Ubik

You know, you could have just asked me again. :D

Bubble Lead.

It could be that it's based on the fact that Napoleon was thought by some to be the first Antichrist in the predicitons of Nostradamus (if I remember correctly). Otherwise, though, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

Actually, that's PRECISELY what it was intended for in the game I originally wrote it for (it's a "cutesy-horror" type sidescroller). :D I'd be more than happy to do music for ya.

Check out the few tracks I did for a friend's game a few months back: http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~ubik/crypt1.mp3 http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~ubik/tinm2.mp3 http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~ubik/tinm3.mp3

*raises hand* I gotta get better acquainted with gmidi, though, unless you want something MP3 based like what I did for one of Job's WADs.

You may use it if you like. I'd like to see in what way you plan to use certain aspects of it before I give you the full go-ahead, though. (EvisceratoR, were YOU giving him permission to use MY text?)

HE'S ONE OF THEM! RUN FOR IT! Also: OH WHAT THE FUCKING HELL

That reminds me, I still need to finish that. But yeah, Rebirth's Baron is excellent. Having been raised on the original Baron, though, it's hard to accept anything else to replace the original. ;)

WOW. Mappers take note: This map is the perfect example of how to be an absolute BASTARD without having to use zillions of high-level monsters. Russell_P just made Imps threatening again: when you have six of them teleport right on top of you in the middle of a small room, or a dozen of them perched on ledges sniping at you while you're trying to wipe up a mess of Cacodemons, they can actually be pretty dangerous. And the traps in this level are top-notch: one of the most memorable moments is in the map01 tribute room, when the lights suddenly go dark... and suddenly three Hell Knights drop in on you with a roar in the pitch-black room. Even the more open-air or room-based fights are complex and challenging, often becoming some of the most intense I've played, all without using monsters stronger than the Baron. It's especially harrowing in the last areas, where shelter is virtually nonexistent and you have to carve out little nooks of safety one piece at a time. In that situation, even one Revenant or Imp on a ledge can make all the difference. The best of these by far are the map11 tribute (the square rooms with numerous spaces in the walls, each occupied by monsters) and the yellow/red key central area. The use of zDoom features is integrated really well too, and Russell_P has used it in some extremely sadistic ways. The most memorable of these is DEFINETELY the "immortal" Revenants in the two chambers, who respawn infinitely unless you hit two switches in the room above. Problem is, you have to slink past them, hiding behind strategically placed boxes from time to time to avoid their rockets. All this in a little sequence of rooms honoring e2m1. Runner-up: the "Super-Mancubi," in the time-honored map07 tribute. The architecture and texturing are very clean and worthy of such a tribute, and it's almost a shame that the absolutely fantastic gameplay continually distracts you from it. The balance on everything - ammunition, monster number and placement, traps - is tight as a drum, and is exemplary of how to use monsters to their best effect. This map almost feels like a counterpart to Deus Vult: While DV is intense on an incredibly epic, grandiose scale, Decade puts all that intensity into a more traditionally-scaled map, showing that even smaller numbers of non-boss monsters can be extremely deadly and challenging. This is an extremely clever, well-built, sadistic and fun map, and I think it's now one of my favorite individual maps ever.

The Hell Knight actually occupies a pretty vital spot in terms of being good mid-level cannon fodder. It's not as completely disposable as the Imp or Pinky, and doesn't have an attack that can be potentially overwhelming in groups like the Revenant or Mancubus. Its strength, speed and attack are good for guarding keys or weapons in easier maps, or for using in groups around vital areas and choke points. But the fact that iD was lazy enough to just palette-swap the Baron's sprite always pissed me off. What I've always wanted to see was a modification of the Doom2 IWAD that kept the HK's stats, speed, attack and even sounds the same, but integrated new sprites for a different appearance. I think it'd help a lot to make it look less awkward and out-of-place when placed right next to a Baron. The PE is by far the most annoying of the bunch, though. I like the design and, to a certain extent, the concept, but it wasn't implemented as well as it should have been. A close-range bite attack would have made it far better to fight, more like an actual enemy than just a dump truck full of Lost Souls. And, unless used correctly, it can REALLY destroy the flow of a level. It almost ruined map17 of Vile Flesh for me earlier today (as there's an area where SIX of them appear when you're dangerously low on ammo, and it's extremely annoying to tackle them). The SS trooper is the obvious choice, though.

Actually....

Final verdict on Deus Vult after finishing it on HMP: Absolutely excellent architecture and texturing, slightly less excellent gameplay. The middle part of map01 is kind of a dog, but most of the rest of Deus Vult is a great romp through huge HR/AV-style fights. There are several areas that could use better flow and gameplay - parts of map01 and map02 are just sequences of rooms with lots of monsters in them - but there are even more areas with extremely intense and satisfying gameplay. Strongest in terms of gameplay and variety are map02's central chamber and most of map04. Deus Vult's gameplay won't appeal to everybody, but it's excellent for what it is, and is really just a hop, skip and jump away from mindblowingly awesome. If Converted DOOMer can take some of the lessons he's learned from Deus Vult, he could become one of the best mappers of the community.

Actually, I think the ammo balance is pretty well-done for the most part, although I seemed to run low on rockets near the end (that might have been intended for the Icon fight, though). What I have a problem with is the areas - most notably map01 - where it's simply a series of rooms full of monsters. Although it certainly improves from that point on. After finishing map04, I should clarify my position: Deus Vult is VERY well-constructed, and most of the gameplay is HR/AV difficulty done pretty well. It just bogs down in certain parts where it becomes a series of monster-filled rooms. The most annoying examples of these are the middle part of map01 and the "teleport hallways" of map02. In the end, despite frequent frustration and occasional annoyance, I think Deus Vult is extremely good; but it could make the jump from great map to legendary if the flow were managed better. As it is, it's one of the best WADs to come out for a while. Map04 is probably the best example of how DV succeeds on the strategic front: The initial winding "hallway" and the high Arch-Vile perches are quite challenging, and the other areas enable a wider variety of strategies (e.g. the first hallway in the building has an excellent choke point at its entrance, and there's shelter behind the cylindrical structure at the far end of the main chamber to enable HR2map32 infighting). Map02's massive central chamber is also a good example of this: having to snipe monsters on high perches while skulking through the winding tunnels, occasionally taking out one of the little nooks carved in the side of the level to get shelter and more powerups. I wasn't trying to badmouth Converted DOOMer... far from it. I quite enjoyed most of Deus Vult, despite some of my harsh criticisms... that's just the way I tend to critically analyze things. But now that he's accomplished the ultimate in an epic map, I'd also like to see him create something challenging on a smaller scale, with a more traditional monstercount and map size but gameplay and balance that's as tight as or even tighter than Deus Vult. If Converted DOOMer can go on to create the next Scythe or HR or Memento Mori, I'd be fucking ecstatic; as it is, Deus Vult stands on its own as a strong work with a few flaws in its gameplay style, but overall presenting an excellent package. I will say, though, that making more of a difference in the easier skill levels might have helped to give this WAD a bigger audience. If nothing else, people need to see the excellent architecture of this map.

I just finished map03, and while the cathedral is just as gorgeous as before, there's a bit of a gameplay problem in the "omega room": It's nearly impossible to beat, with the two Arch-Viles spawning on opposite ends of the circular hall and respawning Revenants along with all the new ones already popping up. There's no good cover and very little room to really maneuver Revenant rockets, so it's extremely difficult to manage properly. That's the biggest problem, although the gameplay is much better than map01 and at least on par with map02. I'll check up with you on map04 later tonight or tomorrow.

I'm partway through level 2 of this - the enormous lava room - and I have to say that this map still has most of the weaknesses I saw in playtesting. The architecture is, for the most part, quite inspired, but the flow and monster placement just don't work very well. The first level is "go to room -> watch monsters spawn in -> kill monsters -> go to next room," and has no real sense of pacing and flow whatsoever. The huge lava chamber in level 2 is the best so far (and, if what I've seen before is any indication, will be the best part of it), as it's not overly linear and has good flow to it. But, as said before, this map's biggest fault is its utter monotony: Except for a few choice bits here and there, it's nothing but "move to a room, kill lots of monsters," and in that respect doesn't have much variety. If Converted DOOMer can revise his mapping style so that he works more with medium/large levels with tight gameplay, he'll be a smash hit; but, while Deus Vult is an extremely impressive first map, the gameplay style needs a great deal of tinkering to play well.

FF3j > *.* And I find it hard to give even remote credit to a game whose idea of dialogue is: "YOUR PUNISHMENT IS DEATH BEYOND DEATH!"

sup

I'm looking forward to seeing how it ended up turning out. But now what Converted DOOMer needs to do is use his textural and architectural skill to make a series of more reasonably-sized maps with REALLY tight gameplay and monster/ammo balancing. I'll play it tonight and see whether I have the patience to legitimately beat it. :)

Having tested several incarnations of Deus Vult, I look forward to seeing how it ended up turning out. And seeing whether I have the patience to legitimately beat it. :)

This makes me want the game more than ever (PC though). The Revenant teleporting in was especially nice.

JUSTICE IS SERVED And who the hell is going to pay for a PWAD when they can't test its quality and can get hundreds of incredibly awesome ones for free? It makes no economic sense, not to mention iD probably wouldn't like it either.

Yeah, it is. :) Some of the variant species I put in there are inspired by entries on the Doom Bestiary site, and that's one of them. How weird, I think my Observer profile disappeared somehow... did anybody save the last incarnation of this? Because none of the ones I have seem to have the Observer entry anymore. And Grimm, I'll see what I can do about getting a short synopsis written out. There's a few things in there that might be difficult to do in actual maps, though...

Actually, the "Retaliation" idea goes along with a story I've been meaning to write, but I haven't really been able to spend any time on it. I might write up a story synopsis and outline, though, and those who wanna take a look can do so.

Sorry for bumping this thread, but: new updates! Now with two of my own monster designs, and a "guest" for another game that I thought would fit quite well... http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~ubik/doommonsters.html