I ask you, dear reader: what greater joy is there than a 100-linedef map? ‘Tis a bliss like no other, whether in the playing or the making. Thank our lucky stars that Arsinikk and NinjaDelphox have blessed us with a Doom II WAD full of them, here at the end of all things.
I really didn’t expect to be writing about any 2022 WADs in this last stretch, but what else could I do when a brand new, 32-map linedef limitation project comes out? Make room in the docket — that’s what!
100 Line Massacre is the work of two mappers, alternating authorship with each map. Odd-numbered levels are heavily combat-driven, credited to NinjaDelphox. Arsinikk handles the even-numbers, which are more experimental and concept-y. You’ll probably end up losing track in any case, though, since both mappers do a fair deal of thinking outside the lines. It’s fascinating, because you’d expect the possibilities for 100-line maps to be pretty limited, but very little in Massacre is exactly what I was expecting.
When I’ve dabbled in this sort of limitation project, my maps come out super angular and ugly as I stretch each of my linedefs as far as they can be stretched. That isn’t so much the case here, with many of the maps not looking half bad. Ninja in particular has taken the opposite approach, packing a basic but respectable amount of detail into the self-contained arenas where the majority of the maps take place. They’re more square and “normal-looking” than any 100-line maps I’ve seen before, strewn with highly inventive and punishing combat setpieces.
The Arsinikk joints can be just as punishing, sure, but the mapper clearly loves a good gimmick. There’s a delightful bit of keep away with the key in map04, for example. The setup of map16 has you walking on eggshells in a room stuffed with hard-of-hearing arch-viles. Map26 even manages to establish a nicely creepy tone prior to its explosive climax, all within the narrow limit.
As much as Arsinikk’s style speaks to my soul, actually it’s Ninja’s map13, Dance Monkey, that might be my favorite. The thing had me chuckling from beginning to end.
On further reflection, I think the reason I’m so drawn to 100-linedef projects is rooted in their unpretentiousness. By their very nature these maps can’t even pretend to be some great, impressive work of art. They are what they are: raw gameplay laid bare. And it’s so simple to make such a map — such a direct and immediate translation from idea to finished product — that you can’t help but feel a bit of the joy of that creation while you’re playing them.
100 Line Massacre requires DOOM2.WAD and runs on any sourceport out there. If you’re not sure how to get it running, this may help. And for more awesome WADs, be sure to check these out!