Duke Map/Mod of the Month Club - March 2023

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Duke Map/Mod of the Month Club - March 2023 "Metropolitan Mayhem has been chosen!"

FistMarine

#1 Posted 01 March 2023 - 08:10 AM

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 2023 Editions

Spoiler

Previous 2022 Editions

Spoiler

Previous 2021 Editions

Spoiler

For this month, Metropolitan Mayhem has been chosen!

Metropolitan Mayhem is a 15-map city themed episode created by Aymeric Nocus (aka ck3D/MRCK), Mikko Sandt, Merlijn van Oostrum and MetHunter (aka MetHy). It was released in March 2012 and it strictly requires EDuke32!

The episode is greatly inspired by the original 3DR episodes and it not only contains a secret level but it also contains a really cool concept in the final regular level where you can choose between FOUR unique boss themed levels! One of those boss-themed maps even contains TWO different endings that you can choose, depending on the teleporter you step on! I highly recommend checking out all the possible endings, as each map provides a completely unique experience. And don't forget to find the secret level!

You can download Metropolitan Mayhem at the following links:

Duke4.net Forums -> https://forums.duke4...15-map-episode/
MSDN -> https://msdn.duke4.n...etropolitan.php (includes a review by Gambini as well)
ModDB -> https://www.moddb.co...opolitan-mayhem

Additionally, the episode is included in the EDuke32 Addon Compilation as well.

Have fun!

Quacken

#2 Posted 02 March 2023 - 03:37 AM

Alright, Duke time! Let's get right into it. I'm once again going to preface this by saying I'm using the Addon Compilation to play this, not the original download.

Duke's Day
MetHunter

Duke's Day is about as simple of a starting map as you can get. Get lucky enough to bum a Shotgun from a Pig Cop and you've basically already won the map. Go wild with the shells, because you get tons of them in this map and there's only 31 monsters to kill. This map is very basic both on its visuals and its navigation, but in this case it's a bit of a simple delight, owing to its vintage sheen, classic MIDI and its gratifying platform. As I'm still reeling from January's maps and the overwhelming latter half of WGSpace, sometimes all you need to cool off is a short and sweet map. Duke's Day hits in the right place in my brain.

6.5/10.

Croque Monsieur
Aymeric Nocus

Continuing on from the shortness of Duke's Day, Croque Monsieur follows up very appropriately from that map and places you into a big hamster cage to run around in. This is the first map in the set authored by CK3D, and looking at the wide open space you have to move around and fight hitscanners in I could tell it was his map without even looking at the text file. This map is functionally just following the beats of Hollywood Holocaust though. You walk through a Hollywood strip and do odd jobs at a karaoke bar and a cinema. The movie theater can be a crick in the neck if you wasted all your Pipe Bombs before coming to look at what's on tonight, but if you happen to have some spare this map is a cakewalk. Croque Monsieur is a fine map, and like Duke's Day I appreciate its short length.

6.5/10.

Office Onslaught
Mikko Sandt

Oh boy, Mikko Sandt's back! But this time he's made yet another short and fast cooler. Mikko's office block won't take you more than five minutes to complete, but I happen to think its probably the best map so far due to there being less downtime than the previous two maps. Though there's less monsters than Croque Monsieur, it feels like the map always puts something new to fight around the corner, which makes the map feel better paced. I'll say this now as well: I also like how each map in this set picks up where the other one ends off. It's a nice little detail to have, and it makes these maps very nice to marathon. If I wanted to do that, anyway... because of its superior combat, Office Onslaught manages to hedge itself past the other two maps to become the best one so far.

7/10.

NNC

#3 Posted 02 March 2023 - 07:57 AM

The one map which I vibrantly remember from this set (and somehow associates the entire mod with that map) is the subway level, Meatball Sub Makin', which was released separately too. It had a pretty memorable layout, and probably the best metro stations in a Duke map (with a clever use of the lava sound). I think I disliked the earlier maps, they look amateurish to the level I originally thought it's just a joke mod. By map3-4, the quality geared up a lot, and by the end, it was a pretty impressive set of levels.

This post has been edited by The Watchtower: 02 March 2023 - 07:58 AM

Quacken

#4 Posted 07 March 2023 - 11:12 PM

Let's keep at it!

City Lights
Merlijn van Oostrum

City Lights is your pretty typical city go-around. Merlijn's lighting is impressive, but with the slumbering MIDI from L.A. Rumble I was sleep-walking my way through this map. If Croque Monsieur didn't exist then I could justify this map's inclusion more, but City Lights doesn't really set itself apart with how little there is to do. There's a bar to crash and the secret exit, and... that's it. The secret exit is pretty easy to find here. Look around the couches after the blue door until you find a small switch. Flick it and run to the door that opened by the next key. This is Merlijn's only contribution to Metropolitan Mayhem, and I wish I could have seen at least one more map from him. City Lights is ultimately a pretty forgettable map that doesn't really have a strong theme to separate it from Duke's Day and Croque Monsieur.

3.5/10.

Dukenpark
Aymeric Nocus

With a bunch of short and pretty easy maps, Dukenpark stands out for being the first to be kind of tricky in some areas. This visually impressive skatepark is the most densely populated map thus far. Open doors in this map and you'll be treated to overly popular skate ramps and boarders who only wanted to test their moves, while you meanwhile get to test the Chaingun a lot. This map's visuals are definitely very notable. I like the skate ramps a lot, but the other smaller details are definitely not to be overlooked either. I also happen to like the combat in this map. The first outdoor arena gets a lot more hectic when you're a dolt like me and don't realise you can open the door back to the previous room, and I also like that CK3D is more willing to be aggressive with Commanders than his comrades. I'm not too big a fan of the Battlelord ambush though. He can easily sidestep your rockets and you don't really have cover, so it feels a little luck reliant. Dukenpark is a very solid map to zoom through, with a decent length and good fights.

8/10.

Sex City
MetHunter

Taking extremely subtle cues from XXX-Stacy, I actually find this map to be a much better version of Levelord's Episode Four submission, mostly because Keith Schuler isn't there to dunk you into a techbase. The film sets make great use of props, including a Duke pain sprite, it feels vertical and impressive through the use of its elevators and vents, and this map might have the best usage of security cameras I've seen so far. There's no real notable fights in this map, but it does beat Dukenpark in kill count, and there's quite a few more Protector Drones running around to be a pain in your side. While I'm inclined to rate this lower than Dukenpark due to it not being an original concept, I think Sex City still has some of the best theming and consistency in this set so far.

7.5/10.

LAPD
Mikko Sandt

Oh boy. Taking inspiration from another Levelord map from Episode Four, LAPD is extremely unremarkable. I found the exit in two minutes and twenty seconds, and I didn't consider I was even close to beating the map until I hit a switch and went into a cubby I thought was a secret. I'd like this map more if it were to expand more on the map layout more. As it stands, LAPD feels like a bit of an outcast with how short and mediocre it is, even compared to Duke's Day.

3/10.

FistMarine

#5 Posted 10 March 2023 - 01:30 PM

@Quacken: Thanks for keeping the topic alive! I appreciate it.

@The Watchtower: I thought the earlier maps aren't that bad, they are pretty decent and prepare you for the later maps in the episode. Maybe the only significant issue I can find at them is that they lack originality and would have been more interesting if they were more original creations, if you understand what I mean.

And about Meatball Sub Makin', good catch. I remember the map being released as standalone back in 2010, at that time when I was browsing Duke Repository for new releases and occasionally lurking in the Duke4 community. I'm guessing the map was released as sort of a demo. Either way, it's an interesting note and people might enjoy reading little details and historical events like these. The map can be downloaded here: http://dnr.duke4.net..._Sub_Makin.html

I don't know if there's any differences compared to the one included in the episode but I will see later on and if the map runs fine in JFDuke3D, to give it a bit more of a classic flavor. Oh, I just noticed the map released exactly 13 years ago! Funny coincidence.

Anyway, last week I started playing the initial release of Metropolitan Mayhem in EDuke32 r5498. Here are my thoughts of the first four levels and the secret level:

Duke's Day
by MetHunter (MetHy)

The episode opens with a very E1L1 and E1L2 inspired map. It is not only less detailed but also more open ended and a bit oversized as well.

It is quite a short and easy map, as it only features fights against troopers and pig cops. You are given an armor right off the bat, as well as lots of pistol ammo and if you explore further, you can find pipebombs and a shotgun as well. Health is available in decent amounts too, with two secret atomic healths to be found as well. You shouldn't have any problems completing this one.

Secrets:
1) In the room containing the blue card, press on the different shaded wall to find a RPG.
2) Inside the bookstore, press on the cash register to reveal an Atomic Health nearby.
3) Look for an Atomic Health placed on a ledge. Try finding a way to jump and reach it! I recommend to grab it when you unlocked the exit, as it is found nearby.

Decent opening level, feeling more like an appetizer compared to the upcoming levels. Looking forward to the next level!

Croque Monsieur
by Aymeric Nocus (CK3D/MRCK)

The second level begins immediately after the first one, as the mappers have made sure that Metropolitan Mayhem retains not only the classic Duke3D feeling but also the CONTINUITY between each level, which is another thing that made Duke3D unique compared to its competitors.

Anyway, as for the level, it's much more "alive" compared to the first level with a couple different locations to visit and it is also much more action packed, as you get to fight the usual troopers and pig cops with some enforcers thrown in the mix. The map also draws inspiration from both E1L1 and E1L2.

There is only one secret to find, an atomic health on a ledge that you can get near beginning, you just need to drop down and take a bit of fall damage to reach the item.

Extras:
-Don't forget to collect the armor inside the fire container at the very beginning of the level!
-There is an Atomic Health that seems unreachable, unless you lure a trooper, jump on him and then wait until you get lifted, in order to reach the item. I remember mentioning this before in another topic a few years ago, which was the last time I played the episode and ck3D told me that there is a Jetpack found in the map but there aren't any inventory items to be found until the fourth level (yes, I searched in Mapster to be sure). I think the trooper method may be the intended way to reach the item, as I don't see any other way.

Very fun level overall.

Office Onslaught
by Mikko Sandt

A pretty fun office-themed level, as you can tell from the title. The action can be a bit cramped at times but I personally didn't mind that. The level is quite short but again, this isn't an issue.

Once again, there is only one secret to find. Just after you kill the two protector drones and take the elevator, you should find yourself near two telephones. One of them temporary reveals a picture in the next room. I recommend first clearing the enemies and then come back to one of the telephones, push it and run to collect an atomic health.

Extras: There is an armor pickup inside a vent contained in the same room where you collect a shotgun and a blue card, it is located near beginning.

Fun map. Looking forward to the next map!

City Lights
by Merlijn van Oostrum

Merlijn's only contribution to the episode, this is yet another fun short map that will take you a couple minutes to complete. It is a bit more action packed, with some octabrains and commanders thrown in to the mix, as well as a pig cop tank.

Unlike the previous levels, this one doesn't contain the armor (unless you get used one from a pig cop) and there is only one atomic health to find. However, don't let that discourage you, as the map isn't too difficult and health/ammo supplies are plentiful. Just watch out for the occasional spawning monsters and you should be fine!

Oh and make sure to find the secret level, as you will see below. There is only one secret level in the episode and it's found in this map, so DON'T miss the chance!

Secrets:
1) Inside the bar, press on the cash register to open a nearby compartment containing Portable Medkit and Steroids.
2) After entering the building, look for a hidden switch behind the couch. It temporary opens a door inside the burning place (where you collect the red card and an RPG). Quickly get inside and you will find the secret exit!

Another fun short level. Let's see how the secret level compares.

Dukenpark
by Aymeric Nocus (CK3D/MRCK)

The only secret level in the episode. This is a relatively challenging map, as tougher monsters get introduced, such as the occasional Mini Battlelord (one is spawned halfway and one is found right at the end). And there are also plenty of commanders to be found in some of the rooms, so be careful!

I won't enter into details trying to describe everything but here is an advice to deal with the Mini Battlelord at the end of the level: If he starts running towards you, take the elevator back and after stepping back, send the elevator down. Do the same thing once more to call it back and take a few steps back. If you did correctly, the Mini Battlelord is now riding the elevator. Get some distance and kill him with the RPG. Backtrack for supplies if needed. Once you get to the end, pick up the Devastator, which is your reward for finishing the secret level!

There are two secrets to find and both are located very close to each other. Inside the bathroom, break the vents. One contains a Chaingun, the other contains an Atomic Health.

Overall, this was a great secret level that shouldn't be missed!

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The maps so far were relatively short and easy and prepare you for the longer and more challenging maps later on. I also really like the continuity being present between the levels.

Have a nice weekend!

This post has been edited by FistMarine: 10 March 2023 - 01:34 PM

ck3D

#6 Posted 10 March 2023 - 05:14 PM

Really cool to see people still enjoying Metropolitan Mayhem after all this time. Some random comments:

- one thing I think is cool to observe that originates in Metropolitan Mayhem but then continues into Duke Hard is MetHy's incredibly quick adaptation to the engine and grasp of better and better level design, e.g.. Duke's Day was one of his first finished, released, 'serious' attempts at a solid Duke 3D level that he kept minimal on purpose (some of his very first, even earlier mapping attempts, which he never released but would show me way back, actually were more detail-oriented and also messier, like a typical user map would be, especially at the time), but looking at the map in the editor from a Build perspective one can easily spot technical mistakes which probably weren't intended (for instance one of the shop's inner walls literally overlaps its outer counterpart and so while that's never noticeable in game, that means it has no thickness and borderlines sector over sector; that looks earnest and if it really wasn't then damn). As soon as Sex City, absolutely all of those slip-ups and errors are gone and the level isn't just absolutely clean on a technical level, but also more creative and interesting in its functioning and layout (in a fashion that still sticks to the base game's; could easily be passed off as a The Birth level). Then I honestly don't remember his boss map but his intervention on Train in Veins was pretty cool; technically a bit rough in execution, IIRC was last minute, but shows a possibility and adds a whole dimension of reading the level I wouldn't have considered myself at the time. Then in Duke Hard, Lobby is essentially Sex City all over again except with even more charisma, and finally Parking is peak base Duke 3D in my opinion (and the boss level is pretty cool too, albeit conceptually a bit safe). It's pretty interesting how he was getting better and better with every level once one starts observing the linearity of that timeline, and also in which particular ways.

- Meatball Sub Makin' IIRC was the only level in the episode which failed to meet the 24 hour time limit everyone had imposed upon themselves, IIRC it took 48 or maybe 72 (maybe Derailing also took more, like 36 or 48 - it's been so long!). Basically three days instead of just one, but it really always was intended to be part of the episode (contrary to how Gambini suspects the opposite in the MSDN review) and really was just released as a demo/playable trailer for the episode like FistMarine correctly guessed, not because it had broken the rule or any other fancy reason however, just because that would make sense since it was a slightly longer map and still representative of the experience.

- I specified that the last time FistMarine brought it up but maybe he forgot or missed that part of my original reply, but there really used to be a jetpack in Croque-Monsieur, right behind the ledge with the Nuke Button and so in order to snag that one Atomic Health the player would have been supposed to use that. IIRC it was removed by someone else because some people were scared that would break the next maps (which is strange to me - as in literally alien to my own approach - and after learning about Mikko's aversion to jetpack skips in his review of Blast Radius, seeing as his map comes next here now I suspect maybe he did?). Problem is they did and also appropriately went and unmarked the secret(s), but didn't remove the Atomic Health and so it's still there and tantalizes you.

This post has been edited by ck3D: 10 March 2023 - 06:02 PM

Aleks

#7 Posted 15 March 2023 - 12:30 PM

I played this episode about 2 years ago and wrote a lengthy review for CGS I think, which then for some reason I've never uploaded. So I guess it's a good idea to just slap it here and be done with it, right? Comes just "as is", without even a second read from me

Metropolitan Mayhem marks an important transition in trends in user level design. After the early 2000’s boom for very detailed, pseudo-realistic levels, mostly inspired by the likes of Pascal Rouaud, Bob Averill, Alejandro Glavic or Kevin Cools, the community started to glance more towards the style and vibe of the original levels. Less focusing on design and look itself, more concentrated on the gameplay and fun factor alone. In this episode, some of the community’s finest mappers tried to capture the style of the original game, in a progression of short levels (with a crazy restriction that each map should be made within a single day – which most of the mappers seemingly didn’t really follow that strictly afterwards).

The episode totals 10 levels and 4 boss maps for the player to choose from, with an extra secret level in the middle of all that. Maps were designed to be short, 5-15 minute (with an exception of Meatball Sub Makin’) straightforward vignettes with strong sense of location, visible connections to earlier and further ones and backtracking limited to the minimum. Lots of emphasis, on the other hand, was put into direct tributes to the original maps, with some areas distinctly remade and a selection of original soundtracks that would go well with the levels.

We start at Duke’s Day by MetHy, a very short map starting with very obvious hint at E1L1. There’s some more inspiration taken from both Hollywood Holocaust and Red Light District, with heavy platforming on the ledges around the buildings and Forbidden Videos shop. Enemies are slowly introduced, with only Troopers and Pig Cops wandering around this one. Some subtle palettes are thrown around to break the Duke’s brown and grey city theme a bit. While it’s a good choice for a first level, you probably won’t remember much about it halfway through the episode.

Croque Monsieur by MRCK follows. This one also makes heavy use of verticality, and despite playing “Taking the Death Toll” (perhaps the most boring track in the game), the texturing reminds more of E3 (with a little eyewink to LA Rumble around the focal point of the map). There’s a cinema that’s directly paying homage to E1L1 as well, but the overall feel of the map is more 1996-user mappy rather than that of original levels, with some more experimental texture combinations and flat or view aligned sprites serving as the decorations and abusing up-open doors, where another type would work better. Luckily, strong contrasting shadows around the street level give it a lot more depth. The level marks the first time we meet Enforcers in this episode.

From there we move into Office Onslaught by Mikko Sandt. The main problem with this one is that it ends before it really starts for good. This time, the inspirations point at Hotel Hell mixed with E4 vibe (or perhaps some older Fakir map inspired by E4 level?). The main problem here is that some areas seem too dark, especially the outside section. Despite apparently being held around office complex, the sense of location here is much weaker than in other maps.

Next map, City Lights by Merlijn van Oostrum, might be the one that captures the original Duke 3D style and atmosphere the best out of the pack. Being enclosed around a small part of town with police station, bar and an area around EDF base (very similar to a certain area in It’s Impossible), it makes for a smooth progression and some decent combat with no cramped spaces and good enemy placement. There are also some visual hints to Fahrenheit and once again LA Rumble, though bar and police station have much better design than their counterparts in Red Light District and Pigsty, respectively.

Sex City by MetHy feels mostly inspired by XXX Stacy (another one after Fakir’s remake in FBSP02 and before Arzca’s X3 Studios). It’s major strength is how wisely the layout is planned, with multiple interconnections and shortcuts all around the map. The design might be a bit inconsistent here and there and feels more like an early user map, with strong (albeit very decent looking) use of palettes. The gameplay is as non-linear as it gets in this episode, with multiple keycards and some backtracking. There are however two major drawbacks, which combined make the level a lot less enjoyable – quite cheap enemy ambushes and very narrow corridors with fat, slamming swing doors where you’ll be facing most of this bunch. On the other hand, the level seems to capture the feel of a porn studio much better than its original counterpart (not that I’ve ever been to a porn studio anyway…).

It is followed by LAPD by Mikko Sandt. If the title alone doesn’t tell you enough on which of the original levels was this one based on, the design surely will. It’s basically a darker (again, much too dark) remake (which feels almost like a 1:1 copy – while some of the other levels feel a bit too much like remakes rather than variation/tributes of the original ones, this one is the biggest offender in this aspect) of a small part of Pigsty. There’s not much to say about this level, if you’ve played Pigsty, then there’s nothing that would surprise you here, plus the level is so short that you will probably forget about it before you’re past Meatball Sub Makin’.

But before that, we’ll visit Flood… I mean, Submerged Zone by MetHy and Mikko Sandt. This one takes “inspiration on the original levels style” a bit too literally once again, with both general layout and some architecture in particular looking pretty much like Flood Zone. The interiors of flooded buildings – quite obviously – make for the most interesting part of the level, with very good design and nice utilisation of space and verticality. I’ve also found the car floating on water particularly cool here. Finding the first keycard might be, however, a bit of a head scratch, at least in comparison with how linear and straightforward the rest of the levels are. Another annoyance of the level is very little amount of scuba gear (I only found a single air tank in the level), which doesn’t make exploring these underwater parts that enjoyable. The final part of the level involves some more platforming and ledge jumping (although a lot can be skipped here if the player keeps a jetpack from one of the previous maps).

After that, we travel to MRCK’s Meatball Sub Makin’, with quite an obscure pun in the title. This is by far the longest map in the pack (luckily backed by the amazing Gotham music track), taking you across a larger part of town which includes subway (duh), slummy apartments in some housing projects, hotels and a lot of rooftop/platforming action. The city layout is perfect for the size and scope of the map, utilising every aspect of its verticality and interconnections (once again, the map can be broken pretty much right from the start with jetpack, which is not a bad thing in this case). Despite the straightforward flow of the level, there’s a couple more unusual and original gameplay choices that might not be obvious from the beginning. The design nails the original style quite decently, even if the author makes the mark of his distinct style in it quite clearly. However, some of the more unorthodox design choices across the map break this consistency (for example, the large walls/fences around separating different parts of the level look quite out of place). Besides the subway, the other locations feel a bit generic. The map is also much too dark, especially around the subway and ventilation shafts, which are mandatory to visit in some cases – particularly one vents maze was annoying here. The combat in this one more than makes up for its drawbacks, being tough, but fair and very amusing.

Continuing with the trains theme, we move to Derailing by MRCK, one of my favourite levels in the pack. It’s got a perfect length of about 15 minutes with quite a couple of memorable battles around a small part of town, centred around a parking lot and a neatly designed train station (modelled after real life place – also the Author later went on to recreated the very same station once again in his stunning Anarchy City X map). In terms of combat, this is one squeezes the best out of the style the episode is made, with some challenging fights and plenty of space to move on, allowing for different strategies and a solid replay value. It keeps the player at his toes with a lot of respawning monsters around, but never feels unfair or cheap in this aspect. While some parts of the initial area do have a user mappy look, the station itself – even with some creative texture combinations – does nail the classic vibe pretty well and keeps very consistent stylistically with the rest of the episode.

Next we have a train map, Train in Veins by MRCK and MetHy. The compartments have a neat design, not being too cramped, but more on the narrow side. There’s a lot of areas copied around, but the Authors still managed to keep some variation between different types of train cars. There’s also a sequence on the roof of the train (which might be a bit difficult to reach with a regular jump in the newer EDuke32 versions). Some areas are, once again, a bit too dark, which doesn’t help in showcasing all the nice little details around. The train “travels” through some rocky landscapes, which is a cute little trick with conveyor belts, used in numerous user maps before. This map lands pretty far from the original style with the design type employed here, but it’s not much of an issue at this point, and a train level is certainly a refreshing addition to the pack. My biggest issue with the map is quite annoying monster placements. Most of the enemies will wait in particularly difficult to reach spots, like opening a door you are bound to face a ducking Pig Cop ready to immediately blast you in the face with his shotgun at point-blank range. Playing the whole map like this takes away some of the fun, but it’s still one of the better and definitely more memorable levels here.

This map can lead to 4 possible boss levels, all of which are worth trying out. Somewhere in the middle of the normal levels, we can also visit a secret level – Dukenpark by MRCK, a skate park themed map, which is a cool concept in itself with decent execution. Focusing the map on such an original idea and building around it, with some of Author’s detailed style (like grass made out of tons of small sprites) thrown in and some more rushed/basic areas, gives it once again an early user map vibe, but it’s not a drawback of any kind. Making it a secret level also draws an instant comparison with some of the original game secret levels being more experimental/crazy, but fitting kind of on the boundary of the rest of the plot. The combat here is pretty challenging, with one particularly cool Battlelord encounter. Some of the small details, like skateboards in the shop or the skating installations are definitely eye-catching (the latter also functioning well for cover or platforming).

The first of the boss maps, and surely the best and most fitting for the classic theme of the episode, is High-Altitude Face-Off by Mikko Sandt. It pits the player against Cycloid Emperor in an epic rooftop battle. At the beginning, you lose all your weapons and items, so the first part of the level includes jumping around the buildings and collecting weapons and ammo, while avoiding the rockets of your nemesis and fighting off a bunch of weaker aliens. After platforming your way all around the central spot where the Emperor is blowing is barrage through partly destroyed buildings, you can use a lot of different strategies to deal with him. The level makes perfect use of both verticality and making a classic boss monster challenging and able to use his strength, while not feeling washed-out or frustrating at any point. Even the design here feels as close to the original style as it gets and is sure to pull some of your nostalgic chords.

Another Mikko Sandt’s boss level is The Bitch, which is a bastard child of Overlord and The Queen levels from original game (luckily borrowing music from the latter). There’s some small tasks to perform before opening the gate to the final battle arena, and the design is a nice merge of these two levels. The final battle is pretty much a high-fidelity copy of the one in The Queen, albeit it feels much easier in here, also leaving you with a way to backtrack.

The other two boss levels are made by MRCK. Stadium Despair is a slaughterfest taking place on a sports stadium, something all Duke fans know and love. Before getting rid of the final boss, the player will have to deal with large numbers of his minions, which will come en masse in two waves (or two teams). The most challenging part, however, is at the beginning – it takes quite meticulous approach to just clear the stadium of the enemies present around the stands, which are some of the most annoying part of it (hitscanners, Commanders and Sentry Drones). The darkness doesn’t help either. After that, it’s just pure fun massacring large amounts of enemies gathering around in close distances to each other with provided explosive arsenal. One issue is that some of the monsters during these waves will not properly spawn or will get stuck outside of the gameplay area in some unreachable places. After dealing with them, we get into a classic encounter against the Cycloid Emperor.

Yelldown Hellride is a patchwork of older MRCK maps, which feels completely out of place in the episode due to its high level of details and cramped spaces and with super-annoying turret beginning. There are parts of old Anarchy City maps, Rural Nightmare, Filler, Happy Hangover and Roch Island joined together in quite a random flow (and most of the time – far too dark and cramped). It is also the most challenging map in the pack, thanks to the frustrating part at the beginning, as once again we lose all the weapons and need to deal with an army of turrets placed in the most unreachable places possible. This section of the map requires some save-scumming and might be enough to discourage most people from continuing, but it gets much better later. If 4 boss maps wasn’t enough, this one also has 2 options for the finale itself – one with a lonely Battlelord, and the second, particularly amusing one with a large portion of Roch Island and whole army of monsters guarding an overlord in a scenery which allows for a lot of different fighting options (and pretty much giving the player unlimited ammo for devastator).

The Authors definitely accomplished one thing: simplifying the looks of the levels and putting all focus towards simple gameplay was a spark that triggered a larger revolution, as people generally started building far larger levels with the expanded resource limits of EDuke32. However, despite the seemingly clear goal, doing something that would actually be reminiscent of original maps turned out to be more difficult to tackle in this one. For the most part, the levels either feels like too much of a remake of the original maps or 1996 user maps with simple design (without the flaws and wacky scale issues often present back then) – this still managed to trigger a nostalgic feeling for me, but maybe not exactly in the intended way. The main departures from the classic style seem to be in aspects like layout planning (most of the areas here feel too rectangular), some too experimental texture combinations and stretched pixels, intensive use of palettes, very few remarkable effects that would make better use of the engines potential (also very little variation in the most basic effects like doors) and the overwhelming darkness, making some of the levels difficult to navigate. Perhaps without the odd restriction to finish each level in a single day and hasty design of some areas in consequence, most of these issues could be easily mitigated, bringing something that would feel more in the vibe of original game and taking us back on an actual time travel. On the other hand, some aspects like locations of secret places are the most accurate tribute to original maps, requiring just enough exploring without wall-humping, some of the secrets even being 1:1 copies (and not feeling uninspired at the same time). Also the choice of soundtracks for each level was almost perfect, re-utilising the original soundtracks.

Conclusion: While reviving the feeling of original game was not always successful in this episode, it is still a nice change from lengthy user levels with more simple gameplay mechanics and large fun factor. It’s definitely worth trying out, both for that very reason and also for some context on the evolution of level design.

Apologies for the wall of text and congrats to anyone who did manage to read through it all.

This post has been edited by Aleks: 15 March 2023 - 12:31 PM

FistMarine

#8 Posted 17 March 2023 - 01:00 PM

Cheers guys! I appreciate the responses! I even noticed last week I was in a rush and posted the wrong screenshot for Office Onslaught (I meant to post another screenshot of a different part of the level instead of the starting corridor). Hopefully I won't do the same mistake from now on. Still not sure why my screenshots end up dark, as I play EDuke32 on Gamma Correction 2.0.

@CK3D: Cool! Thanks for the "developer commentary", I really appreciate it!

I also noticed that MetHy's maps have started getting better and better over the years. I know Duke Hard has been very enjoyable overall and it was actually chosen before for the Duke Map/Mod club back in September 2021 and it was fun to revisit after all these years. I even hope there will be another community episode/project in the near future because I personally find both Metropolitan Mayhem and Duke Hard to be some of the best episodes ever made for Duke Nukem 3D. Yes, I know Duke Hard was released about two years after Metropolitan Mayhem and it's more polished but I still find MM very charming at times.

About Meatball Sub Makin', that's cool to know. I always enjoyed playing that map, sometimes I remember playing it (when randomly selected) as part of Random Missions in War of Attrition mod back in 2010-2011 or so. Good times!

About the missing Jetpack in E5L2, ah yes, now I remember when you explained it to me. In fact, I remembered and found where this discussion took place back in July 2020:
https://forums.duke4...ps/page__st__60

Side note: For a period of time (since 2017 to around 2020), I used the RunningDuke nickname but changed back to FistMarine which is what I originally used when I registered the Duke4 forums (and what I always used in the Doom forums since 2010 or so). Though I decided to keep my Duke running gif picture as my avatar (on Doom forums, I have the FistMarine gif picture).

@Aleks: Nice review! It's much better and more detailed than what I can ever write, as my English is somewhat limited at times. And while I don't think the second half of the episode should have been posted so early (though I will not comment on the second half of episode until I get there in next couple days), I will allow an exception this time, as it was posted on the 15th and well, the review was fun to read! Not to mention it saves me time from detailing the levels in my reviews and after all, my time has been pretty limited as of lately.

Good catch with E3L4 references found in E5L2, I missed that when playing the map but looking at my own screenshots, I should have realized that obvious reference earlier.

In E5L7, I thought one Scuba Gear is enough. I'd suggest to not pick up the Scuba Gear until you clear the initial Octabrains/Sharks and then you can grab it, so you save that precious oxygen for later. I finished the map with less than 20% oxygen remaining in the Scuba Gear.

Anyway, here is a short review of maps E5L5-E5L7:

Sex City
by MetHunter (MetHy)

Note: Before I start reviewing the map, make sure to get the first secret located at the very beginning before dropping down the vent, as there is no way back, unless you have a Jetpack from the previous level (secret level to be exact).

This is a sweet map that takes inspiration from E4L7. Gameplay wise, it's also very solid with a couple challenges every now and then. The map makes use of multiple access cards (5 of them in fact, with one red and the rest two each), coupled with spawning enemies, to extend the map's length, as otherwise it would be too short. I didn't have a problem with the enemies spawned, although the combat can be a bit cramped at times. Interestingly, there's plenty of health and even armor pickups in this map (THREE armor pickups in fact!).

Secrets:
1) At the very beginning, jump inside one of the windows to find an armor and a toilet.
2) In the same room where you activate those switches (two of which require red and blue card respectively), push one of the nearby walls to collect an ATOMIC HEALTH!
3) In the very last room, press on the cash register to temporary open a small room behind curtains, which contains Freezer + ammo.

Overall, this was a solid map. It was also released separately on the Megaton Edition Steam Workshop and it can be found here for those interested playing it separately in Megaton Edition:
https://steamcommuni...s/?id=205501304

LAPD
by Mikko Sandt

This is a relatively short map, inspired by E4L5. I personally think the map is alright and provides a good challenge in some parts but definitely felt a bit on the shorter side.

I must point out the following important things:
-The secrets are located near each other and both contain a very useful item
-The starting area can be revisited later after unlocking the door, allowing to collect whatever you left behind, if you chose to save something for later
-There is an optional small room containing an Armor and Chaingun ammo. It is located near the end of level.
-After inserting the blue card and entering the last room (that contains a Commander and the exit), you get locked inside, so you are encouraged to GRAB EVERYTHING before entering this room!

Secrets:
1) Before you insert the red card, check one of the monitors to reveal an Atomic Health. Jump inside to collect the item and register the secret.
2) After you insert the red card and clear the corridors from pig cops (and even a pig cop tank), go further until you reach the door. Near the RESTRICTED AREA sign, press on the panel behind the Large Medkit to reveal an Atomic Health.

Overall, this is a nice short map.

Submerged Zone
by MetHunter (MetHy) and Mikko Sandt

This map is obviously inspired by E3L3. Flood Zone is one of the highlights of the original Duke3D (after all it was showcased in the second demo of original full 1.3D release) and I wasn't disappointed playing this recreation. In fact, the map was very fun, though much shorter than the original E3L3. It isn't very challenging if you know what you are doing, although there's a few surprise Commanders/Octabrains appearing later on that may get one lucky shot if you are careless. Still, there is plenty of health around and even an armor pickup.

As I mentioned above, I would suggest grabbing the Scuba Gear after dealing with the initial Octabrains and Sharks underwater, so you conserve precious oxygen for the areas later.

Also while underwater and entering inside the flooded buildings, be very careful to not swim into the ceiling at certain points when there are narrow sectors with the lights. I didn't test in this playthrough to not ruin my perfect "no death" run (at least until now, not sure if I ever remember beating Metropolitan Mayhem without dying before but some later/boss levels were quite difficult to do without dying) but I remember from past playthroughs you get instantly killed if you do this, as Duke won't fit into sector and die. So be careful when you are swimming in those parts! The screenshot I took underwater shows those two sectors that you shouldn't touch.

The last part of the level has a point of no return unless you have a jetpack from the secret level, then you can use it to go back and collect whatever you left behind.

Secrets:
-After you collect the very first Shrinker in the episode, you will eventually come across four fans/vents in the next area. Break down one of them to collect the RPG.
-Before collecting the Freezethrower and Blue Card, go through a waterfall to find a dead Indiana Jones and an Atomic Health.
-After inserting the Yellow Card and entering the room labeled with the sign WE STORE YOUR CRAP, there is a hidden Devastator behind a box.

Overall, this is one of the highlights of the entire episode.

Apologize for the rather short review. The rest maps will be covered next week! Have a nice weekend!

This post has been edited by FistMarine: 17 March 2023 - 01:10 PM

Quacken

#9 Posted 18 March 2023 - 02:35 AM

Back again! Only two maps this time though, so:

Submerged Zone
MetHunter, Mikko Sandt

Also known as "If you squint, you might unsee Flood Zone". Submerged Zone is an inferior version of E3L3 that is much more linear, isn't as challenging and generally feels a hell of a lot more clunky. I like the floating furniture, but apart from that this map doesn't have any legs up on what Levelord's map originally achieved. This map might have the most useless Shrinker in a while. There's only two monsters total you actually want to use it on, and the rest are fodder monsters which don't live more than three Shotgun pumps. Submerged Zone feels like yet another filler map to place next to LAPD.

3/10.

Meatball Sub Makin'
Aymeric Nocus

In a map set where every map takes about 10 minutes to complete, it's no surprise that the standalone map unrelated to the challenge of creating this map set stands out. Like the past two maps, Meatball Sub Makin' is based on a stock map, E3L6 - but thanks to CK3D's great lighting (or lack thereof) and atmospheric touch, it manages to avoid being a bad impersonation of its source material and instead feels like a proper tribute. You won't just be in the subway for the entire map. You'll visit the city streets and later some kind of business complex that's really dark. So dark in fact that I would have preferred to have Night Vision to help me see the monsters. The one saving grace during this section is the fodder monsters will light up when they attack, so pay attention to that and gun them down with the Chaingun. For as complicated as CK3D's more modern maps can be, I appreciate that this map is just complex enough to not feel lenient and boring, but also not confusing enough to the point where I get lost and frustrated. The only fight that's really of note is the final one. A club hall of hitscanners await you followed by three Battlelords out in the street, who in particular are quite tough to deal with. Just hang back and plug the one entrance with rockets whenever the Battlelords come close, and you'll be good to go. It may surprise absolutely no one, but Meatball Sub Makin' is definitely the best map so far. Solid atmosphere, good length and good fights!

8.5/10.

ck3D

#10 Posted 18 March 2023 - 03:15 AM

Re: darkness throughout the episode, I think that maybe due to changes in the way EDuke32 treats lighting which were introduced in the mid 2010's IIRC. It's pretty observable in a lot of user maps from around the time period where Metropolitan Mayhem was made that now look borderline impossible to navigate (and also explains some of my past struggles with visibility settings and compatibility concerns varying from user to user, and having to include brighter versions with some of my user map releases back then; which wasn't so bad since it actually taught me about in-map visibility settings from a mapper's perspective). From what I've read and understood who knows where (honestly can't remember, was a while back), that was a fix to a longtime issue with appropriately rendering brightness/darkness either early EDukes or maybe even the base game (?) supposedly had, and new maps started looking better but as a side effect the look of a lot of older ones got completely torched. This is rather observable when studying user map reviews throughout the mid-2010's where knowing that, it becomes very obvious from review to review and screenshot to screenshot who had updated and was working with the new standards of settings, and who hadn't and thus their map looked stupid dark in the reviewer's new EDuke (another source of conflict also was the development of modern renderers creating more inconsistencies, but only by so much). Levels 3, 7 and 9 of Blast Radius actually were built in a pre-changes EDuke/Mapster (which I compensated for later by adjusting visibility settings) and you can tell in Mapster by how the shade value on everything doesn't follow my usual pattern of working in increments of 3 starting from 0 and so 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27 with negative values strictly reserved for light sources; in modern builds what shows is completely different values instead since it looks like they got offset.

This post has been edited by ck3D: 18 March 2023 - 03:31 AM

Quacken

#11 Posted 18 March 2023 - 03:37 AM

Well, that would explain why it was so damn dark (even if I honestly didn't really understand some parts of your explanation). It might also have something to do with the fact I'm playing the Addon Compliation version of Metropolitan Mayhem but I probably doubt that's the case. Hindsight is 20/20 obviously, but having Night Vision would have been a good way to alleviate the darkness. Even when the darkness was at its worst though I could at least always see what I needed to by looking at when monster sprites flashed, firing with the Chaingun and having the automap up. Usually in extremely dark maps using the Chaingun as a makeshift flashlight is a god damn deliverance.

This post has been edited by Quacken: 18 March 2023 - 03:38 AM

ck3D

#12 Posted 18 March 2023 - 05:00 AM

I'm not sure of how much of my own explanation I understand myself but the gist of what I mean is, Metropolitan Mayhem-era EDukes/Mapsters had a different standard for lighting and as a practical result of that change, a lot of maps made prior to it (and still for a while around that time period) look significantly darker when played in post-change EDukes (and so EDuke as people have known it for now 10+ years). That means already deliberately dark maps or sections which had been designed to just about be navigable due to darkness (for atmosphere) now look pitch black or close, when in reality they weren't made to look like that but intended with (sometimes significantly) higher visibility. I may be wrong about details, I'm going off something I briefly read about after I randomly ran into it a while back. But basically you most likely wouldn't struggle as much with the dark areas if playing in a release-contemporary EDuke (not that I'm saying anyone should do that); they were never intended to be dark to the point of annoying/unfair, but will functionally be impacted like that in more recent builds. (Someone please feel free to correct this if it turns out I'm spreading misinformation, but it also corroborates my experience as a continued user.)

This post has been edited by ck3D: 18 March 2023 - 05:29 AM

FistMarine

#13 Posted 24 March 2023 - 09:03 AM

Indeed, I have also noticed that some areas are darker than they should have been due to lighting changes that have happened in EDuke32 all over the years (compared to something like JFDuke3D and older EDuke32 builds in Polymost mode where areas are very bright). I usually use EDuke32 r5498 (the latest 2015 build) for older EDuke32 maps/mods that were made until 2015. And for the most part, they all work fine, as long as I don't mind dealing with some bugs exclusive to that build, like the slower chaingun firing speed (a bug that I actually reported back then) and viewscreen bug (sprites start acting glitchy for a few seconds, often the monster corpses are affected by this).

Anyway, here is the review for E5L8-E5L10. I will play the boss maps and write a proper conclusion next week.

Meatball Sub Makin'
by Aymeric Nocus (CK3D/MRCK)

This map was released separately as sort of a demo, as it has been pointed out earlier. It's interesting to note that the demo version mentions in the readme that it's the sixth map of the episode but in the released version, it's the eighth map in the episode. My guess is either the map originally would have been placed earlier in the episode or the episode was originally planned to be shorter.

Anyway, this map is obviously inspired by E3L6 but it is much larger and quite challenging at times, especially the later parts in the map. I even had a bit of bad luck as I kept getting hit nearly all the time by the enemies but this is compensated by starting the map with full health/armor/medkit and the map is also filled with tons of health/ammo supplies and a few armor pickups as well. In fact, I often got many drops from the enemies, including a couple used armors from pig cops. So this all compensated for taking damage at times. Not that I was struggling with health but it certainly made things tense.

I won't go into details as the map is pretty straightforward to complete, there really shouldn't be any problems, even with the few puzzles offered like blowing up a few cracks and shooting a button with your pistol (at the door that requires red card). You should in general pay attention to fighting the monsters, as they really like to spawn when you reach a particular area or collect an important item, such as an access card.

There are SIX secrets to find, some of which are located near each other:

1) At the end of the street at the beginning of level (where you must jump at the window to collect the blue card), jump behind the box to find an Atomic Health.
2) After inserting the Yellow Card in the subway, you should arrive in the blue room filled with eggs and a commander. There is a Portable Medkit inside a vent that you have to break.
3) and 4) are located inside the subway, though at opposite sides of each other. In one side, there is a small broken secret wall containing RPG + ammo. In the other side, find the LUNAR APOCALYPSE panel. Inside, you can find 3x Large Medkit and 2x Chaingun ammo.
5) and 6) are located inside the vent in the room with a Commander guarding the Yellow Card. One of them contains Devastator ammo, while the other contains Freezer + ammo.

At the end of the map, you are given a Jetpack to explore, though if you already have one from previous levels, you can use that one and save the new one's fuel for the next levels. You can find various goodies on top of the buildings, including an Atomic Health and another Jetpack. You can also easily backtrack to the previous parts of the level without having to do the slow way with the subway.

When navigating through the subway, you don't need to ride the mini-train. Going on foot while jumping (to minimize health loss or boots usage) is another way to travel. Use the automap to have an easier time navigating.

Overall, this is an excellent map and one of the highlights of the episode!

Derailing
by Aymeric Nocus (CK3D/MRCK)

An interesting map taking place at the train station. It is quite difficult, as it is packed with strong enemies. In fact, you should be careful whenever you collect and insert a card, as heavy monsters will spawn around. Same goes to half of the secrets (including the hidden atomic healths that don't count as secrets), they will spawn various monsters, ranging from Troopers/Pigs/Enforcers to Commanders and Tanks and even Mini Battlelords in rare cases!

Again, I won't go into details describing the map. Instead, here are the FOUR secrets to find:
1) At the corner of the street, find a hidden elevator (marked with a darker tile) that leads to the top of building or if you have the jetpack from previous levels, just fly directly on the top of the building. You can find various goodies, including a Jetpack, Portable Medkit, Pipebombs and RPG + ammo. NOTE THAT THIS SECRET WILL SPAWN TWO MINI BATTLELORDS AT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREETS, SO BE CAREFUL!
2) Fly with the jetpack to collect Devastator + 2x ammo. Note that this will spawn a bunch of flying troopers, though they are easy to take out.
3) Inside the waiting room, jump on the ledge to enter a vent containing a Portable Medkit.
4) When you reach the room with the window that leads to the blue card (which also spawns a few Mini Battlelords in the process), there is a hidden Shrinker behind the boxes.

Optionally, you can find a couple extra hidden Atomic Healths in some places. One is located behind the box near the hidden elevator leading to the first secret, another one is located right behind the vents near the blue card and another one is located far away behind some fires. Every time you approach them, get ready to fight spawned enemies!

As a side note, you can fly with the jetpack and destroy the trash cans located behind the starting area, some of which contain ammo and one of them even contains an extra slimer. This may be an oversight, as the unreachable trash cans shouldn't contain extra items inside.

Overall, this was a very action packed and interesting level.

Trains in Veins
by Aymeric Nocus (CK3D/MRCK) and MetHunter (MetHy)

A train inspired map that reminds me a lot of the train map from BLOOD. Gameplay wise, it can be a bit cramped at times and enemies can be a bit of a pain. But the map still remains very fun at times. You should stay alert at all times, as there's sometimes enemies hidden in corners ready to ambush you when entering a room, usually turrets. And the occasional trip mine trap.

When getting to the ceilings that lead to the top of the train, just mash the jump button (spacebar in EDuke32) until Duke makes it on top of the train.

There is only one secret that is located within a hidden compartment that you can find when you get on the top of the train. After dropping down to that compartment, you will find various goodies (including a Dukemeal box that contains an Atomic Health inside), as well as a Dancing Woman and a Trooper watching her. You can also find another compartment with many eggs and some captured ladies.

At the end of the level, after you clear the last couple of enemies (be careful when pressing the switches, as some will spawn monsters nearby), you get to choose between one of the four boss levels: High-Altitude Face-Off, The Bitch, Stadium Despair and Yelldown Hellride. These will be reviewed in the next post but for now, my advice is to save in advance and choose wisely. I recommend doing them all in the order mentioned and once you beat your chosen boss level, load the save from Trains in Veins and move on to the next one until you get through them all. Just keep in mind these two things:
-The steam in the nearby room is hurting you through walls, so it's recommended to not stand too close to the wall or you start the next level with less than 100 health (alternatively, mash the M button to heal up during the exit animation if you have the medkit in inventory). This is also why the name of first boss level doesn't show properly on my screenshot, I tried to stand as close to the buttons as possible without getting hurt by steam.
-You can activate multiple nuke buttons at once before the exiting animation shows up on screen (if you are fast enough, you can activate all four of them at same time) but only the last choice will be selected when the next level loads.

Overall, this was an interesting level and looking forward to the boss levels!

png]

Because I didn't finish playing/writing about the boss levels, I decided instead to play the standalone user map version of Meatball Sub Makin' in JFDuke3D! So it can be experienced from a fresh, pistol start perspective!

Meatball Sub Makin' (User Map)
by Aymeric Nocus (CK3D/MRCK)

For the sake of completeness, I decided to play the initial release of the map in JFDuke3D and see if there's any differences. I couldn't find any differences but playing the map from the pistol start was much more challenging, though this is offset with the various Pistol pickups you can find at beginning, which are still present even in the episode release. Even then, I did run low on health at some points, especially at beginning but thankfully I survived in the end. There isn't anything else to mention and if anyone is interested, the standalone map can be downloaded right here: http://dnr.duke4.net..._Sub_Makin.html

The description erroneously claims it's for v1.3D but it is clearly a v1.4/v1.5 map due to the Atomic Edition exclusive resources used, such as the Protector Drones appearing in some places. In fact, when playing Duke Nukem 3D in source ports, you should be using the Atomic DUKE3D.GRP anyway.

png]

I'm leaving the review containing the boss maps for the next week, so in the meantime, here are the nominations for the next month:

Redneck Rampage
The Gate

First, we have Redneck Rampage, a Build engine game that was originally released in April 1997 and it was nominated for April last year. Its sequel, Redneck Rampage Rides Again, was released in March 1998 and its 25th anniversary is in next two days, a date which is shared with one of our forum members who has participated in previous Duke Map/Mod club events, so happy 25th anniversary to both of you!

Because the original RR is known for its large, difficult and confusing levels, I decided to only nominate the main game for now. Those 15 levels are enough for a month, if it gets chosen!

Second, we have The Gate, which may have been mentioned in the past Duke Map/Mod events but it wasn't nominated until very recently, from what I remember. It used to be a popular Duke3D mod/TC and it was also released in April 1997, though shortly after Redneck Rampage came out, which probably resulted in RR slightly overshadowing The Gate.

The Gate contains 24 new levels split across 4 episodes, with a new soundtrack, new textures, new enemies/weapons and more, making for a very unique Duke3D experience.

I am not voting this time around, so I leave others to cast their vote. This means whether you want more Duke3D or another Build engine game for a change. Just add a + next to your choice and highlight it in bold, so the vote can be seen better.

Have a nice weekend everyone!

Aleks

#14 Posted 24 March 2023 - 05:35 PM

FistMarine, on 24 March 2023 - 09:03 AM, said:

Sorry, misclicked and downvoted you - so I upvoted two random posts from you to compensate

As for the vote:

Redneck Rampage +
The Gate

This post has been edited by Aleks: 24 March 2023 - 05:36 PM

Quacken

#15 Posted 25 March 2023 - 09:11 PM

Let's finish up Metropolitan Mayhem.

Derailing
Aymeric Nocus

Derailing is a short yet surprisingly difficult map. The opening shootout is pretty standard, but everything goes sideways once the first Battlelord teleports in. Without an RPG or a Shrinker, this Battlelord can easily corner you and mow you down with ease, so killing him is quite tedious. My best plan was to get him stuck on a fence and to shoot his arm with the Shotgun. The train station also gets pretty hairy as by now you don't have a lot of ammo to kill the two more Battlelords off to the left. I died quite a few times at the tail end of this section. While its visuals are yet again sharp and concise, Derailing's grindy combat gets on my nerves, and as a result I kind of just forget this map as soon as I'm done with it.

6/10.

Trains in Veins
Aymeric Nocus, MetHunter

Trains in Veins is mechanically and visually a stand-out map in Metropolitan Mayhem, but in execution I think it's not incredible. For once, the problem of all of the lighting in this map set being broken is actually an upside. The train carriages are delightfully gloomy and rundown, and with Whomp playing, the spooky atmosphere is very vibrant. I also like the look of the train from the outside. It's not as visually varied as Phantom Express and you can't jump off of the train for a secret, but being able to go on top of the train gives it a leg up. The rest of the map's execution falls short unfortunately. Trains in Veins is very cramped, dark and crawling with both monsters and Turrets, who are by far the most annoying things to kill in this map. Without much health in sight, Turrets will leach your health as they park themselves in corners, which is extra infuriating. Trying to get onto the train's roof is pretty jank as well. I found myself constantly alternating between the hatch leading to the roof and the roof area itself, which was not only disorientating but cost me unnecessary damage. Trains in Veins is ambitious, and I can commend its greater than usual visual qualities as well as its occasionally fun combat, but it ultimately feels too clumsy and claustrophobic for me to put it high up on the list.

8/10.

The Bitch
Mikko Sandt

The Bitch is basically just The Queen but with only 10% of the monsters and a way simpler fight against the Alien Queen, who has no bodyguards to defend her unless you get to close to the hibernating Protectors. I suppose this is an upgrade over The Queen because it's way shorter, but ultimately I don't really care. It's a good thing there's three more boss maps, because if it was just this I would have had some complaining to do.

3/10.

High-Altitude Face-Off
Mikko Sandt, Aymeric Nocus

In this novel boss map, you run along a series of high rises while the Cycloid Emperor tries to blow you up with rockets. This is a fine enough map, though there's not much to do, and fighting Cyclie is basically just peek-a-boo that lasts 2 minutes. I do like that you can jump to his platform after he dies, though. For its concept and better overall visuals, this is a better map than The Bitch, though an actual map to follow up the final battle would have been nice.

6/10.

Stadium Despair
Aymeric Nocus

Stadium Despair is the boss level that plays most like an actual level. A souped up revamp of Stadium, Stadium Despair asks you to break into a stadium, prematurely call the players into the game, then demolish all of them with explosives. Actually getting to the two switches which start two waves of monsters is a headache. The opening group of fans is crowded with long range hitscanners, Commanders, Protectors, and surprisingly worst of all, the Tanks. The Tanks are quite difficult to get behind as everything else is trying to kill you and you need to try and dodge lethal projectiles. The Green and Brown Teams are (as far I can tell) the exact same group of monsters, though I do like how they're all colour coded with a filter. These two sets of rowdy players are pretty easy if you aren't an idiot like me and don't forget to blow up the blimp in the centre of the field for crucial amounts of rockets and Medkits. It can sometimes be a little too hectic for its own good, but Stadium Despair is definitely the best boss map in Metropolitan Mayhem. Bonus points for it being the only one that retains its continuity with Trains in Veins.

8/10.

Yelldown Hellride
Aymeric Nocus

Okay. You mind telling me what this one is all about? Yelldown Hellride is a warped cacophony of earlier CK3D maps, though if you didn't know about that fact because you didn't play those maps, you might be forgiven for thinking you suddenly teleported into a detailed city. Of all the maps to suffer from broken lighting due to EDuke32 changes, this one has it the worst. There are sections in this map that are literally just impossible to see, Chaingun flashlights to be damned. And what you can't see is guaranteed to fry your eyeballs. The opening section is so stupid that I actually feel bad for trashing on it. Never mind the fact you're in a tunnel that flashes lights like a disco, you have to do platforming in this section while four Drones and about sixteen Turrets punch holes into you, all to hit a lever that opens a door that's on a timer. You can't open the door on the other side, so if it closes before you killed everything in the first section, then you're not getting 100% kills. The room with four Protectors in a literal storage closet is idiotic, and I don't know how you're supposed to cross the green tunnel with a Commander in it. It's a high damage floor, so you can't even tank the damage with enough health. The city section is the only competent part of the map, and even then there's ghost monsters running around. The ghost Battlelords may prove to be a little frustrating, but at the very least the Overlord is corporeal, and can easily be dispatched with the ten Devastators on park benches. Yelldown Hellride gave me an eye injury for over an hour after I played it, and I don't know if my game bugged the entire way through or this is meant to be a sick joke.

1/10.

Closing Thoughts

Metropolitan Mayhem is a fun and light-hearted revival of 3D Realms values, but sometimes it feels primitive to a fault. There's definitely a lot to like here. The reputability of the mappers who contributed to this project definitely add to the quality and presentation of the set, the commitment to maintaining continuity between levels is very appreciated, and besides Yelldown Hellride, every map is completely serviceable, with the lesser maps being generally shorter and not as exasperating. However, the fact that all of the maps are speed-maps definitely shows. I feel like some of the maps borrow way too much from their source material and they become worse copies of stock maps, and towards the latter half of the set it basically just becomes CK3D's show. Overall, Aymeric, MetHunter, Mikko and Merlijn all have good chemistry with eachother, but their commitment to a simpler, retro aesthetic and shorter levels often bites them, with only about six of these maps being great stand-outs. My final rating for Metropolitan Mayhem is a 7/10.

Here's my vote, also:

Redneck Rampage +
The Gate

I may not be able to play Blood for another month, but I'll take another Build game to switch it up, even if said game is Redneck Rampage. This'll actually be my first time playing the game so I'm quite interested in seeing what I think of it.

Merlijn

#16 Posted 26 March 2023 - 05:45 AM

^
I think that's a fair assessment of Metropolian Mayhem, it was a cool attempt at making a 'classic styled' episode, but the speed mapping aspect held it back. I agree some of the maps are basically inferior versions of what was already in the base game, although IMO Sex city was an actual improvement over the original. My own map was a hodge podge of different elements from the original game, and I didn't really succeed in giving it its own identity.
Furthermore the episode is a bit uneven, last few maps don't really resemble the classic style anymore (both in terms in visuals and gameplay). Still, it's fun to blaze through and the way the maps are all connected makes for a smooth total experience. It's a case where the whole is more than the sum of its parts. I'm glad we made it and released it.

Here's another vote for Redneck Rampage:

Redneck Rampage +++
The Gate

Should be interesting, I have a lot of nostalgia for that game (it's actually a major influence on my earlier levels) but I know it's janky as fuck.

FistMarine

#17 Posted 27 March 2023 - 12:20 AM

It's fine, Aleks. It happens, even if it came as a small shock to me. Still, I appreciate that you found a different way to fix the mistake. I wish the forum had a better way to handle the reputation, like undoing the mistake and having "Like" and "Dislike" buttons near the "Reply" and "MultiQuote" buttons, instead of the tiny +/- symbols in a corner, so mistakes like these won't happen. That's just my two cents about that.

And thanks for your comments Quacken and Merlijn!

Anyway, wrapping up the MM review for this month (boss maps E5L11-E5L14) and casting my vote for next month, seeing as RR is winning anyway. Extra notes/trivia about the boss levels before their review:
-E5L11 is actually "The Bitch", while E5L12 is "High-Altitude Face-Off". Makes me wonder if the order was switched around during development or something.
-Two of the boss maps start you with arsenal intact, while the others will start you without weapons. This will be mentioned below for each map.
-Two of the boss maps contain only one secret in them, while the rest have no secrets in them. This will also be mentioned below for each map.

High-Altitude Face-Off
by Mikko Sandt (based off CK3D's idea)

Probably the most interesting way to end the episode. You start without weapons and have to make your way jumping from building to building until you build up (heh) enough ammo to defeat the Cycloid Emperor sitting in the middle of the platform! In fact, he can be quite challenging to take at times because his rockets may sometimes clip through the walls. My advice is to stay away from those windows and don't stand near the walls.

I don't want to spoil too much about the map. Just go around the buildings and carefully jump in between them. You will take a bit of fall damage in each section. Eventually you will get access to heavier weapons and more supplies before unlocking the Devastator and after that, the Cycloid is pretty much done. Oh and this map contains the first (I think?) Holoduke in the entire episode! Also no secrets to find in this map.

Overall, this is a challenging and fantastic boss level.

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The Bitch
by Mikko Sandt

Inspired by E4L10, this is pretty much a remake of The Queen. It's much shorter and easier, plus you get to keep your weapons/inventory. Getting all the kills is still quite a challenge, due to The Queen spawning the Protector Drones.

There is only one secret to find and it's located in the very last room, find the small water sector to resurface and find a couple goodies (atomic health and ammo supplies). Just like you would do in the original game.

Overall, I think this is a fine way to end the episode. A bit shorter than I expected, though.

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Stadium Despair
by Aymeric Nocus (CK3D/MRCK)

Another interesting map. It's basically a remake of E3L9 if it was a longer map. Or if not, then only the last part of the level is a remake of E3L9.

Oh and I like how it has continuity with the previous level "Trains in Veins", meaning this is the canonical boss level if we are judging by the continuity that was present in the previous levels. And you get to keep your inventory/weapons here as well!

Make no mistake as this map can be quite challenging at times, especially if you try to engage the enemies directly. Running around the stadium and mashing the M button to use your medkit when your health gets lower will greatly help. There is also a blimp you can blow up to spawn the goodies, though if you are lucky, the autoaim will help you blow it up if an enemy happened to be standing near it. These goodies will give you the edge to easily win the fight.

At the end, you have to push those buttons to spawn monsters, whom are colored to BROWN and GREEN. Somewhat inspired by the lesser known Duke-Tag gamemode from Duke Nukem 3D: Atomic Edition, which had Brown and Green teams. Unfortunately, as a side effect, due to the limitations of the engine, the monsters spawned in the level will not be affected by palette, so ck3D went around the limitation by putting them in a separate area and they get summoned in the arena when pushed by the explosions happening in those parts.

Which means you can't get all the kills, as some of those enemies get stuck in that separate area. This isn't a problem if playing the episode on Damn I'm Good but when playing on Come Get Some and lower and wanting to get all the kills, you will be left without a couple kills (19 kills in my case).

Anyway, once you press those two buttons, you get the choice to spawn the boss himself: CYCLOID EMPEROR! If you are crazy enough, you can press all three buttons at once to spawn everyone into the arena but you will probably not last too long. I recommend doing this with care, as otherwise it may lead to random deaths or the Cycloid getting killed earlier before everyone else is dead. Not that it matters since you can't get all the kills but you get my point. What I did was activate both teams and once they were dead, restock on supplies, save and summon the Cycloid Emperor and take him out.

If the episode were to be remastered with fixing issues in this level, I'd have either of the following suggestions/ideas to get implemented:

-New con code to have brown and green variants of existing enemies, only used in this level.
-Get rid of the Brown/Green ideas and just have regular enemies spawning upon pressing those switches.
-Place those Brown/Green paletted enemies behind some gates that you open by pressing those switches.

Overall, this was a fantastic level. Shame that you can't get all the kills but don't worry about that, it's nothing compared to the insane next level, which is surely going to cause you pain!

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Yelldown Hellride
by Aymeric Nocus (CK3D/MRCK)

This feels like an extra boss level that is meant to be a challenge for hardcore players. The starting area is insane with all those turrets. You are given a pistol with lots of ammo, as well as a lot of health supplies but you will probably get hit all the time that you may unintentionally waste those precious medkits because you happened to be standing on them. My advice is to grab the Armor pickup ASAP because it will be a lifesaver and just rapidly move left to right while jumping to minimize damage taken by turrets! When your health gets to 70 or lower, quickly grab a medkit and continue shooting them. The pistol's autoaim will help you a LOT! Not going to reveal/spoil too much about the map but I will only give a couple hints to get past this madness:

1) After you make it alive past the First Room, grab the health pickups (including the two atomic healths), do a bit of platforming to reach a switch that temporary opens the door (I recommend saving here), then you have to fight a few Sentry Drones. Then after that section at beginning, there's some parts with sections that are taken from ck3D's past maps.
2) Second room contains a sentry drone and some eggs/slimers. Kill them and throw a pipebomb inside the elevator, then back off and send the elevator back up and blow up the crack. Call down the elevator, get inside and when you go up, you will notice you can now access the next room. Kill the protector drone and a few slimers/eggs. Save now.
3) Third room is a short one containing a few colorful protector drones getting out of the wall. Try to take them down with your shotgun/chaingun without getting shrunk by them. It's easier said than done. Then once done, get up and press on that door to open it. You will get a Sentry Drone in your face.
4) Fourth room is very dark and has a few troopers inside. Kill them, kill the commander from far away (he won't come over you) and make a save, as you need to cross the highly damaging toxic acid without boots, so I hope you have enough health to survive, though there's a few small health items inside acid! Once done, kill the eggs and go to the next room.
5) Fifth room has a Protector Drone waiting you. Kill him, grab the weapons and press the switch. It temporary opens a door nearby, so if you miss the time, go back here to press the switch and unlock that door containing the teleporter. Kill the protector and open the Fridge to collect the Expander ammo! This is the ONLY secret in the map and you need to enter inside the fridge to register the secret! After you got everything, press the switch to open teleporter and make a save here.
6) Sixth room is inside the haunted house with those upside down Octabrains, which evokes a creepy feeling. This part was very atmospheric. Just visit each room. If you get stuck, press on everything that looks suspicious to unlock each room. Collect the armor, boots and access card, insert the card but save before that! In newer eduke32 versions (thankfully not the latest 2015 build I'm using), if the door hits you, it goes back and gets locked instead of pushing you away, which will softlock you. So make sure to save in advance! I remember this from my 2020 playthrough when I played in a random 2020 eduke32 build!

After you teleport, you get the choice between two teleporters. I recommend making a backup save here. The left teleporter (ALONE) sends you to a rather challenging Overlord boss on the streets filled with many aliens and Atomic Health/Devastators everywhere, with a very familiar section from Roch Island. The right teleporter (TOGETHER) sends you to a short boss battle against a Battlelord, the area is probably taken from Anarchy City series. I'm guessing the words were switched around or I may be misremembering which teleporter sent you to the boss battle? Either way you will be able to get all "kills" by choosing the Overlord path, as the other path with the Battlelord, you will not get all the kills for obvious reasons.

There isn't much I can do to offer advice other than staying on your feet when you choose the Left teleporter, as those streets are filled with spooky aliens (they are now green and transparent) and the Overlord roaming around. If your health gets low from getting shot from all the sides, use the medkit or continue running towards Atomic Healths, as the whole area is filled with them! Your armor will most likely get consumed quickly and there isn't another one (unless you get lucky with a pig cop drop) but in this case it's not as much needed when you are given tons of health in exchange.

I died twice in this map, because of that room with the protector drones where I got shrunk and stepped on (FUCK). I was so close to beat Metropolitan Mayhem without dying this time! :dukerage:

Overall, this map was a bit frustrating at times but it was also interesting and an unique experience, especially the haunted house and the two possible Boss fights you can have! Don't get discouraged by the awful beginning and some confusing parts, the last parts of the map are worth suffering through!

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Closing Thoughts: Metropolitan Mayhem is still a great and interesting episode to revisit after all these years. Some parts of it may not have aged well and the last few levels indeed don't seem to match the original Duke3D style of maps but to me, this is episode is still a blast and it felt like an unofficial fifth episode for the game (as evidenced by taking the 5th episode position in the menu and the maps themselves being labeled as E5L1-E5L15), almost five years before World Tour's official fifth episode (Alien World Order) came out! With a bit more polish, Metropolitan Mayhem would have easily been one of the best episodes out there! Too bad it missed its 10th anniversary last year, so a remaster of the episode is unlikely any time soon.

Thanks to everyone involved in the making of the episode and also thanks everyone for participating this month, it was fun to read ck3D's developer commentary over the various maps and Aleks' excellent review!

Anyway, looks like Redneck Rampage is easily winning this time (April is the month for Build Engine Games after all), so I'm casting my vote for it, which means the new topic will be up in the evening of 31st, so that people have extra time during weekend (and to not make it look like an April Fools joke). After all, from now on, I want to avoid choosing/nominating too many maps in a month, as we've had a couple busier months where things were slower or running out of time that reviewing whatever maps/mods took forever (which reminds me I need to get around playing the WGSpace Episode and finally review it in the February 2023 topic, hopefully people won't mind that). Even if playing/finishing things in time, reviewing them is another story.

Rankings:

Redneck Rampage ++++
The Gate

Unlike Merlijn, I don't have nostalgia for Redneck Rampage, having played it for the first time in summer 2017, during my College/University years, as I didn't own any other major Build Games when I was a kid (back then I only had Duke Nukem 3D, Witchaven 2, Powerslave Beta Demo with two levels and some rare alpha version of Blood), so when I review it, it will be a bit of a bias, though I will do my best to review RR fairly, even if it hasn't aged that well.

With the discussion focused on classic episodes, I might as well give my two cents for future Duke related projects. One day, I'd like to see a vanilla (DOS compatible) Duke Nukem 3D community project inspired by Doom The Way Id Did, it can be called Duke3D The Way 3DR Did. The closest thing existing to that is Fernando Marquez' FMX series (which are fantastic by the way and highly recommend them out, will probably nominate them next time for the Map/Mod Club) but I don't know how many people are interested in the idea. I would love to help with beta testing the maps/project at least if the idea takes off in the future.

Maybe the proposed project will be made for Duke3D's 30th anniversary. A bit inspired by how last year there was a 30th anniversary mod for Wolfenstein 3D and I'm sure there will be something similar coming later this year for DOOM as well. Though I should save that for another topic, as I'm getting off-topic here.

Have a nice day and see you soon on the April 2023 edition of the Map/Mod club!

William Gee

#18 Posted 27 March 2023 - 09:01 PM

Just passed this for the first time.

The levels that I enjoyed the most and found the most memorable were

Submerged Zone and Meatball Sub Makin'.

The bossmap I ended on was Yelldown Hellride, I havent played the others yet. Very nice idea to pick and choose your ending.

I was pretty happy when submerged zone poped up I really love flood zone, and this took me back there.

ck3D

#19 Posted 28 March 2023 - 04:09 AM

Re: Yelldown Hellride it indeed was intended more as a 'sick joke' than as a level, funny story about Metropolitan Mayhem is while the maps in themselves were made in day or three tops, the actual project took a while to finish, I want to say years (?) with a lot of the maps getting a follow-up and then the pack getting lost in MSN Messenger limbo again until the next author would wake up. And so the level design process itself was completely organic and only so intense, even the 'project leader' role was a shared one mostly passed back and forth between whoever aboard had time and energy to devote in the moment, which means sometimes it stayed dormant for weeks if not months. I remember eventually a release date was set and at the very last minute people gave up on I think two of the boss maps they were making (I think even one of the final ones might have been a late or insecure inclusion), essentially there was a gap in the sequencing which needed to be filled as soon as possible and it was decided upon it should be some super twisted hardcore challenge that makes no sense. It literally is a schizophrenic level by choice, the title itself is a Wesley Willis reference. Since we felt like we had no time to build anything original I went in and just copy pasted and modified chunks of a bunch of old maps then tied those together with abstract brutality, the 'haunted house' is from Rural Nightmare if people liked the vibes there, and one of the endings is from Roch Island including some buildings Taivo Maripuu had designed, except in the moment everyone forgot to consult or credit him (and felt bad about so hopefully that mention has been added somewhere since), as Roch Island had also been a team effort and in the moment I guess everyone involved downright forgot who had built what. It's basically the ending where if you consciously selected the corresponding Nuke Button to it based on the title's promise and then beat it then congratulations. Stadium Despair at least tries to be a self-respecting level though and probably feels just as satisfying to beat.

It's funny seeing that one backyard again (from FistMarine's screenshot), that's one more iteration of that same backyard from my parents' old home that's been popping up since the first Anarchy City map, kept being referenced to in a lot of my other user maps (e.g.. Bottles To The Ground, Anorak City) and as recently as in Duke Du Quatrain (Blast Radius' secret level). This version in Metropolitan Mayhem I remember comes from a scrapped Anarchy City 1 remake, there were several different attempts at those but the one the backyard of which is in Metropolitan Mayhem used to be just two sections, that backyard and then inside the house the apartment you can (hardly) swim into in Roch Island which also was a repurposed place from there.

One more thing re: the time constraint rule, that may be harder to contextualize now that people have indeed learned to go back to the roots but at the time, in order to result in even anything close to simple vanilla design it probably was mandatory, or people would have naturally kept adding detail. Because that was how user mapping was back then and bar some early and arguably pioneering works by Fernando Marquez (which at the time very few people even understood existed), or Fakir/Geoffrey, it hadn't developed for most people to think on, or even consider keep-it-simple-stupid terms. For the masses, a detailed map wasn't a detailed map yet and just how someone good at the editor would make a map.

This post has been edited by ck3D: 28 March 2023 - 04:30 AM