#doom congestion 1024

[m39]

Doom WADs’ Roulette (2005): Congestion 1024

As of writing these words, I’m done with my indefinite hiatus. After playing the rest of the WADs spoiler-tagged by Dean of Doom, checking out the ones that might mind-fuck your brain, and watching some stuff not related to Doom, I am confident to come back and take care of the rest of the WADs from the 2005 roster. And considering what WAD I’m about to review, it will probably help me even further.

G6: Congestion 1024

Main author(s): Various (project kickstarted by Rachel Schmitz (Negatronica) and led by Thomas Lutrov (Lutrov71))

Release date: November 25th, 2005 (original release)/ December 2nd, 2005 (database upload)

Version played: ???

Required port compatibility: Boom (the text file recommends ZDoom and PRBoom)

Levels: 32 (standard 30 + 2)

Congestion 1024 is the second WAD on this shitshow that has restricted rules after 10 Sectors; this time making the playable parts of a map no larger than the size 1024*1024 (going larger when it comes to backgrounds was fine). It was inspired by Exquisite Corpse, a map with a similar gimmick but instead of one big map stitched together with twelve smaller maps, this WAD is basically structured like a regular MegaWAD.

Now the maps with 1024^2 size tend to be small (supposedly smaller than Dead Simple), so we will see what the mappers have to offer when it comes to the limited size.

The restriction definitely didn’t tarnish how the maps look. While most of the time the maps look just fine, some of them look incredible like Garden of the Descent and A Jagged Stroll, both maps taking place in a canyon-like area. There is also Nullspace Junior, a condensed version of the original map, and yes, it was created by the same person. There might be other maps with stunning visuals but these three are the ones that I can think of the most.

Without counting MIDIs from other WADs, rendition of songs/music tracks from other games, and Bantam (which has an unchanged track), the soundtrack was created by Rachel Schmitz, who we met earlier due to her Happy Time Circus map (she was also a founder of the WAD project). These tracks were good to listen to. Other tracks were (almost all the time) also good.

What’s funny is that this version of Death Bells (played in A Bridge Too Far), is the same, scuffed one from Alien Vendetta, missing bell noises. I don’t know if the track broke while this map was created, or was it from some rare version of Final Doom that I don’t know about.

I don’t really think this MegaWAD is convoluted (asides from Bantam during my first playthrough). Despite being small, these maps have something to offer to differentiate themselves from each other.

While you will encounter maps that are nothing more but a bunch of squares and rectangles squished together to fit the restriction, some maps like Claustrophobic Sting try to make something more uniquely shaped rather than introducing another squared arena/arenas.

House of Shadows is probably the worst example of squishing as many tight corridors as possible. Not to mention shitty chess stairs.

I guess some individuals still thought that such a thing was a good idea back in 2005.

There are three instances where you end up forced to Pistol-start the next map. The exits where you die happen in Gothika 1024, the previously mentioned Claustrophobic Sting, and Magus.

Caco District has a fun moment where some of the buildings in the background start to go down as you progress, implicating that these are crumbling down due to demons destroying them.

There is also another Dead Simple copy with barely any changes. And yes, this WAD does end up on another shitty Icon of Sin map. And this time you are forced to wait God knows how long before finally being able to press the switch that will end the last map.

Speaking of waiting, some of the maps think that stagnating the progress by shoving really long platforms to lower is a good idea. Well, here’s a spoiler for you: it’s not. It makes playing the map boring; not as much when fighting monsters but when there is nothing else to do... well, bring some snacks, pal. You are going to wait for a few moments.

Congestion 1024 is rather challenging, especially its last third; although I question the fairness of the difficulty since there are maps that tend to forget their sizes and shove as many monsters as possible to these already cramped maps, with the previously mentioned Magus being the worst case of being too cramped with monsters.

This WAD project isn’t really that buggy from what I’ve encountered, but there are at least a couple of these described on Doomwiki if you are interested in reading that. The worst case I encountered is definitely with Close Quarters, to the point of not being able to finish this map properly unless you noclip through a door that acts like an invisible wall for some reason. How did this was even greenlit to this project, is a complete enigma to me.

Congestion 1024 is a fine WAD, I guess. I would say that it’s good at best. Some of the maps are great, some are the opposite of great, and most of the time it was... eh.

Honestly, if I could choose between this WAD and 10 Sectors, I would still prefer Congestion 1024 because while it has bad maps, none of these come close to the awfulness of 10 Sectors’ MAP21.

Thankfully (for me), this is the last megaWAD with over 30 maps from the 2005 roster. The next one has seven of these, so hopefully I won’t spend that much time finding secrets for the second playthrough for the lack of better words.

I’ll see you then.

Bye!

[wadbot]

CONF256V.wad: Confinement 256 (vanilla version) MAP32: fire dust labs (-344, -721, -56) Author: Xyzzy01 Date: 2021-07-20 Description: This is my first several maps made to work in vanilla Doom instead of relying on ZDoom features. More of a proof of concept than anything. From the original release .txt: "The area of each map the player has access to can only as big as a 256x256 map unit square, similar to the rules of mapping for Congestion 1024, Claustrophobia 1024 (and its sequel), Confinement 512, Congestion 384, Congestion 192 and numerous 2048 wads. I just thought 256 fit in as the perfect combination of 64's simplistic, minimal design and 1024's more serious, detailed design."

[doomwads]

Sinistrad

Game: Doom II Year: 2002 Source Port: Limit-removing (but recommended without infinitely tall actors) Specs: MAP01 Gameplay Mods: None Author: Alex Parsons idgames | onemandoom

This level is the one part of the World’s End series that @awadaday covered, to much distaste. Not that I can blame them! Sinistrad is a total ball buster, with Alex’s iterative design giving way to a treacherous level that unpacks itself as you desperately dodge monsters, revealing more and more revenants and arch-viles and other unsavory things. I would say that it’s about as hard as if not harder than the later levels from Congestion 1024 in terms of claustrophobia and difficulty and the final semi-random arch-vile invasion is a real kick in the head.

Click here if you’d like to read my full review.

[droneseco]

Audeze LCD-1 Wired Headphones Review: Audiophile Grade Headphones For the Regular Listener

Audeze LCD-1

9.50 / 10

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See on amazon

Audeze planar magnetic headphones come with a serious reputation for quality in build quality and soundstage. The LCD-1 headphones are from the Audeze LCD Reference range and are designed not only for audiophiles and sound engineers but anyone who loves listening to their favorite tracks with the best possible quality.

Specifications

Brand: Audeze

Bluetooth: No

Noise Cancellation: No

Pros

Outstanding soundstage

Relatively lightweight

Good build quality

Comfortable for long periods

Cons

On the expensive side of things

Buy This Product

Audeze LCD-1 amazon

Shop

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Audeze is known for its premium audio hardware. It is a name associated with excellent, beautifully crafted soundstages, brilliant headphone design, and the delivery of an audio experience that keeps you coming back for more.

The Audeze LCD-1 wired headphones, then, have a lot to live up to versus the recent successes of the Audeze Mobius and Audeze Penrose gaming headset. So, how do the Audeze LCD-1 wired headphones stack up against the competition and, indeed, the Audeze name itself?

Read on for our hands-on review of the Audeze LCD-1 headphones.

Audeze LCD-1: What's In the Box?

Before we get into the box, a note about the box itself. While unpacking and unwrapping the LCD-1 box itself, you get a real sense of class, the Audeze box carrying a nice weight and almost urging you to get in and find out what's inside.

When you get there, you'll find:

Audeze LCD-1 wired headphones

Carry case

5mm jack to dual 3.5mm jack cable

25mm jack adapter

Fluffy headphone divider

Official Audeze LCD-1 Certificate of Authenticity

There are probably two things on there that have caught your eye.

Yes, the Audeze LCD-1 headphones do come with a fluffy headphone divider. It's to stop the earpads rubbing when you fold them down and put them in the carry case. It seems a little excessive, but it's a nice touch regardless.

The second thing is the Audeze Certificate of Authenticity. Before shipping to you, the LCD-1 headphones are rigorously tested to make sure they hit Audeze's very high audio standards. Furthermore, the testing and authentication process helps to "burn-in" the headphones before they're sent to you.

Audeze LCD-1 Specifications

You know what's in the box. Now, what's powering the audio side of things?

Style: Over-ear, open-back

Color: Black

Drivers: 90mm Planar Magnetic

Magnetic structure: Fluxor magnet array

Magnet type: Neodymium N50

Frequency response: 10-50,000Hz

Diaphragm: Ultra-thin Uniforce

Connectivity: Wired

Connectors:5mm, 6.35mm (1/4-inch)

Weight: 250g (8.82oz)

The headline specs to take from here are the driver size, at 90mm, and the frequency response, 10-50,000Hz. The frequency response is extensive and should allow the Audeze LCD-1 wired headphones to perform with exceptional audio accuracy.

Audeze LCD-1 Design

The Audeze LCD-1 are foldable wired headphones. When you first open the secure carry case and reveal the LCD-1 headphones, you might be surprised at their slight and relatively lightweight frame.

Planar magnetic headphones usually weigh more than the alternatives, containing larger, heavier magnets to ensure the headphone diaphragm moves uniformly. The added weight is often the trade-off between the oft sensational sound delivered by planar magnetic headphones versus a more traditional dynamic driver setup.

Weighing 250g, the Audeze LCD-1 weighs less than some of their direct competitors, sometimes by more than 100g. Of course, you want to know how that translates to actual comfort, and I'm happy to report that the LCD-1 headphones are perfect for prolonged listening sessions.

Helping with the comfort levels is the adjustable headband with memory foam cushioning, along with the memory foam earpads covered with genuine lambskin leather.

The Audeze LCD-1 uses an over-ear, open-back design. Open-back headphones can leak audio to the surrounding area, but LCD-1 doesn't suffer from this issue. On the other hand, open-back headphones can deliver a less congested, better-rounded sound that doesn't suffer from the feeling of isolation associated with closed-back headphones—but more on the Audeze LCD-1 soundstage in a moment.

The 90mm drivers and their ultra-thin Uniforce diaphragms further contribute to the reduction in weight. Audeze is very proud of its manufacturing process, too. Rather than using a one-size-fits-all process, each driver goes through a unique process that matches the voice-coil to the magnetic fields in each LCD-1 headset. The precision of manufacturing allows the diaphragm to move uniformly, in turn delivering a better overall sound.

Audeze uses 'a genetic algorithm-based heuristic optimization technique together with magnetic simulations to optimize trace widths to achieve Uniforce

As the LCD-1 headphones fold down into a carry case, you can remove the wires from the headphones. You can insert the headphone cables in either earcup without worrying about whether you got the right one as the LCD-1 cable detects the left and right signal automatically, which is actually pretty cool.

A Note on Handling Planar Magnetic Headphones

Planar magnetic headphones are, in general, more susceptible to having air trapped behind the ultra-thin diaphragm. Audeze recommends that you take care when putting your planar magnetic headphones on, giving them a moment to adjust to the difference in air pressure after creating a seal around your ears

As per Audeze customer support:

We recommend exercising certain cautions when handling planar magnetic headphones: trapped air can create high pressure and sudden pressure changes could damage the diaphragms, and this is not covered by warranty. When you put the headphones on or take them off, it's not a good idea to press them hard and fast against the head, so we recommend slow and steady movement to allow the air pressure to stabilize.

How Do the Audeze LCD-1 Sound?

On to the main feature: how do the Audeze LCD-1 wired headphones sound?

Planar magnetic headphones come with a reputation for the sublime, and the Audeze LCD-1 headphones certainly fit the bill. The LCD-1 comes with a well-crafted soundstage that should suit regular consumers and audio engineers alike, meaning you can plug them in and enjoy the standard sound. Still, the headphones respond extremely well to additional EQ settings, too.

One thing to note about the LCD-1 is how alive everything sounds when you slip them on. I tested the LCD-1 headphones using a direct connection to my PC, then through a small desktop DAC, and with my Galaxy S8 smartphone. The clarity and crispness across all three options are exceptional. You won't find any track that the LCD-1 doesn't deliver with precision, bringing your favorite artists and albums to life once more.

In that, you actively want to find more music of different genres to test the LCD-1 headphones with. I'm a huge electronic music fan, and the LCD-1's soundstage brings every thumping bassline to the fore, picking out every chirping, twisting beat, or pushing the sound of a euphoric Balearic wave crashing over you.

Classical music sounds exceptional, all tight notes and quick transitions, while the LCD-1 headphones handle the fast, high-pitched transitions of ska and jazz with ease. You feel like every note is being played specifically for you, with precision, and it makes every listening experience an exciting and refreshing examination of music, old and new.

In short, it's not often that you put on a pair of headphones like these. The Audeze LCD-1 may be one of the best audio experiences you could hope for without spending thousands, allowing you to experience what is often referred to as "audiophile-grade" listening without blowing your monthly budget several times over.

Is the Audeze LCD-1 Good for Gaming?

While the LCD-1 headphones are definitely designed for music lovers, we live in an age where gaming audio is just as important. Audeze doesn't pitch the LCD-1 headphones for gaming, which is understandable as they're very much an exceptional audio tool, suitable for sound engineers, and so on.

With that said, you won't regret taking the LCD-1 into any game environment. The headphones' exceptionally crafted soundstage doesn't just stop when you fire up your favorite game, that's for sure.

Jumping into Doom 2016, and the frantic gameplay strikes you, but also Mick Gordon's exquisitely mixed soundtrack that brings the entire game together into the visceral experience we know and love. Although Gordon didn't feature on Doom Eternal (for one reason or another), it sounds just as good, making it clear why Eternal won many audio design awards in 2020.

Racing games were a particular treat, too. Although you won't notice much subtly in sound design in most racing games, having a set of headphones that bring more of the world to the fore is brilliant, especially in titles like Dirt 2.0, where sound immersion can heighten your senses, pushing your driving abilities to another level.

The Audeze LCD-1 Are Outstanding, and You Should Buy Them

The LCD-1 headphones come from Audeze's LCD Reference headphone range. They're built for audio engineers and sound professionals to deliver the best, most accurate representation of music—any genre, any style.

Which they do, many times over. The Audeze LCD-1 is easily one of the best headphones you can put your hands and ears on if you want to experience truly premium audio at a very reasonable price.

However, some may find that very same experience unsettling in terms of the soundstage. When you buy headphones built for working out at the gym or to make games sound amazing, the manufacturer often builds for a certain audio profile. Those familiar profiles, usually slightly bass-heavy or with some extra mid/top, deliver extra punch for the user and bring the experience home.

The Audeze LCD-1 is very much in the area of a relatively flat EQ, designed to allow mixing in any direction. The consequence is a potentially confusing experience for consumers not accustomed to this, expecting an in-built bass boost or otherwise. That doesn't damage the LCD-1 listening experience. Far from it, it gives you far greater control over the music you love.

On that, let's talk price. The Audeze LCD-1 wired headphones retail for $400. Now, you might look at that price and balk. There's no denying it's a pretty penny and more than most would consider spending on a set of headphones.

Given the substantial audio range, lightweight and comfortable design, and vast soundstage, the Audeze LCD-1 wired headphones are nailed on for me.

Audeze LCD-1 Wired Headphones Review: Audiophile Grade Headphones For the Regular Listener published first on http://droneseco.tumblr.com/

[m39]

Doom WADs’ Roulette: Revenant Awards 2005

DOOMGUY AND THE REVENGE OF THE HELLISH GOBLET OF CHOCOLATE – REVENANT AWARDS 2005 EDITION

Since 2005, I have been a waste of air and space on this God-forsaken planet (but not as much as some of the other losers you will see being laughed at on the Internet) for the entire decade. In the same year, the Doom franchise reached twelve years of existence by that point. Not to mention the second Cacowards appearing in 2005. So why won’t we take a look at the WADs that were rewarded to some degree by that award ceremony in the rip-off of mine?

SOLE SURVIVOR – BEST ONE-MAP LONG WAD OF THE YEAR

Choosing the winner for this award was kind of tough; not only due to it having five contestants, but all of these maps having at least one incredible thing (for the 2005 standards) to offer. On the other hand, most of these maps have annoying shit in them. Jägermörder 2 looks and plays incredibly well in spite of six years of hell development, but the beginning part of this map is such hitscanner-filled bullshit that it has a chance to make you not want to play the rest of it. HeDRoX is really good on its own, but it kind of fades in when placed next to the rest of the one-map WADs of 2005. And Temple of Chaos 2 has a gimmick that does incredibly well... over the cost of fair difficulty, unfortunately.

So now we are left with Dutch Devil’s two maps – Altar of Evil and Total Control. Both are really good, both are equal when it comes to quality, and both have similar background areas when you look at the window (without counting what surrounds the map) but if I have to choose one, I will give the award to Altar of Evil. Simply because it doesn’t have hitscanners. And also because it has custom monsters as a bonus.

PUG-OF-PINK – BEST 2-7 MAPS-LONG WAD OF THE YEAR

When it comes to the Vanilla section of this award, there isn’t really that much to offer since both For Whom the Bell Tolls and Suspended in Dusk are basically fine WADs. But at least I can say that the former WAD doesn’t have obnoxiously tight mazes or annoyingly painful to listen new sound effects. And for these reasons, For Whom the Bell Tolls gets the award in the Vanilla section. Suspended in Dusk might look like a masterpiece but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s not really that fun to play.

As for the source port section, Hi-Tech Hell 2 - Alien Tech gets the award too (by default though). I could care less about the plot in this WAD along with the cutscenes, but Alien Tech is rather fun to play and looks incredible by the standards it was released.

Comparing these two winners, Alien Tech gave me more fun than For Whom.  

FULL DECK OF DIAMONDS – BEST 30-32 MAPS-LONG MEGAWAD OF THE YEAR

Karma Shawarma better be thankful for winning this award in the Vanilla section by default. Now look, I’m not saying that this MegaWAD is bad ‘cause it’s not. It looks impressive by the vanilla standards and has some really good levels in it (especially Stairway to Heaven), but it’s targeted closer to the people who eat a bunch of slaughter maps for breakfast in a row. Not to mention how the reasons behind this MegaWAD getting Mockaward still baffle me, but I already ranted about it in my review of this WAD.

And as for the source port section, the choice between Scythe 2 and Congestion 1024 couldn’t be more obvious and one-sided: Scythe 2 easily gets the award in this section. It’s just a great MegaWAD that doesn’t feel polarizing like Congestion 1024 was (although that WAD project had some strong moments too). Not to mention being a great sequel to the original Scythe WAD.

And yes, Scythe 2 gave me MUCH more fun than Korn Shoe.

OFF THE WALL – BEST PARTIAL/TOTAL CONVERSION WAD OF THE YEAR

Another case where one WAD is much superior to another. In this case, it’s Simplicity gaining the award over Happy Time Circus. Happy Time Circus might be the most unique map in this roster but unfortunately, it is just an okay map at its best, with a strong start and ending, and an utterly tiring rest of it. Simplicity is just incredible and you should check it out, like immediately.

OTHER AWARDS

There is one last WAD to reward. And that is Crimson Canyon earning the Platinum Revenant award for the best 10-19 maps long WAD/MegaWAD of the year. It doesn’t really distinguish itself from other WADs/maps but on its own, it does a good job. And also, since I forgot to mention it in my review, I like the fluent transition between the maps.

CONCLUSION

And that’s all for the 2005 edition of the Revenant Awards. Another year of WADs from the 2000s decade done. Time to take another week-long break before returning back to making WAD reviews. But not with the 2006 roster of WADs, but with Perdition's Gate (if I manage to launch it since it is a really old, archaic WAD).

I’ll see you in the future.

Bye!

[m39]

Doom WADs’ Roulette (2007): Genesis of Descent

Fates seem to hate me. For one day before my break ended, I caught a freaking cold!

Like I couldn’t have some fun in my spare time!

...

Anyway, here is the first Cacoward winner from 2007.

G1: Genesis of Descent

Main author(s): Nick Laurent (hobomaster22)

Release date: March 27th, 2007 (original release)/March 31st, 2007 (database upload)

Version played: ???

Required port compatibility: (G)ZDoom

Levels: 3 (intro map and one regular map split into two)

Still stuck with the first Doom, we have Genesis of Descent, created by one of the contributors to the Congestion 1024 community project. And like with every solo project of one of the Community Project’s contributors, can they make something good on their own?

Let’s take a look.

The WAD looks at least good in my eyes. For something that looks like it was made entirely out of vanilla textures, it looks impressive. You will spend most of your time in a techbase environment and while it has strong moments, once you come face to face with a demonic corruption, it gets even better.

The music track used for the entirety of this WAD is Relentless Coil from Doom 64 (converted by Elbryan42). I guess it’s supposed to give this WAD a more eerie atmosphere, but I didn’t hear anything, either because it didn’t play or it was too quiet.

Playing this WAD, despite its size, is a typical Doom WAD, AKA rather easy to understand where to go if you check every room on the map. Would like it more without some of the inescapable bottom pits.

One of the more... distinctive for lack of better words things to do in Genesis of Descent is blowing up the wall sometime after the beginning in the first part of the main map.

There are fans that will instakill you or enemies when touched.

There are also rocket turrets that might help with the final boss if you didn’t find the secret BFG in the first part.

This WAD is rather in between when it comes to how hard it is – not too easy, not too hard. However, it can turn into a chore due to Doom I restrictions and how you ammo-starve for the tougher weapons. Even if you save rockets for Barons, you will rarely have enough of these to kill them. Sometimes crushers and exploding barrels might speed up the process, but half of the time, you are forced to slowly kill these goats (plus cacos if they are here) with Shotgun and/or Chaingun.

There are also new enemies, but these are just dummy bots using Doomguy’s weapons.

This WAD is kind of buggy. There are cases of enemies stuck in the terrain (especially in the first part) and you revealing the void after pressing the elevator switch more than once. You might even soft-lock yourself in the second part of the map, where you won’t get the yellow skull if you don’t run to it fast enough because of the teleporter the skull is placed on. And you can’t come back to this place.

Genesis of Descent is kind of flawed, but overall, it’s still a good WAD worth checking out. I still think there are better 2-7 maps long WADs though.

The golden league is off to a rather good start. Let’s see if the next map on the list keeps the fun factor at a high level.

See you next time.

Bye!

[m39]

Doom WADs’ Roulette (2006): IC2005

G1 G2: IC2005

Main author(s): Ian Cunnings (The Flange Peddler)

Release date: December 27, 2005 (database upload)

Version played: ???

Required port compatibility: Boom

Levels: 1

This is IC2005, the last map/WAD of the IC series created by Ian Cunnings, one of the contributors to Community Chest 2 and Congestion 1024 community projects. Let’s not waste time anymore since I talked too much about Phocas Island 2.

For something released at the end of 2005, IC2005 looks rather dope. It mostly looks like typical, Classic Doom abstraction but it also has some really interesting things like the generator that holds the red skull inside of it and the pedestal at the end of the map, where you have to place the just mentioned skull. I also really enjoy how the map turns into a Quake map when it focuses on finding the yellow keycard. Not to mention how diverse this map looks even if most of it takes place in a tech base.

The music track used for this map is the MIDIfied version of Descent Into Cerberon from Quake II, courtesy of Jay Reichard. And not gonna lie, it slaps. It fits smoothly not only for this map but I think it would fit probably most of the original maps from the Classic Doom games. My only gripe with it is that I would like this track to be longer. It takes a while to finish this map, and the track, while really good, might start grinding your ears off after around ten minutes of listening to it.

IC2005 isn’t really complicated. It’s kind of hard to navigate through the map but asides from that there isn’t anything that requires brainstorming; just taking a good look at your surroundings.

The most interesting part of the map is near the yellow keycard, where the way to it is behind another crate maze that is protected by one-hit kill barriers, and you have to flip the switches in the area that overlooks the maze to create a proper passage to the keycard room. It’s kind of cool.

IC2005 isn’t really challenging. It has some tough moments and some bullshit moments but overall, it didn’t feel that hard to me. It also progresses very well with its difficulty.

And... I guess that’s all I have to say about this map. IC2005 is a rather enjoyable map to play. Any cons that I would have for it are more like nitpicks than an actual problem. It’s another type of map that feels like the entire Doom II condensed into one map when it comes to the escalation.

Well, the 2006 Golden League started out pretty roughly, so let’s hope that it gets smoother with the following WADs. I know that the next one is going to be interesting.

See you next time.

Bye!

[m39]

Doom WADs’ Roulette (2005): Crimson Canyon

G9: Crimson Canyon

Main author(s): Jeffrey Graham

Release date: March 21st, 2005 (original release)/March 27th, 2005 (database upload)

Version played: ???

Required port compatibility: Limit-removing

Levels: 12 (ten levels are original, the rest is a bonus from Congestion 1024)

You might be thinking that we are having fresh meat in this series, but you couldn’t be more wrong. We have met this WAD creator before, but not directly. Jeffrey Graham was one of the contributors to Community Chest 2 and Congestion 1024. And now he introduces us to his more personal project: Crimson Canyon.

Let’s see if ten months of making this WAD was worth it for lack of better words.

Now the plot is pretty convoluted for such a WAD so I’ll try to explain it to you:

Nine years after the events of Classic Doom, the UAC chucklefucks have found an asteroid (that might be a part of the blown-up planet) with ancient ruins on it. Thinking that it might help with their usual teleporting bullshit, they started digging there under the excuse of a mining colony.

Twenty years later, it goes into a typical Doom plot route: shit hits the fan and one person is sent in to check out what’s happening. If want to know more about this (if you are into it), check the text file for more.

I would say this WAD looks pretty good. But it doesn’t start like that right off the gate. While there are some details here and there, it usually feels kind of flat, saved by some ancient Roman resembling architecture in the first four maps that appear. Once you get to the titular Crimson Canyon (yes, there is a map with the same name as the WAD), it gets much better, with the style going apeshit while you are walking outdoors alongside various caves and ruins (although the base parts have high moments here and there).

The music tracks were good, I guess. I don’t think any of these were annoying me at all. Although, I wish they were slightly louder (the opposite of the previous review).

I don’t think Crimson Canyon is really that complicated. While there is some annoying backtracking and the sheer size of around half of the maps doesn’t help with that, it’s a far cry when compared to some of the biggest cases of moon-logic switch hunting in Doom WADs that I experienced.

But not gonna lie, the same named MAP05 is really confusing. It sounds rather simple with finding six switches to open passages to other parts of the canyon but how these switches are placed, and the fact how much similar the parts of the map look will turn you into a headless chicken running around like there is no tomorrow unless you write down where to go next.

Oh, and by the way, the maps Jeffrey contributed to Community Chest 2 and Congestion 1024 are also used here. Annihilation Invention (now called Acid Base) is now slotted into the MAP03 slot (and is also slightly modified), while the Congestion maps were added as bonus content and are not a part of the main game (or WAD as I should say).

This WAD isn’t really hard. In around the first and the last third of it, you will usually be mowing down cannon fodder (mostly the hitscanners -_-) and maps from MAP05 to MAP07 don’t even have hitscanners, making it easy for you if you are semi-competent at dodging.

I don’t know if this counts as a bug or not, but two doors in Cylinder of Sin that can be opened only with one-time-use switches close down completely after an enemy crosses it. At least that’s how I interpret it when I played that map with no monsters. The same thing happened with one of the monster closets near the final switch in MAP05.

Ignoring that hiccup, I don’t really have anything to complain about Crimson Canyon. It’s just a good WAD. There are tons of WADs as long as this one that are better but this one is still fun.

See you all next time, as we will take a look at the final map of the 2005 Golden League, and the Cacowards 2005 roster overall.

Bye!

[m39]

Doom WADs’ Roulette (2005): Temple of Chaos 2 – Warped Reality

G8: Temple of Chaos 2 – Warped Reality

Main author(s): Melissa McGee (Agent Spork)

Release date: April 16th. 2005 (original release)/ May 1st, 2005 (database upload)

Version played: ???

Required port compatibility: ZDoom

Levels: 1 (MAP01 replacement)

After the full release of the original version of Simplicity, Melissa McGee uploaded a map titled Temple of Chaos 2. The sequel to the original map under the same name and created in a few months, it was made from the idea of hopping between techbase and hell biomes as you progress. Let’s find out if it worked.

The plot (described in the text file) talks about how you tried to escape the titular Temple of Chaos, only to end up blasted by cows. You end up on some unknown UAC base on Phobos except it seems to be some kind of demonic contraption that just pretends to be one.

Like Simplicity, Temple of Chaos 2 looks really good. Both biomes look sick for the most part. And I just ran out of things to say because it’s a rather short map to talk about.

The music track was actually created by the author herself. It’s called Nocturnal Bise and it’s freaking awesome.

Although, it will be best for you if you lower the music down to at most 25% unless you like having a FUCKING TINNITUS!!!

This map is really simple and linear. I don’t even think there is any branching in this map. Its main gimmick is, as I mentioned earlier, how the map changes its look from the UAC base to Hell and vice versa. And it’s so smooth at this dimension hopping that you might forget that you actually get transported between the same-looking parts of the map but with different textures.

You also end this map in the style of a Knee-Deep ending.

Unfortunately, this is where we start encountering some shit bumps.

Temple of Chaos 2 is hard but not for the right reasons. The biggest problem with this map is how cramped it is, forcing you to fight enemies in tight locations and with barely to no cover (when it comes to hitscanners). THERE ISN’T EVEN A SINGLE ARMOR BONUS! LIKE MY BROTHER IN CHRIST, CAN THIS MAP CHILL OUT FOR A SECOND?!

New enemies don’t help in that part most of the time; although their problem is more with the placement rather than how they function.

There are two new zombie types; one wielding Plasma gun that functions like a weaker version of Arachnotron (has only 100 health points), and the other wielding BFG and having 600 health points. The second one function as a miniboss of the techbase part of the map, and he can be cheesed out with the Shotgun if you manage to not let him come out of his closet.

Hectebus from Simplicity also comes back for another round. Now smaller but tougher, you will fight two of these near the end of the map. He also has an actual custom fireball instead of ripping out the Hell Nobles one.

I haven’t encountered any bugs, although, the author mentions in the text file that some of the scripts might break.

Temple of Chaos 2 is an interesting experiment that ended up pretty well and has an amazing music track. Unfortunately, it suffers from being unfairly difficult and having the music too damn loud in my opinion. Basically, it’s a mixed bag that leans heavily towards being good rather than bad.

Next on the 2005 roster – a WAD created by one of the Congestion 1024 contributors.

Bye!

[wadbot]

CONF256.pk3: Confinement 256 CONF05 (16, 40, 0) Author: Xyzzy01 and the wonderful Doom community Date: 2017-06-17 Description: This originally started out as my set of 20 or so maps for ZDoom, but later turned into a full-fledged community project! The area of each map the player has access to can only as big as a 256x256 map unit square, similar to the rules of mapping for Congestion 1024, Claustrophobia 1024 (and its sequel), Confinement 512, Congestion 384, Congestion 192 and numerous 2048 wads. I just thought 256 fit in as the perfect combination of 64's simplistic, minimal design and 1024's more serious, detailed design. The Doom community's 39 map submissions are bundled with my original 22 map campaign.