Nuke Age - a 3-level wad (beta)

[ClumsyDoomer]

Hello, it's me again. Here is something complete from me... finally. Or not.

This is just an experimental 3-map wad made by me while I was bored. Initially it was going to have 6 maps, but it's WAY too experimental and I couldn't handle more than 3 maps. I wanted to finally change the overall style. Also, I chose d2text.wad as a texturepack, which doesn't suit my style very well, so this wad became even more experimental for me. So, this is basically just another half-abandoned project by me. It even has its original soundtrack (many thanks to Akse). Maps are pretty small, but they take various amounts of time to finish.

Also, WARNING: Radiation hazard detected! You'll need a radiation shielding suit.


MAP LIST WITH COMMENTS:

MAP01: Rock Hard

This is where it starts... It's a small experimental map I built within two days. Fastest map I've ever made in my life, and it's actually pretty good. I named it "Rock Hard" because it mostly consists of rock (thanks cap). It's not hard at all in terms of gameplay.
Akse was interested in progress of this map. I showed him a bunch of screenshots, he liked them and said that he will compose OST for my maps. When the map was completed, I felt that it's not enough and decided to start a multi-level wad.

Estimated play time: 5 minutes. MIDI made by Akse.



MAP02: Waste Devourer

This is the second map I made for this project. Initially it was going to be 3x smaller than it is now, but I had no idea how to arrange the last room. I even tried starting another map, but it didn't go far - I got some ideas about the existing one... including that huge labyrinth, which was a stupid idea.
When this map was nearly done, I sent it to Demonologist. He was not excited, but he helped me to fix some bugs and make the map less boring. Yes, it was even more boring back then... Thanks for not sending me to hell.
After Dem played this map, I became unexcited myself and decided to not to make a big project and stop after making 3 maps.

Estimated play time: 15 minutes. MIDI made by Akse.



MAP03: Oxidizer

I started this map when I was in Moscow. I had some awesome ideas, but I'm bad at emboding them. So, I had to get back home before I could do something. A big, non-linear, explorable map started to grow (explorability died later in development process). It was going to be like Doom E1M7, but I lost my ideas once again.
I was teached a lesson after Dem played map 02 and I thought I have to think before creating something. I tried, but I was not satisfied with the result. Screw me... then the school started and I had to suspend stuff for a while.
After two months, I decided to finish this map. For some reason, I refused when Akse suggested me to do a MIDI for this one and I had to rely on myself... I'm bad at composing and even worse at composing a suitable OST (my imagination is unstable and uncontrollable), so I only have to hope you like it.
PS: This time Dem refused to test it, haha.

Estimated play time: 15 minutes. MIDI made by me.



There's also a dummy on map04 slot.

This wad actually works in vanilla, but there are lots of random graphical glitches, so I recommend PrBoom-Plus or GZDoom.


Download (beta 1, old)
Download (beta 2, old)
Download (beta 3)

BUGS:
ZDoom crashes because of "bad texture directory", GZDoom (at least 2.1) works fine
Lots of tutti-frutties in vanilla and chocolate
Unpredictable stuff on map03 due to lack of testing


Special thanks to Akse and Demonologist.
Normal thanks to Cybermind for wcleaner and to author of d2text.wad.

[Akse]

You forgot to update M02 with more recent version of the track. This one is unfinished.

[ClumsyDoomer]

Well, damn it. There's a bug in map03, be careful.

Spoiler

After going through that door on the right, DON'T FALL OFF THE PLATFORM - there's a needful key and you'll never get back there again. (fixed in beta 2, ignore this)

This bug and music track will be fixed tomorrow.

[gaspe]

Fdas for all the maps. Recorded with prboom+ cl2.

I really liked this. Ammo felt a bit thight (especially on maps 02/03), but enough to encourage me to go forward while putting some pressure on me, and the maps were nice to explore.
Although on MAP02 I didn't like the maze part and navigating through it was a bit tedious to reach the switch after getting the yellow key and go back, and also if want to get to areas you didn't explore. I didn't
descend in the berserk pack room as it's easy to alert the demons from above and I felt it would have been too awkward to get in there. Same for the area with the arachnotrons. On the starting area there's an hom on the sky on the right when you look at the rocks.
MAP03 was my favourite. I feel that some more health in the first areas would be better as there are many hitscanners and you have to walk on damaging floors. I really liked the spiderdemon encounter but I think the ammo needs some rebalancing, I was very low on ammo on all the weapons when I got there. Also maybe other poeple will use the plasmagun to kill the baron and will have less cells to deal with the spiderdemon.
The demons after the spiderdemon up the elevator and on MAP02 the horde that teleports after you press the switch to get the yellow key felt kinda unispired as fights.
Cool music btw.

[ClumsyDoomer]

gaspe said:

Fdas for all the maps. Recorded with prboom+ cl2.

Well played, especially that epic accidental jump into the secret area on map02! Damn, I'm delighted every time I receive a (complete) FDA and a positive review of my wad. Although the school is starting tomorrow, I'm nearly on cloud nine. Thanks.

gaspe said:

MAP03 was my favourite. I feel that some more health in the first areas would be better as there are many hitscanners and you have to walk on damaging floors. I really liked the spiderdemon encounter but I think the ammo needs some rebalancing, I was very low on ammo on all the weapons when I got there. Also maybe other poeple will use the plasmagun to kill the baron and will have less cells to deal with the spiderdemon.
as fights.

A berserk pack you missed (it's right in the beginning, behind that brown door) would've helped there a lot. But yes, I should put more ammo there.

PS: I think it's even worth making another 3 maps as a sequel.

[gaspe]

ClumsyDoomer said:

Well played, especially that epic accidental jump into the secret area on map02.

A berserk pack you missed (it's right in the beginning, behind that brown door) would've helped there a lot. But yes, I should put more ammo there.

Lol, at first I didn't realized what happened there.
Also I see that on MAP03 with the berserk pack I missed the rad-suits, but actually they don't seem so much useful in that location imo.

[ClumsyDoomer]

Beta 2 is here.

- That door on map03 can be opened more than once.

Spoiler

If you fell off that platform anyway, go to the switch which raised the stairs. It's on the balcony, over that room with crates.

- Fixed HOM on map02
- Replaced old D_STALKS.mid with an updated one
- Placed a couple of stimpacks and shotgun shells on map03

[Akse]

gaspe said:

Cool music btw.

Yay! Thanks!

[4shockblast]

FDAs, PrBoom+ cl2.

Map 01: Cool opener, pretty easy, not too long, the drop down the pipe into the underground nukeage section was a really neat way of progression.

Map 02: Meh, as gaspe said, the long maze section is not too fun, it'd probably be better if it were shorter. Also I got stuck on this map and had to commit suicide in the small pool of damaging slime at the yellow key (I checked in Doom Builder, and it didn't look like I could do anything. Didn't like the archvile spawn after that as well, no rockets and fighting an archvile that high up is not fun imo. The rest of the map is alright.

Map 03: Neat map, nice use of nukeage and radsuits. The mastermind fight is pretty cool, props for using the mastermind in a somewhat threatening way, though perhaps if it could also attack me on the floor in more spots it'd be more interesting (as it's still pretty easy to deal with at the moment). I was a bit low on ammo as well at the end, but I never ran out completely (though I tend to be somewhat conservative with ammo in FDAs). Secret was a bit strange (what's the point of an automap after the map is over :D). Also I wonder what monster I ended up missing...

[ClumsyDoomer]

4shockblast said:

FDAs, PrBoom+ cl2.

Thanks again. Indeed, that was a major fail on map02. I'm surprised you decided to finish it. Another fix is coming soon.

4shockblast said:

Also I wonder what monster I ended up missing...

None of you guys decided to open that door in the beginning, what the hell! There's a berserk kit and a revenant.

[Merry Widow]

I liked playing.Well done!

[ClumsyDoomer]

Thanks!

And it's beta 3. Further updates only will come when a new episode is done (they will be in a same wad), except if there's something crtical.

- Fixed that dead end bug on map02
- Put some block monster lines on map02
- Replaced arachnotrons with PEs in the secret on map02