As for the BD-dislike discussion: I think so much hate is caused by BD being too (in some people's opinions) far from vanilla. Which is pretty funny since it's MOD and purists should know it. People content with the vanilla game play shouldn't even touch gameplay-altering-mods, unless they're "what can I complain about today? - type". It's true some of the features are controversial, some of them I do personally dislike but still it doesn't change a few facts:
-HUGE efford was taken to improve the mod this much with each update
-great care is taken to balance the game as much as possible
-author don't make all the fans wishes come true (he actually considers what he's doing)
-also he's very helpful for other modders (me for ex.)
-he adds controversial but most wanted features as mini-addons (HUGE thanks for Janitor, Sarge!)
Which also doesn't change the facts that:
-reduces player speed sometimes can make progression to plot-vital areas much harder, and sometimes impossible without strafe-running. Not a good choice IMHO.
-pistol at startup might be useful (confirmed personally with my boosted items mod) despite some opinions about it (I know the discussion about this feature is closed and I don't want to re-open it)
-I'm not 100% sure if all the custom-content-related decisions are good (talking about constant weapon look change especially, also about replacement of some good vanilla sprites for worse (armor pickup, hanging keen, ss guard etc).
To summary all words said: I love Brutal Doom and will/can not play without it. But I love it as a game enhancement: tweaked guns, enemies behavior and visuals (gore) as long as they belong to Doom's Universe. I don't like the shapeshifting of plasma rifle (with each new release), changes witch can complicate level progression (even if it's just a tiny bit like playerspeed - easily modable btw) or brings resources millions miles away from Doom world (MK combos are ok, but Keen's replacement for a guy who wasn't even on this world when the game came out - wrong... imho as usual)
In the end I want to give some advise which hopefully may resolve the situation:
-Doom purists: We all love this classic title, we really do and will never forget how it was when we first played it! For many of us it's a memory from our childhood, thing which cannot be erased. But since out "grandpa" is almost 20 years old, isn't it a time to buy him a new pair of shoes?
If you said "no! this will take all the nostalgia out!" then don't use the mod (it's so simple) but please respect the tastes of other gamers who have as much right to enjoy the game whatever they like as you! 20 years of game industry evolution hasn't destroyed the community of this fantastic game, do you really think it's wise to split it just because some mod was released? Please, be serious.
-Sarge: not sure if the advise is 100% accurate but the others will also give you clues - please, don't give up on development, but try to focus on the tweaking/improving part, adding custom content as a last line of improvement (or even better - optional if possible, like my classic weapons pack), when you'll be sure what shape it should take. Fixing bugs is also more important than changing the looks of weapons with each release. From what I see players want polished, tweaked, evolved game play, not 180 degrees revolution.
And finally thank you all: players for their opinions shared, Sarge for his great effort and his ear always directed to hear the player.
Many can be said about the mod, but it makes us all emotional no doubt. All great things do.
) but well, it's still a bug.