@Fiendish Demos:
fd_resurrectionv2_1.lmp <- I just rush here
fd_resurrectionv2_2.lmp <- I take it more seriously and beat the map.
SOME REAL CRITIQUE TIME:
I decided to play this map full force and the extra abundance of ammo made it pretty easy to do so. I think I played it pretty efficiently but by the end I had plenty of ammo and just held left-click as I blasted through for the most part. I miss the eggs, and they actually would have come in handy to prevent deaths in the first demo (for crowd control). I actually forgot I had the phoenix rod for the most part after acquiring it as there wasn't much reason to return to using it afterwards. I do feel like there's too much ammo now on that note since I didn't ever use the phoenix rod to deal wider damage to save ammo on the ol' reliable crossbow and dragon claw.
The sigil lighting the floor makes sense knowing what's ahead, but I wonder if players will stay confused by it. Maybe you can glow a sector from away as well to hint a secret area (with an egg if anything)? To give it purpose in the moment, but easily recalled when they re-appear.
I find the area in and around where the gaspods are in particular to be a bit stale as it's just clearing the area of the usual enemies until the path to progression is found. Some spice and variety could do well, maybe an iron lich when you turn the corner before pressing the switch to access the yellow key? I feel that area is lacking in interest. For instance there's not much reason to enter the outdoors outside of picking up an item seen there. Instead of the few monsters on the emptier end of the area there could be a small place to explore there, like a separate crypt or storeroom. Would be a good place to stock some supplies.
The entire secret combat scenario was a bit odd, but it did allow me to restore health through the gauntlets and tome of power. I wondered if it was part of the progression until I remembered you saying you implemented an optional area.
If the map is easy to blast through and there's not that much to explore then without that resource management the map becomes a bit stale and makes it too obvious how a sizable portion of the map is just rooms to battle through with no real stakes. If it wasn't greatly detailed then the areas that don't have anything too interesting about them would be quite bland and reveal themselves to be lacking in the level design department. It'd be nice if the Hellstaff got more use too.
This map feels like it could easily be translated into a Doom map rather than remaining a uniquely Heretic map.
In the optional area I noticed this torch higher than the rest.
