The FPS (Doom, etc) Thread

[Faltimar the Dark]

I been playing a bit of Prodeus, Ion Furry, Ultra Kill and Doom Eternal.  All really fun games. 

I don't know if y'all consider games like Ghostrunner and Elderborn fps games.  They're not traditional types cause you use a sword.  Elderborn controls like a normal fps but Ghostrunner doesn't. Ghostrunner is freakin' dope.  Elderborn is OK.

 

I tried that one game...hold up...BPM.  I didn't care too much for it.  Wasn't feelin' a rhythm.

[Mattatsu]

Ghostrunner’s cool. I can only run it on PS4, and personally, I find the controls a bit tough (especially the deeper you go). It suspect it would be much better on KB+M

[KingTubb]

I like the way the SC-55 sounds a lot better. 

@DarkSakul

Edited February 19, 2021 by KingTubb

[CDB2k20]

 

New DLC comes out on the 15th...

We get a week to shake off the rust!!

[Mattatsu]

I think it’s just the trailer for the DLC. It will hopefully be out before month’s end though

 

also, the artwork is sick. I’m assuming the Mech vs Bob is a cinematic though, but it looks like the knights have returned to your side. Can’t wait to play it

[JHDK]

My newest Brick had nabbed an at-level Hive Mind rocket Launcher from Skagzilla, and just took down Krom from literally walking through the doorway to the canyon gauntlet. Point, click, click, click... BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM *deadboss* BOOMBOOM.

 

I made it point to take it slow, and casually pimp stroll up to loot his corpse.

Edited March 8, 2021 by JHDK

[CDB2k20]

5 hours ago, Mattatsu said:

I think it’s just the trailer for the DLC. It will hopefully be out before month’s end though

 

also, the artwork is sick. I’m assuming the Mech vs Bob is a cinematic though, but it looks like the knights have returned to your side. Can’t wait to play it

I need to replay the first DLC again.

I got my ass kicked all through-out it.

[TheInfernoman]

[Emptyeyes]

I'm not sure if I posted here before, but I'm considering the two reboots, since I've liked the originals. Outside of this, I've also liked Quake and Unreal Tournament since it's birth. I never thought that I'd move to shooters, but I don't seem to have the attention span for RPGs and Puzzles anymore. I guess a person can change. 

[Abbachio]

53 minutes ago, Emptyeyes said:

I'm not sure if I posted here before, but I'm considering the two reboots, since I've liked the originals. Outside of this, I've also liked Quake and Unreal Tournament since it's birth. I never thought that I'd move to shooters, but I don't seem to have the attention span for RPGs and Puzzles anymore. I guess a person can change. 

Try stuff like Ion Fury, Dusk and Ultra kill. They may be up your alley. 

[Emptyeyes]

3 hours ago, Abbachio said:

Try stuff like Ion Fury, Dusk and Ultra kill. They may be up your alley. 

I remember playing Dusk, at least. Being a sniper back then was fun.

[CDB2k20]

some DOOM Eternal gameplay from me:

 

Flexing....Testing my new updated rig, with the game on Max settings.

 

....Plus shaking off the rust.

[Dayaan]

23 hours ago, CDB2k20 said:

some DOOM Eternal gameplay from me:

 

Flexing....Testing my new updated rig, with the game on Max settings.

 

....Plus shaking off the rust.

Nice rig, but I gotta ask... Why controller?

[Dayaan]

Ok I'm gonna address some stuff from here, but it's not gonna be the main content of this post (you'll see):

Spoiler

 

BPM sux lol. Totally whiffed on what it promised imo. People who know me know that I dislike listening to music, but I LOVE rhythm games, and I love boomer shooters. Somehow I feel that the game failed to deliver on both.

Ghostrunner is rad as fuck. Everyone should play it, ideally on cheatboard and mouse!

Ultra Kill looks great! I wish I had the cash to get it, but I'm happy for the people that are enjoying it.

 

 

Now for the meat:

@Mattatsuyou know I love nerding out about this with you. Ancient Gods fucking rocks. I never truly 100% the base game, so I never had all the upgrades. Now I'm gonna go back and get them, because it's a totally different game.

My grenade game is straight up boss now. I can take down a Marauder without thinking or batting an eye (which is even less than it was before; Marauder was always free). This is really, really pushing me to my limits and I have died. A lot. It felt like the game was ripping everything out of me in one of the arenas, then it made me flip a switch or whatever to open some door, and then it threw me back into the arena and made it even harder. Like wtf?? That's so rock and roll. I kicked up the music to the max, turned off Slayer pain sounds, turned up weak point sounds and just blast away... and away... and away...

The only thing they fear is Me.

 

Oh my god. Ancient Gods II is going to put me in cardiac arrest.

 

Let's talk weapons and strats. You'll wanna see this too @Mattatsu. It'll help with your runs:

Spoiler

 

Back when you told me to use the Meathook for movement, I never imagined I'd use it like I currently do. It's... Glorious...

Here's what I did; I grouped together a bunch of demons under a Caco, dropped a grenade under the Caco and used Meathook on it. On the way up I used the flame belch on everything beneath me, then I shot the Caco with the SSG. Grenade exploded, I got all the armor. It stunned the Caco and I spun around for a ballista shot and took that ugly motherfucker DOWN.

 

Like I said before, I almost exclusively use full auto, and it's extremely effective Vs Tyrants, Arachnotrons and Marauders if you stun lock them with grenades and microwave beam. I'm still not good at this. I can do some PB stuff with ballista, but I can't compensate for rocket launcher yet 😅

 

Archviles are still a pain. I have no clear way to beat them since the Crucible isn't a thing in the DLC. That was my only way to kill them. I still don't know how to use the Unmaykr, where to get ammo for that or what ammo it uses. 

 

This means I'm not optimally using the PB, Chaingun, rocket launcher, Unmaykr and I consciously choose never to use the BFG. That's a considerable ammo and DPS pool that I don't use. I have a long way to go...

 

 

[Mattatsu]

Nice strats @Dayaan

 

For the Archvile, my general strat (without crucible) is Ice Bomb, Lock-on burst, frag, lock-on burst. I got this from my UN notes, and it’s been a while since i used this, but the Ice Bomb is kind of an OS. It will either freeze him, or just take away his shield, but I think the following barrage will kill him if he’s frozen or not.

 

It’s also worth noting that this is what i found easiest on a controller, as I don’t like fumbling between weapon mods, or using the weapon wheel too much, so I ty my best to keep it simple. There are probably better combos for him, but this is fairly accessible to me at any point of the game.

 

Also, and unfortunately, Idk how much more Doom Eternal i can play tbh, as my hands have really been bugging me lately, and it seems to be the worse after playing on pad for an hour or so. Hitbox is fine, thankfully, but pad is killing them... it could just be from work stress and i’m very tired, not sleeping well, and really, everything is sore, but I’m taking a break from DE (and pad games) until I can rejuvenate and re-evaluate them once the rest of me is well rested.

[Dayaan]

1 hour ago, Mattatsu said:

Nice strats @Dayaan

 

For the Archvile, my general strat (without crucible) is Ice Bomb, Lock-on burst, frag, lock-on burst. I got this from my UN notes, and it’s been a while since i used this, but the Ice Bomb is kind of an OS. It will either freeze him, or just take away his shield, but I think the following barrage will kill him if he’s frozen or not.

 

It’s also worth noting that this is what i found easiest on a controller, as I don’t like fumbling between weapon mods, or using the weapon wheel too much, so I ty my best to keep it simple. There are probably better combos for him, but this is fairly accessible to me at any point of the game.

 

Also, and unfortunately, Idk how much more Doom Eternal i can play tbh, as my hands have really been bugging me lately, and it seems to be the worse after playing on pad for an hour or so. Hitbox is fine, thankfully, but pad is killing them... it could just be from work stress and i’m very tired, not sleeping well, and really, everything is sore, but I’m taking a break from DE (and pad games) until I can rejuvenate and re-evaluate them once the rest of me is well rested.

Get better soon!

 

As for the ice bomb, the Crucible would instakill after you lock them down with an ice bomb of course, but you're saying I can do all of that? It's such a minimal expense..! I'll try it, thanks.

 

By the way, with Ancient Gods II coming, they've teased an overhaul of the way the game can be played, and it mainly affects console users. It's likely that they're going to add quickswitching! You guys can finally get on our level!

[CDB2k20]

15 hours ago, Dayaan said:

Nice rig, but I gotta ask... Why controller?

I'm more comfortable using controller, as I have always used controller.

Though I'm current using keyboard and mouse for Black Desert Online.

[DarkSakul]

 

If you haven't notice, it's B.J. Blazkowicz

 

Edited March 11, 2021 by DarkSakul

[Dayaan]

I can't finish Ancient Gods hah. It's so hard. I keep on dying! Every time I finish a new fight, a new phase begins and I'm just sitting there like an idiot, getting cornered by 3 Barons and a Blood Makyr waiting for an Imp to spawn...

[Dayaan]

@MattatsuThe Ancient Gods Part 2 is out!! You better be grinding haha.

[Mattatsu]

Lol, it’s downloading now. Kinda busy today, but will beat it this weekend, if not before. Going to be stupid again and starting it on Nightmare from the get-go, but I hope I’m not trying to beat the boss for 7 hours straight again lol

Edited March 18, 2021 by Mattatsu

[Mattatsu]

According to the Doom Eternal patch notes, they fixed the blood punch and chainsaw “no target” glitches. Thank god.

 

I decided I wouldn’t try a UN run until these were fixed, solely because two of my runs were ended with these happening a few seconds before my death.... Obviously, I died for other reasons, but those failing me during my last ditch effort to survive twice annoyed me enough.

 

I recently got a PS5 though, and now kinda wanna wait until the next gen update lol, but idk if that will ever come now... I guess it depends if they’re going to do a season 2 pass or not

[Mattatsu]

Bro, TAG2 is ridiculously tough...

 

doesn’t help that the DualSense controller is a lot more sensitive than the DS4 is, so my aim is all over the place.

 

I’m hoping I’ll adapt soon. Otherwise I may have to bump it down to UV... I want to beat this soon before it gets spoiled for me

[Dayaan]

17 hours ago, Mattatsu said:

Bro, TAG2 is ridiculously tough...

 

doesn’t help that the DualSense controller is a lot more sensitive than the DS4 is, so my aim is all over the place.

 

I’m hoping I’ll adapt soon. Otherwise I may have to bump it down to UV... I want to beat this soon before it gets spoiled for me

I just finished TAG1 with a lot of difficulty.

 

Armored Barons are killing me in TAG2. I'm getting destroyed. How the fuck am I meant to play this??

[Mattatsu]

2 hours ago, Dayaan said:

I just finished TAG1 with a lot of difficulty.

 

Armored Barons are killing me in TAG2. I'm getting destroyed. How the fuck am I meant to play this??

They’re tough. I either used the microwave beam mod on their armor or the precision bolt to shoot their green ball.

 

the last one I faced, I was able to kill with ice bombs, grenades, and mobile turret in one shot before the armor came back.

 

I just beat TAG2 and it was awesome. I had to dial it back to UV though, because some arenas were frankly ridiculous on NM and I wanted to rush through this before the story got spoiled.

 

I’ll beat in on NM eventually.

Edited March 19, 2021 by Mattatsu

[Dayaan]

2 hours ago, Mattatsu said:

They’re tough. I either used the microwave beam mod on their armor or the precision bolt to shoot their green ball.

 

the last one I faced, I was able to kill with ice bombs, grenades, and mobile turret in one shot before the armor came back.

 

I just beat TAG2 and it was awesome. I had to dial it back to UV though, because some arenas were frankly ridiculous on NM and I wanted to rush through this before the story got spoiled.

 

I’ll beat in on NM eventually.

Dude wtf. I'm playing it on the easiest difficulty and I'm having issues. As for the DLC I think it's ridiculous how much they're making us use the goddamned Plasma Rifle. I'm starting to hate the weapon, and not in the good way that DOOM is meant to make you hate things. Frankly, I just get disinterested at the thought of a buffed demon, and speaking of which, Screechers and Spirits in one DLC was not the move. I don't like it. Stone Imps are an amazing addition. God bless.

 

I have yet to see anything past the first level. TAG1 had the best industrial environment in UAC Atlantica, but I couldn't find any unique things to talk about in Hell Swamps and the Holt. I always liked Taras Nabad, so seeing Argenta landscapes in TAG2 is great. It's not all that incredible, but it's great. As for the meathook platforming LMFAO. That shit is hilariously fun.

[Mattatsu]

I totally misunderstood what the screechers did in the first level. I thought they buffed everyone while they were alive and that shockwave when they died killed other people so I was using them as explosive barrels or just trying to take them out immediately to not buff anyone... and I’m ashamed at how long I held that belief for 🤣

 

also, in the last level I very nearly had a spirit jump into a Mech baron which, I don’t know if I could’ve beaten that thing lol... I wasn’t paying attention to what was in the arena with me at the time, but thankfully I killed the spirit before all hope was lost

 

you do use the plasma rifle a lot, but I actually liked it. I really had to swap weapons a lot more in this DLC than I’ve had to before which made me play very differently and use mods I haven’t really used before. I didn’t mess with the weapon wheel timing option at all, but now I’m going to reply the main campaign with it at the lowest delay which will take away the “last gun” feature, but hopefully allow me to use different and more combos, once I get used to it (which may take the whole campaign, at least)
 

also, yeah, those meathook attach points are awesome. I wished they used them more than they do.

 

and regarding difficulty, you just gotta work your way up. I tried UV on my very first campaign run a year ago and had to bump it down to HMP.  once I got somewhat comfortable there (to where I would die but never felt anything was impossible), then I’d bump it up to UV, do the same thing, and then bump it up to NM. Kinda forcing myself to adapt. It seems hard, maybe impossible at first, but it eventually becomes normal. Honestly, I was shocked how much easier TAG2 suddenly became when I dropped down to UV, and that’s not because of how good I am (I’m really not that good), but how much I’ve played on NM and how used to it I am. I haven’t played this game on UV in like 8 months, maybe longer.

 

Also, if I haven’t said it before, just keep moving. This game is honestly really easy if you just learn how to run around the arena and not run into anything dangerous. You can outrun everything in this game, and you can basically run in circles around the arena replenishing your resources off fodder. It actually can be a little too easy at times with this.

[Mattatsu]

They only allow you to reduce the weapon wheel time down to 70ms, so you can still use the “last weapon” feature, just the weapon wheel can come up a little quicker... Frankly I was looking forward to playing with an instant weapon wheel and no “last gun” option. Kinda sucks that we can’t select that.

 

70ms feels nice, but I’m worried I’m going to bring the wheel up too often when doing “last weapon” quick swap combos

 

edit: yup, 70ms is too quick for these fat fingers. The default was 130, and right now I’m playing with 110... really wish I could’ve just made it zero and deleted the last weapon function, at least just to play with and see if I liked it.

Edited March 20, 2021 by Mattatsu

[Mattatsu]

In TAG2 you use a lot of remote detonation for the rocket launcher for a specific enemy and it got me using it a lot and loving it.

 

I started a new main campaign but opting to get the remote detonation mod on cultist base (as opposed to lock-on burst) and really digging it. Lock-on Burst grants very easy kills (especially before you get the ballista and SSG) but at times it feels a little too cheap, and I hate locking on people and charging it - it kinda broke your momentum, and a decent amount of the time it would lock-onto someone you weren’t intending and have to fiddle around with getting it locked onto the right demon.

 

It feels nicer to have more control and not break your momentum so much, but it definitely ruins some of my cultist and doom hunter base arena strats, and makes it a bit harder, but I think I prefer it.

 

I also stumbled on this video and it gives me some stuff to work on:

 

[Dayaan]

13 minutes ago, Mattatsu said:

In TAG2 you use a lot of remote detonation for the rocket launcher for a specific enemy and it got me using it a lot and loving it.

 

I started a new main campaign but opting to get the remote detonation mod on cultist base (as opposed to lock-on burst) and really digging it. Lock-on Burst grants very easy kills (especially before you get the ballista and SSG) but at times it feels a little too cheap, and I hate locking on people and charging it - it kinda broke your momentum, and a decent amount of the time it would lock-onto someone you weren’t intending and have to fiddle around with getting it locked onto the right demon.

 

It feels nicer to have more control and not break your momentum so much, but it definitely ruins some of my cultist and doom hunter base arena strats, and makes it a bit harder, but I think I prefer it.

 

I also stumbled on this video and it gives me some stuff to work on:

 

Remote Detonation is so cool. I now hate lock on.

 

How do you feel about the new HUD?

[Mattatsu]

24 minutes ago, Dayaan said:

How do you feel about the new HUD?

Still getting used to it... I still keep looking at the original spots to determine my resources, and one time during a hectic fight I had a demon lined up with one of the icons (instead of the center reticle) and fired, thinking it was on the enemy.

 

i prefer below & small, but I think I’d prefer it large, if you could adjust the opacity.

 

you?

[Dayaan]

34 minutes ago, Mattatsu said:

Still getting used to it... I still keep looking at the original spots to determine my resources, and one time during a hectic fight I had a demon lined up with one of the icons (instead of the center reticle) and fired, thinking it was on the enemy.

 

i prefer below & small, but I think I’d prefer it large, if you could adjust the opacity.

 

you?

To be honest I didn't even notice they were there until the fight with Samur ended and I was like, "Wait, how long have they been there?"

 

It's ok, but I wish there was a Blood Punch SFX just like there is one for fuel. Also, come on, man. How are we not gonna talk about the improvements to Blood Punch and chainsaw and Glory Kill detection? This new patch completely changes the way I play this game, holy shit.

[Dayaan]

Double post: There is an Ancient Gods write-up coming from me in a few minutes.

[Dayaan]

PART I: An Exposition of the Haters

 

Spoiler

 

Let's firstly talk about what Ancient Gods addresses from the base game. The first thing it does is immediately establish that it is literally impossible to finish this expansion like you did the base game. You need to have a deep understanding of the faltering system, how it affects combos and how you want to go about making your personal setup as convenient as possible. You will die, and it will make Final Sin look like a joke, and Nekravol will look like fertile lands with rivers of milk and honey.

 

In respect of this information, let's dive into what TAG1 adds to the game. Namely, there is more platforming. A lot more. I dislike this, and that's great. It gives me something to do between fights, and distracts from the art direction of level designs in a clever way (I only mention this because I can see clear differences between the base game, the expansion and 2016 [I'm liking 2016's environment design more and more, and I am going full circle]).

 

New areas include UAC, an extra Hell region and an extra region in Urdak. I never liked Urdak. It's a beautiful place in the base game with eerie sounds and platforming and environments that generally made me physically uncomfortable, claustrophobic and squirmy. That happened a lot in Eternal, and of course in many games, but it was always in a pleasant way. Not Urdak. The Holt was, however, undoubtedly beautiful, and even more-so than in the base game. Urdak is now more than a collection of surface level artifacts. It's a lived in place with history and demons and gore. Perfect for what it tries to be. I just never want to go back there now. I've had my fill.

 

Urdak aside, let's tackle the UAC. I've heard people are tired of the UAC environments, and I don't get why. 2016 has, in my opinion, far superior UAC environments, but that's a different game with different absurdities to it. If you had a judgement to pass regarding the UAC in Eternal, can it and play TAG1. It is guaranteed to affect your opinion. Perhaps you grow more annoyed of the closed corridors, opaque walls and binary/industrial architecture. Perhaps you're like me and you cracked a smile when you killed a Tyrant in a room no bigger than a college dorm room, or fought 2 Marauders in spaces where your head touches the ceiling. This was a fucking amazing level, and I believe it was perfect. There was a Tyrant, Baron, Caco, Arachnotron and (most importantly) a Marauder presence. The heavy hitters of the game were all spread evenly, fairly and dangerously throughout the level. 11/10.

 

Hell Swamps. I hated this level too. There were weird inconsistencies for me. I felt like they were pushing their luck with platforming too much. It was unnecessary and gimmicky, unlike in Atlantica. This is a commentary on their confidence in their design philosophy. Clearly, a lot of work was put into these sections, and id new what they were doing, and I bet they were smiling the entire time. Additionally, I thought the fights varied in quality. I didn't like the one that everyone seems to love, but I adored the double Archvile fight. That was... pure genius. Definitely one of my favorite arenas in any DOOM. I disliked the ghost dog sections, and am disappointed to see them make a return in TAG2 from the little I've played. It's annoying, and I'm afraid it's going to become a design theme going forward. Cut it out.

 

Anyway, this was a short commentary on the levels, what I disliked and what they introduced to double down on the hate. I hope this provides context going forward.

 

 

PART II: New Challengers

 

Spoiler

 

As a professional Whiplash hater, you'd think I would hate the newest addition to the roster in the form of the Specter Whiplash. Surprisingly, I don't mind them. In fact, I didn't even realise they existed until I was halfway through my 5th attempt at an arena on Urdak. I thought they were Pinkies the entire time! In any case, let's take a look at them, shall we?

The Specter Whiplashes (SWs from here on) behave mostly the same as the normal Whiplashes. The key difference is not in their visibility like with the Pinkies, but rather, it's how you deal with them. Gone are the old ways of Homing Rockets and Microwave Beams. You have to focus aim on them, and it's just one more cog in the machine. They can be annoying, but to be honest they're only a problem when part of a larger group that you're freezing up anyway, and by that point they're visible enough to be dealt with in a flash. Cool new entrant. 8/10.

 

Let's talk about the Spirit. I hate this thing, and not because it's anti-DOOM. I may have said this before, but the attention that the Marauder can demand is so ridiculous sometimes that to fight one means to stop what you're doing and focus fire on this one son of a bitch. This is, in my eyes, very anti-DOOM. However, I love the Marauder. I actually think he's the best thing to happen to a modern shooter since Create-a-Class in CoD was given 12 slots instead of 8 or 10. He changes the pace of the game because he alters your directional movement and cuts off generic patterns. Spirits do not do this. Spirits are selfish. Spirits demand 1 on 1 attention, require you to use a slow killing tool to do any damage to them and make equipment worthless. Your enemies gain a movement buff, can't have their weak points knocked off, can't be frozen and have a huge health buff. That is great! I love that! But remind me again why I have to use a single weapon that kills movement speed horizontally and vertically, eats up ammo and cannot at least be frozen in place?

Ultimately I feel as though the reasons for the Spirit's existence is unjustified (not unjustifiable). Yes, they contribute to the difficult of the game, but to what end? I don't feel as though much is being learned here by the player, nor do I believe this does anything other than serve as something to make players uncomfortable. I'm sad to see it make a return in TAG2. Screechers are much, much better, and I love them.

 

Ok, now here's something I'm internally conflicted about. The Blood Maykrs are hilariously goofy. Invincible, but take a single shot to kill at the right time? That sounds pretty cool, and it's actually executed really well. Still though, it is DOOM Eternal and it wouldn't be complete without bugs. I've literally isolated BMs before after a big fight and aimed at their still heads and the shots do not register. I don't understand the reasoning behind this as this is isolated to them alone, and does not reflect the same issues as pre-patch Blood Punch and Chainsaw. That aside, it's quite unfortunate to me that Remote Detonation doesn't trigger this like it does to other weak points. It would be so much cooler, but I concede that it would also be far easier. Also, I would appreciate if Mobile Turret could take it down at all. It seems as though the weak point is reserved to PB and Ballista. Oh well.

More importantly, let's talk about what it does. In my mind, Blood Maykrs are worse Arachnotrons - until they do their big red attack. I still have no idea what that attack does, but I'm scared of it. Anyways, they're never a threat until they start throwing spears at you. At that point, they are the deadliest characters in the game. They do huge damage and slow you down to what feels like purple goo levels. Just... no. They definitely warrant fear and anxiety. I just wish we had more Archvile and BM combinations to make them even scarier.

 

 

PART III: Old Gods Die Hard

Spoiler

Fuck Samur, man. All my homies hate Samur. I have disliked pretty much every boss fight in DOOM Eternal. I know, I know. I've called them things like, "Sick!" "Rock and roll!" and of course, "Hype as fuck!" They are all of these things. They are also just bullet festivals. I loved the 2016 boss fights because the concept of emptying a magazine of 500 rounds into a Cyberdemon with no cover was novel and amazing. That has worn off. So how does one evolve past this? Make everything that isn't the boss do the work for you! Just make more gimmicks! 

 

I fucking hated that boss fight. There are not enough dicks in the world to feed to possessed Pain Elementals and Dread Knights. It was so gimmicky, so prolonged and anticlimactic and unnecessarily hard. I will not be replaying the Holt because of this.

 

Hmm... perhaps it sounds like I disliked it because it was hard. Maybe there is a part of me that feels that way, but ultimately I felt as though I learned nothing while playing through that fight. I didn't feel educated on how to manage my resources better, I didn't feel as though I had a solid gameplan, and most importantly I didn't feel as though there was a ceiling of learning that I could hit and then break past to master the fight. It was tough, yes, but it was the kind of pain that was mentally detaching and felt like I had little personal stake in the fate of the universe. I think using a possessed Pain Elemental and Dread Knight was ingenious if difficulty was the goal, but it doesn't go beyond that. I believe it was shallow.

 

 

It is currently 1:16am. I am tired and contented with the DOOM I played today. I know this probably sounds very negative, but trust me when I say my overall enjoyment of TAG1 was net positive. It's just very easy to point out its flaws. I also apologise if this is a hard read. I didn't follow MLA or IGCSE formats like I would normally do simply because I am incredibly sleepy. Please do try to tolerate run ons, spelling errors and possible contradictions.

 

Thank you.

[TheInfernoman]

Yeahh...I hate spirits...

[Mattatsu]

6 hours ago, Dayaan said:

Also, come on, man. How are we not gonna talk about the improvements to Blood Punch and chainsaw and Glory Kill detection? This new patch completely changes the way I play this game, holy shit.

Like in most games, you must have been playing it much smarter than me, lol. I never held back because the blood punch and chain saw were glitched. I went in with them headfirst expecting them to work and would only get pissed if they didn’t. This is partially why I stopped running UN. It was so annoying to have them fail and when they did, you’d often take a lot of damage, and sometimes it would be fatal.

 

I’m just glad they’re fixed now. I did have two moments when a should-be glory kill turned into a wasted blood punch instead, but they were both in the heat of the battle and I can’t recall how solid my aim was on the staggered demon.

[Mattatsu]

I liked TAG2 a lot, especially on the last level, but I do have a few minor complaints about it:

 

dizzy/marauders:

Spoiler

I’m not a huge fan of the dizzy animation and sound effect from the sledge hammer (it’s too cartoony and noticeable), and I especially don’t like that it now applies to marauders when you stun them normally, even in the regular campaign

 

new TAG2 weapon pickup:

Spoiler

the sledge hammer is cool. I like the dynamic it adds, but I hate the sound effect the pickup has when it’s sitting in the battle field. I can’t tell you how many times I cleared an arena and thought there was still a zombie groaning somewhere, only to realize it was the damn pickup.

 

Last boss battle:

Spoiler

I liked the fight a lot, but it seems pretty buggy. My main issue is the hitboxes on his attacks seem huge. I’m sure I dodged a lot of his attacks that still registered as hits.

 

I also wish the hammer would clear all of the fire demons like the tutorial said it would. It’s cool if it’s not supposed to, but then don’t say that it would. While I had a few guys on screen, I stunned the boss, and hammered him, expecting it to kill everyone and then I could SAG/ballista combo him, which I did, and didn’t realize a tyrant was still around who fucked my shit up.

 

[Mattatsu]

6 hours ago, Dayaan said:

(TAG1 review)

I agree with a lot of this:

Spoiler

 

I’m not a big fan of the torch areas (dog-fog arenas) in blood swamps and world spear either.

 

I didn’t like the TAG1 boss either. It is way too hard, especially on controller. Having to swap to PB to kill the blood maykr again and again is a chore.

 

I actually like spirits (will get into that later) but they shouldn’t have been part of the boss battle. It was way too reliant on them and made them feel like a gimmick. In my opinion, there should only be like one spirit per level.

 

also, UAC Atlantica is an awesome level. Definitely one of my favourites in the game, if not my absolute favourite.

 

 

Differing opinions:

Spoiler

 

I personally like spirits, when used sparingly. I think they did a better version of that in TAG2 (except for maybe the last level), but I do love what it does to a fight (should I kill them now? should I knock off the weak points off the mancubus, keep it alive, but draw the spirit to the other side of the arena and kill it there? Should I run around like a madman and kill that baron first? Etc). It adds a nice puzzle to the fight of prioritizing your enemies/shots, but again I don’t think they should used more than once, maybe twice, per level... I also don’t mind having to use the beam on them, and in fact, I think that’s partially why I like them. If you just freeze them and lock-on burst them, then there wouldn’t be any need for a strategy to when/where to kill them.

 

I like platforming, even in those trap sections in blood swamps. They were annoying when you had to go back to the start, but I liked the challenge and it fit the level well, imo of course.

 

I also like Urdak... I hated it at first, but the fights are very claustrophobic and I like how challenging they are... but this is the only level that I hate the platforming in. I hate those orange energy booster ring things. I do kinda like how there’s a lot of space between “buildings” so it’s kinda needed though, 

 

also, a tip for the blood maykrs, do NOT use ballista to headshot them. One of their attacks is an orange energy circle that acts like a a shield to the ballista. The ballista does not shoot through this ring and the headshot will not hit. Use PB only, as it pegs them through this fucking circle attack of theirs.

 

Edited March 20, 2021 by Mattatsu

[Dayaan]

2 hours ago, Mattatsu said:

I agree with a lot of this:

  Hide contents

 

I’m not a big fan of the torch areas (dog-fog arenas) in blood swamps and world spear either.

 

I didn’t like the TAG1 boss either. It is way too hard, especially on controller. Having to swap to PB to kill the blood maykr again and again is a chore.

 

I actually like spirits (will get into that later) but they shouldn’t have been part of the boss battle. It was way too reliant on them and made them feel like a gimmick. In my opinion, there should only be like one spirit per level.

 

also, UAC Atlantica is an awesome level. Definitely one of my favourites in the game, if not my absolute favourite.

 

 

Differing opinions:

  Hide contents

 

I personally like spirits, when used sparingly. I think they did a better version of that in TAG2 (except for maybe the last level), but I do love what it does to a fight (should I kill them now? should I knock off the weak points off the mancubus, keep it alive, but draw the spirit to the other side of the arena and kill it there? Should I run around like a madman and kill that baron first? Etc). It adds a nice puzzle to the fight of prioritizing your enemies/shots, but again I don’t think they should used more than once, maybe twice, per level... I also don’t mind having to use the beam on them, and in fact, I think that’s partially why I like them. If you just freeze them and lock-on burst them, then there wouldn’t be any need for a strategy to when/where to kill them.

 

I like platforming, even in those trap sections in blood swamps. They were annoying when you had to go back to the start, but I liked the challenge and it fit the level well, imo of course.

 

I also like Urdak... I hated it at first, but the fights are very claustrophobic and I like how challenging they are... but this is the only level that I hate the platforming in. I hate those orange energy booster ring things. I do kinda like how there’s a lot of space between “buildings” so it’s kinda needed though, 

 

also, a tip for the blood maykrs, do NOT use ballista to headshot them. One of their attacks is an orange energy circle that acts like a a shield to the ballista. The ballista does not shoot through this ring and the headshot will not hit. Use PB only, as it pegs them through this fucking circle attack of theirs.

 

I learned a lot from this, thanks. I will try to play TAG2 today. How many levels are in it?

[Mattatsu]

18 minutes ago, Dayaan said:

I learned a lot from this, thanks. I will try to play TAG2 today. How many levels are in it?

Three.

 

Have fun! I personally felt that each level got better. The last one was my favourite of the three.

 

They aren’t very big levels either, just challenging, especially if you do the second escalated encounters 

[Mattatsu]

Eternal’s TAG2 forced me out of my comfort zone and got me using different mods and weapons, which has lead to a lot of experimentation and allowed me to realize some techniques and tips, most of which are helpful for console players and I’m sure are already well-known, but I thought I’d post them here, just in case:

 

Precision Bolt Quickswap:

Spoiler

I never did PB quickswap combos before (because I assumed they’d require too much coordination for me to want to deal with on controller), but I decided to try it a bit and it really wasn’t that bad. What I realized though is that you don’t even need to just hold alt-fire when you swap to heavy cannon and then release, you can just hold alt-fire throughout the entire combo, as long as the alt-fire of your other weapon doesn’t interfere. The best combos with PB are PB + SSG (meathook will not release if you’re already holding alt-fire), PB + Rocket Launcher w/ Remote Detonation (the rockets will not detonate), and PB + Plasma Rifle w/ Microwave Beam (the microwave beam will fire, but it will stun lock them in place (depending on the enemy) so you can just keep firing free PB shots at some enemies, including barons .

 

Microwave Beam Stun-locks:

Spoiler

 

as mentioned above, you can use microwave beam in combos to stun-lock some enemies. This won’t work against demons with quick projectiles (as mancubi at least can fire off shots while they’re locked), but it does work against barons and hell knights at least. Also, you don’t have to combo this with PB, you can use use SSG or Rocket Launcher w/ Remote detonation and hold down the alt-fire the hole time. This could maybe work with combat shotgun auto-fire but the timing of it in combos seems tricky.

 

the only thing to be worried about these combos is everyone else. While you can keep a baron in place and lock him down for 5-10 seconds while you slowly kill him, other demons will happily take that time to flank you and mess you up, so be careful with it.

 

also, if you microwave beam a flashing GK-ready enemy and drop the beam (as part of the combo) it will bring them back to normal and you’ll lose the GK opportunity, so you have to be paying attention.

 

 

mastered micro missiles:

Spoiler

I have completely forgotten about, or neglected the damage buff to the mastered micro missiles if you kill someone with the regular heavy cannon first. It is so fun to kill a fodder demon with the raw cannon bullets, and then turn around and unload buffed micro missiles into that super heavy chasing you down.

 

changing weapon mods from within the weapon wheel:

Spoiler

 

I don’t know why I never noticed this, but if you bring up the weapon wheel, highlight a new gun, and press the change mod button, it will swap to the new gun with the new mod already installed. It doesn’t work if you’re already on the gun who’s mod you want to change (*) so just changing the mod without the weapon wheel would be quicker, but if you’re on SSG and want precision bolt, but know you have micro missiles installed, you can do this to swap directly to precision bolt. TBH, I hated switching mods mid-fight because the weapon wheel already made it fairly cumbersome, but I’d also switch to the new weapon, and then press the change mod button after I already swapped. This will be much more fluid.

 

(*) note: the only weapon that you can do this with while on the “same gun” is the BFG/Unmaykr... I suppose because you’re not swapping between mods but actually different guns that are just on the same slot on the weapon wheel.

 

also, I noticed something else about quick-swapping in general. I know it fired weapons faster than just firing on one non-automatic gun (obviously), but it seems to actually fire more than twice as fast. I held fire down with my rocket launcher against a building in the background of Taras Nabad and listened to the distant explosions of when the rockets hit the building, and if I did quick-swap Rocket Launcher with Precision Bolt combos the distant explosions of the rockets seemed to occur more frequently, plus there were the PB shots in between. That’s pretty crazy.

 

Edited March 21, 2021 by Mattatsu

[CDB2k20]

 

 

LOVE THE NEW MAIN MENU MUSIC!!!

[Mattatsu]

If you guys beat TAG2 on any difficulty, and do both of the escalated encounters per level, you get a gold BFG skin.

 

If you beat TAG2 levels on nightmare (you don’t have to do the second escalated encounters) you get gold skins for the rest of the guns (except for the combat shotgun, which you get as part of the Super Gore Nest master level).

 

I believe you get gold SSG and Heavy Cannon for beating level 1, gold chaingun and plasma rifle for level 2, and I guess gold Ballista and Rocket Launcher for the last level.

[TheInfernoman]

I'll never be this good but I always admire the skill these legends have.

 

 

[Dayaan]

So @Mattatsu

 

I'm something of an idiot. Remember when I said I was having issues even on the easiest difficulty in TAG2? Well... turns out I forgot I had set new binds. I was playing with the wrong controls the whole time. It's... really easy. Like, incredibly easy. This DLC so far has felt like Cultist Base. I don't have time to spend grinding games much any more, so I appreciate the ease in difficulty, but goddamn. Don't gotta put me in tutorial mode, sheesh.

 

I finished Level 1 and 2 in under 30 mins together. Now I have yet to play the final level, which I imagine is Immora. Yeah... I'm not happy this time around yet.

[Mattatsu]

Yeah, I was actually just going to mention that i replayed it on Nightmare now that I’m used to my new controller and it’s actually pretty easy. The hardest parts are the second escalation encounter fights in each level (with the second level one being the hardest IMO). The next hardest part is the boss, but he’s actually not that bad... May even be the easiest boss in the game.

 

I do like this DLC a lot though. As much as I loved the challenge of TAG1, i swear i was going to have a heart attack if I tried running it on UN. Hugo (the design lead) has hinted that there will be master levels made from TAG2 which will be awesome, as some of the arenas seemed really empty for how large the spaces were. But if this is true, I’m hoping it comes out soon... A lot of people are really pissed at how easy TAG2 is.

 

also, and where a lot of anger is coming from, when they updated the game for TAG2, they also nerfed a few things... They changed (nerfed) TAG1 and removed a bunch of enemies. The first level was changed the most, with them stating that it was better for the pacing of the three levels, which kinda makes sense as TAG1 felt like three master levels right from the get-go, but again, i hope they make master levels out of these because they also made changes to blood swamps and a lot of people are pissed, especially because these changes were done on nightmare and UN too.

 

finally, some enemies were nerfed across the game on all difficulties: arachnotrons now shoot a bit slower and are less accurate, the blood maykr delays a little bit before doing their attack (making headshots easier, which honestly, i’m happy with because they were hard af on controller making the last phase of the boss fight damn near impossible), and maykr drones dash less making it easier to aim/headshot.

 

because of the backlash, i think they’re going to revert some of these changes, so if you want those gold weapon skins from TAG2 or try a UN run, now is the time.

Edited March 23, 2021 by Mattatsu

[Mattatsu]

Proteh has released an updated version of his enemy randomizer to include for TAG2 so all you PC players should get that.. I’m incredibly jealous that i can’t.

[Dayaan]

@Mattatsua couple of things.

Spoiler

 

These difficulty nerfs are some of the worst design choices. Arachnotrons have literally always been a threat. Where do they get off making him shit? He's supposed to be dangerous regardless of skill. As it stands, he's a less deadly Hell Knight with projectiles that don't hit. He moves less too. So what makes him any different to a turret? An extra PB? Fuck off. I love the Arachnotron and this is not how you deal with him.

 

Eternal's boss fights always sucked. Let me establish that immediately, ok? After some retrospect, the best one has to be the first Marauder encounter... And that's not even a boss fight. Icon of Sin is about as cool as in classic DOOM. This is a good thing, of course, but it could have been so much more than the id Software equivalent of throwing flailing punches. Now we have... the Dark Lord. I don't think people understand how attached I became to the DOOM lore. I love it, and I can breathe it through my nostrils. I swim in DOOM lore. I have looked forward to the Dark Lord before I even knew the extent of his power, and to tell you the truth, I never thought we'd see him. I was fully content with this fact. After finishing TAG1 and seeing that he's just... Me... I went, "Oh, ok, I guess that's fine. I'm the Hell Razer, he's the Hell Raiser. Fine."

I was never totally satisfied with him just being a clone of me, but I UNDERSTOOD it.

 

Then there's the boss fight. What the fuck, man? I have a harder time dodging my mom's beatings and I've spent 18 years memorising her patterns. What kind of boss is this? TAG1's double Archvile room pre-TAG2 looks harder than what we have.

 

I don't want to be the one to say it, but I believe Maykr Drones needed to dash more. Reducing their movement was not the move. It was short sighted. Do they not consider the reward you get for hitting one in the head? Do they understand how good that is? Dude, you can straight up Meathook to a Drone and fire a single shell at point blank and they're gone. They dropped insane ammo and health. That's already way too much reward for something with 1 weak point that's held down by the Meathook. Way too easy; needed to be BUFFED. But instead the slowed it down more? Remove them then, fuck! I could have a better time driving to Walmart with a fake ID to pick up ammo.

 

Blood Maykrs needed to have their vulnerability time increased, I agree. I think I'm on the unpopular side for this, but this was a good change. What was not a good change was increasing the attack charge time. Why!? I'm saying this as someone that DOES NOT like fighting Blood Maykrs. If anything, the attack should charge faster! How can you nerf one aspect, and then neuter the identifying trait of the Demon (or Angel I suppose)? Did they learn nothing from Capcom's handling of Ryu until Season 5? This was a stupid change. 

 

I watched Mayo's review. I agree that Stone Imps are great additions. They function amazingly well too. I'm glad my full auto supremacy is being acknowledged. I don't agree with him saying that reskins got old/boring. I like them, and they are good reskins.

 

What sucks is the Cursed Prowlers. They sound the same, look ugly, require a dance breaking chase to fight, and force you to reserve a tool in case you get unlucky and they teleport to you. This sucks. Am I meant to stick a finger up my ass and go fuck myself if I don't have a Blood Punch? These guys are lame and are like the cousins that tell on you to your parents at gatherings and screenshot your DMs and posts on social media to send in the family group chat.

 

I think I already mentioned that I like Screechers, even moreso now. They are fucking hilarious. Why the hell wouldn't I kill one every time? Just give me a little difficulty, I mean come on. It's come to the point where I literally Chaingun an Armored Baron's armor off simply because I can. I also need more Armored Barons. There was one section on the first level where it said I could stun Armored Barons and Marauders with the Hammer, and then a single Armored Baron shows up entirely alone. What do I do? Make him sit down and wag his tail? 

 

Speaking of which, Thor would be embarrassed. I disagreed with Mayo on the subject of its strength. It's extremely powerful, yes. I do not believe it is overpowered, and I certainly DON'T believe it needs to be stronger. There are areas I would adjust though. I would render it ineffective Vs Cyber Mancubi, Marauders and Armored Barons. One thing I did agree with was the charge. Really? 2 Glory Kills? 2 weak points? Do they realise that shooting off one weak point from a Mancubus leads to a Ballista shot that will fill the Hammer meter regardless of where on the Mancubus it hits? What the hell is this? I mean it comes so often that I'm still treating it like the bloody Crucible. It's so easy to get that I forget I have it. And on the concept of comparisons, for the love of Allah, Jesus, Buddha and anyone else, please make the Hammer pick ups SHUT THE FUCK UP. I DON'T WANT TO FEEL LIKE DAREDEVIL HEARING THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUITRY IN MY MOTHER'S DUSTY VIBRATOR. Ahem... Excuse me.

 

On the topic of sound design, I don't have much to say other than the music is inaudible. I can't judge what I can't hear. I hated that the Blood Maykr and Armored Baron made Marauder creaking noises when attacking. I don't any more. I wish they were different, but... It's good. I'm not settling for mediocrity, I just see that I'm demanding something unnecessary. My request is redundant in the face of a present solution, so I'm not concerned. Good stuff.

 

LOL @ the environments for the first 2 levels. After playing them harder, big 👎. I've heard that people grew bored of the last level. That's stupid. At that point, you're looking to complain. The level is amazing. Red plastic and metal is everywhere. The dude is a megalomaniac and makes Eggman look like a chump. It's a good thing and a scary thing. People should start thinking about environments differently. Understand that it probably took billions of demons many millennia to mine the ore to build these battleships over the course of countless eternities for this final battle. Come on, dudes. Respect the designers and respect the history. Be engaged. The game was made for you to enjoy, not hate unnecessarily.

 

 

Oh boy, here I am with all my opinions, thinking that they matter. Maybe you Yankees are rubbing off on me, eh? Well I'm not telling you where we're hiding Bin Laden (spoiler: the Dark Lord's ass crack).

Edited March 23, 2021 by Dayaan

[Dayaan]

It's odd. I felt a distinct absence of Marauders in Blood Swamps and The Holt in TAG1. The Holt kind of made up for it with that mental Possessed Tyrant and DOOM Hunter fight with the normal Tyrant. That was kid of stupid, and I fucking loved it. One of my top 3 encounters in the whole game. Still, no Marauders, unlike in Urdak in the base game where they just randomly appeared and I was like, "Oh boy, here we go again."

 

Marauders are supposed to make you feel like the opening scene in Eternal when the Slayer gets angrier and cocks his shotgun. When that portal opens, my face physically gets angrier and in my head I actually hear "Ka-clack!" followed by the iconic riff. You know the one. At DOOM's Gate. E1M1 anyone? That's how Marauders make me feel. They're fuckin' awesome. Apparently they're too awesome for us because they are NO WHERE TO BE SEEN after UAC Atlantica. I don't even think I've fought any in TAG2. Maybe 1. Nothing of note that I can recall. LAME!

 

Where are my demonized friends? I'd like to fight more warriors! Perhaps a Screecher buffed double Marauder fight that is stronger by a Buff Totem and Archvile? Maybe POSSESS one (or both!) of the Marauders too? Holy fucking shit, that would make all of our balls drop a second time. 

[Dayaan]

Triple post!

 

Did anyone else realise they added Chaingunners to TAG2? When they confirmed Chaingunners, I was seriously angry, but I was under the impression that they'd be like in DOOM II. I was hilariously wrong. They are terrible in TAG2. They die from sticky bombs on the ground, simple grenades, and, of course, Remote Detonation. And of course they never hit a single one of their shots (which take ages to charge up and have slow bullet time). Combine this with their lingeringly slow movement speed and you have yourself a surprisingly effective substitute for an Olympic hurdle for track and field practice on Sundays.