[FistMarine]

What's this thing?
We play through a set of maps/mods during the month, and use this thread to discuss it as we're still all fresh with our comments/opinions/feelings about the maps.

What's the purpose?
Basically, there are 4 purposes:

• Showcasing some of the older mods/maps to wider public - they definitely deserve the attention!
• Getting more people to actually enjoy and appreciate the user content - because let's be honest, over the past 26 years this was really what kept Duke alive after all.
• ...and while we're at it - keeping Duke alive by still enjoying it, as there's no new games in the franchise on the horizon (and let's be honest, they wouldn't be as good as some of this stuff!).
• Having a more structured discussion on maps than what's going in "Last map you played" thread - which is great, but it's basically a monologue most of the time.

Can I join?
Sure, as long as you find some spare time during the month to play the stuff that's on the table!

Why a month?
Because people have lives, jobs or other stuff to do (like mapping). For smaller maps, this could be shorter time - it's all up to debate in the future!

What port should I use? Are mods allowed? Where to get the maps?
It's entirely up to you how you play the game, so you can use whatever port or mod allowed - it would be cool to state in your posts what you're using too, as there might be some slight differences between the ports! As for the maps, they should be always linked within the first post.

How should I play the maps or post about them?
Again, it's up to you. You can finish them all in one go or play them one by one whenever you feel like. On Doom forums, there's a rule that you should keep the pace by not posting about a map that has a higher number than the day of the month, so e.g. on 6th you shouldn't post about map 7 etc. I think that might be a good practice if there's a large interest in this, but first let's see how active the thread is for a start - so if there's nothing going on, feel free to post about whatever map you want to.

Previous editions:

Spoiler

September 2022 - Secrets of the Acropolis + Twin Dragon
August 2022 - The Lost Duke Episodes
July 2022 - Community Build Project Series
June 2022 - Maps by Billy Boy + Maps by Bob Masters
May 2022 - Duke It Out In D.C. + Duke Caribbean: Life's A Beach + Penthouse Paradise
April 2022 - Duke Nukem 3D
March 2022 - Last Reaction & Water Bases + Chimera
February 2022 - DaikariN + Operation Blitzkrieg
January 2022 - ADG Episode + Maps by Alejandro Glavic
December 2021 - Lost Highway + Maps by Peter Kucera and Lukas Cerovsky
November 2021 - Maps by various authors
October 2021 - Maps by Taivo Maripuu
September 2021 - Duke Hard
August 2021 - Maps by Rob Wijkstra (Highwire) and Geoffrey van Dijk (FakirBaba)
July 2021 - Maps by Maarten Pinxten
June 2021 - Roch Series

Surprise! For this month, the official Duke Nukem 3D episodes 4 (The Birth) and 5 (Alien World Order) have been chosen!

For those who don't know the backstory of all this, back in 1996, due to Duke Nukem 3D's success, an expansion pack being made was inevitable! 3D Realms released the Plutonium Pak on CD back on 21st October 1996 (though that may have been the date of the game files, as some sources say that Plutonium Pak was released in stores on 27th November 1996), which upgraded the original Duke Nukem 3D Full Version v1.3D into Duke Nukem 3D: Atomic Edition v1.4. However, various issues were quickly found in v1.4, that 3DRealms released a patch in the following two weeks, on 11th December 1996, that patched Atomic v1.4 to v1.5, while at the same time releasing Duke Nukem 3D: Atomic Edition v1.5 into retail stores. Which means if you didn't have Duke3D at all, you could just buy the Atomic Edition and have all 4 episodes, at the cost of not getting the first two Duke games included for free (they aren't included on Plutonium/Atomic CDs, only on the original registered Duke3D CD and also on the Kill-a-Ton Collection CDs). The Atomic Edition would be the definitive version of Duke3D for many years, as 99% of maps and mods released since then, are requiring it (though some authors would make their maps/mods compatible with all Duke3D versions) and it's also the only version available to buy digitally!

And then 20 years later (on 11-12th October 2016), thanks to Gearbox (who also decided to delist Megaton Edition and charge twice as much for the new re-release), we got Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour edition! Featuring a brand new episode 5 made by the original designers (Allen H. Blum III and Richard "Levelord" Gray), new soundtrack by Lee Jackson and new Duke voice by Jon St. John! At the same time, the new port is filled with various issues and although they released a patch the next month which fixed a few glaring issues, the port was left in a buggy state to this day, which is unfortunate, as the World Tour edition has a couple interesting things about it. For one thing, the original 4 episodes received minor changes to their levels.

If you want to experience the game as back in the 90s, you can play the Atomic Edition in its original DOS executable (DOSBox or a retro PC), though note that versions 1.4 and 1.5 require to have the Plutonium/Atomic/Kill-a-Ton CD inserted in drive, so either you look for a No CD crack or insert a CD/mount a CD image in order to play the game. I can't offer further instructions on that matter but all I can say is the digital releases don't exhibit this problem, although if you have bought the game digitally, then you should use a source port instead. The original CD releases are the ones recommended to be played in DOS, due to being a clean install and allowing you to configure the game as you please, compared to the default configuration in the digital releases.

If you are going to play version 1.4 in DOS (recommended only for The Birth episode), then keep in mind it has a few nasty bugs, such as the saving randomly causing the game to freeze and as a result, the save becoming corrupted (memory related issues, I guess?), which leads to the saves in the current level disappearing upon starting the game again. It's recommended to use multiple save slots (at least one per each level) and quitting the game after every two levels completed, to clear the memory and minimize the chance for this unfortunate event to happen. This bug was fixed in the Atomic 1.5, so it's recommended to play that version instead. If you don't have Atomic 1.5 and wish to upgrade 1.4 to 1.5, then you can download the patch from 3D Realms' website (archived):
https://web.archive....hes/ppack15.exe

If you do not have Duke Nukem 3D at all or you are missing certain expansions/versions, then what are you waiting for? Buy the game at the following links:

Duke Nukem 3D: Atomic Edition + Expansions on Zoom Platform: https://www.zoom-pla...-atomic-edition
Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour on Steam: https://store.steamp...ary_World_Tour/

Have fun!

[Quacken]

We're back to Duke Nukem! It would be my great pleasure to kick off another round of reviews. I would do these reviews for The Birth two at a time but it's 10:30 PM and I probably need to go to bed soon, so I'm going to just do the first map. Here it is:

It's Impossible
Randy Pitchford

Oh boy, Randy Pitchford debuts on Mod of the Month Club! He kicks off The Birth with a decent yet deceptively challenging opener. If you don't find the secret Atomic Health and Night Vision Goggles, or if you don't get lucky enough to bum a Chaingun from an Enforcer at the start it might be tricky to leverage your supplies. Without a Chaingun you don't have a lot of leeway with a handful of Pipe Bombs and a Shotgun, and Pitchford surprises you with two dark rooms loaded with flying foes. One with Octabrains, and one with Sentry Drones. The Mission Impossible computer section is about as subtle as a baseball bat to your head and it's kind of unpleasant to do even if you use the secret Jetpack. If you don't find that Jetpack though, I wouldn't know what to do when Pitchford springs forth four different monster closets on you. At the end of the map the Protector Drones get introduced, but by this point you'll have the Chaingun, which is my weapon of choice for them. It stun locks them and continuously knocks them back and out of melee range, making them much more passive. I'd make a joke about the map being possible to finish and it being authored by Randy Pitchford, but I'm too tired to make anything smart. It's Impossible isn't aptly named, but it's a fine enough opening map.

6.5/10.

[LakiSoft]

Glad to see The Birth and Alien World Order finally getting played.

This month i have decided to do my stuff this way:

1) Play Plutonium Pak 1.4 on Damn I'm Good
2) Play Atomic Edition 1.5 on Damn I'm Good
3) Play World Tour, skill level still undecided

In Fact i already beat first half of The Birth in Duke3D v1.4 executable on Damn I'm Good Skill level.

Here is the video:
https://files.fm/f/xv6czxu7w

[DNSKILL5]

Episode 4 is the one I've played the least, mainly because I only had the 3-episode registered version back then (and Duke it out in DC). Honestly, I hadn't even heard of The Birth until the early 2000s when I saw images of Duke Burger, the Pig Cop Tank, and of the Protector Drone on 3DR's website. The added enemies are a nice touch for sure, though the added weapon is probably my favorite addition to this episode. The Expander is great, and it's pretty cool that it existed in the game during development but was scrapped for the initial release, and the majority of the levels of The Birth are based off of unused levels during development as well. My only actual gripe about this episode is that the progression seems to be less believable compared to episodes 1-3. In those episodes, it felt like a natural progression from one map to the next, as if you were traveling to the next level at the end of the previous one. Episode 4 seems to rarely do this to where it almost feels random, as if Duke is traveling longer distances to reach each location. It really isn't a problem, it's just something I've noticed about E4.

I have recorded a playthrough already and don't feel like re-recording, so I'll just share the previous recordings I did several months ago.


This level starts off with a cinematic, which is pretty cool. I think this map is well done and all the references to spy flicks blend together well and make the whole building feel believable. I also quite like the music here. As far as difficulty goes, it isn't the toughest starting map of the game, I would say Raw Meat feels more challenging overall as a starter than this one. I also really like the rain effect, which really adds atmosphere to this level. Duke's vacation is ruined in more ways than one.

[Quacken]

Alright, one more singleton review and then I'm doing these maps two at a time. Let's go!

Duke-Burger
Allen Blum

If you thought It's Impossible gave you a rude awakening, prepare for Allen Blum to serve you a miserable breakfast. That's not to say that Duke-Burger is a bad map, because I actually happen to prefer it over It's Impossible. Blum's fast-food restaurant is tight in its theming, has some decent albeit poor taste humor and is more consistent and distinguishable than Pitchford's military bunker. The caveat is that this map is a real struggle to play on a pistol start. If you want the short-hand version on why I prefer starting with the bare essentials on each level in any FPS, it's that I think that most levels become too easy especially later into an episode or campaign where you accrue too much ammo and can bulldoze everything. The downside is you occasionally run into maps like these. You aren't getting a guaranteed Chaingun in this map, it'll be completely dependent on whether or not an Enforcer will drop one for you. If you don't find one, then God help you. There's less monsters in this map than the previous but with your even further stretched supplies, trying to get to the desk with the red key is an adventure on its own. This map introduces the Pig Cop Tanks, but the only encounter with them that might have a chance to get you are the triplet that teleport in at the very end. You already know their secret, just get behind them and hit their self-destruct button. I spam my use key on Tanks for maximum efficiency. I'm definitely a sucker for its brutality, but I happen to like Duke-Burger. It's sharp but grungy at the same time, and its noticeable jump in difficulty remind me a lot of Warp Factor.

7.5/10.

[LakiSoft]

Alright, while I was at it, i managed to beat second half of The Birth in Duke3D v1.4 executable quickly.

Here is my thought of each level:

It's Impossible - In my honest opinion, its a good level to start new episode, indeed it brings me childhood nostalgia, especially the fact i wasn't even aware of Atomic Edition existence until year 2007 or so.
Duke Burger - Also memorable, although i remember getting stuck at mirror puzzle for first time. Still nice level.
Shop 'n' Bag - This is the level where things start to get bit annoying, but again i am used to it. yeah i wish someone didn't fucked up Levelord's original level.
Babe Land - To be honest this is most annoying level in episode due the very confusing layout. It does bring some good memories here and these but i rather not prefer it. Maybe it's just me.
Pigsty - Levelord's classic. One of my favorites. Episode 3 vibe is much stronger in here. Some parts even reminds me of Duke DC expansion pack.
Area 51 (Secret Level) - Originally i was stuck here as kid, but still this level is amazing. I liked the detailed architecture and general "secret" and "restricted" feel of this level.
Postal - Not my favorite but final part with all those Battlelord spawns and bunch of monsters appearing out of nowhere was legendary.
XXX Stacy - Again some Episode 3 vibes, but i don't prefer it.
Critical Mass - More like Critical Mess. Level is way too messy, but that's most interesting part about it. I don't know why, but some parts reminded of Launch Facility despite having almost nothing common with it.
Derelict - I appreciate detailing and effort, but too much messy and complex for my taste.
The Queen - Very original and creative boss level. Battlelord parts were annoying though, but that gives good additional challenge.

Alright those were my general thoughts of The Birth and its levels. Next time when i replay it in v1.5 executable i would probable be not so wordy, but i promise to post videos, screenshots, or whatever, when i do it.

Here is the video of me playing second half of The Birth in v1.4:
https://files.fm/f/hyn858xmz

[NNC]

Derelict and Golden Carnage are the two maps that truly carried the spirit of LA Meltdown and Lunar Apocalypse (aka the classic Duke feel) in these addon episodes. They just have the vibes of Hollywood Holocaust, Death Row, Toxic Dump, Fusion Station, Lunar Reactor, Dark Side, etc. If we think of episode 3, Freeway is the one closest to this, and Sewer, if we look at the unreleased content.

Not that they are the only good maps here. It's Impossible is a really fine atmospheric map, professionally built, has some really good scripts and fights. But even as a kid, I knew this is way different to what I thought as a classic Duke style. Even episode 3 steered, but episode 4 did it much more. Episode 5 is like a different game. When I played the two famous maps, I was relieved this is the same game I loved in 1996.

[DNSKILL5]

E4L2 Duke-Burger is a lot of fun. It has a lot of areas to explore and is probably the best E4 map for Dukematch. My first exposure to "Duke-Burger" was via the DN64 version of the game. At the time, I didn't understand the differences between the PC version and N64 version was due to censorship. At that time, I had assumed they added in new areas to go along with the new weapon arsenal. Anyways, this map is a lot of fun but is somewhat frustrating when played on Damn I'm Good with a pistol start. You have to be very careful because the Pig Cop tanks are deployed quite effectively here. Sure, you can just set them to self destruct, but you have to evade other enemy fire while doing so and there's a lot of open space around the restaurant that gives them an advantage of firing off grenades, lasers, and ripping you to part with their machine gun turrets.

[Quacken]

I've finished two more maps of The Birth, so let's get to it:

Shop-N-Bag
Richard Gray, George Broussard

Shop-N-Bag is one of the coziest maps in The Birth. Its low heartrate MIDI and friendly monster placement make it a nice breather map from the first two maps. I don't know what George Broussard contributed to this map, but if I had to guess it'd either be the turrets, which can be a pain in the neck to take out, and the only part of this map I don't enjoy, the crusher section at the end of the map. The crusher section is illogically designed, clumsy to use the multi-switch on and neither serves a good gameplay purpose, nor an aesthetic one. The other parts of this map though more than make up for it, it's good and light fun all around. I also think Shop-N-Bag is lit very nicely. It has lots of contrast between light and dark areas, especially the pitch-black warehouse. Overall, Shop-N-Bag is about the same level of quality as Duke Burger. Solid stuff!

7.5/10.

Babe Land
Allen Blum

With just the right amount of challenge, nice and creative-looking setpieces and a fair but firm resource balance, Babe Land is definitely the best map so far. Let's walk through the sights. The opener isn't particularly difficult to get by with an Atomic Health to help you heal off any damage you take, but if you don't want to use the water fountains like I did, there's not much more health here to patch you up when you return. The D-Cups is a deceptively tricky arena. The moving terrain, limited explosives and devilish turrets make it easy to lose more health than you'd feel comfortable with. If you save your Pipe Bombs, Blum treats you to stomping two nests of Protozoids in the water, which always feels great to do. The shooting gallery is pretty uneventful, but where the real party is at is Babes of the Caribbean. The pirate ship looks quite nice, and with a Battlelord captain on board, you'll have to act fast with the Shrinker before you get gunned down. The fight in the water is good fun too. Blum lets you blow up more Protozoid nests with a belt full of explosives that you earned. By far the hardest part about this section are the cannon balls that randomly strike down the military base. They cover a large surface area, which forces you to move fast through them. What was once an average map to me has now become the best map of The Birth to me so far. I appreciate its fair challenge, rewarding combat and its visuals a lot.

8.5/10.

[NNC]

Yea, those turrets in Shop-n-Bag was a complete nonsense (there is one in the vent), I always thought that was certainly Broussard. Maybe I should check the sprite numbers if they are relevant. But according to Levelord, he made more stuff in the level, and he (Levelord) hated the changes.

I'm pretty sure XXX Stacy's middle part was all by him, while the secret bathroom area, and the whole XXX segment was Schuler's work. Maybe the ending segment too.

Babe Land is horrible. That's my least favourite Blum level, and by an awfully large margin.

[Quacken]

More Duke!

Pigsty
Richard Gray, Randy Pitchford

Another one of Gray's faux-submissions, Pigsty feels like an Episode 3 reject. It feels noticeably more under-detailed and cubical compared to Shop-N-Bag. I can't even really tell what this map is supposed to be. Gray tries a number of different themes in here but never settles on one; there's an office complex, a prison for Protozoids, a recording station and what seems to be the thing that ties everything together, the courtroom. The courtroom was definitely given the most attention here, but the rest of the map blends together with its long hallways, dismally low light level and extremely forgettable combat and MIDI. If I'm to believe that the only thing Randy Pitchford added to this map were the hanging lawyers in the regular exit, then that's honestly rather unfortunate, because I would have liked to see how he could have patched this map together. As it stands, Pigsty is a bland network of dark corridors that fails to deliver on a consistent theme or halfway decent fights.


2.5/10.

Area 51
Randy Pitchford

Well, if you couldn't get enough of grey walls and dark corridors, Randy Pitchford's secret level has got you covered. Thankfully, I like his solo contribution much more than Pigsty. The opening scramble is a welcome bit of chaos, but boy does it take you by surprise. If you're not lucky enough to get a Shotgun in time all your health and Pipe Bombs will get swallowed up, and taking high damage here is inevitable. Apart from this gut punch though, Pitchford goes light on the monsters in his second steel research base. I do admire his attempt at storytelling in this map. The frenetic scribbling on the whiteboard in the 1 gate makes me think the Protector Drones were an inside job, and launching missiles towards Duke-Burger as an Independence Day laser beams down on it is a cool bit of continuity. Area 51 sells itself short after the first two minutes, but I do like its visuals, it's a nice length, and I think Pitchford's storytelling in this map is admirable.

6.5/10.

[Aleks]

Wow, it seems Quacken's posts in this topic are complete plot-twists to what you'd expect on basically anyone's opinion's on The Birth levels I appreciate the opinion about Babe Land though, I have a strong love-hate relationship with this map. It's probably the most cryptic level in the game, but also one of the most "puzzle-based" maps and one that kinda goes a level above in Build creativity full of jank/sticking stuff with tape and wonder both in the same proportions.

[Quacken]

Aleks, on 07 October 2022 - 05:19 AM, said:

I appreciate the opinion about Babe Land though, I have a strong love-hate relationship with this map. It's probably the most cryptic level in the game, but also one of the most "puzzle-based" maps and one that kinda goes a level above in Build creativity full of jank/sticking stuff with tape and wonder both in the same proportions.

I'd be interested to know what about Babe Land makes it so despised, to me it's a pretty straight-forward map. The only part that's especially dumb to get by is the shooting gallery. I'll accept the shooting gallery isn't intuitive at all, but in my opinion I don't think it's enough to completely disregard the map. Removing the shooting gallery leaves you with a genuinely solid and well put together map. The other sections (the D-Cups and the pirate ship) are pretty easy to figure out by just walking around and interacting with everything you can see. Blum doesn't really leave much to the imagination here.

[Quacken]

Managed to fit in some more of The Birth before I go to bed. Let's go:

Going Postal
Allen Blum

Going Postal is an outstanding map. It's sharp, consistent in its theming and is arguably the most challenging map out of the original four episodes, at least if you play on a pistol start. You aren't getting a lot of supplies at the start. Getting a Shotgun or a Chaingun isn't even guaranteed, and to hold you off until a hitscanner decides to drop one is a belt of Pistol clips and some Pipe Bombs. Blum hides his Pig Cops and Enforcers in devilish ways in this map. He'll throw them behind counters, around dim corridors and when you drop down the mail chute. In particular it's easy to get scared by the two Enforcers that will try to hurt you when your guard's down. He doesn't let up for the rest of the map, as the mail conveyors can get dicey if you mismanage your ammo properly, and the bunker section is the largest-scale fight in commercial Duke, letting you rain hell upon mountains of hitscanners with Devastator rockets. And the cherry on top is the MIDI. Pissed Office Box is a contender for my favourite MIDI in the first four episodes; it's exciting, fast and gets your blood pumping. I'm more self-conscious about Blum's work in this episode after learning that Babe Land is unpopular, but I genuinely love it. Going Postal is fast, frenetic, challenging and exciting. It's an all-time classic!

9.5/10.

XXX-Stacy
Richard Gray, Keith Schuler

Despite being less suggesting of being an Episode 3 map, XXX-Stacy often falls into the same pitfalls that Pigsty does. For being a pornographic recording station, whoever owns this place really skimped out on the lighting, and also making their building look like an occupied recording station. Like Fahrenheit, this map tries a bunch of different locations, and like Fahrenheit it feels disjointed and has a lack of identity. The amount of real estate The Funny Boner covers is just bigger than the one set that the recording station the map is named after has. And what's with the random computer station you surface into? Did Keith Schuler just slap a completely unrelated map he was making together with this one? I don't know, but this kind of tonal change really sticks out. This map feels completely at odds with itself, and it is both forgettable and extremely mediocre.

4/10.

[NNC]

The funny thing about XXX Stacy is that it even has a tagged key, like the Levelord maps in the first 3 episodes. Tagging keys makes no effect on them, it was probably a leftover from a beta feature. And I'm not sure, but most textures are v1.3D as well. Another giveaway that the map used lotag 1 instead of lotag 0 on most Piece of Cake available enemies. That's actually similar in Critical Mass. And these maps - like all Levelord maps in episode 3 - don't use toilets. That was an entirely Allen Blum feature before episode 5. The toilets that appear in his maps are bombed ones (Hotel Hell, XXX Stacy). Overall, all four maps (Shop-n-Bag, Pigsty, Critical Mass, XXX Stacy) have the clear episode 3 style layout, but only XXX managed to keep the feel of it, the others have been properly mismatched by others.

BTW another interesting thing about The Birth is the use (or lack of use) of the sentry drones. They appear exactly twice in the whole episode, once in a dark room in Impossible, and once in the open part in XXX. And only 3+2 in numbers. When I first played XXX, I was legitimately surprised by their short-lived return. I guess the enemy was either unpopular (in the making of episode 5 they didn't care anymore), or technically glitchy. On old computers the sped up sound caused lots of problems.

[TheDragonLiner]

Since I participated in the original 3 episodes, might as well continue.

This time, I'm playing with DOSBox, and still with dnskill5 applied. Thing is, I didn't remember the resolution to be so low O_o Also the controls feel slightly heavier but nothing impossible to get used to. The major thing will be weapon switching, since I can't use MouseWheel to change x_x
Anyway.


Introduction :


I don't remember if I've said this before, but when you look at Ep4 compared to say Ep3, you can tell some times has passed. Indeed the levels are more detailed than in the other episodes. Some levels had areas that looked a bit empty. And the first level has ambiance sounds that were kinda lacking in the previous episodes, which relied only on their visuals and sometimes quiet wind sounds.
Lastly, the fact there's a CGI intro also marks a step between the original episodes and Ep4.


Missing Impossible :


I don't know what to say since it's the first level. Except that the very first seconds illustrate what I said earlier about details. And being attacked by Turrets immediately isn't nice >_>
The facility is kinda believable IMO, though not sure about that secret door to the Dinning Area ... Like the neat little TV weather broadcast, it's well done for the time. The fact it doesn't display on the TV itself makes it kinda missable though ...
I like the progression, it feels fluid, and you can access the 3/4 of the level right off the bat in order to clean up in advance if you went the wrong way. Also ammo is well placed. Enemies are numerous, but you got enough to deal with it, especially if you look for secrets. For once I used the Shrinker in that level, which is something I usually don't do due to the harder controls of DOS. And having wasted 2 or 3 blasts due to that stupid glitch >_<

Ain't gonna comment on the references, since I got none of them when I discovered these levels when I re-discovered the game in High School.
Music, I like it. Adlib midi in DOSBox didn't make it sound irritating like most music tend to as far as I'm concerned. And I like the track in the first place, especially the quietter moment with only the drums.

Anyway, a very solid level to start things up, and show anyone who bought the Atomic extension (or Plutonium Pack ?) back in the days that it was going to be well worth the trouble !

[TheDragonLiner]

Duke Burger :

A fast food restaurant. That must be the very first time we've ever seen that in an FPS game. Among other firsts whenever Duke is concerned ...

If it weren't for me having remembered an LP I had seen back in the days of High School, I would have potentially missed that first KeyCard. True the Demo for that levels shows it to you but still. I can easily imagine people circling around the restaurant and not finding it. Or even interacting with the Interphone and not hearing the door that opens behind it.
Anyway, once inside, you get one of the most believable levels in the game, even though that whole Dog Meat thing feels terrifying to think about in an American setting o_o And Duke Burgers being Atomic Healths ? If I knew what it would do, I would consider singning up for it ! However the Worm Fries ..... Must be a commentary on fast foods in the US, but I'm not knowledgeable.

Gameplay wise, it's solid. The initial area can be kinda tough with the Flying Cars and the new Pig Tanks. Their self destruct noise sounds kinda different in DOS, almost as if it were a purposefully altered Trip Mine sound ... Also, gotta wonder what's the deal with the Trash Bin in the starting area blowing up when you step inside :/ Maybe a gotcha moment turning quite wrong if you stayed inside ...
My favorite part of the level is just the exploring of the fast food itself. And the way you make progress feels legit, if we exclude the Shrinker part. Speaking of, it also introduces the Expander ammo. One of my favorite weapons in the game just for the inflation vibe, and how stupidly satisfying it is when you manage to kill more than 2 enemies with the initial one's explosion ! A rare occurence, even in user-made maps, but still !

Music is one of my favorite tracks in the whole game. In Adlib it kinda lacks in punch, but I really like the tune. My faves being the Saturn Remix and the Duke Forever version.

Another solid level to really hammer down the fact having bought that thing was worth the trouble. One of the most believable levels in the game, well detailed, sensefull progression, okay difficulty ... Definitely gonna be in the upper part of the list at the end.


Shop n' Bag :

After the "not very nice" beginning of the first level, now we got a "da heck is going on !?" kinda beginning. Though it was foreshadowed in the previous level. A Shopping Mall this time, yet another really believable place to visit, though the whole trash compactor at the end feels kinda questionable but not outlandish. Compared to the previous 2 levels, this one is definitely the most linear. Apart from the second part of the mall after the Blue KeyCard, you get much in terms of liberty to explore. I still like the progression, as you can see 3 distinct parts of the mall, each layed out differently, and with different styles of enemy placements.
Also, I like the ambiance. When I heard the music of the level, before seeing any of it in High School (found musics before finding an LP) I was imaginning something completely different. It's odd how the music feels like it should be reserved to a darker level than that, and yet kinda works with the enemies hiding in behind the shelves and crates. And the obvious obscurity, especially in the last third of the level, music works best there.


Music is one of my favorites, already discussed it. I like its tune and how it plays out. Adlib doesn't really do it justice I'd say ... Still, those first 3 levels' tracks work well in AdLib, and you know how much I don't like Adlib originally.

I wish I could say more, but I just like this level, it's definitely going to be battling for 1st place at the end trust me ! The one complain I would have is the fact I'm always missing the fact that shooting the Switch on the ceiling with the Yellow KeyCard also lowers the check-out room's door just next. I don't know why I always end up exitting the mall wondering where to next O_o

[TheDragonLiner]

Two the same day exceptionally.


Babe Land :

A Resort park. I like the idea and theme, though I'd say it's not the most detailed level of the bunch, compared to the previous ones :/ Like it bet more on its theme than the rest. Though I have to say the final area with the Pirate Ship definitely catches back on everything ! That's the one memorable part of the level, and perhaps one of the whole episode. Shooting Gallery Puzzle is clever, though with 5 targets .... Reminds me of that "You're personall don'ts" topic where I said I hate it when you get more than 4 buttons and no clue >_>

I want to say more, but really I don't find that level to be very thrilling or memorable compared to the others. Some areas stand out sure, the beginning one with the pool and of course the final bit, but apart from that, I don't much to it. I'd say the theme could have been pushed a bit more, and the areas more detailed, except the 2 I mentioned. Gameplay wise, it's ballanced well as usual. Though it felt a bit on the easy side, that is until you reach the final area where things suddenly wake up and get serious. Maybe that's the whole point of the level ? A slow build-up to the big thing at the end ?

Music, I like it. I'd say it works well, and the fact it has some calypso sounds fit with the Pirate theme. Though I have a hard time finding a version I like above all else. For the time being that would be an SC-55 variation but still not 100% satisfied ...

Anyway, I think this level will be battling in the mid-field at the end. It might even be the 50/50 option, we'll see whenever I'll have made up my mind.


Pigsty :

A big Police Station this time ? This level is an interesting one. First the explosions at the beginning and all the gunshots and deaths we hear. I am curious to know if these are just a timed sequence of sounds (which I suspect it is) or real enemies shooting themselves in a staged way. Anyway that level kinda feels like the "LA Rumble" of Ep4 to me. With its darker ambiance and more urban setting even though you spend most of your time indoors.
That level is also a step up in difficulty, due to all the PigTanks and a few Commanders. Not even mentioning the final area. At least we're given more than enough for it, especially for 3rd and 4th weapon. Perhaps a bit too much for 3rd ... The only confusing bit would be the fact that the Blue Door downstairs can be easily forgotten by the time you find the key and explore the doors just next to its location.
As for believableness, you'd question the state of the underground area and the torture/excecution chamber ... Must be another commentary on US stuff I'm not aware of.

Music, I like it but it highly depends on the versions. Some are okay, like General MIDI or SC-55, but some I don't like. Another music where it's hard to find a satisfying variant.

In the end, I think this level will be in the upper mid-field, but I may change my mind later >_>

[DNSKILL5]

Shop 'n' Bag uses the turrets in a very effective way. They do a great job guarding the entrance and exit points Duke must get to in order to progress. The map is pretty packed with aliens too. I remember this map was used quite a bit for advertising and in old screenshots you can see the protector drone when it was blue in-game. This is definitely not my favorite of the episode, but I still enjoy it for the most part, and the secret easter egg at the end of the level is quite funny.

[TheDragonLiner]

Half-way through already.

Area 51 :

Of course there had to be one. That level is a stand out to me, as it captures the vibe of a small outpost on the surface, hiding a big research facility underneath. Also it's got some nice places, like the Green Truck area and the Medical Area and then the Storage and Hanger. Progression is quite linear though, but it compensates with good figthing. Can be tough at times but manageable if you use the good weapons. Namely fast firing ones like 4th and 0th to keep the Protectors at bay somehow.

BTW, somehow, I got a crash there. When you fall down the Vent Shaft, you land on a fan. I broke the fan, while I was standing on it, with the Quick Kick and it crashed when I fell. If I break it while not standing on it, then it's all normal.

It took me quite a long time to discover that you can actually destroy parts of the UFO in the secret area, too bad it doesn't do anything, not even a VOC file trigger :/ My only complaint with the level would be the BattleLord at the end. If you're not lucky, it could be waiting for you right at the elevator's door, in which case, you can get F-ed in half quite quickly. I was lucky as it was stuck behind the corner of the entrance, firing into the wall. Of course there's that infamous Code ... Personally, I don't mind it since you actually have a clue for it FOR ONCE ! But said clue can be very easily missed despite being present THREE TIMES. The Bullets are too unnoticeable to be realiable, even twice. The Animated Texture in the Briefing Room (another stand out I forgot) is the better clue, and the closest one to the end, but the amount of action that there is, and the Commander interrupting you make it as missable as the others >_>
I remember when I played Ep4 for the first time in High School, I figured it out on my own with decent luck. It's only later, with the wiki that I had understood.

Music is a mixed bag for me. It really depends on the variations. MIDI works fine, though Adlib made it sound too discrete IMO, but other variations ... Yet another music I have a hard time finding a good variant of.

In the end, it's another level that stands out from the rest with its theme and also difficulty. Dunno yet where I would rank it, but definitely high or mid-high.


Going Postal :

Not going to bring the originality element again, pretty much applies to the whole damn episode at this point ... Now this level feels similar to Babe Land to me. As in it's a level that relatively forgettable until the end.

Compared to the previous levels, this one doesn't feel as detailed as the others. The starting area, while good, feels empty, and the only part inside the post office I could remember was the Storage Area and the initial Office where Duke has his quote. Of course that secret with the "PRA" is a landmark, perhaps the real landmark of that level. Not surprising it got referenced in several usermaps.

Gameplay side is similar to the shoping mall. A series of areas of varying layouts and enemy styles and placements. Gotta like the fact that the whole level asks you to just go from one end of the building to the other. And like BabeLand, it is the Ending that's the most memorable. Perhaps one of the bigger challenges in the game. Personally, I used the entirety of my 8th weapon, 9th weapon and a few 5th weapon shots. I then circled around the whole level to refill 60 8th ammo, and back to 50 5th ammo. Quite worth the trouble ! One of the rare levels where I genuinely use the 8th weapon.

Music, I like it though it's not my favorite. And decent variations are a rarity for me compared to other tracks ...

All in all, I'd say this is like a transition level. An average level, with a memorable ending, before a streak of more potent levels in design and perhaps challenge, we'll see. Haven't played Ep4 in ages ...

[Aleks]

I was planning to make a Damn, I'm Good playthrough of The Birth and potentially also Alien World Order as part of this month's thing, but don't really feel like doing it, so maybe I will necro this thread in the future just to post when I find some incentive to do so. For now I will limit myself to write short summaries from the levels, it's not that I don't remember them or something anyway.

It's Impossible
Even as a kid, I did get all of the spy movies (mostly Mission Impossible references throughout this one. It's a very solid starting level, with strong atmosphere (the rain and thunderstorm at the beginning) and nice interconnected facility with a memorable finish (all the different doors that lead to the phonebooth elevator, then first reveal of the new beast enemy). The ammo is kinda scarce here and usually when I get to Duke-Burger, I have barely enough ammo and guns to clear the street area, so it's probably why the difficulty spike felt by Quacken here. The music is obviously a variation on the MI theme that works surprisingly well, also the initial cutscene is a nice addition. Combat-wise, I guess the red-key area where you drop from the ceiling is the most tricky one to tackle with the swarm of monsters, but then you got these pipebombs for a reason.

Score: 8/10

Duke-Burger
As I mentioned, clearing the street area can be a bitch due to the lack of ammo, also it's kinda mandatory to use the self-destruct button on the tanks. I've mentioned this before, but I remember spending quite a bit of time finding the first keycard (even when I knew that I should probably access that small vent thing, I didn't know how to open it). The inside of the restaurant sell the location well, then there's this nice puzzle of shrinking and all the conundrums with dog meat being used in burgers. All that topped with the Duke's good old humour. Very good map.

Score: 8.5/10

Shop-n-Bag
I was quite surprised to see this level rather praised here, since it seems to be usually treated as a rather mediocre one. I think it does a good job on selling the location and the enemy placement is pretty solid (I'm not a fan of the turrets here, but I guess DNSKILL420 has a point with how they're placed to really pose a lot of danger - just the point is, they're a dickish enemy in general most of the time). I like the brutal start of this map, with troopers jibbed and buildings collapsing (the map is particularly rich with unique and very useful - in terms of user maps design - textures, and I don't only mean the supermarket ones, but also the "WSYC" banner and the collapsed buildings collumns). I also think the trash compactor puzzles are neat - it's not too difficult, the hurting floor requires you to act reasonably fast and if you stop one of the compactors at the wrong timing, you have to start all over again, but then you don't have to be super precise with how you set them up.

Score: 7.5/10

Babe Land
Another one I'm surprised to see getting quite a lot of praise. To start with, this is IMO the most cryptic level of original Duke 3D campaign and it's solely because of the shooting gallery puzzles (can't remember now if the teddy bear room that opens is marked as a secret or not), but then the targets are also the biggest reason to love this level given how incredibly useful they are for managing complex effects in user maps. The design may look silly with the pseudo-sky, but I think it works well to create a theme park (which is a theme park for babes, because of course) and at the same time, quite a unique level. I also appreciate the puzzles more and more the more I think of this level - not only the shooting gallery bit, but also in the other locations, which might not be that much forged into general player memory. The fights are more of a nuance in the first part, then the battlelords, RPVs and annoying cannons come into play for a final battle.

Score: 7.5/10

Pigsty
Police station/court room, once again with a lot of dark humour and movie references (which I only got to appreciate much later when realising what they're about), there's also the cool working printer, where Duke of course prints his ass. The level feels a bit cramped and dark here and there, but the combat isn't overwhelming up until the court room at the end. With all these tiny details and sounds of fights, I think this level manages to capture the vibe of being more alive/more stuff going on than just Duke running around and killing aliens. On the other hand, it never felt like the strongest or most memorable level of this episode.

Score: 7.5/10

Area 51
A true MVP of The Birth has to be this "hidden" gem, the secret level with probably the best and most consistent aesthetics in the game, even if it's merely a "base/hi-tech" one. The outside area is good in particular, throwing you right into the middle of a crazy battle and showing a base that's nicely concealed in the sands of a desert, with a bunch of different possible entries. Despite the theme that screams for a generic design, this one manages to do a lot of different stuff, from a laboratory where the aliens/new beasts are examined, through typical command centers and storages, to finally a room with an alien spaceship getting ready for departure. I have to admit I did the same thing as TheDragonLiner at first and just brute-forced the code for the nukes as a kid (when I got the combination right, I've felt so fucking proud) before realising the proper combination was all the time right before my eyes (BTW, I don't think I recall the third hint - I know of the one on the animated screen and the bullets near the point where you first enter the base). Combat-wise, there's a number of highlights - the first crazy battle out in the open, the new beasts horroresque approach after grabbing the keycard inside the lab and finally the main room with the blue UFO. The design is very nicely detailed, this level relies heavily on new graphics, but does it so well they never clash with general Duke 3D style. Great map in pretty much every aspect.

Score: 9.5/10

That's all for now, gonna do the remaining maps another day.

[LakiSoft]

Alright, i finally decided to replay and re-comment entire stuff, but this time using Atomic Edition v1.5.

E4L1 - It's Impossible

Rather nice introduction level. It really brings me back some childhood memories and nostalgia. I like how Randy built this level, and it really represents good introduction level for Atomic Editon as its direct sequel to the events of original three episodes. The architecture is very classic and it should me the basis for newbie mapper in essence how to build your first map. The new monsters, the Protector Drones already appear in first level of this official expansion sequel and it already brings you to action.

E4L1 on Damn I'm Good Video: https://files.fm/f/2wrtqjnnp

[TheDragonLiner]

Almost there already.


XXX Stacy :

That's more like it. A more detailed level with some variety to it. A small studio, a club and then some sort of water treatment facility ?

The Entrance and then the second half are the more memorable bits to me. Because the interiors are pretty basic even though well furnished. And I like the small secret where it looks like you found the America Bomber's flat or something after the previous level where you saw wanted posters. In gameplay, this level is the occasion to use up a big bunch of my 7th weapon, and there's even 2 or 3 occasions to make a decent use of the Expander like I described for E4L2.
Also we're given a surprisingly high amount of 5th ammo, a bit like in the previous level. Given you'll face 2 Tanks and then a whomping 3 in the next level ... >_> Of course gotta mark the sudden oppening of a door on an onslaught of 4 or so Protectors. Good thing there were all these Enforcers before hand for some 4th weapon ammo.

I don't find much more to say about that level. It's another mid-fielder to me, higher than the previous level that's for sure.

Music I used not to like in the past but I grew to like it. I like how it feels kinda peacefull. It would almost fit more as a track where you explore the level peacefully than guns blazing. And I like the variations I could find, except the Total Meltdown one.


Critical Mass :

Warning, I like this level a lot.

This comes down to 2 things really. _1 The Ambiance. Both in the music and the level's atmosphere. The whole, sunset, darkening of the day, and then the dark industrial environement, all best served by the music ... I don't know but there's something that clicks with me and this level's atmosphere. And I always like how the quaking after you pressed the final switches makes it feel like you should go away fast, while in reality you have all the time in the world. The second half of the music fits that moment quite well, and the ending of the track with that of the level with that ominous silouhette of the Ship in the distance.
_2 The Gameplay. Basically, each room is a challenge of its own. 2 Tanks, then that Exploding Corridor where you don't know when's the good time to dash into it, then the Compactor, and then all the Reactor part. They're all well designed, and each area has quite the details IMO. Don't look any further, that level will strive for 1st place too !

My only complaints would be that, it's almost impossible to avoid damage in the Exploding Corridor and the Exit, and then how short that level is >_>

Music, I already said how it work really well. Even in Adlib which is a feat as far as I'm concerned. Though it's hard to find a variant I like most ...

Critical Mass may be a Critical Mess, but it sure isn't a Critical Miss.
(lol lol)

[Quacken]

Let's finish up The Birth!

Critical Mass
Richard Gray, Keith Schuler

Critical Mass seems like a throwaway at first, but if you analyse it you'll find a pretty okay map. Gray really loves Protector Drones in this map. He and Schuler will double team you with them three separate times in this map, and all of them can kill you quick if you aren't good on the draw. Critical Mass gives you about the size of a biscuit tin to fit through monsters, but it's offset by having plenty of supplies for you to chew through everything, particularly explosives. This map still feels like an Episode 3 reject though. There's nothing here that makes it visually distinct from a different map's office complex like L.A. Rumble or Fahrenheit, its continuity relating to XXX-Stacy is dubious at best, and it can get nearly pitch black, like Pigsty. Critical Mass shows promise, but it's not nearly visually distinct enough for it to be memorable.

6/10.

Derelict
Allen Blum

Here it is: The map of The Birth. I'm gonna be real with you: I only gave Dark Side a 10/10 in the Lunar Apocalypse review because I was feeling nice. Really, it should have been a 9/10. I might like playing Dark Side more, but I think Derelict demonstrates a much greater mastery of the Build Engine. With a maximum kill count of nearly 300 on EDuke and a run time of about 18 minutes, Derelict is by far the longest and most complicated map out of the first four episodes. If you're Pistol starting this map, it's also definitely the most difficult map. Without the ability to carry weapons and ammo from Critical Mass, this map is no joke. Just getting onto the ship can be tricky. You have to use a crane while also trying to dodge lasers from Pig Cop Jets and randomly spawning lightning. The blue key is nightmarishly difficult to get to, with you having to fend off four Protector Drones in a shoebox. You'll have to pine for table scrap ammo for the first eight minutes. I hope you've practiced kicking Troopers, because you might need to do that more than once if times get tough.

Once you've killed about 100 of the monsters, you won't really need to worry about ammo. You'll be able to stockpile shells as new weapons come in, but the monsters are more ferocious than ever. The Assault Commander chef in the cafeteria is pretty tricky to take out. You either have to stay in the kitchen while braving fire from Troopers and Captains in the back, or you'll have to doorfight everyone inside. Protector Drones are everywhere. From the rafters, the sides and around corners, Blum has spammed these bastards everywhere he could. There's always a tiny little ledge that boxes you in with one or two Protectors whenever you're shrunk. Derelict is extremely dark and gloomy, but unlike Gray and company's submissions it absolutely plays to the benefit of the map. With the chilling music and there not being a lot of easily accessable health, there's a genuine survival horror feel to this map. For being started on as early as 1994, Derelict shows a defining amount of ambition, sinisterness and immersion than anything the Doom Engine could provide before the 2000s.

10/10!

The Queen
Randy Pitchford

If you wanted to play a map that summed up Randy Pitchford's work ethic, then The Queen will cure an illness. Randy Pitchford's excuse to shill Duke Tag is two sets of copy-pasted rooms that are neither fun to play, nor good to look at. Pitchford seems awfully eager to hand you all the ammo you'll ever need, but he doesn't give you a Shrinker in this map, which would have been pretty helpful to deal with the two bullshit pop-up Battlelords that will instantly kill you if your health is low enough and you're not expecting it. He also reprises the worst parts of Toxic Dump, by forcing you to negotiate pointless near-death situations while you're underwater that only serve to agitate the player. Here's an easy sequence break you can do: You can press on the switches in the centre-most room even when the lids that cover them are blocked. Press your use key on the angled walls and you should be able to open up the doors to both the rooms. The Alien Queen is a boss that I would have liked more if you didn't have to fight her underwater. By this time you probably would have used your Scuba Gear, so get ready to do a lot of surfacing. The Queen is dumb, lazy and a really disappointing way to end off The Birth.

1.5/10.

[Aleks]

Here's part 2 of The Birth write-ups.


Going Postal

Another great level, with memorable, well-designed theme and intense combat. While the street bit at the beginning looks a bit sloppy, the post office itself is recreated very well (I've only recently found out it is based on an actual post office which was near the 3DR quarters and that the developers used for sending packages). There's plenty of funny mechanics involved to make the progression through the building entertaining and engaging, then some fancy design with the tipped-over postal van and finally, the intense battle towards the end. I don't think this is amongst the most difficult battles in the game, considering you get a lot of heavy supplies in the bunker and can prepare elaborate traps for your enemies (I particularly like the fact you can press the buttons to blow up a lot of them), but it has this funny feeling of a fortress under a siege, where you kinda feel the pressure of killing the hordes of enemies before they reach you. Also it feels quite cathartic to just mow through all that mob with heavy guns! All in all, an awesome level.

Score: 9/10

XXX Stacy

I guess I'm in the majority who don't feel this is one of the best or most memorable levels, but then I guess it did forge itself into the collective consciousness, given how many recreations of it there are (of the top of my head, there's MetHy's map from Metropolitan Mayhem, Fakir's FBSP002 level and Arzca's X3 Studio). I think the map's strongest location is the inside of the porn studio, with working printing machine and porn set that are well designed. Too bad it's only a tiny bit of the level. The outside part is kind of a mixed bag, same with the final industrial bit, even if the combat gets a bit more tense there. Overall, it's still pretty solid, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Score: 7/10

Critical Mass

And here's one I particularly don't like that much, mostly because it's one of these levels where every part of the environment tries to kill you, but also because it's pretty linear, and these two things basically kill any incentive to really go out there and explore the map. The traps are designed fairly well though and the map does work better as this kind of "run the gauntlet"-pressing thing, especially if you use the new music for it from Lee Jackson's last CD (Megamusic, which is so good I also used it in Submachine) that gives it the more intense vibe. The design of the last building is also pretty good with the meltdown effect at the end (although the first time around, it took me a while before I figured I have to crouch right up on the threshold of that final door to pass through, I spent a while trying to get one of the protector drones to shrink me so I could fit in there).

Score: 6.5/10

Derelict

A map that's a great showcase of what can be done in Build and a very good one to analyse and be impressed by, but way less fun to play. It has probably the weakest music in the whole game and the dark outside bit with all the invisible turrets shooting through maskwalls on the ship deck is kinda frustrating. Inside of the ship is design quite "realistically", which also means there's cramped corridors and the navigation isn't too obvious, because it's green corridors upon green corridors. Finally, there's this particularly annoying "vertical" fight with battlelords and slimers towards the end where the room is too tiny to properly aim down, so you have to either get into a tedious job of throwing lots of pipebombs there or riding down YOLO and shrinking the battlelords ASAP. From the good parts, the cargo area with the conveyor belts is great, so is the engine room where you can squish a bunch of protector drones and the captain's office with another type of secret "really ready room".

Score: 8.5/10

The Queen

Another awesome level that takes the "alien" theme to a whole new level after Fusion Station. Randy once again delights us with some of the best and most detailed design and particularly effective use of new, level-specific art in here, making a sellable impression of a "living mothership". The design here is pretty clear and I think it's one that makes it obvious from the beginning that it's a boss level, with similar to Overlord's ominous vibe all over it and intense fights. There's also plenty of well done underwater action (it's a shame it's basically the only level that makes use of underwater newbeasts, as they fit this environment perfectly). Finally, it plays well with the "Metroidvania" design, basically requiring you to have protective boots, steroids and scuba gear for your final journey, once again a proper way of marking the boss battle. Finally, I think this level does a brilliant job at incorporating both single and multiplayer together, with the Duke-Tag specific design that also works well in single player. I've never played Duke-Tag myself (would love too though, it's also probably the only map that makes it available), but the concept of incorporating a whole new type of multiplayer in Duke only through a combination of effects that can be only triggered during multiplayer might just be one of the first instances of Build Porn™ ever created. Last but not least, The Queen delivers perfectly as a boss, having very original attacks and the underwater battle and thematically closing the whole aliens kind of vibe started with the introduction of new beasts. Great, great level!

Score: 9/10

[LakiSoft]

E4L2 - Duke Burger

Though i don't prefer it, it has some interesting concept. Still with good detailing, i just don't like prison areas where things are getting frustrating. Shrinking puzzle and conveyor belt thingy near the jails were nice approaches of this level though. Nice but not one of my favorites of this episode.


E4L2 on Damn I'm Good video: https://files.fm/f/sak73f52f

[TheDragonLiner]

Want both the last level and closing thoughts on the same post so ...


Derelict :

A lot of people hate this level, personally I like it. I like the idea of boarding the ship and then exploring it. The one complain I have is the doors. They stay open for way too short of an amount of time, and they just keep getting opened and closed by players and enemies ... it becomes deafening sometimes >_<

Apart from that, another complaint would come from the design of the boat being very geometric and the inside having a lack of variety in the textures, if we exclude the kitchen and the Last Area. Gameplay wise it's one of the harder levels in the game, being the penultimate. Lots of Protectors, and I ended up lacking in 2nd, 3rd and 4th ammo. Having used 200 2nd at the start, 200 4th against Protectors, and 3rd against everything in-bewteen after I ran out of the others >_> Good thing my favorites 0th and Expander are still there.
As for orientation, I saw somebody complain about complexity, personally while I can understand, it's not as bad as it looks. Being a ship, there's not many options to go to, and the KeyCards aren't even hidden really. Maybe I played Oblivion too much ....

Music, I find it's fitting for the tone of the level and it being the penultimate, though the track itself is kinda basic IMO, compared to the others. I like the variation that uses actual ship and sea sounds, too bad it uses Ohs and Ahs at the end T_T Adlib makes it okay, though too discrete IMO.

To give you an idea of how I have some affection for this level, I used the Ship as my reference to draw an Ep4 picture, where a character of mines uses the Crane while shooting at an alien waiting for him suspended against the Crane's main pillar. Unfortunately some informatic bullshit made it disappear without warning T_T It was in a relatively advanced state it's so unfair >_< !! Rationalisation, I was stuck ... but still >_< !
Anyway ...

[LakiSoft]

E4L3 - Shop 'n' Bag

A Levelord's level. According to Levelord himself, this level used to be fancy until got fucked up by someone else. Indeed it has frustrating moments, but again i believe original version was more balanced. The puzzle with crushers at end of level was nice idea though, but myself i usually skip them by jumping and avoiding them like crazy rather than using the button. In fact, i just recently discovered there is an actual button for it, in past i though only thing you are supposed to do is to avoid the fucking crushers until you reach nukebutton that bring you to the next level.

E4L3 on Damn I'm Good Video: https://files.fm/f/pewqktygs

[TheDragonLiner]

The Queen :

Final Level at last ! Interesting design and layout. I don't recall seeing anything like this, even in usermaps. Only downside being that the map looks like 1 half having been copied, pasted and mirrored with slight alterations to the colors and some level functionalities just for the sake of it. Maybe they were in a rush, a usual thing with ends of games.

In gameplay, it's the most challenging level of the bunch. There are many ways to get screwed if not carefull, and the Enforcers spawning a bit behind you don't help. 2 BattleLords too, and in unadventageous situations too. The underwater sections are the better parts of the level IMO. This is where the combat is most interesting IMO. As for the boss, I've had a surprisingly hard time compared to usual O_o Dunno if it's DOSBox or what but still. The biggest problem is all those Protectors that keep jumping around and getting in your way, while the boss can perform an unavoidable attack, even when out in the little alcoves ! Usually I can rush the Queen and call it a day but not this time somehow >_> Anyway, regardless of the complaint, this is a better boss fight than those of Ep2 and 3 IMO. Ep1 being hitscan makes it better anyway for me, not only by taste, but also by spirit of contradiction with those Anti-Hitscan folks

Music works well as a final level music. And it being called "Departure" fits both the final level aspect and the music's tone IMO. Not really one of my faves though. One of the classic cases of musics I like in-game but not really out-game. AdLib treated it well IMO. I'm surprised at how Adlib didn't make any of the musics of Ep4 unbearable to my eyes like it usually does ...


Closing Thoughts :

Of course, Ep4 is my favorite of the main game (not counting Ep5 since I haven't discovered it yet. SOON) not only for the quality of the maps and their new graphics and musics, but also for how more believable everything looks, especially thanks to the higher level of detail. And higher challenge all round makes it more satisfying to go through. To be expected in episode layed out games like this ...

Now for the ranking. A difficult task as usual, as I may no longer agree with what I write after a while. Let's say ... _1 Critical Mass, _2 Duke Burger, _3 Missing Impossible, 4_ Shop 'n Bag, 5_ Area 51, _6 Pigsty, _7 XXX Stacy, _8 Derelict, _9 BabeLand, _10 Going Postal.

I'm frustrated by how low I rank "Derelict" but objectivity has to come in at some point. And ranking "Going Postal" and "BabeLand" last is a bit harsh, but like I said, only their respective ending sections are the biggest deals in my eyes. Also, whether you like it or not, there has to be last places T_T.

[Quacken]

I forgot to do this last time, but here's my closing thoughts on The Birth:

The Birth is a pretty solid expansion. I'd say it's most comparable to Shrapnel City, with it's mix of averageness and fleeting genius, only with The Birth having a higher mean level of quality. I like playing The Birth, but apart from Derelict, Going Postal and Babe Land, there's not much here that really grabs me. Two of Randy Pitchford's maps are decent but not amazing, and The Queen is horrible; Richard Gray's maps all feel like outtakes from Episode 3, and as for Schuler and Broussard, the changes they made to Gray's maps are pretty antiseptic. Only Allen Blum's submissions are consistently enjoyable and memorable to me, and even then all of his maps I mentioned beforehand have been trashed by one or more people. My final rating for The Birth is a 6.5/10. It's fun to play in a vacuum, but I don't intend to revisit it anytime soon.

Now I've got a choice to make - do I bite the bullet and buy World Tour just to play eight levels... I'm aware that a patch exists for you to be able to play Alien World Order in Eduke, but to my knowledge that requires World Tour to begin with, so that seems like a no-go.