Map idea: Voodoo Veyor

[TheeXile]

Alright before I contemplate starting this, I just want to know if anyone's already made a map similar to this:

The principal is simple: You must "escort" a voodoo copy of yourself through the map to the end without getting it (and you with it) killed. The catch is you cannot directly interact with it: It's on a conveyor of sorts that automatically carries it through the level. On its journey, you must perform actions to prevent it from meeting various hazards (or at least enable it/you to survive them).


Sound like it would be any fun? Or has someone already made a map like this?

[Joshy]

Hah, this sounds like a fantastic idea. As far as I know, these kind of maps haven't been made.

[TheeXile]

Joshy said:

Hah, this sounds like a fantastic idea. As far as I know, these kind of maps haven't been made.

Okay then. Sounds like a project to put in my lineup.

Anyone wanna help me with it?

[Steeveeo]

So, a checkpointed time trial? Sounds like fun!

Good luck on it!

[Joshy]

I could make up a map for your project if you like. Although, I'll do it after I finish my megawad project first. :P

[TheeXile]

Steeveeo said:

So, a checkpointed time trial? Sounds like fun!

Good luck on it!

Well not quite. I suppose I could add things that simply block the voodoo that you need to get removed to continue.

This, of course, is where a good, long brainstorming session would come in.

[Creaphis]

Ha, back when I was first getting a feel for Boom's capabilities I thought of doing this. Nothing ever came of it, of course. I'm lazy.

[EarthQuake]

Go for it. In fact, shoot for a puzzle megawad of sorts, something similar to Cyberdreams. Maybe in early levels, just get the player used to manipulating the voodoo doll's course, and add actual death hazards later in the game. If you wanted to get complicated, you could involve multiple voodoo dolls later in the game. Also, try to introduce new concepts often in the game.

[andrewj]

Cool idea!

I think the idea still works (perhaps even better) not preventing the player interacting with the voodoo doll -- after all you lose health when you shoot yourself.

A puzzle requiring the invulnerability sphere is obligatory.

Ditto for a puzzle stopping it from falling into lava.

Could do some interesting things with Boom's icy (low friction) stuff, requiring precise shots to get the voodoo doll into the correct spot.

A once-only teleport could be used to make the doll go somewhere the player cannot (e.g. onto a raised conveyer belt).

[EarthQuake]

Great ideas there. I really want to see something like this come to fruition. There's a lot of ideas to be played with, and it would be neat to cover them all. Some maps could be quite larger, to make it seem like more of an adventure.

Also... I don't see why you would have to prevent the player and voodoo doll from mixing. Just use DeHackEd/Bex to strip the player of the fist and pistol and only give weapons on maps or in areas where the voodoo doll won't come into contact with the player. Weapons can be removed by using the death-exit trick (Scythe 2?).

I can do the DeHackEd work for you, if you're interested.

[GreyGhost]

A Doom interpretation of Lemmings - that's an intriguing concept.

[Jimmy]

Hells yes. Go for it. I would so make a map if I had the time/ingenuity.

Ajapted said:

Ditto for a puzzle stopping it from falling into lava.

There's one problem I encountered while experimenting with this sort of thing... voodoo dolls aren't hurt by environmental damage - at least in ZDoom.

[Creaphis]

It would definitely open up more puzzle possibilities if voodoo dolls were damaged by sector effects and targeted by monsters, but I'd say that Boom has enough capability for a theme mapset.

A megawad might be pushing it.

[EarthQuake]

Jimmy91 said:

There's one problem I encountered while experimenting with this sort of thing... voodoo dolls aren't hurt by environmental damage - at least in ZDoom.

They aren't in Boom either. You'd have to have it cross a teleport linedef and telefrag another voodoo doll. You can fake falling into a pit trap by having the doll's momentum carry it over the linedef after it has disappeared into the hole.

[TheeXile]

They don't get hurt by damaging sectors? Sucks. Well, I could emulate the effect with a separate voodoo doll in its own container and a very weak crusher, perhaps.


I've decided I'm going to make this a map set, but I'll start off with a single level release to try out one particular idea of interest, first. So I can get my feat wet, you know?


Ideas welcome.

[Jimmy]

Make of this what you will, but it's something I came up with after I saw this thread. Maybe if this project does end up becoming a megawad, it can be featured as a bonus map or sumthin'.
http://www.speedyshare.com/996741509.html

While it's not strictly a "voodoo veyor", anyone willing to work with such a project is welcome to take this idea further in some way. :P

[TheeXile]

Interesting concept, but it leads to another annoying discovery (at least with Prboom): Voodoo dolls do not gain health from powerups like you do.

Grr.

[Joshy]

I think, for concept maps like this, zdoom with scripting would be ideal. You would have more flexibility with all the cause and effects. Perhaps, you could display the 'time before death' counter, or something like that.

[TheeXile]

Joshy said:

I think, for concept maps like this, zdoom with scripting would be ideal. You would have more flexibility with all the cause and effects. Perhaps, you could display the 'time before death' counter, or something like that.

Well I was implicitly trying to avoid zdoom for this, but I suppose there's no critical reason to do so.

Still. I want to see how far I can push this under just Boom alone, first.

[esselfortium]

Doing fun things with voodoo dolls is a Boom mapping tradition, no cheating and using other sourceports :P

[printz]

Sounds neat and all, but I'd suggest putting such a map inside a regular megawad, not a specialized puzzle mapset. Your map will get more audience if included in a standard run&gun levelset that everyone thinks can solve.

[EarthQuake]

printz said:

Sounds neat and all, but I'd suggest putting such a map inside a regular megawad, not a specialized puzzle mapset. Your map will get more audience if included in a standard run&gun levelset that everyone thinks can solve.

Sorry, that's your opinion. A map that uses this concept would feel very out of place in a standard Doom wad. And besides, again I will bring up Cyberdreams and remind you how successful that project was. So really, I don't see how making a megawad project solely using this concept is a bad idea.

[kristus]

What QuakeEarth said.

[printz]

EarthQuake said:

A map that uses this concept would feel very out of place in a standard Doom wad.

Not guaranteed. If you add a plot, you can easily integrate the map into the plot.

[Steeveeo]

Am I the only one who thinks that this could be turned into a pretty awesome and fun community project?

Puzzle Doom: 2009 ;)

[esselfortium]

EarthQuake said:

Sorry, that's your opinion. A map that uses this concept would feel very out of place in a standard Doom wad. And besides, again I will bring up Cyberdreams and remind you how successful that project was. So really, I don't see how making a megawad project solely using this concept is a bad idea.

It's okay, the fact that printz posted it means you don't have to respond and we can automatically assume it makes no sense anyway. :)

[TheeXile]

Steeveeo said:

Am I the only one who thinks that this could be turned into a pretty awesome and fun community project?

Puzzle Doom: 2009 ;)

Wanna help me brainstorm puzzle ideas?

[Steeveeo]

TheeXile said:

Wanna help me brainstorm puzzle ideas?

Perhaps, but I am currently working on my mod for another game and just taking a quick break to check the forums.

I may be back later with ideas though.