[Community Project] - Lunchbreak 24: Doom in a jiffy

[Zerofuchs]

Hello everyone! This is a reminder that the official mapping start date is tomorrow so if you've been holding off on that idea, good time to get going ;)

I've gotten a little ahead of myself and put some work into my second submission. It's a bit longer than the goal, I average ~5.5 minutes for a UV-MAX run, but should serve as a decent example of the kind of intensity of pacing I've got in mind for the collab.

Give the draft candidate a try here if you want, I welcome any feedback:
Zerofuchs - YADSCv0.2.wad.zip

 

And a casual any% run through:

 

[purple_ruberoid]

Hi, @Zerofuchs

I like the idea of a loose deadline.

Sign me in, I think I can make couple of maps. Maybe even for every difficulty.

I don't yet have concrete ideas but we'll see.

 

Haven't worked with plutonia assets before though, so I'd like to ... get MAP04 slot for now.

[Zerofuchs]

Welcome to the project @purple_ruberoid :)

 

Lunchbreak 24 has officially started it's mapping phase, thanks to all who have joined so far and welcome to anyone who might also become interested over the next month (or two)!

Some general mapping guidelines as a reminder, I'll get this into a list on the OP:

General Details:

• The goal is to get a full 32 map set out by somewhere around November
• This is intended to be the sort of WAD you can run through over a lunchbreak, maybe two. Hence the name.
• Thus short, compact maps with a relatively gentle difficulty progression.
• While this isn't a speedmapping project, I advise against committing too much time to a given map - it's bite sized mapping as much as bite sized gameplay.
• Multiple slots are encouraged but in general, first come first served.
• No Legacy of Rust stuff (this time)
• At the beginning of November we'll see how many maps are done and start on final polish and putting together the release WAD, a few weeks will be given to finish up or for still-interested procrastinators to crunch (been there, I know how it is).
• If we don't hit 32 maps this year, it's not a train smash and what we have will be released - but if we can get a decent showing, Lunchbreak 25 will be on the cards to make another full slot attempt.

Gameplay:

• Monster count in the high 2 digits to low 3 digits, mostly because:
• Playtime for a UVMAX should be targeting somewhere between 3-5 minutes except for maybe the earliest maps.
• Gimmicks are great but bear in mind time constraints and bug fixing for anything particularly funky.
• Complevel 9, which is to say compatibility with basic Boom functionality, which should allow for generalised special linedefs but not cause too many issues with demo recording and speedrun submissions.
• All maps should be beatable from a pistol start and without finding the secrets (although that's not to say it's easy without exploring). Please design and playtest with this in mind. I recommend against hiding weapons in secrets unless they're fully optional to finish the level with.
• Difficulty is aimed to start fairly light but toughen up as you get towards the latter third of map numbers, the goal is to ramp up the challenge while still keeping playtime down.
• That said, we're creating a mapset for a more casual kind of play so let's keep it within commercial WAD difficulty ranges. 

Visuals:

• There isn't a hard theme and the emphasis isn't on massively detailed maps, so much as quick bites of DOOM.
• Plutonia textures, hope you like green and brown and brownish greens.
• Custom textures are fine but for collation simplicity please use a consistent naming convention, as these all need to be imported into the final pack.

   I suggest E.g. BREAK04_1 for a single custom patch in map04; BREAK12_3 for the third patch in map 12, and so forth.

• I would like to get some custom, lunch themed sprite replacements together for health and armour and powerups, but these will be applied across all maps in the pack. As I'm not a great pixel artist myself, the support of a spriter would be appreciated. Junkfood might offer some inspiration but I'm already doing something similar and that would perhaps be too derivative... 
• When using other people's assets, please be careful to credit appropriately and only use a texture if it is permitted in the license for the pack.

Audio:

• As with visuals, custom MIDs are fine. Please refer to this list for your map number and rename the file appropriately, and include a credit to the author with the original track name.
• Not really looking at sound effect replacements this time around.

Submitting a map:
You can DM me with a file attachment, or post it in the thread for the others to try out as well. I'm not the best critic but I'll play through and feedback as best I can.
Once it's been decided that a map is ready to go, it'll be uploaded to this share and linked in the OP so folk can give it a grab.

 

If there's anything I've missed in the above guidelines, please feel free to ping me.

Right and with everything slightly formalised, consider this your starting gun if you haven't already began running with an idea :)

@DoctorNuriel

@DoomGappy
@Ezo Fuzz

@Matt Eldrydge

@purple_ruberoid
@Zehena

[Ezo Fuzz]

Thursday is a holdiay here, so I took a long weekend.

Will surely get something going in the next few days, happy mapping everyone :D

[DoomGappy]

I'll submit a map soon!

 

[Matt Eldrydge]

Got started on my map earlier today. Still figuring out how to use Plutonia's textures.

 

[DoctorNuriel]

I've started on my entry :)

[DoomGappy]

2 hours ago, Matt Eldrydge said:

Got started on my map earlier today. Still figuring out how to use Plutonia's textures.

 

Using them in your own style is much more unique. That looks pretty nice.

[Zerofuchs]

Some solid starting screenshots - I've not really got anything to add to my last post. Am disappoint in myself but pleased to see what others are doing :D

If I had to give a little first impression feedback, looking good so far.

 

One small suggestion (for Doctor Nuriel) might be a -1 floor height offset on the puddle sectors for a little depth, quick example below:

 

 

[Zehena]

ok I got a fair bit done today but I will only show the starting room for now as that is the only finished room:)

Edited October 2 by Zehena

[Zerofuchs]

Eh this week has not been inspirational for me but I've managed to get a starting layout for Map 11... which is of course a tribute to Doom 2's Donut.

 

If I get any decent work done on it tomorrow I'll try for some screenshots, but I at least want it blocked out properly first. Want to maybe up my texturing game a bit too as I'm seeing good stuff on that front from others heh.

[Zehena]

ok my map is pretty much done:/ maybe i might edit this message when i update this map.

map31.zip

[Murski]

Hey, can i make medium difficulty map (maybe map 10)?

[Zerofuchs]

8 hours ago, Zehena said:

ok my map is pretty much done:/ maybe i might edit this message when i update this map.

map31.zip

Gave it a playthrough and it's a compact slugfest with a fun final fight. Minor suggestions for potential improvements:
- The 1st secret is effectively compulsory because ain't nobody fisting the first fight. Maybe give the player a rocket launcher at the start while leaving the BFG as a hidden bonus?
- Honestly I don't know which switch does what in the final fight chamber.

- Visually it feels a little scattered, each room is basically it's own thing, but I don't think it's ugly.
- Honestly does this map even need weapons besides the bazooka and BFG?


What I specifically like:
- Compact, fun fights that a little thought can handle.
- Generous ammo stocks work well and keeps the pace fast.
- Very well matches the kind of playtime I had in mind.
- The final invuln is well timed to give the player a spree while still making them sweat a little towards the end.
- Like the use of mid textures and box traps.

Demofile is here (DSDA-Doom with params: -complevel 9 -shorttics)
zehena_31.zip

 

And here's the vid of said demo:

 

 

5 hours ago, Murski said:

Hey, can i make medium difficulty map (maybe map 10)?

This is fine, map 10 be thine - have fun and welcome :)

Edited October 3 by Zerofuchs

[Matt Eldrydge]

My map's done, I've only tested UV but lower skills just have less tanky monsters. Thanks to @AshtralFiend for testing it on short notice.

 

You can download it here.

 

Slot: 02
Title: Continuously Wishing

MIDI: Continium by Yakui the Maid, sequenced by Nella Oja [[link]]

Format: Boom (of course)

Total build time: Around 10ish hours, staggered over 2 days and a half.

Custom textures: Nil. I only used Plutonia's textures for this.

Tested in: DSDA-Doom 0.28.0, Nugget Doom 3.11

Comments: Made to build up momentum. Introduces most of the weapons to the WAD regularly, with one secret weapon that might help offset the relatively tight ammo balance. Visually, it's just my usual fondness of harsh and right angles meets a bit of Ghost Town, Well of Souls and Sunder map03: The Dreaming Garden's final wood arena towards the end. I tried making the secrets fairly obvious and fun to find but your mileage may vary.

 

Screenies (I've since fixed the translucent window in the starting room):

 

Edited October 3 by Matt Eldrydge : Typos lol

[Ezo Fuzz]

Great to see you guys getting to it.
I've been knocked out cold by the flu, trying to get my bearings together for next week.

Will update when I get to mapping :3

[DoomGappy]

Uploading my map here. I started with the concept but I think that the combat takes away a bit from it, but it's a simple little thing. For a midi, I'd like The Healer Stalks, if possible. 

where the hell are my keys - v0.03.wad.zip

 

 

[Zehena]

map31 - hunting season.zip

I have updated the map, now instead of the little arena area having 4 switches it only has 1. but as a side effect of this all the chambers with archviles and revenants open at once. the midi selection for this level is "Hiding the secrets" from e1m9, e3m9, and e4m9:) 

I spent a lot of time only because I was lazy. :P

[Zerofuchs]

So we've got multiple submissions and a new entrant (Beefyboi) since my last post, apologies for my distractedness to folks - I'll try and get some playthroughs in soonest and feed back. Thanks muchly for your submissions :)

 

As for myself, I've put a little time into Map 11 but not as much as I'd like. Hopefully good news there soon.

[dmh094]

Sign me up for map05 :) working on a shorter mapping project at the moment anyway so this should be good practise. 😇

[Zerofuchs]

Welcome @dmh094 - Map05 is free :)
Alright, update on feedback. Firstly Map02 - @Matt Eldrydge :
 

- Visually solid, great water features
- Neat popup trick at the start
- Combat isn't too rough although it's always a threat - killed me a few times for being sloppy.
- Ammo is just a bit tight early and mid map, especially if you miss the plasma secret. Plenty of rockets and shells for the last fight though.
- Doesn't take too long to get through, 4-5 minutes without trying to rush, keeps a good pace.
- Last fight is frantic and pretty fun, as usual I could not help but die at least once to rev rockets.
- Minor texture alignments by the chaingunner closets.
 

Overall good stuff, didn't notice any hall of mirror issues or major bugs - stuck monsters, pegged door textures, seemed fine, and it has a small, ruined town kinda ambience to it.
Tested it on Woof8.10. PRBoom's software renderer has some really janky stutter issues for some reason since I switched to a new display. 

Video: 

 

 

 

Also played through the latest version of Map31 by @DoomGappy. Played with GLBoom+.

 

- Chaingunner trap at the start really bleeds the slightly slow player.

- Ammo feels tight but it's just about enough to get the job done.
- Quite a boxy map in multiple ways
- The Baron by the plasma just feels impotent compared to any other enemy in the map. He stands upon a throne of cardboard!
- The key chase is a fun environmental story, although it's a little easy to miss that last switch before washing it back up out whatever waterway it was washed down.
- Shooting gallery fires back
- I time around 4 mins so that's a match by me.

Bugwise, nothing stood out to me but I may spot some things next playtest.
 

Video: 

I'll upload more as I get more playtests done - so far it's all been fairly fast paced, fun fights with a hint of slaughter for some showy set pieces.

[purple_ruberoid]

Now I think I'm not exactly a speedmapper - catching inspiration is hard - but my MAP04 is pretty much playable.

 

MAP04.zip - let's call it "Wrong Arrival".

 

Really short map, about 3 or 4 minutes. I think even under 2 min UV-Max is quite possible.

 

Edited 11 hours ago by purple_ruberoid : green armor added + skill levels

[DoomGappy]

2 hours ago, Zerofuchs said:

Also played through the latest version of Map31 by @DoomGappy. Played with GLBoom+.

 

- Chaingunner trap at the start really bleeds the slightly slow player.

- Ammo feels tight but it's just about enough to get the job done.
- Quite a boxy map in multiple ways
- The Baron by the plasma just feels impotent compared to any other enemy in the map. He stands upon a throne of cardboard!
- The key chase is a fun environmental story, although it's a little easy to miss that last switch before washing it back up out whatever waterway it was washed down.
- Shooting gallery fires back
- I time around 4 mins so that's a match by me.

Bugwise, nothing stood out to me but I may spot some things next playtest.
 

Video: 

 

Thanks a lot for playing, that was a gun watch. If you feel like it, I can add one more medikit to give the player some leeway in the starting area. They got you good this time hahaha. 

 

I may also think of a way to make the switch a bit more visible, somehow. I had to make it hidden inside the wall due to the silent teleporter trick there. Glad you liked it!

[purple_ruberoid]

Correction.

Added green armor. Also implemented difficulty settings. File updated ⬇️

 

22 hours ago, purple_ruberoid said:

MAP04.zip - let's call it "Wrong Arrival".

 

[Murski]

Here's my map, maybe difficulty is too low for map10, so you can change it for earlier level or I can try to make it harder if needed.

 

I don't know if I was supposed to, but I included UMAPINFO for level name, to change sky & music, add par time.

 

MAP10.zip

 

Screenshots

Spoiler