| Best Multiplayer Level Megaman
Deathmatch - Cutman Mike
 Colour
me shallow, but Megaman Deathmatch is beautiful. Just look at the
screenshot in this review or check the website to see how accurately NES-like
this project is. Cutman and team recreated dozens of original Megaman
characters, weapons, and stages to produce a deathmatch experience that is
unbelievably gorgeous and entertaining. The project even includes a single
player DM challenge complete with Megaman-themed boss battles after each
hub.
 I
have heard arguments that actual deathmatch in Megaman DM is rather spammy
and a frantic free for all. This is a pretty accurate description I would
echo, but I don't really care. So much care was taken to make this project
a perfect Megaman experience that it doesn't bother me. When I grab Metal
Blades and start spamming Dive Man, Centaur Man, and Gemini Man with
dozens of pixelated saw blades, I don't even care that I am just spamming
projectiles until I die and can do it again. I almost cried while playing
the single player experience when I was forced to battle the yellow robot
who disassembles himself and restructures on the other side of the
screen... this wad is fantastic. (Devil - Thanks Wikipedia)
Honestly, this project is one of the 10 best projects this year, but
just was not chosen for a general award. Every Doomer who grew up with an
NES owes it to themselves to play this throwback.
-Scuba Steve
Worst Wad
Take a look at that screenshot. I see a sword from Eriance's
'Demon Eclipse', a strife robot, Hexen mage, a 3D model from what looks like
Half Life, the Skulltag Klesk skin, and what appears to be a skeleton archer
from Whitchaven or Daggerfall or something. I don't get it.
 Æons
of Death is a mish mash of stuff; Doom stuff, Strife stuff,
Heretic stuff, Duke stuff, Half Life stuff... stuff
from games I have never heard of or played. There is no cohesive theme, no
real reason for the elements added, they just continue to be added to the
project for the sake of adding things. Æons of Death is not the worst of
these "everything" mods, that dubious distinction probably goes to
something like "Doomguy's
Warzone", but Æons of Death is the most significant. This project
has been in development for over 4 years but has no purpose. I can
appreciate the amount of work that has gone into this project and the
creative use of decorate in the plethora of entries... but couldn't that
time have been spent on something worth playing? A single medieval themed
map perhaps? A new Strife add-on? A lost UAC base with demons run amuck
where you must find all the parts to a hidden "Big Gun" while
defeating 3 skeletons?
My problem is this: There is no reason to play this.
When I downloaded the 250MB project, I just ran through the motions—IDDQD,
IDKFA—just to see the guns and point and click them at different pictures.
I asked myself why I should care. Even if I wanted to use the impressive
decorate effects or a specific monster, how could I ever find all the
resources in the mammoth wad file? I just don't get it.
-Scuba Steve
Mordeth Award - Released project with the longest
"development time"
Stronghold
- Tormentor667
 There is some contention as to the actual
duration it took to complete Stronghold. The project was put on hold, work
stopped for several years, then it continued and everything was finally
finished in 2010. Whether it took 4 years or 7 years to complete, Tormentor
spent a long fucking time messing around with this wad.
I remember thread posts about Stronghold while I was working
on Action Doom 2, so this certainly took a long time to finish. While there
is certainly a lot of material in this project... it probably didn't need to
take as long as it did. Granted, the four years it took to create this
wasn't as long as some projects... but good lord, Tormentor was talking
about this project for a long damn time. At least it is finished... Mordeth,
are you listening to this? Lüt?
-Scuba Steve
 Mockaward - Best comedy wad of the year
This award is a relic from a different time in Doom's
history. There was a period when jokemaps were popular and mappers would
spend time making terrible maps as a laugh. With the advent of more advanced
ports, we had joke maps with scripted events that were silly... sometimes
funny. Those days are gone and I haven't played a good jokewad in a coupe
years. There is no point to this award anymore and I will not reward
projects because I have to fill a category. The only Doom thing I chuckled
at this year was possibly Facepalm.
Consider the Mockaward dead... unless a truly hilarious project comes along
that is worth it. Speaking of facepalm.wad, it was created by...
TurboCharged
ARCADE! The Sequel Episode - Xaser & Jimmy
Merry Christmas, assholes! TurboCharged arcade 2 was
released the DAY BEFORE the Cacowards were released and single handedly
saved the Mockaward. Thank you Xaser and Jimmy for renewing my faith in the
Doom community... it's a Christmas miracle!
-Scuba Steve
Mapper of the Year
40oz
 Over
the past year and a half, Jon "40oz" Vail has given the community a
staggering number of great maps. He's created a megawad (Motornerve), a
Cacoward-winning episode alongside Super Jamie (this being UAC Ultra, of
course), several single maps, multiple quality 32in24 contributions, a dark
and gritty texture pack, and whole host of maps made as birthday presents to
various members of the community. That's already a lot, and I might be
forgetting something.
 Of
course, the story doesn't end there. He's also heavily involved himself
in the ongoing production of the Hellbent-led "Doom the Way id Did"
community project, a three-episode replacement for Ultimate Doom aiming to
study and replicate the design philosophy of the original id Software levels
in a new, original set. In addition, he's also been working with
ArmouredBlood on the much-awaited UAC Ultra 2 and making contributions to
other upcoming projects.
He's made an art of speedmapping, much like Erik Alm and other community
greats before him: 40oz manages to consistently maintain a speed and
discipline like I can only manage to impose upon myself once or twice a year
for a 32in24 session. Actually, scratch that — he's still faster, even
then. He is a machine that pumps out quality maps like there's no
tomorrow, and he's dedicated enough to find time for Doom even when
swamped with work and other real-life commitments.
Even if his attitude might be found off-putting at times (I admit to
considering him a bit overzealous and stubborn at times, myself), it's
hard to fault his dedication, the quality of his work, and his enduring love
for the game. Congratulations, 40oz. We hope your love of Doom lasts you
many more productivity-filled years.
-Esselfortium
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