Switcheroom 2 - Alpha 2

Hopefully this is looking OK?

Start area comparison (I brightened the images after taking the screenshots - I'm keeping similar outdoor light levels atm)

traversd said:

Hopefully this is looking OK?

Yes, it is. Make sure to overally keep the map (areas of interest, layout structure) faithful-enough to the original, that's it. :)

Looks great!
Maybe killing all the arachnotrons in the end will reveal the exit instead of that ridicilous switch hunt.
Killing all the mancubus may reveal a secret.

I was actually bored enough that I've finished my MAP07 attempt, despite Traversd claimed the slot. I'm posting it here, but not as a submission to the project - Traversd's map will take priority.

The map is utterly lowly playtested. Still, I'd be glad for feedback. I'm curious if it's like my D2INO MAP07 or an improvement.

Download: De Facto Dead (MAP12 layout with Base aesthetics, in MAP07 slot)

Screenshots:

Wish i could say more about the map but i didn't make it very far.
You allready loose about 40% health before you reach the center due to damaging floor and once your up you get instantly cooked by arach plasma.
Seems like there's no real cover and no health available.
Didn't survive it more then 30secs and gave up after like 15 tries.

I made the initial arachnotron battle challenging. If I didn't, I guess it'd be viewed as tedious, even if I had included much less arachnotrons. :(

Generally not a bad concept especially the teleporters which grant the arachs more mobility are a good idea IMO.
The lack of cover and health were probably the main issue for me.

Yeah, the start of this map is basically impossible. I was usually at 80% health after crossing the lava at the start, and then there's nowhere to take cover from the arachnatron plasma. I had some luck by camping near the yellow bars, but ran out of plasma ammo (it's too close to use rockets). Tried running around a bit more, but it's really difficult to get a good enough foothold to use the RL (and the teleporters also make it difficult to not get pincered).

So, god mode'd myself through the arachnatrons, then promptly died against behind the red door. Bah. Clearly wasn't playtested. :P

I did playtest the arachnotron battle, and it's well possible to win if you keep moving and looking around you, dodging projectiles and fat spider bodies, performing attack as you go and stopping only when it's safe. I considered it to be an unique challenge. But it can only work with minimum (no) health and cover, so that it's difficult enough and camping-proof (which I wanted). I can see how it can get annoying, though. I'm not sure what to do, if anything. I know that the setup works.

EDIT: That said, I'm kinda proud of myself for making a challenging arachnotron-only setup, which can still be fairly won and even I can do it. :) But if other people think it's bad, I have no choice than to accept it and at least keep it in mind for next time.

Knowing it works doesn't mean that it's necessarily the best thing to do though. (I know that traversing 100 narrow pillars while being shot at by Cyberdemons over a lava pit with no teleporter out works, but wouldn't advocate actually incorporating it in a map :P) The fight is lengthy enough to make it pretty challenging (as tourniquet said, the teleporting to compensate for the Arachnatrons' poor mobility is a great idea) with 100 health, let alone less. The lava round the edge is a good idea to avoid people just laming the battle, but maybe a Large Medikit (or two small ones) when you first get to the main section so you can fight the battle with 100 would be better. After a couple of goes I actually ran around on 15 health for ages before finally dying but probably would have beaten it if I'd had 100 at the start.

On a continuous playthrough I don't think it will be anywhere near as challenging if you come in with even a bit of armour and/or other weapons mind you.

degree23 said:

On a continuous playthrough I don't think it will be anywhere near as challenging if you come in with even a bit of armour and/or other weapons mind you.

Well, pistol starters usually play that way because they want an increased challenge. So that this map gives them exactly what they want, whereas continuous players will have it easier a little. That's in compliance with my mapping "philosophy". :P

Here's what I've got so far. Skill settings not yet implemented.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/56320770/map12_as_techbase2.wad

There's a (nodebuilder?) anomaly in sector 88 (entrance to the chaingun crate room) which blocks the odd projectile/hitscan :o( Haven't been able to get it to disappear and wondering if it is caused by something else nearby (the maps outer walls perhaps?).

I didn't implement any map07-specific tags (sorry Joe!) But I possibly could by putting all the mancs into the final room. Open to suggestions :o)

It's a great map, traversd. It's got a lot of your own distinct style, but at the same time it didn't lose MAP12's characteristics. It's well playable from pistol start, and probably will be more than okay for continuous - that's right. I have no real complaints. Well, only one, very minor thing bugs me: In the SSG area, there is a switch activating a lift out of there. The switch flips in the direction up, which bugs me aesthetically, because the lift goes down. I'd expect a switch to go down when calling a lift down. As small thing as that. :)

Has anyone else made a progress? Please, report your status, so that I know what to expect and how late/soon would the project be finished.

PLEASE post in the thread, Magnusblitz, Effingham and Zinkai.

Also, Joe667's slot (MAP16<--MAP24) is now open and anyone can take it. Joe667 got losered. :(

Indeed that's a very good one, Map12 is fairly recognizable but simultaneously it acts as completely different place, i really like what you've created here.

Also interesting to see a Map07 without the usage of special tags.
There's nothing i found worth mentioning or to grouse about, the map works well the way it is, good job.

FDA

scifista42 said:
Also, Joe667's slot (MAP16<--MAP24) is now open and anyone can take it. Joe667 got losered. :( [/B]

Since I watched a video of my map about Interception, I again want to create a map for a new community project. Is it possible that I take this slot?

franckFRAG said:

Since I watched a video of my map about Interception, I again want to create a map for a new community project. Is it possible that I take this slot?

Alright, I've signed you up. To make it clear, you're supposed to recreate the layout of "MAP24: The Chasm" in a (generic) city style, and put it to MAP16 slot (and also follow other rules in the OP, of course). Here are Joe667's original screenshots for inspiration. ;)

Reading/listening to feedback on Switcheroom 1 actually gave me some ideas for my map... unfortunately, this is also coming at the same time that I'm starting to get really busy with real-life work. Lot more than I've had before. So, still in the same place I was before. I'd like to keep working on it when I get the chance, but I also don't want to hold the project back. If you want to assign the slot to someone else with good map-making chops, I won't complain, but I will try to finish what I've started.

scifista42 said:

Alright, I've signed you up. To make it clear, you're supposed to recreate the layout of "MAP24: The Chasm" in a (generic) city style, and put it to MAP16 slot (and also follow other rules in the OP, of course). Here are Joe667's original screenshots for inspiration. ;)

Ah, I imagined the opposite: layout of map16 with the theme of map24. That doesn't work like that? I go to see other maps to understand better the system :)

scifista42 said:

PLEASE post in the thread, Magnusblitz, Effingham and Zinkai.

I haven't been able to do anything on my map in the last week or so. I can't seem to look at the computer screen for any length of time. Even doing e-mail gives me a headache and makes me a little nauseous. Either I need new glasses or I have a sinus infection that hasn't quite hit me yet.

Regardless, my map is about 1/3 done. I'm off all next week for Thanksgiving, so I'm planning to go OCD on it and have it done by the 30th.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/56320770/map12_as_techbase3.wad

Updated map12 layout in techbase theme.

-Skill settings
-Some trap alterations
-redid outwall
-got rid of BSP error in entrance to CG building

Travers

How would you like to name the map, Traversd?

"The Facility"?

;0)

http://speedy.sh/UxGtK/map15-as-map02-v3.wad

After far too long (I don't think I've ever seen that 'thread is three months old' warning before, heh) I think I'm finally ready on MAP15-in-MAP02 slot.

Had to make some changes to get the outdoors under vanilla limits, but I think I managed... had to close off a lot of windows and hide the southern yellow card area behind a rock. Ah well. And I think I've fixed all the tutti-fruities, but I probably missed one somewhere. Please try it out and let me know if you find any bugs, or any other design decisions you don't like!

As for name... not sure yet, how many letters do I get?

12 letters.

!!!Update to the rules!!!

FranckFRAG and EffinghamHuffnagel gave up their slots, and zinkai didn't reply to me in time. Now their slots are PERMANENTLY OPEN FOR ANYONE'S SUBMISSION. There's no more claiming / reserving these slots to particular people. Feel free to work on a map and submit it in the thread, and if it fits the rules and is found good enough, it will be accepted. Of course, it would be nice if you let me know that you're working on it. But nobody takes a privilege of having the slot reserved just for himself, anymore.

Which maps we are looking for:

MAP24 layout in generic City theme (slot MAP16 <-- MAP24)
MAP10 layout in generic Hell theme (slot MAP23 <-- MAP10)
MAP32 layout in generic Hell theme (slot MAP26 <-- MAP32)


I'll try to make something myself. I've actually already started mapping a MAP10 in Hell theme:



But you can still work on the same slot, and if you submit a good enough, acceptable map before I do, your map will take precedence. That's how it will work since now.

I think I will drop the map I made for map14 in 24 slot ad I think that map needs a fresh approach and any attempt I have made to try something different for that slot hasn't turned out well.
I will also tweak map13 in 25 at some point

I might be interested in doing map32 in 26 though as it is short.

cannonball said:

I think I will drop the map I made for map14 in 24 slot ad I think that map needs a fresh approach and any attempt I have made to try something different for that slot hasn't turned out well.

Can I keep it yet, please? The map is completely acceptable and Switcheroom 2 is in shortage of maps. I wish it was completed soon, and dropping finished maps wouldn't help it.

i don't even see a reason to drop this map CB, imo it's a really good effort

EDIT: FDA for Magnusblitz's Map02.
Tbh i think it's flawless, scaling down everything worked well nonetheless the original layout is absolutely recognizable.
Also lot's of neat details like the Blood/Nukage pipes or those machines/crushers, good job

scifista42 said:

Can I keep it yet, please? The map is completely acceptable and Switcheroom 2 is in shortage of maps. I wish it was completed soon, and dropping finished maps wouldn't help it.

Well if you are sure then ok. I might still go over the map and try and make it less boxy and re-texture it a little to try and pull it away from the original some what.

Anyway Map15 in 02 by magnusblitz
I thought the second half of this map was fantastic actually, the first half being all indoors I was a little less enthused by, btw was sector 406 intended to be inescapable?. I feel that maybe a few windows could be added to a couple of the rooms in the first section to make it feel more connected together but otherwise a fine effort I think.

Well since MAP24 is notorious for being one of the most disliked Doom 2 levels let's see if I can make it more tolerable.