Shai'tan's Luck - Uploaded to /incoming

11-18 see new post

10-29- Stage 3 -see post

10-16 - Stage 2 is complete, with difficulty settings. They'll probably need tweaking (probably a lot) but should do for now. There is an exit line this time, on a godmode run going 1 route on the ring forts it took about 20 minutes, but any serious run would probably take a bit longer.

So next I can either detail the walls of stage 2 (just a wall of texture right now, meh) and do inseting, or I could start stage 3. I'm leaning towards stage 3 cause then I get to do more gameplay and fun stuff, but I might want to do the detailing first if it comes out to be a bit much of a map at this stage (as in seriously lags prboom, it was doing that to my laptop a little, which is 2 years old but could be considered 5 years ago tech).

Can't think of anything else at this point, so enjoy these pics ;)
1st goofing off pic
2nd goofing off pic

http://wadhost.fathax.com/files/AB.Area42-10-16.zip

10-14 - Other route for the ring forts now has 2 forts done, so only 1 more fort and then the citadel are left before stage 3. Also I think I've found appropriate music now.

I'm getting a little burned out on this style of architecture though, it's turned pretty cookie-cutter, and I said meh to adding in the blast remnants on the second southern ring fort, but I should probably go back and add some. I think I'll use stone for the citadel itself. And I will eventually get around to fixing that HoM in the first ring fort if it's still there, and maybe add skills 2 and 3 after the citadel is done.

Anyway, enjoy.
http://wadhost.fathax.com/files/AB.Area42-10-14.zip

P.S. found a name for this episode I like more than Area 42, I'll see about getting a titlepic before telling anyone ;)

10-12 - Map29 now has 4 ring forts done, sorry I didn't put a temp exit so if you demo for it you'll have to self-immolate >.< Also I have new music for MAP05, better imo cause it's not ripping off legend of zelda ... (gerudo valley was what sparked that idea anyway). Still deciding on leaving MAP29's music or putting something else in, I found this epic 45+ minute metal piece (IN MIDI! :O), but it kind of tapers off in parts (plus I haven't actually talked to the guy who put these up yet -.-). You can find it here if you'd like to listen (go down to KoD - legend of the black sun) ;)

When I finish the next 4 ring forts I'll have a rather large area to do still, so it might be a while ... I wasn't kidding when I said what I have laid out in my mind is larger (probably much larger) than my MAP30 ;) I realize I've probably driven off most of the non-speedrunners/slaughter map lovers, but I WILL be putting in a nice scenic difficulty for hntr and a harder but more fair than UV version for HMP.

Current Area42;
http://wadhost.fathax.com/files/AB.Area42-10-12.zip

10-8 - I've been working on a hell map to put between map30 and the current map09, and so far I'm done with one stage. The problem is that it takes 10+ minutes to do just this stage, and I don't want any maps in the episode taking much longer than 15. What I have planned, might make it over an hour long to do. So I'm stuck wondering if I can cut it off here, or should I make it a pain in the butt to finish and possibly overload the map (cause like I said, what I have planned would take at least an hour ... although what is planned is always subject to change ;). Anyway, here's the map so far, I left the midis in for some reason but meh, no midi for map29 yet. kind of depends on if I split it or not anyway.
http://wadhost.fathax.com/files/AB.A42MAP29D10-8.zip

10/6 - finally got around to working on MAP06. I worked out the things I outlined in my last post, and made it a bit harder, but it's still got pockets of monsters and a kinda meh final battle. No spidermasterminds though ;) Feedback would be great, only mork seems to have posted on it so far.
http://wadhost.fathax.com/files/AB.Area42.10-6.zip


9/28 night- Somehow finished MAP06 today, didn't really add a lot of detail after the main canyon. I also got the difficulty levels in, and the music has been chosen for a while beforehand ;) I have another version that would probably fit a doom level better, tell me if it's weird. Here's the link and feedback would be great.

http://wadhost.fathax.com/files/AB.Area42.9-28d.zip

9/28-MAP05 is done with difficulty levels and my sneak peek of MAP06. I uploaded it with basically what I have of MAP06, which isn't much more than the sneak peek and a player start that's far in.
http://wadhost.fathax.com/files/AB.A42.9-28.zip

MAP03 done, with difficulty settings this time. Feedback would be awesome.
http://wadhost.fathax.com/files/AB.Area42.MAP03v1.zip


OLDER:
Finished map02, comments on latest post. Please playtest :D

MAP02 LINK:
http://wadhost.fathax.com/files/AB.map02.zip


Slightly old:
Map08 is about done, feedback'd be awesome :D see latest post for pics/commentary.

LINK: http://wadhost.fathax.com/files/AB.A42map08.zip
w/ difficulty settings and some minor changes: http://wadhost.fathax.com/files/AB.A42map08df.zip

-Original post-
TL;DR -> '";,,;"'

So after much tinkering around with adding detail to two 1994 challenge maps, I decided I wanted to try a techbase. Now I haven't tried doing a full on techbase since my earliest maps(as in 2+ years ago tinkering with DB1) but I've played quite a few recently and wanted to do something in that style. So here's a bunker in a hill. Yea it's not an imaginative name but it'll do for now.

Now this is just sort of a beta of the map, I haven't pushed myself to play ALL of it in one go yet. So far I can make it all the way to the big room with the master switch, but after that I seem to lose it. And yes I actually beat the cyberdemon in that cramped space :P takes ~ 50 shells on the SSG. And that was before I put the megasphere there ... anyway, up to there I know can be done in UV. After that, as in both key areas and the exit areas, I haven't done yet cause I keep dying before the master switch area >.< Also the moving floor and crusher rooms I haven't fully tried either, I get to the revenants in the moving floors room and die, and I've only done one or two attempts at the crusher room.

There are some pics in the doom levels pic thread, but here's some more of mostly stuff I posted there;

http://i30.tinypic.com/20psyvk.jpg
http://i27.tinypic.com/2iaya06.jpg
http://i30.tinypic.com/2rek2zo.jpg
http://i25.tinypic.com/waq7pl.jpg
http://i27.tinypic.com/zssmmv.jpg
http://i28.tinypic.com/24mghhx.jpg
http://i25.tinypic.com/35c21vq.jpg
http://i26.tinypic.com/2qk33tl.jpg
http://i29.tinypic.com/ak7faf.jpg
http://i25.tinypic.com/r9isu9.jpg

'";,,;"'

What I'm looking for here is some balance ideas, and I want to sleep on this and see what you guys think so I can get a good idea of what to do with it tomorrow. This was done in boom compatibility so it should work fine there, but I have only tested it in skulltag, so no promises :(

http://wadhost.fathax.com/files/AB.BunkerBeta1.zip

Current wad: http://wadhost.fathax.com/files/AB.Area42.9.15.zip

Note to everyone, this is on MAP09 :)

Here are two fails before the spider, first try and second:
http://www.superjamie.net/doomfiles/sj_abtb1.lmp
http://www.superjamie.net/doomfiles/sj_abtb2.lmp

I kinda thought the thing placement was weird, except for the room with the cacos it just seemed to be large numbers of monsters which gets a bit repetitious, especially with just the plain shotgun.

Obviously I didn't too far, but you seem to give too much health in the early encounters, then once you reach the Arachnos there's no going back and the monsters get harder whilst the health gets rarer.

Maybe I just suck :P I'll keep trying.

Edit: Still too hard. Giving up for now. These are so bad it's embarrassing!
http://www.superjamie.net/doomfiles/sj_abtb3.lmp
http://www.superjamie.net/doomfiles/sj_abtb4.lmp

Looks and plays really great as far as I can tell on my iddqd run so far.

In blue key warp, inedef 1634,1635,etc. (single sided) don't seem to have textures. There's a big hall of mirror effect and assume that's the reason (maybe intentional just to be weird?).

Also the bfg room, a newbie to the map can suspect they're trapped in there thinking there's no way out, I guess because its not intuitive that the last switch lowers, then quickly re-raises the exit lift (if you didn't notice it lower or raise then nothing will appear changed and you're left wondering if there's a bug that stopped you from proceeding or something- and if so, wouldn't really be obvious to go and reflip that switch. Maybe it doesn't matter and not sure how changing would affect intended gameplay. Like maybe that final switch could make a new switch appear near the lift which controls the lift, or maybe the lift can be the 'constantly lower/raise' type too or something? Also probably that door that blocks you in there should be re-openable from the outside so you can go back in for stragglers to get max?

This was a fun map to play with my superweapons DEH and without iddqd. first time I died, second time lived to see the end.

The hall of mirror effect was seen on skulltag and zdoom. I My guess is that boom works differently here. I could not fix it in the editor without adding additional sectors. The 'normal' way of seeing sky on walls is to lower a ceiling to the floor and have no upper texture. You have no middle texture.

Does the red key actually have a function or is it's outdoor area just for more killing fun?

Edit: Oh, i hadn't seen the red door on the far right. It has another exit behind it. Little strange to have two exits not?

Added a few medkits and a small alcove so you don't have to duck for cover in the conveyer belt pit alone (also it's level so much easier to get out ...) I'll try for some more health around that area so it's not quite as bad then upload it.

Alright fixed some stuff and added a few medkits then nerfed and balanced the two BFG secrets. Finally got around to setting prboom correctly to my playstyle so I can try doing demos, but I don't know how exactly to do that. Can I only do it in the command line or is there a way to start it from within boom? I've also noticed some annoying boom only things, like infinite actors (>.<) less of a strafe run acceleration (noticed super jamie trying to get to the ledges which I could make in skulltag but not in boom -.-) and a slight left offset when shooting (is the center really that far over? skulltag seems to keep it almost pixel-perfect center). I'll be working on fixing the next few bits soon.

http://wadhost.fathax.com/files/AB.techbase.B.1.zip

Cool, I'll check it out soon and probably try a demo. Demos generally desync when map changes are made though.

I have windows so this is a fairly easy/quick way to record:
*press windows key (brings up start menu)
*press 'r' (brings up run box)
*type something like this (windows remembers it so you don't have to retype all that on subsequent attempts):

C:\prboom-plus-2.5.0.1-win32\prboom-plus.exe -file techbase -skill 4 -warp 09 -complevel 9 -nomusic -record techbase-ggg1

(omit nomusic if you want music etc)

*set the 'y' key to quit, then you can just tap y twice when you want to quickly quit

Maybe the 'offset' you're noticing is the kinda crappy way enemy bounding boxes sometimes fail to register getting hit in boom or whatever vs. zdoom etc (try berzerk punching for example- its easy to punch enemies in zdoom, harder in boom especially for fat monsters). Or sometimes you can shoot an enemy pretty much point blank and the shot won't register (especially if the enemy is higher/lower than you). Infinite tallness can be a pain but you get used to it.

2 demos in the new version. Actually made it to the master switch room this time :D

http://www.filedropper.com/2faileddemos

EDIT: New version, fixed the master switch room and the red key area some. Didn't realize how bad it is for non-freelook ports =/ Oh and I also decided on a name/story.

http://wadhost.fathax.com/files/AB.Area42.B.2.zip

Did a bit better this time, found a BFG but took some stupid hits. I think I went the wrong way: http://www.superjamie.net/doomfiles/sj_abtb21.lmp (recorded in the B1 version)

Edit: Was doing great up until the cyberdemon: http://www.superjamie.net/doomfiles/sj_a42-1.lmp (recorded with Area42.wad)

Heheh, that elevator room you died in is an offbranch. I think I should open the door after you press the computer switch though. Little too much of a trap as you can't get out without going through and isn't necessary to complete the map. I also think I better put a soul sphere in the lift with the switch that lets the revenants out ... can never get farther than there in my own runs either >.<

On a lighter note, I liked the infighting going on to kill that last spider mastermind :P

EDIT: blegh, I thought I needed a way out of that little alcove last time I got there >.< Then there's that BFG you keep swiping at the beginning, there are a pair of cyberdemons that are supposed to warp in behind you but that isn't looking like it's being activated right -.-

I guessed from your run I didn't need to go in there. There's so much going on, sounds and lights and the lifts getting in your way whilst providing multiple routes for enemies to corner you, even the Imps and Cacos were sufficiently hard. One would have to be incredibly lucky to survive the Revenants in there.

I was trying to get alot of infighting going. It kinda makes for a boring demo, but you see some cool scenes sometimes :)

When I met the Archvile in those twisty tunnels I thought I was a goner for sure. I don't believe how lucky I was to break his attack like 4 times in a row!

Edit: Good, I want my BFG :P

heheh, I still don't know what's wrong with it but here's a new version after watching your last demo. This might be the last one from me until the day after tomorrow, as I'm going to visit family and I'm not sure bout wifi. Enjoy ;D

http://wadhost.fathax.com/files/Area42.B3.zip

P.S. Keeping track of all these versions is annoying me. Should I just keep working without uploading anything new while you keep getting stuff in the same spots or should I flood wadhost with a bunch of buggy versions of the same map? -.-

Cool, I'm about to head out drinking but I'll have a play later tonight or tomorrow morning.

I'm cool with whatever as far as versioning goes. I just delete old files when you post new ones. Major changes are probably useful, small balancing not so much. I'll start renaming my demos better (maybe like <wadname>_sj##.lmp) to make it easier for you.

Edit: Still that goddamn Cyberdemon. I was incredulously drunk whilst recording this, maybe you can tell, maybe you can't: http://www.superjamie.net/doomfiles/Area42_B3_sj1.lmp

I beat both the red and blue key route with saves, pretty hard. The red warp barons needs memorization (I go forward a tad collect the stuff then fall off backwards to attack from there). The blue warp still has hall of mirror textures in prboomplus for me. Maybe I played the wrong wad version for all I know. I'd rather wait for it to be done to try a demo probably. 2 exits prevents max kills on the map as a whole but I like unconventional maps.

@ SJ: Hmm, I'm still not sure exactly what to do with this other than a few random changes, like making the rails in the tram tunnel sidedefs not actual raised sectors. Which reminds me, you keep going right by the panel that opens that door :P It's fairly obvious once you know where it is, but maybe you mistake it for decor -.-

And I could kinda notice the drunken bits a little. I knew soon as I heard the cyberdemon clanking around that you had about 10 seconds to get in that tunnel or you were toast :(

@ GGG: The current version for the foreseeable future (maybe tomorrow -.-) is Area42.B3. As for actually beating the map, in this new version, which I nerfed quite a few encounters with, especially with that invulnerablitiy sphere (think I might put that on HMP only) I got to the final room on the blue key route and finished without max kills on the red route in 2 of these demos:

http://www.filedropper.com/aba424demos1c

So far A42 version B3 seems workable to me concept and gameplay wise, but I really need to detail the blue key exit and the red key warp could use some work. And I'm getting sick of starg3 or whatever, I only disliked the tan startan before this but now I want nothing to do with them all -.- And now I remember I need to lower the lite visor a little more, it seems to HoM through that floor for some reason.

Sooo I'm thinking keep most of the map as-is for UV except replace the invuln sphere with a megasphere, then add the RL where the SSG is and the SSG where that box of shells is at the elevator in front of the arachnotrons for HMP, with a little nerfing of fights, mostly getting rid of arachnos and teleporters. Next lower difficulty, start by getting rid of the spider masterminds and cyberdemons, as it's just too much, except maybe the blue key exits and the one in the master switch area, although not much else should be in there then. There IS a difficulty below that one right? Well, all the boss monsters out there I guess, and probably most arch-viles and half the other monsters ... heh, I could get a friend of mine who plays FPSs but doom only a few times to test it on that. He makes it it's easy enough **

Screw you. :P

I'll probably try again later, though. But not now. Too frustrated. Grr.

(note: it continues after dying the first time)

Good work Jodwin, especially for just a second play! Man it was so scary with that Cyberdemon stalking you. You went for that last blue armor, my gf and I were just sitting there screaming "Don't do it!!!"

Whilst I probably have no chance of finishing it, up to the switch room is good. If gggmork finds the two key runs hard, I'm giving up now :P I have no idea how any human could finish the monster spawner room.

I hate those god damn key teleport ambushes

Well, it's not really the second, but third, run, of course. Oh and the cyber in that beginning secret area needs more room to get out from the megasphere area.

edit: The computer room could use a few monsters less. Fighting all those cacos, mancs and revenants through the door is boring.

http://www.superjamie.net/doomfiles/Area42_B3_sj2.lmp

I officially give up. I'm looking forward to seeing someone else finish tho :P

Jodwin said:

I hate those god damn key teleport ambushes

Wow!

What the hell is that monster spawner room doing there?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

edit:
I thought the red exit would be easier since the red key teleport was harder. I WAS WRONG.

edit:
BLUE KEY FINISH

Man nice job jodwin, you got to the part I have the most trouble getting through alive without the BFG secret on your second try O.o And that hell knight warp trap IS a little mean I guess.

I also have an interesting idea to fix the cyber not having room AND not needing those other 2 cybers to block your way out >:D Fixed the cacos being in the master switch room, I left enough ceiling room for the cacos to get over the floor >.<

@SJ that was a good game of cat and mouse :P

And now I'm starting to see the drawbacks of having a 30 min plus level, as even failed but entertaining demos take 25 minutes each >.< I'll watch jodwins other three after lunch, then see what I can do with the blue key exit and red key warp.

In retrospect, compared to some "really hard" maps, this isn't that hard once you know what to expect. What killed me each time was running into new areas without knowing what was in there, but on the next try they were always much easier than before. The only parts that would be really challenging regardless of how well you know the map are the exit rooms, maybe the red key area and, depending on how the monsters gather at the teleport, the blue key area. But even then as long as you're well prepared (read: lots of cells, at least 100 % health and some blue armor) the blue exit and the key areas they shouldn't be too bad.

Also, you should replace with helmets or simply remove some of the green armors in that dark elevator room. It's way too easy to accidentally grab a green armor when you have a blue armor that's just barely below 100 %, which is a really bad deal. And replace some medikits with stimpacks (don't necessarily change how much health you're giving, ie. replace two medikits with four or five stims). Optimizing your blue armor, soulsphere and megasphere pick ups in this map helps a lot.

ArmouredBlood said:

@SJ that was a good game of cat and mouse :P

I didn't know what to do. I was hoping to run past him, have him follow me into the open area where I could BFG him like Jodwin did in his second demo. I'd have the megasphere to fall back on if I got into trouble. But I busted around the corner, turned back and yelled "WHERE DID HE GO?". And then there were rockets.

Evidently I need to improve my close-quarters-Cyberdemon-fu.

So after quite a bit of tinkering I think I'm getting close to a final version. Widened some areas, split medkits into stimpacks, added armor bonuses, redid the red key exit's health and ammo, and cut down the pillars a little there too. Now before you get ruffled about the change to the cyberdemon in the red key area, I made it through fine the first time I tried the new version after trying it in that format with slightly easier odds. I kind of messed up in the demo though, he didn't go the way I wanted him -.-

Didn't really change much about the blue key area and exit, but it should make it slightly more interesting. No real changes gameplay wise.

So without further ado, here's Area 42 version beta 4:

http://wadhost.fathax.com/files/AB.Area42.B4.zip

P.S. Also, I've been thinking (which might be somewhat dangerous) that, since this is Area42, I should make an episode or something around these "Areas". Maybe even a secret Area 51 :P Of course I have no inclination to make special sprites so that probably wouldn't work out too well. In any case what do you think about that? It might take me a while as I signed up for the advent calendar and that collaborative map project.

Bump

If other ultra-hards (HR, AV, DV and sequels) are anything to go by, you'd at least end up with a popular episode.

Well I'm done mapping out MAP05, I just need to test it completely now and check the difficulty on it. Excepting the route back through the rec room I know I can finish it on UV, I just haven't put it all together yet -.-


Also the lift on the upper path immediately after the SSG is acting weird, is it the type of action I chose? I'm not really sure what other lift actions there are for that.

http://wadhost.fathax.com/files/Area42.M5.B1.rar

I'm not a very good Doom player, but still... I tried the MAP05 and really couldn't get past the first room. The Demons stop you from getting down to the bottom area because they get in the way of the stairs. Perhaps you tested this on a port that fixes the "monsters are infinitely tall" thing?

hmmm, not for the casual doomer. good luck with your map testing.