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

OBLIGE 0.97 released

Recommended Posts

Oblige 0.97 is a small update to 0.94 which fixes the error about stair placement that occured sometimes (aborting the whole build), and also includes Sam Trenholme's expanded set of themes for Heretic.

Oblige is a random level generator for DOOM and a few other games. More info and download links at the homepage: http://oblige.sourceforge.net

Thanks to Sam and Enhas for their contributions!

CHANGES IN OBLIGE 0.97

+ greatly improved Heretic themes (Sam Trenholme)
+ fixed the stair-building error (Sam)
+ add some Cyberdemons into DOOM maps

- don't put monsters or pickups on crates
- don't put blaze doors in Heretic maps (Sam)
- add a few armor helmets in DOOM maps (Enhas)
- removed the Archvile from FreeDoom maps (Enhas)
- prevent cross windows being passable (Enhas)
- don't use shiny Wolf-3d door in Nature theme
- levels are a bit less cluttered

Share this post


Link to post

This is always a good way to wile away a few hours every now and then. Grabbing the new one right now. It is fun to play new levels whenever needed. Looking forward to it.

Share this post


Link to post

I prefer more cluttered (if my interpretation is correct, meaning sectors tending to be joined into a big interconnected area, as opposed to a less connected more linear ant tunnelish maze) since you have simultaneous threats from multiple directions so its more fun/challenging, and you don't need to look at automap as much since you can see more and access areas quicker. And connected = more chaotic/fun infighting opportunities which generally gives you more shotguns from dead shotgunguys.
I'd imagine a cyberdemon would wreak more havoc and have more interesting gameplay in such a connected area. Both times I faced one it was at the very end of the map with a pretty small roaming area (stairs/doors generally block. Its kinda dumb but I think the larger the enemy the easier stairs block them.. seems like it should be opposite). Not sure if that was intentional but would prefer if they were placed randomly just like any other enemy only more rare (or perhaps in a future version of oblige you can edit quantities and types of enemies so could make the entire level tend to be full of them if desired). They are an ammo sink though and won't lose much health from infighting in a linear hall. Maybe a cyber should only be added to a portion of the map that has a lot of roaming room. Maybe a level with a cyber gets an extra couple of boxes of shells or something.
I really like 'swarms' in obhack as well as its other variables ('flat' is harder since less are obstructed but I think I prefer steep). I usually select more outside areas and the start weapon is a nice option.
You people that can actually code this stuff up are basically magicians to me. I look at code and curl up into a fetal position and start mumbling.

Share this post


Link to post

Various replies for the price of one:

This is a small release so I don't mind if it doesn't get news'd up.

Cyberdemons are added quite rarely, there'll usually be one or two for each skill level in FULL-GAME wads with REGULAR sized maps, more likely with X-LARGE size maps and on UV skill.

By "less cluttered" I mean there are less prefabs added into rooms, computer rooms were particularly bad as you could barely squeeze past all the computer prefabs.

Your interpretation of interconnected sectors interests me though, OBLIGE III (the big rewrite) might be able to achieve that kind of thing if my current experiments bear fruit.

Share this post


Link to post

Obhack was already making great interconnected maps for me, but maybe that's because interconnectedness is tied to the 'outdoors' variable (I had it set to huge/swarms/some/more/steep/less/less/hardcore). Those are some of the best maps I've ever played gameplay-wise, which is quite an achievement for something that's randomly generated. I think they look quite good too which matters less to me.
That'd be awesome if any of the doom beastiary's monsters were optionally addable (and new gun options too like the ones in zen dynamics etc).

Share this post


Link to post

If I may make a suggestion, some of the extra features of ObHack would be great in the main build, such as the new outdoors variable and a choice for smaller levels.

Share this post


Link to post

Oblige III will have a "Tiny" setting for map size. It will also be able to load "mods" which can add support for arbitrary monster packs, texture packs etc.

Share this post


Link to post

You know, one of these days I will post ObHack 004, which will have all of the 0.97 bugfixes (no things on creates, etc), and will also have a paramter that will make it so maps don't have anything better than the super shotgun and chaingun, so for hardcore Doom players, they can still have a challenging and fun map to play.

Of course, I think swarms + extra large + no health would be quite a challenge (if the frame rate is too slow, just make the map "indoors").

- Sam

Share this post


Link to post

You could modify it to put more difficult monsters,even in the Tiny maps,so we can confront more Barons,Hell Knights and stronger demons in the later levels, or in a X-large single level.

Share this post


Link to post

It might be better to just have an option to limit ammo of better weapons (perhaps replacing them with ammo for weaker guns to compensate) instead of completely removing the weapon, since a couple strategic bfg blasts/rockets here and there break weapon monotony. Or maybe it would be fun to remove them, I'd have to try both cases I guess.
There's a lot of tricky design decisions, I guess mostly about whether to give the user more specific options or keep it more random. Random is quite fun, but fine tuning exactly what you want might be fun too. All I know is the current obhack is really fun and challenging which I have set to doom2, fullgame: (huge, swarms, some, more, steep, less, less, basic).
Cybers/masterminds might be tricky to add in a good way since they're large health makes them different from other enemies. For example if a cyber is stuck in a small hallway with no room to pass, and you have 'less ammo' with nobody to infight him, you'd have no options. I'd guess as long as they have ample roaming room they could be placed as randomly as any other monster but might need more shells or something per boss like that.. then again maybe not if they do a lot of infighting for 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
×