Doom 1 megawad: 3 more levels for playtesting

These are another three new beta levels (not the same of the early post) I've made recenlty based on the style of the doom classic episodes, I want you to test them and share your ideas.
The testing should be centered on the gameplay issues:
ammo balance, monster placement, etc, and if they are linear or non linear. I want to make better levels so if you think that there are some probems with the balance, if they are too easy, too hard or even if the levels feel boring tell me and give me some advices!

three newer ones

http://www.4shared.com/file/b9QGwtSL/jue1m5.html
http://www.4shared.com/file/0qOYOYaA/jue2m2.html
http://www.4shared.com/file/V82jsMMu/jue2m5.html

e1m5: classic E1 for nostalgia
e2m2: block sound lines and 2 donut tags for "classicness". this level is influenced by refueling base (made by Tom Hall LOL) but without being obvious, only the theme I guess.
e2m5: classic "clean" deimos style.

thank you!

e1m5 - Fantastic, really enjoyed it. Could use less shells (you get enough from the shotgunners anyway).
e2m2 - Linedef 1018 doesn't work in prboom-plus for me. I would reduce monster count a little, especially on the street.
e2m5 - I don't like how some radiation suits are too far away from the nukage.

Overall, I think you are too generous with ammo. Through these 3 maps, my backpack was always full. I think Doom is much more fun when you need to worry about ammo from time to time.

Memfis said:

e1m5 - Fantastic, really enjoyed it. Could use less shells (you get enough from the shotgunners anyway).
e2m2 - Linedef 1018 doesn't work in prboom-plus for me. I would reduce monster count a little, especially on the street.
e2m5 - I don't like how some radiation suits are too far away from the nukage.

Overall, I think you are too generous with ammo. Through these 3 maps, my backpack was always full. I think Doom is much more fun when you need to worry about ammo from time to time.

Thanks Memfis, I'll take this in consideration, About the ammo I'll try to adjust it removing some boxes of ammo, just a few. I don't want the player run out of it like it was reported about eviltech on UV.

Hate to be "that guy", but would you mind posting some screenshots? I liked what I saw from the screens of your maps Hellbent posted a while back, and I think it'll help draw a lot more attention if you show off some cool stuff people can see before the download. ;)

Xaser said:

Hate to be "that guy", but would you mind posting some screenshots? I liked what I saw from the screens of your maps Hellbent posted a while back, and I think it'll help draw a lot more attention if you show off some cool stuff people can see before the download. ;)

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R9xCb5NI0b4/TySbrvgXggI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/LxX39nxnOdo/s1600/Screenshot_Doom_20120128_213402.png
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QScbfUe4N_I/TySbquCfuPI/AAAAAAAAAJo/tAz0nc9HmR8/s1600/Screenshot_Doom_20120111_222446.png
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OS4E06Rc2Lo/TySbqLkHMkI/AAAAAAAAAJc/P24nvn-ayVk/s1600/Screenshot_Doom_20120111_222627.png
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7lgKRZEdo0E/TySbn1XBKtI/AAAAAAAAAJE/IcEMnoIOADE/s1600/Screenshot_Doom_20120111_222559.png
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8t7s_hQ74Vs/TySa3udjKxI/AAAAAAAAAIY/3OfwoAzgqRQ/s1600/Screenshot_Doom_20120128_213657.png
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9oaiHo4IkHk/TySaMsgMO7I/AAAAAAAAAHs/Pe4DVLZbHB0/s1600/Screenshot_Doom_20120128_213601.png
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CP8e22aJUlE/TySa11Fxp6I/AAAAAAAAAIA/V00mgODlVGE/s1600/Screenshot_Doom_20120128_213616.png
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jX6ihLkyPNo/TySaJAksfVI/AAAAAAAAAG8/Xc04mkujXVI/s1600/Screenshot_Doom_20120111_222312.png

The pictures belong to different levels. There are 3 links in this tread and another 3 in an earlier one. I've uploaded 6 levels for this project.

Are you replacing all 27 or 36 levels?

Mr. Chris said:

Are you replacing all 27 or 36 levels?

36 :)

I played through e1m5 yesterday and e2m2 today. Here's my short review:

e1m5: it's an ok level, but other than in texture choice, it doesn't really capture the E1 feeling IMO. Things that felt off to me were:
- The general proportions of the rooms
- The layout feels convoluted and it's difficult to wrap your head around the 3D space of the level
- It felt a bit too clean and simple somehow.

e2m2: as a style exercise, I found this one much more interesting. It reminded me a lot of the levels seen in the Doom alphas, with some hints of Doom's E2M2,E2M7 and Doom2's MAP10, Refueling Base, which coincidentally also appeared in the Doom alphas in an early form. It feels like it could have been a lost Tom Hall level and a view of what Doom could have looked like if he had stayed with id. In that sense it gave me a feeling of "retroactive" nostalgia.

Detail was fairly low which gives the level a very 1993/1994 era look. IMO this doesn't detract from it but instead gives it a feeling of authenticity. In case you hadn't figured it out yet, I'm a sucker for old school level design ;)

The gameplay was fun but fairly easy with those large halls to run around in. I only got into a little bit of trouble in the beginning when I couldn't immediately find a suitable weapon, and I ended up being chased by a horde of demons and imps until I could get my hands on a shotgun. The secret hunt was fun too, and I found most of them except the one with the plasma gun, which *had* to be there because of all the plasma ammo you receive.

janvknn said:

I played through e1m5 yesterday and e2m2 today. Here's my short review:

e1m5: it's an ok level, but other than in texture choice, it doesn't really capture the E1 feeling IMO. Things that felt off to me were:
- The general proportions of the rooms
- The layout feels convoluted and it's difficult to wrap your head around the 3D space of the level
- It felt a bit too clean and simple somehow.

e2m2: as a style exercise, I found this one much more interesting. It reminded me a lot of the levels seen in the Doom alphas, with some hints of Doom's E2M2,E2M7 and Doom2's MAP10, Refueling Base, which coincidentally also appeared in the Doom alphas in an early form. It feels like it could have been a lost Tom Hall level and a view of what Doom could have looked like if he had stayed with id. In that sense it gave me a feeling of "retroactive" nostalgia.

Detail was fairly low which gives the level a very 1993/1994 era look. IMO this doesn't detract from it but instead gives it a feeling of authenticity. In case you hadn't figured it out yet, I'm a sucker for old school level design ;)

The gameplay was fun but fairly easy with those large halls to run around in. I only got into a little bit of trouble in the beginning when I couldn't immediately find a suitable weapon, and I ended up being chased by a horde of demons and imps until I could get my hands on a shotgun. The secret hunt was fun too, and I found most of them except the one with the plasma gun, which *had* to be there because of all the plasma ammo you receive.

good review!
About e1m5 I feel it like a strange E1 style because the texturing is too simple sometimes. I've tried to emulate a command control texture pattern so it may feel not exacty like a map from john romero and the layout might be confusing in order to allow the player to chose different paths.
About e2m2 I've tried to emulate the alpha doom style just like you said with those big gray areas and compohso tendency but with an organic symetry, not just square rooms and yes, the plasma gun is there :)