The DWmegawad Club plays: Eternal Doom

Revisiting Map 25: Beginner's End
100% kills, 3/3 secrets

Dropped down to HMP for this since I would rather devote my attention to the puzzley progression and don't want to waste time with deaths.

So I never solved the "Aiming Errors will result in loss of security privileges" puzzle in the past. I thought entering each set of matched pillars is the intended method to progress. Only after reading other comments here do I finally experience the solution to that puzzle. The crushers are a red herring; the trigger to progress lies elsewhere.

The Diable Security system is one of the more memorable sequences in PWADs. It's home to the only real instant kill trap on the map which is telegraphed too. I didn't know or forgot that there's a hint for a later puzzle here and brute forced that one.

If going for mzxkills, definitely easier to take out everything on The Egress level on the first visit. The grating blocks projectiles but hitscan attacks still pass through and harm monsters on the other side.

I enjoyed the presence of text on this map. The directory at the start adds immersion and other details such as Diablo Security turn what would otherwise be a cheap kill into something that fits in the setting (I did blunder into it once when I first played the map so long ago). As for the secrets, being a product from the '90s, it's not always generous enough to provide hints. The first one I blunder into as part of trying to reach everything. One other is discovered by suspicious lines on the computer map. If there is an actual hint for the megasphere secret, I missed it. Accessed it by guessing and an itchy trigger finger.

There are a few small annoyances though in the end, I like this one. It has what I feel is creative spirit packed into it.

I know I haven't really followed this threads, but I don't know if it's a good idea for you guys to play the Japanese Community Project. I mean, it's unfinished. From my point of view, it would be a better idea to first work out bugs/playtesting/etc before attempting to play through it right now. I mean, it's not like we're running out of months.

Don't get me wrong. From what I see it's a great project, but it may be a good idea to wait until it's finished. I don't see the need to rush it just because it came out recently.

Just my thoughts.

Another vote for Bloodstain from the peanut gallery.

@Zed: IMO that's exactly why it's worth playing in the club, so that its creators can get all kinds of feedback and possible bug reports to finish the wad in good quality. It's also almost finished already, so that you don't have to expect glaring bugs everywhere while playing its current version, anyway.

Got a dense week, but i'm still in for the ride. Still playing without sounds for reasons.

Map 19: 34 minutes of map went by relatevely quick, wich is a good sign. Cacoes were omnipresent here and costitued a big treath due to the vast and interconnected layout of the map, wich always guided me on the right place due to the constantly opening monster closets. Monster placement was really good on keeping me on my toes constantly, since there are so many places from where anything could attack me.
The map upgrade went a little too late, but it could still help those who don't remember where the yellow key door is.
Ammo was overflowing, to the point where i could not care much if i picked up a shotgun shell pack for 1 shell missing, but it may be due to the hmp difficulty setting. Health was nice and pretty forgiving, as i died only a couple of times (one time in a pit that for some reasons did not rised, leaving me trapped with a caco).

Map 20: woah, that chaingunner trap at the start is super bad for pistol starter, how are you supposed to deal with it with 40 bullets? (just run, i suppose). Also after the most boring and easy to miss switch trip (wich was all my fault for supposing it was something it wasn't), we got to the next section, wich contain a one use only door! are you serious? fortunately a lost soul remained trapped inside and eventually opened it for me.
I reached the blue key and managed to get it without problems, then i realized i could not find a use for it anywhere on the map nor i could find anything to progress any further.
To be honest, i don't really understand this map, is a clusterfuck of styles and apparently nonsensical switch hunts, completed with dead ends everywhere, like it was a bag of unfinished ideas trowned here just to make a map, i don't get it.
After 34 minutes of running around i decided to check this thread for guidance, and apparently all of you guys loved it for some reason or another.
At the end, i could not find a way to lower the north east courtyard window even after reading about it, so i just noclipped to the end.
Just to make a direct comparison, i don't think it is nearly at the level of map 31 regarding pazzles nor visual clues.
Overall i found it is not able to spring enough motivation to move forward and complete it; no matter how much you can call it "clever", if you can't retain the attention of the player on the "puzzles" (like map 31 did) you ,as a mapper, ultimately failed at it imho. That is, give a darn clue once in a while, wich isn't "oh, there is a sligtly different blinking light among all those completely different from each others blinking lights!"
Sorry for the rant everybody, i'll be back later.

Map 21: odd short map, placed here probably to alleviate the frustration that could have rised after the previous map, combat is linear and simple; and while it is less detailed than other maps, it is nice to look at.

Bloodstain +1

MAP27 Paldorian

In all honesty, I think this is one of the most boring levels of the set. The enemy density is quite low for the size, and combat moments are usually easy enough, with the occasional horde for those on the higher settings. But even those hordes are compounded as weak enemies usually. The standout rooms are the hub (which changes at the end), the acid room with the trapezoid, and the shootable switches where the yellow key was. There's quite a few hunting for things elsewhere, lots of switches in the computer room for example, and before that, the other acid room with the cross platform, involving some back-and-forth progression. Never a fun idea, that.

The real trouble is getting both 100% kills and 100% items for me. The secrets themselves aren't too tough if you know where to look (I think one of them is required to beat the level though). But 100% kills means more linedef scouting, particularly in aforementioned areas, as monster closets don't trigger all the time. And 100% items is a bitch thanks to several powerups requiring backtracking. Notable examples include the soulsphere just before the big computer room to the NW and the megasphere near the red key. Combine that with the fact that this is an ED level with a really speedrun-unfriendly layout and you got yourself a really nasty map overall.

I'll admit, Brachman likes his stairs in an odd way.

MAP27 - Paldorian

Quite similar to MAP18 for being a techbase with many medieval elements, and even the layout is really compact here. I prefer MAP18 to this one honestly, but this map has also its own good share of cool moments. The nicest fight is probaly in the big room with the acid, with pressure from all the sides. I really like that there are also few invulnerabilities in this level. The biggest drawback is that the SSG comes kinda late.

MAP28 - Timeslip
ZDoom, UV - Pistol Start, KIS(%): 100/100/100

This level has the most beautiful layout, and the best opening sequence in this wad. Most of linedefs are not strict to the conventional grid, and it's like a free drawing with pencil on a paper. But that does not mean the layout is sloppy. Instead, it's actually exquisite and well-connected. Not to mention that the architectural detail with techbase environment is absolutely phenomenal for vanilla doom standard(Then again, Sector 381 and 573 have visplane overflow error, according to the Visplane Explorer). About the combat, you'll encounter monsters in the narrow rooms and corridors most of the time. So it could be a little bit tricky to dodge their projectiles. To make it even worse, I encountered a lot of revenants, and even two cyberdemons in this level. And since the layout is complex, you need to focus on the progression if you don't want to get lost in the narrow corridors. Still, it's really enjoyable to play, in the end. The weapons and ammo placements are well-balanced, and the layout is just beautiful.

Bloodstained is at 6, JCP is at 8.

Zed said:

I mean, it's unfinished.

We've actually beta tested a handful of wads for the club already, including the BtSX series (which I hope we'll get to do for E3 too). It may not seem wise from an outsider's perspective, but it's extremely useful to have a handful of people reliably give feedback for every map, and we haven't encounter anything that's straight-up unplayable yet.

MAP25: Beginner's End

This one feels to me like a brilliant set of ideas that unfortunately have been assembled in an engine that doesn't really support what those ideas are working toward and what the map author is trying to do. It's clever but it's not comfortable - the bank/office area especially felt like the space and scale necessary for enjoyable gameplay were sacrificed on the altar of some other set of goals.

MAP26: No Parking

I'm going to agree with the earlier comments regarding the music for this map; it's a catchy enough tune, and during the combat-oriented parts of the player's trip through Eternville it fits well, but when things slow down and your attention turns to puzzle-solving, its insistent beat just becomes a nuisiance. This is also about the third time I've been tripped up by the presence of that "Zimmer-esque brown wall actually has a face in it that's a switch," texture (the brown wall is called, fittingly enough, SHITE) which made the tail end of this level an exercise in frustration.

...Which is a shame, because otherwise I think this level is an improvement on MAP25, making better use of its environment and with some really engaging subsections - the warehouse, the blue/brown mix of the library area, the haunted hall, the control sector and vents... these are all really good bits of design, and as a whole I think the level hangs together better than what's come before. There's still, though, a 'thinness' to it, a sense that it's Doom only to a token degree and that the map author's creativity is frustrated by the limitations of the format.

@ scifista & dobu: You're right, I actually didn't see it that way. And yeah, I didn't remember that was the case with BTSX. It turned out to be a great idea, looking at the result.

TheOrganGrinder said:

MAP25: Beginner's End

This one feels to me like a brilliant set of ideas that unfortunately have been assembled in an engine that doesn't really support what those ideas are working toward and what the map author is trying to do. It's clever but it's not comfortable - the bank/office area especially felt like the space and scale necessary for enjoyable gameplay were sacrificed on the altar of some other set of goals.

MAP26: No Parking

I'm going to agree with the earlier comments regarding the music for this map; it's a catchy enough tune, and during the combat-oriented parts of the player's trip through Eternville it fits well, but when things slow down and your attention turns to puzzle-solving, its insistent beat just becomes a nuisiance. This is also about the third time I've been tripped up by the presence of that "Zimmer-esque brown wall actually has a face in it that's a switch," texture (the brown wall is called, fittingly enough, SHITE) which made the tail end of this level an exercise in frustration.

i have to agree with both points. 25 being so cramped was quite the opposite of the large eternal castles that i was often wondering how i'm supposed to keep moving here and not blow myself up with the rocket launcher.

granted i'm a "let's shoot stuff" guy and get bored quickly if i've been everywhere and still haven't found that damn key or how to finish the map, but, as you say, 26 was an exercise in frustration.

Map 27 - Paldorian - 97% Kills, 100% Secrets.

David Brachman's second and final entry in the Eternal Doom trilogy is in many ways similar to its predecessor, "Stands". Both levels take place within a square-shaped boundary, both are a mixture of tech and medieval themes, and both even feature alternative arrangements of the same music track (Barabbas). Obviously though, Paldorian is significantly trickier, and there are still a few new tricks to show off.

One interesting theme throughout this level is room transformation. If you step into a plain looking room for the first time, there is a very good chance that by the time you leave, it will be either lowered, contain newly opened areas, or in the case of the start room, it will change so often you'd swear you entered "Prestidigitation" from Icarus. It's by far what makes this level stand out.

I say by far because honestly, the level doesn't really impress me as much in other aspects. The first few halls and rooms are rather dull looking, and the lighting tends to be either full dark or full bright. Also, the architecture is predominantly 90 degree angled rooms and halls: A far cry from something like "The Seeker" for instance. Also, the use of Time Gate computer terminals as regular wallpaper textures is done in an incredibly tacky way.

At least there are several interesting and tricky fights to be had, especially the lower trapezoid room as well as the colorfully snazzy yellow key chamber. There are also a few times you need to revisit old areas and these are almost always repopulated, which prevents too much boredom.

Overall, a decent level, and one that feels like a breather after two Jim Flynn maps and a mammoth Couleur map. However, it just doesn't come off as memorable or groundbreaking when compared to those maps.

All right, a little bit of catch-up to do here...

MAP19: Warheros
56:05 | 97% Kills | 100% Items | 66% Secrets

That misspelled title hurts every time I look at it. I actually played this one a couple nights ago, so I'm trying to remember my thoughts. I know the first time I played it was another of those maps that I got stuck and had to set aside for some time. This time I didn't have as much of a problem; still got bogged down in a couple of spots. First was not realizing the waterfall was a lift; the walkover trigger was a fine hint, I just happened to be looking the other way the first time I went up there. Then later I overlooked the lift that gave access to the southwestern portion of the map; thought it was just a pillar and didn't realize you could lower it and ride it up. And that southwestern section was just brutal. Not a fan of the cyberdemon setup, either firing at him from across the chasm or head-on. Even after that, I managed to save just as the ensuing arch-vile appeared...and I was too far away from cover; died probably 25 times in a row trying to run out of his sight or make painstun him, but eventually I had to just give up and IDDQD to get out of there (though thinking about it, I could have just IDCLIPed through the wall behind me.) Anyway, actually a pretty fun level. I do enjoy Couleur's stuff.


MAP20: Silures
1:00:02 | 68% Kills | 42% Items | 36% Secrets

So...I hate Jim Flynn's levels. But I really enjoy Bob Evans'. Weird, huh? I've decided it has a lot to do with how well the fit into the Eternal WAD. Bob's maps look and feel like classic Eternal Doom maps. Jim's...well, don't. Silures (how is that even pronounced?) is a fun little puzzler. I've played it twice (the only puzzle solution I remembered from my first play was the dead tree "switch") and still managed to never find the yellow key. But the exit, when I do find it, always takes me by surprise. (So soon?) I really enjoy the way that first area slowly opens up. And the combat has some teeth. Great map. Looking forward to tackling Excalibur again (if I make it.)

Vanguard had Free Parking, Eternal has No Parking. Can we keep the parking theme streak going next month?

Map 26 -- No Parking - 101% Kills / 100% Secrets
This map is, as the kids say, "cray-cray." (kray-kray?)

Whereas "Beginner's End" was a guided tour with a heavily prescribed (if nonetheless cryptic) route, "No Parking" is more like Flynn's take on a sandbox, and is ultimately far more complex. Not only do the puzzles here remain quite tricky in and of themselves, but progression is further muddled by the fact that early on you can have a half dozen tasks started at once without necessarily being entirely sure how (or even if) they all fit together; many chunks of the early progression occur in largely self-contained setpieces, and the overall route to the finish narrows down considerably once you're finally ready to get in touch with Nature (TM) later on, but the middle stretch can become convoluted indeed, especially once the keys (which all have multiple functions) start showing up. The expansion in real estate here relative to what was seen in "Beginner's End" or even "Monster Mansion" allows for an even wider variety of puzzle setups, with (perhaps intuitively) more of a focus on traversal-based or otherwise movement-related puzzles, from timed sequences such as those in and around the red-locked warehouse to the brisk mountaineering switchunt odyssey set in Eternite Park. These structurally commensurate developments aside, there's also some really truly zany shit going on beneath the surface here, ala the top-secret rocket-shield test facility or the quest to save The Unknown Doomer (read: a hapless voodoo doll) from becoming a bloody pancake which seems to develop from out of nowhere. You just don't see stuff like this every day (or even every year), folks, and I reckon it's more than worth the price of admission, provided you're up to the challenge.

Incidentally, this is certainly the most difficult of Jim's maps in Eternal Doom, which by default makes it one of the set's most difficult maps, period. Not only are the puzzles tougher (though it's worth noting that outside of one setup there is nothing here that will kill you or otherwise permanently break progression if you can't find the solution), but the monster mash is more pronounced as well. One might think a map with progression like this would have an ambling approach to combat, but think again: the first few minutes of action basically consist of running around Eternville in a low-grade panic while the arachnatrons in their shop-glass pillboxes light up the the mass riot in the streets with sizzling plasma streams, and there's more where that came from later on. Indeed, perhaps the most notable characteristic of the map's particular approach to puzzling is the degree to which the monsters themselves become crucial cogs in a number of the setups; I reckon this is only going to up the stress factor even more for those whose wounds from maps 20 and 25 have yet to close, but once you get acclimated this only adds to the richness and novelty of Flynn's ceaseless machinations.

Perhaps the most fascinating thing about the overall design here is the surprising extent to which a number of rather convoluted puzzle sequences have more than one possible solution. Some of these are simple skips using SR50 or the like; it's hard to tell how many of these Jim may have actually anticipated and planned for, but it's worth noting that none of them break the map, which is interesting. Yet, it's deeper than that: given the way monsters figure as prominent elements in certain setups, there will occasionally be an inelegant brute force option that will take a hefty toll in resources (not entirely trivial since you're locked in to certain regions at some points), contrasted with a sagely indirect approach that will neatly wrap things up pretty as pie if you're savvy enough to sniff it out, and often one or more intermediate solutions, sometimes even more clever in thrust than The Right Way, that work out in their own novel fashion. For instance, there is more than one way to save the Unknown Doomer in the booth at the northeast corner of the street from getting squished: you can shove him out of harm's way as you go for the crucial switch, or avoid ever putting him in harm's way at all if you're crafty about your breaking and entering; whether and how the V-sphere is spent on this little task in turn opens up a variety of alternate branching paths for handling the clusterfuck behind the 'Armory' in the northwest corner, which in turn indirectly affects overall progression in other ways. The rocket-shield facility and Eternite Park can also be handled in a variety of distinctly different ways, and I'm sure there are other, smaller examples of this flexibility at play as well.

There is a genuine brilliance to the way all of this stuff is pieced together, and while some segments feel like they acquit themselves better than others (which is probably a side-effect of the map's considerable length) it's remarkable how many distinctly different ideas are married together here, united in a surprisingly cohesive whole by Flynn's singular vision. This is the rare kind of map that really does seem like a Sierra point/click adventure in its way, albeit with a lot more blood and guts and manic energy. Naturally not something that will be to everyone's taste (to put it mildly), but I reckon it's one that almost everyone will find to be unforgettable, for one reason or another.

Map 27 -- Paldorian - 100% Kills / 100% Secrets
Brachman's medieval/tech fusion returns, in what seems to be some kind of futuristic (alien?) laboratory setting. Texture usage here is at once freeform and yet understated; despite the constantly churning blend of assets from thematically different eras, the overall impression is rather dingy and grey, with the sort of mild but gradually soul-withering gloom that I mentally associate with run-down department stores and backroom offices and the like. While the resultant impression is 'abstract' to say the least, in a Doomy context I don't find it as offputting in effect as the off-kilter texture usage in Dietmar Westerteicher's earlier maps; the impression here's not so much that the level was made for a different resource and then badly converted as that the author has taken more of an, uh...."impressionistic" Petersenesque approach to texturing, if you know what I mean, which is not something I necessarily object to. That said, I found myself growing vaguely disinterested in the surroundings after a while, which I suspect is a function of so much of the level playing out in the context of little winding warrens of corridors and the like. The same was true of "Stands" from earlier, I suppose, but that level's also a lot shorter than this one.....I am a great advocate of lengthy levels, as you all know, but I suspect this one is simply too long, and eventually loses focus. At first it seems like the level is going to center around the strange central chamber, but save the final encounter (which is admittedly cool, if underdone) nothing of note seems to ever happen there, with you eventually meandering off into a side-area in quest for a special timegate that will send you to the far-flung future for the next map. But first, there's the little matter of making it up to that point.

"Paldorian" is very trappy. Again, so was the author's "Stands" from earlier, of course, but this is really on a different level -- there is a very palpable sense of being toyed with at play here, and the author exercises a degree of stern control over the player's resources and where/when/how he is allowed to move that is fairly uncharacteristic for a 'normal' level of this vintage. Not particularly friendly to newcomers, a lot of the encounters (especially early on) have one intended way you're supposed to play them, and failing to do so generally leads not to death per se, but to an ever-decelerating pace to battles as your ammo resources dwindle. This all promptly fucks right off out the window if you find the first secret berserk pack, of course, which may or may not be what the author intended. Some of the traps/encounters do play out fairly well, I thought--the slime-cistern ambush and the final transformation of the main chamber being the obvious highlights--but a lot of the combat, which again skews noticeably towards mid/upper-tier monsters, seems like it's there more as a matter of ceremony than anything. There is some cool stuff to see here, ala the YK sequence (which is a bit janky and can easily be broken, incidentally, though I don't think doing so will irretrievably harm progression), but also a fair few segments that don't feel like they're doing anything but filling time and space, ala the computer lab area to the northwest. Areas with no particular pressing point to their existence are just fine and dandy as optional areas in a more open/exploratory level, of course, but this level contains essentially no optional content--it's everything or nothing.

To be sure, "Paldorian" is a lot more elaborate and expansive than "Stands" from earlier, but somehow I don't like it as much. While the style of construction and pacing (and also aesthetics) is very similar between the two, I think "Stands" was held together by its running theme of repeatedly circumventing or sabotaging enemy traps and security measures, while in "Paldorian" you're just shuttled about from jab to jab; you might say that the former made good use of the potential strengths of its mouse-warrens layout, whereas the latter tries to play it straight and as a result isn't nearly as much fun, simply because environments like this are generally less fun/suitable venues for ordinary Doom combat.

MAP27: Paldorian

Neither so big nor so lengthy as the preceding couple of maps, this one delivers a more conventional and (to my mind) more Doom-like experience, as they player navigates from the brownish, anonymous darkness of its central courtyard through a succession of tech-themed spokes and warrens toward a final goal that gradually comes into focus as the map progresses. I found the endless switchback stairs in the south-west corner of the map to be the point that really sapped my momentum, and once you get into the south-east region, it's possible to stumble back into the courtyard through then-one-way doors before your task is done and the ability to open that door from the courtyard side has been granted, necessitating a long trek back through the bowels of the map to get back to where you were. On the other hand there are some genuinely pleasant moments of puzzle-solving mechanical engagement here. I think DotW's assessment of the overall feel as "Petersenesque" is spot-on; texture assets aside, this wouldn't feel out of place as a larger, twistier cousin to E2M7. It does, however, feel unpolished and somewhat disjointed, with a relatively linear progression of puzzles suggesting a sort of piecemeal assembly that doesn't interconnect well.

MAP28: Timeslip

This one is quite the architectural marvel of multiple levels, distinct themes, and unexpected angles, all flowing smoothly together into a cohesive whole that doesn't feel disjointed; you can tell when you're leaving one thematic segment and stepping into the next, but the joing between them feel very natural, the seams are well sanded-down. The player is made constantly aware of the level's scale through the use of transparent 'force field' barriers that reveal what's beyond without allowing access; as such, it feels very open even in the early stages of play where your movement is quite restricted.

I found that my actual progression was similarly smooth, with just a couple of 'snags' where I got caught up without a strong sense of where to go or what to do next; in these cases, the actual solution was blindingly obvious and I think I caught myself out in convincing myself that things were more convoluted than they really were, perhaps a consequence of the pair of Jim Flynn conundrums a couple of levels earlier adjusting my expectations. Definitely one of the stronger levels in the WAD, and relatively laid-back in its difficulty; there are a lot of close-quarter encounters, but you've generally got plenty of corner to duck behind and safe spaces to fall back to if you're overwhelmed.

MAP28 Timeslip

So how long has it been since a Schmitz level? Long? Good. Not so sure that text was necessary, considering two of the longest follow this one. With a monster count of only 57 on ITYTD and the layout being relatively compact in comparison to others, this is actually a short level by Eternal standards.

That being said, just look at this map in the automap when you get the chance. Paul is one intricate bastard when it comes to the layout. This is stuff you probably would notice in a Xaser map nowadays. There's loads of switches tucked away in corners, and even though there's a low monster count, there's quite a few mid-tier monsters. Take it slow, particularly on pistol start. There's a lot of shooting glass too. Perhaps the biggest stumbler in this map is figuring out that the rails aren't impassable, something I had learned from Schmitz's previous map here. Notably, jumping from one weapon to the other in terms of progression. And if that isn't enough, figuring out how to get both "seals" engaged and leaving the map could take some time, due to those keys being a bit tricky to figure out. Not as tricky as the cyberdemons that you'd have to fight around that time too. Also revenants and barons make up most of the enemies here.

With only four maps to go, I'm gonna play two more. The end is nigh!

Map27: Paldorian (Dave Brachman)
100% kills, 100% items, 100% secrets
Time: 22:37

Dave Brachman returns with another map reminiscent to Stands; a mostly squarish and compressed map with Tom Hall-style corridors and a mixture of techbase and medieval themes, only this time, much bigger, a more confusing layout, and the corridors are a lot tighter. The start can be quite hairy if you're doing this on pistol start as you don't have enough ammo for the enemies, particularly the squad of demons marching towards you from a dark alcove. One interesting thing about this map is that the start gradually changes, specifically when you open the way to the west section of the map, and when you hit the yellow key switch which opens the way to the exit. This map is laden with traps and there's a couple of rather cruel pranks. One is where you drop down a pit and must hit a switch to open the door. Do not hit the close one as it activates a crushing ceiling above you. Another is in the narrow hallway surrounded by stairs. There's a switch in one of the passages which looks as if it would open the door to the invulnerability in the glass, but it actually activates an elevator which is the passage you're standing on. If you hit that switch when the door is open, you won't make it. There's even several ambushes in many sections of the map, some of which are walls that open up revealing more of the map. The large toxic slime area houses the most lethal ambushes. As for locating the keys, the blue one isn't difficult to find. Just pay attention to the textures and know that the brown walls with the lightning bolt symbol are either a door or an elevator. The red key will take awhile, and you've got a bit of switch hunting, staircase activating, and running around narrow corridors to finally reach it. The yellow will have you completing a rather tedious puzzle sequence where you must land on the platforms with the blue floor, and shoot at some unreachable switches, before revealing a switch that will raise another irregular staircase up to the pedestal where the yellow key rests. All and all, this is a decent map, may be confusing and frustrating at times, but it is thankfully a breath of fresh air from those brain teasers we've endured in Jim Flynn's maps. The music track is a nice remix of one of the earlier tracks in the megawad. Do take note that once you've hit the yellow switch, one of the raised blocks has a switch which reveals a shortcut to the exit, which removes the worry of backtracking.

Map28: Timeslip (Paul Schmitz)
104% kills, 100% items, 100% secrets
Time: 13:43

It's been awhile since we've last seen a Paul Schmitz map, and he starts it off praising us for making it this far into the megawad. It's yet again an odd mixture of techbase and medieval, looks more like a laboratory and probably a spiritual successor to the Time Gate maps due to the name. the puzzles here aren't very hard to figure out, least for me. It's mainly find switches and hit them, many of which deactivate the force fields, allowing you to go further into the map. Many of them are behind breakable glass, which is a pretty nice touch to an already cool map. This is possibly less cryptic than The Abbey, so I guess this might as well be treated as a breather map of sorts, and just like its predecessor, you can jump over railings. You have a mazelike layout that is actually quite easy to navigate through, and there's glowing lights everywhere in the map. As you progress through the map, monsters spawn all over the place, so you better be careful and be ready for them. The first cyberdemon can be easily disposed of with the invulnerability, but be quick with the BFG9000 when you take out the second. Everything else falls into place once all the forcefields and closed areas have opened up, and there's even the chambers with lights indentions and ammo, and the empty ones serve as teleporters, which you can use to transport to the opposite chamber, a pretty neat feature. When you have all keys, you can gain access to the time portal, and you must use one end to deactivate the forcefield that will allow you to enter the other end. A really beautiful map which so much intricacy in the architecture and visuals, it's thankfully not a lengthy one, and the medieval-sounding track really goes well with it. A really fun and enjoyable experience overall, and one of my all-time favourites in Eternal Doom.

With that, I'll be leaving it here for now. Only two more to go, but they're gonna be the longest, biggest, and most difficult ones yet. I can't believe we're almost done with Eternal Doom, considering how huge and puzzly a great deal of them are. So, I shall see you again in the penultimate map of Eternal Doom, which is Dominion by Chris Couleur. Take care and have fun.

MAP29 - Dominion
ZDoom, UV - Pistol Start, KIS(%): 99/66/71

The last medieval fortress designed by Christopher Couleur. It has the simple layout; a hub area with four key doors for each cardinal points. And because of this, the progression is highly linear, despite the fact that the level is a little bit huge(for this density of monsters) so you need to explore the hub area first in order to grab some goodies, such as super shotgun and some powerups. About the monster placement. As I said earlier, the size of this level is a little bit huge for this density of monsters, so you won't have much trouble to deal with them. Although you still need to be aware of shotgun guys around, and the chaingunners from above. Finding a way to go is not that hard, except some yet another cryptic puzzles, such as shootable dead space marine on the wall. But let me tell you, the most tedious, cryptic level is yet to come. Oh dear god...

Map 28 - Timeslip - 100% Kills, 100% Secret.

Over the course of this megawad, it's become quite easy to pick out the styles of each map author. Flynn's maps are puzzle maps with some novelty thrown in, Dia's have an arcade feel, Couleur's are epic. But we've previously only played one map by Paul Schmitz: The Abbey. For those eagerly expecting Timeslip to be "Abbey II", you'll be quite disappointed. Instead, what we get is a techbase map that is one of the best in the megawad.

Timeslip is the third Timegate-themed level in the set. In fact, it feels more like a direct sequel to the first than the second one was. There are certainly hallmarks of this theme: techbase with just a sprinkling of medieval architecture, Blue/grey walls and floors, the titular time gate, and red/blue key seals.

The design is simply wonderful: A tight maze-like network of corridors and rooms, which link up via a circular shaped hub. Force-fields and locked gates block the way of progress early on, and you need to do a minor amount of platforming in order to fully unlock the way.

By far the best looking area is the time gate chamber and its surrounding areas. With several castle-like fortresses, early faux 3D architecture, and amazing texture use, it still looks breathtaking some two decades later. The lighting is overall among the best I've seen, especially in that eerie series of interconnected halls to the bottom left.

Combat is quite brutal. There are not too many enemies, and the overall level size is quite small. However, Paul set up each encounter so that you handle each enemy almost one on one. In terms of combat, it makes this the most unique level in the set. Of course, with the massive amount of revenants and multiple cyberdemons, you can expect to die quite a bit.

Overall, Timeslip is a masterpiece, and it helps to have it placed so late in the map as it keeps the player wanting to keep playing until the end. Great design, challenging combat, and many memorable monents. It's one of my favorites in the set.

MAP28: This is a pretty awesome map. I’m a fan of microdetailing, so this map worked wonders on my eyes, with its looping layout being the icing on the cake. Action was claustrophobic like the last map but not nearly as rectangular and staged, making each of the fights more dynamic and fun (even when they were frustrating, like the second cyber fight). The progression leaves a little more to be desired—the jump to the RL wasn’t clearly telegraphed, and I feel that the BK is completely pointless. On top of that health is severely imbalanced, with two megaspheres being in one room where one would’ve been better served outside the chainsaw area/maze. Despite my qualms, I was pleased with my time on this map, and it’s easily my second favorite of the set.

...
I change my vote to JPCP. :)

MAP28 - Timeslip

A very intricate techbase level with few medieval bits. The texturing is quite crazy as it changes on almost every room. There's a really cool lightning, as well as some nice 3D stuff. It's not really dense of monsters but it manages to be quite difficult. Excellent stuff.

MAP21: Fire and Stone
95% kills, 2/2 secrets

After a very Eternal Doom-y map, we have a very short and straightforward one. Good placement after MAP20 I suppose as a palette cleanser. No puzzles here (the hardest thing is the double-switch at the start), just an immediate SSG gift and some monsters in corridors to blast through. The early part of the map keeps things interesting with using elevators and some attractive room designs, but the later part of the map is a bit more bland and suffers a bit (though the final room is cool).

28: fda hrrrrng. DNF. This one is an absolute beaut on the automap, but holy disorientation batman. Combat wasn't hard or anything, but again I was defeated by not knowing what to do after 15 or so minutes of wandering around an empty map looking for switches.

Striking design, impressively compact. Gameplay neither here nor there. Wish I could've found my way through this one..

kuchitsu said:

Another vote for Bloodstain from the peanut gallery.

kuchitsu said:

...
I change my vote to JPCP. :)

'aight m8, meet me behind the gym at 3:15 'cause there gon' be some consequences.

kuchitsu said:

...
I change my vote to JPCP. :)

Booo, since when does Memfis go with the herd.