Heretic SP - Curse of D'sparil [RELEASED! 2010 01 12]

[JadedLexi]

If it were up to me, I'd see it out as a complete episode..

[188DarkRevived]

Indeed, I would also prefer that it gets released as a whole episode in a single file.
There's already way too many tiny WADs cluttering my personal archives.

[kristus]

Well. I wouldn't be surprised if it'd take about 6 months before I got it all done and tested. At least anyway.

I only got two maps left to build as you probably know. But the testing is taking a lot of time. Maps are so big that I tend to die more because of mistakes when I play them, rather than the resources not being enough etc. So, every time I test a map, it's at least taking 30 minutes, and I might not even get far enough to get any information from it. :p

[JadedLexi]

Wouldn't it be easier if you had a team of testers? :p

[kristus]

Not really. I still would have to test it myself first.

[JadedLexi]

I also have one question before I shut up and wait: Will it be co-op-able? :D

[kristus]

Yes, I plan to test it thoroughly with my brother.

[printz]

kristus said:

Maps are so big that I tend to die more because of mistakes when I play them, rather than the resources not being enough etc.

Place secondary start points to skip areas.

[kristus]

I'm sorry but that doesn't make sense. Then it'd be better that I use savegames. Which I am actively not doing.

[kristus]

Insignificant trivia ahead...

Me and Khorus had a play through of the first 4 maps of this piece of crap I've made in Coop. And while we were at it. I shot off a few screenshots.

The shots are only from Map03 and 04 though, because it wasn't until then I figured it would be fun with a few shots of the experience.
http://www.doglike.org/temp/coop1.png
http://www.doglike.org/temp/coop2.png
http://www.doglike.org/temp/coop3.png
http://www.doglike.org/temp/coop4.png
http://www.doglike.org/temp/coop5.png

Oh yeah, and we were playing with a P2P protocol (Zdoom) with a staggering ping of about 450. (I'm in Sweden and Khorus is in Australia)

[myk]

kristus said:
Oh yeah, and we were playing with a P2P protocol (Zdoom) with a staggering ping of about 450.

Wouldn't Skulltag be a better choice?

[kristus]

We tried that first, but for some reason the server wouldn't show up. Which was quite peculiar since it always worked before. (Not skulltag per se, but finding the server)

We tried Zdaemon too, but had the same issue there. So it's probably something stupid with my router or whatever. (not the port however)

[Butts]

I should probably get Heretic...

Btw, 1337 post.

[188DarkRevived]

kristus said:

Then it'd be better that I use savegames. Which I am actively not doing.

Practically all players use savegames when they play, so I don't understand why playtesters shouldn't be using savegames when they playtest.
I confess that I used savegames for extensively testing my own WADs before uploading them into the /idgames archives. And I've yet to hear any complaints about imbalances between ammmunition supplies and enemy masses.

Just test it as if you're the actual player. ;)

[kristus]

Yeah, I don't agree with that. Not everyone use save games. I only use savegames in a map if it's something I play for other reasons that just playing it. Like RTC-3057 for instance, where the challenge of the game play is part of the experience but not the main force. (not that I actually need to save there either since the game does it for me automatically everytime I move between the different sections of the hub)

I do use savegames when playing megawads. But generally only at level changes.
Sometimes a map will have me beat so I will use a savegame just so I can get onwards sometime. But that's again only in megawads etc.

Every map should be completable from a pistol start without using savegames for me. There's no ifs and buts about it really.

I could use savegames to not have to play through the first 3/4 of it everytime. But everytime I make a change I would still have to replay that section anyway, an replaying it will give me insight in where I can improve it still. Like, what parts are getting boring fast, do I die in one area more times than I should? etc.

[CodenniumRed]

Hope to see this project done - considering how close it is! :P

[myk]

kristus said:
We tried that first, but for some reason the server wouldn't show up. Which was quite peculiar since it always worked before. (Not skulltag per se, but finding the server)

Did you try having the guy not launching the server connect through the command line with -connect ip:port?

DarkJedi188 said:
Practically all players use savegames when they play, so I don't understand why playtesters shouldn't be using savegames when they playtest.

I can more or less understand that in a commercial game, where you have to please a mass of users because you need to feed your kids, but in a free hobby where you will get little more than feedback, you can freely aim your map set to people who play like you do or who will put more into playing it than a casual wade-through using saves. As a designer, one can even state stuff like "this was tested to ensure not having to resort to saves or cheats while playing, at least when veteran players are involved" in the text file. Testing is all about fine-tuning, and if you're going to fine-tune play, you can't rely on saves. Saves can let you do practically anything, so they distort game balance. Less veteran players or players who rely on them regularly will use them anyway, but they shouldn't be a focus of the design for that reason.

[kristus]

myk said:

Did you try having the guy not launching the server connect through the command line with -connect ip:port?

Yeah.
It was really strange. Cause he could see the server in the list, but he didn't get any information on it. Just the IP and that it was from Sweden. The Port didn't correspond with the port I used when I started the server though. I've never looked close at that. So maybe it never do that. But I tried with opening the port that it showed in the list as well. But it wouldn't work anyway. :/

EDIT about the testing:
People rarely herald my maps for having good game play. But I do always work very hard on that aspect. I always make the game play exactly like I want it to be. (or as close as I can manage anyway) And most people don't really care for it it seems.
Fortunately, it's not a popularity contest. :)

[myk]

kristus said:
Yeah.
It was really strange. Cause he could see the server in the list, but he didn't get any information on it. Just the IP and that it was from Sweden. The Port didn't correspond with the port I used when I started the server though. I've never looked close at that. So maybe it never do that. But I tried with opening the port that it showed in the list as well. But it wouldn't work anyway. :/

I've had similar issues, and the guy hosting also had a router. The only solution we found was when another guy hosted. Maybe Khorus hosting might work out, if you haven't tried.

[kristus]

Yeah, but we played Hexen as soon as a month ago and could connect. Though we opted to use Zdoom in that instance as well, because for some reason we couldn't figure out why whenever we moved to another map both of us would go spec and essentially lose all of our loot.

Something that would have been trivial in Heretic or Doom Coop. But got pretty dire results in Hexen for obvious reasons.

[myk]

Maybe cl_startasspectator=false in each client's CFG would fix that.

[kristus]

I dunno. We tried joining a regular Doom Coop server and it didn't happen there. :/

[kristus]

Update!
Map05 is almost ready for beta. I have placed monsters and all, and I've ran through the map in Skill4 without dying. But I wasn't entirely happy with it at that point so I had to make a few adjustments. So It's currently at 98% until I have a run-through that I deem "successful".

This makes only one map left to build structure on. Map7

The reason I managed to get work done was because I am currently having a part of school where I am out practicing as teacher. And when I've got home I've been all too tired to study. But slacking off with the DB on my maps has not been as much of an issue. :p

Though I've not been able to build up the stamina required to tackle all the others maps on Skill 4. I have done tests with them on Skill3 and they all do fine there.

Map by map status:
Map01: 99% Ready für beta!
Map02: 98% (Gotta make a successful test run in Skill 4)
Map03: 98% (Gotta make a successful test run in Skill 4)
Map04: 98% (Gotta make a successful test run in Skill 4)
Map05: 98% (Gotta make a successful test run in Skill 4)
Map06: 99% Reddy fehr betta!
Map07: 75% (Seems like I'm a bit stuck here)
Map08: 99% Rayday fihr betty!
Map09: 99% Betty for Ready.

[CodenniumRed]

It's getting close... soon I can play this!!!! I know what ppl felt like when they were waiting for NECROSIS!!!!

[kristus]

Status updates ahoy!

I was working on the last map yesterday for a bit when I noticed that it was closing in on the blockmap limit. (it's ~57000, max is ~65000)
So long story short. The map is gonna be wrapped up to fit within this limit. Which essentially means I am getting close on finishing this thing.

[CodenniumRed]

The levels sound tremendous!!!!

[kristus]

Thanks. But TBH I have really not spoken about the maps that much to IMO discern any information of their quality. The blockmap limit I am talking about is a limit I recently encountered with HereticP that limits the block size to 65000. This is only the case with vanilla and HereticP though. But since I want to support at least HereticP I am forced to stay within that limit.

Many maps made these days are way over that limit. But it's a non issue to most since all ports I ever looked at seem to have done away with that limit entirely.

[kristus]

HEAR YE! HEAR YE!

The map construction process of this project has been as of 19:43 this day been concluded. What is now left to do. Is add monsters to this last of maps and test it. Then make some nice graphics for intermission etc.

HEAR YE! HEAR YE!

It is so very close now.

[esselfortium]

:D

Awesome news, I'm looking forward to checking this out when it's done.

[JadedLexi]

Awesome, can't wait to see it released.