With all the new features flying around in the new source ports nowadays, you'd be hard pressed to find a fairly new dm level that will actually run fine with doom2.exe. This has been a mixed blessing of sorts; we did get the mind-numbing Fragfest Initialized from the boys at Parallel Team, and FFi has become to this day *the* single standard for deathmatch level quality. On the other hand, there are lots of wads being released that have been taking these features for granted, abusing them left and right instead of doling them out carefully for maximum impact. This is why it's such a relief for me to say that Vicious Circles actually works perfectly with the original Doom2.exe without losing much impact or detail at all. Schronzki and Echo, relative newcomers to the editing scene have managed to pull together a smoking hot level set guaranteed to bring the frags all night long - hell, there isn't even a single Boom linedef to be found in the maps either! Some may find this Luddite approach to be annoying as I initially did; what were these guys doing making maps for the stone age when everyone else was taking advantage of source ports like Zdoom and Boom? After spending a little quality time with Vicious Circles however, I find myself with foot in mouth. I guess that with a little creativity and a lot of talent, it's still possible to make some fantastic dm levels within Doom's original engine constraints. Before I was convinced that deathmatch wouldn't get better unless it went along with incorporating new engine features, but this has changed my mind...a little. =) My congrats goes to the authors for a cool pack, but read on and find out more about Vicious Circles for yourself. (Because 11 levels are a little too much to cover in the current format, we've split the review into two pieces to do the set justice. Part 1 covers maps 1 to 5, while part two will cover 6 - 11.)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)
Ah yes, every dm pack's gotta have a desecrated cathedral...
Map 1 seems like standard fare at first, since it's not the first time we've seen old, decrepit monasteries used in an FPS. The design however is surprisingly well done, and maps of this type usually have problems with flow and line of sight. The abbey is divided into four main areas, with a soulsphere sitting happily on top of a well right smack in the middle of the map. Getting weapons takes a little maneuvering and exploration; of course it's easy to grab a single shotgun and start fragging, but getting the double barrel, chaingun and the elusive plasma gun will need some effort to reach. For example, obtaining the plasma requires waiting for a lift to come down, taking it up then dropping onto the gun below. Unfortunately, this effectively puts you into a tight spot. The plasma is essentially locked inside a cage, and obviously this exposes you to opponents outside. The only way out is to teleport, and it always goes to the soulsphere right in the middle. So what happens then? Chances are your opponent is already spamming the exit point with rockets, and well, you know how it goes from there. The blue armor also sits tantalizingly high on a ledge, but Zdoom players can use a shortcut instead of running around to an adjacent spot. Simply place your back to the wall and execute a rocket jump. There you have it, blue armor at the cost of a reasonable chunk of health. Just remember to get the soulsphere first, otherwise you'll just be making a poor decision. (duh) The second level isn't anything special, and looks a lot like your basic dm arena. Like its name implies, map 2 most definitely looks like a stadium. The fragging is only ok and the flow is decent, but there are lots of problems with weapon placement that stick out in this map like a sore thumb. For starters, there are not just one but *two* plasma guns on the map, and both are very easy to grab. Second, another soulsphere happens to sit in the middle of the map, and only involves hitting the pillar to lower the power up within grabbing range. Plasma scrubs usually play this level by: a) loading up on cells, b) proceeding to camp by the soulsphere like the little bastards they are, and c) grabbing that precious blue ball every time it respawns. Those pricks.
Nice backdrop against a very cool sky.
This is one of the two maps that I fell in love with in all of Vicious Circles. Level 3 sports a very original layout in the form of a training facility, complete with boxing ring, locker rooms and all! There are even simulated bleachers off to the side facing the ring, as well as an announcer's chair high up on a viewing balcony overlooking the area. A rocket launcher is a very powerful ally in this level, and the author must have had a stroke of creative genius when he placed it right in the middle of the ring. Players will get frustrated at first trying to figure out why they can't jump quite high enough to clear the ropes, but the secret lies within the turnbuckles... The plasma gun looks inaccessible at first, but the diligent player will find a way to get it. One thing that would have really made this level classic though is if all those damn doors were taken out. They're good at providing sound cues to your opponent's location, but they are a hindrance to flow and just plain annoying at times. I almost had it when my buddies started pulling their "door kung-fu" crap on me, but figuring out how to grab the rocket launcher saved the day. The first words out of my mouth upon entering map 4 were "Woo...cool!" Although the map is really tiny, the detail is really neat. It's not fancy, but it just plain looks good. The above screenshot is basically what you'll see in this map, but once the game starts heating up you'll forget all about the looks soon enough. Gameplay clips along at a blistering pace, since there's not really anywhere you can go to run and hide. What saves it from becoming a mindless fragfest however are the presence of teleporters, which in this map serve as emergency escape pads. The best thing to try in this level is to catch someone on a pad and telefrag their ass; the difficult timing involved makes the kill all the more satisfying. Anyone trying to grab the plasma is a dead man, since it means waiting for a high lift to come down and take you up again. Even then, the plasma sits on a damage sector that doesn't really look like one. It surprised the hell out of me the first time, considering that I was at 5% health and mysteriously died for some unknown reason! I don't find anything wrong with this, but at least the author could have made the area look like it was damage-inflicting.
This slimy area has some nice detailing.
Of the all the maps in Vicious Circles, map 5 seems to be one of the most polished. The lighting is sparse
but nicely done, and the atmosphere is great. Lots of slime flows all throughout this level, which means
you'll have to keep an eye on your health and avoid stepping on the sludge. A good thing the author
actually took time to implement in a level like this though are escape routes in some of the deeper slime pits;
few things annoy me as much as slipping in the drink with no possible way out. Again, the flow could have
been greatly improved if a few of the doors in this map were taken out, but is otherwise fine. Players should
appreciate the fact that the plasma is again restricted, this time requiring a switch to slowly raise
some gates that bar the way. Even then players trying to grab the powerful weapon are exposing themsleves
to great risk, as the area the plasma sits in faces the main courtyard. The high traffic area guarantees
the chances of someone spotting the would-be plasma offender, then subsequently nailing him in the confined area for a
kill.
There are still 6 more levels in Vicious Circles that we still need to cover, so make sure to watch out
for part 2 of our review. If you think you've heard enough though, at least listen to 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?)
(10/25/99 NOTE: Part 2 of our review is online and ready for viewing - continue on and read more about Vicious Circles!)
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