Terrible 3s - First wad (made for NaNoWadMo)

[croc_rock]

As a part of the NaNoWadMo challenge hosted by @Ryath, I have made my first wad consisting of 3 boom-compatible, vanilla-styled maps. There aren't any difficulty settings, but it shouldn't be any harder than the original Doom (outside of one specific area anyway).

 

Screenshots:

Spoiler

taken in PrBoom+ 2.5.1.4

    

The .txt file with details:

Spoiler

===========================================================================
Primary purpose         : Single play
===========================================================================
Title                   : Terrible 3s
Filename                : terribl3.wad, terribl3.deh
Release date            : 11/1/2020
Author                  : croc_rock
Email Address           : roninxx7@gmail.com

Description             : 3 maps made for NaNoWadMo. Maps aren't connected in
                          any way. Tested on UV, Designed for pistol start
                          but tried to be a little considerate towards
                          continuous players. Tested continuous and had a
                          stupidly high amount of ammo for map 3. Also,
                          Chocolate Doom seems to work but the trap in
                          the computer room in map 2 wouldn't set off.

 

Additional Credits to   : Ryath for hosting NaNoWadMo and giving me an excuse
                          to start mapping, jerrysheppy for some very helpful
                          tips and criticism
===========================================================================
* What is included *

New levels              : 3
Sounds                  : No
Music                   : No
Graphics                : No
Dehacked/BEX Patch      : Yes
Demos                   : No
Other                   : No
Other files required    : terribl3.deh (may not be required, changes automap
                          names)

* Play Information *

Game                    : The Ultimate Doom
Map #                   : E1M1-E1M3
Single Player           : Designed for
Cooperative 2-4 Player  : No
Deathmatch 2-4 Player   : No
Other game styles       : None
Difficulty Settings     : Not implemented

* Construction *

Base                    : New from scratch
Build Time              : 1 month
Editor(s) used          : Ultimate Doom Builder, Slade, WhackEd4, Doom Writer
Tested With             : PrBoom+ 2.5.1.4, Chocolate Doom 3.0.0, GZDoom 4.1.3

Gameplay videos:

Spoiler

recorded in PrBoom+ 2.5.1.4

IMPORTANT NOTE: videos are recorded on OUT OF DATE versions of the maps and may not be 100% accurate to the actual maps

Download: https://doomshack.org/uploads/terribl3.zip and alternate mediafire link

Edited October 31, 2020 by croc_rock

[scwiba]

It warms my old crusty heart to see these "my first wad"s coming out of NaNoWADMo. And this one looks super creative and fun! It may take me a little while but I will definitely get to playing through it.

[DavidN]

Here you go! Thanks for taking part, I also love seeing so many beginners having a try at these :)

 

 

 

[beast]

@croc_rock

 

Not bad, I had some fun playing these!

 

First the good - There are some nice visuals, like the outside area in E1M2 with the overhang and nukage pit, and the tech room in E1M3.

 

As for constructive criticism - Room layouts are a bit too rectangular. Light levels are too uniform between areas, bright rooms could use some ceiling or fixture lights. Some areas also have a lot of empty space.

 

I found map 2 is the most challenging, taking me multiple attempts to complete. That fight in the outside area is pretty engaging. Good work!

 

Attached are recordings made in PrBoom. Keyboard only.

terrible3_beast_fdas.zip

[Biodegradable]

Not too shabby. Some of the areas a little too flat and spacious with little in them and the texture work is a bit plain, but there's definitely some imagination going on, especially with the later maps. One area in particular I liked was the cracked floor detailing in one particular room in MAP03. That shit looked neat! :^) Both MAP02 and MAP03 do have a bit more going for them with the combat encounters, height variations and some better texture work. Lots of potential to be found here.

 

 

[head_cannon]

hc_t3_fdas.zip

Since I saw that this WAD had been successfully tested in Chocolate Doom, I made some FDAs of your maps in Crispy Doom (they'll require -complevel 2 to play back correctly).

 

There's obvious aesthetic criticisms of everything being too square, and too flat, with lighting that's too uniform. But the gameplay's not bad. Doom 1 combat is frequently based on ammo-management and time-management, which isn't my favorite format, but I can recognize that genuine effort was made to surprise and engage the player as the traps & fights unfolded. Notably, the first map baited me into trying to skip the gang of Pinky Demons before the final hallway to save some ammo, only for that gamble to spectacularly backfire when I panicked and botched the final showdown, requiring me to push back back into the Pinkies' outdoor area while caught between a rock and hard place.

 

My favorite moment was the "Slough Of Despair"-esque outdoor area near the end of the third map. It was fun to hunt the monsters through the rock maze, and it was kind of cool how the cover disappeared as the space was reused for the next fight. Like everything else in this WAD, it comes across as only the first draft of the idea, but those kind of transformations are something I always enjoy.