My second map... help please?

[Zandor]

Hey guys, I'm about to begin work on my second map, and I want it to be compatible with what everyone else is using. I'm currently using Doom Builder 2 and i have zDoom set up as my tester program. Some people have said that not everyone uses zDoom or that it isn't the most popular version to run. So let me tell you what I would like to accomplish, so that you can tell me what I need to do.

I am going to use Doom 2 as my resource as recommended. My main goal is to make my own mega wad, but first I'm setting out to make the first 9 mission episode. I already have mission two down, just need to do some tweaking (skipping mission one till I'm finished with the other 8 so I have better experience)

I'm trying to make this mega wad as close to the original Doom as I can, in design and overall feel. That being said, I have changed my mind on a few things and would like the player to have the choice of using classic controls or keyboard+mouse (with the addition of strafing). I don't want people to be able to jump or crouch, because I don't believe that was in the original and it would potentially break my levels. Looking up and down with the mouse isn't that big of a deal to me, but if I can make it optional that would be nice.

So basically my question is this. Can i disable those certain things while making the others optional, or should I just make two seperate wads based on the classic or new controls?

If so how can I achieve this?

And how should I set up Doom Builder 2 before I make my next map so that its compatible with more people?

Also, how do I make a mega wad?

And now that I am going to be using Doom 2, can I import my own music? And how do I do that?

Thanks for your help, and sorry for all the novice questions.

As a side note I have watched all the tutorials on the doom builder website for how to actually construct levels.
And I have watched several others for specific parts on youtube, along with hours of interviews with John Carmack, John Romero and Matthias Worch that covered level design and several other aspects of Doom.

Thanks for your time, even if you just leave a link to setup instructions that will make me happy.

[SavageCorona]

ZDoom is the format you use to make big fancy looking levels that makes everyone go wow what a cool level then they kind of forget about it.

To answer your question about importing things, use SLADE. It's a pretty nifty WAD editor that lets you import lumps. To make it replace an existing one just name it the same as the original (check inside the IWAD for the names, just open it in SLADE too) and it'll overwrite it (while you're running your PWAD, not overwrite the actual file in the IWAD)

Also a megawad just refers to a wad that replaces every single level with a custom one unless I'm thinking of total conversions. They might be synonyms anyway. Doom 2 has 32 maps and Doom 1 has 9 maps in 4 episodes, meaning it has 36 maps.

[Zandor]

SavageCorona said:

ZDoom is the format you use to make big fancy looking levels that makes everyone go wow what a cool level then they kind of forget about it.

To answer your question about importing things, use SLADE. It's a pretty nifty WAD editor that lets you import lumps. To make it replace an existing one just name it the same as the original (check inside the IWAD for the names, just open it in SLADE too) and it'll overwrite it (while you're running your PWAD, not overwrite the actual file in the IWAD)

Also a megawad just refers to a wad that replaces every single level with a custom one unless I'm thinking of total conversions. They might be synonyms anyway. Doom 2 has 32 maps and Doom 1 has 9 maps in 4 episodes, meaning it has 36 maps.

I was under the impression that mega wad meant the collection of several levels into a single wad file.

[gaspe]

The Idgames archive considers a megawad such if it has at least 15 levels.

Zandor said:

I have zDoom set up as my tester program.

In what format are you making your maps?
If you dont plan to use exclusive zdoom stuff/features it would be better to use other ports to test. If someone plays your map with another port he can spot errors, homs and maybe some bugs too.

[AD_79]

A megawad is at least 15 maps, a full megawad is 32.

Also, I recommend making maps in limit-removing Doom 2/boom format. PRBoom+ is the port to use for that (-complevel 2 for limit-removing, -complevel 9 for boom).

[Zandor]

gaspe said:

In what format are you making your maps?
If you dont plan to use exclusive zdoom stuff/features it would be better to use other ports to test. If someone plays your map with another port he can spot errors, homs and maybe some bugs too.

How do I know what format it is?

I'm new, the only reason I use zDoom is because it was the first thing I saw suggested. If there is a better port to test I would like to know. Perhaps there is a list of ports somewhere with their features listed?

[Zandor]

AD_79 said:

Also, I recommend making maps in limit-removing Doom 2/boom format. PRBoom+ is the port to use for that (-complevel 2 for limit-removing, -complevel 9 for boom).

Where is the best place for me to acquire those things? And are you able to direct me to a guide on how to set it up for that?

[gaspe]

Zandor said:

How do I know what format it is?

Sorry my bad, I was meaning the game configuration you choose in Doom Builder.

AD_79 said:

Also, I recommend making maps in limit-removing Doom 2/boom format. PRBoom+ is the port to use for that (-complevel 2 for limit-removing, -complevel 9 for boom).

I agree with this.

If you want more informations on PrBoom (and for all the Doom related things) there is the official wiki which is very useful:
Here's the page of PRBoom and how you can use it

[Whymes5]

There isn't really a better port to use. Obviously if you want the most people to be able to play your wad, use doom2 format. I have a feeling that on these doomworld forums more people will suggest to map in doom2, but on zdoom forums, zdaemon or zandronum forums for example they will suggest zdoom. It depends on what you want to accomplish.

I prefer the zdoom format because it's flexible, but my future projects will probably be in doom2 format since it's actually not too bad if you use 1. a limit removing variety, and 2. know tricks to make some cool effects even in doom format.

Since nothing you said is against just mapping in doom2 format, I'd go with aiming to be compatible with prboom as was suggested, so test it with prboom and map it with the doom2 format in doom builder. If you ever find that you want to use some zdoom only features, you can always change the project to a zdoom format (but it's a bit tricky).

[ArmouredBlood]

Your map's format is decided when choosing resources when you click "new map" in db2. There is a dropdown menu, which probably says zdoom right now, click that and change it to doom 2, or boom if you feel like using boom format. Testing your map is a separate configuration, under ... Configuration I think, posting from phone. For each format listed under configuration, you can choose the default program to test with, as well as nodebuilder and resource wads to pull textures, flats, and other files from.

[illuknisaa]

I think you can set some map options so that by default the player cant jump (I dont know how to do this).

Romero maps don't break even if you can jump. You can always make ledges high enough and add impassable lines to windows. Do you know what other game has 24 unit high ledges that you can't jump over? Call of Duty.

If you want to combine several maps together just pick a map you are working and select file->save map into...

Also you don't really need to worry about making your wad work on every possible source port because it doesn't take too long to set up a new source port (its not like they cost money) and if some people only use one source port they must also accept that some wads might not work.

[TheNerdTurtle2]

I thought I would help a little bit with ports

Chocolate Doom is the closest thing to vanilla you can get, in DB2 if you select Doom 2 format basically you are mapping in vanilla. There is no jumping, crouching, or freelook. One thing to watch out for is tutti frutti and visplane overflow.

Pr-Boom is limit removing/boom format. To make a map in this format select Boom in DB2. Boom removes tutti frutti and visplane overflow and allows more options. You still can't jump or crouch.

zDoom/GzDoom is the most complex format and enables all of the features such as jumping and crouching.

If you make a map for vanilla it will work in Chocolate Doom, Boom and zDoom, if you make a map for Boom it will work in Boom and zDoom, and if you make a map in zDoom it will only work in zDoom.

[SavageCorona]

illuknisaa said:

I think you can set some map options so that by default the player cant jump (I dont know how to do this).

With ZDoom there's a line you can add to MAPINFO that disables jumping on specific maps. Not sure how to do it in other formats though.

[Zandor]

Alright guys, so I'm home now and I'm about to get to work on this thing.

In "Game Configurations" I've got Doom 2 selected, with the DOOM2.wad as my resource. Because I think going vanilla is gonna be my best bet.

I've downloaded chocolate doom, and I'll use that as my test port.

I still have some other questions about level design as far as trying to accomplish very specific things, but I'll post that in the level design forum.

Other than that, I would like to add my own music to my levels, can I still do this going vanilla like I am. Whatever the case can someone give me a crash course on that? Uploading my own music is gonna be kinda important to me.

I'll get other questions as I'm working, and I would like to try and give you guys updates on my progress as I will most likely be up all night hammering this one out if it goes smoothly.

Also, I noticed I can not currently upload images to this section of the forum through my post. Is there a way around that or whats the deal?

[TheNerdTurtle2]

Just some advice, do you know how to make a BAT file? If not download ZDL, it makes loading up WADS so much easier.

If you know how to make a bat to play a PWAD in Chocolate Doom make a bat that says the following:

chocolate_doom -iwad doom2.wad -file yourwadname.wad

and place the two wads in the Chocolate Doom directory

EDIT: To add music to a level go to this website: http://doomwiki.org/wiki/Doom_II_music

Find the level music you want to replace, MAP01 for example is named D_RUNNIN. Then in Slade import your music and rename it to D_RUNNIN

[Urthar]

For building vanilla maps compatible with Chocolate Doom, you will want to bear in mind the hard limits of the Doom Engine: http://doom.wikia.com/wiki/Static_limits

I recommend downloading and installing the Visplane Explorer plugin from the Doom Builder 2 web page.

[scifista42]

TheNerdTurtle2 said:

BAT

I don't recommend making any BAT files at all, it's unnecessary in this era, and you would need one BAT for every existing source port - that's not a good solution, just state the intended compatibility in the wad's textfile and rely on player's competence to run wads however he wants to. Everyone who ever played a custom wad is competent enough to launch it on his own, either via command line, via "open with" option, via file association + double click, via drag and drop, or via a launcher program. Flexibility should be on the side of the user, maybe he wants to play with additional parameters, or with gameplay mods, or with different source ports each time, and pre-made BATs are never guaranteed to fit the user's preference.

[TheNerdTurtle2]

@Scifista42 He said he just downloaded Chocolate Doom so I was trying to help him load up his own PWads, I wasn't telling him to use them on any source port but Choco.