Rook

Just wanted to offer huge thanks and congratulations to skillsaw and everyone else involved with this project. I've never completed a megawad so quickly nor had such a great time doing so. The aesthetics were incredible, and I was constantly impressed by how many novel battles and ideas kept coming up. I particularly liked maps 08, 11, 22 and 29. I'm a huge fan of both Lunatic and (particularly) Vanguard and while I found Valiant to be too tough, Ancient Aliens has made me want to revisit it while taking the difficulty down another notch.

Apologies for taking a while to respond to these last comments - thanks to plums, DotW and Jimothy for your thoughts. Before I get on to responding I'll say that I have begun making a second sequence of three maps for his WAD. I'm trying to vary things up a bit and incorporate people's suggestions where possible. I have a tyson-oriented map which I may restart (I'm not overly familiar with or hugely fond of this style so it could use some work) and a solid start to what is intended to be MAP05. The visual theme I'm using for these I am calling a "necropolis" aesthetic - brick, grass, moss, and decorative corpses and skulls aplenty (!). OK, so some more comments based on your feedback and extra playtesting of my own: - Regarding the issue with the imp The_Trigger noticed: I've now been able to replicate this once in ZDoom, but am still not sure as to the cause. - plums mentioned the switches and texture names. I'm interested to know which port you used, as these work for me in PrBoom+ and ZDoom. - The observations of few of you have made about the geometry of my rooms is really about me trying to stick (for now) to what I feel I can do fairly well. I've tried to do outdoor areas before, for example, but have struggled. - I definitely agree that the maps can lack the element of surprise. I feel I've made some progress on this with the map I am working on currently. Again, thanks for all your thoughts. I'll hopefully be able to post an updated 6-map version of the WAD in the next couple of weeks, which will make some very minor changes to maps 1-3.

Many thanks for the videos, The_Trigger! I haven't been able to replicate or explain the missing imp in ZDoom - I don't know if anyone can help with that? I've just posted an updated version of the WAD with the following changes: - Fixed some minor texture issues in MAP01 - Fixed a situation in MAP02 whereby the RK could be acquired without using the switch - Altered one of the secrets in MAP02 - Removed some resources from higher difficulties in MAP03 - Changed the start of MAP03; players now teleport, rather than use a lift, to access the main area. This creates more surprise (at least for new players!), gets the action off to a quicker start, and eliminates abuse of the red alcove, now removed I'm now thinking of adding some more maps to the WAD. What I thought I'd do is to add three more maps, then get some more feedback, make alterations, and continue until it's a nice 9 or 12 map WAD and then sort out a final release. My one worry is that it might be hard to balance for continuous play. Any thoughts?

Thanks everyone for your comments and demos - when I have time I'll post a revised version incorporating as many of your suggested change as I can (as well fixing some other problems I have noticed). I'm really pleased that you enjoyed the maps. In the meantime, more feedback always welcome!

I've just had time to play my map: thanks, scifista - your changes are absolutely fine by me and you've done a great job putting this together. What is the music track you've used? I like it. Thanks also to ErisFalling and rwdpa for their thoughts on the map. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Rock Bottom V2 [Download] I've made the following changes: - Both lifts can now be re-activated, making backtracking viable (see below) - The lock trap is now significantly more difficult to avoid - A new teleporter enables players to access the final area if locked out - Fixed some texture misalignments near the start area - Removed at least most of the tutti-frutti issues

Many thanks for the input - I'll do my best to amend the issues you've mentioned and upload a second version. I always forget to take into account VISPLANE/DRAWSEGS limitations but I'm glad it hasn't been an issue this time around!

I hope this unannounced almost-last-minute map is OK: Name: Rock Bottom [Download] Author : Andy "Rook" Johnson Editors used: Doom Builder 2.1.2.1553 Compatibility: Vanilla (tested in PR Boom + 2.5.13 at -complevel 2) Music: Default Graphics: Uses IKDTEX.WAD [Available Here] Difficulty settings: Yes Bugs: None Known Secrets: 3 Notes: No jumping/crouching, co-op starts available Screens:

I haven't visited these forums in many a month and it suddenly occurred to me today to see how this project had worked out. It's great to see that it's available on idgames now and also that there are a few videos I can watch of the map myself and Surreily worked on. I watched Tarnsman and Alfonzo play the map on stream and can only apologise for helping bring another Dead Simple remake onto the world - inexperience is my only excuse! Just wanted to say thanks again to everyone who worked on this project!

Personally I have really high standards. Yes, Doom's core gameplay is what keeps us coming back but it's very easy to implement it badly and very difficult to do it properly. My favourite WADs are things like BTSX E1, UAC Ultra, and Skillsaw's maps because I find that they have a combination of superb geometry and texture usage, gameplay flow, and difficulty implementation. It sounds mean, but for me life is generally too short for me to play rookie maps. Really great maps are made by experienced, dedicated mappers willing to put a ton of time in. With that said, I think it's brilliant that new people are coming into mapping, and Doomworld is great at giving people constructive criticism. Because I do have high standards my own maps seldom see the light of day, but on the two occasions I have put one out there I have received extremely helpful comments. I think that what I have tried to do as a rookie mapper is to make a simple map well, as opposed to getting too ambitious too early. For that reason, one complete map I have in the can is a MAP07, and I chose to make a MAP07 for 40oz's Plutonia 1024 project (kindly and ably completed by Surreily). I've actually attempted to give up mapping ("I never finish anything, I'm terrible at this!") but I find it too enjoyable and compulsive and I keep coming back despite myself!

Congratulations on this release 40oz! And well done to everyone who contributed, especially Surreily for his great work on our map. Really looking forward to hearing what people think about the maps.

I haven't played the latest beta yet but in the first beta I noticed a tiny issue left over from my work on MAP07 - the incorrect ceiling texture is used on a small sector at the exit. Apologies if this has been spotted and fixed subsequently. You're doing a grand job putting this together, 40oz!

I've got nothing against the change of sky or the choice of music for Green Destiny.

Wow Surreily, you've done an awesome job! I love how you've kept the core map geometry almost identical but it feels like you've expanded the map hugely in terms of both gameplay and size. The little aesthetic improvements to what was already there make a big difference too. I also really like the silhouette monsters, nukage sky and the way you've handled the teleporting enemies. Thanks so much for taking this on!

Thanks for the kind words 40oz. This project seems to be coming along really nicely (and quickly, too). And thanks for volunteering Surreily - really looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

Would anyone like to take on the task of improving my map along the lines of 40oz's suggestions on page 2? I've still got some health issues and a bit of a time shortage at the moment, and while I did attempt to lengthen my map with a "Sector of Death"-type aspect a couple of weeks ago, I struggled and wasn't happy with the results. I'd really appreciate it if anyone could help out with this as I'd love to have a map in a community mapset for the first time but I'm not sure I can quite do it justice personally. Just for the original post, I tentatively named my map "Green Destiny".

Most of Vanguard, but particularly the last three or so maps.

Quick I'm-no-playtester-but-here's-two-cents post on Captain Toenail's map: wow, bravo. I definitely agree with Phobus' concerns about what goes on after the cyberdemon, but this is an extremely clever, fun map in my book.

Thank you to those people who have reviewed my map - it's tremendously helpful. I'd have responded earlier, but unfortunately I'm not well at the moment. I feel like I'm in a bit of a quandary because I can see a lot of sense in both of the two main suggestions I've received (i.e. make the map a bit easier on the one hand, and extend it into an invasion-style map on the other) but I feel there's a bit of tension between them. What I plan to do is to have a go at adding the invasion element when I'm feeling better, trying to be careful to have something which maybe ramps up gradually rather than being hell-for-leather from get-go, as the map is now. I will post a second version when I can. Any more thoughts and suggestions (especially about difficulty) would be great. Also, I think I'll call the map "Green Destiny", unless I can think of something better.

Thanks for playing my map Getsu. The space constraints make Dead Simple-style maps significantly more difficult than they might otherwise be. I'd be interested to know what other people think about the difficulty.

This sounded interesting so I thought I'd do a quick test to see whether I was up to doing a MAP07 as a 1024 map (having really liked "Dead Small" in Congestion 1024). My quick test ended up with me actually finishing a draft, so I'll share it here. http://www.mediafire.com/download/1qfpvse88gxvbee/pl1024-rook.wad It's in Boom format, and I'm damned if I can think of a name.

Just the kind of exhaustive critique I'd expect from you, DotW! Really complete and insightful comments as usual. I don't think I have played any of Monsieur Corfiatis' work aside from Zone 300 - which I assume isn't too representative, given its constraints - but perhaps if I play more I'll better understand what you mean. Any recommendations? Happily, I can report that I've (almost) finished the first map in a new incarnation of the Doom II project I was working on a while ago. I've got a much more clear and restrained goal in mind (three maps), so I'm hoping I can wrap it up quickly while the iron is hot, so to speak.

Wow SteveD, thanks for the extensive comments and encouragement!

I've made a few small amendments, including: - Removing a few imps which weren't a threat but could break the trap - Replacing the megasphere secret with a berserk pack - Replacing a Boom switch action with a vanilla one The map should now be properly vanilla-compatible. I've also fixed the link to my Heretic map - thanks for the heads-up, Average.

Thanks everyone - it is awesome that in this community you can put something like this up and get such useful feedback within just a couple of hours. I've already made some alterations, and will make some more before uploading a new version in the coming days!