Can you make episodes like Doom 1 in Doom 2?

[Tor1zo]

Can you make episodes each with 8 levels on Doom 2? or should I make a Doom 1 WAD?

I don't wanna make a Doom 1 WAD because there's less enemies and no ssg and I already planned the levels with Doom 2 enemies in mind.

 

[SaladBadger]

With vanilla, no, you can't have direct episodes. A very common workaround is to make a bunch of maps as usual and end the "episode end" maps with a death exit, which clears the player's inventory, so progression is basically the same as progressing across episodes in Doom 1.

 

If you're mapping for ports, you have some options. A new version of prboom+ with a lump named UMAPINFO allows you to define new episodes freely, and these will work in zdoom and eternity and probably other ports. EE and ZDoom and its derivatives also have their own lumps that allow defining episodes, if you're aiming specifically at one of them.

[Zolgia108]

it's actually very easy, just look at Valiant or Eviternity via Slade for example, open MapInfo.

 

in Valiant:
 

Spoiler

// ------------------------------------------------------------------------- //
// Begin Episode Definition                                                  //
// ------------------------------------------------------------------------- //

episode MAP01{
    picname = "EP1TTL"
    key = "1"
    }
    
episode MAP08{
    picname = "EP2TTL"
    key = "2"
    }
    
episode MAP14{
    picname = "EP3TTL"
    key = "3"
    }
    
episode MAP19{
    picname = "EP4TTL"
    key = "4"
    }
    
episode MAP25{
    picname = "EP5TTLT"
    key = "5"
    }

 

 

In Eviternity

 

Spoiler

    episode Map01
    {
       name = "Chapter I: Archaic"
         picname = "M_EPI1"
    }

    episode Map06
    {
       name = "Chapter II: Automation"
         picname = "M_EPI2"
    }

    episode Map11
    {
       name = "Chapter III: Crystalline"
         picname = "M_EPI3"
    }

    episode Map16
    {
       name = "Chapter IV: Brutality"
         picname = "M_EPI4"
    }

    episode Map21
    {
       name = "Chapter V: Descension"
         picname = "M_EPI5"
    }

    episode Map26
    {
       name = "Chapter VI: Hallowed"
         picname = "M_EPI6"
    }

 

You will then need to grab the pictures of the episode names and modify them (via gimp for example) to give them the names you want, using the font you want. It's a bit tedious but simple :)

This is what i did at least, i don't know if there is an easier way, probably yes

[Tor1zo]

In what map format is this?

[Zolgia108]

1 hour ago, Tor1zo said:

In what map format is this?

z, i mean i beliebe that only in zdoom ports you can actually select the episodes (i tried with prboom+ and you can't)

 

EDIT: also PROPS for the captain there!

[TheEvilGrin]

You're right. In Boom format you can have "episodes" (death exits with barrels or crushers) but you won't be able to select them in the menu. To do that you have to use MAPINFO or one of its derivatives (UMAPINFO, ZMAPINFO...) but only a few ports actually reads it. Best solution is, in my opinion, to do both, lke it's done in Valiant or other wads. It doesn't change much since people usually play the episodes in the normal order.

[Death Egg]

UMAPINFO is also partially supported by Doom Retro, among other poets that plan to support it.