Jump to content
Search In
  • More options...
Find results that contain...
Find results in...
hex11

Undeath '94 - a new vanilla Doom episode (beta)

Recommended Posts

Looks good so far, although a few spots seemed really close to the original IWAD map. In particular the entire area beyond the RK door almost feels like a replica of the original (comparing them in the editor reveals differences, but in-game it almost feels identical). It would be more interesting if you altered that a bit, in terms of geometry, heights, and/or texturing. Tributes are okay, but I think they work best when they're more subtle. Or you could make that area into something else entirely, like for example the open-air corridors could be enclosed stairways leading up or down to an open outdoors area. Of course, this is all up to you, your ideas/imagination...

Some bugs I found:
- linedef 41 is missing a lower texture, so there's a HOM effect when the lift goes down
- the big computer room beyond that lift has some tutti-truti along the upper textures in sectors 26-29
- also some tutti-fruti along the computer textures surrounding the lamps in sectors 77 and 78

Don't forget to add monsters and other things too! :-)

Share this post


Link to post

For the most part I like the map the way it is. The only thing I would change is the exit area. I think the exit of E1M6 is one of the best & this is somewhat lackluster in comparison. Other than that it looks great and the tributes to E1M6 make it more enjoyable.

While I'm here giving a review I might as well give my thoughts on the other available maps.

E1M1 - My biggest issue with this map is that it is clearly a my house map. I think with a bit of work this could be resolved, first I think the 2 closets containing the shotguns & chainguns should be removed, they are only there to give the player a weapon & don't do anything to affect the gameplay. Second since your map is Hanger I have no problem with the garage, but I do think it could be made bigger to make it seem less like a garage. Third the 2 bedrooms with the closets that connect are the most out of place rooms in this map, I think that whole area needs to be redesigned to make it look less house like.

E1M2 - Wow I had the exact same problems with this map as Hex11 did, I even died in the same spot, it needs more ammo before you enter the nukage area.

E1M3 - how is work coming along on this map?
E1M4 - Download link doesn't work
E1M5 - mine
E1M6 - see above
E1M7 - mine
E1M8 - Download link doesn't work

Share this post


Link to post

Is that a new version of E1M4, or did you just rebuild the nodes or something? The checksums are different from before (even though filename is identical):

 Length   Method    Size  Cmpr    Date    Time   CRC-32   Name
--------  ------  ------- ---- ---------- ----- --------  ----
  206816  Defl:N    70477  66% 01-03-2012 21:32 dc243779  undeath_mem_e1m4_ver2.wad
  217286  Defl:N    77874  64% 03-16-2012 18:30 71d16016  undeath_mem_e1m4_ver2.wad
Here's the most recent version of E1M8:
http://www.speedyshare.com/Mjc9A/nasty11-rmx-v2.wad.gz

My own map is somewhere between 2/3 and 3/4 done. I didn't work on it for several months because I was blank on ideas, but now the ideas are coming. Sometimes I have a lot of trouble implementing them though. Today I tried to make a switch raise the nukage level in a pool so that the player can walk on it to reach an area that was previously unreachable. Okay so there are S1 linedef types for that, but there's also some stairs that go down into the pool, and with type 18 (raise to nhEF) it stops after first step (not high enough!) and with type 55 (raise to LIC-8) it goes way too high. There is probably a trick I can exploit or something to make it work right...

Edit: solved that switch thing with "linked" off-map sectors. It works adequately, just leaves the stairs as one big blob, but that's good enough (don't feel like messing with voodoo dolls to do multiple actions from one switch).

Share this post


Link to post

Hey that's a cool tune, it was also used in Doom 3: Mr. Smiley Head's Safari.

Anyway, since people are submiting maps with music (E1M9, E1M4, your previous E1M6, and Walter C had asked about it), maybe we should have everyone select a tune for their map. I just don't know if they should be merged into the main PWAD with the maps, or instead as a separate music PWAD so the player can choose to hear them or the original tracks (that's how it was done in the Serenity/Eternity/Infinity episodes, and various other old stuff).

Share this post


Link to post

Here's a beta version of my map. There are still some unaligned textures, especially the BRNBIGC midtextures in the central hub. Yadex crashes when I try to auto-align them... I might have to use the calculator method. There were also some VPO and HOM problems, but hopefully those are gone now. The central hub used to be more open, but I added lots of walls, etc.

Share this post


Link to post

New version:
http://www.speedyshare.com/Zvndc/hex-e1m3.wad

At this point someone needs to test and see if it plays okay. I tried to make it challenging but not impossible, and skill levels 2/3/4 are implemented. You might find that a pistol start is tough, because of limited ammo at the start. It gets easier after that.

Share this post


Link to post

If I'm not mistaken, that's a 1995 DOOM II map. Pick instead a 1994 Registered DOOM deathmatch map (with permissive license to use as a base), and you're in. ;-)

Also you can select which slot you want from E2M5 through M9. But the map's name will remain identical to the IWAD slot, so E2M5 would have to resemble a "Command Center", E2M6 would evoke the idea of a "Halls of the Damned", etc. Ideally, you achieve this not by copying the style of the original IWAD map but by following your own instinct and inspiration based on that name. IOW, this is a bit like that other project "DOOM II in name only", except here we use an old map's layout as a base.

Share this post


Link to post

Hey did anyone save the latest version of all these maps?
I wanted to get back into the project but lots of links are dead now.
I don't even have recent version of my own map...

Share this post


Link to post

That's good, I hope some other people kept their maps also. Luckily some of the links were still working, so I downloaded those ones and compiled most recent versions into a PWAD:
http://s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?file_id=65119290769265770136

The missing maps are:
E1M1 (walter confalonieri)
E1M3 (hex11)
E1M5 (C30N9)
E1M9 (ChaingunnerX)

I had an older version of my map on a backup, but it's missing a lot. I put it in the PWAD anyway for now... Maybe someone still has a copy of the beta versions I posted, if they playtested it (but nobody ever contacted me about it, so dunno...)

Share this post


Link to post

Eh, i was thinking to put a compiled episode of all the maps i have downloaded back in the time (miss only my dethe1m1 remake due to the infamous VPO bug)... anyway looks like you guys did already that work and so...

But if still needs some help i'll take it!

EDIT: I take a look now on that episode and i don't have E1M6 and E1M9 with E1M1...

Share this post


Link to post

Thanks everyone, now we're just missing E1M6. I sent PM to C30N9 about that. Here's all the others compiled into one wad:
http://s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?file_id=41409642412181529653

I think most of the maps were basically finished, but E1M1 had visplane crash in one spot, and E1M3 had some HOM and midtexture alignment problems. Oh yeah, and there's the chance of getting zombified thanks to that extra player 1 start...

Share this post


Link to post

After so many years i work on and mostly off on my dethe1m1 remake, i finally found that the main problems with the VPO are the windows in the eastern section of the building! I'll approach to delete them, since there's a not really severe layout redo restrictions rules on the project OP...

Share this post


Link to post

Thanks, it looks like we have all the pieces now. However your map is still missing things, and the bugs still present. But there's no rush to finish, take your time. Or if you want someone else to finish it, just say so.

At least two of the other maps (E1M1 and E1M3) still need some work.

Share this post


Link to post

That would be better, give it to someone else. I don't want to delay the project because of my laziness.

Share this post


Link to post

I can finish it for you, I've looked at the map & it appears to only need things placed, & a few tutti-frutties need to be removed.

Share this post


Link to post

It looks good, except one problem: quite a few of the monsters behave oddly, like as the result of some REJECT table hacking. They just stand there frozen, and you can walk around them, etc. They wake up eventually when you fire at them or maybe at some other monsters nearby. The shotgun-dude on the right of the red door is like that, for example (but there are many others). Running the map through WARM seems to correct those problems.

Oh, and the blue armor secret doesn't open up for me. BTW, I'm using registered Doom 1.9 in dosbox.

Share this post


Link to post

Oh yeah that's my fault, I use slade2 as my default editor & sometimes I forget that it doesn't create the Reject like Doombuilder does. You can fix the frozen monsters just by opening up the map in doom builder & saving the map.

Share this post


Link to post

Okay I merged these two with the rest:
http://s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?file_id=04511527723815861205

This is first alpha build!

I noticed E1M1 has some HOM if you stand in the south part of that room with the two big couches and look north into the room beyond, and also some tutti frutti on the step going in there from the garage, but those are pretty minor, and probably nobody will notice them.

The blue armor secret in E1M6 will have to be adjusted somehow so it can be reached.

I fixed the HOM and texture problems in E1M3. Actually I couldn't align the midtextures - every DOS editor I tried with autoalign didn't do it, so I just removed those midtextures. Dunno what to do about the zombification problem. Can a GUN switch be activated from a barrel blast? If so, maybe I can ditch the voodoo doll altogether...

Btw, feel free to select music for your maps if you like.

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
×