fullmetalvaran33

I gave this WAD a try mostly because of how wonderful the visuals are in the screenshots. Well, I can definitely say that the graphics are amazing in this WAD--very well done, very realistic, and overall just beautiful. The sound effects were great, too, as was the music. Lots of fun battle tracks. The gameplay was...not my cup of tea at all. It seems that the combat was set up invasion-style, which I don't usually go for (that could explain why I didn't enjoy it). However, I felt that the assaults were very sloppy and monotonous--it was like they were just thrown in there so these maps would be "playable" and not just empty gobs of eye candy. And the sheer variety of monsters made it all seem like a Realm667 Beastiary spew party. I also didn't like the dreamworld levels much. They seemed gimmicky and didn't fit in well with the story. Overall: Excellent visuals, music and sound effects. Pretty dull and tedious game play.

I like the variety of sprites shown here...I think variation sprites--when used properly--can really spice up a map. I am very curious, though, as to what that last sprite is (the one from GBdoom2.wad)? It's like some weird Arch-Vile/soldier/zombie hybrid thing...I've never seen that one before.

Awww dang! You're gonna kill me! But keep going. I'm curious to see where this goes.

I played through only map 2 (since I beat map 1 already). It was actually not that bad--I almost found it easier than map 1...until after I got the blue skull key. After obtaining that and returning to where I needed to use it, it just got crazy! I ran out of ammo and had to cheat to finish :(. I suppose I need to be more careful with my ammo as I was doing all right until the final stretch... I think that this sort of "very difficult and brutal but not a slaughter-fest" type of gameplay will appeal greatly to a certain group of mayhem enthusiasts. But even I have to admit, while I don't usually go for psychotic stuff like this, I still enjoyed it quite a bit. Keep up the good work! Maybe you should just turn this into a full-fledged project with 5+ maps or something?

I just gave this a shot and whew, was it brutal! I somehow managed to beat it without cheats, although, I was out of ammo at the end. I played through most of it with very low health. And you're right--it's extremely dark, but I liked that aspect of it--made it scarier. I do have a question, though. Is crouching allowed in your map? I was able to use crouch by default... Good job, though, Mate! :)

I, for one, am really excited about this WAD. I love the Silent Hill games, and combining them with Doom is ultimate, epic win for me :)

Looking good...so this was the "secret" project you mentioned on realm667. I'll have to try this thing out when I get some free time (hopefully, sooner rather than later).

Well, it's great to see this massive thing finally released! I've only played 4 maps so far, but I wanted to share my thoughts: Map 1: Renewed Faith Really enjoyed this one. Nice green and gray textures, and the combat is simple with not super easy. Music is very fun and fast-paced, and I liked the layout of the map. Couldn't figure out how to get the secret, though. But that's not a big deal. Overall, a fantastic way to start a megaWAD. Map 2: Slugfest Not surprised this was by skillsaw because it looks and plays like one of his maps. Cramped combat is both fun and challenging, and the yellow key ambush caught my by surprise. Chaingunners are pesky critters in this map, but I'm not complaining. Good music once again. Map 3: Three is a Charm Another very cramped map with a classic-style tech base and a dark, dingy, dirty abandoned one. Liked the visuals and the claustrophobic nature of the map. Game play was very simple but decent. However, I found the exit extremely early--I think I had only killed 35-40% of the monsters in the map, and I hadn't explored much of it either. I didn't use crouching or jumping, and I didn't use noclip, so, I'm not sure why I found the exit so quickly. Definitely left me with a sour feeling about the map, which sucks. Map 4: Polluted Paths The music reminds me of some Doom or Hexen track or something...it definitely sounds familiar, but it's eerie and intense so it works. The maps starts off all right but it seems like the game play is very subpar, and there's nothing engaging about the map. It's too long, too easy for UV, and very slow-paced. Not sure what happened here...

Maybe you should try a more specific theme, like, play through the top 100 WADs of all time if you haven't already. I've played a ton of WADs and there are some in that list I haven't played. Or maybe you could play all the community projects that currently exist, or play through all the...I dunno...jungle-themed WADs out there. Or play through all WADs released in 2008 or something. I think you'll have more fun trying one of things or something similar.

I don't know if you'll like these, but I found them to be good mods: Herculine's Doom Upgrade | Herculine | GZDoom Scalliano's 667 Shuffle | Scalliano | Vanilla and Boom-compatible ports Polaris - The Gift | Richard Smith Long | GZDoom Brutal Doom | Sergeant_Mark_IV | Skulltag and GZDoom

Well, one thing to consider adjusting is item placement. If you want to make a WAD challenging, you want to limit ammo and health so there is just barely enough to get by, leaving little room for sloppy tactics. You can also try placing difficult (but reasonable) traps within your levels to surprise players. Maybe have a few Arch-Viles poking around in secret. The element of surprise is, I think, very important in making a map difficult. Predictable game play can make things easier than they should be. I think it takes practice to make a good challenging level, and I suggest asking people to test your maps so they can give feedback. You don't want to make your levels TOO difficult, which takes out all the fun. You'll have to try out different things until you find a happy medium.

Sorry for the delay but here you go--not sure if they are all gonna suit your tastes but, I tried: Actinium | Jacek Nowak The Classic Episode Part 2: The Singularity Complex | Jan Van der Veken Claustrophobia: The Walls Close In | Virgil the Doom Poet Confinement 512 | BloodyAcid A Doomed Base | Rorix Bladewing Fear of the Dark/Blood of the Earth | Encryptic Hidden Mountain Factory | Grzegorz Werner Moonlight Sonata | Ivar 'jallamann' Remøy The Outer Darkness | Varun Abhirama Krishnaik Alm Pi2 | Shadowman Scythe | Erik Alm Tantrum 2 | Ola Bjorling Temple of Damnation | Simon Dupuis Venom | Ola Bjorling

Maybe it's inevitable with the way things are? But I think that, with continued practice, people can improve their reviews so they aren't hurried.

I don't think "helping to clear out the backlog of unplayed files" automatically equates to rushed, inaccurate reviews. In some cases, yes, the results may be hurried, but not all the time.

Has it always said that? I thought it used to be something different, but I never paid close attention to what it said. I think it's...kind of funny myself. I mean, it makes an interesting point.