Pechudin

MAP02: Industry (UV, PS, Saveless) The short, interconnected layout is plastered with the Sachertorte texture (the brown bit is the chocolate batter and the gray bit is some cream), and does not really offer much resistance. If you die it will be due to chip damage as health is not too abundant. I killed pretty much 90% of the map's enemies before finding the SSG. It's fine, not very notable. MAP03: Foundations (UV, PS, Saveless) The notable fight is the BK fight which is disckish (in a good way) unless you happen tos tumble into the Invulnsphere, which I was fortunate to do the first time around. Other than that, the small brick base feels polished but unremarkable.

The left bit looks kinda like the symbol of a certain chaos god...

Wait are you supposed to put filkes here? I'm kinda keeping these maps for my Megawad project.

Gotta say, once you free yourself from putting down monsters, you don't have to worry about the spaces being too big so the fights are circlestrafable - it's freeing.

I'll post short thoughts - as the maps are generally short. MAP01: Hello (UV, PS, Saveless) Scythe II - textured and Scythe-sized, this map is nothing special. Grab the Zerk and the Chainsaw and go through the map's 50-odd inhabitants. The texturing is utilitarian with no special detailing. Not much to say. I played 15-odd maps today and it reminds me of TVR!, but TVR IMO had a cuter design, even if the gameplay was weaker.

I like to finish my maps, the enjoyment is 50-50 between putting it together and seeing it played and reacted to. But I do consider that being "for myself" as well.

A snowy, downtempo, mosterless* map I am making.

Man, those are some accursed farms.

Oh yeah, @espilkar's taste seems to be towards the weirder stuff, so I am curious and will vote for +++ I C H I N I C H I

MAP30: In the End So, I think most people expected this but yes Johnny, you were, in fact, the Demons. A bit underwhelming but I think the story was not really the strong suit of the WAD (at least the explicit part of it). The closing words were somewhat tainted by the inappropriate usage of "fucking" - not because I think the word is not to be used in a Doom WAD, but because it just did not feel like it fit. But yeah, it seems that this entire ordeal was a sort of training for the Entity (or whoever they are) to turn the protagonist into a sort of an Avatar of Destruction. Perhaps they saw something in the prisoner, some quality and decided to test them. World ends I guess? The WAD as a whole So, a replay of SoT somewhat lessened my initial thoughts of it, but I still think it's a worthwile play. When I tested it what drew me in was the unorthodxy of it, and also the technical stuff - as a mapper this greatly interested me. This is a wad of extremes - great dedication to the theme (sometimes to the WAD''s detriment I'd say), impressive trickery and combat that has high highs and dreadful lows (that 64-unit maze in MAP15, I think, was ugh). In the age of the highly polished stuff this willingness to experiment was something admirable I'd say. The strongest part of the WAD was the middle bit I'd say. Kain hit his stride with ligh-on-the-eyes color scheme, dreamy MIDIs, more engaging combat (MAP32 being my absolute favourite) and bigger handle on the Boom tricks. The final episode is better than the first one but the doom-and-gloom wears off quite quickly for me. The main culprit here is the music. Don't get me wrong - I love me some slow, creeping horror but the horror needs light spots lest it becomes background noise. The aesthetics are very weird. Mostly it's either boxes or organic amoeba-like shapes. Very rough at the edges - angular, spiky. Unfriendly to modern combat, you will snag on them and eat a Cyber rocket. The hostility of the spaces can work in the atmosphere's favour though, and at other times is infuriating. On the usage of Boom features, I will voice some dissent here: This supposes that the tricks are supposed to be "flavour", and should be in service of regular Doom stuff (combat etc.). While that is a valid (and probably a view that even I would subscribe to), I think that that's not what Kain was going for. Tricks are in large part the point (but perhaps I am reading it wrong here and you don't disagree with that - just that you think it was not a good decision). So yeah - SoT. If you like weird stuff or want to see some Boom trickery, like sporadically great atmosphere and are willing to forgive some rough edges, this is a good one to try. If you liked A.L.T. then this should be up your alley.

I kind of spent my time mapping lately, so I'll probably say my piece tomorrow about the WAD as a whole and MAP30 in particular.

Well, I did say 2 maps, and 2 maps are almost finished. This makes it 8 maps in my megawad thus far. Picture from one of them. Starting a third map ...

MAP27: Black is the Soul (UV, PS, Saves: Yes) 200 monsters may imply a long map but this one goes by pretty fast, courtesy of the map's two large staggered-teleport traps. I prefer going for the PG and BFG first before tackling the RSK fight. Entering one of the teleporters in the BFG room transports you to one of two fights - and each side activates a jumppad to the white gate. Unfortunately, the machine that powers the jumppad is on the other side of the fence, so in any case you will have to visit both sides. I confidently marched off into the black below after activating a machine, thinking the machine activates a jumppad on the SAME side. This is dickish design. As far as the big substantial fights go, the white gate one can be easily beaten by skirting around the edge, firing BFG shots sporadically. The Zombie/Imp/Caco7Manc fight is actually a nice fight IF not for the zombiemen. Hitscan being hitscan, it's a crapshoot if they do not whittle you down, and there is no health in the arena. If not for them, the fight would be a bit more fair since then it would be a test of finding space to squeeze rockets in, while trying to dodge Mancubus fireballs danger-close. This part is admittedly quite fun. That's it. The map's end looks like the MAP24 (I think) end - we are back in the techbase at the episode's start. The Entity has not dispatched any more insightful information, mostly some emo stuff. Pretty lukewarm on this one. OH, forgot - this map has those neat translucent floors - I think this effect is also used in one of the new DBPs and KDIKDIZD.

Good advice, I think. Perhaps I should play more as well, get more ideas. Again, the formula I got now yields good, fun maps but in a row they could get a bit formulaic, a la "Oh, here we go again, some trash killing with the SG/CG and OH here's the SSG setpiece aaaand we finish with a big RL/PG fight."

Snazzy texture usage man.

Probably the SS. The biggest monsters.

MAP26: Hopeless (UV, PS, Saves; Yes) Yes, I am sequence breaking a bit, I don't want to play MAP25 at the moment - I recall it being a huge pain ... everlasting pain. Anyhow, this is a long map. It starts without monsters in sight for the good first 10 minutes or so you will spend crawling, creeping forward in the dark tunnels that you just know will be repopulated later. Then a creepy base with some doctor's quarters and vivisection tables and a dusty old classroom. I loved the small chairs and the blood-stained blackboard. I wish there was more of this environmental storytelling. Just where we are that Hell (is this even Hell?) managed to envelop an entire base with a classroom? Is the Plasma Gun in the classroom a symbol for school shootigns? Probably going too far. The tunnels were probably the most boring part of the map. The tension really breaks when you have the absolute powerhpuse that is the Dark Plasma gun. I just have to - HAVE TO - admire the raw power it affords to the player. Unfortunately it also breaks the horror, knowing you can smoke any enemy in mere seconds. The large open space with the addition of the new timed jump-gates is probably the best part of the map. The gates themselves are a fun mechanic that require some awareness on the side of the player (even if I manage to hit the side bars often) and culminate in a fun fight with some perched Cybies, Revs, HKs, a SMM in the center (which means that the SMM does not infight with the Cybers easily) and an assortment of mobs on the floor which do not pose much of a hazard (unless a Red Demon blovks you for juuuuuust enough for you to catch a rocket - ouch), until the AVs spawn in, that is. Thankfully there is enough health in the arena to tank a couple of AV hits. Finally - I'd have to commend the achitecture - not that it's much different to what it usually is, but the scale and the meshing of atmosphere (MIDI, darkness) really makes you feel like you are exploring an eldritch (hey, I get to use the word @espilka) place, an unwelcoming place. Well, until you get the DPG of course (that reminds me - BFG is still nowhere to be found). The Entity continues with its doomer taunts I guess, but I am not reading any further lore into them. Verdict - a good map with some nice combat, a good use of jumppads, but whose best asset it the oozing atmosphere. Just don't get the secret Light Visor - it completely butchers the aesthetics.

That helicopter in the MAP 16 DAWWWW SOOO CUTE!

Gonna be boring - water and lava fall textures.

MAP24: Save my Life (UV, PS, Saves: Yes) The map should've been called The Wailing Void or something. Really digging the music, especially the faint chime that feels like it was taken from some Horror RPG Maker game. The dark void asthetics is still not quite wearing out for me, and the red letters on the floor have become the background noise. Kain REALLY comitted to this theme here, but I can't imagine it was fun pasting those sectors everywhere. I liked the starting techbase - something resembling the original human architecture that was left not completely corrupted. The Entity is growing hostile as well, with some morbid suggestions that perhaps should merit a content warning?? I laughed a bit at the "Unalive yourself" - perhaps a missed opportunity to have a joke death exit here (alas, that'd completely shatter the atmosphere this WAD is going for). The final message - "It's not going to get better" can be interpreted in two ways - a good and a bad one, hope it's not the second one. As the fights go, it's a mixed bag. There's some nice tight fights like the library fight which makes the invisi-Imps easier to see in blood rain - something that I think Kain will not in this WAD, which is a golden opportunity that was sadly missed. I can think of some fun encounters with places you stand in to make the enemies visible. Then there's filler like the SMM crusher - completely pointless except to perhaps show that it's not only you going through torture, and the Mancubus/Caco fight. Then, there's also the bizzare like the Pinkie bumrush which is, I suppose, designed to kill you if you have the RL out. And there's the Death Exit/Cyber room where the quirk of that specific floor special keeps you from dying. Unsure what this is supposed to symbolise but I am familiar with this trick from WADs like the TNT Threevilution or Plutonia 7 (@General Roasterock), except there it's to take the piss. Perhaps it's like a flashback to a Guantanamo Bay-style torture room? Lacks some flashing lights. The room with the Revs perched on ledges was also kind of a filler. The one thing that did remain in my mind is the fight that's sure to net everyone the most deaths - I audibly said "Oh shit THIS room", recalling my testing sessions. The best tactic I found was to quickly jump back, kill the Vile that spawns behind you and hug the wall, aggresively hosing down any Viles that turn the corner. This way, you are safe from the Cyber's rockets and can keep the Viles coming one at the time. I still died 4 times but surprisingly I was not too frustrated. Verdict - a map that turns up the heat in the difficulty department but whose strongest card is the MIDI which is haunting but strangely calming. I just like that bell chime.

MAP23: Die Alone (UV, PS, Saves: Yes) I'll have to concur with Roasterock here, this one is leaving my memory mere minutes after I finished playing it. The start is ear-shattering but brief, after which a somewhat entertaining Arachnotron/Manc circle-pit follows. Had my first death at the AV/Imp trap - kind of expected them since the pillars were there. I forgot this map had the Hatred-level edge in it. I laughed out loud when the "Die you POS" appeared, but Kain later informed me the message is not for the player per se. Unsure what that means, I hope the message is not for us (as in the player in front of the monitor), that'd be a bit much. I am also growing a bit tired of the myriad teleport traps. The Cyberdemon fight was pretty easy, just jump without stopping too much and it's done. The final fight was not too hard either (what were those AVs for if we can dispose of them before opening the doors?). The Dark Plasma chews through the Cyberdemons pretty quickly. The "Secret" was expected but funny. Also - does the letters being in white indicate a second presence? Verdict - ech, I'm tired. Not feeling this map, chief.

I'd lie if I said I was satisfied with this answer but it is an official answer. Oh well, I'll respect your privacy.

So the SoD's MAP29 is called Ruins of Kalnik. This is very odd to me because Kalnik is a mountain in Croatia that yes, does have ruins on top. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalnik_(mountain) So my question is - why did Joshy (can't find his username on DW) call this map like this? Apparently he's from Australia so it's possible his parents or grandparents were emigres (a lot of Croatians went to Australia or NZ). Does anybody here know? Now I have not been there but satellite view shows a significant lack of lava lakes, marble or red rock. Another example is the E3M2 of 2002: A Doom Odyssey which is hillariously named Caves of Bosnia.

MAP22: Whispers (UV, PS, Saves: HELL YES WTF YOU THINK IMMA DO THIS SAVELESS???) So, to those who are doing this saveless. ARE YOU INSANE?? Probably noone, because this is where the gloves are off and instead hitscanner-ambush-no-health spiked knuckles are donned instead. I am torn on this map. The oppressive and ruthless atmosphere is very well done, everything kind of works towards that purpose: not a lot of health combined with silent teleports amps up the paranoia that amazing flash-to-the-"DIE"-room was startling jagged geometry makes even the walls themselves intensely hostile - combine that with your only reliable big damage dealer being the RL The encounters themselves (the setpieces) are also much more substantial - the map's only AV is used well, the Mancubus ambush is butt-clenching and the HK/BoH fight is interesting - kill the weaker HKs to reduce the number of angles enemies can get you from. It's obvious Kain has fully released the malicious self and I am there for it. On the other hand, this map provokes intense frustration as well. The centerpiece of this is the god-damned HK/Arachnotron fight. I must've reloaded that one like 30 times before figuring out I could just nab the RSK and leave (even that is not too easy), and it's all due to the jankiness of the jumppads. Awful fight. The Mancubus fight has decorations which block your RL shots which is annoying, and the platforming up to the final WSK's resting place is also a crapshoot (ok that one is on me). But ... on the other hand that kind of makes sense, no?? This episode is supposed to feel unwelcoming. Does that excuse the objectively hostile deisgn? Without knowing the mapper's intent I cannot know. I will say this, however - I accept it. For now. EDIT: This is probably the closest vanilla-ish Doom can get to slow creeping horror style. I like it, and it's thematically consistent with the October. Also, I will not even mention the tricks that are commonplace now - sliding doors, 3D spaces etc. I just wish those decorations weren't in the way all the time. Oh, the story as well! It seems like the Entity is reminding us of some of our misdeeds. Perhaps they are referring to the reason we were imprisoned (if you recall - we were a prisoner and this mission is our chance for redemption - that ship has sailed). or perhaps it was the misdeed that attracted the Entity? Kinda reminds me of the story of Insanity's Edged and Winter's Fury.

Love this hard-coded magic number. Like: "We need a limit so the engine does not shit itself". "Kay, put a large enough number so it's not noticeable" *Puts -500*