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Sotenga

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Everything posted by Sotenga

  1. Sotenga

    Favourite food

    I have a huge love for sushi and appreciate it in all forms, but it's not readily available where I live and is thus only a special delicacy I get to indulge in once in a blood moon. So failing that, I can't get enough of pasta and bread biscuits.
  2. Sotenga

    TNT MIDI Pack - Now on idgames!

    SOLD SOLD SOLD SOLD SOLD *mashes a big blue approval button repeatedly and enthusiastically* I can't wait aaaaaaaaaaaa
  3. I also prefer TNT over Plutonia! Although my appreciation of Plutonia rose on a recent play and I better understand its praise, I just think TNT is weirder and a more interesting product, if not a messier one. And of course, it served as the base of TNT Revilution, which instantly became one of my favorite modern megawads and everyone needs to play it even if they weren't big on the original.
  4. Sotenga

    Which is harder, Wolfenstein 3D or Doom?

    Wolf 3D is definitely more vicious. I'm just glad you only have to deal with Mutants in the second episode (secret levels notwithstanding), but then there's Spear of Destiny to integrate them more into the rest of the game, so... owie. Also, glad to see some Wolf '09 love. I call the game "Ravenstein" to distinguish it from the others. One of the best FPS games of the seventh gen and it got an unfairly raw deal, dammit.
  5. Sotenga

    What did you think about Doom 2016/ Doom Eternal?

    I really like both games, but I have to admit, I'm not sure which one I like more. D16 is certainly simpler and less nuanced, but it feels like more of a power fantasy and I just like feeling strong in games sometimes. DE certainly makes you work more for victory, but it is overall a richer game and I enjoyed the DLCs, even if TAG1 is kind of a ballpunch at times. That one Blood Swamp trial with the spirit Baron... aiugh. I will say that I feel DE's greater emphasis on lore is a minus against it, but this is down to personal preference. I liked that D16 thumbed its nose at the concept of plot in action games and it mostly felt tongue-in-cheek. Then DE just kind of unironically believes in its own crazy shit. I've learned to appreciate the latter's dedication to its own worldbuilding, but end of the day, I prefer the Doom Slayer angrily punching away Hayden's computer. I ultimately love them both, but I'm not sure which one I would pick if you asked me. I MIGHT edge more towards D16, but I have put more time into DE, so I'm just going to cop out and say they both have their strong points and are among the best action games currently on the market.
  6. Sotenga

    Opinions on 70's rock bands

    I joke that my favorite music is from the seventies, my favorite movies are from the eighties, and my favorite games are from the nineties, but of course, other decades for each medium were valuable as well. But yeah, I can't get enough of seventies music. My top two bands, Rush and Genesis, rose to prominence around this time, and you got great stuff out of them like Hemispheres and Selling England by the Pound. I'm also huge into Black Sabbath and the first six albums of the Ozzy era are absolute gold. Frank Zappa and/or the Mothers of Invention were mostly amazing around this time. I'm not so big on the Flo & Eddie stretch, but I love the likes of Burnt Weeny Sandwich, The Grand Wazoo, Joe's Garage and others, even though my favorite Zappa album, Hot Rats, was on the edge of the sixties. Agreed on Queen (my bro's favorite!) and Pink Floyd being amazing, natch. Granted, most of the great seventies bands technically started in the sixties, but I'll fire off some others I'm big on: Yes, The Who, Alan Parsons Project, Blue Oyster Cult, Judas Priest, Steely Dan (my mom's favorite!), Jethro Tull, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Electric Light Orchestra, Deep Purple, King Crimson, Talking Heads, and the ever-underrated Budgie. Also, I don't know if Kraftwerk qualifies as rock, but I sure as hell like 'em. This sort of music is in my wheelhouse and I do sometimes fall into bouts of feeling like "music today ain't what is used to be, dagnabit," and I think Doomkid summed up a good chunk of what my thoughts would be as well. But eh, it's all relative. I know there's good stuff today and that not all music in the 20th century was golden, but I do think a nostalgia bias is in play and the music I grew up with and was clued into by friends at the time was formative. Now I'm at a time in life where I feel my tastes are clearly defined and I'm somewhat reluctant to push outside of my bubble. But hey, I'm sure there's still stuff I would like that I don't know about yet. I just wish more bands today were like Ghost, heh.
  7. I'll put in a bid for Whispers of Satan, which is a megawad I'm looking forward to replaying someday. I recall it oozed a far more gothic atmosphere than anything in original D2.
  8. Sotenga

    How do you pronounce the word "Cacoward?"

    I keep saying "Gray-dee-us" even though most people I know stick with "Grad-ee-us." I THINK both are acceptable. ... oh, wait. Cack-o-ward for me.
  9. Sotenga

    The Dean of Doom series (companion thread)

    Strangely enough, I remembered maps 25 and 28 more than map 20. It's been way too long since I played Plutonia 2, but I'm tempted to give it another spin someday. If I can work up the courage for it, anyway.
  10. Sotenga

    Favorite and least favorite Ancient Gods level

    Very interesting results so far! Even if I didn't like the Blood Swamps as much, it seems to be the most popular level on the whole. I wonder if I should have thought a bit harder before voting against it, as I still really liked the level, at least more than Taras Nabad in the main game. But the vote for least favorite is incredibly divided with one vote for each, except Immora which edges out with 2. It's maybe a slightly anticlimactic finale, but the crazy crap going on in the background makes it an interesting experience, at least.
  11. Sotenga

    The Dean of Doom series (companion thread)

    Glad to have any TNT fans around, LMD! I agree it's an uneven wad, but the highs are really high. And yes, GD and AA are very worth playing. I want to give AV another fair shake sometime myself, but yes, maps 25 through 28 are highly excruciating and may break the spirit of anyone not expecting what they have in store. And I haven't played 180 Minutes yet, I'm afraid, but I've heard a lot of good about it, even if it is really hard. Though I'm not sure it gets much harder nowadays than Ribbiks. I tried to take on Stardate 20X6 with Combine Kegan's Space Hunter, and I couldn't even swing that. I highly respect Ribbiks as much as I curse him, lol. Random sidebar, but yeah. I just wonder what else is worth my time, difficult or no. I trust Pain to tell us what's recommended, because MAN, TNT Revilution was a blast-and-a-half to play. I might not have if he didn't praise it as much as he did!
  12. A few parts of The Spirit World (map 28) remind me of what would become the foundation for slaughtery parts in later maps. Mostly the wide-open Arachnotron and Spider Mastermind assault, despite the invincibility spheres you get. A bit of a watery example, but it's what first came to mind somehow.
  13. Sotenga

    The Dean of Doom series (companion thread)

    I love Pain's videos so much, as indicated by the obnoxious bloviations I've left on several of his videos to now, haha. DoD is professional, entertaining, funny, honest, and thorough, basically the whole package that I could ask for in any given game review. He motivated me to finally get around to Eviternity, which was great, and he made it clear TNT Revilution was a must-play for a TNT apologist such as myself, and now it's one of my top five megawads. Even when I don't always agree with him, he at least makes me consider the upsides of works I didn't like. I've thought for awhile Alien Vendetta was overrated, but after viewing his praise on it, I really want to give the wad another playthrough... playing it vanilla this time, which I did not do previously. His digression on the Valiant video made me appreciate playing levels vanilla and realized I can't fairly judge most of them unless I do that. But Pain raised so much interest in Doom that DoD finally got me to start posting on here. I think what he's doing is really enriching the community and encouraging discussion on what does and does not make great level design. If there's anyone here who has not watched Dean of Doom yet, do yourself a favor and jump right into it. I'd even recommend starting at the beginning, which was another factor that got me interested, since the VERY FIRST thing he covered was TNT Evilution, which Civvie-11 has flatly refused to cover. I was ticked at Civvie for that, but Pain made up in spades with an informative look that showed the upsides of Final Doom's more underrated half. He had twelve episodes by the time I noticed DoD existed, but I started at the very beginning and was glad to catch up. He does noticeably seem a bit more shy in his early videos, but he's definitely grown more confident over time. I think he gets his full grasp around episode eight, done on my favorite dang megawad of all time, Ancient Aliens. Ugh, I'm fanboying out. Just watch Dean of Doom if you haven't, that's all I can really say!
  14. Honestly, I would. Certainly, I can name at least ten megawads that I'd rather play over Doom II, but... what can I say, I'm a nostalgic fool and I would still play Doom and Doom II every now and again just for the heck of it. Sometimes, you just want a glass of lemonade instead of some twenty-juice cocktail, you know?
  15. Sotenga

    How would you make TAG2 harder?

    I'm surprised there weren't any segments that summoned both Cacodemons and Stone Imps at the same time, at least not that I remember. It would have tripped me up having to switch back and forth between the shotgun's two mods constantly to neutralize these threats. I also might have thrown in more Cursed Prowlers since they ultimately felt underused, but other than that, I can't really think of any better suggestions. I was welcome to play a less difficult DLC after AGP1 exhausted the hell out of me, even if it does feel a little weird they did that. Not having a Crucible or Hammer equivalent in AGP1 might have been the secret to its frustration. I mean the hammer's rad in AGP2, and I don't want it nerfed, but... feh, I'm babbling at this point.
  16. Sotenga

    Favorite Game From The Year You Were Born

    Well, my favorite game ever besides Doom was technically first released in 1989, that being Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse. However, it didn't come out to the west until a year later, so for games that were released in North America around then... it was the year of Mega Man 2, arguably the most important entry in my OTHER favorite gaming series besides Castlevania and Doom, so I'll go with that. And an honorable mention to Blazing Lazers for the TG16, one of the best shoot-em-ups ever made.
  17. Sometimes I think, perhaps too much, about how Doom's seventeen regular monsters are utilized in all the maps I've ever played. These enemies, which are now almost thirty years old, have been positioned in enough ways to create original challenges in wads throughout the years despite mostly remaining the same. Of course, there are wads that either A: Change behaviors or B: Add in custom monsters, but aside from those, the Doom community has mostly been working with the same enemy kit for this long and I'm impressed at how they still haven't grown old somehow. But that little prelude aside, I want to know about what monsters anyone thinks are either A: Not used enough or B: Not used appropriately enough in their opinion. I was talking with a friend lately and they felt the Former Human Zombie, the basest of all Doom enemies, don't get nearly enough attention in most wads they've played. I can understand that since it seems like a more appealing option to use the Sergeants and Commandos instead, but I wonder what suggestions there are to make regular Zombies feel like they're better used instead of being discarded as too-weak fodder. I can't think of anything for now, unfortunately. Of course, I and many others feel the Spider Mastermind is very difficult to use properly without either making it too much of a chump or too much of a threat without much balance in between. The only suggestion I have is to give fair cover against them and hopefully make it more engaging than just a peekaboo match. I'm just a fan, not a mapper! But yes, if anyone has any monsters they feel are undervalued, discuss here. I guess if anyone wants to mention the SS Trooper and even Commander Keen, you could do that here, but I really have no idea what to say about them. I might have to disqualify the Icon of Sin, however. I feel like talking about the IoS is a topic unto itself.
  18. Sotenga

    Favorite and disliked level

    Massive bump, but since I'm still relatively new to the forums and I'm replaying Doom Eternal currently (working my way up to the Ancient Gods eventually), I figured I'd leave my two cents. Favorite level: Mars Core, because the throwback to Doom 2016's atmosphere is awesome, jumping down the wrecked terra-firma all the way to the city gates is also awesome, and finally getting the BFG and having several chances to unleash its power feels very gratifying. Least favorite: Taras Nabad, because being forced to deal with Arch-Viles before you are able to wield the Crucible suuuuuuuuuuucks. Maybe I'm just salty, but... man, I hate those jerks.
  19. Sotenga

    Favorite map theme?

    I think I favor UAC stuff the most because it reminds me of Doom 2016, haha. Replaying Doom Eternal has made me appreciate it a lot more, but I still love the consistent atmosphere D16 gave off with its not-Hell levels and I appreciate the throwbacks DE has to that feeling.
  20. Haha, those sound great! I really do feel like the musical aspect of Doom is underrated, but I'm glad more attention is being brought to it lately. I don't think maps like Misri Halek or The Mucus Flow would be as revered as they are without the musical element emphasizing how they're constructed!
  21. I'm trying to think of whatever megawads just have the default soundtracks appended to them. Having played Needs More Detail lately, I can say I wouldn't mind a music replacement for that. For Doom II, I'm thinking Fragport, Demonfear, and... I forget, did 10 Sectors have its own OST? It would be fun to create tracks for that which equal a minute or less in runtime!
  22. Sotenga

    Doomcute thread

    I feel like map 17 from Fragport, "Laser Quest," encapsulates Doomcute pretty well, or at least the area before the actual Laser Quest arena. Specifically, this area that has dining tables and a bar... ... arcade machines and a pool table... ... a private party long table full of brews... ... and even an air hockey table! Fragport's kind of messy to play nowadays, but it was made in 2001, so I shouldn't be too hard on it. It mostly goes for a somewhat realistic industrial theme that gets somewhat futuristic in later stages, and there's some Doomcute in it all around, but I feel this area in map 17 is the apotheosis of said cuteness.
  23. I don't know if this would be more appropriate here or the mods forum, but I'm curious to know what anyone might do to improve the flow and/or structure of maps from Doom, Doom II, and Final Doom. No disrespect intended to the original authors! I'm just curious how modern-day Doom minds might jazz up the classics. For example: Nuclear Plant (E1M2): I'd put a key somewhere in the maze area, but I think I'd also lighten it up a bit too. I'd keep the flashing lights, but I'd pitch up the contrast of the darkness about 20%. Hell Beneath (E4M1): I'd put a secret Plasma Rifle and large cell box somewhere in the map. Since it gives you most other weapons with little ammo, I figure I'd tilt the odds in favor by giving you one more weapon if you're willing to snoop. The Pit (D2, map 9): I don't know why, but I find the slime pit area with the yellow key particularly pointless. I'd have sliced that part out entirely and put the yellow key in the infamous Chaingunner and Lost Soul ambush area instead. Nirvana (D2, map 21): I'm not sure it's possible to polish this reviled level, but I would have at least have its segments connected by hallways instead of the disparate teleporter thing going on. Maybe make it non-linear so each area has a necessary key and put the exit back where you started instead of having a gap where you can waltz through one of the key doors. The Temple of Darkness (Plut, map 25): I'd have put a railing on that damn spiral staircase. One of the very few parts in Plutonia that I'd call outright fake difficulty, just negate the "challenge" aspect of it entirely. Now I'm no mapper, but I'd like to hear thoughts from community members on how they'd punch up the original levels. And yes, I reaaaaaaaally need to play Doom The Way Id Did sometime.
  24. Sotenga

    Do You think Id's new upcoming game would be Quake ?

    I'd absolutely love to see Ogres and Fiends rendered by modern graphical standards. And yes, if we do get a glorious return to Quake, I hope it primarily if not entirely takes after the first. Though I do wonder if it would be possible to create a competent non-multiplayer Quake game that combines the Lovecraftian gothic, the Strogg, and the Arena all together in a way that makes sense.
  25. Something I've occasionally found myself saying after playing a really, REALLY brutal level is "fantastic map, now get out and don't come back." Are there any maps you find fascinating for whatever reason but would be content with never again putting yourself through the torture? I've got three to start: The Mucus Flow from Community Chest 2 - It is most definitely THE reason to even touch CC2 and is a very impressive and deliberately constructed level with perhaps the biggest mood-setting music I've ever heard in a stage. It is also one of the most cruel maps ever made that I don't know I'd have the constitution to ever again withstand. My biggest boon as a Doom player is meticulous resource management, so a stage that gives you extremely little resources (as well as hiding a good chunk of said resources in a secret area you can never again access after reaching it) is an oasis-less desert to me. A resplendent emerald green from Japanese Community Project - The massive contrast of glowing green against darkness looks absolutely gorgeous and is indeed evocative of Sunlust, and the map itself is certainly more merciful than anything from the infamous megawad, but I am terminally poor at hunting for secrets, and having to hunt for eleven (or was it thirteen?) mandatory Commander Keens to reach the exit is definitely not my scene. It definitely shoots for something different than your conventional Doom level, but I usually prefer my challenge to be more straightforward. Fireking Says No Cheating from Back to Saturn X Ep. 2 - There are slaughtermaps, and then there's this grotesque beast of a level that gives you absolutely no rest spots until you've earned the right to breathe by killing at least two-hundred of its thousand-or-so inhabitants and forces you to use your three invincibility spheres wisely. It looks and sounds great, as does most of BTSX, but it may be the most brutal secret level I've played in recent memory. That it is a completely optional secret is something I appreciate, because I don't think I could bring myself to do it again if it were required. All respect due to B.P.R.D. (wherever they are), burabojunior, and joshy/esselfortium/dew, these are great levels in their own right and they should be proud. But... OUCH. Consider this thread as a form of roast, where through all the salt and gritted teeth, we do genuinely think these are still awesome levels, just that we're not awesome enough for them!
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