Once upon a time, there was a legendary entity of incredible power, known as the Author. For unknown reasons, he has created our world and all the life as we know it - from here comes the name of the entity, as technically, it's the author of our world. The Original Author has already passed by, but his powers did not. They live.
Once in a really damn long while, a man gifted with the Author Powers is born. As soon as he becomes intelligent enough to realise his powers, and use them properly, he becomes able to do all kinds of impossibilities. Authors know everything that they can understand, they can read people's minds, and even control them. They can conjure anything from thin air, and make things work the way they could never work normally. They can create worlds... or destroy them as easily. Basically, their power is infinite, limited only by their imagination. They ARE the force to be reckoned with.
Now, dear listeners, you have asked why the hell that grenade goes boom in your hand even though you never let go of the safety spoon? Now you know the answer.
by HexaDoken ~ Wed Oct 10, 2012 1:31 pm
Single Player Maps
I prefer playing deathmatch to single-player maps in Doom. That's why I'll start with single-player maps I like. It's harder to choose between my favorite deathmatch maps!
Eternal Doom III Map05, Time Gate by Sverre Andre Kvernmo
This map was my favorite single-player map forever. I probably played through most of the Eternal wad but I've played this map over and over. If it's been a year since I last played it, it's been too long. Even before you get to the epileptic seizure inducing part, it's still a great map. You've been warned.
Alien Vendetta Map13, Suicidal Tendencies by Brad Spencer
Same here; and I know I've played the entirety of Alien Vendetta more than once. But this map keeps me coming back to play it again. I absolutely love the teleporters and that warehouse is probably the best warehouse use of UAC cargo ever.
Requiem Map13, Town of the Dead by Iikka Keränen
This is not and easy map. But it is just so damn memorable. Later, I found my mapper self using resources made by this author who moved on to doing Quake levels instead of Doom.
Realm of Chaos Map06, Splatterhouse by Steve Duff
The first five maps before this one in the wad are all memorable to me but this map almost seems out of place by how extensive it is. Now, looking at this screenshot makes me want to play the damn thing again... kill dem Cacodemonsh!!
Equinox Map10 by B.P.R.D. ~ the fuckin' Archvile spaceship
I've chimed in on Doom forums here and there and used Equinox as an example for my responses. I love the whole game but this particular map has a freakiness to it that can best be described as playing the original Alien movie. I could do battle with these asshole Archviles forever.
Hell Revealed Map26, Afterlife by Yonatan Donner
Apparently, I'd never played Hell Revealed far enough to reach this map until very recently. The very idea of doing battle with monsters in the void of space is both disorienting and satisfying.
Deathmatch Maps
Onslaught Map07, Deserted Base by G0dCells
This has the perfect mix of up and down, open vs. narrow passageway and has some of the coolest custom textures I've ever seen. The map is great for 1-on-1 duel but ramps up to eight players without issue.
Lazarus1j, Chain-Map26, by Chaindude
Same as the above mentioned Deserted Base but with cool see-through teleporter wall. There are other good maps to DM in the Lazarus1j wad.
abcdmv4 map28, Laboratorios ABC by Clan ABC
The Clan ABC deathmatch map pack is great. Theirs was the first I ever saw hud messages in another language (Spanish). This map was in the final, as far as I know, iteration that went abcdmv1, abcdmv2, abcdmv3, to this abcdmv4 wad. Each just added maps to the previous so if you have this file, you have it all. I always thought it was unfortunate that their accompanying txt file never listed the individual mappers to be credited. That's why I simply put Clan ABC as the author(s). This is my favorite map of the set but I have to admit that it might be because I'm a sucker for the jammin' MIDI tune. I had a link to their website on my Doom Links page but just found out that it's gone away due to VistaPrint wiping out history by eliminating Freewebs. Somehow, that feels so GeoCities.
Tlsd2004 Map09, Siberian Outpost by Chronohunter
I like about half of the maps in the The Last Strike DM 2004 edition. Some of my dislikes have more to do with some broken functionalities than a matter of distaste for their style. Between the maps I like, it's almost hard to pick a winner but most of the ones I like were made by Chronohunter. I chose this one because it's been the site of some total brutal 1-on-1 matches between myself and friends.
Fradm1_ Map07, Research Station by FranckFRAG
I had to choose between Map02, Adoration and this map. The former has been the site of some kickass times both on ZDaemon client as well as LAN. It needs to have many players in my opinion though. Therefore, Research Station gets the prize for its flexibility and is itself a beautifully textured alien environment. Good stuff!
Tnt Grievance Map09, Acid Lab by Richard "Styx" Jaspars
Styx' maps are basic from a texturing standpoint but absolute frenetic wonders when viewed through the game playing lens. It was tough to choose between his maps. Chaos from Tnt Pursuit is good. Fest of the Dead and The Dark Zone from Immortal Thoughts are even better but this map has got to be considered quintessential Styx.
Asdfjkl6 Map02, Asdf Square by a_pair_of_shoes
The origins of asdfjkl6 seem to be part of an online joke forum. When I'd first joined a server running the maps, I was treated to just that; some maps with odd theming choices like a grocery store, a bar/restaurant and even a Monopoly board. But this map here grew on me as being an actual honest to goodness great DM map.
Onslaught Map09, Bloody Computer Zone by Hobomaster22
Bloody Computer Zone goes back to my scalability thing. The map is great for 1-on-1 but even more chaos with a greater number of players. The heavy jam tune is probably the hardest tune I still like deathmatching to. Getting the plasma repeater or BFG involve either patience or great navigational skill that only adds to the flavor. Hobomaster is great!
Mega5 Map10, Moonhenge by Darkwave
I didn't think too much of the other maps in the Mega 5 DM megawad. This map stands out in both its design and texturing. I sometimes play the map with an add-on of my own which substitutes Demons for all the blue potion health bonuses littered around the interior of the buildings. The mural of the moon off in the distance where the BFG is kept is a classic "how did they do that?" moment for sure.
Unidoom DM 3 Map08, Sky Fortress by Mephisto
No list of great DM maps is complete without at least one entry from Clan Unidoom. Though Kokkenballz would be a great entry, I chose Sky Fortress due to the sheer volume of times I've DM'd this with friends. Too, it has a way of evening out the score between participants that I've never been able to fully explain.
Xfire 6 by Lee Szymanski
Map04 in xfire6.wad
Map22 in zdmappack1.wad
Map27 in Xfire6dk.wad (requires either dark2tex.wad or darken2.wad)
Lee's a classic mapper from back in the beginning of Doom. One of his maps was in Alien Vendetta and he'd carried over parts of that map into his xfire3 DM map. This map is one of two that I once retextured with the Darkening 2 textures resource to match the other DM maps from that project I'd loaded up on a deathmatch server. I'd originally run into this map as Map22 in the zdmappack1.wad file which at one point in time was distributed with the ZDaemon multiplayer port. I prefer to play the map from that file now because I like the music better.
Shoulders
of the
Giants