"Lost Dungeon" by 一幡 公平 (Ichiman Kohei) (2010l

 While I have never engaged more than a modicum in urban archaeology or ruins exploration (though one of such few times was also the only time in my life I was given a tour of a police station...) I have always been an armchair fan those who dauntlessly explore long-forgotten locales of human history, now returned to nature. There are, of course, degrees of craziness to it: while I enjoy stuff like Insiders Project, I also don't mind those who take a softer approach to the field, fully remaining within the legitimacy of law.

I have reviewed in the past a dōjin publication by Ichiman Kohei, released through their dōjin circle ヘリオトロープ (Heliotrope), though a somewhat unusual one, as it didn't focus on urban / modern ruins, but rather on moody traditional Japan alleys.  This time, however, we have a collection of photographs that squarely focuses on one of the many subcultural interests of Japan's otakuness: military history and, by adjacency, military ruins. 

Tomogashima Island, today a very popular natural park attracting both domestic and foreign tourism, is best known for its Meiji- era military fortifications, now entirely abandoned. The cannon batteries are, apparently, particularly well preserved, and the only example of their kind in all of Japan. I go by reading and hearsay, as I've never been to Tomogashima personally.

Ichiman offers, in a A5-sized, full color, 16 pages booklet an overview of their photographic exploration of the fortifications, all according to the typical style of Heliotrope: little historical insight, but a lot of very pleasing eye candy. Far from documentary exactness, all pictures are heavily edited, saturated and tinkered with, so as to turn the rather prosaic historical ruins into a sort of otherworldly, fairy-like kingdom where Ghibli characters wouldn't feel out of place (as a side note, I wish there was more scholarship studying the undeniable link between Miyazaki and his interest in history and war). Through a Hamilton-style, slightly out of focus lens, the brick batteries and barbicans take a sort of magical appearance, something out of a daydream. 

Sadly, seems like Ichiman has fallen off the radar (or changed pen name) a while ago, so all I can leave you with is a dormant blog and the usual secondhand links, should you want to get your hands on some of their stuff - which, by the way, seems to be rather rare and coveted, judging from prices.  

DBP60: Eldritch Voyage

 The new Doomer Boards Project is out, this time exploring ancient East Asian ruins and forsaken tombs. I have no less than three maps in this one - I really liked both the concept and the texture selection provided, so I went the extra mile. I also made a MIDI for one of the maps, something I'll hopefully do more often in coming projects.

There was some interesting tech at play this time as well. The respack used a series of animated, dithered bleeding midtextures to simulate deep water, a la kdikdizd. I'm usually not a fan of engine-exploiting tech, but I did get some mileage out of the effect. 

Also a very good skybox. Thelokk deep lore: skyboxes are the most important part of a Doom map, and usually the main factor whether I choose to partecipate in a project.

MAP10: 'Ossuarium Endoterre' - yup, a jab at the weakest map in one of my least favorite 'big' megawads, Ancient Aliens It's all in good fun. Tried for a more open-ended, early Sunlust-like layout, where you can access almost everything right from the start. Encouraged by MrZzul's feedback I also tried a more creative application of a secret key, which triggers a small but fun secret fight. One other secret is a tribute to a certain Sunlust map... map can be broken in one unintended way (the danger of copy pasting sectors) which I will eventually fix.

MAP12: "Sunken Garden" - a more 'traditional' map, at least from my point of view. Started as a take on 'Tricks and Traps', which is why you see all keyed doors right at the start, and the exit too. You revisit the central room a number of times, each one with more enemy spawns. There are a couple 'trick' fights, including a fraggable spidermama and some coreographed cybie infighting. 

It's a very dark map, like most of my maps. I tend to work a lot in the 128-160 range, which I really like but occasionally hampers gameplay. Something to think about for the future.

The map is dedicated to Matt Weirmaa, one of my buddies when I was over in Minnesota who I learned has recently passed away. 

MAP14: "Eldritch Voyage" - my first credits map for a DBP, it's a quick and fun BFG smap (not really my kind of map, and something I rarely make) followed by a short credits sequence. Nothing crazy but it wraps up nicely the wad I think. Every participant has a decoration, chosen randomly except for one. I'll let you guess which one.