I'm Also Looking to Play and Record Your Maps

[HAK3180]

@Zemini

 

Doomworld forum topic

 

The hellish finale has some difficulty to it, but again, the supplies are just too much. With a health maximum of over 200 and as many medikits as there were, even when I got down very low, I was able to recover easily. There was definitely some challenge, but unless you actually die, you’ll be fine. There will be more health and ammo. Progression here was good. Several separate areas to accumulate the necessary keys and then a boss fight. The boss may have glitched out; it was very strange. I did like the hell aesthetic, though it was a touch bland in some places.

 

Bottom line: A decent finale to an up and down episode

[Zemini]

Yah I over did it with health. When vertigo played it, he complained that there wasn't enough health.

 

That damn Wyvern bugged out.  I have been having a problem getting him to work correctly.  He sometimes gets stuck at map spots that I place and he won't move for several seconds.  On case you care or have suggestions https://zdoom.org/wiki/Classes:Dragon

[HAK3180]

@Zemini, yeah, that kind of thing is over my head. Concerning health, I think a big thing would be the health upgrades not bringing you to your new max. They're often right next to soul spheres, so if you're low enough, that's ~300 health in one spot. And also the damaging teleporters. There's usually 2 or 3 medikits by each one. I think if there's only one or two stimpacks instead, that feature will be much more of a factor, and as long as progression is somewhat clear, it won't be unfair.

[HAK3180]

@Deadwing

 

Doomworld forum topic

 

It’s a pretty big map with plenty to explore, but the progression is somewhat guided and the different areas, although somewhat lacking in detail, are distinct enough that it should be hard to get lost. Combat is really good, frequently encouraging weapon switching and quick reactions without simply bombarding the player with enemies.

 

Bottom line: Visually, it’s okay. In every other aspect it’s great.

[Deadwing]

Thanks a lot! :D Yeah, I do suck a lot about detailing the maps, which is something I should improve. I lack the creativity to do it, though (and lack of time + lazyness doesn't help much too) haha >.> Apart from this, I'm glad things are working well!

BTW, It seems you are playing the 1.5.1 version. I've released a new version (1.6) for the wad some days ago, which has some fixes for the later levels: http://www.mediafire.com/file/8nrogtds27wcptc/exomoon-1.6.zip/file

[HAK3180]

@Deadwing I did grab the new one - saw it after doing the recording. I'm following the topic now. I don't know if you remember, but your Iron Keep was the very first video I posted in this thread. I liked your style then and I'm liking it now.

[Deadwing]

Oh yeah, I remember! It is a map I still enjoy a lot!

 

Congratz for recording and giving feedback all these months! D:

 

[HAK3180]

@Zolgia108

 

Doomworld forum topic

 

I felt this map lacked visual cohesion. The title suggests a lot of red and flame and lava, but there were only really two areas prominently featuring that: beginning and end. In the middle were all sorts of thematic loci, some definitely resembling a tech base. Combat-wise, this one featured a lot of custom monsters and several minibosses. Some spots felt a little cheap, but others were just fine.

 

Bottom line: A lot of this is not really my cup of tea, and it is too dark, but it’s not a terrible map.

[Zolgia108]

i changed its name to "solitary confinement" 3 days ago if ir's any consolation! :)

Joking aside,  i'm sorry for the first caco boss fight, i know cracko is tough, but i thought the second one was tougher since it has some attacks by which you cannot protect behind walls (this one will be a one time monster), meanwhile the cracko (which will be more present in the abyssal episode btw) can be walled better, this of course in my humble opinion and experience. i thought i could put some difficult encounters instead of just masses of enemies, that was my goal here, next map will be even more tight on this, and  hope you won't dislike it too much, i made quite the effort to create some challenges there. Then map 13 will be more like "huge arena full of monsters".  About visual cohesion, i am trying to recreate the path that this guy is making, now he just used an underground path which led to a secret base in order to get to the portal,  he is walking towards a canyon which is known as the "Canyon of the Medusa". I know that it seems quite random but it all has a meaning, i would like to give a meaning more than just a game to be played. If you (and i as well) will manage to get to the end of it then everything will be explained hahahah

As usual: thanks for playing and for giving me advices, i will surely add something to help at the end of the map, i will delete the non secret cells but i will leave the plasma as a secret cause i feel the map may be a challenge as it is.

Oh and the keen, i don't know, i loved keen and since that area was a torture chamber i wanted to do this sort of joke featuring keen as the most important (and most tortured as well) prisoner in a secret cell with a personal baron! Just a stupid joke there nothing else

 

Edited August 17, 2018 by Zolgia108

[HAK3180]

@Zolgia108

The name change makes more sense.

I thought the cracko was easily harder, though the super shotgun and megasphere played a factor, I'm sure. In general, I don't really want to see custom monsters in Doom wads. I tolerate them; I don't enjoy them. I would almost always prefer stock Doom enemies. That's just my opinion and the way I most want to play Doom, so what I'm saying is you can pretty well ignore my comments on custom monsters because I'm not exactly the target audience anyway.

 

Overall, my advice is to slow down. You're popping out maps pretty quickly, here, and that means as you continue to grow as a mapper, there will be more to tweak. Maybe it's a good time to dig in and really get the ones already completed where you want them to be before working on new ones. I've got a WIP megawad, too. I feel like I really turned a corner in mapping after six maps, and it's been quite the job just to modify those six to my ever-changing standards of quality. And you've got some pretty long maps. Imagine your mapping skill in six months. What if you're so much better than you are now that you just can't stand any of these maps anymore? You'll either have to do heavy modification to half a full megawad or you'll have to abandon the project and start something new. There's a reason people say not to make a megawad right out of the gate. If it's going to be done well, you have to have patience, know your limits, not get too attached to your maps, and be willing to do some tedious work. 

 

But hey, however you want to handle it, I'll keep playing.

Edited August 17, 2018 by HAK3180

[HAK3180]

@mArt1And00m3r11339

 

idgames download page

 

The textures get a little repetitive, especially the “background,” but it’s a cool-looking map that really brings you into the environment. Unfortunately, I found the gameplay pretty weak. There were six encounters, only one of which really stood out at all. It was the most interesting and the most difficult. Two of the encounters were sheer boredom, and one of those lasts a very long time. One other was a nonfactor, but it was very quick. The other two were decent, but not exceptionally unique, clever, or original.

 

Bottom line: It’s a map designed around very specific encounters, but I found at least half of them to be meh at best.

[Zolgia108]

thank you a lot for last comment, which was the best advice i had so far. You know, one of my worst problems is that i tend not to end something, but not because i don't actually end them, but just because i usually start to feel unsatisfied. I'm already starting to feel like i will have to do plenty of modifications (on the detail part mostly), but what is better? i am really asking this cause if i stop now (and today for example i did not "work" on them, i used my day to think about how to go on) i lose the flow. In real life i am a translator, an interpreter and a writer, i published 2 books and i am about to publish the third one, when you write you must follow the creative flow, to think too much is to hinder yourself. When you are interpreting you may start as shit because you don't know anything about the matter or about the speaker but then you can find a way through and in the end the audience will usually remember the last few words. In this case i am planning, of course, an overall restyling, but i think i will first finish it. And you are completely right, the more i make maps and the more i feel i am getting better but at the same time i think that the older maps still have a meaning to the whole story, which is one. Next wad will have a different story, it will be all techbase with no custom monsters and you will have fucking fun with it i promise!

 

@HAK3180

[mArt1And00m3r11339]

3 hours ago, HAK3180 said:

@mArt1And00m3r11339

 

idgames download page

 

The textures get a little repetitive, especially the “background,” but it’s a cool-looking map that really brings you into the environment. Unfortunately, I found the gameplay pretty weak. There were six encounters, only one of which really stood out at all. It was the most interesting and the most difficult. Two of the encounters were sheer boredom, and one of those lasts a very long time. One other was a nonfactor, but it was very quick. The other two were decent, but not exceptionally unique, clever, or original.

 

Bottom line: It’s a map designed around very specific encounters, but I found at least half of them to be meh at best.

I implemented difficulty settings. If you played it on Ultra-Violence, it would have 57 monsters instead of 40.

Edited August 17, 2018 by mArt1And00m3r11339

[HAK3180]

@mArt1And00m3r11339, Okay, then. I'll keep that in mind but stick to Hurt Me Plenty for now.

Edited August 17, 2018 by HAK3180

[HAK3180]

@sincity2100

 

Doomworld download page

 

I really like the layout of this map. You can see most of it from the start and how it’s going to progress, but it’s about accessing it and surviving the ambushes as you go. Visually, it’s better than Map 21 with some improvement to the natural/outdoor areas. It’s mostly traps in this one with little incidental combat, but they are manageable and the monster count stays relatively low. One familiar complaint returns: if you’re going to give me over 600 cells, you need to give me something to shoot them with that’s not in a secret. Fortunately, this time there was enough of the other ammo to manage.

 

Bottom line: sincity2100 can do more than just tech bases.

[Steve D]

Hi HAK3180. So happy to see you're still doing this.

 

Here's a set I released last year which is definitely in the classical style, given that all these maps were originally made in 1997 and 1998. These were the projects I began shortly after contributing to the Realm of Chaos megawad in 1996, so they are more experienced work, FWIW. ;)

 

These maps were never released as an episode prior to last year. The release history is in the text file, but suffice to say that for this release, I polished them up, but not so much as to make them truly modern maps. I wanted them to retain their '90s flavor. It's also easier to make a new modern map than modify an old one to modern standards. What I did was mainly add a lot of gradient lighting, cleaned up the textures and aligned them, made some of the pathing less obtuse, added some detail, and made the maps a bit harder than they were before. It's worth noting that they were already somewhat nasty by 1998 standards, and being old, yes, they have plenty of hitscanners.

 

The first 2 maps are relatively small and not terribly difficult. Maps 03 thru 06 are large, oldschool adventure maps with a lot of shooting and high monster counts. They could each take 30 minutes or more. IMO, Map05 is the most difficult, and it's wise to be a bit careful with your health and ammo.

 

The overall gameplay style is a combination of trappy with attrition/resource management. Very oldschool. Some tricky routing and secrets. Gameplay is optimized for pistol start but of course people can play however they want. i personally prefer to play on GZDoom, but the music is a little quiet on that port. It's nice and loud in PrBoom.

 

 

I recently discovered an overlooked problem on Map02. In the pic below, you see a barrier that has been lowered, but whose floor is 8 units above the lower floor. Unfortunately, if you step on that barrier, you can then step on top of the rail and go right over, leaving you trapped and unable to finish the map. I might do a silent update to correct that problem. ;)

 

That's all the commentary for now. :)

 

[HAK3180]

@tib_

 

Doomworld forum topic

 

This is the longest one yet and there seems to be a lot to it, but not in a way that lacks cohesion. Actually, some of the connections are impressive. It’s not the most difficult yet but it has some fun fights and lively situations; it’s not just move-shoot-meet objective-repeat.

 

Bottom line: Fun map with a creepy environment 

[HAK3180]

@Steve D

 

Doomworld download page

 

I like the concept. The map starts with a bunch of humans, then seems rather empty in the middle part, then sees you face lots of low-tier monsters with the shotgun and chaingun. There is some optional content in addition to a little bit of nonlinearity. That plus the monster selection and placement made this feel very Doom 1. There was some visual appeal, but the goal seems to be quality over quantity. So there wasn’t a ton of trim and little pillars everywhere, etc. It seemed like the map may be fine structurally in vanilla.

 

Bottom line: A fun enough opener that feels a lot like Doom 1.

[mArt1And00m3r11339]

On 8/17/2018 at 1:44 PM, HAK3180 said:

@mArt1And00m3r11339, Okay, then. I'll keep that in mind but stick to Hurt Me Plenty for now.

Did you try level 3 yet?

[xdarkmasterx]

hello!!! I have another level to download if you want to :) https://www.dropbox.com/s/e3wcwqhu445boy4/NUTCASE.wad?dl=0

[HAK3180]

@mArt1And00m3r11339, As of this post, I still have seven multi-map projects going on, so expect 4-7 days between maps, especially over weekends. I'd estimate Wednesday night for that one.

 

@tib_

 

Doomworld forum topic

 

This is the only map that seems to be a significant nod to its E1 counterpart. Unfortunately, that means you fight barons in a huge open area with little threat. But then there’s more to it. The area afterward is harder, but it seems to lack direction/guidance. I did like the anticipation up to the “boss” fight though.

 

Bottom line: A somewhat lackluster ending to a pretty good episode

 

Goetia 1 is solid vanilla Doom 1 stuff. It stays true to itself, which means dark, creepy, and confined. It’s never too hard or too easy, and it’s usually pretty good looking for vanilla.

[mArt1And00m3r11339]

4 hours ago, HAK3180 said:

@mArt1And00m3r11339, As of this post, I still have seven multi-map projects going on, so expect 4-7 days between maps, especially over weekends. I'd estimate Wednesday night for that one.

Thanks for the information.

[Steve D]

16 hours ago, HAK3180 said:

@Steve D

 

Bottom line: A fun enough opener that feels a lot like Doom 1.

 

That was fast! Thanks for the play. :)

 

That "hit switch, now what did it do?" thing is definitely typical of the '90s, and I left it in for that reason. You actually lowered the Blue Armor, but forgot to check it before you left. I nowadays consider that a design flaw, but again, left it in because '90s. ;)

 

You're right, I did a major homage to Hangar, and the set overall is heavily influenced by KDiTD. In some of the maps, the secret areas are very large and have what I call "bonus gameplay."

 

I'd recommend UV for all the maps until you encounter one that seems too annoying. 

I discovered another error on Map02 that results in stuck monsters on UV. Probably a last-minute change that I forgot to playtest. D'oh! It's not a fatal error, but if you haven't played 02 yet, here's a hotfix which also solves the problem alluded to in my first post; http://www.mediafire.com/file/s7bh1b5z948n7rc/Abcess04.wad/file

 

Thanks again!

[HAK3180]

@Doomkid

 

idgames download page

 

This one is a little bit tougher, especially toward the beginning with some tough monsters and ammo starvation. But it features the usual Doomkid goodies: nice layout and progression with well placed monsters and minimal confusion. There were a couple oddities with secrets, and it was a shame I picked up my first rocket launcher after having killed everything, but overall it’s a good map.

 

Bottom line: It feels Knee Deep in the Dead; it's not my favorite map but it's pretty well done.

[HAK3180]

@Zemini

 

Doomworld forum topic

 

Besides the same issues that have affected this entire wad, this was a fun opener. You see a lot of different monsters, get a lot of different weapons (not sure you need so much ammo for the higher powered ones) and even see some varied scenery. These maps always look pretty good, though I will say the M1s are all somewhat similar. What made this one stand out was the section with lots of paths and lots of small rooms to collect the goodies.

 

Bottom line: A fun opener but the writing is already on the wall that continuous play will breed an untouchable doomguy

[HAK3180]

@xdarkmasterx

 

Doomworld forum topic

 

This is the second consecutive map I’ve played by this mapper in this style, and that style is a small-medium map that is fully accessible right from the beginning. It has no doors and lots of monsters, and every path is interconnected, so it’s about finding the weapons and kinda clearing out enemies little by little as you stay on the move. All you actually have to do is collect three keys and exit. You are required to press use exactly four times. I like this concept. I think xdarkmasterx executes it fairly well. I think it would be difficult to beat this map without defeating many-most of the monsters, even though you could theoretically do it by killing basically only three. The one negative I see in the gameplay is the balance, specifically, the plasma gun. With so many routes, it might be prudent to place multiple of each weapon, especially if the plasma gun is not just a special treat. There are probably 700+ cells in this map, but I did not happen upon the plasma gun route until the very end, even though I could have gone there straightaway from the start. And the other negative is visuals. I like the layout a lot, especially how it all connects, and that probably contributes to the lack of detail, since this is vanilla. Maybe it’s time to consider limit-removing, but even for vanilla, I think the map could look a little better.

 

Bottom line: Not much to look at, but challenging gameplay keeps you moving constantly throughout a well interconnected layout

[HAK3180]

@Deadwing

 

Doomworld forum topic

 

Again, the visuals are fresh but a little bit monotonous, but I really enjoyed the layout and the gameplay. Deadwing has a way of making every monster count with expert placement and selection. The map is built with monster interaction in mind. It’s also exploratory, but well balanced and the progression is not confusing. It may take a bit to get a sense of what’s really going on as you’re just trying to survive at the beginning, but it becomes clear pretty quickly in general how the flow is going to play out.

 

Bottom line: Really good map that’s fun to run around in and presents at least moderate challenge throughout

[Doomkid]

Oh man, on my map where you fell into the nukage and got the rad suit only to have no way out (other than to wait for death) was a total oversight. Every time I playtested it, I just ran right for the blue key/soulsphere without jumping first. Total fuckup on my part! Some of the weird secrets were there to make the map better for deathmatch, opening every room up and allowing for more interconnectivity, but they shouldn't have been marked as secret given that.. No clue what I was thinking.

[Deadwing]

Thanks a lot, Hak3180!

I'm glad things weren't too much confuse, especially the yellow key quest. Thankfully the teleporter shortcut worked well! This wad features a fair amount of platforming, but hopefully nothing too much difficult >.<

[HAK3180]

@Zolgia108

 

Doomworld download page

 

As far as layout and flow, how conventional this map is is very welcome. You never wonder what a switch does or where you are supposed to go next (besides the bug). Visually, there’s not much to it. It has distinct areas, but they are all pretty monotonous, especially the maze cave. I did somewhat like the start area though. As for gameplay, I liked the maze section the most by far, but unfortunately, something didn’t work properly, so I had to cheat to figure it out. I did not like the final boss fight, and I thought the mancubus room was much too big. Overall, the map is pretty empty, but I do like how your main weapon is the rocket launcher.

 

Bottom line: I don’t much like this map, but I feel it’s well constructed.