A Level A Day

[Nuxius]

The map doesn't work with PrBoom.

To DoomKnight:
#1)Agent Sporks palette modification is a zDoom only thing.

#2)Using wall textures as floors (and vice-versa) is also a zDoom only thing.

Both of these will need to be changed/removed in order to have Boom compatability. As stands, it's a zDoom only map.


Moving on, nice maps so far, guys. Although the overall quality varies (obviously :p), I have enjoyed playing them all. Looking forward to the rest.

[Grazza]

Nuxius said:

Both of these will need to be changed/removed in order to have Boom compatability. As stands, it's a zDoom only map.

There are some tag-related issues too. See linedef 3288 for instance - that door is Zdoom-only, as it is a remote door (with no tag) rather than a local one.

I liked the music, BTW.

[Graf Zahl]

Hmm, I don't get it. It was repeatedly said that this project is supposed to be Boom compatible but it already happened more than once that the mappers tested with ZDoom only, even though it is well known that ZDoom has features which are not available in other ports. Why? Is it really so hard to run PrBoom with a map even once?

[doom2day]

Kristian Ronge said:

>7 MB for a single map? Holy crap!

When is mine coming out? Hmmmn..........

[Kristian Ronge]

Hello again, guys! I liked map 6, it was short, simple and sweet.

However, I can't finish map 7 properly with PrBoom 2.2.4. I located the error: Sectors 1870-75 (bars that are supposed to rise when you flip two switches, I gather) stay down, in spite of the Keens being crushed. I have no idea why this is so, it doesn't work right in any compatibility mode for me. Haven't tested how it works with PrBoom 2.2.6 and beyond, though?

[sargebaldy]

Graf Zahl said:

Hmm, I don't get it. It was repeatedly said that this project is supposed to be Boom compatible but it already happened more than once that the mappers tested with ZDoom only, even though it is well known that ZDoom has features which are not available in other ports. Why? Is it really so hard to run PrBoom with a map even once?

If it makes you feel any better, my map works fine in PrBoom/Eternity, but when you try playing it in ZDoom it bombs claiming that some linedefs don't have front sidedefs when it's clear that they do.

[Graf Zahl]

sargebaldy said:

when you try playing it in ZDoom it bombs claiming that some linedefs don't have front sidedefs when it's clear that they do.

Are you sure they have? This error can only appear when there is something wrong with the map. Have you run your map through an error checker?

PrBoom 'fixes' missing front sidedefs by assigning them sidedef 0 so that is no indicator of correctness.

[DooMknight]

Vile said:

Excellent dac08. A bit on the easy side, but still quite fun to run through.

Thanks, this is the map objetive, easy, fast and fun, and my remake add more ambient.

About the easy comment, I had thought of this because I had reached the exit and noticed that I missed all seven of the level's secrets (according to the zdoom map screen) and had wondered how much easier it would have been if I had found any one of them. Turns out there's only three secret areas and one of them has five secret sectors in it. :)

Yes I've noticed this bug when I already sent my map to Torn.

To DoomKnight:
#1)Agent Sporks palette modification is a zDoom only thing.

#2)Using wall textures as floors (and vice-versa) is also a zDoom only thing.

Both of these will need to be changed/removed in order to have Boom compatability. As stands, it's a zDoom only map.

Sorry for this, I tested the map only with ZDooM, but in the editor I only work with BooM compatibility.

[Grazza]

Graf Zahl said:

Are you sure they have? This error can only appear when there is something wrong with the map. Have you run your map through an error checker?

PrBoom 'fixes' missing front sidedefs by assigning them sidedef 0 so that is no indicator of correctness.

Yeah, Zdoom isn't the only port whose fixes can get in the way of testing for compatibility. To test for absolute Boom compatibility, I'd suggest Prboom 2.02 as the most suitable Windows port (it is a direct port of Boom 2.02, after all). [Still, I'd say you could count yourself very unlucky to have tested with Prboom 2.2.x in Boom comp mode and end up inadvertently releasing a non-Boom-compatible map.]

BTW, this sounds like the same problem that there was with Hellcore map05 (which was OK in Eternity and Prboom 2.2.x, but not in Zdoom). I see that in that case, Prboom 2.02 does indeed crash. Incidentally, this appears to have been an MBF fix, as the map plays in WinMBF too.

Kristian: I didn't finish map07 either. I don't know if that was my fault or the map's fault, but I felt I had done everything and triggered everything, and the way forward remained blocked. That was with Prboom-plus -complevel 5. I didn't investigate the problem though.

[Bloodshedder]

Well, my map is vanilla, so uh...ok.

[maxspeed]

Kristian Ronge said:

Hello again, guys! I liked map 6, it was short, simple and sweet.

However, I can't finish map 7 properly with PrBoom 2.2.4. I located the error: Sectors 1870-75 (bars that are supposed to rise when you flip two switches, I gather) stay down, in spite of the Keens being crushed. I have no idea why this is so, it doesn't work right in any compatibility mode for me. Haven't tested how it works with PrBoom 2.2.6 and beyond, though?

Same thing with 2.2.6.

And for the non vanilla maps, it would be nice if it was said that what port is needed to run wad.

Also as a linux player, it would be great if there was more attention to boom support.

[Enjay]

DAC8 - I really like. I read the text, but couldn't place the original level. However, after a couple of minutes I recognised it because it was a map that I enjoyed in its original form. I think the face-lift that DooMknight has given it works really well and it made the map interesting and fun to play again. So thanks for the map and reminding me of a level I enjoy but had forgotten.

[Kristian Ronge]

Just finished map 8. It doesn't work with PrBoom, either (surprise, surprise), by the way. I get an R_InitTextures error. :-(

Anyway, a pretty good map. It's very easy if you find the megasphere, and much harder without it, as there's no armour. The last secret (I won't give it away) was completely worthless. ;-)

[Fletcher`]

Torn: throw in a random txt file, I've been net-less for a week.

[Enjay]

Kristian Ronge said:

The last secret (I won't give it away) was completely worthless. ;-)

Yeah, it was useless in the original map too - as were the supplies in the final room. In fact, the two enemies stuck together and the strange floating armour helmet were also in the original as well. Perhaps these things should have been facelifted.

Oh, and there is a green armour on easy and medium, but it is in short supply on UV.

[Aleaver]

Bloodshedder said:

Well, my map is vanilla, so uh...ok.

Really? Mine too. Nothing fancy. Cause thats just not me :P

[Grazza]

Kristian Ronge said:

Just finished map 8. It doesn't work with PrBoom, either (surprise, surprise), by the way. I get an R_InitTextures error. :-(

I actually got it working, but it involved some severe butchery on the wad (amending the linedefs for about ten doors, modifying several textures, and allowing WadAuthor to autofix more than 1500 "errors" en masse).

maxspeed said:

And for the non vanilla maps, it would be nice if it was said that what port is needed to run wad.

One of the rules of this project was that all the maps should be Boom-compatible. So presumably when each author submits his map, he believes it is Boom-compatible (but unfortunately in some cases has not tested it).

[RjY]

Here's what's going on with dac7/duplex.wad in regard to the bars that don't open:

A race condition occurs when you press the switch that activates the crushing ceiling above Keen. The problem is that he is turned into a pool of blood by the crusher before his death sequence reaches the point that opens doors tagged 666.

I made a small test wad to illustrate. Run it in prboom with at least -complevel 5 or whatever it is for Boom and then try the following things:

• shoot Keen; exit door opens as normal
• press the fat button (action 49, S1 slow crush); Keen is crushed but slowly enough that his entire death sequence is played out before his corpse is turned into a pool of blood
• press the thin button (action 164, S1 fast crush, it's a Boom extension); hopefully Keen gets squashed too fast and the exit door stays closed!

So anyway a simple way to fix duplex.wad should be to set linedefs 10324 and 10433 to have action number 49.

Oh while I'm on about fixing this thing there's a few places where the original Doom 2 sky texture is showing through. I guess the sectors forgot to be tagged. Also a few other places where you need to "shadowcast" the lights, there's pools of light on the ceiling with no sources, it looks weird... still without the bugs duplex would be one of the best we've had so far I think.

[Dr. Zin]

Ok, I fixed the Keen issue.

I used a Boom tag to eliminate the light on the ceiling from the light units on the floor immediatly to the right of the start. Were there any other areas that needed that fixed?


Also, could you tell me where the Doom2 sky was showing through? I can't find the area.

Once I get these bugs (and a couple of HOMs that I found) worked out the map will hopefully be good to go.

[RjY]

Dr. Zin said:
Ok, I fixed the Keen issue.

:)

I used a Boom tag to eliminate the light on the ceiling from the light units on the floor immediatly to the right of the start. Were there any other areas that needed that fixed?

Sectors 1283-5, 1287-9, 1291-3, and 1295-7 in the teleporter room perhaps. It's possible to get far too perfectionist over this stuff:)

Also, could you tell me where the Doom2 sky was showing through? I can't find the area.

Sectors 587, 589, 591, and 1023-1026 all need to have tag 1

Once I get these bugs (and a couple of HOMs that I found) worked out the map will hopefully be good to go.

Yeah I noticed a few glitches outside in the area around sector 2256. Also thing 3, a plasma gun at (3840,-7808) seems to be some distance west of where it should be (it was sticking right out of the wall!)

[maxspeed]

DAC9: (Prboom) R_TextureNumForName: NFFL53B not found

The few maps that have worked with prboom have been fun to play though.

[cycloid]

sheesh, is it really too hard to test your map on prboom 202 or (in my case) winmbf? i even played mine through on chocolate_doom as it was designed to be vanilla compatible. took about 5 minutes (on godmode) inc a run around making sure all the tex and effects were ok.

[zap610]

Last time I tried boom, it would not work. So I suppose it is hard when it is not exactly working.

[Graf Zahl]

cycloid said:

sheesh, is it really too hard to test your map on prboom 202 or (in my case) winmbf? i even played mine through on chocolate_doom as it was designed to be vanilla compatible. took about 5 minutes (on godmode) inc a run around making sure all the tex and effects were ok.

MBF is not the best choice for compatibility testing because it lets maps slip through that are not 100% bog free.

[Kristian Ronge]

zap610 said:
Last time I tried boom, it would not work. So I suppose it is hard when it is not exactly working.

No recent version of PrBoom / GLBoom works for you, either?

[zap610]

Kristian Ronge said:

No recent version of PrBoom / GLBoom works for you, either?

Havent tried, my bad.

[Belial]

Dac9 is terrible. Overcrowded, overdetailed, cramped and very low on ammo until you get to the yellow skull key. The 4 imp/shotgunner teleporters are very slow and inefficient. The cliffside revs are a pain to kill. The teleport lines in the final fight are just bullshit. This is not a fun map.

Edit: And a huge wtf goes to the SS and Wolf3D area.

[Enjay]

I don't think I'd go as far as to say terrible, but I do agree in general with Belial's comments about DAC9. This has been the least fun for me to play. There were even points where I felt like giving up and just quitting - but at least I persevered and did complete it honestly. Don't get me wrong - some of the areas have very cunning architecture and texture use is very good generally. There is variety in the map, lots of different fights and monster types and there are some well done tricks with moving sectors and so on. I'm sure the map took ages to make and the finishing of some areas is top notch, appearance wise.

But overall I found the gameplay meandering and pointless. There was plenty of ammo on the map, but it was given out at the wrong times. I found myself running out for a few crucial early fights. Usually this happened in a cramped area where dodging and punching were too difficult and I had the indignity of being gunned down from 100% health by a horde of low HP enemies all of whom were right in my face. The Wolf area certainly was a bit WTF but at least the custom palette made the sprites and textures look a bit more subtle. The starting areas were the least satisfactory IMO too. These areas tended to be cramped, texture use was often strange or misleading and, of course, it has Wolf enemies and leads to the Wolf area.

A matter of taste, but I thought there were too many 500 switch combination puzzles. Especially when some of the switches involved such a long walk to find them that you couldn't even remember you were mid-way through a puzzle by the time you found it.

The out door revenants were a a pain. I completed the map with 8 monsters still standing - and I bet they were out there.

Another matter of taste - but I find Archviles annoying. Carefully used they can provide a tricky fight and give the feeling of a little "mini-boss" area. However, 15 on one map has to be considered excessive. I certainly wouldn't class it as careful use.

Also, it's possible to get stuck in the lift beside the yellow key - if you have hit the switches to lower most of the sectors to allow the lift to drop fully - but not all. It is possible to stand on the edge of the lift and then walk forward when it lowers. The lift will then raise up, but because you are standing on the outside sector, that sector lowers again when your head hits the ceiling but the other part of the lift raises fully. You are now in a sector next to one too low to let you into the next room and the way back onto the lift is blocked because the lift has raised to a height that you cannot get on to.

When exiting down the final tunnel there was a door ahead that was closed. When I silently teleported to the exit part of this tunnel, the door magically and instantly opened in front of me. I could walk backwards and forwards watching the door appear and disappear as many times as I wanted. In other words, the source and the destination areas for the silent teleport are mismatched and spoil the effect.

[Use]

Hate to jump on the bandwagon but dac9 for me is also almost unplayable. I found it hideous, nonsensical, and completely lacking in any gameplay refinement. Another case of a seemingly polished Doombuilder map plagued by newbie gameplay problems and chaotic, annoying design.

[maxspeed]

DAC10 fun and retro, Feels very balanced level.