Jump to content
Search In
  • More options...
Find results that contain...
Find results in...
ellmo

A new wolf3d-mod idea [need help from pixel artists]

Recommended Posts

Hey there, it's me again, the-guy-who-never-gets-his-projects-done.

After seeing some of the mods using Wolfenstein resources, I popped to WolfenDoom page and grabbed some of those WADS I haven't played for years. Then I refreshed my original memories with the NewWolf port.

I thought it might be a great idea to make a project imitating Wolfenstein's simple and quick style of gameplay, but with some additions to enemies and weapons. The mods available out there are either too close to Wolfenstein (hence - too simple, too boring and repetitive), or adding too much.

------------------
General idea
The project I'm thinking of will have three episodes (each in different war theatre), different soldier enemy types, and more weapons that came with the PC version of Wolfenstein 3D. The weapons of course will be more advanced, have different ammo types, and will have better graphics.

Because I'm most familiar with GZDoom, I will use this port for ACS and 3D floors.

pfff... Okay so what is new?

- The gameplay is limited to 64x64 floor squares. However the sairs and lifts are allowed and room height may vary from 64 to any multiplicity of 64 units.

-Decorations are allowed in any desired form. Things like tables (which were commin in Wolf 3D) will be built with sectors. Liquids like water, slime, blood are allowed, but they need to fit 64x64 squares. One may build an entire ship in a dock if they wish.
Practically everything is allowed, as long as it does not interfere with the 64x64 play.

- Doors will slide, like in original Wolfensten 3D, and secret passages will also be pushable walls.

- Sector lightning will be limited to entire zones or even levels.

- As said above, the project should consist of three episodes. One in the Soviet Union, one on the German Grounds, and one in Imperial Japan.
I was also thinking about Fasict Italy, but isn't much difference between this theatre and the Nazi Germany. So it might be just an option, or something secret.
Each episode should come with it's own weapon set (read below), own texture set and own enemy set (below as well)

- There will be a quite lot of unique superguards, and bosses. Just for gameplay's sake - they won't have to do much with the historical facts. So you will be able to send Hitler, Stalin and Matsushito to their demise; along with their high officers and avisors.


Now for some details.
I've given the enemy and weapon choice a thought or two. Most of the arms will be realistic, but some "prototypes" might be added for more fun. Of course, the weapons may be resued, but it would be important to keep them rather secret, and limited to the theatre they were really used in. This is what I came up with so far:

Soviet Russia Episode (1939-40)
(Starting)
1. Knife
2. VIS 35 pistol

(Collectable)
2. Tokariev TT
3. Avtomat Fiodorova (AF wz.16)
3. Pistolet Pulomet Degtaryeva (PPD)
4. Ruchnoy Pulemyot Degtyaryova Pekhotny (RPPD-27)
4. Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR 1918)
5. PTRD Anti-tank rifle
6. Chemical gun? Something like a flamethower, but with green goo instead of flame.

------------------
Nazi Germany Episode (1942-44)
(Starting)
1. Knife

(Collectable)
2. Luger P 08
3. Machinen Pistole 40
3. Winchester Shotgun - "Trench Gun" (M97)
4. Falschrim-Jager-Gewehr (FG 42)
4. Sturm-Gewehr (StG44)
5. RPzB Panzerschreck
6. Flammenwerfer 35

------------------
Imperial Japan Episode (1944-45)
(Starting)
1. Knife
2. Colt 1911 or VIS 35 Pistol again.
3. Thompson Submachinegun 1920

(Collectable)
2. Nambu Type 14 Pistol
3. Type 44 Cavalary Rifle
3. Type 100 Kikantanju
4. Type 11 Kikanju
5. Type 97 Anti-tank rifle
6. Type 100 flamethrower


As for the enemies. I thought it might be fun to stick with "Wolfenstein's enemy classes". To me it means, that each episode should have:
- 1 simple, weak guard (Wolf: brown Guard)
- 1 strong, rapid firing guard (Wolf: blue Schutzstaffel)
- 1 quick and tough officer, with perhaps some special attacks (Wolf: white officer)
- 1 Melee fighter (Wolf: dog)
- 2 or 3 special characters (Wolf: mutant and Hitler's projection)
- Superguards (Wolf: Hans Grosse, Gretel Grosse)
- Bosses

------------------
This means the Wolf sprites would be used for the Nazi German Episode; in others there will be enemies like:

Soviet Russia
1. Conscripts
2. Machinegun Conscripts
3. NKVD officers
4. Rats
5. Hungers (hungry and very aggresive Gulag prisoners)
6. Tundramen (Yeti-like creatures of the frozen north)
...and more

------------------
Imperial Japan
1. Kepmeitai police officer
2. Recruits
3. Kokuryu-kai (Black Dragon) Officers
4. Kokuruyu-kai Samurais
5. Dragons
...and more



If you've read the post so far, and you are interested in giving me a hand with some sprite editing - I kindly request your help.

I'm working on some sprites now. Some simple gun animations, and a Machinegun Conscript.
Wolf 3d sprites are easy to edit, but I'm gonna need a lot of frames. I'll post my sprites later.

Again - I ask any sprite artists out there for help.

Share this post


Link to post

LIN Mengju from the Skulltag forums made a Japanese Imperial Army soldier for a skin. Maybe you could ask him if you could use it for your project.

Share this post


Link to post
ellmo said:

General idea
The project I'm thinking of will have three episodes (each in different war theatre), different soldier enemy types, and more weapons that came with the PC version of Wolfenstein 3D. The weapons of course will be more advanced, have different ammo types, and will have better graphics.

[/B]
You have my attention, sir.

Because I'm most familiar with GZDoom, I will use this port for ACS and 3D floors.


:(

My powerful dislike for GZDoom aside, does this project really need ACS and 3D floors?

Soviet Russia Episode (1939-40)
(Starting)
1. Knife
2. VIS 35 pistol

(Collectable)
2. Tokariev TT
3. Avtomat Fiodorova (AF wz.16)
3. Pistolet Pulomet Degtaryeva (PPD)
4. Ruchnoy Pulemyot Degtyaryova Pekhotny (RPPD-27)
4. Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR 1918)
5. PTRD Anti-tank rifle
6. Chemical gun? Something like a flamethower, but with green goo instead of flame.


My first thought on seeing this is just that there are too many guns. Taking just the first episode as an example, it looks here like we've got a melee weapon, two pistols (I can go for this just because I like pistols, but some people might consider it overkill), an "assault rifle", a submachine gun, a machine gun, and automatic rifle, an anti-tank rifle, and possibly some sort of unique gun at the end.

In a game like Doom, and especially in a WAD emulating Wolf3D, I think it's important to keep the weapon selection to a minimum, with each gun filling a specific purpose. Why do I need four or five guns that just fire bullets at different speeds? Instead of the extra rapid fire guns here, why not a shotgun, rocket launcher, or grenades, just as completely generic ideas?

As for the enemies. I thought it might be fun to stick with "Wolfenstein's enemy classes". To me it means, that each episode should have:
- 1 simple, weak guard (Wolf: brown Guard)
- 1 strong, rapid firing guard (Wolf: blue Schutzstaffel)
- 1 quick and tough officer, with perhaps some special attacks (Wolf: white officer)
- 1 Melee fighter (Wolf: dog)
- 2 or 3 special characters (Wolf: mutant and Hitler's projection)
- Superguards (Wolf: Hans Grosse, Gretel Grosse)
- Bosses


Sounds good to me.

Share this post


Link to post
Ryathaen said:

My first thought on seeing this is just that there are too many guns(...)

In a game like Doom, and especially in a WAD emulating Wolf3D, I think it's important to keep the weapon selection to a minimum, with each gun filling a specific purpose. Why do I need four or five guns that just fire bullets at different speeds? Instead of the extra rapid fire guns here, why not a shotgun, rocket launcher, or grenades, just as completely generic ideas?


My idea is, that the guns will be chosen from. It's highly unlikely you'll have all those guns at once.
The episodes will be divided into missions, therefore - just an example - in two first Soviet missions You'd use the Fiodorov's Avtomat as your machinegun, because it's year 1939. In 1940, the Soviet Red Army was equipped with the PPD. So beginning from mission three, you'll start finding the PPD weapon. The Fiodorov will be unavailble, to avoid confussion.

This is also, why I need ACS. Sometimes some weapons and items will be given to the player at the beginning of a mission.

For example the player may start a mission from a drop off zone, with some allied equipment, or he may start from a prison cell, armed with his fists, or whatever he can find (Think like episode one of Wolfenstein 3d).

Of course ACS is also needed to maintain Polybojects (sliding doors and pushable walls).

Share this post


Link to post

In that case, the weapon lists don't sound too bad. I still think a shotgun or rocket launcher wouldn't be too out of place, though. (I know there's a shotgun in the Nazi episode.)

I just hope you're up to the task of making these sprites. I'd offer what little skill I have, but I work extremely slowly, and I'm already trying to do some spriting for another project.

Share this post


Link to post

Yeah, I'm worikng on the Winchester M97 shotgun sprites.

What you said made me think about some weapon changes. I think each episode should have those weapon classes (they might come in various types):

1. Melee
2. Pistol
3. Shotgun / Rifle
4. Submachinegun / Machinegun / Assault Rifle
5. Antitank
6. Grenade
7. Landmine
8. Special (Flame-throwers, Goo-throwers, Tesla... etc.)

EDIT:
And of course, a Katana in the Japanese episode :D

Share this post


Link to post

This is the winchester model 1897 so far.
It needs more pixel noise to make it look less cartoonish, ironsights and a bayonet of course (yes, the weapon often came with a bayonet).

Share this post


Link to post

Will there be reloading/alternate fire modes for these weapons? If there is reloading, then the bayonet will need to be usable so that the player isn't completely worthless when their shotgun is empty.

And I agree with ellmo that there aren't too many weapons. Firepower-wise, I see this playing out a bit like Goldeneye did - while there are a lot of weapons that act nearly the same as each other, there are subtle differences in fire rate, accuracy, clip size, etc. and the player will almost never possess two weapons of the same "type" (only one pistol, one SMG, one slow/powerful weapon, etc).

Share this post


Link to post
WildWeasel said:

Will there be reloading/alternate fire modes for these weapons? If there is reloading, then the bayonet will need to be usable so that the player isn't completely worthless when their shotgun is empty.

Thinking about it.
When it comes to shotguns and rifles, reloading will most probably mean putting a single, additional slug/shell in the chamber. This means that between reloading single shells, you can swing your bayonet.

Clip weapons will change the entire clip of course.

Share this post


Link to post


Nom I'm almost completely happy with it. It's really hard to compete with Doom sprites, that were made out of photos. But I like what I've done so far, especially because I've learnt a relatively quick and easy to repeat way to draw weapons.

I hope I will be able to use it to make some more weapon sprites soon.

Share this post


Link to post
ellmo said:

Nom I'm almost completely happy with it. It's really hard to compete with Doom sprites, that were made out of photos. But I like what I've done so far, especially because I've learnt a relatively quick and easy to repeat way to draw weapons.

That looks very nice, and certainly better than many of the sprites that I've seen.

This seems to be an interesting project, but what about all the other stuff you've been working on? Didn't you have a GZDoom map in progress? I don't think I've seen any actual releases from you, other than the Mercenaries demo (which was awesome, by the way), and the bit of work you did for KDiZD. I'd like to see something of yours finished, but of course, you should do what interests you. Good luck.

Share this post


Link to post


After animating the frames, I saw the bayonet moves in such way it looks like it was still in the same place.
Lightning may need a tweak or two, but it looks nice to me.

To answer questions before they are asked:
The weapon is not pitched up for reloading, because this shotgun was capable of rapid firing, through keeping the trigger pressed and pumping away. This will be possible here as well.

EDIT:

An early shot of a Colt 1911.

Share this post


Link to post

Wow, looking really good, ellmo.

My only suggestion would be to consider reducing the number of attack frames on the rifle (the muzzle flash seems to stick around a bit too long IMO). Look forward to seeing more of your work.

Share this post


Link to post

You definitely have a lot of talent for sprite creation, ellmo. I hope it's not discouraging if I mention a few things I think could use some work on the Winchester.

I think you're right about the bayonet seems to stay in the same place, but I also think the ironsights have a similar problem -- moving in an unnatural way and seeming to stop in some frames while the rest of the gun keeps moving. Also, maybe I'm looking at it wrong, but the fingers on the right side look to be too far up and don't appear properly connected to the hand.

Share this post


Link to post
Ryathaen said:

I hope it's not discouraging if I mention a few things I think could use some work on the Winchester.

Of course not.
I have noted the same things and I will fix them. Also the lightning is a bit too pale. I know the guns don't fire a rainbow of colors, and making yellow-orange-red lightning when the weapon fires isn't that realistic. But it's how most Doom weapons were done.

Share this post


Link to post


A very early sketch of a Panzerschreck RPG.
I'm not sure if the perspective is okay. The lighter/darker stripes are there only to fix a visual paradox, which makes the launcher pipe feel bent.

What do you guys say? Leave it and upgrade? Try it again?
The first version was centered, and it looked... weird. Shooting rockets from under your belly?

Share this post


Link to post

It looks great, though the perspective may be off a little. I feel like it's angled too much toward the center.

However, in the larger picture of the whole WAD, I don't like it. To keep the project from feeling too disjointed, I really think you should stick to either all centered weapons or none at all, but maybe that's just me.

Share this post


Link to post
Ryathaen said:

However, in the larger picture of the whole WAD, I don't like it. To keep the project from feeling too disjointed, I really think you should stick to either all centered weapons or none at all, but maybe that's just me.

I agree with you for the most part (I wouldn't want to see a centered shotgun and an uncentered chaingun), but I think a rocket launcher like this might be a reasonable exception given the nature of the weapon.

I do think the perspective is off by quite a bit though. It probably shouldn't be pointing so close to the center of the screen. Lower the vertical angle a little, and point it a bit further to the right so that the rockets it fires looks like they're going along the proper path.

Share this post


Link to post
BJ Blazkowicz said:

The handle could use some work, but I understand it is far from finished.

There's no handle there :) The only thing aside from the oven pipe is the blast shield.

Share this post


Link to post
ellmo said:

There's no handle there :) The only thing aside from the oven pipe is the blast shield.

Hmm? I thought you held the rectangle piece to stop it from recoiling back at you.

Share this post


Link to post

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×