[LakiSoft]

 Ninety-Six, on 13 July 2021 - 02:41 PM, said:

so where did 6-8 come from?

You'd better don't know the answer.

[NNC]

It's a fake screenshot, the line spacing is not adjusted. Is this just one of your fake nonsenses again like those betas?

[LakiSoft]

 The Watchtower, on 14 July 2021 - 12:12 AM, said:

It's a fake screenshot, the line spacing is not adjusted. Is this just one of your fake nonsenses again like those betas?

It's not fake, it's a just addon WAD for GZDoom which adds those average quality episodes without replacing existing ones. speaking of line spacing i adjusted it like that in XWE Wad Editor at GFX's X,Y, coordinate options. So it's a just wad.

Hey @The WatchTower, now i'll go a bit off-topic, maybe this is all misunderstanding, as english is not my native language, so i maybe got things wrong, but it seems to me, TBBH, your rudeness towards me will not achieve anything. On my Duke Beta Mod\TC topic, you complained how my betas are useless crap and that you are starving to see real betas, but why you fucking participated in my 3 year old beta tc\mod topic when it's clearly marked it's about duke mod\total conversion\beta recreation, not actual stuff. So unless you fucking expected from me to hack Gearbox and steal real TEH BETAZ i don't get your statement, reaction and participation on my beta mod topic. Not to mention that i would never fucking hack game making company in order to steal long desired teh betaz. I am not fucking beta bryan. Seriously if you participated in my topic what you fucking expected? About Doom screenshot i posted earlier on this topic, i already explained it's GZDoom PWAD in question made in XWE. The screenshot in such a manner to show doom with 8 episodes was a joke though, now tell me smartass, since when jokes have to make sense? Too much about your word "nonsense".

Again, maybe i understood everything wrong, but that was my impression. And no, this is not the defending "my cheap mods and not taking criticism" since beta mod and doom screenshot have nothing to do with criticism. This is my analysis of your rudeness towards me. Correct if i got things wrong, though.

Now to get back to topic, i must say unpleasantly surprise that many latest reviewers hated Sigil. Although i played Sigil only twice or thrice, i liked it as average original Doom episode like Inferno or Thy Flesh Consumed.

[MObreck]

 The Watchtower, on 14 July 2021 - 12:12 AM, said:

It's a fake screenshot, the line spacing is not adjusted. Is this just one of your fake nonsenses again like those betas?

Nah, that's just GZDoom being GZDoom. Setting up your own custom episodes in GZDoom is very easy but they use a vertically shorter font that doesn't align quite the same as static texture based vanilla episode names. Also Romero made Sigil's episode texture a bit oversized, so it makes the alignment of any episode below it look out of synch.

[FistMarine]

Haven't posted in a while in the topic, so I will just say what I have been playing in these months:

Participated in the DW Megawad club and finished both Doom Zero (old version 1.8 in DOSBox, the last release from one year ago, before the addon became official) and Bourgeois Deathmatch (in Chocolate Doom). I loved both wads and you can see my comments at Doomworld from May and June. In short I will say I enjoyed very much Doom Zero for feeling almost like an official expansion released in 1996 and Bourgeois Deathmatch was a very challenging vanilla wad with most maps having hot starts and every map ends with a death exit (except MAP30 obviously), that wasn't as hard as I expected it to be but it really kept you on toes at times and with the upgraded arsenal you have, things were pretty fun. I still recommend saving often because some maps were a bit brutal but thankfully I haven't died as many times as I thought. In fact I died 14 times in total (exactly as many times as in the Akeldama megawad) which is quite interesting. The only downside is that there are no secret maps, I warped to MAP31 and MAP32 after I finished the wad and there was nothing in their place, only the same Wolfenstein Easter egg levels from DOOM 2.

On Doom Zero I died only twice in the whole megawad (MAP07 due to bad luck later in map despite starting level with full everything except BFG which is found later, plus at end of MAP29 at same time I destroyed the boss, which caused a forced pistol start of MAP30). I also redid MAP29 boss fight without dying and just in past few weeks, I did MAP07 from pistol start as bonus and it went smooth because I knew about that invulnerability secret near end (when those bullshit archviles get unleashed) which I didn't know about when I first played the wad (though I still got everything 100%, as both megawads mentioned can be gotten 100% in every level).

I haven't participated yet in this month's entry (Base Ganymede) because I have been a bit burned off from classic Doom for a while and I already finished an Ultimate Doom megawad (The Ultimate NMD) just not too long ago. I can't say I had as much fun with NMD because the levels were tight on resources sometimes (though I progressed carefully and conserved my resources) and they weren't as fun as say DTWID series, I don't know, something was missing at them. At least I completed it without dying. Though I will say that I had the misfortune to trigger the very rare all-ghosts glitch (which NEVER happened to me before) at beginning of E2M7 that caused everyone to walk through walls, so I decided to quit game because I knew I was screwed, having watched decino's video about that not too long ago. Yeah I played the wad in Chocolate Doom to get the intended experience, though it was mostly tested in ZDoom (how predictable) according to text files (at least original nmd and nmd2, the compilation nmdu was tested in multiple ports). Overall, the levels are sorta fun but you aren't missing much if you skip playing this megawad. I may give Base Ganymede a try later this month, maybe in next week to finish the first episode at least.

I've also been playing Doom Core (the original release from late 2011) by Valkiriforce and I'm currently on MAP17. So far I only died once at end of MAP10 (after carefully cleaning the level) because of the poorly handling the cyberdemon in close quarters. Since then I killed many cyberdemons without any problem, because there seemed to be many maps that had multiple cybers or even spiders (such as MAP32 which seemed like a slaughtermap), though somehow I survived them all, maybe I have been lucky overall. On MAP32 I hate how I got one time softlocked (teleported in a cage without any way out) so I had to reload my save. Also MAP16 was really long and annoying to navigate, took me more than an hour to finish because I kept getting lost and had to consult a video because I couldn't find any key to progress and it turns out there was a single small place I haven't visited at that time. It also took me a long time to get the blue armor on pillar (after I was done with the level), you had to enter one of the teleporters to get it. Plus it had almost 500 monsters! It almost seems like a precursor to those long-ass Akeldama levels that really drain you of the will to continue playing, so you can only finish one or two maps at most per day.

And finally, I started playing Doom Barracks Zone (an old Skulltag/ZDaemon wad that was being played in late 2000s on servers, I remember playing it on Skulltag servers at that time in 2009-2010, good times) in ZDoom 2.8.1 after all these years and I'm enjoying it. Maps are also made with jumping in mind, so you have a good reason to use jumping and crouching (crouching at least to avoid projectiles sometimes). I'm currently on third level and I am making the effort to get 100% in every level, though in MAP02 you can't get 100% kills because one enemy that is found in secret place (yes that enemy is Tails the Fox that appears as boss fight later in wad and shoots railgun at you) is invincible due to ZDoom scripts, since years ago I couldn't figure out how to get most secrets, they are very well hidden. If anyone is interested in the wad, I will put the download link because the wad isn't easily found nowadays (it's not on idgames) and instead of being forgotten, I think it deserves to be mentioned. I will show some screenshots of the wad, this might increase people's curiosity...

Also haven't seen anyone mentioning Civvie's Hexen video, so I will link it here:

Attached thumbnail(s)

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

[NNC]

 Gingis Khan, on 14 July 2021 - 06:33 AM, said:

It's not fake, it's a just addon WAD for GZDoom which adds those average quality episodes without replacing existing ones. speaking of line spacing i adjusted it like that in XWE Wad Editor at GFX's X,Y, coordinate options. So it's a just wad.

Hey @The WatchTower, now i'll go a bit off-topic, maybe this is all misunderstanding, as english is not my native language, so i maybe got things wrong, but it seems to me, TBBH, your rudeness towards me will not achieve anything. On my Duke Beta Mod\TC topic, you complained how my betas are useless crap and that you are starving to see real betas, but why you fucking participated in my 3 year old beta tc\mod topic when it's clearly marked it's about duke mod\total conversion\beta recreation, not actual stuff. So unless you fucking expected from me to hack Gearbox and steal real TEH BETAZ i don't get your statement, reaction and participation on my beta mod topic. Not to mention that i would never fucking hack game making company in order to steal long desired teh betaz. I am not fucking beta bryan. Seriously if you participated in my topic what you fucking expected? About Doom screenshot i posted earlier on this topic, i already explained it's GZDoom PWAD in question made in XWE. The screenshot in such a manner to show doom with 8 episodes was a joke though, now tell me smartass, since when jokes have to make sense? Too much about your word "nonsense".

Again, maybe i understood everything wrong, but that was my impression. And no, this is not the defending "my cheap mods and not taking criticism" since beta mod and doom screenshot have nothing to do with criticism. This is my analysis of your rudeness towards me. Correct if i got things wrong, though.

Now to get back to topic, i must say unpleasantly surprise that many latest reviewers hated Sigil. Although i played Sigil only twice or thrice, i liked it as average original Doom episode like Inferno or Thy Flesh Consumed.

Sorry man, nothing personal. People who followed me here know I can be rude sometimes, but that's just my temperament, and I have some problems with it IRL too.

I just don't like these false advertisings. I'm more or less given up on the real betas, not even sure if I can find anything of real value in them once released, but when I see a post about "Duke Nukem 3D v0.7", I expect something more than a random hack, that's all.

EDIT: I know you said "recreation", but IMHO recreation is something like when people try to redraw the Plug n Pray episode from scratch. I actually expected to see something based on real information, ie. recreating Hollywood Holocaust with its original starting position and extra sectors and so on. I think that would be even better than the actual betas, because there are more efforts in it with adding lost areas. In the version I downloaded, even the titles didn't match the levels: Apogee Arms Hotel is the first level, but the final version of Raw Meat was in its place. That's all. Again, nothing personal, keep goin'.

[LakiSoft]

 The Watchtower, on 14 July 2021 - 11:00 PM, said:

Sorry man, nothing personal. People who followed me here know I can be rude sometimes, but that's just my temperament, and I have some problems with it IRL too.

I just don't like these false advertisings. I'm more or less given up on the real betas, not even sure if I can find anything of real value in them once released, but when I see a post about "Duke Nukem 3D v0.7", I expect something more than a random hack, that's all.

EDIT: I know you said "recreation", but IMHO recreation is something like when people try to redraw the Plug n Pray episode from scratch. I actually expected to see something based on real information, ie. recreating Hollywood Holocaust with its original starting position and extra sectors and so on. I think that would be even better than the actual betas, because there are more efforts in it with adding lost areas. In the version I downloaded, even the titles didn't match the levels: Apogee Arms Hotel is the first level, but the final version of Raw Meat was in its place. That's all. Again, nothing personal, keep goin'.

I also apologize if i sounded rude too and overreacted, and i also would like to get our hands on real betaz, but unfortunately that's not in our power. But the reason i was doing beta hacks and similar stuff initially had nothing to with betas in beginning, actually. Many years ago, along with v1.3D Registered Version CD, i also had (and still have) original Duke3D Shareware v1.1 CD, and downloaded v1.3D shareware of course. Even back then, i played both thru v1.1 and v1.3D and noticed many interesting differences between them. In fact, i thought back then, if v1.3D can have both shareware and registered form, then there must be way to get my hands on Duke Nukem 3D Full Version v1.1 somehow. Then i started searching on internet to either find Duke Nukem 3D Full Version v1.1 via warez or via more legal way such as v1.3D registered to v1.1 registered patch. I expected if Ultimate Doom 1.9 can have downgrade patch to registered Doom 1.1, why can't someone do same for Duke? But i haven't found any trace of neither pirated full v1.1 neither mentioned on the web. So i came up with idea to copy DUKE3D.GRP from v1.3D registered into v1.1 shareware directory and run episodes 2 and 3 to see what happens, and hooray, they worked, but behaviors were fucking glitchy. At that time i wasn't even aware that v1.3D was registered version ever released and i even wasn't aware of existence of even older versions such as v1.0 and 0.99. when i discovered them, that was even newer sensation for me. i did same hacking method on these too, the same method that i used to create "v1.1 full" but this time i also tend to modify episode 2 and 3 levels to be less broken and more compatible to use with older versions. Then when i found sewers and sweeney levels on web, that made me all picture of what i wanted to achieve. And that's how everything started. The rest of story you already know. I also have many problems IRL, i can understand that.

[NightFright]

Hey, that tip in Civvie's Hexen video with Russian Doom/Heretic/Hexen was a good one. Seems to be just about the right mix of additions I like to see in a vanilla-style port. It's like Crispy Doom with some Doom Retro enhancements thrown in.

[Aristotle Gumball]

I always liked the idea of Hexen 1-2 more than the execution. I always have fun in these games for the first 15 minutes or so, after which it turns into a nightmare.

[NightFright]

They should have kept the puzzle elements at a minimum for Hexen. The intro map is just fine, but as soon as you reach that first hub and it starts with having to jump back and forth between levels, it's where most people will lose interest. It should have been more like Heretic, with linear progress and without respawning enemies.

[LakiSoft]

 NightFright, on 15 July 2021 - 02:39 AM, said:

They should have kept the puzzle elements at a minimum for Hexen. The intro map is just fine, but as soon as you reach that first hub and it starts with having to jump back and forth between levels, it's where most people will lose interest. It should have been more like Heretic, with linear progress and without respawning enemies.

This partially I can agree with you, but i could have less levels in one hub, and still be perfect balance between Heretic style and its current style. BTW, did you actually knew was originally planned to be called Heretic 2, not that TPS game that took its name later on. If you check out HEXEN.WAD via XWE, you can see one lump in it still mentioning "HERETIC 2"

BTW, i am working on WIP mod for Hexen, which is called HeRen, and combines Hexen with some Heretic monsters using GZDoom technology.

Here is screenshot of that WIP mod:

[MrFlibble]

 NightFright, on 15 July 2021 - 02:39 AM, said:

They should have kept the puzzle elements at a minimum for Hexen. The intro map is just fine, but as soon as you reach that first hub and it starts with having to jump back and forth between levels, it's where most people will lose interest.

TBH I never had a problem with that. Seven Portals is not my favourite hub, but for a different reason, I don't like the particular design, although the underlying idea of levels themed after elements is a good one I think. It just feels somewhat underwhelming after the Winnowing Hall which makes extensive use of many medieval dark fantasy tropes.

I'd say the key here is to not think of HeXen as a Doom style shooter, because it isn't one. It's more like a Tomb Raider-esque adventure game actually, but it feels a bit more clumsy due to the engine limitations. I still like the style and the atmosphere and the music, combat is well done for the most part.

For a really lacklustre execution of the switch-hunting puzzle design, head straight on to certain levels from In Pursuit of Greed.

[NightFright]

Well, Hexen and Strife have been those games I only placed once or twice just so I could say I did it. I just like Doom and Heretic more, and it seems like I am not the only one. Otherwise there wouldn't be so few Hexen/Strife-based community projects out there.

[LakiSoft]

 NightFright, on 15 July 2021 - 06:59 AM, said:

Well, Hexen and Strife have been those games I only placed once or twice just so I could say I did it. I just like Doom and Heretic more, and it seems like I am not the only one. Otherwise there wouldn't be so few Hexen/Strife-based community projects out there.

Strife sucks and i only beaten Demo Version, But Hexen is good, i only wish it had less confusing puzzles and less levels per hub. Actually there was good Hexen community called HeXentic Games which did some nice mods until year 2012 when they suddenly gone. HeXen Eternal Nightmare was their game though.

[Aristotle Gumball]

I much preferred Strife over Hexen. I guess different personality types enjoy either one or the other more. I don't know anyone who likes both equally.

Seeing that beginning part in the final map of Hexen makes me wanna play it again, but then I remember most of the game isn't that cool. Still, the fucking atmosphere:

[LakiSoft]

 Jesus Christ, on 15 July 2021 - 12:42 PM, said:

I much preferred Strife over Hexen. I guess different personality types enjoy either one or the other more. I don't know anyone who likes both equally.

Seeing that beginning part in the final map of Hexen makes me wanna play it again, but then I remember most of the game isn't that cool. Still, the fucking atmosphere:

LOL unknown WIN1MSG at the very end of video, but it ain't supposed to print that, but in-game story text about Chaos Sphere.
Well i can tell you, i recently beaten HeXen as Fighter on hardest skill, and actually it wasn't that bad as i expected to be. Well maybe except fucking Wendigos and Serpents that were kicking my ass on hardest skills, once you got used to all in-game puzzles and know your way around, it can be quite enjoyable even on hardest skill. About Strife i haven't played registered version, as demo seemed enough annoying to me.

We also have Hexen : Deathkings of the dark citadel, which i never beat without cheating unlike regular HeXen.

[Aristotle Gumball]

I just hate that feeling of being lost in a video game. I'm also getting too old to be frustrated at my hobbies. It needs to be relatively simple or I won't bother.

Then again all that went out the window during the initial COVID lockdown and I downloaded some RTS game I used to play as a kid. Lost a few brain cells on that.

I really wanna give Hexen 2 another shot, though. Me and the wife finished the expansion in co-op some years ago and it was much more straightforward than the base game, which is what I want Hexen to be, I think. Dig the atmosphere and lore, hate the "puzzles".

[LakiSoft]

Well Hexen 2 sucks IMHO, I only did it beat it once, and not only it was frustrating as hell, but i remember alot of cheating in final levels. Those four horseman and Eidolon were pain in ass, and yet i played it on easiest skill. I haven't played Portals of Praveus expansion though.

About required brain cells, i totally agree. At least Hexen 1 was more atmospheric and required less brain cell than HeXen 2 did. HeXen 2 was pain in ass and nightmare.

[Aristotle Gumball]

 Gingis Khan, on 15 July 2021 - 03:51 PM, said:

I haven't played Portals of Praveus expansion though.

It's honestly closer to Heretic than Hexen 1-2. Worth playing if you're into shooters with a more straightforward gameplay.

[LakiSoft]

 Jesus Christ, on 15 July 2021 - 04:01 PM, said:

It's honestly closer to Heretic than Hexen 1-2. Worth playing if you're into shooters with a more straightforward gameplay.

One day, I'll give it a try. Thanks for suggestion.

[FistMarine]

New addon for the Classic Doom unity ports: Earthless: Prelude (by James Paddock). You can read more at the following links:
https://slayersclub....rthless-prelude
https://slayersclub....rthless-prelude

Gameplay video by RHG 45:

[ck3D]

[Ninety-Six]

In a reply to one of the comments Sandy says he hasn't built a level for Doom since 1997.

What Doom maps was he building in 1997...?

[MrFlibble]

Maybe Doom 64?

[Ninety-Six]

 MrFlibble, on 24 July 2021 - 10:09 AM, said:

Maybe Doom 64?

I don't see him credited on the wiki, but Sandy already explained that some of the information isn't entirely correct, so maybe...?

[MusicallyInspired]

I don't see how unless he worked for Midway?

[Ninety-Six]

 MusicallyInspired, on 24 July 2021 - 04:20 PM, said:

I don't see how unless he worked for Midway?

Or Midway reached out to him for whatever reason... Though I can't exactly imagine one.

I asked him about it in the comments but since his own comment was a reply to someone else's it's unlikely he'll see it.

[NightFright]

They released "Doom The Way We Remember It":
https://www.doomworl...we-remember-it/

It's basically a complete Doom game with 36 maps, with all the original levels recreated from memory. As you can imagine, some approaches get quite close while others deviate quite a bit. I mean, regardless how often you have played the game, would you really know exactly about the architecture, item and monster placement, textures etc? And on the other hand: Would you recognize even the slightest deviations if you encountered them? Now it's your chance to test how well you really know the game!

I recommend playing this with a Chocolate-ish port (Choco, Crispy, Russian etc) for maximum nostalgia effect. Next project will be Doom 2 btw, and it won't be just levels recreated, but also music and some graphics.

[Aleks]

 NightFright, on 24 July 2021 - 11:46 PM, said:

They released "Doom The Way We Remember It":
https://www.doomworl...we-remember-it/

It's basically a complete Doom game with 36 maps, with all the original levels recreated from memory. As you can imagine, some approaches get quite close while others deviate quite a bit. I mean, regardless how often you have played the game, would you really know exactly about the architecture, item and monster placement, textures etc? And on the other hand: Would you recognize even the slightest deviations if you encountered them? Now it's your chance to test how well you really know the game!

This gives me an idea for a community project for Duke...

[William Gee]

I found my old 2 "doom 2" levels I made in 2016 I might add a couple more levels to the wad.