URE2020: Unexpected Retro Experience - Doomworld /idgames database frontend

Title:	URE2020: Unexpected Retro Experience
Filename:	levels/doom/s-u/ure2020.zip
Size:	3.12 MB
Date:	04/15/21
Author:	Zylinderkatze
Description:	The WAD file accompanied by this readme file contains the "heavily, yet sensibly" improved maps from "199X" and also re-integrates all the (reasonable) ideas that were lost in 2010. The plan had always been to eventually replace all three (or, I guess, four) episodes of DOOM eventually- ideas were (and are) plentiful. But first things (and episodes) first. And brackets.
Credits:	The members of the Doomworld forum that gave me the added boost needed to keep going <3
Base:	E1M1 is "new from scratch", only taking the original concept of an Oil Rig. E1M2 is about 30% old map geometry from 199X, the rest is new or edited beyond recognition. E1M3 is about 80% the same as it was in 199X. E1M4 has undergone heavy renewal and is about 60% new architecture following original ideas. E1M5 keps most of the original layout but some parts were streamlined and all parts were "cosmetically enhanced" to (my) 2020 standards. E1M6 is an all old skeleton with all new flesh; About 70% are redone or refurbished. E1M7 also underwent some mostly cosmetic fixes, but those span the whole map, so about 50% of the map are "new-ish". E1M8 had a lot of "detailing" done, as well as a completely new final duel area. About 40% of the map are new or at least very retouched. E1M9 is almost completely new- it had undergone a plethora of changes in 2010 which were all lost (see "Long Introduction") but most of the ideas were so "good" that I recreated them with 2020 sensibilities and taste, if you can call it that. That said, the 199X version of the maps were all "new from scratch" so the "TL;DR" would be: All maps are 100% original content from scratch.
Build time:	1000+ hours
Editor(s) used:	DEU 5.22GCC (in 199X), Ultimate Doom Builder (in 2020), SLADE3, WhackEd4
Bugs:	If you regularly play maps in DOS Doom (or a port that enforces the save file size limits), you're likely already aware of this: Big maps (such as these) will cause old (or "old-simulating") ports to crash when saving. So.. uh.. don't save? :D Also, as an ongoing theme, the maps barely avoid exceeding the visplane and drawseg limits in some areas. Tested with ChocolateRL, I didn't find any glaring visual bugs anymore though. If you find any problems, let me know!
Rating:

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View ure2020.txt

===========================================================================
Archive Maintainer      : -
Update to               : -
Advanced engine needed  : None / Made for Vanilla
Primary purpose         : Single player
===========================================================================
Title                   : URE2020: Unexpected Retro Experience
Filename                : URE2020.WAD + URE2020.DEH
Release date (Initial)  : 2020-12-29
Release date (Revised)  : 2021-04-13
Author                  : Zylinderkatze
Email Address           : [redacted]
Other Files By Author   : "Should've Stayed Home" (ISOLATION community
                          challenge, entry 48) as well as various partial
                          submissions of the individual maps of URE 2020.
Misc. Author Info       : Spends too much time on details xD

The Long Introduction   : It was 1995 and I was a teen. Also, I loved DOOM.
                          That goes without saying. But I like redundancy.

Level Editors, BSP builders and tools to replace
                          graphics in DOOM.WAD were all DOS based. So was
                          DOOM itself. Also, it only had three episodes. 
                          There was no 3D preview of a map, you had to 
                          build the nodes, start the game and check if all 
                          textures were aligned the way you wanted them. 
                          It was a simpler time. But not in a good way.

Nevertheless, the teenage version of me managed
                          to create a whole episode between the years 1995
                          and 1997, even created a title picture, replaced
                          the "menu skull", help screen.. the works.
                          However, the levels were never published. There
                          was always something to improve about them, it
                          seemed. Stage fright? Quite possibly.

Around came 2010, tools had improved, my love for
                          DOOM was unbroken and my determination to finally
                          finish the episode was stronger than ever.
                          Sadly, my PC wasn't stronger than ever- and died.
                          It took the maps and all the editing efforts of 
                          2010 with it in the process. As well as all my 
                          determination.

Now it's 2020, I'm a lot older, a little wiser-
                          and the tools are even cooler than in 2010.
                          Unfortunately, the levels were still lost.. or 
                          so I thought. 
                          But then I remembered that I had saved an early 
                          beta copy of the maps to a 3.5" floppy disk in 
                          1997.. which I actually managed to find in the 
                          depths of my basement.. a 23 year old relic.
                          The disk was readable. There was no excuse left.

The Short Introduction  : Hey look, URE is done! About time, too. Let's go!

Description             : The WAD file accompanied by this readme file
                          contains the "heavily, yet sensibly" improved
                          maps from "199X" and also re-integrates all the 
                          (reasonable) ideas that were lost in 2010.

The plan had always been to eventually replace
                          all three (or, I guess, four) episodes of DOOM
                          eventually- ideas were (and are) plentiful. But
                          first things (and episodes) first. And brackets.

The Story               : Are you really reading this? What's wrong with
                          you? Well okay. Story. Well.. you see, there's
                          monsters, right? Demons and such. Why are they
                          here? Probably some transdimensional gateway
                          stuff, I guess. This is DOOM after all.

More story? Sheesh. Alright.

The ominous Retcon Research Laboratories took
                          their self-attributed liberties "in service of
                          the betterment of mankind" a bit too far.

Of course: New, instantaneous modes of travel
                          and transportation sound like a great idea. Who
                          wouldn't like to abolish the need for fossil
                          fuels, waiting times and other inconveniences?

However, no predictions, projections or risk-
                          evaluation could've forseen what happened when
                          the first stable gateway connection was finally
                          established.. and no place on Earth could be 
                          "secluded enough" to prevent the catastrophic
                          consequences.

Grab your gun, get on the tactical submarine
                          and head for the first mission objective!
                          (Read the mission descriptions at your own risk, 
                          they kind of give the "story" away a bit)

E1M1: Oil Rig
                          A repurposed oil rig is extracting what seems 
                          to be toxic sludge of some kind. From what you
                          were told, this is an integral ingredient to
                          power the gateway technology. Shut it down.

E1M2: Outpost
                          The harbor outpost is the only way to access the
                          canyon that leads further into the facilities of
                          the RRL. Grit your teeth and dig through.

E1M3: Command HQ
                          Living quarters for higher presonnel, a storage
                          area.. and rumored access to a working technical
                          translocator to reach the optional goal of
                          shutting down the transmitter? Eclectic.

E1M4: Arachnoid
                          Oh no.

E1M5: Spaceport (Military Facility)
                          "polish them rockets now and swallow those pills"
                          Some of these structures don't really look all 
                          that man-made anymore. Something doesn't feel
                          right. Better hurry and find your way to the
                          next facility. Which your briefing just calls..

E1M6: Fuel Extraction
                          Experiments with short-range translocation
                          technology seem to use a secret, unclassified
                          fueling agent. The information passed to you has 
                          more redactions than readable text. You have a 
                          bad feeling about this.

E1M7: Habit Research
                          Apparently this is a facility "dedicated to the
                          observation and evaluation of the behaviour of 
                          different species in a range of environments".
                          Hm. Vague. Better pack extra Shotgun ammo.

E1M8: The Gate
                          Finally. Looks like this is what you came here
                          for. Make your way to the gate at all cost. Take
                          no prisoners. Save your cells, though.

E1M9: Transmitter
                          So you found the technical translocator to the 
                          Transmitter site. But what's this? This is not 
                          the Transmitter..
                          Looks like you arrived some ways away from your
                          mission objective. It seems as though the
                          Transmitter is running at full power, draining
                          the bi-directional translocator pad that would've
                          been closer to it. But that's okay- you came here
                          to shut it down anyways.
                          Kill the transmission beam, find the translocator
                          pad out of here. There is no step three.
                          
                          [End of Episode 1]

This WAD replaces:
                          E1M1 - E1M9
                          SKY1
                          A few graphics (Map Names, etc. but no textures)
                          Map names & Episode 1 Outro Text (Dehacked file)

Additional Credits to   : The members of the Doomworld forum that gave me
                          the added boost needed to keep going <3

Honorable Mentions      : Tam (for valuable moral and mental support from 
(in order of appearance)  the very beginning- and her "metal AF" music WAD!
                          See "Music in this WAD" for more detail),
                          Rainne (for pointing me towards the Visplane
                          Explorer in Ultimate Doom Builder.. twice),  
                          ketmar (not only for pitching k8vavoom!), 
                          Senor500 (for kindness and positivity), 
                          wrkq (for puns almost as terrible as my own- but 
                          also technical support, sympathy and toothpaste), 
                          InDOOMnesia (for ongoing patronage),
                          SuperCupcakeTactics (for early interest),
                          kknot5889, 666shooter and Arrowhead12 (for well-
                          wishing and offering to playtest),
                          Doomkid (for being Doomkid- and all it entails),
                          Steve D (for having my back about sound tunnels)
                          roboticmehdi2 (for some.. uh.. vanilla love? ^^),
                          Cubefleet (for calling this thing cool and 
                          recognizing my "forklift game" being strong),
                          Horus (for interest in this AND my sanity),
                          Andromeda (for repeated positive remarks),
                          Snikle (for alluding to Mordeth :P),
                          Lila Feuer (for recognizing the inviting glow
                          of a totally inconspicuous door),
                          Rex_Rawhndo (for being stoked about the project
                          AND my mapping future),
                          Egg Boy (for loving.. classic shit like this),
                          Hellbent (for appreciating my "keeping it old-
                          school".. Hint: don't play E1M1 :D),
                          Vic Vos (for well meant and -received criticism
                          ..and appreciation of my miniature "screens"),
                          warman2012 (for holding back the Federal Doom 
                          Inspection Board until I was done),
                          Deadwing (for creative insight and tips),
                          Loud Silence (for interest and pointing out when
                          I put the wrong link for one of the betas),
                          Final Verdict (for appreciation of 90s dust, the
                          potential of Oil Rigs and nostalgia- and for 
                          being thoughtful and considerate in general),
                          Chip (for appreciating my persistence and voting
                          in favor of "Replax Forte". Maybe next time xD),
                          Armaetus (for admitting that I am VASTLY superior
                          because of my daily updates ^^),
                          bLUEbYTE (for prophetic foresight about this 
                          episode.. and maybe even the ones to come!),
                          VGA (for inspiring imaptience and helpful tips),
                          UndeadRyker (for amazing and wholesome comments),
                          NightFright (for interest in the 199X version),
                          HQDefault (for being equally detail-obsessed),
                          Maghster (for suggesting a Doom II version~),
                          MajorRawne (for requesting YouTube playthroughs),
                          Adamast0r (for being part of the inspiration for
                          the 3.5" TITLEPIC I ended up making),
                          Deathclaw886 (for wanting to get their "claws" on
                          this.. I hope the wait was worth it :3),
                          Eris Falling, Lippeth, Pcorf and (again) Doomkid
                          (for being very helpful and supportive in my 
                          quest to find appropriate MIDIs for this WAD)!

Honorable Mentions II   : So many new faces when I put the maps up for
(in order of appearance)  revision! I'm pleased to have met these fellow
                          Doomers that vastly propelled the revision
                          process..
                          P41R47 (for having "patiently" waited and then
                          proactively invited several potential testers),
                          Omniarch (for- upon being summoned- having
                          tested extensively; For kindness, as well as 
                          creative criticism and pinpoint bug reports),
                          The_SloVinator (for a brief visit),
                          Not Jabba (for a slightly less brief visit with
                          some rather helpful pointers and tips),
                          Arrowhead12 (for a quick run through the first
                          few maps and appreciation of my "doomcute"ness),
                          sanicstudios (for calling E1M1 shit. In a good
                          way! :D),
                          revlis (for déjà-vu on the first map),
                          ..and again, Lippeth, for jumping into the fray
                          and conjuring up a full set of custom music for
                          this WAD. His music is included with this set!
                          There is NO reason not to try it!

Music in this WAD       : This being the revised "2021 version" of URE2020
                          (the irony isn't lost on me), things changed!

As stated above, Lippeth finished his magic and
                          came up with a full replacement for all 9 maps
                          as well as the intro, intermission and victory
                          music. I think you can call him a hero. I do.
                          Find him here: <https://doommidis.com/?author=9>

Also! If you read the initial readme that came
                          with the "end of 2020" version, you might recall
                          that a friend of mine (who "usually" plays real 
                          instruments, by hand, like a savage) offered
                          his help- and he is done as well!
                          Find him here: <https://amaury-bernier.com>

However- to not play any favorites, I will leave
                          the main WAD file as it was: No custom MIDI music
                          aside from "repurposed" music from the original 
                          DOOM.WAD (composed by Robert "Bobby" Prince):

E1M1: The Imp's Song
                          E1M2: Suspense
                          E1M3: I Sawed the Demons
                          E1M4: Demons on the Prey
                          E1M5: On the Hunt
                          E1M6: Sinister
                          E1M7: Donna to the Rescue
                          E1M8: Nobody Told Me About id
                          E1M9: The Demons from Adrian's Pen

Also², as hinted in the Honorable Mentions: Tam
                          (of Doomworld forum fame) has been busy hand-
                          crafting *actual* guitar music for this project
                          since all the way back in late July 2020.
                          Published as their own supplemental WAD (because
                          the files are quite big), you can find them here,
                          you advanced port person, you:
                          <https://www.mediafire.com/file/54r5gambcsmz22s>

TL;DR: URE WADs (published by me) will always 
                          only have MIDI music, because of the Vanilla-
                          focussed nature of the project.
                          The tracks in the main WAD are repurposing the 
                          original DOOM soundtrack to avoid using "random"
                          MIDIs from different sources.

Additionally, there are 2 MIDI packs included:
                          "URE2020L.WAD" with music by Lippeth
                          "URE2020A.WAD" with my friend Amo's music
                          Both authors permitted me to include them in 
                          this set, so.. they should be here somewhere.

PLEASE ENJOY!
===========================================================================
* What is included *

New levels              : 9
Sounds                  : No
Music                   : Repurposed, existing DOOM tracks in URE2020.WAD
                          + Music by Nathan "Lippeth" Maxx in URE2020L.WAD
                          + Music by Amaury Bernier in URE2020A.WAD
Graphics                : Yes (SKY1, TITLEPIC, HELP1, M_SKULL1&2, MAP)
Dehacked Patch          : Yes (embedded in WAD, standalone as URE2020.DEH)
Demos                   : Yes (first demo, E1M7)
Other                   : "URE20DOS.EXE"  - compressed, DOS-specific files
                          -> URE2020.BAT  - batch file to start under DOS
                          -> DEHACKED.EXE - for batch file convenience
                          -> DEHACKED.INI - so the EXE doesn't complain
Other files required    : None besides "URE2020.DEH" (included)

* Play Information *

Game                    : Doom
Map #                   : E1M1 - E1M8 & E1M9
Single Player           : Designed for
Cooperative 2-4 Player  : Player starts only
Deathmatch 2-4 Player   : Player starts and weapons
Other game styles       : None
Difficulty Settings     : Yes (made for "HMP" but also balanced for "UV")

* Construction *

Base                    : E1M1 is "new from scratch", only taking the
                          original concept of an Oil Rig.
                          E1M2 is about 30% old map geometry from 199X,
                          the rest is new or edited beyond recognition.
                          E1M3 is about 80% the same as it was in 199X.
                          E1M4 has undergone heavy renewal and is about
                          60% new architecture following original ideas.
                          E1M5 keps most of the original layout but some
                          parts were streamlined and all parts were 
                          "cosmetically enhanced" to (my) 2020 standards.
                          E1M6 is an all old skeleton with all new flesh;
                          About 70% are redone or refurbished.
                          E1M7 also underwent some mostly cosmetic fixes,
                          but those span the whole map, so about 50% of
                          the map are "new-ish".
                          E1M8 had a lot of "detailing" done, as well as
                          a completely new final duel area. About 40% of 
                          the map are new or at least very retouched.
                          E1M9 is almost completely new- it had undergone
                          a plethora of changes in 2010 which were all
                          lost (see "Long Introduction") but most of the
                          ideas were so "good" that I recreated them with
                          2020 sensibilities and taste, if you can call 
                          it that.
                          That said, the 199X version of the maps were
                          all "new from scratch" so the "TL;DR" would
                          be: All maps are 100% original content from
                          scratch.

Build Time              : 1000+ hours
Editor(s) used          : DEU 5.22GCC (in 199X), Ultimate Doom Builder
                          (in 2020), SLADE3, WhackEd4
Known Bugs              : If you regularly play maps in DOS Doom (or a port
                          that enforces the save file size limits), you're
                          likely already aware of this: Big maps (such as
                          these) will cause old (or "old-simulating") ports
                          to crash when saving. So.. uh.. don't save? :D
                          Also, as an ongoing theme, the maps barely avoid 
                          exceeding the visplane and drawseg limits in 
                          some areas. Tested with ChocolateRL, I didn't 
                          find any glaring visual bugs anymore though.
                          If you find any problems, let me know!
May Not Run With        : Engines that weren't tested. Let me know.
Tested With             : Chocolate Doom (+RL), GZDoom, PrBoom+

* Copyright / Permissions *

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0
International License. To view a copy of this license, visit
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

You are free to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format;
and remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even
commercially. If you do so, you must give appropriate credit, provide a 
link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in 
any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor 
endorses you or your use. If you remix, transform, or build upon the 
material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license
as the original.

* Where to get the file that this text file describes *

The Usual: ftp://archives.gamers.org/pub/idgames/ and mirrors
Web sites: https://havenport.de/files/share/URE2020.ZIP
FTP sites: -

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