Noctambulist (released)

[Demonologist]

Oh hello there, missed my q1tex stuff? No? Well that's too bad, coz you're getting it anyway!

 

"Noctambulist" is a set of 3 rather difficult maps for Boom-compatible ports (PrBoom-Plus -complevel 9 and beyond) designed to be played from pistol start, each one approaching said difficulty differently. What these maps have in common is Quake-influenced visual appearance, though once again, the actual themes vary from map to map. While I wasn't able to participate in MAYhem 2016 - I was nevertheless keeping an eye on that project and its resource pack in particular, in spite of some nuances - I was way too interested in using it myself one day for the sake of much more authentic Q1-like look to just let it pass me by. It's also been a while since I last made anything that isn't just a single map meant for some community project, so...

 

The other thing I want to mention specifically is the music. This mapset uses the .OGG tracks, all written by Marc A. Pullen (goes by Fanatic around these places), and they're actually among the main reasons for this mapset's very existence that influenced many things. His musical work has always been totally awesome, so let this be my humble thanks to him for what he's been doing on that front all these years.

 

Short summary on the maps:

 

01 is an aggravating gimmick map where I was experimenting with annoying things, so I don't expect for many to like it (thankfully, it's fairly short). Moreover, it's very different from the other two, and is also a rather misleading opener, yet for my own obscure reasons I have to insist on leaving the map order as is.                         

02 is notably easier than the previous one, and it's also as close as this mapset gets to "normal" contemporary maps, relatively fast pace and some upbeat moments throughout but overall this map's rather lenient and generous with all kinds of supplies.
                          
03 is essentially 02 on steroids, more open-ended and free-form, yet it's also notably harsher, with several moments of slaughter-grade goodness, even though the majority of the map is still dominated by low-key "incidental" encounters. The secrets also contain optional battles and powerful goodies.
 

                          
PROTIP: I quite like using candles and various "showy" decorations (demon faces, altars etc.) purely for the sake of atmosphere and environmental detailing, so if you're hunting for secrets - these aren't really going to lead you anywhere, you should look for other clues. Apologies for the confusion.

 

Screenshots:

 

 

 

Download link:

https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom2/Ports/m-o/nctmblst

 

So this is it. Have fun?..

Edited July 26, 2017 by Demonologist

[guineu]

Love the visuals and the music.

 

As for the gameplay, I didn't find it annoying in particular ...until the sea of Imps, which seems to be the last part of the map. But I was playing on HMP, when I had a look at UV I saw a Pain Elemental right at the start so that skill is probably the one featuring the "annoying things". Will try the other two maps later. Recording of a bad player struggling in map 1:

GZDoom3.0 NoctambulistRC1 skill-HMP guineu.lmp.zip

[WH-Wilou84]

Yay for more Quake texture usage !

My FDA on map 03 is attached below.

I'll edit this post with more thoughts later on, but for now here's a couple things :
- Yeah, map 03 is definitely harder than 02 but actually 01 is the map that scares me the most here, despite being the shortest one :)
- The yellow skull fight is excellent with the three sources of pressure and the delayed Vile, but if you have the BFG9000 equipped it's probably too easy (as showed in my demo). I'd add maybe a second Plasma Gun in this area, as it's totally possible to enter this fight with only the RL and Shotgun if the player chooses the "wrong" path. The fight could still be doable with these weapons only, but a lot harder than what you envisioned perhaps.
- Hmm, totally not sold on that secret BFG9000 man. If you get it too early, it trivializes the whole thing, although it makes the last fight a lot more entertaining.
Removing the secret BFG9000 and adding it in open view just before the last fight could probably be fine... ?
- Very cool Mastermind fight.

NoctambulistRC1map03-FDA-4331-wh.zip

[Demonologist]

Thanks, guys!

 

@WH-Wilou84man, that's quite an impressive performance, you have ultimately destroyed this mapset. I never really anticipated m03 FDAs due to its supposed-to-be-harsh nature, glad to be mistaken then. Not to mention your great work on previous maps demo-wise, you're awesome.

Well, I can see where you're coming from re: early bfg, yet I knew the risks from the very beginning (obviously) and was nevertheless willing to take them without changing much in the grand scheme of things. The more subtle "experimental" aspect of this map (and yet another shade of "free-form" I mentioned) is that I, for once, wanted to stop strictly enforcing my rules and my ways of playing my maps. It's like "oh, you found the bfg early? okay then, good for you, go there and destroy them all the 'unintended' way and feel free to think that you've outsmarted me". For maxers, the preferrable route is apparent, but for anyone else there are simply opportunities to approach things differently without me being that much of a dreaded puppet master that keeps carefully orchestrating things and punishing everyone "not good enough" for slightest deviations from my strictures. So for now, I don't really want to change that and tighten the grip again.

Nevertheless I did some small tweaks (and yeah, at this point I agree that the YSK route needs another PG to avoid unneeded vexation), so thanks in any case, your thoughts and your great demo were really helpful.

 

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The OP has been updated with the new version, changes were made to 03, the rest remains the same.

[Rayziik]

Demos for 01 and 02

Recorded some first exit demos, fun stuff indeed. I died 8 times on 01, pretty sure it was all to archviles. On 02 I died at the red key surprise, the blue key, and right at the end (-.-) for 3 deaths.

Can't say anything needs changing really. Everything checks out as far as I can tell. I started on 03 and got 5 minutes in but I ran out of time. Will try 03 properly later on!