Hund (my first map)

[surt_r]

Hello everyone, I'd like to show you my first map done if about 4 days of mapping between tasks on my day job. I've tried to create something interesting without going overboard with level size.

Some screens:


Readme:

Spoiler

===========================================================================
Advanced engine needed : -
Tested with : Doom Retro 2.2.2, GZDoom 1.9.1, Chocolate Doom 2.2.1
Primary purpose : Single player
===========================================================================
Title : Hund
Filename : hund.wad
Release date : 2016-06-29
Author : Surt R.
Email Address : surt.romanus@gmail.com
Misc. Author Info : I make music for video games (https://surt-r.bandcamp.com).
Description : You wake up in a small castle-like building only to end up hounded by the enemies. Can you get out of this joint, or the nightmare will never end?

This map was designed for Doom Retro 2.2.2/Vanilla Doom. Other ports aren't exactly recommended unless they use the same approach to lighting. If you want to play this wad via GZDoom or any other port, make sure to set the gamma to 0.75.

Keep in mind this is my first map, so criticism is welcome.

Additional Credits : Special thanks to skacky, sexbad and Ninjerk for testing and feedback.

===========================================================================
* What is included *

New levels : 1
Sounds : No
Music : No
Graphics : No
Dehacked/BEX Patch : No
Demos : No
Other : No
Other files required : None


* Play Information *

Game : DOOM
Map # : E1M1
Single Player : Designed for
Cooperative 2-4 Player : Player starts only
Deathmatch 2-4 Player : No
Other game styles : No
Difficulty Settings : No
Play Notes : Designed for classic Doom, mouselook and all that newfangled mumbo-jumbo is not required nor endorsed, since these features are pretty useless here.

* Construction *

Base : New from scratch
Build Time : ~4 days spread over 2 weeks
Editor(s) used : GZDoomBuilder 2.3
Known Bugs : None
May Not Run With : Should be compatible with all ports, I guess.
Tested With : Doom Retro 2.2.2, GZDoom 1.9.1, Chocolate Doom 2.2.1

* Changes *

v1.02
-- fixed the Baron locker bug
-- small texture fixes

v1.01
-- added blue skull texture to the final door
-- added Ninjerk to the special thanks section, poor boy got raped too many times while playing this wad

* Copyright / Permissions *

Do whatever the fuck you want with this wad.

Tested on Doom Retro 2.2.2, GZDoom 1.9.1, Chocolate Doom 2.2.1.
Download link: http://www.mediafire.com/download/yax68sbwn7ntly4/hund_v102.zip

Feedback is appreciated, because I'm really new to Doom mapping and I'd like to keep learning.
Enjoy!

[Swine & Roses]

Really nice looking map with a decent layout. Impressive first effort. A little more ammo here and there probably wouldn't hurt.
Also, the beginning area is somewhat frustrating if you don't know where the weapons are, since you get swarmed by high-HP enemies the moment you spawn.

Or maybe I just suck.

[SerialCereal]

Well, this map seems cool. Like Swine and Roses said, a bit more ammo wouldn't hurt, but the layout and everything is amazing, especially for a 1st build.
I give it 9/10 for it being your 1st map and it's done really well.

[Azuruish]

You know, I always feel embarrassing and fake when i see comments from a few members who are just registered a few minutes later which says: 'Super cool map' and so on.

[surt_r]

Thanks for your compliments, folks.

Azuruish said:

You know, I always feel embarrassing and fake when i see comments from a few members who are just registered a few minutes later which says: 'Super cool map' and so on.

I'm sure there were many cases of newfags licking their own butts using fake accounts and other stuff, so I know that feeling.

[illuknisaa]

I gave up after I saw the first caco demon.

You are greeted with hitscanners right from the start and you need to deal with high hp enemies with one of the worst guns in fps history.

While the map looks pretty basic it doesn't look bad and there is some nice looping and enemy repopulation. Invulnerability sphere could have been placed better. It's totally possible to just waste it.

[surt_r]

illuknisaa said:

I gave up after I saw the first caco demon.

You are greeted with hitscanners right from the start and you need to deal with high hp enemies with one of the worst guns in fps history.

While the map looks pretty basic it doesn't look bad and there is some nice looping and enemy repopulation. Invulnerability sphere could have been placed better. It's totally possible to just waste it.

Thank you for the criticism and compliments.

Guess the idea of forcing the player to either look for secrets or lure enemies away to open a path to a better gun doesn't work for everyone, but I'm glad you gave it a try.

[baja blast rd.]

Decent effort.

FDA, recorded in prBoom+ -complevel 3: http://www.mediafire.com/download/djb5649bgzba0rf/hund_rdwpa_fda.lmp

I think the imp swarm is a bit unfair. There's no indication you'll teleport there and if you have the shotgun out instead of the fist, which is pretty logical because you can't punch imps from all the way up there, you'll take a lot of damage. That's where I died. Yeah I could have grabbed the soulsphere, but you shouldn't really have any completely unsignalled traps where if you don't have a certain weapon out at the very beginning, you're going to take a lot of damage.

Rest of the encounters were fine, though. Map is surprisingly dynamic for an Ultimate Doom map. The berserk pack is a big part of that, as is the chaingun paired with a lot of low-tiers.

Maybe the level is a BIT too forgiving with health, especially since the secret soulsphere is easy to find. For example when punching the barons in the second attempt I just said screw it and did it a lot more sloppily than I normally do, eating a few fireballs but without any real consequences.

I liked the cyber lol. I honestly thought it'd be in an arena or something but then it was like wow you have to fight in THERE! :D

[surt_r]

Nice demo, enjoyed watching it.

As for the teleporter, it depends on the player, I guess. I'm more of an RPG player, and I took some cues from King's Field and Wizardry, where traps usually lead to some decent WTF moments, which sometimes result in sudden death. But gotta agree that this part is a wee bit underplanned and can frustrate some players.

Also you haven't reached the secret chaingun despite bumping into that fake wall several times. And here I thought that a few health packs would be harder to find than this. :P

Thanks for playing and giving me some tips, I'll gladly put more effort into Hund 2 once I get some free time.

EDIT: Also I expected that most players will try to lure the Cyberdemon into the room and try to circle-strafe him if the Invulnerability sphere effect will wear off before it dies.

[Reisal]

surt_r said:

Thanks for your compliments, folks.

I'm sure there were many cases of newfags licking their own butts using fake accounts and other stuff, so I know that feeling.

It was more like a couple of newfags putting zero effort into their maps, say a square room filled with cyberdemons and arch-viles. Said threads were thrown to post hell if you're interested on the crap they tried to peddle here.

[surt_r]

Glaice said:

It was more like a couple of newfags putting zero effort into their maps, say a square room filled with cyberdemons and arch-viles. Said threads were thrown to post hell if you're interested on the crap they tried to peddle here.

No thanks, I'd rather replay Doom again. ;)

[Deadwing]

Here's my FDA, I died 4 or 5 times, so you'll need some patience hahahaha

http://www.mediafire.com/download/2k45iq5iaimdky7/hund-deadwing.rar

That was pretty fun, tbh. The hidden monsters were everywhere and made tension go higher haha I got surprised several times and had myself thinking "where did these folks come from?".

I would say that there's a lot of caco and baron's which slowdown the gameplay, but in the other hand that fitted well with the lack of ammo and the need to explore the level and dodge these folks for a while, until you had enough resources. (also, you took that in health balancing, which was abundant).

Visual is also great. There's only one door at the the baron's secret that isn't upper unpegged and doesn't have the DOORTRAK texture. You'll notice it watching the demo. But everything else was quite atmospheric. Very nice use of lighting too.

Nice job!

[BoJustBo]

Played this on HMP.
First thing I notice is that in area one the upper ledge has a railing thats low enough for enemies to walk up on, but its small enough that they don't stay there giving theme a glitched looking up and down bobbing animation every now and then.

The map was a bit too hard for my taste but I really like the design of it with new rooms constantly opening up and that you were always needing to switch weapons because of ammo shortages (thanks for the early berserk pack.)

[Camahueto]

I liked it. It looked nice, and it does have some flow to it. A bit too harsh on a first try, but not imposible or too frustrating. The Cyberdemon at the end was a bit silly though.

[fveitsi]