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1994-09-05
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Path: oz.cdrom.com!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!pipex!sunic!trane.uninett.no!eunet.no!nuug!EU.net!uunet!newstf01.cr1.aol.com!search01.news.aol.com!not-for-mail
From: ivandrive@aol.com (IvanDrive)
Newsgroups: alt.games.doom
Subject: Suggested WAD Review Form
Date: 6 Sep 1994 03:32:02 -0400
Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)
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Some comments on the earnest article by paul@tdr.com (Paul Robinson):
> DOOM WAD Evaluation Form
I think the Wad creator's name is important, also the date of the
wad's release. This information is not more difficult to get
than any of the other info, seeing how most of them have TXT files.
In general, I think there are several different aspects to a level
that can be independently good or bad. The best example is single/coop/
deathmatch playability. But also, architecture, texture use, tricks,
combat "fun" can all be rated differently.
> Defects and Rejection
This I don't like to see, because the casual reviewer will too easily
reject a wad. Just because they can't find an exit doesn't mean there
isn't one. Just because there's not enough ammo and health for person
A doesn't mean the same is true for person B (one reason that I like
the 3 difficulties and I wish they got used more).
A written indication of a wad's defects is preferable to check-boxes,
because the review reader is given some perspective of the care with
which the reviewer is casting their judgments.
> Its' embarassing if someone legitimately comes back with
> a message declaring your wad defective, and looks bad for you.
Perhaps. I would not consider the checkbox defects legitimate complaints.
In fact, no single review can be absolute, due to individual preferences.
It takes several opinions to add up to true praise or true castigation
for a level. A recent example of acclaim here has been TRINITY.WAD, which
seems to get about 80% "looks awesome" and 20% "I don't see what the big
deal is". No examples of excrement because I think most people just
ignore/delete the stuff they don't like.
This might be what I don't like about the review form. It focuses too
much on the negative aspects. What about recommending a statement like
"Has no major defects/glitches/bad textures/etc."
> or that it has 12 cyberdemons in a small room and is thus
> unplayable.
Without qualifications, no sweeping generalization like this is true.
The wad creators are a devilishly creative bunch. Some of the wads
require a lot of thinking, some require precise combat skills, some
just require persistence or saving more often. It's just a matter
of individual preference.
Wads that cause doom to crash are obviously unplayable, but they also
have no business being reviewed. Just a simple statement, "causes a
crash".
> If there is any enemy in the game higher than a trooper, you
> need better weapons than a handgun if you are going to defeat
> them.
> [etc]
> There are exceptions to this, of course.
Even with the "exceptions" disclaimer, I dispute claims such as this.
Taking away judgment calls from the potential reviewer is taking away
their insight, reducing them to a machine just punching holes in a card.
I'd much rather read in a review a statement like "The wad ends with
a pretty fierce battle against some big-time monsters. With the weapons
and ammo provided, it was too frustrating for me to finish it on UV,
but I didn't try Hurt-me-plenty, because there's hardly any health lying
around the whole level, and I didn't want to waste my time. The wad
looks really cool, though."
Another reason I don't want the checkboxes is that I *don't* want to
know ahead of time if there's is a Cyberdemon or Spiderdemon. I'd
rather be pleasantly/unpleasantly surprised.
> If you have to get through any of the following to continue the game at
> some point, I consider the mission "unplayable":
>
> - More than one Cyberdemon or Spiderdemon, Cyber and Spider
> together.
By this criteria, DOOM 2 is unplayable! No, I don't have it, I'm going
by what I read in CGW and what I saw in the 27 DOOM2PCX screenshots.
> - Ammo supplies are niggardly, and Not enough health
>
> These items are prechecked because almost every wad out there
> except for the original wads from ID Software tend to figure
> ammo this way: (1) how much does the user need to fight in
> the game figuring no misses; (2) reduce that by 10%. This
> isn't just skimping, this is cutting to the bone and beyond.
> It is far too common and is unneccessary.
I think you overstate this problem. I agree that there is a general
lack of ammo and health, but it's not that extreme on most wads. I
would prefer to see wads use the difficulty levels:
skill 1-2: fairly easy, like ID levels at Hurt Me
skill 3: tough, and perhaps must be ammo-conscious
skill 4: ultra-tough, definately requires ammo budgeting.
"ammo budgeting" is doing things like:
1. not killing regular troopers with shotgun shells (use 2 bullets).
2. use chainsaw or beserk fist when possible
3. get monsters to kill each other.
Ok, some people don't like to "have to do this". Some do. It's all
individual taste, which I want to see expressed in the review!
> Excessive Backtracking - A game should "flow" from where it
> starts; if I have to go somewhere, get something, go back
> across the map the equivalent of a half a mile, get something
> there, then come back to the first place, this can get to be
> annoying. In fact, a well-designed mission would not even
> require me to backtrack at all.
A whole bunch of ID levels, and other superior wads, would be excluded
under this criteria. e1m7: get yellow key, go all the way around to NW
to get red key; from there you can see the blue key behind the red door.
Go all the way "back" to the red door, get the blue key. I don't consider
this "bad", I think it's one of their best designed levels, each time
you go back through, there are new monsters to be fought. This is
especially cool the first time on the level, when you don't know what
to expect.
After all these criticisms, let me say that I would like to see more
reviews and comments about Wads. Without a doubt, they are the only
reason doom is still around. The more reviews and comments that
are posted, the more people will look at and/or consider playing
wads, and the more fun will be had by all!
Ivan, always Drivin'