Demonastery - RELEASED! (Now on idgames)

[Nine Inch Heels]

On 9/16/2018 at 4:17 PM, Nootrac4571 said:

Uses DOOM2.WAD. Only tested in GZDoom so far - it definitely requires a limit-removing source port, but I've only used vanilla linedef flags and there's no scripting or anything.

I just now did a quick-ish romp through the map with PrBoom+ (Demo:dmnstry552.zip) , and it seems like there are some flats being used as textures or vice versa. Here's two examples I took a screenshot of, but I'm pretty sure there were more than just those two:

 

 

Edited September 17, 2018 by Nine Inch Heels

[Nootrac4571]

Thanks for your comments everyone!

 

I've made an updated version based on all the feedback - it fixes a bunch of things and hopefully is slightly better? I've updated the original post with the changes.

 

Demonastery Version 0.2
 

Changelog:

 

* Altered the BFG secret to no longer require mouselook
* Added a way back from the final area, for 100% hunters
* Added a few more monsters in certain areas, and swapped a few of the barons for other beasties.
* Made a sky texture - it's not amazing, I might improve it.
* Slightly tweaked the armour balance
* Made the gore areas a little tougher
* Added a railing to prevent players cheesing the backpack secret
* Now tested with both ZDoom and GZDoom!
* Many minor texture fixes

 

I've also temporarily changed the music to D_IN_CIT - I still intend to sort out some custom music, but this'll stop D_RUNNIN from driving everyone mad in the meantime.

 

Link to latest version: https://www.dropbox.com/s/f7qhadqjd1coe15/Demonastery02.wad?dl=0

 

 

 

48 minutes ago, Nine Inch Heels said:

it seems like there are some flats being used as textures or vice versa

 

Ah dammit, I thought I found all of those. I've fixed the two in your screenshots, I'l try to hunt out any more.

Edited September 17, 2018 by Nootrac4571

[Bridgeburner56]

I haven't played it yet but that is a sexy looking map

[dylux]

Just finished this on UV difficulty. I wouldn't recommend anything easier than HMP, though.

Was a fun map! Great textures! One secret eluded me, though. ARGH!

 

Great job though! I hope there's more Maps to come! :)

[killerkouhai]

wew lad, this looks epic and plays like a dream

[Steve D]

This commentary is for the original version.

 

What a sweet map! I played it in the wee hours, so I wasn't very sharp, but I was awake enough to drink in all the beautiful architecture. I like how it was bright outside but often gloomy inside. Many areas had grand sweep, for example the Rocket Launcher area, with those incredibly wide stairs. Also the enormous non-playable area that gave a wonderful sense of place, of a castle keep in the mountains, now infested with hellspawn.

 

The Viggles influence is obvious, and I too am a huge fan of Brigandine. Demonastery is much larger, so exploration is part of the fun here, as we try to solve the puzzle of this brooding Goth-Hell environment. You intensify that enviroment through cool details like structural beams burned to the point of having their charcoaled innards on display, and by incorporating SP_Face into the architecture in a unique fashion. I especially liked how you sometimes had the SP_Face bleeding down the walls.

 

The fleshy key areas were exquisite. So much detail, including all the little bleeding heads, colored rocks, and spiny arches. I saw 2 of the eye-switches, and climbed up to one of them but couldn't quite get there. That was cruel. ;D  I shot that one from across the room and saw that I achieved 3 direct hits, though the eye never seemed to close. I shot the other one from below with my shotgun, and again seemed to score hits, but again the eye never closed. Later, I saw that one of the SP_Face walls had descended to reveal a path to a teleporter, though it was still blocked by narrow fleshy columns. That's probably because I didn't find the switch in the red key room. Edit: Wait, I was wrong. I just did a nomonsters walkthrough, and that wall was always open, it was the bars that are moved by the switches. So I found every secret except the BFG, and I was only 1 shot away from that one. Waaaah! :D

 

I give myself props for grabbing the Backpack, because I play keyboard only, and timed stunts like that often lead to frustration, but this time I grabbed it on the 3rd try. And what a cool surprise it was getting teleported into a fun trap.

 

I played on UV with GZDoom and found the gameplay a trifle easy, but consistently fun and engaging. Ammo was tight in spots, which is why I cast a stinkeye towards the Barons. :D  Time and again I found myself backing away from them and watching my shells count down, then switched to chaingun and watched my bullets count down. So they caused ammo stress without presenting a serious threat, except that you might not have anything left to kill the other monsters. ;)

 

I thought the setpiece battles were well staged and the incidental combat kept things moving. I agree with others who said the final battle was too easy to nerf from the switch room, which is where I went once the Revvies showed up. That said, it was nicely staged and successfully kept pumping bad guys into the combat. Although I'd appreciate more challenge -- and more ammo -- if this is your absolute first map, big cheers on the gameplay as well as the astounding architecture.

 

One last thing I want to mention. Sector 5095 has a switch, and off to the player's right is a stairway going down but also a slick little upper platform with a lot of corrugations. Once you press the switch, you open a monster closet at the end of the platform which releases 2 Hell Knights and a Chaingunner. I didn't think there was any way those nobles would navigate the tricky angled stair at my end and come after me, but they did, and with no hesitation. So props on your monster pathing.

 

I'll try to play the new version in the next couple days. Welcome to Doomworld, and thanks for the cool textures, too! 

Edited September 18, 2018 by Steve D

[NaturalTvventy]

The custom textures, flats, and doodads are incredibly well done.

[Marcaek]

flesh and bone architecture? you have piqued my interest

[Ralphis]

Really awesome map. I dug out an old midi that I never released and messed with it a bit if you want to use it: http://ralphis.unidoom.org/stuff/music/midi/demonastery2.mid

 

It is a rearrangement of d_in_cit with the doom 1 end game melody along with a little d_runnin motif in there too. I wouldn't be offended if you didn't use it, but am happily offering it up and can make further changes if requested. Great map

Edited September 18, 2018 by Ralphis

[Edward850]

On 9/17/2018 at 9:17 AM, Nootrac4571 said:

Uses DOOM2.WAD. Only tested in GZDoom so far - it definitely requires a limit-removing source port, but I've only used vanilla linedef flags and there's no scripting or anything.

Just FYI, the map itself may be limit-removing but you've defined ZDoom specific stuff everywhere, namely the DECORATE and MAPINFO lumps (very especially the DECORATE). Not even Eternity could load this map properly.

Thus this map isn't limit-removing, it's G/ZDoom.

 

To clarify, in any port that's strictly limit-removing the MAPINFO changes will not apply and the DECORATE objects will not spawn, which is especially important as some of your things appear to be solid and will change the map layout. In Eternity this is made worse by the fact that Eternity spawns "missing thing" objects in place of missing things, which means your map will be filled with this: 

Edited September 18, 2018 by Edward850

[masaa12]

This looks awesome. Can't wait to finish up work and get my hands on this one.

Getting some brigandine vibes from the screenies and generally the LOD looks awesome :-O

[Darch]

This looks amazing!! 

[AL-97]

@Nootrac4571 So I gave three more playthroughs to the latest 0.2 version of the WAD and that Archville in the Red Skull key room seems to die from the barrel explosions no matter what. I suppose it should stay alive because otherwise that room makes little sense.

[Nootrac4571]

10 hours ago, Edward850 said:

Thus this map isn't limit-removing, it's G/ZDoom.

 

Thanks for this - I'll admit to being a bit confused about source port compatibility. I've updated the original post to clarify.

 

37 minutes ago, AL-97 said:

that Archville in the Red Skull key room seems to die from the barrel explosions no matter what.

 

What source port are you using? The barrels are actually supposed to be exploded by a crushing ceiling long before you get there! Looks like the latest version introduced a weird inconsistency where they behave correctly in GZDoom, but only in GZDoom? I think I've fixed it now, I'll post a new version later today along with a bunch of other tweaks.

 

10 hours ago, Ralphis said:

Really awesome map. I dug out an old midi that I never released and messed with it a bit if you want to use it: http://ralphis.unidoom.org/stuff/music/midi/demonastery2.mid

 

It is a rearrangement of d_in_cit with the doom 1 end game melody along with a little d_runnin motif in there too. I wouldn't be offended if you didn't use it, but am happily offering it up and can make further changes if requested. Great map

 

Thanks man! Your midi is legit great, but I'm still undecided about music.

 

14 hours ago, Steve D said:

I didn't think there was any way those nobles would navigate the tricky angled stair at my end and come after me, but they did, and with no hesitation. So props on your monster pathing.

 

Haha, cheers. I had so much trouble with larger monsters refusing to climb stairs until I read up on the actual movement logic, and it all suddenly made sense.

Edited September 18, 2018 by Nootrac4571

[AL-97]

3 minutes ago, Nootrac4571 said:

What source port are you using? The barrels are actually supposed to be exploded by a crushing ceiling long before you get there! Looks like the latest version introduced a weird inconsistency where they behave correctly in GZDoom, but only in GZDoom? I think I've fixed it now, I'll post a new version later today along with a bunch of other tweaks.

GZDoom v3.5.1. But I wonder, could this possibly happen because I'm playing with Beautiful Doom and Sprite Shadow mods? I'll give this one more playthrough without any mods.

[AL-97]

@Nootrac4571 So I just gave this one more playthrough with the fresh install of GZDoom v3.5.1 and without any mods. Unfortunately, I was right about the Red Skull key room - barrels aren't crushed by the ceiling and the Archvile is killed when you explode those barrels, thus completely clearing the room.

[SiFi270]

It didn't have any problems when I played it three times in 3.5.1; once completely vanilla, once with smooth weapons and other small cosmetic addons, and once with Johnny Doom (which did slow down quite a bit when it happened, but I was expecting that. Also the cyberdemon got stuck and didn't spawn, but again, I'm pretty sure that's the mod's fault and not the map's)

[Obsidian]

I felt like lending a hand.

 

Link.

 

I edited the second release to (hopefully) fix the ZDoom texture discrepancies and replace the DECORATE items with DeHackEd ones for PrBoom+ compatibility. I also popped in the map name in DeHackEd and added the music, again for the PrBoom+ users among us. Hopefully this helps out a little. :)

[AL-97]

 

[Nootrac4571]

New version!

 

-----Demonastery Version 0.3-----

 

Changelog:

 

* Lots of slight balance changes

* Rejigged the Arch-Vile key area a bit, to make it tougher and to fix an issue where it sometimes wasn't working properly

* Prettied up a few areas that looked a little dull

* Made it harder to camp by the switch in the final battle

* Many slight texture fixes

 

L̶i̶n̶k̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶v̶e̶r̶s̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶0̶.̶3̶:̶ ̶h̶t̶t̶p̶s̶:̶/̶/̶w̶w̶w̶.̶d̶r̶o̶p̶b̶o̶x̶.̶c̶o̶m̶/̶s̶/̶f̶7̶q̶h̶a̶d̶q̶j̶d̶1̶c̶o̶e̶1̶5̶/̶D̶e̶m̶o̶n̶a̶s̶t̶e̶r̶y̶0̶2̶.̶w̶a̶d̶?̶d̶l̶=̶0̶

 

EDIT: Link to version 0.3: https://www.dropbox.com/s/z2nzxkbiriw0sat/Demonastery03.wad?dl=0

 

Feels like I'm getting close to calling it done - let me know any comments!

 

On 9/18/2018 at 10:14 PM, Obsidian said:

I edited the second release to (hopefully) fix the ZDoom texture discrepancies and replace the DECORATE items with DeHackEd ones for PrBoom+ compatibility. I also popped in the map name in DeHackEd and added the music, again for the PrBoom+ users among us. Hopefully this helps out a little. :)

 

Wow man, that's amazing, thanks! 

Edited September 19, 2018 by Nootrac4571

[elend]

So, I just played Version 2.0 and didn't encounter any problems at all. I played it with SmoothDoom and Tilt++, everything worked, everything looked gorgeous! I really love what you have done with the place and especially your use of new decorate things and textures. Really, really well done. Gameplay wise I must say, that I really enjoyed the encounters, even though I just played on HMP. Progression was also very good, which means I never got stuck or didn't know what to do. The map lead me quite well to the next critical area.

 

Overall a great map and I hope you will continue this kind of output.

[Nootrac4571]

Crap, just realised the link in my previous post was the wrong link.

 

Version 03: https://www.dropbox.com/s/z2nzxkbiriw0sat/Demonastery03.wad?dl=0

Edited September 20, 2018 by Nootrac4571

[Steve D]

3 hours ago, Nootrac4571 said:

Actual version 0.3: https://www.dropbox.com/s/z2nzxkbiriw0sat/Demonastery03.wad?dl=0

 

That link isn't working for me. I keep getting this error; www.xn--dropbox-yq93b.com refused to connect.

[StormCatcher.77]

Hmm..., link from the first post is work fine:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/z2nzxkbiriw0sat/Demonastery03.wad?dl=0

 

I was download the map from it right now.

I'll try map a bit later, because now I'm really busy with my own projects. Screenshots looks fantastic!

[Ralphis]

Please include Obsidian's fixes for pr+ in the next release if you can. It will widen the audience for this map

[Steve D]

1 hour ago, StormCatcher.77 said:

Hmm..., link from the first post is work fine:

 

Wow, thanks. For some reason the link works for me from your post but not Nootrac4571's, even though it seems to be the exact same URL in both.

[Edward850]

The url you posted is not what it seems.  The text is correct but the link is pointing to a very different domain.

Edited September 20, 2018 by Edward850

[Nootrac4571]

3 hours ago, Edward850 said:

The url you posted is not what it seems.  The text is correct but the link is pointing to a very different domain.

 

How odd, I literally copy-pasted it from the OP. Fixed it now I think.

 

 

5 hours ago, Ralphis said:

Please include Obsidian's fixes for pr+ in the next release if you can. It will widen the audience for this map

 

So, Newb question, but: What's the best way of going about this? I'm a little vague on how deHacked works - is there a way to include Obsidian's fixes and the DECORATE/MAPINFO lumps in the same release? Or would it be best to just use the deHacked version since that's the most widely compatible? Or just include two versions of the wad?

["JL" was too short]

Spoiler

 These decorative rock things feel like they should be blocking, rather than able to walk straight through them:

 

I feel like shadows should be cast around the base of the building on the right, like the one on the left.  (They both have the cornice-type stuff that would be casting the shadow.)

 

Odd difference here in the appearance of the bricks.  I'd change it to the bricks with darker/deeper cracks, like the patches you used for the textures to the left and right (or vice versa).  This same sort of mismatch occurs several other times in the map, too many to screenshot them all.

 

Similar, except altogether different sizes of brick.  This and other examples nearby almost seems like you might have been trying to use the one brick texture like you would a support or column texture, which, if you were, I guess this isn't an error per se.  I still don't think it looks great though.  A proper support texture would make for better trim.  IMVHO.

 

Noticeable misalignment:

 

 

(spoiled above are a bunch of screenshots I took of what seemed like small texture/detail mishaps, behind a spoiler so as not to make everyone load the images)

 

Anyway, I can't really add anything to what other people have already gushed about the architecture, detail, the new textures and decorations, etc.  It's all fabulous and I want to play a megawad of your maps.  No pressure.

 

At the risk of being super nerdy about it, I'm really curious (in a good way) what this place's deal is.  The architecture would all be right at home in Hell, but the sky and the natural landscape outside both suggest a much more prosaic plane of existence.  Maybe this is a terrestrial monastery whose dark cultists kept mortaring their walls with freshly slaughtered corpses until it tore open a hole in reality and their demonic masters spilled through and finished the job?  Are we following that portal back to Hell at the end of the map?  It might be a nice detail to use a sky transfer to make the portal show a Hell sky rather than the same grey one.

 

The texture and detail usage is obviously the most eye-catching part, but I really appreciate what good use you make of the map layout as well.  Twisting, turning, things connected back together later in the map.  It all looks natural and freeform yet fits together like a jigsaw puzzle.  And the fact that you throw twists into tasks that other mappers might have made more straightforward, like getting the first SSG or getting the backpack secret.

 

Was there a non-secret plasma gun that I missed?  I got a bunch of cells before entering the final arena but didn't yet have a weapon to use them with.  It made me realize that I'd never gotten that secret plasma gun that I'd seen much earlier, so I went back and worked out how to get it.  Granted, I probably didn't need it to beat the rest of the map.  (Incidentally, I love that PG secret-- makes you think a little and use the automap, but super straightforward once you do.)

 

Fantastic work, my dude(?). 

[Nootrac4571]

23 hours ago, jerrysheppy said:

above are a bunch of screenshots I took of what seemed like small texture/detail mishaps

 

Thanks for the visual critique, I genuinely appreciate it.

 

To address your screen shots in order:

 

1) To be honest, the rock sprites are just there for colour and I don't think they look that good up close. That's the only one you can actually walk right up to, so I've just moved it.

 

2) This was actually originally shadowed, but it made the whole area look too gloomy and samey in terms of lighting, since I can't shadow the floor without also shadowing all the walls. Plus, it made the door to the SSG building a bit less obvious. Ultimately I decided that a specific bit of visual consistency was less important than the overall aesthetic, and massively less important than game flow so decided to keep it brightly lit. It's a compromise, yeah, but a good one I think.

 

3) Interesting: This is deliberate, to break up long stretches of brick texture and make walls a little bit more interesting. But I didn't realise how obvious the seams are with texture filtering turned on (I much prefer it to be turned off.) I'll knock out a transition texture so it still looks nice for those folks who like their walls to be all blurry ;p

 

4) The larger bricks are supposed to represent "quoins" (the larger bricks used at the corners of some buildings to provide structural strength.) I thought they looked ok, but I've just realised that I actually made a few specific quoin textures then forgot all about them, so I'll just swap them in. Should look much better.

 

5) Fixed, cheers. I wish GZDoom could apply its texture filtering across adjacent linedefs; those hard seams always look horrible. I suspect that's a really tough problem to solve though.