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TimeOfDeath

Slaughterfest 2012 - NEW Final Final Version is up

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Death Egg said:

Cashews v3.7, did all the things mentioned in j4rio's last post. Hopefully I didn't miss another bug this time.


that was pretty fun, here's a max-demo: http://www.mediafire.com/?qd7xi9ljxrtr788

it was a very easy map (as far as slaughtermaps go), could be good as an early slot in the wad.

some minor gameplay gripes (just my opinion, so take with a grain of salt):
- way too much health overall in the first few areas
- the chaingun-pickup weapon-swap is kind of annoying
- the 'speed' route has a lot of advantages over playing normally, this may or may not be intended and isn't necessarily a big deal, I'm just pointing it out.
- plasma gun seemed pointless, why not give that to the player in the spider-mastermind room instead of a handful of rockets? could add some shells to compensate for its absence in the first area
- spider-mastermind trap not very threatening, maybe have some other monsters tele in from the sides?

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Those revs that were added would probably end being too uncomfortable to take out if you move plasma if you didn't want to rush, even tedious. I'd keep it where it is.

Those bars you added have still too much space between them, so revs can still pass through. Put them closer to each other.

A chunk of switch in last room was missing.

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Ribbiks said:

- way too much health overall in the first few areas

Yeah, that's a leftover from the earlier versions which had more enemies in the main rooms to compensate. Removed a majority of them now.

j4rio said:

Those revs that were added would probably end being too uncomfortable to take out if you move plasma if you didn't want to rush, even tedious. I'd keep it where it is.

Ugh, yes, I tried to move it and it made that part unbearable, so I put it back.

Those bars you added have still too much space between them, so revs can still pass through. Put them closer to each other.

Not experiencing this problem on prBoom+... Nonetheless, should be fixed.

A chunk of switch in last room was missing.

That would be because the texture I was using doesn't show up right in-game for some reason. (But appears just fine in Doombuilder's 3D Mode...) Switched to another similar texture instead.

Also, I've added a few Pain Elementals that pop out alongside the Mastermind, so that should help spice that area up. (Don't worry, there's more ammo to go with them.)

And now, for the hopefully final version.

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It's all fine, imo, just last nitpick... the very last room turned out a bit more simplistic than I imagined. It's basically just fight vs cybers in a square room. Add something to it, for example you could scale it up, add columns, damaging floors, obstacles, light opposition and whatnot. Also, they should be deaf and unable to go after you immediately after you teleport, as it, besides being a bit awkward, makes playing with -fast basically impossible.

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Yeah, yeah, seems fine to me. (: You made it past the gameplay edits endurance test.

I'll go ahead with the list

Damnation - I really liked this, despite it being an unforgiving trial&error map, despite it having an optional AV jump to megasphere without which you probably can't win this map and despite it being obviously not intended for -cl 9, as monsters keep getting constantly stuck on edges everywhere - which doesn't imply that this shouldn't be fixed, because it's definitely in need of it. There are minimal amounts of flying monsters so it should be fine to go haywire with adding block lines everywhere it's necessary to prevent stuckiness. Also, you can press switch next to mastermind from ground level, which makes infight between revs and mastermind easy to instigate. I'm not sure about last room and how it'd play as I couldn't beat whole map in one go for now.

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Ribbiks said:

Electric Wizard v3:


I noticed you made a walk-over line that closes up hiding spots in second room (the one with chaingun) near soulsphere. However, you can trigger it 'mistakely' now, activating it before being able to take green armor and shells.

Some issues with new room - When you open the door there and shoot while still being behind them, you'll wake whole room and everything will run after you and do some clogging up, which isn't exactly desirable if you're low on ammo. You could dissociate the new room with the rest of map and have there a teleporter in place of door leading there, which would get you to that new portion directly. Also, I think the encounter after pressing switch could be nerfed a bit - just those PEs in open area are enough to cause a headache. I'd remove one vile and maybe exchange 2 PEs into 4 cacos if it won't be enough. I didn't get past here so no comments on further sections.

http://filesmelt.com/dl/ribk-demo.lmp

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good catches! imminent updates in v4...

After playing a few times I agree the last part of the new room should be nerfed. admittedly it wasn't extensively tested, it was more like "ok beat it once, it's possible"

also watching your playthrough I can't help but feel like there's an excess of hp (stray soul spheres) laying around, I might reconsider how health is strewn about in some areas.

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KSP - The impsy beginning drags on a bit too long and the requirement of avjump is rather nay than yay, but after that it gets niche-iously awesome, as usual.

KykaMap07 - I think I've already left notes about this some months ago and the version is still the same as before, so not much to add until kyka comes up with something.

True Grit - Hm, I think this'll require some tuning-up. Right in the very beginning you can activate the lift that gets you to surface only from one side. The beginning encounter is quite uninteresting, as you just run around whole room until things take out themselves and you can't pass through any door because there's always some blockade of monsters preventing it. Blue key room should definitely be altered - mastermind shouldn't see you the moment you enter, but instead remain silent so you won't have to throw funsnaps at it from behind door until it dies ; cacos can come out of teleporter dummy rooms on their own once they wake up because they can fly on top of the short blockades in dummy rooms ; teleporters are working way too slowly ; platforms with cybers are too huge and not exactly allowing much of an infight to happen ; archviles teleport right into the middle of monster crowd and you have basically zero cover and almost no means of taking them out, which isn't exactly desirable situation ; you run a great risk of running out of ammo here if you waste it at stuff that would have gone through a massive infight if you pressed a switch, so I'd make this whole fight a sequence of timed voodoo triggers, which should do the trick. There's a lot more to the map to fix but I didn't get much further on my playthrough attempt, so I'll leave it for later when mentioned parts become more hospitable.

http://filesmelt.com/dl/grit-demo.lmp

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Good lord you actually played that map :P It's the second map I ever made, hence why it sucks major donkeys balls. I have been doing this map up on and off for a while, though admittedly got a real tramp on with it since your last post. I will probably redecorate the indoor areas and redo the fights again. It looks a lot better than what you just played anyway.

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Slightly offtopic, but... Playing a certain DLC for the first time today, this got a chuckle out of me.

(For those of you who don't know Serious Sam, the blue robot is basically an arachnotron, and the whole room is a square, filled with these guys and pillars - not unlike the yellow key room in Crimson)

Seeing as this DLC was released before I even started the map, that makes me the copycat. Damn. :)

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Something that's been bugging me a bit... what to place as map 30 slot? The final level concept would downgrade overall quality of wad to jokewad level if it were to end up in wad. Is anybody willing to do a map that could be placed onto mapslot 30? So far from what I've seen only degrassi has minimal amounts of teleporting monsters, but still enough to require edits to work on that slot.

Also, I noticed there's minimal amount of really short maps. I'm not 100% sure if TrueDude's map should be map 1, because it's, IMHO, not entirely ideal for map 1 slot. 2 onwards would be fine. Basically the whole weight of final wad will be dependant on map 1, because that's what loads up when you press new game and choose difficulty. It's what will be a separation filter of whether some further maps are to be played at all or abandoned without acknowledgement of their existence. Some short, witty, not too hard slaughtery map. I think none of submitted ones really fit that description. Would anyone try and make something like that? There could be even more than one, which could help with early difficulty progress. Also, relatively shorter maps are generally more fun to speedrun, so there's also that.

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Good points.

There was a map I thought could work nice in a Map01 spot, something that started as a techbase and finished off outside back in the starting area with a horde fight. Can't remember the name, or who made it - cannonball?

I made a small slaughterish map in a mapset (map03, specifically) I quickly abandoned last year, and I think it plays alright - although I'm guessing at least one person wouldn't like the secret much. ;)

Would that be alright as a submission for an early map? I don't think many people have played it before.

Regardless, I'll try to find ideas for new small-scale maps. Well, the problem isn't so much about inspiration, but rather about limiting it before the map turns into a 20+ minutes monstrosity. :)

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Maybe we could make a few small + easy slaughtery maps for the beginning of the wad? (edit: I posted this before Phml's post above)

Btw, I'm working on a new map for this as well, it's a 64-grid themed map.

j4rio - for KSP you can use one of the greenstone pillars to jump on the bfg pillar, that was unintentional though :(

Phml - I'm telling on you, copycat. ;)

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Phml said:

I made a small slaughterish map in a mapset (map03, specifically) I quickly abandoned last year, and I think it plays alright - although I'm guessing at least one person wouldn't like the secret much. ;)


That was really sweet, you should definitely submit that map here. With that said, it's already quite past the point of difficulty I'd imagined for map 1. Regarding map, those demons near exit were a bit anticlimatic, and as for secret, if you like that invul, whatevs, keep it, but a demo of a map with invul(s) (especially shorter) loses a few street creds from me. Probably the only invul usage I really like is in hr2's map 32.

TimeOfDeath said:

Maybe we could make a few small + easy slaughtery maps for the beginning of the wad?


That'd be nice. There's really few shorter maps, which is quite a shame, I think. Slotter doesn't have to imply humonguous size or ultra-difficult, although it takes effort to make an easy one that doesn't end up being boring or mistakely become not even considerable as slaughter.


Another point - Maps 31 ; 32 (; 33?). I think they should be secret, so some map would have a secret and a normal exit and placed at slot 15. My votes for 31/32 would be - hospital (way too unslaughtery IMO, but definitely not bad) and startan arena (a compromise to exclude that map from the rest while still remaining within wad - sounds good?)

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With that said, it's already quite past the point of difficulty I'd imagined for map 1.


No argument here. I envisioned it as an early map, but I agree it definitely wouldn't fit a map01 slot. The start could be aggravating right away to some people.

The demons are mostly there as a final little trap, not meant to be particulary threatening unless the player is out of ammo/health and manages to get himself overwhelmed. That said, there is something about it that bugs me a little, and it was the one area I wasn't sure about before I posted, so it's interesting you also feel that way. I'm thinking I might mix it up.

startan arena (a compromise to exclude that map from the rest while still remaining within wad - sounds good?)


Besides aesthetics, the map as it is needed layout tweaks and more gameplay balance passes. I'm not happy at all with how this map turned out compared to what I wanted it to be, and would rather see it dissapear forever.

Hospital as a secret map, Map32, makes sense to me. I think it'd be cool if Slaughtenstein had the map31 slot as it is a reimaging of SF2011 Map31, but I'm not overly attached to it if there's a better contender for that spot. I'd have to remember to change the sky, though.

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Phml said:

Good points.

There was a map I thought could work nice in a Map01 spot, something that started as a techbase and finished off outside back in the starting area with a horde fight. Can't remember the name, or who made it - cannonball?


It was me, it was Exodus, probably some people would think it's too long for map01 though, a max would probably be 4-5 minutes
Brookhaven Hospital makes sense to be a secret map tbh, it has all the quality reasons for it as it is different from the rest of the set.

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That amount of time doesn't seem unreasonable for a map01, to me. I just replayed it right now and it works well as an introduction for what there is to come, slowly ramping up the opposition, closing right about the point where it's about to be for most of the megawad. It's a great and fitting warmup IMHO.

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Phml said:

that started as a techbase and finished off outside back in the starting area with a horde fight.


Core Annihilation? Cannonball also did Exodus which works very well as a first map, although it doesn't really give off slaughter vibes.

Played your MAP03 Phml. It's a fun and super challenging map, although I ran straight for the tele after the three keys and was greeted by a monster gangbang on the elevator back up I never asked for. Would be nice if the bars to the exit area took a tad longer to lower or something, just so the player sees the last horde emerging. Overall it does provide a good taste for what a lot of the maps are going to be like, and also kicks the ass of anyone that's used to playing UV, letting them understand that SF is playing by a different set of rules... if they seemed to forget that fact from last year. It's a good length too.

I think there's just a few things that make it a bit rough for MAP01. The CEMENT texture has always been pretty ugly IMO as well as big slabs of skull key images, and there could be some more detail in the walls/ceilings to wow some players (I know gameplay > graphics, but it could still help to intrigue players as eye-candy never hurt). Also it feels a bit imbalanced to have the player fight rev masses right in the first level, as they're possibly the most dangerous horde monster to tango with, BFG or not. That first fight though, with all the HKs imps and mancs barreling down on you in under a minute is a great mood setter. Definitely keep that.

Or you could just make KSP MAP01 and laugh at the inevitable whining.

EDIT: Also

I think it'd be cool if Slaughtenstein had the map31 slot as it is a reimaging of SF2011 Map31


I don't like the idea of slaughterstein being optional :(

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The CEMENT texture has always been pretty ugly IMO as well as big slabs of skull key images


Boo, I love it. lol. Well, YMMV and all that I guess. I'll think about changing up the skull key stacks, but the CEMENT STAYS! :)

...Unless it doesn't. I might go for Q1 textures instead. So many maps use some in this wad, it gives some kind of cohesive feeling, which is nice. Dunno.

although I ran straight for the tele after the three keys and was greeted by a monster gangbang on the elevator back up I never asked for. Would be nice if the bars to the exit area took a tad longer to lower or something, just so the player sees the last horde emerging.


Yeah, the slow lift was precisely to create a monster gangbang making it hard, but not impossible, to shoot for the exit right away. Between j4rio's feedback and yours, I can't help but see my original approach here was ham-fisted in many ways, and I'm going to work on it. Thanks. :)

I don't like the idea of slaughterstein being optional


IDCLEV to the rescue!

Besides, Slaughtenstein already has a secret exit, and was designed with it (and the map31 spot) in mind, which beats having to introduce one retroactively in another map.

Or, to put it another way, if it wasn't Map31 (or Map15) I would have to mix it up somehow so that area isn't purposeless, and I am sooo lazy. Don't make me work! ;)

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Phml said:

That amount of time doesn't seem unreasonable for a map01, to me. I just replayed it right now and it works well as an introduction for what there is to come, slowly ramping up the opposition, closing right about the point where it's about to be for most of the megawad. It's a great and fitting warmup IMHO.


I'd have agreed with this, but there's one thing. TrueDude's map is shorter and easier, and I think good enough not to end up in rejects. However I think it's a little too simplistic (lacking the 'witty' part of what I imagined about map 1) to make me confortably consider it as a definite map 1 slot. If cb's map ends up as map 1, there'd be notable clash in difficulty progress. Which brought me to thought that there could be something relatively as easy as TrueDude's map, but just more appealing gameplay-wise.

Or you could just make KSP MAP01 and laugh at the inevitable whining.


heh

It could leave the impression that the wad is not serious though, which however isn't true. It is supposed to be a bunch appealing to those who like slaughter and just chaotical management might leave the opposite impression. Precisely what I think is wrong with first sf.

Boo, I love it. lol. Well, YMMV and all that I guess. I'll think about changing up the skull key stacks, but the CEMENT STAYS! :)


I liked it as well. Or at least didn't see anything wrong with it. A plausible change of sighting after(/before) so many darkened maps.

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I thought I would release the updated version of true shit.... I mean grit.
http://www.mediafire.com/?486rivla98n7146
Tried to work the gameplay a bit but not happy with it really.
Changelog
Blue and red key areas looks very different now, probably for the best.
All secrets removed, they are worthless, though the red key area still has the shoot door, but it's not secret and worked around a safe exit strategy from that room.
All previous teleport traps were replaced with the exception of the final fight - note if you do fda this version you can stop when you are sealed in the final room. Nothing happens and you just sit there twiddling your thumbs until the bars lower and you can exit, though I did put a teleporter in the exit to leave the area with a switch near the teleport destination to lower the wall which seals you in the exit area.. I just want to get the base interior sorted before having ago at the monstrosity of what is the outdoors area. I think I went through a phase thinking that stuff shooting stuff all over the place was cool.
Probably missed a load of changes of this list so good luck.

I don't mind whether these maps are included or where they go as I'm not exactly the best person to give direction to this project, so whatevers best for you guys really :)

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Somehow, I missed playing Cashews until now. FDA for v4.1. Few deaths, doesn't complete (but gets to the 2 last cybies).

I quite liked it (save for two things I'll mention later). I still think cb's is more fitting as a Map01. I find Exodus easier than Cashews personally, and Cashews throws hordes at you right away which can be overwhelming for the kind of player who's likely to get discouraged and quit as soon as Map01.

...Or so I'd guess, anyway.

Regarding Cashews: those stairs leading to the switch where the spider mastermind teleports could stand to be bigger, monsters got stuck at top rather than chase me down, as a result the switch room made for an ideal and safe camping position.

I'm not fond of one way roads either, and while you're likely to have at least some shells left, what happens if you teleport with nothing but the 200 cells you picked up before? What if you grabbed and used those cells before teleporting? Dodging the cybies for as long as it takes the switch to lower to reveal, I assume, the exit, remains an option, but not a particular interesting one IMHO.

I'd rather see those plasma cells in the cybie room itself, and more than just 2 packs. The skull sprite blocking movement in the center of the room could stand to go away as well, it's just painful to have to dodge that on top of the cybies in this relatively enclosed space. Heck, I'd even take a solid pillar over that, because at least then you just bump against it rather than wobble awkwardly like the doomguy is prone to do when close to sprites, but really the room is small enough it doesn't need anything extra in the middle - especially as there's no telling how many HP you have when you enter this room. Could be 200/200, could be 20/0 and splash damage easily whittling you down.

Besides that, it was quite enjoyable and IMHO it'd make for a perfect Map02 or something.

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Phml said:
I quite liked it (save for two things I'll mention later). I still think cb's is more fitting as a Map01. I find Exodus easier than Cashews personally, and Cashews throws hordes at you right away which can be overwhelming for the kind of player who's likely to get discouraged and quit as soon as Map01.


If you find it harder, in that case I'd rephrase what I have in mind. My vision is that map 1 should just be welcoming, regardless of what is further, and even easier than cb's and truedude's maps. There could be powerups in such a number as you see in majority of AB's maps, there doesn't necessarily have no be too much of a challenge, just some cute little witty slaughter. Something comparable to an overly simplistic tutorial of goals in any flash game. It gets more serious past this map, but still not overly, and then after certain point it just gets completely rampant. It builds up tense nicely this way, I think.

I also agree with points you brought up regarding cashews. I actually adviced the very same thing about stairs and probably didn't explain well enough how I imagined the last room. I definitely didn't say it could be small cramped box though.

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Phml said:
Yeah, the slow lift was precisely to create a monster gangbang making it hard, but not impossible, to shoot for the exit right away


My problem was just that I had no idea what awaited me when I would call the lift back down because I never knew I had alerted another horde. Otherwise I would've stayed and fought them in the room before had I realized I triggered them. I think I was playing with the sound off so it's my bad if I didn't hear the AV cry.

j4rio said:
My vision is that map 1 should just be welcoming, regardless of what is further, and even easier than cb's and truedude's maps.


I replayed Exodus and think it's a great champion for MAP01, although I take the opposite approach from you and think that it's only potential problem is that it's not hard enough. Sticking something warm, open and friendly with lots of powerups and easily slain monsters everywhere just feels... dishonest with the rest of the maps so far... or dissonant, I think is a better word for it. I mean I think every megawad should have a natural progression, but if there's a good time to let a player know they need to bump it down to HMP or HNTR, it's as early as possible. Plus being "easier" in the beginning seems backhanded once the difficulty curve starts stomping you in the nuts... er, cashews. I think the opener should be indicative as to what's to come, not to lull the player into a false sense of security, sorta of like the opening gambit in SF11's MAP01... but maybe I just have to see a map with your ideas implemented.

Other than that, I think you should continue tweaking your MAP03 Phml as it was really fun and could easily fit an early slot. The only reason I'm just sad to see Slaughterstein as a bonus map is because quite a few mappers will end up skipping those levels (if the DWmegawad club stuff is any indicator) and that level is unique enough that it really should be experienced during the full 30 mapset meal. Map15 might be a good spot for it if you don't want to readjust its exits, but again, it's just my 2 cents that everyone should wind up playing it.

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Oops, I'm a moron. I kept believing that exodus is that cb's map with 4 archviles on pillars... 'true recall?', just to find out it's entirely different map. Urgh.

I played exodus now, and yeah, definitely would have worked as map 1. I'd do 2 changes - remove one mancubus behind an opening in left plasma gun area, and place a hitscanner(s) in his place, as I think they are both more or less an ammo sink without much of a threat, but it'd work this way, I think. Second - I'd make exit at least for a short moment unavailable when you teleport to starting area, 15-30 or so seconds, still much time before it becomes infight hell.

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cannonball said:

I thought I would release the updated version of true shit.... I mean grit.
http://www.mediafire.com/?486rivla98n7146
Tried to work the gameplay a bit but not happy with it really.
Changelog
Blue and red key areas looks very different now, probably for the best.
All secrets removed, they are worthless, though the red key area still has the shoot door, but it's not secret and worked around a safe exit strategy from that room.
All previous teleport traps were replaced with the exception of the final fight - note if you do fda this version you can stop when you are sealed in the final room. Nothing happens and you just sit there twiddling your thumbs until the bars lower and you can exit, though I did put a teleporter in the exit to leave the area with a switch near the teleport destination to lower the wall which seals you in the exit area.. I just want to get the base interior sorted before having ago at the monstrosity of what is the outdoors area. I think I went through a phase thinking that stuff shooting stuff all over the place was cool.
Probably missed a load of changes of this list so good luck.

I don't mind whether these maps are included or where they go as I'm not exactly the best person to give direction to this project, so whatevers best for you guys really :)


Funny, I thought the outside area was really cool, while a lot of indoor sections were lacking. Almost to the point that I was about to hint to abandon everything besides that outside section and continue with expanding it in the same spirit as it is now. For example, I didn't like the section leading to red key almost at all. Just a few simple halls filled with monsters in such numbers that they are more annoying than fun to take out. The arena-ish chunk it leads to is somewhat tolerable. Yellow key ditto. Those HKs are so tedious to spam out. It would probably be tedious even if only one side of that hall was populated. Those few rooms that you open up after this spammy hallway also don't leave much of an impression. Blue key room is however nice, although I haven't managed to beat it. Archviles that teleport into crowd there have to go, they are just annoying and unfair. You could make them teleport onto some columns where they'd remain in stationary position, but having them right in the middle of swarms is just that, annoying. Those 2 cybers I mentioned earlier are still having trouble to do any infighting, as they are probably too high - you could set those platforms they are on to constantly move up and down. One last minor thing - I think that requirement of pressing those 4 switches to reveal BFG is stretching it a bit. A single but very noticeable switch would do. You might end up pressing just 1 or 2 and thinking that desirable effect already takes place, but instead just another switch opens up on the opposite side of room.

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Exodus final version (touch wood)
http://www.mediafire.com/?to87260ibd7a2d8
One mancubus replaced by two chaingunners (1 on lower difficulties) in the West section of the map.
Various detail changes with a little extra lighting in places.
After hitting the final switch, it takes 40 seconds for the voodoo doll to hit the linedef which lowers the exit teleporter, so will at least trap the player for a small amount of time.
Also

Final version of Total Recall
http://www.mediafire.com/?to87260ibd7a2d8
Tiny light changes in a few spots.
Added more archviles for co-op/multiplayer modes for more pain :P

@J4rio - your comments have given me food for thought, I might have to take a chainsaw to True Grit to get it to play nicely.

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I think that's sort of thing to have in mind before beginning to map. I was thinking that butchering off a few 'unworthy' areas could help it, or maybe replacing them with something different. Red&Yellow key sections need most notable treatement, blue key one just needs to be finalized with encounter.

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