of the map there's what I can only describe as an arch-vile pole dance club with its little VIP balcony. I didn't find the blue armour until the very end of the map, but after such frantic gameplay it was very pleasant to have an opportunity to cool off, chill out, and explore at my own pace, secure in the knowledge that there wasn't another ambush or monster closet waiting to be sprung on me.

[NuMetalManiak]

MAP32 Go 4 It

do I really need to explain this one? it's got Hangar, Entryway, something from Dwango, all made into a nasty slaughterfest which thankfully fits the slot of the map it's in! there's tons of slaughtery fun here, although I hate arch-viles in this map like any other. not sure what's up with having ghost Nazis though. that Icon of Sin area is way too fucking nasty for my taste as well.

MAP33 Chocolate

why am I not surprised again? Well, check the level title. Brown, lots of imps, and very straightforward layout. I do find some fun in this every time I play it though. I like that shaft past the yellow key, as well as the canyons. the map's alright for speedrunning too. Interesting note, the caged monsters can be crushed, saving that precious ammo.

one thing I've made note of on the wiki is that this map is one of two in Plutonia 2 with a separate deathmatch area.

[scifista42]

MAP31 - "Cybernation" by Alexander S.

Ripoff -> not impressed. Same Eternal's traits as in MAP14 (plus a plain hub-based layout), except with high-tier monsters, which leads to either tediousness or slaughter (depending whether the fight is a corridor filler or an ambush). Disappointing secret map.

[gaspe]

MAP16 - Predatorium

Kills: 95% | Items: 100% | Secrets: 100%

Another Gusta's chaotic map. The start is really hard. There are still lots of monster block lines, but they prevent the monsters to roam around and so they stay in thier position. They block your road and they don't end up in a bottleneck where they will end just to infight, interesting use of the monster block lines. I managed to leave alone the cyberdemon, also there isn't a even a plasma gun but there are like 300 cells. Notable is the archvile that does the pole dance for us.

[Memfis]

I guess I lost interest as usual. I don't know how you people can stay excited about a megawad for a whole month. Reminds me of these people who watch TV series one episode per week. I never understood them, for me watching whole series in a few days is the way to go. Just to conclude my map09 post: my favorite level here is map17 and my comment about it was supposed to consist of only one word - "masterpiece".

[scifista42]

MAP32 - "Go 4 It"

Another uninspired ripoff + a generic chaotic slaughter, two of my nemesis. Not in the mood for that, no, thanks.

[Salt-Man Z]

Memfis said:

I guess I lost interest as usual. I don't know how you people can stay excited about a megawad for a whole month.

With me, it's less about interest (I'm certainly interested!) but more about pace. The Club pace is a map a day (more with secret levels.) If it takes me 15-30 minutes to play a level, that doesn't seem like much, but man, what if I've got family stuff a couple nights a week? Suddenly, I've got to play catch up, and then I'm looking at an hour or two of play one night. Fine, but then this past weekend I was busy throughout. And now Thanksgiving's coming up, which'll be another 4 days away from the computer. I'm not complaining, but being able to keep up is the reason I generally lean towards "lighter" fare for club play nowadays. The only reason I'm playing this month is because I was already playing through this WAD. Speaking of which, we've caught up to where I'm currently at:

MAP14: Charon Eclipse
14:45 | 96% Kills | 100% Items | 100% Secrets
Missed 2 baddies, dunno where. This one was fun. That first archie killed me three times before I gave up on my SSG and charged him with the rocket launcher. Good batch of secrets. No complaints at all here, good map.

MAP15: Where Hate Runs Red
14:48 | 100% Kills | 67% Items | 67% Secrets
Well, this certainly felt like an E4M2 homage, huh? Much easier, though. Not a walk in the park by any stretch, but perfectly manageable (though the archie ambushes killed me more often than not. I had to noclip to the secret exit, because I just never think to archvile jump anywhere, and always save right before testing out exit pads/switches. So.

MAP31: Cybernation
100% Kills
Not a fan of the Plutonia rehashes. I mean, it's not a terrible map, it's just the same deal as Cyberden, just tweaked a bit (and with more cybers.) A nice challenge, thankfully there's a glut of ammo.

MAP32: Go 4 It
33:59 | 89% Kills | 80% Items | 100% Secrets
So for like the first half of this map, I'm thinking: that's it? This is going to be easier than Go 2 It, isn't it? And then, bam, wall of revenants with archies behind it. A couple of huge mobs, luckily there's plenty of cells and megaspheres to go around. An invicible would have been nice, though. And then that ending. F@#$, I hate IoS maps. At least I didn't have to shoot this one. But about the worst decision id ever made was deciding that the demon-spitter could spawn archiviles. I mean come ON. Took me about a dozen tries to make it up that stairway without being jumped/killed by the half-dozen archies in the pit below. Still, an impressive map. Easier than the original, though, I think. (Though it's hard to tell, since I last played that on UV and this on HMP.)

MAP16: Predatorium
15:33 | 95% Kills | 56% Items | 50% Secrets
Started this map with 22% health, and immediately came under fire. Jeepers crap. Just an absolutely frenetic map. I played this one just to get out. The yellow key was about the last thing I did, and it was run in, grab the key, and immediately back right out and pray I don't get rocketed. I was honestly expecting a giant ambush when I lowered the exit 'porter, but surprisingly there was nothing.

[scifista42]

MAP33 - "Chocolate"

Starts with another ripoff, uh oh. Continues with lots of repetitive corridors (mostly linear) filled with monsters. Player's weaponry is insufficient to kill them reasonably fast. Seems like a speedrunning-focused map. "Resurrect" and occasional "mdk" cheating all along, I got to the end. Not any great map. At least it looks fine.

[Archvile Hunter]

MAP16 - 'Predatorium' by Gusta [https://youtu.be/rVX3z2sqj54]

Kills: 100% | Items: 95% | Secrets: 100% | Time: 15:00 | Attempts: 1

And right after MAP32, which was SUPPOSED to be a super-difficult slaughterfest, comes this map. Immedeately, you're under fire from every possible direction, and no matter where you go, you'll find more angry hellspawn. Not only that, but I spent almost five minutes, just runnning around with no idea where to go, only to find out I missed a teleporter... I don't really care for this level, no matter where you go, there's always another 'Fuck you!'-trap around the corner. It's not bad, it's just annoying. I suppose it's funny I don't remember this map at all, but I have clear memories of the next one.

[Naan]

MAP13 - "Hard Facility" by Fredrik Johansson, Adolf Vojta and Sam Woodman - Died near exit on UV after many tries

Another open ended map in the same vein than MAP05 and 09 which proved to be both hard and a bit confusing in its progression. I mean, I was able to skip all the red key northwestern zone and still get to the exit, even though navigating through the map without the key was obviously not straightforward, yet I wonder if it was done on purpose. The trap opening the way to exit was somewhat unfair but I guess it was needed to avoid rushing the exit portal too easily.

After tried it a couple times, I hardly found differences between HMP and UV difficulties, and I feel I saw enough of it so I'm going on to the next ones.

[Salt-Man Z]

MAP33: Chocolate
24:31 | 100% Kills | 100% Items | 60% Secrets
This was fun. It reminded me of something from Crimson Canyon, not sure why. I liked how you had to backtrack to the entrance, then wind your way back up to the main level from a different direction. The cyber was the last baddie left, and by the time I killed him, I had precisely one bullet (and nothing else) left. (Granted, there were some ammo caches I found later on during one last secret-hunt, but still.) Another good map. Oh, and I dug the Hexen-style soundtrack.

MAP17: Nuclear Horror (Mountain Doom)
41:04 | 99% Kills | 97% Items | 100% Secrets
Epic. Sprawling (!) nonlinear (!!) nukebase with the signature non-damaging nukage. Finding somewhere to go right out of the gate without getting just plain obliterated was the biggest hurdle. Once I got a foothold, it was challenging but fair. A little switch-hunty, but not too bad with an automap assist. Great stuff.

[Magnusblitz]

MAP10: Cosmodrome
100% kills, 1/5 secrets

A pretty linear map here. It's a fun romp for the most part, though I liked the start (always a fan of floating sector ships, something I made many a time as a youngin') the best. The Refueling Base homages seem unnecessary, though. Worse is the Arch-Vile battle just inside the blue door near the exit... what terrible design, with the tiny door and tiny elevator with open slit right all next to each other. The wall teleporters at the end are cute, though. I agree with TheOrganGrinder that there's some good moments here but the connective tissue is subpar.

[scifista42]

MAP16 - "Predatorium"

This map's only flaw is a lower-unpegged lift as an entrance to a secret. Awesome layout and visuals, fun gameplay, I liked it a lot.

[gaspe]

MAP17 - Nuclear Horror

Kills: 100% | Items: 91% | Secrets: 100%

An epic adventure in this pretty big complex on the nukage. It's cool that the green liquid won't damage us this level. There are many little things that reminds me of Plutonia's Tombstone, but in a good way as this level is completely different. I just repeat what I already said on MAP09: "cool fights with beautiful visuals everywhere". The music is just perfect. I wonder if that invulnerability is an unfinished secret or something, as there is a way to get out from that place.