Space Inferno (my first wad)

[ShoDemo]

Ok, so I have finally made my first wad, exactly as I imagined it and I am quite happy with it. Now I am just curious, what you guys think about it. Feedback is encouraged. No need to be easy about it. If you see a problem either gameplay or graphics-wise, you can tell me and I will be happy to fix it.

 

Map format: Vanilla Doom 2 (should work with all source ports, but I only tested with ZDoom and GZDoom, due to computer difficulties)

Levels: 1

Custom textures: No

Difficulties: Yes (UV was the most tested and I suggest it, but I gave some time to the other difficulties, so they should be fine)

Jumping, Crouching: Not allowed

Build time: 2-4 months (with many breaks in between)

Midi: Judas Priest-Burn in Hell (might need to turn it up a bit, because it has low volume)

 

Known problems:

1) At the part where enemies teleport, there will occasionally be one monster or two that spawn a bit later. You can continue with the rest of the map and the monster will surely have spawned, by that time (rarely happened to me during playtesting).

2) Possible texture misalignments  

3) Some sectors could have been voids instead, but I didn't bother deleting them, since I wanted to release the map today.

 

Textures: My favourites were COMPBLUE, any METAL texture and SPACEW. Also, I intentionally used STARTAN textures, in some points near the start.

 

Story: You work for a special marine unit that guards the galaxy from any threats. It is a boring job most of the time, but there are a few times when there is heavy action. One weekend afternoon, you were relaxing on your sofa, drinking beer and watching TV, when all of a sudden you get a call from the team captain. The captain orders you to return to the base of operations immediately and teleport to a research facility, many light year away, so that you can eliminate any possible threats. Once you arrive, you find some of your squad members killed. You then swear to take revenge and kill everything in that location. Afterwards, you have to make the security measures go offline and escape.

 

General things about the map: I suggest that you don't play the map casually, since I don't know each player's skill level and I can't be sure if my map is totally hard or not (in other words, give it your best shot). You can rush, but I recommend you face each encounter carefully. I think it is somewhat challenging and it has some traps here and there. It is a short map, on UV it has 98 monsters iirc and there are a few secrets to find, if you wish (100%ing the map can be done without any secrets).

 

Photos:

Spoiler

 

 

Current Link:

Spoiler

https://www.dropbox.com/s/584g4frz5f8572e/SpInfv2.wad?dl=0 (SpInf v2)

 

Older links:

Spoiler

https://www.dropbox.com/s/2o7iwnucklaxw7e/SpInf.wad?dl=0  (original SpInf)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/upk8houil8pseg4/Teleport8.wad?dl=0 (D_RUNNIN for music in this one and I hadn't found an interesting name back then)

 

Have fun, I guess!   :)

Edited July 26, 2017 by ShotgunDemolition

[Nine Inch Heels]

I will need to give this a look later today, I'm a little busy at the moment unfortunately.

 

Mapping format used?

 

 

38 minutes ago, ShotgunDemolition said:

Judas Priest-Burn in Hell (might need to turn it up a bit, because it has low volume)

 

You really should have sent me a PM, it would probably have been easy to up the volume a notch or two...

[Nine Inch Heels]

Ah, what the hell... Here's a sloppily played FDA with no secrets found. I'm not used to the GZDoom feel anymore.

 

SpInfFDA.zip

(GZDoom 2.4)

 

Considering I played pretty sloppy, this map is extremely forgiving even with no secrets found. Had I found any, I probably would have steamrolled the thing. ;-)

 

Some things to consider: The reason your teleport battery isn't as efficient as you would like it to be is that you oversized it by a lot. If you want for your batteries to be more efficient, make them only as big as they need to be (Things may need some wiggle-room), and use not one, but several teleport linedefs leading to the same location. Oversized batteries usually aren't such a good idea unless you specifically want for things to drip feed into the playable area.

 

Another thing to consider is placing your teleport batteries a bit further away from the map, unless you want for players to hear the monsters inside warping into the playable area.

 

I think I killed all but one monster in the map in my FDA, I'm not sure where it was, but that might have been because of the battery being too large, or something getting stuck somewhere. Not sure about that unfortunately.

 

In the demo you can sse me spam click the yellow bars without anything happening at first. I'm not sure what happened there, but if I had to guess, you may want to flip some linedefs, so their front side can be accessed properly.

[ShoDemo]

38 minutes ago, Nine Inch Heels said:

I will need to give this a look later today, I'm a little busy at the moment unfortunately.

No problem!  :)

39 minutes ago, Nine Inch Heels said:

Mapping format used?

I am not sure about this one, which is why I wrote that I picked Doom 2 in Doom Builder 2 preferences. I guess it doesn't have any ZDoom specific features as a map. So could it be considered vanilla? 

40 minutes ago, Nine Inch Heels said:

You really should have sent me a PM, it would probably have been easy to up the volume a notch or two...

I didn't know you could do that with midi, but if you can do it, then why not.

Here is the midi link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/h6focyts2w3p778/Judas_Priest_-_Burn_In_Hell_(2).mid?dl=0

 

[ShoDemo]

I will check out the demo a bit later.   :)

About the batteries, I will fix them probably tomorrow, since I have been at my computer for a long time and I am kinda tired now.

And I like that the monsters can be heard teleporting in the map, so I am going to leave that as is.

Now for the monster count, from what you are telling me, the teleporters worked fine. There actually was one monster at a secret and that may not have been a really good move on my part (look at the spoiler only if you don't care about which monster it was).

Spoiler

It was your friendly neighbor, the Archvile.   :) 

 

Secret location (again don't look at the spoiler, unless you really don't care)

Spoiler

At the Arachnotron room, step on the computer and spam the use button until you press the correct linedef (I must have hidden some of the secrets well, now that I think about it). A door in the same room will open and it will have an AV and a cell pack, which might be helpful later, if you want to spam the BFG longer (not that it is needed as I said).

 

And I forgot to change the linedefs on the bars (I only merged the bar sectors and I did not notice the inside facing linedefs).

 

I will make a v2 of the wad with the corrections, in a few days time probably, to see if anyone else finds something wrong or has to suggest something.

Thank you for playing and helping me in finding the mistakes! As I said, I will be fixing those later!  :D

[Nine Inch Heels]

32 minutes ago, ShotgunDemolition said:

I am not sure about this one, which is why I wrote that I picked Doom 2 in Doom Builder 2 preferences. I guess it doesn't have any ZDoom specific features as a map. So could it be considered vanilla?

Well if you use DB2 and do not specifiy otherwise, the builder will usually default to vanilla doom2 format. If your map is vanilla or limit-removing is a different story then, but I would be surprised if your map wasn't vanilla.

 

35 minutes ago, ShotgunDemolition said:

I didn't know you could do that with midi, but if you can do it, then why not.

Here is the midi link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/h6focyts2w3p778/Judas_Priest_-_Burn_In_Hell_(2).mid?dl=0

Ya... I'm obviously thrilled to do your work for you. ;-)

 

If you want to make the MIDI a bit louder, you can do so with a program like Sekaiju (free of charge) by simply upping the channel volume for each instrument. That's not exactly rocket science, but you may need to have a look around in the interface to find what you are looking for. Knowing how to do this is really helpful for when a MIDI needs some adjustments in some way. If you need any help, you can simply ask, but don't expect people to do your work just like that... At least try doing it yourself before giving it away is what I'm saying. :-)

[ShoDemo]

Vanilla Doom 2 it is then. (I edited the thread)

 

And thanks again for the MIDI!  :)

I will try to learn a few things on MIDI, once I finish some more of my summer targets (I made a whole list and it is a bit overwhelming at times, but it is going fine).

I was searching the whole noon for a MIDI, but I really wanted to make the map thread today (stupid decision, made in a rush), so I left it as is, instead of continuing the search or trying to find the way to raise the volume and some software to do the job. That is why I stopped there.

But next time I will at least try working on that and I won't rush like crazy in releasing my map. (Oh, the excitement was unreal!)   :)

[Nine Inch Heels]

I mean the map plays well such as it is. It's just that these minor issues tend to be something that can be dealt with in a few minutes at times, especially since I remember linking you to a site that had various MIDI editing tools on display for you to download. ;-)

[ShoDemo]

Oh shit, I forgot to look at that! (Was it at the start of the PM, iirc?)

[Plusw]

Good first map. the layout and aesthetics were simple but effective, but I feel like too many of the encounters were too easy to avoid by either camping or rushing through. It made some encounters with otherwise tricky/interesting setups trivial.

[ShoDemo]

Thanks man!  :)

Well, I probably could have cheesed it a bit, but I will most likely leave it as is. However, the room that I did not like that much and I may change somewhat in regards of cheesing, is the one with the Pain Elemental. I could have used a raising floor again, just like the fountain room, instead of an one way door and that should solve the problem.

 

Again, thanks for playing!

 

[baja blast rd.]

Here's an FDA in prBoom+. I didn't attempt to cheese or run from anything.

 

Spoiler

 

My experience was similar to @Nine Inch Heels's. I thought this was a fun FDA-friendly map, but the warp-in around the first rocket launcher was a bit odd, with all those monsters impotently clogging the door. I'd do one of two things: restructure the architecture so that the door is 256-wide (for max low-pressure fun with rocket splash) or have those monsters trickle in somehow. Or both.

 

Anyway, this is quite promising for a first map. I enjoyed the setup with the archviles at the end. Lots of people seem averse to placing the BFG and any number of archviles, so I'm looking forward to your next maps. 

[Nine Inch Heels]

33 minutes ago, ShotgunDemolition said:

However, the room that I did not like that much and I may change somewhat in regards of cheesing, is the one with the Pain Elemental.

The problem with this room in terms of rushing through is how easy it is to get past the PE, should the door close. If you made the closet for the PE less wide, so that players can't easily squeeze past it, the room will have some more oomph already...

[ShoDemo]

Thanks @rdwpa!

I didn't think of making the door wider and that should really help.

Now for monsters trickling in, I would need to change the room architecture near the entrance probably and make some hidden doors with the wall texture (I will try that). 

About the Archviles, I usually like to see them in later levels of wads (from the middle of the wad and after), but I don't mind seeing them earlier, as I enjoy them as monsters and they add a new meaning to gameplay. 

Plus, this was an 1-level wad, so I decided I would place AVs and a BFG for the <<ultimate showdown>> near the end. I wasn't feeling like placing Cyberdemons and I won't even talk about Spider Masterminds, due to space limitations in the yellow key room, so the Archvile was the best option for a mini-boss.

 

And @Nine Inch Heels I could definitely make the PE room smaller. I think that someone could still rush in there, take the blue key and get away before the door closes (am I right?), but rushing a key on a first playthrough seems suicidal to me, so very few people would probably try that. In most cases, I believe that the player will approach the key slowly and the door will have closed by then. And in that situation, tightening the PE room would really help stop the rushing then.

 

I will apply those changes tomorrow, now that I am certain of what I should fix!   :)

[Nine Inch Heels]

2 minutes ago, ShotgunDemolition said:

I think that someone could still rush in there, take the blue key and get away before the door closes (am I right?)

If whatever spawns in after grabbing the key is quick enough the player will get meatwalled in place. So if you manage your teleport setup better, this not an issue at all.

[ShoDemo]

Now I get it! Thanks once again!

[Reisal]

When you get this finalized, don't forget about uploading to /idgames/

[baja blast rd.]

One more thing: 

 

It's possible to immediately retreat from the YK area as the barrier raises, leaving the player stuck. Additionally, for the sake of coop your lock-in fights should be accessible from the outside once one player has entered -- not only for fun's sake, but so your maps don't break. In this case if a player dies inside that lock-in, the map will be uncompletable. The usual way to handle that is a trigger of some sort on the outside of the arena that removes the barricade again, or if you really want to preserve the lock-in, opening up a dedicated teleporter outside the arena. Here, making the switch in the maze repeatable is a quick solution. The trigger that closes the room should also be a lot further away from the opening. 

 

 

Edited July 22, 2017 by rdwpa

[ShoDemo]

12 hours ago, Glaice said:

When you get this finalized, don't forget about uploading to /idgames/

Ok, I will not forget.  :)

 

And @rdwpa, I didn't think of coop while making the map, but I can do a few things there. I can push the linedef that raises the wall more into the room, make it WR instead of W1, so that the next players to enter the room raise the wall again and add a switch on the back of the raising wall (that switch will be accessible by the locked out players and it will lower the wall again).

Or I could use the unlocked teleporter option you suggested.

That should do the trick.

 

[Relinquished]

This is a good first map and I enjoyed playing through it. I like the nukeage sewer details, and some of the fights are interesting (like with the Arch-viles at the end, I didn't expect that!) I managed to find a couple of secrets of my first playthrough, and I especially like the one where you have to climb through the bars, I thought that was well executed.

As a few guys above have mentioned the rocket launcher fight with the PE and cacos could use a little tweaking. You could make it so the door into this room stays open, so when the enemies teleport in they will start to flood into the room. This would add an extra dimension to the fight and would prevent them getting stuck behind the door. 

Still, I enjoyed the level and I'll look forward to your next one. Keep it up!

[ShoDemo]

Thanks man! :)

About the PE room I am doing some tweaking, like the others here suggested, although I am keeping the door as is. I am sure it will work better this time.

And I am happy that at last someone found the bar secret (you might be the first). I got the idea as I was building that room and I made it a secret afterwards. 

[ShoDemo]

Ok, so this afternoon I worked on some fixes for the original wad.

 

Things changed:

• The door to the Pain Elemental room is now 256 units wide, instead of 128, allowing for more fun to be had during the teleportation.
• The linedef that lowers the floor in the <<monsters to be teleported room>> and allows the monsters to teleport is now closer to the entrance of the room. This way, the teleportation is triggered before getting the blue key in order to prevent players from rushing.
• The <<monsters to be teleported room>> is tightened, making the teleportation process faster and preventing player rushing.
• The Pain Elemental cabinet is tightened, so that players can't rush after the entrance door is closed.
• The yellow key door room is accessible by a 2nd player (switch placed on the back of the raising wall), after it has been locked by the 1st player entering it, allowing for coop play and giving a fix in case of the player being locked out.
• The linedef that locks the yellow key door room is placed a bit further inside the room.
• The yellow key bar linedefs are flipped to the outside, in order to make using them easier.

That should be it for the wad. I edited the thread, so you can find the link on the top of the page. 

 

Also, I have a question. I named the edited wad SpInfv2.wad. Once I upload it to idgames, can I simply name it SpInf.wad, like it is the definitive version? 

[ChosmoS]

I Think it was a good map for your first wad. :D

[ShoDemo]

Thanks!!!   :)

[Mikami41]

Hey, i played your map and looks really interesting but theres some things you have to know about your map:

 

-At the bluekey room i got stuck when i wanted to keep looking into that room again, so i had to noclip

-Before getting into the bluekey room i got fastly ambush by tons of demons without getting the rocket launcher (or getting ambushed by the cacodemons and pain elementals) i don't know if this was your intention, same as the yellowkey room

-You said that jumping and crouching is not allowing, but i could jump and crouch without any problems in souceports like gzdoom,qzdoom or zdoom, you can deny jumping and crouching by opening slade in MAPINFO

 

At the rest, looks fresh and classic, i really like that kind of style, keep it up.

 

[ShoDemo]

Thanks for playing!   :)

 

-If you mean that you couldn't open the door in the blue key room, after you entered it, then that is intentional and you can only go out if you hit the switch in the room.

 

-The Cacodemon/Pain Elemental ambush is intentional, same with the Archviles and the other demons in the yellow key room.

But there was a small chance of getting ambushed by the teleporting enemies in the blue key room, before getting the Rocket Launcher (the enemies teleported faster than the door could close and so they got in). That is unintentional and I hope that the file I sent to idgames had minimal chances of that happening again.

So far, I had uploaded the same file 3 times in this thread, with some changes. The first file was without any fixes. Then, the second one implemented what Nine Inch Heels and rdwpa suggested, though the linedef that let the demons teleport was too close to the door, so this meant that the encounter had more chances of being screwed up. Finally, in the third file I moved the linedef away from the door and there seemed to be no problem with it (again, it might happen, but I think it is more of a rare occurrence now).

 

-Well, I designed the map without jumping and crouching in mind, so I expected from the player to disable those options in their control scheme. But I didn't know you could disable them all together in Slade. I might do that in future wads, now that I think about it.