Sam's Map Pack, my wip first wad

[Samwow]

I finally learned how to use Doom Builder somewhat competently over these past 5 weeks, and have gotten to work on a 5 level map pack. Hopefully it isn't total garbage, being that its my first wad and all, but if there's anything super awful about it, please let me know. Any feedback or suggestions on the level design and music would be great as well!

 

Ports that I know it works with:
ZDoom, GZDoom, and Crispy Doom. It probably works with most other ports considering its pretty vanilla aside from two custom textures, unless the port doesn't support non-midi music.

Also, it doesn't require any jumping or crouching. Doing so would probably break some of the levels.
IWad used was Doom 2.

Here are some screenshots of levels 1 and 2!

Spoiler

Current Version Below
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lizIvyMZ5p7nXiA_dCimRIrjG0RrcS3u/view?usp=sharing

 

Edited April 14, 2020 by Samwow : updated download to a google drive link

[Misty]

Nice little set for the first map pack. Seems you nailed some important basics down, but here's still plenty of work needed to do. I'll give a quick list what you need take care for:

• I noticed that here's lack of health items, besides blue potions. Place stimpacks and couple of medikits.
• Same comes with ammo. I managed get shotgun secret with ammo in map01, but few rooms later I encountered not hidden one. I suggest replace secret with something else.
• Here's lack of armor, maybe it's somewhere in those 3 maps, but I couldn't manage to find them.
• You have plenty of big, empty rooms. Those should be scaled down or removed. Better smaller, but purpose having rooms. 

Visuals:

• Here's so many unaligned textures, you can fix those by using a+shift and just a , they align textures vertically and horizontally. sometimes you need use lower and upper unpegged things with respective keys U - upper unpegged, L - lower unpegged. Also, you can do it manually, if you wish with arrow keys
• I'd suggest think about more interesting texture choices, for that you could check other people creations and think about your own. Same applies about gameplay...

Well, good luck with your project!

[Spowmtom]

I played the two first maps and there are some great elements and some ugly ones.

 

Map 1:

  The Pros:

• You really understood what makes a great map layout and I think this is your strongest point. If all the aspects of your wad were on the same level as your layout, it would be an amazing wad.
• The secret of the dead body was nice.
• The Mancubus room was amazing. Great use of all the enemy types, especially the Mancubus. I used him to attack the enemies and circle strafed around him, which gave me a mental representation of the map. More of those type of rooms, please!

   The Cons:

• Be more strict about texture alignment! You got some severe cases of bad alignment. I recommend using separators, like we can see in the original Dooms.
• Missing textures! Use the "find error" option in Doom Builder to find issues (it's the blue check mark icon in the toolbar).
• Everything looks very empty and way too big. This is by far the worst part of your maps, you *need* to fill space. This is top priority to fix.
• Think of the texture size when creating the environment!
• I had no way of knowing that the pillar in the dark torture room was a secret. It would have forced me to wall hump everything, which simply isn't fun. Do more like the first secret!
• It would be more fun and interesting to have the ammo dispersed all around the map rather than have only very few big ammo pickups.

 

Map 2:

   The Pros:

• Still great map layout.
• The big gate with the bridge looks stunning. I just wished you added more things, like a more detailed cliff with stalagmites or something.
• Tiny "exit" is laughable.

   The Cons:

• The big specter room takes too much time to do. You also already used the idea, which makes that room dull and dreadful.
• Not enough variety in the textures.
• Not enough visual landmarks, unlike in the first map.
• Please add a way to get out of the waste pit.
• Tiny "exit" is laughable.
• More ammo! Even though I wasn't missing any of my shots and was even varying weapons, I still found myself dry on ammo. Removes "spikes" of ammo and add a bit of ammo everywhere.
• Nice idea, the broken bridge.

 

Overall, I see a lot of potential and I'm looking forward more of your stuff. Try to give the Map Tips a read.

Your biggest problem, in my opinion, is the lack of stuff, everything is huge and empty.

Go onward :]

Edited March 26, 2020 by Spowmtom : Accidentally saved my reply :c

[TheNoob_Gamer]

@Spowmtom, just a quick reminder, the next time you want to link anything Doom Wiki-related, please refer to doomwiki.org . That site is more actively updated and maintained by many members in Doom community. You are fine to link the Fandom version of course, but be aware that it has many outdated/untrue articles.

[Samwow]

Hey, thanks for all the feedback, I'm going to take it into account when I get a chance to work on it again!

Edited March 29, 2020 by Samwow : spelling

[FishingHoek]

I only did about a level and a half with the limited time I had, so I'll just give you criticism have for that.

 

Doombuilder has an auto-align feature I believe the button is either A or K, you just need to select the walls of a room in 3d mode and press said button. The blood canal Mancubus room where you pick up the armour is perfect for a trap, and since there already were a couple of traps right before, I'd say to just put in a few lost souls and/or a pain elemental.

And now corrupted Facility, or what I played of it at least.

You should make some rooms and areas look different from others to avoid confusion of direction unless that was the point. I found myself trapped in Gate 2 after pressing the button before the spectre and imp arena, had to noclip through You possibly used an S1 type switch instead of an SR type. The spectre and imp arena which is just as far as I got; You need to place some ammo and health pickups in there, death is very likely otherwise. Unless you want this area to have your players end up on the brink of death with only their fist, you should place down a few shells/boxes and bullets along with stimpaks and if you're feeling generous, medkits, not too many but just enough to leave you with a little ammo and maybe 65-100 health.

 

I can't wait to see where else this goes and I wish you the best of luck, fellow modder!

[Clippy]

 

[Samwow]

I've been working on the WAD taking yall's feedback into account, and I have some progress to share. I've been working pretty heavily on Map02, trying to redistribute ammo more through the level, while giving it some visual and layout improvements as well. Here's some before and after pics!
 

Spoiler

 

I've also been working on Map01, but It hasn't been changed enough yet to warrant before and after photos. Expect a new release once I polish up these Maps and start working on Map 3 and 4!

[Spowmtom]

3 hours ago, Samwow said:

I've been working on the WAD taking yall's feedback into account, and I have some progress to share. I've been working pretty heavily on Map02, trying to redistribute ammo more through the level, while giving it some visual and layout improvements as well. Here's some before and after pics!
 

  Hide contents

 

 

I've also been working on Map01, but It hasn't been changed enough yet to warrant before and after photos. Expect a new release once I polish up these Maps and start working on Map 3 and 4!

That's amazing, I'm really looking forward more of your stuff!

I think that you're taking the right approach at making your maps look better, by simply adding more meaningful stuff. But if I were you, I'd also remove meaningless stuff, like the crazy room heights and huge rooms. That's a bit too late for your maps, but when you'll get your hands dirty on a new one, try to go for smaller.

[Samwow]

54 minutes ago, Spowmtom said:

When you'll get your hands dirty on a new one, try to go for smaller.

Yeah, thats what I'm planning on doing with maps 3 and 4. 5 is gonna be more of a boss fight type thing so it might need to be larger. 3 is going to be a cave with a super open cavern contrasted by dark and claustrophobic UAC bunker type shit in certain sections of the level. map 4 is going to be about pushing forwards along a dangerous path in hell to get to a castle thats always looming in the distance, which is where the boss fight in map 5 will take place. Hopefully it all comes together design wise and musically to be at least average.

[Samwow]

Alright, I'm making some progress. Don't want to spoil it with screenshots, but in their place I'll put this link to the full Original OST of the WAD on youtube, done by myself.

 

Hope ya'll enjoy it, and if not, let me know why! Always love getting feedback on stuff I make.

 

You can also check it out on my Bandcamp page!
https://samwow.bandcamp.com/releases

Edited April 1, 2020 by Samwow : added link to bandcamp version of OST

[Samwow]

Alright, here's the newest version of the WAD! It has a new (now actually somewhat finished) 3rd map, Dashing to Earth's Core, and should overall be better!

Map 4 and 5 are in Very early states and are completely unplayable. Check them out if you enjoy terrible unplayable maps.

Let me know what I can improve!

 

Also, the third map is lacking some polish, I'm gonna go through later and make it look nicer, I just want to know if the layout needs any changes before I do that.
SamsMapPackVersion0.25.rar

 

Edited April 2, 2020 by Samwow : fixed an issue in the wad

[Samwow]

Here's a quick teaser of Map04 :)

[Samwow]

Sorry for the lack of activity as of recently, have been dealing with quarantine virtual school junk. Map04 is still being worked on, the boss battle on Map 05 is functional, and the whole soundtrack is getting revamped! Here's a soundcloud playlist containing all the music that has been redone!

 

[Samwow]

Quick update, Map04 is now playable from start to finish! It should be done pretty soon now, just gotta go through and polish it up.

[Samwow]

Version 1 has been released! The download link is in the first post, its the google drive link.

 

If you don't want to scroll back up, here's the link.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lizIvyMZ5p7nXiA_dCimRIrjG0RrcS3u/view?usp=sharing

 

Edited April 14, 2020 by Samwow

[Clippy]

 

 

[Samwow]

Finally made a video for the current OST, thanks for the gameplay clippy!