[My second wad] Another Day Of the Pain v. 1.1 - 10 levels

[FoxPlays]

Hello all!
It's my second wad :D Hope you enjoy!

Launch:
No jumps, and no crough! :D
Freelook - at your look :)

Spoiler

Ports: All ?
(tested on - ZDoom, GZDoom, QZDoom, PrBoom+, GlBoom+, Zandronum, Skulltag, ZDaemon and Odamex)

Working: Singleplayer, Cooperative and Deathmatch

Made in 3 months.
45-50 min. of playing (HMP):

Spoiler

MAP01 - 5 min.
MAP02 - 3 min.
MAP03 - 4 min.
MAP04 - 3 min.
MAP05 - 4 min.
MAP06 - 5 min.
MAP07 - 6 min.
MAP08 - 4 min.
MAP09 - 3 min.
MAP10 - 8 min.

Screenshots:

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

 

Download:

Link: Doomworld /idgames (v. 1.1)
Alternative link: ADOP_v.1.1.zip (v. 1.1)

Wad on another sites:
Zdoom Forum, IDDQD Forum [RUS]
 

Edited July 20, 2019 by FoxPlays : New links

[DynamiteKaitorn]

This is a very good map pack from what I've played so far, I do love the gradual progression.

 

Good Points:

+ The map is visually appealing without going over-board. The maps are fairly linear without feeling like a w+m1 map-pack.

+ Difficulty seems rather low (to be fair I didn't play the later maps, so that may change).

+ The traps here didn't feel cheap and were balanced well.

 

Bad Points:

- Radiation shielding suits being either non-existent or in jerk-ish secrets. Seriously, why the forced damaging floor mechanic? It's not fun to deal with...

 

Really solid set of levels over-all.

 

8/10 :)

 

EDIT:

Also this DOES work with LZDooM... if anyone was curious.

[Keyboard_Doomer]

Went through the whole wad. The maps are pretty good for a beginner and hit the sweet spot of being not too short but also not too long.

 

Here are a few issues I found:

 

MAP02:

- There seem to be missing textures on lines 683, 691 and 691 and it produces one huge HOM:

Spoiler

 

MAP04:
- Lines 95, 97, 98 have WR teleport action but no tag so when you reach yellow key you're actually stuck and can't finish the map.

- This map is also the only one that doesn't have any coop starts.

 

MAP05:
- Since you added the player corpse as a "warning" I guess this is not really a bug unless I'd would want to be very meticulous but if a player falls/jumps off to the damaging floor at the start of the map they can survive by standing on one of the 2 "islands" and become effectively stuck. This can especially be problem in online multiplayer as this stuck player is likely to go AFK and then if all other players happen to die the whole server is stuck waiting for one player.

 

MAP06:
- More missing textures resulting in HOMs on lines 33, 36, 41, 476, 482, 484, 485, 488, 491, 494, 496, 497.
- There are also HOMs on lines 703 and 706 after you activate line 708.
- I also think you might have intended for the player to be able to walk through the crusher from the area with blue key after activating line 708 since there's a transparent wall after activating that line. However, there's something blocking you and you can't walk through there.

 

MAP07:
- Line 1005 is a W1 teleport so you can get stuck in that area of the map if you visit it for the 2nd time.
- Line 1027 has an action assigned but no tag so the action won't work and will actually break the map unless the player uses a source ports that fixes this kind of problems.
- Is line 1095 really supposed to be impassable? It seems rather unnatural and the monsters behind the line are almost harmless this way.

 

MAP08:
- Same problem with a W1 teleport as in MAP07. If a player happens to go to the area with the 2 mancubi twice they will get stuck because line 427 only works as a teleport once.

 

MAP10:
- Big HOMs on lines 174 and 442.
- There's an abundance of rockets but no rocket launcher in the map. Adding one would greatly improve gameplay from pistol start.
- 2 imps (things 402 and 403) are stuck into each other.

 

 

No one submitted any demos for the wad yet so you can still upload an updated version to idgames with fixes - but you might want to wait to see if anyone reports more bugs.

 

For next time, it's always wise to first post your wad in Doomworld and wait a few days to see if players find any bugs and only then upload to idgames.
 

Edited July 8, 2019 by Keyboard_Doomer

[Misty]

Well, I played your set, so I'm writing this now before impressions fade away. So, I've got feel that first few maps are newest ones(more polished and decent) and towards middle and end are older ones. Fights felt quite one dimensional and easily skippable, example:



 

I just ran past of monsters and cyberdemon fight is useless, because of middle teleporter you can take. In other fight cases, you can cheese almost every fight with infighting or ignore those completely. 

Also, what's the deal with invisible walls or impassable lines?(not sure about those) I found those annoying, because I personally like explore every corner of maps(it might be here more, but i'm not sure):


 
This teleporter didn't work, so I had cheat to move out:


Some decorations are standing in questionable places and makes travelling a bit difficult.

So quick suggestions:

1. Add height differences in maps, if you look at iwads or any highly regarded vanilla mapset, they all have height differences to make things look more dynamic and interesting to look or walk.
2. More varied fights and traps. You can take examples from your favourite mapsets and study them why and how authors make them replayable and enjoyable regardless skill settings.
3. You need more texture variety. You can make some contrasting texture combinations and break monotony in texturing with some different colours. There was grey map with ickwalls, it would really benefit if there was some break from them. Same with ceilings and floors.
4. Try more interconnected or continuous design and rely less on corridors, 64px or a bit more wide corridors aren't fun to walk around and fight with monsters. 
5. Don't afraid make your rooms wider, not too wider, but allow player to breath a bit more. Better if there are wide and smaller rooms in mix.
6. Also, if you don't want allow players jump or crouch in your map, you should prepare mapinfo for zdoom family ports(zdoom family is more used) and eternity if you wish so. 


Anyway, don't be discouraged by my review, you have potential do a lot great things in the future as long as you're willing to improve. Good luck with mapping!

[TheMightyHeracross]

Sorry to nitpick, but I noticed you never tested in Chocolate Doom, so I tried running it there and got tutti-fruttis and drawseg errors galore.

 

 

So technically this WAD is limit-removing, not vanilla. Remember to test in vanilla conditions if you're making a vanilla WAD!

[Simomarchi]

I will update this post with my toughts every time I finish a map, in order to not spam in the thread.

I will not pistol start the maps.

I will not point out the same things every time. If the maps are all visually pleasing or awful I will simply mention it, for example.

All the reviews are based on the first version of the wad.

 

MAP01:

Spoiler

I've completed MAP01 on UV in 3.50 minutes, with 93% kills, 80% items and 50% secrets.

 

The map was a short techbase without major threats or ambushes, so a nice simple MAP01.

 

Starting with the visuals:

I liked your level of detail and the general idea of placing in every room something to see. The very first area is also really nice, I wasn't expecting something similar in a second wad. 

I have noted a weird black texture on a pedestal (maybe the backpack's one or on similar to it), and also that you have used the 32 map unit grid, that is too large. Using a 16 map unit grid can help you a lot in detailing your map.

Also nice use of the thing's decorations.

In conclusion I appreciated your light work. It's always good to see a lamp that emit light.

 

Thing placement:

Thing placement was quite simple. There were no ambushes and no new ideas for the fights, but for a MAP01 it's more than enough. 

Maybe you have placed a little bit too much ammo and health (I finished the map with 50 shells), and I found some rockets but no RL (but maybe it was in another secret).

I liked how 50% of the enemies have moved in the first area when I've shot, it was a fun hot start

 

General design:

the map was quite linear and with some backtracking, but nothing wrong also here. I never felt lost but maybe the map lacks some interconnections between the areas, both visual and phisical.

Also, of course, it's not the best idea to place 10 imps near the exit if I can simply run on the teleport dodging them. Adding a timer, or something to block the player can be a good idea.

 

Overall a really nice first map. I will gladly play the rest of the wad 

MAP02:

Spoiler

I've completed MAP02 in 4.22 minutes, with 93% kills, 100% items and 50% secrets.

 

The map was another short work, set in a nuke cave.

 

Starting with the visuals:

another good map to see here. I like when people understand that nukage rivers had to come from somwhere and to go somewhere else.

I have noted a giant hakk of mirror in the final room (behind the shotgunners) and also that the lift that brings you to the yellow key (the one in the brown room) has a floor that isn't at the same height of the step, so when I use it the lift will lower under the step creating a bad visual.

 

Thing placement:

finally an ambush (I'm talking about the one with the two side walls that opens up). It was not an hard ambush but definetly it surprises me, good job here. 

What I really didn't like was the lack of a radsuit exactly in front of the nuke pit. Why is a player forced to take damage? It's something that should never happen in a map (I must have the possibility to complete the map without taking damage, without finding any secret).

I also think that the secret with the 2 shell boxes is a little bit too generous considering that it is quite unmissable.

 

General design:

I hated the moment when, after collecting the yellow key, I was forced to cross the nukage pool again. A new route that opens up connecting the areas is really needed here. It was a little bit more complex map but nothing maze-like. So another good work regarding this point.

 

I prefer the first map, but this does not mean that this one is a bad map. Good work

 

MAP03

Spoiler

I've completed MAP03 on UV in 5.48 minutes, with 100% kills, 100% items and 100% secrets.

 

The map was a medium hellish environment, sometimes a little bit confused.

 

As usual, starting with the visuals:

I appreciated the light work in this map, it is more present than in the previous two, and the detail was good. The maps so far have a classic style, nothing incredibly complex and no stunning visuals, but they are good to be played without thinking that you are just walking inside hollow cubes.

There are some texture misalignment on the wall decorations in the big final room, the one before the exit.

Nice work with the lift actions, raising more than one floor at a different height is not a basic mechanic.

 

Thing placement:

more ambushes in this map, but I'm starting to think that I will never be attacked from more than one direction in this map pack (but maybe it is only because I'm only on MAP03). However, there were some moments (always in the big final room) where I was simply shooting thing without moving from my position.

The megasphere is totally useless, it is really too much of an item to be placed in this map, so I think that MAP04 will be an easy one with 200/200.

Again I was forced to cross a nuke pit without a raduit (well, there were some radsuit but on the wrong side of the pit)

 

General design:

More interconnections here. I liked how the teleport brings you in the starting room, and how some zones were visually connected with others.

I've not understood what the 2 switches in the final room do...really.

 

Overall another good map.

MAP04:

Spoiler

I gave up completing your MAP04 after 04.50 minutes, with 96 kills, 76 items and 0 secrets

 

The map was a strange tech/underground complex, with a really good midi and generally a good design.

 

It is a pity for the broken teleport, because I was really enjoing this map, thing placement was good, with the chaingun ambush being the first moment of real danger so far.

The yellow key being in a secret zone is also annoying, you should consider the idea of marking the doors in some ways (with a door texture for example).

 

Obviously the worst map so far, because it can not be completed.

MAP05:

Spoiler

I've completed MAP05 on UV in 4.03 minutes, with 100% kills, 80% items and 100% secrets.

 

Starting with the visuals:

I'm starting to get bored of the visuals. There is detail, but the map lacks a some realism. All the maps are cramped/medium techbases, with some detail here and there but they are all similar to each other. But ok, nothing else was wrong, only some minor texture misalignments in the yellow key zone on the root wall.

 

Thing placement:

Again, I would like to see the use of the "ambush/deaf" flag. Having to fight all the enemies of a zone after the first shot is not the best thing, there is no tention and the fights are always the same (shoot, aim at the door and take down all the enemies that enter).

However I liked the ambush in the yellow key zone (probably the only fight of the map that places you in a dangerous situation, with enemies coming from 2 directions).

Again there is an easy megasphere secrets that can break your next map, but we will see.

 

General design:

I had to backtrack two times, one for each key, so again the map lacks connections. Also, I'm not a great fun of inescapable pit. If I fall in one pit it is ok to be punished with some damage, but having to wait to die is a little bit too much.

 

Overall this is a good map, but probably I'm starting to get bored of some minor mistakes that I find in every map (mainly lack of good fights and interconnections)

MAP06:

Spoiler

I've completed MAP06 on UV in 5.54 minutes, with 98% kills, 87% kills and 0% secret.

 

Note: I had to pistol start MAP05 because of the bug in MAP04

 

Starting with the visuals:

Well, finally a map with a different theme, placed exactly in the right mapslot, I hope that the next one is not another techbase but something similar to this one. There is a lot less detail in this map than in the other 5, but the change of the theme compensate this lack greatly, but I don't know if this was intentional or if it is only luck.

Other texture misalignments under the windows

 

Thing placement:

I'm still without a supershotgun after 2 maps. I've lost it after the bug in MAP04 and I have not found another one anywhere. I suggest you to place all the weapons that a player is supposed to have in order to beat a map near the start, so that even in case of a death he is not forced to fight with the wrong weapons.

The cyberdemon fight is useless, I've simply ran on the teleport and I've earned 50 free rockets to use in the next maps.

 

General design:

this was probably the map with the worst layout. The exit is behind a door that is behind the player start. Every map has something behind the player start so placing an unmarked door here is usually considered as a decorative action.

Also in the nuke maze there is a fast unavoidable crusher that was REALLY unfair and annoying. I will say that again, the player should have the opportunity to finish the map without taking damage at the first run.

Lastly, finally you have placed an escapable pit, the only problem is that the lift is a single use one, so you are telling the player that he can exit your obstacle but in reality he will find himself locked the second time that he fall, another unfair thing

 

I liked this map mainly for the different theme

MAP07:

Spoiler

I've completed MAP07 on UV in 11.01 minutes, with 95% kills, 97% items and 0% secrets.

 

Note: I've summoned a SSG, because I think that the wad is intended to be played without pistol start. I also cheated in a specific point of your map.

 

Starting with the visuals:

it was fine to see that the change of theme continued in this map, but I noted another general lack of detail (maybe you are not familiar with hellish environments or outside areas), and I have to say that the first maps were more detailed that the 6th and this one.

Good number of different places however. I liked the initial rocky zone and the different bases that I had to explore. The half open door near the end was also a nice touch.

 

Thing placement:

I had to cheat after the yellow key because I was low on health and I have not found another radsuit to cross the blood. 

The imps behind the fake walls where an annoying presence, I didn't like them, it seems unfair to place something where I can't see it.

However, finally I've played a more challenging map, harder then the previous six but I still have not seen a single teleport ambush.

 

General design:

I liked the layout of the map, the large arena with the canyons, but again, the use of damaging floor is horrible in this wad. I suspect that in the room with the mancubi, where I have to push the switches in order to open the door there was another inescapable pit. 

Lastly, in that same room I lost a couple of minutes to find the 4th switch, that was not here because the last door was a manually opened one. I suggest to remove it to avoid confusion. 

 

A medium quality map

 

Edited July 14, 2019 by Simomarchi

[Keyboard_Doomer]

Finished the whole wad. I updated my first post with all the issues I encountered. There are quite a few but as Misty already said don't get discouraged! The maps are very good for a beginner and I wouldn't finish the playthrough if I didn't enjoy playing them.

[FoxPlays]

Version 1.1 + New link

(many updates)

[drsnodgrass]

Thanks for the release, I had a good time running through it.

 

A couple of simple notes I would like to offer, just small things that would have made it more fun for me as a player:

 

Deaf or Ambush Player monsters and sound blocking linedefs could flesh the levels out better.  A lot of fights boiled down to shooting down hallways while every monster in the area came tunneling towards me.  Making some deaf or blocking sound to areas would force more caution and spread combat more thoroughly through the levels.

 

I also found the wad to be very, very easy, mostly due to tons of ammo and health and few mid to high tier monsters.  All the low tier monsters drop easily and most give ammo.  Replacing a lot of Zombiemen with Revs and Mancs could clear this up pretty easily and add a lot of challenge.

 

More varied heights would've been nice as well.  Overall the architecture was nice, it just could've used a little bit more variance in the form of stairs and balconies and such.

 

Those are my personal thoughts, overall I had a good time and could see you have a solid grasp of how to use different sector types and vary the gameplay in general.  I especially enjoyed the lava room with the hidden switches to open the exit, sliding back and forth across the pits to find the switches was fun, and the level with all the Archies and the false exits was cool as well, though I do prefer to 100% a map if possible (maybe there was a way to kill 'em all, but I didn't see it).  Maps were a good length as well.

 

Thanks again for the release, keep it up, I'd like to play more in the future.

[Simomarchi]

I'm making a new post for the last 3 maps due to a prpblem with multiple edits on a single post.

 

MAP08:

Spoiler

I've completed MAP08 in 4.35 minutes, with 18% kills, 90% items and 100% secrets.

 

I will comment this map in a different way, wuthout paragraphs, because it was a strange experience. The idea of a luck based map (or a tricky one) is nice, but I was really near the "idclev09" when I firstly saw the giant room full of archviles. Despite this annoying traps, the map was a simple collage of old zones full of stronger enemies. Nothing special.

I loved the exit system however.

 

A strange map, I'm not sure to like this one, but ok.

MAP09:

Spoiler

I've completed MAP09 in 4.10 minutes, with 93% kills, 71% items and 0% secrets.

 

Starting with the visuals:

I'm not sure if this is your first map or if you ran out of ideas, but it was probably the worst map of the wad, visually. All the rooms where squares, with ortogonal angles and without detailing. Also, there were a lot of texture misalignments in the brick texture, that are not missable due to the nature of the texture itself.

 

Thing placement:

it was an easy map. 54 enemies attacked me near the beginning but they where all low tier and the rest of the map was incredibly linear and easy. For a penultimate level I was expecting something more.

 

General design:

not much to say also here. It was an incredibly linear experience, amd this, at least for me, is often good but this does not mean that a map has to be a straight path from A to B without connections or loops to previous zones.

 

I disliked this map, really. It was the worst map so far.

MAP10:

Spoiler

I've completed MAP10 on UV in 8.10 minutez, with 95% kills, 50% items and 0% secrets.

 

Starting with the visuals: 

I have to say that I smiled at the beginning when I understood what was going on, it was a nice idea to place this map in the E1M8 environment. Due to this thing the first part of the map is well made, while the second one is a little bit underdetailed (nothing terrible like MAP09 however). 

 

Thing placement:

There was a good level of challenge but you probably underestimated the power of the BFG. With 600 cells a single cyberdemon is no game for the player (even 3 cyberdemons in reality) so probably the map is easier than your initial plan. The yellow key hunt was a bit tedious, since it was not clear what the switch that lowers it really does.

One imp and 2 demons are not exactly the best final bosses to place in a wad.

 

General design: 

a less linear map. There where no connections but at least you have avoided backtracking using a teleport. 

 

I generally liked the first part of this wad a lot, while the second one was a little bit boring and visually plain. However good work in creating a 10 level wad without publishing a low quality work. I liked the map, not all of them but really only MAP08 and MAP09 were not worth to be played.

 

And that's finally all

 

[FoxPlays]

Well, added some new links.
Maybe someone will need it :P

[FoxPlays]

+ Added this links on other sites too

[Suitepee]

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/456558881

 

I play this at 1:22:00 into this playtest livestream. A nice improvement over Bloody Saturn I must say!