Switcheroom! Or, what if E1M1 was E3M1? (Release Candidate 3, aiming for whenever)

I don't know, what do you mean by "a strict one"? Do you mean a strict deadline, or how strict we are about the visuals/map layout of the converted map? I will note that you don't have to stick to the the textures and visuals of the map slot the new map will be on, but more just the whole episode in general.

Since EvilNed apparently fell off the face of the Earth, I've been trying to eke out a new version of E4M3-as-E3 that won't crash vanilla Doom outdoors... just keeping the lines very similar to the original, which itself barely skates by some of the limits.

But I gotta say, it's hard to texture because the texturing in E3M3 fucking sucks. Seriously, what were you thinking, Petersen? It doesn't help that the outside area is, you guessed it, wood panels, so carrying that theme over to E4M3 makes the outdoors look... exactly the same!

I'll probably end up carrying over the SLAD/cement/random scrolling flesh columns for the indoor area, but the outdoors will just be standard hell stuff.

Magnusblitz said:

Since EvilNed apparently fell off the face of the Earth, I've been trying to eke out a new version of E4M3-as-E3 that won't crash vanilla Doom outdoors... just keeping the lines very similar to the original, which itself barely skates by some of the limits.

But I gotta say, it's hard to texture because the texturing in E3M3 fucking sucks. Seriously, what were you thinking, Petersen? It doesn't help that the outside area is, you guessed it, wood panels, so carrying that theme over to E4M3 makes the outdoors look... exactly the same!

I'll probably end up carrying over the SLAD/cement/random scrolling flesh columns for the indoor area, but the outdoors will just be standard hell stuff.

Yeah, if I were you, I'd just make the map texturing look like any E3 map, not specificly E3M3.

Yeh, same. Using this pic for reference --> http://www.classicdoom.com/maps/d1fpvs/e4m3.htm

I'd use sp_hot for main building exterior to the left, replace the gstone boundary with sp_rock, ashwall, and replace the brownhug lava pit walls with whichever wasn't used for to replace gstone (or maybe use a wood variant or more sp_hot), and make the starting platform predominantly metal+support3. Oh and lava becomes blood.

Also, E4M3 is pretty spacious so you could see how shrinking that outdoor area goes as well, as it may then give you more headroom in the vanilla limits to do other stuff.

BTW I will check out the other map you posted this weekend Magnus.

Death Egg said:

I don't know, what do you mean by "a strict one"? Do you mean a strict deadline, or how strict we are about the visuals/map layout of the converted map? I will note that you don't have to stick to the the textures and visuals of the map slot the new map will be on, but more just the whole episode in general.

I meant the deadline, I just expressed myself wrong. Since the E2M5, I'm aware of the "strictness" of the texturing and trying to do in that way.

traversd said:

I'd use sp_hot for main building exterior to the left, replace the gstone boundary with sp_rock, ashwall, and replace the brownhug lava pit walls with whichever wasn't used for to replace gstone (or maybe use a wood variant or more sp_hot), and make the starting platform predominantly metal+support3. Oh and lava becomes blood.

Pretty close to what I have right now. I think I'm using rockred for the lava pit walls, probably end up with sp_hot for the main building (I used a bunch of gstone for the first version of the map, kinda hate seeing it now) and the ashwall equivalent for the flooring.

Going out of town on Sunday/Monday but will hopefully be able to keep at it afterwards.

Well, I suppose the 26th would be a good deadline. I'm admittedly not very strict with them though, which is why this project has been taking so long to finish despite how fast a good 3/4 of the maps were finished at first.

So how far have you gotten on your map now, Cell? Or Magnusblitz for that matter, too.

The sad fact is that my progress was quite badly held back in the last days, because another F@<\#Đ& half-monthly Windows 7 update erased all I've got, and I refaced the halfway map when I opened up DB. IDK.

Got about 75% of the layout down (just need to do everything after the red door near the end, and the hallway out of the red key room to the starting outside area) and need to do textures/things/lighting etc. I'm gonna be out of town again Wednesday til Monday so I'll post whatever I have before I go.

So I've finally finished the Monochrome Mapping Project. How is the other project I've been looking forward to doing? Any closer to a release this year? Or will I have to do loads of side projects before I can sink my LP teeth into this one!

Also Death Egg, no more "Paint The Town Red"s. :D

Come on guys, don't let this project die!

Where are the times when this project appeared to be the fastest-finished project ever...

So, someone please remind me, what was the final decision about automap names? Do we just let them be?

It's going to be [Old map number]: [New map number], such as E1M1: E3M1.

Also still waiting on Magnusblitz and Cell's maps, though at least Magnusblitz has given me status updates. At this rate I don't care who gets one of the two remaining maps done first anymore anyway.

Death Egg said:

It's going to be [Old map number]: [New map number], such as E1M1: E3M1.

I guess I didn't upload this DEHACKED patch I've made a long, long time ago, or did I? Anyway it's here: http://filesmelt.com/dl/swiroom.zip It's to be run along with Switcheroom wad (parameter: -deh swiroom.deh) and contains only the map names in aforementioned format.

Let me know if it isn't correct, or if it's in fact structured the exact opposite way you wanted it, in which case I'll patiently take my five minutes to correct it ;)

It looks correct to me! And no, I don't think you had posted it before, I was wondering if you had made it or not.

In that time, it has still being discussed if they won't be real names, you know.

What do you think about this idea that just crossed my mind: When we have a dehacked patch, what about to also change intermission texts to something quirky, as it would match the overall wad's style :) I'm not writing them though, as I'm no native speaker and don't even fully at all understand Final Doom's (TNT's) intermission texts by now, more I'm asking if anyone feels to do it... (?)

I considered writing something humorous for finishing episodes but I couldn't think of anything at the time. I also thought of just switching the ending text for each episode around for shits and giggles.

E4M3-as-E3 is basically all done in terms of layout/texturing. Just needs brightness adjustments and thing placement. Been busy recently (out of town, work, out of town, helping sister move) but should get a chance to get some work done it tomorrow.

Boy that looks nice magnusblitz!

Alright, this fucker's finally done... or at least, ready for public consumption.

E4M3-as-E2
"Phlegethon"




Ugh, thing placement on this map... I dunno. Let me know what you think, I didn't feel quite inspired, just kinda threw in some items haphazardly. The player definitely has to hunt around a bit for weapons. I tried to stick to E3M3's use of things... so there's mainly demons (I think there's two shotgunners and two zombies on UV). And there is a secret BFG. So please let me know what you think (and of course, if you find anything wrong with the layout/textures etc!)

All done except for E3M6-as-E2, yes? (And traversd made some changes to E3M2-as-E4 I wanted to put in).

A well performed switche-map. Could have been less orthogonal at more places, but that's OK. I like the use of secrets in Pandemonium style. I like what you did with the underground part and the red key. I'm not a big fan of the extended height variation in lava, the falls and such. I would recommend to make the red door (the one leading to exit) somehow in player's direct sight, and possibly make them accessible without a threat, because E3 never required the player to make high jumps down to damaging floor. You may also make the whole lava pit less deep, perhaps even so shallow that player can normally step out without using a lift. E3 generally isn't much about high drops and lifts. Gameplay is fine. Thing placement is all OK and E3 fitting IMO. Good job on this!

Great! I'll play this when I get home :)

scifista42 said:

A well performed switche-map. Could have been less orthogonal at more places, but that's OK. I like the use of secrets in Pandemonium style. I like what you did with the underground part and the red key. I'm not a big fan of the extended height variation in lava, the falls and such. I would recommend to make the red door (the one leading to exit) somehow in player's direct sight, and possibly make them accessible without a threat, because E3 never required the player to make high jumps down to damaging floor. You may also make the whole lava pit less deep, perhaps even so shallow that player can normally step out without using a lift. E3 generally isn't much about high drops and lifts. Gameplay is fine. Thing placement is all OK and E3 fitting IMO. Good job on this!

As far as making the red door visible from the start, it had occurred to me, since E3 didn't have a "jump into the lava to find an unseen key door" jerkiness. The original (Vanilla-crashing) version I made actually had the red door up on the ground level, but I was really keen to keep the outdoor area the same to avoid that problem. I'll mess around with swinging it into view... maybe add a staircase? I dunno.

You can probably leave the RK door where it is. Just extend the FLOOR6_1 ground out further so the player can see some non-damaging floor there. Add some health or ammo on the extended landing for extra interest.

Magnusblitz said:

Since EvilNed apparently fell off the face of the Earth, -

Sorry,

yes I pretty much did there for awhile.

No hard feelings, map's pretty much done and you're still alive, so all good.

Now, for Cell's map...

Magnusblitz said:

Now, for Cell's map...

Exactly. I'm now coming out of the phase called "Mapper's Block", so the first thing to do is to finish up what's been going on.

I wanted to emulate certain E2M6 aspects first time, but now I came to the conclusion that I'd better finish it up just in the manner E4-2M5 was realised.

Oh boy, I'm getting excited again...!

Slightly updated E3M3

Basically just added a rock staircase going down to the red key door, as I felt it would be fair to fit into the E3 design, and also to avoid unduly punishing players who jumped down without a key (since I refuse to place radsuits in easy reach of a lava river in hell).

And DB2 only froze my computer three times and blue screened twice while trying to make that change!