Tombs of Torment - first WAD

Name: Tombs of Torment
Map Format: Doom in Hexen

Ports Tested: GZDoom. 
Replaces: Doom II Map01
Music: Doom II Map25
Gameplay: Single play
Difficulty Settings: Vaguely implemented, UV as is.
Build Time: Approx. 1.5 weeks
Textures/resources: All stock

This is my first completed map for Doom II. I started this to take a break from my main project, liked where it was going and just stuck with it. I started in Doom format with the intention of sticking as close to the original limitations as possible, but had to convert to Hexen format to implement the way I wanted the level to end. I guess you could consider this level to be "Vanilla plus" in a limit-removing setting: fairly old school design with a flair of slightly more modern detail. I consider the design done but I'm happy to hear suggestions regarding monster and item placement etc. as this is something I'm not 100% on. I hope you enjoy it and I can't wait to hear some feedback and see some playthrough videos! 

Screenshots:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ho4x49oijxd3ci4/TombsofTorment.wad?dl=0

Tombs of Torment

Ultra-Violence || GZDoom || Doom64+

Status:

Deaths - 0

Saves - none

(For this part, I could not understand why this room had become like this, the worst thing is that it would not let me pass...)

(I had to use the trick of going through the walls to get to the other side...)

(Result: 100% Kills, 100% items, 100% secrets; I pressed a key by mistake when I was about to take the screenshot...)

It really is an interesting map, although at the same time it is challenging, firstly because there are very few resources of medicine cabinets and healing objects, not to mention the ammunition, which is at least compensated with the Plasma gun, but in any case, the weapons. like the Chaingun or the Shotgun suffer from this shortage in ammunition, now with the structure of this map, I really saw it as decent, although it has a good theme of being like a castle or like a kind of dungeon with a huge central area battle, the truth is that its design is basic, but anyway it was to my liking, although if I had problems with the final door towards the last battle, it turns out that it could not be opened when I decided to enter, I got a kind black screen in which I was denied access, so you should fix that error so as not to have to use "idclip" to enter the other area. The fighting was still entertaining, and it was tough too, mainly for the reasons I said earlier, but still managed to survive all that chaos. In general it is a good map, although it also has its flaws, and I hope you can solve a large part of the discomforts that I said before so that there will no longer be a problem here on your Wad, colleague.

3 hours ago, ElPadrecitoCholo said:

(For this part, I could not understand why this room had become like this, the worst thing is that it would not let me pass...)

I experienced it as well. It's cos of the mods we used. Running it unaltered, the door acts as normal.

Thanks for your comments! Regarding the door, that is weird, is there something I can do to make it work when running with a mod? I only tested it in standard Doom II.

I also noticed that in @Biodegradable's video that a secret near the beginning (getting the SSG early) didn't display as a secret in-game or at the score screen. Again, I wonder if this is down to the mods you were using. I also noticed a door to the courtyard looked out of alignment which I thought I had fixed prior to upload.

@ElPadrecitoCholo, in regards to your comment I understand that the ammo is a little scant as I was going for a fairly challenging experience - I died numerous times testing and thought it was sufficiently difficult. However I will make a note to drop a bit more chaingun or shotgun ammo in there to make it a little bit more balanced. Perhaps make more of an effort to implement difficulty levels as well. 

Updated: added in a bit more ammo and made some minor visual tweaks to fix the overall look up a bit. I also ran it through DB's analysis mode and came up with a bunch of errors that are now fixed. That may solve the funny door problem noted above. 

I had hoped that this would fix PrBoom+ compatibility but that seems to have gone out the window now. I think I will try and get into UDMF going forward. Is there a straightforward way to convert an existing WAD to UDMF format? I tried a while ago on another map I'm making but it came out looking like linedef spaghetti. 

22 hours ago, Biodegradable said:

I experienced it as well. It's cos of the mods we used. Running it unaltered, the door acts as normal.

Thanks for clarifying my doubts, colleague

14 hours ago, VisionThing said:

@ElPadrecitoCholo, in regards to your comment I understand that the ammo is a little scant as I was going for a fairly challenging experience - I died numerous times testing and thought it was sufficiently difficult. However I will make a note to drop a bit more chaingun or shotgun ammo in there to make it a little bit more balanced. Perhaps make more of an effort to implement difficulty levels as well.

With regard to the issue of implementing difficulties it would be in vain, since the map is perfectly fine, even for someone who does not have that much experience in the game, you can beat it without much problem, but now with the ammunition, I appreciate that you have taken into account my comment on that, with only placing a few boxes with a shotgun or Chaingun bullet would be fine, or even putting Cell ammunition as well, since in one of the secrets there is something with which it allows expand the ammunition, and well, any of the two options that I gave can be used for the Map in general, more however, with the difficulty I feel that it is really good.

4 hours ago, VisionThing said:

Updated: added in a bit more ammo and made some minor visual tweaks to fix the overall look up a bit. I also ran it through DB's analysis mode and came up with a bunch of errors that are now fixed. That may solve the funny door problem noted above.

Skip my comment then, I had not noticed that you had already updated the map, I apologize for that.

I really enjoyed your first map, I like how large the map was compared to my first map. Very interested to see what you create next keep up the great work. The puzzle in the beginning got me at first until I spotted it. It took me at least one minute. 😆

I have just played this map now, it is fun to play but there is this door where it has HOM effect after I try to open. It did for the first time I tried to open it, but then it worked well for the second time I tried.

It is a good first map overall, keep it up :)

I see the problem - I don't think it's to do with mods like Biodegradable thought, it's just luck of the draw! There is a second linedef with an Open Door action just in front of the door, so if a player hits that by accident the sector between the player and the door will go haywire - removing that action on this line should fix it.

I'm not sure about the puzzle at the start! I found it easily enough, but if I hadn't been warned that it was there I wonder if I would have realized that was what I was meant to do at all... it seems strange in an otherwise action-oriented map, I'm not sure if there's a good way to set the player up to expect a treasure hunt like that.

I made a terrible, terrible video - enjoy!

Good map

Thanks everyone for your comments! 

@DavidN - I'm so glad you spotted that, now I know what the issue is and how to fix it! Great video by the way, I'm aware your channel and I've found your editing videos very useful in the past so its cool (and a little bit surreal) to see someone I'm aware of in DoomTube world playing my level and commenting over it. You made some very good suggestions. 

I'm gonna spend some time over the weekend making a few changes (for hopefully the final time) and possibly expand the map slightly, as I felt I maybe rushed myself a little bit - I wanted to see what I could churn out in 2 weeks or less, but the feedback from all you guys has been invaluable so far.

Updated again! This is (hopefully) now the final version. Changes:

-Expanded the map slightly with another area

-Removed torch puzzle from the beginning (as per suggestion that it sets the player up for a treasure hunt that doesn't really happen)

-Some minor touching up and additions to existing areas (red room archvile trap now has a touch more breathing room)

-Pain sectors are now more obviously marked 

-Door to final room now working properly

Enjoy, and let me know your thoughts and if I've once again overlooked anything!

Link (also in OP) https://www.dropbox.com/s/ho4x49oijxd3ci4/TombsofTorment.wad?dl=0

Recorded this about a week ago. Finally having the free time to upload now.

Nice level, a couple of starter issues, but otherwise fine.

8/10.

18 hours ago, PeceMan said:

Recorded this about a week ago. Finally having the free time to upload now.

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Nice level, a couple of starter issues, but otherwise fine.

8/10.

Thanks, appreciate your comments! Yes the sector lighting was time consuming but worth the effort, I also noticed maybe one or two misaligned door textures I thought I had corrected, and you are correct some of the doors are a bit too fast. My idea was that the player will immediately rush into the combat-heavy areas head on. Cool video!