Hexen community project

[Cire]

Would there be any interest in such a project? I was thinking we could start with a single hub, and see how big interest there is in this. I was also thinking that the maps contributed to this project could end up in Zauberer eventually.
Current resource WAD: http://s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?file_id=09747981553133952325
This is what I propose:
Each mapper can choose to design any number of map(s) of their choice. You can choose either Vanilla, Limit Removing, or ZDoom Hexen format. The final WAD will require ZDoom. You can design your maps however you want, with whatever theme you want etc. You can use textures from Hexen or the resource WAD. One person is chosen to design a central hub, which is rather unrelated to the other maps. Impie's story will be used and included in the final download. You can design new music to the project if you want.
If I have forgotten something or if you disagree with something, please say so in the thread so we can come up with something that everyone agrees on.

[vadrig4r]

I will play/help test anything Heretic/Hexen related. Can't map to save my life though.

[Cire]

Thanks, vandrig4r! Hopefully there will be mappers interested too.

[Obsidian]

If you can get it rolling I'll join in. It'll be right bloody convoluted getting every single map to mesh if you have a different mapper on each one though, I can tell you that.

[Cire]

Thanks, I'll hope for the best. I'll try to think of a way to get this working.

I'd like to try and make a map for this myself to get it started, though I've never made any maps before at all. If anyone could share any advise on how to get started making a Hexen map, that would be very much appreciated.

[Xaser]

IMO, you'd be best off not going a hub-based route for something like this. It's gonna be hell to coordinate.

Something like having the organizer make a single map-chooser hub you start on where you have to beat the individual levels in whatever might be worth exploring, though.

[Cire]

Sounds like a better idea, yes.

[Vermil]

In HeXen, you've got the options of individual maps or hubs. Leave it up to the individual contributor which one they choose?

[Cire]

Yup, sounds good.

[Sergeant_Mark_IV]

If you decide to NOT go to the HUB idea, and make a megawad with 32 doom/heretic-styled independent maps, with fixed keys, secrets, and stuff, you can count me in.

I just think the current hubs on Vanilla Hexen are annoying enough, we don't need more maps like these.

[Cire]

Thanks sergeant! Ok,we'll go with 32 regular-styled maps for this.

[Egregor]

HUB flow concept:

The HUB has all the class's 2nd weapons accessible within it.

The first tier is 3 levels that are connected to HUB through unlocked paths, each with a teleport pad. At the end each level is a key to unlock a door within the HUB. Each of these levels has a specific class's 3rd weapon within it.

The second tier is 3 levels that are connected to HUB through a locked door, each with a teleport pad. Two of them reach switches that raise a dual sided bridge within the HUB. Another is a 'bonus' level with a few major artifacts within it. Each level has a specific class's 4th weapon within it.

Finally the last level is accessible after both second tier 'bridge switches' are flipped. Back in the HUD there is a tower island, and when both bridges are raised, the player can finally access the last level. This level is accessible through a gate as oppose to a teleport pad.

I can attempt to make something for this though coordinating balance across mapper, level, and class is going to be very tricky, and probably why community projects for Hexen are rare.

EDIT: Also not opposed to nerfing the HUB and making it literally linear. We could just make it 'feel' exploratory.

[Cire]

Thanks, Egregor, would be much appreciated.

[Impie]

The hub menu would work fine if all the maps were self-contained, puzzles and all. I think it could work. The compiler could be the one who makes the hub, and could connect it to all the submissions as he/she sees fit once all submissions have been posted.

It could have shades of Dr. Chaos on the NES: a hub with tons of random portals leading to unrelated alternate worlds, and the overarching goal is to close them all in any order. Simply reaching the proper exit of each map would be enough to flag its progress on the hub. And because the worlds are from every corner of the cosmos, it would make sense that they clash with one-another, basically allowing mappers to map to their hearts' content with little regard for continuity.

EDIT: It could also be a one-way trip to each world until the exit is reached, so the player could take different paths each time using the inventory they collected. "Oh shit, I wish I'd come here first and gotten that Icon of the Defender. Woulda made Giant Farting Butt-Islands Dimension way easier to deal with!"

[Cire]

Impie's idea seems good to me, if no one has anything against this idea?

[Velvetic]

I'll join too if it has the same style of hub Impie described, I don't want to see a Hexen wad behave like a Doom wad.

[HavoX]

Cire said:

Thanks sergeant! Ok,we'll go with 32 regular-styled maps for this.

But then it wouldn't be Hexen. :P

It does sound original though...

[Cire]

Right, we do it Impie's way then.

If I may suggest a name for a hub itself, it would be "The Underworld"

Suggested theme for a hub:

Similar to hell, but with Egyptian theme

Here are some suggestions for sublevel names:

Pits of Fire
The Dark Fortress
Halls of Agony
The Serpent Spire

Suggestions for sublevel themes:

Medieval castle
Egyptian-styled temple dungeon

Hope that will give you some inspiration. :)
EDIT: Should be noted those ideas where for Zauberer, feel free to choose other themes if you feel like it.

[Angry Saint]

I'm interested.

Working on hubs on a community project can be painful, so I would suggest to plan everything in advance very carefully.

[Walter confetti]

nice idea!

[Cire]

Thanks! :)
EDIT: Sergeant_Mark_IV, are you still willing to participate if we choose the semi-hub compromise that Impie suggested? I want to come up with a method that everyone who wants to participate is satisfied with.

[The Ultimate DooMer]

If you want some of those themes you listed, you'll need to define a resource wad. (stuff from Heretic 1/2 and Hexen 2 would be a good starting point IMO)

Impie said:

It could have shades of Dr. Chaos on the NES: a hub with tons of random portals leading to unrelated alternate worlds, and the overarching goal is to close them all in any order. Simply reaching the proper exit of each map would be enough to flag its progress on the hub. And because the worlds are from every corner of the cosmos, it would make sense that they clash with one-another, basically allowing mappers to map to their hearts' content with little regard for continuity.

EDIT: It could also be a one-way trip to each world until the exit is reached, so the player could take different paths each time using the inventory they collected. "Oh shit, I wish I'd come here first and gotten that Icon of the Defender. Woulda made Giant Farting Butt-Islands Dimension way easier to deal with!"

Or have each map contain a puzzle item (planet gems, player seals etc.) and allow free travel between it and the central map, so the hub-like nature of Hexen is still there to some degree.

[Cire]

Right, I'll put together a resource WAD very soon.
EDIT: Removed old version
A quick first version of the resource WAD I put together.
Contains 19 wall and 2 flats made by raymoohawk and modification thereof. Will expand on this, but this could probably be used as a start combined with vanilla Hexen textures. Includes resources like a stone wall with sand stone wall variants I made based on the former, plus some other textures.
EDIT2: The names of most of the textures conflict with Hexen's, which I guess could mean problem, perhaps I should fix this and upload a new version?
EDIT3: Removed Version 1.1 with more logical lumpnames.
EDIT4: http://s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?file_id=30823837267016048388
1.2 with alternative sky textures made with Oblige and heavily edited by myself. Could be improved. Included in case any one wants them.

[Impie]

If this becomes a thing, since everyone seems okay with my suggestion, I might try throwing together an intro story to help shape the project more.

EDIT: Here's my proposal for the underlying theme (and the hub), in the form of the story intro. This could be included with the download if it ever gets completed.

[Varis Alpha]

if this adds up to something, i could consider making some Hexen-styled music for the project. maybe. it depends on my motivation.

[ShadesMaster]

I can make a map but I'd only start with one level, though. We should use a carefully selected pool of custom textures (the ones here + some of Ettingrinder's work) and a **few** new monsters imo.

(The chainmail Ettins who throw their morningstars, lava 'Wendigo' Beasts, Teal Centaurs... but a handful!)

[Obsidian]

ShadesMaster said:

I can make a map but I'd only start with one level, though. We should use a carefully selected pool of custom textures (the ones here + some of Ettingrinder's work) and a **few** new monsters imo.

(The chainmail Ettins who throw their morningstars, lava 'Wendigo' Beasts, Teal Centaurs... but a handful!)

I think this is geared towards vanilla Hexen, although I could be wrong.

[Cire]

Nice story Impie! :)

[Impie]

That's something to consider: is this vanilla hexen or zdoom hexen? That needs to be stated up front so mappers know what format to use.

Vanilla Hexen would be more limited and force designers to be more creative, but zdoom would better allow the different maps to be totally different from one-another.

[Gez]

Cire said:

Thanks sergeant! Ok,we'll go with 32 regular-styled maps for this.

wait what

Cire said:

32

why



Are you going to make this Hexen project for Doom II? Are you targeting a Hexen port that does not support MAPINFO? Inquiring minds want to know why would you fixate on the arbitrary number of 32, and not "whatever number of good enough maps we end up having, be it 5 or 78"...

Like, are we going to see this post:

Cire, hypothetically, said:

Sorry, my dear fellow Doomworld user! Your Hexen map for this project is the very best Hexen map I have ever played, unfortunately we already have 32 maps slotted so we cannot use your map because of Hexen's hard-coded limitations that makes having a map in the MAP33 slot absolutely impossible as we all know.