1995 called. They want their Doom levels back.

[Zylinderkatze]

Thank you, magical column <3

 

^{Not really what I wanted there.. but.. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯}

 

There's still angles that expose too much geometry at once but it's getting there. I'm a bit sad that I had to cut a bit more than I had hoped.. but.. such is life.

[Zylinderkatze]

Not much has cha~ ..oh my god

 

^{It's a little more compact now, I guess ^^; Also, a little less unfair. And a little more fun, I hope xD}

 

It's not completely done yet. I mean.. this part is, yes. But then there's still a bit that leads out of that room and to the (already finished) exit teleport.. thingie (not shown on this map at this time)

 

I'm pleased. Couldn't see any more Seg / HOM problems anymore but.. I thought that when I was "done" with E1M1, too.

 

The room, "in engine":

^{From the direction through which you enter..}

 

^{..and from the other side.}

 

I moved around a few things which I (apparently rightfully) assumed to be causing that last problem.. and now it seems a-ok!

 

Also, it's a bit brighter now but it still seems too dark. Hm.

 

I'll do some more testing tomorrow and then I'll finish up the connecting path.. and then I should be done!

 

Goodnight!

[ketmar]

but... we lost the sword! how could we defend ourselves now?!

[Zylinderkatze]

7 hours ago, ketmar said:

but... we lost the sword! how could we defend ourselves now?!

 

I didn't even notice xD

 

I guess it's more of a battle axe now? A war hammer? Adjust your stance and fighting style accordingly!

 

I think it's worth it.. but I suppose both have their appeal :)

[ketmar]

50 minutes ago, Zylinderkatze said:

I guess it's more of a battle axe now? A war hammer?

looks like very techy battle axe. the definitive upgrade with modern technology.

 

(or like an adjustable wrench, so we may be "promoted" to lower tech personal now...)

[Zylinderkatze]

1 hour ago, ketmar said:

the definitive upgrade with modern technology.

 

Battery sold seperately xD

Edited June 23, 2020 by Zylinderkatze

[Zylinderkatze]

It is done.

 

The "final confrontation room" and the exit from it (jutting out of the top to the right there) are finished. You can now actually.. almost.. kind of escape the last battle if you're too scared.

 

^{Now it looks more like one of those very first artificial hearts >_>}

 

Also, there's no shame in running. Especially right now because I still need to do test plays for "thing" placement. You might not have enough ammo to finish it xD

 

But this means I am this close to being done! Yes!

 

I'm excited. Are you excited?

[ketmar]

7 hours ago, Zylinderkatze said:

Also, there's no shame in running.

...if you're running into the battle! ;-)

[Zylinderkatze]

13 hours ago, ketmar said:

...if you're running into the battle! ;-)

You need to pick your fights ^^ Though that being said, I would much prefer walking out of a level that has no grunting or gargling echoing through its halls anymore. The only sound is the sound of the blood dripping from my shotgun.

 

Don't take that out of context >_>

 

After I wrote that yesterday (the bit about being done with the "exit room"), I went and started retouching the "brushy brush" area that I had neglected so unfairly. I did a bunch of texture alignment and (so far) no geometry adjustments. I will continue that today, then do the testing for thing placement.

 

I'm thinking that I'll supply the player with just a little more ammo than they need, to keep them guessing / wondering why they would need it.. until they know why.

 

Though I guess I'm thinking way too highly of the kind of message my level might convey xD

[Zylinderkatze]

Small update

 

I had to work overtime today so there wasn't much time left for Doom.. this is what I managed:

 

^{Slowly working my way over to the left}

 

I tweaked a few things, adjusted some sector heights, added switches for two things that didn't make much sense before without them.. There's still some balancing necessary because (with one exception) the monsters in the "done" area aren't very exciting or surprising.

 

I removed a weapon (which was only available on hard difficulty) from this area, too.. and put it all the way over to the left (to the part that isn't "done" ^^).

 

I'm not exactly sure if I will leave it like that, though.. because before, the area on the left was a very mindless "invulnerability wreckfest with a rocketlauncher".. but that rocketlauncher has now been removed. But I'll get something more fun to happen there :)

 

If you want the mindless thing, you can still play the 1995 version ^^;

 

Here's hoping that I'll get more time for editing tomorrow.

 

Goodnight for now!

[Zylinderkatze]

Oh look! Wait..

 

Yeah.. it looks like before.. but that's the point xD I basically added a whole new layer of gameplay without altering the actual layout. 

 

^{There's a little bit of detailing that made it into the automap but generally, it's the same as before.}

 

Next up: The "room" where you get the Yellow Key. 

 

Which will stay mostly the same as well.. and because it's much less complex, it will not take nearly as long as this shi~ ..uh.. this section did ^^;;

 

Unfortunately I won't have much time to work on this tomorrow, though, because it's my birthday xD But Sunday!

 

Goodnight for now c:

[ketmar]

13 hours ago, Zylinderkatze said:

it's my birthday

yay! congrats!

[Zylinderkatze]

What kind of hell.. hole.. is this?

 

^Ominous.

 

Just spent an hour or two on some remodeling.. My birthday is technically over, so I'm allowed, right? xD

 

Functionally, this is still very much akin to the 1995 behavior and layout. Also, it's completely not done yet.

 

I have to admit I got stuck actually playing the level a few times, when I really only wanted to check some layout in engine.

 

I guess that means the level is engaging and fun to play~

 

But it kind of sucks when you want to just get done building it ^^;

 

Goodnight!

[Zylinderkatze]

20 hours ago, ketmar said:

yay! congrats!

thank you! ^_^

[Zylinderkatze]

"It's not unfair as long as you get a backpack"

 

Case in point:

^{At least all the Imps are dead!}

 

..so yeah, another case of "getting caught playing instead of just testing a room". I think I like Doom too much to write levels for it. 

 

Let me just call off this project xD

[taufan99]

Because testing does have to be that intensive to assure the best of... well, just about everything!

Also, kudos on that 1% health. Mad skillz/10

[Zylinderkatze]

"You know what that means"

 

^{Where am I?}

 

Oh wait.. no you don't xD

 

That's the first view when starting the level (E1M4). I am testing the "start to finish" run(s) right now.

 

This potentially means I am done with the level layout. Finally.

 

Home stretch!

[Zylinderkatze]

Okay..

 

This is how you arrive at the last room, if you find all the secrets. And if you don't get hit too much ^^;

^{All the weapons!}

 

Now the "sad" thing is, I encountered two misaligned textures (only) but also one HOM when you return to an area that lowers a few view-blocking walls during the level progression. I'll have to find a fix for that.

 

   

^{That last one is going to be a problem.}

 

But aside from that, no problems! Which is pretty remarkable, if I might say so myself xD

 

I have to go now though!

 

Bye for now!

[Zylinderkatze]

Okay. So. Listen up.

^{Or, you know.. don't. I'm not your mum ^^}

 

So I managed to remedy the misaligned textures but I had to do a lot of bending to get rid of that "too many Segs" problem. 

 

It's stuff you will hardly notice .. mainly because you don't know what my original plan was.. but it bothers me a little so I'm sharing. I want you to feel my pain xD

 

First up, the.. "weirdly ominous metal-and-marble-face" structure

^{It used to have a face on all four sides..}

^{..now it only has two (the second one is on the opposite side of the one you can see)}

 

Then there's the "moat-rescue-lift"

^{I kind of preferred it "open and breezy"..}

^{..but I had to close it down and make it part of the structure.}

 

The reason is that a bunch of things in the level open up and reveal new passages (and monsters).. and if you stand in the spot where the Sarge is (once everything is "open"), you used to get that big "nope" from ChocoDoom (as seen in the last image at the end of this post).

 

This problem is now gone because the wall around the lift blocks your view of it.. but it still sucks ^^;

 

I'm tempted to leave it in or maybe make 2 versions of the 2020 rendition. But I guess I'll just get over it and publish this reduced version xD

 

Likely soon- but likely not right now because I need to do some more tests with the changes now and it's already 11:20pm.

 

This may be my last post for today.

 

If so, goodnight xD

[Zylinderkatze]

Testing, testing..

 

I think the difficulty is alright now xD

 

^{Those darned Lost Souls. ::shakes fist::}

 

There's a release coming up. I can feel it.

[Zylinderkatze]

Balancing is getting better

 

It's challenging. I like that.

 

^{Hindsight is always 78 / 78}

 

I'm a little worried that you won't have enough ammo to kill all the enemies.. I need to add some more- I took too much out xD

[Zylinderkatze]

With minimal scavaging..

 

This is what you get to the last room with, if you remember that there's a red door that you didn't have the key for. If you don't remember that, you'll be missing the chaingun.

 

^{Am I ready? A resounding "I dunno.."}

 

One possible approach to the last room doesn't require any shooting. Let's see if I can pull it off ^^;

Edited July 13, 2020 by Zylinderkatze

[Zylinderkatze]

"Looks fair to me"

This is "all monsters in the last room dead" stats.

 

^{See? I still have rockets.. >_>}

 

I know, I know. I should put some more ammo in there xD

[Horus]

6 rockets...and no rocket launcher :P

[Zylinderkatze]

1 minute ago, Horus said:

6 rockets...and no rocket launcher :P

 

Soo? xD

 

I mean.. yes. Exactly ^^;

 

I'll see where an added clip or a handful of sheels will make sense :)

[Zylinderkatze]

I see you shiver with antici..

 

Oh no.. no! NO! Is this it already? Yes. E1M4.

 

Here you go:

 

M4-compare.zip (externally hosted now)

 

Oh.. hello?: 2020

^{Jump to E1M4. The Imps are waiting <3}

 

So bright. Too bright: 1997

^{I didn't know what I was doing. And it shows. See for yourself! >> E2M4}

 

As you might have grasped through the past 3(?) weeks, I redid a lot more of E1M4 than I had anticipated. Basically 50% of the level are new and only vaguely remind of the old version. Other parts are merley refreshed and brushed up to look more.. wholesome? I dunno. You tell me.

 

This level has it all!

 

^{Passages blocked by lowered slabs of marble, blood fountains..}

 

^{..walls, holes..}

 

^{..disgusting machinery..}

 

^{..entrances..}

 

^{..and an exit! <3}

 

Enjoy!

 

And please let me know what you think :)

 

 

 

Spoiler

^..pation.

 

Edited July 26, 2020 by Zylinderkatze

[Loud Silence]

Hi, i'm very interested in playing your maps, screenshots looks good. But i can't download 4th map - i get "Not Found" screen. I recommend to use Google Drive for file hosting.

[Zylinderkatze]

12 minutes ago, Loud Silence said:

i get "Not Found" screen.

 

I noticed that too- when I inserted the link, it seems that somehow some extra garbage was added to the link. I updated it already- please try again ^^

 

That one change I made to fix the link is the reason why the post now says "edited" on it, which makes me a little sad because otherwise this would've been a pristine "in one go" post ^^;

[Zylinderkatze]

[[END OF E1M4]] (for now)

 

8<--------------------------------------- cut here

 

[[BEGINNING OF E1M5]]

 

Yes, I will still reply to messages regarding any previous maps.. but I am jumping right in to the next one!

 

Here's the map:

^{Yes, that thing is huge. It's one of the last levels I made back in 1997.}

 

Also, here's a first look at the start of it:

^{Again with the marble.}

 

This already works nicely (though compared to the other reworked levels it's still a bit too bright with 190 outside light level).. the map starts with some nice surprises, too.

 

As in.. semi-unconventional triggers and sector types x3

 

I already know that this is- as it stands in the 1997 version already- going to risk luring me into playing the whole level when testing just one room xD

Edited June 30, 2020 by Zylinderkatze

[Zylinderkatze]

Expect the unexpected

 

I tried.. but that stuff has layers, man.

 

So the level itself is good. A lot of good stuff in it. Yeah. Surprisingly good, even, considering I made it without a visual editor.

 

But then there's some stuff that doesn't line up. Literally, as in, texture wise..  but also level structure / layout wise, sensically. I'll go through the level section by section, room by room and see whether fixing the texture alignments will be enough. In some parts I already know it won't be.

 

For example, about 2/5th of the level (the labyrinthe passages in the top of the level and slightly to the left that lead to the "1", "2" and "3" areas) are too.. expansive. I recall that I did this for a reason. That I wanted it to feel a little overwhelming and like there are monsters behind every corner (because there are).. but even with that, it might still be a little too much. I'll see if I can reduce that stuff sensibly.

 

Checking the level yesterday night, I remember some of the stuff I did back in 2010 when I adjusted the level the first time (the progress I lost subsequently, as described in the first post of this thread).. and I will probably do some of that. But then also a bunch of stuff more. Vague, I know ^^; Okay.. an example: There's a very unfair encounter with lava and narrow ledges, then a few Cacodemons right after, on the right side of the level. Not nice.

 

Also, there's (surprise surprise) too much ammo ^^; I'll have to fix that, too. But that's not until later.

 

"Also also", I found a few secrets that were so secret that I forgot I had even hidden them there in the first place.

There's pointers / cues, though. You might find them. I did, after all xD

 

No pictures this time because I am at my work laptop.

 

Just wanted to drop a quick update.

 

Have a great day everyone :)

Edited June 30, 2020 by Zylinderkatze