Endless Random /idgames WAD Adventures #045

[ICID]

^{(logo by @4MaTC)}

 

ICID, what the hell is this now?

Endless Random /idgames WAD Adventures is a small project of exploration, interaction, entertainment and reviews where we meet once every two weeks to select random WADs in search of hidden treasures, lost promises, or our worst nightmares! We use the /idgames archive’s special feature that lets us search for random files. Of course, sometimes the results are resources or unplayable stuff, so we focus on looking for WADs.

 

So, what do we do here?

1. Play at least one random WAD in a two-week period of time. WADs are selected using the Random File feature on /idgames or from the list below.

2. Post a review of whatever you play. There’s no required pacing, but most of us post a review once every 1-2 days.

3. Always provide the name of the WAD, the name of the author, and a link to the file.

4. Play however you want, on any skill level, and with any source port, as long as you play the WAD as intended/in working shape.

5. Be respectful. Good rule of thumb: making fun of a map is okay, making fun of the mapper is not.

 

What kind of WADs are we looking for?

Any file on /idgames is fair game, but most of us choose to stick to singleplayer Doom or Heretic WADs that work in our sourceport(s) of choice. I also pull at least 5 random WADs for the event and add them here. Feel free to play them with me if you wish, or look for your own! The point of the event is to encourage you to explore this vast, random world. 

 

Recommendations for reviewing:

Spoiler

1. Please take screenshots or video of your adventures.
2. Commenting the source port and skill-level is not required, but provides helpful context to your review.
3. Try to stick to no more than 1 WAD per day to avoid burnout, but this part’s all up to you, champ!
4. As mentioned above, screenshots or videos are awesome. 
5. Reviews of all formats are valid. Both longform and shortform are good as long as you write with integrity. 

 

Endless Random /idgames WAD Adventures of this event:

1. Embers Of Hell: Ratanaba UDMF (Director's Cut)
2. Wrong key? Wrong door?
3. Captain Mancubus
4. Big Juicy Level
5. The City (At Night)

 

Spoiler

The Top 10 (Out of ):

1. @Roofi | 5210
2. @Sena | 2265
3. @LadyMistDragon | 1970
4. @Walter confetti | 1405
5. @ICID | 695
6. @Endless | 570
7. @Thelokk | 415
8. @smeghammer | 380
9. @Clippy | 330
10. @Biodegradable | 310

 

Join the Doom Master Wadazine community for more events like this! » https://discord.gg/Q2RKn4J

[brick]

My Kingdom by Jason King

Hitting the random button gave me a Hexen wad of all things.

There's the occasional flash of inspiration, but the map is generally quite poor. The features are quite recognizable, there's the building you start in, a long valley leading to a small citadel, with a set of caves nearby. There's an abundance of items (hundreds of them!) but most aren't needed, the opposition is not that fierce, mostly ettins and centaurs, a few bishops, and lots of stalkers in the moat. The real deadly enemies are the instant death traps, there are quite a few bottomless pits for you to fall in. Being Hexen there are switches all over, it's never clear what any of them do but the map is not large so you just keep exploring. Two pieces of the 4th weapon are in the citadel, shortly after getting them you unlock the path to the final area, where you fight a heresiarch, but you can complete your 4th weapon there, and there are so many artifacts to help you that the fight is pretty one-sided. There's the occasional nice bit of architecture, especially inside the citadel (a secret behind a bookcase, the big indoor pool, the stairs rising to the battlements) but everything is quite amateurish, with the outdoors being completely flat and all those items randomly placed all over the place. On the bright side there's nothing actually bad about the map, and it's pretty quick playing.

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

[Thelokk]

No Way in Hell  by Chris Warren (1995)

GZDoom / UV /100% kills / 100% secrets

 

One of the many, many throwaway, deep 90s 'babby's first maps' that can be found in the recesses of /idgames. The map has a grand total of zero secrets and 26 monsters, almost all of them optional. Walk along a fullbright wooden corridor, kill a couple of nazis and gunners, grab the key and get out. Very little to speak of. 

I give it a mein liebe / 10. 

 

[LadyMistDragon]

11 hours ago, brick said:

My Kingdom by Jason King

Hitting the random button gave me a Hexen wad of all things.

There's the occasional flash of inspiration, but the map is generally quite poor. The features are quite recognizable, there's the building you start in, a long valley leading to a small citadel, with a set of caves nearby. There's an abundance of items (hundreds of them!) but most aren't needed, the opposition is not that fierce, mostly ettins and centaurs, a few bishops, and lots of stalkers in the moat. The real deadly enemies are the instant death traps, there are quite a few bottomless pits for you to fall in. Being Hexen there are switches all over, it's never clear what any of them do but the map is not large so you just keep exploring. Two pieces of the 4th weapon are in the citadel, shortly after getting them you unlock the path to the final area, where you fight a heresiarch, but you can complete your 4th weapon there, and there are so many artifacts to help you that the fight is pretty one-sided. There's the occasional nice bit of architecture, especially inside the citadel (a secret behind a bookcase, the big indoor pool, the stairs rising to the battlements) but everything is quite amateurish, with the outdoors being completely flat and all those items randomly placed all over the place. On the bright side there's nothing actually bad about the map, and it's pretty quick playing.

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

 

I remember this one from probably a few months back. That was pretty much how it was.

Edited November 1, 2022 by LadyMistDragon

[Thelokk]

Let's see if I can roll something other than the usual mid 90s stuff. I have nothing against that kind of maps, I find them rather endearing to be honest, but I'd kinda like to play something unironically good for once.

 

Hollow Minds by Kristian Aro (2004)

DSDA-Doom / UV / 83% kills / 0% secrets

 

I'm a big believer in baring one's biases before reviewing, and therefore I'll be straightforward and say I'm not particularly attached to the Aro / Pcorf mapping formula as seen in Whispers of Satan and the various Doom Odysseys. That pedissequous retracing of the vanilla formula simply doesn't strike a chord with me and, sadly, Hollow Minds sticks to this recipe to a fault. It's not a bad map by any standard: the texture work is pleasing and competent, the combat more than serviceable (save for some very nasty blunders, which I'll get to in a second), the atmosphere is classic Doom and the MIDI is a rocky banger, but to me these are all minuses, not pluses: Aro's map, in spite of its very large monster count, just kinda passes by, leaving neither a good nor a bad aftertaste. There is no surprises, no excitement, no sign of artistry at play: it's excellent craftsmanship, and nothing more.   

 

We're not off to the best start. I'm not one to think that there are 'rules' in mapping, but one of those that to me comes closest to one is: if you choke your map with hitscanners, you have to give me armor. Hitscanners, especially if perched or placed in strategic footholds, are inherently unfair, as they simply hit or not; save for corner camping, I have no defense against them: at least give me some damn armor so I can peek out of that corner long enough to make some progress. Jeez. 

 

Another very 'classic id' design thing that I simply don't get is the switch that opens a door... right next to it. Why? am I missing something? to me it's just superfluous design. I did kinda dig the doors' design, it's not often that you see people play with door geometry, I myself don't do nearly enough of it. A pinky-booby trapped chainsaw (surprise surprise), 50 monsters in, most of which hitscanners, and still not a shred of armor... sorry, one armor bonus, I stand corrected. 

 

Then we get the red key, a bunch of rockets - no rocket launcher in sight - and a nice surprise of two arch viles popping up right on top of all the stuff we killed so far. Note that, apparently, we are meant to combat them and all the BoH / revs / chaingunners they rezzed, with a chaingun and a shotgun. I was very, very tempted to leave and call it a day, but I soldered on for science.

 

The above pretty much sums up the map's rhythm. Medium to heavy hitters in close quarters, two thirds of the enemies being surprise hitscanners, no armor and very little hp, often insufficient ammo. Now, Kristian Aro surely knows their stuff, and I'm sure they had this map properly playtested before release - likely by either a Doomgod, or someone who said they tested it, and then didn't. Balance is off, the horde of enemies is a slog, and even the nice vanilla architecture starts to become gratingly repetitive after a while. I'm not the audience for this kind of stuff, but I have a hard time understanding how anyone else could have fun with this. To each one their own, I guess. 

 

[pcorf]

12 hours ago, Thelokk said:

I'll be straightforward and say I'm not particularly attached to the Aro / Pcorf mapping formula as seen in Whispers of Satan and the various Doom Odysseys.

 

This map was released before Death Tormention 3, we agreed to make DT3 after that. I feel your frustration but be proud for beating these annoying maps.

 

I kinda regret releasing Whispers of Satan, it was too overdone and repetitive. With Zone 400 and 2022ado I focussed much more on the layout. Yep with Kristian's maps those shotgunners and chaingunners on ledges can be annoying at times. He is likely retiring from mapping and I will be taking a good break too, but will make the occasional map here and there for community projects, etc.

 

I will not be whining like a spoilt child if 2022ado does not get a Cacoward, it is no big deal to me. I am proud of it regardless. :D

 

We go through frustrating experiences but we never give up in life and if we succeed and get through those frustrations that is an achievement for sure.

[Thelokk]

6 hours ago, pcorf said:

I will not be whining like a spoilt child if 2022ado does not get a Cacoward, it is no big deal to me. I am proud of it regardless. :D

 

 

A good practice. We should generally move away from judging someone's (or our own) mapset's inherent worth based on whether it gets a Caco or not.

2022ADO is a good mapset. Caco worthy? Not sure. Does it really matter?

 

 

 

Now, on with the scheduled programming:

 

Total Control by Dutch Devil (2005)

GZDoom / HNTR / 100% kills / 45% secrets

 

And we're still on topic, as we actually roll a Cacoward winnder! An expansive, UDMFish (for some reason, however, actually in Hexen format...) map that takes full advantage of advanced features such as polyobjects (now that's something you don't see everyday), animated skyboxes, colored lighting and so on. A very good map, certainly, but a bit of a head scratcher when it comes to the Caco it won. 

Let's start with the good: none of the advanced features are a throwaway, and they all come together to craft a very atmospheric environment, which still feels very Doom-like (most textures are stock) while at the same time dipping into the desolate techbase feel of Doom 64. There are a lot of nice, 'useless' touches (switches that open windows on vistas, lots of not overbearing sci-fi doomcute) that really make the environment feel alive. 

 

Now, on to the not so good: the map is one big slog. I actually downgraded to HNTR not because the map was particularly difficult on UV (though very ammo starved), but simply to reduce the monster count. It's mostly a horde of hitscanners, mostly in your face behind doors or bars, an old and tired UDish combat formula that really clashes with how 'modern' the map's visuals feel. The layout itself is nothing to write home about, a string of very alike corridors occasionally broken up by octagonal rooms, and a couple of very tiny open air sections. Once the wow effect of the eye candy wore off, frankly I just couldn't wait to be done with the map - I didn't bother to get all secrets, which is a rather clear indicator of a map that drags on.

 

All in all, certainly a good map, but nothing that screams Caco to me... in 2022. Considering the year, I guess this kind of advanced engine / mapping tricks were science fiction in the mid 2000s, in which case I tip my hat. 

 

 

 

 

[pcorf]

4 hours ago, Thelokk said:

A good practice. We should generally move away from judging someone's (or our own) mapset's inherent worth based on whether it gets a Caco or not.

2022ADO is a good mapset. Caco worthy? Not sure. Does it really matter?

 

Nope it doesn't matter. Not at all. I am just happy to get it all complete and released.

[LadyMistDragon]

 

After spending all my time trying to play through the latest wads and eventually giving up for the most part after getting the basics down, finally got spare time for some comfort food. Or so I thought....

 

Forgotten Estate (2014) by @riderr3 (From Doom With Love)

 

Long, brown, boring, and mazelike, albeit with some amount of detailing that stops short of Doomcute. Like, you can easily identify stables in the east and guard stations near the entrance, as well as something in the north that's like a presentation room or movie theater. Unfortunately, it rather feels like several different ideas were being used here, and not many of them good. Ammo distribution is quite uneven and incredibly stiff starting out. And I don't know what purpose that dungeon section in the southwest serves otherwise. Worst part is I think a lift in the mansion may have broke because it just went down without going up when I stepped on it though.(I checked the editor so it's not a completely uneducated guess) That's ok, encounters are largely little to speak off, and claustrophobic to the point of parody as an /idgames reviewer recently pointed out. I may have spent a little more time with it, but I was too irritated to avoid cheating. It's fine though, there's not too much to say other than the hitscanners at the beginning sucked.  6/10

 

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

Edited November 3, 2022 by LadyMistDragon

[Thelokk]

Running Late by @A2Rob (2017)

DSDA / UV / 100% kills / 100% secrets

 

A short, 5-maps set that sticks, for the most part, very close to the 'updated vanilla' formula we have come to known from the late 2010's onward - vanilla textures (with a modified palette that is either taken from, or visually very similar to fletcher's Mapgame), mostly incidental combat with very telegraphed ambushes, minimal dehacked work, relentless run n'gun with little time for diversion in gameplay that isn't mowing down hordes of enemies.

 

Supposedly Running Late has some sort of story to it, but it doesn't really impact the game in an Uprising kind of way. Visually, the mapset is serviceable but rather unambitious. We're mostly in techbase territory, with a few diversions into jungle themes. The geometry is blocky, mostly very bright and entirely in the service of combat. I liked the open areas the best - I feel they take a few more risks with geometry and layout, rather than simply sticking to the 'square box with crate maze' formula that is a tad bit overused here.

 

Gameplay is... alright, I guess. Not bad, absolutely not, but for the most part a bit bland. Open the door, hitscanners behind it, grab the key, wall lowers to reveal more hitscanners or maybe a few revs. Later maps, growing in size and monster count, take a few more chances and dip into slaughterlite territory, and frankly I liked those parts the best - rocketing down a crowd of revenants will never not be fun.

 

So yeah, a fun hour or so if you're into very traditional looks and gameplay.  

 

Spoiler

 

[LadyMistDragon]

Hell Revealed UV lmp collection (1997) by Various

 

A collection of demos for that most hideous megawad made by a pair of teenagers that somehow got people older than they were to make maps increasingly more over-the-top and ridiculous.

 

 

Orbity (2013) by RedBull (Eternity)

 

Like the /idgames review said, it feels rather like an much-older map, though that mainly comes from the simplistic layout and replacement sound effects, along with some gun redesigns. Speaking of which, the chaingun sounds beefier but also somewhat disappointing. This is cool spooky music though, and I like the dock at the Player 1 start. Ammo is pretty spare though, and I'm not sure you can pick up the BFG in the slime pentagram if you aren't starting there to begin with. Otherwise, some caverns with lava and some walls that do seem to resemble a moon, as well as a wooden fort. Also, that's a nice custom sky, wherever it came from. And creepy exit too. What you can't see in the below screenshot is there's a blood pillar in the middle.

 

 

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

[Thelokk]

I'm guessing everyone is on vacation for this round of IWA... oh well, more legroom for myself!

 

Abyssal Speedmapping Session 30 (2018)

DSDA / UV /100% kills / 100% secrets

 

Here we are with an installment from the now defunct ASS sessions (so soon, I barely knew ya). Hosted by TheMionicDonut, this session featured 12 maps, centered around the gimmicks: use the Romero Head (meh), feature the Plasma Gun (yay), and be 'moody as all get out', which I'm not sure what exactly could mean. Twelve maps is a lot, but I'll simply fire up the thing and see how far I get [In the end, I decided to briefly comment only my favorite maps]. 

Note: the mapset came with a totally rad, blood red palette which I'm totally going to steal. 

 

MAP01: 'The Cliff' by @gaspe

Starting out with a banger, 'Suburbs' if it was actually cool. Only seven monsters and zero secrets, but all is forgiven. Map is indeed moody as hell, it features my favorite Doom monster (the spiderdemon) and it just hits the right, gloomy notes. Doesn't overstay its welcome either.

 

MAP02: "Wonky World" by @Surreily

Slooter time! Pretty compat but tough map, particularly enjoyed the micro-cloud of pain elementals. Not as brooding as Gaspe's, but still rather dark and foreboding thanks to the palette swap.

 

MAP06: "Raving Heavy" by @Walter confetti

A dark techbase, entirely infested by chaingunners? and it's actually fun? what has this world come to. Like most of Walter's map this is a rather easy, stress-free offering (unlike some of the stuff that came between 02 and 05...), which is exactly what I needed. Good times. You also get to crush a Romero head, which is always fun. 

 

MAP12: "Agitating ASStacular FinAAAle" by Alterworldruler

Invuln fueled, massive 'just go all out' slaughter, just my kind of stuff. Straferun to your heart's content, go from invuln to invuln, choose a Romero head on a stick to blast and victory is yours. Silly and entertaining. 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

[LadyMistDragon]

(I'd finished this earlier, but didn't want to double-post and at any rate, I'm unsure I'll be able to keep it up because of the next couple of hits)

 

 

Rienzi release 6 (2011) by Christopher Bazley (Eternity)

 

A single and linear map for Doom II, but one which makes  some not insignificant attempts at atmosphere. You'll definitely want to keep your automap on for the opening section; it's quite dark and splits in several places you're not likely to spot your first time through. Otherwise, you could end up stumbling into a spectre without a shotgun, and at that point, that's it. You can find a shotgun either from a sergeant or from a corpse sitting below a sinkhole (I don't know if it's necessarily called that, but I can't think of the right word, maybe 'grotto'). At one point, there's even a fallen board that I guess is like a bridge after some rare heavy rain. At a certain point, light comes back and the walls turn red, mostly red brick at first, but eventually, a cavern with a certain custom lava texture. You'll first spot it at a location where Lost Souls are filtering through the walls from a location where the yellow key can be found.

 

Monster placement shows an increased amount of nastiness as you get further in, to the extent that you'll be facing a Hell Knight and a Cacodemon with a single-barreled shotgun in a very small space if you make the wrong moves. There's also a nasty piercing-sector trap that will make holes in your flesh as you run to pick up some much-needed shells. And check out the floor decoration in this section - nicely made.

 

Anyways, the cavern after this is quite nice, though the Revenants in the side nooks will probably necessiatate that you run for a while. Also, Imps are everywhere, along with some Lost Souls and Mancubi, so proper equipment is key.

 

A blue key's picked up next to two Hell Knight and a rocket launcher. From this point, it's pretty much rocket the Mancubi and head in, lest the Revenants here make a you a blood hamburger. Although facing them isn't necessarily easier inside - a chapel with a BFG on the altar and a Cyberdemon growling from somewhere. Doesn't mak lots of difference though. Exit through the back to witness a shockingly blue sky, climb the tower here while maybe shooting a Revenant or two and hit the switch to exit the map.

 

 

7/10, I guess, though the opening section especially is needlessly frustrating, and it arguably doesn't get good until entering the main cavern.

 

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

[Roofi]

Year 2 Month 01 Day 02 

 

I play until I die or intentionally stop. I don't comment the wad where I died/stopped.

 

[1] ELLIOT GOBLET by Paul Corfiatis @pcorf (2001)

 

Spoiler

 

Quote

Elliot Goblet, Australian comedian actor. His stupid face and voice. To see him, just walk forward and his picture appears, you hear his voice. Push on his picture to hear more of his voice and open the exit behind you. For more enjoyment, fire you're pistol and try to make the cyber and spider fight each other. Then escape fast!!!.

 

Hmm... What to say about this map? It's funny I guess but there's no gameplay, or rather you can trigger an optional duel between a cyberdemon and spider mastermind but you can just go to the exit if you're scared.

 

Grade : E (for Elliot)

 

I died in a stupid hardcore fireblu map from #DooM Speedmapping Session 2

 

Spoiler

[LadyMistDragon]

The Abbey of Desecration (1996) by Ralph Jenkins (GZDoom)

 

Look what we have here. A decent Hexen map! So perhaps it's a little bit simple and the caves at the edges are perhaps too archetypically Hexen. However, it actually plays pretty well and isn't especially confusing. Summoning the star bridge into the abbey is basically a matter of exploration, though the cave leading there is quite tight.

 

Inside the abbey, you have to fight off infinitely-spawning Ettin, in addition to other enemies. That's ok though, you're well stocked with f ammo and you'll have your class' secondary weapon before too long. The gates that each lead to a pair of graveyards are quite puzzling, like the cage surrounding the teleporter in the central building. Head into the dungeons below the battlements to pick up a key that's probably important while scaling the towers or whatever. Careful observation will a) reveal a place you can't access yet and b) lead you to a critical switch by hitting a corresponding wall to where you'll spot a Slaghtaur (those shield losers). This lowers the grate around the teleporter in the central building, thusly sending you on a series of teleporters and fights with Wendigo before bringing you to what you now realize was a fake wall where the serpents were firing at you earlier, along with another switch and the second half of your ultimate weapon. This switch opens up a random passage in the ramparts with....slaughtaurs and a curious waterfall barrier that seems to lower from a linedef. Here, you pick up a key that allows you to enter a side room in the central building, filled with enough packed gargoyle, serpent, and bishop nastiness that you should utilize every powerup at your disposal. The same awaits you on the other side. Finally, you can enter the ever-morbid graveyards, climb the pyramids, and hopefully pick the right one so you don't have to backtrack out again, then exit.

 

This plays really well, and I liked the dungeon and bar detailing quite a bit. The slippery floor in spots (outside of the castle) and central building seemed pointless. Also, the crisscrossing just got much too weird at the end. 7/10, perhaps even 8.

 

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

[FEDEX]

On 11/4/2022 at 2:49 PM, LadyMistDragon said:

Hell Revealed UV lmp collection (1997) by Various

 

A collection of demos for that most hideous megawad made by a pair of teenagers that somehow got people older than they were to make maps increasingly more over-the-top and ridiculous.

 

 

Orbity (2013) by RedBull (Eternity)

 

Like the /idgames review said, it feels rather like an much-older map, though that mainly comes from the simplistic layout and replacement sound effects, along with some gun redesigns. Speaking of which, the chaingun sounds beefier but also somewhat disappointing. This is cool spooky music though, and I like the dock at the Player 1 start. Ammo is pretty spare though, and I'm not sure you can pick up the BFG in the slime pentagram if you aren't starting there to begin with. Otherwise, some caverns with lava and some walls that do seem to resemble a moon, as well as a wooden fort. Also, that's a nice custom sky, wherever it came from. And creepy exit too. What you can't see in the below screenshot is there's a blood pillar in the middle.

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

  Reveal hidden contents

  Reveal hidden contents

 

Hi! The HR demos collection and the Orbity wad are linked to the same download page. 'Orbity' is wrong linked 

Link https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom2/deathmatch/Ports/m-o/orbity

[Thelokk]

Infernalby William Quijada (2005)

GZ / UV /100% kills / 100% secrets

 

A replacement for MAP28 and MAP29, heavily slanted towards mid to high tier enemies and damaging floor gameplay. What we actually have are two way too large E3 knockoffs that simply drag for way too long the 'map it like it's '95' formula: misaligned textures, boring shotgunning of heavyweights in large outdoor areas, inescapable pits (not that I have a problem with them, but they just don't fit the flow of the level overall) and general a hodgepodge of all that stuff that makes 'classic-like' maps a bore to play. MAP28 is a patchwork Hell level, labyrinthine and with no clear sense of progression; MAP29 is your average blood keep with inverse crosses ahoy and the obligatory cyberdemon because I mean, you have to have a cybie in your map or it's not cool. 

Boring by the numbers retro mapping. Next one!

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

[Clippy]

Another wacky adventures - last time I found a playable map instantly - this time I had to dig and dig lol but still ended up with some messed up thing that I needed to peek at the editor at

 

 

 

https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom2/a-c/caos3

 

I have to keep reminding myself that in 1995 - this was probably considered good lol - very generous resources but still mostly not too much grief - at the time ppl only had a year or 2 of experience - not the 20 years ppl can have today lol - overall I had a good time - mostly having @Biodegradable there to keep me company - a bit janky and tight and wacky but some inspired ideas here and there - another day another random ID games doom map

 

I'm not good at saying stuff just watch the vid if interested - there is timestamps

[SuyaSSS]

Castle Courtyard - Gwenvaël Le Bihan, 17 August, 2014

Played on- GZdoom, Difficulty- UV

A level that I actually enjoy from er/iwa?! Impossible*

Spoiler

*(Has happened before but kinda uncommon)

The level is epic. EPIC!! It looks good and the gameplay, although relying a bit too much on hitscanners, is really fun. There are ambushes that catch me by surprise but aren't so hard that it feels unfair. The map lets you decide between the red and yellow key at any order.

Spoiler

However, you do have to get both keys and put them in the order (yellow door to press a switch that raises a floor you have to go by the red door). Spoilers for the final encounter, I think it is worth experiencing yourself, especially if you are used to playing random idgames maps.

Spoiler

This actually took me by big surprise. I thought that the map will end like any map by pressing the exit switch. Even though I liked the map upto that point I still felt that the map was kinda straightforward. I did not expect at all for this map to throw a fake exit. It easily made up for any sin this map committed. I love this end. It is harder as final fights are supposed to be and it kinda pumped my heart and made a big smile on my face after beating it.
 

I really like this map. 8/10

Edited November 8, 2022 by SuyaSS

[Roofi]

Year 2 Month 01 Day 03

 

I play until I die or intentionally stop. I don't comment the wad where I died/stopped.

 

[1] FREEK.WAD by Michael "Freek" Freeth (1996)

 

Spoiler

 

 

Quote

My second public wad, hopefully it will be better than the first.

 

This map has no monster and runs only on gzdoom because of a stupid subsector problem I already encountered in old wads. The level is ugly and you have to cross a collapsing path in order to reach the exit. The idea looks interesting on the paper , but the texture doesn't change once it attained the bottom of the nukage pit so you can just stay on the path and lower the sectors until you trigger an elevator which allows you to press the exit switch.

 

As memfis said, this map looks unfinished and therefore it has no reason to figure in idgames.

 

Grade : E

 

 

I stop here for today.

[LadyMistDragon]

The Adventures of Sub! (1995) by Tony Soderland (Eternity)

 

7 map set that is just about as 90s as it comes. Seriously, there is so much effort put into the title screen, status bar, and various custom graphics that you know which era produced it. It's all fairly tasteful compared to some of the oracular and aural vomit produced by immature kids with too much time and who will no doubt forget about Doom until fucking Columbine happened. In more than one way, you might say that incident was the end of innocence for the Doom community.

 

But philosophical tangents aside, this is one of those sets which starts fairly strong, but slowly declines in quality. There are also lots of large empty spaces, along with SS who have had their sound effects replaced. And as opposed to something like Wolfendoom that was being made 5 years later, there are actually some fair, if not particularly strong attempts at creating Doomcute (I'm sorry but Wolfendoom is fucking awful, CHANGE MY MIND)

 

So now to the maps.

 

Map 01: The sub pen and not even the worst map so far. Just some incredibly scattered enemies.

 

Map 02: The sub. Custom decals are debuted in full living color. Not unlike the later Icarus, there are spaces meant to represent real places. Toilets, mess halls, sickbay and a Captain's office occupied by a Revenant you've arrived to tell you're the captain now. The still paper images of fish are so goofy.

 

Map 03: Some island base, I guess and titled "Dungeon Blast". Briefing room with an Arch-vile who's telling the dudes here that they are here to assassinate Bill Clinton.

 

Map 04: Supposedly, German intelligence, but the abbreviation CIA is for America you utter dope. Also, these buildings have roughly the same visual vision of a Sandy Petersen.

 

Map 05: An airplane. These seats are so hilarious. Also, combat is shit. Just enter the cockpit behind you, probably after pressing a switch or whatever.

 

Map 06: You know, this actually doesn't look unlike Washington Dulles airport! Although I doubt Tony ever has been to Washington. Obviously running out of time too, because the White House looks NOTHING like that!

 

Map 07: You are here to get rid of a zombified Bill Clinton. But not before you've been to the West Wing and killed General Archie and some other pathetic assorted trash. You'll want to head to the chair here if you want to get the key though. This ends by heading to the office of that porker who for sure is respected even 20 years later, and blowing his guts sky-high! Does this have an exit? yes, the door you came in from!

 

So the world has been saved from the tyranny of America or something! Seriously, people did stories in the old days. Why not now? 4/10, because gameplay is garbage, but the texture work is quite amusing.

 

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

[Silhouette 03]

1. Ruins to the Underworld-Kyle Lomeli S.-1996

 

Ruins to the underworld is a 1996  map by Kyle Lomeli S. Build time according to the description is one year.

 

Spoiler

 

 

The screenshot above covers one of my main grievances with this map: it is simply too dark. The first few areas are a nightmare to navigate as it is covered with darkness. This however isn't by any means this maps greatest flaw. It's a very 90's map, which should cover all the bases. It's mostly flat, mazelike, has weird progression and is generally uninteresting in all senses of the word.

 

Spoiler

 

 

As I mentioned before, pretty much every single 90's trope is present here, but the mazes are the worst part. I generally don't mind a maze in a map, as long as some restraint is shown with the size of the maze, but here there are just too many. There are at least two or three, and they are unpleasant to go through, especially the one in the first area.

 

Spoiler

 

 

I can't say I enjoyed this map. It's very 90's in it's flaws.

 

A DM map

 

2.monlth06.wad-Richard Wiles-2007

 

monlth06.wad is a 2007 map by Richard wiles. It is the sixth entry in this series. I've reviewed a Richard Wiles map before, so I have high hopes for this

 

Spoiler

 

 

Richard Wiles spoils me again with this map. It plays remarkably well, with fast paced combat and challenging encounters, while being mostly fair to the player. Apart from some issue with resources, though I am playing on UV.

Spoiler

 

 

I'd also like to talk about the detailing. The detailing is immaculate, for lack of a better word. Almost every area is detailed to the fullest, yet never feels too visually cluttered. You can tell a lot of effort was put into the detailing of the map.

Spoiler

 

 

This map ticks all the boxes for me. I really enjoyed my time with it. Highly recommend this one.

 

Thanks for reading.

Edited November 8, 2022 by Silhouette 03

[LadyMistDragon]

Shadow Androids (2007) by @lupinx-Kassman (Eternity)

 

A replacement of the SS with the Shadow androids from one or maybe all of the Sonic Adventure games (look, I didn't have a Dreamcast, ok) that seem to have been leftovers from Sonic-related project that unfortunately does not contain Sonichu. It's not perfect though, and you can still hear the regular monster grunts of pain when shot, but their muzzle flashes aren't half-bad.

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

Bites the dust (1994) by Scott McCreary (Eternity)

 

I guess Bear McCreary is still a better composer than this guy's a level designer. It's been a while since we've played a peak '94 map. The dungeon at the beginning was the only section I found remotely visually appealing. The rest is bland spaces, long corridors, and an obligatory Cyberdemon at the end because of course there is. And that idiot white texture that isn't SHAWN literally almost everywhere, along with far too many supplies. The barrel masses will mostly help you, but there's a tleast one location where they are inexplicably pointless. Key placement is about as laughable as they come with the key for the final door being located in a pit in front. And I'm now fairly certain the yellow key is useless. The poorly-transcribed Queen midi (the fucking percussion isn't even there for most of the run time) is probably the best part here. 3/10, where are the goddamn bridges you liar.

 

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

[Misty]

Tantrum by Ola Björling (aka "mokum") (1996)

 

Today I decided to roll some levels and see where I'll land and rng was good enough to roll on one of the earliest ukiro's levels. According to text file, he did this level when he was only 17 years old. 

Level itself is really clear visually and straightforward - collect 3 keys to exit and shoot some baddies in your way. Of course, I could mention that space itself is quite crampy, but given tools back in the day it's acceptable. One of the first things you will notice in this level is how nicely lighting is done:
 

Spoiler

Other thing is details:

 

Spoiler

(I love how those stairs look here)

(poor burning guys, can't escape eternal fire tickles)

That would be it for now. 

Edited November 9, 2022 by Misty

[LadyMistDragon]

markroom.wad (1994) by Mark Griswold (Eternity)

 

Deathmatch map with tons of disorganized silver platforms you can jump off of while rushing your opponents. The irregular-shaped sky is laughable though and the map itself is almost inconceivably ugly. 3/10, probably fun sometimes.

 

Spoiler

 

CORN.WAD (1995) by Jason Friedrich (Eternity)

 

Generic low-effort '94 map almost, with lots of square rooms that largely look similar, except when they don't. Barrels are placed in areas where you're meant to damage many enemies. The slime chasm in one location is kind of nice. The combat does help lift this to a point, but it's all quite dumb and contrary to the text file, there's enough ammo for everyone, although it stops a little short of being overwhelming. The starting room with the Imps and barrels is a nice challenge but the area in the southeast with the Barons and plasma rifle that lower when you grab the nearby key was kind of dumb. There's even invisible walls in one or two spots, and um, no. Progression is very so-so and has nothing of value to comment on 4/10

 

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

[Roofi]

Year 2 Month 01 Day 04

 

I play until I die or intentionally stop. I don't comment the wad where I died/stopped.

 

[1] Crushing fear by @hardcore_gamer (2008)

 

Spoiler

 

 

Quote

This is a Doom 64 map for Doom 2. It uses Doom 64 weapons, sprites and enemy's, this was suppose to be for snipers Doom 64 II: The Rising project but things changed a little so i am releasing this map as a standalone map.

There are 2 files, the wad that has the level it self, and a wad that has the Doom 64 sprites and enemy's and textures. Just drag and drop "both" files on your .exe file (in Zdoom's case, its Zdoom.exe, for example) and run Doom 2, then start playing and enjoy!

ALso, there are no Difficulty Settings.

 

A nice little tribute to the Gloomy N64 opus of the Doom franchise !

 

Crushing Fear has a very misleading title : you will not feel crushed nor frightened in this map since it turned to be easier than an ultimate doom map. Hardcore gamer didn't want you see suffering so he didn't add trap and most of the encounters to be as flat as the layout. The level consists to a shotgun shootout among underlit corridors which could be a reproach said like that , but I like playing without taking my head too.

 

The funniest and oddest about this wad was how tall most of the monsters are. Except for the zombies, all enemies became as tall as the classic cyberdemon without getting more powerful or resistant. What a scam ! The imps and pinkies have now their head touching the ceiling but you can get rid of them by two well placed shotgun shots. Pathetic.

 

Crushing Fear is a nice homage in order to decompress.

 

Grade : B

 

A revenant fired a missile on my head whereas I was at camping at the start of Hidden Lab

 

Spoiler

 

 

[Thelokk]

WOW23 by @dsm (2005)

GZDoom / UV /100% kills / 100% secrets

 

 

I come back after a few days... and I roll the sequel to WOW.WAD. Great. Just fantastic. Exactly what I wanted to play. 

Actually, to be quite honest, I did kind of appreciate the whole skit wow.wad was based upon - you just have to admire the balls of someone able to make up such an endearing lie to cover up incompetence. Fortunately (or unfortunately) WOW23 shares, aside from the vague shape of its main room, very little with its antecedent: it is an actual, playable map, a sort of micro- combat puzzle where you basically get every weapon and either go ape, or watch a spiderdemon lay waste on a handful of its brethren. 

Then there is a second map, which is an exact carbon copy of the first one, except there is a cybie instead of a spiderdemon.

Playable? yes. Enthralling? probably not. I'd give a read to the .txt tho if I were you, it's its own brand of hilarious. 

 

[Roofi]

Year 2 Month 01 Day 05

 

I play until I die or intentionally stop. I don't comment the wad where I died/stopped.

 

[1] PUEBLO OF PAIN by Jim McFarland (1997)

Spoiler

 

 

Through "Pueblo of Pain" makes you visit a Jim McFarland makes you visit a pueblo incorporated among a dangerous mountain filled with toxic waste and a pool of lave. I took a lot of pleasure exploring this mysterious dark place.

 

First of all, this emphasis on height differences really appealed to me. We're going up. We go down, via often narrow and tortuous stairs. The progression, sometimes unpleasant because of the narrowness of certain places, really made me feel like an adventurer.

 

In the same way, despite the simplistic aspect of the scenery, this type of pseudo-realistic environment is not common. I never really explored pueblos in Doom. After playing this map, I would like to explore more.

 

The placement of some monsters is a bit frustrating. Also, although easy to find, the SSG is located in a secret. It's not essential but it is useful. Nevertheless, Jim has been generous with resources in a way that creates a balance between challenging and difficult. However, the ending loses a bit of its glory. For some reason, the author decided to put several megaspheres, soulspheres and blue armors. The difficulty increases only slightly with a mastermind and some midtiers. No need to be over-equipped.

 

The small corridor with the suprirse crushers is by far the most sadistic and dangerous place during a first discovery.

 

In any case, this level really impressed me with its classic yet unusual theme. I have seen many underground levels, but few including pueblos.

 

Grade : A

 

FYI, a pueblo designates a village in America and it looks like this :

 

 

 

[2] thebest4.zip by Milo (Venom) made this level (1995)

 

Spoiler

 

Quote

Reeper - underground cave with a water system, wooden planks holding unsteady rocks up. Dark, flickery.

 

thebest4 is a totally forgotten deathmatch map nowadays, although made by one of the most influential mappers in the Doom community. The visuals remain consistent and generic throughout the map with a clever mix of rock and woodwork in particular. 

 

I encourage you to read the CREATE.TXT and TACTICS.TXT files. It talks about level design and deathmatch techniques.

 

 

I fell in a deadly pit with two god spheres located at the bottom in Doomdream

 

Spoiler

 

Spoiler

[LadyMistDragon]

GTA.WAD - GET THEM ALL (2003) by Bruno Vergilio (Eternity) 

 

An E4M8 replacement that falls precisely into that genre of Doom maps I absolutely despise or every single room packed with enemies just because the mapper could. There's someone who'll remain nameless that makes these sort of maps, though they are more playable than this steaming pile of dogshit. So you have something with a similar structure to E4M8 but with tons of enemies, hardly any ammo and a Baron of Hell in each remotely critical location. It then becomes far too dependent on luck whether you'll actually be able to proceed in a remotely appropriate order. You probably should doorcamp, but with such disposable trash as this, it's best not to even bother. Although the final room actually might be the easiest if your health isn't too low since you can just run to the exit. Wash out the taste of this with the strongest drink you have. 1/10

 

Spoiler

 

[Thelokk]

4 minutes ago, LadyMistDragon said:

GTA.WAD - GET THEM ALL (2003) by Bruno Vergilio (Eternity) 

 

An E4M8 replacement that falls precisely into that genre of Doom maps I absolutely despise or every single room packed with enemies just because the mapper could. There's someone who'll remain nameless that makes these sort of maps, though they are more playable than this steaming pile of dogshit. So you have something with a similar structure to E4M8 but with tons of enemies, hardly any ammo and a Baron of Hell in each remotely critical location. It then becomes far too dependent on luck whether you'll actually be able to proceed in a remotely appropriate order. You probably should doorcamp, but with such disposable trash as this, it's best not to even bother. Although the final room actually might be the easiest if your health isn't too low since you can just run to the exit. Wash out the taste of this with the strongest drink you have. 1/10

 

  Hide contents

 

 

That clipping sky in the screenshot makes me physically ill.