The Best of 2012 (so far)

Well I've taken a look into the community recently after a hiatus. I understand Dome Awards have been discontinued at least for now but I've definitely seen some potentially impressive work released this year so far and would like a thread to summarize what's best!

So, I went ahead and listed all important original (i.e. new maps), finished releases I've found in the news since Jan 1st. Please pick your favorites, up to three choices! (The poll will let you pick more, but please don't.) And of course, feel free to leave commentary here it you'd like.

Blimey, a third of those are my stuff. People got to ante up a little on the mods 'round here!

Voted..

Batman vs. Bane
Time to Kill
Guns and Glory 0.5

DHW SOD, 15 Master Levels and SS for me. Haven't played the others.

... And judging by the screenies, I'll probably get my arse kicked around for not liking Batman and all! Just waiting...

Thomas wrote:... And judging by the screenies, I'll probably get my arse kicked around for not liking Batman and all! Just waiting...

Come with me outside...


...well, I respect your love for oldschool mods.
I've read your DHW post as well.

I don't know. I've become fed up with modding vanilla, but playing it... Seems I'll never tire of that. I do love playing Spear Resurrection and Totenkopf SDL though... I suppose it's the whole superhero bit. Batman, Spiderman, Elastic Man, Plastic Man, Spastic man etc. etc. never got me hooked as a kid, so it's never appealed to me whatsoever. That being said, I do like to wander around stuff such as Batman vs. Bane just to get a kick out of it, but to play it in earnest, really sit down and get myself into the gameplay... I just can't. Don't know why.

Well, that's fair

You're a very good mapper of classic Wolf3D mods, one of the best IMHO.
I think as a mapper you can preciate the work of RonWolf on Batman vs. Bane mapping-wise.
Anyway - sequel will take it to a new level, maybe it'll impress you more

I myself felt alot of time that some mods are too "Doom/Build"-concept like, why you won't just do it on Doom/Build engine? "Klooni" for example - didn't see why would someone spend so much time to downgrade the original Doom into Wolf3D (though done impressivly and "do like to wander around stuff such Klooni just to get a kick out of it" - but not to sit and really play it). Richter mods gave me simular feeling at times....and some other. Sometimes you feel someone makes Wolf3D mods because it's the only engine he knows or the easiest one, and projects just "beg" for "larger than Wolf3D" scale.

But in my case - if I wouldn't see the added benefit of such "down to Wolf3D" conversion - I wouldn't do it. For me - it's the combination of Batman idea with Wolf3D charm...mapping, limitations look, tools. Challenge to make a REAL feel on such a limited engine. Challenge of limitations.

doomjedi wrote:I myself felt alot of time that some mods are too "Doom/Build"-concept like, why you won't just do it on Doom/Build engine? "Klooni" for example - didn't see why would someone spend so much time to downgrade the original Doom into Wolf3D (though done impressivly and "do like to wander around stuff such Klooni just to get a kick out of it" - but not to sit and really play it). Richter mods gave me simular feeling at times....and some other. Sometimes you feel someone makes Wolf3D mods because it's the only engine he knows or the easiest one, and projects just "beg" for "larger than Wolf3D" scale.

I agree. I never understood Klooni or the one that insurrectionman did. Forgot its name. I always say, if you want to feel like you're playing DooM, Quake, Duke, whatever, go ahead and PLAY those games. Don't dumb 'em down to Wolf and expect everyone turns out to love it... And the problem with Richter Belmont (I still want to write 'Kyo Kusanagi') mods is that they 'suffer' under the expensive coding. It seems that each time the guy finds a way to code in a lot of features (which there's nothing wrong with, by the way) everything else has to go. The sprites are nicked (or not well-done) and the mapping is still rubbish. The music is OK, but after eight years of modding, I still miss some consistency from that guy. Really do. His LP's from YouTube were pretty good though.

I started at Doom modding community, but Wolf3D really "caught me". Indeed, I admit that part of why I mod Wolf3D (but make "almost larger than Wolf3D" TCs on it) is it's simplicity....of mapping, of 64x64 art resolutions that I can do almost anything with it, and make more of original art (Doom resolutions are higher), the more preciating community (Doom community just crushes under different mods and makers you can't really follow all of the projects released or developed, you can get lost in the crowd...here on Wolf3D- every mod gets spotlight, preciation, every mod counts, is more special). You can do "larger scale" projects faster.

But as I said - honestly - there is special charm and addition for me to make an advanced mod on such a limited engine. That's my "andrenaline", my fun. To pass a mood, feeling, take you to another place - with limited tools, engines, features. To make many primitive and little things suddenly work as part of making a large overall effect and impression. Mod being larger than it's parts. Story being told, adventure being planned.
I know you don't like such advanced TCs and such - but it's me, just accept me for who I am. That's what I like to do. I think this community is big enouph to preciate different kinds and types and scales of mods and TC, it's part of community's charm

I accept you for who you are - more so - much preciate your work, talent and experience.

DHW SOD SDL, T2K and G&G were my choices. If I complete a mod it must be very good, because I don't play mods that often anymore. And I completed those three and had a lot of fun doing so.

ronwolf1705 wrote:DHW SOD SDL, T2K and G&G were my choices. If I complete a mod it must be very good, because I don't play mods that often anymore. And I completed those three and had a lot of fun doing so.

Batman?

Also what others did you try to play (but not finish), if you don't mind sharing? Were they poor or just not good enough to stick with til the end?

WolfForever wrote:Batman?

I guess Ron didn't want to vote on his own mod.

WolfForever wrote:

ronwolf1705 wrote:DHW SOD SDL, T2K and G&G were my choices. If I complete a mod it must be very good, because I don't play mods that often anymore. And I completed those three and had a lot of fun doing so.

Batman?

Also what others did you try to play (but not finish), if you don't mind sharing? Were they poor or just not good enough to stick with til the end?

As doomjedi said, I don't vote for my own mod.

I don't play that many mods nowadays at all, only those that interest me. A Doll's House was really tough, which is why I haven't finished it (yet? Who knows). But Poet actually has the balls to do something innovative with the gameplay, which is something I appreciate a lot and miss in most Wolf3d mods. I played some of RTCW 3D which was good but not something special. Played a bit of the Bucksnort SDL conversions, but that doesn't really count as new mods and I had already played those years ago.

I just have times where I'm less interested in Wolf3d and this is such a period. The lack of really 'big' mods being released also account to that.

Did you play (and if so did you like) the Spear Resurrection 10-year SDL set (the one with remapped levels)?

Yes, a good example of how to properly use the advantages of 4SDL (like the no object limit). AReyeP is one of the few mappers that is continuously able to make maps that are original, have an idea behind them, are challenging & enjoyable to play and also have great aesthetics. A true mapping master.

Was it good enough for you to finish completely?

I'd vote for my own mod if I TRULY feel that it's the best. But I don't, obviously.

But here's the thing though. Making a map takes like 5 hours, and if we're talking a full-blown 60 level mapset, that's 300 hours of work, if not more. Even for a SOD set its 105+ hours. But even though you spent so much time making those maps, you know there won't be a billion people lined up to play them, and many won't like it(not avoidable) and many won't finish it. Of those that do, even fewer will provide feedback. As much as I appreciate Ack's mapping, I've yet to finish either of his 60 leveled mapsets. As it stands right now I do not have 300 or 105 hours to spare to make maps. I still don't get why people get mad when a mapset is too difficult. There's always the easier difficulty setting.

WolfForever wrote:Was it good enough for you to finish completely?

Definitely, might just be AReyeP's best maps.