Doom 1 megawad project: new levels for playtesting

[nicolas monti]

These are three new beta levels I've made recenlty based on the style of the doom classic episodes, I want you to test them and share your ideas.
The testing should be centered on the gameplay issues:
ammo balance, monster placement, etc, and if they are linear or non linear. I want to make better levels so if you think that there are some probems with the balance, if they are too easy, too hard or even if the levels feel boring tell me and give me some advices!

http://www.4shared.com/file/u6eaanqa/jue1m4.html
http://www.4shared.com/file/AlZNGiA4/jue2m9.html
http://www.4shared.com/file/WjyDUH3l/jue4m5.html

three newer ones

http://www.4shared.com/file/b9QGwtSL/jue1m5.html
http://www.4shared.com/file/0qOYOYaA/jue2m2.html
http://www.4shared.com/file/V82jsMMu/jue2m5.html

e1m5: classic E1 for nostalgia
e2m2: block sound lines and 2 donut tags for "classicness". this level is influenced by refueling base (made by Tom Hall LOL) but without being obvious, only the theme I guess.
e2m5: classic "clean" deimos style.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R9xCb5NI0b4/TySbrvgXggI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/LxX39nxnOdo/s1600/Screenshot_Doom_20120128_213402.png
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QScbfUe4N_I/TySbquCfuPI/AAAAAAAAAJo/tAz0nc9HmR8/s1600/Screenshot_Doom_20120111_222446.png
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OS4E06Rc2Lo/TySbqLkHMkI/AAAAAAAAAJc/P24nvn-ayVk/s1600/Screenshot_Doom_20120111_222627.png
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7lgKRZEdo0E/TySbn1XBKtI/AAAAAAAAAJE/IcEMnoIOADE/s1600/Screenshot_Doom_20120111_222559.png
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8t7s_hQ74Vs/TySa3udjKxI/AAAAAAAAAIY/3OfwoAzgqRQ/s1600/Screenshot_Doom_20120128_213657.png
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9oaiHo4IkHk/TySaMsgMO7I/AAAAAAAAAHs/Pe4DVLZbHB0/s1600/Screenshot_Doom_20120128_213601.png
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CP8e22aJUlE/TySa11Fxp6I/AAAAAAAAAIA/V00mgODlVGE/s1600/Screenshot_Doom_20120128_213616.png
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jX6ihLkyPNo/TySaJAksfVI/AAAAAAAAAG8/Xc04mkujXVI/s1600/Screenshot_Doom_20120111_222312.png

The pictures belong to different levels. There are 3 links in this tread and another 3 in an latter one. I've uploaded 6 levels for this project.

thank you!

[Unholypimpin]

screenshots please =D

[Hellbent]

I'm liking e1m4. I got a real start

Spoiler

from the specter by the yellow key

. You may consider making only two specters and the rest pink demons in the box thing that lowers after

Spoiler

getting the yellow key

instead of all specters, otherwise it's a bit specter abuse.

[Hellbent]

your e2m9 is nice. I'd have to play it a few times but I'd say your Sandy Petersen invocation is quite well developed. Seeing the e2m7 blue round thing passage was a bit of a let down tho, even tho it was well implemented.

[Memfis]

Man, this looks so promising! You have a very good imagination. E4M5 was especially great.

ammo balance

I think there was too many rockets on E2M9.

monster placement

It is nice, but a little symmetrical at times. Like, if there is a monster in the right corner then there is probably another one in the left corner. Try to avoid this.

In prboom-plus I couldn't finish E2M9. I pressed the linedef 532, sector's floor texture has changed, but it didn't rise. I don't know why but you can see it happen in my demo - http://speedy.sh/WQDbf/jue2m9-mem-FDA.zip

I also noticed some floating items. For example: http://i.imgur.com/wuuD2.jpg

[nicolas monti]

Memfis said:

I think there was too many rockets on E2M9.

In prboom-plus I couldn't finish E2M9. I pressed the linedef 532, sector's floor texture has changed, but it didn't rise.

I also noticed some floating items. For example: http://i.imgur.com/wuuD2.jpg [/B]

Thanks, I'll fix that!

Hellbent said:
from the specter by the yellow key. You may consider making only two specters and the rest pink demons in the box thing that lowers after [spoiler]getting the yellow key. instead of all specters, otherwise it's a bit specter abuse. [/B]

I'll balance demons/specters quantities, I don't wanna discriminate the pinkies, about the e2m7 corridor... I'm a little obsessed with spawning vats. My snes doom version didn't have that level :P

[kmc]

It's great to see a new Doom 1 project in the works; this looks to have a lot of potential. I was playing e1m4, and I couldn't help but notice that near the switch for the green armor the height of the windows is such that you can't really get much of a view outside. I think it might look better if you can make the windows lower somehow, if that makes sense. I also would like to suggest removing the two shotgunners from the left hallway at the start. The beginning is kind of shotgunner rape, and I think it would open up more route possibilities if the player could make a clean run to the shotgun room without those two blocking :P

Anyways keep up the good work, definitely looking forward to this. Episode 4 map looks great.

[Hellbent]

I liked e2m9. very nice.

[Hellbent]

I fell flailing into a vat of cancerous blood and curdled midst hurling bursts of plasma. :(

[nicolas monti]

NoobBait said:

I also would like to suggest removing the two shotgunners from the left hallway at the start. The beginning is kind of shotgunner rape, and I think it would open up more route possibilities if the player could make a clean run to the shotgun room without those two blocking :P

yes, You're right, i'll clean the shotgun access a little.

Hellbent said:

I fell flailing into a vat of cancerous blood and curdled midst hurling bursts of plasma. :(

Hey Hellbent, did you get stucked somewhere in the maps? by the way, how you make your captures automatically visible on the thread?

Memfis said:

It is nice, but a little symmetrical at times. Like, if there is a monster in the right corner then there is probably another one in the left corner. Try to avoid this.

In prboom-plus I couldn't finish E2M9. I pressed the linedef 532, sector's floor texture has changed, but it didn't rise. I don't know why but you can see it happen in my demo - http://speedy.sh/WQDbf/jue2m9-mem-FDA.zip

Memfis, I've checked the linedef on Prboom and it works for me, just by chance I spinned one line at the bigining of the bridge but I think that has nothing to do with the problem. I've seen your demo and there are more tags that seem not to work properly, 2 sectors didnt lower when they had to. What version of Prboom are you using? I tested the wad with the latest version and everything worked fine. About the monster placement, yes I know, the thing is that I like to put windows everywhere and then there are few places left for ambush and the nonlinearity which allows the player come from different directions make the ambush issue harder to create. maybe pillars and corridors will help to hide monsters!

I'm finishing e2m5 and I have e1m5 done too. sometimes I need to take a break to refresh my ideas .

[PRIMEVAL]

nicolas monti, check your email. (megadoomer sent an email)

[Hellbent]

Nicolas: Am I supposed to be able to get out of those pits? They sure are easy to get into. :p

I use Blogger.com to upload images and then I link the images to the Doomworld post.

Press the print screen button to take a screenshot.

[nicolas monti]

Hellbent said:

Nicolas: Am I supposed to be able to get out of those pits? They sure are easy to get into. :p

These are inescapable, I've considered to make a lift for each pit but I hate the effect of platforms lowering on acid or blood without getting wet on its floor and there are some samples of inescapable pits on Iwads (e1m3) :o. another solution is to expland the borders area but it would require to move all the north area further up. I'll see.

[Technician]

My theory is whenever you make an inescapable pit, make it instant death. This is an issue with vanilla, I just don't like waiting to die.

[nicolas monti]

three new levels for playtesting:

http://www.4shared.com/file/b9QGwtSL/jue1m5.html
http://www.4shared.com/file/0qOYOYaA/jue2m2.html
http://www.4shared.com/file/V82jsMMu/jue2m5.html

e1m5: classic E1 for nostalgia
e2m2: block sound lines and 2 donut tags for "classicness". this level is influenced by refueling base (made by Tom Hall LOL) but without being obvious, only the theme I guess.
e2m5: classic "clean" deimos style.

My goal is to make non linear levels but I think I still need some advices about the gameplay. I want to make levels full of action not too easy and not too hard.

I'm going to work for a E3 level this time.

Technician said:

My theory is whenever you make an inescapable pit, make it instant death. This is an issue with vanilla, I just don't like waiting to die.

Maybe I'll make the elevators, that level will need several...

I finished E3M3. I want to differentiate E3 and E4 themes so E3 will look more psychedelic demonic texturing with bits of E2 as Pandemonium and House of Pain do and E4 will feature ancient and medieval satanic style.