RonnieJamesDiner

Curious how it looks in-game, but the screenshots look awesome! It sells the idea really well, that bunk bed / shelf thing looks brilliant. Good stuff!

Damn, I still haven't played Hexen but this looks gorgeous. Congrats on the release!

After 55 some-odd maps, I still actually have no idea how to describe my design process. It's like a weird blur of getting one idea that morphs into another, and then another, and then at some point I'll get a sudden, random sense of the full layout, and eventually push myself across the finish line because I feel like I've come too far to give up. I bounce back and forth like a pinball between layout work, detailing, combat, aligning textures, picking skies, finding midis, and endlessly playtesting, probably based on nothing more than losing interest in one thing, so I switch to another. I really wish I had something more articulate and enlightening to say, especially considering how much I seem to wax poetically in my WAD reviews, but it's always been this strange enigma. I'm guessing that's why it's so easy to find pages of tutorials on the technical end of mapping, and much harder to find detailed explanations on the theoretical side.

Looks at Tango.........

I voted "A lot" and I'll be completely honest why... With the amount of maps that get released for Doom II these days and the amount of time I actually care to commit to playing them, I get very picky-choosy. If a WAD doesn't look "good" to me (as in... it's clear that the author didn't even attempt to use textures competently, build interesting looking spaces, tried to establish some kind of atmosphere and cohesion, put some effort into their lighting, etc. etc.), I'm simply not going to download it. If someone can't be bothered to put effort into this stuff, I have trouble believing they devoted any serious amount of time or effort into building/refining their gameplay, fine-tuning the feel of it, or thoroughly testing it. Of course there's exceptions to this, but I'm not downloading something just to find out whether or not it's the exception. Aesthetics matter a great deal for all the reasons covered in this thread, but, they also happen to be the deciding factor when it comes to downloading something (for most people), unless you're a veteran mapper getting downloads by name recognition, or you're lucky enough to have reviewers like Biodegradable wander through. When you post a map, you post screenshots. It's the thing designed to sell people on your WAD. If you've got nothing nice to show in your screenshots, well...

The Glaive series

If you'd be so kind, please explain in as much excruciating detail as possible how you arrived at your conclusion. I'd appreciate it if you could support your position with analyses of specific game mechanics, level, audio, art and combat design, including game UX and presentation, especially in how they compare to their counterparts in any specific Call of Duty campaign of your choosing. Diagrams, screenshots, videos, any relevant examples of raw data or useful pieces of information to defend your argument would be wonderful. Thank you, I await your thesis with great anticipation.

Bunnyhopping is a perfectly balanced mechanic, just ask phoon.

Overboard 2: Going Down the Fast Way Sunder 2: Gazebo's About to Make You His Bitch Valiant 2: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA Bastion of Chaos 2: Checkmate, Ancalagon Eviternity 2: The Ballad of AD_79 Comatose 2: Dude, Where's My Framerate Heartland 2: Citadel at the Edge of Installing Eternity Pepper 2: Salt in the Wound Scythe 3: 'X' Marks the Spot

I think it's worth noting that while every year is going to have its standouts (and there's been some bangers), Eviternity is a fairly unique case. It's not normal to see an entire 32 map megawad that: was very cohesive since the majority of its maps were made by the project lead, with a relatively high standard (a standard matched, if not surpassed, by the rest of its contributors) happened to feature several new custom enemies that genuinely felt fresh, including a big, unique boss fight to cap it all off included some of the best bespoke midis that the musicians in this community have ever made, filling out an arguably perfect soundtrack served as the public reveal/release for one of the most astonishing texture packs probably ever released in this community That's not to take away from the massive achievement that projects like AUGER;ZENITH, Heartland, Lost Civilization or Elementalism Phase 1 were (not to mention all kinds of other releases that were instantly popular, like Overboard, Lullaby, Bastion of Chaos, etc.), but at this point, barring any major projects I'm unaware of (or forgetting at the moment), you might be waiting for something like BTSX Episode 3 for that kind of "stratospheric release".

You might enjoy Micro Slaughter Community Project and Haste, they're all pretty short maps as well.

To Tangra's point, I do like the idea of Union Aerospace and Weyland-Yutani existing in the same universe, meaning they're more than likely in direct competition with each other. Maybe the UAC has a pretty firm monopoly on the solar system, which effectively pushed Weyland-Yutani into deeper space for colonization and mining projects. Maybe there's a whole secret "factional war" type thing going on between the two, with each conglomerate funding private "security" contractors and paramilitaries who may or may not engage in black operations against their competitor. Maybe... just maybe... there's a conspiracy that Weyland-Yutani was in fact responsible for sabotaging the UAC's Phobos facility, not realizing it would lead to a catastrophic chain of events at the cost of Earth itself.

If you go to Messages > Compose New and in "To" just type their name, it should show up. If your friend refuses to give you their DW name, it might be a hint.

Dead on map 19 at 35:29, kills were 21/66. nmlite-scythe2-RJD.zip Dead to my own rocket in the face, no less!! Agh. That was good fun, and there's a few embarrassing moments of me forgetting where to go lol (map07 was shameful).

Play some custom maps/megawads. If there's a 32 map megawad you've been meaning to try, do it (obviously you don't have to prioritize completing it over everything else, but at least pick away at it). Playing through a megawad is like taking an "idea bath" for a few hours. You're constantly soaking in different styles of layouts, fight compositions, gimmicks, texture combinations, lighting techniques, etc. You may get nothing from the first 4 maps, but then suddenly in the 5th map you might wander into a staircase and pause for a moment thinking, "damn... this would be really cool if I had a rocket launcher and there was a horde of Imps coming at me". Bam, there's an idea. And the more you play, the more you're going to stumble into these random unexpected bolts of inspiration, and they pile up. Obviously inspiration can come from anywhere and everywhere (and it does, as people have mentioned), but it's hard to beat the effectiveness of simply just playing the game. The more you immerse yourself in it, the more you're bound to get inspired. Also, this is surprisingly wonderful advice (just replace writing/books with mapping/pwads):

WOOF! Alright, I'm not sure if their nodebuilders would actually help in this case lol. I suppose it's worth asking @Insane_Gazebo, @Benjogami, @bemused (sorry for the pings, not sure who has the mightiest nodebuilder in their possession). And... sorry QuaketallicA, not trying to hijack this thread!

DSDA has rewind and GZDoom has console > resurrect. What's saving? O.o

How many sidedefs are you sitting at? I'm fairly certain Gazebo and the Abandon gang have some tricks for overcoming a certain degree of linedef limits.

If I'm understanding the OP correctly, the first thing I have to suggest is UAC Invasion: The Supply Depot by DooMknight. It's an awesome take on the classic theme of a research/military base being overrun by demons. Gives all the vibes of a lone marine trying to clean up the mess left behind by the UAC, with some fun ideas and a ton of 'modern' polish. I think you'll really dig it. A few maps that feel like fairly natural extensions of some of Doom II's city-esque themes include Trashbang's Don't Turn Your Back on the City, and Brigandine by Viggles. Really well crafted little adventures, and I think it's down to their strict use of IWAD textures that helps pull these into the realm of "classic feel" for me. And honestly, though it's a bit of a departure thematically, it's hard to beat the "hellish cityscape" vibes of tourniquet's Mutabor. If you're looking for some of that sweet 'green marble Hell castle', it's unlikely I'll recommend anything faster than Nootrac4571's Demonastery. It plays quite heavily on the classic theme, but absolutely elevates it. Now, if you're willing to dive into Bridgeburner's first community project, The Mapwich, you'll discover that it features a hub level with portals leading to every submission (there's 15 maps in total). You can enter these at any time, and do the maps in any order you'd like. At roughly 10:00 on the clock face standing at the starting position, you'll find the entrance to a map called "Technical Difficulties" by Simpletonium and Lorenz0. I can't imagine a level with all the modern bells and whistles that better fits the bill you're looking for. Trust me. And actually, there's a few maps in the set that I imagine you might enjoy, including "Terminus Point", "Backdraft", "A Nation Tainted", and "Back Again". And after all that, you can join me in very impatiently patiently waiting for @NaturalTvventy to release one of the more remarkable looking "classic Hell castle" maps of recent memory, that they've been teasing for eons in the Doom Pictures threads.

Okay... that sounds like an awesome enemy! Please do consider releasing that mapset :D

For the most part, I feel like the members of the community who are both willing to experiment with new additions to the bestiary, and actually implement them in their owns wads/mapsets have carved out some pretty clear niches. I think the big one is the “Weak Cyberdemon”, often showing up in slaughter sets and overall well-received and sought after. The re-colored Cyberdemon at 1,000 – 2,000 HP is fine, it does the job, but I think having an option that’s as dangerous (and adept at infighting) as the Cyberdemon with 25-50% of the HP would quickly become a fan favorite. In a personal project, I really liked the idea of this unit firing 2 rockets in quick succession instead (video below), but the classic Cyb volley obviously works. ============================================ Additional flying units are another popular option, both Low and Mid-Tiers. Dangerous Mid-Tier flyers seem to be in pretty high demand. Scythe 2’s “Afrit”, Eviternity’s “Astral Cacodemon”, Ozonia’s “Hierophant”, Ancient Aliens’ “Alien Guardian”, or even Rowdy Rudy II’s “Flame Caco” come to mind immediately. I think any combination of speed/aggression and a lethal volley/stream of projectiles are the relevant factors (mechanically speaking). Low-Tier projectile flyers seem popular as well, and there’s been a decent variety including 1KL3’s “Gargoyle”, the “Arachnorb” seen in projects like Valiant and Elementalism, or the “Grell” seen in all kinds of mods (from recent memory: skillsaw’s Heartland and Breezeep’s 10 Years of Doom contest winner). Obviously the “Arachnorb” fits the Doom aesthetic already, and honestly the “Grell” fits surprisingly well, but there’s clearly room for something in this role. Projectile and hitscan variants could work. ============================================ Next up, I think genuine Glass Cannons are always useful. A few memorable ones include Heartland’s “Catharsi”, the “Rocket Launcher Zombie” also found in Heartland and other projects including NaturalTvventy’s “Toxic Containment”, and Tango’s recent “Grenadier” addition to Supercharge. Probably my favorite iteration of this – despite it being less cannon and more melee – is skillsaw’s famous use of the “Suicide Bomber”. Pretty much anything that the player can comfortably kill with the Shotgun/Chaingun, but packs enough of a wallop with a single attack (no Chaingunners here) that they need to be taken seriously, is always fun to have around. And, the mechanic of a “suicide bomber” (the real threat being their death, rather than their attack), is great to throw into the mix. ============================================ I remember skillsaw saying in his interview with Nirvana that he considered the two holes in Doom II’s bestiary to be that of a Glass Cannon and a Low-Tier projectile flyer (both of which we’ve mentioned, and I agree). However, I’d argue that there's an equal or greater need for another 1 or 2 definitively High-Tier units. For clarity, I personally consider the Arch-Vile to be the only true High-Tier monster in the bestiary (not counting the two bosses), and I think that’s why it gets used so often by mappers when trying to make dangerous scenarios with low monster counts. It’s the go-to, and we all know it. I think this is also one of the reasons why the “Weak Cyb” became so popular. One of my favourite additions to this role has always been Eviternity’s “Annihilator”. I also think Scythe 2’s “Mr. X” was 3 degrees away from being absolutely perfect for this role, had he been just a little less frustrating/bonkers to deal with – and actually, in my opinion “Mr. X” is solved completely by changing his pain chance to 256 (guaranteed with every hit). If you focus him, he’s not a problem, but it requires good aim and concentration in the heat of battle. It also revitalizes the late-game value of the Chaingun, which is super cool. If you don’t believe me, edit the Scythe 2 dehacked and try it for yourself. Two attempts at sort-of-High-Tier units I’ve messed around with in the past include these guys (videos below). This first mob switches between firing 5 Mancubus fireballs in a cone shape (at differing speeds), and launching a burst of 8 Revenant rockets. Forces the player to move in interesting ways (mostly based on existing patterns from the bestiary), and capable of killing the player quickly. The second mob features a fairly basic concept seen in a lot of games, switching between a straightforward fireball and vomiting a flurry of toxic clouds that drift in the direction they were fired (melts player HP very, very fast, creating a super area-of-denial). Not exactly a “vanilla Doom” friendly concept to recreate, however. I also messed around with a monster that, upon dying, channels a “vile ghost” that immediately launches into a single instance of the AV attack before disappearing. Seemed like a fun idea playing on the “dangerous when killed” mechanic, but, it never really went anywhere. I think the idea of a High-Tier unit having 2 attacks/mechanics (ala Arch-Vile, “Annihilator”, etc.), is an important part of this role. Either way... anything that a mapper can pop into a fight that’s guaranteed to get the player’s attention, without having to resort to the Arch-Vile every single time, will always be appreciated. ============================================ The concept of a small, swarming “Zerg Rush” style unit often comes up in these sorts of conversations as well. Admittedly, I’ve tried on more than one occasion in various projects, mods, and mapsets to create this kind of enemy, and I always end up finding them very un-fun in practice. Generally the issue comes down to HP. Either their HP is too high and they become grindy and annoying to fight, or it’s too low and entire swarms are obliterated by a single SSG blast (if not from friendly monster crossfire). I’ve tried balancing the low HP variant with extremely lethal damage (either ridiculously strong melee attacks, or suicide bomber-esque explosions, for instance (mini glass-cannons?)), but it’s always the case that I end up getting killed by a silent straggler, or getting boned by autoaim at the wrong time, and it just feels cheap and shitty. I think the Pinky Demon has proven to be the best “melee swarm” option, but, I’d love to see more people experiment with this concept.

Fun idea, looking forward to seeing what people do with it!

Well, I simply refuse to download this now.

Hmm... okay why not! Zombieman: 50% chance for their attack to be a 3-round burst. Shotgun guy: After getting initial player LOS, they have a 15% chance to drop their Shotgun and turn into a Valiant suicide bomber. Heavy Weapons Dude: Their attack is a fast "tracer" projectile instead of a hitscan. Still deadly (especially in close quarters), but reasonably dodged while running. Imp: Resurrected Imps gain glowing green eyes, and throw BaronBalls instead. Pinky Demon: Can "enrage": 25% to gain it's Nightmare stats after entering it's Pain state. Spectre: Melee attack infects player with "blur" for five seconds; doesn't affect the Spectre's ability to target the player, but all other monsters treat player as being under the effects of the Blur Sphere (doesn't stack). Hell Knight: Melee attack applies a resistance debuff (player receives 50% more damage for five seconds, doesn't stack). Baron of Hell: Flat out replace the Baron with Eviternity's Annihilator. Lost Souls: 50% less HP, higher damage. Cacodemon: Can "enrage": 25% to gain it's Nightmare stats after entering it's Pain state. Pain Elemental: Give the poor bastard a strong melee bite. Revenant: Their melee punch does a straight 100 damage (only to the player). Doesn't affect infighting, but you better be careful when playing footsy with 'em. Arachnatron: 15% chance to launch into Valiant's Arachnorb form after breaking player LOS. Unlike Valiant, there's no chance to launch Arachnorb on death. Mancubus: "Consumes" low-tier corpses (Zombiemen, Shotgunners, Chaingunners, Imps, and Pinky Demons) when walking over them, replenishing it's HP (can't go past max HP). Archvile: Resurrected monsters only have half HP, but Archviles can be resurrected. Wolfenstein SS: Random chance on spawn to use a Shotgun, Chaingun, RL, Plasma Rifle, or original attack. Cyberdemon: In melee range, has a chance to stomp it's metallic leg into the ground applying a slowing debuff to the player (50% reduced movement speed for three seconds). Spider Mastermind: After getting initial player LOS, releases a burst of 6-8 Arachnorbs who maintain a psychic "shield" link to their master; SMM is invulnerable until the Arachnorbs are dead (SMM / Arachnorbs are considered the same species, and cannot infight or damage each other). Icon of Sin: Turns into Icon of Plutonia; Boss Cubes only spawn Chaingunners, Revenants, and Archviles (with a 5% chance to spawn a Cyberdemon).

Your cleaned up version still looks pretty cool, nice job!