Path: ...!weretis.net!feeder8.news.weretis.net!fu-berlin.de!uni-berlin.de!individual.net!not-for-mail
From: Mr Rob <noemailformethx@jsjsaiiowppw.com>
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action
Subject: Re: DOOM: The Dark Ages
Date: Thu, 22 May 2025 14:17:01 +0100
Lines: 134
Message-ID: <a40u2kd8clr8nn1cjed25b57n451d5bk93@4ax.com>
References: <1sdb2kps4c8nbd1j9k0bu7cfkgor3rabl1@4ax.com> <8n1t2kt64qj2c1cut06ovlc19622t11v3l@4ax.com> <opit2khgsn8n5685ngpmlrd9pjkap6pcjf@4ax.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-Trace: individual.net XRShbLGyP/vJEeqzTnMwxQTTVdEkHoZtqAhS98cmFxB4tAtxTo
Cancel-Lock: sha1:pvy80zbOPfAxOf9J16jC/3ZYaKc= sha256:kX3UvDx9mH8PICYQ6GF55j56C+HHIidbOnKZX+M4b50=
X-Newsreader: Forte Agent 5.00/32.1171
Bytes: 4693

On Thu, 22 May 2025 08:01:32 +0100, Mr Rob
<noemailformethx@jsjsaiiowppw.com> wrote:

>On Wed, 21 May 2025 20:09:23 -0600, PW
><iamnotusingonewithAgent@notinuse.com> wrote:
>
>>
>>>Time will tell.
>>
>>*--
>>
>>I am really liking it so far!  Just finished the first chapter on
>>easy. I missed a lot of secrets and bonuses, just trying to get the
>>feel of the game.  I guess I will try harder from now on. 
>>
>>No jumping puzzles yet! :-)
>
>
>I'm on chapter 4. There were some *really* annoying sequences on the
>way, but I'm still playing.
>
>This is one of those games that if it was called anything else it
>would probably be more palatable.
>
>It's not DOOM though.
>
>Onward we go!


***SPOILER SPACE***


























Forking Hell! That was SO FRUSTRATING!


To get to chapter 4 and beyond I had to first defeat a caste champion
(boss). These champions have special gold armour (because of course
they do) that mitigates virtually all projectile damage, shield
bash/throw damage and power glove damage.

To get to break the armour the player has to deflect green energy
balls back at the boss so that it damages itself. But,but...to make it
REALLY FRUSTRATING it fires rows of columns of red and green balls,
randomly generated. You have to dodge the columns of red balls and try
to deflect the columns of green balls back at the boss. It's like
playing PONG.

The red balls damage the player so have to be dodged. The green balls
also cause damage but cause the boss damage also when deflected back.
I got killed quite quickly and just quit to desktop. Then I watched a
video of how to tackle that particular boss. I was in two minds
whether to try again but thought maybe, just maybe, beyond this boss
was some FPS action waiting.

OF COURSE there wasn't. Next up I got to fly a dragon.  To progress I
had to battle some turrets. NO shooting here though, oh no. Just
dodging. Not ordinary dodging, but PERFECT dodging. To kill the
turrets the dragons' weapon needs to be charged up to fire an energy
bolt. To do that you have to fill up a meter by performing PERFECT
dodges. Once the meter is full you can fire the bolt and kill the
turret. There are four of them and it was extremely tedious and
annoying to blunder past each one of them in turn.

Good stuff though because I made it past the annoying turrets and the
stupid PERFECT dodging, right?

Of course not. Next up is a giant demon that fires green energy bolts
at you, which of course requires you to execute the PERFECT dodge all
over again, to get that lovely power bolt to fire. Once you've damaged
the giant demon enough with that power bolt you can command your
dragon to bite the demons head off. Do it quickly though otherwise the
giant demon miraculously recovers. Start all over again, why don't
you?

WHAT A LOAD OF ROWLOCKS!

If the developers ever read this, please free to F the F right off
with following things in a DOOM game:

Giant robotic Titans.

Mechanised dragons with guns that don't do anything until you execute
the PERFECT dodge enough times.

The stupid energy bolt of miraculousness that comes from...somewhere?
Because *everybody* knows that the PERFECT dodge makes your gun more
powerful, right? 

Stupid tetris columns of red balls.

Stupid tetris columns of green balls

Stupid PONG mechanics

Anything else that reminds me of days gone when PC games felt like
consolised bullsheet ports.

You can leave the secrets in. But PLEASE don't imply that I've somehow
failed if I choose to ignore them. Imagine if that other 73% were
*actual* playable content? That would be great. Actually, please don't
because it will probably mean more stupid PERFECT dodging and dumb
tetris PONG mechanics.

..

-- 
Rob