Alliance of Powers, by HellRaiser/StormBringer

I really think this is among the best pure 21-level SoD replacements ever made (maybe this, Spearmpixsod, and the DHW one would make a top three). Anyways back on topic to the poll title, what's your feelings for this particular mapset?

I voted excellent. The 2 mappers have different styles but seem to blend together very well.

That's what I though. It's actually very reminiscent of how Deadly Sleep turned out (not a top three because it isn't a full, standard format 21-level replacement but it's just as good as this IMO). Interesting that one of the two authors worked on both...

(If I did go ahead an qualify Deadly Sleep as a pure SoD mapset, it would also easily be in my top five SoD mapsets BTW. That combined with the three I menioned would be four; and the fifth would have to be either This Spear or an Archives set; more ack or ack-style goodness. But that's OT so I'll stop there.)

Best Sod mapset ever made? o_o I will have to check this out then...

And in unrelated news, yay, This Spear possibly on top 5!

@Dark_wizzie I didn't say it's the single best necessarily, but top five I'd say virtually for certain.

And I'm going to do a series of polls for many of these SoD favorites, so yours should come up.

How about vote the This Spear, a set not by you but with mapping inspired by yours?

https://wolf3d.darkbb.com/t2725-this-spear-by-dark_wizzie

ack wrote:I won't be voting, but I have always found Stormbringer's levels to be above average or excellent and this set is no exception.

Useless trivia:
- first person to guess the identities of Stormbringer and Hellraiser was MCS Amsterdam
- Stormbringer got his name from a Deep Purple album & Hellraiser was part of a modding clique (circa 1995- name Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers (ZZ Top lovers, no doubt).
- a sequel to AoP was planned, but scrapped. Some of the scrapped levels later appeared in Archives II

I'm also digging some of the map names, e.g. No Quarter, Battle Scar etc. - good classic rock songs.

Some nice mapping. Level 18 was pretty challenging if you start with pistol/8 rounds, took a bit of manipulation. I don't think this is possible without secrets, but it might.

I even used "No Quarter" as a converted IMF in one of my maps. It was a bit slowed down, more cleaned up than most midi-to-IMF files are (Chris deserves the credit) and really created an atmosphere that overshadowed the level (it got a bit old)

ack wrote:Almost named one of the levels Ariel after the great Rainbow tune (listening to it now), but for the life of me I can't remember why I changed my mind

Some people might associate "Ariel" with Arielus, as if the map was a tribute to him. Chris might associate it with the little mermaid.

Well, the guard placement of this mapset gets me a lot for some reason. Playing level 18 with pistol and 8 rounds is quite intense!