What the Hellcore?

[edit] Screenshots now available! http://www.prontex.ca/~hellcore/ [/edit]

Good news folks. My zero hours of spare time have now had a great switcheroo. I've recently started a graveyard shift with a laptop, and plenty of time to kill. So, I'm gonna do some more work to Hellcore.

When last we left, I promised what, a year and a half ago?, that I was going to fix the running bugs and re-release Hellcore. Well what really happened was the bugs were fixed within the week, but of course me and Fusion got caught up with re-detailing some maps. What followed was a lengthy rework of the wad that got abandoned. Bah. Also, in this time, the Hellcore site was hacked and taken offline, which we will now have to be rehosted.

So? What's to come, and what's been done since last?
-Map01 has been completely refurbished, with max level detail and completely overhauled gameplay.
-Map04 will hopefully be finished, I just have to get on Fusion's case to start working on it again. It was near completion when last left. So maybe some Hellcore fans can help me pursuade him to finish this!
-Map05 has had the crash bug fixed
-Map09 was revamped in a weeked to relatively eye-pleasing capabilities.
-Map19 was scrapped and I had started to remap it. I abandoned it with only 1 section left to do. I will be working on this first. Will probably take up to 4 weeks to finish
-Map23 will hopefuly be done. I started revamping this map and never finished, still needs a ton of work, and I'd love to finish it once and for all, not too sure if this will happen at the moment though.
-Map32?? can't say for sure what's going to happen to Map32. I'd love to work on it some more, but that'll be a huge project, and will most likely be separate from Hellcore (It would need to be a HUB Zdoom only) but we'll see when the rest is done.
-Old levels and not up-to-par maps will be erased. Levels will also be re-arranged in level of difficulty and gameplay flow (Map19 is supposed to be Map02, Map24 is supposed to be Map03, etc.)
-There is also likely lots of changes that I just cannot remember, but I'll let'cha know as I find them.

When we left the project last, we had made the FIRST dehacked file that actually let us make ZOMBIES! Real zombies, that didn't use guns, that could come back to life at any time, and a badass chainsaw zombie. I now doubt we will be able to incorporate this as we'd have to edit every map and revamp gameplay to allow these Zombies. But if we do decide to finish Map32... well you can figure it out :)

I will keep you guys posted on the progress of completion, and hopefully we can finally get a final polished version of this thing out to put ourselves at peace.

I've seen this project's screenies about a year ago. They were looking really great. I'll definitely play this one when it's out.

Where can I get more detailed info? I forgot whre the project's page was.

EDIT: well, I found it with my gOOggles on... but it's dead. Please post some screenies.

The website was hacked and taken down, we will try to get a site up and running again. As for the screenshots, they went down with the site, and we will have to make new ones. I unfortunately cannot say when this will happen, I have to talk to Fusion and see if we can get our site back unscathed, and if not we will have to post a new one.

Thanks for the interest, it's the feedback from the community alone that has kept this project going for so long. :)

Use Imageshack.us

I'm glad that I decided to not play the released version and instead wait for an update.

I really hope you guys finish this, especially map32. It seemed like it would have potential to be a great level.

I am glad to know that Hellcore is being revamped again! :)
@DarkFyre: if you need help with revamping, let me know: I have some free time for 4 days after Easter and I'd be glad to help you again! :) Moreover, if you want to recover some shots, I have got some of them in the "Screenshots of other levels" and "Screenshots of my levels" subsections of the "Screenshots" section (they amount to 21 pics!); I also have got some various information about the project in the "Other levels" subsection of the "Download" section.

This might also be useful:

http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://hellcore.hotcut.com/*

Grazza=The Man
I totally forgot about the webs archive, thanks for the heads up duder.
As far as revamping goes Ishy, it'll be just at most 4 revamps me 'n rob are gonna do to our own maps, everything else will most likely be cut out (or just pasted to the back of the wad, for nostalgia purposes 10 years from now). So the wad will prolly only have 15 levels, but who knows, I revamped Map09 in a weekend and I find it fun to play like most of the '97 maps, maybe we'll rush through it if skill allows :) Thanks for the offer though Ish.
I almost can't wait to get started again! mwuhahaha.

@Ismaele

Of course, if you want to do a revamp to your map, feel more than free to. I don't wanna be crude, but it's not up-to-par with most the maps now, kinda outdated. When we get the base wad working again I'll set a link for you so you can be the first to play what we've done so far, and see what the maps look like now; it's a huge improvement.

Great to hear you're still active. This is one of the first projects I heard of when I first found my way onto the internet and it's always been the one I've wanted to play the most. Even before I saw any screenshots, the monsters page was enough to get my attention. I've been waiting to see the ?'s unveiled for like 6 years now :P

@DarkFyre: isn't my map really up-to-par with the other levels of the .WAD?! :o When we published the .WAD, it was one of the best. ;) Well... I usually don't revamp my old maps and, actually, I wouldn't know how to improve it! :P But if you want to revamp it by yourself, feel free to modify it, as long as you mantain the original feel and gameplay, without changing everything! ;) He, he! =D Please let me know.
P.S.: feel free to download the screenshots from our "Hellcore" .WAD from my site ("Outpost of Doom 2": http://www.webalice.it/sposito.lag).

This is going much quicker than I thought :p I've put a good 2 days in and I'm near done map19... only 2,500 sidedefs left in resources anyway :p

@Ish I'm not trying to be harshly critical, but your map could do with some touchups. Some areas look really nice, but some feel pretty bland, dunno if it's lack of detail or lack of texture variation, but I know the level has prospects of being so much more. You are by far one of the most driven and dedicated authors I've ever seen, you got a lot of potential my man. When I finish map19 I'll talk to Fusion about getting the site back up and I'll put up a version for you to play with. I know your map is a city map, just take a look at map19 and compare with yours, you'll see what I mean. Getting critisized is the only way to get better, me and Fusion always critisize eachothers maps, even though it pisses us off to have someone knock on your work, but it always pays off in the end.

I think the only amazing city map I've ever played was Action Doom, that and Boothill (for it's time that is).

@DarkFyre: actually, my map wasn't city-themed, although my style could resemble it someway, but it is set in a big industrial complex! :P I thank you for your praise, but as for now I am very busy with University (I am getting ready to an exam on Wednesday) and the "Italian DooM - Episode 2: The Singularity" project, for which I have to make a new map from scratch and touch up the first map I made fot it! Moreover other people ask for my help in other projects too... and I don't konw what to do, because I haven't got so much free time! :( If I find some free time by the end of the next week, I'll try to touch up my map, but I don't promise anything! In the meanwhile, keep up working on the rest of the .WAD! ;)

Good luck with your exams! And you're right, upon second consideration it does look like a complex, I think it was the road lines that threw me off :p Not a huge deal right now anyway, time is on our side.

@DarkFyre: "What do you mean with Not a huge deal"? Do you mean that it doesn't need so much revamping?! ;) I remind you that my level is map21... in case you don't remember it...! ;)

As in, if you don't have time to work on it that's fine. Yes it stills needs revamping, but so do 20 other maps in the wad. The wad still isn't going to be 32 perfect up-to-par levels, I'm not sure how many levels it will even be, I'm gonna have to sit down with Fusion and snip snip the hell out of it.

On a side note, I just finished Map19, which will infact end up being Map02, and I will probably work on finishing revamping Map23 starting tonight. Fusion's away on business so no screenies or news from him yet. But I'll see if I can post some shots on my website later.

Good to hear it's back in business. Here's 4 links to screenshots of the level I revamped back in the day. Use them if you like, Darkfyre.

http://home13.inet.tele.dk/CNH/Hellcore15.jpg
http://home13.inet.tele.dk/CNH/Hellcore15a.jpg
http://home13.inet.tele.dk/CNH/Hellcore15b.jpg
http://home13.inet.tele.dk/CNH/Hellcore15c.jpg

Good luck with it all!

Hey guys.. I finished map01 about a year and a bit ago.. 32,000 max sides and stuff.. A significant increase from the 14,000 version currently in the released hellcore.. I booted up doombuilder last night and was working on finishing map04.. which is basically done now too.

My next goal is.....

the 32.

More on that later. Halloween 2006 hopefully.

Good to hear man, but you know the rules, Map32 isn't allowed to be touched until you've finished atleast 2 maps :p

@DarkFyre: I got the mid-term exam of Electric Communication with 25/30, so now I have more free time till 25th April! I could revamp my map, but I'd like to know what areas you would like to be improved. Please, let me know as soon as possible! :)

I'm cropping the entire wad.

There are currently 5 maps that are done. Probably will be 2 more by month end. Everything else is being erased... Actually about half the wad is being erased. Your map needs an entire overhaul to catch up :p If you don't have the time, you can release it as a stand-alone map perhaps?

Well I have no idea what's going on with the Hellcore site, so for the meantime, I've put a progress page on my site. Tripod is quite the piece of feces so it keeps crashing, but if you can get the page to load without error, enjoy the screenies! I will be updating this as the wad progresses, I don't want to be working on this much longer so plenty more levels may get cut out than what I've already cropped.

http://satnsworkshop.tripod.com/hellcore/progress.html#SKIP

OK, Devon! Here is the final question for you: I haven't got time to work again on my map for "Hellcore" and I have already begun working on a new map for "Italian DooM - Episode 2: The Singularity"; do you want to revamp it by yourself and publish it in the final "Hellcore" .WAD or do you want me to publish it as a stand-alone map? Please let me know with an exact answer.

I myself won't have time to fully revamp your map. I'd strongly suggest an independant release. Good luck with Italian Doom ;)

BTW, Progress Report:

-Maps have been arranged in to gameplay order now, this will change as more levels near 100% completion
-Map02 is complete, 32000 sidedefs :(
-Map05 is near done, just waiting for Fusion to start on Map06 so I can end my level with continuity
-Map08 added some small texture changes, and modified the exit
-Map09 modified start of map for continuity
-Map04 is nearing completion, or so I'm told
-12 Maps have so far been erased from the wad

8 of 20 current Maps complete. 3 are real near to completion. More cropping to come.

Ok, Devon! I am going to publish my contribution to the "Hellcore" project as a stand-alone level... although I would have liked very much to have a map of mine in the final .WAD! :( Good luck with revamping the rest of the .WAD! ;)
In order to release that map, I need you to send me a .WAD with just the resources I used (I have got my map - I doesn't need it! - I only need the textures and flats used in my map!). Please, could you send me this .WAD via e-mail? :)

I will try to get the resources in to a sep wad, but it's pretty simple, I just don't have the tools :p

As for progress, I finished Map05, and I decided I would remap Fusion's map07 from scratch. I'm about halfway done now, Fusion is also near done his map04, not too much left with it now

ciao :)

Thank you! :) I am waiting for that resource .WAD!

I had a look at the screenshots of the completed level, although they just show the maps... :P ...and I think that they aren't so improved, as you wrote, DarkFyre! :p I think that actually my map is good enough and up-to-par with to the other levels. I know that my level is not up to my current standard, but I have got no time to work on it... I even haven't got any more time to work on my own project...! :( Please, think over your decision of putting my level aside...! :)

Hey Ish, sorry i'm never actually on msn, everytime i get around, you're offline.. Anyway, about the quality of the maps.. The screenshots do no justice.. Map02 baron streets by darkfyre is simply incredible. I have never seen a city in doom so well detailed.. it's truly crazy. He mapped it from scratch so it is 100% new. As for map01.. in the released version of hellcore it had roughly 16,000 sides, it is nearly 32,000 now.. as well as practically every map. None of this is copy paste detail, it's tedious, long, and it takes quite some time to develop these themes. Trying to make Hellcore make sense.. is something darkfyre and i hope to achieve, as everyone has said, the released version was a mixed bag. We'll try to release it a lot cleaner, with smooth transitions to new levels, with better detail and gameplay. We're not shooting for a full 32 maps, i don't really think i'll be doing this is another 12 years.. but who knows. Doom 4 Life.

:)