This is it! You've got part 2 of our giant-size Vicious Circles review sitting right in front of you, and we've got the scoop on the last 6 levels of this amazing DM set. If you haven't read part one of the review, we highly recommend you read through that first to make sure you get the most comprehensive look possible. Besides, we didn't write all that stuff so you could just skim through it, now did we?!File name: vicious.wad Author: Schronzki Map Size: small/medium Map Summary: 11 new deathmatch levels for DOOM ][. These levels were developed for the original engine v1.9. Some corrections for jumping players and a special 'mlook' sky will hopefully let it work with all existing and upcoming ports. (Excerpted from vicious.txt)
Did I ever tell you how much I love map 6?
The other map in Vicious Circles that I instantly fell in love with was map 6. Cleverly titled "Another Bad Place", the level definitely evokes some memories of the original qdm4. Running around the area instantly reveals numerous pockets of seething lava, all of which are very bad for your longevity. Some of these pockets are escapable and some are not, so players need to take extra care when turning blind corners. Visually, the map does very well; the lighting isn't too moody, but the texture alignment is perfect, and the overall atmosphere makes it seem like you're running around in a gigantic oven. Copious amounts of old-school fake-3d effects are used here, yet in such a manner that they blend seamlessly into the environment. That may sound like a boast, but I'm not trying to kid anyone here. The 3d bridges actually look like they belong there, a feat not easily replicated even with Zdoom's "true" 3d bridge capability. Playing this level is the thinking Doomer's dream come to life, due to the very tactical approaches possible. What's strange is that while this map was made for play with the original Doom2.exe, the layout is unusually vertical. The end result is that it plays far differently that your average DM level, not unlike that of Aardappel's hard-hitting duel map Boo. The next map in the series evokes memories reminiscent of the DM mapping styles of yore. Map 7 has a predominantly brick theme, and the layout consists of several buildings players can hop in and out of at high speeds. The architecture didn't particularly impress me, and I'm not the biggest fan of brick themes and such. However, this level's gameplay is focused on the fantastic weapon placement, which in turn makes for hectic deathmatching. Grabbing the plasma gun and rocket launcher each require hitting teleporters from difficult angles, basically turning any players attempting these feats into nice juicy buckshot targets for everyone else. Unfortunately, Zdoom's jumping does spoil this aspect of the level completely, enabling easy access to both teleporters. Because of this fact, players using Zdoom should at least remember to disable jumping when deathmatching in this level; otherwise they risk the abuse of some very powerful weapons.
An ambush could come down the hall any minute.
I was amazed yet again by the authors' creativity when entering level 8. This time, the map's theme was that of an old fortress dug into the side of a cliff. Getting immersed in this level takes no time at all, and the effect is enhanced by the use of some very good rock textures (taken from Hexen I presume). It looks like the authors paid a little more attention to lighting this map, although it wouldn't have hurt to smooth out some rough spots in a few places. Again, there are no complaints when it comes to weapon placement; taking the rocket launcher needs a jump that exposes your vulnerable flanks. The flow in this map could have been improved considerably by widening out some of those corridors and removing a few small obstructions in the paths. As it stands, three players is a tight squeeze, and even with two players you'll find yourself running right smack into the other guy a few times! From there on it's the man with the fastes trigger finger that wins, which makes it a little frustrating for players looking to pick spots that would favor them to their advantage. In short, map 7 is all fragfest, so you'd better bring your killer instinct if you want to dominate this level. (Incidentally, controlling the rocket launcher is a way to do it...tight corridors + splash damage = lots of frags, give or take a few accidental suicides) Map 9 is probably the only level in Vicious Circles that I didn't like at all. Visually, it looks pretty decent, and sports a shiny metal motif that's dulled somewhat by the low lighting. Texturing is good overall, and even the weapon placement shows the usual creativity; a series of pillars leads to the plasma, which takes a very precise run to avoid falling and having to try again. Thankfully, not even jumping can help you with this one, so you're mostly on your own. As for not liking this level, the flow was so terribly managed that I spent more time getting annoyed than enjoying the deathmatch. The transitions that lead from room to room are these portals that look really cool, but really suck for gameplay. I've gotten stuck many times on the sides when I was sure I would clear the edges, meaning that my opponent would get a free frag every time. Compounding the problems were the tight corridors and, of all things, poor placement of blocking sprites. The last time I saw this type of sprite placement was in Ebola's Pennywise, and the results were ugly. Lots of gamers might like this sort of thing, but this just wasn't my cup of tea.
That's one sweet lookin' area!
I couldn't stop smiling when I first popped into a match in level 10. No, it's not because the map was clever or original; in fact, it's as far as you can get from original as possible. Map 10 is actually a conversion of Quake's infamous start map, and it's a pretty damn good one at that. The authors did an admirable job of bringing it to life, teleports, quirks and all. I can't really comment so much on the gameplay, since I hated deathmatching in start.bsp (.bsp is Quake's map format) At least I can assure you that the pace is obviously far faster than the original, and the weapon balance sure as hell is better now without the Quake rocket launcher throwing the game into the crapper. However, the authors made a huge mistake in weapon placement, which is pretty much out of character compared to the rest of the maps in Vicious Circles. The BFG is present in the map, and it just sits out there in the open for everyone to take! I'm not sure what they were thinking when they did that, but expect to spend a lot of time digging plasma scrubs out of that area. The final level in Vicious Circles is great ending to such a sweet series. The texturing and detail in the map is insane, considering that it doesn't even suffer from a single HOM or visplane error (that means "bugs" in non-editor parlance). It is an outdoor-themed crumbling ruins type of deal, so the lighting isn't so much of an issue. There's lots of ways to run circles around your opponents, and overall the action is fast and furious. Grabbing a weapon presents a little bit of a problem here, since taking one could mean a humiliating death! Single shotguns and chainguns are simple to grab, but the rocket launcher and super shotgun sit atop deceptively innocent platforms. At some point they drop down to allow easy access, but cross too far and you get teleported into a cage. Once inside there's no way out, unless you're crushed to death by the ceiling above or shot down by your opponents. This is all well and good, but it happens to be a puzzling decision; of all the weapons, the plasma gun sits behind the exit gate, and there is virtually zero risk involved in taking it. Why punish people for grabbing the "skill" weapons? All this means is that players are encouraged to try for the plasma instead, which is far more powerful and much easier to use in a deathmatch. A discouraging thought, but it doesn't trash the level as much as you would think. It's still possible to grab the rocket launcher/super shotgun by strafe running into the platforms when raised, allowing you to take the weapon without risking a teleport into ye olde jail. When taken together, Vicious Circles provides a lot of deathmatch levels that are not only nice to look at, but lots of fun to play as well. The most amazing thing about the set is that each and every level manages to provide a unique gameplay experience; best of all, it doesn't fall into the traps of cookie-cutter design and anonymous architecture. The bottom line? Vicious Circles is a great dm set that should please Doom deathmatchers of any nationality, and packs a ton of gameplay in a package that everyone can play regardless of port...sort of like an equal-opportunity frag fest (didn't see that coming, now did you?)
Review by Razorback
The Doom DM Resource Recommends:Get Vicious Circles, mirrored here at our ftp site.2-4 Players Play in new deathmatch Play over Doomserv Use with Zdoom