Tessera
Folgen

Super Screenshotgun: DooM Scrolling

@idclev.bsky.social

' r_drawplayersprites 0 notarget fly A frivolity by @emotion-engine.bsky.social

27 Posts137 Follower28 Folgt
Super Screenshotgun: DooM Scrolling@idclev.bsky.social · 2w ago

Sandy Petersen gives Ken’s Labyrinth a two star review in the November 1993 issue of Dragon Magazine. I’m not sure how much of a gap there was between street date and cover date, but it’s entirely possible he was slagging the competition’s product while on id payroll

KEN'S LABYRINTH IBM PC, Epic Megagames Programming and design: Ken Silverman Art: Mikko Iho, Ken Silverman, and Andrew Cotter ** "So wise so young, they say, do never live long." Wm. Shakespeare, Richard I! This is a shareware game reputedly written by a 17-year-old computer prod-igy. Like most games written nowadays, it needs at least a 386 machine with VGA graphics. It supports a reasonable assortment of sound boards. The vast majority of new shareware products are now trilogies, and Ken's Labyrinth is no exception. The first game is free (or nearly so, if you get it from a distributor), but you must register and pay for the other two. Ken's Labyrinth is a lot like Wolfenstein in look and feel, though not in game-play. The premise is that you are stuck in an alien maze, somewhere inside of which is your kidnapped dog, Sparky. As you progress through the maze, you must battle floating heads, spiders, little robots that look like berserk R2D2 units, huge muscular monsters, and 8-balls. It's all from a player's eye view. Your initial weapon appears to be thrown hunks of meat, though later on you can get sunbursts (that bounce off the walls). Soda machines (that provide a variety of useful objects), slot machines, and working water fountains are laying around the maze for your perusal and possible use. There are also apples, first-aid kits, and pennies, all of which can be handy, too. It's easy enough to get into the game. Just load up and do a quick read-through on Help. Because of the game's peculiar setting, you'll probably make an error or two the first time through (I certainly did. The game is clearly influenced by Wolfenstein, and that's perfectly reason-able-I liked Wolfenstein a lot, and it's only logical to expect imitators. Unfortunately,Ken's Labyrinth has a number of amateurish design flaws that hurt the game-play. For instance, I found it extremely difficult to find the secret passages Ken claims to have placed all over his labyrinth. There are a number of special items that go completely unexplained. I have found a purple potion and gray cloak, which when picked up, were added to my inventory, but I have no idea what they're supposed to do for me. Eventually, they went away. The Help page only gives a list of game controls (that you cannot customize), and fails to explain the objects in the game at all. This is a serious omission- of what use is Help if it does not explain such things. The worst feature is the fact that the monsters can get "on top" of you, where they dish out tons of damage, but you can't see them. This is incredibly frustrat-ing, since all you can do is shoot blindly or run away at top speed, hoping you'll outdistance the monster, then turn around and blast him before he gets you. This is inexcusable. It's even worse that this is no rare event, but the monsters strive valiantly to achieve this position, so it was clearly desired by the game's designer. This fea-ture, all by itself, would have ruined this game in my estimation. It means that game combat is not fun, but a chore.The programming is well done, but there are a number of peculiar, seemingly purposeless features, such as the ability to "Stand Tall" which raises eye level (thus screwing up a number of the sprite im-ages), but changes nothing in game-play. The art is amateurish and simple. The colors chosen for the walls, for instance, are garishly irritating. The monstrous spiders are ludicrous. On the other hand, when you pass over an apple, the core remains behind-a humorous touch that works. Many parts of the game display an impish humor I found appealing, but the game as whole still frustrated and irritated me. It is a pity to see so much potential good going to waste because of a few flaws. Clearly, Ken Silverman is a talented young man, but this game was designed by a 17-year-old and it shows. Still, it's free. I would recommend it only if you're absolutely crazed for another game like Wolfenstein.
Arvy@arvy.bsky.social · 3w ago

DOOM '98 Imagined what if id Software released an additional entry in the Doom series in 1998, using a technological mix between id Tech 2 and GoldSrc engine. Going for the blend of fantastical and grounded, which would be in vein of Half-Life and System Shock 2.

BildBildBildBild
dac@dacworkshop.bsky.social · 2w ago

1KLines3's second episode theme basically exists because we thought the OTEX tudor textures were underused in the original Eviternity, so yeah I saw this opening vista in Eviternity2 MAP19 and went OH HELL YEAH

hell yeah tudor medieval town textures
Super Screenshotgun: DooM Scrolling@idclev.bsky.social · 3w ago

This account mostly exists as a catalog of interesting and/or funny screenshots from community Doom WADs, crediting the authors whenever possible. While id Software owners Microsoft remain a priority target of the BDS boycott I will not be covering first party WADs, IWADS, or modern Doom games.