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Rage DM v1.1 Preview
It's been a while in coming, but Rage DM 1.1 is almost here! In this preview you'll get everything you need to know about this upcoming revision to the fantastic original series; we've even got exclusive screenshots from the two bonus levels that will be included in the final release! There's also a brief interview with series creator Mike Tawney, where you can find out what separates Rage DM from the rest of the pack. Whether you're already a Rage DM expert or a complete newbie to the series, there's bound to be something here to catch your interests. Read on good men, and find out what rage is all about...
For those of you unfamiliar with Rage DM, it was a 5 level high-quality deathmatch set with a committed techno/base theme. The play style of those maps was highly varied, which meant that there was something in Rage DM for anyone. Looking for a tense fragfest? Maps one and two could dole out more than enough action for everybody. Wanted a more medium paced game? Maps three to five had enough room for players to move around in, but were not so large that games eventually became boring.
It was Rage DM's focus on quality and varied deathmatching that made it as successful as it was. Now that Zdoom has come of age, Rage DM author Mike Tawney has used the skills he acquired from his highly accurate Q2DM1 conversion to spice up and tighten the series. He's even added two brand-new levels into the fray, upping the map total to seven. The combination of some nice effects and additional maps make Rage DM even more appealing than ever, making this a download you cannot refuse.
Map 1: The Underneath
The main atrium of Rage DM 1: The Underneath
Map 1 is interesting in that it's got a pretty simplistic, symmetrical layout. Four large lava pools surround a central atrium, with stairs accessing the ledges on the outsides of the map. Two teleports send players to the opposite side of the map, and the powerful plasma guns can only be obtained by timing a jump over the deadly lava.
Getting the plasma is a dangerous stunt
A customary welcome message pops onto the screen upon initial entry, which is longer than usual considering that this is the series opener. The lights start low, then brighten up to give the opening message dramatic effect. Particle fountains dress up the teleporters on the sides, and now only one rocket launcher is present; players will have to scramble if they want to obtain the weapon for themselves.
What's so neat about this map is that just by moving the weapon placement around a bit, the gameplay has already changed from the original's; now players going for the plasma will really have to work for it, considering that they not only risk falling into the lava but also eating a well-placed rocket from below.
Map 2: Cardiac Arrest
Awesome lighting sets the tone in Rage DM map 2.
This fast, fraggy level is relatively unchanged from its original counterpart. Cardiac Arrest most definitely lives up to its name with a quick, blistering pace in deathmatch; it's fast enough to be fun and exciting, but not so small as to become tedious. As for the new stuff added to this map, it would be the background sound effect of a ship rumbling past high above the area. The ammo layout might have been adjusted a bit, but it was hard to tell (we were too busy running around blasting the hell out of each other)
Map 3: Cargo Train
The plasma gun + blur sphere = death on a stick
Ah, my personal favorite from the original series comes through intact! Immediate changes include greatly increased ammo placement, and the crates that the plasma gun sat on got moved slightly to accomodate the new ammo count. The atmosphere of the level is greatly increased by the animated sky, a very subtle effect that complements everything else nicely. It's too bad though that you *still* can't get to the cargo train area =) Otherwise, the increased ammo count made playing in this map a much more action-packed experience, with smooth flow to boot.
Dammit, I wanna check out the cargo trains!
