Surreily

People must really love it if they're speeding ahead of everyone else! But yeah, there is an upper limit - check the rules :)

And here we go again! I've not played the first part of this series, so I hope that the story (if there is one) isn't too important. I rarely play games for story anyways, it's all about the guns! I'll be playing with ZDoom on Ultra Violence difficulty, and with mouselook enabled. I attempt to get 100% kills and 100% secrets too. However, I will not be playing from a pistol start on each level. With that said, let's go! MAP01: Shadow Port 98% kills, 100% secrets The author gives me a berserk pack a few steps from where I begin. Damn, I've never been a big fan of melee maps. Anyways, I pick it up and punch some demons and imps in the face before picking up a chaingun. I notice that lighting effects are put to great use with the windows. Eventually, I find a hidden air vent thing and crawl inside... Most of the map takes place inside this large building. Everything is covered in some nice new textures - I don't think I saw a single Doom texture in the entire map! I think the water and waterfall textures work really well with the metal textures - am I right in saying that a new color palette is being used? Of course, there's a secret hidden behind one of the waterfalls too :) There's a neat section that takes place on a boat called the "Visplane Overflow" which made me smile. After picking up the red key, a couple of revenants spawn in on the opposite end of the deck, but the fight was fairly easy with the chaingun. I also found a hidden plasma gun nearby, but never needed to use it. Overall, this map is fairly big for an opener. The lighting effects used throughout are pretty neat - I am a huge fan of fading light effects and all that fancy stuff, so I was pleased to see it everywhere in the map. I was a bit annoyed that I couldn't get 100% kills, as three hell knights didn't teleport in. Also, if I were the author, I would have put a hidden shotgun or chaingun near the start to provide an alternative way to deal with the first few enemies. Despite these minor issues, this map is a great start.

Funny thing... I was lying in bed last night, when suddenly OH CRAP I THINK I FORGOT TO MAKE THAT SECTOR GLOW. I'll go upload a revised version now, but I don't know if it will end up in the final WAD. EDIT: http://www.mediafire.com/download/bcq0x1on29x116d/pl1024-Surreily2.wad

Here are the last few! MAP28: Spirit Path 100% kills, 100% secrets Damn, this map looks freakin' awesome! Much like the previous map, there's that 'find somewhere safe to hide' gameplay at the start. Even after ten minutes had passed, there were still some monsters hiding out there in the darkness shooting at me. Doom's torches and other light sources are put to good use in this map too - they are used to mark which path houses which key. On top of that, each key's section is 'colour coded' in a way - the red key is located in a red area, and the same goes for the other two. I thought this was pretty neat. Unfortunately, this map has a high number of strange bugs - including one I've never seen before. Firstly, I found two locations where I could get stuck: I could fall into the space between the wooden walkways in the south-western building, and I could also get myself stuck in the secret with the rockets, energy packs, and the megasphere (the door that opens from the secret side is a one-time use). Additionally, there was a very odd imp on the way down to the yellow key area. He was kinda in the wall. I did get him killed thanks to splash damage from the rocket launcher though. Oh, and there were a couple visual glitches (HOMs, bleeding textures, that sort of thing). MAP29: City of Babel 87% kills, 60% secrets Good lord! This has to be the most epic finish (well, it's not really the last map) to a WAD I've ever seen! There's the freakin' huge outdoor area at the beginning, filled with all sorts of monsters and slowly filling up with even more. Acquiring all three keys is insanely hard, but that's only the beginning. This first area was a bit crazy, as I wanted to get the keys and get the hell out of there before things became too hectic. Eventually, I found all three and proceeded. The next area is basically Doom II's MAP30 - pretty easy... until the boss goes down. Then all hell breaks loose. Both sides of the boss wall open up and out come hundreds of revenants. Holy crap. This has to be the most challenging map I've ever played. Anyways, after finding a switch, some more walls open up and unleash an ocean of revenants and demons. Then I'm flicking some more switches and, eventually, reach the top of the massive chamber. It's over, right? Nope, now I'm in the hexagon of death with probably 10 cyberdemons. I make good use of the essentially infinite BFG ammo and take out the countless hordes. Finally, I hit the switch to reveal the big bad boss (who just sits there), shoot some rockets in his direction, and am rewarded with the end screen. Phew! Well, I've never been a big fan of these Icon of Sin spawner maps. I don't really like being rushed by the constant spawning enemies. I like taking my time, hiding around corners, carefully picking off my enemies. Whenever I play one of these maps, I tend to feel like I'm in a mad dash for the exit switch before I become overwhelmed. The second and third areas don't have the spawning monsters which was a relief for me, but the revenants didn't make it any easier. The one thing that I really love about this map is the insanely large second area - it's huge! After killing every single monster in that area and raising the bridge towards the teleporter, I really felt like I had accomplished something (even if I had to reload ten million saves to do it). MAP30: The Machine 100% kills, 100% secrets MAP29 was like taking a walk up the stairs, but with each step having nails sticking out of it, the handrails being made of razor blades, the carpet being made of needles, and the stairs go up 40 floors. This one, in comparison, is like going up the stairs in a stairlift with a comfy cushion. What I'm trying to say is that this map is very, very easy compared to the previous one. I killed the boss on my first attempt using the BFG9000 ammo that I had tons of from the previous level. I do like this boss, and the room is nice and epic too, but it's just a bit too easy if you ask me. Conclusion I really love these maps. Most of them are fantastic in terms of gameplay and aesthetics - my favorites were 06, 12, 14, and 27. I can't wait to see this in its final form! However, because this was a beta, I encountered many, many issues along the way - here's what I can remember:MAP05 feels very out of place for a tech base themed episode. MAP31 feels very amateurish (sorry!) and too easy. Some maps have impossible monsters. Just look through my posts for maps where I didn't get 100% kills (except MAP29 where I didn't bother). Similarly, I believe it is impossible to get 100% secrets on MAP12. Difficulty in some maps needs to be revised. I do think MAP29 is a bit on the insane side, as some of us needed to cheat and/or reload states like a madman. HOMs (and other visual errors) show up pretty frequently in the latter half of the mapset. I recall seeing them in hordes in MAP15 and MAP28.Thank you for creating such a brilliant WAD. I've spent many hours playing through the maps trying to find every monster and every secret, and having a damn good time doing it.

Good thing this month has 31 days, otherwise I would miss the deadline! Anyways, here are six more maps - I will post the final batch tomorrow. MAP22: Castle Crossack 100% kills, 100% secrets Another fantastic map! This one isn't really a castle, it's just a huge building with lots (and I mean LOTS) of shotgunners and chaingunners. I actually started running out of ammo in this one too! There were five secrets, but none of them were really hidden. All I had to do was make sure I went through every door and explore every area. My favorite areas included the blue key room (pretty nasty trap), the main central area, and the building with all those square rooms. I like squares. MAP23: Grindhouse 100% kills, 100% secrets And this is where it starts to get difficult. It's not crazy difficult, but it's certainly more challenging than anything before it. The hardest part is the massive arch-vile ambush, and I had to use my BFG9000 to survive (and even then it took a few tries). I was able to get stuck in the 'crusher window' room by going onto a raised platform, running through the crushers, and dropping to the floor on the other side. I did this not knowing that it wasn't the correct way to access the area, so I had to reload and find the switch I had missed. Overall, a fun and challenging map. MAP24: Twisted Keep 100% kills, 100% secrets We're twenty-four levels in, and this is our first real hell level! In terms of difficulty, I would say it's a fair bit easier than the previous map, but not by very much. There are some nasty groups of monsters around the map, and two cyberdemons! I believe that only one key is required to exit, but I did both sides because I wanted to see the full map. MAP25: Feeding Pit 100% kills, 100% secrets Is it just me, or are the maps getting easier as we go? This map takes place in a huge green/red marble building with all sorts of chaingunners, revenants, and barons/hell knights trying to kill me. There are just over 100 monsters on UV, much less than I expected. I don't really have anything negative to say other than the blood is damaging (I always assume that lava and nuclear waste should damage the player while water, muddy water, and blood should not). MAP26: Queen of South 94% kills, 100% secrets During my playthrough of this map, some monsters refused to teleport in and I missed 10 kills. I saw some HOMs in a couple places too. Other than that, this is another great map! It's pretty challenging, and I really love the dark theme with the red sky in the background! The blue key was guarded by three barriers which I had to lower with three switches in the same area, but I could actually very carefully walk along the edge of the platform, bypassing all three barriers and grabbing the key earlier than intended. Despite these flaws, this is one of my favorite maps in the collection. MAP27: Lost Sanctum 100% kills, 100% secrets This is the most challenging map yet. At the start, I was struggling to survive while being attacked from all sides. I went over to some place, got killed by a chaingunner. Went a different way, and took a revenant missile to my face. It's all about learning where the safe spots are, and being really freakin' careful. There was very little health to keep me going - perhaps a few more health pickups in the starting area would be a good idea. Then I entered the second area and faced the cyberdemon! I found it easier to simply strafe around a pillar, using it as protection, and fire at the cybie with my SSG. After killing the cyberdemon, everything kinda became easier. There were no longer enemies attacking me from everywhere and I didn't have to worry about safe spots too much. I regained all my health that I had lost in the first area, and finished the map with maxed out health and armor.

Here are a few more maps I've played! I'm actually up to MAP28 right now, but I don't want to spam the forum with posts the size of novels. MAP17: Outer Power Plant 97% kills, 100% secrets This map is pretty epic. There are two cybie fights, a ton of monsters, and it's a good challenge (especially after the previous one). I am impressed by the lighting effects that the author used, as well as the varying texture usage. Good job! What I don't like so much are the secrets that aren't tagged as secrets, so I can't be sure if I got them all. I did find all three 'official' secrets though, and two additional untagged secrets. There were some monster closets in one switch room that simply refused to open, so I missed six kills. Finally, I think that the secret in the first room (the one hidden behind the slime) is way too difficult to see - I got lucky when I noticed a dent in the wall with the automap. Even with these flaws, this map is one of my favorites. MAP18: Assault 100% kills, 100% secrets I like this level. I like how the middle area is returned to multiple times, and how I must run through the same hallways three times with new monsters revealed each time. The ambush after picking up the second key was cool, but the map overall lacks a little difficulty. I blew up my face with rockets twice and still found enough healing items to make it to the next map with over 150% health. The secrets were not brutally well hidden like the last map - I found four of them as I was making my way to the exit, and only had to hunt down the final one (although I did need to use the automap for it). MAP19: Blacktown Powerplant 100% kills, 75% secrets Noooooo! In every map previous to this one, if I fell down into the next area, there was always a way back (especially MAP12). Although I do love this map's challenging gameplay (after getting the red key), I am a bit disappointed that, after dropping onto the spinning floor, there is NO way back to the previous area! Please, please, add a teleporter in the exit room that leads back! I couldn't get the last secret because of this! Aside from that, the map is pretty sweet. The brown brick theme reminds me of some of Doom II's maps, and I've always been a fan of those. It gets a bit hectic after picking up the key in the middle area too, and I love maps that summon loads of monsters so I can shoot them all with my rocket launcher :) MAP20: Union Headquarters has not been implemented. MAP21: Chambers of Torment 100% kills, 100% secrets This one is basically a maze, with some fake 3D floors thrown in to make it even more maze-like, but I think I mentioned previously that I am a big fan of maze maps. I got lost numerous times, but the gameplay was very good. Again, no major challenges, but I did have to be careful due to the large number of chaingunners around the place. I don't think there's anything wrong with this (unless you can't stand getting a little lost at times). Great job!

I don't think that'd be the best of ideas. The last time I uploaded a WAD to the archives was in '06. I don't have any upload software available, so I think the task would be better suited for someone else :)

So, is this project going to end up on idgames?

So, here I am again. What I've been doing is keeping a text document handy for when I finish each map, then writing my thoughts into it. I like posting in batches rather than all at once (mainly because I can never keep up with the rest of you). I will try to post a few more maps over the next three days to finish off the WAD by the end of the month. MAP14: City Outskirts 100% kills, 100% secrets No secrets? :( Anyways, this one is basically The Inmost Dens on steroids (in terms of size, not challenge - it was quite easy compared to the previous map). There is a nice central hub area where all the keys are used, and a few different areas branching off. Some tougher enemies could have been used (I expected an arch-vile to show up at some point, but that never happened). The amount of health pickups was spot on, and although the ammo pickups were still overly generous, they were nowhere near as abundant as the previous map. So far, this is one of my favorite maps! Now I'm off to do MAP15 where I will probably spend 2 hours humping walls in the hope of finding a hidden switch for the secret exit... MAP15: Tremont City 98% kills, 100% secrets I could not get 100% kills because four spiders didn't teleport in, and I saw a bunch of HOMs everywhere. Anyways, let's talk about the good things about this map. It's a huge city map! I love these! This one was pretty tough with all those revenants and chaingunners everywhere. I had to run around and find a building to hide in to avoid getting picked off by the vast army of monsters. The buildings themselves were pretty well constructed, and my favourite one was the 'house' with the different rooms. I had no trouble at all finding the secret exit - it was pretty obvious. There's nothing I hate more than one of those secret exits where you have to find a bunch of hidden switches to access it, so thanks for keeping it simple! MAP31: Bad Mojo 100% kills, 100% secrets Although I like the idea, it felt a bit 'empty' for a secret arena-style map. When the monsters teleported in, there really wasn't much strategy - just run around in circles and kill them. The map could be a lot more engaging. I was expecting some arch-viles to teleport in, but it never happened. At one point, I wondered if the four monster closets in the centre area were housing cyberdemons - but all that came out were a few weak monsters. There's just too much room here for the monsters thrown at me. Also, I noticed some odd things, such as a switch in the very middle that just raised the floor by about 32 units and made some HOMs around the edge. The secret exit should have been marked as a secret too. Overall, I feel that this is one of the weakest maps in the collection - it should definitely be improved! MAP32: Ezxzentiel 100% kills, 100% secrets This map was the hardest one yet in my opinion. I was constantly hovering around 30% health the whole way - I wish I found that hidden soul sphere before I killed all the monsters! Anyways, I had fun with this one, although the cyberdemon at the end was cake compared to the rest of the stuff I had to go through. Also, a second radiation suit would have been nice for the slime tunnel. MAP16: The Bastion 100% kills, 100% secrets I don't know about this one. It feels a little empty, and the difficulty is not there. The most challenging opponent I faced were a pair of revenants, and everything else was a walk in the park. There's too much health in this one. I do like the layout of the map though - it's very non-linear.

Played some more, and I found some secret levels! Forget what I said before about not having secret souls! By the way, in the floating sky islands level (can't remember its name), there's one red coin I am missing. I've looked everywhere for it, but it does not want to be found. Is there a bug with that level, or am I missing something? EDIT: Never mind, found it... but those red coins shouldn't really be in places like that. Perhaps moving a couple of the hidden coins somewhere more visible would be a good idea.

I like making rectangles and putting other rectangles onto them :)

I think Doom II improved on everything from the original Doom. Bigger levels (though some of them are maybe a bit too big), more monsters, a new gun, new music (although I still prefer Doom's music), and a more challenging game overall. Personally, I prefer Doom II for the increased variety in monsters and the additional weapon. I do like how the original allows me to jump into any of the three (four with Ultimate Doom) episodes at any time, and how the episode bosses aren't just a massive wall that you shoot, but as I said before, the benefits of Doom II vastly outweigh the flaws (in my opinion).

Yeah, do whatever you want 40oz, I don't mind and I agree that it ain't that unique in terms of gameplay :) I don't think Fellowzdoomer is on these forums anymore though. Apparently something happened over on some other thread and he's taking a break or something. I don't know the full story. If you can't get his OK, feel free to rename the map to something like "The Whispering Passages" or "Halls of Pain" or whatever - the map isn't based on Fellowzdoomer's original one, as the layout wasn't very interesting (it consisted of a couple hallways and basic rooms). I ended up creating a new map from scratch based on Doom II's MAP02. Of course, the idea for this map was from Fellowzdoomer, so I don't want to take all the credit for the map.

I downloaded this, and I'm having fun with it! I do think the first couple of levels are very difficult (especially the first, where the player has only just enough ammo to kill everything). The large golden coins that are hidden around each level are an excellent touch, and give me a good reason to explore. My favorite level so far was that beach level with the pirate ship and everything (although I have not finished yet, so there are a few levels I have yet to discover)! However, would you consider 'hidden' golden souls in a few levels, just like there are hidden stars in Super Mario 64? Or how about souls hidden inside the hub map (unless you've already done that and I haven't found them)? Another thing I would suggest is a few more places to spend coins - I hit the cap about 10 levels in, and I was purchasing a full heal and blue armor between almost every level! It's annoying when I went into that cloud level with tons of coins, and I had to pick up coins when I already had 999 :( Anyways, fantastic job with this project! I can't wait to see it when it's completed!

Warning! Very long post incoming! Apologies for being, like, a week behind you lot, but... well... I got lazy. So here's me catching up once again... MAP09: Flow Control 96% kills, 83% secrets I love non-linear maps, though I did get a bit lost in this one - but it was my fault for missing an obvious door. I can be real stupid sometimes! If I were the author, I wouldn't be using those slow rising/lowering lifts around the edge of the map just outside the main 'flow control' room, as they ended up slowing things down if I needed to go back through there. I had some trouble with the 'door room' in the south-west area preventing me from getting 100% kills, and I think there was a secret that I missed in there too. None of the doors would open no matter what I did. I flipped that switch probably twenty times and still nothing - might want to look into that. I am using ZDoom by the way. MAP10: Toxic Yards 100% kills, 100% secrets Another fantastic non-linear map - although this one was a fair bit easier than the previous one in my opinion. I also got a bit lost in this one until I located the first key, but then everything went smoothly. If I were to make some changes to this one, I'd ramp up the difficulty just a little bit. MAP11: The Bloodtower 100% kills, 83% secrets The first thing I thought of when I entered this map was Doom's E1M2. As I played, I noticed that the whole of the first section has some not-so-subtle references to E1M2: the first room, the area with the red key, the method to get outside that area, and the computer maze. I also said hello to my first arch-vile (with my double-barreled shotgun of course). I really, really hate it when authors have 'one-way' areas where you can't go back, so I am very thankful that the lift that separates the first and second areas can be reset. Then we have the second area, which is covered in beautiful curvy walls, silver walls, and those lovely computers - as well as some pretty nasty combinations of demons (I got a bit careless and almost got wasted by some revenants). I've always loved maps like this. I did end up playing for quite a while trying to find the last secret, but I never did. According to some other posters, it's bugged? Overall, great map with lots of nice twisty and curvy hallways. MAP12: Grand Gate 100% kills, 100% secrets I spawn in, and I'm looking at a wall. Great way to begin! I swivel around and open the door to the outside, where many demons await. Running around like a headless chicken, I look for somewhere safe, and eventually I find a door which I open to reveal a room with some nice archway architecture (well, as nice as you can get without slopes). I grab the key, head into the yellow door, and fight my way through some tight hallways. A few rooms later, I see the main feature of this map: the huge 3D bridge. This map makes clever use of 'fake' 3D bridges and rooms-over-rooms, and does a pretty good job at it (except for one indoor area where I could walk forward and fall through the floor). There are also, some nasty texture misalignments everywhere (especially noticeable on some of the bridge supports). Aside from that, it was super awesome to see those fake 3D floors used like this! MAP13: The Slums 96% kills, 100% secrets This one had some impossible monsters, just like MAP07. I don't know if it's just ZDoom being iffy or if it actually is the map, but 10 of the monsters never teleported into the playing area. This map was pretty tough to beat, but I enjoyed it. Perhaps a little more health wouldn't hurt! Still, there's way too much ammo - especially shotgun shells.

Wow! Big thank you for playing my map and throwing some feedback my way Captain Toenail and EffinghamHuffnagel! I know, I know, but Plutonia teleporters are a pain to do. I wish I could just use DOOR3 instead, but I'll get into trouble if I do that :( Anyways, I made it harder now! Download is the same URL as before: http://www.mediafire.com/download/bcq0x1on29x116d/pl1024-Surreily2.wad. Changes include:The shotgun, super shotgun, and chaingun are now provided at the beginning of the map. This is to prevent automatic weapon switching at bad times. Many, many changes to enemies. Expect to see some lost souls and pain elementals now! Two secrets have had their rewards changed to make less of an impact. The outdoor area has some big gameplay changes.It should now be closer to the level of difficulty I am aiming for, but please let me know if there's still some things I could do better. Thanks!

I'm pretty sure doors can be 96x32 :)

I think that the maps that aren't completely finished are very near to being finished - that's why there's an extra week for authors to complete what they currently have.

Alright, a new community project thing! I'm in!

Nah, we just need to finish some of the currently unfinished maps. I don't think 40oz is accepting new maps now.

Unless my counting skills suck, I believe we have 23 OK'd maps. Just nine more and we can wrap it up! I'm also still awaiting some feedback for me and Fellowzdoomer's map "@ The Place of Death":I'd love to know if the difficulty is too easy (remember, this is going to be MAP32 if all goes to plan). Should the spare hidden invulnerability sphere should be changed to something else (as it's very unlikely that a player would pick up the first one and spend 30 seconds not going down the elevator).Thanks in advance!

I posted some shots yesterday of a map in progress, which I hope will become the MAP32 of this project. The idea was that I would enhance Fellowzdoomer's map and turn it into something better, but it turned into this: http://www.mediafire.com/download/bcq0x1on29x116d/pl1024-Surreily2.wad. Basically, it's a bit like Plutonia's MAP32, but it's loosely based on Doom II's MAP02 instead of MAP01. There's over 100 monsters on UV, so it won't be easy (but I still don't know if it's hard enough - please let me know what you think)! All feedback will be considered. Thank you. By the way, if this is chosen for the project, its name should be either "The Place of Death" or "At the Place of Death".

Fellowzdoomer, I have been toying with the idea of a MAP32 for this map set. When I got your map, there wasn't really much to work with - only a MAP01 starting area. Why MAP01 when we can go further? MAP01 seems a bit obvious, so I decided to try using the "Go 2 It" idea with MAP02 (Underhalls) instead, and I think it's working out pretty well. Of course, the name "The Place of Death" should remain, as I think it's pretty appropriate. Yes, this one will be hard - arch-vile count is currently at 7 :) No map today, but have some screenies! Note that these images contain some nasty texture alignment issues - I will fix it all once I'm done with the gameplay, details, and other stuff. And yes, both shots have a different sky - I will be using SKY3 in the end! It's all loosely based on MAP02 - the basic layout should be there, but I didn't want to completely copy it, so you will notice some differences even in these screens. Hopefully you can easily identify which areas the shots are based on! The map should be available to test shortly...

Want me to finish it for you? If so, I have plenty of spare time and can have it done before the deadline. Fantastic! I'm glad you're happy with our choices! 40oz, did you want me to upload the final version or did you make the changes yourself already?

It's time for me to play hardcore catchup! Here's another four that I've finished: MAP05: Fusion Plant 100% kills, 100% secrets This is the point where the difficulty becomes something to be aware of - no more walks in the park. I actually died in this one (the baron/hell knight thing is a bit brutal). Also, I spent a good 30-45 minutes looking around for the last secret until I eventually realized that the pool in the first room triggers it (I had grabbed the item by running as it lowered, completely avoiding the pool in the process). Other than that, it was an interesting map, but I can't help but feel that the map feels a bit 'wonky' and out of place. MAP06: Mainframe 100% kills, 100% secrets Suddenly we're dealing with some tech base map - and a brilliant one at that! The secrets in this one were very easy to find compared to the previous few - I had no trouble finding each one (although I got lucky with the hidden switch thing). This map feels more structured (rather than the randomness of the previous map with its twisting hallways and oddly-shaped rooms). However, there is still too much ammo! I exited the map with about 30 more rockets than I entered with, and I came across multiple bullet/shell boxes that I couldn't pick up due to having maximum ammo. Other than that, I like this map - especially the area with the toxic waste. Also, the rising/lowering tech pillars were cool. MAP07: The Barricade 90% kills, 100% secrets Major flaw here - some monsters are unkillable (as mentioned by others)! Aside from that and a few texture misalignments, everything was fine and jolly. I liked the beginning area - I felt I had to rush before I ran out of radiation suits, something I've not seen done before. It would be nice if radiation suits 'scaled' with the number of players in the game (to provide more of a challenge), but I know that this isn't possible with the map format used. Also, the switch that raises the 'safe bridge' in the first room is pretty neat - thanks for that! MAP08: Scrapyards 100% kills, 100% secrets This one reminded me of Doom II's maps - especially that 'O of Destruction' thing in the middle. The music was pretty epic too! The only flaw I noticed was an imp that was kinda stuck on top of a pillar.