NOVA II - Ver. 1.2 on /idgames (now with no missing keycards!)

[Dave The Daring]

@dobu gabu maru - I think you've just highlighted all the problems I was worried about myself. I can easily drop three of the least obvious blue key switches and simply replace them with goodies for the player to reward exploration.

You're also correct about the AV/rev/chaingunner ratio. I'll change that up a bit. I'm nowhere near finished with the detailing and lighting, so I'm hoping I've still got time to make it look pretty.

Overall though, I'm glad you enjoyed it. The game play is something I always worry about, so it's good to know that I'm on the right track. I'll go away and tinker with it some more.

Thanks for the feedback.

[SuperCupcakeTactics]

Not really a newbie or amateur but wanted to make a little thing for this

https://www.dropbox.com/s/z21nv61w6gt9pwq/amalgamterrace.wad?dl=0

Could fit in a secret level slot or after some big intense map

[Pinchy]

SuperCupcakeTactics said:

Not really a newbie or amateur but wanted to make a little thing for this

https://www.dropbox.com/s/z21nv61w6gt9pwq/amalgamterrace.wad?dl=0

Could fit in a secret level slot or after some big intense map

Despite how janky this was I enjoyed it.

[Impboy4]

I'm open for another collaboration on my second level submission. If you have Skype my username is the same as my Doomworld forum username.

[dobu gabu maru]

^ Note that since we're nearing every slot being accounted for, it'd be better if people started signing up for taking MAP32 slots.

SuperCupcakeTactics said:

Not really a newbie or amateur but wanted to make a little thing for this

Uhhh that was really something. Texturing is all over the place and the lighting isn't varied, and on top of that the combat is pretty straightforward. Not that any of it is terrible per se, but there's nothing exemplary to showcase either.

[scifista42]

dobu gabu maru said:

the combat is pretty straightforward.

I've found the gameplay to be thrilling and enjoyable, and the map's crazy-ness and color variety to be awesome too. Add a nonlinear layout, and that's why I really liked this one.

[Impboy4]

Speaking of map slots Dobu, are you going to have a separate 'director's cut' wad for the maps that didn't make the cut? I'd hate to see them get wasted and it would be good to give them a door prize.

[dobu gabu maru]

Super Cupcake Tactics's map is not bad by any means, but it's still not all that fitting IMO. If the difficulty was spruced up, I could see it being a MAP32 participant tho.

Impboy4 said:

Speaking of map slots Dobu, are you going to have a separate 'director's cut' wad for the maps that didn't make the cut? I'd hate to see them get wasted and it would be good to give them a door prize.

Uhhh this is a good question. On one hand, I suppose it would be nice to get them published anyway (though I'm sure joe is already compiling his NOVA maps into his Lost Maps pt. 2), but on the other I'm not too sure what we can salvage outside of Kevin & Cupcake's map. I think it'd be better just to include them as MAP33 and MAP34 so players can manually warp to them if they wish. If we get more rejected maps, I'll think more on compiling a separate wad together.

[Pinchy]

I had an idea for a secret map (32) that was designed to be breaking the fourth wall a little in the form of jokes about doom textures.

I will try to get something out soon so you can have a look, it's going to use many simple custom textures so should be ready after 1-2 days work.

[dobu gabu maru]

Pinchy said:

I had an idea for a secret map (32) that was designed to be breaking the fourth wall a little in the form of jokes about doom textures.

Not to deflate your enthusiasm, but I think we already have a MAP32 concept in place. It might be an interesting map to see nevertheless.

[Pinchy]

dobu gabu maru said:

Not to deflate your enthusiasm, but I think we already have a MAP32 concept in place. It might be an interesting map to see nevertheless.

I missed the secret map comments the first time through. I currently have 3 maps that are two thirds done(Pcorf, ????? and one unassigned that was meant for the seemingly dead christmas wad) so will probably just leave it for later.

[AD_79]

Pinchy said:

50Monstr

Heh, I thought I told you to keep that one secret :P

I'm still working on a second map for this, it's just gonna take a while considering how slow of a mapper I am.

[Dave The Daring]

AD_79 said:

I'm still working on a second map for this, it's just gonna take a while considering how slow of a mapper I am.

I wouldn't worry too much, as I still haven't finished my one and only map for this project. I've had a bit of a medical emergency in my family over the last few days which has slowed my progress a bit, but hopefully I'll get this thing finished soon. Thanks for your patience guys.

[EvilNed]

Hey guys!

I'm not gonna be able to submit any maps to this, I'm kinda doomed out at the moment.

But maybe I'll be able to make a sky or two (or three).

[dobu gabu maru]

Skies would be great! I'm not entirely sure about color schemes other than a classic red for E3.

[tourniquet]

Oh yeah, i'm definitly hoping for a red E3 sky.

[EvilNed]

I'll see what I can do! To be honest, I thought the last Red Sky was so awesome (not being modest here) that I don't know what to think of next. :p

And just for the heck of it, I started making a map anyway... We'll see if anything comes out of it, but it's an idea i've got in my head for like forever.

I might have an early version up in a few days. If anything, it might not be vanilla compatible, in which case it'll be dismissed. We'll see.

[sincity2100]

Can I take map 15 and map 22 slot?

[AD_79]

sincity2100 said:

Can I take map 15 and map 22 slot?

Heh, an_mutt has 15 and I'm working on something for 22.

[EvilNed]

I'd like to take any vacant spot if there is any.

Preferably late in the game.

Anyway, another question,

is anyone using any rock / cliff textures in any of their maps? I'd like to use some too, but I don't mind recycling.

[tourniquet]

EvilNed said:

is anyone using any rock / cliff textures in any of their maps? I'd like to use some too, but I don't mind recycling.

Take a look at map17 in the recent beta, dunno what your looking for but i used several rock textures in this map.

[an_mutt]

OK, feedback time. Played with pistol starts, using PrBoom 2.5.0:

Map 01:

Nice layout, but I really think some armour should be given early on due to the high volume of hitscanners. The opening area could be a good place to place a secret green armour, on the opposite cliff facing the rocket launcher secret - it makes hitscanner gameplay more enjoyable, and it would also hint at the other secret without really giving anything away regarding how to actually access it.

Map 02:

Like with Map01, I feel that this map needs a green armour - I lost a good 60%-70% health just trying to explore the map from random crossfire. The demons on high platforms at the end of the map do nothing except waste time, so I recommend changing them to monsters that can fire projectiles. Also, considering how large and open the map is, a Cacodemon ambush would fit in really well at some point.

Finally, the pacing is really off in my opinion - you spend some time exploring the map and trying to find which switch to press, and when you finally reach the top of the map all you get access to is a tiny exit room opening somewhere else in the map with nothing to challenge you. I really recommend expanding the exit room to have some kind of final fight; nothing too elaborate, but something that acts as an actual ending.

Map 03:

First of all: Do not make stuff like the switch for the green armour lift a one-time lift. Don't make any S1 line actions at all, unless they're needed for some kind of reason. That kind of stuff sucks, and although nine out of ten players will just get the armour and not even figure out that it's one time only, that one other guy will not get that armour, will miss out on it, and they will be pissed.

It really feels like you put the yellow key in the wrong place: I get ambushed by 4 shotgunners at point blank range at a random part of the room where you find the key, and then the key itself is tucked away in the small pool of water with nothing spawning in to attack me? The near-identical ambush on the other side of the room makes a little more sense at the chaingun pick up, but you have a chaingunner at the first ambush so the chaingun trap is totally not necessary!

I'm writing these bits of feedback and, while doing so, I keep on going to say that you need to include armour or a rocket launcher, only for me to find them shortly afterwards. I feel that they're important items for the map, only you're putting them in random side-rooms which I'm too distraced to explore when I'm running from groups of enemies. I'd recommend putting them in more dangerous areas that are in plain sight - it makes gameplay more interesting and rewards players who may want to take the risk of getting them whilst dodging enemy attacks.

Otherwise, I think the map is fine. I feel like the backtracking to the yellow key door should contain a monster closet or two opening up, but other than that there's nothing that I'd really want to change.

Map 04:

First of all, the blue key is bugged. For some reason it's sunk within the fountain, making progression impossible.

I've played this map numerous times now and I'm still just not feeling it, Getsu Fune. I still feel that the map lacks the kind of atmosphere that I feel you're aiming for, and most of it comes down to the scale of the map itself. Its open areas are too open and aren't geographically interesting, and the indoor areas aren't claustrophobic or atmospheric enough to make me feel anything except boredom as I shotgun and chaingun Doom 1 enemies in a very dark string of caves.

One thing I do like though is the room where I get the red key. Not the puzzle itself, but the fact that enemies teleport in as I try and figure it out - I like the pressure that's put on me to finish it without dying.

Finally, for the exit, I'd suggest having it end in a way that isn't me dropping into a 64 unit wide corridor where I can see the texture of the far-off linedef when the map ends. the map is big and open, so you should give me a big and open vista to look at when the map ends. It makes no sense to have the map be as large as it is and then end it with such a boring way.

Map 05:

A really great start, with an archvile trap that is horribly unbalanced but still great. The texture clashing though, jesus christ. Cyberdemon531 told me it was some kind of tribute to TnT or something, but really dude, come on. This reminds me of people submitting really ugly maps to Evilution the way TnT did because they thought they were submitting a map to the project 'Evilution the way the Community hyperbolizes it'.

To be fair though, the theming consistency is the only thing I have an issue with: the rest of the map is sweet, and I love the jump in difficulty. There are some difficult moments, but for the most part everything feels fair and the couple deaths I had were my own fault.

Map 06:

Uh, I dunno, this is basically Map03 of D2twid? I really liked that map, at least.

And Map 07 gives me a "R_FlatNumForName: - not found" error message and can't play the map. I'll continue with feedback later on today probably, I'm quite tired and would like to make some progress on my own map. :V

[Impboy4]

hey mutt, since i already know what to fix in the collaborated map, can you stick with the good stuff in your feedback. ;)

[dobu gabu maru]

an_mutt said:

Do not make stuff like the switch for the green armour lift a one-time lift.

Oh, that was actually an intentional design decision I put in—I wanted to use one of the S1 lifts and felt like a good use for it would be for the armor, as (IMO) its not vital to survive. And the other armor is off the main path because I wanted there to be some kind of point to visiting the room that it's in other than for supplies. You're right about the YK being oddly placed—I'll move it opposite the chaingun, though I like the ambushes there so they'll stay.

EDIT: I did minor touch-ups on KevinHEZ's MAP03 (as well as Cyberdemon531's MAP05), if you were confused why I was responding to this. Glad MAP05 played well!

[AD_79]

Heh, renaming all the GothicDM textures is gonna be FUN.

[EvilNed]

WIP

[SFoZ911]

I just noticed that my map and map12 are you using the same track, and my map is on the 14 slot.

[cannonball]

Looks pretty darn decent EvilNed :)

[dobu gabu maru]

Yeah I really like the highlight of yellow in the top shot, I think it'll look good with the maps we have so far.

SFoZ911 said:

I just noticed that my map and map12 are you using the same track, and my map is on the 14 slot.

That's actually entirely by coincidence as you and Breezeep chose the same midi (ideally Breezeep would change the one to his map). And your map isn't included in the first 10 slots because this project pulls in a lot of early map candidates, and due to that those ones tend to take priority over where an author would prefer their map going. That, and short maps act as necessary breaks between the longer ones that tend to fill the backend of a megawad.

[MajorRawne]

Retexturing an entire map is a bigger task than anything that nancy-boy Hercules had to do. Is March the deadline for betas? (Beginning or end of March?)