SAWED-OFF WADS #2 - DEAN OF DOOM

[@MtPain27]

Thanks for the recommendations, everyone! So far I've added twenty wads, large and small, to my list. That's enough material for quite a few more Sawed Off episodes already :)

[@purplefear1339]

But consider...Rylayeh! Imagine Rylayeh in Doom, but actual playable. Its stressful, crowded, odd, and appropriately filled with odd architecture. At least it was for me. Perhaps it isn't as hard as it should be for the awful sunken city, but the commitment to the out right weirdness of the city makes it worth it. The final boss is a bit lame tho, but hey, Metallica music, can't go wrong with dat.

[@RoofiDoomChannel]

Knowing that many people recommend different wads, I ask you to review the entire idgames archive.

[@DinnerForkTongue]

Here's one more, for good measure: Nightomb, by Eternal.

[@scaffschannel]

are you aware of Anomaly Report, a new WAD i found on the steam version of ultimate doom

[@k.w.6626]

I agree with Scaff Anomaly report needs a Dean episode! Also for sawed off, I recommend infection, very new (this year if memory serves) and beautiful and the plot twist is amazing.

[@kuskus_th13]

"Two Plutonias of Revenants" is the most powerful sentence I've ever heard

[@ErisCake]

Ah yes, mister "I won't play Sunlust, it's too hard for me" casually dropping a Swim With The Whales, my goodness. Congratulations and very good job on another great episode, this spinoff is easily my favorite thing you make. If Sawed-off Wads #3 comes out, I'd like you to try Phocas Island 2. It's a really moody, slow puzzle/exploration wad that has very little to do with typical Doom loop, but since you liked The Given, I think you'd enjoy it too!

[@endless_doom5337]

Deus Vult and Swim with the Whales in a single episode? Putting PAIN in MtPain27 I see ;)

[@Klaesick]

You could say it's "Mountains of Pain". ;)

[@Xulgonoth]

Thank you very much for the feature. Ever since I started watching Dean of Doom, there was this slightly egotistical side of me thinking "what if my creation ever got on the show, that'd be pretty poggers." And well, here it is. I'm glad you mostly had good things to say about that silly old map, I do cringe at some of the weird decisions I made on it, but if someone can still get some enjoyment out of it, that's really all that matters :D And well, I just hope the sequel doesn't turn into anything like Mordeth 2. As for recommendations, I really wanna say Industral or The Enigma Episode, but you'd probably never take any subsequent suggestions from me, so instead I'll say Kama Sutra needs a Dean of Doom episode, Miasma and Maskim Xul deserve a sawed-off feature, and No End in Sight is something you might get enough of a kick out of.

[@MtPain27]

Good stuff, thank you for the recs and for your map!

[@thatguyknownaswill8180]

Can I just say how much I love the TITLEPIC of Swim with the Whales? I feel cold every time I look at it. As if I am alone on a boat, with the night’s wind against my back, as the water beckons me to jump in, despite the freezing temperatures. And as soon as I do, my boat is gone. The only shore being hours of swimming away. Truly encapsulates what it feels like to play this WAD.

[@kinetic03]

damn decino just uploaded magnolia map03 and then you upload another sawed off wads episode, absolutely perfect, can't wait to see what this episode showcases this time

[@zorbz57]

fantastic to get home to work to

[@kinetic03]

nice episode, I enjoyed the coverage of Jade Earth, Gateway to Shangrila, Deus Vult, Darkest Room, and of course Swim with the Whales. Swim with the Whales and other Ribbiks creations fill a particular niche of gameplay and art style, I feel like they're much more fun if you can match the skill level demanded by his maps. Of course, there are difficulty options for a reason, as Ribbiks himself will tell you haha.

[@tylerjennings8242]

Get out the popcorn boys!

[@nefelibeta2637]

@@kinetic03 He's been doing that since stardate20x6.wad :D how time flies

[@pixelperfect1729]

Deus Vult was one of the maps that made me feel almost every emotion that human could feel. Frustration, agony, hopelessness, fury, I felt small, weak, but I also felt like I was closer to overpowering the monsters and standing above them the further I got into it, like a gigantic tower you can't look down from until you reach the top floor. I laughed like a Disney villain by the end, and I definitely got a powerful dopamine shot as the intermission screen came on, but I promised myself I'll never play that map ever again.

[@wallyhackenslacker]

I first played the version of Deus Vult 1 that comes as a bonus map in DV 2 with the La Tailor Girl mod and it was one hell of an odyssey (pun intended). Playing it without OP mods is way out of my pay grade, but it is certainly one map I'll never forget!

[@anthraxmorbus]

I am glad M.Pain in his review was able to relay the true dimension of Deus Vult crappiness, unbiased by the " 100 most memorable maps" list.i completed this wad and in the end I felt like being ripped off. Good job M.Pain

[@enikata7349]

The fact Doom came out 30 years this year and people not only playing it but still making maps and mods for it is a testament of how freaking awesome this game is. As much of a visual and game play spectacle Doom Eternal is, in another 10 years I doubt anyone will be playing it except as a classic oldie, where as classic Doom will probably still be going strong.

[@tonyd6665]

“ALT” by the BOS clan by far is one of the strangest and most interesting doom experiences I’ve ever had. It’s easily my top 3 WADs (wouldn’t fit the sawed off WAD theme, but wanted to mention it nonetheless.) I finished playing it about a month ago and it’s captivating, strange, creative and has moments that made me go “what on earth…”. I absolutely and whole heartedly think it deserves a spot somewhere on this show. I fully understand why it’s not everyone’s cup of tea but it’s definitely something I think everyone who plays doom should play once. I will say it does have some strange sound replacement that take some getting use to - but if you’re on the mood for something out of the norm, give it a shot and tell us what you think.

[@green_tomato4652]

Oh finally someone mention ALT that wads is amazing too bad it quite underrated

[@tonyd6665]

@@green_tomato4652 I’ve seen a few people mention it. It’s really something special. Sacrament, even though it’s a shorter WAD, is also top tier made by the same people. Really amazing stuff. Absolutely underrated.

[@foxbonesmulder]

I'll be adding this wad to my lost for sure! Currently going through Going Down for Doom 2, but in VR with Brutal Doom, working on a lost of others to play after and your suggestion intrigues me. Thanks for the recommendation! Maybe check out my streams sometime? Lol

[@tonyd6665]

@@foxbonesmulder it’s really an acquired taste WAD for sure. The main complaints I read about it were the sound replacements (trust me, you’ll know.) and the really strange and almost impossible progression. I love strange WADs like this so it’s a real gem in my opinion. But I can also see why some people don’t like it. If you like ALT, try Sacrament - it’s made by the same now defunct Russian Doom clan. Lots of detail and atmosphere, just less levels.

[@opvask]

Damn, didn’t realise how much I had missed me some Dean of Doom. What an absolute delight to see in my recommended today. Can’t wait for season 3! Also, don’t think all that Sunlust talk went under the radar.. you’ve clearly started working on it :p

[@PrismaticAngel]

The fact that Deus Vult is compared to Citadel at the Edge of Eternity and surpasses it is a terrifying prospect. As for sawed off wads suggestions, maybe the Alien Vendetta Black Label maps could have a look in?

[@MtPain27]

Oh that’s an excellent idea, thank you for mentioning AV Black label...I’ve never even played those bonus maps.

[@iRedMCYT]

Out of all of the rooms of JADE EARTH, I only hated or disliked 2 of them. There’s like 50 of those things! - I cannot tell you how that makes me feel to like so much of something in Doom. I even spent freakin 3 hours making an intro for the 2 hour livestream I did on it, and I enjoyed 98% of this WAD/Map. Best map I’ve ever played, and tbh that’s not saying much, but I’ve played through both BTSXesodes that exist, all of the official Doom games (minus Plutonia, saving that), and little things here and there but Jade Earth is the first one that’s nailed everything for me. That music… god damn awesome. Also I love when a map makes it so that when you die, it doesn’t feel like it’s the game’s fault, it feels like the player’s, because it is, which is good.. if that makes any sense lol. My save was called “My name but worse” because my name is Jaden and it has 1 less letter than that. Didn’t know where else in this massive comment so I just shoved it here XD

[@generalroasterock8114]

You would absolutely love Bauhaus. It’s high art well meshed with good gameplay, and just small enough for this series.

[@jorts_master69]

Bauhaus is one of my favorite WADs. Perfect mix of a strong visual style, relaxing music, and fun gameplay.

[@Dan-bz2nh]

Did we just get our first X+ rating...? Holy fucking... Shit

[@VoanHead]

Ever heard of “Doomguy gets a puppy”? It’s a big ol’ billy wad and it’s perfect for the next sawed-off wads episode.

[@MtPain27]

Sounds like a winner

[@DoomKid]

First wad from Billy I ever played, I loved that one!

[@darylcastillo1439]

I loved the first Sawed-Off Wads episode, and you played some zingers. Deus Vult was a surprise to see, as was your Swim With the Whales attempt - especially after decino got hammered by it so many times!

[@groove66]

This plus Decino's upload of Magnolia absolutely made my day

[@theshep]

yes!

[@Ricemang7]

"Your dodging warheads on hair-thin margins and returning fire with a blunderbuss for 30 seconds" goes so hard. Been marathoning this series, thanks for all the doom content!

[@zephytime8196]

The Donkey Kong Country water level music in Swim With The Whales is such a nice touch.

[@DinnerForkTongue]

That midi rendition makes my heart accelerate to unhealthy levels.

[@_antares031]

Glad to see more "Sawed-Off Wads" episode, covering non-megawad single levels and mapsets. Man on the Moon is one of wads that deserves more love and respect. And... Swim with the Whales? That was the wad that I'd expect to see, right before you upload the episode with Sunlust. o_O Anyway, thank you for an another summer school special, and good luck with recording Season 3 of Dean of Doom!

[@durdleburdle3521]

Suspended in Dusk would definitely fit the sawed off wads format. It's a 4 map vanilla wad that just drips with atmosphere. Might be right up your alley.

[@vvcq]

Was just gonna come in and recommend that one! If you ever wonder why Espi (RIP) is considered one of the greats, play Suspended in Dusk.

[@jorts_master69]

WADs like Jade Earth are the kind of thing I love playing. Single map incidents with a runtime that feel akin to a large episode without overstaying their welcome, and with such a singular vision and atmosphere behind it you're not likely to forget. In terms of other WADs that evoke the same feeling, I can only think of Breach, Void (which I do remember you covering, love that one), Impossible: A New Reality, and Thunderpeak (albeit that WAD has a second level that is a short boss map).

[@whatsacowify]

Well this was an excellent Birthday present! Fantastic episode as per usual. Some Random thoughts: -I don't care much for Deus Vult, but I really fucking love Deus Vult 2. Hopefully your time with the first hasn't scared you off from the second, because while it's still not a perfect wad, it definitely goes down a more Scythe like route and is just more fun in general. -I know in your rules you have to play on UV, but Ribbiks always states that HMP is the intended difficulty of his wads, with UV being an extra challenge for Doom gods. It's made to challenge the notion of UV being the defacto difficulty. On HMP I've found all of his projects extremely satisfying and a ton of fun. I love that he puts a lot of care into his difficulties, and definitely think that should be commended. -The old bean factory is definitely getting a playthrough from me later. Thanks for shouting it out. I'd love to see more recent, lesser known wads on this show in the future. I love seeing your thoughts on classics, but I love seeing new creators getting recognition even more. Finally, here's some recommendations: -Micro Slaughter Community Project: Short, accessible slaughter maps. Only one of these is ball bustingly difficult, and it has Dragonfly, Antares, and a bunch of other immensely talented people working on it. It's the set that finally got me into slaughter. -Antaresian Reliquary: I like it more than struggle. -I highly doubt I could get you to play some Heretic, but on the off chance I can Sold Soul by Fryuko is utterly fantastic. -Any of Bri's episodes. I love them all. Very much inspired by Erik Alm/Skillsaw and their ilk, with fast paced accessible combat. Usually makes either gothic or techbase levels, very nice looking stuff. -Since you love adventure maps along the lines of Lost Civ, I recommend Avactor. Some of these maps are truly breathtaking, and I love seeing Mesoamerican architecture in Doom. -I'd still love to see you do more Crumpets, since that's Ribbiks at his most accessible. I feel like this comment is long enough. Looking forward to the new season!

[@MtPain27]

Thanks for the recs and happy b-day!

[@HappyChap8]

Yeah I love map 27

[@scallysnix.6073]

Cameron Mitchell and Frank Stalone slaying in the old bean factory

[@NathanLJustice]

I was in high school when DOOM came out. It's amazing the lasting power of it. Good videos.

[@spineappletea]

thinking about how Mordeth was planned to have a stark contrasting space theme directly after a medieval theme, it almost seems like a proto-Scythe 2

[@bauul.]

Congrats on another excellent episode! Another Sawed Off Wads recommendation: Brigandine. It's short, punchy, not too difficulty, and unfathomably pretty and detailed for a limit-removing map. One of my favorites.

[@DinnerForkTongue]

That was one good rec. When I get my PC in order, I'm definitely downloading it

[@Neurometry]

Thanks for the shoutout mr pain27!! Since i helped out i guess AMA?

[@protostar5946]

My God, Deus Vult and Swim With The Whales were absurd emotional rollercoasters. Glad to see you made it through both of 'em. For future recommendations, might I suggest Hurt (only one, MASSIVE map) and Doom Zero?

[@SamuelGarcia772]

Damn, that Deus Vult review really stung, and I say that all because, yes, Deus Vult is one of my favorite WADs of all times. I've played it no less than 5 times from beginning to end, call me masochist if you want, but I like a good, long and challenging map, and Deus Vult checks all that out for me. I love how the map develops from a computer base, down to a nuclear reactor of sorts, down to the hellshi pit and beyond. It's like an entire underground world beneat the computer base at the beginning, which you can go back and see how it's all connected. I loved the Alien Vendetta and the Lord of the Rings references, the tight fights, the exploration. The whole map is like a playground to me. Welp, at least I'm glad it made it into Dean of Doom. Hopefully Deus Vult 2 will appear in its due time as well.

[@SMUltra]

10:48 dude yes I loved the Doom Gladiator series has a kid. I would watch them and pretend I was Doomguy spectating the demons ripping each other apart lol. I remember the person who made Doom Gladiator made a newer version a while ago, I like to return to the series and binge watch every episode when I'm feeling nostalgic.

[@tusharmahendrakar2387]

Ribbiks missed the opportunity to name his Map 31 as "Go 0000FF it" if I say so myself. Good work beating the challenge and for this video.

[@Agenta-df3gb]

Glad to see another episode of Sawed Off Wads! As for advice for future episodes, I'd recommend Sawdust by Skillsaw, aka a collection of maps that were cut from Valiant. Mostly because it kinda fits the title of this spin off show TBH

[@gabrielloko30000]

This spin off is SO good, i really like how the quick and direct reviews for each wad fits so well on this format

[@kath_nanaya6803]

i've rewatched this video like 10 times and only now just caught the 'Don’t let him bully you into thinking you're crazy' joke

[@ttgl_bobross]

Stupid me tried Swim with the Whales in Russian Overkill. It still thoroughly kicked my ass.

[@jorts_master69]

The fact it wrecked your shit even when you had Russian Overkill speaks volumes of how diabolical that WAD is

[@Rymante]

What an unexpected treat! The Dean returns! I haven't been playing Doom much these days but 'Man on the Moon' & 'The Old Bean Factory' certainly have me considering booting Doom back up again.

[@Ennello]

Suggestions for a future sawed-off wads episode: Unhallowed, Lullaby and Verdant Citadel. These cacoward winners amaze me and entertai me every time I play them. I'm sure they'll keep you on edge too.

[@jorts_master69]

Verdant Citadel fucks, I love that map so much

[@mr.e330]

I think a sawed off wads episode focusing on the "side bits" of the main series would be pretty interesting. By that I mean you'd go over scrapped maps, replacements, bonus stand alone maps and the like. Off of the top of my head I can think of: -The new AV Black Label maps -The scrapped Valley of Echoes from AV -3 Heures d' Agonie Finale (it's basically a compilation of seven levels combined into one big level by different members of the 3HA team) -(I'm not quite sure this would quality but) Sawdust -The new replacement maps in Good Morning Phobos Oh and, not quite a recommendation for this series but I wanna suggest it either way, Crumpets. It's basically the most accessible ribbiks wad and is quite enjoyable.

[@Dynamo128]

Congratulations, this has to be one of your most expertly written videos, the commentary is even better than usual. I have to say I'm disappointed in the Null Space review - the map might be average in many ways, but don't forget that maps that were put on that list were not put there due to being the best maps ever made, otherwise wow.wad would not feature on it. The map was influential and innovative for its time even beyond just its theme, even in light of being very clearly inspired by Quake 3 (surprised this was not mentioned), and inspired many more maps in the mid 2000s. Russel Pearson's maps have a level of polish that not many maps from that era have. I suppose many other people have better recommendations than I can give, but if I may, it's time you experienced iori's epic three marble fortress maps: Bitter Loathing (part of Newdoom Community Project, a wad you might want to look into in general, albeit admittedly a nostalgia pick of mine and one that not everyone might enjoy), Songs of the Damned, and Drip Feed, the last two of which are standalone releases, though I recommend playing them in order nonetheless. Thanks for the show!

[@DocterWaffles]

fantastic episode, as always :) here's some recommendations btw, since you asked for some: - bury my heart knee deep; it's a massive limit-removing e1-style techbase with a lot of metroidvania elements (i.e. branching paths, needing to unlock items, multiple ways to finish, etc) - bauhaus; a small 4-map wad heavily inspired by the german art school of the same name - the vrack series; three massive, highly interconnected space stations that have a heavy focus on exploration. they take a while to beat, but they're pretty good at keeping you engaged with their nasty combat encounters - painful evil; a small map from 2000 that has a really nice e4 aesthetic in addition to fairly challenging (for me, anyways) gameplay - thatcher's techbase; a wad that lets you kill margaret thatcher :) - suspended in dusk; arguably espi's masterpiece. it's holds up pretty well imo, even to modern standards

[@MtPain27]

Thanks for the recs!

[@AJXTHEWALL]

Thatchers tech base is worth it just for being able to kill Margaret thatcher

[@BiodegradableYTP]

Huzzah! I'm delighted to see you make another one of these, MP! Delicious work as per usual. I for one applaud your willingness not to bite your tongue and tell people what YOU really think, which is a thousand times more interesting and engaging rather than just parroting popular opinions. You're a braver man than I am, for Ribbiks is a community mapper whose very name sends shivers down my spine for I am too afraid to go near his sordid creations. Not yet anyways. Great stuff, mate ;^)

[@AdamM3377]

I sympathize with that Swim With the Whales incident. I dented my old keyboard playing Abandon XD Silent rage-focus is real. But for recommendations, there's a few great mapsets that you might enjoy for this series: - Intergalactic Xenology 1& 2 for the Ancient Aliens aestheic -Lullaby as a set-piece focused visual masterpiece -Void and Rainbow as a surreal and soulful de-hacked experience. -Syringe for the veteran mapping contributors and the bizzare theme -Criticality for high-octane combat -Elementalism, while only 15 maps, may be something to save for a dedicated episode, pushes the limits of what GZDoom can do, and was recently optimized by Paul Mansell to run better on lower end PC's. It's fantastic. Anyways, thanks for taking the time to read this! Be well, and take care.

[@heretic926]

The way you described Swim With the Whales made Citadel At The Edge of Eternity look like a joke and made me scared of what I will hear in the upcoming Sunlust episode. I will never play this wad in my life, thank you for saving my sanity, MtPain.

[@DinnerForkTongue]

Honestly, I think SWTW delves further into player torture than Sunlust does. Early Ribbiks was unhinged with his doling of punishment. That said, Ribbiks is the abbot of the church of "Ultra-Violence is _not_ the standard difficulty". He and Danne prize other difficulties and carefully measure them so there's a difficulty tier for everyone. On HNTR their creations (except maybe Italo) should be pretty accessible to the average Doomer.

[@bendzam.6068]

Few things about Mordeth: if you try other levels in the wad, you may find out that: hell knight shares sprites with the SS, and they shoot bfg blast and lack melee attack, while their alert sound is also something robotic. Arachnotrons also shoot bfg blasts with each shot, and spider demons shoot bullets AND rockets, whilst saying "exterminate" like a dalek. The dragon guardians are replacements for cyberdemons, gremlins for mancubi, and the green pain elementals for revs.

[@AltimaMantoid]

More Sawed-Off Wads recommendations? The entire DyingCamel's Demons Trilogy. DCD#1, DCD#2, and DCD#3. The first is 12 maps, plus one "End" map and a joke/meme map. The second is 15 maps plus one "End" map, but I cannot recall if it had a meme map at the end. It also had a map-size limitation of 5000x5000 (or something thereabouts) and I believe a 500 monster count cap, and allowed for custom textures. The third has the same restrictions (I believe anyway) and contains 13 maps, one "End" map, and then Map31 is a meme map, but was limited to vanilla textures due to different management. The first two were headed up by Pinchy and the last was put together by Dubzzz. All 3 contain both new and experienced mappers. Some of the new mappers include myself, Boleslav, and ChannelGorf, while some of the more experienced mappers are antares, Benjogami, and Bridgeburner. I'd highly advise checking them out. There's a lot of varied play and map ideas so I think it would make for great commentary and evaluation.

[@UnchainedEruption]

"2 Plutonia's of Revenants" lol I love how "Plutonias" has now become a standard of measurement. Yes, please let's make this a thing! XD

[@0Lamp13]

I love it when the frowny face becomes a smiling face in the caveats part. :)

[@bigpash6701]

I'm no Doom God myself but it took me 13 separate playthroughs to pass Swim with the Whales Map 3 even with saves. Thirteen. I simply tip my cap to your ability to pass it TWICE in less than half that. Loving this format BTW- would love to see more sawed-off WADs even after you release Sunlust and give the show away.

[@CammyWritesMusic]

Awesome episode as always, MtPain! I'm very excited to see what we cover next season. I won't make any requests, I'm just happy to be along for the ride. :) God, it was awesome to see Swim With The Whales covered on this show. To be honest, SWTW is to me what Lost Civilization is to you - at least, in some cherry-picked and tangentially-related ways. The two wads that introduced me to the Doom scene were Valiant and SWTW, both of which I watched decino play at around the same time, and while Valiant took me in with just what a wildly fun labor of love it looked to be (and, indeed, ended up being), something not quite conveyable captivated me about SWTW in particular. It's just such a divinely clear, masterfully executed vision of... _something._ So flawlessly do its first two levels cradle you in that sweet alien reverie that the crushing, frigid pressure put on by the main event just feels like the fulfilling of a grim promise you always understood was there; the not-so-fine print signed on a deal with the deep that you would sink if you ever stared too long. I've always been a big fan of unique aesthetics and strong atmospheres in video game levels, and something of a difficulty junkie, so what could I do but revere SWTW right out the gates? It didn't disappoint when I finally played it for myself about a month ago. Ride The Dolphins, together with the MAP30s of ALT and Scythe 2, is a serious contender for my top-of-the-head favorite Doom map of all time, just on account of its perfection of aesthetic. The music enchants, the architecture amazes, every color and shape and blinking light is a siren's call seducing you further toward the precipice of the profound. I wouldn't like to live there, but if there was ever a Doom level I wished I could visit and explore on my own, just to ruminate there for a moment, I think it would be Ride The Dolphins. Not sure what that says about me, heh. Want to hear something scary (which I'm sure you're painfully aware of)? There are now only two maps left in the Top 100's highest 10 which you have yet to talk about. One of them is an Eternal Doom map, and one of them is the great and unfathomable The Sky May Be. It's only a matter of time.

[@Ennello]

Deus Vult holds a candle to Deus Vult II. Way better maps in my opinion, nothing like the original, except for the LOTR theme. Really worth checking out! You move from Valiant-esque maps into Sunlust-like hellscapes into Sunder-ish hordes of monsters. It lacks DV1's tedium, you'll be surprised at how amazing DV2 is, especially coming from DV1.

[@mcskodowska]

2:12 „Mein Dean! I can walk!”

[@foxbonesmulder]

Damn, this is a pretty great showcase of wads with an enjoyably personable review of each level. Great work! Sub is definitely earned! I'll be using your lists in these vids for my doom vr content going forward. Was using decino for my great wad sourcing, but he's so legendary that some of them are horrifically difficult for a noob like myself haha again, great work!!

[@eljaminlatour6633]

In Mordeth, the small green enemy is a re-skin of Heretic's gargoyle, and the boss is the chaos serpent from Hexen.

[@Death_Chopper]

I really enjoy watching your videos, it always makes my day a little better seeing the notification pop up. If I've got any recommendations, it would probably have to be 1) Preacher, it has 10 maps and has a gothic style aesthetic, it has a really awesome feel and its got some neat weapon replacements. It still plays inherently like Doom and it is not that challenging, but it's still very fun to play. 2)Circadian Offset, it is a Gzdoom mod and a total conversion at that, but it's genuinely beautiful and it's also brutal in difficulty, although it's still fair. It's only got 5 levels, but each are quite long and they are filled with secrets, and every enemy and weapon has been changed, giving it a very unique and satisfying feel compared to other mods. But the maps are so heavily detailed, that any old computer would cry playing it.

[@DinnerForkTongue]

Just popping by real quick to thank you for the review on Jade Earth, Professor. I've just started playing it tonight, so far gotten up to the big revenant-imp rhubarb on the path to the yellow keycard, and everything you've said up to that point is _spot on._ It's a very tense and atmospheric map with well-crafted, digestible fights and a real sensation of being down in the bowels of the earth. Not just for Doom, but for gaming in general - even Minecraft's excellent Deep Dark got nothing on this. The only grievance I have is with the early tough enemies. You have to slow-roll Hell Knights and even some Barons with the pump shotgun multiple times, and Pinkies with the pistol, and that's not dread-inducing, it's dreadful.

[@MtPain27]

Glad to hear that Dinner-fork! Savor the experience :)

[@DinnerForkTongue]

@@MtPain27 It has most certainly been savoured! But I think I savoured one thing even more: Jodwin's uncanny ability to use the tired old green marble textures in a techbase setting. It's completely absurd that it works, but at the same time, it _does_ work. Without a single hint of devilry, too. My only complaint is that Jade Earth railroads you a lot, especially in the last 10% or so of its runtime. It's almost impossible to go back for any variety of supplies and carelessly stumbling along on the path locked by the last key locks out out of any secrets you missed, as it has a point of no return early on. (By the by, you're right to say 'good luck' to secret hunters. I rewrote all 10 for the Doomwiki and they range from cryptic to outright bereft of clues.)

[@TKScreamer]

That room with 4 cyberdemons in map 03 of "swim with the whales" makes me think this map should be called "Dance with the whales" , because you dance for 30s with these cyberdemons. No? Nobody? well i will see myself out. Waltz-like music just empowers this thought though. i admire your determination to play these ultra hard wads to the end. Some of the hardest wads are just outright imposible for "not a doomgod". I myself have some anger issues and playing these kind of wads is just no-no or impoisible to get to end, because im too angry after "yet another death". It's suprising that someone with that peaceful and kind voice/attitude is capable to such anger :D. Great video.

[@CarmeloSantosF]

What a wornderful surprise for a cold rainy saturday. I did not imagine you would tackle Swim With the Whales before Sunlust, great job at beating it!!

[@bolaum5870]

Another great video! Thanks for the Old Bean Factory recommendation, I really love maps like that.

[@TheSwiftFX]

Each Sunday I have a day to myself, make food/bake something cool, and watch these videos in the background. I haven't played much DOOM this year, but I love hearing your thoughts and opinions on WADs I'd never play. Thank you so much for all your hard work.

[@chasepalumbo2929]

Your writing is pretty dang impressive man, thanks for all the work you put into all of this.

[@AltimaMantoid]

I just wanted to take a moment to say I'm proud of you.

[@MtPain27]

:)

[@eggboy9126]

I don't really understand what you have against secret encounters. Its a nice way to increase replayability, and make your map more difficult for second time players. From a mapper's perspective, sometimes it feels nice to make an area not everyone will see, allowing for different ways to experience the map. The only possible downside I see to such a feature is the 100% player getting too hung up on that number, but I do not think this is the mapper's problem. Rant aside, great episode, Sawed Off Wads is a great idea, and to be honest, it should be just as frequent as the megawad videos, there are plenty of shorter wads that are far more fun and have better pacing than the average megawad.

[@sobaddoom]

I'm with you, especially since a UV max run necessitates secret finding anyway. And I feel like kills-but-not-secrets maxers are probably in a smaller pool. And it's cool to-even within the same difficulty setting-have optional easier/harder versions of a map. And btw just played "Vigor!". Fun wad, so thanks for that!

[@eggboy9126]

@@sobaddoom thank you for playing, though, I recommend our later work more.

[@MtPain27]

My philosophy is if a fight is fun, let your player experience it. I guess I hadn’t thought of a fun secret fight as part of the reward of finding it though. In my case, I *need* to see the entire map as a main parameter of the show, but I’m normally fine with secret fights when playing for fun. Sometimes the show format affects how I play and consume wads in a negative fashion. Something for me to consider I suppose.

[@eggboy9126]

@@MtPain27 in my opinion, secrets should not just make the map easier. I am not a fan of hidden supplies, it’s best to reward the curious player with more gameplay.

[@ItsBofu]

@@eggboy9126 I agree with this statement 100%. That's the entire point of secret levels, really: rewarding players with more gameplay. Secret encounters can feel like miniature secret levels.

[@42percenthealth]

Deus Vult is actually one of three similar maps (not "the only one of its megatonnage" as you put it). The other two are Holy Hell (which came before it) and Okuplok's Untitled 2 (which came after). As a slaughter enjoyer myself, I still agree with most of your analysis of DV. It shows its age. Most slaughter maps of this era and earlier were slogs to get through, and their only appeal was the catharsis of running in circles killing a thousand monsters with rockets. It wasn't until maybe Sunder that someone seriously attempted to make a slaughter WAD that looked good and required some strategy. Now, I DO enjoy the catharsis, but I also enjoy the unique strategic challenge that slaughter gameplay can bring to the table if it's done right. It was unfortunate for the slaughter genre as a whole that those early works kinda set the stereotype for what slaughter has to offer.

[@MtPain27]

Holy Hell came out after Deus Vult. As far as I know, Vult was more or less the first map of its size, and it was definitely the first to pair big aesthetic ideas with combat this intense.

[@reddoomedearth4020]

You and I are kindred on Organic Gods, let me tell ya. With the Arachno soundfont, both that breakdown and the hardcore riff that closes the MIDI are nearly unbeatable. kzbin.info/www/bejne/r6CqkoeLgK-lfdk . Most of Klem's stuff is elevated by this soundfont, and the fact that Organic Gods scores a map with a premise like Jade Earth's sells that map to me in a heartbeat. Also, congratulations on your newfound case of Donkey Kong water-theme psychosis. As for recommendations, I've got quite a few, and a lot of them are cacoward winners/found on those: Syringe (6 Maps, three settings) Moonlit District (6 maps, Made by the Squonker(sp?) Collective, using some forgotten textures and pretty neat) What Remains (5 maps, made by the same people, with explosively beautiful skyboxes and drifty MIDIs.) Arceon (6 Maps, techbases for the first half) Criticality (1 Map from Scotty, grungy Otex techbase/sewer thing) Miasma (1 Green Map, made by Tourniquet, scored by Mucus Flow.) Brigandine (1 map, for some reason the doomworld DL link doesn't work for me, but that might be a browser. I have a copy if I can find a way to contact you) Breach (made by the same guy, some excellent environmental storytelling) Nameless (1 map from James Paddock, drastically different theme, great stuff overall) 5TIL Complex (1 map, I cannot recommend it enough for the atmosphere, might want to avoid Zdoom-based ports tho) Event Horizon (3 maps: 1 Dread-slaughter, 1 normal-ish techbase, 1 normal-sh slaughter map) Arrival (9 maps, some pretty unique texturing) Atmospheric Extinction (9 maps, 3 settings, exceedingly beautiful) Occula and Dimensions (j/k) Also, TNT Devilution is on its 2nd Beta release and after breezing through some of its maps, I cannot wait for you to sink your teeth into it. Thank you for all your content you've posted, you've rekindled my love of DOOM more than you might realize, and even though you've made yourself clear on the longevity of DOD, there are so many things out there I'd love to hear your take on.

[@MtPain27]

Great list! Thanks for the recs and for your comment

[@green_tomato4652]

Oh it good to see you come back, I have laid myself back from Doom for a while now but seeing you come back make me want to return to Doom, also I would love to see more DBP episodes since the Auger Zenith episode.

[@RoofiDoomChannel]

Welcome back ! Some remarks : - I only played Deus Vult on coop mode and this wad definitely plays better with some buddies. - Jade Earth really stood out me the first I played it, the music combined with the lenghty gameplay provided a sense of adventure I never experienced before. Definitely an A+ for me. - Man of the Moon deserved its A+. I had a lot more fun on this map than any work from Skillsaw. Also, did you play Travelling to the Moon by the same author? These two wads follow each other. - Darkest Room is an atmospheric masterpiece using a lot of Death-Destiny's tropes.

[@mulliganwizard9068]

Had to play Jade Earth after watching this video. Awesome level! I haven't played such an immersive level in a while. Another great video!

[@xxsugarsparkxx]

This is among the best Dead of Doom episodes yet. Your writing skill is phenomenal. Just a few days ago, I asked if you would ever cover Swim with the Whales on Patreon, lol. Deus Vult is the one and only map I ever started but never completed, but Sunlust map 32 came close, so I fear for your new keyboard. I was thrilled to see Doomsday of the UAC graded, it's the earliest example of the Doom community surpassing the id boys in terms of creativity and attention to detail. If this episode, and Doom 64 is anything to go by, I'd say season 3 is shaping up to be by far the best. God speed.

[@stupidgoop]

I was JUST thinkin that I haven't seen you upload in awhile at work today. Glad to see you pullin another Sawed-off Wads 👏👏👏!!

[@andrewmaher9867]

A good wad to cover would be VooDoo guns, two impressive looking levels from russias wunderkind eternal. It’s like two new hell ground maps, it’s great!

[@johnmendon18]

Welcome back friend. Glad to see a new submission

[@landoncore92]

my inner hardcore kid almost kicked in and I almost started moshing to that breakdown riff. best fight riff I've ever heard in the context of doom lol

[@SaphNeedsCoffee]

surprised ya tackled Swim with the whales.... and glad you pushed through it. I plan to one day tackle that, sunder, and sunlust.

[@snezor2783]

20:40 “I’m drawn like a moth to flame by green maps of mystery, and like the moth I get burned to a crisp” I’m excited for you to see Sunlust’s Maelstrom then, since that one is a nightmare and also one of my favorite, very green maps.

[@StodgyAyatollah]

I think swim with the wales may have been the first wad I tried when I started getting back into doom since the late 90's, early 00's. It's certainly the first I remember trying. Had only played the iwads back in the day so it goes without saying that my dental bill went through the roof because it kicked my teeth in.

[@head_cannon1066]

I really enjoy the snappy pacing and variety of this spinoff series, and if you're taking viewer suggestions for what short WADs to cover on future episodes, I've got a few. *Breach & Brigandine* Viggles made some really impressive, really detailed visuals in this duology (one techbase level and one corrupted-city level), weaving the stock textures together in such intricate tableaus that it might unseat mouldy's Going Down as the most virtuosic expression of that minimalist design style. But it's not just fascinating from a mapper's perspective: it actually plays really well too. Despite the extreme attention to detail, there's no risk of the players & monsters ever getting snagged on obstructive filigrees, and everything remains fast & fluid. It's not _hard_ , mind you, but the duology is still quite an enjoyable experience. *Violence* A 4-map Boom set that seeks to combine the modernity of its neon lights and color scheme (and its thumping techno soundtrack) and the old-school playfulness & whimsy of its encounter design. *Miasma* I can't actually _play_ this one, it's too hard for me, but I did enjoy the afternoon I spent poking around and trying different routes. One thing that I love about this game which I don't get enough of in the challenge-map scene is how Doom was built on a foundation of mischief, of setting up expectations and then swerving away from them. You would play and the level would play back. Miasma gives you a ton of paths and switches to investigate, and nearly all of them go suddenly, entertainingly wrong in a variety of different fashions.

[@DinnerForkTongue]

Oh yeah, I can pause Lost Civilisation for this! Welcome back, Professor 🤗

[@grendelicious]

Preacher is easily one of my favorite Doom WADs of all time and everyone needs to play it

[@Tuxedo030]

The room with the computers with the wads is a fun and clever framing device for a series like this, cool idea

[@JangianTV]

Never watched Decino's playthrough of RTW, but I'll have to now! Thanks for another great episode. Looking forward to the next one already! 👍

[@Dimon12321]

I saw that video in subscriptions, and now I can say, my Sunday will be great 😊

[@KamiJoJo]

10:43 Bro I remember seeing these way back in the day, pure nostalgia.

[@basiloregano]

I'd also recommend the map Hurt (also other maps from elend, his approach and aesthetics are incredible), UAC supply depot, I.H.N.I., intergalactic xenology 2, bauhaus (a very weird artsy one), and Infested for sawed off wads. Oh and Arcadia demade, it's so cool.

[@gincwut]

I would love it if MtPain played Infested, but MAP03 on UV might be a bit much :)

[@basiloregano]

@@gincwut for the man who's done plutonia 1+2 and swim with the whales?

[@SirFactorOfX]

No-one makes an awesome set of maps, then delays the next installment to infinity, like Gaston. In all seriousness though, branching off smaller wads into a spin-off series sounds like a great idea. There's a whole bunch of wads out there that are only a handful of maps, but they can showcase creative ideas that deserve a moment under the limelight.

[@Doomguy0623]

Yes Also I was wandering when you were gonna do SWTW. Not because of its difficulty but because it’s such an interesting wad to me. I love how the levels look and the ost especially in Map 02 (not so much map 03 lol). Plus I have a big soft spot for the color blue.

[@barbarodave]

You madlad. First hard sequels month and then Swim with the whales. I can see you powering up for Sunlust. It would be funny if you did Italo Doom or something dumb like that out of nowhere.

[@thatbrokesilverhairedguy4326]

Holy mother you did Swim with the Whales. I am trully sorry for your keyboard. But with that said, you are officially not anymore a normal doom player. Seriosly this map is the stuff of nightmares, and i never once thought it would be blue. And according to Decino, this map to him, was harder than god machine which by itself is already an excruciating map. I was already proud and impressed for you beating the hard sequels month, but this is an achievement on its own. Congratulation Dean, you are advanced now. A great player on your own. But for the sake of your mental health, don' t try Italo Doom for now :)

[@nathanbeets8229]

Top notch Dr. Strangelove Reference. ;) And an excellent video to boot.

[@YoshiTheMage]

He returns. The only three of these WADs I'd ever heard of before watching this were Mordeth, Deus Vult and Swim With the Whales and even then in nothing more than a "I've heard that name. I don't know anything about these WADs (Besides the fact that SWTW is a Ribbiks WAD which means more pain than your namesake mountain could ever contain.) but they sure do exist." capacity. Between playing other games I gave Lunatic, Valiant and Ancient Aliens a full playthrough each and came to the conclusion that Episode 5 of Valiant more or less in its entirety is some of the best Doom I've ever played. Ancient Aliens is rock solid start to finish as well; thoroughly enjoyed that. I also replayed the first half of ZPack. You know that thing people say about rose-tinted glasses? I'm starting to think the only reason I came away liking that set was because it was the first custom megawad I finished. I still think the first episode of that is pretty decent but man... Episode 2's rough for the first few maps. I think I understand now why that megawad got the lukewarm reception it did back in '08. I also don't remember there being so many ZDoom-isms, y'know the jumping, swimming and all that other stuff you'd describe as "doesn't really feel like Doom anymore". You want recommendations do you? Uh... oh I know. I remember loading up the Doomworld forums looking for something to play one night and a WAD by the name of Nensha piqued my interest. I played it and had a nice time with it. Whatever the case, good video.

[@johnrain2700]

Thanks for the video, great stuff as always! I'd recommend handful of stand-alone maps: 1)Verdant citadel by Exl, one of 2019 Cacowards winners, takes about half an hour to finish, higly replayable due to its interconnected layout and unlinear progression. 2)UAC Invasion: The Supply Depot by DooMKnight. This one won a Caco in 2018, takes a litlle bit more than an hour to finish, and took 11 years to make. It isn't very challenging, but detailing is insane. 3)Mercury rain by Jimmy Paddock. I remember you've been impressed by rain in Doom in Auger Zenith, so I suppose you might like this one as well, map is really short, about 15 minutes long. 4)Dereliction Derby by PinkKittyRose. About 30 minutes long tech-base, with some doom cute made with stock-textures, couple of cool ambushes and epic finale. It is actually this author's first map, and good enough to earn her a promising newcomer title at 2021 Cacowards By this point I'm kinda tired of writing descriptions, but I would also recommend to check out Order of Odonata by Dragonfly, Don't Turn Your Back On The City by Trashbang, Demonastery by Nootrac4571, Diablous Ex by Arvell and Darkend outpost by Kristian Nebula, each one of this taking about 10-20 minutes to finish. P.S. Sorry if my english sucks, not my first language :)

[@MtPain27]

Thanks, these are great recommendations because I haven’t heard of most of them!

[@Philnemba]

As much as I love Deus Vult, I never bothered to beat map 05 because I think its a way better experience playing it in pieces from Map 01 to 04 :)

[@christiangottsacker6932]

From observer to *Demon Slaying Sadist* youve definitely become a real doom DDR champ

[@tatamimats]

Nice video! Your Jerry Seinfeld impression is out of control. I watched that about 10 times.

[@TheCecchino98]

Damn, you're finally starting to feature ribbiks, didn't think we'd get there so soon. Great episode as always. I think i already suggested it once, but you should take a look at old still life. I would describe its maps as explorative, dreadful and low on resources, although it might be too long for a sawn-off

[@AxelStone1]

It's crazy that I just checked your channel to see if you've uploaded anything and by chance you did.

[@Charles-e4x]

I distinctly remember trying out Swim with the Whales when I first started trying out custom WADS, so I wasn't quite as experienced with DOOM back then. I liked the aesthetic presented to me in the first level and was looking forward to what the rest of the WAD would be like. I spent about ten minutes into the second level before deciding to calmly throw in the towel and try something else.

[@SuperDragonite2172]

Always love to see a new Dean of Doom and this one really delivers. I'm surprised that you tackled Swim with the Whales. I saw decino's playthrough of the WAD and wow was it unrelenting. I'm wondering if things would have been different if you chose to play on Hurt Me Plenty instead. I know that's not normal for the show but if you suffered that strong of fit of rage, it might be for the better. On the bright side, it's another preparation step for the series finale. Best of luck in season 3. I look forward to seeing what other WADs I get to add to my backlog.

[@jikissgamer]

Really enjoyed this video, I love the Sawed off WADs series. You did an excellent job describing how maniacle maps like Deus Vult and Swim with the Whales are. Also if no one has recommended it yet, I would suggest checking out Comatose by Lainos.