Claustrophobia 1024 -- Fixed version released!

[Dreadopp]

Kyka said:

And you thought you could sneak this past me, didn't you, Mr Dreadopp. Well, Well Well.

Damn. Well, I tried.

Thanks for the comments and bug report. I'll get right on fixing those things.

[Mik57]

Sorry if I haven't said much, was a bit busy this weekend. But I played up to map3 this morning, and so far, its pretty cool. Nicely difficult.

One thing though, I noticed on map01, if someone falls off of that platform that raises to get the red key, there is no way back up. Maybe a switch to re-lower the platform might be good. Also, the chaingunner ambushes make the difficulty on this one fairly high, especially for the first map. I died twice, and I was only playing on medium. Maybe chaingunners should only be present on hard? IDK.

Map02, nothing so far. Maybe another play-through might reveal something.

Map03 is cool. One thing I noticed, the scrolling floor textures look kinda... odd. On the higher platform, one scrolling floor moving into the other is just bluntly ugly. Perhaps the boundary in between the two sectors should be diagonally placed, instead of a horizontal / vertical line. Also, maybe another texture could work better, like a COMP texture. I know COMP is overused and bland and such, but it might just look better.

[The Green Herring]

Mik57 said:

One thing though, I noticed on map01, if someone falls off of that platform that raises to get the red key, there is no way back up. Maybe a switch to re-lower the platform might be good. Also, the chaingunner ambushes make the difficulty on this one fairly high, especially for the first map. I died twice, and I was only playing on medium. Maybe chaingunners should only be present on hard? IDK.

If you fall back into the pit, the raised pillar can be used as an elevator by pressing on it.

I might adjust the difficulty in the specified manner for the next version.

[Mik57]

Ah, I guess I pressed the wrong part of the pillar or something. It didn't work for me the first time, but when I just tried it, it worked right. Maybe I was just sleepy or something, it was at like 4 in the morning.

[hawkwind]

Joshy said:

I am still not sure what you mean by that. Wouldn't that just be adding more redundant textures? The frontsidedef of those are just in facing nullspace, I just cannot see any reason why I should texture both sidedefs? Please pardon my ignorance, but I can't see anything wrong at all.

Referring to map 28 line 1037 etc. etc. ...

Now you see it and Now you don't

[Mechadon]

@Joshy: I hope you get well soon :(. I've long since fixed the spelling error (I also blarged up another map spelling)...I knew I would end up misspelling something :P. Anyways, I'll look into the brick texture issue. I can also take care of updating your map for you; no problem. Just let me know what exactly you want changed from the feedback (via PM would be good) and I'll add it to my list of things to do.

Guys, I just want to remind everyone that the March 28th release date is still on. Yes, that's 5 days away. I realize that it may be a little tight (especially if we have to wait on some map authors to make updates to there maps). If you don't have the time/energy to update your map, please let us know! I or one of the testers can probably take care of it. I really really do not want to update all of these maps myself :(

[Mik57]

I heard that my map, Map32, had some unpegged lines, and something about inaccessible secret areas, but I couldn't find them (You have to shoot a switch to get to one of the secrets). They are minor fixes, and I was wondering if someone else could fix em real quick.

[hawkwind]

Mik57 said:

I heard that my map, Map32, had some unpegged lines, and something about inaccessible secret areas, but I couldn't find them (You have to shoot a switch to get to one of the secrets). They are minor fixes, and I was wondering if someone else could fix em real quick.

Linedefs 206 and 207 not lower unpegged and sectors 245 and 246 for the unattainable secrets.

[Kyka]

Mechadon said:

Guys, I just want to remind everyone that the March 28th release date is still on. Yes, that's 5 days away. I realize that it may be a little tight (especially if we have to wait on some map authors to make updates to there maps). If you don't have the time/energy to update your map, please let us know! I or one of the testers can probably take care of it. I really really do not want to update all of these maps myself :(

Once I have finished playtesting, I will help out if there are some maps that haven't had their changes made. Once I have finished playtesting abd updated my own maps, of course.

Dreadopp said:

Damn. Well, I tried.

Thanks for the comments and bug report. I'll get right on fixing those things.

It occurred to me that a couple of those comments I made about your level may have come off as being sarcastic. Sorry if that was the case, I wasn't being sarcastic, was just being silly. ;)

Jodwin said:

About the 3D bridge HOM...I'm not getting that in ZDoom 2.2.0 nor 2.3.0. :/ Though, now that I tested it, GZDoom gives some visual glitches. I've got an idea which I'll try to see if it fixes it...
edit: fixed.

[/B]

Heh. I was using ZDoom 2.2.0 myself, so that's kinda odd. I haven't downloaded the updated version yet.

Thanks for the comments. :D
Also, don't worry too much about sounding too picky. Your comments have over all been very helpful, and you just can't be a helpful critic/tester if you take it too easy. :)

Thanks for saying so, Jodwin. It's funny you should say that now, coz the next few levels, there is really very little to pick on. Heh! And now, feeling all warm inside from such encouraging words, ;) Kyka sets off on another journey of mayhem and murder.


Map 16 "Weather Station" by InsanityBringer & Kyka/Jodwin

Textural/detailing:

Screenie Two little things. First, on the right, the black line could be offset a couple of units. Also, if you look out the window, it is possible to see where the space texture tiles one above the other, which looks kinda ugly.

Gameplay:

Spoiler

the secret at the end of the level has a megarmor in it, but it is a little redundant, seeing as it is right at the end of the level. This secret should be moved to somewhere more useful, somewhere earlier in the level.

That's all I could find.


Map 17 "Transfer Base" by Solarn & Kyka/Jodwin

Ok. First things First. The map i played just before has changed a lot from the one that Solarn and I submitted a while back. Someone has done some awesome work on the design/layout of the level. Nice work Jodwin (I assume that was you, coz your name is there and all.)

NOTE TO MECH. Jodwin's name should also be on the title screen for this map, along with mine and Solarn's, given the amount of work that went into this map after Solarn and I "finished" it...

Textural/Design notes.

Screenie Minor texture misalignment on the ceiling beam.

Screenie Maybe a block monster tag on these pillars, dependent on lost souls being able to move around them.

Screenie. redundant secret. It has a box of 50 bullets in it. By the time I got to it, I had like 370 Bullets. Needs a soul sphere or something in it to make it useful.

screenie This door looks ugly. Needs a different texture on it. with the blue key stripes down either side, it doesn't even have to be a door texture.

Here and here These two screenies show 2 sides of the same cable midtexture. They need offsetting to match up, and one side needs offsetting relative to itself.

This switch is pretty useless. It opens the exit door which is right behind it, and it is revealed by another switch elsewhere on the level. That other switch could just as easily open the exit door directly. there are already a lot of switches on this level, one less wont hurt.

gameplay:

There is a little too much ammo scattered around the place, now that it has been made easier than it used to be.

SUBJECTIVE: I think the level could be a little harder than it is. Because I spent so long working on this, it's hard to be certain this is the way to go. But my gut feeling is that it should be a little more intense. Just a few bigger monsters throughout. I seemed to be killing a lot of smaller monsters with relative ease.

I'm glad Solarn's map made the final cut.

Map 18 "Technicfear" by Pcorf

In terms of texture/detailing, I couldn't fault this level. Pretty much flawless. Very simple design, but very good looking level.

Gameplay:

I got to the end of this level, and my first response was "Thats it?" The level is a very good level and it is fine as it is, but it is simply too easy a level to stay in slot 18. Kill a few imps and sergeants, then when you hit all three key switches, you get some demons, then a baron and 2 mancs, then a cyber stuck in a room so that he can't possibly hurt you if you strafe across the doorway, then an archvile who you can simply lead away from any corpses and gun down with the super shotty. There are enough pillars to give you plenty of cover in every fight.

Take out the cyber and this map would be perfect in slot 02. Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to be critical. The map is good, just needs to be put around map, I dunno, 5 - 10 maybe. (Maps 06 and 07, for example, were both harder than this)

If this map stays at map 18, it has to be made harder. A wave of tough monsters after each key switch is triggered, rather than a few demons once all three keys are triggered. Let the cyberdemon loose, with a few other monsters to help him out. And at least two archviles at the end of the level. There are enough pillars to give plenty of cover against all of these things.


the other thing, and this is my fault rather than the level's fault, but I did wander around for a while trying to figure out what to do. At first I figured you would need the keys at the top of the pillars to use the switches, but eventually (Duh!) I realised it was the other way around, you hit the switches to get the keys. Probably the red yellow and blue markings from the switches could be removed, because these imply that you need the keys to use those switches. Its only a small thing, but what the hell.

But in short, Good level, but make it harder, or move it up the order. A lot.

Map 19 "Nova Scotia Robots" by esselfortium


Aaaaah. Nova Scotia Robots. With a name like that, what could possibly go wrong?

Actually, not a lot.

SUBJECTIVE: The only textural thing that struck me was the grey ceiling texture shown here. It just looked totally out of place with the rest of the level imo. (Also used on sectors 5 and 134 and associated sectors.) Can't see any reason why it couldn't be the same as this. But as I said, totally subjective.

Other than this, flawless in terms of texturing and design.

The over/under bridge in the start room does weird things. For example,

Screenie Floor at start of level.
Screenie Floor after bridge has raise and lowered.
ScreenieUpper floor level.
ScreenieUpper floor with lift raised.

Though I have done most of my playtesting in ZDoom, this effect also happens in PrBoom.


Gameplay:

Again only a couple of minor things.

This cacodemon tended to get stuck in this corner, I think it gets stuck between the little crate and the overhang on the wall next to it. Every time I played this level, it got stuck, so it wasn't a once off.

This archvile never teleport's out of this room. By the look of the linedefs, he is not supposed to teleport until you step into the exit room, but I just shoot him long before I get there. I don't know why he is visible long before you get to the exit room. And anyway, there is no other monsters in the exit room for it to raise, and it cannot get out of the exit room coz of the over under bridge, so this arch seems a bit redundant to me.

Could probably remove one of these two boxes of shells. I took this screenie after everything was dead on the whole level, still had 11 shells and these 40 spare ones.

Anyway, these are all minor things. A quality level. I love the architecture. It is so open, so well spaced out and perfectly proportioned. gameplay is simple but nicely challenging, though I do feel that it was a little easy to be at map 19.

[esselfortium]

Thanks Kyka :)

The gray ceiling thing is a bug; it was originally something completely different (iirc it was a darker grating flat) but apparently that flat was replaced in the resource wad at some point. I pointed it out to Mech a few days ago, and he says he's since changed it for me. (Thanks Mech!)

The bridge issue is also known; it's due to ZenNode being used to build the nodes when Mech edited it before this build to correct a minor texture error that I was too lazy to fix myself. That's also since been fixed. (The texture, not me being too lazy to fix it myself.)

The setup with the archviles at the end is a bit odd, yeah. The teleporting one was supposed to be to give you a little surprise if you try to just run past them to the exit, which you could very easily do originally.

Also, Kyka, if you think something looks crappy in someone's map, just come out and say it. The gray ceiling does look totally out of place (in this case, it's an actual bug). Padding it with "This is totally just my opinion" disclaimers isn't really necessary...but that's just my opinion <_< >_>

[Kyka]

esselfortium said:

...but that's just my opinion <_< >_>

lol

Yeah. In spite of my rather hot-headed start here on the forums (mainly because a few things had gone completely to shit in my life at that time and it was a bit of a low point for me.. girlfriend breakups, had a couple of business contracts fall through etc etc) I'm not really argumentative by nature. So yeah I do pad things a little.

Also, I actually feel bad criticising the maps of a lot of these people who;
a) have been doing it for years longer than me and,
b) whose mapping I actually look up to.

So you'll have to forgive the padding.

Thanks essel. :)

P.S. But that's all about to change. Just wait til you see my playtesting comments of maps 20 to 33. Heh!! It will make Simon Cowell look like a boy scout.

[kimo_xvirus]

Is this aimed to be compatible with plain old Boom & Prboom 2.02 ?
I found some bugs which are only reproducable on these old Boom Engines like the Sky of MAP31 which has HOMs

[Mechadon]

Kyka said:

P.S. But that's all about to change. Just wait til you see my playtesting comments of maps 20 to 33. Heh!! It will make Simon Cowell look like a boy scout.

Does that mean MAP33 is god awful? Hahaha, I wouldn't doubt it one bit :P. But yes, to confirm what essel said, I've fixed those bugs with the flat and the bridges ;). Concerning MAP18, I think I would actually like to see that map being a little more difficult rather than moving it (of course this is entirely up to pcorf). I didn't want it to close to the MAP07 slot since it's sort of a similar kind of map (open arena style map, that is). Though I did find it to be a little bit harder than you described it...but that's just me I guess :P

@kimo_xvirus: Yea, it should be Boom comaptible. Fixing the sky issue is on my list of things to-do. They are 256 px high and apparently Boom (and MBF) don't like that. So I need to crop them to 255 px.

[esselfortium]

Well, if the issues he's describing is sky HOM, that's not related to sky height but just Doom's inability to draw a sky on both the floor and ceiling of a sector at the same time, because all sky visplanes are merged into one. Boom didn't correct this behavior, and wads like the Vrack series demonstrate (rather hacky) ways that it can be worked around for the exact same visual effect that's currently there while tricking the engine into drawing it properly.

[Jodwin]

Thanks for the Vrack-tip essel, even if it's a hacky implementation. Any idea where I could find prBoom 2.0.2? The oldest I can find on prBoom's Sourceforge site is 2.0.3. :/

[esselfortium]

I'm not sure, but if you want to test for sky-bug compatibility, I know older versions of Eternity (3.33.50 and earlier, I believe) used to have it so it might be usable for testing that.

[Jodwin]

Heh, seems like there isn't any older versions of Eternity available at all... So I guess unless someone can upload one of those old versions I'll just have to hope it works...


Or, alternatively, just forget about it because the bug only appears in old versions that apparently no one should be able to find anymore...

[kimo_xvirus]

PrBoom 2.02

And here's a screenshot of the sky HOMs

[Jodwin]

Heh, keep it simple stupid me. Of course the first place to look in should be the archives, not port website or Sourceforge (for ports which use Sourceforge). Thanks.

[esselfortium]

WinMBF might actually be a better choice, since the custom per-map skies in this wad require MBF's sky transfer line to work anyway. It should still have the sky bug, since it intends to pretty much be MBF for Windows (well, with some stability fixes where needed).

[Kyka]

Begin Transmission.

Well it's that time once again.

MAP 20 "Refinery" by Dutch-Devil

Not a lot wrong with this one.

Textural/Design.

Main thing would be to go round the level and make the ledges on every window impassable. There were a lot of times that I got caught on window ledges throughout this level. Also a lot of the little inset areas need to be made impassable to stop this happening.

Screenie Must admit, I didn't like the compspan texture on the two side walls of this little corridor. would look better with the same BROWN1 texture as used across most of the level.

Same goes for the two side textures on this computer screen, just near the exit.

Must've missed texturing the base of this door.

Same with the base of the exit door. These gray squares look out of place.

Gameplay Issues:

Other than the fact that I kept getting stuck on windows, not much. The megarmor secret is pretty lethal if you teleort in there but haven't already cleared the room, but that's probably ok. Great gameplay though. I love the way the level appears to be a small part of a much bigger complex.

MAP 21 "Power Station" by Dreadopp & KingKill33

I remember this level having a few issues. Most of them have been fixed up. A few still remain tho.

Textural/Design:

Ok. A nice list of minor texture fixes needed. (Some very minor, but I'll Bring them up anyway.)

Screenie You will notice the metal grate extending infinitely into the ground. All of the transparent midtextures on the level seem to have this problem. will need to go around and fix all of them.

Screenie. Directly in front of the shotty is a thin linedef that should have the same rock texture as next to it. the same goes for the linedef on the other side of the heating vent thing.

Screenie the texture on the side of the switch needs to be changed so that the bolts aren't cut off in their middle. (yeah yeah yeah, I know... Bloody perfectionists.)

The two sides of this tv screen are cut off. (may have been intentional.)

Offset this linedef upwards so that the horizontal line lines up with the texture next to it. The same on the other side of the panel.

Screenie these two tekgreen panels look totally out of place, and don't match anything else on the rest of the level.

Offset this yellow and black texture just behind the red key upwards one unit so that the horizontal line matches up. (yeah yeah, don't say it. :P)

On both sides of this doorway, offset to remove the horizontal line.

Screenie This platform should be done in a brown texture. The silver looks wrong when the rest of the level looks like something off the set of aliens.

Screenie These bars need something other than red bases on them.

You guys have already offset most of these little side textures, but missed a couple.

This needs to be made impassable.

And there you have it...!!!

Gameplay:

This level does suffer a bit from "You have hit a switch. Something has changed." syndrome, and off you go to find what has changed. Mostly it's not too bad. But even though I knew the level having played it upon it's initial release, I still got lost on the several times I played through it.

Couple of things I would change.

This switch has got to be moved somewhere more obvious. You could remove that pillar entirely, and replace it with a conventional switch arrangement (or one in the wall behind it.) Anything to make it clear and not hold up the players progress.

The room with that final switch and the archvile teleporting into it. I would teleport a couple of monsters into the room before it (the one in the previous screenie) at the same time as the archvile just to make it blatantly obvious that this is where the player must go.

And lastly.

This switch is pretty redundant. It releases an archvile sure, which makes a really good fight, but there is no reason to even hit this switch. I suggest that this switch replace the other switch in this room as the one you need to hit to access the exit. (Have some wall infront of it to block it, same as the little one has now so you can't hit it til the right time.)And it would make a nice, nasty trap to finish off the level. Then you could remove that other little square switch entirely. The less switches you gotta hit on this level, the better.

Well, inspite of everything, this level looks the goods. I personally think it is one of the best looking levels in claus. And I'm not just saying that for the sake of padding. Nice work guys, sorry to be making more work.

MAP 22 "Second Assault" by Spertz

Textural/Detailing.

There were a number of places around the level like this or this which could be neatened up. Other than that, a nice simple level. Dark and brutal.

Gameplay:

How would I describe gameplay on this level? One word: Perfect.


End Transmission.

[Dutch Doomer]

Thanks for the feedback, but I'm not going to fix anything on map20.

[hawkwind]

MAP 28 ...

The back side lowers of lines 84 and 12 should have been STNE_N21, not ASHWALL2. Also line 2041 should have had the texture METALZC.

[Kyka]

MAP23 "Fear No Evil" by Dutch-Devil

Textural/detailing:

Unknown texture here

This skull switch should be one marble brick upwards. Looks odd sitting against the floor like that.

Misaligned texture here

Gameplay:

Good overall. Perhaps a little bouncy with all the broken bricks and pits in the main area. I liked it like that, but just a thought.

This switch should be really more obvious it is too easy to mistake this switch for just a decoration.

And that's it.

MAP24 "Hell Sewage" by Jodwin

Textural/detailing.

All the misalignments on this level were related to the texture METALL.

Here
Here
Here
Here (and on the wall to the left)
Here (the pit set into the floor in a couple of places.)

This wall. There is a little stair (the corpse in the screenie is sitting on it, and the player can run up it as well,) which imo should be removed if possible. Originally I was thinking to make it impassable, but seeing as caco's and PE's need to come over it, you can't really do that, so then I though just remove it perhaps? (it seems like it is there only for textural reasons, though I may be missing some other purpose.)

Making the entire map hidden on the automap wasn't something I would do, but seeing as it has been done, there are a few lines that have been missed and are still visible

there is a HOM on the side of this stair, and on the other side as well. Also the side texture of the little drain going into the ground could be neater.

Gameplay:

Some parts of this level were pretty tough, but just about perfect for a level 24 map. I liked the gameplay, it was pretty intense.

Only one thing that occured to me could be better. The final Baron on the level, should be allowed to get out of this little alcove and come at you (though not until you have fallen down the hole, you don't wanna get clawed on the way down.) Otherwise, I thought he was a bit pointless, just standing there and getting shot...

Nice work. Lots of fun to be had on this level. Provided that getting smacked around by hell knights and archviles and revenants is your idea of fun. ;)

[Dutch Doomer]

Again thanks for the feedback.

Kyka said:
Unknown texture here

Mechadon messed around with the teleporter flats afterwards iirc, it was looking fine when I send it to him.

This skull switch should be one marble brick upwards. Looks odd sitting against the floor like that.

I like it better this way, the bricks line up nicely.

Misaligned texture here

I don't care.

This switch should be really more obvious it is too easy to mistake this switch for just a decoration.[/B]

You thought that was decoration haha, I admit that it is easy to miss and make you run around searching for an switch.I couldn't find an better spot to put it.

[Kyka]

Map29 "Aura of Evil" by Butts/Joshy & Jodwin

Ok. I am doing a couple of levels out of order, but there is a reason.

Textural/detailing. :)

Screenie These 4 little side linedefs up behind the secret all need aligning. The same texture needs a little aligning here and I think around that raised ceiling area. (I know this texture is a pain in the ass to align and its being a bit picky, but what the hell, figure I'll mention it.)

Misaligned marble here and here

Both of these windows need the little ledges in front of them to be made impassable so you don't get stuck in them while running around shooting stuff.

Very picky. Misaligned texture here. (This is in the NW corner of the map, behind where the soulsphere appears.)

That was everything I noticed. I remember seeing screens of this back when it was being made. Looks great. dutch Devil would be pleased with such good use of marble I think.

Gameplay.

These stairs, monsters seemed to have nearly an impossible time getting up them. Revenants could sometimes get up them, Barons or demons never. There aren't any block monster tags, so I figure it must be coz the stairs are too narrow for the monsters to go up/down. If you could fix this it would make the level play much better (and be harder as well.) Not that it doesn't play well now, and not that it isn't hard, but if you can, that would make the gameplay near perfect imo. I played the level a few times by by 'camping' at the top/bottom of the stairs (depending on which fight I was invloved in) and then I played the level without using the fact that those stairs block monsters, (as in really getting in amongst the action) and this makes the gameplay much more intense.

Otherwise, gameplay was pretty cool. Difficult, but you would expect that for level 29.

Spoiler

The only other thing I would comment on is the secret on the level. The only way to get to the secret is right at the end of the level, where it is a bit useless. Of course, the other way (which may have been totally intentional) to get to it earlier is with an archvile jump onto that little marble walkway, which in PrBoom is much easier than in ZDoom, coz the arch jumps are smaller. Anyway, my point was, the secret is a bit useless without an arch jump. But that may not be a bad thing. Actually. the level is perfectly finishable without the secret so maybe leave it as it is. If the player is good enough to pull off an arch jump, leave 'em to it.

And speaking of archvile jumps. In Zdoom, you can get to the secret platform directly with a well timed archvile jump. Ok I admit, I only managed it once, it was a bit of a freak jump, but it can be done.

sorry Jodwin, I didn't get to level 30 this evening, but tomorrow, definitely will, I gotta sleep, it somehow got to 2am. But in the 5 minutes I played level 30, I will say two things. Looks good, and is thoroughly brutal. Nice. :)

[Mechadon]

dutch devil said:

Mechadon messed around with the teleporter flats afterwards iirc, it was looking fine when I send it to him.

Yea, sorry about that. I missed another thing concerning that so...I had to make a second new flat and fix it. No worries :D

Do you guys think we'll be able to pull this off with 2 days left? :S

[Kyka]

Heya Mech

...Lets not look at it as delayed.


...Lets look at it as building anticipation. :)


It's not gonna be that long either way.

[Butts]

Wow, way less critique than I expected. I didn't know how to implement my secret any earlier, but I wanted to have a secret. The stairs blocking the monsters was only semi-intentional... I kind of didn't want interference from other monsters in the level while having the battle in the room, because it was kind of tough. Thanks, Kyka.

Who is going to fix that map though? I could if neither Jodwin or Joshy, who both apparently worked on the map too don't want to bother with the nitpickery.

[hawkwind]

More on MAP 13 ...

Both sides of the fence texture MIDRAILA need lining up.


More on MAP 10 ...

a) Upper texture of linedefs 707 and 743 should have been ASHWALL2.

b) Upper texture of linedef 410 should have been METALF.

c) Ceiling flat for sector 170 should be ODDMETAL.

d) Upper textures for linedefs 468 and 761 should be DOORTRAK.

e) A control sector was needed for the blinking effect in the ceiling of sector 171 ( and maybe sector 170 ).

f) Why not fake sectors for sectors 464 and 214 to hide the barrel ?