UnknDoomer's corner of ultra silence - Short WAD Reviews / Longplays / Hints

Discuss anything ZDoom-related that doesn't fall into one of the other categories.
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UnknDoomer
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Re: UnknDoomer's corner of ultra silence - Short WAD Reviews / Longplays / Hints

Post by UnknDoomer »

123. Skirmish (2021 / 2022).

https://www.doomworld.com/forum/topic/1 ... l-release/

Screenshots:

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachme ... ng.282358/
https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachme ... ng.282359/
https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachme ... ng.282360/
https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachme ... ng.282376/
https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachme ... ng.282377/
https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachme ... ng.282378/

Continuing the previously set theme of hard skirmishes in small arenas. A wad of 20 levels, presented by @Argent Agent, in general, following a concept similar to 1FF, with the difference that the size of individual maps here is smaller in places and at the same time the average quality level of such is a step higher (the time frame does not pass in vain) and the degree of difficulty is a multiple higher.


Continuing the previously set theme of hard skirmishes in small arenas. A wad of 20 levels, presented by @Argent Agent, in general, following a concept similar to 1FF, with the difference that the size of individual maps here is smaller in places and at the same time the average quality level of such is a step higher (the time frame does not pass in vain) and the degree of difficulty is a multiple higher.

Settings and features:

* GzDoom 4.10.0, UV difficulty.
* The full passage takes ~ 4,5 hours.
* Hardcore.

Pros:

+ The ideas of most of the levels, in combination with the previously voiced thesis, fully embody the concept of puzzle, accompanied by melodies playing to match, especially on the M6.
+ M6 - "Town of Two".
+ M13 - "Dachshund".
+ M17 - "Pobla's Pavilion".
+ M18 - "Reignited".
+ M20 - "Give in with hell beneath".
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UnknDoomer
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Re: UnknDoomer's corner of ultra silence - Short WAD Reviews / Longplays / Hints

Post by UnknDoomer »

124. THEME-GAWAD (2022).

https://www.doomworld.com/forum/topic/1 ... i-megawad/

Screenshots:

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachme ... ng.282468/
https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachme ... ng.282470/
https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachme ... ng.282504/
https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachme ... ng.282607/
https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachme ... ng.282608/

Hardcore theme is now behind, then switch to... "thematic" one. Community type wad, which is, as usual in such cases, act as a collection of works by several authors, united by a particular topic. In this case in a direct context - each level was created to clearly reflect one or another architectural concept, as evidenced in particular by the text file folded into the archive. On the other hand in fact new ideas are, at least in the first half of the wad, as in the case of the final map, looks like rather interspersed, while the entourage itself follows the typical Doom II scheme - technical bases, urban landscapes, canyons, mixed reality, hell. Consists of 6 episodes with 5 levels each + 2 secret ones, for a total of 32 levels.


Settings and features:

* GzDoom 4.10.0, UV difficulty.
* It takes ~ 7 hours to complete.
* On the M12 you need to get rid of all the Commander Keens, then return to the beginning of the location and press the switch. The yellow key is not needed to leave the level, it gives access to the secret.

Secret levels.

M15 -> M31. It's all pretty complicated. I will only note the fact that the secret exit is located in the south and, apparently, it will be possible to get to it only due to rocket jump and preliminary pressing of a series of hidden switches. It's hard to explain in one word - it's better to watch the video.
M31 -> M32. To the left of the main exit you can lower the wall, behind it there will be a teleport.

Pros:

+ M32 - "Agony Temple". A well-designed slaughter map, quite easy from the position of passage.
+ M21 - "Spider Temple".
+ M22 - "Mouth of Madness". A small map (only 10+ enemies) with a horror atmosphere.

Contras:

- M15. The map suffers from all the typical flaws that can be inherent in maps for Doom in general. Excessive confusion, enemies, including machine gunners, on distant hills, lame balance - I got stuck while getting to the center of the map, basically without ammo to move on. In addition, if count the approach of starting with a pistol, then the chances of surviving here would probably be even less. In the end I gave up trying to cope with enemies and entered the "god" cheat-code. Subsequently, however, it also became that, taking into account where the necessary switch is located, it would be impossible to pass this moment otherwise in my case.
- M27. Playing with chiaroscuro on this map ends up being more confusing and disruptive than an interesting element.
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UnknDoomer
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Re: UnknDoomer's corner of ultra silence - Short WAD Reviews / Longplays / Hints

Post by UnknDoomer »

125. The Lost Magic (2022).

https://www.doomworld.com/forum/topic/1 ... om-mapset/

Screenshots:

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachme ... ng.282625/
https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachme ... ng.282627/
https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachme ... ng.282943/
https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachme ... ng.282944/
https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachme ... ng.283140/
https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachme ... ng.283141/
https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachme ... ng.283172/

Wad presented consists of 32 levels (2 secret) divided into 5 episodes created as part of the annual NaNoWADMo, one of the features of which is a development time limit of 1 month. There are a number of custom textures involved, some of which came straight from Quake, new weapons and items are provided, some of which were taken from Hexen in particular, and some, apparently, were inspired by Powerslave. In general the wad sustained in terms of quality, begins to fail in the last third - the levels are conceptually repeated, the number of enemies ceases to be limited and what is happening is more perceived as a kind of filler necessary to achieve the cherished bar of 30 (not counting secret) levels.


Settings and features:

* GzDoom 4.10.0, UV difficulty.
* Levels are generally compact and short in terms of time to complete.
* The full passage takes ~ 5 hours. * Each new episode, i.e. every sixth level, progress is updated and the hero starts his journey with a gun.

Secret levels.

M15 -> M31.

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachme ... ng.282945/

1. You need to press switch and run to the lowered platform.
2. Press the wall.
3. After passing through the aisle press the switch and return to the train - the aisle has opened.
4. At the end of a long tunnel you can find a red key.
5. With it you can open the door leading to the secret exit.

At the same time, while grabbing the key, two cyberdemons are teleported.

M31 -> M32.

There are 5 crystals in the openings on the map. Another 1 is at the exit. To open a secret passage, apparently, you need to have to destroy those in less than 1 minute. It seemed to me that such restriction was unnecessary - I used noclip.

Pros:

+ The color scheme and overall spirit, especially the first episode, is a lot like Quake I, to the extent that it was adapted to the realities of Id Tech 1.
+ A successful combination of magical and technological elements.
+ M6 - "Emerald Castle". On this map, for the first time, the player can get a weapon, which can be referred to as a "magic plasma gun", combining the type of damage similar to weapons in Doom, and the rate of fire of Hexen.
+ M32 - "Hall of Champions". Archvile, 4 cyberdemons, a bunch of revenants in addition to a large group of elementals and also, in a separate room, a new kind of enemies, covering the entire area of movement with their attacks. 0 first aid kits and charges for BFG outside the starting area. To pass this map you will need to correctly calculate the main steps.

1. Kill only 1-2 cyberdemons so that the others do not attack the doomguy. Saved charges for BFG can be spen\ on revenants, press the switch, ignore all the accumulated enemies and proceed to the next location.
2. By running in circles press two switches, try to guess the moment and press the third one.
3. Proceed to the exit and then you can make sure that the map can be completed in less than 2 minutes.

+ M17 - "Mother Crystal".
+ M19 - "Welcome Party".
+ Soundtrack.

Contras:

- M31. Essentially an unremarkable map with a poorly implemented M32 exit trigger.
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UnknDoomer
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Re: UnknDoomer's corner of ultra silence - Short WAD Reviews / Longplays / Hints

Post by UnknDoomer »

126. Knee-Deep in Knee-Deep in ZDoom (2022). Build 1.7. #53 (original version). Cacowards 2022.

https://www.doomworld.com/forum/topic/1 ... 17-is-out/

Screenshots:

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachme ... ng.283260/
https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachme ... ng.283265/
https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachme ... ng.283285/
https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachme ... ng.283286/
https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachme ... ng.283289/
https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachme ... ng.283290/
https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachme ... ng.283291/

A 9-level wad (1 secret; excluding epilogue), which is a remake of Knee-Deep in ZDoom (2007), which today can be called a classic of the genre to a certain extent. The main idea of such at one time was a rather demonstration of the technical capabilities of the port actively gaining momentum in those years (in particular against the backdrop of Doomsday and other developments). The first episode of the original Doom was taken as the example for the experiments, i.e. you will see kinda the same levels, but with a lot of innovations, including structural one. So, for example, the initially compact E1M8 here is radically different both in design and gameplay from it's ideological inspirer. In addition to the above an abundance of varieties of custom monsters and 2 new weapons are included.


Settings and features:

* GzDoom 4.10.0, UV difficulty.
* It takes ~ 4 hours to complete.

Secret levels.

Z1M3 -> Z1M9.

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachme ... ng.283245/

1. First you need to get a white key. To do this you need to pay attention to the barely noticeable switch in the place marked in the screenshot. Pressing it will lower the liquid level and it will be possible to go to a previously inaccessible section.

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachme ... ng.283246/

2. Having picked up a small cube, you can get into the passage.

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachme ... ng.283247/

3. Clicking on one of the sections lowers the opposite wall, but the trigger is out of reach. Here I thought it was a bug and used noclip, but in fact it turned out that after collecting all 6 keys you need to return to the computer available in the second zone, where the text about the loss of two keys was located.

esselfortium:
Press use on the “I dropped my keys” computer near the red key door.
https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachme ... ng.283248/

4. To open the secret exit you will need to collect 6 keys.
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Re: UnknDoomer's corner of ultra silence - Short WAD Reviews / Longplays / Hints

Post by UnknDoomer »

The rubric goes on another untimely break, until the release of the next group of 5+ wads, meanwhile, keeping one old message in mind and comparing different aspects, I came to the conclusion that I will not make a return to the past and special exceptions in the first paragraph of it - taking into account the remake of Knee -Deep in Knee-Deep in ZDoom was considered 1/5 of the "main" points from community top anyway, i.e. 20 positions out of 100, than in general I will limit myself.

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