Make sure to check your e-mail and redeem your Doom beta codes if you haven't already, because the multiplayer beta finally starts today at 10 PM ET, a little less than 12 hours from now.

Good hunting, marines! ;)


~

Eviltech: Soul Of Megawad (click to download)

Click here for screenshots

INFO: 32 maps. Requires DOOM2.WAD and a limit-removing source port. (GZDoom recommended by the designer.)

BUGS AND ISSUES: In the version I played, some of the later levels had "exit level" switch actions applied to normal walls, allowing you to press them and finish maps earlier than intended. Yes, I exploited this. XD

RATING: 3 out of 5

Eviltech: Soul of Megawad is a chameleon, repeatedly changing its colors and never fully settling on one gameplay style.

Simple, efficient and quick: these words describe the first 11 levels of Eviltech. I was reminded quite a bit of the old Serenity series for Doom 1 with these maps, with how the level layouts were both winding and straightforward at once: hallways loop around and through each other in every direction making for a complex but compact network of passages, and yet every time you find a key or necessary switch, almost immediately after, a shortcut would open up that would lead you right to the newly-unlocked area you needed to revisit. Couple that with the fact that enemy forces consisted entirely of the easier Doom 1 enemies, and that picking up keys often didn't trigger ambushes (unheard of, I know), and even my slowpoke self soon adopted a brisk pace, tearing through these initial 11 levels in under 2 hours (and that's with backtracking to find as many secrets as I could). These were really simple, laid-back levels that didn't want to waste your time, and I was rather enjoying them.

Then you get to Map12. The endless series of Doom 1-style techbase levels have been replaced with a more Doom 2-styled urban flair (which returns to a techbase theme by the next map, by the way), complete with the first appearances of Doom 2 enemies and items. It's distinctly different than what's come before, which is exciting at first.

But things quickly start to get worse from that initial impression. Complex but efficient design gives way to bloated, unbelievably convoluted mazes where you're wondering what the heck that last switch did and which one of the multiple routes available is actually necessary for progression. Before, I could clear 11 maps in 2 hours, but with these new levels, it was taking me as much time as that or more to beat just 2 maps. And where you once breezed through fast-paced skirmishes, you now trudge through repeated, spammy ambushes that seem to occur any time you do anything at all, which tend to either surround or corner you, giving you virtually no chance of avoiding damage. This is all hard enough to stomach as is, but the precedent for lightweight, speedy action had been set by the earlier levels, and having it abruptly replaced is an especially bitter sensation.

And yet, I kept plugging away at this WAD. Once I got adjusted to the drastic change in gameplay tone, I found it oddly compelling. Sure, a lot of the traps and ambushes are still total BS (those crushing ceilings in Map17, ugh), backtracking is a complete nightmare, and more than once I had to save my game and just walk away to calm myself and gather my sanity. But there's something appealing about a modern mapset that challenges your sense of direction as much as your reflexes -- something becoming increasingly rare in the modern Doom climate of endless action-focused slaughtermaps.

To a degree, Eviltech's second episode managed to resurrect the feelings I got from playing Doom for the first time, when all the maps felt huge and labyrinthine and impossibly complicated, and when any one of the many ambushes could abruptly spell my demise. These maps instilling such emotions in me once again made for an addictive experience despite (and sometimes because of) the frustration.

(Map19's repetitive combat scenarios and Map20's obnoxious platforming and spiderdemon sections make for objectively bad level design, though. There's no sugarcoating that.)

But wouldn't you know it? The gameplay style switches up yet again with Map21, and it starts feeling more like a typical modern PWAD, with levels that are shorter and less complicated than the previous episode. The addition of arch-viles (which were pleasantly absent for most of the WAD) and combat with an overall more slaughtery tone (especially Map29) only compounds the generic feeling. It's not that these levels are awful (well, aside from the intensely frustrating Map29), but they lack the distinct hooks of their predecessors, making the WAD go out on a bit of a low note.

Inconsistency is both a burden and a boon for Eviltech. The abrupt changes in gameplay style can prove to be infuriating if you're not prepared, but it's nice playing a megaWAD where all the tricks aren't exhausted in the first few levels. While it's far from the best mapset I've ever played, the design risks it takes make it one of the more memorable ones. For those nostalgic types looking for good, simple `94-style maps (for the first 11 levels, at least) or some massive, complex brain-teasers (for the subsequent 9 levels), Eviltech: Soul of Megawad is the mapset for you. The less-patient Doomers amongst us probably shouldn't bother (or consider skipping to Map21).


~

This Inquisitr article has unveiled a variety of interesting tidbits about the new Doom.



-Beta Release Date-

The new Doom's closed beta will finally be opening at the end of the month: March 31st, 10 PM ET/7 PM PT. It will run until April 3rd, 11:59 PM ET/8:59 PM PT. This beta will apparently only feature a limited multiplayer suite, not any part of the singleplayer campaign or SnapMap functions.


-PC System Specs-

For those of us (like me) who're planning to get the PC version, here's the kinda rig you'll need:

-Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 (64-bit versions only)
-Intel Core i5-2400 or better / AMD FX-8320 or better
-8 GB RAM
-NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 (2GB) or better / AMD Radeon HD 7870 (2GB) or better
-Up to 22GB HDD space

This will get the game running fine at 720p, but for the full 1080p experience, you'll need at least a GTX 970 or a Radeon R9 290.


-SnapMap Goes Cross-Platform-

According to a small blurb unfortunately buried at the bottom of the article, SnapMap content can be shared across all platforms the game is being released for. This personally excites me a great deal, as I always worried that the SnapMap content would be chopped into thirds and rendered exclusive for whatever platform you were playing on. It'll be interesting to see if perhaps any of the modders from the PC Doom community will finally be able to share their mapping skills with console gamers. ;)


The new Doom will be released on May 13th. Happy Dooming, everyone!


~

Doom 2 In Name Only (click to download)

Click here for screenshots

INFO: 32 maps. Requires DOOM2.WAD.

BUGS AND ISSUES: Map27 is broken when playing on I'm Too Young to Die or Not Too Rough, at least in the June 14th, 2014 release of this WAD that I played. It's been updated since, but I'm not sure if the problem was fixed.

RATING: 2 out of 5

You ever play a game that's a reimagining of a classic, like Goldeneye Wii/Reloaded, or Silent Hill: Shattered Memories? There's this unshakable sense of familiarity, like you've been to these places before, but nothing's quite the same. Time has changed and technology has advanced so everything looks a little more crisp and the environment is a tad more tactile, though perhaps the gameplay has become more restricted and linear (or "streamlined" as some would say). That's kind of what Doom 2 In Name Only feels like.

Doom 2 In Name Only is an ambitious, creative concept that asks an intriguing question: What if Doom 2 had never been completed and members of the Doom community had to create all 32 maps knowing nothing about what Id Software intended for them except their names? I was excited by the prospect of seeing Doom 2's levels remade in a less abstract style than the...well, frankly ugly attempts at urban landscapes that the original game offered. Unfortunately, good concept or not, the final product suffers from a great disparity in the style and quality of its maps.

Some, like Refueling Base, Suburbs and Tenements, are really good. They draw you in with their atmosphere, utilizing realistic architecture like workstations and lockers and such to give the levels a more immersive sense of place. Couple that with an increased emphasis on dim, flickering creepiness and other weird sights like fleshy growths and bleeding ceilings, and the WAD restores a lot of the uneasy ambiance that Doom was rife with but Doom 2 often lacked. This is especially apparent in Suburbs, which recalls the original Call of Duty with its eerie, torn-up, abandoned houses.

Then there's other levels that lack in atmosphere but play decently. The Gantlet is a good (and I use the term "good" loosely) example of this. With its randomly-angled, repetitively-textured walls, it recalls those early dark ages of Doom mapping, when map authors stumbled around, happily drawing jagged lines all over the editor window with little rhyme or reason. It makes up for this by toying with your brain using clever secrets which when discovered unveil much of the map's real estate.

Other maps in the set might not be exceptionally pretty or fun, but make the most of the WAD's theme and get pretty clever with how the level names are utilized. The Crusher's titular moment was really quite a shock once I realized what was happening, and Gotcha! is full of crazy setpieces that really bring back that initial panic and disbelief you probably felt when you first played the original Map20.

And others don't really make much use of the WAD's theme at all, like Bloodfalls or Abandoned Mines, which make a perfunctory attempt to work the titular themes into the levels but don't do anything particularly creative or eye-catching with them. They don't really "own" the name like they need to.

Then others get a little dumb and end up making fairly blatant homages to the original maps despite the whole "let's pretend the original maps don't exist" conceit. Barrels O' Fun is probably the worst about it, though Refueling Base and Industrial Zone fall into that trap too.

But perhaps most frustrating are the maps that, while technically brilliant and epic in scope, are agonizing to play. A few levels, like Circle of Death and Industrial Zone suffer from this problem, but Scifista42's maps, Dead Simple & The Citadel, truly define it, and are easily my least favorite levels in the WAD. They're a perfect storm of cheap tricks, tough enemy spam, incomprehensible winding layouts and just a general feel of dragging on WAY too long. The Citadel took me almost an hour-and-fifteen-minutes to complete. The big arrows scattered everywhere, giving you a general idea of where the main route is, not only look silly but maybe should've been a hint to the designer that his map was getting overly complicated.

This WAD is just all over the place in terms of quality. I suppose that's the risk one takes when you have a large community project, but it's felt more harshly here than in many other examples I've played. The WAD isn't a total waste and more than a few levels hit the mark in regards to what you'd hope for from a Doom 2 reimagining, but many others are just so unremarkable or plain awful that they taint the whole experience. Because of them, I don't think I could push myself to replay Doom 2 In Name Only ever again.


~

Return to Hadron (click to download)

Click here for screenshots

INFO: 9 maps; replaces Episode 1. Requires DOOM.WAD and a limit-removing source port.

RATING: 4 out of 5

Return to Hadron acts as a remake of the first episode of the excellent Doom 1 megaWAD, ConC.E.R.Ned. (You can read my review of that WAD here.) Think of it like Plutonia Revisited as compared to the original Plutonia Experiment, remixing familiar locales with some new gameplay that retains the exciting spirit of the original.

While I loved the original ConC.E.R.Ned, it really is amazing how much bolder these maps are compared to the originals. The old, timid layouts that funneled you through an array of big rooms connected by corridors has given way to smoothly-flowing, open battlefields where you can see and shoot at enemies from a much larger variety of angles and locations (and they can do the same to you). This means the action is much more frenetic, as you have fewer stable hiding spots and have to keep moving and shooting near-constantly to stay alive. However, you're given ample supplies to deal with anything that's thrown at you, and while ideal solutions to problems are presented, the gameplay is forgiving and flexible enough that you can brute-force your way through trouble if things don't go as planned. It's all extremely fun.

Well, fun for the first 5 maps, at least. Ironically, by E1M6, the revamped level design philosophy begins having a negative impact on the game. The arduous, increasingly dangerous journey through various cramped chambers offered in the original ConC.E.R.Ned's E1M6 has now been reduced to one really big fight in a big room, resulting in a much weaker, more tedious experience. E1M7 suffers similar issues, with the more open, airy design inviting lots of aggravating cheap shots from far-away snipers while you try to figure out where you're supposed to be going. E1M8 is an improvement overall, thrusting you into battle instead of allowing you to hang back like in the original, but it's still just a short boss map, not anything spectacular.

Overall, while not a straight improvement over the original episode, the majority of Return to Hadron is chock-full of finely-crafted, blistering action that manages to outshine its stellar forebear, and even the weaker maps still have their exciting parts. Let's hope this isn't the last we've seen of this map series' particle-accelerated action! ;)


~

I just got my hands on the February issue of Game Informer where the new Doom was the cover story, and the article about the game sheds light on a few interesting new details:


No Sprinting - Unless you're using a controller with a thumbstick for more subtle movements, there's only one movement speed in the new Doom, and that's top speed.

Emphasizing Maneuverability as Defense - Id Software was quick to point out in the article that, much like classic Doom, evasion is your best method of survival in the new game. If you try to hide, you'll be cornered and killed, so you have to keep moving. Specific note was made of how enemies are generally all slower than you are, and that circle-strafing is still an effective method of dealing with your opponents. It all sounds pleasingly familiar.

The New Chainsaw Mechanics - The chainsaw seems to always be a one-hit kill now. However, unlike the classic saw, it requires fuel cells to tear through opponents, and the tougher the enemy is, the more fuel cells you'll need to kill it. Whether this means fuel cells are consumable and you'll need to conserve them for tougher enemies, or if getting new cells offers a permanent attack boost to your saw, is still unknown.

Keycards and Exploration Are Back - The old method of having to unlock previously-sealed doors with colored keycards has returned, and some will be optional, netting you bonus items if you backtrack to find all of them.

Character Upgrades and Perks in Singleplayer - Perhaps the most exciting part of the article was the revelation that you can find treasures called "argent cells" that can boost your health, armor or ammo capacity. You can also collect performance upgrades from killing certain high-tier enemies, which boosts things like agility and equipment effectiveness. Finally, you can also acquire runes -- special perks that can be swapped at will to adjust your abilities for the situation at hand, such as slowing time when your health is low, or letting you execute glory kills more quickly. I've always felt that one of the only things that could've improved the classic Doom experience was more ways to permanently enhance your character beyond getting new weapons or finding a backpack, and it looks like this game will finally offer that opportunity.

Enemies Have Weak Points - Some enemies will be more susceptible to damage depending on what zone of their body you attack, so for instance, while a pinkydemon might be well-armored from the front, hopping over it and blasting it in its back will hurt it a lot more.

SnapMap is in Good Hands - Although a lot of people have complained about SnapMap, I'm more excited about it than ever now that I've heard it's being developed by Escalation Studios, a company run by none other than Tom Mustaine. Mustaine is a former TeamTNT member who contributed levels to some of the most well-known classic WADs of all time, including the Master Levels, TNT Evilution, Memento Mori, and Perdition's Gate. If I'm gonna trust anyone with the new Doom's modding tools, it'd be a guy like him. Plus, it seems to be a surprisingly complex editor if you're willing to invest the time into it, with Id demonstrating a co-op survival mode created in SnapMap that lets you purchase new equipment between waves, sounding almost exactly like Killing Floor.


So while I've certainly had my doubts about Doom's modern-day comeback, I've gotta admit that this new article's gone a long way to put them to rest. This might truly be the new Doom I've been waiting for all this time.

Now if they'd just fix that box art... XD

~

It's official: Doomsday 2016 is scheduled for May 13th.

And for those Doom-loving nerds with a bit of expendable income, there's even going to be a collector's edition that comes with a steelbook case and a 12-inch statue of the new revenant (for twice the price of the standard edition of the game):

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/do...../1100-6434481/



New videos:

Doom - Campaign Trailer

(alternate link if that one doesn't work)

A few quick new snippets of the singleplayer gameplay. Highlights include what appears to be the new pinkydemon (which is actually recognizable as one now, as opposed to its design in Doom 3) and baron, as well as some sorta bizarre double-chaingun.


Clueless Gamer Super Bowl Edition: Doom

TV funnyman Conan O'Brien gets to sit down for a bit with the new Doom and try some of the singleplayer mode. Sadly, more of the segment is focused on the football players accompanying him than Doom itself, but there's still some new treats to enjoy, like a better look at the baron (and the terrible things you can do to it with a chainsaw).



And finally, here's some articles talking about the new Doom's terrible, generic box art! (I told you it sucked.)

http://www.polygon.com/2016/2/5/109.....x-art-terrible

http://www.lazygamer.net/gaming-new.....etty-terrible/

http://www.destructoid.com/if-this-.....s-339124.phtml

(The other articles are more informative, but the Destructoid one is more fun if only because the writer makes note of the demon giving "fuck-me eyes" in the corner of the original Doom's box art. They're not wrong either.) XD


~

https://twitter.com/teamcoco/status.....28501087277062

Yep, it looks like our old buddy Coco is gonna be getting a sneak preview of the new Doom and will be playing it during one of his always-hilarious Clueless Gamer segments tomorrow. Give it a watch if you can! And if not, I'll be sure to add a link to the Youtube upload whenever it becomes available. :)

...On a side note, is it just me or is that box art just...kinda horrible? I sure hope it's just a placeholder, because if it weren't for the logo and that double-barreled shotgun, it could literally be any modern FPS game's box art. They need some big snarly demons on there in a hurry. XD


~

Yep, you read right: over 20 years after he last produced a Doom level (for Ultimate Doom's fourth episode), John Romero himself is back to offer a new mission for our intrepid space marines! You can read the Kotaku article about it, and/or check out my review of the level below!



Tech Gone Bad (click to download)

Click here for screenshots

INFO: 1 level; replaces E1M8. Requires DOOM.WAD and a limit-removing source port.

RATING: 4 out of 5

This map is designed as a replacement for E1M8 in the truest sense, i.e., "Pretend the original E1M8 never happened. This is the real one." And for the most part, it succeeds in this, feeling like a genuine evolution of the sprawling, trap-laden E1M7 rather than just a short boss showdown like the original E1M8 was. (And before you get too upset, there's still a boss fight, and it's better than the original.)

In fact, much like the first time I played E1M7, this new level overwhelmed me right from the beginning. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I died probably within the first minute of my first attempt, and several more unsuccessful tries resulted afterward. It gets smoother after you get your bearings and experiment with different routes, but at first, if the initial combat chaos doesn't take you down, wading through the thousands of gallons of green goop in this level probably will.

That's actually my biggest complaint about this map: there's lots of areas where you're forced to run across damaging floors for extended periods, hoping you'll find a radiation suit or two along the way. I've never been a fan of mandatory damage floor areas, as they seem detrimental to exploration and are frustratingly punishing if you make a wrong turn, which is highly likely in such expansive maps as this one that don't have immediately clear objectives.

That aside, what can I say? Romero hasn't lost a step in the intervening two decades, and this level captures all the things that made his levels (and Doom in general) great: area design that manages to feel both vast and tight at the same time; great use of 3D space that sees you revisiting areas from multiple directions and heights; lots of windows that tantalize you with views of areas you can't reach yet; tons of rewarding secrets (including a rather cute one that merely lets you see another secret area rather than actually giving you anything immediately); and a constant supply of carnage that keeps you on your toes but never feels particularly cheap. And though it's far from the most beautiful Doom level to ever exist, there's a lot of strong theming and texture variety that keeps every area looking fresh and distinct.

If you're a fan of the original Doom (and I assume you are if you're reading this) and especially its first episode, you can't go wrong with this one. So strap in, load up and let the man himself take you on another haunted tour of the eternally doomed Phobos Base. ;)


~

Hello, furry Doom fans!  victoriaviper here again with a few more WAD reviews that I actually finished a really long time ago and forgot to post until now. XD


The Rebirth (click to download)

Click here for screenshots

INFO: 32 maps. Requires DOOM2.WAD. Limit-removing source port recommended.

RATING: 4 out of 5

The early maps lack zest, not being complex enough, difficult enough or attractive enough to leave much of an impression, aside from perhaps worrying you that you might be playing something manufactured using an automatic level generator. One level is even called "Ugly Halls," seemingly poking fun at its less than glamorous visual style.

However, if you can push through these mediocre opening techbase maps, things start warming up around Map13. The levels start expanding in scope and take on a more urban flair, which inherently looks better and gives the levels a bit more depth as you fight from building to building. Then in the final "episode," the designer seems to take cues from Doom 64's more gothic depiction of Hell, with lots of castles and dungeons and carved stone structures, and since Doom 64 looked really cool, this is not something I'll complain about.

The combat itself in the latter half of the WAD is also pleasantly tight and well-staged. "Plutonia for Beginners" is the best way I can describe it: it has those carefully-arranged ambushes that surprise and overwhelm you with good monster placement and impeding architecture rather than sheer quantity, but it's balanced far more fairly than Plutonia, meaning you have a good chance of finding enough supplies to readily handle the next set of bad guys leaping out at you.

It's due to this balance that I eagerly came back for more with this WAD. Once it hit its stride, the difficulty and level length were just right. Of course, this balance also keeps it from excelling at anything in particular: it won't leave you dripping with sweat from a series of battles you barely survived, trembling with fear from the immersively creepy locales, or exhilarating you with epic adventures through winding labyrinths. But it does have a lot of fun battles that keep you on your toes and your finger firmly on the trigger.



Da Will (click to download)

Click here for screenshots

INFO: 10 maps. Requires PLUTONIA.WAD and a limit-removing source port. (PrBoom-Plus at complevel 9 recommended.)

RATING: 4 out of 5

If there's one great thing about Da Will, it's the variety. Virtually all of the maps have a distinct tone, both visually and how they play, which keeps things interesting. I preferred the more exploration-focused maps, like Map06: Dungeon, which lets you investigate the winding passageways of a large underground labyrinth in a nonlinear order, and Map08: Fallen City, which recalled Doom 2's city levels in how you have to go from building to building looking for clues. Map09: Warped teases your brain with a rapid-fire series of puzzles. And perhaps most unique was Map05: Everdark, which is almost entirely shrouded in darkness and creates some exciting tension when it gives you light-amp goggles and presents you with a task you've got to complete before their batteries run out.

This variety does a fine job of making you feel like you're on a genuine adventure instead of just blasting through a series of random maps, but some dud levels (Maps 02, 04 & 07 in particular), lukewarm challenge with easy fights that often keep you well out of harm's way (aside from the first two maps, which are unusually difficult), and an underwhelming utilization of limit-removing architecture (only Map 08 and especially 10 really push the boundaries beyond vanilla capabilities. You can see them in the bottom two screenshots) keep it from truly shining. Other minor quibbles are how some of the music fades out before looping, which is a little annoying, and several maps don't allow backtracking, which always makes me mad. "Wanna go back and get that health sphere you were saving for later? Screw you!" XD

This one's a bit hard to rate since the faults are definitely there, but I genuinely enjoy a lot of the level design concepts and the constantly changing gameplay themes. With tighter difficulty and some more visual interest, it would've been an outright winner, but even so, it's still totally worth trying if you're in the mood for a brief adventure that's not too tough.

Also, the Map06 song is so good. I wonder what it's from. XD

Here's a bunch of tidbits I've picked up about the new Doom over the past few weeks:

-The beta is scheduled to be released sometime in autumn of 2016. [EDIT: This information may be erroneous as other sources claim the full game will be released in Spring of 2016, before this alleged beta release date.]

-There is no weapon reloading (aside from the usual automatic reloading of the double-barreled shotgun).

-There are new weapons, including a "railgun-like" weapon, a "gauss rifle-like" weapon that lets you track opponents via their heat signature and is very powerful, and a "static cannon" that charges up when you move and can deliver an extremely powerful lightning bolt if you max it out before firing. (Note: For all I know, these three guns might actually just be one gun described three different ways. It's also not made clear if these weapons will be in the campaign or only in the multiplayer modes.)

-There will be a Nightmare difficulty. Details are currently scarce, but it does affect how much damage enemies can give and take, and will force the player to perform execution finishers more often so they can scrounge health pickups from enemies.

-Singleplayer level design is focused on providing the player with a series of small, enemy-filled arenas per level (which sounds worryingly similar to Painkiller, if you ask me).

-The campaign will not feature cooperative multiplayer. However, users can create SnapMap missions with cooperative multiplayer support, so we can only hope the community will fill the gap for those craving co-op levels.

-You cannot create multi-map campaigns with SnapMap, only single levels. However, you can link the unrelated maps together in a "playlist" format, but your stats will not carry from one map to the next.

-Competitive multiplayer modes so far consist of deathmatch, team deathmatch, domination, freeze tag and clan arena. Team deathmatch can support at least 6v6 matches.

-The competitive multiplayer feels a lot like Quake 3, even featuring jump pads and quad damage.

-Competitive multiplayer also features a power-up that lets you play as a nearly-unstoppable, jetpack-wearing revenant, and there's suggestions that other demons may be playable in the final game.

-Bizarrely, competitive multiplayer features a loadout system. Each sports two guns and one item (e.g., grenades or a teleporter).

-Rocket splash damage is apparently very weak compared to direct hits, but this may be exclusive to multiplayer.

-The game will have a crouch function. I suppose that was a given, but it's definitely confirmed now.

~


References:

http://www.ausgamers.com/features/read/3526919
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/gaming/.....-trailers.html
http://www.pcgamer.com/dooms-campai.....co-op-support/
http://www.gamereactor.eu/news/335043/Doom's+Nightmare+mode+%22changes+dynamic%22+of+how+you+play/
http://kotaku.com/new-doom-combines.....lts-1720457613

Interesting news from this Gamespot article.

As you probably know, people who preordered Wolfenstein: The New Order got a beta access key for the new Doom. However, it seems now that people who redeemed their beta keys will also be entered into a raffle, and the winners will get a multiplayer alpha access key as well.

So keep your fingers crossed! You might be one of the first people in the general public who get to play the new Doom, even before those poor suckers that thought the beta key was gonna be the earliest access! ;)

The article also suggests that the release window for the game is Spring 2016. I admit being a little dubious about them accurately predicting the release date almost a year ahead of time since Id Software is infamous for their "it's done when it's done" release schedule, but hey, who knows? It might be less than 12 months before the next chapter of the Doom saga is in our hands...or at least digitally downloaded to our hard drives. XD


~ victoriaviper

Watch it here.

Well Bethesda had their showing at E3, and with it, finally, a world premiere of the new Doom's gameplay. Here's what I was able to glean from the video. (Minor spoilers regarding gameplay, if you care.) :

-As stated before, there are Brutal Doom-style execution moves that can be performed on weakened, stunned monsters.

-Doomguy appears to be able to double-jump now and climb up onto higher structures. (Ironic, considering he couldn't jump at all before and three-foot-tall impediments stopped him cold.)

-Regen health seems to be gone, but oddly monsters now drop health and ammo when killed sometimes.

-Monster infighting appears to be back. (Actually, it was in Doom 3 as well, but the conditions to cause it almost never occurred during regular gameplay.)

-There are explosive containers you can shoot (of course).

-The shotgun (seemingly with some sort of burst-fire mode), super shotgun, chaingun, rocket launcher, plasma gun, BFG and chainsaw are all back. The chainsaw seems incredibly overpowered now, locking monsters into an animation where they're carved in half. If there were any new weapons, I missed them.

-The imp, hellknight, mancubus, revenant and cyberdemon are all back, and seemingly some other monsters I didn't immediately identify.

-There are multiplayer modes, including traditional deathmatch and cooperative play (it was not made clear if it was a cooperative campaign or merely a survival mode).

-Perhaps most interestingly, there's a built-in level editor called SnapMap which tries to streamline the editing process as much as possible, and allow you to share maps -- both singleplayer and multiplayer -- with friends. I believe this will be a great boon to the game, as the modding community and Doom's relatively easy to learn editors is what's kept the game alive for so long.

UPDATE: A few more things I noticed:

-There is an assault rifle with a scope you can zoom in with.

-There are attachments you can apply to weapons to give them special effects. How long these effects last and if you can store them away for later remains to be seen.

-There are spectres in the game.

-There seems to be no reloading or fall damage (although Doomguy does get stalled from especially long falls).

-The maximum ammo counts for weapons seem rather small, e.g., 20 shells total for shotguns.

That's the story so far...


- victoriaviper

Hello all,  ben_roprim here!


So I am looking for some help on finding a copy of ZBlood, or any other conversion wad that turns Doom2 into Blood.

ZBlood was a project for G/ZDoom that turned Doom2 into Blood. Here is a wiki explaining it: http://blood-wiki.org/index.php/ZBlood

I have never been able to find a fully functional conversion for Blood. It seriously is a chore just looking, and I am almost ready give up! T_T

If I can no longer obtain this conversion mod, what else is there? There is ZBloodX, but that seems to have been abandoned and unfinished.

There is the option to just play the original Blood, but the controls in that game are very wonky and confusing. Not to mention it was one of those few games that didnt come with Mouse-Aim controls.

Not only do I wanna have this for myself, but I do wanna add the conversion to the Resources Section for those who also wanna play Blood easier.

So help me out guys! I'm having such a hard time! xD

https://youtu.be/mCigiEuRvrA


It would appear someone is working on a Doom 2 Remake using the Unreal Engine 4, a graphics engine used to make very highly defined models.

I have to say, the graphics are quite nice and evil looking. But can something like this really be done for Doom 2 effectively? I looks like it's being used with another game as a catalyst to work over. But the author of the Mod(?) isnt saying much, and seems to be rather slow with this development. You can actually find the mod for download at https://www.moddb.com as a demo test. My current PC cant handle it; but if YOU guys can, why not go try it out?

What do you guys think?

Think a game like this could perform well? Do the graphics appeal to the likeness of the original Doom 2?

Discuss in the comments below!

Hello everyone,  ben_roprim here!


Today I added the well deserved eDuke32 website to our Resource Section!

This program allows you to play Duke Nukem 3D: Atomic Edition as if it were being played on the GZDoom Engine. It also allows the funtionality of modding Duke Nukem as well!

This resource is here to stay. So why not go kick ass and chew bubble gum? Play some Duke Nukem today!

NOTE: This program is NOT the game. You must have a legal copy of Duke Nukem 3D: Atomic Edition to play. To purchase the game, visit http://www.gog.com/ first before installing the engine.

https://youtu.be/bXVIAOSbaPc


I...I just....what...? I dont even... >_>

I really have no words for this mod. It seriously just blows my mind that someone has ACTUALLY made a sonic game work ACTUALLY well in Doom. Aside for from wonky jumping problems it has (which is expected from Doom), it honest to god plays extremely well and fun.

I am not going to say to much since I found a good video of a reviewer playing it and explaining some jists of the game.

If you wanna try the mod out for yourself, you can get it here at the Sonic Mod's Website here: https://www.srb2.org/


_

Hello all,  ben_roprim here.


As a second attempt arose to try and get servers up and running, there were 2 factors that were presented that made it fail. I will explain in detail, for those interested in knowing why.

Reason 1) Butchered UPNP/UDP

As some of you know, Zandronum 2.0 has was released about a week ago. For some reason Zandronum 2.0 has butchered UPNP and UDP configurations and stability. One moment servers are running fine, then the next day it says it cant inject a UPNP/UPD into my system's firewall. It seems others can sometimes do it, but at other times are not allowed to by system security reasons. Hopefully version 2.1 can fix this next update, cause there is nothing I can do.

For those that dont know what a UPNP or UDP is: It is a way for Zandronum or Doom itself to forcefully inject a "this IP is safe to use" security pass. This was intended for those who didnt know how to Port Forward there Internet Connections, and Doom/Zandro would do it for you instead. This is because Port Forwarding is very tedious and stressful as it requires you to go into your Ineternet's Default Gateway, and manually put your ports you want cleared of your firewall as 2 different types of IP Pv4. Again, very stressful crap D:

Reason 2) Only 4 People Gave Ideas for Servers

The lack of community involvement was very disappointing to see, yet again. Only me, Victoria, Mr.Canvas, and Zaphael has made an effort to contribute an idea. While the rest of the community, didnt give any other ideas. To me, that says a lot about how this community functions and it's quite sad to see. I dont want to bother putting myself out there and give you guys something awesome to do in the club, if no one is going to show that you guys want it as much as I do. When I first made this club, I wanted it to be something more then just a club that only talked about the game. I wanted it to be where people who loved doom, could come and play together. The option to do it is there, but no one is willing to come forth.

So besides all this, I have come to a decision. This club will no longer try to provide servers for the community, on the account that the community of the club has low to no interest in seeing it complete. I will no longer try to attempt making servers, or until Best-Ever comes out with new a functionality to provide servers that are Non-IRC.

That is all.

Hello everyone,  ben_roprim here.


It has finally come to the time where a server can be made! However, Sadly I can only make up to 2 servers at this time that will be constantly online for up to 12-14 hours a day, everyday. First we are going to gather ideas, then pick out which ones would work, then lastly we will cast a vote on the 2 servers that will be available.

So, its suggestion time! Here is how it works:
_________

RULES TO KNOW WHEN MAKING A SUGGESTION TO VOTE UPON:

1) Must be wads/pk3's that work and function properly; no beta games.
2) The games must obey the Zandronum © rules; no banned wads/pk3.
3) No HD Texture Packs allowed; they mess up player ping at times.
4) Hardcore/Survival wads are allowed, but must be at least solo friendly. (Example: Chillax + Brutal/Complex Doom)
5) Group Multiplayer wads allowed. (Example: Friday Fragfest, All Out War, Attack of the Bagels, Ghouls Vrs Humans)
6) You can combine any number of wads/pk3's as long as you know they function together.
7) Servers can be either Coop, Survival, Deathmatch, Team LMS, or Team Multi.
_________

To make a suggestion for review, comment down below with your list of wads/pk3's you wanna see in the servers!

Hello everyone,  ben_roprim here.


After pain painstakingly port forwarding my IP address, I am have been experimenting with public servers using myself as a host. However I need someone or multiple people who use zandronum, to verify the visibility (meaning you can see my server on the server list) and accessibility (being able to access and join the server) of my Test Server.

Right at this moment I have a test server up. To find it, just click the search box and type "Doom Furs" and it should pop up as "Doom Furs Test Server" inside the server list.

Comment below if you can/cant see my server, and if you are able/unable to access it! This part is very important!

It's just a normal and unmodded doom game at the moment. But if it works, I can start hosting servers using myself as the host for people to join freely. And possibly set up multiplayer game nights! I'm all excited now!

Check and see guys!

EDIT: The servers are now running correctly, thanks to the input some members have given me! The way the servers behave are as intended, so servers are now possible through using my IP. I will be working around to getting a actual server up. Keep a look out for a journal about asking for server ideas!

Hello everyone,  ben_roprim here with some fun, historical segments on the founding and making of Wolfenstien as we know it.

Thanks to the Gaming Historian on Youtube, last week he covered one of the most famous games we know that started the First-Person genre, and the first gathering of John Romero's team.

If you really enjoyed these videos of historical gaming, please take the time to check out and subscribe to the Gaming Historian's channel on youtube! He makes a lot of great videos on the historical values and information about video games.

I hope you guys enjoy the videos as much as I have!


https://youtu.be/S1qD9JRk5vM

https://youtu.be/CPqtT8NhIs8

Hello everyone,  ben_roprim here!


Hooooooly moly!! There is a brand spanking new Doom Launcher system JUST RELEASED by the people who developed Internet Doom Explorer. And boy when I downloaded this, it changed the way making games work! It's much faster to make games, more DM stability, organized lists, and your Home UI is completely customized!

Everyone that saw the image I posted, is an example of the customized Home UI I have set. There are multiple styles to choose from, and it just makes using this launcher that much fun! Not to mention they are working on animated tab icons too!

Everyone needs to check it out at this LINK: http://doomutils.ucoz.com/news/doom...../2015-03-20-33

It is available to download right now, and you wont regret it!

Q: Does this mean Internet Doom Explorer (IDE) is obsolete?
A: A far as I see it, not at the moment. But if development flourishes and everyone loves it, then most likely yes; IDE will be obsolete and most likely will be removed by the developers in the near future.

Hello all!  ben_roprim here.



APPLICATIONS NOW CLOSED

There were zero takers on the role for server engineer, or even someone to just help show the ropes on how to do the server setup.

I have to say, I'm quite saddened. Cause I know there has to be some Doom people here who know how to do it.

*shrug* Oh well. Another year goes by without club activities.

Hello everyone, here with some exciting news!


All Out War 2: Omega Project has been released under a new author, and 2 servers are already up and running!

One server is under Montreal, and another from Granvoid in Texas. All updated with the same updates and new fixes!

Bonus classes have been brought over from Project 0 like the Kerosawa Soldier, Kronos Archer, and the new and improved Time Cop as well!

So if your ever in the mood for some good ol' fashioned All Out War, check in every hour to see if the both parties are ingame!

Have fun all, and welcome back AOW2!

Hello all  ben_roprim here.


You might start to notice that I am removing the Hexmus 2012 tracks from the gallery. This is because the possible artist that made them, came to me.

Now when I mean possible, the physical evidence given to me by the proclaiming composer was void in many places. But, through some searching around the composer's topics in the zandronum forums has been somewhat conclusive evidence...kind of. There were places where I had conflicting doubts, but it's becoming a long story. But through some very heavy patience with this guy, I ended up giving the benefit of the doubt. To be honest I dont know if this guy is the real deal or not. The difference of the music between them was very similar, but again there were some conflicting doubts.

So if the composer wants to link us to his work here in person, then thats fine. You know who you are, and I am sure everyone here would like it if you redirected them to your Zandronum Post with your music.

That is all for today.