Best maps you've ever played?

[UglyStru]

So DW, since there's a popular thread about bad maps right now, let's be a bit more optimistic and look at the better ones we have played.

 

Which are your favorites and why?

[Roofi]

My favourite map is Kama Sutra's map 29 : "I'm just a DOOM addict". Why? Because this map is big and has a spooky atmosphere . I love how the music "Taking the death toll" from Duke Nukem fits very well with the map. I love city-themed maps , especially Gusta's ones (The mapper who made Kama sutra) because he puts many realistic elements in his maps like cars and creates a lot of eccentric things by using only official Doom's textures.

 

[42PercentHealth]

Wow, that's a hard question! I think level 27 of Scythe 2 would be my favorite if only it had a BFG. As is, I think I'd put Scythe 2 map 24 as my all time-favorite. I just love the non-linear layout, the difficulty, the epic ending.

 

A very close second is Scythe map 30, for the same epic feel and non-linear design.

 

In general, I like large-ish but not too large maps (not just slaughter arenas either), hell themes, non-linear and asymmetrical layout, easy navigability (my favorites usually include a central "hub" area), and plenty of resources (I don't like being forced to play economically, but I don't mind having to fight for health and ammo).

 

Some of my other favorite maps are:

• Hell Revealed 2 maps 15 and 29
• Resurgence maps 3, 8, 11, 14, 17, 18, 22, 26, 31 (Dang, gotta re-play that WAD...)
• There was a re-make of E4M1 in the Slaughterfest 2012 WAD that was really fun, but I can't remember its slot number
• Alien Vendetta maps 18 and 26

[ShoDemo]

Do iWADs count?

If yes, then:

Wormhole (MAP 4) from TNT. The music is awesome and you literally travel from the present to the future (as the name more or less implies), where the whole base is starting to fall apart (vines, rusted walls, e.t.c.). I have never seen something similar to this map before. And if you want to finish the map very early, you can do it (at like 30/100 monsters if I can remember correct). That means, that the map has its secrets and a story behind it and you can always find those secrets and learn about its story, or pass it like an average map. It is mind-blowing stuff right here. It doesn't force the player to 100% the map. No, it gives him the choice.

 

If not, I can't remember many maps that impacted me so much, from community wads.

The one I would pick is BTSX Radio Report (MAP 1 from BTSX E1), because it starts easy on you, at the very first moments. You can watch the background and enjoy the music, as you walk forward, with no enemies, when at some point you get the shotgun and then you meet the regular suspects for a beginning map. Zombiemen, Sergeants, Chaingunners, Imps, Pinkies, they are all there. And later on in the map, you come across more powerful enemies like Revenants, Cacos, Arachnotrons, e.t.c., that you need to take down, so it is a map with nice pacing. I mean, the transition from killing imps with a shotgun to killing Cacos and Revs with an SSG and a Chaingun was done in a very smooth way, which I liked to see. It didn't take for the wad 10 maps to let me kill some higher-end enemies. No, it fed me with those at the very first level, without me complaining or anything, because, to be honest, I really enjoyed it.

[42PercentHealth]

6 minutes ago, ShotgunDemolition said:

you literally travel from the present to the future (as the name more or less implies), where the whole base is starting to fall apart (vines, rusted walls, e.t.c.). I have never seen something similar to this map before.

Resurgence map 31 has the same idea of time-travel. In the same WAD, there's a time lapse between (I think) maps 20 and 21. When you start map 21, you see that you are in the same area as the exit of the previous map, but everything is covered in vines, etc.

 

Cool stuff! :-)

[Phade102]

7 minutes ago, 42PercentHealth said:

Resurgence map 31 has the same idea of time-travel. In the same WAD, there's a time lapse between (I think) maps 20 and 21. When you start map 21, you see that you are in the same area as the exit of the previous map, but everything is covered in vines, etc.

 

Cool stuff! :-)

I believe theres a map with a similar design in Going Down.

[ShoDemo]

8 minutes ago, 42PercentHealth said:

Resurgence map 31 has the same idea of time-travel. In the same WAD, there's a time lapse between (I think) maps 20 and 21.

Then I am adding that wad to my list. 

Thanks @42PercentHealth for letting me know!  :)

Quote

I believe there's a map with a similar design in Going Down.

Wow!!! I just learned about more maps like my favourite map. Could this day get any better? Because I don't think so. 

[leodoom85]

• Epic 2, map 31: Osirion.
• After Doom (that E1M8 aftermath map).
• NeoDoom map 12 (where that residential map is)
• ZPack E3M0: Sector
• The Mansion from the PSX version (map 58)
• Dark Citadel from Doom 64

I can add many maps but I need to remember those first :)

[42PercentHealth]

Just now, ShotgunDemolition said:

Then I am adding that wad to my list. 

It's brutally hard toward the end... Makes Scythe 2 look like a relaxing holiday! But very much worth it -- beautiful maps.

[Nine Inch Heels]

NewGothicmovement2 02

NewGothicmovement2 10

NewGothicmovement2 11

 

HellRevealed 2 32

 

phmlspd 12

phmlspd 13

 

SunLust 29

 

Valiant 29

 

50shades of graytall 10

50shades of graytall 15

 

chillax 38

 

and probably lots more...

[leodoom85]

2 minutes ago, Nine Inch Heels said:

NewGothicmovement2 02

NewGothicmovement2 10

NewGothicmovement2 11

 

HellRevealed 2 32

 

phmlspd 12

phmlspd 13

 

SunLust 29

 

Valiant 29

 

50shades of graytall 10

50shades of graytall 15

 

chillax 38

 

and probably lots more...

The maps on Sunder are good looking too actually...

[Nate River]

Swim With The Whales Map02
Amazing visual style, great encounter design, non-linearity, not too long and a good challenge on UV but all difficulty settings are implemented well.

[Yugiboy85]

Hmm, mine might have a bunch of skillsaw maps but, I think they are great so yeah :D 

 

-Vanguard: Maps 3 and 6

 

-Lunatic: Maps 3 and 4 

-Valiant: Maps 7, 9 and 27

 

-Ancient Aliens: Maps 8, 16 and 27

 

-Zpack: E1M8+9, E3M7, E3M8 

 

-KDIZD: Z1M2+5

 

-Scythe 2: Map 27 easily (I seem to have quite a liking for maps 27 overall heh)

 

Yeah, these are the ones that are from the top of my head atm. I played so many that it is hard to pick favorites haha

  

Edited June 15, 2017 by Yugiboy85

[42PercentHealth]

1 minute ago, Yugiboy85 said:

I seem to have quite a liking for maps 27 overall heh

You should call yourself "Yugiboy27." ;-) Unless 85 means something to you already....

[leodoom85]

Btw, there's a wad called Water Spirit (it has 3 maps and it's underwater-cave theme) and the look of those maps are simply amazing. Pretty hard too...

[Yugiboy85]

2 minutes ago, 42PercentHealth said:

You should call yourself "Yugiboy27." ;-) Unless 85 means something to you already....

Haha yeah, 85 has a meaning to me so I can't change that. Plus, I already changed my name on DW :D 

[NEANDERTHAL]

Scythe 2 MAP06 is my main mapping inspiration.

[Killer5]

In no particular order..

 

Toilet Of The Gods Map02/Map03 - Map02 is just a really great slaughter map, and the spectacle of Map03 completely awake is something to behold

 

Ancient Aliens Map17 - enjoyed dealing with the cyb crossfire in the middle of the map, and this is one of the few maps I have played that has an encounter with lost souls and cybs

 

No Chance - a great map

 

Stardate 20x6 Map02 - my favorite Ribbiks map.. just enjoy all of the fights presented here

 

Sunder Map05 - my intro to platforming in doom.. was already a bhop fanatic in source games so this was a welcome sight to see

 

Miasma - had a great time exploring this map my first go, very enjoyable encounters within

 

Scythe 2 Map23 - another great map

 

Lots more but I'm going to keep my list brief :P

[Nine Inch Heels]

55 minutes ago, leodoom85 said:

The maps on Sunder are good looking too actually...

I don't care how it looks. Sunder is one of my favourite wads, but there are too many annoying parts in each map that keep the maps from making it into my favourites.

[leodoom85]

3 minutes ago, Nine Inch Heels said:

I don't care how it looks. Sunder is one of my favourite wads, but there are too many annoying parts in each map that keep the maps from making it into my favourites.

Yeah, I can tell...

[Job]

 

[RUSH]

I've always loved Map 31: Pharaoh from TNT. Too bad the level was botched upon release with that yellow keycard glitch and all. Still, post-patch it's one of the most interesting maps of the IWADS I think. Something about the calm dream-like music and Egyptian themes works well I think. Very surreal. Maybe dated compared to what people release today, but the nostalgia still reigns strong nonetheless.

 

Also, Map 27: Anti-Christ from Plutonia. Absolute epic insanity, with the tall skybridge areas littered with enemies. Huge battle rooms with lots of space above and below the player. Creates a spacious grand feeling, pure Mayhem.

[yakfak]

E2M6

MAP24

selected maps from Mars War - the early stretch where yr hopping from base to base in a runabout are lovely, killing Bill Gates is lovely

Talosian Incident maps 2 & 3

all Azamael's maps in ALT

Doxylamine Moon and Comatose

final map from Sacrament

Epic 2 map 21

Sunder "Pale Monument"

the city maps from Shadowman's Hellfire set

God Machine and The Womb, every map from Stardate 20X7 with an odd number and Nefertiti which touches my heart

Sheer Poison by me, eat it if you disagree

the No End in Sight map with the secrets that just open into hell textures

BTSX hubs

every level in that furry set which is meant to represent a movie, also eat it if you disagree

Whitemare Map 8 "Ice Cavern" which has perfect music and plays like an entire Hexen hub full of puzzles and set pieces, makes you dash for ammo and features all my fave doom stuff like caves, ruined castles, ancient cities and very dark places

 

All of these make me feel the location really poignantly, have wonderful music choices and what I perceive to be emotional inclusions in the maps that touch a weak spot within me. amateurism that creates weird results often astonishes me more than your chiselled, practised hallway speedmapping skills. you might already know that my credo when it comes to Doom is that gameplay has already been done - show me something new. in prboom-plus or below. :P

[Albertoni]

24 minutes ago, yakfak said:

show me something new. in prboom-plus or below. :P

Aw man, you break my legs like this. I am making something with GZDoom's portals that was fresh and was hoping to get some attention from you.

[everennui]

"Sinkhole Showdown" from Ancient Aliens is the first map that popped into my head. I like a lot of the first maps from Ancient Aliens.

 

I think I also like the aptly named Map 15 from Scythe II, "The End of the Line". Where does the line end? I've caught a glimpse of the pot of golf at the end of this rainbow, but I have fallen short of this glory many times. Why do I like it? ...because I keep dying, yet I keep coming back for more.

 

I probably haven't played enough maps to pick a favorite, but you don't have to look very far to find a good one around these parts.

 

The favorite map that I've made is probably ennui (Map02) or maybe June Boom, despite the major skip that I still need to address. (get on that, me)

[yakfak]

29 minutes ago, Albertoni said:

Aw man, you break my legs like this. I am making something with GZDoom's portals that was fresh and was hoping to get some attention from you.

show me, i'm willing to break my habits for something really good!

[Paul977]

I throw a few, first that comes to mind or it will turn into an infinity long list:

 

- Memento Mori 28 (gameplay, mechanics, secrets, layout, setting)

- WLKBOT2 (same as above plus setting)

- Crimson Horizon (gameplay, setting)

- Grime & Elysion (atmosphere, setting, gameplay, visuals)

 

Edited June 16, 2017 by Paul977

[Albertoni]

13 minutes ago, yakfak said:

show me, i'm willing to break my habits for something really good!

When it's closer to done than just the basic geometry, heh.

 

 

 

As for the thread...

 

The latter half of Going Down, when things start to get a bit crazier. MAP14, Secrets and Lies; MAP20, The Mouth of Madness and MAP26, Insanity are the best ones.

Void.wad.

Mirth from WOOO 3.

Happytime Circus 2. (Though fuck the huge switchhunt the first half of the level is)

That one level in Mandrill's Ass Project where you have to be jumping from surfboard to surfboard as they sink.

MAP31 of Ancient Aliens.

That voodoo themed level in Pirate Doom.

MAP02 of gravity.wad

[BigDickBzzrak]

So that makes CASTEVIL.WAD.

[GarrettChan]

Probably listing maps in IWAD and PWAD separately would be interesting. Since the eternal debate "began" yesterday again, I would love to see which maps are the most impressive one in Ult. Doom and Doom 2.