An Idgames Troll Walks Into a Bar... (ID_GAMER.WAD)

AN IDGAMES TROLL
WALKS INTO A BAR...
by Michael Jan "valkiriforce" Krizik

2013 was a quiet year for Doomworld Forum superstar valkiriforce. A few single maps made it to the archives, but nothing on the scale of 2011, Brandon D. Lade's "Year of the Valkyrie". An idgames Troll Walks Into a Bar... is the only solo release that didn't find its way into PULSE (that I know of). It's a MAP01 replacement for Doom II, with a curious note that suggests that Krizik misses the anonymous, thoughtless needling of /idgames trolls and released this typical valkiriforce map as a way to stir up the hornet's nest. And, hey, you're the troll! At least, you're the dude who walks into a bar at the beginning of the map which has a big ol' sign across the top that says "IDGAMES" and then proceeds to ice all the Hellspawn inside.

Or, you could turn around and look elsewhere, since you're playing a city level. There isn't a whole lot of searching to do, but you might find an imp ambush paired with a SSG, or possibly discover the secret megasphere. Make sure you get your act together before you grab the red key, because the shit goes down once you snag it, releasing cacodemons, Hell knights, and mancubuses into your immediate vicinity through several transforming buildings. The SSG should provide a decent supplement to your rocket fire, but what you really wanna do is clear your way to the center of the fatso building and take the plasma rifle since there's so much ammo nearby.

After that, there isn't much. The only fights left are a tri-revenant brawl and a pair of arch-viles, both easily sorted out with the leftover plasma ammo. The main draw of a city map is in exploration, but as far as "Downtown"-alikes go, it's simple and doesn't require a whole lot of poking around to get what you need. Heck, the building you start at has both the yellow and red keys. The real trick is surviving the ambush once you leave the bar, after which you're pretty much home free. You can still nose around for the secrets, of course, but overall I'd say it's a straightforward outing, reminiscent of one of Christen David Klie's levels.

If you like short maps, city maps, and valkiriforce maps, then ID_GAMER is the PWAD for you. It's got a pretty good tune, too, that adds some welcome tension to this fast, fun outing. I'm not sure that I get the punchline, though...

SUCKS