https://www.moddb.com/addons/shadowcaster
Screenshots:
https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachme ... ng.277138/
https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachme ... ng.277141/
https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachme ... ng.277151/
Wad for Heretic, consists of 9 levels (1 secret). Occupies the slot of the fifth episode. Custom textures, a red key instead of yellow, a certain variability in the theme of the levels can be found here. The first three flow in caves, the next three in spaces lost in the mountains - a village, location that can be called something like a kind of underground water attraction, a fortress. The last two are the dungeons, from where, eventually, it will be possible to get out into the open world. The main gameplay is built around solving a large number of puzzles, often difficult, as a rule, one way or another connected, on the one hand, with the elements of nature, and on the other hand, with competent management of consumables, including the need to turn the hero into a chicken (shoot an egg at the "doll" - hero is transformed) and the occasional use of rocket jump ability due to the phoenix rod. There is also a plot exist:
Story: Another time, another world.
You are Banedon, one of a sentient race of heretical elves known as the Sidhe. Renowned throughout the kingdom of Durenor for feats of bravery and heroism, you always get called up for quests of bravery and danger. So, you are now standing in the grand palace of King Rimoah, where he tells you of grave danger that threatens these shores.
He tells you about the dark mage Tetrahagael, known as the Shadowcaster because his presence casts a shadow over the island where he resides. That shadow could soon be cast over the whole kingdom, because the King's mages of Durenor have discovered that he is summoning evil monsters through some kind of portal to another world, and is preparing an invasion force made up of these monsters!
No time to lose, then. Your quest is to journey to the island of Fagranc, where the Shadowcaster resides, destroy him and the portal. Not an easy task, even by your standards, but you do have some help. The King's mages have prepared a boat imbued with a spell that will allow you to sneak onto the island without being detected by the dark magic (but not when you disembark). And also there are many magical weapons and artefacts on the island that possess the power to destroy him and his evil summonings.
The next day, you grab your staff and elvenwand, and set sail for the island. As you approach, you can feel the presence of evil all around the place, it seems that the whole island could be infested with monsters. You notice a small village, located on the far side of the island, away from the tower where the dark mage resides.
You head towards the village, hoping it is unoccupied but ready just in case...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs12zZ22d5k (longplay)
Settings and features:
* GzDoom 4.10.0, difficulty 4/5.
* It takes ~ 5 hours to complete.
* Some sound effects have been changed.
* Due to the active use of "voodoo dolls" combining wad with any modifications is not recommended.
* You need to deal with a large number of switches, the path to which is blocked by certain elements - fire and lava or, as in the case of M5, water, ice and explosive pods, which will need to be rearranged several times in order to pass this or that fragments.
* Difficulty can be assessed as moderately high - iron liches are found constantly and in large quantities, malotaurs are rarer, but there are also more than enough of them. With the latter I recommend dealing with them by using tome of power in combination with gloves.
https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachme ... ng.277145/
* It is possible to get stuck in the sewers in the south of M7 if you do not have an item with you to teleport to the beginning of the level - all exits are blocked. Apparently a complex combination scheme was potentially assumed here for the transformation of hero into a chicken, followed by either a jump over a cliff in the form of such, or the rocket jump must be carried out simultaneously after the shot, i.e. ahead of the flying projectiles. I didn't figure out the whole thing, instead it is much easier to move the "doll" in the indicated place that you can see on the map, and then quickly run to the section opposite for the item and only then go to the sewers.
Secret level.
M3 -> M9. Getting to the exit will not be easy.
https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachme ... ng.277080/
0. It is necessary to move the "doll" to a small platform.
A. Next. You need to press a series of 10 switches. I recommend first find the level map in the west.
B. With the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th there should be no difficulties, at the 2nd you need to shoot. Switch 4 is briefly accessed by entering the lava nearby.
C. To access the 6th and 10th you will need to go to one of the two teleporters from a certain side, and in the case of the 7th use a flying helmet, which can be picked up in the same place where the 3rd switch was - access to it opens when moving the "doll" to the platform.
D. 8th and 9th will also require a helmet.
After activating all 10, a corridor will become available, where you could press the 1st switch. You will need enough health to run through the lava to an alternate exit, or suitable items.
Pros:
+ Unique gameplay in its own way.
+ Small details, level variability - each subsequent one is not similar to the previous one and has some of its own characteristics. A phenomenon that is often not to say that it is often encountered.
+ Interesting puzzles.
+ M3 - "The Volcano".
+ M9 - "Steel Works".
++ M5 - "Water Paradise".
+ M6 - "Shadow Castle".
++ M7 - "The Great Hall". Combines most of the mechanics needed to solve puzzles and find secrets in "vanilla" Heretic.
Contras:
- Dealing with the wind on the M4 in a place where you need to pick up a pair of helmets is not easy. It would make sense to make the platform not so thin.
- The timing of opening doors and backyards in the case of a puzzle with four switches on the M7 is set in such a way that this moment seems close to impassable - it counts in fractions of a second. The problem can be compensated by the fact that with a full supply of HP it is possible to ignore this puzzle and jump directly to the switch by using rocket jump ability.