Topic: What's Your Favorite D1/D2/D3 level?

[Scyphi]

By which I mean the official campaigns from each respective game (First Strike, Counterstrike, Retribution...we can throw in Vertigo Series and Mercenary as well). Custom levels are well and good, and I have plenty of favorites in that department too, but I hear lots of people talk about their favorite custom levels, but rarely discuss their favorites from the actual campaigns. So...what's your favorite level from the D1/D2/D3 campaigns, in terms of playability, design, or overall look, if not all three?

I'll start:

D1 is hard to choose for, because there are a LOT of levels in the original D1 that I enjoy greatly, and probably less than a year ago I probably would've given you a different answer, but after recently replaying the game, I think in the end I have to settle on D1's level 14, the Europa CO2 Mine. Each of the D1 levels tend to stand out to me because each one appears distinct from all the others in some wau, but of all of them, level 14 stands out slightly more than others for me for two reasons; one is it's texture palette, specifically that yellow-ish texture it uses heavily throughout most of the level. Other levels probably use it too, if not more, but for some reason that texture always makes me think of this level, and seems to fit its overall look well. The other reason is its design and architecture; this is really the first D1 level in the main campaign that really extensively uses the symmetrical level design that later became so popular with many level designers, yet it uses it in a sort of "branching out" feel, leaving a sizable level to explore. Furthermore, the level does not stick to that symmetrical look for the whole level, and has parts that are deliberately NOT symmetrical, making for a great and sudden change of approach to the level to shake it up. Its design of certain rooms, especially the first few, are unique, some unique to specifically to this level, and has a little bit of everything in it; long winding tunnels, big rooms to strafe around, pits, and so on; all of the staples of a Descent level for the day. And finally, it's just fun to play. I found it in this recent playthrough well paced and fun to fight and fly around. Its attached song also helps. It's not my MOST favorite song in the game, but it's not a bad one either, and it's a song that stand out in the soundtrack because its not really like all the other songs, and even in it's original hmp's and q's format you can hear a distinct rock-like sound to it most of the other songs don't have. So all in all, a well-balanced level that's well-designed, and has a little bit for everybody.

For D2, it's a tie for either level 3 or level 4 in the opening Zeta Aquilae levels. Any level after that (with a few exceptions here and there) in the D2 campaign, and the levels start blurring together for me and come off as just more of the same and somewhat nonsensical or illogical in layout that just doesn't stick in my memory. The first four levels of D2, however, were still in the stage where the game was keeping to roughly the same feel and method as presented in D1, but was building off it rather than reinventing it, while also presenting a new angular look that D1 had never really explored. Of those first four levels, the third and fourth stand out the most. The fourth is for somewhat obvious reasons; the level is very original in design and method, and seems to almost be going out of its way to try and deliberately go contrary to the trademarks of Descent, resulting in a level that really doesn't play quite like any of the others, and is a level I really kind of wish we saw more like it elsewhere in D2. Level 3, on the other hand, I just love the overall look of, and always have. It seems to me that level three would be an excellent level to show to new players so to show what D2 feels and looks like overall. Its the sort of level I think back on and makes me excited to go back and replay, something I wish I could say for more D2 levels, I really do.

For D3, I think I have to choose level 11, the titan level whose exact name alludes me off hand. But again, this is a level that has a nice and expansive symmetrical design to, but unlike D1's level 14, this one works increasingly upwards and has a very interwoven feel to, with tunnels weaving around each other in such a way that it demonstrates some thought went into this level. It's also one of the few D3 levels that actually feels like a mine, maintaining the new D3 look, but also having a faint callback feel to D1/D2's overall level designs. It's song is brilliant, one of the best in the D3 soundtrack, and it helps that the level has a twist and unexpected ending.

For Mercenary, it's level 3, the CED Tracking Station, hands down, without competition. While I love the Mercenary level set altogether, level 3 is the one that really pushed new boundaries resulting in a massive but entertaining and challenging level that really demonstrated just what D3 could do when pushed to it's near max. It's also one of the most inventive of the D3 levels, going as far to generate something of a subculture for the robots in that level. There's lots to look at and do. The song is great too. It's only flaws is that it does sometimes have a pacing issue or two, especially if you're playing it for the first time and get stuck, which is actually fairly likely to happen (took me forever to figure out how to get past that one ventilation fan, where you bounce your shots off the forcefields. In fact, it actually wasn't me who finally figured it out but Techpro). Some parts get perhaps a little redundant, though the level tries to throw new things in to keep it interesting. But despite this, getting past those points is almost always worth it. My favorite part of the level is that central room with the funky gravity/airflow that bounces you up and down periodically (depending on where you are in the room). I'm still somewhat struck by it's size and scope of that room that upon entering it, I almost always have to stop and admire it for a moment before continuing. First time I reached that room after FINALLY getting past that pesky fan earlier, very frustrated, and getting a good look at that room, I realized making such an effort to get past one fan was totally worth it.

I've never managed to finish the Vertigo series campaign, always getting bored of it somewhere around the 10th or 12th level, and it's been good long while since my last attempt to play the campaign, so I can't really name a favorite from that today.

But those are my favorites; what's yours?

[Kaiaatzl]

D1's level 14 track is one of the best remixes on the PSX soundtrack...
You're missing out on the best parts of Vertigo if you haven't made it past 12, the best maps in the campaign start popping up around 13 - 18.  I kind of abandoned my let's play on 11, but I still want to go back...

I'm not one for favourites cuz my brain doesn't like hierarchies... I can't put my likes in to such a specific order, but I can certainly say that I like something.
I know mission 11 in D3 really stood far above the rest of the game for being very explorable with loads of side-sections but still having a clear goal and progression, using most of the best enemies in the game and for those cool sections where you have to avoid cameras.
In Descent 2 all of Limefrost Spiral (except the secret), most of Baloris Prime and the first Puuma Sphere mine really stood out for nebulous reasons including ice.  In Descent Maximum it was Brimspark because they didn't do ice justice.  Vertigo barely had any ice so I had to settle on other things.  But I don't have any specific favourite in Descent 2.  I still feel like the level and robot design for the whole game was better the rest of the series.
I don't have a favourite in 1 either, but I remember liking sections where the game got really creative... map 16 had some really inventive room designs that took real advantage of the 6DoF and the music track was very creative and unusual.  But there was also map 25 with its really distinctive room structures that still feel really distinctive, there was level 2 with the winding hallways and drones around corners... although I think a lot more could have been done with that design later in the game with more powerful bots... especially in a game that didn't really have enough enemy types for its length.
There were lots of maps in the game based around winding hallways but 2 did it best.  Unless 9 did, I can't decide...

* Kaiaatzl just keeps talking to himself but forgets to keep typing

and then he remembers

All of Mercenary was cool, but when it comes to situations in games that reward you for subtlety and cunning and generally encourage you to be clever, I've never seen a map in any game (or at least any shooter) that's equal to Mercenary level 5.  And I've looked... all the games these days take all the fun out of it by telling you exactly what to do.  I guess gamers don't like to think for themselves anymore...
I wouldn't say it's my favourite map in the series cuz it's still got some things going against it, but it's up there.

[-<WillyP>-]

I never really thought of a favorite, I guess, like Kaiaatzl, my thoughts don't work that way. I can't recall any level I didn't like, though many had a few annoying elements. And many parts of D1 and D3 I remember especially well, but it's been a while since I played them and I can't recall what level they were part of.

[Scyphi]

The Limefrost levels in D2 are definitely noteworthy in terms of style, but I don't have any particular favorite from the set. Like I said about other D2 levels, they kind of end up blurring all together for me. But at least for the Limefrost levels, D2's tendency for wild level layouts works to its advantage as it gives it a very ice cavern sort of feel which I suspect is what D2 is shooting for with all of its levels (a more authentic, cavernous, feel), but I feel its with the Limefrost levels that it really worked at its best. The texture scheme also successfully gives the levels a cold, icey, feel. You can almost feel the cold of the mines.

You're missing out on the best parts of Vertigo if you haven't made it past 12, the best maps in the campaign start popping up around 13 - 18.

You're probably right, I ought to give Vertigo another chance. Maybe after I'm done with my current playthroughs of D1 (in the later levels now), my selection of favorite custom levels for D1 (I have many), as well as my current playthrough of Mercenary (which shouldn't take long, Merc always did play fairly fast, sadly) and maybe my favorite D3 custom levels while I'm at it there. Priority on these customs levels simply because I'm playing D1/D3 off their Steam versions, and I haven't yet transferred the custom levels over to them yet and it seems like that'd be a good time to replay them. I'm actually kind of looking forward to playing those D1 custom levels in Steam D1's original pixalatedness (yes, I've been playing D1 with it's original low-res rendering. I know it's graphically inferior to what we have now, but there's something I like about playing D1 in it's literally purest state. It's hard to explain.)

I forgot about the Maximum levels, but it doesn't really matter for me. Even though I perfer Maximum's level designs over D2's, funnily enough, I've only ever played through the level set fully once, and that was years ago, so I couldn't really pick a favorite right now.

Hmm...note to self, then...

[Kaiaatzl]

Yah I tend to prefer Dosbox over Rebirth cuz Rebirth has just enough differences from the Dos version to make the little things really stick out.  And playing the D2 redbook soundtrack from a CD (not the original CD, a CD I burned with the 12 tracks in the right order and an empty one at the beginning) doesn't loop properly either, so I have to use 10 super-sized ogg files instead.
Unfortunately with the GOG version of the game I can only get the midi and Infinite Abyss soundtrack for D2.  I heard the steam version was the same but I'm not going to try it myself... I'm not giving Interplay any more money.

[Scyphi]

I'm not giving Interplay any more money.

Yeah, I've heard a lot of people say they're going to do that after...recent events...but I fail to see how it'll help the Descent franchise in any way, seeing that Interplay still seems to be the sole holder of rights to the franchise, whether we like it or not. They may have been idiots over their handling of it, but that's them and not the actual game which doesn't deserve the punishment. I'd much rather see Interplay to live long enough to learn from their mistakes and be able to turn things around in some manner, even if slight, rather than punish both to the point that Interplay goes under and takes Descent with it.

To be fair, though, I didn't get Steam D2 either, but more because of all of the three Descent games, I confess D2 is my least favorite. Still a good game, I just don't like it as much as the other two. And I already had Rebirth D2 and figured I didn't need the Steam version of it too.

I got Steam D1 and D3 though because D1 was guaranteed to come in that low-res look that I hadn't seen in years and it made me very nostalgic, and D3 because it was the one that didn't have modified support for modern systems yet like D1/D2 with Rebirth, etc, and feared it wouldn't run on newer systems for much longer if I didn't get the Steam version (though granted, I don't know if that actually guarantees me anything, but a guy can hope somebody had the foresight to address that when putting it on Steam and indeed, Steam D3 seems to run slightly better than the version I had been previously running). That, and I was genuinely surprised to see it appear on Steam at all.

[Kaiaatzl]

I'm pretty sure Interplay will go under.  A company can't keep making such horrible decisions forever... eventually their hate will come back to bite them like hate always does (one thing Star Wars got right lol).  They're like a terminal cancer-- I mean it's like they have terminal cancer.
Heh, we could even form a company and buy up the brand when it goes up for auction.  Then we'd have control over what companies get to make the next game, and we'd get to make sure they did.

Do you think we should go back to the topic?

[TechPro]

My favorite D1/D2/D3 level (or levels)?   My favorite is probably the original mission set in each.  Aside the the multi-player and fan made levels, it's the original mission set I come back for time and time again... and also anything by Ron Lester (in Descent 3).

Yeah, I'm an SP fan.  But I also like the MP mode, it's just that MP doesn't occupy nearly as much time and thus is at times... fleeting.

[Kaizerwolf]

Oh man this is a tough one. Descent and Descent 2 are hard to remember the levels for me, most likely because my first of the series was Descent 3, so it stands out the most in my mind. But I'll give it a shot.

For D1, I would say Level 7, with the first boss. The map itself was an interesting and confusing design, the rooms were really cool, diagonal pathways were made inside rooms, and the boss room was huge and difficult.

For D2, I honestly don't know. There were a lot of levels with huge designs, and it's hard to remember.. I've only even played the D2 campaign twice. I should really do it again...

For D3, it's a tough choice. I like Level 4 for the subway challenge and the idea of playing through the city. I like Level 7 because of the music. I like Level 10 because of the music and the way the level was designed. I like Level 13 because of the music and the level design. I like level 14 mostly for the music! But to pick a complete favorite, probably level 10. The stealthy parts of the level were difficult to implement with Descent's engine (a bot spots you and you don't see it...) but it was still a fun level.

For Mercenary, level 7, hands down. It was a massive level, not just in the time to play, but in its design. The music was killer too, and the boss was not Hellion difficult, but still a challenge.

[Kaiaatzl]

My favorite D1/D2/D3 level (or levels)?   My favorite is probably the original mission set in each.  Aside the the multi-player and fan made levels, it's the original mission set I come back for time and time again... and also anything by Ron Lester (in Descent 3).

Sooo... that's only everything?