Uploaded October 2024 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
Download Bitter Dream: doomworld.com/forum/topic/148717-bitter-dream-release-thread-rc4-update-10-mbf21-maps
I composed this MIDI on and off over the course of 9ish months, pretty much alongside the development of its map, Starforge.
Its original iteration was about 5 minutes long, had a very different sounding chorus (which it returned to) and the saxophone solo was only about half as long. As the map began to grow, I felt like the song needed to as well. One lesson I learned from the very first MIDI I ever wrote for Doom, is that if you have a really long map, it's highly likely that a high energy song will get very annoying before the map is done. I didn't just want to write a completely downbeat, mellow song for this map given that it's the penultimate map in the set, and needed a certain bravado to match, but I knew it needed parts that would hopefully hold up to repeated listens.
The song has a slow build to mirror the quiet moments leading up to action at the map's start. This intro portion is also a semi-callback to Map 5's midi (get it? "Your Reflection" and "The Emptiness Staring Back"...) and there were considerations given to referencing other midis from this project to tie things together, but ultimately I didn't find room for them.
This song also contains a 2ish minute long saxophone solo which I suppose was a bit of a risk? I've always loved the sax's ability to take on a bittersweet, mournful or nostalgic tone, something I felt like this map's music needed. I also just really love saxophone solos (like I can't tell you how many times I listened to M83's Midnight City just for the sax solo at the end) and I wanted something that would really feel like a groove while you were fighting with the grand visuals in the background.
It also took me a long time to get a satisfactory looping bit at the end of the song. I had a very different ending for a long while, but it got incredibly annoying eventually while I was playtesting. I settled on this very mellow coda to bring the song to a close but also to hopefully mesh up with moments during gameplay after action has ended and the player is taking sight of the rest of the map or just reflecting on things.
Download Bitter Dream: doomworld.com/forum/topic/148717-bitter-dream-release-thread-rc4-update-10-mbf21-maps
I composed this MIDI on and off over the course of 9ish months, pretty much alongside the development of its map, Starforge.
Its original iteration was about 5 minutes long, had a very different sounding chorus (which it returned to) and the saxophone solo was only about half as long. As the map began to grow, I felt like the song needed to as well. One lesson I learned from the very first MIDI I ever wrote for Doom, is that if you have a really long map, it's highly likely that a high energy song will get very annoying before the map is done. I didn't just want to write a completely downbeat, mellow song for this map given that it's the penultimate map in the set, and needed a certain bravado to match, but I knew it needed parts that would hopefully hold up to repeated listens.
The song has a slow build to mirror the quiet moments leading up to action at the map's start. This intro portion is also a semi-callback to Map 5's midi (get it? "Your Reflection" and "The Emptiness Staring Back"...) and there were considerations given to referencing other midis from this project to tie things together, but ultimately I didn't find room for them.
This song also contains a 2ish minute long saxophone solo which I suppose was a bit of a risk? I've always loved the sax's ability to take on a bittersweet, mournful or nostalgic tone, something I felt like this map's music needed. I also just really love saxophone solos (like I can't tell you how many times I listened to M83's Midnight City just for the sax solo at the end) and I wanted something that would really feel like a groove while you were fighting with the grand visuals in the background.
It also took me a long time to get a satisfactory looping bit at the end of the song. I had a very different ending for a long while, but it got incredibly annoying eventually while I was playtesting. I settled on this very mellow coda to bring the song to a close but also to hopefully mesh up with moments during gameplay after action has ended and the player is taking sight of the rest of the map or just reflecting on things.
![ABSCISSION (part 1) [WIP] by Snaxalotl (Maps 1-7)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/OApB1OkTs8I/mqdefault.jpg "ABSCISSION (part 1) [WIP] by Snaxalotl (Maps 1-7)
Abscission is Snaxalotls follow-up to Stickney Installation, and the first 7 maps have been released to the public. The project aims to replace all 32 Doom 2 maps, and what weve got so far is a very promising start. Vanilla Doom 2 provides a basis of inspiration for Abscission to center its maps around, but Snaxalotl makes sure the blood of these maps is still her ideas. This is shaping up to be a project to look forward to, so be sure to give it a try!
Download it here: https://www.doomworld.com/forum/topic/132593-abscission-a-wip-vanilla-doom-2-megawad-7-maps-complete/
Chapters:
Map 01: Arrival 00:00
Map 02: Water Purifier 03:56
Map 03: Hydroelectric Grid 13:08
Map 04: Service Tunnels 18:44
Map 05: Sludge Conduit 25:55
Map 06: Slag Dump 34:58
Map 07: Corroded Ruins 49:44")
