Advanced engine needed : limit-removing
Primary purpose : Single Player
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Title : Big Woodchip
Filename : ph_wdch3.zip
Release date : 19/04/14
Author : James "Phobus" Cresswell
Email Address : james@mpcressy.com
Description : You woke up in a small wooden Hell
(Woodchip, from abysped2), managed to fight your way to a teleporter
that took you to the surface, but pitted you against a wormhole in a
wooden fortification (Woodchip Woodchip, from abysped3). After defeating
everything that through at you, the only way forwards was a small dark
cave. You wander for what feels like an eternity, following the wall
with your hand, and eventually see a light at the end of the tunnel. But
it's flickering and, sure enough, it's a torch next to another banded
wooden door with a lion motif. You've recovered from your previous
battles, but you've lost your plasma rifle somewhere on the way and you
can't go back, so you grip your pistol. The only way is through...
Big Woodchip is a
single map by James "Phobus" Cresswell for Doom II. Requiring a
limit removing port, this map provides some interesting combat
situations that should keep even a veteran player on their toes.
Difficulty: 7
While not overly challenging, even on UV, it's hard not to take
a bitchslap in this map. With the way the map is laid out, I
found myself making a lot of stupid mistakes, often taking an
imp fireball or a revenant rocket while I'm not paying
attention. There aren't a whole lot of traps around Big
Woodchip, but there are plenty of nooks and crannies for enemies
to hide. If it's not revenants beating you down or chaingunners
jumping from the shadows after the door locks behind you, it's
the imps and shotgunners out on the ledges.
With a bit of patience and perserverence, learning their
locations and using your chaingun in short bursts, you should
have no problem taking them out. After you take a couple of
beatings and introduce yourself to the dirt a few times, of
course.
It's tempting to go after that mastermind right toward the end
of the map, but you don't really have enough ammo to take it on.
So naturally, your second instinct would be to just keep moving,
right? Well, meet Mr. Archvile and his brother, Mr. Archvile.
It's not necessarily too difficult to take them out and make a
bee-line for the exit after, but with a mastermind gunning you
down in a cavern with a strobe light effect, you'll be dodging
fire from multiple places on this one. Good luck.
Design: 5
As far as the structure of the map goes, it seems to be designed
to provide a challenge, and not to replicate a specific
location. This is a bit of a good thing, and also a bad thing. I
found that, while yes, I did enjoy taking down those bastards
hiding in the corners and at long range with the shotgun, at the
same time, the map lacked immersion. That's one of the key
things I find to be important when making a map - Does this
place feel like it could actually exist somewhere?
I also found the level of detail a bit lacking and unimpressive.
But then again, if it was designed to provide a combat
challenge, does it really matter how pretty it looks? I dunno,
maybe I've been spoiled on other wads. Or maybe I'm not a fan of
wooden themed areas.
Playability:
6
Here's where I have a minor issue with this map. Phobus does a
bit of a naughty thing toward the beginning of the map, letting
the player wander onto some burning hellstone right after
walking out of the entrance. While it does communicate, "Hey,
you shouldn't be standing on this stuff like a dumbass," having
the player navigate across the stuff to find an exit door
without shielding or armor, and with shotgunners no less than
trigger happy on the ledges before you probably isn't the best
way to bring the player into the map. Just saying.
Aside from that and the beatdowns from the baddies in corners
(and of course, Mr. Revenant), the map is quite playable. But is
it replayable? Probably not for me, but if you enjoy this sort
of thing, you may very well want to keep this one around.
Overall (Not an Average): 6
Somehow, I feel like this would have fit in quite well in a
community wad of some sorts, but it does feel a little strange
on its own. Big Woodchip provides some good challenge, at the
cost of some detailing and some design choices that may make you
want to mouth the words, "Dick move." It's worth checking out if
you've got some free time this weekend.