Book Lord

There are few people that have played the OG so many times and have studied it enough to know it like the back of their hand, especially Ultimate Doom which tends to be dismissed as outdated and limited. Consider how many do not know the slots that hold the exit to the secret levels! Mass Propulsion is quite mysterious in its use of the Cyberdemon trigger, as you cannot be sure of what happens if you kill the Cybers. I do not think the players will have an easier experience if they know about Tag 666; they still do not know what it does and will have to find it by searching. It's quite a cryptic map under many aspects, but you were kind to make the sewer shortcut which could lead players to the exit without forcing them to explore the whole map. The rest is there for completionists, and there are a few curious spots to uncover in the hidden parts. MegaWADs like Solar Struggle have the great merit of showing the community there is a lot that can be accomplished with the standard resources, and that along with the next iteration of "X secs/Y lines/Z monsters" it could be worth exploring the possibilities of the limited Doom bestiary. The texture pack here contains Ultimate Doom + Doom II textures, 4 new skies, and only a handful of custom textures (water falls from Plutonia and moon rock originally from Duke Nukem 3D). How many convincing environments have been designed with these quasi-vanilla resources, and how many good fights have we been through?

A new user tried to initiate a Community project based upon -fast monsters last year, but the silence it was met with was rather discouraging. His ideas needed some tuning, but it's an interesting concept for mapping. "-fast" is a parameter that can be added to every skill level, not only on UV like the Compet-N speedrunning category, so I am surprised that the Doom community has not already made any experiment with it. You cannot use your usual design tropes for encounters with -fast monsters: their speed can either jeopardise or make a standard setup unbearable. The perfect example is the Arch-Vile behaviour: a -fast Arch-Vile will attack on sight and playing peek-a-boo with him is a good way to remove him from the board, while a standard UV Arch-Vile is more mobile, can easily dodge attacks and charge towards the player. On the other hand, elevated AVs used for area negation are a chore with -fast. You have to get rid of them or you won't sneak past their nose just because you can straferun.

Hi, the fact that you were having fun mapping Waste Recycling Facility is quite obvious while playing the map. I wrote that the entire level is more about the path than the destination. To enjoy it as a whole you have to enjoy the paths and how they unfold, hence the problems I have with the crushers (not a part a player can easily enjoy) and the optional nukage area with the yellow door to the east (long, but no actual reward for the effort). You answered my RC observations almost point-by-point, and still I did not expect much to happen in the final cut. You actually wrote: "I'll cut yellow part of the map definitely, it's pointless really." and it seemed like a grudgingly taken advice, a sentiment that I fully understand since you worked a lot on this map. The project lead did the right thing and let everything stay as it was, paying respect to the quality of your work. I think mappers should adhere to project guidelines with their own conscientiousness, not under constraints, and I have already written about this in a previous post, which you might have read. I think nobody mentioned that because the large landscape views are enough to connect the map to the visual theme of the episode, and because a departure from that outdoor theme once in the episode is perfectly fine. I noticed you added the grates in the nukage area to avoid walking on patches of damaging sky floor, as in RC version, and it fixed the only realistic issue I found. It seems that waste is recycled in this plant and the excess is dispersed in the Venusian atmosphere, which should be rich enough on toxic substances to hardly notice the presence of more pollutants. Nobody does this and it's not a requirement in any project that I am aware of. I am not complaining about my choices at all, just telling people how a map plays out with -fast monsters, which is quite an uncommon feedback to receive (I won't have even tried if I did not know the WAD beforehand). The only hardship I had with your map was at the beginning, because coming from E4M4 with 58% health and finding myself in the -fast hitscanner crossfire was really challenging. The BFG secret was also very difficult to obtain, as you cannot jump on the Cacodemon in the closet and chainsaw it, you'll be toast if you do not use the Invulnerability. I also had to postpone the collection of the bonuses on the secret ledge accessed from the dark maze, because it exposed me to countless hitscanners at once. That's it, the rest is perfectly manageable with foreknowledge, caution, and proper routing.

E4M6 – Mass Propulsion by @SMG_Man DSDA-Doom v0.24.3, UV-Fast, Continuous, non-blind run w/saves SMG_Man was another newcomer I have never heard of before his contribution to Solar Struggle, which counts as his first involvement with a community project. Mass Propulsion was an unconventional creation under many aspects, using a lot of gimmicks and scenic tricks to create tension and uncertainty, wagering a big part of the design on the player’s will to explore everything and max out the level. The result might please or displease the audience, depending solely on personal inclination. The first part saw Doomguy wandering around a corrupted but empty tech-base in the clouds, finding tons of Invulnerabilities and Soul Spheres, startled by the abrupt sounds of machinery (crushers) activating in the background, until two Cyberdemons appeared out of the blue. A pistol starter lacks adequate weapons to confront them, even though I was so annoyed by their sudden manifestations that I killed one with a measly shotgun, attacking from the safety of a ledge while he was stubbornly hitting the wall below, and I used rockets against the other in the dark courtyard with damaging slime. Tag 666, hard coded in E4M6, lowered the bars of the YSK cage. The subsequent task was finding (or returning to) the yellow switch that opened all yellow bars of the level. When I pressed it, enemies started to teleport everywhere with fuzzy patterns. I killed most of them, then I got bored of their seemingly infinite number and I was annoyed by the placement of some Shotgunners in the southern outdoor area. I happened to find the exit after crossing the toxic sludge tunnels that started from the MODWALL3 room with the second rocket launcher. Surprisingly enough, these sludge tunnels lead to the exit and allow to skip the search for the switches that open the four doors close to the YSK alcove. The shortcut was welcome, as I was not in the mood to explore everything, especially with -fast monsters. It must be said that on lower difficulties the gameplay changes considerably, since there are no Cyberdemons and only a few spawns, with monsters being largely pre-placed like in a standard level. I also skipped the huge section in the southern portion of the map, constituting a third path to the exit. I checked its content after reloading a previous savegame. Mass Propulsion was clearly not conceived to be maxed, as doing it would require a lot of backtracking, switch hunting, and head-scratching. I appreciate the author’s effort to produce something different, but I unfortunately disliked most of the proposed attractions: sharp lighting contrasts, haphazard teleports, mid-textures used as walls or to conceal switches, strange item distribution, labyrinthine layout, tons of optional stuff and secrets. There might be others that enjoy this kind of things more than me, so take this review with a grain of salt. It's a peculiar map that increased the design variety of Solar Struggle.

E4M5 – Waste Recycling Facility by @MAN_WITH_GUN DSDA-Doom v0.24.3, UV-Fast, Continuous, non-blind run w/saves In the development thread ViolentBeetle wrote he did not want magnum opus maps in Solar Struggle, yet this double-sized entry made it to idgames without trims or gameplay adjustments. Except for minor aesthetic changes, it was the same map I tested in the RC candidate. Completing Waste Recycling Facility required one good hour with full knowledge, twice the time I invested in the longest levels of this megaWAD. This was not a hard map because of the inflated enemy count (599 on UV) or the encounter design, obviously spiced up by the -fast parameter in use; the difficulty came from the sheer length of the exploration and from the environmental traps and hazards, promoted in the fourth episode by the design guidelines. I had a rough start because I arrived from E4M4 with low health, and I forgot there was a secret Soul Sphere behind the starting point. The treatment facility was huge, rich on detail, and compelling to explore, thanks to the multi-layered paths crossing the various rooms. The visuals felt both inspired by the IWADs, especially corrupted bases from The Shores of Hell, and somehow refreshing in their use of vanilla textures. Now I am more familiar with veteran mappers than a year ago, and I can easily compare MAN_WITH_GUN’s style with @Use’s big tech-bases. This counts both as a compliment and as a warning about the map duration. A pistol starter cannot hang about much freely, as he will not find heavy weapons unless he delves deep into the recesses of Waste Recycling Facility. Gaining access to a plasma rifle was paramount to survive with -fast monsters, so I directed myself towards the dark maze to the south-east. Dealing with lurking Shotgunners, Spectres, and a nasty ambush that you must escape in the darkness was a bit annoying, but I enjoyed it more with foreknowledge. The horde of Former Humans near the secret Blue Armour was a good relief for the accumulated tension. The tour of the western portion of the map led me into a sewer area. After a hairy ambush I was awarded with the YK, whose purpose was obscure since every locked door in the vicinity was coded in blue. A leap of faith in a hole dropped my Doomguy in a mammoth-sized computer station, full of lurking monsters that peppered an otherwise boring travel. The huge chamber was split in two by the L-shaped walkway, it contained useful pickups including the rocket launcher, and was a highlight of Solar Struggle. There were many paths departing from the stacked computer servers: some were hidden and led to secret stashes, and some were part of the normal progression. Pressing a switch in the depths of the hall caused a wild monster surge on the return path and the BK to become available, along with a predictable Baron & Caco ambush. At this point, players have two options. They might either open the small blue door near the start, find the Computer Area Map and head for the optional eastern nukage area to use the YK and collect some goodies, or they may backtrack to the big blue door before the computer station and access its top level, where the way forward was through a corridor full of crushers. I did not like this segment, as it forced me to advance slowly and carefully, it ambushed me mid-way with zombies, and it never stopped. Having to cross it multiple times was a chore. I remember the final battle in the sumptuous marble temple as a good climax on UV, but it was a bit overloaded with -fast hitscanners and Lost Souls. I used the Invulnerability to survive the first seconds and the carryover BFG to speed up the extermination. The map contained a ton of secrets (11), offering various bonuses that kept me alive. The BFG was exceedingly difficult to obtain, as it required precise timing and to sacrifice the Invulnerability to reach the timed closet with a Cacodemon. The unreachable BFG on the crate in the yellow door area was a declared troll move by the author, who created such a long-winded optional section just to reward the player with a Soul Sphere, basically giving back the health and ammo spent to reach it. Sadly, time cannot be returned, and finding everything in Waste Recycling Facility consumed a lot of it, without giving an adequate compensation. The impression was that the focus was totally on the paths, instead of the destination. The author clearly put a great deal of effort in this intricate tech-base and the immense, surreal landscape around it, and many concepts were sound and enjoyable. Nevertheless, such a sprawling tech-base was out of tune in Solar Struggle, and I am convinced that keeping the size smaller would have turned it into the best exploratory map of the megaWAD.

E4M4 – Residential Areas by @DJVCardMaster DSDA-Doom v0.24.3, UV-Fast, Continuous, non-blind run w/saves Sometimes UV-fast has a decisive impact on the playing experience. My memories of Residential Areas were of a classic-styled level, elevated by the floating city aesthetics that distinguished the fourth episode and a few neat details like the Doomcute streetlamps, working as a breather and featuring a somehow relaxed gameplay. The map was not large, and the various buildings hosted only a few surprise attacks with relatively low danger, despite a substantial number of Barons and limited supplies of powerful ammo, more a problem for pistol starters than continuous players. The issue I encountered in my second trip through Residential Areas was the lack of health. The forceful offensive of -fast Sergeants, attacking from faraway positions and steadily chipping away big chunks of health, was difficult to avoid in the open layout. There were few items to recover: 180% health and a single Security Armour in the whole map. Power-ups were absent, the 2 secrets were so hidden I could not find them on the first playthrough, and knowing about them did not help either, as they only granted extra ammunition. I found the BFG compartment in the room at the centre of the village already open, thanks to some trigger-happy hitscanners. The whole premiss of the map seemed to be the Hell Beneath homage ViolentBeetle asked to avoid on E4M1. I do not know if DJVCardMaster kept the supplies low since the beginning, or if he tuned the resources later to match the challenge posed by the rest of the episode. However, this is what I get for playing with -fast monsters. The map progression was uncomplicated: the first step was checking the residential block to flick a switch, opening the way to a nearby warehouse with both the rocket launcher and the BK. The key granted access to the central building, an alleged town hall that must be cleared from invaders before operating another switch. When the door to the northern terrace was open, I explored the last buildings, consisting of an apartment and a two-storey edifice with one last switch to press. The YK was collected in the open-air storage fence and caused a nearby Shotgunner spawn, constantly preventing my health from getting above 50%. The final onslaught of Barons before the exit was not so threatening on continuous play, since rockets were in my backpack and not in the closet from which they emerged, and the pop-up ambushes on the exit terrace were more a test for my patience than a threat. Residential Areas was a transitory map in the episode and should offer the player some respite; on UV-fast, it unexpectedly revealed itself as a stumbling block to overcome.

E4M3 – Commercial District by @RataUnderground DSDA-Doom v0.24.3, UV-Fast, Continuous, non-blind run w/saves Commercial District was the first contribution to the project by RataUnderground, submitted four months before Mining Complex. As opposed to E1M5, this level had an open layout, basically a single courtyard divided in many sections and paths that got populated via surprise teleports, deploying large quantities of hellspawn. I liked the abuse of GRAY textures, their coupling with MODWALL and white lights, and the monotone background that helped the important landmarks to stand out a bit. Besides a few scattered crates, the map looked empty of tangible content, just as the demons had ransacked the shopping centre and left nothing behind, except for equipment that could be used against them. Depending on the route chosen from the start, the player can have one or two active Spider Masterminds on the terrace with the large fountain, hiding a secret Blue Armour. The Berserk Pack was provided along with a herd of Demons to punch, but they were troublesome on -fast when the map was still full of invisible snipers. The Spiderdemons engaged in a chaingun duel, giving me enough clearance to climb to the indoor area at the centre of the map, where I collected the rocket launcher. I used the shotgun to bring down the surviving boss, as running about with her -fast rate of fire was out of question. Clearing the outer areas granted me some respite, the plasma gun, and food for thought. There were several nooks with colour-coded bars that escaped my attention and contained important progression elements. The path to the BK was open and indicated by a coloured arrow on the floor, and a Cyberdemon appeared next to the key accompanied by a Baron and two Pinkies. I was surprised that this small encounter turned out to be the hardest with -fast monsters, because the light pillars offered insufficient cover from rockets (splash damage still got me), and the turbo Demons were troublesome in that cramped space. This was the only point where I had to reload a savegame, and for several times before succeeding. The BK granted access to a control switch that allowed me to follow the path marked by the yellow arrow, eventually leading to the YK. The Baron teleport (21x) was epic but more of a time waste than a threat, even with -fast monsters. The biggest threat came from the host of Former Humans, resuming sniping activities, and from the Cacoswarm that could follow me everywhere. There was ammo for everything, including a free BFG provided just before picking up the YK. At that point, I remembered the progression to be a little puzzling on my first encounter with Commercial District. The teleporter after you pick up YK and BFG sent me back to start, and from there it was difficult to choose which direction to take. The switch with yellow bars opening the yellow-coded teleporter in the outside was well hidden, and redundant too. I can see blind players struggling with this design choice. The second Cacoswarm & Cyberdemon combo should be outrun, possibly instigating some infighting, and the player should have enough time to collect the RK, proceed to the red bars, and open the exit, if he still remembered their position! Just as Mining Complex, E4M3 had a convoluted solution that might not appeal to everyone, even though I tend to enjoy exploration puzzles on small maps. I also liked the sleek and clean visuals, and how combat had been organised. A solid effort.

Played the first three maps, and found nothing except superb visuals, great atmosphere, and exciting gameplay! I can expect nothing less from this team, but I am once again blown away by your creations. I hope to play it up to MAP11 before you decide to upload it to idgames!

E4M9 – Cult Headquarters by @Mystic 256 DSDA-Doom v0.24.3, UV-Fast, Continuous, non-blind run w/saves A quick & tough secret map from another obscure author, the same Mystic 256 that made MAP32 of Hellevator. The ‘mystical purple fruit raccoon’ must have a penchant for secret levels with lots of action and slaughter encounters that are not too difficult, except for the Shotgunner attrition that was quite a concern with -fast monsters. Cult Headquarters presented a strictly symmetrical layout hosting four large fights, starting with a welcome committee that a pistol starter must handle with shotgun and monster infighting. Running around in circles, pressing the switches, and getting rid of the roaming monsters was enough to progress into the next sections, each one hosting a set piece involving either rockets or plasma. Returning to the first courtyard with heavy weapons permitted to destroy the turrets and eventually collect the RSK. Pressing the red-coded switch summoned one last teleport before sending me to a Cyberdemon arena behind the central structure. The enormous terrace was swarmed by all sorts of critters, and I must prioritise hitscanners or die from attrition. The combat was nicely done, and it flew very quickly if compared to E3M9, which had been a more fulfilling experience at the price of some extra grind. BLAKWALL textures worked very well with the episode sky and the map looked good, regardless of the rather square design. There was a problem with the extra tall red bars blocking the exit, which could be seen from the first portion of the map for an odd graphic outcome. I did not remember seeing them during playtesting and they should be masked by the sky, according to the editor. I also noticed a softlock issue with the linedefs sealing the player in the rocket launcher and plasma gun wings: if you immediately step backwards, as I did once to dodge -fast fireballs, you are lifted on top of the barrier and may reach the progression switches without triggering the fights, but you get out of their compartment only with IDCLIP. What the hell was this secret Cult on Venus, flaunting a trident symbol? The Disciples of D'Sparil? Cult Headquarters did not grant special rewards for continuous players unless they found the rather obscure way to access the double secret inside the twin towers. This, together with the technical problems that were left undetected by beta testing (I include myself in the reprimand), turned a rather enjoyable secret map into a slightly flawed experience. This was a shame since the concept was valid, the visuals were all right, and it only lacked a thorough quality control. Votes for June 2023: Want some renowned 90s stuff, not yet covered by the DWMC? +++ Dystopia 3, Osiris, Insertion (11+8+11 maps, the first a groundbreaking work by Adelusion and Iikka Keranen, the second is a famous TC loosely based upon the movie Stargate, the last is an episode made by Tolwyn and other authors from the Memento Mori era) Want some 00s stuff? +++ The Rebirth (32 map megawad by Vader with a few dehacked elements) Want some contemporary stuff? You name it and I might use my third vote for it.

E4M2 – Customs Office by @Anarkzie DSDA-Doom v0.24.3, UV-Fast, Continuous, non-blind run w/saves Big queue at the immigration office today! Customs Office is the only map from Anarkzie that I am aware of in community projects, and it began with an amusing scene that turned out deadly with -fast monsters. The whole level was positively crazy with its convoluted progression, exploding barrels, creative use of vanilla textures, and twisting paths, which were intricate enough to conceal the actual linearity, broken only by the quest for the skull keys and the secret exit. The customs warehouse full of inappropriate equipment, ranging from pet Pinkies in cages to smuggled Nazi paintings, and including pallets loaded with Doom things like in Gene Bird maps, made me chuckle while mowing down hordes of zombies. Combat was often frontal and not so threatening, but not without surprises such as the Spiderdemon appearing without preambles in the baggage claim area. The -fast parameter fuelled infighting among the monsters appearing in front of me, and they largely died like flies. The Descent midi was weird and contributed along with the other features to a light-hearted atmosphere, touching the border of comedy. Customs Office provided interesting things to see, like the scary but harmless Lost Soul trap in the control room, the hidden gory sections, and the maintenance catwalks above the clouds, which I found nicely constructed. I cleared the area from Soul Sphere secret, which gave me an invaluable vantage point against -fast opponents. The way to the exit was dotted with pop-ups, enemies emerging from guard posts, and ended with an abrupt Cyberdemon to engage with rockets. If the player discovered a rather intuitive secret in a computer room, not very far from the spooky chamber with three coloured switches, the BSK would be available in the patio before the exit. A handy teleporter avoided an otherwise long backtracking and brought me back to the warehouse area. I opened the blue door and accessed a strange room divided in two parts, which contained the other two skull keys and the last enemies to kill. The coloured switches in the darkness must be flipped to reveal a rather ominous secret exit. I enjoyed the unconventional and outlandish approach to map design followed by Anarkzie; the gameplay might not be the strongest trait of his E4M2, but the exploration and secret hunting were top-notch, making his contribution to Solar Struggle a memorable experience.

It is not harder than Mapping at Warpspeed in any way. Maps in E4 tend to be long, and some of them might be challenging to play saveless or on a pistol start. Some have limited resources or tricky item placement. I completed the playthrough with -fast monsters and found no insurmountable fights, but I thoroughly know the map set and remember most secrets. I think UV can be tackled by blind medium-skilled players while using saves and/or playing continuous, unless they have the time to replay a map just because they died to a crusher. I have no idea how VR may affect the experience.

E4M1– Docking Station by @LordEntr0py  DSDA-Doom v0.24.3, UV-Fast, Continuous, non-blind run w/saves Once more we make the acquaintance of a new episode through one of LordEntr0py’s exceptional creations. Docking Station offered the first glimpse on ‘New Venice, a city floating in the Venusian atmosphere. Once a utopia for human elite, it became twisted by the demons into their new headquarters in this dimension’. Our Doomguy had been offered full pardon if he accepted to complete a dangerous mission on Venus, but this map wanted to set the player straight: it will be harder than the previous episodes, and by a good margin. This was a level driven by rocket gameplay, designed with remarkable precision. The floating buildings looked all the same, deliberately depriving the player of reference points. The first minutes were a mad dash through unknown terraces and staircases, chased by unbeatable opposition, trying to understand where I was going and what I was looking for. The group of Cacodemons appearing by the red door was tricky to dodge, and putting my hands on the rocket launcher was a relief. I remembered this part to be difficult on normal UV; with -fast monsters it was almost insane, as they shot repeatedly from faraway positions and cut me no slack. I also found the damaging blood rivers to be a veritable thorn in the side. The author made sure the challenge did not end by picking up the coveted weapon, as the skirmish by the RK, the heftier assault in the BK area, and the exit ambush were large and confusing enough to require good movement skills, retreat, and reorganisation. I remember struggling quite a bit to find the two secrets on the blind playthrough; both were accessed by looking at the automap and jumping out of a window, landing on an unseen terrace with goodies. The scenario was grandiose with those gargantuan dark shapes in the background, though the monotone colours and the dim lighting did not make it look like the prettiest place in the Solar System. Docking Station was a convincing vestige of a fallen human outpost on Venus, and a peculiar map to play, as you would expect from a meticulous mapper like LordEntr0py.

E3M8 – Space Elevator by @muumi DSDA-Doom v0.24.3, UV-Fast, Continuous, non-blind run w/saves Ultimate Doom WADs pose a significant challenge to any mapper with their limited bestiary, but the hardest feature to adjust to are the mandatory boss fights. At the end of episode three, you must arrange a battle against a Spider Mastermind and make it interesting, without degenerating in annoying or unfair setups. Assign the task to muumi and be amazed at how naturally he transforms a cakewalk in an endurance test, constituting an exciting finale for Moon Madness. The Space Elevator was an enormous aerial tower, firstly seen from an elevated position at the start of the map, then visible in all its magnificence in the middle of a crater arena. The fleeting Spider Mastermind was spotted right when I teleported in the large open area, then mysteriously disappeared to return just before the end. The place was full of Shotgun Guys and 20% lava patches that were quite taxing for the health, which was not abundant considering the attrition I was subject to with -fast monsters. I had no time to score the easy Soul Sphere secret. Pistol starters have no choice but to run around with the shotgun, kill all the hitscanners while dodging numerous Baron and Imps projectiles, then look for the three eye switches that unlocked the progression. A blind player can easily wind up in the chaingun dead end, where he will probably die to the upcoming horde without carryover heavy weapons. The -fast Sergeants coming out of the walls were totally insane, an RNG-heavy moment where survival was not under the player’s control. I died five times before I left the maze of impaled heads still on my legs. Once the eye switches had been activated, the intestine staircase to the north-western building became accessible, finally providing a rocket launcher and a plasma gun. I picked up the BK and casually pressed the switch, which was a bad idea since it revealed the Spiderdemon again. While the deadliest -fast hitscanner dispensed attrition damage in every direction, I struggled against legions of Barons and Cacodemons around the Space Elevator, shooting with the BFG, and hoping for the better. I died a couple of times before learning where to hide from her majesty, and when everyone else lay dead I entered the teleporter beyond the blue door to confront her. The Spiderdemon is not an enemy that can provide a challenge in normal situations, and my careless behaviour complicated the finale with -fast monsters. Muumi devised an interesting scenario to confront her, but as typical for his maps, foreknowledge was required to avoid fatal mistakes and they will inevitably sour the blind attempts. Once you get a grip on the required process, it is an extraordinary boss map.

E3M7 – Freight Terminal by @MemeMind DSDA-Doom v0.24.3, UV-Fast, Continuous, non-blind run w/saves Freight Terminal started nice and chaotic, and it encouraged dropping down from the tunnel as soon as possible. The penalty was to suffer harassment from infinitely tall Pinkies, a common occurrence when playing cautious on this map. I liked the straightforward, realistic design of the various areas with trains and cargo equipment, even though they were a bit too large to pose a real challenge on UV. For the same reason, they were a nightmarish funnel of -fast projectiles, roaming turbo Pinkies, and long-range hitscanner sharpshooters. After dispatching the welcome committee and a -fast Baron with rudimentary weapons, I grabbed the RK and followed a linear path with long corridors and unnecessary lifts that wasted the player's time, and odd holes in the walls paired with an inaccessible nukage pool that prompted a search for secrets that do not exist. Quite the opposite, the Blue Armour was difficult to find on my blind run. The Sergeants in the basement heard the noises from the upper floor and waited for me at the bottom of the elevator, a very annoying occurrence with -fast. The cargo area with the YK, more trains, containers, and two small cranes was cute and hosted a small teleport ambush with a pair of stealthy Cacodemons hidden in the landscape. They struck me fiercely while I was running away from the Demons. Backtracking to the yellow door reserved no surprises, and beyond the Bruiser Brothers the tech-base appeared suddenly swallowed by alien flesh growth. The gate sent me to a separate section of the Freight Terminal, a cargo depot stretching for many mapping units from west to east. Jumping down exposed me to many cheap shots from zombies and saw me die once in the damaging blood pond at the eastern end. There was not a lot of health on this side of the terminal, and you should not climb to the upper control room before killing the Barons. As I approached the western end of the rail station, collecting a free BFG on the way, I triggered a showcase of every monster deployment technique (pop-up, teleport, and closets respectively), then I faced a wall of meat that emerged from the mouth of a grotesque creature. The exit was found shortly after dropping in the stomach of the behemoth and finding a way out of the digestive acid. Good ideas on this map, though its focus was more on the representation of a corrupted transport terminal than on an optimised playing experience, hence the large and empty sections followed by mainly frontal opposition. It was not bad to catch a breath at this point of the episode, at least for people wise enough to avoid -fast monsters, and MemeMind did a good job in one of his earlier non-speedmap efforts.

E3M6 – Deep Crust Borehole by @myolden DSDA-Doom v0.24.3, UV-Fast, Continuous, non-blind run w/saves Myolden returned to present us with a lovely moon base in a blood-filled crater, displaying exquisite lighting that successfully emulated the shadows cast by the oversized, luminous Earth of the third episode sky. Even with my self-inflicted -fast torment, its cramped fights were all entertaining, and still not too deadly. The relatively soft start, and the welcome choice to make the blood floor harmless, allowed me to enter the installation and collect the weapons without being battered as usual. The plasma gun Barons almost boxed me in, but the only hit I got was from the Shotgunner waiting outside. In a map from this author, you should expect any valuable pick-up to be guarded. The chaingun was the only exception to the rule. The rocket launcher surrounded me with a flock of -fast Cacodemons, forcing me to show them my back because I needed to conquer the ledge as soon as possible. My foreknowledge of the secrets, including the Soul Sphere in the previous room, helped me considerably. The BK was protected by another vicious monster teleport, featuring a Demon vanguard that I countered with pre-fired rockets, Imps, and a Baron attacking me from behind. The key allowed me to leave the tech-base and take a walk on lunar ground, under constant attack from hitscanners, Imps, Cacodemons, and cheetah Pinkies, until I reached a blood pit that looked ominous and suggestive at the same time. I collected the secret BFG before entering the titular Deep Crust Borehole: the blood lake sank into the moon subsoil, spawning enemies during the descent, until it reached the level of a hellish cave. I remembered the trouble I had with this encounter when playing the map blind: the big gun made me too self-confident, and I was almost killed by the numerous ambushers. I chose the plasma rifle and kept hitscanner attrition under control, then Cacodemons appeared above my head for some infinitely tall BS, which left me barely standing at 8%. These monsters were a problem in this ambush, since they did not spawn at the floor level but much higher, out of visibility. Losing so much health made the following caverns a miserable experience, because a single scratch could kill me instantly. I died twice before recovering and emerging victorious with the RK. A tall lift inside a silo, non-complying with safety standards, took me back up at the base floor, and allowed automap enthusiasts to score a Soul Sphere secret, which solved health problems for the rest of the level. The red door contained the exit and one last teleport ambush, this time without hitscanners and perfectly suitable for the BFG. Deep Crust Borehole featured great visuals, exciting progression, and fascinating secrets, eventually leading to the secret exit. Finding the hidden YK was not difficult, but I could not find the corresponding door without using the editor the first time I played this map. E3M9 – The Dark Side by @Astro X, @ViolentBeetle DSDA-Doom v0.24.3, UV-Fast, Continuous, non-blind run w/saves A high body count secret level, boasting some slaughter-type combat, the best feature of The Dark Side was nudging the player towards more and more trouble as he rushed into things. Playing it with -fast monsters was a respectable challenge that surely killed me many times, trying to cope with hitscanner aggression. Pistol starters are likely to struggle as well, since every collected weapon throws the player in correspondingly harsher environments, where the authors let themselves go with monster count. Maybe there were too many Barons, and too many monsters in general on UV (391), but it was fine for the secret level to be one of the hardest in the episode. The Dark Side was nicely decorated with crescent shapes and moon phase icons on the floor, just as seen in the first chamber and in the nearby courtyard. Two out of the map's three secrets could be scored immediately, offering a Soul Sphere and a Security Armour that might sustain pistol starters for a while. I must leave the Berserk Pack in the blood pool because I was not in a condition to punch turbo Pinkies, so I used it later to heal from the heavy hitscanner attrition I suffered while exploring the golden building. The large indoor area with GSTVINE offered many attractive pickups, but only the chaingun and the backpack were free. Every weapon threw Doomguy into an arena, requiring him to fight for his life before returning to the hub with a new weapon and some additional ammo. The rocket launcher zone to the north was a bit brutal at first, but at least the Sergeants were facing in the opposite direction. This contained health taxes due to -fast monsters and allowed me to have some fun clearing the chambers. The plasma rifle to the south was much more grievous, since the Shotgun Guys were everywhere and in elevated spots; I was systematically killed in the open ground before reaching cover, so I played conservatively and waited on top of the elevator, killing them through the hole. A bit boring, but no other choice with -fast hitscanners. The BFG was guarded by a host of Barons, along with a Soul Sphere and a Combat Armour, and sent me to a separate arena where a wild monster teleport was about to happen. I was surprised to beat it on first attempt with -fast monsters, but the power-ups and the limited hitscanner quota might have helped. The elevated Sergeants must be prioritised, and the plasma rifle should be preferred until there were Spectres around. Trying to collect the BK sent me to a Cyberdemon arena, which was brutal and totally unexpected. I was killed twice by the -fast boss and his Demon minions. Getting out was a bit frustrating too, since I pressed the visible ugly face and nothing seemed to happen, except that another face appeared in an invisible niche. When leaving the arena, a new wave of monsters assailed me. I must fall back, pump rockets into their first line, and use corners to avoid the projectile bombardment. To finally get the damned BK, I must vanquish one last horde that teleported slowly and with a high percentage of zombies and Barons of Hell. I was dying again, so I used the BFG on the Cacodemons and Spectres, pressed the switch, rushed for the BK, and left them to their infighting. I healed myself and returned to finish off the aristocratic cattle from Hell. Astro X defined the map structure and most of its encounters, then ViolentBeetle completed the level and must re-texture it completely. I assume the encounter following the BFG pickup was a later addition, since the other teleport closets had a much clunkier design in comparison. I would have avoided spawning two Barons every time you return to the hub. As usual, the secret level lacked a final prize for continuous players, unless you consider the Computer Area Map a means to uncover any lost treasures. Sadly, I expended every goodie the map had to offer. The Dark Side was tough as nails and a bit unfair on UV-fast, but I still had lot of fun with the large-scale set pieces.