Burning Ring of Fire - A Short, Challenging Vanilla Map

[whybmonotacrab]

Here's a short, tough, vanilla map that's about 5 minutes long if you don't die. I was burned out making more ambitious maps that looked pretty, so I focused in on what I actually care about - combat encounters!

 

Difficulty modes are implemented and are used roughly like this:

 

UV - for people who want a challenge

HMP - for people who want to have fun

HNTR - for people who want to relax.

 

So if you don't like borderline slaughter gameplay, lower the difficulty!

 

Tested in Crispy Doom primarily, checked to see if it worked in PRBoom and Chocolate though.

Thanks Jimmy for the music, Thanks @GarrettChan, @Spie812, and @Dubbag for playtesting.

 

DOWNLOAD

 

Edit: Made a few adjustments to prevent cheesing, added some rockets, fixed some alignment issues.

Edited December 6, 2021 by whybmonotacrab

[Kan3]

Tested it in UV.

 

This is a very nice map.

It definitely is challenging, but without falling into the RNG doom, with the right tactic and skill, you'll always get out of there victorious.

I have nothing really to say about the gameplay, to me it's well made, enough ammos, enough powerups, enough health, hard cause of the amount of monsters in such a small place, but if someone's looking for a challenge, I'd point this map.

There's no way (in my opinion as an average Doom player) to finish it 1st try, but I won't consider it an issue at all, cause it's a short map, so there's no frustration in having to restart the level, and once you've understand where the next archvile will come out, it's only up to your skills.

I like it.

 

The aesthetic is pretty well made, there are some cool detail, for example the blood's coming out from steps and walls, or the nice management of the sector lighting, but maybe the map could result a bit too brownish.

You used different textures for different shades, but I feel like some brown cobblestone walls could benefit from some contrast: some pillar (extruded or not) with SUPPORT3 texture or similar for example.

The same goes for the monster's cages: when the walls lower, you can spot some textures misalignment (even somewhere else), I then would suggest you to use a different texture to make the "wall track", just to differentiate a bit.

But these are just minor advice, I liked the overall architecture and texturing.

[Clippy]

I seen @Dubbag play this so I couldn't very well do one of my blind runs & commentary + I have had a morbid curiosity of this map since I heard about it

 

Lately I been having fun attempting to provide saveless runs now and again on the UV where I shut my dumb mouth

 

I can't tell you the adrenaline and heart pounding awesome feeling I had to finally pull it off - 16 tries later

 

May be the crowning achievement of my career haha

 

This map will scare ppl away but it is a GLORIOUS feeling to pull off there bud

 

3 seconds longer than the 5 min mark haha - there is prolly a better strategy but I got er done anywho

 

PS thx for crushers - seriously kudos on map - this was a super thrill for me

 

good times

 

 

[Sneezy McGlassFace]

Holy crap I'm not good at this! Beautifully evil map.

[whybmonotacrab]

10 hours ago, Kan3 said:

Spoiler

 

Tested it in UV.

 

This is a very nice map.

It definitely is challenging, but without falling into the RNG doom, with the right tactic and skill, you'll always get out of there victorious.

I have nothing really to say about the gameplay, to me it's well made, enough ammos, enough powerups, enough health, hard cause of the amount of monsters in such a small place, but if someone's looking for a challenge, I'd point this map.

There's no way (in my opinion as an average Doom player) to finish it 1st try, but I won't consider it an issue at all, cause it's a short map, so there's no frustration in having to restart the level, and once you've understand where the next archvile will come out, it's only up to your skills.

I like it.

 

The aesthetic is pretty well made, there are some cool detail, for example the blood's coming out from steps and walls, or the nice management of the sector lighting, but maybe the map could result a bit too brownish.

You used different textures for different shades, but I feel like some brown cobblestone walls could benefit from some contrast: some pillar (extruded or not) with SUPPORT3 texture or similar for example.

The same goes for the monster's cages: when the walls lower, you can spot some textures misalignment (even somewhere else), I then would suggest you to use a different texture to make the "wall track", just to differentiate a bit.

But these are just minor advice, I liked the overall architecture and texturing.

 

 

Thanks for the kind words. You're right about the texture alignment, I didn't notice it as much playing on crispy since it's darker and lower res, plus I was focused on gameplay each time. Watching Clippy play and I'm like "damn these are some butt ugly misalignments." I don't think I'll fix the issue unless someone encounters a gameplay bug though. This was a steam valve for me, and if I put more attention into the visuals it would never have gotten finished. I'll watch for that in the future though. 

[BoxY]

Cool map, here's a sleepy demo: brof-bx.lmp (no FDA, sorry, I was too lazy)

 

Definitely my kind of map, short with a lot of action and simple progression. I guess the only thing I felt was missing was just like 2-3 extra rocket boxes, because to save enough rockets to kill the viles that warp in the middle you need to SSG whatever is left on the upper gallery which is usually a bunch of hell knights, which isn't that hard but does slow things down a bit. Also I cheesed the rocket launcher trap by just not triggering the line before I was ready because it's a bit too far forward, which I think made the map a lot easier than intended, at least with the strat I used. I'm kinda surprised nobody found that in testing. Anyway, good stuff.

[whybmonotacrab]

43 minutes ago, BoxY said:

Cool map, here's a sleepy demo: brof-bx.lmp (no FDA, sorry, I was too lazy)

 

Definitely my kind of map, short with a lot of action and simple progression. I guess the only thing I felt was missing was just like 2-3 extra rocket boxes, because to save enough rockets to kill the viles that warp in the middle you need to SSG whatever is left on the upper gallery which is usually a bunch of hell knights, which isn't that hard but does slow things down a bit. Also I cheesed the rocket launcher trap by just not triggering the line before I was ready because it's a bit too far forward, which I think made the map a lot easier than intended, at least with the strat I used. I'm kinda surprised nobody found that in testing. Anyway, good stuff.

Thanks for the feedback! I moved the trigger further back and added a box of rockets on your recommendation. Also fixed some of the alignment issues - not all of them, I realized I missed a big one as soon as I edited this topic but oh well.

[FrancisT218]

"I fell in to a Burning Ring of Fire...

I went down, down, down...and the flames went higher...

And it burns, burns, burns...

The ring of fire, the ring of fire..."

(JC)

 

Anyways it's nice to see another December, another map by @whybmonotacrab! Will probably have to give it a look and maybe a quick play :)

[whybmonotacrab]

17 hours ago, FrancisT218 said:

"I fell in to a Burning Ring of Fire...

I went down, down, down...and the flames went higher...

And it burns, burns, burns...

The ring of fire, the ring of fire..."

(JC)

 

Anyways it's nice to see another December, another map by @whybmonotacrab! Will probably have to give it a look and maybe a quick play :)

Hehe thanks. Hopefully next year I break the curse and finish more than one map! Also good to see you, hopefully you enjoy the level if you play it.

[ryiron]

Nice. This kind of level is totally my jam: short and punchy. I like the vanilla aesthetic and the combat is great. I'll echo what others said on the slightly limited ammo. I think a backpack could potentially help. I had one attempt where I totally ran out of ammo at the end. I think I probably picked up one of the boxes of shells when I only needed a couple.

 

I played the original. Didn't notice the updated version until after recording this run. I also grabbed the rocket launcher without triggering the linedef. I'm going with: It's a legitimate strategy :-). Just off three minutes, I could've done the final cleanup a bit quicker to get under. Demo is linked in the description.

 

 

[DoomBerry]

Super fun map. Intense from the start! I was a bit ammo constrained at one point but that could be because of my sloppy archville management!

 

Completed in 5:36 with saves.

 

Thanks for making the wad.

[Nefelibeta]

Fun stuff, I really wish you can make more short stuff like these and turn them into some sort of an completed wad, that would be awesome! Maybe I can work with you too? Anyways, the review is coming right up!

[whybmonotacrab]

11 hours ago, Nefelibeta said:

Fun stuff, I really wish you can make more short stuff like these and turn them into some sort of an completed wad, that would be awesome! Maybe I can work with you too? Anyways, the review is coming right up!

Making a short episode of short and challenging levels was the idea before my creative energy dried up, so I just ended up releasing the two finished levels. Hopefully in the new year I can get some of that mojo back. If I do, I'll definitely let you know because I'd love to work with you!

[aika]

Liked it! Good combat and nice old-school aesthetics. Music fits the level well, too.

Tested on UV.

Attached is a zip with a first blind attempt and a succesful uv max lmp

 

brofdemo.zip

Edited January 1, 2022 by aika : typo

[Bri]

That's a tough challenge map. I like it! Well built and addictive gameplay. Fantastic work!