obake

I thought a fun distraction would be to post our desktop backgrounds, and the reason we have them. Everyone should know by now that I love my sexy ladies. My current background is a compilation of two pictures, credit to Necro-Kitten at Deviantart for the Egyptian cat. The other one is credit to Delta___001 on Ifunny. My backgrounds are usually kickbutt women or pictures of Temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. What about yours?

Today's map is a fiery romp through a decrepit wooden base. Monsters are everywhere, even perched on the cliffs above. Beware! I've tested the map in both GZDoom and Chocolate Doom. Besides a few slight slime trails, there should be no major errors. Let me know if any show up, and tell me what ya'll think! vangoat2.zip

Thanks for playing! About D_RUNNIN, I'll be replacing it for the final release, which should be soon. The map itself won't be changed much, but the music will certainly be different. :)

Thanks so much for playing, Clippy and Aeddes! I'm glad you all enjoyed it

I can upload some enemies, certainly.

Standing Stones by @Salmon Completed on UV, 100% kills, 50% secrets Difficulty: 4 Standing Stones uses lots of honeycomb sectors, giving it a distinct feel. I really, really dig the aesthetics, the blend of hellish canyon and techbase being flawless. The gameplay is also good. You start out in an open arena with two Cyber sentries ready to ruin your day if you stand still for too long. Despite their intimidating presence, they are not too bad of an obstacle. It's the other baddies that present a problem, especially the swarms of Revs and Hell Knights. The twisting nature of the architecture, especially near stairs, is perfect for Rev missiles to follow you. The end of the map is also lots of fun. The lowering walls with Knights, Barons, and Pinkies is devious. Perhaps more so than the Archies. Overall, Standing Stones is great.

Might as well tell this story now, as it will be the only time it is relevant. Back in my Skype days, in one of the brony groups I was a part of, I joined a call. The people on it were crying their eyes out. One of their friends, a brony Youtuber, was killed by a drunk driver. A video on his channel explained the situation. That whole morning was filled with people grieving. Once afternoon hit, we found out the story wasn't real. The person was alive and well. The video on their channel was for a school project, one which they posted without giving context. I have other experiences in those groups, but that particular one stands out in my mind.

Path to the Forbidden Temple by @dashlet Completed on UV, 98% kills, 0% secrets Difficulty: 5 (would be a 6 if it was longer) I'm impressed by this project so far, in that there are maps with small monster counts (like this one) that still pack a punch. Path to the Forbidden Temple is daunting, a large landscape overlooking deadly poison. Add to that this is a platforming map. It starts out not too difficult. It is split into different vignettes atop various arenas, each with their own array of baddies. I missed both the SSG and Rocket Launcher the first time, meaning once I got to the small Caco and Rev room, I was unable to get any further. I started over and was able to complete the map. The aforementioned room is the highlight, a gauntlet of Cacos, Revs, a PE and an Archvile. In a cool twist, the Vile is the least of your worries, and easily avoided. The real threat is everything else pouring into the room. Unfortunately, the big set piece battle afterwards is more of a chore than fun. The room with the reappearing Viles, Revs, and Knights on teleport platforms took many, many attempts. That in and of itself is not the problem. The problem is that it is annoying to get through it, especially as the Viles attacks spew you into random directions off the platforms. Otherwise, this is a fine map. The setting is great (again, stock textures used to their fullest potential), and most of the map, save for the final battle, is fun. My only real suggestion is to replace one or two of the Viles at the end with a lesser monster, perhaps more Knights. That way it would still be difficult without being overly frustrating.

Those shots are looking good, DerBlanca! My next map review is: Cliffside Assault by @Yousuf Anik Completed on UV, 100% kills and 75% secrets (missed the Megasphere one) Difficulty: 3 An intense and short romp, for sure! Cliffside Assault reminds me of my submission, only more structured. The combat starts off heated, with Revs behind you and a slew of hitscanners and Mancs in the room ahead. Once I got my footing (and the SSG), it became a matter of clearing out some of the annoying fodder (Revenants on cliffs, roaming Chaingunners.) The use of textures is fantastic. It felt like custom ones were used, but nope; they're all stock. Ammo was tight at the end, especially against the last Cyber. Perhaps adding one or two single shell pickups would help. The Megasphere secret may be a bit too hidden, especially as the switch is in a dark area. I had to look up how to get it in UDB afterwards. Not a big deal, though. Overall, this is a great map.

As with any fanbase, there are both the good and bad. I used to write weekly reviews of new MLP episodes a few years back, and made great friends doing so. That said, there are the horror stories. I can tell you a few of the ones I've witnessed, some funny, others not.

I'm going to playtest at least a few of these, giving my thoughts and a personal difficulty rating out of 6 (like the Ramp series, 1 being easiest), both for fun and to make sure everything runs properly. I was wondering, @Obsidian, if you'll implement difficulty ratings in this project? I feel having ratings in a project like this is a good idea, especially as it helps streamers choose which maps are the best for them. First up: Corruption by Sincity2100 Completed on UV, 100% kills and secrets Difficulty: Barely reaches a 3 This one's great fun. A well-detailed, somber romp through a hellish base filled with blood. Corruption is full of traps, many of which seem nasty. Because of plentiful health and ammo, you have leeway in how you choose to confront them. The one exception is the Spider Mastermind room, where you need to destroy the Spider Momma first if you want to get through unscathed. Sincity2100 uses just the right amount of aesthetics to make the map look great without the detailing getting in the way. A very fun experience.

Can't wait to see what you come up with! Btw, the final version of my map is below (fixed some last minute stuff): Final version

My submission this year, in UDMF format: Loathed Industry I know I often say that my new maps are the most difficult yet, but I honestly believe that this time. With less than 100 monsters, this map packs a punch, even on HNTR. Included are my two types of turret enemies, and the MIDI "Magni-Fi" by Jimmy. Let me know what you all think!

I have a creative project: making our own computer wallpapers, with the restriction that we only use colors from Doom's palette. I have my submission here. Note that I would have made this fancier had my current computer mouse not been so fussy. I want to get the community's creative juices flowing, and see what you all come up with! You can even use Doom's sprites if you wish. Take care, and have fun.

Some more reviews, this time with my personal difficulty ratings: Map 18: Mr N Euclidian’s Mansion by Oddy the Bastard Difficulty: 1 Length: 1 A strange little base with some twisting and turning. Quite fun overall. Map 34: Four Comas by Dawnbreez Difficulty: ? Length: ? This map has awesome elements, but unfortunately I got stuck wondering what to do, and ended up not finishing. Note that the entire automap has been made invisible, which I think is to make it more mysterious, but is more frustrating than anything. Onto the things I like: the map’s sense of humor, and (spoilers!) the new enemy with the sword. That enemy is seriously cool, and looks almost claymation, which you don’t see often in Doom. The aesthetic of the map is also spot-on. What gets me is the progression. I understand it is a puzzle map, and perhaps I need to give it another go. Without an automap, however, it is hard to find footing, if that makes sense. Map 124: Mafia Operation Base by Aggelandro Difficulty: 4 Length: 6 This one has portions that look overwhelming, but there is usually enough health and ammo pickups for each fight. I like the little touches here, such as the bridge that raises over the nukage, and the rooms with various ramps, set up almost like a Tony Hawk game. The map is fun, and the custom bosses aren’t too bad, but can feel a bit cheap.

One thing I forgot to mention about Demon Chainsaw Massacre is that it is possible to softlock at the Arachnotron room if you don't have ammo to kill the enemies at the top. I'd suggest adding a way up both sides, so you can at least punch them.

Three more quick reviews. Map 76: Demon Chainsaw Massacre by Lavalobster93 Demon Chainsaw Massacre brings back memories of my old maps, where traps are not just mean, but sometimes intolerable. I don’t want to be too critical of this map, for it is mostly fun. There is a part that sinks into the depths of being un-fun, however, and that is the last room with Cacos and Sergeants. Perhaps more health and less hitscanners would make it better. On the other hand, the first Cyber room in the outside area is chaotic joy. Map 83: The Forgotten City of Hell by NilsQ A cool looking, decrepit city map. Despite the tense atmosphere and music, this one is mostly a breather. Map 97: Hell Hole by Jeffari This one transitions nicely between settings, from tech bases to hellish hallways. There are nasty traps here, and if it were not for generous secrets, this map would be much, much harder. A fun experience overall.

Some more quick reviews. Map 32: Echoless Chamber by Doomride This one feels almost like an Ultimate Doom map, which is cool to see. I especially like the Spectre trap in the basement. Map 35: Escape Prohibited by Palindrone Lighting is what makes this map stand out. The dark, unlit tech areas are also reminiscent of Ultimate Doom, which makes some of the traps more intense. Map 36: Castle by mbx8rt A nice beginner’s map. I like the Ramp secret, and mbx8rt does a good job balancing the weapons given. Map 87: See You Later, UAC-Gator by Obake My map this year. Clowns everywhere. I hope those who play it have a laugh and have fun!

@DavidN Hope I'm not bothering. I was wondering if I could help with the numbers for each map's difficulty level, to help make things less hectic for you? If not, no worries. This project is shaping up awesome, by the way!

Thanks for playing my map, @Clippy ! Before David does his videos, I'll give written reviews for maps. Remember these are just my opinions. What I have so far: Map 15: Robotics Division by Total Rapscallion This one’s awesome! It’s Christmas music and winter theme make for a soft, cozy experience, even when the combat is intense. Map 28: Fortress of Torture by Tortillapizzaria A small, tightly-knit experience. This map uses monsters and space quite effectively. Map 43: Iron Dust by Indora A cool techbase. I especially like the subtle use of slopes and color. Map 51: The Old Relics by Twelvnighn An odd experience, for sure. (Spoilers!) The map takes you through both Doom and Wolfenstein areas, culminating in a tense battle with a Cyber and rather tall Hell Knights. Not sure what to make of this one. Map 54: Lab Grade Food Poisoning by The Box I won’t spoil it, but will say this is one of the most well-executed joke maps out there. I mean that as a compliment. This one is another hit. Map 58: Bubble Menace by Annbdazl Now this is a weird one! I like the pastel colored objects strewn around, and the Caco balloons are cute. There also seem to be multiple endings you can get, which is cool. There is a major bug, however, in that I had to noclip to get past a particularly thin hallway. Or at least I could not figure out how to get past it. Map 61: Shrouded Waterworks by TheLokk This map is oppressive, from lack of ammo to nasty Archvile placement. Not my favorite, but I got through it. Map 82: Crazed Moon by Jjboren Despite the initial shock of the monster count, this one is a rather relaxing way to blow off steam. It is expertly-designed fun in a circular arena. Surprisingly, I found myself focusing on Cacos as the windows made them come in from troublesome angles.

Submitted my map. Depending on the route you take, one part can be super challenging, but the overall map takes only about 20 minutes or less to complete. Hope it's fun!

My map for the project: Speedmap Galore "Speedmap Galore" will be the name of the map, and I'll find music for it soon. The map is Hell-themed, fairly simple, and well-balanced.

I'll join in with 1 map!

Ecstatic Electricity Welcome to Ecstatic Electricity! This is a community wad open to any mappers. The wad is inspired by Italo Doom in its use of short, uber-challenging maps. Note this set will start out a bit slower than Italo, but will hopefully catch up in difficulty as it goes on. Ecstatic Electricity is in UDMF format, and uses a selection of my custom monsters. Resources you will need are: OTEX for textures The new, less intensive resource file: M48 The six custom monsters I am including are as follows: Baron 2.0: A faster Baron who has pigtails and fires as if you were invisible. Tough to deal with and dodge. Caco Clown: A Caco in clown attire who shoots pies. The pies follow you around like Revenant missiles, but are not as damaging. Mabel Macabre: A possessed doll that barfs on you when up close. Don’t underestimate their power. They heal other monsters nearby, making fights last longer if not taken care of. Old Mancubus Winter: A small Mancubus that flies and creates ice storms. Deals low damage, but causes a lot of visual noise. Rocket Bully: An evil humanoid who shoots volleys of regular and small sized rockets. Think a Cyber but more mobile and with less hit points. (Thanks to the TheNosid for providing the Rocket Bully) UAC Goon: Essentially a more dangerous zombieman. With a surprise chaingun-like attack if health drops low enough. Also included are two turrets, which do not count as monsters but are just as deadly: Maintenance Turret: Shoots fireballs at a slow pace. Spread Turret: Shoots three small fireballs in a spread pattern. Rules: *Except for the last few maps in the set, maps in this set will be relatively short, at most 250 monsters. *No troll submissions. I can choose to not include submissions for whatever reason. On that note, I will do my best to help guide submissions I see that have potential. *Except for me, there will be a limit of one map per mapper. Note I may make it two maps per one mapper, depending on how many submissions I get. I want this to be a 32 map set, so I will try to fill in any gaps I can. *Maps must be beatable, and must have at least one secret. *With secrets in mind, the first secret map will be accessible from Map07, and the second secret map will be accessible by map 31 as normal. *Submissions must be sent in by the last day of May. *Music must be MIDIs, and must not be copyrighted. This is to save on filesize. The first three maps are done, and are found here. A Discord will be set up tomorrow. Edit: Also forgot to credit Alfonzo and Jimmy for the MIDIs so far. Available map slots: MAP01 - OBAKE (Maps 01-03 are found in the initial wad) MAP02 - OBAKE MAP03 - OBAKE MAP04 MAP05 MAP06 MAP07 MAP31 MAP32 MAP08 MAP09 MAP10 MAP11 MAP12 MAP13 MAP14 MAP15 MAP16 MAP17 MAP18 MAP19 MAP20 MAP21 MAP22 MAP23 MAP24 MAP25 MAP26 MAP27 MAP28 MAP29 MAP30

Depends on the wad. I've built my brand on a unique library of custom enemies. Look up "Enterprises: Rebooted" on YouTube and you'll see just some of them. I love crafting new enemies of my own, and seeing how players react to them. But I also understand that having too many can be a problem, especially if some of them are redundant.