Djinn - 25 Maps Megawad

[Zolgia108]

So guys, this is an update to Djinn, my first megawad which is also my first mapping experience.

The first 8 maps were done in winter 2016, but then i had to stop due to some recurring panic attacks that were persecuting me and preventing me to use the computer. 2 years have passed and last summer i decided to try again, mainly because i don't like to leave things undone, and i went all in with this project!

At the beginning i wanted to create a full 32 megawad, then after some time and chat with @HAK3180 i decided to go 27, but in the end i went for 25 maps.

This not because i am lazy, but because i feel that Djinn is really done, there is nothing more (at this time) to add. I also need a small break from mapping having done all of this by myself (with just some help from my brother with map testing) in a handful of months, working almost everyday. While i was making map 25 i wasn't thinking about this but then it became an ender all by itself, and so i decided to accept this, i am running out of ideas for Djinn and Djinn only and i would like to sit and relax in order to be able to create new stuff for the months to come :)

 

So what about Djinn? I'm not that good of a mapper (yet, at least) but i tried to recreate what i think it's the mind of a schizophrenic. Djinn is about Snail, our doomguy, who is persecuted by voices in his head, someone or something is calling him. It is his second half, reclaiming his spot in his mind, soul and body.

At the end of each episode or important maps there are some lines that come from  some of my poems (in unreal life i am also a terrible writer).

 

Tested on GZ

Iwad: Doom2

Classic doom maps some puzzles here and there, with the exception of the hell episode which is more focused on monster placement and combat,

Difficulty: easy for the first 3/4 maps, but it gradually becomes harder (at least this is what i think, but who knows, we are all different), it shouldn't be too easy for the pro players nor too hard for the occasional ones, i hope!

Please play on Uv

There are tons of custom monsters in the wad, i know some people don't like them but i kinda wanted to create a different gameplay experience with them.

Custom textures and monsters taken from Realm667 as mentioned in the Credits.txt

I need your help to improve!

Oh and i want to thank @HAK3180 for his playthrough :)

 

LINK TO THE WAD: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/0mp6qubromqu574/AAAD2v0ZUib5hFd8yDhkuPFba?dl=0

 

 

CREDITS: https://www.dropbox.com/s/iitv8nnpwfchmw8/CREDITS.txt?dl=1

ST textfile: https://www.dropbox.com/s/vushbatb83monry/DJINN ST.txt?dl=1

 

MAPS (with planes of existence in brackets)

 

INTRO
MAP 01 - Ruins of Zos (Physical)
-EPISODE I-
MAP 02 - Ruins of the One Temple (Physical)
MAP 03 - The Lich (Physical)
MAP 04 - The Worm that Gnaws in the Night (Physical)
MAP 05 - Sinkhole (Abyssal)
MAP 06 - Blood Inside (Abyssal / Hellish)
MAP 07 - Close to Dog (Astral)
-END OF EPISODE I-
-EPISODE II-
MAP 08 - One with the Shade (Astral)
MAP 09 - Asylum (Physical)
MAP 10 - Solitary Confinement (Physical)
MAP 11 - The Gaze (Physical)

MAP 12 - Keys to the Gate (Physical)

-END OF EPISODE II-

-EPISODE III- Abyss

MAP 13 - Shadow Dweller (Abyssal)

MAP 14 - To the Core (Abyssal)

MAP 15 - Black Sword (Abyssal)

MAP 16 - Masak Mavdil (Abyssal)

MAP 17 - Imagine Vulva (Abyssal)

-END OF EPISODE III-

-EPISODE IV: Hell

MAP 18 - All that is and should not be (Infernal)

MAP 19 - The Belly and the Beast (Infernal)

MAP 20 - Poison of God (Infernal)

MAP 21 - Soul Eaters (Infernal)

MAP 22 - Twin crown (infernal)

-END OF EPISODE IV-

-EPISODE V: Limbo

MAP 23 - Limbo (Astral)

MAP 24 - Terror (Astral)

MAP 25 - Where dead Demons lie (Astral)

 

 

 

MAP 31 - City of Zos (Physical) -this is a remake of map 29 of Plutonia - Odyssey of Noises- (i decided to leave this map here for now but there is no actual way to get there, just with IDCLEV, maybe i will cut it... someday)

 

 

 

TIPS FOR MAP 07 (since i had some people asking and get frustrated or stuck):

Main hall, go to the right via elevator, step on the pool of blood and a door at the end of the corridor will open for some seconds.

There are some shootable switches underground to go on.

Every platform in the room triggers something, upstairs is the yellow skull door. Press the giant switch and go on. At the end of the prison is the blue keycard, taking it will trigger the elevator on the left wing of the main hall.

Backtrack a little and take the teleport on the second room to the left and you will be in the main hall again, take the elevator to the left wing.

Open the door on your left and the right door will open, go there and press the switch.

In the huge area with the waterfalls there's a switch which opens the path to a "chasm" like area, go through it and press yet another switch to lower an elevator in front of you on the lava. Take the teleport there and a new area will now be accessible. it doesn't matter wheter you right or left, at both ends is the blue door, press the switch there and you will be able to go to the middle room. Take the blue skull key and you'll be back to the main hall.

Where is the blue skull door? There was a blind alley with a blue skull texture in the second left door in the right wing, now the path is open so go there and take the yellow skull key. If you want you can take the teleport in the main hall. Go to the yellow door  in the platform room with the candelabras, upstairs (just click on the walls, they are elevators). Complete the maze and take the final key, go back to the main hall and it's done.

 

 

 

 

 

This is a review that Jag Taggart '93 made on youtube about the first 8 maps that i've sent him a while ago. Thank you so much for the kind words!

Below is the new review for the complete version. Thanks again!

 

 

 

Edited April 17, 2023 by Zolgia108

[DoodGuy]

Good textures and atmosphere, will try this

[Aquila Chrysaetos]

Nice thread. I'll post my level-by-level reviews here for you.

[Zolgia108]

looking forward to that guys! Please let me know of any possible issue.

[Zolgia108]

Just a couple of screenshots from map number 12, which is the end of episode 2 (our doom guys finally takes a portal to the abyss at the end of the map running away from earth). Testing started. Not so good. intermission is over. Sorry

 

 

[Misty]

Link into the demo doesn't work anymore. 

[Zolgia108]

sry it's been like 3 minutes i am loading a new link with some fixes, just ten minutes and it's done. Note that there will be map 12 as well but it's yet untested :)

 

 

EDIT: now it should work

Edited August 1, 2018 by Zolgia108

[Zolgia108]

Fixed a bug in map04 due to some decorate sovrapposition. Changed some item placement in order to make wad 05 easier on the last part and some misallignments here and there. I am waiting for my brother to test map12 and to see if it has any major bugs.

I am working to clean up the file in order to make it lighter than it is, i know it's 100 but that's because there are mp3s and tons of textures that i am not actually using, all the cleaning will be done asap.

Thank you guys

[HAK3180]

I'm definitely looking forward to Map 09.

[Zolgia108]

1 minute ago, HAK3180 said:

I'm definitely looking forward to Map 09.

does this mean that you still want to play 6/7/8? I feel pleased :)

 

Hey now that i think about it, there is something on map 07 (that was fixed on new link) but not in the old one, if you have the old one just know that there is a point in which you will get stuck (as usual btw lol) and at that point you have to return back where there was a blind alley (going down) with an archvile on it. You will see when you will get there i am sure :P

 

I am trying my best at my first mapping project. Do you guys know if there is a way to know which textures did i use in the wad in order to get rid of the ones that i don't need? A fast(ish) way i mean

 

[HAK3180]

I intend to continue, yes. Thanks for the tip.

 

Slade tells you which you are not using. I know it tells you right on the patch table if the patch is "not found." Can't remember textures exactly. Editing forum would help you out swiftly, I'm sure.

[Zolgia108]

Slight update:

 

started detailing maps 01 02 03 04 05 (at current stage they are pretty vanilla and inconsistent)

changed many useless projectile switches into classic ones (Hak will be happy about it^^)

added "sauron's gauntlets"  (from deus vult II) as a replacer for the chainsaw without keeping their power, same damage and frame as the saw but with a different look and sound.

created a new archvile that looks dark grey for the next to come abyss episode. Same power,  different look.

 

[Zolgia108]

meanwhile i wait for my brother testing map 12 i'm working on 13, Snail takes a portal to the abyss, to the shadow plane. Many dangerous monsters dwell there... will he be able to walk in the shadows?

[Zolgia108]

Map 12 was tested and now working, even though it's big and still needs careful detailing. Map 13 is out and working as an intro to episode 3.

Added planes of existence of each map until now. Snail now is in the abyssal plane (MAP 13) after dealing with his shadow in the astral plane (MAP 08) and going back to the past where mankind didn't exist yet (MAP 09 on)

Edited August 5, 2018 by Zolgia108

[Zolgia108]

Im still alive.

Halfway to the end, i am working on map 17 meanwhile i wait for my brother to test map 16.

In the meantime @HAK3180 is playing the maps and telling me everything he can to help me fixing issues and eventual bugs, i cannot thank him enough!

Added some screenshots.

 

[Pan]

Only played the first 2 maps, but the atmosphere is the best I've encountered in a while. Bravo!

[Zolgia108]

30 minutes ago, Pan said:

Only played the first 2 maps, but the atmosphere is the best I've encountered in a while. Bravo!

Thanks a lot m8! I hope it will keep up that way! Note that this is still a Work in Progress so i'm very open to opinions and advices, let me know if you find any issues like misalignments and such and (hopefully not at this point) major bugs :)

[Pan]

I think you've really nailed the atmosphere - A descent from desert ruins into the depths of the evil temple. It is awesome.

No improvement suggestions so far (i will let you know later.). The music in the first 2 levels was perfectly suited to the theme and I enjoy the custom textures and monsters.

[Zolgia108]

Map 17 - Imagine Vulva is in testing phase. It will be the end map of episode III, next we're going to hell as usual

couple of screens

 

[HAK3180]

Carrying on from the other thread, if you want to continue because you're flowing well, etc., but you're concerned that you'll make too many maps in your current state of mapping skill and only have to come back and make lots of edits as you continue to progress, I suggest you plan but do not (fully) execute. Get a spreadsheet or notebook or something with all 32 slots and write down your ideas for each one, from very general (e.g. dark, linear, hellish) to very specific (e.g. start facing blue key on pedastal in a 256 x 256 room of startan1), whatever you've got at the moment. Maybe work on your intermission texts. Take a look at the Doom Wiki walkthroughs for a few maps. Try to do that for your maps before you even start. Tell the story of the map to get your ideas out of your head and stored somewhere. Maybe even sketch some maps on paper or on screen. If you can't resist opening Doom Builder, maybe just do very basic geometry or just that one encounter you had an idea for. Perhaps most importantly, play maps. Find out what you like and don't like, how things are done, and notice the patterns. 

[Zolgia108]

i already started to sketch on paper, and i decided to base the next 11 maps on the 11 qliphot (tree of knowledge), and the last 3 will take place in heaven. Snail is basically a schizofrenic which is going totally crazy, he's hearing voices from god and he believes he is its reincarnation. God is telling him to retrace his creation steps and to annihilate everything he had made. of course this is all in his mind (like map08 said) and who knows how it will end. Today i played for the 100000 time Scythe 2, i hate bfg spam but i love the architecture there and i am still trying to figure it out how he does that. I played many wads in my life (i love memento mori for example, that's where my problems with shootable switches come from probably lol), i play since 2000. But of course if you have any obscure but really cool wads to recommend please tell me and i will be very happy to play them. My goal is to be able to create good atmosphere and perfect monster placement, that is what i would really love to achieve, detailing is cool but i consider it of secondary importance. Thanks a lot @HAK3180

[Zolgia108]

Added map 18

Fixed a major bug on map 11 that prevents player to progress (sadly hak experienced it in his playthough)  so i invite anyone who is willing to play or already doing that to download newest version

 

Thanks a lot

 

[Zolgia108]

Added MAP19 - The Belly and the Beast (our antihero is inside our mother Naamah's womb)

2 weeks have passed and i've been thinking: should i actually make this a 32 megawad our should i cut a little, @HAK3180 recently told me: you don't need to go big or go home. So that's what i think i am going to do: 25 maps, i've convinced myself after reading a topic on the forum, many people quit megawads cause they are too long and they sometimes get boring, unless they are full of 10 minutes max maps, since my megawad has some long ones and it is quite annoying at times, i guess that will be the right choice. Anyways,

2 weeks in which i've thought a lot, in which i cleant up all of those stupid launch error messages that i couldn't figure out before, and in which i've finally made map 19, which is about to be tested. I am learning new stuff day after day thanks to this experience, and it may probably be seen by the differences between 1/12 and 13/19.

Let me know, as usual, if you find any major or small bugs.

thanks!

[Zolgia108]

i Think i am not dead, even if some of you may hope so!

Map 20 has been done and tested, seems to be working.

I also fixed many many things in other maps, especially in map 7 and 17.

I am currently working on a complicated (for me ofc) map 21, trying to detail much more and trying to get better in general, i started analyzing many megawads such as "sunlust" and "valiant" to better understand how they are made.

i will post new screenshots asap, thanks :)

[Zolgia108]

Megawad is now on map 23 (included), doomsnailguy thought he went to heaven but...

well, 4 maps to finish this and then i will start readjusting every single one.

New link has been added, with many many fixes, especially to map 20.

I also decided to momentarly put the previous map 09 (plutonia remake) as map 31 (but there is no secret exit yet) and to divide map 10 in 2 parts.

Screenshots will be added soon :)

 

Edited October 6, 2018 by Zolgia108

[Count651]

Don't suppose you could reupload the wad? I wanted to give this a try but the download link is busted.

[Zolgia108]

4 hours ago, Count651 said:

Don't suppose you could reupload the wad? I wanted to give this a try but the download link is busted.

i am really sorry m8, i forgot to upload latest version it seems, going to put it right away :) let me know all your thoughts if you play it so that i can improve!

[Count651]

4 maps in and I absolutely love it so far. The atmosphere is great and the music is creepy as hell. The maps are good too, just the right level of detail. There are a few glitches though, like a switch on map 3 that shares multiple linedefs. You can hit it several times, causing the floor to sink into the ground.

[Zolgia108]

48 minutes ago, Count651 said:

4 maps in and I absolutely love it so far. The atmosphere is great and the music is creepy as hell. The maps are good too, just the right level of detail. There are a few glitches though, like a switch on map 3 that shares multiple linedefs. You can hit it several times, causing the floor to sink into the ground.

 

Can't imagine how much this makes me happy, especially because those were the first maps that i made, i hope that you'll continue liking it! Don't destroy the computer on map07 please, in case feel free to insult me!

 

Anyways, can you please tell me which switch? i knew that there would have been other glitches which i couldn't find, i will fix it right away, thanks for telling me  ;)

[Zolgia108]

ooo i get it now! in the secret area! ok thats because the linedef has multiple vertices, i didn't think about that i am so dumb )