Episode Title (Working) : Critical Mass

[LarryJoeBird33]

***************************************************

 

Development on Critical Mass has been continued. Stay tuned for future updates.

 

Regards,

 

Larry

 

Maps:

 

In Play: Temple Portal (Enemy Compound current location unknown)

 

In Play: Bicnago Chemicals (An Industrial Chemical Plant somewhere in Midwest USA)

 

At Bat: Falcon Creek Sanitarium (Rehabilitation Center near the Four Corners Region USA)

 

On Deck: Boxford Colosseum (Semi Professional Ice Hockey Arena in South East CAN)

 

In the DugOut: Rev Technology Systems - Information Systems Management Company - (SW North Carolina USA)

 

Thank You!

 

Larry

 

Download: TemplePortal2.96.zip ; BicnagoChemicals(11).7z

 

.Wad Notes

****************

Name: Temple Portal

 

Source Port: GZ Doom

IWAD: Doom II

- Use of +mlook is encouraged 

- Replaces Entryway Map from Doom II: Hell on Earth (for now)

- Have not tested on anything other than GZDoom

- There are lots of monsters but also lots of resources

- A decent amount of close combat

- The is a larger but consolidated map by Doom II standards

 

Theme:

 

Working story line.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 8, 2021 by LarryJoeBird33 : Project Update

[LarryJoeBird33]

Please DM me here or on Twitch with any questions. Stay tuned for more updates to this map and for the currently untitled episode set to release by end of 2022.

 

Thanks,

 

Larry

Edited December 2, 2021 by LarryJoeBird33

[LarryJoeBird33]

Update: 4.15.2021 @ 10:00 AM

 

- Significant visual enhancements to multiple map areas.

- Minor structural enhancements to multiple areas

 

 

 

Edited April 15, 2021 by LarryJoeBird33

[LarryJoeBird33]

Update: 4.15.2021 @ 8:00 PM

 

- Two Map Areas Relocated.

- Significant visual enhancements made to multiple Map Areas.

- Significant structural enhancements made to multiple Map Areas.

[LarryJoeBird33]

Update: 4.19.2021 @ 8:30 PM

 

- Significant visual enhancements made to multiple Map Areas.

- Significant structural enhancements made to one Map Area.

- Significant functional enhancements made to one Map Area. 

Edited April 20, 2021 by LarryJoeBird33

[LarryJoeBird33]

Update: 4.21.2021 @ 5:10 PM

 

- Significant visual enhancements made to multiple Map Areas.

- Significant structural enhancements made to multiple Map Areas. 

[LarryJoeBird33]

Update: 04.25.2021@ 5:00 PM

 

- Significant visual enhancements made to multiple Map Areas.

- Significant structural enhancements made to multiple Map Areas. 

[LadyMistDragon]

Little note: you don't have to make a new post every time you make an update. Simply updating the title post would be adequate. I'll check this out when I have time, maybe tomorrow, but if not, Tuesday.

[LarryJoeBird33]

Thanks for your opinion.

[LadyMistDragon]

So I had time to go through this...seems a touch ambitious for a first map. It seems like you keep having new ideas and adding in one on top of the other. If the other maps you make are as large as this, how will they turn out.  I think there are all sorts of cool idea with how you use largely vanilla textures to create a sense of place, but you might consider reigning in your impulses when you end up with 400+ monsters for your first map. But the combat was pretty bearable for the most part.

 

I still don't quite understand why there are lots of sealed-off rooms at the beginning. It seems like you were testing something, but all those switches next to each other is just so ugly.

 

Another thing is that the path from gathering most of the keys to the doors they correspond to is much too long. I think I spend at least 10 minutes backtracking as a rule, and that's not good design, at all really.

 

Another thing you're probably aware of is that there are inescapable slime pits in the small rooms with barrel to the west of what I assume is a restaurant not too far from the starting room. I'm not sure if you had some other idea but that's something to think about.

 

Then there are those sort of crypt rooms with skull walll textures you can access from the hallways leading from either side of the chapel. The textures in the halls on the sides is repetitive to the point of ridiculousness. Use different shades, maybe the volcanic rock texture in spots, but those areas are sorely in need of some variety.

 

Don't feel too depressed though. The fact that you packed a mansion, crypts, a chapel, a graveyard, a restaurant and kitchen all into the same map while maintaining some thematic continuity with the texturing is quite impressive though. You just have to think what kind of opening map you want for your episode and maybe move this to slot 3 or something.

[LarryJoeBird33]

This was just a terrible review. If you are going to review .wad 's in the future please put forth the effort to try and complete them.

Edited April 27, 2021 by LarryJoeBird33

[LadyMistDragon]

I was just bringing up the stuff that jumped out to me. Invalidating my opinion because I didn't mention everything is just ridiculous(and it seems like an excuse, but whatever). There was precisely one area I didn't really check out (whatever that's behind the red skull door and and it's not like the map overall was even terrible necessarily. Maybe you just want more feedback on the combat? The restaurant room was a little rough but avoiding the Arch-viles was doable after most of the Imps on the floor were dealt with. A touch more ammo overall throughout the map wouldn't be terrible if you're going to throw in multiple masterminds. Maybe you'd like a more general overview, but you could also be less sensitive to criticism. It's ok to make massive maps, but understand they have a more limited audience. 

Edited April 28, 2021 by LadyMistDragon

[Bauul]

5 hours ago, LarryJoeBird33 said:

This was just a terrible review. If you are going to review .wad 's in the future please put forth the effort to try and complete them.

 

Let me get this straight: you had one (just one) person take the time out of their day to play your rather questionnably textured map, and provide an actually pretty decent amount of feedback, and your response is to have a go at them?

 

Ask yourself this: do you think this attitude will invite more people to want to play your map, or might it be that you're actually hurting your own chances of anyone else giving you the time of day?

[LarryJoeBird33]

Unfortunately her review confirms she did not put forth the effort to complete the map.  Not sorry. And if you think I am am looking for social affirmation from anyone you are gravely mistaken.

Edited April 28, 2021 by LarryJoeBird33

[LarryJoeBird33]

Update: 05.01.2021 @ 8:30 PM

 

- Significant visual enhancements made to multiple Map Areas.

- Significant structural enhancements made to multiple Map Areas. 

- Two Map Area relocations

- Two new Map Areas

 

Thank You and have a great weekend!

 

Larry

[LarryJoeBird33]

Update: 05.12.2021

 

- Mostly visual and functional updates to improve gameplay.

- Updates moving forward will most likely be aesthetic.

 

Thank You!

 

Larry

[LarryJoeBird33]

Update: 06.01.2021

 

- Temple Portal v. 2.95

- Identified issues above corrected

- Texturing enhancements to hallways leading down to crypts

- Next release will be final release for this map

 

Improvements needed:

- Additional Crypt Texture Alignments

 

Thank You!

 

Larry

[Bdubzzz]

Interesting 1st map.

Some suggestions to improve the map:

-add a midi.. no one wants to load up a Map 01 and hear D_Runnin in 2021.

-Hitting all those small switches side by side at the start of the map is just tedious. You can have 1 switch open all the "jail cells." I get that maybe you wanted the player to hit one switch at a time as each cell as something different in it but it's more tedious than anything.

-The next big area with the 4 viles/other stuff might be more interesting if you had those 4 viles/Imps teleport in after you grab the Megasphere as most players will want to pick that up... Also most players will just grab the SSG/fallback to the previous hallway and camp the imps until it's safe to move in and snipe the viles.

-Just in general the map could use a few more traps instead of having almost every hallway/room set with preplaced monsters

-the detailing you have in the 64x64 hallway areas ( which aren't fun areas btw, Personally I would just delete them. ) is extra annoying as it will snag the player when they are trying to move through the hallway. Could be a good idea to widen those hallways and add some block lines so you don't get snagged on the detailing. 

-You basically have doubled the length of the map by copy/pasting areas and changing very few things about them... couple different textures here and there but the gameplay is almost exactly the same from what I remember besides Cacos Vs. 2 Cybers in the cave areas ( which were good traps btw). IMO if you are going to copy/paste rooms it would be nice if at least the gameplay is drastically different otherwise you are doing the same thing twice in a map for no reason other than dragging out the map. Especially if this is going to be 8 maps.. you don't need Map 01 to drag out for over 25 minutes due to copy/pasting rooms. :p 

[LarryJoeBird33]

Thanks for the feedback dubzz. Very good points and suggestions. Thanks for trying my map!

 

Best Regards,

 

Larry

Edited June 2, 2021 by LarryJoeBird33

[LarryJoeBird33]

Unfortunately the episode has been cancelled. Good luck doomworld!

[LarryJoeBird33]

Critical Mass is back. Happy Halloween.

[LarryJoeBird33]

Sneak Peak - Bicnago Chemicals (Lead Poisoning) Map

 

 

Sneak Peak - Boxford Colosseum (Thin Ice) Map

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Holidays

 

Larry

 

Edited November 12, 2021 by LarryJoeBird33

[LarryJoeBird33]

Bicnago Chemicals (Lead Poisoning) Update:

 

Goal to be released in 14 -21 Days, figuring out Polyobjects.

 

Some additional sneak peak photos - Happy Holidays

 

Larry

 

 

 

 

Edited December 8, 2021 by LarryJoeBird33

[LarryJoeBird33]

Hello Everyone,

 

Here is the soft release of Bicnago Chemicals. Much work still needs to be done. Have a great rest of the week.

 

Improvements Needed:

 

Impassable line defs climbing up to the blue skull key area - Update: Impassable linedefs on stairs climbing to blue skull key have been resolved.

 

Some archvilles not triggering - Archvilles not triggering resolved.

 

Radiation suit not protecting against damage sectors. - Resolved.

 

Use of PolyObjects

 

Lighting

 

Aesthetic and structural maintenance - Significant updates made and uploaded on 12.04.21

 

Enemy and resource placement improvements - Significant updates made and uploaded on 12.04.21

 

Specs:

 

Map08

Use of +mlook encouraged

GZDoom compatible.

IWAD: Doom II

 

Best,

 

Larry,

 

 

 

Edited December 8, 2021 by LarryJoeBird33 : Updated Screenshots

[LarryJoeBird33]

Happy Holidays Doomworld,

 

This will be the last update on Bicnago Chemicals this year.

 

Summary:

 

Bicnago Chemicals (Lead Poisoning) is a larger map with less close combat than Temple Portal. It can be a grind at times but there are plenty of resources across the map. It takes place in a chemical plant linked to secret military weapons production. One of the prototypes of these weapons is rumored to be located somewhere at the facility.

 

Specs:

 

GZDoom

IWAD: Doom II

+mlook (recommended)

Turn of auto-aim (recommended)

MAP08

 

Latest Screenshots:

 

 

 

 

BicnagoChemicals(11).7z

Edited December 8, 2021 by LarryJoeBird33