Lets make a... Collection of random wads?

I enjoy D!ZONE and shit like that for a reason:

So many wads, so little time!
There is so many individual wads on these shovel ware disks that I can find myself playing for hours!

The shame is, there seems to be no actual projects that have multiple wads together, instead its just megawads.

So I thought of this idea, what if we were to load up Doombuilder (and other map editors), Make a random wad and have it sent to somebody, that person would then include the wad in a huge .zip file containing other random wads by other random people...

See where I am going with this?

I want to host a project where we make random wads and host all of them in one big .zip file: one download, one library of wads!

Here are some ground rules:

- You can make a wad for ANY IWAD, be it Doom, Doom 2, Chex, Final Doom, Strife ect...

- You can contribute as many wads as you want, the quantity does not matter... unless you give me an entire god damn archive.

- You can contribute the wad in any format, be it UDMF, Hexen, Boom...

- You need to include a cheesy textfile explaining the wad's story and what IWAD/Port it is for (like an actual piece of shovel ware)

- You don't just have to post levels, you can post your custom music, texture wads, sprite fixes and edits... You name it!

- You can post any of your older works, even if they have been in megawads and other collaborations.

- You can use custom textures, sounds, music... Custom anything! (They will not conflict as all wads are being stored in the zip file as just the wad, no merging or anything!)

- You can use any map slot (as I said this is just a collection of random wads, not a megawad)

- The level must be playable (monsters, items, weapons and a possible exit), it also must not dick around with peoples settings via scripting.

- No eddited IWAD levels, its not 1996.

- most kinds of map will be accepted, with a few that wont:

Allowed
Boss fights, arenas, deathmatch, short maps, long maps, shit maps, beautifully crafted maps, cobbled together maps, wolfenstien styled maps, 90's maps, modern maps, PSX tribute like maps ect...

Not allowed:
Troll maps, 1 room sized maps, about 400 cyberdemons in 1 room (you know, that sort of shit), maps that don't work...
Basically the level must function to a point where it is possible to finish it without cheats.

- You can post your new or even old maps.

- You must not post other peoples maps without permission, that should be obvious.

- No copyright bullshit, that means no MP3 files from any artists music (unless it is loyalty free, but you must provide proof) or OGG files I could get my bitch ass kicked by copyright laws over, got it?

- feel free to critique others maps... you don't need to but you can if you want.

Now that we got that settled, I will actually contribute to this project (unlike WOOO where I just sat there and made myself look like an ass by posting like a complete mong). I have a wad in the works for it now:

"It was a dark and stormy night" (itwas.wad), for TNT IWAD MAP14 PrBoom format:





Download that "itwas.wad" here: http://www.mediafire.com/download/4jw5x2in7gjlbx5/itwas.zip

so, it's a more wildish and random version of doomworld megawad project?

walter confalonieri said:

so, it's a more wildish and random version of doomworld megawad project?

That's my understanding of it but any type of map is allowed. I may contribute.

walter confalonieri said:

so, it's a more wildish and random version of doomworld megawad project?

You could say that, only this one has the potential to contain much much more (people can contribute music pack wads, texture pack wads, single maps, multiple maps and even entire megawads!), but I forgot to mention that more than one wad can be uploaded by any user... Let me add that.

@Springy, I don't mind if you do or don't, any IWAD and any port, if people don't contribute I wouldn't mind creating multiple wads on my own...
I have a lot of spare time.

mrthejoshmon said:

@Springy, I don't mind if you do or don't, any IWAD and any port, if people don't contribute I wouldn't mind creating multiple wads on my own...
I have a lot of spare time.

I suppose I could test my duel maps and make changes if need be then send them seeing as only one has been tested.

Springy said:

I suppose I could test my duel maps and make changes if need be then send them seeing as only one has been tested.

That would be fine, I could give them a go against bots as well (because I have no friends that have Doom).

For that extra 'shovelware' feel, some authors could use a map editor they have little or no experience with; if I get around to doing anything for this, I'm going to be using DeepSea for the first time in over a decade.

Also, will there be a limit on the number of maps that one person can submit? I've got some old shit kicking around on a hard drive or two that I could finish off.

BaronOfStuff said:

For that extra 'shovelware' feel, some authors could use a map editor they have little or no experience with; if I get around to doing anything for this, I'm going to be using DeepSea for the first time in over a decade.

Also, will there be a limit on the number of maps that one person can submit? I've got some old shit kicking around on a hard drive or two that I could finish off.

Hmm, I might try and make something using XWE...
I doubt it will be playable though.

I think I could put the limit around 25 to 30 wads per user, it may also depend on how big the files are (we are talking 75mb sized wads will be the max, I don't want to end up with no hard drive left)

This is an awful idea. Also:

Not allowed:
Troll maps, 1 room sized maps, about 400 cyberdemons in 1 room (you know, that sort of shit), maps that don't work...
Basically the level must function to a point where it is possible to finish it without cheats.

you want shovelware but you dont want shovelware basically

Marcaek said:

you want shovelware but you dont want shovelware basically

I want to make a .zip file full of random wads to distribute, not basically shovelware. If I wanted to make shovelware I would boot up SLIDGE and let it rip for about an hour, then I would spam Cyberdemons all over.

This is an awful idea.

Tell me why.

What advantages are there to bundling a collection of random maps together over downloading them individually? This isn't 1994 where not everyone could afford an internet connection or the time it took to download WADs off of the internet over a slow-ass modem. Why waste the time?

mrthejoshmon said:

- You need to include a cheesy textfile explaining the wad's story and what IWAD/Port it is for (like an actual piece of shovel ware)

I'm in. Because of this one rule (please stick to it), I am so in. I can't wait to see what you guys come up with for your text files. :>

Also: Rough due date? I don't have a lot of time to myself these days.

Marcaek said:

What advantages are there to bundling a collection of random maps together over downloading them individually? This isn't 1994 where not everyone could afford an internet connection or the time it took to download WADs off of the internet over a slow-ass modem. Why waste the time?

A collection feels more attractive or something. Like, I don't download every single one map release but when I see a new megawad, I usually get it immediately. This is not going to be a megawad though but it will have a similar feel that it is more than just some average little wad.

This sort of resembles TimeOfDeath's Doomworld Mega Project, except maps are in individual WAD files and no joke/troll-wads are allowed, so I'm not sure if this is needed in the first place. Personally, I'd find individual WAD files more annoying and a burden.

Marcaek said:

What advantages are there to bundling a collection of random maps together over downloading them individually? This isn't 1994 where not everyone could afford an internet connection or the time it took to download WADs off of the internet over a slow-ass modem. Why waste the time?

1:To save time. It kind of gets real tedious going around looking for downloads, it also is very tedious to have to manage all those individual zip files, it would be great to be able to download an entire folder filled with multiple wads for multiple IWADs and ports (having them all neatly organized for you).

2: This is not for beneficial purposes, it is for fun, it is something to do... After all, Doom is a game and games are made for fun and good times.

3: It would allow for mixed and various gameplay, having all these wads together would make it easier to play multiple levels/megawads without getting bored (and with how I am going to sort the wads it would allow them to chose what kind of map they would want to play).

I didn't even think about the advantages, I just wanted to do this.

schwerpunk said:

I'm in. Because of this one rule (please stick to it), I am so in. I can't wait to see what you guys come up with for your text files. :>

Also: Rough due date? I don't have a lot of time to myself these days.

Hehe, the textfile is half the fun! I'm looking to make my contributions have a stupidly serious tone to them (do the entire briefing and stuff that makes 90's wads so charming :P)

And the due date... It's January 14th now, so I guess I could set it for the end of June? or maybe a year depending on the time frame you got... Which sounds more reasonable?

Joshy said:

This sort of resembles TimeOfDeath's Doomworld Mega Project, except maps are in individual WAD files and no joke/troll-wads are allowed, so I'm not sure if this is needed in the first place. Personally, I'd find individual WAD files more annoying and a burden.

I don't think I thought of a logical reason for doing this thing, I just wanted to go through with it, have a nice and sorted collection of random wads that people can download and play with single levels, map sets, music, megawads...

Just basically a condensed and zip filed (and extremely smaller) version of the /idgames archive, or as some would put it "Modern shovelware" (but not utter shit like 75% to 80% of shovelware).

sorry, i didnt read all the comments (i really tried) so i hope this hasnt been asked yet.

do they have to be vanilla compatible?
because i have 3 gzdoom maps that are pretty bitchin, but i dont know what to do with em.
i have one in mind id really like to release.

Marcaek said:
What advantages are there to bundling a collection of random maps together over downloading them individually?

In a sense, all the WADs in the zip promote each other. The alternative is one megawad, but with separate files it's easier to start each separately and check their text files independently, so it's a good choice in cases where there won't be any work in testing the maps as a series, or to avoid any hassle about port compatibility, as each WAD can be compatible with whatever without affecting the rest.

The main drawback is that any individual WADs are less highlighted in the whole (and it may be harder to search for them), compared to separate releases, so it's more suitable for WADs by newer mappers without previously acquired popularity. It wouldn't stop a more humble experienced mapper from contributing to encourage the rest, though.

I remember the DAC project did this in their 2005 release, although in the archive the files were dumped in their own directory instead of a single package. That's not a bad option, in any case: Go through with this idea of releasing a multiwad package to the community but then upload all the files separately to idgames, with a notice in the text files saying they belong to the same project.

This is intriguing. I may contribute something.

i wouldn't mind trying to make a "megawad" of songs for this project. i have enough MIDIs rounded up to potentially hit that limit. however, i would need to have an example of exactly how "cheesy" my text file would have to be.

Doomhuntress said:

i would need to have an example of exactly how "cheesy" my text file would have to be.

Dangerously cheesy.

Cheesy enough to cause a heart attack?

The problem I have with projects like this and the DW mega project is: if you're going to make a completely unrestricted map or collection of maps, why not just solo release it? I mean, it'll only get lost in the menagerie if it's part of a big collection. Community projects, to me, tend to work best when there's a target port, a defined texture set and preferably some kind of challenge or goal to meet.

I can think of a couple maps that I have lying around doing nothing, which I could dump here.

Phobus and Marcaek are thinking too much about the point, etc. There is no need to rationalize everything in such projects, they are just for fun. :)

Gez said:

Dangerously cheesy.

are there any examples on idgames i can read up on?

I might try something I've never done before. Like a Strife or HeXeN map.

Phobus said:

The problem I have with projects like this and the DW mega project is: if you're going to make a completely unrestricted map or collection of maps, why not just solo release it? I mean, it'll only get lost in the menagerie if it's part of a big collection. Community projects, to me, tend to work best when there's a target port, a defined texture set and preferably some kind of challenge or goal to meet.

I think being next to so many other maps - maps which, hopefully we'll want to play, gives perhaps weaker mappers (I include myself) a chance to get a bit of the limelight, if only from proximity. Plus, people like playing collections of things, even if they're only connected by being in the same .zip.

Outwardly, I think the most attractive part of this project will be the required text file backstories. I may not play every map, but I will definitely read ever text file. Especially interesting stories will guarantee I fire up that wad.

cortlong50 said:

sorry, i didnt read all the comments (i really tried) so i hope this hasnt been asked yet.

do they have to be vanilla compatible?
because i have 3 gzdoom maps that are pretty bitchin, but i dont know what to do with em.
i have one in mind id really like to release.

They can be in any format you want for any IWAD you want.

Doomhuntress said
i wouldn't mind trying to make a "megawad" of songs for this project. i have enough MIDIs rounded up to potentially hit that limit. however, i would need to have an example of exactly how "cheesy" my text file would have to be.

Go for it! The textfile can be some generic 90's one where the author asks for feedback or the extremely hilarious ones where it tries to be serious... Or those odd ones where the author asks for a date (not gonna lie, those creep me out).

Doomhuntress said:

are there any examples on idgames i can read up on?

This one I made maybe?
Or you can take a trip to the 90's!
Or this...

purist said:

I can think of a couple maps that I have lying around doing nothing, which I could dump here.

That would be fine, don't forget to make a cheesy textfile for each wad! (Or you could just merge them all together into one wad, which ever suits you).

Memfis said:

Phobus and Marcaek are thinking too much about the point, etc. There is no need to rationalize everything in such projects, they are just for fun. :)

I agree, this is just something fun for us to do with our spare Dooming time.

myk said:

In a sense, all the WADs in the zip promote each other. The alternative is one megawad, but with separate files it's easier to start each separately and check their text files independently, so it's a good choice in cases where there won't be any work in testing the maps as a series, or to avoid any hassle about port compatibility, as each WAD can be compatible with whatever without affecting the rest.

The main drawback is that any individual WADs are less highlighted in the whole (and it may be harder to search for them), compared to separate releases, so it's more suitable for WADs by newer mappers without previously acquired popularity. It wouldn't stop a more humble experienced mapper from contributing to encourage the rest, though.

I remember the DAC project did this in their 2005 release, although in the archive the files were dumped in their own directory instead of a single package. That's not a bad option, in any case: Go through with this idea of releasing a multiwad package to the community but then upload all the files separately to idgames, with a notice in the text files saying they belong to the same project.

That is actually a good idea, I would have to get permission from the contributors though (although they will already in the collection).

EvilNed said:

I might try something I've never done before. Like a Strife or HeXeN map.

Go for it, it's pretty rare to see PWADs of those games and I would love to play more of them.

-
It is so hard to reply in such bulk :/

Can I submit maps which were released separately before? (I bet they still would be something new for many people...)

it's not much of a collection yet, but right now i have this rounded up: https://www.dropbox.com/s/kfdvu5h9xzxp54j/vyemus.wad

it replaces the first 4 tracks of Doom 2 (as well as the Final Doom episodes, though the music-order probably won't fit them) with tracks of my own. i'm not sure how many tracks i am able to round up for the project... i might have to produce more tracks to fill out the entire roster of levels, intermission screens, etc.. i mostly made this pack right now to see if people enjoy the unfinished product so far.

edit: i nuked the link to the file cuz i'm currently working on it.