Blind Alley, "Spirit World - Headquarters"

[Searcher]

Blind Alley, "Spirit World - Headquarters" Released

File name: bndalys.zip

Give it a try. It is in newstuff right now.
http://ftp.gamers.org/pub/games/idgames/newstuff/

Seventh map in the Blind Alley series for Doom 2. This one is as not quite as hard as my previous maps. I consider this map only somewhat hard in UV. Skill levels may come in handy until you learn the map. UV on this map is aimed at the experienced player.

You will never have for hunt for ammo in there. That is the least of your problems.

Special thanks to Rich Sham for providing a great Legacy version
1.40 UV max demo of this map, included in the zip file. Give it a look, then warm up your trigger finger.

Feedback and/or demos always appreciated.

I recommend you watch the demo of the level before you play it. Unless you just love to die in the traps I have set for you.

Now get busy, the carnage is waiting!

File name: bndalys.zip

Give it a try.
http://ftp.gamers.org/pub/games/idgames/newstuff/
or
http://www.gamers.org/pub/idgames/

[Brad_tilf]

I just downloaded your level and will check it out. Since I'm playing it anyway - I may put a review on my site. I don't usually go looking for wads to review but what the hell.
So - how about checking out my new one - also in the incoming folder but you can get it here just as easy:
http://www.doomwadstation.suhost.com/descent/bloodworks.html

[magikal]

I just luv the drop down switches.:)

[Brad_tilf]

Well, I (almost) finished your level. I'm going to have to try it on a lower difficulty level or something.
One question.
How did you create the "ghosts"?

[Epyo]

Brad Tilf is the advertising master!

[Brad_tilf]

yup

[Brad_tilf]

Well, as Epyo put it - the master of advertising. My motto is - never let an opportunity slip to get a link to your site. :-)
Anyway - heres the review. I hope you like it.
http://www.doomwadstation.suhost.com/ba.html

[Rich]

As concerns Searcher's bndalys.wad:

Brad_tilf said:

Anyway - heres the review. I hope you like it.
http://www.doomwadstation.suhost.com/ba.html

I enjoyed your review. Well written!

Gene Bird's wads are all interesting and fun to play. I didn't find this one too difficult. I'm sure you'll agree after a couple of tries.

I think the biggest attraction in Gene's wads lies in the fact that you can consistently expect a good but fair challenge. He doesn't skimp on ammo or health or monsters! None are too long and the secrets don't impact the recording time. The design focus is on gameplay yet they still remain visually appealing. Great way to spend 10 to 30 minutes and relieve hours of stress.

[Searcher]

Brad_tilf said:

I just downloaded your level and will check it out. Since I'm playing it anyway - I may put a review on my site. I don't usually go looking for wads to review but what the hell.
So - how about checking out my new one - also in the incoming folder but you can get it here just as easy:
http://www.doomwadstation.suhost.com/descent/bloodworks.html

I tried your new one already. I really enjoyed it. I think I was the first one to reply on it in your thread.

Each time I have played it it gets easier for me. I will continue to have a lot of fun with it in the future.

Keep up the good work.

[Searcher]

magikal said:

I just luv the drop down switches.:)

Magikal Thanks, I thought those drop down switches were kind of cool too. I am always trying to think of a unique way to use the line types. Sometimes I actually come up with something interesting ;)

[Searcher]

Brad_tilf said:

Well, I (almost) finished your level. I'm going to have to try it on a lower difficulty level or something.
One question.
How did you create the "ghosts"?

I am sure that if you give the map a few trys you will be able to finish it easily in UV. Shoot I'm a grandpa and I can do it easy. Of course I know where ALL the monsters are. I like maps that are not easily do-able on the first play unless you are experienced. If you easily beat it the first try would it have as much replay value? I do, however, like to be able to finish them within a few trys or I get bored with them. It always feels good to beat a new level. Then when you replay it you can start to push for better times. I feel like an average player should be darn well challenged on UV. UV after all, is UV.

Ghosts are fairly easy. I'll give you a quick summary here.

When you step off the start platform you trigger a lower ceiling crusher out in the middle of the map that squashes about 6 monsters.
The archie and the monsters are in a two sector room, the archie in the small non crusher sector and the monsters in the crusher sector.

Somewhere in the middle of the opening you trigger a raise ceiling for the former crusher sector.

In the middle of the map you walk by the archie and may not even notice him thru a little hole in the wall. He will however, notice you and start resurecting the ghosts. Notice I give the player a couple boxes of rockets near the area he will need them to blast the ghosts.

If you play with a port that fixes the ghost bug you won't see the ghosts. So just in case a port was used you have to re-trigger, this time, the two sectors the archie and the ghosts were/are in so the player can get at least 100% kills no matter what .exe was used. In my map this re-trigger happens when the player goes into the underground tunnels.

Feel free to look at the map in an editor to see how I did it if you want.

Thanks a ton for the review. I really appreciate it. Nice review.
http://www.doomwadstation.suhost.com/ba.html

You were a little kinder than I would have been with it but we are not to far off. My next several maps are even better. In fact I think my last one was a little better than this one, but this one is just fine.

[Searcher]

Thanks Rich- I always appreciate the feedback.

[Brad_tilf]

I still don't understand the "ghosts" thing. I understand the crushing ceiling and the raise ceiling and the archvile resurrecting them but why can't the player "kill" them again? How are they "ghosts"? I'll have to re-read what you just wrote and look at the map.
Now - as far as being a "grandpa".
How old are you.
I'm 41 which makes my pretty old around these parts.

[ReX]

Brad_tilf said:

... but why can't the player "kill" them again? How are they "ghosts"?

One of the curious features of DooM2 (and one that really didn't show up in the original 32 levels) is that if an enemy is killed by a crushing ceiling and then resurrected by an archvile, it becomes a "ghost". Projectiles, plasma weapons, fists, and chainsaws pass right through ghosts, causing no damage. The only way to kill them is to fire a rocket at a wall or other vertical obstruction so that it explodes near enough to the ghost. In other words, the ghost must be within the rocket's blast radius.

[Brad_tilf]

I'm looking at your map and I see the lines right at the beginning that crush the creatures. And further on in the map I see a small square of lines that lower floor to lowest adjacent? What does that do?
If I understand this right tho - the archvile is bringing them back even tho they can't stand up cuz the ceiling is at floor height - in essence creating "ghosts"? is that right?
Still- why couldn't I kill them? Is it because the archvile is still continuing to bring them to "life"?
its a cool effect and I can see some great uses for it.
Also - why would rockets "kill" them?
Sorry to ask so much but this is an interesting one.

[myk]

It's just a bug, so they function weirdly; they are reanimated with some of the properties of the bloodsplat thing.

Check here for more info:

http://www.doomworld.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=12836&perpage=30&pagenumber=1

[Brad_tilf]

Thats a pretty strange "bug" but kinda cool.
I can see where in the right situation it would be something you would want to use.
Possibly in a haunted house setting or even in Blind Alley. Although, I have to admit - they made the task that much harder and I had no idea I could kill them with a rocket blast.
the things you learn.
heh

[Searcher]

Brad_tilf said:

I'm looking at your map and I see the lines right at the beginning that crush the creatures. And further on in the map I see a small square of lines that lower floor to lowest adjacent? What does that do?
If I understand this right tho - the archvile is bringing them back even tho they can't stand up cuz the ceiling is at floor height - in essence creating "ghosts"? is that right?
Still- why couldn't I kill them? Is it because the archvile is still continuing to bring them to "life"?
its a cool effect and I can see some great uses for it.
Also - why would rockets "kill" them?
Sorry to ask so much but this is an interesting one.

After teleporting into the second area, when you step off that landing pad you trigger a line type 38, lower floor to lowest adj. to return everything to normal floor and ceiling spacing in the monster's sector 156. I think my orig message talked about crushing ceiling BUT I actually used both crushing floors and ceilings on that sector. Either or both will work. No wonder I confused you. They do not have to be resurected from a place they can not stand up in, they only have to have been previously squashed before the archie gets to them.